USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > History of Plymouth, Norfolk and Barnstable counties, Massachusetts, Vol. I > Part 61
USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > History of Plymouth, Norfolk and Barnstable counties, Massachusetts, Vol. I > Part 61
USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > History of Plymouth, Norfolk and Barnstable counties, Massachusetts, Vol. I > Part 61
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On the 23rd of March, 1649, the Indian chief Massasoit deeded to Captain Myles Standish, Samuel Nash, and Constant Southworth, com- missioners appointed by the Colonial government at Plymouth, a tract of land which now includes the Bridgewaters, a part of Abington, and a part of Hanson, for seven coats, a yard and a half in a coat; nine hatchets, eight hoes, twenty knives, four moose skins, and ten yards and a half of cotton. This contract was made and executed on a small hill in East Bridgewater, a little distance southeast of where the Carver Cotton Gin Works have stood for years past. This territory was called Satucket.
The settlement of East Bridgewater, began in 1660, when Samuel Allen, Jr., son of Samuel Allen, of Braintree, built a house a few rods from where the old Bridgewater branch of the Old Colony Railroad crossed the Matfield River. The next settlers were Nicholas Byram, Thomas Whitman, William Brett, Jr., and Robert Latham. These were the only inhabitants previous to 1676, the time of King Philip's War, when the dwelling houses of all the residents were burned by the In- dians, except that of Nicholas Byram.
On December 14, 1723, the east end of the North Parish of Bridge- water, which then included West and old North Bridgewater, together with nine persons of the South Parish, viz .: Barnabas Seabury, Thomas Latham, Charles Latham, Nicholas Wade, Nathaniel Harden, Thomas Hooper, William Conant, Isaac Lazell, and Joseph Washburn, was made by the General Court, the East Parish of Bridgewater. The first meeting-house was built before the parish was formed, having been raised March 14, 1720.
East Bridgewater was taken from the old town of Bridgewater and incorporated June 14, 1823, with Abington for its northern boundary, Hanson and Halifax on the east, Bridgewater on the south, and West Bridgewater and Brockton on the west, using the present name of North
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Bridgewater, as it was called when the division took place. The geologi- cal structure of East Bridgewater differs somewhat from other towns in the county, inasmuch as there is more clay suitable for brickmaking. Therefore, the making of bricks has for many years been one of the important industries. The deposit of clay is about thirty feet deep and of excellent quality.
There are no large ponds in East Bridgewater, but Robbin's Pond, of about one hundred and forty acres, is partly in East Bridgewater and partly in Halifax. It has an island near the centre, has a well wooded shore and there are numerous summer camps and cottages nearby.
There are several streams large enough to furnish valuable water power, which has always been utilized in the town industries, lumber- ing, making nails, cotton gins, boots and shoes, and other useful things. Black Brook and Poor-Meadow Brook unite in the southerly part of the town to form the Satucket River. Beaver Brook and Snell-Meadow Brook unite in the westerly part of the town and form the Matfield River. Both rivers join at Elmwood and flow into the Winnetuxet River, which flows through Halifax and empties into the Taunton River and thence into the sea.
Hon. Hugh Orr, who was born in Scotland in 1717, came to reside in the town at the age of twenty-one, constructed the first trip-hammer in this part of America, and began the manufacture of scythes. He was the first manufacturer of edge tools in this section. About 1748 he made five hundred muskets for the use of the Province of Massachusetts, and early in the Revolution he manufactured and furnished for the Colonies a great number of iron cannon and several of brass. These guns were cast solid in Titicut, the first of the kind in America, and then taken and bored out at Mr. Orr's manufacturing plant, which stood on the Matfield River. Here, too, under the supervision of Mr. Orr, were made the first machines ever used in America for the carding, spinning, and roping of cotton.
The first nails ever made by machinery in this country were manu- factured in this town. "Probably the first nail completely cut and headed by machinery at one operation, in the world, was made by Samuel Rogers" of this town.
To the inventive genius of Hugh Orr, Samuel Rogers, and Melville Otis, all residents of East Bridgewater, the civilized world is under last- ing obligations.
HALIFAX
Halifax Strong for Education and Poultry - Situated in the geo- graphical centre of Plymouth County, although one of its smallest towns, Halifax maintains nearly all the departments of a city of moderate size,
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having that civic consciousness which makes it a wide-awake town, taking just pride in its past and present and having no fears for its future. It is one of the important poultry-raising towns in the county. The population of the town is less than five hundred persons and taxes were collected in 1926 on 12,302 fowl, valued at $18,560, exclusive of a million or more day-old chicks, sold before they were hatched and delivered within twenty-four hours after.
Fifteen miles from salt water, too far to be a salt water resort and too near to escape its competition, Halifax is a place of summer residence for many people who admire its scenery and cordial atmosphere. There are four hundred and thirty-seven non-residents owning property in Halifax, against one hundred and ninety-seven residents. Monponsett Lakes are bordered by attractive summer homes. The shore of West Lake, one of the Monponsett twins, is the recreation ground for the Boston Young Men's Christian Association, which maintains a summer camp there on seven hundred acres of land.
Many years ago, the late Ira L. Sturtevant, a native and resident of the town more than fourscore years, suggested doing away with a large number of neighborhood schoolhouses, each with a mere handful of pupils requiring a teacher. He suggested, in place of this plan, estab- lishing one graded school in the centre of the town, furnishing trans- portation at the expense of the town for pupils who lived outside of walk- ing distance, employing well qualified teachers. He further advocated sending advanced pupils to High schools in Kingston, Whitman, Bridge- water or other neighboring towns, the town paying the tuition and transportation. The plan was adopted and has been in vogue with much success ever since. John H. Parker, superintendent of schools, said in his report for 1926: "The people of Halifax should take pride in their school plant, as very few towns in the State, of its size, furnish as ade- quate school facilities." The enrollment of pupils in 1926 numbered one hundred and nineteen.
Aside from the instruction given in the public school, there are a large number of boys and girls enrolled in the Four-H clubs of the Plymouth County Extension Service, by means of which they receive instruction in gardening, poultry raising, home economics and various projects which fit them for good citizenship and financial independence. Ralph Sturtevant, a young man of this group, has several years been county champion in poultry raising. In July, 1927, Howard Waterman was selected as the most worthy representative from Plymouth County to go to the National Boys and Girls Camp of the Department of Agriculture at Washington, District of Columbia.
The Halifax Garden Company has a large plant near the Halifax rail- road station and produces some of the best roses grown in America,
TOWN SQUARE, HALIFAX
Geographical center of Plymouth County showing Congregational Church, and old Town Hall, erected in 1733
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FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, ORGANIZED 1728, HANOVER
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sending them to the most exclusive and highest-priced markets.
Some years ago when the Old Colony Railroad Company maintained flower beds around all of its stations, the late George W. Parker was the florist in charge of the system, and the home nurseries and greenhouses, from which the shrubs and plants were supplied, were located in this town, near the present Richmond Park. The park was a gift to the town by the heirs of Andrew Richmond, the wife of George W. Parker being one of them.
Halifax was taken from Plympton, Middleboro, Pembroke and Bridge- water when incorporated July 4, 1734, one year after the first church was built, with Rev. John Cotton as pastor. The Indian name for the territory occupied by Halifax was Monponsett, the name by which the twin lakes in the town have always been known. They are two miles long by half a mile broad and a highway runs between them, over a bridge which marks the place where the forty-second parallel of latitude crosses.
The early residents of Halifax, Sturtevants, Thompsons, Bosworths, Briggs and Watermans principally, named the town in honor of the Duke of Halifax.
The town is bounded on the north by Hanson and Pembroke, on the east by Plympton, on the south by Middleborough and on the west by Bridgewater and East Bridgewater. It is famed for its patriotism and one of the towns in which the wealth has always been remarkably evenly distributed. The principal stream is the Winnetuxet River which flows into the Taunton River, having on its banks several sawmills.
In the Civil War, Halifax furnished ninety-six volunteers and of that number twenty-four were killed in action or died in the service.
Graywacke and granite is the geological formation of Halifax, and it is recorded that nearly 100 years ago Prof. Hitchcock said, "It is ca- pable of being made some of the best land in the State."
Halifax is located 28 miles from Boston. It was here in 1676 that Captain Benjamin Church "captured the Monponsetts and brought them in, not one escaping."
According to tradition, Mr. Sturtevant was the first settler. In 1733 a house of worship was built.
John Cotton, a man of distinction, and author of the "History of Plymouth Church," was first pastor, and others of the early pastors were William Patten, 1757; Ephraim Briggs, 1769-1801; Abel Richmond, Eldridge G. Howe, Rev. Howland, Kimball and Brainard, and William A. Forbes, the last-named being installed in 1866.
Early Episode with English Soldiers-The people of Halifax were uncompromising patriots. Shortly before the Revolution, a soldier named Taylor deserted from the British company stationed at Marsh-
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field and fled to Halifax, to the house of Thomas Drew. Three of the company were detailed to take the deserter back. In effecting this a ruse was resorted to, and one of their number was sent in advance to pretend that he, also, had deserted, hoping to detain him until his two comrades in arms should arrive. Mr. Drew saw through their arts and advised Taylor to flee for his life into the woods, which was quickly done. When the other two had joined their comrade, and found to their chagrin that the bird had flown, they became exceedingly exasperated. They then went to the house of Noah Thompson, who was sick in bed, and threatened to shoot him if he did not reveal the hiding place of the deserter, Taylor. Thompson rose up in bed, and taking down his gun, which hung above his head on wooden hooks, and bringing it to his shoulder, while the fire flashed from his eyes, said, "You are dead men, or leave my house."
They started on their way and by the time they reached the meeting- house, two minute-men, Bradford and Bartlett, belonging to a company then organized in expectancy of trouble with England, ordered them to stop and surrender. Their guns, however, being hors du combat, the British soldiers ordered the minute-men into the road and marched them down to the house of Daniel Dunbar, who was a Tory, and placed them in the house as prisoners.
It was not more than an hour before the house was surrounded by the entire company of minute-men, who demanded the surrender of their comrades. This demand being refused, they threatened to break in and take them by force. The British soldiers retaliated by saying that if they did so, they would instantly kill the two prisoners, who entreated their friends not to molest them as they felt sure the threat would be carried out. It was finally decided upon to send for Josiah Sturtevant, who was a Justice of Peace, under the king, and he decided to bind the prisoners, Bradford and Bartlett, over to the court, to be tried for breaking the law upon the king's highway. Sturtevant sub- sequently was driven away.
The house of Daniel Dunbar, in which the prisoners were detained by the British, was destined to play an interesting part in several epi- sodes before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. It was one of the old Colonial taverns. This historic, large, well-preserved house was still standing twenty-five years ago somewhat back from the main road lead- ing from Bridgewater to Plymouth. For three-quarters of a century it had been the home of the late Ira L. Sturtevant, a prominent citizen of Halifax, who moved to that house as a boy of eight years. Mr. Stur- tevant was blind some few years before his death at the advanced age of eighty-five, and, on account of being able to make the frequent repairs necessitated on a house built before the Revolution, sold it to the late
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J. Levering Jones, of Philadelphia. The Sturtevant acres, about the old house, were added to other farms adjoining, which Mr. Jones had purchased.
As a small boy, Mr. Jones had been cared for by Mr. and Mrs. El- dridge Morton, in the house on the lot now occupied by the Standish Manor School. As a matter of fact the old Morton house, built of brick, is, for the most part, still standing, but the Standish Manor School was built around it, the original brick house being added to but not destroyed, as Mr. Jones had a great affection for the place and wished to preserve the house, with its old fireplaces and mantles, so filled with happy boy- hood recollections.
The Morton house, now Standish Manor, stood on a high bank on the opposite side of the road from the Sturtevant House and, after the purchase of the latter by Mr. Jones, the road was changed to go over practically the site of the Sturtevant house, torn down for that purpose. Mr. Jones' other purchases in Halifax included White's Island, between the Monponsett Lakes; Orchard Point on West Lake, now owned by the Boston Young Men's Christian Association and used by that or- ganization as a summer camp; also the summer settlement on West Lake known as Halifax Beach.
The Ira L. Sturtevant house, previous to the Revolution, was a tavern conducted by Daniel Dunbar, a Loyalist or Tory as those who took sides with the king were commonly called. As a tavern-keeper Dunbar was one of the jovial sort, well suited to the business in which he was en- gaged. Aside from his Toryism he was well regarded as a good citizen of Halifax and the records show that he was chosen to represent the town in some matters of importance from time to time.
Taverns had been instituted following close upon the settlement by the Pilgrims at Plymouth. They were a recognized need. No one thought of them as otherwise than respectable, useful institutions for the comfort and entertainment of travelers and sojourners. Halifax had more than one tavern as soon as it became a considerable village, and Daniel Dunbar was licensed by the General Court to draw wine and beer and furnish good fare and sleeping accommodations for those in need of such comforts.
An inn-keeper in those days was fined for selling any one person an immoderate quantity of liquor, and there was a period when he was responsible for the good behavior of his guests and required to furnish bonds accordingly. Among the curiosities of Colonial legislation was a law prescribing how much should be paid for a morning dram. In 1634 sixpence was the legal charge for a meal, and a penny for an ale quart of beer, at an inn, and the landlord was liable to ten shillings fine if he made a greater charge. He was also liable to a fine if he refused to sell the quantity allowed to be drank on the premises.
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Rev. Dr. Dwight, the eminent scholar and divine, visited every part of New England, and frequently said he often "found his warmest wel- come at an inn." He also said: "The best old-fashioned New England inns were superior to any of the modern ones. There was less bustle, less parade, less appearance of doing a great deal to gratify your wishes, than at the reputable modern inns; but much more was actually done, and there was much more comfort and enjoyment. In a word, you found in these inns the pleasures of an excellent private house. If you were sick you were nursed and befriended as in your own family. To finish the story, your bills were always equitable, calculated on what you ought to pay, and not upon the scheme of getting the most which extortion might think proper to demand."
Dunbar's Ride a Community Affair-It is fair to presume that Daniel Dunbar's tavern was of this sort and a place in which the people of Halifax took pride, up to a certain time when the inn-keeper differed in political convictions with his neighbors. The way they met that issue will be related later.
To finish a description of the taverns or inns in Halifax and other towns in Plymouth County, most of which were larger than Halifax, as is the case today, they were places where the jovial sought entertain- ment and the gathering places of the people of importance in the neigh- borhood. Drinking at funerals, weddings, church-raisings and even at ordinations was sanctioned by custom. The person who refused to furnish liquor on such occasions would have been guilty of breach of ordinary politeness. So long as the Sturtevant house existed, the bar room, the floor of which was raised a step above the floor of the entrance hall, remained as it had been when the house was a Colonial tavern.
Daniel Dunbar, the proprietor in 1774, was an ensign of Militia in Halifax that year and was forty-one years of age. He had held meetings with others who disagreed with the colonists who favored revolution and his manner became offensive to the people of Halifax who were dis- tressed that a man of such prominence in their community should be a Tory. One night nearly all the men of the town and no doubt a large number of the boys and perhaps some women went to the tavern and demanded of Dunbar his Militia colors. He refused and they forced him out of the house, placed him on a fence rail, where for three hours, he was held and tossed up and down until he became exhausted. He was then compelled to sign a confession that he had used language offen- sive to his neighbors in his conversation about the struggle for liberty which was imminent and had given aid and comfort to the King's soldiers. He was allowed a limited time to get out of town.
.In 1776, he went to Halifax, Nova Scotia, with the Royal Army. In 1778, he was proscribed and banished.
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Dunbar was born in Hingham, March 8, 1733. He had a nephew, Jesse Dunbar, also born in Hingham, June 26, 1744, who was also a Tory, a resident of Bridgewater.
When Dunbar signed his confession, he was given a brief time in which to leave town. Knowing the disposition of those with whom he had to deal, he busied himself in packing such belongings as he could take with him and check out properly. Years afterward, some strangers called at the house, asked permission to go into the attic, as they said one of their ancestors formerly lived there, and they wished to examine the way in which the house was constructed. The request was allowed and, later, when the new owner went to the attic, he found that one of the wide boards in the floor had been taken up, replaced but not renailed. Lifting the board, he was greatly surprised to find a secret chamber, next to the huge chimney. The chamber was empty but what it con- tained a few hours before and whether Dunbar had secreted property there which the strangers came after, is one of the matters of conjecture connected with the house.
A few years ago, when Mr. Jones had the house torn down, there was another surprise when it was found one of the lower corner rooms was walled with brick, hidden by boarding outside and plastering inside.
Military Responses Prompt in All Wars-June 7, 1777, the town voted to give $150 for men to fill the quota, provided they enlisted for three years, or during the war. Among the Revolutionary soldiers was a slave owned by Caleb Sturtevant. Among the "Haligonians" who served in the Continental Army were Nathaniel Holmes, James Tillson, Josiah Thompson, Prince Witherel, Consider Pratt, Home Sears, Zebediah Thompson, Joshua Former, Elisha Faxon, Joseph Tillson, Richard Bos- worth.
In 1812, the town furnished an entire military company, which was commanded by Captain Asa Thompson, popularly known as the "tall Captain," who was six feet, six inches in height, and it is said that people would collect around South Boston Bridge to see him march his company over. This company was the oldest in the State, chartered by John Hancock in 1792, also serving in the Civil War. It was one of the first organizations to respond to the call of President Lincoln, April 16, 1861.
Halifax suffered severely in the Civil War, losing twenty-four men out of a population of 739, of ninety-six volunteers. The same spirit was shown in the World War.
The early manufacturing interests of the town were destroyed by fire on July 5th, 1848. One woolen mill and three houses were destroyed, thus compelling about 50 workers to seek employment elsewhere.
Since that time the industries of the town have been largely lumber-
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ing and agriculture, especially poultry-raising. While shipbuilding was an important industry in Kingston and Duxbury, cutting ship timber and carting it to the shipyards furnished profitable employment for many. Sawing lumber and manufacturing shoe boxes for the manufac- turers of Brockton and other shoe towns has also been carried on.
Halifax has had a hotel in the centre of its summer colony on the Monponsett Lakes forty years, open throughout the year and doing a good business. The present proprietor, Robert F. Shindler, is a son of Maurice Schindler, who started the hotel twoscore years ago and conducted it until his death.
Sturtevant Murder in 1874-There have been only two murderers exe- cuted in Plymouth County, although there have been more than that number pay the death penalty for taking human life. Since making electrocution the method of execution, all death penalties are adminis- tered at the State Prison at Charlestown.
The first execution in Plymouth County was that of William Everett Sturtevant, a veteran of the Civil War, who killed Thomas and Simeon Sturtevant, two elderly residents of Halifax, and their housekeeper, Mrs. Mary Buckley. A stake, stolen from an ox sled belonging to a farmer a mile away from the scene of the murder, was the instrument of death.
Sturtevant was a nephew of Thomas and Simeon Sturtevant and it is supposed went to the house, about a mile from the center of Halifax, and informed Mrs. Buckley that her services were needed by a neighbor. Simeon Sturtevant had retired and Thomas Sturtevant was in the barn making everything comfortable for the stock before retiring. The murderer evidently followed Mrs. Buckley out of the house, killed her with the stake, used the same instrument to kill Simeon by striking him in the face as he lay in bed, encountered Thomas in the kitchen and killed him by crushing in his skull by blows on the back of the head.
No one knows in what order the murders were committed or under what pretence the housekeeper was induced to leave the house. The motive was robbery, as the murderer searched the premises for money which was hidden in numerous places. One of the first uses to which he put some of this money was paying a long-standing grocery bill at a neighboring store.
The murder was committed Sunday, February 15, 1874. Sturtevant wsa placed on trial June 29 for the murder of Simeon Sturtevant. Counsel for the government was Charles R. Train, attorney general ; and Asa French, district attorney. Counsel for the defence was J. B. Harris of Rockland, Jesse E. Keith of Abington and Arthur Lord of Plymouth. The trial lasted five days and Sturtevant was found guilty of murder in the first degree.
TOWN HALL, HANOVER
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JOHN CURTIS LIBRARY, HANOVER
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He was executed, according to law, by hanging, in the yard of the jail at Plymouth. Attempts were made to have him confess the crime but he answered that he was leaving his children a bad enough legacy without leaving a statement from him regarding participation in a murder.
One of the deputy sheriffs who assisted at the execution of William E. Sturtevant was the late George A. Wheeler of East Bridgewater, later of Brockton. Referring to the matter in a conversation with the writer some years ago, Mr. Wheeler said: "When William Sturtevant was arrested charged with the murder of Simeon Sturtevant we carried to Plymouth jail as undesirable a person as could have been found in any county. When I helped lead him to the gallows, I helped lead a good citizen of Massachusetts. So far as I know he had not 'experienced religion,' as the saying is, but he responded to humane treatment while a prisoner at the jail and I believe would have been an entirely different man if allowed to live. I have no excuses to make for William Sturte- vant. I merely tell you my convictions after observing the change which came over him."
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