Butte County
Biographies
FRANCIS M.
WASHBURN
FRANCIS M. WASHBURN.--The efficient secretary of the Sacramento Valley Bee Keepers’ Association, a prominent apiarist of Butte County, and a graduate embalmer and undertaker at Chico, is Francis M. Washburn, the subject of the sketch. He was born on October 7, 1863, at Bridgewater, Mass., a son of Hosea and Elizabeth (Locke) Washburn. His father was a physician and resided on a farm; his mother, who in maidenhood was Elizabeth Locke, a daughter of Aaron Locke, was born at Charlestown, Mass., at the foot of the celebrated Charlestown Monument. Mr. and Mrs. Hosea Washburn were the parents of two children, Francis M. being the only one living. Hosea Washburn was born on July 15, 1819, and died on April 20, 1884; his wife passed away in 1912.
The ancestors of Francis M. Washburn are traced through the Savage Genealogical Dictionary and Records of Plymouth Colony, Mass., to a certain John Washburn, Jr., who was born in England, in 1621, and died in Bridgewater, Mass., his will bearing the date of 1686, according to the records of Plymouth Colony, Vol. 2, page 94; Savage Genealogical Dictionary, Vol. 4, page 429. John Washburn, Jr., married Elizabeth Mitchell, a daughter of Experience Mitchell, whose wife was Jane Cooke, a daughter of Francis Cooke, of the Mayflower. Francis Cooke was a native of England, having been born at Blyth, in 1577. He passed away on April 7, 1663. These data are taken from Savage Genealogical Dictionary, Vol. 1, page 4456, and Ancient Landmarks of Plymouth, Mass.
The grandfather of Francis M. Washburn was Seth Washburn, Esq., who was born on September 23, 1776, and died on April 30, 1858. On March 31, 1812, he was united in marriage with Sarah Carver, a daughter of Eleazer Carver, the ceremony being solemnized at Bridgewater, Mass. She was born on April 3, 1777, and died on April 17, 1864. Francis M. Washburn’s great-great-grandfather was known as “Captain” Abram Washburn, who was an officer in the Revolutionary War. Although he was familiarly known as “Captain” Washburn, at home, he was mustered out of the army as a Major. He was born on January 26, 1744, and died from the results of exposure incident to the war, on July 8, 1785. Seth Washburn, Esq., was an Indian trader, and from 1797 to 1809, he was in Ohio, where he was trading for furs with the Indians of the Buckeye State. At that time there was only an Indian trail between Ohio and Pennsylvania. When he died he was regarded as the most wealthy man in Bridgewater, Mass. Seth Washburn was at one time a member of the firm of Carver-Washburn Company, who manufactured cotton gins, selling their product to the Southern plantation-owners. He was a man of large affairs, and at one time was a hatter, and also owned a farm. With such noted ancestors as these, Francis M. Washburn is eligible to membership in both the “Mayflower Descendants’ Club” and the “Sons of the American Revolution.”
Francis M. Washburn received his education in the grammar and high schools of Bridgewater, Mass., and after finishing his school-days learned the trade of the harness-maker, but as it was not to his liking he abandoned it and entered the furniture and undertaking business. To thoroughly equip himself for the undertaking business he pursued a course in embalming at the Massachusetts College of Embalming, at Boston, graduating from this institution in 1891. For some years he was engaged in the undertaking business in Western Massachusetts, but having a good opportunity to sell out at a profit, he disposed of his business interests there and afterwards successively located at Springfield, Worchester, and Providence. His brother, Dr. N. P. Washburn, of Boulder, Colo., having passed away, Francis came West to attend to the settling of his business affairs, and was so pleased with the West, its climate, business opportunities and spirit of enterprise, that he decided to migrate farther westward, with the Golden Gate as his goal. With his mother he came to California and in 1904 they settled in Chico. After his arrival at Chico he became associated with Mrs. M. E. Engle, in the establishing of the present undertaking parlors, where he has been actively engaged ever since. Fraternally, Mr. Washburn is a Mason, and is a member of Chico Lodge, No. 111, F. & A. M.; Chico Chapter, No. 42, R. A. M. He originally joined the Odd Fellows in Massachusetts, but is now a member of Chico Lodge, No. 113, I. O. O. F., and is Past Chief Patriarch of the Encampment, and Captain of the Patriarch Militant, Chico Canton. He is also Past Council Commander of the Knights of Pythias and Past Sachem of the Red Men. Politically he supports the Republican party.
Transcribed
by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: "History of
Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 1230-1231, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2009 Joyce Rugeroni.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County
Biographies