USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Dedham > History of Dedham, Massachusetts > Part 23
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More than a half a century ago Thomas P. Murray had his grocery store in Boyden Square. Here his hearty laugh and twinkling eyes won for him a goodly share of the local trade. Through courtesy and integrity he gained the confidence of his fellow men who made him, at a later date, the treasurer of the town.
MARKETS. Henry Halthan had a meat market on High Street west of Boyden Square, followed by John Martin. At the present time there are two independent meat markets in this dis- trict, Giulio Vitali's Market located at 24 High Street, and Zieg- ler's Market on the corner of Central and Bussey Streets.
DRUG STORE. Henry Smith after disposing of his busi- ness in Dedham Village, opened a drug and apothecary store on High Street which he conducted for many years. In 1896 E. M. Gates established the drug store now conducted by his son R. E. Gates in Boyden Square. Mr. Gates illustrated with a barrel of lime water, offered free to all who would help themselves, that the cost of drugs is largely a matter of service.
Rosen's Hardware and Sporting Goods Store, located at 30 Milton Street, meets a long felt want in supplying this line of goods in East Dedham.
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Murphy's News Stand and Card Shop, at 47 High Street, meets the need of East Dedham in this line of supplies.
Macomber's bakery seventy years ago was a forerunner of the baking business, later carried on by Kelly & Helmer in their "Walnut Hill Bakery." Stewart's Food Shop, 20 High Street, now supplies this trade.
GRAIN. The Goding Bros., (William and George), estab- lished a grain business in 1870 which they continued for more than a half century. For many years they were located in the Old Stone Mill on Mother Brook. Present conditions illustrate the changed situation in industrial life of today. In 1870 everyone was expected to put in a twelve hour day-wages were small, but work was constant. Public welfare and the problem of unemploy- ment were unknown. For many years there was a great demand for grain and feed in Dedham among the dairy interests. On seventeen farms twenty or more cows were kept to meet dairy demands.
John A. Hirsch, long a resident of East Dedham, helped to develop this part of the town, by early maintaining a clothing es- tablishment in the square. Here he won the esteem of his fellow citizens who sent him, for several terms, to represent the town in the State Legislature. He is now engaged in the insurance busi- ness, and often serves as an auctioneer at public sales.
OAKDALE. Previous to 1870 Oakdale was largely wood land. Charles C. Sanderson bought the land, employed a surveyor, and had it laid out in numbered lots. He then interested ten men, employed by the Wheeler & Wilson Sewing Machine Company, each to buy a building lot. The number of every other lot was placed in a hat, each man to have the lot his number.drew. In this way, Mr. Sanderson built the first ten houses in Oakdale which has developed into an attractive section of the town. He also built Sanderson Hall which contained the grocery store, man- aged by A. B. Ferguson, of which Edward A. Ricker later became proprietor. The grocery business is now conducted by three chain stores, namely: the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, the First National Stores, and the Economy Grocery Stores.
Roy Muir established a pharmacy in 1925, of which Rich- mond's Pharmacy is now the successor.
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The Cedar Street Market and Golden's Oakdale Cash Market represent the meat and produce business in this locality.
The bakery business in the Oakdale section is controlled solely by the Acorn Food Shop, located in the Chamberlain Block on Cedar Street.
CONNECTICUT CORNER. Calvin Whiting's grocery store stood at the corner of Lowder and High Streets and was in opera- tion in 1800. This was the first store at Connecticut Corner and was later known as Whiting & Newell's Store. Here Jonathan Loring conducted the store for fourteen years and it is recalled cn his retirement that he said, "he was just $1500 better off than when he took the store." This was the meeting place of the men of the neighborhood who gathered in the evening around the fire. One cold night, when there was little trade, Mr. Loring was especially anxious to go home so he let his fire out. The company gathered as usual and as the room was cold, someone looked into the stove and found the fire was out. The company then went out and gathered up snow and ice and returning filled the stove with it and then went home. Calvin Capen, a benefactor of the town, is still remembered as the last proprietor of this store. Calvin Guild who occupied the Brewster house on High Street had in connection a West India goods store which he conducted for many years, also a hatters shop. Mr. Guilds' day-book opened June 5, 1822 and still extant, shows how few staple goods were bought and those by patrons other than farmers. Of twenty-two items recorded on the first page, twelve, or 54%, were for intoxicating drinks; Punch, 1/2 mug, 121/2; wine per quart, 37; sling, 03; rum 25 per quart; brandy 24 a pint; cider 04 a quart; grog 03. The price of sundries was as follows: Indian meal .28 a peck; rye meal .25; floor .041/2 a pound ; bread .02 or .05 a loaf ; butter .22 a pound; molasses .38 a gallon; tea 1/4 lb. . 16; coffee .32 a pound; rye cof- fee .04; eggs .14 a dozen; pepper .40 lb .; pork .10 lb .; sugar (brown) .11 lb .; loaf, 20; oil, .22 a quart; candles .16 a doz .; bed cord .40. Reuben Newell had a grocery store on High Street and was succeeded by Jesse Clapp the nature of whose business is shown by a writer in the Norfolk Democrat, September 5, 1845, who asks, Did not Mr. Bates, in order to purify the Upper Vil- lage from the baneful influence of alcohol, purchase a few years
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since, all the liquor in the store of N. Clapp, and cause them to be removed to this village? It is reported that he even threatened to break down the business of the store unless the sale of spirits was discontinued. This store was later converted into a bakery.
It was an early custom in most villages for some women, given to trade, to have a crockery ware store for the convenience of housewives. Such a store was kept in the upper village by Eliza- beth Hunnewell. Other enterprises on High Street included a tin shop, Hunnewell's carriage-shop, Richard Webb's shoemaker's shop and the blacksmith's shops of Amasa Guild, Martin Bates and Jason Messenger. William Baker had a neighborhood grocery on Dexter Street.
RIVERDALE. Riverdale with its school, church, post office and Riverside Park has developed into an attractive community with hourly bus connections with Dedham Square. The Riverdale Variety Store, which especially caters to community needs, was the first regular store to be established in this section of the town. This enterprise has been followed by the First National Store, the Economy Store, the Riverdale Market, the McHugh's Drug Store, with various lunch rooms to meet the needs of the patrons of the "Spring Street Canoe House" and "Moseley's on the Charles" which are devoted to recreation and amusement. Not far away, on Pine Street is the extensive green house of Edward Bingham which completes the list of present enterprises on Ded- ham Island.
WEST DEDHAM. In connection with his hostelry, Col. Theodore Gay kept a dry goods and West India goods store in which his grandson, Merrill D. Ellis, was later interested. Mr. Ellis was succeeded by his son, the late Charles H. Ellis, who was proprietor of the store for a half century or more. Another groc- ery store was run at one time by Greely & Baker. The business was established about 1840. Other owners have been Frank Guy, George D. Baker, Frank Hayward, Frank Soule, John D. Ellis, French and Randlett and George A. French. Mr. Bateman had a store at Pond Plain with a small line of groceries for the con- venience of the neighborhood.
Ellis Gay devoted a part of his house on High Street to the sale of English and dry goods, a unique county store which was continued by his son Erastus Gay. The store enjoyed not only
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the trade of the village but a patronage from many families in the adjoining towns. Mrs. Lusher Gay, supplemented the straw business of her husband, by devoting several rooms in their home to a display of Chinaware by which she not only met the demands of the street in this line, but also supplied numerous families in the surrounding towns. Reuben Colburn had a meat shop with butcher's carts on the road which covered the adjacent territory. A. B. Colburn succeeded to the business and his carts for many years made daily rounds. A few years since the business was discontinued by Mr. Colburn and thus passed one of West Ded- ham's oldest and best known enterprises.
SOUTH PARISH. There were a goodly number of stores and shops in the South Parish which had been developed through the years and are still recalled .*
At the corner of Washington Street and Railroad Avenue was Butterworth's dry goods store; which was owned by Charles Bumpus in 1852. Butterworth was succeeded in the business by Lewis Rhoads. Oliver Morse's variety store was enlarged about 1870 and here Francis Tinker moved his drug store. Andrew's tin shop was located on Washington Street between Cottage and Nahatan Streets, also Guild's wheelwright shop in 1823. On the southwest corner of Nahatan Street was a house and store owned by Dea. Jabez Boyden. He lived here and was the proprietor of a grocery business until Ebenezer Fisher Gay bought him out in 1843. Mr. Gay continued the business at this place and in his store Capt. Moses Guild kept the first Post Office in the village, having been appointed postmaster in 1846.
When the Wheelock Building, at the corner of Washington and Cottage Streets was erected, E. Fisher Gay and L. W. Bige- low occupied it as a grocery, hardware, and general merchandise store. They were succeeded by Wheelock & Jenks who continued it as a grocery store. Mr. Jenks soon retired and Elijah Wheelock as a successor carried on the business for many years. The vil- lage also had Jeremiah Hogan's Shoe Shop and George Kings- bury's watch and clock repair shop on Market Street. Among those who occupied the Village Hall Block were Anson Gay, news- dealer; James Jennesse, book and sporting goods; Moses E. Webb,
* The active development of the Parish commenced about 1820.
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grocer; and L. W. Bigelow, dealer in dry goods, boots and shoes, millinery, and furniture. Mr. Bigelow's business was listed as the largest establishment of its kind in Southern Norfolk County.
D. B. Farrington erected, about 1850, a building just south of Village Hall where his dry goods store was located. Jos. R. Engley dealt in stoves. Opposite Winslow Station, Lemuel Dean, more than a century ago, had a West India goods store, where he retailed the wet goods demanded by the times in which he served the public. Frank Potter was an early barber in the vil- lage and by his dexterity with the scissors and razor discouraged all rivals who would set up competing shops.
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CHAPTER XVI
MANUFACTURING*
In the development of Dedham, mills were necessary for the grinding of corn and other grains; the sawing of timber; and the fulling of cloth. At this time large streams had not been damned even in England and Gov. Winthrop coming to America saw that it would be many years before mills would be built in a new country. He therefore brought into the country many small corn mills, turned by hand and easily transported. One of these mills is in the collection of the Dedham Historical Society and is an object of much interest, as it was probably used here before the building of a water mill in 1640-1. With the nearest corn mill at Watertown, and no roads for transportation, the first settlers of Dedham early saw the necessity of providing a water mill of their own. While difficulties presented themselves in this project, yet, with an increasing cultivation of corn, wheat, rye and other grains they persevered in their endeavor.
Abraham Shaw, an original proprietor proposed to the town to build a corn mill. On February 21, 1636-7, the town passed the following order: "Wheras Abraham Shawe is Resolved to erect a Cornmill in our towne of Dedham, we doe grante vnto him Free liberty soe to doe. And for that purpose we have nowe as- signed Edward Alleyn, Samuell Morse, Ezechiell Holliman, Thomas Bartlet & Nicholas Phillips ... to accompany him & his workmen to fynd out a convenient place." Again on March 23, 1636-7, the town voted to give to Abraham Shawe for ye erecting of a Corne Mill in our Towne sixty Acres of Land to belong vnto ye sayd Mill soe erected pvided allwayes yt the same be a Water Mill, els not.
The town was so much in earnest about this enterprise that it ordered "eury man yt hath lott wth vs, shall assist to breng the Milstones from Watertowne Mill by land vnto ye boateing place neer mr Haynes farme." Subsequent records show that Shawe's attempt was to build a mill on Charles River but before the work
* No effort is here made to exhaust subjects; the genesis alone is attempted.
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was hardly under way, he died. It is now impossible to locate the spots on Charles River where he intended to place his mill.
March 25, 1639 Ordered yt a Ditch shalbe made at a Comon Charge through purchased medowe vnto ye East brooke. yt may both be a ptieon fence in ye same: as also may serue for a; Course vnto a water mill: yf it shalbe fownd fitting to set a mill vpon ye sayd brooke by ye Judgemt of a workeman for yt purpose. This canal is some three fourths of a mile in length and is the origin of Mother Brook .* This was the first attempt in this country to divert the water of a large stream into an artificial channel. The canal gave a fall of several feet to the Neponset River and made possible several mill privileges. The Hodges' Mill of today is the successor of the first mill built in 1640.
People have marvelled says Dr. Arthur M. Worthington at the early date at which Dedham settlers built this canal, but it all came about after they had observed a natural phenomenon that occurred probably each spring when the meadows; were over flowed. In the triangle formed by High and Harvard Streets and Brookdale Avenue, there is low land where East Brook, or one of its branches, originated. In the spring the high water flowed across this area into East Brook and so on to the Neponset River. There was probably another such natural continuity of meadow along the present course of the canal. Realizing from the cas- cading of the water through this spillway, that water power development was possible if a permanent flow was brought about, the early settlers caused to be dug this canal across Purchase Meadow. A sill placed in the bed of Mother Brook prevents more than one third of the flow of Charles River being diverted into the Neponset.
The Town was so persistent in its efforts to gain a water mill that the following order was passed, March 25, 1639. "Or- dered that yt yf any man or men will vndrtake & erect a water Cornemill shall haue given vnto him soe much grownd as was formrly granted vnto Abraham Shawe for yt same end & purpose wth such other benefitts and privelidges as he shold haue had in all Respects accordingly. provided yt ye sayd Mill doth grinde
* The canal has been variously called in the town records, as the ditch, the creek, the Mill Creek, Mill Brook, and in 1652 Mother Brook. The latter name was probably given because it is the source of the water which ran the mill upon its banks.
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THE GRIST MILL
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THE SAW MILL
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Corne before ye First of ye tenth month as it is intended." This canal conducts all water through East Brook into the Neponset river.
John Elderkin came over from Lynn and availed himself of the offer and erected a mill to which a committee was appointed July 14, 1641, to "search out appoynt determine and lay out a Cart way to our Water Mill for a common leading way." Elderkin received a grant jointly with Nathaniel Whiting of eight acres of land on the south side of the mill pond for a house lot. At the same time twenty acres more of upland and ten acres of meadows were laid out to him. In 1642 Elderkin sold one half of his right to Nathaniel Whiting and the other half to the Rev. John Allin, Nathan Aldus and John Dwight. In 1649 Nathaniel Whiting be- came the sole proprietor of the corn mill which property remained in the Whiting family until 1823, a period of one hundred and seventy-four years, when it was conveyed to the Dedham Worsted Factory. In 1863 the property was conveyed to the Merchants' Woollen Company. Through the years grist mills,* saw-mills, a fulling mill and woolen and cotton mills have been run by the water of Mother Brook. In 1664 a new corn mill was built by David Pond and Ezra Morse above the mill of Nathaniel Whiting. On account of this mill frequent complaints were made by Whit- ing to the town and on May 15, 1699 a committee reported that they apprehended "it may be benefishal to our medows and the other mills to have Ezra Morse's mill let fall & to let the water run in its anchant naterall corse." This report was accepted and as compensation for this measure forty acres was granted to Ezra Morse near Neponset River, at the old saw mill, or, at Everett's plane, and a committee was appointed to lay out the land to his satisfaction.
Steps were early taken to provide pits for the hand sawing of timber. On January 18, 1637-8 it was voted to allow for the digging of pits twelve feet long, four and a half feet wide and five feet deep, two shillings and six pence. John Morse undertook the work of building pits and the work was considered so important that he was allowed to call into the service such help as he pleased. Prices were established for felling trees and committees were ap-
* The site of the first mill has been marked on the east side of Bussey Street.
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pointed for bringing timber to the pits. A Norwegian, who in recent years cut boards in saw pits, tells us sawing up logs with a pit-saw is the thing that takes the strength out of a man. Standing on the platform at the top, one has to pull with all his strength to drag the saw up and push with all his strength to get it down again. The man who stands underneath at the other end has an easier task. But after a time the work makes one's back and stomach ache terribly pulling the saw up, up, up, up and pushing down, down, down, down through the logs. The task was no easier in our forefathers day in New England. While boards were doubtless cut for building the meeting house, it is also likely that they were early used in house construction in Dedham. Sawing timber in pits, being so laborious, the Dedham settlers cast around to find a suitable place for the building of a water saw mill. Exploring their territory they found, in what is now Walpole, an extensive cedar swamp of virgin growth. In 1657 this swamp was apportioned to the proprietors, of the town and later in the words of the records its circumferance was taken.
The importance of locating a saw mill near the swamp was early considered. On January 3, 1658-59, the matter of setting up a saw mill was left to a committee of the town who were em- powered to arrange all the details for the building of a saw mill. A committee was also appointed to lay out and mark the fittest cartway to the cedar swamp. Doubtless an Indian trail was fol- lowed. Meanwhile two of Dedham's most prominent men, Lieu- tenant Joshua Fisher and Eleazer Lusher came forward with a proposition to erect and maintain an adequate saw mill at the edge of the swamp. Sergeant Daniel Fisher, Nathaniel Colburn and Peter Woodward were appointed a committee to agree and conclude with them for "the setting up of a "Sawe mille." The Committee granted them liberty to build a saw mill on the Ne- ponset River "or any pt thereof wher they shall Judge most meete." for sawing of the timber in Cedar Swamp. Permission was freely granted to take timber, wood, stone and earth needed in building the mill with the exclusive use and enjoyment of the right so long as they, their heirs and assignee continue to main- tain the mill. The Committee in the name and behalf of the Town promised that no other saw mill should be erected or set up, except
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by the consent of the said Fisher and Lusher, for the space of ten years within the bounds of Dedham. It was jointly agreed that what ever pine or cedar timber be cut into inch boards for the inhabitants of the Town, one half of the boards shall be al- lowed to the owner of the timber and the other half to the own- ers of the mill. It was further agreed that all timber should be cut in succession, according to the time it was brought to the mill. The saw mill was located in what is now Walpole and the right was granted on the condition that it should be erected and ready for use before the 24th day of June, 1660. As the town took pains to see that the grist mill was run in the interest of the in- habitants, so they made rules regulating the saw mill which at first were decidedly in favor of the owners. The inhabitants of Dedham established free clay pits, free ponds, a free school, free herd walks and a free planting field. Other saw mills followed. In 1677, Ezra Morse having received the previous year a grant of enough timber to build a dwelling house, moved for so much tim- ber of the common lands "as is sufficient to build him a Saw mill." This request was granted "provided he take so much of his own timber as is suitable for the work." Here on Hawes Brook, which in 1738 became a part of the boundary between the Dedham South Parish and Walpole, Ezra Morse* built his saw mill which in later years had so much to do with the development of the South Par- ish.
In the development of the Clapboard Tree Parish a saw mill was built on Purgatory Brook on Everett Street. The ruins of the dam can still be seen near Fisher's greenhouse. By whom the mill was set up is unknown. It was probably built during the last years of the 17th Century. The Rev. Thomas Thatcher, who had access to records, now lost, says "It was nearly fifty years after the settlement of Dedham before any effort was made to settle the westerly part of the town." Previous to King Philip's War, not only Colonial Laws, but their own safety demanded that the inhabitants should live near together.
James Draper and Nathaniel Whiting having been granted permission by the town, in 1682, built a fulling mill below the corn mill on East Brook.
* It is the belief of those conversant with the history of early Dedham that Ezra Morse made the first settlement in the South Parish.
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While the town voted November, 1767, that it would "in all prudent methods encourage the use of such articles as may be produced or manufactured in the British American Colonies, particularly in this Province" yet manufacturing progressed but slowly. During the last years of President Jefferson's administration, however, there was a feeling that more goods should be manufactured at home and fewer imported from abroad. With the increase in the product of cotton in the South, and the invention of the cotton-gin, enterprising men saw an opportunity to engage in manufacturing. To meet the new demand the Norfolk Cotton Factory, the first corporation in Ded- ham to engage in manufacturing, was incorporated in 1808,* by thirty individuals, largely citizens of Dedham, for the purpose of manufacturing cotton cloth. The company built a large wooden mill on the upper dam, on Mother Brook, run by tub wheels. The machinery was crude and imperfect, but it was the delight of the town's people to take their visiting friends to the mill to see its "curious and wonderful machinery." The spacious store-room ad- joining the factory was crowded with cotton yarn and cotton cloth which, as far as possible, was retailed to customers. The high price of cotton cloth admitted the payment of high wages to work- men and agents. This continued until the end of the war in 1814, when a flood of cheap goods deluged the country. Although the company introduced improved machinery in spinning, weav- ing, and bleaching, to meet the new competition, and extended their product to the manufacture of satinets, yet it was thought best in 1819 to sell the whole establishment and the property was sold at public auction to Benjamin Bussey for twelve thousand, five hundred dollars.
In 1821 the Dedham Worsted Company was organized with William Phipps and Jabez Chickering incorporators. This company purchased, in 1823, the second privilege with the saw and grist mills, for so many years owned by the Whiting family. Owing, however, to the failure of a member of the corporation, the pro- perty was sold in 1824 to Benjamin Bussey. The first and second
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