History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 54

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 54

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A small building to be used as a store was erected

in 1857, just south of the bridge over Otter River. This has been occupied for brief times by different persons, sometimes as a shoe store, sometimes as a grocery store, but it is at present unorcupied.

In the village of Otter River the first .tore of im- portance was kept in the low, one-story building on the west side of the Main Street. Samuel D. Morley, Samuel M. Osgood and Francis Leland have snc- cessively engaged in trade at this stand ; others have continued to occupy this store until the present time. In 1883 Francis Leland bnilt, for the more complete accommodation of his business, the large and com- modious brick store which he has since occupied. About 1847 Captain Joseph Davis, of Baldwinville, erected the large building for a store and dwelling- house on the eastern side of the street, and a store was kept here for about ten years under his super- vision. Since, it has been occupied by Warner & Kirschner, and now by Frederick Warner.

SAVINGS BANK .- The Templeton Savings Bank was incorporated April 19, 1871. Its place of bnsi- ness has always been in the village of Baldwinville. Up to the present time it has hired one of the upper rooms in the Brooks & Cady Block. This year (1888) the trustees voted to erect a new building suitable for the accommodation of the bank and containing rooms to rent for other purposes. The building is to be fifty by forty feet in size, and the work of con- struction is now going on. M. A. Wilson is president of the Savings Bank, and Asa Hosmer is treasurer. Its assets now amount to more thau two hundred thousand dollars.

ROADS .- Roads of some kind must be of prime im- portance to the people of a new settlement. We find that the proprietors of this town early gave attention to making them. The first roads were doubtless mere bridle-paths, in most cases suitable only for passing on horseback. From the formation of the town until now the building and repairing of roads has been a very large item in the public expenditures. During the first twenty years of the existence of the town the appropriations for mere repairs of highways, leaving out altogether the cost of building them, was from three to five times as much as the appropriation for schools; during the next twenty years it was from one and a half to three times as much ; during the first forty years of this century a little more than twice as much. There was then a few years in which they were not very far from equal. For the last fif- teen years the ratio has been reversed, and the ap- propriation for schools has been about twice as much as that for repairs of highways.

It will not be practicable to trace the origin and history of our roads minutely, although it would be a matter of interest to do so. A few details must here suffice. The proprietors, in 1737, paid a com- mittee for " marking and clearing a road to the town- ship," which perhaps was a bridle-path from West- minster. In 1740 a road was "marked and cleared

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

to Pequoiage" (Athol). Roads were also to be cleared to the settlers' lots, and also a road to Peters- ham. On May 13, 1752, the proprietors chose a committee of three persons to lay out roads through the township. In 1753 this committee was directed not to lay out the new roads until " the settlers have pitched on their house-spots." In 1754 the commit- tee reported a road from the Common reaching half- way to Baldwinville, which was extended further in 1759, and in 1761 made to reach quite across Otter River.

The bridge over Otter River at Baldwinville seems to have been built by Noah Merritt in 1763. The bridge over the same river in the village of Otter River was probably built in 1778. The town records are abundantly sprinkled over with the reports of the laying out of roads.

At the second town-meeting after the town was incorporated it was voted "to give for work on the highways three shillings a man per day till the last of August, and then to the last of September two shillings, and that oxen have half as much, and a cart a quarter as much." This meeting granted forty pounds for mending highways, it being the first money granted by the town for any purpose what- ever.

The building and repairing of roads was a severe tax on the inhabitants of these towns in the early times. The turnpike system afforded some moderate degree of relief. Companies were formed and incor- porated with the design of making better roads than towns could afford to make, and toll was demanded by the company from those who traveled on them. The Fifth Massachusetts Turnpike Corporation was incorporated by the Legislature in 1799. Its ronte extended from Greenfield and Northfield, in two dis- tinet lines, which united at Athol, thence through Templeton, South Gardner and Westminster to Leo- minster.

In this town it ran through Brooks village, Temple- ton Centre and East Templeton. Toll-, at differing rates for different vehicles, were established, and gates were set up at convenient places for its collec- tion. Persons passing to or from public worship, and those on military duty, were exempt from paying toil.

Templeton was situated at the intersection of three stage-lines, in the time before the advent of railroads. It was on a through line from Boston to Albany; also stages running from Worcester to Keene and from Lowell to Springfield passed through here. So there were scenes of much activity as the stages arrived and departed. Exchanges of horses and providing for the wants of travelers made the taverns or hotels places of importance in those days.

RAILROADS .- The construction and improvement of the common roads received the early and constant attention of the settlers in these towns, and, relative to the means of the people, large expenditures were al-

ways made upon them. The people of this town have been forward and earnest in providing more extended and rapid means of communication. When the project was started for a canal from Boston to some point on the Hudson River, this town, in 1825, chose a committee to confer with the canal commissioner», and urge its being built through this section of the State, but it was soon seen that railroads were more desirable than canals. In 1835 this town favored a railroad through its limits, connecting Worcester and Keene. This town early became interested in the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad, and, in 1844, chose a committee to favor its location here, and when, after the charter was obtained, an effort was made to divert the road from this town and build it through Winchendon, the plan met with the most determined opposition. The town appropriated money and chose a committee to resist the change. This committee acted with great vigor and earnest- ness ; it was composed of earnest men : Col. Artemas Lee, Captain Joseph Davis, Joseph Mason, Esq., Gilman Day, Esq., and Col. Leonard Stone. They had surveys made, they employed counsel to defend the case; there were trials before the county commis- sioners, and hearings before the legislative commit- tees. In 1845 the county commissioners gave a decision against the change of location. The railroad company again petitioned the Legislature for a change of location, the town again opposed it; the road was finally built here, and the first passenger-cars passed through this town in 1847. Some years after, the company renewed its efforts for a change in location, and again they failed to accomplish their purpose.

Not long after this road was built the project was formed of a railroad running across the State, to connect with the Boston and Albany. The valleys extended themselves in such directions as to promise easy grades. The Ware River Railroad was chartered in 1870. This town, in its corporate capacity, sub-' scribed for two hundred and fifty shares of stock ; it invested $25,000 in bonds. The road was graded; the construction company failed, and the stock became worthless. The town sold the bonds for one- half their cost, 812,500. The town lost its money, but gained further facilities for communication. A passenger-train first passed through on this road October 30, 1873.

CHAPTER XXI.

TEMPLETON-(Continued.)

Post-Offices-The Common - Cemeteries - Societies-Warning Out-The Great Load of Wood-Chaises-Bounties on Wild Animals.

AT the present time Templeton has four post- offices, at each of which mails arrive and depart two or more times daily. We are only two and one- half

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hours from Boston and seven hours from New York City. One hundred years ago the mail facilities were very meagre, not only for the country towns, but even for the largest cities in the colonies. At about the time of the American Revolution mails were despatched between Boston and New York three times in a week during the summer, and two times a week during the winter, taking from six to nine days in the passage from one city to the other. The bulk and weight of the mails did not exceed the capacity of a pair of saddle-bags. The mail between New York and Philadelphia was carried five times a week, usually by boys on horseback. Benjamin Franklin had been Postmaster-General for the colonies from 1753 to 1774, and had greatly increased the efficiency of the mail service. But Massachusetts had, at her own charge, established a postal system with fourteen post-offices within her own boundaries.

The mail routes which were established radiated from Cambridge, running north to Haverhill and Georgetown, in Maine; south to Providence and Falmouth; westerly to Great Barrington, throngh Worcester and Springfield. From Worcester mails were carried to Woodstock, Vt., aud, very likely, this route passed through this town.

Soon after the government went into operation, in 1789, a general postal system was established for all the colonies. The rates established at the organiza- tion of the department, and continued until 1816, were: For a letter composed of a single piece of paper, under 40 miles, 8 cents; under 90 miles, 10 cents; under 150 miles, 123 cents ; under 300 miles, 17 cents ; under 500 miles, 20 cents ; over 500 miles, 25 cents.

The rates of postage have several times been re- duced since 1816.

In the first years of this century probably the town of Templeton did not receive a mail oftener than two or three times a week. The records of the United States Post-Office Department, at Washing- ton, do not show when a postmaster was first ap- pointed for this town. The earliest records, how- ever, show that Thomas Wilder was the postmaster on July 1, 1802. The following list contains the names of all the postmasters, and the date of their appointment, from 1802 to the present time : Lovell Walker, appointed October 1, 1803; Caleb Leland, appointed July 1, 1809; Lipha French, appointed September 28, 1810; Artemas Lee, appointed Sep- tember 28, 1829; John Boynton, appointed October 14, 1843; George H. Jones, appointed April 20, 1848 ; Dexter Gilbert, appointed January 27, 1849; Addi- son J. Lincoln, appointed July 14, 1849; Dexter Gilbert, appointed May 3, 1853; Heury Smith, ap- pointed March 19, 1861; Artemas Lee, appointed November 6, 1863; Henry Smith, appointed March 24, 1865; Julius A. Jones, appointed March 20, 1867 ; Percival Blodgett, appointed March 22, 1869; Delia Damon, appointed July 13, 1885.

The post-office at Templeton Centre was the only oue within the limits of the town until the year 1830, when a post-office was established at Baldwinville, and that village has since then been known by that name. The names of the postmasters, with the date of their appointment, follows: Jaseph Davis, ap- pointed in 1830; James H. Clapp, appointed Au- gust 5, 1853; Edwin Sawyer, appointed June 24, 1861; Otis D. Sawin, appointed December 9, 1870; Ezra A. Lamb, appointed June 16, 1874; George E. Bryant, appointed August 27, 1885.

The post-office was established at Otter River Village in 1860, and the following persons have served as postmasters: Samuel M. Osgood, appointed 1860; Francis Leland, appointed 1867; Frederick Warner, appointed 1885.

The post-office at East Templeton was established in 1866, with Fitch L. Sargeant as postmaster, in which office he still continues to serve.

THE COMMON .- Templeton was one of those for- tunate towns whose early inhabitants exercised a wise foresight in providing ample grounds for public use. The beauty of many New England villages is very much enhanced by such thoughtful foresight on the part of some persons. In this town a piece of ground was set apart for "Publick use" some years before the incorporation of the town. In 1754 the proprietors chose committees "to pitch upou burying places," and one site was selected near the meeting-house, the other in the west part of the town. On March 21, 1759, Charles Baker presented to the proprietors the plan of a piece of ground which he had surveyed for a Common and a burying-ground, containing eight acres and seventy rods, This survey was accepted by the proprietors on that date and the land devoted to the public use. The old meeting-house then stood on the southwesterly part of this Common.

At a meeting of the proprietors held at the meeting- house on May 3, 1786, they granted and appropriated the burying-place and Common to the use of the town forever. The plan of the two pieces of ground is contained in the " Proprietors' Records," Book II., Page 81, and embraces somewhat less than the area laid out in 1759-six acres and one hundred and nineteen rods. This Common extended on the north only to a line running irregularly across from the present residence of Dr. Tobien to the brick house owned by Charles W. Stone. At the southwest corner it included an area which has since been sold by the town to individuals for the sites of the two houses nearest the present Common. In 1791 the town purchased of Isaac Jones, for ten pounds. and ten shillings, a triangular-shaped piece of ground lying between the house of Miss Twichell and the hotel, "to enlarge and extend the Common." In 1814 the town purchased of Joshua W. Whitcomb a long strip of ground containing about one acre, lying on the westerly side of the highway and extending from the Common to a point near the residence of J. Pres-

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

cott Cutting. In 1816 another similar piece of ground, lying on the easterly side of the road and extending from the Common to the corner of the roads near the residence of Colonel George P. Hawkes, was purchased of James F. Robbins and wife, for the sum of three hundred dollars. That made up the area of the Common to its present limits. At a somewhat recent date the Common was adorned with trees by the generosity of Colonel Artemas Lee. In the olden time the Common was much used for military trainings and musters. It furnishes an excellent play-ground for the school-children in modern times.

CEMETERIES .- The first ground set apart for a burying-place in this town was that adjoining the Common. The proprietors passed a vote devoting this lot to that purpose in 1754, caused it to be sur- veyed by Charles Baker in 1759, and granted it the town by a vote passed May 3. 1786. Very few burials have been made here since the laying out of the new cemetery. There is a hurial-place at the "Baptist Common," lying close to the former site of the Baptist Church. No burials are now made here. In 1850 the town purchased ground for two new burial- places-the one at Baldwinville, the other in the valley lying westerly of the village at the Centre. The improvement and adornment of these places is going on from year to year, partly by individual effort and expenditure, and partly by appropriations made by the town. Cemeteries are no longer the dreary, neglected places which they once were. The town has made special provision for the safe keeping of money bestowed by individuals for the future care of their lots.

SOCIETIES. - There was formerly a lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in this towu. It was dissolved in 1843, and its funds were given in trust to the town. This constitutes what is known as the Masonic Fund, the income of which is distributed, charitably, by trustees chosen annually by the town. A large number of persons were connected with the Know- Nothing Lodge in 1854. A post of the Grand Army of the Republic, Ericsson Post, No. 109, was organ- ized in 1869, and holds its meetings at its hall in East Templeton. A lodge of Knights of Honor was formed in 1879. It has a place of meeting at its hall in the Centre Village. The same hall is also the place of meeting for Templeton Grange, No. 122, Patrons of Husbandry. This grange was organized in 1885. There have formerly been organizations of Good Templars in one or another of the villages of the town; one has been recently formed in Baldwin- ville. There are several organizations for literary and intellectual improvement, combined with more or less of entertainment and social enjoyment. These are more especially intended for young per- sons and are mostly conducted under the auspices of some one of the religious societies, as the Young People's Union in connection with the Unitarian Society ; the Willing Workers in connection with

the Trinitarian, both of the Centre. At Baldwin- ville there is the Social Temple in connection with the Baptist Society, and the Memorial Union in connection with the Memorial Society. There is also at East Templeton an association for literary im- provement known by the name of the Round Table.

WARNING OUT .- A statute of the province existed before the American Revolution which provided that if persons were legally warned to depart from a town, they could not at once gain a legal residence there, and so the town would not he chargeable for their support in case they came to want. So the selectmen and con- stables were diligent in serving this notice upon new- comers, "warning out" all persons soon after their ar- rival. It was not a warm reception, but it was deemed a wise precautionary measure. When any inhabitants of the town received any persons from another town to dwell in their families, they immediately sent a writ- ten notice to the selectmen, informing them of the fact, and stating the age and circumstances of the persons and the town in which they last dwelt. The select- men issued a warrant to the constable requiring him, "in his majesty's name," to warn these people to de- part from the town forthwith. The early records of the town abound in copies of these documents.

THE GREAT LOAD OF WOOD .- The history of the town would not be complete without some mention of the "great load of wood." It was no uncommon thing for the minister of the olden time to receive gifts of firewood from his parishioners. In the month of Jannary, 1822, Colonel Leonard Stone, who lived in the northerly part of the town and had a saw-mill on Otter River, was drawing a load of hard wood to the parsonage for his minister, Dr. Wellington. As the load passed across the Common, Colonel Ephraim Stone saluted his brother with the question, "Why don't you take your minister a load of wood while you're about it?" Colonel Leonard replies, "I've been sawing out lumber down't the mill, and there's any quantity of slabs. I will give the minister as big a load as you can draw." Colonel Ephraim stirred up the people to make a full acceptance of the offer. A sled was improvised with runners thirty or more feet long and placed eight feet apart, with a tongue for the attachment of oxen in front of each runner. The sled was taken to the mill. The slabs were eagerly piled on. Eighty pairs of oxen were attached and the load was easily drawn around through Bald- winville, up well upon the more level ground. Then with common sleds they brought and piled on more slabs until there were no more slabs at the mill. Night came on, but the morning bronght the oxen and men to the load once more, and soon it was brought to the minister's door. It was a more huge wooden structure than that which came to ancient Troy, but yet, in this case, with no menace to the safety of the town. Many people came to see the immense load, as it remained for some days upon the sled in the minis- ter's door-yard.

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It is probably known to all that our ancestors were wholly ignorant of the luxury of a modern carriage with its cushioned seats and easy springs. It is not much more than half a century back to the time of riding on horseback. There came a time when a man of means might have a chaise. And the possession of one set a mark of distinction upon its owner. It was esteemed so much of a luxury that the United States imposed a special tax upon them. I subjoin a certi- ficate from the tax collector.

This is to certify that A- B -- , of the town of Templeton, in the 6th Collection District of Massachusetts, has paid the duty of two dollars for the year, to end on the 31st day of December, for and upon a two- wheel carriage, for the conveyance of persons, bung on wooden springs, and called a chaise. This Certificate to be of noavail no longer than the aforesaid carriage shall be used by the said A- B-, nnless said certificate shall be produced to the Collector by whom it was granted and an entry made thereon, specifying the name of the then owner of said carriage and of thetime when he became possessed thereof. Given in conformity with an Act of the Congress of the United States the 24th of July, 1814. Worcester, Jan. 21, 1814.

WM. EUSTIS, Collector of Revenue, 6th Collection District of Mass.

BOUNTIES ON WILD ANIMALS .- In the earlier times the town sometimes offered a bounty for kill- ing destructive animals. A bounty of thirty-four cents for each old crow and seventeen cents for a young one was offered in 1797 and on several other years, the last of which was in 1834. A bounty of twenty-five cents for old hen-hawks and twelve and a half cents for young ones was offered in 1801 and 1802. In 1783 and the three following years the town offered a bounty of forty shillings for each full- grown wolf's head, and it is known that at least one person actually received such a bounty. There is found no record of any bounty for bears, although it is believed that they existed here in the early times.

CHAPTER XXII. TEMPLETON-(Continued.)

EDUCATIONAL AFFAIRS.

Schools-Private Schools-Public High Schools-Teachers-Graduates- Libraries-Boynton Public Library.

THE first settlers of a town whose farms are not fully cleared and dwellings not completed are not in a condition to give much thought to schools. There were no schools supported by grants of public money until after the incorporation of the town. There was a grant of a small sum for schools, by the town, for the first time, in the year 1763. Two " squadrons" for schools were formed in 1764, one in the easterly, the other in the westerly part of the town. In 1769 it was voted that each "squadron " should receive the same proportion of money for schooling that they had paid in taxes. In 1776 the school money was divided according to the number of children in each division between four and sixteen years of age. In 1779 it

was changed so as to divide according to the number between four and twenty-one years of age. In 1835 the method was adopted of dividing one-half of the school money equally among the districts and the other half in proportion to the number of children therein. The town voted in 1805 to use the word "district " to designate the school divisions. Pre- viously, the word " class " had been used, and earlier, the word "squadron." By a law enacted by the Legislature in 1789, towns were permitted to divide their territory into school districts. The districts were made corporations in fact in 1799, but not in name until 1817; and not until 1827 were the dis- tricts authorized to choose prudential committees. That was previously done in town-meeting. The dis- trict system prevailed in this town until 1869, when it was given up in accordance with a law of the State, and the town system was substituted. In 1787 the town apportioned its territory into seven "classes " or districts, for school purposes. District No. 8, Baldwinville, was formed fromn No. 6, in 1831. Dis- trict No. 3 was divided in 1834, making District No. 9 at East Templeton. These nine districts formed the divisions for school purposes until the district system was given up. From 1815 to 1822 District No. 1 formed two districts, with two school houses, the one standing on the site of the present one, the other standing near the present residence of Mr. P. M. Mirick. Afterwards, for a time, the two houses stood side by side on the present location. Both were moved away to make room for the present structure, and each is now made into a dwelling-house of the village.

In the early times the town did not build or own the school-houses. In some districts they were built by the voluntary contributions of the people. In some cases the schools were kept in private houses. There is no indication that the town appropriated any money for school-houses until 1787. A committee was chosen in that year to appraise the value of the school-houses then existing, and to purchase them of their owners. The appraised value of all was fifty-one pounds, or about one hundred and seventy dollars. The town then granted the sum of four hundred dollars for building and repairing the school-houses throughout the town, and a committee was chosen to determine their location. It was voted by the town in 1801 to allow each district which might build a school-house one hundred dollars, the town to own the house and keep it in repair. From 1814 to 1869 the school-houses were owned and kept in repair .by the several school districts, each district raising money by taxation for the building and repairing of its own house. In 1869 the town again became the owner of all the school-houses, the appraised value of which was $11,846.88; and the school districts were num- bered with the things of the past. A school-honse for the north part of the town, and standing between the two villages, was built in 1801. A school-house

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History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 54

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