During his lifetime, he was called "Poet of the People," and "Master of the Yankee Dialect,"
but today he is one of New Hampshire's underestimated, and often forgotten poets.
Sam Foss was a newspaper editor and writer for the "Saturday Union" (Lynn, MA), the "Yankee Blade" (Boston, MA) and the Boston Globe. He contributed to the top magazines of his day, "Youth's Companion," "Puck" and the "Christian Science Monitor," the New York "Sun," "Tribune," and "Herald," and other papers. In January 1893, the better portion of his poems were published under the name of "Back Country Poems." He was also librarian of the Somerville (Massachusetts) Public Library for 13 years.
He was known for his tongue-in-cheek articles, and for his inspirational poetry. He was a lover of the open field, woodland, and rural farm. He often wrote about the common man: "the man with a hoe, and the man in his shirt-sleeves."
"W'en you see a man in woe,
Walk right up and say 'Hullo!'
Say 'Hullo,' an' 'How d' ye do!'
"How's the world a-usin' you?'
Slap the fellow on his back,
Bring your han' down with a whack;
Waltz right up an' don't go slow,
Grin an' shake an' say 'Hullo!'
Before you decide that you haven't heard his poetry, know that one of the most famous quotations, taken directly from his poetry is: "Let me live in a house by the side of the road and be a friend to man." Ah, now it sounds familiar!
The rest of that poem is:
"Let me live in my house by the side of the road
Where the races of men go by;
The men who are good, the men who are bad,
As good and as bad as I;
I would not sit in the scorner's seat
Nor hurl the cynic's ban;
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man."
On Oct 13, 1894 Sam Foss was in his native town of Candia, New Hampshire, as an invited guest at the dedication of a soldier's monument. His presentation included these words: ""There is something woefully wrong in the moral nature of the man who is not loyal to his native town. Such a man would forget his own mother and neglect his own children. He is lacking in the essential sentiment that makes a man a man. In this age of easy movement comparatively few men continue to live, during their entire lives, in the places of their birth. But to a true man--no matter where he may wander-- the focal point of all the earth, the center of the universe to him, is the town where he was born. And so today we know that there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, throughout the breadth of the land, from sea to sea, who look back with unspeakable love to these old hills and valleys of Candia. All their lives long the brooks have murmured in their ears, the orchards and cornfields have waved before their eyes, the homes and firesides have been shrines and temples in their thoughts, and the soil, to them, will be forever holy ground. For the soil that has upborne our baby footsteps and holds the forms of those we loved, is always sacred in our thoughts, though we may wander to the very ends of the world."
A bronze tablet dedicated to him was placed in the Somerville Public Library (Massachusetts) in 1916. In New Hampshire, a NH Historical Marker #141 was placed in the town of his birth, Candia, at the junction of Route 43 and Route 101.
I'll be printing more of his poetry on my blog. We can all do with a smile and some inspiration.
Janice
*Additional Reading*
-Sam Walter Foss at Hill Country of Monroe County Mississippi-
-Sam Walter Foss: Articles & Poems at Cow Hampshire (all)-
-Sam Walter Foss: Minor Poet With A Major Message-
-Sam Walter Foss: Somerville Librarian & Poet-
-Poem:"The Railroad Through the Farm"-
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FAMILY TREE OF SAM WALTER FOSS
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David Lauritzen Foss, was born in Norway in 1604 and moved to Denmark when a young man. His middle name indicates the name of his father. He died at Ribe or Rebe, Denmark, August 31, 1659. He was a magistrate and a minister of the gospel. He was pastor of St. Catherine's Church in Rebe in 1648. Afterwards he was provost there. He married at Rebe, September 10, 1637, Jansdatter Hundevard, who was born February 15, 1620, died September 18, 1684, daughter of Jens Lorensen and Catharine (Hasdatter) Hundevard. The Foss Genealogy is manuscript at the New England Historic Genealogical Library in Boston has the records from Denmark.
Children of David L. & Jansdatter (Hundevard) Foss, b. in Denmark:
1. Karine Foss, b. 23 July 1638
2. +Johann/John Foss, b. baptized 3 Jan 1639
3. Lauritz Foss, b. 27 Oct 1639
4. Agatha Foss, b. 18 April 1641
5. Magdalen Foss, b. 18 Apr 1641
6. Lauritz Davidson Foss, b. 14 Aug 1643
7. Jene Foss, b. 11 Feb 1645
8. Antoninus, b. 1 May 1646
9. Peder Foss, b. 31 Aug 1746
10. Inger Foss
Johann/John Foss, son of David Lauritzen & Anna J. (Hundevard) Foss, was baptized 3 Jan 1639 in Ribe, Ribe, Denmark and died 17 Dec 1699 in Newcastle, Rockingham Co NH. He is buried in Dover, Strafford Co NH. He moved to England when a young man and entered the British navy, as a ship-calker. He deserted and swam ashore. Fe finally settled in Dover NH. He bought a house at Exeter NH 29 Sep 1666, and sold it to Richard Morgan in April of 1671. He was a juror in Dover in 1667, 1669, and 1688. He also lived in Rye NH. He married 1st) abt 1658 in ROckingham Co. NH to Mary Chadbourne, daughter of William who came in the employ of Capt. John Mason to build a mill at South Berwick ME. She b. abt 1644 in Portsmouth NH and d. abt 1686 in Rye, Rockingham Co NH. He married 2nd) 25 Jan 1686 to Mrs. Sarah Goss, widow of James Goss. He married 3rd) 25 Jan 1686/87 in Kittery ME to Elizabeth (Berry) Lock [Nock], widow of John Lock and daughter of William and Jane Berry. She b. 1635 in Hampton NH and d. 12 Nov 1734 in Rye NH.
Children of John Foss
1. John Foss
2. Samuel Foss
3. Joshua Foss, lived at Rye and Barrington NH; m. Sarah Wallis, dau of Ralph and Ann (Shortridge) Wallis and had issue.
3. Elizabeth Foss, b. 1666
4. Mary Foss
5. +William Foss, b. 11 March 1673 in Rye, Rockingham Co NH
6. Walter Foss
7. Hannah Foss
8. Thomas Foss
9. Hinkson Foss, killed 26 June 1696
10. Humphrey Foss
11. Jemima Foss
12. Samuel Foss
William Foss, son of John & Martha (Berry) Foss, was b. 11 March 1673 in Rye, Rockingham Co NH, and d. 12 Dec 1718 in Greenland, Rockingham Co NH. He married 1st) about 1691 in Dover, Stratford Co NH to Margery Lord, dau of Nathan & Martha (Everett) Lord. She b. abt 1675 in Portsmouth, ROckingham Co NH and d. 26 March 1703 in Dover, NH. He married 2nd) 29 Nov 1700 in Hampton Falls, Rockingham Co NH to Sarah Buswell, dau of Isaac & Susanna (Perkins) Buswell. She b. 22 Nov 1676 in Hampton Falls NH and d. abt 1717 in Greenland NH.
Children of William & Margery (Lord) Foss:
1. William Foss, b abt 1693 in Portsmouth, Rockingham Co NH
2. Mary Foss, b. abt 1697 in Hampton Falls, Rockingham Co NH
Children of William & Sarah (Buswell) Foss:
3. Lydia Foss, b. 7 Jan 1702 in Hampton Falls, NH
4. Thomas Foss, b. abt 1707 in Hampton Falls NH
5. +Walter Foss, b. 10 Jan 1708 in Hampton Falls NH
6. Humphrey Foss, b. abt 1710 in Dover NH
7. Benjamin Foss, b. 30 July 1710 in Portsmouth, Rockingham Co NH
8. Josiah Foss, b. abt 1711
9. Sarah Foss, b. abt 1713 in Dover NH
10. Margery Foss, b. abt 1715 in Dover, Strafford Co NH
11. John Foss, b. abt 1717 in Dover NH
Walter Foss, son of William & Sarah (Buswell) Foss, was b. 10 January 1708 in Hampton Falls, Rockingham Co NH and d. 9 December 1791 in Saco, York Co ME. He married 13 Sep 1726 in Greenland, Rockingham Co. ME to Sarah Babb, dau of Peter & Sarah (Cate) Babb. She b. 18 Sep 1711 in Hampton Falls NH, and d. 1755 in Scarborough, Cumberland Co ME. He settled in what was then Pepperlboro (now Saco) Maine about 1730. Foss Street in Saco was named after his family.
Children of Walter & Sarah (Babb) Foss:
1. +Walter Foss, b. 12 June 1727 in Greenland, Rockingham Co NH
2. Levi Foss, b. abt 1729 in Saco, York Co. ME
3. James Foss, b. 19 Aug 1730 in Saco ME
4. Pelatiah Foss, b. 5 Nov 1732 in Biddeford, York Co. ME
5. Joseph Foss, b. 29 June 1735 in Biddeford ME
6. Lemuel Foss, b. 16 Apr 1738 in Biddeford ME
7. Sarah Foss, b. 29 Apr 1741 in Biddeford ME
8. Mary Foss, b. 16 Oct 1743 in Biddeford ME
9. John Foss, b 15 Feb 1746 in Scarborough, Cumberland Co. ME
10. Nathaniel Foss, b. 7 Jan 1749 in Scarborough ME
11. Benjamin Foss, b. 26 Dec 1752 in Scarborough ME
Walter Foss, son of Walter & Sarah (Babb) Foss, was b. 12 June 1727 in Greenland, Rockingham Co NH and d. 9 Dec 1791 in Scarborough, Cumberland Co ME. He married 29 Sep 1748 in Scarboro ME to Hannah Carll, dau of Samuel & Esther (Burbank) Carle. She b. abt 1729 in Scarboro ME. He enlisted during the American Revolution, 22 Jan 1776, in Capt. Benjamin Hooper's Regiment, and served to 23 Nov 1776 at Falmouth ME.
Children of Walter & Hannah (Carll) Foss:
1. James Foss, b. 21 Apr 1759 in Scarborough, Cumberland Co ME
2. John Foss, b. abt 1761 in Scarborough ME
3. +Walter Foss, b. abt 1763 in Greenland, Rockingham Co NH
4. William Foss, b. 10 Sep 1766 in Scarborough ME
5. Edward Foss, b. 27 July 1769 in Scarborough ME; m. Sally Boothby, had issue
6. ?Joseph Foss, b. 15 July 1772 in Scarborough ME
Walter Foss, son of Walter & Hannah (Call) Foss, was b. 1763 in Greenland, Rockingham Co NH and d. 4 Oct 1852 in Cornish, Sullivan Co NH. He married 1st) 10 Jan 1783 in Cambridge, Coos Co NH to Lucy Cook, dau of Ephtraim & Mercy (Hale) Cook. She b. 19 July 1767 in Cambridge, NH and d. 7 Feb 1854 in Cambridge NH.
Children of Walter & Lucy (Cook) Foss:
1. +Walter Hale Foss, b. 2 March 1789 in Cornish, Sullivan Co NH
2. Abraham Foss, b. 26 Apr 1791 Cornish NH, d. 1 Aug 1864 Cornish NH
3. Isaac Foss, b. Feb 1793 in Cornish NH, d. 24 Apr 1860 Fairfax VT; m. Lucy Whiting and had issue.
4. Deborah Foss, b. 18 Aug 1794 in Cornish NH; m. Daniel Sargent, had issue.
5. Jacob Foss, b. 17 Oct 1796 in Cornish NH; m1) Mehitable Clark; m2) Martha Howland
6. Luther Foss, b. 4 March 1799 in Cornish NH; settled in Cornish NH; m. Minea A. Andrews; had issue
7. Ephraim Foss, b. 25 Feb 1805 in Cornish NH; m. Julia "Delsa" Demous/Demos/Demons
8. Lucy Foss, b. 10 July 1807 in Cornish NH, d. 24 June 1891
9. Penninah Foss, b. 17 Aug 1810 in Cornish NH; m. Zenus C. Howland
Walter Hale Foss, son of Walter & Lucy (Cook) Foss, was b. 2 March 1789 in Cornish, Sullivan Co NH and d. 11 Apr 1856 in Cornish, Sullivan Co NH. Buried in Edminster Cemetery, Cornish NH. He married 16 Aug 1816/1817 in Cornish NH to Mary "Polly" Griffin. She was b. 4 Nov 1785 in Cornish NH, and d. 13 June 1865 in Cornish NH. She is buried in Edminster Cemetery, Cornish NH. By 1850 they were living in Candia, Rockingham Co. NH. In 1860 Mary was living with her son Walter in Sunapee NH.
Children of Walther H. & Mary (Griffin) Foss:
1. Mary Lavina Foss, b. 27 Dec 1817 in Cornish NH, d. 16 Nov 1896 in Claremont, Sullivan Co NH. She m. Oct 1837 in Cornish NH to Ruel GOWARD. He b 27 March 1812 in Croydon, Sullivan Co NH. She is buried in Claremont, Sullivan Co NH.
2. Walter H. Foss Jr., b. 4 Aug 1820 in Cornish NH; m. 4 Nov 1853 in Cornish NH to Hannah Davis. She b. 30 May 1833 in Springfield, Sullivan Co NH. In 1860 living in Sunapee, Sullivan Co NH with wife Hannah (age 27), and children Sarah (age 5) and Jerry H. [George Hale] (age 3). In 1870 living in Cornish NH with wife Hannah, daughter Sadie (age 15), dau Nellie (age 8), and dau Etta (age 4). Daughter Sadie married 28 Sep 1885 in Claremont NH to Elwyn D. Austin.
3. +Dyer Foss, b. 20 June 1822 in Cornish, Sullivan Co NH
Dyer Foss, son of Walter Hale & Mary (Griffin) Foss, b. 20 June 1822 in Cornish, Sullivan Co NH, and d. 23 March 1897 in Portsmouth, Rockingham Co NH. He married abt 1852 in Candia, Rockingham Co NH to Polly Hardy, dau of Samuel Hardy. She b. 18 July 1832 in Candia NH. They resided in Candia NH. She died bef 1870. Dyer married 2d) 20 May 1870 in Portsmouth NH to Clara A. Carkin. She b. 8 Feb 1837 in Portsmouth, Rockingham Co NH. Dyer and Clara resided on Gosling Road, in Portsmouth NH, a farmer.
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1850 United States Federal Census > New Hampshire > Rockingham > Candia
Walter H. Foss 65 M 1100 NH [b abt 1785]
Mary Foss 67 F NH
Walter H. Foss Jr. 29 M NH
Dyer Foss 28 M NH
--living next door--
Samuel Hardy 44 M Farmer 300 NH
Lydia Hardy 43 F NH
Dolly Hardy 18 F NH
Elisa J. Hardy 15 NH
Susan M. Hardy 8 F NH
Adeline Hardy 6 F NH
Abby Hardy 6 F NH
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1860 United States Federal Census > New Hampshire > Rockingham > Candia
Dyer Foss 37 M Farmer 500/150 NH
Polly Foss 27 F NH
Samuel Foss 1 M NH
Eliza Hardy 25 F Domestic NH
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1870 United States Federal Census > New Hampshire > Rockingham > Candia
Foss, Dyer 48 M W Farmer 3000/920 NH
Foss, Clara A 32 F W Keeping House NH
Foss, Samuel W. 12 M W attending School NH
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1880 United States Federal Census > New Hampshire > Rockingham > Portsmouth > District 225
Foss, Dyer W M 57 Farmer NH NH NH
Foss, Clara A W F 42 wife Keeping House NH NH NH
Foss, Clarence W M 7 son at school NH
Foss, Ethel S. W F 4 dau NH
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1900 United States Federal Census > New Hampshire > Rockingham > Portsmouth Ward 1 > District 206
Foss, Clara Head W F May 1838 62 WIdow 2 ch 2 living NH NH NH
Foss, Ethel L. dau W F Feb 1876 24 NH NH NH stenographer
Foss, Clarence L. son W M Feb 1872 28 single NH NH NH farm laborer
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Children of Dyer & Polly (Hardy) Foss:
1. Mary L. Foss, b. 5 June 1855 in Candia, Rockingham Co. NH
2. +Samuel Walter Foss, b. 19 June 1858 in Candia NH.
Children of Dyer & Clara (Carkin) Foss:
3. Clarence L. Foss, b 28 Feb/Aug 1872 in Portsmouth NH
4. Ethel S. Foss, b. February 1876 in Portsmouth NH
Samuel Walter Foss, son of Dyer and Polly (Hardy) Foss, was born June 19, 1858 in Candia, NH, and he died February 26, 1911 in Rhode Island, at age 52. He was fitted for college at Portsmouth high school and Tilton seminary in N.H.. He graduated from Brown university in Rhode Island in 1882. Besides contributing to several humorous journals in New York, and to the New York Sun, he was editor of the Saturday Union, Lynn, MA 1883-87; of the Yankee Blade 1887-94, and an editorial writer on the Boston Globe, 1887-96. In May, 1898, he was elected librarian of the Somerville (Mass.) public library. His published writings include: Back County Poems (1892); Whiffs from Wild Meadows (1894); Dreams in Homespun (1896); and Songs of War and Peace (1898), besides numerous contributions to periodical literature. He married in 1887 to Carrie M. Conant, dau of Rev. Henry W. Conant of RI. They resided in Somerville MA. Carrie was living a widow in Somerville MA in 1930.
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U.S. Census > 1910 United States Federal Census > Massachusetts > Middlesex > Somerville Ward 5 > District 1006
Foss, Sam W., Head M W 51 m1x 22 yrs NH NH NH Librarian, public
Foss, Carrie M.C. wife F W 52 m1x 22 yrs 2 ch 2 living CT CT CT
Foss, Saxton C. son M W 21 single MA NH CT
Foss, Mary S., dau F W 17 single MA NH CT
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Children of Sam Walter & Carrie M. (Conant) Foss:
1. Saxton Conant Foss, b abt 1889 in MA. He graduated from Somerville Latin School in 1906 and Harvard College in 1910. Saxton enlisted in the U.S. Army as a private in June 1917. A member of the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, he was mortally wounded on October 9, 1918 after volunteering to flank a German machine gun nest as his Battalion moved forward. He was awarded the Distinquished Service Cross. Foss Park on Broadway, Fellsway W, and McGrath Highway, in Somerville MA, is named in honor of Saxton. Saxton was buried at Aisne-Marne American Cemetery at Belleau Woods in France, in Plot A, Row 13, Grave 18.
2. Mary Lillian "Molly" Foss, b. 12 Apr 1893 in Somerville MA, and died 10 Sep 1986 in Somerville MA. In 1930 living with mother Carrie in Somerville MA, a stenographer for a paint manufacturer. She did not marry.
