History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 199

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 199

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George Marsh engaged in the manufacture of car- riages at Charlton City, about 1831. At a later date, Horace P. Hicks carried on the same business there.

The sash and blind business has been carried on to a considerable extent, first by Harvey Forbush in the west part of the town, later by Charles Taft at Charlton City, and still later by Knight & Rich at the same place.

Charles E. Morse commenced the manufacture of boots and shoes at the place that has since been called Morseville about 1850. He built large shops for his business, and dwelling-houses for the use of the help employed. The business was carried on quite extensively until the shops were destroyed by fire in 1884. For several years Rufus Dodge was associated in business with Mr. Morse. At a later date Andrew Partridge was a partner in the business. After he retired, C. E. Morse, Jr., and William C. Haven were members of the firm of C. E. Morse & Co.

Jonas L. Rice was engaged in manufacturing shoes at the North Side from 1850 till 1861, doing considerable business.

In 1853 a company was formed at the North Side for the manufacture of boots and shoes, called the Charlton Boot and Shoe Company, of which Berthier Bacon was agent. The business was continued until 1855, when the company was dissolved.

The manufacture of boxes for boots, shoes, cloth and other merchandise has been an important busi- ness for a number of years, affording employment to a considerable number of men and a market for a large amount of lumber. Zina Grover, Henry C. Putnam, George Pike and William H. Young have been engaged in the business. Henry C. Putnam commenced in 1863, and is the only person in town now doing any considerable amount of business. He employs about twenty-five meu and uses two million feet of lumber yearly.

In 1867 Emory S. Southwick built a large shop at Charlton Depot, in which he manufactured boots and shoes for several years, doing quite an extensive busi- ness. In 1871 the shop was destroyed by fire and was never rebuilt.

In 1875 H. G. Lamb and A. N. Lamb commenced the manufacture of shoes at Charlton Depot. In 1880 A. N. Lamb retired and Charles Damon became a

partner in the business, and remained until 1884, when he retired. In 1885 A. N. Lamb and William H. Lamb were admitted as partners in the business, which is still continued. The business affords em- ployment to about thirty hands and about two hun- dred pairs of shoes of fine quality are made daily.

In 1865 the manufacture of wire was commenced by Ira Berry on Cady Brook, below Charlton City. In 1868 George C. Prouty entered into partnership with Berry, and continued with him until 1871, when the partnership was terminated. Berry continued the business but a short time after the withdrawal of Prouty. In 1871 Prouty built the wire-mill at Charl- ton City, and commenced business alone. He has built neat, substantial dwellings for the use of help employed. About one hundred and sixty tons of fine card-wire is made yearly.

Although several men of enterprise and capacity for managing business successfully have engaged in man- ufacturing enterprises within the last few years, and have contributed essentially to the prosperity of the town, agriculture is the principal business of the in- habitants. The soil is of average fertility and there are some excellent farms owned and cultivated by en- terprising, progressive farmers, who contribute large- ly to the annual exhibitions of the agricultural socie- ties held at Worcester, Sturbridge, Oxford, Spencer and other places more remote. The town has been noted for its fine cattle, especially for its large, well- trained oxen, and although horses have, to a consider- able extent, taken the place of oxen for farm-work, there are still some farmers that rear and train oxen that compete successfully with any found at fairs.

According to the statistical tables of agricultural products and property, prepared by Carroll D. Wright, Charlton ranks fourth among the towns of Worcester County in the value of agricultural products.

Daniel H. Tucker is the owner of the three hundred , acres of land which was owned by his great-grand- father, Jonathan Tucker. The one hundred and fifty acres of land which was the farm of Ebenezer Ham- mond is now owned by his great-grandson, Henry Hammond. Edward D. Blood is the owner of the farm on which his ancestor, Richard Blood, settled. The land bought by Ebenezer Foskett in 1739, and on which he lived, is now the property of his great- grandson, Dan Foskett, and Edwin Phillips owns the farm on which his great-grandfather, Jonathan Dennis, settled. No other farm in the town is now owned by a descendant of the first occupant.

Representatives to the General Court have been as follows: Isaiah Blood, 1775; Jacob Davis, 1776; Jacob Davis, Caleb Ammidown, Isaiah Blood, 1777 ; Caleb Ammidown, 1778-79; Jacob Davis, 1780 ; Ebe- nezer Davis, 1782 ; Caleb Ammidown, 1783 ; Ebenezer Davis, 1784; Caleb Ammidown, 1786 ; Samuel Robin- soni, Caleb Curtis, 1787 ; Samuel Robinson, 1788; Ebe- ezer Davis, 1789 ; Salem Town, 1790-91-92-93 ; Caleb Ammidowu, 1794; Salem Town, 1795; Ebenezer Da-

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vis, 1796 ; Salem Town, 1797; Ebenezer Davis, 1798; Salem Town, 1799; Levi Davis, 1800; Salem Town, 1801-2-3-4; Gen. John Sporr, 1805; Gen. John Spurr, Samnel Robinson, 1806-7 ; Gen. John Spurr, Dr. James Wolcott, 1808; Gen. John Spurr, Thad- deus Marble, 1809; Gen. John Spurr, Thaddeus Mar- ble, Ephraim Willard, 1810-11; Thaddeus Marble, Ephraim Willard, Wm. P. Rider, 1812; Gen. John Spurr, Isaiah Rider, 1813; Gen. John Spurr, Wm. P. Rider, 1814; Gen. John Spurr, Isaiah Rider, 1815; Ephraim Willard, Isaiah Rider, 1816-17-18-19; Sam- uel Hall, 1821-22; James Boomer, 1823; John Spurr, 1824; James Boomer, 1826; Samuel D. Spurr, 1828; Samnel D. Spurr, John Hill, Jr., 1829; John Hill, Jr., Issachar Comins, 1830 ; Jonathan Winslow, 1831; Ebenezer White, Issachar Comins, 1832; Ebenezer White, Rufus Mixer, 1833; Rufus Mixer, Panl Rich, 1834; Paul Rich, Jonas Tucker, 1835 ; Jonas Tucker, William P. Marble, 1836; William P. Marble, Amasa Stone, 1837 ; Amasa Stone, Moses Williams, 1838; Moses Williams, Aaron Marble, Alphens White, 1839; Aaron Marble, Alphens White, Simeon Lamb, 1840; John P. Marble, 1841-42 ; William B. Boomer, 1843- 44; William Marble, 1845-46 ; Simeon Lamb, 1848; Nehemiah B. Stone, 1849; Luther Litchfield, 1851- 52; Levi Hammond, 1853-54; Alfred Mower, 1855; Mason Marble, 1856; Rufus B. Dodge, 1857 ; Aaron H. Marble, 1858 ; Gilbert Rich, 1860; Dexter Blood 1862; Henry Clark, 1864; Albert C. Willard, 1866; J. H. Hathaway, 1868; Alfred E. Fiske, 1871; Moses D. Woodbury, 1873; Andrus March, 1876; George D. Woodbury, 1879; Dr. George H. Taft, 1882 ; Henry G. Lamb, 1885.

In 1857 Charlton was joined with Sturbridge to make a representative district. In 1866 the towns of Au- burn, Charlton, Leicester, Spencer and Southbridge were formed into a representative district. In 1876 Oxford, Southbridge, Charlton and Spencer were made a district. In 1886 Charlton, Dudley and South- bridge were united, the three towns being entitled to but one representative.

The men prominent in public affairs until the close of the Revolution have been mentioned. They were mainly men who were among the first settlers. Quite a number who became large fand-owners acquired considerable wealth. Ebenezer Davis, a man of sound judgment, prudent and exact in all his business operations, a large dealer in real estate and other prop- erty, left at his decease a larger estate than was ever acquired by any other man in the town. The late Hon. Emory Washburn, who was for several years Governor of the State, was his grandson,as was also the late Ebenezer D. Ammidown, of Southbridge. Jacob Davis, a brother of Ebenezer, was a man of remark- able enterprise, who dealt largely in real estate. He was one of the founders of Leicester Academy, and aided liberally in its establishment. Gen. Salem Town, Sr., was long in the public service. He was a rep- resentative to the General Court eleven years, several

times a member of the State Senate, and one of the committee in 1807 to locate the Worcester and Stafford Turnpike, to assess the land damages, and to superin- tend the building of the road. He held other offices of trust and responsibility. His son, the late Gen. Salem Town, had command of a regiment of militia called out by the Governor in 1814, and stationed at South Boston. He was State Senator in 1821, '22 and 56, being in the latter year the oldest member. Caleb Ammidown, who was a resident of that part of the town which was taken after his decease to form part of the town of Southbridge, was five years a represen- tative to the General Court. He did much business as a land surveyor and conveyancer, and was one of the agents of the State for selling confiscated lands.

Gen. John Spurr, one of the " Boston Tea Party," was a prominent, influential man, and represented the town in the General Court ten years. Major John Spurr, a son of Gen. Spurr, was active in public af- fairs, much interested in political matters, and an efficient worker in the party to which he belonged. Isaiah Rider and William P. Rider were men of note and enterprise. Rufus Mixer and William P. Marble were men of prominence, well versed in the laws re- lating to town and Probate matters, and were careful, competent conveyancers and did much business in the settlement of estates.

Mention may properly be made of Amasa Stone, a man of great enterprise and business ability, who ac- cumulated a large fortune in railroad business and other important enterprises ; Daniel Phillips, one of the pioneers in the express business, in which he was eminently successful ; Moses D. Phillips, a brother of Daniel, and enterprising bookseller and publisher, and who was the head of the firm of Phillips, Samp- son & Co., the founders of the Atlantic Monthly ; Li- nus B. Comins, a capable, successful man of business, who represented his district in Congress several terms, and Albern N. Towne, a noted railroad manager, who were natives of the town, as were Samuel D. Spurr, Dwight Woodbury, John P. Marble, Jerome Marble, Salem T. Russell, Daniel Stevens and Charles P. Stevens, all sagacious, capable business men.

Franklin Gale, who was a lawyer of distinction in Columbus, Ohio, and for many years a judge of a State Court; Turner Ellis, who was a lawyer of emi- nence in Indiana; Stephen P. Twiss, who was for several years judge of the United States Territorial Court in Utah; Dr. W. T. G. Morton, generally re- garded as the discoverer of the use of ether as an an- æsthetic in surgical operations; Rev. Julius H. Ward, a writer of distinction; Rev. Caleb Blood, Rev. Ebe- nezer Lamson, Rev. David R. Lamson, Rev. Darins Gore and Rev. Lewis W. Hicks, clergymen of ability, and Joseph Whipple, a graduate of West Point, and who died in service in Mexico, were also natives of Charlton.

The town has been represented in the State Senate by General Salem Town, Sr., General Salem Town,

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Jr., Major John Spurr, Rev. Aurin Bugbee and Rufus B. Dodge.

Jacob Davis, General Salem Town, Sr., and Samuel Lamb were delegates to the convention to form the State Constitution in 1779. Major Jolin Spurr was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1820, and William P. Marble was delegate to the Convention of 1853.

DISTRICT AND TOWN CLERKS .- Richard Dresser, the first clerk, held the office eleven years ; Nehemiah Stone, the second, served fourteen years and was treas- urer seventeen years. Samuel Lamb, Dr. Ebenezer H. Phillips, Dr. Dan Lamb, Leonard Towne, Julius E. Tucker, Luther Litchfield and Alfred E. Fiske, each held the office many years; the latter was clerk thirty years and treasurer twenty years.

The early physicians of the town were William Ware, Abel Waters, Ebenezer H. Phillips, James Wolcott and Ebenezer Borden. Later there were Dan Lamb, Charles M. Fay, Isaac Porter, Henry H. Darling, Albert Potter, George H. Taft and L. D. Fuller. Others have been in town for a short time. The only physician at the present time is Dr. George H. Taft.

There have been four lawyers in the town-Eras- mus Babbitt, Liberty Bates, William Stedman and John Davis. Since the death of John Davis, in 1840, the inhabitants have been obliged to go out of town for legal advice.

The population in 1765 was 739; in 1776, 1310; in 1820, 2,134. After 1820 the census showed but little variation until 1840 ; since that date there has been a gradual falling off in numbers, In 1885 the popula- tion was 1,823. Number of families, 471. Number of dwelling-houses, 459. Assessor's valuation 1888: real estate, $758,760 ; personal, $155,710. Number of polls, 512.

CHAPTER XCVI.

LUNENBURG.

BY EZRA S. STEARNS, A.M.

Location-Ponds and Drainage-Original Grants-Settlements-Incorpora- tion-Proprietary Affairs-Roads-The Town Divided-Personal No- tices.

LUNENBURG, situated in the northeast part of the county of Worcester, is bounded on the north by Townsend, on the east by Shirley, on the south by Lancaster and Leominster, and on the west by Fitch- burg and Ashby. The adjoining towns, Ashby, Townsend and Shirley, are in the county of Middle- sex. The centre of the town is twenty-four miles north from Worcester, forty-three miles northwesterly from Boston, and is in latitude 42° 35' 30" and in longitude 71° 43' 30" west from Greenwich. By the

survey of Cyrus Kilburn, in 1831, the town contained an area of seventeen thousand four hundred and ninety-four acres, and by the estimate of the assessors, exclusive of water, fifteen thousand nine hundred and forty acres. Within the town are five natural ponds and three of them bear names of Indian ori- gin. The one situated near the re-entrant angle in the line of Leominster contains ninety-five acres, and its name has experienced many orthographical changes. In the proceedings of the Colonial Legislature, in 1713, if is written Unkachewalwick, and, ten years later, Francis Fullamı, in the records of the commit- tee of the General Court, writes Unkechewalom, and about the same time comes Edward Hartwell, who wrestles with the name, and leaves upon the records Uncachawalonk, while Rev. Peter Whitney, in the " History of Worcester County " (1793), in writing Unkeshewalom nearly repeats the record of Francis Fullam, which has been the prevailing orthography of modern times. Wilder's "History of Leominster" (1853), dodges the issue and abbreviates the word into Chualoom, and frequently of late, when the name is expressed in vocal terms, only the last two syllables are employed. At best the old Indian name is not like the one loved and described by the Elder Weller as "an easy word to spell," and it is not wholly imaginative to say that in the olden times, when a new settler in these parts began to wrinkle his face and twist his mouth and utter a volley of hard and guttural sounds, his hearers knew he was not cursing, but only trying to tell them where he caught a string of fisb.

Massapog Pond, of sixty-two acres, also near the Leominster line, is one mile and nearly one-fourth southeasterly and receives the overflow from Unkeche- walom. In 1713, in the records of the General Court, this word is written Masshapauge, and in Mashaporg the same sounds are preserved by the records of Na- than Heywood and Edward Hartwell, but from the earliest mention to the present time it has been spelled with considerable uniformity. From an early survey of a small marsh on the north, in 1750, a marsh near the pond is described as "not land nor water and partly both." The overflowing stream bears northerly, easterly and southerly, receiving tributaries on either hand, and empties into the Cataconameg, in the south- east part of the town, about one hundred rods from the line of Shirley. By Francis Fullam the name of the third pond is written Cataconamog, by Rev. Peter Whitney, Catatoonamog, and by Rev. Henry Chandler, in the "History of Shirley," Catecunemaug. The stream from this pond, having gathered the drainage of more than one-half the town, flows through Shirley and empties into the Nashua River. A little more than one mile east from the centre of the town is Lane's Pond, and nearly an equal distance south of that is Dead Pond. Neither of them exceeds five or six acres in area. They are not mentioned in the early records and it is not known when they were first discovered.

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LUNENBURG.

The northern part of the town is drained by Mulpus Brook. The course of this stream is easterly and nearly parallel to the line of Townsend. It flows through Shirley and empties into the Nashua. Pearl Hill Brook, in the west part, flowing into Fitchburg, and Baker's Brook, flowing through the southwest coruer, drain small areas in this town.

At the time the territory constituting the town of Lunenburg was severed from the wilderness and fell into the possession and under the control of its grantees, the locality was well known to the d'wellers in the older towns. Lancaster on the south aud Gro- ton, including Shirley, on the east, had been settled many years. The echoes from the activities of those hardy pioneers and the presence of many scouting parties of white men, explorers and hunters within the confines constitute the first and the unwritten chapter of the history of the town. The earliest offi- cial act immediately appertaining to the soil of Lunen- burg, of which any record appears, is a grant of two hundred and four acres to Nathaniel Walker, June 6, 1663. The limits of this chapter will exclude details. It was surveyed in October, 1666, and the title was confirmed by the General Court, May 27, 1668. This tract of land was situated near the present line of Shirley. It was subsequently owned by Ephraim Sav- age, and November 5, 1714, it was purchased by James Kibby, of Reading.

In May, 1672, a grant of one hundred and fifty acres was made to Frances Adams, wife of James Adams, which was located in the east part of this town, and also was purchased by Mr. Kibby. A further account of these two early grants within the town of Lunenburg will be employed in explanation of later and more important events. In 1664 the General Court granted two thousand acres to the town of Woburn. The title was suffered to lapse, but was renewed in 1716. In May, 1717, this extensive grant was surveyed by Captain Joseph Burnap, of Reading, assisted by Edward Hartwell, then of Lancaster. It was located south of the centre of the town. Begin- ning at a point in Leominster line about mid-way between Unkechewalom and Massapog Ponds, the boundary line extended easterly almost one mile, thence northerly a little more than two miles, thence westerly one mile and one-half and then southerly to a point in Leominster line about two hundred rods west of the angle at Unkechewalom Pond. The north line of this grant was about one-half mile south and nearly parallel to a section of the old Northfield road. It included the pond and an important section of the town, but it remained unimproved until many settlers were located around it. In 1717 one thousand acres were granted to the town of Dorchester. It was immediately surveyed and located west of and adjoin- ing Woburn Farm. Its western boundaries were near Fitchburg. Such were the conditions when the grant of the township was made. The region for many years had horne the name of Turkey Hills, and the

ponds and the rivers were known by their present Indian names. The major act was not deferred. On the 7th of December, 1719, the General Court, in one act, granted "two new towns ou the west side of Groton west line." William Taylor, Samuel Thaxter, Francis Fullam, John Shepley and Benjamin Whitte- more, then members of the General Court, were selected to conduct a survey of the grants, to allot the same and to admit the grantees. The grant appears in Torrey's "Fitchburg " and in Sawtelle's "Town- send," but many interesting details of the early pro- ceedings remain unpublished. Three of the com- mittee, Fullam, Shepley and Whittemore, with Samuel Jones, surveyor, and four chain-men, began the survey of the boundary lines of the two townships December 22, 1719, and completed the work in eight days. In April following, in connection with another com- mittee, they established the west line of Groton, or the east line of the new towns. Continuing a work well and seasonably begun, the committee, all being present, met at Concord May 11, 1720, and proceeded to admit settlers or grantees, or, in the language of the record of their proceedings, "to allott & grant out ye Lands contained in Each of ye Two Townships." By the committee the townships were styled North Town and South Town. The former at that time included Townsend and a part of Ashby, and the latter em- braced the present towns of Lunenburg, Fitchburg and a part of Ashby. This statement, however, should be qualified with a mention of the fact that the north line of Townsend and the west line of Lunenburg (now Fitchburg) were subsequently amended. At this meeting eighty proprietors were admitted. This number was subsequently increased, but never ex- ceeded ninety. In October, 1720, a house-lot was surveyed for each proprietor and for the two minis- terial rights, but the school and college lands were not defined until a later day. The remainder, and much the greater part, of the township was owned in common by the proprietors, and mainly distributed among them from time to time in second, third and fourth division lots. During the years that intervened between these proceedings and the act of incorporation the affairs of the township were conducted by the committee appointed by the General Court, and frequent meet- ings were held at the inn of Jonathan Hubbard, in Concord, and at the houses of Samuel Page and of Josiah Willard, in this town. Meanwhile the settle- ment slowly increased. The early settlers were exposed to constant danger, and their hardships were many. The following petition, now published for the first time, represents that there were nine families here in 1725. It was one of the first papers sent out from Lunenburg, and it presents a vivid picture of an infant settlement on the exposed frontiers. It is superscribed " to Honorko Wiliam Dummer, Esgur, Boston."

To the Honorbl Int. Gouner :

Sir,-We desire with thanks to acknowledg your Honours care of us as well in time past as this presant spring in sending Colo. Buckmaster

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

to se what postur of defence we wer in & in furder desiring to know our Afayrs which we should be glad to enform your Honour oftener of had we opertunity. we have here this spring 9 famelis posted in 5 garisous which are all wiling to stand their ground if they can ; they heve the liberty if 2 garisous will come together to haue the solders he- longing to each garisou with them for ther suport. Our manuer of emproving the solders has been by scouting & eumtimes gardiog med at ther woork, sumtimes 2 or 3 days together in the woods, but wee think it more for our safety to scout round the town so es to cum in the same day for the strengthing our garisons at night & when our men gos out to woork they must have a gard or expose themselves & we must leave sume in our garisons or else they are exposed so that we capot keep e scout always out except we have more solders. We have made no dis- covrey of the enemy yet among us, but live in dayly expectation of them ; but knowing they [Indiaos] are in the hands of god who is ebel to restrain them to whos name we desire to give the praise of our pre- sarvation the yeer past & io whos name we desire still to trust with dependance on your Honour's protection, a meens under god of presar- vation ; if your Houour shall think it veedfull to make any adition to our number of solders we leve it to your Honour's wise coocedration & remein your Hoaour's most humbel servants.

JOSIAH WILLARD. PHILIP GOODRIDGE.

Turkey llils, May yo 10 : 1725.

Continuing their trust in God and Governor Dum- mer and measuring their faith by the number of the soldiers, the settlement was prospered during the ensuing summer. In March of the following year, at a meeting of the committee held at Concord, it was recorded: "The Information ye Settlers then Gave ye Commtte Was that there was 26 Houses Raised and Ten of them Settled and Inhabited." Concern- ing the actual number of residents in the town during the next few years the records present no accurate information, and omitting for the present particular mention of those knowu to be residing here, there remains ample evidence that the infant settlement made continued progress in population and improve- ments. With each year a few families arrived and new openings were made in the forest and in the ris- ing smoke above the clearings they saw the assurance of an enlarged community and the promise of increas- ing harvests.

The town was incorporated August 1, 1728. The name of Lunenburg was suggested by one of the titles of George II., who had recently succeeded to the Brit- ish throne. By this proceeding South Town was sup- planted by a more sonorous term, and while Turkey Hills was perpetuated in the local vocabulary, the term no longer designated a community. Compared with the history of many towns, Lunenburg was incor- porated at an early stage in the progress of the settle- ment. The reason of a successful petition for incor- poration is probably found in the fact that within the settlement and among the petitioners were a few men of influence and character whose solicitation was potent with the Governor and the General Court. The cause which led the petitioners to desire an early act of incorporation is not concealed. From the first the affairs of the propriety had been ordered and con- trolled by the committee to whose proceedings fre- quent mention has been made. Their authority over the municipal and proprietary affairs of the settlement was absolute and in them was vested all power of leg-

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History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 199

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