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This is an original 1881 Massachusetts lease indenture between Edward D. Sohier, William Sohier, William Hunt, and others (as Trustees) and Dio Lewis of Lexington, Massachusetts. It is a partially printed, partially manuscript legal document measuring roughly 8 x 14 inches, featuring seven embossed red wax seals at the bottom and period ink throughout. The lease was printed by William Sohier’s Office, 206 Washington Street, Boston—a legal stationery provider known for indenture blanks used in 19th-century Massachusetts real estate transactions.
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🔹 Summary
Date: August 25, 1881
Parties:
Lessors: Edward D. Sohier, William Sohier, William Hunt, William Minot, Henry Lee, and Samuel Shaw, acting as trustees for Elizabeth B. Bayard and Mary D. S. Higginson.
Lessee: Dr. Dio Lewis of Lexington, Massachusetts.
Term: Five years, expiring August 25, 1891, with an option to renew at a “just and reasonable” rent.
Rent: Seventy-five dollars per annum, payable quarterly.
Property: Noted on the docket as “build on front of Stable lot,” indicating it was likely a lease of a structure or portion of land adjoining or fronting a stable—possibly related to a commercial or educational property in Lexington.
Signatures & Seals: Signed and sealed by Dio Lewis, with seven wax seals representing the trustees.
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🔹 Historical Context & Biography
Dr. Diocletian “Dio” Lewis (1823–1886)
Lewis was a nationally known physician, educator, health reformer, and temperance leader. He founded the Normal Institute for Physical Education in Boston in 1861, one of the earliest schools to train physical education teachers, and became a key figure in the 19th-century health and wellness movement. His system of “New Gymnastics” blended medical insight with accessible physical exercises and influenced both women’s and public-school physical training. He was also a reformer in the early temperance crusade and a prolific lecturer.
By the 1880s, Lewis resided in Lexington, Massachusetts, continuing to advocate for health and moral reform. This lease likely pertains to a property connected to his school or personal residence in Lexington.
Edward Dexter Sohier (1810–1888)
A prominent Boston attorney, Sohier was a member of the Massachusetts bar and trustee for multiple family and estate holdings. He is historically notable for defending Dr. John W. Webster in the infamous 1850 Harvard Medical College murder trial of Dr. George Parkman. Sohier’s firm was known for managing estates of Boston Brahmin families such as the Higginsons, Hunts, and Lees—all represented in this document.
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🔹 Significance
This indenture captures a moment in the later career of one of America’s earliest health and wellness reformers, illustrating his continued prominence and financial dealings with elite Boston families. It reflects the intersection of 19th-century health reform, education, and Boston’s upper-class estate management.
Documents directly connecting Dr. Dio Lewis to the Sohier legal trust network are rare, and the condition of this item—with intact seals and clear manuscript annotations—makes it a desirable piece for collectors of:
Early American medical and fitness reform history
Massachusetts legal documents (Boston / Lexington)
Women’s education and reform movements, given Lewis’s advocacy for women’s gymnasiums.
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🔹 Physical Description & Condition
Format: Folded vellum paper, 8 x 11 inches
Ink: Brown and black manuscript ink on printed indenture form
Seals: Seven original red wax seals intact
Condition: Excellent for age; light toning, folds from storage, minor edge wear
Endorsement (reverse): “E.D. Sohier & als to Dio Lewis — Expires August 25, 1891 — build on front of Stable lot.”
