The drawing of the Wing Family Fort House was made by Dave Wheelock, the caretaker of the Wing Family Fort House, which is located in Sandwich, Massachusetts. This is probably the way it looked about 1650...before the death of Stephen's first wife, Oseah Dillingham Wing.

The marriage between Stephen Wing & Oseah Dillingham was cut short because of Oseah's death. Married in the fall of 1646, Oseah gave birth to at least three children in the eight years before her death on April 29, 1654. Of those three children (possibly four) only one survived to adulthood and that was Nathaniel Wing.

Eight months after Oseah died, Stephen Wing married the very young Sarah Briggs. Sarah was probably between 14 and 17 years old when she married the 33 year old Stephen Wing. Together they had seven children.

When I look at this drawing of the home of Stephen Wing and his family I imagine him walking out of that front door, bending to retrieve his ax so that he could continue splitting the wood for the magnificent fireplace that was multi functional. I can imagine Oseah or Sarah kneeling in the garden to tend to the produce and herbs that were so cherished in England. Perhaps while Stephen and his wife worked out of doors, Deborah Bachiler Wing, was inside tending to the children. Perhaps she sat on that stoop, contentedly smoking her corn cob pipe, cherishing her life in the new world but fondly recalling her other life in Old England.

None of them probably ever could have imagined even in their wildest dreams that centuries later this home would be revered and visited by countless Wing descendants. This home would be our touchstone, our connection to a past that we try to keep alive so that future generations may touch their roots as we have been able to do.

Family, this is a privately owned family museum. Even though anyone can visit the Wing Family Fort House (and we encourage everyone to do so) it is owned by all of us, the members of the Wing Family of America, Inc. Because it is privately owned the Wing Family Fort House does not receive any help from the state or federal government and we would like to keep it that way. The only way it is maintained is through membership dues, visitors fees, and donations.

You can send all donations to Stephen Button, Treasurer of the Wing Family of America, Inc. 221 S. Broadway, Suite 606, Wichita, Kansas, 67202.

All donations are gratefully appreciated.