Watson F. Hammond facts for kids

Watson F. Hammond (born May 24, 1837 – died December 9, 1919) was a very important leader. He was the first Native American person to be part of the Great and General Court of Massachusetts. This "Great and General Court" is like the state's parliament or law-making body.

Early Life and Family

Watson Hammond was born in 1837 in a part of Boston, Massachusetts, called the North End. His father was John Hammon from Sag Harbor, and his mother was Catherine F. Hammond, who was a Montauk Indian.

Watson had two siblings, Frances and John. His father, John, owned a lot of land, more than 50 acres, on Mashpee Neck in Cape Cod. When Watson was seven years old, his father passed away. After that, Watson went to live with his uncle in Mashpee at the Attaquin Hotel.

Adventures at Sea

When Watson was just 14, he began an exciting career as a sailor. He joined a whaling ship called the Liverpool, which sailed from New Bedford, Massachusetts. The ship, led by Captain Weston Swift, spent 20 months hunting bowhead whales in the northern Pacific Ocean.

During one trip, the ship hit a hidden rock near Port Clarence and started to sink! Luckily, another ship, the Helen Augusta, came to their rescue. They were towed a long way to a Russian port on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea. The Liverpool couldn't be saved, so its cargo was moved to the Helen Augusta. The Liverpool was then set on fire and sank. Watson sailed all the way home on the Helen Augusta. After this first big adventure, he worked as a seaman for 15 more years.

Farmer and Inventor

Watson Hammond loved being outdoors. He became a very successful cranberry farmer on the Mashpee River. He was also an inventor! In 1883, he even got a special patent for a machine he created to separate cranberries.

Family Life

In 1869, Watson married Rebecca C. Amos. Her father was "Blind Joe" Amos, a well-known Baptist preacher. Watson and Rebecca had seven children together: Jeremiah, Nellie, Lorenzo, Edith, Charles N., Elizabeth, Charles H., Alice, and Caroline.

Their son, Charles, became a teacher and the Town Clerk in Mashpee. Another son, Lorenzo, became a respected leader known as Chief Little Bear of the Wampanoag Nation. He took over leadership of the tribe from his cousin, Nelson D. Simons. Watson Hammond is buried close to the historic Mashpee Old Indian Meeting House.

A Leader in Mashpee

Watson Hammond was a very active and important person in his community. He held almost every important job in the town of Mashpee. He was the town clerk, a moderator (who leads meetings), a selectman (who helps run the town), a surveyor, and the treasurer.

Besides his town jobs, he was also a leader of the Mashpee people. He was a deacon in his church and helped manage the Attaquin Hotel.

Serving in Government

In 1885, Watson Hammond was elected to serve in the Great and General Court of Massachusetts. This meant he represented both Barnstable and Mashpee in the state's law-making body. Most voters in Mashpee were Republicans, and so was Hammond.

He ran against A. D. Makepeace, who was known as the "Cranberry King" and was the Democratic candidate. Watson Hammond won the election by 77 votes! His victory celebration was held at the Samuel Hooper House in Cotuit.