History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : containing carefully prepared histories of every city and town in the county, Vol. II, Part 93

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

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people a full share of their confidence and affee- tion.

In looking back .over the years that had now elapsed since the settlement of the town, it may be well to recall some of the men who had been prominent in its affairs. The committee of thir- teen appointed by the town of Charlestown in 1640 to explore the new territory, as well as the seven commissioners selected by the church for a similar purpose, had all performed the work allotted to them: they had laid out the town, begun its settlement, formed a church, organized a municipal body to administer civil affairs, and had continued to aid, foster, and support the com- munity that had grown up around them, with energy, prudence, and industry. These were now all dead : Edward Converse, Edward Johnson, John Mousall, Thomas Graves, Ezekiel Richard- son, Samuel Richardson, Thomas Richardson, and John Russell. Each of these men had marked and solid traits of character. Edward Converse was a deacon of the chinreh, and for many years one of the local justices, or " commissioner to end small causes," giving evidence through his life of integrity, fairness, and self-control. Edward Johnson was one of the striking characters of that period. With an education suited to the calibre of his mind, he would have left a record in the early annals of New England second to none of its chief scholars. His Wonder-Working Providence of Zion's Saviour in New Englund bears evidence of strong intellectual power and a fertile imagina- tion. Its structure may be faulty, but the book has much originality and quaintness, and sufficient force and vitality to give it a permanent and hon- ored place among the early literature of Massachu- setts. Mr. Johnson was also an excellent man of business, and had great perseverance and fortitude. To him, more than any other one of the original settlers, is Woburn indebted for its early and suc- cessful planting. Thomas Graves had a strong and ardent nature. He resided in the town only for a short time. He returned to his former occupation as a ship-master, and commanded thie first ship built at Boston, named the Trial. He is next heard of as capturing in the English Channel a Dutch privateer, under circumstances that called for great resolution and bravery. For this act he received a silver cup from his owners, and was raised to the rauk of rear-admiral by Cromwell. He died in Charlestown. The Richardsons, of whom there were three brothers, were all men of probity

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and judgment. Their residences were near to each other in the southerly part of the town, and for two hundred years the road on which they stood has been called Richardson's Row. John Russell was a connection of Richard Russell of Charlestown, from whom the town is supposed to have received its name. Resolute in will and decided in his con- victions, he seceded from his connection with the church in Woburn, and adopted the views of the Anabaptists, who had about 1665 made their ap- pearance in Boston. For this act of heresy he, with several other persons of the church, was summoned before the Court of Assistants for reprimand and indictment. This course intimidated many, but John Russell and his son, John, Jr., both united with the Baptist Church in Boston. The former soon became a leader and an elder among them, and for his obstinacy in adhering to the obnoxious tenets was imprisoned in Boston for several months. His son John entered the Baptist ministry, and was highly esteemed among them as a preacher of unusual gifts.

For three or four years the church in Woburn was much troubled by these defections from the standards of the Puritans, or Congregationalists. But after the Russells left Woburn, and the other members of the church tainted with the Baptist heresy had returned again to its fellowship, the schism was healed, and no further mention is made of religious dissensions until the reappearance of the Baptists in 1790.

Of the second generation of men that followed the settlement of Woburn there are two or three who deserve mention for their adininistrative abil- ity, integrity of character, and the good influence they exerted in the town and colony. Prominent among these was Mr. Johnson's son, Captain E. Johnson. He succeeded his father in the office of town-clerk, which position was held by the two for the unusually long term of forty-eight years. Besides occupying this post, he was cho- sen to the General Court for several years, and was a member of the Assistants, which was not only a legislative body, but the highest court in the colony. His zeal for the preservation of the old charter was so ardent that he was appointed on the " Council for the safety of the people," at the time when Andros appeared in Boston.

Samuel Walker was another of the leading men of the second period. Like Mr. Johnson, he was warmly attached to the old Massachusetts charter, and was a member of the colonial convention held

to reconstruct the government after the deposition of Andros, and under the new charter represented the town in the General Court.

There were several other men of note in the town at this time, but two only of these will be mentioned here, namely, James Converse and his son, J. Converse, Jr. The first was the son of Edward Converse, one of the first proprietors. Without having attained the higher honors of colonial office, he was thoroughly fitted for the duties that he was called upon to perform by his fellow-citizens ; and he served the town honorably and faithfully in all the stations it had in its power to confer. The son, James Converse, Jr., was born in Woburn, soon after its incorporation. He be- came prominent in town affairs at an early age, succeeding to the trusts reposed in his father, and as worthily filling them. His reputation is, how- ever, chiefly founded on his military services. He was captain of a company in the troops sent into Maine during the war with the French and Indians, which continued with more or less fighting for the ten years from 1688 to 1698. In 1691 he was placed in command of the garrison at Wells, Maine, in the house of Lieutenant Storer, which was fortified for the protection of the settlers. The number of men in the garrison did not ex- ceed thirty-five. The meagre force thus left to de- fend an important post induced the Indians under Moxas to attempt its capture. He appeared before the house with two hundred Indians, and opened a fierce assault ; but Captain Converse gave them such a warm reception that Moxas retreated.

This repulse led another sachem to boast, " My brother Moxas has missed it, but I will go myself and have the dog Converse out of his hole." Shortly after, the chief appeared before the little garrison with a force of three hundred to five hun- dred men. He made a fierce attack upon it, but was met with such a hot fire that he quickly drew off his forces. But the next morning the assault was renewed with increased vigor, which led one or two of Captain Converse's men to suggest a surrender, to which Converse replied " that he would lay the man dead who should utter that word again." The charge was met with perfect coolness, the garrison waiting until the enemy was in close range before delivering their fire. The execution was so great that the Indians were thrown into disorder. Rallying again, they re- turned to the fight, but another destructive fire checked their ardor, and, finding the garrison still

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undaunted, they at length drew off. A flag of truce was then sent demanding a surrender, under the threat, if this was not complied with, " We'll cut you as small as tobacco before to-morrow morn- ing." Captain Converse's answer was to come oll, for he wanted work. The invitation was not ac- cepted, and in a few hours the baffled chief retired from the contest, leaving the brave garrison vic- tors in the unequal fight. For this act of courage and intrepidity Captain Converse was promoted by Governor Phips to the rank of major, and made commander of all the Massachusetts forces in that quarter.

Twenty-five years later Woburn was again in- volved in the struggles with the Eastern Indians. It took a prominent part in the celebrated Lovewell's Fight. Of the thirty-four men engaged in that conflict six were from Woburn, one of whom was killed early in the action, and three were wounded. Setlı Wyman, of Woburn, was ensign of the com- pany, and its command fell upon him after the death of Captain Lovewell and the disabling of Lieutenants Wyman and Farwell. He restored the flagging spirits of the company, and kept up the fight till near night. The Indians first left the field, but the number of dead being great, and the wounded requiring medical treatment, a retreat was begun early in the night for the fort near Ossipee Pond, which had been built as a place of rendezvous in case of need. This retreat was a sad and suffering one. The fort was found aban- doned, those left in charge having received a false report of the fight. The men divided them- selves into three parties, and after several days of ex- treme hardship arrived at the frontier settlements. Isaac Johnson, the grandson of Captain Edward Johnson, was the Woburn soldier who was killed. Three others were severely wounded. The conduct of Ensign Wyman was greatly commended by the colonial authorities. He was promoted to the rank of captain, and presented with a sword as a mark of public esteem for his steadiness and bravery.

The death of Rev. Jabez Fox has been previ- ously mentioned as having occurred in 1702. His son, Mr. John Fox, was then keeping the grammar school in Woburn. His position and attainments gave him favor among his townsmen, and he was invited to preach three months on probation. His efforts were so satisfactory that he was chosen as permanent pastor, and ordained in November, 1703. The salary voted him was £40 in money

and £40 in provisions, at money price. "A piece of land " was also given to him adjoining his own estate. At the opening of his ministry Mr. Fox appears to have desired a restatement of the belief of the church. About this time some heresies were creeping into the established doctrines which greatly alarmed those who held steadfastly to the faith of-the fathers. These were the adoption of the practice of admitting persons to the communion who had not given evidence of full regeneration, and the adhesion of some (at least secretly) to the views of the Anabaptists, who had been crushed out in Woburn thirty years before. Mr. Fox was anxious to clear up these points by a restatement of doctrines. Accordingly a paper was drawn up which heartily reaffirmed the confession of faitlı adopted at Cambridge in 1648, which was sub- stantially that of the Westminster Assembly of 1652. Mr. Fox, being thus sustained in his views of evangelical truth, went on with his ministry successfully and happily for many years. There were, however, other causes for disagree- ment and wrangling in the town, or parish. (they being for a long period substantially one), besides those arising from differing theological sentiments. One of these was the disposition of certain lands which had been granted to the town in 1664. This grant consisted of 2,000 acres, which the town had the right to select from any unappropriated lands within the colony. But it was fifty years before the selection was made. A committee was then chosen to take up the land, who pitched upon a tract called Turkey Hill, lying within the limits of the present town of Lunenburg. The land was surveyed, and the town took possession. Nothing was done with it for several years. At length it was voted to sell it in one lot to the highest bid- der. The purchaser was Israel Reed, of Woburn, who paid for it £3,000 in provincial bonds, which was then equivalent to $3,666. The interest of this sum was used by the town for some time in its annual expenditures or in discharge of the province tax. In a few years, however, the fund proved to be more of a curse than a blessing, for it led to serious contention as to its custody, perpetual wrangling at town-meetings, and finally to its utter extinction through bad management.

Contemporary with this period, troubles and embarrassments fell upon the people through the loans granted to the towns by the General Court. Money was scarce, and poverty laid its hand upon nearly all the colonists. To remedy this evil a

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demand was made upon the government to issue bills of credit. The clamor was gratified, and £50,000 were issued; Woburn's share under this rule was £624. This sum was received in instal- ments, and placed in the hands of three persons nominated by the town, with authority to re-loan it to such citizens as could give security for its payment. This was in 1721. The scheme was apparently successful, for it is believed that all the money was returned, on call of the government, from the citizens to the town, and from that to the state treasury. Having felt the use of this money in its stimulus to a supposed prosperity, a demand sprung up for a new loan of a like char- acter, but larger in amount. Again the General Court fell in with the popular call, and in 1728 authorized the issue of £60,000, to be distributed in like manner as the first. The allotment to Woburn was about £750, though the exact sum is not given in the records. This amount was treated in the same way as the former loan, and placed in the hands of trustees, to be let to citizens on the same terms. The matter ran along for half a dozen years in a quiet way, when the people began to think of the town's responsibility, and required the trustees to report on the condition and safety of the funds. Nothing seems to have come of this, for two years later, in 1738, a com- mittee was appointed to proceed and collect the money in the hands of the trustees, and report at the general town-meeting to be held a few months hence. In the mean time the colonial authorities called for a portion of the loan (about one third) to be refunded. The money was, however, distrib- uted about, and could not be summarily collected, and the treasurer of the province being imperative, the town was obliged to resort to a special tax to meet the emergency. Accordingly a rate was laid for the sum of £250 7s. 6d. This was a severe burden for the general inhabitants to bear, as only a small number had realized any benefit from the loan. But the money was not easily collected from the trustees or their constituents, for in 1739, in 1741, and again in 1742, new and increased efforts were made by the town to recover the amount ; for the debtors were to be "prosecuted in law to the final judgment if need be." Presumably the whole sum was eventually paid by those who held it, al- though the town records do not anywhere state the fact. But the uneasiness produced by the town's responsibility, the uncertainty of receiving the whole amount from the parties who had borrowed it, and

the strain of extra taxation to make good the de- mand of the province, were a combination of evils quite as hard to bear as were those induced by the poverty the loan was made to alleviate.

Schools. - Among the varied interests to which the early attention of the colonists was called, was that of education. The leaders were for the most part graduates of English colleges, and they saw the importance, in a state such as they proposed to establish, of providing for the general education of children at the public expense. The people of Woburn do not appear to have taken this view very earnestly, for it is not until 1673 that any record is found for the payment of money for school purposes. In that year and the few follow- ing ones small sums were paid to different persons for this service. Ten shillings was the common annual amount given to the teacher. . From this it is very apparent that the advantages of common schools were not held in high estimation. But that education in its higher forms for a select number of persons was regarded of great impor- tance, is shown by the liberal donations made to Harvard College. On two several occasions, 1655 and 1669, the contributions of Woburn - one for its general support, and the other to build a new college - were greater than those of any other town in the colony but five. The necessity of an educated ministry was the stimulant to this liberal- ity. The instruction of youth for the common walks of life was deemed of much less importance. It was fortunate that the ministers and the cul- tured people generally were in favor of universal and compulsory schooling. Hence laws were early passed, requiring schools of the lower grades to be kept in all the towns, and when a population reached to one hundred families a grammar-school was to be maintained, for neglect of which a heavy penalty was to be exacted. One point in vindica- tion of the people may be made from the fairly presumed fact that in many families the children were taught by the parents, and in others the min- ister or some educated person was employed. In 1685 Woburn had gained the number of families (one hundred) required to support a grammar school. Mr. Samuel Carter, a son of the minister, was appointed as its first teacher, but not a scholar came forward to receive his instructions. His £5 salary was easily earned. The town, however, felt its superfluous payment, and reduced the salary to 30s. if no pupils appeared, though £5 were to be paid if the school was kept up. Matters went on

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

in this way for several years. The primary school was partially successful, but the grammar school was almost a total failure. At length the town neglected to provide a teacher. This was brought to the attention of the court, and an indictment was threatened. To avoid this, a new teacher was chosen. The person selected was John Fox, a son of the minister. His salary at first was £9 per year, but was soon raised to £18, with the expcc- tation that a portion of it was to be paid by private subscriptions; but these never came.

Mr. Fox being called to succeed his father in the ministry, Mr. Dudley Bradstreet of Andover was appointed to fill his place, and was required to be in Woburn "during the term of Charlestown court." The reason for requiring a teacher to keep school especially at "Court time" was to avoid being indicted for a breach of the law. At all other periods of the year the town authorities were quite indifferent " whether school kept or not," or in fact preferred to save their money to main- taining the school. Numerous teachers followed Mr. Bradstreet as grammar masters, who were hired on the principle of evading the law as far as possible. The town pretended to have a gram- mar school in conformity to the statute, but in all engagements with its teachers took care to signify that he was to be at his post at " Court time," even if he shut the school-house door as soon as it ad- journed. There is no period in the history of New England when the feeling for general education was at so low an ebb as during the later years of the seventeenth and the first thirty years of the eighteenth century. Woburn was not alone in its disregard of this important matter. Many other towns were implicated in similar neglect, and re- sorted to the same shuffling proceedings to escape prosecution. The scarcity of teachers had some- thing to do with the neglect in providing them. For many years previous to the Revolution the grammar school was supported regularly. One of the most noted teachers during the period was John Fowle, who held the post for twelve years. He had the honor of giving instruction in their youth to Benjamin Thompson (Count Rumford) and Colonel Loammni Baldwin. The first house especially fitted up for the use of the grammar school was in 1700; and the first building erected exclusively for that purpose was in 1712. Previous to that time a room in some private dwelling was the place for teaching. About 1760, primary schools were opened in the outlying parts of the town.

Thereafter it was regularly voted that a portion of the school money should be expended in the " ex- treme parts " of the town. The grammar school, which had been to some extent an itinerant institu- tion, was now established in the Centre, and was continued, with some irregularities, until 1792, when a new departure in the school system was taken. In that year a strong committee was ap- pointed, with Colonel Baldwin at its head, who reported an entire change in the school government and the method of instruction. To effect this, in the course of the next two years nine new school- houses were built in as many newly arranged school- districts, and £300 was appropriated to pay for their cost. This sum proving insufficient, the next year (1795) another £300 was voted to complete the payment. Unfortunately for the town, its en- thusiasın had expended itself entirely in school- houses, and left the schools unprovided for. This brought a presentment from the grand jury, which was probably disposed of without penalty, as the records make no mention of the town being de- faulted. The following year £150 was raised for the support of schools, and from that time until 1830 there was no marked change in the school methods, and but slight yearly additions to the appropriations. In the year last named, $800 was raised, which in 1837 was enlarged to $1,000; with the addition of interest on the town's share of the " surplus revenue." This sum was doubled in 1839, when $2,000 was appropriated, and even then the complaint was made that the money was insufficient, and the school season was too short. For the next few years the appropriations were but slightly increased. At this point of time Woburn stood low in the tables comparing the appropria- tions made for schooling in the different towns in the state. In a list of three hundred and seven towns made in 1840 the position occupied by Woburn was Number 253. This was radically changed by 1848, when on a similar list of towns Woburn had risen to the rank of 43. By the re- vised statutes high schools were required to be supported in towns having 4,000 inhabitants. Although containing the requisite population, Woburn took no steps towards establishing one till 1852, when a high school was organized and began its sessions. For the first four years it occupied rooms leased for the purpose. Theu a commodious wooden house was built, at a cost of nearly $12,000. In 1873-74 the house was materially enlarged, and fitted up with laboratories

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and cabinets to render it an efficient agent in the instruction of the pupils attending it. The expense · of the alterations was $ 31,563. This school, under the superintendence of three successive principals, Messrs. W. A. Stone, Thomas Emerson, and James I. Hanson, has enjoyed a high reputation for the thoroughness of its teaching, and the excellent moral influence exerted upon the scholars. At the opening of the school in 1852 the number of pupils was thirty-one. These had increased in 1879 to 143. The whole number of graduates to 1879 was 358. In 1866 the increasing number and work of the schools led to the appointment of a general superintendent. The value of such an official in bringing uniformity and method into the school system was very soon apparent, and the town has annually elected a person to fill that posi- tion to the present time. Several new grammar- school houses, with rooms for intermediate and lower grades, were built between 1860 and 1875. By far the most elaborate and costly of these was the Cummings School-house, situated on the south- erly slope of Academy Hill. It was erected in 1874- 75, at a cost (including furnishing) of nearly $60,000. It was named for the Hon. John Cum- mings of Woburn, as a compliment to his zeal and activity in the cause of education. In 1800 the number of teachers employed in the schools was five, the number of pupils estimated at two liun- dred, and the appropriation $350. In 1879 the teachers had increased to 48, the pupils to 2,238, and the appropriation to $28,000. Among the educational influences and advantages with which

Woburn has been favored, those which have pro- ceeded from Warren Academy should receive honorable mention. This institution was founded

and endowed in 1827, by Isaac Warren, Esq., of Charlestown, who gave $5,000 for that purpose, on condition that $5,000 more should be raised by other persons. This last sum was principally contributed by citizens of Woburn. A building was erected on an eminence near the centre of the

town in 1828, which was then a wood-lot, but has since been known as Academy Hill. In its earlier years the academy was widely known for its excel- lent teachers and the scholarly standing of its gradu- ates. The improvement in the grammar schools of the town, and especially the founding of the high school, wherein the higher branches of education were introduced, had an unfavorable influence upon the academy for several years, and at length entirely superseded it. In 1873 the building was remod-

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : containing carefully prepared histories of every city and town in the county, Vol. II, Part 93

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