USA > Massachusetts > Gazetteer of the state of Massachusetts, pt 1 > Part 34
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The Indian name of this territory was Petapawag. It was granted to Deane Winthrop and others, and incorporated May 29, 1655. The name of "Groton " was probably given to it in memory of the posses- sions of the Winthrop family in Suffolk County, England. It then embraced an area of eight miles square, from which have since been taken parts of the towns of Dunstable, Westford, Littleton, Harvard, Shirley, Pepperell and Ayer. Among the first settlers were John Lakin, Richard and Robert Blood, and William Martin. The Rev. Samuel Willard, ordained in 1663, was the first minister. He was
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afterward minister of the Old South Church in Boston, and, later, President of Harvard College.
The people suffered greatly during Philip's War, and for a while the settlement was abandoned. Dr. Timothy Dwight thus describes the depredations of the Indians : -
" In 1676 a body of savages entered it on the 2d of March, plundered several houses, and carried off a number of cattle. On the 9th they ambushed four men who were driving their carts, killed one, and took a second; but while they were disputing about the manner of putting him to death he escaped. On the 13th, about four hundred of these people assaulted Groton again. The inhabitants, alarmed by the recent destruction of Lancaster, had retreated into five garrisoned houses. Four of these were within musket-shot of each other. The fifth stood at the distance of a mile. Between the four neighbor- ing ones were gathered all the cattle belonging to the inhabitants.
" In the morning, two of the Indians showed themselves behind a hill near one of the four garrisons, with an intention to decoy the inhabitants out of their fortifications. The alarm was immediately given. A considerable part of the men in this garrison, and several from the next, imprudently went out to surprise them ; when a large body, who had been lying in ambush for this purpose, arose instantaneously, and fired upon them. The English fled. Another party of the Indians at the same time came upon the rear of the nearest garrison, thus deprived of its defence, and began to pull down the palisades. The flying English retreated to the next garrison ; and the women and children, forsaken as they were, escaped, under the protection of Providence, to the same place of safety. The ungarrisoned houses in the town were then set on fire by the savages.
" In a similar manner they attempted to surprise the solitary garrison ; one of their people being employed to decoy the English out of it into an ambush in the neighborhood. The watch, however, discovering the ambush, gave the alarm and prevented the mischief intended. The next day, the Indians with- drew; having burnt about forty dwelling-houses and the church, together with barns and out-houses."
Their leader was John Monoco, who was afterward captured, taken to Boston and hanged.
Groton has produced many eminent men, of whom are Colonel Wil- liam Prescott (1726-1795) ; Oliver Prescott, M.D. (1762-1827), an author, and founder of Groton Academy; Samuel Dana (1767-1835), Amos Lawrence (1786-1852), Ether Shepley, LL.D. (1789-187-), and Abbott Lawrence, LL.D. (1792-1855). Hon. Timothy Bige- low, Hon. Luther Lawrence, Hon. William M. Richardson, and Judge James Prescott, belong in the first quarter of this century ; a little later were Hon. Timothy Fuller and Margaret Fuller (Ossoli). Hon. George S. Boutwell, LL.D., formerly a United States senator, and, later, secretary of the Treasury, was long a resident of Groton.
Grout's Corner, a village in Montague.
Groveland is a handsome town on the south bank of the Merrimack River, and in the northerly part of Essex County, 34 miles north of Boston, with which it connects by the Haverhill Branch of the Danvers and Newburyport line of the Bos- ton and Maine Railroad. It is bounded on the north by Haverhill and West Newbury ; on the northeast by the latter ; on a small space at the east by Newbury ; on the southeast and south by Georgetown ;
GROVELAND - GUINEA. 349
on a short southwestern line by the northern part of Boxford; and on the northwest line by Bradford and Haverhill. From the latter it is separated by the Merrimack, across which, at Groveland village, is an excellent iron bridge 800 feet in length.
The assessed area is 5,230 acres, which includes small scattered tracts of forest aggregating 1,495 acres, and composed mostly of pine and oak. The surface is otherwise finely diversified with swelling eminences, fertile valleys and frequent ponds and streams. There are several points especially attractive, - as the grove on the Merrimack, Mount Perry, Eagle Bluff, Father Perry's Walk, old " Federal City," and Mutton Pie Swamp. The scenery on the banks of the Merrimack, which sweeps grandly along its northern side, is very beautiful. It is here a tidal stream navigable for vessels of 200 tons. Salmon, shad and other fish are taken from its waters. Parker River, gathering its volume in two ponds in the eastern section of the town, flows eastward through Newbury into the ocean. In this section also is another small village. Johnson's Pond, a charming sheet of water in the western angle of the town, containing about 300 acres, sends a tributary by a fall of sixty feet into the Merrimack River, afford- ing power for the several factories in West Groveland Village. The manufactures of the town are chiefly woollen goods ("Groveland Mills " having three mills), employing some 400 persons; boots and shoes, employing nearly 300; also carriages, metallic goods, lumber, food preparations and materials for building.
Numerous elms and maples adorn the streets and diversify the landscape. The underlying rock is Merrimack schist and calcareous gneiss, with some rocks of slaty character and masses of metalliferous rock. The usual crops are cultivated ; and the 133 farms, in 1885, reported an aggregate product reaching the value of $68,281. The valuation in 1888 was $877,555; with a tax-rate of $16 on $1,000. The population was 2,272, - an increase of 496 since 1870. The dwelling-houses numbered 396. The public schools are completely graded, and occupy eight buildings valued at $16,000. The churches are Congregational, Methodist, American Episcopal, and Roman Cath- olic. A tasteful monument on the common commemorates the loss of the 24 soldiers lost from the 117 sent by the town into the war for the Union.
This town, originally the East Precinct of Bradford, was incorpo- rated March 8, 1850 ; being named (it is supposed) from its beauti- ful groves of oak and maple.
The first church in the place was organized June 7, 1727; when the Rev. William Balch was ordained pastor.
Among persons of eminence, formerly citizens, may be mentioned Hon. George Savay, Dr. Benjamin Parker, Nathaniel Ladd, Dr. Jere. miah Spofford, Peter Parks, Rev. Gardner B. Perry, Jacob W. Reed, Amos Parker, Edward C. Peabody, Charles Peabody, Col. Daniel B. Stickney, Stephen Parker, Nathaniel Parker and Capt. Phineas Hardy.
Guinea, a village in Newburyport.
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Gurnet, The, the outermost point of Duxbury Neck, bear- ing a light and marking the outer entrance of Duxbury Bay and Plymouth Harbor.
Gurney's Corners, a village in Hanson.
Hadley is a very pleasant and fertile farming town of 286 farins, 396 houses, and 1,747 inhabitants, situated mid- way in the northerly side of Hampshire County, about 109 miles west of Boston. The Massachusetts Central Railroad passes through Had- ley village a little south of the middle of the town, connecting it closely with all the principal lines in this section of the State.
This town is bounded on the north by Sunderland, on the east by Amherst, on the south by South Hadley, and on the west by North- ampton and Hatfield. The Connecticut River forms the entire western line, and the long ridge of Mount Holyoke divides it from its neighbor on the south. The assessed area is 12,757 acres. There are 2,191 acres of forest, consisting of pine, hemlock, oak, chestnut, maple, ash and white birch. The underlying rock is the lower sand- stone, sienite, calcareous gneiss and dolorites. Mount Warner rises boldly midway of the western side, while at the southwest Mount Holyoke looks down upon the Connecticut River from a height of 830 feet. This eminence, though steep and somewhat difficult of ascent, is much frequented by lovers of the beautiful, and affords a prospect of great extent. On the summit are a public house and an observatory. One of the curiosities of this locality is an immense bowlder, which, because of its remarkable attractive power, is called "The Magnet."
The principal affluents of the Connecticut in this town are Mill River on the north and Fort River on the south, both furnishing motive power. The alluvial meadows on the Connecticut River are among the most productive of the State, yielding large quantities of hay, grain, broom-corn and tobacco. In 1870 as many as 583 acres were devoted to the culture of the last-named article, yielding 1,006,000 pounds, valued at $150,000; and about 110 acres were in broom-corn, yielding 60,000 pounds of broom-brush, valued at $9,000, and 9,510 bushels of seed, valued at $5,000. The census of 1885 shows a general reduction in the figures of all the statistics of this town. In the item of tobacco, the yield was 920,000 pounds, worth $99,938. The other crops bear the usual proportion ; the aggregate product having a value of $389,840. In manufactures there are two grain mills, three lumber mills, five corn-broom factories, one carriage factory, a brick-yard, and one or more stone quarries. The value of the manufactures in the year mentioned was $78,533. The valuation in 1888 was $971,852, with a tax-rate of $12 on $1,000.
The public schools are completely graded, and occupy ten buildings having a value of nearly $20,000. There are three churches in the town, - all Congregationalist, the edifices being of the early style, with tall slender spires visible from afar over the tree-tops. On Mill River are the pleasant villages of North Hadley and Plainville ; and
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HIALF-MOON ISLAND - HALIFAX.
in other parts are " Fort River," " Hart's Brook," Hockanum, and Russellville. The largest settlement is Hadley village, built princi- pally on a long and level street running north and south across the neck of a peninsula formed by a westward bend of the Connecticut River. The street is wide and well shaded with ancient trees. A noble iron bridge 1,200 feet in length connects it with the village of Northampton, two or three miles distant on the western side.
Other objects of interest are the free High school, the two public libraries in the two larger villages, the town-hall, and Mount Holyoke with its hotel, its curious and impressive features and its magnificent extent of beautiful landscape. Hopkins Academy, located in this town, was burned in 1860; and the fund has since been applied to the improvement of the public school. In four neighboring towns are five flourishing institutions of high rank, and these, with the manufacturing advantages of other towns along the noble river, have become stronger centres of attraction, leaving Hadley, as it has been from its early days, simply a wealthy agricultural town.
The Indian name of Hadley was Norwottock. Gov. John Webster and the Rev. John Russell, the first settlers, came here in 1659 from Connecticut. The place may have been named from Hadleigh, in Essex County, England. The first church was established under the pastorate of the Rev. John Russell in 1659; and the town was incor- porated May 20, 1661.
Hadley was attacked by a large body of Indians during Philip's War, who after a long and sharp encounter were compelled to retreat. It is said that the people ascribed their deliverance to Gen. William Goffe, the regicide, who with his father-in-law, Gen. Edmund Whalley, were living under assumed names in the family of the Rev. John Russell.
Eminent men : Worthington Smith, D.D. (1793-1856), president of the University of Vermont from 1849 to 1856; Parsons Cooke, D.D. (1800-1864), an able theologian, editor and author; Simeon Nash, (1804), an able lawyer and author; Gen. Joseph Hooker (1815), major-general U.S.A., commander of the army of the Potomac; Fred- eric Dan Huntington, D.D., an able divine, bishop of Central New York since April 8, 1869.
Half-Moon Island, in the southwest part of Boston Harbor.
Halfway Pond, a pond and a village in Plymouth.
Halifax lies in the central part of Plymouth County, 28 miles southeast of Boston by the Old Colony Rail- road, which passes along its northeastern border. It has for its boundaries Hanson and Pembroke on the north; Jones River Pond and Plympton on the east; the latter and Middleborough on the south; and Bridgewater and East Bridgewater on the west. Its assessed area is 9,378 acres; about one half of this being more or less wooded.
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GAZETTEER OF MASSACHUSETTS.
The land in the eastern part of the town is level; in the western part diversified by gradual swells and valleys. Monponset Pond, a beautiful sheet of water about two miles long by half a mile broad, lies in the northern part of the town; and there are a series of small ponds across the town from this to Robbin's Pond, in Bridgewater, just over the western line. Great Cedar Swamp extends from the centre of the town over the northern line. The Winnetuxet River, a narrow and circuitous stream, flows through the southwestern sec- tion of the town, and joins the Titicut in Bridgewater. Vessels were formerly built upon this river, and floated down to the Taunton River and thence to Newport. There are some valuable beds of peat in this place, and graywacke and granite constitute the geological forma- tion. The soil is sandy loam. The greenhouse and hotbed products are large in comparison to the usual crops. The value of the aggre- gate product of the 103 farms, in 1885, was $65,940. There are several saw mills and a wooden-box mill in the town, the last em- ploying from seven to ten persons. A few persons are engaged in making boots and shoes; and there are two or three other articles made in small quantities. The aggregate value of manufactured products in the last census year was $37,821. The valuation in 1888 was $247,464; and the tax-rate was $13.60 on $1,000. The inhabi- tants numbered 530; and their dwellings, 142. There are 140 legal voters. The public schools occupy four buildings, valued at upwards of $1,500. There is a public library of upwards of 1,500 volumes. The Congregationalists, Baptists and Universalists have churches here. The town is very healthful, and the wealth is distributed among the people very equally.
The place was originally settled by the direct descendants of the Pilgrims ; and among the names of its early citizens are those of Sturtevant, Thomson, Bosworth, Briggs and Waterman. A church was built in 1733; and John Cotton, author of "The History of Plymouth Church," was the first minister. In the great swamp in this town Captain Benjamin Church captured the Monponsets in the summer of 1676, " and brought them in, not one escaping." From this tribe the place had its early name. Its present name was given at the incorporation, July 4, 1734, in honor of the Duke of Halifax. Its territory was taken from Plympton, Middleborough, Pembroke and Bridgewater.
Halifax bore its part handsomely in the war of the Revolution ; and for the war of 1812 it furnished an entire company, under Cap- tain Asa Thompson, who was known as the "Tall Captain," being six feet and six inches in height. This company was chartered by Governor John Hancock in 1792. Its existence was maintained con- tinuously; and it served also in the late Rebellion. In this war the town lost 24 out of the 96 men furnished. In 1867 it erected on the square in front of the Congregational church, at an expense of $1,000, a granite monument to their memory.
Hallsville, in Lawrence.
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HAMILTON.
Hamilton is a pleasant rural town in the central part of Essex County, and is intersected by the Eastern line of the Boston and Maine Railroad, 24 miles northeast of Boston. The Essex Branch runs from the main line eastward through the town. Ipswich lies on the north, Essex on the east, Manchester and Wenham on the south, and Topsfield on the west.
Except on the southern side (which is a straight line) the outline of the town is extremely irregular. The assessed area is 8,825 acres. Of this, 1,835 acres are forest, consisting chiefly of hemlock and pine. The land is rather level; Vineyard Hill in the west, and Brown's Hill in the southeast, being the highest elevations. Che- bacco, Gravel, Round and Beck's ponds diversify the southeastern section of the town; a large swamp occupies the southwestern angle ; and Miles River runs across the town from south to north, parallel with the central village. Black Brook drains the northwest part of the town, discharging into Ipswich River, which forms the western portion of the northern line, as well as the southern part of the western line. Sienite is the underlying stone. The soil is a black loam, and quite productive.
The 93 farms in 1885 yielded crops and other products to the value of $106,121. The manufactures consist of boots and shoes, carriages, ice and other food preparations; these amounting, in the last census year, to $117,725. The valuation in 1888 was $772,070, with a tax of $S.10 on $1,000. The population is 851; and the number of dwelling-houses, 222. There are four school buildings, valued at upwards of $2,500. The Congregationalists and the Methodists have each a church here.
Asbury Grove, a noted camp-meeting ground in the southwestern part of the town, is laid out with streets, avenues and parks, on which have been constructed numerous cottages in various styles of architecture for the accommodation of families during the continu- ance of the meetings, which annually attract thousands to this delightful spot.
A church was organized here in October 27, 1714, as the third of Ipswich ; and at that time the Rev. Samuel Wigglesworth was ordained as pastor.
This town was originally a part of Ipswich. It was called "The Hamlet " until its incorporation, June 21, 1793, when it received its present name in honor of Alexander Hamilton. Among the per- sons of eminence, natives of this town, are Fanny Woodbury (1791-1814), Daniel Safford (1792-1856), noted for benevolence; and Mary Abigail Dodge ("Gail Hamilton ") (1838), the most popu- lar lady-essayist of the last twenty-five years, and regarded as still a resident of the town.
Hampden is a new and thriving agricultural and manufac- turing town in the eastern section of Hampden County, bordering on Connecticut, and about 90 miles west by south- west of Boston. The Boston and Albany, the New London and Northern and the Connecticut River railroads pass through the adjoining towns on the north, east and west.
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GAZETTEER OF MASSACHUSETTS.
Wilbraham bounds it on the north, Monson on the east, Long- meadow on the west, and the town of Somers, in Connecticut, on the south.
"The territory is nearly square; having an assessed area of 11,751 acres.' Of this, 5,472 acres are forests, consisting of chestnut, oak and birch, chiefly. The scenery is rather wild, but beautiful. Rattlesnake Hill rises grandly at the Connecticut line to a height of 1,077 feet; and a range of hills extends from this northerly and medially through the town. Scantie Brook, rising in Wilbraham and Monson, flows through the central village westward through the town, furnishing power at several points on its course. The under- lying rock is mainly calcareous gneiss, and good building stone is quarried at several points. The soil is sandy loam, of considerable fertility.
The town is somewhat noted for its various wild berries, which have been a source of profit. Its 138 farms in 1885 yielded prod- ucts whose aggregate value was $118,189. The manufactures amount to a much larger sum. In the southeastern part of the town is a paper mill ; in various quarters are three lumber mills, a carriage factory, and at the centre are a five-set mill making union cassi- meres, a four-set, devoted to ladies' dress goods, and a three-set mill making blankets. The population is 868, of whom 212 are voters ; and there are 210 dwelling-houses. The valuation of the town in 1888 was $405,610.
The public schools consist of the grades of primary and grammar, occupying four buildings valued at nearly $5,000. There is also a private educational institution bearing the name, "South Wilbraham Education Society," which has a school building and appurtenances valued at $2,200. The Lacowsic Circulating Library has a nucleus of upwards of 500 volumes, and there are two Sunday-school libraries. The churches are the Congregationalist, Baptist and Methodist.
The Indian name for this locality was Minnechaug, meaning " berry- land." The town was formerly the southern part of Wilbraham (established June 15, 1763), from which it was taken and incorpo- rated, March 28, 1878. It has the honor of bearing the county name.
Hancock is a long, narrow, and mountainous township in the northern half of the western side of Berk- shire County, and 158 miles west of Boston. Pittsfield, on the Boston and Albany Railroad, and Lebanon Springs, and Montreal (in Stephentown), on Harlem Extension Division of the Vermont Railroad, are the nearest stations. This town is bounded north by Williamstown, east by New Ashford, Lanesborough and Pittsfield, south by Richmond, and west by New Lebanon and Stephentown in New York. Its length is 16 miles north and south, and from two to three miles east and west. The assessed area is 20,696 acres. Of this, 9,683 acres are devoted to forest, which here consists chiefly of beech, birch and maple.
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Much of the land is too rough for cultivation, but the sides of the mountains afford excellent pasturage. On Kinderhook Creek (which, flowing southward, leaves the town at the middle of its western side) there is a long, narrow valley of singular fertility, where may be seen some of the best farms of the county. On this stream, at its westward turn, is Hancock village, principally on one street shaded by maple trees. Here and at other points are two tanneries, saw mills and a carding mill. At the southwest angle is the " Shaker Settlement." Between these two little villages, em- bracing about one-half the township, the land is so mountainous and broken that it is almost uninhabited and roadless. The principal elevation is Old Tower Hill, near the centre of the tract. There are 69 farms in the town, whose product in the last census year was valued at $74,407; and the manufactures at $71,586. The valua- tion in 1888 was $364,686, with a tax-rate of $10.50 on $1,000. The population was 613, and there were 120 houses. The five school- houses are valued at 82,500. There is a Baptist church here; and the Sunday school has a library containing about 300 volumes.
This plantation was called "Jericho," on account of its mountain walls. It was incorporated a town July 2, 1676, and named for the patriot, John Hancock. The early settlers here were mostly Baptists from Connecticut and Rhode Island. Among them were Timothy Hurlburt, Col. John Ashley, Josiah Dean, Martin Town- send and Asa Douglas. The latter was a grantee in 1760, but lived just over the line in Stephentown, N. Y., and was the great grand- father of Stephen A. Douglass. The settlers built their first meet- ing-house in 1791, having worshipped in a log-house previously. Elder Clark Rogers, settled over them about 1770, was the first minister. The Shakers settled here as early as 1780, and built a meeting-house in 1784. Their circular stone barn, 270 feet in diameter, is a unique structure that attracts the attention of the traveller.
This town furnished 70 men to the Union armies in the late war, and lost ten.
Hanover is a very pleasant town in the northerly part of Plymouth County, 26 miles from Boston, with which it is connected by the Hanover Branch of the Old Colony Railroad. It is bounded on the north by Rockland and South Scit- uate, on the east by the latter, on the south by Pembroke and Han- son, and on the west by Rockland. The assessed area is 9,297 acres, including 3,896 acres of woodland.
The Four Corners village, at the confluence of the Third Herring Brook and North River (forming respectively the eastern and the southern lines of the town), is "Hanover" station, the terminal point of the railroad, at the southeast corner of the town. Other stations and villages along the railroad are Curtis' Crossing, Wins- low's Crossing, South Hanover and West Hanover. Other villages are the centre, North Hanover, and at the northeast corner, Assin- ippa Village, having West Scituate as its post-office.
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GAZETTEER OF MASSACHUSETTS.
With the exception of Walnut Hill in the north, and Round Top in the southwest, the land is quite generally level, and the scenery somewhat monotonous. The underlying rock is sienite and car- boniferous. Here and there a small pond meets the eye. Several sources of the North River spring up in this town, and, uniting, flow into Indian Pond, which, for some distance, divides the town from Hanson; and then the river itself forms the divisional line between the town and Pembroke. Formerly there was considerable shipbuilding on this stream, for which Hanover and the neighbor- ing towns furnished excellent white oak timber.
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