History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 88

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 88

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Although the township was ecclesiastically divided into First and Second Parishes, still in civil affairs it was a single township. In 1760, for example, all the selectmen were chosen from the First Parish. They were Eleazer Tyng, Major John A. Tyng and Joseph Danforth.

Our narrow limits demand that we pass over the unimportant events of the next few years and come to the years which immediately precede the War of the Revolution.

Hon. John Tyng was in 1768 chosen to represent Dunstable (including Tyngsborough) in the conven- tion held in Boston for the preservation of the public peace and safety, and in 1775, John Tyng and James Tyng represented the town in the Provincial Congress.

In the battle of Bunker Hill a Dunstable company having Ebenezer Bancroft for captain and Nathaniel Holden as lieutenant, both belonging to the precinct of Tyngsborough, performed effective service. Captain Bancroft, in 1825, then at the age of seventy-seven years, gave to J. B. Hill, Esq., interesting reminis- cences of that battle, from which we quote the follow- ing . "Col. Prescott came to me and said if you can do anything with the cannon I wish you would. I give you charge of them . . The British troops had begun their march. They were steadily and confident- ly advancing directly in our front-a veteran army marching on firmly to the attack directly in [our] front. It was an awful moment. The enemy had advanced perhaps half the way from their station towards us, and our men, seeing no reinforcements, began by a simultaneous movement to draw off from the east side of the redoubt. Col. Prescott hastened to them and I followed him. We represented with earnestness that they must not go off; that if they did all would go. They cheerfully took their places again. Our first fire was shockingly fatal. There was scarcely a shot but told. The enemy were thrown into confu-

sion and retreated a short distance. They formed again and advanced, and were a secoud time driven back. They formed a third time and flanked us. Our ammunition was now nearly expended. We were soon surrounded on all sides. The day was over, and we had nothing more but to retreat as well as we could. I soon lost my gun, a remarkably long one which I had taken from the French at Chamblee in the old French war."

Colonel Bancroft was at the battle of Bennington, and continued in the service during the war. He held many civil offices and lived on his farm in Tyngsborough to the age of seventy-nine years. Among the soldiers from Tyngsborough in this war were : "Sergeant Jonathan Bancroft, Captain Reuben Butterfield, Captain Nathaniel Holden (whose house is still standing on the left bank of Holden's Brook), Captain Jonathan Fletcher, Eleazer Farwell, Nathan- iel Ingalls, Lieutenant John Farwell, Levi Butter- field, Salathiel Frost, Wm. Perham, Robbin Skinner, John Merrill, Daniel Jaques, Benjamin Swan, Asa Emerson, Noalı M. Gould and Sergeant Reuben But- terfield, Jr., who was killed in the battle of White Plains, October 7, 1777." For this list I am indebted to Mr. Nason, as also for much else.

The sacrifices made by the town during the war are indicated by the fact that its number of inhabitants at the beginning (in 1775) was 705, but in 1783 only 578.

In 1776 the committee of the precinct of Tyngs- borough were Captain Ebenezer Bancroft, Captain Reuben Butterfield and Lieutenant Nathaniel Holden. The parish voted in 1777 "to pay the soldiers for 8 months' service in the war at Cambridge eight pounds to each man who belonged to the parish."

Colonel Eleazer Tyng died in 1782, at the age of ninety-two years. He was the third son of Colonel Jonathan Tyng, and a graduate of Harvard College. He was buried in the old Tyng burial-ground, about a mile below Tyngsborough village. The horizontal tablet above his grave bears the following inscription :

"Underneath are entombed the remains of Eleazer Tyng, Esq., who died May 21, 1782, aged 92; Mrs. Sarah Tyng, who died May 23, 1753, aged 59; Jolin Alford Tyng, Esq., who died Sept. 4, 1775, aged 44; John Winslow, Esq., who died Nov. 3, 1788, aged 88; Mrs. Sarah Winslow (the last surviving child of the said Eleazer Tyng & the truly liberal benefactress of the church of Christ & Grammar School in this place, in honor of whose name & family it is called Tyngs- borough), who died Oct. 29, 1791, aged 72."

At the close of the Revolutionary War the town was divided into two parishes, each having its own house of worship. The First Parish in 1809 became. the town of Tyngsborough, the second became the town of Dunstable. The two churches were both feeble, and for very much of the time were unable to support a settled minister.

In 1786 there arose a very earnest desire to unite

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IHISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

the two parishes and thus form one strong consoli- dated church. On November 20, 1786, it was voted by the Second Parish "to Joyn with the 1st parish in this Town in applying to the General Court to dis- solve the Line between the two parishes and to erect a house for the publick worship of God at the place where Mr. Ezra Thompson's barn now stands & will give up our meeting house for the use of the Town upon Condition that the First Parish give their meet- ing house for the same use." In January, 1787, simi- lar action was taken by the First Parish. But dis- sensions arose, and the union so much desired failed to be accomplished.

In January, 1789, an event occurred which rendered vain all further attempts at union and resulted in the complete separation of the two parishes into two in- dependent municipalities.

Mrs. Sarah [Tyng] Winslow, widow of John Wins- low, and daughter of Colonel Eleazer Tyng, shortly after the death of her husband, made a donation to the town upon conditions which, instead of "uniting the town in peace," as was her design, only tended to strengthen and confirm the spirit of dissension. She gave the income of 1333 pounds to the town "to pro- mote learning. and piety & to unite the town in peace." The offensive conditions were these (1). "That the town repair the East meeting-house, & that the meeting-house be forever upheld on the spot on which the said meeting-house now stands." 2. "That a convenient house for a Grammar School be built within one year as near the said meeting-house as the grounds will admit a house for said purpose."

These conditions locating both church and school in the First Parish could not be accepted by the Second Parish. Whereupon Mrs. Winslow tenders the donation to the First Parish instead of the town, and in order to possess the legal right to receive and appropriate the property thus donated, the First Parish procures, in June, 1789, an act of incorpora- tion into a district under the name of Tyngsborough. Dunstable and Tyngsborough now became two dis- tinct municipalities, aud now for the first time the writer has the pleasure of using the name "Tyngs- borough " in a strictly appropriate sense.

In regard to this separation it would be somewhat difficult to decide whether Tyngsborough was cut off frem Dunstable or Dunstable from Tyngsborough. It was a question of precedence. In favor of Duns- table is the fact that she retained the old plantation name, while on the other hand Tyngsborough was the First Parish and Dunstable the Second. Perhaps also Tyngsborough had the larger population, for in an enumeration taken in the next year (1790) Tyngsbor- ough had 382 inhabitants and Dunstable 380.

These towns continue to be among the smallest towns in the State; the population of Tyngsborough in 1885 being 604, and that of Dunstable, 431.

On January 6, 1790, one hundred years ago, a church was formed in Tyngsborough, and the Rev.

Nathaniel Lawrence, a young man who, two years before, had graduated from Harvard College, was settled as pastor. His pastorate was remarkable for having continued forty-nine years. At the age of seventy-two years, while apparently in good health, lie died suddenly on the Sabbath when returning from church.

Rev. Mr. Lawrence, in 1815, wrote a brief account of the town of Tyngsborough, from which I take the following items: "The greatest length of Tyngsbor- ough is 9 miles, the greatest breadth 5 miles. The Merrimack is here 35 to 40 rods wide. Tyng's Pond was named from Hon. John Tyng. The soil of the intervale lands of the town is luxurious. Few towns formerly. contained more beautiful forests; yellow pine, various kind of oak and the walnut most pre- vail. Many farms produce annually from 100 to 200 barrels of cyder. The town has three saw-mills and one grist-mill, one woolen-carding machine, two tav- erns, two stores, one publick (grammar) school, usu- ally taught by a student from Harvard or Dartmouth, on a salary of about $300; also a library of 140 vol- umes well selected. The religious society enjoys much peace and harmony. The income from Mrs. Winslow's fund is about 80 pounds per year. Since the formation of the church, in 1790, eighty members have been added. Health has prevailed, though in 1813 there were 60 cases of spotted fever, none of which were fatal. Population at the last census 704. The oldest person of those who have died was Hon. John Tyng, who died in his 93d year. Mrs. Winslow died of a lethargy. She was esteemed in life, at her death embalmed with tears, and to this day her mem- ory is precious."

The limited space of this article forbids a full chronological record of the town. The rest of its history must be very brief and confined to a few im- portant topics somewhat independent of chronologi- cal order.

SONS OF TYNGSBOROUGH .- When we consider that the popolation of Tyngsborough is less than one hundredth of that of Lowell, it will be readily con- ceded that this small town has been the birth-place and residence of a remarkable number of distin- guished men. Of these men a few deserve a special record : Edward Tyng, the founder of the Tyng fam- ily, his son, Col. Jonathan Tyng, and his grandson, Col. Eleazer Tyng, were all among the most distin- quished men of New England in those early days. We have already given each of them especial notice. Judge John Tyng, grandson of Col. Jonathan Tyng, was chief justice of the Court of Common Pleas, and was a man "distinguished for his ability and force of character." Hon. John Pitts, son-in-law of Judge Tyng, was a graduate of Harvard and at one time Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Repre- sentatives. Dudley Atkins Tyng was a graduate of Harvard and received from that college the title of LL.D. Dr. Samuel L. Dana, a distinguished physi-

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cian, chemist and author, was a graduate of Harvard and received the title of LL.D. Daniel S. Richardson, Win. A. Richardson and Geo. F. Richardson, the three sons of Daniel Richardson, a lawyer in Tyugsborough, have conferred especial honor upon their uative town. They are all graduates of Harvard, in the years 1836, 1843 and 1850, respectively ; they ali entered the pro- fession of law and became prominent and honored res- idents of the city of Lowell, and, what is a most remarkable fact, which probably has no parallel in the history of the cities of America, each brother in succes- sion had the honor of being elected to the presidency of the Common Council of the city of their adoption. Daniel S., who has been called the Nestor of the Lowell bar, recently died at the age of seventy-three years. Wm. A., now chief justice of the Court of Claims at Washington, has reached the hightest offi- cial position among the sons of Tyngsborough, having been at one time Secretary of the United States Treasury. Geo. F., after ably and gracefully filling the positions of Senator in the General Court of Mas- sachusetts, and mayor of the city of Lowell, has withdrawn from political life, and holds a dis- tinguished position at the bar of Middlesex County.

Of other residents of Tyngsborough who have re- ceived a college education are, Francis Brinley, who graduated from Harvard in 1818, Charles Butterfield (Harvard, 1820), Dr. Augustus Peirce (Harvard, 1820), Lendall P. Cazeaux (Harvard, 1842), Roger B. Hil- dreth (Harvard, 1843), Joseph Danforth (Dartmouth, 1811), Geo. Bancroft (Dartmonth, 1839). This list does not include various pastors of the churches of Tyngsborough who have been graduates of colleges.

Of the above list of college graduates Dr. Augustus Peirce should receive special notice. He was born in New Salem, Mass., March 13, 1803, and graduated from Harvard in 1820. In college he was the wit of his class. In his junior year, when only seventeen years of age, he delivered before the " College Engine Club" a humorous poem entitled " Rebelliad," which was re- ceived by his comrades with unbounded applause, and which was far more acceptable to the students than complimentary to the members of the faculty. Presi- dent Kirkland, having called young Peirce before him ostensibly to censure him for his habit of "cut- ting prayers," dimissed him with the following re- proof : "I think. Peirce, you would be more regular in attending morning prayers if you retired earlier in the evening and did not sit up so late writing poor poetry." However, the popular estimate of the poem prevailed, and a copy of it is now preserved in the college library.

Dr. Peirce was a man of quick perceptions, agree- able manners, and of a cast of mind admirably adapted to the practice of liis profession. After a prac- tice of ten years in Tyngsborough, having, as was supposed, been poisoned from a lead pipe which en- tered his well, his health failed, and, in the prime of his manhood, he died in 1849, at the age of forty-seven

years. His son, Dr. Augustus F. Peirce, who succeeded his father in the medical practice in Tyngsborough, was greatly beloved as a man, and gave high promise as a physician. But his career was brief. He died of consumption in 1855, at the age of only twenty-eight years.

Dr. Calviu Thomas, the predecessor of Dr. Peirce, though not a graduate of Harvard, received, in 1824, the honorary degree of M.D. from that University, when at the age of fifty-nine years.

Dr. Thomas was born in Chesterfield, N. H., Dec. 22, 1765. Having lost his parents in his early years, he learned the trade of a carpenter, which, however, he soon relinquished on account of failing health. Atthe age of twenty-four years he commenced the study of mediciue. At the age of twenty-eight years, being re- solved to find an eligible field for the practice of his professiou, he started on horseback from Putney, Vt., where he had studied medicine under Dr. Josiah Goodhue, and in his journey stopped over-night in the town of Tyngsborough. Something attracted him to the place, and he made it the field of his long profes- sional practice of fifty-six years.

Dr. Thomas wasno ordinary man. "He was over six feet in height, of a florid complexion and a large and compact frame. The day before his last sickness, being then almost eighty-seven years old, he success- fully reduced a dislocated humerus with only the assistance of a neighbor." In one of his thirty large books of memoranda, which he diligently kept for many long years, he made the following record for December 22, 1849: "This day I am 84 years old, and crossed the Merrimack River in a canoe, walked one mile to visit a patient." He died in 1851 at the age of nearly eighty-seven years.

Dr. Charles Dutton, now the practicing physician of the town, keeps in his office the portrait of his revered predecessor, Dr. Thomas, while in his large and suc- cessful practice he follows the footsteps of the aged physician. Tyngsborough is the birth-place of John S. Sleeper, formerly mayor of Roxbury and author of "Salt Water Bubbles" and other pleasing literary works. Mr. Sleeper was for twenty years, from 1834 to 1854, the editor of the Boston Journal. He was born September 21, 1794.

The population of Tyngsborough in 1790 was 382 ; in 1800, 696; in 1840, 870; in 1870, 626; in 1880, 629; in 1885, 604.

From this statement it appears that there was a rapid increase of population following the incorpora- tion as a district in 1789, and that for the last forty years there has been a gradual decline. The town has shared, with almost all other agricultural towns in New England, the depletion in population conse- quent upon the establishment of the great manufac- turing enterprises of recent years in other localities.

In the War of the Rebellion Tyngsborough, though she sent forth no organized company, contributed of her sons to swell the ranks of companies elsewhere

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formed. The following is a list, probably not com- plete, of the soldiers sent by this town :

Corporal Peter Littlehale and Corporal Solomon Spaulding, Company D, Sixth Regiment Infantry. M. V. M .; Charles A. Gordon, Erasmus Holmes, Geo. F. Laird were privates in the same company ; Charles E. Andrews, Company A, Sixth Regiment ; Francis O. Butterfield, Nathaniel Brinley, Jr., Samuel Burrows, Charles Burrows, Reuben O. Coburn, Samuel N. Young, James Murphy, Warren Pierce, Company K, First Regiment Heavy Artillery. Of these soldiers Brinley died in prison at Andersonville, Sept. 16, 1864; Sam- uel Burrows died in Baltimore, July 27, 1864, and Pierce was appointed hospital steward May 11, 1864.

In the same regiment was Daniel B. Lawrence, of Company L. In the Second Regiment of Heavy Artillery was Francis A. Sawyer, of Company E, and in the Third Regiment, Richard Feighely, of Com- pany G.

Henry H. Babb, Michael Carney, Russell S. Horton, Lemuel B. Jones and James E. Moulton were in Fourth Regiment of Heavy Artillery.

Frank Wilson, Company E, Twenty-sixth Regiment Infantry ; John F. Blodgett, corporal, Company C, Thirtieth Regiment, died at Carrolton, La., Oct. 12, 1862. Peter Butterfield, of the same regiment, died at New Orleans, Nov. 5, 1862. Andrew J. Cummings was in the same regiment. In the Thirty-third Reg- iment were Benj. Frost, Winfield S. Hunter, Josiah S. Jaques, Martin Davis. In the Fifty-seventh Regiment, Jeremiah Dacy. In the Fifty-ninth, Charles R. Berry. In the Sixty-second; Geo. M. Kimball, Patrick Bryan, Company A, Ninth Regiment ; John Burns, Company K, Ninth Regiment ; Joseph E. Lewis, Com- pany G, Seventeenth Regiment ; John H. Hutchinson, Company C, Eighteenth Regiment; Geo. W. Butter- field, Company E, Twenty-fourth Regiment ; J. A. Sar- gent, Twenty-sixth Regiment ; John D. Littlehale, Company E, First Regiment Cavalry ; Owen Clancey, Company E, Second Regiment Cavalry ; Geo. Emerson Company I, Second Regiment Cavalry, killed at Opequan Creek, Va.

CHURCHES .- When Tyngsborough became a parish, in 1755, it acquired the authority for managing its re- ligious affairs independently of Dunstable. The parish proceeded to erect a house of worship, but for many years possessed no organized church or settled pastor. On becoming a district, in 1789, it acquired the additional power of holding property in its own right. In 1800 it formed a regular church organiza- tion and settled a pastor, Rev. Nathaniel Lawrence, of whom we have already spoken. Mr. Lawrence was in sentiment an Orthodox Congregationalist, Upon the close of the service of Mr. Lawrence, in 183.9, the church settled a Unitarian pastor, Rev. Horatio Wood, who officiated until 1844, when he became Minister at Large in Lowell, in which city he still re- Fides. From 1844 to 1854 the pastor was Rev. Wm. Morse. Rev. Geo. Osgood was the pastor from 1854 to

1859. Rev. Nathaniel O. Chaffee followed Mr. Osgood in a brief pastoratc. The Rev. Stillman Barbour beld the pastoral office until 1868. The succeeding pastor- atc, that of Rev. Mr. Knowlton, was cut short almost at its beginning by the death of Mr. Knowlton. From 1869 to 1871 the pastor was Rev. Angus R. Kennedy, who was succeeded by Rev. John S. Smith in a pas- torate of eight years. Rev. Wm. W. Tufts, afterwards a physician in Arlington, Mass., succeeded Mr. Smith. Rev. James Danforth was pastor of the church from 1884 to 1887, when Rev. Henry C. Parker, of Nashua, was employed to preach every Sabbath afternoon.

In 1888 the present pastor, Rev. J. M. W. Pratt, was settled.

Brief mention should also be made of a church in Tyngsborough which continued for about a quarter of a century, but has for more than a quarter of a century ccased to exist. Its records even have dis- appeared.

This was the Baptist Church of Tyngsborough which was probably organized as early as 1835. The church erected 2 house of worship and had a succes- sion of settled pastors, among whom were Rev. Mr. Parkhurst and Rev. Mr. Herrick.

The church was abandoned more than twenty-five years ago, and in 1864 the house of worship was sold to the town. This house is now used for public pur- poses, the first story being devoted to the Winslow Grammar School, and the second story to a town hall and public library.

There is an interesting tradition respecting the piety and constancy of Deacon Thaddeus Davis, an honored officer of the Baptist Church. For twenty years he was in his place in church on every Sabbath day. At the end of this time a severe sick- ness confined him for a season to his house. On his recovery he resumed his habit of church-going, which, without the interruption, continued for fifteen addi- tional years. The good deacon was equally constant in what he didn't do as in what he did do, for during his long residence in Tyngsborough he never once crossed the Merrimack River, which runs through the centre of the town.

The Universalist Church of Tyngsborough was or- ganized about 1840. A small house of worship was erected and a succession of pastors was installed. Among thesc pastors were Rev. Josiah Gilman, who served about two years; Rev. Wm. Hooper, jour or five years ; Rev. J. V. Wilson, one year ; Rev. Q. A. Shinn, one year ; Rev. A. R. Wright, one year. Since Mr. Wright's pastorate (1882) no stated preaching has been held. Rev. J. M. Usher for two years occupied the pulpit one-half of the Sabbathis for about two years, giving to Dunstable one-half of his services. The house is now in the control of the " Universalist Convention," and is only occasionally used.

The Evangelical Church of Tyngsborough was estab- lished in 1868 mainly through the efforts of Miss Sarah. Coburn and Miss Elizabeth Coburn. Henry

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F. Durant, Esq., also rendered valuable pecuniary aid in giving success to the enterprise. The first preacher of this church was Rev. Samuel E. Lowry. The first settled pastor was Rev. Charles S. Brooks, who was succeeded by Rev. John Haley. The pres- ent pastor, Rev. Charles M. Carpenter, was ordained April 22, 1890. The church has erected a house of worship at the cost of $7000.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS .- The town of Tyngsborough, during the school-year ending in March, 1890, sus- tained six public schools during the spring term, two during the summer term, five during the fall term, and three during the winter term, the entire expendi- ture for schools being $1833.

The school founded by Mrs. Winslow had an aver- age membership of twenty-one scholars. The income of the Winslow fund was $120, which was between one-third and one-fourth of the entire sum expended for tuition in that school. The Winslow School, in which the studies appropriate both for a high school and a grammar school are taught, has never had a house erected especially for its permanent accommo- dation, but occupies the lower story of the town- house, which was constructed as a house of worship by the Baptist Society. The School Committee con- sidered the room ill adapted to the wants of such a school. The School Committee, in their report pre- pared by Channing Whittaker, Esq., take high grounds in favor of the appointment of such teachers as have been especially trained to the performance of the duties of an instructor, and for appropriating the money justly demanded for securing such instructors.

MANUFACTURES .- The manufactures of Tyngsbor- ough are limited by the want of sufficient water-power. Mill Brook and one or two other streams afford a small amount of power, and there are in the town two box manufactories in active operation, a brush manu- factory, two grist-mills and two saw-mills.

The box manufactory and eaw-mill of John G. Up- ton, dealer in lumber, are somewhat extensive, giving employment to about twenty men.

The brush manufactory of H. A. Washburn gives employment to about five men. The box manufactory of E. O. Fifield is on the Dunstable road.

On the east side of the Merrimack a saw-mill is operated by W. A. Sherburne.

The manufacture of boxes has been carried on in the town for twenty-five years or more.

THE SOCIAL LIBRARY OF TYNGSBOROUGH .- AS early as 1794 a small library was started in the town, which in 1797 contained twenty-six volumes. In 1798 the libraries of Tyngsborough and Dunstable were united. The library thus formed was sustained until 1833, when the books were distributed among the proprietors. A new library was organized in 1831, called "The Social Library of Tyngsborough," hav- ing for its directors Dr. Calvin Thomas, Daniel Rich- ardson, Esq., and Robert Brinley, Esq. In 1878 this library was donated by its proprietors to the town,

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 88

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