A Town of our Own

    “He said the Drapers had controlled the separation at every step, ‘from its inception at a private
    meeting of the Draper family, when one of the daughters wanted to know why they could not have a
    town of their own.’” This quote from a Milford Daily News article refers to a statement by Joseph
    Benton, attorney for Milford in opposing the separation of Hopedale. If true, who might the daughter
    have been? We’ll probably never know, but here are the possibilities I can come up with.

    Frances Eudora Draper Colburn, daughter of George and Hanna Draper. Born July 26, 1847.

    Hanna Thwing Draper Osgood, daughter of George and Hanna Draper. Born April 11, 1853.

    Helen Louise Draper Colburn. Daughter of Charles and Frances Colburn. Born November 9, 1868.

    Edith Draper (married name, Edith Draper Blair). Daughter of General William F. and Lilla Draper.
    Born February 18, 1874.

    Alice Draper Colburn (married name, Alice DeCartier DeMarchienne). Daughter of Charles and
    Frances Colburn. Born January 7, 1875.

    Fanny Osgood, daughter of Hanna and Edward Louis Osgood. Born December 27, 1882. (I'm trying
    to include all the Draper women of the time here, but since the suggestion for a separate town was
    made before Fanny turned three, I think we can count her out.)

    I’ve heard it mentioned that Gen William F. and Susan Preston Draper's daughter Margaret (later
    Princess Boncompagni) could have been the one who made the suggestion. Margaret was born
    March 18, 1891, so that rules her out.

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