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 16
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Wm. Nelson Howe m. 1850 Abbie D. Witt, dau. of Dwight Witt and Abigail Estabrook Witt. At her death he m. Elizabeth Wilkins dau. of Stephen and Relief Whitcomb Wilkins, and here on this old Homestead was his life peacefully lived and ended. His body rests in Rock Lawn Cemetery where his parents were buried. His son, our respected townsman Elmer D. Howe, succeeded to the estate and still resides here with his wife Leonora M. [Bemis] and their three children, Wm. Llewellyn [m. Esther M. Walker.] Leroy Martin, Elizabeth Lavinia.
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CHAPTER XI.
THADDEUS HOWE HOMESTEAD.
On the brow of the hill over looking lovely Fort Meadow stands the above home. Many years ago Jonah Howe and his wife lived here occupying the eastern part of the house while his son Capt. Thaddeus, then a young man and just married, lived in the other part and carried on the farm on shares with his father. Here lived Mrs. Jerushy Howe widow of Joel with her children on this farm embracing all the land between the two roads. Her brother-in-law Edward Rice took charge of the farm. These two, Mrs. Howe and Mrs. Rice, were half sisters to the wife of Capt. Stevens, their neighbor over the way. Edward Rice had a remarkable memory and could refer to every circumstance as tho' written in a journal.
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THE SIMEON CUNNINGHAM HOUSE.
Simeon Cunningham, Jr., married Mary Sanborn and built and lived in the above house. His father, Simeon, who married Miriam Brigham, daughter of Noah and Miriam Allen, lived over in the Millham district. It was in 1860 that Mrs. Miriam died, aged 87 years. Her grandaughter, named Miriam for her, died the same day and hour. "Grandma's coming, too," were her last words. Mrs. Cunningham was one of the oldest inhabitants of Marlborough. Her husband died three years before, aged 90 years.
Simeon and Miriam's children were Eli, Martha, Levi, Miriam, Nancy, William, Jonathan, and Simeon, Jr., who was a large man and noted for his great strength of muscle. A story is told of him in con- nection with Daniel Parker, the millionaire on Beacon street, Boston, who had his many ships at sea. The latter's native place was in South- borough, and he used to come up to Marlborough to clerk in the old Ben Rice store on Mechanic street, kept later by Nathaniel Hapgood, then by Amory Howe and Mark Fay. At this time Parker was courting Mary Weeks down at the old Dea. Weeks Homestead. One day he said he wished he had a horse, for it was a good long walk and a ride would be more than acceptable ; Simeon Cunningham stood near, and said : "Parker
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let me carry you." "I'd give you a dollar if you could, but you have no horse." "My back shall be your horse." "Give you another if you can do it " and they started amid the laughs of all who ran to see. Simeon proved a veritable Hercules, and Parker finding that he would indeed carry him right to Mary's door paid him the money and let him return. This was Daniel's first lesson in trade and was the foundation of his future business career. Simeon was a mason by trade and had often said he hoped never to live longer than the time when unable to work. His wish was granted him for one day while at work they found that with trowel in hand he had whispered good bye.
Among Simeon Jr., and Mary Sanborn's eight children was Emma L., who married the late Wm. B. Rice, who was born in that part of Marborough called Feltonville, now Hudson, in 1840. He was the son of Obed Rice, and began at an early age to bind shoes under his father's direction, and from humble bench worker became one of the world's greatest shoe manufacturers.
The late Wilbur F. Brigham in writing a series of newspaper letters said of him :
" When Wm. B. Rice walked into Feltonville with his bride of a few hours, leaving on the Northborough road a carriage with congested wheels, he did not imitate the apostle, and live in " Mine own hired house." It was more congenial to his domestic tastes to live in his own home, and pay tribute to no one. He built a house on Church street at an expense of only $1,250. He was obliged to mortgage the house.
"Soon after, he was taken sick with typhoid fever. After his recovery he continued in the employ of F. Brigham & Co. until 1861. The monotony of life in a treadmill gave no response to the ambition of the young shoemaker. His environment at the time showed a wolf in every doorway for him. He resolved to do a small business on his own account, although every shingle was mortgaged that covered his home.
" Mr. Rice was not afraid to work. He had no use for clerks and filled all departments of service from proprietor to office boy himself. Most of his capital in trade was his brawn and muscle. In a suit of blue jean drilling, with a paper hat on his head, his face blackened with the dust from swiftly revolving saws, he worked from sun to sun. He was an adept at painting and varnishing goods, many of the patterns and designs originating with him.
" During his busy years the civil war was waging with increasing fury. Stirred by a love of country, he resolved to leave home, business and kindred and respond to President Lincoln's call for volunteers. . He
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went to the front as 1st lieutenant-of Co. I, under Capt. David Brown. His soldier life showed him to be a skillful tactician, fearless, prompt and efficient in the discharge of every duty.
" After the disbanding of the regiment, Mr. Rice entered actively into the business he relinquished when he went to war."
He became a travelling salesman for various shoe factories. In 1866 he formed the boot and shoe firm of Rice & Hutchins, which in time developed into one of the largest concerns in Boston. In 1894 Mr. Rice was appointed by Governor Greenhalge a member of the first Metropolitan District Commission of Greater Boston. He was the first president of the Boston Associated Board of Trade. In politics Mr. Rice was a Democrat, and had written and spoken often in favor of a low tariff, especially on hides and leather.
Although he had been often requested by his fellow-citizens to be a candidate for public office, Mr. Rice consented only once, when he became the Democratic candidate for the Executive Council in an over- whelmingly Republican district. He was defeated by 400 votes by the late David Hall Rice, but as the latter died before his term of office expired Governor Russell appointed Mr. Rice to fill the vacancy in 1892.
Mr. Rice for years had been vice president of the Continental National Bank of Boston, a director of the Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Company, and a trustee of the Franklin Savings Bank. He was president and director also of the Atlas Shoe Company, Chesapeake Shoe Company, Continent Shoe Company, Manhattan Shoe Company, Ohio Valley Shoe Company and Winthrop Shore Land Company ; director in the Commonwealth Trust Company ; vice president of the New England Shoe and Leather Association, director in the Richardson Shoe Machinery Company, the St. Louis Shoe Company, and the Universal Winding Company, and trustee of the Summer Street Extension Trust. He also was a member of the Algonquin, Union, Trade and Merchants Clubs, and had been vice president of the Boot and Shoe Club.
Mr. Rice had made his home in Quincy for many years. He will always be remembered for his munificent gift of the Quincy City Hospital, which he gave in 1890 on the fiftieth anniversary of his birth.
At time of his death in 1909, he left generous bequests to many individuals and public establishments. Wm. B. Rice's death was a great loss to the community at large. He left widow, daughter-Mrs. Homer Bigelow,-two sons, sister and grandchildren.
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CAPT. JASON OR DEACON RUFUS HOWE HOMESTEAD.
Down upon the Boston Road we come to a lane at the left of the noble old house above. Here lived in earlier times Capt. Jason Howe, son of Jonah Howe, whose house is last on the left at the summit of the hill before descending towards Fort Meadow. In his early man- hood, Rufus Howe left his paternal home, being employed for many years as superintendent of Mt. Auburn cemetery, Boston. Returning to Marlborough he purchased this farm and grafted new orchards, rebuilt and repaired the old buildings, saying, "I intend having one of the hand- somest places in Marlborough, " and he succeeded. Deacon Rufus Howe married Sophia Tayntor and after her death married Eveline Walker. Children, Annie S., Albert R., Ella E., and Florence A.
Hundreds of descendants of the only one of the second generation of Brighams, whose grave is marked where he lies buried in the old ceme- tery in the rear of our High school building, will be interested in the following picture of the old homestead on the Boston Road. Here lived the son of Capt. Samuel Brigham and Elizabeth Howe, daughter of Abra- ham and Hannah (Ward) Howe and grandson of Thomas and Merey (Hurd) Brigham. Lieut. Jedediah Brigham married Bethiah, daughter
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MAJOR JEDEDIAH BRIGHAM HOMESTEAD.
"How dear to my heart are the scenes of my childhood, When fond recollection presents them to view :
The orchard, the meadow, the deep tangled wildwood. And ev'ry loved spot that my infancy knew,"
of Joseph and Dorothy (Martin) Howe, and at his death he left the above homestead to his youngest son Winslow who married Elizabeth Harring- ton. Winslow was a distinguished citizen and died as he had lived on the old place which passed on to his son, Major Jedediah, who married Lydia, daughter of William and Lydia ( Morse) Boyd. Major Jedediah Brigham was a well known factor in Marlborough in time past and was much interested in military affairs. In town he was treasurer, assessor, selectman, and held other important offices. Ten children were born to him and his good wife in this old homestead which until a few years ago was a landmark of Marlborough.
Here were born Betsey, who married Samuel Warren, and later he married Rebecca Morse; Lydia married Lyman Morse; Lucy married Timothy Patch; Hannah married George Peters ; Ashley married Mary, daughter of Ephraim Bigelow; Joel married Lydia, daughter of Capt. Job Dickinson of Northfield; William Pitt married Lavinia, daughter of Dr. John Baker ; Augusta married John W. Stevens.
Betsey Brigham, born in Westborough, of lively disposition and
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good company, once said : " You can't throw a stone in the boroughs but you'll hit a Fay or a Brigham. " Her nephew was afflicted at one time with a compound fracture of the arm. The doctor after an exami- nation stated that there was proud flesh in the arm. Aunt Godfrey quickly remarked, " You never saw a Brigham who didn't have 'proud flesh. ' "'
The old house was moved away to School street after the grand old trees had been totally destroyed in a terrific storm, but those whose ancestors were born here and who became respected and noted citizens will ever treasure in memory the old Brigham homestead.
MOONLIGHT OVER THE WILLIAM STOWE HOUSE.
William Stowe, who married in 1796 Phebe Morse, built this house and here Truman Stowe was born and lived several years after his marriage to Hannah Manson. Later on he moved South and died in Jacksonport, Arkansas, in 1857. After he left, Mr. James Draper, who
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married a daughter of William Draper, Esq., of Marlborough, lived here in 1832. The widow of William Rice then purchased the place, but sold it in 1835 to Judge Israel E. Eames and to William F. Barnard (the same year the latter married Lydia W. Howe, daughter of Capt. John.) Israel Eames had married William Barnard's sister, Elizabeth, and the two families were easily accommodated in the large old mansion. Wil- liam Barnard was born in the following picturesque old house, owned and lately occupied by Mr. John Parmenter. Educated in the district school and old Gates Academy, Mr. Barnard later taught district school on the Farms, Warren and North district for twelve years. Tiring of school teaching, he directed his energies to farming, improving the Hol- den place and tilling the adjoining 90 acres of land. Although Mr. Barnard had never shown inclination to hold public office, he was honored with the confidence of his fellow citizens, serving as assessor, overseer of the poor and member of the school board. He was one of the first stock- holders of the Fitchburg road, and deemed the construction of this and the South road the greatest events in the history of Marlborough. He had united with the Union church in 1852 and had ever lived a frugal and temperate life which ended 1903 in this world, in his 94th year.
BIRTHPLACE OF WILLIAM F. BARNARD.
One day while showing him the preceding sketch he exclaimed : "Ah I am particularly interested in this old house, for here it was that I was
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born. " "Who built it?" we inquired. " Artemus Howe, we believe " was the answer. " My ancestor, Robert Barnard, bought in 1723 of Jeremiah Barstow, large land holder in Marlborough, a large tract of land in a dozen different lots containing about 350 acres. These adjoin- ing tracts included the whole of the village of Feltonville (Hudson) on both sides of the river, and comprised the mill privilege and the mill thereon, etc. etc. The mill erected before 1700 by Joseph How, Bar- stow's father-in-law, was then in full operation and Mr. Barstow was designated as 'the miller.'"
Robert Barnard gave 600 pounds for this property and set up as miller and opened public house. There was at the time but one dwelling house upon the premises, but as time went on a little settlement grew which was designated the "Mills." Robert's son Joel, grandfather of William Barnard, married Lucy Stevens and they lived on the site of the Col. Woods residence, on the spot where the first house in the village (Hudson) was probably erected and it was here where Robert and his son Joel resided and kept public house. The above house was purchased by Mr. Parmenter who built his more modern house located nearly opposite. John F. Parmenter m. Lucy Temple ; ch. Henrietta F. m. Charles Cunningham ; Julia L. m. George Cooley; Lewis L. m. Ida Reed ; Herbert G. m. Mabel Parmenter : Henry W. m. Angie Macomber.
DANIEL WILLIAMS HOMESTEAD.
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Just before the Warren School house still stands the house built by Daniel Williams who married Mary Stowe daughter of John and Grace Newton Stowe. Daniel died in 1810 leaving his widow and four children, Clarissa, John, Caroline and Mary in possession of the above place. Here they all lived together until Clarissa married Otis Morse and moved to the home on Mechanic street. After Mrs. Williams death, Thaxter Hunt, Wm. Stetson, Dana Stowe, and Ephraim Davis lived from time to time in the William's homestead, and to the little old Warren School house near by did they all send their children.
PEACE PETERS OR ELIJAH DICKINSON HOMESTEAD.
On the corner at the junction of the Boston and Concord road stands the large square house of Hannah, the widow of Peace Peters, who lived here with her four children. She used to keep milliner's shop in the northeast corner, and her mother kept store in the next room where the boys and girls bought peppermints until the pennies gave out. At Peace Peters' death Hannah married Stephen Howe by whom she had one son, Stephen Martin, who was as the records say, "awfully drownded " on Gates Pond one fourth of July. Both husbands of Mrs. Howe were blacksmiths and worked in a shop opposite on a corner of the Warren Farm. The late Elijah Dickinson before he moved to Fitchburg lived in this house for ten or more years and turned the blacksmith shop
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opposite in o a shoe shop which was later destroyed by fire. In the above house were born his children, Mary who married Henry Allison, President of Fitchburg Safety Fund National Bank until he retired from business ; (children, Fannie, Edith, Ethel, Ruth) Anna, who married Frederick F. Woodward and died in 1887, (child, Stella) and his only son, Chas. P. Dickinson, a graduate of Yale, who entered into partnership with his father and married Susie Cushing, daughter of Joseph Cushing. We believe all three attended the Warren school of Marlborough. Elijah Dickinson was an active and prominent citizen, public spirited, progressive and a safe business manager. His love for his native town, Northfield, was practically manifested by the gift of a costly and admirably planned public library building which will stand a memorial of his wise philan- thropy. His first marriage was to Maria A. Belding of Vernon, Vt., and at her death he married Ermina Spaulding of Jaffrey, N. H.
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THE SAMUEL WARREN HOMESTEAD (NOW CITY FARM.)
Passing down the road to the right just before reaching the little old-
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time Warren school house, we come to the house on the left, which, with the exception of some late additions, looks very much the same now as it did when Capt. Samuel Warren resided there, except the number of barns and outbuildings have diminished, and other convenient buildings have taken the place of those which stood there one hundred years ago. This place had been the home of the Warren family of Marlborough for several generations.
Capt. Samuel Warren was not only a respected citizen, a kind neighbor, a solicitous parent presiding with dignity over an interesting family, but he was also a gentleman. In his personal appearance he was tall and commanding, not corpulent, but a large frame denoting muscular strength and power of endurance, with a military bearing that gave the young people the impression (that seemed to be confirmed when his brother, General Warren, visited the old homestead) that he was a descendant of the great General who fought and was slain at the battle of Bunker Hill. The Captain was methodical in his business and punc- tilious in his domestic life. He was a sprout from the old Pilgrim stock and religious devotion was observed in his family as regularly morning and evening as the rising and setting of the sun. The wife and mother was Rebecca Morse Warren whose slight and lady like figure not only adorned her own household, but embellished all her surroundings. Never strong, and her health always precarious, she moved about quietly and serenely, performing her domestic duties, seeming to accomplish more than ordinarily falls to the lot of wife and mother. In the year 1837 this devoted and frail little mother was shrouded in the deepest mourning, as it fell to her lot to be parted from her infant twin children. Soon her own summons came and she was carried to the old Spring Hill church yard.
Happily for the City of Marlborough, Winslow Morse Warren still remains with us, a generous hearted citizen whose gifts are frequent and unostentatiously bestowed. Among them may be mentioned the hand- some clock on our City Hall and the check of a thousand dollars to the Public Library. Mr. Warren was son of Samuel and Rebecca (Morse) Warren. [His father's first wife was Betsy Brigham.] He was born August 30, 1828, on the old Warren homestead where his father, grand- father and great grandfather had lived and toiled before him. After assisting his father for a time on the farm, Winslow formed a partnership in the meat and provision business with George E. Woods, which con- tinued until 1864 when he entered the firm of Dart & Co. in the express business between Boston and Marlborough. Of this he became eventually
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proprietor and in connection did an insurance business, and also settled many estates. He was for several years treasurer of the town of Marl- borough, trustee in the Marlborough Savings Bank and a member of the committee on investments. He was one of the original subscribers to the stock of the People's National Bank and on the first board of directors. July 2, 1879, Mr. Warren married in London, England, Sarah Wilson, daughter of William and Martha (Phelps) Wilson. Both Mr. and Mrs. Warren are highly esteemed by all in Marlborough.
THE WHITMORE OR THEODORE TEMPLE HOMESTEAD.
Here lived in early times Joseph Williams and his two maiden sisters. They tell us that during the Revolutionary war a wounded soldier sick unto death was left here in care of Mr. Williams, who gave him every care, and at his death buried him in his own door yard. Unfortunately the mark of this grave was lost many years ago but the fact is here, handed down by a centenarian from Berlin and descendant of the Williams. About 1831 Levi Whitmore who had purchased the Joab Stowe or Hitchcock farm and improved it, introducing the fruit for which the place is famous ; sold out to Benj. Clark, purchased the above homestead and moved here. Levi Whitmore was not only a good farmer but a good school teacher, teaching several winter terms in District No. 1, in the old
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red school house situated under the shelving rocks near the Spring Hill meeting house. He was a smart man and altho' like Moses of old, slow of speech he was a practical thinker, a good citizen and father of a number of boys and girls who became teachers like their father. Ellen the oldest daughter became wife of Warren Goodale, son of Dea. David Goodale who went to reside with his distinguished aunt Mrs. Lucy Goodale Thurston who devoted her long life to the missionary work in the Sandwich Islands and where her nephew also became distinguished for his varied talents. It was this same Marlborough boy who taught the first rudiments of knowledge to the king of these islands. In 1887 Mr. Theodore Temple bought this estate. He was born on the farm road in the house built by his father, now occupied by Laban Shute. His father Hiram Temple married Emily Howe Temple. Hiram was the son of John and Nancy (Wilkins) Temple and grandson of Jonathan Temple who owned the farm now known as the Lawrence Heminway place on the road to Solmon Weeks House. Mr. Temple's grandfather, John Temple, built the house owned by Mrs. Boyd joining, Laban Shute, and owned the land covered by the water of the Metropolitan basin. Theodore Temple's great, grandfather on his mother's side was Elijah Dadman who at the age of nineteen was an officer in the Revolutionary war. His great grandfather on his father's side Edward Wilkins of Feltonville was also a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Theodore Temple in 1869 married Effie G., who was born at Robin Hill. Her father, Wilder Sawyer was a native of Berlin, and her mother Lucinda Bigelow Rice was a grand daughter of Gershom Bigelow of Robin Hill. Of their four children, the youngest is Winfield, a well known lawyer of this city, who entered Dartmouth College at the age of seventeen, graduating with honor, with the degree of A. B. in 1897. He also graduated from Boston law school with degree L. L. B. cumlaude, taking the three years course in two years. He married Lucy Howe Proctor, a teacher and daughter of S. H. and Nellie Holyoke Proctor. They have two sons, Winfield and Richard Sawyer.
The first settler of Marlborough, as we have stated, was John Howe in 1657, and other early settlers were : Edmund Rice, William Ward, John Woods, Sr., John Maynard, Jonathan Johnson, John Ruddocke, Christopher Banister, John Barrett, Abraham Howe, Edward Rice, Thomas Rice, William Kerly, Richard Ward, Samuel Brigham, Thomas Brigham, John Bent, Richard Barnes, Abraham Williams, Thomas Goodnow.
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Among the early founders or pioneers of Marlborough were the fol- lowing names : Adams, Alcock, Alexander, Allen, Amsden, Angier, Arnold, Axtell, Babcock, Baker, Banister, Barber, Barker, Barnard, Barnes, Barstow, Bartlett, Barrett, Bayley, Braman, Bellows, Bent, Bender, Bigelow, Bond, Bowker, Boyd, Breck, Brigham, Brown, Bruce, Bush, Church, Cogswell, Cotting, Cranston, Crosby, Cunningham, Curtis, Darling, Davis, Dawson, Dexter, Eager, Eames, Edwards, Fay, Felton, Forbush, Fosgate, Fosket, Foster, Franklin, Garfield, Gates, Gibbs, Gibbon, Gleason. Goddard, Gold, Golding, Goodale, Goodenow, Gott, Gore, Gould, Green, Hager, Haggitt, Hale, Hall, Hapgood, Harrington, Harthorn, Hayden, Hemenway, Hines, Holden, Holland, Holyoke, Horn, Hosmer, John Howe, Abraham Howe, Hudson, Hunter, Hunting, Jewell, Johnson, Jones, Joslin, Kerley, Keyes, Kidder, Knap, Knights, Lee, Lennard, Loring, Lyscom, Mann, Manson, Marble, Martin, Mason, Matthews, Maynard, Mixer, Moore, Morris, Morse, Moseman, Munroe, Newton, Oakes, Packard, Parker, Parminter, Perry, Percival, Peters, Phelps, Potter, Pratt, Prescott, Priest, Ray, Rediat, Reed, Rice, Ripley, Robinson, Ruddock, Rugg, Russell, Samp- son, Sawin, Sawyer, Seaver, Shattuck, Sherman, Smith, Snow, Souther, Stanley, Stevens, Stewart, Stone, Stowe, Stratton, Taylor, Tainter, Temple, Thaping, Thomas, Tomblin, Townsend, Trowbridge, Vockary, Wait, Walcutt, Walker, Walkup, Ward, Warren, Weeks, Wells, Wheeler, Wheelock, Whitcomb, Whitney, Wilder, Wilkins, Williams, Wilson, Winchester, Witherbee, Witt, Wood, Woods, Wyman.
The name of Morse claims high antiquity back to the reign of Edward III. Among interesting records we hear of John Morse, Esq., Alderman of Herford, and Mary Morse who married Oliver Cromwell, great grandson of the Protector. Among the Puritans who first left England were Samuel Morse, husbandman, aged 50, his wife Elizabeth aged 48, and Joseph Morse aged 20. Samuel settled in Watertown, the metropolis of the colony, and later on Joseph Morse married Grace Warren of Watertown. (See Bigelow sketch). In 1695 Joseph Morse, Samuel Bigelow, John Bemis and Samuel Morse, husbandmen of Watertown, bought of Ephraim Hunt, who had married Dr. John Alcock's daughter, and was one of the heirs to her father's 350 acres of land formerly granted to Dr. Alcock, bordering on Marlborough, and called " The Farm."
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