History of Athol, Massachusetts, Part 19

Author: , William G., compiler
Publication date: 1953
Publisher: Athol, Mass
Number of Pages: 756

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Athol > History of Athol, Massachusetts > Part 19

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Asa Smith, licensed for six consecutive years beginning in 1782, was born and died on the site of the square house still standing at the corner of Brooks Road and Moore Hill Road.

John Haven, Jr. built about 1777 the house, now much re- modelled, owned by Erwin J. Haven's daughter, Mrs. Evelyn H. Merrifield, on Chestnut Hill. There he resided until 1825 having been an innholder in Athol for a short time some forty- five years before. He died in Dummerston, Vermont in 1831.

For years Jesse Kendall was Athol's miller. In 1784 when he was first granted an innholder's license, he apparently lived almost directly in front of the present Pequoig House. In later years he resided where the Parochial House of the Church of our Lady Immaculate stands at 192 School Street. In 1870 or therabouts his house was removed to 289-300 School Street. It is possible that in this house he continued his hostelry as it was on the County Road leading through the town.

Isaac Nichols was a Royalston pioneer from Sutton. He settled on the so-called Francis Chase Place on the road from Royalston to South Royalston whence he removed to Croydon, New Hampshire about 1790. I assume that his hostelry was temporary and in the South Royalston section, then a part of Athol. In 1787 Ebenezer Newell, Esq. removed from Brook- field to the "John R. Hale Farm" on the hilltop west of South Royalston and was at once granted a license. He may have succeeded Mr. Nichols on this location.

Jonathan Kendall lived and died on his farm just north of Chestnut Hill Cemetery but notes made long ago say that he kept a public house for at least two years at No. 1169 Chest- nut Street, later a sort of health resort, and later still the South-

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HISTORY OF ATHOL

ard Place. While it was a sanitorium, Dr. George Hoyt put in a private water system from the hill south of his house and also dug a deep well under the ell of the house. Around 1832 this water cure fad had become a feature in medicinal prac- tice. In this house the celebrated composer, Dr. Lowell Mason began his musical career, teaching his first singing school. Jonathan Kendall bought land in this vicinity of Benjamin Fairbanks and on January 5, 1792 sold it "with all buildings thereon" to Samuel Sweetzer.

SAMUEL SWEETZER 1764 - 1842

A native of Leominster, Sweetzer came here in 1791 from Warwick with his bride, Hannah Moore of Cambridge. For thirteen years beginning in 1792 he operated the principal "tavern stand" in the town, then and for upwards of fifty years located near the uptown common where four turnpikes came together. In 1805 he advertised his tavern site for sale and soon disposed of it to Thomas Lord, Jr. Sweetzer had op- erated a general store in connection with his tavern. This he continued to carry on for a few years finally retiring to devote his time to his large real estate holdings and his cattle drov- ing. At the age of seventy-eight, Colonel Samuel Sweetzer died on July 27, 1842 at his home, No. 1400 Main Street, where he had erected the house now standing at No. 71 Kenne-

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bunk Street. The Athol Tavern continuel to be the center of most local activities here until finally demolished in 1854.

SWEETZER HOUSE

Dr. Daniel Ellinwood came here from Brimfield in 1775 and acquired what is known as the Ellinwood Country Club prop- erty. Evidently a tavern keeper was one of his activities there for at time.

In 1788 the name of James Humphries, son of our first pastor, appears on the list. I understand his activities were as a merchant in a store which long stood south of his father's house at about No. 1015 Pleasant Street, and that it was only as a dispenser of strong liquor in this store for which the li- cense was asked.

On a site marked by the masonic tablet at 824 Pleasant Street, William Crosby's inn was opened in 1791. Early in the life of our town's masonic history, a special meeting of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts was convened at Crosby's. tavern to constitute Harris Lodge A F and A M of Athol on. October 13, 1803. Isaiah Thomas, Grand Master, had driven up from Worcester "with a coach and span of black horses." After the preliminaries at the tavern, a procession was formed, led by a band of music, and proceeded to the meetinghouse. where a sermon was preached by Rev. Elliott of Watertown and the officials duly installed. The members then returned to the- tavern where they partook of "sumptious entertainment." Masons from many miles away came to this celebration while the townspeople laid aside all ordinary tasks to view the novel spectacle.

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HISTORY OF ATHOL

Two years before the feast of Saint John the Divine had been celebrated here with marked success. The offer of Brother Crosby to furnish the entertainment for 7/6d ($1.25) per plate was accepted. Brother Crosby, realizing that the success of the occasion rested upon him, outdid himself. The day came, a perfect day in June, 1801, and from the country roundabout, from Greenfield and Northfield, Warwick and Orange, from Hardwick, Barre and Petersham, from far and near gathered the brothers. All roads led to Athol and to Crosby's inn that

stood near where the old fort was On east side Athol Street. Near where the Boston Road turned off Through what is now a farm; Where Minute Men began their march At Lexington Alarm."

This crossroads where Crosby's Tavern stood indeed became a center of activities. The road from Boston came in from the east, the road from the Connecticut Valley from the west, while the present Street was the main north and south thorough- fare through the township. The east road has long since been obliterated but it is interseting to trace it easterly through Lake Ellis, across the Sutton farm, and then on east over Lyons Hill. Over this road the supplies from Massachusetts went to the army during the many campaigns against Canada and over it the troops of the Colony made their way into the northern Connecticut Valley.

There were numerous retailer and some innholder licenses granted within the next thirty years, between 1796 and 1826, all of which are carefully recorded in Appendix 3. Hezekiah Cheney, John Dodds, Joseph Crane, John Adams, Abiel Par- menter, Jeremiah Morton, and Aaron Brigham are some of the good, solid names on the list.

In 1800 some five years in advance of the turnpike exten- sion towards Keene, Joseph Paine, one of our Revolutionary soldiers, was licensed to entertain at his home on old Keene Road, southeast of its junction with Logan Road. His sign, "J. Paine, Innholder" was in the attic of the house when it burned on April 26, 1902. The day before the fire occurred, the town had bargained for this old tavern as a pest house for use in the prevailing smallpox epidemic. During the night fol- lowing, the house burned to the ground and it is assumed that alarmed neighbors took this means of preventing the nearness of this menace to their health.

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It is probable that Gad Pierce, Jr. of Royalston operated here at J. Paine's tavern in 1802.

Dr. Samuel Rice removed here in 1793-4 and located at No. 219 Pleasant Street. Evidently he dispensed ardent spirits as a side line, but I very much doubt his ever having operated a public house.

The year 1811 seems to mark the beginning of the long mercantile career in Athol of Esq. Theodore Jones, never a landlord but long a merchant at No. 1576 Main Street.

With industry came workers who needed lodging. The Athol Manufacturing Company became an active part of Athol's life in 1814. The old "cotton factory" on Crescent Street and many other buildings were erected, one of which was the "Fac- tory Boarding House," then at No. 119 Crescent Street but

FACTORY BOARDING HOUSE, 121 CRESCENT STREET, 1815-1902 NOW A DWELLING AT 88-90 FISH STREET

now removed to No. 88-90 Fish Street. Col. Nathan Nicker- son once of Cape Cod and later of Phillipston came here as one of the executives and in his name a license was issued. Un- doubtedly the retailer's license was for the "Company Store" at No. 584 Main Street where the Memorial Building now stands. June 19, 1828 was a holiday for all the Factory Vil- lagers as they took time off to assist in the rasing of an addi- tion to the Factory Boarding House which was to include an Assembly Hall. Isaac Nichols succeeded a Mr. Albee as keeper

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HISTORY OF ATHOL

of the Factory Boarding House on March 10, 1827 and re- mained its landlord until the financial crash of 1839.

On june 27, 1811 Thomas Lord, Jr. "swapped" his tavern stand, formerly owned by Samuel Sweetzer, for the farm of Zachariah Field on Northfield Street and the two men ex- changed residences. Mr. Lord resided in Northfield the re-

BROOKS TAVERN

mainder of his days and there some of his descendants still remain. Capt. Field, a descendant of the original purchaser of our lands from the Indians, officiated here as landlord until 1826 and here his son, Hon. Charles Field, was born.

On June 5. 1826 Capt. Field "swapped" stands with Justus Preston of Greenfield and after that Mr. Preston carried on the Athol stand for about two years, when Joseph Young seems to have been forced to take over under his mortgage which his father-in-law,. Zachariah Field, had given him some years before. In the succeeding ten years the inn was operated by several men as tenants of Mr. Young, among them Chester Pomroy, Abner Young-a distant kinsman of the mortgagee owner, Loring Jacobs, and John Allen. Eventually on March 13, 1838 title passed from Joseph Young to John Brooks of Orange thus for the succeeding sixteen years the stand was "Brooks' Tavern."

"Brooks' Tavern"

Termination of Mr. Brooks' management was eventually brought about by the sale of liquor during the temperance

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movement. In February 1826 the American Temperance So- city was formed in Boston, and from this pioneer effort grew the great Temperance Crusade which ended so disastrously in the Eighteenth Amendment and the ill advised Volstead Act. By 1830 this novel idea had taken substantial root in Athol as is evidenced by the refusal of the Selectmen to "approbate" the granting of licenses in Athol. This Board of Selectmen consisted of James Young, Eliphalet Thorpe, and Josiah Fay. Nothwithstanding this disapproval by our town fathers, the County Commissioners proceeded to grant the usual licenses. Evidently the action of the Selectmen was not obnoxious to a majority of our voters for these men were con- tinued in office in 1831-32-33.

Residents of the Center had for some time been disturbed over the large supply of liquor dispensed at the tavern. The Washingtonian Temperance movement had appealed to many who became total abstainers while others seemed to indulge more freely than ever. A celebration was held in 1844 on Athol Common to further the temperance cause and the pro- ceeds donated to the tavern keeper if he would name his house "The Temperance Hotel." To this he agreed and the sign was installed.

After a short time when the agreement seemed forgotten the residents became determined to eradicate this nuisance. To accomplish this, a considerable number in 1854 banded themselves together and bought the entire property of John Brooks for $4700. The committee representing these citizens was Isaac Stevens, Esq., Lyman W. Hapgood, and James M. Lee. This purchase not only included the old tavern which stood in front of the present Summit Block, but some eighteen acres of pasture land extending to the west of High Street and north of Liberty Street.

The old hotel was moved to locations on Central Street where some parts of it are still in use as dwellings, streets were laid out, house lots plotted and readily disposed of. Cen- tral Street, Park Street, Tremont Sareet, and the south end of High Street were a part of this plan.

Summit House

To compensate for this loss of a hostelry at the center of the town, arrangements were speedily made by some of Athol's citizens with two young men to provide a new and modern hotel. Samuel Lee, then twenty-three years old, and Charles Horr were given $1800 and a deed to the land at the corner

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HISTORY OF ATHOL

of Main and Common Streets. There they speedily erected the Summit House, then the last word in hotel arrangements. A dedication ball marked its opening on April 1, 1858. Although they themselves operated this hotel for only a year, yet these two men continued as its owners for ten years, renting the

SUSE

SUMMIT HOUSE 1858 - 1929

stand to various operators. The Directory of 1859 contains an advertisement of William Richardson as the Proprietor, em- phasizing the fact that Oysters at Wholesale and Retail may be purchased in the Summit House Saloon, also, Fruit, con- fectionery, cigars, nuts, ice cream, etc. constantly on hand."

One store in the Summit House block was occupied by F. C. Parmenter, later by E. A. Thomas, and another by George Black, the tailor. He was town agent and had the sale of liquor for medicinal purposes, though it has been said that the same could be secured without a prescription.

On January 1, 1864 Messrs. Lee and Horr conveyed this real estate to one George D. Utely and less than three years later Mr. Utely, then of Ware, sold it to Addison M. Sawyer. Evidently Mr. Sawyer had just come into some of his fortune made through his inventions and he was seeking an invest- ment. This venture proved to be in the nature of a permanent one for he had lain in his grave long years before his widow finally in 1906 sold the property to Harley H. Graves, taking, however, a substantial mortgage in payment.

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After a few years this mortgage was in default and agents of Mrs. Sawyer's foreclosed it in 1914. Title was for a time held by various members of the Rome family at Fitchburg. Eventually on August 2, 1929 the plant was sold to one Wil- liam B. Weiner who at once conveyed to Storealty Company, which corporation razed the hotel and erected the present Summit Block. I have not available anything like a complete list of the men who operated this hotel for the some sixty-five years it remained after Mr. Sawyer made his "investment," but I do recall a few-Albert Miller, Jesse Brown, Mr. Jenni- son, George H. Prouty and later his estranged wife, Bell Ains- worth Prouty, George A. Whipple, John C. Stone, and Harley H. Graves.

Athol House

Near the depot in 1873 A. G. Moulton built a two story hotel with a mansard roof and stable next to the railroad tracks and named it the Athol House. Albert Miller was operating the Summit House at the time but was attracted to this new loca- tion and soon became its owner.

The hotel was opened for business on September 15, 1873. Mr. Miller retained ownership for a considerable time but op- erated the hotel only infrequently. Rufus T. Shumway, and Martin Richardson are recalled as early landlords. On April 12, 1882 it was leased to Hollis M. Slate who carried on for a few years, changing the name of the inn to Slate's Hotel. Mr. Slate had come to town a few days before as manager of an itinerant Indian show selling Kickapoo Indian Oil, had board- ed at this hostelry, and was impressed with it and the town. Immediately severing his road show connections, he settled here, remaining until his death in 1909. After selling the hotel to William H. Killay, he owned and managed much real es- tate. One of his developments was around the old Wallet Shop property on Maple Street.

In the depression of 1893 the property was owned by Wil- liam H. Killay who abandoned it for a time. During this season of abandonment it caught fire on April 14, 1894 in the middle of a cloudy night and was severely burned. The ruins were purchased by John C. Stone who materially changed the form of the structure and made of it an attractive hostelry. Following several years of occupancy by Mr. Stone there have been numerous landlords. Remembered among them are M. O. Perham, F. A. Larrow, Robert Johnston, William E. Scully, C. Frank Doolan, Vincent Amatto, and Salvatore G. Tisciunerc.

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HISTORY OF ATHOL The City Hotel

Houghton's Block was built in 1834 by James Young as a mercantile building only, but through the succeeding forty- seven years it was gradually expanded into a business block

HOUGHTON'S BLOCK, ATHOL DEPOT ABOUT 1875 Edw. E. Thorpe at First Post Charles Field, Jr., at Second Post Bigelow's Soap Wagon at Right

with a hall and offices upstairs. On March 30, 1881 the build- ing was seriously damaged by fire and soon thereafter acquired by Mr. George H. Cooke who forthwith restored it into a three story block. The two upper stories were taken over by Pierce and Goodell who in May, 1882 opened up these rooms as a boarding house.

A clothing store on the west side of the street floor was

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opened by a Mr. Packard of Springfield, who called his estab- lishment Packard's One Price Clothing House.

Mr. J. T. Stevens of Ware bought out the boarding house in August, 1884 and quickly changed its name to the Stevens House. When M. O. Perham succeeded to the ownership of this hostelry business in March, 1888, he quickly changed its name to City Hotel by which it was known until the block was razed in 1929 to make way for the Athol Savings Bank Build- ing. After five years Mr. Perham disposed of his hotel to Harley H. Graves who operated there some four years. Since then other proprietors have been M. C. Leonard, Mr. Reid, Thomas E. Murphy, William P. Fox, James Reiley, and John R. McWilliams.

Commercial House - Leonard Hotel

In those days of prosperity and optimism midway of the Benjamin Harrison administration when the problem of the politicians was to find means to dispose of the surplus funds accumulating in the Federal Treasury, there was a real demand for more modern hotel accommodations.

Miles L. Mowry had come to Athol from Greenfield in 1880, buying the restaurant business of Emory Gage, and had eventually become the occupant of a considerable portion of the W. W. Fish Block, naming it the River House because of its proximity to the South Branch of Millers River over which a portion of this block overhung.

Sensing the demand for a modern hotel he cast about for a suitable location. At 550 South Street there was standing the dwelling house and glazier's shop of Mr. George W. Woodward who had become attracted by the rapid development of Onset in Barnstable County as a summer resort. In May, 1890 when Mr. Woodward offered his real estate for sale at public auction, it was purchased by Mr. Mowry.

Very quickly the dwelling house was removed onto Fitch- burg Railroad land at 54 Carbon Street where it still stands. The glazier's shop was removed to 115 Marble Street and converted into a dwelling, being demolished later to make way for the Metropolitan Air Goods Factory. By August 1, 1890 building operations were begun, the structure was com- pleted and formally opened as the Commercial House on May 28, 1891. For a time this was the outstanding inn hereabouts but the erection of the Pequoig Block soon after detracted from its permanent leadership.

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HISTORY OF ATHOL

On a Thursday evening, November 5 in 1891 with nearly one hundred citizens of Athol gathered at Landlord Mowry's new Commercial House, now the Leonard Hotel, the Poquaig Club was founded and with five changes in locations it con- tinued as Social Club of Athol citizens until as of May 1, 1952 when it dissolved and surrendered its charter.

After five years' operation Mr. Mowry sold his business to Frank B. Kendrick and John B. Connors and returned to Green- field. In the succeeding years the hotel was operated by four landlords-Charles A. Piper, F. E. Reed, C. H. Ames, and W. H. Winans.

A long tenure of occupancy began in 1903 by the Leonard family. Michael C. Leonard disposed of his City Hotel and taking his younger brother, Edward D., in partnership with him took over the Commercial House. Soon after these brothers were established there, the title to the real estate passed to E. D. Leonard's brother-in-law, John Cotton. Michael C. Leonard retired from the business in September, 1903, dis- posing of his interest to his partner, who subsequently acquired the real estate title holding it until his death. On November 14, 1916 the structure was seriously damaged by fire. After it was restored the name was changed to The Leonard by which it is still known and hotel operations were resumed in May, 1917.

In the last years of his life Mr. Leonard sold his liquor license and gradually curtailed hotel operations. A few man- agers took over the business with indifferent success. Athol Rotary met there when first organized in 1925 and continued its patronage until the dining room was closed January 1, 1945. Since then it has operated as a rooming house only. The Leonard Estate sold the real estate soon after his death and the title has changed hands several times since.

During the housing shortage in World War II, it was de- cidedly useful, and now as a rooming hotel coupled with several tenants as Old Age Assistance cases, it still has it uses.

The Pequoig House

Pequoig Hotel, one of the famous hostelries on the old Brat- tleboro Turnpike, became a tavern about 1830 and remained such until its destruction in 1895 to make way for the present Pequoig block.

As already stated it is probable that Jesse Kendall operated a hostelry of sorts at approximately this location under his inn-

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holder's license granted in 1784 but apparently the inn was soon discontinued for there is no mention of it when that area passed to Simeon Fish in 1795 and this writer well remembers a statement made to him by "Aunt" Sally Fish that she re- membered when the Pequoig House building was a private residence.

When the water mains were laid through Main Street in 1876 there was uncovered within the present bounds of that street the cellar hole of a house which old residents said was an original Kendall Homestead, of which there must have been more than one as there were several families of that name in town in that era. Probably in some years of prosperity, perhaps after Main Street from Crescent to the river was laid out in 1814, a substantial mansion house was built which readily lent itself to hotel uses.

The beginning of this tavern centers about Samuel Newhall, who was born in Athol in 1800. At twenty-six he married Betsey Fish and in 1830 his wife's kinfolk set him up in the hotel business on the north side of the Brattleboro Turnpike in the Factory Village. This is the first record I find except the Jesse Kendall license of a hotel on that spot.

After three years he was succeeded by Henry Fish, then the owner of the real estate, who gave a dedication ball for one hundred and fifty people on November 25, 1834. It must have been a memorable affair for Esq. Thorpe noted in his old mill book, "Glory enough for one day."

In 1836 Mr. Fish yielded the management to one Sewell Thompson, but three years later he reappeared as the licensee.

For long years Julius Ashberg, a travelling Jewish peddler of dry goods, invariably made his headquarters here while in this section. Beginning soon after the close of the Civil War, he made frequent trips throughout this part of the country first carrying his pack on his shoulders but soon acquiring a pair of horses and a large box-like wagon. He kept no account books and although he extended credit to many people over a wide area, he could instantly tell any one of his customers just how much they owed him. His death in Hartford, Connecticut on July 11, 1887 must have been noted with re- gret by those at the hotel who saw him so often.

In 1842 Alonzo D. Phillips became the landlord, continuing substantially ten years. Of conditions surrounding this public house in the forties Mr. Henry S. Miner of Gilbertville wrote under date of January 6, 1891:

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HISTORY OF ATHOL

"Many a good sing has been had in the back parlor of the Pequoig House by Charley Bannon, John Maynard, S. M. Os- good and myself, which was pleasing to outsiders.

PEQUOIG HOUSE 1830 - 1895

"Capt. Cassidy was the Major Domo at the Pequoig. He was a good-natured Irishman who had many a joke played on him. The late J. C. Hill delighted to hector him, so much so that the Captain gave him the name of the Hell man, and would say, 'There comes the Hell man and the pony.'

"The hardest joke for the Captain to get over was this. He was always boasting he could drive any horse any 'parson' could drive. I had one at that time and my impression was that if he could drive her single, he would be the first man that ever did it. We bet $1.00. The crowd was anxious to see the sport. I hitched her to an express wagon, where she would have to draw a little. The Captain jumped in, took the reins and com- menced the task. After some urging the mare turned her head around and looked at him. 'Hist, ye Divil, ye look 'tother way, will ye plaze?' said the Captain, and after going through the Irish vocabulary he laid down the lines with a sorrowful coun- tenance and said, 'It is not in the power of any parson to drive her, the d -- d animal is past driving-these Yankees are great on playing tricks.' The Captain never heard the last of driving the Root mare."

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History of Athol, Massachusetts, Part 19

Author: , William G., compiler Publication date: 1953 Publisher: Athol, Mass Number of Pages: 756

Author: , William G., compiler
Publication date: 1953
Publisher: Athol, Mass
Number of Pages: 756