USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Winchendon > History of the town of Winchendon (Worcester County, Mass.) from the grant of Ipswich Canada, in 1735, to the present time > Part 37
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In 1853, on the 27th of August, there was a violent storm. At tea-time a thunder-storm came up; and there was quite a fall of rain. Suddenly there was a singular and fearful rumbling, such as is rare- ly heard, and which leads one instinctively to seek divine protection. Looking from the front door of his residence on Prospect street, the author saw that the village was shrouded in darkness, and that a fierce tempest was sweeping up the valley. It soon passed over, to the great relief of the shuddering people. The tornado first struck Waterville, doing much damage to trees, barns and houses, and then tore along up the valley of the river, as through a tunnel, and spreading out over the Village. Twenty trees in Dea. Hyde's orchard, and eight belonging to Joel Hyde were upturned. Many others were prostrated. Chim- neys were blown down, three barns were unroofed, the horse-sheds at the Methodist meeting-house were demolished, and the spire of the Bap- tist meeting-house was thrown down.
The morning of January 11, 1859, was the coldest ever known here. The mercury in the thermometer fell to 38 degrees below zero.
The winter of 1865-6, was remarkable for the absence of snow-
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storms. Whenever the clouds gathered, the temperature was a few degrees above the freezing point, and the moisture came down in rain. There was but about a fortnight sleighing all winter, and then the earth was only veneered with a thin crust.
The summer of 1868 has been as remarkable for extreme heat. There were a few very hot days in June. In the early part of July, the sun's rays came down with scorching heat. On the 5th, which was Sunday, the thermometer indicated from 95 to 104 degrees in the shade, over a large extent of country. The two next succeeding weeks, with the occasional exception of a day, were similar. Hundreds were cut down by sun-stroke in different parts of the land. Some were pros- trated with the extreme heat, in this town, though none lost their lives.
SUDDEN DEATHS BY APOPLEXY, HEAT, &C.
In the night preceding the raising of the meeting-house, in 1792, Mr. Bill Hancock died in his bed.
In 1809, Bartholomew Stearns, Jr., was found dead in the road near the house of Capt. John Raymond. He had been reaping, became heat- ed, went to the well and drank, and died on his return.
In November 1818, Enoch Stuart retired in health, but died in the night.
1819, July 1, David Goodridge, 2d, died suddenly in bed.
In 1823, Peter Parmenter was found dead in his bed.
1824, September 17, Abzina Cummings died suddenly.
On the 27th of January, 1829, Paul Stewart fell dead in or near his barnyard.
1831, December 16, Capt. Samuel Baldwin was found dead in bis bed in the morning.
June 15, 1832, Andrew Benjamin was found dead, by his daugh- ter, in the road near the house of Mr. Cromwell Fisher.
In this year, John R. Golding fell dead in his house, and an infant child of Lydia Golding died suddenly.
On the 22d of November, Isaac Grout, Jr., was found dead in the mowing land of Mr. Luke Rice. He had been missing through the night.
In 1834, Simon Wilder was found dead in his bed, and Mary God- dard died in a fit.
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In 1837, Mrs. Tisdale Howard died very suddenly.
On the 22d of October, Mrs. John Arba Brooks died in a fit.
In 1840, a girl died on the road near Spring Village.
On the 26th of July, 1841, Mrs. Phinehas Parks was found dead near the door. She had stepped out to get some fuel.
In 1842, January 7, A child of Peter Thomas was found dead by its mother when she awoke in the night.
On the 21st of March, Dea. Luther Richardson died instantly in John Poor's mill yard. He was a very useful man in the church, in the schools, and in the community.
In this year, Mrs. Samuel Brown, wife of Samuel Brown, Sen., at the south end of the town, was found dead in her bed. So was Mrs. Carter, mother of Mrs. David Beaman. Jewett B. Darling was found dead in his bed in the day-time.
In 1843, May 14, Phinehas Elwin Parks died suddenly in bed. On the same day, Col. Benjamin Adams died suddenly. On the first Sabbath in May, he was at meeting to hear the writer's first sermon in Winchendon. Preaching the funeral sermon was a severe trial in his early ministry.
On the 19th of June, Capt. Joshua Stoddard, another of those whom curiosity led to hear the new minister, died very suddenly.
On the 11th of August, 1846, Mr. Enoch Wyman's wife died sud- denly while at work in the house.
In 1852, January 7, Enoch Kidder, Esq., died of apoplexy.
1853, August 3, Benjamin Adams, Jr., died in an apoplectic fit.
Io 1864, December 1, Mrs. Lucy Whitney, aged nearly 83 years, died in the morning before rising. She was stepmother of Hon. Giles H. Whitney, a gentlewoman with the ancient courtesy, whom every- body loved.
On the morning of the Sabbath, January 21, 1866, Mr. George Brown, a respected citizen, died suddenly, of apoplexy. The people heard of the event while on the way to Church. It produced univer- sal solemnity and sorrow.
In 1867, November 5, Mrs. Keziah Evans died instantly of apoplexy. On the 18th of the same month, Mrs. Harriet W. Pierce, daughter of the late Amasa Whitney, died suddenly of apoplexy.
On the 9th of May 1868, about seven in the evening, Mr. Cal-
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vin R. Whitman, fell and died instantly, of apoplexy, near his house. He was busily at work with a shovel. He died according to his desire, as he had often expressed the wish that he might depart in an instant. He had " put his house in order," and made every preparation for such an event, whenever it might come. He was a man of active temper- ament, large brain-weight 64 ounces-and strong, analytic mind. Nothing but over-cautiousness hindered him from taking the lead in busi- ness and in affairs generally. He was quick to speak, but slow and discreet in action. One who knew him intimately for twenty years and more, in sorrow and in joy, holds his memory in tender remembrance.
DEATHS BY ACCIDENTAL DROWNING.
In April, 1771, in the spring flood, William Oaks and Robert Mof- fat were drowned. This event has been spoken of on a preceding page. They were in a boat just below the bridge a mile beyond Waterville. The boat was upset, the river was high and rapid. They clung to a large, low stub, for a while. Mrs. Oaks saw them but could render them no help. No neighbors were near. The water was cold, and they became chilled till they could hold on no longer. The mother's ago- ny, as she saw her boy and his companion swept away, no pen can re- cord.
In July, 1781, a child of Samuel Stimson was drowned in a well, nearly opposite Mr. C. Fisher's, on the south side of the road, in the lot of Mrs. Connor.
In 1786, William Brown, son of David, was found dead in a well, on the place long occupied by William Brown, Esq., near the Paul Raymond farm. He was subject to fits, and it was supposed that he went to the well for water, fell in, and was drowned.
In 1818, July, Cyrus Partridge was drowned in Ashuelot river, at Hinsdale, N. H., and was brought the same day to the house of his fath- er, in this town.
On Sunday, December 14, 1825, Henry Holden, aged 24, was re- turning home from the New Boston meeting-house, and while crossing the ice on Denison lake, broke through. As he went down the third time, he said : " I must die ; Lord, have mercy on my soul."
In 1834, a child of Mr. - Capron, was drowned at Spring Village.
In 1837, a boy aged eleven years, was drowned at Spring Village.
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On the first of July, 1843, Henry, son of Mr. Harry and Mrs. Mi- nerva Pitkin, was drowned in the tannery mill-pond, while bathing. He was a bright boy. His funeral was attended in the Methodist Church, on Sabbath evening, when the scene was rendered doubly sol- emn by a heavy thunder-storm.
In 1846, August 2, a child of Mr. Moses Foskett was drowned.
On the 19th of November, 1849, Leander, son of Mr. Joel and Mrs. Lavina Hunt, was drowned in the pond near their house. He fell from the bridge.
On the 21st of August, 1851, Frederic P., a little son of Mr. Levi N. and Mrs. Calista P. Fairbanks, was drowned in Athol. The pa- rents belonged here, and their affliction elicited the sympathy of many friends.
In 1860, February 27, Sarah Ann, a daughter of Mr. B. Talbot, was drowned a few rods above the causeway bridge.
On the 22d December, 1861, a son of Thomas Hughes was drowned. Joseph H. Crowley, a little boy was drowned on the 2d of June, 1863.
In 1866, June 24, Pliny H. Tannant was drowned near Goodspeed & Wyman's dam.
On the 28th day of June, 1868, James B. Gardham, of St. John, Canada, was drowned above the railroad dam. Though a comparative stranger here, he was esteemed by those who knew him.
DEATHS BY FALLING TREES, &C.
The first case of this kind befel the most important man in town, in both Church and State, at the time, Dea. Richard Day. He was instant- ly killed by the falling of a tree, near the corner of the road northeast of Capt. G. Alger's. This was on the third of May, 1774.
May 19, 1784, John Chamberlin was killed by a falling tree, which he and his son had been cutting.
On the 10th of May, 1786, Uriah Crooks was fatally hurt by the fall- ing of a stub, at a chopping bee. This was at the northeast corner of Denison lake. He survived but a few hours.
. 1791, in May, Jonathan Stimson, when ploughing on the Beaman farm, was struck by a tree blown down by the wind, and killed.
In 1833, January 14, Samuel Brown, Jr., was killled by the fall of a tree, near the southeast part of the Brown farm, where a monument
26
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marks the spot. He was a brother of the late Wm. Brown, Esq., and father of the Rev. Samuel Watson Brown, recently deceased.
In 1834, Mary Day, daughter of Mr. Daniel Day, Sen., was killed by a falling tree. She and a young playmate, now Mrs. A. Bowker, were at a safe distance, but the choppers told them to run, when they started, the little Day girl fell, and was killed by a branch. This occur- red just across Miller's river, and north of the Fry place.
September 2, 1836, Joseph Adams, son of Col. Adams, was killed at the Murdock mills, which he had sold, not long before, to Capt. Mur- dock. A log which he was hauling, swung round, and hitting him on the head, gave a mortal blow. He lived but a few hours. He was an enterprising man, pleasant in his family, and respected by his friends.
A falling tree killed Mr. Humphrey Harris, on the 13th of January, 1847.
DEATHS BY HORSES, TEAMS, &C.
Capt. Israel Whitcomb is often mentioned in the Records, near the close of the last century and the opening of the present. He was killed by the kick of a horse, in Fitzwilliam, November, 1804. . He was found in the road by Esq. Murdock.
In 1811, Joseph Story of Fitchburg, was killed on the road just be- yond Capt. Levi Stearns', by falling out of a chaise, and being run over by the wheels.
In November, 1814, Luke Knight was killed in a wagon, by the kick of a horse, on the road near where Mr. William Capron lives.
On the 14th of October, 1816, Thomas Wyman, Jr., was killed, it was supposed, by falling from a horse, and being dragged by the stir- rup. He was found dead in the road near.
On the 6th of the following December, Thomas Wyman, Sen., who was deaf, was killed in Worcester, by a stage running over him in the dark.
In 1818, June 6, Silas Brown, eleven years old, came to his death by being run over by a cart loaded with gravel.
On the 30th of December, 1830, a boy named Elisha Fry, was killed by the falling of a cart body upon him, at the Elias Whitney place.
In 1834, July 13, Elizabeth Goodspeed was killed, a large loaded wagon passing over her head and neck. She, with others, was return-
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ing from meeting in a wagon. In attempting to pass the loaded wag- on, their vehicle was upset towards the wagon, and she was thrown under a wheel.
Joel Robbins, of Rindge, on the 18th of September, 1835, was killed near the Woodbury saw-mill, by a wagon.
In October, 1843, a little son of Mr. Newell and Mrs. Rebecca Wy- man was killed by the kick of a horse. .
Edson A. Parks, son of Mr. Austin Parks, was killed by the kick of a horse, on the 8th of January, 1866.
DEATHS BY BURNING.
In 1824, the widow Elizabeth Baldwin was found burnt to death, by the family, on returning from meeting on the Sabbath day. Nearly all her flesh was consumed.
In 1828, a child of a Mr. Lathrop came to its death by falling into a pot of hot fat.
In 1837, a child of Mr. Joel Hunt died in consequence of being scalded.
On the morning of the 5th of December, 1854, Mrs. Phebe H. Wy- man, wife of Mr. Harvey Wyman, was burned to death. She was en- feebled by sickness, and being left a few minutes, it is supposed she ap- proached the fire for some purpose, and fell in, and being unable to extricate herself, perished. She was a sensible, pious woman, and was greatly missed by her friends.
OTHER FATAL CASUALTIES.
In 1778, a traveller, while stopping at the Nichols tavern, was chok- ed to death by a piece of meat.
1786, Mrs. Jonathan Smith had a child die in her arms while riding in a sleigh ; probably smothered.
In 1830, a daughter of Mr. Lewis Robbins, named Maria, fell upon a revolving water-wheel, and was instantly killed.
On the 17th of October, 1833, Samuel Hartwell was found dead near a bridge, in the south-west part of the town. He was out in the dark, the evening before, and the supposition was that he fell from the bridge.
In 1834, February 5, a young man, Adams by name, working in
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the factory at Spring Village, had his hand caught in a running belt, which injured him so as to cause his death.
October 15, 1840, a son of Mr. Edward Loud, named William, was killed by being caught in a belt, and thrown round a shaft.
On the 25th of March, 1846, a young man from New Salem, named Weeks, was killed by falling upon a water-wheel.
On the 2d of April, same year, a girl named Taggart, aged 16 years, from Sharon, N. H., was found dead, having been frozen, a lit- tle distance from the road, in the woods north from the school-house. She had been working in the cotton factory, but was missing in the previous November. For a time it was supposed that she had return- ed to her home.
In 1852, Oct. 29, Mr. Jason Goodale died in consequence of a fall.
March 21, 1860, Elisha R., son of Mr. Newell Wyman, ten years of age, while playing on a mow in the barn, slid on to an iron hay-hook, which entered the lower part of his body, and penetrated sixteen inches. It was impossible to extract it before the death of the lad, which oc- curred in a few hours. The little fellow knew that he must die, but he manifested the sweetest trust in his Saviour.
In 1862, December 29, Mrs. Nancy Robbins died literally of old age, being 101 years and 5 months old.
On the 2d of September, 1864, Wallace R., son of Mr. H. O. Clark, came to his death by an accident on the Wilmington & Baltimore rail- road. His remains were brought here for burial. The event awak- ened deep sympathy for the afflicted family.
In 1865, on the 4th of April, Walter G. Bryant, son of Mr. Nathan Bryant, was killed by the bursting of a gun, near the house of Capt. Levi Greenwood, and a few rods from his father's door. He was an only child, and was greatly beloved by his parents, teachers and com- panions. He was eighteen years of age.
FIRES.
Fires were not common in the early years of the town, though there are traditions of an occasional case of the kind. Fires have been con- fined mainly to mills, shops and dry-houses. Three factories, two oil mills, one grist mill, a large barn and two large dry-houses, have been burned on the site of Goodspeed & Wyman. Some of the fires will be mentioned in chronological order.
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1851, April 22. The shoe shop of Wm. Pollard, the Union store, the Post Office, and the stores and shops of N. H. Hand, Knapp & Beals, Joel Hunt, J. M. Claughlin and M. B. Felton, were burned to the ground.
December 19. The house of Ozro Hancock, and the store of Mo- ses Hancock in Waterville, were burned.
1852, June 11. The large boarding-house and two dry-houses were burned at Murdock's mill.
August 20. Two barns, with considerable property belonging to the tavern stand, were consumed.
October 19. The store occupied by George S. Pollard, and the Odd Fellows hall, was much damaged by fire.
1853, January 23. The house of Messrs. Wheeler & Hayward, on the hill, was half consumed.
1854, August 12. The tub and pail shop of E. Murdock, Jr., oc- cupied by William Beaman and Mr. Converse, was burnt.
November 17. Whitman & Parks' mill and pail shop, at Bullard- ville, were burnt to the ground. .
1855. The large barn of the Winchendon Manufacturing Co., with hay and grain, was entirely consumed.
May 30. The large factory at Spring Village, was burned to the ground. Insured for $30,000.
1856, May 27. The tannery was consumed.
November 21. E. Murdock & Co's pail shop at Waterville, was burned.
1857, May. The mill and pail and tub shop of Parks & Day, at Bullardville, were totally destroyed.
1858, October. The barn of Elisha Beaman, with all its contents, was burned.
1859, September 27. The woolen factory met its fate the third and last time.
1863, March 20. The foundry of B. D. Whitney, occupied by Elisha Beaman, was consumed.
The above were the principal fires during the last twenty years. The origin in most cases, was accident, or carelessness ; in others, the pub- lic opinion was, that incendiaries had been at work. But no case of conviction for incendiarism has occurred.
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CASES OF SUICIDE.
The first instance of self-destruction occurred on the 12th of March, 1797, when a boy named Jonathan Moor, hung himself on a sleigh- tongue, in the barn of Lieut. Benjamin Hubbard, who then lived on what was afterwards known as Elias Whitney's farm. Inquiry elicits nothing to account for the act but the remark that "the boy was a witch-cat."
On the 29th of June, 1862, Miss Jerusha Dunham took her own life by hanging. She was naturally amiable and attractive, but was long afflicted with hereditary insanity.
In 1864, June 20, Miss Lorinda Phelps committed suicide by drown- ing:
In 1864, June 20, Miss Lorinda Phelps was found in the Kendall & Mason pond near Hydeville. It was supposed that, in a fit of de- pression, she had given up life in this mode.
HOMICIDES.
On the 8th of September, 1800, a youth by the name of Stephen Bixby, was killed and horribly mangled with an axe, by Daniel Rob- bins, an insane man. This took place in or near a log house on land of Capt. Joseph Robbins. Robbins labored under the delusion that the end of the world was near, and that in order to its actual arrival, blood must be shed, and that God had set him apart to do the work. He chased his own brother, who was obliged to flee for his life. Men turn- ed out armed with guns, pitchforks and other weapons, and captured him. He was put in prison, and confined for life. This was before the day of hospitals for the insane. Dr. Whiton says that boys were afraid to go after the cows, fearing lest Robbins would dart out from the bushes and kill them.
In 1861, on the 14th of September, Mrs. Betsey Page died from poi- son. At the same time, her two daughters, Miss Miranda Page and Mrs. Leander Hartwell, suffered, the former severely, the latter mildly, from the same dose. The case was this. Hartwell had married the youngest daughter, and lived on the place, having the care of a moth- er-in-law and a sister-in-law who were invalids. His wife was healthy. He obtained arsenic of the apothecary, on the plea that he wanted to kill rats. The poison was mixed in some hash prepared for breakfast.
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The mother was fatally poisoned ; Miranda just escaped death ; Mrs. Hartwell partook of but little. It was clearly proved that Hartwell put the poison in the victuals, but he was cleared on the plea of insan- ity. He was kept in the insane hospital for a while, and then releas- ed. He lived with his wife till her death a year or two since. Many believed that the plea of insanity had no foundation.
A dark crime occurred a few years since. A large paper box was found floating on the pond in the Village, containing the tiny bodies of two infants. Whether they were born dead, or were smothered, or died from exposure, is not known. This was one of those cases of hid- den guilt which make a judgment day a necessity.
In this connection, it is proper, if any allusion is made to the mat- ter, to speak of a supposed case of homicide, or murder, which occurred many years since. The author has hesitated to relate the circumstan- ces, lest injustice might be done to an innocent man ; but as he was considered guilty at the time, and is still by aged people, it will help to clear his memory, to state the case. Along before and after the be- ginning of the century, a man by the name of Eber Arnold, lived in the old Oaks house, now occupied by Mr. Townsend, beyond the bridge a mile from Waterville. He was a man of violent temper, and intem- perate habits. A young man was working for him one season, with whom he became very angry. They were at work one day, in the meadow south of Miller's river, and when called to dinner, Arnold in- sisted that the young man should carry him on his back, across the stream. The youth contrived to stumble and throw the old man into the water. The latter was in a towering passion, and threatened to kill the roguish fellow. As evening came on, the young man left the house, and went up the road to the house of Mr. Phinehas Parks. Soon Arnold came along, but the young man left the house by the back door before his pursuer entered. He disappeared in the dark towards the woods southwest of the house. Arnold wore an old cloak, and had a rusty old sword underneath it. He started after the young man, and the story is, the latter was never seen afterwards. In after years it was observed that Arnold, in abstracted moods, talked as if conscious of some dark and secret crime. It is the old story of Eugene Aram. A watcher with him when sick, related how he was disturbed in his dreams and his waking hours. He spoke of the hands that were not covered
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up, and of other things, as if he had had a struggle with his victim. The impression made on the mind of his attendant was, that Arnold was cognizant of the cause of the young man's absence. The result of all the circumstances was a conviction in many minds that he was guilty, either of murder, or of homicide in a fight. It is gratifying to be able to state that those suspicions probably were unfounded. A cit- izen of this town, while traveling a few years since in Vermont, staid over night at the house of a sister of the missing man, and she said that the family did not believe that her brother was killed by Arnold. Whether they had heard from him, or not, is not known, but they har- bored no suspicions of his murder. Thus a stain is taken from the mem- ory of Arnold, and also from the fair fame of the town.
SUPERSTITION AND WITCHCRAFT.
The town traditions are not rich in cases of witchcraft and appari- tions, though doubtless the early settlers partook of the spirit of the times, when every neighborhood had its stories of ghosts. Even to this day there are those who believe in the supernal or infernal knowledge of witches, and there are those living who have resorted to such hags to get information of lost cattle, and of the location of drowned bodies. Here and there one has been weak enough to seek for similar intelli- gence from spirit rappers, though the town has been remarkably free ยท from such delusions.
About 1790, according to Dr. Whiton, there was a supposed case of witchcraft in this town. The members of a family living on the Bige- low place in the east part of the town, were alarmed by what they deemed supernatural noises, and by stones thrown against the house by invisible hands. The disturbance rose to such a pitch, and the family were so alarmed, that they called in the minister, Mr. Brown, to lay the spirit, check-mate the witch, exorcise the foul fiend, or remove the cause of disturbance, whatever it might be. Mr. Brown was never in- elined to say much about the matter, but it was supposed that he con- sidered the noises to be the work of human cunning.
In 1814, an aged inhabitant died. Some time after, his son went to the old burying-yard to put up gravestones. He related that his fa- ther appeared to him, and religiously believed that it was a real case of ghostly apparition. It does not appear that the departed had anything
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to communicate that would justify taking such a journey ; a circum- stance often noticed in relation to alleged spiritualistic messages from the unseen world.
It must be confessed that this section upon superstitions is very mea- ger, but the author is glad that there is nothing farther of this nature to relate. The more enlightened a people are in their religious convic- tions, the better instructed they are in Scriptural truth, the more free are they from dark and degrading superstitions.
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