USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > History of the town of Middleboro, Massachusetts > Part 27
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Item His armes & Ammunition His Razor and hone IO. 6
Item his books of all sorts . 3.19
Item his Beds & all ye furniture belonging to him
33. 8
Item his puter Brass Glass & Leather ware 6.18
Item his holler Iron ware & Chimney brass 7.
Item his chests chairs & wooden ware .
16. 4
Item his Carpenter tools Blacksmiths tools
12. 3
Item his tools for husbandry, saddle & bridle
19.
£136.12
Item his cattle sheep, Goats, Swine & horse 244.10
£382.12
Item his 142 and 143 with the improvement that is on them with his House, Barns Corn House & Orchard 600
Item his 112 lot part cedar swamp . 86
Item his 121 lot with some improvement . 60
Item his half of the 123 lot 20
Item his 144 and 145 lot 80
Item his 146 lot
50
Item his uppermost lot of meadow on South meadow river with half what is called the coast 140
Item his Meadow that lyeth below the double brook
100
Item his salt meadow by estimation two acres .
100
Item his land that lyeth on the East side of South Meadow River by estimation twenty nine acres 25
Item his Indian Corn Rye & hay
42
Amounting to £ 1679.12
PLY. ss. Dec. 19, 1744. Martha Lebaron Adm. sd estate made oath that the inventory contains all his estate so far as she knows, and when she shall know of more shall give it in ye sd. appraisers being also under oath
Before me
J. CUSHING
Judge of Probate.
339
FRANCE, SOUTH MIDDLEBORO
1775]
lutionary War; he was with Ethan Allen at the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, and followed him, the second man to enter the fort ; he was at Valley Forge, crossed the Delaware with Washington, and for a time was a member of his body-guard. He used to say with pride that he had taken a glass of wine from the hand of Lady Washington. Soon after the Revolu- tionary War he moved to Wareham, and lived on Indian Neck.
During the century preceding the last there were many large farms here, which, with the houses, were usually away from public roads, and connected by private paths from one farm to another.
This place has now become an almost unbroken woodland, with scarcely any trace of its former prosperity, excepting the well-built stone walls which here and there are still to be seen marking boundaries of farms or extensive cultivated fields. The growth of pine lumber has been remarkable; there is in this vicinity one lumber mill, known as Cushing's Mill, which with those at the Rock and South Middleboro saw not less than three thousand cords of white pine lumber a year, and have been doing so for a generation.
SOUTH MIDDLEBORO
South Middleboro was not settled until some time after the close of King Philip's War. In the latter part of the eighteenth century the Stillwater Furnace furnished employment for about forty men in the manufacture of hollow-ware from the iron ore obtained from the neighboring ponds, which was landed at the wharf on the eastern shore of Great Quittacus and carted from there to this furnace. This business was successfully carried on by Captain Zenas Wood, one of the best-known citizens, who also owned a retail store, to which Mr. Hooper succeeded on the death of Captain Wood. Mr. Hooper, a man much respected here, was often called to settle estates, advise with his neighbors, and adjust difficulties. Near the site of the furnace was a box-board and shingle mill.
In the middle of the last century Stillman Benson built
340
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
[1775
and carried on the Benson Lumber Mill. He was elected to different offices in town, and was largely instrumental in secur- ing the location of the Cape Cod railroad and in establishing a station here.
Here are the most extensive pine woods of the town ; their rapid growth has been remarkable, and they have not been materially diminished, notwithstanding the large amount of timber used in the lumber mills. Twenty-five years ago Middleboro was one of the largest lumber - producing towns of the state. There are now three mills in this neighborhood, known as the Witham, Benson, and Gam- mons mills.
Here lived Samuel Smith, whose eventful life is enti- tled to something more than a passing notice. He was born in Rhode Island in 1757, and after the battle of Lex- ington enlisted in the Con- STILLMAN BENSON tinental army. He was sta- tioned in the Highlands on the Hudson where Major André was brought into camp, and remained until he was hanged. At Red Bank he was engaged in a severe battle with the Hessians, and in November, 1776, he marched with others to Valley Forge, suffering great hard- ships from cold and hunger, with the army, during that terrible winter. He acted as attendant to the army physician, who became one of his warm friends. During all the years of success and defeat he continued with the patriot army, until it disbanded in 1783. He had various adventures at the close of the war in many parts of the world : he was a baggage driver from Providence to Boston ; a whaler to the coast of Bra- zil; later, he shipped for the West Indies, and after several
34I
SOUTH MIDDLEBORO
1680]
voyages, he lived in Middleboro until his death. In 1853 an account of his life was published by the Middleboro " Gazette," which yielded him a small income during his old age. He lived in the house later owned by Frank Wallen.
Captain Abiel Peirce, whose services in the French and Indian War have been mentioned, lived about two and a half miles southwest from the Rock meeting-house, on Miller Street. The farm he owned is now in the possession of Joseph Sherman, Esq. ; the house he occupied was taken down a few years ago and a new one erected on its site.
CHAPTER XXI
EDDYVILLE, WATERVILLE, SOULE NEIGHBORHOOD, HALIFAX
DDYVILLE takes its name from Samuel Eddy and his descendants, who from the first settlement of the town have owned and occupied much of the land. They were men of character and influence, noted for their enterprise and public spirit, and have done not a little in aiding the various enterprises of the town; some of them were widely known throughout the colony and the com- monwealth. The history of this locality necessarily includes much of the lives of the various members of this family. A sketch of the life of Samuel Eddy has been given in the chapter on Early Purchasers. The name of his wife is unknown. She came from Kent, and probably had not been educated to observe all of the religious tenets of her neigh- bors in the pilgrim church, especially as to the observance of the Lord's day. Among the records of the court in Plymouth, we find that at one time she presumed to hang out clothes washed just before the going down of the sun on a certain Lord's day, for which she was brought before the governor and council and fined ten shillings, but for reasons the records do not show, it was remitted. Again, she was brought before the council "upon a most grievous offense," in walking from Plymouth to Boston upon a Lord's day, but her answer was that she had taken this walk for charity for a sick friend, Mis- tress Saffin, whom she had known in the old country. The court excused this as an act of mercy, but admonished her to do so no more.
Samuel Eddy's name occurs in the records of the colony in many transactions until about the year 1662. He possessed several hundred acres in the eastern part of the town, extend-
343
EDDYVILLE
1759]
ing over a portion of Halifax, and including all of the land now known as Eddyville. In 1685 he was described as of Plymouth, living in Swansea. Part of the time before his death, in 1688, he lived with his son Obadiah,1 who inherited his father's estate in Middleboro and Halifax, and after the war rebuilt his house, the site of which can still be pointed out in Halifax.
His son Samuel built a house in Eddyville near the great pear-trees, which was destroyed by fire in 1720, and the next year he built and occupied a house, now owned by C. F. Eddy, his furet Eddy descendant. This, probably one of the oldest houses standing, was inherited by Samuel's son Zacha- riah, and after his death was moved across the street, where it now stands. He was an ardent patriot, and four of his sons served in the Revolutionary War.
On the northerly side of Plympton Street, nearly opposite the house of the late Andros Eddy, stood a printing-office, owned and carried on by John, the eldest son of Zachariah Eddy. This was the first printing-office in town, and prob- ably the only one in the old colony at that time. In 1759, at the age of twenty, he prepared and published an almanac from this office. It was printed in good type, and was quite similar in appearance to the Old Farmer's Almanac. The late Professor West said, "It was the best almanac that had ever been made up to that time." In the preface John Eddy writes : -
"These calculations I believe, and do not doubt that my readers will find and agree that they are very near the truth. Some may condemn what is here wrote perhaps for nonsense and folly, but I shall have this for my consolation that the world is a scene of folly and strange if an almanack maker shall not have his part therein."
The second almanac was written bearing this date, " Middle- boro, Sept. 1759." He was a brilliant man, a mathematician, 1 See chapter on Early Settlers.
344
[1775
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
and an astronomer. He was killed during the French and Indian War, at Crown Point, New York, when twenty-four years old.
Upon the Green, opposite the house of Samuel Eddy, stood the house of Captain Joshua Eddy, which was burned in 1820, rebuilt by him, and occupied a few years before his death. This is now owned by William C. Eddy.
Joshua Eddy joined the army in 1775, as a private in Colonel Cotton's regiment. He was present at the siege of Boston. In 1776 he was appointed lieutenant, and in 1777 he was offered a captain's commission in Colonel Gamaliel Brad- ford's regiment, on the usual condition of furnishing a certain number of men for three years.1 Before leading on his recruits, he complied with a general order to go down to the hospital at Braintree and have the smallpox. He then started immediately, and took a large quantity of clothing, provisions, and equipments. He did not reach Ticon- deroga, but fell in with the American forces at Hub- bardstown on the retreat. His company suffered se- verely in that disastrous affair. The baggage was CAPTAIN JOSHUA EDDY put on board boats to go to Skenesborough (Whitehall), but was taken or destroyed by the British. He remained at Albany with the army till they rallied, marched back to meet Burgoyne, and was present at the two battles by which he was compelled to surrender. In the second (October 7) they were reënforced by several brigades, and fought with courage. He 1 See chapter on the Revolution.
345
EDDYVILLE
1780]
used to speak of the ruin and the booty of Burgoyne's camp, after his retreat, as prodigious. The evening after the surren- der of Burgoyne they had orders to proceed down the river to Æsopus to meet General Vaughan. They pursued him to King's Bridge ; he retired into the city of New York, and they then passed over into New Jersey. They went into winter quarters with the rest of the army under General Washington in December. Captain Eddy did not remain there long; but on hearing of the death of his father, he applied to General Heath for a discharge. His request being refused, he applied to the commander-in-chief, but on account of the scarcity of officers, he was allowed only an indefinite furlough. He im- mediately returned, and spent the winter in settling the affairs of his father. On April 10, 1778, he was married to Lydia Paddock, daughter of Zachariah Paddock of Middleboro.
The next May he returned to the army, and was at the battle of Monmouth, June 28. His regiment was not called into action, but was employed in scouting and foraging. At the close of the battle he heard General Washington, in great excitement and pale with rage, accuse General Lee of disobe- dience of orders, saying with an oath, "Had you taken the position with your command as I directed, you would have captured the whole British army." Great was his surprise at Washington's profane language, but the consequences of this disobedience were so serious, and the disasters so great to. the struggling patriot army, that it would have required more self-control than man possesses to have refrained from such an outburst.
The summer of that year he spent with the Continental army in the vicinity of New York and Philadelphia. In the fall he again applied for his discharge; but all he could obtain was, as before, an indefinite furlough, leaving him still liable at any time to be called. For his services he received an annual pension of £20 a month, commencing April 4, 1818.1
At the close of the Revolutionary War he settled upon his large farm, which he cultivated with care, kept a store on the
1 Eddy Family, p. 249.
--
346
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
[1800
RESIDENCE OF ZACHARIAH EDDY
Green, and built and carried on a large blast furnace at Water- ville, known as Eddy's Furnace. During this time he built a schooner on the southerly side of Taunton River at Woodward's Bridge, which was launched and floated into Narragansett Bay. He is said to have been a man of deep religious feeling, and nothing better illustrates his christian character than the fact that, after his five sons were settled with their families about or near the Green, they were accustomed to meet for family prayers at his house every Sabbath afternoon and one evening in the week. He was a devoted, earnest member of the First Church, and was for some years one of its deacons. The only time his family ever saw him in tears was upon his return from the war on a furlough, when he found the state of religion so low that many had left the old church ; and it was mainly by his exertions that it was saved from going over to another faith with so many of the Old Colony churches.
His son Zachariah, one of the prominent lawyers of the state, lived on the east side of the Green, Joshua lived next to his father, Nathaniel opposite, Ebenezer a half a mile away, and William S. in Waterville; Morton and John, his other sons, did not live in town. Nathaniel occupied the store formerly owned by his father and next to that owned by his brother Joshua. The business reputation of the sons of Captain Joshua brought a large circle of men to the neighborhood, and the office of Zachariah Eddy was usually full of clients. His house is still standing on the eastern side of the Green, and the office, a little south of the house, remains as he left it.
347
EDDYVILLE
1746]
On Plympton Street, opposite Mr. Eddy's office, was the blacksmith shop of Captain William Ellis, a skilled workman, who had served in the Revolution, and who occupied the house built by Samuel Eddy in 172I.
Later, in the store formerly occu- pied by Nathaniel, shoes were manu- factured for a number of years by Mr. George M. Leach and Joshua M. Eddy, a grandson of Captain Joshua. OFFICE OF ZACHARIAH EDDY West of Eddyville, on Raven Brook, there was for many years a lumber mill, recently used as a box factory by Isaac Bryant.
On Plympton Street, a short distance from Eddyville as you approach the village from the west, stands the Clark place, built and occupied by Samuel Eddy, Jr., about 1725. He was born in 1710, and died November 8, 1746. He was a man of note, and filled many important positions. During the troubles in the First Church which followed Mr. Thacher's death, his judgment and opinion were relied on. When the committee from the General Court were considering the matters which had been brought be- fore them, they are said to have stated that they could not understand the diffi- culties of the church until Samuel Eddy, Jr., came before them. It was a general re- mark at the time of his death that there RESIDENCE OF SAMUEL EDDY AND DR. POWERS was no member of the First Church who had so much intelligence, firm and consistent piety, and sound discretion as Samuel Eddy, Jr.1
1 History of the First Church of Middleboro, p. 58; Eddy Genealogy, p. 247.
348
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
[1833
At one time this house was owned and occupied by Dr. Stephen Powers, the grandfather of Hiram Powers, the cele- brated sculptor, who, the latter part of his life, resided in Rome. Here Isaac McClellan, one of the poets of New England, often spent his summers. The house was later owned by Major Clark, and upon his death, by Harrison Clark, a well-known wit of the town, whose sayings have not been forgotten.
Rev. Francis Greenleaf Pratt, a son-in-law of Zachariah Eddy, made this village his home, after retiring from the ministry.
About the middle of the last century Eddyville was a place of much business activity as well as one of the social centres of the town. In 1833 a post-office was established there under the name of East Middleboro.
WATERVILLE
This village, formerly included as a portion of Eddyville, known as the Furnace, has within the past fifty years taken the name of Waterville. Eddy's Furnace, located on Whet- stone Brook and built by Captain Joshua Eddy, was carried on for a few years after his death by his sons. William S. Eddy commenced business in Plympton in one of the first cotton factories of the country, where he lost all of his money. It took him ten years to pay the amount lost. With his brother Nathaniel as partner, he took charge of the furnace. The hollow-ware, or iron utensils, pots, kettles, and andirons, were not only sold here, but were shipped in large quan- tities to supply the market in other sections of the country. The iron used for these castings was obtained from the ponds, and when the supply gave out, it was brought from New Jersey to New Bedford by ships and carted from there ; old iron was collected and brought to the furnace to be recast. This busi- ness furnished employment for about twenty-five men during the active season. When this furnace was in operation, one or two blasts were made during the year, which, when com- menced, were worked night and day for a month or two. On the other side of the street and on the westerly side of the
349
WATERVILLE
1840]
pond stood what was known as the cook house, where the workmen boarded during the continuance of the blast.
About the year 1840 the casting of hollow-ware was given up, and shovels were manufactured here, and still later, tacks. After Nathaniel re- tired from the firm, the business was car- ried on by William S. Eddy and his son, William C., who also kept a large store op- posite his residence. Upon the death of William S. Eddy, the privilege was bought by Albert T. Savery, who successfully car- ried on a lumber mill for many years. A WILLIAM S. EDDY little below, but upon the same stream, is a sawmill at one time owned by Joshua M. Eddy, but since his death it has been carried on by Mr. Savery as a box-board mill. In early times there was a hat factory here. The dam and privilege are now unused.
A little to the west of the residence of Mr. Eddy was the house occupied by Mr. Ichabod Tilson, familiarly known as " Skipper " Tilson, a title given to the foreman of a blast fur- nace, who had charge of melting the ore, preparing moulds, and superintending the castings. It was a position of respon- sibility, as the work of the furnace depended largely upon his oversight and skill.
A ridge of hills on the northerly side of the road has been known for many generations as Mount Carmel. The Plymouth railroad passes through this neighborhood, and has a station of this name.
350
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
[1690
SOULE NEIGHBORHOOD
In the will of George Soule, the thirty-fifth signer of the compact in the Mayflower, he leaves his " Middleberry land " to his daughters. Elizabeth married John Haskell, and Patience, Francis Walker, both of whom became residents of the town. Later, there was some fear lest his son John should endeavor to dispossess his sisters of this portion of the estate, and steps were taken to guard against this.
James moved from Duxbury to Middleboro in 1690, with his brother John, then a small boy. He married Lydia Tomson, a daughter of John Tomson, and built his first house about the year 1700 (near the site of the late Isaac Soule's house), which was soon after burned. It was a cold, wintry day, and the flames soon destroyed the wooden house, and with it all of his posses- sions. He and his young brother, who were alone in the house, barely escaped with their lives. In their distress he placed his small brother under a haystack while he went over the river Winnetuxet to his friends to obtain clothing for both of them.
At the time of the running of the bounds of the Twenty-six Men's Purchase, he and John were extensive land-owners. James was fined, October 2, 1690, five shillings for refusing to go on the expedition to Canada.
John Soule was born in 1632, and died in 1707. In his fa- ther's will he is referred to thus: "And forasmuch as my John Saulo eldest son John Soule and his family hath in my extreme old age and weakness bin tender and careful of mee and very healp- full to mee and is likely for to be while it shall please God to continew my life heer therefore I given and bequeath unto the said John Soule, all the remainder of my housing and lands whatsoever." 1 He and John Tomson settled the dispute of the bounds of the town, June 24, 1681.
In this neighborhood Rev. Sylvanus Conant and eight of his parishioners, who died in 1777, were buried.
The name of Wolftrap Hill is associated with these two 1 Windsor's Duxbury, p. 310.
35 I
SOULE NEIGHBORHOOD, HALIFAX
1733]
brothers' early experiences. One of them was troubled by a wolf, which caught his poultry and otherwise injured the farm. He set a trap, digging a long trench in the ground,1 and cov- ering it with boughs and bushes so that it was entirely con- cealed. One morning he found in one part of the trench a wolf, and in the other part an Indian. He soon killed the wolf, and after an examination he found the Indian was on his way from Nemasket to Plymouth upon legitimate business, so he was released and allowed to continue on his journey.
Isaac Soule, a grandson of James, born about the year 1732, was an astrologer, or as then called, a conjurer, telling future events by the stars. His predictions were quite remarkable, and gave him an extended reputation ; he was visited by many people from a distance, who came to inquire into their future.
One of the prominent men a century ago was William Soule, a great-grandson of the pioneer James. He was a man of stern principles, active in his religious duties. In different sections of the country there are many who claim James and John as their ancestors, but there are few of that name now living in Soule neighborhood.
Aside from the farming here, there are now some shingle and box-board mills ; formerly there were two blacksmith shops, a brick kiln, and a tannery.
HALIFAX
" At a town meeting September 17, 1733, the town by vote so far granted the petition and request of Mr. Thomas Thomp- son, John Drew, John Drew, Jr., Ebenezer Fuller, John Fuller, John Thompson, Ephraim Thompson, Jacob Thompson, Fran- cis Thompson, Ichabod Standish, Isaac Tinkham, Ebenezer Cobb, Timothy Wood, and Barnabas Thompson as to set off all the said petitioners and inhabitants that lie on the north- easterly side of Winnetuxet River in said town with their estates lying on the said side of the river to join with the adjacent parts of the towns of Plympton and Pembroke into a separate township, also the town chose Captain Ichabod Southworth,
1 This was the usual method of catching the wolves which caused the early settlers so much trouble.
352
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
[1700
Benjamin Wood, Esq., and Mr. Thomas Nelson a committee to enquire into the circumstances of those of the said petition- ers that lie on the southwesterly side of the said Winnetuxet River respecting their joining with those on the north side of said river with the adjacent parts of Plimpton and Pembroke as aforesaid and the said committee to view the land by them requested to be set off on said southwest side of said river as aforesaid and to run and stake such lines and bounds as they shall think proper for setting off them or any part of them with their estates if the committee think reasonable, Jacob Thompson as surveyor to assist said committee in running the lines, the said committee or any two of them to make report of their doings and concur therewith if they think reasonable."
As a result of this petition, in 1734 a small portion of the northerly part of what was formerly known as Middleberry was incorporated to form a part of the town of Halifax. Before this the boundary of the town extended to the Winnetuxet River. It was almost an unbroken wilderness,1 but well adapted for agricultural purposes, as the soil was naturally rich. As the early settlers of the country depended entirely upon their farms for support, this portion of the town was considered most desirable. From the earliest time there have been large and valuable tracts of timber land, and the sawmills were among the first erected in this section. In the early part of the last century a large amount of ship timber was taken from here for the construction of vessels built in Kingston by the late Joseph Holmes.
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