USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > History of Worcester, Massachusetts, from its earliest settlement to September, 1836 : with various notices relating to the history of Worcester County > Part 36
USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > History of Worcester, Massachusetts, from its earliest settlement to September, 1836 : with various notices relating to the history of Worcester County > Part 36
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41
The AUXILIARY BIBLE SOCIETY was organized Sept. 7, 1815. The settled ministers of the gospel in the county, of every denom- ination, are entitled to membership ex officio. The payment of one dollar annually constitutes a member while the contribution is con- tinued, and of ten dollars gives the privileges for life. So well have the people of the county been supplied with the sacred scriptures, that during the first ten years of its existence, the society, furnishing the indigent in a population of abont 80010 gratuitiously, and scek- ing for those who were destitute, had distributed ouly 740 bibles, and 77 testaments. During this period, about $2000 had been col- lected. In 1822, the association having become a branch of the
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WORCESTER LYCEUM.
American Bible Society, paid over $500 in one sum, and subse- quently transferred to that noble institution a fund of $1000, which had been invested on interest. Within the last period of ten years, increased population and accessions of foreigners have rendered the distribution of the scriptures greater, and the better means and deeper interest of the charitable in the objects of the society swell- ed the donations. From the latest annual report which has been published it appears, that, for the year ending Oct. 1, 1834, the re- ceipts were $2353 : the amount paid to the national society for the purchase of books $3334 : and as free gift $1722 : the number of bibles issued were 267, of testaments 683. 1
WORCESTER LYCEUM. This society was formed Nov. 4, 1829, for mutual instruction and improvement. The management of the common concerns is confided to a president, treasurer, secretary, and an executive committee of eight members, elected by ballot, at the annual meeting, first held in November, and recently on the last Thursday in March. Lectures are delivered on each Thurs- day evening during the months from October to March. Occasional courses on the sciences, have been given by distinguished teachers. During the first years of the association, classes were formed among the members for acquiring practical knowledge, and their exercises were pursued with pleasure and benefit.
Membership is gained by any person of good moral character, on the payment of one dollar, at the commencement of the year ; by those from eighteen to twenty one, on the annual contribution of seventy-five cents ; and any one between the ages of twelve and eiglı- teen years, on the deposit of fifty cents, becomes entitled to all the advantages and means of improvement of the institution.
'The Lyceum is possessed of a good chemical apparatus, and a well selected library of about 500 volumes, beneficially and exten- sively used by the young artizans and operatives of the village. By a provision of the constitution, no alienation of the property is to be made : to secure its preservation during any suspension of the society, the selectmen are authorized to deposit the collections with some incorporated literary institution of the town, to be held in trust, and transferred to some new association for similar purposes.
1 The Presidents have been ; 1815, Joseph Allen: 1822, Aaron Bancroft : 1824, Jonas Kendall : 1827, Levi Lincoln: 1834, John Davis. Treasurers, 1815, Benjamin Heywood : 1817, Samuel Allen : 1820, William Jennison : 1824, Charles Allen: 1830, Benjamin Bulman. Secretaries, 1815, Nathaniel Thayer : 1818, Lemuel Capen : 1819, Joseph Allen, of Northiborough : 1829, George Allen : 1832, Alfred D. Foster.
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MILITARY COMPANIES.
The number of members in 1830, was 276: in 1831, 126; in 832, 191: 1833, 171: in 1834, 181 ; in 1835, 190. But these umbers do not indicate the attendance; the great hall of the Town House has been thronged with a continually increasing rowd : and the institution, sustained by popular favor, has been an example of the successful diffusion of learning by the cheapest possible medium of communication.
The officers have been these : Presidents ; 1829, Jonathan Go- ng ; 1832, Jolm Park ; 1836, Alfred Dwight Foster. Secretaries ; 1829, Anthony Chase; 1832, Horatio L. Carter; 1833, Warren Lazell.
MILITARY COMPANIES. Soon after the garrisons of the first plan- ers, formed from the neighborhood, ceased to be kept, a military company was formed to act against the Indian enemies, who had united themselves with the French, and retiring to a distance, made frequent invasions. Daniel Heywood was elected and long remain- ed captain. There are some slight traces of its existence, in 1725, but it cannot be certainly stated that it began so early. In 1760, there were two bodies of militia, one numbering 59, and the other 18, under Capt. John Johnson and Capt. James Goodwin.
About 1783, the Worcester Artillery was formed, of volunteers, and William Treadwell 1 elected Captain. This corps, the oldest of the martial associations of the town, is now commanded by Capt. Josiah G. Perry, and has two six pounders granted by the state for its use.
The Independent Cadets, under Capt. Thomas Chandler, was formed during the war with France in 1798, and on its conclusion, was disbanded.
The Worcester Light Infantry paraded for the first time, in May 1804, under Captain Levi Thaxter. The commanding officers have been, Levi Thaxter, Enoch Flagg, William E. Green, Isaac Sturtevant, John W. Lincoln, Sewall Hamilton, John Coolidge,
1 Major William Treadwell, one of the most gallant of the officers of the army of the revolution, entered the service at an early age, and was distinguished for lion hearled courage. IIe had an enthusiastic love of danger. Twice, when his own division was at rest, he obtained leave of absence and joined another corps on the eve of battle. While the shot of the enemy struck around him, the testimony of a cotemporary states, he would consider with the most deliberate coolness the direction of his own guns, look over the sights to give the best aim, and after the discharge, spring upon the cannon to see the effect. IIe retired, with honorable scars and rank, to a condition of poverty, that drove him to despair, and died, broken hearted, April 14, 1795, aged 46.
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NEWSPAPERS.
Samuel Ward, Artemas Ward, John Whittemore, Charles A. Ham- ilton, William S. Lincoln, Charles H. Geer.
The Worcester Rifle Corps, established in 1823, was disbanded in 1835.
The numbers doing duty in volunteer companies during 1935 and 1836, has been about 50 : there are two large companies of militia with a force of more than 200 men.
NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS.
THE MASSACHUSETTS SPY, established in Boston by Isaiah Thom- as, in July, 1770, was first issued in Worcester, May 3, 1775, and has preserved the series of its numbers unbroken to the sixty fifth volume and year of its existence, having long since reached the venerable rank of the oldest paper in Massachusetts, where the prin- ting of newspapers began. Daniel Bigelow and William Stearns, two gentlemen of the legal profession, became lessees, June 27, 1776: finding the labors inconsistent with their appropriate business, they transferred the right of publication to Anthony Haswell, afterwards conductor of the Vermont Gazette, Aug. 14, 1777. The press was resumed by Mr. Thomas in June, 1778, and retained until 1802, when it was resigned to Isaiah Thomas, Jr. After some changes of ownership, in 1819, it was purchased by William Manning and George A. Trumbull, and in 1823, John Milton Earle became ed- itor, and has since continued the principal or sole proprietor.
THE MASSACHUSETTS HERALD OR WORCESTER JOURNAL, a small paper of four quarto pages, was issued by Isaiah Thomas, Sept. 6, 1783, and intended by the publisher, as a Saturday abridgment of his larger sheet. The advertisement states 'that if it should fail of being properly nurtured by the public, it will, as it is a rib taken from the Spy, he again replaced, without murmur or complaint.' Public patronage did not sustain the undertaking, and it was aban- doned after the fourth number.
AMERICAN HERALD and WORCESTER RECORDER. The Herald, which had been published in Boston during seven preceding years, was removed to Worcester, Aug. 21, 1788, and issued on Thursdays, by Edward Eveleth Powers, who united the trade of a bookseller with that of printer. The paper was decorated with an agricultural de- vice, and bore the motto, 'venerate the plough '; professed perfect impartiality in politics ; promised intelligence in rural economy ;
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NEWSPAPERS.
and was marked by no distinct character : after two years and two months, it was discontinued.
THE INDEPENDENT GAZETTEER, the fourth newspaper of Wor- cester, was commenced Jan. 7, 1800, and published by Nahum Mower, and Daniel Greenleaf, until the 7th of October succeeding, when the partnership of the proprietors was dissolved, and the pub- lication was continued by the latter, through two years. When this period was completed, the list of subscribers was transferred to the conductor of the Spy.
THE NATIONAL ÆGIS, was established in support of the policy of Mr. Jefferson, amid the fiercest warfare of the great parties organized at the commencement of the present century. Subscriptions were obtained among the ardent politicians in the vicinity and in Boston, amounting to about $1200, for the purchase of a press and printing materials.1 Proposals, bearing internal evidence of the authorship of Hon. Francis Blake, were sent out Sept. 8, 1801, detailing the plan afterwards executed in spirited manner by himself and others; the paper was to be devoted to the defence of the national administra- tion, and unceasing opposition to its enemies ; the last page, called ' the Olio,' was assigned as a separate department for literary essays, and selections. The first number appeared Dec. 2, 1801. Deriving its name from the arms of Minerva, the front exhibited the figure of the mythologic goddess of wisdom, grasping the spear in one hand, and resting the other on the shield, bearing the device of the gorgon's head, wreathed with olive branches. Mr. Blake, as editor, gave high character to the print, and many of the ablest writers of the county cooperated with its gifted conductor, to influence and di- rect public sentiment. 'This arrangement continued until 1804, when Mr. Blake retired. In December, 1805, the whole property was attached under a claim growing out of debts of the printer, Samuel Cotting, and the publication suspended. The democratic citizens, roused to exertion, procured new apparatus, which they vested in trustees, and the Ægis again appeared, Feb. 19, 1806, in deplorable dishabille for a time, but soon regained neatness and beau- ty. A new calamity occurred to interrupt its prosperity. On Sun- day the 6th of July, during the hours of worship, a part of the types were removed, and the sheets, impressed on one side, carried away by
1 Among the subscriptions were these : Benjamin Austin, $150 : James Sullivan, $100: James Prince, $100: Jonathan L. Austin, $100 : Levi Lincoln, sen. $100: William Eustis, $45: William Jarvis, $45.
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NEWSPAPERS.
Cotting, who, on the next Wednesday, in his, individual capacity, sent out the paper in handsome form, while the trustees of the subscription fund were scarcely able to communicate their misfor- tuine. A curious state followed, realizing the confusion of external identity, imagined in the Comedy of Errors. Two papers were published in the same town, on the same day, claiming to be ' the true Ægis.' A contest painful to retrace ensued, disturbing the re- pose of the village; proceeding almost from words to blows in private discussion, and furnishing subjects for judicial investigation. The good sense of the community, for a time amused by the bitter feel- ing of the combatants, and the personal insult degrading pages which should have been devoted to common improvement, at length, acted on the source of the commotion, and after a few months of infamous existence, the false print disappeared.
After some changes, the ÆEgis, in 1807, went into the hands of Henry Rogers, then late of Hartford, who was publisher until the close of 1824, when Charles Griffin became partner with him. In July, 1833, it was united with the Yeoman, and became merged with that print not long after. 1
The MASSACHUSETTS YEOMAN was commenced Sept. 3, 1823, by Austin Denny, Esq. who continued to be sole or principal editor, proprietor, and publisher, until his decease. It was issued on Satur- day. In July, 1833, it was united with the Ægis, and in January fol- lowing, the title was changed and the existence of the paper ceased.
The WORCESTER REPUBLICAN was established in 1829, by Jubal Harrington, and has been under the management of that gentleman, except during short intervals.
The WORCESTER PALLADIUM succeeded to the Ægis and Yeo- man. It was commenced in January, 1834, and has continued un- der the editorial care of Mr. J. S. C. Knowlton.
1 Among the editors of the ÆEgis, at different periods, were Francis Blake, Edward Bangs, Levi Lincoln, Samuel Brazer, William Charles While, Enoch Lincoln, Edward D. Bangs, Pliny Merrick, William Lincoln, Christopher C. Baldwin, William N. Green. A paper borrowing its descriptive appellation from the worst of reptiles, the Scorpi- on, came out July 26, 1809, and on successive Wednesdays, without the name of printer or publisher, resembling those abusive periodicals serving as safety valves to convey away the fermenting malignity of base hearts. Its existence was evidence of the un- limited freedom of the press, and its speedy suppression, an instance of the power of public opinion to restrain its licentiousness, and of the healthy tone of moral sentiment amid the violence of party hostility, crushing the slanderer under the weight of general contempt.
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PERIODICALS.
The WORCESTER WEEKLY MAGAZINE. An act of Massachusetts, March, 1785, imposing a duty of two thirds of a penny on newspa- pers, and a penny on almanacs, which were to be stamped, was so unpopular from its very name, that it was repealed before it went into operation, and as a substitute, for the purposes of revenue, a tax was levied on all advertisements inserted in the public journals. This was regarded by Mr. Thomas as an undne restraint on the press. He suspended the publication of the Spy during the two years the act was in force, and printed a periodical in octavo form, with the name at the head of this article, beginning in the first week of April, 1786, and ending the fourth volume on the last of March 1788.
The WORCESTER MAGAZINE and HISTORICAL JOURNAL, was published by William Lincoln and Christopher C. Baldwin, in 1825 and 1826: the numbers of the first volume were issued twice a month, and those of the second once a month : It was intended to contain a particular history of each town of the county. Notices of Templeton, Sterling, Shrewsbury, Leicester, Northborough, West Boylston, Paxton, and Lancaster, and a general view of Wor- cester county, were furnished by different writers. At the expira- tion of a year the work was discontinued.
The WORCESTER TALISMAN, a literary and miscellaneous journal, consisting principally of selections, was published on Saturday, du- ring the year after April 5, 1828, on an octavo sheet, forming one volume, by Messrs. Dorr and Howland, and was continued to Oct. 15, 1829, in quarto form, by John Milton Earle.
The FAMILY VISITOR, a religious quarto, was published weekly by Moses W. Grout during a few months of 1832 ; but was soon dis- continued. 1
1 Printing was formerly carried on by Isaiah Thomas to an extent, which, relatively to the general state of business at the period, was immense, and would be considered as great, even in comparison with the rapid publication of recent years. Seven of his presses were worked under his immediate direction, and the number of persons employ- ed by him, in paper making, printing, binding, and the branches of bookmaking and sel- ling, was about 150. There are in 1836, four printing offices.
The books belonging to the societies and associations, number about 20,000 volumes : probably those in private libraries would exceed 50,000 volumes.
The number of newspapers and periodicals circulated in the town, is greater than the whole amount printed in the state before the revolution. In no community are the fa- cilities of instruction and information greater ; and there can be few where they are bet- ter improved.
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TOPOGRAPHY AND HISTORY.
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CHAPTER XVII.
Situation. Boundaries. Extent. Divisions. Streets and Roads. Turnpikes. Blackstone Canal. Rail Roads. Public Buildings. Public Lands. Burial Places. Face of the Town. Ponds. Streams. Hills. Mines and Minerals.
SITUATION. Worcester, the shire town of the county, is situated 40 miles westward from Boston, 40 N. N. W. from Providence, 60 miles E. N. E. from Hartford, about 50 miles from Northampton, the nearest point on Connecticut river, and 394 from Washington. From the boundary of New Hampshire, in the shortest direction, the town is distant about 30 miles ; from that of New York, about 70; from Rhode Island, about 20 ; from the tide waters of Boston Har- bor, about 40 miles. Lines drawn on the map, intersecting each other at Worcester, Boston, and Providence, would form a triangle almost equilateral. The north latitude of Antiquarian Hall, ascer- tained by Robert Treat Paine, Esq. is 42º 16' 9": the west longitude, computed from observation on the annular eclipse of the sun in Feb- ruary, 1831, by that gentleman, in degrees, is 71°, 49', in time, 4h. 47m. 16s.
The elevation above the ocean, as estimated by the engineer of the Blackstone Canal, at Thomas street, near the centre of the vil- lage, is 451 feet : the elevation of Main street above Charles street in Boston, is stated by Mr. Fessenden at 456 feet.
BOUNDARIES AND EXTENT. The town is bounded, on the North principally by Holden, touching at the northwest corner on Paxton, and at the northeast extremity of the line, on West Boylston ; East by West Boylston and Shrewsbury, and for a short distance at the southeast corner by Grafton : South, by Millbury and Ward : West, by Leicester, and at the southwest corner borders on Ward.
The area contained within these lines, is about thirty six square miles ; or more exactly, 22842 acres : about 600 acres are covered with water ; 700 used for roads ; 1925 are estimated to be occu-
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DIVISIONS.
pied as tillage ; 5683 as mowing ; 10262 as pasture ; 3730 with wood ; and about 1000 are unimproved.
DIVISIONS. The town is separated into twelve school districts, having permanent boundaries : the centre is marked 1 : directly west is that designated 2: next south of this is 3: the others are numbered in regular succession, circling around the centre district, with the exception of 12, which was formed by partition of an orig- inal district, and lies between those distinguished as 9 and 10, dis- turbing the symmetry of the arrangement.
The principal village, so surrounded by hills that it is scarcely seen by the stranger until he enters its streets, has extended but lit- tle south of the territorial centre on which the founders seem to have designed it should be planted. The description of Dr. Dwight, 1 about 1812, has not ceased to be correct : ' the houses are general- ly well built : frequently handsome : and very rarely small, old, or unrepaired. Few towns in New England exhibit so uniform an ap- pearance of neatness and taste, or contain so great a proportion of good buildings, and so small a proportion of those which are indif- ferent, as Worcester.'
Villages have grown up around the manufacturing establishments. New Worcester is situated on the road to Leicester : Trowbridgeville, on the road to Oxford : South Worcester on that leading to Ward : the Quinsigamond Village on the Millbury road : Adams Square upon the old road to Lancaster : Northville on the road to West Boylston.
STREETS. The most ancient passage way through the town is Main street, used in 1674, and constantly travelled over since 1713. It is still the principal avenue of the town, extending about a mile from north to south. It is broad and planted with fine shade trees. 2
Nearly cotemporary with the permanent settlement, was the es- tablishment by use, of a road from the Meeting House to Pine mead- ow, now Front street ; of a path to the first burial place, over a
1 Dwight's Travels, i. 366. Letter xxxvi.
2 The time when these beautiful ornaments of the village were first set, appears from an ordinance for their protection, April 7, 1783 : ' Whereas, a number of persons have manifested a disposition to set out trees for shade, near the meeting house, and else- where about the centre of the town, and the town, being very desirous of encouraging such a measure, which will be beneficial as well as ornamental, Voted, that any person being an inhabitant of this town, who shall injure or destroy such trees so set out, shall pay a fine not exceeding 20s. for every offence to the use of the poor.' Other and more strict municipal regulations have from time to time been adopted for their preservation.
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STREETS. TURNPIKES.
part of Summer street; and the Lancaster way, through Lincoln street. The roads now Salisbury, Pleasant, Green, and Grafton streets, existed at a very early period.
Mechanic street was laid out in 1787. In 1806, Isaiah Thomas made and gave to the inhabitants the street called by his name. It was planted through its whole length with poplars, perhaps fortunate- ly destroyed, soon after, by some malicious person.1
Most of the other streets have been opened within the last five or six years by individuals at their private expense, as the increasing population has rendered it desirable to occupy their lands for buil- dings.
The length of roads within the town in 1826, was equal to 82 miles and SS rods. At present the extent would exceed 100 miles.
TURNPIKES. At the beginning of the century, great improve- ments were made in internal communication by the establishment of these highways. A corporation was chartered for building a turnpike to Stafford, in Connecticut, Feb. 15, 1806 : and March 17, 1806, the Worcester turnpike was incorporated. It was a fa- vorite principle with the engineers of that time, that roads must be carried on a straight line between the points to be connected, with- out any deviation from the direct course to conform to the undula- tion of the surface. On this plan, the turnpike to Boston, going out from the north end of the village, went through a considerable em- inence by a deep cutting, passed a deep valley on a lofty embank- ment, ascended the steep slope of Millstone hill, crossed Quinsig- amond by a floating bridge, and climbed to some of the highest el- evations of the country it traversed, when inconsiderable circuit would have furnished better and less costly route. 'These under- takings, of great convenience and utility in the period of their con- struction, have been more beneficial to the public than the proprie- tors.
The Worcester and Fitzwilliam Turnpike, incorporated June
1 The following memoranda from the interleaved almanacs of Isaiah Thomas, Esq. show something of the customs of the time. '1806. October 6. Finished work on the new street. The selectmen came and surveyed it and laid it out in form. The Light Infantry company, under arms, commanded by Capt. Flagg, marched through it, halt- ed on the bridge, and discharged three vollies. The gentlemen of the street prepared a large tub and two pails full of excellent punch, and the selectmen, at the request of those present, and in conformity to their own proposal, named the street Thomas street. The Infantry company had as much punch as they chose to drink, aud all present. Three cheers were given, and the company marched off.'
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BLACKSTONE CANAL.
5, 1805, was not completed : the Worcester and Sutton, March , 1810, and Worcester and Leicester, Feb. 29, 1812, were not com- nenced.
BLACKSTONE CANAL. The project of opening a navigable com- nunication from the waters of Narragansett bay in Rhode Island, to he centre of Massachusetts, through the valley of the Blackstone, irst engaged public attention in 1796. The author and patron of one of the earliest attempts to connect the interior with the seaboard, by water highway, was the late John Brown, of Providence. The whole weight of his wealth, intelligence, and zeal, were lent to the enterprise. Public meetings were held, and warm interest in the undertaking excited. In Rhode Island, a charter was obtained. The petition of inhabitants of Worcester county, praying for incor- poration for the opening of ' inland navigation from the navigable vaters near Providence, to the interior parts of Worcester county, ind if feasible, to Connecticut river,' was presented at the May ses- ion of the General Court of the Commonwealth, in 1796. At the same time, a counter plan, which had the effect, if not the intent, of Iefeating the former, was started, of constructing a canal from Bos- on to the Connecticut river ; the application for the Providence ca- mal was refused, and the projectors, left without power to execute the work, were compelled to abandon the undertaking. Surveys vere soon after made for the Massachusetts Canal, under the direc- tion of Gen. Henry Knox, and with their conclusion terminated the exertions of the subscribers.
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