USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Berlin > History of the town of Berlin, Worcester county, Mass., from 1784 to 1895 > Part 4
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HISTORY OF THE
entire drainage of the town is conveyed by North brook, one branch of which rises in the northwest part, near Bolton depot, and another in Rack meadow, with a branch from Clamshell pond in Clinton. They unite at West Berlin and form a stream of sufficient volume to operate two mills in the west and one in the south part of the town. Such is the configura- tion of the land that the water within about a mile of the Nashua river is conveyed easterly into the Assabet and thence into the Concord river, hence the surface inclines in a gentle descent to the south and east.
There is only one natural pond within the limits of the town, known as Gates pond. This, or a place near by, was called by the Indians Kequasagansett, and lies at the eastern base of Sawyer hill. This is now the water supply for the town of Hudson. This beautiful lake of pure, cold, crystal water, fed by springs, is the favorite resort of pleasure seekers and picnic parties in the summer season; the eastern shore is studded with cottages and houses for enter- tainment. On the western acclivity is Lake Side, so named by Madam Rudersdoff, the famous singer, who lived there a few years ago.
The highest elevation is Mt. Pisgah, a continua- tion of Wataquodock range, in the southwest part of the town. Fine and extensive views are here obtained of Wachusett mountain and the valley of the Nashua on the west, and of the Marlboro hills and valley of the Assabet on the east. Near the centre of the town is a rocky eminence of consider. able height, called Powder-house hill. From this point charming views of the central plain, reaching
STREET IN CARTERVILLE.
-
J
BALANCE ROCK, WHEELER HILL.
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TOWN OF BERLIN.
to Northboro and beyond, may be obtained. This huge pile of rocks, from its ruggedness and elevation, serves the double purpose of both protecting the cen- tre village from the northern blasts and relieving the eye from the sameness of view of the adjoining plain.
There are three villages in town: the Centre, in- cluding Carterville also; West and South Berlin, in each of which there are a post office and store. The town is distinctively agricultural, and the great variety of soils within its borders renders the town well adapted to horticulture and mixed farming. The hills and uplands are rocky and have a deep black soil suitable for grazing. The central plain and valleys are comparatively free from stones; the soil, a sandy loam, adapted to the growth of cereals. The geologi- cal survey of the town was made by the state. The basic rock is undoubtedly gneiss. Granite of fair quality for posts and underpinning is found on Barnes' hill, and rocks, more laminated and border- ing on the slate formation, are found near the Centre. In the building of the Central Massachusetts Rail- road, a graphite quarry was opened in the west part, near Snake hill, but of inferior quality. On the sur- rounding hills are numerous boulders, and on Powder-house hill there is one apparently of the lime- stone formation. The nearest of the same kind known is at the Bolton lime-kilns, four miles distant. Pulpit rock, a huge pile, may be seen near the town pound. The well-known boulder on the ascent to Wheeler hill is shown herein. The basic rock is mostly gneiss - mica schist, which abound in the northwest part, many rocks which contain oride of iron.
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HISTORY OF THE
SLEEPING ROCK.
The rock south of the Hudson road, between Capt. Silas Sawyer's and George H. Bruce's, has been known as Sleeping rock from the early times, so named in some of the first deeds. The origin of the name appears to have been from the fact that Indians occasionally used it as a shelter and to sleep under,-two were known so to do, says tra- dition. A shelving part has probably fallen over since that time. This rock was a corner of the original Gates farm. The place was called by the Indians the same as the name of the pond, Kequasa- gansett.
FOREST TREES AND ABANDONED FARMS.
The forest trees are substantially of the same varieties found in the adjoining towns, the prevailing types being oak, chestnut, pine and walnut; the hem- lock and rock maple are rarely found, and the beech is still more scarce, as nearly all of the first growth dis- appeared years ago. The acreage given up to the growth of wood has increased within the last few years, but this is the result of leaving old pastures to grow up rather than from the abandonment of farms. Abandoned farms are few in number in comparison with most towns. Three or four, in out-of-the-way places, are all that may be counted.
PREPARING FOR A WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN. The town voted August 18, 1794 :
"That soldiers that shall engage and be ready at a minute's warning, agreeable to orders of the commander-in-chief of this
--
SLEEPING ROCK.
3
nota
1
11 SIMONAS 1.
DRACON JOSIAH SAWYER'S FAMOUS LEAP.
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TOWN OF BERLIN.
Commonwealth, shall have their wages made up by this dis- trict to forty shillings per month for all the time they shall be actually engaged in the service by virtue of said orders, and shall have one dollar to each man, bounty, before they muster by themselves, and another before they march to the place of rendezvous, in case they should be called for."
As it happened there was no war with Great Britain. The town saved the pay and bounty. This is the first mention of the use of the dollar in our records.
TO RATIFY THE TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN, 1796.
Soon after the French Revolution, 1792, our com- mercial and other interests suffered severely by reason of the British orders in council, on account of which American vessels trading with France or its depend- encies were seized by British cruisers and our seamen impressed into the British service, and also because of other unjustifiable measures the government of Great Britain pursued towards this country. Washington was president at the time and the matters in controversy were settled by treaty, and consequently the threatened war was averted. The part taken by Berlin was to choose a committee to prepare a memorial to representatives of the Congress, namely: "That it is the wish of this district that the treaty with Great Britain (concluded Nov. 19, 1794) may be car- ried into honorable effect." Chose Dr. Puffer chair- man of committee.
Also voted, "that the said memorial when drafted be forwarded to the Hon. Dwight Foster, Esq., with all convenient speed. We find no record of this
5
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HISTORY OF THE
memorial, which probably was drawn up by Dr. Puffer, and was highly commendatory of the course pursued by Washington in the settlement of the vexatious matters in controversy. The treaty was finally ratified by the Senate and the course of the administration sustained. The trouble grew out of the war between Great Britain and France. Public opinion was divided on the course to be pursued. One party more favorable to France was in favor of a declaration of war against Great Britain, the other party, at the head of which was Washington, was de- sirous of settling the matters in controversy without recourse to arms. This was about the beginning of drawing party lines in this country. Later one party assumed the name of Republican under the head of Thomas Jefferson, the other of Federal under Alex- ander Hamilton.
SHAYS' REBELLION.
The district had barely completed its organization and the affairs of the town were progressing smooth- ly, when an element of discord confronted the peo- ple. It was a test of loyalty to the government. There was a diversity of opinion here, as elsewhere, as to the best method of redressing political griev- ances, whether by the shotgun or by the ballot. The result of the insurrection of 1786 settled the ques- tion.
A brief statement of the main facts pertaining to what is known in history as Shays' Rebellion, would seem to be a necessary preface to the presention of the part taken by Berlin in that unhappy contro-
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TOWN OF BERLIN.
versy. The country was in a deplorable, unsettled condition for several years after the Revolutionary war. The resources of the nation had been heavily drawn on to carry on the war. The currency had be- come depreciated ; Continental scrip was nearly worth- less; it took a barrel of it to pay for a bushel of corn. The people as a consequence felt compara- tively poor, but the debts they had necessarily con- tracted were not lessened, and payment was vigor- ously demanded and enforced by legal process through the courts of law. The sheriffs were busy with their writs and executions issued by the courts without clemency or consideration, as many of the insurgents in this contest believed; the state taxes were particu- larly heavy and burdensome, and the General Court was complained of for not relieving the grievances of the people : in fact it was a time of general depression and unrest. Under these circumstances the more bold and audacious of the malcontents conceived the idea of forcibly resisting the authorities and abolish (as seemed to them) the obnoxious courts, which were regarded as mills, whose fees had grown to be excessive and exorbitant. The rebellious element was confined mostly to towns in the interior of the state, and various conventions had been held at dif- ferent times and places for the redress of grievances from the close of the Revolutionary war to 1786. It appears by record that our town was somewhat mixed up in this affair, as Berlin sent William Sawyer as a delegate to the convention at Paxton held on the last Tuesday of September, 1786, at the house of Mr. Snow, innholder, and also at the Worcester convention, for which service the town
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HISTORY OF THE
paid him £1, Ios. 6d. for seven days' time and ex- penses. It may reasonably be inferred that some Berlin men were in the insurgent ranks. No record- ed report of Mr. Sawyer is found, but a letter from the town of Boston was read, which had a quieting effect. The vote of the town for governor was changed this year from James Bowdoin to John Hancock. The latter was supposed to be more in sympathy with the rebellious elements. The result of the agitation in convention and otherwise was the concentration of the bellicose elements into a mobocratic army, headed by one Daniel Shays, who had been a captain in the Revolutionary service. Our space does not admit for an extended account of this rebellion, which lasted only a few months in the latter part of 1786 and the winter of 1787. The insurgents to the number of nearly 1,000 met at Worcester Dec. 5, 1786, and prevented for the time being the sitting of the court. The same manœuvre was repeated at Springfield the 26th of the same month. The rebels finally resolved to seize the arsenal at Springfield and help themselves to arms and ammunition. The attack was made on the 25th of January, 1787, and proved to be a Waterloo defeat to the insurgents, who retreated northerly and were followed by General Lincoln with the government troops, and the last of them were finally scattered and dispersed in the vicinity of Pelham and Petersham. In closing, it is but just to say that Judge Baker was a tower of strength for the maintenance of law and order, and by his influence the town was kept from more serious entanglement in this unhappy con- flict.
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TOWN OF BERLIN.
DIVISION OF THE SCHOOL MONEY WANTED BY THE FRIENDS.
MARCH 9, 1789. "The question was put whether the dis- trict will allow Obadiah Wheeler, Jonathan Wheeler, Stephen Wheeler, Enoch Southwick, David Southwick, Thomas Holder and Thomas Watson to have their school money and lay it out for schooling amongst themselves ; it passed in the negative.'
Voted, that if Jonathan Wheeler, Jr., takes the constable's oath he shall be exempted from collecting ministerial taxes. Jonathan was probably conscien- tiously scrupulous about either paying or collecting such taxes.
ADMIT PETER LARKIN.
FEBRUARY 3, 1790. "Voted that Peter Larkin with his fam- ily and interests be received to and incorporated with the dis- trict of Berlin, agreeable to his request and the vote of the town of Lancaster."
An act to set off Peter Larkin with his family and estate from the town of Lancaster to the district of Berlin :
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- resentatives, in General Court assembled and by authority of the same, that Peter Larkin of Lancaster, in the county of Worcester, with his family and estate be and hereby are set off from the said town of Lancaster and annexed to the district of Berlin, in said county of Worcester, and shall hereafter be considered as part of the same, there to do duty and receive privileges as the other inhabitants of the said district.
SEC. 2. Provided, nevertheless, that said Peter Larkin shall be held to pay his proportion of all such state and county taxes as shall be laid by the Legislature upon said town of Lan-
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HISTORY OF THE
caster, before the settlement of another valuation, the passing of this act notwithstanding.
This act passed February 8, 1791.
1795.
The district of Berlin was surveyed by Jonathan Meriam and Nathaniel Longley and a plan sent to the state, assisted by Job Spofford, Ephraim Howe, Samuel Baker, Levi Meriam, Captain Samuel Jones and Peter Larkin.
GLEANINGS FROM THE ANNALS, 1797.
The militia of the district organized this year, granted £40 to defray necessary charges, including cost of ammunition for the soldiers.
April 3, 1797, voted that the Selectmen provide a sufficient quantity of powder, balls and flints, legally, to equip the militia of this district.
1798.
April 2d the question of dividing Worcester coun- ty was submitted to the voters, and the result was thirty-four voted against the measure and none for it.
I 799.
April 1. Granted £80 to be worked out on new county road, beginning at Lancaster line and work towards the meeting-house.
Voted, that the tax on dogs be for the support of the poor.
1800.
April 7. Voted to petition the Court of Sessions for an allowance of $500 to enable said district to
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TOWN OF BERLIN.
make and pay for said road. Amos Johnson and James R. Parks, the committee, reported September 15th and the town voted not to accept their report, which probably was adverse to the prayer of the petitioners. December 29th, "chose Jonathan Mer- iam, Levi Meriam and John Larkin a committee to signify to the representatives of Bolton and Berlin the wish of this district that the proposed turnpike road, especially from Sudbury causeway to Waltham, should be opposed with all his influence." The reason for this action does not appear.
1802.
Town grants first made in Federal money.
Repaired the house bought for accommodation of the poor (see article, "House for the Poor").
1803.
April 4. Voted, "that the Friends or Quakers shall have their proportion of school money, pro- vided they lay out said money in this district under the discretion of the School Committee."
1804.
Granted $30 for a singing school.
Voted, that the soldiers' uniform hats be paid for by this district and in care of the Selectmen.
HEARSE AND HEARSE HOUSE, 1805.
March 4. Granted $100 to provide a hearse and . build a hearse house. Chose Levi Meriam, Solomon Howe and Henry Powers, committee.
1806.
A part of Northboro annexed to Berlin.
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HISTORY OF THE
January 6. Voted, to instruct our representative to use his influence in favor of the petition of James R. Parks for the setting of all his land in Berlin. The prayer of the petitioner was granted, as appears by an act of the General Court passed February 15th, 1806. Before this date the mills in the south part and most of the pond were in Northboro.
CHANGE OF THE NORTHBORO LINE, 1806.
"An act to set off part of the town of Northborough and annex the same to the district of Berlin, and to set off part of said dis- trict of Berlin and annex the same to the said town of North- borough.
"SECTION I. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- resentatives in General Court assembled and by the authority of the same, that all the lands and buildings thereon, lying northerly of the line herein described, belonging to the town of Northborough, in the county of Worcester, be and hereby are set off from the said town of Northborough and annexed to the dis- trict of Berlin, in same county of Worcester, and that all the land lying southerly of said line belonging to the said dis- trict of Berlin, be and hereby is set off from said district of Berlin and annexed to the said town of Northborough, viz. : Said line beginning at a stake and stones on the line between Marl- borough and said Berlin, twenty-four rods from the northwest corner of said Marlborough ; thence north thirty-three degrees, west 226 rods to a stake and stones on the line between said Northborough and said district of Berlin. Passed February 15, 1806."
SEC. 2. About taxation omitted.
1807.
January 19. Voted $500 to repair Rev. Mr. Puf- fer's house. Assessed on those liable to the minis- terial tax.
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TOWN OF BERLIN.
WELL ON THE COMMON.
September 2. "Voted, that Mr. Solomon Howe have liberty to dig a well on the Common." This is the well in front of the Town House.
1808. April 25. Dr. Puffer a missionary.
"Agreed with Dr. Puffer that his salary should be $222.22, to begin March 1, 1809, and continue at that rate while gone on a missionary service." This serv- ice was in the state of Maine.
1809.
February 6. Voted, to petition the Legislature to interpose for relief, etc. (See article, "War of 1812.") Voted $30 for a singing school.
1810.
March 5. Chose Daniel Brigham, Stephen Bailey and Dexter Fay to attend to the inoculation of cow pox. October 8, voted, to procure fifty-four knap- sacks for the soldiers belonging to this district.
18II.
June 3. Voted, to petition to the General Court to be incorporated into a town. Chose Stephen Bai- ley, James R. Parks and Solomon Howe to be the agents. Voted, to instruct said agents to request Hon. Silas Holman, Esq., and our representatives to use their influence to forward said incorporation.
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HISTORY OF THE
CHAPTER IV.
ACT OF INCORPORATION.
THE DISTRICT MADE A TOWN, 1812.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
In the Year of our Lord One Thousand, Eight Hundred and Twelve.
An act to incorporate the district of Berlin into the town of Berlin.
SECTION I. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- resentatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same : That the district of Berlin, in the county of Worcester, be and hereby is incorporated into a town by the name of Berlin, subject to the like duties and requirements, vested with all the powers, privileges and immunities which other towns do or may enjoy, agreeably to the Constitution and laws of the Commonwealth.
SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, that either of the justices of the peace for the county of Worcester be and he is hereby au- thorized to issue a warrant directed to a freeholder, an inhabi- tant of the said town of Berlin, requiring him to notify and warn the freeholders and other legal voters thereof, to meet at such convenient time and place as shall be appointed in said warrant, for the choice of such officers as towns are by law re- quired to choose and appoint at their annual town meetings, February 6th.
Recorded March 11, 1812.
DEXTER FAY, Town Clerk.
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TOWN OF BERLIN.
Agreeably to the act of incorporation, Levi Mer- iam, Esq., issued his warrant to Ephraim Babcock to notify and warn the inhabitants qualified to vote, to meet at their meeting-house on the second day of March at one o'clock P. M., for the choice of town officers.
DIDN'T WANT THE TOWN LARGER.
An article in a warrant issued March 23d, 1812, was:
"To see if the town will receive a certain number of the in- habitants of the town of Lancaster, that is, following Boylston line from Mr. John Larkin's to Lancaster river, running with the river fourteen rods below the bridge by Mr. John Goss', then to Bolton line with the inhabitants thereon, and act any- thing relative thereto that may be thought proper."
The vote taken on the above was:
"That it is not expedient to have said inhabitants with lands annexed to the town of Berlin."
The reason for rejecting this application does not appear, but it may be because it would change the centre to some point more westwardly.
First representative to the General Court was Cap- tain Henry Powers, chosen May 4th, 1812, and was chosen seven other times until 1830.
WAR OF 1812.
The general sentiment of the town in relation to the prosecution of the war against Great Britain,' 1812-15, was evidently in unison with that of most of the towns in this Commonwealth. While they opposed the policy of the administration, they were ready to support the government by personal service whenever called upon to defend the state from foreign
.
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HISTORY OF THE
invasion. The very brief records found of the doings of the town pertaining to this war indicate a degree of lukewarmship quite in contrast with the patriotic zeal manifested in the War of the Rebellion. During this period the town voted nearly unanimously for Governor Caleb Strong, although he resolutely re- fused to comply with the orders of the secretary of war to furnish 10,000 men as the quota of Massa- chusetts, but instead proposed to organize the militia and have them ready on call for the defense of the state if invaded by the enemy. In this proceeding the governor was evidently in error in thus attempt- ing to establish the supremacy of the state over that of the general government-a doctrine afterwards followed by the southern states in acts of nullifica- tion and secession under the plea of "states' rights." The vote for governor in 1812 was: For Honorable Caleb Strong, Esq., ninety-five votes; for His Excel- lency Elbridge Gerry, Esq., two votes. Gerry was known to be in favor of prosecuting the war.
The town as early as 1808 took action against the enforcement of the embargo, and again at a meeting held February 6, 1809, "voted to petition the Legis- lature of this state to interpose for our constitutional relief against the late arbitrary and unjust violations of the rights of the people;" chose Barnabas May- nard, James R. Parks and Amos Johnson, commit- tee, to draft the petition. After hearing the petition read, "voted unanimously to send it to the Legislature of the state."
At a town meeting held July 4, 1812, a still stronger opposition to the prosecution of the war appears from the records.
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TOWN OF BERLIN.
The article on which the action was taken reads thus:
"To take into consideration the present alarming situation of our public affairs and act anything relative thereto that may be thought proper."
"Voted the following resolutions unanimously :
"That circumstanced as this country is with respect to the principal belligerents, we cannot but deem it improper and hazardous to resign our neutral position and involve ourselves in measures which, if we escape without loss of independence and our dearest rights, must of necessity inflict a lasting wound on our national prosperity. That we view with deep emotions of grief and even horror the participation of the government in a war unexampled in the annals of civil society. A war under- taken, not in defense, but for the extirpation of the rights of man, which has long deluged Europe in blood and threatens destruction to the remaining liberties of the world. That al- though we hold ourselves in readiness to expend our lives and property for our beloved country when called to its just de- fense against foreign aggression, yet it is with extreme reluc- tance that we are compelled to take up arms in a contest which, after the best information we have been able to obtain, is, in our deliberate judgment, unnecessary, impolitic and unjust. That such is the unhappy situation in which we are placed, that success in this war in our opinion would be the greatest misfortune that could happen to our country, by weakening the resistance of Britain to the overwhelming power of France, and thereby leaving us no alternative but that of submitting without a struggle to the will of the conqueror ; that the shedding of human blood (at all times an awful consideration and never to be resorted to but in the failure of every means of considera- tion) will in the present case, we fear, enhance our national guilt and draw down upon us the righteous vengeance of heaven. That while we utterly detest and will discountenance all combinations against lawful authority, we will not fail to co-
.
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HISTORY OF THE
operate and unite with other towns in all lawful and constitutional methods to bring the war we so highly deprecate to a speedy and effectual termination."
"Voted unanimously that the foregoing be adopted as being the sense of the inhabitants of this town."
The records are silent as to the author of these resolutions. No committee was appointed to draft them and no person is named as having presented them. The resolutions are certainly clothed with vigorous language. It is quite possible that Dr. Puffer may have been the author. No one can fail to note that the principal reason assigned for the op- position to the war was that Britain might be so weakened by the war as to be unable to resist the overwhelming power of France, or in other words, our fathers here of 1812 were fearful and apprehen- sive that Napoleon Bonaparte, then emperor of France, if not checked in his conquering career by the power of Great Britain, would, like Alexander the Great, seek other worlds to conquer. With Europe at his feet, it was thought quite probable that he would attempt to recover at least so much of America as was lost to France fifty years before, and conse- quently the liberties of our country would be crushed under the tread of his hostile legions, but this dread apprehension was unreal. The empire of Napoleon was then tottering on the brink of ruin, and soon fell to rise no more.
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