John was 20 in 1876 when he moved from Putnam, Connecticut to Crescent City, Florida with his mother's sister Harriet, her husband Thomas Allen Capwell and their daughter Hattie. Soon after arriving he met Ella Vincent whose family lived nearby in Pomona. The Vincent's were one of the original 6 families from Nashua, New Hampshire who in 1874 went to Florida and founded the town of Pomona. The families settled large tracts of land around Lake Broward on which to build their homes and raise fruit. The Capwell's along with John were original settlers of Crescent City in 1876.
In an article about the earliest days in Crescent City by Bette Van Trump in the Dayton Beach Morning Journal, Feb 9,1979 she writes "when the news spread in the early days that Florida was producing citrus in commercial quantities, many visitors were attracted to this area as investors, as home seekers and others just sightseeing. There were many fabulous stories of Florida and particularly the Fruitland Peninsula, so at an early day, housing was a problem for these visitors.
The first framed building to be erected in Crescent City was the Capwell House, a hostelry.
T.A. Capwell from Putnam, Conn., bought a lot in Block 1 in 1876 and built his comfortable residence." John helped his uncle run this boarding house.
John and Ella married in 1880 and had 2 children while in Florida, Zadie in 1881 and Thomas Allen Capwell Pierce in 1885 4 years after his uncle Thomas A. Capwell died. They returned to New England about 1891 settling in Stamford, Connecticut where they had their 3rd child Gladys in 1892 and raised their family.
John was a Freemason in Stella Lodge #83 in Crescent City and later in Stamford Union Lodge #5. He was already a Master Mason when his membership was transferred to Stamford Union Lodge #5 on March 6, 1895. The masonic Square & Compass symbol is engraved on top of the Piece headstone.
John Russell is a 10th generation descendant of Thomas Pierce (1583-1666) of Charlestown, Massachusetts Bay Colony and an 6th GGS of Elizabeth Cole Pierce who was a passenger to New England with her family on The Winthrop Fleet in 1630. He is also the 10th generation of his family to have lived in Connecticut through his 7th GGF Hugh Calkin who came from Gloucester, Massachusetts Bay to Connecticut in 1651 and was an original settler of both the towns of Pequot Harbor (now New London) in that year and Norwich in 1660.
In an article about the earliest days in Crescent City by Bette Van Trump in the Dayton Beach Morning Journal, Feb 9,1979 she writes "when the news spread in the early days that Florida was producing citrus in commercial quantities, many visitors were attracted to this area as investors, as home seekers and others just sightseeing. There were many fabulous stories of Florida and particularly the Fruitland Peninsula, so at an early day, housing was a problem for these visitors.
The first framed building to be erected in Crescent City was the Capwell House, a hostelry.
T.A. Capwell from Putnam, Conn., bought a lot in Block 1 in 1876 and built his comfortable residence." John helped his uncle run this boarding house.
John and Ella married in 1880 and had 2 children while in Florida, Zadie in 1881 and Thomas Allen Capwell Pierce in 1885 4 years after his uncle Thomas A. Capwell died. They returned to New England about 1891 settling in Stamford, Connecticut where they had their 3rd child Gladys in 1892 and raised their family.
John was a Freemason in Stella Lodge #83 in Crescent City and later in Stamford Union Lodge #5. He was already a Master Mason when his membership was transferred to Stamford Union Lodge #5 on March 6, 1895. The masonic Square & Compass symbol is engraved on top of the Piece headstone.
John Russell is a 10th generation descendant of Thomas Pierce (1583-1666) of Charlestown, Massachusetts Bay Colony and an 6th GGS of Elizabeth Cole Pierce who was a passenger to New England with her family on The Winthrop Fleet in 1630. He is also the 10th generation of his family to have lived in Connecticut through his 7th GGF Hugh Calkin who came from Gloucester, Massachusetts Bay to Connecticut in 1651 and was an original settler of both the towns of Pequot Harbor (now New London) in that year and Norwich in 1660.
John was 20 in 1876 when he moved from Putnam, Connecticut to Crescent City, Florida with his mother's sister Harriet, her husband Thomas Allen Capwell and their daughter Hattie. Soon after arriving he met Ella Vincent whose family lived nearby in Pomona. The Vincent's were one of the original 6 families from Nashua, New Hampshire who in 1874 went to Florida and founded the town of Pomona. The families settled large tracts of land around Lake Broward on which to build their homes and raise fruit. The Capwell's along with John were original settlers of Crescent City in 1876.
In an article about the earliest days in Crescent City by Bette Van Trump in the Dayton Beach Morning Journal, Feb 9,1979 she writes "when the news spread in the early days that Florida was producing citrus in commercial quantities, many visitors were attracted to this area as investors, as home seekers and others just sightseeing. There were many fabulous stories of Florida and particularly the Fruitland Peninsula, so at an early day, housing was a problem for these visitors.
The first framed building to be erected in Crescent City was the Capwell House, a hostelry.
T.A. Capwell from Putnam, Conn., bought a lot in Block 1 in 1876 and built his comfortable residence." John helped his uncle run this boarding house.
John and Ella married in 1880 and had 2 children while in Florida, Zadie in 1881 and Thomas Allen Capwell Pierce in 1885 4 years after his uncle Thomas A. Capwell died. They returned to New England about 1891 settling in Stamford, Connecticut where they had their 3rd child Gladys in 1892 and raised their family.
John was a Freemason in Stella Lodge #83 in Crescent City and later in Stamford Union Lodge #5. He was already a Master Mason when his membership was transferred to Stamford Union Lodge #5 on March 6, 1895. The masonic Square & Compass symbol is engraved on top of the Piece headstone.
John Russell is a 10th generation descendant of Thomas Pierce (1583-1666) of Charlestown, Massachusetts Bay Colony and an 6th GGS of Elizabeth Cole Pierce who was a passenger to New England with her family on The Winthrop Fleet in 1630. He is also the 10th generation of his family to have lived in Connecticut through his 7th GGF Hugh Calkin who came from Gloucester, Massachusetts Bay to Connecticut in 1651 and was an original settler of both the towns of Pequot Harbor (now New London) in that year and Norwich in 1660.
In an article about the earliest days in Crescent City by Bette Van Trump in the Dayton Beach Morning Journal, Feb 9,1979 she writes "when the news spread in the early days that Florida was producing citrus in commercial quantities, many visitors were attracted to this area as investors, as home seekers and others just sightseeing. There were many fabulous stories of Florida and particularly the Fruitland Peninsula, so at an early day, housing was a problem for these visitors.
The first framed building to be erected in Crescent City was the Capwell House, a hostelry.
T.A. Capwell from Putnam, Conn., bought a lot in Block 1 in 1876 and built his comfortable residence." John helped his uncle run this boarding house.
John and Ella married in 1880 and had 2 children while in Florida, Zadie in 1881 and Thomas Allen Capwell Pierce in 1885 4 years after his uncle Thomas A. Capwell died. They returned to New England about 1891 settling in Stamford, Connecticut where they had their 3rd child Gladys in 1892 and raised their family.
John was a Freemason in Stella Lodge #83 in Crescent City and later in Stamford Union Lodge #5. He was already a Master Mason when his membership was transferred to Stamford Union Lodge #5 on March 6, 1895. The masonic Square & Compass symbol is engraved on top of the Piece headstone.
John Russell is a 10th generation descendant of Thomas Pierce (1583-1666) of Charlestown, Massachusetts Bay Colony and an 6th GGS of Elizabeth Cole Pierce who was a passenger to New England with her family on The Winthrop Fleet in 1630. He is also the 10th generation of his family to have lived in Connecticut through his 7th GGF Hugh Calkin who came from Gloucester, Massachusetts Bay to Connecticut in 1651 and was an original settler of both the towns of Pequot Harbor (now New London) in that year and Norwich in 1660.
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