2026

HAPPY  160th BIRTHDAY

UNCLE HERMON

160th Anniversary 

February 27, 2026 marks the 160th Birthday of

Hermon Atkins MacNeil.  

10 Years have passed since

the  MINTING of my

MacNeil Medallions

…but they are still available

Born February 27th 1886

Hermon states in his autobiographical sketch

of June 1943 that he was born in Everret, Mass. 

“My father John Clinton came from N.H. having lived in Nashua and New Boston during the days of pioneering. He learned to do most anything and must have been good in studies as well for at a very early age he was teaching in the “little red school house” during the winters to “eke out” although farming in those days was the main source of supply. At another time (older) he hauled wood to Nashua for the R .R. [railroad] to Boston with oxen, with the mercury often at 32 degrees below.”

“How he came to go south to Chelsea I don’t know but having learned the use of all kinds of tools he took to carpentering and soon found himself in the employ of one Caleb Pratt who had considerable property and the hill on which he was located in Chelsea soon known as Prattville, Mass. He had three daughters, Elizabeth, Carrie, and Mary, and two sons. They all married except Henry who died in middle life and their father (Caleb Pratt) built a home for each of them nearby on the area owned by him. My father helped on these houses and soon had an 1 1⁄2 acres, later increased, on which he built his own house and took to it as his bride Mary Lash Pratt, one of these three daughters and soon was “on his own” building and farming and was appealed to for any kind of work in this rapidly growing neighborhood near Boston.”

“When I came along at the fifth child (Annie, Alice, Caleb, Harriet, Hermon and Wilbur) On Feb, 27, 1866, which I am obligated to take on hearsay as my memory then and now (and always) was not too good on small details. As I grew up I found myself chidken [sic] feed, hoe and milk pail in my hands with orders to use them to best advantage. So, being in a “poor but honest family” there was bery [sic: very] little time for the children to play. During my earliest memories is one of my poor sweet Mother, crippled with rheumatism, hobbling about on crutches and later a wheel chair (Constructed by Father.) She died when I was about 13 yrs. of age.”

“After that I was under the care of my older sisters who stood by manfully in running our home and to whom I hereby give credit for great help to me in “bringing me up”. Also when the bunch of us were little we did have our dear old Margaret servant from Ireland to help in the twelve room home.” 

Source [Autobiographical Sketch, Hermon Atkins MacNeil, June 1943, Unpublished from Papers at Cornell Library Archives.]

Happy 160th Birthday 

Hermon Atkins MacNeil  

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