USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Mattapoisett > Mattapoisett and Old Rochester, Massachusetts : being a history of these towns and also in part of Marion and a portion of Wareham. > Part 10
USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Rochester > Mattapoisett and Old Rochester, Massachusetts : being a history of these towns and also in part of Marion and a portion of Wareham. > Part 10
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Around the shore of Mary's Pond, a strip of land two rods wide was owned by the town itself, secure from private ownership, where the flax could be "rotted," so
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that it might afterwards be "broken" and prepared for manufacture. In the clear waters at the edge of this pond one may to-day see the stones that were used to keep the flax in its place during this preparatory process.
In 1815 there were in town fourteen sawmills and two forges, one having a trip hammer, the other a furnace. At that time also, we are told, "3000 or more sheep are subsisted in Rochester," and "There are farms in the place estimated at $9000."
After the building of the First Parish meeting-house in 1760, the old meeting-house of 1717 became "the town house," though the larger town gatherings seem to have been held usually in the new meeting-house.
In 1773 the town voted to cut the old meeting-house down to one story, and divide it by a partition, also to build a chimney on one end which was to be fitted up for a workhouse, "to promote Industery and set to work those that live Idly and Misspend their time." The other part was to be seated as a town hall. The com- pletion of this work was delayed for some years, as the Revolution occupied the thoughts of the people, but in 1781 provisions and tools were bought for the workhouse, including "2 large wheels, 2 small ones, 2 pair of wool cards, sheep's wool, flax, and a thousand weight of old junk." After this, the "Master of the Workhouse" was a regular town officer for some years, Lot Haskell and Deacon Seth Dexter being two of those who held this position.
In 1792 a new State law was passed, respecting the care of the poor of the towns and State. After this the workhouse was given up, and the poor were boarded in families until 1819, when a poorhouse was provided.
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With the giving up of the workhouse, the old meeting- house was again remodeled. The chimney was taken down, the partition removed, and the whole seated as a town house. In 1811 the old building was taken down, and some of the best of its timbers were used in the con- struction of a new town house, built that year in the middle of the Common. The town house of 1811 was a low, square building, with a pyramidal roof and rising tiers of seats. Old people of to-day recall with interest scenes on town-meeting days, when the "Breadman" from Ware- ham was always on hand, selling rusk, - a kind of bun with raisins on top, - while the countrymen, coming up, one by one, each shook from his pocket the folds of a clean, red bandanna, and went on his way with one or more of these dainties folded within it.
Near the middle of the nineteenth century, the town house was the scene of some lively town meetings, as questions arose which led, a few years later, to the dis- memberment of the town itself.
In 1892, when the new Town and Library building was erected on Rochester Common, the old town house of 1811, with a change of roof, was made into a cranberry house, which stands to-day on the Pratt cranberry bog. When the building was removed, Mr. John S. Ryder found, under one of its timbers, as a supporting block, the capital of an ancient pillar that had been a support for the gallery in the old meeting-house of 1717.
The migratory school seems to have been continued in Rochester for some time after the Revolution. In 1789 a law was passed in Massachusetts, allowing towns to divide themselves into school districts, each having a "prudential committee-man," who should have the care
.
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of the school property and "contract with the teacher." Horance Mann afterwards declared this district school law to be one of the most pernicious ever passed. It repre- sented democracy carried to its lowest terms, and was opposed to a large public spirit. Each district had its tiny political excitements, and too frequently the passport to employment as a teacher was relationship to the pru- dential committee. Yet the old district school had its redeeming and picturesque features and under a good teacher excellent work was often done.
In 1799 Rochester voted to adopt the district system, and divided itself into sixteen school districts, each of which was entitled to have three months of school once in two years. The districts were still named as belonging to the "Four Quarters" of the town. "The Town Quarter," Sniptuit, Mattapoisett, and Sippican con- tinued to be the town "quarters " until the division of the towns took place in the middle of the nineteenth century.
In 1820-22 a vigorous effort to improve the schools was made. The districts were re-divided; twenty-one being now laid out. It was voted that one half the money for schools should be divided equally among the districts, the other half being divided according to the proportion of scholars. A committee of three (serving without pay), in addition to the selectmen and the ministers of the town, was appointed to visit the schools, this committee consisting of Abraham Holmes, Isaac Thompson and Philip Crandon.
In 1824 it was voted to "adopt a measure respecting town schools passed by the legislature," to the effect that "in any town having less than 5000 inhabitants, and now required by law to be provided with a Master or Masters
التشط
ساباتالبنود البابية
CANNON STREET, MATTAPOISETT, ABOUT 1880
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After the Revolution
instructed in the Latin and Greek tongues, might instead be provided with a teacher or teachers well qualified to instruct youth in orthography, reading, writing, arith- metic, English grammar, geography, and good behavior."
In 1828 a protest was entered against paying the wages of certain teachers who had been engaged by prudential committees without requisite certificates as to their quali- fications.
In 1832 the appropriation for schools was raised to $1200, and in 1834 it was voted that the school committee should consist of three persons only: Jonathan Bigelow, Charles J. Holmes, and Thomas Robbins being the ones chosen. In 1835 an elaborate report on schools was made and it was voted to increase the appropriation by $200; one of the arguments presented being that by this means the town would receive a larger proportion of a State fund that could be drawn upon for schools.
We know from Dr. Robbins's diary, that during his service on the school committee he spent much time in visiting the schools and doing what he could for their improvement, and the same was doubtless true of the other ministers of the town who at various times served on the school committee.
During the continuance of the district system some private schools were opened to supplement these lower schools. The first "Academy" in Rochester was a pri- vate school, opened in North Rochester in 1795 by Rev. Calvin Chaddock, who was an accomplished teacher; but this came to an end with the close of Mr. Chaddock's pastorate a few years later. Through the efforts of Rev. Jonathan Bigelow, George Bonney and others, an academy was opened at Rochester Center in 1839, which was for
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years an important institution, having among its pre- ceptors Rev. Andrew Bigelow, Rev. Henry M. Dexter, and Mr. Charles P. Rugg, afterwards superintendent of schools in New Bedford. The large boarding-house of this institution, afterwards burned, was kept for years by Mr. Robert C. Randall on the corner opposite the one where the old Dr. Haskell house was burned at a later date.
An academy was also opened at Mattapoisett about 1856, the building of which was afterwards used for the Barstow High School. A school corporation was also formed in Sippican, and a private school was opened, but not definitely organized as an Academy. (Tabor Acad- emy was not opened until 1877.)
In 1850 the district system was still in operation, and no attempts at grading the schools were made until after the town was divided.
The representative from Rochester to the General Court at Boston during the Revolution was Lieut .- Col. Ebenezer White. When the State constitution went into effect in 1780, Colonel White became the first representa- tive under the new frame of government, and continued to hold this office for some years.
During many years the town had two representatives in the State legislature, sometimes three, and once as many as four. The names of those who were Rochester Repre- sentatives under the State Constitution before 1857 are as follows :
Ebenezer White, Nathaniel Hammond, Abraham Holmes, Nathaniel Sprague, Nathan Willis, Elisha Ruggles, Gideon Barstow, Jr., Rev. Calvin Chaddock, Caleb Briggs, Jesse Haskell, Thomas Bassett, Elijah Willis, Samuel Winslow, Charles J. Holmes, Joseph
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After the Revolution
Meigs, Philip Crandon, Wilson Barstow, George King, Eben Holmes, Amittai B. Hammond, Theophilus King, Malachi Ellis, Benjamin Barstow, 2d, Zaccheus M. Bar- stow, Joseph Hammett, William Sears, James H. Clark, Isaac Smith, Samuel Sturtevant, Jr., James Ruggles, Silas B. Allen, Loring Meigs, George Bonney, Nathan Cannon, Nathan S. Clark, Solomon K. Eaton, John H. Clark, John A. Le Baron, Thomas Ellis, G. B. Blackmer.
A century ago law schools had not been organized in the universities, and young lawyers were prepared for their profession in the office of some older lawyer, an arrangement which in some cases took on the character of a small law school. Such a "Law School" was held for some years at the office of Abraham Holmes, where a considerable number of well-known lawyers were trained. The office stood in "The Flatiron Piece," a grassy tri- angle in front of Fearing's store (then the Bonney store), and had the sign "A. Holmes, Office." It is related that a wag standing in front of it once read the sign aloud, as follows: "A-hol-mess-of-ice."
' One of the students in this law school was Charles J. Holmes, Sr., the son of Abraham Holmes, who became a prominent lawyer, first in Rochester, later in Taunton and Fall River. In the closing years of the nineteenth century Charles J. Holmes, Jr., lawyer and banker, came back from Fall River to spend his closing years in the scenes where his childhood had been passed.
The office of Charles J. Holmes, Sr., in Rochester, was often visited by leading lawyers from other localities, one of these being Daniel Webster. The late Rufus Savery used to recall an incident of his boyhood in which Daniel Webster, driving over from Marshfield, to hold court in
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Rochester, met him on the street and stopped to talk with him, giving him some good advice, to the effect that whatever he undertook he must always do it well.
Rochester was then one of the towns in Plymouth County in which Probate Courts were regularly held. There were also many sessions of Justices Courts. A vote of the First Parish in 1806 is on record, however, which refuses to "allow any more Courts to be held in the meetinghouse."
The military interest kindled by the Revolution did not die out when peace was declared. Militia companies continued to exist, and new ones were organized. In 1815 we are told that "Rochester in military affairs is annexed to the fourth regiment, fifth division. It fur- nished three companies and part of a troop " (i.e., a com- pany of cavalry). Jesse Haskell was at one time a com- missioned officer in the cavalry company of Rochester.
The annual muster held on the old Rochester Muster Field was for many years an occasion of great importance. The "Muster Field " was apparently the same lot of land that had been set apart by the town of Rochester in 1697 as a "Training Field." It was a large open lot for many years, but is now occupied in part by the residence of Mr. William Thorpe. The annual "Muster" filled for the community something of the same place that was taken by the county "cattle shows" of the next generation. Here military companies, with smooth-bore guns and improvised uniforms, were gathered from all parts of Old Rochester and the towns around, and performed gyrations to the music of "Yankee Doodle " and "Hail Columbia," while the hucksters in the stalls regaled the crowds of spectators with cider and popcorn.
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After the Revolution
The War of 1812 was not approved of in Massachusetts, the people not being in sympathy with the governmental actions that led to it, and few chose to enter the general service. But when in June, 1814, two British vessels, the Superb and the gun-brig Nimrod, appeared in Buz- zard's Bay, the people became aroused. The selectmen of New Bedford wrote to the Attorney-General, asking for 560 men to protect the coasts of New Bedford, Dart- mouth and Westport, which "had shipping to the value of one and a half million of dollars."
The Nimrod came as far as Charles's Neck, and sent some barges to Wareham, whose crews burned a few houses in that village, causing great excitement, in Roches- ter as well as in Wareham itself. A committee of safety was now appointed, consisting of William LeBaron, Jo- seph Meigs, Rowland Luce, Timothy Hiller, and Abraham Holmes, and application was made to the Major-General of Militia for 125 soldiers to be drafted for the defense of the town, and for half a company of artillery for the same purpose. It is not clear that this whole force was pro- vided; but two small companies of Rochester men were stationed at the harbors as a coast defense. One of these, called a Sergeant's Guard, consisted of twenty-nine men, commanded by Jonathan Vaughn, Ensign, and Thomas Ashley, Sergeant. It was on duty in June and July. Another company, called on the rolls "Ensign's Guard," had twenty-seven men, with Moses Mendall as Ensign, and was on duty in September and October. Other Rochester men were in two New Bedford companies serving at Fairhaven during the same season.
New military companies continued to be formed in Rochester at various times during the first half of the
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nineteenth century. But after the Civil War had taxed to the utmost the military energies of the people, and filled their minds with the horror of warfare, the interest in these local military practices finally died out.
Among the old militia companies was a company of light infantry organized June 18, 1825, for home safety.
The Fourth Plymouth regiment of militia, when re- organized in 1826, had the following officers from Roches- ter: David Hathaway, Colonel; Ebenezer Barrows, Lieu- tenant-Colonel; John H. Clark, Ensign; Dr. Thomas E. Gage, Adjutant.
In 1842 a company was formed in Mattapoisett called the Mattapoisett Guards, of which R. L. Barstow and Loring Meigs were at different times captain. Captain Barstow was then transferred to the staff of Brigadier- General Dunham for four years, and the Mattapoisett Guards were dissolved. Later Captain Barstow was commander of the Rochester Light Infantry for two years, and still later was Major of the Ninth Massachusetts Regiment, having in all a military service of about eighteen years.
In the exciting political campaign of 1840 (the Log Cabin and Hard Cider Campaign), Rochester was very enthusiastic on the Whig side, and a tall flagstaff called a "Liberty Pole" was erected by the town on Rochester Common nearly on the site of the present flagstaff. A few years later it was blown down during a heavy gale. In Mattapoisett village the enthusiasm was still greater and a Log Cabin was provided, which stood to the west of the cooper shop of the late Prince Bolles, on land now owned by R. L. Barstow. This structure was ninety feet in length, and was later used for theatrical purposes.
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After the Revolution
In the closing years of the eighteenth century, Minister Moore of the First Church of Rochester made some notes regarding health conditions in that precinct, which repre- sent probably the general town conditions.
He says :
"During the 30 years of my ministry in Rochester First Church, there have died of all ages and sexes (including those that were killed in the late war, and came to their end by accidents) 376 persons. About a quarter part of sd number died of consumptive ails and these chiefly young women from 16 to 26 yrs of age."
Regarding longevity, Mr. Moore writes :
"Rather more than a fifth part lived to 70 & upwards, - a ninth part to 80, nearly a 50th part to upwards of 90. This precinct has connected to it an average of about 160 families."
In 1801 the town of Rochester voted to provide a hos- pital for the purpose of "inoculating for and having the small pox." Dr. James Foster was authorized to inocu- late for the much-dreaded disease. Certain temporary provisions were made as to houses to be used, but Dr. Foster agreed to build a house for the purpose, which was to be erected on an island in a piece of salt-marsh bought by him. Whether this hospital was really erected is not recorded.
In 1816 a disease called spotted fever broke out in Mattapoisett, and made fearful ravages in that village and in the western part of Rochester. Sixty-one heads of families were stricken. The fever plague stopped in its easterly course about a mile west from Rochester Center, at the home of Charles Sturtevant, who died with it. Dr. Mann of Boston was sent for to aid in controlling
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the situation, and the measures which he adopted seem to have been finally effective.
A writer in the Massachusetts Historical Collection has said of this epidemic:
"A mortal fever prevailed in Rochester, in the early part of 1816. It spread from Fair Haven, where it ap- peared in Sept. last.
" Fifty deaths are stated to have occurred in its bills of mortality, since February; but the fever is now abating, in the month of May. Near 200 deaths are stated in the circle of contagion; say Fair Haven, Rochester, east of Freetown and borders, since Sept. 23, 1815, to May 1816."
1832 was the cholera year. The whole, country was alarmed and a "colera meeting" was held in Rochester. A committee of twenty-seven was appointed to constitute, with the selectmen, a committee of health, establish quarantine regulations, and provide a place where per- sons could be taken care of "in case of malignant disease." But cholera did not come to Rochester, and the duties of this committee were probably light.
The winter of 1840-41 was a time of much sickness in Mattapoisett, and it seems probable that the unhealthful- ness of the season extended to the other communities as well. The exact nature of the epidemic, which was evidently contagious, is not given. Perhaps the best idea of the conditions of that winter can be gained from Dr. Robbins's diary entries regarding Mattapoisett.
1841
Jan. 2. There are many new cases of the epidemic. Visited many sick and distressed families.
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Feb. 14. Spoke on the subject of the late deaths. For three weeks there have been three in each week.
Feb. 28. It is a solemn and distressing time with us. There were seventeen deaths in Mattapoisett in Novem- ber and December; and in January and February the same number, seventeen.
Mar. 6. There have been four deaths this week.
Mar. 28. At evening had a meeting of prayer and humiliation in the meetinghouse in view of the divine judgments upon us. Oh that we may find help!
Apr. 2. We have new cases. The disease is evidently contagious.
Apr. 10. Two physicians are here from Bedford.
On September 28, 1815, there occurred a great gale, followed by a heavy tide on the Buzzard's Bay shores, which did much damage to all the towns of the region and came to be known as the "September Hurricane." Of this storm it is said:
"The total loss in Rochester is stated at $50,000. The tide there rose fourteen feet above low water mark, and four feet higher than ever known there before; the ordi- nary tides being about six feet. Vessels floated from the stocks, rope walks, stores and houses were destroyed and a great amount of salt lost."
In Mattapoisett the meeting-house at Hammondtown was partly destroyed, and had to be taken down. The Bethuel Landers house, now occupied as a summer cot- tage by J. Lewis Stackpole, Jr., was taken from its foun- dations, turned around in the street, and the occupants were removed in boats.
The damage to the salt industry was far more than was
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occasioned by the loss of the salt merely. The works themselves were largely swept away by the tide and the high winds.
Some of the anecdotes relating to this gale that have been preserved are as follows:
" A salt house from Sippican, partly filled with salt, held its position till the tide had risen nearly to the roof, when it was overset and floated across the bay. Its ruins were found in the woods at Wareham."
" Another lot of salt works floated several miles un- broken, but landed on a craggy shore and fell to pieces on the rocks. The salt house, however, settled on some stones that held it in perfect shape, and it was later launched like a vessel and carried back to the original position. The place where it was grounded was about nine feet above the level of common high tides."
" Theophilus Pease, of Rochester, aged seventy-three, having repaired to a small island at Mattapoisett during the gale, to preserve some hay, soon saw his dangerous situation. Having a pitchfork in his hand, and a line in his pocket, he lashed the fork across the limbs of a tree, which he selected, and stood upon it about six hours, partly in the water, until the tide ebbed. There were only three or four trees on the island, all of which were carried away by the flood, but the one he selected; a re- markable instance of preservation."
"A store containing West India goods, situated at Great Neck, was floated entire to Wareham, perhaps a mile, where it remained with its goods in perfect preservation."
From an article in the Massachusetts Historical Col- lections, by Rev. Ezra S. Goodwin, of Sandwich, some
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After the Revolution
further knowledge of this great storm and its effects may be gathered, as follows :
The injury in Buzzard's Bay was much greater than in Vineyard Sound. The highest water in Buzzards Bay occurred about 11 h. 40 min., three hours later than at Barnstable Bay.
Coasting vessels were scattered about, and mostly driven high on shore. Some of them floated into the forest. One lodged among the trees in an upright posi- tion and was later relaunched.
The spray while the tide was rising resembled a driv- ing snowstorm. Grass was entirely killed, not a green blade to be seen. The leaves of the trees appeared as if they had been scorched. Several cedar swamps perished from the salt water. Most of the bushes perished also, but one or two species of laurel, the common bayberry and some swamp whortleberries sur- vived. Winter rye had been sown in August. Rye was resown in some of the fields but the original crop had perished.
The wells and watering places for cattle were filled with sea-water, and fresh water was a thing of price.
Little rain had fallen for some time, and the soil was very dry. Much of the salt water therefore penetrated the earth and saturated it with the salt, which also crystallized along the shore.
Some wells near the sea had formerly risen and fallen with the tide and yet remained fresh. They now changed their habit. The water remained at a fixed height and was also salt. The saltness of the wells continued till November. After the snow of winter dissolved the salt wells became fresh. The freshness came back suddenly.
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After a time of dry weather they grew salt again, but not so bad as before. Some did not wholly recover until the spring of 1818.
There was a curious and lasting effect on the land. In 1816 some of the overflowed fields were planted with oats and had a larger crop than ever before. Indian corn also flourished, planted as a spring crop. The salt seems to have acted in some cases like a manure. But in 1817 clover decreased and in 1818 almost disappeared. Mosses also were destroyed, and wild grass came in where the cultivated grass had been. Some good effects of the storm were seen, but not enough to compensate for the property destroyed.
In the middle years of the first half of the nineteenth century temperance matters were prominent all over the United States. A vigorous warfare was made against "New England rum" and other spirituous liquors, which heretofore had been in general use. A temperance crusade known as "The Washingtonian Movement " spread over the country, and total abstinence societies were everywhere formed.
In 1830 the town of Rochester sent a petition to the legislature to make a law authorizing the County Com- missioners or the selectmen of the towns to license tavern keepers, giving them all the usual rights and duties of this office, except the right to sell spirituous liquors. A little later a second petition was presented, after an elaborate report (which is duly recorded in the town book) in which the town's committee grew eloquent in regard to "the wife's streaming eyes over her naked and supperless children," and declared that "Bank- ing Corporations, Turnpike Roads, Canals, and even
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