USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : containing carefully prepared histories of every city and town in the county, Vol. I > Part 74
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FRAMINGHAM.
BY REV. JOSIAH H. TEMPLE.
HIS town is situated midway, and on a direct line, between Boston and Woreester.
The original plantation con- tained abont 20,500 acres. In 1715, what was known as Simpson's farm, containing 500 acres, was ineluded in the new town of Hopkinton. In 1724 Holliston took off a point of the southern extremity of the town. Sonthborough took in the long strip of land known as Fiddle Neek in 1727. The Leg wasannexed to Marlborough in 1791. In 1846 a tract of about 3,000 acres was set off to form, with parts of Hopkinton and Holliston, the new town of Ashland. In 1871 a triangular piece of land was taken from Natick and annexed to Framingham. The present area of the town is 15,930 acres.
The more striking natural features of the terri- tory are the range of high hills on the north, near Sudbury line, known by the names of Nobseot, Doeskin Hill, and Gibbs Mountain ; the four ponds lying in a elnster near the southern border ; Cochituate Pond, on the eastern border; and the Sudbury River, which flows diagonally through the town from southwest to northeast. The view from the top of Bare Hill, at the Centre, is one of great variety and beauty.
This territory first became known to the Eng- lish as early as 1633. In that year a small party of explorers, going from the Bay to the Connecticut River valley, passed up between the Charles and Sudbury rivers by the northerly end of Cochituate Pond, thence on a southiwesterly course, keeping east of the ponds and shunning the marshy lands, through the north part of Sherborn, and so through Hopkinton, Grafton, and Thompson, Conn. This
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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
trail was followed, in 1636, by Rev. Messrs. Hooker and Stone and their large company, on their way from Cambridge to llartford, and was known for two generations as the old Connecticut Path.
Indian Occupants. - At the date of this first discovery by the English several Indian clans were in occupancy of these lands. A considerable tribe had headquarters at Cochituate, which was the name applied by the natives, not to the pond, as in modern usage, but to the bluff forming the western shore. Their principal fort was situated on the highest point to the south of the outlet, and remained undisturbed till within the remen- brance of men now living. They had another fort directly east of the present village of Saxonville. They also occupied several sites to the west of the falls. Old Jethro and his son Peter - famous in the times of King Philip's War -lived on the west part of Nobscot. The falls, both in Sudbury River and in Cochituate Brook, furnished excellent fishing-places for shad and alewives, which in their season were the main dependence of the natives for food.
Another considerable Indian village, called by the natives Washakamaug, was located on the south- ern and eastern shores of Farm Pond. These fam- ilies were a branch of the Nipnet tribe. Later they united with the Speene family and others to form the Indian plantation at Natick, as gathered by the Apostle Eliot in 1650.
An Indian village was gathered by Eliot at Mag- wonkkommuk, -commonly contracted into Magun- kook, - in that part of Framingham which after- wards became Hopkinton, now in Ashland. All these lands, with the exception of Nobscot and the Glover Farm, were purchased of the natives, at a fair valuation, by the English settlers.
Early Land Grants. - In the earliest notices of the territory now embraced in the township, it is described as " Wilderness Land lying North of the path from Sudbury to Nipnox." Later it is called " the tract of Waste Lands belonging to Thomas Danforth Esq. lying between Marlbury and the old Connecticut Path."
The earliest grant of land within the town limits by the General Court was made in 1640 to Mrs. Elizabeth Glover, widow of Rev. Josse Glover. This tract, containing six hundred acres, lay around the northerly end of Cochituate Pond, extending south to Cochituate Brook, and bounded west by Sudbury River and north by Sudbury town. Other grants, on the easterly side of Sudbury
River, were made as follows : to Edmund Rice of Sudbury fifty acres at Rice's End, in 1652, and eighty acres casterly of the Beaver Dam, in 1659; to Richard Wayte of Boston three hundred acres lying west of Farm Pond, in 1658; to Richard Russell five hundred acres lying southwest of Washakum Pond, in 1659; to the Indian planta- tion at Natick a considerable tract cutting into our southern border, in 1659 ; to William Crowne five hundred acres, in 1662 (this was sold in 1687 to Savil Simpson, and is now in Ashland). On the northerly side of Sudbury River, John Stone pur- chased an Indian Planting Field of the natives in 1656, which was confirmed to him the same year by the Court, and " a grant of fifty acres more to be added thereunto." Small grants were made to Rev. Edmund Brown, minister of Sudbury, and Elijah Corlett, the schoolinaster of Cambridge. But the largest part of these west-side lands was conveyed to Thomas Danforth, Esq., in 1660 - 62. This tract was known as Mr. Danforth's Farms, and is described " as a parcel of land lying between Marlbury and Kenecticut Path, and is bounded easterly by Sudbury lands, adjoining to that part of their bounds near Lannum, the land of John Stone, and a part of Natick plantation ; southerly, the lands of the said Thomas Danforth and Natick lands ; northerly with the other part of Sudbury bounds towards Marlbury ; and westerly, with the country lands." Mr. Danforth purchased the Wayte and Russell grants, and thus owned not less than two thirds of . the Framingham plantation. In 1693 he leased the major part of these lands to Joseph Buckminster and Joseph White, and in 1699 renewed the lease to Joseph Buckminster for nine hundred and ninety-nine years, at a rent of £22 per annum.
Early Settlers. - The first dwelling-house with- in the town limits was built by John Stone in 1616 or 1647. It stood near the river-bank a half- mile north of the Falls. His sons settled near him twenty years later, and the place has since been known as Stone's End. The second house was built in 1654 or 1655 by John Glover, son of Rev. Josse Glover. It stood on the old Connecti- cut Path, at the northerly end of Cochituate Pond. Houses were built by Henry Rice and John Bent at Rice's End before 1663. Thomas Eames put np a large house and barn at the southerly side of Mount Wayte in 1669. Several other families pur- chased lots and were preparing to come on, when the sudden outbreak of King Philip's War put
NOsena PUBLIC LIBRARY
Massacre of the Eames Family.
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a stop to settlements. But on the return of peace a considerable colony located on Pratt's Plain. During the years 1677, 1678, and 1679 Mr. Eames rebuilt a little to the east of the old spot. Jolin Death settled near the Beaver Dam, Thomas Gleason built at the south side of Gleason's Pond, Thomas Pratt, Jr., just north of the pond, and Thomas Pratt, Sr., where the State Arsenal now stands. Zachariah Paddleford and Isaac Larned settled near Learned's Pond. These families all located ou or near the old Connecticut Path. Thomas Drury, John Adams, Thomas Walker, and John How were early settlers at Rice's End, on this path.
Families of the name of Mellin, Coller, and Whitney leased farms of Governor Danforth in 1687, and located on the west and south shores of Farm Pond. Nathaniel and John Haven settled in the near neighborhood in 1690. About this date Mr. Danforth gave leases of some farms on Doe- skin Hill and to the south of Nobscot. George Walkup and John Shears came on in 1689, Sam- uel Winch the next year, and Thomas Frost as early as 1693. In 1692-93 came the great rush of settlers. The families of Bridges, Nurse, Clayes, Elliot, and Provender, who had lived at Salem Village (Danvers), and were involved in the trials for witchcraft, came in a body and located at Salem End. John Town, connected by marriage with the Bridges, settled south of Bare Hill. The Pikes and Belknaps formed Pike Row ; the Hemenways leased the meadows north of the Mountain ; the Buckminsters built in the upper valley of Baiting Brook ; the Eatons pitched to the east of Nobscot. In 1699 the number of dwelling-houses then stand- ing and occupied was sixty-four.
The Plantation. - Framingham is first named as a plantation in 1675. Up to this date all the adults were connected with the church in Sudbury, and had home ties and civil rights there. No act of the General Court has been found which estab- lished plantation limits and privileges; but this year Framingham is taxed a country rate of one pound, and is required to furnish one soldier for the country's service. After King Philip's War, as families came on, they were reckoned as belong- ing to Sudbury, Sherborn, or Marlborough, ac- cording to location, - the statute providing that " for all such places as are not yet laid within the bounds of any town, the same lands with the per- sons and estates thereupon, shall be assessed by the rates of the town next unto it, the measure or
estimation shall be by the distance of the meeting- houses."
Indian Assault on the Eames Family. - The principal tragic event which requires notice in our annals happened February 1, 1676, when a party of Indians - of those lately driven from Magun- kook -assaulted the family of Thomas Eames, then living on the south slope of Mount Wayte, burned his house, barn, and cattle, killed his wife and five children, and carried five more into cap- tivity. Mr. Eames was absent, having gone to Boston for ammunition and help to protect his property. The tradition is that the mother coura- geously defended her home, using such weapons as were at land in the kitchen. According to the confession of one of the murderers, the party had returned to Magunkook for some corn left in their granaries there, and finding that it had been re- moved, started at once - partly for food, and partly for revenge - towards the nearest English settler. And it is probable that the stout resistance of the brave woman so provoked them that they left nothing alive. Three of the children taken found means to escape from their captors, and returned in the course of a few months. The two girls --- one probably a daughter of Mrs. Eames by a former husband - were seen by Thomas Reed at Turner's Falls about the middle of May. They were heard from later, near Albany. The younger was re- deemed ; the elder never returned. Of the Indian murderers, three were tried, convicted, and hanged, two were sold into slavery, two died violent deaths, and two were pardoned.
The Town. - The first movement for incorpora- tion as a town is indicated by the following peti- tion, dated March 2, 1692 -93. " The peticon of their Majties subjects now dwelling upon sundry ffarmes granted in those Remote lands scittuate and lyeing betweene Sudbury, Concord, Marlbury, Natick, and Sherborn, and westerly is the wilder- ness -
Humbly Shewetli
That your peticon's some of us have there dwelt neere fforty Yeares, And have from time to time Increased our numbers, And more especially of Late. Soe that now wee are about fforty ffamilies, Some haveing built and some Building. And wee hope may sincerely say that wee have endeav- oured to attend the Worship of God, Some of us att one Towne & some att another as wee best might, butt by Reason of our remoteness four ffive and some six miles from any Meeting house, Are
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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
uncapable to carry our ffamilyes with us, nor yett to sanctifie God's Sabbaths as wee ought besides many other inconveniences (Inevitable) in our present circumstances . .. . Doe therefore hum- bly request That by the authority of this Court wee may be made a Township" .... Signed by John Bent, Benjamin Whitney, John Eames, Thomas Gleason, Isaac Learned, John How, Thomas Pratt, and twenty-four others.
But there were conflicting interests to be recon- ciled. Sudbury had contributed some of her best men as settlers on these lands, and still exercised a quasi jurisdiction over the northeasterly portion, under the title of Sudbury Farms. Sherborn had naturally drawn the settlers around Farm Pond towards her meeting-house, received them to her church, and conferred political privileges in con- sideration of taxes for the support of public wor- ship. Her opposition to a new town here was most determined and persistent and potent. And when, after a struggle of seven years, it became evident that the new township was to be erected, she secured the insertion of a clanse in the act of incorporation, " saving unto Sherburn all their rights of land granted by the General Court to the first inhabitants, and those since purchased by ex- change with the Indians of Natick or otherwise." This clause gave rise to a legal contest of nine years' duration ; to the double taxing of several families ; and was only ended by the legislature granting unto the town of Sherborn " 4,000 acres of wilderness country land where they can find it any ways convenient for said town, in compensation for these 17 families."
The act of incorporation is dated June 25, 1700. The first town-meeting was held August . 5, when the following officers were chosen : Lieutenant Joseph Buckminster, David Rice, Thomas Drury, Jeremiah Picke, Peter Clayes, Sr., John Towne, and Daniel Stone, selectmen ; Thomas Drury, town-clerk ; Simon Millen and Thomas Frost, constables ; John How and Benjamin Bridges, assessors ; Thomas Walker, treasurer; Abiel Lamb, Sr., commissioner ; John Pratt, John Haven, Peter Clayes, Jr., and Samnel Winch, surveyors of highways.
The settlers that came on in 1690-94 were dircet from Reading, Roxbury, and Essex County, and had no ties of affiliation with either Sudbury or Sherborn. They felt the need of church privi- leges of their own. And, largely through the in- fluence of the Clayes, Bridges, Nurse, Town, Pike,
Haven, Mellen, and Hemenway families, a meeting- house had been erected as early as 1698, and a minister employed. August 21, 1700, the town made overtures to Mr. John Swift of Milton, then supplying the pulpit, to continue their minister, offering him, in case he should be settled, " one hundred acres of land and ten acres of meadow." May 13, 1701, the town chose Peter Clayes, Sr., Benjamin Bridges, John Haven, John Town, and Samuel Winch, Sr., to go to three ordained min- isters for their opinion whether Mr. Swift " be a person qualified for the work of the ministry, as the law directs." The committee applied to Rev. James Sherman of Sudbury, Rev. Grindal Rawson of Mendon, and Rev. William Brattle of Cam- bridge, who gave the required certificate. May 22, 1701, the town voted " to give a call to Mr. John Swift to abide and settle with us, the inhabitants of Framingham, as our legal minister; to give Mr. Swift, in addition to the land and meadow, £60 in money yearly, and find him in his wood [thirty-five cords] ; to fence in twenty acres, with a good ditch where it is ditchable, and where it can't be ditched to set up a good five-rail fence ; and to give £100 towards the building of a house, one-fifth of the same in money ; to raise the salary by a rate; and it shall be paid by contribution, every man to paper his money, and that which is not papered to be accounted as stranger's money."
The church was organized, and Mr. Swift was. ordained pastor October 8, 1701.
At this date there were thirty-three houses on the westerly and thirty-one on the easterly side of the river. The number of inhabitants was "above three hundred and fifty souls."
The new town had two inherent drawbacks to contend with. The geographical centre was an unsuitable place for a village. The inhabitants were not homogeneous. The settlers came on in distinct clans. The Stones and the families at Rice's End were connected by blood and marriage. The same was true of the Pratts and Gleasons, who located together. The Eameses were a power in themselves from early settlement, large proprietor- ship of lands, and numerous family connections. The same, substantially, may be said of the Buck- minsters, Havens, and Mellens. The Salem End colony had strong ties in common, and no outside connections. The Reading colony, which located on Pike Row, and the Walkup, Frost, and Gibbs families, were each united by a community of in-
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FRAMINGHAM.
terests. The Hemenways and Mixers formed an isolated district.
And there was another circumstance, in a cer- tain sense trivial, which yet had an influence in keeping interests separate. The settlers on the easterly side of the river held their lands in fee- simple, while the settlers on the Danforth Lands had only leases. But the leased farms held certain valuable rights in common from which the east- side dwellers were debarred. Mr. Danforth was a man of large views and disinterested aims. He planned to build up a township of enterprising men by leasing the lands on easy terms, and secur- ing to each tenant a right of pasturage and fuel in the reserved commons, which embraced a tract of about 5,000 acres. But he died before his plans were fully executed.
In addition to the common lands, Mr. Dan- forth set apart a large tract " for the benefit of the Ministry." The diverse social elements were slow in assimilating, were often agitated by disturbing influences, and once came near a destructive explo- sion. The ministerial lands were the subject of unchristian contention ; and the commons, which were intended to be a bond of union, became a field for individual avarice and over-reaching.
The first meeting-house stood on the west bank of Sudbury River, in the old cemetery. This was " the most accommodable spot" on the ministe- rial land for the scattered population. The east- side settlers gravitated to the Great Bridge at this point by easy paths from Rice's End and Sherborn Row. The people from Nobscot and Stone's End had paths to Pike Row, and thence by the Edgell Place on nearly a straight line to the meeting-house. A road from the Hemenways met the road from Salem End on the present R. W. Whiting place, which then ran east, past the house of C. J. Frost, about twenty rods east of which it received the path from the Haven and Mellen neighborhoods, and then led to the meeting-house.
This first meeting-house was a rude structure. It was in size 30 x 40 feet, and two stories high ; was clapboarded, but not painted. The windows on the south or front side were of uniform size, and in regular order; on the ends and north side they were put in where and of such size as individ- ual pew-owners pleased. Originally there was one large double door in front; but individuals were allowed, or took the liberty, to cut doors at the ends and back side, wherever most convenient to reach their respective pews. Inside, the walls
were unfinished. The seats were benches without backs. March, 1710, the town voted that " there shall be a decent body of seats set up in the meet- ing-house." But all the people had helped to build it, and all loved it as their sanctuary. With a small enlargement in 1715, it met the wants of the first generation of settlers. But the second generation and the new-comers demanded some- thing better, and with great unanimity voted to build a new house on the old spot. This was in 1725. Through the opposition of an interested minority the location of the new meeting-house proved a bone of contention which nearly resulted in dividing the town into two, and in the end rent the church asunder.
The new house was not built till 1735. It was placed on the Centre Common, near the site of the present church of the First Parish.
Except the controversy about the meeting-house site and the legal ("illegal," they were character- ized by the majority of the inhabitants at that date). measures adopted by Colonel Buckminster to get possession, under the general terms of his lease, of the ministerial lands and the reserved commons, nothing of special interest occurred in the civil his- tory of the town during the forty-five years' pas- torate of Mr. Swift.
In 1735-45 the highways were readjusted to. the new centre, in the main as they exist to-day.
The population had increased from 350 to 900. The appropriations for ordinary town expenses in 1745 were £735, Old Tenor, - £200 for high- ways, £300 for preaching, £135 for schools, £100 for incidentals.
Mr. Swift died April 24, 1745. His successor, Mr. Matthew Bridge, was ordained February 19, 1746. The town granted him a settlement of £600, Old Tenor, and a yearly salary of £260. The expenses of his ordination were £139 88. 2d .; including £96 98. 4d. for keeping the ministers and messengers two days, £3 18s. for chickens, £10 2s.for beef, and £6 3s. for tavern bills.
As a result of the contest which grew out of the seizure of the ministerial lands, in connection with the action of the majority in constituting the ordaining council, a minority seceded, and organ- ized a new Congregational Church. This took place in October, 1746. A small meeting-house was built, and Mr. Solomon Reed was ordained pastor by a council in January, 1747. The new church numbered over eighty members, and con- tinued a separate organization about ten years,
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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
when a part returned to the old church, and a part united in formning the First Baptist Society in Framingham.
Emigrations. - A considerable number of Fram- ingham families became grantees of Oxford in 1713. Among them were Town, Barton, Elliott, Larned, Gleason, Lamb, and Stone. Some Mellen, Ilow, and Haven families removed to Hopkinton between 1715 and 1720. The Bents, Stevenses, Stones, and Hows contributed to the settlement of Rutland about 1722. Others became incorporated with Holliston in 1724, with Shrewsbury in 1727, and with Templeton a few years later.
Commons Divided. - In the year 1759 SO much of the common or neck lands as had not been leased by Colonel Buckminster to individuals was, by consent of the legislature, divided among the inhabitants.
French and Indian Wars. - This town was not the theatre of any of the thrilling events of these wars, but our men took an active part in the de- fence of the frontiers. Joseph Buckminster, Jr., was colonel in commission and command of the militia at that date, and was active in enlisting and forwarding troops as called for by the provincial au- thorities. The following men were in the 1st Mas- sachusetts regiment, under General William Pepper- ell, in the expedition against Louisburg in 1745 : Lieutenant John Butler (died in service), Philip Pratt, James Clayes, John Nixon, John Seaver, Robert Seaver, Joseph Seaver, Benjamin Seaver, Jonathan Youngman. Lieutenant Thomas Winch and thirteen men were members of Captain Josiah Brown's company of troopers, called out on all alarm September 23, 1747. John Edgell was taken prisoner by the Indians near Fort Dummer, July 14, 1748, as was also Daniel How, Jr., who was a native of this town. Jonathan Brewer was out in the campaign of 1749, stationed at Fort Dummer. He and John Nixon, both of whom were distinguished officers in the War of the Rev- olution, took their first lessons in camp and field service in this war.
The old French War ended in 1748, and what is known as the Last French and Indian War be- gan in 1754. In the opening campaign of 1754 Jonathan Brewer and fourteen others enlisted in Captain John Johnson's company, and were out three months. John Nixon enlisted March 27, 1755, received his commission as lieutenant in Captain Jonathan Hoar's company in the Crown Point Expedition, was promoted to be captain Sep-
| tember 8, and served through the war. Jonathan Gibbs was lieutenant in the same company ; Amos Gates was sergeant ; Ebenezer Boutwell was cor- poral ; George Walkup was drummer, and soon was promoted to be drum-major. Simon Edgell, John Edgell, Jonathan Maynard, Thomas Nixon, Jonathan Belcher, Ebenezer Darling, John Darling, Isaac Gleason, Benjamin Tower, John Mathis, John Hemenway, Timothy Stearns, Jr., Jonathan Flagg, David Sanger, Joseph Bigelow, Daniel Hemenway, Nathan Knowlton, and Peter Gallot were in the same company. In the campaign of 1756, Crown Point Expedition, eight Framingham men joined Captain William Jones' company ; eleven were with Captain Josiah Stone, and nine with Captain John Nixon. Francis Gallot was in Pepperell's regiment at Oswego, and was taken prisoner at the capitulation of that fort, August 14.
The year 1757 was long remembered as the year of great preparations and great disappointments. The expedition against Crown Point and Ticon- deroga was popular, and officers and men enlisted freely, - to be balked in their expectations by the order of Lord Loudou, who sent them on a fruit- less expedition against Louisburg. The follow- ing characteristic letter will explain itself :-
FRAMINGHAM, July 18, 1757 .-
May it please the Houbl His Majesty's Council : In obedience to an order from ye Honours of the 11th May, 1757, I have taken effectual care and caused every person both upon the Alarm List, and Trained band List in the Regt of Militia under my command, and also the respective town stocks in sd Regt, to be furnished with Arms and Ammu- nition, according to law, and am now ready with my whole Regt to meet and confront the French in any part of the Province, at a minutes warning, even with seven days provision.
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