History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 107

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed. cn
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1226

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II > Part 107

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The following records show that the town was not careless in collecting these dues : "November, 1670, Ordered that Jon. Stanhope do see that the minis- ter's rate be duly paid, aud in case any neglect or refuse to pay their proportions to said rates when due, he is appointed and impowered by the town to sum- mons such persons before a magistrate, there to answer for their neglect." In 1683-84 it was voted, "That whereas certain proprietors and inhabitants of the town have neglected to pay their proportions to the minister's rate, and added to the evil by not paying the proportion due upon the two six months' rates

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made since, to the dishonor of God, contempt of his worship, unrighteousness to their neighbors, as if they : : : slyly intended they should pay their rates for them again, and to the disturbance in and damage of this town, after so much patience used, and to the end this town may not longer be baffled : : : In his majesties name you are therefore now required forth with to [collect] by distress upon the monies, neat cattle, sheep or other beasts, corn, grain, hay, goods or any other estate movable (not disallowed by law) you can find so much of each person lierein named so greatly transgressing, the several sum or sums set off' against each man's name."

In the early times there were people living on the town's border, who were designated "farmers," and their estates were called "farms." It was probably with reference to these that the following order was passed in 1677-78: " All persons bordering upon this town and who live and dwell near unto the precinct thereof shall pay (not only to the ministry but also) to all town rates, for that they belong to us, they shall be assessed their due proportions, as all other inhabit- ants of this town are, and in case of any of them re- fusing to pay, the same shall be levied by distress."

The early settlers were accustomed to look care- fully after the morals of the community. The town was divided into districts and men were chosen to visit, individually, each family and "inspect their condition," and catechise the children and servants, and render a report of their doings to the town. At one time the selectmen were entrusted with this im- portant matter. The stocks were a means of correc- tion and punishment. These were placed near the meeting-house; and are repeatedly mentioned in the records. Later, in the town's history, tithingmen were appointed, and the service of these officials was continued for years.

Commercial transactions were carried on by means of agricultural products, money being a scarce article, and the settlers would convey these products to some central place for barter or for the payment of debts. The inn was the place generally used for this kind of exchange, and the Parmenter ordinary is often referred to in this connection. The minister was paid partly in money, but largely in such articles as flax, malt, butter, pork and peas.

Rates for labor were regulated by town action. Carpenters, thatchers and bricklayers at one time were to have "twenty pence for a day's work; and common laborers eighteen pence a day." Yearly cov- enanted servants were to take but five pounds for a year's service and maid servants were to take but " fifty shillings the year's service." Laws were made concerning domestic animals, viz .: that cattle were not allowed to go at large on the town's common land except under certain restrictions; and swine were to be "ringed and yoked."

Bounties were offered for the capture of wild ani- mals.as wolves and foxes, and at times also for the de-

struction of mischievous birds. The town provided ammunition for the inhabitants, and men were as- signed to the duty of procuring it and dividing it up. For a time the meeting-house was used as a place of deposit for the " town's stock of ammunition." The town early set apart reservations of land for pasturage and timber for the public use. There was one large reservation on the east and one on the west side of the river; and these two together contained a large share of the original grant of five miles square. The reservation on the west side extended from the river nearly to the eastern border of the two mile grant, and northerly nearly to the northeastern part of the territory now Maynard. The inhabitants were lim- ited on the number of cattle they were allowed to pasture in the common land by a rule based on the number of acres of meadow-land which they pos- sessed.

In the social life of those days great respect was paid to merit and position. Seats in the meeting- house were assigned in accordance with age, merit and the amount paid for the support of the ministry. Military titles were much in use ; even the minor offi- cers of the rank and file were carefully designated by their appropriate affix. Sergeant, Corporal and En- sign, Lieutenant and Captain are common terms on the record. The term Goodman was applied to men considered especially substantial and trustworthy. Political officers were chosen in accordance with mer- it ; and when a person was elected to a public posi- tion, lic was expected to serve, unless a good excuse could be rendered. If he refused lie was subjected to a fine. Idleness and lack of thrift found no favor with the early settlers of Sudbury. This class were not allowed to enter the territory, if their coming was known ; and if they entered by fraud or stealtlı they were liable to be warned away, and any resi- dent who knowingly encouraged the coming of such a one was subjected to a fine and censure.

The circumstances of the people required the strict- est economy and industry. A long succession of inter- colonial wars oppressed them with heavy taxation ; and the number of able bodied men was at times de- pleted by calls to the country's service at the front. The implements of husbandry were rude and clumsy and mostly of home manufacture. Home-spun fab- rics were in use, and the women and older children needed strong and nimble hands to keep the house- hold clothed. The first houses were small, rude structures ; and the material of which they were made was probably all wrought out by hand. There is no mention of a saw-mill in town till 1677, when permission was given to "Peter King, Thomas Read, sen., John Goodenow, John Smith and Joseph Free- man to build a saw-mill upon Hop Brook, above Peter Noyes's Mill." This mill was situated in the second or third squadron of the New Grant. Two of the foregoing names are of settlers in the North- west District. Before the erection of this saw-mill,

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sawn material would be scarce. Probably hewn logs were largely used, with clay placed over the joints. The roofs were covered with thatch. Clay and thatch were made use of in the construction of the second meeting-house in 1654. The records inform us that a committee was appointed " to agree with somebody to fill the walls of the meeting-house with tempered clay, provided they do not exceed the sum of 5 pounds 10 shillings." The following is a record of a house and barn put up by Edward Rice in the south- east part of Sudbury about 1650. The dwelling- house was "30 foote long, 10 foote high stud, 1 foot sill from the ground, 16 foote wide, with two rooms, both below or one above the other ; all the doores well hanged, and staires, with convenient fastenings of locks or bolts, windows glazed, and well planked under foote, and boarded sufficiently to lay corne in in the story above head." The barn was " 50 foote long,- 11 foote high in the stud, one foote above ground, the sell 20 foote if no leantes, or 18 foote wide with leantes on the one side, and a convenient threshing floare between the doares " (Barry). In the primitive dwellings there may have been more of warmth and comfort than we are wont to suppose. Many of them were built near the shelter of the forest, or on the sunny side of some protecting upland. Within the building was a large fire-place with a broad stone hearth. Wood was abundant and near at hand ; and as the bright flames flickered up on a winter's night they afforded both light and heat.

HIGHWAYS, BRIDGES AND GRIST-MILL .- High- ways .- The primitive highways of this territory were doubtless rude, being, as in every new country, but mere wood-paths or trails to the scattered homesteads and meadow-lots, and, in this case, centering in a " great road " which led to the meeting-house, tavern and mill. As these public places lay in a southerly direction, it is probable that one of the earliest main highways was the " New Lancaster Road." This road probably existed previous to 1725; and its course, as given on the Mathias Mosman map of 1794, was from the Sudbury meeting-house northwesterly, pass- ing south of Vose's Pond by the old Rice tavern into Stow. The present "Great Road" from Sudbury Cen- tre by J. H. Vose's is supposed to be a part of that road. This is called the " New Lancaster Road " to dis- tinguish it from the "Old Lancaster Road," of Sud- bury, which was laid out about 1653, and which is designated as the " Old Lancaster Road " on the Mos- man map.

As the "New Lancaster Road " was long since con- sidered ancient by the inhabitants of the Northwest District, it has been called the " Old Lancaster Road," and hence may have been considered by some to be the only Lancaster road. The " Old Lancaster Road " passed out of Sudbury some distance south of the new one, and is that mentioned in connection with the laying out, apportionment and location of the "New Grant" lots. As the " New Lancaster Road" is in-

tersected at Sudbury Centre by a way that led to the Hop Brook grist-mill, or Noyes' mill, at South Sud- bury, the settlers of this district would naturally go to mill by this way before the erection of a mill nearer by. A highway that early passed diagonally through the Sudbury part of Maynard is what was known as the " Old Marlboro' and Concord Great Road." This was a much-travelled highway in the last quarter of the last century. At its intersection with the New Lancaster Road stood the Old Rice Tavern ; and along its course a little to the northerly were some of the old estates of the district. As the Northwest Dis- trict developed, short ways were provided for it by the town. Between 1725 and 1750 mention is made in the records of a way from " Honey Pot Brook through Jabez Puffer's land." The "Thirty-rod highway," going northerly, passed a little easterly of the Rice tavern; and it is not improbable that the North road, by the Balcoms, is a part of that ancient land- mark. It is supposed that the east "Thirty-rod highway " reached the town's northerly boundary at or near the powder-mills, by Acton and Concord Corner.

Bridges .- The first record of which we have any knowledge concerning a bridge in this territory is of date Dec. 14, 1715, when the town of Sudbury voted that "there be a horse bridge built over Assabeth River, . and that the selectmen do order that ye bridge be erected and built over Assabeth River, between ye land of Timothy Gibson's and Thomas Burt's land." The first bridge was probably the Lan- caster road bridge,and known as the Dr. Wood's Bridge. It stood on or by the site of the present bridge near the Whitman place, not far from the entrance of Assabeth Brook. The bridge next cast is the old Fitchburg road or Haman Smith Bridge, and was built about seventy-five years ago. The next is the Jewell Mill's Bridge, and was probably built to ac- commodate the mills. The Paper Mill Bridge was built a little more than half a century ago. It is sup- posed that previous to its erection the river was crossed at that point by a fordway. The road con- nected with this bridge was laid out by the county commissioners about the time the bridge was made.

Grist-mill .- The first grist-mill was near the present Brooks place. It has had several owners, among whom are Gibson, Jewell and Smith. A saw-mill has been connected with it; and thither the inhabit- ants carried their saw-logs and eorn in those early years, when " to go to mill" was quite an event to the homestead. At the mill and the inn the inhabit- ants of the hamlet gossiped and gathered the news, as well as procured household supplies. The bread of those days was made largely of rye and Indian meal, wheat being but little used as late as the beginning of the present century. This main reliance on meal made large demands on the mill, and from long dis- tances the grists were brought in a rude cart or on horse-back. Thus this mill was an important place, and although an humble structure in comparison

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with the large factories that stand to-day near by, it was very essential to the comfort of man and beast.

CHARACTER OF THE SETTLERS .- Notwithstanding this section was for a time so isolated, its influence was felt throughout the towns to which it belonged, and it furnished some of their best and most trustworthy citizens. In Sudbury the name of Balcom, Rice, Smith, Puffer, Brigham, Vose, Maynard and others have been on the list of the town's official board; while in Stow, the Gibsons, Whitneys, Browns, Co- nants, Smiths and others have been well-known and substantial citizens. On the Sudbury muster-rolls of the French and Indiau and Revolutionary Wars, names long familiar in the Northwest District are common. In a list of fourteen Sudbury men, who were in the campaign for the capture of Louisbourg at Cape Breton, the name of Balcom is given four times. Four brothers enlisted in the closing campaign of the last French War, and were in or about New York in 1760, viz .: Joseph, Jr., Simon, Moses and John Bal- com. The first two served as soldiers ; Moses, at the age of eighteen, was detailed for duty as a boatman on the Mohawk River to forward army supplies to the front ; John, aged sixteen, was employed as a teamster ; Simon died in the army of fever, at the age of thirty- one; Joseph took the small-pox on returning home and died. His father and oue child took the disease from him and died also. They were buried about the centre of the plain, on the farm of Lewis Brig- ham. The names of Sudbury men in the companies of Capts. Samuel Dakin, John Nixon and Josiah Richardson, who were in the Canada campaign of the French and Indian War, which are associated with the Northwest District are Eveleth, Puffer, Maynard, Skinner, Wetherby, Brigham, Balcom, Rice and Willis. These names repeatedly appear with different Christian names, indicating how well this territory was represented in those old wars. As the territory of Maynard was taken from two towns in which a patriotic spirit prevailed in the Revolutionary War, it is safe to assume that its inhabitants bore their full share in that protracted struggle.

Sudbury had five companies, two of which were from the West Precinct, and Stow had two in the en- gagement with the British on their retreat from Con- cord, April 19, 1775. On the Sudbury muster-rolls of the west side militia and minute companies, the name of Maynard is given five times, Rice five, Puffer five, Brigham four, Willis four, Smith three and Balcom two. It was stated by one who was a Sudbury citizen and soldier in the Revolutionary period that "to the honor of Sudbury " there was not a "Tory" to be found in the town. In the Great Civil War Sudbury and Stow did their full share of service. Sudbury furnished one hundred and sixty-eight men, which was over and above all demands, and appropriated and expended on account of the war, exclusive of State aid, $17,575. It had a population in 1860 of 1691, and a valuation of $1,052,778.

Stow furnished for the Union Army one hundred and forty-three men. Several soldiers from each of these towns lost their lives in their country's service. Not only were the former inhabitants of the Maynard territory influential in town matters and well repre- seuted in military service, but some of them exerted an influence which was largely felt in the formation of the town of Grafton, in Worcester County. The land of the Grafton township, which contains 7500 acres, was purchased of the native proprietors upon leases obtained of the General Court, May, 1724. The petition asking the privilege of making the purchase was presented by a number of citizens, principally from Marlboro', Sudbury, Concord and Stow ; and the petitioners sought leave " to purchase of the Hassa- namisco Indians land at that place." In the Indian deed concerning the territory, among other specific declarations is the following: "To Jonathan Rice and Richard Taylor, both of Sudbury in the County of Middlesex aforesaid, husbandmen, each one fortieth part thereof . . . to them and their respective heirs and assigns forever." After the purchase of the territory and the establishment of the plantation, those who composed the company laying claim to the territory held proprietors' meetings, more or less of which were at the house of Jonathan Rice in Sud- bury. Their records and proceedings show the promi- nent part taken by Sudbury citizens in the formation of the township. A few specimens of these records are as follows: "At a meeting of the Proprietors of the common and uudivided lands in Hassanamisco, holdeu in the house of Jonathan How in Marlboro', April, 1728, Mr. Jonathan Rice was chosen clerk for the Proprietors to enter and record all votes and orders from time to time as shall be made and passed in said Proprietors' meetings." " July 9, 1728. The Proprietors held a meeting at Sudbury, at the house of Jonathan Rice, and chose a committee to take charge of building a meeting-house." "Jan. 6, 1730. At the house of Jonathan Rice, voted to lay out 3 acres to each Proprietor 30 acres of land for the third division ; voted to raise seven pounds of money on each Proprietor for the finishing of the meeting-house and school-house."

In the appointment of committees for important business Sudbury was creditably represented. The committee chosen " to take a survey of the plantation of Hassanamisco, aud find out and stake the centre plot of the plantation," were Captain Brigham, of Marlboro', John Hunt, of Concord, and Rich- ard Taylor, of Sudbury. Jan. 16, 1734, it was voted that Col. John Chandler, of Concord, and Jonathan Rice, of Sudbury, should be " a committee to make Hassanamisco a town."

In the work of securing church privileges and a meeting-house for the inhabitants of the west side of Sudbury, at the place called Rocky Plain, the indica- tions are that the Northwest District had an important influence. After the first petition sent to the General

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Court, which petition has been noticed and given, a committee was appointed at a town-mecting to pro- test against the west side petition. After hearing both the petition and remonstrance, the committee returned a report, May 13, 1708, which was in sub- stance that they considered "the thing was necessary to be done, but their opinion is that now, by reason of the [grievous] times, not so convenient."

But the petitioners were not to be baffled by an answer like this. Accordingly, again they presented their case by another petition, dated May 26, 1708-9. This second petition sets forth the case thus:

" The Humble Petition of Several of the Inhabitants of the town of Sud- bury, on the west side of the River.

"To Conrt session assembled May 26th 1707g showeth that your Petition - ers lately by their Petition to the Great and General Assembly, repre- sented the hardships & Difficulties they Labored when by reason of their distance from the meeting house and the difficulty of getting over the water and Some times Impossibility, there being three hundred and sixty five on that side and sometimes in the winter not one of them ean possibly go to meeting, the East and West sides are Equal in their pay- ments to the minister and therefore praying they might be made a Pre- einet and have a meeting house and minister of their side of the River, wberenpon tbe petition was referred to a committee who upon Consider- tion of the premises (as your petitioners are Informed) have made a Report to this Great and General assembly tbat tbo thing was necessary to be done, but their opinion is that now by reason of Troublesome Times not so Convenient.

"Your [Petitioners] tberenpon humbly pray that this great and General assembly would please to Grant tbem the Prayer of their Petition, that they may be Empowered to build a meeting house and have a minister settled on their side, in sueb time as to this Great and General Assem- bly shall seem meet and Yor Petitioners (and as in duty bound) shall pray, JOHN BRIGHAM, JOHN BALCOM. In behalf of ye rest."

The parties whose names are signed to this petition are, we infer, men from the north west part of the town, and the fact that they thus head the list of persistent petitioners, leaves room for the fair conjecture that it was from this territory to a large extent, that a very strong influence went forth for the formation of the West Precinct of Sudbury.

The early inhabitants of the Maynard territory de- pended for a livelihood largely upon the products of the soil, for which the country was fairly suited. On the Sudbury side were extensive woodlands upon which some of the heaviest timber in the State has been produced. On the Stow side were good farming lands, and the land in the neighborhood of Pompas- sitieutt Hill was good for pasturage and tillage. But, as in every community where pasturage and tillage is depended upon, there was need of industry and economy. These traits prevailed. The families in early times were large, and as each household gathered about the kitehen hearth they made almost a little community of themselves. When a neighbor- hood gathering was needed for the transaction of business, a favorite place was the inn, and at the old Rice Tavern publie business has doubtless many times been planned and discussed. Along the early years of the eighteenth century, meetings were held there relative to the adjustment of land matters, as indieated by the following :

" We tbe Subscribers and present owners of the New Grant lots in

Sudbury, and as we think and immagine, Proprietors of the two miles of land late granted to Sudbury by the General Court, ealled the New Grants, we humbly petition your honors to grant ns a legal meeting as the law directa, to be at the House of Jonathan Rice, in said Sudbury, Inholder, To do or act what may be lawful and needful when met in order to defend said grant of two miles, and every other legal act as , Proprietors,

" JOHN CLAP, "JAMEN HAYNES, "EPHRIAM PRATT. " JOHN BALCOM, " THOMAS SMITH, " JONATHAN RICE, " AMON SMITH, " JOSEPH BOLCOM,

and sixteen otberg."

For years after the settlement of the district there was no commercial centre ; but in process of time the water-power of the Assabet River began to be used for manufacturing purposes, and a hamlet or village was commenced.

About 1821 or 1822 a part of the water-power formerly used by the Jewell Mills was employed by James and William Rice for the manufacture of spindles and other kinds of factory machinery for the Smith Mills, at Peterborough, N. H., and the fac- tories at Waltham, Mass.

Near Jewell's Mills, over the river, a saw-mill once stood; and on a brook by the Daniel Puffer house was another saw-mill, which mill was connected with the farm. This mill, because of the small water- power, ran very slowly, so the people used to start the machinery and then go to other work, and when the saw had run its course it would stop of itself.

In 1845 the water-power that up to 1822 had been used for the grain mill, and which had also been used for the manufacture of machinery, was sold to Amory Maynard and William H. Knight, who was formerly eonneeted with the Saxonville Factory. In July, 1846, the Assabet Mill Works were commenced. The dam was built and a eanal dug, turning the water from the original channel into a reservoir. The dam was completed, a building erected, and work begun on the mill by the spring of 1847; and carpets and earpet yarn to the value of $110,000 were made the first year. On September 10, 1862, the " Assabet Manufacturing Company " was formed, with T. A. Goddard, president, and T. Quincy Browne, treasurer.

From the very commencement of the manufacture of woolen fabries in Maynard the business has proved a success. As it has developed, new buildings have been ereeted, until they now eover not far from two aeres of ground; are four, five and six stories in height, and have a floorage of nearly ten aeres. From six to seven millions of brieks were required in their construction. There are water-wheels having a united capacity of 800 horse-power, and four powerful en- gines with a total capacity of 700 horse-power. The average consumption of coal for steam purposes is, in round numbers, 500 tons a month, or 6000 tons a year. The consumption of wool in the grease is 15,000 pounds per day or 2347 tons a year. The num-

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 107

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed. cn Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1226

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed. cn
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1226