USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Norwell > Narrative history of South Scituate-Norwell, Massachusetts > Part 10
USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Scituate > Narrative history of South Scituate-Norwell, Massachusetts > Part 10
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for a time virtually to amount to slavery. When the keeping of slaves was abandoned numbers of them settled in this section and others came from Hingham, Plymouth and the surrounding towns, so that for many years there was quite a colored settlement in this vicinity. Most of them took the names of white families where they had formerly worked so that there would be both white and colored families bearing the same name as neighbors. The vessels trading in the West Indies in many instances shipped colored sailors in those islands, some of whom settled here and eventually drifted to where the people of their own color lived. The Gunderways came from there, the Casneaus from Cuba. The Francis family were from Hingham, Cromwells from Duxbury and the names of Prince, Winslow and Sylvester were always represent- ed.
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In slavery days the negro was usually known by a single name and to show the extent of the marriages between servants of different masters and between negroes and Indians, the marriage records of Scituate for the years 1739 and 40 will give a fairly good idea.
"Caesar, Negro of Samuel Curtis to Waste Homine, an Indian, both of Scituate.
"Primus, Negro servt. to Thomas Bryant Esq., to Dille, Negro servt. to Capt. David Clapp.
"Brisco, Negro of Capt. Barker to Judith, Negro of Samuel Jenkins.
"Lemuel Francis, Indian man of Pembroke to Meriah formerly servt. to John Barker, Esq.
"Glasco, Negro of Deacon King to Phyllis, Negro of John Cushing.
"Cuffee, Negro of Jo. Clap to Flora, Negro of Mr. Thos. Clap."
At the corner of Circuit street and Barrell Lane the Mannings and Aunt Katy and Patty Sylvester lived for many years in a house that was burned some time ago. They were very highly thought of by the white people of the village and Uncle Peter Sylvester was well known to the people of sixty years ago, as was Tip Patterson the itinerant barber who made regular trips through the surrounding villages.
In later times Jack Ennols, known even among the colored people as Black Jack, was a character. He was a southern slave and military servant to General Paine, who after the war drifted down here and joined the col- ony. His old horse and phaeton were familiar figures in the streets of Norwell and Hanover for many years and everybody knew the pleasant greeting and happy laugh of Old Black Jack.
The people who once owned the old places are all gone and their children and children's children, too, are for the most part either dead or have moved away. A gen- eration of strangers now occupy the ancestral homes.
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WILDCAT AND OLD POND
The colored settlement has dwindled down to three or four families and few people know the meaning of Wildcat or Old Pond.
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CHAPTER XXIV
THE OLD POWDER HOUSE
JUST a little way from the geographical center of Scitu- ate in the days before South Scituate was set apart from the mother town, near the corner of Winter and Parker street in what is now Norwell, is an old field now practically grown up to woods. This field was part of the Col. Charles Turner estate and for many years a queer little building known as the "Old Powder House" stood there.
Here was stored part of the town's supply of powder and ball which was kept for the use of the militia for their training days and during the war of 1812. Deane tells us that they were then called to duty at an alarm from Scituate Harbor when the British man of war, the Bul- wark 74 guns, landed a party and burned some vessels, and the men from the inland towns marched to the coast to repel an expected invasion, Col. John Barstow's regi- ment of militia being on duty for some weeks. In later times after the militia had ceased to hold field days and drills and the supply of powder had come to be of not much importance, I was told that the boys in the neigh- borhood used to visit the building and "hook" powder for their guns and to use in the shooting matches which were a common source of amusement with the boys of eighty years ago. Most of them owned an old smooth bore that had been changed from flint lock to percussion by some of the local blacksmiths, Harry Merritt of the Beechwood district being noted as a gunsmith and called on for this work by people far and near. His brother, Consider, also did a great deal in this line.
Col. Charles Turner was prominent in the military and
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THE OLD POWDER HOUSE
political affairs of his day. His house stood just across from Parker street and was one of the old time mansions of, that period with the turned fence posts in front sur- mounted with acorns. It was burned in 1845 or 6 and his sons William and Theodore each built a house on the old farm, William on the old cellar and Theodore just a bit north. William was a ship carpenter and worked at many of the yards on the river mostly with the Briggs' at Hobart's Landing.
The militia in old times played a more important part in the small towns than it does today. It is now largely confined to the larger towns and the cities, but in early days every small town had its company and training fields were set aside for their use. Several of these were lo- cated in Scituate in 1725, one at the Harbor opposite Meeting House Lane, one in the square at Norwell Vil- lage and one at Church Hill. They are all Commons today.
In 1821 Capt. Perez Turner of Scituate was in com- mand of a company in Col. John Collamore's 2nd Regi- ment Massachusetts Militia. He was a son of Capt. Johnathan Turner of Revolutionary Days, one of the charter members of the Cincinnati, whose sword was, during his life, in the possession of the late deputy sher- iff, John Turner of Scituate. George H. Turner of Nor- well was a representative in his line in the Cincinnati, one of the very few members, in this section, of that old soci- ety formed by Washington's officers at the close of the war.
It must be understood that the young men were out for a good time in those days as well as today and taverns being fairly numerous we can draw our own conclusions as to what many of the training days meant. The uni- forms were gaudy and gave the men a martial appear- ance. The tall black hats, high collared, brass buttoned, blue, swallow tail coats and tight fitting trousers with straps to hold them down over the boots, were very strik- ing and were quite as attractive to the young ladies of
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those days as the khaki uniforms are to their great grand- daughters of today.
Gradually interest in military affairs began to wane. The Mexican War of 1849 naturally having but few active supporters among the people of this section and the old bug-bear of possible trouble with England over boundar- ies, having died a natural death, at the outbreak of the Civil War it had practically ceased.
To this day the lot of land where the "Old Powder House" stood is known to a very few of the older residents as the "Powder House Lot" but not many people know the reason. Like other landmarks of the past it was grad- ually forgotten. And the men of those days, they too are forgotten.
For a long time across the highway, in the corner of the wall, a gigantic buttonwood tree seemed to stand as sentinel on guard and up to within a very few years the decayed and hollow trunk was still on duty. That too, has now disappeared.
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CHAPTER XXV
CUFFEE LANE AND ACADIANS
L EADING off Mt. Blue Street, Norwell, nearly opposite the Charles Bates house, is a narrow cart path that has for a century and a half been known to the towns- people as "Cuffee Lane." This lane goes back into the dense woods and cedar swamps which surround Black pond, a queer little pond that probably very few of the inhabitants of the town have ever seen.
About a quarter of a mile from the highway just af- ter it crosses the Black pond brook this lane skirts a lit- tle clearing consisting of two old fields that have only partially grown up to underbrush and there is where the Cuff Grandison farm, or plantation, was located.
One day soon after the Revolution, a typical Southern negro, accompanied by a white woman, appeared in town and settled in this place. Nobody knew from whence they came, but it was generally believed that it was from the far South, and all sorts of stories were told regarding them and who they were. It was at one time thought that the man was a runaway slave and the woman the wife or daughter of his master.
Later it was rumored that they came from the western part of the State and that the man had served in the Con- tinental army from the town of Adams. Paying no heed to their neighbors, they proceeded to set up an establish- ment. The land was cleared and gradually people ceased to wonder about them and they lived their lives and end- ed their days in their little place in the woods. Cuff Grandison died in 1810 and the records say that the "Wi- dow Cuff Grandison died in 1825." There was a son, Reuben, and daughters Harriet and Abigail. Simeon, who
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HISTORY OF SOUTH SCITUATE - NORWELL
died in 1825 may have been his son, although it is not clear in the records. A son of Simeon and Mary named Charles was married in 1829 to Harriet S. Freeman. This Charles Grandison was one of the characters of his time. He owned what is now the Bates farm at the head of the lane and his fathers and grandfather's old place.
Charles Grandison was a great worker and the huge piles of stones along the walls attest to that fact. It was his ambition to equal and if possible excel his white neigh- bors and he was very much respected by them. There were three daughters in the family, but unfortunately one was born blind, another deaf and dumb and the other became blind. Realizing their helpless position, just be- fore his death, Mr. Grandison deeded his farm to the town and the family were cared for at the almshouse. One of them, Abby, lived for many years.
This is how Cuffee Lane obtained its name and there is another interesting fact connected with it. When the Acadian exiles were scattered along the coast towns in 1755-56, some of the few who were billeted in the town of Scituate were in the keeping of Joseph Clapp, whose farm was on this little lane and years before the feet of Cuff Grandison trod this path the feet of the Acadian wan- derers had already known it, but as far as can be learned no traces of them are left in the town. They were prob- ably only here a short time. There is a tradition that the woodshed which is a part of the Minot Williamson house and which is very old, was one of the huts where they were quartered, it being later moved and attached to this house as an ell. It was on the property of Joseph Clapp, who had them in charge.
Like many of the white families prominent in Colonial days, the name of Grandison has ceased to be known in this town and it is only a few of the older people who can recollect the stories of early days that were so common a couple of generations ago.
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CHAPTER XXVI
OLD BLACKSMITH SHOPS
IN the last twenty-five years garages have steadily be- come more numerous, until they are now to be found in every village and at almost every cross road, minister- ing to the needs of the traveling public. In the same space of time the old blacksmith shops, which were nec- essary to the traveling public of former days and which had remained almost unchanged for more than a century, have one after another disappeared.
The present generation can hardly realize what a part these old shops played in the life and comfort of people of even forty years ago.
In the days of horses and oxen they were indispensable and the smiths were busy rain or shine. It was the us- ual thing on stormy days, when no outside work could be done, for the men on the outlying farms to hitch up and drive to the blacksmith's to have the horse shod or some necessary repair work done. The shop would be filled with wet and steaming horses and their owners would be gath- ered around the stove swapping yarns and discussing the politics and affairs of the day.
The shops of those times were different in some re- spects from the few that are in use today. In those days the fires were blown by old-fashioned bellows which the blacksmith or his helper worked by means of a lever. Now electric motors and steel forges are used. Another feature that many of the old shops had was the ox frame. This was a heavy structure with a sling attachment and an arrangement something like a pillory into which the ox was hauled by a rope fastened around the horns. The frame was then closed over its neck, the sling passed un-
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der its body and it was lifted nearly off its feet. In this position it was ready for shoeing as a front foot on one side and a hind foot on the other could be lifted at the same time, enabling two men to work instead of one. While this arrangement was not very uncomfortable, yet the oxen quite often thrashed and moaned as if they were in agony and the structure had to be very strong to hold them.
Before the rolling machine to bend tires came into use the blacksmith had a difficult task to bend the heavy tires for the big wagon wheels. One method was to set a couple of eye bolts into a large rock, put a round piece of iron through the eyes and lay the straight iron bar under this, then gradually slide it along, lifting one end all the time and one man striking with a sledge until it became almost round, the ends were brought together and welded. It was then ready to be "set" on the wheels. If the tires were very heavy they were usually laid on the ground outside the shop and a fire built over them. This was a quicker and easier method of expanding heavy tires than over a forge.
In the Sparrell wood lot a little way from the village there is quite a large flat ledge. In the center of it are two old eye bolts firmly bedded in the rock. These bolts were placed there by Consider Merritt nearly a hundred years ago and were used for bending tires. They were quite a distance from his shop but this was the nearest ledge and cement foundations were not heard of in those days. As long ago as 1880 people who saw them wond- ered what they were for and who placed them there.
Just at the eastern end of the triangle at Assinippi the old "Alger" shop stood for more than sixty years. Or- iginally a mill building located at the foot of Assinippi Hill, it was purchased by a company of local farmers and a blacksmith installed for the convenience of the village. For several years Mr. Shea had charge of it. Sixty years ago Frank Alger purchased the property on Memorial Day. The shop is just over the line in Hanover, but
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OLD BLACKSMITH SHOPS
served the people of that part of Norwell and for a time Mr. Alger lived in Norwell. He was the last surviving member of Post 112, G. A. R.
Near the site of the "Old Half Way House" on the stage road, stood the old "Gardner" shop. It was last occupied by Edward W. Gardner, who died twelve years ago, and was previously owned by his father, Horatio Gardner and the business carried on by him, part of the time in com- pany with Henry Shute.
The old "Glover" shop was standing near the corner of Washington and Pond Streets seventy-five years ago.
David Henry Stoddard conducted a shop at Mann's Corner for a number of years before his death a few years ago.
On the "Hill" at Norwell village the Merritts, Consider and sons, Joseph and William H., had a shop as early as 1843. The building is still standing and is now part of Sparrell's garage. Later William moved to Central street and built a shop near his house there. Joseph continued the business during his lifetime. Thomas O. Hayden, a native of Cohasset, worked for Mr. Merritt for twenty years and continued for a time on his own account. He was the last blacksmith there.
The Robert W. MacDonald shop on the road to Green- bush is comparatively modern and was established by him near its present location about thirty-nine years ago. It is the only blacksmith shop still running in Norwell.
Charles W. Tilden built a blacksmith, wheelwright and paint shop on the "Hill" in 1876. Thomas and Thaddeus A. Lawrence ran the paint shop and Freeman Higgins the wheelwright. Mr. Tilden continued the blacksmith bus- iness to the time of his death in 1929.
Down on Central Street near Sherman's Corner, Thomas J. Studley ran a shop for many years. The business was established by his father, William Studley, who was a fa- mous wagon maker in those days. Both father and son, also conducted an undertaking business.
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HISTORY OF SOUTH SCITUATE - NORWELL
Harry Merritt of Summer Street was a skilful black- smith and gun smith eighty years ago. His son Henry, learned the trade and located in Hingham. Albert Litch- field ran the shop for a time.
In very early times some of the larger farms had small shops on the place, the Joshua James, John Clapp, Barton Jacobs and some of the shipyards also had them. The Ira Barker shop at Church Hill was running eighty years ago.
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CHAPTER XXVII
AN OLD NEIGHBORHOOD
IT is interesting to note how, in many instances a certain family may be connected with a town or locality for several generations, how history will repeat itself and, as each generation goes by, that family will continue to be prominent in the social, political and religious life of the community, always having a representative in the town government, influential workers in the church and being at the front in the business and social activities of the place as well. Then a day will come when by death and removals it will come about that there are none of the name left, but for many years the oldest inhabitants will hark back and tell the virtues of the departed until fin- ally nobody will remember that such people ever existed and it is only in the old records, that any trace of them remains. Such a family was the James family of Scituate and South Scituate.
One of the first of the name to settle here was John James, who purchased a part of the Elder Henry Cobb grant, situated just above where Union Bridge is now located, on the Norwell side of the river. Ephraim Kemp- ton, who owned the lot in 1655 sold his holdings and mov- ed from town. The location of the James estate was at the bend of the river where for many years the family of John P. Henderson have made their home. Here for nearly 200 years the James family lived and prospered. It is one of the most beautiful sites along the river and is the center of much that is of local historic interest. A never failing spring of pure water gushes out of a fissure in a granite ledge on the place. Within a stone's throw is the site of the "Old Block House" where the people con-
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HISTORY OF SOUTH SCITUATE - NORWELL
gregated at the time of King Philip's war, and here it was that the first John James was mortally wounded in a raid that the Indians made into Scituate in that war. A short distance away was the John Bryant farm and grist mill that ground the corn for the settlers and the "Bisbee" tavern was near. The "Old Foster House", tavern, store, hall and meeting place was a little way down the road. The family was always religious and the records show that there were four generations of Deacon John James connected with the church. They were also very ener- getic people as well and from very early times were con- nected with the shipbuilding industry. One of them set- tled at the south of Coleman's Hill. The place once own- ed by the Gillis family was originally a "James" house.
William James, Jr., who was born in 1789 and died in 1854, was one of the most prominent men of his day and generation in the town. His activities were many and varied. He was one of the largest land-owners and far- mers, a shipbuilder and ship owner, being connected with David Torrey in building at the "Block House Yard," and other yards on the river, and was the first secretary of the "Old Scituate Institution for Savings," and its president for nine years. He was also very active in town affairs. His farm was at what is now the corner of Main and Winter Streets, Norwell, and the property of Henry D. Atwater. One of his daughters married Edward H. Delano, a native of South Scituate and chief naval con- structor at the Charlestown Navy Yard during the Civil War, and some time at Pensacola. The family of Joshua James and wife Sarah, were the last of the name to occupy the old homestead on the river. The children were Em- ily, born in 1819; Helen, born in 1823; and Alfred, born in 1827. Emily was a school teacher and was very active in the Unitarian church, a teacher in the Sunday school and very prominent in all social affairs. She was a beau- tiful writer and when the town of Scituate was divided and the old records copied and filed with the clerk of South Scituate she, Miss Mary A. Cole and Mrs. Mary L.
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THOMAS BRYANT HOUSE Lower Main Street, Built 1698. Now the home of Mr. and Mrs. Richard D. McMullan. (Cut copyrighted, and loaned by Scituate Historical Society)
KITCHEN OF BRYANT HOUSE Restored by Professor A. S. Dewing. (Both photographs on this page were taken by Col. Charles W. Furlong. Each is copyrighted.)
AN OLD NEIGHBORHOOD
Beal were chosen to make the copies. It was a fine piece of work and a revelation to the present generation who are more familiar with the typewriter than the pen.
Nearby stood the home of Rev. Samuel J. May, now the home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur L. Power. Mr. May was a celebrated anti-slavery advocate and temperance worker and one of the famous preachers of his time. He was the minister of the Second church of Scituate for five years from 1836 to 1841 and it was during his time that the first temperance wave was sweeping over the country. He formed a cold water army among the young people and they marched through the streets with banners and music, and held meetings after the manner of the times. Some of the banners are in existence today and are very quaint, and as I write one of the badges, which each of the young people had, is before me. It is of white silk with two engravings, one a fountain, the other an old fashioned well sweep, and boys and girls marching around them. At the top, the words, "Cold Water Army" and below, the pledge-"So here we pledge perpetual hate to all that can intoxicate."
This was not altogether pleasing to some of the older people who liked their liquor and it is said that one of his prominent parishioners refused for a time to go to hear Mr. May preach. But with the broadminded courtesy for which he was noted, Mr. May always sent word to this man when he exchanged with other ministers in the dis- trict, so that he could come, and in time the man became one of his friends. In those days there were seats way up in the back of the gallery where the colored people sat. They were not allowed to sit down in the body of the meeting house. This custom Mr. May criticised in no un- certain terms and it was finally abandoned. In spite of
his advanced views he was liked by the people and never entered into the denominational controversies which were so common at that time. He was friendly with the other sects and it is told that when he was in charge of a parish in another state that he was particularly friendly with
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HISTORY OF SOUTH SCITUATE - NORWELL
the Catholic priest who was a near neighbor. Hoping to start a theological discussion someone said to this priest "Your friend Mr. May is a good man, it is a pity that he is not a Catholic so he could go to heaven." "Ah" responded the priest, "Never fear there will be a special provision made for Mr. May."
Rev. William P. Tilden was, during his boyhood, a neighbor of the James, his family being at one time where the "Old Block House" once stood and later on the main road.
Squire Samuel A. Turner, who was very prominent in town affairs in the early part of the last century, was also a next door neighbor.
Edward Southworth, who was well known in the poli- tics of his time lived in an old James and Jacobs house, just down Winter Street.
Many of the family names were pronounced quite dif- ferently in olden times. Damon was "Dammon;" Farrar "Farrow;" Northey, "Nothey" and others in like man- ner.
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CHAPTER XXVIII
MILLS AND FACTORIES
The Bryant Mill
A
BOUT the year 1690 John Bryant built a grist mill on
the Second Herring Brook about ten rods west of his house, in what is now Norwell village. From that time until January 24, 1927, there has been a mill at this lo- cation and, in fact, certain portions of the original struc- ture were still standing. The grist mill was used as such until early in the last century. About 1770 a saw mill was added to it by either Thomas Sylvester or Hawkes Cushing. From what I can learn I think it was the for- mer. Forty-five years ago this part was torn down and replaced by another structure while the property was owned by David W. Turner & Son. The Proutys, Deacon Thomas Cushing, Thomas Tolman, Joseph Merritt and Joseph Merritt, and Benjamin P. Foster, and Messrs. Nor- ris and Carson are among those who have at different times owned it. In ancient times the "Up River" road crossed between the mill and Mr. Bryant's house and fol- lowed back of John Blackhall's house until it came to the present roadway. In the field just south of Bryant's first house the Second Parish once voted to build their new meeting house when they removed from their old location near the head of Bridge street to the hill just a bit south- east of the site they now occupy. A later vote rescinded this action. For many years this mill was very important to the people of the village and for several generations it had been considered a landmark, people being very sorry when it was burned. Of the four mills originally on the stream, not one is standing today.
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