Ebenezer Eaton, 1787-1874
No. 463 Ebenezer Eaton
the following is from William Dana Orcutt, Good Old Dorchester. (Cambridge, 1893), 439.
Eaton, Ebenezer, 1787-1874
Ebenezer Eaton died August 26, 1874. He was born June 8, 1787, at Meeting-House Hill, in Dorchester, on the site of what is now called Eaton Square, and his father kept a grocery and general store, and entertained parties in a hall in the house, which was a familiar landmark. He was at one time a captain in the militia, and retained the title of “Captain” until his death. After his marriage to Mrs. Mary Withington, a daughter of Thomas Moseley, they lived in the house above mentioned.
In politics Captain Eaton was a democrat, and held the position of inspector of the Custom House many years. After his removal by a change in administration, he became an auctioneer and appraiser, and held the office of selectman. He also represented the town in the Legislature. Although Dorchester was a strong Republican town, he never was defeated at the polls. For many years, together with E.E.R. Ruggles and Lewis F. Pierce, Captain Eaton was a member of the “old board” of selectmen, which managed their part of the town affairs with prudence and discretion. He was also one of the trustees of the Dorchester Savings Bank.
Notwithstanding that Captain Eaton was a blunt, plain, outspoken man, he was one of remarkably good judgment and unquestioned integrity. He was a man of strong prejudices, but had a warm heart, and was always ready to help the poor and unfortunate. He had no children, but took a fatherly interest in his nephews. He is buried in the Old Burying-Ground at Upham’s Corner, where rest the remains of so many of his early friends and associates.
The following anecdote of Captain Easton illustrates his peculiarities. After being elected to the Legislature on the citizens’ ticket by a large vote, one of the deacons in a certain church in Dorchester came to him and said, “Now, Captain Eaton, I voted for you , and respect you as a man and a neighbor, and as you are to represent the town in the Legislature, I want to ask you one favor; that is, that you stop swearing.” “D—–it,” was the reply, “my swearing is like your praying, –neither of us means anything by it.”
Source: Dorchester section of
The Rich Men of Massachusetts: Containing a Statement of the Reputed Wealth of about Fifteen Hundred Persons, with Brief Sketches of More than One Thousand Characters. By A. Forbes and J.W. Greene. (Boston: Published by W.V. Spencer, 1851)
Worth: $50,000
Son of old Capt. Pierson Eaton, a Revolutionary patriot, who took his first lessons in Democracy somewhere between ’70 and ‘75, and subsequently was a disciple of Thomas Jefferson. He never changed his faith. His son drew his political nourishment through the same quill. He has held many responsible municipal offices, and had an appointment in the Custom-House under Jackson’s administration. Is very kind and benevolent to the poor.
This book purports to include the names of men who were “very wealthy,” defined as a reputed net worth of at least $50,000.
The wealth of the 45 men listed for Dorchester ranges from $50,000 to $500,000 and is distributed as follows:
$50,000 15
$75,000 6
$100,000 14
$150,000 2
$200,000 6
$400,000 1
$500,000 1
The combined worth of all 45 totals $5,000,000
To get a sense of the meaning of this level of wealth, one could look at the life of Marshall P. Wilder on this website. His reputed worth as reported in this book was $100,000.
It is interesting that Dover, a town now considered wealthy, boasted not one entry in 1851, while Medway had one entry and Medfield two entries. Milton, a town next to Dorchester, had 10 men with a total net worth of $1,600,000. Cambridge had 37 men with a total worth of $5,200,000.
From the Introduction: Upon the announcement than an individual is in possession of a large fortune, we naturally inquire, “How did he come by it? Was it by inheritance, or marriage, or both? Or, was the present man of wealth once obliged to toil for his daily bread like the thousands who now marvel at his possessions? If his property came by his own exertions, what is the man? What are his strong traits of character? How did he manage? Did any one great circumstance, aside from his natural abilities, favor him? In what business did he grow rich? Has he done, or is he likely to do, much good in the world in consequence of his riches? These are the questions which naturally suggest themselves to us in reference to the wealthy of any place, and these are questions which we have attempted to answer in reference to a very large number of wealthy men in Massachusetts. Our leading object has been to furnish encouragement to the young, from the contemplation of success resulting from a s suitable combination of those sterling qualities, Perseverance, Energy, Carefulness, Economy, Integrity, Honesty. Another very prominent object with us has been, to excite in the minds of the wealthy, and of all who shall become such, greater attention to the importance of an enlarged system of Benevolence. …