History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 156

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 156

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It may be thought unusual for elevated lands to hold many ponds or lakes ; but, however that may be, Paxton has a goodly supply, inasmuch as there are some half a dozen artificial or natural ponds within the town's boundaries.

Of these, Lake Asnebumskit is by far the most interesting. This is located at the northern slope of the mountain whose name it bears, and covers, per- haps, sixty acres, " more or less," as the legal phrase is. It is elliptical in form and has an average depth of perhaps seven feet. All the sources of supply for this attractive sheet of water come from the springs in and around it. These springs are uniformly cold and clear ; especially is this true of one at the south- ern shore, near the present carriage-way to the lake. The outlet is at the extreme northern end, and the flow is considerable. It supplies the Haggett Pond, and in its rapid descent furnishes power for Harring- ton's grist-mill, planing-mill and saw-mill, and then turns abruptly eastward, flowing through Holden, and on to the Quinepoxet and Nashua Rivers, and thus to the sea.

This lake has been famed for its fine pickerel and perch, and for many years afforded most excellent fishing for many people far and near. Latterly, however, its supply diminished, and some dozen years ago a few citizens formed a club and, securing a lease from the Commonwealth, stocked it with black-bass, and these were left for several years to increase, but when fishing was recommenced it was discovered that the bass had destroyed the most of the native fish, and, as many of the bass made their escape through the lake's outlet, little headway was made in stocking the pond. The club subsequently relinquished to the town all their rights, whereupon the town took

out a lease, and all have the old-time privilege restored, but the fish are not plentiful in the lake at this time.

Bottomly Pond is the largest body of water in the town. It is about one mile in length, has irregular shores, and is of varying width, while its depth must average ten feet or more. It is for the most part an artificial pond, and is used as a storage-pond for the mills below, of which there are quite a number. This pond lies just south of the village and west of the Worcester and Paxton county road, but only the southern end is in view from the highway mentioned. It is there that the joke concerning the " Paxton Navy-Yard" was perpetrated, which is so frequently mentioned even to this day. It was some years ago, and in the late autumn, as the stage-coach with its com- plement of passengers reached this place in the high- way (Arnold's Mill), where there was afforded a toler- able view of the lake. A sailor passenger, who had at least " three sheets in the wind," on gazing out and see- ing the forest trees at the left, with their bare trunks and branches in close proximity to the water, recalled his wandering senses sufficiently to exclaim " Is-hic-this -hic-the navy-yard ?" The solemn quiet which had prevailed with the passengers in the coach up to this time was suddenly broken. The ludicrous remark, and the very absurdity of the whole subject, as applied to a section of country twelve hundred feet above tide-water and fifty miles inland, and coming, too, from a furlonghed sailor just off ship, was too much, and all, as it were, "tumbled" to the same, and the icke seems ever fresh in the mouths of men inclined to poke a little fun.

Turkey Hill Pond is a natural body of water near the Barre county road, abont two miles north of the centre of the town. It is perhaps a fourth of a mile in width. Its waters are dark and the fishing is fair, though not nearly as good as in former years. The outlet is at the southern extremity, and forms what was once known as Jennison's Brook, crossing the highway near what is now known as the "town-farm," and empties into Comins' mill-pond, formerly Jeu- nison's mill-pond, and thence sonthwesterly through Spencer and the Brookfields to the Chicopee River. Formerly there was at the outlet of this pond a fulling- mill and carding-factory.

There are several small streams flowing into this Jennison Brook within the limits of the town. One of these rises in the southwesterly part of Rutland, passes into Paxton, and unites with the brook above named in the meadow below Comins's mill. Another rises about five hundred yards southeast of the meet- ing house, on lands owned by the late John Partridge, and flows sontherly across the village farm of the writer into Lakin's meadow and thence northwesterly to Howe's meadow, where it unites with the brook above named. The third takes its rise in the south- westerly portion of the town, and joins the above brook just over the Spencer line. These three forks

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are the head-waters of the Chicopee River, that rising on the Partridge land being the most easterly, and, perhaps, is the true head of the Chicopee.

The head-waters of the Blackstone River are found on the old Col. Snow Farm, and near the road leading from Paxton to Holden. The spring is on land now owned by Peter Daw. There are numerous other springs lower down the brook which is known as Ar- nold's Brook. The stream was given the last name of Oliver Arnold, who lived in the present old red house, adjoining the highway at the junction of the Worcester and Leicester roads ; he kept a saw- and grist-mill there, and had an artificial reservoir, which has since been enlarged and repaired, and, like the brook flow- ing into it, was and is called Arnold's Pond. The old saw-mill site is still visible, a few rods west of the county road. Mr. Arnold had a son Elisha, who is living in this town at the present time. The pond last named is used as a storage reservoir for the mills below, and its waters flow into Bottomly Pond, pre- viously mentioned.

There is another small stream, which has its source in a spring on the southeast face of Asnebumskit Mountain, and flows across the county road souther- ly, and is the head-water of Lynde Brook which forms a source of supply for the city of Worcester.

While speaking of these brooks, we are reminded of a house in this town, owned and occupied by Tyler S. Penniman, situated about a mile east of the village.

This house stands on a slight rise of ground, in such a way that rain falling upon the roof flows away into the waters of the Blackstone River on the one side, while upon the other the water goes to the Chicopee. There is, too, a well-known spring, famed for its cool, sweet water, which bubbles up near the trunk of a large tree just west of the Rutland highway, and less than a mile from the centre, where the water flows a short distance into a marshy tract, out of which two streams come, one going northerly into the Quine- poxet, while the other goes southerly to the Chicopee.

The original growth of forest trees here must have been quite large and very general. At the present time pine and hemlock predominate, though there are samples of about every other sort of timber found in New England. As an illustration of the size of some of the earlier timber, it may be interesting to note that this sketch is penned on a table made of a single pine board, three and a half feet in width, manufac- tured from a tree cut in this town some fifty years ago. The older growth of wood disappeared long since, and at the present time the second growth has about all been removed, and yet it would be difficult to say whether there is, or is not, as much land given up to the growth of forest trees as at any time within the past hundred or more years.

Among the early settlers in what is now Paxton, the names of Josiah Livermore and his brother, Jason Livermore, appear. This was about 1748. They came from the town of Weston, and settled in what

is now the southwestern part of this town, on lands considerably improved. About the same time came Abijah Bemis, and from the same town, or Waltham. There were also living near the Livermores : William Thompson, James Thompson, James Bemis, William Wicker, Jacob Wicker, John Wicker, Isaac and Ezekiel Bellows.

Captain Ralph Earle, an early settler, owned and lived on the farm which once belonged to the late Joseph Penniman ; and his was one of the first fifty families which settled in Leicester, and he was one of the grantees named in the deed of the proprietors of Lei- cester, and was assigned to Lot No. 47. On the other hand, in the Rutland portion of the new town, Seth Metcalf made an early settlement, as did Phineas Moore, who lived on the Rutland road, a mile or so north of the present meeting-house, and, by the way, it is proper to say that the line dividing the towns of Leicester and Rutland ran east and west, by the present north side of the meeting-house as it now stands. Others of the early settlers were : John Snow, David Davis, Benjamin Sweetser, Samuel Moore, Jonathan Witt and Oliver Witt.

We have seen that the act of incorporation of the " District of Paxton " transpired on the 12th of Feb- rnary, 1765. Very speedily "a warrant," dated the 25th of February, 1765, was issued by John Murray, of Rutland, a justice of the peace, the same being addressed to Phineas Moore, "one of the principal inhabitants" residing within the new district, re- quiring him to warn a meeting of the inhabitants for the choice of officers. We append a copy of the first warrant calling the first district meeting :

Worcester ss. To Mr. Phineas Moore of Paxton in the county of Worcester and one of the principal Inhabitants of Said District. Greet- ing-Whereas I the subscriber am Impowered by an act of this Province to call a meeting of the Inhabitants of the District of Paxton to Choose Town Officers &c.

[SEAL] These are therefore on his Majestys name to Require you forthwith to Warn and Notify the Said Inhabitants of Paxton Qualified to Vote in Town Affairs to meet at the House of Mr. Jnº. Snows Inn- holder in Said Paxton on Monday the Eleventh Day of March Next at nine of the Clock in the forenoon then and there to Choose a Moderater, District Clerk, Selectmen, assessor, warden, Constables, Surveyors of highwaye, Tythingmen, Fenceviewers, Sealers of Leather, Sealers of weights and measures, Sealers of Boards, and Shingles, and all other ordinary Town Officers as Towns Choose in the month of March annually ; hereof Fail not and make Due -Return hereof with your Doings hereon unto me at or before the Said meeting. Given under my hand and Seal at Rutland in Said County this 25th Day of Feb. 1765 and in the fifth year of his Majesty's Reign.

JNO. MURRAY, Jus. of the Peace.

This first town-meeting was at the house of one John Snow, who kept a tavern or hotel, and who lived just east of the present village, on the Holden road, on the place known to the present inhabitants of Paxton as the old Colonel Snow or Bellows place. This place has now no farm buildings upon it, they having been destroyed by an incendiary fire about ten years since.

The meeting was held on March 11, 1765. Captain Samuel Brown was chosen moderator, and Ephraim Moore district clerk, and the following district officers

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elected, namely: Selectmen, Oliver Witt, Ephraim Moore, Samuel Brown, Timothy Barrett, Abraham Smith ; Clerk, Ephraim Moore ; Treasurer, Ephraim Moore; Wardens, William Thompson, Jr., Jonathan Knight ; Assessors, Oliver Witt, Ephraim Moore, Aa- ron Hunt; Constable, John Livermore ; Surveyors of Highways, Abuer Moore, Ebenezer Hunt, Jr., Elijah Howe, Thomas Cutler; Sealer of Weights, etc., Captain Samuel Brown ; Tything-men, Samuel Man, Ralph Earle ; Hog-reeves, Jonathan Morse, William Martin; Deer-reeves, James Ames, William Whita- ker; Pouud-keeper, Jonathan Knight; together with other officers, such as measurers of boards and shingles, etc.

They probably had a jollification at the close of this meeting. Remembering that in those early days the inhabitants had no town halls, either old or new, in which to meet, their next be-t place was at some public house, or tavern, as they were then called, and we have seen that they first gathered at an inn. In those they found good cheer, even if the accommoda- tions were circumscribed. Here, too, the old-time flip-mug, or glass, served for the whole company, and was frequently replenished, as everybody in those days indulged, more or less, in the "flowing bowl." It is sometimes asserted in these days that temper- ance has not made any progress, but in these century mile-stones we can note a world of advancement. Why, a hundred years ago the clergy, as well as the people, partook of the ardent, even at the laying of the corner-stones and dedication of church edifices, and also after the Sabbath sermon all would repair to the nearest tavern for " refreshment." Now, in New England these things have all passed away, so far as the public eye or public approval is concerned. Strange to say, however, the people did not lack for piety in those sturdy days, for among the very first things done, of note, by this district of Paxton was to provide by vote for the building of a "meeting- house."

At the next district meeting, held on April 1, 1765, " it was put to vote to see if the district will Build a Meeting House in said Paxton and of what dimen- sions they will Build it, also to see if the district will agree upon some place for to Sett Said meeting House on." It was also voted " to build a house of worship fifty feet in length and forty in width with twenty two foot posts and to set the house at the Gate behind John Snow's farm in Mr. Maynard's pasture." 1 In the following autumn a grant was made of £13 6s. 8d. for the support of the gospel during the winter. In the following spring (March 3, 1766), the sum of £250 was voted " for a meeting honse and a meeting house place." When the building had advanced to the

point of raising the frame there was a general turn- out of the citizens interested, and the records say a supper was provided for the occasion. The building was so far completed by the end of the year that its use commenced. Its appearance has been described by Mr. Livermore,2 in his Centennial address, as " a plain, square structure, standing in the middle of the Common in primitive simplicity, without dome or spire, destitute of external ornament and internal embellishments, its prominent sounding-board above, and its deacon seat and its semi-circular communion table at the base of the pulpit; its uncarpeted aisles and pen-like pews, with their uncushioned and hinged seats, to be turned up and let down at the rising and sitting of their occupants, with a clatter sufficient to have awakened a Rip Van Winkle; its negro seats in the rear of the front gallery and the old people's in front of the pulpit, for the use of the deaf; its two corner pews perched aloft over the gallery stairs.

"' Through which, and the scuttles above, were the ways To the attic, the arsenal of those early days.'"

Thus did the inhabitants of this new district of Paxton keep faith with the General Court. They had asked to be set up in housekeeping, and gave as a rea-on that it was burdensome and extremely in- convenient for them to go so many miles to attend upon church service, and it cannot be denied that they were sincere and honest in their request. They had, indeed, other and important reasons for separa- tion, but the foregoing was the chief one given.

One writer says that there was an attempt to form at first an Episcopal Church, but it failed, and had the effect to put off the formation of any other till September 3, 1767, when the present Congregational Church was organized, and the meeting-house com- pleted during this year.

Regular preaching heretofore had not been estab- lished, but yet services had been held by the Rev. Henry Carver and by Rev. Mr. Steward, who also taught school here at this early date in the history of Paxton.

The names of those subscribing to the covenant at the time of organization were Phineas Moore, John Snow, Jason Livermore, David Davis, Benjamin Sweetser, Silas Bigelow, Samuel Man, Oliver Witt, Stephen Barrett and Samuel Brown.

In the early part of 1767 a committee was ap- pointed to secure a permanent pastor, and they sub- sequently reported in favor of the Rev. Silas Bige- low. On May 14, 1767, the district voted him the sum of £133 68. 8d., as a settlement grant, and also voted a yearly salary of £53 68. 8d. for the first four years, and £66 13s. 4d. as long as he shall continue his relations as a minister.

In response to the call of the parish and district of

1 During the year a good deal of dissatisfaction was manifested about the location, and several efforts were made, at subsequent meetings, to change the decision, and we believe it was finally located on land of Seth Soow, who subsequently gave the town the land around it for a towo "common."

2 George W. Livermore, of Cambridge, a native of Paxton, delivered the Centennial address in 1865.

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Paxton to become their settled pastor, the Rev. Silas Bigelow returned the following answer, viz. :

To ye Inhabitants of ye District of Paxton, Christian Friends and Breth- ren :

I have taken very serious Notice of ye Sovereign Hand of Divine Providence in Conducting me to yon, and would in some suitable and Grateful maoner attend to ye kind acceptaoce my labours have met with among yon ; and ye Regard which you have manifested to me (how unworthy so ever) in Electing me to be your Pastor. I observe ye Degree of unanimity and undeserved Affection with which you have Done this, and I can't but be apprehensive of Harmony and unanimity afford some of ye Best encouragements to hope for success, and yt ye Great Eod of ye Gospel mioistry may be obtained io the Cooversion of Souls to God and ye edifying of Saints in Faith and Comfort to Salva- tioo. Nor wonld I fail to take Due Notice also of ye Provision which you Have made for iny Settlement and Support among you ; and it is Fit you should give Praise to God who hoth enabled you to maintain ye gos- pel and ye ordinences thereof, and so far inclined your hearts thereto ; At ye same time I am obliged to appraise you (oot, I hope, From any avoricions Disposition, nor Because I would rather seek yours than you, but because I would fain Promote your real Benefit and highest welfare) that after Taking ye Best Advice I can get, not merely From those io Ministerial life, but From others in Civil Character, I fear I shall oot be able (from The Support you have offered) to answer your expectations from me in ye office I must Bear, nor to sustain the Dignity and Dis- charge the duties thereof. But having sought earnestly to ye God of all Wisdom and Grace for Direction in the most weighty aod important affair ; Consulted such as are esteemed Respectable for their Capacity and Integrity, and Deliberately considered everything as well as I could within myself, I accept of your Call, Determining by the Grace of God to Devote myself to ye work of ye Gospel Mioistry among yon ; uot Doubtiog your Readiness to Do what you can to free me from ye unnecessary cares and Inenmbrances of Life; yt so I may more fully give up biyself to this Great and arduous work. Concludiog with Ron. 15: 30 and 32. Now I Beseech you, Brethren ; for ye Lord Jesus' Bake and for ye love of ye spirit yt ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me ; That I may come noto you with Joy hy ye will of God, and may with you be refreshed. So Prays your Friend and Servant in the Gospel of Christ.

Paxton, June 25, 1767.

SILAS BIGELOW.

Mr. Bigelow was ordained on October 21, 1767. His pastoral labors were comparatively of brief duration, since his decease occurred on November 16, 1769, at the age of thirty years. He was buried in the public cemetery, near the soutbeast corner and but a few paces from the present meeting- house. All accounts agree that this first pastor was a devoted minister of the Gospel; a man of unusual intellectual endowments, coupled with great dignity of manner, and he was also a man much esteemed for his high Christian character and greatly beloved by all of the parish over which he had so briefly presided. 1

Under his ministry the kindliest of, feeling had sprung up among all the members of the society, and had his valuable life been spared to this people,

much greater good must have been accomplished. The Rev. Mr. Bigelow was from the vicinity of Concord, it is believed; of his early education we have no present data. He was of a family, how- ever, quite celebrated for their learning and prom- inence in public affairs.

He lived on the western slope of Asnebumskit, on what is now known, and has been these many years, as the "old Bigelow place." His first wife was from Lexington. There is one memento of this family still preserved. It is an antique clock, one of the well-known "grandfather's clocks," so- called, reaching from floor to ceiling. It was a bridal present from her parents in Lexington, where the clock was made, as indicated on its face. It remained in the family several generations and on the farm more than one hundred years, and is now in the possession of the wife of the writer (a descendant), and is doing duty as faithfully as when first set in motion by the hand of the bride, a century and more since. His second wife was a Mrs. Sarah Hall, of Sutton ; intentions of the marriage were pub- lished September 22, 1769, as shown by the records.

On November 28, 1770, the Rev. Alexander Thayer? was ordained as the successor of Rev. Silas Bigelow. His pastorate continued for nearly twelve years. He was dismissed on August 14, 1782. His relations with the church during the last half of his ministry were anything but agreeable. He was suspected of being a loyalist. "This suspicion (says one writer), whether well or ill-founded, was sufficient to create a degree ot coldness, and, in some instances, a fixed dislike, espe- cially among those, who, from other causes, had be- come disaffected." It is reported that his salary was another cause of trouble, he complaining that the currency had much depreciated, and that he was justly entitled to a grant to make it equivalent to what it was when first settled, and it is not un- likely, from a review of the whole matter, there was really just ground for complaint upon both sides, and entire condemnation of either party would be very unjust.

The Rev. John Foster3 followed Mr. Thayer. He found the church divided and inharmonious. He en- deavored to reconcile them, but was unfortunate in being a positive man, and in expressions was perhaps injudicious.

At all events the old troubles were not healed, but broke out afresh, when it was proposed to settle him. The first council refused to grant a settlement, but a short time afterwards a new council, composed of different members from the first, voted to ordain and settle him, which was accordingly done on September 8, 1785. He was dismissed in 1789. During his pas- torate there was a secession of about twenty, who

1 The undersigned met on Nov. 9, 1767, and made choice of pews in the completed church. The prices they were to pay ranged from four- teeo to twenty-two dollars. The district voted to give them the prefer- eoce as to choice, since they were the heaviest tax-payerson real estate. The district also voted to give them deeds of the pews.

Capt. Oliver Witt, Timothy Barrett, Abraham Smith, Capt. Ephraim Moore, Hezekiah Newtoo, Capt. Sammel Brown, Jonathan Smith, Elijah How, Jeremiah Newton, Jonathan Knight, Samuel Man, Ebenezer Huot, Jr., James McKenneo, Capt. Ralph Earle, Paul How, Phineas Moore, Jacob Sweeter, Ebenezer Hunt, Abijah Bemis, Peter Moore, Ahner Morse, David Davis, William Whitaker, William Thompson, Seth Soow.

2 He married Miss Abigal Goulding, of Holliston, in 1773.

3 He was married in September, 1785, to Mrs. Eunice Stearns, of Hol- den.

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formed a new church, and so continued till 1793, when a reunion occurred.

Mr. Livermore relates several anecdotes of Mr. Foster, one of which will interest the general reader. " In those days, when capital punishment was to be in - flicted it was the law that public religious exercises should be held, and the criminal had the privilege of selecting the preacher. Mr. Foster was selected, and at the appointed hour the house was crowded, and in the audience were many clergymen. Mr. Foster being selected only to preach, asked the first minister he saw to offer prayer. The invitation was declined, and several others were similarly invited and all declined, whereupon Mr. Foster stepped to his place, with the remark in an undertone, though loud enough in the general hush of the occasion to be heard by all, 'Thank God, I can pray as well as preach.' It is reported that his prayer was so soul-stirring and sin- cere that all were moved to tears, and many wept aloud."

Mr. Foster is reported to have been a man of bril- liant attainments, and a very eloquent preacher, but possessed some other qualities that neutralized greatly these gifts. The Rev. Daniel Grosvenor was installed on the 5th November, 1794, as the successor of Mr. Foster. He came to this people from a church in Grafton, where he had been pastor. There was, for a season, quiet and considerable religious interest mani- fested under this affable and able pastor. But the old trouble would not wholly down, but, ghost-like, came to the surface.

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History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 156

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