Untitled - citizen hylbom blog

development of the city.
In 1857 he erected the Cummings building
on the corner of Williams and Purchase streets,
in which enterprise his brother William joined.
At that time the building was the largest and
finest in the city, and the wisdom of it from
a financial standpoint was doubted by many,
but the result proved his judgment correct,
and his building did much to fix the business
center of the city. He had moved from Dartmouth
to New i3edford in 1855, to the house
at No. 411 County street where he died seven
years later, and in which his widow resided until
her death, in 1902.
The life of Benjamin Cummings was one
of intense attention to business up to the time
of his death. He was much interested in
Antioeh College at Yellow Springs, Ohio, and
found time in his busy life to serve it as a
trustee. He liked trees and flowers and all
outdoor things and took great pleasure and
pride in his garden.
On Jan. 27, 1820, when twenty-two years
«lil. Mr. Cummings married Cynthia Smith,
44
SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS 689
White Creek, N. Y.; William, born Dec. 21,
1783, who died unmarried; Rutli, born Nov.
4, 1785; Elizabeth, born Mav 20, 1788, who
died Feb. 15, 1812; Nancy^ born May 23,
1790, who married Charles Smith; Mehitable,
born Nov. 30, 1792, who died unmarried; John,
born Feb. 13, 1795, who married Elizabeth
Olds; Benjamin, born April 7, 1797; and
Sally, born June 5, 1799.
(VII) Benjamin Cdaimings, son of Benjamin,
born April 7, 1797, in the town of
Dartmouth, Mass., was in his early years until
soon after his marriage associated with his
•older brothers, William and John Cummings,
in the conduct of an extensive store in Dartmouth,
doing a successful business. Soon after
his marriage he left the store and devoted his
attention to his farm and the many business
interests connected with it. There was upon
it a valuable water power which was used for
a sawmill, grist mill and fulling mill, all of
which called for his attention, and all of which
lie successfully managed. At that time the
whaling business flourished greatly, and it
naturally attracted him, and he soon began to
invest in whaling vessels. He found interest
and profit in this and increased his investments
until he was part owner in a large number of
whalers, one of which was named for him, and
bore as a figureliead a full-length likeness of
him carved in wood, which was thought singularly
true to life. He also invested largely in
born Jan. 9, 1802, daughter
Teal estate in New Bedford, and the accuracy
of his judgment has been indicated' in the
of Henry and
Mary (Almy) Smith, who owned a large tract
of land in Dartmouth, on the Paskamansett
river, which is still kept in the family. Ten
children blessed this marriage, namely: Caroline
Almy, born Sept. 23, 1821, married Abner
R. Tucker, and died March 5, 1904; Mary
Ann, born Jan. 6, 1823, married Charles Almy,
whom she survived, and lived in Buffalo, where
she died Dec. 18, 1910 (she was laid to rest
in Oak Grove cemetery, at New Bedford) ;
William Henry, born Dec. 21, 1824, died Dec.
27, 1874; Emily Mandeville, born June 25,
1827, married Benjamin Rathbone Almy;
Charles Smith was born Feb. 4, 1830; Sarah,
bom Oct. 8, 1832, died Sept. 29, 1847; John
Tillinghast, born April 23, 1835, died April
7, 1837; Louise Smith was born in Dartmouth
Sept. 18, 1838; Julia Holmes, born May 20,
1842, died May 26, 1843; and Julia Holmes
(2), born Feb. 20, 1844, died Aug. 20, 1856.
The old age to which Mr. Cummings had
looked forward as a time when he could enjoy
the property he had accumulated, to which
he had looked as a means rather than an end,
was denied him, and lie died, leaving the reputation
of an honorable and upright man in
whom his family could feel just pride, Sept.
28, 1863, in New Bedford. Mrs. Cummings
died March 4, 1902, just about two months
after her one hundredth birthday.
(VIII) William Henry Cummings, son of
Benjamin, born Dec. 21, 1824, in Dartmouth,
married (first) June 5, 1849, Hannah W.
Smith, who bore him three children, namely:
Benjamin, born Dec. 24, 1852 ; William, Aug.
11, 1856; and Florence Evelyn, Aug. 3, 1859.
Mr. Cummings married (second) March 15,
1864, Lucy B. Gifford, and to this marriage
were born two children : Charles Smith, Dec.
9, 1867; and Mabel L., Jan. 6, 1870. Mr.
Cummings spent his younger days in Dartmouth,
where he was educated. In his earlier
years he followed whaling for a short time, going
on two or three voyages. In 1849 he went
to California with the gold seekers, and remained
about a year. Upon his return he
lived in Westport for about four years, and
in 1855 located at Russell's Mills in Dartmouth.
Here he engaged in farming, an oc-
cupation he followed until his death, which occurred
Dec. 27, 1874.
(IX) BENjAMfN Cummings, son of William
H., was born Dec. 24, 1852, in that part of
Westport which is known as "Head of Westport."
He was given his primary or elementary
education at Russell's Mills, whither his