- It is believed that the first Albee in the �new world�, Benjamin Albee, arrived aboard the ship �Bonaventure� in 1635. He is mentioned in Boston about 1639 and later in Braintree in 1641.
- Benjamin Albee, one of the earliest settlers of Mendon, MA, constructed a corn mill on the Mill River at Medfield Road (now Hartford Ave., East, Hopedale, MA) in 1667.
- Mendon, MA was originally formed as the Quinshipaug (Pickerel Pond) Plantation in 1662. The land was purchased for 24 pounds sterling from the Nipmuck Indians. Signing for the Nipmucks were Annawassanauk (alias John), Quashaamitt (alias William of Blewe Hill), Great John Womsconot (alias Peter) and Uppanboh Queen (alias Jacob of Natick). --- Proprietor�s Records of the Town of Mendon, published in 1899
- King Philip�s War began on July 14, 1675 with an attack by the Nipmuck Indians on the tiny community of Mendon, MA. Benjamin�s son John was one of the settlers killed. The residents fled to Medfield and the town (including Benjamin�s grist mill) was burned to the ground. A Memorial Stone made of rough unhewn slate marks the location of this event along Muddy Brook. --- portions from �Early Mendon & King Philip�s War� an unpublished manuscript by Carlton Staples in 1898
- Eleazer Albee, a member of the Vermont Legislature and Constitutional Conventions of 1822 and 1836, was so upset with the Federal Government�s prosecution of the Civil War that he sold all his possessions and moved to Canada in 1861. He wrote the following epitaph, carved on his tombstone, �He went into voluntary banishment from his beloved native country during the reign of terror in the third year of the misrule of Abraham the First�. ---Albee Family Book, written by Robert S. Albee, 1920
- Obediah Albee, a blacksmith by trade, was one of the founders of Wiscasset, ME in 1741. He had a reputation of fighting the Indians and supposedly killed one with his bare hands. His oldest son, Obediah Jr., started an Indian war, after violating a treaty by attacking a group of Indians, killing one and wounding two others. He was helped by two cousins from Mendon, MA. He was tried as a criminal, released by a jury, and later either drowned in the Sheepscot River or died fighting a bear. Another son, Jonathan, was captured by Indians serving with the English in northern NY and was about to be burned at the stake when rescued by British General Johnny Burgoyne, for a keg of rum. Jonathan was known as a woodsman, Indian fighter and an intellectual activist. He died just prior to his 101st birthday. Speculation is that he may have been one of the people that J. Fennimore Cooper used in portraying the character �Hawkeye� in the book �Last of the Mohicans�. --- Albee Family Forum messages from Chuck Dubay and Family Treemaker file for descendants of Edward Alby by Leonard-A-Lawson
- The oldest selectmen�s records of Milford, MA (formed from the land holdings of Mendon, MA) show unsavory and unusual entries regarding care of the poor and incapable under contracts in the late 1700�s to the early 1800�s, such as: �one order to Seth Albee for cleaning the widow Grace Adams of lice for the sum of $6.17�; �one order to Ruth Albee of $5.67 for cleaning Rachel Kilborn of lice�. Other curious pauper contracts include �an agreement made by the selectmen with Daniel Hunt, to let Samuel Albee and wife have house room and fire wood six months from the first Tuesday of March 1791, for which he is to have 2 shilling a week, and to have 3 shilling for a garden this year� and an agreement on March 22, 1796 whereby �the selectmen of Milford agreed with Thomas Albee (probably my g-g-g-g Grandfather) to keep his mother Albee, at the going price of three pecks of Indian Corn per week, until the first Tuesday of March next�. --- History of the Town of Milford by Adin Ballou, published in 1882
- The early history of Milford, MA shows many instances of land donations by various Albee families. Elijah Albee in 1801 for a cemetery and 1813 for School District #6; Joseph Albee in 1836 for a cemetery; Abel Albee in 1859 for the V. G. Cemetery; Obidiah Albee in 1856 and Edwin Albee in 1874 for various town use. --- History of the Town of Milford by Adin Ballou, published in 1882
- Supposedly, Albee�s served in every single war this country has fought and are related to 6 Presidents. --- Albee Family Forum message from Chris Thomas
- Albee war heroes include George Emerson Albee (Medal of Honor Recipient) buried in section 2 of Arlington National Cemetery. Born in Lisbon, NH in 1845. he earned the Medal of Honor while serving as a 1st Lieutenant fighting at Brazos River, Texas in 1869 during the Indian Wars. His citation reads as follows �attacked with 2 men a force of 11 Indians, drove them from the hills, and reconnoitered the country beyond�.
- On the Civil War battlefield in Manassas, Va (2nd battle of Manassas), a private Albee from Wisconsin Company G, 1st Regiment, Berdan�s Sharpshooters erected a white marker in memory of the patriots who fell at Groveton. This marker is memorialized as part of a monument on Henry Hill near the visitor�s center. The marker can be found near route 29 and Cr 622, turn right (north) on Cr 622 and proceed 6 tenths of a mile to a small parking lot on the left.
- John E. Albee of Lancaster, MA died during the Civil War as a prisoner of the Southern Army at Brashear. John was left sick by the Union forces after a campaign in Algiers, LA.
- Chris Thomas (Christine?) of Muskegon, Michigan , a descendant of Benjamin Albee, is working on a quilt (cross-stitch project) that began as a wallhanging showing her family tree. She recently added panels for each war to honor the Albee �warriors� that served this country. The quilt currently measures 20 x 30 feet and she estimates it is only 25% complete. Information can be e-mailed to [email protected] and should include: Name, Rank, DOB, DOD, Major battles, Regiment, and any other pertinent data.
- Albee, South Dakota (population 12) was named after William Cram Albee, born in 1855. Albee Township, Saginaw County, Michigan was named after William Clinton Albee an early settler. Albee, Umatilla County, Oregon (originally Snipe, then Alba) was named after the local Albee Brothers, well known stockmen, at some point around the turn of the century (early 1900�s). One of the brothers, Robinson �Bob� Albee was born in Maine in 1824. His obituary called him a member of that illustrious band of Argonauts who rushed to California in �49. In 1852 he came to Oregon and engaged in the livestock industry.
- Some of the most famous Albee�s are as follows: Edward Franklin Albee, born in 1857, was a founding partner of the Keith/Albee Theaters and Vaudeville Circuit in the late 1880�s. After great success in controlling the �high class� vaudeville market and lavishly refurbishing many theatres on the East Coast, the introduction of motion pictures eventually decimated the Vaudeville market. In 1927, Edward tried to stem the decline of Vaudeville by merging with the Orpheum circuit on the West Coast. However, in 1928, he sold $4,500,000 worth of stock to film Magnate Joseph P. Kennedy after Keith/Albee/Orpheum combined with Kennedy�s Radio Corporation of America (RCA) to establish Radio/Keith/Orpheum (RKO).
Edward Albee, the Playwright (Who�s Afraid of Virginia Wolf, The Sandbox), born in 1928, was adopted two weeks after birth by Reed Adelbert Albee the son of Edward F. Albee, founder of the Keith/Albee Theatre�s. Persis Foster Eames Albee, born in 1836, became the first Avon Lady (originally The California Perfume Company). She is commemorated yearly by the Avon Company through awards of Avon statues and dolls to the top selling representatives. There is a collectible Mrs. Albee Barbie Doll that was commissioned by the Avon Company. Arden Albee, planetary scientist, emeritus, at the California Institute of Technology recently organized the Sixth International Conference on Mars. He was a lead scientist with the NASA Mars exploration team in the late 1990�s. Grace Albee,born 1890, is a recognized artist that has been exhibited throughout the world. Her trademark wood engravings depict scenes of rural life, often laced with gentle humor. She began after moving to a farm in Bucks County, PA. A seemingly innocent picture of a goat seeking shelter from the rain in an old Model-T brought her the first taste of national acclaim.
- Researchers recently found the remains of an 1855 shipwreck near Grand Haven Township, MI owned by Clark B. Albee, a local entrepreneur, for whom a Grand Haven street is named after. The merchant vessel �Vermont� ran aground during a fierce early winter storm on December 10, 1855 while traveling from Chicago to Grand Haven. The �Vermont�, 60 feet long, carried a crew of 10 and was loaded with 2,700 bushels of corn, 1,000 bushels of oats and many animal hides. All of the crew escaped safely to shore. --- AP Story, January 2002