USA > Massachusetts > Historical collections, being a general collection of interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes, &c., relating to the history and antiquities of every town in Massachusetts, with geographical descriptions > Part 29
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"The connection of the deceased with the Boston Atheneum was so beneficial to this institution, that the trustees are urged alike by official duty and by private feeling to express their sense of his loss. This institution is deeply indebted to the late Dr. Bowditch for the zeal with which he labored to advance its interests. Finding it weak, he determined, in connection with several other public-spirited individuals, to make it prosper. Their appeals to the munificence of our wealthy citizens were successful, and the resources of the Athenaeum were greatly increased. For several years Dr. Bow- ditch, continuing a member of this Board, aided in the application of the funds which he had done so much to procure, and the high rank which the scientific portion of our library enjoys among similar institutions in the United States, is in a great measure owing to his judgment and exertions.
" But Dr. Bowditch has far higher claims to notice. He stood at the head of the scien- tific men of this country, and no man living has contributed more to his country's reputation. His fame is of the most durable kind, resting on the union of the highest genius with the most practical talent, and the application of both to the good of his fellow-men. Every American ship crosses the ocean more safely for his labors, and the most eminent mathematicians of Europe have acknowledged him their equal in the highest walks of their science. His last great work ranks with the noblest pro- ductions of our age."-Extract from the Records of the Boston Atheneum.
The following is from a granite monument in this place.
Beneath this monument are deposited the remains of TIMOTHY & REBECCA PICK- ERING. He was an assertor of the rights of the North American Colonies, a soldier in the War for their Independence, a Statesman in the cabinet of Washington. Integrity, disinterestedness, energy, ability, fearlessness in the cause of Truth and Justice, marked his public conduct : pure in morals, simple in manners, sincerc, benevolent, and pious in private life, he was revered and honored. She, during a life of extraor- dinary vicissitude, was distinguished by fortitude, resignation, discretion, maternal affection ; in the words of her bereaved husband, " A spirit more gentle, more inno- cent, more pure, never perhaps appeared in the female form." "He was born July 17th, 1745, and she on the 18th of the same month, 1754 : she died August 14th, 1828, he January 29th, 1829.
SALISBURY.
SALISBURY is the oldest town in Massachusetts on the north bank of the Merrimac, it being incorporated in 1640. 'The Rev.
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SALISBURY.
John Wheelwright, the brother of the famous Mrs. Hutchinson, and founder of Exeter, N. H., was minister here some time, and died here in 1679, at a very advanced age. He embraced Mrs. Hutch- inson's antinomian sentiments, and on this account was banished from the jurisdiction of Massachusetts; he was, however, restored afterwards on confession. Several sessions of the general court have been held here; an important sitting was had in 1737, for the purpose of settling the boundary between New Hampshire and Massachusetts ; the legislature of New Hampshire sitting at Hamp- ton, the adjoining town, at the same time.
The first church in this town was formed in 1638; the first pas- tor was Rev. William Worcester, who came from Salisbury in England, and was settled at the organization of the church. He died in 1662, and was succeeded by Rev. John Wheelwright, of whom some mention has been made. The third pastor was Rev. John Alling, who settled here in 1687, and died 1696 ; he was suc- ceeded by Rev. Caleb Cushing, in 1698. The fifth pastor was Rev. Edmund Noyes, who settled here in 1751, and died 1809. The second Congregational church was founded in 1718. The first Baptist society was founded in 1779; the Methodist in 1805; the Christian in 1820; the Universalist in 1831; the Congregational Evangelical Union in 1835; and the Salisbury and Amesbury Mills Christian Union Society in 1833.
Salisbury is a flourishing town, and most of the soil is good. The town is bordered on the river opposite Newburyport by a salt marsh, one mile and a half in extent; beyond that the ground rises and is gently uneven ; it grows narrower farther up the river. On the sea-shore is a beach of yellow sand, over which in high tides the sea sometimes rushes to a great extent. There are three villages in the township-one opposite Newburyport; another, called the Point, at the mouth of Powow river, where formerly much ship-building was carried on; the other forms part of the Mills village. (See Amesbury.)
In the limits of the town there were in 1837 1 cotton mill, 2 woollen mills, with 20 sets of machinery ; 850,000 yards of cloth were manufactured, the value of which was $275,000; males em- ployed, 200; females, 100. Shoes manufactured, 65,500 pairs, valued at $40,800; males employed, 87; females, 48. Nine ves- sels were employed in the cod and mackerel fishery ; hands employed, 45. In five years preceding 1837, there were 47 vessels built ; tonnage, 3,975 ; valued at $89,644; hands employed in ship- building, 81. The continental frigate Alliance was built here during the Revolution. Population, 2,675. Distance, 35 miles N. E. from Boston.
A tornado which took place in this vicinity, on the 1st of August, 1773, is thus described in a publication of that period :-
The tornado took its course from the east, first struck Salisbury Point, and, following the course of the Merrimac river, spread havoc before it for the space of a mile in width, extending to Haverhill. The devastation was almost beyond conception or description. Almost every house and building from Salisbury Point to a quarter of a mile above Amesbury ferry, was levelled with the ground, uprooted, or otherwise dam-
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SAUGUS.
aged. A Capt. Smith, who belonged to Beverly, was sitting in a sail-maker's loft, at Amesbury, when the storm commenced, and in a moment he and the whole build- ing were carried away together, the building rent to pieces and dispersed. Capt. Smith was found lying senseless ninety-four feet from the sill of the loft he was car- ried from ; one of his legs was broken, and he was otherwise bruised. A large white oak post, fourteen feet in length, and twelve by ten inches, was transported one hun- dred and thirty-eight feet. Two vessels of ninety tons, building in Amesbury, were lifted from the blocks, and carried sidewise through the air twenty-two feet. A large bundle of shingles was taken from the ground, and thrown three hundred and thirty feet, in an opposite direction to that of the post above mentioned, and at right angles to the course the vessels were carried. Large trees were torn up by the roots and cast into the river. Large oak planks were hurled, with the velocity of cannon balls, through the roofs of houses ; and, in fine, during the hurricane, which lasted a few minutes only, the air was filled with every thing that could be moved, whirling with the most surprising rapidity through the air, and surrounding the affrighted inhabi- tants, some of whom were taken up by the winds, carried a considerable way, and let down safe; others were buried in their cellars, but were dug out without receiving any hurt. About one hundred and fifty buildings fell.
In Haverhill, the inhabitants fled in consternation from one large dwelling-house, which was blown down, and thought to save themselves in a barn, which was almost new, and filled with about thirty tons of hay; but the barn was entirely blown to pieces, in another moment, and some parts of it carried to the distance of three miles.
This tempest was preceded by heavy rain and gross darkness ; and it appeared first on the Merrimac river, which was in the utmost tumult, rolling upon the banks, and threatening to swallow up the affrighted inhabitants.
SAUGUS.
THIS town formed the west parish of Lynn till 1815, when it was incorporated as a distinct town, and received the name of Saugus, the Indian name of Lynn. The first church (the third of Lynn) was founded here in 1736, and Rev. Edward Cheever was settled here in 1739; the Rev. Joseph Roby in 1752; Rev. William Frothingham in 1804; Rev. Joseph Emerson in 1821 ; Rev. Ephraim Randall in 1826; and Rev. Sidney Holman in 1833. The Methodist society was organized in 1810; there is also a society of Universalists in this town.
This town is centrally intersected by Saugus river, which winds its way through its whole length, with numerous bends. On the banks of the river are meadows and marsh lands, and the salt marshes near the sea are very extensive. The greater part of the rest of the township is rough and uneven, and to a considerable extent covered with wood. The land upon the river is generally good, well cultivated, and productive. In 1837, there were manu- factured in this town 190,326 pairs of shoes, the value of which was $149,847 ; males employed,. 269; females, 114. Snuff and cigars were manufactured to the value of $27,473, and 62 persons were employed in the manufacture. There is also a woollen fac- tory and dying establishment. Population, 1,123. Distance, 3 miles from Lynn, 10 from Salem, and 9 from Boston.
An iron mine was discovered at an early period on the west bank of the Saugus, and as early as 1645 iron works were established by a company in England. The village at the foundry was called Hant- mersmith by some of the workmen, who came from a place of that name in England. Iron was manufactured here for more than one
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TOPSFIELD.
hundred years, but seldom in large quantities. Heaps of scoria or cinder banks are still to be seen near where the works stood.
In 1658 there was a great earthquake in New England, con- nected with which is the following story, which is taken from Mr. Lewis' History of Lynn.
Some time previous, on one pleasant evening, a little after sunset, a small vessel was seen to anchor near the mouth of Saugus river. A boat was presently lowered from her side, into which four men descended, and moved up the river a considerable distance, when they landed, and proceeded directly into the woods. They had been noticed by only a few individuals; but in those early times, when the people were surrounded by danger, and easily susceptible of alarm, such an incident was well cal- culated to awaken suspicion, and in the course of the evening the intelligence was conveyed to many houses. In the morning, the people naturally directed their eyes toward the shore, in search of the strange vessel-but she was gone, and no trace could be found either of her or her singular crew. It was afterwards ascertained that, on that morning, one of the men at the iron works, on going into the foundry, dis- covered a paper, on which was written, that if a quantity of shackles, handcuffs, hatchets, and other articles of iron manufacture, were made and deposited, with secrecy, in a certain place in the woods, which was particularly designated, an amount of silver, to their full value, would be found in their place. The articles were made in a few days, and placed in conformity with the directions. On the next morning they were gone, and the money was found according to the promise; but though a watch had been kept, no vessel was seen. Some months afterward, the four men returned, and selected one of the most secluded and romantic spots in the woods of Saugus, for their abode. The place of their retreat was a deep narrow valley, shut in on two sides by high hills and craggy precipitous rocks, and shrouded on the others by thick pines, hemlocks, and cedars, between which there was only one small spot to which the rays of the sun at noon could penetrate. On climbing up the rude and almost perpen- dicular steps of the rock on the eastern side, the eye could command a full view of the bay on the south, and a prospect of a considerable portion of the surrounding country. The place of their retreat has ever since been called the Pirates' Glen, and they could not have selected a spot on the coast for many miles, more favorable for the purposes both of concealment and observation. Even at this day, when the neighbor- hood has become thickly peopled, it is still a lonely and desolate place, and probably not one in a hundred of the inhabitants has ever descended into its silent and gloomy recess. There the pirates built a small hut, made a garden, and dug a well, the appearance of which is still visible. It has been supposed that they buried money ; but though people have dug there, and in several other places, none has ever been found. After residing there some time, their retreat became known, and one of the king's cruisers appeared on the coast. They were traced to their glen, and three of them were taken and carried to England, where it is probable they were executed. The other, whose name was Thomas Veal, escaped to a rock in the woods, about two miles to the north, in which was a spacious cavern, where the pirates had previously deposited some of their plunder. There the fugitive fixed his residence, and practised the trade of a shoemaker, occasionally coming down to the village to obtain articles of suste- nance. He continued his residence till the great earthquake this year, when the top of the rock was loosened, and crushed down into the mouth of the cavern, enclosing the unfortunate inmate in its unyielding prison. It has ever since been called the Pirate's Dungeon. A part of the cavern is still open, and is much visited by the curious.
TOPSFIELD.
THIS town was at the time of its settlement called New Meadows. It was settled about 1639, but was not incorporated till 1650. The first settlers were from Salem and Ipswich. The names of some of the principal inhabitants were Bradstreet, Clark, Cum- mings, Smith, Town, Wildes, and Easty. Mr. Knight and Mr. Wm. Perkins were preachers here before the formation of a church.
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WENHAM.
Mr. Perkins died in 1682. A church was formed and Rev. Thomas Gilbert was ordained in 1663; he was dismissed in 1671, and succeeded by Rev. Jeremiah Hobart the next year. Mr. Ho- bart was dismissed in 1680. Rev. Joseph Capen, his successor, was ordained in 1684. Rev. John Emerson, the next pastor, was ordained in 1728, and died in 1774. Rev. Daniel Breck, his suc- cessor, was ordained in 1779, and dismissed in 1788. Rev. Asa- hel Huntington was the next minister, in 1789, and died in 1813. Rev. Rodney G. Dennis was ordained in 1820. The Methodist society in this place was formed in 1830.
The surface of the township is uneven, and there are some hills of considerable elevation. The plain on which the church stands, and the sides of the hills around it, present a pleasant prospect. There are some handsome buildings and an academy in the place. Newburyport turnpike passes a short distance from the meeting- house. Population, 1,049. Distance, 9 miles from Salem, 13 from Haverhill, and 21 from Boston. In 1837, there were 900 pairs of boots and 124,396 pairs of shoes manufactured in this town; 272 males and 269 females were employed in this business. The value of boots and shoes manufactured was estimated at $98,676.
WENHAM.
THE first regular settlement in this town appears to have been made about the year 1639. It was then called Enon, and was within the limits of Salem. It was incorporated a town in 1643. The first sermon ever preached in the town was by the celebrated Hugh Peters, then minister of Salem, about the year 1636. It was on a small conical hill, on the bank of the pond, and the text was, " At Enon, near Salem, because there was much water there." The first church was gathered here in 1644, and the first pastor Rev. John Fisk. In 1656, he removed with a large part of his church to Chelmsford, and commenced the settlement of that town. The following is a list of the succeeding pastors of this church, with the year of their settlement: Antipas Newman, set- tled in 1663 ; Joseph Gerrish, in 1675; Robert Ward, in 1712; John Warren, in 1733; Joseph Swain, in 1750; Adonijah Judson, in 1792; Rufus Anderson, in 1805; John Smith, in 1817; Ebenezer P. Sperry, in 1820. A Baptist church was formed in 1831.
There is no compact settlement in this town, the inhabitants being mostly farmers, and live scattered about on their farms. The surface of the land is generally level, and the soil good. The township is about six miles in length, and but a little more than one in breadth. Wenham pond is considered to be one of the most beautiful sheets of water in the county; it is large, and pre- sents an uncommonly romantic appearance; about one third of it lies within the bounds of Beverly. Wenham swamp, so called, lies in the north-western section of the township, and extends into Hamilton. The Manchester woods extend over a considerable
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WEST NEWBURY.
part of the eastern end of this town. Population, 698. Distance, 6 miles from Salem, and 21 from Boston.
In the journal of John Duntan, a gentleman who travelled in this country in 1686, this town is thus noticed : "Wenham is a delicious paradise ; it abounds with rural pleasures, and I would choose it above all other towns in America to dwell in. The lofty trees on each side of it are a sufficient shelter for the winds, and the warm sun so kindly ripens both the fruits and flowers, as if the spring, the summer and the autumn had agreed together to thrust winter out of doors." The same writer, speaking of Joseph Gerrish, the minister, says-""T were endless to enter on a detail of each faculty of learning Mr. Gerrish is master of, and therefore take his character in short hand. The philosopher, is acute, ingenious and subtle. The divine, curious, orthodox and profound. The man, of a majestic air, without austerity or sourness; his aspect is masterly, yet not imperious or haughty. The Christian, is devout, without morose- ness or starts of holy frenzy and enthusiasm. The preacher, is primitive, without the occasional colors of whining or cant ; and methodical, without intricacy or affectation ; and, which crowns his character, he is a man of public spirit, zealous for the conver- sion of the Indians, and of great hospitality to strangers. He gave us a noble dinner, and entertained us with such pleasant fruits as I must own Old England is a stran- ger to."
WEST NEWBURY.
This town was settled at an early period, and was within the limits of Newbury. It was incorporated as a distinct town in 1819. The first church in this town was the second of Newbury. The first pastor was Rev. Samuel Belcher, who was settled here in 1698. The succession of ministers in this church is as follows : John Tufts, settled here in 1714; Thomas Barnard, in 1739; Moses Hale, in 1752; True Kimball, in 1782; Samuel Tomb, in 1798; Ebenezer Hubbard, in 1809; Gilbert T. Williams, in 1814; Henry C. Wright, in 1826; Benjamin Ober, in 1834. The sec- ond Congregational church (the fourth of Newbury) was formed in 1731. Rev. William Johnson was the first pastor, settled in 1731; David Tappan, in 1774; Leonard Woods, in 1798; John Kirby, in 1816; Elijah Demond, in 1821; Paul Couch, in 1827. The Friends have a meeting-house in this town.
The town occupies an elevated situation on the south bank of the Merrimac. The soil is excellent, and grain and hay are pro- duced in great quantities. The butter and cheese made in this town are held in high estimation.' Fruit is also produced in abun- dance. The town is connected with Rocks village, Haverhill, by an excellent bridge over the Merrimac, one thousand feet in length. This bridge was built in 1828; the one previous was erected in 1796, but was swept away in the great freshet of 1818. From the elevated grounds in this town many fine prospects of the sur- rounding scenery are obtained. Population, 1,448. Distance, 6 miles from Newburyport, 20 from Lowell, and 34 from Boston.
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. ASHFIELD.
FRANKLIN COUNTY.
FRANKLIN COUNTY was originally the north part of Hampshire county : it was incorporated as a distinct county in 1811. Con- necticut river passes centrally through the county from north to south, and Deerfield river passes from west to east centrally through the western, and Miller's river from east to west through the eastern part of the county. Few tracts of country exceed this for the extent and value of its water powers. The great body of the people are engaged in agricultural pursuits. The fine grazing lands found upon the verdant hills and fertile valleys, enable the farmers in this section to raise large droves of fat cattle for market. The manufacturing interests have received considerable attention of late years, and are increasing in value and importance. The following is a list of the towns, which are 26 in number. 6
Ashfield,
Erving,
Monroe,
Shutesbury,
Bernardston, Gill,
Montague,
Sunderland,
Buckland,
Greenfield,
New Salem,
Warwick,
Charlemont, Hawley,
Northfield
Wendall,
Coleraine,
Heath,
Orange,
Whately.
Conway,
Leverett,
Rowe,
Deerfield,
Leyden,
Shelburne,
In 1820, the population of this county was 29,268; in 1830, it was 29,344; in 1837, it was 28,655.
ASHFIELD.
THE territory comprising this town was granted to Capt. Ephraim Hunt, of Weymouth, as a compensation for services rendered in the Canada expedition of 1690. It was actually conveyed to his heirs forty-six years afterwards, and was settled by a few families in 1742. It was incorporated as a town in 1764; previous to that time it went by the name of Huntstown, from the name of its ori- ginal proprietor. Richard Ellis, a native of Ireland, was the first permanent settler ; Thomas Phillips, with his family, from Easton. was the next; Chileab Smith, from South Hadley, was the third settler. These persons all settled in the north-eastern part of the town. Mr. Chileab Smith settled on the farm now owned and oc- cupied by his son Chileab, who is 96 years of age, and in good health at this time, (1837.)
The first regular church formed in this town was of the Baptist denomination. It was constituted in July, 1761, and consisted of nine members. In the following August the Rev. Ebenezer Smith, the eldest son of Chileab Smith, was ordained its pastor. He was succeeded in 1798 by elder Enos Smith, who deceased about two years since. The Congregational church in this town was formed by an ecclesiastical council, Feb. 22d, 1763, and Rev. Jacob Sher-
30
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BERNARDSTON.
win ordained its pastor the same year. Rev. Nehemiah Porter succeeded him in 1774, and died Feb. 29th, 1820, aged 99 years and 11 months. Rev. Alvan Sanderson was ordained colleague pastor in 1808. Rev. Thomas Shepherd succeeded Mr. Sanderson in 1819. Rev. Mason Grosvenor, the next pastor, was installed 1833; he was succeeded by Rev. Burr Baldwin, in 1836. In 1820 an Episcopal society was formed in this town, and they have a handsome church in the center of the place. There is also a small society of Methodists.
Ashfield is a little over six miles square. The face of the town- ship is uneven and hilly, better adapted for grazing than tillage. There is, however, much good tillage land interspersed among the hills. The principal productions are corn, potatoes, oats, and of late wheat. Some of the farmers have large dairies. In 1837, there were in this town 8,021 merino sheep, which produced 24,063 lbs. of wool. There are four churches, 2 for Baptists, 1 Congregational, and 1 Episcopal. The central village consists of about twenty dwelling-houses, an Episcopal church, an aca- demy, and a number of mercantile stores. Distance, 18 miles from Greenfield, 18 from Northampton, and 105 to Boston. Population of the town, 1,656.
BERNARDSTON.
IN 1735, the general assembly of the province of Massachusetts Bay granted a tract of land six miles square, north of Greenfield, inclu- ding the present towns of Bernardston and Leyden, and a part of Coleraine, to the officers and soldiers who were in the Fall Fight, an account of which may be found under the head of Gill. In consideration of the services and sufferings of these men, the tract above mentioned was granted to them or their descendants 59 years after the battle. From the fact that this battle took place at the Falls, the town took the name of Fall Town, which it was called for nearly 20 years. The first meeting of the owners of this tract of country was held at Northampton, in January, 1736, the next month after it was granted by the legislature. The proprie- tors were 97; among the names of these were the following : Ather- ton, Field, Hitchcock, Cook, Chamberlain, Alexander, Chapin, Connable, Dickinson, Edwards, Hoit, Lyman, Munn, Hunt, Smith, Wright, Pomeroy, Pratt, Rogers, Sikes, Smead, Scott, Wells. The town was first settled in 1738. The four first houses that were built in town were Major Burk's, Mr. Samuel Connable's, Lieut. Ebenezer Sheldon's, and, Dea, Sheldon's. Major Burk's house was situated a little north of the present bark-house; Mr. S. Connable's stood near the house now occupied by Mr. Joseph Con- nable ; Lieut. E. Sheldon's house was situated a little west of Mr. Hatsell Purple's late residence; and Dea. Sheldon's stood near Mr. Seorin Slate's, on Huckle Hill.
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