History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 49

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 49

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H. E. Hitchcock, A. B. Chamberlain, D. R. Wight, School Committee of Sturbridge, March 17, 1888.

Public Library .- In 1873 "The Quinebaug Library Association " gave their library of between four and five hundred volumes to the town, " on condition that the town appropriate not less than $100 annually for its increase and support and proper accommodation for the public." The town accepted the gift and the con- ditions, and the public library has been well cared for and increased to over 3000 volumes. It is located in the upper story of the Centre School-house build_ ing. In the year ending March 1, 1888, the number of persons drawing books was 352. Total number of books drawn, 6041.

INDUSTRIAL .- The first saw-mill in the town was built in 1732 by William Ward, Esq., of Southborough, upon Hobb's Brook, not far above the crossing of the

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Fiske Hill road. In 1795 the number of saw-mills upon the Quinehaug and tributaries had increased to fifteen. There were nine in 1837, and at the present time six. A large share of the sawing is now done by portable steam mills. Nehemiah Allen's corn-mill is mentioned upon our records in 1769, and may have been in operation at an earlier date. It was located near where the large dam owned by the Fiskdale Mills has been constructed. Moses Marcy's corn-mill, which accommodated the early settlers, was over the line in Oxford (Charlton after 1754). In 1795 there were four grist-mills in the town; in 1737, three; and at the present time, one-that owned by Mr. George Wight, which accommodates this and the borders of adjoining towns.

Three mills for the manufacture of cotton batting were operated in this town in 1837; at the present time, none.

A tannery was established near the site of the first saw-mill by Mr. Samuel Hobbs, a native of Weston. and a member of " The Boston Tea Party," who came to this town about 1780. Samuel Hobbs & Sons, Josiah Hobbs, P. B. & J. B. Johnson, Southwick & Tyler, and Nelson Bennett have successively owned and operated the tannery. The business has been dropped in that locality and the buildings are taken away.

The "Old Tannery," at Fiskdale, was established not far from the year 1780 by Abner Allen, who car- ried on the business about fifty years. Mr. Liberty Allen (living 1888), grandson of Abner, succeeded to the business in 1830, and has carried it on fifty-eight years. Henry Allen, father of Liberty, was a pump- maker.

Carriage and Harness Shop at the Centre Village .- Mr. Henry Haynes, then called junior, started in the business here in March, 1834. Mr. Melvin Haynes, a brother, was admitted a partner in 1844. H. & M. Haynes continued until 1861, when Melvin sold his interest to his nephews, Henry D. and John P., and the firm took the name of H. Haynes & Sons. John P. sold his interest in 1865, and the final letter s was taken off the firm-name. The number of hands em- ployed has varied from one, at first, to fifteen or six. teen at the highest. Since carriage-making, in later years, has gone into larger concerns, H. Haynes & Son have reduced their force, and confine their at- tention to orders and repairing. The senior member of the firm, who is still active, has been in the busi- ness fifty-four years.

Boot and Shoe Business at the Centre .- Elisha Southwick, having obtained permission, and a lease of the ground from the town, built a shoe-shop on the Common in 1850, and went into business. In 1859 he leased to Henry Merrick and Charles N. Allen, but soon afterwards bought in, and when Mr. Merrick and Mr. Allen left the firm, continued the business alone until he gave it up to his son-in-law, Mr. A. C. Morse, about 1868. Mr. Hiram Carter

bought an interest in 1869, and the firm of Morse & Carter did a business of about $120,000 a year. Mr. Carter withdrew, and Mr. Morse went on alone un- til the business was closed, about 1877.

Mr. Charles N. Allen, after leaving the firm of Southwick & Allen, did a large business on the oppo- site side of the Common. He operated for the greater part of the time between 1865 and 1875, usually doing a business of $100,000 a year.

At Fiskdale .- Mr. Emery L. Bates, in connection with Mr. Judson Smith, began in the boot and shoe business about 1846. The firm of Sessions Bates & Co. was formed abont 1850, and did a business which, at the maximum, amounted to over $300,000 a year. The firm dissolved before the war, and Mr. Bates continued the business here. His trade was largely Southern, and the cloud of the Rebellion covered about $80,000 of his assets, of which he finally rea- lized only about $10,000. Mr. Bates then discon- tinued the manufacture of boots and shoes, and or- ganized the Snell Manufacturing Company, as de- scribed in another place.

The Ladd's Shop Privilege .- Mr. David K. Porter, in the spring of 1836, built a dam across the ancient "Sugar Brook," exactly where the "Old Springfield Road," which was opened in 1635-38, had passed, and flowed what was known to the wayfarer along this route, before the settlement of the town, as " Knotch Meadow." A very durable and valuable water-power was obtained, it being situated upon the outlet of Walker Pond, which is improved as a reservoir. Gibbs, Tiffany & Company, composed of Enoch K. Gibbs, Brigham Gibbs, Lucian Tiffany and Dr. John Seabury, began the manufacture of pistols here as the first enterprise. Town & Chaffee, from Rhode Island, began to make augers and bits here in 1841, the first made in this town. Mr. Sumner Packard began to make awls and general shoe-kit tools in 1846, and was succeeded in 1855 by Mr. Charles Varney, who commenced to make cutters and dies in 1857. He sold to F. W. & H. Slayton in 1863, who transferred a third interest to Mr. Noah D. Ladd in 1864, and the whole property to Ladd & Wight the next year. In 1867 Mr. Daniel R. Wight went out, and Mr. Ladd, taking his son Henry J. into the business, has continued under the firm-name of N. D. Ladd & Son. The shop was burned in June, 1878, and they had it rebuilt and running in sixty-one days after the fire. They manufac- tured shoe-knives, awl-hafts and a variety of small tools until about 1875; since that time they have given their attention principally to cutters and dies for cutting cloth, paper, rubber, veneering, leather, etc.

At Westville there is to be seen the ruined founda- tion of an old mill ; also a canal and a broken-down dam. This is the site of the first cotton-factory in the town-including Southbridge. It was built by the Sturbridge Manufacturing Company in 1812. This

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association was incorporated the 5th of December, 1811, with the following names: Rev. Zenas L. Leon. ard, Stephen Newell, Lieut. John Plimpton, Moses Fiske, Jephthah Plimpton, Ziba Plimpton, Moses Newell, Eleazer Rider, Comfort Freeman, Nathaniel Rider, Franklin Rider.

The factory building was thirty feet by forty-five, and three stories in height, with preparations for manufacturing cotton yarn. The mill began to run for the company in the fall of 1812, and continued to run with profit until the close of the war, when British manufactures were introduced below the cost of any similar production in these States. Southbridge was set off in 1816, and although the factory building was on the Sturbridge side of the river, it was subsequently owned and occupied by Southbridge parties. The mill was unoccupied a number of years ; then it was struck by lightning and burned about 1882.

Charles Hyde's Box-Shop is on the Quinebaug, about half a mile above the ruins of the old factory. This mill-site was first utilized for a saw-mill owned by Dea. Edward Foster at an early period, and came into the possession of Mr. James Plimpton about 1770, who had a saw-mill and a grist-mill there. The place was called "Plimpton's Mills" for a period of fifty years or more. Stephen Bracket had a cotton- batting mill there; then it was "Bracket's Mills." Pails were made there a few years. Sawing of lum- ber, planing and matching, and the making of pack- ing-boxes is the business now carried on there.

Wight's Mills .- Above the box-shop the Quinebaug may be followed nearly two miles in its winding, quiet course, before another mill-site is found ; and that was originally found by the boys who followed the path the cows made going down through the bushes to drink. The river ran into a pocket surrounded by sand-hills, and had to go back and flow quietly out at the door. David Wight, Jr., built a dam across the door, or place of outflow, dug through the sand- bank and made a canal to conduct the water away down through the meadow to the river again, and thus obtained a very valuable water-power, which has heen used by three generations of his descendants. A grist-mill, saw-mill, planing and matching is the business now carried on there.

Snell Manufacturing Company's Works .- In 1798-99, Mr. Alpheus Wight excavated a canal about half a mile in length, conducting the water from the Quine- baug, where a dam was constructed, to a convenient locality near "the great road," and established a water-power there, which has been of great public, as well as private utility. In his day it was utilized for a saw-mill, a grist-mill and a fulling-mill.

The manufacture of augers and bits was commenced at Wight Village, in the old fulling-mill building, as early as 1845, by Towne, Snell & Co. The following year Lauriston Towne went out, and the firm-name became Smith, Snell & Co., until 1850, when Lucius Snell bought out Judson Smith. The firm was then

composed of Mr. Melville Snell, and two of his nephews, Thomas O. Snell and Lucius, and took the name of Snell & Bros. The old mill was burned in 1852, after which the firm bought the privilege and built the first stone mill, one hundred feet by thirty- two, and two stories in height. Then Dea. Thomas Snell, the father of Thomas O. and Lucius, sold his shop in Ware and removed his business to Sturbridge, went into partnership with his brother and two sons, and the firm-name was changed to Snell Bros. They built two stone mills in 1853, one thirty-six by forty- six, and the other one hundred by forty-five feet ; the latter three stories in height. About seventy-five workmen were employed in 1854.

Deacon Thomas Snell was the son of Thomas Snell, of Ware, who originated the Snell auger and bit, the first of the kind made in this country. Thus, the hereditary skill and long-established business (from 1790) being transferred to this locality, when Mr. Emery L. Bates, of this town, formed a copart- nership with Messrs. Clarke & Wilson, an old hard- ware firm in New York, and purchased the entire business in 1862, they very appropriately took the firm name of The Snell Manufacturing Company. Mr. Bates has been the business manager to the present time. In 1883 they added the business of making ship-augers, of which there is but one other manufactory in this country ; and with improved machinery and skilled mechanics are said to make the finest goods in the world.

It is now a corporation with a capital of sixty thou- sand dollars and employing about one hundred and thirty workmen, manufacturing auger-bits and car- bits, millwright and nut augers, boring machines and boring machine augers, ship-builders' augers and the various kinds of augers and bits used for power ma- chines, producing about one hundred and fifty thou- saud annually.

FISKDALE AND FISKDALE MILLS .- Nehemiah Allen, who was one of the proprietors and drew lands in various parts of the town, bought of Moses Allen, who had bought of Shubael Goram, original proprietor, the "Dimick Farm " and "lot No. 25, west," adjoining it on the north, now known as the "old Benson place," and also lot No. 37, now owned by Mr. Liberty Allen, the Fiskdale Mills (Taylor Place) and others, which bounded said "Farm " on the west. The south line of Demick's was identical with the north hounds of Mr. C. G. Allen's farm, and the eastward the same as the west line of J. D. Under- wood's and D. W. Wight's pasture-lands on the hill, and continued the same course after crossing the river, northeastward to the lot 25 west above men- tioned. The line last described was between the Salstonstal and Demick " Farms."

Nehemiah Allen built his house previous to 1738, upon the site of the "old Allen place," northward of the Baptist meeting-house.

In the second generation his son John remained

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upon the homestead, "Captain Jacob " had the south part of the lot No. 37, and the grist-mill, and originated the homestead called the Taylor Place. Abner had the north end of 37, and built the house now the residence of his grandson, Liberty Allen; also originated the tanning business there.

In the third generation Moses Allen succeeded his father, John Allen, on the original homestead, having for a farm that part of Demick's north of the river. Dr. Abraham Allen had the real estate of his father, Captain Jacob, and Henry succeeded Abner.

These men of the third generation had become old, their family had had peaceable possession and quiet for over ninety years, when two brothers, Henry and Josiah J. Fiske, sons of David, of Fiske Hill, and grandsous of Henry (see grantees), bought Moses Allen's farm, erected the first factory and laid the foun- dation of the village that bears their name. Moses Allen's farm was deeded to Henry and Josiah J. Fiske in 1826. Hon. Josiah J. Fiske was a lawyer residing in Wrentham, but was largely interested in the Quinebaug Company, the first company formed for operating at this point on the Quinebaug River. Henry Fiske became resident proprietor here and erected the first brick mill and a suitable number of tenement houses in 1827-28, and to him is due the credit of performing the pioneer work of founding this village. The dimensions of this first cotton-mill were eighty-four feet by forty, and five stories high. It was put in operation in May, 1829, under the superintendence of Mr. Harvey Hartshorne, of Wrentham. The Quinebang Company constructed the npper dam in a thorough manner and began the erection of the "stone mill " in 1834. Henry Fiske retired from the concern, and the old Quinebaug Company was merged in the Sturbridge Cotton-Mills, which was incorporated in 1835 with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars. It was through the efforts, the energy and perseverance of Hon. Josiah J. Fiske that the Sturbridge Cotton-Mills Company was fermed and the construction of these mills carried to completion. After the retirement of his brother, he gave more of his personal attention to affairs here, residing here more or less, and died at Fiskdale in 1838. These first mills had ten thousand spindles and two hundred looms. Mr. Simeon A. Drake was the agent from 1832 to 1854, followed by Mr. Wm. B. Whiting.

In 1859 Mr. James C. Fisk, of Cambridge, was chosen treasurer, and assumed charge of these mills, with Mr. Bowers S. Chace as agent. Mr. Fisk held the office of treasurer until his death, in 1885. The corporate name of the Sturbridge Cotton-Mills was changed by an act of the Legislature in 1869 to Fisk- dale Mills; and an increase of capital stock to five hundred thousand dollars was authorized.

When the property first came under the mauage- ment of Mr. James C. Fisk the buildings were in a dilapidated condition, filled with old and worn-out

machinery. The corporation houses were in equally as bad shape, and the general appearance of the mills and village was that of a run-down and worn-ont con- cern.

Mr. Fisk tore down the old mills and built new ones ; put in new machinery, remodeled the houses,-and to-day the village of Fiskdale stands as a monument to the energy and success of this man who has made it as pretty, healthy and successful a factory village as can be found; with its large and well-built mills, comfortable and neat houses, well-kept yards, and large farms, keeping some forty head of stock and twelve horses, it can well be called a model village.

The Fiskdale Mills property consists in part of two mills, the machinery of which is operated by one Her- cules wheel of 400 horse-power, and one of 250 horse- power. These mills run 34,000 spindles, and 800 looms; using some 6000 pounds of cotton daily; pro- ducing some ten and a quarter million yards of 64x64 standard print cloths in a year.

Mr. James L. Fisk, son of the late Mr. James C. Fisk, is now (1888) president of the company; Mr. C. Curry, the treasurer, and Mr. O. B. Truesdell the agent.

AGRICULTURE .- As early as the beginning of the century the "Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture," sent to all parts of the State a series of questions relative to the then existing condition of agriculture. In the report of the Massachusetts So- ciety mention is made that replies had been received from "Sturbridge, where there is a Society." Auto- graph replies, written in the blank spaces between the printed questions, are under the name of Erasmus Babbitt, and the pamphlet bears the date of 1800. Mr. Babbitt reports a medium-sized farm in Stur- bridge to be "130 acres, divided : one-third pasture- one-fifth mowing-one-fifteenth tillage-one-thirtieth orchard and one-third woodland; the orchards are generally increasing and yield a competent supply of cider." That "this farm will keep 15 head of neat cattle, 2 horses, and 15 sheep." "All the coarse fod- der and meadow hay is fed to the cattle in the yards." "Provender is little used except for horses that work hard, or creatures fatting." On this medium farm "about 7 acres are planted or sown to grain." "Aver- age crop of corn is 25 to 30 bushels to the acre;" po- tatoes, "130 to 150 bushels to the acre"-"12 or 15 bushels for seed," and "the largest are thought to be best." "About 2 of an acre of potatoes is planted on a medium farm." We have the rose-back species of swine of the largest kind-killed twenty months old, weigh two hundred and forty pounds. The product of a cow, all the cream being churned, is seventy pounds of butter, and about as many pounds of skim- cheese can be made from the same cow.

The foregoing presents the main points of the re- plies to the questions of the Massachusetts Society, of Erasmus Babbitt, Esq., a lawyer then residing in this town and probably an officer of that early Agri-

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cultural Society of Sturbridge, of which we have no further account.

The present agricultural condition of the town may be indicated by the following extracts from the census of Massachusetts, report of 1885 :- Amount of land, cultivated, uncultivated and woodland, 19,111 acres ; cultivated land, 16 per cent .; uncultivated, 40 per cent .; woodland, 44 per cent. Number of farms, 145; average size, 131 acres; number of farms reported over one acre and under two, 1; over three and under four, 4; over five and under ten, 8; over ten and under fifteen, 5; over fifteen and under twenty, 5; over twenty and under thirty, 9; over thirty and under forty, 8; over forty and under fifty, 6; over fifty and under sixty, 7; over sixty and under seventy, 4; over seventy and under eighty, 6; over eighty and under ninety, 8; over ninety and under one hundred, 19; over one hundred and under one hundred and fifty, 29; over one hundred and fifty and under two hnn- dred, 13; over two hundred and under three hundred, 8; over three hundred and under four hundred, 4; over eight hundred and under nine hundred, 1. Ag- gregate value of these 145 farms :- Land, $262,930; buildings, $219,103; machines, implements, etc., $19,- 521; domestic animals, etc., $50,781; fruit trees and vines, $11,377. The total yearly product from these farms amounts to $125,152. Farms owned, 123; hired, 13; ou shares, 5; not given, 4-total, 145. Number of persons owning or having charge of farms :- Males, 159; females, 8; farm laborers, 86.

Formation of the Second Agricultural Society of Stur- bridge .- An informal meeting of citizens was held at the house of Mr. J. N. Chamberlain, October 31, 1843, and Maj. S. A. Drake was called to the chair. It was voted to hold an exhibition, November 8th, on the Common. Three were appointed to "extend and give notice over the town in general." The exhibition was held as appointed, and at an adjourned meeting, No- vember 15th, a committee was chosen to draft a con- stitution and by-laws. At another adjourned meeting, November 27th, a constitution containing eight arti- cles was adopted, and the following list of officers chosen, viz .:- President, S. A. Drake; Vice-President, Caleb Weld, Jr .; Secretary, Benj. D. Hyde; Corre- sponding Secretary, A. M. Merrick; Treasurer, Benj. Bullock; Directors, Thos. Merrick, John Boyden, David Wight, A. P. Taylor, Peter Belknap, Geo. V. Corey, Simeon Hooker, Samuel Hobbs, S. F. Marsh.

Out of this was evolved the Worcester South Agri- cultural Society, incorporated in 1854, "for the en- couragement of agriculture and the mechanic arts by premiums and other means in the town of Sturbridge, in the county of Worcester." The fine park of this society, containing the buildings and conveniences for a first-class fair, the whole plant being valued at upwards of $16,000, is situated near the centre of this town.

CHAPTER XVII.

TEMPLETON.

BY H. F. LANE.

Location-Boundary-Elevation-Streams-Ponds-Soil - Productions Population-Valuation-Business Affuirs of the Present Time.

TEMPLETON is in the extreme northerly portion of Worcester County, in the middle of the second tier of towns from the New Hampshire line. Royalston lies next it on the northwest, and Winchendon on the northeast. Gardner, whose territory was taken partly from this town, lies on the easteru side. Hubbardston lies to the southwest, sepa- rated from it by a straight boundary line. Phil- lipston, originally a part of this town, extends com- pletely along the western side. The extreme length of the town is about eight miles. It varies in breadth from about three miles in the northerly portion to five miles iu the middle and southerly portions. It contains from nineteen to twenty thousand acres of surface. The town lies fifteen miles west of Fitch- burg, twenty-six miles northwesterly from Worcester and sixty-five miles from Boston. It is in latitude 42° 32' north and longitude 72° 5' west from London.

Templeton is situated on a high elevation. The village at the centre of the town is not less than twelve hundred feet above the level of the sea. Some hills rise even higher than that. There is an elevated plateau reaching from Wachusett Mountain, in the central part of Worcester County, to Monadnock, in Southern New Hampshire. This town lies on the western edge of this plateau, where it begins to slope toward the Connecticut River, as the eastern side of the plateau slopes toward the Merrimac. There are uo mountainous elevations in the town, although the whole surface is hilly. The hills are rounded masses, usually fertile to thesummit. The crests of some of these hills and ridges command extensive views of the surrounding country, as from Dolbear Hill, near the village at the centre of the town, Mine Hill, in the eastern part of the town, and from the high ridges of land in the southern and also in the northwestern parts of the town. It is a notable feature of this por- tion of Worcester County that it lies in long ridges or swells of land extending in a northerly and southerly line, with corresponding valleys between. Roads running north and south find locations quite nearly level ; but running east and west it is one coutinnous course of up hill and down. The Ware River Rail- road finds easy grades through one of these valleys.

The situation of this town, just on the western edge of the plateau, brings it just barely within the Connecticut River basin, into which river all of its surplus waters flow. The towns lying next easterly of this, send a portion of their waters into the Mer- rimac. The largest stream of water in town is Otter River. This stream has its sources in Hubbardston

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

and Gardner, flows through the southeasterly portion of this town, and the southwesterly part of Gardner, forms the boundary line between the two towns for some distance, then flows in a northwesterly direction through the northerly part of the town, yielding an abundant water-power at the villages of Otter River and Baldwinville. Just outside of this town it unites with Miller's River, a tributary of the Connecticut. Otter River has several tributaries in this town. Mill Brook, with several reservoirs for the storage of water, furnishes several water privileges at Partridge- ville and East Templeton. Trout Brook, with several mill privileges, flows in a direct northerly course through one of the valleys and falls into Otter River a little below Baldwinville. Beaver Brook flows in a northerly course through another of the valleys in the extreme westerly part of the town, falling into Miller's River near South Royalston. There were formerly two saw-mills on this brook. There are several small tributaries of Otter River, some of which have in the past furnished mill-sites. The Burnshirt River drains the southwesterly part of the town and furnishes several mill privileges. This stream falls into Ware River, and thence by way of the Chicopee River reaches the Connecticut. On these various streams there are not less than thirty-five mill-sites, the water-power of which has at some time been turned to practical use. But some of them have in later times been given up.

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History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 49

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