USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Norwell > Narrative history of South Scituate-Norwell, Massachusetts > Part 7
USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Scituate > Narrative history of South Scituate-Norwell, Massachusetts > Part 7
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Highway Surveyors
For some years there were twenty highway surveyors. Later there were eight, still later seven, one for each school district. In more recent times the policy has been to have three, and since 1910 there has been one. Among the more recent incumbents are: Richard P. Briggs, Arthur B. Chamberlin, Benjamin P. Foster, Francis E. Henderson, Walter Simmons, Carlton O. Litchfield, Edwin E. Jacobs, Timothy Sheehan, John W. Burns, Joseph H. Hatch, Joseph Briggs, Lloyd Frank Hammond, Emanuel P. Joseph, Walter T. Osborn, Perry H. Osborn.
During the ten years Mr. Norwell was contributing
89
HISTORY OF SOUTH SCITUATE - NORWELL
toward the upkeep of the roads, he was chosen a road commissioner or surveyor and delegated a substitute to represent him.
Tree Wardens
The following gentlemen have served as Tree Wardens : John Corthell Fred M. Curtis John H. Sparrell John T. Osborn
Board of Health
The Selectmen formerly acted as a Board of Health. In 1892 Dr. Harry J. Little was added to the Board.
In 1896 he was elected for three years, Melvin Little for two years and Alpheus Thomas for one year.
The custom has continued to the present time and the following people have served :
Dr. Frederic D. Lyon
George C. Turner
Clifton S. Deane
Frederic H. Kidder
Francis E. Henderson
Rev. Henry D. Dix
Edward W. Gardner
Ernest H. Sparrell
Minot Williamson John F. Wilder
Lyman Wadsworth Mrs. Mary B. Shattuck
Joseph F. Merritt
Horace D. Gaudette
Registrars of Voters
In September 1884, Seth Foster, John H. Prouty and Charles W. Tilden were appointed a Board of Registrars. Ebenezer T. Fogg, by virtue of his office as Town Clerk was Clerk of the Board.
Since that date the following have served as Registrars :
Charles H. Merritt, Joseph C. Otis, Clerk; Edward M. Sexton, Ezra E. Stetson, Arthur T. Stoddard, Wm. H. Appleford, Harold E. Stetson, Henry J. Tolman, Charles A. Berry, William O. Sexton, Joseph F. Merritt, Clerk; Jeremiah H. Lehan, William O. Prouty, Harry G. Pinson, Edward B. Haskins.
90
TELEPHONE EXCHANGE.
Formerly the home of Mr. and Mrs. John E. Corthell and later of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert S. Turner. The new exchange, opened in 1936, is a model for a town of moderate size.
(Photograph by courtesy of New England Tel. and Tel. Co.)
TOWN OFFICERS
Advisory Board
In 1922 the Town voted that the selectmen appoint an advisory board consisting of nine non-office holding taxpayers to serve without pay, to investigate and con- sider all financial propositions or articles to be brought before the town and to report or advise thereon in open town meeting before action by the town. A set of by- laws to govern the board was adopted in 1923.
Since that date the following men have served on the board:
Horace T. Fogg
Alan C. Virtue
E. Lincoln Wood
George H. Wilder
John H. Gutterson
William D. Jacobs
James H. Barnard
W. Wallace Farrar
Charles W. Thomas
Jared A. Gardner
Henry C. Ford
Dr. Marshall H. Bailey
George M. Currier
Fred R. Burnside
Henry D. Smith
Albert L. Sylvester
G. Otis Rogers
Albert L. Sylvester Jr.
Frederic C. Haskins
A. Lester Scott
Town Seal
The first Town Seal was adopted on March 6, 1899, during the time Mr. Joseph C. Otis was Town Clerk. It consisted of a two masted shallop on the stocks and was from a design made up in the Secretary of State's office.
May 11, 1925, at a Special Town Meeting, it was vot- ed to add to the legend of the Town Seal the names and dates, Scituate 1636, South Scituate 1849, Norwell, 1888. Mr. Wm. J. Leonard of the Board of Selectmen was the committee to revise the seal. He submitted a design with a pinkie on the stocks, a vessel similar to the one on the original seal and the added legend. This was adopted and is in use today. The type of ves- sel shown was built and used in this section from about 1780 to 1820 as fishing vessels. It was taken from a model made by Joseph Merritt about fifty years ago.
91
HISTORY OF SOUTH SCITUATE - NORWELL
Physicians
Notwithstanding the fact that during the past twenty years we have numbered among our summer residents, several physicians and surgeons, there has been no reg- ular resident physician practicing in town, until recently.
Among the earlier doctors of Scituate who lived and practiced in this part of the town were :-
Dr. Isaac Otis as early as 1719, Dr. James Otis, Dr. Cushing Otis, Dr. Ephraim Otis, Dr. Freeman Foster, all of whom were natives of Scituate, and Dr. Milton Fuller. Dr. Foster was still in the saddle when the new town was formed as he did not die until 1863, at the age of eighty- six.
Since 1849 the following gentlemen have practiced here :
Dr. A. Everett Stetson who was here in 1850 and lived on Main Street.
Dr. T. H. Dearing was here for a few years from about 1853 and lived on Central Street. He removed to Brain- tree.
Dr. Nathan P. Brownell came here from Vermont. He practiced until his death in 1885. He lived at the corner of Main and Winter Streets.
Dr. Harry J. Little settled here in 1886. He practiced until 1913 when he removed to Los Angeles, Cal., where he died, October 15, 1935. He was a member of the Board of Health for many years and of the School Com- mittee for a time. He was born in Springfield, Vermont and was a graduate of Boston University Medical School.
Dr. Frederick D. Lyon settled in the west part of town in 1912. He was there three years. He was elected a member of the Board of Health in 1914. He resided on Oak Street. He was born in Clinton, Mass.
Dr. Hayward W. Cushing had been a citizen of the town for many years at the time of his death. Dr. Mar- shall H. Bailey on retiring from practice in Cambridge became a year round resident. Col. J. D. R. Woodworth
92
!
TOWN OFFICERS
of the Medical Corps U. S. A., holds a residence here. The Cushing O. Briggs place on Cross Street has been the summer home of Dr. Arthur R. Kimpton for a number of years. Dr. Frederick S. Burns is on Main Street.
Dr. Raymond G. Vinal a graduate of Boston University Medical School, located in town as a practicing physician, July 15th, 1937. His father, Prof. William Gould Vinal is a native of Norwell and Dr. Vinal had spent some of his boyhood days and received some of his early school- ing here.
His father, Professor Vinal, still maintains his summer residence here.
93
CHAPTER XIII
FORESTS, HIGHWAYS, BRIDGES AND LANDINGS, CENSUS
CCORDING to the State Forester's report for 1918, A the total acreage of the town was 13,653 divided as follows :
Forest land, pine, oak and maple 10,475
Tillage and hay 2,443
Pasture 211
Residential
89
Water
51
Cranberry bog
13
Marsh 371
Today these figures have probably changed. The resi- dential acreage has without doubt, increased very much and the tillage and hay land has diminished. The amount of wood land remains about the same.
In the great storm of November 27, 1898, there was a large amount of heavy growth white pine uprooted and overturned and for the next five years the local mills and the portable steam mills that were brought into help, were very busy in working it up, several million feet be- ing marketed.
The gypsy moth plague of twenty years ago killed out most of the heavy growth oak, and the fine cedar swamps of early times have been nearly all cut off. There is much young growth pine at present, but with the changed conditions there is little call for pine lumber and very little promise for the near future. The market for maple and oak wood is also very light. This has worked quite a hardship on the small land owners who depended on the sale of wood and lumber to help out.
94
FORESTS, HIGHWAYS, BRIDGES, ETC.
A few years ago some of the landowners adopted the practice of setting out waste and cut over lands to lum- ber bearing trees, and the town appointed a Forestry Committee and made a small appropriation each year to reforest such land, as was acquired by tax sale and was suitable for the purpose to be known as a Town Forest.
The late Mr. Horace T. Fogg, Frederic C. Haskins and James H. Barnard each planted a number of acres.
Mr. Clifton S. Deane, Fred B. Cochran and Fred M. Curtis were the Forest Committee. Mr. Deane, Walter C. Barnard and Charles A. Bruce are the present com- mittee.
Census
The population on the following dates was as follows:
1850
1770
1855
1791
1865
1578
1875
1818
1900
1560
1915
1563
1930
1519
1935
1666
Highways
There are approximately forty-nine and one half miles of highways in town. Two of these are state highways. Of the others, most of the through ways have been mod- ernized and tarvia coated in the past twenty years, with the help of state appropriations, and at present most of the side streets are being gravel coated and many of them tarred.
Barrell Lane was discontinued as a highway in 1890. Barstow Avenue was laid out as a town way in 1894. Mill Lane from Central Street to a point near the mill dam was accepted as a town way in 1935.
Town Landing at Union Bridge
Just when this landing was established we have not
95
HISTORY OF SOUTH SCITUATE - NORWELL
been able to learn, but it was very early, (Deane says 1645), and it was used continuously until the 1898 storm.
Located on the highway it was easily accessible and was not only used for landing hay, but in packet days, much freight was unloaded there, and wood and produce shipped to Boston. Fifty years ago there were always two or three gundalows hauled up, or being repaired, and many were built there.
In 1891 the town appropriated $100 and Frank Turner built out the wharf and put on a new cap sill. Some years later Arthur L. Power was a committee to make repairs on the landing. It seems rather short sighted that when the new cement bridge was built and the road raised by order of the County Commissioners that no provision was made to get on to the landing as might easily have been done when the work was in progress. This was done later in 1933-34 by the W. P. A.
Chittenden Landing
A landing was early set apart and established where Job Randall first built vessels. In 1695 the Selectmen being authorized to renew and locate those "Ancient" layouts that had not been recorded, re-established the bounds of this landing and the town way to the main road.
One hundred and six years later, April 6, 1801, Elijah Turner was chosen agent to ascertain and clear the land- ing place near the Widow Ruth Chittenden's.
November 30, 1801, the committee chosen August 18, 1801, to renew the bounds of the landing reported that it was satisfactorily accomplished and the report was signed by the Selectmen, Elisha Foster, Charles Turner, Jr., and Silvanus Clapp, for the town and by Lydia Stetson and Ruth Chittenden, widow of Nathaniel Chittenden, ad- joining land owners.
In 1861 Samuel Tolman Jr., agent for the Town of South Scituate to ascertain the bounds of the Chittenden Landing reported to the town. Elijah Cudworth and David Torrey the abutting owners at that time were pres-
96
PAGEANT SCENE, CHITTENDEN LANDING, 1936 Site where schooner Helen M. Foster was built.
(Photograph by Ace Photo Service, Boston)
FORESTS, HIGHWAYS, BRIDGES, ETC.
ent and assisted the agent in establishing the bounds, and signed a statement that they were satisfied and relin- quished all title thereto.
King's Landing
This was not a town landing, but for many years it was used by the people of the easterly part of what is now Norwell.
It was located at Stony Brook Creek and called King's Landing after the family of King, who owned the land and were very prominent among the early settlers.
Block House and Wanton's Landings
At these yards the packets used to make regular stops and leave and take on freight for people near by, but like King's Landing, they were not regular town landings.
Union Bridge
The only bridge to cross the river within the limits of Norwell is Union Bridge. A ferry was established at this location in 1644 by Elisha Bisbee, whose son Elisha, was one of the first tavern keepers of Scituate. The Oak- mans ran this ferry for years, and one of them Capt. To- bias Oakman was for forty years captain of a packet trading between North River and Boston. John Tolman succeeded the Oakmans and ran the ferry until the first bridge was built in 1802. This bridge was built by a com- pany and was a toll bridge. Hatch Tilden was keeper for many years and lived in what is now the John Keliher house in Marshfield. In 1850 the towns of South Scitu- ate and Marshfield took over the bridge and it was made a free bridge. There have been four bridges at this point; two of wood, one of steel and the present one of concrete with steel draw.
The wooden bridges served from 1802 to 1899, when the towns contracted with the Pittsburg Bridge Company for a steel bridge. This bridge lasted until 1917 when it
97
HISTORY OF SOUTH SCITUATE-NORWELL
was replaced by the present one, the two towns and the County of Plymouth bearing the expense.
In 1898 there was a petition before the County Com- missioners for a new road and bridge from the Haskins place on Stetson Road by the David B. Ford place, now the George Morton place, out to the "Two Mile" in Marshfield. The Town voted to oppose the petition and the plan fell through.
98
CHAPTER XIV OLD ALMSHOUSE
IN 1818 the Town of Scituate voted to establish an alms- house and a house was purchased on what was known as Herring Brook Hill, for this purpose. This place was built by Capt. Lane and was later owned and occupied by Silas Morton, George Little Esq., and Josiah L. James, the man who in after years gave the money to establish a li- brary. The total cost was $3,000. Within three years the building was burned (in 1821) by John Woodward, who was angry with the overseers so Deane says, for placing his wife there. Woodward was sent to jail where he died.
The last house with its four immense chimneys and a fire place in every room, was built in 1821 at a total cost of over $4,000, including barn and prison house.
From that time the building served as a home for the poor and unfortunate of the Town of Scituate until 1849 and for the Towns of South Scituate and Norwell to 1935. The town of South Scituate purchasing it, in the division agreement between the two towns.
During this long period of years the old house knew many a heartache, of people who were obliged to go there and on the other hand many found a comfortable and pleasant home in which to end their days.
In the old basement seventy-five years ago the old men used to smoke and swap yarns, while earning a little poc- ket money, picking oakum. For many years in a little room in the front basement a little old man cobbled shoes for the village people.
Back of the almhouse was an old building that was known to the people of earlier generations as the "Old
99
HISTORY OF SOUTH SCITUATE-NORWELL
Prison House." It had in those days wooden cells and local offenders, tramps and violently insane people were temporarily confined there.
In early times the mildly insane were kept at the alms- house and not sent to institutions as they are today. When I was a small boy I was told that one of the inmates who was subject to fits of violent insanity could always tell when they were coming on and would send for a neighbor and friend to handcuff and chain him so that he might do no harm to the other inmates.
From the beginning the selectmen's office was always in a little room in the front of the building. With the di- vision of the town the same custom continued and the town office as it had come to be known, was the starting point for about all of the projects affecting the town. It was here that the meeting was held that resulted in the establishment of the savings bank in 1834-5.
It used to be the custom for the selectmen when meet- ing on town business, to eat at the almshouse, and they were always subjected to a great deal of joking from the voters even in town meetings. There is a vote still on the records, instructing the selectmen "to board them- selves."
In the 70's there was a period of hard times and un- employment following the Civil war and great numbers of men were continually going from town to town in search of work. These were fed and lodged at the expense of the towns, where they happened to be when it came night and the old almshouse and the prison house in South Scit- uate sheltered hundreds of them. The town report gives the number for 1876 as 478, the largest number for one night being 16. Some of them would stay for several days, plying their trades. There was an old man who re- paired umbrellas, who came regularly each year and an- other who caned chairs. This man was locally known as "Garibaldi" a nickname given him by the keeper, Mr. Healey, in honor of the Italian patriot, although the man really came from Ireland.
100
WINTER SCENE IN NORWELL CENTER, 1904 Photographed from a position near present State Police Station. Snow banks, left by plow, directly in front of camera. (Photo by Herbert E. Robbins)
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SOUTH SCITUATE
9
School
E. Jacobs
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SOUTH
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Dr Foster
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C. Blanchard
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DIAGRAMS FROM WALLING MAP PUBLISHED 1857 (Photograph of Walling Map by Jared Gardner. Map loaned by Wilfred Bowker, Accord.)
OLD ALMSHOUSE
It was a pitiful sight on a cold snowy day to see the men waiting around in the streets and blacksmith shops in the late afternoon, waiting for the time when they could be admitted to the house. In the morning they were re- quired to saw wood for a time as a part payment for their lodging, and sent along to the next town. When the law was changed, tramps or stragglers as they were some- times called, became things of the past.
The original lot was added to by purchase of land at the back, which was formerly owned by Anson Robbins. The barn was moved and remodelled in 1867. Use of the old "Pound Lot," where stray cattle were once held, was granted, ten years ago, to the state, for the police bar- racks, recently removed.
On the same lot was a small building used as a store- house which was formerly the hearse house. It used to be the custom for the town to own a hearse and it was a part of the duty of the superintendent of the almshouse to drive it For years this building with a steeple on top was located in the First Parish Cemetery just opposite the home of Lester D. West and was taken by strangers to be a small chapel after it was remodeled by Israel Nash. When the old hearse was discarded about fifty years ago the building was moved to the town lot.
James Barrell was the first keeper and was followed by Capt. Ebenezer Bailey.
One of the earlier keepers was Paul Clapp who for sev- eral years kept a tavern at what is now the Judd place on Main street. Other keepers have been John Stetson, Laban Sprague, Mellen Minot, George Beasley, Oscar Healey, Stephen Benson, Jairus M. Healey, Frank Good- win, Charles H. Williston, Orlando H. Lake, C. F. Atkin- son, George B. Rolfe, Francis L. Smith, James H. Pink- ham, Capt. Charles E. Curtis, John G. Gardner, John F. Wilder, A. C. Chisholm, Edwin F. Harris and Albert Merritt.
These men and their wives had charge of the institu- tion for more than a century.
101
CHAPTER XV
THE SOUTH SCITUATE SAVINGS BANK
IN 1834 the active business men of Scituate banded toge- ther and formed the "Scituate Institution for Savings." By special act of the Legislature, April 2, 1834, Samuel A. Turner, Anson Robbins and Ebenezer T. Fogg, their as- sociates and successors, were incorporated under that name. From that time the bank has continued to thrive and has been a great factor in the business and financial life of the community.
When the town was divided in 1849, the name was changed to the South Scituate Savings Bank, the name it bears today.
At this time there was an era of prosperity in the town. The fishing industry at the "Harbor," thirty or more ves- sels fitting out there each year, together with ship build- ing, in which the people in the inland portion of the town were largely interested. In the westerly part, in what is now Norwell, where the new bank was located, the ship- yards along the North River having had a twenty year run, since the war of 1812-14, when building was to a cer- tain extent crippled, were at their peak. People were busy and prosperous, and its founders justly felt that there was an opening for an institution of this kind in the community.
In its early days the business was transacted in a small office attached to the home of its treasurer, Ebenezer T. Fogg. This house was for many years the residence of the late Horace T. Fogg, the third treasurer of the bank, founder of the Rockland Trust Company and its president at the time of his death.
102
THE SOUTH SCITUATE SAVINGS BANK
When the second Ebenezer T. Fogg was chosen treas- urer, the bank was removed to a room on the north side of the store, which stood where the present bank building stands. This building was burned October 5, 1884 and the bank went back for a short time to the little office where it began its existence. On the completion of the new building, it took up its present quarters. These have from time to time been added to, and in July 1921 the bank acquired possession of the entire building. Altera- tions were then made which have lasted to the extensive remodeling during 1935-36, celebrating the Centennial Anniversary.
It may be said that the bank has always been a close corporation, since three of the five treasurers have been descendants of the first treasurer and one of the original corporators, Ebenezer T. Fogg. The present treasurer is also the great grandson of another original corporator and the first vice-president of the bank, Anson Robbins.
The clerks have been in like manner of the Litchfield and Fogg names for many years, and from generation to generation we find sons of the fathers serving on the board of trustees. The list of officers who have served during the past century is made up of men well known and active in the business and political life of the com- munity, representative citizens of their time.
As the bank grew in years, it gradually reached out into the neighboring towns as is evidenced by the repre- sentation of these towns on the board of trustees and other officers. Moses F. Rogers of Pembroke and Marsh- field, serving as President for twenty-one years, George H. Weatherbee of Marshfield, two years, Perez Simmons of Hanover and his son John F., each served seven years. Henry Norwell, a Boston business man for whom the town was named, three years, Henry J. Curtis of Hanover, three years and the present President William F. Bates, also of Hanover, who has served 19 years.
Charles H. Killam, Edward A. Bowker, Lot Phillips, Fred Phillips and Jedediah Dwelley of Hanover, Thomas
103
HISTORY OF SOUTH SCITUATE-NORWELL
F. Buttimer and Frank H. Wright of Hingham, Calvin S. West of Pembroke, Charles H. Waterman and Arthur H. Damon of Scituate, Granville D. Damon and Walter H. Damon of Marshfield, are among those who have repre- sented their respective town in the capacity of trustee.
On January 30, 1897 in view of the serious illness of the treasurer, Ebenezer T. Fogg, who had held that office for thirty-six years, the trustees appointed his son, Hor- ace T. Fogg treasurer. Mr. Fogg held this office until 1911, when on account of other interests he resigned, but continued to serve on the board of trustees until his death on August 21, 1930.
Harry T. Fogg, his nephew was elected treasurer in his place and continued in that office for eight years, re- signing to take another position. He is still a member of the board of trustees and clerk of the Corporation.
Herbert E. Robbins, the present treasurer was elected in 1919.
The terms of service are as follows :
Ebenezer T. Fogg
1835-1861
Ebenezer T. Fogg, Jr.
1861-1897
Horace T. Fogg
1897-1911
Harry T. Fogg
1911-1919
Herbert E. Robbins
1919 to present
The following gentlemen have served as Presidents :
Cushing Otis
1835-1837
Walter Foster
1838-1841
William James
1842-1851
Albion Turner
1852-1853
Moses Rogers
1854-1875
George H. Weatherbee
1876-1877
Perez Simmons
1878-1885
John F. Simmons
1886-1893
Henry Norwell
1894-1896
Henry J. Curtis
1897-1899
Joseph H. Corthell
1900-1919
William F. Bates
1920-
104
THE SOUTH SCITUATE SAVINGS BANK
Officers 1937
President Vice President Clerk of Corporation
William F. Bates
Henry C. Ford
Harry T. Fogg
Trustees
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