History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 155

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1278

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III > Part 155

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657

FRAMINGHAM.

works, and a committee was appointed, in the spring of 1889, to examine into the matter, confer with the company and report. The report, while making no definite recommendations, appeared to favor town ownership of the works. There are about eighty fire hydrants in South Framingham, and about eighty pounds pressure is constantly maintained at the pumping station.

DISTRICT COURT .- " The First District Court of Southern Middlesex " was established here in 1874, with one justice, two special justices and a clerk. The court meets every day in the year except Sundays and legal holidays. The court-room is in Nobscot Block. At the organization of the court, the Hon. C. C. Esty, of Framingham, was appointed justice, with L. H. Wakefield, Esq., of Hopkinton, and E. C. Morse, Esq , of Natick, special justices. The towns in the district originally included Framingham, Ashland, Hopkin- ton, Natick, Sudbury, Wayland, Holliston and Sher- born, but Natick and Hopkinton were afterwards set off from the district. Justice Morse's last service on the bench of the District Court was on April 19, 1881, and Natick being set off April 28, 1881, Mr. Morse was made a trial justice in that town. Mr. Wake- field has remained to the present time the first special justice of the court. His residence is now South Framingham. Judge Esty retired in December, 1885, and Willis A. Kingsbury, Esq., then of Holliston, but now of South Framingham, was appointed in his place in January, 1886, and assumed his office for the first time on February 9, 1886. He still holds the posi- tion. When Special Justice Morse retired, in April, 1881, Walter Adams, Esq., of Framingham, was ap- pointed to the vacant position, which he still holds. He first held court on June 22, 1881. At the organi- zation of the court, Sidney A. Phillips, Esq., was appointed clerk, which position he held until 1878, when he retired, and Ira B. Forbes, Esq., was appoint- ed. He held the office until 1880, when the present clerk, Joseph H. Ladd, Esq., was appointed on August 30. In this court there are from 600 to 900 criminal complaints issued in a year, and from 100 to 125 civil entries made.

TELEPHONE BUSINESS .- South Framingham men were among the pioneers in the telephone business. A Mr. Hardy had a license from the American Bell Telephone Company to build a telephone line from Boston to Worcester. This right was bought by three South Framingham men in 1880-Messrs. Charles F. Cutler, who was in the grain business ; Willis M. Ranney, who at that time was bookkeeper for Cutler & Co., and Joel C. Clark, who was in the printing busi- ness. These three organized The Central Massachu- setts Telephone Company, with C. F. Cutler, presi- dent; J. C. Clark, secretary ; W. M. Ranney, treasurer. They built the line from Boston to Worcester, with local exchanges in about all the towns on the liue. In about two years these same gentlemen went to the western part of the State and brought out the Spring-

field Company, consolidating it with the other, under the name of the Consolidated Massachusetts Tele- phone Company. In 1884 the company sold out to the Lowell telephone syndicate. Messrs. Cutler and Clark remained in the telephone business, going to New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where they now have large interests. Mr. Ranney engaged in the lumber and wood and coal business in South Framingham, and became president of the Framing- ham Water Company.

THE POST-OFFICE .- The South Framingham post- office was established February 12, 1841, Hon. Jos- eph Fuller being appointed postmaster, and retaining the position until April 1, 1844, when Edward A. Clark was appointed. Mr. Clark's term of service expired in July, 1849, and S. O. Daniels was then postmaster until July 1, 1853. From the latter date Willard Howe served as postmaster until July 1, 1885, when he resigned after a service of thirty-two years in the position, to a day. John B. Lombard assumed the duties of the office on July 1, 1885, holding it nearly five years, or until April 1, 1890, when Captain Edward F. Phinney assumed the office. When Mr. Howe took the office, in 1853, his salary based on the commissions, was $125 yearly, aud out of this came all the expenses of rent, fuel, lights, clerk hire, etc. To-day the office is one of the second-class, withi $2000 salary for the post-master, while the government pays the expenses above named.

Following is the report of the count of the num- ber of pieces and weight of matter, with amount of postage thereon, mailed during the seven consecutive days beginning at 6 o'clock A.M. Monday, May 5th, and ending at 6 o'clock A.M. Monday, May 12, 1890, at the post-office at South Framingham, which was taken, in common with other offices throughout the country at the same time, for statistical purposes, and by order of the Postmaster-General :

DOMESTIO.

No. of Weight Amt. of

FIRST CLASS MATTER.

pieces. lbs. oz, postage.

Letters mailed to other offices

5897

116

$118 94

Local letters

973

10 24

Postal cards to other offices

630

6 30

Local postal cards

234

3 2 34

SECOND-CLASS MATTER.

Mailed by publishers to other offices, 1c. per lb.

570

55 55

Mailed by publishers for local delivery .

769

Mailed by publishers in county, free

1 76

Mailed to other offices FOURTH-CLASS MATTER.

1 91

Mailed to other offices

8 1 73

Foreign letters .

3 25

Other matter

Official matter

115

9602

3.17 15

$150 24

Newspapers, Ic. per 4 oz., to other offices THIRD. CLASS MATTER.

16S

AMUSEMENT HALLS .- Waverley llall was built in 1851, by Elias IIowe. For a long time it was the only hall in the village. Subsequently Irving Hall and Nobscot Hall were built, but it was not until Elm- wood Hlall was erected by II. Gardner Eames, in 1882, that any attempt was made to provide scenery for theatrical performances. Elmwood Hall seated nearly 900 people. The first real scenery was used in it in March of 1883. During the roller skating craze,

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658

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Messrs. F. H. Hnnt and Edgar S. Twichell built Alpha Rink on South Street, in the summer of 1883, and the following year Mr. Eames built Elmwood Rink, in the rear of the hall. Mr. Eames sold the hall and rink to Wm. H. Trowbridge in 1885, and the following year Mr. Trowbridge greatly enlarged and altered the building, changing its name to Elmwood Opera-House. It is now one of the cosiest little theatres in the State outside the large cities, seats about 1100 people, has a horse-shoe balcony, large stage with machinery, scenery and properties, abnnd- ance of dressing-rooms, electric lights, is handsomely frescoed, and withal a most attractive place.

LAKEVIEW .- South Framingham has had some particularly handsome and inviting picnic resorts, made so largely by the several small lakes or large ponds in the town. For many years Harmony Grove, on the easterly banks of Farm Pond, was a popular place. In 1871 Rev. Wm. R. Clark, D.D., and E. D. Winslow purchased forty-five acres at the northerly end of Farm Pond, for the Sonth Framingham Camp- Meeting Association. This land, which included Mt. Wayte, was improved and laid out for the pur- poses intended, and has ever since been a popular re- sort. Methodist camp-meetings are held here year- ly, but the grounds have gained their principal fame during the past ten years, from being the gathering place of the New England Chautauqua Sunday-school Assembly. During the ten or twelve consecutive days of the " Assembly," many thousands of people visit the grounds, and the reports of the meetings are widely published. The superintendents of instruc- tion have been Bishop John H. Vincent, and Rev. Drs. Jesse L. Hurlbut, of New York, and Albert E. Dunning, of Boston. Hon. B. B. Johnson, of Wal- tham, is president of the Assembly, which has become incorporated within a year, and of the Camp-Meeting Association, which owns the grounds, Rev. Dr. W. R. Clark is president of the Board of Directors, and ex-Gov. Wm. Claflin, LL.D., is chairman of the Land Committee. Samuel Cochran is superinten- dent of the grounds. There are ahout 100 hand- somely painted and well kept cottages on the grounds, besides the tents which are used in the summer time. In addition to the large covered andi- torium, with seats for four or five thousand people, there is a large dormitory, dining-saloon with steam- boiler and other accessories, stables, etc. The Public Assembly buildings are the Hall of Philosophy, or Hall on the Hill, Normal Hall, the C. L. S. C. Alnm- ni headquarters building, and handsome and conven- ient buildings. each for the Methodist, Baptist and Congregational headquarters. A sample program of the ten days' meetings is the one just held, which con- sists of twenty lectures upon literature, history, trav- el, science, art, political economy, ten lectures on temperance, two monologue entertainments, or char- acter impersonations, eight concerts, with a chorus of 200 traiued voices, besides soloists and instrumen-

talists, sermons, normal and children's classes, chorns trainings, C. L. S. C. round tables, camp- fires, athletic games, illuminations of the grounds and fireworks, and many special features. It is not strange that such a program, with some of the best talent in this and other lands, should make this place popular. These meetings are held in July.

THE STATE MUSTER-FIELD comprises about 115 acres and is kept in good order for the annual en- campment of the State militia. These grounds were bought by the Commonwealth in 1873, and are ad- mirably adapted to the purpose for which they are used. Captain Luke R. Landy is superintendent. Besides his residence there is an arsenal in which are placed various military stores; there are the guard- ' honses, brigade headquarters, cook-houses, fort, rifle- targets and butts, stables, etc. Two brigade musters are held annually, with about 2500 of the State militia present each time, and besides these there are meetings for rifle practice and other drills. The street- cars from Sonth Framingham to Saxonville run by the field, which at muster-time is, with the exception of the parade-ground, white with tents.

THE SEWERAGE SYSTEM .- South Framingham has a sewerage system of which it may well be proud, both from the fact that it is practically the pioneer system of its kind in the country, with the possible excep- tion of Pullman, Ill., and on account of its thorough construction and complete adaptation to the needs of the place. It is probable that no other city or town in the country of its size has a sewerage system ap- proaching this in completeness, and the question is asked : Why has South Framingham so expensive a system? The cause dates away back to the time when the city of Boston was permitted to take the waters in this vicinity for her water supply. Ilaving once taken these waters, it was necessary to preserve their purity for domestic purposes, and so the big city early began a crusade against the people in the towns along her water supply, to compel them to dis- continue all pollution of these streams.

So important was this matter deemed that the Legislature of 1884 provided for the appointment of a State Drainage Commission to inquire into and re- port npon the protection of water supplies, the methods of sewage disposal, and the application of such methods to the towns and cities in the Common- wealth which seemed most to call for it. This com- mission, reporting upon the Sudbury and Cochituate basins, said that in the case of some small towns, in- terference was unnecessary, “ but in respect to Natick and Sonth Framingham the present need of sewerage relief is crying." A joint system was proposed by this commission, substantially as it stands to-day, to include the Sherborn Woman's Reformatory, if desir- able. They recommended that Boston pay $20,000 towards the cost of such a system, and the Common- wealth $15,000, the estimated cost being $135,000. But the town of Natick would take no steps in the

659

FRAMINGHAM.

matter, and Framingham eventually felt compelled to do it alone, in order to preserve her manufactur- ing industries, for it was these latter, chiefly, which polluted the tributaries to Boston's drinking water.

Early in 1885 we find Boston instituting a suit against the town of Framingham for the abatement of nuisances and pollution of her water supply.

In February, 1886, the legislative Committee on Drainage gave a hearing to the Framingham Board of Health, for authority to build an open drain from South Framingham to Saxonville; beyond the water- shed of the Boston water supply. It was designed to drain certain low, wet sections of the village through this drain, rather than to provide for sewage from the houses and factories of the whole village. It was a good scheme in itself, but did not go far enough.

A town-meeting on November 29, 1886, had for its special business the discussion of the proposition to petition the next Legislature for leave to construct a system of sewerage for the town, and the meeting in- structed its selectmen to so petition, and they were constituted the town's Committee on Drainage. Hear- ings were then held from week to week to ascertain the ideas and desires of the citizens, and at the hearings the claims of the several methods of sewage disposal were advanced. Some favored the open drain to Sax- onville ; some advocated a trunk sewer from Worces- ter to Boston, with opportunities for the towns along the way to enter ; some believed in the precipitation idea, and this system of disposal, by means of chemi- cals, was illustrated by experiments by a German chemist ; the intermittent filtration and broad irriga- tion methods were discussed. Meantime the town's Drainage Committee had busied itself gathering in- formation, and finally it secured the services of Civil Engineer S. C. Heald, of Worcester, for preliminary investigations, surveys and estimates, and $1500 was appropriated by the town for this purpose. A draft of a bill, representing the needs of the town, was pre- pared by Town Counsel, Walter Adams and Hon. William Gaston, of Boston, and presented to the Legislature. Upon this bill legislative hearings were held, the legislative Committee on Drainage vis- ited the town and examined the premises thoroughly, and in spite of the active opposition of Natick's Rep- resentatives, the bill passed the Legislature almost unanimously, and was signed by the Governor. En- gineer Heald recommended the adoption of the irri- gation system, which was also the recommendation of the State Drainage Commission, and it was this sys- tem which the town adopted. The city of Boston offered to pay $25,000 towards the cost, and on Feb- ruary 20, 1888, the town appropriated $140,000 to construct the system, bonds for that amount being issued, to run for twenty years. The town chose as a committee to have in charge the construction of the system, Messrs. Walter Adams, John II. Goodell, Charles H. Fuller, Patrick Hayes, Jr., William H. Hastings, Franklin E. Gregory, James R. Entwistle,

Edward J. Slattery, Henry L. Sawyer. The town chose as a Bond Committee, to act with the town treasurer, Messrs. James J. Valentine, Francis C. Stearns, Thomas L. Barber. For Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, the town chose Clifford Folger for one year, Franklin H. Sprague for two years, Frank- lin E. Gregory for three years. The plan was ap- proved by the State Board of Health, and thus every- thing was made ready for construction. The act of the Legislature gave the town the right to take a suit. able tract of land just over the Natick boundary line, belonging to Framingham parties, for a sewage farm.

Engineer Heald, in his report, reviewed the me- chanical filtration, chemical precipitation and irriga- tion systems, and strongly advised the adoption of the latter, and his recommendations were adopted. Ile was employed as the engineer, but, going to Europe shortly after, he left the whole work of preparing the plans, specifications, etc., to Engineer John J. Van Valkenburg, who superintended the construction throughout, and afterwards became the town engin- eer. The work was most thoroughly done, and to- day stands far ahead of any other system of the kind in the United States, the system at Pullman, III., being after the same idea, but not nearly so complete.

Of the 24x36 inch brick sewer in our streets there is over 3100 feet, and of the sewer-pipes of various sizes there is over 22,000 feet additional, with 135 man-holes. The sewage runs by gravity through the streets to the pumping-station. At this place the main 24x36 inch sewer delivers the sewage into a man- hole ten feet in diameter, and from this it flows in either of three directions : first, if desired, directly to the' pumps, or to either of two large subterranean reservoirs, each with a capacity of 200,000 gallons. The Davidson Compound Condensing Pumping En- gines lift the sewage from these reservoirs and forces it through about 10,000 feet of 12-inch iron force- main to the filtration field of 70 acres. From the large manhole which this force-main enters, the sew age flows by gravity along the fields, being conducted wherever desired by the use of gates, each field con- taining about an acre and being surrounded by em bankments. This system is receiving many visitors from towns and cities which have to face the problem of sewage disposal. Its management is in the hands of a Sewer Committee of three, one of whom is elected cach year for three years. Messrs. John H. Goodell, Russell M. French and Patrick Hayes, Jr., comprise the committee at present, and Major .I. M. Wiswell is the superintendent.

STREET RAILROAD .- One of the modern improve- ments is the street railway, connecting this village with Framingham Centre and Saxonville. For years the coach run between the South and Centre villages by William C. Wight had been deemed a sufficient conveyance, oftentimes running empty. The establish- ment of the Para Rubber Shoe Works at South Framingham brought many employees from Saxon-

660

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

ville, and these were conveyed morning and night in coaches and barges. The many special occasions, like town-meetings, hearings, caucuses, entertain- ments, conventions, which brought the people of the three principal villages of the town together, as well as the necessities of the factory operatives and the conveyance of the South Framingham High School students to the school at the Centre, inspired the idea that a street railway might be made to pay, and this matter was taken up by the local newspapers and so agitated that at length several schemes were ad- vanced for the construction of such a road. One of the first of the schemes was that of the Suspension Transportation Company, which petitioned theselect- men for the right to construct and operate a line be- tween the South and Centre villages. The idea was to plant a line of posts on which, upon side brackets, would be strung two heavy cable wires, one at the top, and one about eight feet below. Between these two wires a car holding perhaps twelve persons was to be operated hy an electric current passing out over one, through the car motor, and returning to a central station upon the other wire. Obvious objections were raised to this scheme, and the petition was dismissed. Meantime, by the continued agitation, people were becoming convinced that some kind of a road would soon be a necessity. Early in February of 1887, certain gentlemen in town, prominent among whom were Charles H. Emerson, Samuel B. Bird, Clifford Folger, L. F. Fuller and Ira B. Forbes, together with the Haines Brothers and others of New York, associated themselves together to form a corporation known as the Framingham Street Rail- way Company. The capital stock was placed at $35,000, and the length of the road was to be four miles. From the South Framingham terminus near the Boston & Albany passenger depot, the road was to run through Framingham Centre to the Old Colony railroad station. One branch was to run to the State muster-field on Concord Street, and another short branch to the Para Rubber Works.

The very next week a rival association was formed, many of the gentlemen interested in it being those who had been for some time intending to ask for a franchise, but who were not disposed to hurry matters, until awakened by the prompt action of Haines Brothers and their allies. The last corporation was to be known as the Framingham Centre Street Rail- way Company, and differed from the first-named company in that while that was to be controlled by outside parties, this latter company was composed of a long list of stock-holders, all of whom, with two exceptions (and they only owning three shares), were citizens of Framingham. The capital stock of this latter company was to be $20,000, and the number of miles of road two and one-half, the route being the same as that of the other company without the Para and muster-field branches. The leading spirits in this enterprise were Sidney A. Phillips, William C.

Wight, William H. Hastings, C. C. Stevens, George II. Waterman.

With petitions for location from both of these companies before the selectmen, the latter were forced to carefully examine their respective merits. The competition was warm and close, and it began to put the Haines Bros. at a disadvantage. To reinforce their position, these gentlemen and their associates supplemented their first association with another one, to be called the Saxonville and South Framingham Street Railway Company. Its route was to be from Saxonville to the State muster-field, connecting with the Concord Street terminus of the "Framingham Street Railway Company." This last bit of stratagem proved a wise move, for it secured the active co-op- eration of Saxonville citizens, who had no direct rail communication with the other villages of the town. After much investigation by the selectmen, the two companies in which the Haines Bros. were interested were denied the franchise asked for. A new associ- ation was at once formed to take their place. This last a-sociation was named "The Framingham Union Street Railway Company." and it was organ- ized with a capital of $60,000. It was a virtual con- solidation of the two companies which had been giv- en leave to withdraw, and provided for building a road from South Framingham to the Centre and Saxon- ville, as well as the branch to the Para factory. It included more citizens of the town on its list of stock- holders than any of the other companies, there being sixty-eight Saxonville names alone. With the home capital, practical railroad men from Fall River and New Bedford were associated, and on July 20, 1887, this new company was granted a franchise. Work went rapidly forward. Charles H. Emerson was chosen president, and Samuel B. Bird treasurer, and they, with Clifford Folger, L. F. Childs, James R. Entwistle, L. F. Fuller, E. F. Sprague, of this town, and Charles F. Shaw, of New Bedford, acted as di- rectors, but Mr. F. W. Brightman, of Fall River, was one of the moving spirits of the whole enterprise. The construction and equipment were of the very best, four miles of the road being paved the entire length, and the total cost being much more than the capital stock. Stables and car-houses were built, both at Framingham Centre and Saxonville. The formal opening of the road occurred on May 29, 1888, the day before " Memorial " day. Three cars, trimmed with flags, loaded with invited guests, made the initial trip, 'Uncle Dexter ' Hemenway, the oldest man in town, and who had driven the first pick into the ground for the construction of the road, riding on the first car. The railroad has been of great value to the town in bringing the different villages together, and, under the careful and efficient management of Presi- dent Emerson and his associates, has from the first proved a good investment. It is now in contempla- tion to replace the horses at an early day with an electrical system of propulsion.

661

FRAMINGHAM.

Within two months of the time of writing (July, 1890) a franchise has been granted by the selectmen for au electric street railway through the village from the Natick to the Ashland town lines. This road, if bnilt, it is presumed is to form part of a road running through Wellesley and Newton to Boston.

NEWSPAPERS .- The newspaper business in town has been comparatively uneventful. The Framing- ham Courier, started at Framingham Centre in 1835, lived less than a year.

Edgar Potter started The Framingham Enterprise in Feb., 1874, consolidating in 1875 with The Gazette.

The Framingham Gazette was established at South Framingham in 1871, by Pratt & Wood, of Marlboro'. It was bought of them by C. M. Vincent in the fall of 1873. About one year later, in September, 1874, Messrs. W. W. Pease and F. M. Jernegan formed a partnership with Mr. Vincent, with the firm-name of C. M. Vincent & Co. In the fall of 1873 Edgar Pot- ter had purchased The Ashland Advertiser, starting The Framingham Enterprise the following February. The Middlesex Newspaper Company was formed De- cember 14, 1875, with C. M. Vincent, president ; J. C. Clark, clerk and treasurer, and these two, with George C. Travis, directors. The new company not only bought The Gazette of C. M. Vincent & Co., but it also bought of Mr. Potter The Enterprise and The Ashland Advertiser, merging the former into The Gazette. The company also started The Holliston Transcript and The Hopkinton News, the latter of which was discontinned in 1880, the former still being published. Mr. Vincent was made editor, serving as such for one year, when Mr. Potter became editor for one year, from January 1, 1877. About January 1, 1878, Rev. L. B. Hatch, having bought a controlling interest in the stock, became editor and manager, with Walter W. Pease as assistant manager. Mr. Hatch was president of the company and Mr. Pease a direc- tor. The latter was also foreman of the office. Judge C. C. Esty was a director in 1879, and when Mr. Hatch resigned as president in October, 1880, Judge Esty succeeded him in that office. On January 9, 1883, Mr. W. W. Pease became president ; F. N. Oxley, of Ashland, treasurer ; and they, with Hon. Joseph T. Pease, directors. Mr. Oxley sold his interest iu a few weeks to W. W. Pease, and from that time Mr. Pease was president and treasurer, as well as editor and manager, with Jos. T. and H. M. Pease asso- ciated with him as directors. On January 11, 1889, the stock of the company was bought by Ora O. Davis and Walter F. Blake, who had worked in the office. About two months afterwards, March 18, 1889, the business was sold to the J. C. Clark Printing Com- pany, the whole concern then taking the name of The Lakeview Printing Company. The Gazette, which had been a seven-column folio (four pages, of seven columns each), was enlarged, in 1883, to eight columns to the page, and in 1889 it was further en- larged to nine columns to the page. Ora O. Davis is

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 155

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co Number of Pages: 1278

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1278