146 Shawsheen Rd (formerly #144) - 89-46 – 1.7 acres
Plan #2269 – July 1950 – Douglas R. & Evelyn Crockett

The 1.7 acres parcel of land was a portion of Luke Cunningham’s farm who lived across the street at 149 Shawsheen Rd. Luke purchased a 2¾ acre lot from Artemus Brown on April 6, 1846 for $55. Luke’s son David later purchased the homestead and land in 1888 and sold the lot to William H. & Louise Graichen on Aug. 17, 1925. It was Graichen who had the home built in 1926.

William H. Graichen was born on Sept. 7, 1871 in Lawrence, son of A. Herman & Bertha “Belle” (Teschner) Graichen, both immigrants from Prussia. William would become a machinist in the mills, repairing looms. He lived in Methuen and first married on Nov. 13, 1894 to Charlotte S. Wiemer b. 1874 dau. of Henry & Minnie Wiemer. They had three children; Walter William b. Oct.22, 1895, Henry Herman b. Apr. 13, 1897, and Alice Helene b. July 19, 1899. Charlotte died on March 25, 1922.
With all the children then married, William came to Andover to work at the Marland Mill on Stevens St.
There he met Louise M. Cunningham b. March 17, 1895, a Drawer in the mill and daughter of David Cunningham. They married in Andover in 1924. They lived in the home for 20 years then sold to Douglas R. & Evelyn Crocket on July 29, 1947. William & Louise moved to Passaic, NJ. William died on Feb. 20, 1952 in New Smyrna Beach, FL and interred at Bellevue Cemetery in Lawrence, MA. Louise died in April 1978 in Deland, FL.

Douglas Robert Crocket was b. Feb. 15, 1917 in Lawrence, MA, son of Robert B. & Hilda Crocket. Douglas grew up in Andover and graduated from Punchard High School in 1936. He worked for his father in his trucking company. Doug became an industrial engineer and worked for Anderson & Nichols. He inlisted in the Army during WWII serving from 1941-1945. He married in Lynn, MA in 1945 to Evelyn. They owned 12 years then sold to Robert W. & Irene Alice Judkins on Oct. 16, 1959.
[see 149 Shawsheen Rd for Cunningham history]