History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 165

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1034

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 165

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CHAPTER XLIV.

LEXINGTON -(Continued).

CIVIL HISTORY.

THE early history of Lexington is identified with that of Cambridge, of whose extensive territory it formed a part for nearly three-quarters of a century. The original purpose of the settlement of Cambridge in 1631 was to form there a fortified town for the de- fence of other settlements and for the capital of the Colony. For this purpose, it was laid ont to contain only about a thousand acres, and was enclosed by a trench and a palisade of logs. This purpose, how- ever, was soon abandoned in favor of Boston as a more eligible location. The limited territory of Cam- bridge, or "Newtowne," as it was called, was rapidly taken up by settlers, and complaint was soon made of the lack of room for further growth. The leading men of the place were uneasy and discontented in their straitened quarters, and began to consider the question of removal to a location more favorable for expansion. To allay this discontent, in 1635 the Gen- eral Court granted to the proprietors of "Newtowne " all territory lying between Charlestown and Woburn on the east and Watertown on the west, extending eight miles from their meeting-house in a northerly direction. This grant includes the greater part of what is now Arlington and Lexington. The eight- mile line ran from east to west, between what is now Burlington and Weston. Its location is still pointed out across the meadows, just in the rear of the old burying-ground in Lexington, and many of the an- cient deeds are bounded on it. Thus a large portiou of the territory of this town became the property of Cambridge. But this extensive grant did not wholly allay the uneasiness, and in 1642 the General Court again extended the boundaries of the town to include all the territory as far as Concord and Merrimac Rivers not otherwise disposed of. In this way Cam- bridge obtained possession of the land lying between the grants to Watertown and Concord on the west and Charlestown and Woburn on the east, and extending from the Charles to the Merrimac Rivers, besides that portion of territory south of the Charles, now in- cluded in Brighton and Newton. Thus the whole length of her domain must have been at least thirty miles, with an average width of not more than four or five miles.

After this great accession was made to her territory, Cambridge began to parcel out the land among her wealthy and prominent people. Extensive tracts were granted to them, from time to time, ou condi- tion that they should clear the forest, erect houses and make permanent settlements thereon. Thus John Bridge obtained a grant of 600 acres, which he chose in different tracts where the land appcared best

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fitted for farming purposes, and settled his four sons upon them. The Winships, the Whittemores, the Stones, the Bowmans, the Cutlers, the Fiskes and many more Cambridge families took up lands in this outlying territory, cleared away the forest and made farms for their children, while still retaining, proba- bly, their homes in the village of Cambridge. Thus these new clearings and settlements were called "Cambridge Farms." The people living here were spoken of as " The Farmers." These names were ap- plied to the district and to the people for a long period, not only in common speech, but in the official documents of the Colony. At what time the first settlements were made at the farms it is difficult to determine. We find that a grant of 600 acres was made to Richard Herlarkenden in 1635, at Vine Brook, in the Shawshine country. From the descrip- tion given of it there is no doubt but this tract cov- ered the greater part of the site of Lexington village. It lay on both sides of Vine Brook, midway between Cambridge and Concord. Richard Herlarkenden was living at that time in England, of which country he was probably a native. A brother, Roger, was a prominent and much respected citizen of Cambridge. The conditions of the grant were, that he should cause a clearing to be made and erect a house thereon, within a given time, and in the following season come over and occupy it himself. He failed to come, and the grant was transferred to his brother, who took possession of it and began the work which the terms of the grant required. But he died in 1637, and five years later, viz., in 1642, Herbert Pelham, the first treasurer of Harvard College, came into possession of it. At that time there was a house on the tract, and a considerable clearing had been made, as we learn from the records describing the property. As the settlement at Concord, six miles beyond, was begun in 1636, no doubt the road leading to that place from Cambridge had been laid out and was much traveled. This road was substantially that now represented by Main and Monument Streets, and not unlikely the Pelham house was opened as a place of public enter- tainment. Thus it is probable that the first house erected in Lexington village was built about 1640. It stood on the eastern side of the Concord road, and not far from the site of the old Buckman tavern, now known as the Merriam house. Herbert Pelham be- qqueathed this large estate to his son Edward, and it was retained by him until 1693, when he sold it in three different parcels, of 200 acres each, to Benj. Muzzey, Joseph Estabrook and John Poulter. Up to that time the Pelham house appears to have been the only one on the land now occupied by the central village. It was held as one great farm, and either cultivated or rented by the Pelhams. In ancient deeds it is spoken of as "Mr. Pelham's Manor," or "Mr. Pelham's farm." No doubt it was owing to the fact that the site of the village was held by a single wealthy family for more than half a century from the

first settlement, that there was no growth in the centre, while the outlying districts were steadily increasing in population. The Munroes had taken up their abode in the eastern part of the town and given the neighborhood the name "Scotland " (which it still retains), in honor of the land of their birth. The Winships, the Reeds, the Whittemores, the Bowmans, the Browns had settled in the southeastern quarter ; the Wellingtons, the Smiths, the Hastingses, the Chandlers, the Stones, the Bridges iu the south- western; the Fiskes, the Reeds, the Tidds, the Si- monds, the Cutlers in the northern, making altogether a population of nearly 200 persons within the bounds of Cambridge Farms, while in the centre district there was no more than a single family. But after the breaking up of "Mr. Pelham's Manor " new farms were laid ont and new buildings erected.

As early as 1682 the farmers began to agaitate the question of a separate parish organization. At this date they numbered no more than thirty families, with about 180 persons. Attendance on the Sunday worship at Cambridge was a great burden, involving a journey of from six to eight miles each way, over roads that were mere cart-paths cut through the woods. In the autumn and winter the long ride on horseback must have been a serious exposure, which only the strongest were able to endure. The farmers were naturally anxious to have the ministrations of religion brought within the reach of all, and espe- cially to have their children reared under its restrain- ing and elevating influence. But Cambridge resisted the granting of the petition, and it was defeated. Again, in 1684, their request was renewed, with a sim- ilar result. But seven years later, in December, 1691, after a third appeal to the General Court, they suc- ceeded in obtaining an act of incorporation for the precinct of Cambridge Farms, with boundaries nearly ideutical with those of Lexington at the present time. In the April following (1692) the first meeting was held for parish organization, and from this date the records of the parish have been carefully kept and preserved.

THE PARISH OF CAMBRIDGE FARMS .- We enter now upon the history of Cambridge Farms while a parish of the original town, which it continued to be until 1713, a period of twenty-two years. The first business transacted by the new parish was to choose a minister and build a meeting-house. Benjamin Estabrook was employed to preach for one year from May 1, 1692, for forty pounds, of which twenty pounds was to be paid in money and twenty pounds in produce at money price. This arrangement was continued from year to year until October 21, 1696, when he was ordained and settled as the minister of the parish, and a church organization was formed. Thus for more than four years he preached here with- out ordination, and before he could administer the rites of baptism and the Lord's Supper. At his ordi- nation Judge Samuel Sewell, of the old South Church

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

in Boston, was present with the pastor, Rev. Mr. Willard, as a delegate, and in his wonderful diary, which he kept for sixty years, we find the following entry regarding this event :

"Oct. 21st, 1696 .- A church is gathered at Cambridge North Farms ; Do relations made, but a covenant signed and voted by ten brethren, dis- missed from the churches of Cambridge, Watertown, Woburn, Concord for the work. Being declared to be a church, they chose Mr. Benjamin Estabrook their pastor, who had made a good sermon from Jer. 3 : 15. Mr. Estabrook, the father, managed this, having prayed excellently. Mr. Willard gave the charge ; Mr. Fox the Right hand of Fellowship. Sung part of 4th psalm from the 9th verse to the end, O God, our Thoughts. Mr. Stone and Mr. Fiske thanked me for my assistance there. Cambridge was sent to, though had no teaching officer ; they sent Elder Clark, Ilastings, Remington."

Thus the church was duly established and a minis- ter settled; but in the following year, July, 1697, Mr. Estabrook died, to the great disappointment and sorrow of the people, by whom he was universally esteemed. He was the son of Rev. Joseph Estabrook, minister of Concord, and a graduate of Harvard College in the class of 1690. In 1693 his father purchased of Ed- ward Pelham 200 acres of land on the southeasterly side of Vine Brook, beginning at the county road (now Main Street), and extending far out towards the Scotland District. The parish erected a house for their pastor on that part of this purchase where Mr. William Plumer's house now stands. It is believed that some portion of the Estabrook house was incor- porated with the present structure and remains to this day. This house was given him by the parish, and much of the tract bought of Pelham remained in the Estabrook family for several generations. Captain Joseph Estabrook, the minister's brother, lived on that portion of it near the railroad crossing, and Es- tabrook Hill, just beyond, doubtless takes its name from the family.

The first tax-bill of the parish was made in 1692 for the payment of the minister's salary, and contains fifty-four names-probably, for the most part, names of heads of families. Of these seven have the name Stone, four Tidd, three Munroe, three Merriam, two Cutler, two Winship, two Smith, two Bridge and two Fiske. Of the twenty-seven different names, fifteen are represented in the town to-day by their descend- ants, or those bearing the same names.

THE FIRST MEETING-HOUSE .- The subscription for building the first meeting-house was made in 1691, and contains forty-one names with the amount of £62. Nothing is found upon the records showing the dimensions of this house or its appearance, except- ing that it contained two galleries, one on either side. The body of the house was furnished with benches for seats, and divided by a central aisle; on one side were the men, on the other the women. Some of the more prominent men of the town were allowed to build seats for their wives in the rear of the benches and against the wall, and a seat was provided for the minister's wife; these appear to have been raised a step above the floor, but there is no mention of pews ; Mistress William Reed, however, is allowed to have

"a sette" built for her use. Subsequently, in 1700, two upper galleries were added to the meeting-house to accommodate the increasing number of worship- ers. In view of the fact that there were two tiers of galleries, one above the other, on each side, we may conclude that this house must have been of con- siderable height, whatever were its other dimensions. It stood at the junction of Bedford and Monument Streets, near the site of the stone watering-trough, and, with various repairs upon interior and exterior remained until it was torn down, to give place to a more imposing structure in 1713, twenty-two years after its erection.

REV. JOHN HANCOCK, THE SECOND MINISTER .- We enter now upon the long and prosperous pas- torate of Rev. John Hancock, the second minister of the parish, the son of Deacon Nathaniel Hancock, "Cordwainer," of Cambridge. He was a graduate of Harvard in the class of 1689, and devoted a number of years to teaching the grammar school of his native town. During this time he prepared himself for the work of the ministry, and began preaching here November 7, 1697, four months after the death of Mr. Estabrook, but was not ordained and settled until the following year, November 2, 1698. He was to receive £80 as a settlement and the same salary as his pre- decessor, viz .: £45 for the first three years, with a quarterly collection in the church for his benefit, and afterwards £56 without the collection. This remained his salary for a long period, with the addition of twenty cords of wood delivered at his door annually from the ministerial land. The ministerial land had been purchased from the Cambridge proprietors in 1693 by a parish subscription, and embraced a large tract southwest of the village, lying on both sides of the Concord road. It partially included the lands now owned by Mr. George W. Robinson, Mr. M. K. Gilmore, Mr. William Ham, on the north side, and the tract known as the Blaisdell farm, on the south side, extending across the meadow up the northern slope of Loring Hill to the estate of Dr. R. M. Law- rence. The land was held by the parish for a long period. Some portions of it were cleared for pasture and meadow, and rented annually to different persons and the income used to defray parish expenses. The timber for the school-house and the belfry was taken from it and the wood to supply the minister ; some- times, also, the wood for the schools. From time to time large quantities of wood and timber were sold from it, and the proceeds put into a fund, the income of which was to be used for paying the minister's salary. Ulti- mately the whole tract was disposed of and the money received for it funded for this object. Such was the origin of the Ministerial Fund, which, for many years, was allowed to accumulate until the interest was ade- quate for the support of the minister. The fund has been carefully invested and managed down to the present day. For the last forty years the income has been divided between the three churches of the town

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in existence when the original division was made, and hy act of the Legislature no change can be made in the. division without the unanimous consent of the people of these three churches.

THE INCORPORATION OF LEXINGTON .- At what time the agitatiou for a town organization began we are unable to determine. But in 1712 the inhabitants of the parish of Cambridge Farms petitioned the General Court for an act of incorporation as a town. Their petition was not opposed by Cambridge, and on March 20, 1713, the act was passed and the parish became a town under the name of Lexington, with boundaries corresponding to those of the parish. It was stipulated in the act that the new town should bear an equitable portion of the expense of keeping the Great Bridge in repair over the Charles River at Cambridge, a provision which cansed endless trouble and bickering in subsequent years. So onerous did this obligation become that the town petitioned the General Court for a grant of unoccupied land to help them bear the burden, and accordingly, in 1734, a thousand acres was donated for this purpose in what is now the town of Ashburnham. It was known as " the Bridge Farm," and rented for a small sum an- nually, until 1757, when it was sold for £225, the purchaser having. twelve years in which to pay for it. Ultimately the town was relieved of the expense altogether, and the charge laid upon the county.

The name Lexington appears to have been adopted as a compliment to Lord Lexington, an English nobleman and diplomatist of some prominence at that time. From the most reliable statistics obtainable, the entire population, when Lexington was incorpo- rated, did not exceed 450. There were few, if any, wealthy people among them, and the support of "a learned orthodox minister," added to the support of schools, and other town expenses, must have entailed a heavy burden of taxation from the start.

LEXINGTON COMMON, A NEW MEETING-HOUSE AND THE FIRST SCHOOL-HOUSE .- Before becoming a town, in 1711, the people of Cambridge Farms had purchased an acre and a half of land in the rear of the meeting-house for a Common. It was bought of " Nibonr Muzzy " (Benjamin) for £16, raised by sub- scription. Subsequently, in 1722, an additional acre was bought to enlarge its area for £25, from Mr. Muzzy and his son John. These purchases comprise the triangular plat of land lying between Elm Avenue on the north, Hancock Street on the east, and Monu- ment Street on the west, known and forever memor- able as "Lexington Common." In the next month after obtaining the act of incorporation, at a town- meeting duly called, the town voted to build a new meeting-house. It was to be fifty feet in length, forty in width and twenty in height. Afterwards the height was increased to twenty-eight feet by vote of the town, on condition that individuals should bear the extra expense. It was planned and built accord- ingly, with three tiers of windows and two tiers

of galleries, but without a bell-tower or steeple, and cost, when finished, about £500. It was located near the first meeting-house, on the southern point of the Common, with the front door facing down Main Street, and with doors in each end toward Monnment and Hancock Streets. No provision was made for warming it, and with three outside doors openiug di- rectly into the audience-room, it seems impossible that the people could have sat there on cushionless seats and uncarpeted floors in winter through two services of two hours each, without great suffering. The exterior of this building is familiar in the pic- tures of the battle of Lexington-a plaiu, barn-like structure, of the usual Puritan type of architecture in that period. The interior was arranged with a central aisle extending from the front door to the pulpit, and parallel side aisles connected by aisles in front and rear. Against the walls, on the four sides of the house, pews were built by individuals who bought the spaces for them from the town, and in the body of the house long benches, were placed, reaching from the central to the side aisles. On one hand were the men, on the other the women, while children were placed on the rear benches, " where they might be ill- spected." The permanent seating of the people on these benches was a difficult matter. It was assigned to a committee chosen by the town, who were instruc- ted to have regard " for age, for property, and for but one head to a family." Thus, the old people were given the front seats, and the wealthy people were next behind them. That there might be no mistake in regard to age, the people were directed to bring in their ages to the committee by a given time. As to property, they were rated trom the assessor's lists. When there was a re-seating of the meeting-house, the committee charged with this important duty was instructed " not to degrade any mau, and only have regard to real estate." Of course, in the pews owned by individuals, there was no seating by the committee, the members of the family sitting together in such order as they pleased. But on the benches, which were for those who had no pews, the seats were as- signed in this curious manner. In this house the first gallery was occupied, probably, by the poorerand hum- bler people, while the second gallery was set apart for the colored folks and also for the town's stock of powder. The bell was not placed upon the meeting- house, but upon some kind of a structure built for the purpose, and when it fell one day while being rung, a bell-tower was built against the eastern end of the school-house, and it was hung there. Such was the second meeting-house built in 1713-14. The town clerk has left this record: "Oct. 17, 1714, was the first Sabbath day we mette in the new meeting- house." With occasional repairs, it was used for Sunday worship and for town-meetings during a period of eighty years. Around it the British sol- diers poured in the early morning of the 19th of April, 1775, when they formed just behind it and

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fired the fatal volleys which drew the first blood of the Revolution. Here, after they had raised their brutal shout of triumph and marched on towards Concord, the bodies of the dead were brought and laid upon the floor, and here a touching service was held, when they were borne away and placed in a common grave in the village burying-ground. In the afternoon of that eventful day, when the retreat- ing army had gained the protection of Earl Percy's cannon, a shot was fired which passed into the meet- ing-house just above the front door, and out through the pulpit window, lodging in the Common. But these thrilling associations did not avail to preserve the an- cient structure from dilapidation and decay, and, after standing for more than three-fourths of a century, it was torn down in 1794, to give place to a more com. modious and comfortable structure. Thus perished the second meeting-house, which had been the cen- tre of so much of the town-life, and was associated with an event of world-wide renown.

This meeting-house had hardly been completed and opened for use, when the town voted, in Novem- ber, 1714, "to eract a school-house." The building was an humble structure, " 28 ft. in length by 20 ft. in width, and 8 or nine feet stud." It was placed upon the Common facing the Concord road, on a gentle knoll afterwards known as "school-house hill," where the old monument now stands. Subsequently a well was dug near it and provided with a curh and sweep, " for the use of the school and the town's people on Sabbath days to drink at." This house remained until 1761, after undergoing frequent repairs, when it was torn down and a still smaller one erected on the same site, which lasted until 1797, when it was sold and removed to give place to the monument. During this period of more than eighty years, here was the only school-house in the town. It was used for the grammar school, and also occasionally for town-meet- ings, especially when the weather was too cold for comfort in the meeting-house ; sometimes, however, adjournment was made from the meeting-house to the Buckman tavern, where other means than fires were provided for warming up.

The first school established by the town was on the completion of the school-house in 1716, when Captain Joseph Estabrook was employed as teacher at a sal- ary of £3 per month. He continued in the school for several years apparently for this compensation, but teaching at first only five months in the year. It was not, however, a free school, since each pupil was obliged " to pai two pens per week for reading and three pens per week for righting and siphering." Nor was it open to girls even at this charge. Apparently it was maintained solely for the education of boys during more than thirty years, since in 1747 we find a vote recorded admitting "gairls " to the grammar school. The tuition was raised to " four pens " per week, with two feet of wood from each scholar to keep up the fire. In addition to the grammar school, how-

ever, female, or "dame schools," were established nearly at the same time in different parts of the town. These were kept in private houses, in rooms rented for the purpose, and were free to all. But those fam- ilies living in remote districts complained that their children were deprived of the advantages afforded by the grammar school, and, to give universal satisfac- tion, it was decided to make it " a moving school." Accordingly a vote was taken annually to see if the town would have a moving school or a stationary school. Sometimes it is called " a running school," and is kept a month in each of the five quarters of the town, going around twice during the year. At other times it remains two months in each locality and goes round but once. This policy of determining, year by year, whether the grammar school should be main- tained at the central village, or migrate from one part of the town to another, seems to have been continued tili near the beginning of this century, when school- houses were built in the outskirts and permanent schools established in each district.

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 165

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co Number of Pages: 1034

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1034