History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 107

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1706

USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 107

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Lawyers .- There are two lawyers in this town,- Charles H. Edson and Edgar O. Achron.

Physicians .- The present physicians are H. F. Copeland, A. A. MacKeen, and B. F. Hastings.

Post-Offices .- Previous to 1844 there was no post- office at South Abington. Elihu Hobart, at that time postmaster at Abington, used to bring the mail for the residents of this locality daily. In 1844 "South Abington" post-office was established, and William Bonney appointed postmaster. He held the office until his death, in 1847. Cyrus A. Dyer was ap- pointed his successor, and was postmaster until 1861, when George W. Recd was appointed, holding the office two years. Albert Davis was then commissioned, and

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HISTORY OF SOUTH ABINGTON.

is the present incumbent. He was reappointed Jan. 18, 1882, for four years. In 1863 the office paid four hundred dollars; business however increased until, in 1878, the salary became twelve hundred dol- lars. In the same year "South Abington Station" post-office was established ; Joseph Pettee, Jr., post- master, with a salary of five hundred dollars. He is postmaster at the present time.

Ecclesiastical History .- The Congregational Church was organized Aug. 19, 1807. The church was formed by sixteen members leaving the Third Church in Bridgewater (now East Bridgewater). Rev. Daniel Thomas was the first pastor, and was ordained the same day of the dedication of the new house of worship, June 1, 1808. Mr. Thomas ministered to this people about thirty-five years, and resigned in 1842. He died Jan. 5, 1847, aged sixty-eight years. Rev. Dennis Powers succeeded Mr. Thomas in 1842. The following-named ministers have been pastors of this church in the order named: Rev. Alden Haynes, Alfred Goldsmith, Henry L. Edwards, W. F. Ober, John Thomson, F. P. Tompkins, B. M. Frink. Present membership, two hundred and thirty-four.

The South Abington Methodist Episcopal Church was not the outgrowth of a purely sectarian policy. It was suggested spontaneously to many minds dwelling in that part of the town where the church is located. It grew out of the conscious moral needs of that part of the community, and it was thought by persons members of other churches in the town that a Methodist Episcopal Church would do better than any other not represented in the town be- cause of its aggressive spirit, its adaptability to all classes of society, and its well-tested polity as espe- cially exemplified in its method of ministerial supply. A few persons thus encouraged established a Meth- odist preaching service in Union Hall in the year 1874, the first sermon being delivered on Sunday, January 4th. From this time to the meeting of the Providence (now New England Northern ) Conference, in March of the same year, the preaching was by students from the School of Theology of Boston University.

At the meeting of the Annual Conference, Rev. E. L. Hyde, a member of the Conference, was appointed, March 30, 1874, to take charge of the new " enter- prise" at South Abington. Mr. Hyde was cordially received by the people, and immediately set about the organization of the movement into a Methodist Epis- copal Church, the first Quarterly Conference being held by the presiding elder, Rev. W. V. Morrison, on the 8th of May, 1879, the young society having at

that time a membership of twelve. Mr. Hyde was reappointed in the spring of 1875, and felt that the time had come for building a church edifice for the young and growing society. To this end a lot was donated by the well-known tack firm of Dunbar, Ho- bart & Whidden in a convenient locality on South Avenue, and subscriptions were solicited for a build- ing fund. In addition to contributions by people in South Abington, money was contributed by persons and churches in Brockton, East Bridgewater, New Bedford, Providence, and many other places. As none of these gifts were large, and, in addition to the subscriptions in the place, Mr. Hyde, by personal visitation and otherwise, obtained contributions from sixteen cities and towns, in three different States, some idea can be obtained of the financial labors of the first pastor. In fact, Mr. Hyde was the man for the place ; for not merely did he attend to the gath- ering of small sums of fifty cents and upwards until it aggregated nearly four thousand dollars, but, being a practical architect, he drew the plans and specifica- tions for the proposed edifice.

The ground was broken July 27, 1876, and the building was dedicated Feb. 24, 1877, Bishop Ran- dolph S. Foster, of the same denomination, preaching at the morning service. The structure is of Gothic architecture, and will seat two hundred and fifty per- sons, and, with three other rooms beside the main au- dience-room, is well adapted to the present wants of the society, and tasty within and without.

According to the law of limitation in the Method- ist Episcopal Church, a pastor is only appointed to a church for one year, but may be reappointed the two successive years. The full extent of his stay at one time in any church is therefore three years. Mr. Hyde remained at South Abington three years.

At the end of his three years the Rev. W. H. Starr was appointed pastor, April 16, 1877. Various improvements were made during Mr. Starr's pastor- ate. The second year of his term was marked by great spiritual prosperity, a large number of persons being affected by the spiritual power which went out from the church. The moral tone of the whole com- munity was directly influenced, and this in the minds of many was a sufficient justification for the estab- lishment of the church.

On the 13th of April, 1880, Rev. J. G. Switzer, a probationer in the Conference, was appointed to South Abington. Mr. Switzer's health was not firm, and he was compelled to resign the succeeding year (July, 1881), but during his term of office the church con- tinued to go forward in all that a church should. Mr. Switzer's second year was completed by G. A.

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IIISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

Reeder, Jr., a theological student in Boston Uni- versity.

In April, 1882, the present incumbent, Rev. S. H. Day, was appointed to take charge of the South Abington Methodist Episcopal Church.

Although the church at the present writing (1884) only dates back ten years as an organization, its his- tory already has been one of healthy growth. Its characteristics thus far have been Christian unity, aggressiveness, and steady attention to the true work of an Evangelical church. At the present rate of growth, another decade will bring it to a point of efficiency undreamed of by any of its most sanguine organizers.

Its class-leaders, who in the economy of Methodism are sub-pastors, are, at the date of this writing, Lucius Cook and T. E. Tenny.

Its stewards, who have charge of the temporal con- eerns,-Ambrose Bosworth, T. F. Bosworth, T. E. Tenny, Lucius Cook, Horatio N. Winslow, W. F. Stacy, T. G. Higgins, A. T. Le Baron. Its trustees, who hold the church property in trust for the uses of the Methodist Episcopal Church (one-third of whom are not required to be members of the church), are T. Frank Bosworth, A. Bosworth, L. Cook, T. F. Thayer, Joseph D. Benson, T. E. Tenny, T. G. Higgins.

First Baptist Church .- This church was organ- ized Oct. 30, 1822. The delegates to the council were Rev. Thomas Baldwin, D.D., from Second Church in Boston ; Rev. Daniel Sharp, from Third Church in Boston ; Rev. John Butler, from Hanover Church ; Rev. Thomas Conant, from Marshfield Church ; Rev. Joseph Torrey, from Pembroke and Hanson Church. Rev. Dr. Baldwin was chosen moderator ; Rev. J. Torrey, scribe. The following persons, who were present, were invited to join the council : Rev. Joel Briggs, Deacon Heman Lincoln, Deacon Levi Farwell, Deacon William Eames, and Ezra Chamberlain. The following record in the church book presents a brief account of the action taken on that occasion : " The brethren present wish- ing to unite together as a church read and adopted their articles of faith and practice, and solemnly cov- enanted together as a church of our Lord Jesus Christ, much to the satisfaction of the council. Whereupon the council resolved unanimously pub- licly to recognize them this afternoon as a sister church of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the name of the First Baptist Church of Christ in Abington."

The first house of worship was situated on the site occupied by the present onc, the land having been purchased of Levi Shaw for thirty dollars. It meas-

ured twenty-seven by twenty-four feet on the ground, and contained thirty-six pews, capable of seating two hundred persons. It cost about one thousand dollars, and was secured by the untiring exertions of Deacon Ransford, who largely met the expense by his own munificent liberality. Deacon Ransford was the com- mittec and Ebenczer Porter the builder.

The pastors have been as follows : Revs. Thomas Conant, May 22, 1823; Willard Kimball, May 9, 1824; Davis Curtiss, July 26, 1826 ; Silas Hall, Aug. 21, 1830; W. H. Dalrymple, April 29, 1835 ; Edward C. Missinger, May, 1837 ; William F. Stub- bert, April 16, 1846; Nathaniel Colver, April 1, 1852; Horace T. Love, Nov. 1, 1853; F. A. Wil- lard, Nov. 4, 1854; N. Judson Clark, Dec. 11, 1860 ; George R. Darrow, April 3, 1864; Rev. James E. Wilson, Oct. 1, 1868; Charles A. Snow, Nov. 1, 1870.

The successors of Rev. Mr. Snow have been Rev. L. B. Hatch, Rev. Luther G. Barrett, and Rev. N. Newton Glazier.

There have been revivals during several of the pas- torates. The most extensive was during the pastorate of Mr. Hatch, when fifty were added to the church.

The present house of worship, which was dedicated Jan. 1, 1833, is about being remodeled and refur- nished, twelve thousand dollars having been raised for this purpose. The present membership is two hundred and fifty ; of the Sunday-school, one hun- dred and ninety-two. The salary paid the first pas- tor was one hundred and fifty dollars, and that of the last, twelve hundred dollars. The amount of money raised for all purposes the past year was two thousand three hundred and fifty-one dollars. This is the strongest Baptist Church, with one exception, in Plymouth County. George A. Reed is treasurer ; J. L. Corthell, clerk; and D. B. Gurney, J. L. Cor- thell, and Obed Ellis, deacons.

Population of the town, 3500 ; valuation, $2,187,- 830 ; number of polls, 1028.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

BENJAMIN HOBART.

The historian pauses from the narration of events to record a little tribute to ono who did much in vari- ous ways to entitle him to more than a passing notice, as one of the distinguished sons of old Abington, and who by the uprightness of his character, his personal

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HISTORY OF SOUTH ABINGTON.

ability, and his large business interests, did much for its advancement and improvement.

Benjamin Hobart, son of Col. Aaron Hobart and his second wife, Thankful Adams, was born on the homestead of several generations of his forefathers in South Abington (then Abington), Oct. 24, 1781. He was a descendant in the sixth generation of Edmund Hobart, the emigrant, who came from England in 1633, settled first in Charlestown, second in Hing- ham, where he was prominent in public matters, and was the ancestor of most of those bearing the name in New England. The line of descent is Edmund1, Thomas2, Aaron 3, Isaac+, Col. Aaron5, Benjamin6.

The Hobart family has been from its first settle- ment in Abington identified in much more than an ordinary degree with the interests, growth, and his- tory of the town. Isaac Hobart4 was a farmer of great energy, strength of mind, and perseverance of character. In 1745 he made a mill-privilege by means of a canal a mile long and a tunnel fifteen rods in length. and for this the inhabitants agreed to allow him three quarts of corn instead of two quarts, the legal amount, as toll for grinding a bushel. Impor- tant results have followed the construction of this tunnel. As Mr. Hobart well says, in his " History in Abington," "Except for the union of the two streams, the present extensive works for making tacks, brads, shoe-nails, and many other useful arti- cles, would never have been established." This was no doubt the means of originating the entire manufac- turing interest now so extensive in South Abington. Col. Aaron Hobart5 was a noted man in his day, and did honor to his town. He was representative in the State Legislature for fourteen consecutive years (1792-1807), and was the owner of several forges for making bar-iron and iron " shapes," and a blast-fur- nace for casting hollow-ware and cannon-balls. He was among the first, if not the very first, to cast church-bells in the country. He cast a bell for the first religious society in Abington, as early as 1769, and after that for numerous other places in this State and elsewhere. In 1769 he advertised in a Boston newspaper that he would do " bell-casting at his fur- nace in Abington," and the editor remarked " that we need not be obliged to send to England for bells, as they could now be cast in this country." He was the first person to cast cannon in America. We coD .- dense from Hayward's " Gazetteer of Massachusetts :" " In the year 1775-76, Col. Aaron Hobart contracted with the State to make cannon and shot, and the State furnished him with a large amount of material to begin with, as pig-iron and coal. This was a bold undertaking. Col. Hobart had no knowledge of the

business, but the Revolutionary war had just com- menced, and there were but very few cannon in the country, hundreds of merchant ships demanded them to fit for privateers. The first attempts were very unsuccessful,-the cannon burst in proving. All the stock provided by the State was expended, and his own fortune besides. Providentially, in this dark hour, a Frenchman, accustomed to this work, passed through the town, and hearing of the failure to ob- tain perfect cannon, inquired the cause, and pointed out to Col. Hobart the remedy. No time was lost in making the necessary change, and the success was complete. The contract with the State was filled, and individuals supplied extensively. About three years after this the concern was disposed of to the State, and removed to Bridgewater." Col. Hobart was very active in the war of the Revolution, and always iden- tified with the best interests of his town, and distin- guislied for his enterprise, perseverance, unsullied character, and deep religious principle, he possessed the confidence, esteem, and warm personal affections of the best people of this section of the State.

Benjamin Hobart 6 received a liberal education, and was graduated at Brown University in 1804. He was admitted to practice as a lawyer in 1808, but never followed that profession. He married, first, Lucy, daughter of Gen. Sylvanus Lazell, of East Bridgewater ; second, Deborah, daughter of Edmund Lazell, of Cummington. They had twelve children. Mr. Hobart was connected during most of his active life with the progress and development of one of Ab- ington's most important manufacturing interests, that of cut tacks. We take from Hayward's "Gazetteer:" In 1815-16 a machine was invented by Mr. Jesse Reed to make tacks at one operation. Mr. Melville Otis, of Bridgewater, claimed and received a consid- erable share of the invention. Soon after, the ma- chines were much improved by Thomas Blanchard, of Millbury, Mass., and Samuel Rogers, of East Bridgewater. For the exclusive patent-right of these inventions Benjamin and Elihu Hobart paid thirty thousand dollars. When they had just got their machine into operation they learned that a large consignment of tacks had been received from Eng- land. On inquiry they found that a model of their " patent tack-machine" had been taken to England and patented, and the tacks sent here for sale. The tendency of this was to stop the American manufac- ture entirely, and ruin the proprietors of the patent. On showing this to Congress, a bill was passed imme- diately placing a protective duty on imported tacks. The protective manufacture was then continued, although, strange to say, instead of combining their

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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

interests, Elihu and Benjamin carried on separate establishments. Benjamin built the first tack-factory in the town, and followed the business for nearly fifty years through its many, and not always, profitable changes. Mr. Hobart inherited the strong constitu- tion of a long line of robust ancestors, and preserved his powers of mind and body to a great agc. A strong proof of this is evidenced by his writing a comprehensive and extended " History of the Town of Abington," of four hundred and fifty pages, when a very old man, the most of it being written after he was eighty years old, and which for definiteness, accu- racy, and completeness of statement cannot be cxcelled. He was largely interested in agriculture, being presi- dent of the Plymouth County Agricultural Society in 1854 and 1855, and by the trustees of that society chosen a member of the State Board of Agriculture. He held positive ideas and expressed them fcarlessly. He was in harmony with everything that would make the people of his town, State, and nation wiser, wealthier, and better. Although tenacious of his own opinions he respected the right of private judg- ment, and never permitted differences in regard to them to separate him from his friends and supporters, or interrupt cordial and friendly intercourse. He had all the honesty and inflexibility of the Puritan stock from whence he sprang, many of its virtues and some of its faults. A stern Puritanie exterior cov- ered a heart warm and loyal in its affections, and throughout his long and useful life and its varied relations-family, neighborhood, and business-he was loved, trusted, csteemed, and honored. He was one of the constituent members of the first society of the New Jerusalem Church in Abington, and the first to sign the creed adopted by it, June 28, 1835. He was a fluent writer and speaker. His ideas were clear in his own mind and conveyed understandingly to others. He represented Abington in the State Legislature of 1828, and when the Old Colony Rail- road was locating its route to Plymouth, had the credit of establishing the line where it now is by making surveys, looking up documents, and his labors and arguments before the committee who made the decision. When the Cape Cod Railroad was in its incipiency he was strongly in favor of an exten- sion from Plymouth to Sandwich, as he thought it would be of great benefit to Abington. He was can- didate for representative on this issue, but failed of an election by one vote. He says, in his " History," " I have often thought that if I had been favored with that one vote the result would have been differ- cnt and that cars would now be running through this town to the Cape." The following extract from the

introduction to the " History of Abington" expresses concisely and unobtrusively his connection with the town : " I am too much identified with past events in this town to be hid in noticing them. I have been a voter over fifty years, and have taken quite an active part in public transactions ; have been in aetive business over fifty years, and have paid away for labor over (as I estimate) one million dollars. . . . I have had a good deal to say in town-meetings, and have always intended to be found on the side of law and order."

Mr. Hobart was sparcd to see his children and his children's children filling honorable and useful positions, and, honored with the esteem and venera- tion of the entire community, he passed away from earth Jan. 25, 1877, at the age of ninety-five years and three months.

WILLIAM H. DUNBAR.

William Harrison Dunbar, son of Asaph and Nancy (Ford) Dunbar, was born in Abington, Mass., Nov. 26, 1816.

We extract from Hobart's " History of Abington" concerning the family as follows : " The earliest known settler of this name in New England was Robert Dunbar, of Hingham, who had a son born there in 1657, and bought land of Richard Dwelle in 1659. Some circumstances indicate that this person was one of the Scotch prisoners sent to the Massachusetts Colony in 1652 by Cromwell after the battles of Dun- bar and Worcester, although his name is not found on the imperfect list of prisoners which still exists." This Robert Dunbar, Scotchman, was the ancestor of the present family of Abington and vicinity. Wil- liam H. is his direct descendant in the sixth genera- tion, the line being Robert 1, Peter2, Elisha3, Peter4, Asaph5, William H.6 The family has always shown the characteristics which have so favorably distin- guished the Scotch people from other nationalities. They are good, law-abiding citizens, with a frugal thrift and industry, a careful economy, and cautious and discriminating judgment in all the affairs of life.

Lieut. Peter Dunbar, grandfather of William H., was active in the colonial army of the Revolution, and worthily filled the duties of the commission which he carried. He died in 1817, aged seventy-six years. He married Relief, daughter of Capt. Theophilus Curtis, of Stoughton. She died in 1839, at the age of ninety-six.

Asaph Dunbar was born June 8, 1789, at Stough- ton, Mass., a farmer's sou, and with only the meagre opportunities which the schools of that day afforded

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HISTORY OF SOUTH ABINGTON.

for education. He left home early in life, learned, and for some years followed, the carpenters' trade, be- coming a contractor and builder. in which business he Went to Charleston. S. C., and was actively and profit- ably engaged until the breaking out of the war of 1812. In 1812 he returned to Massachusetts, mar- ried Nancy. daughter of Capt. Noah Ford (a man of high social standing and prominence in Abington), and settled in Wrentham, from which place he re- moved to Abington in 1815. where he ever after re- sided. In the same year he began his long-continued and successful business operations by engaging as a merchant. He developed qualities which proved him to be in no small degree fitted for mercantile, manu- facturing, and financial affairs. He was among the first to enter into the manufacture of boots and shoes in Abington, and, in company with Joshua Whit- marsh, as Dunbar & Whitmarsh, became extensively and creditably known. In connection with manufac- turing, the firm established mercantile houses in the South to supply the large demands from that section. Mr. Dunbar went first to Charleston, where he was in trade two years ; then, as the New Orleans market offered greater inducements, he removed thither, and for several years was busily and profitably engaged in disposing of his own productions and those of other manufacturers. He closed this business in 1832, re- turned to Abington, purchased the interest of Mr. Whitmarsh in the manufactory, and continued alone as a manufacturer on a greatly enlarged and improved scale until 1838, when he rehnquished the business to his sons, Alden F. and William H.

Mr. Asaph Dunbar was one of the incorporators of the Abington Bank. He was chosen its first presi- dent. and was continued in that office, and in the same position in its successor,-the Abington National Bank,-until his resignation, some years previous to his death, when the approach of old age demanded a relinquishment of business cares. He was a man highly valued in the community ; from his careful, conservative, yet skillful conducting of his business, he acquired large wealth for those days; he occupied a commanding position in all local affairs from his judgment, elevated motives, and positive actions in favor of the improvement of the condition of his town. Had he allowed himself to enter politics, he would have won honor in that field, but he devoted himself to his business, and won his success there. He was an earnest Swedenborgian in religion, one of the constituent members of the " First Society of the New Jerusalem" in Abington, of which he was an active and generous representative. He died Dec. 19, 1867.

William H. Dunbar was educated at the town schools of Abington, from which he was taken when sixteen to become his father's book-keeper and assist- ant. Under the instruction of, and in confidential association with, such a successful financier as Asaph Dunbar, he early became familiarized with the ab- struse principles underlying commercial success and the practical application of the same. From such instructions, impressed upon a nature ready to receive them, we would naturally expect to find, as a result, clear and accurate business foresight, attention to minute details, systematic arrangement of each de- partment, and a just confidence in one's own abilities, and William's keen and active nature rapidly devel- oped into one of commercial strength. In 1838 he became associated with his brother, Alden F., in manufacturing boots and shoes, as successors to the extensive business of their father. They established a large store in New Orleans, where Alden F. for many years resided, William H. attending to the business in Boston and Abington. For fourteen years, until 1852, they carried on the manufacture of boots and shoes. Then, ceasing manufacturing, Mr. Dunbar, with his acute discernment of the possibili- ties of the field, became one of the pioneers of the boot and shoe business of California, establishing a house in San Francisco. With this he was con- nected until 1869, when he sold to B. Hobart, Jr. This firm, after making several partners wealthy, now exists as Hobart, Wood & Co. The influence of Mr. Dunbar upon the material prosperity of Abington and South Abington has been most largely given by his connection with tack manufacturing.

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History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 107

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 1706

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1706