History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 40

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1818

USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 40

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Acushnet being in the district with other towns, it is entitled to a representation to the General Court but occasionally. It has sent four since its incorporation. The first representative was William H. Washburn, Esq. Mr. Washburn was a son of Rev. Israel Wash- burn, and for many years a resident of the town, being engaged in the grocery and wheelwright busi- ness. Always interested in the welfare of the town, he was especially so during the war, when he had charge of enlisting, drafting, and filling quotas, and served two years in the Legislature to the great satis- faction of his constituents. The next was Walter Spooner, Esq., who has faithfully served the town in many capacities. He was in the House two years. Mr. Spooner, who is the son of Dr. Rounsevel Spooner, is from "honorable" stock, his great-grandfather being Hon. Walter Spooner, and his grandfather was Hon. Alden Spooner, who was an unele of the Hon. Nathaniel Spooner, all of this town.

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ACUSHNET.

The third representative was Benjamin White, Esq., a highly-esteemed citizen of the town, and who has been honored by it with many offices of trust and re- sponsibility. In consequence of redistricting the State, Mr. White was in the Legislature but one year.

The next one was Capt. Joseph Burt, Jr. He for- merly resided in New Bedford, did good service in the army, and since the war has lived in this town, which he represented one year. Acushnet has furnished one senator to the General Court, Hon. Joshua Morse fill- ing the office. The above were all Republicans.

Acushnet is fifty-five miles from Boston, and its only railroad facilities are the Old Colony, which passes along and about a mile west of its western boundary. The land is generally quite even, and the soil in some parts well adapted to agricultural pur- poses. Most of the land is high, dry, and admirably suited to residence. Perry Hill, though but a mile from the river, on the easterly side of the town, is nearly one hundred and fifty feet above the sea. A spot near this was selected as one of the stations of the State Trigonometrical Survey. In addition to the beautiful Acushnet River, which flows southerly through its centre, it has another attractive stream which flows out of its southeast angle and empties into the Mattapoisett River.

The Acushnet water, which supplies the city of New Bedford, is from ponds located in the north part of the town, and from which flows the Acushnet River. The reservoir of nearly three hundred acres is located in a romantic spot. The dam which is built to form this impounding reservoir and to elevate the waters of the Acushnet to forty feet above mean tide is on the Wilson farm, about seven miles from New Bedford. The drainage above this dam com - prises between three and four thousand acres, and is exceedingly well adapted for the collection and stor- age of a large supply of pure water. The reservoir is two and a half miles long and from one-eighth to nearly one-half mile wide, giving a storage capacity of four hundred million gallons of water.

In 1875 Acushnet had a total population of 1059, most of whom are engaged in general farming, mar- ket gardening, and producing milk. The number of farms is 142, covering 8041 acres, which, together with 4600 acres of woodland, is valued at $446,750. The geological formation is feldspathic gneiss and granite. It has seven saw-mills, which turn out large quantities of long lumber, shingles, box-boards, and bark, which are exported.

The personal property of the town is valued at $122,500; total valuation, $569,250; rate of taxation, about 80 cents per $100. The products of manufac- ture are $51,356, and of agriculture $101,994; total, $153,344.

Considerable business has been and is still carried on on the stream above the village. The first fulling- mill in this section was on this stream. The building is still standing and has been used as a saw-mill by

the Acushnet Saw-Mill Company, consisting of Sim- eon and Jonathan Hawes and N. Hervey Wilbor. Since 1869 there is turned out here annually about six hundred thousand feet of box-boards, sixty-six thousand feet of long lumber, and forty thousand shingles.

There was originally only a saw- and grist-mill here, afterwards a fulling-, dressing-, and carding- mill, at which time it was in possession of William Rotch. Subsequently for many years it was owned by Morgan & Lund, and used for the manufacture of paper.

About a mile up the stream, on a cross-road, was originally another saw-mill. The property came into the hands of Phineas White, who built a cotton-mill there in 1811. Mr. White had associated with him Capt. Joseph Whelden and Ansel White. Business prospered, and Capt. Whelden withdrew and built a stone cotton-factory on the stream a mile farther north, the walls of which are now standing.

On a stream which enters the Acushnet near the Whelden Mill is situated another saw-mill, run by George P. and Edward Morse. Ansel White, brother of Phineas, withdrew from the lower factory and built a cotton-mill in connection with a saw-mill which stood on the stream to the westward of Long Plain. No cotton machinery has been run in town for many years. The Phineas White mill privilege was pur- chased by S. B. Hamblin, an extensive lumber mer- chant, who uses it exclusively for sawing.

Another item of business worth noting is that of Ebenezer Leonard, who has carried on boat-building in town since the 1st of January, 1852. He has con- structed during the time nine hundred and twenty- seven whale-boats for the New Bedford shipping, car- rying them thence, a distance of six miles, on trucks. This gives an average of about thirty-one boats a year, and some years he has built one a week.

Many of the inhabitants of Acushnet have been engaged in the whale fishery ; among the number the following with others were master-mariners: Jacob Taber, Cornelius Howland, Pardon Taber, Jr., God- frey Macomber, Andrew Wing, William Ashley, Ma- son Taber, Edward R. Ashley, Joseph Bennett, Obed. Nye, Henry Packard, David Corcoran, James R. Allen, Stephen Hathaway, Martin Bowen, Stephen Kempton, Marcus Taber, Stephen Braley, Francis Butts, Stephen Taber.

Quite an extensive business has been carried on in town in the manufacture of candle- and soap-boxes. The principal ones engaged in it now are John Lom- bard and Emory Cushman, on the Long Plain road. The factory of the latter occupies the site of one of the oldest landmarks in the county. It is situated about three quarters of a mile to the north of Parting Ways and an eighth of a mile eastward of the road. There was a saw- and grist-mill here in the early day of the settlement of this section, and subsequently a fulling-mill. Wool was carded, cloth fulled and

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dressed, and buttons made here. Near the factory stood, till quite recently consumed by fire, one of the oldest houses in the county. It was exceedingly old- fashioned, the upper story projecting beyond the lower one several feet all around. A massive stone chim- ney was in the centre, and doors and windows were very antique. It was built by Jacob Taber, and was subsequently occupied by his son Amaziah. Thankful, daughter of Amaziah, became the wife of Gideon Wood, of Dartmouth, and the old farm came into the Wood family by will from Amaziah to Gideon's son Thomas, where it has remained till very lately. The last one of the Wood family that occupied it was Jabez, the son of Thomas ; he was the first town clerk of Acushnet. Henry T. Wood, of New Bedford, son of Thomas, has a painting by the artist William A Wall of the old house and an interesting scene near it. Amaziah Taber, who was a Friend, was on peace- ful and confidential terms with the, Indians, who were numerous about here then. During the King Philip war some scouts had been up in the Squawbetty coun- try, to the eastward of the house, and had captured some of these Indians. As they were marching past the old house on their way to the camps of the white men they halted, and Amaziah had a conversation with them. This real incident is very faithfully rep- resented in the painting.

Another old dwelling is the Tobey house, a gable- roofed building on the east side of Mill road, about one quarter of a mile above the bridge in the village. It was at one time occupied by Dr. Elisha Tobey, one of the earliest physicians of the locality. He was born in 1722, probably in this house. Capt. Lemuel S. Aiken, of Fairhaven, says that when the British marauders made their excursion through the village of Acushnet in 1778, a party left the main body where the Mill road begins near the bridge, and went up as far as this old house, the first one they came to. The good wife was baking pork and beans, and, attracted by the appetizing odor, they made a raid on the oven in the cellar, and soon put its con- tents out of sight. Capt. Aiken goes on to say, "They then robbed the house of what they wanted and endeavored to destroy the rest. But the British pilferers, in going down the cellar, left the door wide open, and that effectually prevented their seeing an- other door immediately behind it leading to a room where their most valuable clothing was deposited, and by that means was saved. Another instance of the same occurred at Bartholomew Tuber's ( just northeast of the present village of Fairhaven). They burned several houses at the Head of the River, among them one belonging to Capt. Crandon, who, to revenge himself on the British marauders, would not suffer his new house to be placed over the old cellar, nor suffer the cellar to be filled up, until his son, having the management in some measure of his father's business, accomplished it. It was at Acushnet village that Lieut. Metcalf was mortally wounded. He was from

Boston, and belonged to the Continental army. The first building they burned after leaving the Head of the River was a house a half-mile below Parting Ways, on the west side of the road, on the premises now owned by David Russell, then occupied by Col. Pope, of the Continental army. Eldad Tupper, a Tory, well acquainted in these parts, acted as their guide, and would inform them of all holding office or commissions. As they proceeded south near by they came to Stephen and Thomas Hathaway's. The lat- ler was 'a man of handsome property for those days and without children, but he had a ward living with him (Jonathan Kempton), who eventually inherited it. At the time the fleet anchored he was at the lower end of Sconticut Neck, and he left immediately for home to remove the household furniture to a place of safety.

" After packing up he took a small trunk, contain- ing quite a valuable quantity of silver. As he stepped out of the door he was met by their advance-guard, who told him they would relieve him from any fur- ther care of the trunk. After taking what things they wanted from the house, they collected beds and bedding in a chamber and set fire to them, and very luckily shut the doors. They took Mr. Kempton a prisoner, and told him they should take him to New York. He entreated them to set him at liberty. After carrying him to the end of a lane leading to the house they consented, after taking one of the two pairs of breeches that he had on. That he had two pair they knew from having robbed him of his watch, but they informed him that they must fire at him as a deserter, which they did, whether with the inten- tion of hitting him or not he never knew. The ball, however, hit a large cherry-tree, one of a number that lined the lane leading to his house. Mr. Kemp- ton returned to the house in time to extinguish the fire."

This Stephen Hathaway house still stands on a rocky hill on the east side of the Fairhaven road, a half-mile north of the Acushnet line. A quarter of a mile south of this house, on the same side of the road, and a few yards northeast of a well at present in the highway, stood a store belonging to either Obed or Micah Hathaway. This was also burned. No more damage was done by the excursionists until they reached the Fairhaven line, an eighth of a mile far- ther south.

Good service was done by Acushnet men in the wars of 1776, of 1812, and of 1861-65. The following is the roll of honor of the last war :

Samuel Pierce, Artemas Morse, Leander Washburn, Lyman N. Caswell, Linus E. Caswell, George Pierce, Charles E. Robinson, Francis F. Bennett, Thomas W. Chapman, Clarence L. Burrington, David B. Pierce, Mason W. Page, George F. Gibbs, William Oesting, William F. Terrell, John Stoner, Jolin W. Collins, Jasou S. Peckham, Alden Spooner, Lyman Spooner, Andrew A. Cole, Arthur H. Brook, George D. Bisbee, Francis Pittsley, William Pittsley, Levi Pittsley, Albert G. Braley, Julius . Valentine, James C. Johnson, Henry Smithson, . Victor Bencaco, George ITealey, James T. Hall, Robert Lynch, Horace Webster, Daniel V. Smith, David P. Caswell, Clarence A. Bearse,

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Zaccheus II. Wright, Alexander O. Pierce, Joseph S. Spooner, Thomas S. Potter, William B. Cushing, John Ellis, George S. Fox, John W. Pierce, Theodore A. Taber, William Watts, William Washburn, Savery C. Braley, Jeptha Simmons, Samuel Pierce, Martin V. Ham- mond, Robert E. Leavitt, George F Braley, Capt. Isaac Braley, Wil- liam Gracey, Howland Taber.

The following persons served in the navy during the late war :

Jonathan D. Butts, on the U. S. S. " Lodona ;" Walter A. Pierce, on the U. S. S. " Fley," and on the " Congress" when she was sunk ; George D. Whiting, on the gunboat "Chucora :" Lemuel Dillingham, on the U. S. S. "Gemsbok," and on the " Vanderbilt ." George C. Tink- ham, Augustus H. Mendall, on the "Congress;" Francis Pittsley, Jr., on the " Hartford."

One of the oldest and most interesting landmarks hereabouts is the old burying-place on. the hill just west of Acushnet village, near the Parting Ways. Some of the headstones of this old colonial cemetery, established in the reign of Queen Anne, have dates nearly back to the seventeenth century. There are nearly six hundred and fifty tombstones with names and dates upon them, and more than one thousand unlettered ones. The latter mark the resting-places not only of some of the earliest settlers of Dart- mouth, but of Plymouth Colony. The land for this burying-ground was given by John Jenne (or Jenney, as the name is now spelled). He was doubtless a son of John Jenne, who came to Plymouth in the "James" in 1623, and who was one of the Governor's assistants at Plymouth in 1637-39. Since those days the name has been very numerous in this section.

The deed of gift by which the ground was pre- sented to the Presbyterian parish is a curiously spelled old paper. It is recorded in the North Bris- tol registry of deeds office, and reads as follows :

"To all Christian people to whome these Presents Shall Come, John Jeune, Senr., of the town of Dartmouth in the County of Bristol And Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Sendeth greeting.

" Know ye that I the sd John Jenne hath for & in Consideration of the want of a Convenient Burying Place but more Esptially a Place whereon to Set or Build an house or Houses for the people of God Called Presbyterians orderly to essemble and meet in for the Carrying on of the true worship of God as also because In the Sd John Jenne Veryly Believes in his heart that the Presbyterians do worship God after the due Order most agreeable to the order of the primitive Christians, by these Presents Given granted Enfeoffeds aliened & confirmed unto the SA Presbyterians for the end and use aforesaid one acre of Land Lying and Being in the town ship of Dartmouth aforest, where the meeting Hlouse Built by the Sd Presbyterians now stands. Butted and Bounded Westerly Northerly Easterly by the Land of Sd Jolin Jeune and south- erly ou or by the County Road, with all the Trees, Herbiage, Prive- ledges and Apportenuances Liberties Profits and Benefits Belonging or in any ways appertaining to the same, to have and to hold the above Sd acre of Land with all and Singuler the Priveledges &c. as before Sd unto the only proper use benifit & behoof of them the Sd Presbiterians : for ever, and the St John Jenne Doth by these Presents Covenant and Promise for him Self his hirs Excenters and administraters and assigns to and with the Sd Prispiterians that the st John Jeune is the true and Proper Onner of the above Sd Bargained Primises Before and at the Ensealing & Delivery of these Presents, and hath of himself good Right & Lawfull Authority to give and Convey the same, and that it is free and clear and freely & Clearly acquited & Discharged of and From all other former gifts, grants, Bargains Sales and all other acts or Incom- brance what so ever & the Sd Presbyterians Shall and may forever Here- after have hold & quietly & Peaceably posess & injoy the above given Primises In a good and Perfect Estate of Inheritance in thee Simple with out any Lust Snit, hindrance, or Molestation from the Sd John Jenne his hires Executers administraters or assigns or any other Person or

Persons what so ever, and will warrant & Defend the Same against the Lawfull Claims of any Person or Persons What so ever unto the Said Presbyterians For Ever, in witness where of the sd John Jenne hath hereunto Set his hand And Seal this twenty-fifth day of March in the thirteenth year of her Magesties Reign Annoqe Domini one thousand Seven hundred and thirteen.

Ilis " JOHN 'T JENNE.

Mark

" Signed, Sealed and Delivered In Presence of

" SAMUEL HUNT. " JABEZ DELANO." " DARTMOUTH March the 25th A.D., 1714, on this day the above Sd John Jeune Personally Appeared Before mne one of his Maj'ts Justices of the Peace for the County of Bristol & acknowledged the above writ- ten Instrument to be his own valletary act and deed.

" SETH POPE.

" BRISTOL Ss. Brought to Be Recorded august 6, 3717, & Entred in the Eleventh Books follow 7th

" By JOHN CARY, Recorder."

When the old church stood on this lot there was no wall along its front, the land rising from the road gradually. Afterwards it was walled along its entire front. For many years previous to 1881 the spot was sadly neglected. Headstones were thrown out of place by the frost, and some were lying upon the ground. There was a perfect tangle of underbrush and briers, shrubbery and trees, and these prophetic words on one of the tombstones-

" The living know that they must die, But all the dead neglected lie"-

had truly come to pass. During the year 1881 a party of philanthropic gentlemen residing in Acush- net undertook the renovation of this ancient city of the silent dead. They did their work faithfully, and received the public gratitude for it. Since its renova- tion it presents a far different appearance, and it is refreshing to see this old spot in a new dress. Al- though about one hundred trees were left, thirty- three cords of wood were cut out from the place, which can with double significance be called "God's acre," the unsightly briers and brambles removed, and the ground all turfed over, and the headstones re- erected. Mr. Humphrey Swift, whose ancestors of more than a century ago lie there, caused the en- largement of the old cemetery by generously pre- senting to an association formed for the purpose of caring for it several acres of land in the rear of it, to give room for more graves and for private lots. The first of these lots were taken by Mr. Swift, and by Capt. James R. Allen and Rodolphus Swift, who co- operated with him in bringing the place out of its wretched condition. A strip of land was purchased on the west for an avenue, which runs the whole length of the ground. On one side of this is what was once the tomb of Ellis Mendall family. It was brought from the Mendall homestead, which is some two and a half miles to the northeast of the village, and is now a public vanlt. On this aere was erected the first Congregational meeting-house in old Dartmouth.

About the middle of the seventeenth century there were a number of persons at Plymouth who embraced

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HISTORY OF BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

the faith of the religious Society of Friends, many points of which were in conflict with the rigid re- quirements of the Puritan government, and the arbi- trary and unyielding power of the civil administra- tion made it extremely unpleasant for them to remain in that locality, though they were closely connected with many of the family by ties of blood and by social and business relations. They being in a mi- nority in numbers and civil influence, many of them thought it best to withdraw from the Pilgrims' Mecca and take up their abode in localities where they could worship more in accordance with their personal views and with less molestation. Many of them became the earliest settlers of old Acushnet, shrewdly selecting the lands along the sea-coast, and we find them living on their possessions along the southerly boundaries of Dartmouth, New Bedford, and Westport. These en- terprising settlers probably established the first re- ligious meeting in the southern tier of towns of the present Bristol County, and they doubtless built the first public meeting-house in the section referred to. This meeting-house stood on the site of the present Apponeganset meeting-house, beyond the Head of Apponeganset River, and on the south side of the main road leading from New Bedford to Russell's Mills. It was built in 1699. Settlers of Puritanic faith soon fol- lowed the Friends in the erection of a house of wor- ship, which was built on the soil of the present town of Acushnet. This was without doubt the second public religious meeting-house erected in southern Bristol County. The society under whose auspices this church was built was called Presbyterians. There appears no record evidence of the date of the found- ing of this organization, but tradition places it as early as 1696. Neither does there appear any written evi- dence of the year in which the church was built, which incident occurred very soon subsequent to this date. The reason why this church was placed here rather than where New Bedford now stands is that there was but a small settlement there then, the village Head of the River being the centre of population of this vicinity ; then another reason may be assigned that the Presbyterians did not wish their place of worship to stand any nearer that of their Quaker " thorns in the flesh."

The church building stood at " Old Acushnet Ceme- tery," situated on the north side of a road running east and west through the village, and some five hun- dred yards west of where the Fairhaven road enters it, a point anciently called Parting Ways. It was just back of the central entrance to the cemetery on the south, and just in the rear of where it stood is a row of Pope graves. It was built of timber cut from the forests which stood about it, and its timbers were hewed on the spot. Many came long distances to church, and in the days when the old church was standing shoe-leather was scarce and expensive. Those who were not fortunate enongh to have a horse and had to walk came barefooted, carrying their shoes in their

hands, and put them on just before reaching the meeting-house. One who practiced this says the favorite "shoeing-place" for those who came up from the Fairhaven neighborhood to this church was the ledge of rocks south of the church about a thousand yards, on the west side of the Fairhaven road.

The first pastor was Rev. Samuel Hunt. All that is known of him is that he built the old parsonage house on the northwest corner of Acushnet Avenue, where the road that leads from the village westward over Tar Kiln Hill crosses it. Mr. Hunt died in Acushnet, in the forty-eighth year of his age, and was buried in the old graveyard by the meeting-house in which he labored. On his headstone is chiseled the following : " Rev. Samuel Hunt, the first ordained minister of the Church of Christ in Dartmouth, died Jan. 21, 1729." Mr. Hunt's successor was the Rev. Richard Pierce, A.M. Of his life and labors, as of those of his predecessor, there is nothing known. He also lics in the old burying-ground. He died March 23, 1749, at the age of forty-nine, and at the close of sixteen years in the work of the gospel ministry.

The next minister was the Rev. Israel Cheever, A.M., who was born at Concord, Mass., Sept. 22, 1772; graduated at Harvard College, 1749; resigned the pastorship of the church in 1752, and died at Liver- pool, N. S., in June, 1812. Mr. Cheever was suc- ceeded by Dr. Samuel West, who was born at Yar- mouth, Cape Cod, in 1729; graduated at Harvard in 1754, one of the first in his class, and was settled over this church in 1761. Under the ministry of Dr. West the society was very large, being the only house of worship, with the exception of that of the Friends, for an extensive district of country. Dr. West was not considered, in the popular sense of the word, an eloquent and pleasing speaker, but his sermons were characterized by sterling common sense and extensive research. His familiarity with the Bible was so great that he could preach from almost any text without premeditation, illustrating his subject with the most apt and scriptural quotations and references. Dr. West took an active interest in the Revolution. He preached a sermon before the Provincial Convention at Watertown in 1776, and another, an anniversary discourse, on Forefathers' day, at Plymouth in 1777. After the battle of Bunker Hill he visited the camp of the American army, and encouraged the patriot soldiers to increased efforts. It was a favorite topic of conversation with him that the prophetic writings of Scripture were being realized in the stirring scenes of the struggle for independence. In manner of life and character, Dr. West was eccentric and peculiar, as a few anecdotes of him, which we will give, se- lected from numerous others, will illustrate. His absent-mindedness was also very remarkable. In going to mill one day, he put the grist upon his own back and walked to the miller's, leading the horse by the bridle. He supposed the grist was on the horse until the mistake was pointed out by a neighbor. At

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History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 40

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1818

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1818