USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Dedham > History of Dedham, Massachusetts > Part 25
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ON THE CORNER OF NAHATAN STREET, where the Catholic Church now stands, was the house of Oliver Morse. Stores were located on the ground floor with a hall above. Mr. Morse was South Dedham's only tailor and for forty years the sign, "Oliver Morse, Merchant Tailor," hung upon the door.
SPRINGFIELD PARISH. In the Springfield Parish, (Dov- er), a tannery on Spring Brook was set up in 1754 by William Whiting who continued in the business for nearly half a century. In those days, tanning was very laborious work as the bark was ground by hand. Skins were often five or six years in the tan- ning and had extraordinary wearing qualities. A nail shop where wrought iron nails were made by hand was located near the tan- nery.
Soon after King Philip's War a dam was thrown across Charles River at what is now known as Charles River Village and a saw mill built by Daniel and Joshua Fisher. In 1733 Nathaniel Chick- ering purchased one third interest in the mill which was located
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on the Dover side of the river. Mr. Fisher sold the remaining two thirds to Caleb Wheaton, reserving the saw mill property, for the erection of a fulling and dyeing of home spun.
CLAPBOARD TREES PARISH (West Dedham) through the years was an agricultural community, yet many industries, besides the saw-mill grist-mill, cider-mill, and blacksmith shop sprung up, several of which moved away with the coming of the railroad to Dedham and Norwood.
Sometime in early 1800 a sugar-mill was established at what is now known as Lee's Pond on Summer Street. This was called the Dedham Sugar Refinery and later the Shawmut Sugar Re- finery. Large quantities of sugar was imported from the West Indies, ground, refined, and put up in loaf form and sold in Boston.
Glover's Tool Shop on Mill Street built early in 1800, was oper- ated first by Edward Glover and later by Henry Glover. Many kinds of small tools were made here, chisels, screwdrivers, pinch- ers and nail sets. Henry Glover invented a concave point nail set which was later adopted by all tool manufacturers. In his day cranberries were a valuable product in swamps and river farms. Mr. Glover made an improved cranberry rake which created a de- mand that he could hardly supply. The Glover Shop had a square tower on which a wind mill was placed to supply power said to have been the only power windmill of its type in Massachusetts.
Benjamin Gay and others early commenced the manufacture of wooden stoppers used extensively in the milk business. The vicinity where the stoppers were made (Wheelwright Estate on Gay Street), was popularly known previous to the present century as "Stopperville."
Benjamin H. Tubbs & Co. established an iron foundry on High Street in 1833. The firm cast all kinds of stoves, fire frams, hollow ware and machinery. They advertised in 1833 as follows: "As a part of our business, is, to prevent the scolding of the good house- wife, by manufacturing stoves and fire frames to remedy the too common inconvenience of a smoking house, they beg the patron- age of all such, that domestic happiness may be provided, by their husbands leaving them less and loving home more." The firm made the castings for the Wheeler & Wilson Sewing Machine. They cast many iron fences; the fence across the front of the
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Westwood Cemetery was cast by them in 1843. They were also early manufacturers, when it came into general use, of the popu- lar air tight stove.
Abijah Colburn had a Cabinet Maker's Shop on Mill Street, Pond Plain Brook, as early as 1828. Here David Addison Baker, a prominent Dedham manufacturer, served his apprenticeship and learned the cabinet makers trade.
Presbury & Nichols manufactured in 1838, an improved cook- ing stove after a patent by Andrew and Austin. They adver- tised, "The stove is so unlike any cooking stove in the market, and possesses so many qualities superior to all others, that it must be seen and used to be valued according to its usefulness. Like a good wife, it praises itself by fulfilling its task with little noise and much neatness."
R. H. Draper & Co., established the Mill Street Foundry in 1855. The first iron was melted here on August 4, 1856. Three years later a steam engine was put in to take the place of water power. The business gave employment to a goodly number of men and was prosperous for about twenty years. A store and board- ing house were erected. The building was of a peculiar type having five gables and is now standing on High Street. Ellis D. & Rufus Draper began running the Iron Foundry in 1861; after several changes in the name of the firm the business was sold in 1875. From this time the enterprise was carried on by several individuals including S. H. Buckingham.
E. Fisher Talbot operated an oil cloth factory between 1860 and 1870 in the building now standing on High Street near the Town Hall. The stamps bearing the designs were made of wood. These were covered with a special kind of paint and the pattern stamping was done by hand. Later Mr. Talbot moved the busi- ness to Norwood.
Luther Crocker was an early carriage maker with a shop on High Street. Later the shop was used by Warren Covell for the manufacture of hoop-skirts and is still remembered as the Baker Bros. paint shop where they carried on a prosperous busi- ness of carriage painting. With many milk wagons to be built the wheelwrights business flourished and Sylvester Coy in his shop on High Street was the leading manufacturer.
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Ellis & Gay operated a factory for the manufacture of spools and spooling cotton as early as 1836 which was located in the vicinity of the Post Office. In 1838 they took the first prize for an exhibit of "Spool Cotton" at the First Exhibition and Fair of the Massachusetts Charitable Merchant Association in Boston.
The straw industry started in Providence, Rhode Island in 1794, when Betsey Metcalf (Mrs. Betsy Baker of West Dedham), then twelve years old, after many attempts successfully braided some straw from her father's field and shaped it into a straw bonnet thus making the first straw bonnet in America. She taught others how to make straw bonnets and in this way the industry started. With the importation of foreign braids Lusher Baker engaged in the straw business. The braid was carried from house to house and sewed into hats and bonnets by the women of the place. He also had a large wagon drawn by two horses in which he carried all kinds of dry goods and visited all the neigh- boring towns.
Fifty years ago, no one industry exceeded the milk business in West Dedham. At that time it is safe to say that no less than sixteen or eighteen hundred families depended upon West Ded- ham for their daily quart or pint of milk. West Dedham for many years sent at least four hundred and fifty gallons of milk daily to Boston, which aggregated during the year 164,250 gallons. Each one of twelve or fifteen sent one or more milk wagons to Boston every day. The midnight hours were noisy with the many carts rattling by, and the afternoons were lively with their return. Henry S. Draper, C. & S. Draper, R. Cheney & Brother, Abner Greeley, Johnson Bros., John L. Fisher and James Pond were the chief milk-men running carts into Boston.
Before the advent of railroads Dexter Baker engaged in team- ing and went with loaded carts to places as far distant as Virginia and Montreal. He also did a large cask and barrel business. Under contract he supplied Morrill's Ink Works at South Dedham with all the barrels required in shipping printers ink. The business often required a hundred and fifty casks a week.
The products of the surrounding forests have furnished var- ied enterprises from 1698 when Caleb Pond received an "interest in a right to a sawmill standing upon Rock Meadow", to the
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present day. From the earliest time ship timber was in demand.
The butcher's business commenced early in West Dedham. During the War of 1812 large quantities of beef and pork were packed by Willard Gay. Later Lewis Richards had a pork, lard and sausage business. His products were always popular and the supply never exceeded the demand.
The village Smithy on High Street, one of many that have been set up in the community, goes back to Revolutionary days. Back in 1794 it was operated by Reuben Richards. In 1810 Lem- uel Thwing was the proprietor and at this time Benjamin Fisher ran a wheelrights shop on the premises. In 1887 the business was acquired by John Abel.
CONNECTICUT CORNER. The first house erected in the Upper Village is believed to have been built by Isaac Whiting previous to 1800, and in so doing he started a number of enter- prises in that part of the town. Mr. Whiting formed a partner- ship with Eli Parsons, a tinsmith, for the manufacture of tin ware. A shop was built and workmen skilled in the trade came with Mr. Parsons from Connecticut with tools, tin carts, and all else neces- sary for the successful carrying on of the business. The coming of these men to the Upper Village gave it the name of Connecti- cut Corner. Soon the old fashioned tin cart was seen upon the streets of Dedham; a fascinating wagon full of glistening pots, dippers, tea-pots, coffee-pots, glass ware, brooms and other small necessary articles for rural households. The wagon was the de- light of small children. Money was seldom used in transaction and a variety of farm produce were often taken in exchange.
Isaac Whiting entered into partnership with Samuel Lowder for the carding of wool. A shop was built; the outlet of Fisher's pond was dammed and by a conduit the water conducted to a water-wheel on lower ground. Mr. Whiting was an inventive genius and the shop was fitted with wool carding machinery much of which was of his own invention.
There were three blacksmiths shops in the Upper Village; at least in one of these shops must have been shod the many oxen used in moving Calvin Guild's house from the Douse place on High Street. For many years the slow and patient ox was used on all Dedham farms and the ox-sling in which they were shod
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was found in many blacksmiths' shops. Ox shoeing required great skill on the part of the smith. The ox shoe is small and the hoof must be very carefully pared so that the nails will not penetrate to the quick.
One of the later industries included Henry Woods' broom factory, where he employed six or seven hands in the manufacture of a variety of brooms which he shipped by cart load to Boston. John B. Fisher, who had been in Mr. Woods' employ, later built a broom factory at Connecticut Corner.
Russell & Baker specialized in the manufacture of bed steads. Steam power soon displaced the horse power at first used which proved a great advantage to the company. Business steadily in- creased until November 9, 1850 when the factory was destroyed by fire. The firm soon began to rebuild with the help of their employees, numbering fifty or more, who put in their time rather than remain idle. The new structure was about 50x120 feet and a great ball held in the main building before the machinery was put in, was recalled for many years. Dining room furniture was added to the product of the factory. The new factory was short lived, and on June 1, 1853 it was destroyed by fire. The firm then pur- chased land at the corner of High and Railroad Streets and erect- ed new buildings. Edward B. Holmes was admitted a partner and the firm became, Russell, Baker & Holines. They employed more than a hundred hands in the manufacture of chamber, library and dining room furniture. Soon the business became one of the leading industries in the country. Orders came in from San Francisco, New Orleans, Baltimore and other large cities. The magnitude of the business is illustrated by one order from Clark & Wilbur of San Francisco which amounted to $35,000. The busi- ness was discontinued in 1862 when the entire property was pur- chased by the Boston and Providence Railroad at 40 cents a foot, said to have been the highest price paid for any land in the village up to that time.
At a time previous to the instruction given the blind, teach- ing them useful trades, William Baker, who lost his sight at the age of fifteen, taught himself the art of whip making and by indus-
NOTE-Eliphalet Baker, a carpenter, visited the South and on his return built his house after a Southern style. with the front door in the corner nearest the street ; a plan which was later followed by Amasa Guild in building his house at Connecticut Corner.
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try and the quality of his goods built up a successful business in the braiding of tops and lashes for bow whips. His shop on Dexter Street, with a large whip as a sign, is still recalled, also his gro- cery store beneath, which supplied the neighborhood for many years with West India goods. In Boston, unaccompanied in the busy marts of trade, Mr. Baker selected his stock and bought his supplies.
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CHAPTER XVII
DEDHAM INSTITUTIONS
LIBRARIES. Dedham Village has had library facilities since 1794, when the Social Library of the First Parish was or- ganized. The first meeting of the proprietors was held September 8, 1794, when a constitution and by-laws for regulating the li- brary were adopted. The books were probably housed in the home of the town minister*, and were issued for circulation on Mondays. The library grew from 87 volumes in 1809 to 230 volumes in 1838 and 500 volumes in 1860. This was a free library and open to all the members of the Parish. A collection for the support of the Social Library was taken at the service on the "day of fasting and prayer" which was abolished in Massachusetts in 1894 and Patriots' Day substituted in its place. It was a custom to take a collection for the Juvenile Library at the service on Thanksgiving Day. While the Social Library continued through the years as a parish library its facilities were never-the-less extended to the residents of the town. The records of the library close with negotiations with the Dedham Library Association in 1855 for the consolidation of the two libraries. This arrangement was not consumated. With the opening of the vestry of the First Parish Church in 1856, the books were placed there and issued on Sun- days. Jonathan D. Cobb was librarian. The books have long since ceased to circulate.
The Dedham Library Association was organized November 24, 1854, by subscribers who had created a fund slightly in excess of a thousand dollars for the establishment and maintenance of a library. Carlos Slafter, who became principal of the Dedham High School in 1852, early saw the need of better library facilities, and with Dr. Samuel Adams, was the prime mover in 1854 for the incorporation of the Dedham Library Association, which allowed any person, upon the payment of $5.00 to become a shareholder and entitled to all rights and privileges, subject, how-
* The Rev. Jason Haven in his will bequeathed to the Deacons of the First Church in Dedham thirty dollars for the use of the First Parish, provided the Deacons within a year after his decease, add thirty dollars more, the whole amount to be expended in the purchase of religious books for the use of the Parish in ac- cordance with a plan previously considered with the said Deacons.
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ever, to an annual assessment which varied according to the prosperity of the institution. While originally intended as a social library for the benefit of its members and their families, the trustees soon voted to admit others to its advantages upon the payment of a fixed annual fee. The association was at first ridi- culed as a visionary and impracticable enterprise, but its pro- moters perservered in their endeavor and soon numbered among its friends many of the most intelligent men and women of Dedham. It was the service rendered by this association in the diffusion of knowledge and culture that later led to the establish- ment of a free public library in Dedham.
The Dedham Library Association first opened its library rooms in the building occupied by Dr. Samuel Adams at 630 High Street. The library was opened to the public on February 1, 1855, with Dr. Adams as its first librarian. Here it remained for two years, and was then moved to Deacon John Doggett's house on Court Street (Dr. Batchelder's house) where it remained for a few months and was finally housed in 1870 in the residence of George W. Fisher on Court Street (George A. Phillips' house). By careful management the Library Association was enabled for seventeen years to furnish to its members the best current litera- ture of the day and to make constant additions to its list of standard literature. In 1872 the directors of the Dedham Library Association, desirous of increasing the means of public improve- ment, transferred the books, pamphlets and the entire property of the association to the newly organized Dedham Public Library, upon the condition that "the same shall remain in the care, control and custody of said Dedham Public Library so long as the same shall be kept and maintained as a Free Library for the use of the proprietors of this Library, where ever resident as well as of the inhabitants of Dedham." By this gift the Public Library came into immediate possession of 2,977 volumes which had been selected with great care. These books formed the nucleus of the present Dedham Public Library, which was chartered by an act of the Legislature, March 24, 1871, and accepted by the town on April 27. By its provisions, Waldo Colburn, Thomas L. Wakefield, Edward Stimson, Edmund Quincy, William Chickering, Erastus Worthington, Alfred Hewins and Henry O. Hildreth, their asso-
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ciates and successors, were made a corporation for the formation and maintenance of a public library and reading room in Dedham, and to hold in trust for said purposes real and personal estate not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars, exclusive of books, pa- pers and works of art.
The town of Dedham was authorized to annually appropriate and pay to the corporation a sum not exceeding one dollar on each ratable poll and this obligation was fulfilled whenever needful. A room was leased over Thomas J. Baker's store, corner of Court and Norfolk streets, and fitted up for a library and reading room, which was opened to the public on February 4, 1872. On Tues- day, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday the library was open from 6:30 to 9 p. m. except on legal holidays. Miss Frances M. Mann, long connected with the Library Association was elected librarian, an office which she held during the remaining years of her life. The library opened with 3,557 volumes and the reading room with 29 periodicals, including two daily papers. Just pre- vious to the opening of the library in 1872 the bequest of Charles Bullard of $3,000 came available "to be applied to the purchase of books," and to this day every book purchased from the "Charles Bullard Fund" bears his name. The women of the town were interested in the enterprise and as the result of an early fair increased the funds of the library by upwards of $4,000. The reading room was a great success from the start, and while it was frequented by all classes of the community, its most numerous patrons were the boys and girls of the town; attention was early given to the needs of the pupils in the public schools, reference books were soon added and especially appre- ciated by pupils of the high school. The perfect freedom in the use of the Reading Room is shown by the following regulation: "Any person may use the Reading Room provided he conduct himself while there in a quiet and orderly manner."
The Board of trustees, of which Alfred Hewins was long Chairman, were unsparing in their efforts to build up and make efficient the Dedham Public Library. In 1880 they introduced a system of records and delivery which made it possible for the first time to give an analysis of the character of the circulation.
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In May, 1881, agencies for the distribution of books at East Dedham and West Dedham were established. The agency at East Dedham was in charge of Miss Mary E. Keelan who received and distributed a basket of books on Wednesday and Saturday. The agency at West Dedham was in charge of Mr. Charles H. Ellis who received and delivered a basket of books every Thursday. The circulation at East Dedham in 1881 was 2,406 volumes, that of West Dedham 2,135 volumes. May 1, 1886, the library and reading room was made available to the public every week day except legal holidays. Alterations in the building were made in 1879 and as a result, a commodious and well arranged room for a library with shelf accommodation for 12,000 books, and an . airy, well-lighted and well furnished reading room was provided which served until the erection of the present public library building. The need of a library building was early apparent to the trustees who reported in 1874 as follows: Although it has been in existence but a few years, the library is rapidly outgrow- ing its accommodations, and the need of ample facilities for carry- ing on its operations is becoming more and more apparent. In the opinion of this board its wants can be met in no way so satis- factory as by the erection of a substantial and appropriate building.
Yet it was some years before this recommendation could be carried out. The bequest, however, of Hannah Shuttleworth, whose name will ever be held in grateful remembrance by the citizens of Dedham, made possible in 1886 the erection of a library building. Her bequest was as follows: "I give and be- queath to the Dedham Public Library, a corporation established by law in Dedham, the sum of ten thousand dollars, the same to be used, with other funds given to said corporation for the same purpose, in the erection of a library building in the Village of Dedham, for the use of the inhabitants of Dedham, and until the said sum of ten thousand dollars shall be required for the erec- tion of a Library building, the said corporation shall invest the said sum in sound securities and apply the interest and income, or so much thereof as it may deem expedient, to the purchase of and binding books for said Dedham Public Library." This gift made available for immediate use a trust fund of $10,000 given
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by John Bullard for the same purpose. A committee was ap- pointed in March, 1886, to secure a suitable site upon which to erect a library building. The committee acquired the present library lot comprising 19,101 square feet at the corner of Church and Norfolk streets at a cost of $2,000. Plans for a library build- ing by Van Brunt and Howe of Boston, well known architects, were accepted by the corporation, September 22, 1886 and Alfred Hewins and John R. Bullard were appointed a building committee. The committee was authorized to spend $24,000 in the erection of a building designed to furnish the safest and most convenient storage for books, and to invite the largest and most intelligent use of them by the people. The exterior of the building is con- structed of Dedham pink granite, with trimming of red sand- stone. The style is Romanesque of Southern France, treated in a rural fashion, and the interior follows the tradition of the style. The cost of the entire plant was $35,385.75, which was fully met by bequests and contributions. The doors , of the library building for the delivery of books and the use of the reading room were opened on November 22, 1888. The building was transferred to the town by an act of the Legislature, April 1, 1889. The trustees of the Public Library early inaugurated the plan of sending books to the public schools. A catalogue of juve- nile literature, including also works of history, science and travel greatly added to the usefulness and influence of the library. This work was begun in 1893.
A Branch Library was opened in the Avery School at East Dedham January 20, 1896 and here it remained until 1916 when it was moved to the corner of Walnut and High Streets, Hartnett Square. Books for home reading were drawn from the main library. A Branch Library was opened in the Oakdale School in November 1903. Here the library continued for nine years. The Trustees of the Public Library in 1912, furnished two of the ground floor rooms of the Old Oakdale School house for library use and here the library found new quarters in which to carry on its important work. After a period of about fifteen years the library was moved across to the other side of Oakdale Square in one of the stores located in the new Chamberlain Block. A De- positary Station for school library books was established in the
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Riverdale School in 1915 and later Depositaries were extended to other schools as they increased in number.
In 1916 the Trustees of the Public Library established in the main library a special room for the use of children. In estab- lishing this room the Trustees felt that there was an urgent need of such a room to enable the library to properly carry on its important work. The Children's Room was opened May 1, 1918 with Miss Edith H. Smith, as the children's librarian. Its popularity from the start and its later development has fully justified its establishment. Teachers may obtain from the Chil- dren's Library, for use in the classroom, twenty or more books, that may be retained three weeks in juvenile fiction, literature, history, geography or science. Through the "Inter Library Loan" all card holders are privileged to borrow books from the Boston Public Library by application to the Librarian of the Dedham Public Library.
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