USA > Massachusetts > Gazetteer of the state of Massachusetts, pt 1 > Part 19
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36
197
BRALEY'S-BREWSTER.
territory now known as "Braintree" was voted to be a distinct parish in 1708. The Rev. Hugh Adams, ordained in 1707, was the first minister.
This town has given to the world the following: Benjamin Thompson (1642-1714), a learned schoolmaster and poet; Edmund Quincy (1681-1738), an able jurist; John Adams (1735-July 4, 1826), an eminent statesman, second President of the United States; Zabdiel Adams (1739-1801), an eloquent divine; Elihu Thayer, D.D. (1747-1812), a noted minister and scholar; Samuel Hayward, M.D. (1749-1821), an eminent physician; Sarah Went- worth (Apthorp) Morton (1759-1846), a pleasing poetess; John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), the sixth President of the United States; Gen. Sylvanus Thayer, LL.D. (1785-1872), a noted military officer and benefactor; and Richard Salter Storrs, Jun., D.D. (1821), an able divine.
Braley's, a village in Freetown.
Bramanville, a village in Millbury.
Brandt Rock, a village in Marshfield.
Brattle Station, a village in Arlington. Braytonville, a village in North Adams. Breed's Island, a part of the city of Boston, lying near on the northeast of East Boston.
Brewster lies in the inner side of the bend in the elbow of Cape Cod, 89 miles southeast of Boston by the Old Colony Railroad. The railway stations are Brewster and East Brewster ; the post-offices and villages, these, South Brewster and West Brewster, formerly known, also, as Setucket. Cape Cod Bay bounds it on the north, Orleans on the east, Harwich on the south, and Dennis on the west. The harbor, at the middle of the shore line of the town, is formed by a breakwater ; and in it small vessels may lie secure at any season of the year.
The area of the town is 8,600 acres, ponds and highways in addi- tion. The surface is uneven to a small degree; and there are about 1,323 acres of woodland, chiefly of well-grown oak and pine. The lowlands are beautified by the azalea, wild rose, lily and other flow- ers. About 300 acres are devoted to the growth of cranberries. Peat of a good quality is dug at many points in the lowlands, and is used for fuel. There is a line of eminences through the middle of the town nearly east and west. One at the northwest was a sta- tion in the Trigonometrical Survey of the State, and on its summit stands a packet-signal, visible at sea for a long distance. The view from here of the curving line of the shore, from Duxbury to Province- town, is a rare and pleasing scene.
198
GAZETTEER OF MASSACHUSETTS.
Many beautiful sheets of fresh water, as Cliff, Sheep, Bangs, Long and Mill ponds, diversify the scenery, and afford game for the sports- man. From the pond last mentioned, which contains about 365 acres, a stream called " Herring River " runs northerly into Cape Cod Bay, and furnishes considerable motive power. Along the southern line of the town lies Long Pond, a splendid sheet covering 778 acres, which has, for outlet, another " Herring River," running southerly, and entering the sea below West Harwich, on the south side of the Cape.
This town has, in the north part, a very good soil. The farms are not numerous, the last census reporting but ten, of which seven con- tained less than 60, and only one over 90 acres. Their aggregate yield for market was $19,921 ; and to this the cranberry bogs contri- buted $15,070. There were 11 manufacturing establishments such as are usual in agricultural towns ; the product of these being $7,137. One hundred and fourteen persons were reported as engaged in fish- ing; the catch being, in order of value, alewives, bluefish, herring, mackerel and others, to the amount of $15,411. The last valuation of the town (1888) was $478,874; and the tax-rate was $12 on $1,000. The population is 934, with 257 dwelling-houses.
There are primary, grammar and mixed schools, held in seven school-houses ; which are valued at about $6,000. There is a Ladies' Association Library, owning a building valued at $3,000, and con- taining about 9,000 volumes. The Baptists, Universalists and Uni- tarians have churches here. The latter is the " First Parish" of the town, having been formed in 1700; when, also, Rev. Nathaniel Stone was ordained pastor.
The Indian name of the place was Sawkattuckett. It was set off from Harwich and incorporated in 1803, being named for the famous Elder William Brewster, of the Pilgrim Colony. Another portion of Harwich was annexed in 1811; but in 1848 a portion of Brewster was annexed to Harwich.
The town sent 72 men into the late war, of whom seven were lost.
Brewsters, The (Great, Middle and Outer), islands near the middle of the outer line of Boston Harbor.
Brick City, a village in Leicester.
Bridgewater is a fine old town in the western part of
l'lymouth County, 28 miles south of Bos- ton by the Old Colony Railroad, whose stations within it are Bridge- water Iron Works and, half a mile south of this, Bridgewater (Cen- tre), and in the southern part of the town, State Farm. The post- offices are Bridgewater, Scotland and State Farm ; the villages being these (except the last), and Paper Mill Village, in the eastern part of the town. The general form of the township is oval; having an assessed area of 16,055 acres, including 5,000 acres of woodland. The surface is for the most part undulating, having a fine eminence at the north called Sprague's Hill, 192 feet in height. In the west-
.
199
BRIDGEWATER.
ern part of the town is the handsome Lake Nippenicket, covering 388 acres, and embracing several pretty islands. Robbin's Pond, three miles northeast of the centre, is also an attractive resort for fishing.
Town and Matfield rivers, entering Bridgewater on the north side, unite in the eastern part ; and, receiving the waters of South Brook, from near the centre, join on the eastern line with the Winnetuxet
STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, BRIDGEWATER, MASS.
River from Halifax, and form the Taunton River. This handsome stream washes the whole southeastern border of the town, and, like the others, affords power for several mills.
In the eastern part of the town there are a paper mill and two or three saw mills making shingles and boxboards. At the iron works are made a variety of cast and wrought work, cotton machinery, nails and tacks, and other articles. The town also has a boot and shoe
.
260
GAZETTEER OF MASSACHUSETTS.
factory and several brickyards. The largest product is iron and me- tallic goods, valued for 1885 at $582,942. Wooden and wood and metal goods counted up to $48,846; food preparations, $23,750; the aggregate of manufactures being valued at $769,945. The product of the 108 farms cultivated in the town in the same year was $141,378. The valuation in 1888 was $2,194,847; and the tax was $11.20 on $1,000. The population is 3,827. Bridgewater Savings Bank, at the close of 1888, held deposits to the amount of $344,307.
The town is noted for its schools. Bridgewater Academy, incor- porated in 1799, now furnishes the town high school. The public schools are graded, and occupy, aside from the academy, 14 buildings, valued, with attached property, at $31,410. The State Normal School here has been in constant operation since 1840, the attendance now requiring the entire accommodations of its two substantial edi- fices. The town public library is an excellent building of brick, valued at $15,000, and containing about $6,000 volumes and an inter- esting museum. There are two public-school libraries of about 3,500 volumes and an institution library of about 400. The current news is furnished by the "Bridgewater Independent," a highly respectable weekly journal. The central village has a beautiful little park shaded with well-grown ornamental trees, about which are the familiar Hy- land House, the stores and the public buildings.
The first Congregational Church (Unitarian) is a fine specimen of church architecture ; and the Central Square Congregational (Trini- tarian) has a spacious and convenient house ; the New Jerusalem society has a very handsome edifice. The Episcopal church is also new and attractive. The Methodists have a substantial and comfort- able house ; and the Roman Catholic edifice (Saint Thomas Aquinas's) is also fitting to its office. There is also a Trinitarian Congregational church at Scotland village.
The territory of this town, in its original extent, was purchased of Massasoit by Miles Standish and others for "seven coats, nine hatchets, eight hoes, twenty knives, four moose-skins, and ten yards of cotton." The Indian name of the place was Nunketest, but the English called their purchase Duxburrow New Plantation. On June 3, 1656, it was incorporated under its present name, which it took from Bridgewater, in Somerset County, England. It received addi- tions on the Weymouth side and from Stoughton ; and in 1712, part of Bridgewater and certain lands adjoining were established as Abing- ton. In 1821, part of the town was established as North Bridgewater; in 1822, part of it was incorporated as West Bridgewater; in 1823, another part was made East Bridgewater; and in 1824, a part was annexed to Halifax.
The first meeting-house was built in 1717, and Rev. Benjamin Allen was ordained pastor in the following year.
As early as 1775 cannon were cast here by Hugh Orr for the government. Lazell, Perkins and Company commenced the manu- facture of iron and heavy machinery here in 1810. The shops now cover an area of ten acres. The forgings for the celebrated iron-clad " Monitor," invented by John Ericson, were executed here.
.
201
BRIGG'S CORNER - BRIMFIELD.
Bridgewater furnished a surplus of 60 men above its quota for the late war, and lost 27. Among the esteemed citizens living here at a late period are Rev. Ebenezer Gay, Nicholas Tillinghast, Marshal Conant and A. G. Boyden. Perhaps its most eminent names are these: Nathaniel Ames (1708-1764), Simeon Howard. D.D. (1733- 1804), Perez Fobes, LL.D. (1752-1812), Levi W. Leonard, D.D. (1790-1864), Willard Phillips, LL.D. (1784), and Gen. George L. Andrews (1827).
Brigg's Corner, a village in Attleborough.
Briggsville, a village in Clarksburgh,
Brighton, the western section of Boston. Incorporated as
a town February 21, 1807 ; annexed to Boston by Act of May 1, 1873, and by vote of the city and town.
Brightwood, a village in Springfield.
Brimfield, is an excellent farming town in the extreme east of Hampden County, on the Boston and Albany Railroad, whose station at West Brimfield is 79 miles from Boston. The post-offices are Brimfield and East Brimfield; and these, with " Little Rest," are the villages. The town is bounded north by War- ren, east by Sturbridge, south by Holland and Wales, and west by Monson and Palmer.
The assessed area is 21,104 acres; which includes 6,456 acres of forest, containing a large proportion of New England varieties. The geological structure is dolorites and ferruginous gneiss; and speci- mens of iolite in gneiss, adularia, or white felspar, molybdenite, mica and garnet, are found in the northern part. West Mountain is the most extensive eminence. On another eminence, 500 feet in height, is an immense bowlder known as "Steerage Rock," the summit of which affords a very extensive view. Great Pond, of nearly 95 acres ; enclosed by hills ; Sherman Pond, of about 80 acres; Little Alum Pond, of 34 acres ; and Baker's Pond, of 16 acres, diversify the land- scape. Several streams, meeting near the centre, form Mill Brook, an affluent of Quinebaug River, which winds through the southeast corner of the town ; while a rapid stream flows through the westerly part of the town into Chicopee River, as the latter runs along the northwestern border.
Brimfield has 1,137 inhabitants, 244 dwelling-houses and 280 farms. In 1885, the aggregate farm product was $161,301. There is a considerable extent of land yet unimproved. Large quantities of lumber, firewood, bark, and charcoal are annually prepared for mar- ket .. There are two saw mills, planing mill, grist mill ; one or more brickyards ; an auger factory ; two factories for food preparations; one for fertilizers, and others ; the aggregate product of these being $33,460. The valuation of this town in 1888 was $462,860; and the tax was $16 on $1,000.
202
GAZETTEER OF MASSACHUSETTS.
Brimfield has primary and high schools, which occupy 11 school- houses, valued, with appurtenances, at $20,300. There is a good town-hall, a public library of nearly 3,000 volumes, public-school libraries of 1;500 volumes or more, a church and two Sunday-school libraries. There are two Congregational churches, the first of which was organized in 1724. There is also a Moravian church; and East Brimfield has one of the Christian denomination. Brimfield sent 138 men to the late war of whom 18 perished in service ; and to the memory of these it has erected an elegant monument at an expense of $2,500.
This town was incorporated in 1731, taking its name, probably, from the parish of Brimpsfield, eight miles from Gloucester, England. Moses Brooks, a son of Deliverance Brooks, was born here in 1717,
HITCHCOCK FREE HIGH SCHOOL, BRIMFIELD.
and is said to have been the first white native. The first family that settled here bore the name of Hitchcock. The Thompson family came from Woburn, and the Russell and Blodget families from Lex- ington. The original limits of the town included Monson, Wales and Holland. A church was built in 1722, and the first minister was Rey Richard Treat. Brimfield took a very active part in the Revolution- ary War, furnishing about 200 men.
Gen. William Eaton, of some renown from his exploits in Egypt, was long a resident of this town, and here ended his days. He mar- ried the widow of Col. Timothy Danielson (1733-1791), a Revolution- ary officer and patriot, who had his birth and death in this town. Others of eminence were Gen. Fitz Henry Warren, Professor John W. Foster, Hon. Ava Lincoln, M.D., Eben Knight, M.D., Hon. John Wyles, Samuel A. Hitchcock, Hon. Erastus Fairbanks (later of Vermont), Hon. Joseph Vaill and Gen. Erasmus D. Keyes.
203
1
BRITTANIAVILLE - BROCKTON.
Brittaniaville, a village in Tannton.
Broad Sound, the northern entrance to Boston Harbor.
BROCKTON is a very enterprising and thrifty city, occupying the northwest extremity of Plymouth County, and having Stoughton, Avon and Holbrook on the north, Abington, Whitman and East Bridgewater on the east, West Bridgewater on the south and Easton on the west. It is 20 miles south of Boston, on the Old Colony Railroad, which has a fine station house at Brockton (centre), one at Montello, two miles north, and another at Campello, one mile south of the Brockton station. Territorially, its greatest length is about one and a half miles from east to west, and five miles from north to south. The assessed area is 10,948 acres ; and of this 2,965 are woodland.
The villages are Brockton, Brockton Heights, Campello and Fac- tory Village; the first and third being the post-offices. The central portion of the territory is quite level, and contains the two principal villages ; but rises on the east in Carey's and Tower's hills, from both of which there is a pleasing view of the village; and towards the northwest is Prospect Hill and an eminence at West Shores, commanding one of the finest inland prospects in the country. The geological basis is sienite. "The most elegant specimen of porphy- ritic sienite that I have met with in the State," said Prof. Edward Hitchcock, "occurs in North Bridgewater [now Brockton ] and in Ab- ington and in other parts of Plymouth County. Its base consists of quartz and felspar, with an abundance of epidote, disseminated and in veins." Peat is found in several places.
Stone-house Hill, on the Easton line, is noted for a cave eight or ten feet deep in a ledge of solid rock, which is said to have been or- cupied as a dwelling by an Indian family. Trout Brook and Salis- bury Brook, coming in from Stoughton, unite in the central portion of the town, and form the Salisbury River, whose waters reach the Taunton River at Halifax, affording some motive power in its course. Beaver Brook, on the eastern line, Cowsett Brook, and two ponds of 10 and 25 acres near the centre, complete the list of Brockton's. natural waters. The city water-works are supplying the houses at the centre generally, from an elevated source not far distant.
The principal settlements cluster about Main Street, a wide, bean- tiful and well-shaded avenne, which runs from north to south, par- allel with the railroad, entirely through the town. The road track is kept hard and smooth, and forms one of the most delightful drives in this region.
The principal business of the city is the manufacture of boots and shoes. This was commenced here by Micah Faxon, who came from Randolph in 1811. There are now 97 factories; turning out in 1885 a product valued at $11,035,238. There are also numerous small establishments of associated industries; the entire manufactories in the city numbering 310, and having a product valued at $13.370.825.
-
FOLD COLONY R.R:
. NoLLS
一.
MONTELLO®
BROCKTON. 205
The 104 farmers contributed to the income of the town the value of $143,801. The valuation in 1SS8 was $15,117,528; and the tax- rate $15.90 on, $1,000. The population is 20,783, accommodated by 3,599 dwelling-houses. The Brockton National Bank has a capital of $100,000 ; the Home National Bank, $200,000; and the Brockton Savings Bank, at the close of business last year, had $853,513 in deposits.
The public schools are graded, and make use of 23 buildings, val- ued, with accompanying property, at $115,950. Evening drawing schools have been established, to which other branches of study are being added. There are 20 libraries accessible to the public, that of the town containing about 12,000 volumes. There are sev- eral private circulating libraries, and the others belong chiefly to churches and Sunday schools. There are 17 churches in the city and suburban villages. The Trinitarian Congregationalists were the earliest here, the First Congregational society having been organized in 1740. Their society at Campello dates from 1837, and the Por- ter Evangelical society from 1850. The Baptists organized in 1877, and have a Swedish society at Campello. There are also at this vil- lage the Swedish Evangelical Independent and the Evangelical Luth- eran societies. The Methodists have a church at Campello, one at West Brockton, and one at the centre.
In the city also are churches of the New Jerusalem Church, the Unitarians. Universalists, Free Baptists, Latter Day Saints, the Protestant Episcopalians and the Roman Catholics.
This township was settled mainly by people from the West Parish of Bridgewater, and was incorporated in 1738 as the North Parish ; and in 1740 Rev. John Porter, the first minister, was ordained. There were so many people of the name of Packard and Howard here in the early period, that it was facetiously said that every citi- zen here bore the name Packard or Howard except one, whose name was Howard Packard. The precinct voted in 1756 that "the runme on the women's side of the gallery should be for the women," and in 1789 it was voted to build pews in the porch and belfry for the negroes. In 1818 the parish voted against the introduction of a stove into the meeting-house as a sinful luxury. Fifty-five of the in- habitants served in the French and Indian wars, and many more in the Revolutionary War. Several citizens early removed from this place to Cummington, among whom was Dr. Peter Bryant (born in 1767), the father of William Cullen Bryant, the poet. The Rev. Eliphalet Porter, D.D. (1758-1833), an able clergyman and scholar, was a native of this place ; also Jesse Reed (1778), an inventor of various machines.
A post-office was first established here in 1816. The railroad was built to this place in 1846, and, ten years later, the magnetic tele- graph. The town was incorporated as North Bridgewater, June 15, 1821 ; the population being then about 1,480. It was authorized to change its name on March 28, 1874, and on May 5th following adopted Brockton as the new name. In 1875, part of the town was annexed to South Abington (now Whitman), and parts of the same
.
206
GAZETTEER OF MASSACHUSETTS.
and of East Bridgewater were annexed to Brockton. The act of incorporation as a city was passed April 9, 1881, and was accepted on May 23 following. Of the men furnished for the late war fifty- six were lost. The city has 100 residents who are over eighty years of age. Swedish immigrants have settled in the place in successive companies for a score of years past, and now form a large, orderly and thrifty part of the community.
Two excellent newspapers, the "Enterprise " and the "Evening Gazette," both having daily and weekly issues, vie with each other in serving the interests of the city.
Brookdale,
a village in Peabody.
Brookfield lies in the southwestern part of Worcester County, 55 miles from Boston by the Boston and Albany Railroad, whose stations are at Brookfield and East Brookfield. It has North Brookfield on the north, Spencer on the east, Charlton at the southeast, Sturbridge on the south, and War- ren and West Brookfield on the west. The assessed area of the town is 14,021 acres; and of this, 4,332 acres are woodland.
The highest points of land are Cooley and Blanchard hills in the north, and in the southeast are High Rock (a ledge 40 feet high and almost a mile long), Teneriffe, Stone and Wheelock hills. There is a mineral spring north of High Rock. Quaboag, or Podunk, Pond, a very beautiful sheet of water, about a mile square, and well stored with a variety of fish, lies in the centre of the town, and is connected by a canal with South Pond, of 340 acres, lying on the line of Sturbridge. A small steamer is run on these ponds. Great Brook and East Brookfield River discharge into Quaboag Pond; and from it flows Quaboag stream, the south branch of Chicopee River. Otter occasionally visit these ponds. Extensive swamps, through which the Boston and Albany Railroad passes, spread over much of the northern portion of the town.
The geological structure of the town is ferruginous gneiss. Bog- iron ore is found at some points. The 185 farms yielded, in 1885, a product valued at $189,187. The manufactures consist of boots and shoes, lumber, carriages, iron and metallic goods, pottery, food prep- arations and others. The largest item was boots and shoes, amounting to $751,893; while the aggregate product reached the value of $1,216,746. The population was 3,013, with 553 dwelling- houses. The valuation, in 1888, was $1,256,017, with a tax of $19.50 on $1,000. The Brookfield Savings Bank, at the close of last year, held deposits to the amount of $67,488.
The schools are graded, and occupy eight buildings, valued, with connected property, at $27,817. There is a superior public hall of brick, which cost about $70,000. The Merrick Library is free, and contains about 10,000 volumes, in a library building that cost $10,000. The newspaper of the town is the "Brookfield Times." There are a Baptist and a union church at East Brookfield, another union church at Podunk, near the centre of the town; and at
207
BROOKLINE.
Brookfield, finely elevated, are churches of the Unitarians, Congre- gationalists, Methodists and Roman Catholics. A row of ancient elms adds beauty to the scenery of the place. The name of Brook- field may have been suggested by the natural features of the town; but as a plantation it bore the Indian name. An act of legislature, October 15, 1673, authorizes Quobauge to be the town of "Brooke- feild," when forty or fifty families shall have settled there. On November 12, 1718, another act of legislature established it as a town. The territory was originally granted to a number of citizens of Ipswich in 1660, on condition that there should be twenty resi- dent families within three years, and that an able minister should be settled and supported.
For a long time this was an isolated settlement between the towns in the valley of the Connecticut River and the seaboard, and suffered severely from the assaults of the Indians. In 1675 a body of them rushed into the plantation, and, after burning about twenty houses and barns, attacked the garrison-house, in which the inhabi- tants had taken refuge. This was defended with desperate bravery, against an overwhelming superiority of numbers, for three days ; during which time the assailants made the most vigorous attacks by a constant discharge of balls and burning arrows. At length, find- ing all other means ineffectual, they loaded a cart with flax, straw and other combustibles, and, by the aid of long poles, endeavored to thrust the burning mass against the building. At this moment of peril, a plentiful shower of rain, which seemed to the besieged quite miraculous, extinguished the flames and saved the occupants from destruction. At length their resources were exhausted, and they were at the point of surrendering in despair, when Major Willard, with "a troop of 48 light-horse " from Lancaster, made his appear- ance. The savages then burned the meeting-house and the only dwelling-house left in the town, and hastily retreated.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.