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 51
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The following respecting Lowell is extracted from M. Cheva- lier's work on the United States, recently published in Europe. This traveller visited Lowell in 1834.
".Lowell is a town which dates its existence twelve years, with 14 or 15,000 inhabit- ants, including the adjoining Faubourg of Belvidere. Twelve years ago it was an uncultivated solitude, whose silence was broken only by the murmur of the little river, the Concord, and by the roar of the transparent waters of the Merrimac over the ledges of granite which obstruct their passage. Now, here are immense buildings of five, six, seven stories each, surmounted with a small white cupola rising above the red brick work, and reflected on the neighboring hills which bound the horizon. Here are small square houses of wood painted white, with green blinds, very neat, and enclosed-well furnished with carpets, with trees about them, or brick houses, in the English fashion, that is to say, pretty,-plain without, and comfortable within.
" On one side are shops, stores, fashionable shops, (magazins de modes,) without number, for women abound in Lowell, large hotels after the American fashion, like barracks,-the only barracks at Lowell ; on the other hand are canals, water-wheels, cascades, bridges, foundries, banks, schools, bookstores, for there is much reading here ; reading is, in fine, their only amusement, and there are no less than seven news- papers.
" In every direction are churches of every sect,-Episcopal, Baptist, Congregational- ists, Methodist, Universalists, Unitarians, &c .; there is also a Catholic chapel. Here are all the edifices of a flourishing city of the old world, with the exception of prisons, hospitals, and theatres. Here are the sounds of hammers, of shuttles, of bells, which call and dismiss the operatives; here are stage coaches with six horses arriving and departing. Here is the noise of gunpowder, blowing up rocks to make a passage for the water or to level the ground ; here is the peaceful farm of a laborious popu- lation, all whose movements are as regular as clock-work,-a population not born at Lowell, and of which the half will die somewhere else, after having successively laid the foundation of three or four other cities; for the American of pure blood has this in common with the Tartars, that he is encamped, not fixed, on the soil which he occu- pies.
" Massachusetts and the neighboring states, composing New England, contain manu- facturing towns similar to Lowell, but no other has attained the same size.
" Unlike the cities of Europe which were built by some demi-god, son of Jupiter, or by some hero of the siege of Troy, or by an inspiration of the genius of a Cæsar or an Alexander, or by the assistance of some holy monk, attracting crowds by his miracles, or by the caprice of some great king, like Louis XIV. or Frederick, or by an edict of Peter the Great, it is neither a pious foundation, a refuge of the proscribed, nor a mili- tary post. It is a speculation of the merchants of Boston. The same spirit of enterprise,
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MALDEN.
which the last year suggested to them to send a cargo of ice to Calcutta, that Lord William Bentinck and the Nabobs of the India Company might drink their wine cool, has led them to build a city, wholly at their expense, with all the edifices required by an advanced civilization, for the purpose of manufacturing cotton cloths and printed cali- coes. They have succeeded, as they usually do in their speculations. The dividends of the manufacturing companies of Lowell are usually 5 to 6 per cent. semi-annually.
" Manufactures of cotton, which in America only date from the last war with Eng- land, are making rapid progress, notwithstanding the modification of the tariff, result- ing from the late demonstrations of South Carolina, has somewhat cooled the ardor for manufacturing. Boston, like Liverpool, seems destined to have her Lancashire about her. As waterfalls abound in New England, in conformity with the general law applicable to regions of granite, it will be a long time before it will be necessary to resort to steam-engines.
"This portion of America is generally far from fertile. It required the perseverance, and even the obstinacy of the Puritans, to transport thither the charms of civilized life. It is broken, mountainous, cold. It is the commencement of the chain of the Allega- nies, which runs towards the Gulf of Mexico, leaving the Atlantic coast. The inhabit- ants possess in the highest degree a genius for mechanics. They are patient, skilful, full of invention ;- they must succeed in manufactures. It is in fact already done, and Lowell is a little Manchester. More than 30,000 bales of cotton are consumed there, or one sixth of the whole consumption of the United States, beside wool, which is there manufactured into broadcloths, carpets, and cassimeres. To increase the resemblance between Liverpool and their city, the merchants of Boston have decided that there shall be a railroad from Boston to Lowell, the distance being ten leagues. They have not permitted this railroad to be constructed in the bold style and of the temporary character which are found in most of the American railroads. They wished a Roman work, and their engineers have given them one. They have made them a railroad certainly the most solid which exists in the world. They have only omitted the fine workmanship, the cut stone arches, the columns and monumental architecture, which make the Liverpool and Manchester railroad one of the wonders of modern times. These magnificent ornaments are of no importance. The railroad from Bos- ton to Lowell, in its Roman or Cyclopean simplicity, will cost 800,000 francs the league."
MALDEN.
1
MALDEN was originally a part of Charlestown. It was probably incorporated a distinct town about 1649. Some uncertainty exists respecting the exact time of the incorporation of some of the ancient towns in the state, from the fact that such acts cannot be found in print. The records which remain are oftentimes quite laconic. The record respecting Malden is thus expressed: "The Mistic north side men are incorporated into a town called Malden." From this it appears that the bounds of the town were made to include all that part of Charlestown lying north of Mystic river. The precise period of erecting the first meeting-house is not known. It appears, however, that one existed in 1682, from the town order of that date, which provides " that the meeting house be repaired, to keep out the weather, and to save the sills from rotting." At this time, the town was in possession of a bell, which for many years was placed upon an elevated rock, termed Bell Rock. This custom of locating the town's bell upon an elevation near the meeting-house was quite a common usage among the early settlers.
The first church gathered in the town was in 1648. In 1651, they called a minister to the pastoral office, without the consent of the neighboring churches, and without permission from the legal
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MALDEN.
authority ; for this they were fined by the general court. Mr. Blackman and Mr. Thomas Cheever appear to have been the first ministers ; after these, Rev. Michael Wigglesworth was pastor, and was a popular minister in the times in which he lived, being cotemporary with the famous Cotton Mather. Mr. Wigglesworth, " when the weakness of his lungs disqualified him from preaching, would strive, with his pen, to render truth attractive, by invest- ing her with the garb of poetry." His "Day of Doom" went through six editions in this country, and was republished in London. It comprises a version, after the manner of Sternhold and Hopkins, of all the scripture texts relative to the final judg- ment of man, and contains 224 stanzas of 8 lines each. He died in 1705, aged 74.
Southern view of Malden.
The above is a view of the central part of Malden, four and a half miles from Boston, taken at the southern entrance of the village on the Boston road. The village consists of about 40 dwelling-houses, 4 churches, 1 Universalist, 1 Congregationalist, 1 Methodist, and 1 Baptist. The church appearing on the right is the Congregational ; the Universalist church, the largest in the village, is seen in the distance on the left. Population of the town, 2,303. In 1837, there were manufactured in this town 250 pairs of boots, 155,800 pairs of shoes, valued at $118,410 36; males employed, 214; females, 110. There were 5 establishments for currying leather; 28,500 sides of leather were curried, valued at $99,750. The value of tin ware manufactured was $31,000; hands employed, 20. One rolling and slitting mill, which manu- factured 550 tons of iron, valued at $78,000. There was also a last, dye wood, twine and block tin manufactory.
The following are extracted from the ancient records :
1689. "Voted at a publick towne meeting, that no young trees under a foot over are to be felled for fire wood under a penalty of paying five shillings for every such tree."
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MARLBOROUGH.
"The mark which Capt. John line doe put upon ye ears of those his cretures which he usuly eare markes-That is, ye top of ye near eare cut square of and a slit down in the same eare. Also a half peney cut out of ye under side of ye furder eare."
1684. " At a meeting of ye selectmen for ye regulation of Dis- order in ye meeting house on ye Lord's day, by boys and youths playing, it is ordered by ye selectmen that all householders and masters of families in this town shall take their turns successively, every Lord's day, below and in the galleries." *
In 1702, "John Sprague was appointed school master for the year insuing, to learn children and youth to Read and Wright ; and to Refmetick, according to his best skill; And he is to have £10 paid him by the town for his pains. The school is to be kept for all ye inhabitants of ye town, and to be kept at four severall places, at four severall times, one quarter of a year in a place."
MARLBOROUGH.
A TRACT of land, six miles square, was granted to a number of petitioners, inhabitants of Sudbury, in 1656, which was incor- porated by the name of Marlborough, in May, 1660. The Indian name of this place was Okommakamesit. The last distinguished leader of the tribe, who resided here, was Onomog. By the reason assigned in the petition for the land, it appears that the English settlement was begun about 1654. The infant town was severely checked in its growth by the invasion of the savages. In Mr. Packard's account of the town (Mass. Hist. Coll., 4th vol.) it is stated, that, "on the Sabbath, when Mr. Brimsmead was in sermon, March 20, 1676, the worshipping assembly was suddenly dispersed by an outcry of 'Indians at the door.' The confusion of the first moment was instantly increased by a fire from the enemy ; but the God whom they were worshipping shielded their lives and limbs, excepting the arm of one Moses Newton, who was carrying an elderly and infirm woman to a place of safety. In a few minutes they were sheltered in their fort, with the mutual feelings peculiar to such a scene. Their meeting-house, and many dwelling-houses, left without protection, were burnt. Fruit trees pilled and hacked, and other valuable effects rendered useless, perpetuated the barbarity of the savages, many years after the
* "In 1675 and 1677, the general court passed several laws, founded upon the system of Alfred the Great, designing thereby a better regulation of society, and a promotion of sound morals. These laws directed an appointment of tythingmen in each town, who were to have the inspection of 10 or 12 families, and to prosecute for all trans- gressions of the laws within their tythings or districts. Record is made of their appointment in this town as early as 1678. It was the duty of a tythingman to enforce the laws respecting the Sabbath, licensed houses, the use of spirituous liquors, and to see that no person was away from home after nine o'clock at night. How well they discharged the duties of their office, the unruly who fell within their grasp would probably be the best judges."-Wright's Historical Discourse, Dec. 1831.
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MARLBOROUGH.
inhabitants returned. The enemy retired soon after their first onset, declining to risk the enterprise and martial prowess of the young plantation. The new settlers, being much debilitated by their various losses, being a frontier town, and still exposed to the 'adjudication' of their savage neighbors, left their farms till the seat of war was further removed."
Marlborough is one of the best agricultural towns in the county. Very little of what is called good land lies level, but is intersected in various directions by hills, declivities and valleys. The high lands are more moist, and less exposed to drought, than the inter -. vals below them, and often retain their verdure in dry seasons when the valleys are parched. This place is 14 miles south-west of Concord, 16 east of Worcester, and 25 west of Boston, Popu- lation, 2,089. There are 4 churches : 1 Restorationist, 1 Ortho- dox, 1 Universalist, and 1 Methodist.
South-eastern view of Marlborough.
The above is a south-eastern view of some of the principal buildings in the central part of Marlborough. The most prominent building seen on the left is the Universalist church ; the Congre- gational church is the one seen in the distance, in the central part of the engraving. The West village is about one mile from this place, and contains a Restorationist church and an academy. Feltonville village, in this town, is about three miles north. In 1837, there were manufactured in this town 103,000 pairs of shoes, valued at $41,200; there were 7,500 straw bonnets manu- factured, valued at $10,850.
Mr. William Brimsmead appears to have been the first minister. He was ordained in 1666, and died in 1701. He lived unmarried, and, according to tradition, appears to have been possessed of some singularities, one of which was his refusing to baptize children who were born on the Sabbath. Rev. Robert Breck was ordained here in 1707. He was succeeded by Rev. Benjamin Hunt, who
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MEDFORD.
was ordained in 1733, and dismissed in 1735. Rev. Aaron Smith was ordained in 1740, and dismissed in 1778. The next, the Rev. Asa Packard, was ordained in 1785.
The following is copied from a monument in the grave-yard in the central village :-
Reliquia terrestres Theologi vere venerandi ROBERTI BRECK sub hoc tumulo con- servantur. Pars cælestis ad colum myriadum angelorum et ad spiritus justorum qui perfecti sunt, abiit. Ingenii penetrantis : Quoad vires naturales, vir fuit amplissimæ mentis et judicii solidi una cum animi fortitudine singulari. Quod partes acquisitas spectat, in linguis quæ doctæ præsertim audiunt admodum peritus :- literarum poli- tarum mensura parum communi instructus ; et quod aliis fuit difficile, ille virtute genii proprii et studiis coar .... s feliciter subegit.'
In omnibus Theologiæ partibus versatissimus, et vere orthodoxus scriba ad Regnum Cælorum usquequaque institutus : officio pastorali in Ecclesia Marlburiensi, ubi Spi- ritus Sanctus illum constituit Episcopum per xxvii. annos fideliter, sedulo, pacifice, multaque cum laude functus est. Doctrina Revelatæ, una cum cultu et regimine in Ecclesiis Novanglicanis institutis, assertor habilis et strenuus.
Ad consilia danda in rebus arduis tum publicis tum privatis, integritate conspicuus et prudentia instructissimus :- sincere dilexit amicos, patriam, et universam Christi ecclesiam. Denique, pietatis, omnis virtutis socialis, et quoad res terrenas, modera- minis, exemplar ; in doloribus asperis ægritudinis ultima patientia ejus opus perfec. tum habuit, et si non ovans, expectans tamen et placide discessit.
Natus Decemb. 7, 1689. Denatus Januar. 6, 1731.
Prophetæ ipsi non in seculum vivunt.
[Beneath this mound are preserved the earthly remains of that truly venerable theologian, ROBERT BRECK. His celestial part has gone to the myriads of angels in heaven, and to the spirits of the just made perfect. He was of a discriminating genius ; and by nature a man of enlarged mind and sound judgment, united to un- common courage of spirit. As to his acquired parts, he was in the learned tongues exceedingly skilful, and he was furnished with no common measure of polite litera- ture. What to others was difficult, he easily mastered by the force of his genius and his close application.
In every department of theology he was well versed, and a truly orthodox scribe, thoroughly instructed unto the kingdom of heaven. He peacefully discharged the duties of the pastoral office in the church at Marlborough, over which the Holy Ghost had made him Overseer, with diligence, fidelity, and great success for 27 years. Of Divine Revelation, and of the doctrines, institutions and principles of the Churches of New England, he was an able and strenuous advocate.
In giving counsel, in matters both public and private, he was conspicuous for his integrity and wisdom. He sincerely loved his friends, his country, and the whole church of Christ. He was, in short, an exemplar of piety, of every social virtue, and of moderation in worldly desires. In the severe pangs of his last sickness, he finished his work in patience, and if not in triumph, yet in hope, he peacefully departed.
Born December 7, 1689. Died January 6, 1731.
Even prophets do not live for ever.]
MEDFORD.
MEDFORD is one of the oldest towns in Massachusetts, being incorporated in 1630. Gov. Dudley, in his letter of March 12th, 1630. to the countess of Lincoln, speaking of the "dispertion" of the settlers who had just arrived from England, says, " some of us upon Mistic, which we named Meadford." In Wood's New England Prospect, printed in London in 1639, the author, in giv- ing an account of the various settlements, notices Mystic or Med-
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ford in the following manner: "The next town is Mistic, which is three miles from Charlestown by land, and a league and a half by water. It is seated by the water-side very pleasantly ; there are not many houses as yet. At the head of this river are great and spacious ponds, whither the alewives press to spawn. This being a noted place for that kind of fish, the English resort thither to take them. On the west side of this river the Governor hath a farm, where he keeps most of his cattle. On the east side is Mr. Cradock's plantation, where he hath impaled a park, where he keeps his cattle, till he can store it with deer : Here, likewise, he is at charges of building ships. The last year one was upon the stocks of an hundred tons; that being finished, they are to build one twice her burthen. Ships without either ballast or loading may float down this river; otherwise the oyster-bank would hinder them, which crosseth the channel."
Southern vien of Medford.
Medford is a large and flourishing village, built principally on the north-eastern bank of Mystic river, which here, though quite a narrow stream, is of sufficient depth to float to the ocean the numerous vessels which have been built in the place. There are in the village four churches, 2 Congregational, (one of which is Unitarian,) 1 Universalist, and 1 Methodist. The above engrav- ing shows the appearance of the village as it is entered from the south, upon the Boston road. The south part of the town is com- posed of rich marly soil, through which Mystic river winds its way to the ocean. The northern part of the town is broken and rocky. The Middlesex canal and the Lowell railroad pass to the westward of the village. Winter Hill, in this town, rises 124 feet above the level of the sea. It is noted in the history of the American Revo- lution as the place of the encampment of Gen. Burgoyne and his army after their capture. Population, 2,075. Distance, 14 miles from Concord, 2 west of Malden, and 5 miles from Boston.
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NATICK.
John Brooks, M. D., LL. D., and a governor of the common- wealth, was a native and resident of this town. In 1837, there were 239 hands employed in ship-building; 60 vessels were built during the five preceding years, the tonnage of which was 24,195; valued at $1,112,970. One hat manufactory; 10,043 hats were manufactured, valued at $40,275; hat bodies manufactured, 40,000, valued at $20,000. Bricks manufactured, 1,200,000, val- ued at $7,200. Linseed oil manufactured, 13,500 gallons, from 7,300 bushels of seed; value of oil, $14,850.
NATICK.
THIS township was originally granted by the general court to the Indians, as a place for a permanent residence. It was incorpo- rated into an English district in 1761, and into a town in 1781, by the name of Natick, a word in the Indian language, signifying " the place of hills." It is watered by Charles river, and contains numerous fish-ponds. There are two villages, which are upwards of a mile apart. North Natick is a village newly erected; it con- sists of about 30 houses, two churches, 1 Congregational, and 1 Methodist. The Boston and Worcester railroad passes through this village. South Natick is the ancient village; it consists of about 20 dwelling-houses and a Unitarian church. Population, 1,221. Distance from Concord, 12 miles, 9 from Dedham, and 16 from Boston. In 1837, there were 250,650 pairs of shoes manu- factured here, valued at $213,052 50; males employed, 263; females, 189.
The first Indian church in New England was formed here, in 1660. The Indians were first brought together, by Mr. Eliot, at Nonantum, (in Newton) but not finding sufficient accommoda- tion, they removed to Natick in 1651. Here they built a town on the banks of Charles river, " which consisted of three long streets; two on the Boston side of the river, and one on the other. 'To each house was attached a piece of ground. Most of the houses were built after the Indian fashion. Onc large house was erected in the English style, the lower apartment of which was employed as a school-room in the week, and as a place of worship on the Lord's day ; ...... there was likewise a large handsome fort, of a circular figure, palisadoed with trees; and a foot-bridge over the river, the foundation of which was secured with stone; with several little houses after the English fashion." According to the advice of Mr. Eliot, they adopted the form of government pro- posed by Jethro to Moses. About 100 of them met together, and chose one ruler of a hundred, two rulers of fifties, and ten rulers of tens. After their church was formed, they flourished under a succession of pious teachers, natives and English, until, by repeat- ed wasting sickness and other causes so fatal to the race, they have now become nearly if not quite extinct. The following
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NATICK.
« account of Natick, &c., is from the Memoirs of Eliot, by the Rev. Martin Moore, of Natick.
" It lieth upon Charles river, eighteen miles south-west from Boston, and ten miles north-west from Dedham. It hath twenty-nine families, which, computing five persons to a family, amount to one hundred and forty-five persons. The town contains about six thousand acres. The soil is good and well watered, and produceth plenty of grain and fruit. The land was granted to the Indians at the motion of Mr. Eliot, by the general court of Massachusetts : and in the year 1651, a number of them combined together and formed a town, which is the place of the greatest name among Indians, and where their principal courts are held. * * * *
" In this town was the first church of Indians embodied, in the year 1660. Unto this church some pious Indians of other places, both men and women, are since joined. The number of men and women in full communion with this church were, in 1670, between forty and fifty.
"We are to consider, that all those we call praying Indians are not all visible church members, or baptized persons ; which ordinance of baptism is not to be ad- ministered unto any that are out of the visible church, until they profess their faith in Christ and obedience to him, but the infants of such as are members of the visible church are to be baptized. Here, I shall take the liberty, though it be a digression, to relate a story of remark concerning a child at Natick, a youth of about eleven years of age, who was of a sober and grave carriage, and an attentive hearer of the word, considering his age and capacity, but he had a weak body and was consump- tive. This child hearing Mr. Eliot preach upon a time at Natick when the ordinance of baptism was to be administered unto some children, whose parents had made pro- fession of their faith and were joined to the church : upon which occasion Mr. Eliot said, that baptism was Christ's mark, which he ordered to be set upon his lambs, and that it was a manifest token of Christ's love to the offspring of his people to set this mark upon them. This child taking special notice of this passage, did often solicit his father and mother, that one or both of them would endeavour to join to the church, that he might be marked for one of Christ's lambs before he died. The parents, who were well inclined, especially the mother, and being also very affectionate to their child, as the Indians generally are, did seriously ponder the child's reiterated intreaties ; and not long after, first the mother, and then the father of the child, joined to the church. Soon after the lad was baptized ; in which he did greatly rejoice and triumph, that he was now marked for one of Christ's lambs. 'Now,' said he to his father and mother, ' I am willing to die ;' which shortly after came to pass ; and I doubt not, but as the child had Christ's name set upon him in baptism and by faith, so his immortal soul is now in glory, rejoicing in communion with Christ.
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