USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Berlin > History of the town of Berlin, Worcester county, Mass., from 1784 to 1895 > Part 3
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There was some controversy at the time of the in- corporation of this district as to the name of the new town. They decided at first to call it "Norrage," but wisely concluded after due deliberation to name it Berlin, after the capital of Germany. There is a town of this name in nearly every state in the Union. It was frequently pronounced Barlin by the older in- habitants. The true English pronunciation is Ber- lin, accent on the first syllable, and not Berleen, as pronounced in Germany. It may be presumed that the word pronounced Norrage was spelled Nor- wich.
The initiatory step which led to the formation of the district of Berlin was the previous set-off and in. . . corporation of the South Parish of Bolton, 1778. The new meeting-house became a centre for the as- sembling of the people, and it soon became evident and desirable that the town affairs should be attended to with like conveniences, as were the matters per- taining to the church. The territory embraced with- in the parish was of sufficient dimensions to consti- tute a snug and compact town. Moved by these con- siderations, the people of Bolton gracefully yielded to the request of the South Parish for an act of in- corporation, and joined in a petition to the General
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TOWN OF BERLIN.
Court for that purpose. The prayer of the petition- ers was granted, as also was the petition of certain citizens in Marlboro in the Assabet valley to be an- nexed to the new district. The change in the North- boro line was made some years later, as was also our line on the west by the annexation of the Larkin farm. The number of families in the district at that time was about eighty, and among the citizens dis- annexed from the mother town was quite a number of large experience in public affairs and well qualified to transact the ordinary business of a town, and amongst these were Ephraim Fairbanks, Esq., Judge Samuel Barker and Joshua Johnson and others, men of special mark and influence in the community.
It is not intended in this work to publish the town records, or make very copious extracts from the acts and doings of the inhabitants as recorded of town meetings, believing that the history would be slightly enhanced in value by copying the dry details found in the records, and would in no wise compen- sate for the extra expense incurred. All matters of general interest will be culled from the town records and other sources of information and arranged in topics, so far as may be found practicable. We in- sert the act of incorporation of the district and the organization effected in accordance with the act, to- gether with the town officers chosen at the first town meeting, regarding these as matters of special inter. est to all, and containing desirable information in rela- tion to our town with its boundaries at the begin- ning of its municipal life. It will be noted that the only changes in town lines since the act of incorpo- ration were the annexation of the farm of Peter Lar-
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HISTORY OF THE
1
kin on the west, 1790, and a piece of land from North- boro, near Parks' mills, 1806. A copy of the map of the town made by Nathaniel Longley, Esq., and Jonathan Meriam, is herein exhibited.
The first town meeting was held in the meeting- house then recently erected and continued to be there held till 1826.
ACT OF INCORPORATION.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
In the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty-four.
An act to incorporate the South Parish of the town of Bol- ton, together with David Taylor, Silas Carley, Job Spofford and John Brigham, inhabitants of Marlborough, with their estates, into a district by the name of Berlin.
Whereas, it appears on representation to this Court that it would be productive of public good and to the benefit and satisfaction of the inhabitants and proprietors of the South Parish in the town of Bolton and the above-named inhab- itants of the town of Marlborough, should they be incorpo- rated into a distinct district, and that all persons immediately concerned are agreeing thereto :
SECTION I. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by author- ity of the same, that the lands hereafter described and in- cluded within the following boundaries with the inhabitants thereof, be and hereby are incorporated into a district by the name of Berlin. Beginning at a rock, a corner between the towns of Marlborough, Northborough and Bolton, and run- ning on Northborough line two miles and one-half and forty- four rods to a stake and stones, a corner between Lancaster and Bolton ; thence northwardly on Lancaster original line, three miles and one-half and sixty-two rods to a stake and
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TOWN OF BERLIN.
stones ; thence east thirty-seven degrees south, three miles and forty rods to a heap of stones on Marlborough town line ; thence west thirty-one degrees south, on the said Marlborough line to a stump and stones, a monument on Bolton line ; thence south thirty degrees east, thirty-seven rods to heap of stones ; thence east thirty-one degrees south, twenty-one rods to a stump and stones ; thence south thirty-two degrees east, forty-two rods to a heap of stones : thence south forty de- grees west, forty-six rods to a black oak ; thence west twenty degrees north, twenty-eight rods to a heap of stones ; thence west forty-one degrees south, sixty-eight rods to a heap of stones ; thence east four degrees south, thirty-six rods to a red oak by the river ; thence south twenty degrees east, forty- nine rods to a heap of stones ; thence twenty-two rods by a town way ; thence twenty rods by said way ; thence angling six rods ; thence south seventeen degrees west, twenty-four rods ; thence south forty-four degrees east, thirteen rods to a heap of stones ; thence west twenty-seven degrees south, fifty- six rods to a heap of stones ; thence north eight degrees west, forty-eight degrees to a heap of stones ; thence west forty rods to a heap of stones ; thence west thirty-five de- grees south, fifty-nine rods ; thence south thirty-one degrees west, sixteen rods to a red oak, a corner of Joseph Howe's land ; thence south twenty-eight degrees west, eighteen rods to a white oak ; thence south twenty-nine degrees west, thirty rods to a heap of stones on the east side of the river ; thence thirty rods on the said river to a heap of stones; thence twelve rods by the said river to a swamp oak; thence south forty degrees west, 116 rods to a pine stump ; thence west twenty-eight degrees north, seventy-eight rods to a heap of stones ; thence west thirty degrees south, twenty-eight rods to a stake and stones by Joel Brigham's meadow ; thence north thirty degrees west, 146 rods to the bounds first mentioned, and the said district of Berlin shall be and hereby is invested with all the privileges and immunities of any district within the Commonwealth.
4
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HISTORY OF THE
SEC. 2. Provided always and be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that the said district of Berlin shall be sub- jected to pay their proportionable part of all public debts owing by the town of Bolton at the time of passing this act, ac- cording to the present taxable property of the town of Bolton and the district of Berlin, exclusive of that part of the said district of Berlin which before the passing of this act was part of the town of Marlborough.
SEC. 3. And be it further enacted by the authority afore- said, that the said district of Berlin shall be at their propor- tionable part of the expense of supporting the poor belonging to the said town of Bolton previous to the passing of this act, to be apportioned in like manner as is expressed in the fore- going proviso ; and any poor which in time to come may be turned on the said town of Bolton or shall be received and supported by that town or by the said district, in whichsoever such poor had their local situation.
SEC. 4. And be it further enacted by the authority afore- said, that said district of Berlin shall have good right to claim and receive one equal third part of all public stock of arms and ammunition belonging before the passing of this act to. the town of Bolton.
SEC. 5. And be it further enacted by the authority afore- said, that the said district of Berlin may join with the town of Bolton in the choice of a representative, which representative may be an inhabitant of the town of Bolton or of the district of Berlin, and shall be paid by the town of Bolton and the dis- trict of Berlin in the same proportions as they pay other pub- lic charges, and the Selectmen of Bolton shall annually, at the usual time for issuing a warrant for notifying the voters to as- semble for coming to the choice of a representative, issue their warrant directed to some constable or constables of the district of Berlin, to warn the voters of the said district to as- semble with the said town of Bolton for that purpose.
SEC. 6. And be it further enacted by the authority afore- said, that the inhabitants and proprietors of land which, before
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TOWN OF BERLIN.
the enacting hereof, belonged to that part of the district of Berlin which was part of the town of Marlborough, shall be holden to pay all taxes already assessed on them by the town of Marlborough ; anything in this act to the contrary notwith- standing.
SEC. 7. And be it further enacted by the authority afore- said, that Samuel Baker, Esq., is hereby authorized to issue his warrant directed to some principal inhabitant of the dis- trict of Berlin, requiring him to notify the inhabitants of the said district qualified by law to vote in town affairs, to assem- ble at such time and place as he therein shall direct, to choose all such officers as districts within this Commonwealth are di- rected and required by law to choose in the month of March annually, and the said district of Berlin shall be considered as belonging to the county of Worcester, and the easterly boun- daries thereof shall be the boundaries between the counties of Middlesex and Worcester.
This act passed March 16, 1784.
The first action taken after the act of incorporation was the issuing by Samuel Baker, Esq., his warrant for a meeting of the legal voters for the purpose of choosing district officers, as follows :
WORCESTER, SS.
1154048
To Fortunatus Barnes, a principal inhabitant of the district of Berlin. GREETING.
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby authorized and required to warn the freeholders and other inhabitants of the said district, qualified by law to vote in town or district affairs, to meet at the meeting-house in the said Berlin, on Monday, the twelfth day of April in- stant, at one of the clock in the afternoon of the said day.
Firstly. To choose a moderator to preside at said meeting.
Secondly. To choose all such officers as districts are by law empowered to choose in the month of March annually, and have
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HISTORY OF THE
· this warrant with a certificate of your doings thereon at the time and place of said meeting.
Given under my hand and seal this fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord, 1784, and in the eighth of the independ- ence of the United States of America. SAMUEL BAKER,
A Justice of the Peace, specially authorized by the law in- corporating the aforesaid district to issue his warrant for the purpose aforesaid.
WORCESTER, SS.
April ye 12th, 1784.
These may certify that in obedience to the within warrant, I have notified and warned the inhabitants of the district of Ber- lin to meet at time and place and for the ends and purposes within mentioned, by order of the Honorable Samuel Baker, Esq. FORTUNATUS BARNES.
In observance of the foregoing warrant, dated April 5th, 1784, the inhabitants of the district of Berlin met at the meet- ing-house in said district on the twelfth day of April, 1784, and proceeded as follows, viz. :
First. Chose the Hon. Samuel Baker, Esq., moderator for this meeting on the second article; chose Jonathan Meriam district clerk. Sworn.
Selectmen : Lieutenant James Goddard, Mr. John Temple, Jonathan Meriam, Mr. William Sawyer, Captain Barnabas Maynard.
Assessors : Mr. David Taylor, Jonathan Meriam and Lieu- tenant Henry Powers ; all sworn.
Constable : Joel Fosgate ; sworn.
Treasurer: Lieutenant Timothy Jones ; sworn.
Then voted to choose the other officers by hand vote ex- cept the wardens.
At adjourned meeting April 27 chose :
Wardens : Samuel Jones and Fortunatus Barnes.
Fence Viewer : Jesse Jewett.
Fire Warden : John Bruce.
.
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TOWN OF BERLIN.
Highway Surveyors: Mr. Nathan Jones, Ephraim Fair- banks, Levi Meriam, Captain Barnabas Maynard ; all sworn.
Tithingmen : Messrs. Robert Fife and Ebenezer Woorster ; both sworn.
Hog Reavers : Messrs. Abel Baker, Jonathan Baker ; both sworn.
Culler of Hoops and Staves : Mr. Thomas McBride ; sworn.
Surveyor of Boards and Shingles : Mr. Jonathan Jones ; sworn.
Sealer of Leather : Mr. John Temple ; sworn. Attest : SAMUEL BAKER, Moderator.
Then voted to adjourn this meeting unto Thursday, the twenty-ninth day of April instant, to meet at four o'clock in the afternoon, and said meeting is adjourned accordingly.
Attest : SAMUEL BAKER, Moderator.
April 29, 1784, Four O'clock P. M.
The inhabitants of Berlin met according to adjournment at the meeting-house in said Berlin and proceeded as follows, viz., on the second article again taken up :
Chose Wardens : Messrs. Samuel Jones, Fortunatus Barnes ; sworn.
Fence Viewer: Mr. Jesse Jewett.
Fire Ward: Mr. John Bruce.
Then voted to choose another constable for this district.
Then chose Mr. Thomas Pollard for said constable.
Then voted to adjourn this meeting to the 27th day of May next to meet at this place at five o'clock in the afternoon, and said meeting is adjourned accordingly.
Attest : SAMUEL BAKER, Moderator.
BERLIN, May 27th, 1784, Five O'clock P. M.
The inhabitants of the district of Berlin met (according to adjournment) at the meeting-house in said Berlin and pro- ceeded as follows, viz., the former moderator not being present :
First chose Mr. David Taylor moderator pro temporary.
Then the question was put whether the district will accept
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HISTORY OF THE
at this place Mr. Moses Goddard as a constable in the room of . Mr. Thomas Pollard, and it passed in the negative.
Secondly, the question was put whether the district will ac- cept Mr. Nathan Jones as a constable in the room of Mr. Thomas Pollard, and it passed in the affirmative, the said Nathan Jones engaging that he will take no advantage by way of excusing himself from serving constable for himself when it shall be his turn.
Then voted to adjourn this meeting until the first Monday in June next to meet at this place at five o'clock in the after- noon, and said meeting is adjourned accordingly.
Attest :
DAVID TAYLOR, Moderator.
BERLIN, June 7th, 1784. The inhabitants of said Berlin met according to adjournment at the meeting-house in said dis- trict and voted to dissolve this meeting, and said meeting is dissolved accordingly.
Attest : DAVID TAYLOR, Moderator.
Thus ends the first town meeting held on the 12th of April, 1784, and continued by adjournment to June 7th, 1784, called under a warrant issued by Hon. Samuel Baker, Esq., for the purpose of choosing officers for the year ensuing. The Selectmen chosen at the aforesaid meeting on the 12th of April, issue their warrant on the 14th of that month for a meet- ing April 29th, for the purpose of making grants of money for various purposes and for the transaction of other district business.
The meeting held April 29th, 1784, was mainly for the purpose of raising money to defray town charges. The appropriations were as follows:
Granted £45 (about $150) for repair of highways, to be worked out at 3s. a day for a man, Is. 6d. for a yoke of oxen and 9d. for a cart, and eight hours
-
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TOWN OF BERLIN.
a day's work. At a subsequent meeting granted £66, 135. 4d. for Rev. Reuben Puffer's salary (equal to $222.22), and £5, 14s. for twenty cords of wood (about $19). Granted for schooling £20, and for the support of the poor £24, and to glaze the meeting- house £8.
The currency at this time was in pounds, shillings and pence. A pound was $3.333, a shilling 163 cents, nine pence 122 cents, and 4} pence 6} cents. Silver coins representing all these were in circula- tion, except the pound. The above grants were evi- dently made in what was called the new emission money, not the old Continental, which had become nearly worthless, as the following extract from the records show, May 27, 1784 :
"Voted, to abate Timothy Bruce's rates to Jotham Maynard, Jr., a former collector for the South Parish in Bolton, which sums are as follows, viz .: Of old Continental money, £25, 9s. Of new emis- sion money, £o, 9s. 3d.," or a reduction of about fifty to one.
OLD CONTINENTAL MONEY.
In continuing the history of the town, we propose to cull from the records such matters as appear to be of more general interest, under the head of "Gleanings from the Annals," and arrange in topics the more important events, so far as practicable. The town officers will be classified in separate lists for convenience, embracing the entire period of its organic life. We see that the town was well on its course at the close of its first year. The machine was in good working order, competent men were at
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HISTORY OF THE
the head, and care had been taken to provide for the more pressing wants of the community; for high- ways, for schools, for the minister and for the poor, ample provision was made. No appropriations seem to have been made for the services of town officers; probably these were rendered gratis, the honor hav- ing been considered a sufficient remuneration. It is worthy of note that six town meetings were held during the year 1784. From this it may reasonably
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be inferred that the fathers hugely enjoyed their newly acquired rights. Having given a brief synopsis of the doings in 1784, we now proceed to relate some of the more important occurrences in 1785. The first of these matters attended to was the schools. The boundaries of the town required new adjust- ments, hence at the March meeting of this year they chose a committee to divide the town into school squadrons. At the April meeting the report of the committee was accepted, and by that report the town
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TOWN OF BERLIN.
was divided into four school squadrons, viz., north, south, east and west. The following list contains the names of the heads of families in Berlin at that time, together with the places of residence:
NORTH DISTRICT.
Samuel Baker (stone house), William Bryant (southwest of Richard Wheeler's), Sam'l Baker, Jr. (?), Enoch Southwick (John Collins), Edward Baker (?), Jotham Maynard, Jr., (old site north of Frank Bab- cock's), Dr. Hezekiah Gibbs and Hezekiah, Jr., (F. A. Woodward), Amos Meriam (Richard Wheeler's), Pe- ter Crossman (John M. Kelley), David Southwick and Stephen Sweat (P. A. Randall), Ephraim Fairbanks (on corner), Isaac Moore (Edward L. Wheeler), Amos Allen (northwest of Thomas Berry), James Brewer (northeast of Captain Samuel Spofford), John Tem- ple (north of James Brewer's), Moses Goddard (Ful- ler house), Abijah Pratt and Jonathan Green (Daniel Wheeler place); one Samuel Gamwell lived south- east of Captain Spofford's, hence "Gamble hill;" Andrew MacElwain lived previously on the James Brewer place.
SOUTH DISTRICT.
Reuben Puffer (W. A. Houghton), Samuel Jones, Jr. (Willis Rice), Timothy Jones (Christopher Wheeler), Asa Witt (old shop on same), Jonathan Jones (south of Addison Keyes), Stephen Bailey (Ira Jones), Benjamin Bailey (M. M. Goddard), Ben- jamin Nourse (E. C. Shattuck), Nathan Johnson (C. S. Hastings), Eleazer Johnson (Willard Wheeler), Joshua Johnson (A. B. Allen), Barnabas Maynard
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HISTORY OF THE
(F. C. Lasselle), Joseph Priest (Rufus Wheeler's old place), John and William Brigham (west of New- some's in George W. Tyler's land), David Taylor and Job Spofford (Elisha Bassett), Silas Carley (Aaron Morse), Ebenezer Woorster (Elias L. Wheeler), Jona- than Wheeler and Jonathan, Jr., (C. A. Otterson), Holman Priest (J. J. Randall).
EAST DISTRICT.
Samuel Jones (tavern), Asa Bride (the old Bride place), Stephen Wheeler (Mrs. George Farwell), Solomon Jones (south of Reed Tyler), Ebenezer Bai- ley (southwest side of Sawyer hill), Aholiab Sawyer (lived near last), John Bruce (George H. Bruce), Ste- phen Coolidge (F. H. Crossman), Josiah Gaskill (E. F. Green), Benjamin Baker (Ira Brown), Joseph Howe (on north edge of pond), Joel Fosgate (George W. and Reuben), Daniel Goodnow (near the pond), Thomas Bride (L. W. Brewer), Josiah Sawyer (W. G. Bruce), William Sawyer (Reed Tyler), Nathan Jones (south end of Sawyer hill), Elijah Foster.
WEST DISTRICT.
Silas Bailey and Silas, Jr. (Edward Flagg), Barna- bas Bailey (W. B. Morse), Solomon Bowker (on Joseph Priest premises), Silas Wood and Martha Bailey, widow of Lieutenant Timothy (Merrick Fel- ton), James Goddard (Henry J. Sawyer), Phineas Howe (Silas Greenlief), Fortunatus Barnes (W. A. Brown), John Hudson (Ball hill), Jesse Jewett (Clar- ence Spofford), William Babcock (Joseph Turner), Nathan Barker (opposite Levi Babcock's), Nathan Eager (one-half Barber house), Henry Powers (C. B.
·
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TOWN OF BERLIN.
Rathburn), Levi Meriam (hotel), Robert Fife (Jonas Carter), Obadiah Wheeler (Silas Mills), Nathaniel Hastings (next to Clinton line), Thomas Pollard « John Moran), Silas Houghton (lived later opposite George W. Howard's), Cyrus Houghton (late Mer- rick Sargent). The Larkins were yet of Lancaster. APRIL 4, 1785. "Voted, that each squadron have liberty to provide a suitable place for their school as they think best for the present."
NOVEMBER 4. "Voted to sell the old school-houses. One of these stood in the corner near Edward Flagg's."
THE JURY BOXES ACCEPTED MAY 26, 1785.
The jury boxes as accepted stand as follows, viz .:
The jury box for the Court of Common Pleas- Amos Allen, Solomon Bowker, Silas Bailey, Jr., Ste- phen Bailey, Robert Fife, Joel Fosgate, Nathaniel Hastings, Cyrus Houghton, Samuel Jones, Samuel Jones, Jr., Nathan Jones, Amos Johnson, Jesse Jew- ett, Jonathan Meriam. Levi Meriam, Isaac Moore, Jotham Maynard, Jr., Barnabas Maynard, Henry Powers, Thomas Pollard, Josiah Sawyer, Jr., Job Spofford, John Temple, Ebenezer Worcester. The box for the Superior Court-Eleazer Johnson, James Goddard, David Taylor, Phineas How, Abijah Pratt, Fortunatus Barnes, Timothy Jones, Joshua Johnson.
TOWN POUND AND STOCKS, 1785.
At a meeting held May 26, 1785, voted "that this district will build themselves a pound;" also voted "that this district will provide themselves stocks." "Voted, that said pound be built of stone." Novem-
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HISTORY OF THE
ber 4, 1785, "voted to allow Samuel Jones twelve shillings for land the pound is built upon and con- venieney to pass in and out of the gate." This pound was built near where Dr. Gotts' barn now stands,
ABS,
and the stocks were erected near the meeting-house. This pound served the wants of the town for forty- eight years. In 1833 the new pound (the one now in use) was built on land of Jonathan D. Meriam,
STREET, CENTRE VILLAGE.
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TOWN OF BERLIN.
near "Pulpit rocks" (the steep rocky eminence just north). The stocks and probably a whipping post, as they usually went together. were demolished long before the new pound was made. Cost of pound, stocks and land, £9. 9s. 3d.
NOVEMBER 4, 1785. Voted to fence the front of the burial field with stone wall four feet high, and "middling handsome." Col. Silas Bailey, Mr. Eleazer Johnson and Levi Meriam, com- mittee.
BERLIN TERRITORIALLY.
The town of Berlin is situated on the eastern bor- der of Worcester county, adjoining Middlesex county on the east, and is bounded north by Bolton, east by Hudson and Marlboro, south by Northboro, and west by Boylston and Clinton. It is thirty-three miles west of Boston and fourteen northeast from Worcester. Its extreme length, from north to south, is about three and three-quarters miles, and its breadth, from east to west, four and a half miles, con- taining about thirteen square miles. The town is mainly on the southern slope of the Wataquodock hills in Bolton, spurs of which, extending south into Berlin, are known as Barnes' hill in the west, Baker and Wheeler in the north, and Sawyer hill in the east. These are of moderate elevation and suitable for cultivation on their summits. In the central and southern parts, lying between these hills, is a broad plain extending southward into Northboro, rendering this portion of the town well sheltered and protected from storms and blizzards.
The main water course in town is the Assabet river on its eastern border, and into this nearly the
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