History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 110

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 110

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The State Reform School and Lyman School for Boys. -In the year 1846 three commissioners, Judge A. D. Foster, chairman, were appointed by the State to pro- vide a State Manual Labor School in some central and easily accessible portion of the Commonwealth, away from the temptations of city life.

The juvenile offenders of the State had been to that time confined in the jails and houses of correction, with professional criminals, to their great detriment.

Theodore Lyman, of Brookline, was so much inter- ested in this movement for the reformation of boys, that he gave the State at ouce ten thousand dollars, and offered as much more on condition that the State would appropriate an equal amount. The commis- sioners purchased for nine thousand dollars the Lovett Peters farm, on the shores of Chauncy Pond, contain- ing one hundred and eighty-one acres of land. The beautiful view and deep, clear waters of the adjoining pond, of equal area, made the location a desirable one. It was designed to establish neither a prison nor a penitentiary, but a school.

The opinion of a large number of persons was secured as to the advisability of limiting the age of those committed, and it was finally decided to fix six- teen as the limit in ordinary cases, but courts had power to send any under twenty-one years of age to the institution.

The school was opened November 1, 1848, with accommodations for three hundred boys, and was soon crowded. Mr. Lyman had strongly recommended limiting the age of those admitted to less than four- teen years, but his wishes were not carried out.

In 1852 the buildings were enlarged at an expense of fifty-four thousand dollars, and soon after there was an average attendance of five hundred and ninety. In 1859 one of the boys set fire to the institution, causing a loss of over fifty thousand dollars.

The average age of those committed increased, the

greater part of them being sentenced for serious crimes. The school-ship for the larger boys was then provided, and the Westboro' school relieved of its most hardened offenders until 1871, when the school- ships were sold.

In 1875 an addition was built at a cost of ninety thousand dollars, for the confinement of the most dangerous element. The separation did not prove complete enough for the best results. The system of placing the most hopeful inmates in private families was extended, and the numbers in the Reform School reduced.

The reputation which the school gained, while holding in confinement so many incorrigible young men, was such that the courts were unwilling to send there boys who were young and likely to reform.

It finally became necessary' to make a complete change of system. After the large buildings and grounds had been transferred to the trustees of the Westboro' Insane Hospital in 1886, the old Reform School was succeeded by the Lyman School for Boys which bears the name and now carries out the ideas of its first private benefactor. Although while liv- ing, Mr. Lyman had been unwilling that the public should know the name of the one assisting the school, this fact was disclosed at his death, in July, 1849, as the State received from him a legacy of fifty thou- sand dollars, making seventy-two thousand five hun- dred dollars in all.

Now the school is conducted without bolts and bars, the age of admission is limited to less than four- teen and it is meeting with success under the new system.

The Lyman School buildings are situated at Wes- sonville. about two miles north of the railroad sta- tion, and can be easily seen from the cars passing through town. The old Wesson Hotel, late Willow Park Seminary and water cure under Dr. J. H. Hero, and the old farm, formerly the homestead of Rev. Ebenezer Parkman, are now used for the school. The present number of boys is two hundred. The old school was an improvement on the jails and houses of correction, especially in giving the boys out-door work on the farm, the opportunity to learn trades and compulsory education. A very large per cent. became respectable citizens. Others became educated in crime, and went forth unreformed, soon to occupy other penal institutions in the State. The Concord Reformatory now cares for older offenders, and the great benefit arising from the present system of edu- cating and reforming the younger boys and girls in private families makes it improbable that the at- tempt to collect five or six hundred boys in one build- ing will be repeated. The boys are now divided into large families, cared for by competent men and wom- en on the boarding-school plan, until they are dis- charged reformed, placed in families or reach the limit of twenty-one years.

The Westborough Insane Hospital was chartered

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

in June, 1884. It was made a State homeopathic institution, subject to the same general laws as the other State lunatic hospitals, with the special provision that persons preferring homeopathic treatment dur- ing insanity should be committed by judges to West- borough, instead of the other hospitals.

By the act of incorporation the buildings and lands of the State Reform School were given to the hospital, with $150,000 for making necessary changes. With this sum of money it was required that ac- commodations for three hundred and twenty-five patients should be made, and also for the necessary officers and employees.

The seven trustees composing the first board were Charles R. Codman, chairman, of Boston ; Henry S. Russell, Milton ; Francis A. Dewson, Newtonville ; Lucius G. Pratt, West Newton ; Emily Talbot, Bos- ton ; Phoebe J. Leonard, Bridgewater ; Archibald H. Grimke, secretary, Hyde Park.

Plans were drawn and approved by the Governor and Council on the 31st of December, 1884 ; specifi- cations were made and contracts signed ; and on the 18th of May, 1885, the work of alteration began.

Dr. N. Emmons Paine was appointed agent of the board May 1, 1885, and has been superintendent of the hospital since May 1, 1886.

A further appropriation was given for accommodat- ing eighty additional patients, or a total of four hun- dred and five.

Additional appropriations have been made for fur- nishing the hospital, for out-buildings, fire protec- tion, etc.

The hospital was formally opened for the reception of patients December 1, 1886, by a proclamation of His Excellency George D. Robinson, Governor of the Commonwealth.

During the first few weeks about two hundred pa- tients were received from the other State hospitals to relieve their overcrowded condition.

The number of patients in the hospital has gradu- ally increased, until, at the present time, it is com- pletely full, containing four hundred and forty-two patients.

The first library in town was a social organization, years the shallowness of the reservoir and the decay- started by five prominent citizens. The membership ing vegetable matter discolored and injured the quality of the water in the summer season. In the year 1887 a dyke was built across the narrowest part of the pond and the level of the upper basin was raised five feet. The mud in the lower basin was removed and the margin paved. fee was from $5.50 to $15.00, and at every meeting each member paid a tax of twenty-five cents. This society was established in 1807, and Rev. Elisha Rock- wood was president for many years. They purchased many valnable books, and some were given to them. It was in existence for thirty-two years. In 1839 Since then the quality of the water has been nearly perfect and the supply ample for a city of fifteen thousand inhabitants. they made over their property to the Mechanics' As- sociation, a new organization of forty-six members, who, in addition to the support of a library, had lec- tures and discussions. In 1857 this association trans- ferred the library to the town, and one year later we find the first appropriation for the town library-one hundred dollars for maintenance and repairs.

In 1882 a reference library was added. In 1888

there were seven thousand nine hundred and sixty volumes in the library. The appropriation was five hundred dollars and the usual vote of the "dog- fund."

There have been several newspapers published in town, but most of them have had very short lives. The first one, The Westborough Messenger, was pub- lished a few months in 1849. Since then there have been The Westborough Sheaf and The Westborough Transcript. About 1866 the first printing-office was opened, and the Westborough Chronotype was pub- lished. This paper is still the principal paper, a weekly with a large circulation. The Westborough Tribune also has been published weekly for a few months, and is an excellent country paper.

The introduction of reservoir water has done more, directly and indirectly, to change the appearance of the village, during the last ten years, than any other cause. An abundant supply of water, at small cost, has made it possible to keep lawns green and beauti- ful through the summer months, and in most parts of the village great care is taken to keep private grounds neat and attractive. Few places in the State are more fortunate in their water supply. Within two miles of the square there is a reservoir of fifty-six acres in area, with a small, lower basin, supplied during the summer months with spring water, or water filtered through sandy hills from the upper reservoir, and with a head of about one hundred and thirty-five feet. The cost has been about one hundred thousand dollars. Mod- erate water rates yield enough revenue to pay running expenses, interest on the water bonds, and the neces- sary payments to the sinking fund to extinguish the principal in thirty years.

In 1872 the town first considered the question of the introduction of water for fire and other purposes, and an act was secured from the Legislature in 1873. An examination of the available sources of supply re- sulted in the choice of the Sandra Reservoir, then used as a mill-pond. In 1878 the necessary land and water rights were taken, and July 4, 1879, eleven hydrant streams were thrown simultaneously higher than the business blocks in the village. For several

The militia in town were properly enrolled, and in the early part of the nineteenth century were in a good state of discipline. The old armory, on South Street, recently removed, by J. E. Day, to Cottage Street, was erected for their use and for a hall for public gatherings.

1351

WESTBOROUGH. .

Some of the members of the Westborough Light Infantry, the militia company, which had its head- quarters in this building, organized the first fire com- pany, about seventy years ago. Captain Charles Parkman was the foreman, and provided a large part of the apparatus for extinguishiug fires, which was of a very primitive character.

In the year 1838 the town voted to appropriate two hundred dollars for the purchase of a fire-engine and its apparatus, provided as much more was sub- scribed by individuals. Two hundred and eighty- eight dollars in addition was raised and the fire-engine purchased.

April 11, 1842, thetown adopted the act of the Legis- lature, establishing a Fire Department in the town of Westhorough. In 1850 the old Chauncy hand fire- engine was purchased at an expense of five hundred and ninety dollars.

At present there is a well-organized Fire Depart- ment with its headquarters in the new engine-house erected, in 1888, on Milk Street, at a cost of ten thou- sand dollars.

The department consists of a board of five engi- neers. Chauncy Hose, No. 1, fifteen men ; Jackson Steamer, No. 2, sixteen men; William Curtis Hose Company, No. 2, eighteen men ; Rescue Hook-and- Ladder Company, No. 1, thirty men; Union Hose, two men.

It is estimated that about two million dollars' worth of property is under the protection of these companies, equipped with modern apparatus and assisted by hydrants distributed through the thickly- settled portions of the town.

Rescue Hook-and-Ladder Company has stood first or among the first fire companies in the State at the public competitions, which have been so common lately in the Commonwealth.

The Westborough Agricultural Society has been in existence fifty years. The annual fairs and cattle shows, the debates on agricultural subjects and public lectures have been important educators for all the citizens as well as the farmers.

The principal farm product sold has been milk. In 1835 it was first sent to the Boston market and now it is sent daily, in large quantities, to the same place. Of the dairy products sold in 1885, amount- ing in all to $69,948, milk amounted to 521,268 gal- lons, worth $67,574. The total farm products were valued at $218,508.

A new society has just been incorporated called the " Westborough Historical Society." Its object is to collect books, papers, pamphlets, maps, photographs and everything which is now, or probably will be in the future, of historical interest. They will hold meetings for the purpose of learning about local history, and probably in the near future will have a room of their own. Mr. J. A. Fayerweather was elected the first president.

For eighteen years the Westboro' Young Men's

Debating Society has been of great assistance to the boys and young men of the town. They have sustained many excellent courses of lectures and entertain- ments. Most of the young men of this place who have achieved prominence in the pulpit, at the bar or have taken an active part in the State and town politics, have received their early drill in extempore speak- ing in its halls.

One of the most active of the societies in town is- called the Village Improvement Society. It was formed late in the year 1878, and has done much to- wards rendering the town comfortable and attractive. It has depended almost entirely upon its membership fees for money to carry on its work, and in the ten years of its existence has had erected two drinking fountains, one on the "common " near the railroad station, the other at the junction of School and Main Streets. It has concreted the walks in the Memorial Cemetery, and set out eight hundred and sixty trees. The present membership is one hundred and fifty.

In 1839 a society was organized in town called the Thief Detecting Society. For many years it was very active in capturing thieves and recovering stolen property, but after the establishment of the police the work was done by these officers of the law, and the old society-their days of usefulness over-met only on the occasion of their annual dinner. The first president of this organization was Nahum Fisher; the clerk, M. M. Fisher. During its fifty years of life it had one hundred and forty-four members. In 1888 the membership was fifty-five, and at their annual meeting it was voted that they should re- organize under the name of the Westborough Park Association, and have for their object the establish- ment of a park. Dr. F. E. Corey was chosen the first president of the new society.

MANUFACTURES .- The efforts made before the Revolution to encourage home industries and dis -. courage importation met with considerable success. No large manufactories were established. Most of the common articles of every-day life were made by hand at the fireside and in the blacksmith's and car- penter's shop. Most of the available water-power was utilized for sawing and grinding.

Fifty years ago .the people of the town were prin- cipally supported by agricultural pursuits, yet we find traces of manufacturing, on a scale large enough to furnish a surplus for other communities.

The manufacture of boots and shoes, sleighs and straw-goods began at an early date in the industrial history of the town and still furnish employment to a large number of persons. In 1837 20,092 pairs of boots and 120,656 pairs of shoes were made, worth $148,774. Males employed, 360 ; females, 214. Many employés worked at home and did not give their whole time to this business.

Twelve hundred straw bonnets were made, worth $2,800. Ten persons produced sleighs worth $3,840.

1352

HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Axes were manufactured at Piccadilly to the value of $2,870, as well as other tools.

Before 1857 sleighs were made in small quantities by individuals, the number of persons employed averaging less than two in each establishment.

At that time a large shop was built and occupied by Burnap, Forbes & Co., who made about 500 sleighs annually. Forbes & Fisher succeeded to their business and increased the production to 800 sleighs. The business is now carried on in enlarged buildings at the same location on Summer Street by D. W. Forbes & Son, who make about 1200 sleighs each year.

The firm of Vinton & Spaulding engaged in this business about the same time as the firm of Burnap, Forbes & Co., in the shop near the stable of Andrew Guild, which has been burned. Bacon & Williams made sleighs first in the rear of Smith's Block, on East Main Street, and later in a large shop at the corner of Milk and Phillips Streets. Corning Fair- banks, at Piccadilly, Wm. H. & F. Sibley, on Parkman Street, W. F. Brown, on the north side of the rail- road, opposite Boardman Street, J. O'Brien, on Bing- ham Street and Frank Brigham, in Smith's shop, have all manufactured sleighs.

Formerly the grade made was of inferior quality, but during the past few years sleighs of excellent quality have generally been produced.

The manufacture of boots and shoes on a large scale was begun by J. B. Kimball & Co., who built a shop on Main Street beyond the residence of C. Whitney. A few years later they built the brick block now standing at the corner of Main and Milk Streets. In 1859 their business was moved to the building on Brigham Street, known as the Steam Mill.

The next person to engage in this industry was Jonas Stone, who carried on a small business in a shop on Mt. Pleasant.

From 1840 to 1860 D. F. Newton manufactured in the old factory on Cross Street.

Many firms and individuals have manufactured boots and shoes, including Otis Newton, Moses New- ton, Urial Bragg and Thomas Bryant (in the "Old Arcade "), George Forbes, C. M. Holmes, John H. Pierce and others.

The principal firms are now Gould & Walker, who manufacture in the building erected by an associa- tion of citizens of the town at the corner of Milk and Phillips Streets, employ about three hundred per- sons and produced last year five hundred and forty thousand pairs of shoes, valued at five hundred thousand dollars.

George B. Brigham & Sons, who ocenpy a large factory on Cottage Street, employ one hundred and seventy persons and produced last year three hun- dred thousand pairs of shoes, valued at three hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. The head of this firm has for many years been a prominent boot and shoe manufacturer. He occupied first a building

where Spaulding's Block now stands and later moved into his shop on Cottage Street. From there he went to the corner of Milk and Phillips Street, where he was burned ont a few years ago and carried on business for a short time in Southville before the new build- ing was erected.

Brooks & Wells, of Boston, manufacture in the steam mill, employ one hundred and seventy persons and produced last year one hundred and twenty thousand pairs of shoes, valued at one hundred thou- sand dollars.

Straw goods were first manufactured by machinery in the L of the straw-shop on South Street by Bates, Parker & Snow, in 1863. A large part of the sewing was still, for some years, done in families in this and adjoining towns. The business is now carried on by Bates, Wightman & Beeman. The straw season is nsually short, when compared with other manufactur- ing. The number employed by this firm in winter and spring is about two hundred, with a production of seven thousand cases of hats and bonnets.

The largest straw-shop in town is that of the H. O. Bernard Company, north of the railroad station. In the busy season they employ about nine hundred persons, and have produced sixty thousand cases of hats and bonnets in one year. For many years George N. Smalley, who had begun making straw goods with Mitchell in 1865, was general manager of this company in Westboro', while H. O. Bernard conducted the New York City department. The company was incorporated under the laws of New York in 1885 with a capital of two hundred thousand dollars.

The White Cycle Company has recently erected buildings for the manufacture of bicycles and tri- cycles under the patents of Frederick White. The principal building is one hundred and fifty feet long. The first machines will be put on the market this year.

The following is a list of establishments engaged in manufacturing and mechanical industries in Westborough in 1885:

Artificial teeth and dental work

Boots and shoes.

Boxes (paper and wooden) 1

Brick, tile and sewer pipe. 1

Building 9

Burial cases, coffins, caskets, etc

Carriages and wagons.

Clothing

Drugs and medicines

Food preparations.

Leather

Machines and machinery.

Metals and metallic goods.

Printing, publishing and book-binding

Stone,

Straw and palm-leaf goods

Wooden goods

Total 53

The total product was. ... $2,004,887.

The Westborough Savings Bank was incorporated in 1869, and now has deposits exceeding $600,000.

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WESTBOROUGH.

Cyrus Fay was president until his death, in 1884, and was succeeded by Edwin Bullard.

In 1864 the First National Bank was organized with a capital of $100,000. J. A. Fayerweather, the first president, still holds that office. S. M. Griggs was the first cashier, and for about twenty years George O. Brigham has been cashier of the national bank and treasurer of the savings bank.

Westborough has become quite a commercial centre for the adjoining towns. There are now ahout sixty stores in place of the two or three which supplied the farmers with the few articles they did not produce in the early part of the century.

For a busy manufacturing town, with a large part of its population young men, its temperance record is not excelled by any in the State. The absence of saloons among the numerous places of business is quite noticeable. The number of votes for license is usually less than ten, with about one thousand names on the voting-list. For many years the town has, in its by-laws, required the selectmen to enforce laws for the suppression of the liquor traffic, and has gen- erally elected selectmen and officers who have ener- getically attended to this duty.

Since 1820 the population of the town has steadily increased. The growth has not been rapid, but has been more uniform than the census returns would in- dicate. From 1850 to 1855 the gain was nearly forty- eight per cent., as returned by the census. About one-half of this increase, however, was due to the large number of boys in the State Reform School at the latter date. In 1885 the slight falling off in pop- ulation was not due to a decrease in the number of permanent residents.

In 1816, when the population was ahout one-fourth of the present number of inhabitants, there were but eight persons in town who paid over $20 in taxes, and hut two who paid over $50. There were forty- eight who paid over $10 towards the total tax-levy (including State, county, town and ministerial rates) of $2663.62. The following were the highest tax-payers of that year :

Heirs of Hon, Elijah Brigham $87.00

Breck Parkman, 61,32

John Fayerweather.

47.55

Benjamin Fay

42.86

David Fay .. 31.58

Benjamin Fay, Jr. 29.89

Lambert Forbush

28.78

John Sanborn

24.18

John Wadsworth

19.63

Moses Grout

19.61

Before 1864 the tax rate was generally less than one per cent., and the people did not expect or re- quire so much from the town as a municipality then as now. Reservoir water, public library and reading- room, high school instruction, street lights, concrete and brick sidewalks, engine-houses, paid Fire Depart- ments and night watch are all innovations of the present generation. Even common schools were

kept but a few months in the year without any at- tempt at systematic grading.

The character of the population has largely changed. In the early part of the century the peo- ple were nearly all descendants of the settlers who came to this country between 1630 and 1675. The first immigrants to reach Westborough in consider- able numbers came from Ireland, and engaged in making boots and shoes and as laborers on farms. As early as 1855 one-sixth of the population was of foreign birth-447 out of 545 immigrants coming from Ireland. They came with but little property, and were generally illiterate. The men had been so long accustomed to consider the ownership of land a great privilege in the old country, that the majority eagerly seized the opportunity to buy homes for themselves. While the average wealth has been much less than that of the native inhabitants, the records of our overseers of the poor show very few permanent paupers among them or their descendants. Most of those who have occupied the town poor- house during the past forty years have been insane or weak-minded people of American ancestry. Probably a larger per cent. of those of foreign de- scent have received temporary aid in their own homes in times of business depression, as those en- gaged in manufacturing pursuits are less apt to be frugal and saving than the farming population.

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History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 110

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