USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > A History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, vol 2 > Part 29
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A club house with bowling alleys, billiard tables, locker room, shower baths, a ball field and tennis courts was built by the company for the use of its employees. Many new houses have been erected, mostly single houses of the bungalow and cottage types. An effort has been made to keep the village attractive by planting trees and shrubs and laying out small parks. Ample breathing spaces between houses have been provided and a variety of types of construction have been employed to avoid the dull monotony of many older mill villages. The company was fortunate from the start in preparing for the finishing of lines of cloth, which have steadily increased in popularity and consumption. The mercerizing of cotton was a new process at the time Mount Hope was organized. The prices that could be obtained for mercerized goods were attractive and the company early began to specialize in the finishing of mercerized cottons. From time to time as other new lines of goods with an appeal to popular favor ap- peared in the market, the management has sought to be prepared promptly to finish them. Today the company is able to finish a great range of cloths
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in white, black and colors in cotton and in silk. With the increase in variety has come an increase in the quantity of goods finished. The product is now more than ten times as great as was originally expected. The type of mill construction, commonly in use, has undergone a considerable change in the last twenty years. This plant, built almost continuously a little at a time, reflects these changes. From the brick building with small bays and little windows, wood posts with plank floors and plank roof, the first change was to a reinforced concrete building with larger bays, bigger windows and floors and roofs of concrete. Later this type of construction was found to have its disadvantages, and the change has lately come to single story buildings with steel trussed roof construction admitting of large bays lighted by monitors and saw teeth. While the type of machinery used has changed little in twenty years, methods of generating steam have made great progress and methods of generating electricity and applying the energy at the machines have also been greatly improved. To these matters much thought has been given and care taken to keep the boiler plant, the engines and the electrical equipment at the peak of efficiency.
Other Industries .- Thomas Coram stands out as one of the most promi- nent figures in the early story of Dighton. He was foremost in the settlement of Halifax, Nova Scotia, as well as in the founding of colonies in Georgia, and in the establishment of a children's home in London that has since become famous. Backed by a company of London merchants and bringing over to his aid skilled workmen from abroad, he took into his partnership in 1693 a Dighton man, John Hathaway, and gave impetus to an industry that was to continue in Dighton, though in other hands and at other shipyards, for a period of 125 years. The Coram and Hathaway shipyard was established at the foot of Main street, and this was the first industry in the South Purchase, the business continuing for ten years. Ebenezer Stetson started his shipyard in 1750 where the George Phillips boatyard was in recent years, and he retired from business in 1768. John Reed established a shipyard in 1755 in Muddy Cove, and continued to 1772. After the Revolution, Bowen and Hathaway started building ships on the south side of Whitmarsh's wharf; and later, Smith and Wardwell had a shipyard on the north side of that wharf. David Standish had a shipyard before 1800, north of the Dighton and Berkley bridge, and in the early part of that century Matthew Briggs built vessels on Pine Hill. During the prevalence of the Embargo Act and while the War of 1812 was on, the shipbuilding industry was brought to a halt here, but after the war, business started. Colonel Darius Perry had a shipyard near the Eddy house at this time. But with the launching of the barkentine "William Cobb," in 1874, the business that had lasted about two hundred years was brought to a close.
As early as 1700, iron was manufactured here, when Peter Walker built his furnace on the island in Three Mile river. The business came into the hands of the Dighton Manufacturing Company after it had been carried on by the Walker family about a century. Matthew Briggs, shortly after 1700, started a forge and grist mill on Segreganset river. Grist, saw and other mills were started throughout the 18th century by Nicholas Stevens, Simeon Williams and Isaac Babbitt.
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Isaac Babbitt and others organized and incorporated the Wellington Cotton Company in 1814, with capital stock of $90,000. After some years this mill, located east of Williams street, was leased by various parties, and in 1845 it was burned while David Wastcoat was running it. Other milling interests of the town have been the following: Joshua T. Williams' lap mill of 1840, on the west side of Williams street; Simeon Williams' saw mill; J. T. W. Reed's saw and grist mill; Captain David Perry's stone machine shop, built in 1822, later operated as a tack shop by Oliver Eaton and John P. Wade, still later by the Tack Combination; a flaxseed oil mill on the Segreganset; the Nathaniel Leonard & Son tack factory of 1845; the Simmons grist mill farther down the river.
The site of the plant of the Anchor Color and Gum Works was for- merly that of a cashmere mill of New York capitalists, built of brick and finished in 1862. The plant was destroyed by fire, after which Captain William Cobb rebuilt the mill and manufactured furniture. Later, the Albion Lead Company of Taunton purchased the property and pursued their business. Again the works burned, and a company formed by John C. Jessup bought the plant, who changed it to a color works. Then Mason, Chapin Company, of Providence, Rhode Island, purchased and manufac- tured water colors. Arnold, Hoffman Company of Providence, Rhode Island, purchased the plant in 1900. In July, 1906, the works were again partially burned, but were rebuilt. The company manufactures water colors, soap and corn starch products.
One of the best-known paper manufacturing plants in New England is that of L. Lincoln and Company at North Dighton. Caleb and Lorenzo Lincoln established the firm in 1850 as C. M. and L. Lincoln. At the death of Caleb M., the firm name was changed to L. Lincoln and Company, with Lorenzo Lincoln as senior member, and Edward and James M. Lincoln as the junior members. E. Ellsworth, Nathaniel R. and Charles E. Lincoln were admitted as partners on the death of Lorenzo Lincoln. The plant was twice destroyed by fire but was promptly rebuilt.
The Dighton Stove Lining Company's plant is located on an old in- dustrial site, and was started in 1874 by Gideon C. Francis, G. Henry Horton, Stephen H. Pierce and John Hines for the manufacture of stove linings. In 1877, Joseph B. Warner was admitted as a partner. They with others incorporated as the Dighton Stove Lining Company. Alfred W. Paul was chosen president; William Z. Whitmarsh as treasurer and clerk.
An industry that once flourished here was that of clock-making, begun by Joseph Gooding fourth in descent from George Gooding, first of the name in Dighton. Five brothers of the name averaged over half a century in the clock-making industry. The Groveland Foundry Company was organized in 1882 to manufacture stoves, the plant continuing some years under different managers and owners. Finally the Century Stove Company bought the business and operated the plant until it was destroyed by fire in January, 1900. The Crossman Tack Company was established in 1908 by W. W. Crossman in Lakeville, who removed to Dighton in 1910. Hamilton Brothers manufacture tin capped lining, and saddlery nails.
Strawberry culture was introduced into Dighton soon after 1860, among
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the first in the industry being Daniel Chace, his son, Hon. Charles S. Chace and Dexter Pierce. Their farms and others' brought a large amount of money into Dighton during a period of a half century. The Dighton Building Association built their canning factory here in 1890, and a num- ber of others have followed. The Dighton Nursery Company was estab- lished in 1845 by Dr. Alfred Wood. He retired in 1862, and successive owners have been: John A. Lewis, Edward P. and Charles Lewis and Josiah S .- Place.
Miscellaneous .- The beginnings of the Dighton Public Library are to be found in a magazine club that was formed by Segreganset residents in 1890, who through the proceeds of entertainments placed books for distri- bution in the Segreganset postoffice. The library of about 400 volumes thus started was placed in Town Hall in 1895, when Hon. Charles S. Chace secured a gift of one hundred dollars worth of books from the State, with the condition that the town provide a suitable place for them. In 1895 Dwight F. Lane, Rev. William D. Athearn and Edward Lincoln were elected library trustees, with Mr. Lane as secretary and treasurer. Up to the year 1911, the library headquarters were in Town Hall, and that year the present Carnegie library building was built at a cost of $6,000, the site being paid for by subscription. The new library was dedicated August 3, 1911, and was opened to the public August 4, with about 3,200 volumes. The present librarian is Lydia J. Cole. The board of trustees: Ellsworth E. Lincoln, chairman; Dwight F. Lane, Philip K. Bowden.
Dighton Rock Grange was instituted December 5, 1912, with seventy charter members. The masters of the Grange to date have been: Hiram O. Palmer, Joseph Howland, Trevor F. Goodell, George H. Phillips, C. Thacher Pardey, Leland F. Bullard. The membership in 1923 was 192.
The Brick Social Club originated in 1913 to hold annual clambakes at the Brick Church extension. The officers are: President, Charles Rich- ards : secretary, George H. Walker; treasurer, William W. Hamilton.
CHAPTER V. EASTON
By Edward S. Hayward, C. E.
The town of Easton, situated in the northeast corner of Bristol county, is bounded on the north by Stoughton and Sharon, on the cast by Brock- ton and West Bridgewater, on the south by Taunton, Raynham and Norton, on the west by Norton and Mansfield. It derived its name from its location with reference to the town of Norton, of which it originally formed a part ; it was the east precinct of that town, and became the East Town, or Easton. Its area is twenty-nine square miles, or 18,584 acres, of which 370 acres are water. There are several ponds artificially made in former years for manufacturing purposes. The largest streams are Leach's stream, once called Mulberry Meadow brook, in the west part, and Queset river in
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the north and east parts, and on which are located the Ames Shovel works, the Easton Machine Company, Ross Heel Company and Grist Mill at South Easton. Black brook flowing from the center of the town also is a stream of considerable size and drains an area of large extent.
Easton is on the Old Colony division of the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad, Easton Center being 241/2 miles from Boston, 12 from Taunton and about 20 miles from the nearest seashore. It has two stations on the main line, one at North Easton and one at Easton Center. A branch road leaves the main line at Easton Center and runs to Brockton through West Bridgewater, with stations at South Easton and Eastondale. The Eastern Massachusetts street railway operates a trolley line from North Easton to Brockton, and the same company operates the Taunton-Brockton line which passes through South Easton and Eastondale. There are four postoffices in the town, one at North Easton, one at South Easton, one at Eastondale, and one at the Furnace Village (Easton postoffice).
The village of North Easton presents many points of special interest and attraction. There are several costly and beautiful estates, among which may be mentioned those of Oliver Ames, Mary Ames Frothingham, John S. Ames, Mrs. F. Lothrop Ames and Mrs. William H. Ames. The estate of Oakes Ames in the northwest section of the town comprising about 1,500 acres of forest and intervale is another very attractive homestead. The public buildings are nearly all gifts to the town from members of the Ames family. Unity Church is a beautiful stone edifice, Gothic in style, cruciform in shape, with a solid stone spire surmounted by a stone cross. The Public Library building is an attractive edifice, built of native stone, a pinkish granite called sienite, with brown sand stone trimmings. Over ten thousand books were provided, and the library opened to the public March 10, 1883. The librarians have been Charles R. Ballard, 1883, and Mary Lamprey. The library was founded by a bequest of Hon. Oliver Ames. Near the library building is the massive and handsome public hall built as a memorial to Oakes Ames by his children. It stands on a natural ledge, from the northeast corner of which rises the tower. It has in front an arcade with heavy pillars and arches, and is approached by wide stone staircases terminating on stone platforms, and so combined with the natural stonework as to present an imposing appearance. In this building on the first floor are two small halls, a large hall on the second floor, and a beautifully decorated and furnished Masonic Hall in the third story. H. H. Richardson was the architect of this hall and of the library. In front of the hall is a triangular piece of ground upon which the Ames Corpora- tion built from design of Frederick Law Olmstead an extensive cairn or rock work 250 feet long and 25 feet high at the eastern end, with an arch- way and steps passing underneath.
In 1812 the school house was moved from its former location to a position nearer Barrows street, and on the old site a new modern high school building was erected. On the 12th of December, 1896, the Oliver Ames High School building was dedicated-a splendid monument to the generosity and public spirit of the giver-ex-Governor Ames. In 1914 a new brick grammar school was erected on the Cogswell lot on the south side of Main street. This building is modern in structure and equipment,
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and adds another to the long list of public buildings which Easton is for- tunate to possess. This school house was given to the town by F. Loth- rop Ames, Mary Ames Frothingham and John S. Ames, in memory of their father and mother, Frederick L. Ames and Rebecca C. Ames.
Another of the attractive buildings of this village is the depot, a gift to the Old Colony railroad by Frederick L. Ames. On the site of the old Unitarian Church at Easton Center is the Town Hall, built by the town, and in the square nearly in front of the hall stands the Soldiers' Monument, erected in 1882, upon which are inscribed the names of forty-seven towns- men who were killed in the Civil War. There are now three banks in North Easton-the first National Bank of Easton, George C. Barrows, cashier; the North Easton Savings Bank, John M. Williams, treasurer; and the North Easton Cooperative Bank, of which Lorenzo B. Crocket is president and William H. Clements, treasurer.
The town has its proportion of social and other organizations, such as Paul Dean Lodge of Masons; the Order of the Eastern Star; A. B. Randall Post, No. 52, G. A. R., Nathaniel W. Slocomb, commander; the Odd Fel- lows; the Knights of Columbus. The ladies also have their social organiza- tions-the Clover Club, located at North Easton; the Outlook Club, at Easton; the Furnace and the Browning Club at South Easton.
The town is divided into three precincts. Precinct 1 includes the west part of the town as far north as Summer and Rockland streets and east to the railroad. Precinct 2 takes the North Easton Village District and Unionville, and Precinct 3 the east section of town, embracing South Easton and Eastondale. There are also three districts within the town- the North Easton Village district with water works, street lighting system, police protection and other municipal advantages; the Unionville Fire and Water district, which recently installed pipes for water which they obtain from North Easton. The South Easton and Eastondale Fire and Water District was incorporated in 1915 and has a complete water system, obtain- ing its supply from Silver Lake through the courtesy of the city of Brockton.
The town of Easton was incorporated December 21, 1725. It was previously a part of the town of Norton, which was incorporated in 1711, and of which in 1718 it was made the East Precinct, being set apart for the maintenance of a minister. Previous to this time it was a part of a tract of land called Taunton North Purchase. This tract included the whole of what is now Easton, nearly all of Mansfield, and about a third of Norton. When first incorporated Norton included all this tract and considerable more, Easton being the older and Mansfield the younger child of this town. The North Purchase was bought from Plymouth Colony by 53 of the citizens of Taunton. The first town meeting of Easton was held March 2, 1726.
Industrial .- The first settlement of this town was made at what is now South Easton Village in 1694. Thomas Randall, Sr., and his son, Thomas, Jr., located here and built on the site of the Dean property a saw mill before 1703 and probably before 1700. A grist mill was built at the same place by Clement Briggs prior to 1713. Clement Briggs, the first settler, was dead as early as June, 1720, and his son Clement sold the grist
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mill to Timothy Cooper in February, 1723. The third business enterprise to be positively known is the Leonard forge at the foot of Stones pond; in operation in October, 1723, but it is probable that the Josiah Keith saw mill was built a little earlier than this forge. Mr. Keith settled in Easton on the Bay road, near the Edward Williams place, as early as 1718. It is probable that the mill was built about that time. In December, 1716, Captain James Leonard purchased of Nathaniel Manly 35 acres, and in June, 1720, he made a further purchase of 81/2 acres, both located in North Easton at the place where the Queset river crosses Main street. The exact date of the erection of this forge is not known. It was, however, in full operation before October, 1723, and probably as early as 1720. The owner- ship passed to Captain Eliphalet Leonard, son of Captain James, and he carried on the works until 1782, when he conveyed it to his son Jacob. In September, 1802, he sold the forge, coal house and grist mill, etc., to Tim- othy Mitchell and Giles Leach. In 1805 Leach sold out to his partner. Eliphalet Leonard, Jr., had erected a forge .before 1771 at the Marshall place on Elm street. There is good authority for the statement that he was the first person to attempt the making of steel in this country. Eliphalet Leonard also manufactured firearms here about the time of the Revolution. There was a forge erected in 1724 at the site of the old Dean saw mill at Cranberry Meadow. It did not pay, and finally passed into the hands of Edward Hayward. The forge was pulled down, and James Dean, a son- in-law of Mr. Hayward, built a hammer shop and carried on blacksmithing until 1750, when Mr. Dean formed a partnership with Matthew Hayward and erected a saw mill which they carried on until 1769, when Jonathan Pratt bought the interest of Hayward and they built a new mill which lasted thirty years, when in 1800 it gave place to another. Late in the last century the property passed into the hands of the late Frederick L. Ames, and the saw mill was torn down. In 1751 John Williams and others began the erection of a furnace at Furnace Village, and it was completed and ready for active business late in 1752. At the time of the Revolution, this furnace was owned by Captain James Perry, who manufactured among other things cannon and cannon balls. It afterwards passed into the hands of General Shepard Leach, by whom a flourishing business was carried on. Large quantities of bog iron ore were dug from the swampy lands in the west part of the town and were used here. This business, carried on later by Lincoln Drake and his sons, Lincoln S. and Abbot L. Drake, was given up and the buildings torn down a few years ago. In 1837 Captain Lincoln Drake established the malleable iron industry at the Furnace Village. In 1849 Daniel Belcher bought it and under the name of the Belcher Malleable Iron Company it was carried on by his son and grandsons until recently when it was sold.
At the Morse privilege on Central street, South Easton, there was at the beginning of the century a saw mill owned by Josiah Copeland. He afterwards with others ran an oil mill. About 1805 the same parties started a factory for the manufacture of cotton yarn and afterwards of cotton cloth. It continued until 1834, when E. J. W. Morse, a native of Dedham, Massachusetts, began the cotton thread business under the name of E. J. W. Morse & Company. This business became successful and continued
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until their factory was destroyed by fire and the business was moved to Boston. The factory was later rebuilt and another new modern building erected, and here the Easton Machine Company operate a modern machine shop. At the Dean privilege next below, some kind of active enterprise has been going on since 1703. From about 1713 to the present time the grist mill business has been carried on there. Not much else seems to have been done there until about 1810, when Elijah Howard & Co. started a forge and manufactured bar iron, nail rods, etc. But a disastrous fire, which burned an amount of charcoal worth more than the whole capital invested, brought this enterprise to a close. The same company then began the manufacture of cut nails, a new invention. This continued until about 1823. In 1825 or 1826 Elijah Howard and Captain Bazillai Dean began to make cotton cloth. In 1836 or 1837 Captain Dean bought the entire interest and manufactured cotton print goods of light texture. Captain Dean died by accident in 1848, and the factory was enlarged and made a machine shop. The Ross Heel Company now occupy the factory, which has been greatly enlarged, and in which they manufacture modern heels for slippers.
The privilege below known as the Shoddy Mill privilege was once the site of a saw mill, but soon after 1800 a carding mill was started there. It then was used for a fulling-mill. Subsequently in one building satinet was manufactured and in another, cotton yarn. Asa R. Howard made hoes there at one time. The manufacture of shoe pegs was engaged in, and in 1848 Solomon W. Morse bought the whole privilege and made cotton cloth. It was then purchased by E. J. W. Morse and has since lain idle most of the time. At the Furnace Village on the stream below the Iron Works, in 1854 Keith Rotch & Company were running a thread factory. Pratt, Belcher & Company later carried on the same kind of industry; later a saw mill was operated here by James Belcher, but at the present time the privilege is not in use. In 1844 the first belt saw mill erected in this vicinity was built by Lewis Williams and his son, Edward D. Williams. On Foundry street, in the south part of the town, J. & H. M. Poole in 1828 began the manufacture of mathematical instruments. In 1878, John M. Poole, who had for twenty-five years been foreman, succeeded to the busi- ness. He manufactured surveyors' transits, builders' levels, leveling rods and many other instruments of this kind. The business was closed out at the death of Mr. Poole. Charles B. Poole, a brother of John M. Poole, manufactured thermometers for many years at Alger's Corner. At Easton- dale, Guilford White in 1850 began the manufacture of shoes, and continued it for six years. For several years afterwards the same business was car- ried on by Horatio Thayer and Nathaniel R. Packard. Lewis Thayer manufactured shoes here between 1856 and 1870. Irving and Emery Pack- ard also manufactured shoes here.
The great gale of September 8, 1869, leveled to the ground much of the forest in Easton. On the E. R. Hayward farm, many acres of fine pine were blown down. Mr. Hayward immediately started the erection of a steam saw mill at this locality, the only steam saw mill in town, and the largest one in this vicinity. This mill was in operation before the close of the year 1869, and in twelve months thereafter it had sawed out more
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than one million three hundred feet of lumber. This mill was destroyed by fire and a new one erected, which was also burned in the spring of 1887.
At South Easton, south of the Green, Samuel Simpson for years car- ried on the wheelwright business, later conducted by his son, Samuel D. Simpson, and then by his grandson, Charles D. Simpson. Mr. Simpson retired in 1912 and the business is now carried on by George A. Hirtle. At the beginning of the nineteenth century industrial enterprises of some importance were conducted in the northeast part of Easton. Northwest of the present site of the Ames Shovel Works, near what is called the Picker Field, there was a grist mill. There was also a cotton picking machine in operation. Captain John Ames manufactured knives there, and at what is called the "Hoe Shop" Nathan Pratt manufactured hoes. Close to the present location of the Ames office was another grist mill, and still lower down was the cotton factory of the Easton Manufacturing Company. At the lower end of Stone's pond, steel was being manufactured when the century began. Soon a grist mill was added, afterwards there was a nail factory ; then William S. Andrews and Elijah Howard began the manu- facture of cotton yarn. After awhile they provided looms and made cotton sheeting. Gurden Stone succeeded William G. Andrews in the business, which was carried on until 1837, when Jason G. Howard bought out Mr. Stone. In 1839 nine tack machines were put in and the tack business was begun. Edward J. W. Morse subsequently rented a part of the works and manufactured knitting cotton. . In 1852 Mr. Howard sold the place to Oliver Ames, by whom it was used in the manufacture of shovels. Steel and firearms were being made at the Marshall place on Elm street. In 1800 Jonathan Leonard and his father were here. At this place was also a mill for breaking flax. Thomas R. Marshall ran a saw mill here for years. At the lower end of the Shovel Shop pond there was a dam with a grist mill, nailer's shop, and iron forge with trip hammer, etc. This property was purchased by Oliver Ames, the founder of the great shovel business. He had manufactured hoes and shovels here before this time, but had moved to Plymouth. He subsequently returned and began in a small way the establishment of the now world famous Ames Shovel business. Having built a new dam and enlarged the Shovel Shop pond, he renewed at the lower end of this pond the manufacture he had engaged in some years before farther up the stream.
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