History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 92

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 92

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).

Mrs. Mason has been a welcome contributor to most of the leading magazines and many religious and sec- ular papers. Her poems have been widely copied and two of them were, not long ago, set to music in England.

Though her work has been chiefly in verse, she has written to some extent in prose. An anonymous Sunday-school story, " Rose Hamilton," published in 1859; a serial, "Letty's Pathway ; or, Following On," which appeared iu the Boston Recorder in 1866, and occasional short stories or sketches in various periodi- cals, comprise her work in prose.

For many years she has promptly and willingly responded to the numerous calls made upon her to furnish poems for occasions, both public and private, in Fitchburg; and the poems she has written relating to Fitchburg and its citizens would almost make a volume.

Mrs. Mason has published none of her poems iu book-form since 1852, though often urged to do so.

Martha Downe Tolman is a native of Fitchburg and a daughter of Deacon Nathan and Mary (Downe) Tolman.

Miss Tolman's first published verses appeared in the Well Spring, a Sunday-school paper published in Boston. Since that time she has written verses and articles in prose for various papers and magazines.

Miss Tolman is also the author of two books. The first, entitled " Fabrics," was published in 1871 by A. D. F. Randolph & Co., of New York. She was very unfortunate in the printing of this book, which, owing to the inability of the publishers to personally attend to the proof-reading of it at that time, appeared with a generous sprinkling of typographical and other errors.

D. Lothrop & Co., of Boston, afterwards published other editions of "Fabrics," and the book was re- printed in London by Messrs. Ward, Lock & Tyler.

In 1873 Miss Tolman's second book, "Finished or Not," was published by D. Lothrop & Co. Each of these books inculcates, in the form of a pleasing story, some of the great truths of life and our duties toward humanity.

Her style is pure and racy, and at the same time instructive. She appeals to the higher nature of the reader, and teaches the lesson of living for others.

Beside her literary work, Miss Tolman is interested in local philanthropic work. She is a member of the Fitchburg Benevolent Union, and secretary of the cor- poration of the Old Ladies' Home.

Charles Mason, Esq., has written considerable on educational topics from time to time, and his book on the "National and State Governments " has been used as a text-book in schools and academies.

In 1852 Mr. Mason was invited to deliver the ad- dress at the centennial celebration of his native town, Dublin, N. H. He prepared and delivered the ad- dress, which was printed in the " History of Dublin, N. H."

Henry A. Willis, Esq., who was born in Fitchburg November 26, 1830, is the author of "Fitchburg in the War of the Rebellion," published in 1866, and has also contributed various articles to the papers on matters of local historical interest.

William A. Emerson, a native of Douglas, has written two local histories,-the " History of Douglas," published in 1879, and " Fitchburg, Past and Present," published in 1887. To the latter the writer of this present history is indebted for many facts. Mr. Emer- son is an artist and wood-engraver, and each of his well-written books is embellished by his art.

Eben Bailey, a native of Fitchburg, wrote the sketch of Fitchburg in the Worcester County History, pub- lished in 1879 by C. F. Jewett & Co. He has also written various interesting and valuable local histori- cal articles for papers and magazines.

ARTISTIC .- Miss Eleanor A. Norcross, a native of

306

HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Fitchburg, is a daughter of Hon. Amasa Norcross. She graduated at Wheaton Seminary ; taught drawing one year in the public schools of Fitchburg ; went abroad and studied painting two years in Paris with Alfred Stevens, and exhibited a portrait in the Salon in 1886. In the summer of 1888 she again went abroad to pur- sue further her studies in painting.

To Miss Norcross was entrusted the selection of a collection of photographs for the Fitchburg Public Library. She has done good work in painting, and owns a fine collection of works of art, a portion of which is, during her absence abroad, loaned to the Public Library, and may be seen in the Art Gallery.

Mr. Eugene H. Rogers was born in Holden in 1853; was educated in the public schools of his native town and of Worcester. He early began to cultivate his natural artistic talent, studying by himself and receiv- ing instruction from his father, also an artist.

In 1878 Mr. Rogers came to Fitchburg, where he has since had his studio. His work has been chiefly in crayon and oils, and he has acquired considerable reputation, especially in the former class of work. The appreciation of his skill is by no means limited to Fitchburg. His pictures may be seen in the art stores of Boston and other cities, and readily find purchasers.

Mrs. S. Augusta Fairbanks is a native of Fitchburg and a daughter of C. P. Dean ; educated at Kimball Union Academy, Meriden, N. H., and Worcester Academy; for several years a teacher in the public schools here; later she received private instruction in painting and drawing from J. J. Enneking and F. Childe Hassam, and in 1883-84 attended the Julian School in Paris. She has of late given private instruc- tion in drawing and painting at her studio in Fitch- burg.

Mr. S. Herbert Adams, son of Samuel M. and Nancy A. Adams, was born in West Concord, Vt., in 1858, and came with his parents to Fitchburg in 1863. He manifested a strong desire "to make pictures" at a very early age, and a drawing teacher was provided for him. In 1883 he graduated with high honors at the Massachusetts Normal Art School. After teach- ing two years he went to Paris in 1885 to carry out his Jong-cherished idea of devoting all his attention to sculpture. He is still in Paris, under the instruction of the eminent sculptor, M. Antonin Mercié. He has already made a reputation for himself and had several portrait busts accepted at the Salon. Competent critics affirm that his work would be a credit to older artists.

Miss Martha M. Adams, sister of the above, is also a native of West Concord, Vt. She was educated in the public schools of Fitchburg, and studied art at the Normal Art School, Boston ; has also been a pupil of Vonnoh, T. O. Longerfelt and Juglaris.

Miss Adams has taught art in several institutions, and in September, 1886, began her duties as teacher of drawing in the Girls' High School, Boston.

We have already spoken of William A. Emerson,

artist and wood engraver. C. Herbert Herrick is also engaged in the same artistic pursuits.

The other artists and teachers of drawing and paint- ing in town are Miss Adelaide R. Sawyer, Miss Addie M. Farrar, Mrs. H. T. Barden, Mrs. J. W. Green and Miss Susie E. Stewart.

Mr. William Briggs has, for some years, been the teacher of drawing in the public schools of Fitchburg.

CHAPTER L.

FITCHBURG-(Continued.)

JOURNALISM IN FITCHBURG.

A LARGE number of newspapers have been pub- lished in Fitchburg within the past sixty years, and in this chapter it is proposed to give an account of the most important.

James F. D. Garfield, Esq., wrote for "Fitchburg, Past and Present," a very full and accurate chapter on this subject, and the writer of this present history takes this opportunity to render his acknowledgments to Mr. Garfield for permission to make use of the information therein contained, in the preparation of this essential portion of our history.

The first newspaper published in town was the Fitchburg Gazette, the first number of which appeared on or about October 19, 1830. It was started by two young men, Jonathan E. Whitcomb and John Page. Their printing-office was in a small wooden building, just below the entrance to the old Fitchburg Hotel. The Gazette was printed on paper made by Alvah Crocker, was about twenty-two by twenty-eight inches in size and the subscription price was one dollar and a half per year.

This paper lived about three and a half years, during which time there were several changes in its proprietorship.

In May, 1834, there appeared from the same print- ing-house a new paper, the Worcester County Courier, printed by George D. Farwell and edited by William and Rufus C. Torrey. At the same time there were two more papers in town, printed in Mark Miller's printing-office, nearly opposite the old Fitchburg Hotel. The names of these papers were the Christian Messenger, a religious weekly, edited by Mr. William Cushing, and the Massachusetts Republican, edited by Mr. Miller. The first of these two was started in April, 1834, and lived three months, and the second was started May 16, 1834, and came to an untimely end at Mr. Miller's departure from town in the fall of the same year.

The Courier was thus left the sole survivor and continued to be published till June 28, 1836, when its suspension was announced.

Mr. John Garfield immediately purchased the

30'

FITCHBURG.

former Courier office, and the next week a slightly smaller paper was issued, called the Fitchburg Worcester County Courier. Mr. William S. Wilder was engaged as editor, and the paper flourished until the winter of 1838, when, during Mr. Garfield's absence from town, the editor converted the paper from a neutral to a Democratic sheet. This appears to have been disastrous, for the publication of the Courier ended March 9, 1838. Mr. Garfield con- tinued to occupy the office for job-printing and for a few months issued a small weekly paper called the Times.

During the four or five months preceding Decem- ber, 1838, there was no paper published in town ; but on the 20th of December, 1838, a new and prosper- ous era was begun in the journalism of this town by the starting of

THE FITCHBURG SENTINEL .- On the date above- mentioned the first number of this newspaper ap- peared. John Garfield printed it, and Ezra W. Reed was the editor. In politics it was neutral.

About this time there were in town several writers who contributed to the columns of the Sentinel en- livening and spicy articles. Prominent among them was a lad of sixteen, who afterward became well- known as an author and poet. This was Augustine Joseph Hickey, an apprentice in the Sentinel office. He was born in 1823, and, owing to a separation be- tween his parents and the death of his mother soon after, was placed in an orphan asylum in Boston at an early age. In 1839 John Garfield, of Fitchburg, then proprietor of the Sentinel, took him from this asylum, and he went to work in the printing-office. He soon developed an extraordinary love for books, and began to write anonymously for the Sentinel. He soon wrote a poem, entitled "Slander," which was duly printed in the paper. This poem had a Latin quotation prefixed, and was signed " Julian."

"About this time one Patterson, an employé of the woolen-mill, under the signature of 'Syphax,' criticised 'Conrad,' another local literary light, for misquoting Byron, whereupon 'Julian' took a hand in the discussion, creating an unusual interest for several weeks."

Hickey wrote the communications signed " Julian," and his intimate friend, Goldsmith F. Bailey, copied them and dropped them into the post-office ; so the identity of "Julian " was wholly unknown even to the proprietor of the Sentinel. These communica- tions showed a considerable amount of genius and learning, and were generally ascribed to some of the professional, educated men in town at that time.

When about twenty-one years of age Mr. Hickey left Fitchburg and went to Boston, and not long after removed to New York City, where he remained the rest of his life.

His mother, who was the daughter and heiress of a wealthy French family, but was disowned after her clandestine marriage to Mr. Hickey, left her son a

dying request that he should assume her maiden name, and in accordance with this request his name was changed, by act of the New York Legislature, to Augustine J. H. Duganne.

He soon became a prominent writer both of prose and poetry, and a mere list of his productions would fill considerable space.

He was very active during the war and raised sev- eral regiments. He was colonel of the One Hundred and Seventy-sixth New York Regiment, went to the front, was captured, and for some time held prisoner by the rebels.

Colonel Duganne died at his home in New York, October 20, 1884.

Let us now return to the Sentinel. It continued to prosper and was published by Mr. Garfield until March, 1841, when William J. Merriam purchased the office and paper. During his proprietorship the Sentinel was twice enlarged, and in February, 1849, the office was removed to its present location, in what is now known as the Sentinel building and was then owned by Crocker & Caldwell.

In December, 1850, Elisha and John Garfield bought out Mr. Merriam. In September, 1852, Mr. James F. D. Garfield bought John Garfield's interest and, with his brother, Elisha, published the paper until October, 1860; and for the following three and a half years Elisha Garfield conducted the business alone. In April, 1864, John Garfield again pur- chased half the interest, and in September, 1864, be- came sole owner of the paper. Six months later Mr. James M. Blanchard became his partner and con- tinued so until March, 1867, when Mr. Charles C. Stratton, who has ever since been connected with the paper, succeeded him as partner.

In January, 1870, Mr. Bourne Spooner bought one- third of the interest, and in January, 1871, Mr. Gar- field sold his interest to Messrs. Stratton & Spooner. In March, 1873, the Sentinel Printing Company was formed, and Mr. John E. Kellogg admitted as part- ner in the new firm. In July, 1873, Mr. Thomas Hale, formerly editor of the Keene Sentinel, purchased Mr. Spooner's interest and continued a member of the firm for about two years. Since 1875 Messrs. C. C. Stratton and J. E. Kellogg have constituted the Sen- tinel Printing Company, and have conducted both the weekly and daily Sentinel.

During all these years the paper prospered and was enlarged as occasion required ; and early in 1873 the proprietors resolved to make a venture, which proved to be entirely successful, by starting the Fitchburg Daily Sentinel. This has always been an evening paper, and the first number was issued May 6, 1873, and its size was twenty-one by thirty inches. Since then it has been enlarged three times, and is now twenty-seven by forty-four inches, the same size as the weekly edition. The Daily Sentinel has made a prominent place for itself, and has a large circula- - tion in town and many subscribers outside of Fitchburg.

308

HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

We will now speak of a few of the many papers that have been started since the publication of the Sentinel was begun.

In January, 1845, the Wachusett Independant was started. The first issne was dated Jannary 18, 1845, and was printed by E. R. Wilkins in Mark Miller's old printing-office. William S. Wilder, formerly of the Courier, was the editor. The office was soon re- moved to the building now called the Citizens' House, and was the first printing-office established in that part of the town. The Independant lived only six months.

January 21, 1852, appeared the first issue of the Fitchburg News, Dr. Charles Robinson, editor and publisher. It was printed in an office in the old Rollstone block, formerly occupied by the Fitchburg Tribune, a paper published by Mr. George A. White for a few months in 1847.

Under Dr. Robinson's management the News pros- pered, but in January, 1853, he sold the paper to the firm of Rollins & Knowlton, of Winchendon, and its publication was suspended during the following June. Dr. Robinson soon removed to Lawrence, Kansas, and later became Governor of Kansas.

March 31, 1852, appeared the first number of the Fitchburg Reveille, a semi-weekly paper, printed in an office in the upper story of Central Block. Mr. John J. Piper was editor and publisher, and for nearly seventeen years he conducted the Reveille with signal success and made it well-known as a stanch Repub- lican newspaper. It was three times enlarged, and in April, 1869, was a thirty-two column paper, twenty- seven by forty-one inches. Up to October, 1861, it was a semi-weekly, but after that was issued weekly.

John J. Piper died February 3, 1869, and the publication of the Reveille was continued by his two brothers, Joseph L. and Henry F. Piper, who soon after removed the office to the new Rollstone National Bank building. In May, 1874, J. L. Piper retired and the paper was conducted by H. F. Piper alone till May, 1875, when Frank L. Bontelle became a partner. The firm of Piper & Boutelle was dissolved in August, 1876, and the Reveille was for a few months longer published in the old Rollstone Block Printing Office by Col. Ezia S. Stearns, who at that time published the Daily Chronicle there. February 15, 1877, the publication of both papers was suspended. The ex- istence of the Reveille covered a period of almost a quarter of a century, and during the major portion of this time it was a prominent paper not alone in Fitchburg, but also in Worcester County, and its de- cline and suspension were much regretted.

In March, 1857, appeared the first issne of a small monthly advertising sheet called The Inkstand. It was published at the furniture store of Sidney D. Willis and was continued only a few months. Men- tion is made of it because it was the pioneer of the large number of advertising papers that have been printed here since.

In January, 1881, the Fitchburg Tribune was started by William M. Sargent. It was a weekly paper of good appearance and was printed in an office in Goodrich Block. A daily edition was begun in the following March, which will be noticed further on. The Tribune was continned under several different proprietors nntil February, 1885, when Albert G. Morse, then the publisher, changed the name to Fitch- burg News. In May, 1885, Mr. Joseph H. White he- came the publisher of the News and continued it until February, 1886, when he changed it to a monthly paper with the name Monthly Visitor. Mr. White has continned its publication, but the name of the paper now is the Ladies' Home Visitor.

In December, 1880, Thomas C. Blood started an advertising paper, called the Fitchburg Enterprise. Since then it has been published about once in three months. It is well patronized by advertisers, and contains some interesting reading matter in each issue. The paper is printed at the Sentinel office, and about three thousand copies are struck off each time.

In June, 1885, Hubert C. Bartlett began the publi- cation of a monthly paper, devoted to temperance, health and the home, and having the name United States Monthly. This paper has continued to be pub- lished since, and has done good work for the temper- ance cause. It is a well printed and ably conducted sixteen-page paper, and since February, 1887, its price has been twenty-five cents per year.

Since September, 1887, the Young Men's Christian Association have issued a small monthly paper, de- voted to the work of the association. Its name is The Beacon Light.

The Parish Helper is a little monthly published in the interests of the parish of Christ's Church, and was started in October, 1887.

Good Luck is the name of a sixteen-page monthly paper, started in the antumn of 1887. It is chiefly devoted to advertising.

The Scientist is the title of an eight-page monthly, issued by Chapter 48, Agassiz Association of Fitch- burg. The first number appeared in April, 1888. E. Adams Hartwell, A.M., and Mr. William G. Farrar are the editors.

The five last-named publications were the only ones, beside the weekly and daily Sentinel, published in Fitchburg until recently, when the Evening Mail was started.

DAILY PAPERS IN FITCHBURG .- The first attempt to start a daily paper here was made in October, 1854. The Fitchburg Daily was the name given it by the publishers, Messrs. Plaisted & Baxter. It was printed in the office in Rollstone Block, was eighteen by twenty-four inches in size, and had an existence of just three days.

The next venture in this line was the Fitchburg Daily Sentinel, which has previously been sufficiently noticed.

November 24, 1875, appeared the first number of

309

FITCHBURG.

the Fitchburg Daily Press. This was an evening paper published by Piper & Boutelle, in connection with the Reveille. Its size was twenty-one by thirty- one inches. It lived less than a year, the last issue being early in August, 1876.

The Fitchburg Evening Chronicle took the place of the Press, being issued from the Reveille office under the editorship of Colonel Ezra S. Stearns, who con- tinued to conduct both this paper and the Reveille until February 15, 1877, when both papers were sus- pended, as has been previously stated.

In March, 1881, Mr. W. M. Sargent, publisher of the Fitchburg Tribune, began the publication of a daily paper, the Daily Evening Tribune. It was eighteen by twenty-five inches in size, and in the fol- lowing summer was enlarged to twenty-two by thirty inches.

Mr. Sargent sold his interest in the paper to J. W. Ellam, of Clinton, in July, 1882, who continued hoth daily and weekly. He was succceded by Mr. E. A. Norris, in April, 1883, who published both editions until September, 1884, when Albert G. Morse became the publisher. Mr. Morse discontinued the Daily Tribune in February, 1885.

The first issue of The Evening Mail, the new daily paper, appeared October 3,1888. It is a well-printed and very readable sheet, a trifle smaller than the Sentinel.

It is published by the Evening Mail Company, of which Mr. H. L. Inman, formerly of the Keene Ob- server, is president; Dr. G. D. Colony, treasurer ; and M. F. Jones, secretary.

The company has purchased the plant of J. H. White, on Day Street, added new presses, type, etc., and hopes to make the new daily a permanent and prosperous enterprise.

Politically, The Evening Mail will be independent

CHAPTER LI.

FITCHBURG-(Continued.)

CEMETERIES.

Ir seems fitting to close this sketch with a chapter on the cemeteries of Fitchburg,-the " resting- places " where have been laid the mortal remains of those men and women whose energy and good works have contributed so largely to the growth and prosperity of the town.

It is a matter of regret that sufficient attention is not devoted to caring for and beautifying our ceme- teries. At least two of them are finely located and capable of being made much more attractive.

Let us once more return to the past and note briefly the provisions made by the early settlers of Fitchburg in regard to the interring of the dead.

During the first three years of its corporate exist-

ence there was no burying-ground within the limits of Fitchburg, the dead being carried to the grave- yard in Lunenburg, nearly seven miles distant. De- cember 12, 1764, however, the town took steps to- wards securing a burying-ground of its own by choos- ing Amos Kimball, Ephraim Kimball and Thomas Dutton a committee "to provide a Bueering-yard." This committee did not report until November 21, 1765, when the report was accepted. March 3, 1766, this vote was reconsidered, and the town voted " to accept one acre of land of Amos Kimball for a Buer- ing-yard." This spot is now known as the South Street Cemetery, and has not been used as a burial- place for many years. For over a quarter of a cen- tury it was the only cemetery in town, and in it are the tombstones erected over the graves of many of the early citizens of prominence in the town.

Although the town voted to accept Deacon Kim- ball's gift in 1766, the deed of the land does not ap- pear to have been passed over until the latter part of 1769. In the mean time the town voted, May 11, 1767, to purchase an acre of land belonging to Thomas Cowdin "lyeing on the north side of the Meeting- house for a buering-yard." On December 16, 1767, it was voted " to give back the deed of the acre of land deeded to the town by Thos. Cowdin for a burying- yard." The few bodies there buried were exhumed and reinterred in the spot given the town by Deacon Kimball.

In 1775 Solomon Steward was chosen to dig graves. May 13, 1800, the town voted to purchase of Jacob Upton an acre of land for a burying-ground. This was used as a cemetery by the people in the westerly part of the town for many years. It is located not far from the present Dean Hill School-house, and is now pretty well overgrown with trees.

In the latter part of 1800 a committee was chosen to select a place for a new burying-ground in the middle of thetown. In accordance with the recom- mendation of this committee, the town purchased, within a year or two, the plot of ground which now forms the easterly end of Mount Laurel Cemetery. Additional land has been appropriated to burial pur- poses from time to time, and this cemetery now covers nearly the whole hill, forming a veritable city of the dead overlooking the city of the living. More care and a larger outlay of money would make this natu- rally picturesque situation still more beautiful and attractive.

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 92

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