History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 98

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 98

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

or any ore falling within this tract according to the butts and bounds mentioned." This was a deed of warranty, and was written in strong and comprehen- sive terms, and was acknowledged by the parties to the contract March 15, 1687.1

This purchase from the Indians was undoubtedly made to quiet and pacify them, the war of King Philip, and the massacre at Brookfield but a few years previously, having evidently taught the white people that measures of this kind were matters of policy. The settlers were aware that the Indians could have no legal title to the land, and so little value, other- wise than as a measure of peace and policy, was placed upon the deed at that time, that it was not re- corded for more than twenty-five years subsequently, or not until April 15, 1714, and then not until appli- cation had been made to the General Court for a con- firmation of the title, which act of confirmation was obtained February 23, 1713, but on condition that within seven years sixty families should be settled in the territory, a quantity of land to be set apart for the location and support of the church and schools, and that this grant should not encroach on any former grants. It will be noticed that this was not an act of incorporation, but merely one of confirmation of the title.

Now our predecessors were in full and legal posses- sion of their purchase, subject to the prescribed con- ditions; and to fulfill the requirements of the act so far as to induce the settlement of sixty families within the limits of the grant within the time speci- fied, the purchasers formed an association, or Pro- prietry, as it afterwards became to be called, by join- ing with themselves others who were persons of energy and influence. The association was divided into thirty-three shares, each proprietor having one, except Joseph Foster, who had two; the names of the original proprietors in this association were Jo- seph Foster, Mrs. Cyprian Stevens, Mary Willard's heirs, Joseph Rowlandson's heirs, Simeun Willard, John Willard, Benjamin Willard, Joseph Willard, Josiah Willard's heirs, Rev. Samuel Willard's heirs, MIenry Willard's heirs, Daniel Willard's heirs, Jona- than Willard's heirs, Thomas Brintnall, Nathaniel- Howard's heirs, Robert Blood's heirs, Joshua Ed- mund's heirs, William Tyler, Penn Townsend, Paul Dudley, Addington Davenport, Adam Winthrop, Thomas Hutchinson, Thomas Fitch, Thomas How, John Chandler, William Dudley, John White, John Farnsworth, Peter Buckley's heirs, Moses Parker and Jacob Stevens. In December, 1715, these proprie- tors voted to survey and set off into lots sections of six miles square, these plats to be granted to settlers,

in order to secure the performance of the conditions in the original act of the confirmation of the title; the first part set off contained what is now Rutland and a portion of Paxton, being one-fourth of the twelve miles square, and which had been surveyed the previous October by William Ward. In this por- tion sixty-two house lots of thirty acres each were laid out, which were offered to permanent settlers at nominal rates, and promises were given to divide the remainder of the land amongst them, provided that sixty families should settle there within the prescribed seven years, reserving, however, sufficient lands for the use and support of the ministry and school, and one thousand acres, which had previously been granted by government to Samuel Sewall.

When the seven years had transpired the require- ments had been consummated, the settlers coming from Boston, Lexington, Concord, Sudbury, Marl- borough, Framingham, Lancaster, Brookfield, and from Ireland. The condition of the grant having been fulfilled, the proprietors petitioned the General Court, which commenced its session the last Wed- nesday of May, 1722, for an act of incorporation, and, on the 18th of the following month, a bill was passed for further establishing the town of Rut- land, and empowering them to choose all proper officers, also empowering them to raise and collect money for defraying the necessary charges of the said town.

This part of the territory was afterwards called the "settled part " of Rutland, and the proprietors, ful- filling their promises to the settlers, ceased to have any authority over it; the other three-fourths of the grant was still held by them, and was under their authority and jurisdiction, and to this portion their immediate attention was now given, and efforts were made to induce families to settle in the north and northwest sections. Some of the families had settled westerly of the first section, and were living in the "Northwest Quarter," as it began to be called, and others, from time to time, came to the same vicinity.

Tradition says that some were induced to locate here by reason of the fertile meadows. where their cattle could graze in summer and sufficient hay be cut and placed in stacks for their winter's support, and the same tradition relates that some of the Irish emigrants of Scotch descent, who had settled in and around Worcester, were of those who came into what is now Barre. It is a matter of record that James Caldwell was here June 6, 1739, representing the ownership of Great Farm No. 9, which was in the east part of the town, lying on the banks of the Cannestow and Ware Rivers. He was the eldest son of William and Sarah (Morison) Caldwell, who had emigrated from Ireland about 1719, and settled in Worcester, where they remained but a few years, for prior to 1730 they had come into this "Northwest Quarter."

1This deed is a document of much value and importance, showing some- what the customs of the times, and also the clearness and sagacity with which the instrument is drawn ; it is too lengthy a document for inser- tion here ; the recorded copy may be seen in the Registry of Deeds for Middlesex County, book 16, page 511, Worcester County not heing in- corporated until 1731.

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BARRE.

Tradition says that James came here before his father, having driven cattle hither, and remaining with them during the following winter, liviug alone and finding shelter under a shelving rock, which is still seen on the farm which was the last residence of the late Caleb Harwood. He soon built for himself a cabin of stone, against which, as a protection from the elements and from wild beasts, he made a kind of palisade of split logs, and later, in 1754, built the first frame house ever erected in this section; this is a large, two-storied house and still stands, and is in a good state of preservation, being located but a short distance from the shelving rock, or from where was his cabin. The Caldwells were men of rare worth and influence in the community ; James was killed in 1763, he, with one of his slaves, having taken refuge uuder a tree during a heavy thunder-shower. The tree was struck by lightning, and falling, killed

him and broke a thigh of the negro. The spot where he died is marked by a stone on which the following inscription, now nearly illegible, was carved : "This stone is erected in memory of the time when and place where Mr. James Caldwell died, which happened by the falling of a tree, July 18, 1763, in the 52d year of his age."

As early as 1720 families, or representatives of fam- ilies, had gone nearly to the western limits of this Northwest Quarter. In 1726 the first known deed of land in this section was given, it being for a strip near the present residence or farm of Mr. J. N. Pat- terson. A few families having settled here, their number was increasing. November 7, 1733, by virtue of a warrant issued by Joseph Wilder, justice of the peace, the proprietors met at the Royal Exchange Tavern, in Boston, and, on the fourth article in the warrant, voted "that the north half of said township (Rutland) be divided into two equal parts by a plain line running across the breadth of the same, and that the proprietors will proceed to divide the western part of said north half into lots, and that sixty-six other lots of good land of fifty acres each, as near as may be to the spot for a meeting-house, be laid out for homesteads; and, wherever any of said sixty-six lots fall short in quality to be made up in quantity, and said sixty-six lots to be numbered, in order to be drawn for in convenient time; and that convenient highways be at the same time laid out, so as to accom- modate the several lots ; and that a fair and regular plot of the said west part of said north half be, with the several lots and highways, delivered in as soon as may be to the proprietors at their meeting for their acceptance." At this meeting a tax of three hundred and thirty pounds was laid upon the proprietors to defray the expenses. Henry Lee, of Worcester, made application for appointment as surveyor, offering to do the work for one hundred pounds, but the work was given to Samuel Willard, a relative of some of the proprietors, who, in company with Lee, made the survey, and when completed, each signed the plans.

In addition to the sixty-six lots of fifty acres each, the lot for a meeting-house and for the school, thirty- three Great Farms of five hundred acres each were plotted out, an additional number of acres being al- lowed to such of those where the land was of inferior quality.

John Butolph, of Boston, was appointed collector of the tax from those of the proprietors who lived near Boston, he being authorized to collect the suur of £248 8s. 11d., and Phineas Brintnall, of Sudbury, was authorized to collect the balance, or £81 113. 1d. These Great Farms, as well as the house-lots, exceeded in acres the specified number, not only because some of the land might be of inferior quality, but also be- cause a desire had been expressed that good measure be invariably given.

The proprietors of this Northwest Quarter now drew for their lots. Joseph Foster, holding two shares in the proprietry or association, drew Great Farm No. 9, in the east part of the town, and No. 13, which lay in the north part and included the land where now is the reservoir which supplies Prince River, and other land sufficient to make five hundred and sixty acres in each plot ; it was a part of Foster's share of No. 9 which was afterwards represented by James Caldwell.

All these Great Farms were offered for sale, and strenuous efforts were made to induce settlers to locate upon them. In 1735 a farm of two hundred and fifty acres was offered to the first orthodox minister who would settle here, provided he would continue in the ministry for seven years, or until his death, if that should sooner happen. Land was also tendered to parties provided they would build and occupy a house thereon, of certain dimensions and within a specified time, the usual dimensions being twenty feet long and eight feet studs, the houses to be made habitable hy the following winter and to be occupied by the builder or his heirs for at least five years; provision for travelers was anticipated and a tract of land was offered to any one who would build a house of enter- tainment thereon and keep it for that purpose for at least seven years. The terms of the proprietors were most liberal, and if the conditions on which the settlers took lands were not all fulfilled at the ex- piration of the times specified, the privileges were continued to such of those as had exhibited a dis- position to comply with the terms imposed, but who had been prevented by some untoward event ; those who had received lands and had failed to fulfill their conditions through ueglect or want of energy, were dispossessed of them and the property reverted to the proprietors. Thus plans were laid for a thrifty and energetic population ; to still further encourage immi- gration roads were projected and huilt from the settled part of Rutland to Nitchewag (now Petersham). A "great bridge" was built over the Ware River near where is now the Baptist Church ; this was destroyed by a forest fire in 1740, but was rebuilt the following

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

year, logs being thrown across the stream, as in the case of the former bridge, and this time gravel was carted on to prevent the recurrence of such a mishap and also as a protection to guard against its being washed away by any sudden rise of the water.

With a road, rongh though it might be, built from east to west, nearly through the centre of the North- west Quarter, better facilities were afforded for the incoming of settlers ; and they came,-energetic, rng- ged, honest men, who did much to aid and encourage the little band already here, and who later filled many offices of trust in the direction of affairs here. The Rices, the Holdens, the Wallaces, the Nourses, the Allens, are some of the prominent ones who now came, all of whom left descendants who still dwell with us and fill honorable and responsible places in our midst.

For such a people the proprietors desired more and better conveniences, and at their meeting held at the Light-House Tavern in Boston, December 5, 1748, a committee of their number was requested to petition the General Court, as soon as may be, that the North- west Quarter of the township of Rutland may be made a town of itself, or be a separate district, with all the privileges of a town. This petition was drawn up, and is as follows :

PETITION.

To His Excellency, Wm. Shirley, Esq., Captain General & Governonr in Cheefe in & over His Majestys Province of Massachusetts Bay in New England & Vice Admiral of the same & to the Honourable Hie Majsty Couucil & House of Representatives in General Court assembled.

The petition of the Committee of the Proprietors of the Township of Rutland (the Original Settlers part excepted) in the County of Worces- ter in sd Province in hehalf of themselves & sd proprietors & accord- ing to their votes & directions, Humbly cheweth That the sd Proprietors have been for above these fifteen Years at great & Constant Pains & Ex- pense of time and many hundred Pounds in Running the Bounds, sur- veying, Dividing & Laying out Lots, finding ont & clearing Roads, Building of Bridges, settling Inhabitants & paying for Preaching in the Northwestern quarter of the Township of Rutland. That the sd North Westerly Quarter is abont the Quantity of six miles Square more or less, according to the plan herewth exhibited, bound East North Easterly about six miles on the North Easterly Quarter of said Township, South Sonth Easterly aboute six miles, partly on the original settlers Quarters & partly on the West wing of sd Township. West South Westerly about six miles partly on Braintree Graut & partly on Hardwick, North North Westerly on Nichaway so-called. That there are now settled in sd Quarter nearly Thirty famillys consisting of ahove one hundred sonls who stand in need of a Settled Gospel Ministry & Ordinances, and the Adult are Earnestly Dessirous of them, but cannot obtain them without a proper Encouragement by your Excellency & Honours. That the sd proprieters in view of sd Quarter being erected into a Town bave given Laid out & eet apart & fifty acre lot of Choice Good Land & another Farm of Two Hundred Forty seven Acres for the first Orthodox Minister that shall be ordained there, and a fifty acre Lot for the use of a School there forever. And Therefore your Petitioners Earnestly Desire That yr Ex- cellney and Honours would in your great wisdom set off & Erect the sd North Western Quarter with all the Inhabitants into a Town or other- wise into a separate District with all the priviledges & powers of & Town so far as to Chnse All sorts of Town Officers among themselves & make all kinds of Rules on the Inhabitants of sd District for building houses for Publick worship settling & maintaining ministers laying out & mak- ing Roads & for all other Services of a Publick Nature which any Towns in the Province,are by Law Enabled to do, only Keserving to themselves the Liberty allowed by Charter & the Laws of joining in Common with the other freeholders of sd Township in chusing & being Chosen Represen- tatives to serve in the gen assembly as also desiring the Power of assess- ing Levelling & Raising a Tax of sixpence old Tenor upon every Stand- ard acre in sd District for the first five Years next Ensning annually for

the purposes ahove said Excepting only sd land granted to sd ministers & school wh. said Tax in their present Infant & feeble state of less than Thirty Families is of absolute necessity for them. And your petitioners might humbly offer the following among other Weighty Reasons 1 The sd Quarter is nearly a Square body of generally good Land suitable & sufficient for such & Town or District. 2 The Centre of sd Quarter is about Ten Miles distant from the place of Worship of the Original set- tlers & some parts of sd Quarter shoute fourteen miles off, a very heavy Inconvenience either to be warned to their common Town Meetings or to attend them or to serve as Town Officers for so great an Extent & 3 The Inhabitants of the Original Settlers part are ao eensible of this hard- ship as they have expressed their willingness above four years and nine months ago of the sd North Westerly Quarter being deteeshed from them, as appears by their attested vote herewith offered. 4 & Lastly, Upon your Excellency & Honours now granting the sd District there are Bo many people straitened in other places ready to move into this as afford a most rational prospect that in case of another war the sd Quarter will grow so full of people as instead of needing soldiers stationed among them st the Publick charge for their Defence, they will not only be snf- ficiently able with the Divine help to Defend themselves but also have numbers to spare for the Defence of other places above them. And your Petitioners shall ever pray as Bound &c

THOMAS PRINCE JONAS CLARKE THOMAS HUBBARD CORNELIUS WALDO

Proprits Committee,

Twenty-eight of the inhabitants further manifested their desire by signing this petition. This was pre- sented in April, 1749, and on the 14th of that month it was read in the House of Representatives, and or- dered granted, so far as to be erected into a separate district with full power to choose town officers, and have all the other rights and privileges of a town, excepting that of sending representatives to the Gen- eral Assembly ; but permission was granted to join with Rutland for this purpose, and an inhabitant of this quarter was eligible to the office; the petitioners were ordered to notify the non-resident proprietors by public advertisement, by inserting in the Boston Gazette so much of said petition as related to the tax. This notice having been given and so certified, the petition came np in the Council, June 13th, and was read again, when it was ordered that the tax be "one penny half-penny of the last emition per acre annu- ally," except the land for the minister and theschool, for the term of five years.

The bill was sent to the Honse for concurrence, and, in Council, June 20th, it was again read and con- cnrred in, and that day it received the approval of Governor Shirley.

In 1749, then, the Northwest Quarter of Rutland was created a district, and, passing. out of the control of the proprietors, became subject to the authority of a local board of officers having the same rank and titles as those connected with a town.

The history of the first church is nearly coeval with the settlement of the territory, a part of which is now the town of Barre. November 7, 1733, at a meeting of the proprietors, held at the Royal Ex- change Tavern, in Boston, it was voted "that some spot, as near the centre of said western part as con- venience allows, be found and pitched upon for setting a meeting-honse, in the middle of some considerable | quantity of good land fit for settlement, and that one lot should be for the first minister ordained there ; "

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BARRE.

they ordered that the lot for the minister should con- sist of fifty acres conveniently near to the meeting- house. A division of the land was made, and the place assigned for the meeting-house was near the dwelling now owned by Mr. D. B. Olin. It was the intention of the proprietors that the meeting-house should be built at as early a day as possible, and, in 1739 a plot of the Northwest Quarter was returned by Abner Lee, a surveyor, and June 6th accepted and placed on record. A meeting of the proprietors was called, to be held at the Light-House Tavern, in King Street, Boston, on the 9th day of June, 1742, the war- rant being dated May 4th. After electing a moderator, the first matter under consideration was "to agree with some suitable person to prepare and raise the frame of a meeting-house within the Northwest Quar- ter, of such dimensions as the proprietors shall deter- mine," and, secondly, "to give some encouragement for obtaining occasional preaching."

The prominent step taken towards erecting the meeting-house at this session was that Col. Samuel Willard was desired to purchase of the heirs of Robert Blood a portion of their farm on reasonable terms, in behalf of the proprietors, that they might erect a saw-mill. (This land lies on Prince River and is a part of the farm now owned by Nelson Loring.) This meeting was adjourned to August 25th, when they met and agreed with Jonas Clarke to build a saw- mill on this land. At an adjourned meeting held on the first Wednesday of June, 1743, sixteen pounds, old tenor, was voted to be allowed and paid John Caldwell to defray the charge of a minister's preach- ing to the inhabitants of the Northwest Quarter one month the preceding winter. This is the first inti- mation that we have of religious services being held here; we have no record in what part they were held, but as John Caldwell lived some distance easterly from what is now the centre of the town, and a num- ber of the other settlers were in his immediate vicinity, it is highly probable that the preaching was at his house, about two miles from what is now the centre of the town.

September 1, 1743, it was voted that, as some of the settlers had represented the great difficulty they labored under by reason of their distance from all places of public worship, and desired the assistance of the proprietors towards procuring preaching among themselves, eighty pounds, old tenor, be allowed them for obtaining preaching for one year, next coming, and this amount should be paid to such a committee as the settlers might choose ; December 12, 1744, forty- eight pounds was allowed and paid to the inhabitants that they might have a minister for twelve weeks; the two subsequent years sixty pounds were appro- priated each year for the same purpose; in June, 1748, one hundred pounds was allowed ; June 7, 1750, it was voted that twelve pounds, old tenor, be allowed and paid to John Caldwell, one of a com- mittee for erecting a meeting-house iu the North-

westerly District of Rutland, and to be by him applied towards the charge of erecting the same. In 1744, seventy pounds, old tenor, had been appropri- ated, and it was voted that Samuel Willard should build a saw-mill in the Northwest Quarter, and that he keep it in repair for fifteen years and furnish boards to build a meeting-house and house for the minister at three pounds, old tenor, per thousand feet, and that individuals should pay four pounds per thousand feet.

Here, then, were the forceful steps taken for the erection of a meeting-house, and for regular, in place of occasional, worship; funds were provided for with which to purchase the boards, the labor and timher being presumed to follow as needed; the de- termination of the inhabitants soon became manifest to erect the building at the earliest practicable mo- ment.

From 1750, when the vote was passed to allow John Caldwell funds for building the house, we can see that due haste was made in prosecuting the work; notwithstanding all the difficulties they la- bored under, three years later the building was occu- pied for worship, and July 29, 1753, a church was or- ganized, and the following October Rev. Thomas Frink was installed as pastor of "the Congregational Church and Society in Rutland District."

In those days the parish was bounded by the same geographical lines as was the town or district, and, while the church and society were at liberty to es- tablish their rules and choose their officers, the dis- triet or town supported the minister and paid the necessary iucidental or contingent charges that per- tained to the care and repairs of the house, raising the funds therefor by a tax on the property and polls of all the people.

Although the meeting-house was used as a place of worship, it was not a completed building, merely sufficient work having been done to permit the peo- ple to assemble there for worship. It was evidently expected that the district would increase in popula- tiou ; and it did increase, and as more seats or pews became necessary, additional pews were placed in the gallery ; these places for pews and privileges of building them were generally sold to the highest bid- der. In 1765 several spots were sold, and it was specified that the size of the pews to he made should be "6 ft. wide, east and west, and 7 ft. long, north and south," and the floor of the pews should be a few inches above the floor of the gallery. The meeting-house was used, also, for municipal purposes, all the town-meetings being held there. This house was not built on the lot originally assigned for it in the proprietor's plan, but was located nearly opposite, where our post-office now is. We find no definite reason for this change, but attribute it to the fact that here the ground was nearer a level, and that this location was more central, the larger part of the inhabitants living in the eastern and southerly por-

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History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 98

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