USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Melrose > Ancient Melrose and some information about its old homesteads, families & furnishings, 1915 > Part 5
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On the opposite side of the street, on the rising ground, stands the little one-story Dolly Upham house, built by William Upham, in 1812, for his son William. In 1845, this prop- erty passed out of the possession of the Uphams.
The HOWARDS were among the original families occupying the territory of Melrose. Peter Tufts, who seems to have been a land speculator, owing large tracts of land in this region, sold, in 1663, to Samuel Howard, then of Charlestown, his farm land, which was situated in what is now the centre of Melrose. It is described in the Middlesex Deeds, book 3, page 276, as lying at Ell Pond, and is embraced within the following bounds:
"Northerly by sd Ell Pond, easterly by the brook from sd Ell Pond and southerly by the brook running from Spot Pond, westerly by John Sprague's farme."
This latter line has been described as running northerly from Spot Pond brook, through Cottage Street, crossing Foster Street and the railroad east of Mr. Decius Beebe's house, and so on a straight line to the head of Ell Pond. Mr. Howard, who came from England in 1635, in the ship "Elizabeth," built a house on the border of Ell Pond, on the east side and near its outlet. He also built a dam across the outlet, and erected a sawmill thereon. Samuel Howard died about 1681, his estate passing into the possession of his heirs. His son Samuel had the homestead of twenty acres, with the sawmill, bounded north by Ell Pond and south by a line a few rods north of Winthrop and Vine Streets. His son Jonathan had the remainder, lying south of this line, and afterwards came into pos- session of this mill, as is evidenced by the following sale, dated Jan. 8, 1721:
"Jonathan Howard conveys to Samuel Howard, wheelwright, one acre of land lying near the dwelling house of said Samuel Howard, with the grist or cornmill that stands on the land with the mill dam and all the privilege belonging to the mill."
It would seem that this mill, after a service of fifty years, exhausted the timber in its vicinity and was converted into a gristmill. [In ancient times a tannery existed there.] [I. S. G.]
Mary Howard, wife of Jonathan, came into possession of eight acres of land with the buildings thereon, on the east side of Ell Pond. The house here referred to is the one which, until the latter part of 1900, stood on the corner of Porter and Lebanon Streets. This was a very old house. The curb of the old well still stands, but the sweep has disappeared. Benjamin Howard sold one-half of it to Joseph Lynde, in 1762, mentioning in the deed that he purchased it of his father in 1740. This estate passed into the hands of Jonathan Howard, who sold to Amos Howard in 1786; and he sold to the late Nathaniel Howard, so long the principal undertaker of Melrose. He was born in this house, with a large family of brothers and sisters. One of them, Atalanta Howard, married Isaac Emerson, who built his homestead, wherein he passed a long life, where now stands the handsome parsonage of the Methodist Episcopal Church, on Main Street. Another, James, built the house on the corner of Pleasant and Summer Streets, Malden.
Nathaniel Howard, son of Jonathan, built a house at an early period in the rear of the present Eatsman's Block, on Main Street, about fifteen rods east of said street, near the Ell Pond brook. By his will, dated in 1763, he gives his real estate and buildings to his sons, Amos and Ezra. This estate consisted of about forty acres of land, lying on both
[52
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Undertaker
33 SOUTH HIGH STREET MELROSE, MASS.
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JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
FRANK R. SPEAR (ESTABLISHED 1906)
INSURANCE AND REAL ESTATE
130 MAIN STREET Melrose, Mass.
Old and Reliable Insurance Companies
Nearly Opposite Theatre Building
C. E. BLACK
Choice Family Groceries
681 MAIN STREET
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P. M. GROVESTEIN
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sides of Main Street, which was not then in existence, embracing the old village cemetery lot on the north, on which now stands our High School Building, bounded east on Ell Pond Brook, south to a line within about ten rods of Foster Street, including the Baptist Church and Sewall School House lots, west on line just in the rear of the Main Street stores, crossing Essex Street on the line of the City Hall lot, crossing Dix's Pond and Winthrop Street to a line parallel with the north line of the cemetery lot. Ezra Howard became sole owner of this estate by purchase from his brother Amos. Ezra Howard died and the estate, in 1808, passed into the possession of Ezra Tainter and William Dix, who married two of Ezra Howard's daughters. Dix's residence was on the corner of Main and Essex Streets, where now stands our City Hall. Tainter owned the old house, which was in a dilapidated con- dition, and was demolished about the time Main Street was laid out in 1806; and the ma- terial was used in the building of the old Tainter house, later removed to Faulkner Place, where it now stands.
The Charles Pratt farm, of forty-six acres, on Lebanon Street, now belonging to the City of Melrose, having been purchased in 1887, for the purpose of enlarging the Wyoming Cemetery, was originally owned by Jonathan Howard, who built a house thereon. Reference is made to this by the Selectmen of Malden, when running bounds in 1690, as follows:
"Beginning at the ferder post of Joseph Lynde orchard so along to Jonathan Howards land next to the common land."
When bought by John Pratt, father of Charles, in 1778, according to a memorandum found among Mr. Barrett's papers, the house
was two story with a leaky kitchen on the back of the west end and occupied by 2 old Maids Ruth & Sarah Wait. The old Maids were to have the East End of the house during their life time. . . After the death of the old maids John Pratt tore down the old house and built the house where Charles Pratt lived in 1806.
Charles Pratt lived in the old homestead a year and a half after selling his farm to the town of Melrose, for $10,000, that consideration being a part of the price. He died Sept. 2, 1888, at the age of eighty-six years. At a town meeting held March 14, 1898, it was voted to utilize the mansion house and twelve acres of this property as a poor farm, until such time as the territory shall be needed for cemetery purposes.
Where now stands the Masonic Building, on the corner of Main Street and Wyoming Avenue, once stood another homestead of the Howards, that of Joseph, the second son of Jonathan Howard, who died in 1769. This descended to his heirs, and afterward passed into the possession of Joseph Boardman; and when the Masonic Building was erected, the old house was removed to Dell Avenue, and occupied as a dwelling until within a few years, when it was demolished.
JOHN VINTON of Lynn, was the ancestor of all the Vintons of America. The first of the Vintons that settled on Melrose territory, were the brothers Thomas and Benoni, of the fourth generation, about the year 1742. They married sisters, Hannah and Mary Green. Thomas bought his farm in 1758, situated on what is now Vinton and Franklin Streets. The old county road from Stoneham to Lynn, ran through our territory on or near our present Franklin Street; a short portion of it being now covered by Day Street.
Thomas Vinton
As we have seen in the sketch of the Barrett family, Thomas' brother Benoni, came into possession of the Mountain House farm, to the south of Maple Street. This was also in 1758.
This house was on what is now Ashland Street, but has been turned around and altered somewhat.
Benoni Vinton's son, Lieut. John, was a man of note, and filled a number of prominent positions in Malden.
Lieut. Vinton was a member of the Committee of Correspondence for Malden, for the
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years 1779 and 1780, serving with Lieut. Bernard Green, John Green, William Dexter, Samuel Sprague, Jonathan Sprague and others. He was also Tax Collector for Malden's assessment by the State.
Benoni Vinton died in 1760, and his brother Thomas in 1763. Thomas left three sons, Thomas, Timothy and Ezra. To Timothy he gave the homestead. He never married, but lived with his mother, until she died in 1804. He lived to be ninety-two years of age, and died in 1836, an abject miser. Turning his farm productions into money, he would hide it in all sorts of out-of-the-way places; burying some of it in the ground, a part of which was undoubtedly lost; five hundred Spanish dollars, old and tarnished, found in his house, were divided among his relatives immediately after his funeral.
For Thomas was built, in 1770, the house formerly standing near the corner of Tremont and Franklin Streets, since removed to the corner of Tremont Street and Ellsworth Avenue. This farm descended to his son Thomas, who died in 1841, aged 70, of whom it is said he never left his farm for forty years, and never visited Boston, although living so near it. He left a very singular will, bequeathing his property in a curious manner to the Baptist Church of Malden. In 1846, the Baptist Church sold it to Winthrop Richardson. This was soon after the Boston and Maine Railroad was opened. At this time there were but four houses in what is now the Highlands, west of Main Street - three occupied by Vintons and one by the Greens. This old homestead farm was held by Mr. Richardson for farming purposes until 1853, when it was surveyed, and laid out in streets and house lots, and people from Boston began to make investments and build homes thereon.
What property had not been disposed of by Mr. Richardson, before his accidental death on the railroad in 1853, was inherited by his daughter, Mrs. Caroline M. Wood.
In 1777, Ezra Vinton bought the Deacon Joseph Green farm and homestead, situated westerly from the original Thomas Vinton farm, the house being on Vinton Street, near the corner of Franklin Street. Our present Vinton Street was then merely a cartway which led from Stoneham to Malden. About 1790 this house was burned, and Ezra then built on the same spot the house now standing. This is one of those large-timbered, strongly- built, huge-chimneyed, with oven attachment, old-fashioned houses of the early settlers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; devoid of ornamentation, but commodious and comfortable. It is not quite so strongly built, in the way of timbers, as those of the earlier settlers. It has had some alterations and additions in the rear, and the top of the chimney has been made smaller.
At the death of Ezra in 1817, the estate was inherited by his son Joseph Vinton, who owned it until 1845, when it was sold to Horatio Nelson Perkins, who lived many years on the corner of Vinton and Franklin Streets. He sold the Vinton homestead to Israel Rich- ardson of Portland
A grandson of Ezra, Aaron Vinton, born in 1826, lived on Howard Street, where he carried on the farming industry for many years. He died July 1, 1901.
The southern part of the Ezra Vinton farm, the woodlands, was sold by Mr. Perkins. On this land, some way south of Orris Street, formerly Green Lane, on the high ground, is an old cellar-hole where once stood the Wilson house. Six or seven large ehn trees are now growing within its walls. Mr. Wilson was a shoemaker and school-teacher; and carried on both branches of his business in that house, and at the same time.
As we have seen in the history of the Green family, for more than a century they owned nearly all the territory now comprised in the Melrose Highlands, and a large part of Green- wood. After the advent of the Vintons, and their marriage into the Green families, this Highlands territory, to a very large extent, became the property of the Vintons. These three brothers, Thomas, Timothy and Ezra Vinton, lived side by side, on the then existing county road, (discontinued when Franklin Street was built).
*THE GOULD'S. While the Gould family of Stoneham is not essentially connected with the earliest history of Mystie Side and Malden through continued residence therein, yet the proximity of their habitations on the northern shore of Spot Pond in Stoneham and * Written by Levi S. Gould.
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THE GOULD FAMILY HOMESTEAD, SPOT POND 1699 OH BEFORE From sketch made by Hannah Lynde in 1844
Decius Beebe, Pres. Charles HI. Lang, Jr. Vice Pres. Don E. Curtis, Cashier
The Melrose National Bank
This Bank is an established business - a part of the life and business of this community. It is worthy of the confidence and patronage of the people. It is managed along conservative lines and every pre- caution taken to safeguard the funds entrusted to us.
We are grateful to our patrons and cordially solicit accounts from all.
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Smiths Pond in Wakefield where they resided for nearly six generations; intermarriage with the Greens, Lyndes, Uphams, Spragues, Converse, Vintons etc. and its standing in the affairs of Charlestown End and Stoneham for 250 years of which Melrose Highlands was formerly a part, added to its prominence here for nearly three quarters of a century entitles it to a place among the earliest families of Ancient Melrose.
The Homestead of the Gould family, Spot Pond, built before 1700, remained in the family until the present generation when its site was taken by the Commonwealth for park pur- poses. From this house Jacob Gould and his two sons responded to the "Lexington Alarm" April 19, 1775. Family tradition has it that one of the boys rode, without saddle or bridle, a favorite white mare into the trenches at Bunker Hill. Before the firing commenced he turned the faithful beast loose and she found her way back to the farm in safety. It is also said that on that day he wore an old fashioned shaggy beaver hat of which he was very proud. After the firing was over it was lost in the excitment of the retreat. Being railed by his companions, he returned over the ground, found the hat and bore it home in triumph but riddled with bullets. It was destroyed accidently some years ago. John Gould, 1610-, 1601, founder of the family came from England in 1635, and was the first settler of Charles- town End now Stoneham. He was an all round Indian fighter and a trooper in King Philips War. His descendants have been represented in every war of their period and many have arrived at high attainments in civil life. By inter-marriage his blood has mingled with the Lynde's, Spragues, Uphams, Greens, Vintons and others of the earliest settlers of Malden and "Ancient Melrose".
In 1843 the Timothy Vinton homestead heretofore mentioned on page 56 passed into the possession of Dr. Levi Gould the first settled physician in the territory now known as Melrose but at that time the East School District of Stoneham afterwards incorporated in the former town. Dr. Gould was a native of Stoneham and a lineal descendant from the John Gould (above mentioned) who came to Charlestown in 1635 and later on was awarded a large tract of common land at "Charlestown End," where he settled, thus be- coming the first white man in that section of the wilderness now known as Stoneham of which Melrose Highlands formed a portion. The very earliest families in the settlement of the mother towns of Charlestown and "Mystic Side," later Malden, appear to be no more than eight and in relation to the present territory of Melrose should be classed as follows viz .:
The Sprague's as of Charlestown in 1634 of "Mystic Side" about 1638.
66
66
1645. 1643.
" Barrett's
" Lynde's " 1634 " 1635 66 66 66 66 " Howards' " 1635 " Malden 66 1663. " Upham's u " Weymouth " 1635 " "Mystic Side " 1648. 1651. " Green's " Virginia " Malden " 1635
" Gould's " " Charlestown " 1635 "Charlestown End"
- now a part of Melrose
about 1658.
" Vinton's " "Lynn “ 1640 " Malden temporarily permanently 1677. I742.
The Vinton's are believed to have descended from a family of Huguenots which fled to England in 1572 to escape the massacre of St. Bartholomew. All the others were English Puritans. [L.S.G.]
Besides these families already spoken of, there were others, some of whose names have been mentioned, who became residents of this territory at quite an early date; among them, Herring, Breeden, Wilkinson, Grover, and Dunnell; but most of them have dis- appeared, and no longer have representatives among our citizens. Nearly all of these lived in the southeasterly part of the Town, in the Long Pond district. At a later date, some before, some after, and some about the time of the Revolutionary War, came the Pratts, the Emersons, Edmunds, Larrabees, Boardmans, Hemenways, Tainters, Fullers,
[58
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GEO. M. HALL, Prop.
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20 Tremont St. Melrose, Mass.
Deering Lumber Co.
Eastern and Western Lumber, Hard Wood Flooring, Wall Boards Cedar and Asphalt Shingles, Nails, Build- ing and Roofing Papers 44 Tremont St., Melrose
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LEWIS C. HOYT
House Painter and Decorator Wall Papers Melrose Highlands, Mass.
When in want of Concrete Paving and Trucking, you'll find PHILPOT at 76 Dill Ave., Melrose, after 45 years experience as usual.
JENKINS FISH MARKET
Phone 610
48 Summer Street -
:-
Malden, Mass.
A REMINDER That we renovate Antique Furniture
E. A. LITCHFIELD
516 Franklin Street Melrose Ilighlands, Mass.
J. SALMONSON, Custom Tailor 949 Main Street MELROSE HIGHLANDS, MASS.
CUT FLOWERS FLORAL DESIGNS
CHARLES RAPP FLORIST Flowering, Decorative Plants
JOSEPH GIBSON
Painter and Decorator
35 Marvin Road
Telephone Connection
Melrose Highlands
N. P. STERNFELT
Practical Shoemaker and First-Class Repairer
7 West Emerson Street Melrose, Mass.
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26 West Foster Street
Special Dinner 35c Melrose, Mass.
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VICTROLAS GRAFONOLAS
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Coxes, Waites, Eatons and a few others; and the descendants of most of these families are still citizens of Melrose. Of some of them much might be said concerning their identifi- cation with the interests of the Town, while it was a part of Malden, and since its incorpora- tion. Some served in the early wars; some in the Revolution; some held civic office; some were manufacturers; and some were peaceful farmers.
One of the earliest settlers in Malden was Capt. John Wayte (Waite) who married Mary, daughter of Joseph Hills. From him have descended the many citizens bearing that honored name.
The Ezra Waite house is situated on Swain's Pond Avenue, in the southeastern part of Melrose. No one knows just when it was built, but it is undoubtedly two centuries old. It has briek-lined walls, and the usual wooden eross-beams in the ceiling, found in all the oldest houses, (see page 18). On the opposite side of the road may be seen the remnants of an old mill-dam; this makes it evident that there were once two sawmills on the outlet of Swain's Pond, one of which, Grover's, has been before referred to.
WILLIAM EMERSON although born in Reading, and living some years in Woburn, early came to North Malden. He married Mary Vinton, a sister of the three brothers, Thomas, Timothy and Ezra Vinton, heretofore spoken of. Mr. Emerson was in the Revolution, enlisting at the early age of eighteen; and the relation of his war experiences to his children and grandchildren, afforded much entertainment. His first homestead "stood near the old well with a narrow cartway between the house and well," says one of his sons, the Rev. Warren Emerson, writing June 23, 1876:
"The house was afterwards sold to Amos P. Lynde, and converted into a barn. In the above house my father kept a Public House for a number of years. The family moved into the new house on the corner of Main and Emerson Streets, either the 6th or 7th of November, 1805; as you may find marked with chalk on a rafter in the garret in the east end of the house unless it has been rubbed out by some one. I think marked by myself."
In this old inn all of Mr. Emerson's children were born, excepting William, son of his first wife, who early went to Bangor, Maine, and Isaac, the oldest son by his second wife, who was born in Woburn. Another sister of these Vintons, Martha, married John Pratt, father of the late Charles Pratt, whose farm was on our present Lebanon Street, and which now forms part of the Wyoming Cemetery.
Francis Hemenway, whose farm was on the easterly side of East Street, corner of Porter, was born in Stoneham in 1797, but came to Melrose when he was a year old. In 1815, there occurred an Indian mock fight, in which Mr. Hemenway took part. Some six hundred Malden and Reading men, arrayed in war-paint and feathers, tomahawks and scalping knives, were pitted against several military companies from Charlestown and other towns. The battle began on Reading Hill, north of Green Street, and ended at Joseph Boardman's, whose house stood where Masonic Hall now stands. After a hard and desperate struggle the red men were defeated. Mr. Hemenway represented an Indian squaw, and carried on his back for a papoose, the late Charles Porter, then a baby two years old. During Lafayette's visit in 1825, Mr. Hemenway joined the military company at Malden centre, marched to Bunker Hill, to take part in the laying of the corner-stone of the monument, heard Daniel Webster's great oration, and shook hands with our friend and ally, the great Frenchman. The old homestead, with its well and well-sweep, has disappeared but the house still exists, having been moved to the upper end of Porter Street.
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MELROSE GARAGE All Kinds of Automobile Works Second Hand Cars for Sale Agent for the Ford Car
Lunch at Varley's
152 MAIN STREET MELROSE
MELROSE TAILORING COMPANY DAVID GLUCKSTEIN, PROP.
685 Main Street
TEL. 395-J
Melrose, Mass.
FIRST CLASS HAND LAUNDRY
WONG SAM
Work Guaranteed
687 Main Street
Melrose, Mass.
P. L. BARRETT & CO.
Groceries, Provisions and Fish
950 Main Street Telephone Connection Melrose, Mass.
S. BOYAJIAN Shoemaker
12 Essex Street
Melrose, Mass.
C. F. DOHERTY First Class Barber
385 Main Street . : - Melrose, Mass.
ANDREWS' MARKET
Groceries and Provisions
544, 546 Main Street
Telephone 12
Melrose, Mass.
F. J. SCHERRER
Fine Willow Furniture, Electric Lamps Ete. Edison Phonographs and Records. Repairs in all their branches. Staining, Etc. Wholesale and Retail.
219 Essex Street
Phone Melrose 596-M Opp. Melrose Depot
PERRY & MARSTON
Hardware
Ell Pond Boat House,
Boats and Canoes to Let
C. A. Moody, Proprietor
lee Cream and Soda
782 Main St., Melrose
Complimentary
Rain Coats Storm Coats Auto Coats
FRANKLIN RUBBER CO.
134 Federal Street
:-
Boston, Mass.
CHARLES H. EVERSON
Contractor and Builder Mill Work
SHOP SIS MAIN STREET Telephone Res. 72-1 Melrose
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Map of North Malden and part of Stoneham in 1843, containing every residence and public building with names of occupants. Drawn by Hon. Levi S. Gould
Compliments of
HOUGHTON & DUTTON COMPANY
WILLIAM S. BRIRY, PH.G.
PRESCRIPTION PHARMACY
45 WYOMING AVENUE MELROSE, MASS.
ALONZO HALL TAILOR
SUCCESSOR TO HALL & WATERMAN
338 WASHINGTON ST. BOSTON
Z
1
59
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KEY TO THE GOULD MAP OF 1843
Drawn from memory by Levi S. Gould, who as a boy of nine came to North Malden in 1843 and has resided here ever since,
I Joseph Lynde, 1670 31 New House built by . 56
Jona Kimball
2 Warren Lynde, 1820
P. Lyndo 57
Pelatiah R. Waitt
3 George W. Grover 32 Jonas Brown, about 58
William Harlow 1828
4 Daniel Lynde 1750 59
5 Joseph Boardman 33
Edmund Davis
( James G. Emerson and 34 Eli and Albert Upham, 60 1816 61
Charles " Barley " Howard, about 1750 35 Ephraim Fuller 62
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