USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Rehoboth > Historic Rehoboth: record of the dedication of Goff memorial hall, May 10th, A.D. 1886 > Part 8
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attractive hall. Your corner lots, gentlemen, will then be in demand. But never let the railroad come any nearer. If you do, the Rehoboth of the fathers will pass away.
I perceive in the audience a goodly number of elderly people, whose memory must run back to the early part of the century. They could relate to us many interesting incidents of their childhood and traditions which they heard from their elders. May I not ask that they will carefully preserve in writing all such facts and anecdotes as they can recall, and give them to this young Anti- quarian Society, which is so full of life and promise.
I congratulate the president upon the realization of his long cherished anticipations, and I trust that his efforts will be seconded by all who have in their power to make this society the means of the greatest possible good to this whole community. And, in concluding, I beg to ex- press my hearty appreciation of the value of this noble gift, which Mr. Goff has made to his native town. Long may he live to see the visible fruits of this wise disposi- tion of his bounty.
HON. JOHN S. BRAYTON, OF FALL RIVER.
At this point John S. Brayton, Esq., of Fall River, whose maternal ancestors were natives of Rehoboth, was called by the President from the audience, and spoke sub- stantially as follows :
MR. PRESIDENT : You well remember the reply of Cor- nelia, the mother of the Gracchi, to that other Roman matron, who had exhibited her own glittering treasures and in return asked for those of Cornelia. She with a mother's affection pointed to her sons and proudly said : " These are my jewels." Rehoboth to-day, after a muni- cipal existence which covers over one-half of the period
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which has elapsed since the discovery of this continent, the mother of other municipalities in two distinct com - monwealths, and with children scattered throughout the entire country, points to her sainted, heroic and honored dead, and to her sons and daughters now living, and proudly says : "These are my jewels."
Well may every child of Rehoboth cherish with filial affection his birthplace. Here the Christian scholar, Samuel Newman, founded a town and gave it its scriptural name. Here he compiled the first concordance of the Holy Scriptures which was written upon this continent, and which to-day forms the basis of all modern concord- ances. By this he has made a name and a reputation among Christian scholars which will last as long as the language in which he wrote. Here John Myles, that eminent divine, established the first Baptist Church in Massachusetts. This church was consecrated by the prayers, the tears and the joyous hopes of your pious an- cestors. The same Christian traits which marked the character of the earlier settlers have descended to these later days. More than two hundred years after the foundation of the church here, the Rev. Mr. Lum, who was one of the predecessors of the President of this occa- sion, in his sacred office of pastor, established the first church in the Territory of Kansas.
Just outside the borders of Rehoboth was shed the first blood in King Philip's war, and here was the scene of that brilliant exploit, the capture of Annawan, which brought to a close that most sanguinary conflict, and re- sulted in the downfall of a great Indian empire. The heroism displayed during these trying times by the Rev. Noah Newman, the then pastor of the church, and by the yeomanry of Rehoboth, makes a record of which their descendants may well be proud. Many of the earlier
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Views of the "Three Houses" into which History tells us the settlers of Rehoboth were gathered for safety during King Phillip's War.
BOSTON ENG.Co.
John Myles' Garrison; built of stone and still standing near Myles' bridge, Swansea.
BOSTON ENG. Co.
Bishop house, East Providence, on site of the Garrison house, at Seekonk Common.
Hatch honse, North Attleboro, part of " Woodcock's Garrison," in the North Purchase,
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settlers of this town were men of note. Capt. Thomas Willet, the successor of Miles Standish, in the command of the military company at Plymouth, settled here about the year 1660, and purchased of Wamsutta a large tract of land, which was called "Rehoboth North Purchase." He afterward became one of the founders of the town of Swansea, and was also the first Mayor of the City of New York, and in the quaint language of the day " twice did sustain the place." Samson Mason was a soldier in Cromt well's army. Upon the restoration of the House of Stuar- he settled here, raising a family of nine sons, six of whom lived in Rehoboth and Swansea until the youngest was seventy years old. One of his sons, and three of his grandsons, were settled pastors of the Church of Christ in Swansea. Mr. Mason also subsequently became one of the founders of Swansea.
Here in Rehoboth have been nurtured many men of letters. Two of the Presidents of Brown University, one of whom addressed you this morning, were born within its limits. Here, too, was the birthplace of that distin- guished mathematician and philosopher, Benjamin West, upon whom the university conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws, for his valuable services in the cause of science. Nathan Smith, M. D., the projector of the medical depart- ment of Dartmouth College, and who was also a professor at Yale, was born here. That eminent divine, Samuel Angier, one of the Board of Fellows of Harvard College, was the third pastor of the First Church, and he was fol- lowed by the Rev. Thomas Greenwood, and he in turn was succeeded by his son John, a native of the town, both of whom graduated at Cambridge. A long line of educated clergymen have ministered unto this people here, and their mantle has now fallen upon him who presides on this occasion - a graduate of Amherst College - one who
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by his broad and varied culture, by his zeal in his work, and by his fervid piety adds lusture to the ministry of Rehoboth.
Fifty years ago, Mr. Leonard Bliss, Jr., whose portrait hangs upon the walls in the hall below, wrote a history of his native town of Rehoboth, it being among the earlier of town histories published in this commonwealth, and which reflected great credit upon its author. Upon their ancestral acres, in this town, were born Abraham Bland- ing, L.L. D., an eminent lawyer of South Carolina, the originator of that great interstate enterprise of construct- ing a railroad between Charleston, S. C., and Cincinnati, O .; William Blanding, M. D., the noted naturalist whose extensive collection in natural history is now at Brown University, where both graduated, and their brother James Blanding (the father of the treasurer of the Anti- quarian Society), a life long citizen, who for nearly a third of a century was the clerk of the town, and who by his sterling integrity and high character left behind him a cherished memory.
Rehoboth has given to the country many eminent phy- sicians. Here were born those two brothers, Nathaniel and Caleb Miller, who were foremost among the distin- guished physicians aud surgeons of their day, and whose reputations were as wide as their country. If time were allowed I would speak of others, born here, who in this and other states have upheld and honored the medical profession.
Thus we see that Rehoboth, in scholarship, culture, and in the high professional attainments of her sons, will com- pare favorably with any sister town. The sons of Reho- both, who now reside in the town, pursue to a great ex- tent the avocation of their fathers. There are few towns in which so many farms are tilled by the lineal descendents
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of the original settlers ; some of these farms are now cul- tivated by the sixth generation.
Within the original limits of this ancient town, at Paw- tucket, Mr. Samuel Slater built a factory, which is said to be the first erected in the country for the spinning of cotton. In examining this morning the interesting col- lection of antiquities in the hall below, I noticed the letters patent which were granted to Mr. Dexter Wheeler for an improvement in tide mills. This document was issued in 1811 and bears the signature of James Madison, the then President of the United States. Mr. Wheeler was born in this town, as were his ancestors. He was a machinist and a manufacturer of rare skill for those early days. In 1807 he ran a mill here, by horse power, for the spinning of cotton yarn. In 1813 Mr. Wheeler and Mr. Anthony, who was then residing here, and whose mother was a native of the town, and who had been in the employ of Mr. Slater for four years, went to Fall River and built, filled with machinery, and set in opera- tion (what is now the Fall River Manufactory), the first mill for the manufacture of cotton cloth erected in that city. One-fourth of the capital of the company was owned by citizens of Rehoboth. Almost contemporaneous with this event the "Troy Cotton and Woolen Manufactory " was established, in which enterprise Mr. Nathaniel Wheeler, another of your citizens, took an active part. From these beginnings have arisen in that city those colossal mills, whose aggregate spindles exceed in number that of any other city in America.
There have gone out from here skillful mechanics, in- telligent business men and successful manufacturers - the Goffs, the Bakers, the Marvels, the Hortons, the Earls, the Carpenters, the Pierces, the Pecks, the Blisses, the Blandings, the Wheelers, the Perrys, and many others,
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who have been potent factors in building up the cities which surround Rehoboth. One such of her sons has built this Hall which we to-day dedicate. By this gener- ous act he has raised in the hearts of his fellow citizens a monument more lasting than the stately pile which he has erected. And I know you will all unite with me, upon this his seventieth birthday, in the invocation of Horace to Augustus -
Serus in coelum redeas, diuque lacto intersis populo.
EX-GOVERNOR LITTLEFIELD, OF RHODE ISLAND.
I would not forget that I am in the good old Common- wealth of Massachusetts, and within the bounds of the ancient town of Rehoboth.
After listening with the deepest interest to the eloquent address of the orator of the day and other gentlemen who have told us what this town was and is at present, I am reminded of attending, a few. years ago, the twelfth annual reunion of the Army of the Potomac in the city of Hart- ford, in our sister State of Connecticut. On that occasion many distinguished generals were present. At the grand banquet given in the evening a number of sentiments were offered and responded to. Among the number was this one, "Our Country," to which a citizen of Rhode Island was called upon to speak. He commenced his short address by saying it was both fitting and appropriate that Rhode Island should be asked to respond to this senti- ment, for without Rhode Island our country would be very small, both in territory and population. So, Mr. Presi- dent, I may be allowed to say on this occasion, after learn- ing how large a portion of the territory of the State of Rhode Island was taken from the town of Rehoboth, had it not been for this town, Rhode Island must have been
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looked upon as a small state, and somewhat limited both in broad acres and in the number of her honorable citizens.
As i look around me to-day, I am forced to the conclu- sion that nearly all of my distinguished fellow citizens first saw the light of day in this goodly town. I con- gratulate the people of this old town upon its honorable history ; I congratulate them in having this beautiful hall in which they may gather from time to time and look upon so many relics of past generations ; I congratulate you, Mr. President, that your Society has such pleasant rooms in which to hold its meetings and to deposit the antique articles you shall gather in the days to come, and add to the already large collection of the Rehoboth Antiquarian Society.
I am sure, Mr. President, you would not have us under- stand from the interest your Society has taken in the dedication of this hall, that you think the gentleman to whom the citizens of Rehoboth are so largely indebted for this building, shows any signs of being antiquated. We look upon him in the new city of Pawtucket as a young man. No citizen can be found more ready for any new enterprise that shall build up the business of the city than the Hon. Darius Goff. What he has done for his native town may be but a beginning of what he may do in the days to come.
I join most heartily in all that has been said in praise of this old-time town to-day. I do not see my friend from Boston. I am sorry he has been obliged to leave the hall. However, I feel safe in assuring you that it will be but a short time before he will remove the office of publi- cation of the Educational Journal, over which he presides . with such maked ability, from Boston to Rehoboth, and I have no doubt the President of Brown University will
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commence farming in Rehoboth soon after that institu- tion is closed. The Reverend gentleman from the historic town of Lexington has told us how much he has enjoyed staying here, and I am sure he will soon make this town his home. In view of the prospective demand for land I would advise the farmers to advance the price of corner lots. I do not think I should like farming after learning from one of the speakers this morning that the regular hours of labor were from four in the morning till nine in the evening. I do not enjoy carly rising or many hours of labor. Mr. President, I am very glad to be with you
to-day. It has been a most delightful occasion. The descendants of the founders of this town, gathered here to day, have a right to feel proud of her more than two hundred and fifty years of honorable history. "He called the name of it Rehoboth, and he said, for now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land."
As my closing word, pardon me for saying in this pre- sence, that Roger Williams, passed this way as he jour- nied on to settle the first state founded on the enduring principles of soul liberty.
REV. S. L. WOODWORTH, OF EAST PROVIDENCE.
MR. PRESIDENT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN .- This is a great day for ministers. I am proud to be a successor of Rev. Samuel Newman. This is glory enough for one day. There is one trouble ; you have set a bad example. Every pastor will now want a memorial hall. I think I shall have a memorial annex to our chapel at Luther's Corners, in Seekonk ; one hears many kind words spoken in his praise, besides having his picture hung up in the hall.
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I am glad for the good words spoken of my Brother Tilton ; he deserves every one of them; he is not the kind of a man to be puffed up by deserving words of praise ; they won't hurt him one bit. I have summered and wintered with him ; I know the kind of material he is made of. He is a true man, and worthy of every word that has been spoken. It will be a consolation to him, in the weary, discouraging hours of his pastorate, to think of this day, with all its precious memories. His joy is my joy. It is not all so pleasant and easy to be a country pastor as it may seem ; there are many discouragements, many cold, hard rides in winter. The people are not given to over much enthusiasm in the Lord's work. They are perfectly willing that the pastor should do it all.
While you have been rejoicing over this beautiful new building, I have been thinking of Seekonk. She has been robbed until only a narrow strip of land remains. If she has not fallen among thieves, she has among barn burn- ers. Without a town hall, without a meeting house for her people, as our friend Thomas Potter says, " Her people must go to East Providence for her rum, religion and clams." Soon she must look elsewhere for her rum. Some things have happened in Rhode Island lately ; the people have been heard from. After the Ist of July the saloon must go. We think that it is time Seekonk had some religious privileges of her own. Some of us are trying to build a chapel at Luther's Corners for the people. If some one will give us a thousand dollars to enable us to complete it, we will have his picture painted and hung up in the building. It will be an oil painting, too, and not a crayon.
I am asked to make a five minute speech on " Old Rehoboth." Why, the last time I had anything to say on this subject I spoke for four hours, and then did not use
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up half of my material. One thing is certain; I have something to exhibit here to-day that no one else can pro- duce. Reference has been made to the Newman Con- cordance ; here is a copy of that concordance, prepared by the Rev. Samuel Newman, in part by the light of pine knots, in " Old Rehoboth."
When in London, at the British Museum, I found a per- fect copy of the Newman Concordance. I also examined the concordances that had preceded Newman's. I found only two had been published before this one, and they were pigmies compared to Newman's ; one was in Latin, the other was in English, and was prepared by John Mor- beck and published in 1550. This was the first English concordance to the whole Bible, The references were only to chapters, and was far from being as complete as Newman's. The Newman is, as it is called in the prefacc, "a large and complete concordance of the whole Bible," and was published in 1658. I find that it is more com- plete in some respects than those published to-day. The copy in my hand is one I found in Ohio last summer.
I was visiting an uncle in the town of Colebrook, Ohio. He lived back in an out of the way place, almost in the woods. Coming into the parlor my wife called my atten- tion to an old book on an organ stool. It was used by the children to sit on, while they played the organ. I saw at once that it was a well preserved copy of Newman's Con- cordance. With fear and trembling I took it to the owner, and asked him if that book was of any special value to him. He said it was not. I said : "I know of a place where that book would be of very great value ; I am the succes- sor of the man who wrote it two hundred and thirty-eight years ago, in the town of Rehoboth, now East Providence. The people down there would consider it a great prize.' He took the book out of the room, and after a brief con-
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sultation with his wife, he came in and said : " You can have that book." I did not jump up to the ceiling in my joy, but for a few minutes I was the happiest man in Ohio. This is a more perfect copy chan the one once owned by Samuel Newman, and now in possession of our church. This one is in the original binding, while that is not. This copy was brought from England in July, 1830, by Rev. William Allen and wife. They settled in Pittsburgh, Pa .; afterwards in Wayne, Ohio, where he preached, but soon died, leaving two sons. His widow afterwards was married to my grandfather. The eldest son, William Allen, received this book and afterwards gave it to me. You can imagine that I feel rich.
This other relic is the well known King Philip chair, one of the most important antiquarian remains connected with the history of this section. It was owned by the Abel family, who lived on the Seekonk plain in the days of Philip. Before the war, in which he was so conspicuous, he used to visit this family, and this large chair was the one he sat in. When the " Ring of the Town " was burned, this chair was brought out of the Abel house and occu- pied by Philip while the house was burning. A fire brand was thrown into the bottom of the chair when the Indians went away. The bottom and four rounds that it was fastened to were burned. The marks of the fire can be plainly seen in the four legs of the chair. After the fire, four rough rounds were hewed out and put in place of those burned. The chair remained in the possession of the Abel family until a few years ago, when it passed into the hands of the late Dr. George Mason, of Providence. After his death his effects were sold at auction. I bought this chair at that auction. It was in a dilapidated condi- tion, and held together by old ropes ; it would not stand alone when they were taken off.
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I have worked a good many hours on that old chair, brightening it up and making the weak places strong. It seems like one of the family ; I know every worm hole and crack in it. You will find a picture of this identical chair in Bryant's History of the United States, volume II. Three rounds are missing there, that I have supplied in the chair as it stands. The left arm was taken from an oak beam that was in University Hall, of Providence, and is about 115 years old.
The V in the cushion, with a dot over it, is a copy of the signature of Philip to the original deed. I think a great deal of this chair ; I regard it as a very valuable his- torical curiosity. I know you want it for your Memorial Hall. Mr. Porter tells me that the proper place for it is in the fire proof historical rooms of Boston. He would like to take it there. I know that I want it. Of late I
have made a very practical use of it ; I marry people in front of that chair, giving them a little history of it. They feel quite honored. Since I began this practice there has been a perfect rush of weddings to the parsonage. Mrs. Woodworth is the happiest woman in town. I know you would not be so cruel as to deprive us of that chair and a large share of our income.
I have enjoyed the day exceedingly ; I congratulate you on its success; I trust your beautiful hall will prove a great blessing to the town.
HON. HENRY B. METCALF, OF PAWTUCKET.
Hon. Henry B. Metcalf replied to a call for a speech substantially as follows :
He said that although the call to speak was entirely unexpected, he was not altogether sorry that he had the opportunity to make public correction of the somewhat
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popular fallacy that ministers were usually not apt in what we call business shrewdness. The gentleman who had just taken his seat had, by the narrative of his acquire- ment of antiquarian treasures, given abundant evidence that there was, at least, one parson who didn't need any guardian in secular affairs. His device of making it attractive to young people to come to him to get married by permitting the bride to sit in the antique arm chair, would do credit even to a political Justice of the Peace.
Mr. Metcalf, in commending the dedicatory oration, re- ferred especially to its happy presentation of the three- fold provision of the Goff Memorial Building in behalf of good citizenship : First, in perpetuating the instructive memories of the past through its Antiquarian Department ; second, in contemplating discussion of present duty in its hall for the convenience of general assemblage of citizens, and, third, in providing for the education of the citizen of the future, by its school room and library room. He con- gratulated the venerable benefactor, seated by his side, that he had secured for himself the pleasure of witnessing the fruits of his generosity by making himself his own executor.
SEN. GEORGE N. BLISS, ESQ., OF EAST PROVIDENCE.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN :- The chairman said the speakers would be allowed only five minutes each. He is a minister and I have always found the profession, of which he is so bright an ornament, reckless in disregard of rules and orders. The five-minute rule was observed until a minister was called upon, and then it ceased to have any binding force, but as I am a lawyer I propose to obey the law and take my seat when my five minutes expire.
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As a lineal descendant of that Thomas Bliss who came here under the leadership of Rev. Samuel Newman, in 1644, I take great interest in the work so fitly crowned here to-day. New England has reason to be proud of such towns as Rehoboth. An incident from my own ex- perience may show you how it looks to one " not to the manor born." It was my fortune during the late rebel- lion to come, while wounded and a prisoner, under the charge of J. S. Davis, M. D., then professor of anatomy and materia medica in the University of Virginia, and the friendship then formed between foes in war terminated only with his death.
In 1880 a gentleman from Alabama, who had entered the Confederate service as a Lieutenant at Bull Run, and who was three times wounded in battle, bore when peace came the rank of Brigadier-General, came to me with a let- ter of introduction from Dr. Davis. I had known "that stern joy which warriors feel in foemen worthy of their steel," and with pleasure took him to see the varied indus- tries and wonderful machines of my native state. After a day thus spent he asked, "What is your population ?" and surprised at the small number he replied, " Well, it may be that in figures, but you have so organized indus- try here that you count for at least a million."
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