A Great Investment on Longmeadow Street

931 Longmeadow Street
built ca. ~1870

On April 26, 1898 there was an advertisement in the local newspaper, the Springfield Daily Republican listing a house in Longmeadow, MA that would be sold at auction. The Bodurtha Property was located on Main Street (now known as Longmeadow Street). The auction would take place on Friday, April 29th at 2 PM. The Auctioneer was Springfield resident and former Springfield Mayor Newrie D. Winter. 

Springfield Daily Republican
April 26, 1898

The house and the property were known to town residents as the "Bodurtha Place". (Currently, the address is 931 Longmeadow Street.) Mary Jane Bodurtha purchased this property from Delia Bascom in 1871. Mrs. Bodurtha was married to Daniel Yale Bodurtha. Six months earlier in February of 1871 this property was owned by the widow Matilda House. 

After purchasing the house and property, Mary Jane and Daniel Bodurtha lived here. She became a widow in 1881 and continued living in this house at 931 Longmeadow Street. Mrs. Bodurtha died ten years later in July of 1891. A week before she died she conveyed the property to Frank B. Allen-  a Longmeadow Selectman and also a Longmeadow town assessor. Taxes were probably due.  Mr. Allen sold the house and property to the Town of Longmeadow for $5.00- that same day. For the next few years the Town of Longmeadow collected rents and also unsuccessfully tried to sell this property. Repairs were made by the Town of Longmeadow, so the appearance of the house could have changed and the house was hooked up to Town Water. Then, in 1898 at the Longmeadow Annual Town Meeting it was voted for the town to auction off the property.

Springfield Daily Republican
April 5, 1898

Thomas E. Burns was the new owner. The 1898 Longmeadow Annual Town Report includes the sale of the Bodurtha Place. It was auctioned off for $1,600.00. Mr. Burns was an Irish immigrant who had lived in Longmeadow for a number of years. On May 21, 1885 he and Agnes Quigley were married in Mitteneague (West Springfield). They were both born in Ireland, immigrated to the United States and became residents of Longmeadow, MA. Mr. Burns was a Teamster and Miss Quigley was a Domestic at the time that they were married. They became Naturalized Citizens and also raised 2 sons who were both born in Longmeadow. Frederick was born in 1886 and William was born in 1891. 

931 Longmeadow Street- 1870-1894-1912 Maps

[click to enlarge]

Thomas Burns changed his occupation and became a watchman at the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railway. He lived in this house at 931 Longmeadow Street until he passed away in November of 1936. Mrs. Burns died in December of 1949. Her obituary shared that she had been a resident of Longmeadow, MA for 67 years. 

Mr. and Mrs. Burns were married when West Village and East Village were the two sections of the Town of Longmeadow. They purchased their home after the two villages split into two separate towns- Longmeadow and East Longmeadow. They witnessed horses and wagons traveling on Longmeadow Street and then automobiles sharing the street. There are so many more events that these two people who were born in Ireland saw while raising their family in Longmeadow, MA.  

Additional Sources: Springfield Daily News- Dec. 24, 1949; Springfield Republican- Nov. 4, 1936; Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System; 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 United States Census Records; 1870, 1894, 1912 and 1920 Longmeadow, MA Maps.

~Written by Judy Moran                   

"Go East Young Woman"

Sarah J. Lee
1903 Graduation Photo
courtesy of the University of California, Berkeley

We learn about many individuals who lived in Longmeadow many decades ago. Some young men left this town and followed their dreams. There were also young women who left their families and their friends and settled in other areas of our country. One young woman who left her family and friends was Sarah J. Lee. However, Miss Lee was born on the West Coast in Alameda, California. The year was 1882. She had a twin sister, Esther. Both sisters graduated from the University of California, Berkley in 1903. Sarah became a teacher in a high school in Riverside, California. 

In 1918 during WWI Sarah J. Lee traveled to the East Coast- to Philadelphia. She found a position at the Independence Bureau of Philadelphia. It was a company that dealt with fire and accident prevention. In the year 1920 Miss Lee left Philadelphia and traveled to Springfield, MA. She had found a new position at a large department store in Springfield, MA. The department store was Forbes & Wallace. Miss Lee became the employment manager at Forbes & Wallace. This was a position that she held for over 25 years before retiring from this company.

Forbes & Wallace
Springfield, MA
courtesy of Digital Commonwealth

Sarah J. Lee never married. She was a successful dedicated employee at Forbes & Wallace. After arriving in this area Sarah lived in Springfield. One dwelling where she lived was at 108 Byers Street. 

In 1925 she lived in a house on Longmeadow Street. The house was a historic home that was located at 536 Longmeadow Street.  In 1927 the house was rented by Edward H. and Bertha H. Gamwell and Miss Lee continued to live in this home.

536 Longmeadow Street
Longmeadow, MA
Date: October 1917
courtesy of Digital Commonwealth/ Longmeadow Historical Society

In 1932 Mr. Gamwell passed away and his wife moved away. Miss Lee continued to enjoy living in this house.

It was in 1937 that Sarah J. Lee became a homeowner. She purchased this house at 536 Longmeadow Street from the owners Guy S. and Lillian F. Perkins.

Springfield Republican
Nov. 7, 1937

Miss Lee lived in Longmeadow and commuted from her home to work in Springfield. In her free time she enjoyed driving her car and traveling throughout New England. There were trips to California to visit her family and stay connected with them, but Longmeadow, MA was her home. Miss Lee passed away in her cherished home on March 6, 1950.

Now, her home is located on the campus of Bay Path University. It is known as the Longmeadow House- Human Resources Dept.

536 Longmeadow Street- side view
Longmeadow House- Human Resources
Bay Path University Campus

More history about this historic home was written by Judy and Jim Moran and is located below:

Click image to enlarge and to read.

Additional Resources: 1910, 1930, 1940 U.S. Federal Census and The Springfield Union- March 7, 1950.

~Written by Judy Moran