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 6
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Hezekiah Hodgkins
66
Benj. Whitney 66
James Leach (Litch?) "
P. Williams Esqr.
Abraham Smith 66
Daniel Works
Charles Willard 66
Adin H. Hammond
Edward Scott 66
Joseph T. Scott
Ebenezer Bridge 66
Dea. Jacob Jaquith
Ezra Whitney
66
Daniel Lowe
Reuben Gibson
66 Arrington Gibson
Isaac Gibsont
66
Widow P. Gibson
* Martha, wife of Solomon Steward, died in 1777. She was buried in the lower grave yard at Lunenburg. Her grave stone declares that "She Was a Vartus Wife a Kind Neighbour & a Tender Parent.
Monrnfull Children Hear I Lay as You are Now So Once Was I as I am Now So You Must be Prepare Your Selves to Follow Me."
+The personal prowess of these Gibsons was quite proverbial. On one occasion Isaac Gibson, in his rambles on Pearl Hill found a bear's cub, which he immediately seized as his legitimate prize. The mother of the cub came to the rescue of her offspring. Gil- son retreated, and the bear attacked him in the rear, to the man- ifest detriment of his pantaloons. This finally compelled him to face his unwelcome antagonist, and they closed in a more than fraternal embrace. Gibson, being the more skilful wrestler of the two, "threw" bruin, and they came to the ground together. Without relinquishing the hug both man and beast now rolled over each other to a considerable distance down the hill, receiv- ing sundry bruises by the way. When they reached the bottom,
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HISTORY OF FITCHBURG.
William Chadwick lived
Nicholas Danforth
Isaiah Witt
Thomas Gerry
Joseph Spafford 66
near to, and a little north of where John Hapgood lives. in the pasture nearly oppo- site 1. Putnam's. Isaiah Patnam now lives. Joseph Fairbanks in the log house where John Battles Jr.
Ephraim Whitney
::
Stephen Lowe
John White
66
William Wyman
Timothy Bancroft
Joseph Marshall 66
Thomas Demary 66
where there is a tan yard, near to Nathan Battles'. Jacob Hl. Merriam
Jesse French
Thomas Dutton 6
66
Capt. Benj. Wheeler "
William Henderson
Abel F. Adams
Samuel Hunt
Timothy Parker
James L. Haynes 16 in the garrison house, for- merly David Page's. John Younglove lives.
Jonathan Wood
David Goodridge
Jonathan Holt 66
Wm. Bemis opposite the house of Avery Stockwell.
Samuel Hodgkins
a little to the south of the Old City Store.
Samuel Walker 16
66
Phinehas Goodell
C. Marshall now lives. in the southwesterly part of the town. His place of resi- dence is not exactly known.
The above mentioned individuals, and their families, com- posed the population of Fitchburg. Their dwellings, in almost every instance, were far apart-here and there a house, scat- tered over a large territory. A single dwelling house stood in the 'Old City,' and in the village, where the population is now so thickly clustered together, not a single house was erected. The winds, which swept down the valley of the Nashua, sigh- ed through the pines which here formed a dense forest.
both were willing to relinquish the contest, without any further experience of each other's prowess. It was a drawn game-the bear losing her cub, and Gibson his pantaloons.
*He was a half crazy Irishman, and went to Colraine soon at- ter the incorporation of Fitchburg. In about ten years he re- turned in poverty, and involved Fitchburg and Lunenburg in a law-suit respecting his maintenance.
where 16
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HISTORY OF FITCHBURG.
Within the first few years after the incorporation of the town, several new families selected it as their place of resi- dence. It would be tedious to enumerate all these new com- ers; but there is one, who, by the influence which he exerted over the affairs of the town, in its infancy, by the character which he helped to give it, and by the high estimation in which he seems to have been held, merits a more particular no- tice.
Thomas Cowdin Esqr. moved into Fitchburg in the July following its incorporation. He appears to have been one of those persons, who, without the advantages of birth, education or fortune, unaided by the influence of patronage or favor, but relying solely upon the energies of a sound intellect and active mind, frequently elevate themselves to a rank above their neighbors.
He was born in Stow in 1720, and went as an apprentice to the blacksmith's trade to Marlborough, where he served his time. He then removed to Worcester, and commenced his business on the main street. He belonged to a company of cavalry in that town. Several years previons to the old French War-as it is called-but at a time when the Indians were exceedingly troublesome, he was pressed into the service, and marched up to Charlestown No. 4, under the command of one Capt. Stevens. Here it was his fortune to encounter some dangers, and make some hair-breadth escapes from the sava- ges. He was, on one occasion, selected to convey some des- patches from that place to fort Dummer. He buckled thein in his knapsack, and, accompanied by two other soldiers, com- menced his dangerous journey. They had not proceeded ma- ny miles when, on coming to the brow of a rather abrupt prec- ipice, they looked down and beheld a very interesting group of savages. The latter perceived Cowdin and his associates at the same instant, and sounded the war-whoop in pursuit .- As they were obliged to make some little cirenit before they could climb the precipice, the whites improved the opportunity to get the start. Each of the three wisely took a different di- rection. Cowdin showed the red men a light pair of heels, and escaped by dint of running. One of his comrades took a "bee line" for Charlestown, where he arrived in safety, and gave the information that Cowdin and his despatches were probably taken. The third, being slow of foot, finding it im- possible to escape his pursuers by running, crawled into some high grass, before they came in sight, and thus escaped unno- ticed. Cowdin bent his course for Ashuelot (now Keene) where he arrived unharmed. From thenee a company of sol-
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HISTORY OF FITCHBURG.
diers was sent with him to fort Dummer, where he delivered his despatches.
On his return to Charlestown he met companies, which had been sent in pursuit of him ; and other despatches of the same tenor had been sent forward to fort Dummer, upon the pre- sumption that he had been taken and slain.
While he was at Charlestown, he was one of a detachment of thirty men, which was sent out to scour the woods of the neighborhood, to see if any Indians were lurking in that quar- ter. In this detachment was also the famous Chamberlain, who distinguished himself in that most bloody battle with the Indians, known as Lovell's fight, by killing with his own hands the Indian chief, Paugus.
Chamberlain had a dog with him, which had been nurtured in Indian wars. He could 'scent' an Indian as far as a com- mon dog could a pole cat. In this ramble the dog came speed- ily in to his master. Chamberlain looked in his face and read his intelligence. "Stop," says he, "my dog says the red skins are near." They halted, and in a moment they heard the sound of an arrow whizzing by their heads. They look a- bout, and Chamberlain soon discovers the lurking foe. He fi- red, and in a moment the Indians, in large numbers, rose a- round them and fired. The whites charged upon them, and they fled. The scouring party returned to the fort, having a few of their number wounded.
Cowdin, in the capacity of sergeant, was at the siege and capture of Louisburg, and faced the enemy in the hottest of the fight, when the place was attacked in 1745.
When the war broke out between England and France, in 1755, Cowdin enlisted as ensign ; and in that year he was en- gaged in the expedition against Nova Scotia. He served sev- en years during this war, and rose to the post of captain .- Two of these years he was employed in this state, for the double purpose of forwarding invalids, when they had suffi- ciently recovered to join the army, and for arresting deserters.
While engaged in this latter capacity, an incident occurred, which serves very well to illustrate bis determined persever- ance. He had intimation of a certain deserter, who was ma- king his way towards the state of New York. He started in pursuit of the fugitive, and finally borrowed him-so to speak -one Sunday morning, in a Dutch meeting house. It was during divine service ; but Cowdin rushed in and seized upon him. A scuffle ensued, much to the amazement of the sedate congregation. The fellow attempted to kill his captor, but Cowdin succeeded in overpowering and binding him. He
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HISTORY OF FITCHBURG.
then brought his prisoner from New York to Boston, for the purpose of putting him onto the castle ; but on his arrival there, it was ascertained that the soldier had last deserted from Crown Point, and therefore Cowdin was ordered to convey him to the latter place. This journey through the wilderness he accomplished alone with his prisoner, who very well knew that death would be his portion when delivered over to the proper tribunal. At Crown Point the prisoner was recognised as a man who had enlisted and deserted, in a short space, no less than thirteen times. He was conveyed to Montreal and shot.
Such circumstances as these serve, better perhaps than oth- er means, to set forth in its true light the character of one of the early pioneers, who, from the period when he made this town his residence, to his death in 1792, took the lead in its public affairs.
When Cowdin came into this town, he purchased the tav- ern stand of Samuel Hunt, who thereupon removed to Wor- cester. Cowdin continued to keep a public house here (J. L. Haynes') for about ten years, when he removed to the Bou- telle house, so called, in the Old City which has lately been taken down.
He owned a great portion of the land included between the two roads leading to Lunenburg and Baker's brook. He also owned a tract on the westerly side of the road leading from his then dwelling house to Kimball's mills in the Old City .--- The first meeting house built in Fitchburg, was placed on land given by him, and which was then called his wheat field .- This meeting house was nearly on the spot now covered by the brick school house.
I have already mentioned the condition of the village at that period. It was covered by a forest. After leaving Jesse French's house and Kimball's mills there was not a single dwelling house before arriving at Leach's where P. Williams, Esqr. now lives. The pitch pine trees afforded an excellent shelter for deer, partridges, and wild turkeys. David Bou- telle's "muster field" was covered with a beautiful growth of white pine timber, which was not cut down till 1775, when Thomas Cowdin built a large addition to the Boutelle house, and opened it as a public house.
A Judge Oliver, of Salem, owned a range of lots, commen- eing on Cowdin's land, near the Fox house, so called, and thence extending on the river to where Phillips' brook unites with the Nashua. This tract embraced the whole of the vil- lage and Crockersville. He also owned a tract a mile square H
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HISTORY OF FITCHBURG.
on Dean hill, so called, in the westerly part of the town .- Judge Oliver or his heirs sold both of these tracts to one Elias Haskell, who came into this town, and built the house now owned by Capt. Dean.
This Haskell, by selling lots and loaning his money, was reputed to be very rich ; but he was doomed to experience a reverse of fortune. He was compelled to receive his pay in the pernicious paper currency of the times, which depreciated so rapidly that it soon came to be but little better than so much brown paper. He afterwards purchased a small sandy farm ingthe northeasterly part of Lancaster, where he lived for some years, and died in poverty.
Col. William Brown and Burnet Brown, the one belonging to Salem, the other to the south, owned a large tract of land in the region where Levi Farwell now resides. In the west- erly part of the town they owned another tract, a part of which is now included in the Hilton and Sheldon farms. Another tract was owned by them in the northerly part of the town. 1
In the southwesterly part, several hundred acres were given to the committee appointed by the General Court to allot the original proprietorships. This committee, it will be recollect -. ed, consisted of Wm. Tailor, Samuel Thaxter, Francis Ful- lam, John Shipley, and Benjamin Whittemore. The land owned by Col. Timothy Fitch was in the southerly part of the town.
On the 5th day of March, 1764, the first meeting, which the town ever held in its corporate capacity, was called, ac- cording to the act of incorporation, by virtue of a warrant is- sued by Edward Hartwell Esqr. of Lunenburg, directed to A- mos Kimball, one of the Constables of Fitchburg. It was held in the tavern of Capt. Samuel Hunt. Amos Kimball was moderator of this meeting, and Ephraim Whitney was chosen town clerk. Amos Kimball, David Goodridge, Samuel Hunt, Ephraim Whitney and. Reuben Gibson were chosen Selectmen.
In September following, at a town' meeting, it was voted that "two miles on the westerly line of said town, beginning at the northwest corner, and half a mile on the easterly line, beginning at the northeast corner on Townsend line, then run- ning a straight line from one of these distances to the other, be set off to Mr. John Fitch and others, in order for them to join a part of Townsend and a part of Dorchester Canada, in order to make a Town or Parish among themselves." This was giving away a large slice from the northern part of the town ; and the liberal conduct of the people of Fitchburg is contrasted favorably with that of the people of Lunenburg, in
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HISTORY OF FITCHBURG.
the affair of the incorporation of this town. Notwithstanding the willingness of Fitchburg to gratify Mr. Fitch in this res- pect, Ashby was not incorporated till three years afterwards, viz. in 1767.
In October, 1764, a committee was chosen on the part of this town; to confer with those of Lunenburg, Groton, an I oth- er towns, for petitioning the Great and General Court for a new county to be formed of several towns in the counties of Middlesex and Worcester. Several attempts had been made, in years previous, to attain this object, but they were always unsuccessful. The attempt now made shared the fate of the others. At this period, though the amount of business, which the people of Fitchburg had to transact at the shire town, was but little compared with it now, they felt great inconvenience in being compelled to travel the distance of twenty-five miles, to have a deed recorded, or to transact any other county bu- siness.
Until this time, there had been no burying yard in the pre- cincts of Fitchburg. The dead were carried the distance of nearly seven miles to Lunenburg. The first 'grave yard' in Fitchburg was purchased near to their meeting house, on the hill a little in the rear of the brick school house, in the old city. But few bodies were ever deposited here, in conse- quence of ledges of rock and other obstructions in the soil .- In 1766 Dea. Amos Kimball, in consideration of the love and respect which he bore to the people of Fitchburg, gave to them one acre of land, on the southerly side of the river, between the bridge and his house. The bodies buried in the first bu- rying-place were exhumed, and re-interred in the new yard.
In Nov. the town voted to have six weeks preaching, and directed their committee to apply to Rev. Peter Whitney, who accordingly came and preached in the tavern of Thomas Cow- din. The people of those days were less scrupulous in regard to the place where they met for public worship, than we, of the 19th. century are ; a tavern then was no better than a tav- ern now, but they probably thought that their Maker regarded more the feelings, with which his creatures offered up their petitions and adorations, than the place in which they assem- bled for this purpose.
At the same meeting in Nov. they voted to proceed to build a meeting house. Their manner of proceeding in this affair was quite different from that usually pursued now; for the town determined to find the "stuff," and then employ people to work on the house, and finish a part at a time. Their first step was to get the frame raised and covered with rough
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HISTORY OF FITCHBURG.
boards ; afterwards the lower floor was laid, then the outside was 'finished ;' a place was made "for the minister to preach in," the pew ground was "dignified," and the house was "seat- ed." Then galleries, and stairs leading to the same, were to be made, the house was "glassed" and finally "coloured."- The town employed different persons to perform these jobs, which were not all completed till the lapse of several years. The town was thinly peopled, and money was by no means plenty. The sum 50l. ($166,66.) was voted to begin the house, which, built piece meal, and with such slender means, would make but a sorry appearance in comparison with our modern temples. The people were obliged to act with rigid economy. Fortunes were not made in a day, and the expen- ses of maintaining the minister, and keeping the high-ways in repair, bore heavily upon a population whose income was very limited. They thought it best to build no more at a time than they could pay for, and to humble themselves a lit- tle, as they arranged themselves on temporary seats around their preacher-and so proceed with the work of building as their means allowed. Such a course was preferable to that which is sometimes adopted in these latter days-of erecting a splendid edifice at once, contracting a large debt to pay for it, and then to be able barely to pay, year after year, the inter- est, and perhaps a small portion of the principal.
Although the people of Fitchburg thus early manifested a proper spirit in supporting the public institutions of religion, and doing other things for the prosperity of the town, it must be acknowledged that they did not exhibit that zeal in the cause of education, which its importance demanded, and which might be reasonably expected from them. During the first year of its incorporation, it does not appear that there was any school in the town. In 1765, it was voted that two schools should be kept in the town during the ensuing winter, and the sum of three pounds ($10) was appropriated to this purpose. Mr. John Fitch and Dea. Kendall Boutelle, who lived in the north- ern and southern extremities of the town, were exempted from any portion of this tax, and had permission to establish schools among themselves. How much benefit to the town was deriv- ed from two schools, each drawing from the treasury the pal- try sum of five dollars for the pay of the teacher and all inei- dental expenses, I cannot pretend to say. Incidental expenses, however, were but trifling. There were no school houses in the town ; but the dwelling-houses of individuals, who had va- cant rooms that would answer for this purpose, were freely of- fered for the public good. A school was 'kept' for some time
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HISTORY OF FITCHBURG.
in Wm. Chadwick's"corn-barn.' The 'master' boarded in the several families of the district, which bore the burthen or hon- or of his presence, for a stated number of weeks, in rotation. The people also furnished fuel gratuitously ; and it is probable that the teacher received nearly the whole amount of the mon- ey raised by the town.
In the succeeding year a more magnanimous disposition was manifested. The sum of Sl. ($26,66) was voted for the sup- port of the schools-and this was the standing sum appropria- ted for the purpose for a considerable number of years. Dur- ing the same time they were paying to their minister annually the sum of $200, or $300 (in addition to his 30 cords of wood) -eight times the amount which they paid for the education of their children. At the present time, the amount of money paid by the people for instruction, is just about equal to that paid to all the ministers in the town. It is but just to add that, previous to the incorporation of Fitchburg, Lunenburg ap- propriated a handsome sum to purposes of education .*
There were some peculiarities exhibited in the conduct of the fathers of this town, which savored strongly of their puri- tan origin. They were not so tolerant in all their notions as their children have become, and according to their sense of propriety and duty they maintained a strict watch over all things pertaining to the moral and spiritnal welfare of the good people of the town. In these days of modern degeneracy, their inquisitorial proceedings would have excited no small degree of indignation, and their prying committees would have met with many a severe rebuff.
Soon after the settlement of Rev. Mr. Payson, a committee was chosen to see that all the inhabitants duly and constantly attended meeting on the Sabbath, and to report the names of those who were delinquent. The latter were inevitably fined.
A Mr. Abel Baldwin, who lived on the farm where Moses Hale now lives, once came within the number of the unfor-
*Before Fitchburg was set off, two or more school-houses had been built in the precincts of Lunenburg, and the people of what was afterwards Fitchburg paid their proportion of the tax for the support of schools. It would be injustice to many persons not to mention the exertions, which they made in their individual ca- pacity, for the education, of their children. Many private or sub- seription schools were opened-some with very competent teach- ers. The children received three fourths of their instruction in this way. This is quite a palliation for the conduct of the town in its corporate capacity.
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HISTORY OF FITCHBURG.
tunate delinquents. He was consequently fined. He made his appearance before Thomas Cowdin Esgr. who was then living in what is now called the Old City, and paid his fine ; but he did so with evident reluctance, and an unwilling mind. He looked about him and seemed to think that the place, as well as the people, was entitled to a share of the blame, for so rigid a restriction npon his liberty. He expressed his opinion that the place would not prosper, and that a curse would follow it. He accordingly gave to it the name of Sodom-and it is called Sodom unto this day .*
At this period of our history, when there was a paucity of subjects to engage public attention, many trivial circumstan- ces, which now would excite no interest beyond the sphere of the individuals immediately interested, gradually worked them- selves into affairs of public importance, and came under the cog- nizance of the town. The minister, the meeting-house, the pews, and even the petty differences between man and man, frequently presented questions which were decided by the town.
'To show the views and understanding of the people then, their disposition to assume a general interest and oversight over each other's affairs, I will mention several circumstances, as they appear on the town Records.
Phinehas Steward and Edward Scott respectively laid claim to a certain pew in the meeting-house. This important affair corning before the town it was "Voted and agreed upon by the two parties on account of the Pew in contest, and by Phinehas Steward, which Pew Edward Scott claims is given up by said Steward to said Scott, upon condition that said Scott pays 30 shillings, and pays also what money the Town's committee dignified the Pew ground at to said Steward,-and further- more, both parties, that is, said Edward Scott and said Phine- has Steward, each of them agreed and actually signed the Town's vote, both of them never to make any more uncasi- ness further about said Pew, if the money be paid by said Scott in one week from this day, being the 23d day of May, 1768. EDWARD SCOTT.
(Signed) PHINEHAS STEWARD. Allest, THos. COWDIN, Town Clerk.
*He was a carpenter and joiner by trade, and withal a very respectable man. Being a Baptist-a rara avis in those days- he did not choose to unite in the worship of those of a different persuasion. The town wickedly persecuted him for conscience' sake.
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HISTORY OF FITCHBURG.
It appears that one Eliphalet Mace, then living where Jacob H. Merriam now lives, in giving in his invoice to the assessors, was actuated by a disposition, which has not become entirely obsolete in the town at the present day. He quietly kept back some few articles of his property-not wishing to appear too vainglorious about his worldly possessions. The town took cognizance of the matter, and soon came to the conclusion that, though the said Mace might be poor in spirit, he was not so very poor in earthlily goods. They accordingly voted that he should be fined 40 shillings for giving in a false invoice .- Some time afterward, the anger of the town was considerably abated, and the fine of Mace was abated in proportion. It was voted that 23 shillings of it be deducted-so the unfortunate man was fined only 12 shillings for his untimely modesty.
In a few years after the incorporation of the town, several roads were opened, and a considerable sum was expended up- on bridges. The road from South Fitchburg (leading over the arched bridge, and so by the dwelling-house of Alonzo P. Good- ridge, to the Old City) was opened in 1765. The road from Pearl Hill, by the dwelling-houses of Isaiah Putnam and Amos Wheeler, till it comes into the old road to Lunenburg, was ac- cepted in 1766. It is worthy of remark that in these, and in many other instances, the land which was needed for the roads, was given by the owners thereof. They asked for no jury to decide upon the amount of damage which they sustained by these improvements. In the spring of 1770, the town found it necessary to rebuild the bridges carried away by the "late freshet." But they did not rebuild them sufficiently high from the water, for in 1771 the Records say that it voted "to re- build the bridges carried away and damnified by the floods." The town also very magnanimously "voted to pay for the rum expended at the bridges."
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