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 17
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Dr. Alcock (now Alcott) belonged to the nobility of the colony, and
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THE STEPHEN MORSE ESTATE.
as was then their custom, improved the Farm as a kind of manor. He built the splendid house for those days which stood one hundred and fifty years on the spot now occupied by the homestead of the late Stephen Morse, Esq., and which escaped the torch of the enemy during the Indian wars. At the time when the tragical events were occurring by the Indians who kept the families of Marlborough constantly in anxiety and alarm, a number of forts had been erected in different parts of the town to which the people could resort in time of danger, and that there might be no confusion, each family was assigned its respective garrison, twenty- six of which were appointed by some of the leading men of the town. John Bigelow, John Sherman, Thomas Bigelow, Samuel Morse, Samuel Bigelow and Daniel Harrington were assigned No. 26 on the Farm or the Joseph Morse garrison. (These garrisons were mere pickets enclosing the homes, and after the war came to a close, they soon disappeared, leaving generally no mark of their location.)
To this place Dr. Alcock and his family in former time had retreated until it is said that his wife and daughters had so great an attachment that the former interfered with her husband's will and demanded that her daughters should have their whole portion in the farm. The Doctor accordingly, in 1666 left the farm of 1,000 acres to Anna, Sarah and Mary. The heirs of the Doctor and of his son John sold their shares to
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Joseph and Samuel Morse, and Joseph settled in the house built by Dr. Alcock. Samuel built a little distance W. S. W. and their junior brother Jonathan afterwards bought and settled on a tract adjoining the farm and built at a short distance west of Samuel so that one garrison might protect their three families. Their removal transferred the seat of the family from Watertown, and from that day to the present the planta- tion of Stephen Morse, Esq., with the adjacent Morse cemetery in Marl- borough, has been the geographical center of the race of Joseph Morse.
Stephen Morse or " Uncle Stephen Morse, " as he was familiarly known, was born in the preceding old farm house in 1838. His last public service was raising money to beautify the old cemeteries, Spring Hill and the Farms, and one at the rear of the High school. He was a genial old gentleman, another grand old man, and used to tell many interesting stories in regard to his connection with the leading bank institutions of over half a century ago and his various experiences as messenger. It is said that his father, Stephen Morse, a man of note, who married Rebecca Howe, of Sudbury, was often seen in snow white linen frock, mounted on his fine spirited horse that always carried him along easily and gracefully as if careful and proud of his rider. A feat of his was throwing his hat to the ground from his horse and picking it up without dismounting, and he was even than an old gentleman who did his own thinking. The military company of mounted men, called at that time the troopers, were quite distinguished for their horsemanship, but sat no more naturally in the saddle than did Stephen Morse whose accomplishment seemed to be inherited by his grandson, genial Winslow Warren, who until within a few years has lived up to the family record. The mother, Rebecca Howe, lived many years after the father's death, showing the vigor and freshness of youth to an extraordinary degree. Stephen Jr., or " Uncle Stephen " Morse married Elizabeth Thompson of Sudbury and at her death he married Martha Ann Moore, also of Sudbury. The only child living is Mary H. ( " pretty Mary Morse" as the High school boys roguishly used to call their teacher) who married Dr. William S. Rich- ardson (son of Rev. M. L. Richardson of Woburn, Mass. ) Two child- ren, Stephen Morse and Martha Hubbard.
Among the Morse stories, is that a certain deacon Morse having lost his first wife some time previous, rode early one morning to the chosen one's door and without dismounting knocked, and inquired of the father for his daughter Betsey who hurried to the door. The Deacon without even saying good morning cried : "Betsey it has been revealed to me
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that you are to become my wife "-" The will of the Lord be done ! " exclaimed the maiden with corresponding taste and congeniality of feeling, anticipating her reward in the richest husband in New London Co. The marriage was a happy one and the brevity of the above courtship saved time to serve their generation.
It was Levi Morse who went privateering to France early in the Revolution. At one time when the British authorities summoned the inhabitants to take the oath of allegiance, this ardent whig held up his hand and when the words were uttered : " You solemnly swear to be true to king George" he repeated "I solemnly swear to be true to George- Washington !" It was time to flee and he escaped the place that night.
Among the children of Lyman Morse and Lydia Brigham (daughter of Jedidiah Brigham) were Porter, Ocean, married Addison Fay, Lyman married Louisa Blodgett, Burleigh married Ann Janette Brigham, second Mary A. Wise; Lydia married Moses Garfield, Charles F. married Angeline H. Bigelow, Martha married Lewis F. Ball, Frederic married Emily F. Hayden, Jedidiah married Margaret Sawyer.
The death of Burleigh Morse took from this vicinity a man who was greatly missed in many circles, particularly among the Masons and Odd Fellows. He was of unique character because of his blunt ways, and fund of originality ; a member of the Express Firm of Wheeler & Co,. and said to have been at the time of his death the oldest messenger both in years of life and of service running into Boston. One day a resident of this city who was very much the worse for wear and tear in and out of Boston approached Mr. M. in the Boston Station asking for the loan of the price of a ticket home to Marlborough "No" was the reply "I guess not ! Marlborough this morning had all of your kind it wanted; and I don't believe there's any room for you, but I'll let you have some money if you'll go some other way and keep a going." Early in life he drove a stage from here to Cordaville. After the death of his first wife, Angenette Brigham he married Mary A. Wise. At his death he was survived by his widow, four daughters; Nellie; Harriett Piper (ch. Warren, Burleigh, Maurice, Lawrence) ; Janet Graves ; Lydia ; and two sons, Walter, ex-Mayor of Marlborough, who married Susie, daughter of William and Hannah Stearns Swift (three children, Catherine, Harold, Richard), and John Wise (Paymaster in U. S. Navy) who married Della, daughter of John and Elvira (Russell) Frye (one child, Frances).
In the death of captain Chas. F. Morse, first Commander of Post 43. G. A. R., Court officer of Middlesex Co., Deputy Sheriff and retired newspaper man, Marlborough lost a citizen whose influence thro' his
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trenchant pen was felt perhaps more than that of any other man. " Charley " Morse as he was affectionately called by those who knew him best, was another unique figure noted far and wide for his wit and pungent criticism and bluntness of speech. A fact well illustrated when he went to Lambert Bigelow years ago for a position in his general store, and when asked how much he expected to be paid for his services replied with characteristic frankness : "I want you to pay me enough so that I won't have to steal from you in order to get a living." At the outbreak of the Civil War he volunteered as a member of Co. F. 13th Mass. Regiment and served as first and second lieutenant. In August 1862 he was appointed commissioner of sustenance with the rank of captain and in the purchase of supplies he traveled extensively in the south and west. At one time he was provost marshal of Hagarstown, Md., where a large body of Union troops was stationed ; and administered the affairs of the place so well as to call for commendation from his superior officers. When he carried the news to President Abraham Lincoln of the defeat of General Pope at the second battle of Bull Run, his witty replies to the questions of the President concerning the battle are declared to have greatly amused the questioner, especially when captain Morse, who was then a first lieutenant [but he did not know it, as he had been promoted from second lieutenant after departing from his regiment,] was asked, " was Pope licking General Jackson? " To which Morse replied : " Well, we were licking him some, but he was licking us a d-d sight more." Before he left the presence of the President the latter had decided to promote him to a captaincy, and he did so, the commission being received the next day.
Stories of an interesting character could be told almost indefinitely of Charley Morse, who was one of the most companionable and sympathetic of men, and at his death came to the surface many stories of his kindness to the poor and needy which he carefully kept hid. Whether as a soldier, as a business man or an official, captain Morse was always noted for his strict attention to duty. He served Middlesex county as a Deputy Sheriff for about 40 years, and at the time of his death was court officer of the Superior Court at Cambridge.
When editor of the Marlboro Times which he owned for a number of years, there was no paper in New England more frequently or widely quoted. He was a distinctive person in any company of which he formed a part, because of his pronounced convictions and the original manner in which he would give expression to them. There never was a time but he was ready with wise counsel for those who desired it, and he had such
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a grasp upon matters of current interest that his opinion was well worth considering. Throughout this region " Charley " Morse was well known and highly honored, and his passing left a void indeed. He married Angeline H. Bigelow, daughter of Lambert and Emily Dickinson Bigelow. Their children, Faith, a well known singer living for many years abroad, and Edith who married Ralph P. Barker. Their children, Charles, Richard and Esther.
THE HAGER HOMESTEAD.
Near the mill on the left of road going to Sudbury still stands the ancient home of William Hager who in his old age was remembered as a large, portly man, quiet and reserved in his demeanor, owner of the saw mills which turned out in those days a large lot of lumber. He was also a good farmer, a staunch Whig in his politics and an honest man. In early days the old Framingham road went exactly past the front of this house which was shingled in Revolutionary times by Col. Nixon, and which distinguished itself a hundred years ago by adding the dormer windows.
William Hager, who married Mary Bemis 1645, had ten children while in Watertown. The seventh child, William, married Sarah Benja- min and of their eight children, the fourth was Ebenezer who married
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Lydia Barnard. They came up to Framingham in 1725 and five years later removed to Marlborough. This makes it 1730 the date of the building of the above homestead. Here he lived for more than thirty years the best part of his life. At the age of 65 he went back to Fram- ingham where both he and his wife died in 1783. He was a prominent man in the community, respected and trusted by all. He held position of constable for eleven years to 1763. His financial standing was shown in the purchase of a large amount of real estate in Marlborough and Framingham, and in the investment in some of the business enterprises of the time. He was illiterate, signing his name with a cross. In 1740 he invested in a so-called manufacturing scheme, launched by the father of Samuel Adams, the Revolutionary patriot, and several other gentle- men, the avowed object being to alleviate the distress and poverty of the country. It seems certain that he was the first Hager to own and operate the saw mill, and it is possible that he built the dam and mill and started the business of sawing lumber in this section of the town. In Temple's history of Framingham, it is stated that he became a member of the Framingham church in 1754. Ebenezer Hager had five children, the eldest of whom was Ebenezer Hager, the wheelwright, who married Abigail Stow and had a family of nine children. He died in 1798 in his 71st year, leaving quite a little property, the estate being settled by his brother William, the second son of Ebenezer Hager, the husbandman.
This William Hager was born April 21, 1733, and married Sarah Stow, a sister of his brother Ebenezer's wife. She died in 1804 and he in January 1811 in his 78th year. He was evidently a man of unusual natural ability, well educated for the time and of large financial means. By inheritance and purchase he seems to have acquired most of his father's and much of his two brothers' property, and adding besides from time to time, by purchase from others, a good many acres to his already extensive holdings. Although in the prime of life, during the troubled days of the Revolution, he did not enter the American army and serve as a soldier in the conflict with Great Britain. It is on record that he paid a fine of $50 in 1778 for not serving as a soldier in the militia when detached for eight months' service. The fine was received by Captain William Morse and was to be used for hiring men to serve as soldiers in the Continental army. One says that the reason he did not serve as a soldier was due to his belief that he could serve the American cause better in some other way. He certainly retained the confidence of his fellow townsmen who repeatedly honored him by electing him to import- ant offices In 1781 he served as a member of the committee of corre-
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spondence. In 1789 he served as selectman, and for a number of terms beginning with 1791 he served as collector of taxes. He left at his death three sons and one daughter. The oldest son, Ephraim, settled on what was once a part of his grandfather's place in Framingham. The youngest son, Martin, moved later to the western part of the State and settled in Wendell while the second son, William, came into possession of the home and succeeded his father on the farm and at the sawmill. The daughter, Lydia, married Captain Thomas Nixon of Framingham.
William was born September 14, 1774, and died June 11, 1858. He was widely known and respected. Interested in the serious things of life, he was a diligent reader of solid works. He was a federalist in the early days of the nation and opposed to the second war with Great Britain. In the political campaign of 1840 he was a supporter of General Harrison, and later, clearly saw the approach of civil war over the slavery question, often remarking that it was surely coming, though not in his day. But he lived almost long enough to hear the clash of arms. His first wife was Nancy Parmenter by whom he had ten children, four of whom died young. His second wife was a Widow Winn who sur- vived him for seventeen years, dying in 1875. At his death the bulk of his property and the old homestead passed into the hands of his two sons, William and Martin, and is now owned by their descendants. The younger son, Martin, died in 1881 over 62 years of age. The elder son died 1890 at the age of 82. William was succeeded by his son George Hager, president of Marlborough Society of Natural History.
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CHAPTER XII.
THE SOWERBY OR URIAH EAGER HOMESTEAD.
Turning to the left road, just before the Hitchcock mansion, we find the Sowerby, or what used to be the Uriah Eager homestead. Moses Barnes, with his wife, Hepzibeth Hapgood, daughter of Dea. Jonathan Hapgood, lived many years in this house. Their youngest son was Joseph W. Barnes a well known citizen and veteran of the G. A. R. To him the writer is indebted for the interesting facts in regard to masonry in the old Academy. Joseph Barnes married the late Emma Warren of Wethersfield, Vt. Their son Warren H., a successful civil engineer engaged in developing irrigation projects in the northwest, is living in Twin Falls, Idaho. He married Julia Edith Lance ; one child, Warren Elmore.
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THE JOAB STOWE OR D. W. HITCHCOCK MANSION.
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Passing Warren school house, we ride up the hill to the Joab Stowe place. This was a part of the farm of Simon Stowe who married Sarah Hayden. Simon was deacon of the church in 1770. Quoting Mr. Timothy B. Patch : "Joab, the fourth son of Simon, with some money and a high ambition, conceived the idea of a splendid mansion for a house. What he did, he did well, but ere it was finished, his money gave out and he was in debt; according to the law of the times, the jail was staring him in the face. He fled to New York and there died. The place passed into other hands. Isaiah Bruce lived there at one time, also Levi F. Whitmore who much improved the place and introduced some of the fine fruit for which the place is noted."
In the year 1831 Benjamin Clark bought the place, and with his second wife, Lucy Howe, raised a fine family of boys. He had four children by his first wife, Catherine Eustis, among whom was Hannah who married William F. Stevens, son of Aaron Stevens, who married Mary Gates, daughter of Capt. William Gates, and by his second wife he had nine children. Asa Lewis was the next owner whose wife was Maria S. Pollard. Their son Frederick married Eliza B. Stevens,
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daughter of J. Winslow and Augusta Stevens. The farm was sold by his heirs to Thomas Corey who sold the same to Samuel Boyd. Mr. Boyd sold it to Stephen Smith and the latter to the late D. W. Hitchcock. From him it passed into the possession of Marcus M. Browne. All these owners have in succession improved this place, the very finest residence in Marlborough.
Further down the road, a few steps to the right, is the Heman Stowe or Nathan Goodale place. Heman, brother of Joab who built the Hitchcock mansion, built this house and about 1830 Nathan Goodale, who married Betsy Hunter, purchased it, and with his son John so improved it, that they obtained a premium from the Middlesex Agricul- tural Society. (See Deacon Goodale sketch.)
THE CHARLES HOWE HOMESTEAD.
An old deed of the above fine farm, on the Concord Road, in quaint handwriting and dated 12th November 1799, reads, " William Weeks to John How the third, " etc., etc. The deed was acknowledged before " Peter Wood Jus. of Peace" January 6, 1800, and registered at Cam- bridge. The oldest son of Capt. John Howe, who married Lydia Williams, was Samuel who succeeded to the estate. At his death in 1855, Mrs. Howe (Martha Ann Fay, daughter of Sylvester Fay of South-
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borough) continued to live here, and here her son Warren was born and lived for more than fifty years, erecting a mammoth greenhouse, products of which travelled to New York and other cities in enormous quantities. His sister, the late Annie M. Howe, was a talented woman, teacher of various institutes. At time of her death the above old homestead, one of the oldest and best known farms in this section, became the property of the heirs who recently sold it to Miss Nan Clement Hodgkins of Malden, whose father is of the firm of Thayer, McNeill & Hodgkins of Temple Place, Boston.
FRANCIS WEEKS HOMESTEAD.
Francis Weeks, called by his neighbors, " Uncle Frank, " lived just below the Witt place. He was born in the old homestead of his ancestor, Supply Weeks, November 1, 1790. He bought a few acres of the old farm of his brother, Solomon, and built a house in 1820. He carried on his little farm and found time to assist his neighbors when hard pressed with work. He worked by the day, and at no time, even in the hay field, were wages more than a dollar a day. Being an excellent nurse, his services were almost indispensable with the sick to whose bedside he was continually called. For several years he walked to church more than two
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miles distant, and Rev. Sylvester F. Bucklin had no more constant attendant winter or summer. Indeed, the neighbors along the way used to call him "the first bell" so unfailingly prompt was he. "Uncle Frank" was a strong Orthodox in contrast with his brother "Uncle Solomon " who was as earnest a Methodist.
Francis Weeks' farm was a rough one and he used to say that it was fortunate for him that it was a small one for the reason that if large and as rough, it would require so much labor that he could not get a living at all, while with his small one he could just eke out a support. He had six children, two of whom died in infancy. He adopted William M. Weeks when seven months old who lived in the family until he went into the army. Four of his own children lived to grow up : Lewis Brown, Francis Sylvester, Sarah B. and William Lyman. Sarah married Alvan Sanborn who died May 8, 1904. Their children are Mary P., Lucy (Mrs. Crossman of Needham) and Alvan Francis Sanborn, a gifted journalist whose correspondence on sociological topics and social life in Paris, France, has given him prestige in the literary world each side of the Atlantic.
THIE DEACON GOODALE HOMESTEAD.
The first left-hand road from the Hitchcock mansion will take us to the above landmark of Marlborough. This house was built in 1702 on what was then called the Indian reserve, by John Goodale who married
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Elizabeth Witt. His son Nathan who married Persis Whitney, daughter of Benjamin and Sarah (Barrett) Whitney. succeeded him on the old Homestead. His son Abner, who married Molly Howe, and was in Capt. Gates' company and was in the campaign at White Plains, suc- ceeded him on the homestead. He served his townsmen in various offices and was deacon of the church. Abner's son David, who married Millicent Warren (daughter of Thaddeus and Lucy Warren) was school teacher in early days and a man of decided talent, energetic in character and prominent both in church and town, deacon of the church, representative in General Court, etc. At the time he and his brother Nathan were living here we have been told that the buildings were large and commodious and enough in number to make a respectable sized village, indeed it was a village of itself for both the brothers had large families including the army of hired help for both house aud farm work.
Marlborough was one of the best farming towns in the State and nearly everybody in early years were prosperous farmers. The large orchards of fine fruits with their broad acres of grass and grain showed careful tillage and the Goodale brothers were considered among the suc- cessful farmers of the town. They were both school teachers for many years. Teaching the district school during the winter, managing their farms in the summer, they must have led busy lives. Their motto was that it was " better to wear out than to rust out." In process of time the house which was a hive of industry became too full and they must swarm. The question of who or which of the brothers should remain on the old homestead was settled by Nathan saying unto David : "Thou art the one to remain; our father was a deacon, you are also a deacon, and let it remain as the Deacon Goodale farm." Nathan was the eldest of the two, with a larger family than the Deacon's. In selecting a new house for his family he used his usual good judgment by purchasing the Heman Stowe farm which yielded bountifully to his skillful husbandry. Deacon David's son, Deacon David B. Goodale, with his good wife were the last of five generations that have lived in this house. During this time they have never had a law suit, a mortgage or appraiser or a discussion of any kind on the property.
The Goodale family were liberal patrons of the Missionary Enter- prise and Lucy who married Rev. Asa Thurston, devoted her whole life to christianize the natives of the Sandwich Islands. She died at her post in Honolulu at a very advanced age. The inhabitants of the islands honored her when living and sincerely mourned her when dead. One recalls the romantic circumstance of Mrs. Lucy Goodale Thurston's mar-
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riage nearly a century ago. When Messrs. Thurston and Bingham, then theological students at Andover, consecrated themselves to the missionary work, the mothers of the two young ladies to whom they were engaged at once broke off the engagements. The rupture constituted a very seri- ous obstacle to their approaching departure, which was then to take place within a few weeks ; for in the infancy of missions the departing mission- aries never expected to return to this country, and unless married when they sailed, might be condemned to an enforced bachelorhood for life.
The missionary society of the seminary held some prayer meetings and many a discussion over the fate of their two lonely members, and finally hired the best horse to be had in Andover, put on his back one of their number, the Rev. William Goodell, afterwards of Constantinople, and commissioned him to go forth to visit two young ladies he knew, at his home in Marlborough, and ask them, or one of them at least, to become the bride of Mr. Thurston. Travelling forty miles, Mr. Goodell called on one of the young ladies and made her an offer of marriage on behalf of his friend. The offer was promptly rejected. Retracing his steps to a lonely school house where Miss Goodale was teaching he repeated the offer. She consented that Mr. Thurston might call upon her, and after an evening's acquaintance they were engaged. To sail at the appointed time they must be married within two weeks. But the laws of Massa- chusetts then required three publications of the bans. Fortunately a town meeting was to be held in the middle of the coming week ; and by the use of the church doors twice and the Town Hall once, they were pub- lished, married and in due time sailed. Though entered into on so slight acquaintance the match proved a happy one.
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