USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > Random recollections of Worcester, Mass., 1839-1843. Being remarks made at a meeting of the Worcester Society of Antiquity held June 3rd, 1884 > 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
Gc 974.402 W89pq 1415203
M:L
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01115 3993
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/randomrecollecti00pain_0
RANDOM RECOLLECTIONS
OF
WORCESTER.
مهيد
TOWN HALL AND OLD SOUTH CHURCH, 1858.
mininam
1
RANDOM RECOLLECTIONS
OF
WORCESTER, MASS.,
1839-1843.
Being remarks made at a meeting of The Worcester Society of Antiquity held June 3rd, 1884.
BY NATHANIEL PAINE.
Worcester : ONE HUNDRED COPIES PRINTED FOR PRIVATE DISTRIBUTION. 1885.
Private Press of Franklin P. Rice.
1415203
The "Recollections" contained in the following pages are the substance of remarks made before The Worcester Society of An- tiquity, a few copies being printed in this form for the convenience of those who may be interested in the subject, and who may not have access to the publications of the Society.
In preparing these remarks, the newspapers of the period were consulted to confirm the recollection of the writer in regard to the location of many of the business men mentioned ; and he has also received valuable assistance from gentlemen familiar with the lo- calities spoken of.
The rough diagrams of the Common and streets in the vicinity are not drawn to a scale, nor are the locations of the buildings represented claimed to be precise ; all that was intended was to give a general idea of the streets and buildings and their occupants about the years 1839-43. A few other illustrations have been added to this edition which it is hoped may increase its interest and value.
The thanks of the writer are due to Mr. F. P. Rice for the typographical appearance of the pamphlet, which may be deemed one of its chief merits.
accol $ 4.00 5-9-67 I.v. 4676 P.O. 3:45
-
RANDOM RECOLLECTIONS.
When, several months ago, I promised the President of this Society that I would prepare a paper to present at one of its meet- ings, I did so with but little idea of a subject, and with still less appreciation of the task I had undertaken.
What I shall ask your attention to, this evening, can hardly be dignified by the title of a paper ; it is rather a familiar talk, in which I shall endeavor to give some account of people and buildings in Worcester forty or more years ago, and may, for want of a better title, be called Random Recollections of Worcester, 1839-1843.
By the United States Census of 1840, it appears that Worcester was then a town with a population of only 7497, while the Census of 1880 gives us 58,295 ; and it is now estimated at about 70,000. Financially, the condition of our city to-day, is less gratifying to tax payers than the increase in population, as in 1840, I find the Selectmen report "a larger amount of money paid into the Treasury than would soon be wanted for the uses of the Town," and that they had therefore made a loan of $2,500 to the Massachusetts Mutual Fire Insurance Company ; while to-day, the city is bur- dened with a debt of $2,400,000 .*
* The following extracts from the report of Col. John W. Lincoln, Chair- man of the "Committee on Roads," which was presented about the same time as that of the Selectmen, would seem to indicate that some of the sur- plus funds would soon be needed for extraordinary expenses. The report alludes to the very unfortunate weather of the past winter, which occasioned "an expense in maintaining a winter road unprecedented in the history of the town"; there had been "already paid for a snow path over $900, and when all the bills were in, it would not fall short of $1000. Besides this un- usual expenditure on account of snows and winds, the town have to lament
6
Most of my hearers will undoubtedly recall 1840 as a year of great political excitement, occasioned by the presidential campaign of Harrison and Tyler, or, as it was called, "Tippecanoe and Tyler too,"-the days of log cabins and hard cider.
The excitement at Worcester, between the two political parties, was intense ; and on the 17th of June, the anniversary of the Bat- tle of Bunker's Hill, one of the largest and most exciting political conventions ever held in the state took place here. It was called by the Whigs for the purpose of nominating a candidate for gov- ernor, and the choice of presidential electors, "Honest John Davis" of Worcester being nominated by acclamation as the candidate for governor.
A log cabin, one hundred feet long, fifty feet wide, and a flag staff, the top of which was about 100 feet from the ground, were erected on Grove street, near the wire works, about the present location of the Washburn & Moen Manufacturing Company's of- fices, perhaps a little farther south.
Cannon were fired and bells of the churches rung in the morn- ing before the opening of the convention. A procession was formed on the Common and streets in the vicinity, and marching under a handsome arch erected by the Whigs of the town, passed down Main street to the log cabin, the buildings along the line of march being decorated with flags and bunting, and the windows crowded with spectators. Col. John W. Lincoln was the chief marshal, and headed the procession, which is said to have been over a mile in length, and included delegations from all parts of the state. Log cabins drawn by horses, and barrels of cider, were prominent in the procession ; and there were five barouches, each drawn by four horses, for the soldiers of the Revolution. Many of the de- vices on the banners carried by the various delegations would, perhaps, be of interest to you, but I will mention only a few.
The Worcester County banner had as a device the arms of the County in 1731 : a deer, with the motto "Not Slow." Part of the
the loss sustained by the death of an ox, which has rendered the exhibit of the financial concerns in relation to roads more unfavorable than it would have been but for this misfortune."
7
Barre delegation were on horseback, and were dressed in black coats and white pants, with a log cabin button on their hats as a cockade. Their band was in a stage-coach, with a barrel of hard cider on the rack behind, marked "Oll Korrect." The Sterling and Southbridge delegations had three log cabins, each drawn by six or eight horses.
The Sutton delegation had a banner with the inscription : "Its all over. There comes old Sutton as long as Eternity !" and over it was painted a long team of oxen ploughing. The origin of this motto it is said, was, that when the Sutton Whigs marched to Worcester in the time of the Revolution, Judge Chandler, who was a Tory, saw them approaching, and made use of the expres- sion given on the banner : "It is of no use. Its all over. There comes old Sutton as long as Eternity ! "
Southborough had in the line a log cabin 42 feet long and 10 wide, full of delegates and drawn by 16 horses, which must have made a very vivid impression on my youthful mind, for I well re- member it. The Boylston delegation had on their banner the motto : "Van Tip'd out and Tip Tip'd in." The Hopkinton del- egation in white frocks trimmed with red, and carrying shovels, axes and brooms, with a log cabin on wheels drawn by ten horses, had marched from that town to Worcester after seven o'clock in . the morning, indicating a degree of political enthusiasm not often seen in these days. Spirited addresses were made at the log cabin, and in the afternoon in front of the Worcester House, by distin- guished politicians.
One other circumstance of some historical interest, was brought about by the political excitement of the year, that of the formation of the "Worcester Guards." The immediate cause of the starting . of this company is stated substantially as follows, in a paper read before the Worcester Fire Society in 1877, by the late Daniel Waldo Lincoln.
Each of the political parties (the Whigs and the Locofocos) were desirous of having a grand demonstration in Worcester on the 4th of July, and each was anxious to secure the services of the Light Infantry, (then the only military company in town) to act
8
as escort for their procession. Some of the most active among the Whigs authorized Col. John W. Lincoln to extend an invitation to the Infantry to act as their escort, in anticipation of more formal action to be taken by the committee of arrangements. Their op- ponents, however, held a meeting, appointed a committee, and sent a formal written invitation, which was received by the com- pany soon after the verbal one of the Whigs.
The members of the Infantry being nearly equally divided be- tween the two political parties, a very excited and animated dis- cussion took place as to which invitation should be accepted. The Democrats having a slight majority, it was voted to accept the in- vitation of that party, on the ground that although the invitation of the Whigs was the first received, the other was more formal and was sanctioned by properly authorized representatives of the party. The result was, that the Whigs in the company were so incensed that they said they would not parade either on the 4th of July or thereafter, but would get discharged as soon as they could. Mr. Lincoln, who was the captain of the Light Infantry at that time, says he decided it was for the best interest of the command, and likely to prevent its total disbandonment, if the dissatisfied mem- bers were allowed to withdraw. Through his influence, the Whig members, (all save Capt. Lincoln himself,) received a discharge through the authorized military officials. The Democrats at once took an active interest in the company, urged the prompt filling up of the depleted ranks, and with such success that in a week's time the quota was full, all good Jackson Democrats save the captain.
This action of the Democrats naturally stirred up the Whigs, and they determined that a military company, composed of mem- bers of their party, should at once be organized ; and such was the enthusiasm with which they entered into it, that August 6th, 1840, the organization of the Worcester Guards was completed by the election of George Bowen as captain, and George Hobbs, Leonard Poole and George W. Richardson as lieutenants. Hiram Gould, proprietor of the Worcester House, was orderly sergeant, and pro- mulgated the order for the first parade. This took place Sept. 19, and in the evening a supper was served at the Worcester House
A
9
to the new company, upon invitation of prominent Whig citizens. A singular fact in regard to the first appearance in public of the Guards is, that although the Massachusetts Spy was the organ of the Whigs, no mention whatever, that I have been able to find, was made in its columns of this parade. The Palladium, then the Democratic paper, calls attention to it, and says : "The military bearing of the company was creditable to both officers and men."
After all the excitement and talk about the celebrations for the 4th of July, that of both parties was finally held in Barre instead of Worcester, the Whigs having as their orator Daniel Webster, with a Fitzwilliam company as escort ; and the Democrats having George Bancroft as orator, with the Light Infantry as escort. Capt. Lincoln said, that after attending to his military duties, he left his command at the Democratic meeting and went himself to that of the Whigs.
In recalling the location of buildings and their occupants, while depending largely on my own recollection, I have been aided by hints and suggestions from several of our older citizens, given in response to inquiries made of them. It is, perhaps, proper to state, that in many cases where I applied for information as to the loca- tion of prominent business concerns of forty or more years ago, to gentlemen engaged in trade here at that time, I have found a marked difference in their recollection of localities and of indi- viduals ; in these cases the printed authority of the newspaper ad- vertisements has been accepted as the most reliable, The files of the Spy, from 1838 to 1843, have been consulted, and many sug- gestions and clues to the location of business men have been ob- tained therefrom, as also from the second Worcester Directory, published in 1843 by A. W. Congdon of Boston.
Not claiming absolute accuracy, and wishing to be corrected in any errors, I will consider, in the brief time allotted, some incidents of our local history, and more especially the location of stores and dwelling houses, with the names of their occupants. It will be necessary in these recollections, to confine myself to very restricted limits, and I shall therefore refer only to localities which in my younger days were most familiar to me.
10
Forty-four years ago, there stood a few feet to the south of the building we are now in,* the first depot of the Boston & Worcester railroad. It was a long wooden building, very plain externally, and almost equally so in the interior, with an entrance for passen- gers at the west end, the trains leaving from the east end. My recollection is, that at first, there was no ticket office, but that the fare was collected on the train. As late, however, as 1839-40, a ticket office was probably established in the building. What we remember as the Foster street depot was completed in the spring of 1840, the old one being then removed to the south side of the new building, to be used by the Norwich and Worcester railroad.
As giving statistical information in regard to Worcester which may be of some historical value, I have made extracts from a cir- cular issued in June, 1831, under the direction of a committee of subscribers to the stock of the Boston and Worcester Railroad, and also from a subscription paper, dated in July of the same year, showing the necessity for the road, and the probable value of the stock as an investment. In the circular, an assessment of one dol- lar per share was announced as to be levied on the subscribers, the money to be used by the directors in making "estimates and get- ting surveys," and otherwise obtaining such information in regard to the construction and probable income of the road, as may be deemed necessary to enable the stockholders to decide on the ex- pediency of the undertaking.
July 4, 1831, a committee of the subscribers, of which Nathan Hale was chairman, issued a circular to show the advantages to be derived from building the road, and the inducements to monied men to subscribe for the stock. They give estimates of the travel- ing by stage coaches between Boston and Worcester, and say : "The average amount of traveling in the stages now running be- tween Boston and Worcester, including those which pass through Worcester to New York and Albany, is equal to 22,360 per annum, for which the lowest rate of fare is two dollars." They estimate
* Worcester Bank Block. Rooms of The Worcester Society of Antiquity.
t Copies of the subscription paper and the circular are in the library of the American Antiquarian Society.
MATURA
ROOMS
WORCESTER BANK BLOCK,
FOSTER ' STREET. .
ROOMS OF THE WORCESTER SOCIETY OF ANTIQUITY IN THIS BLOCK.
II
the travel by stages on other routes not going through Worcester, but which they think could be diverted to a railroad, as equal to 9,360. An estimate is also given of the transportation by wagon between Boston and Worcester, which they say cannot be given with much accuracy, but they believe "the amount of business that would be accommodated by the railroad would require an amount of transportation equal .at least to 18,000 tons the whole distance per year, which at $3. per ton would produce $54,000."
They then call attention to the business done on the Blackstone Canal, and say "the tolls for the last season amounted to $12,000," and that "it would probably be much larger the present season"; adding to this double the amount for transportation it would pro- duce $36,000 per year. An estimate is also given of the annual expenses of the road, founded partly on information obtained from Mr. Stephenson, the engineer of the Liverpool and Manchester Road, of the annual expenses for repairs on that road ; and they close by giving as an estimate of the net annual income of the proposed road the sum of $86,800.
The road was formally opened July 6, 1835, the first through train from Boston arriving in Worcester the morning of that day. The passengers, consisting of a large number of prominent citizens of Boston and vicinity, were received at the terminus by several hundred of our own citizens, and under escort of the Worcester Light Infantry, commanded by Capt. Charles H. Geer, made a march through some of the most important streets to the Town Hall, where a collation was served. Speeches of congratulation upon the completion of the great enterprise were made by promi- nent gentlemen of Boston and Worcester, among whom was the Hon. Edward Everett. While the collation was in progress, the ladies of the town, to the number of about five hundred, were given a ride to Westborough and back in the new cars.
The cars first used on the road were very different from the ele- gant structures now in use, being very much shorter, and having a general resemblance to the old stage coach, without the springs. The advertisement of the company in the Spy of the day, with a cut of a train of cars, (a copy of which is here given) illustrates very well their appearance.
1 2
Boston & Worcester RAIL ROAD.
THE PASSENGER CARS start from the new depot. South Core, Boston, at 7, A. M., and 3, P' M., and from Worcester at the same hours. Price of Tickets to Boston, from December 1st to April 1st, Two Dollars, and at the same rate for intermediate places All baggage at the risk of the owners.
FREIGHT forwarded on the following terms :
Merchandize generally up to Wore'r, #3 50 per 2000 1bs , down from " $3. The Company will not be responsible for any merchan- dize or effects, unless the same be rece ipted for by its agents duly authorized. nor for any loss or damage not occasioned by their negligence.
Goods should be sent to the Master of Transportation, at the Depot with a bill of lading and receipt prepared, ready for signature. Nov. 23. [1837.] tf J. F. CURTIS, Sup't.
The entrance to them was upon the side, and the seats, as I re- call them, were on each side, very much as at present. The con- ductor, in collecting the fares, had to walk along a narrow step or platform on the outside, holding on by an iron rod at the top of the car.
By an advertisement in the Massachusetts Spy of June, 1838, it appears that trains left for Boston twice a day, (Sundays excepted, when there was but one train, ) at 6 o'clock A. M., and four o'clock P. M. The fare to Boston was $2., "all baggage at the risk of the owner." It then cost $3.50 per 2000 pounds to bring merchandise from Boston to Worcester, and three dollars only to take it from Worcester down. In 1839 there were three trains each way daily, and the fare was reduced to $1.50.
The usual way for foot passengers to go to the depot from Main street, was by a passage way between the building at the corner of Foster street and that occupied by Levi Clapp as a hat store, about where the cigar store of O. P. Shattuck now is. In the crotch of . an elm tree, west of the depot and near the Clapp store, was sus- pended a bell, to be rung before the departure of trains. This practice of calling attention to the time trains were to start by ring- ing a bell was kept up for many years after the second depot was erected.
13
In 1837-8 the name of J. F. Curtis appears as the superintendent, but in 1839 Nathan Hale, for many years president of the road, is signed to advertisements as superintendent pro tem. In 1840 William Parker became superintendent, and retained the office for several years. One of the first agents of the road at Worces- ter was Edwin Moody ; he had charge here for many years, and is, undoubtedly, well remembered by most of those who hear me. Among the early conductors of the road were Caleb S. Fuller, Thomas Tucker, George S. Howe ; and for a short time, Harnden, the founder of Harnden's Express. In 1837 R. W. Whiting adver- tises that he has made arrangements with the Boston and Worces- ter Railroad Company to occupy part of a car, to be run on pas- senger trains, and that he will take charge of all packages entrusted to his care, and deliver them the same day. This was probably the first regular express by rail between Worcester and Boston. Burke's New York and Boston Express, started in 1840, (the own- ers being P. B. Burke and Alvin Adams) was the beginning of the great Adams Express Company, now having offices throughout the country. Their first office in Worcester was at J. B. Tyler & Co.'s hat store.
Before the building we are in was erected, a small, one story wooden building stood on the spot, occupied at one time by Na- thaniel Tead as a hat store, and afterwards as a periodical office. The building had been moved from somewhere on Main street, and is now in Bigelow court. Coming from the depot to Foster street, which had been opened about 1835-6 by Hon. A. D. Foster, we should see the south side of the American Temperance House, with its long portico extending the whole length of the building. The house was built originally by Mr. Foster as a residence, and occupied by him before he built the present family mansion on Chestnut street. In the basement, with an entrance under the side portico, was the shop of John Morey, the colored barber, well known to residents of Worcester twenty-five or thirty years ago. A Mr. Stratton also had a clock store in the basement, with an en- trance from Foster street. On the Main street front was a double portico, giving the house quite an imposing appearance.
I4
The first landlord was Eleazer Porter, now living at a ripe old age in the town of Hadley, Mass., who some years before he opened the hotel had kept a store under the Town Hall, and after leaving the hotel was in partnership with George M. Rice .* At the time of which I am writing, R. W. Adams was the proprietor ; and if we called at the office we should be likely to find the genial clerk, Mr. Lyman Brooks, now so favorably known as the obliging superin- tendent of the Union Depot in this city. This hotel, I believe, was always kept on temperance principles, and had a good repu- tation. Another landlord, whom you will well remember, was the late Thomas Tucker, for several years keeper of the tavern at West- borough, Mass.
DONTIY.
AMERICAN TEMPERANCE HOUSE.
A list of the taverns in Worcester at about the period of which I am writing may be of interest, and I therefore give one copied
* In 1835 Mr. Porter bought of Alfred D. Foster for $7.500, "one undi- vided moiety or half part of the estate lately occupied by him," described as "beginning at the center of the door yard post, corner of S. M. Burnside's land" and running south to land of Boston & Worcester R. R. Co., "before owned by Benj. Butman and John W. Stiles." In December, 1835, an agree-
.
15
from the manuscript of William Lincoln, the historian of Worces- ter, the original of which is in the library of the American Anti- quarian Society. This list, prepared in 1837, gives the names of the landlords, most of whom were in the same taverns in 1840.
LIST OF TAVERNS IN WORCESTER IN 1837,*
With the names of their Landlords.
Lincoln Square Hotel, J. Fessenden. 1839, Nath'l Stearns. Summer Street House, Samuel Banister.
Exchange Coffee House, Samuel B. Thomas.
Eagle Hotel,t David Bonney. 1840, Geo. Hobbs.
Central Hotel, Zorrester Bonney.
American Temperance House, Eleazer Porter. 1840, R. W. Adams.
Worcester House, Lysander C. Clark. 1840, Henry Gould. United States Hotel, Wm. C. Clark.
Washington Square Hotel, Wm. R. Wesson.
ment was made with the Boston & Worcester R. R. Co. to open Foster street, and in the spring of 1836, the Foster dwelling house was converted into a hotel. Mr. Porter advertises in the Spy of June 29, 1836, that "the Ameri- can Temperance House is now completed . . . and opened for the recep- tion of company"; and speaks of himself as "former keeper of the Worcester Temperance House." This last named hotel was at the corner of Main and Thomas streets, and was afterwards known as the Eagle Hotel. Warner Hinds succeeded Mr. Porter there, and about 1840 George Hobbs was the landlord. In November, 1840, Mr. Porter deeded the American Temperance House property back to Mr. Foster, and soon after retired from the hotel business. The estate, as originally purchased by Mr. Porter, extended east nearly to the meadow, and the large stable connected with the hotel, stand- ing a short distance back of it, was built by him.
* In 1835 there appears to have been a tavern called the Railroad Hotel, for I find by an advertisement in the Spy in October of that year, that "Joice Heth, 161 years of age," Nurse of Gen. Washington, was to be seen "at the Railroad House for the small sum of 25 cents." The Railroad House was in the John W. Stiles building at the south corner of Foster and Main streets. It had a hall up stairs in the rear, used for dances and exhibitions; and in 1835 was kept by a Mr. Stowell. The hall was afterwards occupied by Jabez Bigelow, wire worker.
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.