USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Berlin > History of the town of Berlin, Worcester County, Mass. from 1784 to 1959 > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26
M. L'
Gc 974.402 B454k 1420921
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
5
Carter 12 St.
10
West
11
8
St.
St
4
13
1
7
14
3
Linden St.
St.
South
V
St.
Highland
5 carter
9
GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 00084 1210
St.
St.
Brewer Rd.
central
ST.
Map of Center of Berlin
1. Town House
2. Public Library
3. Memorial School
4. Fire Station
5. Public Works Dept
6. First Parish Church
7. Youth Church
8. St. Joseph's Mission
9. Community Store
10. Germain's Wonderland
11. Bens service Station 12. Wheeler's Garage & Sales Rooms. Rd. 13. Powder House
14. Old cemetary - I Destomer & Juge H 63
From
1960 A.D. September 16,19 Sawyer Hill Tered when
HISTORY
of the
TOWN OF BERLIN
Worcester County, Mass.
From 1784 to 1959
By FREDERICK A. KRACKHARDT
BER
N.
INCORPORATED
MASSA
1812
ITS.
SACH
MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY THE COLONIAL PRESS INC.
1420921
TO THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS of the TOWN OF BERLIN Who have an interest in the Town, AND To the observation of the 175th anniversary of the incorporation of the DISTRICT of BERLIN and the NAMING thereof in 1784, This volume is respectfully dedicated.
forward
9-26-67 Jun, 2082
05% $ nowtrott
CONTENTS
PREFACE vii
FOREWORD ix
I. INTRODUCTORY FEATURES
1
II. The CHURCH and RELIGION
15
III. SCHOOLS and EDUCATION 37
IV. MILITARY AFFAIRS 62
V. CIVIC AFFAIRS 84
VI. TRANSPORTATION and COMMUNICATION 113
VII. AGRICULTURE and INDUSTRIES 144
VIII. SOCIAL INTERESTS 172
IX. GENEALOGY 211
INDEX 336
PREFACE
The project of a revised History of the Town of Berlin devel- oped from an assignment on the Writers' Project of the W.P.A., dated February 17, 1936. Through the courtesy of Robert H. Bryan, Frederick A. Krackhardt was employed as agent for Berlin, to contribute material for the Massachusetts Guide to Its Places and People (1937). From the submission of a manuscript of sixty-eight typed pages (12,257 words ), the Guide (p. 515) printed the following line: "BERLIN ... an agricultural com- munity, in spite of unfavorable soil conditions. There are a few profitable orchards and dairies." No inference to these senti- ments was expressed in the manuscript submitted.
The citizens of Berlin did not appreciate this insertion. To compensate for this "scar" the Worcester District Office of the Writers' Project proposed to compile a History of Berlin. A committee, consisting of William S. Eager, Maude A. Sawyer, and Herbert L. Wheeler was appointed by the Selectmen to review the material of the manuscript and make arrangements for its publication. The committee was later enlarged to include Charles J. G. Hubbard, Mrs. Charles M. Field and Elmer C. Lewis.
Application was made to the Federal Writers' Project of the W.P.A. for a contract to publish a History of the Town of Berlin. Selectman Lemuel D. Carter signed the application papers on February 24, 1939. The contract forms were signed and presented to Miss Kathleen M. Burns, District Supervisor of the Writers' Project in Worcester, on September 9, 1940.
The material for the manuscript was completed, typed and submitted to Mrs. Muriel E. Hawks, State Supervisor of the Massachusetts Writers' Project, in Boston. The State Supervisor requested the surrender of the carbon copy of the manuscript, also. Then, the Writers' Project "folded up" in June of 1942. That was the decease of this "Project." We do not know whether the corpse was submerged in the Atlantic or cremated. Only
vii
viii
PREFACE
fragmentary notes and a memory remained of this Berlin History.
At the Town Meeting of February 7, 1949, it was proposed by Mr. J. Adams Puffer that we resume compiling the History of Berlin. Thus under Article 37 of the Town Warrant of March 6, 1950, it was "voted to appoint a committee of three, to bring the "History of Berlin" up to date; Mr. Frederick A. Krackhardt to be chairman and empowered to select the other two members; and to appropriate $500.00 from the excess and deficiency ac- count for this purpose." Mrs. Flora E. Smith and Miss Frances E. Rice were chosen as the other two members of the Committee. Mrs. Priscilla F. Jewett replaced the late Frances E. Rice.
The Committee wishes to make grateful acknowledgment to the many persons who contributed of their time, materials, and recollections to this "History of Berlin." Some, however, because of their special interest and contribution, deserve our particular thanks. Among these are the names of William S. Eager, Charles J. G. Hubbard, Arthur Hastings, J. Adams Puffer, Sarah H. Dudley, Edward F. Greene, M. Reed Tyler, Forrest E. Day, Henry A. Wheeler, Herbert L. Wheeler, L. Ada Berry, Edith R. S. Sawyer, Edna Z. Guertin, and Ella Howe.
Very special thanks is extended to Harris G. Field, who, while Town Clerk, gave of his time to permit access to the vault, safes, and records of the Town. Credit goes to Eleanor I. Campbell and Louise D. Kent for the endleaf maps.
Not only residents of Berlin, but also residents of neighboring towns who had a keen interest and knowledge of Berlin, gave valuable information for the records. Among these were Francis A. Sawyer and Dr. Frederick L. Weis of Lancaster, George L. Wright, Town Clerk of Boylston, Hiram Harlow of Shrewsbury, and Christopher S. White, Walter Irving Dunn, and Eugene H. Jaquith of Clinton.
FREDERICK A. KRACKHARDT, Chairman FLORA E. SMITH
PRISCILLA F. JEWETT
A HISTORY OF BERLIN (1895-1959)
Foreword
Berlin Today
Berlin (Mass.) of today is serenely nestled within the shadows of the encircling folds of the verdant rangy hills, to the south of the Wataquadock, whose valleys drain south-eastwardly into the Assabet.
It is located in the extreme eastern border of Worcester County, touching Middlesex County with its eastern boundary. Situated near the middle of the north and south line of the county, at latitude 42°-22'-54.9", and longitude 71°-38'-12.7". The elevation at the foot of the steps leading into the Town Hall is 326.5 feet above mean sea level. The average elevation is 393.6 feet; the highest point is on Mt. Pisgah (at the Northboro line) 720 feet; and the lowest point is 210 feet at the Marlboro line on the Assabet River. The level of Gates Pond is 360 feet, approxi- mately a 35-foot water-head for Berlin Center. (Figures from Geographical Directory of Worcester County, 1949).
Berlin is bounded on the east by Hudson and Marlboro of Middlesex County; on the south by Marlboro and Northboro; on the west by Boylston and Clinton; and on the north by Bolton and a section of Hudson. Thus a bound stone in the east- ern line has the distinction of being the point of convergence of two towns (Hudson and Marlboro) of Middlesex County and Berlin of Worcester County. A similar three-point bound stone is located in the north and south ends of the eastern line, but in each case only one town of Middlesex County is con- cerned.
The Town is situated thirteen miles north-east of Worcester, the county seat, and thirty-two miles due west of Boston, the capital of the state. Its territorial limits of 13.18 square miles
ix
x
FOREWORD
have remained practically the same since its incorporation as a town in 1812. After almost three hundred years of settlement, the Town may still be classed as a rural residential community, with suburban conveniences. A splendid example of a colonial town, typical of eastern Massachusetts; to which many turn for their summer residence.
Its 8,437.1 acres, of which 8,329.4 is land and 107.7 is water, checkered with wooded areas, pasture lands, fruitful fields and dotted by its 391 dwellings, makes an ideal, attractive abode for its 1,516 population (1955 census); an average of 115 per square mile of territory.
While it is estimated that the principal business of the com- munity is farming, a large per cent of its inhabitants are em- ployed in the neighboring towns and cities. This practice is made possible by the fine network of forty miles of modern improved roads which connect with every home. These converge upon the main lines of travel, which consist of State No. 62, passing through the Town from east to west; and Pleasant Street leading south to connect with U.S. No. 20 and State No. 9.
Commodity supplies for the community are obtainable from the General Stores of the New England Stores System at the Center. There are also well-equipped stores in the South and West sections of Berlin. Or, if one prefers to trade in the neigh- boring towns of Clinton, Hudson, or Northboro, or the cities of Marlboro, Worcester, or Boston, there are 778 registered motor vehicles in town that will swish one to his destination.
Freight service is maintained over the B & M R.R. and the NY, NH & H R.R. The American Railway Express will deliver packages to West Berlin homes from the Clinton Express Office. The Clinton Auto Express, Inc. conducts a daily service between Clinton and Boston, by means of which articles may be trans- ported from the sales rooms to the home of the customer. So it is convenient and economical to live in Berlin.
William A. Emerson, in his Fireside Legends, gives expression to these sentiments: "The world looks with wonder on the dikes of Holland, the wall of China, and the pyramids of Egypt, but I do not hesitate to say that the results produced by the small, scattered population of the American colonies,-in tearing up the wilderness by the roots, transferring the rocks, with which the
xi
FOREWORD
surface was covered, into walls, good roads and bridges, and con- verting a sterile waste into fertile fields, blossoming with verdure, grain and fruitage; is a more wonderful monument of human industry and perseverance than them all."
These words are a true expression of the tenacity and faith of the early settlers of Berlin, in their adaptation to their environ- ment. The Berlin of Today is a typical modern rural suburban community. Some three hundred years of development has wrought a wonderful adjustment to the present regime.
Evidence of the Colonial formative period exist, but these are shrouded in vestures of modern beauty and symmetry. The frames of the Old Town House, the First Center School, Evan- gelical Church (Berlin Academy), part of Ye Jones' Inn, and Howe's Tavern still abide, although these occupy new locations and have been transformed into modern dwellings and apart- ments.
The population has increased from thirty-two families at the time of the establishment of the South Parish of Bolton (1778) by bounds, according to the following figures:
Year
Population
Year
Population 1106
Year 1920
Population
1790
512
1860
868
1800
590
1870
1016
1925
1071
1810
591
1880
987
1930
1075
1820
625
1890
884
1940
1057
1830
692
1900
895
1945
1119
1840
763
1905
906
1950
1348
1850
866
1910
904
1955
1514
The original Yankee settlers (Sawyer, Jones, Houghton, Howe, Spofford, Rice, Taylor, Wheeler, etc.) have been supplemented by those of many other national origins. This cosmopolitan group are so mutually interwoven into the social fabric of the commu- nity that it makes a congenial unit. These citizens have learned the value of the motto-"In Union There Is Strength."
With the increase of population there would naturally be an increase in the number of dwellings to house these people. Ac- cording to the Assessors' Report of 1875, there were 209 dwelling houses, 117 of which were connected with farms. By 1949 the number had increased to 327 and the next year (1950) 334 were reported, while in 1952 the number had risen to 355; the number
xii
FOREWORD
has been boosted to 391 in 1954, with many more houses under construction. These rural homes, provided with the modern con- veniences, operated by electricity, gas and oil, vie with many palatial residences of the metropolis.
As the name (Berlin) implies-"a free and open space" and its nearness to nature appeals to many people. The joy of residing in modern Berlin is fittingly expressed by Mr. Henry H. Harper, who, for several years, had his summer home on Sawyer Hill. In his Letters from an Outsider to an Insider, he penned the follow- ing: "You don't have to be a poet to like the freshness and fragrance of the country in springtime; and I look forward to apple-blossom time as a youngster looks forward to the Santa Claus season. . .. I like the old-time simplicity and freedom of country life as contrasted with the bustle and worry of urban life; and especially in summer, I much prefer the rural quietude as against the rumble of the city streets. . .. Then, too, I enjoy having my city friends come out for weekend parties. I like to see them expand their chests with pure, fresh air; and I have a certain vainglory in hearing them expatiate on the view from the front lawn."
The hills and valleys of Berlin are shrouded with forests, or- chards, farms, and dwellings of its liberty-loving people. Stand on the ledgy platform of "Powder House" Hill, and view the spacious intervale of rich fertile fields, banked by Sawyer Hill on the east and Barnes Hill on the west. Then turn, facing northward, and "lift up your eyes to the (Wheeler) hills," dotted with their majestic gardens of truck-crops, pasture lands and orchards. And surely, under these surroundings we may visualize Samuel F. Smith's inspiration, and quote:
My native country, thee, Land of the noble free, Thy name I love; I love thy rocks and rills, Thy woods and templed hills; My heart with rapture thrills Like that a-bove.
Wallace Nutting writes in his Massachusetts Beautiful, these pleasing lines: "To the writer, the heart of Worcester County
xiii
FOREWORD
has in its orchards and streams more beauty, perhaps, than the Berkshires themselves. . . . The gentle slopes of Berlin . . are thoroughly satisfactory."
With these brief remarks, we venture to introduce you to our Beautiful Berlin. The Town stands ready for your inspection, adamant upon the foundation of its history and heritage. In this spirit we wish to continue the History of Berlin which was laid down in 1895, after the death of its author-the Rev. William A. Houghton. Since that period, life in Berlin has experienced many transitions. The way of life has been revolutionized. The following are some of the commodities which Berlin did not possess prior to 1895:
The telephone and the telephone system, or the Rural Free Delivery.
Electric light and power with all of its applications.
Naming of the streets and roads and their modern construction
and maintenance, also the Town Barn with its equipment. Automobiles, trolley lines and buses.
Wachusett Aqueduct of the Metropolitan Water Supply tun- nelled through the town. Gates Pond was surrendered to Hudson for a water supply.
Civic utilities-the Australian Ballot System and Woman Suf- frage.
Welfare Department and Nashoba Health Association.
Lyman School for Boys, Library Building, Memorial School Building and Worcester County Extension Service.
The Fire Department and its equipment, remodeling and re- pairs on the Town House.
Modern poultry farms, 1790 Turkey Farm and Sheep Ranch.
Modern dairy farms and modern fruit orchards, the Chedco Farms, Inc.
McCann's and Lovely Farms Ice Cream Plant, Berlin Mush- room Plant, Potas Tape-Weaving Concern, Coldwell's Inc. Building Supplies.
Establishment of the First Parish Church (Federated) and St. Joseph's Mission and their allied organizations.
Various patriotic, civic and social organizations instituted to develop their specific interests.
xiv
FOREWORD
All of these items will be treated in the chapters of this volume. We love our Berlin, and hope that you, too, one and all, may learn to love and admire her, as you peruse these pages, or perchance stroll, motor, or visit our community. It has learned from the past and looks eagerly toward the future, with a conscience void of offense. So with William Allen White, we say: "I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love to-day."
As a climax to the praise of Berlin, we present a poem, com- posed by a late loving citizen of Berlin, drawn from a heart of experience.
BEAUTIFUL BERLIN
Clara S. Eager The beautiful brooks of Berlin!
How I have danced beside them,
Down through the lush, green meadows Gathering spoil of their flow.
The reverent woods of Berlin!
How I have knelt within them,
How they have whelmed me with kindness,
Leading me onward and onward Thrilled with the ardor of worship.
The aspiring hills of Berlin! My homing feet in the twilight Seek for the little paths That led me upward in sunshine.
The meandering roads of Berlin! Far and afar they have lured me, Promising vistas of beauty, Soothing my soul into quiet.
O dear and beloved Mother Berlin! Never again shall I follow All the sweet pathways of my fancy, By brookside and woodland and hill top!
September 19, 1935
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY FEATURES
When the Committee from the South Parish of Bolton peti- tioned the General Court to grant them the status of a District, it became necessary to select a name for the same. After much deliberation and discussion, they chose the name of BERLIN, in honor of the capital of Germany, and pronounced it Bur'-lin, with the accent on the first syllable.
The question is often asked, Why, in contrast to its English- labeled neighboring towns, did they choose this name? It set a precedent and became the first Berlin in the United States. At this period, in the wake of the Revolutionary War, the tempera- ment of the Colonial mind was not favorable to English memorials. The Committee preferred to honor the friend of George Washington. Frederick, the Great, had taken great in- terest in the American Revolution and its Commander-in-Chief and he became the first sovereign to conclude a commercial treaty with the United States and presented George Washington with a "sword" as a token of his friendship.
Another possible influence directing the selection of the name of BERLIN was the gratitude for services rendered by Baron Friedrick Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin von Steuben. He held the rank of Lieutenant-General under Frederick the Great of Prussia, came to Portsmouth, N. H., in December of 1777, and offered his services to the new nation. By means of his drilling and training "a new American army was born on the bleak plateau of Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-8". (See "From Lexington to Liberty" by Bruce Lancaster, 1953). Many Veterans were founders of this new District of Berlin.
The word, Berlin, is translated to mean, "free or open space";
1
2
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BERLIN
this, likewise, interests our interpretation. Some attempts have been made to change the name. As, for instance, in 1917, some lad petitioned the Governor to take action on the name. Where- upon, our honorable Selectmen replied: "We are satisfied and honored with the name and since our town has made an honorable response to all calls for national service, and, furthermore, since there is a Keizer (Roy L.) from Berlin (Mass.) on an American U-boat, hunting the other Kaizer's sub-marines, we are con- tented to struggle along under the same name." So, thus, the town is still listed in the Postal Guide, tourists guides, and time tables as Berlin, Massachusetts.
The territory comprising the Town of Berlin, with the excep- tion of a strip of Marlboro, along the Assabet River, was originally of Lancaster. This section of wilderness, prior to 1643, was solely inhabited by a small tribe of Indians called the Nashaways or Nashawoys. They had their headquarters between the two Washacum Ponds. Probably at certain seasons of the year there were several outlying families. One of these, the Wataquadocks clan, was in the habit of camping east of Clam- shell Pond. Evidences of their sojourn are found in the ledges and lands of the Larkin estate, Boylston Road, and also about Dewey Park off West Street near the Clinton-Berlin line.
The pestilence, which had proved so destructive to the Algon- quin Tribes as a whole, had reduced them to probably fifteen or sixteen families, and they had been forced to fight with the marauding Mohawks and had been defeated by them. Conse- quently, they calculated that if they could persuade some of the white men to come and live among them, they would receive protection in times of invasion.
Accordingly, in good faith, Sholan, the chief of the tribe, made frequent visits to Watertown, and urged that a settlement should be made in this vicinity. Finally, eighty square miles of land (a rectangular section running ten miles N-S and eight miles E-W) was purchased of the Indians by a Company of some six men which had been formed. This purchase was sanctioned by the General Court and was known as the Nashaway Plantation.
Forthwith a trading post or trucking house was established on George Hill (of Lancaster) in 1643, under the name of Symonds and King. This locality chanced to be a meeting place of several
3
INTRODUCTORY FEATURES
Indian tribes where they could carry on their bartering trade with them.
In 1645, John Prescott, another member of the Nashaway Plantation, sold his house and lands in Watertown, and moved his family and such possessions as he deemed necessary to the east side of George Hill, now known as Maplehurst. For thirty- one years this farmer, millwright, and blacksmith struggled to conceive and build a town.
In the records of the General Court there is found the fol- lowing entry dated 1652: "Considering that there is already at Nashaway about 9 familyes, & that seueral, both freeman & others intend to goe & settle there, some whereof are named in theire petition, this Court doth hereby giue & graunt them libertyes of a townshipp." The prayer of the petitioners was answered by an act of incorporation, dated May 18, 1653, and the town of Lancaster was rated with Middlesex County. The name of Lan- caster was given to the town, in remembrance, perhaps, of the English County in which John Prescott was born .*
From this eighty square mile tract, twelve towns were even- tually formed, either entirely or in part. They were as follows, grouped in sequence of date of incorporation:
Lancaster
1653
Boxboro 1783
Marlboro
1660
Boylston
1786
Harvard
1732
West Boylston 1805
Bolton
1738
Berlin
1812
Leominster
1740
Clinton
1850
Sterling
1781
Hudson
1866
Within twelve years after the incorporation of Lancaster, settlements began to be made on Berlin territory. John Moore of Sudbury was a land proprietor of Lancaster, and in 1665 he built a new house southeast of Wataquadock. The house was destroyed by fire in 1888. This stood on Kelley Hill, at the northwest corner of Carr and Randall roads. It was still standing in 1676 when Mrs. Mary Rowlandson and her rescue party returned from their captivity following the Indian raid and slaughter of February 1675-76 in Lancaster.
* Worcester was "erected, granted, and made" a County Seat by the General Court, April 2, 1731, so that the records prior to 1731 will be found in Concord, of Middlesex County.
4
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BERLIN
In her Narrative she writes: "We went on to a farm house, that was yet standing, where we lay down all night; and a comfortable lodging we had, though nothing but straw to lie on." For "not one house was left standing" in Lancaster, "not even the meeting house."
Although the Town of Lancaster had been incorporated, there were so few "freemen" that in 1657 the General Court appointed a commission of three men to order the affairs of the Town. Members of the church were the only ones allowed to vote and carry on the Town business. For nearly twenty years the building of the Town of Lancaster proceeded with comparative harmony. The white men and the red men jointly occupied the valley of the Nashua. Deeds reserved for them their "usual hunting, fishing, and planting places." While Sholan lived, the two races were helpful to each other.
It was during the rule of "King Philip" of the Wampanoags that the real trouble occurred between the colonists and the Indians. He perceived and published that the red man's birth- right was being gradually taken from him, and that they must organize and rally to defend these rights. The assault, raid, and destruction of the Lancaster settlement on February 10, 1676, as referred to in Mrs. Rowlandson's Narrative, was a climax of their planning.
For a few years the town was without a white inhabitant. But in October of 1679 the Middlesex County Court appointed a committee to renew the settlement. Not until June of 1684 was any move made toward forming a new church.
During this period no settlers ventured as far south as Berlin territory. But to the south of Berlin, which at that time was in the Town of Marlboro, there had been established at least four farms with dwellings (along River Road) bordering the Assabet River. These were known as the Nathaniel Wheeler place, The 1790 Farm, the Danford Tyler place, and the Newsome place (or Risi Cement Block Factory). These farms were operated by Job and Henry Kerley, Samuel Jones, Sr., Solomon Keyes, and Joseph Rice, in the early 1700's.
On the western border of the town of Berlin Philip Larkin settled about 1710, building his house on the south side of "Snake Hill," off the Boylston Road.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.