USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Norwell > Narrative history of South Scituate-Norwell, Massachusetts > Part 12
USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Scituate > Narrative history of South Scituate-Norwell, Massachusetts > Part 12
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166
CHAPTER XXXI
ASSINIPPI AND WEST END
Assinippi
A SSINIPPI is an old name, said to mean Rocky Water, given by the Indians to a branch of the Third Herring Brook. In this locality the families of Jacobs, Farrar, Collamore, Simmons, Curtis, Damon, Briggs, Grose, Jones, Stowell and Loring have, for generations, been leading residents.
The portion of Assinippi north-westerly from Assinippi Hill to Ridge Hill, was, in days long forgotten, referred to as Gilman Plain, so named for a family that once lived there.
The drive through this section is most beautiful, the mill pond and old farm house of Dr. Jacobs making a pic- ture which carries one back to early times. Until within a very few years the old mill with its curious up and down saw, added picturesqueness, as did, also, the great oak at the site, around which clustered traditions which told of its being scarred by a fire set by the Indians in the raid of 1676.
The original Jacobs house, known to recent generations as the Barton Jacobs place, is now owned by Dr. Henry B. Jacobs of Baltimore, who maintains it in its original condition, with miles of old stone walls. Thomas Leavitt, of Assinippi Avenue, has made a show place, because of the beautiful flowers, of the Elisha Jacobs place. "Sar- gent's", well known as a cafe is the Thomas Jacobs place. Next door is the Edward Jacobs place, built of brick, by a brick-maker.
The Collamore family, descendants of Capt. Anthony
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HISTORY OF SOUTH SCITUATE - NORWELL
Collamore of Scituate, were at one time, very numerous and they had large holdings of land on Gilman Plain. The first John Collamore settled here about 1732. His son, Enoch, ran a tavern here.
The West End
Just beyond the home of Mrs. William J. Leonard, an ancient Farrar homestead, is the real Ridge Hill, a narrow elevation, which is well described by its name. Before the widening of Route 3, it was called the S curve, at this point. The route is not too straight here at the pres- ent time.
Part of the section is now called Ridge Hill, part of it Accord. Here is Ridge Hill Grove, Memorial Hall and the most thickly settled portion of the entire town of Norwell. The principal streets are High, Washington, Grove, Oak and Pond Street. Grove Street, even now referred to as the "Valley Swamp road," had, until very recent years, no house at all. There are many homes along this street now, built by owners and occupants. It is a section where self-reliance and industry govern the daily life of the residents.
There were several shoe shops here thirty years ago. The largest, the C. W. Grose shop was burned in 1901. The Charles C. Young shop, near the Ridge Hill House was taken down in 1905 and moved to Norwell Center where it is now the blacksmith shop of Robert W. Mac- Donald. The Webster Cushing shop was remodelled and made the present Memorial Hall. The first Grand Army hall of the town which had but a brief existence (less than six years) was made from the Prouty-Thomas shop. This was moved to High Street and made into a house.
The junction of Washington and Grove Street is still known to some people as the Half-Way House corner, in remembrance of the days when the ancient Half-Way house stood here. This building run by Peter Kimball, Michael Cushing and others was called half-way between Boston and Plymouth in the days of the old stage coach
168
JACOB'S POND, ASSINIPPI
One of the beauty spots of Norwell. The Norwell-Hanover line lies near the foreground of the picture. (Photograph by Jared Gardner)
ASSINIPPI AND WEST END
lines. It burned, more than 50 years ago, on July 12, 1885, and the old stable, another landmark, was destroy- ed by prankish youths on July 3, 1907. A small store on the property, run for years by Oscar Lambert, was burn- ed on July 3, 1917. Ramsey's store now occupies the site.
The only electric car line ever to enter the town ran, from 1896 to 1920, through High and Washington Street and brought new life and stimulation to the entire section. It was a through line to Nantasket and the sight of cars running in relays of three or more was a familiar holiday and week-end spectacle for years. The automobile came, first as a novelty, then as a possession of nearly every householder, and the old road vanished.
An interesting section, with a most descriptive name, is the "Prairie" out at the Hanover end of High Street. Here the land is quite fertile and the level stretches make the estates of greater extent than in most sections of the town. Familiar family names here, (in Ridge Hill and Accord,) are: Prouty, Jones, French, Willcutt, Vining, Thomas, Robinson, Wilder, Farrar, Scully, Stoddard, Sheehan, Bowker, Studley, Grose, Gardner, Penniman, Young and Brewster. There are many descendants of the older families still residing here and some of the forgotten history of the section should, in some manner, be recorded and preserved for future generations.
169
CHAPTER XXXII
SOUTH SCITUATE SHIPYARDS
THE first point on the river where ships were built, strictly within the limits of what is today the Town of Norwell was probably at the town landing at Union Bridge. This was not a regular yard, but some small vessels were built here in early days and a number of gundalows were built and repaired.
Across the river in Marshfield, just a little way up, the Tildens and Oakmans were building as late as 1840.
The Block House yard, nearly a half mile above the bridge where the river makes a sharp bend, at the be- ginning of "Rocky Reach," was a building place for the James and Tildens from early times. In later days just previous to the division of the town, William James, David Torrey, Jotham and Luther Tilden did a great deal of building here. Rev. William P. Tilden, writing of the yard fifty years ago, said it was not a good one to work in as it was swampy and there was not much room for the lumber required to build a vessel. The old road- way down past the site of the old block house and farm where he himself lived for a few years, when a boy, was rough and difficult.
The tablet which marks this yard states that: "1707 to 1834 more than 51 vessels of 20 to 301 tons were built here."
About eight hundred feet up river an indentation in the bank, timbers still sunk in the river bed and the remains of an old saw pit, back on the upland, indicate that ves- sels were built and launched here. By whom is not known. It may have been used in connection with the "Block House" yard.
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SOUTH SCITUATE SHIPYARDS
Nearly three quarters of a mile beyond the Block House yard, at the mouth of the Second Herring Brook, is the yard usually known as the "Chittenden" yard. In this yard Job Randall, the Chittendens, Proutys, Torreys, Stetsons, Cudworths and Merritts have built. The ves- sels built here were comparatively small, and its chief distinction seems to be that vessels were built here later than at the other yards, three being built after 1860. The last, being launched in 1871, was built by Joseph Mer- ritt.
The tablet marking this yard reads: "1690 to 1871, more than 71 vessels of 20 to 301 tons."
A little way above is the site of the "Old Wanton" yard, where the Wantons and Curtis' in very early times, and later the Delanos, Fosters, Cudworths, Southers and Clapps built. The two largest vessels ever built on the river the "Mount Vernon 464 tons and "Lady Madison, 450 tons, were built by the Delanos, and Elisha Foster's sons with Walter Foster as master builder, launched a number of vessels, one of which was the "Globe" which was the scene of a mutiny in which the captain and mates were brutally murdered and the ringleaders and many others lost their lives, either fighting among themselves or at the hands of the natives of a lonely island in the Pacific to which they had taken the vessel. Cummings Litchfield later built at this yard.
This tablet states: "1670 to 1840 more than 107 ves- sels of 20 to 464 tons."
For a long distance beyond the Wanton yard there was no yard on the Norwell side of the river as in most places the meadows extended quite a distance from the upland. Vessels were built at "Gravelly Beach" on the Marshfield side.
Next is the Palmer and Church yard, later the Ford and Copeland yard, now referred to as the "Fox Hill or Sunset Hill" yard.
Elias Pratt and Elisha Tolman built here in later times
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HISTORY OF SOUTH SCITUATE - NORWELL
and Elijah Barstow and Thomas Waterman, who built the last vessel at this yard, the Lizzie J. Bigelow in 1868. This is the last yard within the bounds of Norwell. The tablet describing this yard reads : 1690 to 1868 more than 56 vessels 20 to 350 tons."
To visit any of the old yards one could with difficulty picture the activities of a hundred years ago, in the quiet and peace that now surround them.
172
CHAPTER XXXIII
SCHOONER HELEN M. FOSTER
FROM the very beginning it was the custom of the set-
tlers here in the shore towns of Massachusetts Bay and even those quite a ways inland to go cod and mackerel fishing in the bay, on George's Banks, the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and Bay of Chaleur.
While many followed the sea as a regular means of livelihood, in the China and East India trade, there were countless small fishing vessels of from twenty to sixty- five tons that made fishing trips in the summer, and in the fall going to Virginia or Carolina for corn or to the West Indies with fish and potatoes, bringing back molasses and sugar.
There were very few families in these towns in which some member and in many instances all of the male mem- bers, after haying, which was an important farm chore in those days, did not make a trip fishing. It was a sort of vacation eagerly looked forward to, and if the trip was successful, and the salt was "all wet" it made a very paying vacation as well.
The vessels were usually owned by several persons, the skipper owning a few shares and some of his neighbors or local merchants the rest. At the end of the trip there was a division of profits, if any profit was made, the ves- sel taking a certain percent, the skipper and crew the bal- ance. The era which ended at the time of the Civil War witnessed the height of the fishing industry and fleets fitted out at Hingham, Cohasset and Scituate and the yards on the North River, where many of the vessels were built, were very busy.
In 1870 Ephraim Snow of Cohasset, needing a vessel,
173
HISTORY OF SOUTH SCITUATE - NORWELL
came to Joseph Merritt of South Scituate, who had al- ready built two vessels at the 'Chittenden' yard on the North River, and made his wants known. Mr. Merritt had been identified with both the fishing and building industry all his life. His first fishing trip was made at the age of twelve years when he went as cook with his father. In those days there were no galley stoves, all the cooking being done with the old fashioned fire places. He was so small that he could not swing the large iron kettle, one of the men having to hang it for him. Later he was in the blacksmith business and ironed vessels at the North River and at South Boston. He also made a specialty of getting out ship timber and helped supply many of the yards along the river.
A company was formed, the shareholders being the fol- lowing: Edwin Jacobs of the Assinippi section of South Scituate, Elnathan Cushing, a ship carpenter of South Scituate, Joseph Merritt and Seth Foster also of South Scituate, Horace Dodd of Boston, Albert Whiting and At- kinson Nye of Hingham, Charles Jacobs of Hanover and Ephraim Snow of Cohasset.
At this time, first class ship carpenters could be had in plenty. Men who had worked in the "River" yards and later at the Charlestown Navy yard during the war.
The keel was laid in the fall of 1870 and work was car- ried through the winter and spring. Receipts in the pos- session of the writer show that the following men were among those who worked on the vessel: From South Scituate there were Elnathan Cushing, Joseph S. Clapp, Matthew Stetson, Waters B. Barker, George O. Torrey, David W. Studley, Andrew S. Greene, Joshua Stetson and Benjamin Nichols. The Scituate men were Andrew Cole, George W. Whitcomb, Moses L. Brown, calker, Nathaniel Wade, Harvey Litchfield, Marsena W. Damon, Frederick Cushing. Joseph Cudworth, then living in Charlestown built the pumps and Thomas R. Lawrence of South Scit- uate did the painting. Ship timber and supplies were purchased from Barstow and Waterman of East Boston,
174
LAST OF SOUTH SCITUATE SHIPS
Schooner Helen M. Foster, ready to slide into the North River at Chittenden Landing, June, 1871. (Cut loaned by Chief Justice Cushing Chapter D. A. R.)
THE MAY ELMS
where Rev. Samuel J. May, pastor of First Church 1836-1842 lived. The fine trees were planted by Mr. May. Photo by Col. Charles W. Furlong (Cut copyrighted, and loaned by Scituate Historical Society)
SCHOONER HELEN M. FOSTER
Hiram Gardner of Hanover, Galen and Charles Latham, Samuel C. Cudworth, Samuel Church, Edgar Tilden and others.
The launching early in June 1871 was quite an event. It had been some time since there was a launching at any local yard and people came from quite a distance to wit- ness it. As the vessel slid into the water she was chris- tened Helen M. Foster after the sister of one of the own- ers, and the wife of Mr. Merritt, the builder.
The photograph taken by James H. Williams, a pioneer photographer of South Scituate and Nantasket, was an excellent picture of the launching and copies are still in possession of some of the older families. It shows a num- ber of people on board and also lined up alongside in the yard, many of whom can be recognized by people now liv- ing.
In taking the vessel out of the river and up to Boston, Capt. Charles L. Tilden of East Marshfield, an old river packet captain, staked the channel and furnished these men : William S. Porter, Alvin Porter, P. S. Sherman, L. L. Harrington.
The old mouth of the river which was about a mile below the "Ferry" or Humarock was badly choked by a bar which had formed and some difficulty was encount- ered in crossing, the boat having to be keeled over on her side so as not to draw too much water. It evidently took five days to get her down the river and over the bar as there is a receipt which reads:
"South Scituate, June 10, 1871. For going down river on board the Helen M. Foster, five days work. The amount $11.25. Daniel R. Ewell."
People to this day remember Dan's story of going down river and George O. Torrey's stories of the ship yards.
After being rigged and outfitted at East Boston she made several trips for her owners, but was not a financial success and in 1879 she was sold. For some years she was in the coasting trade and was owned in Maine being often
175
HISTORY OF SOUTH SCITUATE- NORWELL
seen by people from this vicinity, but she has now drop- ped entirely out of sight.
Whether she foundered at sea, was broken up or her name changed, cannot be learned.
This is the story of the Helen M. Foster, 65 tons, the last vessel built and launched on North River.
The old yards are all deserted and were they not mark- ed by tablets, there are very few people living who could locate them. No more do the old ox carts creak and groan with heavy loads of ship timber, along the narrow ways leading to the river. No more are the shouts of the teamsters and the sound of the axes heard on the frosty mornings. The generations that built there have all passed on and nothing now remains of those stirring times but a memory.
176
CHAPTER XXXIV
AGRICULTURE, POULTRY FARMS
Agriculture
W JITHIN the past twenty years the situation in regard to agriculture has entirely changed. In the earlier days the town would have been classed as a farming com- munity. Then, every little place was used by its occu- pants to raise crops to help support the family. Most people kept a horse, one or two cows, a pig and poultry. Whatever occupation or trade the householder had, out- side of this, the family lived almost entirely on what was raised on his place. Most everybody owned a wood lot where the winter's supply of fuel was cut. Scattered over the town were large farms of fifty acres or more. Today the majority of these have been cut up into smaller holdings and house lots. There are very few real farms left. The hay fields have run out and new owners usually consider them more desirable if grown up to brush or woods.
Among the few real farms still used as such are those of Harry G. Pinson, Henry C. Ford, Gustaf Peterson, Arthur L. Power, Charles Georgetti, The "Homestead" farm of the Davises, The Burns Bros., William D. Jacobs, · Benjamin Loring, Andrew Maxwell, George Cavanagh, and Bertram Joseph. The green house business of Charles A. Berry, one of the largest in this section has been dis- continued and the outlying fields rented. James Samp- son, Cushing Hatch, George H. Turner, Henry A. Turner, James Green, Edward Sexton, C. A. Litchfield, John Wha- len, Joseph Hatch and Frank Hammond, farmers of form- er days, have passed on.
Since about 1880 poultry farming has been carried on
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HISTORY OF SOUTH SCITUATE - NORWELL
quite extensively. In those days William H, Rudd and Sons, originated the "Orocco" strain of Barred Plymouth Rocks and did a large business for many years. Curtis Bros., The Farrars, Carlton Richardson, Henry D. Smith, Francis Henderson, William Henderson, Wallace Damon, William D. Jacobs, the Halls, William O. Prouty, Jesse Reed and Frederick Morey are among those who have been in the business. Clarence Lewis is conducting an extensive plant on South Street. During the last few sea- sons turkey raising has been carried on to a considerable extent in Mt. Blue and Assinippi.
By far the largest establishment in town or in this sec- tion of the state is that of Joseph Tolman of River Street. He raises day old chicks for the market and ships many thousands of them annually, all over the country. For a number of years he has advocated the open front house and is considered the originator and chief exponent of that type of house in this country. He has had wonderful success with it and his mammoth establishment of a hun- dred and thirty acres, devoted exclusively to the business is visited by hundreds of interested people each year. There were over twenty-five thousand fowl of the age of six months and over assessed in the town the past year. There is no record of the thousands of young birds mark- eted.
Walter R. Hall and William D. Jacobs have two very large establishments on Washington Street. Louis Os- berg has built up a poultry business at Church Hill.
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1
CHAPTER XXXV
SWAMP LANDS
IN the allotment of lands to the first settlers much atten- tion was given to the swamp lands. These were laid out in portions of from two to seven acres, the last of them being distributed to the freemen in 1673, they being re- quired to clear them, to break up the dens of wolves and also prevent the miring of cattle.
Some people own land on which they pay taxes that they do not see from one year's end to another, and in many cases do not know where it is located.
It used to be the custom for the older inhabitants, who owned outlying swamp and wood lands that were not fenced, to once a year go over their bounds and see if their marking stakes were in position and renew those that were removed or rotted down. That generation has all gone and the old deeds and few torn and faded plans still in existence are all that there is to help in running down the bounds of these lots.
The reason that these swamp lands were considered so valuable by the early settlers was the excellent growth both of white cedar and of pine, which they bore. Cedar was used very extensively up to the present time for shingles for all building purposes and until the advent of the wire fence, great quantities were required for post and rail fences.
The swamp pines were much straighter, freer from knots, and better suited for building purposes than those that grew on the uplands.
There were also in early times quite a number of spruce swamps scattered throughout the town. There is almost no spruce here at present.
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HISTORY OF SOUTH SCITUATE - NORWELL
Dead Swamp
Between Central, Winter Street and Mill Lane is a large tract of land that has always been known as "Dead Swamp." This was formed by a colony of beavers. These busy animals long ago dammed the Second Her- ring Brook at this place, and overflowed the surrounding lowlands, not very deep, but covering quite a large ter- ritory. Long afterwards there was a dam built on the site of this beaver dam to furnish power for a mill. This was about 1801. The Turners, Elijah and Lemuel were, we believe, the builders.
Since that time until about fifteen years ago there has always been a mill on this location.
The swamp with its water, brush, snakes and tangles has always been a gruesome place.
It is chiefly known for the wonderful blueberries which grow there. In the month of August for more than a century, people who cared to brave the discomforts of the swamp have taken quantities of these berries from the overloaded bushes. It has always been a nesting place for wild ducks and other game birds.
Many years ago there used to be a charcoal pit on the side hill back of the swamp, where charcoal was burned for the local blacksmiths, before the use of soft coal, or Cumberland coal as it was called, became the custom. It is a tradition that "Black Bill," an old negro, had a camp here in shipbuilding days and worked on one of his ves- sels with which he hoped to sail south and free the slaves. It was said that he built them anywhere in the woods and when he had them partially completed would tear them to pieces and build another somewhere else.
Old Pond Swamp
This is that portion of low land once flooded by Cornet Stetson's mill dam. £ It is between Tiffany Road, Pine, Green and Pleasant Streets. This is quite a large tract of land and there were many owners of small lots some of which it would be difficult to locate today.
180
SWAMP LANDS
Hoop Pole Swamp Located between Main, Lincoln and Grove Streets. It has been known by this name since early times.
Burnt Plain Swamp Off Bowker Street, extending to Grove Street.
Halifax Swamp
The Walling map, 1857, lists a tract of land near Hal- ifax-Otis hill, as Halifax Swamp.
Valley Swamp
At the westerly end of Grove Street. There were many small lay outs by the committee in this swamp and an old vote on record in Scituate requesting the owners to have their layouts recorded.
George Moore's Swamp
Off Cross and Winter Streets and extending to Old Oaken Bucket Road in Scituate. The larger part is in Scituate. Much of this is now cranberry bog. The swamp was so called for an early settler here and is a contraction of the name George Moore.
Black Pond Swamp
Off Mt. Blue Street, around Black Pond and extending nearly to Summer Street. On the edge of this swamp was once located the farm of Joseph Clapp who about 1756 had charge of several Acadian refugees who were billeted with him for a time. Cuff Grandison, an old negro, was located here in Revolutionary days and died here.
181
CHAPTER XXXVI
STATE POLICE PATROL
DURING the year 1919, the evil of poultry stealing hav- ing become a serious matter in this district and those who were engaged in the industry locally being in con- stant danger of a heavy loss, different people, including Louis H. Ogden of Assinippi, asked that the new under- taking of policing the state be represented in Norwell. A station was opened under charge of Corporal Brown, its headquarters being in the Arts & Crafts building, now the post office building.
In a short time the force was increased to five men and citizens felt that a strong arm of protection was at hand. Succeeding corporals have been Lyman D. Pres- ton, Hector J. Pelletier, William Martin, Joseph Fratus, John T. Horgan, George D. Rapport, Norman S. Sidney and the present incumbent, Corporal Harry C. Smith.
The permanence of Norwell Center as the headquarters of D Troop, Station 1, Massachusetts State Patrol, has been made possible through the co-operation of town of- ficials and the public. The use of the old "pound" lot at the corner of Main and Central Streets was granted by the selectmen, a well was dug by volunteer labor and the temporary building which housed the troop stood there from 1923 to 1935. Then the state, while building six large, modern sub-stations, constructed one of them in Norwell, the present large structure at the head of West Street. A move to place the station on the state road, in North Pembroke was strongly supported in some quart- ers, but Norwell officials, strongly aided by Representa- tive Ernest H. Sparrell, succeeded in having the new station built here.
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CHAPTER XXXVII
THE SOUTH SCITUATE BRASS BAND
OON after the close of the war between the states, the S returned soldiers formed Grand Army Posts and, as they had become accustomed to martial music in the army, it is quite natural that their interest in such music should be quickened and coincidentally that military bands should be formed to meet the needs of the new posts and the patriotism of the people generally. In this immedi- ate section there were the East Marshfield, North Scit- uate,, Hanover and South Scituate Brass Bands. Eve- ning concerts were given and the bands turned out with the posts on Memorial Day, and altogether they were a great benefit to the communities where they were located. They helped to enliven a people wearied with four long years of war and the consequent suffering and losses which war brings.
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