USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Athol > History of Athol, Massachusetts > Part 41
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63
The plant was accepted by the town on July 7, 1877. The next day the Pleasant Street Reservoir-a small distributing reservoir - burst, seriously damaging the roadway of that street, but by very hasty action of some individuals the planks
496
PUBLIC SERVICES
were torn off the bridge over Mill Brook and the current flowed into the brook without doing harm to Main Street.
In 1882-83 Mr. Wiley secured a large quantity of sheet iron pipe facetiously called by our townspeople "stove pipe," and laid a main from Athol Fairgrounds southerly in Petersham Road practically to the town line, contemplating the building of an impounding dam in Cut Throat Brook just over the line into Petersham. But the dam was never built nor was the pipe laid to its intended destination before the entire project was abandoned. Much of the pipe was taken up and the remainder was left in the ground.
In late autumn of 1951, Massachusetts Department of Pub- lic Works awarded a contract to rebuild Petersham Road from Main Street to a short distance north of Briggs Road. Water mains connected with Athol's Water System had previously been laid over the northerly portion of this road to approxi- mately Lyons Hill Road and early in 1952 this main was ex- tended almost to Briggs Road.
Mr. Wiley's next venture was to erect a pumping station at Silver Lake near the present northerly end of Fish Street and lay a main across unoccupied land to about 310 Crescent Street so that water pumped from the lake could be used to supply demands on the line, and any surplus forced into Summer Street Reservoir. After operation of this for some two years the scheme was abandoned and the power house removed.
Mr. Wiley did not pay too much attention to improvement of the service here nor to purification of the water. The water pipes were small and inadequate. This caused the public much dissatisfaction. Mr. Wiley had made a contract with the town to furnish water for fire protection in a considerable number of hydrants. Finally in 1885 the town refused to pay the annual revenue due Mr. Wiley, claiming that he had broken his contract by failure to supply water either in quantity or quality adequate to the needs of the town.
Then followed lengthy litigation known as the "Water Suit." The town was much divided, Mr. Wiley having strong cham- pions while others were equally insistent that there should be no more further deals with Wiley. As a part of this upheaval the town sought the right to take water from Queen Lake in Phillipston and to install a separate or competing system, but the legislature failed to grant the necessary authority.
In 1886 seeing that both the quantity and quality of water were inadequate for the needs of the people, Mr. Wiley went
497
HISTORY OF ATHOL
looking for another source of supply. He made the statement that when the Almighty planned the layout of Athol he placed Queen Lake up there as its natural water supply, but perhaps in defiance of the Almighty the Legislature refused to grant the town authority to take water from that Lake and Wiley never attempted it.
Eventually a settlement was effected in 1890 by which Mr. Wiley was paid all that he claimed was his due.
During the progress of his suit against the town, Wiley in 1886 began the development of the so-called Buckman Brook supply. In 1887 he bought a considerable area of the Charles O. Newton farm and built a small dam on the Buckman Brook at the westerly part of that farm, laying his water pipes through rugged country a distance of some four miles to Summer Street Reservoir.
In a little more than a year after the final settlement of the suit, Mr. Wiley sold his entire holdings in the Athol Water Company to George W. West and some others, all residents of Portland, Maine. Mr. West speedily installed his brother, Warren G. West, as General Superintendent of the plant. Soon after buying the property they built a much more elaborate dam at Buckman Brook impounding a sizable pond of water which is today the principal source of supply to the town.
The statute under which the Athol Water Company operated provided that the town might at any time seize this utility. There was no apparent public thought that this should be acquired by the town until suddenly in October, 1904 just after the new Buckman Brook Reservoir had been completed, a town meeting was called and a vote taken to seize all the property and assets of Athol Water Company.
Although this vote technically passed the title of the entire plant to the Town, yet the entire management and control of the plant remained with the old company until the final settle- ment was effected. At a meeting on January 28, 1905 the town appointed the following committee of eight citizens to adjust the matter of compensation for this taking: H. S. God- dard, A. Ellsworth, A. W. Tyler, T. H. Goodspeed, F. A. Ball, F. W. Lord, W. H. Brock, and E. L. Worrick.
The West interests attempted to negotiate but were blocked in any attempt to get a bona fide offer from the Athol com- mittee. The result was that the courts were asked to appoint a special commission to determine the price which the town should pay for the works. This writer was at the time in the
498
PUBLIC SERVICES
employ of the Athol Water Company. Believing it was folly for the town to enter into lengthy litigation in this matter, he sought and obtained from the former owners authority to effect a settlement at a price of $275,000 with a further stipulation that should he be offered $260,000 or more he was to delay negotiations until he could advise with the owners.
Attempts were speedily made to deal with the town's com- mittee. The best offer that could be obtained from the com- mittee was an intimation of $200,000 which this writer was unable to get confirmed. Eventually these negotiations had to be abandoned and the litigation dragged on for many months. At last the report of the commission decreed a price somewhat above $310,000. In addition interest dating back to the date of the taking was allocated. The town's expenses of the liti- gation were added to its cost and a water bond issue floated for $370,000, fully $100,000 in excess for what it could have been bought had the committee listened.
After the settlement of this suit, our Water Department was put in operation by Chapter 251, Acts of 1905, and on March 5, 1906 the town elected Winfield H. Brock, Herbert L. Hap- good, and Arthur F. Tyler as Water Commissioners.
The Commission proceeded speedily to look for further water supply. They built a small dam on Thousand Acre Mead- ow Brook, sometimes called Newton Brook in Phillipston, from which they laid a main to tie in to the Buckman Brook main laid by Mr. Wiley years before. As this last named reservoir was a higher elevation than the Buckman Reservoir it had the effect of supplying what water was taken through the pipes to Summer Street, and the balance went to raise the level of the water in the Newton Reservoir. The town further acquired considerable acreage in Thousand Acre Meadow, including some buildings which were demolished, with an idea that a reservoir of something over two hundred acres in extent would be built there. But in later years this plan has apparently been abandoned.
Subsequently the town acquired rights where a former dam was erected some little distance down stream from the original Phillipston Reservoir, and the latest proposition has been to erect a dam which would impound there more water to be car- ried around the hills into the Buckman Brook's line.
ยท At a point at the northerly end of Bearsden Road the line was laid for a distance in that road, but at an elevation slightly higher than the intake at Buckman Brook Dam. Theoretically
499
HISTORY OF ATHOL
this was not a serious defect in the construction, for the water flowing down from the high point towards Athol would create a vacuum which would draw the water up over the elevation. But in practice an air pocket developed there, and it was a source of constant trouble. The first major operation under- taken by the Athol Water Commissioners after they came in control of the plant was to blast the ledge for the entire road- way to suficient depth so that the high point was eliminated.
The Athol plant was not the only interest owned by George West and his associates. In 1898 it was felt that Mr. Warren G. West could be of more service to the Company in a plant owned by them at Leadville, Colorado, and he was transferred there. Lyman P. Hapgood, fresh from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was appointed superintendent in his place. Mr. Hapgood continued in the position of Superintendent until a final adjustment with the town and the commission desired to retain his services longer, but he preferred not to sever his connection with the West interests, and therefore on June 1, 1906 he resigned and removed to Springfield, Missouri where the Company had a water plant. He was later transferred from there to another plant in Jamestown, New York, where he died on November 14, 1923. Within two years the father, Herbert L., was to succeed to his son's position.
In the meantime the town commissioners speedily employed Mr. Henry A. Symonds as Superintendent on June 28, 1906. He resigned on August 15, 1907.
J. E. Parker of Wrentham became Superintendent on Feb- ruary 1, 1908 and resigned after one year. He was succeeded" by Herbert L. Hapgood, a member of the Water Commis- sioners, who continued in this position until struck by an auto- mobile while crossing upper Main Street and instantly killed on October 18, 1921.
An early attempt by Mr. Wiley to purify his water supply was to install mechanical filters at the former Oak's Peg Mill at about 345 Templeton Road. These filters operated satis- factorily for some years but under the administration of Mr. Herbert L. Hapgood they were abandoned and a new slow sand" filtration plant was built at the Summer Street Reservoir. In 1935 before the bond issue was fully taken up, which was floated to pay for this plant, the town took advantage of government aid and constructed a filtration plant at the so- called Summer Street Reservoir.
The long Buckman Brook pipe line in Bearsden installed by Mr. Wiley eventually proved inadequate for the supply required"
500
PUBLIC SERVICES
of it. The town at various times had increased the size of the pipe at some places, and had paralleled the old line with a second one in other places, but during World War I they felt compelled to make further improvement. They were sold the idea of installing wooden pipes made of cedar which were said to be practically indestructible. For a time these pipes came regularly by freight. The old inadequate pipes were taken out and new larger wooden ones installed. Suddenly the U. S. Government seized a large supply of piping consigned to Athol for use at Camp Devens. The Athol Water Department had relied on getting these pipes and the result was a great water famine for a time. Pumps were installed in Lake Ellis and the Four Minute Men were called to make special speeches at all public gatherings directing that all water used for domestic purposes must be boiled. After Camp Devens had her neces- sary supply of pipe then Athol began to receive hers and the stringency was only of few weeks' duration. Since 1940 under Mr. Glasheen's management the old wooden pipe has been gradually replaced until now the line is wholly cast iron pipe.
Mr. Frank P. Hall, long Chief of Athol Fire Department, had been for several years a member of the Water Commission, and on Mr. Herbert L. Hapgood's death was promoted to the position of Superintendent. He continued in that position until he was retired under the Town Retirement System on August 17, 1943. Mr. Hall did not long live to enjoy his leisure for he died a little over a month later on September 28, 1943. His office manager and general assistant, Robert W. Glasheen, was appointed in Mr. Hall's place and in this position Mr. Glasheen is giving most efficient service.
In 1924 the Department began the general installation of water meters, which when practically all services were metered cut the consumption of water in half. There are installed at the present time some 2740 services, all but less than 2% being metered.
The present supply is deemed by many to be not wholly adequate for all emergencies, but Mr. Glasheen has installed pumps at Lake Ellis which have been used on a few occasions and can be put into operation speedily in any emergency.
When there were frequent allocations of Government money for all kinds of local municipal enterprises, Superintendent Hall urged the town to undertake a very material enlargement of its water system, but the town thought otherwise and is still relying on a system that is fast becoming inadequate and which must in the near future be materially expanded. Extensive
50
HISTORY OF ATHOL
explorations were made in 1950-51 for a new source of supply, both by surface water, artesian wells and sand packed wells, but the town refused to make any appropriations for an ex- tension.
Quabbin Reservoir
One great upheaval in our section of Massachusetts although not touching our borders at any point has effected material changes in our economy. Under the head of Transportation we have told of the Springfield, Athol and Northeastern Railroad, and of the rather large amount expended by the town to assure the coming of the railroad here.
Another factor, not emphasized, was the steady improve- ment of the north and south highway leading from the Spring- field area into our town. This was known as the Petersham Pike. After it fell into disuse the Worcester County Commis- sioners in 1852-3-4 laid a new highway from Athol some six miles south to the New Salem line where Franklin County Commissioners continued it for another perhaps four miles. Then it came into Petersham and Dana where Worcester County again continued it to Greenwich in Hampshire County. This made a level and usable road to the south. Eventually this route, designated as Route 21, was improved and hard- surfaced by the Massachusetts Highway Commission. Thus for a period Athol had a very acceptable highway as well as a railway from Springfield to the center of our town.
Then came the decree of the Massachusetts State Board of Health that the time had arrived when some further provision should be made for a water supply for the metropolitan area. When the Wachusett Reservoir was projected in the early 90's far-seeing engineers predicted that at a later date the valley of the Swift River would be required for the metropolitan sup- ply. But very little attention was paid to this surmise and few of our citizens knew of any such prediction. Engineers were sent here and surveys made of our entire area. One of the surveys was of the basin of Athol Lower Village, with a prospect for a dam at approximately 1100 South Main Street extending easterly to a point east of South Athol Road. This would over- flow the entire business section of Athol and a considerable portion of Royalston and of Orange.
Fortunately the plan was abandoned and a final decision made to establish a huge dam at West Ware which would flow waters well back toward Athol's southern boundary, entirely wiping out the towns of Enfield, Prescott, and Greenwich, and taking so much of Dana that its entire condemnation was
502
PUBLIC SERVICES
eventually effected. There were also taken portions of Ware, Pelham, Shutesbury, and New Salem on the west of the Swift River and of Petersham and Hardwick on the east of it. The early estimates of the engineers indicated that the runoff of the Swift River and all its branches would never be equal to maintaining a full reservoir. Therefore it was proposed that a diversion dam be built on the Millers a short way east of Chestnut Hill Avenue, and a tunnel bored through the hills thus adding flood waters of the Millers to those of the Swift. Athol strongly opposed this and succeeded in having the Mil- lers River entirely taken out of the project but otherwise we were not successful in materially changing the plans for the huge project and eventually the entire area was condemned. Cemeteries, churches, and all buildings were removed and the whole section is now a vast lake.
Predictions of early engineers have proved erroneous as a full reservoir is apparent at most all times. It is estimated that at least ten per cent of the business coming to Athol's stores, banks, and so forth came out of that area. This is for- ever lost to us as is our railroad connection to the south, but as a substitute the Commonwealth did build a new Route 202 which gives us a highway to the south much improved over old Route 21.
Sewers
Soon after 1880 there was a demand from some sections of Athol for the installation of public sewers. Committees were appointed to investigate the matter but no decision was reached. The condition around the Pequoig House by 1890 became intolerable. The Bank Block erected in 1890-91 much needed a sewer system and the Webb Block erected after the fire of December 21, 1890 likewise was calling for this service. To appease this most urgent demand the town voted in 1891 to construct a sewer in Main Street from just east of Island Street to Millers River. No actual approval could be obtained from the State Board of Health for the use of Millers River as a sewer outlet, but neither was there any very great danger of this practice being then prohibited. This main sewer was flushed by waters from Lord's Pond canal and was the real beginning of an extensive sewer system.
In 1894 the town asked for and was given a special legis- lative act authorizing the construction of a general sewer system throughout the populous sections south of Millers River. Without much delay sanitary engineers were engaged and the contract was let on August 6, 1894 to the contracting
503
HISTORY OF ATHOL
firm of Genaro, Long & Little of Leominster. Through 1894 and '95 these sewers were laid in the principal streets of the town. Included in this installation was a system serving sec- tions of Mount Pleasant Street and South Main Street. The outlet was moved from directly under the Main Street Bridge down stream nearly a quarter of a mile to where three systems entered, the South Main Street and Mt. Pleasant Street line and the area serving Hapgood Road and South Street.
To the north side of the river the system was extended by another contract with the same firm in 1902. After proceeding some time, Contractors Long and Little, Mr. Genaro being no longer with the firm, asserted that there had been a grave error in the prospectus inducing contractors to bid on the project in that there was much additional excavation over what was represented in the contract. They refused to go ahead with the work. Acting on the advice of counsel, the town took the matter over and with day labor finished the entire project. Then followed considerable litigation but in the end it was decreed that the contractors had a just grievance and they were paid a larger sum accordingly. The methods pursued made this quite an expensive project but it was thoroughly and substantially done.
Since these three major periods of installation there have been several minor extensions as new construction or remodel- ling of more ancient structures created the demand, and in 1922 there was constructed what in reality was an independent unit caring for the South Park and South Athol Road area, emptying into the river west of the railroad bridge where long ago the Greenfield Branch Turnpike crossed the river.
There was considerable discussion as to the method which should be used to finance this sewer project, and it was finally determined that the charge should be on the basis of annual rentals, the base unit being $5.00 per tenement, with larger sums for hotels and business blocks, and so forth. This annual charge has fluctuated with the years, never being more than $5.00 and having been for some years now at $2.50 a year per tenement, with the same general percentage of excess charges for larger users.
With the insistance of the State Board of Health that rivers in other sections of the Commonwealth be freed of sewer dis- posal, it is evident that before many years a purifying or sew- age disposal plant must be erected which will undoubtedly en- tail pumping and considerable expense not only for installa- tion but for operation.
504
PUBLIC SERVICES
The sewer projects, except a few very small extensions, have been financed by bonds issued under a special statute, the sewer rentals being adequate to take care of the maintenance expenses and the interest on the bonds together with amortiz- ation payments.
During the financial year 1948 the last sewer bond was paid and none have since been issued.
Welfare Department
We, like every other town, have had the poor always with us. In the early years Athol followed the custom of the times and put the paupers on "sale," but to the lowest not the high- est bidder, that is, the poor person was allotted to him who would agree to furnish support for a year at the lowest figure.
In the last years of this procedure it was exceedingly dif- ficult to find a "bidder" for Old Violet as she was called _ Violet Turner - an aged negress who was once the slave of Rev. James Humphrey. Partially to solve this negro problem and partly because a more enlightened public opinion frowned on the auction procedure, negotiations were entered into to secure a Poor Farm for the town. Our Welfare Home was acquired on April 23, 1829 of the heirs of Adonijah Ball, Jr., who had been killed the year before on his farm by the fall of a rock under which he was working.
The main farm house, probably dating back into the eigh- teenth century, augmented by a few out-buildings, served both Warden and inmate for almost sixty years. In those years not only the indigent but many insane were inmates at the farm, one small building long since demolished being known as "the crazy house.'
In 1878 pressure for accommodations forced expansion and a two-story annex was erected, Walter J. Browning being the contractor. In this new section one room was lined with oak and iron banded. In that room were confined particularly dif- ficult cases as well as other insubordinate inmates for short pe- riods. In this annex was installed a wood-burning hot air fur- nace which was removed in 1908 and a steam boiler substi- tuted.
Kerosene lamps were the only means of lighting until 1921 when pressure of public sentiment forced the extension of electric service to the buildings.
For years the wells supplying the institution proved at times
505
HISTORY OF ATHOL
inadequate and when in 1876 the water main from Phillipston Reservoir to Pleasant Street was laid across the farm back of the buildings a service pipe was laid into the 1878 annex, but because of elevation it could supply water only into the base- ment and as the supply of water was entirely unfiltered that supply was not desirable.
In the rear of the buildings a hydrant with facility for at- taching a "pumper hose" in recent years has provided in- creased fire protection.
In 1889 a spring some 4000 feet south of the buildings and thirty feet elevation above it was tapped and a pipe laid to the buildings. By two renewals of piping that supply was ample and satisfactory as long as the town operated the institution.
In 1909 the abandoned Poor Farm School House was turned over to the Overseers of the Poor, was removed to a location north of the barns and it did duty as a carriage house and shop.
In 1951 the Welfare Department determined that operation of the Welfare Home, as a changed public sentiment had named it, was no longer economical and the buildings were closed. At the annual meeting of 1952 the town authorized the sale of all or part of the property and on Saturday, June 14, 1952, at public auction the entire equipment and the northerly portion of the land with all the buildings was sold. The remainder of the land was transferred to the control of Athol Water Department. The some seven acres east of the highway was sold separately and is already sub-divided into building lots and two houses in process of erection there.
506
CHAPTER XXXII FIRE DEPARTMENT
EITHER written notes nor local tradition make reference to any organiged fire fighting force nor fire extinguish- ing apparatus previous to 1817. At the annual meeting that year a committee was appointed to consider the erection of a powder house, and under another article the question of a fire engine for the Factory Village was referred to the same com- mittee. That committee consisted of James Oliver, James Humphrey, and George Oliver, none of whom were residents of the Factory Village, although Esq. George Oliver did live on West Hill at 670 Brooks Road. At the adjourned meeting this committee reported emphatically in favor of acquiring a powder house and were authorized to provide the same.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.