USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > A History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, vol 2 > Part 26
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In the War of 1812, many of the townsmen of the Acushnet section participated, including such leaders as Captain William Gordon, Judge Edward Pope, Captain Reuben Swift, and many others. In the Civil War, fifty-six soldiers and sailors cast in their lot for the Union cause.
Churches and Schools .- The first church to be established in this section of the Dartmouth country was the Precinct church of date 1696, and the first minister was Rev. Samuel Hunt. The building of the church was begun immediately by the society that called themselves "The people
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of God Called Presbyterians." A protest made by Dartmouth against being assessed as a town for the support of the minister, brought about the result that Quakers and Baptists be exempted from paying taxes for town churches. The new meetinghouse of the society was dedicated Janu- ary 5, 1744, the Precinct meetinghouse, as it was called, and that stood until 1837, when it was sold and torn down. Mr. Hunt's successors in the ministry here were: Revs. Richard Pierce, Israel Cheever, A. M., and Rev. Samuel West, D. D., who was pastor of the church forty years. Owing to the removal of many of the membership and congregation to adjoining towns, the life of this society was brought to a close.
Methodist preachers began to come to this part of the town to preach their doctrines before the year 1800. Captain John Hawes was the means of bringing here in 1805, Rev. Epaphras Kibby, a Methodist preacher, who with the aid of a congregation organized the Methodist Episcopal Church of Fairhaven in August, 1807. Eight persons constituted the original membership. The first meetinghouse of the society was built in 1811. Another building that was dedicated March 9, 1854, was destroyed by fire December 11, 1904. The present stone building was built on the old foun- dation, and dedicated December 1, 1905.
Methodist Episcopal interests at Long Plain were first provided for in 1823, when Rev. Phileas Crandall was appointed to the charge. He was succeeded in 1825 by Rev. Leonard B. Griffin, and in 1828 the "Sniptuit" chapel was built on the hill of that name. A Methodist Episcopal society was organized at Long Plain in 1857, and Rev. Philip Crandon was given charge of the church. The church worshiped in a small chapel previous to 1862, in which year the church building was erected.
The Friends first began to meet at the present Acushnet in 1708, and a meeting of worship was established by quarterly meeting the next year. It is probable that the original house was built in 1729. The Acushnet Preparative was a part of Dartmouth Monthly Meeting till near 1760, when it joined with the Sandwich Monthly Meeting; and again, in 1795 the Acushnet and the Long Plain societies became part of the Dart- mouth Monthly Meeting, so remaining to the present time. The present meetinghouse at Parting Ways, Acushnet, was built in 1871, when the old meetinghouse was torn down.
The Baptist church in the present Long Plain section was organized April 27, 1787, by Elder Daniel Hix. The first church was built in 1796, south of the present Baptist meetinghouse, and Elder Hix continued to be the minister to his eightieth birthday. The church was incorporated March 14, 1805, as the First Baptist Society in New Bedford, this section then being part of that town. In 1837 the society brought its interests to a close temporarily, owing to varying denominational doctrines being preached, Elder Hix himself joining the "Christian" sect.
A Friends Meeting was begun at Long Plain in 1755, about which time the house was erected. One hundred years afterwards the building was reconstructed, and in 1900 it was remodeled as to the interior.
As an outcome of the denominational differences among the Baptists, whose religious interests waned in 1837, the First Christian Church of North Fairhaven (now in Acushnet) was begun in October, that year. From this society was started the Perry Hill church. Another outcome
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of the 1837 inactivity of the old Long Plain Baptist Church was that of the reorganization of the society October 16, 1838, with Rev. Ira Leland as pastor, the society joining the Taunton Association. The present church was dedicated April 28, 1847. The Advent society was organized in this part of the town in 1858, and their church building constructed that year. In the early part of 1828 the Congregationalists began holding meetings in the Phenix schoolhouse. A small church building was constructed that was destroyed by fire February 5, 1865. The present church building was dedicated January 10, 1867. It was renovated and rededicated in 1889. St. Xavier Catholic Church was built in 1915, a former building of the Catholic people of Acushnet having burned at that time.
Among the better known of the former schools were Union Seminary, established in 1844 by Gideon Nye, Jireh Swift, and John R. and Obediah Davis, with Alonzo Tripp as the first and only principal, the school being discontinued after 1847. The Long Plain boarding school was started in 1831 by Rebecca H. Davis, a school that was in existence about twenty years; here also were the Kempton school of 1830 and the Russell school of the early 1850's. It is probable that the first district schoolhouse in Acushnet was located at Parting Ways, where Eliokim Willis taught in 1738. Subsequently, schoolhouses were built on the north side of the road between Lund's Corner and the bridge, on the lot at the north side of Tarkiln hill, and on the lot south of the Congregational church property. Soon after 1812 the town was divided into nine districts, each of which supported a school. In 1874 Schoolhouse No. 4 was dedicated, this being the present town house and library. The schoolhouse at Long Plain was built in 1875; the Perry Hill school in 1877; the old schoolhouse at Part- ing Ways was enlarged in 1901; the Marie S. Howard school was built in 1919-1920; the Mason W. Burt school in 1921. The appropriation for the maintenance of the schools in this town in 1923 was $45,775, the total school membership being 827. Charles Holmes was superintendent of schools.
Industries, etc .- It is stated that the first vessels to be built along Acushnet river were built in this part of the town before the year 1800. Emery Cushman started the Cushman box factory business in 1874. The mill was destroyed by fire August 1, 1904, but was soon rebuilt, and fur- nished employment to about sixty men. So early as 1707 there was a mill on the old mill lot, and since that time there have been a number of saw and box mills at the location, the last grist mill disappearing in 1903. At the site of the Acushnet Saw Mill Company's plant, Captain William Gordon had a wool-carding mill in 1818; a Mr. Almy manufactured cloth, batting and candle-wick in 1834; Shadrack Davis made nail kegs in 1836; Jonathan P. Lund with Charles W. Morgan built a paper mill in 1840. In 1867 Parkman M. Lund sold the plant to various other parties, and in March, 1907, a corporation was formed with Jonathan C. Hawes as president. Other cotton factories on the river have been the White Brothers' factory, the Whelden factory, and the Ansel White factory; and other industries no longer active were the iron mine on the Morse home- stead, and Taber's mills.
North Fairhaven postoffice was first established December 30, 1820,
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with James Taber as postmaster, and it was transferred to Acushnet Vil- lage February 11, 1829, with Gustavus Gilbert as postmaster. The name of the office was changed to Acushnet in 1864. The postoffice at Long Plain was established in 1834.
Acushnet's Free Public Library was opened June 13, 1896, and a branch was soon afterwards established at Long Plain, and one at Perry Hill. The first trustees of the Acushnet Library were: George J. Parker, chairman; Mrs. Anna H. Bradford, treasurer; Miss Emily A. Brownell, secretary.
Close to the centre of the village is situated Pine Lawn Sanitarium, the former Nye estate, that was purchased in 1900 by Mrs. L. E. Ashley for the care of invalids.
CHAPTER II. BERKLEY
Berkley from the first has been a recluse, a meditative individual among the southeastern Massachusetts towns, whose life from childhood to this, her great age, has not held notable interest whether in industry or growth, as measured by that of most of the Old Colony towns and their suburbs. Berkley resides both in old homes and new, beside Taun- ton Great river, still delighting in the traditions of her firesides, the friend- liness of her gray roofs, the excellence of her gardens, and her treasured relics of generations. Yet it is no regret of hers that a little way in another direction, and not too near her borders pass the railroad trains; or that away over yonder speed the electric cars. Her lot happened to be placed somewhat aside from main-traveled ways between cities, and the railroads here have no port of call. A league above her residence, and a league below the river turn the wheels of many mills; but the stream runs past her doors without obstruction, as in the days of Massa- soit. A very ancient road is Berkley street; it was an old trail and path before Berkley was made a town. It is one with its rolling knolls and its small vales, and has made but little attempt to modernize its environment. Follow it faithfully and far, and it will lead to home locations not many . years this side of the settlement of Plymouth, itself.
. Within only a mile of the spot where Edward "Bobit," founder of the Bobbitt or the Babbitt clans (and who was killed in 1675, at the out- break of the King Philip War, and whose remains lie buried here), built his first house, in 1923 lives former Representative Rollin H. Babbitt, of the sixth generation from Edward, the first settler. The residence of Mr. Babbitt was built and dwelt in by Major Adoniram Crane, also a descend- ant of early settlers, and an ancestor of Professor Joshua E. Crane. librarian of Taunton Public Library. Both names, Babbitt and Crane, are associated with the incorporation of the town in April, 1735, and the first town meeting, May 12, 1735, was held at the house of Elkanah Babbitt, when Gershom Crane acted as moderator. Abel Burt was the first town clerk; selectmen were Nathaniel Gilbert, John Burt, Gershom Crane; and assessors at that period were Benaiah Crane, John Paull, Joseph Burt.
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Mr. Babbitt's home and its surroundings are as colonial in effect as one might wish to see. Within are the long, low rooms with oaken beams and furniture of the quiet old style; outside, a landscape as quiet, with its green lawns sloping to the "Taunton Great River."
It is generally understood that Berkley was so named for George Berkeley, Bishop of Cloyne, Ireland, who wrote the prophetic stanzas beginning "Westward the course of empire takes its way"-who for awhile was a resident of Newport, Rhode Island, and who had intimate friends in this township. But there is another contention that the name was suggested by the members of the Axtell and other families whose homes had been in the Carolinas while the famous Governor Berkeley was the leader there.
Yet we also read that Bishop Berkeley had intended that the church in this town should have an organ, which, however, never left Newport, owing to the prejudice of the congregations against instrumental music at that period; and it is stated that the church organ intended for Berkley is in use at Trinity Church, in Newport, today. The change in the spelling of the name Berkley from that of Berkeley is due to the traditional clerical carelessness in the registry office. The Hon. Charles A. Reed, of Taunton, once protested against the generally accepted reasons given for the naming of the town in our local histories, as Berkley had no existence as a pre- cinct, or as a parish, even, before 1735, and that the organ sent over by Bishop Berkeley was presented in 1733 to Trinity Church at Newport. Mr. Reed further declared: "It will be found, we confidently assert, that the first settlers of that ancient portion of Taunton (Berkley), the Burts and other original families, drew that name from the Berkeleys of Virginia and the Carolinas, with whom they had alliance from the vale of the Berkeley on the Severn, the ancient home of the Berkeleys in old England."
Churches and Schools .- The story of Berkley, like that of others of the ancient townships in New England, is religious as to its beginnings, main interests centring' about the meetinghouse, and the leaders of the "meeting" and their message. The town was incorporated April 18, 1735, and the very next year, 1736, a meetinghouse was built at the south end of the Common. At the second town meeting, October 6, 1735, it was voted to hire a scholar to preach "in the town for the space of a quarter of a year," and it was also voted to hire a schoolmaster-the usual way at town origins hereabouts, religion and the schools taking the lead at once.
Rev. Samuel Tobey, typical minister of a typical first settlement, made his advent here with his ordination, November 23, 1737, and for nearly forty-four years, or until his death, which occurred February 13, 1781, he was a father to this small flock, faithful and devout, "of eminent abilities and great common sense," as the late Rev. Enoch Sanford wrote of him. In all, there were forty-nine members of this church, most of whom were in the habit of going the long distance to Taunton or Dighton to meeting. Rev. Samuel Tobey was a native of Sandwich, Massachusetts, and he graduated at Harvard College in 1733. He married Bathsheba Crocker, September 6, 1738, and they lived in the lean-to parsonage that stood near the common. Their farm was twenty-five or thirty acres in extent, and they reared a family of twelve children.
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Upon the death of Rev. Mr. Tobey, there came to minister to Berkley folk, a Revolutionary patriot and soldier, Rev. Thomas Andros. He was born at Norwich, Connecticut, May 1, 1754, and his is a story that is worth re-telling. At the breaking out of the Revolution, in 1775, he joined the Continental army at sixteen years of age, the army then being en- camped at Cambridge. He witnessed the evacuation of Boston, and after- wards shared in the battles of Long Island and White Plains, and under General Sullivan at Butts Hill. The severest part of his experience was that, when enlisting in 1781 for service on a private armed vessel, the lat- ter was captured by an English frigate and condemned to the "old Jersey prison-ship" in New York harbor. Andros somehow made his escape after suffering terrible hardships. Recovering his health, he gave his life to the ministry. Rev. Mr. Andros was also a devoted and faithful min- ister, and the church increased in interest under his care. He lived in his parsonage near the meetinghouse twenty years. He was twice married, first to Abigail Cutler, of Killingly, Connecticut, by whom he had nine children. His second wife was Sophia Sanford, and they had eight chil- dren. He made a special study of the languages and the classics, and he published a number of sermons and essays in pamphlet form. Among his descendants were writers of note, and a number of master mariners. The Berkley minister received the honorary degree of A. M. from Brown Uni- versity in 1790. Rev. Ebenezer Poor, of Danvers, succeeded to this pas- torate-an interesting preacher who remained two years. Then came Rev. J. U. Parsons, who was pastor from 1838 to 1840. He was author of school readers and some religious works. Rev. Charles Chamberlain, tutor at Brown University, came here and remained two years, from 1842 to 1844.
The first meetinghouse of the society, built in 1736, was a very plain house of worship. Some time previous to 1798 the old house was taken down and the new meetinghouse was built on the same spot, November 22, 1798, the architect being Isaac Babbitt of this town, who built the Dighton and Berkley bridge as well as Howland's Ferry bridge, Weir Village bridge, factories, etc. The second meetinghouse had a lofty steeple and a bell. The house had galleries on three sides, and there was a lofty pulpit. Two pews were built for negroes at the corner above the stairs, though never occupied, said Rev. Enoch Sanford, historian, "except by John Terry, who was as much better than many below him as his seat was above them." After this house had stood over fifty years, it gave way to the more commodious one which stands on the same spot where the two others had stood. Adjacent to the meetinghouse is the neat and attractive parsonage.
In 1848 the Congregationalists became divided in their beliefs, and the Trinitarian Congregational Society in Berkley was formed March 1 that year, by twenty members of the older church, and a number of others. They built a church edifice which was called the chapel, and they had for their first pastor Rev. L. R. Eastman, who remained here from April, 1848, to March, 1856. He was succeeded by Rev. James A. Roberts, who continued his pastorate from April, 1856, to September, 1872.
The First Methodist Episcopal Church was organized here March 1, 1873, Rev. Mr. Roberts' flock, the Trinitarians, joining with them, and occupying the chapel. There they continued to hold their services until
Bristol-45
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1875, when a building was erected at a cost of $7,500. After a succession of pastorates, their interest waned, or was transferred to the Methodist church at Myricks.
In 1903 the Congregational church, that was built in 1848, was burned, and the members of that society purchased the Methodist church building that stood about one-half mile north of the Green, and they had it re- moved to its present location. The pastors that succeeded Rev. Mr. Andros were Rev. Ebenezer Poor, of Danvers, from 1835 to 1837; Rev. J. U. Par- sons, 1838-40; Rev. Charles Chamberlain, 1842-44. Several pastors occu- pied the pulpit from that time. Then, in 1870, Rev. Samuel B. Fairleigh was installed, to remain until 1876; Rev. William H. Teel was here from 1876 to 1878; Rev. William A. Chamberlain to 1881; Rev. Leonard S. Parker from 1882 to 1886; Rev. J. W. Wright (who was a chaplain in the Civil War), to 1892; Rev. George Sterling to 1895; Rev. Franklin K. Beem to 1900; Rev. William R. Josselyn to 1904; Rev. George Christie to 1910; Rev. Mr. Humphries to 1916; Rev. George M. Whyte to 1923; Rev. Albert H. Plumb, the present incumbent.
No sooner was the town organized and the local meetinghouse estab- lished, than the school was begun, the first teachers being John and Jonathan Crane, each receiving a small sum by town meeting vote. Row- land Gavin succeeded these as teacher, and his school was kept in various sections of the town. He not only taught reading, writing and arithmetic, but also navigation. The schoolroom, it is recorded, was usually at the homes of some of the townsmen; but the first schoolhouse was built in 1763. Thirty years afterwards, or in 1793, the town was divided into four school districts; later, into five, then into six, and after the accession of Assonet Neck there were seven school districts. The town voted £120 in 1794 to the four school districts for the building of schoolhouses, and in 1800, with the town's population 1034, there were more than 400 pupils in the several school districts. It is an interesting fact of retardation of town progress that in 1880 the population of the town was nearly one hundred less than it had been eighty years before, and the pupils in the schools numbered 163. These country schools were the nurseries of numbers of excellent teachers, who not only taught in Berkley schools but also in academies and colleges. Such teachers and professors were: Captain Joseph Sanford, Levi French, Colonel Adoniram Crane, Captain Giles G. Chace, the Sanford brothers-James, John, Enoch, Alpheus and Baalis, Silas A. Benjamin, Daniel and Abiathar Crane, Ebenezer Hervey, William M. and B. L. Cornell, David French, Darius Phillips, Daniel S. Briggs, Enoch Boyce, Thomas C. Dean, Dr. S. Hathaway, Walter D. Nichols, P. Chester Potter, Thomas P. Paull. There were six schools in the town in 1923, and Walter K. Putney was the superintendent.
In the Wars .- The home life of the first settlers was broken up at the time of King Philip's War, in 1675. Although it has been stated that King Philip, or Metacomet, was friendly to the Leonards and the people at the ironworks, yet the red men were prowling about this territory and destroy- ing property, their minds set upon obtaining what had once belonged to their race. They were now ravaging Berkley, and the settlers left the region in a body, to get nearer to the larger settlement at Taunton Green.
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The family of Edward Bobbit was among those who had temporarily fled from Berkley. But Edward Bobbit himself met death at the hands of the Indians, and the family tradition regarding the incident is to this effect: It appears according to one of the versions that Bobbit made an attempt to return to his home to find a cheese-hoop or similar article or household utensil. He had with him a dog who by his whining warned his master of the neighborhood of some danger. Bobbit took the hint and climbed a tree. The dog continuing to remain near the tree and keeping up its whining, drew the attention of an Indian, who, seeing the predicament of the settler, fired at him and killed him. Later on, his family returning found him, and buried him at about that place. Bobbit is said to have been the first white man killed in this vicinity. The stone that was placed at the head of his grave is now at Historical Hall, in Taunton.
The revolt against the mother country was favored here, the town voting in 1774 that the resolves of the Continental Congress be observed in every particular. Each minute-man when called into active service, was to receive five dollars as a bounty, and in 1775 the militia was directed to be in training one-half day each week, and to receive one shilling therefor. From time to time the town voted substantial sums for addi- tional bounty for men filling up the quota of the Continental army; and it is believed a large number of men joined the service from this town. Among the pensioners mentioned were Captain Joseph Sanford, Josiah Macomber, Samuel Paull, William Evans, Ezra Chace, Paul Briggs. A regiment was under command of Colonel John Hathaway from this town, and it is related that in the absence of his chaplain he officiated in that capacity. After the war, regimental musters and May training were great local events. At most of such musters, Abner Burt, Jr., was adjutant, Adoniram Crane was colonel, and among the captains were Samuel French, senior, Joseph Sanford, Christopher Paull, Freeman Briggs, Giles G. Chace, Giles Leach, Nathaniel Townsend, John Dean. It was Captain Giles Chace who had charge of a company that was ordered to New Bedford during the war of 1812-1814.
Again, in 1861, the town responded promptly to the call of President Lincoln, the town's quota being quickly filled, and generous bounties were offered in addition to those of the State. Seventy-one men were in service from this town. In the Spanish-American War, seventy-six men were enlisted.
During the World War, the town joined unreservedly in the work of the Red Cross and in the various drives, and thirty men from Berkley were in the service, for whom an honor roll tablet is to be placed in Town Hall.
Industries, etc .- Here and there, some old settler will point out to you a landing, a remnant of a wharf, or a vessel-building ways by the river- bank. And you will be told that Edmund Burt or Darius Newhall or Ephraim French built many small vessels, and that a number of master mariners had their homes in this section. It is stated that Hon. Samuel Tobey began to build ships here about the year 1790, his first ventures being six ships for European trade and four smaller vessels for the West India trade; Elkanah Hathaway built three schooners and two sloops about
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the year 1804; Ebenezer Crane built two sloops of thirty-five tons each in 1808. But his vessels were built one mile inland, and it took "forty yoke of oxen, one hundred men and a barrel of rum" to get the craft to the river. Others who built vessels in and about Berkley were: Darius Newhall, who built three schooners, two brigs and five sloops, from 1804 to 1815; Edmund Burt, who with others built three vessels in 1815; Jede- diah Briggs, who in 1827 built a steamboat and a schooner; Ephraim French, who built six schooners and three sloops, from 1809 to 1833; Henry Crane, George Crane, Simeon Briggs, Edward Babbitt built twenty- six schooners, eight brigs, one bark and five sloops from 1820 to 1866.
The Berkley postoffice was established in 1818. The present Public Library building was constructed in 1918 from the Carnegie fund. The first bridge from Berkley to Dighton was built in 1806. The second was erected there by the county in 1872.
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