USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 154
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.
Gould; 1830, N. Paine, H. Walker; 1831, F. Dane, H. Walden ; 1832, W. Emerson, J. D. Baldwin ; 1833, James Bicknell ; 1834-37, no pastor; 1837, I. Banney ; 1838, I. Banney, W. S. Campbell ; 1839, J. T. Sturte- vant ; 1840, William S. Simmons; 1841, George M. Carpenter; 1842, Levi Daggett, Jr .; 1843, S. Fox ; 1844, M. J. Talbott; 1845, Benjamin L. Sayer; 1846- 47, J. E. Gifford ; 1848, no pastor; 1849, E. B. Hinck- ley ; 1850, J. M. Worcester; 1851-52, Lawton Cady ; 1853-54, Ormando N. Brooks; 1855, J. N. Collier ; 1826, John Livesey ; 1857-58, Varnum A. Cooper ; 1859, C. Collard Adams; 1860-61, Joseph Baker ; 1862-64, Henry H. Smith ; 1865-67, William Penn Hyde; 1868-70, E. L. Hyde; 1871-72, C. S. Morse ; 1873-75, George H. Lamson ; 1876-77, George W. Wright ; 1878, S. H. Day ; 1879-81, E. Tirrell; 1882- 83, Jolmn Livesey.
Methodist Episcopal Church.1-The first regular Methodist services in Somerset were held in a sail- loft on Burgess' wharf in 1841 by Bryan Morse, a local preacher traveling under the presiding elder, Rev. Bartholomew Otheman. Mr. Morse held a pro- tracted meeting, in which he was assisted by Rev. George M. Carpenter, of South Somerset, and John Livesey, local preacher, from Fall River. The result of this meeting was an extensive revival. The or- ganization of the church soon followed, and in 1842 a church edifice was erected and dedicated by Rev. David Patten, D.D.
The first Conference appointee was Rev. Levi Daggett, who was followed, in 1844, by Rev. E. W. Stickney. Then followed the appointment of Israel Washburn, local preacher, in 1845, Rev. John W. Case in 1846, and Father Nathanial Paine in 1847-48, whose labors were quite successful. At the close of his pastorate he left a membership of forty names.
Mr. Paine was succeeded in 1849 by Rev. Charles Hammond, who enjoyed a very harmonious, prosper- ous, and pleasant pastorate.
In 1851, Rev. Carlos Banning was appointed to the charge, but failing to appear, his place was sup- plied by Father Filmore and Samuel Jackson, under whose zealous efforts the membership was consider- ably increased.
From 1852 to 1859 the following appointees served the church with varied success : Revs. E. H. Hatfield, William H. Richards, John Livesey (local preacher), Franklin Gavitt, James McReading, and Edward A. Lyon. The administration of Mr. Lyon was success- ful and generally acceptable, and the Sunday-school reached the highest number on record, but a ruling minority objected to his reappointment, and the new Conference year brought to the front Rev. C. M. Al- vord, much to the gratification of some and the an- noyance of others. The consequence was a disruption and the withdrawal of twenty-one members with their families, who formed the Congregational Church
in the village, leaving the Methodists with a congre- gation of twenty-eight members, which, however, at the close of the year numbered seventy-five, with a considerable increase of church membership.
In 1862-63, Rev. William Worth filled the pastor- ate successfully.
From 1864 to 1869 the following names appear on the record as pastors: Revs. C. S. Sanford, B. K. Bosworth, George L. Westgate, Samnel J. Carroll, and M. J. Talbot.
The last of these five years the church was suffering under great depression, but under the labors of Rev. H. H. Smith, who was appointed to the charge in 1870-71, she fully recovered herself.
In 1872-73, Rev. O. H. Fernald received the ap- pointment, by whose energetic efforts the church edi- fice was rebuilt, and at the close of his work the church numbered eighty-four members.
From 1876 to 1883 the following names appear as pastors : Revs. S. M. Bcal, C. M. Dunham, C. E. Walker, George H. Bates, and J. D. King, the pres- ent incumbent.
The First Christian Church .- This church was organized in 1841 by Rev. Mr. Shurtleff, now of Providence, R. I.
Mr. Shurtleff remained but a short time, and was succeeded by several preachers, each remaining only a few years. Among the number were Revs. Mr. Briant, B. F. Summerhell, and John N. Haley. In 1870, Rev. C. A. Tillinghast was called, and remained pastor nine years, during which time the church was prosperous. He was called to Broad Street Christian Church, Providence, R. I. In 1879 he was succeeded by Z. A. Past, who remained two years, when he accepted a professorship in the Suf- folk Collegiate Institute in Virginia. He was fol- lowed by Rev. R. Osman Allen, the present pastor. There has been in the forty-two years an aggregate membership of two hundred and thirty, which has been depleted by deaths and removals, until now the actual membership is one hundred.
First Congregational Church.2-Most of those who at first formed the Congregational Church in this village had been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
For a long time the Conference authorities had appointed or removed the pastor in entire disregard of, and sometimes in direct opposition to, the wish and vote of the majority of the church. The fact, well understood, was that the action of the Confer- ence was controlled and directed by one or two men, -members of the church (Methodist Episcopal) lo- cated in Somerset. To such an extent had this man- ipulation been carried that 'many of the people felt it was time for decisive action in opposition to what was termed "one-man power." Accordingly, a re- monstrance was sent to the Conference. The Con-
2 By Rev. J. C. Halliday.
1 By Rev. J. D. King.
-
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ference paid no regard to it. The parties aggrieved felt that there was no redress to be expected from the authorities of the church. After much thought, discussion, and prayer the act of withdrawal was decided on. This was in the year 1860. Those with- drawing were now homeless as to a place of worship. No definite plan as to the future had been determined upon, either as to the form of church government to be adopted or house of worship. If I have been correctly informed, a second Methodist Church was the thought in a few minds at least. The motive in withdrawing was not dislike of the church in which those separating from her had been nurtured, but the right to a vote and voice in the church that would count something in the management of church affairs.
The spirit of those who withdrew may be inferred from the following statement, which I copy from the records : " Although the seceders constituted a large majority of the church and the society, and although they had made large investment in pews, they with- drew, leaving all" with that part of the church and society which remained.
They first hired a hall named Central Hall, and fitted it up as a place of worship. They then attempted to secure a Methodist preacher on their own respon- sibility. They soon learned that no man connected with the Conference could be induced to accept their invitation.
They therefore began to look in another direction. A minister of the Congregational order was invited to the care of this body of believers and others inter- ested in the new enterprise. He accepted the trust, . and for something over a year ministered to this people, who were all this time without church organ- ization. In the early summer of 1861 the decision was reached to form a church of the Congregational order. It will be seen that there was nothing hasty in the movement. It was one of very serious import not only to the parties immediately concerned, but to : the community at large and to the church universal. Time to think, to deliberate, to pray was needed, and it was taken, and a decision reached.
The writer of this article was informed that a goodly number of those who at first withdrew went back to the Methodist Church when it was decided to form a Congregational Church. Possibly they had a dread of Calvinism ; possibly they thought that a house of worship must be erected, and that that would cost money ; at all events they took their departure, re- ducing the number about to form themselves into the new church.
The body of believers worshiping in Central Hall having determined to organize a church, and having decided what denominational name to assume, issued letters missive to neighboring churches of that name. In response to the letters missive there convened at Central Hall, July 3, 1861, the following-named churches in the person of pastors and delegates : Churches in Taunton, Berkley, Dighton, Assonet,
Raynham, Rehoboth, and Fall River. I believe all the churches invited responded. A council was formed by the choice of Rev. E. Maltby, of Taunton, for moderator, and Rev. S. T. Fay, of Fall River, scribe. The council having examined all the papers presented, having listened to the statements of dif- ferent parties, and having carefully examined the church's probable future, decided unanimously in favor of the new movement, "and voted to proceed in the afternoon with the usual public services of recog- nition and organization." Twenty-two persons pre- sented themselves, and were formed into and approved as "The First Congregational Church, Somerset."
The church and society (for there was a society acting conjointly with the church in the support of the gospel) continued to worship in Central Hall till 1865. In the mean time preliminary steps were being taken towards the erection of a church edifice. When the pressure of work and of giving began to be felt there were some who lost their enthusiasm.
Thus occurred a second reduction of the number on which must devolve the care of the new enter- prise. Such is human experience. There are people in the world who are ready and willing any time to sit by your fire, to read by your light, and to eat at your table if you furnish all the money, take all the care, and do all the necessary labor. They come, not to minister, but to be ministered unto.
In March, 1865, a neat and comfortable church edifice was completed and dedicated. Seasons of ad- versity and seasons of prosperity have fallen to the lot of this church and society since that time. The people at times adopted a custom which proved detri- mental to them as a church and society, a custom not uncommon. I refer to it here because I wish to put on permanent record my earnest protest against it. I refer to the plan of having pulpit supplies sent from Sabbath to Sabbath for six months, a year, or two years, no pastor on the ground. The man who is sent may have been virtually out of the ministry for ten or twenty years, may be in some other calling; he comes Saturday night in the last train, and goes away Monday morning in the first, and knows as much about the wants of the people as men generally know of what they know nothing. If the sermons are not heavy with age, the paper on which they are written has a color that is suggestive of antiquity, not to speak of fossils.
Churches sometimes follow this plan with the idea that it is economy to do so. It is, in fact, just the op- posite of economy. The effect generally is to weaken the power of the church in her divine work, to loosen her hold on the community, and to empty her coffers. When a pastor is called, provided the church survives the torturing ordeal, he has double work to do. Years are often required to offset the evil thus unintentionally brought upon the church of Christ. Another diffi- culty that must be encountered in the building of a new church enterprise in a manufacturing village is
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.
the ceaseless coming and going of different families. Sometimes it is an actual gain to have certain fami- lies go, if they would only stay away. In the case of other families a severe and heavy loss is suffered when they go. I speak of these matters because the Congregational Church of Somerset has had large experience in them. Her history would not be com- plete without a reference to theni.
The number enrolled as members now on the church records is fifty-four. The two causes con- tributing most largely to the slow growth of the church, as it seems to me, have been alluded to, viz., the fluctuating population and the Sabbath supply. Perhaps a third should be added,-the many ex- tremely (I had almost said unpardonably) short pas- torates ; some of them indeed do not deserve the name of pastorate.
The first preacher, Rev. Charles D. Lathrop, sup- plied the pulpit for a year and a very small portion of a year. He was followed by Rev. Mr. Butt, of Fall River, who supplied a short time, so short that no record was made of the time.
From January, 1862, to June, 1864, Rev. N. Rich- ardson was pastor. He was succeeded by Rev. N. H. Besson, who served the church and society till April, 1865. In the same month of that year Rev. Nelson Clark began his labors in the gospel ministry among this people. He remained with them five years and three months. His work did much to strengthen and increase the church. The years of his ministry were years of prosperity. When the people permitted him to go away, they did a very unwise thing. His labors closed with this church in July, 1871. He was fol- lowed by Rev. L. S. Coan, who remained one year only. Mr. Coan was succeeded by Rev. E. J. Ged- dings, who remained just as long as his predecessor. In February, 1875, Rev. W. N. T. Dean was installed as pastor of this church. His stay was short, for in July, 1876, he was dismissed, having served the church not quite a year and a half. Rev. John Dodge supplied the pulpit for three months. Rev. ---- Farnum, of Boston, supplied the pulpit for a time (I know not how long), coming Saturday and going Monday.
The present pastor, Rev. J. C. Halliday, began work here in June, 1877. He has held the office of pastor of this church nearly six years. Those years have been years of gradual growth, numerically, finan- cially, and I may say spiritually. The growth has not been spasmodic, nor has it been remarkable at all, but steady. The transfer of the nail-works from East Taunton to Somerset has added a goodly num- ber of worthy members to the congregation, and given us some good workers for the Master. But aside from that, we can tell of growth in church and society.
The Congregational Church of Somerset has strug- gled hard with a great many untoward circumstances, and has overcome them. She was organized with a fixed purpose, to continue to be. With God's help, and
kindness shown her by other churches and societies and individuals, she has continued until this day, witnessing to small and great the power of divine grace, and seeking to say none other things than Moses and the prophets did say should come. We rejoice in a prosperous Sabbath-school, the happy, healthful, helpful child of the church. Home and foreign missions receive attention. The cause of temperance is not forgotten in our church work. The order of services, which gives most general satis- faction in our community, is, Sabbath-school in the A.M., beginning at half-past ten ; preaching at half-past two in P.M., and conference meeting in the evening. The prospects of this church as a power for Christ were never better than they are to-day. There is harmony in her counsels and unity in her movements. No note of discord for the past six years has reached the ears of the pastor. It is pleasant to sing,-
" Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love,"
but it is pleasanter to feel the power of the truth em- bodied, to feel it in the relation of the people to each other, and in the relation of people and pastor.
St. Patrick's Church1 was built eight years ago by Rev. William H. Bric, of Fall River, at a cost of about eight thousand dollars. It is a frame building, eighty-five by forty-three fect, with slate roof. The first resident pastor was Rev. E. E. Nobert, who has officiated to the present time. The church has a membership of about six hundred.
Post-Office .- Previous to 1825, Mr. Isaac Pierce had charge of the mail for Somerset, which was left at Swansea village. In 1825, Elisha Slade was ap- pointed postmaster, and held the office until 1853, when John A. Sayler succeeded him, who filled the office until December, 1860, when the present incum- bent, Mr. N. S. Davis, was appointed.
In consequence of the loss of records by fire in 1875 the exact date when the post-office was first es- tablished cannot be given ; but for some time after Mr. Slade was appointed the mail was carried on a baggage-wagon, which made about weekly trips be- tween Bristol, R. I., and Boston ; the pouch was then left at Nathaniel Mason's, nearly two miles from the present office, and the postmaster had to go or send some one there after it. The office now receives and sends five mails daily.
The Somerset Co-Operative Foundry Company was organized Oct. 10, 1867 ; officers elected Oct. 29, 1867, as follows: President, William M. Bartlett; Treasurer, William P. Marble; Clerk, E. A. Davis; Foreman, R. C. Woodward; Directors, R. C. Wood- ward, T. A. Marble, H. D. Spinner, E. A. Davis, John O. Babbitt, C. A. Davis, J. H. Luther, W. P. Hood, G. W. Nye, and William P. Marble. Capital stock, $15,000; capital stock now, $30,000, with sink- ing fund of $25,000. First year's business, $25,000,
1 Contributed by Rev. E. E. Nobert.
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has increased to $75,000. Present officers : President, William P. Marble; Treasurer, E. A. Davis ; Fore- man, G. H. Sherman ; Directors, C. Fuller, Joseph Cundall, J. Woodward, Joseph Shurtleff, G. L. Davis, E. P. Hathaway, and D. B. Hood. This is a rep- resentative establishment, and manufactures ranges, cooking, parlor, and office stoves in all styles, also hollow-ware, sinks, etc.
This company has been very successful, and has steadily increased its volume of business ; is well es- tablished, and has the reputation of producing the finest goods in the country. Par value shares, one hundred dollars; has sold as high as one hundred and forty dollars per share ; has paid an average div- idend of seven and a half per cent., and accumulated a sinking fund, as stated before. All goods manufac- tured are made from patterns made and designed under their own supervision.
A writer in the Providence Star of May 6, 1883, speaking of Somerset, says, ---
" In glancing westward from Fall River across the Taunton River people get a glimpse of the southern portion of the town of Somerset, which portion at this time is entirely devoted to agricultural pursuits, as, in fact, the whole town was mostly until within forty years. This town was originally a portion of the town of Swansea, and is what was known formerly as the ' Showamut Purchase.' It lies along the river men- tioned, and forms its west bank for about eight miles, and is very narrow, the town being in one place only about a half a mile from the river to its western boundary, and in no part of it much more than a mile and a half wide. At one time the principal business done in the town was at the village of 'Egypt,' so called, where quite an amount of ship-building was carried on, and it is within the memory of the oldest inhabitants when ' Egypt' was the important point of the town. But those days have gone, and the people who were most active in the business have, alas ! passed away, and now all that remains is a small cluster of houses, with nothing to remind the passer- by that any activity ever existed there. About half a mile north of ' Egypt' is the village of Pottersville, so called from the fact of there being located there a pottery for the purpose of making earthen- and stone- ware.
" This industry was begun many years ago by the Chase family, and formerly a very extensive business was done there, but those who started the pottery en- terprise have long since died, and finally the business has dwindled down to a small amount, comparatively speaking, of what it used to be, and the company be- coming scriously embarrassed, it was sold, a little more than a year ago, to a new company, composed princi- pally of persons from Fall River, who with an in- creased capital will, it is hoped, make a success of the enterprise in the future.
"Somerset Pottery Company, incorporated in 1847 with a capital stock of twenty-five thousand dollars.
In 1882 the business was sold to a new company, com- posed of some of the strongest men financially in this section of the country. The stock was reduced to fif- teen thousand dollars, and immediately increased to thirty thousand dollars. Under the management of the officers of the new corporation a very large in- crease in orders was made, and with the old facilities they were troubled for a time to meet the demand for their goods. It was again voted to double the capital stock, making it sixty thousand dollars. Mr. Field, the agent and general manager, then began in a sys- tematic manner to increase their facilities, and at the same time hold the fast-increasing trade. A person now visiting the pottery will find numerous new buildings for the old kilns, and for the new kilns which have taken the place of the old ones. The place that was once noted for its rusty and worn-out appearance is now fresh and new. In fact, a complete regeneration of the place has been made. The point upon which the company base their success is in their economy in manufacture. One thing we should not forget to mention, and that is the special fire-bricks, cupola, and stove-linings manufactured with proper mixture of granite clay, of which they are the sole agents. Although they are but commencing the manufacture of these articles, large orders have been received and filled, which give in all cases perfect satisfaction. The success of the new company is already assured.
" At the north part of the town is located Somerset village, or what was formerly called Bowers' Shore, a quiet rural village of about fifteen hundred inhabi- tants, and which is now about all there is of Somerset as regards inhabitants and enterprise. Previous to the year 1850 there was not much business done here, ex- cept the catching of oysters in the spring and autumn of the year, and even then the business had not assumed the proportions that it has now attained. During the oyster seasons scores of men and boys are employed in catching and assorting the bivalves for shipment to other places for ' plant,' a large portion of which go by vessels to Providence, where they are bedded for a certain length of time, when they are again fished up and are then served up as the famous ' Providence River oysters.' The amount shipped dur- ing the two seasons of the year mentioned will aggre- gate thousands of bushels, and it is said that Somer- set sends out the best 'plants' that are to be had, although the oysters that are allowed to grow to their full size in their native waters are not considered fit for use, the most of them having a coppery taste, which is entirely removed by lying in other waters for a season.
" About the year 1850, or a little before, Mr. James Hood began the business of ship-building at Somer- set village, and conducted it quite successfully until 1854, when a large vessel which he had on the stocks nearly completed was entirely destroyed by a sup- posed incendiary fire, which caused great excitement
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.
at the time. This was the last of ship-building in Somerset, and its destruction was a very disastrous blow to the place.
"In the year 1853 a new industry was commenced in this village through the liberality of Mr. J. Q. Pierce, who gave a tract of land lying on the river, and so situated as to be available as a wharf-privilege. A company was formed for the manufacture of ship- anchors and other large forgings. This company was organized as the Somerset Iron-Works Company, with William S. Sampson as agent and treasurer, who, after erecting buildings, etc., necessary to carry on the business and running for a short time, failed to conduct the business profitably, and in two years after commencing closed entirely. This was a sad blow to the industries of the place and to many of its inhabitants financially, as the capital which was put into the business was mostly furnished by Somerset residents, who not only lost all they put in, but those who had other property were obliged to furnish money to pay the debts of the concern. From the time of closing of the works to 1855 nothing was done with them, and they lay as a monument to the capital that had been sunk in their erection.
" In the year 1855 the late Albert Field, of Taun- ton, in connection with his son-in-law, Mr. J. M. Leonard, bought the property, and fitted it up for a rolling-mill and nail-factory, and they were incor- porated under the name of the Mount Hope Iron Company. This company, notwithstanding the large outlay of money and the extreme depression of 1857, passed through it successfully under the guidance and direction of its manager, Mr. Leonard, and did a successful business until the fall of 1866, when the rolling-mill and nail-factory connected therewith were entirely destroyed by fire, leaving only the building tributary to the business standing. But the company, nothing daunted at their great loss, which was not fully insured, began immediately the erec- tion of a larger and more improved mill upon the site of the former buildings, and in about one year from the time the old mill was destroyed the new one was running successfully, and continued operations until 1871, when it was sold to persons belonging to and buying in the interest of the Parker Mills, of Ware- ham, Mass., a large and prosperous concern. They continued to run it, with Mr. O. A. Washburn, Jr., of Providence, as agent and treasurer, for about eight years. The extreme depression of the iron business in 1875 and later forced them to give up to the in- evitable, and in the spring of 1878 they ceased opera- tions entirely, and remained quiescent until the fall of 1881, when it was sold to the Old Colony Iron Company, of Taunton, who have and are still running it successfully.
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