USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Uxbridge > Address delivered at the Unitarian church, in Uxbridge, Mass., in 1864, with further statements, not made a part of the address, but included in the notes > Part 7
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surgeon. In 1864 he made a botanical tour through Louisi- ana, Texas, Mexico and Cuba; his former pupil, General Lee, furnishing him with a pass and many other facilities for passage and safe traveling through the rebel States. The sufferings of his last sickness, which was not long, were borne with his usual good nature and patience. Dr. Robbins was unmarried, but he found a home with those who made him such a home as was perfectly congenial to him-with those who ministered to his every want and looked up to him with a genuine reverence.
His medical scholarship was profound and accurate ; but it is said, that " a certain sort of intuitive practical sense " was denied him. His specialty was botany; and for his studies in this line, he deserves our particular notice. Here he had few superiors. Ilis acquaintance with the leading botanists of this country was wide, and it was also intimate. His correspondence was extensive with botanists in England, France, Germany and other lands. He probably had the most complete private botanical library in the country. Hc kept up his acquaintance with the classical languages ; and read, wrote and spoke French and German, and could read and write Italian and Spanish.
In his practice, Dr. Robbins believed that in certain diseases much help was to be derived from mesmerism. He was also a believer in spiritualism and it was his dying faith. By his special request, Rev. Adin Ballou, of Hope- dale, conducted the funeral services in the Orthodox church, which was filled with his acquaintances and professional friends from this and the neighboring towns .- [ Compiled from an obituary notice published in the COMPENDIUM of January 18th, 1879. ED.
APPENDIX VII.
J. MASON MACOMBER, M. D.
Dr. Macomber was born in New Salem, Mass., October 11th, 1811. In " early boyhood, he not only showed a fond- ness for books, but declared it his purpose to be educated. Save as he went a term or two to the New Salem Academy, he prepared himself for college as a solitary student, study- ing much of the time in his father's kitchen, and now and then teaching to obtain what means he must needs have under such circumstances. At the age of twenty, he entered Amherst College, where he remained one year, when he entered Brown University, where he graduated in the class of 1835." While in college, and to accommodate a friend, he came to Uxbridge and took charge of the Academy; and now began his interest in the town which finally lead him to spend here the last years of his life. After leaving college, he taught in two or three academies, and in 1841, he came again to this place. For ten years, but not continuously, he was principal of the Academy here. In 1851, Mr. Macomber began the study of medicine, and was graduated from the New York Medical College in 1854. After leaving New York, he was for five or six years professor in the Pennsylvania Medical College in Philadel- phia ; and as occasion required, he assisted in filling the chairs of some of the other professors.
Dr. Macomber had been married in 1838 to Miss
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Sarah A. Lee, of Chester, Mass., and it was while he was professor in Philadelphia that his only son and child, Charles Lee, a youth of great promise, died at the age of 18. The Doctor remained here after this sad event for a year or two, but a settled sorrow, combined with feeble health, resulted in his resignation, although the University would most willingly have retained him in its service. In 1861, he came again to reside in this place, and here he died, Feb- ruary 9th, 1881. His funeral services were held in the Uni- tarian Church, Sunday afternoon, February 13th, a very large audience being present.
Dr. Macomber was brought up a Baptist, and early in life he became a member of that church, and sometimes preached in Baptist churches, while engaged in teaching. His ancestral and accepted faith he gradually outgrew, and became one of " the most liberal of the liberal christians." The marked characteristic of his latter years was, a deep .
interest in religious thought ; and no one was ever freer in his expression of the extremest views than he ;- always ready to receive new light and doing his best to impart it. After he made Uxbridge his home; he was a constant attendant upon the Unitarian church, and as constant a member of the Bible class in its Sunday school, ever taking a leading part, with Bible in hand, in all that was going on. In 1876, he was made a life member of the American Unitarian Association ; and after the establishment of the Unitarian local conferences, he was often present at them as delegate, and frequently participated in their debates with great earnestness. [Compiled by the Ed. from an obituary published in the COMPENDIUM.
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APPENDIX VHI.
JONATHAN WHIPPLE.
Jonathan Whipple was born near the spot now occupied by the railroad depot at Lonsdale, R. I. He was a hatter by trade and served his apprenticeship in Boston. In the year 1780, he lived in Douglas, and removed to Uxbridge in 1790. He was a man of much dignity of manner, exceedingly hospita- ble, and a thorough gentleman. When he lived in Douglas, there occurred the severe winter of 1780-81. Snow fell November 4th, 1780, on an average four feet in depth in Massachusetts. Water from the caves did not drop for forty days. Friends on a visit staid six or eight weeks ; people were drawn on sleds to Mendon, where their horses staid during the winter; marketers from Douglas went with hand-sleds to Boston, this being the only manner in which they could go.
When General Lafayette was passing through New Eng- land in the time of the Revolutionary war, he called at Mr. Whipple's in Douglas, and being in want of two horses employed Mr. Whipple to get the horses for him. Mr. Whipple furnished his own horse and one belonging to a neighbor, and the General and his suite passed on. Three months went by and the horses were not returned. Learn- ing that General Lafayette was in Boston, Mr. Whipple went there and called upon him with a friend. The General
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was shaving up-stairs but immediately came down and inquired where he had met them. Mr. Whipple informed him that he furnished him with two horses three months before, which had not been returned to him. Said the General, " It is not my fault, but the fault of my secre- tary. They shall be returned to you, and I will compensate you for the horses and pay you for your trouble ;" and he did so to Mr. Whipple's entire satisfaction. Mr. Whipple used to tell the story in his old age with great interest. When General Lafayette visited this country in 1825, and was at the laying of the corner-stone at Bunker Hill, Mr. Whipple took especial pains to call upon him ; , and after he had shaken hands with him, told him that he once lent him two horses. Upon this the General gave him a second good shake of the hand, and Mr. Whipple left him, highly gratified with the greeting; and from this time onward, he always related the story of the second interview as an interesting appendix to the first.
Mr. Whipple had a strong tendency to collect all sorts of articles with which to supply his customers. No person who ever had an opportunity to observe his collection in the upper story of the old shop that he occupied, will be likely to forget it. It was a common saying, that one could not ask for any article which Mr. Whipple could not supply. To test the accuracy of the statement, two friends called for goose yokes, and were surprised to find that they were at once furnished.
Mr. Whipple married Mary Jennison, a daughter of Dr. William Jennison, who practiced his profession in Mendon, Douglas and Brookfield. Among the children, were twin
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brothers, who were born October 31, 1777, soon after the surrender of Burgoyne, and who, at the urgent request of their grandfather, were christened Liberty and Independence. The sympathy between these two brothers was very remark- able. When either of them spoke of any other brother, it was, " brother Charles," or " brother Henry," or " brother William ;" but when he spoke of his twin brother, it was always simply, " brother." The resemblance in their per- sonal appearance was very striking, and it required an in- timate acquaintance to prevent mistakes in their identity.
When Independence Whipple was eleven years old, an incident occurred which made a very strong impression . upon him. Standing in the road near his father's house in Douglas, he saw the equipage of Gen. Washington, which proceeded in the following order :-
1st. A gentleman in uniform on a beautiful dapple-gray horse.
2d. Two aids in uniform on dapple-gray horses.
3d. Bay horses with two negro boys as riders; the horses being attached to a travelling carriage in which sate Gen. Washington.
4th. The baggage wagon, drawn by two horses.
The boy with his native politeness exchanged salutations with the General, and never forgot the meeting, nor the illustrious man whom he so deeply venerated. H. C.
APPENDIX IX.
ELIHU BROWN.
Elihu Brown was born in Douglas, and died in Uxbridge in 1840, aged 79 years. He married Nancy Thwing of Douglas, who died the year before her husband at the age of 76. Mr. Brown at first hired the house formerly occu- pied by Mr. Royal Jepherson, and afterwards purchased the estate. He was a blacksmith, and once occupied a shop that stood where the Academy building now stands. Mr. Brown resided in the Jepherson house until a year or two previous to his death, when he sold the estate in order to pay a debt which he was determined to pay, although he was not pressed for the payment. He afterwards moved back to the house, and occupied it a short time as a tenant ; but he finally died in the Esq. Adams house, where he was living with his son, Capt. Pemberton Brown. He was found dead in his bed, having apparently died without a struggle.
Mr. Brown was a man of strong common sense, sterling honesty, excellent judgment ; he was one who said what he meant, and meant what he said. He did considerable town business and his opinion was frequently sought and followed in the affairs of the town and neighborhood. He lived respected and honored, and died sincerely lamented by those who knew him.
H. C.
APPENDIX X.
ORSMUS TAFT.
Mr. Orsmus Taft died at his home, in this town, July 8th, 1880. Here he was born on January 1st, 1795, and here, too, he spent his life, with the exception of nine or ten years, when he was engaged in business elsewhere. Mr. Taft left the ancestral farm, in the easterly part of the town, when he was eleven years of age, to enter the woolen mill of Daniel Day, the first mill started in this place-and he always believed that he was the first Yankee to learn to weave satinet. With Mr. Day he spent seven years-the old term, in New England, of serving one's apprenticeship at a trade. From 1819 to 1822, he was engaged in this mill as a partner. In 1824, he had charge of the carding and spinning department of the "Capron Mill." When the Uxbridge Woolen Mill was started in 1825, he was inter- ested in it as owner, and also held the position of agent for it. In 1838, he sold his share in it to Edward Scagrave. HIe soon formed a partnership with his nephew, Robert Taft, and opened a store. His interest in this continued until 1844, when he sold out to his nephew, and was not a resident of the place again until 1853, when he was made station-agent of the Providence and Worcester railroad. This position he held for ten years, when he gave up business
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altogether, and passed the remainder of his life in the quiet of his home, surrounded by his family, that ever most thoughtfully and generously cared for his wants. Thus quietly, cheerfully, always interested in local, national and church affairs, he came to his end.
" Cheerful he gave his being up, and went, To share the holy rest that waits a life well spent."
Mr. Taft was lincally descended from Robert Taft, the carly settler of Mendon. The order of succession is- Robert ; Robert, Jr. ; Israel ; Jacob ; Jacob, Jr. ; Orsmus.
On the 28th of October, 1821, Mr. Taft married Margaret Smith, of Mendon, who survives him. Of a large number of children, eight are now living, either in this town, or in Providence, R. I. - [ Compiled by the Editor from an obituary notice in the COMPENDIUM, July, 1880.
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APPENDIX XI.
THE WOOD FAMILY.
About a mile and a half north-east from the meeting- house, is what is known as " the city." It consists of a few houses near the entrance of what is known as the Pudding street road. This road leads to the town of Upton, and is reported to have received its name from the fact, that on a certain occasion, all the inhabitants had pudding for dinner. Whether the tradition is correct or not, the name is as well defined and understood as Beacon street, or Pennsylvania avenue. The large house on the north side of the old Hartford and Boston turnpike, and casterly of the road above referred to, was built on the spot where there was once a tavern, probably one of the earliest in town, kept by Mr. Ezekiel Wood, the father of the wife of Captain Emory Wood, and grand father of Wheelock Wood and
Wood, who formerly resided upon the spot. The house was burned after it was given up as a hotel. Few facts are now known of this hotel, or its owner. It is said, that before insurance was common in this neighborhood, the barn of Mr. Ezekiel Wood, the former hotel-keeper, was burned. According to the custom of the time, a subscrip- tion was made; and among the subscribers was Captain Samuel Reed who subscribed ten dollars. When Captain Reed called to pay his subscription, Mr. Wood said
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thoughtlessly, but not very complimentary to the giver, "I suppose I should not have had this, had it not been for Mr. John Capron." Captain Reed being a rather high-spirited man, suggested that if Mr. Capron was to have the credit of his subscription, he should hardly subscribe a second time. Yet how natural it is at times to ascribe an act to a wrong motive, and to fancy that a kindness has not come from the dictates of the heart of the one who does the kindness, but from some outside influence. The "city" was not the result of any particular business, but was a set- tlement of some members of old families, who built their houses in the vicinity of the old homestead.
From Mr. Elias Wheelock, who was brought up in the eastern part of the town, and married a daughter of Mr. Samuel Wood, I learned that Dexter Wood,-the father of Samuel and Uncle Ezekiel Wood, as we used to call him,- and Ezekiel Wood who kept the hotel at the "city," were brothers. Dexter lived on the Pudding street road, in the house now occupied by James S. Farnum and formerly occupied by Samuel Wood and Amariah A. Wood. David Wood, with whom Mr. Wheelock was brought up, lived in. the house formerly owned by Luke Taft, and more recently by Amariah A. Wood. David Wood was a brother of Solomon Wood, who formerly lived in Mendon, and was the father of the late Obadiah Wood of Milford; was also the father of the late Nathan Wood of Milford, familiarly known, as " Uncle Nathan." Mrs. Luke Taft and Mrs. Reuben Wood were daughters of David Wood. Josiah Wood formerly lived on the place now occupied by Luke S. Farnum. He was the father of Sumner Wood, Captain
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APPENDIX XI.
Emory Wood, Mrs. Daniel Carpenter, Mrs. Cummings, the mother of Josiah Cummings, and others. Dexter Wood and Ezekiel Wood were brothers-in-law to Col. Ezra Wood of Upton, the father of Mrs. Col. Fletcher of Northbridge, and Mrs. Frederic Taft of Uxbridge. Mr. Wheelock is unable to give the name of the father of Josiah Wood, but my opinion is, he was a brother of Col. Ezra Wood above named. From Mr. Wheelock, I learn further, that Josiah Wood was a Universalist ; that he had frequently heard him announce at the old meeting-house in Uxbridge, that a Universalist meeting would be held at-and time and place were mentioned. He also informed me, that David Wood, Solomon Wood and Obadiah Wood, the above named brothers, lived in different towns and that each resided at the end of the road that led to his house. It must be quite a convenience to know that a traveller is coming to see you. This can generally be accomplished by living at the end of the road. The large house, on the old turnpike west of the Pudding street road, was formerly owned by a family by the name of Rist. One of the sons was a bachelor ; one was Thaddeus Rist, the father of Judge Rist, who died in Alabama; and Esbon C. Rist, who died in Uxbridge. The red house, formerly owned by Dea. Bul- lard, was built by Hatter Ezekiel Wood, so called, who formerly lived a short distance beyond the Daniel Farnum place. "Hatter" Ezekiel was the son of Ezekiel Wood and a half-brother of the wife of Capt. Emory Wood.
Reuben Wood was not a native of Uxbridge, but came from the State of Vermont. The relationship between his children and the Luke Taft family came by way of their mother.
H. C.
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APPENDIX XII.
IRONSTONE.
The Village of Ironstone is situated on Forge Brook in the south part of Uxbridge. The Brook takes its name from the fact, that about one hundred and forty years ago Benjamin Taft erected a forge and dam there, and the dam of the Ironstone Factory pond is but an enlargement of the first one. "Forge Brook" is mentioned in the town records of 1734. A few years previous to 1800, (history nor tradi- tion is very clear about the date), there were a saw-mill and trip-hammer shop near the head of Ironstone pond, which was occupied by Caleb Handy. Tradition says he made guns, scythes and other useful articles. In 1813, William Bacon, son of Miles Bacon, who was many years ago the old tavern-keeper at Slatersville, purchased the privilege of Samuel Buxton. Mr. Bacon first put in a spinning frame or two, and spun cotton yarn for the late John Slater of Slaters- ville, R. I. Mr. Bacon subsequently erected a foundry at this place ; and in 1823 and '24 made satinet power-looms ; also, castings for Col. Joseph Ray of Mendon.
Forge Brook has two branches. The south branch has no name, or history, except that Seth Wheelock in 1824 or '25, put up a building there for carding wool into rolls for the neighboring farmers. The other branch is called "Goodstone Brook, " because the stone upon its margin was
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good for various purposes. Here, Thomas B. Shove, pre- vious to 1800, erected a blacksmith shop and set up a trip- hammer, nearly on the site of the shop of the late Daniel HI. Aldrich.
Ironstone Factory was built in 1815. It was a company enterprise, the stock being divided into thirty-two shares, without any determined value. Dr. Ezekiel Comstock subscribed for eleven shares ; Daniel Jeneks ten shares ; Joseph Smith one share ; Moses Farnum five shares ; Wil- liam Arnold three shares, and Tillson Aldrich two shares. The three last named stockholders were citizens of Uxbridge. The first cotton yarn both spun and wove in Uxbridge was from this mill. This yarn was woven into cloth at home by the " fly-shuttle " loom, of which improve- ment in weaving, David Knight of Smithfield, R. I., was the inventor. This mode of weaving cloth directed the attention of Moses and Darius D. Farnum to manufacturing pursuits. The first superintendent of the mill was Tillson Aldrich. About 1820, William Arnold became the owner of the Ironstone manufacturing property. He increased the water-power by the erection of a reservoir of considera- ble dimensions ; built two tenement houses and a store ; and through his influence a post-office was opened,-John Brad- ley, of stage-driving fame, bringing and carrying the mails. Mr. Arnold manufactured cotton cloth for several years, and in 1832 the factory was burned. The factory property passed from William Arnold to Samuel Shove ; from Mr. Shove to Jonathan F. Southwick ; from Mr. Southwick, one-half to Albert Fairbanks, the other half to Charles A. Messinger. The factory was rebuilt, and Fair-
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APPENDIX XII.
banks and Messinger manufactured Kentucky jeans for some years. After the deccase of Mr. Fairbanks, the property passed into the hands of Messinger and Esty. The factory was burned again in 1865, and in 1866, the property was purchased of Messinger and Esty, by Messrs. .J. C. Keith and Co., who bought, at the same time, of Jonathan F. Southwick, the mill below. John C. Scott, of Millville, soon purchased of Mr. Keith his share of the property, and Mr. Scott and Stephen H. Benson became . the owners of it.
HI. C., AND EDITOR.
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APPENDIX XIII.
MANUFACTURING.
It is well known that Samuel Slater, about 1790, was the first to manufacture cotton goods in this country; but it is not so generally known, that John and Arthur Schofield, who came from England in March, 1793, introduced the manu- facture of woolen goods ; an interesting account of which may be found in a Report made in 1871, to the " Rhode Island Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Industry," by Royal C. Taft, of Providence, R. I.
In this report, Mr. Taft takes notice that it was begun in Uxbridge by Daniel Day ; but no account of it appears in the very elaborate " History of American Manufactures from 1608 to 1860," by J. Lander Bishop, A.M., M.D., Philadelphia, 1864. It might reasonably be expected that Mr. Taft would do justice to his native town about a matter of this kind, in which his father and all his relatives have been so actively engaged.
Ile says :
" In 1809, Daniel Day built his first mill in Uxbridge, Mass., size twenty by forty feet, two stories high, and in the same year put in a carding machine and picker for the purpose of carding rolls for home manufacture. In the spring of 1811, he built an addition to the mill of twenty- five by thirty feet, three stories high, and in July put in a billy and jenny for spinning. In September, he added a hand-loom ; early in. 1812, he put in another loom, and dur-
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ing the year added three more, making five looms in all. The same kind of a picker was used as is in use at the pres- ent time. It was operated by a picker-string attached to a picker-stick held in the hand, while the harnesses were operated by the feet of the weaver."
By " the same kind of a picker," etc., is meant the mechanism used by the weaver to throw the shuttle. This " same kind" might equally well be applied to the picker mentioned in connection with the carding machine, there being no practical difference in the operation of the common wool-picker of to-day and then, but much difference in the mechanical perfection of its construction.
Some three years since, in looking over some old papers of my father's which came into my hands on the deecase of my mother, I found a receipt of which the following is a copy :
" UXBRIDGE, August 27th, 1811.
Rec'd of Jerry Wheelock seventy-five dollars in part pay- ment for the picking and carding machine I have lately built and put in opperation in the shop of Mr. Daniel Day in Uxbridge. ARTEMAS DRYDEN, Jr."
Here we have a glimpse of the beginning of the woolen manufacture in Uxbridge; and, as I believe, of the first woolen carding machine and picker built in Worcester county. I am inclined to think from Dryden's receipt, and from some papers I have examined in which some account of this machinery would be likely to appear, had its date been as early as 1809, that the date given by Mr. Taft should be 1810, instead of 1809; 1810, was the year in which the first mill was built, as I have been informed both by my father and my mother. I prefer to claim the carlier date, but with the knowledge I have, I cannot do it.
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In this same year, 1810, as I was told by Charles A. Thwing, now deceased, in a conversation I had with him several years since, the first movement was made towards the manufacturing of cotton goods in Uxbridge. This was first seen in building the works of the " Uxbridge Cotton Mills " in that year by Mr. Clapp,-Ebenezer, I presume, as I find his name somewhat prominent then in town matters. This statement, if correct, and I have no doubt it is so, as Mr. Thwing was a native of North Uxbridge, and almost always a resident there, as his father was, and was of suffi- cient age to have some slight recollection of operations so prominent as these must have been -this statement shows the beginning of the cotton and woolen manufacture in this town to be co-eval.
The billy and spinning jenny were made by Arthur Scho- field, of Pittsfield, Mass. Mr. Schofield, with his brother John, built and put into operation a carding machine in By- field, Mass., in 1793, which was the first one erected in this country.
The " old billy !" Does any one remember it, and its top- roll which would at times come a little too close to the heads of those boys and girls who were always faithful to their work ?
As all the weaving at this time was done on hand-looms for some years after the erection of this mill, looms were set up in houses and in shops built for the purpose, till they be- came almost as common as were the shoe-shops a few years since.
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