Reed / True Family's in Minnesota:Information about Arthur Webster True
Arthur Webster True (b. 25 Dec 1898, d. 16 Jul 1987)
Notes for Arthur Webster True:THE TRUES AT SALISBURY, MA, SINCE 1657
By Arthur W. True 1976
On a cloudy morning on the 15th of June, l972, we're visiting old Salisbury in the northwestern corner of MA, We have looked forward to this opportunity for a long time and we can hardly believe that the day has finally came and that we are real-ly here. Salisbury has been of special interest to the True Family ever since they first came to this country. Probably no fam-ily had a more lasting influence in the development of a town than the Trues have done in the town of Salisbury. This tape can prob-ably give only a partial picture of all the history that is to be found here.
Highway #110 leads directly into the place that is now known as Salisbury Center. U.S. #1 for years has passed through the center, now there is not so much traffic here since Interstate 95 goes a little farther to the west, actually passing between Salis-bury and Amesbury.
We have stopped at the first sign as we enter the old town and there's a typical metal road sign that shows that it was e-rected for the tercentennial in 1950. The sign reads as follows: "Garrison House and Courthouse nearby, built in 1640 stood the Garrison House and Courthouse, Christopher Batt, who named the town for Salisbury, England whence he came, trained soldiers in this field." Now the sign is in a corner lot of quite a modern house of which there is several along #110. Immediately back of it is a second or third or later growth of trees which gives a little idea of how the country may have looked before it was as well built up as it is now.
After driving a few blocks further, and crossing a bridge over a railroad track that looks as though it might still be in use occasionally, we came to the second sign which is marked "First Meeting House." The language on this sign is as follows: "Site of the first Meeting House, built in the open green in 1640. The bell hung in 1642 is said to have been brought from England by or-der of the Rev, William Worster who was settled here in 1639." The sign that I have just described stands on the corner of a little grassy triangle, In the center of this triangle is a stone, which bears another marker, headed "Potlid Square".The language on this marker reads as follows "Here the women of Salisbury melted their pewter dishes into bullets that the men might de-fend their liberties." That is tradition. Very village green in MA. at once became the scene of active drill, from the American Revolution by John Fisk, "At a meeting of the freeholders and other inhabitants of the town of Salisbury May 21, 1776. It was voted that if the honorable Congress should for the safety of the said colonies declare them independent of the kingdom of Great Britain, they will solemnly engage with their lives and fortune to support them in the measure. From the town records, west and south was the creek set apart at the first division of land 1659. There on was The MeetingHouse, The Garrison House, The Courthouse, and The Training Grounds. Court was held here 1649 - 1680, town and court records 1639 - 1928."
As we turn to the left to go into the typical New England small village now called Salisbury Center, we pass the beautiful triangular park, which is so characteristic of these villages that has lovely maple trees and the beautiful well-kept green grass. There are two monuments, one to World War I and the other to World War II and Korean War service men. This little triangle gives evidence of two things: first, that a good many Trues are still liv-ing in this part of the country, and secondly, they are apparently as much involved with the defense of this country as they were in the very early years of the town's history. The one marker headed "In grateful Appreciation of those who served the town of Salisbury in W.W. I", are listed the three Trues: Fred L., Herbert E., and Waldorf A. From W.W. II, the names are: Bruce C., Charles F., Everett A., John A., and Herbert E. Jr. For the Korean War the names are Franklin E. Jr. and Merrill J.
Several new buildings have been erected in the Salisbury Cen-ter. Most of the places of business are located in these new buildings. Together they give a clean and spacious sort of an at-mosphere. Leaving in the direction of Hampton, New Hampshire, Lafayette Road passes under the railroad track right on the edge of town, immediately to the left after and going under the railroad track is True Road. This road marks the location of many True residences through the years. We understand that it was the early area in which the True families occupied essentially all the farmland. Efforts to learn which were the oldest or which the first and second Henry True or William True occupied were not entirely successful.
A number of old houses are still standing along True Road. We stopped at the first one on the north, as we turned left off a Lafayette Road and we found that this was the residence of Everett True, whose widow Clara True and daughter Barbara are still living there, Everett having passed away in 1957. They are descendent through the Jabez True line, Jabez being the son of the second Henry. They are very much interested in the True history of the area and had a considerable amount on genealogy. Through the years a number of additional houses have been built along True Road and many of them, of course, are of a much later period than the old ones. The one that we visited was that of Everett True residence, it was reported to have been built in 1830; it looks like one of the old houses.
The land is very well wooded and covered with brush, while there is no evidence of out cropping of rocks. A few places of meadows are still open and evidently hay is being cut, I presume for horses at this period. One can get an idea of what the fields must have been like as clearings within the timber area, which pre-sumably existed here originally. One of the interesting things that came out in our conversation with Mrs. True and her daughter was the reference to Moses True who they say was called Moonlight Mos because of his habit of planting in the moonlight which he felt was good insurance of a good crop. Other names that were of enough interest so that they mentioned them were Prince Albert True, who owned a place that will be mentioned later on in this discussion and
More About Arthur Webster True:
50 th.: 21 Aug 1982, Clarendon Methodist Church Arlington, VI..
Age at death (Facts Pg): 81.
Burial: 19 Jul 1987, Columbus Gardens Arlington, VA.
Census 1900: 12 Jun 1900, 1900 United States Federal Census > Minnesota > Blue Earth > Mankato Ward 4 > District 20.
Census 1910: 12 May 1910, 1910 United States Federal Census > Minnesota > Blue Earth > Mankato Twp > District 25.
Census 1920: 06 Feb 1920, 1920 United States Federal Census > Minnesota > Blue Earth > Mankato > District 26.
Graduation: Feb, University of Minnesota.
More About Arthur Webster True and Anna Gertrude Dinsmore:
Marriage: 03 Sep 1932, Minneapolis, MN.
Children of Arthur Webster True and Anna Gertrude Dinsmore are: