Illustrated Biography of Charles Henry
Cushman
Perkins
1876-1902
by
Charlotte Carl-Mitchell
April 2006
April 2006
Charles Henry Cushman Perkins was the oldest son of
Noah Cushman and Georgia Beckwith Perkins. He was born on 11 Feb 1876
in Ottawa, Illinois. The photo above right is personalized 'Aunt
Mercy.' That was probably his great aunt, Mercy Cushman Perkins Briggs,
the sister of Charles' grandfather, Maj. Noah Cushman Perkins. The
Cushman in Charles' name obviously honors his father's Cushman
ancestors stretching back to Thomas Cushman, husband of Pilgrim Mary
Allerton. The Charles may have been to honor his uncle, Charles
Perkins, Noah's younger brother who died at age 10 in 1860, or perhaps
his grandmother, Mary Allen Swift Perkins' father, Charles Swift. The
Henry may have been to honor Georgia's father, Charlton Henry Beckwith.
Charles signed his name Charles H. C. Perkins and I thought the middle
initials were for Henry Charlton, but probate documents I found listed
his full name as Charles Henry Cushman Perkins.
The photograph above right is personalized "Uncle
Daniel from Charles." I don't know who Uncle Daniel was, probably not
someone on the Perkins side, more likely someone on the Beckwith,
Wright or Swift side of the family. There were a lot of Daniels in the
Beckwith line. I assume Daniel would have been alive when the photo was
taken which was around 1879 or 1880. According to the 1870 US census,
there was a Daniel Beckwith living in Ottawa, IL but I don't know if he
is the Daniel in question. The Daniel might have been a friend who was
called Uncle.
Having lost one child before and two after Charles,
his parents were obviously very happy he survived and had many photos
taken
of him.
The four Perkins siblings, Mercy Briggs, Charles Cushman, Mary Frank
and Noah Cushman Perkins, Jr.
Charles graduated from Ottawa High
School in 1892. The LaSalle County
Genealogical Guild has a book listing the graduates of the high school.
There were 34 students in the class of 1892. (Two of them were Lottie
and Mary Briggs. Whether they were related to Elijah Briggs, Charles'
great uncle by marriage, isn't clear.) Charles Perkins may be on the
far left in the third row down from the rear in the photo above.
In an interview in 1958, Grandma Ramsey said, "Charlie had come to Texas earlier [before his father's death in Sept 1900] because he had TB. He lived on a ranch of Mrs. Rockwell. He bought other land plus part of hers. She left one part to her son. Noah came to Texas before her father died because he had coughed up a little blood. But he was in Ottawa when their father died."
In an interview in 1958, Grandma Ramsey said, "Charlie had come to Texas earlier [before his father's death in Sept 1900] because he had TB. He lived on a ranch of Mrs. Rockwell. He bought other land plus part of hers. She left one part to her son. Noah came to Texas before her father died because he had coughed up a little blood. But he was in Ottawa when their father died."
His death notice, published in the Ottawa Republican-Times on Thursday, October 23, 1902 said, "Charles Henry Cushman Perkins was born in Ottawa about twenty-seven years ago and lived most of his life in this city. He was the oldest child of the late Mr. and Mrs. Noah Perkins, who were well known in Ottawa. After attending the Ottawa grammar and high schools, from the latter of which he graduated in 1892, he studied pharmacy in Chicago, and was employed as a registered pharmacist at the drug store of Duncan & Perkins. In 1897 the fangs of tuberculosis fastened themselves upon him and to ward off, if possible, the dire results of the disease, he went to Texas in October of that year, locating in Cisco. [A family story says that Charles caught TB from a customer while he was working at his father's store.] He has been back to Ottawa several times on visits and each time his friends have noted a change for the worse in his condition. Mr. Perkins was a member of the Knights of Pythias, which organization will have charge of the funeral. [The Knights is one of the oldest fraternal organizations in North America, founded in 1864 during the strife of the Civil War, and dedicated to universal peace and goodwill and the practice of Friendship, Charity and Benevolence.] He was for some years a member of Company C and attained the rank of hospital steward in the Third regiment hospital corps. [Company C, Third Infantry, Illinois National Guard was one of the oldest military organizations in the state. It was organized in 1877 and played a prominent role in the war with Spain in 1898.] While the news of his death will not surprise his many friends in Ottawa, it will cause sincere regret as he was a general favorite among them and was well liked by all who knew him. Two sisters - Mrs. Gus Teissedre of this city, and Miss Mercy of Cisco, Texas - and one brother - Noah, also of Cisco- survive him." Charles died on the ranch in Cisco, Texas on 19 Oct 1902 at the age of 26.
It's interesting that Noah C Perkins, Charles' father did not serve in the Civil War. He would have been 15 when the war began, too young initially to serve, but by 1865, he would have been 19, Charles was not a soldier either but a hospital steward in the national guard. A hospital steward (or hospital sergeant) was a noncommissioned officer under the supervision of the post surgeon whose duties consisted in making up prescriptions, administering medicines, and general supervision of the sick. Charles couldn't have served in the Spanish American War because by 1897 he was already sick with TB.
The photo above was taken in Cisco, Texas possibly
not long
before Charles' death on 19 Oct 1902 at the age of 26. In his will, he
left
his estate to Mercy and Noah, leaving Mary out. She had married Gus
Teissedre,
probably against Charles' wishes, in Aug 1902 at age 19. Since both
parents had died in 1900, Charles was the head of the family, though
not the legal guardian of Mercy and Noah, probably because of his ill
health. Later, Mary
married Ernest Brewer. In February 1908, Ernest sent Mercy a scathing
letter,
calling her insulting names, complaining that Charles had cut Mary out
of
his will and that he 'was controlled by a dirty old prostitute.'
I have a watch fob with CHCP engraved on it.
Inside, on the left side, are two small photos of Charles' parents, Georgia and Noah Cushman Perkins.
On the right side is a photograph of a young woman.
A Blanche Stumph was mentioned as Charles' fiancee in the 24 Oct 1902 newspaper notice of his death. If Blanche is the woman in his watch fob, and it seems logical she is, it's interesting that she wasn't mentioned in his will. Maybe it was against Victorian etiquette for a man to leave anything to a woman not yet his wife. A Blanche Stumph, daughter of Elisha Stumph, was listed in the 1880 US census for Farm Ridge, La Salle County, IL. She was born in Jun 1879, making her three years younger than Charles. I was able to trace a descendant of Blanche and contacted the daughter-in-law, the son having died. Mrs. Carse was very surprised to hear that her mother-in-law may have been engaged to someone before she married at age 28 in 1906. That would have been four years after Charles died. I sent her a copy of the photo, but she couldn't verify that it was her Blanche Stumph. It would make sense, though, that she is the one pictured. An interesting fact noted in a later article, Charles' funeral was held from the home of Mr. E. H. Stumph in Ottawa. Charles is buried in the family plot in the Ottawa Avenue cemetery.
I have a watch fob with CHCP engraved on it.
Inside, on the left side, are two small photos of Charles' parents, Georgia and Noah Cushman Perkins.
On the right side is a photograph of a young woman.
A Blanche Stumph was mentioned as Charles' fiancee in the 24 Oct 1902 newspaper notice of his death. If Blanche is the woman in his watch fob, and it seems logical she is, it's interesting that she wasn't mentioned in his will. Maybe it was against Victorian etiquette for a man to leave anything to a woman not yet his wife. A Blanche Stumph, daughter of Elisha Stumph, was listed in the 1880 US census for Farm Ridge, La Salle County, IL. She was born in Jun 1879, making her three years younger than Charles. I was able to trace a descendant of Blanche and contacted the daughter-in-law, the son having died. Mrs. Carse was very surprised to hear that her mother-in-law may have been engaged to someone before she married at age 28 in 1906. That would have been four years after Charles died. I sent her a copy of the photo, but she couldn't verify that it was her Blanche Stumph. It would make sense, though, that she is the one pictured. An interesting fact noted in a later article, Charles' funeral was held from the home of Mr. E. H. Stumph in Ottawa. Charles is buried in the family plot in the Ottawa Avenue cemetery.
Head shots of Charles