Doe Brothers Business Records

The Doe Brothers store was established in 1885 by Fred E. Doe (1863-1956) and L. Wesley Doe (1865-1936) in Bradford, Vermont. Success resulted in expansion. In about 1900, a branch location, specializing in men's clothing, furnishings, and shoes was created in Woodsville, New Hampshire. In 1907, the ladies merchandise was moved to a separate building in Bradford. In 1910, the Woodsville branch was sold to the A. D. Farwell Company of Montpelier. At that time, the Montpelier Morning Journal called it "without question the best equipped establishment of its kind in Woodsville" and the Montpelier Evening Argus called it "one of the largest stores in Woodsville." The brothers also operated a livery stable in Bradford.

In 1931, Fred's son Franklin W. Doe (see below) returned to Bradford and they ran the store together for over 20 years. Their merchandise included family clothing, jewelry, and sporting goods. In 1955, Franklin bought the business. His age and ill health are cited as reasons for the store being sold in 1968, thus bringing an end to 70 years of continuous operation of the family business at the same location.

Fred and Wesley were the sons of Nelson Richardson Doe (1836-1915) and Ellen Amelia Chamberlin (1838-1919). Nelson was a successful fruit merchant who learned his trade in Boston and New York.

Wesley married Euphemia "Effie" A. Wright (about 1862-1912about 1862- 1912) in 1887 and Gertrude Mae Carroll (1875-1964) in 1915.

Fred married Sadie Louise Haskins (1866-1964) and had two sons: Nelson Luther Doe (1889-1979) and Franklin W. Doe (1892-1975). Nelson was a graduate of the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College and worked in the construction industry in the New England region. He married Alice Mae Keyes (1889-1952) and they had three daughters: Dorothy Alice Doe (1919-1919), Barbara Mae Doe (1922-1930), and Phyllis Louise Doe (b. 1923, later Lavelle).

Franklin was a traveling salesman and later owner-operator of Doe Brothers. He married Carrie Leet (1888-1946) in 1913 and they had one son, Harry. They divorced. Franklin married Marguerite Graff in 1917 and they had three children: Marguerite Ellen Doe (1918-2004, later Sisco), Martha Lynette Doe (b. about 1920, later Bonner and Burgess), and Franklin William Doe (b. 1930, married Louise A. Batten in 1952 and Vera Daisy (Comber) Lewis in 1990).