USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Chelmsford > History of Chelmsford, Massachusetts > Part 46
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The street from the Centre railroad crossing to Crosby lane was opened prior to 1830.
The Sawpit Hill road, or Byam road, as it was called, which in the Centre village is known as Bartlett street, was laid out November 1, 1828. It was discontinued in 1850, when Acton
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street was cut through, and was again opened up in 1893. An ancient saw pit may still be seen at about the highest point on the road.
A road was laid out over Chestnut hill in 1826.
The Pine Hill road was laid out in 1836.
The Drum Hill road was laid out in 1831. This completed the Cross Bridge road which was a continuation of what is now Centre street from the railroad crossing in Chelmsford Centre, which was laid out some years previously.
Bridge street, improved in 1896, was originally a cart path, or lane, leading to the lime kiln, before Littleton street was laid out.
Warren avenue was laid out in 1876 and extended in 1882.
Streets on the Westlands were laid out in 1906.
Bedford road was laid out in 1822 from the bridge over Beaver brook in the Centre village; that from Bedford road to Russell's mills, in 1865.
School street in Lowell was originally known as Bond street. A school was built at the corner of Westford street.
LOWELL-CHELMSFORD ROAD.
"The Commissioners of Roads for Middlesex County, decided on Saturday last in favour of a petition of Messrs. Kirk Boott and others, for the alteration of the public road between Lowell and Chelmsford, and for discontinuing that part of the old road lying between Mr. Hobbs' store and the point where it would be inter- sected by the new road, near the new Canal."
[From the Columbian Centinel for November 15, 1828.]
Some account of the old stage routes will be of interest to the reader.
AMHERST STAGE.
"The Public are informed, that the Stage which runs from Amherst in New Hampshire, to Boston; will begin upon a new Arrangement, the first Week in May: The Stage will set off from Amherst, Tuesday Mornings about Sunrise, and exchanging Horses at Chelmsford, will arrive at Boston, on Tuesday Eve, when it will be put up at Beals's Tavern. Wednesday Noon, it will set out from Beals's and arrive at Chelmsford, about 6 o'Clock, when it will set out from Chelmsford, at Sunrise, and arrive at Beals's before noon: Friday Morning at Sunrise, will set out for Amherst, and arrive there in the Evening :- The rate of Passage, is Two pence half Penny, per Mile: The Stage will punctually start at the stated hours. The Driver will be answerable for any thing entrust[ed] to him. May 2, 1793" ["Supplement to the Independent Chronicle" (Boston), May 16, 1793.]
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In 1822 a regular line of stages was established between East Chelmsford and Boston.
In 1824 a stage-coach was advertised to be in readiness at Mr. S. Spalding's hotel, on the arrival of the Middlesex packet, to take passengers to East Chelmsford. In the latter place passengers could book at Carter's hotel, and Morrills' and Tyler's stores.
WORCESTER STAGE.
In the Chelmsford Courier of April 29, 1825 is this advertise- ment: "Worcester and Chelmsford Stage. New Line. Leaves Worcester Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8 o'clock, A. M .- Arrives at Chelmsford, same day, at 5 o'clock P. M. Passes through West Boylston: intersects with the Boston and Barre line at Sterling; the Boston and Brattleborough line at Lancaster; the Lunenburg line at Harvard; the Boston and Keene line at Groton; the Concord, N. H. line at Chelmsford and meets the Newburyport and Haverhill lines at East Chelmsford. Returning, Leaves Chelmsford Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, at 8 o'clock, A. M. arrives at Worcester same day at 5 o'clock, P. M. by the same route-where it meets the Providence stages-intersects with the New York mail, by the way of Hartford, every day; and with the Boston and Albany stages, by the way of Springfield and Northampton, every day (Sundays excepted.)" & c., & c.
There were at one time as many as five stages running over the South Chelmsford road, to Clinton, Worcester, Fitchburg, Framingham, and Marlborough.
MARLBOROUGH STAGE.
In September, 1832, there was advertised "A New Line of Stages, from Lowell, through Chelmsford, Acton, Stow, by Rock Bottom Factory, through Feltonville to Marlborough-inter- secting with the Boston and Worcester Accommodation Line passing through Northborough, Shrewsbury into Worcester. Leaves Lowell every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8 A. M. Returning leaves Marlborough every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 10 a. m. arrives in Lowell at 3 P. M." & c.
BOSTON STAGE.
In 1826 the Lowell and Boston Accommodation Stage left Frye's Tavern daily (except Sundays) at 6 A. M. and made the trip to Boston in three hours. On the return trip it left Wildes and Hosmer's, Elm street, at 4 P. M., and arrived in Lowell at 7. The fare, either way, was $1.25.
On the Canal a packet boat left Middlesex Village, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, at 7 A. M., reaching Boston (or Charles-
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town) at 2 P. M., and returned on the other three week days. Fare, 75 cents. Carriages were in readiness to convey passengers from Middlesex Village to Belvidere, or from Charlestown to Boston.
The Canal line of stages was advertised to leave Middlesex Village for Boston on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8 A. M. and Saturdays at 12 M., passing through Lowell, Tewksbury, Wil- mington, Woburn, Medford and Charlestown. The return was made on the other week days.
The Rev. Dr. Packard, writing at Middlesex Village, May 11, 1832, says: "The season is forward. Many of our trees are dead, but not so many as some apprehended. Farmers are very busy- our village witnesses much brisk and useful movement. Six or seven stages with six horses harnessed to ye chief of them daily pass my door. The canal seems at times crowded with boats and rafts, and our factories are in successful operation."
TRAFFIC AND TRAVEL.
Says Judge Hadley: "I can remember when the only means of transporting goods and merchandise from Boston to the north was by means of huge wains called baggage-wagons, drawn by not less than six, oftener by eight, horses. There were regular lines of these immense wagons, and they passed through the (Middlesex) village with such regularity that we children knew just when to expect them, and I can remember sitting with other children beside the road and waiting the passing of these wagons, and, as they passed us, choosing, with other children, the particular pair of horses which we called ours, and came to know them. These great wagons were covered with canvas tops, and the goods within were securely protected from the rain by thick tarpaulins. In winter, long lines of two-horse pung sleighs, loaded with butter, cheese, apple-sauce, dressed hogs, maple sugar, and other country produce, were constantly passing on the way to Boston market, and returning loaded with supplies of all kinds, purchased or exchanged in Boston. Many of these country produce drivers stopped for the night or to bait at the Adams' Tavern in North Chelmsford and at the old Middlesex Tavern.
"There were two, and some of the time three lines of stages passing through the village, all starting from the American House in Lowell, which was, in those days, the White Horse Tavern of this vicinity. One line ran to Groton and Townsend, another to Nashua and Concord. In summer the arrival of the north bound mail stage at the village store was the great morning event. It was due at about 8 o'clock, and when it was announced by sentinel boys, that the stage had reached Black brook, all the men and boys, and girls, sometimes, gathered under the piazza of the tavern near the store entrance, to await its arrival.
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"Old Deacon Eben Adams, who was postmaster, a great stickler for the enforcement of the United States laws relating to the receiving, opening and delivery of mails, was the centre of the group. This scene is before me-I can hear the rattle of the coach as it comes up the road. It reaches the turn of the road at Mr. Nathan Tyler's; four bay horses, sometimes six, full of fire and action, are attached to the coach. Corbin is on the box, holding the ribbons with confident ease and not a little honest pride, and sitting in the midst of a group of outside passengers, ladies among them carrying parasols, and wearing on their heads huge bonnets which almost conceal their pleasure-lighted faces. On it comes with the rattle and chucking of wheels, the jingle and clatter of harness, the puffing of horses, and the rocking of the coach, a gaily painted and lettered vehicle, having, as we now see, six or perhaps eight inside passengers, who looked eagerly out, to get their bearings, and make remarks, while we stare at them in eager curiosity. Corbin reaches down under his seat, and, seizing a mail bag, throws it off with easy experienced grace into the extended arms of old Deacon Adams, who runs with it into the store, and behind the counter to his little blue desk where he empties the bag, selects the Middlesex letters, puts his own letters with the letters for other points on the line in the bag and starts for the door.
"While the Deacon has been inside, Corbin has been enter- taining the ladies with a brief history of the place, and we have sized up every passenger, and counted the trunks. The old Deacon appears with his mail bag, puffing with his run, throws it into the hands of Corbin, who receives it, places it in the seat- box, draws up his reins, and, with a sharp crack of his long-lashed whip, the impatient horses spring forward with the coach and passengers up the incline of the road over the canal bridge; away they go up the road, and are soon out of sight at the turn near the Major Howard place."
As has already been noted, in the early days the only roads leading out of Chelmsford were "the road to the Bay," now known as Billerica street, and perhaps the first road in the Town (there is no record of its being laid out); and the old Concord road, which led out of the village over "the town-way to the Mill," (South street). The former accommodated the travel from Groton and Lancaster and other towns which were obliged to pay towards the maintenance of the "great bridge" over the Concord at Billerica. The other gave exit to Concord and places to the south. The Billerica road, which at Hazen's corner branches off the old road, was made to relieve the heavy travel over the latter about one hundred years ago. When the turnpike was built, it accommodated most of the travel, from Lake Champlain, Saratoga, and all the north and west. At a time within the memory of some now living there might have been seen on one of these roads a dozen heavy wagons at once, each drawn by from four to eight horses. Sometimes
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it would be necessary for one driver to unhitch his horses and help another wagon up a steep grade. The meadows in the Centre Village were used for pasturing horses and cattle over night. Sometimes there would be as many as one hundred horses or more stabled or pastured here in an evening. When droves came over the road from the north, there might have been seen two hundred horses or three hundred cattle on the meadows. Sheep and hogs, and flocks of turkeys were driven over the road to the Boston market. When driving turkeys, one man would go ahead on horseback, dropping occasionally a few kernels of corn which tempted the birds forward in a kind of "flying wedge," while another man followed behind to keep them in the road. When night began to fall, and a convenient tree was near, up went the turkeys to roost, and there the night must be spent.
The owner of the above mentioned meadows sometimes cautioned the men cutting the grass to "mow it high," so that the sharp ends of coarse stubble would prick the horses' noses and prevent their eating much of the grass.
Less than fifty years ago many long horned "Cherokee" steers from Texas were driven through here from Brighton. Frequently one of them would get frightened and run wild. The only thing to do was to shoot it. The man who accomplished this received five dollars.
Until about the year 1800 the only way of conveying mer- chandise from Chelmsford to the seaport markets at' Salem and Charlestown was to cart it over the roads. A small caravan, made up of several carts and drivers, for fellowship and safety, would set out late in the day and make the journey to Salem by night, as it was cooler; most of the carting being done in the summer. The men took with them for refreshment some simple fare-brown bread and cheese and a little rum. They spent little or no money while on the trip. They used crude two-wheeled carts drawn by oxen. The carts had heavy wooden axles, and the wheels were fastened on with wooden pins driven through the ends of the axles, and between the pins and the hub was a wreathing of birch withes. An ox-team would travel about two miles an hour. John Tucker the physician and storekeeper received produce and "barils" at the C. O. Robbins place at the South Village and shipped them in this way to market. From his account book is taken the following list of shipments.
From the account book of John Tucker, storekeeper: (The spelling has been modernized.)
Sept. 2, 1751, Andrew Betty carted 40 barrels to Mystic and 28 to Charlestown.
March 14, 1753, Mr. Jonathan Butterfield carted 7 hundred of oak boards to Charlestown.
April 15, 1753, Mr. Jonathan Adams carted 40 fish barrels and cloth and old brass to Charlestown.
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April 19, 1753, Mr. Eben Harris carted 6 barrels to Mr. Reeves [at Mystic] and 34 to Charlestown.
June 6, 1753, Young Benj. Chamberlin carted 40 barrels to Mr. Hunt near Charlestown.
June 14, 1753, Mr. Samuel Adams carted 35 rum barrels and 5 fish barrels to Mr. John Bickford in Salem.
June 14, 1753, Mr. Beni Procter carted tar and turpentine to Salem.
June 14, 1753, Mr. Simeon Procter carted shingles and tar to Salem. July 5, 1753, Israel Procter carted 7 hundred slit-work to Salem.
July 5, 1753, Samson Hildreth carted 7 hundred slit-work to Salem. July 11, 1753, Jonathan Butterfield carted 1 M of boards to Salem. July 11, 1753, Ephraim Keys carted 7 hundred slit-work to Salem. July 11, 1753, Henry Byam carted 7 hundred slit-work to Salem. July 11, 1753, Beni Procter carted 5 M shingles to Salem.
Aug. 9, 1753, Simeon Procter carted 3 hundred and half of staves
and 1 hundred and 3 quarters of slit-work to Charlestown to Mr. Devon.
Aug. 9, 1753, Samuel Fletcher carted 40 barrels to Charlestown. Sept. 28, 1753, Ephraim Keys carted 730 foot of slit-work.
Mr. Cory carted 40 barrels to Charlestown.
John Minot carted 40 barrels to Charlestown.
Samson Hildreth carted 39 barrels to Charlestown.
John Hill carted 6 hundred of slit-work to Charlestown.
Oct. 16, 1753, Thomas Adams carted 5 hundred of slit-work and 1009 foot of maple boards and 1012 foot of oak boards to Charlestown.
Mr. Harris carted 7 hundred of oak boards to Charlestown.
Mr. Jonathan Spalding carted 7 hundred slit-work to Charles- town.
Jonathan Snow 23 barrels and 150 foot of oak "gice" to Charlestown.
Oct. 30, 1753, John Adams carted 4 barrels of tar and 2 M of shingles to Salem.
Nov. 15, 1753, Jonathan Adams carted 50 feet of boards and 2 M of shingles and 2 barrels to Salem.
Nov. 15, 1753, Mr. Procter carted 5 M and half of shingles to Salem. Nov. 15, 1753, Benj. Procter carted 1 M of boards to Salem.
Other lists include "oak gice," "double oak gice," "fish barils," "rum barils," "tow cloth," "beans, cloth, tobacko, meal, clap- boards, bedstead, carted to Salem."
Other men who carted to Salem or Charlestown were Phylup Robbins, Jacob Read, Caleb farley, Amos Russell, "ye old Mr. Ebin hildrish," Simeon fletcher, Georg neclas, Eben spalding.
Cooperage was a thriving industry in those days in Chelms- ford. "Slit-work" was a name used for thin boards. See Vol. VI, p. 115, Narrative and Critical Hist. of America; also the Oxford Dictionary, and Colonial Laws of the ninth year of Queen Anne, 1710.
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In 1791 an item in the Town records states the amount paid for plank and slit-work to repair a bridge. Slit-deals were pine boards 5-8 of an inch thick; whole deals were 1 1-4 inches thick.
Oak knees for small vessels were worked out here and taken to the ship yards.
One item of cloth is included in the above list.
Weaving cloth on hand looms also occupied the time of some families during the less busy seasons. The setting up of power looms late in the 18th century destroyed this household industry.
This letter to Mr. Andrew Betty or Betteys of South Chelms- ford, indicates that orders were taken for such work. In an indenture dated 1758 he is described as a "wever."
Charlestown July 9, 1768.
Mr. Bettys.
I should be very glad if you would weave that cloth directly to whiten, or send it to somebody else that I may have it soon, as I want it directly to have it whiten'd now in season.
Sarah Bradstreet.
Sarah Bradstreet's maiden name was Foster. March 22, 1739, she married Samuel Bradstreet, son of the Rev. Simon Bradstreet whose father, Samuel, was a physician and the son of Governor Simon Bradstreet.
Parson Bridge records that she dined with him, January 3, 1778, in Chelmsford. It was probably her father-in-law who preached here on one or two occasions.
She kept a shop in Charlestown and died there a widow, in 1802.
Her will [No. 2485 Probate Court] is dated 1797, and mentions a son Samuel, (to whom she gave her great silver tankard): and daughters Sary, Mary and Catherine: also her grandchildren, the children of her daughter, Lucy Harris, deceased. To her three unmarried daughters she gave "all my shop goods, i. e., piece goods."
Samuel Chamberlain wrote from Charlestown, Nov. 12, 1792, to Dr. John Betteys asking him, as he went about among the people, to get them to send to him at Charlestown such things as he could sell in the shop-rye and Indian meal, malt, hops, beans, peas, butter, cheese, leathern shoes of all kinds, eggs, &c. Nov. 23, he sent the Doctor a schedule of prices: "Rye meal goes at about 4/6. Indian at 4/. Beans at 5/ or 5/6 as they are for goodness-butter from 8 to 12 pence. Cranberries are asked for much, they would fetch a good price, woolen stockings would sell well now. Rye meal is in good demand now, I believe it would fetch 5/, that which is brought in soon. The ways have been so bad that the Market has been very good for some days past. If you can send me a few bushils of meal, chiefly rye, I think I can sell it for you at a good lay."
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"Dec. 5. I have not seen a Chelmsford man since some time before Thanksgiving-had no opportunity to send this letter (Post excepted, which set out sooner than usual) since I wrote. * * * * Mr. Procter tells me he got 4/6 for Indian- * * it will be cheaper most surely when the going comes to be good." The letter was "Hond. by Mr. James Procter, Westford."
Feb. 7, 1793, Mr. Chamberlin wrote again to Dr. Betteys:
"The cloth of which I sent you a sample, was, I think 2 inches more than } yard. 2} yd would make a pair of breeches.
Barley I find to be much lower than it was a while back-I think it will be a chance if you get more than 4/6.
Red clover seed will not fetch so much here as you say they talk of there. I found one man who would give a pistareen [19.3 cents=9} pence] if he could have it directly, that is the highest by the quantity. I can buy it by the single pound for 1/4 [1 shilling 4 pence] Mr Boiet told me he expects some hundreds of barrels by water in a few days.
I have not sold any hops yet they are not in very good demand just now. some think will be by & bye. I have retailed the meal you sent by W-P-at 1/4 peck-it was sold this week for 4/6 bushel.
The scarcety of money of late has caused many to show there weak side, since last thirsday there has 6 shut up-I heard of 3 more but can't assert it for truth. one of the 6 who failed owed one man, they say, 6000 Dollars or verry nigh. * * *
15th I can buy clover seed for 1/3 single pound-Nobody seems to want Barley nor hops-I understand hops may be bought for 7 d. 1b. I rather think Barley will not fetch more than 4/6."
LIME.
Artemas Parker was an expert in the lime industry. He burned the last kiln of lime in Chelmsford before the business was abandoned, about 1830. After Lowell was built, wood brought too large a price to be burned in lime kilns, and the lime works at Thomaston, Maine, came into competition. Wood was cheaper there and the lime was brought to Massachusetts markets in boats at less cost than it could be made here, though it was not of as good quality. The Chelmsford kilns were operated by the Fletchers and Perhams. George P. Mansfield's father, when a boy, was employed in this industry. In some old Chelmsford houses the plaster made of this lime is today almost as hard as tile. It is laid on expanded lath of oak or spruce. There were five lime kilns in Chelmsford.
Chelmsford lime was carted with ox teams to East Chelmsford and used in the construction of mills and corporation buildings.
SOME REMINISCENCES.
Benjamin Gould Hosmer writing to Mr. Perham in 1905 says: "I was born on the Goold Estate in the year 1817 and was 13 years of age when my Father left the town and have been a stranger
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since to the place of my birth. The old turnpike originally passed the Goold homestead; whether there is any mark to identify the old place, I know not. Our nearest neighbor toward the middle of the town was Andrew Parkhurst, who had a son Amos and a daughter Betsy; then next came the home of Henry Spaulding, who had a son Benjamin about my age, then his brother Joel and an elder brother Harry and I think there was a sister Mary; then on up the hill was the red school house, where Benjamin Spaulding and myself used to contend for the head of the class; then above the school was John Spaulding's house, he who was nearly destroyed in blasting rocks; then on to the right hand road we came to the Whittemore farm; then Charley Richardson's farm; then Uncle Elijah Richardson's who had a son Elijah and Samuel. On the hill above the Whittemores lived the Duns; then past the Duns lived Isaiah Spaulding. The Parkhursts and Spauldings were very numerous in the town of Chelmsford.
Then to go to the middle of the town was Dr. J. C. Dalton, our family physician; Captain Pitts, Mr. Byam, the Fletchers and Perhams, Caleb Abbot, merchant, who had two sons, Fletcher and Gardner who became a Judge. Then there was our old parish domine Wilkes Allen, who wrote the history of Chelmsford, a copy of which I still have. Then there was the old Reed's Tavern and Stevens, the blacksmith, who was also the general undertaker; then there was the old Academy where I think it was that Edward Everett gave a discourse one Sunday P. M., I may be in error about the name, but I was there and saw Mr. Reed pay him for his services on the morn after.
Then there was Otis Adams who lived on the road to the pond in the South-west part of the town.
On the road to Middlesex, our first neighbor was Captain Bowers, then came the Howards. Middlesex Village, at the head of the canal, the highway to Boston, was an enterprising locality for a series of years; Bent & Bush carried on a hat factory, a window glass factory was also in operation; Fairbanks, English & West India goods; Luke Merrill, English and West India goods. Then there was North Chelmsford, which was called Newfield."
A little book, printed in 1904 for Mr. Charles H. Dalton, contains "A Wintersnight Tale" told on Christmas evening, 1903, to his family and their guests, assembled around the dinner table or in the drawing room at 33 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston; and it has so much in it that relates to past days in Chelmsford that most of it is here reproduced in slightly condensed form.
The first Town Meeting of the Chelmsford settlement, in Middlesex County, was held September 22, 1654, more than two hundred and forty-nine years ago, at William Fletcher's house, there being no public town-house.
My maternal ancestor, Edward Spaulding, married Margaret. His son John married Hannah.
Fred Spalding Photo Chelmsford
S. E. VIEW OF ST. MARY'S CHURCH, CHELMSFORD, ENGLAND
No. 26
THE RIVER CHELMER, CHELMSFORD, ENGLAND
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His son Edward married Priscilla, Governor Endicott officiating.
His son Joseph married Elizabeth.
His son Simeon married Sarah.
His son Noah married Anne.
Noah and Anne were my grandparents.
These six generations of gentlemen were yeomen, living on and cultivating their own lands, while serving the town, colony, state and church in various public offices.
My great-grandfather, Colonel Simeon, inherited lands from his father in 1728. When he was twenty-three years old, having fallen in love with Sarah, he married her, and that same year bought more land and soon built a house on it, where they lived the rest of their lives. This was our Chelmsford homestead, which my grandfather Noah [Spaulding] inherited. He, his daughter Julia, who was my mother, and myself were born in this house. It is about one hundred and sixty years old, and is still standing, a modest structure of two stories, the hewed posts and beams of the frame showing in the rooms.
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