BENJAMIN PENHALLOW SHILLABER
During the nineteenth century, Benjamin Penhallow Shillaber was
nationally known as a humorist and newspaperman. Born in Portsmouth,
New Hampshire, July 12, 1814, Shillaber spent the greater part of his
life living in Chelsea, and served several years on the school committee.
Shillaber acquired a taste for the newspaper game at an early age,
serving apprenticeships on various New Hampshire newspapers as a
"printer's devil." In 1833, Shillaber acquired a job as a
compositor in Boston. Five years later, in 1838, Shillaber joined the
Boston Post. One day in 1847, Shillaber inserted a short, witty news
filler about an imaginary Mrs. Partington and her heroic struggle to
keep back the rising tides of the Atlantic Ocean, with a mop. This
story was Shillaber's inception to fame as a humorist. In 1850,
Shillaber became editor of the "Pathfinder and Railway
Guide," a small paper available to commuters on railroads and
steamboats. In order to continue his humorous writing Shillaber
created a weekly comic paper called the "Carpet Bag," in
1851. In the "Carpet Bag," Shillaber continued the humorous
antics and misuse of words contributed to Mrs. Partington.
Benjamin Penhallow Shillaber
The paper only lasted two years but through the sayings of
Mrs. Partington, Shillaber's reputation as a humorist had spread far
and wide. Benjamin Shillaber began to publish his works in book form
with his first book, "Rhymes With Reason and Without," in
1853, followed by a second book in 1854, "Life
and Sayings of Mrs. Partington." Shillaber continued to
publish his works in book form in the ensuing years. From 1856 to
1866, Shillaber worked as a member of the staff of the Saturday
Evening Gazette.
After spending ten years on the staff of the "Saturday
Evening Gazette" Shillaber spent two years on the lecture
circuit. When he finished his lecture stint, Shillaber retired to his
home in Chelsea. While in retirement he wrote a number of poems,
which he referred to as rhymes. Shillaber wrote more Mrs. Partington
sketches and a new series called Ike Partington juvenile. All his
rhymes and Partington sketches were published in book form. About
1869 a group of Boston men of letter conceived the idea of having a
bust of Mr. Shillaber made to "remind future generations of this
gifted man." Cyrus Cobb the
celebrated sculptor was commissioned to sculpture the bust in the
finest Italian marble at a cost of one thousand dollars. The cost was
to be raised by popular donations.
The generous contribution of Honorable Rufus S. Frost
ensured the bust would be presented to Chelsea. When received, the
bust was placed in the Chelsea High School on
Bellingham Street. In 1908, the great Chelsea Fire destroyed the
high school on Bellingham Street and demolished the bust thus
"future generations were robbed of their reminder of a gifted
man." Benjamin Penhallow Shillaber had passed away in his home
at 121 Williams Street, Chelsea, November 25, 1890 at the age of seventy-six.
Benjamin P. Shillaber's home at
121 Williams Street