USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Acushnet > History of the Town of Acushnet, Bristol County, State of Massachusetts > Part 9
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Remembering the fateful surprise given us by the British in the Revolutionary War, our people were determined New Bedford should not
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have a similar experience at this time. To prevent this the coast was carefully and constantly guarded with an ample force. Two companies were furnished for this purpose from the east side of the river; the "Fairhaven company" and the "Head-of-the-River company." The former was commanded by William Nye. The other officers were Ensign Phineas White; fife, Silas Stetson; drummer, Charles Keen; sergeant, Joseph Keen ; corporals, Ebenezer Keen, Jonathan Spooner, Michael Ben- nett, Joshua Morse, Lemuel Dillingham and Samuel Jenne; privates, Pardon Taber, Thomas Spooner, Jemus Taber, Seth Samson, Alfred Vincent, Isaac Cushman, Marlboro Bradford, Micah Hathaway, Isaac Vincent and William Ashley, most or all of whom were from Acushnet.
"The Head-of-the-River company," so called, had headquarters at Clarks Cove and did duty around the shore of Clarks Point up to the mud fortification on the river side of the point. Here is a full roster of the company: Captain, Reuben Swift; lieutenant, Job Millard; ensign, Seth Bumpus; sergeants, Allen Bourne, Allen Chase, Thomas Collins, Thomas Hathaway, Zenas Cowen, James Ripner, Nathaniel Spooner and William Smith ; musicians, Joseph Purrington and Noah Waste; drummer. Thos. B. Smith.
Privates-Allen Gardner, Allen John, Andrews John, Burden Holder, Burden James, Burt Simeon, Burt Sylvester, Case Isaac Jr., Chase Israel, Chase Joseph, Cowen William, Crapo Abiel. Crapo Asa, Cummings John, Davis James Jr., Demmings Geurdon, Douglass George, Eddy John, Edminster John, Freeman John, Gifford Alden, Gifford Jonathan, Gifford Paul, Greene William K., Hammond Samuel, Hathaway Benjamin S., Hathaway William, Higgins Jonathan. Hoard Elias, Howland Timothy, Hunter John. Jackson Edmund, Jenne Joseph H., Jones Abiel Jr., Mosher Gideon. Mosher Holder, Mosher Richard, Myrick John, Omans James, Ormsby Lemuel B., Parker Elijah, Pettis Charles, Sherman Stephen, Sher- man Uriah, Snell Abel, Snell Leonard, Spooner Joshua, Spooner Micah, Strange Lot, Taber Peter. Thomas Arnold, Tobey Samuel Jr., Tobey William, Tripp Ebenezer, Phillips Ira, Pierce Russell, Pool Abiather, Pool Major, Pope Cornelius, Reed Alden, Reed Lemuel P., Reed Samuel Jr., Reynolds Abraham, Reynolds Benjamin, Reynolds Noah, Reynolds Philip, Reynolds William Jr., Russell Humphrey, Ryder Henry, Samson Stephen ,Tripp Rufus, Upham James, Walcott'Oliver, Washburn Stillman, Weaden David, Weston Enoch, Whalen Daniel Jr., Whalen Jonathan, Wheeler Calvin, White Job, Williams John, Wing Stephen 2d, Wing Stephen, Winslow Joshua, Winslow Richard, Woddell Nathaniel, Wood James.
The end of the terrible war came with the signing of the treaty of peace at Ghent on Christmas eve, 1814. Our country had suffered a loss of 30,000 lives and $100,000,000 in the two and a half years of war, and gained absolutely nothing. The news was received with tremendous
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enthusiasm. The sailors and others of Acushnet who were in various ways connected with the shipping business of New Bedford when they heard the joyful news: "Peace is declared! The embargo is off !" for which they had waited impatiently so many, many months, rushed to the shipping offices, the wharves, shipyards, coopers' shops, sail and rigging lofts ready for duty and eager to resume their occupations. Soon the vessels that had lain long unoccupied at their piers were in commission. The white winged merchantmen and greasy whalers were busy in trans- porting the products of the country and hunting the monsters of the deep with happy crews.
Captain Reuben Swift was a resident of Acushnet. A sketch of his life is given on another page. His son, Captain Rodolphus N. Swift, related to the writer this incident which occurred in the company's camp at the Cove. A friend of Captain Reuben, who was a sergeant in a company stationed nearby, desired to make a visit to Captain Swift. On his way to the camp a farmer, who knew Captain Swift, sent to the latter a sheep for the company mess. The sergeant shouldered the mutton and cheerfully proceeded on his way. It was dark when he reached the guard line of the company and a vigilant sentry brought his můsket to a charge with a "Who goes there?" The corporal-of-the-guard was summoned. The sergeant was declared a prisoner and was triumphantly marched into the presence of Captain Swift as a sheep stealer. The captain soon discharged the prisoner. He and the company hugely enjoyed the amusing incident and the palatable feast that the cook prepared for them. The faithful sentinel who arrested the alleged sheep stealer received an abundance of mingled compliments for fidelity to his soldierly duty, and innocent jokes on the facts in the case.
SEPTEMBER GALE Acushnet suffered somewhat from the memorable September gale, so called, as it occurred on September, Saturday the 23d, 1815. The New Bedford Mercury stated that the tide in the river rose ten feet above common high water mark and four feet higher than ever known before. "The gale came early in the morning and lasted till near noon. It was awful beyond description. Several lives were lost and the bridges at Fairhaven and Acushnet village were carried away." The Mercury variously refers to it as a "hurri- cane," "a tremendous apple-shaker" and a "fearful tempest." The tide backed up into the Acushnet saw mill pond and the' water went near to Lunds corner. Vessels at Belleville wharf were floated onto the upland. One who was living at the time of the gale says the salt spray was thick at Long Plain, and residents of Middleboro, a distance of 20 miles from New Bedford, felt the salt mist there. There was a Rope Walk on Crow Island and that was demolished. A building standing on a wharf in Fairhaven containing the records of the town up to that date,
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was carried into the river and the records were destroyed. The destruc- tion and damage of property was great. So great that Fairhaven, including Acushnet, voted at a town meeting of May 11, 1816, "to choose a committee to concur with the town of New Bedford in petitioning the legislature of the Commonwealth for an allowance in taxes in consequence of damages sustained in the gale and tide of Sept. last past." No record of granting the relief asked for is found. This disastrous event followed so closely upon the heavy losses incurred by the War of 1812 that our town found itself under a heavy financial burden in consequence of the great damage to unharvested farm crops and buildings.
SPOTTED FEVER EPIDEMIC This town was visited in 1815-16 by an epidemic of a disease which caused a great amount of sus- pense and suffering. It originated in Fairhaven and gradually moved northerly over the towns of Acushnet and Rochester. The victim was attacked with a fever, the skin of the patient became spotted, the suffering and fever increased till the person died. It was known as "the spotted fever epidemic."
In the Massachusetts Historical Collection is the following item regarding this plague: "A mortal fever appeared in Fairhaven in Sep- tember, 1815, and spread northerly to Rochester. Between that date and the following May, when the contagion ceased, 200 persons died as a result of it." The same publication in another place states that "from Nov. 1, 1815, to June 1, 1816, seven months, sixty-three persons died in Rochester, chiefly adults, being a 49th part of its population. The epidemic followed the course of the river, tracing up the Acush- net and Mattapoisett rivers to the great pond in Freetown, and not ex- tending but a little beyond the meeting house at North Rochester. Six persons by the name of Ashley died in one house. Among those who died in Rochester were seven men and their wives: Colonel Charles Sturtevant, Jonathan Church, Joshua Sherman, Isaiah Standish, Colonel Noah Dexter, Nicholas Crapo. The nature of the malady was wholly unknown to the physicians hereabouts, who had never read or heard of its like. They were wholly unable to stay its progress." 1
When the inhabitants became aware of the inability of the doctors to cope with it, they called a specialist from Boston who, it appears, was successful in his efforts to stay its progress. So delighted were the people with his skill and success that a public meeting of the selectmen and other citizens of Rochester was called on the 20th of May, 1816, to show their appreciation of his work, and then, says the New Bedford Mercury of a few days later, a testimonial was adopted to "Doctor James Mann of Boston for his successful medical efforts to check the progress of that malignant, epidemic disorder and mortal distemper."
Among the numerous persons of Acushnet who died of this then
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mysterious disease were the venerable and honored Captain Obed Nye, and his wife, Freelove, who resided on the east side of Fairhaven road. Freelove died on the 6th and Obed on the 10th of November, 1815.
It is stated that the mortality was as great in Acushnet as Rochester, but no list of the names of those who died of the disease here has been found.
OFFSPRINGS OF The original town of Dartmouth incorporated in OLD DARTMOUTH 1664 included a tract about fifteen miles square divided into four sections by the Acushnet, Paskamansett and Acoaxet rivers, which traversed its entire length. This made long distances for many of the inhabitants to attend the town meetings, and also made it inconvenient and difficult to administer the civil government in remote sections of the township, as these streams were then unbridged for many miles from the south end of the town. The question of dividing the town was agitated and vigorously discussed in town meetings for years before the act was accomplished in 1787. The subjoined petition to the General Court, the original of which is in the office of the Secretary of State at Boston, for the division of the town, explains in a quaint manner the reasons for its being granted. The whole township was thoroughly canvassed for signers and doubtless this and the petition of the remonstrants have the names of nearly every citizen attached to them.
As almost or quite every person then living in present Acushnet territory were in favor of division, only the list of names attached to the petition for the act are given below. Preserving the orthography and capital letters contained in the original, the petition is as follows :
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
To the Honble. the Senate and House of Representatives 110w coll- vened at Boston :
The Petition of us the subscribers, inhabitants of Accushnut Village in the town of Dartmouth-Humbly sheweth-
That the Town of Dartmouth is a large Township, Containing about 70,000 Acres of Land, & was formerly by mutual agreement divided into three seperate Villages for the Conveniency of the In- habitants, always choosing a Selectman, Assessor & Collector in each Village, & the Assessmants have always been entirely distinct, the same as if each Village had been an incorporate Town; this practice is attended with great inconvenience & expence, from the distance each Town Officer lives from the other. Another great Inconvenience your Petitioners labor under is the distance they are from the Town House or place appointed for Town Meetings, many of us living thirteen or fourteen miles from said Town House and others living on the East side of Accushnut river are subject to the Inconveniency of crossing the River, which is a mile wide, and when across have four
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miles travel of a bad Road, or of going around over the Bridge at the Head of the River, which renders the travel of the greatest part from twelve to fourteen miles.
For those reasons and many more that might be mentioned, we humbly pray the Honble. Court to grant us a separation from the other Villages, by the known line that separates Accushnett Village from Apponegansett: Viz., beginning at a Bridge by the Sea, at a place known by the name of Clark's Cove; from thence northerly, as the main branch of the Brook runs, till it comes to a small Bridge in the County Road that leads from the Head of Accushnut River to Howland's Ferry, at the foot of a Hill about twenty or thirty Rods Easterly of the Dwelling House lately owned by James Peckham, now deceased; from sd. Bridge Northwesterly to Spooner's Saw-Mill, where Perry's Bridge formerly stood ; thence Northerly by the West Side of the Great Cedar Swamp, to the line that divides Dartmouth from Freetown. And that all the Lands with the Inhabitants of Accushnut Village be Incorporated into a seperate Town with all the Powers & Privileges that other Towns in this Commonwealth do by Law enjoy (said Accushnut Village contains of Land not less than four Miles Wide and nine Miles Long, and is the East end of sd. Town.) By which means we shall be enabled to enjoy Town Privi- ledges with greater convenience and much less expence. And your Petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray.
Dartmo. Sept. 29, 1786.
Saml. Perry
William Keen
Seth Spooner Junr.
Jireh Swift
Daniel Bennet
Alden Spooner
Jonathan Hathaway
Nathan Nye
Joseph Samson
Jabez Hathaway
Barnabas Spooner Edward Samson
Isaac Hathaway
Benjn. White Amos Bennet
Abishai Shearman
Oliver Price
Stephen Shearman Abner Jenne
Joseph Kempton Job Shearman
Mial Cushman
Jethro Jenne
henry Shearman
Lemuel Tobey
Jabez Jenne
Charles Stetson Ju.
Gamaliel Bryant
William West
Charles Stetson
Silas Swift
Hananiah Cornish
John Chaffee Jona. Swift
Christopher Tomp- kins
John Gerrish Saml. Proctor Junr.
Saml. Shorkley
William Allen
Benjn Church
Corls. Dillingham
Reuben Mason
Silvanus Allen
Andrew Ritchie
Elijah Allen
John Shearman
Benj. Dillingham
Seth Cushman
Isaac Shearman Ebenezer Drew
Thomas Crandon
Elisha Cushman
Jkabod Stoddard
Simson Spooner Micah Spooner William Andrews
Jeremiah Spooner*
Daid Todd
Jonathan Tobey
T. Paul Swift
Isaac Drew
Jonathan Tobey Jr.
Eliakim Willis Nathll. Spooner Jun.
Jethro Allen John Alden
William White Jun.
Philip Spooner
Ebenezer Keen
Robert Bennt Jr.
Joseph Church
Ebenezer Keen Ju.
Elkanah Hathaway
Jesse Keen
yet Seth Pope Pardon Cook
Elisha Parker
*This name is written and crossed out.
Eleazer Hathaway
Lemuel Mendal
Killey Eldredge
Samuel Proctor
William White
Thomas Kempton
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Joshua Drew Arthur Hathaway Paul Allen
Edw Pope
Zachariah Hillman
Zebedee MacDaniel
John Sullings
William Tobey
Walter Chapman
Silvanus Allen 3
Wm Claghorn
Philip Cannon
Samuel Hitch
John Cannon
John Proud
Pardon Taber
George East
Seth Jenne
Calvin Delano
Joseph Ayers
Samuel Perry Junr.
Ephraim Annable
Ebenezer Fuller
Walley Adams
George Hitch
John Langworthy
Eastland Babcock
Daniel Summerton
Stephen potter
Paul Cook
James Crandon
Charles Church
Manasseh Kempton
Lemuel Williams
Paul Ingraham
Ephraim Kempton
Job Tripp
Timo. Ingraham
Obed Kempton
Edman Pope
Simeon Nash
Elijah Kempton
Elnathan Pope
Ebenezer Perry
Walter Spooner
Saml. Hathaway
Avery Parker
Ebenezr. Willis
Nichols Stoddard
Patrick Maxfeld
Samuel Allen
Peleg Huttlestone Jr.
George Claghorn
Thoms. Cook
Joshua Doane
Zadok Maxfield
Thoms. Severance
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RESIDENCE OF THOMAS HERSOM, SR.
ACUSHNET The evolution of this town from the original township of TOWNSHIP Dartmouth was in this manner: Dartmouth was incor- porated by the Plymouth court in 1664, and remained intact till 1787, when it was sub-divided into three sections of about equal dimensions. This action was deemed advisable because of the large ter- ritory the town embraced, sectional political contentions, and as has
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been stated, the inconvenience of administering the civil government of the town. The centre tract, which was the largest of the trio, retained the ancient name and government machinery of the original town, Dart- mouth, named from a seaport in the British channel.
The western tract, which had been known by the Indian name Acoaxet, was called Westport, from the name by which the mouth of its river had been known, to distinguish it from the east port of the old town that is now New Bedford harbor. The eastern section included the present towns of New Bedford, Fairhaven and Acushnet. Its principal settlement at that date was called Bedford, in honor of one of its leading residents, John Russell, who bore the family name of the Duke of Bedford. It was learned later that there was a town in this state with the same
Photo. by James E. Reed, New Bedford
RESIDENCE OF JEAN B. JEAN. 1905.
name. Then it was suggested that the new town be called South Bedford, but the majority insisted upon its being named New Bedford.
This territory of New Bedford was naturally divided in twain by the Acushnet river, which in 1812 became the boundary line between New Bedford and Fairhaven.
Fairhaven, including the territory of Acushnet, was incorporated that year. The new town is said to have derived its name from its delight- ful location-a fair haven. The town was about fourteen miles long, with an average width of about three and one-half miles. It extended from Buzzards Bay on the south to Rochester and Freetown on the north. It was bounded on the east by Rochester and Mattapoisett, and extended westward to the New Bedford line.
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The incorporation of Fairhaven was duly celebrated by the town the following Fourth of July at the Precinct meeting house in Acushnet Village. The exercises consisted of reading the Declaration of Independ- ence, singing an ode composed by Lieut. Henry Whitman of the U. S. navy, and a patriotic oration by James L. Hodges, Esq., postmaster at Taunton, Mass. This was followed by a sumptuous dinner at Amos Pratt's, formerly Pope's Tavern, near the Acushnet bridge.
A fair degree of harmony prevailed in the civil affairs of the new town of Fairhaven till the increase of population at the south end caused them, the north enders claimed, to become arrogant and dominant and selfish, in that they endeavored to control the transactions at the town meeting to their advantage; that they insisted the town meetings should be in Fairhaven Village, to the great inconvenience of voters at the extreme north end of the town; that they were determined to have more than their share of the officials of the town, and that the north part of the town was obliged to pay for paving, sidewalks, fire protection and other things which could only benefit Fairhaven Village. This feeling increased till the year 1859.
RESIDENCE OF MRS. C. C. D. GILMORE, "Col. Robinson Farm."
In a warrant issued for a town meeting in Fairhaven April 4, 1859, article eleven asked action on the petitions of Rev. Israel Washburn and others, "now referred to the next Legislature,"' with reference to a division of the town, and it was voted that a committee of five be nomi- nated by the chair to define a line of division of the town and report. This committee as appointed and chosen consisted of Isaac Wood, Arthur Cox, Jonathan Cowen, Cyrus E. Clark, Charles H. Adams, and John Ellis. This committee reported at a meeting of June 2, 1859, and this
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same committee was requested to appear before the next Legislature and present all the facts in the case that could be procured by them. They did so, and not only that, but a petition in favor of the division was also presented, signed by a large number of the residents of the south part of the town.
It appears that when the hearing of the case came before the Committee on Towns it was evident from the small attendance and lack of enthusiasm on the part of the divisionists, that the manage- ment was not familiar with such work. The impression made upon the committee did not lead it to make a favorable report, but one to refer the matter to the next General Court, which report was accepted. This failure stimulated the leaders of the movement, among whom were Jones Robinson, Rev. Israel Washburn, Cyrus Clark, Capt. Martin L. Eldridge. Col. Abiel P. Robinson, Walter Spooner, Benjamin . White, William H. Washburn, Jabez Wood, Levi Wing and other townsmen, to renewed activity in the cause of division. Their vigorous, persistent efforts were crowned with victory by the Legislature of 1860, to which the Committee on Towns reported in favor of an act to incorporate the town of "North Fairhaven, " a name by which this section of the town had been previously known. And the new town would have unfortunately been christened by the name of "North Fairhaven" had not Capt. Eldridge led a protest against it, upon discovering the name in the bill as it passed the Senate. He at once wrote the Senator from this district to have the bill held up till he received a petition to change the name. Then Capt. Eldridge wrote a petition to the Legislature, which was liberally signed, to "strike out the words 'North Fairhaven,' and insert the word 'Acushnet.' " Thus the only name of the three Indian tribes which were within the bounds of Old Dartmouth is perpetuated in the names of the four townships into which it has been sub-divided, and the credit of this belongs to Capt. Martin Luther Eldridge.
INCORPORATION AND SET OFF
The following are the essential sections in the Act of Incorporation.
Sect. 1. All that part of the town of Fairhaven which lies northerly of the following described lines, viz .: Beginning at a stone monument at "Tripp's corner" in the division lines between the towns of Fairhaven and Mattapoisett; thence from said stone monu- ment in a south westerly direction to the south east corner of the "Royal Hathaway farm," so called ; thence in the south line of said farm to the south west corner bounds there of; thence continuing westerly in the same direction to the center of the channel of Acush- net river, or division line between the town of Fairhaven and the city of New Bedford, is hereby incorporated into a separate town by the name of Acushnet, and the said town of Acushnet is hereby vested with all the powers and privileges, rights and immunities, and shall be subject to all the duties and requisitions to which other towns are
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entitled and subjected by the constitution and laws of the Common- wealth.
Sect. 4. The towns of Fairhaven and Acushnet shall hold the following described property, situated in their respective limits as valued by their committee, appointed June 25th in the year eighteen hundred and fifty-nine, for the purpose of receiving information for the Legislature to enable them to make a just and equitable appor- tionment of the public property, debts, and burdens between the towns; the town of Fairhaven shall exclusively hold the alms house, farm and property appertaining thereto; the High school house, lot, and fixtures contained therein; the engine house and lot in Oxford Village and the engine and fixtures contained therein; the engine house and lot in the village of Fairhaven, and the engine and fixtures therein, two second hand engines now in the village, the town house lot, the watch house and lot, L. S. Aiken's gravel lot, one safe in the town clerk's office, and so much of other property as will make nine-
Photo. by James E. Reed, New Bedford.
RESIDENCE OF HORATIO N. WILBUR.
teen twenty-thirds of the public property as valued by said committee. The town of Acushnet shall exclusively hold the engine house and lot, together with the engine and fixtures in Acushnet village; the school house and lot in school district number eighteen, two town pounds, the Freeman Hathaway lot, the Samuel Stacy lot, and so much of other property as will make four twenty-thirds of the public property as valued by said committee. All other property which may hereafter be found to belong to the town of Fairhaven, and not specified by the said committee at the time of the passage of this act, shall be divided on the same basis, viz; nineteen twenty-thirds to the town of Fair- haven, and four twenty-thirds to the town of Acushnet.
Sects. 2, 3, 5 and 6 refer to arrearages of taxes, the support of those
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who were paupers at that time, and manner of calling first town meeting. The act was approved Feb. 13th, 1860. It bears the signature of Nathaniel P. Banks, Governor, and Oliver Warner, Secretary of State.
The west line of the town, as fixed by this act, was the centre of the river below the bridge in the village; thence west to Mill road, north by the east line of that road to the next corner, thence west to County road, and northward by that road. This line northerly from the corner mentioned above was changed by the annexation of a narrow strip of Acushnet territory lying along the east side of County road from Ball's
or Davis's corner, a few rod's north of the village, to the north line of the town. This was desired by the residents of this section to give them better educational facilities, and Acushnet gladly yielded to the request.
RESIDENCE OF EDWIN D. DOUGLASS, PHILADELPHIA.
The following is a portion of an act to annex a part of the town of Acushnet to the city of New Bedford :
Sect. 1. All that part of the town of Acushnet, with all the inhabitants and estates therein, lying westerly of the following line, to wit: Beginning at the stone post numbered 29 at Davis' Corner, so called; thence running north three degrees west to a stone post five rods easterly of the house of Benjamen Peckham, and from thence northerly in a straight line to the stone post that marks the boundary line between New Bedford, Freetown, and Acushnet, is hereby set off from the town of Acushnet, and annexed to the city of New Bedford, and shall constitute a part of the first ward of the city of New Bedford until a new division of wards in said city. Enacted Apl. 9, 1875.
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