USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Spencer > History of Spencer, Massachusetts, from its earliest settlement to the year 1860: including a brief sketch of Leicester, to the year 1753 > Part 9
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HISTORY OF SPENCER.
Harriman, was their minister for the years 1839 and 1840.
In a few years after this, by deaths, removals, and other causes, the society became extinct, and the meeting house was sold and used for quite a different purpose. Within two or three years, however, a number of citizens of the town have united, and procured ministers of that faith to preach for them, every other Sunday. The Town Hall is occupied by them for that purpose, with respectable members in attendance.
METHODISTS.
In 1841, Nathaniel Eldridge, Silas Eldridge, William Henshaw, Danforth Burgess, and a few others, united and formed themselves into a society, agreeable to the rules and regulations of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Town Hall was obtained for the use of holding religious meetings. Their numbers continued to increase by many additional members, among which were, Pliny Allen, Amos Kittredge, Foster Bemis, Amos Bemis, Edward Hall, Lewis W. Snow, James B. Holmes, Thomas Hersey, Isaac L. Stearns, Dwight D. Prouty, Joshua Sylvester, and others, when, 1847, a commodious lot of land was obtained on which, was erected a handsome church, with cupola and steeple, the same year, the whole costing about $4,500. The next year, a board of trustees was organized, to manage and take care of the interests of the society. The following are the names of the first board.
Pliny Allen, President; Amos Kittredge, Treasurer ; Silas Eldridge, Secretary; Nathaniel Eldridge, Foster Bemis.
Lately the Trustees have procured a convenient Parson- age, for the accommodation of their ministers, at the cost of about $1,500, and the society appears to be in a prosperous condition.
114
HISTORY OF SPENCER.
CATHOLICS.
According to the census of 1860, there are more than 700 foreigners in this town, consisting principally of Irish and Canadian French, with a few English. Most of these, ex- cept the English, profess the Roman Catholic religion. In 1853, they built a handsome church, with cupola, steeple and bell. The meetings are held weekly, attended by a priest from the college in Worcester. Their religious servi- ces are accompanied with an organ, according to the rites of the catholic religion.
4
ROADS.
The great Post Road, anciently called the " Country Road," was formerly an avenue of great importance, being the great thoroughfare from Boston to New York. The route was from Boston, by the way of Marlborough to Worcester, thence through Spencer to Springfield, thence down by Con- necticut river to Hartford, thence by the way of New Haven to New York. This road was not located by any legal authority, until many years after the traveller or wayfaring man had passed through this region. The first settlers of Massachusetts had not migrated westerly of Watertown, until January 27, 1632. On that day, Gov. Winthrop and others went up Charles river about eight miles, and from an eminence, they discovered a high hill, about 40 miles distant, which is supposed to be Wachusett. This is the earliest notice taken of any of this part of the country by the earliest historians of New England. But no attempt is known to have been made to penetrate any farther into the country until the next year, 1633, when it is said that Mr. Oldham and some others, traveled from Dorchester through the wilderness to Connecticut, to view the country and trade
115
HISTORY OF SPENCER.
with the Indians. They brought back such a flattering report, that it determined many of the Dorchester people to remove thither. Accordingly, November 15, 1635, a com- pany of about sixty men, women and children, with cows, horses and swine, went from Dorchester by land, to Wind- sor in Connecticut, to commence a settlement there. This must have been a tedious and difficult journey. Governor Hutchinson says, " it was near a fortnight's journey, having no pillow but Jacob's and no canopy but the heavens ; a wilderness to go through, without the least cultivation ; in most places, no path nor any marks to guide them, depend- ing upon the compass to steer by. Many hideous swamps and very high mountains, besides five or six rivers, or differ- ent parts of the same winding river, (Chicopee) not every where fordable, which they could not avoid." They prob- ably passed a little south of this town ; because, taking a direct course by the compass, until striking the Chicopee river, they must have passed near here. Although the in- tercourse between Boston and Connecticut was mostly by water, yet every year after this, more or less people passed from one to the other place, by land. This course of travel, after a while, would leave some traces or landmarks on their route; succeeding travelers would be likely thus to be guided, until at length a visible track or trail would be made. As the tide of emigration continued to set into the the country further west, buildings and fences would be erected on these tracks, with some variations, until ulti- mately, they became roads. In 1648, says Winthrop, “ a new way was found out to Connecticut, by Nashua, avoiding much of the hilly way." This must have been a circuitous route, passing by the way of Lancaster, and then probably to Worcester. Another was, to pass through the southerly part of Northborough, then a part of Marlborough, thence to Westborough and Grafton. This has since been called the " old Connecticut Road." Afterward, it was varied,
116
HISTORY OF SPENCER.
or rather a new way was found. Coming from Marlborough, it passed through the centre of what is now Northborough, from thence through Shrewsbury, Worcester, Leicester, and Spencer, to Brookfield, on or near the line of the present road. This was called the " New Connecticut Road" from Marlborough to Worcester, and from Worcester to Brook- field the "Country Road." This last-described route, was merely a path cut through the woods, and practicable only for passengers on foot, or with horses, and was traveled as early as 1674, at which time there was not a single habita- tion on it, between Marlborough and Brookfield, except a few log houses in Worcester. It had no definite location through this town, as late as 1722, for the town of Leicester, this year, voted that " the selectmen make application to the quarter sessions at Cambridge, to have the country road laid out through this town." The application was not suc- cessful, and the next year a similar vote was passed. These applications being unsuccessful, Governor Washburn says, the selectmen of Leicester, in 1773, laid out the road through Leicester to Spencer line, by marked trees, &c. When the road was located by competent authority, is not now known, but in 1725, the town was presented at the quarter sessions for want of a bridge over seven mile river. The road then passed the river by a fordway, a short distance north of the present bridge. The location, however, was made previous to 1728, as the town that year raised a tax of £12 2s. 5d. to defray their proportion of the expense, for the location. In 1729, the first bridge was built over the river, the town having been again presented or indieted, for the want of one.
Recently, the towns through which this road passes have made many valuable improvements and alterations, to ac- commodate the great amount of travel which passed over it, and which had been gradually increasing for more than a century, but the opening of the Western Railroad has de- prived it of most of the public travel.
117
HISTORY OF SPENCER.
About three miles of the Western Railroad is located in Spencer, passing through the south-westerly part of the town. A station for the accommodation of passengers and freight is established upon it, being, however, more than two miles from the central village.
The county road from Sturbridge to Worcester, called the South County Road, was located through this town, on the petition of John Newhall of Spencer, and others, in 1756. There was formerly some public travel upon it, but the lo- cation of the Stafford turnpike, and more recently, the es- tablishment of the Western Railroad, has deprived it of all public travel.
The county road from Hardwick to Worcester, called the North County Road, was located in 1757, on the petition of the celebrated Brigadier Timothy Ruggles, of Hardwick, he being at that time one of the judges of the Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions for the county of Wor- cester, and for his special accommodation ; the petition being from himself to himself, could hardly fail of being success- ful. In 1830, a new county road was made, commencing on the North County Road at North Spencer, and passing through the centre of Paxton to Worcester. Some consider- able travel passes over this road.
Many of our town roads were not judiciously located, passing over hills and ledges. The original proprietors of the town, when they sold their lands, made no reserve for roads, and the first settlers coming into an entire wilderness, built their houses to accommodate their own interests or caprice, without the least reference to the future wants of the public. Their intercourse with each other, however, compelled them to make some sort of paths or passage way to each others' residence, which were often perched upon some of the highest hills. This was first done by marked trees, next by cutting a few, that most obstructed a passage, until at length, by long use and some trifling repairs, they
11
118
HISTORY OF SPENCER.
received the name of roads. And as new settlers continued to be added, until their humble dwellings became promiscu- ously scattered over the town, new paths of the same char- acter were made, or old ones continued, and these were all the roads for the accommodation of the inhabitants, with the exception of the great post road, for thirty years.
The first road made by legal authority was in 1750, and when Leicester and Spencer were both one town. Immedi- ately after Spencer became incorporated as a town, many roads were located, and many alterations in the old trodden paths were made, but in most cases, each was accommodated with a road by his dwelling, and hence many are hilly and circuitous to this day. Those recently constructed, exhibit skill and judgment, as the people have become satisfied that it is easier to pass around than over a steep hill. The whole length of all the roads in this town is about one hundred miles, and kept in repair by the inhabitants, exclusive of the large bridges, and special grants, at an annual tax of 1200 dollars, or about twelve dollars per mile.
LOCALITIES.
The town abounds with hills, but none remarkably high, or that merit a particular description, and few that retain their ancient names. Moose Hill is situated partly in Lei- cester, the town line running over its centre. This hill de- rived its name, according to Mr. Whitney, "because of the great number of those quadrupeds which were wont to har- bor there." Buck Hill is in the Northeast part of the town, and probably derived its name from being a favorite resort of those animals. Flat Hill is on land lately owned by Ca- leb Sibley and others. Oak Hill on land lately owned by Caleb M. Morse. Orchard Hill is on land owned by Russel Sibley, so designated in some ancient deeds. Bare Hill is
119
HISTORY OF SPENCER.
situated southerly of the station on the Western Railroad, and was so called because being destitute of trees at the first settlement of the town. The highest land in the town is supposed to be on the hill southerly of the house of Paul Sibley.
There is a large and fertile meadow, containing about one hundred acres, situated on Seven Mile River, called the " Great Meadow," divided into lots and owned by various in- dividuals. Branch Meadow is situated on Turkey Hill Brook, in the northeast part of the town, and, of late, is partly in- undated with water. Burnt Coat Meadow, the greatest part of which is in Leicester, and Cranberry Meadow, in the south- west part of the town, are now both overflowed, as reservoirs for mills. Cedar Swamp is a tract containing about seventy- seven acres, in the southeast part of the town, and when the town was divided into lots between the original proprietors, this was excluded from the division, and reserved in common ownership ; now owned by the heirs of William Baldwin, Esq. Hemlock Gutter is a ravine which crosses the great post road east of the house of Henry Eames, and was for- · merly a terror to the teamster, being difficult to pass ; but now rendered perfectly safe and easy for the passage of all kinds of carriages. Alder Swamp is near the house of Josh- ua Bemis.
PONDS.
The only natural pond wholly in Spencer, is Moose Pond, sometimes called Whittemore Pond. This is a small collec- tion of water, containing about sixty acres, about three- fourths of a mile Northeasterly of the Congregational meet- ing-house. It is supplied from springs arising from its im- mediate margin, no streams of consequence flowing into it. Browning's Pond is a considerable sheet of water, not more
120
HISTORY OF SPENCER.
than one-fourth of which is in Spencer. The remainder is in Oakham. Another, called Johnson's Pond, lies almost wholly in North Brookfield, only about four or five acres be- ing in Spencer.
STREAMS.
This town, being situated partly on the height of land, be- tween the Atlantic ocean and the Connecticut River, contains no large streams within its borders. Seven Mile River is the largest. Taking its rise from Browning's Pond, it runs southerly about five miles, then southwesterly into Brookfield, and discharges itself into Podunk Pond. Five Mile River has its source principally in the southwesterly part of Oak- ham. It runs southerly, on the western borders of Spencer, into Johnson's Pond, at the outlet of which there were mills. From thence it soon passes into North Brookfield, and unites, at East Brookfield, with Seven Mile River. There is a small stream issuing from Shaw Pond in Leicester, which passes into Spencer ; also another, issuing from Turkey Hill Pond, lying partly in Paxton and partly in Rutland, which also passes into Spencer. These two streams unite in the easter- ly part of the town, and running a southwesterly course, unite with Seven Mile River near the house of Daniel Whit- temore. Another stream issues from Moose Pond, and pass- ing through the Central Village, joins Seven Mile River in the Great Meadow. Another arises from Cranberry Meadow, and unites with Seven Mile River near the house of Mr. Robinson. Another small brook empties into the last men- tioned stream near the house of Mr. Butler. These all unite in forming the Seven Mile River, which is a branch of the Chicopee, which empties into the Connecticut River. A brook arises from Alder Swamp, and running a southeaster-
. .
121
HISTORY OF SPENCER.
ly course, receives the waters of Cedar Swamp, passes into Leicester, and is one of the sources of French River. Some of these streams are small, but they have been here described because mills have been erected on all of them, and various kinds of business carried on by their operation.
POST OFFICES.
There are two post offices in the town ; one in the central village, Luther Hill, Esq., Post Master ; the other, five miles north of the centre, called North Spencer, Jonas Wilson, Post Master.
TOWN HOUSE.
In 1839, the town erected a handsome building for the transaction of the municipal and other public business. This building is 50 by 40 feet and two stories high and cupola. Lately a bell has been hung in the cupola, which is now rung at noon and nine o'clock in the evening, and tolled at the decease of a person, striking the age. The lower story is divided into a number of apartments, one for the use of town officers, one for the use of the Fire Department, and other rooms for various other uses. The Town Hall occu- pies the whole of the upper story, being twelve feet in height, and appropriated for the use of holding town meetings. The Hall is also used for lectures, fairs, shows, religious meetings, and occasionally for balls.
5
Near to the Town House is a commodious building, two stories high, for the use of the Fire Engine, and the appa- ratus belonging to the department.
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122
PRODUCTS OF INDUSTRY IN 1850.
NAME.
BUSINESS.
CAPITAL.
RAW MATERIAL.
QUANTITIES.
KINDS.
VALUE.
A. T. & E. Jones,
Boot Manufacturers,
$10 000
$20 000
29 000 pairs,
Boots,
$40 000
Charles E. Denny,
Boot Manufacturer,
10 000
20 000
27 000
Boots,
40 000
Josiah Green,
Boot Manufacturer,
11 500
24 000
24 000
Boots,
43 000
Nathaniel Eldridge,
Cotton Manufacturer,
12 000
10 500
200 000 yards,
Cloth,
14 000
Grout, Bush & Co.,
Boot Manufacturers,
8 000
21 000
25 000 pairs,
Boots,
20 000
Watson, Bemis & Co., Isaac Prouty,
Boot Manufacturer,
10 000
16 200
28 000
Boots,
20 000
H. J. Lyman & Co.,
Satinet Manufacturers,
6 000
5 000
80 000 yards,
Satinet,
15 000
Thomas H. Shorey,
Satinet Manufacturer,
5 000
7 000
46 000
Satinet,
9 300
William Henshaw,
Satinet Warp Manufacturer,
8 000
7 000
234 000 «
Satinet Warp,
10 800
Myrick & Sugden,
Wire Manufacturers,
7 000
6 500
25 tons,
Fine Wire,
3 300
Liberty Prouty,
Wire Manufacturer,
1 500
2 100
1 500 pounds, 120 dozen,
Scythes,
45 000
Bemis & Hall,
Powder Manufacturers,
3 000
. 8 350
25 tons,
Powder,
1 500
Sullivan Hill,
Chair Maker,
500
500
2 500,
Chairs,
1 500
Liberty Bowen,
Cabinet Maker,
1 000
500
Secretaries, &c., Bedsteads, &c.,
2 500
Winthrop Livermore,
Box Maker,
500
1 500
7 500,
Boxes,
560
Reuel Jones,
Box Maker,
800
350
1 750,
Boxes,
Stove Funnels,
Tin & Copper
1 000
Samuel C. Marsh,
Worker in Tin, Copper, and Sheet Iron,
550
650
Ware,&Trim'gs,
$340 660
HISTORY OF SPENCER.
1 200
Scythe Manufacturer,
500
255
Ziba Eaton,
Boot Manufacturers,
3 000
11 500
15 000
Boots,
36 000
36 000
Fine Wire,
PRODUCTS OF INDUSTRY IN 1860.
NAME.
BUSINESS.
CAPITAL.
RAW MATERIAL.
QUANTITIES.
KINDS.
VALUE.
Edward Proctor,
Currier,
$1 000
$15 900
5 000 sides,
Upper Leather,
$18 300
Joseph W. Morse,
Currier,
5 000
38 300
12 000 “
Upper Leather, Boots,
100 000
Isaac Prouty & Co.,
Boots,
20 000
101 500
90 000
Boots,
150 000
Livermore & Drury,
Boots,
10 000
45 000
40 000
Boots,
66 000
A. T. & E. Jones,
Boots,
30 000
93 000
80 000
Boots,
Josiah Green & Co.,
Boots,
10 000
26 800
24 000
Boots,
48 000
David Prouty & Co.,
Boots,
18 000
44 100
36 000
Boots,
66 000
C. & G. Watson,
Boots,
25 000
25 500
25 000
Boots,
50 000
Samuel C. Marsh,
Tin Smith,
3 000
685
240 tons,
Wire,
45 000
J. R. & J. E. Prouty,
Wire Works,
30 000
19 800
Wire,
35 000
William Upham,
Satinet,
5 000
16 500
150 000 yards,
Satinet,
40 000
Hiram P. Dunton,
Tailor,
1 500
3 000
24 carriages,
Wagons,
2 600
Winthrop Livermore,
Boot Boxes,
5 000
6 000
24 000,
Boot Boxes,
7 680
Hiram Howe,
Boot Boxes,
4 000
3 600
16 000,
Boot Boxes,
5 800
Z
Barnes & Mullet,
Sash and Blinds,
6 000
2 000
350 D., 200 W .. 250 Blinds,
5 000
Thomas Clark,
Saw Mill,
4 000
1 000
200 000 feet,
Boards,
2 000
Joshua Bemis,
Saw Mill,
1 500
2 000
250 000
Boards,
3 000
Myrick & Sugden,
Saw Mill,
2 000
1 500
200 000
Boards,
2 500
SPENCER. C
1860, Capital Invested,
$229 000
1860, Value of Production, 1850,
-
$837 355
1850,
-
98 850
340 660
$130 150
$496 695
123
HISTORY OF K
Grout, Bush & Co.,
Boots,
20 000
69 875
55 500 pairs,
140 000
H
Myrick & Sugden,
Wire Works,
25 000
26 900
5 000
Charles A. Bradley,
Carriage Maker,
3 000
800
1 475
$837 355
.
44 000
124
HISTORY OF SPENCER.
PRODUCTIONS OF AGRICULTURE IN 1860.
Farms 197 ; horses 344 : oxen 222; cows 761; bushels of wheat 352; rye 206; corn 8632: oats 11,142; potatoes 18,275; tons of hay 3,371. Taxable property in 1855, $1,165,733. Taxable property in 1860, $1,286,333.
Besides those business operations above enumerated, there are two satinet manufactories, one woolen manufactory not now in operation, one boot manufactory, five saw mills, three grist mills, and the usual proportion of mechanics. Four stores for the sale of dry goods and groceries.
MINERALS.
Considerable quantities of upland iron ore were formerly taken from this town, and used in the foundries in Stafford · and Brookfield, but is now nearly exhausted ; and Professor Hitchcock states that there is iron ore in some of our mead- ows. Peat of good quality has been found, and probably much of it abounds. Clay has been found in different parts of the town ; sufficient quantities of brick were furnished formerly to supply the demand for home market, and some for other towns, but the rise in the price of wood, and the large quantities furnished at East Brookfield, has much diminished the business here. The town contains no granite or other stone suitable for good building materials.
SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS.
Mr. Whitney says, this town is " an exceedingly fertile township." It contains a considerable quantity of excellent lands for pasturing, grass and other agricultural purposes, and many tons of beef, pork, butter, cheese, &c., are annu- ally produced, and formerly sent from town to market; but
125
HISTORY OF SPENCER.
of late, by the introduction of manufactures, and consequent increase of population, the home market furnishes a demand for all our surplus produce. Many beautiful swells of land, of great fertility, are interspersed through the town, pro- ducing grass, Indian corn, barley, oats, potatoes, &c., in abundance. There are some excellent meadows, especially the Great Meadow on Seven Mile River, Mr. Cheney Sum- ner's on Moose Pond Stream, and other places. Much of our swamps have become nearly worthless for grass, but lately many of them have been converted into tillage lands with quite satisfactory results. In the first settlement of New England, it was considered indispensable that a few acres of meadow or swamp should be allotted to each farm ; and for a short time they afforded a considerable supply for grass, but soon degenerated. The natural growth of trees is the usual varieties of oak, walnut, chestnut, maple, birch, hemlock, poplar, elm, &c. Our forests have also produced much white pine, of good quality, for building materials. The apple, pear and cherry, when properly cultivated, flourish well, but the circulio has killed our plums, and the cold winters our peach trees.
THE OLD CEMETERY.
It is probable that all who died here previous to 1740 were carried to Leicester for interment, the place for which was in the immediate rear of the meeting house, which has long since been disused for a burial place, and is partly cov- ered by the meeting house and other buildings. In 1740, Mr. Nathaniel Cunningham, who will hereafter be men- tioned, conveyed two acres of land to the inhabitants of Spencer, " for the accommodation of a meeting house," and for other parochial and municipal purposes, more than half of which was appropriated for a place to bury their dead. In 1791 about half an acre was added for the same use, and
126
HISTORY OF SPENCER.
in 1817 it was further enlarged by the addition of nearly one and a half acre more. In 1857 it was found necessary for further enlargement, and another half acre was added, making in the whole not more than three acres. This con- stituted the only burial place for considerably more than a century, in the town, and nearly all who have died here during that period, besides many from other towns, have been interred in this place. At the time of the first pur- chase, it was, an entire forest, and the trees were not all taken away for many years, and was not and could not be divided into lots; there was no sexton, every family was obliged to prepare the vaults for their own dead, and em- ploy whom they could for that purpose, and of course the graves were opened promiscuously, and in most gross dis- order. Slabs of slate stone are erected at the graves of a portion of the dead, " with uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture decked," but the greater part have no memorial to mark their resting place. In those parts of the grave yard more recently purchased, the ground has been laid out in ranges and divided into lots, with marble stones, and some of them, elegantly wrought, are placed at the head of every grave ; besides there are several handsome marble monu- ments, which reflect honor both to the living and the dead.
" Through devious ways and paths unknown, Through forests dark and drear, Our fathers sought these mountain streams, To plant their offspring here.
"Through years of toil, through years of want, They bravely struggled on ; And lo ! the forest melts away ; The sturdy oaks are gone.
" Their names are left for us to bear ; Their spirits, they are fled ; On yonder hill their bones repose, Among the slumbering dead."
:
127
HISTORY OF SPENCER.
PINE GROVE CEMETERY.
A few years since, a number of the citizens of this town procured a commodious lot of land for a burial place. After- wards they became a corporation, with all the necessary officers and suitable by-laws, for more conveniently manag- ing the concern. This lot is situated about a mile and a half northwesterly of the central village, mostly on a plain, at the margin of Seven Mile River, and named " Pine Grove Cemetery." It is scientifically laid out into lots, conforming to the configuration of the ground, with carriage roads and
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