Our country and its people; a descriptive and biographical record of Bristol County, Massachusetts, Part 15

Author: Borden, Alanson, 1823-1900; Boston History Company, Boston, pub
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: [Boston] Boston History Company
Number of Pages: 1399

USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Our country and its people; a descriptive and biographical record of Bristol County, Massachusetts > Part 15

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Received of the Purchasers and Proprietors full satisfaction for my Salary for about fifteen years Last past as a Schoolmaster for Shewammock purchase only re- maining due to me the sum of fifty-one pounds sixteen shillings and eight pence old Tenor on Dec. 27 last. Witness my hand. Wm. Hart.

This document carries the school record back to about 1728. In 1746 a "warrant was lawfully called to know the minds of the meeting whether a small addition to the school house where the master lives is not needful, as many in the Purchase cannot send their great children when the school comes to their turn, and could have an opportunity of having them taught in the evenings if the school-house were con-

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

venient, which at present is not." The warrant was signed by John Peirce and Job Chase. A later vote was "to build an addition with a chimney to the house"; it was also voted to have "a small cellar under the same." In 1751 William Hart was still teaching the school on the Purchase, and a vote was put "whether William Hart the School- master should have one Hundred fifteen pounds old tenor for ye year ensuing. Voted in the niggetive." In 1769 a new school house was built to supersede the old structure. From that time forward school facilities in the town gradually improved, the town was divided into districts and houses were built as necessity demanded.

The earliest religious body in the territory of Somerset was the Friends. At a quarterly meeting held in Rhode Island, September 13, 1732, Samuel Aldrich reported that he had been among the Friends in Swansea (in what is now Somerset) and "find them very unanimous therein." It was thereupon agreed by the meeting that a Monthly Meeting should be established at Swansea, to be held on the second day of the week in each month. The first meeting was held in the next month and John Earle was chosen clerk. This society has con- tinued its existence to the present time. The meeting-house is situated. in the south part of the town.

The First Baptist Church of Somerset was organized November 8, 1803. When Nathaniel Lyons settled in the town in 1796, being a con- sistent Christian and finding no church of the Baptist creed, he began holding meetings in his own house; a little later they were held in the school house and were well attended and occasionally were addressed by a regular minister. The result was the organization of the society. A house of worship was finished during the year 1804; Asa Pierce was the first clerk and William Barton the first deacon. For about three years after the organization the church was without a pastor, but in 1806 William Barton, jr., was appointed preacher, and was succeeded in June, 1809, by Bela Jacobs, one of the constituent members of the church. He preached about two years and was followed by Mr. Bar- ton, who again ministered about two years. In 1823 Elisha Slade, one of the church members, was appointed preacher, who, after seven years' service, was regularly ordained and continued over a period of twenty years, during which the society greatly prospered. The church united with the Warren Association and thus continued until 1836, when it joined the Taunton Baptist Association. The society has worshiped in three different buildings; first in the school house; next in the present

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FROM 1776 TO 1815.

house, which was vacated for about thirteen years, the society occupy- ing meanwhile a smaller structure on Main street, which was built dur- ing the ministry of Mr. Slade and dedicated in June, 1830. In 1844 the former house was refitted and improved and again occupied. At dif- ferent times since the building has been extensively improved. Later pastors after Mr. Slade were Revs. Benjamin C. Grafton, E. K. Fuller, Charles Randall, J. C Morrell, Samuel J. Carr, George Daland, T. C. Tingley, L. L. Fittz, T. M. Butler, Gideon Cole, F. A. Pease, W. A. Crafts, A. D. Spalding, J. R. Vary and T. O. Harlow.

The Methodist Episcopal Church in South Somerset is one of the oldest societies of this denomination in Bristol county. Preaching in this faith began in 1800 by Rev. Joseph Snelling, then on the Warren Circuit, at the invitation of John Wilbour, who then lived in that local- ity; the meetings were held at Mr. Wilbour's house. Soon a class of seven persons, most of whom resided in Swansea, was formed, and in 1802 the church was organized. Measures were adopted in 1804 for building a house of worship; in this work Dr. John Winslow, of Swan- sea, and Capt. William Read, who had retired from the sea, took an active interest. The latter donated a beautiful site on the northwestern corner of his farm and there a plain structure was erected. It was dedicated by Rev. Alexander McLane, and for forty five years was a conspicuous object in the beautiful landscape. This became one of the prominent societies in the ever-varying circuit, and at a later date be- came a charge, with a stationed minister. In 1841 the Methodist Epis- copal Church in Somerset village was organized, after which date the old church has been known as the South Somerset Church. In 1849 the old edifice was demolished and the present one erected on the site; a parsonage was built in 1861. The church was largely altered and im- proved in 1870.

In early years ship-building was extensively carried on at Somerset ; twelve vessels were constructed in the five years previous to 1837, and in the ten years beginning with 1849, this business was still more ex- tensive. Several large government vessels were constructed at the yard on the site of the Mount Hope Iron Works. One of the early in . dustries was an anchor forge, which stood on the site of the Old Colony Nail Works. Stone and earthen ware have been extensively manufac- tured, as described further on; at one period there were seven potteries in existence.

The town of Fairhaven was originally a part of the town of New

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

Bedford (incorporated 1787) and much of its early war history is in- cluded in the later chapters devoted to that town. The Indian name of this region was Sconticut, a name perpetuated in that of Sconticut Neck, which stretches from the southeastern part of the town into Buz- zard's Bay. Settlements were made on the site of Fairhaven village coincident with those of New Bedford, and shared to some extent in the early whale fishery and other industries of the latter place. It was, however, only a small hamlet for a number of years, the first record of the laying out of a street appearing in 1790, and the first church was not established until 1794. The village remained confined to a few wharves and short streets up to about 1830. Among the very early settlers here were Seth Pope, Thomas Taber, Jonathan Delano, Isaac Pope, Lettice Jenny, Samuel Jenny, Mark Jenny, Valentine Huddle- stone, Samuel Spooner, William Spooner, John Spooner, Joseph Tripp, Daniel Sherman, Edmund Sherman and John Davis. Many of these names are familiar in the history of the town in a later period. The first settlers were scattered over the territory from the Neck to what became Acushnet. There was a garrison on the bank of the river in old war times, and a blockhouse. This was known as Cook's garrison.

One of the earliest purchasers of land was William Wood, who came from Little Compton in 1700 and purchased of Philip Taber a tract ex- tending from the so called Bread and Cheese road at Oxford village, just north of Fairhaven village, to the land of Elnathan Pope on the south. The southern boundary of this tract was the northern limit of the twenty- acre lot afterwards laid out for the original Fairhaven vil- lage. The house on this tract became the Wood homestead and was probably built soon after the close of the Indian war. A road was laid out in 1730 extending down upon Sconticut Neck. On March 28, 1745, a road was laid out from "Abraham Russell's wall to the county road a little northward of the Friends' meeting-house." This is supposed to be the road running from Naskatucket northwesterly towards Acushnet. The old road from Fairhaven to Oxford, previous to the construction of the Mill bridge about 1795, extended to the northeast from a point near the corner of Center and Green streets and opened into what be- came Rotch street.

A deed conveying land from William Wood to Elnathan Eldridge bears date December 12, 1760, and describes land including a large part of the territory at that point. Thirty building lots were laid out west of Cherry street, including one for a common. The firm of El-

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FROM 1776 TO 1815.

nathan Eldridge & Co. kept store near the Point wharf from 1765 to 1780. An early tavern was on the corner of Oxford and Main streets, and another was situated near by. Early industries were hat-making by Cornell Wilkey, later by Bartholomew Taber, and plane-making by Nicholas Taber & Sons. Reuben Jenney was a shipper, and a tanning business was conducted by Joseph Hathaway.

Lewis Taber moved to Oxford in 1764, and at that time had only a few neighbors. One of the earliest real estate transactions was the sale of a lot with an eighth part of a wind mill, from Richard Delano to Isaiah Eldridge, the price being £120; also the house and lot formerly owned by Kelley M. Huttlestone, part of a warehouse and lot and a wharf at what is now the foot of Washington street. A number of the very old dwellings are still standing and bear historical importance.

Fairhaven in the Revolution was second in importance only to New Bedford. The British invaders of September, 1778, swept over this territory, destroying and burning buildings, but were finally driven out through the bravery of Maj. Israel Fearing and his men. Regarding this affair a letter from Major-General Grey to Sir Henry Clinton con- tained the following :

The only battery they had was on the Fairhaven side, an inclosed fort with eleven pieces of cannon, which was abandoned and the cannon properly demolished by Capt. Scott, commanding officer of the artillery, and the magazine blown up.

In the year 1790 was made the twenty acre purchase from Elnathan Pope on which the old part of the village was laid out. The following streets were laid out on the tract: Water, Middle, Main from Washing- ton to the south end of the Purchase, Center, from Middle to Main, Union from Main to Water, Washington from Main to the river. Center street from Main to Green was probably laid out earlier and formed a part of the road to the Head-of-the-River. Proprietors of land on these streets were Abisha Delano, Reuben Delano, west side of Middle street, . two lots; Noah Allen, three lots; Ephraim Delano, Jonathan Negus, Thomas Taber, Isaiah Eldridge, two lots; Richard Delano, Caleb Church, Thomas Nye, John Wady, three lots; Jonathan Hathaway, Eleazer Hathaway, Nathaniel Delano. On the west side of Main street to Middle, Abisha Delano, Isaiah Eldridge, two lots; Ephraim Delano, Jonathan Hathaway, Nathaniel Delano, Eleazer Hathaway, Noah Allen, John Wing and Thomas Nye. On the east side of Main street, Thomas Taber, Jonathan Negus, John Wady, two lots; Caleb Church, Reuben Delano, two lots; Noah Allen, three lots.

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

In 1795 a street was improved from Fairhaven to Oxford, which was, of course, a part of Main street; the Mill bridge was probably built in that year. The New Bedford bridge was incorporated in 1796. The land east of Main street was owned by William Rotch of New Bedford and remained in that family a number of years, during which there were no streets across it. The building of the New Bedford bridge checked the growth of Oxford, which previous to that time was an act- ive rival of the village across the river.

The records of this town for the first few years of its existence are lost. The New Bedford Gazette of February 21, 1812, contained the following :

The bill for establishing the town of Fairhaven was taken up and passed to be en- grossed, in concurrence with the Senate, two hundred and thirty-three to one hundred and eighty-eight.

This Gazette was a strong Democratic organ, and the political situa- tion rendering its continuance in New Bedford unpleasant and probably unprofitable, it was removed to Fairhaven, where it flourished until about 1813, as the Bristol Gazette. Daniel Gleason, jr., published it for a time and was succeeded by Paul Taber. The Selectmen of the town for 1816 (the first of which there is record), were Bartholomew Akin, James Taber, Joseph Whelden. The town clerk was Levi Jen- ney. Some of the early town meetings were held in the Methodist church at the Head-of-the-River; in 1818 they were held in the Con- gregational church in the same locality, and so continued to about 1831. In 1828 money was raised for the purchase of a burial ground and for building one-half of the stone bridge at the Head-of-the-River.

Previous to 1794 there was no church organization in the town, the inhabitants going to the old church at the Head-of-the-River. In 1794 was organized the Second Church of Christ in New Bedford, which later became the First Congregational Church in Fairhaven. The cov- enant was signed by twenty four persons, fourteen of whom were males. The old church edifice, on the corner of Main and Center streets, was erected about the same time. Isaiah Weston was ordained pastor in February, 1795, and preached until 1808. The church was at first Arminian in doctrine, but in 1807 a great revival took place, which had a powerful influence upon the organization. In 1811, on account of internal differences, a number of members withdrew and organized what was termed the Third Church, the meetings of which were held in a small building used for school and church purposes. The two

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FROM 1776 TO 1815.

societies, however, reunited in 1820. Abraham Wheeler was called as pastor in 1813 and was succeeded in 1820 by Paul Jewett. On January 9, 1823, the church voted to ask Rev. William Gould to continue as minister, which he did for about seventeen years. A complication of affairs relating to Mr. Gould caused a division of the society in 1841 and the Center Congregational Church was organized and erected an edifice on the corner of Center and Walnut streets, which was afterwards occupied by the Methodists; the society disbanded in 1848. In 1844-5 the old church erected the brick edifice now in use. Rev. Jacob Roberts succeeded Mr. Gould and later pastors have been Revs. John Willard, Avery S. Walker, Winfield S. Hawkes, William Carruthers, and others.

On April 13, 1798, a meeting of citizens was held at which it was agreed to build " an academy between the villages of Oxford, fifty feet and half by twenty-four feet and half, two story high." The agree- ment was signed by Isaac Sherman, Benjamin Lincoln, Levi Jenne, Noah Stoddard, Nicholas Stoddard, Killey Eldridge, Thomas Delano, Jethro Allen, Joseph Bates, Robert Bennet, Reuben Jenne, Nicholas Taber and Luther Willson. This school was established and in 1802 was taught by Richard Sawyer, and later in the year by John Nye and Abiah Haskell. For a number of years this was the principal place of instruction in the town, and the building served also for public and religious meetings. Rev. Mr. Gould, pastor of the Congregational Church, established a young ladies' boarding school, which had an ex- cellent reputation. The high school was established in 1851, as no- ticed farther on.

Ship building was an early industry in Oxford village and Fairhaven. About 1800 Abner Pease built near his homestead several ships and smaller vessels. At a later date the business was conducted by John and Joshua Delano at the Union Wharf ship yard; they were followed by Elias Terry and Fish & Huttlestone. Vessels were also built on Main street and on Ford street. In connection with this industry the Fairhaven marine railroad was constructed, for drawing up ships for repairs. The kindred industries of coopering for the whaling business, sail-making, sperm candle-making, etc., were among former manufac- tures. One candle manufactory was at the head of Middle street and and another on Ford street. The first whaling vessels were undoubtedly fitted out at Oxford village, as the deed from William Wood to Elnathan Eldridge (1760) for land in that village, reserved "that part of the same where the try house and Oyl Shed now stands." Thomas Nye, 18

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

Judah Paddock, Bartholomew Taber and James Hathaway were early interested in the business; some of the early whaler captains were Thomas Nye, Ephraim Delano, John Delano, Elnathan Delano, Joseph Tripp, Isaiah Eldridge, Salathiel Eldridge and Benjamin Jenney.

The town of Seekonk was set off from Rehoboth and incorporated February 26, 1812. The first town meeting was held in the old meet- ing-house on March 16, 1812, with Caleb Abell, moderator. Peter Hunt, Worcester Carpenter and Allen Monroe were chosen selectmen; Capt. Allen Cole, treasurer. Oliver Starkweather was the first repre- sentative. Much of the early history of this territory is included in that of Rehoboth in preceding pages. Among the early settlers, some of whom have been mentioned, were those above named and George W. Walker, Calvin Martin, Robert Daggett, Weston Carpenter, Jo- seph Brown, Seth Whitmarsh, Amos Read, Nathaniel Viall, James Ellis, Joseph Bucklin, Lewis Wade, Caleb Mason, James Bliss, Charles Peck, Caleb Chaffee, the Medberry family and others.

At the first town meeting it was voted that a committee be appointed to act with one from Rehoboth, to make a settlement with the older town; the committee were Calvin Martin, James Ellis and Benjamin Ormsbee. At a later meeting in that year the Selectmen were made overseers of the poor. On November 12, 1812, a committee was ap- pointed "to divide all public personal property that belongs to the towns of Seekonk and Rehoboth, and poor persons, agreeable to the act of the General Court of this commonwealth incorporating Seekonk; " the committee were James Ellis and Deacon Joseph Bucklin.

The schools in this region were under the town care of Rehoboth pre- vious to the town incorporation. In October, 1812, the sum of $350 was voted for the support of schools; in 1813, $350; in 1814, $350, and from 1815 to 1824 $400. A new town house was built in 1814 and occupied for the first time November 7 of that year.1

The Congregational Church was organized about 1644, by the orig- inal proprietors of the town, many of whom came in with Rev. Samuel Newman, whose life has been described in the Rehoboth history. The early records of the church were probably destroyed in King Philip's

1 The change in the boundary line between Massachusetts and Rhode Island, made in 1862, took a part of the territory of Seekonk including East Providence in the last named State, leav- ing Seekonk almost wholly an agricultural community. The Congregational and Baptist Churches were within the territory transferred, with the town hall, about all of the manufactur- ing interests, two-thirds of the valuation, more than two-thirds of the population, and about one . half the area. This action was strenuously opposed by the inhabitants, but without avail.

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FROM 1776 TO 1815.

war, when most of the houses in this vicinity were burned. Among the early pastors were Revs. Noah Newman (son of Samuel), Samuel Angier, Thomas Greenwood, John Greenwood (son of Thomas), John Carns, Ephraim Hyde, John Ellis, John Hill, James O. Barney, Samuel E. Evans, and others.

A meeting was held to consider the organization of a Baptist Church " in the First Precinct of Rehoboth " on December 5, 1793, which was adjourned from time to time until November 27, 1794, when a church was formed called the Baptist Church of Jesus Christ of First Precinct of Rehoboth, the covenant being signed by the following persons: Caleb Mason, Charles Peck, John Brown, John Medberry, Miles Shorey, Ezra Kent, John Perry, Molly Walker, Abigail Winsor, Abigail Wilson, Syble Ingraham, Sarah Shorey, Hannah Hays, Eunice Hading, Rebecca Braly, Susanna Mason, Molly Cole, Silence Carpenter, and Johanna Mason. In March, 1795, Brother John P. Jones was ordained to the work of the general ministry. Upon the formation of the town the name of the church was changed to the Baptist Church of Seekonk. In 1862, when the boundary was changed, the church withdrew from the Taunton Asssociation and joined the Warren Association. In 1879 a new church was erected. 1

In concluding this chapter the reader is asked to bear in mind that in another part of this volume are given records of many hundreds of the representative families of all the towns of Bristol county, greatly adding to the details of settlement and development of the various communities.

1 The Hebron Church in Seekonk was organized in December, 1827, and an edifice erected directly on the line between this town and Attleborough. It was sold and removed in 1870, and a new one built, which stood wholly within this town. It was burned in 1875 and at once rebuilt.

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

CHAPTER VI.

FROM 1815-1860-GENERAL COUNTY PROGRESS.

There was general business depression throughout the country dur- ing a few years after the close of the last war with England; but Bris- tol county suffered less from it and recuperated more rapidly than many other localities. In the larger business centers of Taunton, New Bedford and Fall River were already firmly implanted the germs of in- dustries that in later years were to stimulate and foster the growth of those places and enrich the inhabitants. The iron industry, success fully founded in Taunton in 1656, was in full operation during the period in question by Joseph Dean (the Dean Iron Works); works were also in operation in Whittington (Whittenton), in Norton, Raynham, and Dighton. Cotton spinning and cloth making were in progress at Whittenton in 1807, and in Dighton and Attleborough about the same time, while before the war closed this industry was established in Fall River. In 1821 the Fall River Iron Works was incorporated, inaugu- rating a period of rapid development. The Bedford Bank was opened in New Bedford in 1803 (the first one in the county), passed out of exist- ence in 1812 by expiration of charter, and was revived in 1816. The first newspaper in the county was established in the same village in 1792, called the New Bedford Mercury, and the whaling industry, which had been almost destroyed by the war, increased from seven vessels arrived in 1816 to thirteen in 1817, and rapidly advanced from that time forward.

As before stated, many attempts were made in past years to divide the county, or change the boundaries of the towns, or change the county seat, most of which fortunately were abortive. Reference has already been made to the dissatisfaction felt by the people of Taunton with the county organization at the very first, which ultimately led to the establishment of the county seat at that place. Again, as far back as 1741, the old town of Dartmouth, then including all the south part of the county, voted on "whether it be the town's desire to come under

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FROM 1815 TO 1860.

the government of Rhode Island, and it passed in the affirmative by a clear vote."

A determined effort was made in 1817 for a division of the county, in which movement New Bedford was foremost; but the inhabitants of that aspiring village could not induce sufficient surrounding influence to carry the measure through. On December 16, 1817, a vote was taken in Fall River "with regard to Joining the Town of New Bedford in forming a New County, and it was Unanimously Voted that the Town should have nothing to do with them in regard to joining them, and that the selectmen should make it known by writing to them that we disapprove " of the undertaking. This was the latest effort in this direction.

During the progress of the war of 1812-15 differences arose between the north and south parts of Dighton, which resulted in the incorpora- tion of the north part as the town of Wellington on June 8, 1814. The bill was advocated before the Legislature by the people of the north part, which comprised about three-fifths of the population and the larger part of the manufactures. The dividing line, after leaving the Segreganset River, followed the east and west road most of the dis- tance to the Rehoboth line. The Buck Plain church, in which the town meetings had been held, was within the Wellington bounds, and the Dighton meetings were therefore held in the school house a little east of the Lower Four Corners. This new arrangement soon became unsatisfactory to the people who had most earnestly advocated it; taxes in the new town were higher than before, and dissension soon arose over the cost of supporting the poor, and other town matters. Finally a petition dated May 30, 1825, signed by Josiah Reed and ninety-eight others, was sent to the General Court for a reunion of the two towns. At the same time a similar petition was sent from Dighton signed by Hodijah Baylies and fifty-four others. The Legislature was favorable. to the petitioners and the towns were united February 22, 1826. Strange as it may seem, this town of Wellington was revived on June 16, 1827, for one year, when it went permanently out of existence.

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Our country and its people; a descriptive and biographical record of Bristol County, Massachusetts, Part 15

Author: Borden, Alanson, 1823-1900; Boston History Company, Boston, pub Publication date: 1899 Publisher: [Boston] Boston History Company Number of Pages: 1399

Author: Borden, Alanson, 1823-1900; Boston History Company, Boston, pub
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: [Boston] Boston History Company
Number of Pages: 1399