History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 104

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1464

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II > Part 104

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The town was divided into five school districts by a committee chosen for the purpose at their first town-meeting, and money was raised for school pur- poses. For a short time after the incorporation only one school was kept, and that in the dwelling-house of Seth Woodward, near the centre of the town. While this state of things existed about forty dollars paid the school expenses for the year.

It is believed that there were one hundred and fourteen legal voters at this time in the town. As soon

as the five school districts were all in running order, one hundred and fifty to one hundred and seventy-five dollars per annum was about the amount raised for the next twenty-five years for school purposes. Young men who had the reputation of being good teachers could be obtained for ten dollars per month in the winter, and female teachers at as low a price as fifty cents per week in the summer.

The teachers all boarded around, and each family furnished his share of the wood-a good ox-sled load of wood-so that no money was raised by taxation for board of teachers or for wood.

There was always, especially in the winter, a very large attendance of scholars-many of the scholars, both boys and girls, being over eighteen years of age. The old-fashioned spelling-schools were held, and the scholars enjoyed themselves hugely during the two months of the winter term, although the dis- cipline of the schools was enforced by strict rules, of which the FERULE was a very important factor.

There were not many letters written in those days, and postage was dear. It was as late as the year 1812 before the town had a post-office within its limits,

At a very early period of the settlement of this ter- ritory grist and saw-mills were constructed. The saw and grist-mills would be joined together, one mill doing both kinds of business, and with the same power and mill privilege.

Seth Johnson, Jr., after the incorporation, owned one of these double mills at the south part of the town, and Jacob Amsden, one of the first settlers, owned another similar mill, located in what is now called the Doubleday village.

The highways were merely cart tracks, and were very crooked, not better than common cart roads lead - ing to timber lots.

The inhabitants, when they practiced any other mode of locomotion than the pedestrian, and used horses, always adopted the equestrian method.

A yeoman, who owned his acres in fee simple, and was entitled to the name in free America, would fre- quently be seen on horseback, his wife behind him and often two children in front. This practice of having a partner, both sexes being usually represent- ed, existed with the young and old alike, whether going to church or to a dance.

Great curiosity and interest were manifested when one of the citizens, Elisha Sibley, bought a wagon, a vehicle without springs of any kind, and the first one on wheels for pleasure riding ever owned in the town. It was in very great demand, sometimes being engaged several weeks ahead; the cost was re- ported to have been sixty dollars.

The "One Hoss Shay," that " Hahusum Kerridge," so fashionable in its day, had not made its appear- ance in Dana. The older men, however, continued to wear the costume of their fathers : cocked up hats, rolled up on three sides, in the form of a triangle; breeches, knee-buckles, long stockings, etc.

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

I know it is n sin For me to sit and grin At him here ; But the old throe-cornered hat, And the breeches, and all that Are so queer !

All the dwelling-houses at the time of the incor- poration were one story and unpainted. Some of the chimneys were of stone, some of brick. The fire- places for the kitchens were about six feet broad, and for the square rooms or parlors ahout three feet. The architecture was simple in the extreme,-a long kitchen on one side, with a pantry and bed-room at the end; on the other side, two rooms,-one square, the parlor or best room, the other being made nar- row, by the chimney, which was usually as large as the bed-room, at the end of the kitchen.

The soil produced large erops of rye in its virgin fertility, and the neighboring towns were accustomed to purchase rye of the farmers of Dana. This was especially the case in the year A.D. 1816. The au- thor of this sketch has often heard his grandparents, who had relatives in Dana, describe the direful con- dition of this section of the State in the year 1816. There was almost a total failure of the grass erop in some localities, as well as a total loss of all the maize or Indian corn. A famine was dreaded. The only means of transportation then was by slow teams. The old inhabitants, who well remembered the dark day of 1780, felt that a more serious calamity then that was said to portend might befall them, when the glad news reached the communities that the plains of Greenwich and Dana would furnish an abun- dant supply of rye. The inhabitants of the neigh- boring towns, especially those east of Dana, were most glad to go to this " Egypt" and buy breadstuff. A kind feeling existed thereafter towards the young township, and she was immediately recognized as the equal of the older municipalities.

In the year 1818, Nathan Munroe died of the small- pox, in the precinet now known as North Dana. He, with his daughter, had just returned from a visit to the "West," and while at the house of a citizen, named Chamberlain, was suddenly taken very sick. Many of the neighbors visited him, and watched with bim; but when it was discovered that he had the small-pox, consternation and alarm spread like wild- fire throughout the town. There were only two dwelling-houses then in this immediate locality, and all persons who had been " exposed " were compelled to occupy one of these houses, and submit to inocula- tion. The highways were fenced up in all directions and flags displayed.

Some time previous to this alarm on account of the small-pox, about 1810, a terrible epidemie visited the town, which physicians called spotted fever. Some died within twenty-four hours after being attacked, and it spread to some extent into the adjoining towns. Dr. John Flint, who was attacked while visiting a patient, died in his sleigh on his way home. A very

simple remedy was finally discovered, and the medieine used could then be obtained at a reasonable price, and in perfect purity. It was French Brandy, and when administered, in doses large enough to kill several well men, to the sufferer, it conquered the dread scourge, and all, who were thereafter attacked recovered, in case the medicine had been admin- istered to them at the proper time, and in sufficient quantity.

In the early years of the town's history it might be truly said that there were many manufacturers actively engaged in work. There was no large manu- factory or factory building especially built for the purpose, but in nearly every dwelling-house, flax and wool, raised and produced by the farmers on their own farms, were spun, woven, dressed and made into wearing apparel, by the female members of each family.

There were also fullers' or clothiers' shops, where the various cloths for the clothes of the men and boys were dressed, dyed and pressed. The tailor or tailoress would then visit the old homesteads and superintend and assist in making up a year's stock of clothing.

When any of their neat stock had been fattened and killed, they took the hides to the tannery and had them tanned for their own use.

The shoemaker went from house to house, the same as his brother craftsman, the tailor, and made boots and shoes. This was called " whipping the cat."

Many of the farmers with their own teams visited Boston in the fall of the year, carrying poultry and pork to "market," and purchasing a large stoek of groceries, including molasses, fish, sugar, salt, ete., and never forgetting to buy a keg of good New Eng- land rum. Thus, the population was thrifty, and self-sustaining.

One of the earliest industries, outside of their regu- lar avocations, was, probably, the business of prepar- ing and making potash for sale. The huge fire-place produced a great quantity of ashes, and, as a few acres of the heavily-timbered land must be cleared each year by its owner, what was consumed in the fire-place was considered clear gain, and saved the necessity of burning it on the wood-land. Mr. Stone says : " I remember two such establishments in town, one at the brook, this side of Dana Common, where N. L. Johnson now works palm-leaf, potash has been made there since my remembrance. There was another near the spot where Henry Johnson's house now stands. I well remember its standing there, with all the leaches and apparatus necessary for mak- ing potash."

Setting card-teeth was also an industry in which the women and children, more or less, engaged. First in hand-cards, afterwards long sheets of leather and teeth for factories were furnished or "put out," the same as palm-leaf has been since.

Another industry in which the women engaged was the weaving of cotton cloth. At first only the thread

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was spun by machinery, the cloth being woven in hand-looms. Que man, at least, in the town made it his business, for some time, to furnish the thread to his various customers.

Wallets and pocket-books were manufactured in the town. For some seven years quite a business was done in this branch of manufacturing.

The girls learned to stitch the articles, and this work was very generally engaged in by the young women of Dana.

It is believed that straw bonnets were made in Dana as early as the year 1815. At one time it was carried on quite extensively. The very best quality of rye-straw for the bonnets was raised in this town, on newly-cleared land, being cut for braiding before the seed or grain was full. The women and children found employment in braiding the straw. These bonnets became quite the fashion. The bonnet was almost as white as snow, and, when trimmed with ribbons, it was called very comely and pretty.

There was also a tannery in the town, and the farmers could get cider brandy by the distillation of their cider in the distillery established in Dana.

There was very early manifested by the inhabitants a spirit of enterprise and earnest desire to engage in, or have introduced into their little township, indus- tries and employments other than tilling the soil- probably more so than in any other town in all this section of the State.

Many town-meetings were held for the purpose of building a meeting-house, which was then lawful for all towns to do, and pay for the same, as well as the support of the minister, by a tax assessed upon the inhabitants.

It had been the almost universal custom in Massa- chusetts, after the incorporation of a town, for the citizens to select a central location for the public buildings-a meeting-house, with a school-house near its side, and town hall. Also the largest store and the principal tavern were generally found in the " centre," so-called, and most of the mechanical busi- ness might be expected to be located in the same płace.

But in Dana there was an old meeting-house which had been moved from the southerly part of Petersham, and located on Dana Common, and which was used as a place of religious worship by the Baptists for more than twenty-five years after the incorporation of the town, and until the Baptist Church ceased as a distinct organization. Some of the members of this organization were afterwards found connected with the Baptist Churches in Hardwick, Petersham and Athol.

buildings. One chief reason, why Dana did not con- form to the prevailing custom as to the building and location of a meeting-house and town hall, seems to have been from the fact that the inhabitants of the south and east parts of the town preferred Dana Com- mon for the location of said buildings; while the citizens of the north and west portions were very much opposed to this arrangement, on the ground that it was not sufficiently central.

Frequent town-meetings were held upon the sub- ject, and in 1818 we find a record that the town voted to build a town hall, and chose a committee to de- cide upon the site. Very soon thereafter, however, another town-meeting was held, and the former vote was rescinded. As early as 1812 it was voted to build a meeting-house. Similar votes were subse- quently made, but all were reconsidered, as no agree- ment could be reached for the location of the church edifice as the property of the town. The result was no meeting-house was built, while the law permit- ting the town so to do remained upon the statute- book. And, for the same reason, of non-agreement as to the best site, no town hall was constructed. It is apparent that very little was paid in the form of a "ministerial tax," and nothing for the building of a meeting-house.

It is a fact, however, that soon after the incorpora- tion they voted to invite neighboring ministers to give preaching eleven Sundays during the year. And sometimes, while the law permitted, small sums were raised as a salary for a minister,-two hundred and fifty dollars being raised in some years.

It was the custom of Dana, like that of other towns, to "let out" the keeping of the town's poor, by bids, in the manner of auction sales, at their an- nual town-meetings, to the "lowest " instead of "highest" bidders, i. e., to those persons who agreed or made the lowest bids, to take care of the paupers for the least pay. But it ought to be said in this connection that Dana, earlier than some other towns, relinquished this practice, aud provided a commo- dions and comfortable home for her unfortunate wards requiring pecuniary assistance.

There is good evidence to believe that some in- habitants lived in what is now called North Dana quite a number of years before the incorporation. In the middle of the old mill pond, a short distance above the village, there remains buried in the water the partial mole or bank of an old mill dam. It has been called the Martin Dam, but the oldest inhabit- ant does not recollect when the mill was in running order.

It is believed that, as early as 1812, Thomas Stimp- son built a saw-mill on the west side of the river, which mill did some business for many years, and on the east side of the river he raised a large frame for a projected factory, hoping to find some moneyed manufacturer who would utilize this good water

This building was finally bought, by the town, of the individual owners for a town hall and school purposes, about the time the annexation of the new school district, from Petersham and Hardwick, took place. This annexation somewhat changed the controversy as to a central location for the public | privilege and establish here an important business.

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

The War of 1812, and its effects upon the country in a business point of view, directly after the declaration of peace, when there was almost universal distrust of the currency-of the paper which had passed for money, and the impossibility of using gold and silver on account of its great scarcity-prevented any in- vestment of capital for the purpose intended by Mr. Stimpson.

With the exception of what little business was done at this saw-mill, this good privilege remained useless until about the year 1830, when Daniel Stone, Esq., became interested in this valuable water privi- lege, and in 1836 became its sole owner. He rebuilt the saw-mill and put up a new grist-mill on the east side, thus utilizing the privilege, to some extent, on both sides of the river. He also bought three tracts of meadow and timber land to secure his right of flowage.

In 1845, Mr. Stone having in the mean time sold the property, with all the privileges and appurte- nances thereto belonging, to Warren Hale; Allen Goodman and the said Warren Hale invented and obtained a patent right of a machine for making and shaping the piano-forte, melodeon and billiard-table legs.

Nelson Bosworth, of Petersham, first commenced to veneer the legs. He resided in Petersham, and for a time took them to his factory there, returning them after the veneering process had been finished. For several years all the productions of the firm of Hale & Goodman were drawn by teams to Palmer Depot to be freighted to their various customers, a distance of twenty-two miles.

In 1846 Lorenzo Hale was admitted as a partner. A post-office was established here the same year, called North Dana Post-office, and thereafter the village and post-office were called hy the same name, having been called Stonesville for many years previous. Soon after Jonathan E. Stone, brother of Daniel Stone, Esq., and Hammond Doane became members of the com- pany. In 1850 William Stimpson, Warren Stimpson and Charles N. Stimpson were joined as co-partners, and Jonathan E. Stone, Warren and Lorenzo Hale withdrew from the firm; also, about this time, Ham- mond Doane left the company. New factory build- ings were erected, and soon after Nelson Bosworth was made a partner in the company. The manufac- ture of veneered piano-forte, melodeon and billiard- table legs was now greatly increased.

In 1854 Silas F. Lindsay and George T. Johnson, two young men who had been very successful in mercantile business in the village of North Dana, drawing trade from the neighboring towns, joined the company, with their business and their own partner- ship property, and the name of the old firm was changed to Johnson, Stimpson & Co. The business, under the new organization, was greatly enlarged and good dividends were realized. In December, 1856, their principal factory buildings were destroyed

by fire, but in the spring of 1857 more commodious and convenient buildings were erected, and equipped with new and improved machinery, invented and designed principally by Allen Goodman. In the fall of 1857 another disastrous fire occurred, destroying several buildings connected with the works and burn- ing a large amount of material and stock.

During the rebuilding of the factory buildings Allen Goodman was called to New York City to de- fend some of his valuable patents, which were very essential to the success of the " Leg Company," as it was then often called.

While there, although past middle life, he com- menced the study of medicine, which he pursued with very great earnestness until his death, seventeen years afterwards. He had at one time quite an exten- sive practice, and had gained the reputation of effect- ing remarkable cures in some cases of consumption, and in attacks of typhoid fever.

In 1859 Dr. Allen Goodman and Warren Hale obtained an extension of their patents for seven years on the leg machinery, and bought out the firm of Johnson, Stimpson & Co., and formed a new co- partnership uuder the firm-name of Warren Hale & Co., consisting of Warren and Lorenzo Hale and Dr. Allen Goodman. In January, 1861, J. Wesley Good- man, son of Dr. Goodman, was admitted as a partner. A profitable term of business followed, Jacob A. Towne having, in the mean time, joined the firm, of which he remained a member until his death, in 1872.

J. Flint Peckham, and also Nelson Bosworth again joined the company in 1867. In June, 1868, the leg factories were again burned, but were rebuilt the same season.

Mr. Bosworth had died a short time previous to the death of Mr. Towne, a man of great usefulness to the company, and who had been connected with this im- portant manufacturing industry almost from the very commencement. In 1872 Allen W. Goodman, a son of Dr. Goodman, bought the interest of Warren Hale in the firm, and the firm-name was changed to Hale, Goodman & Co., consisting of Lorenzo Hale, J. Wes- ley Goodman and Allen W. Goodman. At this time another important industry was added to the busi- ness-that of the manufacture of picture frames.

In 1873 the leg and picture-frame factories and the- saw-mill were all destroyed by fire. The leg factories and saw-mill were rebuilt the same year, and the company continued the business without discourage- ment. In January, 1876, J. Wesley Goodman bought out the good will and stock of this copartnership, and leased the factories and power and added to the former business (excepting the manufacture of picture frames) the construction of billiard-table frames and all the wood-work connected with the tables. He continued manufacturing in North Dana for four years, when he removed his business to Athol.

Lorenzo Hale and Allen W. Goodman put in suit-

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DANA.

able machinery, and established a satinet factory under the firm-name of A. W. Goodman, Scofield & Co., and were succeeded by Messrs. Dorr & Craw- ford. In April, 1886, Pitts C. Tyler, a capitalist of Athol, bought the interest of Mr. Dorr, and formed a co-partnership with W. J. Crawford, the former member of the firm of Dorr & Crawford, under the firm-name of Crawford & Tyler, in the manufacture of woolen goods. They now employ about thirty hands, and do a business of about forty thousand dollars per annum. Eddie Pitts Tyler, son of Pitts C. Tyler, is book-keeper, and the active member who re- sides in North Dana.

Among the industries of North Dana that are now in a flourishing condition may be mentioned the palm-leaf hat industry and straw braid business for hats of Henry W. Goodman, who does a business of about forty thousand dollars per year.

John E. Stowell is carrying on a successful busi- ness in the manufacture of boxes, in a shop that has recently been erected near the depot. Messrs. Good- man and Stowell both use steam-power.

A new and handsome hotel has also been erected near the depot, which contains a fine public hall and a store; the hotel has been leased by the veteran landlord, Captain D. L. Richards.

It might be well, here, to speak briefly of the fires which have occurred in the town of Dana, some of which have been already incidentally referred to.

First, as to the village called Stonesville and North Dana. In 1839 a shop belonging to Daniel Stone, Esq., located at the east end of the bridge, used as a carriage-house and storage of valuable material for carriage-wheels, was burned with contents-loss, one thousand dollars and no insurance. The great fire of 1856 was the next fire in the village, when all the buildings on both sides of the dam, were con- sumed, and also a building standing on the old site of the one burned in 1839. C. N. Doane and Mr. L. Wheeler lost heavily, without any insurance. Johnson, Stimpson & Co., who lost their principal factory buildings, were partially insured.

In August, 1857, the hotel buildings, occupied by George H. Gibbs, were entirely destroyed, with most of their contents-only partially insured. In September, of the same year the large finishing shops of Johnson, Stimpson & Co., on the south side of the highway, with a full stock of legs, veneered and ready for the market, were burned-partially insured. In 1868 there was another great fire, the big water shop, so called, was burned, the second time, with other buildings of the company, then bear- ing the firm-name of Warren Hale & Co. The loss was fully twenty thousand dollars.

In the fire of 1857 of the large finishing shops of the company, a dwelling-house, belonging to Franklin Blackmer, was burned. Subsequently the dwelling- house, barn aud shop of Charles F. Gleason were burned, also the house of Willard Blackmer.

The goods in the store have been twice damaged by fire ; once on account of removal, in the great fire of 1856, and once when the building had been struck by lightning.

In 1873 another great fire occurred in North Dana." The principal works of Hale, Goodman & Co., includ- ing the picture-frame factory and a saw-mill, were completely destroyed by fire. The loss was about fifty thousand dollars. In this year it is given in an official report that Dana ranked fourth in the amount of losses in the county of Worcester for the year 1873. About the same time the residence of Edson Oakes, with all the buildings connected therewith, was burned. In 1881 the barn of E. A. Albee, with contents, and a very valuable house were burned.

Outside of the village and immediate vicinity of North Dana the most disastrous fire which has oc- curred was the total destruction of the fine steam saw-mill of the brothers, J. Sullivan and Zenas W. Brown, the loss being estimated at twenty thousand dollars. This mill was not rebuilt, and was a heavy blow to the business in lumber, of the town.

During the year 1888 the dwelling-house of George W. Doane, south of the Common, was burned, with nearly all the furniture and clothing of the family, including a sum of money. Years previous an un- occupied house, owned and occupied at one time by Samuel Oakes, was burned.

In the act approved May 6, 1884, to establish the First District Court of Northern Worcester, the town of Dana was not included therein. A protest had been numerously signed by many of its citizens, and forwarded to the Legislature, against the measure, believing, with a majority of their fellow-citizens living in the proposed judicial district, that it was not advisable, under all of the then existing circum- stances, to form such a court ..

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History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 104

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1464

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1464