USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Abington > History of the town of Abington, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, from its first settlement > Part 2
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These streams were highly prized by the first settlers, as they afforded some very good mill privileges. The town orig- inally was well wooded, the pine forests were extensive, and of large growth. Besides many kinds of hard wood, the oak, white and black, was very abundant, and of large size; many of the white oaks were very straight and tall, used for ships' keels, but used more extensively for timber and planks in ship building ; large and tall pine trees were used for masts, but a great proportion were sawed into plank for ships' decks. It was a very great object with the people of the town to prepare this timber for sale for building vessels.
To accomplish this purpose, saw-mills were erected very early : three about the close of the seventeenth century. The first in 1698, at South Abington, then called "Little Comfort," just above the present location of the Old Colony Railroad
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Depot. The second about the year 1700, on the same stream, above where Gurney's tack factory now stands. The third in 1703, in the easterly part of the town, on the site now occupied by Beal's corn-mill. These mills were built before the town was incorporated, in 1710. Others were built some time after ; the first, on Beaver Brook, in 1729; the one by my house in 1731. I am not informed of the date of the erection of the one by Samuel Reed's, in East Abington. These mills were built by companies, no individual being able to accomplish such an undertaking.
The lumber manufactured by these mills was of great use to the town, and was a source of great income. They also gave employment to a great many hands and teams. From the erection of the mills in 1693, up to 1830, the lumbering business was a great support of all the other interests of the town; it came greatly in aid in building their houses and barns, clearing up lands, and buildings roads, &c.
The principal mart for timber and plank for ship building, was the North River, in Hanover and Scituate ; from fifteen to twenty vessels, some of large size, would be in building at the same time. Many other places were supplied from this town with like materials, particularly Duxbury, Plymouth, Hingham, Weymouth, and Boston. There were lumber men, as they were called, in the height of this business, who made it their employment to contract with ship builders to furnish timber, plank, keels, and masts for vessels ; and to supply other builders in part, they bought timber in the woods stand- ing, both in and out of town, and prepared it themselves. One of the most prominent dealers in this way was Capt. ()badiah Hersey, of South Abington, long since deceased. He patronized saw-mills in this way greatly, particularly the one at South Abington. He furnished a lot of white oak planks, called wale plank, seven inches thick at a given width, over forty feet long, for the celebrated frigate "Constitution," built at Bostou. The large white oak trees from which these planks were sawed, were squared in the woods to lighten the carting ; these were very hard to roll on the log-ways, as they
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had to be canted over each square. They were sawed at my father's mill, near my house ; I remember seeing these enor- mous logs, and the great planks which they made. Three of them made a load to Boston, the journey to and from which occupied two days. There are no such trees here now.
Another very profitable business, the making of boxes, was carried on in this town by means of its timber, for forty years, from 1790 to 1830. Several enterprising individuals were engaged in it very largely. Among thiese might be named the Messrs. Tirrells, Oakes & Isaac, Lebbeus Gurney, Luke Nash, and several others. The Messrs. Tirrells and Mr. Nash removed to Boston, and set up the business there. These boxes were sold in Boston, and called chocolate, soap, candle, card, book, and hardware boxes, as they were used for the packing of these articles ; and many were used for the pack- ing of other articles, as fish, Englishi goods and groceries ; millions were disposed of for these purposes.
The wood and timber of this town is still very valuable. In times referred to, pine wood was sold at one dollar per cord, oak wood one dollar and fifty cents per cord ; now pine is worth four dollars, and oak six dollars per cord. Boards are proportionally higher. Few boxes of the former description are now made here ; they are made in Boston, which saves transportation. But the boxes now made are much more valuable than ever before, but are for other pur- poses. The whole number used in this town is estimated at fifty thousand yearly ; thirty thousand for the packing of boots and shoes, twenty thousand for shoe points, tacks, brads, and other articles. Their value is estimated at from twelve to fifteen thousand dollars annually ; some of the boxes used liere are made in other towns, and many are made here for other places. The boards are sawed now from a second growth of pine, called sapling pine ; the old pine trees have become very scarce. Circular saws came in aid of sawing such boards, and reduced the expense greatly. These boards are sawed at dimensions to suit the size of boxes, and much thin- ner than common inch boards. Shingles are sawed in this
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way very extensively. Our predecessors had none of these facilities, and no call for these articles, except shingles. Owing to these advantages, the value of our wood and timber is greatly enhanced ; so much so, that it has become a ques- tion whether the greatly diminished quantity within the limits of the town at the present day is not of as much value as the old growth was at any former period.
The soil of the town is strong, and good for production, though rocky, and hard of cultivation. It is generally better for grass and grazing than tillage. The surface is rough and broken. The meadow lands abound in peat ; some bog ore is found in them. The blue slate stone prevails in some parts of the uplands. The subduing of this hard-hearted soil was a herculean labor ; large rocks were dug up by bars and levers. The simple idea of canting them out by oxen was not thought of. Large plows, called "New ground plows," were used, drawn by twelve or fifteen yoke of oxen ; twenty yoke have been seen in one team. Such a plow threw up, as was intended, rocks, roots, and small stumps ; and, (what was a very great mistake and loss,) buried the top-soil, the best of the land, about two feet under ground, and it was very seldom heard from afterwards. This was one of my first experi- ments in farming. Fifty years ago, I broke up about five acres in this way, using a new ground plow drawn by twelve or fourteen yoke of oxen, burying the top-soil so deep that I am not aware that I have ever heard from it since. The expense was enormous, (one dollar and seventy-five cents per day for the use of the plow only,) about equalling the price of the land. Now the thing is done much cheaper and better ; two or three yoke of oxen are sufficient, and a much lighter plow is used ; roeks and stumps are taken out by machinery, combined of the screw and lever, and loaded under wheels at the same time, ready to be carried off. Other farming utensils are equally improved, as hoes, rakes, shovels, and the scraper, which was not known here until it was used in building the New Bedford turnpike, about fifty years ago. Besides these, we have seed-sowing machines, raking, reaping,
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mowing, and threshing machines, worked by horse-power, and also many improved implements of less importance, to aid the farmer. as improved wheels, carts and wagons, scythes, snaths, pitchiforks, &c.
Now our predecessors of the past, and a good part of the present century, had none of these improvements ; they worked with such implements as they had ; they did what they could without these means ; they eleared up a great deal of land, built walls and made roads, set out fruit-trees, particularly the apple-tree, which they cultivated more extensively than the present population ; but the fruit was of a greatly inferior quality. Grafting, if known, was but little practised, and the best varieties of apples now raised, were not known. Had they had our modern improvements to aid their labor, the result of their doings would have been, in all probability, vastly different ; but if things were different from what they now are, there is no telling what they would be.
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CHAPTER II.
Roads .- Their former Location .- The Past and Present Mode of Repairing them, and Making of New Roads.
BEFORE the incorporation of the town in 1710, two county roads were laid out through the territory composing it; one leading from Middleborough through Bridgewater (now East Bridgewater), Washington Street in Abington, passing by the South and Centre meeting-houses in Abington, to Weymouth -to meet a road leading to Boston. This was in 1690. The other from Plymouth, through Pembroke (now Hanson), by the Indian Head River Pond, where Henry H. Brigham's tack factory now stands ; into Abington by Plymouth Street (formerly called Back Street), passing by the way that leads to Little Comfort (now South Abington), about a mile to the eastward of Hersey's saw-mill, which stood near the present location of the Old Colony Railroad Depot, to Weymouth. This was in 1707.
For almost all the travel from towns south and east of this, these were the two main roads through Abington for more than one hundred years : one passing on the westerly, the other on the easterly part of the same. Stages ran from Plymouth through this town on the easterly road for some years, commencing from the first part of this century. The other road (the westerly one) was the main route for the towns in the westerly part of Plymouth County, and a thor- oughfare for stages from New Bedford, through Middle- borough, after the New Bedford and Bridgewater turnpike was made (over fifty years ago) to Boston.
After this period, the roads were somewhat improved in this town, and new ones made. But when East Abington became a parish, making a centre for their meeting-house away from all the old roads, quite an outlay for new roads
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was made necessary. When the Old Colony Railroad was established, running six miles through the centre of the town, a great many new roads were made, leading to the three depots in town. Others were made a short time previous to this, at considerable cost; one of the most expensive, from South Abington to North Bridgewater ; one from the same place to North Hanson, and several at East and North Abington.
Since 1845, there has been reported as paid for making new roads, $27,864; the largest amount in any one year was $5,486, in 1855. The yearly average for the last fourteen years is about $2,000.
Besides this great ontlay for new roads, the repairs of the highways have been very expensive, especially on the old roads. The new roads being well made, required much less repairs. Previous to 1816 the highways were repaired by polls working a certain amount (generally one day), and estates in proportion.
This system, with some slight variations, was continued until 1832. In that year a specific sum, $1,500, was raised ; in 1849, $2,200; in 1852, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1857, and 1859, $2,500; in 1856, $3,000. For the intermediate years not named, being nineteen years, $2,000 was raised for each year; amounting, in the whole, for the past twenty-eight years since 1831, to nearly $60,000. And if for the same time (twenty-eight years) we should estimate the amount expended in building new roads at $40,000, which would be only adding about $12,000 for the first fourteen years from 1831, (in the last fourteen years, as stated above, $28,000 was expended,) we should sum up a grand total of $100,000 laid out in repairs of highways and making new roads in this town, in the past twenty-eight years.
There has been much diversity of opinion in respect to the best mode of repairing highways, and making new roads. The practice for repairing has generally been by a labor tax ; some years by a money tax. The making of new roads has generally been put out to be done on contract. In some years
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surveyors have drawn money from the town treasury, and expended it at their discretion. The town has changed repeatedly from one mode to the other. The highway dis- tricts have varied greatly in size since 1829 : there have been twenty-four districts for eleven years ; twenty-three for one year ; twenty-two for twelve years ; fourteen for two years ; three for four years. The highest number (twenty-four) is the present one ; last year (1858), fourteen. When the dis- triets were fewest, there was a money tax for one or two years.
In former times, say over fifty years ago, the labor system was doubtless the best, the population being less than two thousand, and money not abundant ; but now, and for a good many years past, it is a wretched system. Since the poll tax has been reduced to a trifle, it is next to impossible to receive it in work, amounting, as it does, to less than a quarter or a third of a day's work.
Another great difficulty in the district system is a just appropriation of the money raised, to the various districts. This used to be done by taxing each individual in his district according to his town valuation. Sometimes one-half of the money raised in the town was divided equally among all the districts, and the other half according to their polls and estates, or as they stood in the town valuation ; and some- times in part by the number of rods of road in the district : this year, for the first time, wholly by the number of rods of road in each district. This is an experiment, and doubtless will prove very unsatisfactory, if not unjust to many dis- triets. Great length of road in districts but little travelled, will draw from districts where there is ten, and, perhaps, twenty times the travel, amounts which would be far more usefully expended in the latter districts.
As an instance of the unjust working of this system, I would state how it affects the district in which I live, (on South Avenue,) and the district in Plymouth Street, where Lebbeus Gurney, Jr., lives. Our district draws seventy dol- lars-the other ninety dollars. Now our district has had no
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new roads made for many years, and is quite hilly and uneven, and has a large travel, the Old Colony Railroad Depot lying in the centre of it; whilst the roads in the other district are all new made and gravelled, and in complete order. Over two thousand dollars have been expended in this district within four years : about one-half of it within two years. Twenty or thirty dollars would have been a full share for that district. How the ninety dollars are to be expended is a question. The same irregularity will be found in other districts.
There is another great evil in the district system as now managed, whether it is by a labor or a money tax. Survey- ors cannot be got that are practical men in repairing roads or making new roads, and but few will attend to it: and it is much more difficult to apply labor than formerly. In past times most of the farmers had oxen, which were much more efficient than horses with carts or wagons. But ox teams now are much diminished, whilst horse carts and wagons are superabundant ; and on days of turning out to work on high- ways, it is difficult and almost impossible to get hand laborers.
And when a money tax is made, and the town is divided into three districts, with as many surveyors to expend the money at their discretion, there is often occasion for much complaint. Inefficient men are employed ; poor teams, inade- quately manned; and the town is liable to be badly speculated upon. The case has been, when a surveyor had the whole command of the money in a large district, he would go and purchase in the spring three or four yoke of oxen, charge the town one dollar and twenty-five cents, if not one dollar and fifty cents per day for their work, (and they are not likely to be worked very hard,) and at the end of the season a bill of one hundred and fifty to one hundred and seventy-five dol- lars is charged the town for the labor of each yoke ; enough to pay for their purchase and keeping, and such are sold in the fall for beef. In this way the surveyor has a chance, besides his wages, to clear his oxen or the price of them.
Instead of this vacillating system, or rather no system at all, a different course has been strenuously urged upon the
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town for a number of years. But whilst all see the difficulty they will not adopt the remedy. The recommendation is for the town to purchase the oxen, say six or eight yoke, and a few horses ; also some carts and plows, and a sufficient lot of tools, and then employ one or two men as surveyors at a daily agreed price, to do the work, without any chance to speculate on teams, or wages of men : to employ twenty, thirty, or forty able-bodied men to work for the season at a fixed price, to board themselves, to work ten hours a day, as labor- ers do in building railroads. The carts, plows, and tools, would last many years. I noticed in one of our surveyor's bills that he paid more for the use of a horse-cart in one sea- son, than a new one would have cost.
This mode would remedy many evils ; give two hours more work by each laborer daily. A day's work of eight hours would be gained each day on four hands ; on forty, ten days ; on three thousand days' work, which is about the number required yearly to repair highways and make new roads, there would be a gain of seven hundred and fifty days' work of eight hours a day, or six hundred at ten hours a day, over the old system of eight hours a day. That this amount of labor would be required yearly, is within bounds, as over four thou- sand dollars have been expended yearly for these purposes for over twenty years past.
There are other considerations in laying out new roads and building them, which towns ought to attend to more particu- larly. Many roads are laid out in aid of private speculation and individual accommodation, without regard to the general interest. A noted case of this description took place some twenty years ago. I refer to it as a specimen of other like cases. A road was laid out by the County Commissioners on the petition of Nathaniel Shaw and others, in 1835, leading from South Abington up a lane, beginning at the termination of the Whitman Road, so called, now on Washington Street, to Jairus Fullerton's, on the westerly part of the town, called Locust, intended as a road leading to North Bridgewater, to shorten the distance.
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WASHINGTON, D. C.
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At a town meeting May 4, 1835, an article was inserted in the warrant to raise money to build it. I objected to it, (I hope I shall be excused in using the first person, as I cannot tell the story without,) and stated that the road was laid out crooked, running up said lane to said Shaw's house, or by it, abont one hundred and fifty rods nearly south-west, then about north-west to its termination at Locust, crossing the New Bedford turnpike in swampy land, unfit for building lots, and would not save over one mile in going to North Bridgewater village ; but if on a straight line, (where it now is,) it would pass over high land (Mount Zion, so called) very eligible for building lots, and would quadrate with other roads in the parish, crossing the New Bedford turnpike, where a daily stage thien run, on high ground, and would save, instead of one mile, two miles in passing to North Bridgewater. There was strong opposition to this move, but the town voted to pass over the article, and also voted to choose a committee of five to view the premises, and if they thought it best to change the location, to petition the County Commissioners to do so.
This committee, consisting of Joseph Cleverly, Nathan Beal, John Cushing, David Beal, and Spencer Vining, went upon the premises, or a part of them, without notifying me, and I was not aware of the time, and was not present. The committee did not petition for any change, or even make any report, as I ever heard of, and there is none on record, from which it was inferred that they approved of the location.
But so deeply was I impressed with the necessity of this change, I headed a petition (a few others joining me) to the County Commissioners, to discontinue the Locust route and adopt the straight line, and also to extend the road from J. Fullerton's, southerly about fifty rods, to intersect this route. This application was approved by the town; for at a town meeting, (an article being inserted in the warrant for this purpose,) September 19, 1836, they voted that the town make no opposition to the petition of Benjamin Hobart and others for a location of a new road from Samuel Norton's, in
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Abington, to B. Edson's, in North Bridgewater. By this vote I was relieved from any opposition from the town.
The result was that the location was changed, and the other route was discontinued, and the new one established, with the extension of the short route from J. Fullerton's to this. This was not effected without a severe trial. Besides a strong opposition by the petitioners for the first route, the town of East Bridgewater made strenuous opposition to it, as it passed through a portion of that town, while the other route did not. Their agent chosen to oppose it was one of the County Commissioners, the late Isaac Alden, Esq., excluded from acting with the other Commissioners, as his town was interested. The success was owing mainly to one of the County Commissioners, the late Col. J. B. Turner, of Scitu- ate. His independence, foresight and good judgment, led him decidedly to favor the change.
To effect this change cost me much time and labor, and considerable expense. I attended the County Commissioners at a number of their stated courts ; was with them in viewing the route repeatedly ; attended several hearings before them ; looked up documents and witnesses ; but it was a sacrifice with which I have been well pleased, as the result has always been so well received. The statement which I made to the town on moving to change the route, has been more than realized : the saving in distance has been made ; a very fine street opened on elevated grounds ; other roads have been opened to it, and nearly fifty dwelling-houses have been erected on the site, all of them in very good style, and some of them quite elegant. Mr. Oliver G. Healey has been the principal owner, and architect ; he has built for himself a very splendid house, in which he now resides ; quite elevated, and commanding a very extensive prospect. I am informed by him that he has built on "Mount Zion," as it used to be called, and in the vicinity, about one hundred dwelling-houses. In compliment to him for these exertions, this elevated tract of land is, by common consent, called " Mount Oliver."
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There are many other things and abuses in repairing high- ways and making new roads, which want correcting, but I can only refer to two or three of them in this sketch. We have this year twenty-four surveyors in as many districts. It is not expected that they will work themselves, but only over- see and direct ; and if they receive only one dollar per day, and are employed ten days each, it will amount to two hun- dred and forty days, and to as many dollars ; but if at one dollar and twenty-five cents per day, which is most probable, their wages will amount to three hundred dollars. Now this sum (three hundred dollars) would employ two efficient sur- veyors at two dollars per day, seventy-five days each, at ten hours per day, same as the hands. If at two dollars and fifty cents per day, sixty days each, and the work would be done in season, and where it would be wanted. And as to mak- ing new roads, as it is voted this year to be done, by putting them out at auction, a saving of twenty-five per cent. might be made ; for contractors intend, generally, to make that sum, besides their expenses for hands and teams. Many of the roads made in this way, by contract, have been greatly slighted. Among these, witness the road on Plymouth Street from Nathaniel Jenkins' to Jesse Reed's, which was ordered to be widened and straightened by the County Commissioners, but the contractor did it before some of the walls and fences were removed or built, almost wholly on the lay of the old road; and when the fences were put up, the made road, instead of running in the centre, ran from one side to the other, and where the greatest widening was, the road was made about on the old track, without any advantage from the widening. Fifty per cent. probably was made on this contract, the bill amounting to several hundred dollars.
CHAPTER III.
Beech Hill .- Location of Roads over it.
SOME time since I wrote quite a lengthy article on this subject, and published it in the Abington Standard as a part of my Historical Reminiscences ; but since then a change has taken place by the laying out by the County Commissioners, and building of a new road over the hill. This road, com- mencing at the southerly end of Spring Street, in Abington, runs southerly over or near the summit of Beech Hill ; thence to a point on a road in the town of Hanson, between the houses of Leander Lewis and Joseph Cox, or to Cox's Corner, - formerly so called.
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