USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Watertown > Historical sketch of Watertown, in Massachusetts, from the first settlement of the town to the close of its second century > Part 13
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50s.
do, single
5s.
Butcher.
raw hides per İb.
3g.
best tallow per lb. 98.
flax per lb. 12s.
milk per quart 2s.
oats per bushel 48g.
barley per bushel £4.10g.
malt per bushel
£4. 108.
147
Horse-hire per mile 5s. Chaise-hire per mile 5s. All arti- cles of European manufactures at the same rates, that shall be affixed to them by the town of Boston."
A committee was likewise chosen to carry into effectual and rigid execution the proceedings of the Convention at Con- cord.
(L, page 125.)
It may not be without use to subjoin to our annals a brief ac- count of the town, as it is at the present time.
Watertown is 62 miles from Boston, and is bounded on the north by West Cambridge, on the east by Cambridge, on the south by Charles River and by Newton, and on the west by Wal- tham. It is pleasantly situated on Charles River, which in its beau- tiful windings decorates the scenery, at the same time that it con- fers more substantial advantages. In extent of territory, Water- town is one of the smallest towns in Massachusetts, containing only 38336 acres, including land and water, as will appear from the following result of a survey taken by Mr. John G. Hales of Boston :
Half of Charles River, length 375 chains,
by 2 chains wide - -
75 acres.
Part of Fresh Pond 1
Small stream and Mill-pond
-
58元5元 3
136.5-
. Amount of land, including roads &c. 369717
Whole contents within the lines 38337%
The soil of Watertown is in general remarkably good. A portion of the southeastern extremity of the town is sandy, poor, and barren ; but, with this exception, the land is among the best and most productive in the Commonwealth. The soil consists, for the most part, of black loam, having a substratum of hard earth, so that it suffers but little comparatively from drought in summer. There is very little wood-land in the town, nearly all
148
the soil being cleared and cultivated. A large proportion of the inhabitants, comprising nearly all those who occupy the north part of the town, are employed in agriculture, and their farms are under very good cultivation. The usual productions of the villages in the vicinity of Boston are found here in abundance, and a large supply is furnished for the market of the city. There are a few country seats, beautifully situated, and in a state of high and improved cultivation.
A branch of business, which has been of considerable impor- tance in Watertown, is the fishery of Charles River. It is annu- ally let out by the town for the highest sum that can be obtained. Several years ago, it produced a revenue of between 600 and 800 dollars a year ; now it is much less profitable, being com- monly let out for 250 or 300 dollars a year. The shad fishery is the only one of much value ; and the number of that kind of fish taken in the river is considerably less, than it was 40 or 50 years since. If we go further back, the contrast is still greater. Wood, describing Watertown about 150 years ago, speaks of " the great store of shads and alewives," and then says, that " the inhabitants in two tides have gotten one hundred thousand of these fishes." New England's Prospect, p. 46 .*
There are two paper-mills in the town ; at one of them, only brown paper is made ; at the other, besides brown paper they make printing paper, candle paper, glass paper, &c. Each of these mills manufactures, on an average, 150 reams per week. - There are also two manufactories of cloth. "The Watertown Woollen Factory Company " has an establishment near the bridge ; this manufactures broadcloths and cassimeres, employs from 30 to 35 hands, and turns out about 250 yards per week. "The Bemis Manufacturing Company " (incorporated in 1827) has a much larger establishment about a mile above the bridge ; this consists of two factories, a Woollen Factory, which manufactures about 2500 yards of satinet per week, and a Cotton Factory, which spins and warps for satinets, and makes about 2000 bolts of cotten duck per annum.
The town has four public schools. Two of these are kept the whole year, one by a male teacher, the other by a female. The other two are taught by masters in the winter, and by fe- male teachers in the summer. The number of children in all these schools is, on an average, about 240. There is one flourishing
* After some litigation, the profits of the fishery are now divided be- tween Watertown and Brighton, the proportion of seven tenths to the former and three tenths to the latter town.
149
private school in the town ; and there are two or three, at which reading and spelling are taught to little children. In December, 1829, a Lyceum was established, at a meeting of the inhabitants called for that purpose, and a course of lectures was given, which lasted till the end of April ; by a regulation of the society, the lec- tures or other exercises are to continue for six months from the 1st of November, being suspended during the summer months. Connected with the Lyceum is a scientific and miscellaneous li- brary; there are two libraries besides this, one a Religious Li- brary, the other a Juvenile Library, to which all the children in the town have access.
There are three meeting-houses within the limits of the town ; one for Congregationalists, one for Universalists, and one for Baptists.
* The number of inhabitants has not increased so rapidly in Wa- tertowa, as in many other places. There has been, however, a gradual increase. The following statements exhibit, I believe, the most complete account that can be had of the population of Watertown at different periods. All these, except the census taken the present year, were collected and furnished to me by the Rev. Dr. Freeman, Senior Pastor of King's Chapel, Boston, a name which cannot be mentioned without the remembrance of highly valued services in the cause of pure and rational religion, and of an old age ripe in wisdom and in Christian virtue.
Number of Negro Slaves in 1754 of sixteen years and upwards : Males 7
Females
5
Strangers
21
12
See Coll. of Mass. Hist. Soc. 2d Series, vol. III. p. 95.
Census ordered in 1763 and taken in 1764.
No. of houses
103
No. of families
117
No. of males under 16 172
No. of females under 16 136
No. of males above 16 179 No. of females above 16 195
No. of negroes
11
Whole number of souls 693
Census taken March, 1776.
No. of whites -
1057
Census of 1777. No. of males of 16 and up-
wards
185
Blacks
1
Valuation of 1778.
No. of Polls
.
210
Valuation of 1781.
No of Polls
222
Census of 1783.
No. of whites
771
No. of blacks
9
Number of souls 780
Valuation of 1784.
No. of Polls
256
Supported by the town
3
Census of 1790
No. of families
·
164
150
Free white males, of 16 and upwards
319
do. under 16 250
Free white females 511
All other free persons
11
Total 1091
Census of 1800.
Free white males under 10 years 184
do. of 10 and under 16 96
do. of 16 and under 26 133
do. of 26 and under 45 113
do of 45 and upwards ·
87
Free white females under 10 years . 196
do. of 10 and under 16 .
83
do. of 16 and under 26. 101
do. of 26 and under 45 116
do. of 45 and upwards .
93
Other free persons, except In- dians not taxed. 5
Total 1207
Census of 1810.
Free white males under 10 years 199
do. of 10 and under 16 96
do. of 16 and under 26 236
do. of 26 and under 45 166
do. of 45 and upwards 91
Free white females under 10 years 190
do. of 10 and under 16 129
do. of 16 and under 26 176 do. of 26 and under 45 . 145
do. of 45 and upwards 94
Other free persons, except Indians not taxed 9
Total 1531
Census of 1820.
Free white males under 10 years of age 213
do. of 10 and under 16 . 102
do. of 16 and under 26 178
do. of 26 and under 45 .
192
do. of 45 and upwards . 98
Free white females under 10 years 166
do. of 10 and under 16 116
do. of 16 and under 26 177 do. of 26 and under 45 165
do. of 45 and upwards 102
Foreigners not naturalized 57 Persons engaged in agri- culture 145
Persons engaged in com-
merce
13
Persons engaged in manu-
factures
179
Free colored males under 14 years 0
do. of 14 and under 26 1
do. of 26 and under 45 2 do. of 45 and upwards 2
Free colored females un- der 14 years 1
do. of 14 and under 26 2
do. of 26 and under 45 1 do. of 45 and upwards · 0
Total 1518
Census of 1830. Number of males under 5 years 101
do. between 5 and 10 94
do. between 10 and 15 75 do. between 15 and 20 86
do. between 20 and 30 216
do. between 30 and 40 100
do. between 40 and 50 64
do. between 50 and 60 35
do. between 60 and 70 25
do. between 70 and 80
15
Number of females under 5 years
100
do. between 5 and 10
100
do. between 10 and 15 80
do. between 15 and 20 do. between 20 and 30
98
177
do. between 30 and 40 do. between 40 and 50
52
do. between 50 and 60 ·
50
do. between 60 and 70 do. between 70 and 80 .
14
do. between 80 and 90
3
do. between 90 & 100
111
35
1
151
Number of colored males under 10 years do between 24 and 36 do. between 36 and 55
.
3
.
. 1
1
Number of colored fe- males under 10 years .
2
do. between 10 and 24 3
do. between 24 and 30 1
Total 1643
In addition to the above statements of population, it should be mentioned, that, in the book of church records kept by the Rev. Mr. Angier, and mentioned in the course of the preceding narrative, there is found the following notice, viz., " 180 families in Watertown in April, 1733." This seems a much larger number of families, than might be expected at so early a period ; but it should be remembered, that this was before Waltham was separated from Watertown, and that consequently the families in both towns were *included in the estimate.
Within a few years two new roads from Watertown to Boston have been constructed and opened. One runs to Cambridge Port and West Boston Bridge, and was finished in 1824, but not opened till 1825. The other furnishes a passage to Boston over the Western Avenue, or the Mill Dam (as it is sometimes called), and was finished and opened in 1824. The latter road takes nearly the same direction with one, which many years ago was projected by the Rev. Mr. Eliot and others, but which at that time failed of being accomplished, from unfavorable circumstan- ces, or because the plan was premature. Almost all the travel through and from Watertown to Boston is now performed on these new roads, the old road through Cambridge being much less used than formerly.
Until a recent period, it was the custom to support the town's poor by placing them at board, wherever the cheapest terms could be obtained ; but within a few years, buildings have been purchased in the town for an almshouse, to which is annex- ed a farm of good land. All the poor supported by the town are now placed there. The establishment is under the care of over- seers appointed by the town, and is well and carefully regulated.
END.
2090
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