USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Brockton > History of Brockton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, 1656-1894 > Part 2
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
BIOGRAPHICAL 1-105
1 INDEX 107
INDEX OF BIOGRAPHIES 120
INDEX OF PORTRAITS 121
HISTORY
OF
BROCKTON, MASS.
CHAPTER I.
Situation and Extent - Latitude and Longitude - Distances - Electric Railroad - Steam Railroad - Brockton - Campello - Montello - Salisbury Square - Salisbury Heights - Brockton Heights - Clifton Heights - Leyden Park - Winchester Park - Bellevue Park - Menlo Park - Marshall's Corner -Sylvester's Corner - Shaw's Corner -Bumpas Corner - Hills - Natural History - Fruit - Rivers and Brooks -- Ponds - Geology - Soil.
B ROCKTON, the only city in Plymouth county, is one of the most thrifty and rapidly growing cities in New England. It is sit- uated in the northwestern section of the county of Plymouth, bordering on what has long been known as the OLD COLONY LINE. The towns on the north boundary are Stoughton, Avon, and Holbrook; on the east are Abington, Whitman, and East Bridgewater ; on the south is West Bridgewater ; on the west is the town of Easton. It is situated between 40° 3' and 42° 8' north latitude, and between 70° 57' and 71º 4' west longitude ; it is bounded on the north by Norfolk county, east and south by Plymouth county, and west by Bristol county. It is twenty-four miles northwest from Plymouth, the shire town of the county ; sixteen miles southeast from Dedham, the shire town of Nor- folk county ; and fifteen miles northeast from Taunton, the half shire town of Bristol county ; and thirty-five miles north of New Bedford ;
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18
HISTORY OF BROCKTON.
thirty and one quarter miles northeast from Fall River, forty-nine and one quarter miles northeast from Newport, R. I. It is one hundred miles by rail to Provincetown on the end of Cape Cod, and two hun- dred and ten miles from New York by rail and steamer, and twenty miles from Boston. The city is five and one-half miles from east to west, and five miles from north to south, and contains about thirteen thousand acres, or four and a half miles square, and has about one hun- dred miles of public roads and streets, to which constant additions are being made.
The city is well laid out with avenues that traverse the entire length of the city from north to south, and are well ornamented by trees. The principal avenue or street is the main street from Stoughton line to West Bridgewater, upon a large portion of which is a growth of beauti- ful elms, rendering the same pleasing to the eye, as well as adding beauty to the landscape. Within a short time the travel and wear upon Main street was such that it was deemed advisable to place something more durable on the streets than the ordinary road contained, and it has now a permanent surface in the paving, known as "Trap Rock," nearly the entire distance. It is within a very short period that large barges, omnibuses, or other conveyance was had between this city and all the surrounding towns, as a means of bringing to the city workmen engaged in the many large shoe factories. But the increasing number of persons soon demanded better facilities in getting to and from their homes, and a street horse railway was built, a corporation having been formed in January, 1881, and the cars began running on the 6th day of July of the same year from Clifton avenue, in the south part of Cam- pello, to near the estate of Enos H. Reynolds at the north part of the city. This was with a single track; to-day one finds a long beautiful avenue the entire length of the city, having a double line of rail, upon which cars of the latest pattern, having modern improvements as good if not better than those in many of our larger municipalities, electricity being the motive power.
In addition to the excellent accommodations given to the public, as above, there are diverging lines to the west, on Pleasant street leading to Brockton Heights and Stoughton, and another on Belmont street lead- ing to the Agricultural Grounds and Easton. On the east is another
Bery' Kingman.
19
RAILROADS.
line, formerly known as the " East Side Railway " leading through Centre street to the Central Railroad station, Shaw's Corner, and so on to the town of Whitman, and returning via Crescent street. A new line of cars has lately begun to run to Holbrook on the north of the city, by which means it is expected the line will be extended, at no far distant day, so that the citizens of Brockton will be united with the capital of Massachusetts by another band of iron, and her people can thus enjoy the pleasure of open cars, and a pleasant journey to and from the Hub in the pleasant seasons of the year. And it is now current in the air, by the way, and everywhere, that in the near future Brockton will be the great center of lines of electric cars to distances far away, but just where the enterprise of her citizens will come to a halt time will only determine.
We have given the accommodations furnished by the street cars, we now mention those furnished by the steam railroad which passes through the entire city north and south, with only a slight variation from a par- allel to the main street.
The project to build a steam railroad was started in the latter part of 1844, and the Legislature of Massachusetts in the years 1844 and '45 was asked for a charter, which was granted March 25, 1845, to Messrs. Artemas Hale, Nahum Stetson, Aaron Hobart, Solomon Ager, Benja- min B. Howard, Dwelly Fobes, Edward Southworth, Benjamin King- man, Henry Blanchard, Ebenezer Alden, Royal Turner, and David Blanchard, and their associates and successors to build a railroad from the Old Colony Railroad at South Braintree, running through Ran- dolph, Stoughton, and North Bridgewater, now Brockton, to Bridgewater, to connect with the Middleboro' and Bridgewater Railroad, under the name of the " Randolph and Bridgewater Railroad Corporation." The road was finished, and commenced running cars to North Bridgewater, now Brockton, in 1846. Previous to this, the " Fall River Branch Rail- road " had been in existence for some time, from Myrick's Station on the " Taunton Branch Railroad" to Fall River. Another short road was chartered, to run from Bridgewater to Myrick's Station, to connect with the " Fall River Branch Railroad," thus making a continuous route from the Old Colony Road at South Braintree to Fall River, and three different corporations. These were united in one, under the name of
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HISTORY OF BROCKTON.
the " Fall River Railroad Corporation," by which it was known until, by an act of the Legislature March 25, 1854, the " Old Colony Railroad Company " and the " Fall River Railroad Company " were made into one corporation, under the name of the " Old Colony and Fall River Railroad Corporation." The road afterward changed its name, upon the completion of the road to Newport, to the " Old Colony and New- port Railway Company." The town has now direct communication with Boston, Fall River, Newport, Middleboro', and towns on Cape Cod, and also to Fairhaven. Mr. Joseph O. Bennett was the first station agent at the center village, succeeded by George W. Bryant, Calvin Keith, Horatio E. Paine, J. Hermon French, who was afterwards the faithful su- perintendent of the central division of the railroad for many years, and now superintendent of the Cape Cod Division, located at Hyannis ; John Lowell French, H. B. Cleverly, N. F. Hopkins, C. P. Haskins, and James E. Bliss, the present incumbent. This road has had many changes and additions within a few years past. The Old Colony Railroad succeeded in name the " Old Colony and Newport Railway," and recently the en- tire road has passed into the hands of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Corporation, and the old road, known as the "Old Colony Railroad," is to be known as the " Old Colony System."
When the railroad was first constructed, a small station was erected at what was then known as " Plain Village," alias "Salisbury Plain," now Campello, and Veranes Wales was the first agent of the same, and he was succeeded by Isaac T. Packard, Nelson J. Foss, Joseph M. Hyde, D. F. Snow, and Ira Bosworth, the present incumbent. This station is now the terminus for several special trains, and the business done here has grown to a large amount. It is expected that great improvements will shortly be made, and a larger station erected to accommodate the increasing business of that growing locality.
BROCKTON .- The stranger who visits Brockton for the first time is at once struck with the feeling that it is one of the most wide-awake and bustling cities in the country. As he enters the principal street, he is impressed with the magnitude of the business conducted there. On either side one sees large brick blocks of stores and offices, and taking a glance in different directions, he notices the upward pointed spires of several churches, where people of all shades of religious belief may
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CHARACTERISTICS OF BROCKTON.
meet for worship; again he beholds large and convenient school- houses. Following the main street throughout its length, he sees large and elegant stores, which would do credit to cities of an older growth, elegant blocks containing two national banks, one savings bank, with one or more trust companies, and private banking houses, two wide-awake newspapers bearing in their titles the spirit of the thrifty locality where they are situated, viz .: the Enterprise and Despatch, both of which have catered to the wants of the citizens of the city for a long time. These are the only daily papers published in Plymouth county which have be- come a success. Again, those who desire will find several prominent hotels and others of lesser importance, a fine court-house on Belmont street, a new police station with modern improvements and an efficient police department, a fire department such as few cities of this size can claim, and in which her citizens have always taken great pride, with water-works to aid in quenching the fiery elements. The city govern- ment is located in the Theatre building during the progress of building their new city hall. This structure will be one of the finest, if not the best in the county, and is intended to be used by the various depart- ments of the city government, as well as for the excellent public library, and also as a " Memorial Hall" in honor of those who did valiant serv- ice for their country in the late Rebellion and lost their lives. Many years since the tastes of those who attend theatrical performances were gratified by the erection of a fine building for that purpose nearly op- posite the site of the original First Congregational Church and the resi- dence of the late Colonel Edward Southworth (the first town clerk of the old town of North Bridgewater in 1821).
In addition to the foregoing there are many religious, charitable, temperance, philanthropic, and social organizations and societies, with an endless number of stores of various kinds, such as is found in all large and thrifty cities. Indeed, it would be useless to attempt to describe the different kinds of business done in the city, for it has become the emporium of trade for many miles around, in the suburban villages and towns. The postal facilities are of the best, and the post-office depart- ment, under the direction of Joseph M. Hollywood, esq., the present postmaster, is well managed, and has a systematic delivery department by carriers throughout the city. We should not do our duty as historian,
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HISTORY OF BROCKTON.
did we fail to mention the existence of the " Brockton Agricultural So- ciety," one of the best and most successful, as well as enterprising of any in the Commonwealth. It is extensively patronized by persons who are interested in everything pertaining to farming, stock raising, horse racing, and kindred sports, and although it has a local name, the exhibitions are visited by persons from every part of Southeastern Mas- sachusetts and other places, and from the first has been a great suc- cess. The grounds are situated on Belmont street about half way to Easton.
The facilities of communication with the cities of Boston and New York and other places are of the best, being on the direct route of the " Fall River Steamboat Company " line to New York and Boston, and with- in a half hour of the latter city, with frequent trains to and from the Hub The public have also excellent facilities for communication with the outer world, both by telegraph and telephone, and the streets are well lighted by electricity, of which there are two electric companies in the city.
CAMPELLO .- About one and a half miles south of the center of Brockton is a thriving and industrious section of the city, formerly known as "Plain Village," alias " Salisbury Plain," but now under the name indicated by the above title. The name, signifying a small plain, was first suggested by Rev. Daniel Huntington, the pastor of the South Congregational Church in that village in 1850. There are several churches in this place and good schools, and it has excellent facilities of travel by steam railroad, and by the electric street cars running through the entire length of Main street. It has been noted for its extensive manufacturing establishments of boots, shoes, cabinet furniture, and musical instruments ; and the thrift and industry of her citizens may be clearly seen in the neat and tidy appearance of the small cottages scat- tered throughout the limits of the same. The growth of this place was materially checked May 24, 1853, by one of the most destructive fires that ever occurred in the town, if not in the county (a full account of which appears in another part of this work), and from the effects of which it has nearly recovered. There is a large amount of business done in the shoe trade ; several large establishments being engaged in manufacturing goods for foreign markets, the owners or proprietors of
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SUBURBS, PARKS, ETC.
which have stores for the sale of their goods in Boston. There is a large number of variety and grocery stores, with a post-office and rail- road station quite near to Main street, rendering it a desirable place for business purposes or for a private residence. The main street runs the entire length of the village, north and south, with graceful elms on either side.
MONTELLO .- For several years past there has been a station or stop- ping place for some trains at what was well known as "Howard's Crossing," near the public road leading to Holbrook, in the northerly portion of the city. Within a short time, the railroad company, seeing that this section was to play an important part in the business interest of the place, erected a large brick building for a station, which has elegant surroundings, and it is now used by several of the large shoe manufacturers, and has proved that the hopes of the officials and the public have been fully realized. This station, like the one in Campello at the other end of the city, has also become the terminus for many trains which run on what has been termed the " Shovel Handle " Rail- road, trains running through Campello, West Bridgewater village, Eas- ton, North Easton, and Stoughton, and another line termed the " Pan Handle," trains running through Campello, East Bridgewater, to Whit- man, both of which form circuit lines. This section is growing rapidly by the erection of fine dwellings with nice lawns, and large shoe manu- factories. The first and prominent object that attracts the attention of the passer by is the large manufactory of Hon. William L. Douglas, the well- known three dollar shoe manufacturer, with whom the public has been so long familiar. Another thing particularly noticeable is the neat- ness of everything around the station, with the substantial improve- ments in the highways near by. Richard Francis Johnson is the sta- tion agent at this place, and A. E. Slade ticket agent.
Besides the two thrifty and important sections of the city already mentioned, there are others well worthy the attention of the reader, prominent among which are the following :
SALISBURY SQUARE, or Sprague's Factory Village, is a small and beautifully located cluster of houses and manufacturing establishments, about three-fourths of a mile east of the main street of the city, on the
21
HISTORY OF BROCKTON.
road leading to Abington. There was a large manufactory of last and boot-trees in this place, with water and steam power, formerly owned and conducted by the late Chandler Sprague, esq , to whom the citizens of that portion of the city owe their success for the enterprising manner in which he rendered the place attractive. Several years since he erected a large and convenient building for his use, in which were con- ducted several branches of manufacturing ; also the beautiful residence now owned by Dr. S. J. Gruver, situated but a short distance from the factory ; also a store. In this vicinity is a fine school-house, a saw- mill, and several shoe manufactories, besides establishments for the man- ufacture of shoe tools, and a manufactory of tacks.
SALISBURY HEIGHTS is situated a short distance east of Salisbury Square, and is well laid out with streets, is high land, and very desira- ble for residences. It lies between Centre street on the north, with Thacher street for its southern boundary.
BROCKTON HEIGHTS .- The next is the " West Shares," or " North- west Bridgewater " (now known as " Brockton Heights"), a prominent elevation of land on the road leading from Brockton to Stoughton, about equal distance from either place, from which magnificent views may be had. It is the highest portion of land to be found in all the four Bridgewaters. On the north we have a view of the Blue Hills of Mil- ton, and on the west we have a picsuresque view of the Western Hills ; and no place can excel it for its lovely scenery and its healthful locality. The land is of a good quality, and the people in this portion are mostly farmers. In immediate proximity to this place is a Methodist church, school, post office, and store. It is also the home of Hon. Albert R. Wade, one of Brockton's former mayors.
CLIFTON HEIGHTS is in that portion of Campello intersected by Clif- ton avenue and Copeland street, and west of Leyden Park, and near the northerly line of West Bridgewater, as at present bounded.
LEYDEN PARK is a new and desirable section situated east of the railroad in the south part of Campello on the road leading to East Bridgewater, and in the vicinity of the residence of Robert H. Packard.
WINCHESTER PARK situated on either side of Belmont street, three- fourths of a mile west of Main street, and quite near the grounds of the "Brockton Agricultural Society."
25
PARKS, HILLS, ETC.
BELLEVUE PARK is east of Montello and between Cary Hill and the railroad station, a sightly and delightful spot for dwellings or for manu- facturing purposes.
MENLO PARK is a short distance north of the center of Campello, near Grove street, centrally situated between the city and Campello. Land level and desirable.
MARSHALL'S CORNER is a well known locality at the junction of Pearl and Belmont streets, in the southwest portion of the city, and has for a long time been a manufacturing district, and is but a short distance from the Indian cave at " Stone House Hill."
SYLVESTER'S CORNER is the junction of Cary and Centre streets, three fourths of a mile from the railroad station at Brockton.
SHAW'S CORNER is about one and three-fourths miles from Brockton Station, and at the junction of Centre and Quincy streets.
BUMPAS CORNER is situated at the junction of Crescent and Quincy streets, and like Shaw's Corner, is on the direct line of electric street railway cars leading to Whitman.
HILLS .- Of the city of Brockton we may say that its surface is com- paratively level, with but few hills, prominent among which is
Cary Hill, situated in the northeast part of the town, overlooking the village on the south, gently sloping in either direction, from the top of which we may get pure air and fine views in an autumn day. When the leaves are turned into rich drapery, it is worth while to ride to this place for the prospect that may be had. It is of very easy access by good roads, and the wonder is that it is not more generally selected as a place of residence by those wishing a healthy and retired locality. The land in the immediate vicinity is good, well adapted to tillage, pro- dures fine crops with little labor.
Prospect Hill is another high and pleasant spot of land, very desira- ble for building purposes, and but a short distance from the village in a northwest direction, west of the late Capt. Asa Jones's residence. On this height are many fine residences.
Ridge Hill is a rough and rocky pasture, running from near the resi- dence of Samuel French and Freeman Holmes, in the south part of the
4
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HISTORY OF BROCKTON.
town, northerly for about one mile, and has been much celebrated for its plentiful crops of huckleberries and blackberries.
Stone- House Hill is situated on the boundary line between Brockton and Easton, a short distance west of the shoe manufactory of Jonas Reynolds at Marshall's Corner. At this place is an old Indian cave, in the solid stone ledge, said to have been used by the Indians as a dwel- ling. The cave may now be seen as formerly used. It is situated on the old road leading from Brockton to Easton. A pastoral poem was written not long since by George H. Fullerton, esq., the late postmaster of Brockton, and is well worthy of a perusal.
NATURAL HISTORY .- To the true votary of science everything in nature presents a lovely aspect. "To him there are books in the run- ning streams, sermons in stones, good in everything."
There's a pleasure in the pathless woods ; There is society where none intrudes.
Every city and town has its natural history, and every mile of its surface, with its hills and plains, its rivers, ponds, rocks, and trees,-all have a charm that clusters around the home of childhood. The forests of Brockton consist of red, white, and sugar-maple (although the latter is scarce, it is occasionally found), white, red, and black-ash, the trem- ulous poplar and verdant hemlock, the tall spruce, much used in build- ing, white-ash, used for carriage-work, scythes, and rake-handles, for hoops, sieve-rims, and boxes, and a superior wood for oars. Sassafras was in early times quite plenty, valuable only for medicinal purposes. Chestnut is not abundant. White-oak is used for carriages, red oak for casks, the bark of which is used for tanning; hickory affording plenty of good shell-barks ; butternut is not common -- here and there a tree ; white-pine is tolerably plenty, although it has been of late much cut for fuel and building purposes ; pitch-pine is quite plenty-good only for fuel, being knotty and pitchy ; red cedar, used for rail- fences and pen- cil-woods, also very useful for linings to chests, as a protection from moths ; red-beech, used for plane-woods, last, and boot-tree forms. Tall and graceful elms rejoice the eye in every direction. In the early settlement of the town large quantities of ship-timber of oak and chest- nut were carried from the town to the sea-shore towns of Weymouth, Scituate, and Duxbury. Among those who did a large trade in that
27
TREES, BROOKS, ETC.
line were Messrs. Abel and Eliphalet Kingman, and, later, Edwin H. Kingman. Of late years a ready market is found at home for all the wood cut, where formerly large lots were either carried to Boston and the seaport towns, or made into charcoal, and then sent to Boston. Since the railroads have been built wood has been much used on the locomotives, and has made it scarce at times.
FRUIT TREES .- Of this kind of tree not so great a variety is found as in many places, although the writer is happy in believing that there is an increasing interest being felt in this most important of agricultural pursuits-that of raising fruit. The most common fruit is the apple, of which there is a good assortment, and the new orchards contain choice varieties, while the old and wild orchards have given way to the wood- man's axe. Now the apple is a staple article of consumption, the con- sumers being more numerous than the producers ; the people are look- ing more to the cultivation of the best varieties than ever before.
Next to the apple comes the pear tree, which does not appear to thrive as well in this city as in many others, the land not being well adapted for this kind of fruit, though of late many have been successful, and some raised choice kinds.
Peaches are raised to a very limited extent, the climate not being adapted for the successful cultivation of this variety. The trees are said to be short-lived, and do not flourish.
RIVERS AND BROOKS .- This city is well watered by brooks and streams, only one large enough to be called a river, and that of small size. Most of these have had mills erected upon them. The most prominent of these is the Salisbury River, which rises in the town of Stoughton, running southerly one-half mile west of the Centre Village, till it crosses Belmont street, a short distance below the mill known as the Caleb Howard Mill, when it turns and runs east till it meets Trout Brook.
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