USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Littleton > Proceedings of the Littleton Historical Society, No. 1 1894-1895 > Part 8
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I want any information which can be gathered to help locate that burying-ground. Indians had great veneration for their ancestors and were in the habit, if I am not mistaken, of lament- ing at their graves. That to my mind explains why the later Indians camped where they did, and I cannot believe that the more ancient and permanent (if it is allowable to use the word at all of such a wandering race) Indians who built the fort would build it where they would be obliged to drink and use pond water, when there was such a fine spring on the hillside.
I will close with another quotation from Daniel Gookin's " Historical Collections of the Indians in New England," and as
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LITTLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
I read it keep in mind Speen's field with its scattered apple trees now standing there and the former tree mentioned by Rev. Mr. Foster. Gookin says of Nashobah,
"In this village, as well in other old Indian plantations, they have orchards of apples whereof they make cider, which some of them have not the wisdom and grace to use for their comfort, but are prone to abuse unto drunkenness.
"And although the laws be strict to suppress this sin, and some of their own rulers are very careful and zealous in the execution of them, yet such is the madness and folly of man naturally, that he doth eagerly pursue after that which tendeth to his own destruction.
" I have often seriously considered what course to take to restrain this beastly sin of drunkenness among them ; but hither- to cannot reach it. For if it were possible, as it is not, to pre- vent the English selling them strong drink; yet they, having a native liberty to plant orchards and sow grain, as barley and the like, of which they may and do make strong drink that doth inebriate them, so that nothing can overcome and conquer this exorbitancy but the sovereign grace of God in Christ, which is the only antidote to prevent and mortify the poison of sin."
HERBERT JOSEPH HARWOOD.
TREES OF LITTLETON.
Read at a Meeting of the Society September 2, 1895, by Frank Bigelow Priest.
Evidently no organized attempt was made to improve our streets with trees until about 1862. At this time a Tree Associa- tion was formed, with Haywood Hartwell, president, John W. Adams, secretary, and Shattuck Hartwell, vice-president. The first meeting was held May 1, 1862, and one hundred and six trees were set out on the public ways of Littleton, including elm, ash, rock maple, white pine, horse-chestnut, etc. Article I of their Constitution was, "Its object shall be, Planting trees by the public way; or other improvements deemed necessary by the directors." The last meeting of the Tree Association of which we have any record, was held at the old brick school-house May I, 1871.
The work done by the Tree Association included the plant- ing of nearly all the trees in and around the three commons at the Old Common, also the row of elms on what is now called Shattuck Street, and the pine trees in the old cemetery at the Common. A few of the larger trees near Mr. Hartwell's were put out before the association was formed, while he was a boy at home.
In front of Edward Fletcher's is a very large buttonwood, which Joel Proctor said was larger eighty-five years ago than now ; its branches spreading more. He thought it was at least two hundred years old.
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The maple trees in front of Mrs. Jeremiah A. Tuttle's place to Mrs. J. S. Jacobs' were set out by E. A. Cox and George Knowlton, about 1867. The small elm in this row, in front of F. B. Priest's, was set out by Mrs. J. C. Houghton in 1891.
The maples in front of Albert Smith's were set out in 1860 by Jacob Priest and Mr. Hosmer. The maple in front of Mrs. Jacobs', on the opposite side of the street, directly in the side- walk, was set out by direction of Mrs. Eri Rogers, previous to her death in 1855.
In a letter dated August 23, 1895, from Dr. J. H. Robinson, formerly of Littleton, now of Worcester, Mass., he says :
"I think it was in the spring of 1868, I canvassed the town for funds for the Tree Association. I raised thirty-three dollars besides promises of labor in setting these out. I purchased one hundred trees, of maples and a few elms (I think there were two kinds of maples), and many others brought trees themselves from the woods; so in all we set out one hundred and sixty-five trees that day. We replaced many between the Old Common and the Centre that had died. All the trees at the Centre around the little common on both sides, from Mrs. White's, by Mrs. Mead's, a few up the street towards Everett Kimball's and beyond, where a few had died, were replaced near Jacob Priest's. All the trees from the corner of my place toward the depot with the exception of five or six elms by Mr. Fletcher's place, were set out. Most of the elms on the west side of the street by Capt. Todd's land, Capt. Todd and I brought from the woods and set out.
"The work was continued down as far as the brook, and a number were set out down by Mr. F. P. Knowlton's place. In fact, many trees were set out, that year and the next, all over town by individuals against their premises. There was a good attendance of both ladies and gentlemen. The ladies provided an excellent dinner at the hall, and after dinner, we had speeches from Rev. Mr. Vorse, Rev. Mr. Loomis and others, and a general good time. I am sorry I cannot give you more details."
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The ash and maple trees, one on either side of the Unitarian church, were set out in 1890, at the solicitation of Rev. W. I. Nichols. The large elm near Dr. Phelps' was set out by Capt. Kidder about 1810.
In the south end, no concerted attempt was ever made to set out trees, and yet they have some of the finest trees in town ; one elm in front of Thomas Cote's (formerly the Dea. Wood place) being the largest tree in town as far as I know. There are also large elms in front of the Ford place, Henry T. Taylor and the Tobin places, and the site of the Deacon John Hartwell house. The most prominent tree in that part of the town is the large poplar, in or near Liberty Square, towering like a church spire above all others on that hill.
Amos H. Knowlton writes of the trees in the west end as follows :
" If anyone has any doubts as to the efficacy of a little con- certed action by a few people toward beautifying a town or vil- lage, we would advise them to look into the history of the west part of Littleton, as far as tree setting is concerned. Forty years ago there was hardly a shade tree in this section of the town; but very soon thereafter a few of our citizens thought it about time to make some effort to beautify this section, so P. C. Edwards, George Patch, J. A. Kimball and others, talked the matter over and formed a sort of Village Improvement Society. Mr. Edwards offered to furnish as many trees as would be set out, others offered their services, and as a result, some very fine rock maples were set out as follows : on Harwood Avenue, from where Mr. McDonald now lives to P. McNiff's, at that time the end of the road; around the depot to the Frank Sanderson place ; part way up the road to Mr. Eastman's, and down King Street to J. A. Kimball's.
"This movement towards beautifying the streets resulted in many people setting out trees on their own grounds. In Mr.
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Patch's place and the one adjoining, owned at that time by Mr. Edwards, there was scarcely a shrub to be seen.
" In addition to exerting an influence upon local people, it incited the Centre folks, and in a year or two they followed the good example. As a result, we have most of the older shade trees now beautifying our streets. When the so-called Harwood road was built, Joseph A. Harwood very generously furnished and set the trees that now adorn that road. Whitcomb Avenue was equipped in the same manner. Consequently these avenues are now and will be among the most attractive of our highways, as far as shade trees are concerned.
"In spite of all this work, there were several spots not filled by trees in this section, so three or four years ago W. L. Kim- ball collected quite a sum from the west end people, and superin- tended the setting of one hundred and fifty to one hundred and seventy-five maples, pretty well covering this section of the town. We would recommend for this part of the town, as well as others, that some movement be taken to improve and beautify some of the many little squares that abound, instead of leaving them in a slack and untidy sort of a way."
When we consider that, in the spring of 1868, the Tree Association, after various entertainments in the winter, and hav- ing collected money all over town, set out only one hundred and sixty-five trees, you will begin to appreciate the work done by the Hon. J. A. Harwood when I tell you he has set out one thousand four hundred and thirty-eight strictly ornamental trees, consisting of sixty-five varieties, a list in his hand writing being in my possession. They consist in part of maples from near Charles F. Flagg's, in a double row nearly a mile to Elmer Flagg's ; and on Harwood Avenue, from the woods on the east of Foster Street nearly to the depot the balance being in his own private grounds.
The two large elms in Mr. Harwood's grounds were set out
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by his grandfather, Capt. Joseph Harwood, one hundred and forty-four years ago.
Among other individual efforts, Gardner Prouty has set trees the entire length of his land on Goldsmith Street, besides those on his own grounds.
On and around the old Fletcher homestead near Shaker Lane, D. C. Fletcher and his three brothers set out many shade trees, including maple, oak, elm and butternut, many of which are now standing, and are very large trees.
A familiar sight in our village in the spring, is Charles P. Hartwell carrying shade trees in his buggy, to be set out in various locations.
It is to be hoped that in the near future, our town will adopt the Act for the preservation of trees on public highways; that not only the trees that have been set out may be marked for preservation, but trees of natural growth may be left standing.
FRANK B. PRIEST.
OUR GREAT ELM.
Read at a meeting of the Society, September 2, 1895, by Edward Frost.
James Russell Lowell, poet-lover of New England, easily foremost in discerning and setting forth features of New England life, and equally at home in contemplation of the beauties of New England scenery, has sung to us of
"-the charms
" Of her old homesteads and embowered farms."
Throughout New England, and notably in Massachusetts, still more notably in the northerly and more retired sections of old Middlesex County, are many charming bits of pastoral landscape, well worthy the verse of the poet, or the brush of the artist.
The various views of our own Beaver Brook intervales that are afforded from adjoining eminences lying east or west, north or south, under lights varying with the season of the year, the hour of the day, or capricious and fleeting atmospheric condi- tions, are such as might abundantly supply the landscapist with " motives" worth turning to account ; so many and various, as would easily fill his portfolio with sketches, and long employ his hand in transferring them to canvas.
Among these views let me mention that which opens before the observer as he reaches and descends the gentle western declivity of our main street, where it leaves the centre of the
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town. The highway, bordered and shaded with well grown trees, sweeps onward with graceful sinuosities, conformable alike to the requirements of use and beauty. At each step of the descent, and in crossing the lower levels, the groupings and perspectives take on new aspects, all beautiful ; new vistas open to stimulate the attention and delight the eye.
But we must not wander too far into description of the scenery which forms only the setting of our principal subject- "OUR GREAT ELM." A name worthy to be named with emphasis, and printed in commanding capitals. This once famous tree is now, unhappily, no longer a part of the landscape which we have just attempted to outline, and which it formerly adorned and dominated. May these brief notes, prepared by request, but very willingly, answer the intended purpose of transmitting its memory to posterity.
In my youth and early manhood, I was much interested in observing the shapely form and magnificent dimensions of this noble elm, which some (perhaps I might say, many) here present will doubtless well remember. It stood near the old well, in the yard east of and adjoining the old-time dwelling-house, now owned and resided in by Mr. Felch, previously owned and occu -. pied by his father-in-law, John Dix Warren, whose widow also resides there at the present time. (The house is of considerable antiquity, and some historical notes relating to its earlier occu- pants, it is hoped, will some day be written out.)
Prior to Mr. Warren's occupancy, and when I was absent in other parts, I think in the earlier " fifties," this elm was cut down. Its heavy branches, weakened by age, were a constant menace to the safety of the dwellers beneath. Artificial sup- ports, consisting of long and heavy bolts, transversely connecting each of the principal limbs to its opposite, had been put in, to preserve it as long as possible. But its condition no longer war- ranted faith in their sufficiency ; the day had come for its down-
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fall! Hundreds of miles away I learned with deep regret of the decision, when it had been finally reached, to remove the tree.
In his serio-comic account of a similar affair, Holmes takes occasion to say, "A native of that region saw fit to build his house very near it, and, having a fear that it might blow down some time or other and exterminate him, also laboring under the delusion that human life is under all circumstances to be pre- ferred to vegetable existence, had the great poplar cut down. It is so easy to say, It is only a tree ! and so much harder to replace its living presence than to build a granite obelisk."
Yet as regards our great elm there was no lack of reverent regard or proper sentiment. Its removal was a long and labor- ious task, every way unwelcome, but indispensable. The whole neighborhood shared with the proprietors a sense of desolation, and irretrievable calamity, when axe and saw had done their destroying work, and this monarch among its kind lay prostrate, reduced to firewood.
So passed away this magnificent tree, with its enormously large, lofty, and far spreading branches, upholding the great green dome of summer foliage in its season ; or, bared of verdure, and suggestive of huge strong arms stripped for recurrent wrest- lings with November gales; sometimes, again, enswathed in cling- ing snow flakes, or ice-covered in marvellous frost-work and glittering all over, to the outermost twigs, in brilliant vari-colored reflections of winter sunshine ; at all times a towering and impres- sive object, lifting its huge bulk against the horizon, and domin- ating the whole surrounding landscape, from whatever direction approached.
Its girth of trunk at the smallest diameter was eighteen feet, by actual measurement ; the stump left by the cutting was much larger. Had I been thoughtful enough at the time I might have caused to be counted the rings of annual growth displayed upon the great flat surface of the stump, left smooth by the saw. Its
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massive and spreading claws for years succeeding maintained their clutch upon the ground, in which they had spread out and grown into huge buttresses of the central column, during all those uncounted years of its long life. No visible trace, even of these, is left to-day.
The Great Elm is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more forever-though a crowding family of aspiring successors (its seedlings, presumably) now occupy and extend its site, with an aspect suggestive of an island or oasis, of verdure and restful shade, contrasting very effectively with the open meadows and harvest fields by which it stands encircled.
The subjoined lines, entered " My Grandmother's Elm," inspired by this author's early associations with this notable tree, are now recalled. For other traditional matter thereon, reference may be had to the "Historical Sketch of the Town of Littleton, Mass." by H. J. Harwood, incorporated in a " History of Middle- sex County, Etc."
EDWARD FROST.
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MY GRANDMOTHER'S ELM.
Found in the Ladies' Magazine of June 1830 and read to the Society Fune 17, 1896, by Dr. E. Y. White.
If ever you visit my native town, Will you seek out the vale where the mill stream comes down ? Even the villagers' children will point you the road And the very old house where my grandsire abode.
But the pride of the vale I wish you to see, Is my Grandmother's Elm, the old mammoth tree. How widely its graceful and spherical crown Flings over the valley a shadow of brown.
When the fierce south-easter was raging by- Filling with clamor the gentle blue sky- Then a lofty branch like a forest oak, From the noble old tree by its fury was broke.
Oft my grandmother told us, as pondering we stood, How, three score years since, from the neighboring wood, She carried that elm in her little right hand, And her father planted it firm in the land.
Her grave is grown smooth on the green hill-side, But the elm still lives in its towering pride, And the gayest spring birds have a colony there, And they gladden with carols the mid-summer air.
And gay as the wild-bird's melody Are the sports I have had beneath that tree- The Old Elm Tree-Oh, would it were mine, In the shade of that tree even now to recline !
EVERALLIN. (Marian Dix Sullivan.)
CORRESPONDENCE UPON THE MEANING OF THE INDIAN NAME NASHOBAH.
Read at a Meeting of the Society, September 2, 1895.
CASTLETON, Vermont, March 2, 1885. HERBERT J. HARWOOD, EsQ.
Dear Sir :- Your letter of the 25th ult., and a copy of the Guidon containing your historical article were duly received. I was very glad to get them.
I have been investigating the origin of the word Neshobe in Rut- land County for several years past, but could get no clue to it until I accidently came across the name of the hill in connection with Rev. John Elliott's [Eliot] missionary work. I then turned to Hemenway's Vt. Gazetteer and there learned that Capt. Josiah Powers, who was the principal mover in the chartering of the town (now called Brandon) of Neshobe in 1761, was from Greenwich, Mass., and a native of Littleton, Mass. This, to my mind, explained the origin of the charter name Neshobe.
Capt. Powers early bought up many of the rights of the original proprietors of that town which proved him to be the main man in the land scheme, and learning from the Powers Genealogy, printed in Chicago, that he was born on Neshobah hill in Littleton, where he was reared and had learned to love the place, it is fair to presume that he furnished the name for his selected town, and Governor Wentworth chartered it as Neshobe, which name it bore for twenty- three years.
When Thompson wrote the Green Mountain Boys, he came into this section and learned of many points to aid him in his story.
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Neshobe had long been forgotten as the original name of Brandon, so he picked it up and adopted it as the name of his fictitious Indian scout and guide to the Green Mountain heroes. To make it more Indian-like he spelled it Neshobee.
Neshobe is now applied to a small stream in the town of Brandon, and the most learned of that town believe it is an Indian term for clear water, which is untrue.
On July 4, 1881, there was a monstrous celebration on the shore of Lake Bombazine in this town, when the Rutland County Histori- cal Society named the island, in that lake, Neshobe. Since which time there has been much discussion about the derivation of the word. All this controversy and fun which we have had over the matter, has served to fasten the name firmly on the island.
It has been firmly asserted that Neshobe was an Indian chief in this locality, and others as firmly deny it. Had no discussion arose I dare say the name would have been forgotten by this time.
In writing to J. Hammond Trumbull, of Hartford, Conn., I learn its meaning. He says it means double water. This definition applies exactly to your locality, a place between two ponds; and I see that the matter is referred to in your valuable article in the Guidon.
In order to clear up all this history, I wish you could send to our Society all the papers and pamphlets bearing upon it. I would like everything pertaining to your town.
I learn that you are having a new history of your town revised, and I hope it will be a success and fully accomplished.
The sculptor Hiram Powers descended from the Powers of your town. My wife's father was an intimate acquaintance and first cousin of his. He is now about eighty years of age, and relates many anecdotes of his youthful days and plays with him.
Very respectfully,
JOHN M. CURRIER.
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LITTLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
CASTLETON, Vermont, March 10, 1885.
HERBERT J. HARWOOD, EsQ.
Dear Sir :- Yours of the 6th was duly received.
I thank you for the information you have given me about the history of Neshobe.
I herewith send you an exact copy of those paragraphs in Mr. Trumbull's letters relating to the definition and origin of the word Neshobe.
Should you, however, ever use these extracts in print you had better allow me to read the proof and compare it with the original.
The first quotation refers to the origin of the name of the county in the State of Mississippi, Nashoba.
I fear that Mr. Trumbull was rather hasty in his conclusion about the origin of this county's name, yet he may be right. I would not dare to make a statement about such matters until I had investi- gated its origin.
This is the last and only word applied to places that has the resemblance to the word Neshobe, that I have got to investigate before making my report to the Rutland County Historical Society.
It would not be strange if some Littleton man went to Mississippi and became influential enough to give that county its name. This will be a good work for you to do to find who of the early settlers went from your town.
I send you some of the names of the early settlers of Brandon. Capt. Josiah Powers, of Greenwich, Mass., originally from Littleton. Dr. Benjamin Powers, his brother from the same place. Amos Cutler from Hampton, Conn. John Conant from Ashburton, [Ashburnham ?] Mass. Elisha Strong, Noah Strong, John Ambler, Capt. Nathan Daniels, Dea. Jedediah Winslow, John Whelan, Dea. John Mott, Samuel Mott, Nathaniel Fisk, Capt. Thomas Tuttle, George and Aron Robins, Joseph Barker, Dr. Nathaniel Sheldon, Jonathan Ferris, Philip Bacon, Gideon Horton, John Sutherland, Major Gideon, Joshua Goss, Dea. Edward Cheney, George Olds, David Jacobs, Simeon Bigelow, Moses Barnes, Josiah and Nathan Parmenter, Zephaniah Hack from Green- wich, Mass., Jonathan Stearns.
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The above names were from Connecticut or Massachusetts, only the two Powers were from Littleton, as given in Hemenway's Gazetteer.
If you can find me a perfect copy of the Middlesex Gazetteer, I wish you would inform me of its cost, etc. We would like one in our society work.
Very respectfully, JOHN M. CURRIER, Secretary Rutland County Historical Society.
Extracts from a letter from F. Hammond Trumbull, of Hartford, Conn., to Fohn M. Currier, Secretary of the Rutland County Historical Society, Castleton, Vt., July 4, 1882.
"I cannot tell you the meaning of Neshobe; but I can say con- fidently that it does not mean 'clear water,' and that it has no connec- tion with the name of Neshoba County, Miss."
" Neshobe seems to represent one of two Indian names, meaning respectively, 'double pond (or ponds)' and 'half way pond' (or water). I do not know the topography of Brandon, or the location and shape of its ponds.
If there is any 'double pond' in the neighborhood, spectacle- shaped-or, two ponds near together-I have little doubt that the first interpretation I have suggested is the correct one."
Under date of November 12, 1884, he further says :
" From your statement it appears highly probable that Neshobe was brought to Rutland County from Littleton, Mass., with a slight change of form."
" The name of the village of praying Indians near Nagog Pond, in the present limits of Littleton, was variously written : Nashope, by John Eliot in 1670. Nashobah, by Gookin (see Archeologia Americana, Vol. II, p. 435); by others Nashope; and in Massachu-
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setts Records, III, 348, Nashop (if my memorandum, which I have not now leisure to verify, is correct)."
" As to the meaning of the name, I cannot speak confidently, except to say that as written by Eliot and Gookin, it cannot mean double pond, or ponds, but may mean half-way pond (or water), or water between other ponds.
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