USA > Massachusetts > Gazetteer of the state of Massachusetts, pt 1 > Part 31
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The first church was organized Dec. 8, 1701; and, in the same year, the Rev. John Swift was ordained as pastor. The church in Saxonville was incorporated Feb. 23, 1827.
Franklin is a progressive and pleasant town lying in the southwest part of Norfolk County, 27 miles southwest of Boston by the New York and New England Railroad, whose main line passes through the midst of the town, while its Woonsocket Division has a station at the northwest corner. The town is bounded on the north by Medway, on the east by Norfolk and Wrentham, on the south by the latter, and on the west by Bel- lingham.
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The assessed area is 15,629 acres. Of this 4,616 are covered mainly with a growth of oak and pine. The principal rock is sienite, in which fine specimens of amethyst have been found. The soil varies in different parts from a light sandy or gravelly loam to a good heavy loam. The town is elevated, with a hilly region bounding it on the south, and groups of hills extending from the western side across the middle of the town. Near the centre are three interesting sheets of xvater, - Uncas Pond, of 17 acres, Beaver, of 20, and Population Pond, of 300. Mine Brook, their outlet, and Shepherd Brook, in the eastern part of the town, discharge into the Charles River, which forms the northern boundary line ; both furnish- ing power for various manufactories.
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The largest of these are a rubber factory, two woollen mills, three straw and felt hat and bonnet factories. Altogether, these employ about 1,000 persons. There are two lumber mills, wooden box, boot and shoe, carriage, machine, beet sugar and other small factories. The product of textile fabrics in 1885 was $304,720; of straw goods and other clothing, $610,450; of food preparations, $71,913. The aggregate value of the various goods made was $1,278,467. The 182 farms, in the same period, produced to the value of $165,371. The wood product ($18,568) and the vegetables ($20,746) were items which exceed the usual proportion. There is a national bank with a capital stock of $200,000; and the "Benjamin Franklin Savings Bank" deposits at the close of last year amounted to 8330,241. The valuation in 1888 was $2,154,900, with a tax-rate of $15 on $1,000.
The population was 3,983, including 906 voters. The number of houses was 752. The villages are Franklin, South Franklin and Unionville, which are the post-offices; another is North Franklin, closely joined to Medway Village; while Wadsworth's is the rail- way station near South Franklin, and City Mills the station on the town's eastern line. The central village contains many beauti- ful private residences, several churches, Dean Academy, and the high school and bank buildings. The common is an attractive feature ; while the streets of this and other villages have numerous shade trees, chiefly rock maples ; many of which are of 40 years' growth.
The public schools are completely graded, and occupy eleven buildings valued at nearly $30,000. The Dean Academy was founded in 1865 by the munificence of Oliver Dean, M.D., who gave a valuable site, and $135,000 in cash, for the establishment of the institution. By his will, the additional sum of $110,000 is left to be expended for school purposes; and it is supposed that the insti- tution will receive nearly as much more from his estate. The first building was burned July 31, 1872; but another, still more beautiful and commodious, has been erected, at an expense of $150,000. It is in the care of the Universalist denomination.
The weekly papers of the town are the "Opinion" and the "Sentinel." The Morse Opera House, Metcalf Block, and Ray's Block, are recent and handsome structures. The Universalist
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church (rebuilt in 1887) is a fine edifice. The other churches are the two Congregationalist, the Baptist, the Methodist and the Roman Catholic.
Franklin has a memorial of King Philip's War, of which the tradition says that, in 1676, a party of about 42 Indians were sur- prised by Captain Ware and a company of 13 men from Wrentham.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.
In their alarm and confusion the savages fled, and some of them, while scrambling down a rocky precinice, were overtaken and slain. The ledge hears the name " Indian Rock."
A church was organized here February 16, 1737 ; and the Rev. Elias Haven, from Honkinton, was ordained pastor. He died in 1754, and was followed by the Rev. Caleb Barnum; who, in 1773, was succeeded by the Rev. Nathaniel Emmons, D.D. He continued in the pastorate fifty-four years. He was ordained in a vallev, in the open air, the people standing around and above him ; therefore
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he was wont wittily to remark that he was ordained under instead of over his people.
The town was incorporated March 2, 1778. When Dr. Franklin was informed that it was to bear his name, and that the people might be glad to receive a bell to call them to church, he said that he presumed they "were more fond of sense than sound;" and he therefore sent them a well-selected library of about 500 volumes, which is still preserved. The Franklin Library Association now has an excellent library of about 3,000 volumes.
This town has produced several men of eminence : as Theron Met- calf, born October 16, 1784, an able jurist; Alexander Metcalf Fisher, born 1794, and died April 22, 1822, a noted mathematician and scientist; Horace Mann, LL.D., born May 4, 1796, and died August 2, 1859, a distinguished educationist ; William Makepeace Thayer, D.D., born in 1820, author, e litor, and divine; and Albert Deane Richardson, born 1833, and died November 26, 1869, a journalist and author. Rev. William M. Thayer, the author of many interest- ing books for boys, is a resident of Franklin.
Free Quarter, a village in Sandisfield.
Freetown, notable for its ledges and its large area of for- est, lies in the easterly part of Bristol County, 45 miles south of Boston by the Taunton and New Bedford Branch of the Old Colony Railroad, which passes through the eastern part of the town; while the Middleboro' and Fall River Branch passes through Assonet village, in the northwestern part of the town. The other villages and stations are East Freetown and Braley's.
The towns of Berkley and Lakeville bound it on the north; the latter and Rochester on the east; Acushnet, New Bedford, Dart- mouth and Fall River on the south; and on the west is Somerset, separated by Taunton River, and a southern projection of Berkley, between which and Freetown is Assonet Bay. The assessed area is 21,275 acres. Two thirds of this are forest, composed mostly of pine, oak and chestnut. The geological structure is granite.
The soil is loamy, and large crops of cranberries and strawberries are raised. Of the last, in 1885, there were 40,908 quarts sent to market. Many bees are kept also; and in some years the sales of honey have amounted to $1,000. The aggregate product of the 60 farms was $88,787. Many persons are engaged in preparing wood and charcoal for market, and in lumbering. There are five saw mills, one of which is devoted to making box-boards. The largest establishment is the Crystal Spring Bleaching and Dyeing Company, which employs about 200 persons. There is one gun factory, em- ploying 25 or more workmen. Other manufactures are mixed tex- tiles, leather, flour and meal, meats, and stone. The aggregate value of manufactures in 1885 was $105,601. The valuation in 1888 was $854,451; and the tax $9.50 on $1,000. The population is 1,457; and there are 396 legal voters.
There are seven public school-houses, valued at $7,000. The
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FRENCH RIVER- GALLOP'S ISLAND.
Congregationalists and the Friends each have a church here, and the Christian denomination has three.
The Indian name of this town was Assonet. The original set- tlers called it " Freemen's Land; " and in July, 1683, it was incor- porated under its present name. The earliest records of the town. are lost. The Rev. William Way, the first minister, was invited here in 1704, "to educate and instruct children in reading and writ -- ing, and to dispense the gospel to the town's acceptance."
There is a noted medicinal spring here called "The Pool." Forge Pond is a pretty sheet of water about one mile by one third in area. Long Pond, lying partly in Lakeville, is about seven miles long and. two or three wide. There are several beautiful localities in this town; and in times past much care has been taken to adorn the grounds about the better residences and the village streets. These are shaded with numerous elms, which have been growing thriftily for fifty years. The town-hall is the largest of the later edifices.
Freetown lost but one man of those sent into the war for the Union. The most eminent men accredited to this town are Marcus Morton, (1774-1864), a governor of the Commonwealth in 1840-41 and 1843-4; William R. Alger (1822), a distinguished clergyman and author ; and Gen. Ebenezer W. Peirce (1822), author and soldier.
French River rises in Spencer, Leicester and Paxton, and, flowing south, enters the Quinne- baug River in Thompsonville, Connecticut. The river derives its name from the circumstance that in 1685 some French Protestants settled upon its shores.
French Village, in Quincy.
Fresh Brook Village, in Wellfleet.
Fresh Pond, in Belmont.
Fresh Water Cove Village, in Gloucester. Frye, a village in Andover.
Fryeville, in Orange; also in Bolton.
Fullerville, in Clinton.
Furnace, a village in Easton; also one in Hardwick, and one in Orange.
Furnace Pond, in Brookfield and North Brookfield. Gallop's Island, in Boston Harbor.
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Gannett's Corner, a village in Scituate.
Gardner is a brisk and enterprising town in the northerly part of Worcester County, 65 miles from Boston, and 25 miles from Worcester, by the Fitchburg Railroad. By the Winchester Branch it has connection with the Montreal Railroad, while the Cheshire Railroad conneets it with the Connecticut River railroads in New Hampshire and Vermont. Winchendon bounds it on the northwest, Ashburnham on the northeast, Westminster on the southeast, Hubbardston and Templeton on the southwest, and : the latter on the west. The assessed area is 12,558 acres.
Upwards of 2,000 acres are occupied principally by oak, pine, chestnut, maple and birch, with some spruce, hemlock and cedar,- the latter imparting an alpine aspect to upland forests. Parker's Hill and Greenwood's Hill, near the centre, and Barber's Hill near South Gardner village, are most notable eminences. Crystal Lake, of 216 acres, near the centre, and South Gardner Pond, of equal size, are the largest natural reservoirs ; and there are also several small ponds, nearly all well stocked with fluvial fish. The town has many scenes of unusual beauty. The geological basis of the town is ferru- ginous gneiss, which crops out in many ledges ; and the surface gen- erally is rocky and uneven.
The farms, numbering about 90, are enclosed with stone walls ; and though of gravelly soil generally, they are quite productive. The dairy product is proportionately very large, being, in 1885, . $40,034; while the entire farm product was but $92,476. There are several small water-powers on the outlets of the ponds, and on Otter River ; the latter flowing through the southern part of the town, then forming a considerable length of its western boundary line. The capital of the town is chiefly invested in the manufacture of chairs and settees of rattan and of various woods. There are up- wards of a dozen of these factories, employing nearly 2,000 persons. There are also several shoe, tool, toy, wooden-ware, carriage and other factories, stone quarries, lumber and grain mills and brick- yards. The furniture made in the last census year reached the value of $1,699,067; the aggregate of manufactures being valued at $2,046,343. The First National Bank of this place has a capital of $150,000; and the savings bank at the close of last year, had deposits to the amount of $1,026,924. The valuation in 1888 was $3,889,546 ; with a tax of $17 on $1,000. The population was 7,283, of whom 1,698 were voters. The number of dwelling-houses was 1,252.
The schools are all graded, and occupy ten buildings valued at about $50,000. There are nine libraries accessible to the people,- the Gardner Public, a circulating and a church library, several Sun- day-school libraries,-containing some 6,000 volumes in the aggro- gate. The town sustains three weekly newspapers, which, in their turn, are devoted to the interests of the people. There are eight churches in the town,- one to every 900 inhabitants. They are
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a Congregationalist, a Unitarian, Baptist, Methodist, Universalist, American Episcopal, and two Roman Catholic.
Gardner Village, especially, has many handsome residences and public buildings. Some of the shade-trees along the streets are attaining magnitude as well as beauty. The maple is the favorite here.
Gardner was formed of parts of Ashburnham, Templeton, West- minster and Winchendon (in which a part of its history will be found), and incorporated June 27, 1785. Its name is an honorable memorial to Colonel Thomas Gardner, who fell in the battle of Bunker Hill. The Rev. John Osgood, ordained in 1791, served this town for nearly 30 years in the capacity of a minister, physician, and school teacher. He was succeeded in 1824 by the Rev. Sumner Lincoln.
Among the valued citizens belonging to an earlier day, may be mentioned Levi Heywood, Charles Heywood, S. K. Pierce, Amasa Bancroft, S. W. Bancroft, T. E. Glazier and Francis Richardson.
Gate's Crossing, a village in Leominster,
Gay Head is a new and small town embracing the penin- sula formed by Squibnocket and Menemsha ponds, constituting the western extremity of Martha's Vineyard. These ponds are fed from the sea, with which they communicate by short creeks. Chilmark bounds this town on the east, being sepa- rated from it by the ponds, except for a bridge passing over the creek connecting them, and the isthmus at the southwest formed by Squibnocket Beach. On the north is Vineyard Sound, with the long line of the Elizabeth Islands interposing between it and Buzzard's Bay ; far to the northwest and west is the dim line of the Rhode Island and Connecticut shores ; on the south is the illimitable ocean, its expanse broken only by the speck of Noman's Land, a few miles away.
In general extent, the town is three by three and one half miles. The entire superficial area is about 2,400 acres; the assessed area being 1,255 acres. The place was naturally nearly destitute of trees, but by care there are now nearly 150 acres of oak, beech and walnut. The geological formation is miocene tertiary. At the western extrem- ity, the wild and fantastic cliff, Gay Head, rises to the height of 134 feet above the sea. This is crowned by a lighthouse, whose lantern is 173 feet above the water. The point affords splendid views of Vine. yard Sound, the Elizabeth Islands, and the nearer shores of the main- land.
This cliff is an extensive field of study for the geologist, and is full of interest for the intelligent visitor. " A section across Gay Head," says Prof. Hitchcock, " four fifths of a mile long, displays twenty- three bright-colored bands of clay, sand and conglomerate, lignite and iron ore. The clays are white, blood-red, dull-red, yellow and green." The conglomerates contain fragments of bones and of teeth,
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GAY HEAD, MARTHA'S VINEYARD.
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cemented to the stones." Cut into innumerable forms by the inces- sant action of the sea, this beetling headland, belted with rainbow colors, awakens the admiration of all who approach the coast, and presents a lesson of profound significance to the scientist. The " Devil's Den," at this place, is a natural depression in the form of a bowl. It is about 1,200 feet in circumference and 100 feet deep, but is open toward the sea. It has the appearance of being the crater of an extinct volcano. "Here," says an Indian legend, resided the giant Maushope. Here he broiled the whale on fires made of the cedars which he tore up by the roots. After separating Noman's Land from Gay Head, changing his wife into an ugly rock on Saconet Point, and performing othersupernatural feats, he left the island." The Indians may have been led to construct this legend from finding fossil skele- tons of huge sea-animals here, and from believing the black lignite to be the remains of huge fires.
Beside the salt ponds mentioned are several small fresh ponds, in one of which white lilies grow. The land is undulating, having a loamy and quite fertile soil. There are about 30 farms and 34 houses. The farm products in 1885 aggregated $4,801. Articles for building purposes were produced here to the value of $300; and certain food preparations to $340. The fisheries yielded, for cod and lobsters chiefly, the sum of $2,442. A further income is derived by some of the Indians from the sale of baskets, shell ornaments, and other small articles, to summer visitors. The valuation in 1888 was $20,059, with a tax-rate of $10 on $1,000. The town has 47 legal voters. The popu- lation is 186, consisting chiefly of Indians, the remnant of the origi- nal occupants of the island. There is one school-house, valued at about $350. The Sunday school has a library of nearly 300 books. A Baptist society has existed here from a very early date ; and they have a small church edifice.
Next to the cliffs, the most interesting object here is the lighthouse - the finest, probably, on the American coast, containing a light of surpassing beauty and power. It is of French manufacture, and was one of the exhibits at the World's Fair in London. " It is made up of 1003 pieces of glass, so arranged as to concentrate the rays of light at a vast distance; and at 20 miles away it is as sure a beacon to the 80,000 passing vessels that annually welcome its appearance, as it is within a stone's throw of the cliff upon which it stands. The light is made by a succession of wicks, one above and within the other ; and into these three gallons of oil are pumped nightly. Some idea of the size of the lens may be derived from the statement that eight persons may stand within it and each have ample elbow-room .... The lens revolves, giving an interval of darkness in the otherwise steady stream of brilliant light and also alternating the colors white and red, caus- ing a flashing and varied light that more surely arrests the attention than would one entirely uniform.
After many years as a district, this place was incorporated as a town April 30, 1870; taking its name very properly from its celebrated promontory.
The Rev. Thomas Jeffers was the last minister to the Indians of
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this place, and died here August 30, 1818, aged 76 years. He was (pre- sumedly) the ancestor of Thomas Jeffers, the present clerk of the town of Gay, Head. Deacon Simon Johnson and Zaccheus Howwaswel were also highly esteemed citizens.
Georges Island, in Boston Harbor, is occupied by Fort Warren.
Georgetown is a prosperous agricultural and manufactur- ing town in the central part of Essex County, 31 miles north of Boston by the Danvers and Newburyport Railroad; the Haverhill Branch forming a junction with this at the Georgetown station. The other stations are South Georgetown and Byfield ; and the other villages are South Byfield and Marlboro.
Georgetown is bounded on the northwest by Groveland, northeast by Newbury, southeast by Rowley, and southwest by Boxford. The assessed area is 7,548 acres. The flora is varied ; and in the 2,285 acres of forest there appears nearly or quite every kind of indigenous tree found in New England. The soil is very good, with a clay bottom. The rock is sienite. The land is undulating; and at the west is a hill called Bald Pate (said to be the highest in Essex County), which commands a splendid view of the surrounding country. The land- scape is beautified by Pentucket and Rock ponds, somewhat north of the central village, about 200 and 150 acres respectively, and Sorag or Bald Pate Pond, near the western border, also of nearly 200 acres. Hesseltine Brook, from Boxford, discharges into the western pond ; and this into the next, which in turn empties into Pentucket Pond, whose outlet is Parker's River, which reaches the sea at Plum Island, east of Newbury.
These streams afford some motive power in Georgetown, which has served to run three saw mills and a flouring mill. The principal business at present is shoemaking, for which there are ten factories. About 1,000 persons are employed. There are also a woollen mill, two or three carriage factories, cordage, furniture, wearing apparel, metallic goods and food establishments, two or three tanneries, stone quarries, and other industries, whose aggregate product, for the year of the last Industrial Report, reached the value of $668,837. The farms number 172, but are generally small. Their largest products pro- portionally were wood, vegetables and fruit ; the latter including cran- berries and strawberries. There were sold of the last 41,300 quarts, amounting to $3,904. The aggregate farm product was $94,796 The Georgetown National Bank has a capital of $50,000. The savings bank, at the close of last year, held deposits to the amount of $408,854. The valuation of the town in 18SS was $1,015,049; with a tax of $15.50 on $1,000.
The population is 2,229, - 645 being voters ; and these find shelter in 482 dwelling-houses of ample proportions. The principal villages are handsomely built, and have their streets beautifully shaded in part by elm, maple and horse-chestnut, mostly of forty years' growth, There are a good town-hall, and a public library building, presented, to- gether with 3,000 volumes, by the late George Peabody ; whose sister,
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Mrs. J. R. Daniels, was resident in the town. The library has now grown to about 7,000 volumes. The schools are all graded, and occul- py eleven buildings, valued at about $15,000. The "Georgetown Ad- vocate " is an enterprising journal, and has the favorable regard of the people.
The Memorial Congregational Church, of beautiful design in the Norman style, and constructed of brick with freestone trimmings, was erected by George Peabody and his sister in memory of their mother. The other Congregational churches are the First and the Byfield. There are also one Baptist and a Roman Catholic church. The most noticeable mortuary monuments are that to the memory of Mr. John Perley, constructed of Italian marble, and one of granite to the 49 Georgetown soldiers lost of the 123 sent into the late war. This town, it is said, was represented on fourteen battle-fields for the Union.
For a long period Georgetown remained a part of the town of Row- ley, and was known as "New Rowley." It was not incorporated under its present name until April 21, 1838. The Rev. James Chandler, first pastor, was ordained October 18, 1732, and died April 16, 1788. He was followed by the Rev. Isaac Braman, who was ordained June 7, 1797, and died December 26, 1858; making these two terms of the pastoral office more than 116 years.
Among the leading citizens held in eminent esteem by the commu- nity is Mr. John Perley, who left $50,000 to found a school in the town, to be called "The Perley Institute."
Germantown, a village in Clinton; also one in Dedham and one in Quincy.
Gerry was incorporated as a town October 26, 1786 ; and the name changed to Phillipston February 5, 1814.
Gilbertville, in Hardwick.
Gill is a very beautiful town lying in the north central part of Franklin County, 97 miles from Boston by the Fitch- burg Railroad, which runs along its south side, with Connecticut River between. The New London and Northern Railroad (Vermont and Massachusetts) has a similar position on the eastern side, while the Connecticut River Railroad sweeps about it on the west and northwest, separated from it on the west by Fall River; so that, as to both rivers and railroads, the town is a peninsula.
Bernardston and Northfield bound it on the north, the latter on the east, Montague on the south, and Greenfield on the west; the rivers mentioned forming the dividing lines, except on the north. The assessed area is 8,061 acres; being six miles in length and nearly that in width. About one quarter of its area is forest, com- posed mainly of oak, maple, hickory and chestnut. The geological basis of the northern portion of the town is conglomerate and calcar- eous gneiss, with sandstone about the Connecticut on the south side.
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RECITATION HALL, BOYS' SCHOOL, MOUNT HERMON.
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On a promontory setting diagonally into this river and forming the southernmost part of the town, are found in the sandstone the gigan- tic bird-tracks which have been the subject of so much attention.
The surface of the town is charmingly diversified. Stacy Moun- tain, in the sharp bend of the Connecticut in the southeast, com- mands a delightful view of the river with its green intervales and islands, Black Rocks at its southern base, Miller's Falls a little west- ward, and, all about, the vast amphitheatre of mountain ridges. From Darby Hill, rising beautifully from the margin of the river at the middle of the eastern line of the town, and from Grass Hill at the northern angle, are other admirable prospects. Woodward's Brook drains the northern part; and Otter Pond and Lily Pond, at the north and the south, with two or three small ponds at the centre, glimmer like gems among the hills. The celebrated Turner's Falls are in the river at the southwest, between this town and the village in Montague, with which there is direct connection by a magnificent suspension bridge some 500 feet in length.
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