It seems likely that this article by Auretta Roys Aldrich (found in the Bancroft Library Hopedale history collection) was written to be part of Hopedale Reminiscences. It was published in the same year, 1910, it was referred to as a reminiscence, and she was said to have been a member of the Hopedale Community. However, it’s not included. My guess is that it was written for Reminiscences, but the editors of the book decided that some observations and opinions in it would be found to be offensive to some people; particularly the part about the Drapers in the next-to-last paragraph. I asked Lynn Hughes for her thoughts on this. Lynn is a member of the Friends of Adin Ballou, and is the editor of a number of Ballou publications, including History of the Hopedale Community. Here’s her reply:
I’m puzzled as to who Auretta Aldrich could be. According to the RI Cemetery Transcription Project, Auretta (Roys) Aldrich was born in 1829 and died in 1920 — the same age as Adin Ballou’s daughter Abbie. She would have been 13 when the Community started in 1842, and 27 when it dissolved in 1856. So she could have lived there as a child or as a young woman. But there is no Roy/Roys or Aldrich family on my list of Hopedale Community members, which I compiled from the Community record books (Appendix C in my edition of History of the Hopedale Community). There is an Aldrich family in the History of Milford, but no Auretta, and no Roy or Roys family.
I think you may be right, Dan, in thinking that she originally wrote the piece for Hopedale Reminiscences, but that it was omitted as too controversial. She is certainly forthright in her criticism of the Drapers. Adin Ballou himself never said things like, “I have no doubt but the Drapers could have kept the community in successful existence financially to this day if they had chosen to do so” and “The Drapers had the ability to make money, and they wanted to make it for themselves.” Auretta Roys Aldrich, whoever she was, was not afraid to call it as she saw it.
Later in the day I received this from Patricia Hatch:
Hi Dan and Lynn (and all),
There is info on the web about Auretta and some other Aldrich folks.
Thanks for your note, Lynn. Apparently, Auretta taught school with Abbie B. Heywood in Hopedale. (For some reason, I didn’t note the website I got that idea from.) Auretta wrote at least two books:
“Children: Their Models and Critics” and “Life and How to Live It”
On “ebooksread.com” there is a free book called, “Who’s Who in New York.” Auretta Roys Aldrich’s son Herbert is listed. I will copy the four Aldriches listed here for you as there seems like there may be at least one other Hopedale connection.
Please note this first listing is for the son of Charles F. and Abbie L. (Spaulding) Aldrich. From Lynn’s appendix, I see that Abbie Jackman Spaulding was a community member, and a mother in this list is Abbie L. Spaulding. Could she be Abbie’s daughter? Did she write in Reminiscences? (The other two men listed here are sons of Anna Gladding Aldrich, and I am also wondering if she might be related to Charles and Ruth Shove Gladding of the Early Community.)
ALDRICH, CHARLES S.
Lawyer; b. Wethersfield, Vt., April 1, 1871; s.Charles F. and Abbie L. (Spaulding) Aldrich; ed. Vt. Acad., Saxton’s River, Vt.; Brown Univ., A.B.,
1894; A.M., Wesleyan Univ., 1896; m. Manchester, N. H., Sept. 9, 1897, Helen P. Drake; one daughter, Adeline, b. 1902. Traveled in Europe summer of 1896; has practised law ever since; now mem. firm of Shaw, Bailey & Murphy. Dlr. Pioneer Bld’g Loan Sav. Ass’n of Troy, Union Nat. Bank of Troy, Illlum Realty Co.; sec. and treas. Collar City Land Co. Served 5 years In 6th Separate Co. N.G.N. Y. (Troy), Citizens’ Corps, Republican (Independent); Baptist. Mem. Phi Beta Kappa, N. Y. State Bar Ass’n, Delta Upsilon fraternity. Trustee 1st Baptist Ch Troy, N. Y. Recreations: Gymnasium, tennis, whist. Club: Pafraets Dael. Address: Troy, N. Y.
ALDRICH, CHESTER HOLMES
Architect; b. Providence, R. I., June 4, 1871; s.Ellsha S. and Anna (Gladding) Aldrich; grad. Colum- bia Univ. (Ph.B.), 1893; Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris, France, Diplome par le Gouvernement Francais. En- gaged in practice as architect since 1900; mem. of Arm of Delano & Aldrich, architects, of Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, Md.; Philadelphia Orphanage, residences for John D. Rockefeller at Pocantico Hills. N. Y.; W. B. O. Field, Bronson Winthrop, Harry Payne Whitney, etc. Mem. Am. Inst, of Architects; Soc. of Beaux Arts Architects, Societfi des Architects Diplomes, etc. Address: 4 E. 39th St., N. Y. City.
ALDRICH, HERBERT L.
Publisher; b. East Blackstone, Mass.; s. Andrew J. and Auretta (Roys) Aldrich; ed. Cornell Univ., 1880- 1883; m. Oct. 10, 1893, Mary Grace, one of the Clarkson family. Was mn’g editor Cleveland Plain Dealer, western editor Scientific American. Engaged 3ince 1893 in publication of technical periodicals. Pres.and treas. Aldrich Publishing Co., Marine Eng’rlng, Inc., and The Boiler Maker, Inc.; publisher and prop’r Internat. Marine Eng’rlng, published simultaneously In N. Y. City, and at 31 Christopher St., London, E. C, England. Mem. Am. Soc. Mech. Eng’rs; Soc. Naval Architects and Marine Eng’rs; Mil. Order of Loyal Legion; Mason. Has traveled extensively in Europe, N America, East’n Siberia and Alaska; has written many articles. Author: Arctic Alaska and Siberia.Clubs: Engineers, Machinery, Army and Navy (Wash., D. C). Address: Hotel San Remo, N. Y. City.
ALDRICH, RICHARD
Journalist; b. Providence, R. I., July 31, 1863; s. Ellsha Smith and Anna Elizabeth (Gladding) Aldrich; ed. Providence High Sch., Harvard Univ., A.B., 1885. Became reporter on Providence Journal. Aug., 1885; then musical and dramatic editor and editorial writer; private sec. V. S. Senator Dixon, 1889-1891. In 1891joined staff of N. Y. Tribune as reporter; then became telegraph editor, ass’t day editor, ass’t literary editor. Since Oct., 1902, on staff of N. Y. Times as musical editor. Author: A Guide to Parsifal, 1904 (Oliver Dltson); A Guide to the Nlbelung’s Ring, 1905 (Oliver Ditson). Translator of Lilli Lehmann’s book, How to Sing” (Macmlllan); contrlb’r to magazines, periodicals, etc. Clubs: Century, University, Harvard, St. Botolph (Boston). Address: Care New York Times, Times Square, N. Y. City.
Fun detective work,
Patricia
And then she sent:
Adin Agustus Ballou (and Jemmy Goodspeed) was the editor(s) of a youth Hopdale newspaper called “The Mammoth.” (Tagline: “Large streams from Little Fountains Flow”). They were looking for “agents” to distribute copies of The Mammoth in nearby towns.
According to the copy in Google Books, In the July 14, 1847 (Vol. IV, No. 1) issue of the Mammoth, this appeared in print:
“Miss Auretta Roys is our authorized Agent in Woonsocket Falls. All subscriptions to the Mammoth can be paid with safety to her.”
Patricia also mentioned that there was an entry on Mrs. Aldrich in Womans’s Who’s Who Women of America for 1914. Here it is.
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