USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Hanover > History of the town of Hanover, Massachusetts, with family genealogies > Part 1
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Gc 974.402 H19d 1158611
M. L.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
=
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
Plymouth Co
3 1833 01068 4212
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/historyoftownofh00dwel 0
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Sincerely your friend Jedediah Smiley
Farm Yours Truly Am & Simons
By
HISTORY
OF THE
TOWN OF HANOVER
MASSACHUSETTS
WITH
FAMILY GENEALOGIES
By JEDEDIAH DWELLEY and JOHN F. SIMMONS
Published by the TOWN OF HANOVER, 1910.
130
Copyrighted, 1911, By TOWN OF HANOVER, MASSACHUSETTS.
Linotyped and printed by the Memorial Press, Plymouth, Mass.
I.S
1158611 TOWN OF HANOVER.
At the annual town meeting, held on the seventh day of March, 1904, John E. Stetson presiding, it was voted that the moderator appoint a committee of five to nominate a committee to have charge of the preparation and publication of a history of Hanover, said committee to report at this meeting : John F. Simmons, Josiah W. Hinckley, Melvin S. Nash, Lot Phillips, and Robert N. Millet were appointed as that committee, and they reported the following names : Jedediah Dwelley, Morrill A. Phillips, Josiah W. Hinckley, Rodolphus C. Waterman, and John F. Simmons. The nominees so reported were elected as said Town History Committee.
This committee afterwards selected Jedediah Dwelley and John F. Simmons, aforesaid, to prepare and write the history.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
These pictures, with the exception of those of Mr. Dwelley and Mr. Simmons are from photographs taken by Thomas Drew, Edmund B. Packard, Herman L. Sturtevant and Herbert L. Curtis, at least three-fourths of them being the work of Mr. Drew who, at the solicitation of the Committee, gave cheerful and artistic service. Portrait of Jedediah Dwelley Frontice
Portrait of John F. Simmons Frontice
12
Indian Head River at South Hanover 12
Old Bridge at Drinkwater 13
North River at the Bridge
13
Town House
22
Almshouse
22
Hanover Street at Rev. Wm. H. Dowden's
23
The Pines on Broadway .
23
House of Mrs. Eliza S. Sylvester
38
House of Morrill A. Phillips.
38
Residence of Joseph S. Sylvester
39
Residence of William F. Bates
39
Second Congregational Church
St. Andrew's Church.
Church of the Sacred Heart.
First Baptist Church.
Universalist Church (2 views)
82 83
Residence of Andrew T. Damon
102
Residence of George W. Curtis.
102
Residence of I. G. Stetson
103
Residence of John F. Simmons
103
John Curtis Free Library
130
Curtis School. 130
Salmond School, formerly Hanover Academy 131
King Street School 131
Corner of Church and Washington Street. 144
60 60 61 61
First Congregational Church (2 views)
The Country Road at Rocky Swamp
5
HISTORY OF HANOVER.
Circuit Street, at end of King Street. 144
North Hanover, Mann's Corner. 145
King Street, near residence of O. F. Ellis. 145
Woodward Hill.
168
John Bailey House (now Ada A. Campbell)
172
The Judge Cushing House
172
The Job Tilden House
173
Lone House in Cricket Hole
173
Tack Factory of Ezra Phillips & Sons
196
The Old Forge on King Street 197
197
Tack Works of Rodolphus C. Waterman at Project Dale
204 204
E. H. Clapp Rubber Company .
205
Box Factory of Lot Phillips & Co. Corp'n 210
West Hanover-Eliab Mill
211
North River Bridge (2 views) .
230
Old Teague's Bridge. 231
Bridge at E. H. Clapp Rubber Factory
231
Center Hanover Primary School
240
Odd Fellows Hall. . 240
241
Library Hall, West Hanover. 241
Broad Oak Farm 248
248
Residence of Samuel H. Church 249
Residence of Priscilla Eells 249
House of Benjamin B. Hall 260
260
The Baldwin House (2 views)
261
The Howard House 268
Hanover Four Corners 268
269
South Hanover at the Post Office.
Jacobs Pond at Assinippi. 269
Hackett's Mill, North Hanover 276
Whiting Street. 276
Cemetery (2 views) 277
Plant of National Fireworks Company
Grain Store and Office of Phillips, Bates & Co.
Hall of Phoenix Lodge of F. and A. M.
Residence of Edward M. Sweeny
House of William Stockbridge
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN. CHANGE IN BOUNDARIES.
EARLY SETTLERS. SOME OF THE VOTES PASSED AT THE
FIRST TOWN MEETING. DOUBLE DATING. 9-24
CHAPTER II.
TOWN, COUNTY AND STATE OFFICERS. 25-35
CHAPTER III.
PHYSICAL CHANGES.
LAND TITLES. INDIANS.
36-52
CHAPTER IV.
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. ·
.
53-94
CHAPTER V.
PROFESSIONAL MEN.
.
95-116
CHAPTER VI.
EDUCATION.
PUBLIC LIBRARY.
.
117-136
CHAPTER VII.
MILITARY HISTORY.
137-169
CHAPTER VIII.
SHIPBUILDING.
HANOVER RAILROAD. IRON.
. 170-180
CHAPTER IX.
SLAVERY. SUPPORT OF POOR. AGED PERSONS. .
. 181-192
CHAPTER X.
MILLS, MANUFACTURES AND INDUSTRIES.
.
193-218
CHAPTER XI.
ROADS AND HIGHWAYS.
STREAMS AND BRIDGES.
.
219-237
CHAPTER XII.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
OLD HOUSES.
CHAPTER XIII.
HOTELS. POST OFFICES. LANDMARKS.
264-273
CHAPTER XIV.
BIRDS. CEMETERY.
.
274-279
INDEX.
281
.
. 238-263
INTRODUCTION.
The history of Hanover is that of one of the towns incorporated nearly two hundred years ago, with a settlement dating back to the middle of the seventeenth century.
Deane, in his history of Scituate, throws some light on the life and pursuits of the early residents ; and Barry, more than a half century ago, wrote a history that has been and now is highly prized.
At the time of the Old Home Week Celebration, in 1903, the citizens of the town became so interested that it was decided to have a history written that would bring out more fully a record up to the present time.
At a town meeting held March 7th, 1904, it was voted to prepare a history of Hanover; and Jedediah Dwelley, Morrill A. Phillips, Josiah W. Hinckley, Rodolphus C. Waterman, and John F. Sim- mons were chosen a committee to carry the vote into effect. This committee appointed John F. Simmons and Jedediah Dwelley to prepare the work.
Mr. Simmons died in 1908, leaving a manuscript of his part; and, so far as possible, this manuscript has been used in the prep- aration of this work.
The genealogical part of the book has been prepared entirely by Mr. Dwelley. The several chapters of the general history show what part thereof was written by Mr. Simmons and what part by Mr. Dwelley.
While Chapter X was written by the subscriber, he was in- debted to the manuscript of Mr. John F. Simmons on the sub- jects embraced therein. The first two and one-half pages are copied from this manuscript, and with the exception of the facts relating to the other mills on the several brooks and rivers, he has followed Mr. Simmons as closely as possible consistent with the limitations of the work. To these facts relating to the early history of the mills on the brooks and rivers, the subscriber gave many days of careful, painstaking research among the old Scituate and Plymouth Records.
The first thought of the committee was to have a work of about 1000 pages and material therefor was collected; but, on account of
8
HISTORY OF HANOVER.
the expense, it was at a late hour decided to condense so as to embrace all in a less number. In doing this, it has been necessary to omit much that had been prepared of general interest in the historical part, as well as much in the genealogical part!, of a personal nature.
The work done by Mr. Dwelley has been prepared in hours snatched from an exacting business life, and lacks much that would have been given, if continuous devotion to the subject had been possible.
It is submitted with a full realization of its shortcomings and its errors.
The writer wishes to acknowledge the great service rendered by the other members of the committee, in regard to information, criticism, and, above all, kindly advice and encouraging words.
He also here acknowledges the assistance of Miss Anna Suther- land, Mr. A. Irvin Studley and Mr. Morton V. Bonney and the invaluable service, each in their own way, rendered by Miss Louise H. Briggs and Dr. Clarence L. Howes.
This book would never have been completed but for the intelli- gent devoted service of my assistant, Miss L. Gertrude Gardner.
JEDEDIAH DWELLEY.
9
INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN.
CHAPTER I.
INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN.
Change in boundaries- Early settlers-Some of the votes passed at the first town meetings-Double dating.
The first few pages of this chapter were written by John F. Simmons, the remainder by Jedediah Dwelley.
On the fourteenth day of June, 1727, the Lieutenant Governor, Council and Representatives in General Court assembled, passed "An Act for erecting a new town within the County of Plymouth by the name of Hannover." This Act read as follows: "Whereas the inhabitants of the Westerly part of the town of Scituate and the inhabitants of the Easterly part of the town of Abingdon labour under great difficulties by reason of their remoteness from the places for the publick worship of God, and have thereupon made their application to this Court that the lands on the Westerly part of the town of Scituate and the lands on the Easterly part of the town of Abingdon, adjoining together, and whereon they dwell, may be vested with all the powers and privileges of a town: Be it it, therefore, enacted by the Lieutenant Governor, Council and Representatives in General Court Assembled, and by the authority of the same,-'That the Westerly part of the said town of Scituate and the Easterly part of the said town of Abingdon, be and hereby is sett off and constituted a separate township, by the name of Hannover, the bounds of the said township to be as follows, viz: to begin at the Third Herring Brook at David Jacob's saw-mill dam, and from thence running near West about two hundred and forty-six rods, to the Northeast corner of Isaac Turner's great lot; then, near West, with the North side line of said great lot, one mile, to the share line; and then, continuing the same course, three-quarters of a mile; then turning and running near South two miles, to the Southwest corner of Nehemiah Cushing's lot; then South 5°, 40' West, to the Southerly bounds of Ab- ingdon; and on the South side it is bounded on the line betwixt Abingdon and Pembroke, and on Indian Head River, and South- easterly by the North River, and Easterly by the aforesaid Third
10
HISTORY OF HANOVER.
Herring Brook, from the said North River to the dam before mentioned; and that the inhabitants of the said lands as before described and bounded be and hereby are vested with the powers privileges and immunities that the inhabitants of any of the towns of this province by law are or ought to be vested with, Provided, That the inhabitants of the said town of Hannover do within the space of two years from the publication of this act, erect and finish a suitable house for the publick worship of God, and, as soon as may be, procure and settle a learned, orthodox minister, of good conversation, and make provision for his comfort- able and honourable support, and likewise provide a school-master to instruct their youth in writing and reading; and that thereupon they be discharged from any further payments for the maintenance of the ministry and school in the towns of Scituate and Abingdon, for any estate lying within the said town of Hannover: saving to the inhabitants of the towns of Scituate and Hannover, respectively, their interest and propriety in the common and undivided lands within the said towns of Scituate and Hannover; anything in this act to the contrary notwithstanding.'"
By whose suggestion the name of Hanover was taken, is not now known. We are told that the loyal subjects of the King of England, George I., took this name as a tribute to their king, who, before ascending the throne of Great Britain, had been Elector of Lüneburg and Hannover. The death of George I. occurred June 10, 1727, four days before the final passage of the Act of Incorporation. The name, therefore, was German,
and was correctly spelled in the Act of Incorporation. still spelled Hannover in Germany, and is there pronounced with the accent on the second syllable. How it became changed in its spelling and pronounciation can be accounted for by the inclina- tion, which has always been prominent in this country, to make improvement in every way and upon everything.
It is
By our name we are linked to the very ancient past. Hannover was a part of Saxony whose inhabitants, the Saxons, gave the name which is now used generically to designate the whole English speaking race, Anglo Saxons. Saxon is a word whose derivation is lost. It is traced by some authorities to "Sah," meaning a short knife; and by others it is held to mean "settled," as dis- tinguished from the "Suevi," a wandering people.
Ptolemy first speaks of this people in the third century of our era. They then inhabited the same country now called Hannover in Prussia. They moved westward and were the first race from
11
INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN.
the continent to attempt a permanent settlement in England. They left the marks of their language in the English county names of Essex, Sussex and Wessex, which are but shorter forms of East Saxons, South Saxons and West Saxons.
Saxony and the Hannoverians remained a distinct independent nation until the year 803, when Charlemagne succeeded in sub- jugating them after thirty-one years of almost continuous warfare.
The same spirit of independence actuated the modern little kingdom of Hannover. It resisted the efforts made for the unifica- tion of the German Empire until 1866, and only yielded to the inevitable after a conflict in arms.
In accordance with the prevailing religious expression of the time, and as showing the close connection of church and state- of the period, the cause actuating the petitioning householders to wish to be erected into a separate town was that they laboured "under great difficulties by reason of their remoteness from the places for publick worship of God." All those living westerly of the old line of the town of Scituate, eight families in all, were compelled by law to attend and pay taxes for the support of the Church in Abington; while those living east of that line as far- as the Third Herring Brook, were in the same way bound to the. Church at Scituate.
In the light of the relative conditions to-day, it is interesting- to regard the statements put forth by the protesting householders. of Abington as reasons for opposing the incorporation of the new" town.
In September, 1726, the town of Abington appointed a com- mittee to draw up objections to the petition for the new town, and these objections having been duly presented to the Court, as the- Massachusetts Legislature has always been, and is to-day called, on the nineteenth day of April, 1727, the Lieutenant Governor, a member of the Council, and three members of the House were appointed a committee to visit the territory. The report which they made in favor of the petition, carried the incorporation to a successful issue.
The objections were as follows :
"I. Because of the fewness of our families in number, which is. but about fifty-three, including the eight desiring to be set off; and of these five are newly married, and have neither house nor home, but as they sojourn under the roofs of others; and of the rest, six are widows, whose husbands have of late deceased, leaving- their families much broken, and under low circumstances; which
12
HISTORY OF HANOVER.
nineteen, taken from fifty-three, leaves but thirty-four,-and even of these some are so poor that they are left out of the rates, and . have need of support from the town ;- so that there will be but thirty families left to bear the public charges.
II. The part of the town petitioning to be set off contains eleven polls, and above one-fifth of the rateable estate; and al- though there will still be left to Abington a considerable tract of land, yet but little part of it is capable of settlement, except the easterly part, which is chiefly in gentlemen proprietors' hands, who do neither sell nor settle their lands, they living in other towns, and improving the same only as timber lots ; and the inhab- itants petitioning to be set off dwell on the easterly part of these great lots, which run westerly nearly to the centre of Abington, which will hence be exempt from taxation here for the support of the ministry. And,
III. That the eight petitioners for the separation, viz: Elijah Cushing, Jeremiah Hatch, Nathaniel Davis, Joseph Bryant, Neho- miah Cushing, Benjamin Loring, and Isaac Hatch, though they urged their distance from public worship, were but four miles from the meeting-house, and that if it was objected that the way was difficult and impassable, yet several responsible men had offered to make it good and passable, for man and horse, for £5 charge."
The remonstrance of the Abington people was not without its "effect. By an act passed shortly afterward the town was per- mitted for three years to tax all dormant or non-resident lands within their limits for the support of the ministry, and a new grant was made to the town of a tract of land lying northeast «of Waldo's farm so-called. (Barry, Page 16).
(Mr. Dwelley from here.)
When Hanover was incorporated it contained about eleven thousand acres of land, but in 1754 about one-tenth of its territory was annexed to that part of Pembroke which is now Hanson. We .copy the following from the Colonial Records :
"Saturday, 8th of June, 1754, on petition of Elijah Cushing, Esq., agent for the second precinct in Pembroke, showing that said precinct is made up of four several towns besides Pembroke, and praying that the whole Precinct may be united to Pembroke, "the General Court ordered that the Petitioners with their estates com- prehended within the bounds of said Precinct be to all intents .and purposes annexed to and made part of the Town of Pembroke." One of the four towns named above was Hanover.
-
"THE COUNTRY ROAD" AT ROCKY SWAMP
INDIAN HEAD RIVER AT SOUTH HANOVER
OLD BRIDGE AT DRINKWATER
North River
NORTH RIVER AT THE BRIDGE
13
INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN.
In 1746 the bounds of the West Parish or Second Precinct of Pembroke were established by Act of the Legislature, and these- bounds on the north follow substantially the present boundary of the town of Hanson as will be seen by the map which we submit. herewith. This bound follows the Indian Head River, and the lot of land then owned by Ezekiel Turner, but reecntly and for many years by James W. House, running to Cornet Stetson's. purchase, so-called. The map is presented in order to make it- entirely clear just what part of the present town of Hanson belonged to Hanover, before this change. By the change Hanover- lost about one and one-half square miles of territory, something more than one-tenth of her area, as stated above.
There was not much opposition on the part of Hanover to this severance of its territory, but the Town Records show that the- following votes were passed :
May 30, 1746, "It was voted and granted to sundry inhabitants of the Southwest part of the town of Hanover to be a Township- or Precinct agreeable to the Bounds of their petition on file." And at a meeting held May 27, 1754, "The question was put, whether- the Town would vote off the Southwest part of the town called the Second Precinct to be annexed to Pembroke, and it passed in the negative, and voted David Stockbridge, Esq., to be agent for- said town at the great and General Court to use his Indeavors to. Prevent that part of the town being annexed to Pembroke." Evi- dently this opposition was ineffective, and it is doubtful if it was. very serious.
The writer is indebted to Mercer V. Tillson of Hanson, who gave many days in searching the Records for facts, and many more- in tracing the lines.
Barry speaks of a small gore of land having been annexed to. Hanson.
Many persons of intelligence doubted the question of such an- nexation, and Mr. Tillson, who resided in early life in Hanover, decided to make the matter clear. This is said as a slight recog- nition of the value of his service. (See appendix at close of this chapter marked "A.")
Since 1754 the changes in the boundary lines of Hanover have been slight. A half dozen enactments of the Legislature at different times have defined her bounds, but these were to make- clear rather than to change. We give all these instances, as fol- lows : In 1835 the line between Pembroke and Hanover, at the Rubber Factory, was defined. In 1857 an Act established the
14
HISTORY OF HANOVER.
ST
CIRCU
RIET
ROCKLAND
Forge
01
sc
EST PART
pred
MYRTLE
5
ST
R. S.
T
S
HAINVO
WINTER
VEJR
1
BROAD
River
Head
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India
01 0
Br
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CUSPINGS CORNER
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11183815
· Oldham Pond
STREET
The portion of this map within the dotted lines shows territory that was Abington previous to 1727, then from 1727 to 1754 Hanover, and now a part of Hanson. That territory shown above which is bounded easterly by Indian Head Brook, northerly by Indian Head River and westerly by the dotted line, shows territory which was a part of Scituate previous to 1727, a part of Han- over from 1727 to 1754, and now a part of Hanson. The territory taken from Hanover as above was first annexed to Pembroke, but at the time Han- son was incorporated it became a part of that town. (See Court Records, 1753-1755, Massachusetts Archives).
I
GOUVE
STREET
F
NTE
15
INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN.
line near the Tiffany Mill. This was after litigation of several years.
In 1878 the line was established at Assinippi. This was to make plain what had perhaps become obscure, and the Town of South Scituate paid to the Town of Hanover the sum of two hundred and twenty-five dollars. This payment was made to indemnify Hanover for the future care of the small section of highway north of Webster street which had before been cared for by South Scituate. In 1878 the line between Hanover and Rock- land was defined and established, but no change was intended. And in 1885 the line between Hanover and Pembroke, near the tack factory of R. C. Waterman was defined and established.
When trying to look into the past and solve the problems of the unknown, we wonder who the first white man was to tread the soil of Hanover, and here we have reasonable cause to believe that Phinehas Pratt was the man, and the date that of March, 1623. This is a most interesting story, and stands forth in history with hardly a parallel.
Mr. Pratt was living in Weymouth at this time. In some way he learned that the Indians were intending to make an onslaught on the Plymouth settlement. He became uneasy and told his Company that if some messenger did not inform the Plymouth people of their danger, all of both Colonies would certainly be slain. No one could be found among the men who would volun- teer to go, and at last Mr. Pratt determined to walk across to Plymouth and give the needed alarm. When his determination was made known, his companions said, "The savages will pursue after you, and kill you, and we shall never see you again."
Evading the sharp watch of the Indians, Pratt started on his perilous journey, alone, and without compass or arms. Unarmed for fear the Indians would overtake him and mistrust his mission, and without compass, as the only one they had was that belonging to the ship which was too large to be carried. . For two days and one night he journeyed, and the writer believes that from his description he spent the night near the borders of Hanover in Pembroke. He describes this night which he spent in the dense forest with no human help within a radius of many miles : "The wolves began their howling as night drew on, and a river ob- structed with many stones, intercepted his way; the water being quite deep and very cold, he passed over it with much difficulty." Then, to use his own language, "Was I in great distress-ffaint for want of ffood, weary with Running, ffearing to make a ffier
16
HISTORY OF HANOVER.
because of ym yt pshued me. Then I came to a depe dell or hole, ther being much wood falen into it. Then said I in my thoughts, this is God's providence that heare I may make a fier. Then having maed a fier, the stars began to a pear and I saw Ursa Major." The snow lay deep on the ground in patches, but he reached Plymouth safely the following afternoon. Tradition says that, when he crossed the snow, he walked backwards, hoping to deceive his pursuers.
On the 19th of April, 1680, Phinehas Pratt died at Charlestown, Mass., "aged about 90 years."
In fairness to the Indian and his attitude toward the early Colo- nists, it should be said that, "During the year 1614, Thomas Hunt, an Englishman, had kidnapped from Plymouth twenty Indians, and seven from Cape Cod, and sold them as slaves in Spain."
"The Indians had not forgotten this."
According to Barry, William Barstow was the first white man to settle within the present bounds of Hanover, and he was here as early as 1649. Barry describes the location of his house and, while doubtless he constructed a house in the locality indicated by Barry, it seems quite certain to the writer that he must have owned and lived in a house, when he died, which stood north of the present residence of Charles F. Stearns. The division of his estate would seem to indicate this location. He must have had, presumably, a house near North River, where he at one time kept an "Ordinary." The question is not especially significant. Cer- tain it is that the first recorded grant of land to him is that parcel which is bounded on the Third Herring Brook, the North River. Washington street and Broadway, or near the last named streets.
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