USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Millbury > Centennial history of the town of Millbury, Massachusetts, including vital statistics, 1850-1899 > Part 8
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A light infantry company was organized in town under Capt. John Q. Barton and on the 6th of October it received a standard from the young ladies. Miss Sally Pierce, daughter of Aaron Pierce, made the address to which Ensign Longley replied. The ladies were escorted to the meeting-house by the Infantry company and an address was made by the Rev. Joseph Goffe.
Stephen Blanchard advertised for sale a blacksmith's shop at West Millbury.
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Solomon Marble advertised his place for sale. This was on Ramshorn Stream just below the old road that crossed near the upper dam. It included blacksmith and scythe shops, a tannery, and other industries. Nearby was a saw and grist mill. The place is now owned by Henry W. Glover.
Tenny and Armsby dissolved and a new company, called Armsby & Walker, was formed consisting of Joshua Armsby, Daniel Armsby and Appleton Walker.
1819
At a town meeting held March 1, General Burbank was chosen moderator, and Capt. Reuben Barton, Jr., constable. At a town meeting held May 3, it was "voted that the money appropriated on May 4, 1818, to form a school fund, should be taken to defray the expenses of the town." General Burbank was chosen representative to the General Court, receiving fifty votes.
In April, Luther Gould and Nathaniel Goddard began shoe manufacturing near the gun factory.
In May, the Millbury Rolling and Slitting Mill was sold at auction with its good water privilege. (See 1816.)
At the first cattle show ever held in Worcester, Asa Goodell & Co. exhibited two pieces of broadcloth made in Millbury and received the first and second premiums, ten dollars and five dollars, respectively. In the same month their factory at Millbury was burned, with a loss of fifteen thousand dollars.
The Boston Advertiser of September 14, stated that
"A miniature machine of an ingenious construction, invented by Thomas Blanchard of Worcester County, now in the possession of Messrs. Scott & Clark, is exhibiting in a room over The Suffolk Insurance Co. It is adapted to cutting by a very rapid operation ships-blocks, gun-stocks and a great variety of other articles. It is a species of turning lathe and the article manufactured is cut not only in a circular form but in almost any other shape so as to accord precisely with the model put into the machine. The machine has been already applied successfully to the cutting of gun stocks, the whole work including the fitting of the lock and
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barrel being performed by the machine, and is capable of being applied with an equal advantage to the manufacture of a variety of other articles."
Lyman Goodell was a post rider of the town (see 1817).
1820
January 3. The town "voted that consent be given to place a stove or stoves in the meeting house, provided the same be procured by subscription as mentioned in the warrant. Samuel Waters, Jr., Gen. Caleb Burbank, Stephen Blanchard, Elias Forbes, and Reuben Barton, Jr., were chosen a committee to have charge of placing them." (See article on First Congregational Church.)
May 1. The town refused to send a representative to the General Court.
May 21. The town voted by a majority of eight in favor of a State Convention to alter the constitution and, October 16, Aaron Peirce, Esq., was chosen as a delegate to this convention.
The town voted that permission be given to sink a well on the Common near the elm tree upon the conditions mentioned in the warrant, viz :- that it be done free of expense to the town.
1821
May 7. The town voted to instruct its agent to call upon those who have broken windows in the meeting- house and compel them to pay for the same. It was voted to lengthen the intermission on the Sabbath from one hour to one and one-quarter hours.
November 12. It was voted to discontinue the old road leading from Samuel Waters's to Dr. Braman's still- house. (This was on the Henry W. Carter farm parallel to the present road but on higher ground to the North.)
John Barnard was post rider through Ward (now Auburn), Millbury, Sutton, and Oxford.
Asa Waters advertised "to buy wrought scrap iron at two cents per pound."
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THE CORDIS MILL DAM
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ANNALS 1813-1830
1822
March 4. At a town meeting, Josiah Stiles, Esq., was chosen town agent to act in civil and legal capacity.
May 5. The town voted to raise fifty dollars for a singing school.
At the fourth of July celebration Dana A. Braman was orator and Dr. William M. Benedict read the Decla- ration of Independence. A balloon was sent up by Mr. Prosses, a manufacturer in the town.
At the cattle show in Worcester, John Aspinwall exhibited the best morocco leather, and Capt. Joseph Griggs & Co. the best calfskins. Both of these manu- factures were from Millbury.
A new store was opened by Benedict, Braman, and Preston, in which West India goods were sold.
May 25. Nancy Tenney, aged fourteen, Adaline Lombard, seventeen, Hannah C. and Mary H. Marble, aged twenty-two and twenty-four respectively, were drowned in Singletary Lake.
Asa Waters was on a committee to see what could be done about building the Blackstone Canal.
In this year the Goodell Manufacturing Co. was in operation and consisted of Jonas B. Brown, John Goodell, Asa Goodell, Asa Goodell, Jr., and Orra Goodell. This company made fine woolen goods, especially broadcloth (see Industries, Cordis Mill).
1823
May 5. Asa Waters, Esq., was chosen representative.
It was voted that twenty-five dollars of the four hun- dred raised for Mr. Goffe's salary and other parochial charges be appropriated for the support of the Sabbath- School.
E. W. Goff bought the store of Amariah Preston, oppo- site the meeting-house (Old Common).
Asa Andrews was cordwainer.
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1824
At the March town meeting it was voted to raise fifteen dollars for wood and for building fires in the meet- ing-house during the last and present years.
At a store in Boston, a piece of blue broadcloth was shown made at the Goodell factory, Millbury. A Boston paper said that it was "the best of any yet seen," and that the Hon. Daniel Webster had ordered a suit from it.
In September, the company of Griggs, Abbot, and Whitney was formed which manufactured black grain, wax, chaise, harness, bridle, horse-hide, and split leather, belt and other leather for machinery, as well as morocco linings and bindings. (Their factory was at West Mill- bury on the site now occupied by the mill of A. D. Windle.)
1825
It was "voted to raise twenty-five dollars in addition to the school money to be put into the hands of the school committee, to be expended for the schools in rewards and premiums as they shall see fit."
Previous to 1825 it had been the custom for the highway surveyors to expend the annual appropriation for repairing highways during the months of June and August each year and with that service the surveyors felt that their duties were done. Thus for the other months the roads were more or less neglected and complaints were some- times made. An attempt was made to remedy this matter for the following year. (See 1823.)
The commissioners for the construction of the Black- stone canal allowed one dam at the outlet of Dorothy pond, occupying forty square rods of land belonging to Jacob Dodge; also a dam at the outlet of Ramshorn pond, covering twenty-six square rods of Elisha Jacob's land and thirty-seven square rods belonging to Stephen Blanchard.
Thomas Blanchard exhibited at Springfield a steam carriage for running on the public road. (See sketch on Thomas Blanchard.)
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1825
Notice was given that
"The stockholders of the Millbury Bank will meet at Simon Farnsworth's on the eleventh of August next, to choose the first board of directors. They also want proposals for building a vault."
(signed) ASA WATERS, WILLIAM M. BENEDICT, SIMON FARNSWORTH.
(See chapter on Banks.)
1826
April 26. The highway committee appointed in 1825 reported that the town be set off into fourteen highway districts, with a surveyor for each district. The town voted to make a three years' trial of the plan and chose the surveyors.
June 19. A meeting for prayer was appointed on account of the great drought.
June 20. The meeting for prayer was attended with great solemnity. It began to rain moderately until Saturday when there was a great rain.
1827
Three meetings of the town are recorded for this year. At the first, held April 2d, it was voted to choose six persons as School Committee, according to a new law. It was voted that the prudential school committee be chosen by the town this same year.
Stephen Blanchard was elected tythingman for Grass Hill.
At a meeting held August 27, the town showed dissatis- faction with the report of the commissioners for estimating damages arising from the location of the Blackstone canal regarding the maintenance of bridges and causeways over the canal. They voted to direct their agent, with the advice and assistance of the selectmen, to claim and de- mand a jury, or agree upon a reference.
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In December, it was thought expedient to choose a committee to devise the best method for supporting the poor during the year 1828, which committee was to report at the next annual March meeting. Dr. Amasa Braman, Rufus Barton, Gen. Caleb Burbank, Solomon Dwinell, and Aaron Pierce, Esq., were chosen.
The prosperity of the town may be inferred from the following newspaper article:
"The Goodell Manufacturing Co. is a very large establishment. It is calculated to turn out three hundred yards of broadcloth per day. In the same neighborhood is the large gun factory of Asa Waters, Esq., with extensive scythe works, etc. Also there has been built in the town a new cotton factory."
Samuel Waters and Orra Goodell established wool- carding machines near General Burbank's paper mill.
Amasa Braman was an inn-keeper at this time.
Henry P. Howe kept a store.
Asa Waters, together with some others, petitioned the House of Representatives for the incorporation of the First Presbyterian Church at Millbury (now known as the 2d Congregational Church). On August 23d of the same year the church was organized, with eighteen male and twenty-two female members.
The National Aegis of Worcester for October 24, gave a survey of Millbury. (See Chapters I. p. 15, V. p. 82.)
1828
March 3. The committee, chosen in the previous December to devise a method for supporting the town's poor, recommended that the town appoint a board of overseers consisting of three persons to manage all affairs relating to the poor. The report was accepted and Aaron Trask, Solomon Dwinell, and Hervey Peirce were chosen overseers for the ensuing year.
April 7. The town voted to allow ten and eight cents an hour for the use of oxen to work on the highways. On
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the vote for a new county there were nineteen "yeas" and twenty "nays."
This was the year of the digging of the Blackstone Canal. On March 27th, the first shovelful of earth in Millbury was turned over, near Mr. Greenwood's; on October 4th, the canal was filled; and on October 6th, the first boat went to Worcester. The Worcester Spy of October 8th states: "We understand that the canal packet boat, 'Lady Carrington,' will take passengers for Millbury tomorrow morning and return in the evening." One of the canal boats was called the "Millbury."
(See Chapter VII, "Blackstone Canal.")
A new road was ordered: "beginning at the Four Corners near Singletary pond, it will extend east to the southern end of General Burbank's forge dam excepting six rods near the Red Mills. The distance is one hundred twenty-six rods." This is the present road running beside West End Pond and taking the place of the old road which ran on the northwest side of the pond.
In September, Caleb Burbank petitioned for an altera- tion of the county road then recently located from the Four Corners (so called) near Captain Barton's in Mill- bury, through Armory Village to the New England Manufacturing Co. in Grafton. The county commission- ers ordered a meeting for a hearing to be held at Stile's hotel in Millbury on October 22d.
At the fair of the New England Society held in Boston, this year, the committee on iron and steel awarded the premium, a medal, to Moses L. Morse, of Millbury, for a card of pink-irons.
Among the manufacturers in the town were the follow- ing: Joshua B. Tyler, hat manufacturer; Samuel Brown, maker of cast steel mule and jenny spindles.
A post-office, called "Grass Hill" post office, was established at West Millbury.
A former resident of Millbury, Lieut. Carter Elliott, died at Worcester in December, aged forty-seven. At
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one time he operated the old Thomas Blanchard shop, grinding black lead.
1829
It was voted to send Aaron Peirce, Esq., and Col. Amos Hill as representatives to the General Court. It was likewise
"Voted to choose a committee of seven to examine the records and to determine whether the Congregational meeting-house in Millbury is the property of the town or of the individuals who built it, and whether, when it is necessary to repair it, it properly belongs to the town to do it."
The Committee chosen were Aaron Peirce, Elias Forbes, Samuel Waters, George W. Livermore, Caleb Burbank, Asa Andrews, and John Jacobs. They were to report at the next meeting.
May 11. The Committee on meeting-house reported as follows:
"That upon a careful examination of the records of the town and Parish, as well as proprietors who built said house, they are brought to the conclusion that it is doubtful whether the town, as a corpora- tion, has any legal right in said house. Your committee recom- mend that all repairs upon the meeting-house aforesaid be made by the Congregational Parish, and that the town allow them a reason- able compensation for the use of said house, as long as they shall occupy the same for the purpose of holding meetings therein."
Signed by the committee.
Excursions and special trips on the canal were adver- tised frequently. On July 4th, and at other important times, the canal boats "Independence" and "Lady Carrington" made excursion trips from Worcester to Millbury.
Lewis Tracy advertised as a tailor in town, and Henry Parker as maker of cabinet furniture.
1830
A serio-humorous vote was taken at one of the town meetings, forbidding "surveyors of highways appropriat- ing money for ardent spirits, raised for support of high-
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ways and bridges the present year." Another vote taken was "to discontinue the road from Tyrus March's to Jonathan E. Putnam's. (The old road on the north- west side of the West End Thread Mill Pond.)
The company of A. and A. Wood dissolved. Asa Wood retired, but Amasa and Ezekiel Wood continued the business.
Another hatter was established in town, Samuel Leonard.
Elisha Muzzy was a blacksmith at West Millbury.
December 9. The Rev. Osgood Herrick was ordained as pastor of the First Church in Millbury to succeed the Rev. Joseph Goffe who had been pastor of the church for thirty-six years.
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HISTORY OF MILLBURY
CHAPTER VII BLACKSTONE CANAL
The first means of transportation with the outside world, aside from vehicles drawn by horses or oxen, which brought Millbury nearer to other towns were the canal- boats on the Blackstone Canal. Evidences of this long ditch may still be seen in the town, especially near the present road on the way to Worcester. The canal boats in use were nearly seventy feet long and about nine and one-half feet wide. They were sharp at the bow and were drawn by two horses hitched tandem. The boats were manned by a captain and two assistants, one of whom was the driver.
The first serious attempt at canal building on the river was in 1796 when John Brown of Providence, R. I., and his associates planned such a water way and had the route surveyed. They found it practical and considered the construction easy. Many were interested by them in the scheme and a company was incorporated under the laws of Rhode Island. When, however, rights to build were sought from the legislature of Massachusetts the state refused to incorporate the company, so the plan could not be carried out.
After that time mill privileges on the river were occupied by manufacturing establishments which added very great- ly to the value of the land adjoining the river and created embarrassments in canal operation if the owners should not favor such an enterprise.
Demands for a water way, however, increased and, in the Spring of 1822, the matter was taken up by energetic
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men in Worcester. The following letter, found in the files of the American Antiquarian Society, explains the feeling at the time and gives the names of those who launched the first efforts. There had been a meeting at Colonel Sike's Coffee House, in Worcester, at which the men whose names are attached to the following circular letter, which was addressed to representative men of the Blackstone valley, were empowered to ascertain the sentiment of manufacturers and to provide for an act of incorporation.
WORCESTER, MAY 14, 1822.
SIR :-
"There is now a strong disposition to open a canal between this place and Providence arising from a conviction of its practicability, at a moderate expence. The people here, in Providence, and in other places near the Blackstone River, as far as we have learnt, feel a deep interest in carrying this plan into successful operation, as it is believed the extensive business done on the banks of that river, and in the adjacent country will fully justify such an enter- prize. We cannot doubt also that this extensive tract of territory will be greatly benefited by opening a water communication-as it will probably reduce the expense of transportation from here to Providence, Boston, New York, and many other places, from one- half to one-fourth of what it now is. It will probably open to us a market for many products which we cannot now send abroad, by reason of the expense of transportation, and will enable us to carry on, with success, many branches of industry, which cannot now be pursued.
"We, the undersigned committee, in behalf of a larger number of persons assembled at Sike's Coffee-House, on Friday, the 10th of this month, to take into consideration the practicability and expediency of opening such a water communication, do therefore request you to give us such information as you possess, or can collect, in answer to the following questions.
"What number of tons of all kinds of Goods, Merchandize, and Products, is carted from Boston and other seaports, annually, by the inhabitants of your town, and what proportion consists of Plaister, Lime, Salt, Iron, Steel, and other heavy articles?
"What articles of Produce in Manufactures do you export, and what quantity of each kind?
"Should such a communication reduce the expense of transpor- tation from Worcester to Boston or Providence two-thirds-what articles could you send into the market, which would now yield no profit, and to what amount?
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"It is supposed that many Agricultural Products might find a market, which are not now transported at all; and that many kinds of manufacturing might be pursued, which are now neglected, in consequence of the expense of transportation.
"You will much oblige us, and those in whose behalf we act, if you would communicate with us as early as the 22d instant. It is necessary that we should have all the information which we can collect by that time, in order to embody it in a Petition to be pre- sented to the Legislature at its approaching session and which Petition we are directed to report to an adjourned Meeting to be held at Col. Sike's, on the 24th instant, at which you and all who are desirous of promoting the above object are requested to attend, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
(signed) LEVI LINCOLN WILLIAM E. GREEN JOHN MILTON EARLE JOHN DAVIS JOHN W. LINCOLN JOHN LEES EDWARD D. BANGS."
The project received so much support that a charter was obtained and measures were taken towards its con- struction. Benj. Wright (chief engineer upon the middle section of the Erie canal) was employed "to make a top- ographical survey of the route and to examine the char- acter of the soil to ascertain whether the supplies of water were sufficient-to estimate the expense of construction, and to report thereon." This survey was completed in September, 1822, and was in part as follows :-
"Mr. Hutchinson, accompanied by some gentlemen of the com- mittee, has completed a level over the route for the proposed Canal; and they find the distance, by measure, 45 miles as a Canal would run, and the descent 45112 feet from Thomas street in Worcester, to tide-water in Providence. The ground is remark- ably favorable. The soil is generally easy to excavate; the em- bankments neither large nor extensive; very little solid rock to be removed; the aqueduct and culverts are not numerous nor expen- sive. On viewing the country intended to be benefitted by this Canal, taking into consideration its probable future growth and increase of trade, I have come to the conclusion that a Canal 32 feet wide at top, 18 feet at bottom, and 312 feet depth of water, would be the proper size to be formed; and that locks of 70 feet between the Gates, and 10 feet in width would be sufficiently large for the trade intended. &c."
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As there were at the time many mills on the Blackstone River it was not acceptable to property owners on the river that its waters be used for filling the canal and operating the locks. Accordingly, for an additional water supply, it was proposed to dam North Pond which lay two miles north from the Worcester Court House, so as to hold back the Spring rain for Summer use and thus increase its surface from 100 acres to 180 acres. By raising a dam 8 feet high this would give 48,787,200 cubic feet of water more than that which the pond then fed into the Blackstone River.
Between Thomas street in Worcester and the outlet of Dorothy Pond in Millbury, a distance of about seven miles, there were locks of six feet lift each requiring 4200 cubic feet of water each time they were filled. North pond, allowing that rainfall would equal evaporation, would give 21,616 locks full of water, of six feet depth each. At the outlet of Dorothy Pond locks were located near the Goodell Manufacturing Co. (site of the Cordis Mills) with a lift of 8 feet, each requiring 5,600 cubic feet of water to fill them each time; and for this purpose Dorothy pond was made a reservoir. A dam was erected which raised the water ten feet, giving a surface of 140 acres. This, added to the water from North Pond, would give a water lockage of 19,602 locks of eight feet lift. In eleven miles there was a descent of 176 feet with twenty-six locks. Below that to the Rhode Island line there were fifteen locks in a descent of 107 feet covering a distance of seventeen and one-half miles.
The Legislature of Massachusetts granted a charter to the Blackstone Canal Company in March, 1823.
April 25, 1825, The Blackstone Canal Company held its first meeting in Worcester, at which the corporation was duly organized. The expense in building the canal was $700,000 and the stock was in great demand. $500,000 was taken by citizens of Rhode Island, and $250,000 by people in Massachusetts. Of this amount
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$351,368.08 was paid in by July 2, 1828, later by the sale of bonds $79,486.40 was realized.
At a meeting of the Blackstone Canal Company held at the Washington Insurance office in Providence, R. I., Nov. 14, 1829, it was "voted and resolved, that, four thousand eight hundred and eighty-one shares of new stock be created, at the nominal value of one hundred dollars each, to be offered to the present stockholders in the first instance . . at the rate of fifteen dollars a share. If two-thirds are subscribed, subscription is obligatory, if not, all to be sold at auction, etc."
In 1824, excavation was commenced for the canal in Rhode Island. In August, 1825, commissioners were in Millbury appraising prospective damage to be done by raising the level of Ramshorn Pond and of Dorothy Pond. The first spadeful of earth for the canal was removed in Millbury, March 27, 1828, near the Greenwood crossing. $31,000.00 had been expended at the time. The company constructed the greater proportion of the locks with stone rather than with wood, as the expense was not much greater and the stone gave much better satisfaction.
January 26, 1826, a report of the commissioners on damages shows that, at the outlet of Dorothy Pond, in Millbury, a dam had been located on land belonging to Jacob Dodge and Daniel Rice. The report also mentioned Samuel March, William Brown, and Sullivan Newton as owners of land taken for the dam at the outlet of Dorothy Pond; possibly some of this land was damaged in being overflowed by the raised waters of the pond. At the outlet of Ramshorn Pond, in Millbury, a dam had been located on land of Stephen Blanchard and Elisha Jacobs.
The route designed for the canal was described as follows: Beginning at the northerly end at Caleb Burbank's Mill Pond (in Quinsigamond) near which there was to be constructed a lock; thence, crossing the road, and continuing over the land of John W. Lincoln, where
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