USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Westminster > History of Westminster, Massachusetts (first named Narragansett no. 2) from the date of the original grant of the township to the present time, 1728-1893, with a biographic-genealogical register of its principal families > Part 27
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TABLE OF HIGHWAYS.
1. 1733. Sunderland road, as heretofore described.
2. May 21. 1734. Main Street from Common to Woodward place, and 160 rods of Hubbardston road from Nichols Bros.' chair shop. The part of Main Street as originally laid out southeast of the pond was discontinued at an early day.
3. Sept. 13, 1750. Lunenburg road, running northeasterly from Hobart Raymond's, as before noted. Probably no part of it is now in use.
4. Sept. 13, 1750. The present traveled way essentially from the late J. K. Learned place, via T. S. Wood's, to Wachusett Lake.
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TABLE OF PUBLIC HIGHWAYS.
5. Sept. 13. 1750. The highway connecting the last with the Main Street, extending around the end of the pond to the " Common."
6. Sept. 13, 1750. Road from " Parker's Corner" (so called) to the resi- dence of the late Isaac Seaver, as stated.
7. Sept. 13, 1750. Branch of the latter to the late Calvin Baker house, the principal road as first laid out running in a nearly straight line from " Miles' Corner " (so called) to the Joshua Liverpool place.
8. Oct. 24, 1750. The eastwardly North Common thoroughfare, passing by the dwelling of C. B. Cooley. This road extended as far north as the house of Sewall Morse, where Mr. Ebenezer Taylor then resided.
9. Dec. 4, 1751. "From lot 83 to 85." This was an extension of road No. 6, and ran from the Isaac Seaver place to the house of Calvin Whitney.
10. Dec. 4, 1751. This was a short highway laid out for the benefit of William Bemis, who lived where the late Willard Battles did, and extended from that place to the Lunenburg road, a few rods south of the tomb, most of it being represented by the present road.
II. Dec. 4. 1751. Running from the Lunenburg road in the neighbor- hood of where George Harris now lives, on or near the line of the existing road, by the sawmill site at the head of "the Narrows," thence southwardly to the homestead of William H. Benjamin, then occupied by Ephraim Stevens.
12. Dec. 4, 1751. This ran from the easterly road to the North Common, past the present Widow Martha Cutler house. to a point some fifty rods below the residence of the late Thomas Merriam, where a house then stood occupied by James Taylor.
13. Dec. 4, 1751. This was a branch of the road to the North Common, leaving it near the present town farm, and running westerly to lot No. 45. above where George W. Whitney resides, then the home of Josiah Cutting.
14. Dec. 4, 1751. An extension northward of No. 8 from Sewall Morse's to the Dickinson place. then improved by John Sangar.
15. Dec. 4, 1751. A road running from the corner near the former Dike place, southwardly by the Reed Merriam place, to the town line-a part of the westerly Princeton road.
16. Dec. 4, 1751. From lot No. 36. the present home of Mrs. Foster in South Westminster. to Miles' Corner, sixty rods in length.
17. Dec. 4, 1751. The Bacon Street road, extending from Main Street to the Winship place on Prospect Hill, sometimes called " Hopkins' road."
18. Dec. 4, 1751. Essentially the present road from the old Common southwesterly to the former homestead of George Miles; also a short branch from near the Eager house southwardly eighteen rods, to where Reuben Miles then had a residence.
19. Dec. 4, 1751. An extension of the last, westward two hundred rods, by the Bigelow homestead to the neighborhood of the sawmill site.
20. Dec. 4, 1751. From Parker's Corner by the late John K. Learned house to road No. 4. This opened a public thoroughfare from the southerly part of the township to the meetinghouse. There was probably a private way there before, which the inhabitants were permitted to use.
21. Aug. 12, 1752. Extension westward of road No. 19, and ran to a point beyond Pew brook, in what is now South Gardner. It followed the general course of a county road laid two years later, the location of which may still be traced most of the distance, though the central part of it was abandoned seventy or eighty years ago. Its western portion was what is at present High Street, in the village referred to. This highway was undoubtedly laid to accommodate the growing settlements at Narragan- sett No. 6 (Templeton) and Paquoage (Athol), which had already attained considerable size, and had occasion to communicate frequently with the lower towns. An interesting instance of the indefinite and tantalizing man- ner in which the laying out of a road was recorded in those days. is found in that part of the clerk's book, which is designed to give the location of this very thoroughfare. A few lines are copied verbatim. " It begins at a Hemlock about four Rods beyond pew Brook so called Near the road [a
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HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
mere forest cart-path probably] from thence to a poplar from thence to a popler from thence to a white pine from thence to a white pine Near to the path that goes to Saturday meadow about seven or eight Rods from ye old path from thence to a Hemlock from thence to a spruce in the Gutter " and so on by twenty more "from thences " to "lot No. fourteen second divi- sion to the Road that was formerly laid," etc.
22. Aug. 12, 1752. This was the highway running on the east side of Graves Hill, from Parker's Corner to the corner near the Dike place, by the home of J. Hervey Miller, connecting roads Nos. 15, 20, 4, and 5 in one continuous line from Princeton boundary to the Main Street.
23. Oct. 2, 1753. A county road was laid and ordered to be built from Fitchburg to Dorchester Canada (Ashburnham). It was substantially the present road in the extreme northerly part of the town, running by the resi- dence of James H. Laws.
24. May 1, 1754. A second county road was laid from Lancaster to Paquoage (Athol). Its course was through Kneeland farm (Everettville) "to meeting-house in Narraganset No. 2," mostly "on road as now trod" and thence by Bigelow's westward "to meeting-house in No. 6 [Templeton] as road is now trod." It ran nearly on the lines of roads Nos. 4, 5, 18, 19, and 21, all of which, except a portion of the last, are still in existence and in common use.
25. July 31, 1754. A road was reported, running from Lot No. 91 through 92, and second division lots Nos. 32 and 31, and no doubt built. This was the original of the present thoroughfare by the late dwelling of Lyman Allen and the Beech Hill schoolhouse. The location of the easterly end of it was materially changed some years afterward. Its course as first laid out may still be traced.
26. July 31, 1754. This was an extension of No. 1I southward from the homestead of William H. Benjamin to the county road near the No. 7 schoolhouse.
27. April 23, 1755. An extension of No. 17 from the Winship place to the next lot, No. 47, where Lyman Seaver now resides.
28. Sept. 29, 1756. An extension of No. 10 from where Willard Battles resided, northward by Mrs. Abijah Raymond's, to No. 12.
29. June 1, 1757. A road from Michael Brigden's, now Dr. Liverpool's, eastward over the hill by Hollis Bolton's to the county road, near the outlet of Wachusett Pond.
30. July 5, 1758. Was an extension of No. 14 from the Dickinson place through Scrabble Hollow to a point some half a mile beyond on Bragg Hill, where Asahel Smith then resided, now occupied by E. T. Smith.
31. Jan. 17, 1759. This seems to have been substantially the present ex- tension of Main Street westward to Gardner line.
32. Jan. 17, 1759. From North Common by James Cohee's (I. N. Smith's) to or near where Robert McTaggart recently lived (C. Vinnieg's) on Bean Porridge Hill.
33. Oct. 16, 1759. This appears to have run where the present road does, from the old red schoolhouse site to the house of Alonzo Curtis, and perhaps to the present Warner place, where Nathaniel Merrill but shortly before located.
34. Oct. 16, 1759. From No. 28, by the recent Bathrick place and near the railroad station, to Nathaniel Merrill's (Melville H. Warner's) just men- tioned.
35. Oct. 16, 1759. This was No. 27 continued, from Lyman Seaver's, the Spaulding homestead, to Beech Hill.
These were all the roads in existence at the time of the incor- poration of Westminster, Oct. 20, 1759. Two of them were county roads; the others had been laid out and built by the proprietors of Narragansett No. 2. The list goes on as follows :
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PUBLIC HIGHWAYS-CONTINUED).
36. March 3, 1760. The first road laid out by the District of West- minster ran from No. 12, the present Cutler road, to house lot No. 53, where Albert Howard now lives.
37. March 2, 1761. This was a continuance of the Beech Hill road, No. 35, to the Divol place, now occupied by S. D). Hobbs.
38. March 2, 1761. A road from the Dickinson house beyond the North Common, northwardly to the Noah May place, then owned by Ebenezer Hart, now Charles H. Smith's.
39. March 2, 1761. In the neighborhood of the Cohee (I. N. Smith) place, branching from the Bean Porridge Hill road, No. 32, and becoming a part of what was afterwards called the " Mink road."
40. March 2, 1761. From John Miles' corner, south of Mrs. Foster's, by Lemuel Houghton's, now South Westminster, to the Damon road at the former Horatio Eager residence.
41. March 1, 1762. This road can not be located. It was in the west part of the town, and may have been the one now leading from the Gardner road, near the old Joshua Moore homestead, to the place now occupied by George M. Blanchard.
42. March 7, 1763. A branch of the original westerly road to Princeton, south of the former residence of Reed Merriam, extending to the town line. Either it has been discontinued, or it is the southerly part of the one now in use. If the latter, then the corresponding part of the original one, No. 15, was discontinued.
43. March 7, 1763. This seems to have been the highway on Beech Hill, running from the previously laid road, No. 35, towards where Mr. Anson Ray now lives.
44. March 7, 1763. Was in the northeast part of the town, extending from near the residence of the late S. N. Barnes, in the direction of, and perhaps to, the former homestead of Eli Sawyer, now abandoned. The course of this road, long since discontinued, may still be traced much of the way.
45. March 7, 1763. "From Stephen Sawin's" (the Betsey Bacon place) by Richard (Calvin) Baker's "to Jos. Horsley's barn," now Dr. Liverpool's.
46. March 5, 1764. Extending from Jonathan Raymond's, late Bathrick place, now owned by Albert Howard, by where Mr. Warner lives, to the Murdock place, belonging to John P. Roper. An improvement and exten- sion of No. 34.
47. March 5. 1764. Represented by the road now running from the Beech Hill schoolhouse by Anson Ray's, to the former residence of Edward and Levi Jackson.
48. March 5, 1764. Ran from the north county road at Laws' Corner, near where W. H. Carter recently lived, substantially as the traveled way now is, crossing the river and ascending the hill, past the Sawyer place, owned by Porter F. Page, thence eastwardly by a route long since discon- tinued, to the former residence of Eli Sawyer, then owned by Lieut. Tilly Wilder.
49. March 5, 1764. A short branch of the last, running probably to one of the abandoned homesteads in that part of the town.
50. March 18, 1765. This was substantially the present road from the corner, near Widow Abijah Raymond's, to the former homestead of Thomas Merriam, extending thence by a discontinued way northerly, till it came to No. 39. The north part of it was included in the " Mink road" of later years, before mentioned.
51. March 26, 1767. This road extended from the one last described, in a northeasterly direction, to the site of the old Brooks mill by a course now readily followed through the woods and pastures.
52. March 6, 1769. An extension of No. 47 from the former E. and L. Jackson homestead westward into Gardner.
53. March 6, 1769. A short road running from the main one over Bean Porridge Hill westward by the house of Mr. Robinson to the Cowee pasture, where the tokens of an abandoned residence are easily recognized.
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HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
54. March 6, 1769. A short road between the house and mill of Dr. Harvey (Asa Brooks) in the northeast part of the town. Not definitely located.
55. March 6, 1769. Probably a relocating of No. 46. and its extension by where Alonzo Curtis resides, to Fitchburg line near the former homestead of Daniel Miles.
56. March 6, 1769. A branch from No. 36 to Nathan Howard's (late Thomas Merriam's) residence. Apparently a relocation of No. 12.
57. January, 1770. A county road was ordered to be built from Winch- endon to Worcester, through Westminster. It was the original of the present well known Winchendon road, running along Main Street, and on the line of the westerly Princeton road to the boundary of the town.
.58. March 5, 1770. This was the present road from the house of Samuel Bridge to the then county road near the George Miles place, with a branch westward to the land of Thomas (now Charles F.) Knower.
59. May 13, 1771. The last road, continued southward to the Betsey Bacon place, connecting there with one already opened beyond.
60. May 13, 1771. This road ran from the Ezra Brooks place, at the foot of Bean Porridge Hill, up the valley to the Bragg Hill road, No. 30.
61. May 13, 1771. Practically an extension of the last road to the town line, much as the traveled way now runs.
62. Sept. 1, 1772. A county road from Westminster to Ashburnham. It followed the course of the present easterly North Common thoroughfare from the Hobart Raymond corner, thence through Scrabble Hollow and up the valley to South Ashburnham village.
63. Dec. 1, 1772. A county road to Harvard, beginning at the Ashburn- ham road below Hobart Raymond's, and running easterly to the line of Fitchburg, along or near the course of the old Lunenburg road No. 3, and not far from the subsequent turnpike route. Its exact location can not be determined.
64. March 1, 1773. From near Anson Ray's eastward along the brow of Beech Hill, with perhaps some modification of No. 43, to road leading to the meetinghouse.
65. March 1, 1773. This was a short road in the extreme north section of the town, branching off from No. 48. It possibly ran to the former John S. Hadley, now Vernon S. Fay, place.
66. March 7, 1774. An extension of Bragg Hill road to town line, near Joseph S. Woodward's residence, which stands on what was a part of the John Ward estate at that date.
67. March 7. 1774. A branch from No. 60 to the house of Nathaniel Kezar, who resided on the hill one fourth of a mile in the rear of the resi- dence of the late James Puffer, on second division lot No. 58.
68. March 7, 1774. A short highway at the extreme north part, leading from the county road to the dwelling then occupied by Isaac Brooks, many years since abandoned.
69. March 5, 1775. It ran from the then county road, west of the Bige- low homestead, past the home of Preston P. Ellis to Gardner line.
70. March 5, 1775. The road previously built to where Calvin Whitney now lives was continued by the house now owned by the Whitney Brothers of Worcester, to the town line.
71. March 5, 1775. A way leading from near the Elmer Baker place, Wachusettville, southward to where Hubbard Dunster and Dudley Bailey once lived. Their dwellings long since passed away, but marks of the road may still be seen.
72. March 4, 1776. A continuation, apparently. of No. 53, westward along the summit of Bean Porridge Hill towards Mud Pond. It terminated on lot No. I, second division, where there was in early days a homestead occupied by Joshua Mellen.
73. March 1, 1779. A road on Bragg Hill, branching off westwardly from that previously laid and running by the former residence of John W. Carr (recently burned) to Ashburnham line.
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PUBLIC HIGHWAYS-CONTINUED,
74. March 1, 1779. A short way opened from the main road over Bean Porridge Hill to the Eli Sawyer residence. Long discontinued, but easily traced.
75. March 1, 1779. The middle Hubbardston road, running from Adams' (now Knower's) corner, southward by where James Sawin, Jr., formerly lived, to the town line.
76. March 1, 1779. This highway ran from the house of the late Ivers Ray westward, near the Elisha Pierce place, to Gardner line. Its course may be traced, but many years ago it gave way to the present one more favorably located.
77. March 6, 1780. Isaac Blodgett lived on lot No. 90, second division. on the south side of the river, near South Ashburnham. This road led from near the Noah May place to his house.
78. March 6, 1780. Extended from the homestead formerly owned by Joshua Moore, southward by the Ivers Ray place to the old county road south of Livermore Hill. It probably was in part a relaying of No. 41.
79. March 5, 1781. Passed from Gardner road, by the place now occu- pied by Lyman Drury, formerly by Samuel Gates, in a northeast direction to the Winchendon road. Still seen, with two old cellar holes near it.
So. March 3, 1783. The so-called Minott road in the southwest part of the town.
81. March 7, 1785. This road ran from the old Joseph Beard place in the west part of the town, southwardly, near the Oxford place, to the old county road. Long since discontinued.
82. March 7, 1785. From the last road west into Gardner. A modifica- tion, perhaps, of a part of No. 76.
83. March 6, 1786. From the Fitchburg line, near J. P. Roper's, by the Bacon house, up the valley to the old sawmill site, mostly as the road now runs, with a branch over the bridge to the Levi Warner place. A reloca- tion, in part, of a former road.
84. May 11, 1786. Was the road through Wachusettville, extending as far east as the present residence of Samuel H. Sprague, the place being then owned by Asa Farnsworth. It originally came out to the previously built highway near the late Edward R. Carter's, but was changed to its present location in 1791.
85. March 5, 1787. The road from the Knower homestead westward towards Cedar Swamp.
86. March 3. 1788. From old Eaton place, north of the present Nathan- iel Eaton's, westwardly to No. 78.
87. March 5, 1789. A relocation of No. 77, and extension to the line of Ashburnham.
88. December, 1791. A county road was laid from Ashburnham to Ward's mills, Fitchburg, running through Scrabble Hollow and in the rear of the Murdock place (John P. Roper's), as now existing.
89. March 12, 1792. An extension of the Wachusettville road, No. 84, from where Mr. Sprague lives to old county road below the present resi- dence of Daniel E. Hurd.
90. March 18, 1793. A relaying of the road westward from the Knower homestead, and its extension through Cedar Swamp by the former residence of Daniel Sawin, Jr., to the Minott place. Also a branch from the residences of Abner and Daniel Sawin. Sr., to the Minott road, No. So. Whence it appears that the road as first laid did not pass, as now, by these residences, but direct from Daniel Sawin, Jr.'s, to Mr. Minott's,-this direct line at a later date (1798) being superseded by the present one.
91. March 19, 1798. This was the present existing highway running from Beech Hill (the Divol place) by the May house (Charles H. Smith's) to Scrabble Hollow.
92. March 19, 1798. Substantially the present highway from the Beech Hill schoolhouse to the Winchendon road, built to supersede an old one run- ning further northwest which was given up.
93. March 18, 1799. A road was laid from the lower part of what is now
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HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS
Wachusettville, in a southeasterly direction, to the old town line, for the benefit of Mr. Noah Wiswall, then recently received to Westminster with his estate from Fitchburg (as was supposed).
94. March 18, 1799. From Calvin Whitney's to the former dwelling of Reed Merriam, now owned by W. J. Black.
95. June, 1800. Fifth Massachusetts turnpike, extending from Lan- caster to Athol, was chartered by the Legislature and built through the Central village of the town. Fuller description later on.
96. May 4, 1801. Road for Jonathan Smith in the north part of the town, running from his house, the former residence of John S. Hadley, to the meetinghouse road over Bean Porridge Hill.
97. April 5, 1802. A connecting link between the old county road to Athol and the new turnpike, meeting the latter, probably, a few rods west of the Oxford place. A cart-path indicates its location to-day.
98. Oct. 21, 1802. A branch leaving the present road to South Gardner at Nathaniel Eaton's, and running northwesterly till it connected with a pre- viously existing road, No. 82.
99. August 26, 1803. This road extended from Scrabble Hollow west- erly by the C. H. Smith place to Gardner line, near the former residence of Amos P. Spaulding, then occupied by John Dunn. The easterly portion of it was a relocation of a part of the Beech Hill and Scrabble Hollow road, No. 91.
100. Oct. 24, 1803. The present highway from the former Ivers Ray place southward to the so-called Beard road to Gardner, No. 98.
At a town meeting held on the date just named, Oct. 24, 1803, it was voted "to take some measures to ascertain the bounds of town roads and establish the same," and the se- lectmen were authorized to carry that vote into effect. The result of this action was the relocation of all the pre-existing public highways, and the laying of a few new ones, by Matthias Mosman, an experienced and skilful surveyor, who had recently come into the place from Ashburnham. The work was donc during the two following years, the detailed records of which, including courses and distances, never before given, are to be found in the "Road Book" still in charge of the town clerk. This reconstruction of the road system of the town involved the discontinuance of several old highways which had been rendered superfluous by the opening of new and more conven- ient lines of travel; the chiefest thoroughfare so discontinued being a considerable part of that section of the original Lancas- ter and Athol county road, No. 24, lying between the Bigelow Mill site and South Gardner.
Under the rearrangement of Mr. Mosman, the hundred high- ways previously laid out and built, together with a few newly projected ones, were reduced to a comprehensive system con- sisting of thirty-eight distinct lines of intercommunication, intelligently located, numbered, and named, for the convenience of all concerned. It is not deemed needful to present the classification in these pages. From this point the tabulation, briefly interrupted for reasons sufficiently apparent, will proceed on the same lines as before.
101. September, 1805. The North Branch turnpike through Scrabble Hollow, to be noticed more fully later on.
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PUBLIC HIGHWAYS-CONTINUED.
102. Oct. 21, 1805. The Dunn and Wetherbee road, so-called, running from the Beech Hill schoolhouse northward to Gardner line, near the for- mer residence of Amos P. Spaulding.
103. Oct. 21, 1805. From the last road, near the Joseph Seaver place, westward to Gardner line. A relocation of No. 52.
104. March 3, 1806. The westerly Hubbardston road, extending south- west from Widow Norman Seaver's to the boundary of the town.
105. May 9, 1808. From North Common to Winship road, by the pres- ent dwelling of George W. Whitney.
106. Oct. 10, 1810. Extending from the former John G. Hadley place, near Phillips' brook, northward to county road below where James H. Laws now resides.
107 Nov. 2, 1812. In the extreme north part of the town, a relocation and extension of No. 68.
For many years subsequent to the last date no roads of im- portance were built. Two or three new ones of inconsiderable length connected with the county road to Winchendon are reported, but can not be located with certainty. Many altera- tions were made, but not such as to change materially the old routes.
108. September, 1828. A county road from Fitchburg to Ashburnham was laid out, running along the Phillips' Brook valley in the north part of the town, essentially as now located.
109. June, 1829. A county road from Westminster to Royalston was ordered, running through Gardner Center. It is what is known as the new road to Gardner. Most of its course in Westminster was over pre-existing lines.
110. May 3, 1830. A road was laid out from the southern terminus of the Brooks and Cutter road, No. 107, down the hill to the new valley road. This superseded No. 106, which was accordingly discontinued.
III. May 12, 1834. This was essentially a relaying of the southwest- erly part of No. 91, which had been given up some years before.
112. June, 1834. A county road from Templeton to Fitchburg was laid, running from South Gardner into the village, branching from the old turn- pike opposite where the bakery is now located and following the present route north of the Town Meadow reservoir, past Caleb S. Merriam's dwell- ing, to the town line.
113. June, 1834. A corresponding county road, leaving the last above the reservoir named, and running south of it through Wachusettville to the town line on its course to Leominster, its eastern terminus.
114. June, 1834. This was a county road, leaving the old one opposite the foot of Meetinghouse Pond and passing along the easterly side of the hill to the turnpike, near the slaughter house of Edward B. Lynde.
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