History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 73

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 73

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

During this period many new roads had been built, and old ones straightened and made more level. The town fathers began to recognize the fact that a straight line is the shortest distance between any two given points. The early settlers, for the sake of protection and defence, lived on the tops of the hills, and the roads, being built for their accommodation, went straggling and twisting over the various hills as best they could. Evidently such roads, besides being difficult to construct and hard to travel on, were really in the end the most expensive that could be made, because of the great damage necessarily done every year when the snows of winter melted and produced torrents of water, which washed them ont badly and rendered them dangerous to travel upon. The authori- ties saw this, and began to "mend their ways" in a double sense. Much improvement in this respect had been made by 1820, but the roads in and around Fitch- burg could not be called really good until some ten or fifteen years later.

Let us now return to the consecutive history of the town. The convention in Boston in 1820 prepared articles of amendment to the Constitution, to be submitted to the people for ratification ; and April 9, 1821, the inhabitants of Fitchburg were called to- gether to vote on the proposed fourteen articles of amendment, each one to be voted on separately. The result was as follows :

ARTICLES.

YEAS. NAYS.

ARTICLES.

YEAS. NAY8

Thus it appears that they voted in favor of accept- ing all except Articles One, Five and Ten.

Up to this time the town seems to have been un- successful in regard to getting a vote to purchase any fire apparatus. There appears to have been, how- ever, an "Engine Company," for in October, 1821, it was voted " that the town provide ten pair leather buckets for the Engine Company." They probably

222

HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

thought it well to have the name, because the engine must come sooner or later ; and come it did, before very long, too, for in March, 1823, it was voted "to raise one hundred dollars to purchase an engine ;" also " to close with Oliver Fox's offer," which was that he would build an engine-house and give the land, providing the engine be kept down in the " Old City." This engine was what is now called a " hand tub," and had to be fed with water from buckets. The engine-house was located near the present quar- ters of Niagara Hose, No. 4, on Day Street. So the " down-towners " had the distinction and gratification of having the fire-engine near them.

During the years 1814 to 1822, inclusive, the town voted not to send a Representative to the General Court, and in 1822 a fine was imposed on the town for neglecting to send any that year. In April, 1823, the town authorized Joseph Simonds, town treasurer, to pay the fine and in the following September, voted to petition the General Court to relinquish the amount of the fine.

In April, 1827, the sum of seventy-five dollars was raised to pay the expense of completing the fire- engine and fifty dollars for buckets. At the same time it was voted "that the overseers of the poor be au- thorized to purchase a farm for the support of the town's poor, and, if they do so, that they be author- ized to stock it, provide farming tools, etc."

They accordingly purchased a piece of land in the southeastern part of the town, on the road to Leo- minster (now Water Street in South Fitchburg) and it has been used as a poor-farm since that time. In April of the next year it was voted to change the name of poor-house to that of work-house. May 5, 1828, it was voted "to build a reservoir for water on the common, with two pumps, at an expense not ex- ceeding $50."

The year 1830 brought several novelties to Fitch- burg. In the autumn of that year J. E. Whitcomb & Co. opened a printing office in town, in a building just below the tavern which stood on the site now occupied by the Fitchburg Hotel. In October, 1830, this enterprising firm began the publication of a newspaper-the first one in Fitchburg-called the Fitchburg Gazette.

Another event of this year was the appearance of " A Map of Fitchburg, Mass., Surveyed by Levi Downe: October, 1830." It bore the imprint of "Pendleton's Lithography, Boston, Mass.," and was well executed, and showed very accurately the condi- tion of the town at that time. From it we learn that there were then in Fitchburg three hundred and twenty-five dwelling-houses, two meeting-houses, one academy, twelve school-houses, one printing office, two woolen manufactories, four cotton manufactories, one scythe manufactory, two paper-mills, four grist- mills, ten saw-mills, three taverns, two hat mannfac- tories, one bellows manufactory, two tanneries, two win- dow-blind manufactories aud one chair manufactory.

During the ten years, 1821-30, the town made con- siderable progress. The population had increased much more than it had in any previous decade, being two thousand one hundred and seventy-six in 1830, an increase of nearly four hundred and fifty over the number of inhabitants in 1820. Several substantial dams had been built and a number of new mills and factories erected.

The improvement of the roads and bridges had begun in earnest. Many old roads had been practi- cally discontinued and new ones built. The road to Leominster had been straightened and otherwise im- proved ; in 1830 a new road was opened to Ashburn- ham, and about the same time another to Lunenburg. The river-road to Westminster was opened a few years later.

Two substantial stone bridges were built in 1829 over the Nashua, on the Keene and Boston mail road (now River Street), a little west of the meeting-house. The cost of these two bridges is stated to have been over two thousand one hundred dollars. The fire- engine seems to have been put into requisition at least a few times during the ten years, for in May, 1828, it was voted that a reward of two hundred dol- lars be authorized to be offered "for the appre- hension of any person or persons who shall be con- victed of having set fire to the buildings which have recently been burnt in this town."

The " High School Association of Fitchburg " was formed abont 1830, and during that year erected the academy, for which Captain Zachariah Sheldon very generously donated the land. The academy stood a little in front of the present location of the Fitch- burg High School building, and cost about twelve hundred dollars. All these things show that the people were awake to the necessities of the times, and that the town was well started on its prosperous career.

The year 1832 witnessed the establishment of the first bank in Fitchburg. The Fitchburg Bank was chartered that year by the Legislature with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars, and went into operation in July. It began business in a small granite building on the site of the brick building now occupied as an office by the firm of Crocker, Burbank & Co.

Nothing else of special note seems to have occurred during the period from 1831 to 1835. The following vote in August, 1832, may, however, be of sufficient interest to copy ; for some of the older residents doubtless remember the big sign-post referred to, which stood on the Common half a century ago. "Voted, that Capt. Z. Sheldon have permission to erect a sign-post on the Common, under the direction of the Selectmen, with regard to place, kind and stile of post and guide-boards, all to be done to their satis- faction ; and it is expected to be ornamental to the Common."

A brief description of the town, as it appeared

223

FITCHBURG.

about that time, taken from a letter written by a native of Fitchburg then residing in Wisconsin, is so graphic that it is worth quoting. This letter was written in 1864 in response to an invitation to attend the Centennial celebration of the town in June of that year ; and in it the writer goes back in recollec- tion to the time " when the ' old city' was little else than the ' stone factory' and a farm ; when boys, and men, too, played ball on the Common, which was then a waste of sand (well covered with granite blocks and chips) from the Unitarian 'meeting-house' to the ' Lower Tavern,' and without any enclosure or improvement of any kind except the town-pump and a huge sign-post ; when the old yellow ' town school- house ' held a prominent place at the head of the street, and the orchard next, which, I think one mem- ber of your committee and all the boys of that period will remember, had no other fence at its front on the main street of the village than a rough stone-wall, containing, I verily believe, more stones than can be found in any one place in all Wisconsin."

A more extended description of the main street about 1836 would show the following: Beginning on what is now West Main Street, one would first see the " Red Mill;" a little below it, on the present corner of Main and River Streets, stood a store ; and beyond that, not far from the Common, was the Bap- tist Church, which is now occupied as a carriage repository. One would next come to the Common, with the First Parish (Unitarian) Church standing at its head and the " yellow school-house " flanking the church and standing at the present junction of Main and Mechanic Streets. On the corner of Main and Rollstone Streets was the Orthodox Church, on the site of the present Calvinistic Congregational Church, and just below was the brick building which still stands there, though somewhat enlarged. The lower portion has always been used as a grocery store, and for half a century, lacking a few months (April, 1836, to October, 1885), it was occupied by Mr. Thomas C. Caldwell, for many years the veterau grocer in active business in Fitchburg. In 1836 the upper portion of this building was occupied by the tailor's shop of Daniel Cross. Mr. Cross is still in the same business, though in much more commodious quarters than those early days afforded, and enjoys the dis- tinction of being the senior merchant in active busi- ness in Fitchburg. He began business here in 1833. The building of which we were speaking was after- ward raised one story and otherwise enlarged, and for many years the upper portion has been used by the Sentinel. Printing Company. The grocery store in the lower portion, though now passed into other hands, will probably always be called the T. C. Cald - well store. Just below was Factory Square, with the Fitchburg Woolen Millstanding in the same place as at present, and substantially the same in appearance then as now, with the exception of an addition to the north- west corner, built in 1887 by the present owners.

Factory Square has lost the charm of the noble elm which, until a few years ago, lifted its wide-spreading branches over its centre. Next the square stood a tavern, on the site of the Fitchburg Hotel, and be- yond the tavern was a store, in the rear of which was the printing office. On the other side of the street, directly opposite the tavern, was the store of Benja- min Snow & Son, above that a hardware store, then the granite bank building, and above that, on the present corner of Main and and Academy Streets, where the National House now stands, was another tavern. The academy was plainly visible at the then extremity of Academy Street. There were about forty dwelling-houses scattered along the upper por- tion of the street. In "Newton's Lane " was a cotton- factory, and in the "Old City " were the " Stone Mill," the Burbank Paper Mill, a tavern, a store in the rear of I. C. Wright & Co.'s present hardware store, a brick school-house, occupying about the site of the old meeting-house, and about a dozen dwell- ings. Such, in brief, is a description of the appear- ance of Fitchburg a little over fifty years ago.

Until about this time the First Parish Church had been used for town purposes ; but in 1836 the Parish began to think seriously of building a new church just above the site of the old one. This made it necessary for the town to take some action in regard to having a town hall, and on December 31, 1836, the following vote was passed: "Voted, to unite with School District No. I in erecting a building for town- house and school-house, if it can be done on equitable terms." A committee was chosen to purchase a spot, and another committee to build the house, &c. A site was bought on the corner of Main and Baker (now Circle) Streets, and arrangements were made by which the old meeting-house was moved to that loca- tion and fitted up for town purposes. The house, much altered from its original appearance, still stands there and is now known as Crocker's Hall. The first town-meeting was held in it November 13, 1837, at . which time the following report of the expenditures of the committees in making this change was ren- dered : "Cost of spot, $1000. Benches of old meeting- house, $410. Moving it, $200. Stone-work, $518. Painting, $140. Labor and material, $639.86,-less old porches and stuff sold, $29.16 == $2922.57."

During the period between 1830 and 1840 several newspapers were started here, but had only a brief existence. In 1838, however, a new era was inaugu- rated in the journalism of Fitchburg by the starting of the Fitchburg Sentinel, December 20th of that year. This newspaper has continued to be published ever since, and on December 20, 1888, completed a half- century of prosperous existence.

The fourth decade of this century may justly be called a very prosperous one in the history of the town; but it was only the precursor of what was to come. The population in 1840 had increased to .two thousand five hundred and seventy; old indus-

224

HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

tries had flourished and new ones had come into town to stay. The foundation of the large machine manu- facturing interests of Fitchburg was laid in 1838 by the establishment of the firm of J. & S. W. Putnam in town.

The records contain very little of interest or im- portance during the few years succeeding 1840. In April, 1844, it was voted " that the selectmen procure a suitable safe for the preservation of the books and records of the town." About this time also the people began to think of having a town clock, and in November, 1844, it was voted " pay one-half the ex- pense of a first-rate clock to be placed on the Second Parish Meeting-House, provided the said one-half does not exceed two hundred dollars, and that the selectmen be a committee to see this money properly applied." At the same time it was voted "to discon- tinue the travel on the Common between the two rows of maple trees, as far down as these trees extend, and that the same may be fenced, provided it be done free of expense to the towo."

The all-absorbing topic at this time was the Fitch- burg Railroad. The first public meeting to consider the project of direct communication between Boston and Fitchburg, by a railroad, was held in the town hall November 12, 1841, pursuant to a notice printed in the Sentinel the day previous. The people of Fitchburg were deeply interested in having the road bnilt, and aided, in every way possible, their fellow- townsman, Alvah Crocker, Esq., through whose zeal and untiring energy the railroad became an accom- plished fact. The year 1845 will ever be a memorable one in the annals of Fitchburg. In February of that year the track was completed to this town, and on the 5th of the following March the road was opened for use. There was more or less contention in regard to the location of the depot. The site finally decided upon was a part of Deacon David Boutelle's garden ; so the " Old City " was again favored, as it was in the case of the first fire-engine; and its prospects began to brighten. Three years later the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad was completed, and Fitch- burg's importance as a railroad centre began to de- velop. These railroads rendered the natural resources of the town fully available, and inaugurated a new era in business. The people worked hard to secure them, and richly deserved the almost incalculable benefits that have been derived therefrom during the last forty years or more. A powerful impetus was given to the town, and the question "Where is Fitchburg?" was no longer asked, at least in this Commonwealth. Energetic business men saw the ca- pabilities of the town and located here, and the popu- lation began to increase in a most gratifying manner. In 1845, according to a census taken by the assessors, the population of the town was three thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.

Centre Village, in the town of Fitchburg." Their report was accepted and adopted March 2, 1846, and from it we learn that the following-named streets were then in existence : Main, Mechanic, Prospect, West, River, School, Chestnut, Rollstone, Baker's, Academy, High, Pleasant, Prichard, Central, Blossom, Summer, Water, Laurel, South and Cross Streets. This com- mittee also named Cottage Square and Newton's Lane.

At a town-meeting, November 7, 1848, a committee, previously appointed for the purpose, reported a code of. by-laws to be observed by the town of Fitchburg. These by-laws were quite strict, and if rigidly en- forced, must have rendered the town a model of law and order. At this meeting these by-laws were accepted, and a committee, consisting of Alpheus P. Kimball, Ivers Phillips and William Carleton, was chosen to procure the sanction of the Court of Com- mon Pleas thereto. The sanction was duly obtained at the December term, 1848, and the by-laws were printed by order of the town and distributed among the citizens.

In 1849 the town took a wise and commendable step by voting " to establish a High School, to be kept throughout the year, with suitable vacations, and the School Committee to put it in operation as soon as convenient." The sum of eight hundred dol- lars was raised for this purpose.

The year 1850 found Fitchburg a bustling, thriving town of a little more than five thousand inhabitants. The increase in population and business was unprece- dented in the annals of the town. During the decade the foundation of the chair business had been laid here by Walter Heywood and Alonzo Davis. Two more banks had been established-the Fitchburg Savings Bank, in 1846, and the Rollstone Bank, in 1849. The Fitchburg Mutual Fire Insurance Com- pany was incorporated March 22, 1847, and began business September 1st of the same year.

Several substantial and, at that time, commodious and ornamental brick blocks had been built in town previous to 1850, among which may be mentioned the Torrey & Wood, Heywood, Comee, Town & Piper, Snow & Wood (now called Central Block) and Roll- stone Blocks. The Universalist Church was built in 1847 and had in the lower story three good stores. The Fitchburg Hotel Block was erected about 1850 and furnished four good stores. It is quite evident, therefore, that Fitchburg was at that time well provided with stores and accommodations for offices, etc. The American House was built in 1845 by David Boutelle; but the easterly wing, under which the stores are located, was not erected until 1858. All of these blocks still stand, though a few have been remodeled somewhat.

Since 1850 the advance in all directions has been so rapid, and there has been such a multiplicity of events, that no attempt will be made in this portion

At a town-meeting, November 10, 1845, a commit- tee was chosen "to name the several streets in the I of the sketch to speak of anything but matters per-

225

FITCHBURG.

taining directly to town affairs, which cannot be taken up elsewhere. The progress in education, church affairs, manufacturing, etc., will be given in detail in special chapters hereafter.

In 1851 appeared the second map of Fitchburg. It was a large, full and accurate map, and when com- pared with its predecessor of 1830 showed what an immense advance the town had made in the twenty- one years.

March 31, 1851, the Legislature passed an act to authorize a Fire Department in the town of Fitch- burg, which was accepted and approved by the town May 26, 1851.

About this time the people began to think seriously of building a new town-honse. The old one was manifestly too small to accommodate the great in- crease of voters, and it was necessary that something be done about the matter in the near future. But, as was the case with everything of that kind, there was contention as to where a new town-hall, if built, should be located. The " Old City " people had secured the stone railroad depot and were anxious to have the town-house, too. On the other hand, the town-house had previously been up-town and the people there were bound to have it remain in that vicinity. Fortunately, before much time was wasted, an ami- cable conclusion was reached, as is shown by the following extract from the Fitchburg News of January 28, 1852 (Vol. I., No. 2).

On Monday, the 26th, the citizens of Fitchburg voted to build a Town House, 65 by 100 feet, two stories high, with a basement for a market or other purposes. The probable cost, according to Mr. Wood's statement, will be 820,000.

The Hall is to be in the second story, according to the plan proposed, and the first floor reserved for courts, schools, or other purposes, ac- cording to the judgment of the building committee, or future instruc- tion of the Town.

The eite most likely to be selected is next below Central Block, where Dr. Blood aow resides. The meeting was large and at one time con- siderable warmtb was manifested both pro and con., but the feeling soon subsided and the plan enbmitted by the committee was unanimously adopted, as was also the report nomioating a building committee. This committee consists of Messrs. N. Wood, J. P. Putuain, I. Phillips, C. Marshall, N. Cowdin, A. J. Towo and Col. Upton.

It is truly a matter of congratulation, not only that we are at last sure of soon having a good House, but also that such harmony prevails in regard to it.

From the first number of the Fitchburg Reveille, March 31, 1852, is taken the following :

NEW TOWN HOUSE .- A handsome and substantial town-house is soon to be erected in Fitchburg. An appropriation for this purpose, of $25,000, was made at the last March meeting, and the new building ie to be located on Main street, just south of Central Block. The founda- tion is to be laid immediately and the building completed during the coming summer.

The land upon which it was built cost four thou- sand dollars, and the building and its furnishing cost about eighteen thousand dollars. It was a handsome and substantial brick edifice, and, with some altera- tions and enlargements, has served as town-house and city-hall for the past thirty-five years, besides afford- ing accommodations for the Fitchburg Public Library from 1859 to 1885, and the Fitchburg Post-Office from 1853 to 1872.

During this decade the people of Fitchburg took much interest in the subject of slavery, which, a few years later, became a question of vital importance. Many public meetings were held with regard to the "Fugitive Slave Law," and the people here boldly denounced it.

An important step in the progre-s of the town was taken in the establishment of the Fitchburg Athenæum in 1852; and a still more important one in the found- ing of the Fitchburg Public Library in 1859. The Fitchburg Gas Company was organized in 1852, and soon after began to furnish light for the streets. A well- equipped Fire Department had been established, sub- stantial bridges and good streets constructed, more business blocks built, a musical organization, known as the Fitchburg Cornet Band, was established in 1851, and existed for some years-in a word, the promises of previous years were fast being fulfilled. The popu- lation of the town had increased to six thousand four hundred and forty-two in 1855 and seven thousand eight hundred and fifty-four in 1860.

The few years following 1860 were almost entirely taken up by the events connected with the Civil War. Fitchburg, as usual, did her full share as regards the furnishing of men and money and the performance of good work for the preservation of the Union, and a condensed account of what the citizens of this town did and suffered during those eventful years will be given in a special chapter hereafter. There was, how- ever, during the war period, one very interesting and important event in the town's history that should be chronicled in this portion of the sketch, viz .:

THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE INCOR- PORATION OF THE TOWN .- At the annual town- meeting, in April, 1863, a committee of fifteen was chosen to make arrangements for and take charge of a fitting observance of the one hundredth anniver- sary of the incorporation of the town. The com- mittee of arrangements consisted of the following gentlemen : Hon. Alvah Crocker, chairman, and Ebenezer Torrey, Dr. Jonas A. Marshall, John T. Farwell, Abel F. Adams, Joseph Upton, Dr. Thomas R. Boutelle, Lewis H. Bradford, Thornton K. Ware, Nathaniel Wood, Abel Simonds, Moses Wood, James P. Putnam, Amasa Norcross and Henry A. Willis.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 73

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