Pictured is Charles Adams on his 90th birthday, sitting on a bench next to his bakery, located at the corner of Garfield and Main Street in Milford.
History isn’t found only in the headlines of a newspaper or in the pages of a book. Sometimes history can be revealed in the ink-scratched pages of a letter that offers us nothing more than a glimpse or a whiff of what it was like to live in a different place or time. Such is the case in the following letter written by Charles Adams of Milford to his brother on April 15, 1874. (The original structure, spelling and grammar of the letter has been retained in the article.)
Adams was seventeen years old when he wrote the letter. His father operated a bakery and saloon. Charles, Junior took over the Adams Bakery, located in Milford at the corner of Garfield and Main Street. He worked his trade for seventy-two years. The bakery’s signature potato rolls were very popular. Charles was the father of Magee Adams, the subject of my last article.
Dear Brother, …The white hen in the barroom only hatched 2 chickens out of what you put under her and she did not keep them long for this morning when I went up to see them the old hen was setting in the apple tree and the little ones were nowhere to be found. Me and Frank looked all morning for them but no chickens could be found. I suppose the strange cat that was lurking around all day must have taken them out of the barrel at night. The old hen with the duck eggs under her hatched out of ducks and they are all getting along nicely. I have built a pen behind the smoke house and set a crock in the ground with water, for the ducks to wash themselves. Father has opened the saloon in the summer house and sells like he did before. We got 4 Bbls of Whiskey and 4 1/2 Bbls Beer. We rolled them in the stable after dark. Will Galloway has left the depot and Shaw that telagraph operator is in his place. Mrs. Webers little boy at Plainville was killed on the 12th instant by Geo.Gibbs of Goshen running over him with a load of hay weighing 6600 lbs killing him instantly. Old Shields, is going to bring us 4 more cords of wood, and I have not got the old pile sawed yet. The Milford Cornet Band are going to get a uniform we have got the caps already which are blue with gold trimming around the edge and top and the Shumards Cornet Band on the front also in gold letters. The temperance women have quit praying on the streets, but now they pray in the temperance Hall as you see on the paper which I cut out of the Enquirer. The Mozart Society gave a grand Concert on Friday the 24 inst. They found the Charter of the corporation which they thought was lost, but old [name unclear] had it all the time, The temperance raised a dickens of a fuss about it they would not let the new Council make any laws until they shewed their Charter. Emma sends her love Kiss to you so good-by and remember Your Brother Charles Adams.