USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Sutton > History of the town of Sutton, Massachusetts, from 1704 to 1876, including Grafton until 1735, Millbury until 1813 and parts of Northbridge, Upton and Auburn > Part 32
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Edmund T. Hall built the next house about 1817. He lived here until the death of his wife, when he went to live with his son, T. E. Hall, at Holden, where he died. T. E. Hall, born here, was Captain and acting Quarter-master at Camp Nelson, in Kentucky, during a portion of the war of the rebellion. The business of the office amounted to more than a million dollars a month. He was one of the most efficient officers in the service. His brother, Joseph L. Hall, went out as a sutler ; was afterwards on the police force in Worcester, where he died. His great-grandfather, Stephen Hall, was a quarter-master in the old French war. After the death of Edmund the estate was owned by Theron E. He sold to Ephraim Nealey, he to Mr. Sherman, he to York, he to Daniel Johnson, he to Joseph Beasley, and he to Chas. Young.
The house now owned and occupied by Avery Ward was built by him in 1825. Mr. Ward has had two wives and twelve children, nine of whom were born here. His farm contains about sixteen acres, has much fruit on it and is under high cultivation.
Joseph Smith Livermore bought an office, commenced for Dr. John Tenney on Mr. Mill's place, made it into a dwelling house and lived in it several years. It was next owned by Mr. Gilbert, who married Lucy, daughter of Tyler Stock- well. After the death of Gilbert, Stockwell sold it to Charles Johnson, who sold to C. Ruggles, the present owner. J. S. Livermore married Electa Hall, daughter of Edmund T. They had Albert and Ann, both noted singers.
Jesse Cummings built the house now owned by Lackey. It was owned afterward by Harback, then by Tyler Marble, then by Major Thomas Harback, then by Origen Harback,
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then by Mrs. John Stockwell, who sold to Daniel Johnson, he to George Lackey, the present owner. Deacon Leander Stockwell, who died at Grafton a few days since so suddenly, and who was much lamented, was brought up here.
Leander Lackey, the inventor, died here. He invented the first pegging machine and many useful tools. He had a shock of paralysis and was a great sufferer. Willard F. Mallalieu, D. D., the popular writer, lecturer and eminent divine, was born in this house.
At or about the time of his birth, his father, John Mallalieu, was the owner of the place and the woolen mill then standing. He was engaged in the manufacture of woolen cloths as early as 1812; first in Dudley, Mass., and then in Sutton. He was one of the first woolen manufacturers in Worcester county to employ power machinery in the production of cloth. He commenced about the same time with Mr. Samuel Slater, of whom he was a constant friend till the death of Mr. Slater.
Mr. Mallalieu graduated at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 1857; joined the New England conference of the Methodist Episcopal church in 1858.
In 1867 he was elected president of the Central Tennessee college at Nash- ville. In 1872 was elected delegate to the general conference of the Methodist church; in 1874 received the degree of doctor of divinity; in 1876 was elected secretary of the Freedman's Aid Society of the Methodist church.
Mr. Mallalieu has now been preaching twenty years, and reports that during the time he has not been disabled from labor a single day by sickness.
.He is at this writing the pastor of a large and influential church In Boston.
There used to be a house directly opposite the Lackey house, built by Thomas Harback, the first Harback that settled in this town. His son Thomas succeeded him here, and his son John built the house where James Putnam now lives.
Thomas Harback was the father of H. B. Harback and Major Thomas Harback, who built the first woolen mill in town.
He went to Worcester, where he was associated in business with William B. Fox. He represented Worcester in the legislature, and was a man much respected.
He and his brother, Henry Bright Harback, built the house where Mr. Odion now lives, about 1812; he bought out his brother and sold to Joseph Freeman, who sold to Dr. N. C. Sibley. Origen Harback owned it, then Caleb
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Chase, then Addison Eaton, then Joseph L. Hall ; he sold to Lafayette Willard ; he to Joseph Freeman, he to Nathaniel H. Odion, present owner.
The house where James Putnam now lives was built by John Harback, who raised a large family there. Henry B. Harback lived in it at one time, and his son Rufus H. was born here. Origen Harback owned and occupied it many years. His wife died there, after which he married the widow of Asa Cummings, jr.
Then his children began to drop off of consumption, until they were all dead but one. Then he too died of heart disease ; his son George soon followed of consumption. His widow survived a few years and died ; not a living trace of Origen remains. He enlarged and repaired the house ; he was a wheelwright by trade, and had a shop just above the elms on the opposite side of the road, which, strange as it may seem, was operated by water drawn from a little pond fed entirely by springs just back of the shop. Simeon Russell Marble worked with him several years.
Lawson Hathaway, son of Simeon Hathaway, jr., next owned the farm and raised quite a family here. Since the Hathaways left, it has been owned by James and Alfred Putnam, who have enlarged the house.
The house now occupied by Mrs. Parsons was built by Jacob Cummings ; next owned by his son Asa. Asa, jr., lived and died here, also his son, David Cummings.
They thought they found limestone on this place, and even made kilns and burnt some of the specimens; but the experiment proved unsuccessful. They probably mistook feldspar for lime. The experiments were made about 1740 or '50. Mr. William E. Cole says he has been on the place with a geologist, who declares there is limestone there now.
After the death of Mr. Cummings, Captain John Marble bought the place, and mortgaged it to Joseph H. Putnam, who took possession and sold to John Parsons, whose widow now occupies it. William E. Cole, who married her daugh- ter, also lives here.
Asa, jr., married a daughter of Simeon Hathaway, and had one son, Davis, who married Sophronia Humes, daughter
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of Captain Humes of Douglas, and died young ; his wife soon followed him.
The house now owned and occupied by the Misses Adams was originally Deacon Palmer Marble's shop. It was removed by Daniel Hovey, and used as a currier's shop by John Ewers. Pomeroy Peck made it into a tenement for George Fairbanks, who lived there, and worked for Peck. Lewis Holbrook bought it and lived there; his wife died, and Peck took it back and sold to the present owners, who are relatives of Ex-Governor Claflin.
On the opposite side of the place now owned by Henry Stockwell, stood the old house, occupied first by a Howe, next by Simon Tenney, then by John Hall, son of Stephen, son of Percival ; he married Dolly Ward and had Lucy, Thad- deus, Jonas, Dolly, John, Harriet, Hannah and Increase S. Thaddeus had one son, Orson, who kept the St. Charles Hotel in New Orleans-one of the largest and most popular houses in the country ; he had several children and died there.
One of his sons, Henry, is a popular lawyer now living in New Orleans.
John Hall, jr., built the present house and sold to Pome- roy Peck ; he, J. H., was a noted plow-maker, making the best plows of his time, they taking the first premium at the Worcester county plowing matches. He moved to Mill- y bury, where he died. After the death of Peck, the place was sold to Emory Howard, who sold to his son-in-law, the present owner.
Simon Tenney raised a pole and put a vane on it in the shape of a fish. In the days of the revolution some sharp- shooters or riflemen from Virginia passed along the road ; as they did so they made a target of the fish, firing a ball through it from the foot of Le Baron Hill. They went into an orchard, and while there one of them held an apple on his hand while one of his comrades fired a ball through it.
It is not known who built the first house where J. Cronin now lives. It was occupied by Daniel Woodbury, who was keeping some of the town's poor at the time it was burnt ; among them Rebecca Dagget, a deformed cripple, but
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thought to be angelic in spirit. He built the present house soon after. It was next owned and occupied by Sylvanus Larned, Esq., then by Benjamin Woodbury, then by John Hall, jr., next John C. Woodbury, then Joel Peck, next Otis Fuller, then Lafayette Willard, next Austin Hayward, now John Cronin. Dr. Fuller, now of Worcester, lived there with his father.
Captain John Woodbury built the house where Michael Coogan now lives. Simon J. Woodbury next owned it ; he sold to a Mrs. Lyon, who repaired and enlarged the house ; then sold to Lee Chamberlain ; he sold to Joel Fay, he to Edward Clark, who mortgaged to Dr. Eddy ; he took it on the mortgage, and one of his heirs, a Mr. Salisbury, sold to Mr. Coogan, the present owner. Several who have been members of the legislature were born here. Many men of distinction descended from Captain John Woodbury ; doc- tors, merchants, lawyers, ministers, authors, etc.
Where the mill now stands once stood a saw-mill known as the Woodbury saw-mill. The Woodbury saw-mill com- pany sold to Edward Clark, who built a flour mill about 1828. He and Gibbs Lilley run it, making very superior flour, known in market as Sutton flour. It was put up in bags holding one-fourth and one-half barrel each. It was for a time very popular. They rented the mill to Putnam King, who hired an experienced miller by the name of Davis to tend it. After King gave it up it stood still a while, and the rats destroyed the bolts. Dr. Eddy foreclosed on his mortgage, and Mr. Salisbury rented it to Sumner, son of Jim Putnam, who run it as a grist-mill several years. Coogan finally bought it and made it into a shoddy-mill.
Freeman and Sibley* built the house where F. B. Smith lives at Pleasant Valley, and the other houses now owned by him. The old house out on the plain was built by Daniel Harback for his son, Captain Charles. It has since been occupied by many families, too numerous to mention. It is now owned by Smith, but not occupied. The large house has been occupied by Captain Freeman, Mr. Holbrook, and the agents
* See in Manufacturing, Part iv.
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who have had charge of the mill since it was built. It is now being enlarged and improved by Mr. Smith, who is one of the selectmen of the town.
RESIDENCE OF F. B. SMITH.
WILKINSONVILLE DISTRICT, NO. 12.
The first place-beginning our survey on Leland Hill- is now owned and occupied by Harvey Dodge, Esq. It was first settled by Zaccheus Hall, son of Deacon Percival Hall, who exchanged it for some property in New Braintree, with Ebenezer Rawson, about 1754; at which time he removed to New Braintree. He married Mary Jennison, and had Elias, Mary, Zaccheus and Aaron, all born here. Ebenezer Rawson, the next owner, married Sarah Chase and ihad
52
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fourteen children, all born on this place. Mr. Rawson lived here upwards of sixty years. It was next owned by Jacob Dodge, who married Mr. Rawson's daughter Elizabeth, who was the mother of Harvey Dodge, the present owner. He was once a breeder of Devon stock. He has been a mem- ber of the board of agriculture of Worcester county ; has also been one of the trustees of the Westboro reform school, and, as is said by his brother, was at one time its treasurer. He was once very intimate with Governor Francis. He has associated much with the leading agricultural men of his day. He has a son who served an apprenticeship with the late A. T. Stewart. He is now engaged in the city of New York at a large salary. His other son is also getting high wages in Providence, R. I. Mr. Dodge has a large and highly cultivated farm, and probably more thrifty fruit trees than any other man in that part of the town. His place is beautifully situated on the northern slope of Mani- laus Hill, commanding a fine prospect ; having several flour- ishing villages in near view in the valley, through which several trains of cars may be seen passing daily. It is really one of the most desirable places in town.
Of Ebenezer Rawson, second owner of this place, and grandfather of the present owner, it is said in the " The Rawson Family History ":
He was a man of genius and extensive historical attainments. Judge Rawson says, "he was a learned historian." Dr. Leland of Fall River, a relative who knew him well, says in a letter respecting him: "In stature he was, I think, full six feet, slender built, though with considerable breadth of shoulders. His countenance was open, his nose aquiline, and his forehead projecting and high. His perceptive faculties must have been acute, from the very configuration of his frontal region. His step was elastic and all his motions rapid and easy. I have rarely ever known a man gifted with higher powers of conversation. This made him the delight of every circle. His mind was rich in reading, and his own reflections were sometimes astonish- ingly brilliant. His memory was a vast storehouse of facts, always at his command, and I have heard him for hours delight a small circle with sketches of early colonial or Indian history. In his composition there was a vein of good-humored irony, which never missed its mark when let off. The peculiar bias of his mind was antiquarian, and nothing delighted him more than the company of the clergy.
With them he was sure to plunge into old biblical history, with the whole of which he was perfectly familiar. His word was as good as his own or any other man's bond in Worcester county. Altogether he was a remarkable man, and as emphatically a genius as any man I ever knew."
FT Stuart Boston
11.1.
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Of his fourteen children and forty-five grand-children, not less than fifteen were professional men, and most of the fifteen graduates of college.
For the likeness of Mrs. Polla Rawson, and the residence built by her late husband, Samuel Rawson, Esq., we are indebted to the heirs.
EMERSON.'S
THE OLD RAWSON PLACE, OWNED BY HARVEY DODGE, ESQ.
Samuel Rawson was the son of Ebenezer, and was born in Sutton, Sept. 4, 1771. His wife, Polla Freeland, was the daughter of Dr. James Freeland, born in Sutton, Sept. 17, 1778, and died August 29, 1875, almost ninety-eight years of age.
Bishop Philander Chase and Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase were the nephews of Mrs. Rawson.
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The next house was built by Jacob Dodge in 1834. It has been occupied as a tenement by many different families, and is now owned by Harvey Dodge and occupied by Julia O'Neil.
The next house was built by Jacob Dodge in 1830, and is now owned by T. Bashaw. It has been used as a tenement house by various parties. Otis Pratt lived here thirteen years, and his son Lyman was born there. Otis was born in Shrewsbury and was the son of Nathan Pratt, who was a soldier in the revolution and for many years " grammar master," and known as " Master Pratt." Otis married a daughter of Charles Putnam, son of Colonel John, who mar- ried Mary Hall, daughter of Rev. David Hall, D. D.
Offen Burnham first occupied the place where John Dudley now resides, next owned by John Dudley, son of Jonathan, next by Capt. John Dudley, father of the present owner. Mr. Burnham was an Englishman by birth, but was admitted into the first Congregational church by letter from church in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1742.
Deacon Willis Hall kept school in this house in 1763. It was a public school. John Dudley moved on this place in 1780, but owned it before and rented it. His widow married Stephen Hall, jr., and lived where J. Armsby now lives. Capt. John Dudley married Deborah, daughter of Malachi Marble, and had four sons and three daughters, all born here.
Capt. Dudley is spoken of as an affable, genial, and companionable man, a most interesting story-teller and great mimic; as always quiet and peaceable, never allowing himself to be excited to overflowing anger. He died at an advanced age of pneumonia, said to have been his first sickness, Feb. 11, 1859, aged eighty-seven. His widow lived to be ninety-two, was very intelligent, and one of the best of Christian women. One of his sisters lived to be ninety- six, and one was ninety-seven when she died.
The present owner is a most worthy citizen. He has a wonderful memory and has furnished much information for this history. He is now eighty-four years old. He married a Woodbury, and has one son and one daughter, both at home. The daughter is a well educated lady and quite an artist.
The largest elm tree in town stands near this house ; another very large one was set out by Capt. Dudley on the
HOUSE OF SAMUEL RAWSON Taris Me Bah+ JAL
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day of the birth of his son John, eighty-four years ago last March. These majestic trees add much to the beauty of the place.
The next house as we go towards Woodbury's factory was built by Abel Dudley, and occupied several years by his unfortunate son David, known as " Lame David."
He lived in New Hampshire or Vermont at one time, where he ate Vermont plums, stones and all. He had a breach, and there the stones made a stop- page, so that the noted surgeon, Dr. Nathan Smith, was called to relieve him. He cut above the groin and found the intestine broken; he got out the stones and relieved him, but could not heal the ruptured intestine, so his excremental discharges always afterward passed out at the aperture made by the doctor. By wearing a belt and a cloth over the aperture he was made quite comforta- ble, and able to work some for several years; he died at last from drowning. The old house where he lived was taken down and the present one built by Avery Ward. It has since been occupied by several different persons, among them David Waters. It is now owned by Horace Bassett.
The next house, now owned by Miss Sarah Putnam, was built by her and her sister Matilda. It has been occupied by them and their sister, Mrs. Otis Pratt, and her son, Mr. Lyman Pratt. Otis Pratt was a painter and a noted drummer .. He served as such in the war of the rebellion.
The first house on the new road from Woodburyville to Millbury was built by Capt. David Dudley, who married the only daughter of Peter Dudley. David was son of one known as " Fat David," who was son of Rogers, brother to the twins, Jonathan and David. Rogers settled on the old road from here to Worcester, via Doroty Pond. His son, " Fat David," built the large house now standing this side of the John Park place, near said pond. His son was the Capt. David Dudley who bought out Capt. Josiah Hall for five thousand five hundred dollars ($5,500), all of which he paid in gold ; he was the father of the present David T. Dudley, shuttle manufacturer. Peter Dudley had a saw and grist mill near the house first owned by his father, Jonathan Dudley. It was changed into a scythe shop by Captain David, who carried on an extensive business there for several years. It has since been owned and occupied by Joel Houghton. The old house is now owned and occupied by a Mr. Anderson.
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Up the lane, leading from the above house to the old road, stands what was known for many years as the Peter Dudley place. The house was built by his father, Jonathan Dudley, and all his children were born there; his son John lived there, and his son, Capt. John, who was born at the " Peter place." The public school was kept in this house for a time.
Peter Dudley lived his life-time on this place ; he was a large, fine-looking and enterprising man. He was succeeded by his grandson, Peter Dudley, who married a Robinson, and had two sons and two daughters; one of his daughters married H. L. Ainsworth, the well-known musician, now living in Millbury. Mrs. Ainsworth is also a popular teacher. They have both traveled in Europe. The place is now owned by John Dudley of New York, son of James, son of John, son of John, son of Jonathan, son of Samuel. The house has been occupied several years by James M. Ward, son of Avery. Jonathan Dudley died here Nov. 23, 1783, aged eighty-one. His widow died May 21, 1801, aged eighty-three. Peter died September 8, 1836, aged seventy- eight ; his widow, February 24, 1836, aged seventy-six.
The next building was once the grist-mill of Capt. Josiah Hall, moved from the site where now stands the Woodbury factory. It has been enlarged and run as a batting factory and grist-mill by Joel Houghton, the present owner.
The next house, a fine "English cottage," was built by Mr. Joel Houghton in 1870. He occupies it himself, and it is an ornament to the place ; he has also much improved the grounds. One of his sons graduated at the Technical school in Worcester, and one daughter graduated from the Normal school in that city.
The next house was built by D. T. Dudley in 1871, and has been occupied by his son Henry, the present owner.
The next building is the large shuttle-shop now owned and occupied by D. T. Dudley and son. It was built by Warren Wilder in 1867, and by him sold to the present owner.
The next place was first owned by Samuel Dudley, who was succeeded by Samuel Chase, he by his son, Capt. March Chase, he by Nathaniel Dodge, and he by his son, George W. Dodge.
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Samuel Dudley was the forefather of the present Dudley family. He removed to Douglas, where he died at the advanced age of one hundred and nine years. His descend- ants have been remarkable for longevity ; some of them have also been highly distinguished for their honorable positions in society.
Samuel Chase married Mary, daughter of Samuel Dudley, and his sons Dudley, Jonathan and March were born on this place ; one of his daughters married Ebenezer Rawson. Capt. March remained on this place. His father and broth- ers, it is said, went to Cornish, New Hampshire, where they owned a large part of the town.
Captain March Chase married for first wife, October 10, 1759, Beulah Coye, daughter of William and Annie Coye, and sister of Anna, wife of Deacon Willis Hall. She died at this place May 7, 1795, aged fifty-four. Capt. March Chase was born and died on this place. He died Sept. 26. 1822, aged eighty-one. He was a noted money lender and miser ; when on his death-bed, it is said, he would take a handful of gold coin and drop it from one hand to the other, and child-like say, " pretty moncy," as if in adoration. He married for second wife Polly Dodge, daughter of Richard Hubbard Dodge, but had no children. After his death her nephew, Nathaniel Dodge, lived with her several years and inherited much of her property. The present buildings on the place were built by him ; the house in 1834. He mar- ried Adeline Dudley, daughter of Jonathan and Lydia, son of Jonathan, son of Samuel, the first settler on this place. They had one son, George W., who married a daughter of Stephen Marsh.
Mr. Nathaniel Dodge raised some of the largest oxen and finest stock ever owned in town. One pair of his oxen were taken through the large cities and towns for exhibition.
The next house was built by General Jonathan Chase, next owned by Capt. March Chase. It was occupied sev- eral years by Benjamin Carlton, next owned by Jonathan Eaton, and repaired by contributions to his widow ; next owned by Joshua Hutchinson, now by Mr. Brigham,
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General Chase married Sarah Hall, daughter of Rev. David Hall, D. D. ; they went to Cornish, New Hampshire. One of their daughters married the renowned Dr. Nathan Smith, for many years Professor at Yale College, and had David S. C. H. Smith. our noted doctor who died at Provi- dence, R. I., April 5, 1859, Nathan R., the noted surgeon of Baltimore, who died a few weeks since ; also James Mar- vin, a celebrated physician and surgeon, who was killed by the Norwalk bridge disaster, for which the railroad corpora- tion gave his widow twenty thousand dollars ; also the Rev. Dr. John D., the last survivor, who married Mrs. Susan Smith, daughter of Dr. Anthony of Providence, for his third wife ; their son Walter J. is now studying medicine at Yale College.
D. T. Dudley built the next house and sold it to S. T. White, he to John Mulcahy, jr., then William Rice bought it. It is now owned by Sullivan Newton and occupied by Moses C. Dodge.
John Mulcahy built the house where Mr. Boyce now lives ; it stands almost on a gravel pit, yet Mr. Mulcahy made it a little Eden ; he raised the earliest vegetables and the finest flowers on this barren spot, he even made money selling his vegetables and his beautiful flowers. But the weed- grown terraces of to-day only remind us of a paradise lost.
Solomon Whipple built the old yellow house near Pleasant Falls. There was a house there once owned by one of the Chases. Russell Whipple, son of Solomon, when a boy, backed into the well ; he said " he thought he was going to God," but Lydia Farrar went into the well and got him out. He married a Smith, and went to Ludlow. Captain March Chase was the next owner. Charles King once occupied it. It now belongs to the Sutton manufacturing company, and has been the tenement of many families.
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