Welch-Harris Project
Welch-Hazelton Line — Ancestor #10
By Don Taylor
Charles Bernard Hazelton was born on 13 December 1890 in Biddeford, York County, Maine.[1] He was the son of Thomas Hazelton and Margaret Clare. The family surname appears in early records as Hazeltine — the spelling used in the 1900 census and on Charles’s WWI draft registration — before gradually standardizing to Hazelton in later documents. Both spellings will be encountered by researchers working this family line.[2]
Origins and Family
Charles grew up in a large household. The 1900 census records the family at 306 Main Street, Biddeford, under the Hazeltine spelling.[3] At that time, his father Thomas, age 39, was working as a mule spinner in a cotton mill, and his mother Margaret, age 38, was employed as a weaver — a common arrangement in mill towns where the entire family contributed to household income. Charles was one of eleven children born to Thomas and Margaret. Ten of his siblings are named in family records — Mary, Rose, Harry, Grace M., Patrick John, Thomas F., Winnifred Celia, and Madeline Ruth — while two additional siblings appear in the records without given names and remain unidentified.[4]
By 1910, the family had moved a short distance to 18 Center Street, where the census records them.[5] Charles, then nineteen, was already employed as a printer in a newspaper office — a trade that stood apart from the mill work of his parents and suggests either formal training or a deliberate step toward a different kind of livelihood.
Marriage
On 27 November 1913, Charles Bernard Hazelton married Jessie Louise Sands in Biddeford, Maine.[6] He was twenty-two. The ceremony was performed by Timothy P. Linehan, a clergyman of Biddeford. At the time of the marriage, Charles was working as a foreman at the Record office in Biddeford, a step up from his earlier position as a printer.[7] A future sketch will be devoted to Jessie Louise Sands and her family.
Early Adulthood and Working Life
Charles’s working life in the years following his marriage was varied, reflecting both the changing economy of the Saco-Biddeford area and the disruptions of the First World War era. Vital records place him at 40 Vernon Street, Saco, by late 1916.[8] In November of that year, his son George Leland was born there.[8]
His WWI draft registration, dated 5 June 1917, was completed in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania — though his stated residence was still 40 Vernon Street, Saco.[1] Why Charles was in the Pennsylvania state capital that day is not clear; he may have been traveling for work. The registration card describes him as medium height, medium build, with gray eyes and brown hair. He reported no physical disability and was not bald, and he was ultimately not a veteran.[1,9]
By 1920, the family had settled at 78 Pleasant Street, Saco, and Charles was working as a fireman at a cotton mill.[5] The following year, the birth record of his daughter Margaret Louise lists him as a piper at Laconia Mills — that is, a worker responsible for maintaining the piping systems within the mill — with the family then residing at 23 Storer Street, Saco.[10]
The Middle Years: Saco
Charles and his family remained rooted in Saco through the 1920s and 1930s. The 1930 census records the family renting at 23 Storer Street for $22.50 a month — a modest sum even for the era. The household had a radio, a detail the census recorded as a measure of domestic modernity. At this point Charles was employed as a lineman for Cumberland County Power & Light, working 54 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, with an annual income reported as $2,250.[9] City directories confirm 23 Storer Street as the family address through at least 1937.[11]
By 1940, the family had moved to 29 School Street, Saco. The census records Charles’s education as completing the 8th grade — consistent with a man who left school young to enter the workforce.[12]
Later Life
The 1950 census, taken on 16 April, records Charles at 76 Summer Street, Saco, employed as a steam fitter for the W.L.W. Machine Company, having worked 40 hours the previous week.[13] The enumerator recorded his given name in an abbreviated form — almost certainly “Chals” for Charles — which can cause confusion when searching for the record by name.[13]
By the time of his death, Charles was living with his daughter, Janet Fenderson, in Saco.[14]
Death and Burial
Charles B. Hazelton died on the morning of Sunday, 2 December 1951, in Portland, Cumberland County, Maine, at the age of 60. His death was believed to be the result of a heart attack.[14]
Photo by David Pridham | Courtesy Find a Grave
His funeral was held on 4 December 1951 at 2:00 p.m. at the Dennett and Craig Funeral Home, 365 Main Street, Saco. The service was officiated by the Reverend Leon Chaloux, curate at Most Holy Trinity Church, Saco.[15] He was buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery, Saco, Maine.[16]
Surviving him were two sons, Paul Hazelton and George L. Hazelton, and two daughters, Janet Fenderson and Margaret Welch, along with seven grandchildren.[14] His obituary also named four surviving sisters and three surviving brothers; identifying them individually remains a subject for further research.
A Note on the Name
Charles’s surname appears in the records as Hazeltine, Hazelton, and occasionally Hazleton. His WWI draft registration gives the full name Charles Bernard Hazeltine, and later records consistently drop the terminal e from the surname. The 1900 and 1910 censuses use Hazeltine (the 1910 enumerator rendered it Hiselton). By the time of his 1913 marriage, Hazelton was in common use, and it is the spelling used in his obituary and on his Find a Grave memorial.[2,16] Researchers should search under all three variants.
Children of Charles B. Hazelton and Jessie Louise Sands
| Name | Born | Died | Married |
| Janet Clare Hazelton | 13 Aug 1914, Biddeford, ME | 2002 | — |
| George Leland Hazelton | 7 Nov 1916, Saco, ME | 10 Apr 1983, Saco, ME | — |
| Paul Hazelton | Jul 1919, Maine | 1996 | — |
| Margaret Louise Hazelton | 10 Nov 1921, Biddeford, ME | 14 Sep 2000, Saco, ME | Robert Anthony Welch, 16 May 1942, Biddeford, ME |
[17]
Open Research Questions
- Jessie Louise Sands: her own parentage and family history have not yet been compiled into a full sketch.
- Two siblings of Charles appear in family records without given names; their identities remain to be confirmed.
- The reason for Charles’s WWI draft registration in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has not been established.
- Thomas Hazelton and Margaret Clare: their places of origin, any immigration record, and their marriage record have not yet been documented.
- Laconia Mills: further research into the mill’s employment records may yield additional details of Charles’s work there.
- The identities of Charles’s four surviving sisters and three surviving brothers named in his obituary remain to be individually confirmed.
Disclaimer: The research presented in this post represents my current findings and conclusions based on the sources cited. Claude.ai was used as a research and drafting aid, and Grammarly for editorial review and copyediting. Where evidence is incomplete, I have drawn careful inferences and have endeavored to distinguish clearly between documented fact and reasoned interpretation. Genealogical research is an ongoing process; new records may alter, refine, or overturn conclusions presented here.
All source citations are provided for transparency and verification. Cited records belong to their respective repositories and institutions. The narrative text, analysis, and editorial conclusions are my own work and are protected under copyright.
If you have additional information, corrections, or family connections relevant to this post, I welcome your contact through the blog. Genealogy is a collaborative pursuit, and I am always grateful for the contributions of fellow researchers and family members.
— Don Taylor, DonTaylorGenealogy.com
Endnotes
- [1] U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918, Ancestry.com, entry for Charles Bernard Hazeltine; Registration State: Maine; Registration County: York County. This record also provides the physical description cited in the text.
- [2] Spelling variants documented across: the 1900 U.S. Census (Hazeltine); the 1910 U.S. Census (rendered Hiselton by the enumerator); the WWI draft registration (Hazeltine); the 1913 Maine marriage record (Hazeltine); the 1916 Maine birth record (Hazleton); the 1930 U.S. Census (Hazeltine); the 1950 U.S. Census (Hazelton); and his 1951 obituaries (Hazelton).
- [3] 1900 U.S. Census, York County, Maine, City of Biddeford, Ward 6, Enumeration District 228, Sheet 4B, Lines 87–96, Hazeltine household, 306 Main Street.
- [4] Ten siblings of Charles are named across family sources: Mary, Rose, Harry, Grace M., Patrick John, Thomas F., Winnifred Celia, and Madeline Ruth; two additional siblings appear without given names and remain unidentified.
- [5] 1910 U.S. Census, York County, Maine, Biddeford, Enumeration District 233, Sheet 12A, Lines 28–37, Thomas Hiselton household, 18 Center Street. Also: 1920 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, Charles B. Hazelton, Saco, York, Maine, 78 Pleasant Street.
- [6] Maine, U.S., Marriage Records, 1713–1922, Ancestry.com, Charles Bernard Hazeltine and Jessie Louise Sands, 27 November 1913; Maine State Archives, 1908–1922 Vital Records, Roll Number 26. Also: Maine, Marriage Index, 1892–1966, 1977–1996, Charles B. Hazeltine and Jessie L. Sands, 27 November 1913.
- [7] Biddeford-Saco Journal (Biddeford, ME), 20 November 1913, page 8, “Charles Hazelton — Marriage Intention,” Newspapers.com. This notice identifies Charles as foreman at the Record office.
- [8] Maine, U.S., Birth Records, 1715–1922, Ancestry.com, George Leland Hazleton, born 7 November 1916; residence given as 40 Vernon Street, Saco. Maine State Archives, 1908–1922 Vital Records, Roll Number 26. Physician recorded as D. G. Dolloff, M.D., Biddeford.
- [9] 1930 U.S. Census, York County, Maine, Saco, Charles B. Hazeltine household, 23 Storer Street. Occupation: lineman, Cumberland County Power & Light. Reported income: $2,250. Charles reported as not a veteran.
- [10] Maine, U.S., Birth Records, 1715–1922, Ancestry.com, Margaret Louisa Hazelton, born 10 November 1921 in Biddeford; father’s occupation recorded as “Piper in Laconia Mills,” residence 23 Storer Street, Saco. Maine State Archives, 1908–1922 Vital Records, Roll Number 26. Physician: David E. Dolloff, M.D.
- [11] U.S. City Directories, 1822–1995, Saco, 1934, page 316, Hazelton; Saco, 1937, page 315, Hazelton. Ancestry.com.
- [12] 1940 U.S. Census, York County, Maine, Saco, B. Charles Hazelton household, 29 School Street. Education recorded as 8th grade.
- [13] 1950 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, Maine, York, Saco — Charles Hazelton, Head, 76 Summer Street; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2022. The name as written by the enumerator appears to read “Chals,” an abbreviation for Charles.
- [14] Portland Press Herald (Portland, ME), 3 December 1951, page 2, “Charles B. Hazelton.” https://www.newspapers.com/image/848432656/. Also: Biddeford-Saco Journal (Biddeford, ME), 31 December 1951, Deaths — “Heart Attack Fatal to C. B. Hazelton.” https://www.newspapers.com/image/864944111/.
- [15] Biddeford-Saco Journal (Biddeford, ME), 5 December 1951, page 2, “Charles B. Hazelton.” https://www.newspapers.com/image/864944224/.
- [16] Find a Grave, memorial for Charles B. Hazelton (1890–1951), Laurel Hill Cemetery, Saco, Maine. Also: U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007, Charles B. Hazelton (1890–1951); Social Security Number 007-01-7620; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
- [17] U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007, Margaret Louise Hazelton (1921–2000); Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Also: Maine, Vital Records, 1670–1921, FamilySearch, birth of Robert Welch, 12 December 1920, Biddeford, Maine (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24J-6CW8); and U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007, Robert Anthony Welch (1920–2007).
