USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : containing carefully prepared histories of every city and town in the county, Vol. I > Part 85
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In May, 1684, Jolin Ruddocke and thirty-four others of Marlborough petitioned the General Court for authority to purchase of the Indians their plantation ; and ten of the Indians joined in the request, but a much larger number of the Indians remonstrated against the prayer of the petitioners. The General Court in this case, as in every other, adhered to their plighted faith ; and, deeming it unwise for the Indians to sell their land, denied the prayer of Ruddocke and others. But it appears that the principal inhabitants of Marlborough, headed by John Brigham, a bold and somewhat reckless operator, resolved to possess the Indian land, and cut the knot they were unable to untie. On the 15th of July, 1684, they obtained without the consent of the court a deed of the plantation
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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
from a large portion of the Indians. This fact being brought to the knowledge of the court, they pronounced the deed illegal and consequently null and void : being made and done expressly contrary to law and the order of the court.
But, regardless of this decision, the purchasers of the plantation, in October, 1686, decided that every proprietor should have laid out to him in some of the best of the land lying as conveniently as may be to the town of Marlborough thirty acres for a first division of upland. Feeling uneasy about the title to their lands, in 1693 they agreed that their grants of land " shall stand good to all intents and purposes, if they be attested by Jolin Brigham, their clerk." Despairing of any confirma- tion of the doings by the court, at a meeting held in 1709 they voted, " that they would make arti- cles to bind themselves in a covenant whereby what we do may stand in force." Subsequently the proprietors signed a covenant that they would pay each his several share to defray all charges growing out of their lands, or the titles thereof.
We have dwelt longer upon this Indian planta- tion than might seem relevant to the history of Hudson ; but as the history of Marlborough was so immediately connected with the Indians and this plantation, and as Hudson was then a part of Marlboroughi, and as the location of that territory included a large part of the present town of Hud- son, and for a long period prevented absolutely any English settlement in that part of the territory, and as the title to the land was defective, thereby dissuading men from purchasing farms upon that disputed territory, - we do not see low any satis- factory history of Hudson could be written with- out treating of facts which impeded the settlement of the territory now included within her limits.
The history of Hudson being included in that of Marlborough till quite recently, it becomes nec- essary to take a brief view of the parent town. The grant of Marlborough was made to certain proprietors from the town of Sudbury, in 1657; and in 1660 the territory was incorporated into a town. The township was large, and included what are now the towns of Westborough, Northborough, and Southborough. Being a frontier town and a kind of way-station on the line of travel from Bos- ton to the settlement on Connecticut River, it was greatly exposed to the incursions of the Indians, and in Philip's War their meeting-house and many of their dwellings were burned, and the settlement substantially broken up; but after the return of
the population, the Indians from Canada, under the influence of the French, made frequent incur- sions into the original township, and killed or car- ried into captivity several persons. To guard against these dangers, twenty-five or thirty garri- sons were established. One of the garrisons was located near the present village of Hudson, to pro- tect the families of Thomas Barrett and John Banister, thereby showing that their residence was in that section of the town. One was on the In- dian plantation, near what has been known as the Wesson place, to protect Thomas Hapgood and others ; and one near the Ephraim Maynard place for the protection of Adam Holloway and others.
From various causes the northern part of Marl- borough, which is now included in the town of Hudson, was not settled so early as the southern and central portion of the township. In the first place nearly half of the territory set off from Marlborough to form the town of Hudson was covered by the Indian plantation, and no valid title to the land could be given till 1719. This, of course, would discourage settlements on that terri- tory. Then, during the Indian wars the people would naturally be disposed to settle somewhat compactly, that they might the better defend them- selves. Marlborough being on the great thorough- fare between Boston and the settlements m the Connecticut River Valley, the government made it a sort of military station, and a small garrison was stationed there, which would give a sense of secu- rity to the settlers who would seek a habitation near this supposed place of security. Besides the meeting-house, always the great object of attraction to the Puritans, being upon the main road, would be an additional reason why the people would set- tle in that part of the township.
Not only these natural causes, but the policy of the settlers tended to confine the population to the central part of the town, as may be seen by their action as early as 1662. After dividing about one thousand acres of land among themselves, and re- serving " four-score acres to accommodate some such desirable person, as needs may require, and the town may accept of," they described a large quantity of land, including the valley of the Assabet River down to the Indian plantation, and provided that it should remain a perpetual "cow Common for the use of the town, never to be allotted with- out the consent of all the inhabitants and proprie- tors at a full meeting." This unwise restriction proved very embarrassing, but it remained in force
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nearly half a century, and was at last removed by an act of the General Court. This restriction would prevent any settlement on the Assabet River.
There was practically a similar poliey adopted by the English proprietors of the Indian plantation, when they took possession of the territory. For before they had made any division of their land, they provided " that every proprietor should have sixty acres of some of the best land lying con- veniently as may be to the town." This would naturally tend to draw settlers where the principal population was then found.
The inhabitants of the town and the proprietors of the Indian plantation made several divisions of their lands. Their first division generally con- sisted of some of the most valuable land ; and in laying it ont they were not always careful to have the lots contiguous. Henec there would frequently be remnants or gores of laud unappropriated; and the second, third, and fourth divisions, and especially the last, are frequently made up of odds and ends. This appears to have been particularly the case in the northerly part of the town. Many of the proprie- tors would vacate or sell out their rights in the latter divisions to the land speculators ; and these job- bers would very often buy up these remnants from different parties or proprietors, and frequently sell them out to settlers. We often find deeds convey- ing from five to teu and twelve different pieces of land, varying from one to thirty aeres, and some- times to a less quantity than an aere. Notwith- standing all these impediments, some few inhabitants settled upon this territory. The first permanent settlement in anything that looked like building up a village was made at the mills, so-called. A grist-mill was erected on the Assabet River, about 1700. It was on the land of Joseph Howe, son of Abraham, an original proprietor. He died Sep- tember 4, 1700. His oldest child, Sarah, married Jeremiah Barstow, who by his wife or by purchase came into possession of the mill. Barstow, by a deed dated 1723, sold to Robert Barnard of Andover a large tract of land amounting to about three hun- dred and fifty aeres, for £600. This deed con- veyed fifteen distinct lots in Marlborough, and three in what was then Lancaster. This tract ex- tended east on both sides of the river as far as the Bush place, and must have embraced the whole of what is now the village of Hudson. The descrip- tion in the deed recognizes the mill, bouse, and barn, orehard, garden, fenee, &c., showing that there was a fixed residence ; and some of the traet
bordering upon undivided land shows that the country around was generally unsettled.
Barnard came to the place in 1724, and took possession of the mill. He also opened a public house on the site of the house and store occupied by the late Colonel W. H. Wood. The attraction of the mill gave some importance to the place, though there was no particular growth of the vil- lage till after the Revolution. Several farmers had located themselves within what is now the territory of Hudson. Among the earliest was the Goodale family, which settled on the place now occupied by David B. Goodale. Thomas Hapgood, son of Shadrach Hapgood, who came to the country in 1656, and who was treacherously slain by the Indians in King Philip's War, settled on the Indian plantation before 1700, at what has since been known as the Wesson place. Hapgood died 1764, aged ninety-five years, leaving three hundred and thirteen descendants. His children settled on the . territory now included in Hudson. The Wilkinses came from Danvers, and settled on the Indian plantation about 1740, where a number of families of that name have since resided. Artemas Howe, a descendant of Abraham Howe, one of the early residents of Marlborough, settled north of Fort Meadow. Abijah Bush was perhaps the earliest settler in the north part of the town of Marl- borough. John Bruce, about 1740, planted him- self on what is now known as the Ezekiel Bruce place. About 1725, Nathaniel Hathorn and Edward Hunter settled in the northern seetion of the town, at or near the present pauper estab- lishment. Solomon Brigham, a descendant of Thomas Brigham, took up his residence, 1754, on the road from the mills to the centre of the town, on the place now occupied by Charles Brigham. He was the grandfather of Charles and Captain Francis Brigham, to whose enterprise the town of Hudson owes no small share of its prosperity.
These settlers, being generally farmers, had their principal association with the centre of the town, and consequently did not contribute much to the growth of the mills. About 1794, Joel Cranston, an enterprising citizen from the eastern part of the town, eame to the village, and opened a store and a public house. A few years later, he was the prin- cipal means of introdneing several branches of mechanical industry into the place, and brought people there as permanent inhabitants, - George Peters, the ring of whose anvil would awaken the people from their slumbers; Jededialı Wood, who
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carded the wool for spinning, and dressed the cloth when the rolls were converted into a fabric; Ste- phen Pope, who could convert the hides into leather, and his father, Folger, in whose hands the leather was transformed to saddles and harnesses ; and Ebenezer Witt, as true and as busy as the mill which he tended. These men came to the village about 1800, and so not only increased the popula- tion, but by their respective callings increased the business of the place. In the meantime Silas Felton came to the village, and went into partner- ship in trade with Cranston, and continued in trade in the village till the close of his life in 1828. Cranston and Felton not only contributed greatly to the prosperity of the village, but were highly re- spected in the community, and filled many of the most important offices in the town.
Nothing of note occurred in the place, till the in- troduction of a manufacture of which we will speak hereafter. The subject which engrossed the atten- tiou of the people of the village was that of becom- ing a corporate town. Situated three miles at least from the centre of the town, and having stores, schools, churches, a post-office, and other conven- iences which constitute a town, except corporate powers, it is natural to suppose that they would desire to become incorporated, so that they could do their own business in their own way. There were also a number of families residing within the limits of Bolton, but within a hundred rods of the village of Feltonville, as the village was then called, and at least three miles from the centre of Bolton, which were desirous of acting with the people of the village, and becoming a part of the contem- plated new town.
A meeting was held on the 3d of May, 1865, to take into consideration the forming of a new town. Francis Brigham, Esq., was called to the chair, and Silas H. Stuart was chosen secretary. Resolutions were passed, expressing their belief that their in- terest would be promoted by becoming a corporate municipality, and recommending that a petition be presented to the General Court, to be set off from their respective organizations, and be made a town. Francis Brigham, George Honghton, James T. Joslin, E. M. Stowe, and S. II. Stuart of Marl- borough, and three gentlemen from Bolton and one from Berlin were chosen a committee to carry these resolutions into effect.
an act creating the town of Hudson, omitting the territory lying in Bolton. The act thus limited was accepted by the citizens of Iludson, on the 31st of March, 1866, when the town was duly or- ganized by the choice of the necessary town offi- cers ; and being thus duly qualified, they proceeded at once to the transaction of such business as they deemed necessary to develop the resources and promote the prosperity of the town. They made provision for their schools, highways, and other necessary objects. They directed their selectmen to look well to their cesspools, and abate all nui- sances, and especially the liquor nuisance. Their public officers were instructed to consider the sub- ject of supporting their paupers ; and in a true Christian spirit they were directed not only to make suitable provision for laying out a cemetery, and disposing of the lots in the same, but to fur- nish suitable headstones at the graves of their paupers and to those unable to supply them. But the subjects of schools and town-ways engrossed a large share of their attention ; and we venture to say that few, very few, towns in the commonwealth have done as much in so short a period as the town of Hudson, to improve their roads.
A committee having been appointed at a previ- ous meeting to inform Charles Iludson, of Lexing- ton, that the new town was named Hudson as a compliment to him, reported at a meeting held in 1867 that they had conveyed the information of the fact to Mr. Hudson, and that they had received a very flattering and highly satisfactory letter from that gentleman, in which he spoke very approvingly of the enterprise of the town, treated of the value of a free public library, and concluded with this proposition : -
" If the town of Hudson, at a legal meeting called for that purpose, vote to establish a free town library for the use of all the inhabitants of the town, and shall appropriate, or otherwise secure, the sum of five hundred dollars to be devoted to that object, they may call upon me, my executors or administrators, for the like sum of five hundred dollars, to be expended in furtherance of that object."
The committee recommended the acceptance of the proposition ; and the town accordingly voted the sum mentioned, and made choice of a discreet committee to select the books, and adopt such measures as they might deem necessary to carry forward this desirable enterprise. With a thousand
The town of Bolton, unwilling to part with a portion of her territory, opposed the measure ; and the legislature on the 19th of March, 1866, passed I dollars, and some other liberal donations, they were
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able to open a library in 1867, which has been in- creased from time to time, and has met the wants of their growing population.
The subject which engaged the thought of the people more than any other was the need of pos- sessing a portion of the adjoining territory within the limits of Bolton. This arose not merely from an ambition to enlarge the borders of their town, but from the fact that the desired territory ap- proached so near the village as to prevent its nat- ural expansion. And besides, this Bolton territory furnished some of the best building land near the village. The people doing business in Hudson were unwilling to fix their residence in another town and county, and thus be cut off from all participation with their immediate neighbors in the municipal affairs of the town where their labors were performed, and where their principal interest lay. Not only public desire, but enlightened policy, required the acquisition. The people residing upon this territory were anxious to become a part of Hudson. And Bolton, a purely agricultural town, began to suspect that a hundred voters, engaged in manufactures, and living at least three miles from the centre of their town, might become a troublesome element in their municipal affairs. Consequently they expressed a willingness to make some arrangement with Hudson, and settle on the best terms they could.
The citizens of Hudson, though they were con- scious that this Bolton tract would ultimately be incorporated in their town, and the people become one, from interest and social intercourse were will- ing to make some sacrifice to hasten the happy union. Committees were appointed by both towns which finally agreed to refer the whole matter to three disinterested men, and to abide by their de- cision. The arbiters, after viewing the premises, and hearing the parties, reported a dividing line ; and provided that Bolton, upon the request of the town of Hudson, shall convey by sufficient deed the lot of land proposed to be annexed to Hudson ; and that the town of Hudson shall pay to the town of Bolton, within three months from the adoption of this line by the legislature, the sum of ten thousand dollars. This award, with the draft of an act confirming the same, was submitted to the legisla- ture, and the act was passed without opposition. Thus ended the controversy between the two towns ; and though the mode of settlement was a novel one, we believe it was beneficial to both parties. Hudson has been remarkably fortunate in adjusting
her boundary lines with the adjoining towns in a quiet and peaceable manner; and great credit is due to all parties for the kind and accommodating spirit in which they have met this subject.
Having laid out and constructed roads, provided for schools, and whatever else was deemed neces- sary for the prosperity of the place, in 1871 it was decided to build a town-hall; and the neces- sary steps were taken to accomplish this object. The building having been completed, was publicly dedicated September 26, 1872. It is well located, thoroughly finished, and is well adapted to the wants of the town. It is a brick edifice, two stories high. The entire cost of the building with its furniture was $48,500, and the site added $10,000 to its cost. Few towns in the country can hoast of a town-hall more elegant and cou- venient than this.
The people in the northern part of Marlborough, which is now included in the town of Hudson, early manifested a deep interest in the subject of education. When citizens of Marlborough, they urged the want of better opportunities for their children, there being but one school-house on the territory now under consideration, and that nearly two miles from the Mills, the only village in the northern section of the town. And what made it still worse was the fact that there was no open direct road from the village to the school-house. This inconvenience was so severely felt that some of the families employed private teachers. But, after a struggle of several years, they obtained in 1812 a vote to establish a new district, and build a school-house, which was erected on the road from the Mills to the middle of the town, about eighty rods south of the river. Such, however, was the opposition to this measure, and such the lean ma- jority by which the vote was passed, that it was threatened to have the vote reconsidered at the adjournment of the meeting. But such was the zeal of the people of the village, that the trees standing in the forest when the vote was passed were standing in a framed school-house, covered with boards, clapboards, and shingles, before the day to which the meeting was adjourned. Marl- borough for a time was rather behind her sister towns in her appropriations for schools ; but about 1850 a new interest was awakened, and several new school-houses were erected. The appropria- tion in 1856 was but $2,220, in 1860 it was in- creased to $3,910, and a high school had been established not only in the Centre, but also at
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Feltonville. Abont 1855 the house built in 1812 | was abandoned, and a new and better one was erected on School Street near the river; and here the Feltonville high school was kept till after the town was incorporated. The town of Hudson can present a good record on the subject of education. With a population of some nineteen hundred, at her first corporate meeting in 1866 she appropri- ated $ 3,000 for schools; in 1870 she appropriated $5,000, and in 1876 $6,300. During the first decade of her being she has more than doubled
the school appropriation, and built four good school-houses, and among them a high-school house, at an expense for that house alone of be- tween five and six thousand dollars. It appears by the public report of the selectmen that, for the year ending 1878, $7,345.92 were appropriated for the support of schools, - a sum highly creditable to the young town.
The military history of Hudson can be briefly written. Up to the time of her separation from the parent town, what constitutes her present territory
THA
Town Hall, Hudson.
furnished a full, if not an undue, proportion of captains and field-officers in the militia ; but these will hardly come into the design of this article. In Philip's War this territory, being unsettled, of course furnished no soldiers. During the French and Indian wars which continned, with slight in- terruptions, from 1722 to 1759, the town of Marlborongh furnished her full quota of men ; but it is impossible to say how many of them belonged to the territory in question. From imperfect rolls we find the names of some thirty-five or forty sol- diers, who resided in the northern section of the
town ; and a considerable portion of them served in different campaigns in different years. Nearly the same may be said of the soldiers of the Revoln- tion. The rolls, imperfect as they are, give the names of men known to be residents of the section now embraced in the new town, and though the whole number of soldiers was less than in the French wars, we believe that the north gave its due share. And during our late Civil War, we find no means of separating the patriotic citizens of Feltonville and the northern section of the town from those who resided in the centre and southern
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section. Marlborough furnished three companies of three years' men, besides individuals who en- listed in other companies and regiments, and no complaint was ever made that the northern sec- tion was derelict in duty. The number of soldiers who entered the service from Feltonville head- quarters, and the labors of the patriotic women, demonstrated that the love of liberty which gave us a free country was ready in the exigency to sus- tain it.
Before the principal manufactures were intro- duced into Feltonville there were some branches of business of that nature carried on in a small way. In addition to the common shoemaker incident to every settlement, an individual came into the place about 1815, and employed two or three hands who made shoes for the public market. A few years previous to this, Phinehas Sawyer erected a small cotton factory at the Mills, devoted exclusively to the spinning of yarn, which was put out by him- self and others to be woven in families, where some of it was bleached by the primitive process of being spread upon the grass and often watered. About this time, Cranston, Felton, and Hale, thie traders in the village, employed two or three young women to weave satinets, a fabric of cotton and wool quite extensively used at that time for panta- loons. Another enterprise by the same parties was the establishment of a distillery for the pro- duction of cider-brandy. Though there were two distilleries at that time in the centre of the town, it was found that they could not consume the cider as fast as it was brought in. Another species of manufacture was tried on a small scale, - that of drawing wire by hand.
Such was the condition of the manufacturing interest in 1835, when Francis Brigham, who may be regarded as the father of the shoe-manufactur- ing interest, started the manufacture on a small scale. He went on enlarging and improving till 1847, when he built his large brick shop, intro- duced machinery, and applied water-power. Oth- ers have followed his example, and so the business has grown up.
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