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Arthur J. Bressor (1896 - 1973)

        

Arthur J. Bressor
Arthur J. Bressor

Arthur J. Bressor was born in Jericho, VT on February 7, 1896. He was born on a farm and after only four years in school dropped out to help his father on the family farm. He moved to Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts in about 1917 and worked as a farm hand and also at the Goodell-Pratt Company in Greenfield. After the war he returned to Shelburne Falls to do factory and farm jobs, including on two occasions as a chauffeur and personal attendant for Robert Strong Woodward. He married Frances D. Bora in 1925.

He is remembered by Abbie Putnam LaBelle (click for Abbie's Story) who lived in the Woodward home with her mother, a nurse and housekeeper for Mr. Woodward. She remembers him as "always being dressed spic and span and always smelling so good!"

Arthur J. Bressor's name in concrete, 1947
Arthur Bressor wrote his name in the concrete
This writer also remembers him as a worker for RSW after Fabian Stone, a long time employee of RSW, left in July 1939. One memory I have of Arthur, is his building a door beneath the Southwick studio of the artist so that we could carry in and store wood there for the studio fireplace. On completion of the entrance door, Arthur made a cement threshold and inscribed his name in it. This still remains at the doorway and is pictured to the right.

Abbie remembers that Arthur slept in a first floor bedroom at the front of the main house, which is today the computer room of this writer.

Arthur's granddaugher has given us a photo taken of her grandfather after he had "filled out," standing beside the famous 12 cylinder Packard Phaeton in 1947. (click to read the story of the Packard phaeton.)

Arthur J. Bressor standing beside Robert Strong Woodwards Packard Phaeton
Arthur J. Bressor standing beside Robert Strong Woodward's 1936 Packard Phaeton
        

I have no further information as to dates that Arthur worked as chauffeur and attendant for RSW, but I do remember that he was very well liked by him and was considered a good friend.

MLP
February 2011