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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01067 3785
Gc 974.402 C417w Waters, Wilson History of Chelmsford, Massachusetts
HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
Allen County Public Library 900 Webster Street PO Box 2270 Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270
HENRY SPAULDING PERHAM
HISTORY
OF
CHELMSFORD
MASSACHUSETTS
BY
THE REV. WILSON WATERS, M. A., B. D.
PRINTED FOR THE TOWN BY THE COURIER-CITIZEN COMPANY LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS 1917.
COPYRIGHT, 1917 By WILSON WATERS
1149675
INTRODUCTION.
T HE work of preparing a history of Chelmsford was under- taken by Mr. Henry S. Perham in 1904, at the request of the Town. Mr. Perham, a native of Chelmsford, whose ancestor was one of the early settlers, had written a sketch of Chelmsford for Hurd's History of Middlesex County, published in 1891; and at the Quarter-Millennial celebration in 1905, he delivered the historical address which was printed in the Report of the
Proceedings. At the time of his death, in 1906, he had written
so much of the contemplated history as appears in the first chapter of this volume under the title, "The Beginning." This, with whatever other material (consisting of a few notes, some correspondence, and occasional addresses in manuscript), was found among his papers, came into my hands, when, in 1907, I was asked by the Town to take up the work interrupted by the lamented death of Mr. Perham.
I reluctantly accepted the task, realizing the labor involved and the time it would take from other pressing duties. I have endeavored to bring the work to completion in a manner as nearly consonant with that of my predecessor and as worthy of the subject as the imposed conditions and my own limitations would allow. I have traversed the whole field, verifying the quotations made by Mr. Perham, although this was hardly necessary in the case of such an accurate historian, and have searched diligently for the facts now presented to the reader. I am aware that further years of work might yield some things of interest yet unearthed, and perhaps give better finish to the result of my labors.
The reader may discover a somewhat arbitrary grouping of chapters and subjects: perhaps a more homogeneous and logical arrangement might have been made, had the conditional limitations allowed.
As the work progressed, it became evident that, to make a volume of reasonable size, and to shape it in the documentary and topical, rather than the narrative style, it would be necessary to repress all inclination to the fine periods which make a book
Jayson_
vi
HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
more acceptable to the ordinary reader. The documents repro- duced are of more value in a work of this nature than a mere reference to them, or than anything which an author may say concerning them, and are often more interesting and illuminating.
This History is compiled, not so much to entertain, as to inform the reader concerning the past life of the Town, and to furnish him with a reference book of lasting value.
Dr. Samuel A. Green, President of the Massachusetts Historical Society, a friend and helper of Mr. Perham in his historical work, said to me several years ago, "Do not spend too much time gathering material." A certain amount of material is essential to a good history, and, having gathered sufficient, as I think, for this purpose, I now present the result to the patient reader.
Extracts have been given from Bridge's diary, now in the possession of the Fiske family, of which Mr. Perham made a faithful copy. It is a valuable document, and should be printed.
Wherever Mr. Perham's material has been used, it has been my purpose to give him due credit for the same.
After Chapter I, extracts from the Town records have been given without reference to Book and page, the reader being able to find them in loco by the date.
About forty manuscript volumes of Chelmsford records have been read through, and much has been gleaned from the 240 folio volumes of manuscripts in the State Archives. The first book of Proprietors' records was burned about 1715. Parts of the first and second volumes of Town records are missing. The transcript made in 1742 gives only such records as the committee deemed important. Under a vote of the Town, in 1892, Henry S. Perham and George A. Parkhurst were made a committee to copy the first two books of records. The work was done by the former. Several of the early books have been preserved by the Emery process.
The church records during the time of Mr. Clarke and Mr. Stoddard (1675-1740) are missing.
Documents and quotations from records are reproduced as nearly like the original as can be done in type-not so easily read, but more pleasing to the historian and antiquarian.
The old custom of writing ye for the arose from the resemblance of y to the Anglo-Saxon letter thorn, which was really more like
vii
INTRODUCTION
our small italic p, and which had the value of th. The letter- thorn was used in English until, in the fifteenth century, it was transformed to y. The article, though written ye, should be pronounced the.
Some persons will, perhaps, be disappointed that the history contains no complete family genealogies.
Several genealogies of the early families were prepared, but, as it was found that to include all of these would require a separate volume, they were necessarily omitted .*
Human society, whether political or religious, makes progress by friction. Thoreau likened the two great political parties to the gizzard of a grain-eating fowl, between the two parts of which the people are ground. Benjamin P. Hunt, on a fly-leaf of his copy of Emerson's "First Church in Boston," copied these extracts from a letter of John Adams, written in 1817:
"There is an overweening fondness for representing this country as a place of liberty, equality, fraternity, union, harmony and benevolence. But let not your sons or mine deceive them- selves. This country, like all others, has been a theatre of parties and feuds for near two hundred years.
"Look into all our memorials, histories they cannot be called, Winslow's, Winthrop, Morton the first, Morton the second, Hubbard, Mather, Prince, and even Hutchinson himself, and then judge how sweetly harmonious our ancestors have been.
"There is one morsel which I beg leave to recommend to the deliberate perusal of your children and mine. It is my friend Emerson's 'History of the First Church.' See there elements that have been fomenting, foaming and frothing ever since." (Works, Vol. 10.)
See also Slafter's "Memoir of the Rev. John Checkley," and many other volumes.
The truth of history is sacred. The chronicler and historian must record things as he finds them. In our day war is decried,
*It has been necessary to omit even mention of many things which have had part in the life of the Town's people, such as the North Chelmsford Cricket Club, the Hornbeam Hill Golf Club at the Centre, the tennis, whist, and dancing clubs, the Lodge of Odd Fellowe formerly existing at the Centre, and the Civic League.
The prosperous life of the Town depends upon the worth of its citizens, the solid, faithful people, men and women, whose names, many of them, are not printed in town histories, because they happen not to be called to public duties.
Among Chelmsford people who have gained success abroad may be mentioned John Galen Howard (son of Dr. Levi Howard), who studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and l'Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, and is now Professor of Architecture at the University of California, and the designer of its buildings.
viii
HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
and justly. We are sick of its horrible details. The history of our first two hundred years is full of battle, and if all its awfulness could be depicted, it would strongly dissuade from its continuance. Mr. Perham held deeply the modern feeling against war, and rightly. He felt that it was at least unwise to perpetuate the memory of war-like deeds and victories over our fellows obtained by great slaughter. We shall all welcome the coming of the day "when justice and reason and not rapine and murder shall hold sway over the destinies of the world." Yet none of us can fail to accord the meed of praise to the brave defenders of our liberties.
I have no idea what Mr. Perham's plan was in regard to making a record of Chelmsford's part in the Indian Wars and the Revolution. He had very little material for such a record, and that, evidently, he had when the Hurd sketch was written a quarter of a century ago. And in what he had written for this History, he passes over the period of King Philip's War with slight mention.
My purpose has been to give only so much of the history of our wars as may help the reader to understand the part per- formed in them by the men of this Town.
In Chapter V, the records of Chelmsford men in the Revolu- tion are given. The records of the Continental Line towards the close of the war are in Washington, and I have not had access to them. Some of the later records, as found in the Massachusetts Archives, are, however, included in this chapter.
Religious conflict has been less bloody, but at times bitter among good men and women, and the facts are here told. What men most value, they struggle hardest to maintain, and justify their contentions by claiming to uphold the right. They have been willing to inflict martyrdom and to be martyrs for what they believed to be true and right. Thus the truth has been emphasized, set free, and made a part of human history.
Allen writes of the thirty-nine first emigrants, a "company of holy pilgrims," who entered this wilderness and subdued the fallow ground; and it is well that we should know something of the character and worth of our ancestors and predecessors, the sturdy, upright lives of the men and women who have made Chelmsford what it is today.
There is a proverb to the effect that a people which cares nothing for its past, has no present and deserves no future. It would seem as though everyone should be interested to know the
ix
INTRODUCTION
history of his own town or of any town in which he may sojourn. He should wish to know what manner of people they were who first settled it, and whence they came, they who, "by their sturdy efforts subdued the earth and made it fruitful, felled and planted, delved and spun; who laid the foundations of our political, social and religious institutions; who they were that began under great privations and dangers what we now enjoy in abundance and without molestation."
The knowledge of these things will help one better to love and to appreciate the topographical features of forests and hills, the brooks and meadows, the long-travelled roads that lead by the old homesteads, while one's imagination clothes them with incident and legend, and peoples them with the spirits of past years. One will more truly realize and enjoy the comforts and conveniences of the present day, as one compares them with the meagre advantages of the olden time.
And still, while meditating upon the past, there is a tendency in human thought to find satisfaction in an age, if not golden, yet tinged with the enchantment of distance. There is a pleasure in returning to origins, in tracing the causes in the evolutionary process. And it is thus that our history becomes interesting as it takes us back, even to the ancient days in England, when names had a personal significance: When Abbotts were abbots, and Barrons, barons; when Kemps were knights; when the Chamberlains cared for the wardrobe of the lord; and Park, Parker, Parkhurst, the Warrens and the Fosters (Foresters) had charge of the hunting and pleasure grounds; and the Baileys were bailiffs. When the Fletchers fledged or feathered arrows, and the Bowers made the weapons to propel them; when Henchman was the faithful "right-hand man" of his chief, and Stoddard bore the Standard. When the lay Clarke (clerk) made the responses in Church, and the Hayward looked after the hedges and kept the cattle away. When Webb wove cloth, and Fiske (Fysche or Fisher) represented a craft which supplied many with an important portion of their food. When the Wright worked in wood and the softer materials, and the Smith in metals; of which latter name there is a remarkable dearth in our records. When Leach practised physic, and the Proctors kept order, or managed the affairs of others. When Kidder carried his kit; when Marshall and Farrer shod horses; when Perham and
x
HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
By(h)am lived at the hamlet, and the sturdy Spaulding [epaule- ding] gave shoulder blows; and everybody knew the meaning of his name.
If History be Philosophy teaching by examples, mayhap this volume, falling into the hand of some newly naturalized citizen of Chelmsford, may persuade him to a reverence for the pious labors of the Fathers who made the Town and rendered it possible for him to enjoy the pleasures and privileges of the present time, and also move him towards an effort as energetic and effective for future betterment.
The labor involved in the preparation of this History has been gladly bestowed con amore; and I trust its results will be accepted by my fellow-townsmen as a tribute to their worth and a token of my appreciation of the kindness I have universally received at their hands. The quarter of a century passed in their midst has left with me memories of many pleasant hours spent in social intercourse, or in united effort for the furtherance of the best interests of the Town. I can say with Tully: "Haec scripsi non otii abundantia, sed amoris erga te." (This have I written, not out of an abundance of leisure, but because of my affection towards you.)
It remains to express my appreciation of the courtesy shown me, while working in the State Archives, by Mr. J. J. Tracy and Miss Alice R. Farnum, and others there and in the various offices at the State House, as well as in the Court Houses and rooms of the Historical Societies.
Also I desire to thank those who have aided me in the final preparation of the History, by the reading of proof and in other ways; especially would I mention Alfred P. Sawyer, Esq., the Hon. Samuel P. Hadley and Mr. J. Adams Bartlett.
Miss Bessie Alta Byam has been an efficient help in copying, and reading proof, and also in making the Index.
Miss Ella A. Rose has aided by copying notes and documents.
The printers have been obliging and considerate, and have done much to facilitate my work.
By vote of the Town, the Trustees of the Adams Library were made the publishing committee. This committee put the whole matter into my hands, so that, except in this single particu- lar, all criticism of this volume must fall upon me.
OCTOBER, 1916.
Wilson
Waters
CONTENTS.
Chapter
Page 1
I. The Beginning
II. Early Grants-The Indians .
72
King Philip's War
84
III. Province Wars
King William's War .
127
Queen Anne's War
138 150
Dummer's or Lovewell's War
156 157
King George's War
162
French and Indian War
190
VI. Shays' Rebellion. Wars of 1812, 1848, 1898
368
Records of Chelmsford Men
392
VIII. The Life of Long Ago
Roads, Stages, Social Life, the Doctor, &c.
468
IX. Territorial Limits
Bridges, Canals, Steamboats, Railroads 494
511
X Papers by Mr. H. S. Perham
511
The Early Schools of Chelmsford
XI. Slaves, Witches, Warning Out, Small Pox
School for the Deaf, Libraries, Monument Association, &c.
600
XIII.
Meteorological and Seismical Observations
639
XIV. Geology and Botany
643
XV. Manufacturing 656
XVI. Religious Organizations 675
XVII. Burying Grounds 716
List of Interments in Forefathers' Burying Ground 721
XVIII. Civil List 754
XIX. Early Ministers, Physicians and Lawyers . 769
XX. Annals 810
Notes and Corrections
825
List of Teachers in Chelmsford Schools, 1916
842
Index of Names
845
Index of Topics
888
IV. The War of the Revolution The Concord Fight The Battle of Bunker Hill
225
V. Records of Chelmsford Men in the Revolution 356
301
VII. The Civil War, 1861-5 378
434
The Wamesit Purchase The Early Settlers in that Part of Chelmsford now Lowell The Folks at the Neck 540 550 570
524
582
XII. Town Meeting, Taxes, Population, Valuation, Money, &c. . Topography . 629
216
Service in the West Indies
127
MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
The maps have been much reduced in size in order to bring them within the limits of the letter-press. Where there is a graphic scale, the measurements will be found correct. Otherwise, the reader is cautioned that a simple statement like "20 rods to the inch" will be misleading.
A good reading glass will greatly assist in examining the maps.
Naturally, there has been some difficulty in the selection of subjects for the illustrations, many having to be omitted which are historically interesting. The rule has been to include only those buildings which are of greatest architectural and historical interest within the present limits of the Town.
Mr. E. R. Clark assisted in the preparation of the pictures, which were printed in Chelmsford by Mr. G. T. Parkhurst.
Frontispiece. Portrait of Henry Spaulding Perham.
1. Reduced copy of a map of 1677.
2. Plan of Chelmsford, in 1653. In the State Archives. (See page 4.)
3. Reduced copy of a Plan by Henry B. Wood.
4. Reduced copy of a Map of Chelmsford in 1794. Official map ordered by the State, and now in the State Archives.
5. Reduced copy of a Plan of the Farms at East Chelmsford in 1821. Original in the office of the Locks and Canals Company, Lowell. The large island, part of which is shown at the top of the plan, is Long island.
6. Reduced copy of a Plan of Chelmsford in 1831. Official map ordered by the State, and now in the State Archives.
7. Plans of Chelmsford Centre and the South and West villages in 1875. In 1884, George H. Wilson built the large block in Central Square, Chelmsford Centre, and kept a hotel there for a number of years.
8. Plan of the North village in 1875.
9. This Map is based on that of the United States Geological Survey of 1886, edition of 1893. It shows almost all of the roads and some of the houses. Many of the Lowell streets are not shown. The figures show the old School Districts. (See page 560.) The exposed ledges, glacial marks and eskers are indicated as shown on a map made by G. H . Knowlton, formerly Superintendent of the Chelmsford schools.
10. Plan of the Chelmsford Centre Water District. North street is now known as Centre street. (See page 598.)
11. Plan of the North Chelmsford Fire District. (See page 597.)
12. The effigy of Mr. Bridge is from his gravestone, and probably shows more accurately his wig, gown and bands than it does his features. Portraits of Hezekiah Packard, Wilkes Allen and John Parkhurst. (See Chapter XIX and page 706.)
xiii
MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS
13. Gravestones of Colonel Jonas Clarke and his wife.
Gravestones of the Rev. Ebenezer Bridge and Madam Bridge. Forefathers' burying ground, Chelmsford Centre.
14. Gravestone of the Rev. Thomas Clarke (see page 71). The Stoddard tomb, and the old schoolhouse, which originally had a porch in front of it. Forefathers' burying ground.
15. The Sam Davis house, Chelmsford Centre. (See pages 299 and 396.)
16. The Crosby house, Chelmsford Centre. (See page 394.)
17. The Fiske house, Chelmsford Centre. (See page 395.)
18. These three views were sketched from memory by Judge S. P. Hadley. (See page 500.)
19. Map of Middlesex Village, by courtesy of the Lowell Historical Society. (See pages 442 and 478ff.)
20. View showing part of Chelmsford Centre from the reservoir on Robin's hill. Lowell in the distance.
21. Plan of Forefathers' burying ground (old part), Chelmsford Centre. (For references to figures, see pages 719 and 842.)
22. Reproduction of part of page 7, Book A, Town Records.
23. Reproduction of part of a page from the Town Records.
These represent some of the more legible portions of the ancient records.
24. A glimpse of Heart pond. Baptist Church, South Chelmsford.
1 25. The Hayward garrison house, South Chelmsford, built in 1690. (See pages 46, 92 and 400.) A partition on the right of the interior view has been left out of the picture in order to show the construction beyond.
26. St. Mary's Church, Chelmsford, England. (See page 833.) View of the river Chelmer, Chelmsford, England, from a photograph taken by Walter Perham, in 1902.
27. Unitarian Church, Chelmsford Centre.
All Saints' Episcopal Church, Chelmsford Centre.
28. Congregational Church, North Chelmsford, also the building burned in 1893.
29. Eagle Mills, West Chelmsford. Methodist Church, West Chelmsford. St. John's Roman Catholic Church, North Chelmsford.
30. Interior of St. Alban's Episcopal Mission, North Chelmsford.
31. Reduced copy of a Letter signed by Colonel Parker and Captain Walker (see page 233), from a photograph owned by the late Charles Nichols. Baptist Church, Chelmsford Centre.
32. Congregational Church, Chelmsford Centre.
33. S. E. View of the Adams Library, Chelmsford Centre. Architect, John A. Fox. (See page 585.)
34. Three historic Watches:
The Swiss watch at the left has on the back case a beautiful piece of enamel in colors, and is said to have been carried by Colonel Stark of New Hampshire. It belongs to the Dadmun family.
The small silver watch next shown is that carried by Joseph Spauld- ing, who fired the first shot at the battle of Bunker Hill. (See pages 226, 331, and 332.)
The third watch, of silver (with its steel chain), which, by the Hall mark, is known to have been made in 1750, was found by Jonathan
xiv
HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
Manning, when seven years old, in 1756, on the road from Chelmsford to Billerica. It may have been dropped by some English officer traveling to or from Boston. This watch is now owned by Arthur M. Warren, to whom it descended.
35. Old view of Robin's hill, showing lone pine tree. (See page 629.) This sketch was made about 1876 by A. G. McAllister, formerly Principal of the High school. It shows the houses of Sewall and Solomon Park- hurst, then the only buildings on High street. Sewall Parkhurst teamed the lime from Robin's hill, which was used in building the first mill in Lowell.
The Town Hall, Chelmsford Centre, looking up Centre street; Common on the left.
Schoolhouses and Town Hall, North Chelmsford.
36. The old Fletcher house, Chelmsford Centre. (See pages 393, 394.) The Spaulding-Hazen place, Chelmsford Centre. (See page 399.)
37. The Stoddard house, Revolutionary Monument and Classical school, Chelmsford Centre. The Adams house, North Chelmsford.
38. East Chelmsford in 1825, from a painting by Benjamin Mather. From left to right the principal buildings are the Machine Shop, the Merrimack Mills, St. Anne's Church, and Kirk Boott's house at the extreme right. (See pages 485, 489 and 711.)
39. View of part of North Chelmsford from the water tower, 1907; showing part of Moore's Mills.
40. Plan of Chelmsford Centre in 1856, from Walling's County Map.
The great elm at the Putnam farm, Chelmsford Centre. (See page 698.)
41. House built by the Rev. Hezekiah Packard, Chelmsford Centre. (See page 396.)
South view of the buildings at the Town Farm, Chelmsford Centre. The house is square, the west front being similar to that here shown. In this house, and in the Lovering house nearby (page 397), are sliding shutters similar to those mentioned on page 394.
42. View of the Silesia Mills at North Chelmsford. The low building at the right is the counting room of the Machine and Supply Company. (See page 668.) That on the left is the counting room of the Chelmsford Foundry Company. (See page 666.)
The Berry house, South Chelmsford. (See page 398.)
43. The High School building, Chelmsford Centre, erected in 1916 on the site of the Farwell-Adams house, Billerica street; Edwin R. Clark, architect; cost, $65,000. Building Committee: James P. Dunigan, Herbert E. Ellis, Frederick A. Snow. Advisory Committee: C. George Armstrong, Gabriel Audoin, Ulysses Lupien, William H. Shedd, Wilbur E. Lapham.
44. Model of the meeting house burned in 1842. (See page 689.) Some century-old costumes preserved at the Fiske house. The military uniform is that of John Minot Fiske, Colonel of the Chelmsford Militia.
45. The Bowers, Ford and Parker houses, now in Lowell. The Warren homestead, Chelmsford Centre, built prior to 1697.
View inside the chimney, showing the backs of ovens, at Karl M. Perham's house.
A MAP OF NEW-ENGLAND,
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