Subject

Edwin Baxter

Description

Edwin Baxter; Edwin Baxter was uncle to John Elmer Baxter. This etching is from Deyo’s History of Barnstable County. This is what Deyo says:[ ] CAPTAIN EDWIN BAXTER. – Early in the last century, this family name was prominent in the affairs of Yarmouth, and when Dennis was incorporated from the territory, here resided Reuben Baxter and his brothers. John, the son of Reuben, married and resided at South Dennis, rearing a family, among whom was Heman, who married Mary L. Baker, granddaughter of Judah Baker, and reared a large family, one of whom is the Captain Edward Baxter, whose portrait accompanies this article. His birth occurred January 8, 1833, at South Dennis, where he received a common school education, and at the age of twelve he shipped as cook on a coasting voyage. At seventeen he engaged before the mast, and following the business earnestly and steadily, arose to mate at twenty, sailing on foreign voyages the most of the time while acting in that capacity. In 1864 he was promoted to a captaincy, and for twenty-one years commanded various sailing vessels, without serious accident. He retired with a competency in 1885, and resides in his pleasant home at West Dennis. The captain on the first of February, 1885, married Polly L., daughter of Joseph and Paulina Eldridge, and has one daughter, Ada, living at home, born July 24, 1867. Joseph Eldridge, the son of Thomas, was born and reared in a house situated back in the field to the east of Captain Zebina Small’s, on the road between Harwich Port and the Center. Since he left the sea Captain Baxter has mingled in the business, the social and the religious affairs of the town, enjoying a charter membership in Mount Horeb Lodge of Masons, and attending and supporting the services of the Methodist church of his village. In civil affairs he takes a keen interest, and in February, 1887, was elected by the republicans to the office of selectman; and in February, 1889, he was reelected to a third term. He is a director in the shoe factory in West Dennis, and is counted as being ever ready to assist in building up the interests of the community. Now in the meridian of life, after two-score years on the sea, he enjoys with his happy family, the fruits of his industry, possessing to the highest degree the confidence of his townsmen. [Simeon L. Deyo, History of Barnstable County, Massachusetts, publ. by H. W. Blake & Co., New York, 18]

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10766/13611