USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Our country and its people; a descriptive and biographical record of Bristol County, Massachusetts > Part 47
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE
most of the vessels within their reach. Not long after the French fleet came up, the British fleet appeared in the offing. Immediately the French fleet tacked about, went out and attacked the British squadron, when broadsides were exchanged, and a bloody battle ensued. A tremendous storm came on, long remembered as the August storm, in which the two fleets were separated, and many who had escaped the cannon's mouth found a watery grave. The French fleet, or so much of it as survived the storm, went into Boston to repair, and the remnant of the British fleet went into New York.
Soon after this storm our troops marched in three divisions toward Newport-one on the East road, so called, one on the West road, and the brigade commanded by General Titcomb moved in the center-until we came in sight of Newport, when orders were given to halt, erect a marquee, and pitch our tents. General orders were issued for a detachment from the army of three thousand men, our number being too small to risk a general engagement with the great body of British troops then quar- tered on the south end of the island. Early on the next morning a detachment of troops, of which I was one, was ordered to proceed forthwith and take possession of what was called Hunneman's Hill.
The morning was foggy and enabled us to advance some distance unobserved by the enemy; but the fog clearing away before we reached the hill, we were discov- ered by the British and tory troops, who commenced such a heavy cannonade upon us that it was deemed expedient by the commanding officers to prevent the destruc- tion of many of our brave troops, that we should fall back and advance under cover of the night. Accordingly, when night came, we marched to the hill undiscovered by the enemy. We immediately commenced throwing up a breastwork and building a fort. When daylight appeared we had two cannon mounted-one twenty-four pounder and one eighteen-and with our breastwork we had completed a covered way to pass and repass without being seen by the enemy. The British had a small fort or redoubt directly under the muzzles of our cannon, with which we saluted them, and poured in shot so thick upon them that they were compelled to beat up a retreat. But they returned again at night to repair their fort, when they com- menced throwing bomb shells into our fort, which, however, did but little damage. I saw several of them flying over our heads, and one bursting in the air, a fragment fell upon the shoulder of a soldier and killed him.
At this time we were anxiously waiting the return of the French fleet from Boston, where they had gone to repair. But learning that they could not then return and knowing the situation of the British troops, that they were enlarging and strength- ening their forts and redoubts, and that they had reinforcements arriving daily from New York, it was deemed expedient by our commanding officers, La Fayette, Greene and Sullivan, all experienced and brave generals, that we should retreat to the north end of the island.
Accordingly on the 29th day of August, early in the morning, we struck our marquee and tents and commenced a retreat. The British troops followed, and soon came up with our rear guard and commenced firing upon them. The shots were briskly re- turned and continued at intervals, until our troops were joined by a part of our army a short distance to the south of Quaker Hill, so called, when a general engagement ensued, in which many lives were lost on both sides. At night, we retreated from the island to Tiverton. On the following day we left Tiverton, crossed over Slade's
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THE CITY OF FALL RIVER.
ferry and marched through Pawtucket and Providence to Pawtuxet, where we re- mained until our term of service expired.
Soon after this, I received a lieutenant-colonel's commission, and took the com- mand of a regiment to guard the sea-shores, and a part of the time my regiment was stationed at Providence. I soon received orders from General Gates, who at that time was principal in command, to march with my regiment to Tiverton and join General Cornell's brigade. The war now raged throughout the country. Old and young, parents and children, all, except the tories, were engaged in the common cause of their country-in breaking the shackles of colonial bondage-in obtaining her liberty and achieving her independence. Old England now began to examine the prospects before her. She found after a bloody contest, what she might and ought to have known before, that her rebellious colonies, as she was pleased to term them, could be ruled, but not ridden upon; that by mild and liberal measures she might have retained a valuable part of her kingdom. She discovered her error too late to profit by it. The brave people of her colonies were resolved to throw off the yoke, and themselves be free.
On the 29th day of October, 1779, the British troops left Rhode Island, and the American troops, under the command of Generals Gates and Cornell, marched on to the island and took possession of the town of Newport. On the 29th day of Decem- ber following, my time of service having expired, I returned home to my family. This was the coldest winter known during the last century. The river and bay were frozen over so thick, that people with loaded teams passed all the way from Fall River to Newport on the ice. I continued in the service of my country until about the close of the Revolutionary war, when I removed from Fall River to Tiverton, in the State of Rhode Island, where I lived about thirty years. During this time, I was elected by my fellow citizens to several offices in town, and was a member of the General Assembly for many years.
When Thomas Jefferson was elected president of the United States, in 1801, and the Democratic fever raged to the highest pitch, I was then called a Federalist, and having repeatedly sworn to support the Federal Constitution, could not consent to turn my coat wrong side out. I was therefore not permitted to hold any office for some time afterward. But in time this party fever abated, and finally the people united in electing Mr. Monroe, under-the general appellation of Federal Republicans. Attempts have since been made to alter the constitution, that noble fabric reared by the Revolutionary patriots, and should they succeed, it will be in my estimation like sewing new cloth to an old garment.
All that needs to be added to this graphic account, as far as relates to Fall River in the Revolution, is a record of such public proceedings as took place in the town at various times during the war. On the 15th of July, 1776, a meeting was held at "the Public Meeting House," at which Stephen Borden acted as moderator, and the following document was presented for consideration :
WHEREAS, George the Third, King of Great Britain, in violation of the principles of the British Constitution and of the Laws of Justice and humanity hath by an
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
accumulation of oppressions unparalleled in history excluded the inhabitants of this as well as the other neighboring Colonies from his protection ; and
WHEREAS, he hath paid no regard to any of our remonstrances and dutiful petitions for redress of our complicated grievances, but hath purchased foreign troops to assist in enslaving us and exciting the Savages of this Country to carry on a war against us, as also the Negroes to imbrue their hands in the blood of their Masters in a man- ner unpracticed by civilized nations, and moreover hath lately insulted our colonies by declaring that he will have no mercy on us till he hath subdued us; and where- as, the obligations of allegiance being prociprocal between the King and his subjects are now dissolved on the side of the colonies by the despotism and declaration of the King in so much that Loyalty to him is Treason against the good people of this Country,
AND WHEREAS, not only the Parliament, but there is great reason to believe too many of the people of Great Britain have concurred in the above said arbitrary and unjust proceedings against us, and whereas the public virtue of this Colony so essen- tial to its liberty and happiness must be endangered by a future political union with or dependence on a Crown and Nation, so lost to patriotism and magnanimity, We the inhabitants of Freetown in public town meeting assembled for giving instruction to our Representatives by direction from the General Court. do in public town meet- ing vote and declare and direct our representatives to declare in the General Court that we are ready with our lives and fortunes to support the General Congress in declaring the United American Colonies free and independent of Great Britain, and also direct our said Representative to move in the General Court for the Delegates for this Colony to be directed to move for and give vote for said Independence, pro- vided that the internal police of the Government be always left to the people of said Colony and we declare to all the world that we do not make this declaration out of pride or envy but by the dictates of the Laws of Nature, and appeal to the Supreme Governor of the world for our sincerity in the Declaration.
The instructions contained in this document were voted favorably and the meeting dissolved. The public spirit of patriotism exhibited at this meeting may be accepted as an indication of the general feeling throughout the county.
On September 6, 1776, it was voted "to add to the soldiers' wages that were going to York out of Freetown three pounds which would make them six pounds a month."
It will not be forgotten that, although there was a generally prevail- ing spirit of patriotism abroad, the colonists had their internal enemies in almost every neighborhood, adherents of the king, the then despised tories. On March 31, 1777, the following is recorded :
Legal town meeting. The following Tories were voted for trial: George Bright- man, William Winslow, John Winslow, Jail Hathaway, Solomon Terry, Abiel Terry, William Hathaway, Silas Hathaway, Silas Terry, Ebenezer Terry, Benjamin Thomp- kins, Ralph Pain, Job Pain 2d, George Chase, George Chase, jr., Bradford Gilbert,
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THE CITY OF FALL RIVER.
Ephraim Winslow, Ammi Chase, Korah Durfee, Jonathan Dodson, Job Terry, Silas Sherman, Benjamin Cleaveland, Abraham Ashley, John Briggs.
On the 11th of November, 1777, Major Morton, Capt. William Read and Jonathan Read were chosen to provide for the soldiers' families.
CHAPTER XXV.
FALL RIVER EARLY IN THE CENTURY.
The close of the Revolutionary war left the country at large impov- erished. Money was lacking for the establishment of trade and manu- factures and for a number of years material progress was slow. There was little opportunity or encouragement for the people except in till- ing the soil. Fall River was a mere hamlet at the beginning of the present century, and the region was without other name than Free- town. Col. Benjamin Church and John Borden were men of energy and doubtless had long prophesied, to some extent at least, the bright future of the locality; but whatever may have been their ambition and hopes, their realization was postponed through well known unavoidable causes. Colonel Church operated his saw mill, grist mill and fulling mill, before mentioned, many years before Fall River as a village had an existence. The fulling mill stood on the south side of the stream near the site of the south end of the present Granite block. Such early mills are always a nucleus around which gather at least a few pioneers ; but in this case there was little settlement for many years to encourage the hope that on the beautiful bay and along the tumultuous stream would rise the thriving city of to-day. As late as 1803, the year in which the town of Fall River1 was erected, the little village contained only eighteen dwellings and about one hundred inhabitants.2 On North Main street were six houses occupied respectively by Charles Durfee, Daniel Buffington (spelled also Buffinton), John Luther, Abner Davol,3
1 In 1804 the name of the town was changed to Troy, and so remained until 1834, as elsewhere described.
2 Rev. Orin Fowler's work.
3 The old homestead of the Davol family was on the North Main road near the site of the Friends' Cemetery. There Pardon Davol, father of Abner, was born March 16, 1743 ; he died November 22, 1808. The son Abner was born February 27, 1772, and died August 5, 1812, at the
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
John Cook, and Mary Borden. On East Central street lived Nathan Bowen, Perry Borden, Seth Borden, and Elihu Cook. On West Cen- tral street dwelt Nathan Borden and Daniel Borden. On South Main street were the houses of Simeon Borden, Richard Borden, Thomas Borden, Benjamin Brayton and Franci; Brayton. Near the shore was one house occupied by Thomas Borden. Here were eighteen families, nine of whom were Bordens.
Following is the Act creating the town of Fall River:
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
In the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and three.
An Act to divide the town of Freetown and to incorporate the southerly part there- of into a separate town by the name of Fallriver.
Sec. 1st. Beitenacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled and by the authority of the Same that the Southerly part of Freetown in the County of Bristol as described within the following bounds with the inhabitants thereon be and they are hereby incorporated into a Separate town by the name of Fallriver viz. beginning in Taunton Great river so called and thence runing South Seventy degrees east on the lines dividing the lands belonging to the heirs of Sam- uel Vallentine from the lands of the heirs of William Vallentine and so continuing the Same course about eighteen hundred and sixty rods till it intersects a line run- ning from the town of Dartmouth north twelve degrees east by the easterly of the twentieth great lot owned by Thomas Borden and Richard Borden thence on the line last mentioned to Dartmouth line thence by the lines of the Towns of Dartmouth and Westport to the State of Rhode Island thence on the line of Said state into said river thence by the Channel of said river to the bounds first mentioned.
And the said Town of Fallriver is hereby vested with all the powers and priv - iledges rights and immunities to which other towns are entitled by the Constitution and laws of this Commonwealth.
Sec. 2. Be it further enacted that the said town of Fallriver Shall pay all the arrears of Taxes which have been assessed upon them together with their proportion of all debts owed by the said town of Freetown prior to the date of this Act and that all questions relative to property already Existing Shall be adjusted and settled in
age of thirty years. He married first Mary Durfee, a descendant of the first Richard Borden ; he married second, Betsey Simmons. He was father of five children, the eldest of whom was Benja- min D. Davol, and like his father, was a shoemaker. Pardon Davol's shoe shop adjoined his house and he carried on what was then a large business in the manufacture of sewed shoes, hav- ing at times several employees. Benjamin D. Davol, born June 7, 1801, was also trained in the shoe business, but he had larger ambition and when about nineteen years old he arranged with his father for the remainder of his time. When he reached his majority he had accumulated a few thousand dollars, and he decided to go into the granite quarrying business, probably through the influence of his maternal uncle, Benjamin Durfee, whose son, Major Bradford Dur- fee, had worked the so-called Big Berry ledge on Pleasant street. He assumed a share in a con- tract for supplying stone to a man in Bristol and subsequently bought a ledge at the head of Bed- ford street. Mr. Davol filled many large and profitable contracts for granite, one of which was for the original city hall, built in 1846. He died November 30, 1861.
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THE CITY OF FALL RIVER.
the Same manner as if this Act had not been made and that all property rights and credits of said Town of Freetown be received and enjoyed by the Said Town of Fall- river according to their proportion of the Taxes of Said Freetown assessed in the Tax bills.
Sec. 3. Be it further enacted that the Said Town of Fallriver Shall take upon themselves and Support one half of all the poor now actually chargeable to Said Town of Freetown and shall also bear and pay one half the expense of supporting such poor persons as may be sent back upon said Town of Freetown from other Towns who removed from said Town of Freetown prior to the passing this Act.
Sec. 4. Be it further enacted that of all State and County Taxes which shall be levied and required of said Towns previous to a new valuation of the said Town of Fallriver shall pay four tenths.
Sec. 5. And be it further enacted that Charles Durfee Esq. be and he is hereby authorized to Isue his warrant directed to some suitable inhabitant of the said Town of Fallriver requireing him to notify and warn the inhabitants of the said town qual- lified by law to vote in Town affairs to meet at such time and place as shall be ex- pressed in the said warrant to Choose all such officers as other Towns within this Common wealth are required by law to choose in the months of March or April an- nually and the officers so Chosen shall be quallified as other Town officers are.
In the House of Representatives Feby 24th 1803 This bill haveing had three sev- eral readings passed to be Enacted
JOHN C. JONES. Speaker.
In Senate Feby 25th 1803. The Bill haveing had two Several readings passed to be enacted.
DAVID COBB president.
February 26th 1803
By the Governor Approved
CALEB STRONG.
True Copy, Attest
JOHN AVERY Secy
A True Copy, Attest
WALTER CHALONER Town Clerk
The foregoing is a true copy from the Records of the Town of Fall River, Book number 1, pages 1 and 2.
Attest :-
ARTHUR B. BRAYTON.
Asst. City Clerk.
City of Fall River, Mass.,
February 11, 1893.
In 1805 the town erected the first town house. It was situated at Steep Brook, at about the center of the town. As the northern part of the town increased in population many attempts were made to have the building removed; but they were unavailing, and the structure was ultimately burned. The second town house was built in 1825, as no- ticed farther on.
The natural advantages of Fall River could not long be hidden from
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
energetic and enterprising men, nor their value underestimated. Con- sequently such men-men possessed of means, business foresight and sagacity, and unconquerable perseverance, were attracted to the place. In 1810 the population of the town had increased to 1,296. Among the foremost was Col. Joseph Durfee, before noticed, who was destined to exert such a powerful influence in the upbuilding of the village.
In 1811 Colonel Durfee, with a few other persons, built a small wooden structure on the northeast corner of what are now Globe and South Main streets, for a cotton factory. It was then in the town of Tiverton, Rhode Island, in what is still called Globe Village, now a part of the city of Fall River. This was the earliest cotton factory in the neighborhood; it was operated until 1829, when it was converted into a print works.1
In the same year (1811) the first post-office was established in Fall River. The office was opened in January and the first mail distributed on February 12. Two years later the office was removed to Steep Brook, which at that time and during a considerable period thereafter, was a strong rival of Fall River for business precedence and prospects. The post-office, however, was re-established at the latter village in 1816, and Abraham Bowen was appointed postmaster.
From sources that were authentic Henry H. Earl, who has devoted much time and effort to the study of the history of cotton manufacture, wrote, in 1876, the following brief sketch of the village of Fall River as it existed in 1813. This sketch and the accompanying map of 1812 give the reader a clear comprehension of the condition of the place at that time, and the map shows also the location of most of the eighteen houses before mentioned as having been built prior to 1803:
The resident community of Fall River, or Troy, as it was then called, was located about what is now the center of the city, the main street following the line of the present principal thoroughfare northward, and another considerable street trending eastward to the lake. The greater part of the residences were in these two avenues. Within a territory approximating to one and a half miles square, which would be designated at that day the village, were about thirty dwelling houses three saw
1 In soliciting subscriptions to the capital of this initial enterprise, it is related that the most effective argument used was that " cotton cloth would darn much easier than linen." This fact is partially explainable in the light of the conditions then existing. Until the decade from 1780 to 1790, which saw the perfection of the Hargreaves and Arkwright inventions, it was thought necessary to make the warp linen, using cotton only for the weft of the cloth The reasons for this were that the raw linen material was much cheaper than cotton, and its fibre was longer and could be spun more successfully on the domestic spinning wheels or the mill jennys. Nearly all the cloth worn by New England people at that time was home-spun and woven, and the wheel and loom were seen in most households.
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THE CITY OF FALL RIVER.
mills, four grist mills, one fulling mill, a blacksmithy with trip hammer, and several small stores. The population was estimated at three hundred.
One small, three-masted vessel, which had been engaged in foreign trade, but was for a short period after the war, hauled up in the creek where the " Old Depot" was afterwards located, and a few small sloops, carrying cord-wood to Newport and Bristol, constituted the local shipping interest. There was no regular conveyance to Providence, and what freight was transferred between the two places went by craft plying between Providence and Taunton, which, in default of wharfage con- venience at the Falls, stopped at the ferry two miles up the river, where all the cot- ton and merchandise was landed for some years. The first craft regularly sailing to Providence was a small schooner, or two-masted lighter, large enough to load ten bales of cotton and a small additional cargo of flour and miscellaneous goods. This was succeeded by the sloop Fall River, of thirty or forty tons capacity, and that again by the sloop Argonaut, and another craft whose name is forgotten, which sus- tained the communication until the steamer Hancock was put on.
The religious and educational structures of the village were far from suggestive of their present number, convenience or architectural beauty. "In 1813," says our chronicle, " there was one poor old dilapidated wooden meeting-house, neither plas- tered nor lathed, which stood upon the line dividing the States, occupied occasion- ally. The regular place of worship on the Sabbath was at the Narrows, about two miles east. There was one, and only one, good school house in the village, which stood on the corner of Annawan and South Main streets." The residences were of the usual simple and plain construction adopted in early New England communities, the most pretentious one being erected by Charles Durfee in 1811, and standing until 1857, when it was burned down. The richest resident from 1813 to 1824 was estimated worth $40,000, "and there were but a small number of this class." The entire valuation for some years did not exceed $500,000, and the total taxation in 1813 was $1,500.
The year 1813 saw the founding of two important establishments, which were the substantial pioneers in the cloth-making industry in Fall River, and the active stimulus to the inception of later similar projects. The corporate names of these industrial organizations were the Troy Cotton and Woolen Manufactory, and the Fall River Manu- factory. The first named had a capital of $50,000 and the second of $40,000. Both companies were formed in March; the most prominent promoters were Oliver Chace, Nathaniel Wheeler and Eber Slade; of the other company, David Anthony,1 Dexter Wheeler and Abraham Bowen.
1 The conspicuous part taken by David Anthony in the early industrial growth of Fall River merits particular mention here. He was born in Somerset January 9, 1286, and when fourteen years old left the homestead to serve John Bowers, a leading merchant and real estate owner of that town. He soon demonstrated his faithfulness to his employer's interests as well as his native business capacity and was taken into the counting-room where he learned bookkeeping. In 1804 Mr. Bowers unexpectedly [failed in business and young Anthony was chosen to close up the bankrupt estate. After a short period of school teaching, he worked about two years for
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