USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Fitchburg > History of the town of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, comprising also a history of Lunenburg, from its first settlement to the year 1764 (1836) > Part 3
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"Anno Regui Regis Georgii Magna Britannia &c. Sexto.
At a great and General Court or Assembly for his Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, begun and held at Boston upon Wednesday the twenty-seventh of May 1719, and continued by Prorogation to Wednesday the
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fourth of November 1719, and then met; being their second session .-
Monday, December 7, 1719.
In the House of Representatives, the vote for granting two new towns was brought down from the board, with Amendments, which were read and agreed to-And the said vote is as follows ; viz :-
Voted that two new Towns, each containing a Quantity of land not exceeding six miles square, be laid out in as regular Forms, as the Land will allow; to be settled in a defensible manher on the Westerly side of Groton West line, and that William Tailor, Samuel Thaxter, Francis Fulham Esqrs. Capt. John Shipley, and Mr. Benjamin Whittamore, be a Commit- tee fully impowered to allot and grant out the land contained in each of the said towns, (a lot not to exceed Two hundred fifty acres) to such persons, and only such as will effectu- ally settle the same within the space of three years next ensu- ing the laying out and granting such lots by the Committee, who are instructed and directed to admit eighty families or persons in each Town at least, who shall pay to the said Com- mittee for the use of the Province, the sum of Five Pounds for cach allotment, which shall be granted and allotted as afore- said; and that each person to whom such lot or lots shall be granted or laid out, shall be obliged to build a good Dwelling House thereon and inhabit it ; and also to break up and fence in three acres of land at the least within the Term of three years ; and that there be laid out and reserved for the first set- tled Minister, a good convenient lot ;* also a Lot for the School,t and a ministerial lot, # and a Lot for Harvard College,§ of two hundred and fifty acres cach ; and that the Settlers be obliged to build a good, convenient House for the Worship of God in each of the said Towns, within the term of four years ; and to pay the charge of necessary surveys, and the Committee for their service in and about the premises ; and that the Com- mittee give public notice of the time and place when and where they will meet to grant allotments."
"Consented to --- SAML. SHUTE."
*This lot was where T. & J. Dunsmoor now live, near the north burial place.
tThe School lot was in the N. W. part of Lunenburg; and a portion of it came within the limits of Fitchburg.
#The Ministerial lot was so divided that it is now difficult to fix the precise situation of the several parts.
§The College lot was in the N. N. E. part of Lunenburg.
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These two townships were designated by the Committee ap- pointed to allot and grant them out, as the North and South townships. The former was afterwards incorporated by the name of Townsend, in the county of Middlesex. The south township included the present towns of Lunenburg, Fitchburg and a large portion of Ashby.
Whitney, and every other authority which I have seen, as- sert that this grant was made on the Fourth of Nor. 1719. A copy of the grant is given on the first page of the book contain- ing an account of the doings of the Committee. It is as fol- lows :--
"At a Great & General Court or Assembly for His Majes- ties Province of ye Massachusetts Bay, Held Nov. 4, 1719- In ye House of Representatives" &c. This error of 33 days as to the date of the grant was probably made either by the Committee's being furnished with an imperfect copy of the act, or by a mistake of Francis Fullam, the Committee's clerk, in copying it into their book. This latter was probably Whit- ney's authority, and it is not unlikely that others have follow- ed him. However, the authority of the records of the Gener- al Court is not to be doubted. The act passed the House of Representatives and received the signature of the Governor on the 7th of Dec. 1719, old style, which corresponds with the 18th of Dec. new style.
Whitney's account thus proceeds :- "There is a hill, in the middle of the town, called Turkey Hill, on account of the great number of wild Turkies which frequented the place in that day. It still retains the name; and gave denomination to the whole tract previous to its incorporation." This account of Lunenburg in Whitney's History (which was published in 1793) was entirely prepared by Rev. Zabdiel Adams, then minister of Lunenburg, and certainly a good authority in the matters of his own day. This hill is now called 'Clark's Hill,' and is situated about 200 rods southeasterly from the meeting house. I have enquired of several people, who lived in Lu- nenburg previous to the publication of Whitney's History, and hardly one is to be found who recollects that any one hill in particular was called Turkey Hill, but they say that Turkey Hills was the name given to 'all the hills around'-not only to the hills in Lunenburg, but to the loftier hills in Fitchburg, which were equally the resort of immense numbers of wild turkeys, which found a favorite food in a plentiful supply of chestnuts and acorns there abounding. One or two individu- als, however, are quite certain that Clark's Hill was once call- ed Turkey Hill ; and it is their impression that it went by both
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names -- that it generally was called Clark's Hill, though aged people still clung to its ancient designation. The name of Turkey Hill is now entirely superseded.
"There is indubitable evidence that the tract, included in the whole south township, was called, not Turkey Hill, but Turkey Hills. In the "Account of the General Courts Cominittes Pro- ceedings," written in 1720, it is so called. And in every oth- er place where it occurs, it is written "Turkey Hills."
What Indian name was given to this territory, is not known ; but the first name applied to it by white men, was Turkey Hills.
When this order or grant of the General Court passed, Dec. 7th, 1719, there was but one family residing in the territory of Turkey Hills. The head of this family was Samuel Page- universally designated by the honorable title of "Old Govern- or Page. This pioneer of the wilderness and patriarch of Tur- key Hills was born, as I have been informed, in this section of the country (probably in East-Cambridge,) in 1671 or '2, and removed at an early age to South Carolina. From thence he returned in poverty to Groton in this state, where he remained but a short period, and in the summer of 171S moved west- ward into what was afterwards Lunenburg, where he remain- ed till his death in 1747 .*
When the Gen. Court's Committee, (as they were styled) first visited the place in Dec. 1719, in the performance of their duty, they found Governor Page, whose faithful subjects were composed of his wife Martha, and several promising children, occupying a comfortable habitation on the southerly side of Clark's hill, a few rods to the rear of the barn belonging to the farm of Micah Marshall. It is directly opposite to the principal grave yard, little more than one mile in a southeast- erly direction from the meeting house. Old Governor Page exercised not a little taste in the selection of his place of abode ; for it is not only one of the most beautiful situations, but the land thereabouts constitutes one of the best farms in the town. He had, however, no title to the land which he was cultivating, for it was then public domain, and belonged to his Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay. Accordingly, when the Committee met at Concord, in 1720, for the purpose of grant-
*The inscription upon his grave stone, executed in rude cap- itals, reads as follows :--
"Here lies buried ye Body of Mr Samuel Page. He was yo first that settled in this town, Who departed this Life Sept. ye 3 A. D. 1747, in ye 76 year of his age."
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ing out lots, Samuel: Page purchased one for himself, and one for his son Joseph. This Joseph was employed as a 'chain- man,' when the town was first surveyed, and probably was a- bout twenty years old. I am inclined to think that he was the Governor's oldest son. This dignitary's nearest neighbors were at Groton on the east, at Lancaster on the south, and on the borders of the Connecticut river on the west. The record of the births of his children commences in 1719, and enumer- ates six. Previous to this period there were born Joseph, Daniel, Nathaniel, David, John, and probably one or two more. One or more of them settled in Shirley. Joseph resided all his days in Lunenburg. One of them, (David) as I have been told, removed to the northerly parts of Vermont, and was the first settler of the town of Lunenburg in Essex county. It is reported that he afterwards returned to his native state, and dwelt in Petersham.
An elderly gentleman of Lunenburg, from whom these data were derived, remarked that he thought that the descendants of this last mentioned son had not entirely disappeared at the present day, and, in support of his opinion, related the follow- ing :- This Page, having a roving disposition and a speculative cast of mind, took it into his head, when quite young, that he could make more money by trading with the Indians, than by cutting down forest trees and cultivating the soil. According- ly he directed his course towards Canada, and commenced purchasing beaver and otter skins of the ignorant natives upon this principle,-that his foot weighed just four pounds and his hand one pound. This they seemed to doubt, but were soon satisfied by his making the declaration that it was as fair for one party as for the other, since he weighed off to them, by the same weights, his powder, tobacco, shot &e. This grand field for making an honest living was, however, soon closed ; for some other traders coming that way, explained the trick to the Indians, and the Old Governor's speculating son had to de- camp very suddenly-weights and all-to save his life.
It appears from the town records of Lunenburg, that "Jolin Page, ye son of Samuel Page, died at Jamaica, being there on the Spanish expedition, Dec. 29th, 1740, as they hear."
David Page was undoubtedly among the earliest-perhaps the first of the settlers in that part of Lunenburg which is now Fitchburg. The birth of his eldest child is dated Oct. 1735. Some of the aged people of this town think that the first set- tlement made within our present precinct, by a white man, was on the place now owned by James L. Haynes-and that the occupant was sometimes called Governor Page. Others say
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that David Page lived there, but from how early a period they cannot tell. Perhaps the title of Governor, appended to this Page, was a hereditary privilege, or these informants may have blended the accounts of the two Pages in their minds. There can be but little doubt as to the residence of Old Governor Page near the centre of Lunenburg ; for the land, on which the first pound was built, and for a 'passage to and from the same,' was purchased of him, and the Gov. himself was elevated to the of- fice of pound-keeper.
There is, however, strong circumstantial evidence that the first settlement within what is now Fitchburg, was made by a man named Page-that his house stood a few rods westerly of the house of James L. Haynes, a short distance south of the present travelled road, and near the small brock which flows there. This house was "garrisoned," that is, sticks of timber, hewn on two sides to about the thickness of six inches, were firmly driven into the ground so close together as to touch .- This kind of barricade extended around the house at the dis- tance of about ten feet from it. Port-holes were made through this, of sufficient dimensions to allow the fire of musketry .- These fortified houses, called Garrisons, were frequently a good defence against the attacks of the natives. This Page turned the above mentioned small brook from its natural course, and made it flow for some distance under ground, and then through his garrison. This was done that, if menaced by the savages, he might sit securely in his habitation and defy their efforts.
Having thus treated of the family of Old Governor Page, the consideration of the affairs pertaining to the township of Tur- key Hills may be resumed.
The Committee appointed by the act of Dec. 7th, 1719, to allot and grant out the township, commenced their duties on the 21st of the same month, and began the survey. Beside other expense incurred by the Committee, the future proprietors were charged with the sum of 12s. 6d. old tenor* "for Bisket,
*As many of my readers, at the present day, would probably find it difficult to determine the difference between "Old Tenor" and "Lawful money," I will here add that in the year 1702, rc- course was had in the New-England provinces to a paper curren- cy, to support the expenses of government, and furnish a substi- tute for a circulating medium. The bills purported that they would be redeemed at a certain time, which was done at first, but it soon became customary to redeem them by new emissions. This being done pretty liberally, they began to depreciate in vat-
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Cheese & Jenger to carry into ye woods." The survey was resumed and completed in April of the following year .*
On the 11th of May the Committee met at Concord, when the grantees entered their names for lots. They were obliged to pay at this time the sum of 50 shillings, old tenor, ($1.11,) and obligated themselves to pay a like sum when they should finally draw their lots. If any individual refused to pay the last 50s, he incurred a forfeiture of his lot, and of his first pay- ment. The eighty lots were subscribed for, and the sum of 183l 10s ($81,54) paid. Of the eighty individuals whose names were subscribed, seventeen belonged to Concord, fifteen to Groton, four to Needham, and the others to Newbury, Brad- ford, Reading, Boxford, Weston, Watertown &c. Only one person's residence is put down at "Turkey Hills." This is Samuel Page, who subscribed for two lots-one for himself, and one for his son Joseph.
In May, 1721, the Committee again met at Concord, when ue. In Massachusetts, where their value was kept up better than in the other provinces, the depreciation was at the rate of set- en and a half for one in specie. This currency acquired the name of Old Tenor-seven shillings and six peace being equal to only one shilling in silver, which was called "Lawful money," or ninepence sterling of Great Britian.
In the year 1750, the government of Great Britian made a grant of a sum of money to Massachusetts, to remunerate the province for its exertions in the late war with France. Governor Hutch- inson proposed that this sum, which was sent over in dollars and parts of dollars, should be appropriated to redeem the whole of the bills of credit of the province. This proposition, after much opposition, was carried into effect ; and eventually it was pro- ductive of much good Accordingly the circulation of Old Ten- or bills was finally stopped on the 31st of March, 1750. 'The last large emission of @ Tenor bills was made by Gov. Shirley, in order to defray the expenses of the expedition against the isl- and of Cape Breton in 1745. This he did contrary to the express orders of the king to put a stop to them; but as the plan was suc- cessful no notice was taken of this breach of orders.
*It will he recollected that the Committee were directed to make the new township six miles square. An inspection of the map of Lunenburg shows that this order was not executed. A corner of Leominster projects considerably into the southwest part of the town. When the second grant was made to Lancas- ter, in 1713, (which grant was incorporated into Leominster in 1740) the Indians and whites, who 'ran' the line, first watered their horses at Massapog pond, and then proceeded in a straight line to the southern point of Oonkeshewalom pond. This was the boundary line between the domains of the whites and na- tives.
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the grantees drew their lots and paid for them in full. At this time five more grantees had been admitted, notwithstanding that the south township was "almost full." The number of grantees was subsequently increased to ninety.
It will be recollected that, according to the act of the General Court, each grantee was to receive 250 acres. 22,500 acres would thus be disposed of. Then a lot was reserved for the first settled minister, for the school, for Harvard College, and there was a ministerial lot. At the first division, forty-five acres, "and that to be the standard of the best land," were allot- ted to each man-and if any lot happened to be of an inferior quality, five or more acres were added to it, "to make each lot equal."
This, it will be perceived, was taking but a small portion of the whole township. Accordingly, in January, 1724, a second division of about 60 acres additional was made. The mead- ows were also divided into lots and annexed to the several 'up- land' lots ;- and thus they proceeded, making division after di- vision, till nearly all the township of Turkey Hills was taken up by the original proprietors, or their assigns.
There is one circuinstance, connected with the grant of the General Court, worthy of notice. The limits of the new town- ship, according to that act, were not to exceed six miles square. Yet Turkey Hills embraced the present towns of Lunenburg, Fitchburg, and not a small portion of Ashby. It would puzzle a surveyor of the present day not a little, to discover how the worthy and conscientious progenitors of Turkey Hills contriv- ed to get all this territory in a space of six miles square ; for Fitchburg alone is more than six and a half miles long, and nearly four and a half broad-Lunenburg is of about the same size-and add the part afterwards set off to Ashby in 1767, and we have a territory equal to twelve miles in length and six in breadth, containing at the least calculation 45,000 acres.
No one, however, seems to have found fault with the survey, and certainly people, at this late period, ought to remain satis- fied with it.
In 1724 the grantees began to move into the town and occu- py their respective lots. The first house built by Old Govern- or Page has already been mentioned. The second dwelling house,* as I have been told, was built by Edward Hartwell,
* I have not satisfactorily ascertained whether this house, or the one near the centre of the town (marked 115 on the map of L.) owned by B. G. Whiting and occupied by the Widow Good- ridge and Daniel H. Humphreys, was erected first. The latter
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Esqr .* on or near the place now occupied by Stephen Gibson. It is about three and a half miles in a southerly direction from the centre of Lunenburg, on the Lancaster road. This indi- vidual, who exercised a great influence over the rising fortunes of the new township, came from Lancaster as early as 1724- perhaps earlier. The third was built by Dea. Philip Good- ridge, on the place now occupied by his grandson, Phinehas Goodridge, on the road leading to Lancaster, about three miles in a southerly direction from the middle of Lunenburg. This house was built in the Autumn of 1721, or early in 1725 .- This Dea. Goodridge died in January, 1729, and, as I have been informed, was the first person interred in the principal grave yard of Lunenburg.t I find the deaths of several indi- viduals recorded previous to this time, but where they were buried I do not know.
At a meeting of the Gen. Court's committee, March 16th, 1726, it appears from information then laid before them, that there were twenty-six houses raised, "and ten of them settled
was undoubtedly built as early as 1724, by Thomas Prentice Esqr. and was afterwards and for a long period ocenpied by Capt. Joshua Hutchens, as a public house.
* He was not only one of the earliest settlers, but for a long period he was deservedly one of the most influential persons of the place. He possessed a strong mind and an education superi- or to that of most of his fellow citizens. He was continually called upon to fill the most important offices in the town. He was one of those individuals, whose sound judgement and ener- gy so well qualify them to take the lead in the affairs of a new settlement, when the influence of such persons is so essential to its prosperity. Whenever any important or extraordinary busi- ness was to be accomplished, Edward Hartwell was called upon to take the charge of it. He passed through several grades of office in the militia, and finally attained the dignity of major- an office at that time of more importance than that of a major general at the present day. In this capacity he took the lead in scouring the woods, when the people were alarmed by the move- ments of the Indians. He was a justice of the peace; and, in 1750, he was appointed a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, which office he held till 1762. He was the representative of the town for a great number of years, even till he was upwards of eighty years of age. He was also a deacon of the church, "and, finally, he died" as Whitney's History says, "in the ninety-sev- enth year of his age, as full of piety as of days."
+The inscription upon his grave stone read thus :-
"Here lyes ye Body of Mr. Philip Goodridge (2d son of Mr. Joseph and Martha Goodridge) Who was born at Newbury and died at Lunenburg, Jan. 16, 1728-9 in the 60 year of his age.
The first Man interred in this Place."
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and inhabited." Of these, though the larger portion was prob- ably near the centre of Lunenburg, some may have been in that part which is now Fitchburg. But this is a very doubt- ful matter.
Among the names which appear on the records at an early date, are those of Benoni Boynton, John Grout,t Moses Gould, Saml. Johnson, # Josiah Willard, § Nathan Heywood, Il Jonas Gillson, Daniel AustenT, Joshua Hutchens, Thomas Prentice, ** &c. &c.
Several years after the grant of the General Court, much complaint began to arise concerning the speculations, which now began to be manifest among the original proprietors-for then, as in modern days, there appeared a strong desire of turning every thing into a money-making matter. Several of the purchasers, totally disregarding the conditions of the grant, and the injunctions of the Committee, neglected to per- form any labor on their lots, and kept them from others likely to settle them. Inasmuch as they "traded them from one man to another, for excessive gain and prices, which practice was directly contrary to the written conditions and provisos upon which each person had his lot of the Committee," these latter
*He probably lived near where O. & J. Peabody now reside, about one and a half miles in a direction N. N. W. from the meeting housc.
+He had no fixed habitation, and probably never owned any real estate in Lunenburg. He was a speculating, moveable be- ing, and, if any thing, was a pettifogger by trade.
¿This Johnson is said to have lived where Luther Farwell now lives-about half a mile northeasterly from the Methodist meet- ing house.
§Capt. (afterwards Col.) Josiah Willard lived on the "Bil- lings place," on the Lancaster road, a little more than. two miles in a southerly direction from Lunenburg meeting house. He was a worthy man and had a great share of influence in the af- fairs of the infant settlement.
|| Nathan Heywood 'settled' in the southern extremity of the town, on the Lancaster road, where Oliver Whitney now dwells. He was a man of considerable note, having been appointed Dep- uty Sheriff, and afterwards Crier of the courts. He also kept in his house what, in those days, was dignified with the name of store, but on a very limited scale.
TDaniel Austen's habitation was where Calvin Eaton lateli lived.
** The house built by Thomas Prentice Esqr. and afterwards occupied by Capt. Joshua Hutchens, has already been mention- ed in a preceding note.
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proceeded to declare several lots forfeited, and sold them to oth- er persons, from whom more obedience might be expected .- After this summary proceeding, no more complaint was made concerning land speculations.
In Nov. 1727, the Gen. Court's Committee voted that the proprietors should forthwith proceed to the erection of a meet- ing house, to be not less than 45 feet in length and 35 in breadth. From the diminutive size of this house it may be inferred that Turkey Hills, at this period, did not contain many families ; yet they had already conceived thoughts of rejecting the fur- ther tutelage of the Committee appointed by the Great and General Court, and of setting up for themselves. They began to bestir themselves in the matter of procuring an act of incor- poration, and the meeting honse, proposed by the Committee, was not built. Yet they were not entirely without religious instruction, though they had no meeting house. May 15th. 1723, Rev. Andrew Gardner was settled as minister of Turkey Hills. The meetings, of course, were held in private dwel- lings.
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