History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 40

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1534

USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 40

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He has recently devoted much time to the con-

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struction of the Milford, Franklin, and Providence Railroad, of which he is president, and its construc- tion is due to his untiring efforts. He was incor- porator, and is director of Franklin Rubber Company, president of Putnam Manufacturing Company, and of the manufacturing corporations at Woonsocket and City Mills.

JOSEPH G. RAY, youngest son of Joseph and Lydia (Paine) Ray, was born in South Mendon, now East Blackstone, Oct. 4, 1831. When but a lad of eight he began life's battle by working all his spare time morning and evening in his brother's mill at Unionville making twine. When twelve he attended school one year in Nashua, N. H. His vacations were passed in the mill, where he became expert in the methods of manufacture. In 1847, having saved money enough for his expenses, he attended school another year in Walpole, N. H. In 1850 he engaged with his brother Frank, receiving four hundred and fifty dollars yer year for his services, and during the year started the first "rag-picker" and manufactured the first " shoddy" made in New England. In 1851, in connection with James, he formed the firm of Ray Brothers, and bought the property in South Mendon-then owned by Jenckes & Scott-where their father commenced the manufacture of cotton machinery. In 1854 he married Emily, daughter of Col. Joseph Rockwood, of Bellingham. Their chil- dren are Lydia P. and Annie R. (Mrs. Adelbert D. Thayer). From 1861 to 1871, Mr. Ray resided in Unionville ; from thence removed to Franklin, where he still lives.

His summer residence is the old homestead of Col. Rockwood, which Mr. Ray has taken much pains to make a model home. He has spared no expense in this, as the elegant building and elaborate surround- ings clearly indicate. He is a lover of fine horses and stock, and has done much to improve the quality of both. He has made several importations of Holstein cattle, of which he owns a fine herd. One of the most unique features of this farm is its fish pond, well stocked with German carp, surrounded by a pri- vate race-course. Republican in politics, in 1859, when but twenty-eight years old, Mr. Ray was chosen representative from Blackstone in the State Legisla- ture, of which he was the youngest member, and in 1869 was elected to represent his district in the State Senate. Universalist in religious belief, he was one of the trustees of the church, and the intimate friend, confidant, and adviser of the late Dr. Dean in the building of Dean Academy and the Universalist Church of Franklin, and was the executive of the doctor's bequests, to which he gave his whole time

and attention for several years, carrying the entire financial responsibility. To him more than to any other living man are the people of Franklin and the Universalist society indebted for the completion of the beautiful church and Dean Academy. By his kind- ness of heart, unfailing courtesy, his known integrity, fine social qualities, skill in business and financial operations, Mr. Ray has won the respect and confi- dence of his fellow-citizens, and particularly of those who have been brought into intimate connection with him. He is treasurer of various manufacturing cor- porations, was an incorporator, and is director and treasurer of the Milford, Franklin and Providence Rail- road Company. As a business man he has few if any superiors. Both James and Joseph have contributed largely to church advancement and support. They have been connected personally and financially with every im- portant business undertaking begun in Franklin since the organization of the firm of Ray Brothers. In 1856 their mill at South Mendon was burned, and imme- diately rebuilt. In 1858 they sold a right to raise a dam for a new mill built by Edward Harris in the north part of Woonsocket. This caused the water to flow back and so injure their manufactory at South Mendon that they closed up business there, removing the machinery to Unionville. Frank B. retired from the firm of Ray Brothers in 1860, the business being continued by the two other members under firm-title of J. P. & J. G. Ray. This firm purchased the Bartlett mill at Woonsocket, where they manufactured cotton sheetings, and in 1873 they, with Oscar J. Rathburn, president of the Harris Woolen Company, formed the firm of Rays, Rathburn & Co., which now owns and operates Jenckesville Mills, of Woon- socket. In 1865, J. P. & J. G. Ray purchased the woolen-mill in North Bellingham, which was built in 1810 by their father, and of which he was part owner. Here they manufacture satinets as Ray Woolen Com- pany. Their first mill in Franklin was built in 1870, and used in making " shoddy." The firm of Rathburn & Mackenzie was formed in 1872 by James P. and Joseph G. Ray, Oscar J. Rathburn, and Charles J. Mackenzie, and built a mill for the manufacture of feltings. In 1874, J. P. & J. G. Ray purchased an in- terest in Franklin Felting Company, reorganizing it as Franklin Woolen Company. In 1877 they built a brick mill at Franklin in which to manufacture fancy cassimeres. In 1876 they purchased the original mill of the Putnam Manufacturing Company, at Putnam, which was built by Hosea Ballou, of Woonsocket, and also City Mills, in Franklin. Their business and finan- cial progress since 1847 has been steady and satisfac- tory. Commencing in both branches of textile indus-

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tries with the lower grades of work, they have advanced step by step, making, in cottons, first batting, next wicking, next twine, then seamless bags, and finally finished cloths. In woolen, first shoddy, next satinets, then fancy cassimeres, without abandoning any branch on taking up another.

EDGAR K. RAY, son of James P. and Susan (Knapp) Ray, was born in Franklin, Mass., July 17, 1844. After a common-school and academic educa- tion, was fitted for business by his father and uncles, | which, with temporary absences, has been his home to and has been associated with them since 1865, and in 1870 became a partner in both the firms of J. P. & J. G. Ray, and Ray, Rathburn & Mackenzie. He is treasurer of Putnam Manufacturing Company, and vice-president of their Woonsocket corporation ; is an active, energetic, and successful business man.

SHADRACH ATWOOD, M.D.

Shadrach Atwood, M.D., was born in Carver, Plymouth Co., Mass., May 17, 1801. His parents were Francis and Elizabeth (Ward) Atwood. His grandfather, Benjamin Ward, was a captain in the colonial army of the Revolution, and his grandfather, William Atwood, was a lieutenant in the same service. Francis Atwood was a farmer, and in 1811 he purchased a farm in Middleborough, and removed thither. Shadrach remained with his parents until he was twenty-one, having advantages of education only in a small district school until he was nineteen, when he attended the academy at South Bridgewater. A few months thereafter he engaged as teacher in a district school, but becoming acquainted with a new and remarkably successful system of teaching gram- mar, he engaged in teaching that as a specialty, with marked results for some time. He then began the study of Latin preparatory to a college course, and when twenty-two years old he went to Amherst, and, after some preliminary academical study, entered Amherst College, where he remained ahout eighteen months. Here he made rapid progress, showing those qualities of determination and tenacity of pur- pose so strongly shown in his entire career, and which, when a mere child, caused his father to say, " I never told Shadrach to do a thing which he did not accomplish, and never heard him say 'I can't do it.' " About 1825 he began the study of medicine under Dr. Arad Thompson, of Middleborough, but after a few months went to Boston, and attended three courses of lectures at Harvard Medical School,

becoming also a student in the office and assisting in the practice of the celebrated Dr. Winslow Lewis. He made good use of the opportunities afforded him, and was graduated from Harvard in February, 1830. He soon commenced his long and successful medical practice by establishing himself at Marlboro', whence, after eighteen months' time, he removed to Belling- ham, where he was located for several years. In 1836 or 1837 he changed his residence to Franklin, the present. In 1878 he gave up active practice, and retired after a professional career of success and profit of nearly half a century. He built up a large practice, was active, energetic, and won many friends. His nature is positive, and from peculiar circum- stances he was early thrown entirely on his own re- sources in his profession, and developed self-reliance, care, and close observation-almost minute-of all his cases. He was remarkable for his skill in diagnosing disease, and very successful in his treat- ment. He made his profession his life work, and gave to it all the strength of his manhood and the vigor of his nature. In 1866 he removed to Wrentham, where he resided four years. While re- turning to Franklin, and while some of his goods had been conveyed thither, an incendiary fire burned the house in Wrentham, with his library, books of account, and much other valuable property. Notwithstanding these and other reverses, he is to-day one of Frank- lin's substantial cititzens.

In politics, in early life he was an "Old Line Whig," departing from the Democratic principles of his fathers, but after the dissolution of the Whig party he affiliated with the Democratic party, and has since supported it and its candidates. In 1847 he was elected to represent the town of Franklin in the State Legislature by an unprecedented majority, and while in the Legislature was largely instrumental in securing the charter for the Norfolk County Railroad (an extension of the railroad from Walpole to Black- stone), which gave railroad facilities to Franklin, and marked a new era in its growth and prosperity. Of this road he was one of the incorporators. He was at one time a director of the Benjamin Franklin Savings Bank, of Franklin.

He married (1) Nov. 28, 1832, Mrs. Ruth M. Pond, daughter of Cyrus and Ruth (Makepeace) Snow. She died, leaving no offspring, Nov. 7, 1862; (2) Nov. 27, 1878, Charlotte M., daughter of Walter Harris Gay and Sally A. Hawkins, his wife. She is a native of Franklin.

Dr. Atwood has stood high among his profes- sional brethren, has honored his domestic rela-

Shadrach TITEL

Stephen W. Richardson

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tions, his social and official obligations, and enjoys the esteem of a large and honorable circle of friends and acquaintances.

STEPHEN W. RICHARDSON.

The origin of the family name of Richardson, which is so numerously represented in this portion of the State, and, in fact, through the whole country, is thus given in an English work, " Camden's Remains Concerning Brittaine :" " William Belward, Lord of the moiety of Malpasse, soon after the Norman Con- quest, had two sons; the younger, Richard, named from his size Richard the Little. One of the sons of the last-named Richard was called John Richardson, taking his father's name with the addition of son for his surname. Hence came the name and family of Richardson." It is now found in nearly every county of England, and during the past seven hundred years has been prominent in nearly all departments of human life, civil, military, literary, and ecclesiastical. Of the numerous descendants of the old Norman settling in America in early colonial days, we find John Richardson, at Watertown, in 1636, perhaps in 1635. Vinton, in his " Richardson Memorial," say- of him : " Feb. 28, 1836-37, he and 'all the towns- men then inhabiting' had each a grant of one acre in the Beaver Brook Plowlands, 'bounded on the Great Dividend Lots on the north side, and Charles River on the south.' This, we believe, was all the land he owned in Watertown. It forbids the idea of his re- maining there, and so we find him no more in that place. We find him, or another of the same name, in Exeter, in 1642, as a witness to a deed, and probably shall not err if we set him down as the ancestor of that large and eminently respectable family of Richard- son who, from 1679, spread themselves out through Medfield, Medway, Wrentham, Franklin, Leominster, Barre, and many other towns."

17, 1774, aged ninety-five. They had twelve chil- dren, of whom John (4) was second. He was born in Medway (Old Medfield), Oct. 22, 1701. He married, May 5, 1730, Jemima, daughter of Edward and Rebecca (Fisher) Gay. (She was born in what is now called Franklin, then Wrentham.) When he was twenty-three years old his father purchased fifty- four acres of wild land for him, paying therefor £60. (This is now a part of the Stephen W. Richardson farm.) Mr. Richardson was an energetic, active, and capable man of business, and bought and sold much property. He was a carpenter by trade. Both he and his wife were church members early in life. When the church in the West Precinct of Wrentham, now Franklin, was formed (Feb. 27, 1738), they were among the number dismissed from the Wren- tham Church to constitute this. He died Nov. 5, 1767. His wife survived him, living till Dec. 26, 1782. They had seven children. John (5) was third child and second son. He was born July 2, 1735. While a young man he worked at his trade, house-carpentry. He married, Nov. 23, 1757, Abigail, daughter of Deacon Moses and Hannah (Walker) Haven, and cousin of Rev. Elias Haven, the first minister of Franklin. For ten years he lived in Framingham, but after his father's death he returned to Franklin (Wrentham), and buying the homestead from his brothers, Elisha and Eli, resided there until his death. This deed was dated April 6, 1770, and, for £200, transfers eighty-five acres of land, with all buildings thereon.

" During nearly thirty years John Richardson was the nearest neighbor of his brother Elisha. They lived less than a third of a mile apart. They were strongly attached to each other, and lived in great harmony, having farming implements and other things in common. John, in particular, was a man of great amiableness and gentleness of character." . His will was made May 4, 1809, the day of his death, -- In his will " John Wilkes Richardson, laborer," is called " my only beloved son." He gave him by deed, Sept. 16, 1796, one-half of the homestead farm, contain- ing one hundred acres, and one-half of the dwelling- house and other buildings thereon.

John Richardson (2), believed by Vinton after careful investigation to be son of the above, married in Medfield, Rebekah, daughter of Joseph and Alice Clark, early settlers in Medfield, then Dedham, and settled in East Medway, where he died May 29, This JOHN WILKES RICHARDSON was the sixth in direct descent from John the emigrant, and was born in Franklin, Mass., Dec. 30, 1774. He lived and died on the ancestral home owned in the family from 1724. He was a farmer, of sound judgment and great worth. He taught common schools in Franklin and adjacent towns for thirty-one successive winters. He was for several years an assessor of 1697. (See " Richardson Memorial.") He had seven children, the oldest of whom, John (3), born Aug. 25, 1679, married Esther Breck, whose father assisted in repelling Indian assaults on the garrison house at East Medway. He was a cordwainer by trade, as was his father, but abandoned that for hus- bandry. He had a number of tracts of land, and died May 19, 1759. His wife died of cancer, Aug. | Franklin, and held other offices of trust. It is worthy

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of note that he was the first child with a middle name baptized in Franklin. He married Matilda Kings- bury, Nov. 3, 1796, and had three children,-Abigail, (married Noyes Payson Hawes), John Haven, and Stephen Wilkes. He died Sept. 15, 1843.

STEPHEN WILKES RICHARDSON, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, is the seventh in direct de- scent from John Richardson the emigrant, the line being John1, John2, John3, John4, John5; John Wilkes6, Stephen Wilkes7. He was born March 30, 1813, on the homestead mentioned above, which, in an improved condition, is now his home. He was educated at the common schools of Franklin, and at Day's Academy, Wrentham, and early became a teacher. He had good success in this avocation, but after several terms he relinquished it for book-keep- ing. He was book-keeper in the office of the Boston Journal when that paper was established in 1834; it was then called the Mercantile Journal. He married, first, May 6, 1835, Eliza, daughter of Amos and Abi- gail Bullard, of East Medway, who died Oct. 17, 1844 ; second, Feb. 6, 1845, Mary Bullard, sister of Eliza. She died April 30, 1883. His five children were all by his first wife, of whom two, John War- ren and Henry Bullard, now are living. Mr. Rich- ardson has been chairman of the town board of asses- sors almost consecutively for twenty-five years ; repre- sented the towns of Franklin and Bellingham in the State Legislature in 1858; was assistant assessor of internal revenue for United States government from 1862 to 1871; was trial justice from 1871 to 1874 ; has been continuously engaged in probate business since 1843, and settled many estates, besides holding other offices of prominence and trust. He has fre- quently been requested to act as referee in the settle- ment of controversies between parties, and very seldom has an appeal been taken from the award or decision made by him. In all relations of official trust and private business Mr. Richardson has shown rare good judgment and sterling integrity. Quiet and un- assuming in his manners, he is firm of principle and courageous in his convictions, and no man ever more fully enjoyed the esteem of the solid men and sub- stantial citizens of his vicinity than he.

JOHN WARREN RICHARDSON (eighth generation), born Sept. 8, 1839, is engaged in agriculture, and has built up, in connection therewith, a fruit-canning business of considerable importance. He has been thrice married, first, Dec. 4, 1862, to Elmira L. Ma- son, daughter of Orion and Tama Walker Mason, of Medway ; she died May 18, 1874 ; second, April 22, 1875, to Sarah A. Metcalf, of Medway. His chil- dren are John M., Mary, William S., and Henry (de-

ceased), by his first wife ; by his second wife, Albert M., Helen E., and George W.

HENRY BULLARD RICHARDSON (eighth genera- tion), born May 21, 1844, prepared for college at Phillips (Exeter) Academy ; was graduated from Amherst College in 1869; married, July 13, 1869, Mary E. Lincoln, of Amherst. They have three children,-Mary L., Carrie A., and Henry S. Mr. Richardson is now professor of German in Amherst College.

CHAPTER XVIII.

RANDOLPH.

BY A. E. SPROUL.

To attempt a just treatment, within circumscribed limits, of a town so rich in historical material as Ran- dolph, is almost an impertinence in itself. It not only necessitates the vigorous application of the literary pruning-knife in the lopping off of many details which, to the reader, are none the less inter- esting because in some respects trivial, but it also compels the omission of those quaint old letters, docu- ments, and memoranda of various kinds, which serve so well in giving an insight into the home-life of the original settlers, their means of instruction or amuse- ment, and their humble every-day avocations. But what must be, must be. Some day, and by some gifted hand, the history of this ancient town will be worthily written. For present purposes, however, what follows may, perhaps, in some degree serve to present a few facts, which may do their greatest good in supplying suggestions for that other writer who is to come after, while, at the same time, they are not altogether without present interest.

General History .- Randolph is the daughter of Braintree and the mother of Holbrook. It came very near being the twin-sister of Quincy, which had said " good.by " to the mother-town but a year earlier, and there is little doubt that the setting off of the last-named town served to stimulate to renewed | efforts the advocates of separation who lived at the opposite extremity of the ancient town of Braintree. The latter was incorporated in 1640. In 1775 it contained two thousand four hundred and thirty-three inhabitants, and in 1790 the number had increased to two thousand seven hundred and seventy-one. The town was divided into three precincts,-North, Middle, and South. The North Precinct included

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substantially the present town of Quincy ; the Middle, the present town of Braintree ; the South, the present towns of Randolph and Holbrook. At a meeting of the South Precinct, held March 15, 1792, it was ." And as travelling is often very bad at March and April meetings, it is difficult, & many times impossible for Elderly & in- firm people to improve the Priviliges they might otherwise do ; & which every free man wishes to enjoy. Many other disadvantages peculiar to your Petitioners' extreem situation in the town- will be made more fully to appear should your Honors grant them a hearing. voted "that Samuel Niles, Esq., Lieut. Nathaniel Niles, Dr. Ephraim Wales, Joseph White, Samuel Bass, and Col. Seth Turner be a committee, with dis- cretionary power, to endeavor to effect a separation between this parish and Mr. Weed's parish, by | measuring and forming a plan of the two parishes, " And your petitioners wish further to sugest, that the South Precinct aforesaid, in its present form, is very incommodious & irregular and was owing originally to a Cause, which now ceases to exist : viz : When the Division of the middle & South Precinct was first proposed, the Revd Mr Niles was Min- ister of both in one, and owned a large farm, which incircled several other farms, that lay within the bounds of the proposed South Precinct ; but the Revd Mr Niles being willing his own farm should lye within the limits of his own parish-opposed the South parish's going off unless he might be thus gratified : and as he was then a man of much Influence, your Petitioners were obliged to relinquish said farms, or continue, very much to sustaining the claims of the South Parish for a di- vision before the General Court, or doing anything they may think proper for the purpose aforesaid." At a precinct meeting specially warned and held June 15, 1792, it was voted that, " Whereas, a petition has been presented to the General Court for a division of the town of Braintree, by a large number of signers, Hon. Samuel Niles, Dr. Ephraim Wales, Samuel Bass, Col. Seth Turner, Seth Mann, Joseph White, | their disadvantage, a part of his parish-the former of the two

and Lieut. Nathaniel Niles be chosen a committee, with discretionary powers, to sustain the aforesaid petition until the passage of it shall be granted." Judge Samuel Niles, the chairman of the committee, was a resident in the south part of the present town of Braintree. It was intended and expected by the petitioners that Cranberry Brook, leading from Co- chato River to Cranberry Pond, would be the divid- ing line between the two towns; but that line being objected to, it was finally decided that the division line should run so as to include the farm of Judge Niles in Braintree, and not in Randolph. The peti- tion was warmly opposed, yet the prayer of it was ultimately granted, and the South Precinct was in- corporated as a town March 9, 1793, by the name of Randolph.

At the State-House in Boston are preserved many interesting old documents relating to Randolph, most of them being petitions, etc., of the period just pre- vious to the incorporation of the town. As specimens, a copy of one of the leading petitions in favor of the setting off of the town is below given, followed by a | sample " remonstrance," and, further on, by a copy of | the act of incorporation and annexed document :

" To the Honble Senate, and the Honble House of Representa- tives in General Court assembled :

" The Petition of the Inhabitants of the South Precinct of Braintree most respectfully shews-That your Petitioners from long Experience have found the inconvenience of being Con- nected with the other parts of the town of Braintree-As the town is very long & narrow ; the Centre of said South Precinct is more than five miles distant from the middle precinct meeting house : which is the usual and most convenient place of holding town meetings, while the town remains in its present form : which makes it necessary that nearly one half of your Peti- tioners should travel five miles and upwards to attend every

town meeting : or otherwise which is frequently the Case ; they are oblig'd to submit to the Centre of the town's transacting the whole of the Business : which they do, as your Petitioners think, with a very Partial Eye to their own Interests.

evils-they submitted to. But circumstances relative to said farms are now far different : a considerable part of said Mr. Niles's farm is now owned by Residents in the South Precinct- and the Proprietors of the other farms aforesaid, are desirous of improving the advantages they ought long since to have en- joyed, by joining the South Precinct-as they are much nearer to that meeting than their own. Your Petitioners wish, there- fore, to be set off from the other parts of the town of Brain- tree, in connection with the proprietors of the aforesaid farms, as a seperate town : and your Petitioners as in Duty bound shall ever pray :

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History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 40

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1534

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1534