USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Leicester > Topographical and historical sketches of the town of Leicester : in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: furnished for the Worcester magazine and historical journal > Part 1
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جريــ
يحملاسم بقرية البر يهما
بطيمل
المرحباشر مهافة
الشريعة
ـهير مرسومين مستبد
مايتي
ـوتوف
مر نييسر
مفروم
يرمرسية
Gc 974.402 L53wa 1746482
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00085 2837
M
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TOPOGRAPHICAL
AND
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF
THE TOWN OF
LEICESTER
By
Emory Washburn
Worcester magazine and Historical Journal
Vol.2,no.2
1746482 WORCESTER MAGAZINE
AND
HISTORICAL JOURNAL.
VOL. II. JUNE, 1826. NO. 2.
HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY.
- TOPOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF THE TOWN OF LEICESTER.
THE EDITORS ARE INDEBTED TO EMORY WASHBURN, ESQ. OF LEICESTER, FOR THE FOLLOWING SKETCHES OF THAT TOWN.
IN attempting a work like the history of any town in the interi- or of New England, great difficulties are to be encountered. The records of many are so imperfect, that they often serve rather to perplex, than enlighten the enquirer. Traditions have often be- come too vague and uncertain to be relied on with any degree of confidence, and the threads by which the labyrinth of events is to be traced, are often broken, or irrecoverably lost.
Notwithstanding these difficulties and discouragements, we have attempted to give, somewhat fully, the description and historical memoranda of the town of Leicester.
We have been prompted to this, more from feelings of local in- terest and attachment, than from any hope of literary reputation, or, much less, of profit. The graves of our fathers are here; and we felt a curiosity to trace, not only their histories, but also those of all who were their cotemporaries, and acted or suffered with them. We felt desirous of snatching from oblivion, events con- nected with the history of our country, and preserving the names of men whose merits deserve a place on its pages. We have met with obstacles in accomplishing our task, which we could not sur- mount, and have often been compelled to present extremely imper- fect sketches where justice seemed to require a complete detail. We acknowledge ourselves indebted for many favors in performing the work proposed. Every one whose age gave him a knowledge of events previous to our own day, has been pretty liberally taxed VOL. II. 9
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HISTORY OF LEICESTER.
for the materials of this work. We have also to acknowledge our- selves under obligations to H. G. Henshaw, Esq. for the use of the valuable papers of the late Col. Wm. Henshaw.
We cannot better acknowledge the aid received from the Hon. Edward D. Bangs, Esq. Secretary of the Commonwealth, than by transcribing the following letter politely forwarded in answer to enquiries made for information respecting the incorporation of the town of Leicester. " Agreeably to your request, I have examined into the particulars which were wanted respecting Leicester. It appears, as was the case with most towns at that period, that there never was a formal act of Incorporation. The votes by which the settlement was constituted a town, and received its name of Leices- ter, I have copied, and now transmit to you. In June, 1714, a sur- vey and plan of the town was reported to the General Court by John Chandler, Esq. was accepted, and is on file. I have looked for the old Indian deed, mentioned in the vote of the General Court, but it is not to be found. My copy is exactly correct, unless it should be the Indian names, which it is very difficult to decypher. I believe, however, they are right, or nearly so."
Extract from General Court records, under date of February 15, 1713. " The following order passed; in the House of Repre- sentatives, read and concurred : viz. Upon reading a petition of Joshua Lamb, Richard Draper, Samuel Ruggles, Benjamin Tucker, and others, setting forth, that upon the twenty seventh day of Jan- uary, 1686, for a valuable consideration therefor paid, they pur- chased of Philip Traye,* and Monckhue,* his wife, John Wanpom,* and Wawonnow,* his wife, and other Indians, the heirs of Ooras- hoe,* the original Sachem of a place, Towtaid, lying near Worces- ter, a certain tract of land, containing eight miles square, abutting, southerly on the land which the Governor lately purchased of the . Indians, and westerly, the most southerly corner, upon a little pond, called Paupogquincog *; then to a little hill, called Wehape- katonnuc *; and from thence to a little hill, called Aspompok *; and so then easterly, upon a line, until it came against Worcester bounds, and joins unto their bounds ; as may be seen more at large by the original deed, executed by the said Indians Proprietors, and acknowledged before the Hon. William Stoughton, Esq. praying confirmation of the said tract of land to them and their associates, that they may be encouraged to proceed forthiwith to settle the
* The Indian names designated by an asterisk are difficult to be decypher* ed, and may not be copied with perfect accuracy.
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HISTORY OF LEICESTER,
same with inhabitants, under such directions and reservations as shall be thought meet ;
Ordered, That the Prayer of the Petitioners be granted ; Pro- vided, that within seven years time, fifty families settle themselves in as defensible and regular a way as the circumstances of the place will allow, on part of the said land ; and that a sufficient quantity thereof be reserved for the use of a Gospel ministry there, and a school ; Provided also, that this interfere with no former grant, and this grant shall not exceed the quantity of eight miles square. The town to be named Leicester, and to belong to the County of Middlesex.
Consented to :
J. DUDLEY.
" A true Copy from the proceedings of Council, under date of February 15, 1713, as recorded in Vol. 8, of General Court Re- cords, pages 351-352. Attest,
EDWARD D. BANGS, Secr'y of the Commonwealth."
We are the more gratified in having been favored with the foregoing copy of the record, as we are thus able to correct some errors in dates, into which Mr. Whitney has fallen, in his history of this town. The deed from the Indians we have not been able to find, and as the original grantees never, we believe, removed here, it probably never formed any part of the records of the town.
This tract, thus granted, had been called by the English, who had visited it, " Strawberry Hill," previous to the act of the Gen- eral Court, above recited.
The particular boundaries of the town were fixed by a special act of the General Court, in January, 1714 .*
The proprietors of the township held a meeting, in Boston, on the 23d February, 1713, to take measures to secure their grant, and voted for this purpose to give the eastern half of the town to the first fifty families which should settle there, within the peri- od specified by the act. And in 1722, they again met and author- ized Col. Joshua Lamb,t Samuel Green, Nathaniel Kanney, and
Whitney.
t Col. Joshua Lamb was an enterprising and wealthy citizen, of Roxbury. He was largely interested in the unincorporated lands of the state He, to- gether with others belonging to Roxbury, were at one time proprietors of what is now Hardwick, which, for many years was called after him, Lambs- town. He never removed to Leicester, but his descendants have resided in Spencer, and one of them, bearing the same name, is at present one of the Selectmen of Leicester.
68
HISTORY OF LEICESTER.
Samuel Tyler, to execute deeds to the families who had removed to the town, and a deed was accordingly executed on the 8th day of January, 1722, to John Stebbins, and forty six others, which deed is said to be recorded in the Registry of Deeds, for the Coun- ty of Middlesex, to which county this town then belonged-Book 29, page 329. The measure of the town proved to be what sur- veyors call " large," and though the western half of it was set off, in 1753, into a town, by the name of Spencer, and two miles in width of its northern part taken off, in 1765, to constitute a part of Paxton, and about 2500 acres again taken off from its southeastern corner, to form a part of the town of Ward, it still contains 14,426 acres.
Many of the original proprietors of the town were the ances- tors of families, bearing the same name, now residing here, and among the most respectable in town, some of whose names we may hereafter have occasion to mention .*
BOUNDARIES .- Leicester is bounded, on the north by Paxton, the line dividing which towns runs east, two and one half degrees south, twelve hundred and six rods ; east, by the town of Wor- cester, by a line running south, about fifteen degrees east, and thirteen hundred and eighty four and one half rods on Worcester; southeast by Ward, by a line running east, two de- grees fifty minutes north, one hundred and fifty six rods, fif- teen links, and north, thirty nine degrees forty five minutes east, two hundred and eighty eight rods, and north, thirty seven and one half degrees east, five hundred and eighty rodst ; south, by Oxford north gore and Charlton, by a line running west, one and a quarter degrees north, seven hundred and twenty rods ; and west, by Spen- cer, by a line running north, four degrees west, two thousand and thirty two rods. The town is seven miles from the Court house, in Worcester, in a direction a little south of west. It is for- ty five miles from Boston, and the same distance from North- ampton.
FACE OF THE COUNTRY .- This town has been considered remark-
* Among these were Daniel Livermore, (who was the great-grandfather of the present Messrs. Daniel and Salem Livermore,) Joshua Henshaw, Samuel Green, Daniel Denny, David Henshaw, Ralph Earle, and Richard Southgate.
+ A part of the line between Ward and Leicester is now in dispute. We give the lines according to a survey, taken in 1794, by vote of the town, by Reuben Swan and Timothy Sprague, and protracted by Mr. Peter Silvester, who has been long engaged as a surveyor in this town.
t 1
th h
69
HISTORY OF LEICESTER.
able for its hilly and uneven surface ; this opinion has arisen from the circumstance, that all the principal roads leading through it, have been made over the most considerable elevations of land, and give to the weary traveller the impression that the whole of its territory is of that character. The face of the town is, indeed, uneven, and lying upon the height of land between Boston and Con- necticut river, it is quite elevated. Yet there are no very high hills, or abrupt elevations of land above the general surface of the country. Some of the most considerable of the hills have received names by custom and tradition, by which they are usually designat- ed. That upon which the Congregational Meeting House is built, was originally called Strawberry hill, from the abundance of that fruit found there in the early settlement of the town. Another, in the east part of the town, a little north of the "county road," is known by the name of " Indian" or " Bald hill," on account of its having been cleared and planted by the Indians before the white men settled here. The hill about one mile west from the Meet- ing house, has been, for many years, known by the name of "Mount Pleasant."* It had, within a few years, an elegant house upon it, fitted up as a country seat, by Maj. James Swan, who has long been a state prisoner in France. The seat has now gone greatly to de- cay, but is still an interesting spot, on account of the extensive and beautiful prospect it enjoys.
Another hill, which is about half a mile north from the Meeting House, has been known by the name of "Carey's hill," from the earliest settlement of the town ; and derives its name from that of a hermit, who retired to this spot, long before it was settled by Eu- ropeans, and lived in a cave, which he dug in the hill. Who he was, and how much of his story is mere tradition, we are not able to determine. But the well from which he drew his water, the ditch by which he drained his cave, and the stones that helped to form his dwelling, are all visible there at this day. Moose hill is at the northwest corner, and Grass hill at the southwest corner of the town. The views from many of the hills in this town are ex- tremely fine. That from the Mansion house, on the estate which has been in the Denny family since the settlement of the town, embraces nine or ten churches, besides a vast extent of beautiful and fertile country. This landscape has formed a subject for the
* It was. first called Mount Pleasant by Lewis Allen, a singular man, who once owned the seat, afterwards Major Swan's. By his own direction, he was buried in his garden, where his tomb is yet visible.
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HISTORY OF LEICESTER.
pencil of a native artist, of very considerable merit and reputation, Mr. Ralph Earle,* who had resided many years in England, where he went, together with his brother, to cultivate the natural taste and genius they possessed. This landscape is a very creditable ef- fort at painting of that kind.
SOIL, PRODUCTIONS, &c .- The soil of Leicester is generally deep, and of a strong kind; in its composition, clay rather predom- inates ; and although, at first, wrought with some difficulty, it is ca- pable of becoming fruitful and luxuriant, since it retains the ferti- lizing effect of proper cultivation for a considerable time. It is rather moist in some parts of the town, and better adapted to grass, which it produces in abundance, than grains; especially those which are called English grains. There are, however, many fine and productive farms in town, and nothing but a proper attention to agriculture is required, to elevate its character as an agricultural district. Mechanical business has, for years, been more productive of profit than agriculture, under any circumstances, could reasonably be expected to be ; and in consequence of this, the agricultural in- terest has been neglected. Within our own recollection, some of the most productive lands at present, were little better than mere wastes, where the briars and bushes were the only productions of the soil.f We mention this circumstance to show, by the result of actual experiment, the capacities of the soil of the town, better than by any general description of its properties we could give. Garden vegetables thrive extremely well, and abundant crops of Indian corn and potatoes reward the labors of the husbandman : and in the north and east parts of the town there are many excel- lent orchards.
* Ralph, and James Earle, were grandsons of that Ralph Earle who was one of the original settlers of the town. Their father's name was Ralph, who lived in what is now Paxton, on the place owned by Mr. Joseph Penniman. Ralph was made a member of the Royal Academy, in London. Both he, and James, excelled as much in portrait painting, as in landscape and historical pieces. The "Falls of Niagara," by Ralph, among his largest works, has been admired as one of much merit. Towards the close of his life, his habits became irregular, and it was only at intervals, that his fine genius exhibited itself, and then, always to the delight of every one. He died at Lansinburgh, N. Y. and his brother James, at Charleston, S. C. Both left families, but only the son of Ralph, bearing the same name, inherited the peculiar genius of his ancestors.
t We cannot forbear noticing the great improvements which have recently been made in the lands near the village, by Mr. Alpheus Smith, Dr. Austin Flint, and others. Within a few years, the bushes entirely covered those fields which now produce so luxuriantly. A similar effect would result to most of the lands in town, by applying to them the same skill and persever- ing industry.
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HISTORY OF LEICESTER.
RIVERS, PONDS, &c .- This town is well watered, although there is no stream of any great magnitude flowing through it. The sourc- es of several streams are within this town, which, taking different directions, pour its waters into the Atlantic by the Blackstone, the Thames, and the Connecticut. So slight are the barriers that sep- arate the waters of some of these streams, that, about a quarter of a mile east of the Meeting House, where the county road passes through an apparently level meadow, the water that runs from the north side flows into the Blackstone, while that from the south runs into the Thames. And, in the west part of the town, about two miles from the Meeting House, the water running from the north side of the same road, flows into the Connecticut, and that from the south side into the Thames.
There are two natural ponds of considerable magnitude here ; one, containing about sixty acres, situate about a mile southeast of the Meeting House, called the Henshaw pond ; and the other, con- taining about eighty acres, called the North, or Shaw pond, in the northwest part of the town. The waters of the last pond are dis- charged at its southwest corner, and flow into the Chickapee river, forming one of its sources. There is, besides these, an artificial pond, in the southwest part of the town, called the " Burut-coat," containing about one hundred and twenty five acres. The courses of the streams, except that from north pond, are generally towards the southeast. One of these rises in a swamp between Leicester and Paxton, and, running south, about half a mile west of the Meet- ing House, where it is called the " Rawson Brook,"* it receives the waters that flow from the Burnt-coat pond, about five miles from its source ; thence, running southeasterly, it receives the wa- ters of a brook coming in from the west, which has its source in Spencer, and afterwards receives the waters from the Henshaw pond, which flow from the northeast, at the Leicester and Saxon Factories, on the Stafford Turnpike, where it is called "French river ;" then running southwardly through Oxford, it forms a part of the Quineboag river, which empties into the Thames, at Nor- wich. This unites a great proportion of the waters that flow
* It derived this name from that of the owner of the farm through which it flowed, near the village, in Leicester. This was Edward Rawson, Esq. who removed here from Mendon. He was, for a long time, an officiating magistrate in the County, and filled many responsible public stations in the town. He died at the advanced age of 87, in 1807, leaving one daughter. A son of his was once a practising Physician here, but died, early in life, ma- ny years before the death of his father.
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HISTORY OF LEICESTER.
through the town. There is, however, a considerable stream that rises in Paxton, and flows through the east part of this town, into Ward, and there falls into the Blackstone. It is called " Kettle Brook," and affords sufficient water power to carry a grist mill and saw mill, two woollen factories, and another grist mill, built upon it in this town. From the nature of the country, these streams present fine privileges for the erection of mills, wherever they are of sufficient magnitude to ensure a permanent supply of water. These have been mostly occupied, and there are, at present, upon the French river, and its branches, within the limits of this town, five saw mills, two grist mills, one tannery, two scythe manufacto- ries, one card manufactory, and one extensive woollen manufactur- ing establishment ; while, on the stream flowing from the North Pond, there are a grist mill, and two wire manufactories.
POPULATION .- The population of this town has gradually in- creased in numbers from its settlement till the present time ; but much more rapidly of late, than at any former period, on account of the manufacturing establishments, from which a large number find employment and support. We do not possess documents to as- certain the precise numbers of Inhabitants in the town at the differ- ent periods of its history ; nor do we deem these very important facts. At its first settlement it contained fifty families. In 1786, there were 838 inhabitants, of whom, 24 were negroes. In 1810, there were 1181 ; in 1820, 1252, and, at present, the town probably contains 1500 inhabitants ; of whom, there are not more than 3 or 4 blacks .* In 1781, there were 102 effective men on the rolls of the militia companies, and 49 conditional exempts, and at present, there are about 200 men borne on the rolls of these companies.t
The population, as we remarked, has increased rapidly in this town within the last few years, and promises to increase still far-
* The population of this town includes, at present, three ministers of the Gospel, two Physicians, two Preceptors of the Academy, and two practising Counsellors and Attorneys at Law. Of the Clergymen, we shall hereafter speak. The Physicians are Austin and Edward Flint, the latter a son of the former. The Attorneys at Law are the Hon. Nathaniel P. Denny, who was the first Attorney that established himself here, and Emory Washburn. Bradford Sumner, Esq. now of Boston, was in business here, as an Attorney at Law, from 1812 till his removal to Boston, in 1820.
+ The first regimental review of the regiment to which these companies are attached, was, we believe, in 1785. The Regiment then included within its limits, the towns of Holden, Paxton, Spencer, Leicester, Ward and Wor- cester. It was divided in 1811, and Worcester and Holden taken from it. The regiment when reviewed in 1785 was commanded by Col. Seth Wash- burn. At present Lieut. Col. Stone of Ward is its commander.
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HISTORY OF LEICESTER.
ther, as new sources of wealth and support are opening to its in- habitants from time to time. A considerable proportion of this pop- ulation derives its support, directly, or indirectly, from mechanical and manufacturing establishments, in which many of them are en- gaged.
MANUFACTURES, TRADE, &C .- The manufactures consist chiefly of cards and woollen cloths, although the more common establish- lishments for the manufacture of leather, scythes, and the like, are by no means inconsiderable. There are five Blacksmith's shops, in which from eight to twelve men are employed in the ordinary business of that trade. There are from ten to twenty persons em- ployed in manufacturing shoes for the ordinary consumption of the inhabitants of the town. In addition to these, there are two hat- ter's shops, two wheelwrights, two bookbinderies, one clock and watch maker, and one cabinet and chair manufactory.
There are five tanneries, in which leather to the amount of $10,000, at least, is annually manufactured; and the amount of scythes annually made here is about $2000.
The manufacture of cloths was commenced here by Mr. Samu- el Watson, in 1814, about one and an half miles east of the Meet- ing House, on the " Kettle Brook." His establishment was small, and the business, soon afterwards, becoming rather unproductive, he was induced to part with the possession of it, for a few years, to Mr. James Anderton, a native of Lancashire, in England, an en- terprising manufacturer, who, in the year 1821, purchased the privilege now occupied by the Leicester and Saxon factories, on the French River, where a small cotton factory had been previous- ly erected. He then made over his interest on the Kettle Brook to a countryman of his, Thomas Bottomly, who occupied the same until 1825, when, having erected a new factory a short distance below the former one, he surrendered up the former estate to Mr. Watson again, who now occupies the same. The privilege on French River proving to be a valuable one, and Mr. Anderton, from an unfavorable turn of times, being unable to occupy the whole of it profitably, a company was formed, and incorporated in 1823, cal- led the "Leicester Manufacturing Company," to whom he dispos- ed of his interest in the privilege, and became a member of the corporation. This company afterwards united, and was incorpo- rated, with the Saxon Factory, in Framingham, under the style of the Saxon and Leicester Factories. This establishment, in Leices- ter, consists at present of three factory buildings, the largest of VOL. IT. 10
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HISTORY OF LEICESTER.
which is 100 by 40 feet, and 4 stories in height, a dye house, store, eleven dwelling houses, and is now constantly increasing. About 150 persons are employed in and around the establishment, and 100 yards of Broadcloths are manufactured per day. We have been more particular in describing these establishments, although, when compared with others in the country, they may seem unim- portant, because they have grown up within a short period of time, and the success which has, on the whole, attended them, so clearly illustrates, what was once a somewhat doubtful problem, the policy of encouraging our domestic manufactures. We have also another object in view ; to preserve the names of those, to whose skill and enterprise the town is indebted for a part of its prosperity.
The manufacture of cotton and wool machine, and hand cards, has been carried on extensively, for a much greater length of time than that of cloths. It was commenced here about the year 1785, by Mr. Edmund Snow, and amongst those most early engaged in its prosecution, was Mr. Pliny Earle, who still carries on the busi- ness. About the year 1790, Mr. Samuel Slater, the venerable originator of cotton factories in the United States, and to whom the country owes so much of its wealth and prosperity, having in vain endeavored to procure suitable cards for his machinery, in the principal cities of the union, applied to Mr. Earle, for the purpose of procuring some cards of him. Machine cards had, till then, been made in the manner called by manufacturers " plain." A part of the cards used on a machine is called " filleting," and this part it was desirable to have made, what is termed, "twilled." For this purpose, Mr. Earle was obliged to prick the whole of the filleting with two needles, inserted into a handle, in the manner of an awl. This process was extremely tedious ; but Mr. Earle, at length, completed his undertaking, and furnished to Mr. Slater the cards by which the first cotton was wrought, that was spun by ma- chinery in America. The difficulty with which he accomplished this engagement, led his attention to the invention of a machine by which to prick the leather for cards ; and about the year 1797, he accomplished his desired object by inventing the machine, now in general use, for the manufacture of " twilled" cards .* Since this .
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