USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Marlborough > Historical reminiscences of the early times in Marlborough, Massachusetts : and prominent events from 1860 to 1910, including brief allusions to many individuals and an account of the celebration of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of the town > Part 15
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people within its portals than any other one house in Marlborough. For here Cotillion parties and Balls; Secret Societies; Clubs; Exhibi- tions ; classes of pupils, and countless visitors have assembled, even to the present day.
"Oh, the days of Kerry dancing."
It was a beautiful June day, seventy-one years ago, when Lambert Bigelow went out to the haymakers in the fields of the old Bigelow house and announced the birth of "a fine healthy boy." This was Edward L. Bigelow, born June, 1839. In early days one had to work physically and mentally to obtain an education, and after graduating at the old Academy under the instruction of Mr. O. W. Albee, Edward would rise before daylight to take the early stage to Feltonville,-no extension of the railroad coming to Marl- boro at that time,-where he would meet the steam cars for Boston and Comer's Commercial College. Later he attended the school at Wilbraham, which prepared him to enter "Harvard Scientific" at Cambridge, Mass., where he remained until his father stricken with paralysis signified his desire for his son to renounce his great ambition to study civil engineering, and to carry on the mercantile business and remain at home with the invalid mother. At the early age of 12, Edward had begun writing for his father and became as he remains today. senior partner of this business, established 88 years ago (1822.) Respected by his townsmen and all who know him, he has been honored with various tokens of appreciation. Altho never politically ambitious-proof of which was illustrated when he declined in 1898 the nomination for "Mayor of the City of Marl- boro" offered him by all three parties, Republican, Democratic and the Working Men's City Conventions,-in his younger days he served Marlborough three consecutive years in the House of Representatives and ten years as "Town Clerk" for Marlborough. Under Governor Andrews, 1863, he was appointed Justice of the Peace which position he has held for 47 years. He became mem. of United Brethren Lodge of Free Masons, joining before the anti- masonic storm swept the country; mem. of Unitarian church Parish ;
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and is called "Father of our Town Library." He m. Ella A. dau. of Lewis and Ruth (Benchley) Fisher of Milford. Three ch. Emily M. graduate of Smith College, [m. C. Emery, ch. George and Helen;] George L., mem. City Council, who after studying at Harvard Medical entered the mercantile business with his father. [m. Lulu Dickey, ch. Elizabeth.] Edward F., successful Pharmacist in Boston, [m. Ethel Dorr.]
"EAST. WEST, HOME IS BEST."
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CHAPTER X.
THE WILLIAM STETSON HOMESTEAD.
Riding up "Middlesex Square" we come to the fine old Home- stead of Deacon William Stetson. The noble trees were long since destroyed in behalf of commercial enterprise and the beautiful slope of green cut away. Dea. Stetson moved into town the day Rev. Mr. Goodhue was ordained. For nearly a generation in church and social meetings, in voice of song did he serve the people of Marlboro. He passed thro' the vale of poverty but rose by his energy to good
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fortune, never swerving from the path of honesty, honor or duty. It was near 1837 when Dea. Wm. Stetson of Jackson, Florida, was choir director and tenor vocalist of the Spring Hill Ch. when in the orchestra Amory Maynard played the single bass viol, John Goodale double bass, Wm. Wilson tenor trombone, Webber Wilson alto bugle and Francis Sawin, Dennison Brigham, Stephen Eager, Wm. Wilson and F. M. Sawin as vocalists.
Deacon Stetson married and had three sons before coming to Marlboro. His second wife was Mrs. Dana Clark, previously Elizabeth Brigham Warren. By her he had six children, Mrs. Edward Alley, Mrs. Edward Schofield, John Goodhue, Edward Winslow, Hattie, and Emma, the latter deceased in infancy.
Mr. Stetson built the house on E. Main St. opposite Elm Place, house with large columns and fine elms, the latter being removed for widening the street. He lived there many years but subsequently sold and removed to Rufus Stowe farm on Spoonhill Ave. From there he went to Florida.
Down at the corner was the house of Jacob Fairbanks, a well known wheelwright and trader, who built the house where he carried on country store. He had wooed and won the heart of Caroline Williams who died before the marriage could take place and her sister Mary afterwards married Jacob. As Bigelow's store in the west part was the centre place for social talk and favorite post for news of the day, so was Fairbanks store a popular one in the east part of the town. These two stores-East and West, were the only ones in town and a pleasant rivalry was always enjoyed. Every night after the day's work was over parties would meet and sit around the old stove and gossip and tell stories. One evening the topic was: "which is the oldest house in Marlboro?" [The writer has been told that the Barnes house was built in 1668, the Bent house in 1674, Peter Rice built the house known later as the Eli Rice or Otis Russell house in 1688. In 1696 John Bigelow erected his house on the Farms, Joseph Brigham built 1728, Jacob Felton 1752, (this is now the Dunton house,) Rev. Aaron Smith's house was erected 1740, and the Coggswell or Barnes in 1775.] And one told of the school boys wrangle under some apple trees near his place, over the same question of pre-eminence. There were eight or ten of them. "Bent is the oldest house," cried one. "Bet yer two agates Barnes is," "No siree, its Joseph Brigham's, Ephraim Brigham-Old Williams' Tavern-'Tory Smith,' Bigelow on the Farms, Barnes the Tory" were then heard,
0
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and soon there was an Indian war hoop and a general pow wow until an apple happened to fall on the head of one of them which turned the battle into a laugh and good feeling .- But who today can tell which is the very oldest house!
THE HEMENWAY OR AMORY COTTING HOUSE.
Passing Jacob Fairbanks' we come to this little old house now fast falling to ruins. Many in the present day remember their childhood while attending the school held here where "readin and writin and rithmatic were taught to the tune of a hickory stick." The name Amory Cotting is one well remembered by many of those still living. When Amory was a boy he bound out to "Billy" Rice to learn shoe making. When he came of age Amory was given a suit of clothes, six weeks schooling, and fifty dollars. He never forgot that famous election day when Aunt Lyddy gave him the large sum of eight cents with which to celebrate. He was a very Vanderbilt that day we may believe, but truly a Hetty Green in his expenditure. Returning home he was asked: "Well Amory how much did you spend?" "Four cents" was the proud reply. "Well, now" said Aunt Lyddy "I'll take back the other four cents, Amory, and just keep them for your next celebration."
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This was a hard lesson for Amory; and one he never forgot; teaching him that one is sometimes the loser by not enjoying to the fullest, the gifts that the gods have sent. As years went by Amory married first Beky Phelps, ch. Wm., Roland, James and Elijah. After her death m. Dolly B. Bruce, ch. Hartley, Amos, Dolly M.
Amory built the above house in which the one great chimney contained 11,000 bricks. Here was born 1826, Amos Cotting who married Mary E. Barnes, and built his present house on Maple St. where he still resides, a smart old gentleman over 84 years of age.
MUNNING SAWIN HOUSE.
A little way from the present St. stands the old Munning Sawin house which is recorded as being about one hundred and eighty-five years old. Miliken Sawin built it and it has ever since been in the Sawin family. Its massive timbers and other indications of a by gone era with the rumor of its being at one time the sheltering place for General Lafayette, who while traveling through Marlboro, selected it for his rest, make it an especially interesting old landmark. In early times when there was but one other house in sight it was kept as an Inn by Munning Sawin who was a member of Capt. Abraham Williams Co., organized in 1757. At time Capt. Cyprian
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Howe was mein host at his Inn, Munning was holding good his reputation as the same at his end of the town, and the boys used to sing :
" Uncle Cyp makes the flip And Munning makes the toddy, O."
Altho' their houses were perhaps rivals they were not antagonistic and his oldest son Benjamin married Martha Howe, daughter of Cyprian.
Francis Sawin (4th generation now living here) m. first Sophia Nichols, ch. Georgianna, m. Venus Thompson, [their dau. m. Henry Eager a prosperous jeweler in Marlborough,] Frank W. (m. Sophia R. Hartshorn. ) George M. (m. Dora Slocum.) Mr. Sawin m. after her death Cordilia C. Carver, ch. John m. Ella R. Haynes, Florence m. Arthur L. Pierce, Martha E. m. Joseph Temple, Lena A. m. Jesse P. Haynes, Blanch M., Maude F. m. George W. Boggs.
THE JOHN CHIPMAN HOUSE.
The fine old colonial mansion a little way up the street on Chipman's Corner is doubly plastered and built for John Chipman by Amory Maynard. The death of "Uncle John," as was called
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this one of the best known, influential and public spirited citizens of our town, was deeply deplored. In early life he was identified with the shoe business but later withdrew and joined his brother Dea. George Chipman in the carpet business in Boston. He possessed a high order of intelligence and great mental activity, was authority on historical subjects and had a marvellous memory. In his latter days darkened by the total loss of sight, he could repeat with scarcely a verbal error, page after page of Milton and other great minds. No man had more warmly attached friends. He was known under the name of "Guilford" in his retrospections of the past, quotations from which we have not hesitated to use. In the pretty Chipman Cemetery just beyond the Homestead his body was laid to rest. One of the evidences of his public spiritedness and devotion to the interests of his native town was his enthusiastic advocacy and earnest support of the project of building the Marlboro branch railroad; the difficulties, discouragements and financial embarrass- ments of which he shared with Messrs. Mark Fay, Lambert Bigelow and others, whom he has now gone to join in the silent majority. John married in 1839 Ann Howe, by whom he had Mary, Adelia, Mary Adelia and Anna. After her death, ten years later he m. Harriet Gibbs of Framingham, by whom he had John and Henry Ward Chipman, who m. Sarah E. Knight, (ch. Harriet and Edith Guilford.)
The old time habit of gentlemen gathering at the stores on winter evenings to exchange views and social chat has come to an end. One of these meeting places was E. J. Child's Exchange (bro. to K. D.) at Chipman's Corner. Here neighbors would come in often filling the two dozen chairs provided and all boxes, etc., in the store. After giving their orders for groceries, they commenced, and for two hours or more many of the great and smaller questions of the day were discussed to the satisfaction of the majority and enjoy- ment of all. A village Lyceum could scarcely be more prolific in topics or more successful in solving knotty problems in religion, politics, social science, etc. Should any gross mistake be made in locating any fact or ascribing any authorship the penalty was a treat to nuts or apples. And thus the evening was passed, enlivened by wit and repartee.
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PORTRAIT OF. GENERAL BURGOYNE. From " Old Boston Days and Ways." Courtesey of Little, Brown & Co.
For several generations the Woods family was one of the most influential in town. John Woods Sen. of Sudbury was one of the 13 original petitioners for the township of Marlboro; was on the board of Selectmen in 1663-4-5, and was one of the early members of the ch. His will 1677 mentions sons John, Isaac, James, his wife [Mary Parmenter who died 1690 aged 80 yrs.] father Parmenter and son-in-law John Bellows. Two of his sons, John and James were deacons of Rev. Brimsmead's ch. in 1704. In the letter from Rev. Cotton Mather in 1702 we find the signature of John Woods Sr. and James Woods and John Bellows among others accepting the advice of the Elders in Boston. [See letter.] Deacon John Woods Jr. lived near the Fairbanks store. Deacon James was one of the Selectmen many years. Their brother Isaac lived also here near same square and we are told that Benjamin Franklin the schoolmaster taught school
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in Isaac Woods unoccupied house before the year 1700, and before any school house was erected in town. Two of Dea. John Woods sons were leading men in town. Col. Benjamin Woods who m. Eliza- beth Morse, was a justice of the peace, a leader, and one of his Majesty's magistrates. He lived near the square, but his son Alpheus Woods' residence "was near Chipman's Corner." Alpheus was one of the Committee on Correspondence who attempted to arrest the British spies at the house of Barnes the Tory. Col. Woods' brother. Dea. James Woods 2nd, who m. Dorothy Barnes, and then Hepzebiah Eager was a deacon 30 yrs., a selectman, assessor, town clerk and represented the town in General Court one year. He resided also near the square. His son Captain Moses Woods who m. Lydia Williams was also a representative man, in the convention for framing the Constitution in '1780, town clerk, town treasurer, etc. He was the grandfather of George E. and Erastus S. Woods. [Mr. Winslow Warren and George Woods were for some years together in the market business, until the Curtis Bros. bought them out,] and he also resided on this spot which might rightly have been named Woods Square. Here on the border was the Proprietor's House. Near the beginning of the 18th Century there were town meetings sometimes held in the building near Enoch Corey's store (where the Fairbanks' store now stands.)
In 1757 two large companies were organized in Marlborough with the addition of the alarm men. In the rolls of the company under Col. Abraham Williams we find the names of Benjamin Woods and his son Alpheus, also Moses, son of James Woods. Alpheus Woods lived and died in a house on the place where now stands the house of E. J. Childs. An old Journal in Alpheus' writing tells of the march of 52 men, officers included, under the command of Capt. Wni. Morse in Marlboro. Alpheus Woods was one of the Company who marched to the relief of the Army on the Upper Hudson menaced by Burgoyne in the fall of 1777. From this Journal it seems that the Marlboro Company formed a part of the escort to the Burgoyne prisoners on their march Bostonwards, and that the captured Hessians and Burgoyne also were marched down through the town. Alpheus Woods writes: "Nov. 5, Wednesday. The British lodged in Marl- boro last night and marched out about 9 o'clock and Gen'l Burgoyne went by my house this morning. The Hessians arrived about noon and tarrried all day and night."
He mentions Capt. Barnes, Lt. M. Woods, M. Williams, etc.,
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coming over to their tents. On his tombstone in Spring Hill Burying- Ground we read: "In memory of Mr. Alpheus Woods who died Oct. 25, 1794, aged 67, and the epitaph :
"Farewell, vain man ! I've had enough of thee ; And now I'm careless what thou say'st of me. What fault thou'st seen in me, take care to shun, There's work within thyself which should be done ; Thy smiles I court not, nor thy frowns do fear,
My cares are past, my head lies buried here."
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THE CAPT. AARON STEVENS HOMESTEAD.
Just beyond Chipman Cemetery we come to the above Homestead. Richard Stevens the grandson of Col. Thomas of Devonshire, England, came to America and settled in Ipswich where he buried his wife and one daughter and then returned to England, leaving his son Samuel who married in 1710, Thankful Stowe of Marlboro, where they both united with Rev. Mr. Breck's church of which he was subsequently elected one of the deacons. He was a prominent citizen of Marlboro and built the first Homestead on the above site.
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Ilis son Samuel who married Lucy Barnes lived on the old place as did his son Francis who maried Elizabeth Brigham, daughter of Asa Brigham. Captain Aaron Stevens was the son of this last couple, and in 1832 he built the above house in which many of the original timbers were used and a part of the old structure was built in with the new, so that while one is admiring this fine old residence, he is in part looking upon one of the earliest buildings dating back hundreds of years. Capt. Aaron Stevens had married Mary Gates, daughter of Capt. William Gates, and became a prominent and much respected citizen. Here his son Lyman lived for many years followed by his sons Lyman and George, our efficient first assistant Postmaster, the latter of whom married Miss Arabella Pratt, daughter of S. B. Pratt of the Marlboro Mirror. Their son Morton L. makes the seventh generation to live' successively in this Homestead which has never been in anyway transferred or had mortgage placed upon it. In the days of Capt. Aaron Stevens, Dea. Eli Rice, Capt. Abram Howe, Edward Wilkins and others, men earnestly sought the best interests of the town. If a new public building or road was called for, a committee was chosen to see if it were needed, and report to the town. If the road was granted another committee was chosen to see to the building of it, serving without pay. At one time committee was chosen to see how much money was needed for the use of the town and they reported $3,000 to $4,000. Capt. Stevens said they should consider well before raising so much money, for it was easier to raise the hand than to raise the taxes. The present heavy tax payers in the city of Marlboro look back with great respect in memory of this level headed and good adviser of ye olden times.
Mrs. Lyman G. Stevens is still living at the age of 91 on the old Homestead. She was the daughter of Theopilus and Lois (Brigham) Nourse, was born in Berlin, and was the granddaughter of Dr. Daniel Brigham, a surgeon in the war of the Revolution. Her early life was passed in Northboro, where she attended the then famous Valentine school. She married Lyman G. Stevens, May 8, 1844. He was for many years in business in Westboro and Newton, removing from the latter place to Marlboro in 1862, to care for his father, Capt. Aaron Stevens, who commanded a company from Marlboro in the war of 1812.
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HOMESTEAD OF GOODMAN HOWE.
On this plantation lived the first white inhabitant of Marlboro. John Howe of Sudbury was one of the petitioners in 1657 for the new grant, and was the son of John Howe supposed to be the John Howe Esq. who came from Warwickshire, England, and who was a descendant of John Howe, the son of John of Hodinhull and connected with the family of Sir Charles Howe of Lancaster in the reign of Charles first. John Howe with his wife Mary resided first in Water- town and afterwards in Sudbury where he was in 1639. He was admitted freeman in 1640 and he and his wife both died in Marlboro 1687. John came to Marlboro about 1657 and on the above spot of land not far from the Aaron Stevens Homestead a little to the east of the Indian Planting Field, he built him a cabin which has been enlarged or rebuilt and occupied by his descendants for many genera- tions. His proximity to the Indian Plantation brought him in direct contact with the natives, but by his kindness he gained the confidence and good will of his savage neighbors who accordingly not only respected his rights but in many cases made him Judge in cases of difficulties among themselves. One day two Indians got into a dispute when a pumpkin vine sprang on the land of one Indian and the fruit ripened upon the premises of the other. Each claimed the property but decided to go to John as Umpire. "Pale face Chief
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him tell where sun fruit go; white face chief, him know a heap, him tell." Quickly John calls for a knife and severing the fruit gives half to each. "Pale face Chief him big man; Chief, him know, him tell; him very big Chief." And John went up a notch still higher in the good opinion of his red faced neighbors. Nor was a sense of his justice and impartiality confided in by Indians alone. When in 1662 Thos. Danforth Esq. made a demand upon the colony for a further compensation for his services the Court ordered that he "shall have granted him so much land as Goodman Rice and Goodman Howe of Marlboro shall judge to be worth ten pounds; and they are empowered to bound the same to him." Goodman Howe seems to have inherited some of that fine trait of character of the ancestral scholar and chaplain of Cromwell, who one day when the eloquent preacher was soliciting aid or patronage for some person whom he thought deserving. turned sharply and queeried "John Howe you are always asking something for some poor fellow, why do you never ask anything for yourself ?" John Howe at Sudbury was Selectman and appointed "to see to the restraining of youth on the Lord's Day." As time went on he opened the first public house in Marl- boro, and if that be true, then this Homestead was an Inn or Tavern. and about 1670 we find his petition for a renewal of his license and he speaks as tho he had been in the business for some time. At the time he was licensed "to keep a house of entertainment" there were but two houses between his tavern and Worcester. At this, Ordinary, his grandson, David Howe, who afterwards in 1700 built and kept the Red Horse Tavern at Sudbury to distinguish it from the Marlboro "Black Horse Inn," may have been favorably struck with the occupation of an Innholder which in early days was considered. quite a distinguished occupation, the landlord being the great man of the town and Esquire, Selectman and local Magistrate. Everything was posted at the tavern which became the general place for news, and distances were computed from tavern to tavern.
The descendants of John Howe were numerous. In his will proved in 1689 he gave Thomas "the horse be troops on" and he mentions among the others John Howe Jr. a son of his son John who was married to Elizabeth Ward and killed by the Indians in the east part of Marlboro, near Sudbury and as the Probate Record says "his housings were burned by the Indians." They say the latter kept a tavern on the Munroe Wilson place and that he was killed and his buildings burned the day before Capt. Wardsworth was killed at
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JOHN HOWE AND THE INDIANS.
Sudbury. His daughter Elizabeth or Mary came near sharing her father's fate, for in 1692 she was in Lancaster at the house of Peter Joslin who married her sister, when the Indians attacked the house, murdered the family and carried her into captivity.
For several years the name How, as formerly written, has been the prevailing name in numbers in this town. In 1762 there has been the prevailing name in numbers in this town. In 1762 there were 18 persons by the name of Howe taxed in the southern part of
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Marlboro. In 1770 twenty Howes were taxed. In 1798 thirty-one Howes were taxed. In 1826 there were 28 of the name on the list of voters and in 1840 the Howe voters were 42. Over one hundred years ago Marlboro was said to be the hive of the Howes and more than one hundred and fifty families by that name had then resided here.
FAIRVIEW FARM.
A very appropriate name is this for the above house, one of the most beautifully located in Marlborough. It was in 1660 when Abraham Howe who was settled in Watertown moved to Marlborough where he established the Howe Tavern. He m. Hannah Ward, dau. of Wmn. and they had eleven children among whom was Abraham Jr. who m. 1695, Mary Howe, and who with Col. Thos. Howe, the Miles Standish of Marlborough at that time when the Indians burned our Meeting house and so much property, marched in 1704 to the Lancaster Relief where Abraham was killed with Benj. Hutchins at the time of that engagement. His brother Joseph Howe, who married in 1688 Dorothy Martin, became a large land holder in Marlboro and other places, and owned the grist mill in Feltonville before 1700, probably the first mill erected there.
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Among their children was Joseph 2nd who married Zeruialı Howe, daughter of Capt. Daniel and Elizabeth (Kerley) Howe, and at her death married Ruth Brigham, daughter of Jonathan and Mary Brigham. It was Joseph 2nd who built the above house in 1700 which somewhere near 1825 was enlarged and again remodeled in 1895. A skin parchment deed signed by Great James and John Woomscon, Indian Chiefs, is the only recorded deed of the home place.
Among Joseph's children was Thaddeus who married Levinah Brigham, daughter of Joseph and Comfort [Bigelow] Brigham. [At her death he married Prudence Holman of Bolton.] Among his children was Wm. Howe who m. Elizabeth, daughter of John and Grace (Newton) Stowe. Their son Wm. Loring Howe m. Persis: Sawyer of Berlin. They were the parents of Wm. Nelson Howe, a pleasant old gentleman who smilingly exclaimed to the writer: "They didn't put my name down in the book published 50 yrs. ago." And then he told stories of the days of the old Indians when his Farm no doubt was one of their burial places as his father, Wm. L., who owned a considerable portion of their Planting Field had found quantities of beads and arrow heads which no doubt had been buried with these dusky natives.
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