History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 53

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 53

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Thomas Sawyer seems to have carried on the mills on this site at Baldwinville until about 1767, when they were sold to Jonathan Baldwin, Esq., an enter- prising and public-spirited citizen from Spencer, Mass. He became a very large land-holder in the village of Baldwinville, owning a large tract on the north and west. Captain Eden Baldwin, son of Jonathan, succeeded his father in the ownership of the mills. He carried on the lumber business and also made bricks at a yard near where the house of C. M. Cummings now stands. In 1803 he rebuilt the mills and carried them on until 1829, when he rented them for five years to William Kendall and Edward Richardson, of Holden,

In 1836 Captain Eden Baldwin sold the mills to Colonel George W. Sawyer, who retained possession some two years and then sold the property back to Captain Baldwin, who retained it until his death, in 1839. In that year another Eden Baldwin, from Ashfield, a distant relative of the former, became the owner, and in 1840 he took down the former structure and built the eastern half of the "Red Mill," putting in a new grist-mill and a self-setting saw-mill. In 1842 he sold to Gilman Day, who received Charles Baldwin, a grandson of Captain Eden, as a partner in 1843. Edwin Sawyer bought Mr. Baldwin's interest in 1847. Day & Sawyer built the western half of the "Red Mill." They made wood-seat chairs, hat-cases, etc. The manufacture of chairs has been continued at this stand by different firms formed in successive years : Sawyer & Thompson in 1853, Sawyer, Thompson & Perley in 1856, Thompson, Perley & Waite in 1871 and the Waite Chair Company in 1887. On the death of Mr. Perley the firm was divided and Mr.

Thompson became the head of a firm making chairs at the lower mill.

In 1843 Captain Warren L. Merritt began the hat- pressing business in the "Red Mill." But a mill was built at the north end of the dam in 1844 by Samuel D. Morley, and Captain Merritt moved his business there and continued it until 1850, after which the business was continued by John Stearns, and Lee & Stearns, who employed about twenty hands. In the recent years Baker & Wilson have a grist-mill here, at which they grind large quantities of Western corn, selling the meal in the neighboring villages.

In the early part of the century a number of persons in this village and in other parts of this town were engaged in the manufacture of wood-seat chairs. The work was done wholly by hand in small shops near to or connected with dwelling-houses. As the years went on, machinery was invented to facilitate the work, and that necessitated the concentration of the work in larger establishments.

In 1844 Albert Bryant and James Stimpson built a dam at what is now known as the lower shop. A shop was soon built at the north end of the dam, and in 1846 another at the south end by James Stimpson. In these shops various kinds of business have been carried on by different persons and firms. Hat-press- ing has been carried on ; different firms have manu- factured matches; doors, sashes and blinds have been made; a shop was burned at the south end of the dam in 1862. Soon the privilege passed into the hands of Willard Baker and Sawyer, Thompson & Per- ley. The latter firm and their successors have occupied the southerly shop in the manufacture of chairs. A division of this firm was made in 1887, and this shop is now occupied by D. L. Thompson & Son, who con- tinue here the manufacture of various kinds of chairs. The northerly shop has for some years been occupied by Baker & Wilson in the manufacture of children's carriages.

A tannery was carried on for several years previous to 1817 by Joel Hayden, and afterward by Henry & Joseph Newton, on the site recently occupied by the office and store-house of Thompson, Perley & Waite, west of the hotel. His mill for grinding bark by water-power was on the site now occupied by the machine-shop of William E. Nichols. Various kinds of business have since been done here. John & Hart- ford Potter made sofa frames ; Bennet Potter put in a grist-mill ; Kelton & Hollingsworth were machin- ists ; Eden B. Sawyer, and afterward Buffum & New- ton, made measures for measuring grain ; Captain W. L. Merritt made window shades; James Stimpson made faucets. At the present time the privilege is used by William E. Nichols for the manufacture of band saw machines and various kinds of chair machinery.

In 1841 Captain Joseph Davis huilt a saw-mill at the most easterly privilege in Baldwinville. For

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some years pails were made here and afterward doors, sashes and blinds ; Sawyer & Patterson made matches; Robinson & Hersey made buckets, and James Stimp- son clothes-pins. This mill was burned in 1856. The privilege was bought in 1869 by Charles A. Perley and Gilman Waite. In 1870 a stock company was formed and a large and commodious factory was put up which furnished accommodations for several firms. Smith, Day & Co. made chairs; L. Greenwood & Co. also made chairs ; E. Sawyer & Co. made furniture. This mill was burned in 1885. It was rebuilt by Smith, Day & Co., who continue the manufacture of chairs at this stand. A part of the water-power at this place is used by Mr. H. M. Small in the manu- facture of sheathing and roofing paper.

There were formerly two saw-mills on Beaver Brook, in the extreme western part of the town. There were also two mills in the northwesterly part of the town, on the Royalston road, one of which is still kept in operation. These were on tributaries of Otter River.

On Trout Brook there were formerly five mill priv- ileges which were utilized. Only two or three of them are now used. The first privilege to be used was that now occupied by Bourn, Hadley & Co. Mr. Withing- ton erected a saw-mill here not far from 1820. Dea- con Benjamin Hawkes and his sons had made furniture by hand at a shop formerly standing on the present site of the Public Library. Later they made use of the water-power at this stand for some years. The present proprietors are extensively engaged in the manufacture of pine and ash furniture. Farther down on this stream toward Baldwinville is a saw.mill. Staves for pails are also prepared here.

The water from Phillipston Pond flows through the southwesterly part of this town, ou its way to join the waters of Ware River. On this stream have been several mill privileges, which have been used for grinding grain, sawing lumber, and preparing chair- stock or staves for pails. On a stream tributary to this is a mill which has been variously employed, re- cently as a cider-mill; formerly, Mr. Leander Leland made shoe-pegs here with ingenious machinery which he had prepared.

Mill Brook is the name applied to a stream of water which rises in the southeasterly part of this town and flows through Partridgeville and East Tem- pleton, falling into Otter River a short distance be- low the latter village. As this brook has quite a rapid fall, it furnishes several water privileges, two of which were iu Partridgeville. On the upper one was a saw- mill, formerly owned by A. A. & G. W. Jones. This has been suffered to go to decay. A little way down the stream, and close by the highway, was formerly a grist-mill. Afterwards, for some years, H. & J. W. Partridge made chairs here. It is now owned by Dexter P. Merritt. Two reservoirs for the storage of water lie above the village of East Templeton. Below the dam of the lower one was a shop for the manu- facture of chairs. The water-power was supplemented,

in later times, by a steam-engine. The shop was built by Bennett Potter, and had been occupied by Potter & Jennison, Parker, Sawyer & Co., McLean & Dickerman, and others. It was burnt recently, and has not been rebuilt.

The chair manufactory of A. S. Hodge was burnt recently, and has not as yet been rebuilt. Chairs have been for many years manufactured on this site by dif- ferent parties, using steam as well as water-power in later years. The shop now owned by Henry J. Wright seems to have been built by Bennett Potter. Various kinds of business have successively been car- ried on here. The grist-mill and saw-mill formerly owned by John Simonds was, in 1813, bought by Joel Fales, who enlarged the mills. He soon erected another shop near where the " Fales " shop recently stood, and carried on the manufacture of scythes for several years. He had a furnace and made small castings. He had a trip-hammer and manufactured hoes. His son, Otis P. Fales, was associated with him in this business. In later times the brothers, Otis P. and Joel G. Fales, under the firm-name of J. G. Fales & Co., made chairs, the seats of which were woven out of thin plates of wood split by a machine invented for this purpose. The chairs had a look not unlike the chairs of the olden time, and for some uses were quite popular. This shop was burned a few years since. On the next mill-site the manufacture of children's carts and wagons has been carried on since the year 1858, by Chester N. Johnson, who has made of it a very successful business. The tannery business had for many years been carried on at this site, earlier by Mr. Swan and later by Warren Simonds. At the next site, T. T. Greenwood's Sons continue the business of the manufacture of furniture, which their father had begun some years before. They also have a furniture store in West Gardner. A mill built by Artemas Brown formerly stood on the next site. At first it was a saw-mill ; afterwards tubs and pails were made here, but there has been no shop here for some years. The last shop on the stream is that of the East Templeton Chair Company, a co-op- erative incorporated company, which has met with a good degree of success.

Otter River enters the town on its eastern side, from Gardner, and flows through the northerly portion of the town, furnishing an abundant water-power in the villages of Otter River and Baldwinville. The Otter River Blanket Mill occupies the first mill-site on this stream, having a locatiou just over the Gardner line. Horse blankets in large quantities were quite recently the product of this mill. The first mill here was built by Cooper Sawyer. The manufacture of chairs has, in the past time, been carried on here. A. little farther down the stream is what is known as the Templeton Blanket Mills, which, together with the factory last named, is owned by Rufus S. Frost, of Chelsea, Mass. On this site William Hunting built a saw-mill, which Col. Leonard Stone after-

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wards bought and occupied for many years. William E. Nichols for a time had a machine-shop here, and Charles Everett a grist-mill. Going a little way down the stream, we come to the Woolen Mills. The first building on this site was erected about 1823 by Capt. Samuel Dadman, who began here the mann- facture of woolen cloth. The Dadman Manufactur- ing Company, the Jones Manufacturing Company, and other firms have continued the business. A new building was erected in 1836. Some kind of woolen goods has been the manufacture carried on here. Near this site, in the earlier part of the century, and reaching back to about 1787, Edward Cambridge had a shop for dressing cloth. He performed the service of dressing and finishing the cloth made by the farm- ers at their own homes on the hand-looms. Just east of the present factory building, Nathan Smith had a shop, at which he nsed to receive wool from the farm- ers and card it into rolls, ready for spinning at home.

The mannfacture of bricks has been carried on quite extensively by Charles C. Dyer, in the village of Otter River, at the yard which had been for many years occupied by his father, Horatio N. Dyer. These are transported by rail and sold in Worcester and other places.

The manufacture of stoves has for many years been an important industry in the village of Otter River. It was begun hy Thomas Parker, who, about the year 1836, erected a shop on a tributary of Otter River flowing into the town from Winchendon. He carried on the business until 1843, when he was succeeded by his son, Daniel W. Parker, who, in 1851, received Otis Warren as a partner. Mr. Warren carried on the business alone until 1853, when he sold to Gates & Lord. Lord & Walker became the name of the firm in 1858, which became Lord & Stone in 1871, and Lord, Stone & Co. in 1887. During all of this time, in addition to the manufacture of stoves, a general foundry business has been done at this stand, and machinists' work also. The work, which was begun on a small scale, has gradually increased, giv- ing employment at the present time to from thirty- five to forty hands. From five hundred to six hnn- dred tons of iron are melted annually. The stoves are sold by traveling agents in various parts of New England.

INVENTORS .- The soil of Worcester County is certainly not favorable, as a general thing, for the production of agricultural crops ; but it produces excellent mechanics. The very atmosphere seems to favor their growth. And Templeton, like its neigh- boring towns, has always abounded in good mechanics -good in the practical execution of work, and some- times apt in the invention of new machines and processes. Indeed, these country towns would, many of them, have goue to early decay had it not been for their mechanical and manufacturing industries. The local market furnished by the manufacturing villages is the one thing that makes farming possible here.

Eli Bruce was one of the early settlers in the town, living in the village of Baldwinville, in the house now occupied by Mr. Hildreth. He was a very ingenious man. He made clocks, repaired watches and jewelry. He constructed a pipe-organ, which was said to have been a very fine one. He invented a machine for making pins out of wire, heading and pointing them ready for use. He also invented machinery suitable for the manufacture of wooden bucket4. His was a versatile mind, ever ready to animate material things with a capacity to subserve human wants.

Asa Fessenden was another mechanic of unusual ingenuity. He lived first at Templeton Centre, making vehicles of various kinds at the shop after- wards occupied by Maynard & Fiske. In later life he lived in Baldwinville, in the same house formerly occupied by Eli Bruce.

James Stimpson, now living in Baldwinville, is the inventor of a machine of mnch utility in the manufacture of furniture. It makes with rapidity a strong joint for the fastening together of the sides of drawers for bureaus, and is generally used in furniture-making establishments. He secured a patent for the method of making the joint in 1857, and on the machine in 1859. Mr. Stimpson is also the inventor of a street lamp of much convenience. The lamp is lowered for lighting and care by an iron lever turning on an axis.

John Nichols, of Baldwinville, invented a child's chair that is very easily convertible into a carriage, and again into a play table. There were six different kinds of these chairs. He has also invented an ingenious form of street lamp, in which the lamp slides down through a hollow lamp-post for convenience of lighting and care. The draft of air for the lamp is also through the post, so that it burns steadily even when it is windy.

HOTELS .- In the olden times country towns abounded in inns or taverns. On the principal lines of travel there seems to have been only a distance of two or three miles between them. The great number of loaded teams transporting merchandise from Bos- ton to the interior towns created a necessity for numerous stopping-places. Perhaps there was also fonnd some pecuniary profit in furnishing some form of liquid refreshment for thirsty travelers. But the taverns were numerous in our own town as well as in others ; and tradition surronnds them with a kind of halo which could not have been visible to their im- mediate patrons. The " enchantment " doubtless results from the distance which time interposes. Most of them were farm-houses of a larger size. In the villages, however, were taverns of more pretension and importance.

It is not easy to ascertain the date of the opening of the first tavern in town. Donbtless the first ones were kept by persons who gave their chief attention to other pursuits. There was formerly a tavern kept

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at the farm-house now known as the "Lambert Howe" place. There were three taverns at Temple- ton Centre. One was kept by Joseph Upham in the brick house at the northwesterly side of the Common. One by Joshua Wright, familiarly known as Landlord Wright, was kept in what has been known as the old " Hawkes " house, then standing where the public pump now is. But the chief public-house of the village seems always to have been the one on the site of the recent Templeton Hotel, which has been kept for some years by Charles E. Ellis. This building was burned in September, 1888. This house, in the earlier part of the century, was kept by Lipha French, Cal- vin Townsley and Levi Pierce. In later times Francis Twichell was very favorably known as the proprietor. . The house now owned by Mr. Lucas Baker in East Templeton, and that owned by Mr. Isaac Bourn in Brooks village, were both kept as taverns in the early part of this century, being on the line of through travel from Boston to Albany, which passed through Templeton. This town was also on a line of through travel from Worcester to Keene. On this line were two taverns at the Baptist Common,-the one kept in the house which is the present residence of Mr. John M. Brown, the other in a house directly opposite, on the other side of the Common. Baldwinville was also on this line of travel, and here, in several of the earliest years of the century, Capt. Eden Baldwin kept a tavern in the house now owned by Albert Bryant. In 1832 Capt. Joseph Davis built the hotel now known as the Narragansett House. In 1870 it was purchased by Mr. George Partridge, who has since been the proprietor. The building has at two different times been partially burned.

About 1847 Mr. J. G. Goldsmith built a hotel in the village of Otter River, on the present site of Mr. Le'and's store. This he kept for several years. After several persons had occupied it for brief periods, it was bought by Mr. Joshua W. Partridge and kept until the building was burned. In later times a hotel has been kept by different persons on the opposite side of the street from the former one.

STORES .- In the last century and the early part of this there was not much necessity for an abundance of stores, and where they existed at all there was little occasion for a large stock of goods. The families were not very numerous and were scattered about on the farms. They produced their own beef and pork, as well as fruits and vegetables. They were very sparing in the use of tea and sugar, and coffee was almost unknown. They spent very little money on luxuries of any kind. Their clothing was prepared with their own hands at their homes. The farmer himself, with his own team, carried any salable products of his farm to Boston, and brought back home supplies for his own family and sometimes for his neighbors. Grad- ually, as the population increased, it was found more economical to make a division of labor, and so permit some persons to devote their whole time to the work

of making these exchanges. Hence the evolution of the country merchant and the country store.

In Templeton Centre, early in this century, a long building stood on the site of the "Lee" store. In the north end of this building John Bigelow kept clocks, watches and similar goods. Cyrus Brown kept a variety store in the middle of the building. In the southern portion was sometimes a shoemaker's shop. John Bigelow lived in the "Gilbert" house. Cyrns Brown afterwards had a farm in the westerly part of the town, which has remained in the hands of his descendants to this day. This store building was moved away, and a part of it was used to make the house now owned by Charles W. Upham. In 1829 Col. Artemas Lee erected the store and dwelling-honse now standing on that site, and kept some connection with the store during the rest of his life. The names of the firms successively doing business there were Lee, Harding & Jones, Lee & Lincoln, Lee & Wood, Lee & Gambell, and afterwards Leland & Jones. Some time after the death of Col. Lee the store and other real estate was bought by Percival Blodgett, who, with a slight intermission, has carried on the business to the present time. He has added a stock of drugs and medicines. Col. Lee, before building on this site, had kept a store in the southerly portion of the hotel building, during a portion of which time be was associated with Lipha French.

On the easterly side of the Common, on the site of the "Brick " store, formerly stood a wooden one-story building, which was in after time moved away, and now forms the lower story of the Trinitarian parson- age. In this and the brick structure which succeeded it a store has been kept until quite recent times. In the early part of the century it was occupied by John W. Stiles, a prominent merchant of northern Worces- ter County, and later by Col. Ephraim Stone.

Several persons assisted in the work of the store, and among others Rufus Wyman, who afterwards became a partner. But Col. Stone was advancing in years, and Mr. Wyman was desirous of leaving town ; so the store was given up. Not long after, a Co-operative Union store was organized and kept here for some years, under the management of Erastus O. Eddy. After this was given up, the store business was carried on here for several years, first by the firm of Dudley & Blodgett, and afterwards by Mr. Dudley alone.

A store was also formerly kept by George Howe in a building which stood northerly of the residence of Mrs. Batchelder. Another store was kept by Moses Bond, in the brick house now owned by Charles W. Stone.

The country store has been something more than merely a place for the convenient purchase of the family supplies. Men meet each other here and have an interchange of views on the political or social questions of the day.

It furnishes a partial substitute for the social en- joyments of the club and the attractions of the theatre.

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The philosopher must take account of these informal and accidental meetings of persons who live in scat- tered dwellings as one of the forces which advance civilization, or at least as a force tending to hinder the lapsing into barbarism,-less potent than the town-meeting or the Sunday gathering, but still a force worthy of recognition.

Baldwinville next claims onr attention in this mat- ter of stores. But on the way thither, we may remark that, in the earlier times, there were two stores at the " Baptist Common," as well as two taverns and one church. Doubtless there were in Baldwinville, as elsewhere in the early times, persons who united to some other business that of furnishing family supplies, even before the erection of stores. But in 1824 Captain Eden Baldwin erected a store at a point northerly of the residence of Mr. Ray, and about where the road to the railroad station now passes.

Captain Moses Bond, who had previously kept a store at the centre of the town, carried this on for three years. Captain Joseph Davis then leased the store and placed it in the care of Mr. Valentine, On bis removing to Baldwinville, in 1830, Captain Davis bought the store building and in 1840 removed it to a location in close proximity to his hotel, where it now stands. A store has been kept in the building until a period quite recent. The store now occupied by Louis Leland was also built in 1824. Joseph Ray- mond first carried on business here, and afterwards Lee & Raymond nntil 1837. Lee & Morley and Lee & Lincoln were the styles of firms until 1844; then M. H. Wood & Co., until 1856. Sundry persons kept a small stock of goods here for a time, after which there was a period of suspended animation, which was terminated by the appearance of the firm of Leland Brothers in 1870. Since 1872 Lonis Leland has continued the business alone, Francis Leland retiring and giving his undivided attention to his store at Otter River. A store has been kept on the site of the Cady & Brooks block since 1844. It was first occupied by James Stimson and Mark W. Ray. A Protective Union store was afterwards kept here, with James H. Clapp as agent. It was occupied by Sawyer, Thompson & Perley as a store and office from 1861 to 1876. O. D. Sawin kept the store one year, continued by Sawin & Bryant to 1880, when the building was burned. It was rebuilt on a larger scale, with a spacious hall on the third floor. The stores on the lower floor were occupied by Dorr & Dickinson and Lehy & Goss. Rooms for the Tem- pleton Savings Bank and also for a lawyer's office were in the second story. Fire consnmed the whole structure again in 1882, and again it was rebuilt with offices as before in the second story, and the post- office and stores in the lower story. In one of these stores, drugs and medicines and furnishing goods are kept by C. S. Dickinson ; in the other, groceries and miscellaneous goods by C. S. Dickinson & Co.

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History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 53

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