13,610
edits
Changes
m
James E. had a younger sister Alice Louise (1862-1945) who never married, and a younger brother Ralph (1872-) who became a machinist. ===Siblings===
Then James W. (1889-1918), who died of pneumonia while an Army Sergeant, while at Camp Zachary Taylor, in Louisville, Kentucky, at the age of 28. I think their mother was named Clara Etta Bomgardner, ===Marriage and according to a 1900 census, they were living in Topeka, Kansas at the time. Then on February 4, 1905, James had married May A. Sawyer (b. 1874) on with children: Hugh F. (1906-1912), Elizabeth Alden Littlefield Williams (b. 1908-), and had moved back to Saco, Maine. Children===
no edit summary
James Edwin Littlefield was born in October 1860 in Maine where he spent his childhood in Saco, York County. His parents were James Woodberry (1833-1927) & Roxanne E. Cook (1835-1907) Littlefield who were also birthed (and died) in Maine. James & Roxanne were married January 26, 1859 in Hopkinton, MA. He was a merchant in jewelry, and hats.
James E. had five children, the eldest three were [[Ralph Edwin Littlefield]] a younger sister Alice Louise (b. 18861862-1945), who followed James into optometrynever married, as did and a younger brother Ralph's son Lawrence, and Lawrence's son who is in current practice. Then there was Earl C. (b. 18871872-), who also followed James into optometry, working for the C.B. Norton Jewelry Company at least by 1918, as reported by became a jewelry magazinemachinist.
He had two wives and several children:<br />* Clara Etta Bomgardner Littlefield (b. 1866 in Missouri to farmer John C. (b. 1842 Ohio) & Sarah Hatfield Bomgardner (b. 1845 Iowa). Married life spent in Topeka, Kansas before divorcing between 1895-1905. Clara remarried a Wallace in 1925 in Framingham, MA. ** [[Ralph Edwin Littlefield]] (b. 1886) followed his father into optometry, as did his son Lawrence and grandson who is currently in practice.<br />** Earl C. Littlefield (b. 1887), optician from as early as age 23, in 1910, worked for the C.B. Norton Jewelry Company in 1918, as reported by a jewelry magazine. <br />** James Woodberry Littlefield (1889-1918) served in World War One, earning the rank of Sergeant, dying at 28 of pneumonia from influenza at Camp Zachary Taylor, Louisville, KY. <br />** Bessie A. Littlefield (1895-) born in Kansas, was living in KCMO in 1910, and self-employed at the age of 15 as a lawyer. * May A. Sawyer (b. 1874) married February 4, 1905, living in Saco, Maine. <br />** Hugo F. Littlefield (1906-1912) ** Elizabeth Alden Littlefield Williams (b. 1908-<br /><br />In 1917, he had opened up an optical practice inside a large general store in Atascadero, and was active in the first businessman's association there.
==Sources==
# [https://archive.org/details/birthofatascader00trav/page/n5 https://archive.org/stream/birthofatascader00trav/birthofatascader00trav_djvu.txt The Birth of Atascadero] by Marguerite A. Travis; 1960's
# Jeweler's Circular and Horological Review 1905-1906
* The Jeweler's Circular Weekly: October 23, 1918 WW1
* Jeweler's Circular and Horological Review 1905-1906
* Hindsight Journal of Optometry History: July 2010: "James E. Littlefield, Author of Optometry - The Littlefield System of Eye and Nerve Measurements", by David A. Goss;