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1644 WAKE FIELD
READING
1944
NORTH READING
1853
Gc 974. 402 N7964& 1381522
4.50
M. L
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01145 6933
Property of Howard & Jones To Greenwood ave
1
A HISTORY OF NORTH READING
TERCENTENARY
EDITION
1944
SAMUEL M. LEPAGE, PH. D.
Copyright, 1944 Samuel M. LePage, Ph.D.
Other Publications by Samuel M. LePage A Short History of Ottawa University Lo! The Poor Indian Memories of John Brown Russia's War Against Religion
Item Press, Wakefield
1381522
This volume is dedicated to all those men and women who so nobly caused this town to be, and to those men and women who are now fighting to preserve our Liberty.
Goodspeed 4.50 12-30.66 INV. 613 P.O. 3202
When all around was dark and drear They turned to that sequestered vale; And there they found, at least in thought, The very refuge, that they sought. Nature's broad path they sought to scan, In wilds, untrodden yet by man; Where virgin plants their leaves unfold, When unknown warblers tune their song, And unnamed rivers roll along; From nameless mountains, to behold Plain after plain beneath them rolled; Where, since the birth of infant time, In silent boundlessness sublime, Nature hath reared her awful throne, And reigned majestic and alone.
Taken from the Shoshonee Valley Written by Rev. Timothy Flint, a Native Son, 1830
North Reading-town
North Reading-town, a pleasant land And blessed by God's own goodly hand; Meadow-mead and verdant hills, Winding lanes and dancing rills, A land the Founding-Fathers trod, And built a Church to worship God! North Reading-town, of thee I sing, And fondest memories to me cling; Of days long gone, of times well spent, Of gentle folk, who came and went, A monument from age to age, Blessed by an ancient heritage!
North Reading-town, so fair thou art, Thy name enshrined in every heart; Fair Hills of Home-thy joys serene, River, winding the marsh between, Sapphire waters, when day is done, Reflect the gold of setting sun !
North Reading-town, since thy first dawn, Three hundred years have come and gone; Song of Spring and Autumn's glow, The summer suns, and winter's snow, The same kind moon and stars look down On hill and vale of Reading-town!
North Reading-town, as days of yore, God's richest blessings on thee pour ; In present time, hold thou thy sway, In holy cause, pursue thy way, Thy sons and daughters thankful be, To speak the name of liberty!
North Reading-town, God speed thee well, Of future years, no tongue may tell; Forge thou ahead in all His ways, And lasting joys shall crown thy days. Thy guide and shield, God's council be, Good fortune thine eternally !
Rosette LePage A Tercentenary Poem April 11, 1944
1
Table of Contents
CHAPTER I
8
The Early Beginning and the Later Development of the Town of North Reading
CHAPTER II 19
Life Then and Now
CHAPTER III 32
Education and the Schools
CHAPTER IV 41
Religion and the Churches
CHAPTER V 69
Business and Agricultural Interests
CHAPTER VI 81
War and Military Service
CHAPTER VII 91
Mostly Old Houses and People
Introduction
This volume is not intended as a chronological narrative of events as they occurred from the beginning of North Reading down unto the present time. Nor is it intended as an exhaustive compendium of facts. There are a great many of the things you would like to know left out. The main idea has been to interpret some of the events which have transpired. Things happen. Often we know not why, and it takes a late comer to put together the scattered pieces and make a complete picture. As a new resi- dent of the town, we have, therefore, dared to read over the old manu- scripts and interpret the events there recorded. Our hope is that in the light of the present the reader may have a more complete picture of the past, and at the same time some notion of present-day affairs. If, a hun- dred years from the present, when the town again celebrates, this volume proves of some interest the author will be repaid for all his efforts.
The main source of our information concerning the early days has been the old records. The Union Congregational Church has in its pos- session a rather complete record of ancient Parish affairs. As for its own records, the story is not complete, for two record books have been lost. Much helpful information has also been gleaned from the Hon. Lilley Eaton's History of Reading, and the Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anni- versary Volume, compiled by William Everett Eaton. The Two Hundredth Anniversary publication has also been helpful. As for the more recent events much has been contributed by Mr. and Mrs. Arthur G. Eaton, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur A. Burditt, Miss Sarah H. Whitcomb, Mrs. Grace Esty, Harold Upton, Mrs. E. Ethel Little, L. C. Monroe, Miss Elizabeth Batchelder and others of the old-time residents. With a feeling of grati- tude we acknowledge the help of J. Ellis Doucette in getting together material concerning the North Reading State Sanatorium.
For the material concerning St. Theresa's Chapel and the Guild we are indebted to Mrs. Alice W. Magee. The beautiful design on the front cover is the work of Donald Brock. Another of our school boys, Charles Stafford, also worked out a similar design. We are grateful to them both for their co-operation and help.
CHAPTER I EARLY BEGINNING AND THE LATER DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOWN OF NORTH READING
The beginning of the Town of North Reading is to be found in a grant of land made by the General Court to the town of "Redding," in 1651. Previous to this, however, there had been some special grants of land to those who had in some particular way aided and abetted the estab- lishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. "To ye right honerable, Ye Lord Brooks, eight hundred acres: Mr. Thomas Willis, five hundred acres of upland and meadow, extending from the Willis Brook to what is now the B. B. Chemical Co. in Middleton; and two hundred acres to Mr. Richard Saddler, all north of what was then called Bear Meadow and south of the great river Ipswich." Since these special grants were isolated from the south part of the town they were included with the two-mile grant when the North Parish was established in 1713. The statement of the grant of this additional territory appears in the town records for Octo- ber, 1651. "The court doth grant to the inhabitants of Reading, an addi- tion to its former bounds, a certain tract of land, about two miles content, lying between Mr. Bellingham's farm and the great river, and so to join their former four-mile grant, so as it has not already been granted to any town or person, nor prejudicing any former grant."
It does not appear that anything was done immediately about this new acquisition of territory. Seven years later allotments were made to those, who, in accordance with the rules concerning commoners, were eligible.
Judging from what happened later it would seem that this praying the General Court for additional land was not so much because the new town needed the land, as it was a manifestation of the land-grabbing tend- encies of these early settlers. None of those receiving land ever went north of the river to live. None of the names of the recipients appears on the list of those known to be living in this section in 1685. Nor does any of them appear on the first list of rate payers in 1714. All allotments were either sold or willed to members of the family.
In 1667 the Town thought it best to make up a list of Commoners who were eligible for any later divisions to be made. On this list there are three names which later appeared on the list of "rate-payers" in the new Parish : Thomas Taylor, Thomas Hartshorn and John Eaton.
As for the special grants to Lord Brooks, Mr. Thomas Willis, and Mr. Richard Saddler, they, too, soon changed hands. Apparently these men were anxious to get back what they had put into the venture and any profit there might be in the same. By the time the Parish was set off the land granted to Mr. Saddler was occupied by Francis Nurs and his two
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sons. The father was a grandson of that same Rebecca Towne who was executed as a witch in Danvers. About the middle of the century it came into the possession of Joseph Frye, who, tradition has it, was part Indian. Then in 1765 it was sold to Amos Upton, Jr. The Lord Brooks grant east of what is now Haverhill Street changed hands just as rapidly. Soon it was in the hands of George Curwin of Salem and then from him it passed into other hands.
As to the changes in ownership of the land north of the river there is this interesting notation in the Middlesex Registry of Land for Novem- ber 10, 1664. "Two parcels of land sold by Thomas Clark to John Upton for twenty pounds each, 'both north of the river.'" Then on April 1, 1667, Isaac Hart of Reading sold forty acres of upland to John Upton. The price in this case was one cow. Other parcels of land soon came into the possession of this enterprising man and all of them were located in what is now the northeast part of North Reading.
It is not certain as to who was the first to settle in the part of ancient Redding which lay north of the Bear Meadow swamp. Of this we are certain. The town records for 1677 state that the right of having a saw mill on the Ipswich River was granted to John Upton. This would indi- cate that he was already established in this section. Sergeant George Flint must also have moved in at about the same time. Tradition has it that the original Flint house was a garrison house. This could hardly have been the case for before King Philip's War in 1675, there was no particular fear of the Indian. Then, too, a garrison house had a stockade which hardly existed in North Reading. It is likely, however, that the new house of Sergeant Flint was made durable enough to repel the attack of a mau- rauding band of Red Men. John Eaton who was a neighbor also had a house of the same construction. As a reflection from this war with the Indians there was a petition for additional inhabitants in 1676. Only the hardy ones heard the petition, but they came and by 1685 the following families are known to have been living in North Reading: John Upton, Sr., John Upton, Jr., George Flint, Thomas Burt, Philip McIntire, John Phelps, Richard Harnden, Francis Hutchinson, and John Eaton.
Today we can hardly appreciate the task that lay before these early settlers. The land had to be cleared of trees and stones. Somehow the logs had to be hauled to the saw mill and the lumber for the new house hauled back again. Even though it might be a simple log structure this required labor. Then there were the wild animals. The meadow land separating these pioneers from their neighbors to the South was not without purpose called Bear Meadow. In 1685 a bounty of fifteen shillings was offered to anyone who killed a bear, and thereafter there were many who claimed this bounty. Then as though that were not enough there were the enraged Indians still roving about. As late as 1706 a group fell upon the Harnden
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household in the western part of the Parish while the father was away. The mother and three children were killed and the remaining five children carried away.
There was also confusion in the matter of land titles. During the con- fusion of the times there were squatters here and there. Sometimes they claimed the land by right of possession and again they, in one way or another, secured some title or bill of sale from the Indians. It is said that . John Upton first secured title to land in North Reading in the following interesting fashion. Arrayed in a pair of bright red riding breeches he, with his wife one autumn day, rode across the river and were met by Indians who had left their summer camping grounds in New Hampshire and had come to camp near the Ipswich for the Winter. The chief of the tribe was very much intrigued by the flashing wearing apparel and wanted them for himself. He and Mr. Upton bargained and it was finally agreed that the breeches were to be exchanged for land. Mr. Upton wanted to return home and change, but the chief was afraid the bargain might escape him, so he demanded that the trousers be handed over then and there. In order to oblige, Mr. Upton and his wife retired to the brush where Mrs. Upton removed one of her six petticoats and her doughty husband, minus his pants, appeared in kilts after the fashion of his ancestors.
The General Court had assumed ownership and had granted title deeds, but there still lingered in the minds of some of the Puritans the thought that the Indians had some claim to the land. More than one timid settler who fled in the face of the danger lost his home to some one claim- ing an Indian title. So when in 1684, Wenepoykin, the last of the Saugus Sachems, died, the residents of Reading thought it time to protect their claims. They hunted up David Kunkshamooshaw and some others who might be assumed to have some claim to the land because they were descended from a former Sachem, and for the sum of sixteen pounds they persuaded said David and friends to put their mark to a document which purported to deed all rights and privileges formerly held by them to the two Nahants, Wakefield, Reading and North Reading. And the payment was made in hard money for there was a rate made for the purpose.
Eventually the General Court stepped in and called a halt to this practice. In 1698 there was a law saying that not without an orderly al- lowance should any title secured from the Indians be presumed to be valid. Then in 1701 the practice was entirely prohibited under the penalty of a fine and imprisonment. Perhaps the law was not always obeyed. No law ever was even in the days of the Puritans.
In spite of unproductive land, bears, Indians and land sharks, these intrepid Uptons, Flints, Eatons and Maclntires made a beginning. That they lived an isolated life goes without saying. There was not even a bridle path across the Ipswich and the Bear Meadow Swamp. When they
[10]
desired to attend church on a Sabbath morning, it was necessary for those in the eastern part of the new settlement to make their way to Danvers, while those of the western part made their way up the river to where there was a ford and thence back and down to the mother church in the south- ern end of the town. To those who had no social outlet and who desired to attend divine services this seemed like an intolerable situation. So the ones concerned, in 1696, inspired the town to vote that, "as soon as there was a suitable and competent number of inhabitants (north of the river), they might call, settle and maintain a godly, learned and orthodox minister of their own." When this was accomplished they would be free from pay- ing rates for the support of the ministry in the southern part of the town. And not only so, but a little later the town expressed a willingness to con- tribute in money towards the new enterprise.
This was a rather large undertaking, for there were less than fifty fam- ilies living in the north part. As late as 1714 there were but forty-eight. For this small group to support and maintain a godly and learned man was no small task. Perhaps the town realized this when they refused a direct petition for a church and parish in 1711. Finally, however, the peti- tion was granted, and in 1713 it was voted to set off the territory north of the Ipswich River, together with Saddler's Neck as a distinct Parish, to bear the name of North Reading, or as it was sometimes called, Second Parish.
It was on the 27th of November when the first parish meeting as- sembled and elected Sergeant George Flint as Moderator. We are not told just how the meeting was called nor where they met. Doubtless the same method of calling the meeting was used as prevailed in the calling of town meetings, namely by a petition from five residents. The meeting was at some private home, perhaps at the home of the moderator, or at the church which was already partly constructed.
As a generous gesture the town then voted to refund all the ministerial charges that had been assessed on these North Siders for that year. As for the Rev. Mr. Brown, then pastor of the church in the south, we are not told whether his salary suffered by so much or no. Doubtless a heavier rate was assessed for the next year in order to meet "said charges." In any case the town seems to have been in a generous mood, for the next year it was voted that thirty pounds should be contributed towards the new enterprise; half of it to be paid when the new meeting house was completed and the other half when the minister's house was completed. Then later all the so-called ministerial land lying within the bounds of the parish was granted. But in spite of this seemingly generous help it was a big under- taking for this small group.
At this first parish meeting it was voted that they raise the sum of thirty-five pounds for the support of a minister. Doubtless this seemed to
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those pioneers an adequate sum. But to the prospective minister it seemed inadequate. Then the next year the Parish voted to add five pounds to this sum, little realizing that before the matter was settled they would be re- quired to double it. In the meantime the Parish got busy with the new church. A building of sorts had already been started. For this purpose John Eaton and George Flint gave land sufficient. In the minutes of the April meeting of 1714 there appears the names of those who dissented on the motion to erect in this new building what were called "body setts." At the same time a Mr. Allin was hired to preach by the quarter. Then the next year the Parish decided to put up the seats but not at that time to have a pulpit.
In these days when the printing press is running so freely, it is hard for us to realize the real difficulties these pioneers faced when it came to raising money. They had labor and produce of a kind, but very little specie with which to pay. Today there is in circulation a sizable sum of money, but in those days money was scarce. With that in mind we are prepared for this curious item which appears in the records of a meeting held in June, 1714. "Voted to give Mr. Allin twelve acres of land if Mr. Allin be our Minister. Voted to make up the twelve acres of land a hun- dred pounds in building and manuring, the land." Evidently the pay was not sufficiently attractive to Mr. Allin, for he did not choose to accept the offer.
If at first you don't succeed try, try again. And that is what happened in this case. There were other candidates. In 1716 the Parish had hired a Mr. Door to supply the pulpit and this time there was an attempt to make a more attractive offer. The Parish was willing to give Mr. Door twenty acres of land and one hundred pounds in building and manuring. And again the offer was refused and the pulpit was supplied by the week or by short periods. The stated price for these supplies in 1717 was twenty shillings per Sunday, which, as supplies go at the present time, would seem more attractive than the offer made for a regular minister. In any case progress was being made, for the very next year Jonathan Parker, Thomas Hutchinson and Jacob Taylor were appointed a committee to treat with a Mr. Putnam, in order to effect a settlement. This committee suc- ceeded, for, in August of that same year, it was voted to accept the candi- date as the minister of the Parish. The negotiations were doubtless made much easier due to the fact that the new minister had an uncle in the new church to intercede for him. The settlement was twenty acres of land, four of which the Parish would break, and a house twenty-eight by nineteen feet, with a fifteen-foot stud, if Mr. Putnam would find the nails and the glass for the building. The annual salary was to be fifteen cords of wood and sixty-six pounds, to be paid in hard money.
In the meantime there was a vote to accept the meeting house andi
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/
finish the same. All of which would seem to indicate that the new church had been a private enterprise, and that on June 25, 1718, it was formally taken over by the parish. Even prior to the incorporation, this building had been started and brought to a state of completion.
THE REV. DANIEL PUTNAM HOUSE, BUILT IN 1720
A knowledge of the conditions prevailing in those early days, a glance at the list of householders and the rates paid in 1714 gives one some idea of the difficulties. On the old rate book for that year these are the names which appear :
JONATHAN PARKER'S LIST
Jonathan Parker John Harnden Thomas Taylor Joel Jenkns Beniaman Harnden
CAP. JOSEPH UPTON'S LIST
Sar. George Flint
Joseph Pudni
Joseph Upton, Jr.
John Upton, Sr.
Widow Upton
James Upton
Daniel Gowing Zachriah Howward
John Upton
Samull Dix
Ezekl Upton, Sr.
Samull Lues
Ezekiel Upton, Jr.
Thomas Burt, Sr.
George Flint Thomas Hartshorn Caleb Taylor
Thomas Burt, Jr.
Samuel Burt
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Frances Nurs, Sr. Francis Nurs, Jr. Jonathin Nurs Thomas Rich Stephen Fish
Philip Mackintire
Ebnezer Mackintire
Daniel Mackintire
Jonathin Mackintire Samuel Phelps
John Fish Adam Hart
Hanry Phelps John Phelps William Flint
Samuel Parker
John Eton
Shubal Harne
William Sawer
Thomas Hutchson
John Rich Charles Furbush
Samuel Mackintire
Besides these forty-seven there were twenty-seven other non-resident rate payers which were assessed varying amounts. The largest payer was Sergeant George Flint who was assessed three pounds, twelve shillings and seven pence; the next was John Eaton with two pounds, thirteen shillings and one pence. The others follow with varying amounts. William Sawer is at the bottom of the list with two shillings, but it all totaled up to a little more than fifty pounds. Soon the number began to increase and by 1735 it had doubled, and from that time forward the Parish began to breathe a bit easier so far as ministerial charges were concerned. By the middle of the century the saturation point had been reached and the num- ber remained in the neighborhood of one hundred and twenty-five.
It is interesting to compare this original list of rate payers with the list of the charter members of the new church which has been handed down as follows :
Daniel Putnam, Pastor
Anne Taylor
John Eaton
Anne Parker
Thomas Taylor
Sarah Lewis
Thomas Burtt
Mary Taylor
Samuel Dix
Mary Rich
Thomas Bryant
Dorcas Sawyer
Jonathan Parker
Mary Fish
Thomas Nichols
Mary Leman
William Flint
Mary Howard
John Phelps Samuel Lewis
Mary Damon
Caleb Taylor
Mary Flint
Benjamin Damon
Sarah Harnden
Samuel Leman
Elizabeth Phelps
Ebenezer Flint
Hannah Wright
Esther Gowing
[14 ]
John Harnden Stephen Wright Rebecca Putnam Hannah Eaton Sarah Chamberlin
The Widow Macintire Elizabeth Nichols Abagail Flint Mary Burt
There are thirty-nine names here and the majority are the names of women. All of which would seem to prove that people then were pretty much as they are at the present time. There are a few new names, indicat- ing that the population had increased during the six-year period. The most revealing part of this list, however, is the names that do not appear. At the time there were eight families of Uptons in the Parish and not an Upton appears on the list. Among those admitted during the year there is, however, the name of Joseph Upton. There were seven families of Flints and only two of them appear on the church list. Four others appear before the close of the year. Of the Mackintires only the name of the Widow Mackintire appears. There is no apparent explanation for this. Certainly not all these families were ineligible for church membership. Some of the missing names appear among the Parish officers. The only apparent explanation lies in the fact that some of these families were originally Presbyterians and were loth to become members of the new church.
For the most part affairs in the new Parish went along smoothly enough. One runs onto such items as this, in the old records. In 1729, "finished a new well for Mr. Putnam." Then again in 1755, voted to buy a new pump for the parsonage well. Evidently there was an attempt to keep abreast of the times, for the old fashioned well sweep continued in use long after this date. As indicated above there was always the diffi- culty of the shortage of specie payment. Then from time to time there was the problem of depreciated currency. Ten years after the ordination of Mr. Putnam there began an era of rising prices which put in reverse meant an era of depreciated currency. Additional salary had to be voted to meet the emergency. After a time there was a new issue of currency and then the Parish was bedeviled with new and old tenor money. Grad- ually the old tenor lost value and finally disappeared. At the time of the completion of the second meeting-house there is this recorded item, "voted Andrew Beard, one hundred pounds, old tenor, for the hardness of his bar- gin in building the meeting-house." Evidently the contractor of that day not only had to deal with the shrewd Yankees, but also with an uncertain monetary system. As it happened the hundred pounds, old tenor was not worth much at the time.
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