History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : containing carefully prepared histories of every city and town in the county, Vol. II, Part 25

Author: Drake, Samuel Adams, 1833-1905
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Boston : Estes and Lauriat
Number of Pages: 650

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : containing carefully prepared histories of every city and town in the county, Vol. II > Part 25

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The money expended for the war, exclusive of state aid, was $ 51,584.11; the amount repaid by the state was $45,368.45.

There were seventeen natives of Marlborough in the navy; seventy others were credited to the town. July 14, 1863, two hundred and thirty- nine were drafted ; part of these went into the ser- vice and are not included in the enlistment record ; some furnished substitutes, while others paid com- mutation money ; and some were discharged for disability.

The following are the names of those who fell

149

MARLBOROUGH.

in the war, all but the last two being inscribed on the soldiers' monument.

John Francis ; Charles W. Andrews ; Francis G. Graves ; Joseph P. Barnes ; Isaac B. Crowell ; J. Josiah Gleason ; Michael Ahern; Alfred W. Howe ; Willia Keating ; Thomas Nolan ; Robert Dailey ; Lieutenant George N. Bridgewater; Bartholomew Finerty ; Patrick McDermot; Sylvester H. Rice ; Claude Greenache ; Silas A. Coolidge; Matthew Drummy ; Cornelius Tobin ; Daniel J. Reagan ; Albion Nutting ; Edwin N. Welch ; Bernard Wall ; John Frye ; Charles E. Goodnow; Charles W. Moshier ; Marshall Keyes; Elijah Howe, 2d; Aaron A. Brigham; Patrick Boylan ; Thomas Murry ; Patrick Clark; John B. Jenks ; Rufus C. Rice ; Captain William F. Brigham ; Theodore H. Goodnow; Granville H. Smith ; Charles E. Perkins; William L. Knight; John L. Spencer ; Thomas Pettis; John Eaton, Jr .; Henry H. Brown; John Connors ; Hugh Keegan; Elisha W. Fay ; Otis Chase ; Andrew J. Goodnow ; George A. At- kinson; Charles Stone; Captain John Carey; John M. Russell ; Thomas J. Oddy ; Reuben B. Rice ; Josiah H. Vose; Daniel Doyle; Joseph Joel ; George D. Huntington ; William Fife Brigham ; Edwin Goodwin; John Buckley ; Stephen H. Phelps ; Edwin W. Exley ; John Crowley ; Frank J. Wood; Patrick Quinn ; Lucius Allis; Edwin C. Rice ; Peter Flynn ; William Murname ; John P. Peebles ; James McCarty ; Thomas Roberts ; James Sheehan ; Myron L. Balcom ; John H. Col- lins ; Michael Clark ; Eugene Burns ; Lieutenant Charles W. Whitcomb ; Washington I. Lathrop; W. Frank Brigham; Benjamin F. Russell; George H. Mundell; Henry H. Perry; Oseola V. Newton; George A. Nourse; George H. Stowe; Alfred G. Howe; Cornelius Long; David Barnes; Edward E. Bond ; George B. Newcombe ; James M. Sheehan.

Education. - Before Philip's War some atten- tion had been given to the education of the chil- dren, but for several years the town had been unable to support a public school. About 1698 Mr. Ben- jamin Franklin, who had formerly taught, was re- engaged. The school met in the unoccupied house of Isaac Wood. The teacher's salary for fourteen weeks was £5 12s. In December of this year it was decided to build a school-house, and Mr. Jona- than Johnson, Sr., was engaged to teach at a salary of £14 for the year, the school to meet in his house until the building was finished. Decem- ber 14, 1701, the town was fined £5 4s. for hav- ing failed to provide a qualified teacher. Whatever

the gifts or attainments of Mr. Johnson may have been, no one can be surprised at this action, see- ing he was at once village blacksmith (the town in those days providing a smith's lot as they did a minister's), sexton, and school-teacher. He was dismissed after the fine was imposed, although he was employed again. April 19, 1708, this entry occurs : "To Jonathan Johnson, Sent. for keeping school in the year 1707 in full for satisfaction £9 15s."

The more eminent early teachers were Benjamin Choate, a graduate of Harvard, who taught in 1703 and 1704. William Thomas, a Welshman, taught in 1716, and about this time Robert Breck, son of the minister, who was afterward settled over the parish at Springfield. Dr. Samuel Brigham taught in 1750 ; he was physician and town-clerk. Until . after 1734 there was but one schoolmaster; this year it was voted "that the school be kept for 6 mthis at the school house; 5 weeks at the Farm ; 5 weeks at the westerly part of the town 8 weeks at the school house of Joseph Baker and 8 weeks at the house of the widow Forbush."

The cause of education progressed slowly for many years, but was by no means neglected. School-houses were erected from time to time in different parts of the town ; in 1762 six were built, and in 1779 and 1781 two more were added. Cap- tain Ephraim Brigham, a prominent citizen, left in the year 1771 a gift of £ 111 for educational pur- poses ; the interest of this fund, agreeable to the provisions of the will, was expended in founding and sustaining what was called the Brigham School ; its principal object being to supplement the work of the town schools, giving older scholars the opportunity of perfecting themselves in writing and arithmetic. It was held after the closing of the winter schools, generally through the month of March. This bequest has since been merged in the general school fund.

During the Revolution a grammar school was supported until the pressure of the times led to its suspension. In 1790 there were seven school districts and houses, each having an average ses- sion of fifteen weeks in the year.

In 1803 female teachers were employed for the summer schools, the winter schools being, as be- fore, in charge of male teachers. After the War of 1812 private schools sprung up in the fall. Additional accommodation was provided near Fel- tonville; two other new schools were established, one in the south part, another near the centre.

150

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

In 1827 the examination of teachers was made by the state, to devolve on an inspecting committee specially qualified for the purpose; before this time it had fallen to the minister or the selectmen to decide on the fitness of candidates.

In 1826 an academy was established by indi- vidual enterprise, to secure a higher grade of in- struction than that given in the district schools ; two years later Silas Gates and his son Abrahanı gave a joint donation of $2,000, and in recogni- tion of their generosity the name of the insti- tution was changed to the Gates Academy. It flourished for several years, but afterwards de- clined, and in 1833 its condition seemed hopeless. In that year Mr. O. W. Albee took charge of it, and gradually raised it to a higher position than it had ever before occupied. He was undoubtedly the most influential and popular teacher the town has had. He was a man of wide and liberal sym- pathies, public spirited, efficient in his profession, able in the school-house at once to secure the most submissive attention and the warmest affection. To this day his old scholars regard his memory with almost filial tenderness, and celebrate it by annual reunions.

Mr. Albee taught until 1849, when the academy was merged in the high school. It had long been felt that proprietary or semi-private institu- tions of this kind reacted unfavorably on the free- school system, - citizens being reluctant to vote ample town appropriations when they were pri- vately supporting academies. It was decided, with the consent of the representatives of Silas Gates and his son, to transfer the endowment to the town for free-school education. The policy was abun- dantly justified by the increased appropriations and quickened interest in the cause.

The appropriation for 1840 was $1,000, the number of scholars being 651 between the ages of four and sixteen; for 1850 it was $ 1,300, the number of scholars (643) being somewhat less ; for 1860 it was $ 3,882, for 829 scholars of from five to fifteen years ; for 1870 it was $16,500, the num- ber of scholars being 1,877. At the present time there are thirty-four schools and thirty-eight teach- ers, five being male and thirty-three female ; num- ber of children between five and fifteen (May, 1878), 2,127 ; increase over 1877, one hundred and ninety- one. There are eleven school buildings : one high school, having a principal and two assistants ; eight grammar schools, employing two male and eight female teachers ; and twenty-five primary schools,

employing twenty-five female teachers. The town appropriation for 1878 was $ 18,500. The cost of instruction per scholar is abont $ 8.50.

Marlborough originally included the tract of land now called Westborough, Northborough, Southborough, and Hudson. Westborough, with what afterwards became Northborough, was incor- porated in 1717. Southborough was set off in 1727. At the June meeting the mother town agreed to further the petition of the inhabitants of Stony Brook for incorporation to the General Court. Hudson was incorporated in 1866.

The population of Marlborough in 1660 was abont 55, rising to 210 in the ensuing ten years, remaining stationary for the next ten years, and increasing considerably until 1700, when there were 530 inhabitants ; fifty years later there were 1,000; in 1800 there were 1,635. From this date, for forty years, there was a gain of only 500. From that time, owing mainly to the establishment of shoe-factories, the population has rapidly in- creased. In 1850 there were 2,941, in 1860, 5,910, the population being doubled in ten years. In 1870 it reached 7,885, although in the preceding decade Hudson had been set off. The highest point was gained in 1872, when there were 8,941 persons. Since then the number of inhabitants has slightly varied from year to year.

Owing to the imperfection of the records, it is im- possible to give a complete statement of the valua- tion of the town until very recent times. From 1771 to 1820 the number of polls slowly increased from 323 to 434 ; the number of honses, from 169 to 254. In 1830 there were 454 polls and 288 houses ; the real estate was valued at $485,805 ; personal estate at $ 121,451. In 1840 there were 559 polls and 325 houses; the real estate was $623,807; personal estate, $ 155,951.

In 1850 the number of polls was 834; of houses 458; value of real estate, $ 948,931; of personal estate, $ 286,506. In 1878 the number of polls was 2,182; number of dwellings, 1,376 .; total valuation, $3,451,365.

The industries of the town, until within forty-five years, were confined to agriculture and the supply of local needs. In 1837, 103,000 pairs of shoes were made, valucd at $ 41,200; seventy-five males and the same number of females were employed in their pro- duction. There were two tanneries, employing seven hands ; two manufactories of chairs and cabinet ware, employing four hands. 7,500 straw bonnets were manufactured, valued at $10,850.

151

MARLBOROUGH.

In 1845, 182 persons were employed in making straw braid and bonnets; 378 men and women manufactured 624 pairs of boots and 302,725 pairs of shoes, valued at $ 92,932. Ten years later, in 1855, 103,500 pairs of boots and 1,971,500- pairs of shoes were made, by 969 male and 973 female hands ; the value of the product being $1,156,975. In 1860, 2,000 men and 7,000 women were employed in this industry, and $2,000,000 were realized on sales.

It has steadily grown from that time, and, despite . the loss of several manufactories through the setting off of Hudson, the state of the business for the year 1878 may be gathered from the following statistics, communicated directly from the manufacturers : Number of hands employed, 2,500; pairs of boots and shoes made, 3,500,000, valued at $3,000,000; estimated value of property and machinery em- ployed, $ 225,000. The principal impetus to this business was given in 1836, when Mr. Andrew Boyd conceived the idea of making boots and shoes by what is called "the team" or "gang" system ; his brothers, Joseph and Samuel, in whose employ he was, adopted the plan, which has been generally followed. At this time they worked in a barn in the east part of the town. In 1848 they erected the first large factory, which is now standing, form- ing the brick part of Messrs. Morse Brothers' shop. Machinery was not introduced until 1852, when the sewing-machine came into use ; after this other labor-saving contrivances were gradually invented.

Among the earliest manufacturers who adopted the team system were Joseph and Samuel Boyd, Frank Brigham, Lorenzo Stratton, Samuel and John Chipman, Lewis T. Fry, George Brigham, William Dadmun, Morse Brothers, John W. Stevens, Hiram Temple, Elijah Dickinson, Deuison Brigham.

There are now twenty-two large factories, each employing from four hundred to fifty hands when running briskly. The prospects of the trade are, on the whole, encouraging.

The first National Bank of Marlborough was incorporated October 1, 1863, with a capital of $50,000, increased to $100,000 May 1, 1864; to $150,000 October 1, 1864; and to $200,000 May 1, 1865. The original officers were : direct- ors, Mark Fay, Samuel Boyd, Sidney G. Fay, William Morse, 2d, William Gibbon, Joseph Boyd, John M. Whiton, Erastus S. Woods, and George E. Woods ; president, Mark Fay ; cashier, Edmund C. Whitney.

Mark Fay continued president until his death, June 30, 1876, succeeded by William Gibbon ; and January, 1878, by Sidney G. Fay. The pres- ent officers are : president, S. G. Fay ; vice-presi- dent, William Gibbon ; directors, G. F. Fay, W. Gibbon, William Morse, John G. Frye, and Sam- nel Boyd ; cashier, E. C. Whitney.

The Marlborough Savings Bank was incorpo- rated April 3, 1860; the corporate members be- ing Mark Fay, Thomas Corey, Samuel Boyd, Wil- liam Morse, 2d, Levi Bigelow. The organization was completed by the election of Samuel Boyd as president ; J. S. Wetherbee, vice-president ; Mark Fay, treasurer. May 16, 1864, E. C. Whitney be- came treasurer, and on his resignation, September 17, 1878, Edward R. Alley was elected. Amount of deposits in 1864, $16,750; amount due depos- itors September, 1878, $600,700.

The People's National Bank was organized De- cember 11, 1878: capital stock, $100,000; presi- dent, Elbridge Howe; vice-president, S. J. Shaw ; directors, Elbridge Howe, S. Herbert Howe, Joseph Boyd, L. S. Brigham, Jolin O'Connell, J. S. Welch, Winslow M. Warren, George N. Cate, Samuel Boyd, D. W. Hitchcock, L. A. Coolidge, S. A. Howe, 2d, Abel Howe, S. J. Shaw, Samuel N. Aldrich.

The fire department consists of four companies, having about one hundred and fifty members. E. C. Whitney, Esq., is chief engineer. There is also an independent company, called the Veteran Fire Association, doing good service. All these companies are in an efficient condition.

The first public library was established in 1792. It had sixty proprietors, who paid $2.50 for their share, and an annual contribution of twenty-five cents. The present library was commenced April, 1870. The Mechanics' Institute donated their library of several hundred volumes. The town voted over $1,300 for its formation. This was supplemented by private contributions. The town has made liberal appropriations annually for its . support. It now contains 6,864 books, besides many duplicates of popular works, and many im- portant pamphlets and reports. It has a large proportion of standard works, and if the policy hitherto pursued be continued, it will become, eventually, a valuable library of reference.

Topography, etc. - Marlborough is situated on the westerly border of the county, bounded on the north by Hudson and a part of Berlin, on the south by Southborough and a part of Northborough ;

152

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

on the west by Berlin and Northborough ; east by Sudbury and Framingham. It is twenty-eight miles west of Boston, and sixteen east of Worces- ter. The Boston, Clinton, and Fitchburg Railroad runs through the town, and the Fitchburg Railroad communicates with it by a branch line from South Acton. It is about six miles in length from east to west, and three miles in breadth from north to south. The whole township consists, for the most part, of elevated land. The highest point is Mount Sligo, situated some six hundred and fifty feet above the level of the sea. From this point, on every side, the country presents a scene of exquisite pastoral beauty, and suggests a high degree of cul- tivation. There is nothing wanting to constitute a complete landscape. To the southwest lies the sheet of water called Williams' Poud ; few lakes of its size exhibit so charming a variety of scenery ; its waters are always clear; the land gently rises on all sides, in part pasture-fields and in part woodland, until gradually both stretch away and are blended in the purple distance.

One of the oldest and most interesting land-

Gates House.

marks of the town is the Gates House, situated on the east corner of the pond. There are some pleas- ant stories of the visit of General Washington and other historic characters connected with the place. In the centre is the historic Ockoocangansett Hill, and in the east is the ancient plantation of Whip- suppenicke, now cultivated by William Stephen Morse. The other principal hills in the town are called Indian Head Ilill, Shoe-String Hill, Jericho, Crane, Stirrup, and Prospect.

The town is well wooded. The trees are mostly oak, though chestnut, pine, walnut, and maple

abonnd. It is well watered, although the streams are small and infrequent. It has a large number of ponds or lakes, some of them of considerable area. The soil, as a rule, is a rich loam, capable of producing large crops of hay, corn, small grain, and vegetables.

Fruit cultivation has always been a successful specialty. From the time of the Indians, who had flourishing orchards, till now, the apples have been famous alike for their quality, size, and abundance. For many years the place was noted for the excel- lence of its cider, and in 1752 cider-brandy was distilled and exported in considerable quantities. The older farmers dwell with much animation on the time when they regarded the cider-mill as one of the most necessary parts of their farm ; they made it a rule to commence carrying cider to Bos- ton the latter part of September, sending their teams two to four times a week, to the last of November, according to the quantity they had to dispose of. Pears, grapes, and peaches are all grown to advantage.

It is the unanimous and unqualified opinion of those best acquainted with the land, that it com- pares very favorably with the best portions of the state. The.farmers evince a good deal of interest in scientific agriculture, and take pride, in many instances, in the breeding of a high grade of cattle. The farms, as a rule, are large and highly culti- vated.

As might be inferred from the elevated site and general character of the town, the inhabitants have been and are remarkable for health and longevity. Mr. Hudson says : "The registration of bills of mortality for the four years, from 1856 to 1859 inclusive, shows the average percentage of deaths on the population annually to be as follows : In the state, 1.73; in the county, 1.57 ; in Marlbor- ough, 1.18; showing the health of Marlborough during that period to be .39 per cent greater than that of the county, and .55 per cent greater than that of the state. . . . The censuses show that in 1830 there were living in Marlborough fifteen persons between the ages of eighty and ninety, and seven between the ages of ninety and one hundred ; in 1840 there were twenty-one between the ages of eighty and ninety, and two between ninety and one hundred; in 1855 there were twenty-two be- tween the ages of eighty and ninety, and three between ninety and one hundred; and in 1860 there were twenty-three persons living, between the ages of eighty and ninety." It is no doubt safe to

153

MAYNARD.

say the rate of mortality, certainly among the native born, is now as low as, at any former time, and that there are as many instances of longevity.

Town-Hall.

Within thirty years the two villages, the east. and west, formerly nearly a mile apart, have grown together, so that they present the aspect of a town of considerable size.

Near the depot is the new town-hall, a costly and commodious building.

The general appearance of the town is suburban rather than rural ; and the shoe-shops being located in all parts, the inhabitants are largely relieved from the undesirable features of a manufacturing place. The population has a considerable pro- portion of Irish and Canadian French; who, as individuals, harmonize as a rule with the native citizens to a far greater extent than would be in- ferred from their combined action during periods of economical agitation. They have two churches, St. Mary's in the west village, and the Church of the Immaculate Conception in the centre of the town.

The first burying-ground lies northeast of the Union Church. The oldest legible tombstone is dated 1675 ; its inscription is as follows : -

CAPTAIN EDWARD HUTCHINSON Aged 62 years Was shot by Treacherous Indians August 2nd 1675 dyed August 1675.

Here also is the tomb of Mr. Brimsmead, wholly effaced ; and that of Mr. Breck, which is in a good state of preservation. The second burying-place is immediately in the rear of the high school ; besides these there are The Brigham, The Easterly, The Morse (sometimes called The Farm), The Weeks, The Chipman, The Robin Hill, and The Pleasant Street cemeteries.

MAYNARD.

BY ASAHEL BALCOM.

m AYNARD is bounded on the north by Acton, on the east and + south by Sudbury, and on the west by Stow. The population in 1875 was 1,965. The Marl- borough Branch Railroad, in connection with the Fitchburg Railroad, furnishes the travel- ling and freight facilities, and there is a prospect of further railroad accommodation by the extension of the Middlesex Central Railroad, from Concord Junction to Maynard. The distance from

Boston by the county road is twenty-one miles; by railroad, twenty-seven miles. There are two hotels in the village, four dry-goods and grocery stores (one of them a co-operative store), three dry-goods stores, several millinery and dress-making stores, two butchering establishments, a Masonic Lodge, a Good Templars' Lodge, and a post of the Grand Army of the Republic.

Maynard is a small, new town, having been in- corporated April 19, 1871, and named in honor of Amory Maynard, Esq., formerly of Marlborough, through whose untiring energy and sagacity tlie industries of the town have been developed. Of

154

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

the territory, some 1,300 acres were taken from the town of Stow, and included Pompsiticnt Hill, and other good farming lands, devoted to orchards, tillage, and pasturage. Some 1,900 acres were taken from the northwesterly part of Sudbury, and included some good farming lands, but were to a great extent woodland, having some of the largest growth of wood and timber to be found in Massa- chusetts. By an arrangement the town of May- nard agreed to pay to the town of Stow the sum of $6,500 as a compensation, and to the town of Sud- bury the sum of $22,500; the town of Sudbury to assign to the town of Maynard one hundred and four shares of their Framingham and Lowell rail- road stock ; the town of Maynard was also to pay to the town of Sudbury the sum of three hundred dollars per year, for ten years, towards the support of their paupers, and one third part of all costs and expenses for the support of military paupers.

The lands called the New Grants, in Sudbury, were purchased of the Indians, and consisted of two strips, each one mile wide, with a " thirty rod highway " to each lot, and parallel with them, joining upon the westerly side of the town, and were called squadrons of land. The following ex- tract may explain the matter : -

" At a town Meeting January ye 4 1657, voted in ye Town Meeting that whereas there is a pond lying in ye third and second squadron that soe our middel Highway from South to North cannot pas streight, our will and vote is that ye said way shall goe round the pond at ye nearest end and alowance be given by ye Surveyor to any person that shall be damaged by ye highway going at ye ponds end and, Alsoe let it be remembered that ye long Highway from South to North goethe at ye west end of ye pond through ye land of John Toll and Solomon Johnson and is twelve rods wide at ye narrowest for which may ye said John Toll and Johnson, have sufficient alowance.

" A true copy se old Book of Grant Folio 54, 55. JOHN RICE, Town Clerk."

That portion of the town taken from Sudbury was a part of the New Grants to the town, and according to the Old Proprietors' Book was pur- chased of the Indians by deed, dated 1684. Some extracts from their records may be interesting.

" We the Subscribers and present owners of the New Grant lots in Sudbury and as we think, and imagine Proprietors of the two miles of land late granted to Sudbury by the General Court, called the New Grants, we humbly petition your honour

to grant us a legal meeting as the law directs, to be at the House of Jonathan Rice in said Sudbury, innholder,

" To do or act what may be lawful and needful when met in order to defend said grant of two miles, and every other legal act as Proprietors.

" JOHN CLAP, JAMES HAYNES, EPHRAIM PRATT, JOHN BALCON, THOMAS SMITH, JONATHAN RICE, AMOS SMITH, JOSEPII BALCOM, and sixteen others."

A warrant was granted by Joseph Buckminster, Esq., of Framingham, to meet December 1, 1729.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : containing carefully prepared histories of every city and town in the county, Vol. II, Part 25

Author: Drake, Samuel Adams, 1833-1905 Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Boston : Estes and Lauriat Number of Pages: 650

Author: Drake, Samuel Adams, 1833-1905
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Boston : Estes and Lauriat
Number of Pages: 650