USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Wellesley > History of the town of Wellesley, Massachusetts > Part 2
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2-451-1.
Granted vnto the Town of Dedham A farme of three hundred acres of upland medow and Swamp to be Wholy to the use and benifit of a Schoole in Dedham to be Improued for the maintinance thereof lying within our bounds towards Sudbery layed out and Return thereof made by Mr. Timothy Dwight Jonath Gay and John Smith the Commity Chosen and deputed thereunto as it lyeth Abut- ting upon a pond towards the South the wast land to- wards the west Watertown lyne towards the North the wast land towards the East
2-475-2.
Granted to the Church in Dedham and to their suc- cessor and Assignes forever fifty acres of land and to William Avery and to his Heires and Assignes forever fifty acres the whole being one hundred acres lying un- devided in the Devident of land layed out on the North- erly side of Sherborn Road bounded Abutting upon the Road leading from Sherborn to the lower falls in Charles River towards the South and upon the fifth lot towards the North upon a great Pond towards the west and upon a way left to the other lots towards the East
2-471-1. Granted to Samvell Mors and to his Heyers and As- signes forever one thousand and four hundred acres of land as it lyeth in that devident agreed upon and layed
8
SETTLEMENT AND ORIGINAL GRANTS
out on the Northerly side of Sherborn Rode leading to the falls the propriaty thereof being purchased of severall of the propriators of this Town of Dedham as apper by Deeds under their hands to said Samvell Mors Abutting upon Mathew Rice in part and John Coller in part to- wards the North upon Natick towards the west and South upon the Schoole farme in part a Pond and a Brooke runing out of the same in part towards the East the whole of said tract of land be it more or less 1699
2-473-5.
Granted to John Smith and to his Heires and Assignes forever one hundred acres of land as it lyeth in that devident of land on the North side of Sherborn Roade abutting upon Watertown line towards the North and upon the land of said John Smith towards the South and upon marked trees marked two on the west and two on the East side of said lot on that side of the trees Next to said lot it being the second lot in number
2-473-4.
Granted to Eleazer Kingsbery and to his Heires and Assignes forever one hundred acres of land lying in that devident layed out on the North side of Sherborn Road Abutting upon Watertown line towards the North and upon lots in Natick devident towards the south and is bounded East and west by trees marked with three on that side next to this lot being numbered for a third lot in laying out
2-473-6.
Granted to John Huntting Sen and to his Heires and Assignes forever one hundred acres of land more or less as it lyeth in that Devident on the North side of Sher- born Road Abutting upon Watertown line towards the North and vpon Natick Devident towards the South and South East and upon Eleazer Kingsbery towards the west and upon Capt Daniell Fisher towards the East the trees being marked with four on the East and west side of the same it being the fourth lot in number
2-472-3.
Granted to Capt Daniell Fisher and to his Heirs and Assignes forever four hundred acres of land as it lyeth in that devident of land on the north side of Sherborn Roade one hundred acres abutting upon Watertown line towards the North and upon Sherborn Road in part and John Parker in part towards the South and is bounded and marked East and west by trees being marked with the number eight on that side next to it being the eight lot: More two hundred acres of land in the same Devi- dent as it is bounded Abutting upon Watertown line to- wards the North and upon Sherborn Road towards the South: being the fifth and sixth lots and is bounded by
9
HISTORY OF TOWN OF WELLESLEY
trees marked six on the East side and with trees marked with five on the west side of said lots: More one hun- dred acres as it is bounded and Abutts upon the hundred acres drawn for the Church and for William Avery to- wards the South East being the fifth lot and is bounded by trees marked with five on the SouthEast side of said lot and with trees marked with five on the Northwest side of said lot and upon a Brooke in part and a Pond in part towards the Southwest and upon land left for a way towards the NorthEast
Granted to William Bullard Capt John Fisher Georg Robinson Andrew Watkins Jeremiah Gay, Benjemin Fair- banks and to their heirs and Assignes foruver two hun- dred acres of land in that divident lying on the north- wardly side of Sherburn Road to the lower falls comonly called Sherburn devident The first hundred acres being Numbred the Seventh lot bounded upon the boundery line between Nedham and Watertown towards the North upon the sixth lot drawn by Capt Fisher deceased towards the east upon the Shereburn Road toward the South upon the eight lot drawn by sd Fisher deceased towards the west. The second hundred acres of land lying in the same devident being the seventh lot in the drawing bounded upon the School land towards the west, upon the hundred drawn by Mills Woodcock Aldrig and Metcalfe towards the South-upon the hundred drawn by Benjemin Mills toward the North: the Intrest of the above said pro- prietors is as followeth Capt John Fisher nine acres and sixty rods William Bullard fifty acres Georg Robinson ninty two acres and one half acre six acres and one quar- ter of these acres is upon the rights of Jonathan Gay deceased thirty nine acres and three quarters is upon the Rights of the heirs of Benjemin fairbanks Andrew Wad- kins six acres and one quarter upon the Right of Edward Cook March 2d 1715-16
2-475-1.
Granted to Benjamin Mills and to his Hares and as- signes forever two hundred acres of land in the Devident on the north side of Sherborn Road in two perciells one hundred acres bounded Abutting upon land granted to the school in Dedham towards the west and upon Watertown line towards the North and upon trees marked one to- wards the South and upon trees marked three: in part towards the East The other hundred acres of land more or less is bounded Abutting upon Watertown line towards the northwest and upon the land of John Parker in part and the land of Joseph Daniells in part towards the South East and upon trees marked nine towards the Southwest and northEast
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SETTLEMENT AND ORIGINAL GRANTS
2-474-9.
Granted to Joseph Faierbanke Samvell Whitting Timo- thy Whitting & Jonathan Whitting to them their Heires and Assignes forever one hundred acres of land more or less on the North side of Sherborn Road bounded Abut- ting upon a Pond in part & a Brook towards the West & upon the land of Capt Daniell Fisher towards the South & upon trees marked four on one side and three on the other side towards the North & upon a Highway towards the East: each of them Interested in said hundred acres proportionable to their Interest in Cow Common Rights in Dedham
2-476-3.
Granted to Capt Daniell Fisher and to his Heires and Assignes forever two hundred acres of land more or less bounded Abutting upon Watertown line towards the North & upon the land of Joseph Daniells in part and the land of said Fisher in part towards the South & bounded by trees marked eleven on the one side and twelve on the other side towards the East and by trees marked ten on the one side and nine on the other side towards the west being the easterly bounds of the fifth lot in the drawing but the ninth in number and the trees abovesaid marked eleven on one side and twelve on the other is the westerly bounds of the first lot in drawing but ye twelveth in number
2-472-2.
Granted to John Baker Nathanell Richards Jonathan Gay & Edward Deuotion to them and their Heyers and Assignes forever to each of them according to their In- terest in that devident of land layed out over Sherborn Roade towards Watertown two hundred acres more or less as it is bounded and Abutteth upon Watertown line towards the North upon Charls River towards the East and upon the way leading from Sherborn to the lower falls towards the South and upon the eleventh lote to- wards the west & northwest the trees marked eleven on one side and twelve on the other
Sherburne Road (now Washington Street) was originally the Indian trail, and called the Natick path, from Nonantum (Newton) to Sherburne or Dedham, (Sherburne then being the westerly part of Dedham). It was laid out from Boston to Sherburne in 1671.
The fourteen hundred acres assigned to Samuel Morse was in that part of the present Natick then called "Needham Leg," and now Felchville.2 In 1701 the town of Dedham sold for fifty pounds its school farm to Jeremiah Gay, whose daughter Sibell married Ephraim Stevens of Holden, October 11, 1759, and this land, carefully surveyed, was kept intact in the family as late as 1835. This is the only exact survey recorded, the rest of the land being only approx- imately estimated, as far as any one seems to know. The Stevens' land extended from Morse's Pond (once called Broad's Pond) to
11
HISTORY OF TOWN OF WELLESLEY
Weston town line 167 rods wide at Weston line; 377 rods was on line running north and south. A part of this land now belongs to Abel Stevens. A few years ago there stood a short distance in the rear of the present Stevens house, an old house which very possibly was the home of Jeremiah Gay who died according to the town records April 26, 1770.
Wellesley Hills was included almost wholly in the tract of land assigned to Captain Daniel Fisher of Dedham, who took Sir Edmund Andros by the collar and drew him from his place of refuge back to Fort Hill in the Rebellion of 1699.3 Our present tract of woodland known as the "Hundreds" is of course a part of the old 1699 dividend.
1 In the settlement of tlie plantation boundaries in 1663 the Saw Mill Brook was made the boundary line of Dedham at this point and this was adhered to in the after adjustment of 1700 and for one hundred and fifty years later the Saw Mill Brook and Pond are referred to in the conveyance of land in this direction.
2 Tradition says that Indians in Deerfield, wishing to join the Na- ticks bargained their lands there for an equal number of acres in Ded- liam, adjoining Natick, and that the tract assigned in exchange, being afterwards found to overrun, the amount of the leg was detached and sold to Samuel Morse, and his title recorded as above in the books of the proprietors of Dedham. On his death his son Samuel settled on the Natick land. (Morse's Genealogy.)
3 Grievously oppressed by the administration of Andros, and hear- ing indirectly of the landing of the Prince of Orange in England and the consequent revolution in the government there, the people of Massa- chusetts, without waiting for a confirmation, determined to take its truth for granted, and simultaneously set about accomplishing a revo- lution of their own. On the morning of April 18, 1689, Boston was in arms. The governor and Council were seized and confined, and the old magistrates reinstated. The country people came into town in such heat and rage as made all tremble to think what would follow. Nothing would satisfy but that the Governor must be bound in chains or cords and put in a more secure place; and for their quiet he was guarded by them to the fort. Whose hand was on the collar of that prisoner, leading him through the excited crowd, at once securing him from es- cape and guarding him from outrage? It was the hand of Daniel Fisher of Dedham; aye, "a second Daniel come to JUDGMENT," a son of the farmer, and heir of his energetic ardor in the cause of freedom, the son of Abigail Morse, and a just representative of traits characteristic of her father's race for at least five generations. (Copied from old records in Morse's Genealogy.)
SEPARATION FROM NEEDHAM AND ORIGIN OF THE NAME
Natick was set off from Dedham in 1781, and Needham Leg was added to Natick in 1797, one thousand six hundred and fifty- six acres being taken from Needham and Needham getting four hundred and four acres in turn, making a better boundary line on the south and fixing the final line between Natick and Needham which had previously been about on the line of the ponds-Waban and Morse's.
From 1750 to 1796 the Hunnewell estate belonged to the Indian town of Natick, and when in 1797 an exchange was made with Needham for the so-called Needham Leg six hundred acres of the Hunnewell estate fell within the present town of Wellesley. In addition Needham received into its West Parish eighteen very de-
12
SEPARATION FROM NEEDHAM
sirable families which were a most welcome addition, and made the community feel authorized in calling a minister. Parson Noyes was the first minister and preached until 1833.
In 1711 the western part of Needham was incorporated as Needham, the name being taken from the neighboring town of the English Dedham.
From then to 1774 there was but one parish in the town of Needham, but as early as 1732 inhabitants of the westerly part asked to be freed of taxes. In 1738 it was voted "to free the in- habitants west of Natick Brook at this time as to repairing and building pews in the Meeting House." May 2, 1767 an article in the warrant called for "a committee to find the center of the town for a meeting house, otherwise let the westerly portion go over to Natick." This was passed in the negative. In 1774 after the burning of the meeting house the previous year it was voted not to accept of the judgment of the later committee for the court which was that the "Meeting House should stand at or near the second center in order to accommodate the town." The West End, however, was excused from paying towards the Meeting House if erected where the Town voted, and "provided they proceed in building a meeting house and maintain preaching among them." The petitions of 1774 and 1778 resulted in the establishing of the West Parish. Two hundred pounds were at once raised by subscription and a meeting house was commenced but not finished for several years, and preaching was "maintained" but a settled ministry was not estab- lished for more than twenty years.
July 6, 1778, the West Precinct, having been incorporated by act of the General Court, was formally organized by the choice of Captain Eleazer Kingsberry, moderator, Lieutenant William Ful- ler, precinct clerk, Captain Caleb Kingsberry, precinct treasurer, and Captain Eleazar Kingsberry, Lieutenant Isaac Goodenow and Mr. Jonathan Dewing, precinct committee.
Freedom in religious matters did not, however, entirely satisfy the inhabitants of the westerly part of the town, as, very early, efforts were made to obtain separate political rights. A strenuous effort was made in 1801. In 1817 a committee chosen to investi- gate reported favorably for a division; 1820 and 1821 brought similar appeals. In 1852 1 and 1859 2 efforts were again made, but in all cases they were practically ignored, and when the final divi- sion came, the records for the following town meeting in Needham contains no mention whatever of the change.
In 1880 an appeal was made, with almost absolute unanimity by the inhabitants of the west side, now grown to be a large and wealthy community, to the Legislature, and with so great force of reason and argument that the petition was granted, and the town incorporated and named Wellesley.
Under the act of incorporation, Solomon Flagg, town clerk of Needham for thirty years and a warm advocate of incorporation, called a meeting for the organization of the town and the follow- ing officers were chosen, April 18, 1881: moderator, George K.
13
HISTORY OF TOWN OF WELLESLEY
Daniell; town clerk, Solomon Flagg; town treasurer, Albert Jen- nings; selectmen and overseers of the poor, Lyman K. Putney, Wal- ter Hunnewell, John W. Shaw; assessors, George K. Daniell, Jo- seph H. Dewing, Dexter Kingsbury; school committee, Joseph E. Fiske, for three years, Benjamin H. Sanborn, for two years, Mar- shall L. Perrin, for one year.
At a subsequent meeting, April 30th, appropriations were made for expenses, among others, eight thousand dollars for schools, three thousand five hundred dollars for highways and sidewalks, and it was voted that no licenses to sell intoxicating liquors should be granted.
Under the act of incorporation, certain matters were left for adjustment and settlement between the parent town and Welles- ley, which were all satisfactorily arranged, the provision with re- gard to the support of schools being put into the hands of a com- mission and settled later.
In the autumn of 1882 it was voted by the town to petition the Legislature to pass an act to allow the town to introduce water for domestic and other purposes and a committee was chosen to examine into the matter of water supply and report to the town.
The Legislature passed the act asked for and the committee, of which Judge George White was chairman, reported a plan to the town, advising pumping water from the borders of the Charles River, near the northeasterly limit of the town, on or near land of Charles Rice, into a reservoir upon Maugus Hill and thence dis- tributing it substantially over the whole town. This report was accepted and full effect given to it at a subsequent meeting, Dec. 22, 1883, at which meeting Albion R. Clapp was chosen water com- missioner for three years, William S. Ware for two years and Walter Hunnewell for one year.
The town of Wellesley is rectangular in shape though some- what irregular, being about four and one-half miles in length and about two and one-quarter in width. Its neighbors on the south are Needham and Dover, on the east, the "Garden City," Newton, on the north, Weston, and on the west, Natick. The Charles River flows along its entire eastern boundary, and for a short distance along its southeasterly limit.
The town has a wide reputation for healthfulness, owing in great measure to its elevation, combined with the dryness of its soil and freedom from all malarial and other unhealthful tendencies. Its charm consists in its rural atmosphere, its pleasant homes, its delightful drives and its beautiful scenery. The main street, named for our first president and noted with favor by Washington when he made his tour in 1789, as a "good road," affords a notable drive, much of the way arched with trees, passing by churches of various architecture and varied beliefs, by the former home of Dr. Wil- liam Morton, the discoverer of that greatest of boons to human sufferers, sulphuric ether; by the college, the monument of Henry F. Durant; by beautiful Lake Waban, Lake of the Wind, named
14
SEPARATION FROM NEEDHAM
for Eliot's first convert, by the villas of the Hunnewells to the limits of the town of Natick. Two conduits of the Boston Water Works mar the landscape in general, but in a few places, as the long viaduct across Waban Brook, and the bridge across the Charles, add beauties of architecture to the natural scenery.
The name "Wellesley" is derived from the Welles family. Samuel Welles, the maternal grandfather of the late Mrs. H. H. Hunnewell, Senior, bought the place at the corner of Washington Street and Pond Road (then called Saw Mill Road-later Ward's Lane) as early as 1763. This place was occupied by him for many years as a farm and summer home.
His father, Samuel Welles, a graduate of Yale College, 1707, married Hannah Arnold and removed to Boston, where his wife in- herited large property in the vicinity of Boylston Market and where the State House now stands. The two sons, of Samuel, Samuel (born 1725, died 1799) and Arnold were graduated from Harvard College in 1744 and 1745 and appear first in the Triennial Cata- logue of the college, indicating their very high social position.
Samuel married in 1772 Abigail Pratt, daughter of Chief Jus- tice Pratt of New York state. He was succeeded in the ownership of the property by his nephew, John Welles, son of Arnold Welles. John Welles (born 1764, died 1855, a member of the class of Har- vard College 1782) was the lineal descendant of Thomas Welles, of royal English descent, who came over with Lord Say and Seele, as private secretary, in 1736, and was afterwards chosen one of the magistrates of the Colony of Connecticut, its treasurer, deputy governor, and finally governor. Besides being a member of the firm of Welles and Company, Paris and Boston bankers, John Welles was interested in scientific farming and stock-raising. He was a pioneer in the importation of blooded stock from England, giving especial attention to Durham stock.
Mr. Welles at one time owned largely of real estate in Natick, Sherborn and surrounding towns, as well as in Needham. The town farm, now the Country Club, was bought from him by Needham in 1828, he having bought it from the Kingsbury family.
The Welles homestead on Pond Road originally belonged to Jonathan Richardson, a blacksmith. The property contained a house and sixty-three acres of land in six parcels, all bought of the Indians previous to 1743. This house was moved to the vil- lage of South Natick and the southwest end of the present house built. It is now over one hundred and fifty years old. A later part was built in 1829 by Arnold Welles who inherited from Samuel at his death in 1799 the homestead and 310 acres. Part of this including Train Hill, Maple Hill and King Hill, later became the property of Benjamin Welles, who was bought out by H. H. Hunnewell. Mr. Hunnewell also purchased from other heirs.
The Morrill house, owned and built by Dr. Isaac Morrill in 1775, was sold by him in 1836 to Cutler who in the same year conveyed to John Welles. This is now the home of Mrs. Francis W. Sargent.
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HISTORY OF TOWN OF WELLESLEY
John Welles married Abigail (born 1776 and died 1844) the daughter of Samuel and Isabella (Pratt) Welles, and their daugh- ter Isabella married H. H. Hunnewell, the son of Dr. Walter Hun- newell of Watertown. Mr. Hunnewell was born in 1810, and very early went to Paris to engage in business in the firm of Welles and Company, remaining there until 1839, when he returned to Massachusetts, making his summer residence in the "Morrill House" until 1852, when he erected the present homestead
This estate has been a prominent object of attraction in the town for many years, especially among those who take an interest in horticulture. The Italian Gardens overlooking the Lake and opposite the college buildings, laid out in 1854, were the first of their kind in the country.
In addition to opening his gardens to the public, Mr. Hunnewell gave to the town a park of ten acres to surround the town hall and library, which building he gave "to promote the prosperity of the town of Wellesley and the welfare and happiness of its inhab- itants and at the same time to advance the cause of sound learning, education and letters." The period of construction of the library building ran from 1880 to 1883; and that of the town hall from 1883 to 1886.
The town seal was designed by the architect of the building, George R. Shaw, the brother of Robert G. Shaw. The open book stands for Wellesley College, the conventionalized flower across the book for the Hunnewell Gardens, and the tomahawk and Indian arrows for early associations with the Indian inhabitants.
At a special town meeting in the fall of 1887 the following reso- lutions were unanimously adopted: "We, the citizens of Wellesley in town meeting assembled, cordially recognizing the continued public spirit and great generosity of our distinguished fellow-towns- man, H. Hollis Hunnewell, do heartily thank him, as for his former, so now for his latest munificent gift, the beautiful and commodious town hall, and assure him of our increasing esteem and affection: and it is further Resolved, that, while we accept the costly building for ourselves and for our children to be used in the interest of the town, we hold and cherish it, built as it is of imperishable stones, as a fitting memorial of the purity, integrity and worth of the man who gave it. And be it further Resolved, that these resolutions be entered on the records of the town and that they be forwarded to our fellow-townsman, H. H. Hunnewell."
In 1915 a bronze tablet was put up on the wall in the entrance of the town hall, commemorating the gift.
A further gift of land for a playground on Washington Street is of great value to the town. And it is a pleasure to record the continued interest and liberality of Mr. Hunnewell's descendants in all that purports to the welfare of the town.
(Copied from a report of a special committee made December 6, 1859.)
(Also see paper on the division of the town at end of book.)
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SEPARATION FROM NEEDHAM
1 An old document, evidently written by the editor's grandfather, gives the list of men who subscribed in 1852 in an effort to divide the east and west. General Charles Rice and Emery Fisk were the leaders in the movement.
Proposition of the west Parrish to the East uppon the subject of divideing the Town.
In case of a division We propose
1st to sell all the public property & pay all debts the Town owe and divide the surplus if any equel betwen the two parishes.
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