History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 59

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 59

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From November, 1807, to October, 1813, two hun- dred and sixty-two members were received into the church. But while so many were received, the strict- ness of the discipline caused many to be excluded after having been members for a short time,1 while deaths and removals further diminished the number, so that in 1826 there were only one hundred and thirty-nine belonging to the church.

Elder Goff died March 17, 1810. His widow, Deb- orah, died in 1816. They had two children, Deborah and Shubael. In 1813, Mr. Silas Hall, of Raynham, came to labor in the church, and was ordained the same year. He remained only one year. In 1816, Mr. Bartlett Pease, of New Bedford, was ordained pastor. In 1820 sixty-five members were added to the church. Mr. Pease left in 1821. During his stay there was quite a large party in the church in sym- pathy with those who were excluded in 1811 for having become infected with what was termed the "heresy of Unitarianism." In 1821 a Mr. Lovejoy was called to preach. Lovejoy seems to have accepted too literally the apostolic saying about being all things to all men. His sermons in the church were of the orthodox, Trinitarian pattern, but when he met with the factions that had been excluded he ex- pressed views that were radically Unitarian. Mr. Lovejoy was dismissed at the end of a year, and his dismissal was so unacceptable to many that the party who were in his favor withdrew from the church and held separate meetings. Thirty members were ex- cluded soon afterwards, including two of the deacons. The Unitarian faction finally obtained possession of the meeting-house, which, under the name of the Christian Baptist Society, they retain at the present time, the Rev. Otis W. Bates being now the pastor.

1 The following entry in the church records of 1826 shows that at that date there were sporadic cases of a disorder that has since become almost an epidemic. At a church meeting " Brother Green reported, in rela- tion to Sister Lewis, that he had found her gilty of an incurable eavle, having divorced hir husband and married again, contra to the laws of God."

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DIGIITON.

From 1822 to 1827 the church had no settled pas- tor; in the latter year Mr. Caleb Greene, of New Bedford, was ordained. At this time the church numbered only one hundred members. Mr. Greene remained until 1831. In 1832, Rev. John Reed was called, and stayed till 1836. He was followed by Mr. J. L. Wittemore, who was ordained in May, 1837, and remained until 1840. The next year the church was without a pastor, and had but forty-one members. They were accustomed to meet in the school-house at the Lower Four Corners, and sometimes at private houses. In 1842 the church voted " to make an effort to build a meeting-house at the Four Corners, and that the church be located there." The house was completed in 1845 at a cost of about sixteen hundred dollars, the whole amount having been raised and paid before the dedication.

During the period they had been without a meet- ing-house they had been supplied with preachers for most of the time. Mr. John B. Parris, a licentiate, was with them for about a year and a half. Caleb Blood and Charles F. Colver, then students at Brown University, also preached for a time, as did also Alexander W. and Samuel Carr. After the dedication of the new house, Mr. James Andern was ordained pastor Nov. 13, 1845. The sermon on the occasion was by W. H. Shailer, D.D. Mr. Andern remained about a year,, and was succeeded in 1847 by Rev. Edwin Stillman, who stayed until 1851. While he was here there was a revival, and seventeen persons were baptized.

During the ten years that followed Mr. Stillman's departure the church was without a resident pastor, excepting for six months, when Rev. S. A. Thomas preached. They were generally supplied with preach- ing, however, and there were some additions to the church. At that time it was classed as one of the " feeble churches," and received aid from the Taun- ton Baptist Association, to which it belongs. In 1861, Rev. L. Kinney commenced to preach. Mr. Kinney's successors have been Rev. Mr. Latham, Rev. Mr. Horton, Rev. J. C. Boomer, and the present pastor, Rev. A. W. Carr, who has been with the church since 1874. Within a few years a handsome parson- age has been built near the church by the society, and an organ purchased. There are eighty-four members in the church at the present time.

First Methodist Episcopal Church .- Not much is known in regard to the early days of the Meth- odist Church at North Dighton. If records were kept of the proceedings in the church and society at that period, they are not now to be found.

In the year 1814, Israel Anthony moved to North Dighton from Somerset, and through his influence there was occasionally Methodist preaching in that village, by Rev. John Tinkham, from Easton, and by others whose names are unknown. In 1815, or early in 1816, Rev. Orlando Hinds was on the circuit, and a revival commenced, resulting in a large number of

conversions; many were baptized and received on trial. After the revival had subsided a reaction set in, and the record states that the conduct of some of the leading members was such as to greatly militate against the prosperity of the infant society. There is no record of the formation of the church, and probably no one living knows when it was formed. From 1815 to 1823 the following preachers were sta- tioned here : Rev. Orlando Hinds, who died in 1820; Rev. Elisha Streeter, Rev. Isaac Bonney, and Rev. Jason Walker. As there was no meeting-house they preached sometimes in the school-house, sometimes in the Long House on the island, and occasionally in the loft over the store. A Quarterly Meeting was held at the Long House at one time at which so many attended that the house was full to overflowing, and sails had to be procured to make a temporary shelter for the crowd outside. The first authentic record extant is a class paper, dated Wellington, July 31, 1823. Abiathar White, leader; Rev. Hermon Perry and Rev. A. Tummins, circuit preachers ; Rev. J. A. Merril, presiding elder. In 1831, Revs. F. Dane and H. Waldron were stationed at Somerset and North Dighton. One hundred and fifty-seven dollars was raised at the latter place to pay the preachers. In 1832, Rev. W. Emerson and Rev. J. D. Baldwin were stationed on the circuit, and the sum of two hundred and eighty-six dollars was collected from Dighton, Taunton, Rehoboth, and Somerset. In 1833, Rev. F. Dane was stationed at North Dighton. A meeting-house had been commenced in 1830, and was finished in 1831. Rev. L. Bates, of Bristol, preached the dedication sermon. In 1834, Rev. Thomas Gile was stationed there ; the preachers suc- ceeding him up to the time of building the present meeting-house were as follows: in 1835, Rev. Elias Scott; 1836, C. Howard; 1837, John Bailey, B. Oth- man, presiding elder ; 1838, D. Culver; 1839, Ephraim Capen ; 1840-41, Byron Morse; 1842, G. H. Win- chester (fifty members in the church) ; 1843, Charles Carter ; 1844, E. A. Lyon ; 1845, A. Gardner; 1846, Richard Donkersly ; 1847, William Cone, and also in 1848; 1849, Franklin Garett; 1850, W. H. Richards ; 1851, A. N. Bodfish, also in 1852 (this year a reed organ was purchased, taking the place of the bugle, clarionets, and trumpets, which had hitherto furnished the instrumental music in the church) ; 1853, P. Cady ; 1854-55, C. Banning ; 1856, Charles H. Titus (presid- ing elder ; church members, one hundred and five ; on probation, twenty ; five hundred and fifty dollars paid the preacher) ; 1858, H. H. Smith, also in 1859 ; 1860, John N. Coolidge; 1861-62, Lewis B. Bates ; 1863, Erastus B. Benton, also in 1864 ; 1865, Asa Bod- fish (members, one hundred and seventy-four; nine hundred dollars paid for preaching).

In 1865 a new meeting-house was commenced. The trustees engaged in seeing to its building were Allen Talbot, James H. Codding, George F. Gavitt, William L. Hathaway, J. R. Talbot, F. A. Horr, A.

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Chace, Eliakim Briggs, and J. W. Hathaway. A church was formed at South Dighton this year, and fourteen members were transferred to it by letter. In 1866, Rev. A. N. Bodfish preached. The new church was finished this year, the whole cost being about twenty thousand dollars. It was dedicated Oct. 11, 1866, Rev. Mark Trapton, of Providence, preaching the dedication sermon. The centenary collection of the church this year amounted to six thousand five hundred dollars, all, excepting five hundred dollars of the amount, being given by the North Dighton Furnace Company. The whole sum was appropriated towards paying for the new church. Eight thousand four hundred and three dollars was raised in all by the society this year. In 1867, Rev. A. N. Bodfish was continued at North Dighton, at a salary of one thousand dollars ; in 1868, T. S. Thomas (one hundred and seventy-seven members in the church) ; in 1869, W. H. Stetson, also in 1870; 1871, E. T. Jones ; 1872, G. W. Ballou (salary, eleven hun- dred dollars; members, one hundred and eighty-five; probationers, forty-one; Sunday-school membership, three hundred and seventeen) ; in 1874, G. W. Ballon was continued, and also in 1875; 1876, Rev. George H. Bates, also in 1877; in 1879-80, G. W. Wright. The present pastor is George H. Bates.

Second Methodist Episcopal Church .- In March, 1866, an energetic effort was made to establish a Meth- odist Church at Dighton Four Corners. Various local preachers had before this time been preaching, though without much regularity, at the Broad Cove school- house. At the time referred to James A. Dean was engaged to preach, and the building that had been known as the Dighton Academy was purchased by a joint-stock company for a meeting-house. The upper part of this building had formerly been used as a Universalist meeting-house or chapel, as it was called. It had been raised up, and a story built underneath. The first meeting of the Methodists at their new house was held April 8, 1866, with a congregation of about fifty persons. Before the end of May congregations of one hundred and upwards were obtained.

The church was organized on the 13th of May, with a membership of twenty-three. A strawberry festi- val, held in June of that year, netted one hundred and fifty-six dollars, and the proceeds were used to purchase a cabinet organ. In the following Septem- ber a clam-bake, given by the society in Baylies' Grove, added somewhat to the resources of the young society.

In 1867 a revival commenced, lasting about two months, meetings being held almost every evening. About forty converts were made. At the close of the year the church was in a very prosperous condition. In 1868, Mr. Dean, finding that his salary would not meet his expenses, left for the pastorate of a church in Providence. He was succeeded by Rev. H. H. Smith, and he, in 1872, by Rev. A. E. Hall. In 1874, Mr. Hall was appointed to St. Paul's Church in Prov-

idence, and Rev. V. W. Mattoon was appointed in his place. Mr. Mattoon was succeeded by Rev. Dennison L. Brown, and he, in 1877, by Rev. John Lindsey, an Englishman by birth. Mr. Lindsey's successor was Rev. L. P. Causey, who was followed by Rev. S. E. Evans, and he in turn by the present pastor, Rev. F. D. Sargent. The church is now in a prosperous con- dition. Annual clam-bakes and strawberry festivals are an established custom with the society, and are a material aid to its finances, as they are to the sister society at North Dighton, and to the Baptist Society at the Four Corners.

The Universalist Society .- Nearly forty years ago a society of Universalists was formed at South Digh- ton, and a neat chapel, of the Greek temple or Par- thenon style of architecture, albeit the material was wood, was built a short distance cast of the Four Cor- ners, on a pleasant and commanding site. At that time, and for some years before and afterwards, there was a remarkable intellectual activity in New Eng- land. Old creeds and theological dogmas were over- hanled and criticised, without regard to their age or the weight of authority that supported them. It was an epoch when men's minds were uncommonly recep- tive of new ideas. Emerson, Alcott, Thoreau, Mar- garet Fuller, and other gifted and earnest men and women were searching in German philosophy and in the theological literature of India and other Asiatic lands, for answers to questions that constantly recur to thoughtful minds as to the meaning of this visible universe and the destiny of the human race. Nor was this mental activity and questioning confined to what are termed the cultivated classes. The carpenter at his bench, the blacksmith at his forge, the shoemaker over his lapstone, and even the butcher and the tin- peddler from their wagons, were wont, according to their various gifts, to become argumentative, like Milton's angels, "on fate, free-will, foreknowledge absolute," or on subjects quite as abstruse, and, like the angels, "found no end in wandering mazes lost." That was a flourishing period for isms of various sorts, some of them based on error and others founded on truths of the greatest moment to the human race. The Universalist Society in Dighton was the out- growth of this intellectual ferment, although the doc- trines believed in by the sect had long been familiar to many, through the published sermons of John Murray and other able preachers in this denomina- tion. Since the time of Origen and others of the early church Fathers, the doctrine of eternal torment of the wicked after death has been repulsive to many intelligent minds, driving some into deism, and even into atheism, while others have become agnostics, or have taken refuge in Socinianism, Unitarianism, or Universalism.

For several years the society at the Corners was in a flourishing condition, the congregation meeting in the chapel being larger in numbers than the one that listened to Mr. Gushee's sermons in the old meeting-

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DIGHTON.

house. But after some years of prosperity various causes led to the decline of the society, and the meet- ings were no longer kept up. The chapel was sold and was converted into a school-house, called the Dighton Academy.1 The columns in front were taken off, the building was raised up, and a story or base- ment was built underneath. In 1866, after the fail- ure of the academy project, the building was bought by the Methodist Episcopal society for a meeting- house.

The names of the Universalist ministers who preached at the chapel were Hewitt, Hodston, Cham- berlain, and Arnold. Of these, Mr. S. C. Hewitt was probably the most talented preacher, but was appar- ently lacking in the conservative elements of charac- ter that enter into the composition of a well-balanced mind, this deficiency leading him to engage with a zeal untempered with a sufficiency of knowledge or wisdom in a pseudo science like phrenology, and into the wildest vagaries while investigating what are termed the phenomena of spiritualism, a class of phenomena needing for its investigation the most level-headed common sense and a thorough scientific training. When to these qualifications is united a fearless pursuit of truth, we have results such as have been given to the world by the distinguished English scientists, Professor William Crooks and Professor Alfred R. Wallace, and by the equally distinguished German investigator, the late Professor Zöllner.

In those days the odium theologicum was much more bitter than at present, when the advance of liberal ideas gives promise of soon breaking down the walls of sectarian bigotry and prejudice, and no doubt to many of other denominations, Universalism and infidelity were almost synonymous terms. It may have been some narrow-minded member of one of the so-called orthodox societies who raked out of the limbo of things forgotten, a quartrain of old Daniel Defoe's, and inscribed it with a pencil on one of the columns of the chapel, when the society was in its most flourishing condition, or it may have been some out- sider, with a turn for jesting, who had no objection to stirring up the Universalists by a little quotation from an unfamiliar source. Probability, however, favors the latter supposition. The lines were as follows :

" Whenever saints erect a house of prayer, The devil always builds a chapel there ; And 'twill be found, upon examination, The latter has the largest congregation."

1 It has been called an American peculiarity to magnify the actual by frequently using terms of larger meaning than the facts will warrant. But the pretension of terming an ordinary private school, without on- dowment, or library, or apparatus, and without a corps of teachers, an "academy," is not peculiar to this country nor to the nineteenth cen- tury. When some one inquired of Boswell's father, the old Laird of Auchinleck, how James was prospering, the reply, in broad Scotch, was as follows : " There's nae hope for Jamie. Jamie has gaen clean adaft. What do you think, mon? He's done wi' Paoli-he's off wi' the land- louping scoundrel of a Corsican. And whose tail do you think he has pinned himself to now, mon? A dominie, mon-an ould dominie; he keepit a schule, and cau'd it an academy."

Sneh sallies as this were but little regarded by the Universalists,2 who were wont to retaliate by repeat- ing with gusto anecdotes showing up their orthodox friends in ridicule, such as the story of the old dea- con's exhortation at a church meeting : "Brethren, there is, I am sorry to say, a new doctrine going about the world ; we are told that all men are to be saved, but, brethren, let us hope for better things."

The Christian Baptist Societies .- Besides the religious organizations of which sketches have been given there are in Dighton two Christian Baptist Churches, in regard to the founding of which, or the names of the pastors that have been settled over them, I have not been able to obtain any information. The first of these is in the west part of the town, the meet- ing-house being the one in which Elder Goff used to preach and still called by his name, and the second is at North Dighton. The meeting-house owned by the latter society was probably built about the same time as the old Methodist meeting-house.

Besides the religious societies mentioned there are two Christian Baptist societies in this town, of the history of which I have been unable to obtain any definite information. The one at West Dighton is now under the pastoral charge of Rev. Otis H. Bates, and the one at North Dighton is under the charge of Rev. Mr. Bacheler.

Manufactures .- There are many people now liv- ing who can remember the days when the spinning- wheel, the hand-loom, and the dye-tub were to be found in use in almost every farmer's family, and when homespun cloth of wool and of flax was used almost exclusively for the dress of men and women, as well as for bed and table coverings. How the women of that time managed to do all the spinning, weaving, and dyeing needful to be done in their house- holds, and bring up their large families besides, is a mystery to their novel-reading granddaughters of to- day, who "toil not, neither do they spin," -- at least, nothing more substantial than the yarns of gossip.

There was, no doubt, as much done in this town in early times in the way of such domestic manufac- tures as have been mentioned as in other country towns of its size. In one industry, however, Dighton probably forestalled all the other towns in the State. This was the business of raising silk-worms and the reeling and manufacture of silk from the cocoons, which was introduced into this town by Mrs. Sarah Hart more than half a century ago. Mrs. Hart not only raised and manufactured the silk, but she taught the mysteries of the business to others, so that at one

2 Among the prominent members of the society were Anthony Reed, Joseph Pitts, Capt. William Cobb, and his two brothers, Capts. George and Benjamin, Maj. Charles Whitmarsh and W. B. Whitmarsh, and Bradford Pratt. Mr. Reed was a lumber-dealer, trader, and master-car- penter; Mr. Pitts was a shoemaker by trade, was justice of the peace, and represented 'the town in the Legislature in 1842-44; Maj. Whit- marsh was a trader and ship-builder; Capt. W. B. Whitmarsh was post- master for many years ; Bradford Pratt was a surveyor, school-teacher, [ and justice of the peace ; he was a member of the Legislature in 1848-49.

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HISTORY OF BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

time there was quite a number of people interested in the occupation in a small way. That was about the time of the Morus multicaulis mania, which was started by Prince, the Flushing, L. I., nurseryman, who had these, as he described them, wonderful mul- berry-trees for sale, quite a number of which were set out in this town, and some of them have grown into large trees. Further mention of the silk-culture and manufacture in Dighton will be found in the ap- pendix. Now that the manufacture of silk goods has attained to such dimensions in the United States, there being in 1880 three hundred and eighty-three factories, producing silk goods valued at over thirty- four million dollars,1 it is interesting to know that this town was the pioneer in the business in this State, and that here were grown the first specimens of the larvæ of the Bombyx mori (or silk-worm moth) ever seen in Massachusetts.

The manufacture of textile fabrics by machinery was commenced in this town in the year 1809, when a small cotton-factory was built on the Three-Mile River at North Dighton .? This was called Wheeler's factory, from the agent, Nathaniel Wheeler. This old building, which had been leased by various parties, was burned in February, 1881, at the time of the paper-mill fire.

In 1810 another and larger cotton-mill was built on the Three-Mile River, about a fourth of a mile above Wheeler's mill. The new factory was for some years known as the Bristol mill, some of the owners living in that town. It is now known as the Mount Hope mill. The building was raised on the Fourth of July, a large crowd being collected at the raising, and a barrel of rum being required to moisten the throats of those who worked, and of those who assisted, in the French sense of the term, by looking on. Thomas S. Baylies, who was one of the owners, sold the com- pany the land for the mill-site, and also the water- power privilege, being an inheritance from his father, Nicholas Baylies. The property has had a number of owners and lessees, among the latter being Theophi- lus, Azariah, and Jervis Shove, deceased, who carried on the manufacture of cotton goods for some years. The original building has been enlarged by ad- ditions.

The present proprietors of the Mount Hope mill are Stafford & Company, John W. Chadwick being

the superintendent. Six thousand four hundred spin- dles are run. About a hundred hands are employed, turning out fifty-four thousand pounds of hosiery yarn per month.

The other principal manufacturing establishment at North Dighton is the paper-mill of L. Lincoln & Co., which employs some twenty-five hands, and turns out daily about six thousand pounds of manilla and and other paper. The junior members of the firm are Edward and James M. Lincoln. The mill was established in 1850 by Caleb M. and Lorenzo Lincoln. On the death of the first-named, a few years after- wards, the firm-name was changed to that of L. Lin- coln & Co. The firm has been burnt out twice, the last time in 1881. The new building is a substantial brick structure, and the mill is probably one of the best appointed in the State. The property is owned by the Dighton Manufacturing Company, a firm that was incorporated in 1822 for the manufacture of cot- ton goods, in what was called Wheeler's factory. At that time the company consisted of Israel Brayton, Oliver Chace, Eliab B. Dean, Elisha Lincoln, Nahum Mitchell, James Maxwell, Clark Shove, Nicholas Stevens, Nathaniel Wheeler, and Nathan Williams. The company is not now engaged in manufacturing, but leases all its property. It owns real estate on the Taunton side of the river, as well as in Dighton, in- cluding the " pipe-shop" on the east side. This build- ing was formerly occupied by George F. Gavitt, in company with others, for the manufacture of gas- pipes. It has lately been converted into a wool- washing establishment, under the firm-name of Scott & Talbot. The water-power privilege is owned by the Dighton Manufacturing Company. This com- pany formerly had a small cupola furnace on the "island," where castings of various kinds were made. Nearly two centuries ago there was an iron-furnace on the island, owned by members of the Walker family, of Taunton, who also owned several hundred aeres of land in the vicinity. The Walkers manufac- tured iron from bog-ore dug on their own land. Further reference to this iron-works will be found in the appendix, in the genealogical history of the Walkers, and also a brief mention of Nicholas Ste- vens' saw- and grist-mill that stood near the iron- works.

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History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 59

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