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

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 88

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373

WATERTOWN.

This tract was bounded easterly by County Road, or road to Boston, Galen Street, seventy-seven rods, and Southerly by Daniel Cooke's land.

January 10, 1782 John conveyed to his son John ninety feet of land on the Boston Road, bounded southerly by Daniel Cooke's.

Stephen's house remains standing on California Street. Close by it is that of John, the latter being a frame building with brick sides. John's son's house was a small red house on Galen Street, removed to the rear of the present frame block. A greater portion of the Cooke estate still remains in the possession of the family.

In a chamber in the John Cooke house, Paul Re- vere engraved the plates, and assisted by John Cooke, atruck off Colony notes, ordered by the Provincial Congress.

It is stated that Benjamin Edes first stopped at this house when he escaped from Boston with his printing press, and that the first number of " The Boston Ga- zette and Country Journal" was issued from here, be- fore he established himself near the Great Bridge. While others dispute this fact, yet like the would-be president in 1884, the south side " claim everything."

On the easterly side of Galen Street, near the Bridge, stands what has long been known as the "Coolidge tavern," built in 1740-42 by William Williams, a ship builder.

Stephen Cooke claimed all the land upon the river in the town as being within limits of the weir lands and as he had an undisputed title to all land westerly of the Bridge, he purchased in March, 1722-23, from John Phillips, a grandson of the first minister, for £60, three acres by estimation (of the old grant) to strengthen his title. The land is described as within the bounds and limits of the "Township of Cam bridge."

James Barton in March, 1727, had sold to William Williams in Newton a "house-right," for £440, twelve acres of land near the Great Bridge. Its boundary line on the west and north-west was the county road.

In 1728 Stephen Cooke sold to William Williams, described as of Newton, for £16 15 s. twenty-six rods of land on the southerly side of the Charles River, bounded northerly and easterly by the county road, and westerly by the town land now laid out for a road.

The old road referred to began at the south side of the bridge at a point about opposite to the square on the north side of the river, the present Beaeon square, from which the present Riverside place commences, and ran in a southwesterly direction through the present Water Street into the present Galen Street, and possibly a little southwesterly before entering the country road.

In 1742 William Williams sold his mansion house and barn with seven acres to Ebenezer Thornton of Watertown, a ship builder, who was living on

the premises. Mention is made of the " Ancient Country road running from said river between the aforesaid mansion house and said barn, across and aslant near the north-west corner of the prem- ises into the new country road to be excepted and reserved out of this deed for said Town's use." Men- tion is made of a wharf twenty-feet square and a gang- way leading thereto. The gangway is the present Water Street, and the wharf adjoining the line of H. Barker & Co.'s starch factory at the foot of old Fac- tory Lane (Water Street) by an old elm tree, was owned by Samuel Hunt, a trader of Watertown. He ' had purchased the same in 1739 of Thornton and Williams with four acres of land for €400. In the deed he is described as a ship-builder of Boston.

Ebenezer Thornton, a trader in Boston, in 1738 re- moved to Watertown and engaged in the business of procuring timber for house and ship-building. The south side and adjacent territory being heavily tim- bered offered him ample opportunity for carrying on the business. Moreover, it was considered safer than Boston which was poorly protected from a sudden at- tack by an enemy.

In April, 1716, he purchased " a mill-stream, dams, etc." in Dunstable, near the New Hampshire line, and he had valuable timber interests in Dracut on the Merrimac River. The town of Boston, March 8, 1734, voted to erect fortifications within its limits and Ebenezer Thornton with Elisha Cooke, Esq., Edward Hutchinson, Edward Winslow and others were chos- en a committee under this vote. They erected the fortification at_"North Battery Wharf," and " Fort Hill."

He married in 1721 Elizabeth Gilbert, the daughter of Capt. Thomas, a famed shipmaster and navigator of Boston, and son of Jonathan Gilbert, of Connecti- cut, (an ancestor of mine) who was Colony Marshal from 1636 until 1676-77. She died in Watertown, June 10, 1740, aged 38 years, 4 months, 3 days. After her death he married the widow of Matthias Cussens.

Possibly Thornton and Williams were engaged for a short time in the business of procuring lumber for household and shipping purposes, though he had removed to Mansfield, Conn., when he sold to Thornton.

In 1740 Richard King had settled in Watertown, and in 1742 Thornton sold him a piece of land on which he erected a shop and engaged in the same business with Thornton. In 1745 Gov. Shirley ap- pointed him a commissary of the troops destined for Annapolis Royal. October, 1746, he mortgaged his shop and lot to Jonas Coolidge " for surety in con- sideration the within named Jonas was my surety for money due to the Govt. when I went on the serv- ice to Annapolis Royal." February 16, 1740, he petitioned the selectmen for leave to erect a sawpit or scaffold at the south end of the Bridge, which was denied. In 1746 he removed to Scarboro', Maine, engaged in trade, became a large exporter of lumber,

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

and the wealthiest man in town. His son, Rufus, who died in 1829, aged 74, was the celebrated jurist, and William, who died in 1852, aged 84, known as General King, was the first governor of Maine, and at one time one of the largest ship owners in the United States.

There is no doubt that ship building to a limited extent was carried on at this point, and that the old bridge slip was used for that purpose, and probably Ilunt's wharf, known latterly as Coolidge's wharf.

Ebenezer Thornton's eldest daughter, Elizabeth, born March 4, 1722, married Jonas Coolidge, the house carpenter, in 1742-43. Ebenezer sold him this house with three acres of land for £300 in August of that year. Jonas sold a moiety in the dwelling-house, and about five acres of land to his nephew Nathaniel Coolidge, Jun., in 1762.

Becoming " non compos " and placed under guard- ianship, in 1764 a partition of their interests was legally made, by which Nathaniel obtained the northerly part of the home lot and dwelling-house and subsequently control of the remaining half.

Jonas Coolidge died in the spring of 1767.

Jonas Coolidge's elder brother Samuel, known as "Sam, the schoolmaster," a graduate of Harvard in 1724, was appointed town school-master in 1725. He was librarian of Harvard College 1734-35. Also chap- lain for a short time on Castle Island. He became intemperate and mentally deranged. He was accus- tomed to wander from home as a vagrant, sleeping in barns and out of doors, and the selectmen were eon- tinually in trouble about him by complaints coming from the selectmen of Roxbury, then from Charlestown, then Dorchester, to be repeated continually. Nov. 4, 1743, Thanksgiving day, a collection was taken during church service to be laid out in clothing for him.

In 4751 he was again appointed school-master, but soon wandered off according to his enstom. "At a meeting of the selectmen at Mr. Jonathan Bemis', on the 4th of December, 1752, Mr. Samuel Coolidge was present, and the selectmen gave him a thorough talk relating to his past conduct, and what he might ex- pect if he did not behave well in the future they declared unto him that they put him into the school again for trial, and if he behaved well he should not be wronged, and that he was to begin the school the Hth day of this December. Mr. Coolidge complained that he wanted a winter coat; desired Mr. Bemis to get him a bear skin coat, and get Mr. Meed to make it, and to give the selectmen an account thereof."

The demented man when walking along the Way was continually muttering and talking to himself in Latin, and once passing an apothecary shop, drenched by a pouring rain, was addressed by some one from within in these words: " Domine Coolidge! pluit tantum nescio quantum. seisne tu "? (Master Coolidge, it has rained very hard, I don't know how hard, do you know ?) Quick as a flash the angry man seized a stone, sent it crash-

ing through the window, breaking glass and show bot- tles, and said : " Fregi tot nescio quot, seisne tu "? (I have broken a great many things, I don't know how many, do you ?)

He died January, 1767, aged sixty-three years, and was buried at the town charge.

Nathaniel Coolidge, Jr., kept a tavern, here as a licensed inn-holder from 1764 to 1770 when he died, and was succeeded by his widow, Dorothy (Whitney).

By the town records, it appears that the widow Ruth Child, daughter of Caleb Church the miller, was licensed as an inn-holder in 1717-18 near the bridge on the south side of the river, but where, can- not be located ; possibly on or near this spot.

While there had been for some years a great deal of commercial life in Watertown, still in the early part of the Revolutionary war it was a very important and busy town, for within its limits the Provincial Congress and the "Committee of Safety " were hold- ing continual sessions. The town was crowded with temporary residents and tradesmen from Boston, who were often entertained by private hospitality. The public schools were closed as the buildings were used for armories aud the streets daily resounded with the noise of fife and drum and marching men.

This tavern known as "The Sign of Mr. Wilkes near Nonantum Bridge," was a popular resort for gatherings, for town and social meetings were often held within its doors. In the winter of 1775, the Massachusetts House of Representatives held a ses- sion in it while workmen were engaged in putting up stoves in the meeting house. Here, in 1775, it was agreed, was to be the rendezvous for the " Committee of Safety " in the case of danger. On its northerly side along the river, was the road leading from the ferry that for many years was used between the north and south shores.

In front of the tavern door once stood a post upon which was a swinging decorated sign board upon which was the portrait of King George III., where it hung until the news of the Declaration of Independ- ence was received, when it was taken down and after- wards raised to its former position with the portrait of George Washington upon it.

Here during the war, many distinguished persons in the colonies, as well as officers in the American and British armies, were entertained. The bar-room was the middle room, facing Galen street, and British officers stifled their shame at the continued American success in steaming hot flip, for which they paid in gold, which the government compelled Madam Cool- idge, much to her disgust, to exchange for colonial eurrency.

The selectmen paid " widow Dorothy Coolidge for Rum, the 19th day of April, for the men in the Lex- ington battle, 12s. 8d.," the town records mention.

The Rev. J. F. Lovering in his centennial oration, delivered July 4, 1876, stated that " General Wash- ington stopped here on his way to take command of

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WATERTOWN.

the army at Cambridge, July 2d, 1775 and ate break- fast, Mrs. Coolidge making for him journey-cake, i. e., Johnny-cake." While Leathe's version is, that on Sunday, July 2d, at 12 o'clock the Commander-in- Chief with General Lee arrived and reached the meet- ing-house where after divine service, Congress assem- bled to receive him. He dismounted and was pre- sented at the door of the broad aisle with an address by the Speaker, James Warren. After an hour and a half spent he proceeded to Cambridge where he arrived at 2 o'clock. On the next day under the elm tree near the Common he formally took command of the American army.

On December 11th, at noon Mrs. Washington attend- ed by her son John Custis and wife reached Water- town in her own carriage drawn by four horses, colored postillions in scarlet and white liveries, military escort and a guard of honor. Two hours werc spent at the Fowle house as the guest of Mrs. Warren, and the party arrived in Cambridge at 3 o'clock.

During the winter season, dinner and evening part- ies were given in town, which were attended by the General and Mrs. Washington, and probably the town has never witnessed such social gaiety since that time.

October 17, 1789, President Washington again vis- ited Watertown on his way to Boston, and was re- ceived with great enthusiasm, the ringing of the meeting-house bell and royal salutes, quite in contrast to his first reception, when powder and shot were too scarce and valuable to be thus used. On his return, November 5, he came from Lexington to Water- town over the same road that the minute men had taken April 19, 1775 ; rode quietly without escort to the Coolidge tavern for supper and rest. He took supper in the public dining-room which extended the entire length of the south end of the house. At the table he was served by attendants who wore white dresses and neat checked aprons. He lodged in the northwest chamber next to the river.

This property latterly came into the possession of the late Mr. John Brigham, who lived here while he had a lumber yard near by along the river.

Across the lane, the present Water street, was situ- ated the house of Samuel Sanger, then Daniel, later Abraham Sanger, the boatman, who early in the pres- ent century, twice or more each week, was accustomed to row upon the river to and from Boston as a pas- senger and express carrier.

A few rods south upon the same side of the road once stood an old house, the mansion house of John Hunt, representative from the town to the General Court in 1741, 1751 to 1758 ; a farmer of the excise in 1752, and retail trader from 1740 to 1770. Jonas Coolidge in 1745 sold him eleven acres with the old mansion built and occupied by James Barton. It was built about 1715. It was from the windows of this house flashed the light long past midnight that told that Adams, Warren and Gerry were in counsel, an-

swered back from a score of farm-houses where the women were busily engaged in baking and cooking for the soldiers in camp. Here Major General Jo- seph Warren lodged, and in the southwestern corner room on the first floor ate his breakfast, June 17, 1775, going directly to Bunker's Hill, where he gave his life for his country, Before he started he urged upon the ladies of the household to prepare lint and bandages, saying " That the poor fellows would want them all before night." Slowly on horse-back he went down the hill to the bridge but galloped back and again bade them all farewell.

Had he a premonition that he should never see them again ?

William Hunt, son of Jolin, a graduate from Har- vard in 1768, a lawyer and justice of the peace, rep- resentative in 1784-1794; 1800-1801, had married Mary Coolidge, the daughter of Nathaniel and Doro- thy. When Washington first came to Watertown, she was about twenty-one years old, and probably charmed him with her handsome face and maidenly ways, for in 1789, after supper, he mounted his horse, galloped across the bridge into the square, where Mistress Hunt then lived, on the west side opposite the Spring Hotel, and as the sick matron appeared at the window of her mansion he politely raised his hat as she courteously saluted him.

John Hunt was a distiller having his still next to the wharf of Samuel Hunt, with a store, and did a successful business. He had a stone wharf further to the east upon the river, not far from the bounds of Newton. In 1768 he sold his homestead and distil- lery to his eldest son Samuel.

The Hunt property finally came into the possession of Nathaniel R. Whitney, Jr., and was the birth-place of Miss Annie Whitney, the sculptress; of Mr. Ed- ward Whitney, who has done so much for the Public Library of Watertown. and the Society of the First Parish, although he found himself in Belmont after the incorporation of that town. In fact, this was the birth place of all Mr. Nathaniel R. Whitney's child- ren, and was occupied by him until his removal to East Cambridge on being apppointed clerk of the Court. A few years ago the property was purchased by the late Mr. F. E. Howard and the building re- moved to Water Street, where it is now devoted to tenants of a humbler class.

The death of Washington was greatly mourned in this town and a funeral service to his memory per- formed with great pomp and solemnity. A negro slave, who, when Washington had been a guest at his master's house, had served him, wore as his emblem of mourning an old scarlet coat worn at the Battle of Bunker Hill, trimmed with crape, and stood thus ar- rayed in the meeting house during the service on suc- cessive Sabbaths to the great amusement of the worshippers.'

Watertown square and the main street for many years was a lively spot and the merchants did a thriv-

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

ing trade. Money was scarce, but harter and ex- change was carried on with the farmers for miles around.

"Angier's Corner," (Newton) was named from Oakes Angier, the son of the Rev. Samuel Angier, a saddler by trade.

In 1742 he met with Samuel Jackson and Daniel Cooke, purchased from Jonas Coolidge 11 acres with an okl house. He crected a tavern on the site of the present Nonantum House which he kept for many years.

It was a small hamlet with about a dozen houses, two taverns and a small store. It was nicknamed " ]Tell's Corner" from the disreputable orgies that frequently took place in one of the taverus. Some of the more progressive citizens deemed it would be more advantageous if the territory was annexed to Watertown, and in March, 1779, a committee was chosen on the part of the town to join with some of the inhabitants of Newton in a petition for the an- nexation to Watertown, but the movement was unsuccessful. In March, 1782, the attempt was again undertaken with like result.

The records show that in April 1781, the town voted to establish a poor-bouse upon the south bank of the river, but this vote was never carried out.

A few years later Esquire Wm. Hull, afterwards General Hull, undertook the scheme of having a large town or village at Newton Corner to include the greater part if not all the territory on the south side.

In September, 1794, he purchased from Stephen Cooke some fifty acres with dwelling-house and barn -- including the Phineas Cooke house, with the right to improve the upper mill-pond (Boyd's), for fish-ponds, baths, etc., and mortgaged the same to Cooke for £1211. He was living in the Phineas Cooke house, while buikling the Nonantum House which he afterwards occupied, and had a wharf on the . Charles river near the Watertown line. The present Wilham Street leads direct to the spot, near which was his malt-house. He became somewhat financially em- barrassed and in 1805 conveyed all his interest in this Cooke tract to Eliakim Morse, a wealthy merchant in Boston, who paid the mortgage and released the Phineas Cooke homestead.

Dr. Ehakim Morse studied medicine with his uncle in Woodstock, Conn., came to Boston, engaged in foreign trade and accumulated a large estate. lle built the colonial mansion that stands upon the most elevated spot of the Cooke estate. It was built by days' work and when finished was the finest mansion in style and situation for miles around. It was through his efforts the country road was named Galen Street in honor of the father of medicine among the ancients, the rond having been widened and made more uniform and beautified with trees, After his death the homestead passed into the hands of Mr.

Ilarrison Page, while the meadow-land near Newton was mapped out into building plots. Morse and Chestnut (now Boyd) Streets, were laid out, and the land thrown into market, and settled upon mostly by persons allied in all respects to Newton. On this traet formerly stood a fine grove of handsome chest- nut trees. Back of the Morse estate near Watertown Street, stands the homestead built by Capt. Samuel Somes who married one of the daughters of Stephen Cooke. Somes was a handsome, vivacious man of free and convivial habits and the captain of a "crack" military company in Boston known as the Fusileers. Once the company had a field day on this territory which attracted a great crowd from the surrounding villages.

Next northerly to the Dr. Morse estate stands the Abraham Lincoln house built 1824-26 by Stephen Cooke. On the easterly side of Galen Street, adjoin- ing Water Street, the early portion of this century was built what is at present known as the "Stone house." It was built before 1768 by John Hunt, either for himself or his son John, who was his busi- ness partner. He sold it to Josiah Capen in 1772.

In 1832 it was kept by Nathaniel Broad, as a tavern, who died there. Rev. Theodore Parker in the month of April of that year opened a school in an old bakery that stood in the rear of this mansion,. formerly llunt's shop, but since removed to the corner of Maple Street, (opened within a few years) and Galen. Having leased it he personally assisted in flooring it, made a rude wainscot, a dozen desks, and opened school with two pupils one of whom was a charity scholar. Here he met Lydia D. Cabot, his future wife, who was boarding in the same family. He taught school for two years with great success until he had earned money enough to permit him to pursue his theological studies. He preached occasionally on Sabbaths in the town-hall and elsewhere during this time, and enjoyed the friendship of the Rev. Convers Franci -.

Close by the division line, on the corner of Galen and Williams Streets, stands the old Segar house, built by Ebenezer Segar in 1794. Connected with it in the rear was an extensive building and a brick shop where, in 1820, the New England Lace Company had their factory. The street was called Lace Fac- tory Lane. In 1823 the factory was removed to Ips- wich. The 'originators of the factory with some of the workmen came from Nottingham, England, as their factory there had been broken up by those who were opposed to lace being made by machinery in- stead ot by hand, under the Heathcoat patent. Many of the leading young ladies found pleasant and con- genial work in the factory and the departure of the works from the town was regretted.

Subsequently the property belonged to Stephen Perry, and was the boyhood home of William Stevens Perry, the present Episcopal Bishop of Iowa. In this house were held the first services of that denomina-

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WATERTOWN.

tion gathered in Newton, and the parish of Grace Church organized.

On the opposite corner stands the house of Rev. A. B. Earle, the well-known evangelist, occupied during his life-time by lawyer Alfred B. Ely, of Newton, known in civil and military life, who died July 30, 1872,

In March, 1827, the Newton and Watertown Uni- versalist Society was organized, and on August 15th it dedicated a house of worship, situated on the corner of Galen and Water Streets.

It was dissolved in 1866 and the town purchased the building for a school-house, the present Parker School, named in honor of the late Rev. Theodore Parker. The people of the town of that time remem- ber the frequent town-meetings necessary to secure this building to the use of the schools. The tactics of 1695 aud of many another time, when public im- provements have been finally voted against the wishes of conservative opponents were used, yet without an appeal to the Governor.

From Galen Street by the bank of the Charles River next to the Coolidge tavern is an ancient way, a little lane, a gangway as called in early deeds, run- ning a short distance to Hunt's wharf, then turning abruptly into Factory Lanc, running westwardły up the steep hill to Galen Street by the Parker School - now known as Water Street. By and upon the river bank there have been and are located many indus- tries. Besides the ship building before mentioned, was the potter's shop of Samuel Sanger in 1771.

Beyond Brigham's lumber yard and wharf was for- merly a hat-factory,-afterwards a wire-factory,-now occupied by the Warren Soap Works, commenced in 1868. Next are the works of the Newton and Water- town Gas Light Company, with the electric plant tately located. Beyond was the wharf and warehouse of Samuel Hunt, which came into the possession of John Ilunt. At the end of this lane stood the dis- tillery and store of John Hunt, which he sold to his son Samuel, with his wharves and dwelling-house, in 1768. Some fifty years later it was changed into a starch-factory, which business still thrives under the management of H. Barker & Co., though the build- ings are of later date. Factory Lane was a private lane that led by the distillery through Mr." Hunt's estate to the Samuel Huut wharf.

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

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