USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Princeton > History of Princeton, Worcester County, Massachusetts, civil and ecclesiastical, from its first settlement in 1739, to april 1852 > Part 2
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18
FIRST SETTLEMENT.
lated, on their return, that they found living among the Indians, a white woman, who knew nothing further of her birth or parentage than that she once lived near 'Chusett hill?' "'
Mr. Oliver Davis was the first settler in the west part, and the fifth in the town. He settled on what is at the present time called " Clark hill," in 1751. Mr. Davis was industrious and frugal. He did much for the early advancement of the new settlement, by his example of diligence, and the introduction of useful, especially me- chanical, arts. He purchased a large tract of land, part of which lay in Princeton, and the remainder in Hub- bardston ; and erected a saw-mill on a branch of the Ware river. This was not only the first application of water power to mechanical purposes in the town, but also the first in the immediate vicinity. He also, a short time subsequent to this, built a grist mill on the above- mentioned river, some half a mile below where the " Slab-city" mill now stands .* At a subsequent period this was consumed by fire, and both a saw and grist mill were afterwards built by him on or near the same site. Some of the first mills in Hubbardston were also built by him. Three of Mr. Davis's sons enlisted in the army, at the commencement of the Revolutionary con- test, and one fell on the field of battle. Mr. Davis died on the 25th of January, 1803.
From the consultation of ancient records, or inquir- ies among the most aged inhabitants, we have not been able to decide upon the precise years when settlements were made in different parts of the town. During 1752. and the four or five following years, several settlements were commenced in various parts of the town. Among
* At present owned by Wm. D. Cheever, Esq.
19
FIRST SETTLEMENT.
the settlers of about this period, were a Mr. Peter Good- now, on the site where the dwelling-house of Charles Russell, Esq. now stands ; a Mr. Norcross commenced the farm at present owned and occupied by Mr. Israel Everett ; Caleb Mirick, on the farms occupied by Messrs. Elisha and Charles A. Mirick ; Samuel Nichols on Mr. Enoch Brook's farm; Mr. Mede, on the farm at pres- ent occupied by Ephraim Osgood; Joseph Eveleth, cn the farm of the late Capt. Benjamin Harrington ; San :- uel Hastings, on the farm of Mr. George Davis ; James Mirick, on the farm now owned by Mr. Geo. O. Skin- ner ; Messrs. Thomas Gleason and Gibbs, on the site where the Wachusett Hotel now stands. A Mr. Stratton also commenced a farm where the " Union" meeting- house now stands. There were also, about this time, several settlements made in the west part of the town. Among this number, subsequent to the settlement of Mr. Davis, were Joseph Rugg, Charles Parmenter, Sadey Mason, Seth Savage, Timothy Keyes, David Parker, Robert Cowdin, Mr. Rosier,-Thomas Mason on the farm now owned by Joseph Mason,-Mr. Wheeler, and subsequently Col. Benjamin Holden from Dedham, on the farm now owned by Benjamin Holden, the grandson of the latter,-and Isaac Thompson, on the farm of Isaac Thompson,
'The first settlers in the town labored under very great difficulties for a time, by reason of a rough, mountain- ous and rocky soil and the naturally moist state of the land, for want of passable roads, and from the prodigi- ous quantities of heavy timber with which the ground was covered. The inhabitants were for some years de- pendent on the neighboring towns for most of their supplies. They were industrious, however, and in a
20
ACT OF INCORPORATION.
few years brought the soil into successful cultivation, when grass, especially, was produced in great abun- dance-the soil being rich and fertile.
The toils and dangers of original settlement being past, the increasing population and expanding resources required municipal powers for the management of the common interests of the inhabitants. In 1759, the free- holders and proprietors presented a Petition to the Leg- islature for Incorporation, whereupon the following Act was passed by the General Court :-
" Anno Regni Regis Tricesimo L. S. Tercio.
Georgii Secundi
"An Act for erecting the East Wing of Rutland, so called, in the County of Worcester, and sundry farms con- tiguous thereto, lying between Lancaster and Narraganset number two, into a separate District by the name of Prince- Town,
" Whereas a number of the Inhabitants and Proprie- tors of the East Wing of Rutland, in the County of Worcester, and the proprietors and inhabitants of sun- dry Farms contiguous thereto, lying between Lancaster and Narraganset No. 2, have represented to this Court many difficulties they labour under, and praying that they may be made a separate District.
" Therefore, be it enacted by the Governor, Council, and House of Representatives, That the said East Wing of Rutland, so called, and sundry Farms lying contigu- ous thereto, contained within the bounds hereafter men- tioned, be and hereby is erected into a distinct and separate District by the name of Prince Town :- viz. beginning at the northwest corner of Lancaster second Precinct, being also the southwest corner of Leominster,;
21
ACT OF INCORPORATION.
from thence running north 54 degrees west seven hun- dred and sixty rods to a heap of stones upon the line of Narraganset No. 2, from thence running west thirty- five degrees south seven hundred and eighty-eight Rods to the southern corner of said Narraganset number two, then turning and running southeast fifty-six Rod to the northeast corner of said Rutland East Wing, then turn- ing and running west thirty Degrees south eleven hun- dred and sixty Rod, on the northwest line of said Wing to the westerly corner of said Wing, then running south thirty-nine degrees east sixteen hundred and seventy Rod, being the dividing line of the first settlers part of Rutland, and the said Wing to the southerly corner of said East Wing, then turning and running east thirty-five degrees north eleven hundred and fifty rods on Holdin line to the corner of said East Wing, Holdin and. Shrewsbury, and from thence running on the same point three hundred and ninety Rod on Shrewsbury line to the River, and from thence bound- ing on Lancaster second Precinct to the first mentioned bounds, and that the said District be and hereby is in- vested with all the Privileges, Powers, and Immunities that Towns in the Province by Law do or may enjoy, that of sending a Representative to the General Assem- bly only excepted.
" Provided, nevertheless, and be it further enacted, That the said District shall pay their proportion of all Town, County and Province taxes already sett or grant- ed to be raised on the Towns of Rutland and Lancaster as if this act had not been made.
" And be it further enacted, That William Richard- son, Esq. be and hereby is empowered to issue his warrant to some principal Inhabitant of said District 3
22
FIRST TOWN MEETING.
requiring him to notify and warn the inhabitants of said District qualified by Law to vote in Town affairs to meet at such time and place as shall be therein set forth to choose all such officers as shall be necessary to man- age the affairs of said District.
" October 12th, 1759. This Bill having been read three several times in the House of Representatives- Passed to be enacted.
S. White, Spk.
" October 16th, 1759. This Bill having been read three several times in Council-
Passed to be enacted.
A. Oliver, Sec'y.
" October 20th, 1759. By the Governor. I consent to the enacting of this Bill.
T. Pomnall."
This district thus incorporated, and which comprised nearly 15,000 acres, constituting the main part of Princeton, was called Prince Town, to perpetuate the name and memory of Rev. Thomas Prince, then col- league pastor of the Old South Church, Boston, and a large proprietor of this tract of land, as before mention- ed, and whose only surviving daughter and child the HIon. Judge Gill subsequently married for his first wife. At the time of the incorporation there were about thirty families in the place. The first physician, by the name of Dr. Zackariah Harvey, settled about this time, on the farm now owned and occupied by Deacon Ebenezer Parker.
In accordance with the last clause of the act of in- corporation, a warrant was issued by William Richard- son, of Lancaster, directed to Dr. Zachariah Harvey ; and on the 24th day of December, 1759, the inhabitants convened at the house of Abijah Moore, their first dis-
23
FIRST ROADS.
trict meeting. Municipal officers were chosen, and from that day Princeton assumed her place among the regularly organized Districts of the Commonwealth .- Several pages are missing from the first volume of the Town records, consequently the proceedings of the above mentioned meeting are lost. The officers elected at this meeting were only chosen to serve until the March following, when, as at the present time, the reg- ular meeting for an election was held. Hence, the first " March meeting" was convened in 1760. The first, however, of which the proceedings are found on record, was held in March, 1761 .* It is very evident from the following protest which is transcribed from the records, that there was some difficulty at this meeting :-
" We the subscribers, Inhabitants and freeholders of Prince Town District, judging the annual meeting in Prince Town District on the 16th, of March, 1761, to be illegal, by reason of the meeting not being purged from such persons or voters as are unqualified by law for voting, we do therefore hereby enter our dissent against said meeting, it appearing unlawful. Signed,
James Thompson, Oliver Davis,
Isaac Wheeler, Capt. Eliphelet Howe, '
Ephm. Allen, Sadey Mason, Wm. Muzzy, Gideon Fisher.
Princetown District, Mar. ye 16th, 1761."
Previous to the last date, the inhabitants having peti- tioned to the General Court, praying said Court to grant them a land tax, to enable them to build roads, and also to erect a house for Public worship, and having had their petition granted, and received the amount of ££337,
*See a list of officers chosen at said meeting, transcribed from the records, in the appendix.
24
CHARACTER OF SETTLERS.
public roads were laid out by the Selectmen in 1762, according to the instructions of the district. Of these, the first completed was " a road from Westminster line thro' Allen's farm, thence on the line between the Wing and Farms so called; thence thro' the land of Mr. Mo- ses Gill and Caleb Mirick, to the meeting-house ; thence thro' lots Letter B, No. 9 and 12, Letter H G. No. 22, to Holden line." The first settlers must have had ro- mantic notions; for it appears that they were in the habit of constructing their roads over the highest hills. The manner of locating their roads also was somewhat peculiar .* And what is still more remarkable, they "endeavored to locate their meeting-house as near heaven as possible"-placing it on the summit of the highest point of land, except that of the old Wachusett. After repeated requests preferred to the district by sev- eral of the inhabitants, it was granted to them in 1768, to pay their highway taxes, by work on the new roads most needed, and the price was fixed for the labor of man and beast. A short time subsequent to this period, many of the other roads at present existing in the town were built. Great sums have been appropriated for roads from time to time.
* See in the appendix.
CHAPTER II.
Character of the First Settlers-Their Ancestry-Increase of Population- Province Lands-Land granted by the General Court to the First settled Minister-Petition to be Incorporated as a Town-Act of Incorporation- Opposition of the Town to the addition of Territory-First Representa. tive-Boundary.
In tracing the history of Princeton, we are approach- ing the close of that generation of men, who may be
25
CHARACTER OF SETTLERS.
called, the the first settlers of the town. Our minds, however, linger around this period with the most in- tense interest. The men of that day had difficulties, perplexities and trials, to endure and overcome, such as are in a measure experienced in the settlement of all new colonies ; yet not in the eminent degree, perhaps, that they were by the first settlers of these regions .- The adventurer who at the present day penetrates the distant west, or the regions of California, may carry with him some of the comforts of civilized life, but this could not be obtained at the period of the settlement of . Princeton ; for but a few of the luxuries of existence were known in the country.
On the other hand, these early settlers were persons of decision, boldness, enterprise and independence .- They left their native town or country, and bid adieu to friends, acquaintance, a father's house, a pleasant home, to take up their abode in a howling wilderness, exposed day and night, whether in the hut or field, to the lurk- ing and ravenous bear and wolf,-to cultivate a dreary waste, and this, too, under a thousand difficulties. Yet to clear the forest, erect houses, construct roads, build bridges, maintain schools, and support the gospel minis- try, were enterprises most cheerfully undertaken .- Merely to live was not the whole of life with them, it was the height of their ambition to live as honest men, good neighbors, honorable citizens, and accountable to their Creator. They were not inferior to that genera- tion of men whose settlement in New England consti- tutes so important an epoch in history, and whose fame knows no limits other than the whole civilized world .- They were men possessing the sentiments of the Pil- grims ; men who understood and highly valued both re- 3*
26
INCREASE OF POPULATION.
ligious and civil freedom ; who cheerfully suffered for its enjoyments ; who were determined on its maintain- ance and promotion ; and who zealously labored to pre- pare their children for its support and perpetuation .- They understood, appreciated and loved the truth .- They prayed and labored for its diffusion. They cul- tivated and exhibited the evangelical spirit and faith of the gospel. Such were the men who settled here, and such their character, The charge of excessive vanity has not unfrequently been cast upon the people of New England, for speaking in terms which betray warm ad- miration for the character of their ancestors. And yet, those who would reproach us as being judges, there is truth, confessedly, in an artfully expressed sentiment of a writer of antiquity. "The Lord sifted the kingdoms of Europe to obtain good seed wherewith to plant the sterile fields of New England."
A large proportion of the families first settling in Princeton, could trace their ancestry back to the earlier settlers of New England. Many came from Lancaster, some from Concord, some from Weston, some from Sudbury, and others from Dedham, Lexington, Water- town, Medfield and various other towns in different parts of the Province.
Some twelve years subsequent to its incorporation as a District, Princeton had increased in numbers and wealth to a considerable extent. In 1759 there were, probably, not more than twenty-five or thirty legal voters, while in 1771 the number had augmented to nearly one hundred ; and when the census was taken in 1791, a still later period, there were one hundred and forty-four dwelling-houses and 1,016 inhabitants in the place. In addition to the two tracts of land which were
27
TOWN INCORPORATION.
incorporated into the District in 1759, there were con- tiguous thereto some thousands of acres of Province land, which had never been incorporated into any dis- trict ;- with the exception of five hundred acres, mainly lands on the Wachusett mountain, and which at a subse- quent period were granted by the General Court to the Rev. Timothy Fuller, in consideration that he was the first minister and settled upon a small salary in the in- fancy of the town .* In 1765, the District chose Samuel Woods, Joseph Eveleth and Boaz Moore, a committee, and instructed them " to send," in behalf of said district, " a petition t to the Great and General Court for the province land in this district." " Of the adjoining Province lands, one thousand acres known as the ' Potash farm,' were granted to one Plastid, in case he should teach the people the manufacture of potash. Buildings were erected and the manufacture commenced. For some reason, however, Plastid failed to obtain the land, and it was subsequently granted to Gen. Ruggles, for some military service in the French war. The re- mainder of the Province land was probably settled by adventurers or taken up by speculators."
In 1770, it was voted by the District to petition the General Court to be incorporated into a town ; and accordingly, the Selectmen were appointed a commit- tee for this purpose. During this year, or early the succeeding one, they forwarded to the General Court the Petition which follows, and which eventuated in the sought for Act of Incorporation, a copy of which Act we also subjoin.
* See Appendix, for a copy of the Petition and Resolve upon which said land was given to Mr. Fuller.
t No copy of this Petition, or of the one for incorporation in 1759, er of that of the town in 1772, is to be found.
28
PETITION FOR INCORPORATION.
"Province of Massachusetts Bay.
"To His Excellency Thomas Hutchinson, Esq., Gov- ernor and Commander-in-Chief in and over said Province, The Honorable His Majesty's Council and House of Rep- resentatives in General Court assembled at Cambridge.
" The Petition of Princetown, in the County of Wor- cester, humbly shews, That said place composed of Province Land and other Lands, and Farms which never before belonged to any Town or District to the Amount of near eight thousand acres, together with a part of the original grant of twelve miles square to the Proprietors of Rutland, which part was never incorporated into the Town of Rutland or any other Town, as many of this Honorable Court are well knowing,was in the year 1760 -1759-erected into a District by the name of Prince- town, and was not annexed to any Town to join with them in the choice of Representative, and never can join with any, without being subject to greater difficul- ties than any District lately made by reason of the dis- tance, and badness of the Roads.
" Your petitioners therefore humbly pray (seeing said District was composed of lands, which never before be- longed to any town or District) you would out of your wonted goodness erect said place into a Town, with all the powers and privileges which are enjoyed by other Towns in this Province.
"And as in duty bound will ever pray.
Ebenezer Joncs,
Joseph Sargent, - Boaz Moore, Caleb Mirick,
Committee."
29
ACT OF INCORPORATION.
" Anno Regni Testii L. S.
Regis Georgii
Undecimo.
"An Act to erect the District of Prince Town into a Town by the name of Princeton.
" Whereas the Inhabitants of the District of Prince 'Town have Petitioned this Court to be Incorporated into a Town that they may enjoy the privileges of other Towns in this Province,
" Be it therefore enacted by the Governor Council, and House of Representatives, That the District of Prince Town in the County of Worcester, with all the lands adjoining to said District not included in any other Town or District, be and hereby is incorporated into a Town by the name of Princeton, and that the Inhabi- tants thereof be and hereby are invested with all the powers, privileges and immunities which the Inhabitants of the several Towns within this Province do enjoy.
" April 17th, 1771. This bill having been read three several times in the House of Representatives-
Passed to be enacted. Thomas Cushing, Speaker.
" April 19th, 1771. This Bill having been read three several times in Council --
Passed to be enacted. Thomas Flucker, Sec'y.
"April 24th, 1771. By the Governor. I consent to the enactment of this Bill. T. Hutchinson."
The inhabitants of Princeton, as appears from the town records, were strongly opposed to the addition of territory to the original district, which was made by the above act of the General Court. Hence they passed, in
30
ADDITION OF TERRITORY.
Oct. 1771, the following vote :- " That it is the opinion of the town, that it is a hardship both to this town and the farms lately laid to it, that they should be annexed, inasmuch as they are in no way accommodated to it, and that it is impracticable that they should receive privileges that they be not rated." In May following, it was voted, " That a petition be prepared to" be pre- sented to the General Court then " setting in Cambridge, praying that the land lately annexed to this town may be taken off;" and the town also chose a committee consisting of Joseph Eveleth, William Thompson and Joseph Sargent, for this purpose. This petition, as be- fore stated in a note, has been lost by some means .- The land alluded to, is probably that which at the present time constitutes the northern part of the town, known by the name of " Notown," which was undoubtedly an- nexed at that time,-inasmuch as the above act of the General Court embraced " all the lands adjoining said District" not previously incorporated in any district or town ; but which was also, it would seem, on the prayer of this petition " taken off." It was finally annexed again by an act of the Legislature in 1838. The great objection to the annexation of the " farms" was, that roads were to be built through them, at the expense of the town ; which would in their view be " an unrepara- ble and unsupportable burden to the inhabitants."
The town after the passage of the above act of incor- poration had the right of a representation, but as this must have been at their own expense, it was voted in 1772 and 1773 not to send a representative, on account of the " extraordinary cost" and also the " great ex- pense of making roads." The first representative of the town was Moses Gill, who was chosen in 1774 to
31
BOUNDARY.
represent it in the General Court to be held in Salem, Oct. 5. It was the custom of the town, at that early date, to give written instructions to their representa- tives .* The manner of calling the early town meetings, was to divide the town into " ranges," usually two, and a constable was appointed for each "range," whose duty it was to give personal notice to each inhabitant.
The territory of Princeton at the present time consists of "Rutland East Wing," containing about 11,626 acres ; of the " Watertown Farms," about 3,000 acres ; of Province lands, incorporated in 1759, nearly 2000 acres; and of lands annexed, in 1771, about 2500 acres; and about 500 acres set off from Hubbardston, on petition of the owners in 1810; and about 500 acres from " No Town" in 1838. The town is situated some fifty miles from Boston, about due west ; and fourteen miles from Worcester, nearly north ;- and is bounded on the north by Westminster, on the east by Sterling, on the south by Holden and Rutland, and on the west by Hubbardston.
* For the instructions given to Mr. Gill in 1774 see succeeding chapter.
CHAPTER III.
American Revolution-First expression of the town in relation to revolutiona- ry measures-Resolutious-Committee of correspondence-Alarm-Prep- arations for war-Instructions to representative-Declaration of rights- Bounty to the minute men-The citizens leave their homes for the contest ; Trouble with Rev. Mr. Fuller-Declaration of Independence-Regulation of the currency-War terminated.
WE have now reached an epoch of the deepest interest in our history. " The middle of the century had scarcely
32
AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
past, before the shadows of oppression began to darken the land, and the first tremulous motions of the revolu- tion, which finally upheaved the colonial government, were felt. The collision of popular privilege with royal prerogative, maintained during successive years by the representatives, had prepared the people for the investi- gation of the principles on which their connection with the mother country rested, and waked their vigilance for the protection of chartered and inherited rights."- The long series of wars* which they had previously en- dured, were doubtless useful schools, diffusing military spirit, and imparting knowledge of strength and skill, and confidence for repelling encroachments.
When the appeal to arms approached, however, some of the colonists were filled with fear. And this is not to be wondered at, since the match was most unequal. There was on the one side, no organized regiment, no fortified town, no ship of war, no money, no arms nor military stores ; while on the other there was a well dis- ciplined army, with eminent officers, an extensive and powerful navy, an abundance of money, arms and stores, sustained by a reputation for military bravery that made their name a terror to all Europe. Besides, they had been educated with sentiments of veneration for the Crown'of England, to which they had sworn fidelity, being indebted to its bounty for the honors and wealth they possessed. Some among them viewed the opposition to the measures of government premature, in its advance to extremities. The times, however, did not admit of a middle course. For the crisis had al- ready arrived.
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