History of Framingham, Massachusetts, early known as Danforth's Farms, 1640-1880; with a genealogical register, Part 3

Author: Temple, J. H. (Josiah Howard), 1815-1893
Publication date: 1887
Publisher: Framingham, Pub. by the town of Framingham
Number of Pages: 822

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Framingham > History of Framingham, Massachusetts, early known as Danforth's Farms, 1640-1880; with a genealogical register > Part 3

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Fisheries.

factory, where he lived. And it was not an uncommon thing for his wife, from her window to catch the fish necessary for their frugal repast. In 1839 Mr. Knight bought the "bridge lot," eighty rods below the fulling-mill site, where he started large carpet works. With these several powers, which embraced all on the brook, his business rapidly increased, so that in 1845 - only fifteen years after his humble beginning - he owned three mills, which consumed annually 465,000 lbs. of wool, producing 199,037 yards of carpeting, of the value of $149,530. The mills gave employment to 191 males and forty-one females.

Mr. Knight sold all his property and water rights on Cochituate brook to the City of Boston, June 25, 1846. The buildings connected with the bridge lot establishment were burnt on the morning of Mar. 20, 1847.

FISHERIES ON COCHITUATE BROOK. Before the construction of dams, salmon, shad and alewives had free access to the upper tributa- ries of Sudbury river, and Farm pond was as well stocked with these fish as Long pond. But the dam at "The Falls" so obstructed the passage, that Farm pond was practically deserted by them. An attempt was made in 1762 by the town, "to see if the town will choose a committee to have a way opened through Stone's dam, that the alewives be not obstructed coming up the Sudbury river, to pass up into Farm pond to cast their spawn." Messrs. James Cloyes, Isaac Fiske and Joshua Harrington were appointed said committee. But the rights acquired by the owners of the dam through one hun- dred years of peaceful possession proved too strong, and the whole subject was dismissed.

But all this while the fish had free access to Cochituate pond ; and the fisheries of this pond and brook were of considerable importance. There was enough for all; and the town took no action to regulate the catch, till 1743, when Josiah Drury and Daniel Gregory were appointed a committee "to take care of the fish." This was done to prevent the wasteful destruction of the females on their way up to the pond for spawning, and to keep away trespassers from other towns.

But the building of Brown's dam in 1748 threatened to interfere with the Cochituate fishery. Probably Mr. Brown put in a fish-way, and thus averted immediate danger. The statute provided that "Towns shall have power to choose at the annual meeting in March, one or more persons, whose duty it shall be to see that the passage ways for alewives are open, that said fish be not obstructed in their usual passing up and down stream, and to appoint the proper places for taking such fish with scoop-nets, etc., and to limit the particular days for taking the same." In accordance with this act, at the

History of Framingham.

meeting March 7, 1763, the town appointed Mr. William Brown and Mr. Bezaleel Rice a committee to carry the law into effect. Similar committees where appointed in succeeding years. April 2, 1792, the town voted, "That the fish called alewives and shad be taken only one day in the week, that to be on Tuesday, and to be taken only at one place, and that to be within 15 rods of Dea. Wm. Brown's old fulling-mill dam. Voted to choose a committee of three to let out the catching the alewives to the highest bidder, and whoever purchases the privilege is to sell them for no more than four pence per score." In some years the proceeds of the fisheries were given to the singers, and hence were called the " singer's fish privilege." It sometimes amounted to sixteen dollars, which shows the immense numbers that were caught.

In 1821 an act was passed, providing that "it shall not be lawful for any person to set more than one hook at any one time in any of the ponds or streams within the town of Framingham; nor shall it be lawful for any person to draw any seine or net in any of the ponds or streams in said Town, nor shall any person set any pot or net in any of the streams aforesaid ; on forfeiture of one dollar for each hook more than one, so set, and five dollars for drawing any seine or net, or setting an'y pot - the owner to forfeit such hook, seine, net or pot."

The northern affluents of Sudbury river are Baiting brook, which rises in the northwesterly part of the town, and traverses more than one-half its length in a southeast course, entering the river fifty rods below the mouth of Stoney brook. Col. Joseph Buckminster built a grist-mill a little west of his house, before 1741, and the site is still occupied. Aaron Bullard built a dam and put in a large grindstone, just east of the present house of John F. Macomber. Blacksmiths, scythe-makers, etc., sent their newly-forged tools to him for grinding ; and many mechanics and farmers chose to pay him 614 cents rather than consume time and strength and patience in sharpening a very dull tool.

Birch meadow brook rises in the swamp north of the Willard Cutting place, runs southerly about half a mile, where by an old arrangement of dams, it forms a partial junction with Baiting brook, and then turns east, traversing the Edgell farm. Maj. Lawson Buckminster built a saw-mill north of his house (now Moses Ellis') some time after the Revolution. His son Lawson, Jr., put in a grist-mill, and after- wards a turning-lathe, a short distance below the saw-mill. Mr. Woolson had a shingle-mill here, later.

Dunsdell's brook rises on the Bowditch farm, west of John Forris- ter's ; runs southeasterly near the Calvin Hemenway place, and enters Sudbury river 100 rods below Birch meadow brook. Nathan Frost

Brooks - Springs.

formerly had a shop with turning-lathe on an eastern branch of this stream.

Cherry meadow brook rises in Wolf swamp, and takes first a south- easterly, and then a southwesterly course.

Square meadow brook, now Dadmun's brook, is only half a mile long, and enters the river about half a mile above the falls. Boman's brook is still shorter, comes down from Roger's Field, through Mr. Simp- son's premises, and enters the pond thirty rods above the dam.

The streams which are not connected with the Sudbury river system, are Hop brook, which rises south of Liberty Chadwick's, and runs through North Framingham in a northerly direction, crossing the Sudbury town line near the Framingham and Lowell Railroad track.

Course brook rises in a swamp near the old Worcester turnpike, on the east border of the town, and flows in a northeasterly direction into Cochituate brook.

Strawberry corner brook is named in the will of Henry Rice in 1710. The Great Drain, is at Rice's End, and probably in part artificial.

Beaver Dam brook, is the outlet of Washakum pond, and drains the Guinea meadows. It is a tortuous and sluggish stream, running easterly into Natick, and emptying into Cochituate pond.

SPRINGS. - There is a spring of water highly impregnated with sulphur, on the west slope of Indian Head hill, on land now owned by John L. Wilson.

A spring, highly impregnated with sulphur and magnesia, is found on Mr. Badger's farm, near Barton's brook. Near by is an extensive deposit of red ochre.

A Barometric spring comes out in a little ravine northerly from the house of A. D. Cloyes, the water of which flows east through the farm of J. H. Temple. It is a never-failing spring of pure soft water, distinguishable from others in the neighborhood only by its peculiarity of overflowing with a sudden rush just before a rainfall. It matters not what the season of the year may be - summer and winter, in wet weather and in time of severest drought-all at once the water comes pouring from this spring, sometimes flooding the intervale through which it is discharged ; and within thirty-six hours thereafter a rainfall comes.

The underground currents which supply this spring have been traced to some rocky highlands with swampy depressions, a fourth of a mile to the southwest. The main artery has been tapped by a well thirty rods from the spring, and is there twenty-four feet below the surface.

History of Framingham.

In wet seasons the outflow is sufficient to fill an eight-inch pipe. It diminishes in volume gradually, as other neighboring springs do, with the progress of the summer, or a drought, except as already indicated. The following memoranda, taken in 1869, give a specimen of what is constantly recurring : "Sept. 5. - A severe drought of forty days con- tinuance ; wells and streams have failed ; discharge from barometric spring unusually sluggish, scarcely enough water flowing to fill a two-inch pipe, and reaching only forty rods from the outlet. Sept. 6. - Sky brassy, heat intense, air suffocating ; water pouring from the spring in a little torrent, having more than doubled in volume, and reaching to a distance of eighty rods. Sept. 7. - Spring continues to overflow as yesterday ; clouds have overcast the sky. II o'clock A. M. rain began to fall, and lasted till 3 P. M. Sept. 8. - Clear and warm ; spring discharging freely, but less than on the 6th, showing that the rain is less potent in affecting the outflow than the atmos- pheric pressure."

Springs of pure cold water come out at the foot of the bluffs and hills, in all parts of the town, furnishing refreshing drink to fishermen, hunters, berry-pickers and haymakers, and creating spots of greenness and beauty in early April and dusty August.

PONDS. - Cochituate pond, or Long pond, as it was uniformly called in the early records, lies partly in Natick, partly in Wayland, and partly in Framingham, our easterly line traversing it for a distance of seven-eighths of a mile, and including about eighty acres within our town limits. The term Cochituate was applied by the early white settlers, as it was by the natives, not to the water, but to the site of the large Indian village on the borders and near the outlet of the pond. This point will be fully treated of in a subsequent chapter.

The length of this pond in a direct line from north to south, is three and one-half miles; its breadth at the widest part is a little more than half a mile ; the circumference, at the water's edge, when at its medium height, measures ten miles.

This pond originally presented the appearance of two bodies of water, united by a narrow strait, over which has been constructed the Saxonville Branch railroad. This strait was an Indian fording-place and fishing-place, and by dumping in large quantities of small stones, the early settlers made a passable roadway. There was another fording-place, where the road from Framingham to Cochituate village now crosses the pond. The greatest depth of water, at high flood, in the southern section, is sixty-nine feet ; in the middle section, sixty-one feet ; in the northern section, forty-eight feet. The entire area of the pond at low water, or when the surface is even with the

Ponds.

flume at the outlet, is 489 acres ; when raised three feet above the flume, 559 acres ; when raised six and one-half feet above, 659 acres.

The water of this pond is now held by the city of Boston, as a part of its water supply, under an act of the legislature.

Farm pond. This was called by the first explorers Great pond, and is so named in some early deeds. After the last grant to Mr. Danforth was laid out, and he had purchased the Wayte farm, the pond began to be called Farm pond, or the Farms pond. It lies southeast from Mt. Wayte ; is one mile in length from north to south, and half a mile in width at the broadest part ; and contains an area of 193 acres. The shad and alewive fisheries of this pond were of much account to the natives, and were one of the motives for locating a cluster of wigwams at the northerly end ; and the celebrated eel fishery at the south end, where it originally received the overflow of the smaller pond, was a main reason for placing the Indian village at that point.

This pond now forms a part of the Sudbury river system of water supply for the city of Boston.

Washakamaug pond. 3 The Indian name of this pond is now commonly contracted into Washakum, or Shakum. The name was applied by the natives, not to the pond, but to the land lying between this and its northerly neighbor, where they had a settlement, and where they resorted annually in summer, for eel fishing, the Indian word signifying "eel-fishing place." It lies to the southwest of Farm pond, distant about 170 rods, and covers about ninety acres. It once discharged its waters into Farm pond ; but the strip of morass between them became gradually filled with vegetable accumulations, aided and hastened by the construction of the highway with an insuf- ficient sluiceway. It now discharges its overflow to the south and east through Beaver Dam brook.

Learned's pond lies directly east of Farm pond, at the distance of about roo rods. It covers thirty-six acres, and has no visible outlet. It was named for Isaac Learned, who settled on its southerly border in 1679. Tradition has it, that a chest of gold was sunk near the west shore of this pond by Capt. Kidd, or some other noted pirate, and put under the "charm" by which such treasures were guarded. Several of the early settlers near the pond reported that they had caught sight of the mysterious chest, floating just beneath the surface, but no one had the courage and presence of mind to observe the necessary precautions to secure it. These conditions, according to the popular belief of the time, were: the presence of three persons arranged so as to represent the points of a triangle; the three to maintain perfect silence, and not take their eyes from the chest, but

History of Framingham.

move slowly towards it, keeping their exact relative position ; and one of them to lay a key or some iron tool upon it, when it would in- stantly become subject to his control, i. e. the diabolical spell by which it was held would thus be broken. The last reputed observer of this chest, so far as is known, was Nathaniel Pratt, Jr. (born 1702), who was accustomed to recount the particulars of his exploit, to the amazement of youthful listeners, and to deplore his want of forethought in neglecting to silently lay his jackknife on the coveted treasure ! In his excitement he spoke aloud, and, as he expressed it, " in a minnit the thing squggled down into the mud out of sight!" Similar traditions attach to numerous other ponds and islands all through New England, and are associated with possible and impossible conditions and superstitious fancies. These beliefs of the fathers are important to be preserved, as characteristic traits of the time in which they lived.

Gleason's pond, lying a short distance to the east of Learned's, covers thirteen acres. It was called by the first settlers Little pond, and for a time Bigelow's pond. The present name is derived from Thomas Gleason, who bought a tract of land adjoining in 1673, and whose descendants lived on the south border of the pond for four generations.

Sucker pond is situated one mile east from Framingham Centre. Its area is less than four acres. A still smaller pond lies a short distance to the north of it.

MEADOWS. - Meadow lands were held in high esteem by the first settlers on our territory, as they were the main reliance for obtaining hay for their stock. The annual burning of the country by the Indians in the month of November, after the grass and other vegetation had become dry, left these meadows free from trees and underbrush, and ready for the scythe ; and the amount of grass produced on them was enormous, and though somewhat coarse, yet in quality it was very nutritious.

Men in official position, and men of wealth, were careful to secure grants from the General Court of all desirable meadows, in advance of settlements. John Stone got possession of most of the lower mead- ows on Sudbury river, and those on Baiting brook now owned by Moses Ellis ; Richard Wayte, and through his title, Gov. Danforth, secured the meadows lying east and south of Bare hill, those bordering the Hopkinton river, and sixty acres lying west of the Beaver dam. Edmund Rice received a grant of the meadow lying below the Beaver dam. Rev. Edmund Brown of Sudbury, as a special favor, was allowed three lots of meadow within our bounds, one lying near Nobscot,

Meadows.

one on Dunsdell's brook, and a small meadow of three acres at the falls on Cochituate brook. These grants carried a perfect title, and the lands descended to the heirs of the grantee ; and when a township was incorporated, the property became valuable.

Great meadow, was the name applied by the first settlers to the tract of low land lying southwesterly of Washakamaug pond, extend- ing as far as the old Holliston line. The " Russell grant " covered this tract. Most of those who located on the Eames' land, all the Havens and Mellens, all the Salem-end farmers, Rev. Mr. Swift, John Town, Benj. Treadway, and others, owned lots in this meadow, which were held in their families for two or three generations. The annual hay- making on Great meadow was a sort of common gala-time for these distant farmers and their boys; and mighty deeds of mowing and pitching, and wrestling at noontime, were the theme of boastful glory for the rest of the summer.

Guinea meadow. This name is now applied somewhat indefinitely, but includes the lowlands on either side of Beaver Dam brook, from the pond down to Natick line. In the deeds to and from the Whit- neys, and Havens, and Eameses, and Deaths who were the earliest owners. of this tract, it is uniformly designated as Long meadow. The Indian name was Quinneh, which signifies "long." The term Guinea, is evidently a corruption of the Indian word. This meadow originally produced an excellent quality of grass. But in order to destroy some briars and bushes that had got root in several places, the whites set fires at these points, before the fall rains had set in, which spread over the entire tract, and destroyed the rich vegetable mould, leaving only the cold sub-soil. They thought they were imitating the natives ; but the Indian never set his fires till after the equinoctial storms.

Mellen's meadow lay on the west side of the river, west and north of Joseph A. Merriam's.

Coller's meadow is west of Merriam's hill, and southeasterly from the house of Mrs. William Badger.

The Wayte meadow lay on the northerly bank of Sudbury river, and included the lowlands from the old cemetery as far up as the mouth of Stoney brook. A considerable part of this meadow belonged to the ministerial land, granted to Rev. Mr. Swift.

Facket meadow, was on Baiting brook, and is now owned by Moses Ellis. Birch meadow was west of Mr. Ellis' saw-mill, on the brook of the same name, "about half a mile southwest from the house of Reginald Foster." Both the above were early known as "Stone's meadows."

Turkey meadow lay south of the Willard Cutting place.

History of Framingham.

Wildcat meadows lay to the northwest of Wildcat hill, and are now in Ashland.

Hearthstone meadow was near the Southborough town line, to the south of the brick-yard. It was so called from the abundance of large flat stones of a hard texture, which would resist the action of heat, and consequently were suitable for hearths. Troublesome meadow lay south of Hearthstone,

Dunsdell's meadow is on the brook of the same name, and was granted by the legislature to Rev. Edmund Brown of Sudbury, in 1654.

Read's Flag meadow lies southwest of the old Frost house, now Liberty Chadwick's. It was owned by Thomas Read, Sen., in 1693.

Square meadow is on the brook of the same name.

Rattlesnake meadow is described in a deed from Matthew and J. Gibbs to Nathaniel Stone, 1697, as "between Sudbury, and Fram- ingham."

Jacob's meadow lies east of Indian Head hill. It was named for Old Jacob, the Indian, who lived here. Jacob's further meadow lies southeast of Gleason's pond.

Black Oak meadow was on or near the Micah Leland farm.

Benjamin's meadow was at Rice's End.

Indian William's meadow, was the name of about three acres of land, near the falls of Cochituate brook, and was granted to Rev. Edmund Brown. It was originally owned by William Boman.

Beaver hole meadow, Pod meadow, and Wills meadow, were on the Glover Farm, near the northeast corner of the town.

SWAMPS. - Ashen swamp is on the west side of Great meadow, near the old Holliston line.

Wolf swamp was on the Coolett farm, to the east of the Elisha Frost place. Deer swamp was east of the Micah Leland place. Roe swamp was west of the Charles Fiske tannery, and near Mr. Simp- son's farm buildings.

Morse's swamp, afterwards Buckminster's, was on the old Worcester Turnpike, and is now covered by Reservoir No. 3.

Spruce swamp was north of the old cemetery.

Little Cedar swamp was in Salem End, extending from a point south of Dam No. 3, southerly to the river. It formed the westerly bound of Salem plain.

PLAINS. - Pratt's plain lay east of the Centre village, distant about a mile. The State muster ground now takes in the larger part of it. It was so called from Thomas Pratt, who with his sons owned and settled on the tract.

Hills.

Salem plain, is the name given in early deeds to the tract of land enclosed by Stoney brook on the north, Hopkinton river on the east, Cowassack brook and Cedar swamp on the south and west. It com- prised the present farms of F. C. Browne, William G. Lewis and J. Van Praag.

Willow plain lies on the south side of Willow brook, at the foot of the hill north of the house of George Nurse. It is named in deeds as early as 1708.

HILLS. - The range of hills near the Sudbury town line, on the northerly border of Framingham, and the corresponding "hill coun- try " on the left bank of Hopkinton river, are a conspicuous feature of our landscape ; and the isolated conical and rounded elevations in the central part of the town, give the variety and resting-places for the eye, which add a charm to natural scenery.

Nobscot. This noted landmark is situated on our north border, midway between Saxonville and Marlborough line. The original name was Penobscot, by which designation it is found on the Sudbury town records as early as 1657. This is an Indian word, meaning "at the fall of the rocks," or the steep rock place. The natives so applied the name, from the precipice on the eastern face, near which they built their wigwams, and below which, at the foot of the hill, they had planting-fields. In early records the name is uniformly given as Nobscot, not Nobscot hill, thus following the exact Indian usage. The noted Indian cairn on the top will be described in another chapter. The height of this hill above the level of mean high tide at Boston is 525 feet.

Doeskin hill, named in the Colony Records in 1658, and in the Sud- bury records in 1662, is directly west from Nobscot, with only a slight depression between them. There is some ambiguity in the applica- tion of the name of this hill, among early writers; some giving the designation Doeskin to the whole range, and some seeming to apply it to the eastern hill. But a number of affidavits found among the Court papers in Suffolk County settle the question satisfactorily. In the controversy between Col. Joseph Buckminster and the heirs of Thomas Danforth, about the exact location of "the 600 acres of Reserved land," the application of the foregoing names became a vital point. A score of affidavits of the first settlers in Sudbury and Framingham were taken, similar in terms to the following : "Thomas Pratt, of lawful age, testifyeth and saith, that for this fifty years or more, he hath known the great hills adjoining to Sudbury south boundary, to go by the name of Nobscot and Doeskin hills, the easterly hill called Nobscot, and the westerly hill called Doeskin.

History of Framingham.

Joseph Berry's orchard in said Framingham standing in part on the westerly end of Doeskin hill." Sworn to Feb. 25, 1736-7.

The name of this hill had a curious origin, as appears from the following affidavit: " Hopestill Brown, Esq., of lawful age testifyeth and saith that for this sixty years he hath known the great hill adjoin- ing to Sudbury south boundary to go by the name of Nobscot or Doeskin hill: that some of the improvements with some of the orchard in the possession of Joseph Berry in Framingham is on the westerly part of said hill: The deponent further saith that he heard his father say that Mr. Pelham and himself went up the hill above mentioned to take a prospect, and that Mr. Pelham lost a Doeskin glove on said hill, and that Mr. Pelham said, this hill shall be called Doeskin hill." Sworn to December 24, 1736.

A path from the "New Bridge " near the Oxbow, to Marlborough, ran by the present house of Dea. Jonathan Greenwood, up the valley, and crossed the range between Nobscot and Doeskin, and so over a bridge (still standing) on the north declivity, where it intersected the original path from Sudbury to Marlborough. The old Sudbury path, on which the Nixons and Stanhopes lived, was travelled as early as 1650 ; and this path by Dea. Greenwood's was marked out in 1674. Several cellar-holes along the valley indicate the sites of ancient houses.

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History of Framingham, Massachusetts, early known as Danforth's Farms, 1640-1880; with a genealogical register, Part 3

Author: Temple, J. H. (Josiah Howard), 1815-1893 Publication date: 1887 Publisher: Framingham, Pub. by the town of Framingham Number of Pages: 822

Author: Temple, J. H. (Josiah Howard), 1815-1893
Publication date: 1887
Publisher: Framingham, Pub. by the town of Framingham
Number of Pages: 822