History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 57

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 57

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A further grant of one hundred acres was made in consideration of Mr. Adams erecting a corn-mill. Later the town gave him liberty to set flood-gates at Heart Pond.

This mill was upon Great Brook, about two miles southeast of the centre of the town, where Russell's mills now are.

The difficulties which these pioneers experienced in maintaining themselves in this wilderness is indi- cated in their petition for an extension of their grant.

1 7th 3me., 1656.

" The hnmbell petition of the inhabitants of Chelmsford sheweth that wheareas this honoured Courtt hath fformerly ginen them a sertayu tractt of land which we thankefnly acsept of, and wee thonght it to Laue binn sofitient and Convenient for a plantatyon, but by reason of the stonines of sum part and the barones of another part there of, we

weare Constrained to set off our habitatyous on one corner of our bounds which was only Convenient for that vse, and so wee have vna- uoidably put our selues vp on straigbts because now our setuation is neare vpon our north east line, wheare wee haue no outlett for our Cat- tell to feed on, may it please, therefore, tbis bonoured Courtt to take this our Condityon in to Consideratyon, and to grant a small parsill of land from our north east line downe to merimack Riuer, and so bownded by the sayd Riuer aboutt three mills, and so to run vp on a south west line so as that wee woold not bee any hindrance to Grauton plantatyon : May it please this bonoured Courtt to graunt petytiou how euer your pe- tisionors will Continualy Remayne praying for a blesing vpou all your waity affaires.

" Jsack lerned,

" Thomas Addams,

" Jo ffiske :

"Simon Tompson,

"Edward Spaulding,

" Beniamin buterfild,

" William fletcher " william vnderwood,

" in the name & on the Behalfe of yo Towne."

Some misapprehension has been occasioned by the expression in this petition " our situation is near upon our north east line." The centre of population was at the meeting-house, which stood upon, or near, the site of the present Unitarian Church; and as the town extended westward to Groton, and not as far northward as the present North Village, it will be seen that what is now the centre of the town was then the northeast section.

That " we have no outlet for our cattle to feed on," while there were but twenty or thirty families to oc- cupy such a large extent of territory, was owning to its physical conditions. It was covered by forest ex- cept upon the meadows which skirted the streams, or where fires may have swept through leaving spaces where the wild grasses would spring up, or where the " barroness " of the sandy plain was incapable of supporting vegetation.

Eliot had petitioned about the same time for an extension of the Indian grant, and the answer of the Court was to both petitions, viz .:

"In Answer to this Peticon and Allso that part of mr. Eliot's Peticon respecting An Interagrement of land, vpon Conference with tbe Com- ittee who layd out the bounds of Cbelmsford and perusal of a descrip- con, A plott of the sayd plantacons and Allso of the Track of land now by both parts Peticoned for: Wee Apprehend it requisite that the Indian grant be extended A mile from the North East Angle or corner bound of Chelmsford Abutting on Merrimack and Patucket Eastward, taking in John Sagamor's planting ground. And the end of the said mile to determine the Indain plantacon. And for the rest of the land [in behalf of botb towns-] Peticoned for, that Chelmsford South and North line Abutting on Tadmuck, be extended from the North weast Angle or Corner three Miles north : so as it pass not Merrimack riuer. And from tbence to run A parralell line, with the East and west line of Chelmsford, vntill it meete with Merimack Riuer, And tbat the whole Track of land so taken in, be and remayne in Comunitie vnto the Towns of Chelmsford and the Indian Town called Patuckett for all vses. " 21th 3mo 1656.

" DANIEL GOOKIN, " JOSEPH HILLS,

" JOHN WISWALL.

" The Deputyes approve of the returne of the Comittee in answer to this petition desiringe the consent of or honord magiste hereto, " WILLIAM TORREY, Cleric.

"Consented to by ye magistª, EDWARD RAWSON, Secrety."

(Copy from original record in the archives at State-House, by David Pulsifer.)

The dotted line on the plan shows the territory petitioned for. A portion of this was granted exclu-

1 Transcript.

2 Fisk.

2.44

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

sively to the Indians, and in the remainder they were given equal privileges with the people of Chelmsford.

This arrangement, as might be expected, proved "prejudicial to the mutual peace of the said planta- tion," and in 1660 the Court granted permission for an exchange of laud with the Indians. By this the Indians gained some.land formerly held by Chelms- ford, and relinquished to their white neighbors all to the north of the Chelmsford line that had been peti- tioned for in 1656. The agreement was signed by James Parker, William Felther (Fleteher), and Tho. Hineksman, trustees for the Indians and by. John Eliot, "in witness of my approbation."

Appended was "the names of ye cheife inhabitants of Pmatucket, testifying theire consent and sattisfaction in this deed:

" The marke Puntalhun, John Tohatowon.

"The marke

Kussinanscut.

" The marke of

Pannohotiquis.

" The mrke

of Nomphon.

" The mike of Peter.

"The mike of Nonnoit.

"The mike of Wompannooun."

PETITION TO TRADE WITH INDIANS .- The follow- ing petition for the privilege of trading with the Indians probably contains the names of nearly all the men then residing in the town :

"Chelmsford, May 17: '58. To the honored Coart Assembled at Bos- ton.

"The bumble petistion the inhabetants of the towne off Chelmsford Sbeweth ; that we have as god by bis providen [haveing despoased off uss with owe famelies into this Remoat Corner of the wildernes ; whare not with Standing the improvement of all Lawfull Liberties and Advan- tages put into owe hands wee have and doe find as the State of things now standeth much dificalte to : nay imposebile[ ] of procuering such nesesarie suplye as boath church and familie ocations doe call for to the great hasard boath of uss and ow's as wee dout not but yr wisdoms are sensable off which dificalltie is much increased to uss by beeing prohibe- ted from tradeing with the indiens which we doe conseiue to bee owe Lawful Liberte: owe bumble Request tharfore is that yr honers would bee pleased to take this case into yr consederation : and grant yowe pe- tiscioners thare Lawfall Liberte which wee conceive ought not to bee Menopolised inasmuch as it is no nue inuention, and that the Lord would kepe boatb you and yowrs in his feare and truth wee yowr petis- cioners shall for ever praye wee doe further in[ ] your honer to Rate for this inserted Leter to bee owe townes brand or Leter of marks as Law injoyneth vss : C :

"Jamas Parker, Thomas Adams, Josiah Richardson,; William Fletcher, Edward Spalden, John Fiske, Henry Farwell, Georg byam, Berabin butterfild, Tho. Chamberlin, Beniamin butterfield, Roberd Procter, Edward Kempe, Daniel Bloget, Edman Chamberlin, James Blud, Jolın Spalden, Joseph Parker, Roberd Fletcher, Samewell Foster, Joseph Gil- son, Games Hildreth, William Underwood, John Shiple, Ricbard HIil- dreth, John Nutting, Abraham Parker, Edward Spalden, John Shiple, Joseph Parkis, Samewell Kempe."

In 1665 the line was more definitely established between Chelmsford and Wamesit. The agreement was signed by the following Indians, who were "present and consented : nob how, John line, misstik george,ffranees, Sameull alias manatoques,ould roger." The line began at the Coneord River, where Billerica and the Indian grant ou the east side of the river joined ; from there "a streight line untill you come ouer the River meadow"-"thenee westward eross the high ridge to a pine in the bottom "-"thenee westward "-" thenee it turns to the great swamp."

It is impossible to follow the line accurately, but

the language over the river meadow and "cross the high ridge to a pine in the bottoms" seems to deseribe the lay of the land west of the Lowell City Farm buildings. From there it went to the swamp through which runs tlie bed of the old Middlesex Canal, and from there north to the river where Baldwin Street terminates.

In these exehanges of land with the Indians, it is plain that the superior shrewdness of the whites gained them the larger share. Some compensation may, however, have been made to the Indians, as in 1665 a rate was levied of £31 178. 8d. "for the pur- chase of the plantation of ye Indians."

ROADS AND RESIDENCES .- It is interesting to trace the early roads, as it enables us to determine the lines of settlement. As we have seen, when this territory was first explored the only land mentioned as under cultivation was the Indian's eorn-field upon Robins' Hill. With that exception the territory which these men surveyed from this eminenee, was probably an almost unbroken forest, except upon the meadows which skirted the streams. The first inhab- itants could not therefore ereet their dwellings in villages, as social considerations and mutual safety would prompt. They must push out upon the borders of the meadows or wherever they could find food for their cattle. Highways were necessary to enable them to go from house to house, and to "mill and meeting-house." At first these were little more than rude paths eut through the forest, some of which eame by continued use to be established highways, without any formal action of the town.

The road from William Fletcher's house to the meeting-house passed around in front of the present residences of Mrs. E. B. Worthen and Mr. D. A. Bussell. There were perhaps half a dozen families, besides the minister, living near the meeting-house. These were Wm. Fletcher, John Bates, who lived near Mrs. Worthen's. Dea. Cornelius Waldo, whose house stood in Mr. Bussell's garden (Dea. Waldo came from Ipswich about 1665). Stephen Pieree, a tailor, and Abraham Parker were on the south side of the brook. (Parker and his sons afterwards built. the first mill on that stream.)

"Stony Brook path " started at John Bates' (now Worthen's) and extended toward what is now Dis- triet No. 7. Upon this road was John Perham, upon land which has continued to be occupied by his de- seendants to the present time.

The "town-way to the mill " is uow South Street. It has been straightened from time to time. It passed around before the present resideuee of C. E. A. Bart- lett, and made a turn before J. E. Warren's and, after erossing Farley's Brook, swung around to the east to avoid the hill. Upon this road, besides Samuel Adams, the miller, lived Edward Spaulding 1 (one of the Wenham Company) at the present Sanford Hazeu place.

1 Family tradition.

245

CHELMSFORD.

Moses Barron lived near Mr. Charles Sweetser's, and Joseph Warren located, before 1700, upon the place which still continues in the possession of his descendants. It is said that the first burial in town was upon his land.1

The Billerica road was the " road to the Bay." It was the line of travel to Boston, for Groton and Lan- caster, as well as this town, and these towns were re- quired to help support the bridge across the Concord River in Billerica. Henry Farwell lived on this road, I think, where Timothy Adams lives. The road which runs from the town farm over the Golden Cove and Carolina Plain to Middlesex, was the "country way to Merrimac." This terminated at Poor-Man's Bridge, which was near where Westford Street, in Lowell, now crosses Black Brook. It was extended to the river, corresponding to what is now Baldwin Street, probably in 1673. The following is the report of the committee :

" William Underwood, William fletcher and Abraham Parker being appointed a comittee to Lay out a highway for the Inhabitants on the other side of Meremack do Determine that it shall begin at the Country- way at poor man's bridge, and so along between the two swamps and over William Underwood's Meadow, all along bonnded by marked trees on both sides ; and so Runeth below Mr. Hinchman's Dam ; and so to the Indian Line to answer the Conntry Road at merimack and on this side. "

A number of families were located on the borders of the Indian land, within the present limits of the city of Lowell, in the vicinity of Stedman, Baldwin and West Pine Streets. Two foot-ways were laid out in that section in 1677, of which the following is a copy of the record : 2

"By appointment of the Townsmen, there is two footways Laid out throngh the Land of John Wright ; The one begining at the stile next to Jerahmeel Bowers, and so to the cart bridge, and then below the or- chard to the Land of Jonathan Butterfield; and then close by the fence of John Wright np to the Drift-way, and the other Begining against John Shepley's and then Straight to the Driftway at Jonathan Butter- feld's Barn ; by William Underwood's and Jerathmeel Bowers'."

Jerathmel Bowers lived where Sewal Bowers now resides. The cart-bridge was probably over Black Brook. Bowers was a man of considerable wealth for the times. He removed to Groton two or three years before his death, in 1724.

John Shepley came to Chelmsford with Mr. Fisk in 1655. (His house and land in Wenham he sold to a brother of Mr. Fisk.) He is an ancestor of the Perhams through the marriage of his daughter, Lydia, to John Perham, in 1664. His son John sold, in 1698, and removed to Groton. The Indians afterwards massacred all the Shepleys in Groton save a boy, John, sixteen years old, who was taken captive and kept four years, after which he returned, and from him descended all the Shepleys in that vicinity.

Other residents in this section were : John Wright, Thomas Sewal, Jonathan Butterfield, John Spaulding, Anthony Harker, James Richardson, Joseph Park- hurst (son of George, of Watertown), and Maj. Thom-

as Hinchman. Capt. John Webb, alias Evered, or Everett, lived on the banks of the Merrimack, near the present Chelmsford line. He was a man of prom- inence, was the first deputy to the Court, officer in the military and an extensive land-owner. (He owned Tyng's Island.) He was disfranchised by the Court for unchaste conduct, but afterwards forgiven and re- stored to his political privileges and allowed to hold his military office.

Henry Bowtall, or Bowtwell, lived near the present Lowell line, on Steadman Street. The Dunstable road entered this as the following record shows :

"The : 1st : Day of January : 1674 : Levet Thomas Hinchman and Levet Samuel Foster, being appointed by the Town to Joyn, with Levet : Wheeler and Abraham Parker, the Committee to Lay out the Country way from Dunstable to Chelmsford : They do Joyntly agree ou both par- ties : That the Way shall in Chelmsford bounds begin at Mr. Ting's Farm, and so to be six polls wide: And so to continne as by marked Trees down to Jerathineel Bowers' Land : and so to Black brook in to the Country way that comes from Merimack."

This corresponded to the road which passes through North Chelinsford. It turned eastward near Drum Hill, over a road now little used and entered the " way that comes from Merrimac," near the present West- ford Street. The travel to Boston, from Dunstable and the country above, passed over this line for a long term of years.

The Beaver Brook meadows attracted a number of families to the section which is now School District 5. The first permanent road in town which was recorded was in this section, viz. :

"January : 7 : 1659.

"George Biam and Thomas Barrett are appointed a comittee to state the High-way that gos to Tadmuck before Thomas Chamberlain's hous : The tree at his Hog's Coat is concluded one bound, aud so to Run his due bredth acording to order, towards the Brook Cald Beaver brook."

Thomas Chamberlin lived a few rods east of the Hunt place. The road from there goes across Tad- muck Swamp on the north side of Heart Pond. This record presupposes a road to the meeting-house from that point. Thomas Chamberlin was a man of wealth. He owned one-third of the Dudley farm of 1500 acres, in Billerica. Others in the neighborhood were Edmund Chamberlin, Richard Hildreth (from Woburn, died 1693). The Court granted him 150 acres of land because of his " necessitous condition."

George Byam, who came with the Wenham Com- pany, in 1655, settled where his descendant, George A. Byam, [now resides. The farm has remained continuously in possession of the family. Arthur Warren lived, I think, where B. O. Robbins' house stands. Jacob Warren lived there in 1711, when the road was laid out from that point northward.

The way to " Little Tadmuck," early referred to in descriptions of land in this section, starts at the house of the late S. C. Hunt, passes the No. 5 School- house, and on towards Chamberlin's Corner, in West- ford. This was probably the first outlet for the Stony Brook lands.

The Sheehan place was originally occupied by

1 E. H. Warren.

2 Transcript, p. 63.

246

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Adams. Thomas Adams lived at the Hayward placc. He sold to Benjamin Haywood in 1726 and removed to Dunstable, where he died in 1746, aged seventy-onc. The farm still continues in the Hayward family. This was a garrison-house and may have been occu- pied by the Haywards earlier than the above date, as "Mr. Nathaniel Hayward and his man, with two souldiers there posted," occupied a garrison-house in 1692. The Otis Adams place was occupied by Samuel Chamberlin at an early day. The house stocd on the opposite side of the spring from the present dwell- ing.

The Pine Hill road was not formally laid out till 1755, although it was probably in use as a means of access to Flaggy Meadow at an earlier day. An old cellar, between G. A. Byam and E. E. Dutton's indi- cates an early habitation upon that road.

The following is a copy of the record of the Groton road, which passed through this section. A portion of it was probably already in use as a road to the meet- ing-house :

"3d 1 month 1662-3.

" Thomas Adams and Josiah Richardson being chosen a committee to Joyn with Groton committee to Lay out a High-way from Town to Town the work is performed by them and the way is Laid out from Beaver Brook Bridge over the North side of Robbins-hill and thence through Richard Hildreth's yard and so to the west end of Hart pond over the swamp and so to Thomas Chamberlin's meadow and so on towards Groton on the east side of Tadmuck great meadow."

The road which passes around on the south and west sides of Robins Hill, and enters the above road at John Byam's was laid out soon after as follows : ": 7th : 8: month :: 1673 : Laid out by the selectmen the Day above for the use of the Town a high-way which is bounded Between Henry Gidleys Lott and John Blanchards meadow and so all along between the meadow and Robbins hill Runing into the way that comes from George Biams to the meeting-house." This accommodated Gidley, who lived at what is now the Fay place, and Thomas Barrett, who was at what is now Chas. W. Byam's. Probably other farms had paths leading into this road. Mr. E. F. Dupee's farm and Andrew H. Park's are both said to have been oc- cupied by Barretts at this time. The latter was a gar- rison-house.

The meadows upon Great Brook early attracted set- tlements to the southern quarter of the town, in what is now Carlisle. In this neighborhood lived John Barrett, George Robbins, Thomas Cory and Ambrose Swallow, and probably others. In 1671 the town laid out a highway "for the Inhabitants of Great Brook and others to travel to mill and meeting-hous."

Settlements soon pushed westward into the Stony Brook Valley, in the vicinity of what is now Westford Depot, on the Stony Brook Railroad. John Snow, Joseph Parkhurst (who had removed from his former place of abode), Joseph Butterfield and others were there located. The time of the laying out of their road is uncertain, as the original record is not dated; but the committee to lay it out was appointed in 1696.

It was called the "Stony Brook highway to the meet- ing-liousc."

A road was already in use from the meeting-house to the vicinity of what is now the No. 7 School-house. From there it passed over Francis Hill by the house of Joseph Keyes to John Snow's. A portion of this road on the west slope of Francis Hill has been dis- continued. Another road was laid out at the same time leading into this from Arthur Crouch's house, "and by the houses at Little Tadmuck." This com- pleted the first road from what is now Westford Centre to Chelmsford Centre. Arthur Crouch lived upon Tadmuck Hill as early as 1680. He was probably the first person to erect his dwelling upon this beautiful hill, now crowned by the charming village of Westford. Samuel Cleveland was granted land the following year upon the east side of Tadmuck Hill, with the privilege of damming the swamp upon his land. He was a son of Moses Cleaveland, of Woburn, who was the ancestor of Grover Cleveland, one of the only two persons now living who have completed a term in the high office of President of the United States.

Samuel Burge, John Spaulding, Joseph Spaulding, Joshua Fletcher and Benjamin Spalding were chosen fence-viewers for Stony Brook in 1682, '83 and '84. These records indicate that there were considerable settlements in this section at an earlier date than has been generally supposed.

Josiah Richardson, one of the original proprietors, provided a shelter for his family, at first, by digging into the bank. This farm is one of the very few which has remained continuously in one family. Mr. Edward F. Richardson is the present proprietor.

The Groton road (1663) passed through what is now the south part of Westford, then called "great tad- muck," and settlements pressed in that direction. Several Chelmsford names appear in a petition in 1711, for a township in Nashoba (now Littleton), which had been abandoned by the Indians, and a short time after a number of families living in that vicinity were united to Littleton for religious worship.

The method which governed the proprietors of the town in their land distribution is not described in the records. The first book of proprietor's, records, Allen states, was burned about 1715, with the house which contained them.

The lands not taken up were called "common lands " or " towns' common."

There were four divisions of the common lands.

New settlers were admitted by vote and granted a quantity of land for a house-lot, and the town granted land from time to time for the encouragement of use- ful trades.

The cattle were allowed-subject to certain re- strictions-to range over the town's common.

The different herds were under the care of the field- drivers, who kept the cattle from straying away to become the prey to wolves.

This is probably the origin of this office, which is now

247

CHELMSFORD.

usually bestowed good-naturedly upon the newest benedicts. The limits of the different ranges are de- fined in the following order, which is interesting, as it indicates the early lines of settlement :

" 7 : 1 : 71 its ordered Concerning herding of Cattell that from Cros Bridge to henry Bontells shall bee one herd." (Boutell lived near the Lowell line on Stedman Street.)

"2 From Cros bridge to Moses Barrons Shall bee another herd." (Barron lived near Chas. Sweetser's, on South Street.)

"3 From Thommas Barrets to Robertt procters and John barke Shall be an other herd." (Barrett's was at C. W. Byam's, and Proctor was near the cld Sonth Chelmsford School-house.1 )

"4 From George Biams to Arther warrens shall be another herd and that if Any person shall neglectt to put ther Catell to the herd they shall pay ther proportion of herding and twelve pence a beast over and Above." (This fourth herd was in District Five, probably from Geo. A. Byam's to B. O. Robbins'.)

A former vote passed in 1667 provided that "such as Live remoat shall have Liberty to choose their heards and have Cows and working cattell exempted."

Swine were also subjected to regulations, some of which must have been very annoying to piggy. " Every inhabitant being an householder shall have liberty to keep two swine on the common," and a per- son holding a ten-acre lot could keep four ; "and so every man according to his enlarged lot." To prevent a too free use of piggy's snout it was "ordered that all swine above three months old Shall bee suffitiently Ringed in the midell of the nose Constantly youcked from the tenth day of Aprill until the twentith day of october."

Hog-reeves were chosen " to oversee swine and keep them in order."

Newfield .- The interval land along the Merrimack north of Stony Brook, consisting of 214 acres, was fenced as early as 1659 and used as a common pasture by twenty-two proprietors. It was called Newfield, and that name finally became applied to all that section of the town. The pond now called Leeches' Pond is called Newfield Pond in the old records. An eddy at the northern extremity of the field still retains the name.

Difficult as were the conditions of existence in this new settlement the people maintained a lively interest in the public affairs of the Colony.

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 57

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