History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 104

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1576

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 104

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David Wadsworth erected a scythe manufactory a short distance easterly from where the Messrs. Stet- son now live, and its production was considerable. About 1830 a company, prominent in which were Henry Holbrook and Hiram and Paul Wadsworth, purchased of John Wadsworth a lot of land border- ing on the Ware River and erected a brick building for the manufacture of woolen cloth, and a pleasant little village was built up. This company did not succeed in the woolen business, and were soon fol- lowed by Jonathan Wheeler, who was favored in his venture, but who was compelled to close the works by the financial panic which existed from 1837 to 1842; he sold the property to Wright & Farnum, whom a Mr. Fisher soon succeeded. He was fo]- lowed by Edward Denny, who purchased the property

1 Rev. Dr. Thompson in Centennial Discourse.

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in 1844 and who continued engaged in the manufac- ture of various kinds of woolen goods, conducting the business with success until about 1867. In 1871 the property was leased to C. T. Deacon & Co., who soon failed in the business. The factory was destroyed by fire in the winter of 1857-58; another one of the same dimensions, eighty-two by forty-four feet, and four stories in height, was erected the following summer.

At Mr. Denny's death, in 1874, the property passed into other hands, meeting with varying fortunes. A company with the firm-name of the Ware River Woolen Company, purchased it in 1880, and after operating it for about two years, finding the business unprofitable, sold it to James E. Crossley. In 1883 the mill was again destroyed by fire and has not been rebuilt.

During, or a little previous to, 1825, Silas Bemis and Benjamin Clark each and separately conceived the idea of erecting a cotton-mill and each made strenuous efforts to complete the first dam. Mr. Clark, having obtained control of the water privi- lege by purchasing it and a considerable lot of land of the heirs of Matthew Caldwell, erected a brick factory, which at that time was the first of any im- portance in this section of the State; by the erection of this and the necessary tenement-houses he be- came financially embarrassed, but he soon organized a stock company, consisting of Messrs. Mixter, Woods, Bowman and others, by whom the work was carried on and the manufacture of cotton commenced; Mr. Clark, becoming involved in a lawsuit growing out of a claim for priority of rights to the water privilege, became insolvent and retired from the manfacturing business. The success of the company, under the name of the Boston and Barre Manufacturing Company, was not at first propitions ; they entered into a contract with Mr. John Smith, who was a practical manu- facturer, to take the mill and make the cotton cloth at a certain price per yard, in which he was successful, making the business remunerative for himself and the stockholders. While the business was th prosperons the factory was destroyed by fire; the company, not desirous of rebuilding, sold out by auction, the land, buildings and water privilege be- ing purchased by Mr. Smith for himself and four others; subsequently purchasing their shares, he erected a new mill, which he managed with signal success until his death, in 1859, when the business passed into the hands of his two sons, by whom it was profitably carried on under the firm-name of C. W. & J. E. Smith. On the death of Charles W. Smith a few years ago and the settlement of his estate, J. Edwin Smith became sole owner, by whom some needed repairs and alterations were made, and now the establishment is in successful operation. The vil- lage, now and for many years known as Smithville, is a model factory village and with its neatly-painted houses, broad street and abundant and beautiful shade trees presents an attractive appearance.

On the Ware River, about midway between Smith- ville and the woolen-factory village, buildings and mills for the manufacture of gunpowder were erected about 1826 by Silas Bemis. one of the early settlers, and his son-in-law, Charles Bemis, and others, and did a good business under various ownerships until 1865, when this industry left the town. Here is a good water privilege awaiting utilization.

In the centre of the town manufacturing interests have been varied. Thirty-five years ago the Barre Boot Company carried on a large business, employing many hands; they were followed by J. W. Rice & Son, who continued in this industry until about 1876, when they ceased, unable to compete with the large establishments of the Brookfields and other towns. From 1850 to 1865 the manufacture of "Shaker- hoods," or bonnets made of palm-leaf was extensively carried on, furnishing employment to many women and children in weaving the leaf into the strip of which the hoods were made, but by the demands of fashion, this business became of the past. The intro- duction of the palm-leaf business into Barre is some- what singular. About 1829 some hats were imported into this country, made of a material that was unknown here. A Boston merchant, attracted by their apparent durability, imported a few bales of the raw material from Cuba. A woman in Dedham was engaged to take one of the hats to pieces, learn its construction and endeavor to imitate it. She succeeded, and taught the art of making these hats to a woman of Petersham, by whom women in this town were taught. Braiding these hats became an extensive business, and a source of some income to many fami- lies here and elsewhere. The hats thus made were rough; as they needed smoothing and shaping, they were at first pressed by hand with hot irons, and by those who made them. As the industry grew, men's help was obtained to do the pressing. Mr. John W. Weston engaged in the business in a dwelling that then stood northerly of the Lincoln burial-ground. After- wards machinery was devised for the purpose, and a small shop was built on Prince River by Mr. Chester Gorham. The business was carried on at this place for about thirty-five years, Dexter Dennis succeeding to it and enlarging the plant, which also accommo- dated other kinds of manufactures.

A short distance down the stream is a water privilege which, as early as 1750, the proprietors con- sidered the second most valuable one in the territory, and they proposed to have a saw-mill erected there; but as the mill already built could furnish all the boards that were then required for building purposes, this project was abandoned. In the latter part of the last, or early in the present century, a clothier's mill was built on this privilege, where the fulling and fin- ishing of the homespun cloth was carried on for a number of years. Woods & Field purchased this building about 1840, and, remodeling it, commenced the business of pressing and finishing palm-leaf hats ;

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they continued in this but a few years, when they sold to Carlos Gambol, who had superintended the work for them. He soon sold the property to Spencer Field, who ran it for a few years, and about 1854 sold it to Jason Desper. None but palm-leaf hats were finished at this time, nor was it until about 1860 that other kinds of hats came to these works. Only ten hands were employed at this time, and from forty to eighty thousand dozens were finished each year, the number varying with the different years. Mr. Desper carried on this business, enlarging the works from time to time, until about 1874, when J. F. Snow and J. Andrew Rogers became associated with him.

At the death of Mr. Snow the following year, Jesse A. Rogers became a member of the firm, which was now known as Desper, Rogers & Co. The plant was still further increased from time to time to accom- modate the additional work that came in upon them ; the manufacture of hats was adopted, and has proved a profitable branch of the business. In 1888 Mr. Desper, who had begun to feel the weight of advan- cing years, sold his interest to W. H. Osgood, and a new firm was formed under the name of the Rogers- Osgood Co. For the last eight or ten years about forty women have been employed in running sewing- machines, making the hats from braid bought in the markets. At the commencement of this business in 1840 but little finishing was done; now that branch is much more elaborate, the hat going direct from the manufactory to the salesman, and thence to the consumer. Seventy men are employed, and the an- nual output is now upwards of two hundred thousand dozens of hats per annum.

Farther up the stream and about half a mile east- erly of the Common is an extensive foundry and machine-shop owned and conducted by Mr. L. S. Heald. This business was established in 1830 by Stephen Heald. Previous to this time a grist-mill and another small building had been erected, in the former of which wood-turning was carried on, Charles Rice having improved the water privilege by constructing a more extensive dam and exca- vating another pond and canal that he might get ont carriage wood-work by machinery. Stephen Heald, who came to town in 1826 entered his em- ploy, poor in purse but full of energy ; soon after- wards engaging in the iron business, he built up a considerable establishment, where he was suc- cessful. In 1850 all of his shop buildings were de- stroyed by fire and his capital swept away. By the encouragement of individuals he was induced to rebuild, which he did on an enlarged scale, and with better accommodations found his busi- ness increasing. In 1865 two of his sons became co-partners with him. The manufacture of agri- cultural implements was one of their specialties in which they did a large amount of work. Wood- working and other machinery of various kinds have been an extensive part of their manufactures, which

have found a market in remote as well as near sec- tions of the country. About these works a pretty little village sprang up, which for many years has been known as Heald Village. At Mr. Heald's death, in 1887, at the age of nearly eighty-eight years, the larger part of the property passed into the hands of his son, L. S. Heald, who carries on the works. Among the agricultural implements that have been made here was a hay-tedder, invented by Mr. E. W. Bullard, of this town, which was the first machine ever constructed for turning hay in the field. Amongst other machinery Mr. Heald is now making an improved tedder of his own in- vention.

Wagon manufacturing has been another branch of industry in this vicinity ; the making of scythes by two different establishments at the same time formerly gave employment to a number of hands, but these trades have passed from among us.

About twenty-five years ago a horse hay-rake, the invention of S. R. Nye, of this town, was made here to a considerable extent, but, partly on account of the breaking away of the reservoir, this business was dis- continued here. Fifteen years ago another horse- rake, the combined invention of C. M. Lufkin, and Charles G. Allen of Barre, was placed upon the market, since which time Mr. Allen has built up an extensive plant, and is successful in his invention and manufacture. Each year a large number of these rakes are made, finding a market in all the New England and some of the other States. Other industries on this stream are planing and saw-mills.

In the north part of the town, known as Rice Village, the wagon-making, carried on for many years by Charles Rice and others, was from its ex- tensiveness an important factor here, but for the past few decades nothing has been done in this line. Near the centre of the town the manufacture of packing boxes and mattresses, and of preparing palm leaf for braiding into hats was very prominent ; of these the mattress business alone remains with us.

From the location of Barre, it was, before the days of railroads, a prominent thoroughfare for the stage-routes from Boston to New York, Albany, Keene, Brattleboro' and other places; prominent among those old-time drivers, which was then con- sidered a responsible berth, was the late Hon. Ginery Twichell. Coming here a young man, about 1830, full of energy, genial, affable and always thor- oughly reliable, he made friends of all, and always had a deep interest in the town and its welfare. To him the town was indebted to some extent for better accommodations for travel. Deeply interested in the railroads projected around us, he left the staging business and entered the employ of the Boston and Worcester Railroad, where he was soon after chosen as its superintendent, and afterwards elected to its presidency. On the consolidation of that road with

Luke adams

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the Western, he retired for a while from active rail- road life, but never lost his interest in it, and it was one of his hopes that Barre should be connected with the cities by steam communication. Having chosen Brookline as his residence, he was elected to the national House of Representatives from the Congressional district in which he resided, where he served a number of years, greatly to his own honor and that of his constituents. On his retirement from Congress his active spirit led him to assume the presidency of a short line of railroad, the Boston, Barre and Gardner, then struggling under many ditfi- culties. Always a friend to Barre, in preceding years he had advocated the construction of a road to and through this town, and it was dne somewhat to him that our people began to consider this matter so early as they did. As early as 1840 the subject be- gan to be agitated here. In 1845 the town voted to raise a sum not exceeding three hundred dollars, for the survey of a route from Worcester through this town to the Miller's River. This route being found impracticable, the matter rested for a few years. About 1850 the agitation again began, this time in connection with towns southerly of us. A line was considered, under the name of the Ware River Rail- road, to extend from Palmer to Winchendon, but, mainly through the opposition of the Western road, this road was not constructed for a number of years. A charter was obtained, and renewed from time to time as circumstances demanded. The first section, from Palmer to Gilbertville, was built in 1869, and in 1870 ground was broken in Barre for its exten- sion to Winchendon. The work of grading and track-laying progressed but slowly, but the road was at last completed, and in October, 1873, it was opened for travel to Barre Plains. In 1854 the town voted to petition the Legislature for permission to loan its credit to the amount of five per cent. of its valuation for aiding in building a railroad from North Brookfield to Barre; the necessary surveys were made, but for want of sufficient encouragement the scheme was abandoned.

In 1847 a company was chartered under the name of the Barre and Worcester Railroad Company. This road was intended to run from some point on the Worcester and Nashua road to some convenient place in the centre of Barre. This project was kept alive by renewals of its charter, but when it was constructed, in 1870-71, it ran from Worcester to Gardner.

In 1869 the town became deeply aroused to the ne- cessity of a railroad, and entered with much enthu- siasm into the project of the Massachusetts Central Railroad, and, to further aid the enterprise, took stock of the company to the amount of ninety thousand dollars, or five per cent. of its valnation, while indi- viduals took about fifty-five thousand dollars' worth additional. From lack of necessary funds this road, which was to extend from a point on the Boston and Lowell road near Boston, passing through Barre and

forming a "through line " to the West, was not con- structed for a number of years. Its financial troubles were great, but finally becoming reorganized under the name of the Central Massachusetts Railroad, it was completed, and in December, 1887, trains commenced running from Boston to Northampton, although pas- senger trains had run from Boston as far as Ware in July.

The culture of the town has always been noteworthy. In May of 1834 a weekly newspaper, with the name of the Farmer's Gazette, was established by C. C. P. Thompson. He continued as its proprietor until his death, a few years afterwards, when it passed into the hands of Albert Alden, the name being now changed to that of the Barre Gazette. Soon afterwards Walter A. Bryant assumed its ownership and management. In 1844, the political feeling running high, the Barre Patriot, upholding the tenets of the opposite party, was established by his brother, N. F. Bryant. Both of these papers flourished for several years, but about 1856 they were merged in one, under the name of the Barre Gazette, and since then it has prospered. It is now in its fifty-fifth volume, and under the ownership and control of Henry H. Cook, although there have been two or three changes of proprietorship since the consolidation of the two papers.

In October, 1858, N. F. Bryant issued a magazine with the title of the Household Monthly. This was discontinued at the end of a year and a half. Previous to this he had published the Wachusett Star. This continued but about a year. Bryant's Messenger was another paper, of short duration, that was issued.

In 1866 R. W. Waterman commenced the publica- tion of the Worcester West Chronicle. After issuing it here for about one year the establishment was re- moved to Athol. Various amateur journals have been put forth, but these were ephemeral.

In 1888 the Central County Courier was introduced, under the management of S. H. Ingersoll. This pa- per is printed in one of the neighboring towns, but has a creditable foothold here.

Previous to 1857 we had a small library, but under no competent management. In that year Samuel Gates, a farmer of small means, left by his will five hundred dollars to the town for a free public library, on condition that an equal amount should be given by the town. This condition was complied with. Cases were obtained for the books and the unexpended bal- ance of the town's appropriation added to Mr. Gates' bequest increased the fund to seven hundred dollars. This was placed in the town treasury, and the interest of it, at six per cent., is annually expended for books.

In 1866 a Central Pacific Railroad bond of the de- nomination of one thousand dollars was given to the library by a native of Barre, the income of which was to be used for books. For a number of years the li- brary had its home in, the post-office rooms, and in time outgrew its limits.

In 1885 the Barre Library Association was incor-

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

porated, one of its objects heing to procure a building suitable for the library and for kindred purposes. In 1886 Mr. Henry Woods, a native of Barre, purchased land and erected thereon, at an expense of upwards of twenty thousand dollars, a brick building which, under the name of the "Woods Memorial Library Building," commemorative of his deceased parents and brothers, and as a token of his kindly and sub- stantial interest for the welfare of the town, he pre- sented to the association, this corporate body hold- ing it in trust for the benefit of the whole community. He also established the "Edwin Woods Fund" of five thousand dollars, the annual income of which (two hundred and fifty dollars) is to be expended for books of permanent value.

The library, well arranged and cared for in its new home, now numbers upwards of thirty-five hundred volumes, and is pronounced a valuable collection. In connection with the library proper are a reading-room, rooms for the directors of the association, for assem- blies and for a museum.

The agricultural interests of the town have always been active. Large amounts of butter and cheese have been made in previous years. There are two cheese-factories or establishments for the manufacture of cheese, their aggregate capacity being upwards of two thousand pounds per day. These are temporarily closed, the farmers considering it more to their pecu- niary advantage to send their milk to the Boston market, it being transported thitber hy both of our railroad corporations.

An agricultural society, with the name of " Worces- ter West," was chartered and established in 1851. It holds its annual fair the last Thursday of September, and is one of the best, if not the best, in the State. It has extensive and well-arranged grounds, on which is a half-mile track for exhibiting and speeding horses, and a large building for display and for dining purposes. The society is free from debt and offers annually for premiums upwards of fifteen hun- dred dollars.

The town has a national bank, with a capital stock of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and a savings bank, each of which is in a prosperous condi- tion. The telegraph and telephone furnish instanta- neous communication with the great centres of busi- ness and commerce. Our postal accommodations are good, three through and two local mails arriving and departing daily.

There are two hotels at the centre of the town and another, to be more extensive, in process of construc- tion, which is under contract to be open for business early in 1889. At Barre Plains is another hotel. The town is noted for its temperance and good order ; no intoxicating liquors, except for medicine, are allowed to be sold.

In 1885 the population of the town was not so large as in 1880, on account of the temporary suspension of manufacturing in the southern portion. Since

then the cotton industry has been resumed and the population has increased. At different periods the population has been as follows : In 1776, 1329; 1790, 1613; 1800, 1937 ; 1810, 1971; 1820, 2077 ; 1830, 2503; 1840, 2751; 1850, 2976 ; 1855, 2787; 1860, 2973; 1865, 2856; 1870, 2572; 1875, 2460; 1880, 2419; 1885, 2093.

On a sightly eminence, about two miles southerly of the centre, is the Alm-house, with which is con- nected a large farm for the support of the town's poor. This house was built in 1873, in place of one destroyed by fire the same year. Its size and style of architecture attracts much attention, and the stranger to the town would receive no intimation from its appearance as to the purposes for which it is used, but would rather consider it the residence of some prosperous farmer. The number of pauper inmates is very few, the gen- eral tlirift and temperance sentiment of the people acting as a preventive of pauperism. The farm for the support of the poor was purchased in 1844, but has since been enlarged by obtaining an adjoining farm. Previous to 1844 the poor had been cared for in families, bids for their support being received by thetown, and the lowest offer for their maintenance was accepted, the party taking them being expected to furnish their board and lodging, clothing, necessary medical attendance and nursing.

In addition to several literary societies or gatherings, the town contains a lodge of Free Masons, of the Grand Army of the Republic, of Good Templars and a Grange, P. of H.

From the elevated location of the town and its beau- tiful scenery and surroundings, its health is greatly enhanced. Probably no town in the Commonwealth has so large a percentage of old people as Barre; men and women from eighty to ninety years of age are not uncommon, and there live here to-day, hale, active and well-preserved, two persons in the ninety-sixth year of their age. In 1867 James Piper died at the age of nearly one hundred and five years ; in 1872 the death of Mary A. Boney is recorded at the age of one hundred and three, and in 1888 Timothy Bacon died in the one hundred and second year of his age. If we turn to the record of deaths for the past one hun- dred years, we find the same remarkable longevity as now. The most notable instance of this is in the fami - lies of two brothers, who came here about 1750, Ne- hemiah and Jonathan Allen. Jonathan lived on the same farm and with the same wife for over sixty years; Jonathan sat out the first orchard in the town, having brought from Sudbury forty apple trees and a young wife on the hack of his horse; he died at the age of ninety-two, his wife at eighty-seven; they had six children, whose average age at death was eighty years. This farm has never passed out of the Allen family, it now being in the possession of George E. Allen, the great-grandson of Jonathan; on this farm it is said that the fourth framed house in town was erected, but this is not now standing. Nehemiah Allen had ten

AnHlamood

Yours Char. Robinson

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children, the oldest of whom died at the age of ninety- six, the youngest at seventy-eight; their average age at death was eighty-seven. In view of the remarkable longevity of our people, now and in former years, the compiler of this history can desire no better verifica- tion of the healthfulness of our surroundings than these advanced ages will testify to. But younger and more vigorous energies are not wanting, and as in the years past we have built up a thriving, healthy and attractive town, so in the time to come will we add to what has been done and enlarge and render still more beautiful that which has been bequeathed to us.

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History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 104

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1576

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1576