USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Warren > Western 1741-1834, Warren 1834-1891, Massachusetts. An account of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of the town of Warren, September 7, 1891, including the founding and growth of a New-England town > Part 1
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Gc 974.402 W256s 1786416
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01068 8643
WESTERN 1741-18;4. WARREN 18:4-1891,
MASSACHUSETTS.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE
. ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE INCORPORATION OF THE
TOWN OF WARREN, Y ::
SEPTEMBER 7, 1891,
INCLUDING
THE FOUNDING AND GROWTH OF A
NEW-ENGLAND TOWN,
BY HON. SOLOMON B. STEBBINS OF BOSTON.
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CHAS. W. EDDY, Printer, WARE, MASS.
1786416
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Stebbins, Solomon Bliss, 18:0-
Western 1741-1534. Warren 1831-1801. Massachusetts. An account of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of the town of Warren. September 7. 1891, including the founding and growth of a Now-Eng- land town. a review by Hon. Solomon B. Stebbins ...
22 p. front .. fold. map.
1. Warren. Mass. -- Hist.
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WARREN'S CELEBRATION.
A T the Annual Town Meeting held in Warren (Mass.), April 7, 1890, Mr. Harlan P. Bliss moved that "the town observe the one hundred . and fiftieth anniversary of its incorporation; that the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars be raised and appropriated for the expenses of the occasion; and that the chair appoint a committee of five to carry into effect the foregoing resolves, and make all necessary arrangements." This motion, having been made under an article inserted in the town warrant by the Selectmen at the request of Mr. Bliss, was put to vote and carried unanimously, and the chair appointed as a committee, Mr. Harlan P. Bliss, Rev. David Moyes, Mr. C. O. Walker, Rev. Putnam Webber, Rev. O. I. Darling.
The gentlemen above named met June 4th, and organized by choosing Mr. Bliss Chairman, and Rev. Mr. Darling Secretary. At this meeting a canvass was made for Orator of the Day, and the Chairman and Secretary were authorized to confer with Hon. Solomon B. Stebbins of Boston (a native of Warren).
On March 17, 1891, the Committee met and reported that Mr. Stebbins would - deliver the address if the celebration could be deferred to Labor Day (September 7th). This date was
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agreed upon, and the following persons were re- quested to serve on sub-committees and other- wise: -
TOAST MASTER. - Mr. D. W. Shepard. (Mr. Shepard declining, his place was filled by Dr. J. W. Hastings.)
COMMITTEE ON MUSIC. - Miss Ella M. Wentworth, Mr. Herbert A. Messinger, Mr. C. O. Walker.
COMMITTEE ON DECORATIONS. - Mr. George L. Butler, Mr. Henry S. Howe, Mrs. Maude N. Aborn, Mr. F. J. DeLuce, Mr. William S. Tisdale.
COMMITTEE ON RELICS AND ANTIQUITIES. - Mrs. Julia M. Hitchcock, Mr. Herbert Carpenter, Mrs. Mary M. Richardson, Mrs. Ida C. Marsh, Mr. J. E. Lombard, Mr. Chas. D. Keyes.
COMMITTEE ON PRINTING AND INVITATIONS. - Mr. Daniel G. Hitchcock, Mrs. Lottie E. Demond, Mr. George P. Aborn.
Due preparations having been made by these committees, an invitation in the following form was sent to all natives and former residents of the town whose names and addresses could be obtained: -
WARREN, MASS., August 10, IS91.
The Committee on Invitations requests the presence of natives of the town, former residents and their descendants, at the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of the Town of Warren, Massachusetts, September seventh, eighteen hundred and ninety-one.
Public exercises at 10.30 A.M. in the Congregational Church. Dinner at 1.30 P.M. in the Town Hall.
Special invitations were also sent to the Governor of the Commonwealth, to the two United States Senators, to our State Senator and Representatives
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from this district, also to the Chairman of Select- men of the towns of Palmer, Ware, Brookfield, West Brookfield, and Brimfield, and to ex-Repre- sentative George K. Tufts, Esq., of New Braintree, and Jesse Allen, Esq., of Oakham, who assisted in passing the Act which was found necessary to enable the town to appropriate money for its anniversary. Senator Haggerty was also instru- mental in securing a reconsideration of this matter in the Senate after it had once been negatived.
The morning of the anniversary began with clouds and rain, but promptly at seven o'clock the day was ushered in by the ringing of all the bells in the two villages of Warren and West Warren, the whistle of the Knowles Steam Pump Works joining in the salute.
Across the main street, between the Town Hall and church where the oration was to be delivered, two huge flags were suspended, having between them a gauze banner inscribed with the names "Western " and "Warren," and the dates of incor- poration and change of name.
A park concert by the Warren Cornet Band was given in the Pavilion at nine o'clock, at which time the loan collection of relics and antiquities at G. A. R. Hall was opened for one hour. At half-past ten the exercises at the Congregational Church were to begin; and, despite the rain which still continued to fall, though not as heavily as at first, the building was crowded with an audience
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composed of townspeople, old residents, and dis- tinguished guests. Handsome souvenir programmes were distributed to all present, a copy being given below: -
PROGRAM OF THE DAY.
RINGING OF TOWN BELLS, at 7 A. M.
PARK CONCERT BY WARREN CORNET BAND, at 9 A. M.
EXERCISES IN CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, at 10.30 A. M.
ORDER OR EXERCISES.
I. ORGAN PRELUDE, Coronation March, Meyerbeer.
HERBERT A. MESSINGER.
2. FESTIVAL HYMN ( Buck), ANNIVERSARY CHORUS.
3. SCRIPTURE READING, REV. PUTNAM WEBBER.
4. PRAYER, REV. D. OLIN CLARK.
5. HAIL, FESTAL DAY (Rossini), ANNIVERSARY CHORUS.
6. ADDRESS OF WELCOME, CHAIRMAN ANNIVERSARY COMMITTEE. HARLAN P. BLISS.
7. ADDRESS AND INTRODUCTION OF THE ORATOR OF THE DAY. REV. OLNEY I. DARLING.
S. HISTORICAL ADDRESS, HON. SOLOMON B. STEBBINS.
9. To THEE, O COUNTRY (Eichberg), ANNIVERSARY CHORUS.
IO. POEM, MISS NELLIE M. COMINS.
II. ANNIVERSARY HYMN (Original), TUNE, DUKE STREET.
For life and health and daily bread, The common blessings full and free Along our path like sunshine shed, Father, accept our thanks to thee.
And darker days and grayer skies We know conceal thy loving face ; For all thy gifts our songs shall rise, Like incense, in this sacred place.
From out the past thy mercies shine To show thy future blessings sure ; Father, we know that light divine To endless ages shall endure.
Let organ peal and human voice Pour forth their praise to Him above, While Nature cries, " Rejoice, rejoice ! Now and forever God is Love."
REV. HARRIS G. HALE.
12. BENEDICTION,
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DINNER AT TOWN HALL, at 1.30 P. M., followed by toasts and speeches by citizens, former residents, and distinguished guests.
Music, Messinger's Orchestra.
THE LOAN COLLECTION OF RELICS AND ANTIQUITIES,
open to the public at G. A. R. Hall, 9 to 10 A. M., and 12.30 to 1.30 and 4 to 6 P. M.
PARK CONCERT BY WEST WARREN CORNET BAND, at 7 P.M. ILLUMINATION AND FIREWORKS, at & P. M.
The oration by Hon. Solomon B. Stebbins was as follows: -
THE FOUNDING AND GROWTH OF A NEW- ENGLAND TOMN.
In the history of communities, as in the lives of individuals, there come periods when the sons and daughters are invited home to celebrate some golden anniversary. Thrice golden is the event which the citizens of this town in their corporate capacity have met to commemorate. With greet- ings royal we are welcomed home to renew the friendships of the olden days. With hearts made tender by your welcome and by the memories of the past, we join with you in celebrating the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the birth of a New-England town.
A careful observer of American forms of gov- ernment, Alexis de Tocqueville, has said of the New-England township that "it was the nucleus round which the local interests, rights, and duties so collected and clung that it gave scope to the
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activities of a thoroughly democratic and repub- lican life. Its local assemblies of freemen -the town meetings - were to liberty what primary schools are to science: they brought it within the people's reach; they taught men how to use and enjoy it; and even while the American colonies still recognized the supremacy of the mother country, the republic was already established in every township."
It is the birthday of such a township that we meet to celebrate. Your committee of arrange- ments have honored me with the grateful task of gathering up for this family reunion such facts of interest as the scanty records of the past may furnish or household traditions may have treasured.
It is not my purpose, however, in the hour I shall detain you, to attempt an elaborate historical review of the events attending the growth of the town, but rather to summon before you the early fathers, and let them, in the quaint language of their records, tell how they founded a town to secure local civil government and religious wor- ship, made provision for education, and contributed of their lives and substance in the heroic period which established the independence of the colonies.
EARLY HISTORY.
The territory of the town covers about six square miles, and was taken from the towns of Brookfield
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and Brimfield, and from a tract of land known as Kingsfield or the Elbows, which afterwards formed the town of Palmer. It is known that the locality, from its ample hunting and fishing grounds, was a favorite resort and dwelling-place of the red men. Interesting vestiges of the aboriginals have been discovered from time to time, many of which have been preserved, and, by the. courtesy of the com- mittee having charge of the collection, will, with other relics and antiquities, be exhibited to-day.
The first known white settler within the limits of the town was Solomon Keyes, in 1731. Other settlers soon followed, bearing the names of Read, Patrick, Ashley, Brown, Blair, Makepeace, Jones, Combs, Sheperd, Putnam, Beal, Dwight, Rice, Hayward, Chadwick, Parsons, Bliss, Davis, Gleason, Cutler, Lincoln.
Of the descendants of these early settlers, some still reside in the town and honor us by their presence to-day. The population of the district had so increased that in 1740 measures were taken to secure authority to form a town government.
On June. 12 of that year, Noah Ashley and a considerable number of others presented a petition to the General Court setting forth their great distance from the places of public worship, and that they had supported a minister among them for some time, and therefore praying that they might be set off and erected into a separate township.
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Upon this petition it was ordered "that the petitioners serve a copy of the petition upon the towns interested, and for the towns to show cause why the same should not be granted."
On the 25th of August of the same year, as it appeared that the towns had been served with copies of the petition, and that answer had been received from the town of Brimfield only, it was ordered "that Joseph Wilder and William Lyon be a committee to repair to the places mentioned and view and report."
This committee subsequently reported : -
Pursuant to an order of the General Court, passed in August last, upon the Petition of Ephraim Hayward et al. Inhabitants of the westerly part of the Towns of Brookfield, and of Brimfield and Kingsfield, so called, we the subscribers have attended the service therein mentioned, viewed the Land petitioned for, considered the circumstances of the Petitioners, and heard the Parties concerned ; and upon the whole are of the opinion that the Land, together with the Inhabitants thereon, described in a Plan herewith presented, be set off and erected into a separate and distinct township, to lie in the County of Worcester. But inasmuch as the new Projected Town comes to the river in the County Road, where there is a Bridge called Market Bridge over said river, - That the said New Town shall make and maintain the one half of said Bridge, and the town of Brookfield the other half.
JOSEPH WILDER, WILLIAM LYON.
Consented to.
J. BELCHER, December 16, 1740.
II
Following the favorable report of the committee, the General Court, with the approval of the Governor, on the 16th of January, 1741, passed an Act incorporating the town of Western .*
This action was supplemented on the 19th of January by the passage of an order directing Noah Ashley, one of the principal inhabitants of the new township, to notify and warn the inhabitants of the said township to assemble and make choice of a town clerk and other town officers.
ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWN GOVERNMENT.
In pursuance of this order, the first town meeting was held on March S, 1741, when Noah Ashley was chosen moderator, Matthew Beal town clerk, and Solomon Keyes, Noah Ashley, Peter Rice, and Nathaniel Reed selectmen.
THE FIRST MEETING-HOUSE.
With the town government thus organized, the people, in accordance with the almost universal ' practice of the New-England fathers, turned their attention to the erection of a meeting-house and the settlement of a minister.
In those early days the affairs of the church
* In consequence of delays to letters, caused by the similarity of the name of the town to that of Weston, an older town in Middlesex County, the General Court, on March 13, 1S34, in response to a petition authorized by the town, changed the name to " Warren," although a petition had been presented the previous year, from Thomas Damon and thirty-three others, asking that the name should be changed to " Homer."
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were managed in town meeting, and a week after the organization of the town government a meeting was held " in order to agree upon a meeting- house spot." No definite conclusion having been reached, the town, at a meeting held in October of the following year, voted " some suitable place to meet in to hear preaching." It was also voted "to build a meeting-house 40 ft. square on Comeys Hill."
It was not until the following year that the meeting-house site was definitely fixed upon.
" At a meeting legally warned and held in Western ye ISth day of April, 1743, voted Lieut. Solo Keyes Moderator for said meeting - further voted ye sd meeting by adjournment to ye place called Comy hill and at ye place above mentioned called Comy hill on ye west side near the place called ye Stadd . . . namely on a napp of ground adjoyning to Comy hill . . . the particular spott is known by one chestnut tree on the west side of the napp and a little east of sd chestnutt tree there is two black oak staddles marked and the same spott att sd meeting by adjournment from ye Wido Howards House to this place and on this spott of ground and at this time voted this particular spott is & shall be the place for the meeting house to be built upon & here to remain."
The locality of the meeting-house having been determined, the more serious work of its erection was entered upon.
The town records at this time teem with votes relating to the material to be used in the construc- tion of the new place of worship.
" At a town meeting held in Western May ye second 1743. . Voted Solo Keyes Moderator. Voted to build a meeting house. . Voted ye sd Meeting house should be built 45 feet in
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length & 35 feet in breadth and 20} feet between the sill & plate. And further voted to rase three hundred pounds tenor money to carry on said building. Further voted that Mr Noah Ashley Lieut Solo Keyes & David Blair be a comitee to order and manage the affairs in building the meeting house, to provide timber and slittwork and framing and drawing all ready to raise : Voted that ye Clapboards should be sawed quarter boards. Voted Thos Rich, Gershom Makepeace & Peter Rice be a committee to provide the clapboards, Boards, Shingles & Nails for sd House & to have them ready att ye spot heretofore voted. Further voted ye Nathan Reed with the com Keyes Ashley & Blair be impowered to sett a price on the work done by the day by the people in carrying. on the building.
" Att a meeting in Western held ye 15 day of June 1743. Voted Solomon Keyes Moderator for sd meeting and further voted that Noah Ashley & Hezekiah Marks provide 20 spike polls in order to raise the meeting house & further voted that Solomon Keyes & Noah Ashley provide provisions and drink & voted sd Keyes and Ashley thirty pounds old tenor to be paid by a rate for sd provisions & drink for raising of the meeting house & voted to raise the meeting house on the place whare the timber now lyeth & further voted att sd meeting that Mr Noah Ashley should have the privilige of setting the meet- ing house to face the south drawing or moveing the sills six feet north or west as hee thinks best : His allowing the town eight pounds out of his bilding for the raising. August ye 26 day 1743. Att a meeting held in Western. Voted Gersham Makepeace Moderator for said meeting. Voted to chuse com- ity to inclose the meeting house on the outside and lay down the under flore. Voted Lieut Solomon Keyes & Noah Ashley & Nathl Reed to be a comity to gitt sd work done & also winder frames and to have sash glass sett in woods for the meeting house."
Services were held in the new building in about a year after its commencement, although pulpit and pews were not built till two years later, and the whole work was not fully completed for many years.
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The assignment of the seats of the meeting- house, which took place upon the completion of the building, was considered in those early days an important matter, requiring the services of the ablest men of the town properly to " dignify " the seats and pews. On May 23, 1748, in town meet- ing, it was ,
" Voted to chose a comittee to seat the body of seats and Pew ground. Voted Dea Bliss to be a comittee man. Dea Straton also in the same. Noah Ashley, Solomon Keyes, Peter Rice, David Blair, Gershom Makepeace, James Whit- comb, Ephraim Hayward, Nathll Reed, Thomas Rich. Voted that the comittee observe these three rules namely age of , persons, secondly the list from the time that the meeting house was built also the quallity of persons in seating the pews and body of seats above said. Voted further that when the co- mittee above sd have so setled the pews, that the men seated in the pews have forever and so entiteled to them. They there doing there proportionable part of the charge of finishing the sd pews and sids of the meeting house up to the girt also the galary stairs, each mans pew to pay the same equill charge of the whole charge above sd charge. Voted to dismiss the meeting. Jershom Makepeace Moderator."
The singers of the meeting-house also engaged the attention of the town more than a hundred years ago, when in town meeting it was solemnly "voted & granted to the singers in the town seats to sing in, and that it should be the two hind seats each side of the broad ally below in the body seats and that they should be made into two long pews, and it is expected that they will attend their duty in that part of worship."
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THE FIRST MINISTER.
With the meeting-house made sufficiently ready for occupation. the town sought anxiously for a minister, and on July 9, 1744, a town meeting was held, " in order to see whether the town will agree to keep a day of fasting and prayer to God for direction in calling a suitable person to the work of the ministry."
After a careful consideration of the subject, the town voted to observe Thursday, July 19th, as such a day, and a committee was appointed to secure the attendance of six ministers from neighboring churches to assist the people of the town in the solemn work before them. The result of the deliberations was expressed at a town meeting held on the following day : -
" At a town meeting in Western on the 20th day of July 1744. To see whether the town will call Mr Isaac Jones to the work of the ministry in said town. Voted Capt Noah Ashley Moderator for said meeting. Voted to give Mr Isaac Jones a call to setel among us in the work of the ministry in the said. town. Voted to setel the sd Mr Isaac Jones in the work of the ministry in the sd town according to the usage and Custom, respecting worthy dissipline and instruction of the established non conforming churches of New England. Voted to give Mr Isaac Jones one hundred and twenty five pounds lawful money for his setelment, the one half to be paid the said Mr Isaac Jones in one year after his ordination, and the other half in one year after the same. Voted to give Mr Isaac Jones thirty seven pounds, ten shillings lawful money for his Sallery for the first year after his ordination, and to add twenty five shillings lawful money, yearly after the first year
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till it makes up fifty pounds lawful money, as a sallery for the said Mr Isaac Jones. Voted Mr Samuel Bliss, Gershom Makepeace and Thomas Rich to be a comitee to represent the call the town has made to the sd Mr Isaac Jones. Noah Ashley Moderator for sd meeting.
" Entered pr Matthew Beale Town Clerk."
Mr. Jones accepted the call of the town and was ordained in January, 1745, as the first minister of the first Congregational church in the new town, and continued in that relation until his death in 1784, a period of nearly forty years.
That he was a beloved pastor, and honored by the people he served so well, the memorial stone erected in the village burial-ground bears witness: -
" Sacred to the memory of the
REV. ISAAC JONES
. who was almost forty years the faithful and affectionate pastor of Christ's Flock in this town. Employing at suitable times his lively powers in useful studies, in fervent prayer, in earnest preaching, in pathetic persuasion and improving discourse for the edification, comfort and salvation of his people. Supported by the religion which he had long practiced and preached he died in faith and hope July 31, 1784."
The ordination on Thursday last in this church of the Rev. Harris G. Hale, the fourteenth suc- cessor of the first minister in the town, and the memorial exercises of to-day, make this beautiful September month doubly interesting to the church and society worshipping here. I am sure that I express the feelings of this audience and of the
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people of this town, of whatever creed, when I wish for the new pastor and his congregation a union as long and useful as that made memorable in the inscription on the tombstone of the first pastor in the old cemetery.
The relations of the Congregational society and town were closely identified until 1824, when the town refused to provide for the minister's salary, and a few years later, after controversy, relinquished all claim upon the. meeting-house. The churches in the town at the present time are : the Congre- gational, already described; the Universalist, organ- ized in 1815; the Methodist, organized in 1852; the Catholic, organized in 1872.
EDUCATION.
The early records of the town show that the people of the sparsely settled locality were not un- mindful of the cause of education. On September 9, 1743, the town voted £40 for " scooling." On February 11, 1744, it was voted to hire two months' schooling. On November 4, 1745, it was voted to " bouild a scool house, and voted that sd house shall be twenty feet in length and seventeen feet in bredth and a dutch chimney att each end of sd house. And voted to hire three months schooling." On February 12, 1749, it was voted to build three schoolhouses, and on November 9th of the same year £So was appropriated for schools.
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Similar appropriations followed in succeeding years. During the later years of the town's history, the citizens, realizing that a good system of public education under proper supervision, with commo- dious and well-ventilated school-buildings, gives prestige to a town, have, with wise and liberal action, made ample provision for the education of their children. The High-School building, erected upon the site of the Quaboag Seminary, is worthy of especial mention, - not only for the higher course of education provided there, but also for the architectural fitness of the structure.
Of the 351 cities and towns in the State, Warren stands thirty-ninth in the percentage of taxable property appropriated for the support of public schools; while of the 59 cities and towns of Wor- cester County, Warren stands seventh in the like percentage, sixteenth in the average attendance, and nineteenth in the amount appropriated for each scholar.
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