Albert is the son of Chester Upham
(Feb. 19, 1786 - Aug. 24, 1830),
and his wife Rhoda Hinman
(1792 - Nov. 04, 1878). They lived
in Tyringham, Berkshire County,
Massachusetts, and then they moved
to Elba (formerly known as Batavia),
Genesee County New York "about" 1826-1830.
---
Note: Elba, New York was erected from
the town of Batavia, New York in 1820.
---------------------------
Note: PLEASE, do NOT transfer this
memorial, to other web sites.
Thanks, Nancy (Letcher) Heib.
---------------------------
Albert was born in Massachusetts
("possibly" in Berkshire County). He
was the fourth of 10 known children.
---------------------------------
Note: After Albert's father Chester
Upham died in Elba, Genesee County
New York in 1830 (when Albert was
about 12 years old), his mother Rhoda
was later married to Ira Howe
(a widower with 11 children).
Rhoda gave birth to Ira Howe's 12th
child, Elizabeth Malvina Howe.
This gave them a combined family
of 22 children. (Two of Albert's
brothers, Anson, and Freeman F. Upham,
married their step-sisters).
-----------------------------
Albert married Elizabeth Wells,
on Nov. 12, 1840 in New York State.
They had eight sons. They are listed
on the memorial for his wife
Elizabeth Upham. Their eldest
son was born in New York State, the
other children were born in Michigan.
---------------------------------
Albert and his wife, along with
most of Albert's siblings (possibly
Elizabeth's siblings also), left
Elba (Batavia), Genesee County New
York, and followed each other to
Burr Oak township, St. Joseph County
Michigan. Albert and Elizabeth came
between January of 1842 (when their
eldest son Freeman was born in New
York State), and September of 1844
(when son Chester was born in Michigan).
[Note: Albert's brother Freeman Fisher
Upham came to Michigan in 1842.
Perhaps they came together].
-----------------------------------
Albert and Elizabeth Upham lived in:
---
1850 census: Burr Oak township,
St. Joseph County Michigan.
1860 census: Kalamo township,
Eaton County Michigan.
1870 census: Onondaga township,
Ingham County Michigan.
1885: Eaton Rapids, Eaton Co. Michigan.
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Albert T. Upham was a farmer.
------------------------------------
Their eldest son Freeman served in the
Civil War for exactly four years
(with Edward Upham Jr., a distant relative).
[See Freeman's memorial on this web site].
-------------------------------------
Albert and Elizabeth's son James H. Upham
also served in the Civil War.
-------------------------------------
Albert and his family moved to a farm
near Kalamo, in Kalamo Township,
Eaton County MI about late 1850.
------------------------------------
In the obituary for Albert's son Freeman,
it states that Freeman came to Michigan
with his parents when he was eight years
old (about late 1850) and that the family
settled in Kalamo, Eaton Co. Michigan.
[Perhaps he meant to say that the
family moved to the farm near Kalamo,
Eaton Co. MI about late 1850].
-----------------------------------
Albert and Elizabeth then lived in
Onondaga Township, Ingham Co. Michigan
(1870 census).
----------------------------------
Albert and his wife later lived in
Eaton Rapids, Eaton County Michigan
(which is South of Lansing, MI).
____________________________________

Note: Albert T. Upham did NOT die
in Lansing, Michigan. He died in
Charlotte, Eaton County Michigan.
He also did NOT live in Lansing, MI.
He lived near Kalamo (South-West of
Lansing), in Eaton County Michigan.
------------------------------------
Albert (while living in Eaton Rapids,
MI), died in a terrible train accident
at the foot of Lawrence Avenue in
Charlotte, Eaton County Michigan on
Thursday evening, July 16, 1885,
when he and his wife were on their
way to Olivet, MI to visit their son.
Their train was standing on the side
track near the water tank. Because
the singal board at the train depot
was malfunctioning, another steam
engine came along on the same tracks,
towards the water tank for
the purpose of taking water.
Albert tried to exit the back of
the caboose, but he was crushed to
death by the oncoming steam engine,
being killed instantly. His wife
having seen this, was in shock.
(His wife died of her injuries from
this same accident 13 months later).
----------------------------------
A newspaper article states that
Albert's brother James B. Upham
[James Bagley Upham],
of Williamstown, Iowa, came to
town for Elizabeth's funeral.
----------------------------------
Albert's "Record of Death" states
that he died in Charlotte, Eaton
County Michigan, at the age of
66 years, 9 months and 5 days.
------------------------------------
Articles of this train accident were
published in the following newspapers:
-------
1. The "Charlotte Republican", in
Charlotte, MI on Friday, July 17,
1885, Page 5, Column 3.
---
2. The "Charlotte Republican", in
Charlotte, Michigan on Friday,
July 24, 1885, Page 5, Column 3.
---
3. The Eaton Rapids Journal, in Eaton
Rapids, Michigan on Friday, July 24,
1885, Page 1 (front page), Column 5.
---
4. The Eaton Rapids Journal, in Eaton
Rapids, Michigan on Friday, July 24,
1885, Page 5, Col. 3. (Two on same
day). This last one, reads as follows:
---------
SAD ACCIDENT
Mr. Albert Upham, of this place
[Eaton Rapids], instantly killed, and
his wife seriously injured by a
railroad accident on the Grand Trunk
[railroad], at Charlotte, [MI]
on Thursday evening, July 16.
The circumstances of the sad affair
were about as follows: Mr. and Mrs.
Upham were an aged couple perhaps 70
[ages 66 & 67], who were in route to
visit a son living at Olivet [MI].
They had just changed cars [railroad
cars] at Charlotte, [MI], leaving the
Grand River Valley road [railroad]
and taking the accommodation train on
the Grand Trunk [railroad] bound west.
The train was standing on the side
track near the water tank when another
engine backed up towards the tank
for the purpose of taking water.
Mr. Upham, as is supposed, saw the
engine approaching, and to save
himself undertook to leave the
caboose, but before he could jump
from the platform, was caught
between the approaching engine and
the caboose and instantly killed -
his head and both arms being crushed
to a jelly. Mrs. Upham escaped with
her life but was badly injured in
the right leg, besides her nervous
system being terribly shocked. She
is still confined to her bed, but
may recover. Mr. Upham's remains
were taken to Calimo [Kalamo],
where he once resided, for burial.
-------------------------------------
A coroners jury later held an
inquest regarding this accident.
The jury in returning their verdict
determined that Albert had been caught
between engine No. 72 and the rear end
of train No. 22 and that said collision
was caused by the carelessness of the
employees of the road [railroad].
---
Note: The signal board at the depot
was malfunctioning, and after coming
around the curve, the steam engine
was put into reverse, and the brakes
were applied, but it could not stop,
due to the heavy downgrade.
-----------------------------------
Other articles state in part:
The funeral was held at Kalamo, and
was largely attended, many relatives
coming from a distance. Mrs. Upham
was quite severely injured. She
was still at the Phenix house.
----------------------------------
Albert and Elizabeth are buried
(just South of Kalamo, MI),
in the "Bellevue Cemetery",
next to the former elementary school,
in Bellevue, Eaton County Michigan,
next to their eldest son Freeman
Upham and his wife Syba,
in Section C-06, Lot 334.
(Their headstones are located near
the property line adjoining the
former elementary school).
---
This cemetery is also known as the
"Bellevue Township Cemetery", and
as the "Riverside Cemetery".
------------------------------------
Note: For the history of "this
branch" of the Upham family, see:
"The Descendants Of
John Upham, of Massachusetts",
by F. K. Upham. (Pages 248 and 362).
Published by Joel Munsell's Sons,
Albany, N. Y., in 1892, located in
the Library of Michigan, Lansing, MI.
(www.michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan)
Also, located in the Allen County
Public Library, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
(http://www.acpl.lib.in.us)
Reprints are possibly still available
through "Higginson Book Company",
Salem, Massachusetts.
(Phone: 508/745-7170).
Note: Be sure to order the book
published in 1892, because
F. K. Upham compiled several
books on "different branches"
of the Upham family.
----------------------------------
Note: The Upham family originated
from Bicton, Devonshire, England.
________________________________

Note: There is also an "Upham Family
Society". Their address is:
------
Upham Family Society, Inc.
c/o Robert and Beatrice Wadland
11 Lynde Street
Melrose, Massachusetts, 02176-4605.
Their annual meetings and family reunions
are held at the "Phineas Upham House"
(built in 1703), located
at 255 Upham Street, in
Melrose, Massachusetts.
See the following web site:
Uphamhouse1703.com
Then...click on "A Brief History of
the Phineas Upham House of 1703".
--------------------------------
Note: The Upham Family Society
claims that James Bailey Upham, of
Malden, Massachusetts, wrote the
"Pledge of Allegiance" to the flag,
but the descendants
of Francis Bellemy state
that their ancestor wrote it.
For years, the authorship of
the Pledge was disputed.
---
In 1939, after years of controversy,
the "Library of Congress"
and the "U.S. Flag Association",
ruled to recognize
Francis Bellemy as the author.
---
The "Upham Family Society" and James
Bailey Upham's hometown of Malden,
Massachusetts, still gives
James Bailey Upham full credit.
---
Note: Google -
"The Pledge: A History of
the Pledge of Allegiance",
by Jeffery Owen Jones, and
Peter Meyer, pages 101-107.
---------------------------
Note: The Pledge was first published
in the Sept. 8, 1892 issue of the
"Youth's Companion", where both of
these men worked. It was published
anonymously and was not copyrighted.
---
The Pledge originated in the office of
the "Youth's Companion", in Boston, Mass.
which was published by the
Perry Mason Company, of Boston.
James B. Upham was the first
promoter of the Pledge.
It was written in tentative form by
James B. Upham, and later put into final
form by members of the firm and the
editorial staff of The Youth's Companion.
Note: "The Great Experiment",
by Mart Grams, states the following
on page 12: "The original draft of
the Pledge of Allegiance, was written
by James B. Upham in 1888".
It was first given wide publicity
through the official program of the
National Public Schools Celebration
of Columbus Day which was printed in
The Youth's Companion on Sept. 8, 1892,
and at the same time sent out in leaflet
form to schools throughout the Country.
The pledge was first used officially
during the National Public School
Celebration on Oct. 21, 1892, which
took place simultaneously with the
opening of the World's Columbian
Exposition in Chicago. On that occasion
it was repeated by millions of public
school children throughout the United
States.
______________________________________

Note: The Phineas Upham, who owned
the home in Melrose, Mass., was
the grandson of Albert's direct
ancestor, "Lieutenant Phineas Upham"
and the Great Grandson of John Upham Sr.,
who came from Bicton, Devonshire,
England, with his wife Elizabeth,
three of their children and
John's sister Sarah, to Weymouth,
Massachusetts, with the Hall Company
in 1635. They later moved to Malden,
Massachusetts.
----------------------------------
Albert's direct ancestor Ezekiel
Upham Jr. had a Great Grandson named
William Henry Upham, who was the
Governor of Wisconsin from 1895-1897.
William's father Alvin Upham (who
died in Niles, Michigan in 1852),
at one time employed Franklin Pierce
in Massachusetts (before Franklin
Pierce became
President of the United States).
William H. Upham's Great Granddaughter
Angeanette (Upham) Peavy (who was
married in Niles, Berrien County
Michigan in 1861), was the first
woman ever elected to a state
office in the United States.
-----------------------------------
Note: The Mayflower II (a replica of
the original Mayflower), was built in
the "Upham Shipyard" in Brixham,
Devon England in 1955-1956, and is
now on display for visitors to see,
in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
(Google it.)
(A write-up was published in the
National Geographic in May of 1964).
------------------------------
Note: See the memorials for one line
of Albert's family, on this web site:
Brother, James Bagley Upham, of Iowa.
Also,
Brother, Anson Upham.
Wife, Elizabeth (Wells) Upham.
Son, Freeman Upham.
Son, Theodore Albert Upham.
Grandson, Clarence Upham.
Great-Granddaughter,
Cecile (Upham) Bliss.
Great, Great, Granddaughter,
Thelma Celestia (Bliss) Letcher.
[ALL of Michigan].
-----
Note: Albert and Elizabeth Upham
are my Gt., Gt., Great, Grandparents.
Nancy (Letcher) Heib.
------------------------------------
For more family history, click on
his mother's name below.
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Click on photos to see enlargements,
captions, and additional photos.
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