USA > Massachusetts > Gazetteer of the state of Massachusetts, pt 1 > Part 27
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The highest elevations are Loon Hill in the southeast, Marsh Hill in the north, and the Whortleberry Hills in the northwest, all of which afford beautiful views of the city of Lowell and the adjacent country. The ponds are Peter's, in the northeast part of the town, and Mud, Long and Tyng's, in the western part ; the last lying on the boundary line,-all very attractive features in the scenery. Beaver River flows through the midst of the town from the north, entering the Merrimack below Pawtucket Falls. On this stream are the Merrimack Woolen Mills, employing about 325 persons ; Collins' mill for hosiery and knit goods; Parker's paper mill, making ma- nilla and other colored papers, and a large saw mill. The value of the entire manufactured product in 1885 was $838,848.
There is a large quantity of building stone quarried in the town. The geological formation is calcareous gneiss and Merrimack schist. There is said to be a mine of nickel in the eastern part of the town. The soil is generally very good, and many of the people are engaged in raising vegetables. The number of farms is 135; and some of them are among the best for hay in the country. The number of neat cattle, by the last census, was 1,430. The aggregate farin prod- uct was $242,233. The valuation in 1888 was $1,285,946, with a tax-rate of $8.90 on $1,000. The population was 1,927, and the voters numbered 397. There were 326 dwelling-houses.
The schools are partially graded, and occupy nine buildings which have a value of about $10,000. There are here a Methodist and two
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GAZETTEER OF MASSACHUSETTS.
Congregational churches. The Old Centre Church, founded in 1721, stands upon an eminence, commanding an extensive view.
This town was incorporated in 1701, and was named Dracut from the home of the Varnum family in Wales. There were sections of it annexed to Lowell in 1851, 1874 and 1879. At the time of its incorporation it had 25 families. Among the names of those in pos- session of reserved lots January 2, 1710, were Ezekiel Cheever from Salem village, James Colburn, Onesimus Marsh, Nathaniel Fox, John Varnum, Joseph Varnum and Josiah Richardson. In 1797, Parker Varnum of this town aided in constructing, at Pawtucket Falls, the first bridge across the Merrimack River. During King Philip's War two sons of Samuel Varnum were shot by the Indians while crossing the Merrimack River with their father. Dracut was represented at the battle of Bunker Hill by Captain Peter Colburn and his company, who did important service ; and all through the Revolution by Gen- eral Joseph B., and his brother, General James M., Varnum, who were distinguished in council as well as in the field. During the war of the Rebellion Dracut sent into the service its full share of effec- tive men.
The town has many admirable sites for building, and is steadily advancing in wealth, population and intelligence.
Dragon's Corner, a village in Reading.
Dresser Hill, a v a village in Charlton.
Dry Pond, a village in Stoughton.
Dublin, a village in Peabody.
Duck Harbor, a village in Clinton.
Duckville, in Palmer.
Dudley is a pleasant and prosperous town lying in the south- westerly part of Worcester County, on the South- bridge Branch of the New York and New England Railroad, which has a station at West Dudley, 67 miles from Boston. The eastern part of the town is accommodated at the eastern border by the Web- ster station on the Norwich and Worcester Railroad. The town is bounded by Charlton and Oxford on the north, the latter and Web- ster on the east, Southbridge on the west, and Thompsonville, in Con- necticut, on the south. The assessed area is 12,870 acres, of which 4,800 are woodland.
The Quinnebaug River crosses the southwestern part, receiving an affluent from the hills. Here its valley is broadened, affording am- ple space about the mills for the village of West Dudley. The south-
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DUDLEYVILLE- DUNSTABLE.
eastern part is an extended plain, on which are strung out a group of six large and small ponds, whose outlet enters the French River at Merinoville. The latter forms the eastern line of the town, and in this limit furnishes power for several mills. The central village is delightfully situated on elevated ground, so that its prominent build- ings are visible at a great distance. The surface of the town is charmingly interspersed with handsome hills, verdant valleys, rocky ravines, rivulets, fine forests, and beautiful ponds. The largest of these is Gore Pond, which, with two or three others, lies on the northern line.
The farms number 133, producing the usual variety of crops, to the value in 1SS5 of $155,395. There are in the town a linen mill employing about 300 persons ; a woollen mill, employing about 270, and making excellent cassimere, a jute mill, employing 40; a mill for knit goods, employing about 20; dye-works, a gunny-cloth mill, a shoe factory, a tool factory, and saw and grain inills. From this variety of manufactures have sprung several villages, the list being, beside those already mentioned, Jericho, Chase, Perryville, Stevens- ville, or Dundee, and Tuftsville. The value of the aggregate manu- factures, for 1885, was $1,316,112. The valuation of the town in 18SS was $964,305, with a tax of $12.20 on $1,000. The population was 2,742-446 being voters, -sheltered in 348 dwelling-houses.
The schools are graded, and make use of 11 buildings whose value is near 840,000. The Nichols Academy has buildings and property valued at upwards of $30,000. This institution has a library of about 2,000 volumes. The institution was founded by Amasa Nichols in 1819. Hezekiah Conant also was a liberal patron of this school, hav- ing given to it upwards of $50,000. The churches are the Congre- gationalist and the Methodist.
This town was incorporated on February 2, 1731, and named in honor of Paul and William Dudley, who were early proprietors. The first church was established in 1732; and the first minister, the Rev. Perley Howe, was settled in 1735. A later minister was Joshua Bates, D.D. (installed in 1843, died in 1852), a vigorous writer, and a mem- ber of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Dudleyville, in Leverett.
Dunstable is a quiet rural town on the northern border of Middlesex County, 33 miles northwest of Bos-
ton. Its boundary on the north is Nashua, N. H., on the east Tyngs- borough, the same and Groton on the south, and Pepperell on the west. The area is 10,500 acres. Of this, 4,948 acres are woodland, mostly of young growth of pine and oak.
The town is pleasantly diversified with hill and valley, forest, meadow and tillage land; and the soil is generally good, as the ample barns and thrifty orchards will attest. Nashua River washes the northwestern border, receiving Unkety Brook as a tributary from the town; and Salmon River, from Massapoag Pond, flows northerly through the central part of the town into the Merrimack. Flat-rock
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Hill in the north and Forest Hill in the east are both commanding eminences.
The town has 128 farms, on which the usual crops are cultivated ; the value of the farm product in 1885 being $84,993. There are two or three saw and grain mills, and other manufactures common to rural towns, whose product the same year was $17,291. The Worcester and Nashua Railroad, a branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad, passes through the northwest corner of the toivn ; and the Nashua and Acton, a part of the Concord Railroad, and connecting with the Old Colony Railroad at Acton, passes near the centre of the town, where are the village and post-office. The valuation of the town in 1888 was $291,992, with a tax-rate of $10 on $1,000. The popula- tion was 431, - 123 being voters ; and the dwellings numbered 105.
The schools are provided for in five buildings, valued at about $5,000. There is a public library of nearly 2000 volumes. The village is very neat and attractive, having its streets extensively shaded ; and the same is true of other localities, - the trees being elm, maple, chestnut and oak, some of them 150 years old.
Dunstable was for fifty years a frontier settlement, and suffered much from the incursions of the Indians. In 1724, eleven men, in pur- suing them, were waylaid, and all killed except JJoshua Farwell. In May of the ensuing year, the celebrated Captain John Lovewell, with a company of forty-six volunteers, set out from Dunstable to inflict punishment upon the Pequaket tribe, which it was believed had com- mitted the offences. He met the warriors unexpectedly on the shore of a pond in Fryeburg, Maine, since known by his name. A terrible encounter ensued, lasting a whole day ; and all except ten of his brave men were either slain or wounded. The force of the Indians however, was broken; and P'augus, their principal chief, was killed. The gallant Lovewell fell in the commencement of the action; and his surviving followers, after great sufferings, found their way back to the settlement.
Amos Kendall, appointed postmaster-general of the United States in May, 1835, was born in Dunstable, August 16, 1789. He died at Washington, D. C., November 12, 1869. Other eminent men, natives of this town, were Colonel Jonathan Tyng, and Isaac Fletcher, a member of Congress.
Durensville, in Woburn.
Duxbury, one of the oldest and most notable towns of the
State, is situated midway of the eastern shore of Plymouth County. It is 27 miles southeast of Boston on the South- shore Branch of the Old Colony Railroad, and about six miles north of Plymouth, from which it is separated by the town of Kingston and Plymouth Harbor. Its bounding town on the west is Pembroke, on the north and northeast Marshfield, and on the east are Duxbury Bay and the ocean.
The land is generally level, sandy and unproductive ; yet there are some very fertile spots, especially at South Duxbury, where it rises
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into a beautiful and commanding eminence, on which is a monument to the memory of Captain Miles Standish. From this point is a fine view of the village of Duxbury, in which the Unitarian church, the Partridge Academy and the Town House, contrast finely with the deep-green forest on the north ; of Duxbury Harbor with picturesque
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N.BROWN ST.
THE MILES STANDISH MONUMENT, DUXBURY.
points, - the long, narrow strip of land called Duxbury Beach, which separates the harbor from the open sea on the east, -the Gurnet Light, Saquish Neck ; of Clark's Island, Plymouth Harbor, and the blue ridge of Manomet beyond ; the town of Plymouth with its spires upon the south ; and Rocky Nook and Kingston toward the west. In
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GAZETTEER OF MASSACHUSETTS.
clear weather, the Blue Hills of Milton, on the one hand, and on the other the curving shores of Cape Cod, are distinctly visible. Near this monuinent, at the foot of the hill, is the well from which the famous captain of the Plymouth Pilgrims drank, and also the cellar of the house in which he lived. The quaint old house of his neighbor Mr. Souther, still standing near, well represents that of the doughty captain. Near Captain's Hill is the old burial place where
"The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep."
The eastern part of the town is almost destitute of stone and tim- ber ; and hence a cluster of pines upon the sandy beach, and another at Powder Point, are noticeable objects in the landscape. The wes- terly part of the town is well wooded with white pine and oak. Here the trailing arbutus grows abundantly, and the holly (Irex glabra) now and then appears. The villages of North and South Duxbury are
Mieyt
STANDISH
BUNBURY:
BLITT 1666
THE MILES STANDISH HOUSE, DUXBURY.
built chiefly upon a long and pleasant street on which are some fine old mansions of various architecture. The street is crossed in the northern village by the Blue-fish River, on which there is a ship-yard and a tide-mill. Duxbury Harbor is of unusual beauty, and well pro- tected from easterly gales by a remarkable promontory, which, start- ing from the borders of Marshfield, runs out southward, like a slender top-boot, seven miles, terminating heel and toe with the Gurnet and Saquish.
The terminus of the Anglo-American Submarine Cable Company is on the street just mentioned ; and from a modest building where some dozen intelligent and obliging operators are employed in tend- ing the delicate registering instruments, messages are sent by day and night to every part of the world.
The railroad stations are Duxbury, South Duxbury, and Island Creek ; these and West Duxbury are post-offices ; and other villages are Ashdod, Crooked Lane, High Street, Mill Brook and Tinkertown. The area of the town is 13,668 acres, of which 3,870 are woodland. The farms number 120. There were raised in the census year of
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283.
DUXBURY BAY-EAST BRIDGEWATER.
18S5, 683 barrels of cranberries, valued at $3,771. Other crops were those common to our towns ; the entire farm product having a value of $80,577. The manufactures are shoes,- metallic goods, oils and chemicals, fertilizers, food preparations, and others, to the aggregate value of $132,521. The fisheries yielded $21,150, - of which $7,710 was for shellfish. The valuation of the town in 1888 was $1,157,606, with a tax-rate of $14.50 on $1,000. The population is 1,924, of whom 577 are voters. The number of dwelling-houses is 567.
The public schools are graded, and provided for in ten buildings worth upwards of $10,000. The Partridge Academy, established in 1843, has a building and associated property valued at $8,000. There is a public and private school library of about 500 volumes, and two Sunday schools have nearly the same number. The " Duxbury Pilgrim," a weekly journal, is devoted to the interests of the place in all its various departments. The churches here are the Pilgrim Church (Trinitarian Congregationalist), the Unitarian, the Friends and the Methodist Episcopal.
This town was originally known by the Indian name Mattakceset. It was incorporated June 7, 1637, - then embracing an extensive ter- ritory from which several other towns have been taken. Among the early settlers were Captain Miles Standish; John Alden, who built his house near Eagletree Pond; Thomas Prence, who removed to Eastham ; George Soule, Joshua Pratt, William Brewster, and Wil- liam Bassett. Hobomock, a Christian Indian, whose life has furnished Mrs. L. M. Child with material for her beautiful story "Hobomok," had his home with Captain Standish. Ralph Partridge was settled over the church here in 1637. The Unitarian church here was organ- ized in 1632; the Methodist, West Duxbury, in 1831; and the Friends previous to 1762.
Duxbury sent 236 men into the war for the Union, of whom 37 died in the service. A beautiful granite shaft in the cemetery bears the inscription, " Memoria in Eterna : the Soldiers and Sailors who gave their Lives for their Country in the War of 1861. Honor to the Brave."
Duxbury Bay. See Duxbury.
Dwight, a village in Belchertown.
Eagleville, in Athol ; also one in Holden,
East Bridgewater is a flourishing farming and manu-
facturing town in the northwest- erly part of Plymouth County, 25 miles south by southeast of Bos- ton by the Old Colony Railroad, which passes directly through it. It is bounded on the north by Whitman, east by Hanson and Halifax, south by Bridgewater, and west by West Bridgewater and Brockton. The assessed area is 9,930 acres, of which 2,328 is woodland.
The geological structure is carboniferous. There are valuable
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GAZETTEER OF MASSACHUSETTS.
beds of clay suitable for brickmaking, which is carried on extensively. Near the centre is a deposit about thirty feet deep and of excellent quality. The material is dug and ground by steam-power, and dried in extensive sheds, so constructed as to be opened or closed at once for the admission of the sun or the exclusion of rain.
Satueket River, formed by Black Brook and Poor-meadow Brook, drains the southerly part of the town; while Beaver Brook and Snell- meadow Brook unite in the westerly' part of the town and form Mat- field River. This joins the Satucket River at Elmwood; and the re- sulting stream, joining the Wenatuxet River in Halifax, forms the Taunton River. Robbin's Pond is a fine sheet of water of about 140 acres, in the southern angle of the town. The streams, in general, flow southerly, diversifying the scenery and furnishing valuable mo- tive power. There is a mineral spring of some note in the northerly section of the town.
The farms number 77, and furnish the usual products, which in 1885 amounted to $65,956. There are one or more lumber and box mills, several shoe factories, a nail and a cotton-gin factory, one or more bloomeries and founderies and one rolling-mill. The Standard Chain Works here have sometimes done a very large business. The first machines for carding, roping and spinning cotton, and the first nails by machinery, were made here. The iron goods product in 1885 had a value of $221,804; while the boots and shoes amounted to $164,286. The aggregate value of the manufactures was $446,183. The East Bridgewater Savings Bank, at the close of last year, had deposits amounting to $534,968. The valuation of the town in 18SS was $1,488,646; and the tax-rate was $11.50 on $1,000. There are 742 voters in a population of 2,812; and the dwelling-houses number 624. The villages are East Bridgewater, Elinwood, Beaver, Curtis- ville, Eastville, Northville and Satucket, the first two being the post- offices for the town.
The public schools are completely graded, and occupy ten buildings, which are valued at about $13,000. The East Bridgewater Public Library has about 1,000 volumes ; the high school has upwards of 200; and the Sunday schools are well supplied. The "East Bridge- water Star," the weekly journal, does good service for its patronage. The churches are the Union (Trinitarian Congregationalist), the New Jerusalem, the Methodist Episcopal, the Roman Catholic, and the First Parish (Unitarian), founded in 1724. The town sent 302 soldiers to the war of the Rebellion, of whom 46 were lost.
The settlement of this town (called by the Indians Sutucket) was begun in 1660 by Samuel Allen, Thomas Whitman, Robert Latham, Nicholas Byram, and others. In 1676, the dwellings, with the ex- ception of Mr. Byram's house, were burned by the Indians. The first church was organized, and the Rev. John Angier ordained as minister, October 28, 1724. The territory was included in Bridge- water until 1823, when it was set apart and incorporated under its present name. It received some territory from the parent town again in 1846; and in 1857 had an accession from Halifax; in 1875 part of its land was taken to form South Abington, now Whitman; and in the same year a part was annexed to Brockton.
EASTERN POINT-EASTILAM. 285
Hon. Nahum Mitchell, an able lawyer, and a musician of excellence, joint author with B. Brown, Esq., of the " Bridgewater Collection of Church Music," was born here. Ezekiel Whitman, a member of Con- gress and a'judge of the Supreme Court, was also a native.
Eastern Point, the southwest extremity of East Glou. cester, forming the southern shore of Gloucester Harbor.
East Farms, a village in Westfield.
Eastham lies at the middle of the outer arm of Cape Cod, in Barnstable County, 97 miles from Boston by the Old Colony Railroad, which passes through the town, having stations at Eastham and North Eastham, which are also the post- offices. The territory is about six miles long by three wide. The assessed area is 4,892 acres, of which 623 are woodland.
The town is indented with mlets, and diversified by several fresh- water ponds. The sea is visible on either hand from the cars. The soil is sandy, and at some points is so blown about as to present traets that are entirely sterile ; yet there is good land in the eastern part of the town, which is well cultivated by some of the best far- mers on the Cape.
The farms number 54; and their aggregate product, in 1885, had the value of $54,098. The cranberry erop was valued at $2,355; and the poultry product was $9,420. The manufactures consisted of salt, prepared fish, leather and several others of slight extent; the aggregate value being $5,860. The entire fisheries product was 839,- 453. A great variety of fish was taken, though in small quantities. Bluefish formed the bulk of the catch, reaching 367,938 pounds, worth $26,057. The valuation of the town in 18SS was $227,608, and the rate of taxation $11.90 on $1,000. The population was 638, of whom 175 were voters. The number of dwelling-houses was 144.
The town has three school-houses, valued at about $4,000. The Eastham Public Library contains some 700 volumes, and one Sun- day school has a library of 500 volumes. The church is Methodist Episcopal. "Millennial Grove," in this town, was incorporated as a camp-meeting ground in 1838. The town sent 36 men into the war for the Union; and a monument has been erected to the memory of the five who were lost.
This town was settled in 1644, by Governor Thomas Prince and others from Plymouth, whose surnames were Doane, Snow, Cook, Higgins, Smalley and Bangs; and from these are descended many of the present citizens. Governor Prince took up land from sea to sea. In 1873, his house was still standing. About 30 feet distant from it was a pear tree more than two centuries old, which still yielded its tribute of fruit. The town was incorporated June 2, 1646, under its Indian name, Nauset ; but on June 7, 1651, it was authorized to take the name it now bears. Part of Harwich was annexed to it in 1772; and in 1797 part of Eastham was established as the town of Orleans.
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GAZETTEER OF MASSACHUSETTS.
In 1672, the town settled the Rev. Samuel Treat as its first per- manent minister. He translated the "Confession of Faith" into the Nauset (Indian) language, and was faithful to his ministry, both to the English and the Indians.
Easthampton is a delightful and prosperous manufactur- ing, educational and farming town in the southern part of Hampshire County, on the New Haven and North- ampton Railroad, about 90 miles west from Boston, five miles from Northampton. It has Northampton on the north, a dissevered sec- tion of the same town (including Mount Tom) on the east, Holyoke and Southampton on the south, and the latter and Westhampton on the west. The territory is triangular in general form, with its base to the north. It has an assessed area of 7,325 aeres, of which 1,304 acres are forest, principally of pine and chestnut. Along the well- kept streets of the older villages, also, are great numbers of maple and elm, many having a growth of 75 years, and few less than 20 years.
The Manhan River flows northeasterly through the middle of the town, emptying into the Connecticut at a westward curve called .. The Oxbow." Broad Branch, coming into the town from the south, and North Branch at the northwest angle, are tributaries of the Manhan River, and, with it, furnish valuable motive power. The formative rock is lower sandstone. The face of the town is un- dulating, with mountains rising about on alnost every side. The most prominent of these is Mount Tom, at the southeastern border, which attains the altitude of 1,214 feet, forming a magnificent sky outline to the landscape on that side. The railway, which follows the valley of the Manhan River, affords excellent points of view for this mountain ridge.
The soil in this town is sandy loam, with much clay subsoil, and generally fertile; uniformly yielding good crops of hay, rye, oats, potatoes and tobacco. The greenhouse product in 1885 had a value of upwards of $3,000. The aggregate farm product was $154,038. The manufactures are numerous. The leading establishments are the " Williston Mills " (having two mills), the Nashawannick Man- ufacturing Company (thr e mills), the Glendale Company (three mills), the Easthampton Rubber Thread Company, Williston and Knight Company, George S. Colton, and the Valley Machine Com- pany. The principal products are cotton prints, suspenders, buttons, elastic webs, rubber and silk goods, machinery, castings, whips, bricks, and food preparations. The value of the aggregate product of these and other manufactures in the census year of 1885 was $1,945,488. There is one national and one savings bank. The valuation of the town in 1888 was $2,397,279, with a tax-rate of $14 on $1,000. The population was 4,291; of whom 785 were voters. The dwelling-houses numbered 815. The postal villages are East- hampton and Mount Tom ; and others are Factory Village and New City.
Easthampton has an excellent town-hall, which cost originally
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EASTHAMPTON.
$65,000; also an elegant public library building, containing about 10,000 volumes. The grading of the public schools is complete ; and fifteen buildings, valued at upwards of $25,000, are devoted to their use. The Williston Seminary has a library of about 2,000 volumes. This institution was founded by the Hon. Samuel Willis- top, and has cost upwards of $250,000. It was opened for students December 2, 1841, and has commodious buildings and a complete outfit for a school of its kind.
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