USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 66
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"SECT. 6. That portion of the fire-district heretofore estah- lished by the inhabitants of tho village or district of ' Middle- borough Four Corners' which is within the limits of the said town of Lakeville is hereby taken from said fire-district, and the remaining portion of said fire-district shall be and remain a fire-district, with all the powers and privileges of such dis- tricts, and all taxes heretofore assessed on any of the inhab- itants of the original district shall be collected and applied to the purposes for which they were assessed, in the same manner as if this act had not been passed.
"SECT. 7. Said town of Lakeville shall continue to be a part of the town of Middleborough, for the purpose of electing State officers, senators and representatives to the General Court, repre- sentatives to Congress, and clectors of President and Vice-Presi- dent of the United States, until the next decennial census shall he taken, in pursuance of the thirteenth article of the amend- ment to the constitution ; and meetings for the choice of said officers shall he called by the selectmen of Middleborough, and shall he holden in the town of Middleborough, and the select- men of Lakeville shall make a true list of all persons within their town qualified to vote at every such election, and shall post up the same in said town of Lakeville, and shall correct the same as required by law, and shall deliver a true copy of the same to the selectmen of Middleborough, seven days at least before the day of every such meeting or election, to be used thereat.
"SECT. 8. Any justice of the peace for the county of Plym- outh may issue his warrant, directed to any principal inhabitant of said town of Lakeville, requiring him to notify and warn the inhabitants thereof qualified to vote in town affairs to meet at the time and place therein appointed, for the purpose of choos- ing all such town officers as towns are by law authorized and required to choose at their annual meetings, and said warrant shall be served by posting up copies thereof, attested by the person to whom the same is directed, in four public places at least in said town, and fourteen days at least before the time of meeting. The selectmen of Middleborough shall, before said meeting, prepare a list of voters in said town of Lakeville qual- ified to vote at said meeting, and shall deliver the same to the person presiding at said meeting before the choice of moderator thereof.
"SECT. 9. This act shall take effect from and after its passage. " Approved by the Governor, May 13, 1853."
When by the Legislature of Massachusetts it had been determined to divide the town of Middleboro', and set off the southwesterly portion to constitute a new and distinct town, notice was given to that body
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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.
of the legal voters of Middleboro' residing within the territorial limits of that portion it was proposed to detach that they should assemble themselves together, and in a legal and proper way and manner determine upon a name for the proposed new town.
Those legal voters were accordingly notified, and in pursuance thereof were convened together in the school-house, standing near the present site of the town hall, in Lakeville, that meeting being held on Saturday, the 29th day of January, 1853.
Several ballotings were there and then had to de- termine upon and adopt a name, and three names were proposed from which to select, viz. : Bristol, Laketon, and Nelson. Bristol was the name proposed for adoption by Oliver Pierce, Esq., who, it was reported, offered as an inducement the present of such books as the new town would be required to have in which to keep its public records. Laketon was the name presented by Mr. Austin J. Roberts, then of what is now Lakeville (but now of Berkeley), who claimed its adoption on account of its singularly marked expressive- ness and great propriety, situated as the town is in the midst of several of the most beautiful sheets of inland waters of which the State of Massachusetts can boast,-those Middleboro' Lakes, or, as more famil- iarly designated, Great Ponds. Oliver Pierce, Esq., did not present himself personally at the meeting to advocate the adoption of Bristol as a name, but Mr. Roberts did, and he, by every argument in his power, labored assiduously to bring to his aid the favorable opinions, secure the ultimate conclusions, as well as the votes of those who were thus and there to determine this matter.
But there were others present less demonstrative, as fully persuaded and cqually determined, who had come to that meeting expressly to support, by their arguments and votes, the adoption of Nelson as a. name for the proposed new town, and who could not be induced to prove false to their convictions of pro- priety and right by the offer of a few dollars' worth of books to vote for Bristol as the name, nor yet were they convinced by the finely-worded appeals of Mr. Roberts, whose zeal and rhetoric upon their heads, hearts, and actions were apparently wholly lost, as the voters present, by a decided majority, finally fixed upon Nelson as the name by which the proposed new town should be known and called ; and this was ac- complished and intended principally as a well-merited compliment to Job Pierce Nelson, Esq., to whose in- defatigable cxertions the town, much more than to any other one person, owed the successful issue of the attempt to become detached and set off from Middle- boro'. The legal voters of what became Lakeville being
assembled Jan. 29, 1853, by a decided majority ten- dered the high compliment of naming the new town for him, and that it be incorporated under the name of Nelson. But Mr. Nelson discouraged the movement, and the name of Lakeville was finally accepted as a compromise between the majority who had voted to call the town Nelson and the minority who desired the name of Laketon.1
The first meeting of the legal voters of Lakeville for the choice of town officers was held in the school- house, near where the public hall of that town now stands, upon the 28th day of May, 1853, and made choice of the following-named persons as town offi- cers : Moderator, Harrison Staples ; Selectmen and Assessors, Reuben Hafford, Esq., Ezra McCully, and Nathaniel Sampson; Town Clerk, Isaac Sampson ; Overseers of the Poor, Eleazer Richmond, Job Peirce, and Ebenezer W. Peirce; School Committee, Harri- son Staples, Calvin D. Kingman, and William T. Jenney ; Constables, Abner C. Barrows and Earl S. Ashley.
The town clerks of Lakeville have been as follows: Isaac Sampson, from May 28, 1853, to March 25, 1854; Deacon
Horatio Nelson, from March 25, 1854, to April 2, 1855; Isaac Sampson, from April 2, 1855, to March 3, 1856; William T. Jenney, from March 3, 1856, to March 7,' 1859; James M. Sampson, from March 7, 1859, to Sept. 22, 1862; Lieut. Churchill T. Westgate, from Sept. 22, 1862, to March, 1883; Lieut. James M. Sampson, from March, 1883, to March 24, 1884; Jones Godfrey, from March 24, 1884, and is still in office.
The town clerk has usually held also the offices of collector of taxes and town treasurer.
SELECTMEN.
1853, May 28 .- Reuben Hafford, Esq., Ezra McCully, and Nathaniel Sampson.
1854, March 25 .- Earl Sears, John Sampson, and Job T. Tobey. 1855, April 2 .- John Sampson, Job T. Tobcy, and Nathan S. Williams.
1856, March 3 .- Job T. Tobey, John Montgomery, and Isaac Sampson.
1857 .- Job T. Tobey, John Montgomery, and Cephas Haskins. 1858 .- Job T. Tobey, Zattu Pickens, and Cephas Haskins.
1859, March 7 .- Job T. Tobey, Zattu Pickens, and Thomas Doggett, Esq.
1860 .- Thomas Doggett, Esq., Elisha H. Williams, and Asa T. Winslow, Esq.
1861 .- Job T. Tobey, Eleazer Richmond, and Charles H. Sampson.
1862 .- Job T. Toboy, Cephas Haskins, and Charles H. Sampson. 1863 .- Cephas Haskins, Job Peirce, Esq., and Capt. Elisha G. Cudworth.
1864 .- Cephas Haskins, Job Peirce, Esq., and Charles H. Sampson.
1 It is worthy of notice that in Norfolk County, at about the same time, a man gavo ono hundred thousand dollars to induco a town to adopt his surname, and here a man doelined the honor proffered to him without money and without priec.
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HISTORY OF LAKEVILLE.
1865 .- Cepbas Haskins, Job Peirce, Esq .. and Silas D. Pickens. 1866 .- Job T. Tobey, Myrick Haskins, and Leander Winslow. 1sô :.- Leander Winslow, Warren H. Soutbworth, and Josiah B. Bump.
1968 .- John F. Montgomery, Benjamin H. Reed, and Edward W. Hackett.
1869 .- Benjamin H. Reed, James P. Peirce, and Horatio Tinkham.
18:0 .- James P. Peirce, Benjamin H. Reed, and Henry L. Williams, Esq.
15;1 .- Renben Hafford, Esq., Sidney T. Nelson, and Leonard Wasbbnrn, Esq.
1872 .- Renben Hafford, Esq., Sidney T. Nelson, and Leonard Wasbburn, Esq.
1873 .- James P. Peirce, Sidney T. Nelson, and Leonard Wash- bnrn, Esq.
1874 .- James P. Peirce, Benjamin H. Reed, and Leonard Wasbburn, Esq.
1575 .- James P. Peirce, Benjamin H. Reed, and one vacancy, as tbe person cbosen declined.
1576 .- Benjamin H. Reed, John Shaw, and Leonard Rich- mond.
1577 .- Benjamin H. Reed, Jobn Sbaw, and Leonard Ricb- mond.
IST8 .- John Shaw, Jones Godfrey, and Josiab F. Tinkbam.
1879 .- John Shaw, Sidney T. Nelson, and Benjamin H. Reed.
1550 .- John Shaw, James P. Peirce, and Sidney T. Nelson. 1881 .- Jobn Sbaw, James P. Peirce, and Sidney T. Nelson.
1852 .- John Shaw, Elbridge Cusbman, and Gustavus G. An- drews.
1893 .- John Sbaw, Gustavus G. Andrews, and John H. Paun. 1884, March 24 .- John Shaw, Gnstavns G. Andrews, and Jobn H. Paun.
The selectmen of Lakeville have usually been the assessors also, but there has occasionally been some variation to that general rule.
The following-named Lakeville gentlemen have been elected to a seat in the State Legislature or-as is generally termed-
REPRESENTATIVES TO THE GENERAL COURT.
Sessions Commenced.
Myrick Haskins Jan.
3, 1855.
Calvin D. Kingman
7, 1857.
Job T. Tobey
5, 1859.
Austin J. Roberts
1, 1862.
Eleazer Richmond
1869.
Job Peirce.
-- , 1870.
Cephas Haskins
1871.
James P. Peirce
2,1878.
Leonard Washburn
1880.
Sprague S. Stetson
3, 1883.
The names of Lakeville gentlemen who have held county offices are as follows :
COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
Harrison Staples, for three terms, or nine years' service, commencing in .... ... .... 1863.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Date of Appointment.
Elkanab Leonard.
June
22, 1736.
John Nelson ..
Jnly
18, 1791.
James Washburn. Feb.
20, 1804.
Samuel Pickens.
.Jan.
23, 1808.
Peter Hoar
Feb.
5, 1811.
William Canedy
.Aug. 3, 1812.
Date of Appointment.
Noah Clark
Feb. 3, 1818.
Amos Washburn .. Sept.
7,1821.
Ebenezer Pickens. Jan.
16, 1822.
Abner Clark
10, 1823.
Abiel P. Boothe. Aug.
26, 1823.
Oliver Peirce ..
Feb.
17, 1824.
Joshua Hoskins, Jr. April 24, 1832.
Luther Washburn. Aug. 25, 1835.
Abizer T. Harvey. Jan. 27, 1837.
Silas Pickens March 15, 1837.
Tisdale Leonard. Sept. 20, 1843.
Apollos Haskins.
March 31, 1846.
Asa T. Winslow
19, 1851.
Job P. Nelson. May
14, 1851.
Reuben Hafford
14, 1851.
Thomas Doggett
Jan.
4, 1853.
Harrison Staples
May 31, 1856.
Jirah Winslow
1857.
Job Peirce
18 -.
Eleazer Richmond.
186 -.
Warren H. Southworth.
186 -.
Henry L. Williams.
186 -.
Churchill T. Westgate .. May 22, 1867.
Leonard Washburn
187 -. James P. Peirce.
CORONERS.
Date of Appointment.
Nathaniel Foster .. Jan. 11, 1749.
Nathaniel Foster, Jr. March 4, 1782.
Mark Haskell Feb.
22, 1799.
Dean Briggs Jan.
23, 1808.
Peter H. Peirce Feb.
16, 1811.
Abiatha Briggs. May
15, 1812.
Ebenezer Strobridge. Feb.
11,1820.
. Ebenezer W. Peirce.
Jan. 7, 1854.
The foregoing lists of justices of the peace and coroners for the county of Plymouth embrace the names of those persons who held their commissions while residing within the limits of what, since May 13, 1853, has been the township of Lakeville, and before that a part of Middleboro'. The commission of a justice of the peace remained in force seven years from the date of appointment. Many of those whose names are herein given as justices of the peace were reappointed at the expiration of seven years from the dates of first or original appointments.
The commission of a coroner was formerly conferred for life or good behavior in said office. The office has now been abolished, the position of medical ex- aminer taking its place, and that officer attending to the most of its former duties.
Post-Offices and Postmasters .- While Lakeville remained a part of the town of Middleboro' a post- office was established near the present location of Lakeville town hall, and James Washburn, Esq., ap- pointed postmaster. He was a lawyer by profession, removed to and commenced practice in New Bedford, and the location of Middleboro' post-office appears to have been thereupon changed, and no post-office was henceforth kept within that part of Middleboro' that, in 1853, became Lakeville for several years.
A post-office was re-established in Middleboro', that part now Lakeville, in or about the year 1824, and officially designated and known as the Assawom-
.
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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.
set Post-Office. Daniel Smith was appointed post- master.
The name as carly as 1831 was changed from Assawomset to West Middleboro' Post-office, and Elias Sampson, Jr., appointed postmaster. The office was again for several years discontinued, and when re-estab- lished was located near the Lakeville Depot, upon the Old Colony and Newport Railroad, with Cephas Has- kins as postmaster.
CHAPTER IV. MILITARY HISTORY.
King Philip's War .- This war, the open hostilities of which were commenced in June, 1675, was the first or earliest in which the people of New England became engaged, after that section of country, now Lakeville, began to be settled upon by European inhabitants.
One of the numerous battles of King Philip's war was fought in what was then Middleboro', but now Lakeville.
Tuspaquin, a son-in-law of "good old Massasoit," and brother-in-law of King Philip, was chief of the Assawomset and Nemasket Indians, having his head- quarters upon Assawomset Neck, but controlling the entire country for many miles around, so that in truth, at least for a time, he might have repeated,-
" I am monarch of all I survey, My right there is none to dispute"
in all Middleboro' and large parts of the adjoining towns of Dartmouth and Rochester, together with what has since become Carver, Marion, Mattapoiset, and Ware- ham, and so strong and numerous was his support that none darcd attempt to carry the war into his country, but felt that they were doing well to resist him suc- cessfully in his attacks made upon Bridgewater and Scituate.
King Philip's war had been waged nearly one entire year, and still Tuspaquin occupied in several adjoin- ing towns contiguous to what is now Lakeville nearly or quite all the territory hurriedly left and wholly abandoned by its European inhabitants at the opening of that cruel war and commencement of the bloody and disastrous conflict.
That most excellent and reliable authority-Drake's " Book of the Indians"-informs us that in the spring of 1676 Tuspaquin had about three hundred warriors, and that he with this force was marching from place
to place in high expectation of humbling the pride of his enemies.
Although not certainly known, it has come to be generally considered that Tuspaquin, with his Assa- womset and Nemasket Indians, made the attack upon Scituate April 20, 1676, burning the houses of Joseph Sylvester, William Blackmore, Nicholas Swede, William Parker, Robert Stetson, Jr., Mr. Sundlake, Mr. Sutcliffe, Mr. Holmes, John Buck, and some others, as about nineteen houses were then destroyed by fire, and also a mill owned by Cornet Robert Stet- son, killing William Blackmore and mortally wound- ing John James. Gen. Josias Winslow, writing about that time, said, concerning the Indians, " Taun- ton and Bridgewater men are confident that they are planting about Assawomset or Dartmouth ; and did yesterday track two hundred of theni, as they judge, towards Assawomset."
Bridgewater also sustained two attacks, in one or both of which Tuspaquin was undoubtedly the leader of the Indians therein engaged. The first attack upon Bridgewater occurred Sunday forenoon, April 9, 1676, when Robert Latham's house was burned, some buildings stripped of their contents, and some horses killed and several horses carried away. The second attack upon Bridgewater was upon the 8th of May, 1676, concerning which Barber's " Histori- cal Collections," page 531, says, " On May 8th about three hundred Indians, with Tuspaquin for their leader, made another assault on the east end of the town, on the south side of the river, and set fire to many of the houses ; but the inhabitants, issuing from their houses, fell upon them so resolutely that the enemy were repelled."
The Indians then renewed their attack, but upon the north side of the river, where they burned two houses and one barn. The entire loss of the English at that time in buildings destroyed, upon both sides of the river, was thirteen houses and four barns. An effort was soon after made to prove that Tuspaquin headed one or more other expeditions in which the English were made to suffer the loss of life, limb, and property, and those expeditions in which he did lead were doubtless all fitted out from Assawomset and Betty's Necks, now forming parts of the township of Lakeville.
The cheerful anticipations of Tuspaquin were not realized, for the sad reverses that the Indian cause was made to suffer about that time in several other localities required him to give up at least for the most part his aggressive policy and confine himself to acting upon the defensive. Awashonks, the squaw sachem of the Saconet Indians, becoming disheartened
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HISTORY OF LAKEVILLE.
by the turn that affairs were taking now with her fol- lowers, left King Philip and the support of the In- dian cause, transferring her allegiance to the English, and with her chief warriors went to Capt. Benjamin Church, and told him they were all engaged to fight for the English, and he might call forth all or any of them at any time, as he saw occasion to fight the enemy.
Quite a number of English soldiers now volun- teered to serve under Capt. Church, and these, with the Saconet Indians, made up what Church called a " good company," to qualify him to command which the Governor of Plymouth Colony conferred upon him the following commission :
" Capt. Benjamin Church, you are hereby nominated, ordered, commissioned, and empowered to raise a company of volun- teers of about 200 men, English and Indians, the English not exceeding the number of sixty, of which company, or so many of them as you can obtain, or shall see cause at present to im- prove, you are to take the command and conduct, and to lead them forth now and hereafter at such time and into such places within this colony or elsewhere within the confederate colonies as you shall think fit, to discover, pursue, fight, surprise, de- stroy, or sublue our Indian enemies, or any part or parties of them that by the providence of God you may meet with, or them or any of them by treaty and composition to receive to mercy, if you see reason, provided they be not murderous rogues, or such as have been principal actors in those villanies.
" And forasmuch as your company may be uncertain, and the persons often changed, you are also hereby empowered.with the advice of your company to choose and commission a Lieutenant and to establish Serjeants and Corporals as you see cause.
" And you herein improving your best judgment and dis- cretion and utmost ability faithfully to serve the interest of God, his Majesty's interest, and the interest of the colony, and carefully governing your said company at home and abroad.
" These shall be unto you full and ample commission, war- rant, and discharge.
" Given under the public seal this 24th day of July, 1676. " per Jos. WINSLOW, Governor."
Capt. Church, in his book entitled " King Philip's War," informs us that "receiving his commission, he marched the same night into the woods, got to Middleboro' before day, and as soon as the light appeared took into the woods and swampy thickets towards a place where they had some reason to expect to meet with a parcel of Narragansett Indians, with some others that belonged to Mount Hope.
" Coming near where they expected them, Capt. Church's Indian scout. discovered the enemy, and well observing their fires and postures, returned with the intelligence to their captain, who gave such di- rections for the surrounding of them as had the de- sired effect, surprising them on every side so uncx- pectedly that they were all taken, not so much as one escaped." What part of Middleboro' this occurred in does not clearly appear, but it is highly probable that it was in that part now Lakeville.
At a little later date Capt. Church, with his com- pany, arrived at Nemasket " about the breaking of the daylight, and discovered a company of the enemy ; but his time was too short to wait for gain- ing advantage, and therefore ran right in upon them, surprised and captivated about sixteen of them, who, upon examination, informed him that Tuspa- quin, a very famous captain among the enemy, was at Assawomset with a numerous company." Church was obliged to go from Nemasket to Taunton to guard what was probably a provision train, and he said, " The carts must be guarded, and the opportunity of visiting Tuspaquin must now be laid aside."
" The carts are to be faithfully guarded, lest Tus- paquin should attack them." He, therefore, con- veyed his prisoners, and guarded the carts to Taun- ton ; and added, " Hastening back, he proposed to encamp that night at Assawomset Neck." " But as soon as they came to the river that runs into the great pond through the thick swamp at the entering of the neck the enemy fired upon them, but hurt not a man.
" Capt. Church's Indians ran right into the swamp, and fired upon them, but, it being in the dusk of the evening, the enemy made their escape in the thickets. " The captain, then moving about a mile into the neck, took the advantage of a small valley to feed his horses. Some held the horses by the bridles, the rest on the guard looked out sharp for the enemy, within hearing on every side and some very near ; but in the dead of night, the enemy being all out of hearing or still, Capt. Church moved out of the neck (not the same way he came in, lest he should be ambuscadcd) towards Cushnet."
The precise spot where Tuspaquin posted his warriors to intercept Capt. Benjamin Church and the forces, English and Indians, under his command, can scarcely be mistaken even now, so minutely did Capt. Church describe it in his book, published a few years after the event, and from which the foregoing quotations have been copied. That skirmish oc- curred where the bridge spans the stream that runs from the Long Pond into the Assawomset, and be- tween the present residences of Mr. Eben Perry and Mr. Silas D. Pickens.
Neither Tuspaquin or Capt. Church appear upon this occasion to have been willing to risk the results of a regularly pitched battle, unless at the onset he could gain some decided advantage over the other. The place selected by Tuspaquin was a remarkably good one in which to act upon the defensive, and that he did not maintain the position more resolutely and persistently than he appears to have done was proba-
304
HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.
bly construed by Church as a feint to draw him into a fatal snare, for from the time that Tuspaquin fell back, Church appears to have done little or nothing but plan and execute a successful retreat, and while Capt. Church, in the dead of night, was stealthily leaving Assawomset Neck at one end, Tuspaquin, in midnight darkness, was doubtless awaiting him in silence and in ambush ready to deal death and de- struction upon him at the other.
The chieftain Tuspaquin had a son, who, by the English, was called William Tuspaquin, but whose Indian name was Mantowapuct, and who is supposed to have lost his life in King Philip's war. An Indian named Felix fought for the English, and in consideration of which the Plymouth Colony govern- ment, in 1679, ordered " that all such lands as were formerly John Sassamons in our collonie, shall be set- tled on Felix, his son-in-law."
Isaac Peirce, who died in what was then Middle- boro', but now Lakeville, Feb. 28, 1732, was a soldier in King Philip's war, and one of those whose loyalty, courage, and good conduct secured, in ad- dition to his stipulated wages, the promise made to the soldiers "when marshalled on that knightly plain" in Dedham, viz .: "That if they playª the man, took the Fort, and drove the Enemy out of the Narragansett Country (which was their great seat), that they should have a Gratuity of Land."
He was among those brave men who, in the depth of winter (Dec. 19, 1675), endured almost incalcu- lable hardship in storming and taking the Indian stronghold, at what is now the town of Kingston, Washington Co., R. I., where, upon an island in a swamp, the natives had intrenched and fortified them- selves, and had here gone into winter quarters, the defenses being a well-constructed double row of pali- sades, about a rod apart, and still further strengthened by an immense hedge of fallen trees, about a rod in thickness, presenting the branches outward, and thus making an impassable abatis.
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