USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, 1622-1918, vol 1 > Part 33
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58
When the Suffolk Congress met on August 16, 1774, at Doty's Tavern (then in the Town of Stoughton) several citizens of the town were in attendance, but it does not appear that they were chosen by any action of the voters of the town. That meeting was opened with a prayer by Rev. Samuel Dunbar, pastor of the First Parish Church-a prayer which Bancroft says "breathed forth among them the spirit of liberty. and the venerable man seemed inspired with the most divine and prophetical enthusiasm." The action of that meeting acted as a spur to the people of Stoughton, for on August 29th, at a town meeting called for the purpose, it was-
"Voted, That a Committee be chosen to Represent ye Town in a County Convention of ye Towns and Districts of this County to be holden at ye house of Richard Woodward at Dedham on Tuesday ye 6th day of September next with full power of adjourning acting & Doing all such Matters & things in said Convention or in a general Convention of ye Countys of this Province as to them may appear of Publick Utility in this day of Publick and General Distress.
268
HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY
"Voted, That five persons be chosen for this Purpose & also that John Withington, Theophilus Curtis, John Kenney, Jedediah Southworth and Josiah Pratt be this Committee; That this Committee be directed to Endeavor to obtain a County Indemnification for all such Persons as may be fined or otherwise have suffered by a non-compliance with a Late Act of ye British Parliament intitled 'An Act for the Better Regulation of the Government of the Massachusetts Bay in North America.' That this Committee be also a Committee of Correspondence to advise and Correspond with ye other Towns in this Province about all such Matters & Things as may appear to them likely in any way to affect the Publick."
On May 22, 1776, six weeks before the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress at Philadelphia, that event was foreshadowed by a town meeting in Stoughton, which declared by an almost unanimous vote, "That if the Honourable Continental Congress should for the safety of the Colonies declare us independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain, we the In- habitants of Stoughton will solemnly engage with our lives and fortunes to support them in the measure."
A STATE GOVERNMENT
In September, 1776, the General Court sent out to the various towns of the state a communication relative to the formation of a state constitution and the inauguration of a new form of government. On the last day of the month a town meeting was held in Stoughton to take action on the communication. John Kenney, Christopher Wadsworth, Jonathan Capen, Abner Crane and Elijah Dunbar were appointed a committee to draft the town's reply. Following is the report of the committee :
"We the subscribers, being chosen a committee by this town at a town meet- ing legally assembled at Stoughton on the 30th of September last, to draft a vote upon and article in ye town warrant respecting chosing ye present Gen'l Court to form a plan of Government for ye State have attended to that Service & Beg leave to report the following resolutions viz
"I-Resolved That good Government is the basis of liberty & absolutely necessary to the safety & Wellfare of a People.
"2-Resolved That as the end of Government is the Happiness of ye people so ye sole Power & Right of forming and establishing a plan thereof is essen- tially in ye People.
"3-Resolved That as this State is at Present destitute of a fixed & Estab- lished form of Government it is Absolutely necessary that one Immediately be formed Agreeable to the recommendation of ye Grand Congress.
"4-Resolved That as the present House of Representatives have passed a resolve to see if ye Severall Toens in this State would empower them, the said House of Representatives together with the Council, to enact a plan of Govern- ment for this State it appears to us unadvisable & Irrational & a measure that ought not by any means to be Complied with for these reasons viz-That we are totally unacquainted with the Capacities & Patriotism & Character of ye mem- bers that compose ye said House & Council excepting our own member Also because they were Never elected by ye people for that purpose & also because the present Embarrassed State of our Publick Affairs calls for the steady atten- tion of every member of ye said House and Council.
269
HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY
"5-Resolved That it is the Duty & Interest of this Town immediately to choose one or more members to join with the members of the Other Towns in this State to form & Publish a plan of Government for said State.
"6-Resolved That in order to Carry ye foregoing Resolutions into Execu- tion as soon as ye Importance of the matter may admit it appears to us best that the members of ye Severall Towns in this State Chosen for ye express purpose afore said should meet together by Them selves or by their Committee in a State Convention or Congress & compare the severall forms of Government together whereby the Wisdom of the whole State may be collected & a form of Govern- ment be Extracted.
"7-Resolved That it appears to us Absolutely necessary for the Liberty & safety of this State that the plan of Government when formed and Published should not be Established till ye People of this State have had time & Oppor- tunity of thoroughly examining the same & shall consent that it be established by the said State Convention or Congress.
"All of which is humbly submitted by us.
"JOHN KENNEY "CHRISTOPHER WADSWORTH
"JONATHAN CAPEN
"ABNER CRANE
"ELIJAH DUNBAR
"Stoughton, October 2d, 1776."
Such was the idea of the people of Stoughton regarding a state constitution and the manner of its formation and adoption. If the reader will now turn to the chapter on Bellingham and note the action of that town on the same subject, he will be impressed with the similarity of the theories advanced by those two towns, and that without any collusion between them. For years the town meet- ing had been educating the people to the notion that government in any form should derive its just powers from the consent of the governed-a sentiment which found expression in the Declaration of Independence and has been the dominating idea in the formation of all our state constitutions.
SALTPETRE
Gunpowder was quite an item in 1776, and at a town meeting in Stoughton on March 4, 1776, an article in the warrant was "To see if the town will take any method to encourage the manufacture of saltpetre." At the meeting it was voted that a committee be appointed to begin the manufacture of that article. Adam Blackman, Jonathan Capen, Esquire Dunbar, Samuel Osgood and George Crossman were appointed as the committee. These men set to work upon the project and in June their factory was ready to begin operations. The first salt- petre from this committee was sent to the powder-mill in Milton about the time of the adoption of the above resolutions, or perhaps a little earlier. (See also the chapter on the Revolution.)
WATERWORKS
The first move toward providing a water supply for the inhabitants of Stoughton was made on May 28, 1886, when the governor approved an act of
270
HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY
the Legislature incorporating "John G. Phinney, Charles W. Lunn, E. Morton Elmes, Charles W. Welch, Charles E. Parker, their associates and successors, as the Stoughton Water Company."
By the provisions of the act the company's authorized capital stock was not to exceed $50,000, and it was given power to take water from Knowles' Brook, Muddy Pond Brook, Porter's Brook and the Drake School House well, "and take by purchase and hold the Hill and Drake well, so called, situated on land of the heirs of Henry Drake," etc.
Section 10 of the act provided that the Town of Stoughton might "at any time purchase of said corporation its franchise, corporate property and all its rights and privileges, at a price which may be mutually agreed upon," etc., when- ever two-thirds of the voters give their assent thereto, and in the event of such purchase the town was authorized to issue bonds in any sum not to exceed $100,000, to pay for the same.
In 1887 the Stoughton Fire District was organized. It was incorporated by the act of April 30, 1888, with power to purchase the rights and privileges of the Stoughton Water Company, provided that the Town of Stoughton did not within one year exercise its right of purchase under the act of May 28, 1886. This stimulated the town to action and before the expiration of the twelve months it was voted to issue the necessary bonds and acquire the franchise of the Stough- ton Water Company. The town was also given the right to acquire the franchise and property of the Stoughton Fire District, in the act incorporating said district.
By the act of June 3, 1892, the town was authorized to issue bonds to the amount of $150,000 for the completion of the waterworks and the extension of the mains to all parts of the town, with the provision that a sinking fund should be established to guarantee the payment of the bonds when they became due. The sinking fund provision was changed by the act of March 17, 1893, which gave to the town the privilege of making annual payments on the water loan instead of establishing a sinking fund. Under the liberal legislation of the above mentioned acts, Stoughton has a system of waterworks second to none in Norfolk County.
According to the report of the water commissioners for the year ending on December 31, 1916, the total cost of the works up to that time had been $352,193-73, and the net expense for maintenance, $184,675.35. The total income from bonds was $303,407.28, and from water rates $222,506.23. During the year 126.564,000 gallons of water were pumped and distributed through nearly thirty-one miles of mains to 1,528 families, 3 hotels, 18 factories, 19 business bulidings and 330 street hydrants. The amount received for water rates was $14,688, exclusive of meter rentals and the $6,600 paid by the town for the use of hydrants in case of fire. During the year the bonded debt was reduced $17,000, leaving the amount of bonds outstanding at the close of the year $134,000.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Stoughton's fire department is in keeping with the town's general progress. The board of fire engineers for 1916 was made up of James J. Pye, chief ; Henry M. Bird, first assistant and clerk; James E. Reilly, second assistant ; Cornelius Healy, Jr .. George W. Pratt and George E. Malcolm. From their annual report
271
HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY
it is learned that the department consists of four companies, to wit: Stoughton Steamer Company, in connection with which is kept the auto combination truck, numbers sixteen men; Washington Hook and Ladder Company, ten men; North Stoughton Hose Company, six men; West Stoughton Hose Company, eight men, a total (including the six members of the board of engineers) of forty-six men.
The cost of maintenance for the year 1916 was $6,150.51, considerably more than half of which was used in paying the salaries of the members of the depart- ment. During the year fifty-six alarms were answered, sixteen of which were forest fires. The fire alarm system consists of twenty-two boxes, stationed at convenient places in all parts of the town, so that no time need be lost in calling the department.
TOWN OFFICERS
Following is a list of the principal town officials at the beginning of the year 1917: George W. Pratt, Cornelius Healy, Jr., and George E. Malcolm, select- men and overseers of the poor; Cornelius Healy, Jr., George W. Pratt and James E. Reilly, assessors; George O. Wentworth, clerk and treasurer ; Henry Fitzpat- rick, tax collector ; George P. Curtis, G. A. Sprague, Jr., Ernest E. Randall, water commissioners ; John W. Wood, Edgar F. Leonard and Dennis W. Toomey, school committee; Jerome F. Murphy, Ralph S. Blake and Arthur R. Jenkins, auditors ; Daniel F. Vaughn, highway surveyor; George H. Coward, Michael F. Powers and Arthur L. Holmes, park commissioners; Richard Vanston, Anson L. Favor, James J. Pye and Daniel F. O'Connor, constables.
THE PRESENT STOUGHTON
Between the years 1910 and 1915 the increase in population in Stoughton was 666, the United States census of the former year giving the town a population of 6,316 and the state census of the latter year reporting 6,982. The assessed valuation of property on April 1, 1916, according to the report of the assessors, was $4.747,017, an increase over the assessment of the preceding year of $525.585. Stoughton has a bank (the Stoughton Trust Company), two weekly newspapers (the News and Sentinel), eleven public school buildings and employs thirty- three teachers, Baptist, Catholic, Congregational, Methodist Episcopal and Uni- versalist churches, a number of thriving manufacturing establishments, well- stocked stores that handle practically all lines of merchandise, good roads and side- walks, and many handsome residences. The town is lighted with electricity by contract with the Edison Company and recently an effort has been made to have the Brockton Gas and Illuminating Company extend its lines into the town. Two divisions of the New York, New Haven & Hartford unite at Stoughton Junction. The railroad stations in the town are North Stoughton, West Stoughton, South Stoughton and Stoughton. Electric railway lines connect the town with Brockton, Randolph, and East Sharon, where other lines are connected, so that the trans- portation facilities are unsurpassed.
CHAPTER XXXII
THE TOWN OF WALPOLE
LOCATION AND BOUNDARIES-EARLY HISTORY-INCORPORATION OF WALPOLE-OR- GANIC ACT-THE TOWN NAME-THE MEETING HOUSE-FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR-TOWN HALL-THE FOUNTAIN-WATERWORKS-FIRE DEPARTMENT-WAL- POLE OF THE PRESENT- TOWN OFFICERS.
Situated in the central portion of Norfolk County is the Town of Walpole. It is an irregularly shaped tract of land, bounded, beginning on the north and pro- ceeding eastward, by the towns of Dover, Westwood, Norwood, Sharon, Foxboro, Norfolk and Medfield. The Neponset River flows in a northerly direction from the southern boundary to a point near the center, where it turns more to the north- east, and after passing through a long, narrow pond enters the Town of Norwood. There are several ponds in Walpole, the best known of which is probably Morey's Pond, lying a little west of the center of the town. The surface is generally rolling and in some places so rough and hilly as to be poorly adapted to cultivation.
EARLY HISTORY
When the Town of Dedham was incorporated in 1636 it included the territory now comprising the Town of Walpole, and for nearly a century the history of Walpole is part of the history of Dedham. There is abundant evidence that set- tlements were made within the limits of Walpole at an early date. The cedar swamp frequently mentioned in the early Dedham records is generally conceded to be the cedar swamp "lying between the plain and South Walpole." In May, 1658, Eleazer Lusher and Joshua Fisher were granted a privilege to erect a saw mill on the Neponset River. It has been stated by several writers on Norfolk County history that this mill was situated in what is now the Town of Norwood, but Henry E. Fales, in an address delivered at Walpole on September 28, 1881, on the occasion of the dedication of the town hall, set up the claim that it was within the limits of Walpole.
When the first settlers came to this part of Dedham they found the uplands covered with timber. The meadows along the Neponset and in the vicinity of the larger ponds were open and afforded an abundant supply of hay for the live stock. These meadows formed the principal inducement to settle in the locality. Game was abundant in the woods and gave the settler an opportunity to provide his family with a large part of the meat consumed. Wild beasts of prey were likewise numerous, and after the Town of Walpole was incorporated bounties were paid for the destruction of wolves, wildcats and rattlesnakes.
272
MAIN STREET, WALPOLE
273
HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY
INCORPORATION OF WALPOLE
As in the case of several of the Norfolk County towns, the moving cause of separation from the mother town was the inconvenience of attending church in Dedham. As early as 1721 a petition was presented to the General Court, asking that the south part of Dedham might be set off as a parish for the purpose of sup- porting religious worship, in accordance with the laws of the colony. There is no doubt but that petition was signed by some of the inhabitants living within the present limits of Walpole, but the petition itself has disappeared from the archives. Dedham opposed the movement and the General Court refused to grant the prayer of the petitioners. Three years later a more formidable petition was presented and a committee was appointed to urge that it be granted. This time the Town of Dedham gave consent and on December 10, 1724, the General Court passed the following
ORGANIC ACT
"Whereas, the South part of the Town of Dedham, within the County of Suf- folk, is completely filled with inhabitants, who labor under great difficulties by their Remoteness from the place of public worship, etc., and have thereupon made their application to the said Town of Dedham, and likewise addressed this Court, that they may be set off a distinct and separate town, and be vested with all the powers and privileges of a town, and the inhabitants of Dedham having consented to their being set off accordingly, and a committee of this Court having viewed the said Town of Dedham and reported a proper divisional line between the two parts thereof-
"Be it therefore enacted by the Lieutenant-Governor, Council and Representa- tives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That the southerly part of the said Town of Dedham be and hereby is set off and constituted a seperate township by the name of Walpole.
"Provided that the inhabitants of the said Town of Walpole do, within the space of eighteen months from the publication of this act, erect and finish a suit- able house for publick worship of God, and as soon as may be procure and settle a learned, Orthodox minister of good conversation, and make provision for his com- fortable and honourable support ; and likewise provide a schoolmaster to instruct their youth in writing and reading; and that thereupon they be discharged from any further payments for the maintenance of the Ministry and school in the Town of Dedham."
THE TOWN NAME
The town was named for Sir Robert Walpole, the eminent English statesman, who was one of the leaders of the whig party and prime minister in the reigns of George I and George II. He was accused of corrupt practices and not without some grounds, as it was his custom to win public men to his side by giving bribes, either in money or public office. He is said to have been the author of the memo- rable saying, "Every man has his price." Notwithstanding this trait of character, he was recognized as one of the foremost statesmen of his day and his own acts Vol. 1-18
274
HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY
in public life stand above reproach. He died in 1745, before the commencement of the troubles between the American colonies and the mother country that cul- minated in the Revolution.
THE MEETING HOUSE
The oldest town record bears date of March 30, 1725. That a meeting had been held before that time is evident, and the records of that meeting no doubt contained the names of the first town officers. It is known that Samuel Kingsbury was the first town clerk-elected at the first town meeting and served until 1729.
At the meeting of March 30, 1725, it was voted to build a meeting house, in accordance with the provisions of the act of incorporation. Pending the comple- tion of the meeting house, religious services were conducted by different ministers in the homes of the citizens. After several meetings, it was decided to build the meeting house near the center of the town, and that it was to be 32 by 38 feet in dimensions. It was commenced in 1726, but was not fully completed until several years later. Rev. Joseph Belcher was the first minister called by the town. (See chapters on Church History.)
FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR
In the expedition organized for the invasion of Canada in 1759, a large part of the company commanded by Capt. William Bacon came from Walpole. There were also several men from Walpole in Capt. Eliphalet Fales' company from Dedham. Josiah Lyon and Ebenezer Pratt, of Captain Bacon's company, were either killed or captured; thirteen died of disease during the campaign; and two others-James Weatherbee and Simon Pittee-died soon after they returned to their homes.
The French and Indian war wielded an important influence upon the subse- quent history of Massachusetts. It was closed by the treaty of Paris in 1763, and on March 10, 1764, Lord Grenville, then secretary of state for Great Britain, pro- posed to Parliament to provide for part of the expenses of the war by taxing the American colonies. Then followed the Stamp Act in March, 1765, the first of the acts levying taxes upon the colonists. The men of Walpole, who had fought under the British flag for the conquest of Canada, were now just as ready to resist what they regarded as unjust taxation. On September 26, 1774. they elected Nathaniel Guild as their representative to the Provincial Congress, and on the 19th of December following a town meeting adopted by a unanimous vote the fourteen articles of association submitted to the colonies by the Continental Con- gress that met at Philadelphia on September 5, 1774. The active part taken by Walpole in the Revolution is told in another chapter of this work.
TOWN HALL
When Walpole was incorporated there was neither meeting house nor school house in the town. The first town meetings were therefore held at the house of one of the residents. After the meeting house was sufficiently completed, the town meetings were held in that structure, and still later in the vestry of the First
PUBLIC LIBRARY, WALPOLE
ODD FELLOWS' BUILDING AND TOWN HALL, WALPOLE
275
HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY
Church, where they met as late as 1881, or until the completion of the present town hall. At the annual meeting in 1880 it was voted to build a town house and a building committee, of which George E. Craig was chairman, was appointed to superintend the work. The building was completed the following year and was dedicated on September 28, 1881, Henry E. Fales delivering the historical address. The hall is a substantial brick structure, standing upon an eminence at the corner of Main and Stone streets. The lower floor is fitted up for the town offices and on the second floor is a large hall. In the tower is a clock. The cost of the building was about thirty thousand dollars. It was thoroughly remodeled in 1916.
THE FOUNTAIN
At one side of the square, almost in front of the town hall, stands a granite monument in the shape of a fountain, which was presented to the town by George A. Plimpton in 1907. On the front of the fountain is the inscription : "1755- Erected in grateful recognition of the services of the men of Walpole and vicinity in the French and Indian war. They enlisted not for a livelihood, but with intent to return to their farms and trades, being chiefly influenced to take up arms by a regard for the honor of the King, the defense of their country and the preserva- tion of their religion and liberties."
On the right of the reverse side are the names of Capt. Eliphalet Fales, Capt. Ephraim Wheelock, and thirty-four members of their companies, and on the left the names of Capt. William Bacon, John Clapp and thirty-four members of Cap- tain Bacon's company.
WATERWORKS
By an act of the Legislature, approved on May 2, 1893, the Town of Walpole was authorized to supply its inhabitants with water, using therefor the waters of Spring Brook, Mill Brook, Traphole Brook, artesian or driven wells, etc., and for the purpose of constructing a system of waterworks the town was given power to borrow not more than $125,000, whenever two-thirds of the legal voters gave their assent to such a proposition. At a town meeting called for the purpose, the neces- sary two-thirds vote was obtained and early in 1894 work was commenced.
The source of supply consists of forty driven wells near Lower Brook, just off Washington Street. A pumping station, equipped with machinery installed by the George F. Blake Manufacturing Company, pumps the water from these wells into three standpipes having a combined capacity of 675,000 gallons. From these standpipes the water is distributed to about ninety per cent of the inhabitants through a little more than thirty-one miles of street mains. The water was first turned into the mains for the consumers in the early summer of 1895, in which year the board of water commissioners made their first annual report.
In 1916 the board of water commissioners was composed of Henry B. Plimp- ton, Harry L. Howard and John C. Donnelly. In their annual report for that year they state the net cost of the plant to December 31, 1916, as $214,798.55 ; net debt on December 31, 1916, as $60,300, and the net cost to the town as $51,169.75. During the year 271,032,682 gallons of water were pumped and distributed to the 5,200 consumers, for which the town received in water rates the sum of $22,965.92. There are 241 fire hydrants placed at convenient places throughout the town.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.