USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Wellesley > History of the town of Wellesley, Massachusetts > Part 8
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11
At that time the Pratt house stood further up on the opposite side of the street, just in front of the French-roofed house next the Catholic church. It was moved to its present position on Ledyard Street, between 1831 and 1836. The Pratt estate previous to 1828 contained about one hundred and thirty acres.
Another house owned by General Rice is the one near the river on the corner of River and Washington Streets. When owned by him it had a large hall in the third story, the ceiling was arched and painted with moon and stars, and Masonic emblems. The local lodge met here. It is now owned by James A. Early.
The small house next C. H. Spring's grain office and at the en- trance to the Falls railroad station is the house where Francis Blake lived, the assistant of Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone transmitter.
The house where Miss Murilla Williams lived, formerly op- posite St. John's Church, now further back on the lot, had "two rooms in front, down stairs box entry, sloping roof, enormous fire- places, brick oven, two good upright chambers, in one of which a private school was kept by a Mr. Roberts, accessible by an outside staircase; there was a kitchen and inner room, old cinnamon roses in front and lilacs behind the house."
The Sturtevant house built in part by Perceval Chubb has been lived in by Amos Allen, Peter Parker, the Fairbanks and others. The rear is very old.
The house now owned by A. S. Tucker, was built before 1775, probably by Benjamin Slack of Roxbury, as a place of refuge for his family in case of war or pestilence. At the alarm of Lexington the family fled through the wilderness of Brookline (Muddy River), where they hid as British troops marched by. Mr. Slack, leaving his family in charge of his son Benjamin, went on to the battle accompanied by his oldest son John. This house at the lower end of Walnut Street, is one of the oldest in the community. It has had various additions, probably being at first but a four-room house. An addition was built on about 1840, intended for the use of Mr. Slack's sister. The barn, burned in 1915, was built in the early part of last century, and probably replaced a much older one.
The land between Walnut Street and Washington belonged to this family whose daughter Clarissa married Parson Noyes' son Edward. Later much of it was purchased by William Heckle. The older son John owned a large tract of land in Weston, most of which is now the property of Charles T. Hubbard.
61
HISTORY OF TOWN OF WELLESLEY
The land on Walnut Street opposite the North School, on which was once a good-sized house, was known as the Allen farm, later bought by Peter Lyon, then by the Coggeshalls who kept a small dry goods store. The cellar hole behind the elms is all that remains to show it was once a place of residence. The property at present is largely owned by the Catholic parish of Milford. (Peter Lyon's granddaughter married Robert Ingersoll.)
Thomas Slack bought the three-roomed house originally owned by Seth Lyon and moved it from land opposite Fairbanks Avenue and Walnut Street to land near the North School, where it stood on its solitary mound for many years.
1 That same year George W. Hoogs was also granted a license, both as a taverner and a retailer. Other retailers were Samuel W. Dix and Dexter Ware.
LAND OWNERS
In addition and subsequent to the original grants of land al- ready given, a summary of the other large owners in real estate may prove interesting.
The division of the Common Lands north of the Sherborn road with consequent private ownership brought about the settlement there within a few years of many families. This was especially true of the district about Lower Falls. Henry Pratt, afterward of Newton, established a tannery at the Falls, just north of the pres- ent Washington Street bridge. He possessed considerable land ad- joining his tan yard, and built him a house. Lemuel Pratt suc- ceeded to most of his Needham estate, and lived on the north side of what is now Washington Street, where about 1800 Capt. S. A. Pratt kept tavern. The next settler west of Pratt, having his home on the north side of the Weston road, was William Chub whose family removed to Sturbridge. North of his land was the farm of George Robinson who lived within the present limits of Weston, but whose farm was in both towns.
September 2, 1828, the Pratt farm comprised about eighty-six acres bounded "northerly on land of Peter Lyon, Charles Rice and said Broad's land to the Town Road, leading from Newton Lower Falls to Weston, thence on said Road easterly to land of John Parker, thence on said Parker's land to the Road last mentioned, thence on said Road and Sherborn Road to the bounds first men- tioned." The Pratt land by the middle of the last century had passed into the hands of the Rices.
West of the Chub and Pratt property Ephraim Jackson owned land to the Weston line. This was largely bought by Enoch Fisk whose son Isaiah sold to Emery and Moses Fisk, his cousins. Joseph E. Fiske of the last generation developed real estate, both inherited and bought.
The Lyons family owned land on Walnut East and now a large tract on Forest Street opposite the Country Club, part of it having once belonged to Otis Sawyer.
62
LAND OWNERS
The Daniels property on Oakland Street was considerable and included land which later passed into the hands of the Bird, Col- burn and Bancroft families.
The Wares, always large land owners, willed land "around Maugus Hill" as early as 1695. Ephraim Ware owned the Sheridan home and land around Rosemary Brook and on Brookside Road. Another branch of the family, Daniel Ware, owned land and built the homestead on Brook Street. Captain Reuben owned the house on Walnut Street now occupied by the Newton Ice Company. Ware property is still owned by the family in Wellesley Hills Square and on Maugus Hill, though not inherited from the original Ware owner.
The Fuller land has been for generations on Forest Street, Great Plain Avenue and Wellesley Avenue as far as the Wellesley Square. The original grant was probably in the Natick dividend of 1659, and some of this land is still in the Fuller family, coming down through inheritance. The first Fuller home was built beyond the Wellesley line in Needham, opposite the house of Mr. McIntosh on Great Plain Avenue.
The Kingsbury original grant of 1699 was held intact for many years by the family. The Town Farm, now the Country Club, was in the family for at least one hundred years, the last Kingsbury owner being Leonard. L. Allen Kingsbury of the last generation added the Dix land through marriage, and bought the "Bostonville" land and other holdings still in the family.
However the Bostonville land and the old house on Washington and Kingsbury Streets was purchased in 1841 by Daniel Ayer who bought it for speculation and advertised house lots for sale at auc- tion. A church and a school were to be erected and excitement ran high. The only result seemed to be uncertain titles to land and much litigation in consequence. Ayer was the inventor of the patent medicine which bears his name.
Ward was an early settler, Ward's Lane, now Pond Street, run- ning through his land.
The Stevens still own much of their original homestead on Worcester Street, inherited through the Gays.
The Hunnewell land comes down from 1763 though first in the Natick limits, but Samuel Welles, and later his nephew John, had other holdings throughout the town from the present Country Club on the east to the Newton line on the south and the Natick line on the north.
Henry Wood, an early manufacturer and one of the first users, if not inventor, of cement for building purposes, owned the land now in the Abbott family on Linden Street. He moved his works from Boston to Newton Lower Falls, to the Rice place, but later removed to the Daniel Morse place where he not only carried on his business but lived there. In 1837 he sold his Linden Street property to the Arnold family (ancestors of the Shaw family), who sold to Henry Stone, who in his turn sold to Judge Abbott.
The Morse family owned land and houses opposite the Arch
63
HISTORY OF TOWN OF WELLESLEY
Bridge on Central Street near Natick, but the family has now inter- married with the Lovewells and Hathaways. Samuel Morse was the principal land owner in this part of the town until Needham Leg, where he lived, was annexed to Natick. Morse's Pond, once Broad's, was named for the family. Central Street ran very much nearer to the Morse house opposite the culvert.
The Mansfield family, one of whose descendants married Wil- liam Bigelow of Natick, owned land near Worcester and Blossom (now Weston Road) Streets.
"Garfield land" is often found in looking up titles, for though the family are not now in the town 1 they owned real estate in the vicinity of Cedar Street for a great many years. Some of this came through the Ware family.
Of later land owners Charles Ayling and Clough R. Miles owned land and houses which they sold to A. R. Clapp who is developing that part of the "Hundreds" which until recently was still wood- land.
The Rollins family in Wellesley and the Abbotts in Wellesley Hills began in the late nineties to develop their large holdings resulting in many desirable homes.
Henry Durant, through the Smiths, Morses and others, acquired the College Grounds. He, as well as the Abbotts and C. B. Dana, was taxed for real estate for a number of years as non-residents.
Today (1917) Isaac Sprague, Charles A. Dean, C. N. Taylor, Helen Temple Cooke and Arthur P. Dana are later and large land owners.
1 Moses Garfield's tomb, dated 1817, is in the old burying ground in Needham.
ITEMS FROM EARLY TOWN RECORDS
There is much interesting reading in the early Needham records about the doings of the town which, of course, were in line with the proceeding of New England towns in general.
Many of the old offices which we smile at or reappoint in jest from year to year, such as the hog reeves, deer reeves, field drivers, were very important and arduous offices in those days. Until 1781 the swine were allowed to run at large, by annual vote. After that they were allowed to do so if "well-yoked and ringed," at the dis- cretion of the town meeting. Rams were early restrained. The "great and General Court," about 1780, ordered the towns "to vote each year whether horses, horse kind and neat cattle should be allowed to run at large without a keeper." Needham generally voted in the negative.
"Surveyors of bread" was a new office introduced after the Revolution.
During the war 3,000 pounds were voted for highways, as against 85 pounds in a subsequent year. Work on the highways was equivalent to paying a tax.
64
MAUGUS HILL FROM FOREST STREET (November, 1889)
VIEW FROM MAUGUS HILL (1889)
ITEMS FROM EARLY TOWN RECORDS
The selectmen were recorded as paying out money for "running people out of town."
In 1732 it was "voted that four taverns should not be kept in town, it was voted that three taverns should not be kept in town, it was voted that two taverns should not be kept in town, it was voted that one tavern should not be kept in town."
In 1738 the town ammunition was kept in the meeting house, but in 1754 a house was built to keep the town stock of ammunition and arms.
March 13, 1738, it was "put to vote to see if the town would allow the women to have half the front seats in the galleries- passed in the negative." "It was put to vote to see if the town would have four pews raised in dignification. Namely, the old pews under the stairs and the two corner pews at the front door. Passed in the affirmative."
1765 it was voted to use Doctor Watts' hymns instead of Brady and Tate or "those composed to be sung in the Dissenting Churches and Congregations in New England."
In 1772 a bill was paid to Jonathan Ware for warning twenty- eight persons out of town. This may have been partly in accor- dance with an old law by which the selectmen were authorized to decide if persons visiting in town were likely to become town paupers, or probably as being undesirable in other ways.
In 1772 seven shillings, two pence, two farthings were paid for iron for stocks. Later a bill was paid of ten shillings to Jonathan Day for making and getting up the stocks.
It was voted in 1792 to establish a hospital for smallpox. In 1809 the town passed a vote to "inoculate for cow pox."
In 1798 a reward of sixteen cents was paid for each crow caught and killed, in 1814 it was raised to twenty-five cents.
"In the year 1813 the Legislature passed an act granting author- ity to certain persons to form a Fire Engine Company composed of residents of the Lower Falls, twenty-one in all, thirteen of whom should always be inhabitants of Newton, the others from Need- ham. The legislative act granted unusual powers to this Company which was called Cataract Engine Company, the members of which paid an admission fee of five dollars. Their tub was at first a wooden one, but afterwards replaced with copper. They purchased their own machine; also the buckets, then in common use at fires, and other paraphernalia. They adopted by-laws, and by au- thority of the Court, imposed penalties for their infringement. Though the temperance movement had not then commenced, strin- gent regulations were adopted to prevent the members of the Com- pany from using spirituous liquor to an immoderate extent. This organization existed from 1812 until about 1840 when it came under the jurisdiction of the town of Newton." (S. F. Smith's "History of Newton.")
In 1846 a paper certifies that certain men, whose names are given as "members of Cataract Engine Company No. 1, having done their duty for the past year, their names are presented to the Select-
65
HISTORY OF TOWN OF WELLESLEY
men that their poll tax may be refunded to them." This was prob- ably after the separation of the fire companies of the two towns.
In financial accounts of the town we frequently find money paid to inn holders and individuals for refreshments served to fire- men after fires.
The indications throughout the history of Needham are that the town was always poor-the minister's salary was generally in arrears and more than half the time we read that the town "voted not to send a representation to the General Court this year" due to the necessity of giving him a salary.
In 1825 thirteen hog reeves were chosen.
In 1833 $1,807.93 was taken in by the town treasurer and $1,771.89 was paid out. The amounts vary very little from this for several years.
In 1833 Fire wards were appointed for the first time, and in 1844 $150 was voted for engines, $60 for the Lower Falls, $60 for East Needham and $30 for Upper Falls.
In 1836 the following hand bill was printed:
TO THE SNOW CONTRACTORS
The expense of Shovelling the road is so great, that I have caused Scrapers to be made, to be used with horses, and I wish you to use them in preference to shovelling. After a storm, or when the snow has drifted into the track, immediately pass over the road with the Scraper and THREE men. The Scraper clears a space wide enough, except where the drifts are three feet high and upwards, and it is only in such places that I wish you to shovel. When the snow and ice is so hard that the Scraper will not take it off, it must be shovelled. When a thaw takes place, go over your section and clear the drains, and if the thaw is suddenly checked, look to the flanges and clear the way for them.
February 2, 1836.
J. F. CURTIS, Sup't.
In 1844 it was voted that a notice of the town meeting should be sent to each family in town. A few years later it was voted that such notices should be posted in different parts of the town, probably superseding the previous vote.
In 1850 it was voted that the "assessors go over the town to- gether taking the valuation."
Among the early moderators were represented the families of the Slacks, Wares, McIntoshes, Daniells, Flaggs, Rices.
An old paper gives the following contract between an employer and a seventeen-year-old boy bound as apprentice in 1818 for four years to Charles Rice, "to learn the act, trade or mystery" of Papermaker. "During all of which time the said secrets keep, his lawful commands duly obey. He shall do no damage to his said Master, nor suffer it to be done by others, shall not waste the goods of his said Master, nor lend them unlawfully to any. At cards, dice or any unlawful game by night from the service of his said Master without his leave, not haunt or frequent ale-houses, taverns
66
EARLY SOCIETIES
or gaming-places. He shall not contract matrimony within the said term; nor shall he commit any acts of vice or immorality which are forbidden by the Laws of the Commonwealth; but, in all things, and at all times he shall carry and behave himself toward his said Master and all others, as a good and faithful apprentice ought to do, during all the term aforesaid." And Mr. Rice did "hereby. covenant and promise to teach and instruct or cause the said ap- prentice to be instructed in the art, trade or calling of a paper- maker, by the best way or means that he may or can (if said apprentice be capable to learn) and, during the said term to find and provide unto the said Apprentice suitable board, washing and lodg- ing-pay thirty dollars the first year, forty dollars the second year, fifty dollars the third year at suitable times in lieu of all clothing which the said - is to furnish for himself, or which are to be furnished by his father, the said
EARLY SOCIETIES
Among the early societies in the last century we find the New- ton, Natick and Needham Society for the Apprehending of Horse Thieves, established April 19, 1832. It does not seem to have flour- ished very long, but evidently was not financially embarrassed, as when it disbanded at Craft's Hotel (Elm Park) in April, 1831, each member received $2.88 as his share from the general treasury.
The Norfolk Rifle Rangers, organized in 1832, were attached to the first regiment of the Second Brigade of the first division. They disbanded after a final parade at Kimball's Hotel, 1840.
The Needham Library in the east part was established in 1796.
The Needham Farmers' Library in the west established in 1852, with Alvin Fuller, 2d, as Librarian, with a room in his house lasted for a few years.
The Grantville Library Association, with a room in George D. Ware's house in the square, organized December 3, 1877, and opened July 13, 1878, was disbanded when the Hunnewell Library was pre- sented to the town. The High School students took turns at one time in being librarians, but Miss Belle Townsend and Miss Sarah Batchelder were librarians for permanent and longer periods.
The West Needham Library in the upper village was organized in the '50's and at one time had a room in Nehoiden Block where the present Waban Block stands. (Frank Fuller, the son of Augustus Fuller, had a grocery store underneath, and lived with his family in the cottage now occupied by the Curriers.) The Library con- tinued its existence until the Town Library was opened. One of the librarians was Gilbert Webber now a doctor, whose father built the Durants' home. The library association held fairs and raised money in this way to meet expenses. At one time they gave one hundred dollars to the Congregational Church for books. Many pleasant social times were enjoyed by the association and their friends.
67
HISTORY OF TOWN OF WELLESLEY
The trees which beautify Washington Street in Wellesley Hills were planted by a Tree Society in the '50's and '60's. It included among its members John Curtis, John Shaw, Reuben Ware and Dexter Ware.
The Lyceum has long passed out of memory, but Sarah South- wick, Seth Dewing, Deacon Batchelder, the "Rice girls," L. Allen Kingsbury, "Ned" Atwood, C. B. Patten, D. D. Dana were almost al- ways on hand to make pithy and keen comments on all subjects. Tradition says that in ante-bellum times, no matter what the topic for the evening, the Southwicks always brought the discussion around to Abolition.
The Grantville Dramatic Club flourished from 1871 to 1881 most successfully for all the community.
For several years until January 14, 1882, there was a Grant- ville Street Light Association which on that date presented "to the town of Wellesley all lamps, lamp-posts, and such other fixtures belonging to said association, used for the purpose of lighting street lamps, for the use of the town for ever."
Meridian Lodge, now in Natick, was instituted September 5, 1798, in Watertown. For some time its headquarters were at the house at the corner of River and Washington Streets, owned by General Rice, later by John Pulsifer and now by James Early. The upper floor was a hall, on the walls of which were painted the masonic emblems. June 10, 1811, the Lodge was moved to Smith's Tavern at the junction of Washington Street and Worcester Turn- pike (Elm Park).
In 1872 the Abbott Post had forty-one members and met the first Monday of the month at Waban and Parker Halls alternately. July 29, 1873, the town "voted that the treasurer be authorized to convey to Abbott Post, Grand Army of the Republic, a certain lot of land in Grantville for the sum of one dollar, on condition that a hall be erected on said land for purposes of the Post, said land to revert to the town when the needs of the Post shall cease." The land was not used and reverted to the town.
The Wellesley Soldiers' Club succeeded the Post, a permanent organization being made September 4, 1875. Meetings were held for years at Waban Hall, and occasionally at homes of members. For several years they had a room in the present Manual Arts Build- ing. Today the few members who are still living have charge of the exercises Memorial Day.
GENEALOGIES OF SOME OF THE OLDER RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN
Caroline Elizabeth (DEWING) Wise is the ninth child and third daughter of Seth Dewing (Nathan Ebenezer Henry Andrew Andrew) and the sister of Joseph Haven Dewing whose widow lives on Grove Street.
The first Andrew was received into the first church of Dedham,
68
GENEALOGIES OF OLDER RESIDENTS
February 19, 1646. He settled in that part of Dedham which was set off as Needham in 1711. His name appears in Whitman's His- tory of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company as a member from Natick in 1644; that was probably because he resided nearer that place than the settlement at Dedham, on what was later known as the Ridge Hill Farm, part, if not all of which was owned by the Dewing descendants until 1811. His second wife, Ann Donstall, whom he married October 10, 1652, was the mother of his grown-up children. He died September 16, 1677. His will is long and minute; in it he gives his oldest son Andrew (born November 26, 1655, died January 14, 1717/18, married October 27, 1682, Dorothy Hyde) all but twenty acres of his land in the Natick dividend. The second Andrew also acquired grants of other lands from the town of Ded- ham. He was a petitioner for the incorporation of the town of Needham.
His son Henry (born October 16, 1690, died March 21, 1765, married December 4, 1716, in Roxbury, Mehitable, daughter of Eleazar and Mehitable (Thurston) Ellis, born May 13, 1695, died May 17, 1750). His son Ebenezer was born October 10, 1725, died November 26, 1766, married in 1753, in Boston, Isabella Brownley.
He probably lived at the homestead of his father who gave him land in 1753. He received additional land on his father's death. His son Nathan was born February 8, 1758, died December 17, 1831, married (1) June 7, 1780, Elizabeth, probably daughter of Thomas and Rebecca Broad of Natick who died between 1800 and 1803 at about the age of thirty-five years. He was in the Revolutionary War, serving in the expedition to Quebec, having first enrolled as a member of the Natick company under command of Capt. James Mann, Col. Samuel Bullard's regiment. Later he was in the Con- tinental Army under Gen. Washington at Trenton and Princeton. Later he served in Capt. Aaron Smith's company, Col. Benj. Gill's regiment, serving 3 months, 27 days, and again in Capt. Luke How- ell's company, Col. Nathan Tyler's regiment for 3 months, 13 days, as sergeant. After the war he received the title of Captain in the Massachusetts State Militia.
December 28, 1811, he sold about 200 acres of land to Ethel Jen- nings which was probably the last of the homestead property which had been in the family for four generations. He then removed to the easterly part of the town where he remained until his death.
His son Seth was born September 6, 1788, died January 7, 1883, at the residence of his son Joseph H. Seth married, April 10, 1815, Olive, daughter of Ezra (Jesse Moses Nathaniel) and Mary (Glover) Haven, born September 12, 1791, in Framingham, died January 4, 1882. He was a carpenter by trade, going to sea as such in 1810, and worked also in Needham and Newton Upper and Lower Falls, until 1815, when he became postmaster at North Needham, and also dealt in the West India goods trade. Later he lived in Boston, retiring from business in 1869 and returning to Wellesley. He was for several years Master of Meridian Lodge when it was located in North Needham.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.