USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Framingham > History of Framingham, Massachusetts, early known as Danforth's Farms, 1640-1880; with a genealogical register > Part 36
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List of Preceptors of the Academy.
1792. James Hawley, a graduate of .
H. U.
I792.
1793. John Park,
D. C.
1791.
1794. David Kendall,
H. U. 1794.
1795. Eli Bullard,
Y. C. 1787. 1798.
H. U. 1798.
1799. Joshua Lane, 66
1799.
ISO0.
Samuel Weed,
1800.
1806. B. H. Tower,
1806.
1806. William T. Torrey,
66
1806.
1807. John Brewer, 66
66
1804.
1808.
Charles Train,
1805.
Joseph Emerson,
Small Pox.
341
1810. John Cotton, a graduate of .
H. U. 1810.
18II. George Morey,
I&II.
1813. Mason Fisher, 66
66 1813.
1814. Aaron Prescott, 66
1814.
1815. George Otis, 66
66 1815.
1816.
Augustus Whiting, 66
66
1816.
1818.
George R. Noyes,
66
1818.
1819.
Walter R. Johnson,
66
1820.
1821-2.
John M. Cheney,
66
1822.
1824-5.
Alfred W. Pike,
D. C.
1815.
1826. George Folsom,
66
H. U.
1822.
1826-8.
Omen S. Keith,
66
1826.
1829.
David W. Fiske, 66
B. U.
1825.
1829-0.
Duncan Bradford,
H. U.
1824.
1830-2.
Barzillai Frost,
1830.
1833-7.
Jacob Caldwell,
66
66
1828.
1838.
Rufus T. King, 66
1838.
1839-40.
Charles W. Goodnow "
A. C.
1838.
1.840-45.
Marshall Conant, 66
66
H. U.
1845.
1846-7.
John A. Hastings
66
1846.
1848. Simon G. Sanger,
1848.
1849-51.
Samuel Worcester, 66
B. U.
1849.
1851-2.
Carlos Slafter,
66
D. C.
1849.
SMALL Pox. - This dreaded disease was introduced into this town by soldiers returning from the army, during the last French and Indian war. It again appeared in 1777. But on both occasions it was con- fined to single families.
In Jan. 1793, Abijah Parmenter of Framingham went to Peterboro' N. H., to visit David Butler, a kinsman of his wife. On recommenda- tion of Parmenter, Butler, who was dropsical, came home with him, to be treated by Dr. K. Not receiving the desired benefit, he sent for Dr. W. of W., who came March 10, scarified him, and drew away a considerable quantity of water. In two weeks after this visit, Butler broke out with small pox. His watchers and visitors had been ex- posed ; and the selectmen took the Samuel Angier house as a "Pest House." In due time, seventeen persons were taken down with the disorder, of whom Butler and five others died.
The names of those who died were David Butler, Mrs. - Parmen- ter, Mrs. - Foster, Samuel Angier, Cyrus Woolson, Aaron Brown.
1821.
1823.
Edward Frost,
66
1819.
1820.
Enos Stewart,
1845.
Thomas Russell,
342
History of Framingham.
They were buried in a pasture north of the Geo. H. Thompson place, and flat stones, without inscriptions, placed at the head of the graves. Another person, Nancy Coolidge, who committed suicide, was buried beside them, making seven graves.
The town voted, " that the selectmen prosecute any person that shall spread the small pox by inoculation or any other way." "Voted, to grant £30 to assist those who have had the small pox, and are unable to pay the expenses of their sickness."
PLEASURE CARRIAGES. - The early mode of travelling was on horseback. The father sat in the saddle, with one child in front ; the mother, with the babe in her lap, sat on the pillion ; and another child found room still farther behind. Two-wheeled chairs came first ; then chaises ; then four-wheel chariots. Benj. Eaton and Josiah Temple each owned a chaise in 1775 ; Matthias Bent Sen. had one soon after this date. Maj. Jona. Hale had a two-horse carriage as early as 1790.
1800. - THE CENTRE VILLAGE. - At this date, the site of our village was mostly covered with wood and bushes, or given up to pasturage. The meeting-house, which stood in front of the Otis Boynton house, was surrounded with large forest trees. The Academy occupied the site of the stone school house. The work-house was about four or five rods northwesterly from the Town Hall, and the school house stood on the road side, nearly in front of Mrs. Bean's. A small red store stood where is now Esty's Block. This was built in 1781 by Daniel Bridge, felt maker and hatter. Mr. Houghton's tavern, just finished, occupied the site of the present hotel ; Abner Wheeler's store, also just finished, stood on the site of Trowbridge and Savage's store. To the northward could be seen the parsonage of Rev. Mr. Kellogg, now W. H. Mellen's, and the Capt. Simon Edgell farm buildings. To the east, were Buckminster's tavern, on the site of Geo. H. Water- man's house ; Daniel Gregory's dwelling house, now Orre Parker's ; the tower-like hay-scales, in front of the tavern ; Gregory's store on the river bank, where E. H. Warren's house now is ; and a small house nearer the cemetery, with a shop behind it. Across the bridge were I. Warren's tannery and dwelling house, Eli Bullard's house, at the angle of the roads, and Isaac Stone's house and barn, on the Abner Wheeler place. On the south side of Bare hill, was the old Swift house, then occupied by Nathaniel A. Jones, and the John Town house, then owned by Aaron Bullard. On the Salem End road, the first house was Ezekiel Rice's, known as the Amasa Kendall place. On what is now Pleasant street, Wm Maynard lived in a small house then standing in the corner of the garden west of Mrs. Mar-
343
Mails and Post Office.
shall's ; [now standing on the opposite side of the street, beyond Dr. Stone's] Jona. Maynard lived in the Charles Williams' house ; Timo- thy Eames, the mason, lived in a small house on the Mrs. Winter place ; and Lawson Buckminster's tavern stood where is now Moses Ellis' dwelling house.
MAILS AND POST OFFICE. - As early as 1786, Nathan Stone Sen., born on the Abner Wheeler place, but then living in the west part of Natick, and three others, agreed to carry a mail -i. e. the Boston Chronicle, a weekly paper, and letters, - from Boston to Sanger's tavern at South Framingham, and Buckminster's tavern at the Centre, each taking his weekly turn. About 1790, Timothy Stearns started a newspaper and mail route between Boston and Worcester, going on horseback once a week. He sold out to Walter Mayhew about 1802. Mr. Mayhew put on a one-horse wagon, and carried passengers. He sold out to Silas Eaton Jr., who sold to Capt. John Hemenway. Capt. H. put on a two-horse carriage. Trips were made only once a week ; and letters to distant points must be mailed in Boston. Elias Temple says : " In 1801 I walked to Boston to mail a letter to Moses M. Fiske. in Dartmouth College, which required haste." A stage was put on the route between Boston and Worcester as early as 1810. Capt. Levi Pease of Shrewsbury drove from Worcester to Framingham ; and Jim Jones from F. to Boston.
The Framingham Post Office was established Dec. 29, 1810, Jona. Maynard postmaster. The office was kept at Martin Stone's tavern, afterwards Henderson's, and Gaines'. Mr. Maynard was succeeded by Samuel Warren, Mar. 29, 1832; John Clark, Apr. 30, 1853; S. B. Wilde, Apr. 12, 1861 ; Mrs. J. H. S. Wilde, July 30, 1864; Geo. F. Hartwell, Sept. 15, 1876.
MASONIC LODGE. - The " Middlesex Lodge" of Free Masons was instituted in this town in 1795. The original members were, Jona. Maynard, master, Peter Clayes, senior warden, Barzillai Bannister, junior warden, John Nixon, Samuel Frost, Thomas Nixon, Aaron Brown, Gilbert Marshall, Benj. Champney, Thomas Bucklin, Winslow Corbett, Samuel Haven. Lodge meetings were held first in the Academy Hall; then in the Hall over Henderson's store; then in Esty's Block ; then in its present Hall over Eastman's store.
FRAMINGHAM ARTILLERY COMPANY. - This company was organized in Mar. 1799. The original members were Josiah Abbott, Elisha Belknap, John Bent, Eben' Brown, Eli Bullard, Josiah Clayes, Joseph Eaton, Elisha Jones, John Nurse, Lawson Nurse, Artemas Parker, John Parker, Nathan Parker, Daniel Sanger, Zedekiah Sanger, David Stone, Purchase Stone, John Temple. The company paraded the
344
History of Framingham.
first time July 4, 1799, under the following officers : Eli Bullard, cap- tain, John Nurse, Ist lieutenant, Ebenr Brown 2d lieutenant, Purchase Stone, pioneer, Elisha Belknap, fifer, David Stone, drummer. The gun-house was built in the fall of 1799, on the lot where the old Town House stood, now Otis Boynton's corner. In 1808, the town sold to the Commonwealth a spot in front of the present dwelling house of James W. Clark, whither the gun-house was removed, and where it remained till 1834. The successive commanders of the company have been, Eli Bullard, John Nurse, Lawson Nurse, Martin Stone, com. Apr. 12, 1810, dis. Mar. 13, 1813, John Temple, com. Apr. 15, 1813, dis. Nov. 25, 1814, James Brown, com. Feb. 15, 1815, Adam Hemenway, Alex' H. Jones, Leonard Arnold, Amos Johnson Jr., Charles Trowbridge, dis. Dec. 23, 1829. At this date the company disbanded ; and the guns and other state property were returned to the arsenal at Boston. The gun-house and land was purchased by Rev. George Trask, Mar. 26, 1834.
1800. - PARK'S CORNER. - At the date under consideration, Park's Corner was.a busy place. The tavern (then kept by Jonas Dean) and the store attracted a large custom. Marshall's forge, has already been described. Maj. Hale who lived to the south, on the Royal Grout place, was a large manufacturer of wool cards. And this Corner was the rallying point of the Baptist Society, whose history may properly be inserted here.
First Baptist Church in Framingham. The earliest denominational effort in this town by the Baptists, was made about the time when Rev. Mr. Reed resigned the charge of the Second Congregational Church, and by persons who had been connected with that church. This was probably in the spring or summer of 1757. Elders Whit- man Jacobs and Noah Adams from Connecticut preached here ; and in 1762, Mr. Jacobs administered baptism to four persons. A Baptist Society appears to have been organized that year, which supported preaching part of the time. In the March warrant for 1764, is an article, "To see if the town will abate to several persons (who call themselves Ana baptists) their minister's rate for the year 1763." The town " voted that the minister's rate for 1763, of Joseph Byxbe, James Haven, Elkanah Haven, James Mellen, Benj. Haven, Squier Haven, Simon Pratt, Eben' Singletary, Elkanah Haven Jr., Ebenr Bullard, James Haven Jr., and Isaac Fiske, be abated." This action implies that these persons had paid a minister's tax to an organized body, whose clerk or committee could give the certificate required by law. After this, the members of this society were exempted from taxation for the support of Rev. Mr. Bridge and Mr. Kellogg, except
345
First Baptist Church.
in cases where the certificate was not conformable to the law. In 1787, the Society returned 56 ratable polls ; in 1790, 48 polls ; in 1799, 36 polls ; in 1805, 21 polls ; in 1810, 34 polls ; in 1812, 64 polls ; in 1823, 72 polls.
" Between 1762 and 1792," says Rev. W. P. Upham in a Historical Sermon, "about thirty persons were baptized in Framingham ; but there is no evidence that they were constituted into a church." In 1809, there were but five Baptist professors here, viz. Rev. Charles Train, Benj. Haven, the wife of John Fiske, the wife of Moses Fiske, and the wife of Amasa How. In 1810, Elder Grafton baptized two persons ; and in 1811 Mr. Train baptized five. Aug. 4, 1811, a church was organized under the name of "The Baptist Church of Weston and Framingham." A powerful revival commenced in this church, and spread through the town in 1814, 15, as the result of which about 50 were added to the church. In the fifteen years while this church continued a branch of the Weston church, the numbers added were 177 by baptism, and 32 by letter. May 3, 1826, this church became a distinct body, with 119 members.
The First Baptist Society in Framingham, was incorporated June 22, 1812.
Preachers and pastors. Mr. Joseph Byxbe Jr., who lived on the Hopkins (T. B. Wales Jr.) place, was probably the first stated preacher. Others were, Nathaniel Green, who lived and died in Leicester; Simon Snow, of Upton, preached here and at Weston 2 or 3 years, afterwards became a Congregationalist, and died at Thomaston, Me. ; Noah Alden of Bellingham was here in 1773; Elisha Rich, a gun- smith, lived in town for a time, and preached regularly on the Sab- bath ; removed to Chelmsford, and thence to the West; Edward Clark supplied the desk from 1780 to 90 ; removed to Medfield, but returned in 1801, and preached till the settlement of Mr. Train. Rev. Charles Train, H. U. 1805, was ordained Jan. 30, 1811 ; dismissed Sept. 1839. Rev. Enoch Hutchinson was installed Aug. 24, 1840, dis. Jan. 8, 1841. He was a college graduate, and distinguished scholar in the Arabic language and literature. Rev. James Johnston preached from June 27, 1841 to Aug. 10, 1845. Rev. Jona. Aldrich, B. U. 1826, com- menced his labors Sept. 27, 1846, and resigned April 3, 1851. In this time he baptized eighty persons. Rev. Wm. C. Child D.D., a grad- uate of Union College, was pastor from May 1, 1851 to April 1, 1856. During his pastorate fifty-three persons were baptized. Rev. Joseph A. Goodhue, D. C. 1848, was here, 1859 to July 31, 1862. Rev. A. W. Carr succeeded, and remained till Nov. 1, 1865. Rev. Arthur S. Train D. D., B. U. 1833, was installed in 1866, and died in office Jan. 2, 1872. Rev. W. P. Upham commenced his labors Oct. 1. 1872, and
346
History of Framingham.
resigned in 1877. Rev. George E. Leeson, B. U. 1874, was ordained July 29, 1877 ; died in office Aug. 20, 1881. The present pastor, Rev. Franklin Hutchinson, was born in West Hoboken N. J. Aug. 26, 1853, educated at N. Y. University, and Union Theol. Sem., class of 1881, ordained June 28, 1882.
Meeting-houses. For many years the Baptist Society had no stated place of worship, but held their meetings at private dwellings. Prob- ably they first met at Joseph Byxbe's. In 1772, Eben' Marshall fitted up with a desk and benches the upper part of his then tavern house (afterwards the Dean tavern and Park's store.) In a few years, the society outgrew these accommodations, and bought the meeting-house built by Rev. Mr. Reed's Society, which was then standing on the "Silk Farm," and moved it to the Corner, where it was placed on a ledge of rocks at the east end of the South Common, just where the railroad track now runs. In 1810 the house was repaired, and galleries put in. In 1817, further repairs were made, David Fiske defraying one-half the cost. At his death Mr. Fiske left his whole estate to the Society, thereby laying. the foundation of a permanent ministerial fund. In June 1825, Dea. Stephen Buttrick, Dea. Enoch Belknap, Windsor Moulton, H. H. Hyde, John Wenzell Jr., John Ballard, Joseph Ballard, Isaac Fiske, Moses Fiske, Elias Temple, Warren Nixon, Carleton Corbett and David Bigelow entered into an agreement with each other to build a meeting-house for the Baptist Society, to be located near the Centre village, and to become the property of said Society, when it should pay for the house and land. The house, (now standing, though several times repaired and re-fur- nished) was dedicated on the first Sabbath and first day of January 1827.
A Sabbath School, in connection with this church, was organized in 1817, by the Misses Deborah Mellen and Emily Parkhurst.
1800. - SOUTH FRAMINGHAM. - This now leading village, was then a dull place. Sanger's tavern and store, Rider's cider mill, and Torrey's shoe shop comprised the business of the place. And families of Gleason, Learned, How, Eames, Rider, Haven and Pratt, comprised the population. The impulse given to business by the coming in of the Clarks and others, and by the establishment of straw works on a large scale, will be narrated hereafter.
SAXONVILLE IN 1800. - At this date, things remained at both Stone's and Brown's water-privileges, as already detailed in Chapter I. [See ante, pp. 15, 16] Tucker's tavern at the north end of the Pond, the store on the corner opposite F. H. Sprague's, the black-
347
First Methodist Church.
smith shop at Gleason's old stand, and another at the corners on the road to Lanham, and Fiske's Tannery, all contributed to the impor- tance of that end of the town as a business centre. But the new era of Corporate Manufacturing had not then dawned.
THE FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. - The history of this denominational movement properly belongs to this date, and this connection.
Mr. Barry states that Methodism was introduced into this town in 1788. As he received his information from persons whose memory reached back to that date, and who were interested in and cognizant of the facts, there is no reason to question the correctness of his state- ment. Probably Lieut. Jona. Hill became acquainted with the tenets and methods of the denomination when in the army near New York, in the Revolutionary war ; at which time Francis Ashbury, the first bishop of the church in the United States, was actively at work in that region.
The first Class consisted of Jona. Hill (leader), Benj. Stone, Isaac Stone and their wives, and Matthew Stone. They first met for relig- ious worship in the dwelling house of Benj. Stone. This was one of the earliest - if not the earliest - church of the order, gathered in Massachusetts. The records of the old Needham Circuit do not extend back of 1791 ; and there is no doubt that the Saxonville Class helped to make up the reputed number of 35 members.
For several years the church in this town was visited by various preachers, viz. John Hill, Bishop Ashbury, Jesse Lee, Ezekiel Cooper and George Pickering, through whose missionary zeal, Methodism was firmly established in New England.
There was an article in the warrant Apr. 3, 1797, "To see if the town will allow those persons called Methodists to draw their money out of the town Treasury which they have paid towards the support of Rev. Mr. Kellogg." A committee was appointed "to inquire into the legality of the Methodists paying a minister tax." The report of the committee is not recorded. But if they were not allowed to pay their minister tax for the support of their own denomination, it was because they were not legally organized by the choice of a clerk, who could attest the necessary certificate.
"For nearly forty years " says Rev. R. H. Howard in his Historical Address, " Saxonville Methodism was represented by a mere hand ful, scarcely more than a single Class, whose varying fortunes, alternating between extreme feebleness and hopeful success, must have occasioned much prayerful solicitude and constant concern." But they maintained their weekly meetings ; and in 1822, under the labors of Rev. Erastus
348
History of Framingham.
Otis and Rev. Geo. Fairbanks, an interesting revival occurred, which added considerably to their numbers, and more to their relative strength. Since this date, the Society has been one of the places of regular appointment of preachers.
" The earliest original documentary material for a history of Saxon- ville Methodism which I have found," says Mr. H., "is a Class-paper, yellow with age, of which the following is a copy :
" FRAMINGHAM CLASS-PAPER.
" Lewis Jones, leader; B. Hazelton, J. Risley, I. M. Bidwell, circuit preachers; Joseph A. Merrill, presiding elder.
' Be faithful in meeting your class, And do not forget the monthly fast.' -DIS.
" Needham Ct., May, 1825."
The names of the members of this class are as follows :
Lewis Jones, Sarah Stone, Catherine Hill, Persis Hill, (afterwards Eaton), Joseph Potter, Jane Walker, Joseph Moulton, Olive Moulton, Hannah Stone, Betsey Eaton, Luther Underwood, Walter Stone, Eliza Stone, Pamelia Hill, L. Dudley, Sally Flag, Eliza Belcher, Elbridge Bradbury, Betsey Bailey, Roxana Godenow, Elenor Godenow, Lewis Dudley, Patty Dudley, Ann Moulton, Abagail Bradbury, William Dudley, Susan Stone, Sally Under- wood, Fisher Ames, L. Ames, M. Eaton, and Jenny Eaton."
" Previous to 1840, three Classes had been organized. Of the first, held at the "Corners," Lewis Jones was long the leader, doing duty in this capacity for over a quarter of a century, and succeeded by Walter Stone. The second was held at the village of Saxonville ; and for many years the leader has been, and still is, John Simpson. The third class was held at Nobscot, and was conducted by William Stone and Nathaniel Gill.
" Rev. S. W. Coggeshall, D. D., who was appointed to this circuit in 1832, writes : - "When we took the old Needham Circuit in 1832 it was reduced to two Sabbath appointments, Needham and Weston, with evening appointments at Saxonville and Waltham Plains. At Saxonville we met at the house of Mr. Eaton, whose wife, Persis, was a prominent Methodist at the Four Corners. The great, old-fashioned kitchen used to be crowded with an earnest congregation, many of whom, after having rode or tramped, five miles to Needham to meet- ing, and back, would still come out to a third service, or sermon, in the evening. We meant business in those days."
"Another of these praying places was the neighboring house of Benjamin Stone. Meetings were likewise held, I am told, in a large barn, beyond the Sudbury River, then belonging to Mr. Israel Stone."
349
First Methodist Church.
In 1833, the Society commenced the erection of a house of worship, near the house of Benj. Stone. "The site selected was about one mile north of the village of Saxonville, on the road leading to Sudbury. The land occupied by the building was generously donated for that purpose by Elias Hemmenway, residing at the time near the spot. The occasion of the location of the church at this singularly unfortu- nate point was doubtless the fact that in those days the majority of the members of the Society resided in that vicinity."
The building, 38x 40 feet and costing about $2,000, was completed and dedicated in due time, Rev. Abel Stevens, then only nineteen years of age, preaching (from Dan. 2 : 34, 35) the dedicatory sermon. 1
The society was legally organized during the year 1834; Brother Richard Kimbal having been appointed first treasurer.
"A prominent and worthy member of the church during this comparatively early period of its history, was Jotham Haven, a local preacher, father of the late Bishop E. O. Haven, -the latter having been named after one of the former preachers of the Needham Circuit, - Erastus Otis of precious memory, and under whose ministry the father had been converted at Lempster, N. H. For some time pre- vious to his coming to Saxonville to live, Father Haven, together with Tyler Harrington and Daniel Livermore, had been wont, as occasion called, to drive over from Weston and supply the pulpit of the then new church, in the absence of the regular circuit preacher. Moving at length into the place - his farm and homestead having been located in the immediate vicinity of the church, - he became naturally more intimately identified with and interested in Saxonville Methodism. " He was," writes Dr. Coggeshall, "one of the best and most faithful of men that I have known in sixty years, - a truly pious and most estimable man." "Father and Mother Haven," writes Dr. Merrill, "in my day, already far advanced in life, were sincere and devoted fol- lowers of the Lamb. Father Haven was a preacher of good abilities, very useful in earlier life, but continued to love Christ and his church with an even and constant love to the last."
Meantime, it is a matter of just pride to this people that the Saxonville Society once nurtured in its motherly bosom the late lamented Bishop E. O. Haven. Converted in Weston at the early age of ten years, he joined the Methodist Church on probation in Saxonville, being at the time about fifteen years of age."
1 A very interesting and significant incident connected with this young preacher and his perform- ance on that occasion is worth relating. The Rev. Dr. Kellogg, pastor of the Congregational Church at Framingham Centre at the time, was present at this service. Meantime when, at the close of the exercises, the youthful preacher descended from the pulpit, Dr. K., a man of patriarchal years and appearance, rising from his place in the altar, and placing his hands on the young man's head, with much feeling and impressiveness, exclaimed, " Let no man despise thy youth."
350
History of Framingham.
"During the single decade that the Society continued to worship in the church at the "Corners," it enjoyed only a scant prosperity. The Conference preachers who served it were C. Virgin, Peter Sabin, N. B. Spalding, Paul Townsend, Thos. W. Tucker, Geo. Pickering, and Willard Smith. The Society, in the year 1842, considering themselves financially too fecble to support a Conference preacher, Rev. L. P. Frost, then teaching in Wayland, near by, was engaged to supply the pulpit, which he did most acceptably."
In 1844, for the better accommodation of people living around the Factories, the church was removed to the village.
In 1880, the present tasteful and commodious house of worship was erected, at a cost, including the land, of about $10,000. It was dedicated Jan. 5, 1881.
The preachers since 1844, have been, Rev. Willard Smith, Rev. N. S. Spaulding, Rev. Chester Field, Rev. Thomas C. Pierce, Rev. J. T. Pettee, under whose ministry occurred a remarkable revival, during which nearly two hundred were hopefully converted. This was in 1850 and 51. In 1852 Rev. John W. Merrill was appointed here. He was followed by Rev. John Cadwell, Rev. Thos B. Treadwell, Rev. H. P. Andrews, Rev. Franklin Furbur, Rev. Burtis Judd, Rev. G. G. Jones, Rev. Thomas Marcy, Rev. Z. A. Mudge, Rev. Albert Gould, Rev. Linus Fish, Rev. F. T. George, Rev. W. A. Braman, Rev. William Silverthorn, Rev. Andrew J. Hall, Rev. R. H. Howard.
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