Passport
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Ticket, ship Reindeer
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California Pioneers
The Last Of Natick's Forty-Niners

The death of Willard C Child marks the passing of a citizen who was not only well known for his prominence in the business life of the community for many years, but who was identified with one or more interesting periods of the town's history.

A native of the town, he was the last of the group of shoe manufacturers who shared in the
prosperity and the adversities of the shoe industry immediately after the Civil War. Before the war he was a member of many different partnerships with Eustis Bent, the Walcotts, J.M.
Forbush, William Hardy and Franklin Hanchett, all of whom have passed away and were
prominent in the early days of the factory system. 

After the war he made the first heel die and operated many machines in the shoe business, which he continued till 1876, his inventive ability enabling him to improve several processes. He built several dwellings and was $5000 poorer after the big fire of 1874, but he soon built one of the first brick building and until his death his attention was given to its care.

Perhaps the most interesting part of Mr Child's career was associated with the California gold fever of 1849.  Several Natick men had hopes of making their fortunes in the newly discovered El Dorado. They organized the Eliot Mining Association of Natick and the first contingent sailed from Boston Nov 23 1849, on the clipper ship Raindeer. Mr Childs was of the party which included other Natick men had hopes, Geo. Washington Pearce and Chas A. Davis. They sailed around the horn taking 134 days to reach San Francisco, arriving April 2 1850.

A month later the Argonaut sailed from Boston and on this ship were other Natick men, Simon
Mulligan, William Knowlton, Taylor Clough, David Clough and Thomas brigham. Mr. Childs
remained in the gold country about a year, sailing home on the return trip April 3 1851. He came back by way of the isthmus, making the land journey to the gulf.

He said that one of the saddest things he ever saw was the misfortune of a gold hunter while
taking the boat on the gulf. The man had been lucky and has a bag of gold dust amounting to
several thousand dollars, which he was taking back home with him. As he was going up the
gangplank he lost control of the bag and he saw it spilled into the deep waters of the bay, never to be recovered.

Mr. Childs managed to get together a few hundred dollars as a reward for his trip, but neither he nor any of the Natick men in the Eliot Association were among the many who laid the foundation of their fortunes in the gold fields. Had he had the foresight to take along a large quantity of Natick boots, he maintained that he could have reaped a rich harvest of dollars as the miners would have paid big price for them, footwear being in great demand and the supply very scant.

South Natick men did take along some boots, but not enough to obtain the great benefits that the situation offered. Mr. Childs was a member of the California Pioneers during the rest of his life and never missed the annual banquet in Boston, which was his one best holiday of the year.


Natick
Miss Anna L. Childs, 83, a life-long resident, died yesterday afternoon at her home, 37 North Main St. The house in which she died was built on the same lot as the house in which she was born. Her father was a 49er and also visited the Klondike. He was the owner of Childs' Block in the center of the town and other property, which was managed by Miss Childs after his death several years ago. Miss Childs was a prominent figure in the town and was active in local affairs until she failed in health during the last few years.  Surviving her are a brother, Mahlon D Childs, and a niece and nephew of Detroit. Dev. A.W. Birks of unity Church will officiate at the funeral service at 37 North Main st Sunday after-noon at 2:30. The body will be cremated at Mt Auburn.

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