USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Westminster > Celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of Westminster, Mass. > Part 5
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Isaac Puffer,
Samuel Gibbs,
William Sartcher,
Isaac Seaver.
In the nine months' men in 1780, from this town, were Josiah Bliss, in the tenth Massachusetts regiment, and Ebenezer Putnam, in the seventh Massachusetts regiment.
In Captain Sibley's company, raised under the Act of June 30, 1781, Westminster furnished :
Jonadab Baker, Samuel Hoar, John Cohee, James Cohee,
Richard Everett, Isaac Dupee, George Stone.
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In the three years' men raised under Resolve of December 2, 1780, were :
Silas Holt,
Isaiah Taylor,
Savage Taylor,
Amos Kimball,
Samuel Merrifield,
Grant Powers,
Jonathan Harvey,
John Atwell,
Jonathan Stedman,
Benjamin Treadway,
Elijah Gibbs,
Nathaniel Pattin.
In the regular army were the following, who served the periods set against their names in months :
James Bowers, 36 mo.
Barron Brown, 46 mo.
John Ball,
36
Joseph Bailey, 15
Abel Pierce, 36
Timothy Crystal, 12
George Stone,
36
Peletiah Everett,
4
Gideon Stanby,
36
Nathan Green,
36
Asa Wesson, 36
Samuel Ilunt,
20
Eli Keyes,
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Nathan Pierce, 37
Zipron Newton,
37
Amos Spring,
4
William Putnam,
36
Nathan Woodward,
36
Daniel Smith,
14
Henry Talburst, deserted, 30
Besides this long and formidable list, there were, in different regiments and companies, the following Westminster men : Norman Seaver and Moses Seaver, stationed in Rhode Island twelve months, Jonathan W. Smith, Joshua Mellen, John Abby.
John Woodward was Adjutant in Colonel Doolittle's regiment of eight months' men.
Colonel John Rand was in service three months, in command of a regiment from Worcester County .*
While engaged in the Revolutionary struggle, the people of Massachusetts felt the necessity of forming a Constitution of Gov- ernment, for the better managing of their own affairs. In 1778, a Constitution was formed, and submitted to the people for their acceptance or rejection. The citizens of Westminster voted unani- mously against it. It seems due to their memories to state some of the principal exceptions which they took to this proposed Constitu- tion. " It is our opinion," they say, " that no Constitution what- ever ought to be established, till previously thereto a Bill of Rights be set forth ; and the Constitution be framed therefrom-so that
* I have generally adopted the orthography of the names as I find them on the rolls.
T
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the lowest capacity may be able to determine his natural rights, and judge of the equitableness of the Constitution thereby."
" And as to the Constitution itself, the following appears to us exceptionable, viz., the fifth article, which deprives a part of the human race of their natural rights on account of their color ; which, in our opinion, no power on earth has a just right to do."
They also objected to the Constitution before them, because it deprived the people of the choice of many of their officers; and they supported this position by the following truly democratic rea- soning. " Where can the power be lodged so safely as in the hands of the people ; and who can delegate it so well as they ? Or who has the boldness to say without blushing, that the people are not suitable to put in their own officers ? If so, why do we waste our blood and treasure to obtain that which, when obtained, we are not fit to enjoy ?"
The Constitution in question was not only rejected by the good people of this Town, but by the good people of the State ; and its rejection led to the formation of another, and a better one, which was adopted.
The history of Westminster, as of other towns during the Revo- lution, exhibits one continued, persevering struggle with difficulties, to which we are strangers. The duty of furnishing a certain quota of troops and supplies for the army, the poverty and destitution of the people, the depreciated and fluctuating state of paper money- these were embarrassments which, though unknown to us, pressed heavily upon the people at that day. Some idea of the depreciated state of paper money, and the consequent increase of prices, may be formed by the fact that the wood furnished to Rev. Mr. Rice, in 1786, was procured at auction for fifty-nine and sixty dollars per cord.
The state of things that followed the Revolution was, if possible, more distressing. The return of the soldiers without pay, the habits of the camp which they brought with them, the general in- debtedness of the Nation, the State, and the Town, and the inabil- ity of the people to meet their private debts, together with the grasping and extortionary spirit of the few moneyed men to exact the last farthing,-these contributed to bring upon the people an embarrassment and perplexity as great as was felt during the war, without any of that foreign pressure which awakened and kept alive their patriotism, before their independence was acknowledged.
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The population of Westminster, between 1770 and 1780, not- withstanding the check produced by the Revolutionary war, in- creased about forty-six per cent, bringing the population at the latter period up to about 990. Within this period, several families came into town. I shall not attempt to arrange them in the order of their settlement, nor attempt to trace them to their origin. The following, among others, settled within this period ; and their families have been more or less numerous and influential in the town : Joseph Flint, William Bickford, Simon Gates, Asa Ray, Edmund Barnard from Waltham, Nathaniel Tothingham, who married Esther Brown of Lexington, Jonathan Hager from Wal- tham, Aaron Bolton, Norman Seaver, Timothy Damon from Reading, Jedediah Cooper, Isaac Williams from Newton, Nathan Wetherbee from Marlborough, Thomas and James Laws, Zacha- riah Whitman from Stow, (who had fourteen children, among whom were Jonathan, Zachariah, and Joseph,) Thomas Knower from Malden, William Murdock, Samuel Gerrish from Sterling, Timothy Heywood from Sterling, Isaac Dupee from Reading, Nathan Eaton from Reading, and Jonathan Minott from West- ford.
Three of the above families I have been able to trace back to the early emigrant. John Whitman came to this country early, and settled in Weymouth before 1638. In 1645, he was appointed Ensign, and a Magistrate to " end small controversies." He was also a Deacon of the church. His youngest son, Zachariah, was a clergyman, and settled at Nantasket, 1670. John, his second son, settled in Stow, where he was a Magistrate and a Deacon. He had, among other sons, Zachariah, who was the father of the Zachariah who came to Westminster.
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Timothy Heywood was a descendant of George Heywood of Concord, who was one of the first settlers there, died 1671. He had a son and a grandson by the name of John ; the latter was a Deacon, and had Phinehas, born in 1707, who settled in Shrews- bury, where Timothy was born, February 12, 1740. Timothy settled first in Sterling, and then moved to Westminster, where he died August 14, 1825. He had eleven children.
Jonathan Minott was born August 23, 1749, and married, Sept. 3, 1771, Hannah Eastman of Westford. He was one of the gal- lant men who marched to Lexington, April 19, 1775. George Minott, son of Thomas Minott, Esq., of Essex, England, was
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born 1594, came to this country early, aud settled in Dorchester. He was the ancestor of Jonathan. George Minott was an Elder in the church, and was cotemporary with Elder Humphrey. They were both held in high esteem, as appears by the attempt to confer immortality upon them by Epitaph :
" Here lie the bodies of Unite Humphrey and Shining Minott ; Such names as these, they never die not."
One remarkable fact concerning several of these families is, that when they came to the place, they were, in the language of that day, " warned out of town." This was true of some men who afterwards became wealthy, respectable, and influential. This precaution was taken, lest the new-comers, or some of their family, should become paupers, and chargeable to the town. It would cause a smile to be told that one-half of the men who have filled the principal offices in the town, for the last fifty years, such as Selectmen, Town Clerk, Representative, and Jus- tice of the Peace, have been warned out of town, either in their own persons, or in that of their ancestors. And yet this is the fact with reference to this, and most of the towns in the Common- wealth.
In 1785, a tract, consisting of seven or eight thousand acres, in the north-westerly part of the town, was set off from Westminster, to form a part of a new town, by the name of Gardner.
In 1786, a vote was passed in town-meeting, to build a new Meeting-house. This house was finished in 1788, and was dedi- cated January 1, 1789. It was located on the Common, north of the present traveled road. It was a two-story building, with gal- leries, and was finished, ultimately, with square pews, a sounding- board, and all the usual accommodations of that period. It re- mained as the place of worship till 1837, when it was superseded by the new house now standing upon the Street. The old house was then disposed of, and the frame, somewhat reduced in height, was removed to another part of the village, and converted into a mill, and a pail and chair factory. It is now generally known as the Red Mill.
Next to the church and a minister, our fathers generally pro- vided for schools and the schoolmaster. It is probable that some- thing was done by private individuals before that period ; but the first appropriation we find, was one of twenty dollars, in 1759.
----
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Two years afterwards, the grant was increased to twenty-six dollars, and in 1763, to forty-four dollars. This money was expended in what was denominated a moving school, which was kept in private houses, in different parts of the town. In 1765 or '66, the dis- trict was fined for not supporting schools according to law. This acting as a stimulus, in 1767 the inhabitants erected a school-house twenty feet square, and appropriated one hundred dollars for the support of schools. This school-house was situated on the Com- mon, easterly of the Meeting-house. The same year, the district voted to support a school for four months, in the centre of the town. In 1771, one hundred and eighty dollars were appropri- ated for schools, and in 1772, the inhabitants voted to divide the town into five districts, and to erect a school-house in each, eighteen feet square. From that period to the present, the schools have been improving. The number of public schools at this day is thirteen ; the aggregate number of months those schools are kept, yearly, is about seventy ; the number of scholars between the ages of five and fifteen is a little rising four hundred ; and the amount of money raised for the support of schools is fifteen hundred dollars, or about three dollars and sixty-eight cents for each scholar between the ages of five and fifteen years.
Besides the public schools, in 1829, there was an academy established in the place, which, for a long period, was well patron- ized ; but owing to the numerous high schools in the adjoining towns, the interest in this and other academies has declined.
On the organization of the district into a town, in 1770, they neglected to elect a Representative to the General Court, for which neglect a fine was imposed. Owing to the deranged state of polit- ical affairs, no Representative was elected till 1776, when Deacon Nathan Wood, who had represented the town in the three Pro- vincial Congresses, was elected. In the following years, during the Revolution, Deacon Miller and Abner Holden represented the town.
After passing through the trials of the Revolution, and recover- ing from the state of depression and pecuniary embarrassment, attendant upon that exhausting war, the town became comparatively prosperous, and its population and wealth gradually increased.
Several families came into the place before the year 1800, of whom I have taken no notice heretofore. I will mention a few of them, and especially those who have left descendants. Edward
.
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Bacon from Newton, Thaddeus Bond from Sudbury, Francis Barnes from Acton, Silas Beaman from Princeton, Samuel Fessenden from Lexington, Ephraim Fenno from Boston, Phinehas and Amos Gates from Stow, Edward Kendall from Leominster, Samuel Mosc- man from Princeton, Benjamin Nichols from Reading, several by the name of Smith from Sudbury, Jeduthan Warren from Chelms- ford, James White from Lancaster, several of the naine of Stone from Groton, several of the name of Taylor from Stow, Moses Thurston from Newbury, Abisha Shumway from Oxford, David Wyman from Pelham, New Hampshire.
As the population of the town is a pretty sure exponent of its wealth and prosperity, I will give the population in each decennial period, from the first settlement to the present day.
Year.
Population.
Year.
Population.
1740,
25
1810,
1,419
1750,
95
1820,
1,634
1760,
300
1830,
1,695
1770,
680
1840,
1,645
1780,
990
1850,
1,914
1790,
1,176
1855,
1,979
1800,
1,368
From 1740 to 1780, inclusive, the population as above stated, is unofficial, though I am persuaded that it is a close approximation to the true amount. From 1790 to 1850, inclusive, the population is taken from the United States census, and the population of 1855, is taken from the State census.
Having given the inhabitants at different periods, I will give the polls and dwelling-houses, as far as I can obtain them officially. In an old document, signed by Thomas Brigden, William Edgell, and Nathan Wood, Assessors, dated 1771, I find the resources of the town set forth as follows :- polls taxed, 182; not taxed, 15; houses, 122 ; shops, not connected with dwellings, 4; grist, full- ing and saw mills, 6; slaves, 3; horses, 75; oxen, four years' old and over, 178; cows, three years old and upward, 374; grain of all kinds, 4,659 bushels.
In 1830, Westminster stood in the State valuation, at $339,006, and paid $1.85 on every $1.000 State tax. Number of dwelling- houses, 257; of barns, 253; of oxen, 330; of cows, 800 : of horses, 228; of young cattle, 538 ; of sheep, 846 ; of swine, 302;
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of saw mills, 8; of grist mills, 5; of factories, 1; of carding machines, 1; of clothier's works, 1; of turning lathes, 5; of tan- neries, 3; and of stores, 6.
In 1830, Westminster stood in the valuation, at $339,006
" 1840,
457,983
And in 1850, in the valuation, at . 732,784
Showing an increase in twenty years, of . 393,778
In a tabular form, this kind of information will stand thus :
Year.
Polls.
Dwelling-Houses.
1771
197
122
1785
271
153
1791
318
166
1801
334
189
1811
384
212
1821
421
220
1831
433
257
1841
468
282
1851
519
305
·
The valuation taken in 1798, as the basis of the direct tax imposed by the United States, casts considerable light upon the condition of the town at that time, by showing the value of the houses, the number of families, and the owners or occupants of the homestead, and the value put upon the respective houses. There were other smaller tenements, of less value. The first col- umn shows the name of the owner or occupant ; the second, the value of the house, including the lot, not exceeding forty square rods.
John Adams, $ 102
Silas Beaman, . $ 200
Jabez Bigelow,
750
Benjamin Bigelow, 103
Ephraim Bigelow, 380
Thaddeus Bond, 500
Elisha Bigelow, 790
Daniel Bartlett,
580
Isaac Brooks, 410
Luke Bigelow, . 150
Jonathan Brown, 420
Aaron Bolton, . 150
101
Thomas Conant, Jr., . 110
Edmund Barnard, . 500
Jededialı Cooper,
540
Richard Baker,
350
James Cohee, 575
.
Edward Bemis, 300
Andrew Darby,
260
Thomas Bemis, 103
John Damon, 300
Zaccheus Bemis, 220
Timothy -, 320
Joseph Bemis, .
400
Ezra Darby,
150
.
.
.
.
Samuel Brooks, 175
David Child, 110
Edward Bacon,
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Nathan Darby, $ 200
Ephraim Robbins, $ 175
John Darby,
350
Daniel Sawin, . 101
Nicholas Dike, .
150
Silas Smith, 115
Nathan Eaton,
103
Charles Smith, . 400
William Edgell, 600
Thaddeus Smith, . 300
John Estabrook, 400
Abishai Shumway, 290
Peletiah Everett, 480
Joseph Sawin, . 200
Benjamin Flint, 300
Abraham Sampson, 300
John Fessenden,
140
Jonathan Sawin, 110
Daniel Foskett,
105
James Sawin, .
200
Stephen Hoar, .
870
Samuel Sawin,
320
John Hoar, .
580
Joseph Spaulding, 150
Zebina Spaulding,
105
Seth Harrington,
400
Benjamin Seaver, 102
Timothy Heywood,
103
David Sawin, . 400
Jonathan Hager, 480
Jonathan Sawyer,
740
Abner Holden, .
560
Eli Sawyer, 230
Abner Holden, Jr.,
240
Asa Taft, 101
John Brown,
480
Moses Thurston, 320
Levi Holden,
400
Asa Taylor, 465
Nathan Howard,
260
Nathan Tottingham, . 220
Oliver Jackson,
160
Samuel Taylor, 105
Edward Jackson, .
598
Nathan Whitney, . 520
Silas Jackson, .
220
John Woodward, . 103
Thomas Johnson,
150
Nathan Woodward,
180
Edward Kendall,
375
Thomas Wetherbee, .
105
Thomas Knower,.
150
Joel Wilder,
480
Abel Moseman, 102
Ephraim Wetherbee,.
200
James Lows, Jr.,
120
Jeduthan Warren,
101
Jonathan Minott, . 500
Thomas Wheeler, 103
Noah Miles,
320
James Winship, 200
Samuel Miller, .
220
James Winship, Jr., 102
Samuel Moseman,
600
Cyrus Winship,
250
Isaac Miller,
101
Josiah Wheeler, 775
Jonas Miles,
700
Abner Whitney, .
101
Asa Merriam, 150
Alpheus Whitney, 160
John Martin, 160
Phinehas Whitney,
275
Thomas Merriam, 320
Nathan Whitney,
380
Samuel Merriam, 150
David Whitney,
380
John Miles, . 360
John Whitney,
520
Joseph Miller, . 170
Joel Whitney,
105.
Paul Matthews, 300
Jonas Whitney,
355
John Murdock, . 440
Isaac Williams, 210
Asaph Rice, (Rev.) not taxed.
Heman Ray, 103
Abel Wood,
690
Zachariah Rand, 400
David Wyman,
160
Jonathan Raymond, 200
LAWS
Thomas Lows, .
120
Zachariah Whitman,
780
Stephen Holden, 110
Ahijah Wood, 819
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The foregoing table shows the relative value of their dwellings, and their style of living, so far as the house is an index.
Westminster has never been particularly distinguished for her manufactures, though there has been, for the last thirty or forty years, a considerable amount of small articles manufactured in the place. Twenty-five or thirty years ago, the manufacture of straw braid and straw bonnets, was carried on by the ladies in their fani- ilies, to the amount of eighteen or twenty thousand dollars a year ; but that business has mostly ceased. The principal manufactures, now, are paper and chairs. The returns made to the Legislature in 1855, showed a manufacture of paper of the annual value of $79,900 ; of chairs and cabinet ware, $95,380; of bread manu- factured, $15,000 ; and other small articles ;- making an aggregate of a little over $200,000.
We have already spoken of the call and settlement of Rev. Mr. Rice, over the Congregational Society in Westminster, in 1765. He died in 1816. About two years before his death, he had a shock of the paralysis, which put an end to his public labors ; and on Feb. 22, 1815, Rev. Cyrus Mann was ordained as his colleague. Mr. Mann continued his labors with the Society till 1840, when he took a dismission, and was succeeded by Rev. Stephen S. Smith, who remained their pastor eight years. He was succeeded, suc- cessively, by Rev. Messrs. Orlando H. White, Marcus Ames, and Brown Emerson, their present pastor.
The people of Westminster were united in one religious society until 1812. At that time a small number of individuals, mostly from the northerly part of the town, uniting with their brethren in Ashburnham, formed a Methodist Society, and erected a small Meeting-house. But this Society, always small, has become extinct.
In 1816, a Society of Universal Restorationists was formed, and was incorporated in 1820. Having erected a Meeting-house, Rev. Levi Briggs was installed their pastor, Sept. 3, 1822; sermon by Rev. Paul Dean, of Boston. Mr. Briggs's time having expired, Rev. Charles Hudson took the pastoral care of this Church and Society in April, 1824. In April, 1825, he removed to the place, and continued his relation with the Society till the spring of 1842. Since that time, they have been supplied by Rev. Messrs. Paul
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Dean, Varnum Lincoln, Quincy Whitney, and D. C. O'Daniels. The Society is now destitute of a preacher.
In 1827, a Baptist Society was organized, and in 1829 they erected a brick Meeting-house ; in March, 1830, constituted a Church ; and Rev. Appleton Morse was ordained over this Society, and one in Princeton, October 20, 1830 ; sermon by Rev. Prof. Chase, of Newton. Mr. Morse was succeeded by Rev. Mr. San- derson, and he, by Rev. Messrs. David Wright, Caleb Brown, George D. Felton, Chandler Curtis, J. E. Forbush, George Carpen- ter, and others. Their Meeting-house is secured to the Baptists forever by a trust deed, and all the pew-owners hold their pews on condition that " The Church reserve the right of calling, settling, continuing and dismissing the minister." Such provisions are of doubtful expediency ; and generally tend to alienate, rather than unite, any Christian society.
Situated upon the height of land, where the water is pure and the air salubrious, Westminster has always been remarkable for the health of its inhabitants. The bills of mortality show many cases of remarkable longevity. Few towns, of the same population, can present so large a list of aged persons, who have died within the last fifty years. The records, in this respect, are quite imperfect ; many deaths being set down without any mention of the age,- and yet they present the following striking facts.
From 1800 to 1814, inclusive, when the record was very meagre, there were recorded sixteen deaths of persons over 80 years of age, viz., two of 80 ; two of 81; two of 82 ; three of 83; two of 84 ; one of 85 ; one of 86 ; one of 87 ; and two of 90. From 1815 to 1830, inclusive, there were forty-five persons who were 80 years and upwards, viz., eleven of 80 ; one of 81 ; three of 82 ; four of 83; four of 84; four of 85; seven of 86; one of 87; one of 88 ; five of 90 ; two of 92; one of 94; and one of 96. From 1835 to 1859, inclusive, there were one hundred and five persons who died in town, of 80 years and upwards, viz., twenty-seven of 80 ; four of 81; four of 82; six of 83; twelve of 84; four of 85 ; five of 86; two of 87 ; twelve of 88 ; two of 89 ; ten of 90 ; three of 91 ; two of 92; two of 93; two of 94; two of 96; two of 97; one of 98 ; one of 99; and one of 100.
There are several instances, rather remarkable, of husband and wife both living to great age, and dying at nearly the same time.
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Richard Baker died 1808, aged 80; his wife died 1813, aged 78. Richard Graves died 1798, aged 88; his wife died 1800, aged 87. Seth Harrington died 1815, aged 86 ; his wife died 1811, aged 85. Elias Holden died 1838 ; his wife died 1839, aged 76. Abner Holden died 1805, aged 81; his wife died 1812, aged 83. Eben- ezer Mann died 1844, aged 94; his wife died 1847, aged 91. Ephraim Miller died 1828, aged 85 ; his wife died 1824, aged 85. Thomas Merriam died 1821, aged 90, his wife died 1819, aged 80. John Miles died 1808, aged 81; his wife died 1808, aged 83. Samuel Moseman died 1852, aged 80 ; his wife died 1851, aged 77. Jonathan Sawin died 1822, aged 87 ; his wife died 1826, aged 91. Nathan Whitney died 1851, aged 87 ; his wife died 1849, aged 79. These examples show the longevity of the inhabitants of Westmin- ster, and speak well for the health of the place.
As I have given this Address so much of a historical character, I will carry out the plan, by giving a brief sketch of the situation, extent, and topography of the township.
Westminster is a post-town in the northern part of Worcester County, situated on the ridge of highlands which divide the waters that flow into the Merrimack river, from those that flow into the Connecticut. It lies in latitude 42° 23' N. and in longitude 5° 1' E. from the meridian of Washington ; and is about twenty-one miles north from Worcester, and about fifty-four miles West North- West from Boston. It is bounded northerly by Ashburnham, easterly by Fitchburg and Leominster, southerly by Princeton and Hubbardston, and westerly by Hubbardston and Gardner.
The principal village is situated on the old post road from Bos- ton to Brattleborough, and consists of between sixty and seventy dwelling-houses, three English and West India goods stores, and several mechanics' shops. There are also two churches, and an academy in the village. The Common, containing about four acres, is about sixty rods from the centre of the village. It is situated on the summit of a large swell of land, elevated sixty or eighty feet above the village, and commands an extensive and delightful pros- pect. At the base of this hill, on the one side, glides a stream of water which flows from the swamps westerly of the village, while on the other is spread out the Westminster pond, a beautiful sheet of water, covering about one hundred and seventy acres. And while these attractions lie at the base of the hill, a more distant
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view gives you a great variety of hills and dales, spread out in native rudeness and beauty. On the one hand, stands the lofty Wachusett, whose elevated head is " conspicuous far o'er all the hills around ; " and on the other, at about twenty miles distant, the grand Monadnock, with brow half seen and half concealed in clouds, bounds the prospect of the beholder. And while these lofty elevations stand as watch-towers to the south and the north, the eastern horizon is studded with lesser heights and with the villages of Groton and Westford, whose spires reflect the last rays of the setting sun.
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