History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 23

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 23

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useless and refused to obey the dictates of the will, he learned to use the left with greater facility, and his penmanship, written with the left hand, is a model of neatness. He abated in no particular or degree his interest in the welfare of the town, or for years in the practice of his profession. In the rebuilding of the church he was an active member of the building com- mittee and prompt in meeting its responsibilities. To his artistic eye the town is indebted for the (at that time) rare architectural beauty of this church, which is a model in its harmonious proportions and perfect acoustics.

In his office Christopher C. Baldwin collected, placed in order, and preserved the old records and data of the town that have been of incalculable value to the later historians. Hon. Isaac Davis, Christopher C. Baldwin, Esq., Edward Clark, Esq., and others studied law under his teaching and in this office. He was one of the founders of the Worcester Agricultural Society, in 1819, and one of its officers later. He was a prominent and active Mason ; a member of Olive Branch Lodge, which was chartered in 1797, and its W. M. from 1821 to 1825, inclusive. Though not able to attend its meetings in his later years, yet his inter- est in Masonry remained unabated, and at his death he was buried with Masonic honors-many prominent Masons from other lodges being present to honor his memory.

Though his religious views were more broad, and nearer in accord with the Unitarian faith, he was an active member and liberal supporter of the orthodox Congregational Society located in the centre of the town. Naturally sympathetic, he cultivated the kindly virtues, and his life was full of kind deeds. None came to him for sympathy, for counsel, or for help and turned away unassisted-their need was his ex- cuse for giving them his best service. Yet, his tender- ness was ever in abeyance to his moral courage, which never flinched from duty, and whether in shielding the defenceless little African boy, who, noting sym- pathy in his face, ran to him for protection and would not be taken away, or in the hanging of the pirates, Marshal Sibley was the same,-tender yet true,-in enforcing the law, or in protecting the defenceless. Such was his life, broad aud beneficent, and his death calmly awaited as a happy release from physical suf- fering such as falls to the lot of but few. He died February 1, 1852.

Genealogy .- Jonas L.6 (Jonas,5 Nathaniel,' Samuel,3 Joseph,2 John1), married Margaret N., daughter of Stephen Monroe, November 12, 1817; she was born January 17, 1795; died December 27, 1858. Children, -1. Susan Maria, born August 31, 1818; married John D. McCrate, Esq .; 2. Joanna LeBaron, born May 1, 1820; married John Pierpont, Jr .; 3. John Monroe, born July 7, 1822; 4. Frances Lydia, born February 22, 1824; 5. Mary LeBaron, born March 16, 1826; 6. Henry Jonas, born April 21, 1828; resides in Califor- nia; 7. Frances Mary, born August 29, 1830 ; married

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J. W. Stockwell of Sutton, June 26, 1867; 8. Marga- ret Louisa, born October 26, 1832.

John M.7 (Jonas L.,6 Jonas,5 Nathaniel,4 Samuel,3 Joseph,? John1), married Experience C. Wheelock. Children,-1. John Pierpont, born July 4, 1849; lives in New London, Conn.

WILLIAM R. HILL.

William Robinson Hill, son of Deacon Micah and Sally (Marsh) Hill, was born in Douglas, Mass., Feb- ruary 10, 1815, and died in Wilkinsonville, November 19, 1887. His ancestry can be traced through seven generations to John Hill, who came from England to Plymouth Colony among the early settlers (previous to the year 1632), and whose descendants for several generations lived in the towns in Eastern Massachu- setts, chiefly in Medway, Dorchester and Sherborn.

John Hill became a member of the Boston Artil- lery Company in 1633, and died in 1664. The records of Sherborn contain an entry of three grants of land, comprising ten thousand seven hundred acres, by "The Great General Court of Mass. Bay" to the people of Sherborn. This land was divided into lots to be drawn by the inhabitants of Sherborn, and were situ- ated in what was then called New Sherborn, now Douglas.

John Hill (2d), son of John Hill, was a large land- holder in Sherborn. In 1715 he drew thirty-three acres of land in Douglas. He died in Sherborn, Jan- uary 23, 1718. His sons-Samuel, Dr. Eleazer and Ebenezer Hill-drew lands in Douglas in 1715.

Capt. Ephraim Hill (of the fourth generation), son of Samuel and grandson of John Hill (2d), was born in Sherborn, November 5, 1688.

Twenty acres of land were given him in Douglas, December 29, 1721, "in consideration of his being the first-settled inhabitant in town." He died in Douglas in 1795, being one hundred and seven years old.

Ephraim Hill's name appears often on the records of the proprietors of land-grants. He serve I on com- mittees to transact business concerning the interests of the grants in the settlement of any trouble from the time the grants were made to the time of the Decla- ration of Independence in 1776, and after that date his name was among the officers of the town of Doug- las, which was incorporated in 1746.

Caleb Hill, son of Ephraim Hill, was born in Med- way, May 23, 1716. The town records of Douglas show that in 1750 " a grant of land was made to Col. Caleb Hill, Innholder."

He was an active man in proprietary affairs to the time of the Revolution, and in town business after that era. For thirty years he was a deacon of the church in Douglas.

Moses, the oldest son of Caleb Hill, was born in Douglas August 17, 1757. He married Dinah Robin- son in Dudley September 20, 1780, and died Septem- ber 1, 1800. "In the death of Lieut. Moses Hill, at

the age of forty-three years, his family, society and the town met with a severe loss."

Micah Hill, son of Lieutenant Moses Hill, was born in Douglas September 27, 1787, and in 1809 was united in marriage to Sally Marsh, daughter of Aaron and Sarah (Fuller) Marsh. For many years he was a deacon of the Congregational Church in Douglas. He died June 20, 1836, leaving a widow and six sous, all of whom lived to maturity and filled places of trust and responsibility.

William R., the third son of Micah Hill, at the age of twelve years, entered upon a clerkship in the store of his uncle, Benjamin Cragin, in East Douglas. He remained there for two years attending school during its sessions, and devoting the remaining hours of the day and his vacations to his duties in the store. In the spring of 1829 he engaged as clerk in the store of the Manchaug Manufacturing Company. The suc- ceeding fall found him a clerk for Wadsworth & Fowler in East Douglas. In April, 1880, he went to New Worcester and remained one year with Wads- worth & Metcalf. In the spring of 1831 he went to Uxbridge as clerk for Amasa Dudley, and remained till March, 1833, when he was employed by J. L. Dudley, Wilkinsonville, and remained with him two years. On the 1st of April, 1835, he returned to the store of Amasa Dudley, in Uxbridge. In 1836 he took up his permanent residence in Wilkinsonville (in the township of Sutton ) as a partner in mercantile business with James L. Dudley. This partnership was dissolved in 1844 by the death of Mr. Dudley. The business was continued by Mr. Hill in the same place until December, 1884. During these forty-eight years he was the book-keeper and pay-master for the Sutton Manufacturing Company. For thirty years he was postmaster, holding this office at the time of his death.

He was always active and interested in the affairs of the town in which he lived (Sutton) and satisfac- torily filled positions on the Boards of Assessors, Selectmen and School Committee. His fellow-towns- men sent him to the House of Representatives in 1861, and in 1862 and '63 he was sent to the State Senate. In politics he was a thorough Republican.

On the temperance question he advocated total ab- stinence. He was for several years the president of the Worcester County (South) Temperance Union, and from its organization deeply interested in its work. Tobacco in any form was abhorrent to him.

For twenty-three years he was a director of the Grafton National Bank ; for ten years the president of the Millbury Savings Bank, being in office at both places when he died.

The office of treasurer of the Worcester South Con- ference of Churches was for many years faithfully filled by him.

Mr. Hill possessed a pure tenor voice of rare sweet- ness. It was also a voice of unusual compass, being equally pure and full in the upper and lower regis-

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ters. It may be said to be his maternal inheritance, as several members of the family were equally gifted. He was deeply interested in musical matters.

During his residence in Uxbridge he was organist at the Congregational Church, and was leader in the choir of the West Church in Grafton for nearly half a century.

For fourteen years he faithfully served the Worces- ter County Musical Association as president, dis- charging its duties for nearly one-half the period covered by its history. His labors were very valuable in securing the incorporation of the association, over which he ever presided with dignity and efficiency.

He was also leader in the singing at the meetings of the Worcester Congregational Club, of which he was long a member.

When seventeen years of age he made a public con- fession of faith in Christ, uniting with the Congre- gational Church in Uxbridge, Rev. Mr. Grosvenor, pastor.

In the West Church at Grafton, to which, for forty- five years he belonged, he was, till the end of life, an active and consistent member, sincerely beloved and honored, and achieving through its channels of use- fulness a most noble service for the Master.

His was an active and well-spent life, his energetic spirit leaving no hour unemployed, and by patient, persevering industry, prudence and good judgment, he achieved success.

Promptness was considered by him one of the car- dinal virtues, and his presence could always be relied upon at the time appointed. He was very methodical and always met and faithfully discharged every obli- gation.

Quiet and unassuming in manner, a careful investi- gator of business and municipal problems, his sound and discriminating judgment was supplemented hy a keen sense of honor and a desire to do that which was for the best interest of all concerned.

He was generous to his opponents, considerate of his friends, but in that generosity and consideration was never found countenance of questionable public or private action.

Willing at all times to counsel with those who sought his advice, he never intruded his opinions upon others, while to those in distress through the misfor- tune of this life he gave generously of his means, never refusing an appeal, and quietly seeking out and assisting those in trouble.

He was one of the stanchest supporters of the Evangelical Congregational Church in Grafton, and at the time of his death was its senior officer. IIe was a generous supporter of the church, and at his death left it a legacy of ($2000) two thousand dollars.

He manifested a deep interest in the Sunday-school, and in early life, and later, for a term of years filled the position of superintendent.

The cause of missions, both home and foreign, re- ceived his hearty support and regard. Deprived of

the advantages which a collegiate course would have conferred, he was ever solicitous for the educational privileges of childhood and youth ; his benefactions were not confined to the more public charities, but were rendered through many private ministrations.

It was in the home circle that his death was most deplored, for home was to him the dearest place; and welcomed as he was in public life, it was here that the graces of the man shone the brightest. Genial in temperament, fond of quiet conversation with his friends, the pleasantry and playfulness of manner so frequently manifested were characteristic of his nature. Tall and commanding in stature, and of fine personal presence, his appearance drew even strangers towards him.

In the swiftness of the summons which called him to his heavenly reward, his earnest desire was grati- fied. Closing one day with the knowledge of daily duty faithfully done, the sleep of earth was succeeded by an awakening in the presence of the Lord.

There was a large attendance at the funeral, which took place November 22, 1887, at the West Church, and to quote from the public press-" It was a day of mourning in Grafton and in the neighboring towns. Mr. Hill was loved by all who knew him, young and old, rich and poor; and those who did not know him personally, honored and respected him as a man of absolute integrity." The directors of both of the banks in Grafton, and the trustees of the Millbury Savings Bank attended the funeral, and also a delegation from the Worcester County Musi- eal Association.

The words of his pastor, Rev. B. A. Robie, on this occasion, were a fitting eulogy :

While I would oot predicate of Mr. Ilill the possession, to any pre- eminent degree, of those qualities which go to make up the greatness uf a man's character, yet if it is true that in goodness there is true great- ness, then he certainly was in the truest sense a great man, and few of us ever knew a better. In the qualities of Christian goodness his life shone with uniform brightness. He was gentle, and pure, and benevo lent. . . .

He gave with a lavish hand, his benefactions being regulated by a wisdom that ever regarded the worthiest claims upon his charities. In addition to these gentler qualities of the Christian character, there were exhibited in Mr. Ilill's life those more sterling virtues which go to make up the successful business man. Indeed, so combined in him were the two-the characteristics of the merchant and those of the philanthropist-that had God in his providence cast his lot in any of our metropolitan cities, his name would have been enrolled, without ques tion, among those of the Lawrences, an Otis, Wm. E. Dodge and many others, whose histories are a standing protest against the popular idea that a man cannot carry on business to-day upon strict Christian principles and succeed.

Through the fifty years of Mr. Hill's business career, not one act of questionable integrity, or so much as a thought thereof, ever stained its record. Ile was the soul of honor-his life immaculate in its purity -his simple word, in commercial circles, a bond as good as gold. To his wisdom and experience his associates ia financial circles were accus- tomed to submit questions of importance with a degree of confidence which few men could command. His death bas created a vacancy among them which it will be hardly possible for them to fill.

Observation teaches us that most men shine more or less conspicu- ously in some one sphere of usefulness alone, being, as we say, specially "adapted" for the sphere in which they serve.

But with Mr. Hill it seems otherwise-not only in one, but in many and varied positions his life seemed most successful, whether in the

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home, the place of business at the store, office or bank, in political and social life, he was a man of character and of prayer.

From whatever standpoint you looked at him he seemed the same- and the words of the poet in their application to him are true :

" The elements So mix'd in him that nature might etand up And say to all the world This was a Man !"

Upon the death of Mr. Hill resolutions of the high regard in which he was held were passed by the Millbury Savings Bank, the Grafton National Bank and the Worcester County Musical Associa- tion.

Mr. Hill was united in marriage, May 21, 1839, to Miss Emily B. Wheelock, daughter of the late Capt. Francis Wheelock, of Sturbridge, who survives him, with two of their four daughters-Caroline Wheel- ock and Ellen Agnes-the latter the wife of Albert L. Fisher, of Fisherville.

CHAPTER CXXX.

PRINCETON.

BY NATHAN ALLEN, M.D., LL.D. 1

THE following names are found recorded in the town records, January 1, 1770, as heads of families :-

Isaac Abbot, Joseph Abbot, Samuel Bailey, John Barber, Phineas Beaman, Timothy Billings, John Bart- lett, Stephen Brigham, Thaddeus Bowman, Aaron Brooks, Charles Brooks, Enoch Brooks, Job Brooks, -- Brown, J. Bullard, Richard Cheever, Ebenezer Colburn, - Conant, Robert Cowden, Oliver Davis, - Davis, - Eager, Joseph Eveletlı, David Everett, Nathan Farron, Robert Forbes, William Foster, John Frost, Elisha Gale, William Gibbs, Moses Gill, Joseph Gibbs, John Gleason, Peter Goodnow, - Gregory, Asa Harris, Abi- jah Harrington, Ephraim Hartwell, C. Hart- well, Samuel Hastings, Joseph Haynes, Elisha Hobbs, Colonel Benjamin Holden, Abner Howe, Adonijah Howe, Eliphalet Howe, Artemas Howe, Howard, Silas Houghton, Joel Houghton, Ebenezer Jones, Colonel Elisha Jones, Isaac Jones, John Jones, John Jones, Robert Keyes, Timothy Keyes, Tilly Littlejohn, Sadey Mason, Thomas Mason, Paul Mathews, Caleb Mirick, James Mirick, John Mirick, Josiah Mirick, Lieut. Boaz Moore, Humphrey Moore, Jacob Moore, - Morse, Samuel Moseman, Timothy Moseman, William Moseman, William Muzzy, Michah Newton, Isaac Norcross, Joseph Norcross, Noah Norcross, David Parker, George Parkhurst, Aaron Perry, Joseph Phelps, Silas Plympton, Amos Powers, Jonathan Powers, Stephen

Ralph, William Raymond, Joel Rice, Philip Rogers, James Robinson, Robert Rossier, Joseph Sargent, Abraham Savage, Seth Savage, Warren Sawin, William Skinner, Nathan Smith, George Smith, Jonathan Smith, Isaac Stratton, Jabez Stratton, J. Stanley, Daniel Sumner, Joseph Wooley, Dr. Ephraim Woolson, Chas. Wyman.

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY .- The early settlers here, like all our New England towns, were decidedly a religious people. In October, 1759, when Prince- ton was incorporated, the Rev. Mr. Harrington, from Lancaster, preached the first sermon to a mere hand- ful of people at Mr. Abijah Moore's. In 1762 the first meeting-house was erected and preaching was conducted here till 1764, when a church was organ- ized, consisting of eighteen members. The Rev. Timothy Fuller was ordained as the first pastor of this church in 1767, and dismissed in 1776. The following succeeded him as pastors : Rev. Thomas Craft from 1786 to 1791; Rev. Joseph Russell from 1796 to 1801; Rev. James Murdock, D.D., from 1802 to 1815. At this time a division occurred in the church ; a large majority of its members, being dissat- isfied with the ministrations of Rev. Samuel Clarke, withdrew and organized as a Presbyterian Church. Mr. Clarke was settled, in 1817, in fellowship with the Unitarian deuomination, and continued his pas- toral labors here until 1832. After his dismission their society employed what were considered evau. gelical preachers. Rev. John P. Cowley was settled in 1833 and dismissed in 1834; Rev. Elijah Demond was pastor from 1836 to 1839; Rev. Willard M. Harding from 1840 to 1844; Rev. Alfred Goldsmith from 1845 to 1849 ; Rev. Henry Weeks from 1852 to 1855; Rev. William T. Briggs, 1856 to 1863; Rev. Mr. Zelie, 1864 to 1867 ; Rev. Roger M. Sargent, 1869 to 1871; Rev. George M. Howe, 1876 to 1884 ; Rev. A. L. Love, 1885 to 1887 ; and at present the church is supplied with Rev. Charles A. White. In 1817 a Baptist Society was organized by residents of the town and of Holden ; and in July, 1822, a church was formed, and in 1826 Rev. Elias Johnson became its pastor. In 1828 a small brick meeting-lionse was built a mile north of the centre of the town.

From 1830 to 1832 Rev. Appleton Morse supplied ; from 1832 to 1836 Rev. Nehemiah G. Lovel; from 1837 to 1841 Rev. Mason Ball; and from 1841 to 1844 Rev. Orlando Cunningham. During this time the so- ciety built a new meeting-house in the centre of the town, near the Congregational Church, but in 1844 this society, becoming much reduced in numbers and means, ceased to exist, and its place of worship was sold, and became a hotel, now known as the "Prospect House." In 1839 a Methodist Church was organized, aud in 1840 a meeting-house was built one- fourth of a mile northwest of the centre of the town. This church has been since supplied by a regular series of pastors, changing often, according to the practice of that denomination. The formation of

1 The preparation of thie history of Princeton was Dr. Allen's last work. He was ably aided by his daughter, Annie Louise Allen, who completed some of his unfinished manuscripts .- EDITOR.

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this society was much indebted to changes in another church organization. In 1817, upon the settlement of Rev. Samnel Clarke over the old Congregational Society, the main body of the church being dissatisfied with his preaching and doctrines, withdrew and formed a new church, called Presbyterian. In 1820 Rev. Alonzo Phillips was ordained its pastor and preached here with great acceptance till 1836. At this time, by the advice of a council, a formal union took place between the two churches, who had worshipped in separate houses for sixteen or seventeen years. Being dissatisfied with the result, quite a number of the leading families connected with Mr. Phillips' church joined in a movement for the formation of a Methodist Society and church in the town.

NAME .- Princeton bears an honorable name. Its first cognomen was the East Wing of Rutland. As early as 1686 certain Indians conveyed by deed to Hervey Willard and others a large tract of land twelve miles square, of which Rutland became the centre. From this tract several towns were formed, and the eastern part, comprising about 12,000 acres, was designated East Wing of Rutland. In 1759 the proprietors of this land petitioned the Legislature for incorporation, and it was proposed, as Rev. Thomas Prince was by far the largest proprietor, to call the place Prince-town. Rev. Thomas Prince, besides being associated pastor of the Old South Church, Boston, was the most distinguished writer of his day. In 1771, after other additions of land amounting to some eight thousand acres, had been annexed, the inhabitants petitioned that the town be called Princeton.

SETTLEMENT IN PRINCETON .- The first settlement was made in 1743 by Joshua Wilder, from Lancaster, which had then been settled one hundred years, and was the first place settled in Worcester County. Wil- der built a block-house on land since known as the Houghton place and lived here several years, being the only family.

In 1750, Abijah Moore settled on land known as the Reed place, and about the same time a Mr. Cheever settled in the southern part of the town on land since known as the Cobb place. In 1751, Robert Keys settled on land at the easterly base of Wachnsett Mountain, and soon after Oliver Davis settled in the western part of the town, known since as Clark Hill. In 1752 these five families were the only ones permanently located in the place, but after this new families came and gradually increased till 1759, when they numbered thirty. At this tine there were seventy-four names attached to a petition for incorporation, but it is understood that more than one-half were single men seeking a settlement.

TERRITORY .- The exact amount of land contained in the East Wing of Rutland was eleven thousand six hundred and twenty-six acres. Along the north- ern boundary of this section there were three thousand acres of uncultivated land, known as the Watertown

Farms, taking this name from the fact that the Gen - eral Court, for certain considerations, had conveyed to Watertown this strip of land, which was included in the act of incorporation. It seems, also, there was at the same time another large tract of land, not incorporated, called "Province land," which, with five hundred acres including the Wachusett Moun- tain, were annexed in 1771 to Princeton by the Legis- lature, amounting in all to abont five thousand acres. In 1810 a strip of land-five hundred acres-was taken from Hubbardston, and in 1828 a grove of land called Notown, adjoining Leominster, were both an- nexed to Princeton. The whole area of land does not vary much from twenty-two thousand acres.

BOUNDARY .- The town is bounded north by West- minster ; east by Leominster and Sterling; south by Holden and Rutland, and west by Hubbardston. It is seated nearly fifty miles from Boston due west, and is about the same distance east of Connecticut River, occupying the highest ground between these localities and constituting a water-shed, from whence the streams flow either to this river or the ocean. It is situated fourteen miles from Worcester, a little west of north, and only a few miles south of the centre ot the county.

INDIAN HISTORY .- There is little to be said on this subject. The Indian history of the place is not characterized by so many striking incidents as some places. The Indians generally sought abodes on plain land easy of enltivation or bordering on ponds and rivers ; hence Lancaster and the grounds around the Wachacum Pond in Sterling were places of frequent rendezvous. Reports state that they gathered occa- sionally in large numbers around Washusett Moun- tain for hunting, but, with one exception, no depreda- tions were committed upon the inhabitants here. It may be the tribe-the Nashaways-traversing this re- gion were of a more peaceable disposition and had to some extent come under the favorable influence of the white population. A most noticeable event occurred here long before the place was settled, in the deliver- ance of Mrs. Rowlandson, taken in 1676 at the burn- ing of Lancaster and carried away captive by the In- dians. In another place a particular account of this event will be given, together with the report of the Indians stealing in 1775 a young child, by name Lucy Keyes, and carrying her away into captivity. It may be said that no Indians were ever seen by the settlers in this region.

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History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 23

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