Silas Safford Putnam(1822-1895)

Putnam Rye Whiskey

I found out about Silas Safford Putnam after finding out about Putnam Rye Whiskey distilled by the Boston Harbor Distillery. It took a bit of research, but here is a biography of Silas Safford Putnam, my 5th cousin, 4 times removed. Some of the info comes form the Dorchester Atheneum website, but much of it is sourced from the original documents.

Silas Safford Putnam was born on May 31st, 1822 to Israel Smith Putnam and Charlotte Safford in Hartford, NY. He was the seventh of nine children. They were made up of five boys and four girls. He was the second of the children to hold the name Silas Safford. His older brother was born on June 1st, 1817 and died April 2nd, 1819. It is conjecture, but I believe the second Silas was given the name because the birthdays were so close together.

Harford, NY

Silas Safford Putnam(1822-1895)

It took a bit of research, but here is a biography of Silas Safford Putnam, my 5th cousin, 4 times removed. Some of the info comes form the Dorchester Atheneum website, but much of it is sourced from the original documents.

139 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA

According to the Dorchester Atheneum, he was apprenticed to a jeweler and watchmaker in Syracuse, NY before moving to Boston. By 1842 he was living in Boston and working as a Clerk. He lived at 139 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA. He invented and patented a self-adjusting curtain fixture and a method of keeping the shade attached to its roller and went into business for himself.

Abington, MA

On June 1st, 1850, in the 1850 Non-Population Schedules of the U.S. Census, he is listed as owning a Curtain Factory. He had $1,200 invested in it, which is the equivalent of $9 million in economic power today. He had a supply inventory of 60 mil lumber worth $1,400 ($45K today) and 1200 brass nails worth $300 ($10K today). Everything was built by hand and he employed seven people at a cost of $200 a month ($47K today). The factory made $5,300 ($2.8 million today) worth of curtain fixtures a year. If your wondering how I came about the values for today, I used the Measuring Worth site. There are a number of outputs and I picked the numbers that made the most sense for the situation. Around this time, Silas invented a machine for the production of Horseshoe nails. Putnam's Horse Nails were adopted for general use by the U.S. Army as the "Government Standrad Horse Nail".

On December 19th, 1850 he married Ann Maria Whitmarsh of Abington, MA and moved to Abington, She was the daughter of Joshua Whitmarsh and Harriet Wales. Their first child, Frederick L. Putnam, was born on January 1st, 1852 and died on January 26th, 1852 in Abington. Their second son, Silas Safford Putnam, Jr. was born on August 4th, 1853. The 1855 Massachusetts State census shows the family living in Abington, next door to Ann's parents. Silas is shown as owning a Curtain Fixture Manufacturing company. This is likely to have been S.S. Putnam & Co. Silas was listed as being part of the Abington militia in 1852 and 1855.

By 1856, the family had moved to Roxbury. Their first daughter, Helen Maria Putnam was born on February 4th, 1856 and another son, Joshua Whitmarsh Putnam, was born on January 19th, 1858. The 1858 City Index shows the family living at 29 Dudley St. and the Curtain Fixture facility being at 64 Albany Street. Joshua died on July 3rd, 1859.

In 1860, the family moved to 21 Chestnut Street, and a daughter, Mary Ella Putnam, was born there on December 19th, 1860.

29 Dubley St, Roxbury, MA

64 Albany St, Roxbury, MA

21 Chestnut St, Boston, MA

In 1862, the family had moved to Dorchester, MA. Another daughter, Harriet Luthra Putnam, was born on February 14th, 1862. Another son, William Whitmarsh Putnam, was born on November 18th, 1863 and a daughter, Marguerite Putnam, was born on November 8th, 1862. The 1865 Massachusetts State census shows the family living in Dorchester with 2 servants and a laborer. Silas is still shown as being in Horse Nail Manufacturing.

The 1868 City Index has the family linving at the corner of Neponset Ave and Ashmont. Silas has two companies. S.S. Putnam & Co making Curtain Fixtures and Horse nails and Putnam & Lee specializing in Clothes Hook manufacturing. S.S. Putnam & Co is located on Ericsson St and Putnam and Lee on Neponset Ave. The Ericsson address is now the location of the Boston Harbor Distillery.

Ashmont St & Neponset Avenue, Boston, MA

Ericsson St, Boston, MA

Map of thee Property Silas Safford Putnam owned in 1872

241 Neponset Avenue, Dorchester, MA

On June 13th, 1869 the family had another son, Ernest Putnam and on January 22nd, 1872 a daughter, Louise Putnam. In the 1880 U.S. Census, the family is still living on Neponset Street, but Silas is now shown to be the owner of New Era Coffee Manufacturers. Silas died of Bright's Disease at 241 Neponset Street on June 10th, 1895. He was listed as being an Inventor on his death certificate.

How am I related to Silas:

My 9th Great Grandfather: John Putnam (1579-1662), Birth: Wingrave, Buckinghamshire, England, Death: Salem Village, MA, Married Pricila Gould(1586-1663), First Putnam immigrant to Massachusetts, between 1630-1640
- My 8th Great Grandfather: Nathanial Putnam(1619-1700), Birth: Aston Abbots, Buckinghamshire, England, Death: Salem Village, MA, Married: Elisabeth Hutchinson(1629-1688), Immigrated with his father
  - My 7th Great-Granduncle: Benjamin Putnam(1664-1756), Birth: Salem Village, MA, Death: Salem Village, MA, Married: Elizabeth(1659-1705), Not sure of his tied to the Salem Witch trials, but he lived in Salem Village at that time and the Putnams where major accusers
    - My 1st Cousin, 8 times removed: Israel Putnam(1699-1760), Birth: Salem Village, MA, Death: Bedford, MA, Married: Sarah Bacon(1696-1760)
      - My 2nd Cousin, 7 times removed: Tarrent Putnam(1733-1804), Birth: Bedford, MA, Death: Newbury, MA, Married: Mary Porter(1736-1772), Served in the Revolutionary War
        My 3rd Cousin, 6 times removed: Eleazer Porter Putnam(1758-1814), Birth: Danvers(was Salem Village), MA, Death: Corith, VT, Married: Rebecca Smith(1760-1816)
        My 4th Cousin, 5 times removed: Israel Smith Putnam(1785-1835), Birth: Danvers(was Salem Village), MA, Death: Sheldon, NY, Married: Charlotte Stafford(1791-1861)
        My 5th Cousin, 4 times removed: Silas Safford Putnam(1822-1895), Birth: Hartford, NY, Death: Dorchester, MA, Married: Ann Maria Whitmarsh(1822-UNKOWN)

As a side note, Silas was the 2nd cousin, 4 times removed of General Israel Putnam(1718-1790), who is the horseman pictured on the label of the Whiskey. Israel was my 2nd cousin, 8 times removed.

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