William F. B. Haskell was a mason.
Springfield Union]
March 20, 1959HARRY P MARSTON, died aged 83 at Franklin County Public Hospital; resident of 16 Main street Shelburne Falls; born in Chelsea, resident here for 30 years; for 17 years employed as contract mail carrier and carried the local papers from Greenfield to Shelburne Falls; his wife the former Ella Stetson died June 14, 1955; leaves one sister Mrs Mary Chase and one niece Mrs Paul Merrill both of Portland, Me; funeral from Smith funeral home, burial in Branch cemetery
Springfield Union
June 15, 1955Mrs Ella (Stetson) Marston died aged 83 in a Northampton hospital after several weeks illness; resident of 16 Main street, Shelburne Falls; born Colrain; member Christian Hill Baptist church, the Philathea Class, graduated Northfield seminary 1904; married Harry P Marston, the couple lived one year in Brooklyn, N.Y. and the past 30 years resided in this town; besides her husband leaves two sisters, Mrs Margaret Smead of Rochester, Vt. and Mrs Leafey Fish of Colrain, two brothers Edgar G and Archie B Stetson both of Colrain, several nieces and nephews; funeral at Smith funeral home, burial in Branch Cemetery in Colrain
24300. Jonathan Condit Haskell
The Haskell Ranch in Haskell Canyon, northwest of Bouquet Canyon, was settled about 1890 by Jonathan Condit Haskell. He built the cattle ranch up to over 800 acres.
According to Haskell family tradition, just as a couple of drought years almost bankrupted Jonathan Haskell, he discovered a rich placer deposit practically at his kitchen door. The deposit was so rich, the story goes, that Haskell and a hired man placered out $25,000 worth of gold dust in one year.
_____
Haskell Canyon Open SpaceWelcome to Haskell Canyon, a 526 acre canyon with steep hillsides, spacious grassland meadows, and stands of oak trees throughout. Haskell Canyon is situated on the north side of town, along the edge of the Angeles National Forest. The Haskell Canyon family homesteaded this canyon for their cattle ranch in the early 1900's. Later, the Agajanian family raised hogs here until the 1950's. A San Diego developer had plans to turn this canyon and surrounding hillsides into over 500 homes a few years ago, but resistance from the neighbors provided the City of Santa Clarita an opportunity to acquire the property for open space.
Directions
Haskell Canyon is located north of Copperhill Drive, east of Haskell Canyon Road. Parking is available east of High Ridge Drive along the roadway. Parking is also available on Ranchview Terrace, off of High Ridge Drive, along the street curb. Signs are posted at the trailhead.Note from Dorothy Haskell
The entire area of Newhall, Saugus, et al is now known as Santa Clarita. The land is now full of houses, with the main street going through the development named Haskell Canyon Road, I don't know if there is still a trail there or not, as when we were there we were unaware there ever was one and so didn't look for one.
_____
Los Angeles Herald
July 4, 1909The body of John Haskell of Saugus was buried yesterday afternoon in Evergreen cemetery. Mr. Haskell died suddenly Friday, while eating his luncheon in a North Main street restaurant.
_____
In 1865, two years before marriage to Mary Ellen Moody, his school sweetheart, he had gone to the gold country in California and made a stake in Sonora. He made enough money to return to Maine. He had crossed part of the West by wagon train on his way to California.He returned to Maine to marry Mary Ellen, and immediately after marriage, according to grandson Condit Haskell, they boarded a boat and made the trip around Cape Horn to California (no Panama Canal then), where they returned to the gold mines. First child, Bertha (Auntie Bee), was born in Sonora. Shortly after, they moved to a farming area in Los Angeles called Hyde Park, where their second child, Fred was born. Their last five children were born in Los Angeles.
He became successful in the brick building business after move to L.A. He built the WCTU building on North Broadway in L.A., and the Mathis Building further out on Broadway. Also had contract to enlarge L.A. jail. Active in civic affairs and Masons. (info per John Condit Haskell)
Note: In an effort to present themselves as being younger than they were, at some point in time the Haskell girls began to give later dates as their birth years. In order to accommodate their sisters' wishes, the Haskell boys had to also start using later dates for their birth years. This accounts for some discrepancies in the dates of their births. The 1900 U.S. Federal census of their father, Jonathan Haskell, gives the month and year of their births while they were still children. Therefore, the years in the following geneaology for their births are the actual, correct years in which they were born, even though death records and gravestones may give a later year.
Family records and notes courtesy of Dorothy Joanne Haskell
_____
Mary Ellen was accidentally shot and killed by her daughter Eugenia, known as Jene. One story says she was shot in their orchard by Jene who thought she heard a fox in the chicken house. Another story says Mary Ellen was hunting with three of her daughters and they were crawling through a barbed wire fence when the shotgun (held by Jene) accidentally went off and literally blew her head off. Newspaper account says Jene, about 20 at the time, could not talk for weeks after.
Family records and notes courtesy of Doroth Joanne Haskell