USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Brockton > History of Brockton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, 1656-1894 > Part 75
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89
ROG' CLAPP, & a seale. ELEA: LUSHER, & a seale.
This was read in full Court, May 29, 1664, as attests.
EDWARD RAWSON, Secret.
This is recorded, word for word agreeing wth the originall, in the records of ye Court. Attests
EDWARD RAWSON, Secret.
In 1665 Plymouth Colony granted Peregrine White 200 acres of land " at the Path that goes from Bridgewater to the Bay, adjoining the Bay line."
White sold his grant, describing it as containing four hundred acres, to one Colonel Searle, of Dunstable, from whom, in 1703, it came into the hands of Thomas Snell, senior, John and Ephraim Howard. About this time grants had been made on the Massachusetts side of the line to the towns of Boston and Dorchester. This led to controversy and suits in law, and before the Legislature, from 1709 to 1787, which would fill volumes, one of the closest and strongly contested cases being between 1747 to 1754, which was by Robert and Daniel Howard, of Bridgewater, and John Wendall, of Boston.
Snell and Howards brought suits in Plymouth Court against Daniel Waldo in 1709, to recover 200 acres of land, bounded westerly on the Braintree and Bridgewater road, southerly on the line of 1664, easterly on Trout Brook, and northerly on Half Way Brook. This suit was pending till 1713. In the mean time the parties had a hearing before the whole court, which resulted in the appointment of Col. Samuel Thaxter, of Hingham, Jacob Thompson, of Middleborough, to run out and mark the whole line from "Accord Pond to Angle Tree." This service they performed in May, 1713, and the line called the " New Colony Line," in contradistinction from that run in 1664, called the " Old Colony Line," was ratified and established by the court. Among the bound marks set up by the committee was a stake and heap of
809
THE OLD COLONY LINE.
stones near a beech tree in the line between Dorchester (afterward Stoughton and now Avon) and Braintree (now Randolph and Holbrook). From the pond westerly, this line run northerly of the old line, and at the Bridgewater and Braintree road was over half a mile distant from it, so that there was between the two lines a large gore of land extend- ing easterly to " Accord Pond."
This gore, by a resolve of the Legislature, passed 1720, on the peti- tion of the representatives of Hingham, Weymouth, Braintree, and Dorchester, was ordered to be continued in the county of Suffolk, "provided, however, that no man's right of property in the lands adjacent should be thereby infringed "
About the same tinie another resolve passed, " that the Old Colony Line [the line of 1664] be and is hereby declared to be the southerly bounds of the town of Dorchester and of the grant made to the town of Boston, and that the lands lying between the Old Colony Line southerly and the New Colony Line northerly from the dividing line between the Boston Grant and Weymouth easterly, and the stake and heap of stones westerly, be and hereby is confirmed to the town of Dorchester and the assigns of the town of Boston respectively-provided it interfere not with any former grant, and that the remainder of the said lands to the westward of said stake and heap of stones be to the use of the Province."
This line was the subject of much litigation until 1772, when there was some abatement of the controversy, and during that year the court appointed Artemas Ward, Esq., Col. Whitcomb and Major Fuller a committee, to be assisted by John Child, jr., as surveyor, to run the line from " Accord Pond to Angle Tree." In the committee's report they say : "Your committee find, to run from the monument aforesaid at Accord Pond west 2012 degrees south, will lead on to many of the bounds said to be made by Col. Thaxter and Capt. Thompson, in the line run in 1713, and strike the tree aforesaid And your committee are of opinion, that the return of the doings of the committee in the year 1664 is vague and uncertain, and that the line run in 1713 is the only line that has been properly run out and marked." After a full hearing of all parties concerned before the whole court, an act was passed March 6, 1773, " for establishing a line of jurisdiction between the county of Suffolk, and the counties of Plymouth and Bristol, so far
102
810
HISTORY OF BROCKTON.
as the line heretofore described shall extend." The act provided " that for the future, a line beginning at a certain heap of stones on the west side of, and within five or six feet or thereabouts of a pond called Accord Pond, being a known and anciently reputed bound between the town of Hingham and the town of Abington, and running from said monument west 2012 degrees south, leaving the towns of Weymouth, Braintree, Stoughton and Wrentham adjoining on the north, and Abington, Bridgewater, Mansfield and Attleborough on the south, to a certain old white oak tree anciently marked, now standing and being a boundary between the towns of Wrentham and Attleborough, by some called Station Tree, and by others Angle Tree, shall forever hereafter be the bounds between the county of Suffolk and the counties of Plymouth and Bristol, so far as said line extends, any law, usage or custom to the contrary notwithstanding," "provided that nothing therein should have any effect in determining the right of property in the lands bounded on the line of 1664."
SURVEY OF THE LINE.
The writer, feeling an interest in old Indian Trails, Roads, Turn- pikes, Boundary Lines, etc., among other investigations took the trouble to follow the various changes in old colonial boundaries, and for that purpose, on Tuesday, March 14, 1893, followed out the line between Massachusetts and Plymouth colonies. Beginning at the sea, on the east, and following up Bound Brook to Accord Pond in Hingham, thence through and between the towns of Weymouth, Braintree, Abington, Randolph, Stoughton, Sharon, Avon, North Bridgewater, now Brock- ton, Wrentham and Foxboro.
In the course of investigations on the above named subjects, he was desirous to visit especially the boundary monument so often mentioned above, and known as the " Angle Tree Monument." This famous stone stands on the line between Attleborough and Wrentham, on a level tract of land covered by woods, and known as the " Fales Farm," and Ellis's Woods; about two miles west of North Attleboro, and about one-quarter of a mile north of the old Cumberland road. It is made of stone, of a slatish formation, flat, about two feet wide and fourteen feet high, at the top of which is an oval shape. Heading on north side of which is inscribed " Massachusetts Colony ;" on the south side is
.
811
THE OLD COLONY LINE.
" Plymouth Colony." The circular portion of the top was painted red. The shaft is supported at the base by a heap of encircling stones, and is perfect with the exception of a few small pieces having been broken from the lower corner on one side, Each surface of the stone is covered with an inscription. That on the north or Wrentham side reads as follows :
This monument was erected by order of Government to perpetuate the place on which the late station, or angle tree formerly stood. The commissioners appointed by the old colonies of Plymouth and Massachusetts to run and establish this line in 1664, were Robert Studson, Constant Southworth, Jos. Winslow, Jos. Fisher, Roger Clapp, and Eleazer Lusher. They began their work on the 10th of May, the same year, and marked a tree then standing on this spot, being three miles south of the southernmost part of Charles River. Lemuel Kallock, Esqr., was appointed agent to cause this monement to be erected.
By an order of the General Court, the selectmen of the towns of Wrentham and Attleborough were present, viz .: Elisha May, Ebenezer Tyler, and Caleb Richardson, Esquires, of Attleborough.
From this stone the line runs east 20° and half north to "Accord " pond.
The inscription on the south, or Attleborough, side of the stone is as follows :
This monument was erected by order of Government, to perpetuate the place on which the late station, or Angle Tree, formerly stood. The commissioners appointed by the old Colonies of Plymouth and Massachusetts to run and establish this line in 1664 were Robert Studson, Constant Southworth, Jos. Winslow, Jos. Fisher, Roger Clapp, and Eleazer Lusher. They began their work on the 10th of May, the same year, and marked a Tree then standing on this spot, being three miles south of the southermost part of Charles River. Lemuel Kallock Esq. " was appointed agent to cause this monument to be erected.
By an order of the general Court the selectmen of the towns of Wrentham and Attleborough were present viz. Samuel Fisher, John Whiting, Nathan Hawes, Nathan Comstock and Nathaniel Ware, Esquires. From this stone the line runs due west the extent of the Commonwealth.
Done at Wrentham the 20th of November, 1779, by Samuel Fisher and Son.
812
HISTORY OF BROCKTON.
The above monument was erected by order of the Commonwealth, of which the following is a true copy of the order for the same by the General Court :
Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
In the House of Representatives, June 2, 1790.
Resolved, That a Stone Monument be Erected on the Southerly Line of the Old Colony of Massachusetts in the Place where the Late Station or Angel tree formerly stood, said Monument to Consist of one Stone of Sufficient Length above Ground, to have ingraven on each side, the several letters set on said tree by the Commissioners appointed by the old Colony of Plymouth, and the Massachusetts, And the Date when said Bound was first made, also this Inscription, viz. This Monument is erected by order of Government to Perpetuate the Place where the Late station or angle tree formerly stood And be it further Resolved that Lemuel Kallock Esqr. be a commit- tee to cause the said Monument to be erected, ingraven,. as above directed, and that he make a Return of his Doings into the Secretary's office With a Certificate from under the Hands of the Selectmen of the Towns of Wrentham & Attleborough, or the Major Part of them.
Sworn to before some Justice of the Peace certifying that said stone is erected in the same spot where the said station or angle tree formerly stood & is one of the Bounds between said Towns & lay his account before this Court for allowance and payment.
These Certify that we, the subscribers, selectmen of the Towns of Wrentham and Attleboro, met ont the Twenty ninth Day of Novr, 1790, at the request of Lemuel Kallock Esqr. at the place between Wrentham and Attleboro, where the station or angle tree formerly stood, and there with a Number of Gent" Assein'oled on the Octa- tion Erected a stone monument on the spot where formerly the station or angle tree stood with the Several ingraving, agreeable to the order of the General Court of June 2,1790.
In Testimony whereof we have hereunto Set our hands and Subscribed our Namnes the Day and year abovesaid.
SAML FISHER, JOHN WHITING, NATHAN HAWES, NATHAN COMSTOCK, NATHANIEL WARE, Selectmen of Wrentham. ELISHA MAY, EBEN TYLER, CALEB RICHARDSON, Selectmen of Attleborough.
Suffolk ss. November 29, 1790.
Then the above Named, Samuel Fisher, John Whiting, Nathan Hawes, Nathan Comstock, Nathaniel Ware, Elisha May, Ebenezer Tyler, and Caleb Richardson Per- sonally appeared and Made Solemn oath to the Truth of above Written Instrument by them subscribed according to the best of their Knowledge, before me,
BENJAMIN GUILD, Justice of the Peace.
813
BANKS AND BANKING.
BANKS AND BANKING.
The city of Brockton has excellent banking accommodations. Pre- vious to 1854 there had been no necessity for banking facilities, the town of Randolph furnishing the limited accommodations. During that year a new bank was organized under the Massachusetts Laws, known by the name of " North Bridgewater Bank."
The business of the town of North Bridgewarer had increased to such an extent, and the wants of the people were such, as to induce a few public-spirited individuals to petition the Legislature for a charter to do banking business, which was granted to Messrs. Bela Keith, Benja- min Kingman, and Jesse Perkins, March 28, 1854, with a capital of $100,000, divided into shares of $100 each. The bank was organized with the following officers: namely, Martin Wales, of Stoughton, presi- dent; Rufus P. Kingman, cashier; Benjamin Kingman, Frederick Howard, Chandler Sprague, William F. Brett, Ebenezer Tucker, and Pardon Copeland, directors In 1857 Mr. Brett resigned his office, and in 1860 Elijah Howard, of Easton, was elected to fill the vacancy.
The first bills issued from this institution was September 4, 1854. It proved a valuable addition to the business of the town, and a mark of the enterprise of her citizens. Previous to the establishment of this bank, the business people, wishing banking accommodations, were obliged to go out of town for the same.
This bank closed its affairs in 1866, as a new National Banking Law had taken the place of State banks, thus between 1866 and 1874 the town was without banking facilities. During the latter year a new bank was authorized with a capital of $200,000, by the name of " Home National Bank," June 8 Rufus P. Kingman, Esq., was the president, and C. D. Fullerton, cashier. Its location is at the corner of Main and Church streets, in a brick block which the bank' built for that special purpose. Mr. Kingman held the office of president up to the time of his decease in 1894. Since that time Preston B. Keith, Esq., has been the president. Fred B. Howard, Esq., has been the faithful cashier of this institution for a long time, and is now the vice-president. Probably there has been no person in the town and city who had done more for the interest of Brockton than the late president of this bank.
In 1881 the demands of business seemed to call for more banks and
103
814
HISTORY OF BROCKTON.
a new one was incorporated with a capital of $100,000, under the name of the "Brockton National Bank." Davis S. Packard, Esq., was its first president and has ably managed its affairs up to the present time. Charles R. Fillebronn, Esq., was the first cashier and still continues in that position.
Mr. Packard, the president, is widely known and an excellent busi ness man. The affairs of these two monetary institutions are a credit to the city of Brockton.
The Brockton Savings Bank is another institution which has done much for the business of the city. It was incorporated March 3, 1881, with Sanford Winter, Esq., as its president. He resigned in 1883 when Mayor John J. Whipple was elected to take his place. Mr. Whipple was succeeded by Baalis Sanford, Esq. He was elected to that posi- tion April 4, 1892, and still fills the place. Charles R. Fillebronn, Esq., was the first treasurer, until April 15, 1891, Charles R. Crooker, Esq., was elected as his successor. This institution like the others is in a thrifty condition, having large deposits. This bank owns the elegant block in which they are located, at the corner of Main and Court streets.
There are two co-operative banks in the city, one in Campello, this being the oldest and known as the "Campello Co-operative Bank," Preston B. Keith, Esq., president; Warren T. Copeland, secretary and treasurer, located in Franklin building at the corner of Main street and Perkins avenue. The other is the "Security Co-operative Bank," located at 86 Main street ; Bradford E. Jones, president. By the above one can see that the finances of the various moneyed institutions are in the hands of good and responsible persons.
In addition to the above institutions a new moneyed organization was established under the name of The Plymouth County Safe Deposit and Trust Company in 1893, and is located in their new and elegant fire and burglar proof block on Main street. Ex-Mayor Ziba C. Keith is the president, and Isaac N. Nutter, Esq., treasurer, and the business has been very successful from its beginning.
" Few town histories will ever be written a second time ; the pains are too great, and the praise too little."-N. A. Review.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
-
BIOGRAPHICAL.
HON. HENRY WINCHESTER ROBINSON.
To no man is the community more indebted than to one who by diligent attention to business and years of labor has risen by his own inherent force from almost nothing to competency, and is acknowledged as a self-made man. No one is better entitled to this appellation than the subject of this sketch. Certainly no man has done more than he during the last half century and since he became a resident of Brockton to help forward every important enterprise, and a brief sketch of his career may be perused with profit.
Mr. Robinson is the eldest son of Winthrop and Sophia (Hildreth) Robinson, and was born in the town of Stow, a small village in the westerly part of Middlesex county, Mass., October 9, 1819. His father was the proprietor of a country store, where the inhabitants of that region obtained their supply of groceries, farming tools, dry goods and hardware.
He received his education at the academies at Stow and at Derry, N. H. At the age of thirteen years he entered his father's store, where at the end of two years he took charge of the books, and two years later became buyer of goods, being sent to Boston for that purpose. Upon arriving to the age of twenty-one his father took him into co-partnership under the firm of Winthrop Robinson & Son. Up to the time of the young man's entering the store he had in addition to mastering the common branches of school education acquired a good knowledge of algebra, trigonometry, mental philos- ophy, and all the natural sciences as then taught, excepting chemistry, together with a fair acquaintance of the French language.
Being of an active temperament and ambitious the monotonous life in a small store did but little to awaken any special enthusiasm in commercial pursuits, but the contact he there had with the common people and his experience with them in endeavoring to suit their various tastes, proved valuable to him in after-life.
There was one thing in his occupation which was especially distasteful to his feelings, and that was the selling of ardent spirits which in that day was a common article of trade in all country stores, and was not considered as anything dishonorable. But so strong was the feeling of the son that at the age of seventeen years he told his father he must give up the traffic or he should leave the store. The father agreed to give up the sale of spirits if all the other traders would. The young man visited all the others, six in number, and before evening he got them to agree to have no more to do with it, and this was the commencement of the temperance reform in Stow in 1836.
4
HISTORY OF BROCKTON.
The co-partnership of father and son had continued three years, when the son con- cluded that the field which he then occupied was too circumscribed for him, and decided to leave with the purpose of entering a larger business in Boston. In this, however, he was disappointed, but continued to reside in the city, boarding at the then famous hostelry known as the "Bromfield House" on Bromfield street, kept by Seldon Crockett, Esq. There he lived for several months, keeping his eyes open for any chances that might afford him scope for his business talents.
Some of his friends in trade called his attention to the fact of a small country store being offered for sale in North Bridgewater, now Brockton, and thither the young man wended his way to investigate, little dreaming that he would soon be the proud possessor of the largest store in the vicinity. The store which he went to see had been conducted by William H. White, and his widow, Mrs. Eliza White, not caring to conduct the same, desired to dispose of it. After an examination of the premises and getting what information he could regarding the business prospects, etc., he purchased the stock and good-will June 19, 1844, having the sum of seven hundred dollars as his capital stock, five hundred of which he borrowed.
The building used for the store was comparatively a small affair, twenty-four feet in width, and forty feet in length, and two stories high, a one-story section in the rear, twenty feet long, in which was an old forge formerly used by Ephraim Howard in the manufacture of shoe tools. This stood some six feet lower than it does now and twelve feet further back. The stock of goods consisted of groceries and West India goods, hardware, dry goods, etc., all on one floor. The second story was then partially occupied by Elisha B. Bumpus, who had come to town from Wareham and established a custom tailoring establishment, and Nahum Johnson and Charles Hovey, in the manufacture of shoes.
Brockton has much to be grateful for in the introduction of such an addition to her list of prominent men as H. W. Robinson, and the story of his advent to town may have some thing of interest to the present generation as well as a lesson in success in life, as those who know him best must admit that he has been a potent factor in the best life, thought, and growth of the city of Brockton.
On the day of Mr. Robinson's first appearance in town he put up at the only " tavern" in the village then kept by Edward E. Bennett, at the corner of Main and School streets, on the site where "Washburn's Block " is now located. The landlord was quite a character in his day, and liked to know the whys and wherefores of every- thing. He was extremely curious to ascertain what brought the spruce looking " city feller " to the town, for strangers were not then numerous, and Mr. Bennett sounded him in every way he could think. He soon found he was not an agent or a quack doctor, and was surprised when the young man told him he had purchased the William H. White store and was going to run it.
" You have got into the wrong town, young man," said the landlord. "Nobody can do business here but William F. Brett." The "young man " thought differently how- ever, and the success that future years brought him justified him in disagreeing with landlord Bennett.
The principal competitors which the young merchant found as he started in business
5
BIOGRAPHICAL.
were William F. Brett, then established in the "Tavern" building, at the corner of Main and School streets, who was then in the height of success; William Penn Howard, a popular young man who had a short time previous come from Easton and located in the " Old Green Store," then at the corner of Main, and what is now Belmont street, and on the site of the present " Hotel Belmont;" also David Cobb, whose well known store on the hill, corner of Main and Court streets, was centering trade from all quarters.
The new comer made no great stir in starting, but he was not long in taking his place among the leading merchants of the town, and the public was not long in dis- covering his purpose to please thein by the styles and qualities of his goods, and by his cheerful willingness to make any reasonable effort to accommodate and suit them.
The amount of trade which came to his store rapidly increased, the business more than doubling during the first six months, and by the end of the year "Robinson's Cash Store " had acquired an established reputation throughout that and the neighboring towns. The business was an unexpected success. The store was soon after raised and Ambrose Hayward was placed in the new grocery department in the basement and is well remembered by many now living for his genial and affable manners and who had selected that as their place of trade because he was its presiding genius.
When the Central Block was erected at the north corner of Main and Center streets, nearly opposite, the ready made clothing department was sold to George E. Bryant, who afterward made that an exclusive line of business. The grocery business was subsequently sold to John F. Hale, also a native of Stow. When these different classes of goods had been removed it left a chance for an enlargement of his stock of dry goods, carpets and cloths for gentlemen's wear, a large business being then done in the tailor- ing line in connection with Mr. Bumpus who was then the merchant tailor up stairs.
In 1850 William B. Barry became the first business partner. He had previously had an extensive experience as partner with the well known dry goods nouse of George W. Warren & Co. in Boston. At this time, Mr. Barry having unusual qualifications as a buyer, he attended to that part of the business, while Mr. Robinson managed the store. About that time among those who were behind the counter were Christopher Dyer, jr., Cephas W. Drake, Elbridge W. Morse, Samuel B. Ripley, Gorham B. Howard and Henry Milliken, the latter of whom was afterward a partner in a commission house in Boston.
Mr. Barry continued as a partner till 1855, when he removed to Boston where he continued to do the principal part of the buying for the store for two years. In 1857 Mr. Barry became a partner in the firm in Boston with which he had formerly been connected, the name being changed to G. W. Warren, Barry & Co.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.