written by Sara Campbell
While preparing for production of the play “The Miracle Worker” by The Country Players at the Shea Theater in the Spring of 2010, we recorded bits of dialogue calling back the childhood of Helen Keller’s teacher Annie Sullivan. It reminded me that both Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller had roots in Massachusetts: Annie at birth and Helen as an adult.
The known facts of Annie Sullivan’s early life are published in many sources, but as a genealogist, I was interested in what documents I could access to uncover some of the local details. Annie’s birth was registered in Agawam as Johanna Sullivan, daughter of Irish immigrants Thomas Sullivan and Anna C. Sullivan, in April of 1866. Images of the town records are available at http://www.familysearch.org.
I reviewed the census records for 1870 for the Town of Agawam at Ancestry.com and found Thomas Sullivan, age 30, an Irish laborer, is listed with his wife Alice, age 28, and children Anna (4), Nellie (3) and James (1). Somehow, seeing the hand-written census pages makes that moment when the family was enumerated in Feeding Hills more real to me.
The Agawam birth records list the other Sullivan children enumerated on the 1870 census, James and Ellen “Nellie” born to Thomas and Alice, indicating that “Anna” listed as Annie’s mother was likely an error in recording. Ellen Sullivan was born on July 6, 1867 and James, born June of 1869. In June of 1871 another daughter was born to Thomas and Alice: Mary.
Looking at the 1870 Beers Atlas on http://www.old-maps.com, I did not find the Sullivans, but did locate the names appearing before and after them on the census page: Moore and Taylor. Thomas Sullivan gave his assets as $100 on the census, and Mr. Moore at $12,000. Since a tenant farm-laborer would not likely be listed on the published map, the family may have lived in a building on Moore’s property, which places them south of the intersection of Pine and South Westfield Streets in Feeding Hills.
In 1873 Nellie Sullivan died in May at age 6 of “brain fever.” On the same page Thomas and Alice’s infant son John Sullivan’s death is registered in August, from “cholera infantium.” He was only two months old.
Alice Sullivan’s death in January of 1874 is also listed in the Agawam vital records. The cause of death listed is consumption. Her father’s name is listed as Owen Cloesey. Within the period of eight months, seven-year-old Annie lost her sister, infant brother, and her mother.
In February of 1876 Annie and her brother James were admitted to the State Almshouse in Tewksbury. An image of the admittance records are found at the web site for the American Foundation for the Blind (www.afb.org/anniesullivan .) It is stated that neither ever went to school. James was listed as five, although he was nearly seven. He had a hip ailment and died three months later on May 30, 1876. Their father was noted to be still in Agawam. Conditions at State institutions of that time were deplorable, and some of Annie’s memories from that period are in published accounts. Her “rescue” by the doctor who improved her vision and secured her a place at Perkins Institute in Boston was a quirk of fate that led her to the Keller family and a life she could never have imagined.
So the first ten years of the young woman who would go on to rise above poverty, abandonment by her father, near-blindness and lack of early education were spent in Western Massachusetts. It is written that she passed through Agawam once in her later years, but did not make contact with any family who might have remained there.
I was curious about her youngest remaining sister, whom I did not see further reference to in the literature. It seemed daunting to trace a Mary Sullivan during that time period, because the name was common and would likely change due to marriage around the time when the 1890 census is not preserved. The record from Tewkesbury yielded a clue: “Sister Mary, 3 years old, with Aunt Mary Clarey in Agawam.” I didn’t find Mary Clarey in the census, but coincidently, the page of births that contained Ellen Sullivan’s birth also listed William Sullivan, son of John Sullivan and Mary Clary. The 1880 census of Agawam includes this family, but just to make it difficult, they are at the bottom of the page, and Mary’s name is on the following page. And the images on Ancestry are out of sequence! From there I searched for a marriage of Mary Sullivan, daughter of John and Mary, and found a Springfield marriage in February of 1892 to Eugene Croherr or Crohen. I haven’t found this family in further records, but it may be a future trail to follow. Annie Sullivan was married later in life, but did not have children. Mary would be the only sibling who could have continued the family line.
Sara: I enjoyed reading about Annie Sullivan and so appreciate all the research that you have undertaken to document her life. Would sure love to learn more about Annie. Write on………
Linda Wonson-Schomer
Southwick Historical Society, Inc.
Thank you! I love a puzzle. I can feel for that poor little girl and all she went through. I would like to know what happened to her father and sister. There were so many Sullivans in the area at that time!
I have been living in Feeding Hills for 40 years now. As a child in the 70’s I went to Clifford M Granger Elementary. I was always told that one of the houses across the street (South Westfield Street) closer to the intersecting roads of South Westfield, Southwick St, Springfield St and North Westfield St is where the house stood. It may also had been the library until it became condemned and had to be torn down. There is another building still standing next to it 2 lots from the corner of Southwick and South Westfield St. That was also one of the reasons that there are several memorials on what was once the town green in the center of Feeding Hills. I really want to know if what I was told was true, but from what you are saying also rings true because they probably rented and not owned it seems. I have been wracking my brain for years trying to figure this out. You have done such a wonderful job and I also want to read more. Keep up the good work. I love history. Specially about Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller. Just wanted to give you this information to see if what I was told as a kid and most of my life was true. Thanks Again.
I don’t really have anything substantial to add, but when I lived on
Springfield St., Feeding Hills (Agawam) 1944-1955, our next door neighbor was Margaret Sullivan — Yes – related to Annie. I didn’t keep in touch with her after moving to West Springfield. But, have always remembered the connection. Our mother lost her hearing in the late ’40’s. She finally gave in and secretly had testing and bought an ‘aid’. She didn’t tell anyone, though. Neither had she told my brother and me.
All of a sudden she could hear. My brother and I couldn’t get away with as much after that.
Gradually, her loss was total and no more ‘aids’ could help.
Our Dad was against the ‘visibility’ of sign-language so ‘face-to-face’, scribbling, and our ‘homegrown’ version of finger-alphabet were her only link what was going on.
A lonely existance.
Marlyn
My Grandmother lived in Somerville/Medford MA as was A Mary Sullivan but she may have been born a decade later than Anne Sullivan’s youngest sibling. My grandmother died in 1966 and was 87 so I think she may have been too young to be Anne’s sister. They may have some connection but not as sisters but I often wondered. I was surprised to see she had more siblings than just her brother! Thank you.
Is the home where the First Niagra Bank is? Across from the Pride Station? Why is it not marked as a historical landmark?
There was (and hopefully still is) a commemorative stone acknowledging Annie Sullivan’s birthplace at 148south Westfield street in feeding hills. It was located to the left of the driveway at 148 south Westfield street where holly and Bertha Kane lived. Brenda
Great write-up Sara! …many Annie memories are cited in this book https://books.google.com/books?id=zIAMr12mYiYC&pg=PA4&am…
Also, on the 1870 map you mentioned, I see there is a J Clohessy listed…could he have been Alice’s brother?
I also wondered about Mary, as nothing is said about Annie looking for her, when she went back to Agawam as an adult…sort of incognito…also wondered where Stephen O’Hearn lived…the fellow who is cited on the Tewksbury admittance records, who employed Thomas Sullivan.
Also, Have you seen this report http://boards.ancestry.com/postmessage.aspx?p=localities.northam.usa.special.newengland&m=20.3
My Sullivans were from West Springfield, and Agawam, am wondering if we were connected…..so have done some research on Annie to seek a common ancestor….
Best Wishes,
Ann Bergin
Mary Sullivan was raised by her aunt and uncle, Ellen Sullivan Ahern and Stephen Ahern of New Haven, CT. She married a Joseph McLaughlin in 1895 and had several children, but it looks like only her daughter Alice had children. I believe some of Mary’s descendants are still living in New Haven.
I read that Anne’s and Mary’s father Thomas committed suicide in Chicago around 1881, but I haven’t found any documentation yet.