The House of Helpfulness

 Yes, History and genealogy do go hand-in-hand.

Ferdinand Clinton Gammons, my 2nd cousin 4x removed was born September 29, 1845 in Middleboro, Massachusetts. He moved to Bridgewater at the age of 21. Here is where he met his future wife, Abbie Lawrence. He belonged to the Masons, May Flower Lodge.

Abbie had begun the work of knocking on doors to raise money to pay for a pastor.  She raised $400 and three months later the first service for the Methodist faithful was held in the Swedenborgian Church.

She met and married Ferdinand Gammons, a successful business man, on November 16, 1874. Together, in 1913 they purchased property on the corner of School and Cedar Street and built the Gammons Memorial Methodist Church.

 A stained glass window "The Good Shepard was given to the church by Abbie in memory of her mother.  It was dedicated by Abbie and Ferdinand on June 6, 1914.

I grew up in this church, first as a young student, then as a teen, I belonged to the Youth Group.  I sang in the Junior Choir, then later in the adult choir.  I became a Sunday School teacher.  I  was baptized at this church. I met my husband here, and we married here.  

We ended up moving to New Hampshire for a few years. Eventually we returned home to Bridgewater. Things were not the same as I remembered, my church home was not as it once was.  When the church disappointed me in a personal way, I never returned.

The other sad connotation here is that the name Gammons has been erased. It is now known as the Bridgewater United Methodist Church. I feel a sense of loss, in my genealogical way. How could they delete the Gammons name from which this church was founded.

Once their motto was " The House of Helpfulness", now it is Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors, yet I now feel neither.

Ferdinand died on Feb 23, 1929 and with a Mason Ritual Funeral Service he was buried in Mount Prospect Cemetery in Bridgewater. 

Abbie, in honor of her husbands passing,, purchased the parsonage on Bedford Street in 1930 giving it to the church in his memory. Even that was sold. Abbie passed away in 1932.

 

Opium and Southworth Gammons

Southworth Gammons, my 4th great grandfather was born in Middleboro Massachusetts in 1769.  He died on July 25, 1827, suddenly, it is written, by opium. Now that caught my attention and I just had to learn more.

At the beginning of the 19th century, opium was used as an everyday remedy for common ailments. Even President Harrison was treated with opium in 1841.  During the Civil War the Union Army used opium, a predecessor to morphine. They treated conditions such as malaria, known as "ague".

My 2nd great grandfather, Philip Roesch, who served in the Civil War wrote in his diary that he suffered from the ague and was put on a ship with others that were sick.  He wrote, "The person at my head,  and to the left and right side of me rolled over in death, yet I continued to get well".   Now I realize that he too was most likely treated with opium.

Other ailments treated with opium included rheumatism, diarrhea, excessive drinking, and even childbirth.  So now I can include my great grandmothers and great aunts for they too might have treated? Opium was known as "God's Own Medicine".

I wonder how many ancestors were treated with opium and perhaps even died because they became addicted?

The acceptance of opium was so general that societies gave awards for growing the poppy and medical practitioners were among the prize winners. It wasn't until 1879 that a growing number of doctors documented the dangers of addiction with opium use.  It wasn't classified as a dangerous drug until 1920.

So where does this lead us?  Remember the Wizard of Oz and that massive field covered in poppies.  Poor Dorothy, the lion, and the scarecrow all fell asleep. I guess they had a massive overdose of opium. That witch really was wicked. The book was written in 1900, 20 years before opium was declared a dangerous drug. 

Oh well, the Wizard of Oz is still a good movie.  Just close your children's eyes and ears as Dorothy and the gang run across the opium field.