USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Freetown > History of the town of Freetown, Massachusetts : with an account of the Old Home Festival, July 30th, 1902 > Part 13
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jamin owned the hall and enjoyed dancing; John was always a spectator except when called upon to dance "the broom stick," a dance that no other man could ever exe- cute without making a misstep or tripping over the crossed brooms.
This upper corn store and a cottage next south of it were burned in 1886. The roof of the South church was ignited by the flying sparks. Fortunately this was discov- ered in time to save the building. Deane's Hall was built in 1847. It was sold and altered into a machine shop in 1869, and became the gun shop in 1873. All this com- mercial activity has departed from along the river front, and not a single vessel is owned in the town at the pres- ent time. Several of the wharves are very much out of repair, and are no longer used as such. It is many years since a vessel has tied to the upper or Winslow's wharf, the longest wharf on the river. Its caplog has now disap- peared, and its wall is fast slipping out into the river. Lawton's wharf is in good repair, and a load of wood is occasionally taken from it by an out of town craft. Rod- man's wharf is in fair repair, but is not used as such, hav- ing been fenced in. Welcome's wharf is fast going to destruction. Time, tides and ice have destroyed the two easterly sections of the lower wharves, but the westerly section, or Nichols' wharf is in good repair, and wood and box boards are occasionally shipped from it. Cudworth's wharf, now used as a coal and lumber yard by Cudworth & Davis, is at present being rebuilt. Hathaway's wharf at the Narrows, where the whale ship Elizabeth was twice fitted out is now nothing more than a stone heap. Two or three parties are still engaged in the wood business at Assonet Village, most of their wood however is now sent to Fall River and Newport by rail. The East Freetown wood dealers ship by rail to New Bedford and other places, and also send considerable both to New Bedford and to Fall River by teams. Within a few years large quantities of white pine has been cut and converted into lumber at
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portable saw mills, especially at East Freetown. William Richardson came from the South to Assonet when a young man, and settled at Slab Bridge. He commenced buying wood land and dealing in wood. Before his death he could cut and sell a cord of wood every day, and yet never own any less cords of wood, the growth on his many acres being at least one cord per day. William D. Jenkins, a wealthy planter, that lived near Brunswick, Ga., used to spend his summers at Assonet, sometimes coming and going with Capt. James W. Burr, on his vessel.
THE MARINERS.
Freetown having been largely interested in ship building and commerce, it followed as a natural conse- quence that many of its citizens, especially the younger. men, would become mariners. It is worthy of note that most of those who chose a sea-faring life soon became masters of vessels, and many of them became noted, both at home and abroad, as highly successful navigators of vessels engaged in the coastwise, and also in the foreign trade. The Rev. Thomas Andros, of Berkley, who lived on a farm bordering on the Freetown line, taught naviga- tion at his home. Undoubtedly some of the Assonet youths availed themselves of the opportunity to study with him. Five of his sons became masters of vessels in the merchant service. Two of them, Thomas Jr. and Benedict, became residents of Assonet Village, marrying Sarah and Eunice, daughters of Peter Nichols, black- smith. Thomas was for a time engaged in the coastwise trade, and later sailed between New York and Mediter- ranean ports. Benedict for several years sailed between New Orleans and Liverpool.
Capt. James Chace was an exceedingly fortunate and successful navigator. He sailed for Captain Edmund Hathaway. It was the pride of Captain Chace that "he sailed the seas for forty years, made thirty-three trips to
196
Bermuda, and never lost a man or a spar." He married Phebe A., daughter of Augustus Chace.
As master of a whale ship, Captain Henry H. Wins- low made two voyages from New York, and two from Providence, R. I. His last voyage was from Providence, in the ship Cassander. While in the South Atlantic he had taken from another ship two native Africans who had been decoyed on board. The crew, in jest, told these natives that the captain would sell them when he got into port. Believing this, they set fire to the ship and jumped overboard. One was rescued, the other plunged a sheath knife into his side as he went overboard and was not seen again. The crew were obliged to take to the boats, and after ten days of suffering and hardship, they landed on the east coast of South America, in latitude 36 degrees. When five days out in the open boats they fell in with a Spanish vessel, but the captain being afraid of them, re- fused to take them on board, to take them in tow, or to assist them in any manner. During a gale of wind, Cap- tain Winslow's boat was capsized and its occupants were obliged to get into the other boats. One of the crew died while in the boats, and the third mate was drowned in making the landing. Captain Winslow, with an interpre- ter, made his way forty miles on the beach, and ninety miles farther in a small vessel, to a port where he secured a vessel to go to the assistance of his crew. At this time he was but twenty-eight years of age. He went to Cali- fornia soon after the discovery of gold in that state. He returned to Assonet several years ago, and today is the only survivor of all the many Freetown captains that once so proudly and nobly trod the quarter deck of a sea- going vessel. He married Mary Ann, daughter of Henry Porter.
Captain Job G. Lawton, on one of his many voyages across the ocean, lost his rudder at sea. With commend- able ingenuity he made a temporary one from old ropes, hung and managed it by chains passed over the stern,
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and either side of the ship, and by his cool determination and never tiring perseverance brought his ship safely into port. For this remarkable feat he received high public commendation, and a substantial recognition from the insurance companies interested in his vessel and her cargo. Several models of this rudder are now in exist- ence, one being on exhibition at the National Museum in Washington. Another was shown at the Loan Exhibi- tion, Old Home week. He married Polly, daughter of Captain Charles Strange.
CAPT. WASHINGTON READ.
Captain Washington Read followed the sea fifty-two years, commencing as cabin boy for his father when nine years of age. At the age of thirteen he commanded a sloop which plied between Fall River, Providence and Newport, and in all sailed as master of sixteen different vessels. In the ship Caroline Read, named for his wife, (Caroline, daughter of Allen Chace), he circumnavigated the globe. Starting from New York in 1850, being then
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4
RESIDENCE OF RALPH H. FRANCIS. Built by Rev. David A Leonard, Grandfather of Hon, John Hay, Secretary of State.
Residence of WelcomeH. Hathaway
BUILT BY ELDER PHILIP HATHAWAY. Remodeled by Capt. Washington Read.
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thirty-seven years of age, he doubled Cape Horn to San Francisco; thence to Singapore, thence to Calcutta, thence around the Cape of Good Hope to London, and from there home to New York. The trip occupied seventeen months. When he arrived off San Francisco circumstances com- pelled him to pass through the Golden Gate, a strait five miles long and one mile wide, with bold and rocky shores, in the night time, against a strong head wind. While on the quarter deck, directing the movements of his ship, his stout heart gave way, and he shed tears. His usual good fortune did not forsake him, however, and the morning found him safely at anchor in San Fran- cisco bay. Captain Read crossed the Atlantic about seventy times, his wife accompanying him thirty-eight times. He never grounded or lost a vessel. He rescued many survivors from numerous wrecks, taking fifty-two from one wreck in mid-ocean, encountering great peril in so doing. For this he received high commendation from the Lord Mayor of London, the rescued being British subjects.
Captains Edmund Hathaway, Job Terry, George C. Briggs, George W. Pickens, George W. Hall, Elnathan P. Hathaway, Allen Read, and many others whose names are unknown to the writer, in connection with this partic- ular service, sailed to foreign ports, the four last named in vessels not hailing from Freetown. Captain Elnathan P. Hatheway sailed one of the largest ships out of New York, and made the quickest trip to Rio Janeiro on record at the time. Among those known to the writer who were mas- ters of vessels, engaged in the Southern carrying trade, were Franklin Briggs, Nathaniel Briggs, James Burr, James W. Burr, Luther Cudworth, George Dean, William Hall, Welcome Hathaway, Adino Paddock, Benjamin F. Pickens, Samuel Pridham, Joseph H. Read and William Read. During the War of 1812 Captain Franklin Briggs was captured by the British and confined in Dartmoor prison, where he suffered many hardships.
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In the following list of masters of vessels there are many who are well deserving of especial mention, but unfortunately there is no record of their sea service to refer to and the writer knows of no living person that he can appeal to for information concerning them. In the list of vessels hailing from the town the names of many of them appear as masters of several different vessels when their final papers were taken out at the Custom House. In
CAPT EDMUND HATHAWAY HOMESTEAD,
Now Owned by His Grandson, E. G. Lawton.
many instances they commanded other vessels mentioned in the list, but before the issuing of their last papers, and also, in some cases, they commanded vessels hailing from some other port. It should be borne in mind that unless in command of a Freetown vessel when her final papers were issued, a master's name does not appear in this chapter, unless supplied from memory.
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MASTERS OF VESSELS.
Augustus C. Barrows, Stephen B. Barnaby, Jonathan Barnaby, Anson Bliffins, Valentine Blethen, Aaron Bor- den, Joseph Brightman, Josephus Briggs, Ephraim Briggs, Edmund Briggs, John Briggs, John Brown, Jonathan Bowen, Philip Chace, Augustus Chace, Allen Chace, Seth Chace, Henry M. Chace, Joseph Church, John Clark, Ben- jamin Davis Jr., Aaron Dean, Elisha Gregory, Edmund Harris, Philip Hathaway, Jason Hathaway, Baylies Hath- away, Abiel Hathaway, Edmund D. Hathaway, Benjamin H. Lawton, Ebenezer Payne, Allen Payne, Sylvanus S. Payne, Thomas Payne, George Pickens, John V. Pratt, Elisha L. Pratt, William Pratt, Benjamin Porter Jr., John Read, Jonathan Read Jr., William Read Jr., John Strange, Charles Strange, William Sekell, Philip Tew, Benjamin Tew, Hathaway Tew, John Terry, Zephaniah Terry, Ed- mund Valentine, James L. Valentine, Nathan Weaver and Sheffel Weaver.
Captain Albert Briggs, now a resident of Buffalo, N. Y., became interested and noted in lake navigation, and for- merly commanded the large iron steamer Merchant, 720 tons, on the Buffalo, Milwaukee and Chicago line.
The following named were largely interested in ship- ping as owners in vessels, but did not themselves follow the sea: Ambrose Barnaby, Isaac Burbank, Kempton Bur- bank, Thomas Burbank, Luther Briggs, Benjamin W. Brown, Darius Chace, Gilbert Chace, Isaiah Chace, Rich- ard Clark, John Cudworth, Ebenezer Crane Jr., Thomas Davis, Benjamin Dean, John Dean, Joseph Durfee, Joseph Durfee, Jr., Alden Hathaway, Noah Hathaway, Guilford Hathaway, Guilford H. Hathaway, Ambrose W. Hathaway, James W. Hathaway, Joseph Hathaway, Isaac Merrick, John Nichols, Peter Nichols, Job Peirce, Elery Peirce, Job Payne, Luther Pickens, Samuel Pickens, Josiah Paddock, Earl Samp- son, George Shove, Asa Shove, Stephen Shove, Samuel
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Shove, Joseph Shove, Ephraim Tisdale, Silas Terry, Edson Valentine, William Valentine and John D. Wilson.
Among the traders that went to Darien, Ga., winters, as referred to in this chapter, may be mentioned Benjamin F. Briggs, Benjamin Dean, John Dean, Thomas Leeburn, and John D. Wilson.
ERRATUM .- The last vessel built at the shipyard on Payne's Cove was the Sloop Alabama, Thomas Evans, boss carpenter, not the Florida, as stated on page 171.
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KEY TO MAP OF ASSONET RIVER AND VICINITY.
1. Winslow's Point.
2. Robinson's Shore.
3. Bar Rocks.
4. Winslow's Rocks.
5. Silas Hathaway's Creek.
6. Gull Rock.
7. Merrick's Shore.
8. The Conspiracy.
9. Darius Phillips'.
10. The Narrows.
11. Simon's Rock.
12. Babbitt's.
13. Hathaway's Wharf.
14. Davis' Landing.
15. Tew's Landing.
16. Perch Rocks.
17. Shepard's Cove.
18. Pine Island.
19. Westcott's Island (South)
20. Cedar Tree.
21. The Turn.
22. The Cleft.
23. Fowle's Meadow.
24. Fowle's Meadow Point.
25. Boyce's Creek.
26 Stacy's Creek.
27. Tripp's Creek.
28. Clam Point.
29. Nab's Creek.
30. Town Farm Brook.
31. Porter's Shore.
32. Smith's Point.
33. John Terry's Landing.
34. Oyster Point.
25
SKOVE'S NECK.
ASSONET BAY
24
28
23
----
---
21 22
20
'S NECK.
39
18
17
15
NARROWS
ROAD.
14
ASSONET NECK.
RIVER.
BRYAN
ASSONET
GIDEON'S LANE
€
4
42
3.º
TAUNTON GREAT RIVER.
2.
ROBINSON'S LANE
BROOK.
BARNABY
MOTHER'S
FALL RIVER LINE.
Drawn by GILBERT M. NICHOLS.
204
ANTS NECK ROAD
35
12
36
BRYANT'S
LOT'S POST ROAD.
-
CEDAR POST ROAD.
ROAD.
BELL ROCK
35. Evans' Wharf.
36. Ship Yard Site.
37. Bleachery Pond.
38. Hopping Paul Brook.
39. Amos' Pond.
40. Terry's Brook.
41. Bleachery Reservoir.
42. Spur Track to Davis Place Ledge.
43. King's Point.
44. Smooth Shore.
45. Bass Rock.
46. Bass Rock Point.
47.
Cudworth's Wharf.
48.
The Lower Wharves.
49. Welcome's Rock.
50. Welcome's Point.
51. The Gulleys.
52. Channel Rock.
53. Pierce's Point.
54. Welcome's Wharf and Shore.
55. Rodman's Wharf.
56. The Ship Yard, or Build- ing Lot.
57. Lawton's Wharf.
58. South Water Street.
59 Billy's Marsh.
60. Winslow's Wharf.
61. Assonet Four Corners.
62. Old Tide Mill Site.
63. Old Tan Yard Site.
64 Tisdale's Dam and Pond.
65. Porter's Dam and Pond.
66. Winslow's Dam and Pond.
67. Forge Dam and Pond.
68. Forge Road.
69. Joshua's Mountain.
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4
TAUNTON ROAD.
MYRICKS ROAD.
WALNUT STREET.
09
..
WATER
STREET
50
55
52
FALL RIVER ROAD.
L
OLD COLONY R.A
HIGH STREET.
ALGERINE ST.
SAMMY'S LANE.
HOW AND ROAD.
DOCTOR'S LANE.
PLEASANT STREET.
ELM STREET.
BREAK NECK HILL
THE ASSONET RIVER.
BY JOHN M. DEANE.
I THE Assonet River is about twelve miles long. It has its source in Cranberry Swamp, a large swamp lying south east of Assonet Village, on the farther side of the high ridge that skirts the village on the east known as Break Neck Hill; and between the two roads leading from Assonet to New Bedford. From the swamp the stream takes a northerly course, crossing the northerly New Bed- ford road at Slab Bridge; so named because the bridge that crosses the stream at this point was once made of slabs. Here are the ruins of an old dam, and a mill of some kind was undoubtedly once located at this point. It next crosses the Howland road, and here we find the ruins of the Howland saw mill. At the Water Rock road we find the Dunham saw mill, the roadway itself being the dam.
At its crossing of the new County road is located the Charles Davis Saw mill. About half a mile beyond this mill the stream, having reached the level lands of Myricks, turns to the west, crosses the Beech-woods road, and also the Fall River rail road, at a point about one mile south of the Myricks station. After passing the railroad it turns south, and at Maple Tree bridge on the Myricks road is located the Haskins saw mill. On the edge of the stream south of the railroad bridge, and near the Myricks road there once stood a maple tree that was the corner bounds of Bristol and Plymouth counties, and the towns of Middle- borough, Freetown, Dighton and Taunton. In 1735 Berk-
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ley was incorporated and took the place of Dighton at the maple tree. Later a stone monument was erected, and in 1853 Lakeville was incorporated and took the place of Middleborough at the stone monument. Often have we lain across the top of this monument and informed our schoolmates of the Myricksville Academy that we were living in one state, two counties, and four towns, all at the same time. This is no longer possible. The state and two counties are still there, but that part of Taunton was annexed to Berkley in 1879. Just below the Maple Tree bridge the stream enters the Forge pond. Its course after leaving the pond at the Forge dam is shown on the map. At high tide salt water flows up to Tisdale's dam. At full tides the rise and fall is about seven feet. The source of the river is nearly in a direct line east of its mouth, and but two or three miles from it. The junction of its main channel with that of Taunton river is opposite storehouse point, Somerset, a short distance above the rail road bridge. Island Bed, just below the junction of the channels, and across which the rail road is built, is partly in Freetown and partly in Fall River.
The favorite fishing grounds of our old time residents were at the mouth of Payne's Cove, up Joshua's and Shove's Channels, off Cedar Tree, at the Perch Rocks, in The Narrows, and off Winslow's Rocks; while they found good clamming at John Terry's Landing, at The Cleft, in The Narrows, at Merrick's and Robinson's shores, and at The Conspiracy. They could rake oysters all along the Main Channel below Payne's Cove, or pick them up on the mud flats at low water. Large quantities of striped bass used to be taken from the channel in the bay, in the winter time, by inserting a large round net, attached to a long pole, through a hole cut in the ice, and sweeping it round and round. The fish, somewhat chilled by the cold water and drifting with the current, became an easy prey. Up Joshua's or Shove's Channels, at certain stages of the tide, with a pole and double hooked line it was not an
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unusual thing for one to catch white perch two at a time, getting from one to two hundred on board before the fish struck out into the main channel. This was before the waters of our beautiful river were contaminated by the refuse of the Copper Works on Taunton river, and the Bleacheries and saw mills on its own banks. This refuse not only keeps most of the fish out of the river, but has materially injured the oyster beds, killed off the tall sea- weed that formerly grew on the mud flats, and destroyed all the thatch that formerly grew above Bass Rock Point. Thatch was provided by nature to protect the soft muddy sod of the marshes from the action of the waves. The three marshes above Bass Rock Point having been deprived of this protection are being slowly but surely cut into and washed away. Great windrows of seaweed used to be thrown up on the shores of the bay in the fall of the year, by the action of the wind and tide, a large portion of it coming from the High Flat bounded by Joshua's, Shove's and the main channel. This was carted off and used as a fertilizer. Some of our citizens made a business of gathering seaweed from the mud flats in boats, first twisting it around a long pole, then taking it on board and cutting it off the pole. From a deep hole below the mouth of the river boatloads of decayed seaweed constantly being swept into it by the current, were taken out with oyster rakes and sold for fertilizing purposes. An ordinary boatload of seaweed sold for one dollar and twenty-five cents.
The favorite bathing places on the river are Lawton's wharf, Welcome's shore, Cudworth's wharf, the Gulleys, Smooth shore, Porter's shore, the Cleft, in the Narrows, and at Merrick's shore.
At The Narrows, Babbitt's was formerly a popular summer resort, being largely patronized by people from Taunton and vicinity. Clambakes, a dance pavilion, a bowling alley, and sail and row boats were provided for visitors. Clambakes were also provided for parties at
208
Darius Phillips' and at Thomas Jefferson Tew's. There was good fishing and bathing at either place.
In the great gale of September 23, 1815, the large rock on the east shore at the Narrows, known as Simon's Rock, is said to have turned over. At high tide that day the water was seven feet deep in Water street at the ship yard. In the gale of September 8, 1869, the water was three feet deep at the same place. It was in this latter gale that the steeple of the South Church was blown off.
Any vessel that can pass through Mount Hope Bay can without difficulty reach the mouth of Joshua's Channel. Vessels drawing eight feet of water can reach the lower wharves at full tide, and those drawing seven feet the upper wharves. Captain Washington Read once sailed his full rigged ship up to the lower wharves, where he turned around, and sailed out again.
Amos' Pond is said to have taken its name from a man named Amos, who rode into it to water his horse, and disappeared, horse and all, in a quagmire.
At John Terry's Landing the main channel runs close to the shore, which at that point is so bold that vessels are easily laid alongside the bank and loaded with wood. John Terry, for whom the landing was named, lived alone on Bryant's Neck, which at every high tide becomes an island. He lived in a log hut having neither windows or door, but loopholes through which he could shoot if attacked by Indians. Entrance or exit could be had only through its large stone chimney. He was buried on Bry- ant's Neck, but the location of his grave is not known. His cabin was located at the Junction of the two cart- paths, just across the low marsh that separates the neck from the main land; and near the head of Shepard's Cove.
Channel Rock was lifted from the channel near The Gulleys in 1844 by the incoming tide; it had been chained at low water to a strong stick of timber laid across the two large derrick scows that had been used in the
209
rebuilding of Rodman's Wharf, and was floated to its present location on the shore.
Welcome's Shore was used as a " dry dock" by vessel owners. A vessel having been put on at high tide would be heeled off shore. As soon as the tide receded work would commence on the upper side of the vessel's bottom. When finished the vessel would be turned around at high water and the other side of the bottom exposed and re- paired in like manner. To hurry the drying of paint, and prevent its being washed off by the incoming tide, straw was burned under the vessels bottom. The writer well remembers how the music of the caulking hammers of John and Hampton Pierce rang through the village as they drove home the oakum on vessels undergoing repairs.
Rodman's Wharf was formerly known as Chase's Land- ing. Water street was then a driftway, and a gate or bars was maintained at the four corners. Here the river used to be forded, and stepping stones to Pierce's Point were used at low water. John Deane was the last man to ford the river at this point with a team. His horse got stuck in the mud, and this deterred others from making further attempts to ford the river at this place.
It is an old saying that "it always rains when Billy's Marsh is mowed." It is a fact that the hay does almost always get wet before it is made and housed.
The heavy stone wall along the south bank of the river, east of Lawton's Wharf, was built by Joseph D. Hathaway and Leander Andros of Berkley, in 1847, for Captain Job G. Lawton. A part of the filling was taken from the sand bank near what is now the town cemetery, and a part from the sand bank on South Water street.
The two-arched stone bridge that spanned the river on the Fall River road was carried away by the freshet of February 13, 1886, the immediate cause being a large log that came down over Tisdale's dam. This struck the south abutment with great force, and remaining in an
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eddy, continued to pound the abutment, at last loosening the stones, and allowing the swift current to reach the gravel behind them. The bridge was rebuilt with a single arch the following summer. In the meantime a roadway through the Allen Chace land to Elm street was utilized. The railroad bridge and embankment at Hopping Paul Brook was carried away at the same time. A train of empty coal cars soon came along and plunged into the brook, killing the fireman, Edgar Francis Russell, of Som- erset, Mass.
A tide mill was once maintained just east of the Fall River road bridge. The ruins of the dam are still visible. The grist mill that was built here by Joseph Winslow was raised June 25, 1784. When the mill was taken down much of the heavy timber of its frame was used in build- ing the stable that now stands near the bridge.
The old shoe makers' shop, bark mill, curry shop and tan-vats that were located on the river bank near the Elm street bridge, and known as the tan yard, have given way to a modern dwelling and grass plot.
The winter of 1779-'80 was the coldest of the eigh- teenth century. The ice on the rivers and bays was so thick that loaded teams passed over it from Assonet to Newport.
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RECORD AND TRADITION.
BY JOHN M. DEANE.
DEED OF THE FREEMEN'S PURCHASE.
N THE third day of July 1656, the General Court of 0 Plymouth, granted unto sundry of the ancient freemen of that jurisdiction, viz : Capt. James Cudworth and others, the lands conveyed by the following deed dated April 2, 1659 :
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