USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > History of the town of Middleboro, Massachusetts > Part 31
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THE LOWLANDS
1775]
of New York under the Dutch rule. Her portrait, painted by her son Cephas, is described as that of "a most beautiful woman." " Squire Bill," a captain of a company of militia in the Revolution, was at the battle of Bunker Hill, and was known as a most fearless advocate of the patriot cause. He was a large land-owner, and a man of great energy, who held many positions of trust until his death, March 14, 1816. His house, later occupied by his son, Cephas Thompson, was of solid oak boards and timber, and was prob- ably the last of the blockhouses built after King Philip's War to resist any attacks of the Indians. It would probably have stood for generations, had it not been destroyed by fire about the year 1860. It was a one- story house, with the old-fashioned gambrel roof. In the front rooms were the " beau- fats," placed there when the house was CEPHAS THOMPSON first built ; one of the chambers was hung with ancient tapes- try of a beautifully wrought biblical scene, made by nuns at a convent in Paris.
Cephas Thompson was born July 1, 1775, and from his earli- est boyhood could readily, with pencil and paper, draw excellent likenesses of his school friends. His great love for portrait painting made him a successful artist, and he attained great celebrity in the South, where he had a wide circle of acquaint- ances. He was a friend of Parke Custis, Jefferson, and Chief Justice Marshall, whose portrait he painted, and of whom he used to relate many interesting anecdotes. Once when in Rich-
390
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
[1734
mond, having occasion to go into the court house where the chief justice was presiding, he was invited to take a seat with him on the bench, and he remained there during the session of the day.
Mr. Thompson had a select library, in which were some valuable books. In his parlor used to hang a number of pic- tures of tropical scenery which had been presented to him by his southern friends. The latter years of his life he spent in quiet in the enjoyment of his library and attractive stu- dio, a two-story building on the opposite side of the street. Here his friends used to gather; and during the summer days one could rarely visit his home without finding men and women of note who came to spend a short time in his genial society. In most of the well-to-do homes in town of three generations ago could be found portraits from Mr. Thompson's brush.
Cephas G. Thompson and Jerome B. Thompson, his sons, artists, and Marietta T. Thompson, his daughter, a miniature painter, settled in New York. His brother, Dr. Arad Thomp- son, was for years a physician in practice at the Four Corners.
WARRENTOWN
This village is situated on the road to Bridgewater, about two and a half miles from the centre of the town. It takes its name from Jabez Warren, an early settler, and from his numerous descendants, who, until the past twenty-five years, lived upon lands formerly owned by their ancestor. Mr. John Warren, his great-grandson, built and maintained a grist-mill, a shingle mill, and a sawmill on Murdock Street, across the Nemasket River. Business was done here for many years, but upon the death of Mr. Warren it was given up, and later the buildings and the dam were destroyed. The house of John F. Alden was the home of John Warren, and in the latter part of stage-coach days was a tavern.
This is one of the old houses in town, and was probably built in 1734 by Edmund Weston for his son, soon after he
39I
WARRENTOWN
1780]
moved here from Plympton. At the time, he had purchased a large tract of land, which, upon his death, was divided between his sons, John taking this house and land, and Edmund tak- ing the house and land near Plain Street.
Nathan Warren, a descendant of John Warren, was born in Middleboro in 1757, and died there May 28, 1807. He was a Revolutionary soldier, JOHN WESTON HOUSE (Afterwards the home of John Warren) serving as private in several companies, and as sergeant in Captain Edward Spar- row's company from the 23d of July, 1777, to October 27, I780.
Another descendant of John Warren was Captain Sylvanus Warren, who lived on the Bridgewater road for many years. He was a day laborer, working on the farm of Judge Weston, and afterwards upon that of his son, Colonel Thomas Weston. Before that he had worked for President John Quincy Adams. In accordance with the custom throughout New England, the workmen were introduced to all guests, with whom they talked freely as they sat at table together. He was fond of relating that he had often dined with President Adams, and sometimes members of his cabinet and foreign ministers were at the table.
Opposite the junction of Plain Street and the road to Bridge- water stood the shovel shop of Benjamin F. Warren. The hammer shop connected with this was on a brook which crossed the Bridgewater road a little to the north; here a dam had been erected, and a pond of six or eight acres fur- nished the water power. In the field stands the dwelling-house for many years occupied by Captain George Hartwell, where Abner Weston lived in the early part of the century, and here Edmund Weston was born; in his boyhood he moved to
392
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
[1772
Vermont, and afterwards became a distinguished judge of the probate court in that state.
In the year 1824 the town authorized the laying out and construction of Plain Street, running from the Bridgewater road to the lowlands. This was built as a substitute for a very crooked way which branched off from the Bridgewater road near the blacksmith shop of the late Eber Beals. It led to the pasture lands formerly owned by Colonel Thomas Weston ; crossing the brook at that place, it ran in an irregu- lar direction for about two miles to Thompson Street. A hundred years ago there were eight houses upon this street, all of which long ago disappeared. They were owned or occupied by a Mr. Nims, Josiah Dun- ham, who was nick- named "Governor Dun- ham," Edmund Weston, a Mr. Leach, and Livy Morton, the grandfather of Levi P. Morton, ex- Vice- President of the United States. In the COLONEL THOMAS WESTON latter part of the eigh- teenth century many descendants of the first Edmund Wes- ton lived near here. His house, which in 1772 had become so old as not to be habitable, was taken down, and the materials were used to erect the present one located on Summer Street, later occupied by Colonel Thomas Weston. This was a tavern during the Revolutionary War.
A short time before the battle of Lexington, several British officers, on their way to Boston, stopped here for dinner. As they left, they saw a good horse fastened in the yard, and took it, leaving a poor one in its place. When the exchange
393
WARRENTOWN
I775]
was discovered, the angry owner started in pursuit, and over- taking them, was so forceful in his de- mands that the offi- cers . returned his horse. This incident OLD WESTON TAVERN tended to increase the bitter hostility which was beginning to permeate the whole country.
Colonel Thomas Weston was born February 27, 1804, and died February 12, 1888. In the early part of his life he was engaged with his father in general mercantile business and in the manufacture of wrought nails. In 1844 he moved to the old Weston house, where he resided until shortly before his death. After retiring from active business, " he was espe- cially interested in agriculture, and at the time of his decease was the oldest member of the Plymouth County Agricultural Society, and for many years one of its trustees. In his early life he was active in the militia of his county, and held the office of colonel for some years in the Fourth Regiment of the First Brigade of Massachusetts Volunteer Militia. He was a member of the First Congregational Church of Mid- dleboro for more than sixty years, and was always active in promoting its temporal and spiritual interests. He was an unassuming man, of great strength of character, of positive convictions, of sterling integrity, of great industry, and an earnest and devout christian." 1
The descendants of Edward Bump have always resided in this neighborhood. In the latter part of the eighteenth cen- tury there were three named Joseph, called respectively Chin Joe, Thumb Joe, and Jockey Joe, the latter being widely known for his great strength; he is said to have been able to lift and carry more than three ordinary men.
Captain Nathaniel Bump lived on the road to Titicut, just 1 Doggett Genealogy.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
[1700
across the Nemasket River. He was a man of great en- ergy, and was in command of the company from Middle-
boro in the War of 1812. James S. Bump, the father of Lavinia Bump Minnie Warren, lived in this vicinity. In 1863 La- vinia married Charles S. Stratton, known as Tom Thumb ; her sec- ond husband was an RESIDENCE OF MRS. TOM THUMB Italian, Count Magri. In 1864 Mrs. Stratton erected a summer residence upon the grounds near one of the old training-greens. Minnie Warren married Major Newell, but died soon afterwards.
In the early part of the century there were here three wheelwright shops, owned and occupied by Reuel Atwood, Edward H. Waterman, and Venus Snow, and the three blacksmith shops of Thomas S. Harlow, John Warren, and William E. Bump.
PURCHADE
Purchade, formerly known as School District Number 19, takes its name from the purchase made from the Indians in the year 1662. It is principally on Purchade, Everett, and Plymouth streets, and includes a large tract of meadows known as the Purchade Meadows, through which flows, a brook by the same name, which empties into the Nemasket River. The descendants of Francis Eaton have always lived here.
John Alden, a grandson of the pilgrim John Alden, in- herited his father's homestead in West Bridgewater, but he conveyed this to Isaac Johnson and moved to Middleboro in 1700. Here his descendants have lived, very many of them residing in this neighborhood. His son, John Alden,1 was
1 History of the First Church of Middleboro, p. 61.
395
PURCHADE
1812]
born October 8, 1718, and lived to the great age of one hun- dred and two years, five months, and ten days. He was a member of the First Church of Middleboro for nearly sev- enty-eight years, and always lived upon his homestead. On the completion of his one hundredth year, a sermon was preached in his house by the Rev. Isaac Tompkins, pastor of the church in Haver- hill. This was printed and is still extant. At the time of his death1 he had two hundred and nine- teen descendants : nineteen children, sixty-two grandchil- dren, and one hun- dred and thirty-four great - grandchildren, JOHN ALDEN and four of the fifth generation. This family seems to have been noted for the longevity of its members.
Elijah Alden, a grandson of the last-named John Alden, was born on Purchade Street, June 10, 1780, and lived to the age of ninety-eight. In the War of 1812 he marched with the company from Middleboro to defend Plymouth, Wareham, and New Bedford against threatened attacks of the British, and for many years received a pension for his services in the war. When hammered nails were manufactured at Muttock, he was employed in fall and winter, and was considered an expert, boasting that he made three thousand in one week.
Upon Everett Street stands the house built and occupied by Samuel Sampson, a Revolutionary soldier, who entered the army when he was seventeen years of age, and was one of 1 Alden Memorial, p. 18.
396
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
[1812
the forty men enlisted by the town of Middleboro for three years' service or during the war. He was chosen deacon of the First Church June 30, 1826, and served until his death, July 30, 1850, at the age of eighty-six years. The community had great confidence in his judgment in settling disputes, so that for years he bore not only the title of deacon, but that of peacemaker.1
On the other side of Everett Street, some little distance to the south of his house, stood the residence of Archippus Leon- ard and his son, Seth. Archippus Leonard worked in the fur- nace of Judge Oliver at Muttock. In the War of 1812 Seth Leonard was captain of a schooner which sailed from Ware- ham to Stonington, Conn. Upon his arrival he was informed that the place was threatened by a British man-of-war, which arrived the next morning opposite the town. The inhabitants were wholly unprepared for defence, and most of them had fled into the country. Captain Leonard, a man of great courage, determined to defend the town, and finding a seven-pound can- non with sufficient ammunition, had it placed at a point which would bear upon the ship. The few remaining women brought their dresses for wadding. The man-of-war was too far off to have its shell effective, and owing to the shallowness of the harbor, was unable to come to the wharf, so the commander proceeded to land men in boats. Captain Leonard and his crew fired with such precision, as the boats approached, that several were destroyed and the others retreated to the vessel. The man-of-war soon after sailed away.
Several generations ago bricks were manufactured by Calvin and Levi Murdock in the lowland in the northern part of this neighborhood, and within a few years George R. Sampson has carried on a large brick business upon the land which he inherited from his grandfather, Deacon Sampson. Opposite the residence of Mr. Sampson was a cartway, in the early part of the last century, leading to a settlement of some five or six dwelling-houses known as "the city." These houses were one after another removed, and the place they occupied is a dense
1 Sampson Genealogy, p. 77.
397
PURCHADE
1790]
wood, with nothing to indicate the secluded village of former times.
Some sixty years ago the neighborhood on the hill south of Warrentown was known as " Tribou's," from Melzar Tribou, an old-time shoemaker. His son, Nahum M. Tribou, was a large farmer, and had a sales stable connected with his farm. His son, Nahum M. Tribou, Jr., who died in 1871, was a well- known physician in practice in Norwich, Conn. In the open yard adjoining the residence of Melzar Tribou were the carpen- ter shop of Horatio N. Wilbur and the shoe shop of Richard Carter. On the other side of the road was the blacksmith shop of Eber Beals, a skilful and reliable mechanic ; he was a citizen of strong character. The house owned by the late James Snow on the hill was formerly the residence of his father, Aaron Snow, who bought the place in 1794 and had a wheel- wright shop near his house. This house, although its exterior has been much changed, is known to have been standing before 1740, and probably contains the only fireplace in town of a style in use when the house was erected. It is about six feet high, ten feet long, and six feet deep, with a large, brick oven in one corner.
Lysander Richmond, a well-known citizen of this neighbor- hood, commenced the manufacture of shoes in 1848. This so increased that he erected a large building on Plymouth Street upon what is known as the Elisha Richmond farm. His busi- ness was largely with the South, and upon the breaking out of the War of the Rebellion he lost so heavily that he was obliged to give up this enterprise, which was never afterwards resumed.
CHAPTER XXIV
TITICUT
T
HE northern part of the town still retains its Indian name of Titicut.1 This included the southern part of Bridgewater on this side of the Taunton River, and N from the earliest time was noted for its productive soil and natural beauty. It was first known to the English settlers through the journey of Stephen Hopkins and Edward Winslow under the guidance of the friendly Indian Tisquan- tum, who started from Plymouth July 13, 1621, to seek an inter- view with the great Indian sachem, Massa- soit. Of this visit Gov- ernor Winslow gives an account, to which we refer elsewhere. Here was one of the- three settlements of the Namascheuks.
It was on the high ground on both sides SITE OF THE OLD INDIAN FORT of the river, southwest of the Congregational meeting-house. The hill on the easterly side of the river, southwest of the church, is known as the Indian Fort,2 and there Winslow and Hopkins probably spent the night.
1 Kehtehticut, Cututicut, Tetiquid, which often occur in the early deeds and records, are different spellings of Titicut.
2 " The Nemasket Indians and neighboring tribes built this fort for their own protection. They had two doors to the fort : one next to the river, the other on the opposite side. One day they were surprised by a formidable force of the Narragansett Indians with whom they were at war, at which time, unfortunately, there were only eight men in the fort; the remaining part were hunting and
399
TITICUT
1664]
After the death of Chickataubut in 1633, the Titicut Indians seem to have been divided into two bands, separated from each other by the Taunton River. On the river was the old weir where they caught herring.
Here was the old Indian reservation,1 the southern corner of which was at that point where the present bounds of Mid- dleboro, Lakeville, and Taunton meet.2 From there the line ran easterly, or northeasterly, to an oak-tree on the brow of a hill ; thence easterly by a black oak-tree to what was known as the old English line ; thence to the river. The oak-tree, still fishing. What therefore now to do they could not tell, but something must be done and that immediately. Therefore, every Indian bound on his blanket and arrows and took their bows and rushed out of the back door through the bushes down the bank to the river, then by the river in an opposite direction from their enemy a small distance, then ascended the bank in sight of their enemy, then rushing in and through the fort and down the bank again, then up the bank and through the fort as before. This round of deception they continued till their enemy, being surprised that their fort consisted of so formidable a number, left the ground precipitately and retired, fearing an attack from the vast number in the fort." Memorandum in the Bennett Family.
1 It was through the influence of the court that Josias Wampatuck, the son of Chickataubut, was induced to give a deed without consideration : -
PRENCE GOVR A deed appointed to bee Recorded
THES prsents witnesseth that I Josias allies Chickatabutt doe promise by these p'sents to giue vnto the Indians liueing vpon Catuhtkut Riuer (viz) Pom- panohoo Waweens and the other Indians liveing there: that is three miles upon each side of the Riuer excepting the lands that are alreddy sold to the English either Taunton Bridgwater or to the Major and doe promise by these prsents not to sell or giue to any any Pte or Pcell of land; but that the aforsaid Indians shall peacably enjoy the same without any Interuption from mee or by my meanes in any respect : the which I doe engage and promise by these p'sents : witnes my hand this 9th of June in the yeare 1664
CHICKATABUTT allies JOSIAS + his marke
WUTTANAUMATUKE his marke
Witnes
Richard Bourne
John Low
his marke
Book of Indian Records, Plymouth Colony Records (1620-51), vol. xii, p. 238. 2 See map of Indian Purchases.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
[1755
standing, is mentioned in several of the early deeds.1 This reservation was carefully guarded by the General Court for more than two generations ; the whites settling in this region were instructed not to encroach on the territory of the Indians, or in any way molest them ; they retained exclusive possession long after other portions of the town had been settled.
Among the early settlers was a Mr. Richmond,2 who was here before King Philip's War ; a man of gigantic stature, bold and fearless. He was much dreaded by the Indians, with whom he had many contests, and as he was usually victorious, they were constantly planning to capture him. He served as one of Captain Church's scouts, and in the latter part of the war was attacked by a number of Indians when there was a great freshet in the Taunton River. He was driven to a spot where the Poquoy brook enters the river, and as escape was impossible, he was killed. He lived near the house of the late Jonathan Richmond by the bend of the river, a few rods this side of the Richmond town bridge.
A few years ago, when the highway was straightened and repaired, his remains were found, and he was re-interred. Afterwards, his body was exhumed in presence of Dr. Morrill Robinson and others to test the truth of the tradition as to his gigantic size and strength. When his skeleton was measured, it was found that his thigh-bone was four inches longer than that bone in an ordinary man, and that he had a double row of teeth in each jaw. His height must have been at least seven feet and eight inches. There is a tradition that he was the bro- ther of Jonathan Richmond, who, four years after his brother's death, occupied the land which he had formerly cultivated.
Here was situated one of the three churches of the praying Indians. Probably its site was near the present centre of the parish, on Pleasant Street, not far from the shoe factory of Keith & Pratt.
This church continued until after 1755; it was then dis-
1 See picture of this tree in chapter on Early Purchases.
2 A sketch of the life of this man appeared some years ago in a pamphlet which is now lost.
1748]
TITICUT®
40I
banded, and the few remaining Indians united with the Con- gregational Church. From the first visit by Hopkins and Winslow down to their complete extinction, they seem to have lived quietly and peacefully. Their territory was not disturbed during King Philip's War, and one after another they passed away until, at the time of the Revolution, none of them remained. During the French and Indian War many of them enlisted with their white brethren to defend the rights and honor of the English Crown.
In the early history of the town, efforts were often made to incorporate Titicut as a separate town, either alone or by joining with a portion of Bridgewater. Both the town and the legis- lature declined to grant these various petitions.1 In 1744 a petition was sent to the legislature "that if your Excellency and Honors do not see meet to set off a township that you will establish a distinct precinct so that we may enjoy the gospel privileges by ourselves." This was granted that year, and plans were immediately made for erecting a place of worship.
Although they had occasional preaching, the religious con- troversy between the New Lights and the Old Lights pre- vented the organization of a church until the year 1747, when the first meeting-house was erected. It was built near the cem- etery on Plymouth Street, on land given by three of the pray- ing Indians, in what was then a pine forest, beautifully shaded in the heat of summer and protected from the blasts of winter. Soon after this, the sixteen persons who had signed a covenant for a new church extended a call to the Rev. Isaac Backus, minister from Norwich, Conn., to become their pastor. Later he espoused the faith of the Baptist denomination. A separation of his congregation resulted. Those adhering to the old faith built a church on the site of the present Congregational Church, and services were held in both of these edifices. The church occupied by Mr. Backus's congregation was known as the Old English or Indian Church, and was situated opposite Keith & Pratt's shoe factory. Owing to its insufficient size, it was subsequently abandoned, and a new one was built on the same
1 See Introduction.
402
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBORO
[1774
site about 1757. This they occupied until 1806, when they built a new house of worship on Bedford Street near the present Bap- tist Church. On fast day of that year the Rev. Isaac Backus preached his last sermon, the first one in the new building. The old building on Pleasant Street was afterwards sold and moved to a lumber yard in Taunton. Great was the lamenta- tion over the removal of this first place of worship, and it is said that a number of those who were in the habit of attend- ing service there followed the house as it was being removed, and such was their sorrow that many were moved to tears.
Few men in Plymouth Colony during the middle of the eighteenth century attracted more attention or exerted greater influence than Rev. Isaac Backus. He was the son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Tracey) Backus, and was born in Norwich, Conn., January 9, 1724. His mother was a descend- ant of Edward Winslow, of pilgrim fame. He is said to have received his first religious impression from the preaching of Whitefield during the Great Awakening. He early had mis- givings as to the laxity in the admission of members to the Congregational Church, and espoused the views of the New Lights. He did not receive a collegiate education, but felt it his duty to become a preacher of the gospel, and his first sermon was delivered on the 28th of September, 1746. In 1747 he was called to the Congregational Church in Titicut, where he served until 1756; he then became pastor of the Baptist Church 1 formed there at that time, and continued in this office until the close of his life. He was the leading pas- tor of his denomination in this part of the state. His ability was early recognized, and in 1772 he was chosen agent for the Baptist churches in Massachusetts.
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