USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II > Part 76
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Jacob Rugg.
Paul Otis.
John L. Divoll.
John Perkins.
Joseph Fairbank.
Charles Hale.
John Bontelle.
James Wood.
William Boutelle.
James Boutelle.
Salmon Johosoo.
Joel IIale.
Rebecca Tendey.
Thomas Boutelle.
John Burditt.
Hiel Coolidge.
Luther R. Clark.
Abigail Boutelle.
Reuben Parker.
Leonard Litchfield.
Bezaleel Gibson.
Alfred Smith.
Joseph Darling.
Jerusha Thurston.
William Putnam.
Benjamin Perkins.
Charles Boutelle.
Samuel Hale.
Artemas A. Wood.
Caleb Wood.
Samuel H. Evans.
Eleanor Nichols.
Thomas C. Litchfield.
Ephraim Lincoln.
Luke Colburn.
Abigail S. Dudley.
Jobn Adams.
Aaron Wood.
Thomas Gibson.
Abel Kendall.
FIRST MEETING-HOUSE .- At a meeting of the Calvinistic Society held November 5, 1823, it was voted that Deacon Abel Kendall, Capt. Ephraim Lincoln and Abel Wood be a committee to report the form and expense of building a meeting-house. This committee having duly reported, at a meeting of the society December 22, 1823, it was voted "to build a meeting-house forty feet square, and thirteen feet posts." Abel Kendall, Ephraim Lincoln and Abel Wood were appointed a committee to contract for the building. January 2, 1824, this committee was authorized to make the contract "if the expense should not exceed one thousand dollars." April 2, 1824 it was voted to open a subscription paper for the purpose of raising three hundred dollars to make the meeting-house two stories high. At an adjourned meeting it was voted that each man pay for this pur- pose " what he shall voluntarily put to his name." The expense of the land and building the house was paid by the following persons, members of the Cal- vinistic Society in Leominster :
Ephraim Lincoln
$250
Benjamin Perkins
12!
John Perkins. 85
Abel Kendall 100
Alfred Smith 60
James Wood 80
Samuel Hale 225
Charles Ilale 100
105
James Bontelle
100
Leonard Litchfield.
Paul Otie. 70
Dolly Johnson
100
Widow Nichols
5
Betsy Boutelle
50
Reliet Boutelle
5
Total
$1520
Legal Organization .- At a meeting of the society, April 12, 1824, it was voted that the members meet on Thursday, April 29th, for the purpose of organiz- ing this society according to law. The following document was prepared and forwarded :
To William Perry Esq., one of the Justices of the Peace within and for the County of Worcester :
We, the undersigned members of the Calvinistic Church and Society in Leominster, do hereby request yon to issue a warrant to some one of us for calling a meeting of Said Society, to be holden at the dwelling- house of Captain Ephraim Lincoln in said Leominster on Thursday, the twenty-ninth day of April inst., at 4 o'clock P. M., to act on the follow- ing articles, viz. :
Article I. To choose a Moderator to govern said meeting.
Abel Wood
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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.
Article 2. To choose a Clerk, Assessors, Treasurer, Collector, and auch other officers aa may be deemed proper for organizing said Society cou- formable to the law of the Commonwealth.
Sigued, Samuel Hale, Alfred Smith, Benjamin Perkins, Charles IIale, Leonard Litchfield, James Wood, Panl Otis, Joho Perkins, Ahel Ken- dall, Ephraim Lincoln, Abel Wood, James Bontelle.
In pursuance of this action the following warrant was issued :
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. [1 .. s.]
To Deacon Abel Kendall, a member of the Calvinistic Church and Society in the town of Leominster, Worcester County, greeting:
In the name of the Commonwealth aforesaid, and by virtue of a law thereof passed the sixteenth day of February, A.D. 1824, entitled "An Act in addition to an Act respecting Public Worship and Religious Freedom," you are hereby directed, by giving personal notice seven days at least before the time herein set for the meeting, to notify and warn the members of said Calvinistic Church and Society, qualified to vote in town affairs, and particularly the within named applicants, to meet at the dwellog.honse of Capt. Ephraim Lincoln ju said Leomin- ster, on Thursday, the 29th day of April iust., at 4 o'clock P. M., for the purpose of organizing said Society into a Parish by acting upon the articles specified in application.
WILLIAM PERRY, Justice of the Peace.
Under this warrant the society was duly organized. The church and society has enjoyed different names at different periods of its history. At first it was the Calvinistic Church and Society; in 1835 this was changed to the Evangelical Church and Society ; again in 1874 the name was changed to the Orthodox Congregational Church and Society, since which time we have heard of no church in town trying to secure a longer name.
The society is free from debt. The church has a resident membership of three hundered and forty- three and a Sabbath-school of over four hundred.
THE CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH .- In matters of religions faith one division is very likely to be fol- lowed by others. The formation of the Orthodox, Baptist and Methodist Churches were only parts of the same general movement ; they were sub-divisions, according to individual choice, of the conservative element of the old Church.
In the centennial discourse of Rev. Rufus P. Steb- bins we find this statement: " As early as the minis- try of Mr. Bascom we find in the church records some intimations of the existence of Baptist views in the Church. At a meeting of the church in 1817 a brother stated his scruples about the validity of his infant baptism, expressing his doubts of his privilege to sit at the communion table nnder such circum- stances, and desired to be excused from so doing for a short time. His request was cordially granted. About a month afterwards the same brother desired 'to receive a dismission from the church and recom- mendation.' The church took the subject into con- sideration, and two months after voted, 'that as the brother had, as they believed, conscientiously con- nected himself with another denomination of Chris- tians (Baptists), they should consider him no longer under the special watch and care of this church.' The reference in this extract is to Samnel Crocker, father of Dea. S. S. Crocker, of this town. The story
of his conversion to Baptist views is thus told. While reading the Bible at family worship he came to one of the accounts of baptism in the New Testament. His wife interrupted with: 'There, husband, the Baptists are right !' This led to a careful considera- tion of the subject and a change of belief. He walked to Harvard, applied for admission to the Bap- tist Church of that town, and was received after a short delay."
The further history of the Baptist Church here is largely a condensation of the admirable historical discourse of Rev. A. F. Mason, delivered at the scmi- centennial of the church.
In November of 1818, a year later, there were more converts to the views of Mr. Crocker, and the pastor of the church in Holden visited Leominster and ad- ministercd the rite of baptism. Great interest was manifested in the ceremony. Men and women came from all parts of the town and lined the banks of the river to witness what was then a most unusual ser- vice. In the following year seven more were bap- tized, and these, ten in all, remained members of the Baptist Church in Holden until June 31, 1822, when, with others to the number of sixty-five, they formed a church of their own faith in Princeton. This is the historical beginning of the Leominster Baptist Church, for the members of Leominster were organized into a branch church, with the privilege of sustaining the ministry of the gospel among themselves, observing the ordinances and of receiving believers to their fel- lowship. Sometimes with settled pastors, sometimes with transient supplies, and, when neither could be had, with the "demonstration " of Deacon Samuel Crocker, this " Branch " maintained a really indepen- dent existence for fifteen years, although not at this time recognized as a separate church.
The parish history begins with 1824. On the 21st of April of that year David Allen, Jonah Rice, Oli- ver Haskell, Peter Wilder, Willard Parker, Samuel Crocker, Thomas Wilder, Tyler Coolidge, Joseph Smith and Thomas A. Warner petitioned William Perry, justice of the peace for the county of Wor- cester, " to issue a warrant to all members of the Bap- tist Society in the Town of Leominster, qualified to vote in town affairs, to meet for the purpose of organ- izing said Society into a parish." This warrant was issued on the 23d and the society met on the 30th, " in the building owned by widow Eunice Richard- son, in said town, where said Society usually assembles for public worship." This house then stood on Main Street, but has been removed and is now occupied by Mr. George M. Kendall, on North Main Street. Here the parish was organized.
The first pastor of the church was Rev. Elisha Andrews. There is no record of the date of his settle- ment or the length of his service. It is another case of fanlty records. At the time everybody knew and it seemed of no consequence; now, no one knows or can discover. April 30th, however, the society voted
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LEOMINSTER.
to collect money for his salary, so that he evidently hegan his labors before the parish was organized.
In 1826, Rev. Asaph Merriam was chosen pastor and served the church at a salary of four dollars a week.
From 1824 to 1830 meetings were held in the tailor- shop of John Richardson, which had been furnished with a desk and benches for that purpose. The breth- ren and sisters occupied different sides of this primi- tive church. As they were not permitted to adorn their half of the sanctuary with specimens of manly beauty, the sisters concluded to paper the walls; thus forming a " corner " in beauty. During this time the church was supplied, in addition to those already named, by Revs. John Walker, Nicholas Branch and Elias McGregary.
This first meeting-house of this society was built in 1830. It was located on land given for the pur- pose on North Main Street, where the house of Mr. Stilman Meads now stands, and the building itself is still in use near its original site. The cost, as it appears from a receipt in full given by Daniel Allen, to whom the contract for building was given, was $834.35.
The next pastor was Rev. Samuel Glover, but it does not seem that the society proposed to take much risk in the matter, for they "voted to employ Elder Samuel Glover to preach to such amount as funds may be raised to pay the expense consequent on Elder Glover's labor." Whether the amount of preach- ing refers to the number or the length of the ser- mons the record does not say. Appleton Belknap, George Waters, Luther Stoddard and Messrs. Stearns, Merriam and Bradbury-first names not known- served the church after the resignation of Rev. Mr. Glover, in 1833. In 1834 we learn that David Allen obtained the contract for the care, the heating and the lighting of the church for $4.50. The next year the society went to the extent of furnishing four feet of green wood and two feet of dry wood, and paid Henry Perry five dollars for the same work. These are picture facts in which we may see both the history and the spirit of the times.
The next pastor was the Rev. Moses Harrington. In the first part of his ministry (June 28, 1837) the " branch " was organized as an independent church. Twenty-eight persons constituted this infant church. The ministry of Mr. Harrington continued until 1840, and his successor, David Goddard, Jr., was or- dained on June 3d of that year. He continued in the office here until Feb. 4, 1843. Of Mr. Goddard the Rev. Mr. Mason says: " He was a reformer, taking high ground against slavery, intemperance and worldly amusements. He led the church as a body to pledge themselves to total abstinence and the dis- fellowshiping of slave-holders. He also framed the following clause which was inserted in the church covenant : 'We will also carefully refrain from spending our time idly at taverns, in parties of worldly
pleasure, or in trifling company.' He preached a sermon, which is represented as a powerful discourse, against the wearing by the sisters of roses in their bonnets; and such was the effect that every sister immediately dismantled her head-gear of all orna- ments, and put them back again within three weeks." His grave is in Leominster.
The other pastors of this church were David God- dard, Sr., William S. Wilder, Isaiah C. Carpenter, David Taylor and B. H. Clifts. With the end of this last pastorate the Leominster Baptist Church ceased to be; the last entry in its records bearing date Octo- ber 27, 1849, three weeks after the resignation of Rev. B. H. Clifts. The difficulties were too many and the burdens too heavy for their strength. The people re- fused to contribute longer to the repairs of a church so badly located and to the support of preaching in a house not fit for public worship. The church was disbanded. At this distance of time and under our changed circumstances it would not be well to pass judgment on the wisdom of this action; but it does not seem wholly clear why it was necessary to disband the old church and lose all its associations if a new church of the same faith was to be organized within six months. Perhaps it was a matter of local ne- cessity.
March 5, 1850, twenty-five persons, assembled at the house of Jonathan Burrage, began the new move- ment; on the following Sunday these, with seven others, declared themselves the Leominster Central Baptist Church and were recognized as such by council August 23d of the same year. Before the end of the year the house now occupied by the society was built and dedicated. The list of pastors is as fol- lows: Rev. Aurora M. Sawin, 1850-54; Rev. A. C. Bronson, brother of the librarian of the Town Library, 1854-57; Rev. Isaac Woodbury, 1857-58; Rev. A. M. Higgins, 1859, who was pastor thirteen months. For a year after this Joseph Barber, then a student in the Worcester Academy, supplied ; Rev. W. H. Watson, 1862, was pastor for three and one-half years; Rev. Abijah Hall, 1866-68; Rev. Thomas Clarkson Rus- sell, 1868-74; Rev. A. F. Mason, 1874-76 ; Rev. O. D. Kimball, 1876-83; Rev. A. L. Freeman, 1884-86; Rev. Julius B. Robinson, 1886-SS.
THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH .- The real beginnings of this church date from nearly the same time as of the other churches named, but it was not legally constituted until March 10, 182S. The Strattons then, as afterwards, were prominent in this movement, as the first meeting was held at the house of Nathan Stratton and John Stratton was the first clerk. This society dedicated its first house of worship December, 1829. This house continued to meet the wants of the society for ten years, when it was con- verted into a dwelling-honse and the society moved to the church building on Main Street, which had been purchased of the present Orthodox Church. Ten years later, in 1849, this building was repaired
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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.
and enlarged. Here the society continued to worship till 1871, when it was sold to the Catholic Bishop and the present beautiful church building on Main Street was dedicated. This edifice cost sixty-five thousand dollars. In beauty and symmetry it ranks second among the public buildings of the town.
This society has had many preachers. At first it formed part of a circuit and was also a mission station. It followed that, after the manner of the Methodists of that time, the society often had more than one minister at a time. The itinerancy itself will also help account for this extended list. These names are as given by members of the society and are as accurate as is now possible.
In 1823 the first society was formed by Erastus Otis, who, with George Fairbanks, were stationed on the Needham Circuit, with which it is supposed Leominster was connected until 1834, when it was probably connected with the Marlboro' Circuit. In 1831 Leominster was probably connected with Lunenburg, in 1836 with Fitchburg, and from 1836 to 1839 with Lunenburg and Marlboro', when it was probably again connected with Lunenburg; in 1840 with Marlboro' and Fitchburg mission. In 1841 it was Leominster and Lunenburg, in 1842 Lunenburg aud Leominster, in 1843 Leominster and Sterling missions, in 1844-45 it was a missionary station by itself, and after that a regular station. The list of ministers is as follows : 1823, Erastus Otis and George E. Fairbanks : 1824, Benjamin Hazelton, John C. Risley and Ira M. Bidwell; 1825, John Lindsay, Jared Perkins and H. S. Ramsdell; 1826, Joel Steele, Jared Perkins and Leonard B. Griffin; 1827, Abra- ham D. Merrill, Giles Campbell and Thomas W. Tucker, supernumerary ; 1828, Ephraim K. Avery, Thomas W. Tucker and Lewis Johnson; 1829, Daniel Fillmore, Isaac Jennison and A. B. Kinsman ; 1830, Daniel Fillmore, and Isaac Jennison ; 1831, Jacob Sanborn and Sanford Benton ; 1832, Abraham D. Merrill and Samuel Coggshall; 1833, Isaac Jennison ; 1834, Charles Virgin ; 1835, Thomas W. Tucker and Joel Knight; 1836, J. S. Ellis; 1837, Charles Virgin, William P. White and Ebenezer F. F. Newell, supernumerary ; 1838, Horace Moulton and Ephraim Culver, Jr .; 1839, Willard Smith; 1840, Benjamin Paine and Willard Smith ; 1841, Benjamin Paine and Samuel Heath ; 1842, Samuel Heath and William A. Clapp; 1843, Horace Moulton ; 1844-45, Thomas H. Mudge; 1846, John C. Ingalls ; 1847-48, Z. B. C. Dunham ; 1849-50, Samuel Tupper; 1851-52, Daniel Steele ; 1853-54, Zachariah A. Mudge ; 1855, Nathan Soule; 1856-57, Cyrus L. Eastman ; 1858-59, John Middleton ; 1860, Charles Miller ; 1861, Jabez W. P. Jordan ; 1862, Jabez W. P. Jordan and H. M. Loud; 1863, M. M. Parkhurst; 1864, Jonas M. Bailey; 1865-66, Thomas J. Abbott ; 1867-68, Converse L. Macurdy ; 1869-71, John Peterson ; 1872-73, Joseph H. Mansfield ; 1874-76, Alfred A. Wright; 1877, M. Emory Wright; 1878-
80, Ebenezer A. Smith; 1881-83, Wm. B. Tolman; 1884, M. H. A. Evans; 1885, Henry Lummis ; 1886-87, Charles W. Wilder ; 1888, Charles F. Rice.
This church is now a strong and vigorous body, doing its full share of the religious work of Leo- minster.
SAINT LEO'S CATHOLIC CHURCH .- This church comes next in the order of time in the religious movements of Leominster. Much indirect work was done for the Catholic faith here before Leominster was made an independent parish in 1872. The first work in this direction was begun in 1849. At that time Rev. Father M. F. Gibson, a Catholic minister of Worcester, Mass., came here and performed the services of his church at the homes of some of the resident Catholic families. The numbers who de- sired to avail themselves of the benefit and pleasure of his monthly visits increased so rapidly that the selectmen permitted the use of the Town Hall and then of Gardner Hall for his services. From this time his visits were weekly instead of monthly, as at first. In the history of the Baptist Church, mention has been made of their first house of worship, located on the plane between the Centre and North Leomin- ster. In 1857 the Catholic Bishop purchased this and it was fitted up as a place of worship. Before this time, however, Rev. M. F. Gibson was made resident pastor at Fitchburg, and Leominster was still a part of his charge. Other pastors from Fitchburg served the church until it was made a separate parish, and Rev. Father Daniel Shiel, the present able pastor, was appointed.
As already stated, the present Catholic Church was purchased of the Methodist Episcopal Society in 1871. In 1876, it had become much too small for the needs of the people and it was enlarged and wholly remodeled. Its seating capacity was greatly in- creased and its general appearance improved. A new and attractive parsonage house now occupies the site of the old building, bought with the church, of the Methodist Society. This house was built in 1882.
The church is dedicated to Almighty God under the patronage of St. Leo. It is an important and in- fluential parish.
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF CHRIST, NORTH LEOMINSTER .- Prior to May 6, 1874, there was no permanent religious organization of any kind at North Leominster. At different times, for some years, meetings were held in Kendall Hall and else- where. Sometimes these meetings were social and in charge of members from the centre, and at other times there was a preaching service by resident pas- tors. There had been little fixed thought, however, of a separate work for this part of the town before the first half of the year above named. It was true that some feeling had found expression earlier, that the religious needs of North Leominster could not be much longer neglected, and that, as the Orthodox Con- gregational Church had more members resident there
1213
LEOMINSTER.
than any other church at the centre, it might be the duty of these persons to organize a local church. But the matter was wholly indefinite and uncertain until March 24, 1874. At that time those most in- terested met at the house of Geo. S. Burrage, to con- sider the "expediency of forming a Congregational Church in North Leominster." There were, at that time, some forty members of the Orthodox Church at the centre resident there, and after mature delib- eration these members called a council to meet in Kendall Hall, May 6, 1874, by which they were con- stituted and recognized as a church of Christ. The society connected with this church was organized April 17, 1875.
From its organization until April, 1880, the church held its public services in Kendall Hall ; but on the 7th of that month its present beautiful and conven- ient house of worship was dedicated. For its size, it is one of the pleasantest churches in town and a great addition to North Leominster. By the liberal- ity of the late Captaiu Leonard Burrage the society now has a fine parsonage, and from the estates of Mr. Augustus Whitman and Captain Burrage a fund of eleven thousand dollars.
The first pastor of the church was Rev. Henry E. Cooley, installed November 10, 1874, and died Febru- ary 17, 1877. The other pastors in the order of ser- vice have been : Rev. E. G. Smith, from June, 1877, to June, 1881 ; Rev. Henry P. Cutting, from November, 1881, to September, 1884 ; Rev. Newton I. Jones, from March, 1885, to March, 1887 ; Rev. Fred- eric A. Balcon, the present pastor, who began his lab- ors with the church July 1, 1887.
CHAPTER CLVI.
LEOMINSTER-(Continued.)
EDUCATIONAL.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS .- The following historical sketch of the schools of Leominster up to the year 1876 was prepared by the late Dr. C. C. Field, for more than forty years a member of the School Board. It is reproduced in this connection for these reasons :
1st. For the years which it covers nothing better is needed, or perhaps possible. For a full generation Dr. Field was a part of that which he describes, and knew in his own person the history of those years.
2d. Dr. Field, by his long service and unusual ability, contributed more than any other man to the progress and development of the schools of Leomins- ter, and to their present efficiency and value. If it is possible, as under the circumstances it is, he should have the honor of recording their history. To his record will be added what is necessary to make it complete to the present date.
At this distant period it is difficult to conceive how great must have been the undertaking for them 1 to provide Christian ministration and secular educa- tion for themselves and their children, while they were subduing the forests and cultivating the newly- cleared fields for the maintenance of their familics. Neither can we easily comprehend how much the present prosperity of our schools may depend upon the excellent school system, which, with unusual wisdom and foresight, they established from the begin - ning. Leominster is one of the few towns in the State that was never divided into legal "School Districts." The town always managed its school affairs in its corporate capacity, built and located all the school-houses, and divided the money raised for the support of schools among the several schools as equally as circumstances would allow, after the sub- ject had been considered and reported upon by a committee chosen for that purpose. In 1789 the following act was passed by the Legislature : "That the several towns and districts in the commonwealth be, and they are hereby authorized and empowered in town-meetings, called for that purpose, to determine and define the limits of school districts within the towns and districts respectively." The term " dis- tricts," in the statute applied to sections of the S.ate which, at that time and previously, were incorporated communities precisely similar to towns in regard to territory, rights, privileges and powers excepting the right of being represented in the General Court. This act gave the districts no powers to exercise and no duties to perform, but was simply a provision for dividing the towns into such convenient portions as would facilitate attendance at school; but in 1800 another law was enacted, by which the selectmen were authorized to issue warrants for district meet- ings, the voters were empowered to choose a clerk, and to raise money for the erection and repairing of school-honses, and for the purchase of necessary "utensils" for the school-rooms, and the assessors were required to assess such sums of money as were voted by the respective districts. By a law enacted in 1817, school districts were made corporations in name, were authorized to sue and be sued, and to hold in fee simple, or otherwise, real and personal property for the use of schools. And finally in 1827 a law was enacted as follows : "School districts are authorized to choose prudential committees, whose duty it shall be to take care of the school-houses, and to select and contract with the teachers."
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