USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Dedham > History of Dedham, Massachusetts > Part 21
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"GEORGE E. HATTON M. D. FUND." Dr. George E. Hatton, who died in Dedham, May 16, 1873, bequeathed to the Dedham Public Library his medical books which numbered one hundred and fifty-four volumes. As these books were not found suitable for the shelves of the library, they were later sold. Dr. Hatton made a further bequest as follows: "To the association in said Dedham, called the Dedham Public Library, provided the said association shall be placed upon a firm and permanent basis, one thousand dollars." The bequest was available on the termin- ation of a trust, the sum of five thousand dollars having been be- queathed, for equal division, among five "societies," or organiza- tions of which the Dedham Public Library was one. In accordance with the bequest the executor of the will paid the Treasurer of Dedham, Jan. 4, 1877, the sum of one thousand dollars, less sixty- seven dollars, the executor's charge and the depreciation in execu- tor's administration, by order of the court, making a total of $933. The loss was immediately made up and the fund stands as intended by the testators at one thousand dollars.
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"JAMES FOORD FUND." James Foord of Pomona, Cali- fornia, whose will was allowed August 3, 1827, made the follow- ing cash bequests: "To the Public Library of Dedham, Mass., one thousand dollars; to the Overseers of the Poor of said Dedham, Mass., one thousand dollars."
SPECIAL FUNDS
"DAMON, DRAPER AND CAPEN FUNDS." ** Deacon Sam- uel Damon donated to the Town of Dedham, in 1779, one thousand dollars as a fund, the income of which should continually be dis- tributed to individuals and families, who not being a public charge are yet "under poor, low and indigent circumstances." It was provided, "that the oldest deacon of the First Church in said Town, from one successor to another, even to the last, be treas- urer, and lastly that this article be strictly adhered to the latest generation."
By April, 1796, according to the Town Record, the fund suf- fered from the financial embarrassment incident of the period and was reduced to $320.05. The amount was later carried on the books of the Dedham Institution for Savings as $321.00 at which amount it now stands.
The fund is held by Julius H. Tuttle, the senior deacon of the First Church.
The income of these funds is annually distributed by a Com- mittee of the Town in Dedham, and the income is annually paid by the senior deacon of the First Church to a committee of the Town appointed to make the distribution.
"GEORGE B. DRAPER FUND." George B. Draper of Ded- ham, whose will was approved December 22, 1875, made the fol- lowing bequest to the Town of Dedham:
"I bequeath to the Inhabitants of the Town of Dedham, the sum of one thousand dollars to be added to the principal of the bequest made to the town by Deacon Samuel Damon to be held, managed and invested by the same persons as have the manage- ment of the said Damon donation, forever, and the income arising therefrom to be distributed annually by the same person and among the same kind of inhabitants as directed by the said Damon.
* It is evident by the terms of the bequests that the Damon, Draper and Capen funds should be held by the senior deacon of the First Church in Dedham.
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My intention being simply to increase the amount of said Damon donation for the benefit of the same class of persons."
"CALVIN W. CAPEN FUND." Calvin W. Capen of Ded- ham, whose will was allowed March 24, 1915, made the following bequest:
"To the Town of Dedham, the sum of one thousand dollars to be held in the same way as the Damon-Draper fund, and the income therefrom to be used for the same purpose as the Damon- Draper fund."
"METCALF-WILSON SCHOOL FUND." Michael Metcalf of Dedham died in 1736, making the following bequest:
"I give and bequeath unto the First Precinct in Dedham aforesaid namely, -the North Precinct-the full sum of one hundred pounds to be let out to use and benefit of a school or schools within said Precinct to be paid in current passing money."
John Metcalf, Deacon Ephraim Wilson and Michael Dwight were chosen a committee by the First Parish to receive the be- quest. The same committee was instructed by the Parish "to project what they apprehend may be most proper in order to improve said donation according to ye testators intent therein." The committee reported March 19, 1738-9 as follows:
"We apprehend it may be proper to improve ye same for ye schooling of small children chiefly in ye summer season in two parts of said precinct, viz., that there be one school kept in the north part, not exceeding about half a mile from ye meeting- house. The other in ye south part not exceeding about half a mile from ye house of Deacon Richard Everett, and that there be a standing committee or trustee chosen to direct and regulate ye boards for ye money to be made to ye said committee and their successors and they to keep a record of their management in the office and to render an account thereof to ye Precinct annually, or, when desired and this to remain during the pleasure of said Precinct." This report was accepted by the Parish but in prac- tice, accounts were not annually rendered by the trustees.
This school donation was put to work May 7, 1739 when Beltriah Metcalf began to keep ye school at ye school-house near Chamberlain's and to teach children "to read, sew and knit", and on May 24, Mary Day commenced to teach school under the same
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conditions in the other part of the Parish. They were paid four pounds each for their services in full for ye year 1739. This was the first expenditure of the income from the Metcalf School Fund which was sufficient to maintain, in the Parish, two Dame Schools during the summer.
It appears that the income was not distributed annually as shown by the fact that the Parish in 1742 refused to grant the income from the fund "for ye encouragement of ye schooling of young children in the Parish." The next distribution of the income was made March 19, 1753, when it was voted by the Parish that the interest of the fund be "improved in Writing and Reading Schools."
As far as can be seen this school money was regarded in the light of a donation, as other school funds had been, which could be used, principal and interest alike, for school purposes. It was not looked upon as a fund, the income of which could alone be used.
William Avery was appointed by the Parish in 1763, to reckon with Mr. Michael Metcalf, one of the committee for taking care of the Parish School money. Mr. Avery reported April 11, 1763, that he had examined the accounts and "find them rightly cast and well vouched for" and that there is a balance in Mr. Metcalf's hands of £7, 4s, 3d, 2qr.
"THE DEACON EPHRAIM WILSON SCHOOL FUND." The trustees of the Metcalf School fund received May 1, 1777, from the estate of Deacon Ephraim Wilson, his bequest "for the benefit of a school in the first Parish in Dedham, the sum of £13, 6s, 8d, to be improved, the lawful use of it as the Donation of Mr. Michael Metcalf deceased." In the distribution of the income from the school fund it was voted March 19, 1804 that it should be proportioned by the Parish Committee by the same rule that the town's school money is proportioned and be by them delivered to the several committees for the use of said school, the interest on the school donation money was divided by the Parish from time to time. In 1839 a committee was appointed for the purpose of receiving and investing the principal and distributing the in- terest of the donation money, according to the intention of the donor. The committee reported that they found the sum of $110.00 to be the amount of the principal and interest of the donation
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fund. It was recommended that the whole amount be put to in- terest and wait further instructions from the Parish. In 1844 the Parish voted to distribute the interest and principal, excepting $100.00 "which is hereafter to remain without distribution as the principal of said Metcalf-Wilson donations." The fund remained untouched in the Dedham Institution for Savings until 1912 when it was found to be $2,693.62 In 1912, a committee was appointed by the Town to investigate with regard to the Metcalf-Wilson School bequests or donations and report with recommendations. After giving a brief history of the fund and its management and distribution since 1738-9, the committee recommended that the income be drawn annually and paid by the Treasurer of the First Parish in Dedham to the Treasurer of the Town, to be paid on the order of the School Committee, and expended in the purchase of reference books for the several schools of the Town; that one fourth of the income be used for the High School Library and the remaining three fourths be divided among the other schools of the town in proportion to the number of pupils in attendance in each school.
The recommendation of the Committee was adopted by the Town and the income from the Metcalf-Wilson School Fund is now used in the purchase of books for the use and benefit of the public schools of Dedham. The amount of the fund now de- posited in the Dedham Institution for Savings is $2,694.13.
"FREDERICK E. CLAPP MEMORIAL FUND." Grace H. Clapp, whose will was allowed December 6, 1922 made the fol- lowing bequest: "I give and bequeath to the Town of Dedham the sum of Five hundred dollars, to be known as the Frederick E. Clapp Memorial Fund, the income therefrom, to be used annually to furnish a prize or prizes for scholars of the Ames Grammar School of Dedham for any purpose which the principal of said school may deem proper. Said prize or prizes to be suitably in- scribed with the words "Frederick E. Clapp Memorial Fund."
"PUBLICATION OF ANCIENT RECORDS FUND." At the annual April Meeting in 1885 the town appropriated $500.00 as a fund for printing the early Town Records. The money received from the sale of books has been added to the fund which on Jan-
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uary 1, 1933 held a balance of $901.63 *. The following records have been published :
Births, Marriages and Deaths (three volumes) 1635-1845
Church and Cemetery 1638-1845
Early Records of the Town of Dedham 1636-1659
Early Records of the Town of Dedham 1659-1672
Early Records of the Town of Dedham 1672-1706
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* This fund was appropriated in 1935 for the publication of Vol. VI of Dedham Records.
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CHAPTER XV
DEDHAM ENTERPRISES
DEDHAM VILLAGE. Colonel Ebenezer Battle as Dr. Ames records, opened a shop with sundry others, on April 24, 1771. As stores at that time were called "shops" he was probably asso- ciated in opening a West India Goods Store, or with his associates, may have been the successors of Stephen Cleverly & Company who informed the public March 12, 1764, in an advertisement in the Boston Post Boy and Advertiser: "That they had opened a Shop in Dedham, the next house above Samuel Dexter Esq., near the Meeting House, where they may be supplied with a good as- sortment of English Goods, with all sorts of hardware, also Tea, Coffee, Chocolate, Loaf and Brown Sugar, Molasses, Cotton, Wool, the best of French Indigo, Spices of all kinds, Etc." Cash will be given for all Sorts of Furs and Bees-Wax. This store was located in a house which stood on the estate of the late Dr. H. P. Quincy.
The store of Jeremiah Shuttleworth,* at the corner of High and Church Streets, was probably the first permanently located grocery, or West India goods store, in Dedham. The building is still remembered with its windows closed with solid shutters painted green. Here Mr. Shuttleworth sold groceries, rum and spices. Here the first Post Office was established in 1795. Before the store stood the buttonwood tree on which public notices were posted for a hundred years or more.
A grocery store was located, for nearly a century, at the cor- ner of Court and Norfolk Streets, which was known in later years as the store of Thomas J. Baker & Sons. The business originated with George Alden, who was succeeded previous to 1850 by Ben- jamin F. Adams. Thos. J. Baker bought the business in 1865 from Timothy F. Shattuck and formed a partnership with George H. Mann under the firm name of Baker & Mann. They continued the business for seven years. Theron B. Ames joined in part- nership, with Mr. Baker, in 1872 and continued in the business
* It is impossible, in the evolution of the town, to give all enterprises, past and present, in which residents of Dedham have been engaged. Only such enterprises are here given as have occurred to the author at the time of writing. Much has been left on many subjects for future historians.
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until 1877, after which time Mr. Baker's two sons (Frederick J. and Edward F.), were taken into the business under the firm name of Thomas J. Baker & Sons. The business continued in the Baker family until 1926, when it was sold to Frederick Preston of Milton who closed the business in 1932. In September, 1935, the business was resumed by William H. Abbott as a part of the Nation-Wide System.
When Memorial Hall was built in 1867 provision was made for the Post Office and three stores. Here Andrew J. Norris had his grocery store, succeeding Charles Leland, the first occupant.
The firm of Robert Hamilton & Son, represents today, a grocery business which was brought together by uniting other firms. In 1875 David Neal opened a grocery store on High Street, between Church and Pearl Streets. In 1898 this business was mnoved to Washington Street. In 1902 George A. Phillips became Mr. Neal's successor and carried on the business until 1927 when it was purchased by Robert Hamilton & Son. In 1880 C. N. Dut- ton opened a grocery store on High Street which was purchased by the Snow Brothers in 1883. When in 1927 the Dedham Asso- ciates erected the present block on High Street, the Snow Brothers decided to liquidate and the business was purchased by Robert Hamilton & Son and united with their store in Memorial Hall Square. George Farrington had a grocery store in the building now occupied by the Rogers Press and was succeeded by Frank W. Baker who is still remembered. Austin Bryant's grocery store was located at the corner of School and Washington Streets; here he conducted the business until 1845, after which time he had several successors including Merrill D. Ellis. Mr. Bryant was the tax collector and here Dedham residents paid their annual tax for many years. The building is now occupied by William J. Murphy, dealer in auto accessories. The regular grocery busi- ness of the town is shared today by the following chain stores: S. K. Ames, The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, the First National Stores, the Nation-Wide Stores, and the Economy Grocery Stores.
DRUGGISTS. Lieut. Joshua Fisher was not only an inn- keeper, but the first apothecary of the town, as disclosed by the inventory of his estate made in 1672. He probably sold the
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A HISTORY OF DEDHAM
simples from which family medicines were made; the laxatives, tonics, astringents and sedatives, the herbs which later hung upon the rafters in every attic, the herbs George Marsh offered for sale as late as 1861. Some of these simples are recalled as follows: sage, thyme, hoarhound, rhubarb, yellow-dock, mother- wort, thoroughwort, tansy, catnip and peppermint, the materia medica of the times in which he lived. A century ago Robert Edison's drug store stood facing the north where Memorial Hall now stands, and opposite Wheaton & Dixon's rival establishment. They engaged in the manufacture of patent medicines which were sold by traveling representatives not only in the United States, but in Canada. Among the medicines advertised by this firm a hundred years ago, all of which were made in Dedham, were God- frey's Bone Liniment, Godfrey's Cordial, Wheaten's Itch Oint- inent, Lee's Bilious Pills, and Dumprey's Eye-Water. The house in which the drug store was located was formerly the store of Timothy Gay, Jr. & Company. Their partnership was dissolved in March, 1803. The business was continued by George Gay and while he craves the continuance of his former customers and friends, no intimation is given of the kind of business conducted here. It was probably a West India goods store.
William S. Rand succeeded George Dixon in 1853 as proprietor of the "Dedham Family Medicine Store." He was succeeded by William B. Tower who was Postmaster from 1856-1861 and kept the Post Office in connection with the store. He was succeeded on June 1, 1861 by George Marsh who had previously been as- sociated with a firm of chemists in Boston. He is recalled as having the first soda fountain in Dedham, which was greatly ap- preciated by the younger generation. Mr. Marsh died in 1891 and was succeeded by William Hurley who entered Mr. Marsh's employ as a lad. Mr. Hurley died in 1910 and was succeeded by Adolphus Holton, who, after a few years, sold the business to C. Walter Leavitt who transferred it from the Savings Banks Build- ing to its present location in Memorial Hall Square, where he is succeeded by the Hurley Drug Store.
The H. L. Wardle Drug Company was established in 1853, by Henry Smith, at its present location, corner of High and Wash- ington Streets. He was succeeded by Benjamin F. Smith. In
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1882 Henry L. Wardle purchased the business and later incorpo- rated it as the "H. L. Wardle Drug Company." In the spring of 1927 the old building was razed and the present two story brick structure was erected. It is still the "Corner Drug Store" and now occupies two floors. From using oil lamps and wood stoves to the present equipment of every thing electrical is indeed a wide divergence. The business is now under the management of Linwood C. Conant, one of the incorporators. Guy W. Cole, brought up in his father's drug store in Bridgewater, came to Dedham in 1909. He selected No. 91 High Street as a location for a drug store and through the years by courtesy, efficiency, and integrity, has built up a business of which he may well be proud.
SHOE STORES. Nearly a century ago John D. Snell had a shoe store on School Street near Court Street, but Andrew Wiggin whose store was located at the corner of Washington and High Streets is the best remembered shoe man of the town. He en- gaged in custom work and had a shop farther east on High Street where he employed four or five hands in making the fine boots and shoes with which he supplied his trade. Later he occupied a store in Memorial Hall where he was succeeded by the Cleveland Broth- ers, who with F. E. Robinson, were the leading boot and shoe dealers of the town. Alfred Allright had a boot and shoe store on the south side of High Street in the third building easterly of Memorial Hall Square. It should be recorded that it was in Mr. Allright's store that the first meetings were held which led to the institution of Constellation Lodge A. F. & A. M. in 1872. Present successors in the shoe business are Richard Sukowski & Son and P. Sheehan.
VARIETY STORES. Timothy Phelps sold morning and eve- ning papers, also candy, and a variety of other goods in his little shop on Church Street. Here he manufactured beaver and mole- skin hats of the latest style. Previously gentlemen had to go to Boston to obtain the beaver hats which were very much worn at the time. An original bill rendered by Henry Belcher, a Boston hatter, to Col. Ebenezer Battle, under date of July 26, 1783, reads as follows: Mr. Belcher's compliments to Col. Battles as asking the favor of him, if it will suit his convenience, to let me, Belcher, have the money for the hat, Col. Battle had some time since,
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having purchased same Beaver this day, to be paid for on Monday morning, or he would not have sent it at this time. The bill is receipted for eight dollars. When the corner stone of the Court House was laid in 1825, a miniature beaver hat made by Mr. Phelps was enclosed in the box. He also had hot and cold water baths in connection with his business.
The Community Store on Washington Street is conducted under the auspices of the Community Association. All articles offered for sale are the gifts of interested Dedham citizens. Whatever profit is made is contributed for the support of the children's playground in the Frances M. Baker Park.
DRY GOODS STORES. William Field, a member of a fam- ily of store keepers, had nearly a century ago, a dry goods store under the Masonic Building on Church Street. Mr. Field was perhaps the first to engage in the dry goods business in Dedham. Here he also carried a stock of men's clothing.
Charles P. Danforth came to Dedham and engaged in a small way in the dry goods business on High Street. Through industry and integrity he built up a business which continued for many years. He built Danforth's Block in which his business in later years was located. James J. Gibb became his successor. In 1917, Mrs. H. G. Merrill succeeded to the business which she sold in 1935 to the Dedham Book Shop, which, with Frank Geishecker and the Mclellan Store on High Street, now cover the dry goods business in Dedham Village.
BOOK STORES. Charles Coolidge owned the buildings which stood where Memorial Hall now stands. Here he had a book and stationery store where he supplied school books to the pupils of the town. Mrs. Honora Doherty, whose son was a news- boy on a Dedham train, established at the close of the Civil War, a news stand and variety store on High Street, where the Com- munity Theatre now stands. Mrs. Doherty is recalled as saying that in the early years the boys who patronized her store were young gentlemen, while in the latter days they had lost their manners and were no longer young gentlemen. Charles J. Davis succeeded to the newspaper business and established in 1900, the "Dedham News Agency" located in the Dedham National Bank building. The business is now conducted by Henry M. Carey, who
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carries not only newspapers and periodicals, but a full line of stationer's supplies. The Dedham Book Shop, a well equipped book store, was opened by Sarah Staples (Mrs. O. D. Dutton), in 1921 and has met a long felt want to a large and growing patron- age.
WATCHMAKERS. George A. Guild, watchmaker and jew- eler succeeded the business of Enoch Sutton who was located in the Dixon House in 1845. Mr. Guild later moved to Memorial Hall Square. He was a native of Dedham and one of the few business men who remained here during their entire business life. He was for years the Chief of the Fire Department. His successor of to; day is John Browne.
OPTICIAN. Raymond A. Bullard, the only optician in the town, cares for the eyes of the people, especially those of the boys and girls of the community.
HARDWARE. Charles Russell, a native of Connecticut, came to Dedham about 1855 and set up a hardware business; a business in which Joseph Guild had previously been engaged on High Street. Mr. Russell carried stoves, furnaces, and plumbers' fixtures and supplies. He occupied the wooden building standing on the area of the present National Bank building which had previously been Wiggin's Shoe Store and Richard's Dry Goods Store. A syndicate purchased the property early in 1900 and erected what was known as "Greenleaf Block" in which the first floor was occupied by the Post Office and Mr. Russell's store. The new store was equipped with modern fixtures and brought up to date. Here Mr. Russell continued the business until his death in 1907 when he was succeeded by his son, John I., who conducted the business under the firm name of "Charles Russell's Son." The business was sold in 1920 and was conducted by the F. W. Carson Company until 1934 when it was taken over by the A. T. Chase Corp. In the early days Mr. Russell erected on the prem- ises the public scales on which the dealers weighed their hay and coal for many years. Before the day of the American Can Com- pany, Mr. Russell made many tin cans for a Boston firm who used them in putting up tomatoes for their trade. After the cans were filled Mr. Russell went to Boston and sealed them up, quite in contrast with the canning methods of today. In 1869 Michael Keel-
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an succeeded Taylor in the manufacture of tin ware at East Ded- ham. Originally tin carts were sent out, the drivers of which engaged in barter with farmer's wives, who exchanged rags, feath- ers, and junk for the bright tin ware, all of which had been manu- factured in Dedham. About 1875 M. Keelan & Son opened another store in Dedham Village in a building which stood on the site of the Patenaude Block .. Here they extended their business to in- clude plumbing and heating. In 1900 Edward J. Keelan estab- lished a hardware business which was really an outgrowth and de- velopment of former activities in the heating, plumbing, and tin- ware field. Mr. Keelan is now the sole owner of this large and prosperous business located at No. 581 High Street. Charles F. Macomber who had dealt in furniture, hardware, and boots and shoes in East Dedham, moved to Dedham Village some years ago and engaged in the hardware business on Eastern Avenue which he continued until his death in 1933. Fisher & Ellis opened a hardware store at the corner of School and Washington Streets about 1900 in which business they continued for several years.
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