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A
BRIEF HISTORY OF
MAYNARD
MASS.
W. H. GUTTERIDGE
Gc 974.40% ₦45g
Gc
974.402
M45g
1180131
E
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01145 6016
M.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
7
LA
50
Gc 974.402 M45g 1180131
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01145 6016
M.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
N
Edmund Drown Grant
ACTON
Parmenter (Herble)
W Reb! Content
STOW
H Fouler
.
Grat Brown
CONCORD
JP Bent.
Brick Sc
Sudbury While Pond
Assabet Rives
. Spring House
Smiths Old Milt
B. Smith
Prefi Tavera
To Fitchburg
Mill Pond
Sid Haynes
Great
W Smith
Cemetery L Brigham
Plains
Road
Dr Wood's Brrac
Thanksgives Pond
Shop
As Smiths Mill
Balcons
.
School NW Disf
Deflings
Iron Works
Poffer
Rice Target
(Vos)
LINE OF THE MILE PURCHASE 1649
Puffers Pond
ati Closely Cuttings
Gately
SUDBURY
Withis Pond
New bancastes RA
White Pend
MAYNARD
-SUDBURY
STOW
Puffers PSX
Mossman
Springs and Brook
DER O
Chas Haynerd7- SP Drnoks (Gibson)
INCORPORATED 1871
MAYNARD, AN AEROPLANE PHOTOGRAPH, DECEMBER, 1920
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MAYNARD MASSACHUSETTS
WILLIAM H. GUTTERIDGE
1921 Published by the Town of Maynard
Copyright 1921 William H. Gutteridge
Printing and Binding by the Hudson Printing Co. Boston and Hudson
Southern BR C -4.50
PREFACE.
1180131
This brief history of the TOWN of MAY- NARD is compiled from data which the author has been collecting for several years, and by re- quest has been written up for the fiftieth anniversary.
For the early history of this district, the writer is largely indebted to " Hudson's History of Sud- bury" and the "Annals of Maynard, Sudbury and Wayland"; also to Joel Parmenter, Washington Parmenter, Mrs. Joel Abbott, Herbert and Orrin S. Fowler, and several others.
Anyone desirous of making a more minute study of this locality should read the above named books, also the chapters on Maynard in "Hurd's" and "Drake's" histories of Middlesex County, also the "Old Proprietor's Book" in Stow.
IV. H. GUTTERIDGE.
$
T HE TOWN OF MAYNARD was incorpora- ted April 19, 1871. It was previously known as Assabet Village, lying in a valley through which flows the Assabet River, being partly in Stow and partly in Sudbury. In the year 1869, it had grown so, people began to consider the ad- visability of making the village a separate town. It was larger than either of the parent towns in population and business; it was quite a distance to the town houses of Stow and Sudbury, and there was no ready means of conveyance. The older towns were given to agriculture, while this village was engaged in manufacturing.
The village needed street lights, sidewalks, police protection, more advanced schools, and other advantages which the parent towns were not prepared to give.
A petition signed by Henry Fowler and several other prominent citizens was presented to the legislature, and on April 19, 1871, the Charter was signed,-this, in face of strong opposition on the part of Sudbury, which appointed a com- mittee to use all proper means to prevent any portion of Sudbury being taken in the formation of the "new town",-the large woolen mills, being on the Sudbury side of the river, would
[7]
.
mean quite a loss to them. The Town of Stow. offered no great objection. After several hear- ings and committee meetings, an agreement was reached. Nineteen hundred acres were taken from Sudbury on the south side of the Assabet River, for which they were to receive $20,883.28 -this being considered our portion of the debt- including the block of stock in the Lowell & Framingham Railroad which they held. We were also to assume the care of any paupers originating in the district set off from either Sudbury or Stow. Thirteen hundred acres on the north side of the river were taken from Stow, for which we were to pay $6,500.00.
At this time, the valuation of the new town as set off was $1,002,000 with three hundred and twenty-one houses, five hundred and twenty-two polls, the population nineteen hundred and ten and contained five and seven tenths square miles, being the third smallest town in the state. (For a copy of the Town Charter see Page I, Town Clerk's Records, of the Year 1871.)
The new town took the name of MAYNARD, in honor of the man who developed it from a sparsely settled farming district, which he found in 1846, to the live manufacturing town of 1871, this being done by the unanimous vote of its citizens.
[8]
WINTHROP PUFFER HOUSE
JOEL F. PARMENTER PLACE
Upon receipt of the Charter, the citizens held a celebration-music and speeches by Lawyers Joseph W. Reed and John Hillis, and the Rev- erend Webster Hazelwood of the Congre- gational Church.
The first Town Warrant issued, called for a meeting on Monday, April 27, 1871. The fol- lowing town officials were chosen :-
Selectmen.
Field Drivers.
Asahel Balcom,
Henry Fowler,
Jonathan P. Bent.
Fence Viewers.
Clerk .:
Eli R. Chase.
Treasurer and Collector.
Lorenzo Maynard.
Assessors.
Asahel Balcom,
Artemus Whitney,
Benjamin Conant.
Surveyors of Lumber.
Abel G. Haynes,
Asahel Balcom,
B. R. Moore,
William Maxwell,
Samuel Potter,
Thomas Farrell.
J. H Allen.
School Committee.
John H. Vose, John Hillis, William H. Harding.
Fire Wardens. George H. Cutting, J. K. Harriman, William Cullen.
[10]
J. P. Bent, Joel Abbott, Silas P. Brooks.
Highway Surveyors.
Thos. H. Brooks,
Artemas Whitney, Henry Fowler.
Constables. Fred Fletcher,
Benjamin Smith, Hollis Balcom.
HOLLIS BALCOM'S
Vigorous measures were at once adopted to put the new town on a strong footing, and num- erous improvements were projected - new schools, new streets, and a cemetery. The first appropriation for schools was two thousand dol- lars and for highways one thousand dollars. Compared with the appropriations of 1921, these sums are very small.
The first vote of thanks recorded was to John Hillis and to Joseph W. Reed, resident lawyers, for their services and efforts in obtaining the Charter, for which they would accept no com- pensation.
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The early history of Maynard territory is so closely interwoven with that of Sudbury and Stow, that it is necessary to give an outline of the origin of these towns.
Sudbury was incorporated September 4, 1639, and until 1780 extended from Watertown to the Assabet River. A part of the district now in Maynard was purchased by Edmond Goodenow and others from Jehojakim and twelve other Indians for the sum of sixty dollars, the deed being dated July 11, 1684. Although the lot of "two miles" was granted by the General Court in 1649, there was considerable delay in obtain- ing the deed of release from the Indians. It is a wonderful document, and a copy of it may be found in Hudson's "History of Sudbury" page 66. This lot of "two miles" embraced the terri- tory from a line drawn approximately through Willis Pond and Sudbury White Pond (just over the Concord line) to the Assabet River. Anoth- er portion adjoining the above, was obtained by the Whites through a horse trade with the Indians. Tantamous (sometimes called Jethro or Old Jethro), whose headquarters were at Nobscot, bought a mare and colt from Herman Garrett of Concord, giving a mortgage which was not paid. It was foreclosed by suit and a section of one thousand acres came to Garrett,
[ 12 ]
LEWIS BRIGHAM HOUSE
the blacksmith, May 19, 1651, in settlement of his claim, amounting to twenty pounds, six shillings, fourpence. The land was along the Assabet River, but just where is not now known.
A map of 1708 gives fifteen dwellings in the second and third squadrons, which included the above mentioned lots and was later known as the "Northwest District" now in Maynard. One of the signers of the 1684 deed, Peter Jethro, son of Old Jethro, called himself "one of the ancient native hereditary Indian proprietors of the said land". He was one of Elliot's converts, a grave and pious Indian, and was originally
[13]
known as "Hantomush of the Nipnets". The Colony Records, Vol. 3, Page 225, May 22, 1651, record that "Capt. Willard and Lieut. Goodenow were appointed to lay out the one thousand acres of land at Isabaeth, which Jethro, the Indian, mortgaged to Herman Garrett".
Stow is first mentioned as "Pompasittakutt, the new plantation beyond Concord". It was then (1650) controlled by Chief Jethro, the Indian, who it is said lived at that time in Isa- baeth, which seems to be confirmed by the deed of 1684 signed by his son.
Maynard at that time was surrounded by three Indian tribes, and was sometimes called by them Pompositicut. In 1666 "part of this terri- tory was formally laid out". On petition of the white settlers October 12, 1669, the Pompasit- takutt plantation was established, and May 16, 1683, the town of Stow was incorporated, ex- tending at that time from the Assabet River to Lancaster.
During the King Phillip invasion of 1676, the white settlers of this section were probably all or nearly all wiped out. The beautiful hill on which the Maynard Reservoir is located still bears the Indian name Pompasitticut, but is more commonly known as "Summer Hill". On this hill in 1676, it is said, the Indians gathered
[ 14]
RICE TAVERN-VOSE PLACE
in Pow-wow to decide which place should be attacked-Concord or Sudbury. Sudbury was the choice and nearly all white settlers were put to death. Marlboro had been wiped out a short time before. The whites in the districts distant from the block houses at Sudbury made des- perate attempts to reach these protecting forts. In fleeing from the foe, Matthew Boone was killed near Boone Pond; his head stone may be seen on the west side of the hill near the railroad.
The Indians with King Phillip came from a distance and when the Nobscot Indans, who were friendly to the whites, heard of their ap-
[15]
proach, they warned the whites to seek refuge. Indians were numerous in this vicinity for some time, as their remains have been found on the farms of Benjamin Smith and Lewis Brigham. Indian relics have been picked up in several places. Lucius H. Maynard, on whose farm many of them have been found, has a large col- lection and many antiques.
The "Old Proprietor's Book" of Stow, under date of May 19, 1719, gives the names of many who selected land on Pompasitticut Hills and Assabet Brook. We find the name ASSABET spelled in various ways-Isabaeth, Elsabeth, Asibath, Elsibeth, etc .- there seems to have been no uniform spelling of this word until about 1850.
It is evident that the northerly part of the town was occupied at an early period. In 1650 the farm of William Brown is mentioned as being in the "Northwest angle beyond the Asebath River" and it was this farm or a part of it which changed owners under a deed of September 3, 1739. This was the conveyance of two hundred acres to Josiah Brown and signed by Edmund Brown "in the twelfth year of ye Reign of our soveran Lord George ye second" and recorded in the Registry of Deeds Book 40, Page 04. 1 110 original deed is in possession of Herbert Fowler
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GEORGE F. BROWN'S
who is a descendant of the Browns on his moth- er's side. The farms of Herbert Fowler, George F. Brown and George E. Whitney are portions of the above named farms. The original Fowler house was built about this time, the east end being added later. The Geo. F. Brown house was built about 1830. Some of the older places and persons who were early settlers may well be mentioned :-
The Joel Parmenter place on the Acton Road is said to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest, farm; the older portion of the house being built Mit Marble previous to 1683; the date on the barn shows it was built in 1722.
[17 ]
The Winthrop Puffer place on the "New Lan- caster Road" now called Puffer Road is another old place. Jabez Puffer came to Sudbury in 1712 and in 1743 bought the place (then known as the Pratt place). It has been in the family continuously until 1889 when it was purchased by Delette Hall. It is now owned by one Peter- son. Here was born Reuben Puffer, a noted divine and graduate of Harvard in 1778. The Puffer farm was a great gathering place for wild pigeons, which were caught in nets by the Puffers, one haul netting forty dozen. On this account Puffer was commonly called "Pigeon Puffer".
The Balcoms came about 1683 and were prom- inent in the early history of Sudbury. They lived on what is now known as the Dettling place, just south of the Balcom homestead on the road to Sudbury. The Dettling house was known as a "Very old house" at the time it changed owners in 1757. Asa Balcom was a man of some education, and served on the School Board and various town committees. He was a Surveyor and Justice of the Peace and lived on the west side of the road; his brother Hollis, on the east side; neither of them left descend- ants.
The name of Brigham appears on deeds prior to 1706. It is recorded on February 21, 1759,
[18]
FELIX DETTLING'S
that one Bowker sold to Abijah Brigham, black- smith, a place on the great road. He kept a blacksmith shop at the fork of the roads, on the south side of the great road, just west of the house beyond the Catholic Cemetery. There were several girls-Emma married Newel Wil- comb, one of whose daughters married James N. Haire.
The Vose place also on the Puffer Road, near Vose's Pond was formerly known as the Rice Tavern and was a general place of meeting with the early settlers and many matters of impor- tance to the district were discussed. It was pur-
[19]
chased from Benjamin Crane of Stow in 1685 and was for a hundred years a tavern, and as such it was closed in 1815. Since then it has been a farm house, for years owned by Jonathan Vose, and his brother. Jonathan had one son, John H. who was a school teacher for several years and had charge of the public library for a period. The Vose Pond has been secured by the Finnish people, and with the grounds is used as a summer resort. Years ago a line of stage coaches passed the hotel going from Boston to Lancaster, over what we now call the Puffer Road.
The name of Smith we find mentioned in 1647, and at one time they owned a great part of the land now in this town. There were four broth- ers, Haman, Levi, Asa and William, called "Wild Bill". Haman gave a farm to each of his sons, Ben and George occupied, for a time, the large house where Wm. F. Litchfield now lives, it being built about 1785. Haman built for him- self just beyond where Howard Case now lives. Dexter's place was on Concord Street, the old house next west of the Charles Crossley place. Levi owned the farm which is now known as the Thompson or Eveleth place. About 1816 it was a tavern run by Levi Smith, one of sev- eral on the great road, for the accommodation of travellers between Boston and Fitchburg.
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4
HERBERT FOWLER'S
BEN SMITH BRIDGE
The great road had just been opened for traffic by the building of the Ben Smith Bridge, and two coaches, going each way, passed over this road daily.
The Brooks family were early settlers, this name being found on the school board of 1789. Thomas and Silas owned farms on Summer Street, the Thomas Brooks House now being in the possession of Mrs. Luke S. Brooks. The Silas Brooks house, built about 1764, is at the corner of Summer Lane, often designated as "Lover's Lane".
The Lucius H. Maynard farm has been in the family since 1828, when it was purchased by his grandfather. The old house stood back on the side hill near the old well and elm tree, and was known then as Gibson's farm. The present house was built in 1835, Charles W. (the father of Lucius) and his Brother George managed the farm for many years.
The first bridge built in Maynard across the Assabet River, was the "Dr. Woods" bridge, built in 1715, and the "New Lancaster Road" crossed it and carried the traffic west. This bridge is now known as Russell Bridge; about one-eighth of the bridge is in Stow. Travelers now take the Great Road over the Ben Smith Bridge, which was built in 1816, at a cost of five
[ 22 ]
SILAS P. BROOKS PLACE
LUCIUS H. MAYNARD'S
hundred dollars. The improvements and re- pairs on this bridge contemplated this year will exceed by ten times the original cost.
There also was a bridge at what is now called Mill Street, and a mill close by it was considered old in 1821. This was a saw, grist and cider mill combined, and was run by Asa Smith, and afterwards called "Jewels' Mill"; spindles were made there for textile mills. An old "red house" stood until 1900 on the "Island" between the river and the old raceway.
About 1820 a paper mill was built at the corner of Summer and Parker Streets, using the water privilege at that point. The mill was built by William May, later passing into the hands of William Parker, then to his son, William T. Par- ker, who ran it until August 1, 1882. It was purchased by Maynard & Hemenway for the water privilege, although they never utilized it and sold it in September 1895, to the Assabet Manufacturing Company. The old buildings were destroyed by fire May 14, 1894, the chim- ney only remaining, and it was torn down August 14, 1914. The water for paper making was taken from the brook which rises near Glenwood Ceme- tery.
The Paper Mill Bridge was built about 1840. Before these bridges were built, with their con-
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THE OLD PAPER MILL
necting roads, travel came over the hill at the head of Summer Street, going from Stow to Con- cord, or via Summer Lane, Concord Street (so named for this reason) on to Fletcher Corner and Concord, not crossing the river, except by fords, until reaching the Old North Bridge at Concord. Previous to this, a trail or bridal path from what is now called Pleasant Street skirted the south side of Pine Hill near the river, traces of which may still be found, and was doubtless used by the Indians and early settlers. In 1847 a direct road was opened from Parmenter's crossing to South Acton, traffic having previously been over
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the old road via the Conant (now Eneguess) place and the old road leading from So. Acton to the Powder Mills.
Old settlers tell of two saw or grist mills on the brook which empties into "Thanksgiving Pond". Traces of the dam of Asa Smith's may still be found on the Taylor Farm, the Puffer mill being farther up the stream. This brook carries the water from Puffer's Brook and "Honey Pot" Brook which crosses the Puffer Road near the Jim Haynes and Lent farms.
A number of early settlers in Assabet and vi- cinity were in the French and Revolutionary wars; the names of Balcom, Eveleth, Puffer, Maynard, Smith, Skinner, Brigham, Rice and Willis being found. Daniel Conant who lived on the Calvin Whitney place was the first man wounded at the Concord fight, April 19, 1775, and was later Sergeant at Bennington, Vt., when General Burgoyne surrendered.
In 1846 the village began to assume new life, when the water power which had been used by a small mill only, was purchased by Amory May- nard and William H. Knight of Saxonville, the owner of a carpet factory there, which had just been burned. Mr. Maynard had been deprived of his water power-Fort Meadow Pond in Marl- boro-by the City of Boston, and was seeking a
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CALVIN WHITNEY PLACE
WM. F. LITCHFIELD'S
new location. On May 19, 1846, he made his . first land purchase from Eben S. Brooks, this land being on both sides of the "Elsibeth" River. Land was also bought at this time from Thomas H. and Silas P. Brooks, and of Haman, George and Benjamin Smith, continuing his purchases, until he controlled all the available water power, water rights and mill sites in this vicinity. In July 1846, no less than thirty-four deeds are re- corded covering his purchases-a map of Novem- ber 1846 shows that he owned one hundred and nine acres in the heart of the village. Within a few years he enlarged his possessions in order to control water rights up the river to Boone's Pond and Fort Meadow.
The Jewel Mill and the two houses nearby at Mill Street and Summer Lane Road had been pur- chased from Asa Smith by Mr. Knight on Nov- ember 24, 1845, for $5,500. In that house now occupied by James Stott, Mr. Maynard made his first residence. It is related, when Mr. Maynard approached Haman Smith, regarding a large tract of land he desired to purchase, Mr. Smith was not favorably impressed by his looks, and doubted his being a desirable citizen and ques- tioned his ability to pay for the land. For the improvement of his water privileges, he bought a strip of land from Haman Smith, two and one-
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-
AMORY MAYNARD
half rods wide, from the river to what is now the mill pond; dug a canal and led in the water to what was then a low, swampy hollow with a trout brook running through it. The tract was cleared of trees, a dam built across from the Thompson Street side to the Main Street near the depot, making everything ready for the erec- tion of the mill buildings, for which his early training had well fitted him. His father, Isaac Maynard, had a saw mill at the foot of Fort Mead- ow in which he had worked, having left school at the age of fourteen, also helping on the farm. When he was sixteen years, his father died and he took charge of the business, carrying it on successfully, taking on building and contracting until at one time he had sixty men in his employ. In this way he came in contact with Mr. Knight, for whom he had done some building, and this resulted in their partnership for the manufacture of carpets.
The Ben Smith Dam having been thrown across the river, the water led into the basin, water wheels being installed, they were ready for the mills; the first building was a wooden struc- ture 50 x 100 feet. In the spring of 1847 they began to make yarn and, soon after, carpets, at first using hand looms. At Mr. Knight's retire- ment, Mr. Maynard took over the entire business
[30]
THE ASA SMITH PLACE (STOTTS)
BEN SMITH DAM
and ran it successfully until the panic of 1857 crippled him so badly that he failed. In the conduct of his mills, his two sons Lorenzo and William were associated with him. In 1859 he purchased from the City of Boston the Fort Meadow reservoircontaining three hundred acres and he had previously, in 1846, obtained entire control of Boone's Pond, containing two hundred acres by his land purchases and flowage rights, adding materially to their valuation. In 1862 the mills were reorganized as a corporation, with the name Assabet Manufacturing Company, F. A. Goddard, President; T. Quincy Brown, Treas- urer; Amory Maynard, Agent. The small build- ings were soon replaced by others of more sub- stantial and enlarged capacity. New machinery was installed and the manufacture of carpets dropped, blankets, flannels and cloth being sub- stituted. The Civil War was then in progress and large Government orders were executed. The business continued successful, several large buildings were added from time to time; streets were laid out and tenements for the employees erected.
Mr. Maynard continued as agent until failing health necessitated relinquishing the position to his son Lorenzo with his grandson William H. Maynard as Superintendent. In 1847 the valua-
[ 32 ]
WILLIAM MAYNARD
tion of the business was set at $150,000 and on the death of Mr. Maynard March 5, 1890, it was $1,500,000. Dull times and poor business dur- ing 1893-1894 and later finally drove the company into insolvency December 31, 1898. Receivers were appointed who kept the mills running on a reduced output until May 1, 1899, when the American Woolen Company bought them for
about $400,000. At that time it was the largest woolen mill in the country with 66 sets of cards and 350 broad looms. The American Woolen Company soon after began to improve the prop- erty, replacing the old machinery with new and increasing its capacity.
In 1901 Mill No. 5 on Thompson Street was built 700 feet long and in 1918 No. 1 Mill was built over the pond, 500 feet long, a large store- house erected and a steam turbine engine installed.
In 1886 was erected the red brick chimney 207 feet high, and in 1916 another one of hollow brick 200 feet high was built. There are now about 6900 HP Steam, with electrical transmission to all parts of the plant, also 200 HP Water. Elec- tric light is universal, being furnished for this town and the town of Acton. Twelve large buildings are devoted to manufacturing, with 128 sets of 60 inch cards and 760 broad looms,
[ 34]
THE THOMPSON PLACE 1180131
employing 2500 people. A new office building, facing Main Street, was erected in 1905. There are six people who have continued on the payroll of the mills since 1871, W. H. Gutteridge, Michael Twomey, Michael Crowley, Wm. McGowan, Charles Moore and Mary Joyce. The present officials of the Company are President, William M. Wood; Treasurer, Wm. H. Dwelley; Agent, Oswald C. Drechsler.
Amory Maynard, for a number of years, re- sided at what is now No. 125 Main St., and his son Lorenzo at No. 127. In 1873 Amory built a fine residence on the hill, and soon after Lorenzo
[ 35 ]
built near it. These fine residences with their ample grounds made a beautiful picture in sum- mer. The estates have since been cut up for house lots and covered with dwellings.
After the failure of the mills, Lorenzo moved to Winchester where he died March 13, 1904. His son William H. still resides there. Amory Maynard's second son William was assistant superintendent until 1885, when he was taken sick, and upon his recovery traveled to California and upon his return, settled in Worcester, dying Nov. 6, 1906. His daughters Nettie and Grace still reside there, also Lessie who married Paul Morgan. The only members of the Maynard family in town now are Amory 2nd, a son of William and a great grand-daughter Mary, wife of the present Town Clerk, Frank E. Sanderson.
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