USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Millbury > Centennial history of the town of Millbury, Massachusetts, including vital statistics, 1850-1899 > Part 21
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Circulation
50,000.00
Due to National Banks, Certified Checks
500.00
Received for Taxes .
500.00
Dividends Unpaid
17.00
Deposits
209,018.62
$342,442.84
The bank is a sound financial institution and stands among the best in the state as the statement given above shows. By judicious management on the part of its officers and directors the stock has paid better returns
MILLBURY NATIONAL BANK
MILLBURY AVINGS BANK
THE BANK BUILDING
303
BANKS
than at any time in its history. With modern methods of doing business and uniform courtesy extended to all its patrons, this institution commands the attention and respect of Millbury and the neighboring towns along the valley.
The bank has now gone into the Federal Reserve Fund.
MILLBURY SAVINGS BANK
The Millbury Savings Bank was incorporated April 10, 1854. The first meeting was held in the officers' room of the Millbury Bank, May 27, of that year, at which Jonathan A. Pope was chosen chairman and David Atwood, secretary. The first permanent officers, elected May 31, 1854, were Jonathan A. Pope, president; Simon Farnsworth, C. R. Miles, J. A. Hovey, and E. W. Goffe, vice-presidents; David Atwood, secretary; and John E. Bacon, Asa H. Waters, Benjamin Flagg, Simon Dudley, Amasa Wood, Mowry Farnum, Thomas H. Witherby, D. B. Sibley, Hosea Crane, Asa Woodbury, L. I. Wood- bury, Seth Hartwell, Harvey Dodge, Jonathan Warren, Ezekiel Saunders, and I. S. Farnum, trustees.
Books for deposit were first opened June 17, 1854. A few days later, June 28, David Atwood was chosen to be the first treasurer. His bond was placed at $1,500.00. Two years later, July 12, 1856, the treasurer was allowed fifty dollars a year for salary.
On July 9, 1859, regular semi-annual dividends were declared of two and one-half per cent and twenty-five per cent of the dividend was paid in addition. In the next year, May 25, 1860, a six per cent dividend for the year was paid. At that time the by-laws were changed. On July 9, 1864, an extra dividend of twenty-five per cent of the dividend declared was voted. In the next year, July 6, 1869, an extra dividend of forty per cent of the regular dividend was declared with the provision that it should be fifty per cent if the reserved profits should
304
HISTORY OF MILLBURY
warrant it. On Dec. 29, 1876, the semi-annual dividend was reduced to two and one-half per cent.
In 1881, the bank built and moved into the present bank block, providing better accommodations for the bank and better safe and vault security for its funds. The two banks, savings and national, continued in opera- tion as separate institutions, but in the same rooms until April 1, 1904. At this time a partition, largely of glass, was put in which divided the banking rooms into two separate banking establishments. A double vault was built with safety deposit boxes on the national bank side. An electric alarm was installed which gives warning of any attempt to molest the safe. The savings bank occu- pies the upper, or westerly, side of the banking rooms and the national bank occupies the lower, or easterly side.
On July 3, 1879, the semi-annual dividend of the bank was made two per cent and in all its career it has never paid less than this rate on its deposits. Sums are received from twenty-five cents up, but the smallest amount that can draw interest is three dollars and the largest deposit that can draw interest is sixteen hundred dollars. This may increase, however, until it becomes two thousand dollars. A new set of by-laws was adopted May 25, 1906.
The following is a list of the presidents of the bank with the dates of their election:
Jonathan A. Pope
May 31, 1854
C. R. Miles
June 9, 1856
Thomas Harrington
May 30, 1865
Horace Armsby
March 29, 1878
William R. Hill
May 2, 1879
Levi L. Whitney
March 31, 1888
Ira N. Goddard
April 2, 1897
George J. Dudley April, 1914
The following is a list of the treasurers of the bank with the dates of their election:
David Atwood, June 28, 1854, resigned March 20, 1872. F. C. Miles, March 20, 1872, resigned July 12, 1874.
BANKS 305
David Atwood, July 12, 1874, resigned Oct. 22, 1897 (on account of ill health).
Amos Armsby, October 22, 1897, died 1906.
George J. Dudley, June 21, 1906 (declined to serve).
Irving B. Sayles, June 28, 1906, died November, 1909. Ernest L. Smith, December 31, 1909.
The present investment committee consists of George J. Dudley, ex-officio, Henry W. Carter, Damien Ducharme, Dr. Jacob R. Lincoln, and George I. Stowe.
20
306
HISTORY OF MILLBURY
CHAPTER XXIII CHURCHES
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
In the early days of New England the church, the parish, and the town were intertwined in their adminis- trative affairs. The clergy had a legal claim on the town for support and the inhabitants were assessed for the maintenance of sanctuary privileges as much as for other expenses, although these were kept as a separate account. Accordingly, when, in 1742, the first steps were taken, which resulted seventy-one years later in the establish- ment of Millbury as a separate town, an effort was made to form a separate parish in Sutton (see Chapter III. p. 34), it was also the first attempt to establish the present First Congregational Church in Millbury or, as then known, the Second Congregational Church in Sutton.
A later attempt to form the new parish was successful and the following is a copy of the warrant for the first meeting in the Second, or North, Parish of Sutton:
"Worcester, ss. To Jeremiah Buckman, Jr., of Sutton in ye county of Worcester, Greeting :- You are hereby required in his majesties name to warn and give notice to ye freeholders and others, inhabitants in ye second parish, in Sutton aforesaid, qualified to vote in Town affairs, that they must meet at the house of Mr. Richard Singletary, in said Sutton, in said precinct, on Monday, the twenty-sixth day of December, instant, at nine of ye clock in ye forenoon, then and there to act on each of ye par- ticulars expressed in above request.
(petition for meeting)
By posting a copy of the request and this warrant at such public places* in said precinct, hereof fail not and make return hereof and of your doings hearin at or before ye said twenty-six day of December instant at nine o'clock in the morning. Given under my hand and seal at Oxford, this Eighth Day of December A. D., 1743, Richard Moore, Justice of the Peace."
*It was posted at the mill door of John Singletary.
307
CHURCHES
Accordingly, on the twenty-sixth day of December, 1743, as we learn from the church records, the first meet- ing of the parish was held at the house of Richard Single- tary, which was situated at the outlet of "Crooked Pond," now called Singletary Lake. The moderator was Capt. Timothy Carter, and Robert Goddard was the clerk. The parish continued to hold meetings at this house until May, 1745, and religious services also were held here for some time. On April 29, the Rev. Matthew Bridge was called to the pastorate but he declined to accept. The church next called the Rev. Josiah Dunster, who also refused. A third call was extended to the Rev. James Wellman, and he accepted the charge. The church was organized Dec. 10, 1747, and adopted the Cambridge platform. Ruling elders were chosen at the time but the church has always been continued under the Congre- gational system. The following named persons were dismissed from the First Church in Sutton to form this Second Congregational Church of Sutton, now Millbury.
John Wait
Robert Goddard
Nathaniel Wait
Daniel Greenwood
John Grove
Abel Chase
Ebenezer Stearns
Daniel Kinney
Thomas Holman
Samuel Buck
Elisha Goddard
Josiah Bond
Jonathan Trask
Daniel Buckman
Isaac Barnard
Thomas Gould, Sr.
Richard Singletary
Rev. James Wellman
Isaac Gale
Anna Barton
Edmund Barton
Unice Lovell
Jonathan Dunnell
Sarah Chase
Samuel Buck, Jr.
Hannah Holman
Thomas Gould, Jr.
Sarah Fiske
Amos Singletary John Fuller
Elizabeth Kinney
William Fiske
Lydia Gale
John Singletary
Elizabeth Bond
Charles Roberts
Martha Gould
Solomon Holman
Phebe Buckman
Gersham Wait
Abigail Trask
Joanna Wait
Mary Singletary
Sarah Wait
Mary Stockwell
Mehitable Dunnell
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HISTORY OF MILLBURY
Sarah Barnard
Jane Stearns
Hannah Gould
Thankful Singletary
Judith Gale Rachel Bigelow
Martha Singletary
Mary Singletary
Elizabeth Bond
Dorothy Jennison
Elizabeth Pratt
Susannah Fuller
The first meeting-house of the Second, or North, Parish was situated on the Old Common and it was erected in 1744. One account stated that "it stood about two rodes north-east of a large elm tree." The building had "no steeple, and in form was like a barn." In fact the old structure was given the name of "The Lord's Barn." It was forty feet long and thirty-five feet wide. After having been in use for nearly sixty years this first building was moved across the road four or five rods and, after it ceased to be used for religious purposes, it was used in connection with a public house. Herewith we give a floor-plan of this structure. (See opposite page.)
The present church building, which was begun in 1802, was first situated on the eastern side of the present road running on the eastern side of the Old Common. The building faced the Old Common but was not on it as the bounds run at present. It stood between the present corner house (now occupied by Mr. Marble) and the next house to the north.
The building was dedicated Nov. 27, 1804. On June 17, 1828, the first meeting of "The Harmony Conference," now known as "The Worcester South Association of Congregational Churches," was held here. Some time after the year 1827, it was proposed that the new building be removed to Bramanville and this question was after- ward discussed at parish meetings. As opinions were divergent, the decision was finally left to a board of refer- ees, composed of members from other churches, and this board decided that it would be best to move the edifice. The parish accepted the report to move and the building was accordingly taken down at the Old Common, in 1835,
THE ANDREW P. GARFIELD HOUSE
THE OLD COMMON, SITE OF THE FIRST CHURCH
309
CHURCHES
15
Minis- terial
Pulpit
14
11
16
13
12
7
8
Benches
Benches
West door
East door
4
2
1
3
10
9
18
6
Front door
5
17
GROUND PLAN OF THE CHURCH BUILT IN 1747. "The Lord's Barn."
The above is a pretty exact delineation of the ground floor of the first church edifice erected within the limits of the town, kindly furnished by the late Dr. Spaulding of Bramanville. The pews are numbered in the plan as in the church, and we give below the names of the first owners and cost of the ground-for each individual bought the ground and then built his own pew. The cost is in pounds and shillings.
Pew No. 1, R. Jennison, cost 71, 3s. Pew No. 10, A. Chase, cost 5l, 19s.
2, C. Goddard, 6l, 10s. 11, C. Carter, 51, 8s.
3, I. Brown, 61, 12s. 12, S. Buck, 41, 11s.
4, C. Richardson, 61, 9s. 13, S. Chase, 41, 88.
61, 5s. 14, J. Dwinel, 41, 15s.
5, I. Barnard, 6, L. Holman, 61, 2s.
15, S. Small, 51, 16s.
7, B. Gowen, 51, 8s.
16, S. Goodale, 41, 8s.
8, J. Buckman, 41, 8s.
17, D. Greenwood, 4l, 4s.
9, G. Waite, 61, 2s. 18, D. Holman, 4l, 1s.
The pulpit was high, and had a large sounding-board over it. The central portion was filled with benches. The galleries were reached by stairways at the front corners.
310
HISTORY OF MILLBURY
moved in pieces, and again erected on its present site at Bramanville. It was rededicated Jan. 14, 1836.
The following quotation, in the handwriting of Asa Waters, 2d, was taken from a paper in the possession of Miss Mary Goodell, of Whitinsville. (No heat had been furnished in the church building previously.)
"It has been found by experience that stoves in meeting houses are very useful through (the) winter adding greatly to the Comfort and health of those who attend through the inclemency of the weather. A stove set (at) the bend of the aisle next to the wall pews to the right and left of the Pulpit having the pipes ascending to the Gallery & then taking a horizontal direction along by the Gallery to the front & then ascending out of the house, produces a degree of warmth through the house. The expense is supposed not much to exceed one hundred dollars. We the subscribers having a desire of procuring them for our meeting house, do severally engage to pay the sum affixed to our names for the pur- poses of defraying the expenses thereof.
Millbury, Dec. 18, 1819." Subscribers' Names
Subscribers' Names
Thomas Dwinell
$1.00
Asa Waters $10.00
Abijah Burnap
0.50
Josiah Woodward 5.00
Nathan Marsh
1.00
Luke Harrington 1.00
Daniel Woodward
.50
Asa Andrews
1.00
4.00
Haywood
1.00
Luther Dudley
.50
5.50
1.00
(See Annals, 1820.)
The Rev. Mr. Goffe, who for a long time had been pastor of the church at the Old Common felt, apparently, that the removal of the building affected the spiritual interests of that section of the town adversely, for he was a sub- scriber to the building fund of the Union or West Congre- gational Church, and his son, E. W. Goffe, was at one time clerk of the Union Society.
The pastors who have served this church have been the Rev. James Wellman, ordained and installed, Oct. 7, 1747,
311
CHURCHES
dismissed, July 22, 1760; the Rev. Ebenezer Chaplin, ordained and installed, Nov. 14, 1764, dismissed, Mar. 22, 1792; the Rev. Joseph Goffe, ordained and installed, Sept. 10, 1794, dismissed, Dec. 9, 1830; the Rev. Osgood Herrick, ordained and installed, Dec. 9, 1830, died, Mar. 16, 1837; the Rev. Nathaniel Beach, ordained and installed Nov. 22, 1837, dismissed, May 11, 1857; the Rev. Edmund Y. Garrette, installed, Sept. 30, 1857, dismissed, Nov. 3, 1869; the Rev. George A. Putnam, installed, Apr. 11, 1872, pastor emeritus, in 1910; the Rev. William C. Martyn, installed, Nov. 16, 1911.
Among the early deacons in the church we find the names of Abel Chase, Thomas Gould, Daniel Greenwood, Ebenezer Pierce, Asa Waters, Aaron Pierce, and Jonathan Waters. The ruling elders were Daniel Greenwood, elected July 22, 1767; Amos Singletary, elected Feb. 4, 1768; Daniel Greenwood, elected January, 1776; Oliver Bond, elected Sept. 7, 1809; Elijah Waters, elected Jan. 5, 1815; Jonathan Waters, elected Feb. 12, 1829.
On the day preceding the celebration of the 150th anni- versary of the church a county paper made the following comment: "The First Congregational Church which now occupies the well known edifice in 'Bramanville' has exerted a powerful influence on the community's develop- ment since its organization by a few Christian people, so many years ago. Generation after generation has grown up within it, and as the sons and daughters of the village have left for other homes, its teachings and its policy have been carried far and wide. In nothing per- haps has the Millbury parish been more fortunate than in the length of service of its pastors. Seven ministers in 150 years is a remarkable showing and one of which the church may well be proud. The average stay of a pastor has been over twenty years and the present head of the parish (the Rev. G. A. Putnam) has had a term now in its twenty-seventh year."
312
HISTORY OF MILLBURY
Deacon Elijah Waters, of West Millbury, who died, Dec. 16, 1846, at the age of seventy-three, bequeathed five thousand dollars to the First Congregational Society. He also had at the time a mortgage on the parsonage which, with the accrued interest, amounted to sixteen hundred dollars, but he gave this also to the society.
The one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the organ- ization of this church was held on Thursday and Friday evenings, Sept. 9 and 10, 1897, with appropriate exercises. On the first evening from six to seven a reception was held in the church parlor, followed by a collation. At eight o'clock a public service was held in the main audience room.
On Friday evening at seven o'clock the Rev. George P. Eastman of Millbury, the Rev. John R. Thurston of Whitinsville, and the Rev. Henry A. Blake of Webster, assisted in the service. A historical sermon (which has since been printed) was delivered by the Rev. George A. Putnam, pastor of the church.
At the anniversary exercises a letter was read from a former pastor, the Rev. E. Y. Garrette, which was received with particular interest.
In 1909, the church was thoroughly renovated at a cost of three thousand dollars and, according to Mr. Putnam's statement, it was then in better condition than at any time during his pastorate which covered a period of forty years, lacking a few months, as his resignation took effect on the last Sunday in June, 1910. (See sketch of Rev. G. A. Putnam.)
The Rev. William C. Martyn, of the First Congrega- tional Church, New Bedford, Mass., was called to fill the vacancy made by Mr. Putnam's resignation. He began his labors the first Sunday in September, 1910, and was formally installed Nov. 16, 1911. A Sunday School and the other usual church societies are regularly maintained, all working together for good. The present superintend- ent of the Sunday School is Mr. Frank E. Sanborn.
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THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
THE SECOND CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
313
CHURCHES
THE SHAKERS
Previous to 1800, there existed in what is now the territory of Millbury a branch of the religious sect known as the "Shakers." Although little is known of them, Peter Whitney, who wrote the first history of the county, published in 1793, refers to them in his article on Sutton, locating them in the second parish of Sutton. A Shaker society also flourished at the time at Harvard, Mass. We find that David Dwinnel and his wife Deliverance joined this society and moved to Harvard. They had four children, none of whom, however, joined this sect.
SECOND CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
The Second Congregational Church is located at Millbury Center and except for the first year has main- tained evangelical religious services in the present church building.
The founders exercised a scrupulous care to avoid possible dangers besetting them in the formation of the new enterprise and upon legal advice in the charter of the society there was inserted a clause, the first of its kind, we are told, admitting to membership only those who received a majority affirmative vote of the members. This gave to the body a security in the management of its affairs not possessed by others in which the voting qualifications were lax. Since every one in those days was taxed for the support of the church in some one of the different communions, the methods pursued by the charter members of the new ecclesiastical society protected them against all who might seek a vote in its affairs, only to divert the work from the purpose of the founders.
The charter given to the new religious society is dated February 10, 1827, and bears the names of Asa Waters, Elias Forbes, Joseph Torrey, Vernon Stiles, David Wood- ward, Calvin Barker, Simon Farnsworth, and Aaron Trask. The society thus chartered sought and secured the organ-
314
HISTORY OF MILLBURY
ization of a Presbyterian church, because they calculated on opposition which, happily, was not forthcoming.
At first the new church worshipped in a small school building on School street, though comparatively soon the present structure was erected and was dedicated, October 2, 1828, as a place of worship. In connection with the raising of the church it is worthy of note that no intoxi- cating liquors were served on the grounds at the time, quite an innovation for such occasions, although the custom of the day was observed by allowing those who so desired to secure grog at a nearby inn at the expense of the society.
Not until June 30, 1827, four months after the granting of the charter for the formation of the religious society, did forty members living in the Armory village (what is now known as the "Center") petition for a dismission from the First Congregational Church to form the new Presbyterian Church. On July 16 of the same year, the request was granted and, on August 23, they formed themselves into the Presbyterian Church of Millbury. The separation took place with cordial feelings on the part of the First Church.
Assembling in town, August 23, 1827, the presbytery of Newburyport met and heard the documents relative to the institution of a Presbyterian Society in Millbury, and also the petition of certain persons who wished to be organized as a Presbyterian Church. The presbytery voted to receive the petitioners under its care and the new church was started with the following members who severally signified their wish to be organized, namely: Elias Forbes, Elijah Torrey, Asa Andrews, Jonathan Grout, Elias Hull, Moses Dunton, Zadock Sibley, John F. Barton, Samuel Brown, Oliver Clapp, Joseph Hastings, Henry Goddard, Luther H. Trask, Vernon Titus, Stephen Harrington, Moses L. Morse, Henry Johnson, Francis McCracken, Mary Forbes, Annie Torrey, Vilinda Cutler, Lydia Waters, Eliza Waters, Lydia Goodell, Zoa Dunton,
315
CHURCHES
Rhoda Goddard, Lydia Sibley, Mary Barton, Lucy Brown, Sally Stockwell, Prudence Clapp, Mary A. Hunt, Addie B. Wright, Sarah Johnson, and Mrs. Hulda Morse. Others "who were confined by bodily indisposition" were waited on by a committee for examination and upon its report there were also admitted to membership in the church: Joanna Eaton, Lucy Eaton, Mrs. McCracken, Lucy Farnsworth, and Azuba Hastings. Elias Forbes and Joseph Torrey were elected elders and Moses L. Morse and Moses Dunton were elected deacons. Twenty- five more persons were admitted at the first communion and the next year thirty-nine united with the church.
Continuing for seven years with this form of church government, upon the repeal of the law compelling all citizens to pay taxes, to the parish (Congregational) church unless connected with some other church, the church became Congregational in name and reality as it had all along been in spirit.
Like our Pilgrim forefathers who came over in the Mayflower, it was the laymen, the body of the church itself, who determined the policy and carried to a success- ful issue the formation of the society and the church, together with the erection of the house of worship. It was after a year and a half of pulpit supplying and candidating that the church called a pastor, the Rev. George Washington Campbell. He came at a time of anti-masonic feeling and, as he was a mason of high stand- ing, he courteously withdrew after a successful pastorate of four years during which there was the largest single addition to the church, thirty-six in all, in its history.
In 1834, William A. Larned came to the church from Yale Divinity School, but on account of delicate health he remained but a year, being dismissed Oct. 19, 1835. He afterwards became professor of literature in Yale College.
May 24, 1837, the Rev. Samuel G. Buckingham was ordained and installed as pastor of the church. He was
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316
HISTORY OF MILLBURY
one of the "new lights" of that day, a good leader, a writer, a man of tact, of great ability and consecration, who had only one later pastorate, that of fifty years with the South Church of Springfield.
"This society in its earliest days depended largely and almost wholly for its church singing and leader of the music upon a young man by the name of Nathaniel God- dard, who for that time possessed a good knowledge of music and a voice of superior quality The introduction of musical instruments as a part of church service came early but was not reliable, owing to the fact that the performers were, to some extent, a transient class of citizens." The violoncello and the clarinet were the usual instruments then used in the production of music. Later a violin (on week-days, a fiddle) was added and at times other instruments appeared. After being reduced in musical instruments to one flute, played by Col. Asa H. Waters, during the winter of 1843-44, Mr. Charles Sibley purchased an organ which had been taken from the Union Church in Worcester, secretly transported to Millbury on Friday night and installed during Satur- day, so that it stood with a bold front facing a surprised congregation on Sunday morning. There was opposition to the innovation, but it remained in its place to the enrichment of the service of worship.
In 1847, upon Mr. Buckingham's dismissal, the church turned to one whom it had endeavored to secure as its pastor at a previous pastoral interim, namely, the Rev. Leverett Griggs, D. D., who was installed September 22, of that year. The most notable occurrence during this pastorate was the remarkable revival of 1851 which greatly affected both the church and the town. Seventy-three, at least, have traced their union with the church, then or later, from the time of this great uplift. A dearth fol- lowed, as was inevitable, though efforts were made to keep up the stream of incomers. On Jan. 19, 1856, Dr. Griggs resigned, largely because he found himself unable
317
CHURCHES
to support his family of six children upon the salary of seven hundred and fifty dollars with no parsonage.
April 24, 1856, the Rev. Lewis Jessup was installed as pastor. This period in the country at large was one of sectional feeling. Civil war was impending and church matters received no special uplift. He was strict in his demands for discipline and the roll of the church was cleared. That the church prospered is seen in the fact that in 1858 twenty-four were added to its membership. He was dismissed March 29, 1860.
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