History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 195

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 195

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and among them, on a bright day, noble Monadnock's lofty peak. In another direction is the smiling Merrimac, and Lowell with its teeming industries.

Dr. Walter Wesselhoeft, of Cambridge, a man of wide observation, has recently purchased land with the intent of building. His family have boarded in the place for several summers. He has heen accus- tomed to come during that season as often as the claims of professional duty would permit. The resi- dents of the town, mostly occupied with farming interests, have not given thought to the subject of making this place a summer resort. Yet many are beginning to realize that the town possesses natural advantages in that respect. It is near several large centres, yet removed from their bustle and noise. An early train takes passengers to Boston, where nearly the whole day can be spent before returning on the evening train. The Dunstable station of the Nashua, Acton and Boston Railroad is within half a mile of the village. The station at Tyngsborough, on the Boston and Lowell Railroad, is three and a half miles distant.

Dunstable has several beautiful hills which di- versify the beauty of its scenery.

FLAT ROCK HILL, iu the northerly part of the town, commands a fine view of Salmon Brook. It is now sending forth its wealth of granite. Within about a year, Lemay & Tetro have been operating a quarry quite near the railroad track, by which there is direct transportation to their granite works in Nashua, N. H.

BLANCHARD'S HILL rises west of the former and is a favorite resort for berry parties in the summer. From its summit may be seen several distant church spires. A cool, clear trout-brook makes its way at the base of this hill.

On the opposite or eastern side of Salmon Brook rises a well-cultivated eminence, over which extends one of the roads to Nashua. The southerly part is called ROBY and the northerly part KENDALL HILL. On this elevation there are a number of thrifty farms.

Directly east of this is the wooded eminence called NUTTING'S HILL, which has the height of two hundred feet and affords a delightful prospect of the surround- ing country.

FOREST HILL is in the southeast angle of the town. It is the highest point of land in Dunstable, and was made a station in the trigonometrical survey of the State. A splendid view is here obtained of the Tyngsborough forests, of the Merrimack River, and of Lowell in the east, while toward the west, distant- towns and mountains in .New Hampshire can be seen. A good road extends nearly to the summit.

HORSE HILL, partly in Groton, overlooks Massa- poag Pond and the valley of Unquety Brook ; and WALL HILL, near the preceding elevation, was divided for the railroad bed, when a fiue specimen of blue clay was brought to light, which may prove serviceable.

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DUNSTABLE.

HOUND MEADOW HILL, in the northwesterly part of the town, is said to have received its name from the circumstances that when Groton was assaulted by the Indians during Philip's War, a pack of hounds, used by the English, pursued some of the savages to this hill, on which two of them were slain.

SLATESTONE HILL is a picturesque height on the right bank of Nashua River, composed of slatestone, and covered largely with timber.

SPECTACLE HILL, so named from its resemblance to a pair of spectacles, rises in the northeast part of the town and extends into Nashua, N. H. 'A few other hills add to the beauty of the town and furnish a variety of soil.

WATER SUPPLY .- The town is well supplied with water. In addition to the saw-mills now operated, there are several places where good water-power might be utilized.

The chief tributary of Nashna River from Dunstable is Unquety, once called Unquetynasset Brook, a little mill-stream.

The central part of the town is well drained by the Salmon Brook, a valuable stream that, flowing fro m Massapoag Pond, pursues a northerly course through the Lower Massapoag Pond, and dividing the town- ship nearly in the middle, empties into the Merri-

mae River at what is called the "Harbor," in Nashua. It receives two tributaries from the west, one of which, called Barnes Brook, furnishes motive- ' power for Mr. George Parkhurst's saw-mill. The an- cestors of Mr. Parkhurst owned and occupied the same land dating from a remote period. Now there are those of the sixth generation living there. The other tributary, known as Joint Grass Brook, after receiving the water of Spring Brook, turns the grist and saw- mill of Mr. Daniel Swallow. This mill is operated both by water-power and steam. The gross receipts of the business in a year's time amount to $10,000.

Black Brook flows into Salmon Brook from the east, and on being augmented by two or three small streams, forms motive-power for the grist and saw- mill now owned by the Woodward estate, near the centre of the town. Work is well done at all these mills and at the lowest current rates.

There is a fine mill privilege on the Salmon Brook, where it i -- ues from Massapoag Pond at what is called " The Gulf." There is here a dam, ten feet in height, over which at present the water passes uselessly. Any company with manufacturing interest in view, but undecided as regards location, would do well to make inquiry about this mill privilege.

Massapoag Pond, having an area of more than one hundred acres, lies partly in Dunstable, Tyngs- borough and Groton. It is formed by the waters of Cowpen Brook from Groton. A stone post on an island in the westerly part of the pond marks the boundary of these several towns.

The industrial interests of the town are, for the most part, agricultural, and in this respect the source

of greatest income is from milk-producing. A car stands ready at the railroad station and takes about 800 gallons to Boston every morning, leaving at seven o'clock. The business of the car is owned by Tower, Whitcomb & Co., of Boston, and is conducted by Mr. Charles H. Porter, of Dunstable.

The village is very pleasantly located, with diverg- ing roads centering near the store and post-office.

The store is kept by Mr. Owen Parkhurst, who has an assortment of such goods as are usually kept in a country store. He aims to please his customers in regard to price and quality of goods, and thus gives general satisfaction. The postmaster is Mr. Libni Parker. He has held the office for several years. It is conceded to him by general consent, regardless of political preferences. Mr. Parker is well acquainted with the duties of his office. Nearly opposite the store is the Congregational Church, of which Rev. Henry M. Perkins has been pastor for nearly five years. This church is enjoying a fair degree of pros- perity. The edifice has recently been much im- proved and beautified. Rooms have been added to the vestry for religious and social purposes. Public worship in this church is regularly observed every Sabbath.

The only other religious society in active opera- tion is the Universalist. At present the members of this parish worship in Parker's Hall, Services are frequently held.

Miss Clara P. Jewett is librarian of the growing and well-kept town library, which now contains 1800 volumes.

There are five school districts in the town. In view of the small number of scholars in two of these, it has for some years been deemed best to hold the schools in three distriets. The town affords trans- portation for scholars from the smaller districts to the schools of the adjoining larger ones. Good com- mon school advantages are thns afforded; yet it is hoped by some that the town will, at a future day, concentrate its educational work in one central graded school which will accommodate all its sehol- ars.

At present William P. Proetor is town clerk, Ar- thur N. Hall treasurer, Daniel Swallow, Dexter But- terfield and George W. Chaney are selectmen, and Henry J. Tolles, Jonas C. Kendall and Martha A. Davis are School Committee.

Mr. James M. Swallow was elected in the fall of 1889 Representative to the General Court from the Thirty-first District. He was born April 14, 1821, is one of the largest land-holders of the town, and is one of the trustees of thic City Savings Bank in Nashua, N. H.

Mention should not be omitted of our beautiful granite drinking fountain, conveniently located at the centre of the village. It is an ornament of whichi any town might justly be proud. This was the gift of Mr. Jonas H. French, of Boston, and was esti-

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

mated to cost over $1000. The ancestors of Mr. French were from Dunstable. The gift was granted on condition that the town should undertake the ex- pense of bringing water. This condition was gladly accepted. The water is brought in iron pipes from Chaney's Hill, the distance of' half a mile.

A general impression being thus gained of the town in its present condition, our thoughts may now be directed to such facts and circumstances as pertain to its early history and to the intervening years. Much of the information given in the following chapters is based upon the full and reliable " History of Dunsta- ble," by Rev. Elias Nason, published in 1877.

CHAPTER LVI.

DUNSTABLE-(Continued).

ORIGIN AND EARLY SETTLEMENT-1643-1723.

SOME New England towns were founded immedi- ately on the landing of the colonists, out of lands conferred on them by their charter. Others were made up by grants of land to an offshoot from the parent colony, whose enterprise prompted to the or- ganization of a new town. Others owed their origin to grants of land which at different dates were made to individuals and corporations, for farms and other purposes, these grants being afterwards consolidated into townships. The town organization known as Dunstable affords an example of this last-mentioned class. It comprised some of the best portions of New England. The owners of these extensive farms were for the most part leading men in the Colony of Mass- achusetts Bay ; and, having conferred together, they presented to the General Court a petition asking to be incorporated as a town, in order that as such they might be of greater service to the country. This petition was granted by the General Court on the 16th day of October, 1673.

Capt. Jonathan Danforth, of Billerica, a noted land surveyor, was appointed to make a plan of the new territory. He completed the survey in May, 1674, and thus described the boundaries :

" It lieth upon both sides of the Merrimack River, on the Nashaway River. It is bounded on the South by Chelmsford, by Groton line, part- ly by country land. The westerly line runs dne north until you come to Souhegan River, to a hill called Dram Cup Hill, to a great pine near to ye said river at ye northwest corner of Charlestown School farm. bounded by Sonhegan River on the North, and on the east side Merri- mack it begins at a great stone which was supposed to be near the north- east corner of Mr. Brenton's land, and from thence it runs south-south- east six miles to a pine tree marked 'F,' standing within sight of Beaver Brook ; thence it runs two degrees west of south four miles atul a quarter, which reached to the south side of Henry Kimball's farm nt Jeremie's Hill ; thence from ye south-east angell of said farm, it runs two degrees and a quarter westward of the sonth, near to the head of Long Pond, which lieth at ye head of Edward Colburn's farm, and thus it is bounded by ye said pond and ye head of said Colburn's farm; tak- ing in Capt. Scarlett's farm so as to close again, all which is sufficiently bounded and described.

" Dunstable, May, 1674."

This tract of land embraced about two hundred square miles, and included what are now the towns of Dunstable and Tyngsborough, and parts of the towns of Dracut, Groton, Pepperell and Townsend, Mass., together with the city of Nashua, the towns of Hollis. Hudson and sections of the towns of Brookline, Mil- ford, Amherst, Merrimac, Londonderry, Litchfield and Pelham, N. H.

In no town of this Commonwealth were the lands taken up by more noted men, who, though not all ac- tual settlers, still exercised a favorable influence on the new plantation. Among the grantes weree the brave Gov. John Endecott, who held the highest mil- itary office in the colony ; and William Brenton, a noted fur-trader, and subsequently Governor of Rhode Island.

The new town is said to have received its name in compliment to Mrs. Mary, wife of the Hon. Edward Tyng, who emigrated from Dunstable, England, about 1630, and whose son, Jonathan, became possessor of a large tract of land in what is now the town of Tyngs- borough. The old English town is pleasantly situated at the base of the Chiltern Hills, in Bedfordshire, eighteen miles south-southwest of Bedford, and ten miles east-northeast of the Boxmore Station of the London and Northwestern Railway. The name " Dun- stable" is supposed by some to be derived from Dun, a notorious robber, who lived in the reign of Henry I. ; by others, and more plausibly, it is traced to the words "dun," a hilly place, and " staple," a mart. The English town is celebrated for the manufacture of straw plat bonnets and hats. A certain kind of straw braid in Massachusetts also long bore the name of " Dunstable."

. In the old English town the Norman kings had a . palace, and it was in the same town that Archbishop Cranmer, in 1553, pronounced the sentence of di- 3 vorce between Henry VIII. and Katharine of Ara- gon. The early parish register furnishes no record of the families which emigrated to America. The citizens of the younger Dunstable, however, fond- ly cherish the fact of their English ancestry ; while the citizens of old Dunstable have expressed a kindly interest iu its New England namesake.

In this early period dense forests covered nearly the whole of this region. The growth of timber con- sisted mostly of pine, oak, walnut, maple and birch. A few clearings had been made in which the Indians had planted maize, beans and squashes. The region was well watered by the Merrimac, the Nashua, the Souhegan and the Nissitisset Rivers, together with their numerous tributaries, and several large ponds frequented by fowl and ahounding with fish. The beaver, otter, mink and muskrat were found. Some. times bears and wolves ranged through the forests, and their peltries gave rich inducement to the ad- ventures of the huntsman. In the fishing season the Indians were accustomed to meet near some waterfall, where they built their wigwams and performed their

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savage rites. Occasionally a trading-post could be found, as that of Cromwell. The woodman's axe was sometimes heard resounding through the forest.

The name of the first white settler is not certainly known. Tradition claims that John Cromwell, from Boston, came to what is now Tyngsborough as early as 1665, for the purpose of trading with the Indians. These savages could not have been favorably im- pressed with the early white settlers, had their judg- ment rested wholly upon him as a representative. It is said, he used his foot as a ponnd-weight in buying peltries of the natives; but he was soon detected in the dishonest proceeding and came near forfeiting his life. A party of the Pennacook Indians whom he had thus defrauded came down the river to wreak their vengeance ; hearing of their approach, he saved his life by flight.

It is probable some tracts of land were settled be- fore this period ; perhaps about the time the grant of land at Nanticook was made, in 1656, to William Brenton.

On the 1st day of July, 1657, Simon Willard, Thomas Heuchman, Ensign Thomas Wheeler and William Brenton bought the exclusive right of trading with the Indians. The sum paid for this right was £25. Settlements were doubtless made soon afterwards. Some of the farmers signed the pe- tition for incorporation in 1673.

Previous to the division of their land the proprie- tors wisely entered into a written agreement, by which every actual settler was to have a house-lot of ten acres, with an additional acre for every £20 of per- sonal estate he might possess. None were to have a house-lot of more than thirty-acres ; while the remain- der of the common land was to be divided in propor- tion to the value of the respective house-lots. A thirty- acre house-lot entitled the holder to six hundred acres of the common land.

The intent of this arrangement is thus given in the compact : " Yt we may live in love and peace together, we do agree, yt whatever fence we do make, either about corn-fields, orchards, or gardens, shall be a suf- ficient four rail fence, or yt which is equivalent, whether hedge, ditch, or stone-wall, or of loggs; and if any person sustain damage through the deficiency of their own fences not being according to order, he shall bear his own damage." This wise provision doubtless promoted good will among the early settlers.

Emigration set in rapidly to the new and hopeful town. Most of the settlements were begun along the pleasant margin of Salmon Brook, and near the right bank of the Merrimac River. The safety of the in- habitants was greatly promoted by the erection of a garrison-house.

The Indians had been greatly reduced by a plague which occurred several years before the arrival of the Pilgrims, and therefore found it for their advantage generally to avoid war with the early English set- tlers.

The Indians throughout this region were divided into four principal tribes.

These Indians dwelt in wigwams, wore the skins of animals, and subsisted on fish and game, of which there was a great abundance-Indian corn, beans and squashes were also leading articles of food, and were 'cultivated by the women, who used a clam shell for a hoe.

Their skin was copper-colored; their hair long, straight and black. Their feet were protected by moccasin, made of untanned deer-skin. Their cur- rency consisted of shells called wampum. Their weapons were the tomahawk, the bow and arrow and the scalping-knife.

Their language was rough and guttural, a few words, such as " Nashua" and " Miantonimo," being excepted. They had some vague notion of a Supreme Power, and recognized the sacredness of a just agree- ment.

Such, in brief, was the condition and character of those untutored beings with whom the early white, settlers were called to deal. The great chief Passa- conaway figured among the Indians of that age. He is mentioned by Gov. John Winthrop as early as 1632. In 1644 he submitted himself with his people to the government of Massachusetts.

Rev. John Eliot, noted as a missionary, began la- bors among the Indians at Nonatum (now Newton) in 1646, and soon afterward went to Concord and Wamesit. On his second visit to the latter place. which occurred in 1648, he met a large company of the natives, who had come to fish at the falls in the Con- cord and Merrimac Rivers, and he improved the opportunity to make known some of the teachings of the Christian religion. For his text he took Mal- achi 1: 11, with slight modifications, as follows : "From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, thy name shall be great among the In- dians; and in every place prayers shall be made to thy name,-pure prayers; for thy name shall be great among the Indians." Passaconaway, who would not listen to Mr. Eliot on his first visit, now came for- ward and expressed his determination to pray to God and to persuade his sons to do the same.

This chief, who was a pow-wow or sorcerer, and was believed by the natives to be able to " make water burn, rocks move and trees dance," desired Mr. Eliot, the ensuing year, to come and reside with his people and be their teacher. Although the missionary could not accede to this request, he continued his annual visits to the Pawtuckets, and here established what was called his fifth "praying-town " of the Indians. Passaconaway lived to an advanced age, and con- tinued to the last a faithful friend of the English. Some time previous to his death he said to his chil- dren and friends :

" I am now going the way of all flesh, or am ready to die, and I am not likely to see you meet together any more. I will now have this word of counsel with

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

you, that you may take heed how you quarrel with the English; for though you may do them much mischief, yet assuredly you will all be destroyed and rooted off the earth if you do; for I was as much an enemy to the English, at their first coming into these parts, as any one whatsoever, and did try all ways and meaus possible to have them destroyed, at least to have prevented them settling down here, but I could no way effect it ; therefore I advise you never to contend with the English, nor make war with them."

Mr. Whittier thus writes of the black arts practiced by Passaconaway ::

" For that chief had magic skill, And a Panisee'sdark will Over powers of good and ill,- Powers which bless and powers which ban.

Wizzard Lord of Pennacook ! Chiefs upon their war-paths shook When they met the steady look Of that wise, dark man."

These Indians were for the most part friendly to the whites, yet they were not much inclined to Christi- anity, and Mr. Eliot never succeeded is establishing a church among them. His labors resulted, however, in some civilizing influences, and among his converts were not only the chief, Passaconaway, but his son Wannalancet, who succeeded to the rule of the tribe on the death of his father.

In May, 1674, Mr. Eliot visited Wamesit, and preached on the parable of the virgin (Matt. 12: 1- 14), in the house of Wannalancet, who soon after made this declaration :

" Sirs, you have been pleased for years past, in your abundant love, to apply yourselves particularly unto me and my people to exhort, press and persuade us to pray to God. I am very thankfull to you for your pains. I must acknowledge I have all my days been used to pass in ap old canoe, and now you exhort me to change and leave my old canoe and embark in a new oue, to which I have hithertoo been unwilling, but now I yield up myself to your advice and enter into a new canoe, and do engage to pray to God hereafter."

Wamesit at this time contained about 250 and fifty men, beside women and children. Only a few build- ings had been erected when the little band of farm- ers received the startling intelligence that their colony was threatened by the savages.

Philip, of Pokanoket, in alliance with other sachems of New England, commenced hostilities in the spring of 1675. Town after town was laid in ruins by the savage foe. In view of the great number of Indians and their acquaintance with the territory, it seems remarkable that any town should have es- caped destruction.

Dunstable, an ontlying frontier, was peculiarly exposed. The feeling of insecurity became so great that the inhabitants, abandoning their little fort, the mecting-house they were then erecting and their dwelling-houses, sought protection in the towns of Chelmsford, Concord, Billerica and Boston.

There was one, however, who stood bravely at his post through the whole war, and therefore is justly entitled to the honor of being the first permanent set-

tler of the town of Dunstable. It was the Hon. Jonathan Tyng, who was born December 15, 1642. Mr. Tyng's house stood on the right bank of the Merrimac River, nearly opposite Wicasuck Island, and about one mile below the central village of Tyngsborough. Fortifying his abode as best he could, and sending to Boston for supplies, this brave pioneer stood alone as an outpost between the enemy and the settlements below.

After destroying as many as thirteen towns and six hundred colonists, the crafty Philip was shot at Mount Hope, R. I., Aug. 12, 1676, and the war was soon brought to a close.

The deserted homes and farms in the wilderness were soon reoccupied after the close of the war. And the various apartments of an organized community were made effective. The selectmen were invested with more power than at the present day. The work of selecting a minister at £50 per annum was in- trusted to them, this salary to be paid in money, or if otherwise, one-third more was to be added thereto. John Sollendine, a carpenter, was engaged to com- plete the unfinished meeting-house, which was probably a small building constructed of logs end supposed to have stood on the river road, a short distance from the present northern line of Tyngs- borough, and not far from Salmon Brook. It was finished in 1678, but there is no account of any dedi- cation. The Rev. Thomas Weld was the first minister. He graduated at Harvard College in 1671, and com- menced preaching in Dunstable as early as May, 1679. He married a daughter of the Rev. John Wilson, of Medfield, and built a house on the ministerial lot. This consisted of thirty acres, and entitled the occupant to the use of six hundred acres of the undivided territory.

The first birth mentioned on the town records, and this under the caption, " Lambs born in Dunstable," is that of William, son of Jonathan and Sarah Tyng, born April 22, 1679. The first marriage is that of Jolın Sollendine, Aug. 2, 1680.

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 195

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