19th Century | Tufts Lineage & Legacy

Charles Tufts and Walnut Hill

Tufts association: Land owned by Charles Tufts and given by him as the site of Tufts College. (Jay Franklin Tufts, Tufts Family History 1633–1963 (secondary source), pp. 139, 143)

Charles Tufts of Somerville gave the hilltop land on which Tufts College was built.

“As early as 1841, Charles Tufts conceived the idea that an Universalist College was needed, and that his Walnut Hill was the appropiate site for it. … when previously asked by a friend what he intended to do with the wind-swept height, Mr. Tufts replied; “I will put a light on it”, —a remark which has become one of the traditions of Tufts University. … A charter for the new College was issued April 15, 1852, and on July 23, 1853 the corner stone for Ballou Hall, the first building, was laid; and in 1854 was opened to students.”

Jay Franklin Tufts, Tufts Family History 1633–1963 (secondary source), p. 139 · page scan

“Mr. Charles Tufts, whose name is better known to the people than almost any other, whose generous acts endeared him to many he had benefacted, is no more. … He believed in doing good to the greatest number, and hence his noble gift to Tufts College, of the beautiful tract of land upon which the buildings are now located.”

Jay Franklin Tufts, Tufts Family History 1633–1963 (secondary source), p. 143, quoting the Somerville Journal, December 30, 1876 · page scan

⚑ Unverified

Charles Tufts's birth and death dates and his parentage are not quoted here. The obituary says only “nearly ninety-six”. These need a primary record such as a gravestone, vital record, or probate file.

The Weymouth Line and Tufts Library

Tufts association: Home town of Dr. Cotton Tufts and his son Cotton; the Tufts Library was founded by the bequest of Quincy and Susanna Tufts. (Jay Franklin Tufts, Tufts Family History 1633–1963 (secondary source), p. 35; Weymouth finding aid)

“The year 1879 was a memorable one for the town of Weymouth. Early that year, through the generosity of Quincy and his sister Miss Susanna Tufts, they gave to the town, by will, a fund for the establishment of a library for the benefit of its citizens.”

Jay Franklin Tufts, Tufts Family History 1633–1963 (secondary source), p. 35 · page scan

Albert C. Tufts of Sacramento

Research in progress

Sacramento city directories (primary)

1869: no entry found.
1870: “Tufts A. C., clerk, with Justin Gates & Bro.”
1874: “Tufts A. C., apothecary, with J. L. Polhemus, res 282 J”
1875: “Tufts A. C., apothecary, with Justin Gates & Bro.”
1879–80 and 1880–81: druggist, SE corner of 10th & J (“Tufts A C, druggist, se cor 10th”)
1884–85: “TUFTS A C, druggist, SE cor J and Tenth, res 1605” [H]
1888–89: “Tufts A C, druggist 1000 J”
1894: “TUFTS ALBERT C, druggist, 1000 J, r 1605 H”
1896: “TUFTS ALBERT C., Druggist 1000 J. Telephone 379”
1897: “Tufts Edith Miss, r 1605 H.” (Jessie M. also at 1605 H)
1898: “Tufts Albert C, r 1104 I”; “Tufts Edith Miss, r 1104 I”
1899: “Tufts A C Mrs, r 1104 I”; “Tufts Jessie Miss, emp State Print[ing Office]”. Albert is not listed.
1902: “Tufts Edith Miss, teacher Union Prim School, r 817 18th”

Quoted from the OCR text of each directory. Printed page numbers have not yet been captured.

Secondary sources (labeled as such)

Marriage to Eva N. Carriger, c. December 1877, per the title of a Newspapers.com clipping citing The Pacific Bee, Sacramento, Dec. 22, 1877, p. 8. The clipping text has not been seen.
Albert, Edith, Mrs. Eva Nelson Tufts, and Jessie May Tufts listed at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Sacramento Historic Churches Index, 1852–1910).
Edith Tufts Shaw, b. 7 Oct. 1878, Sacramento (SSA-derived index).
1884–85 business directory: proprietor of Meadows' Magic Liniment and Tufts' Yerbine Cough Balsam.
Tufts & Spieker, California Trade Mark No. 404, Yerba Santa Cough Balsam, 1877 (collector blog).

⚑ Unverified

Albert's absence from the 1899 directory suggests, by inference only, that he died about 1898–99. No death record has been found. Also unverified: his birthplace, death, burial, any link to the Massachusetts Tufts family, Masonic office, and any bottle-collection accession. The trademark's location (10th & K) conflicts with the directories (10th & J).

Illustrations

**Charles Tufts, about 1860.** Charles Tufts, identified in the source as the founder of Tufts College, about 1860.Image: Hale’s Photograph Rooms / Edwin B. Rollins. Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons

**Medford Square, postcard about 1913.** Medford Square on a postcard postmarked 1913, with a streetcar on the Salem Street–Sullivan Square line. *Tufts association:* The Drs. Simon Tufts house stood at Medford Square until 1867 (Medford Historical Register XVIII, p. 67).Image: Unknown (postcard). Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons

**Medford, Massachusetts, 1880 (bird’s-eye view).** A bird’s-eye view of Medford published in 1880 by O. H. Bailey & Co., from the Library of Congress map collections. *Tufts association:* Medford: Peter Tufts House, the Drs. Simon Tufts house, and Tufts College (see Places).Image: O. H. Bailey & Co.; C. H. Brainard, agent (Library of Congress). Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons

**Tufts College, about 1854.** An early view of Tufts College on Walnut Hill, the land given by Charles Tufts.Image: Unknown artist. Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Find a Grave Memorials

Charles Tufts

Find a Grave memorial 6688008. As given there (secondary; not checked against original records): Mount Auburn Cemetery, Central Ave., lot 2870.

**Charles Tufts monument, Mount Auburn Cemetery.** Central Ave., lot 2870.Photo: Eric Thomsen, Find a Grave

The Blacksmith’s Line: Medford to Boston

A Medford line of William Tufts Jr. (1736–1782) moved into Boston’s trades: Uriah Tufts (1768–1837), blacksmith of Constitution Wharf; his son Uriah Tufts (1796–1860), cabinetmaker; and his grandson William Tufts (1820–1893), confectioner and caterer (Cutter, vol. II, pp. 1199–1200).