Antone Sylvia: The first Portuguese American elected official in New Bedford
Dulce Maria Scott
Anderson University
When Antone Sylvia (1840-1920) arrived in New Bedford, via Boston, on August 7, 1855, at the young age of 15, there were 196 people in the city who had been born in Portugal and its colonies (The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Decennial Census, 1855). The Portuguese that had settled in New Bedford could not yet be considered a community for they still lacked their own parish and social and mutual aid societies, that is, they lacked the social density that would permit them to create their own organizational infrastructure. Antone Sylvia, while integrating fully into the mainstream America of his day, would come to play an instrumental role in the transformation of the initial Portuguese settlement into a full-fledged, distinct ethnic community.
Sylvia, who would come to be defined in American mainstream circles, as “one whose life affords an illustration of the possibilities of our country — of what may be accomplished here by one who is willing to put forth effort and who is of ambition…” (J.H. Beers & Co., 1912, p. 1609) was born in the island of São Jorge Azores in 1840, and attended “common” schools, while working in his father’s farm until his departure to America. An elder brother, who had come to New England on a whaling trip, upon returning home spoke of the fortunes that could be had in the American shores. The two brothers then set out together to the “Promised Land” as passengers “on the schooner ‘Silver Cloud,’ of New London, bound for Boston” (J.H. Beers & Co., 1912, p. 1609).
Sylvia, who would come to be defined in American mainstream circles, as “one whose life affords an illustration of the possibilities of our country — of what may be accomplished here by one who is willing to put forth effort and who is of ambition…” (J.H. Beers & Co., 1912, p. 1609) was born in the island of São Jorge Azores in 1840, and attended “common” schools, while working in his father’s farm until his departure to America. An elder brother, who had come to New England on a whaling trip, upon returning home spoke of the fortunes that could be had in the American shores. The two brothers then set out together to the “Promised Land” as passengers “on the schooner ‘Silver Cloud,’ of New London, bound for Boston” (J.H. Beers & Co., 1912, p. 1609).
Nothing further is known about the elder brother, but the younger sibling, Antone Sylvia, made it to the prestigious list of Representative Men and Old Families of Southeastern Massachusetts (1912), where he is, glowingly, in typical “American dream” vernacular, described as follows:
“The life of Mr. Sylvia is worthy of emulation, bringing with it, as it has, not only success in business, but the respect of the entire community in which it has been passed. Truly Mr. Sylvia is a self-made man. His only assets on leaving his native land were the desire, will and ambition to accomplish something, and two dollars in money [that his mother had saved]. Thus equipped, with a stout heart and resolute purpose, he has become a man among men. (J.H. Beers & Co., 1912, p. 1609)”
Upon arriving in New Bedford, Sylvia began working as a clerk and soon after as manager of an outfitting store owned by a Joseph Frazier. After the death of the owner in 1860, Sylvia, then 20 years of age, bought the business with a partner, and the firm became known as Sylvia & Perry. The following year, Sylvia went back to São Jorge to convince his mother — Marianna (Rose) Sylvia (see Borden, 1899, p. 206) — to come to America, but she refused to leave her little corner of the world. After a five-month stay — and leaving his mother well-provided for — Antone returned to New Bedford, married Catherine Collins Frasier, “the widow of his former employer,” (Borden, 1899, p. 206) and bought out his partner’s interest in the business. Over the years, the firm grew “from a small clothing store to one of the leading concerns in the city in the whaling industry” (J.H. Beers & Co., 1912, p. 1609). Further, Sylvia, at one time, “furnished supplies for no less than eighteen vessels, in all of which he was part owner” (J.H. Beers & Co., 1912, p. 1609). But this was not all; Sylvia came to be involved in several other businesses related to whaling, sea transport, manufacturing, retail, railways, and banking, among others.
By 1875, according to the Massachusetts Census, there were 832 people who had been born in Portugal and its colonies, and the Portuguese of New Bedford were taking their first steps in ethnic community building. Yet, Sylvia had gained the respect of the wider New Bedford society and its varied ethnic groups. He was identified with the Republican Party and was active in city politics. He was elected and served as a member of the City Council for three years, from 1875 to 1877. Subsequently, he is said to have been capable of attaining any city office that he might have desired, but, after being offered nominations to serve as alderman, he declined them — perhaps because his business concerns were of a higher priority to him — although he did serve in the City Administration in the New Bedford Park’s Commission (J.H. Beers & Co., 1912, p. 1609).
In 1871, the 800 or so Portuguese of New Bedford formed their own parish, but, lacking a church building, they continued to worship at St. Mary’s, the Irish church that had been built in 1820. In 1874, they broke ground for their own church — Saint John the Baptist, the oldest Portuguese church in North America. The Church building was completed in 1875 and inaugurated shortly after the feast of Saint John the Baptist, and hence the Church’s name (Pease, 1918, p. 295). [Today, due to a lack of parishioners and funding, Saint John the Baptist has been shut down and the parish united with Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Carvalho, 2014)].
In 1871, the 800 or so Portuguese of New Bedford formed their own parish, but, lacking a church building, they continued to worship at St. Mary’s, the Irish church that had been built in 1820. In 1874, they broke ground for their own church — Saint John the Baptist, the oldest Portuguese church in North America. The Church building was completed in 1875 and inaugurated shortly after the feast of Saint John the Baptist, and hence the Church’s name (Pease, 1918, p. 295). [Today, due to a lack of parishioners and funding, Saint John the Baptist has been shut down and the parish united with Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Carvalho, 2014)].
Sylvia was a member and served as a trustee of Saint John the Baptist Church, while also serving as a trustee and director of Saint Mary’s Home (for orphans). His involvement in civic and community organizations was extensive as he was also a member of the Plymouth Club of New Bedford and the Knights of Columbus. He was also one of the founders of the oldest Portuguese mutual aid society in New England, the Monte Pio Luso-Americano, and served as its president for nine years (Borden, 1899, p. 206). Monte Pio was organized in 1882 and incorporated by the state of Massachusetts on May 7, 1855 (Diário de Notícias, January 3, 1928). The creation of the Monte Pio mutual aid society is identified as the moment in which the growing Portuguese settlement became fully established as a distinct community (Diário de Notícias, January 25, 1986).
Sylvia is said to have been a great benefactor throughout his life and, true to form, upon his death on November 17, 1920, he left a substantial bequest towards the payment of Monte Pio’s mortgage, as well as smaller bequests to charitable organizations and several Portuguese churches. After retiring from all business activity in 1912, Sylvia lived the remainder of his life with his stepson — his late wife’s youngest son, John W. Frazier — in the south end of New Bedford, and both the Frazier family members and an extensive number of relatives, descendants of Antone’s siblings, were bequeathed noteworthy amounts of money and property (see New Bedford Times, November 17 and November 20, 1920).
Sylvia is said to have been a great benefactor throughout his life and, true to form, upon his death on November 17, 1920, he left a substantial bequest towards the payment of Monte Pio’s mortgage, as well as smaller bequests to charitable organizations and several Portuguese churches. After retiring from all business activity in 1912, Sylvia lived the remainder of his life with his stepson — his late wife’s youngest son, John W. Frazier — in the south end of New Bedford, and both the Frazier family members and an extensive number of relatives, descendants of Antone’s siblings, were bequeathed noteworthy amounts of money and property (see New Bedford Times, November 17 and November 20, 1920).
By the mid-1880’s, only 1,445 residents of New Bedford had been born in Portugal, but that number would grow exponentially, reaching 15,145 by the time the 1915 Census was taken (see Table 1). The 1915 Census also indicated that there were a total of 8,154 American born New Bedford residents whose parents had both been born in Portugal and another 1,689 who were of mixed parentage (Portuguese and American and Portuguese and other foreign nationalities). As Table 1 shows, at the turn of the twentieth century, the New Bedford population was increasing at a very fast pace, but the rate of growth of the Portuguese immigrant community far outpaced population increases citywide.
An examination of official City Documents for the remainder of the 19th century shows that Antone Sylvia’s election to political office at the end of 1874 was the exception rather than the rule for Portuguese Americans. Although several other Portuguese families became highly prominent in the business and civic life of the city during the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Portuguese were not able to win electoral seats again until the municipal election of 1895, time at which those born in Portugal amounted to 3,861. From then on, the political incorporation of the Portuguese in New Bedford politics came to assume a more consistent pattern. In a future essay, I will address the involvement of Portuguese Americans in the politics of New Bedford from 1890 to the start of the 20th century.
References
Borden, A. (1899).Our county and its people: A descriptive and biographical record of Bristol County Massachusetts. Boston, MA: The Boston History Company Publishers.
Carvalho, Jonathan. (3 July 2014) “Catholic court upholds decision to close New Bedford’s St.John the Baptist” South Coast Today.
Diário de Notícias. (3 January, 1928). “0 Monte Pio Luso-Americano instala os novos oficiaes numa festa animadíssima.”
Diário de Notícias. (25 January, 1936). “Monte Pio Luso Americano.”
J.H. Beers & Co. (1912). Representative Men and Old Families of Southern Massachusetts. Chicago, IL.
New Bedford Times. (17 November 1920). “One of City’s Best Known Business Men Died Today.”
New Bedford Times. (20 November 1920). “Sylvia Bequests to Charities and Many Relatives.”
New Bedford Times. (20 November 1920). “All Classes in Attendance at Sylvia Funeral”
Pease, Z. W. (Ed.) (1918). History of New Bedford (Vol. 1). New York, NY: The Lewis Historical Publishing Company.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Decennial Census (1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, and 1915.)
Dulce Maria Scott, PhD Sociology, is a full Professor at Anderson University, Indiana, USA.
Copyright picture: New Bedford Free Public Library
