The Washburn Family of Livermore, Maine Sprague's Journal of Maine History Volume 9 April, May, June, 1921 page 71-72 Mrs. R. M. Washburn, in a recent issue of the Boston Sunday Herald, referring to this family of famous sons of Maine says in part: Its cradle, now in a private family museum at Livermore, Me., in the 11 children of Israel and Martha Benjamin Washburn, has rocked more renown, in quality and quantity, together, than any other, I believe. Their lives ought to teach the kind of mothers we know, however complacent now, in their own fancied triumphs, a lesson in humility. These lives are now recorded by me with more propriety than apparent, because I have been unable, as yet, to establish a kinship with them. These are the facts and figures of the 11 children, in the order of their birth, of Israel and Martha Benjamin Washburn, of whom I write. 1. Isreal of Portland, Me. 1813-83. State representative; congressman; Governor. 2. Algernon Sidney of Hallowell, Me. 1814-79; Banker. 3. Elihu Benjamin of Chicago, Ill. 1816-87. Congressman; Secretary of state under Grant; minister to France. 4. Cadwalader Colden of Madison, Wis. 1818-82. Congress man; governor; Washburn-Crosby Flour Company. 5. Martha Benjamin Washburn Stephenson of Mandon, N.D. 1820-1809. 6. Charles Ames of Morristown, N. J. 1822-89. Elector from California; minister to Paraguay. 7. Samuel Benjamin of Avon, N. Y. 1824-90. Sea captain; naval officer, civil war. 8. Mary Benjamin Washburn Buffum of Louisiana, Md. 1825-67. 9. William Drew of Minneapolis, Minn. 1831-12. Clerk of Congress; state representative; congressman; United States senator; Washburn-Pillsbury Flour Company. 10. Caroline Ann Washburn Holmes of Minneapolis, Minn. 1833-20. 11. William Allen Drew of Livermore, Me. Died at 1 year. To sum up, the average age of these 11 children is 64. The last of them, a daughter, died in 1920. It is significant that the seven brothers who lived made their mark in six different states and were not borne on by the inertia of family in one state. They include two great business men. In the public service, where they have been known, they include two state representatives, four in Congress at the same time, one being clerk; two governors, two foreign ministers, on in France at the time of the Commune; one secretary of state and one United States senator. The Field family was a great family in quality, but yields to this in quantity of quality. *** Maine, to me, has not seemed alive enough to her great sons who are now dead. I once asked, in a town library there, for a life of Blaine. The attendant, dazed, inquired what Blaine. I replied that was my wife who wanted the book, but that I would return with the full name, which I had stupidly neglected to get. What state has greater names that Hale, Frye Dingley, Reed and Blaine? A monument should be erected in Portland, where it can be easily reached and seen, on the Reed Esplanade, looking toward Mt. Washington to the west, by the mothers of Maine, to Martha Benjamin Washburn. It should be a shaft with her figure upon the top. It should be octagonal, and should bear upon its seven sides the names of these seven son, and upon the eighth the infant boy and the three daughters. While fathers often live in history, the mothers, who mould the characters of the children, are too much forgotten. Of such as the great family of Washburn, of Maine in quantity and quality, together, excelled. (c) 1998 Courtesy of the Androscoggin Historical Society ************************************************* * * * * NOTICE: Printing the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. * * * * The USGenWeb Project makes no claims or estimates of the validity of the information submitted and reminds you that each new piece of information must be researched and proved or disproved by weight of evidence. It is always best to consult the original material for verification.