Blodgett - Pierce Family --- Family History
A Review of the Pierce-Landas-Derby Reunion -- by Don Blodgett
Prepared by Donald E. Blodgett Sr. - September 1991
Our forfather, Ichabod Pierce, came to the United States and married Harriet Bunson,
Bunson, settled in Chautauqua County, and by hard labor and frugal living raised
a family of six children. Two sons William and Frederick died participating in
the Civil War. Frederick is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Washington DC.
Another son Daniel, and his sister Laura both lived a life of single blessedness.
Daughter Maria married Francis Scott on July 4, 1855, and son Allen Pierce married
Julia Emelina Landas on June 11, 1857. Descendents of Maria Pierce Scott and her
brother Allen Pierce constitute the branch of the Pierce family of which you are
a member and meeting annualy as the Pierce-Landas Reunion, and since 1968 meeting
with the Blodgett Reunion and sharing the same officers since 1969.
The first Pierce "Family Picnic" was held at the home of Allen and Eva Landas Pierce
on or about the 12th of August, 1885. On that day Allen Eva and family, along with
Maria Pierce Scott, Francis and family met for the first "Family Picnic". In addition
they invited Eva's brother, Austin Landas and family, and Eva's sister,Lane Landas Derby
her husband and family. There are no known records exsisting of these family picnics,
although meeting continued to be held yearly. They became known as the Pierce-Landas-Derby
Family Picnics or Reunion. A record of the gatherings was started in 1896. Strangely
enough it was refered to only as the Pierce Reunion in the record book and not until the
18th Reunion in 1903 does the record reflect the name Pierce-Landas Reunion. Nowhere does
the official record show the Pierce-Landas-Derby Reunion name although there is ample
evidence the Derbys were included each year. At the 50th Reunion in 1935 a short history
of the reunion was compiled and read by Frank Dorman, wherein it states that only one
descendant of the Derby family was still living along with two Landas descendants.
Although the Landas and Derby surnames have long been extinct in this branch of the family,
the names are still in use as given names.
Our forfathers and mothers where described in 1935 as mostly farners, all hardworking,
God fearing, law abiding citizens. Some, who have passed on, lived to a "ripe old age",
many died young or in the prime of life; few were rich in this world's goods nor famed
in any wide sense of the word.