USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Brookline > Historical sketches of Brookline, Mass. > Part 26
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On one occasion when passing on horseback over Charlestown Neck, he overtook a loaded team. The dri- ver was in some difficulty respecting his oxen, and Mr. Goddard dismounted to help him. He stepped between the oxen, but in a moment his horse was startled, and he sprang forward to seize him. At the same instant a ball fired from a British frigate in the river struck the ox-yoke and shivered it into fragments.
Mr. Goddard was an eye-witness of the battle of Lex- ington, and on that memorable day a Brookline man who had no gun, but was eager for the fray, borrowed of Mr. Goddard a fowling-piece, which he carried into the fight. During the action, however, the gun somehow was lost. Several years afterward when Mr. Goddard was one day on his way to Sherborn, he stopped at the " way-side inn." There, on a rack over the wide chimney piece, he saw what he supposed to be the identical gun which had been lost. He asked permission of the landlord to exam- ine it, and at once on handling it, identified it beyond dis- pute. The landlord being convinced, gave up the gun to its rightful owner, who brought it home, and kept it till his grandson (our late Representative) was old enough to use it, when he gave it to him as a Revolutionary relic. It is still in existence among the Goddards, though it has gone from Brookline.
When the American army removed from Boston to New York, General Washington was urgent that Mr.
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Goddard should accompany them, but his large family was a sufficiently strong reason why he should decline such service.
When the Federal Government was established, Mr. Goddard was chosen as the Representative of this town in the State Legislature, from 1785 to 1792.
Mr. Goddard was twice married. His first wife lived but two years ; the second, Hannah Seaver, a most ex- cellent, energetic, and highly esteemed woman, brought up a family of sixteen children. When some inquisitive or sympathizing friend in later years asked how she man- aged with such a host of little ones, she laughingly replied that she " put leather aprons on them all and turned them out to play."
Mrs. Goddard is still remembered, and her virtues are often recounted. Mr. Goddard removed in the latter part of his life to the house now occupied by George W. Stearns, opposite the old Reservoir, and in this house he died, in 1816, at the age of eighty-six years. Mrs. God- dard also died at the same age, in 1821.
John Goddard, born 1756, the eldest son of this couple, was a child of delicate and sensitive organization, but great powers of mind. When less than nine years of age he had committed to memory and recited to Rev. Joseph Jackson of the First Church, the whole book of Proverbs, and the 119th Psalm. He attended the Brookline schools, and entered Harvard College just before the Revolution- ary War. He was interrupted in his course by a long and severe fit of illness, and by the events of the war, but notwithstanding maintained a high rank in his class. He graduated in 1777 as a physician, a student with the highly esteemed Dr. A. R. Cutter of Portsmouth, but owing to his delicate health preferred to commence busi- ness as an apothecary. He obtained a situation as sur-
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geon on one of our armed vessels, intending thus to go to Spain to procure his stock, which the war prevented him from purchasing in England. On the way, however, the vessel was captured by the British, and he with the rest of the officers were carried as prisoners to one of the West India Islands. Here he was brought to the verge of death by a terrible fever, which so emaciated his body that when convalescent he crawled through a port-hole of the prison-ship and escaped by swimming to a vessel which put him on his way to the United States. Just before he reached home, however, this vessel was captured, and he was again a prisoner .. Another exhausting fit of sick- ness followed in the same prison-ship from which he had escaped. He so far recovered as to make his escape once more, and this time reached home in safety, but the shock to his constitution was so severe that he never fully re- covered from it.
After the war was over he married Susanna Heath, daughter of Mr. John Heath of Brookline, and settled in Portsmouth, where he engaged in the drug business. His talents every way fitted him for eminent public life, and he was, contrary to his wishes, elected Governor of New Hampshire, which office he however positively de- clined to accept. He was also chosen Senator to Con- gress, but being as decided in this as in the former case, the country was deprived of the services of an excellent man. He also enjoined upon his sons a similar absti- nence from public life; for what reason we are not in- formed. One can hardly help wishing such delicacy might oftener prevail, but not in cases where it would deprive the country of the services of true and competent men.
Mr. Goddard was married four times. His second mar- riage, to Miss Jane Boyd, was soon terminated by her death. The third wife was a daughter of Dr. Langdon
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of Portsmouth, formerly President of Harvard College. The fourth was Anne White of Brookline.
Mr. Goddard died in Portsmouth, but some of his chil- dren have returned to reside in this home of their ances- tors. One of the sons of Dr. John Goddard is the Rev. Warren Goddard of Bridgewater, a graduate of Harvard College, in the class of 1818. He was for some time Pre- ceptor of Princeton Academy. Rev. Mr. Goddard is one of the oldest and ablest ministers of the New Church, or the denomination oftener known as Swedenborgian. His son, Rev. John Goddard, of Cincinnati, is also a distin- gished exponent of the same faith .* Richard Langdon Goddard, another son of Dr. John Goddard, is a mer- chant of New York. These gentlemen were sons of the third Mrs. Goddard, President Langdon's daughter.
Mr. Joseph Goddard, who settled upon the farm of his father in Brookline, was, during his long and prosperous life, a prominent citizen of Brookline. He was a justice of the peace for many years, and was captain of the mili- tia of the town. He married Mary, a daughter of Samuel Aspinwall, of this town. Of the twelve children of Mr. Joseph Goddard, several are widely known. The eldest daughter married Captain George W. Stearns, and their numerous descendants are among our highly respected townspeople. One of his sons is our late Representative, and another is Samuel Aspinwall Goddard, of Birming- ham, England, whose name deserves to be held in per- petual and honored remembrance, for the invaluable ser- vices rendered our country by his patriotic pen during the late rebellion. Though from his early manhood he has been a resident of England, and was even naturalized there by act of Parliament, he has ever retained a pro-
* Rev. Warren Goddard of High Street Church, Brookline, is a younger son of Mr. Goddard of Bridgewater. (1874.)
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found respect and love of his native land, its government, and its institutions, worthy of the son of his distinguished and patriotic ancestry.
From the beginning of the Rebellion, when England in unfraternal haste was eager to recognize the Southern Confederacy, with its basis on slavery, and rebel emis- saries both Southern and English were filling the columns · · of the British papers with false statements respecting both North and South, Mr. Goddard's pen was untiring in its refutations of these falsities. His clear and exten- sive knowledge of his native country, and of England, his familiarity with history, his utter detestation of any tyr- anny of man over his fellow man, and his fearlessness in daring to write the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, over his own signature in the face of oppo- sition and hate, all fitted him to wield the pen, for the cause of right, with a force that made it mightier than the sword. If his grandfather, toiling by night within range of British bullets, did faithful service in establish- ing our national freedom, not the less did his own power- ful pen do glorious service in guarding that freedom against British plotting with home traitors to overthrow it. To no one man's efforts are we more indebted for the failure of the British to recognize the Southern Con- federacy among the nations, than to those of Mr. God- dard. John Bright himself recognized and acknowledged the strength which he received in his own honorable course from Mr. Goddard's able statements and unan- swerable arguments.
Mr. Goddard received his only school-education in the old brick school-house near the Unitarian Church, but he may be called a self-made man. To a man with his powers of mind, all of life is education, and strength is gathered from a thousand resources scarcely known to the
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mere student of the classics. The boy who has awakened in him a love of books, and knows how to use them, holds the key to all knowledge, and life and nature will . be his teachers.
The articles which he wrote for the various British papers have been reprinted in a large volume, and will form a valuable reference book for the future historian. This work has been presented to our Public Library by A. W. Goddard, Esq., and is worthy of a place in every library.
Captain Joseph Goddard was a man of energetic health, until the last few months of his life. He died in 1846, aged eighty-six.
Another prominent citizen of this town, born in the old house, was Mr. Benjamin Goddard, who lived op- posite the Reservoir. He was a man of intelligence and much influence, though he never would accept or hold any public office. He acquired much wealth and lived to a great age, being over ninety-five years of age at his death. His brothers, Nathaniel and William Goddard, were successful merchants. A son of the latter is one of the owners of " Bradley's Hill."* There are branches of this family in Worcester County and other places, all of whom originated in Brookline, from the first Goddard family. Mr. Samuel Aspinwall Goddard, having oc- casion to investigate a case in England, which led to re- searches into the remote history of his family, a few years since, was successful in tracing back this old family in an unbroken line to the time of William the Con- queror. On this side of the water, the name bids fair to exist as long, at least, as that of any other family of New England. No other house and land in Brookline, except the Aspinwall possessions, have been so long in one family.
* Now called " Clifton Hill."
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF BROOKLINE.
The first Joseph Goddard found this place in possession of William Marean, son of Dorman Marean, who was the first white settler upon it. From Joseph Goddard's time down to the present, there have been six generations born upon the place. The present old house was built in 1761, but has been kept in thorough repair and sub- jected to occasional improvements, so that it would not be supposed to be more than half that age. From the retirement of this secluded Brookline farm-house, have gone forth men whose strength of character has made them a power in society, both at home and abroad.
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CLYDE STREET.
CHAPTER XVII.
CLYDE STREET. - NEWTON STREET. - "PUTTERHAM." - THE CRAFT PLACE (NOW THE DENNY PLACE). - THE OLD SAW- MILL. - SOUTH STREET. - ANCIENT HOUSE ATTACKED BY INDIANS. - JAMES GRIGGS. - THE KENDRICKS.
CLYDE Street dates back to the year 1715, when it was voted, November 21: -
" That there should be an open way laid out from the south- west part of Brookline (to wit), from the road that leadeth from Jamaica to Erosamond Drew's saw-mill, across to Sher- burne Road, so called, which accordingly was effected by the selectmen, viz., Captain Samuel Aspinwall, Thomas Stedman, and John Winchester, Jr., who have agreed with all the pro- prietors, and the damage by running said way through their property, has been paid as appears in the account book of said Town of Brookline. The aforesaid highway, beginning at the road leading from Roxbury to Mr. Drew's saw-mill, as afore- said, near Isaac Child's house, on the east of said house as it is staked out, and running northwardly through Isaac Child's land, to the land of Samuel Newell, and then turning a little toward the east, running through the land of Joseph Dudley, Esq., then turning northwardly and running through or upon part of Joshua Child's land, being part of the ' Bowers Farm' so called, then entering upon the land of Thomas Woodward to the land of Joseph White, then turning a little toward the east. running to the land of the heirs of Jonathan Torrey, late of Brookline (alias Muddy River, deceased), then running northwardly to the road or lane, known by the name of 'Woodward's Lane,' to the road commonly known by the name of 'Sherburne Road.'"
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF BROOKLINE.
It seems to come next in order, though not in date. " The road that leadeth from Jamaica to Erosamond Drew's saw-mill," was what is now Newton Street ; the lane known by the name of " Woodward's lane," was that part of Warren Street leading from the present westerly entrance of Clyde Street to Heath Street.
There was no house on Clyde Street until after this date. The corner lot now owned by Mr. Cowan* was formerly a part of the estate of John Ackers, being used by him for a pasture. There was land on both sides of the street, belonging to Joseph White. The lot on the west side of Clyde Street, just north of the avenue lead- ing to the estate of W. H. Gardner, was in the early part of this century owned by John Lucas, and was called "the Lucas pasture " long after it became the prop- erty of Timothy H. Child, an eccentric old man, known as " Daddy Child," though he was never married. He sold the pasture to Mr. Cabot some twenty-five years ago.
On the land lying between Mr. Gardner's place and the " Stock farm," so called, where there is now a young grove growing up, stood one of the earliest houses built in the street, probably the very first. This was built by Andrew Allard, afterward occupied by William Wood- ward, and last by " an old countryman," probably a Scotch- man, named Vaughn. This man died at a very advanced age in 1775, and the old house was not long after de- molished. The house now occupied by George Gold- smith was built by John Woodward, brother of William, at some time previous to 1740, as it was then standing. The Woodwards were a numerous family in this part of the town a hundred years ago. After the Woodwards, Deacon Joseph White owned it, and then John Corey, a distant connection of the Coreys of Washington Street.
* Now by the heirs of the late Mr. Cowan.
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THE SPOONER PLACE.
He died in 1803, and a cabinet maker, Erastus Champ- ney, was the next owner. John Dunn, a gardener to Mr. Higginson, next owned it, and sold it to the present proprietor.
- The old house on the extensive place formerly known as " the Stock farm," now Clyde Park, was built pre- vious to 1740, by Samuel Newell. He left it to his son John, who was succeeded by Gulliver Winchester.
Another house a few rods to the east, on the same place, was begun by Robert Holt, the next resident of the old house, but was completed by Dr. Spooner, of Boston, who lived here in summers for many years, but died in Boston in 1836. After him it was occupied for a while by Curtis Travis, a butcher, who moved away and died. There have been many residents upon this place, but none who have specially identified themselves with the interests of the town. On this place, however, was born Hon. George S. Boutwell, late secretary of the treasury. William B. Spooner of Boston was also born on this place. The stone posts and iron gates at the entrances to the avenues were originally at the Park Street and Charles Street corners of Boston Common. When the iron fence was built around it, these were sold and brought to the Spooner place.
The land at this end of Clyde Street, on both sides, was, at the time of the laying out of the street in 1715, the property of Isaac Child. At this point we enter Newton Street, but to describe the places on this ancient street, in their order, we will begin at the point where Newton Street enters Brookline, from Roxbury. This was one of the early highways of the town, and had as many, if not more houses upon it a hundred and more years ago, than it has at present. There are two or three old and somewhat poor looking houses near the town line.
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF BROOKLINE.
Nearly on the site of one of them, which looks like an old country school-house, formerly stood a house built early in the last century by Timothy Harris. It will be remembered by many Brookline people as the residence of Alvin Loker. It was destroyed by fire more than twenty years ago. Next it is a small, old-fashioned house close to the street, on the site of one also owned a hun- dred years ago by Timothy Harris. The present house was built in 1805, by his widow, and was afterwards occupied by the eccentric old bachelor, before mentioned as " Daddy Child," or Timothy Harris Child. Various anecdotes are related respecting his oddities, as leaving off his farmers' frock on a certain day in the spring, by the calendar, without regard to the weather, and putting it on in the autumn, equally regardless of the season. Between these dates he was never known to wear it. He had a certain routine, which he followed, in taking down a pair of bars, and from which he never varied. It would seem quite desirable that a mind so inclined to run in grooves should get started in the right ones, but perhaps the best thing he ever did, was one the most unlooked for. He was for many years addicted to the excessive use of liquors, and returning from the store one day with his customary black jug of rum, he met one of his neighbors, who said to him : -
" Mr. Child, I'll tell you what is the best possible use you can make of that black jug of yours."
" What is that ? " he asked.
" Why, you just carry it up to the top of the hill there, and bury it," was the reply.
" Well, I'll do it," said the old man, and he carried the black jug to the top of the hill, dug a deep hole and buried it, and never dug it up again. From that time forward he drank no more liquor, and was as steady as
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MOUNT WALLEY.
the most faithful adherent to a temperance pledge. One might wish many modern jugs and bottles could share a similar fate.
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NEWTON STREET, "PUTTERHAM."
Passing westward on Newton Street, we reach " the old Walley place," so called, afterwards known as "the Tilden place." This old, square, hip-roofed house has had many owners. It was built early in the last cen- tury, but is still apparently in tolerably good condition. Joshua Child was its first owner and occupant. His de- scendants, of another name, still live in our town. The Hon. Samuel H. Walley was for many years a resident here, and the place took its name from him.
The high hill, now known as Mount Walley, was during the Revolution one of the outposts of Washing- ton's line of circumvallation around Boston, and from here a watch was kept (as from all the principal hills) upon the enemy's movements. A local tradition has always been preserved that Washington at one time visited this outpost, and entered the house of Joshua Child.
Soon after passing this place, we come to the point where the new extension of Goddard Avenue opens upon Newton Street, thus making a - we had almost said, direct communication with Cottage Street, through the once secluded acres of the Goddard farm. We consider again and write circuitous, instead of direct. Perhaps there were the best of reasons for the remarkable curves which this street describes, only it seems a little singular that when so much pains and money are spent to straighten, at the expense of fine shade trees, in some parts of the town, there should be such an apparent enthusiasm for curves in other places where it is difficult
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF BROOKLINE.
to discover anything gained by them. But we leave the problem for the initiated.
The next house upon the street, dating back any length of time, is the one now owned and occupied by W. A. Humphrey. This house was built by Isaac Child, who had died and left it to his son Isaac, previous to 1770. There are no traditions of historical interest that we can learn respecting it. It was occupied, after the time of the Childs, by Elisha Whitney, then by Major Asa Whit- ney, his son, and afterwards for many years by Samuel Hills. The house has been raised and greatly improved by its present owner, and is one of the most attractive places on the street.
A long avenue on the opposite side of the street, led in, to a remote house owned and occupied in the last century by Robert and John Harris. The third and › last John Harris died at a great age in 1831. It must have been somewhat like pioneer life to have lived in this out of the way region, even within the last fifty years.
On the northwest side of the street, at some distance further on, stands the little, one-story temple of learning, long known as " Putterham school-house." The origin of this name, "Putterliam," which long clung to this picturesque part of our town, has been for years a prob- lem, unsolved, to the minds of the dwellers in the lower and populous part of the town. There seems to be an innate love of applying absurd, ridiculous, or grotesque titles to certain localities, and hardly a country town but has its "Purgatory," or "Squash End," or " Grab Vil- lage," or "Skunk's Misery," or some other ill-savored appellation for some particular spot. But the euphonious title of " Putterham," seems to have been exclusively reserved for the southwest part of our beautiful town.
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PUTTERHAM SCHOOL-HOUSE.
In seeking to sift the matter to its origin, we have been informed by more than one of the old inhabitants that there was, or is a little spot of meadow land beside New- ton Street, about half-way from the school-house to New- ton line, on which a hundred years ago, a man, who was a sort of shiftless do-little, might be seen "puttering," from day to day the season through, by any passer-by. But no results ever were to be discovered, and that lot of land received the nickname of Putterham, which gradually extended over a much wider region, till it became common for the dwellers in the populous parts of the town to designate all this sparsely settled section of the town as Putterham, and the school-house and the saw-mill also shared the title. A better taste is now casting this old name aside.
The little old building above alluded to stands on the site of one which was no ornament to the neighborhood, and was destroyed by fire some fifty years ago. The present building, though small, has of late years been kept in repair, and meets the wants of the thinly settled neighborhood. The beautiful woods and rocks by which it is environed, afford the children delightful recreations not to be found in the neighborhood of elegant public buildings and concrete pavements. "Foot-ball " and " tag," ought to be at a discount where the wild vines cling and the velvety mosses and gray lichens grow, and the oaks drop down their shining acorns, and the bold and saucy squirrels chatter almost within arm's reach.
Many a beautiful lesson may be learned in this wild region not set down in " Colburn's," or mapped out by Guyot, but perhaps quite as useful in cultivating eye, and head, and heart, and quite as strength-giving against the weary days that are sure to come to us all sometime.
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF BROOKLINE.
"Still waits kind Nature to impart Her choicest gifts to those who gain An entrance to her loving heart Through the sharp discipline of pain."
A few rods west of the Newton Street school-house, on the opposite side of the street, there stood formerly an old house which was built and occupied by William Davis, who died there in 1777. The house had many owners afterwards, and was, when too old for further use, demol- ished in 1809. Traces of the old cellar are still to be seen. On the west side still further on is a somewhat old house still owned and occupied by members of the Wood- ward family. The next really old house is on the oppo- site side of the street just above the junction of South Street. On the site of it in the early days of the settle- ment stood a small house, owned - as was the farm with which it was connected - by Abraham Chamberlain. His heirs sold the farm, excepting the house and ten acres of land, to Caleb Crafts .* The remaining land and the house were bought by Thaddeus Jackson. On the same spot, after taking down the original house, Joshua Wood- ward, an uncle of Mrs. Jackson, built the house. It was occupied by him for some time and he died there during the Revolutionary War ; Thaddeus Jackson, too, resided there till his death in 1832, at a great age. This old house stands endwise to the street, and has a long sloping roof in the rear.
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