ARTHUR WHEAT SR. AND THE HORNE/FLINT FAMILIES

Four unidentified children sitting on a bridge (likely in the vicinity of Cobbett's Pond). At least two of the boys are nephews of Arthur F. Wheat.

    In 1883, Clara Belle Horne purchased the "Red House" located a short distance from the shore of Cobbett's Pond; the property included waterfront property on the "big pond" near the flume. With the acquisition of the "Red House" property, the Horne family became the first people to purchase land along Cobbett's Pond for the purpose of spending summers on the pond, away from the busy and crowded conditions of the city. According to "Rural Oasis," the family did not immediately build a cottage near the shore of the pond, but instead opted to stay in a tent. While there is no extant account of why the family chose not to simply move into the "Red House" for the summer, it is possible the family wanted a more rustic summer experience, or Clara did not want a large family taking over her house for the summer. Several years after the family pitched their first tent along the shore, they decided to abandon the tent altogether and build a cottage. However, this was not the first summer cottage on Cobbett's Pond, as by the time the Horne family began construction on their cottage, Ayers had already completed his cottage, giving him a permanent spot in the history of Cobbett's Pond as the builder of the first cottage. 
   The property on the pond was eventually acquired by a niece of Clara Bell Horne, Rachel Flint Wheat. Rachel was the daughter of Clara's sister Frances Horne Flint. Prior to becoming owner of the property in 1919, Rachel married Dr. Arthur Fitts Wheat of Manchester, NH; the wedding took place on Saturday, July 19, 1913. The couple had three children: Arthur, Parker, and Irene. Irene, the youngest child of Rachel and Arthur, was born around 1925, but there are few public records of her life. Parker Wheat became a doctor, like his father, and died at the age of 70 in 1988. The oldest child of the family, Arthur Jr., was born on August 15, 1915 and died on April 21, 1991. Although he never owned property in Windham, Arthur Jr. is best known in Windham for his collection of postcards, which were generously donated to the Nesmith Library following his death. The collection can be viewed at: http://nesmithlibrary.org/sites/nesmithlibrary.org/files/arthur/index.html. 
   The Horne family spent many summers on Cobbett's Pond for several generations, until the original cottage burned on Labor Day in 1971. Although the property continued to remain the Horne family for a few years, it was eventually subdivided and sold as four lots. The "Red House" had been inherited by a niece of Clara Bell Horne in 1937; the home remained in the family for decades longer. 

A Brief Genealogy of the Horne/Flint/Wheat family

• Mary Horne
  • Frances Horne Flint: born March 21, 1852. Married Joseph Almy Flint. Died on July 9, 1943 in Windham
    • Edith Flint Burtt: born July 10, 1879. Married Walter N. Burtt. Died on January 10, 1965. 
      • Catherine N. Burtt: born January 5, 1917 in Lowell, MA
      • Richard F. Burtt
      • J. Frederick Burtt
    • ​Rachel Flint Wheat: born May 7, 1885 in Lowell, MA. Married Dr. Arthur Fitts Wheat of Manchester, NH on July 9, 1913. Dr. Wheat began studying medicine in 1890 and was listed as a physician in Manchester as early as 1915, though he may have opened his practice earlier. Wheat was born on August 8, 1871, to parents, Thomas Wheat and Irene "Jane" A. Hunt Wheat. Dr. Wheat died before 1928; records show Rachel as a widow in 1928. Rachel resided in Manchester until at least 1958. 
      • Arthur Wheat: born August 15, 1915 in Manchester, NH. Died on April 21, 1991. 
      • Dr. Parker Wheat: born on May 9, 1918 in Manchester, NH. Died on July 5, 1988.
      • Irene Wheat: born circa 1925 in Manchester, NH.
  • Clara Belle Horne: born in Lowell, MA in September of 1858; died circa 1937.
  • Kate Horne: born in August of 1860; records show she was living in 1930; likely died between 1930 and 1940.

Reverse side of a postcard mailed to Arthur F. Wheat by his wife's aunt, Clara Bell Horne

    The postcard shown below (left) was sent by Edith Flint Burtt to her mother, Frances Horne Flint, in 1913; Flint was residing in Windham at the time. In her postcard, Edith asks for eggs to be brought to "Aunt Kit's Store." Refered to as "Aunt Kit," Kate Horne operated her store in West Windham on the property known as "Haverest Farm" (shown below at right). The Mrs. Smith mentioned in the postcard was likely a resident of Windham, although it is difficult to establish exactly who she was. ​