Memories of the Calls 25: Robert Call Benevolence

The wants of Robert and Charlotte Call were not numerous. They had good, but plain food, much of it raised on their own land. There was a fine variety of luscious fruit, cherries, pears, plums, berries in varieties, peaches and apples of the best varieties, early and late. They had vegetables of all kinds they cared for from an excellent garden, and varieties of meat they raised, beef, pork, mutton. 

They bought the good furniture they desired, - kept the buildings and grounds in repair, and beautified them according to the standards of their day. Their clothing was at least as good as that of their associates. When they wished to visit friends or for sight-seeing. In 1877, they, with their daughter Lizzie, visited their friends in England for about three months, leaving Albert and Charles in charge of the farm. The house keeper was Miss Selanna Tucker, afterwards Mrs. James Radley  mother of Eva, Howard and Ella. They made many visits to the friends in Boston and Chelsea, and some, in later years when they had relatives there, to the West. 

But property seemed to accumulate to them. In the later years, having bought and paid for the four farms, 256 Acres, which comprize Prospect and Southside Farms, then the Sweetland Farm which we call Pleasant Grove, and last the Combs Form where Albert moved from the Salma White Farm. Albert's wife Effie White was the daughter of Salma White and heir to one-third of the farm which was bought from the other heirs. Merrill Call bought the Combs Farm of his father and lives there (1936). These farms they paid for and made improvements on. Then they bought the lot at Silver Lake and built the Call Cottage for the benefit and pleasure of their children and other relatives. Later they bought the lot west of the cottage so there wouldn't be another too close to it. Before the Cottage was built, we often rented tents and attended meetings from them. They always gave liberally to religious and temperance causes. They were among the main supporters of the Morganville Church. Old receipts show how he frequently he paid $ 5.00 for the support of the Prohibition Party. They were united in their love of giving. It would be interesting to know how much they gave in a year on an average. 

When the Methodist Church was re-built in 1907, he paid $ 200.00 for that purpose

Other gifts were money to the churches, Stafford and Morganville, $ 1,200.00

To the Christian Endeavor of the Morganville Church and to the Epworth League of Stafford Methodist $ 620.00 apiece. To the Salvation Army five hundred dollars. 

To the Old Ministers Home  $ 800.00

To Silver Lake Assembly $ 500.00 on the condition enough more be raised to pay off the idebtedness by a certain time. 

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Patty's notes on this entry

I haven't been able to identify when the Calls left for England in 1877. They returned through the port of New York on September 15, 1877 on the steamship Utopia. 

Here they are listed on the Ship's passenger list

And where they were mentioned in the New York Times on the lists of passengers arriving in New York. 

This photograph of Lizzie Call was taken while they were in England. 

Salanna Tucker is Salena Emily Tucker (1844-1917), daughter of Emanuel Tucker and Elizabeth Thomas (who were married in 1822 in High Bickington, Devon, England - which is about 5 miles away from where Robert Call's uncle William Paine married in 1823). The Tucker's immigrated to Genesee County by 1850. In 1881, she married James Radley (1840-1893) who immigrated from Devon, England in the 1860s. They had four children, Hatta (1881-1886), Eva (1882-1953 married Allen Gillard), Ella (1885-1932 married Webster Tuttle) and Howard (1888-1956 married Lula Louise Ferris). Flora Challice (Charlotte Joslin's niece) married Samuel Radley  (brother of James Radley) in 1914.

The Calls visited Charlotte Joslin Call's siblings William and Ann and their families in the Boston area. William Joslin and his family regularly visited the Calls in Stafford. 

The trips west may have been to visit Charlotte's brothers Samuel and George both of whom settled in Wisconsin or to visit Robert's brother William in Minnesota. They also may have visited their son Charles Joslin Call and his wife Elizabeth Ann Coe Call while they lived in Kansas. 

In the spring of 1868, Robert Call purchased two farms - one from Landon Woodruff and the other from Russell Robbins. You can see more about these two transactions at https://pattyhankins.blogspot.com/2020/03/memories-of-calls-5-new-home-now.html

In 1879, Robert Call purchased the Sweetland farm. Information about that purchase is at https://pattyhankins.blogspot.com/2020/04/memories-of-calls-17-sweetland-farm.html

According to a notice in the Le Roy Gazette on December 28, 1898, Robert Call bought the J.S. Coobs farm on Saturday for about $ 200 less than the claim against it which was $ 10,000. On Feb 13, 1899, there was a note in the same paper thatRobert Call has leased the Coombs farm to Albert H. Call who will occupy it on April 1st. 

The Salma White farm was owned by Salma White (1817-1881), son of Phineas White and Mary Beswick. He married Betsy Chittenden. Their daughter Effie May White (1852-1935) married Albert Henry Call in 1879. Merrill Call (1885-1959) was Albert Henry Call and Effie White's youngest son. 

In December 1886, Mrs. Charlotte Call of Stafford purchased two lots at Silver Lake, Castile, Wyoming County, New York for a total of $ 200. In 1899, she sold both lots to her husband Robert for $ 100. 

1886 Deeds

1899 deed

The Christian Endeavor of the Morganville Church was a local affiliate of the Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor, a non-denominational evangelical society. Starting in the 1890's, I've found references to Charlotte Call being involved with Y.P.S.C.E. You can read more about Y.P.S.C.E. at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_People%27s_Society_of_Christian_Endeavour

The Epworth League, founded in 1889, was a Methodist Young Adult association. So far, the only reference I've found for Call family members being active in the organization is a note in The Daily News from Batavia in 1910 that The Epworth League at the M.E. Church at 6:45 PM will be in charge of Miss Evelyn Call. You can read more about the Epworth League at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epworth_League

The Aged Christian Ministers Home was established in Lakemont, Yates County, New York in 1894 to provide a home and support for older ministers who otherwise would have no where to live. You can read about the Home in a 1913 issue of The Herald of Gospel Liberty at https://books.google.com/books?id=Kh7ns71ch1sC&pg=RA10-PA1018&lpg=RA10-PA1018&dq=aged+christian+ministers+home+lakemont&source=bl&ots=hrBrN4bnS3&sig=ACfU3U2aRDzOO3ySU_HWjEPKBxTENLGn3A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj4xaK6mIfqAhXtTDABHdDMB1kQ6AEwAXoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=aged%20christian%20ministers%20home%20lakemont&f=false

The Silver Lake Assembly was first established in 1873 as Camp Wesley, a Methodist retreat camp. It was subsequently renamed Silver Lake Assembly in 1895, and the Silver Lake Institute in 1919. I've found many newspaper references to the Calls spending time at Silver Lake in the summer. Presumably, the Call cottages were located close to the Silver Lake Assembly. 

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