USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Gardner > History of the town of Gardner, Worcester County, Mass., from the incorporation, June 27, 1785, to the present time > Part 4
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Thus, even in the very infancy of this half depopulated colony, was the public authority upheld by the action of " the whole body," in their first town meetings. The township and the town meeting were brought, in their seed form, across the ocean, in the hold of the Mayflower. They were planted in the soil of Plymouth, from which they have developed into a mighty republic, whose borders are washed by the great oceans. We see then how the idea of the township, with its organic life, as an independent municipality, beginning in Massachusetts Bay, has gradually extended itself over all the nation-a miniature democracy-and yet so interwoven in its politial action, with the whole state and the whole nation, as to be a vital part of a stupendous whole, one body politie, in which, if " one member suffer, all the members suffer with it, or one member be hon- ored, all the members rejoice with it." Distinct and inde- pendent as the town certainly is, those, who have had a part in shaping its municipal organism, have had the wisdom to dis- cover, that, unus homo, nullus homo-man alone, is not a man,
HISTORY OF GARDNER. 25
-but that the highest political condition is reached only, when man acts, not within the confined limits of his own town or state, but, in the wider range of the nation's life, whose great heart is as the heart of one man, sending its life-giving cur- rents out through all the arteries and veins of the body politic. In conduet of such far reaching significance on the part of our fathers, is confirmed the wisdom of Alexander Hamilton, who in the Federalist says, " as all external provisions are found to be inadequate. the defect must be supplied, by so contriving the interior structure of the government. as that its several con- stituent parts, may, by their mutual relations, be the means of keeping each other in their places." 4
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HISTORY OF GARDNER.
CHAPTER II.
INCORPORATION AND TOPOGRAPHY OF THE TOWN.
" The wise and active conquer difficulties By daring to attempt them; sloth and folly Shiver and shrink at sight of toil and hazard, And make the impossibility they fear."-Rowe.
CCORDING to the most accurate information, which we are able to obtain, regarding the initiatory steps, taken for the incorporation of this town, Mr. John Glazier, then a citizen of Westminster, in May, 1785, presented a petition, to the Massachusetts legislature, bearing about thirty signatures, praying that body to erect certain portions of Winchendon, Ashburnham, Westminster and Templeton, into a township, called Gardner. Although careful search has been made in the journal of the house of representatives, for the year 1785, we have not been able to ascertain who these petitioners were, no names accompanying the petition, having been preserved. However, among these petitioners, stands the name of Mr. John Glazier, as some of his descendants, still living in town, can testify. Accompanying this petition, was an outline map, still on file, at the state house, giving a view of this and the adjoin- ing towns, when Gardner should be set off from them. The town received the name of Gardner, in honor of Colonel Thomas Gardner, who fell in defence of his country's liberties.
The following is the Act of Incorporation, with the date of its passage, by the General Court, which it is thought best to embody entire in this chapter.
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HISTORY OF GARDNER.
ACT OF INCORPORATION.
An act for erecting the westerly part of Westminster, the southwesterly part of Ashburnham, the southeasterly part of Winchendon and the easterly part of Templeton, in the county of Worcester, into a town by the name of Gardner :-
Whereas, The inhabitants of the westerly part of the town of Westminster, the southwesterly part of the town of Ash- burnham, the southeasterly part of the town of Winchendon and the easterly part of the town of Templeton, in the county of Worcester, have represented to this court, the difficulties they labor under in their present situation, and request that they may be incorporated into a separate town, and it appearing to this court, proper to comply with their request :
Be it enacted, by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same: That the westerly part of the town of Westminster, southwest- erly part of the town of Ashburnham, southeasterly part of the town of Winehendon and easterly part of the town of Temple- ton, in the county of Worcester, bounded as follows, viz : Be- ginning at the west corner of the town of Westminster, running southeasterly on the town line on Templeton and Hubbardston, to the southeasterly corner of lot number thirty-two, third divi- sion ; thence running northeasterly, straight to the southeasterly corner of lot number ninety-one, second division ; from thence, upon the line between lots number ninety-one and ninety-two, to Ashburnham town line ; thence, running southwesterly on Ashburnham line, to the northeast corner of lot number fifty-five, second division, in Ashburnham ; thence, by the northeasterly line of said lot, to the north corner of the same ; from thence, straight to the northeast corner of lot number forty-five, second division ; from thence, on the north line of the same, to the northwest corner on Winchendon line ; from thenee, northeast- erly on said line, to the northeasterly corner of lot number fifteen, second division of Ashburnham line ; from thence, south-
ยท
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HISTORY OF GARDNER.
westerly on a straight line, to the northwesterly corner of lot number one hundred and sixty, on Templeton line ; from thenee, southeasterly on said line, to the southeast corner of lot number eighty-four, second division ; from thence, on the southeasterly line of said lot, to Otter River, so called ; from thence, up said river to Westminster town line ; from thence, on said line to the first mentioned corner, be and they hereby are erected into a town by the name of Gardner, and the inhabitants thereof, hereby are invested with all the powers, privileges and immuni- ties which the inhabitants of other towns within this common- wealth do or may enjoy.
And be it further enacted : That where the lots that are now settled, are cut by the above lines, every owner of such lot, shall be holden to pay taxes for the whole of such lot to that town in which his house now stands. Provided, nevertheless : If any owner of such lot, shall return a certificate into the sec- retary's office, within six months after the passing of this act, expressing his desire to belong, with his said lot, to the other town, such lot and the owner thereof, shall forever afterwards be holden to pay taxes to the other town accordingly.
And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid: That the inhabitants of the said town, shall pay their proportion of all taxes already granted to be raised in the several towns from which they were respectively taken.
And be it further enacted: That Nicholas Dyke, Esq., be and hereby is empowered to issue his warrant directed to some principal inhabitant, requiring him to warn and give notice, to the inhabitants of the said town, to assemble and meet at some suitable time and place, in said town, to choose all such officers as towns, by law are required to choose, at their annual town meeting in the month of March.
SAMUEL PHILLIPS, JUNIOR, President of the Senate. NATHANIEL GORHAM, Speaker of the House. June 27th, 1785.
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HISTORY OF GARDNER.
That the reader may see, with what cordiality and unanimity, the adjoining towns, surrendered a portion of their territory, for the formation of a new township, the following votes of these towns, as taken from original files, will here be inserted.
VOTE OF WINCHIENDON.
At a meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Winchendon, by adjournment, on the 16th day of May, A. D., 1785, voted, That if the petitioners, in the southeast part of said town, pay their equal portion of what the town shall owe, when they are established by the General Court, into a town or district, that all the land lying southeasterly of the following bounds, viz : Be- ginning at the northeast corner of lot number fifteen, in the second division in Ashburnham line ; thence southwesterly, on a straight line to the northwesterly corner of lot number one hundred and sixty, in Templeton line, be set off, in order for forming a town or district, with others in the neighboring towns. MOSES HALE, Moderator.
VOTE OF ASHIBURNHAM.
At a legal meeting of the inhabitants of said town, voted, That the southwest corner of this town, be set off, to join with a part of Westminster and Winchendon, into a separate town, as far as the following lots, viz : Beginning at the northwest corner of lot number forty-five, second division ; from thence, by the north line, to the northeast corner of said lot ; from thence, straight to the northeast corner of lot number fifty-five, second division, and by the east line of said lot, to Westminster town line, including two thousand, three hundred and forty-eight acres.
A true copy, attest, SAMUEL WILDER, JR., Toun Clerk. Ashburnham, Sept. 3d, 1784.
VOTE OF WESTMINSTER.
Voted, To set off the westerly part of the town, beginning at the southeasterly corner of lot number thirty-two, third di-
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HISTORY OF GARDNER.
vision, on Hubbardston line ; thence running northeasterly, to the southwesterly corner of lot number ninety-one, second division ; from thence on the line between lots number ninety- one and ninety-two, to the town line. At a legal meeting of the town of Westminster on the 17th day of May, 1785, the above vote was passed.
Attest, JOSEPHI HOLDEN, Toun Clerk.
VOTE OF TEMPLETON.
At a meeting of the inhabitants of Templeton, legally con- vened, the town voted to accept the report of the committee, which is as follows, viz: The committee chosen to consider the petition of sundry persons, praying for a piece of land off of this town, to adjoin with a part of several other towns, to make a town or district, report as follows, viz : That it is the opinion of the committee, that all the land that lies on the east side of Otter River, from Westminster line, south part, down the river, till it comes to the southerly side of third division, lot number eighty-four, be set off for that purpose. Which is humbly submitted.
SAMUEL COOK, JR., Moderator. A true copy, attest, EBENEZER WRIGHT, Town Clerk.
Templeton, April 6, 1785.
The following is the report of a committee of Winchendon, which was " accepted and adopted," on the 17th of May, 1781, relating to parting with a large section of its township, to aid in forming the new town, which Mr. Marvin, from whose his- tory of Winehendon, it is copied, characterizes as " unselfish and honorable" :-
" We, the subscribers, being appointed by the town of Win- chendon, as a committee to take into consideration the petition of Gideon Fisher and others, inhabitants of the southeasterly part of Winchendon, requesting to have a part of said town set off, and being annexed to parts of other towns, to form a dis-
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HISTORY OF GARDNER.
tinet district, have attended to that business, and report as follows : Considering the situation of the petitioners, we think it reasonable a part of said town should be set off when those towns concerned have determined the respective boundaries of the district to be so formed, as that the same may be properly accommodated ; and as circumstances now appear, we think a straight line beginning at the northeast corner of lot number fifteen, to the southeast corner of lot number eighty, would best accommodate, if the parts taken from the other towns are correspondent thereto ; and in order that said boundaries may be ascertained, we think it expedient that those towns con- cerned should meet by their committees, or otherwise, to con- sult on the same."
It will be seen from the dates of these votes, that the forma- tion of this town, was a matter contemplated for a number of years, but for some reason, not perfected till June, 1785. In accordance with the injunction of the General Court, contained in the Act of Incorporation, and addressed to Nicholas Dyke, Esq., of Westminster, that gentleman, as justice of the peace, issued his warrant for calling the first town meeting, direct- ed to Peter Goodale, as " principal inhabitant" of the town of Gardner. Undoubtedly, Mr. Goodale was duly sensible and fully appreciative of the distinguished consideration, thus paid him, by a servant of the Great and General Court of Massa- chusetts. The warrant, is as follows, which it is thought ad- visable, together with the doings of the town, at its first meet- ing, to insert here, that the reader may see how the fathers managed their public affairs, in the commencement of the town's history.
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HISTORY OF GARDNER.
FIRST TOWN WARRANT.
[SEAL. ]
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Worcester, ss.
To Peter Goodale, one of the inhabitants of the town of Gardner :
Greeting.
Whereas, The Honorable General Court Assembly and House of Representatives, at their last session, at the request of said inhabitants, have erected the westwardly part of the town of Westminster, the southwestwardly part of the town of Ash- burnham, southwardly part of the town of Winehendon, and the eastwardly part of the town of Templeton, in the county of Worcester, into a town by the name of Gardner ; and I am also directed by the said court to issue my warrant, to some prin- cipal inhabitant of said town, to assemble and meet at some suitable place, as shall be appointed, and you are hereby, in the name of authority aforesaid, forthwith, required to warn all the inhabitants of said town, to meet at the house of Mr. John Glazier, in said town, on Monday, the fifteenth day of August present, at nine o'clock, forenoon, to act on the following arti- cles, viz :
1st. To choose a moderator to govern said meeting.
2d. To choose all town officers, as the law directs, at annual March meetings.
3d. To know the mind of the town, whether they will grant money to defray town charges.
4th. To see what method the town will come into, to collect taxes, or to transact any matters or business as they think nec- essary.
And you are hereby required to make due return of this warrant and your doings thereon, unto myself, on said day, at said place of meeting, where I shall attend.
Given under my hand and seal this third day of August, A. D. 1785.
NICHOLAS DYKE, Justice of the Peace.
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HISTORY OF GARDNER.
Warrant .- To Peter Goodale.
In obedience to this warrant I have notified and warned all the inhabitants of this town, to meet at time and place within mentioned.
PETER GOODALE.
Gardner, August ye 15th, 1785.
A true record of the warrant,
SETHI HEYWOOD, Town Clerk.
FIRST TOWN MEETING.
At a meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Gardner, for the first time, on the 15th day of August, 1785, at the house of John Glazier, agreeable to warrant :-
Ist. Said meeting being opened by Nicholas Dyke, Esq., Capt. Elisha Jackson was chosen moderator, for the govern- ment of said meeting.
2d. Chose Seth Heywood, clerk ; Elisha Jackson, Samuel Stone, John White, Simon Gates, John Glazier, selectmen.
Voted, That the selectmen be the assessors ; then adjourned for one hour.
Met agreeable to adjournment, and chose Seth Heywood, treasurer ; Elijah Wilder, collector, and agreed with him, to collect the taxes, for four pence on the pound, he procuring bondsmen, to the acceptance of the town.
Then chose Elijah Wilder, constable ; William Bickford, tith- ingman ; Simon Gates, Josiah Wilder, Seth Heywood, Ebene- zer Howe, Ebenezer Bolton, highway surveyors ; Bezaleel Hill, Ezra Moore, hog reeves ; Jonathan Bancroft, field driver; Jo- seph Payson, sealer of leather; Joseph Bacon, surveyor of boards and shingles ; Andrew Beard, deer reeve ; David Nich- ols, warden ; John Glazier, sexton. The several officers were sworn by Justice Dyke. The third and fourth articles were dismissed.
A true record,
SETH HEYWOOD, Clerk.
5
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HISTORY OF GARDNER.
It is obvious, to one reflecting upon the events of this par- ticular period, in the history of the town, that the first town meeting, was to its founders, a matter of no small moment. To them it was an event that had been long anticipated and much discussed. Those most prominently interested, in the formation of the township, had spared no pains and inconven- ience to awaken an interest, in their long cherished project. The many visits they made, from house to house, the many arguments they had, in favor of a new township, with those re- luetant to come into the proposed arrangement, the many talks, among neighbors by the way, and in the humble dwellings of these early settlers, are more matters of conjecture, than of history. And when at last, the Great and General Court, had heard their prayer, and the edict had been sent forth, for the incorporation of the town, and the day, upon which they were to hold their first town meeting, had come, we can easily imag- ine with what elasticity of spirit, they assembled at the time and place appointed, which place was the house of Mr. John Glazier,-now owned and occupied by Mr. William Austin- for the transaction of all business, needful to set in legal opera- tion, the machinery of their newly made town. It is not diffi- cult to put ourselves back into their condition and listen to the conjectures, which were made as to who should be moderator of the meeting, who the clerk, who the selectmen and the other officers of less importance, in the management of town affairs. We see them, upon the morning of the fifteenth day of Au- gust, 1785, converging from all parts of their sparsely peopled township, with a certain air and port of freedom about them. which none but real freemen can understand or appreciate. With mutual congratulations and hearty good cheer, they en- couraged one another, in the discharge of their new, yet self- sought responsibilities. In the following pages of this history, will be seen how faithfully and intelligently they fulfilled their trust.
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HISTORY OF GARDNER.
TOPOGRAPHY.
" Scenes must be beautiful which daily view'd Please daily, and whose novelty survives
Long knowledge and the scrutiny of years."
The town of Gardner is somewhat unique in its situation, being upon the height of land, between the Merrimack and the Connecticut rivers, thus forming a water-shed, from which flow the waters of the town, into the above mentioned rivers. It is located in the north part of Worcester County, and bounded on the north, by Winchendon and Ashburnham, on the east, by Ashburnham and Westminster, on the south, by Westminster and Hubbardston and on the west, by Templeton and Winehen- don. It has a surface of about fourteen thousand acres, or twenty-one and seven-eighths square miles. Its distance wester- ly from Boston, is about fifty-eight miles, and from Worcester, in a northwest direction, about twenty-five miles. Its average altitude is eleven hundred feet above the level of the sea. Its highest point,-Glazier hill, near the centre of the town-is twelve hundred and ninety-four feet above sea level, while its lowest point-where the Otter River ceases to be the town line, between Gardner and Templeton-is eight hundred and ninety feet above sea level. The latitude of Gardner, at the centre of the town. is forty-two and one-half degrees north. Its longi- tude seventy-two degrees west.
By consulting the map accompanying this work, it will be seen, that the outline of Gardner, is very irregular. This no- ticeable irregularity, is explained by the fact, that in organizing the town, as will be seen by reference to the Act of Incorpora- tion. the General Court granted liberty, to those whose farms were ent by the town lines, to choose the town they preferred to belong to, that they might thus avoid paying taxes in both towns. Those desiring to take advantage of this provision, were required to return a certificate into the secretary's office, within six months from the passage of the Act of Incorporation, expressing their desire to belong to the adjoining town. Some,
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HISTORY OF GARDNER.
after the territory originally comprising the town was surveyed, took advantage of the privilege accorded them, and went upon the other side of the line.
This, together with some natural boundaries, is sufficient, to explain in part, the irregular appearance of the town's boun- dary lines, above alluded to. But these are not the only rea- sons for this irregularity. After the town had been in existence a few years, there were those upon its borders, who, for rea- sons which they presented and which were lustily contested by the inhabitants of Gardner, desired to be returned to their old township. Among those petitioning to be set back to Win- chendon, for instance, was William Whitney, whose petition was granted by the General Court, March 2d, 1787. Others in the same neighborhood, also petitioned for like privileges, but a remonstrance, full of weighty reasons, was presented to the General Court by the inhabitants of Gardner, praying that the prayer of these petitioners be not granted.
For the purpose of showing the sturdy persisteney, with which the fathers contended for the original integrity of the town, the sly hints they gave, as to the reasons why these peti- tioners wished to leave them, as also showing further reasons for the irregularity of boundaries, the following remonstrance is here introduced and allowed to speak for itself :-
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, at Boston, February, 1786 :
The remonstrance and petition of the town of Gardner, humbly showeth, that whereas, the town of Gardner, has lately received an order from the General Court, passed by them last session, to show cause, if any they have, on the second Wednes- day of their next session, why the prayers of the petition of James Coolidge, the petition of Joseph Priest and Samnel Priest and the petition of Abel Wilder, should not be granted. And first, in answer to James Coolidge, who sets forth in his peti- tion his desire to belong to the town of Winchendon ; again,
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HISTORY OF GARDNER.
he sets forth, how disagreeable it is to him, to leave his original town and a good minister, &c., and that he would have objected against being set off, in the time of it, had he known when the committee were going down to get set off; and certifies, that he inquired of one of the committee, when they were going down for that purpose, which the said committee-man denies, that he inquired of him, about it. However strange it is, that he did not know last spring, that he was going to leave his original town, and a good minister, &c., when he petitioned, with a number of others, to the town of Winchendon, that he might be set off in the incorporation, and he saw the petition, that was sent to the General Court, in their May session, before it was sent down. Therefore, the town of Gardner thinks it would be very hard, on their part, for the said Coolidge, to be set back to the town of Winchendon again.
Secondly, in answer to Joseph and Samuel Priest, who set forth in their petition, that it is very contrary to their interest and inclination, to be in the town of Gardner, as their lands lay within about forty rods of the dividing line. and they view it a great hardship, in this land of liberty, to be forced from their original town, where there is a meeting-house and an agreeable minister, to a town where there is neither; but, we think, they are not forced away, in such a manner as they set forth, for they both petitioned to the town of Winehendon, last spring, that they might be set off. and be incorporated with us, and also signed an instrument, last spring, before we petitioned to the General Court, of their willingness for the meeting-house to stand upon the spot, that we have since purchased, for that purpose, and their willingness to help build the same. We therefore hope, that the said Joseph and the said Samuel, will not have liberty to return to the town of Winchendon again.
In answer to Abel Wilder's request, in behalf of the town of Winchendon, praying that those persons who have their farms cut, by the dividing line, between the towns of Winchendon and Gardner, may have liberty to return their names, with whole farms or lots, to belong to the town of Winchendon, or
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HISTORY OF GARDNER.
to the town of Gardner, as they shall choose, we hope this liberty for returning names, for whole farms or lots, will not be granted ; for the selectmen of Winchendon, have informed us, since we received the citation, that neither the town of Win- chendon, nor the selectmen, have directed the said Wilder, to request the- same. And the town of Winchendon, was not wil- ling last spring, to divide by lots. Therefore, we hope there will be no alteration, in the lines at present. For we look upon it, as not an equal chance, as we have no meeting-house, nor a minister settled. Those persons having their wild lots cut. would be more inclined to take their lands to Winchendon, than to Gardner, for fear of a little cost. And if the said Wilder, said Priests, and said Coolidge should have their re- quests granted, it would take about a thousand acres of land from the little town of Gardner, all near together, upon one side of the town, and comes within about a mile and a quarter from where we have purchased a piece of land, for a meeting- house, common, and burying-yard, and laid out the biggest part of our roads, to convene that spot, and the town have agreed, with a number of persons, for timber, boards and shingles, &c., to be delivered at that spot, in order to build a meeting-house. And it would be a means, we fear, of putting the town to great cost and difficulty, if not ruin them, to find another spot, to set a meeting-house upon, as we are well agreed in the spot that we have now purchased for that purpose. We therefore pray your honors, to take our case into your wise consideration, and secure to us our peace, which will be our happiness, by dis- missing the petitions of the said Wilder, Priests and Coolidge, as your petitioners in duty bound, shall ever pray. The com- mittee appointed to make answer to the several petitions, beg leave to report, that the above, be presented to the General Court by their agent.
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