USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Dedham > History of Dedham, Massachusetts > Part 17
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The Norfolk Hotel entertained many distinguished visitors including General Lafayette the "Nation's Guest" in 1824, Presi- dent Andrew Jackson in 1832 together with his suite, Vice Presi- dent Martin Van Buren, Governor Cass, Secretary of War; Gov- ernor Woodbury, Secretary of the Navy, Governor Marcy of New York and several other distinguished gentlemen. With the open-
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ing of Courts in Norfolk County many distinguished persons were entertained in Dedham Hotels, especially the Norfolk House as follows: Chief Justice Isaac Parker, Chief Justice Lemuel Shaw; Judge Theron Metcalf; Judge Theophilus Parsons; Judge Thomas Dawes; Judge Lemuel Sewall; Judge George P. Sanger. Among lawyers were James Otis, Daniel Webster, Joseph Story, Caleb Cushing, Rufus Choat, Marcus Morton, Robert C. Winthrop, Charles Francis Adams, Edward Everett, Ebenezer R. Hoar, Richard H. Dana, William Gaston, John A. Andrew, and Benja- min F. Butler. When Mr. Choate was to speak, it was customary to adjourn the High School to give the older pupils an opportun- ity to hear his oratory. The Norfolk Hotel is now a private resi- dence remodeled after the Southern Colonial style of architecture. The two storied veranda and the four large and tall pillars, and the Southern Colonial gates, joined by brick arches to the North and South sides, give a colonial and majestic tone to the whole structure. The old ball room, two stories high, with arched plastic ceiling, spring floor and hanging musicians gallery at one end has been preserved.
Isaac Weathers bought the property at the north east corner of Washington and School Streets and erected thereon the "Nor- folk House" which was opened early in 1876. Mr. Weathers con- tinued to be the genial landlord of this house until 1900 when it was closed to the public.
Deacon Joseph Ellis, who lived near the Clapboard Tree meet- ing house obtained a license "to keep a tavern" July 28, 1732. This tavern contained one room on the first floor and a sleeping room above. The Ellis Tavern on High Street in the Third Parish, burned in 1887, was opened as a tavern about 1760, by Abner Ellis, son of Deacon Joseph Ellis. There was a West India goods store in connection with the tavern which was conducted for many years by Mr. Ellis' son-in-law, Theodore Gay, a business which is still conducted by Mr. Gay's descendants. When coaches ran between Boston & Hartford over the Hartford Turnpike, they stopped here to take and leave mail as well as passengers. There was in connection with the Tavern a ball room in common with the times and here many dancing parties were held. It is still recalled that Barnard Ellis when only eight years old played the
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violin for dancing in this hall. Here droves of hogs and cattle, on their way to Brighton, were herded for the night in the barnyard, while the weary drovers slept two in a bed, or in a room with several beds in it, as was the universal custom of the times. These travelers often rose in the morning to eat a cold breakfast, which had been put up for them at home, but they never neglected to wash it down with a glass or two of "blackstrop" before start -. ing on their journey. "The Dedham Inn," the colonial house at the corner of Highland and Court Streets, with its beautiful trees and extensive gardens, was opened as a hotel in 1915 by Edward Cassell. The original house, to which some additions were made, was designed by Bulfinch and the front of the house is a good example of his architecture. The Dedham Inn has proved a great convenience to residents and the traveling public. George Thor- ley, in the purchase of the estate, succeeded Mr. Cassnell and has maintained to the present time a house of public entertainment to the satisfaction of his patrons.
At Clapboard Trees there was a house kept by Daniel Fisher one of the first settlers in the parish. In the development of this parish, the farmers at first cleared their fields and made ready for a settlement, while still living in Dedham village. They went up the Sandy Valley road to their farms and returned at night for fear of the Indians, who were still present and roamed in the forest. Daniel Fisher's Tavern was located on Gay Street east of Fox Hill Street. The house was three stories high. Mr. Fisher owned slaves who worked on the land. The first tavern within the original territory of Clapboard Trees, the site of which is now in the town of Norwood, was located on Washington Street, near the Ellis Station. Here the first legal Parish meeting in the Clap- board Trees Parish was held in 1730. The tavern was built by John Ellis and had several generations of his descendants for landlords. Lemuel Ellis being the last of the number. He died in middle life and his widow Mary Ellis ran the tavern for many years after her husband's death, with great success. Being located on the Turnpike it had a large patronage from the travel- ing public especially teamsters who made it a point to at least "bait" their teams at "Aunt Lems". She was "Aunt Lem" to all the Parish and "Good Aunt Lem" to all her neighbors. Being on
Top, SOUTH DEDHAM TAVERN, 1865; bottom, SPRINGFIELD PARISH TAVERN, 1763
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ELLIS TAVERN, WEST DEDHAM, 1760
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the military road many soldiers of the Revolution stopped here for refreshments and during the War many stragglers on their return stopped here over night. The old tavern was torn down previous to 1900.
In the Springfield Parish the tavern was built in 1762, by Daniel Whiting, who became Dedham's highest officer in the Rev- olution. At that time the Parish Meeting house had been finished and Col. Whiting's Tavern completed the needs of the Parish .. This old tavern remained intact until 1907 when it was burned. In the "great room" citizens gathered for nearly three-fourths of a century and discussed questions of state and engaged in the idle gossip of the neighborhood. Around the open fire in the store soldiers of the Revolution gathered and fought their battles o'er. In this tavern as late as 1821, when Isaac Howe was landlord, was witnessed the pathetic scene of an adjourned town meeting at which time the town's poor were bid off at auction, not to the highest bidder but to the lowest bidder for care and board. . Col. Whiting in 1784, after his return from the Army sold this prop- erty and without security loaned every dollar to the state so great was her necessity. And here was illustrated the curious custom of the times of "warning out" all new comers. Col. Whiting, with his family, took up a residence in Natick and was "warned out of town" by the selectmen, someone having notified them of his arrival.
The great American highway ran by East Street to Pleasant Street in the South Parish. There was much travel over this road and taverns were set up to meet the demands of the travel- ing public. There is an old cellar hole on Pleasant Street down toward the Neponset meadows where, according to tradition, was located one of the old taverns on the post road. The old tavern was removed within the memory of living men, but of its land- lords we have no knowledge. Still further south on Pleasant Street beyond the Ink factory was another old tavern the cellar hole of which can still be seen. This was Henry White's tavern where he did a good business catering to travelers as early as 1688 *. This place appears in an old manuscript expense account of a journey to New York and New Jersey about that year.
* Story of Walpole page 200.
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After the passing of the old taverns on Pleasant Street, Abel Everett, opened a public house on Washington Street just over the subway at Winslow Crossing. This was listed as one of the leading taverns in Dedham in the year 1800. The old tavern is still standing having been moved to a lot toward East Walpole and remodeled into a tenement house. The tavern known in later years as the "Norwood House" on Washington Street, was one of the old land marks of the South Parish. It was built probably early in 1800, by Paul Ellis. This tavern had all the accessories of the country inn with its bar, ball room, etc. It was here that the Rev. Edwin Thompson, a staunch friend of the Washington movement did valiant work for the cause of temperance. There was always a bar in country taverns where New England rum was sold. In too many instances the thrifty inn keeper trusted the . hard working farmer until quite a debt was contracted in an ever increasing scale.
CHAPTER XII
ROADS AND BRIDGES
1 IN the early settlement of New England, rivers were the only means of communication, with the interior, and they were much used not only by the Indian, but by the white settlers as well. Settlements along the coast of Massachusetts increased, while those inland made but slow progress. The first inland town to be settled was Concord, Massachusetts, which was made in 1635; the second was Dedham. Both towns were settled for the same reason, namely, an open plain, for the growing of crops, and river meadows, where hay could be cut for herds, and thatch gath- ered for the roofs of dwellings. While Watertown and Roxbury were both crowded in their settlement, yet the Dedham settlers at first came from Watertown, because they could row up the Charles River, and in this way reach their settlement. Passage across from Roxbury was more difficult, as there were no roads for travel. Land travel continued both difficult and costly, in all the Colonies throughout the whole of the industrial period, and roads were so poor, even a century after New England was settled, that not until 1722, was a team driven from Connecticut to Rhode Island. The roads at first followed Indian trails, which were later developed into bridle paths, and cart ways and finally into high- ways. For the making of "the way" between Dedham and Cam- bridge the Court allowed on December 5, 1643 "till the fourth month (June) next."
Road extensions in Dedham were naturally made toward Boston, where the settlers found a sale for timber, wood, bark and charcoal. When we remember that as late as 1757, there were only one chaise and thirteen chairs-a one seated vehicle-to be taxed in the entire town of Dedham, we need not trouble ourselves over much about the laying out of highways. There were two roads in early Dedham. One led from Dwight's Bridge-Little river, to the training field, and the other led from the Landing place to Wigwam pond. Careful of the comfort of succeeding generations, the Dedham settlers were anxious to lay out in the beginning such roads and public ways as might, so far as they
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could judge, be afterwards needed. In road building the men were summoned at first by beat of the drum, as they were called to meeting on the Sabbath, later by the ringing of the bell, morning and afternoon. The Clay brook road, an early Dedham way, was so named because it led to the free clay pits, which were early opened by the settlers. The road, remains today much as it was two centuries ago. The road over Strawberry hill is also a very old way and is early referred to in the town records. These roads led to the Indian settlement at South Natick, and were often used by the Apostle Eliot. In water travel, birch bark canoes and dug- outs were used along the coast and water courses. For these Ded- ham had its Landing places.
Indian trails were numerous all over the country. Even Broadway in New York City was once an Indian trail. These trails had much to do with the history and development of the country. The old Roebuck road ran through Dedham, East Walpole, Fox- boro, North Attleboro and Pawtucket to Providence, where it met the Pequot Path, which led from Providence to Westerly, forming a link in the chain of paths or trails which reached from Boston to New York, on which the monthly post was later established.
Dedham roads were developed from minor Indian trails, and cart roads, so it is impossible to give the evolution of the roads of the town.
River travel was so common that landing places were early laid out by the town. The one on Ames street having been laid out by Edward Allyne and Abraham Shaw. As Abraham Shaw died in 1638, this landing place must have been laid out previous to that time.
HISTORIC ROADS. The road, says Bushnell, is that physical sign or symbol by which you will best understand any age or any people. Being on the great American Post line, the Puritan road of the 17th century, Dedham has two historic highways, the old and new post roads which go back to Colonial days. The two turnpikes of the town also belong to the turnpike era. The first American highway came out from Boston through Roxbury to Dedham passing over East Street and probably through Norwood on Pleasant Street to the bridge near Morrill's Ink Mill and so on through the edge of Sharon to Foxboro and Wrentham. Over our
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roads the Quakers under the lash were driven into the "wilder- ness" and the most distinguished residents of the Colony traveled; Governor Dudley, Judge Sewell, Madam Knight and later George Washington, Nathan Hale, Benjamin Franklin, General Putnam and Lafayette.
In 1690 the trouble with the French and Indians led the Col- onial authorities at Boston to establish a post for special intelli- gence between this place and Rhode Island, for a full discovery of the motions of the French on this coast. This post ran over East Street.
The Avery Oak, under whose grateful shade, the first settlers of the town rested, stands on this old post road, the first National Highway in America. It was the first road from which all fences were removed.
In 1756 a young Colonel of the Virginia militia, George Wash- ington, came to Boston to consult Governor Shirley relating to af- fairs in the French and Indian Wars. His diary shows that he came by way of Providence and must have passed through Ded- ham on one of our historic roads. The first stage coach line in New England, and the second in America, began regular trips in 1718 between Boston and Bristol Ferry over East Street. The trip from Boston to Bristol, 55 miles, took from 5 o'clock Tues- day morning to noon on Wednesday, the fare being 25 shillings or $5.00. Today one leaves Boston at 8:25 A. M. and arrives at Bristol Ferry at 10:14, one hour and forty-nine minutes. Travel- ing by stage coach from early morning until late at night, one made the run from Boston to New York in six days. Now several lines of buses leave Boston every morning, noon and night for New York passing through Dedham and making the trip in ten hours.
In 1765 the stage coach between Boston, Dedham, and Provi- dence went four times a week. In 1769 it went six times a week. In 1784 the service was performed on every week day usually in nine hours. In 1793 the Dedham line rose to importance because of a steam-boat connection at Bristol Ferry and held its position until the opening of the Boston and Providence Railroad in 1835. The Boston and Providence Stage Coach Line carried the mail from 1792 to 1795, but was not properly a mail coach; it carried pas- sengers for a dollar, and offered to carry mail for nothing. Pas-
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senger coaches between Boston and Providence now carry pas- sengers for seventy-five cents. Dedham saw its first mail-coach on April 7, 1795 under a contract made by the Postmaster-General giving six mail-coaches a week to New York, of which three passed through Dedham. Previous to this time the mail had been carried by riders over East Street. Up to 1792 Peter and Benjamin Mum- ford, who began the service before the Revolution, supplied the mail service between Boston and Rhode Island passing through Dedham. They traveled on horseback and incidentally did a thriv- ing newspaper and express business .* About this time the great mail service was organized, which reigned until the opening of the Boston and Providence railroad in 1835. East Street continued to be the chief road to Bristol and Providence until 1751, when a connecting road between North Attleboro and Wrentham changed the course of travel, through Walpole Centre and the second of our historic highways came into prominence; starting at High Street and running over Federal Hill and Highland Street. In connection with our historic roads, we know that copies of the Declaration of Independence, which left Philadelphia on July 6 by post and arrived in Boston on Saturday, July 13, were borne through Dedham. The copies sent by courier or express did not arrive in Boston until Monday, July 15, the express having taken the upper road through Hartford, Springfield and Worcester.
The Declaration of Independence was officially printed in Philadelphia on July 5 and 6. John Hancock, President of the Con- gress, sent copies on July 6 to the Assembly of Massachusetts Bay. The Assembly however was holding meetings in Watertown, on account of the prevalence of small pox, and had adjourned. The Declaration was first read in Boston from the Balcony of the Old State House on Thursday, July 18th. The Council on August 5, ordered the Sheriff of Suffolk County to take proper care that printed copies of the Declaration be distributed through the State as soon as may be, that every Town may have the Declaration publicly read in each religious assembly. The Declaration of In-
* Previous to the invention of the telegraph, messengers carried the news on horseback or in light gigs. The news of President. Tyler's veto of the Tariff Bill in 1842. is thus recorded in Dedham. On Tuesday afternoon last "up drove a man at MeIntire's in a light glg, his horse dripping wet and himself bespattered with mud, whose first and most anxious wish was to get a fresh horse to carry him to Boston. He had come from Washington, on express, with President's (Tyler) Veto. His call was promptly responded to, and he was away with speed equal to John Gilpin."-Norfolk Democrat August 12, 1842.
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dependence was read in the present meeting house of the First Church in Dedham in August, 1776. An endorsed copy was read in Boston on August 11, and the reading may have occurred at Dedham on the same date.
It was over Highland Street that the troops marched from Rhode Island and Connecticut in re-enforcing the army at the seige of Boston. It was over this road that Nathan Hale led his company from New London in 1775. A large cannon from Provi- dence passed over our roads on May 25, 1775. On August 9th three hundred rifle men marched through Dedham on their way to Boston. After the taking of Dorchester Heights in March, 1776, many militia men passed through the town on their way home. Five regiments of Continental troops started from Cam- bridge for New York, shifting the scene of operations in the Revo- lutionary War from New England to New York. These troops passed through Dedham taking the road over Federal Hill. It is recorded that they found the roads through Dedham, Walpole, and Wrentham to be in exceedingly bad condition and the heavily loaded wagons made but slow progress. Elias Ware of Wrentham, a Revolutionary soldier, records that the first regiment to leave Cambridge for New York, on March 18, 1776, went by way of Dedham and Medway, which fact adds interest to our historic records. On June 14, 1781, seven hundred French Soldiers, who had come as a convoy to Boston, slept in Dedham on their way to join the army then encamped in Providence. While it is not known over which of our historic roads they traveled, yet on their return from Yorktown a year later, they came through Wrentham and over Federal Hill into Dedham. These are the soldiers to whose memory a tablet has been erected on Court Street.
The first regular stage over this route between Boston and Providence was established in 1767 and was called Stage Coach No. 1. It left Providence on Tuesday and returning left Boston on Thursday. Several writers have referred to the King's High- way, as applied to Dedham roads. It should be known, however, that there never was a King's Highway in Massachusetts, as proven by the fact that in the archives of the Commonwealth, where all Provincial records are kept, no reference has ever been found to a King's Highway in Massachusetts.
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Many will recall the drinking places for animals provided where ever a highway crossed a brook in the early time. Five such watering places were found in the Springfield Parish of Ded- ham, several of which exist today. The picturesque watering trough also found by the roadside was common in the early time. They were fed by the purest water from nearby springs. The drinking fountain in Dedham Square disappeared with the advent of the automobile.
It was a custom brought over from England to set up mile- stones by the road side giving distances to important places. This practise was first introduced here by Judge Sewell and continued by Paul Dudley. A good specimen of a milestone is found today on Huntington Avenue in Roxbury. When Benjamin Franklin was Postmaster-General he caused milestones to be set upon the Post roads.
TURNPIKES. Dedham had an important part in the Turn- pike era, which commenced in Massachusetts about the beginning of the 19th Century. Its purpose was to furnish improved trans- portation facilities, through private corporations. State and local governments were yet unable (but they have learned since), to raise by taxation sufficient money to build highways, so corpora- tions were chartered at that time to build roads and collect tolls for their use. Turnpikes as distinguished from ordinary roads, were those on which gates barred the progress of travel for which payment was demanded for the privilege of using the road. Such payments were called "tolls" and the gates were known as toll gates. An effort was made early in 1800, to build a turnpike from the Court House in Dedham to Pawtucket Bridge, as the road from Boston to Providence, although much used, was in a very bad state. It is conceived, as the petitioners say, that it can only be made good, by a Turnpike that being the cheapest mode of making the needed improvements.
This proposition met with strong opposition. Dedham's Rep- resentative Dea. Israel Bullard at first voted against it. Dr. Ames wrote: "Many dread it as bad as a standing Army to spunge them of money." The Legislature, however, on March 8, 1802, chartered the Norfolk & Bristol Turnpike to be built from the Dedham Court House to Pawtucket Bridge as near a straight
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line as a committee, appointed by the General Court, shall, with all due regard to the nature of the ground, decide. The first meeting of the Corporation was held March 30, 1802, with Col. Israel Hatch as moderator and Fisher Ames as President. Col. Hatch took the contract to build the pike and was required to form a smooth regular surface covered in every part with coarse hard cementing gravel, not less than six inches deep for several feet in width, and three inches at the side of the slope. The corpo- ration was required by its charter to file returns of its doings. Only one report is made, however, and that reads that the road cost $225,000 or about $6,440 per mile. When completed in 1806, the Norfolk & Bristol Turnpike was one of the finest roads in America, as all other turnpikes were simply dirt roads. The first dividend, about 5/8 of 1%, was made in 1809. Dividends were de- clared fitfully, but generally held up to about 1 or 2% per annum, until the opening of the Boston & Providence railroad in 1835. In 1831 the Company paid the surprising dividend of 61 per cent.
In 1803, the Norfolk & Bristol Turnpike was extended from Dedham Court House to the Brick School House, which stood at the present corner of Washington and Bartlett Streets in Rox- bury.
The Dedham Toll House and Gate is located by WOOD'S TURNPIKES OF MASSACHUSETTS at "near the old road West- ward" probably near the present corner of East and Washing- ton Streets.
By the charter of the Turnpike the proprietors were entitled to receive from each traveler or passenger at each of their toll gates the following rates of toll. For every coach, phaeton, char- iot or other four wheeled carriage drawn by two horses, 25 cents and if drawn by more than two horses an additional sum of four cents for each horse. For every curricle, 14 cents; for every cart, wagon, sled or sleigh, drawn by two oxen or horses, 10 cents, and if drawn by more than two, an additional sum of 3 cents for each horse or ox. For every chaise, chair or other carriage drawn by one horse, 10 cents; for every wagon, cart, sled or sleigh drawn by one horse, 6 cents; for every man and horse, 4 cents.
Today we cannot realize the bustle and confusion attendant upon the heavy traffic of busses over the Norfolk and Bristol Turn-
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pike. The coaches created so much dust in summer that every- thing in Dedham Village, including all large and small fruits, were covered with layers of dust; this was before the day of macadam and tarvia roads. There were two competing stage lines, The Citizen's Line and the People's Line, over the Norfolk and Bristol Turnpike, each striving to see which could make the shortest time between Boston and Providence. The time of the early coaches was 10 hours, this had been reduced to 7 hours, which was re- garded as fast time, when these competing companies brought the time down to about 41/2 hours. The Citizen's Line built some light and handsome coaches called the "Pioneer Line," and with their fastest horses made the whole distance in about 31/2 hours, thus beating the other line. The Citizen's Line stopped at the Phoenix House, while the People's Line stopped at the Norfolk House for a change of horses and for refreshments. The hostlers were so trained that they could make a change of the four horses in just one minute, the approach of the stage having' been an- nounced by the blowing of the stage horn. The Citizen's Line left Boston at 5 o'clock in the morning, summer and winter, often sending out 12 or 15 coaches at a time. As many as 40 coaches were often counted in a day as they passed Court and Highland Streets. This continued until the completion of the Boston and Providence Railroad when all was changed.
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