USA > Massachusetts > Gazetteer of the state of Massachusetts, pt 1 > Part 22
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
1 i
1
228
GAZETTEER OF MASSACHUSETTS.
the westerly part of the town - flow south into French, or Quinnebaug, River. Hick's Pond, of 120 acres, having Cady's Brook for its outlet, is a valuable sheet of water, and the view of it from Williams Hill is very beautiful.
Charlton City, on this brook, with Charlton Centre and Charlton Depot, are the post-offices and villages. Other villages are North Side, Dresser Hill, Leland's Village and Milward.
The geological structure of the town is mainly gneiss. It has an area of 26,500 acres of assessed land, including 7,484 acres of wood- land. The farms number 309. The value of their product in 1885 was $265,657. The town had three lumber and box mills, a woollen factory, three or more factories for wire, artisans' tools and other metallic goods, a grain mill and stone quarries. The value of the woollen goods produced in 1885 was $147,260; of the wooden man- ufactures, $175,600; the artisans' tools and other metallic goods, $48,746 ; food preparations, $46,000; the aggregate value reaching $476,131. The valuation in 1888 was $914,470, with a tax-rate of $11.50 on $1,000. The population was 1,823, and the number of dwelling-houses 425.
The town has 13 school-houses, valued, with appurtenances, at $8,150. There is a public library containing about 1,000 volumes, and three Sunday-school libraries. The churches are a Congrega- tionalist, a Methodist, and, at Charlton City, a Universalist. The town furnished 175 men for the Union army in the late war, of whom twelve died in service.
Charlton was formerly the western part of Oxford, and was incor- porated November 2, 1764. Probably the name was in honor of Sir Francis Charlton, Bart., who was a gentleman of the British privy chamber in 1755. A church was first organized here April 16, 1761; and on October 15th following, the Rev. Caleb Eustis was ordained pastor. Martin Ruter, D.D., an author of some celebrity, was born here April 3, 1735,- deceased in Texas, May 16, 1838. William T. G. Morton, M.D., discoverer of the use of ether as an anasthetic in surgery, was born here August 9, 1819. He died in New York July 15, 1868.
Chartley, a village in Norton.
Chase, a village in Dudley.
Chatham occupies the extreme southeastern angle alike of Cape Cod and of Barnstable County ; and, being indented by numerous coves, harbors, creeks and inlets, is, topo- graphically, one of the most irregular towns in the Commonwealth. It has Pleasant Bay, separating it from Orleans, on the north; the ocean on the east and south; and Harwich on the west. The as- sessed area is 4,476 acres, in which there are but 275 acres of wood- land. It has 512 dwelling-houses, with 2,028 inhabitants, who are hardy and industrious people; more than half the number of voters (601) being engaged in maritime pursuits.
229
CHATHAM.
The surface of the town is varied by a succession of sand-hills (often changing), villages, creeks and fresh-water ponds. Of the last there are more than thirty; and several of them during the summer are covered with the beautiful white lily. Goose Pond, containing 66 acres, is the largest. Nauset Beach is a long, sandy strip of land, that extends for many miles between the mainland and the sea at the east; the enclosed waters constituting Chatham Harbor. The sea has made the southern half of this strip into an island by a breach through it. Monomoy is'a long and narrow island, running about 10 miles southward, slightly turned to the west, and appears to have been once a continuation of Nauset Beach. Harding's Beach Point is another long sand-spit running southeast- erly from the middle of the southern side of the town, forming Oyster Harbor. From the head of this harbor a narrow frith runs northeast into the land, and connects with Oyster Pond.
There is a powerful light at Monomoy Point, and two light ves- sels off Chatham Shore; while Chatham Harbor Light includes two round towers 43 feet high, set 100 feet apart, with the white dwel- ling of the keeper between. There is also a life-saving station of the United States system at the most exposed section. Great Hill, near the centre of the town, is the highest point of land, and from it Nantucket can sometimes be seen. This hill has been made much use of in the scientific surveys.
South Chatham, the first station in the town, is 88 miles from Boston by the Old Colony Railroad. The other stations in the town are West Chatham, and Chatham, on the harbor. The post-offices are these, with Chatham Port and North Chatham. Along the streets are numerous silver poplars and willows. The forest growth is oak and pine.
The farms number 21; and there are 300 acres devoted to the culture of cranberries. The aggregate farm product in 1885 was $18,136. The town contains 24 manufacturing establishments, con- sisting of boot and shoe shops, a wind grain-mill, a ship-yard, a brickyard, a carriage factory and some others. Their aggregate product in the year mentioned was $27,576. Sixteen vessels belong- ing in Chatham ports were engaged in the fisheries. The largest item in this industry was mackerel; cod, pollock and shad, also, being caught in large numbers. The aggregate value of the fisheries in the same year was $98,322. The valuation of the town in 1888 was $638,103; and the rate of taxation was $17 on $1,000.
Chatham has graded schools, with seven school-houses, estimated, with appurtenances, at about $12,000. There are two association libraries, and four Sunday-school libraries, aggregating about 3,000 volumes. The "Chatham Monitor" is an excellent local paper. There are here churches of the Baptists, Congregationalists, Method- ists and Universalists. The town furnished 256 men to our army and navy during the late war, of whom 13 were lost; and to the memory of these a handsome monument has been raised.
The Indian name of this town is Monomoy, which now attaches only to its southern island. Governor William Bradford visited the
--
.
!
230
GAZETTEER OF MASSACHUSETTS.
place in the Plymouth shallop to purchase corn, in the first voyage of the Pilgrims around the Cape. The land was bought of the sachem by William Nickerson in 1665, and a settlement soon com- menced. Among the early settlers were the purchaser, Thomas Hinckley, John Freeman and Nathaniel Bacon. The descendants of these men are very numerous. The village or district of "Mana- moit " was incorporated as a town, June 11, 1712; being named, per- haps, in honor of the Earl of Chatham.
A church was organized June 15, 1720, and the Rev. Joseph Lord was ordained pastor. There was preaching in town anterior to this, as may be seen from the following quaint extract from the early and almost illegible records :-
" At a town meeting held at Monamoyit the 4 day of January in the year of our Lord, 1703, and then ye inhabitants ded agree with Gasham Hall to come to us & to dispense the word of God amonkes ous on Sabbath dayes and the inhebitanse did agree to pay him the said Gasham hall twenty pound yearly so long as he continew in that work.
" Recorded by me, William Nickerson, Clorke of Monamoy."
This town has furnished many brave and skilful seamen to the country, and is noted for the number of its sea-captains.
Chattanooga, a village in Ashland.
Chaubunagungamaug Lake (or Gungamaug Lake), in the town of Webster.
Cheapside, a village in Deerfield.
Chebacco, a village, also a pond, in the town of Essex.
Chelmsford is an ancient and pleasant town in the northern part of Middlesex County, about 26 miles northwest of Boston. Tyngsborough, Dracut and Lowell bound it on the north; the latter with Billerica on the east; Car- lisle on the south ; and Westford on the west. The Merrimack River forms the line along the Dracut border. The assessed area is 14,132 acres, including 5,483 acres of woodland. The villages are Chelmsford (centre), . North, South, West and East Chelmsford, which - except the last - are also post-offices. The Ayer Junction Branch of the Boston and Lowell Railroad has stations at North and at West Chelmsford, and the Lowell Branch of the Old Colony Road has stations at Chelmsford and South Chelmsford.
The principal eminences are Rocky Hill, abounding in ledges, in the southeast; Robbin's Hill, affording grand views, near the centre ; and Vine, Chestnut and Francis hills, toward the west. These are in parallel ranges lying nearly northeast and southwest. Among the hills of the eastern range flows River-meadow Brook, finding its
1
231
CHELMSFORD.
devious way to the Merrimack at Lowell. Across the northwest sec- tion runs Stony Brook, affording motive power at West Chelmsford. also at North Chelmsford, where it falls into the Merrimack. Deep Brook crosses the extreme northwest part to the same river. Hart, Pond, containing 105 acres, is a beautiful sheet of water in the southwest side of the town. Sheldon's Pond, of 80 acres, at North Chelmsford, is valuable for its ice, as well as for its reserved supply of water-power.
The principal rocks are calcareous gneiss and Merrimack schist, in which occurs a bed of limestone. The soil, though sandy, is in general very good. The farms number 129, being much fewer and larger than twenty years ago. There were, in 1885, 19,125 fruit trees, and many acres devoted to cranberries. The aggregate farm product was $160,- 009. The town affords good building stone, and several quarries are worked from time to time. At North Chelmsford is a factory, mak- ing worsted and carpet yarns, an iron foundery, a file factory, and one or two shops making textile machinery. At West Chelmsford is a woollen mill and a cutlery factory. Other manufactures of the town are hosiery, leather, food preparations, lumber, carriages, etc. The aggregate value of the manufactures for the year mentioned was $517,868. The valuation of the town in 1888 was $1,602,565; and the tax-rate was but $9 ou $1,000. The population by the last census was 2,304 ; and in 1888 there were 577 dwelling-houses.
The public schools are graded, and occupy nine buildings, valued, with appurtenances, at $12,300. There are two association libra- ries in the villages, and the Sunday schools also have books; so that altogether there are about 5,000 volumes. The " Chelmsford Chrono- type" is the local newspaper. The Baptists, Congregationalists, Methodists, Episcopalians, Unitarians, and Roman Catholics, each have a church edifice in the town.
The Indian name of this place was Pawtucket ; and the first grant of its territory, then including Westford and a part of Lowell, was made in 1653 to persons in Concord and Woburn. It was in the form of a parallelogram. On May 29, 1655, it was incorporated as "Chelmsford," in remembrance of the town of that name eight miles from Billericay, Essex County, England. In the following year William How was admitted an inhabitant, and granted 12 acres of meadow and 18 of upland, "provided he set up his trade of weav- ing, and perform the town's work." In 1660 the bounds between the town and the Indian plantation at "Patucket" were established ; in 1729, part of the territory was established as the town of West- ford; in 1780, a part of this went with parts of other towns to form Carlisle ; in 1826, another part was established as Lowell ; in 1865, a portion was annexed to Carlisle ; and in 1874 a portion was an- nexed to Lowell.
The Rev. John Fiske, settled in 1655, was the first minister. He served his people also as a physician, and was an excellent man. By request of the church he prepared a catechism, which was printed in 1657 by Samuel Green, of Cambridge. It bears the quaint title, " Watering of the Plant in Christ's Garden, or a Short
232
GAZETTEER OF MASSACHUSETTS.
Catechism for the Entrance of Chelmsford Children." In the latter part of his life he was carried to his church in a chair, from which he addressed the people. The Rev. John Eliot preached to the In- dians here on the 5th of May, 1674.
Chelmsford has an interesting Revolutionary history; and in 1859 a handsome granite monument was erected to the memory of its soldiers who perished in that war. Other eminent men of Chelms- ford, distinguished in different fields, are Benjamin Pierce (1757- 1839), a Revolutionary officer, and governor of New Hampshire in 1827; John Farmer (1789-1838), a celebrated antiquary ; Jeffries Wyman, M.D. (1814), a distinguished anatomist and author ; John C. Dalton (1825), an able physiologist and author.
CHELSEA is a beautiful and growing city in the northern part of Suffolk County, inhabited largely by people whose daily business is in Boston, - from whose several northern parts it is separated only by the waters of Chelsea Creek and the Mystic and Charles rivers, which here meet and mingle with the sea, forming an extension of the harbor proper. Everett, the only town from which it is not separated by water, lies on the northwest ; Revere, the northern town of the county, is on the northeast ; Breed's Island, the northeastern extremity of Boston, lies directly east ; the high island of East Boston occupies a southeast position ; and the promontory of Charlestown lies at the southwest, separated from it by Mystic River.
The assessed area is 961 acres; and in this are upwards of 30 miles of streets. Many of these are shaded by well-grown elms and maples. The city has excellent water-works, -drawing from the Mystic River department of the Boston Water-works. It has also a well equipped fire-department, and an extensive system of sewerage. A street railway connects with the Charlestown district over a broad carriage bridge, thence by another with Boston proper. The same line, passing in the other direction by bridges to East Boston, forms a land connection for that district with the city proper. Another extension northeastward through Chelsea furnishes a connection with Boston for Winthrop, Revere Beach and Lynn. By the Grand Junction Railway, whose line extends across the midst of the city to its extensive wharves in East Boston, it has easy access to all the railroads which radiate from the metropolis. There are also two ferries to Boston, with two boats each, constantly running in the day and evening; each boat having two commodious saloons for pas- sengers and space for several carriages and carts.
The surface of the city is uneven, and rises into several gently swelling eminences, the most conspicuous of which is Powder-Horn Hill, whose summit is about 220 feet above sea-level. Upon this is situated the Soldiers' Home, an institution of the national govern- ment. The geological formation of the territory is drift and alluvium. The soil is rich, giving luxuriant growth in the gardens so generally attached to residences.
Though largely a place of suburban homes, it has quite a business
233
CIIELSEA.
of its own. The larger manufacturing establishments are the Magee Furnace Company, Suffolk Cordage Company, Forbes Lithographic Company, Low's Art-Tile Works, Eastern Elastic Gusset Company, Woven Hose Company, Chelsea Wire Works, brass works, several furniture factories, rubber factory, tanneries, boot and shoe factories, type foundery and printing offices, and others of less note. The food préparations amounted to $599,409; iron goods, $406,531; leather, $293,360; wooden goods, $244.291; and the aggregate of manufac- tures, $4,551,895. The valuation in 1888 was $19,781,480, with a tax-rate of $18.40 on $1,000. The First National Bank has a capital of $300,000. The Winnissimet National Bank was, in July, 1889, authorized to commence business with $100,000 capital. Chelsea Savings Bank, at the close of last year, had deposits to the amount of $2,068,933. The population by the last census (1885) was 25,709; voters, 6,116; and the number of dwellings, 4,412.
THE UNITED-STATES MARINE HOSPITAL, CHELSEA.
The city has excellent graded schools, occupying twelve build- ings which have a value of about $260,000. There are seventeen libraries accessible to the public ; of which the city public library has upwards of 10,000 volumes, and an association library about 6,000. The city has several bright weekly newspapers, - the "Church Bulletin and Temperance Advocate," "Chelsea Gazette," "Leader," " Record," " Telegraph and Pioneer," the " Owl " and others. The churches are two Baptist, three Congregationalist, two Meth- odist, one Unitarian, one Second Advent, one Universalist, one Episcopalian (Saint Luke's), one Roman Catholic (Saint Rose's), and one African Methodist. Other buildings of interest are the National Bank building on Broadway, the United States Marine Hospital (which occupies an elevated position on a hill overlooking the Mystic River), the military and naval magazine, in the rear of the same hill ; and the Soldiers' Home, previously mentioned.
.
234
GAZETTEER OF MASSACHUSETTS.
Chelsea is one of the most ancient settlements of the Common- wealth, lands having been taken up here as early as 1630, at which dale it was known as "Rumney Marsh," and formed a part of Boston. The Indian name of the place was Winnissimet. It was incorporated as the town of Chelsea January 10, 1739. In 1841, part of its territory was annexed to Saugus; in 1846 another part was established as North Chelsea (the name since changed to Revere); and in 1857 a city charter was granted and accepted. The usual organizations, civil and social, flourish here.
Chelsea has the honor of having been among the foremost in send- ing its quota of men to the army and navy during the late war; and its roll of honor, published in 1865, affords evidence of the patriotism and bravery of its citizens. A shaft of granite, sur- mounted by a statue, constitutes their visible monument. It was dedicated on the 19th of April, 1869.
The State census of 1885 reports as among the residents 126 persons over 80 years, and 13 over 90 years of age. Among eminent people of Chelsea are Rev. Horatio Alger, Jun., born here in 1834; B. P. Shillaber, Francis B. Fay, Isaac Stebbins, and Daniel C. Colesworthy, long time residents of the place.
Chemistry, a village in Waltham, Cherry Valley, a village in Leicester.
Cheshire is a fine grazing town in the northerly part of Berkshire County, about 150 miles west, slightly north, of Boston. At Cheshire, Cheshire Harbor and Farnum's are railroad stations on a branch of the Boston and Albany Railroad connecting Pittsfield with the Fitchburg Railroad at North Adams. The town is bounded by New Ashford and Adams on the north ; Savoy, Windsor and Dalton on the east; the latter and Lanes- borough on the south; and the last, with New Ashford, on the west. The form of the township is very irregular, its lines taking not less than 21 different courses. The western, southern and eastern parts are very hilly, but the northern, and the middle from northeast to southwest, have fine valleys, with clayey and fertile soil. Stafford's Hill is in the northeast; and "Round's Rocks," situated at the northwest, was a station of the Topographical Survey of the State. The geological formation consists of calcareous gneiss, Levis lime- stone, Lauzon schist and the Potsdam group. Much flint exists here, and large quantities of sand are found free from iron rust, and in other respects suitable for glass-making. The Hoosac River, which runs here northeasterly, and its affluents - Dry, South and West Brooks, which come dashing down from the mountains - fur- nish valuable water-power, used for lumber, cotton and sand-mills. There are ore beds in the southern part of the town which supply a smelting furnace. There are also a shoe factory, cooper shop, lime and cement works, various food and other establishments. The aggregate product of the manufactures in 1885 was $169,010.
.
235
CHESTER.
On the 1st of January, 1802, Cheshire presented to President Thomas Jefferson a mammoth cheese, weighing 1,450 pounds; which gave a wide reputation to the dairies of that town. In 1885, the prod- uct of these amounted to $47,378; and the aggregate product of the 115 farms was $174,343. The valuation of the town in 18SS was $719,883, with a tax-rate of $15 on $1,000. The population is 1,448, and the number of dwellings 324. The town has six school buildings, valued at $11,100. The Cheshire Library Association has a collec- tion of about 2,500 volumes. The Baptists, Methodists, Univer- salists and Roman Catholics each have a church here.
Cheshire was settled by Joseph Bennett, Colonel Joab Stafford, John Buckland, and others, from Rhode Island, as early as 1767, They were mostly Baptists, and formed the first church at Stafford's Hill in 1769, Elder Peter Werden being chosen pastor. Rev. John Leland and Captain Daniel Brown were eminent citizens at a later period.
Chester, noted for its wild and picturesque scenery, occupies
the northwest extremity of Hampden County, and has for its bounds, Worthington on the north, Huntington on the east, Blandford on the south, Becket on the west, and Middlefield on the northwest.
The inhabitants number 1,318, with 324 dwelling-houses, situated almost entirely in the villages of Chester, Chester Centre, North Chester, Littleton, Dayville and Micaville. The first four are post- offices. The west and middle branches of the Westfield River, with their tributaries dashing down the wild ravines, furnish abundant motive power, which will perhaps sometime be further improved. The Boston and Albany Railroad winds along the margin of the west branch, through the southwest section of the town, having its "Westfield " station near the western border, 126 miles from Boston.
The area of the town is variously stated. The actual measure- ment of the farms is 21,783 acres, including 5,816 acres devoted to wood. The land is mountainous and rocky. Beautiful speci- mens of many kinds of minerals, as scapolite, spodumene, mag- netic iron, hornblende, chromic iron, and indicolite will reward the "prospector," the sparkling springs and rivulets will furnish trout, and the mountain air invigorate his system. The Pontoosue Club, of New York gentlemen, have a club-house and a fine property here, and the town is growing in favor as a summer resort. There are three emery mines in the township. The mineral appears like brown granite, and is dug from quarries extending far into the mountain side. It is broken into fragments, then undergoes sev- eral further comminutions by machinery before it is marketable. There are here two mills for manufacturing from it emery cloth and paper, and emery wheels. Sand-paper is also made here. Other manufactures are furniture, carriages and wagons, clothing. leather, whips, boots and shoes, food preparations, etc. The aggregate value of these goods made in 1885 was $247,146. The burning of a textile
236
GAZETTEER OF MASSACHUSETTS.
mill a few years since, and the abandonment of the manufacture, caused a considerable loss of population. The number of farms is 132; and the town has 803 sheep, which exceeds the flocks of any other town, but one in the county. The fruit trees number 9,850. The aggregate farm product was $105,304. The valuation in 1888 was $518,312, with a tax-rate of $18 on $1,000.
The school system is graded, with some mixed schools. There are twelve school-houses, valued at about $8,500. There are three Sunday-school libraries, with about 1,500 volumes. The town di- vides the honor of the weekly paper, " The Valley Echo," with Hun- tington. There are two Congregational churches, a Methodist and a Roman Catholic.
This town was incorporated under the name of Murrayfield, in honor of William Murray, Lord Mansfield, October 31, 1765; but in 1783 the name was changed to Chester, perhaps from the town of that name in England. This township was one of ten sold by order of the General Court, June 2, 1762. For it the purchaser, William Williams, paid £15,000. The settlers began to take up land soon after. They were mostly Scotch-Irish, bearing the family names of Bell, Gordon, Henry, Holland, Moore, Hamilton, et als. Rev. Aaron Bascom, ordained December 20, 1769, was the first minister.
Chesterfield is a pleasant town in the northwestern part of Hampshire County, about 100 miles west of Boston. It is noted for its great variety of minerals. It is bounded north by Cummington, northeast on a zigzag line by Goshen, east by the latter and Williamsburg, south by Westhampton and Huntington, and west by Worthington.
The nearest railroad stations are at Williamsburg, Goshen and Cummington, each about six miles from the centre of the town. The post-offices are Chesterfield and West Chesterfield, the latter being a considerable village. The population is 698, of whom 211 are voters. They are sheltered by 171 dwelling-houses, and till 110 farms. The largest products of these are from the dairy, the hay-field and the woods ; the aggregate farm product being $105,502.
There are 18,250 acres of assessed land, which includes 5,375 acres of woodland. The valuation in 1888 was $293,666; with a tax-rate of $15.50 on $1,000. The town is generally mountainous, the ranges running north and south, with long and pleasant valleys intervening. Through these valleys flow Dresser Brook and East Brook in the east, and Westfield River - here a noble stream - in the west part of the town, affording motive power for driving several saw and grain inills and for making various small wooden articles.
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.