USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > North Brookfield > History of North Brookfield, Massachusetts. Preceded by an account of old Quabaug, Indian and English occupation, 1647-1676; Brookfield records, 1686-1783 > Part 1
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Tyler Balcheller
HISTORY
OF
NORTH BROOKFIELD,
MASSACHUSETTS.
Preceded by an Account of Old Quabaug, Indian and English Occupation, 1647-1676; Brookfield Records, 1686-1783.
BY
J. H. TEMPLE,
AUTHOR OF "HISTORY OF NORTHFIELD," "HISTORY OF FRAMINGHAM," ETC.
WITH A GENEALOGICAL REGISTER.
PUBLISHED BY THE TOWN OF NORTH BROOKFIELD. 1887.
975 M38ZN813t
PRINTED BY RAND AVERY COMPANY, 117 FRANKLIN STREET, BOSTON.
INTRODUCTORY NOTE.
T HE desirability of publishing a Town History having been in the minds of the older inhabitants for several years, and after the destruction of the Town Records by fire in 1862, the propriety, and even the necessity, of such a work becoming more apparent, in 1864 the North Brookfield Historical Society was formed, with Hon. Charles Adams, Jr., as Corresponding Secretary and Librarian. This organiza- tion resulted in the collection of considerable material for a Town History.
After the proclamation of President Grant, calling upon cities and towns to hold centennial celebrations on the Fourth of July, 1876, and advising that historical addresses be delivered on that day, and put into print for preservation, the people of North Brookfield, preparatory to such a celebration, raised, by numerous subscriptions, over five hundred dollars, and Rev. Christopher Cushing, D.D., a former clergyman of the town, delivered an historical address.
Soon after the celebration in 1876, Mr. Henry E. Waite, a native and former citizen of North Brookfield, began the publication in the " North Brookfield Journal," of a series of articles, containing personal memoirs, extracts from the records of Rev. Thomas Snell, D.D., of marriages and deaths from 1797 to 1852, copies of old wills, deeds, etc. These articles, as well as the address of Dr. Cushing, further awakened and deepened the interest in a Town History, and on May 5, 1879, the town appointed a Committee on Town History, consisting of, -
Hon. CHARLES ADAMS, Jr., Hon. FREEMAN WALKER, HIRAM KNIGHT, THEODORE C. BATES, CHARLES E. JENKS.
This Committee, under the chairmanship of Mr. Adams, prepared and sent to each family in town, blank schedules of questions relating to family, personal and local history, and especially to family genealogy ; and correspondence was opened by Mr. Adams with many former citi- zens and others who might be expected to possess old documents and papers which would supply important information.
In 1882, after due inquiry and personal interviews, the Committee voted unanimously to employ Rev. J. H. Temple of Framingham to write the history. In 1884, the impossibility of writing a complete his- tory of North Brookfield, without including early events which were located upon the territory of Brookfield and West Brookfield, so im- pressed itself upon the Committee and the Historian, that, by vote of the town, a formal invitation was extended to each of these towns to unite
23606
4
INTRODUCTORY NOTE.
with us in the preparation and publication of a joint history of all the Brookfields. But such were the obstacles in the way of our sister towns, that they did not assume the undertaking with us ; and it was decided to go on with the preparation of the History of North Brookfield, including therein much of the early history of the ancient town of Brookfield, which has been divided into the three now existing towns of Brookfield, North Brookfield, and West Brookfield.
During the progress of the work, the following changes have taken place in the membership of the History Committee. After Mr. Adams had substantially completed the preparation of the genealogical part of the work, which had been his specialty, he tendered his resignation, which, however, the town declined to accept. From April, 1882, Mr. Walker acted as chairman, until his decease in 1883 ; in April, 1884, Henry W. King was chosen a member in Mr. Walker's stead, and Theo- dore C. Bates was made chairman ; and in April, 1885, Timothy M. Duncan and Nat H. Foster were added to the Committee.
Too much credit cannot be accorded to Mr. Adams for the immense amount of work done by him, and all without compensation. Nor should we fail to recognize the very valuable assistance rendered by Mr. Walker, both members of the original Committee, who have passed away during the progress of the work.
The Committee believe they secured the best man they could have found, in the Rev. J. H. Temple, who has written and edited the his- tory ; and we feel sure that his years of faithful labor will be duly appreciated.
Nor would we fail to call attention to and acknowledge the great assistance given to the Committee, from the beginning of their labors, by Mr. Henry E. Waite, who has done a great deal of work in a most thorough manner, refusing any compensation whatever for his most efficient services.
The whole work has now been completed, having proved an undertak- ing of no small magnitude, considered either as to the labor performed, or the amount of money so cheerfully granted by the town ; and the result is herewith submitted to our own citizens, and the public gener- ally, in the belief, on our part, that the work has been thoroughly and carefully done.
THEODORE C. BATES, CHARLES E. JENKS, HIRAM KNIGHT, HENRY W. KING, TIMOTHY M. DUNCAN, NAT H. FOSTER, Town History Committee.
NORTH BROOKFIELD, MASS., May 17, ISS7.
PREFACE.
T HE old township of Brookfield, of which the territory now the town of North Brookfield was for more than a century a constit- uent part, was the earliest organized settlement in the neighbor- hood, and was by far the most important town in the county of Worcester, when the new county was incorporated in 1731, and so con- tinued in valuation up to 1800, and in population up to 1810. The present threefald or fourfold division of territory then constituted a unit. The men who laid the first foundations wrought for the whole. The ancestors of the families now living in Warren and the three Brook- fields shared in common the labors, and privations, and sufferings, and warfare of 100 years : and a true account of the old town is a true account of all the parts that composed it, up to the date of a formal division.
In accordance with this view of the matter, and to elucidate the real and relative value of earlier as well as later historical facts, and set them in their true order of sequence, all available materials have been gath- ered that in any way related to the original township, covering the period from the date of the earliest settlement up to the close of the Revolutionary War. North Brookfield separated from the old town ecclesiastically in 1750, and educationally in 1756. And during the war-struggle of 1775-1783, it took upon itself, with the tacit consent of the mother town, the burden of paying its military expenses and fur- nishing its quotas of soldiers for the army. And at that date the North Precinct became de facto, a town, except as to the assessment of general taxes and the maintaining of roads and bridges.
The work 'of the historian was thus marked out for him, both in its plan and limits, by the course of events to be recorded and explained ; and he has followed what appeared to him to be a natural order of growth, and the only logical method.
6
PREFACE.
The headings of successive chapters indicate with sufficient clearness, whether the contents relate to the town of Brookfield, or to the Second Precinct and North Brookfield.
The book is composed largely of original records and official docu- ments, - many of them now first put in print. These papers have been carefully copied verbatim et literatim, from the volumes preserved in the Massachusetts State Archives, the Connecticut State Archives, the Regis- tries of Hampshire, Worcester and Hampden counties, the Town, Parish and Church Records, and memoirs in possession of the Massa- chusetts Historical Society, the American Antiquarian Society, and the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
In company with Mr. Jenks, Mr. Adams, Mr. Waite, and Mr. Knight, the historian made a personal exploration of the entire tract embraced in the original township of eight miles square, with a view to determine important matters relating to topography, boundaries, mill-seats, and early land grants. In company with experts, he traversed this and the adjacent territory of 20 miles in extent, in order to fix upon the points occupied by Indian villages, and trace Indian trails and early English bridle-paths, referred to by Pynchon, Eliot and Gookin. The result was satisfactory, beyond his sanguine hopes, both in confirming the accuracy of those early writers, and in the discovery of numerous aboriginal " remains " of fort-sites, store towns and clusters of wigwams, - some of which are mentioned in the early histories, but have not before been identified, - and many of which were previously unknown to either his- tory or tradition. All these gathered materials have been wrought into the book now offered to the public.
Several " missing links " in Indian and English history have been dis- covered, and put in their proper places. As a rule, events are arranged in chronological order, - except where the duplicate character of the narrative required an overlapping in the chapters.
The labor of the historian has been greatly increased, and results are rendered in a measure unsatisfactory, by the loss of the Records of the Committee and town clerk for the period covered by the First Settle- ment ; the fragmentary state of the first book of Brookfield Records ; and the total destruction by fire, Oct. 14, 1862, of North Brookfield Town Records.
The committee of publication have cordially seconded every proposed plan of investigation, and aided personally in the collection of facts. Mr. Henry E. Waite has generously given his time and labor in making full copies of the earliest Land Grants, covering the original township ;
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PREFACE.
Town Records ; deeds and wills ; and other official documents. His aid, in many ways, has been invaluable.
No stone has been left unturned, that showed indications of a treasure hidden beneath.
Special attention is called to the elaborate " Plan of Early Land Grants " in North Brookfield, with full index and explanations, prepared by Charles E. Jenks, Esq., a member of the committee. It supple- ments Chapter IV., and is invaluable for historical reference, and as a guide in tracing real estate titles.
It is a coincidence of some interest, that this History is written in the Bi-centennial year of the town's life - the Permanent Settlement having been made in 1686.
JOSIAH H. TEMPLE.
FRAMINGHAM, MASS., Dec. 1, 1886.
CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS. - In the plan of Indian Land, facing page 54, the engraver misspelled Lashaway, and placed it too far from the pond.
On p. 40, seventh line from bottom, for 39, read 29.
On p. 61, sixth line from bottom, for whereby, read when by.
On p. 74, seventh line from top, for vast, read rash.
On p. 92, second line from top, for them, read there.
On p. 97, eleventh line from bottom, for Ayers', read Ayres'.
On p. 205, last line, for Wight, read Wright.
On p. 254, sixth line from top, Levi should read Eli.
On p. 326, David Mitchell's death should be May 31.
5
HISTORY OF NORTH BROOKFIELD, MASS.,
1 887.
CHAPTER I.
TOPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION.
TOPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TERRITORY INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL BROOKFIELD GRANT. - OBJECTS OF SPECIAL INTEREST. - MILL-SEATS. - EARLY ROADS. - TRAINING-FIELD. - COMMON. - THE MILE-SQUARE, ETC.
T HE territory that comprised the old town of Brookfield originally belonged to Hampshire County, and so remained till 1731, when it was transferred to the county of Worcester, then incorporated. It is situated twenty-five miles east of the Connecticut River, and eigh- teen miles west of Worcester.
As laid out and incorporated in 1673, it contained an area of six miles square, and was bounded on all sides by wilderness. As laid out by John Chandler in 1701, and re-surveyed by Timothy Dwight and con- firmed by Act of the General Court, Dec. 3, 1719,' the township em- braced an area of eight miles square, and was surrounded by unnamed and unsettled lands. The addition of one mile in width was made on each of the four sides ; but, as laid out, the plot was not a perfect square, the east line only measuring exactly eight miles, i.e., 2,560 rods. The north line measured 2,450 rods; the south line, 2,520 rods ; while the west line was 2,720 rods, i.e., 160 rods more than eight miles.
The bounds remained unaltered till 1717, when five hundred acres " equivalent land " was annexed to the south side, to compensate the town for Col. Pynchon's five hundred acres previously laid out on Coy's Hill. This forms the rectangular piece jutting into Sturbridge. Jan. 16, 1741-42, the south-westerly corner of the township, two miles and three-quarters wide at the south end, and a mile and a half wide at the north end, by five miles and three-quarters in length, was set off to form in part the town of Western, now Warren. In 1751 seven families with their farms were set off to New Braintree. In 1823 a strip of
I See Council Records in loc.
IO
TOPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION.
land at the north-west corner of the town, with the inhabitants, was an- nexed to Ware.
In 1793, Whitney, in his "History of Worcester County," says, " Brookfield is the third town in age, and the first as to its wealth and numbers, in the county, containing, when the census was taken [in 1791], 438 dwelling-houses and 3,100 inhabitants." Worcester then had 2,100 inhabitants.
Feb. 28, 1812, about one-third of the township, comprising the north- east corner, was set off and incorporated as the town of North Brookfield.
March 3, 1848, the westerly part of the remaining territory was incor- porated into a distinct town by the name of West Brookfield.
These partitions left the south-easterly part of the old township, con- taining 16,194 acres, and including the village of East Brookfield, to wear the historic and time-honored name of Brookfield.
Contrary to the prevalent belief, the country, at the time of the settle- ment of Brookfield, was practically bare of the primeval forests. The annual burnings by the Indians destroyed the old growth, and kept the uplands free from a new growth of sprouts ; so that only the wet swamps and protected places had heavy timber. Men on horseback went where they pleased, only shunning swamps and streams. From the top of Coy's Hill and other heights, cattle could be seen for a distance of three miles, and deer and wild turkeys a mile away.
The following topographical description, unless otherwise specified, applies to the original township of eight miles square : -
STREAMS AND MILL-SEATS. Quabaug River. - This distinguishing feature of the town is formed by the union of two streams : the westerly branch, called Five-mile River, rises in the east part of Oakham, and runs in a southerly course ; the easterly branch, called Seven-mile River, rises in the south-west part of Rutland, crosses into Oakham, and runs through the west-central part of Spencer, nearly parallel with the other branch. These unite at East Brookfield Village, and then flow into the north-east corner of Quabaug Pond. A curious circumstance is, that the river approaches in a pretty direct line to the very bank of the pond ; then turns at nearly a right angle, and runs parallel with the shore for twenty or thirty rods, leaving only a narrow ridge ; then diverges so as to form a small island ; then makes a slight circuit, and cuts a channel into the pond. A country road is laid over this narrow ridge for quite half a mile, exposed, of course, to an overflow during the spring and fall fresh- ets. A row of large pines and swamp-oaks formerly grew along the shore, and partially protected the road-bed ; but these are mostly dead from bruises by ice, and the ridge is gradually wasting away. The river emerges from the pond at its westerly end, and flows in a general north- westerly direction to a point near Wekabaug Pond, where it turns at a
1
II
FORDWAYS.
sharp angle, and takes a south-westerly course, and, passing through Warren Village and on the easterly and southerly sides of Palmer, unites with Ware River at the village of Three Rivers, where the stream takes the name of Chickopee River, and enters the Connecticut in the town of Chickopee. The current through the original Brookfield township is very sluggish, the fall not exceeding three feet in the distance of six miles. The average width of the stream is about six rods; and the adjacent meadows, which are near a half-mile wide, are raised but little above the water-level.
Before the putting-in of dams, this river abounded in shad and salmon. As late as 1736 an article in the town-warrant was, "To consider what may properly be done to make a way in the river, so that shad and ale- wives may go up to the ponds to cast their spawn." In 1761 the pro- prietors of the meadows on Quabaug River, in a petition to the General Court, say, "The waters are stopped in their natural course by certain Bars in the same, which so obstruct the flow that the low lands on the same are rendered unprofitable, and in danger of becoming a standing water, to the public damage," and ask that " Commissioners of Sewers " may be appointed "to effect the removal of the obstructions aforesaid." But nothing effectual resulted.
Fordways. - The fording-place earliest named in the records was where the old Springfield path crossed the river where is now the bridge at West Brookfield Village.
The fordway at Mason's Point became an important factor in agricul- tural pursuits after the re-settlement of the town, and a bridge was built here soon after 1715.
What was known as the " Crabtree ford " was at the small rapids, a half-mile below the mouth of Dean's Brook. This was the Indians' crossing-place on their west trail from Old Quabaug Fort to Wekabaug.
There was also a fording-place where Cutler's bridge now is in War- ren.
These fordways, and the Indian paths leading to them, decided the course of the early highways.
The Boat. - In low water, people readily crossed over the fords on horseback ; but, in high water, a boat was required. This was owned and controlled by the town. March 14, 1726, the town " Voted, That Ephraim Hayward (who then lived at Warren Village) do bring up the boat to the bridge at Mason's Point."
The mill-seats on Five-mile River in Brookfield are, -
I. The falls at the north-east corner of the town, where Thomas Ball from Framingham bought Jan. 4, 1753, sixty acres on the Spencer side, and built saw and grist mills, which his widow sold in 1761 to Isaac Johnson of Southborough ; and the privilege has been called Johnson's
12
TOPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION.
Pond after him. He died in 1769. The mills were kept in use for many years, but the pond is now a reservoir.
2. About a mile below, in 1782, Jonathan and Nicholas Jenks leased land and the water-privilege of Moses Ayres, and built a dam, and put in a forge, or iron-works. Daniel and Wheat Gilbert joined the enter- prise, and built a second fireplace. Dec. 4, 1788, the Gilberts took one fire, and the Jenks the other, and divided the business of washing and smelting ore, etc. The works were carried on about twenty years, but were not profitable.
3. A short distance below, Thomas Bartlett erected saw and grist mills.
4. The next privilege was at the head of the present pond, where John Woolcott put in a saw-mill in 1718, and for which the town made him a special grant of forty acres of upland.
5. One-third of a mile below, Patterson & Hair set up a fulling-mill. " Dec. 5, 1720, granted to John Patterson and William Hair a stream for a fulling-mill, they setting up the trade of a fuller and dressing off cloth within eighteen months, the stream to be theirs so long as they maintain said trade, and no longer."
6. Roger Stevens put in a fulling-mill and grist-mill a short distance below Patterson & Hair's.
7. In later times, Jeduthan Stevens built a grist-mill at the East Brook- field privilege; and afterwards a company operated a blast-furnace and machine-shop. It is now occupied as a woolen and shoddy mill.
The only privilege on Seven-mile River in this town is where John Hamilton, jun., built a saw-mill as early as 1725 ; now occupied by George E. Forbes as a factory and wheel-shop.
The first mill-seat on Quabaug River is at Warren Village, known as the " Hayward privilege." George Hayward built saw and grist mills here about 1720 (now grist-mill and cotton-factory). Ephraim Hay- ward bought the privilege of his father George ; and, having secured the land for some distance below, built a race-way, and in 1727 sold three- fourths of the power to Tilly Mirick, sen., of Brookfield, Samuel Copley and Asaph Leavitt of Suffield " for setting up iron-works." These works, known as the " Old Furnace," stood about thirty rods below the dam.
The second privilege in Warren was occupied early as a grist-mill, and distillery.
The affluents of Quabaug River, coming from the north, are : Moore's Brook, which has three distinct branches, the central one rising near North Brookfield Village. John Woolcott built a corn-mill on the east branch, which comes from Perry Pond, before 1717.
Hovey's Brook, called later Stone's Brook, runs north and west of Brookfield Village, crossing the old stage-road just west of the cemetery.
Coy's Brook rises in North Brookfield, and by a circuitous course,
I3
AFFLUENTS OF QUABAUG RIVER.
enters the river near West Brookfield Village. The meadows on this brook were an important factor in our early history. William Ayres built a saw-mill at the foot of Matchuk Meadow in 1762. Afterwards a fulling-mill was put in.
Sucker Brook, originally called Great Brook, rises in the east central part of New Braintree, runs through a corner of North Brookfield, then into New Braintree again, through Ditch Meadow, around the north end of Whortleberry Hill, and into Wekabaug Pond, from which it emerges through the outlet known as Lashaway. On the eastern branch of Sucker Brook, which branch was called in the earliest records Mill Brook, and after 1707 Old Mill Brook, was situated the first grist-mill in Brookfield, erected by John Pynchon about 1667.1 This mill was burnt by the Indians in 1675, re-built by Mr. Pynchon at the re-settle- ment of the town, and continued in use till his death in 1705. The privilege has been utilized in modern times in a variety of ways. The old dam remains.
The first saw-mill in Brookfield was built on Sucker Brook in 1709, at what is known as Malt-Mill bridge, within the present limits of New Braintree. A company, consisting of Thomas Barns and eight others of the principal townsmen, received "a grant of 40 acres, to be divided amongst them, for their encouragement to build a saw-mill, and they have liberty to cut all sorts of timber for the use of the mill in any parts of the precinct." - The Committee's Records.
This privilege was last used for a malt-mill, but is now abandoned.
The privilege next above was the falls at Wait's Corner, which at one period became famous. The land hereabouts, including the falls, came into the hands of Nathan Barker of Andover, who sold Nov. 3, 1757, to Nathaniel Wait of Sutton, a clothier, who put in a fulling-mill, and later built a saw-mill. In 1790 Nathaniel Wait sold one-half the estate to Joseph Wait, clothier, who afterwards became sole owner. In 1815 the privilege was bought by the "North Brookfield Woolen Manufacturing Company " (Amos Bond, Elisha Hammond, et als.), who started the manufacture of fine broadcloths, cassimeres, etc. The property next passed into the hands of Wait, Prouty, & Co., who made frocking, cas- simere, etc. Later the firm was Wait & Prouty. Since their day the power has been used as a spoke-mill and saw-mill.
The privilege above, towards New Braintree, was bought April 24, 1749, of William Ayres by Daniel Matthews, jun., of Southborough, a mill-wright, who put in a saw-mill. It appears to have been bought in 1 759 by Jonathan Wait, clothier, of Sutton, who, either alone or in com- pany with Daniel Matthews and Nathaniel Wait, put in a fulling-mill and
I The stream on which the first grist-mill in a township was built was always named "Mill Brook."
14
TOPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION.
corn-mill. Daniel Matthews, in 1794, purchased the entire property. In 1812 Elisha Matthews and Deacon James Woods built (or re-built) a dam near the New Braintree line, erected a factory, and began the manufacture of woolen goods. After several years the mill passed into the hands of Robert Lawton and Seth B. Manly, and then to Manly alone, and, while in his ownership, was burned.
Below the Malt-Mill bridge, on this brook, are the Pepper mills, first used as a blacksmith's forge and trip-hammer, and later as grist and saw mills ; and still lower down were Tyler's and Gilbert's saw-mills in West Brookfield. (It is erroneously stated in " Beers' Atlas," that the mill on the Gilbert privilege was "the first saw-mill erected in Worcester County.")
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