History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 160

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 160

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Rev. Alfred Everctt Goodnough, the fifth pastor, was born at Montpelier, Vermont, April 10, 1855, and graduated from the Meadville Theological School in 1878, subsequently taking a post-graduate course at the Harvard Divinity School. Mr. Goodnough as- sumed the charge of the church June, 1878, and was ordained as pastor on September 11th of that year. His pastorate closed in July, 1879.

The sixth pastor was Rev. Rushton D. Burr. His labors began April 1, 1880, and continued two years.

Rev. Lyman Clark was the seventh pastor. He was born December 30, 1838, near the town of Bu- channon, Upshur County, West Virginia. He was the son of Cornelius Clark, born at Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and Abagail Clark, née Wright, born at Westford, Massachusetts. He attended private schools in West Virginia, and after the removal of the family to Illinois he enlisted in the Fifth Illinois Volunteer Cavalry in 1861, serving more than four years in the successive grades of sergeant, second lieu- tenant and captain. He entered the Meadville The- ological School in 1865, graduating in 1869. On June 11, 1872, he married Isabel Clough at Bethel, Maine. He begau his pastoral labors in Ayer on the first Sunday of September, 1882. The installation ser- vice was delayed, for the purpose of first removing the indebtedness of the society on account of the church edifice, until March 7, 1884.

The Unitarian name was first taken November 1, 1864, the form of the name having been altered sev- eral times. It was first the "South Groton Christian Union," this name being taken in 1855. In 1862 the name "Union Society " was chosen. Two years later the name " Unitarian Society" was taken, which was further amended in 1867 so as to read " The First Con- gregational Unitarian Society," the name at the pres- ent time being the " First Unitarian Parish of Ayer." By act of Legislature passed in the year 1886, the latter name was ratified, and all acts and proceedings of the society under the former names were con- firmed.

The church organization within the parish began with the pastorate of Rev. Rushton D. Burr, previous to that time one organization representing both church and parish. The records of the Sunday-school are found to begin with the year 1862.

CATHOLICS .-- A Catholic Mission was firstestablished in this village about 1855, and was supplied by priests from the Fitchburg Parish, of which it formed a part. At first services were held in private houses, princi- pally in that of Bartholomew MaCarty, on the wes- terly side of Washington Street, and occasionally in the house of John McGuane, on the southerly sidc of the old Shirley road, now owned by Michael Shea. The Mission at several times worshiped in the grove on the south side of the Fitchburg Railroad, near Scally's Crossing, and several times in the woods in the vicinity of what is now the Catholic Cemctery. Subsequently the Mission occupied, for about a year,

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Pingry's Hall, now the Union House. This was their first established place of worship.

The first priests were two brothers, Edward and and Timothy Turpin, of the Fitchburg Parish. The first church edifice was erected by Thomas H. and Alfred Page in 1858, on the lot on the southerly side of West Main Street, now occupied by the parochial school building. It was a small, plain structure, and was subsequently moved on to the church lot on Shir- ley Street, where it is now occupied as the stable of the parsonage. Charles Foley was the first settled priest of the Parish of St. Mary, which included with Ayer the towns of Groton, Pepperell, Townsend, Lit- tleton, Harvard and Shirley. Father Foley was suc- ceeded by Father Morau.

In December, 1867, Joseph Nicholas Barrata came here from Richmond, Virginia, where had been set- tled during the War of the Rebellion, and was or- dained priest. He was a native of Italy, and a man of great energy and superior business tact. He imme- diately set about to erect a more commodious church edifice. He purchased of A. H. Fuller the Shirley Street lot, and built thereon the second church building of the parish, which was completed and dedicated on Sunday, December 4, 1870, Archbishop Williams offi- ciating. He also erected the present parsonage.

The second church edifice stood where the new church now is, and faced east. It is now the paro- chial school building on West Main Street. During Father Baratta's pastorate the parish was increased to 3000. He also built a new church at Pepperell (St. Joseph's), which was dedicated December 4, 1870, and took steps to erect another in Townsend, purchasing a lot of land there for that purpose. The increased labor was so great that Father Baratta was obliged to ask leave of absence, when he visited Europe to recuperate his health. During his absence, Michael J. McCall, now located at Concord, Massachusetts, occupied his position. December 12, 1876, Arch- bishop Williams appointed Joseph Mohan to the past- orate, with Rev. William F. Riordan, assistant pas- tor, who remained here until January, 1879. In April, 1880, Henry J. Madden was appointed to the pastorate, and while it was under his charge the beautiful church edifice, that is such a commanding object in the westerly part of our village, was built. Father Madden left here to take charge of the Parish at Pepperell, which up to that time had been a mis- sion, where he is now settled. He was succeeded by John H. Flemming, who officiated until June, 1890. The present pastor is Patrick J. Sheedy, recently of Bridgewater.

CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY .- The fourth religious society organized in this town was the Congregational. In 1887 Rev. Alfred S. Hudson, then its pastor, com- piled a pamphlet of 136 pages, which was published by the church, containing a very interesting history of that organization. With the author's permission, I have largely followed it in these pages. 43-ii

The church was organized by an ecclesiastical council, September 5, 1861, under the name of the "South Groton Orthodox Congregational Church." It was subsequently called the " First Congregational Church of Ayer." Until recently it was, like other churches, connected with the parish, which took for its name " The Union Orthodox Congregational So- ciety of Groton Junction," In 1867 the parish voted that the word " Union" be dropped from its name.

Iu 1887 the parish voted to transfer its property to the church. These changes in its name being with- out any legal authority, the Legislature of 1887 was appealed to to legalize its doings under a different name, and to confirm the name which it then bore, and a special act was passed for its relief.

The preliminary steps which resulted in the organ- ization of this church were taken in the spring of 1861. Of the meetings, one of the early, if not the earliest meetings, the parish record states, that " about April 1, 1861, the members of the Congrega- tional and other Christian Churches, also individuals favorable and desirous of establishing a Church and Society of Congregational sentiments and belief in this place, invited the Rev. Mr. Mann to preach to them a few Sabbaths to ascertain the feelings of the community in regard to the above object."

The encouragement seems to have been good, for at a meeting held at Union Hall, May 6, 1861, a com- mittee was appointed to prepare Articles of Agree- ment that should govern this new company of wor- shipers. The form proposed and approved and the signatures affixed are as follows :

" We, the undersigned, hereby agree to form ourselves into a relig- ious society, to be called the Southi Groton Orthodox Congregational So- ciety, for the support of public worship in South Groton, so called, and to do and perform all matters and things necessary and proper for a Religious Society, until we shall become organized as a regular l'orpor- ate Society.

"In witness whereof we heve hereunto set our hands, this sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty- one, --

"Jesse Whiting, Jehiel Todd, Daniel Livermore, Daniel G. Waters, William F. Goulding, Nathan W. Frye, B. F. Taft, William H. Harlow, Levi Wallace, J. H. Gibson, Edwin W. Taft, T. 11. Heald, E. H. Saw- tell, I. C. Litchfield, Joel Garfield, N. G. Pierce, B. L. HIowe, Charles Livermore, Mowry Lapham, Sylvester P. Cutler."

But three of the original members are now living in Ayer. Shortly after this the organization of the church was effected. At the time of the organization twenty members united, of whom but three are present resident members. The following have served as dea- cons of the church : Daniel Livermore, Jehiel Todd, Simeon Burt, John F, Robbins, Charles Brown, Isaac Hovey, Harrison Dexter Evans, Edwin Hobart Hay- ward and Henry McGreggor. Nine persons have acted as pastors of the church : Rev. E. P. Tenney, acting pastor, began service November 1, 1861 ; Rev. Daniel M. Bean, installed July 23, 1863, dismissed 1864; Rev. E. C. Stebbins, installed October 25, 1864, dismissed April 16, 1867 ; Rev. Daniel Phillips, acting pastor, 1866 to December 31, 1868 ; Rev. Samuel Bell,

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installed September 1, 1869, dismissed October 4, 1870 ; Rev. F. J. Fairbanks, installed January 1, 1872, dismissed January 1, 1874; Rev. Horace Parker, act- ing pastor, January 25, 1874, to May 6, 1877 ; Rev. De Forest B. Dodge, acting pastor, February, 1878, to July 31, 1878 (closed his labors on account of ill-health); Rev. Henry M. Holmes, acting pastor, December 8, 1878, to 1882; Rev. A. S. Hudson, acting pastor, No- vember 1, 1882, still officiating.

Since the formation of the church nearly two hun- dred members have belonged to it, the greatest acces- sion at any one time being twenty. Formerly two sermons were preached ou the Sabbath, but latterly there has been but one.

The first services of this society were held in Union Hall, then standing at the southerly end of Merchant's Row, where the American House now is. An early movement was made for the erection of a house of worship. November 8, 1864, a committee was ap- pointed to procure a building lot, and they purchased the oue on which the preseut church edifice stands. April 2, 1866, a building committee was constituted, as follows : John Spaulding, Daniel G. Waters, Simeon Burt, Joel Garfield. The corner-stone of the new edifice was laid April 16, 1867, by the Middlesex Union Couference, Rev. Dr. Hooker, secretary of the Massachusetts Home Missionary Society, assisting in the service. The house was built by Daniel G. Waters, and eost, with its furnishings, about $8000. The house was dedicated September 1, 1867: The pews came from the Universalist Church at Harvard. Its bell has an interesting history; it was purchased in 1872 of a society in Fitehburg, who worshiped in the building now used as the post-office. From the inscription upon it and the rumors connected with it at the time it was purchased, it was supposed that at one time it had doue service upon some plantation in the South, and in consequence the following letter was sent to the New Orleans Picayune and copied quite extensively in the papers in the South :

"AYER, MASS., July 15, 1887.

" MR. EDITOR :- The late controversy between General Butler and the Washington Post respecting the New Orleans bells, calls to my attention, that on each Sabbath morning there peals forth in our quiet New Eng land village the sonorons tones of one of these relics of our late un- pleasantness. Coming among us at a time when there was a satiety of things militant, it settled into its new resting-place withont exciting a curiosity as to its early history. But as we recede from that great drama every act and thing associated with it momentarily grows in interest.

" The bell in question weighs abont eight hundred pounds. Upon one side in relief are the words "B. D. Beavin, Plains, Miss., 1856," and around the top, "Cast by G. W. Coffin & Co., Buckeye Foundry, Cin- cinnati, 1856."

" It may interest its former owners and ante.bellum acquaintances to k now its present resting-place, as it would the writer to know its early history. GEO. J. BURNS."

In a short time a pleasant correspondence was opened with the Beavin family, of which two mem- bers are now still residing upon the old homestead. Mr. Beavin, whose name is inscribed upon the bell, went to Mississippi from Maryland in 1840 and was employed by the proprictor of Plains Plantation,

Mr. David Hunt, as manager. In 1854 he became its owner. It was named the Plains probably on ac- count of the level character of its land. It contained about 1400 acres, and at the breaking out of the war had in the neighborhood of one hundred and twenty- five slaves. Mr. Beavin died a short time after the breaking out of the Rebellion. During the war the plantation, being off the traveled road, suffered little molestation. When there came a demand for ma- terial from which to cast cannon for the use of the Confederacy, the executors of Mr. Beavin's estate, without any legal authority for so doing, sent the bell to New Orleans, and with others, collected from differ- ent places, it was in the public square, preparatory to being sent to the foundry. At that time the city fell into the hands of the National forces, and General Butler confiscated the bells aud sent them north, where they were disposed of in different parts of the country. The bell was teamed from the plantation to the river landing by an old slave, Uncle John Hed- den, who continued to reside in the family until the time of his death, September 24, 1889.

METHODIST SOCIETY .- The Methodist people were among the first to hold religious services at Groton Junction. Rev. J. Cooper, at the time of his advent in this village, proclaimed himself of this denomina- tion. On May 23, 1869, Rev. Abraham D. Sargent collected Oliver B. Richardson, Abbie W. Swan, Jenuie L. Barber, probationers ; and Jabez Bigelow, Mary Johnson, Abbie A. Farrier, Luke Farnsworth and George Little, members, and organized them into the Ayer Methodist Episcopal Church.

Sinee that time ninety-nine probationers have given their names to the church, and 232 have been re- ceived in full connection. The following have been pastors of the church at different times, but I regret that I am unable to give the dates between which each of them served : Abraham D. Sargent, G. W. H. Clark, Mr. Hannah, William E. Baird, Erastus Burlingham, Mr. Canuey, N. F. Penney, Nathan D. George, George E. Sanderson, Samuel N. Noou, Increase B. Bigelow, Ichabod Marsey, Herbert G. Buckingham, Albert R. Archibald, Frederick W. Hart, Albert H. Bennett, Edward P. F. Dearborn, Cassius C. Whidden.

Like several other religious societies, the first ser- vices were held in private houses of the members. For a short time the society worshiped in the engine- house hall on the northerly side of Maiu Street, whichi was destroyed in the fire of October 31, 1869. They afterward worshiped in Union Hall, and subse- quently in Page's Hall. In 1676-77 the society oc- cupied the District Court room as a place of worship and afterward the lower Town Hall.

Moves looking towards the erection of a house of worship were made at different times. At one time the lot of S. Wilson Smith, at the corner of Main and School Streets, was under consideration for a site. In 1886 these efforts culminated in success. A lot at

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the corner of Newton and Columbia streets, at the rear of the Town House, was secured, and Tuesday evening. May 17, 1887, the corner-stone of the new edifice was laid. The exercises were conducted in the Town Hall, at which prominent citizens and the pastors of the different churches participated. The address was delivered by G. S. Chadbourne, D.D., at the close of which the audience and speakers repaired to the church site, and amidst impressive ceremonies the corner-stone of the new edifice was laid. The new house of worship was constructed under the per- sonal supervision of Otis S. Flanders, of Martha's Vineyard, the architect of the building, the cost of which was rising of five thousand dollars. The new house was completed in October, 1887, and dedicated on October 12th, Lewis B. Butts, D.D., officiating. It is built with a basement containing a convenient vestry and other accommodations for the Sunday- school and social work. The audience-room is fur- nished with comfortable pews and carpeted through- out and with its stained windows presents a very at- tractive appearance.

CHAPTER LVI.

AYER-(Continued).

Fires and Fire Companies.

BELIEVING it is the duty of the historian to record his observations and recollections as well as to research. I will offer no apology for whatever there may be in these pages within the recollection of the reader. I believe there is nothing that has a more proper place in the history of a community than the conflagrations by which its physical appearance is changed and oftentimes the whole channel of its ex- istence is diverted. I have here given place to only such fires us have resulted in substantial destruction of property, and have purposely omitted many where the damage resulting was slight.

We are nothing if not combustible. The first con- flagration of which we have any information was the burning of the garrison-house of Major Simon Willard by the Indians in 1676. As has been elsewhere stated, this building stood upon what is now known as " The Plains," west of the Boston and Maine Rail- road and near the Harvard line. It was the first Groton house destroyed in King Philip's War.

In 1760 a school-house in the southerly part of Groton was burned. I am unable to state where it stood or whether it was in the limits of our village.

In the spring of 1836 Jesse Stone's tavern, then standing where James Gilson's dwelling house now is, was burned. For further particulars concerning this building and its history, see " Taverns."

June 15, 1837, the paper-mill of Edgarton, Priest and Company, on the Nashua River, at what is now

known as Mitchellville, was destroyed by fire with all its contents, including several tons of finished paper. John M. Sherwin, one of the operatives in the mill, fell a victim to the conflagration.

About 1850 the school-house in Sandy Pond Dis- trict was burned. It was a brick building, and when rebuilt the following season, the original walls were used. This building was torn down in 1870 to give place to the present structure.

At November meeting, 1855, Stuart J. Park, Luther Page, Samuel W. Rowe, Hibbard P. Ross, Oliver Wentworth and Ezra Farnsworth were chosen a com- mittce to take into consideration the advisability of purchasing a fire-engine to be stationed at Groton Junction, but, like the majority of such references, it came to naught.

At March meeting, 1858, the attempt was repeated. A new committee was chosen, of which Marshall Frye and Hibbard P. Ross were members, but, like its predecessors, was unable to accomplish its object. At November meeting, 1859, another attempt was made, but the article was indefinitely postponed.

January 5, 1860, a fire caught around the chimney in the attic of the Haynes house, on the easterly side of Washington Street, now owned by George V. Bar- rett. It was extinguished with pails, the principal damage being by water. At this time there was no organized Fire Department in town, and to this fire is due the agitation which resulted in our first Fire De- partment, and ultimately in the procuring of a fire- engine. The Railroad Mercury is authority for the statement that the Haynes fire was the first con- flagration in our village. It is, however, claimed by some that the house owned by Hiram P. Ross, then standing on the westerly side of Forrest Street, and at the time of its destruction occupied by Warren Eastman, was the first fire in the village. It is certain that this and the Haynes fire occurred about the same time.

At March meeting, 1880, a motion to appropriate $600 for a fire-engine at Groton Junction was lost, and the same fate met an attempt to get an ap- propriation of $800 at the April meeting.

The first considerable fire in our village was the burning of Alden Lawrence's stable, in the spring of 1861. This building stood in the rear of what is now Page's Block, between Washington and Pleasant Streets, and was built by David Chambers, and at the time it was burned it was owned by Thomas H. and Alfred Pagc, and occupied by Alden Lawrence. Seven horses were burnt in this fire.

About this time the first Fire Department was organized, of which Morey Lapham was fire-warden. As perseverance conquers all things, the town of Groton was finally induced to make an appropriation for a fire-engine for the junction, the committee ap- pointed being N. W. Frye, C. H. Waters and B. F. Taft. The first fire-engine stationed at this village was the "Massasoit," that had seen all the service it

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

was capable of performing, before being purchased by the town of Groton. It was a cumbersome, un- wieldy tub, and utterly incapable of coping with a fire of any magnitude. It was first stationed in a building erected for it on the south side of Main Street, on the lot now owned by Leonard J. Spauld- ing, and subsequently, with the Hook and Ladder truck, occupied the first floor of the town-building opposite, the original building being purchased by Charles J. Frye and moved on to his lot on the west side of School Street, between Prospect and Grove Streets, where it was for several years used as a junk- shop.

In the winter of 1860-61 Albert Worcester built, at the corner of West Main and Shirley Streets, a building first used as a liquor store, and subsequently changed by him into a hotel, which became popu- larly known as the "Break o'Day House." There was a stable in the rear that had formerly stood where Mead's Block now is. The store was at one time occupied by Brigham & Worcester, and the hall overhead was occupied by a temperance society and Caleb Butler Lodge of Masons. In 1864 Worces- ter sold the building and land to Reed & Church, and while owned by them, it was, on the evening of April 9, 1864, destroyed by fire. It would probably have been saved, had it not been for an accident cansed by a stone getting into the suction-hose of the | fire-engine, which utterly disabled it for use during the fire. At the same time an attempt was made to burn the mill of Phelps & Woods.

Camp Stevens ceased to be used by the Govern- ment in the fall of 1863, and the next season several of the buildings were destroyed by fire.

In the late fall or early winter of 1864 the large livery stable standing on what is now the Mead lot, on the northerly side of Main Street, was burned, with its contents, consisting of nine horses, a large number of carriages, harnesses and a quantity of hay. This building was originally erected by a Mr. Brig- ham, and was, at one time, owned and occupied as a livery stable by Albert Worcester. It stood back from the street about fifteen or twenty feet farther than the present line of buildings, and was large and well-constructed. Opposite it was the flag-staff of the Democratic Club, erected during the Douglas campaign of 1860. The large flag was flown from the staff' to a pole at the rear of the stable. At the time the stable was destroyed it was owned by one Anstin Bacon. Just west of the stable was the meat and provision market of Andrew W. Felch, which was also destroyed, with most of its contents.

January 5, 1866, the paper-mill of John N. Rob- erts at Mitchellville was burned. Relief was sent from this village; but, on account of the excessive cold weather and high winds, the efforts of the fire- men were entirely unavailing.

April 20, 1867, the large currying-shop and part of the yard buildings of the extensive establishment of

J. B. Alley & Co. were destroyed. Very little was saved from this fire. The present currying-shop was built upon the site of the burned one immediately after. At the time of this fire there was also burned a dwelling-house, just northerly of the shop, owned by George H. Champney and occupied by John Sul- livan; also the wood-shed of the Worcester and Nashua Railroad Company, on the westerly side of their road, and just south of the present tank-house. A short time after this one of the tan-houses of J. B. Alley & Co. was partly destroyed.

The following winter the buildings on the southerly side of the Fitchburg Railroad at Flannigan's Cross- ing, that were erected by Calvin Fletcher and John Blanchard as a brewery about ten years previously, were entirely destroyed. At the time of the fire they were owned by Leonard A. Spaulding and Thomas H. Page, and were occupied as a saw and stave-mill and cooper-shop. In this fire Mr. Spaulding nearly lost his life in attempting to save the books of the firm.

October 27, 1869, a fire broke out over the engine and boiler-rooms of the Ames Plow Company, but through the prompt and courageous action of the company's employees, with the assistance of the Fire Department of the village, the fire was subdued, after a. loss of from one to two thousand dollars.

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 160

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