USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Holden > History of the town of Holden, Massachusetts, 1667-1941 > Part 11
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Mount Pleasant House
On the hill at the right as one passes through the village of Jefferson on the road to Rutland, stands the historic brick house where Ethan Davis was born. Two brothers came here to work, and one of them, James Prendergast, especially loved the fine old house, and its surroundings, and dreamed of some day call- ing the place his own. In the course of time his ambi- tion was realized, and in 1888 he opened the Mount Pleasant House with six guests.
The number increased yearly under the manage- ment of the father and then under that of his son Wil- liam, who took an active part in town offairs. From time to time additions have been made to the hotel and a number of years ago when the ancient barn was torn down, the hand hewn boards held together with wood- en pegs, were used to form a part of the dining hall.
Since the death of William in 1922 his widow, An- nie C. Prendergast, has continued the business, and to- day the grandchildren of former patrons are coming here to enjoy the hospitality of the hotel established here so many years ago.
Elmwood House
In 1872 John Rivers purchased from R. F. Leland the eighty acre farm located at the corner of Princeton Street and Elmwood Avenue, near the shore of Quina- poxet Lake.
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN
About 1900 Mr. and Mrs. Rivers opened the house for summer guests, having increased the number of rooms to fifty, and a hall was built for use when enter- tainments and dances were given.
After the death of the parents, it was carried on by a son, William, and a daughter, Annie, then by Annie Rivers alone until her death in 1932, then by another brother, George E., who sold it in 1938, the estate then comprising one hundred fifty-seven acres.
This place was also for some years the home of James H. Fiske whose daughter, Clara, went to Wor- cester daily by train for pipe organ practice that she might qualify for the position as organist at the Con- gregational Church. She served in that capacity for fifteen years and was for five years organist at the Bap- tist Church.
She married Benn M. Chamberlain, son of Sum- ner Chamberlain, whose farm in the south part of Holden was among those taken by the Worcester Water Commission.
The Chamberlain family were active in town offices and in various organizations in the town.
The Jefferson
In 1902 Thomas F. Maguire of Boston erected a large hotel on the west side of Kendall, then Dodd Road, on an elevation overlooking Eagle Lake.
The hotel, valued at $8,000, was destroyed by fire in 1904.
Later, near this location, the Street Railway Com- pany operated a toboggan slide down the hill and across Eagle Lake.
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN
This was well patronized by local and out-of-town lovers of outdoor sports.
Summit House
This was located east of the Fitchburg railroad track in Jefferson, on the top of a sightly elevation long known as "The Summit."
In 1870 the house and many surrounding acres of farm land were owned by Welcome Aldrich.
About 1904 Ella F. Nawn, after making alterations, opened the house for the accommodation of summer guests, and the finely located 45-room hotel continued to receive its patrons from year to year until destroyed by fire in 1915.
Rivers' Diner and Bowling Alley
In 1927 Fred C. Rivers withdrew from the firm of Rivers Bros., where he had been engaged in the grocery business since 1899, and opened the "Rivers' Diner" which has been operated since in connection with his bowling alley on South Main Street, opposite the Jef- ferson mills buildings.
Chapter XIII
Public Utilities
RAILROADS
Boston, Barre and Gardner. This was the first rail- road opened for passenger service in Holden.
It was chartered in 1869.
An excursion was held July 4, 1871, but the road was not opened for traffic until September 4, 1871.
Holden's investment in its stock was $44,800, that being five per cent of its valuation. The railroad was later extended from its junction with the Worcester and Nashua Railroad to the Union Station in Worces- ter, and also northward to Winchendon.
"Unfortunately the railroad was financially weak and after a time was absolutely crippled."
In 1876, the early train to Worcester, so important to residents of Holden, was withdrawn, and not until 1883 was it restored.
This was a serious detriment to the interests of the town.
During this period, George H. Turner, ran a four horse bus from Holden Center to Worcester to accom- modate the early commuters who returned home by train.
There being no income from the investment, on July 1, 1885, the stock was exchanged for stock in the Fitchburg Railroad Co., which had become the lessee of the Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad, at the rate of ten shares of the latter for one of the former.
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN
The Fitchburg stock was soon sold at the rate of $125 per share.
There were five stations in Holden-Chaffins, Daw- sons, Holden, Jefferson, and North Woods, the first two and the last being flag stations. George Henry Stearns, was connected with this road and the Jeffer- son station from its opening in 1871 to 1900.
The Fitchburg Railroad Co. was consolidated with the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1919.
In Chaffins and Dawsons the agency opened in 1906 and was discontinued in 1913.
In Holden the agency and sale of tickets was dis- continued in 1928. Jefferson is still in service.
From July 1, 1900, the road was operated by the Boston and Maine Railroad as Lessee of the Fitchburg Railroad.
Massachusetts Central Railroad
This road running from Boston, and opened Decem- ber 1, 1881, crossed the town from east to west. It had two stations in town, Quinapoxet and Jefferson, the latter being the terminus until 1887, when the road was opened through to Northampton.
At one time, in Jefferson, there was a Y track so that cars could be transferred from one railroad to the other. This was removed probably between 1892 and 1 896.
The Central Massachusetts Railroad was merged with the Boston and Maine Railroad by sale February 20, 1902. Passenger service on the line between Oak- dale and Northampton was discontinued April 24, 1932. Abandonment of the Central Massachusetts
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Branch between Oakdale and Wheelwright was au- thorized by the Interstate Commerce Commission on November 7, 1939.
During 1940 and 1941, the tracks were removed, and the substantial bridge near the junction of Union and Highland Streets was demolished and the high- way was restored to its former location.
This railroad was an important factor in the lives of Holden citizens a generation ago, but already the forces of nature have partially eradicated all traces of the curved course which, for so many years, marked its passage through the town.
Worcester and Holden Street Railway
The franchise of the Worcester and Holden Street Railway Company was signed and accepted February 2, 1901.
Among those serving on its Board of Directors were, Jerome Marble, Otis E. Putnam, Henry W. Warren, James E. Fuller, A. B. R. Sprague, Stephen Salisbury, Charles C. Milton, and Daniel C. Miles.
James E. Fuller was the first president of the road, others, serving thus were, A. B. R. Sprague and Fran- cis H. Dewey.
In 1910, E. S. Douglas was its clerk. The road was financed by Albion R. Clapp, whose son Albion B. was also an official of the company.
Although not a financial success, the road played an important part in the development of the town from June 20, 1903, when the first shining dark blue car, carrying Holden town officials, made its initial trip
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN
over the road, until 1928 when its service was dis- continued.
In place of the horse and carriage, or infrequent trains, townspeople greatly appreciated the regular hourly trolley schedule. This led many commuters to buy or build homes in Holden, and young people took advantage of the opportunity to continue their studies in Worcester schools.
Frequently, in the spring and fall, Holden trolleys had "standing room only" as large lettered signs on the front of the cars stated that arbutus or laurel were "blooming on the hills of Holden," also during the winter when crowds of young people rode to Jefferson to enjoy the fine toboggan slides and other winter sports.
In 1907, the Worcester and Holden Street Railway was sold to the Worcester Consolidated on a basis of two shares for one of the consolidated.
The trolley route from the city was the same as that of the present Street Railway bus line until reaching North Worcester, when it turned to the left below the railroad track, passed the red brick house, curving sharply then to go under the railroad track.
At Woods Avenue it merged again with Holden Street, then thickly wooded, and followed this street to the foot of the hill in Chaffins, where it turned to the right, passing through the fields, and meeting the highway again just beyond the Toombs place. The remainder of the way it followed the highway to its terminal at the Central Massachusetts Railroad Sta- tion.
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN
The car barn was located on the left side of the highway just west of Kendall Road.
Strongly built shelters were erected at the junction of Salisbury and Main Streets, at Chaffins and at North Worcester.
Individuals in each district contributed toward the original cost of these buildings.
Worcester Street Railway Co.
Worcester Street Railway busses started running through Holden to Jefferson July 25, 1925.
Prescott's Bus Line
The beginning of bus service in Holden was in No- vember, 1915, when Clarence E. Prescott, of Rutland, one of the pioneers in Worcester County bus transpor- tation, began running a touring car between Rutland and Worcester.
In 1918, passenger busses carrying 18 to 24 passen- gers were first used.
In 1922, he extended the line to Barre, and in 1926, to Athol but discontinued this extension in 1938.
In May, 1941, Mr. Prescott announced the sale of Prescott's Bus Line, Inc., of Rutland, to Short Lines, Inc., of Providence.
The Short Line busses, running on nearly the same schedule as the Prescott line, began giving ser- vice to Holden, Jefferson, and Rutland on June 1, 1941.
Walker Bus Line
May 15, 1935, Howard C. Walker who had been running school busses in town for 12 years, started
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN
running busses from the Hubbardston and Gardner line through Princeton, Quinapoxet, Holden and Chaffins, to Worcester, thus furnishing transportation to a section not covered by any other line.
This service was discontinued April 27, 1940.
New England Telephone and Telegraph Company
The first permit for the erection of telephone poles in Holden was given in 1886, and the first telephone in Holden was installed in the Jefferson mill with a line running to the railroad station in Holden Center.
In 1886, Dr. Clifford W. Stickney had a telephone installed in his home on Main Street, Holden.
In 1888, the first switch board in town was placed in the home of Miss Kate Dowd in Jefferson. This was later moved to the Jefferson post office.
The first exchange in Holden, a one position board, was in the home of George N. Jenkins, on Pleasant Street. Serving as operators during this period were, Misses Edith J. and Mary A. David.
About 1919, it was moved to the home of Frank Pond of Main Street, where it was a two position board with 150 subscribers.
Its next location was in the Cleland house on Maple Street.
This property was purchased in October, 1923, by Miss Edith M. Roper and has housed the Holden ex- change since then.
It is now a three position board with 664 subscrib- ers.
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN
Farmer's Lines
September 5, 1904, the Board of Selectmen voted to permit the New England Telephone and Telegraph Co. to erect and maintain poles and fixtures on the fol- lowing streets : Shrewsbury, Wachusett, Branch, Salis- bury, Poor Farm Road, Reservoir, Paxton Road, South Road, Highland, Union, Malden, Walnut, Pound Hill, Broad Streets, Muschopauge Road and Holbrook Hill Road.
Each year these lines were extended to give service to all parts of the town.
POSTOFFICES
For many years after the settlement of Holden there was no post office within the borders of the town. In the Massachusetts Spy, during the early years, may be found advertisements of letters for Rev. Mr. Avery and other residents of Holden, which were lying in the post offices at Worcester and Leicester.
The first mail service in town was from the front room in the upper corner of the red house next below the present post office.
This room was hired by William Nichols who con- ducted a postal delivery service on horseback between here and Boston.
Later the room was hired by Benjamin Davis, and the first post office in town was installed there.
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HOLDEN OF HOLDEN
Appointment of postmasters in Holden have been made as follows :
Holden
Benjamin Davis February 21, 1815, Established Merrill Davis April 3, 1819 Lemuel Davis March 20, 1826 Merrill Davis January 28, 1828 Dennis Davis March 29, 1832 Charles Chaffin May 20, 1835 Avery Davis June 2, 1849
Caleb Kendall, Jr.
Charles Chaffin
Ethan Davis
December 9, 1852 August 5, 1853 June 29, 1861
Samuel W. Armington
September 27, 1866
Patrick A. McLaughlin
October 26, 1885
Mary F. McLaughlin
Samuel W. Armington
Henry C. Chenery
September 30, 1887 May 14, 1889 October 2, 1893
Samuel W. Armington
April 29, 1897
Charles H. Agar
October 2, 1912
Everett H. Moore
January 8, 1913
Loring W. Hubbard (Acting) July 11, 1916
Walter B. Loring
January 30, 1917
Albert F. Newell March 18, 1919
Mrs. Mary T. Harrington
April 1, 1936
Jefferson
This office was established as Jeffersonville.
Martin V. B. Jefferson
August 29, 1873, Established
William J. Prendergast November 17, 1885 Edward W. Merrick April 29, 1889
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HOLDEN OF HOLDEN
The name of this office was changed to Jefferson, February 19, 1891.
Edward W. Merrick February 19, 1891
William J. Prendergast
December 22, 1893
Miss Katherine A. Dowd April 7, 1897 (Name changed by marriage to Mrs. Katherine A. Gain and reappointed July 6, 1909.) Miss Ella M. Harrington December 6, 1910
Quinapoxet (Called for a time Woodville)
Cyrus G. Wood February 7, 1882, Established
John F. Wood April 22, 1898
William D. Leonard January 27, 1915
This office was discontinued July 15, 1916, and re- established on May 20, 1921.
George E. Dunker May 20, 1921
This office was finally discontinued November 29, 1930. Mail was ordered sent to Jefferson.
Holden, Massachusetts
Rural Route, No. I-Established July 1, 1902.
Carriers of Record Date of Appointment
Albert F. Newell July 1, 1902
L. Mark Chase November 1, 1902
Hattie L. Chase (Temp.) July 1, 1906
Albert F. Newell September 15, 1906
Herman E. Moore (Temp.) July 17, 1916
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN
William H. Ramsdell
February 1, 1917
Russell E. Cobb (Temp.)
March 5, 1918
Charles W. Moulton (Temp.)
March 9, 1918
Ellsworth F. Plimpton July 16, 1918
H. Leonard Allen (Temp.)
February 5, 1919
Martin P. Johanson January 19, 1920
Randolph F. Kohlstrom (Temp.)
November 1, 1921
Richard R. Dockham (Temp.) November 1, 1921
Lewis S. Toombs (Temp.)
January 3, 1922
Alfred B. Drawbridge February 6,1922
Present carrier for route.
Jefferson, Massachusetts
Rural Route, No. I-Established September 15, 1904.
Carriers of Record Date of Appointment
Homer D. Stearns
September 15, 1904
Everett M. Stearns
November 1, 1916
John F. Dickman (Temp.) April 16, 1923
Rowland W. Cobb (Temp.)
February 1, 1924
Edmund J. Joslin
March 28, 1924
Present carrier for route.
ALDEN HYDRAULIC LABORATORY Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Mr. Leslie J. Hooper has kindly written the follow- ing description of the Alden Laboratory -
The Alden Hydraulic Laboratory of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute is located in Chaffins or Chaffins- ville. It includes several buildings, ponds and arti-
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN
ficial channels. The three principal ponds have a to- tal area of about 150 acres to which the Laboratory owns the flowage rights. The grounds of the Labor- atory have a total area of 238 acres.
The main laboratory building was erected in 1894, on the site of an old woolen mill owned by the Chaffin family. The laboratory site was selected by Prof. George I. Alden, then head of the Mechanical Engin- eering Department and for whom the laboratory is named. The land was donated to the Institute by Stephen Salisbury, 3rd. The original building was re- placed with a larger structure in 1925, and this was further enlarged in 1930, 1936, and 1937. The main building is used for the instruction of students, com- mercial testing and research. The commercial re- search includes the calibration of pitot tubes and Ven- turi meters and the testing of models of hydraulic structures such as dams, spillways, penstocks, rivers and channels. The research work is mainly directed toward the study of flowing water and instruments to determine the rate of flow. The Salt Velocity Method of measuring the discharge of water in large conduits was developed at this laboratory by Prof. Charles M. Allen.
The low head laboratory was built in 1910, on the site of an old grist and shoddy mill. It has been en- larged twice since then and is now used principally for the testing of water wheels.
In 1908, a current meter rating station or revolving boom was installed experimentally in the middle pond beside the county road. This boom was constructed
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN
of steel in its present form in 1910, and reconstructed in 1938.
In 1912, it was used for a series of tests of full size airplane propellers. More recently it has been used for the calibration of ship logs which are used by the Navy to measure the speed of ships.
In 1930, the William H. Fairbanks estate was ac- quired by the Institute. The westerly house of the two was torn down since it was in such poor state of re- pair. The southern house was repaired and remodelled for the use of the Civil Engineering students of the Institute in their surveying practice.
During most of the 47 years of its existance, the lab- oratory has been under the direction of Prof. Charles M. Allen. With him at various times have been Messrs. David Gallup, J. C. Harvey, A. K. Ingraham, O. H. Dodkin, C. W. Hubbard and L. J. Hooper. The laboratory has an average of seven men on its staff. The present value of the real estate and ap- paratus is estimated at about $200,000.
MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE
July 2, 1924, Massachusetts State Police, Troop C, removed from Paxton to the former Dr. Clifford W. Stickney house on Main Street, near Lovell Road.
In charge at that time were, Lieutenant Roy E. Kimball and Sergeant William J. Hackett. Also in service were, Patrolmen, James V. Kell, Thomas P.
WTAG
WTAG STATION
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN
Hannon, William F. Fitzmaurice, Oliver J. Wise, Dennis F. Driscoll, George A. Dodge and Arthur A. Keefe.
The large brick building which they now occupy is on South Main Street in the Chaffins district on the northeast side of the state highway at the top of the hill, north of the underpass, and was the first in the state to be erected for that purpose. The lot comprises two and one-half acres, and was purchased by the town from Miss Jennie M. Fairbanks.
The building was built in 1930, and cost approx- imately, $46,000.
It was dedicated on December 20, with Commission- er Alfred F. Foote, District Attorney Edwin G. Nor- man, and Captain Charles T. Beaupre participating in the exercises.
The contractors were John Bowen Co., Inc., the ar- chitects, Stevens and Lee, and the engineer, Carl Stuet- zel, Jr., all of Boston.
With Holden its headquarters, Massachusetts State Police have substations in Athol, Brookfield, Grafton, and Lunenburg.
May 21, 1940, a radio transmitting station serving Worcester County was installed.
This is in charge of George Johnson.
A most important service is that rendered by the Bureau of Photography which is in charge of George F. Fiske, and its wide range in this field includes fin- ger printing, instruction in the taking of finger prints, photomicrography, and photostatic.
Lieutenant James E. Hughes is the present Troop Commander.
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN
QUABBIN TUNNEL IN HOLDEN
Thanks is extended to Mr. William W. Peabody, division engineer of the Metropolitan District Water Supply Commission for the following description of this engineering project-
The Quabbin Aqueduct which supplies water for the Metropolitan District of Boston passes through Hol- den for a distance of about 41/2 miles in nearly an east- west direction through what was formerly Quinapoxet Village. This aqueduct is a tunnel 24.6 miles in length and is the second longest completed continuous tunnel in the world, being of a size sufficient to run a standard trolley car through it. It is constructed entirely in rock ranging in depth below the ground surface from about 200 feet to 800 feet. It takes water from the Ware River at Coldbrook and from Quabbin Reser- voir at a point about one mile south of the former Greenwich Village. It is lined with concrete, forming a waterway 12 feet, 9 inches high and II feet wide.
Two of the thirteen shafts on this tunnel are in Hol- den. Shaft 2 adjacent to the Quinapoxet River about one mile east of the West Boylston town line is about 315 feet deep and Shaft 3 in North Woods district, and also adjacent to the Quinapoxet River, is about 350 feet deep. The tunnel crosses under Manning Street near Shaft 2 where it is 330 feet below the street; under Wachusett Street at the former Quin- apoxet Village, 310 feet below the street; 360 feet be- low Princeton Street; 400 feet below Whitney Street; 430 feet below Bryant Road and is about 470 feet below Broad Street which it crosses near Shaft 4 just west of the Holden line in Rutland. The por-
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN
tion of the tunnel within the town of Holden was con- structed during 1927 to 1931, inclusive and was first put into service in March, 1931, when water from the Ware River was first diverted through the tunnel from Shaft 8 at Coldbrook to Wachusett Reservoir at Oak- dale.
During the construction of the shafts and tunnel, an average of about 150 men were employed within the limits of the town of Holden. A camp was maintained at Shaft 2 where a considerable proportion of the men working from this shaft lived, but many of the men em- ployed lived at their own homes and drove to and from work in their own cars. Only a short length of tun- nel was driven from Shaft 3.
During the construction of the tunnel a detail study of the geological structure was made and specimens of rock were taken throughout the length of the tunnel at intervals of about 50 feet and were preserved and are available for public inspection at the Intake building at Coldbrook.
This tunnel passed through a dike of trap rock in Holden about 1/2 mile east of the Rutland town line. This is part of the same formation afterwards devel- oped and now operated as a quarry by the Holden Trap Rock Company, at Jefferson.
WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION
Under this service, in 1937, a number of bridges were re-constructed under the supervision of the De- partment of Public Works of Boston, and a number of Town roads were widened and repaired.
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN
In 1940, at the Holden Distribution Center a total of 8,320 articles were received.
Food commodities totaled 142,543 pounds and added to this was a total of 5,010 dozen eggs and 1, 152 cans of evaporated milk.
HOLDEN SEWER SYSTEM
At a special town meeting on August 2, 1938, the town voted unanimously, "that the Selectmen be au- thorized to approve the Sewer Project sponsored by the Metropolitan District Water Supply Commission, and grant permission for its construction on Town Highways and Town Property, said sewer to be 4.9 miles long and of 8 and io inch vitrified clay and cast iron pipe."
An agreement was made with the commission that it pay for materials and all other costs, except the cost of land easements, these to be paid by the Town, and, upon its completion the entire system to be taken over by the Town.
June 27, 1939, the Town made a taking of land over private property, and construction of the Sewer was started on September 28, of that year.
In 1940, the Town authorized the Selectmen to act as a Board of Sewer Commissioners until the 1941 Town Meeting.
Work on the project has continued steadily through- out 1941, and the close of the year will see it nearing completion.
Much time and manual labor has been saved by the use of the excavator owned and operated by Ralph O. Wagner of Bullard Street.
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN
Local men in charge of the sewer construction are: William W. Peabody, division engineer, William S. Sargent, James F. Folsom, and G. Sumner Holden.
WTAG
Surrounding territory was given careful inspection before the decision was made to erect the WTAG transmitting station on a sightly Holden hilltop.
As the location in Chaffins afforded the necessary amount of moisture it was chosen for the site of the beautiful broadcasting building, now surrounded by lovely lawns, shrubs, and flowers.
The Worcester Telegram and Gazette purchased more than sixty acres of land for the accommodation of this project, and the approximate cost of the original transmitter was $175,000. The contractor was Lowell Whipple Company.
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