USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Groton > Address delivered at Groton, Massachusetts, July 12, 1905, by request of the citizens, on the celebration of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of its settlement > Part 5
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The following scheme, derived from various standard lexicons, exhib- its the etymological affinities of Greot (grit).
Old Sa.von Griot, griet, greot, inall, Groot, Greet, grit, Kryt,
cf. English and Ger-
Middle Modern cf. English, German and Norse.
English Greot, grut, grot gret,
Grit, grot, grout.
High German Grioz, Griesz, Gries, Gruse, Grans.
Norse :
Icelandic Grjót (griot), Grjót,
Grjot, Gryttn.
Danish and Norwegian Grjót, Grjót, Grylle),
Gruus, Grus, Gryttn. Grus, Grytt.
Swedish
Old Frisian gret.
Low German grott.
Grot for great, appears to be an old and rather rare form. It should be stated that British place (and personal) names having Gret are much more numerous than those having Good in the first syllable. Gretton is
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the name of several manors mentioned in Domesday, e. g., the present Girton (formerly called Gritton) (cf. Girton College), near Cambridge (Cambs.) and Gretton in Northamptonshire, still called Gretton. The last was Gretton (gryttune in 1060), Greton in 1056, Gretton in 127 ;. 1678, and 1895.
Other forms besides Gretton are: Gret-& - Gritwater, a stream in Cum- berland, cf.Greta-marsc( - Grit-water-marsh?), 821 ; Greta-bridge -Grit- water bridge, Gret-ford, Gret-ham, Gret-land, Gret-well. Southey, the poet, lived at Greta Hall.
Greta river in Cumberland had its counterpart in Grjótá, in the elevent! century in Iceland, translated Gritwater by Dasent in "The Front Nial." Gryttnbakki = Gravel hill of Gravel bank, is the name of (1) a modern post-office in Iceland and (2) another in Denmark. Grytten is a place name of today in Norway.
The Icelandic (Old Norse) Grjót-garth meant stone fence. Akin to garth (gard) are the Norwegian guard and Swedish gard, a landed estate or homestead; and the English Cloister-garth, yard, garden, and of chard (ort-geard).
Ton in Groton, Boston, etc., is related to M. F. Ton (Tone), O. E. tun. tune, O. Norse tim, O. Frisian tun, O. H. German taun, and German zaun, a hedge or fence, meant also, field, yard, manor, hamlet, village and town or city.
Garth (yard) presents a parallel series of similar meanings, e. g., O. Norse for Constantinople was Myckel-gard, i. e., the Great City.
I think that Groton stands for Grot-tou (cf. Gretton, Grit-ton) and : practically equivalent to the Icelandic Grjot-garth, and that your sug- gestion in 1876 as to the meaning of Groton was a happy one. Florent Grotena!
Yours faithfully, EDWARD M. HARTWELL ..
Bi-centennial Celebration.
The following extracts from the town-records relate to the celebration of the two hundredth anniversary of the settle- ment of Groton, which took place fifty years ago. They have never yet been printed, but are given here, as they have a certain connection with the celebration recently held. With the exception of the Reverend Edwin A. Bulkley, every man
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whose name is mentioned in these extracts is now dead, show- ing the ravages which half a century may bring about.
S.S.
FAITH
GROT
TS
LABOR
1655
In the warrant for the Town Meeting, November 13, 1854. Article 2 is as follows :--
To see if the town will take any measures to notice of celebrate the Two Hundredth anniversary since the settlement of the town of Groton in the year 1655 or pass any vote in relation to the same.
[p. 389.]
In the proceedings of the meeting it is recorded that :
The subject matter of this article [2] was referred to the following com- mittee with instructions to report at a future meeting.
Stuart J. Park Jacob Pollard Abel Tarbell
Josiah Bigelow
Wm. Shattuck Joseph Sanderson
Willard Torrey Calvin Blood Norman Shattuck Joseph Brown
Silas Nutting
John Pingree Elnathan Brown Joseph Rugg
Charles Prescott Charles A. Hutson [p. 392.]
Proceedings at the Town Meeting, March 5, 1855 :-
The committee chosen in Nov. last upon the Article "To see if the Town will take any measures to notice or celebrate the two hundredth anniversary since the settlement of the town of Groton in the year 1655 or pass any vote in relation to the same " have attended to that duty and submit the following Report :
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That there are eras or was marks in the history of a people which it well becomes them to notice or celebrate, and such we consider the ap proaching anniversary of the incorporation of this town, and would. therefore recommend to the town to celebrate said anniversary with lic- coming festivities, and that a committee be chosen to take the whole subject into consideration and report at the next April meeting a plan d: mode of celebrating said anniversary.
Stuart J. Park
Joseph Bigelow Joseph Kngg Willand Torrey
Norman Shattuck Silas Nijtting
[p. 403.]
The above report was accepted and the following gentlemen well chosen a committee to report a plan or mode of celebrating said amuser sary at the next April meeting.
Geo. S. Boutwell
Josiah Bigelow
Rev. David Fosdick
David Lakın
B. Russell
Dr. George Stearns
S. J. Park
Norman Smith
Peter Nutting
Daniel Needham:
Nath1 Stone
Rev. Daniel Butler
John Spaulding
B. P. Dix Rev. Crawford Nightingale E. A. Bulkley " George E. Tucker " [John M.] Chick Geo. F. Farley
Curtis Lawrence Geo. W. Bancroft
J. F. Hall, Jı. Noah Shattuck
Joshua Gilson
Calvin Fletcher
P. G. Prescott
J. G. Park
Abel Tarbell Walter Shattuck [p. 403.]
Wm. Shattuck
Proceedings at the Town Meeting. April 2, 1855
Voted, That the report of the Committee on the second Content !! Anniversary celebration be accepted and placed on file, also chose the following persons a committee to make preparations and arrangements for the celebration as mentioned in said report with discretionary pow- ers as to the same, to wit.
Geo. F. Farley Joshua Green S. J. Park Geo. S. Boutwell David Fosdick. Jr
1 General Committee
W'in. Shattuck
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District No. 1. Henry A. Bancroft
District No. 9. Thos. Hutchins
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2. Curtis Lawrence
IO. Rufus Moors
3. Josiah Bigelow 11. John Pingree
4. Edmund Blood 12. Nath Stone
5. Wm. Shattuck 13. E. D. Derby
6. Solomon Story
..
14. S. W. Rowe
7. Reuben Lewis
15. Ch's. Prescott
8. Calvin Blood
16. Allen Blood
[p. 407.]
Many years ago I obtained the letters and other manu- scripts, together with the printed circulais, connected with the Bi-centennial Celebration ; and I have had them carefully arranged, bound in a volume, and placed in the Library of the Massachusetts Historical Society.
List of Indian Words.
The following Indian names, applied by the early settlers to streams, ponds, or places, in the original township of Groton and neighborhood, for the most part are still in com- mon use. The spelling of these words varies, as at first they were written according to their sound and not according to their derivation. In the absence of any correct standard either of spelling or pronunciation, which always character- izes an unwritten language, the words have become so twisted and distorted that much of their original meaning is lost ; but their root generally remains. It is rare to find an Indian word in an early document spelled twice alike. In the lapse of time these verbal changes have been so great that the red man himself would hardly recognize any of them by sound. Even with all these drawbacks such words now furnish one of the few links in a chain of historical facts connecting mod . ern times with the prehistoric period of New England. As the shards that lie scattered around the site of old Indian dwellings are eagerly picked up by the archeologist for criti- cal examination, so these isolated facts about place-names are worth saving by the antiquary for their philological value. "Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost."
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Babbitasset -- formerly the name of a village in Pepperell, now included in East Pepperell.
Baddacook - a pond in the eastern part of the town.
Catacoonamug - a stream in Shirley, which empties into the Nashua.
Chicopee- a district in the northerly part of the town, and applied to the highway approaching it, called Chicopee Row.
Humhaw -a brook in Westford.
Kissacook - a hill in Westford.
Massapoag - a pond lying partly in Groton and partly in Dunstable.
Mulpus-a brook in Shirley.
Nagog - a pond in Littleton.
Nashoba -the old name of the Praying Indian village in Littleton, now applied to a hill in that town as well as to a brook in Westford.
Nashua - a river running through the township, and emptying into the Merrimack.
Naumox- a district near the Longley monument, lying west of the East Pepperell road; said to have been the name of an Indian chief.
Nissitisset - applied to the neighborhood of Hollis, New Hampshire, and to a river and hill in Pepperell.
Nonacoicus -- a brook in Ayer, though formerly the name was applied to a tract of land in the southerly part of Groton, and is shortened often to Coicus.
Nubanussuck -- a pond in Westford.
Petaufaukett- a name found in the original petition to the General Court for the grant of the town, and used in connection with the terri tory of the neighborhood; sometimes written Petapawage and Petapaway.
Quosoponagou - - a meadow "on the other side of the river," mentioned in the land-grant of Thomas Tarbell, Jr., the same word as Quasaponi- kin, formerly the name of a tract of land in Lancaster, but now given to a meadow and a hill in that town, where it is often contracted into Ponikin.
Shabikin, or more commonly Shabokin, applied to a district in Harvard bodering on the Nashua, below Still River village.
Squannacook - a river in the western part of the town flowing into the Nashua; a name formerly applied to the village of West Groton. Tadmuck -a brook and a meadow in Westford.
Unquetenassett, or Unquetenorset- a brook in the northerly part of the town; often shortened into Unquety
Waubausconcert -another word tound in the original petition for the grant of the town, and used in connection with the territory of the neighborhood.
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List of Towms
established in the two Colonies, before the township of Groton was granted in 1655, together with the year when they are first mentioned in the records of the General Court.
PLYMOUTH COLONY.
I
1620
Plymouth
7
1639
Taunton
2
1633
Scituate
S
16:1
Marshfield
3
1637
Duxbury
9
1643
Eastham
4
1638
Barnstable
10
16.45
Rehoboth
5
Sandwich
=
1652
Dartmouth
6
1639
Varmouth
MASSACHUSETTS-BAY COLONY.
1
1630
Charlestown
19
of91
Braintree
2
Salem
20
Salisbury
3
Boston
21
16.41
Haverhill
4
5
Watertown
23
16.42
Gloucester
6
Medford
21
16.43
Wenham
S
1631
Cambridge
27
..
Reading
10
1633
Marblehead
2S
16:5
Manchester
12
1635
New bury
30
1645
Topsfield
14
Weymouth
32
1650
Medneld
16
1636
Dedham
3.4
May, 1655
Groton
17
1639
Rowley
35
Billerica
IS
Sudbury
1
36
16
Chelmsford
Trees from England.
Last September I wrote to the Reverend John W. Way- man, rector of the Groton Parish in England, and through his courtesy I procured several young elms and some acorns and beechnuts from the mother town. During the winter Professor Charles S. Sargent, who is at the head of the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain, kindly took charge of the trees ; and he also planted the acorns and nuts which came up in the spring. These trees and saplings have been set out temporarily on my land, and in due time, when of suitable size, they will be transplanted in some public place. It is hoped that they will foster and keep alive an interest
--------.
1634
Ipswich
29
16.16
Andover
13
Hingham
31
1649
Malden
15
Concord
33
1653
Lancaster
7
Roxbury
26
1644
Hull
9
Dorchester
22
Springfield
Woburn
25
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between the two towns which are connected by sentiment, though separated in age by centuries of time and in distance by thousands of miles.
First Parish Meeting-house.
This cut was taken from a drawing made in the year 1838 by John Warner Barber, and originally appeared in his His- torical Collections of Massachusetts ( Worcester, 1839). It represents the First Parish Meeting-house before it was re- modelled in 1839, when it was partially turned round, and the north end made the front, facing the west. The Academy building on the right of the Meeting-house, was enlarged in the autumn of 1846, and afterward burned on July 4. 1865. The fence now around the Common in front of the Meeting. house was built in the autumn of 1842, the last post being placed at the northwest corner on October 3 of that year. The trees within the enclosure were set out about the same time, excepting the row of elms along Main Street, which were transplanted in Isz8.
--
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FIRST PARISH CHURCH, 1905.
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It is manifest that we are all agreed that another important chapter has been added to the records of the Town of Groton. And this exercise is ended. The next exercise is the dinner, but that, I am informed, will not take place until one o'clock. It is some time between now and then, and I am told that the First Parish Church is open. It is a very interesting struc- ture. Also the Public Library where there is an interesting exhibition of historical articles. And the house of Mrs. Ward Dix, one of the old houses of the town, through her kindness, is open to the public, where some very interesting things which once belonged to General Ward are to be seen.
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PRAYER BY REV. BYRON F. GUSTIN.
We thank Thee for these occasions when Thy people can meet, and thus gather to do honor to a noble past, and do honor to 'the men and women that made that past possible, and a bright and beautiful future, too. We pray Thee that this love for town and home may be extended so that the nation itself may be honored, and this nation become a nation worthy of imitation by the world. Wilt Thou graciously bless these Thy gifts and all other temporal gifts to the use of man and to Thy holy service, and strengthen Thy chil- dren here gathered.
REMARKS
BY
GENERAL WILLIAM A. BANCROFT.
The Town of Groton, like a gracious matron, in holiday attire, her face radiant with the smile of welcome, not all re- gretful of her age; on the contrary, rather proud of it as she contemplates her numerous and vigorous daughters, the eld- est of whom have the charms of a hundred and thirty years, and the youngest of whom, has the air (Ayer) of more than thirty-four years, extends cordial greetings to all whom she has asked to join in her birth year, and settles herself with motherly composure to listen to the pleasant things they may have to say of her, or of -- themselves, speak- ing, as I am admonished that they will, with that soulful brevity which men of wit always command, and with that consideration for the listener which youth shows when it ad- dresses age.
Fifty years ago the illustrious man who presided at the two hundredth anniversary of the town, and who would have presided again today, had a few more months of life been vouchsafed to him, after adverting to the early struggles, and to the important episodes in the history of the Com- munity, spoke as follows :
"But it will be a sad perversion of the proper objects of this day, if we devote ourselves exclusively to joyous festiv- ity, or even to calm reflections upon the Past.
. .
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The Present should use the Past as a guide to the Future, - we pass from one century to another at a period of unex- ampled prosperity. This prosperity is attended by corre- sponding dangers. If our career thus far has been illustrated by instances of individual virtue, of devotion to duty, of sac- rifices in the cause of freedom, of valor in war and charity in peace, of liberality in the cause of learning, of sincerity and ardor tempered with meekness in the cause of religious liberty and truth, then there are so many examples that we are to imitate and if possible to excel."
Since these words were spoken what momentous issues have been decided! What great crises have been passed ; and with what a continuance of unexampled prosperity has the country been blessed ! And this unexampled prosperity has had indeed its corresponding dangers. Within six short years the country was plunged in the terrible throes of a civil war, unparelleled in modern times, and then surely were needed "virtue" and "devotion" and "sacrifices" and "valor" and "liberality."
Who shall say that the examples of which Governor Bout- well spoke have not been imitated, perhaps excelled? Meas- ured by conspicuous virtue and devotion to duty in public affairs, his own honorable career makes conclusive answer for the individual; and he did not stand alone.
America which gave the world a Washington in the Eigh- teenth Century, gave it a Lincoln in the Nineteenth.
Measured by the Country's previous standard of achieve- ment, these fifty years will not be overlooked. The govern- mental methods established by the fathers in this country of vast resources have made possible the accumulation of great material wealth. It is the fashion in some quarters to regard the accumulation of wealth as an evil. It is not, however, from the accumulation of wealth that a community will suf- fer, but rather from the abuse of the power that wealth be- stows.
To create saner conditions for a community, the accumu- lation of wealth is essential. Public and private institutions whose purpose it is to point out methods of physical well be-
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ing, moral advancement, and spiritual uplifting all need wealth to support them. It is only a wealthy community that can afford to maintain institutions of study and research. From such institutions result saner laws, saner morals, and saner religions.
A community all of whose members are engaged constantly in a struggle for physical existence cannot advance either physically, morally, or spiritually. Such, however, has not been our fortune.
Through the prescient wisdom of our fathers, were laid the foundations which have made possible our present happy conditions. In the main, the wealth of our Country has been devoted to righteousness. The many useful creations of modern life; the countless institutions, both public and pri- vate, devoted to learning, to benevolence, and to religion, for the benefit of mankind, has been the result of accumu- lation.
Higher standards of living have come, and with material wealth have come the refinements of life, not only to the very wealthy, but to those of smaller means. Wealth has made possible the great inventions which have blessed mankind in so many ways, and wealth has made possible the great intel- lectual and moral awakenings which have raised the average of individual character.
Wealth means civilization instead of savagery. It means progress instead of stagnation. It means order instead of anarchy. . Wealth is a blessing. Poverty is a curse. And yet there is abroad a spirit, which, regardless of our history and of the experience of mankind, would overthrow the established principles of society and change our conception of government. The New England ideal was independence. The other notion is dependence. The immigrant whose enterprise we commemorate, in worldly affairs at least, be- lieved in individual freedom to the very uttermost, and to the very uttermost he was willing to strive, knowing that the result of his striving, except in so far as society needed its share, was his own. No hardship, no peril, no adversity, diverted or discouraged him. Toil was his instrument.
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Fatigue and danger were necessary incidents. His pride was to support himself. His shame was through fault of his. own to be supported by others. He was thrifty, saving .. "close" if you please. To be so was virtuous, and thus he was independent. Nevertheless he was public spirited where the Commonwealth was concerned and he gave to the extent of his ability, even life itself. Self-reliant, resourceful, am- bitious, persevering, enterprising and successful, he repre- sents the spirit which has built the republic. Undoubtedly there are evils incident to the conditions he has created, but. the cure he has provided to be administered. If there are foolish or unscrupulous men who have come into control of great wealth, their folly or their iniquity may be stopped without changing the plan of society. It is a barbarous doc. trine which kills the patient to cure the disease. But what is proposed? A system which provides that the invidual shall have, not what he is able through industry and self-denial to create, but what it is said vaguely his needs require, as oth- ers may determine.
By taking away the inducement to human effort, it is ex- pected that the sum of human happiness will be increased. The industrious, the courageous, and the efficient are to get more than the idle, the cowardly and the inefficient. The services of Daniel Webster would command no more than his office boy's. President Eliot would get no more than a col- lege janitor ; and the inventor of the telephone or of the air brake would get nothing for his invention.
Such a scheme will not answer the constitution of human nature. It will fail, but before it fails, much mischief may be done. Demagogues and self seekers will mislead with their sophistries the vicious, the lazy and the unfortunate. Well meaning men seeking to remedy injustices which can be dealt with otherwise, or seeking to change conditions which cannot be changed, will urge an abandonment of the methods of our fathers, and will make some trouble. The thought- less will find it easy to assail large aggregations of wealth, whether in corporate or individual holdings; but when the man who has saved a hundred dollars or more, finds it to be
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a part of the plan, as it surely must be, that he is to give up his hard earned savings, then there will be a reaction. Moreover, intelligent youth will rebel at a system which de- stroys all hope of self-betterment, -one of the most powerful stimulants of human action. Great organizations will resist : among them the patriotic societies, which will not surrender tamely the heritage for which their fathers fought ; the trade- unions when their eyes are opened to the machinations of the agitators who are endeavoring to exploit them; the fraternal orders whose watchword is "thrift ;" and many, if not most, of the great churches. In the meantime, through insidious forms, such as the municipalization of so-called public utili- ties, and by the constant advocacy of impracticable theorists who are to be found in all vocations, gains are being made.
In Europe where this movement against wealth is much older and more insolent than it is here, it has assailed like- wise the fundamental institution of marriage upon which the existence of the sanctity of the family and indeed our entire moral code depends; it has assailed religion, without which the peoples would drift as aimlessly as a ship without a com- pass; and it has assailed the idea of nationality from which patriotism springs. It is only a question of time when the same things will be assailed in this country.
Today there is danger, too, as there was fifty years ago, and as there will be fifty years hence. Every period has its dangers, for such is life; but today the danger is not of the savage Indian nor of civil war. Today the danger is that a doctrine which undermines the very foundation of society, which disregards the teachings of the past, which de- rides New England and the New England town, which mis- conceives human nature, which would thwart human aspir- ations and would destroy human progress-today the danger is that this pernicious doctrine will be adopted. The New Englander-the American-must choose. Do we meet to reaffirin the principles of our fathers and to follow their foot- steps in the path of human advance, or do we acknowledge that for two hundred and fifty years we and those we vener- ate have been deluded by a misconception? Do we move
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forward or backward? Here is a chance for courage no less than was his who braved a savage foe; or than was his who bared his breast to the bayonets of rebellion. It will not be popular to oppose this new doctrine, but opposition must be made. Scattered now through the length and breadth of our country, shall the successors of our progenitors, the hardy frontiersmen of this and many an other New England town be recreant ?
In the sky of our Country's glory we read the names of the shadowy hosts that beckons us on, -statesmen and soldiers and orators and poets-but patriots all. We seem to hear their harmonious voices like a strain of lofty music, as they 'call upon us to do our duty, and with reverent hearts, trust- ing in Him before whom the glory of the kings of this world passes away like a tale that is told, we respond to the inspir- ing summons, resolve to transmit to our children, and we hope to our children's children, even to the latest generation, our heritage of American citizenship, unrestricted by folly and unimpaired by hatred.
69 HON. GEORGE A. MARDEN.
Among the distinctions which Groton possesses is the cir- cumstance that two presidents of the United States have tar- ried within its borders. I am quite sure, however, that neither could have continued to interest a Groton audience as he whom I am to ask to speak.
Many years ago, I think perhaps the Civil War in which he took part as an officer in the Union Army, had been fought, I heard him in the Town Hall for the first time ; al- though I feel certain that it was not the first time that oth- ers had heard him here. Many times since then he has spoken acceptably to Groton audiences, and his speech will be heard today with as much interest as it will be read fifty years from now at the three hundredth anniversary.
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