History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 191

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 191

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).

Again at a town-meeting held Nov. 10, 1851, Messrs. John Jacobs, Thomas Green and Joel Boynton were chosen a committee to petition the Legislature that the above-mentioned bounds he straightened, and said committee were authorized and instructed by the town to take all necessary measures to accomplish the purpose, which also proved a failure, as have several other less pretentious attempts in the same direction, and the original zig-zag lines continue to divide the towns until the present day.

The question of building a town-house appears to have been one thought to be worthy of consideration by some of the inhabitants of the town as early as the year 1833, for at a town-meeting held on the Ist day of April in said year, the first article in the warrant read as follows, viz. :

"To see if said town will agree to build a town- house, etc." The action of the town was to dismiss the article. Again, at a town-meeting held Jan. 20, 1851, a committee previously appointed to provide a place to hold future town meetings, were requested to report at the following March meeting what would be the estimated expense of erecting a building suitable and convenient for town purposes. The committee reported as follows :

" The expense of erecting a wooden building having a ground area of 1468 feet, divided into a town hall, an entrance and two small ante-rooms, furnished in suitable manner, would be, according to the best information and judgment of the committee, $1648.

" It may he doubted whether it would be wise and judicious for the town to erect a building so small as that indicated in the above estimate. It might serve their present wants, but would hardly be suitable to accommodate a greatly increased population, etc."

The town concluded in this case to hire what was known as Parker's Hall for the sum of $25.00 per annum, rather than be at the expense of building.

During the time intervening between the years 1845 and 1854 what was known as Mrs. Wheat's Hall, Parker's Hall and the hall under the First Parish meeting-house were, as occasion required, engaged by the town for town purposes, at which latter-named date the town engaged the last-mentioned hall to be

719

CARLISLE.

used for town purposes, for the consideration of twelve dollars per year, which sum the town con- tinued to pay annually until the year 1873, when the price was raised to twenty-five dollars per annum, which sum the town has continued to pay to the present date rather than build.

In the year 1832 a fire-engine was secured partly by subscription, the balance being paid from the town treasury. The first officers elected were: John S. Barker, Master; Isaac Duren, Second Master; Ai Wheat, Clerk.

Twenty-one engine men were appointed by the selectmen to work and manage the engine, which was an inferior machine, and never of much advantage to the town. It was finally sold at auction by the town, in the year 1868, for the sum of $6.50.

There is but one post-office within the limits of the town. The date of its establishment was March 12, 1834, aud Dr. John Nelson, who was the first post- master, received his appointment on the latter-named date.

Succeeding him the following-named persons have successively held the office, against the name of each appears the time from which their several commis- sions date :

Joseph V. Heald

December 23, 1835

John C. Nickles . April 13, 1842

James W. Wilkins

January 30, 1844

Artemas Parker . July 8, 1846

Lucins Stiles . June 8, 1849

George W. Green December 2, 1852

John E. Cutter

. July 20, 1859

Artemus Parker

November 12, 1861

Jobn H. Champney June 18, 1867

Charles T. Wortley

March 2, 1868

Sidney A. Bull

. July 1, 1870

John S. Gerow January 14, 1887

Sidney A. Bull

April 10, 1889

In the year 1847 it was voted at the March meeting that the receipts and expenses of the town for the past year be printed, and that a copy of the same be furnished to each voter at the subsequent April meeting. This appears to be the first annual report of the town officers that the town ever ordered to be printed.

In the early history of the town the custom pre- vailed of annually venduing the poor ; the vendue for a number of years took place at the house of Mr. Timothy Wilkins, he often being vendue master, and annually, until about the year 1830, the town paid bills for liquor used on these vendue occasions. The following order, copied from the records, is a sample of others found there, and gives a glimpse of the times as they were :

" CARLISLE, FEB. 3, 1806.

"To Mr. Nathan Green, Treasurer :- Please pay out of the town's money to Mr. Samuel Brown the sum of one dollar, it being for bis find- ing six wings of toldy last April when the poor were vendued. .

" By order of the Selectmen,

"JONATHAN HEALD, Town Clerk."

As occasion required, previous to the year 1830, coffins were furnished for the burial of paupers, which

were usually made by some resident of the town, and cost from one dollar and fifty cents to two dol- lars and fifty cents each.

In the Spring of the year 1850, in annual town- meeting, the town considered the advisability of purchasing a town farm, but finally dismissed the article.

No more efforts in this direction on the part of the town appear to have been put forth until nearly two years later, when, at the annual March meeting in the year 1852, a committee of five persons were chosen to gather information, and report at the next April meeting, the terms at which farms in the town suit- able for a poor farm can be purchased. Their report is quite lengthy, giving the particulars concerning seven farms which they have examined, one of which was a farm in the possession of John W. Holland, of Lowell, containing, as is stated, 162 acres of land, the price of which was $2900, which price a part of the committee considered reasonable.

This farm, the committee say in their report, is the only one on which they can agree (all things consid- ered) to recommend to the town for their favorable consideration, should they decide to purchase.

In concluding their report the committee state that the annual average cost of supporting the poor for the past twelve years has been $424.87}. The foregoing report which was given at the April town-meeting was accepted, and a committee of three, viz .: Thomas Green, True Wiggin and Jonas Parker, were chosen to purchase for the town the Holland farm, and take a deed of the same.

The latter-named committee were instructed to make a report of their proceedings at the next town- meeting, which they did on the 8th of November fol- lowing, stating that they had purchased the George Nickles farm (so called) for the sum of $2900, and that they have paid down the sum of $900, and given their note on demand, at six per cent. interest for the balance of $2000 to John W. Holland.

The town voted to accept the report and doings of the committee and authorized their treasurer to give the town's security for the notes given by the com- mittee. The town voted to raise the sum of $1500, to be used for the purpose of furnishing the farm and supporting the poor.

At a town-meeting held November 3, 1868, the town voted to authorize the overseers of poor to procure materials sufficient to repair the barn at the town- farm as they think necessity requires. Very little was done, however, until the year 1870, when it was re- paired, enlarged and made nearly new at an expense to the town of $1124.24.

At a town-meeting held November 2, 1880, the town voted "that the overseers of the poor be author- ized to sell the wood on the town-farm, and that the amount of sales be appropriated toward the town debt." Before the close of the fiscal year, which ended March 1, 1881, the overseers had sold a certain

720

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

lot of wood from the farm for which they received the sum of $2025, which money was appropriated as re- quired by the provisions of the foregoing vote.

Now that the barn on the town-farm had been put in good repair, and the condition of the house being bad, and scarcely suitable for a dwelling, the attention of the town was directed toward an improvement in this particular, and at a town-meeting, held March 21, 1881, the town voted to build a new house on the town-farm, and at a subsequent town-meeting held April 23d, voted to raise and appropriate the sum of $1500 for said purpose, and that the money be ex- pended under the supervision of the selectmen.

The contract for putting in the cellar was subse- quently given to Mr. Frank S. Bartlett for the sum of $225, and for furnishing stock and building the house Mr. H. W. Wilson was paid the sum of $1975. Extra work and other incidentals required in erect- ing the building, added to the above amount, made the entire cost of the building $2592.32 when com- pleted.

The custom of annually choosing tithingmen pre- vailed until the year 1850. The following is a list of those chosen at the annual March meeting in the latter- named year, who were the last ever elected by the town, viz .: James W. Wilkins, Samuel P. Stevens, Gilman Nickles, Amos T. Monroe, Austin Marsh and Nathaniel Hutchinson.

In the year 1857 Captain Thomas Green, Selar Simons and Isaac Blaisdell were chosen a committee to purchase a safe for the town, which they subse- quently did, and for which the town paid the sum of forty-five dollars. This is the only safe the town ever owned, and at the present time answers the purpose for which it was intended only in name, being far too small to hold the town records.

Several times since the incorporation of the town the bonndary lines have been changed by acts of the Legislature. The last instance was the result of an act approved Feb. 17, 1865, whereby a part of the town of Chelmsford was set off and annexed to the town of Carlisle. The territory added to the town by this act appears to be virtually the same as was taken from the town and added to the town of Chelmsford, by an act passed March 1, 1783, entitled “ An Act for setting off David Parker from the District of Car- lisle and annexing him to the town of Chelmsford."

A custom which has passed into disuse is that of ringing one of the church bells at the noon-hour -

which was discontinued after the year 1869. It was in the warrant for the annual April meeting for said year that the usual article appeared, viz. : ". To see if the town will vote to have the church-bell rung at the noon hour during the ensuing year." It is recorded that the town voted in reply to said article (in a jocu- lar sense, without doubt) " that any man that has a bell shall ring it himself." It would seem that this manner of settling the question was not satisfactory to some of the inhabitants, for another town-meeting

was called fourteen days later, the warrant for which contained but two articles, the first of which was in relation to having the church-bell rung.

The town voted that the selectmen be authorized to procure the use of one of the church-bells and em- ploy a suitable person to ring the same at twelve o'clock M., the ensuing year; the article never ap- peared in the warrant again.

Carlisle has been unfortunate as regards railroad accommodations, and yet twice, at least, has been called upon to take action in regard to a proposed location for one through the town, the first of which was Jan. 15, 1870, when a town-meeting was called, principally for the purpose of ascertaining if the town would take any action in regard to the proposed railroad from Framingham to Lowell, which would naturally pass through the town.

The town voted that a committee of three persons be appointed by the selectmen, and that they have full power to take such action in reference to the loca- tion of the proposed railroad from Framingham to Lowell as will best subserve the interest and conve- nience of the town, and especially that they be authorized to pledge the town to subscribe twenty thousand dollars to the capital stock of said road.

The committee subsequently appointed by the selectmen were Messrs. Selar Simons, B. F. Heald and William W. Morse. Whatever efforts this com- mittee may have put forth, the result was of but little benefit to the town, as the final location of the road was two and a half miles to the west of the centre, barely crossing a corner of its territory, with the depot located just beyond its boundary lines, in the town of Westford.

April 29, 1871, the town voted to take measures to secure a favorable location through its territory for the Middlesex Central Railroad, and chose by ballot a committee of five persons, viz. : H. Prescott, William Green, Geo. H. Robbins, Benjamin Barrett and W. W. Morse to assist in making. a survey for said road. The town also voted to be assessed five per cent. on its valuation for the purpose of aiding to build said road if a favorable location should be the result ; this, however, was not the case, and the town to-day is badly in need of improved railroad conveniences.

FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY .- Previous to the year 1872 there bad never been in the town a free public library owned by the town. One or two small libra- ries have existed however, but were the property of share holders, who, of course, made by-laws to protect themselves and their property, rather than for the accommodation of the public generally.

It was in the year 1870 that the Rev. Moses Patten moved to town, having accepted the pastorate of the Congregational Church. His wife, Mrs. Lydia S. Patten, a person possessed of a philanthropic turn of mind, and realizing the benefit to be derived from the possession of a free public library, which may be con- sidered second only to the public schools as a public

721

CARLISLE.

educator, she immediately set about starting one by private subscriptions of money and books.

Before very long she had succeeded in getting together quite a formidable collection of books, and by her own personal efforts, in serving as librarian with- out compensation, put them in circulation. Now that the library was in running-order, comfortably housed and centrally located in a room rented for the pur- pose, and for which the annual rental of $20 was paid (which sum was raised principally by entertain- ments, gotten up especially for the purpose), the proposition was made to present it to the town, which, if accepted, would place it in a position to be perpetually cared for, added to and otherwise made useful.

The result of the proposition was an article inserted in the warrant for the annual town-meeting held March 18, 1872, which read as follows, viz .: "To see if the town will appropriate money to aid in the es- tablishment of a town library."

The town voted to raise and appropriate the sum of $140 for the establishment of a town library, and also that a committee of five persons, consisting of three males and two females, be chosen, whose duty it shall be to have the general supervision of said library.

Thus March 18, 1872, may properly be considered as the date when the Carlisle Free Public Library was established, and the committee chosen by the town, who were the first to serve in this capacity, were as follows, viz .: Mrs. Lydia S. Patten to serve five years, Joseph F. Carr for four years, Miss Hattie Hutchinson three years, N. A. Taylor two years and Dr. Austin Marsh to serve one year.

In the year 1889 the number of committee or trustees was reduced to three, the office of one of said number to expire annually, whose successor is also annually chosen at the March meeting.

It is possible that the town would, ere this date, have become the possessor of a town library, had it not been for the efforts of Mrs. Patten, who worked earnestly and hard for its establishment, and whom the town is proud to name as its founder; one thing certain : she doubtless caused its establishment to ante- date many years, what otherwise would have been the case. She removed from the town in the year 1876, and has since passed to her final rest. Her works do follow her, and are a constant reminder of her to the people of the town.

It would seem appropriate and fitting that a life- size portrait of her should adorn the walls of the library-room, in consideration of the respect due to her from the hands of the town.

The library has been yearly increasing in size since its first inception, the result of appropriations by the town and the gifts of friends, until at the present time it numbers in all one thousand or more volumes. By vote of the town the refunded dog tax is appro- priated as a permanent fund to replenish its shelves, and for its support.

It has no permanent abiding-place, but yearly a room is hired by the trustees for its accommodation. An opportunity presents itself for some liberal- minded person to act the part of the philanthropist, and present the town with a library building, an act which would be appreciated by all future generations, as well as be a constant reminder of the liberality of the donor.

FLAG-STAFFS AND FLAG .- During the existence of the town two flag-staffs have been erected, both in the same location-near the centre of the Common- the tree for the main staff for both of which was given by the late William Green.

Money for defraying the expense of erecting the first staff was obtained by subscription, solicited by Mr. Nathaniel Hutchinson in the year 1861, who pro- . cured in all the sum of $137.50, $100 of which was uscd to erect the staff, and the remaining $37.50 to purchase a flag, which latter is used by the town at the present day, although somewhat worn, yet is the only flag which the town ever owned. At the raising of this flag, after the erection of the first staff, public exercises were held on the Common, A. R. Brown, Esq., of Lowell, being the principal speaker.

March 21, 1887, the town voted " to raise and ap- propriate the sum of One hundred dollars to erect a flag-staff in connection with the offer of Mr. William Green, and the selectmen were chosen as a committee to carry out the provisions of the vote.

Of the above appropriation, the sum of $96.85 was expended during said year for labor, top-mast and other incidentals. The cradle on said staff bears the inscription in gilt letters, " William Green's Gift, 1887," in honor of the donor of the main part of the staff.

Among those who have made donations to the town, and should be kindly remembered by her citi- zens, is the name of Mrs. Mary G. Scott, who, by her last will and testament, bequeathed to the town the sum of $300, with the request that it should be appro- priated toward paying the town debt. At a town- meeting held March 15, 1886, the town voted to ac- cept the bequest, and to use the money in accordance with the request in the will.

SCHOOL-HOUSES .- In the year 1818, at a meeting of the inhabitants of the Centre School District, held in the meeting-house on the 23d day of March, it was voted to erect a school-house in said district, when said meeting was adjourned to April 13th, at which adjourned mecting it was voted to build the school-house on the top of the hill south of the meeting-honse; also voted to build with brick, and that the building should be twenty-one feet square, with a porch, after which it was voted that $75, which would be the district's proportion of the money raised by the town for schooling, be appropriated for the purpose of erecting the building; also, it was further voted that the district be taxed, in ad- dition to said sum, for the amount of $230 for the

722

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

above-mentioned purpose. Deacon John Green, Na- than Green, Jr., and John Jacobs were chosen as a building committee.

In the year 1828 the inhabitants of the North School District voted that the district be assessed for the sum of $550 for the purpose of building a school-house in said district. The contract for ercet- ing the building was awarded to Benjamin Barrett, Jr., for which he received the sum of $553.62. The same building still remains in said district, and is the only school-house, as far as information from the rec- ords can be obtained, ever erected in the district. It was thoroughly repaired in the year 1869, at an ex- pense to the town of $582.52.

In the year 1837 the number of school districts was reduced from six, which had existed up to the last- named date, to five. A committee appointed by the town to investigate the circumstances and report on the advisability of said change, reported in its favor, and included in their report the bounds of division of the several districts, which report was accepted and adopted by the town.

Iu the year 1839 the inhabitants of the East School District voted to raise, by tax, the amount of $170, to build a new school-house in said district. This building was destroyed by fire in the early part of the year 1869, and was rebuilt during the latter-named year at a total expense to the town of $1574.10, and is the same building which serves at the present time in said district the purpose for which it was erected.

December 11, 1839, the inhabitants of what was made to constitute the South School District voted to raise the sum of $70, by tax, to be appropriated to- ward defraying the expense of building a new school- house in their district.

May 28, 1840, by vote of the inhabitants of the West School District, they agreed to be assessed for the sum of $175 for the purpose of building a new school- house in their district.

Consequently it would appear that within the space of twenty -two years, or between 1818 and 1840, five new school-houses had been built in the town, or one for each school district.

This seems to have sufficed until the year 1848, when District No. 1, in the centre of the town, voted to raise $600, by tax, to build a new school-house, which is the one used at the present day, the lot of land on which it is located having been given to the town for the purpose by the late William Green.

The school-house in the south part of the town having been entirely consumed by fire during the lat- ter part of the year 1886, a town-meeting was called for January 12, 1887, at which the town voted "to erect a school house in said district to replace the one recently destroyed by fire, at an expense to the town not to exceed the sum of $800, including furni- ture." Messrs. H. Prescott, Artemas Taylor and J. P. Dav.s were chosen a building committee, who pro-

ceeded with the work assigned them and in due time presented the town with the result of their labor-, which included the building in a finished state, fur- nished and ready for use at an expense to the town of $805.08.

BRIDGES .- The act incorporating the District of Carlisle made it incumbent on the district to pay one-sixth part of the charges that may arise from the maintaining of the North Bridge over the Concord River, in Concord, until such time as the inhabitants of the district shall build a bridge over said river themselves.

Several sums of money were raised by the district for the purpose from time to time, and paid usually to the inhabitants of the district for doing the work required.

An extract from an order given on the treasurer by the seleetmen, which pertains to the case in question reads as follows :

" CANLIALE, Jan. 3, 1789.

"To Mr. Jonathan Blood, Treasurer, Sir, please to pay out of the District money to Mr. Simon Blood, Junr, the following Sums, viz .: One ponud, thirteen Shillings and Six pence, it being for fourteen gallone and three quarts of Rum provided for those that worked at the north Bridge in Concord ; also pay to him the Sum of thirteen Shillings, it bo- ing for five Day's work done at Said Bridge, &c."

On Thursday, the 9th day of December, 1790, at a meeting of the inhabitants of the district, the fol- lowing was the second article which appeared in the warrant, viz. :

"To See if the Distriet will agree to build a Bridge over Concord River between Carlisle & Bedford, or any part thereof, or do any thing for the encouragement of a public Road through Carlisle and Bedford, or act on the article as they may think proper."

In response to the above article a committee of five inhabitants of the district were chosen, Ist, to deter- mine as to the necessity of building said bridge; 2d, should they deem it advisable to build, to determine the most proper place; 3d, to confer with the inhabit- ants of Bedford respecting the matter, finally to see how much they can get by subscription toward build- ing said bridge.

This was the beginning of a question which agi- tated the minds of the inhabitants of the district for upward of four years, and which resulted in the establishment of a public road from Carlisle to Bedford, and the building of the first bridge over the river between the two towns, which was probably completed for use in the year 1795, although appro- priations for the purpose of repairing the causeway and for plank tor the bridge are subsequently of fre- quent occurrence.

At a meeting called on the 26th day of May, 1791, it was voted " to prepare a Road from the Meeting- House to the River, and build an abutment on this side at the place agreed to by the committee, if Bed- ferd will prepare a Road to the River and build an abutement on the other Side." At a subsequent meeting, held October 3, 1791, by adjournment from September 5th, it was voted to dismiss the former com- mittee, and that the district take the subscription

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 : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 191

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