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 54
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WALTHAM.
Eastern view of Massasoit Hotel, Waltham.
the whole affair of perfecting the settlement of Mr. Angier." It appears that excepting Mr. Easterbrook no minister in the vicinity could be obtained to assist on this occasion. The church, agreeably to their vote, proceeded to induct their pastor into office. After a discourse had been preached by Mr. Angier, it was declared that the church had chosen Mr. Easterbrook to manage the whole affair, and give the pastoral charge. He accordingly read Mr. Angier's dismission and recommendation from the church at Reho- both, desired the church to accept the same, and to receive Mr. A. into their fellowship; asked them to renew their invitation to Mr. A. to be their minister, and him to repeat the acceptance of their call; "and then, with much gravity and seriousness, gave a most solemn and scriptural charge to Mr. Angier, to attend to the whole pastoral duty in and towards the church." In the MSS. of Judge Sewall it is recorded: "Oct. 6, 1697, a church was gathered at Watertown, east end, and Mr. Henry Gibbs was ordained. The ceremony was abroad, because the western party got possession of
the meeting-house." Though Mr. Angier and Mr. Gibbs were both ministers of Watertown, yet they can hardly be said to have been associates, as one preached in the old and the other in the new meeting-house, and the adherents appear to have been some- what at variance. They were both, however, maintained from the town treasury. This state of things continued till 1720, when the town was divided into two precincts. Mr. Angier died in 1719. In 1723, Rev. Warham Williams was ordained their next pastor ; he was the son of Mr. Williams of Deerfield, and was carried off with his father by the Indians into Canada. Mr. Williams died in 1751, aged 52. He was succeeded by Rev. Jacob Cushing, who was ordained in 1752. Dr. Cushing died in 1809, aged 79 years. He was succeeded by Rev. Samuel Ripley the same year.
The above is an eastern view of the Massasoit Hotel, situated at the eastern extremity of the principal street in Waltham. The 55
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WATERTOWN.
village consists of about 150 dwelling-houses, mostly situated on one street, running east and west, about 1 mile in extent, across the level plain on which the town is built. There are a number of elegant residences in the immediate vicinity, surrounded by grounds tastefully ornamented by evergreen and other trees.
Waltham is one of the pleasantest towns in the vicinity of Boston. The land in the south part of the town which runs parallel with Charles river, the distance of two miles, and half a mile in breadth, is very level, and is mostly of a light sandy soil, not very deep. Adjoining the river it is fertile. In the interior the land is in gene- ral uneven, and in some parts rocky. There are two ponds in the town-Beaver Pond, which is about one mile in circumference, and near the village, and Mead's Pond, which is much larger, being a mile in length and more than half a mile in breadth : it is situated in the N. W. part of the town. The principal branch of Beaver brook takes its rise from this pond. Gov. Winthrop and his companions, who traversed this part of the country in 1632, gave the name to Beaver brook "because the beavers had shorn down divers great trees, and made divers dams across the brook." Charles river, which washes the southern extremity of this town, affords considerable water power, which has been well improved. The " Waltham Cotton and Woollen Manufacturing Company," an extensive establishment, was incorporated in 1812. The Boston Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1813. " By extra- ordinary skill and good management, these establishments, though the first in the country on an extensive scale, and through all the various commercial changes, have proved lucrative to the proprie- tors, and highly beneficial to the public." "The private gardens of the Honorable Theodore Lyman, in this town, are unsurpassed for costliness and beauty by any other in the United States." There are 6 churches, 3 Congregational, 1 Methodist, 1 Univer- salist, and 1 Catholic. Population, 2,287. Distance, 9 miles S. E. of Concord, 34 N. E. of Worcester, 10 northerly of Dedham, and 10 westerly from Boston.
In 1837, there were 3 cotton mills, 11,488 spindles; cotton con- sumed, 895,446 lbs .; 2,433,630 yards of cotton goods were manu- factured, valued at $275,000; males employed, 76; females, 400; capital invested, $450,000. Value of boots and shoes manufactured was $17,787 ; value of hats manufactured, $24,000 ; value of paper manufactured, $12,480. There is a machine shop and a bleach- ery, each of which employs about 30 hands.
WATERTOWN.
THIS is an ancient town, it being settled the same year as Bos- ton, in 1630. The first Englishmen who are known to have visited the place were Mr. Wareham and some of his people, who afterwards settled Dorchester; for an account of which the
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WATERTOWN.
reader is referred to the history of that town in this work. The place in Watertown where they remained a few days is stated yet to bear the name of Dorchester Fields. Shortly after their remo- val, a permanent establishment was effected by another company. A party of the adventurous emigrants who came in Winthrop's fleet, with Sir Richard Saltonstall and Rev. George Phillips at their head, selected a place on the banks of Charles river for their plantation. On the 7th of Sept., 1630, (O. S.) the court of assist- ants, at Charlestown, "ordered that Trimountain be called Boston, Mattapan, Dorchester, and the town on Charles river, Watertown."
The name of Watertown is said to have originated from the circumstance of its being a " well watered place," or, perhaps, from its being situated on a considerable fresh-water river, and the communication with Boston being at first by water, in boats. The Indian name of the town was Pigsguesset. The territory thus called Watertown was, like most of the towns of that early period, very large, and its boundaries on the west side for a considerable time somewhat undefined. Waltham, Weston, and a part of Lincoln, were once comprehended within its limits. There are no means of ascer- taining with precision the number of the first inhabitants, but it appears by the town records that in 1636 there were 108 townsmen. Probably the original number in 1630 wa's considerably less than this. The following list is copied from Watertown record book first, and were names of persons who shared in a division of lands at Beaver brook, " divided and lotted out by the Freemen to all the Townsmen then inhabiting, being 108 in number."
Geo. Phillips, pastor, Nathaniel Baker,
John Whitney,
Thomas Hastings,
Richard Woodward, Robert Betts, John Grigs, John Simson, Charles Chadwick,
John Richardson, George Munnings, Henry Bright, Nicholls Knapp, Richard Sawtle, John Ellett, Francis Smith, John Eaton,
Timothy Hawkins, Gregory Stone, James Cutter, John Cutting, Daniel Perse,
Robert Feke, Isaac Stone, Thomas Smith, John Rose, Miles Nutt, John Hayward, Thomas Filbrick, Simon Stone, Robert Daniel, Isaac Mixer, Edward How, Henry Dengayne, Thomas Maihew, John Stowars, Richard Beere, Edmund James, John Firman, John Warrin, John Batcheler, William Knop,
Henry Kemball, William Palmer, Edmund Lewis,
John Finch,
William Swift, John Winter,
Barnaby Windes, John Kingsberry, Edward Lam,
John Smith, Jr.,
Roger Willington,
Robert Veasey, Henry Goldstone, John Smith, sen., John Tomson, John Eddy,
John Loveran, William Jennison, John Page, Samuel Hosier, John Winkell, John Goffe,
Christopher Grant,
John Nichols,
John Dwight, Foster Pickram, John Springe, John Warner,
Emanuel White,
Edward Garfield,
William Gutterig,
Hugh Mason, Thomas Rogers, Thomas Bartlett, John Doggett, Lawrence Waters,
Martin Underwood,
William Paine,
Garrett Church, Abram Shaw.
William Bassum, Benjamin Crispe, Edmund Sherman, William Bridges, Gregory Taylor, John Coolige, Daniel Patrick, Joseph Mosse, Ephraim Child, Robert Lockwood, Francis Onge, John Gay, Simon Eire, Sir Rich. Saltonstall, Thomas Brookes,
Nathaniel Bowman, Brian Pembleton, Richard Brown, John Lawrence,
John Tucker, Thomas Cakebread, Robert Tuck, Henry Cuttris, Richard Kemball, John Barnard, Edward Dikes,
The first church in Watertown was gathered on the 30th of July, 1630, upon a day set apart for " solemn fasting and prayer,'s which had been appointed by Gov. Winthrop, on account of thtl prevailing sickness in the settlements. Cotton Mather says th bi Rev. Mr. Phillips, with about 40 men, settlers of Watertown, e that occasion subscribed the covenant, in order unto their coal- cence into a church estate. The Hon. James Savage, in a red 183 investigation of the subject, makes the first church in Boston etch entury
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WATERTOWN.
the Watertown church precisely coeval, assigning the origin of both to the 30th of July, 1630.
The first minister of Watertown was the Rev. George Phillips, who continued in that office 14 years. At the first court of assistants, held at Charlestown, on board the Arabella, it was ordered that, as speedily as might be convenient, houses should be erected for the ministers at the public charge. Sir Richard Saltonstall " undertook to have this done for Mr. Phillips," and for salary he was to have £30 annually. The first meeting-house stood on the north side of the road to Cambridge, near the old burying-yard ; there was a common before it, which was used as a training-field. Mr. Phillips was sole minister of Watertown till 1639. In that year, Rev. John Knowles, "a godly man, and prime scholar," arrived in New England, and in December was ordained second pastor of the church, in connexion with Mr. Phillips: In 1642, Mr. Knowles went to Virginia, where he preached a short time, but returned again to Watertown. He remained there a while after his return, but finally returned to Eng- land, after an absence of 11 years. He died in London, in 1685, at a very advanced age. On the 1st of July, 1644, died Rev. George Phillips. He is said to have been an able controversial writer. Mr. Phillips was succeeded in the ministry by Rev. John Sherman, a native of Dedham, Essex county, England. He was educated at Eman- uel College, Cambridge, but left college when ready for a degree, under the character of a college puritan. In 1634-5 he emigrated to New England. He preached his first sermon at Watertown under a large tree, as an assistant to Mr. Phillips. His per- formance was much admired by several ministers present. Soon after this, he removed to New Haven colony, and preached in sundry places. The church in Milford invited him to become their teacher, but he declined, and for a time altogether suspended his ministry, whereupon he was chosen one of the judges of the town, and a magistrate of the colony. It was much against the wishes of the people of Milford and New Haven that he removed to Watertown. At the same time he was invited to settle in Boston, and two churches in London tried to obtain him. He was a man of superior intellectual endowments, was the best mathematician of the day, and left voluminous manuscripts on the science of astronomy. Mr. Sherman was the father of 26 chil- dren, by two marriages, 6 by the first and 20 in the other. He died in 1685, aged 72, and was succeeded by Rev. John Bailey, who was ordained in 1686. He was assisted for a time in the ministry by his brother, Mr. Thomas Bailey, till his death, in 1689; after which, Mr. Henry Gibbs was engaged as teacher. In 1692, Rev. John Bailey left Watertown and returned to Boston. Mr. Gibbs was now the only minister in the town, and was engaged from time to time, but not ordained. About 1692, there was much excitement on the subject of the location of a new meeting-house. In opposi- tion to the wishes of the inhabitants of the eastern part of the town, it was located in the middle part. This caused a separation of the church. Mr. Gibbs continued to preach in the old meeting-house, and appears to have been settled in 1697. The part of the society who had built the new meeting-house obtained a pastor, Rev. Samuel Angier, who was also ordained in 1697. In 1720, a committee, appointed by the gene- ral court, to run the dividing line between the societies, decided that the western or new meeting-house should be removed to an eminence in the present town of Waltham, and that the old or east meeting-house should be removed to the hill back of the pre- sent meeting-house of the society, then called School-house Hill. Both societies soon erected new meeting-houses at the places directed by the committee. The western parish, in 1787, was incorporated a distinct town, by the name of Waltham. Mr. Gibbs died in 1723, in the 56th year of his age, and in the 27th of his ministry, reckoned from the date of his ordination. He was interred in the old burying-yard. The successor of Mr. Gibbs was Rev. Seth Storer, (of Saco, Maine, and a graduate of Harvard in 1720,) who was ordained in 1724. He died in 1774, aged 73.
The ministry of Mr. Storer was the longest which occurs in he history of Watertown, being half a century. The situation the meeting-house was removed during his ministry from the mmit of the hill to the present location, but not without much "position. Rev. Daniel Adams was the next minister in succes- on, from Mr. Storer, and was ordained in 1778. He was a native isitMedway, and was of the 5th generation from Henry Adams, who came from Devonshire, England, about 1630, and settled in
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WATERTOWN.
Braintree, (Quincy.) . His ministry was short, as he died in August following his ordination. The next pastor of this church was Rev. Richard Rosewell Eliot, a native of New Haven, Con., and descendant of Rev. John Eliot, the memorable teacher of the Indians. He graduated at Harvard, in 1774, and was ordained at Watertown in 1780. He died in 1818, aged 66, and was suc- ceeded by the present pastor, Rev. Convers Francis ;* ordained in 1819. The Universalist society was formed in 1826. In August, 1827, their meeting-house was dedicated, and on that occasion Rev. Russell Streeter was installed as pastor. In 1829, he was dismissed, and in 1830 succeeded by Rev. Wm. S. Balch. The Baptist church was formed in August, 1830; when their house was dedicated, and Rev. Peter Chase installed their pastor.
Southern vien of the central part of Watertown.
Watertown village is large and compactly built, about 6 miles from Boston. The above is a representation of the appearance of the village as it is seen from the Newton road, on the south side of Charles river. The tower of the Congregational (Unita- rian) church, a fine Gothic structure, is seen in the distance, in the central part of the engraving; the Baptist church is seen on the right. The United States Arsenal, occupying a site of 40 acres, is about a mile eastward of the village, on the Boston road. The arsenal consists of several large brick buildings, enclosed by a high fence, on the north bank of Charles river. Water- town, in extent of territory, is one of the smallest towns in the state, containing but 3,833 acres, including land and water; the soil is generally remarkably good. A portion of the south- eastern extremity of the town is sandy, poor, and barren; but with this exception the land is some of the most productive in
* Mr. Francis is the author of a well-written History of Watertown, published in 1830, in a pamphlet form, containing 150 octavo pages, entitled " An Historical Sketch of Watertown," from the first settlement of the town to the close of the second century.
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WATERTOWN.
the commonwealth. Population, 1,739. In _1837, there were three soap and candle manufactories; tallow used, 300 tons ; barilla, 350 tons; palm oil, 50 tons ; rosin, 1,750 barrels; fuel, 375 cords ; lime, 2,000 casks; salt, 1,000 bushels ; capital invested, $27,000. There were 85,000 boxes manufactured, valued at $14,000, and 1 cotton and 2 paper mills in operation.
It seems a very remarkable complaint so early as 1635, that "all the towns in the Bay began to be much straitened by their own nearness to one another, and their cattle being so much increased." This is said to be accounted for by the government hav- ing at first required every man to live within half a mile from the meeting-house in his town. The want of room appears from some cause to have been peculiarly felt in Watertown; and on several occasions the inhabitants emigrated and formed new settlements. The first of these was in 1635, at the place afterwards called Wethers- field, in Connecticut, where, as we are told, some people of Watertown, before they had obtained leave to go beyond the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts government, "took the opportunity of seizing a brave piece of meadow," which it seems was also coveted by their neighbors of Cambridge. This Watertown plantation at Wethersfield was for a long course of years a scene of dissension within and without. In the course of three or four years the church at that place fell into such a state of discord that the plantation divided, and a part removed and settled in combination with New Haven.
Watertown in early times received but little trouble from the Indians. One remark- able instance, however, of Indian vengeance on a citizen of this town, was the. melan- choly fate of Capt. John Oldham. Before the settlement of Massachusetts Bay, he had resided in Plymouth, from which place, for some misconduct, he was expelled. He, however, was highly respected in Watertown, and was a deputy from the town to the first general court, in 1632. He became a distinguished trader among the Indians, and went to traffic with them at Block Island. The Indians got possession of Oldham's vessel, and murdered him in the most shocking manner. Two boys and two Narra- gansett Indians the murderers had spared. This atrocious deed excited great indig- nation in all the English settlements, and was one of the immediate causes of the celebrated Pequot war .. In 1639, an order is found in the records by which "the meeting-house is appointed for a watch-house for the use of the town," which may lead to the inference that it was thought necessary to maintain a patrol in the night for fear of the Indians.
In the early wars of the country, and in the revolutionary war, the inhabitants of Watertown took an active part. In the time of excitement preceding the war of American independence, the article of tea was proscribed in this town, in the following words : Voted, " That we consent to lay aside all foreign teas, as expen- sive and pernicious, as well as unnecessary ; this continent abound- ing with many herbs of a more salubrious quality, which, if we were as much used to as the poisonous bohea, would, no doubt, in time be as agreeable, perhaps much more so; and whilst, by a manly influence, we expect our women to make this sacrifice to the good of their country, we hereby declare we shall highly honor and esteem the encouragers of our own manufactures and the general use of the productions of this continent; this being in our judgment, at this time, a necessary means (under God) of rendering us a happy and free people." The second and third sessions of the provincial congress were held at Watertown, in the meeting-house, within the first six months of the year 1775. Dr. Joseph Warren, the early and lamented martyr in the cause of freedom, on the memorable 17th of June, presided at their deliberations. The congress was busy in adopting such measures
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WATERTOWN.
as the distracted state of the colony required. Among the few newspapers printed at that time was "The Boston Gazette and Country Journal," published at Boston, by Edes and Gill, and was distinguished by the spirited and fearless tone in which it defended the American cause. The press of this paper was removed to Watertown, and the Gazette was there published for more than a year, from June 5th, 1775, to Oct. 28, 1776, when, the British having evacuated Boston, the office was moved back.
The inhabitants of Watertown bore their part of the losses and burdens of the country at this perilous period. One of their num- ber was killed on the 19th of April, and many others, during the war, either died by sickness in camp, or fell on the field of battle.
Sir Richard Saltonstall, who has been mentioned as the leader of the planters to this town, was of an ancient and highly respectable family in Yorkshire. He was a gentleman of noble qualities of mind and heart, and has always been deservedly regarded as one of the venerated fathers of the Massachusetts settlement. He remained in the colony not quite a year, but was of much service to them in England, before and after his visit to America. His liberal and tolerant spirit in religious matters was truly remarkable for the times in which he lived, and presents to the eye of the historical inquirer a trait of character as honorable and attractive as it was uncommon. Among his services to the colony, he was one of the early benefactors of Harvard college. He died in 1658.
The following epitaphs are copied from the old burying-ground, east of the village, on the Cambridge road :
Johannis Shermani, maximæ pietatis, gravitatis et candoris viri, in Theologia pluri- mum versati ; in concionando vere Chrysostomi, et in Artibus liberalibus præcipue Mathematicis, incomparabilis ; Aquitamensis ecclesia in Nov. Anglia fidelissimi pastoris, Collegii Harvardini inspectoris et socii ; qui postquam annis plus minus XLV Christi fuit 'Yanofrys* in ecclesia fidus ; morte matura transmigravit, et a Christo palma decoratus est, A. D. MDCLXXXV, Augusti VIII, EEtatis LXXII ; memoria.
[To the memory of John Sherman, a man of the greatest piety, dignity and candor ; well versed in theology, in the pulpit a very Chrysostom ; and in the liberal arts, especially mathematics, exceedingly skilful. He was the faithful pastor of the church at Watertown, in New England, and an overseer and fellow of Harvard college. After he had been an undaunted servant of Christ for forty-five years, lie was removed when ripe for his departure, and received the palm from his Redeemer, on the 8th of August, 1685, in the 72d year of his age.]
2
Here lyes the precious dust of Thomas Bailey,
A painful preacher,
A most desirable neighbor,
A pleasant companion,
An eminent liver, A tender husband, A careful father, A brother for adversity,
A common good,
A cheerful doer,
¡ A patient sufferer,
A faithful friend,
Lived much in little time,
A good copy for all survivors.
* " Immediately after this word Mr. Bailey, who transcribed this epitaph into his manuscript book, has inserted in a parenthesis the following comment : ‘i. e. one of the underrowers that steer the ship towards the haven.' In thus explaining this Greek word according to its derivation, rather than its common and obvious sense, he has made it present to the mind a metaphor somewhat striking and pleasing." - Francis' History of Watertown.
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WEST CAMBRIDGE.
Aged 35 years. He slept in Jesus the 21st of January, 1688.
Pious Lydia, made and given by God As a most meet help unto John Bailey, Minister of the Gospel. Good betimes-Best at last, Lived by faith-Died in grace, Went off singing-left us weeping, Walked with God till translated, in the 39th yeare of her age, April 16, 1691. Read her epitaph in Prov. xxxi. 10, 11, 12, 28, 29, 30, 31.
WAYLAND.
THIS town bore the name of East Sudbury from 1780 until 1835. It is separated on the west from Sudbury by the river of that name, a sluggish stream, which annually overflows a large tract of low lands, which produce great crops of hay without the necessity of cultivation. In February, 1722-3, the church at Sudbury was, by a vote of the members, divided into two distinct churches. Mr. Cooke was ordained the pastor on the east side of Sudbury river, in March, 1723; he died in 1760. In 1765, the number of houses on the east side was 112; the number of fami- lies, 129; the number of white inhabitants, 698. There are two Congregational churches in this town, one of which is Unitarian. It is 7 miles south of Concord, 7 north-east of Framingham, and 16 west of Boston. Population, 931. In 1837, there were manu- factured in this town 230 pairs of boots, and 29,666 pairs of shoes, valued at $22,419. There were 4 forges, which manufactured 8 tons of bar iron, valued at $2,600.
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WEST CAMBRIDGE.
WEST CAMBRIDGE was incorporated a town in 1807. It was previously a part of Cambridge, called Menotomy. The southern part of the town is low, and some of it swampy. The middle is dry and healthy, with good land for culture and pasturage; the north part of the town is broken, rocky, and partially covered with wood. This town has a considerable village, situated prin- cipally on a single street, about a mile in length. There are three churches, 1 Congregational, 1 Universalist, and 1. Bap- tist. Population, 1,308. Distance, 12 miles from Concord, 4 from Lexington, and 6 from Boston. In 1837, there were 500 pairs of boots and 31,000 pairs of shoes manufactured, valued at $25,500. There were 2 mills for pulverizing drugs, medicines and dye-stuffs ; capital invested, $24,000 ; hands employed, 11 ; value of the same manufactured, $200,000. One dying and calico-printing manufac- tory ; hands employed, 44; value of manufacture, $40,000. Value
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