John Wesley
Phelps and Family
3 Jan 1844, Springfield MA – 8 Jan 1902 Minneapolis, MN
John W. Phelps was
the second son and last born of Willis Phelps and Maria Bartlett of Springfield,
MA. Willis was a major railroad contractor throughout the Northeast and Midwest
from the 1840’s to his death in 1883. He left a small and complicated fortune
to his surviving sons, Henry Willis and John Wesley. They both were involved in
the father’s companies and eventually both settled in Minneapolis since most of
the railroad construction was centered in the Midwest in the latter 1800’s.
While in Springfield, both brothers were short term members of the
Massachusetts legislature, hence their portraits are in State archives. Each
brother has a story to tell and this one is for John.
Since the father moved constantly due to the location of his
railroad contracts, John moved also. In 1850 at 6 years old, he is with family
in Adams, Jefferson County, NY. At age 16, the family is back in Springfield.
He attended Amherst College and is listed as a freshman in the 1862 Olio annual
and as a sophomore in 1863. The 1883 Amherst College 20 year reunion annual
lists John as the President of the Connecticut Central R.R. and a member of the
Massachusetts Legislature, and married to Helen Eliza Clark with residency in
Springfield.
Two marriages
John married Helen Clark, daughter of Jonathan Allen Clark
and Electa Strong, 9 Jan 1865, at her parents’ residence in Northampton, MA.
They had one son, Willis, b. 9 Aug 1866 while residing in Springfield. They
continued to live in Springfield in 1870 with son Willis. In July 1873, John
applied for a U.S. Passport for himself and Helen. His physical description was
reported as 5’8’ in stature, hazel eyes,
small mouth, round chin, black hair, ruddy complexion with a full face. There
was no record as to their travel plans. However in 1874, this apparently
settled family started to unwind.
Based on several newspaper articles, the story unfolds
thus:
In 1874, Helen Phelps hired Miss Fannie (Frances) Thayer as
a live-in dressmaker. Fannie’s overtures to Mr. Phelps were so bold that Mrs. Phelps
ordered her from the home, but John put her up in a local boarding house. John
convinced his wife that there was no illicit relationship, so Fannie was hired
back to the family home. But in December 1877, John and Fanny sailed off to
Europe, leaving Helen and young Willis behind. Six months later, John pleaded
forgiveness which was granted and he returned home. This reunification did not
last as six months later in January 1878, John left again with Fanny to
England. The following year, he pleaded forgiveness again and Helen came to
England to reconcile. It is not recorded how this reconciliation turned out,
but it was long enough for John to have Helen sign the family home to his name.
John returned soon after so he could take up some of his father’s railroad
business in Maryland.
In 1881, while in Fargo, ND, John commenced divorce
proceedings, but his wife claimed she was not legally notified and she had the
divorce decree set aside. In the meantime, John married Fanny in Minneapolis on
4 November 1881, with whom he had a child, Louise Wesley, in Wales in 1878. In
trying to obtain a second divorce decree, John had lied to the court so he and
Fanny with Louisa had fled to New Brunswick where he resided until 1884, at
which time Helen sued for divorce and a settlement which was granted in March
1885. While on a secret visit to New York, John was arrested and charged with
bigamy. John fled again upstate and was arrested a second time in Fishkill
Landing, NY in July 1886 where he was employed as Superintendent of Waterworks.
John was escorted under guard to attend trial in Minneapolis. Helen Clark
appeared in person at the trial. The news articles after this point moved on
from the story which had been followed in several states, but failed to report
the trial outcome.
Remaining years in Minneapolis
John Phelps remained in Minneapolis until his death 8
January 1902 at age 56. He had inherited half of the sizable wealth and an
annuity from his father’s estate, although Willis Phelps inserted a clause in
his will that “no part... shall be given to her....known as Fannie Thayer”.
John also speculated in the land boom in the Dakotas and likely elsewhere. His
probate was filed with his own estate valued at $21,000, with Fanny as sole
Executrix.
John Wesley’s son by Helen was Willis Phelps (b. 1866) who
had graduated from Yale University, likely about 1886. There is no record of
his career or possible marriage or why he moved to Minneapolis, other than his
father and stepmother were living there. However at age 29, he died there,
cause unknown, 30 April 1895.
John’s second child, Louise Wesley by his second wife,
Frances, married George Kinnicut Morse 24 June 1904. Louise was reported to
have been born in Wales or Paris depending on which newspaper reported her
father’s bigamy story. It seems that the sins of the father ran through the
next generation. Louise and George had their first child, a son, born in 1905,
but died shortly after birth. On 13 September 1909 they had twins, one of which
again died in childbirth. The surviving girl was named Frances Louisa Morse.
The marriage did not last, as the couple divorced in 1913
and George remarried later that year to Hattie Ott. This marriage also did not last as George
took a third wife in 1925, by the name of Madge. After George’s divorce from
Louise Phelps, she also dropped from the records as the 1920 Census lists her
daughter, Frances living with her grandmother Frances (Fanny). Fanny dies in
1929 and is buried in Lakewood Cemetery Minneapolis.
The granddaughter Frances,
became a school teacher and taught in Great Falls, Montana in the 1930’s and
1940’s. She may have reunited with her father, George near Bellingham,
Washington as he lived there until his death in 1952. Frances lived in the area
until her death in 1996. Her remains were sent back to Lakewood in Minneapolis
to be buried. No record was found for her mother Louise’s death or whether she
remarried.
The end of this story is that John Wesley Phelps who was
born into privilege and with many opportunities, broke hearts, died younger
than he should have, and left no survivors to this day.
