Tuesday, October 30, 2012


1901 Kidder Steam Wagon Kidder Motor Vehicle Co. New Haven, CT 1900-1901

WELLINGTON PARKER KIDDER of Boston and Malden, Mass., born at South Norridgewock, Me., 19 Feb. 1853; died at New York City, 4 Oct. 1924. He married at Maplewood, Mass., 4 Sept. 1878, EMMA LOUISA AXTELL, born at Huntington, Mass., 1854
In 1898, after intensive study in this country and Europe, he brought out important and generally accepted improvements in the automobile, then known as the "horseless carriage," and organized the Kidder Motor Vehicle Co., of New Haven, Conn., in which he was a leading figure.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Capt. SOLOMON KIDDER -(1732 - 1776) Killed in Action during Revolutionary War.

Capt. SOLOMON KIDDER served in the French and Indian War as a member of Capt. Melvin's Company in 1754.
Solomon Kidder marched on the alarm of 19 April 1775, for 26 days service. He served in Col. Green's Regiment, and later commissioned Captain in Col. Sargent's Regiment. He was at the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Siege of Boston. In 1776, was placed in command as Captain of a company of 65 Billerica men, in Colonel Simeon Spaulding, 7th Middlesex Regiment of Massachusetts. He was a Captain in the 9th Company, of Colonel Eleazer Brook’s Regiment list of officers drafted from Middlesex Militia. General Oliver Prescott ordered them to Horse Neck, 26 September 1776. He reported to have lost a coat in the Battle at White Plains.
Military records for Captain Solomon Kidder reveal two different dates, he was Killed in Action one was White Plains, New York, 20 Nov. 1776 and the other was the Battle of Monmouth, New Jersey, in 1778. It appears he died in 1776 and not at Monmouth, NJ in 1778.
Solomon Kidder married first, DOROTHY TOMPSON; secondly LYDIA WHITE.

Stephen Kidder (1747 - 1775/6) died on board a British Prison Ship in New York City Harbor.

STEPHEN KIDDER was a shipmaster. He was captured by the British at the beginning of the Revolutionary War and died of smallpox on a prison ship in New York harbor. The circumstances surrounding why Stephen Kidder was captured and reasons for his confinement on a British ship remain unknown. Federal and State archive records failed to substantiate any military enlistment for Stephen Kidder. Its possible that Stephen Kidder was captured as a civilian since he was a “shipmaster” and was dedicated to the sea.
Stephen Kidder married Eunice Knowles.

Three Brothers served during the Revutionary War - Thomas Kidder - died in action June 1777 - Jonathan and Franicis Kidder served on same ship.

Three sons of Jonathan Kidder and Mary Lambert of Billerica, Mass., served during the Revolutionary War.

THOMAS KIDDER born 27 Mar. 1754; died in the service of his country 28 June 1777.
Thomas Kidder served during the Revolutionary War. He enrolled 27 April 1777, in Capt. Brown's Company, of Colonel Bigelow's Regiment, for three years service. He also served in Capt. Joshua Brown's Company, of Colonel Timothy Bigelow's Regiment in the Continental Army. His military pay records between 30 April 1777 and 28 June 1778, have a notation that Thomas Kidder was reported Killed in Action, 28 June 1778. The circumstances and place of occurrence are unknown. After checking Revolutionary War battles, on that date 28 June 1778, there was a major battle at Monmouth (Freehold Court House), New Jersey and it’s suspected Thomas Kidder was killed in action at that location. Died unmarried.

JONATHAN KIDDER born at Billerica, Mass., 30 Apr. 1760; died at sea.
Jonathan Kidder enlisted in Captain Brown's Company of Colonel Bigelow's Regiment and re-enlisted 13 April 1777 at Boston, Suffolk County to serve in the same company and regiment and appeared as a Fife. He enlisted "for three years or the war" in the Continental Army, reporting for service at Worcester, Mass. The Regiment was stationed at Providence, RI from Jan. 1780 to Mar. 1780. He enlisted in the Navy on the ship "G Pickering", commanded by Captain Jonathan Harraden. Jonathan along with the officers and crew were sworn in 10 November 1780. This ship was reported taken by the British while on cruise to West Indies, the date and circumstances are unknown regarding its capture. Jonathan Kidder and his brother Francis Kidder served on the same ship “G Pickering“. On 20 August 1800, a ship with the same name, sailed from Newcastle, Del. and was never heard from again. The “G. Pickering” was lost at sea with all its crew in a gale that Sept. 1800. He and his son Charles are believed to have been on that ship. Neither was heard from again.
Jonathan Kidder married in Apr. 1784, Catharine Payne.
One son, Charles Kidder born 6 Sept. 1784. He became a sailor and was lost at sea.

FRANCIS KIDDER, born 19 Apr. 1765; died at Billerica, 28 Feb. 1796.
Francis Kidder served during the Revolutionary War in the Navy on the ship "G Pickering", commanded by Captain Jonathan Harraden. Francis along with the officers and crew were sworn into service, 10 November 1780. The said ship was reported taken by the British while on cruise to West Indies, the date and circumstances are unknown regarding its capture and disposition of the crew. His brother Jonathan Kidder above served on the same ship. Francis Kidder gave his age as 16 but he was actually 15 years old at enlistment. Died unmarried.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Benjamin Kidder (about 1738 - 1759 ) died in French Prison

Benjamin Kidder, date of birth not recorded ( born about 1738 in NH ); died before Feb. 1759.
Benjamin Kidder served as a drummer in Capt. John Goffe's Company, Col. Blanchard's Regiment, at Crown Point, in 1755, again in 1756 in the same company in Col. Nathaniel Meserve's Regiment. August 1757, while serving in Col. Meserve's Regiment, Benjamin Kidder was captured by the French at Fort William Henry, NY, taken to Canada, after four months of suffering there, was sent to "Rochelle in old France where he died in Goal." His brother John Kidder was granted letters of administration of his estate and in a Petition to the General Assembly of the Province of New Hampshire, dated Jan. 1759, John Kidder asks for losses incurred because of Benjamin Kidder's death. In these papers he is referred to a "Sergeant Benjamin Kidder."
Benjamin Kidder was the 5th child of Benjamin Kidder and Sarah Goffe.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

PERLEY KIDDER ( 1891 - 1918 ) aged 27

PERLEY KIDDER ( 1891 - 1918 ) - aged 27 - was Postmaster in Wardsboro, VT - He enjoyed photography, taking many pictures of the Village of Wardsboro. Below are a few of his picture postcards which now appear on eBay. The photos were taken sometime between 1915 and 1918. He died unmarried.

Bridge Street, Wardsboro, VT


W W Kidder Hardware
Store owned by William Walter Kidder his son Perley Kidder took photo


Bird's Eye View of Wardsboro


Post Office


Main Street, Wardsboro

Monday, August 23, 2010

Lt. Lyman Kidder - Dispatch to General George Custer







1st Lt. Lyman Stockwell KIDDER served in the 1st Minnesota Cavalry, Co., K, during the Civil War. Following the war, Lyman S. KIDDER was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army, assigned to 2nd United States Cavalry. He was killed at Beaver Creek, Kansas, 2 July 1867, while carrying a dispatch from General William T. SHERMAN then at Fort Sedgwick, Kansas, to General George CUSTER, in camp at the forks of Republican River, Kansas. Lt. KIDDER (age 24) and all his soldiers were killed by a Indians. The bodies were discovered by General CUSTER and buried on the spot where attacked.
A book written regarding the attack upon Lt. KIDDER and his men. “A Dispatch to Custer, The Tragedy of Lieutenant Kidder”, by Randy JOHNSON and Nancy ALLAN, (1999) Mountain Press Company, pages 119, best portrays the incident. Lt. Lyman S. KIDDER'S father Jefferson KIDEER went to Kidder battle site in Kansas about a year later with a regiment of Cavalry soldiers and recovered the body of his son and buried him at Oakland Cemetery, St. Paul, MN.

There is a historical marker near the site at Beaver Creek, Kansas.

Lt. Lyman KIDDER was the second child of Jefferson P KIDDER and Mary Ann STOCKWELL.