USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Historical collections: containing I. The Reformation in France; the rise, progress and destruction of the Huguenot Church. Vol II > Part 1
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1
HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS.
BY
HOLMES AMMIDOWN.
Amara Halten
HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS:
CONTAINING
I. THE REFORMATION IN FRANCE:
THE RISE, PROGRESS AND DESTRUCTION OF THE HUGUENOT CHURCH.
II. THE HISTORIES OF SEVEN TOWNS:
SIX OF WHICH ARE IN THE SOUTH PART OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASS., NAMELY:
OXFORD, DUDLEY, WEBSTER,
STURBRIDGE, CHARLTON, SOUTHBRIDGE, AND THE TOWN OF WOODSTOCK. NOW IN CONNECTICUT,
BUT ORIGINALLY GRANTED AND SETTLED BY PEOPLE FROM THE PROVINCE OF MASSACHUSETTS, AND REGARDED AS BE- LONGING TO HIER FOR ABOUT SIXTY YEARS.
BY HOLMES AMMIDOWN,
MERCHANT.
SECOND EDITION,
INCLUDING REFERENCE TABLE AND COMPLETE INDEX.
VOL. II.
NEW YORK: PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR. 1877.
WY A5 1877
Capy
CONTENTS TO VOL. II.
STURBRIDGE.
Town Grant, first petition, report, etc.,
5
Saltonstall Farm,
6
Eliot Farm and Alum Ponds,
9-11
Winthrop Farni,
11
Winthrop's Letters about Lead Mines,
15-17
Lead Mines,
17,18
Second petition for a grant, and report,
19, 20
Third petition, and act of General Court,
21
Division of Lands, and Proprietors' Names,
26
Second Division of Lands, and account of James Denison and Moses Marcy, . 29
Origin of name of town,
30
Act of Incorporation, and account of Moses Marcy,
31
First Town Meeting,
32
First Schools,
34
Action of town on riot at Boston, and IHutchinson and Oliver Letters, 37
General Timothy Newell, and Revolutionary period, 38-45
Names of Soldiers of the War of Revolution,
45
Territory of the town-The old cemetery,
50
Attempts for setting off parts of the town for new towns, 51-53
Manufacturing Companies-Westville and Fiske Dale, 54-59
Population and List of College Graduates,
60-63
schools,
63
BIOGRAPHICAL.
Hon. Amasa Walker, .
65
Benjamin D. Hyde,
68
Physicians,
69
Lawyers and men of distinction,
70, 71
Worcester South Agricultural Society,
71
ECCLESIASTICAL.
Congregational Society,
. 77
Baptist Society,
96
Unitarian Society,
109
iv
CONTENTS.
CHARLTON.
Petition for a town, and grant,
113
Warrant for first town meeting and holding same-Names of officers,
117, 118
Support of the Gospel and schools.
119
Building first meeting-house,
120
Addition to town by annexation of Gor.,
122
Building school-houses,
122
Burying-ground,
123
First settled minister,
123
War of Revolution,
125
Stamp Act,
127
Lord Chatham's address,
128
Dr. Franklin before Parliament,
132
Repeal of Stamp Act,
133
Act for punishing mutiny, etc.,
14
Thomas Pownal's speech,
135
Edmund Burke's remarks on tax.
140
Tea Aet, and action of Colonies,
140
Dr. Franklin-Case of intercepting the letter, of Hutchinson and Oliver,
144-149
Tea ships, arrival, and action of Colonies,
151-153
Boston Port Bill,
153, 154
Bill for impartial administration of justice,
154
Action of the town in war of Revolution,
157-163
Territory of the town and population,
164, 165
Manufacturing companies,
165
ECCLESIASTICAL.
Congregational Society, 167
Baptist Church and Society,
173
Universalists and Unitarians,
186
Unitarian Society,
194
BIOGRAPHICAL.
Rev. Edward Turner,
197
Rev. John Bisbe.
206
Rev. John Boyden.
210
Rev. Massena B. Ballou,
213
Rev. Thomas Whittemore,
216
The Town family,
218
The Davis family,
219
The Dresser family.
220
Remarks on noted men,
Gen. Salem Town,
Caleb Ammidown,
225
V
CONTENTS.
SOUTHBRIDGE.
Poll Parish -- Origin, progress and termination,
229-248
Deed of Meeting-house Common, 248
Deed of burying-groun }, 250
Fencing burying-ground. 251
Movement for a town by the parish,
252
Additional act for parish, 254
Petition for town and names on same,
258 260
Rejection of terms of report,
261
Second court's committee and report, .
262
Acceptance by the town,
264
Close of Poll Parish afi tirs,
264,265
Territory of the town,
266
Act of Incorporation of town,
268
First town meeting, and officers, 270
Celebration of the Fortieth Anniversary of Independence,
275
Oration by Zenas L. Leonard,
293
Celebration of Independence, July 4, 1821, Rev. John Bisbe. orator -- Ode, toasts, etc., 304
Addition to Southbridge, 309
ROADS AND HIGHWAYS.
First object of roads, turnpikes-Cause leading to county roads,
310
Appointment and law establishing Board of County Commis- sioners, 311
New roads that soon followed,
311-315
Town-house, etc., 316-319
Bill regulating deposits of public money of the United States, and its distribution among the States, 316, 317
Schools and high school, 320-323
Charlotte Plimpton's school, .322
Article on general education,
Formation of government of Massachusetts. 323
328
Spinning on the Rock-Primitive spinning-The Spin Rock. now in use in Europe, 335
Formation of character by rigid laws,
Mr. Burke's remark's upon New England whale fishery, 336
337
District Schools-Act abolishing same,
338
Establishing Board of Education, and results of sime. 838, 339
School Fund of Massachusetts. 342
Normal Schools, 343
First report of conit's committee,
vi
CONTENTS.
CEMETERY.
Old Cemetery,
345
First addition - Second add tion-Receiving Tomb-Ornamen-
tal Trees 345, 346
The Ornamental Rural Cemetery, 346
Mount Auburn Cemetery,
347
Laurel Hill Cemetery,
349
Greenwood Cemetery,
351
Historical account of Egyptian, Hebrew, Grecian, Roman, modes of burial, 352
The Mausoleum.
354
Church and church-yard buri ils, 355
Père la Chaise Cemetery, Paris,
357
MANUFACTURING COMPANIES.
Marcy's Mills, 357
Colonel Moses Marey and the origin of improvements on Qui e-
baug river, 358-359
Captain Jedediah Marey's doings, and Clothing Works. by John Gray, 360
First Store, by Zebina Abbot -First appearance of Deacon George Sumner, 360
The Charlton Manufacturing Company, 361
Sale of Marey's Mills to Deacon Elisha Cole, 362
Origin of Central Cotton Mill, 362
Dresser Cotton Mill-C. A. Paige-Originated by John Green and William Summer, 363
Incorporated as Dresser Manufacturing Company, 364
GLOBE VILLAGE and its Manufacturing Companies, 364
The Plimpton Family, founders of this village-Their origin at Medfield, and progress here, 565-367
Landscape Painting, by Alexander ; now in possession of E. D. Plimpton, Esq., 367
Globe Manufacturing Company, 368
The Wolcott Woolen Manufacturing Company, 570
James Wolcott, Jr., at height of his reputation-The Big Dam, and break-down-Fall of the Washington Bridge, 372
Account of James Wolcott, Jr., 373
THE HAMILTON WOOLEN COMPANY-Willard Sayies and Samuel A. Hitchcock, chief managers, 374
Samuel L. Fiske, agent, and death of Willard Sayles, Esq .. 376
Joshua and Gayton Ballard appear, 377
COLUMBIAN COTTON MILL-Origin of same, 379
Names of proprietors and shares, 380
vii
CONTENTS.
New Brick Mill, by E. D. Ammidown - Names of proprietors,
and sale to Henry T. Grant, and his improvements, 381
CENTRAL COTTON MILL-Ebenezer D. Ammidown, originator, 381
Organizations, and finally change of owners, 382
SAUNDERS DALE-Origin of the place and village, 383
Larkin Ammidown's operations, and Silas H. Kimball, 384
James Saunders' operations,
386
THE COTTON PLANT-Its history and product in the United States, 386
SOUTIIBRIDGE BANK,
401
CURRENCY and BANKS-Account of, 403
SOUTHBRIDGE SAVINGS BANK,
412
AQUEDUCT COMPANIES,
414, 415
HOTEL, first, on site of Edwards' house, 414
SOUTHBRIDGE NEWSPAPERS, first established, and account of P.
E. B. Botham, and others-Papers here published, DISTRICT COURT established,
421
RAILROADS and CANALS,
422
ERIE CANAL,
428
Principal Canals in the United States,
433
Other canals now existing in other countries,
433-436
Origin of railroad from Boston to Hudson River, 437
1830, the commencement of present railroad system, 441
Railroad from Southbridge to Boston, 445
Railroad progress in the United States,
449
Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads-Finishing same- The ceremony, 453
Length and cost of railroads to 1872,
455
RAILROAD SUBSIDIES, 456
Canal Grants, 458
THE AMERICAN OPTICAL COMPANY, and origin of the business in Southbridge, 458
WAR OF REBELLION-Volunteers from Southbridge, . 461
Soldiers furnished by the colonies for Revolutionary War, 474
Rebellion war statistics,
476
Nationality of the army,
477
List of forts in the Southern States,
478
ECCLESIASTICAL.
The Congregational Society, 479
Meeting House,
482
Account of their several ministers,
485-489
The First Baptist Society,
490
Meeting House, .
493
First Baptist Church,
496
418
viii
CONTENTS.
Central Baptist Church, . 503
Account of the several ministers of the First Baptist and Cen-
tral Baptist Church and Societies,
510-518
ANABAPTISTS AND BAPTISTS,
519
Methodist Episcopal Society,
525
Origin and progress of Methodism,
526
The First Universalist Society,
533
Evangelical Free Church, Globe village,
535
Roman Catholic Society,
537
ROMISI CHURCH IN AMERICA,
540
BIOGRAPHICAL.
Hon. Wm. L. Marcy,
545
Ilon. Ebenezer Davis Ammidown,
553
Hon. Linus Child,
557
Moses Plimpton,
560
Dr. Samuel Hartwell,
561
Timothy Paige, Jr,,
563
James Wolcott,
563
Col. Otis Ammidown, .
568
Frederick Whiting Bottom,
368
Dr. Jacob Corey,
569
Early settlements in this vicinity,
571
ERRATA.
VOLUME II.
Page 11, Note, 6th line, for Poohpoohsnog, read Poohpoohsuog.
" 13, " 13th line, for .6 read
63, 22d line, for had, read has.
" 164, 6th line, for so much of the road, read lond.
" 195, 19th line, for 1827, read 1828.
" 256, 21st line, for taken from, read taken by.
" $66, 24th line, for who was, read who were.
" 408, 23d line, for the Robert Morris, read Hon. Robert Morris.
" 481, 10th line, for 1815, read 1816.
" 501, 7th line, for Baltimore, read Boylston.
" 571, 22d line, from 1643, read from date of grant.
" 574, 28th line, for Holmes Ammidown's own land, read my own land.
" 578, 1st line, for extending to the Botham place, read and is now the Botham place.
HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS.
1
STURBRIDGE.
SECTION I.
CHAPTER I.
THIE grant for this town was made by the General Court to several inhabitants of the town of Medfield. The date or contents of the first petition has not been ascertained, but it is believed to have been presented to the court carly in the year 1725. This belief is founded upon the following re- port, which gives the result of a survey made in pursuance of the order of court, the June 2, 1725, viz. :
"' REPORT.
" In pursuance of a vote of the General Assembly at Boston, June 2, 1725, I have made a survey of same province land, and report as follows: " The survey was made the 11th, 12th, and 13th of May, 1726, by William Ward, surveyor; Ebenezer Learned and Joseph Plimpton, chainmen.
" The plan annexed contains within the black lines 20,032 acres, in- cluding ponds, rivers, and swamps; which is for the most part moun- tainous and very rocky land." **
* This tract of country was known as a piece of province land lying between Oxford Brookfield, and Brimfield; these three towns having been previously granted, and at this time had some English settlements in each. Dudley had not then been made a town, but Woodstock had been settled about forty years, and had made considerable progress in its affairs. The author of the report was a resident of Woodstock.
1A
6
STURBRIDGE.
" The farmis contained therein are as follows:
" 2,000 acres of equivalent lunds laid out to Governor Saltonstall; this survey was made 9th month, 24th, 1714.
" 800 acres of Mr. Eliot's 1,000 acre grant at Pookookuppog, or Alum Ponds ; surveyed August 26, 1715.
" 3,000 acres of Mr. Winthrop's land at Tantousque, or the Black-Lead Mine; surveyed in 1715.
" 500 acres laid out to Colonel Pynchon on Coy Hill.
" Total-6,300 acres, all laid down and described in the plan, which. subducted from 20,032 acres, leaves of the province land 13, 732 acres.
" These farms* contain the best of all the tract ; they are laid out ac- cording to the plat of the respective surveys, and are described in the dark lines; but Mr. Winthrop's survey interferes with Governor Salton- stull's 2,000 acres of equivalent lands.
" There are some good spots among the province land, but they are small and few; and unless the farms can be purchased or settled I can not see that there can be accommodation for inhabitants sufficient to carry on and maintain the public worship of God, or manage the affairs of a town. All which is humbly submitted by your humble, most duti- ful, and obedient servant,
" WOODSTOCK, June 7, 1726.
JOHN CHANDLER."
In connection with the early history of Sturbridge, it is believed that some account of these farms, showing their origin, will be interesting, especially to residents of this place. A brief sketch of the history of the four tracts of land before referred to, is as follows :
THE SALTONSTALL FARM.
The province of Massachusetts, for services in its behalf, rendered by Sir Richard Saltonstall, Knight, one of the patentees named in the old charter, granted him 2,000 acres of land on the border of Connecticut river, then supposed to be within the limits of said province, but according to the location of the new division line, established by an agreement entered into by the said province and the colony of Connecti- cut in the year 1713 (as will be seen in another part of this
* The term "farms " here implies grants of province lands to individuals, wild and uncul- tivated; a name distinguishing such lands from grants made for towns,
Connecticut new Line Established in 1713
7
STURBRIDGE.
work), this 2,000 acres, as also did many other grants by Mas- sachusetts along this border, fall south of said new line ; and in accordance with the terms of the said agreement, Massachu- setts paid to Connecticut an equal number of acres of land, by grants within her territory, not only for these individual grants, but for the quantity of lands in the three towns of Suffield, Enfield, and Woodstock, which were found to lie south of the line of 1713; and being equal in quantity to the lands granted by Massachusetts to Connecticut, under said agreement. these new grants took the name, and were for many years known as " Equivalent Lands."
This tract of 2,000 acres, at the time of the establishing of the line in 1713, was the property of the Rev. Gurdon Salton- stall, of New London, a grandson of Sir Richard, aforesaid, and which, by the following act of the General Assembly of Connecticut, he surrendered, and agreed to accept as an equivalent, the same number of acres out of the equivalents granted to Connecticut by Massachusetts.
"ACT OF THE ASSEMBLY OF CONNECTICUT.
"The governor * having shown to this Assembly that the govern- ment of Massachusetts province has allowed 2,000 acres equivalent to this colony, for a grant of land formerly made by them to his ancestor, Sir Richard Saltonstall, Knight, which happened to fall within the bounds of Windsor, in this colony; and having declared in this As- sembly that he is content that the said town of Windsor shall enjoy the said grant, provided he may take up the equivalent for it, instead there- of, where it may best suit him in the lands given for equivalents by the said government of Massachusetts: It is thereupon granted by this As- sembly, that Governor Gurdon Saltonstall may take up to his own use the said quantity of acres, among the equivalents allowed to this colony, where it shall best suit him, provided that the tract be taken up in one entire piece.
"Passed, May, A. D. 1714."
* The Rev. Gurdon Saltonstall was, at this time, Governor of Connecticut; the son of Colonel Nathan Saltonstall, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, the grandson of Richard Saltonstall, of Watertown, Massachusetts, and great grandson of Sir Richard Saltonstall. Kuight, and one of the patentees in the first charter of Massachusetts; he was born in Haverhill, March 27, 1666, and graduated at Harvard in 1684. Died, September 24, 1724, aged fifty-eight.
BAIN៛ 11
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IDOSTOCK COMMER
BROOKFIELD CENTER
المط ٢٣٥٥ جم عصير
خليجية برد
مصدا معمر بى
رئيسة سخه سق طر
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ايجسد من البكاء
TANTUSQUE TERRITORY OF DUMER
1 | NEW MEDFIELD . - STURBRIDGE
8
STURBRIDGE.
As appears in the foregoing report of Colonel Chandler of his survey of the province lands between the towns of Ox- ford, Brookfield, and Brimfield, made in 1726, this 2,000 acres had been selected and located about in the center of this tract, in 1714, or twelve years before this survey on the petition from the people of Medfield. When the founders of Sturbridge first began to form settlements in this territory, Governor Saltoustall had deceased, and this 2,000 acres had become the property of his heirs, as will be shown in another place in the history of this town.
This tract of province land extended south to the province line ; and including the four previous individual grants, as stated by the report of Colonel Chandler, contained 20,032 acres. To understand the wildness and condition of this land, when Governor Saltonstall selected and had this 2,000 acres surveyed, the fact must be considered that there was not an English settlement on the west of it, till you came to Spring- field ; and, on the north, perhaps about five or six families in the town of Brookfield; and beyond, not a European inhabi- tant between that and Canada. On the east, Oxford had only the year before received its first English settlers ; and beyond that, scarcely an English settlement, until you came to Marl- borough, or Mendon : but, on the south, Woodstock had be- come quite a thriving settlement.
But the recent war between the English and French colo- nies in America, known in history as Queen Anne's war, had just been closed, which gave evidence of a durable peace, and that the English settlements might advance into this interior between the sea-board and the settlements along the borders of Connecticut river, without molestation from the marauding parties of struggling Indians and French, which, for more than twenty years, had prowled along the frontier settlements of the English, ready to fall upon any unprotected plantation,
9
STURBRIDGE.
destroy its small improvements, and either kill or take into captivity to their homes in Canada, the inhabitants.
After 1713 there was comparatively a feeling of safety, when this interior of Massachusetts began to be eagerly sought after, both by the hardy pioneer settler and the spec- ulator ; and towns were rapidly formed in all parts, from the old towns near Boston to those on Connectient river.
Although several towns had been incorporated before the year 1713, yet this may be taken as the first date of real progress in the settlements, in what is now the territory of the county of Worcester, and the eastern parts of the counties of Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin, then known as the eastern part of Hampshire county, and the western parts of Middlesex and Suffolk counties ; Worcester county not being formed till 1731.
THE ELIOT FARM.
This was a tract formerly given to the Rev. John Eliot, "Apostle to the Indians," by two chiefs of the Quabaug Indians, who resided in the vicinity of the large ponds in the territory now Brookfield.
Some years before any English settlers had attempted to locate in this interior country there were a class of Indians located here by the name of "Quabaugs," a tribe of the ancient Nipmucks.
To these Indians the Rev. Mr. Eliot occasionally traveled through this wilderness country, from his residence in Rox- bury, about seventy miles, for the benevolent and Christian purpose of teaching them the Gospel, and for that end gathered together these natives and held religious meetings with them, conducted in similar manner as were those with the English ; with prayers, singing, and preaching. It is stated in his- tory that the Indians were much interested in these services, and, when Mr. Eliot was on a visit to them in 1655, Wattalloo-
10
STURBRIDGE.
wekin and Nakin, two of the native chiefs, gave him this tract of 1,000 acres.
Twenty-four years after the decease of the Rev. Apostle Eliot, one of his grandchildren petitioned the General Court for a confirmation of this Indian gift of land, which petition being presented to the court, received action as follows :
· "IN COUNCIL, JUNE 22, 1714.
" In answer to the petition of John Eliot, praying confirmation of a traet of 1,000 acres of land at a place called ' Alum Ponds,' lying in the wilderness west of Brookfield, given by the Indian proprietors to his grandfather, the Rev. John Eliot, late of Roxbury, clerk, deceased ; ordered, that the tract of 1,000 acres of land, given by the Indian pro- prietors to the late Rev. John Eliot, as by their grant thereof presented with said petition is described, be confirmed to such of the heirs of the said donee as are legally entitled to the same, provided it do not inter- fere with any prior grant ; and they may improve John Chandler, Esq., to survey and lay it out, and return a plat thereof to this court for fur- ther confirmation.
"Consented to.
JOSEPHI DUDLEY, Governor."
"REPORT OF SURVEY.
"SUFFOLK, SS., August 29, 1715.
John Chandler, Junior, surveyor, and James Corbin and Samuel Rice, chainmen, appeared personally before me, the subscriber, one of his majesty's justices of the peace for the county aforesaid, and made oath respectively, that the tract of land distinguished by this plat is truly protracted, and contains 1,000 acres of land and no more, and that they used due exactness and care in the measure thereof.
"JOHN CHANDLER."
Then follows the account of the survey as made by the above surveyor and chainmen, as follows :
"SURVEY.
"The survey of the 1,000 acres of land given to the Rev. John Eliot, late of Roxbury, deceased, clerk, by Wattalloowekin and Nakin, the 27th of September, 1655, and confirmed and allowed by the General Assembly of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay, to such of the descendants of the said donee as are legally entitled to the same; on the 17th and 22d of June, 1714, as of record appears, which said 1, 000
.
cheap of stres
7 : 00 h 402 horch
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- Stare X head of Hones
hakun' à of thedown Loves of Lan Stands at merch los Westward to As is Deler
11
STURBRIDGE.
acres of land lies southward of and contiguous to the township of Brook- field, alias Quabaug.
" It begins at a popple-tree marked, and a heap of stones about it, about two perch from a pond called "Pookookapog Pond;"* and thence runs by the needle of the surveying instrument, W. 27º 00', N. 402 perch, to a stake and heap of stones on the eastward side of a hill; and then S. 5º, 00' W., 400 perch to a large heap of stones on the westward side of a ridge of rocks; from thence E. 27°, 00', S. 460 perch; and from thence N. 3º 00', W. 428 perch, to the corner first mentioned ; as is described by the plat above.
" Surveyed, August 26, 1715, and protracted by a scale of 48 perch to an inch.
"Per JNO. CHANDLER, JUNIOR, Surveyor."
Then follows the act of confirmation in the house of rep- resentatives, December 5, 1715.
"Ordered that the plat on the other side be accepted, and the land therein described be confirmed to the descendants of the late Rev. John Eliot, deceased, pursuant to the vote of the court, passed for that end, at their session in June, Anno Domini, 1714.
"Sent up for concurrence,
"In Council, "JOHN BURRILL, Speaker. " December 5, 1715, "Read and concurred, "SAM'L WOODWARD, Secretary."
THE WINTHROP FARM.
This tract was a grant made by the General Court originally to Jolin Winthrop, Junior, son of Governor John Winthrop,
* It has been a matter of inquiry to know the origin of the name Alum or Pookookapog, for these ponds.
It was by many supposed that at an early period the mineral substance known as Alum had been found here; but, if so, it did not explain the name Pookookapog. It has been ascer- tained that both of these names are of the native dialcet. Alum signifies "dog," and Poo- hookupog is a corruption of the word that signifies " cats," Poohpoohsnog. "Cat" is Poopoh. The word signifying dog was different among the natives within New England, and quite another word-yet, in some respects similar, as follows :
The Nipmuck word, was Alum, The Narragansett, was Ayim, The Quinnipiac, was Arum, The Cape Indians, was Anum,
For dog.
Thus, when it reads, Pookookapog, that is Poopoohsnog or Alum Ponds, it signifies "The Cat's or Dog's Pond."
/
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L'in Francis
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12
STURBRIDGE.
of Massachusetts, and father of Major-General Waitstill Win- throp ; it bears date in 1644. This is one of six grants made by the province of Massachusetts, for the encouragement, at this early period of the iron manufacture in New England.
This act of the General Court is referred to by John Win- throp in his journal, viz. :
"John Winthrop, the younger, coming from England two years since, brought with him $1,000 stock, and diverse workmen, to begin the iron work, and had moved the court for some encouragement to be given the undertakers, and for the court to join in carrying on the work, etc., etc. The business was well approved by the court as a thing much conducing to the good of the country, but we had no stock in the treasury to give furtherance to it ; only some two or three private persons joined in it, and the court granted the adventurers nearly all their demands, as a monopoly of it for twenty years, and liberty to make use of any six places not already granted, and to have three miles square in every place, to them and their heirs, and freedom from publie charges, training," etc.
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