USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Royalston > Reflections on Royalston, Worcester County, Massachusetts, U.S.A > Part 7
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The Miller place at 12C was retained and occupied by his daughters for many years; it was sold "out of the family" for a short time, and
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Reflections on Royalston
he bought and prepared his farm for settlement, and, according to Mr. Bullock, would clear a piece of wood land in Royalston, go back to look after hay-making in Sutton, from whence he came, and return in time to sow a rye-field in Royalston. He did this for only one season, however, for the Memorial says that "the next year he brought on his wife, two cows and a pair of steers; the wild beasts soon made way with one of his steers." Capt. Jonathan Sibley and his wife both died in September, 1810, leaving a son, Lieut. Jonathan Sibley. He died in 1818, leaving his second wife, Rebecca. She built this Sibley house at 20C, and it was her home until March 25, 1853, when she died at the age of 92 years.
Since that time the place has had many occupants, and several owners; among the latter, John Pierce, Obadiah Walker, who added the store in 1872, George W. Blandin and Sumner C. French.
THE GODDARD HOUSE.
The house located at the foot of the Common, at 66C on the map, was built by William Raymond, who gave the land for extending the Common
THE ASHBEL GODDARD HOUSE, 1873.
from the original wide part down to this house, as told on page 53. The place may have had more than one owner between Raymond and God- dard; I know that rent was at one time paid to Willard Holman. Rev. Norman Hazen resided in the house during his pastorate, 1847-52. Just when Ashbel Goddard moved from his farm at the corner of the roads in Square 41, to this house, may not be told, but it could not have been far from 1852. His son, William Bailey Goddard, succeeded him, and leav- ing a widow, she in due time married Leonard Byam, who outlived her, and who left the place to a relative, Fred H. Sherwin, in 1916.
The house at 53C was probably built by Solomon Tenney, and was his home for a number of years. The place was occupied by Rev. Eben- ezer W. Bullard, during his long pastorate of the First Congregational Church, from 1852 to 1869; and by his successor, Rev. John P. Cushman, from 1870 to 1872. After the new parsonage had been provided at the head of the Common in 1874, Joseph Raymond, who perhaps built the next house, at 59C, and had lived there many years, having acquired the
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Reflections on Royalston
ownership of the house at 53C, moved into it and made it his home for the remainder of his long life; he died Sept. 7, 1893, aged 92 years. The place has been kept in the family; and is the summer home of his grand- daughters, Caroline Willis and Mary Elizabeth Raymond.
The former Raymond house, at 59C, passed into the hands of Tim- othy M. Longley, whose home it was for many years.
The house on the corner, designated 47C, was probably built by Bar- net Bullock. It was his home for more than half a century, and he died there Sept. 1, 1884, aged 86 years. The place was retained by a son, Newton Brigham Bullock; and since his death, by Richard Bullock, son of Newton Brigham and grandson of Barnet, for summer occupancy.
Hugh Bullock was the father of Rufus and Barnet, and other sons. The Memorial states that after his sons grew up, left the farm and en- gaged in other business, he also left his farm in the northwest part of the town, and built the house next west of his son Barnet's, designated 9W on map; this was his home until his death in 1837, at the age of 85. This house has been retained by the Bullocks, and rented to others.
VIEW OF COMMON, OCTOBER, 1873.
I cannot state the origin of the cottage at 15W. Before 1860 it was the home of Stephen P. White. He answered the call to arms in August, 1862, and died in the service of his country in May, 1864, leaving a wife and two children. The widow still lives in the cottage, in 1918, and the daughter is the wife of Colin Mackenzie.
At 16W there was a two-story house, with a blacksmith shop near it. The shop was used by Leonard Wheeler, before he transferred his busi- ness to the neighborhood of the carriage and furniture manufactories. There is mention that a Ballou family lived in the house, and I remember that it was the home of the Russell family for a time; but it was prone to vacancy, allowed to run down, and was torn down by Rufus Bullock, who had become its owner, about 1855.
The house at the right in the above picture, and which may appear in other views, located at 18C on the map, was the home of Rev. Eben- ezer Perkins; probably he built it, and he retained it until his death in 1861. His son, Joseph L. Perkins, occupied it until he removed to Fitch- burg in 1870. Charles W. Cragin lived there for a time. Among owner occupants have been John Pierce and George Everett Pierce, with Wil- liam A. Frye in possession in 1918.
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Reflections on Royalston
then came into the possession of Calvin Bullock, son of Calvin and Mary E. (Miller) Bullock, and grandson of Barnet Bullock and George F. Mil- ler; he made numerous betterments in 1918, and holds it as a summer residence, his home and business being in the west.
The data indicates the building of these houses at 2C, 9C, 12C and 58C during the 1840-50 decade.
THE BULLOCK MANSION.
The Bullock mansion, at 35C, as originally built, was more imposing in appearance than it is at present. My information of 40 years or more ago was that the building was put up by one Fales; presumably it was the Lemuel Fales who served as Selectman in 1855 and 1856, and who was partner with Lucas W. Partridge in a general store at South Royals-
WEST SIDE OF COMMON, OCTOBER, 1873.
ton. Mr. Fales made the building three generous stories high, and in- tended it for a hotel; how much it was used for that purpose may not be told. It came into the possession of Rufus Bullock, who made it over to conform to his ideas as well as he could, probably. The third story was cut off, and with it some of the superfluous heighth of the second story; and the space in the first story was reduced by placing lower ceilings in the rooms. It requires but a momentary comparison of this building with others, and especially of the relative distance between the windows of the first and second stories, to satisfy one of the truth of this story of the stories. The building appears at the right in the above picture.
The yard was not fenced in, and when there was a store in the ell part, teams were driven directly up to the piazza. Rufus Bullock died in 1858. Sometime later his daughter, Emily, had the iron fence and the granite walks and steps placed, and a steam heating plant and other im- provements installed in the house. She married William D. Ripley, of New York, and the place was their home for many years.
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Reflections on Royalston
This place was given up by the Bullock descendants before the end of the last century. Earlier than 1900 William H. Hill, of Boston, pur- chased it, and occupied it as a summer home for his family. With the changes that time has brought the place has been for recent years in the name of a son, Donald M. Hill.
THE ESTABROOK-CLARK MANSION.
The large building in which the old store and post-office were kept and which contained also the residence of the Estabrook family, at 34C on the map, was probably built quite early in the century. Although the store hnd several changes of ownership, the building was probably held by the Estabrooks and three or four generations of the family found a home in it. Daniel Parkhurst Clark, who had been a clerk in Royalston stores, and who had later achieved success in business in New York,
THE ESTABROOK-CLARK RESIDENCE, 1873.
married Mary S. Mirick, sister of the wife of the second Joseph Esta- brook who kept the store and resided in the building. Following the death of Mr. Clark, his widow made her home with the Estabrooks. In 1872 the present mansion was built, and the old house and store building was pushed back and fitted up for a stable. After the death of Mrs. Clark and Mr. and Mrs. Estabrook, changes of ownership in the place left it before 1900 in the hands of J. Howard Lee, of Boston, who kept it as a summer residence. Time has brought changes, and the property, together with the houses on either side of it, at 30C and 38C, now, in 1918, stands in the name of the daughter, Bertha Lee.
THE SIBLEY HOUSE.
The house at 20C,-the one with which the post-office store has been connected since 1872, -was well known as the Sibley house in the middle of the last century. He who became Captain Jonathan Sibley settled on a lot in Square 41. According to his record he was 23 years of age when
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Reflections on Royalston
The Memorial states that "the original burial-ground was projected on the east side of the public square. Several interments were made on this ground; but being found very unsuitable for the purpose, it was ex- changed for a lot on the south side of the Athol road." Mr. Bullock, referring to the ten acres of the Common, said that they "were solemnly consecrated for the meeting-house, the training-field and the burial ground, -the last of which was subsequently by exchange removed." The first impression that the reader gets from these statements is that burials were made on the Common. But it seems unlikely that any part of the Common would have been "exchanged." The Estabrook family for many years owned the land at the east side of the Common as well as that adjoining the cemetery on the Athol road, and they added to that cemetery a corner from their own land for their family lot. It seems possible that the "exchange" might have been of land on the east side of the ten-acre plot, but outside of its limits, with the Estabrooks.
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PERKINS HOUSE AND CROQUET PLAYERS, 1873.
For several seasons, beginning in 1868 or 1869, many of Royalston's professional and business men and gentlemen of leisure played croquet on the Common. At first the playing was at the south end, somewhat in front of the store, which was the rendezvous for the players. Later, when it was learned that Leonard Nichols, who had but recently become a resident near the grounds, was being annoyed by the noise, a location was taken down nearly in front of the church, making the post-office store the rendezvous. On this field our photographer found those present, together with ladies and children who had gathered to add charm to the picture, one pleasant afternoon in October, 1873. Dr. Henry O. Adams, of South Royalston, stopped in his carriage to look on, and was caught. The old Perkins house and barn stood for a conspicuous background. The photographer made a good view for the stereoscope. The half-tone man did not succeed in reproducing it with the best effect; and the only reason for printing it here is that it is an old picture which probably will never appear elsewhere.
At 22C is indicated the probable location of the first school-house. In 1777 the voters were called to act on the question whether the town would build a school-house as near the meeting-house as convenient, and if not, whether liberty would be given to a number of the inhabitants near the Center to build a school-house for their own benefit. The town declined to build, but gave the individuals permission, and the house was built in the vicinity of the location designated. The residents of other sections of the town provided themselves with school-houses. In 1798 the town provided for the building of nine school-houses, one in each of the nine districts, and three of the old buildings were found of sufficient value to require an allowance to the proprietors.
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Reflections on Royalston
SAW-MILLS AND GRIST-MILLS.
When the shrewd Proprietors of Royalston blocked out the town, they knew that the settlers would need saw-mills and grist-mills quite as much as they would need the meet- ing-house and schools. And so, having made some very wise and generous provisions for the installation and continuation of the meeting-house, and having donated hundreds of acres of their valuable lands in the interest of schools, they benev- olently started something for the mills. They "selected a site" for them on the Lawrence, which to-day and probably for a century to come may be well located by saying that it was about two miles south from the Common, on the Athol road, and a little above Doane's Falls. (Square 45 on map.)
Benjamin Marsh received a title to this "mill lot," "with other encouragements, and gave his bond to build and main- tain suitable mill accommodations," the Memorial tells us; "but failing to meet the conditions of his bond, the Proprie- tors recovered £200 in a suit at law; a part of which they afterward remitted." Marsh sold out and removed from town. He was succeded by Isaac Gale, from Sutton, who died in 1779. Henry Nichols came to Royalston and took up a farm on the easterly road, where it is joined by the more recent road from the Center to South Royalston, which was occupied in later years by Chipman H. Maxham, Alfred Neal and Henry S. Wood. (Square 34.) Here Henry Nichols kept a public house. His wife died in 1781, and he married the widow of Isaac Gale, mentioned as the second proprietor of the mills, and later settled his son Henry on the home place and removed to and carried on the mills left by Gale. He settled his son Elijah at the mills. Elijah Nichols later built the house on the Common at 5C, where he died in 1856, leav- ing the place to his son, Joseph T. Nichols, who occupied it until about 1872, when he sold to Anthony Donnelly. Since 1875 the place has been the home of Dr. Frank W. Adams.
The grist-mill at this point was given up many years ago. The saw-mill and wood-working part were continued under various owners, among them John Kendall & Son, who put in turbine water-wheels and a circular saw-mill. Bolton and Stimson and E. E. Dickinson are named by Mr. Caswell
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Reflections on Royalston
as the latest owners, and he says the old mill fell down Jan- uary 3, 1911.
While the location of this first grist-mill and saw-mill was far from being a central one, it proved to be the nucleus of a greater variety of industrial activity than any other point in the town, outside of South Royalston. The Memorial says that Benjamin May, a clothier, had a mill, first at the base of the great falls, but which he soon moved up the stream to a point below the saw-mill; here, the Memorial tells us, "he scoured and fulled the home-mades of the people." Mr. Caswell, or his printer, says that "he secured and made the home-mades of the people." Probably May made no clothes. The compilers of the Memorial knew their words and had them properly printed. Scouring and fulling is a process of cleansing, shrinking and thickening cloth, by moisture, heat and pressure; and fullers-earth and fullers-soap have been used in the process. May cleansed and slicked up the home-made cloth, but he was not a tailor. His business passed into the hands of Joel Nourse, who built another dam above the saw-mill; built a blacksmith-shop, in which he had a trip-hammer and a nail-cutting machine; and he got control of an oil-mill, the clothier's mill, and other business of the locality. Ben- jamin Bragg later became proprietor of the privilege, continuing the clothier's business, and adding machinery for wool-carding; this, too, was probably utilized by the people, who otherwise had carded their wool by hand, preparatory to spinning it into yarn. Later Mr. Bragg put in spinning and weaving machinery and manufactured satinet cloths complete. He was burned out in 1850, and did not resume business.
Sullivan Raymond & Sons manufactured pails and tubs for many years, after Bragg was burned out, utilizing the power from the dam built by Nourse. Amos Doane built a shop below the saw-mill, probably utilizing the power at the point of May's second dam. Mr. Doane made doors, sash and blinds; and it is probable that there are many houses in Royalston, Athol and vicinity, trimmed with his product, and bearing proof of the thoroughness of his work.
It is probable that the second grist-mill was built by Bezaleal Barton, on the Lawrence, about a mile and a half north-easterly from the Common (Sq. 16). The proprietor died in camp in 1775, indicating the building of the mill some years earlier. William Nichols, brother of Henry Nichols, previously mentioned in connection with the first mill, bought this Barton mill and farm connected, which later became the Col. Willard Newton place. It is probable that the grist-mill at this point did not remain in service as long as some of the others. But the saw-mill which was established was kept up; among the proprietors have been Moore, Bosworth and Mendall Pike.
The Holman saw-mill and grist-mill, on the Lawrence, about a mile north-easterly from the Common (Square 25), was probably established quite early in the history of the town. There are notes which indicate that perhaps the New- tons had something to do with its beginning. Nathan Brig- ham Newton, according to the Memorial, was first located
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Reflections on Royalston
"on the west bank of the Lawrence," near the mill-site, and later removed to the top of the hill on the easterly side of the Lawrence. There is a tradition of disagreement between the families over the raising of the dam, such as would nat- urally come from the flooding of Newton's land by Holman's pond, after the river became the dividing line between the Newtons and the Holmans, with the Holmans in possession of the mills.
Maynard Partridge bought the mills and the farm con-
NEWTON & DAVIS MILL-POND, MILL AND RESIDENCES, 1906.
nected in the spring of 1858, and carried on the business for about ten years, producing, in addition to lumber, turned chair stock, which was mostly sent to Gardner chair facto- ries. His sons, Herman Maynard and John Milton, and others were employed in the turning room. Maynard Part- ridge had a younger son, Harlan Page, who married a daugh- ter of Trueworthy Seaver of Boston. Mr. Seaver visited the place, and was so well pleased with it that he bought it in 1868, and carried on the business for something more than a year, with Herman M. Partridge as manager. Then he sold
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Reflections on Royalston
to Maynard and John Milton Partridge, who continued under the firm name of M. Partridge & Son until 1876, when Abel Merriam was added to the firm and remained with it for a year. Steam power was added at that time. John Milton Partridge carried on the business in his own name from 1880 to March 1, 1900, when he sold to Willard H. Newton and Willie W. Davis, under the firm name of Newton & Davis. They replaced the old up-and-down saw-mill with a first-class circular saw-mill. The original heavily-timbered mill build- ing was destroyed by fire on the night of July 3, 1905. The firm rebuilt that season, utilizing in part a building from the next water privilege below, owned by Millard W. White.
Following the introduction of circular saws for sawing heavy timber, came the portable saw-mill, consisting of a circular saw and a steam boiler and engine on frames, capa- ble of being transported from place to place and being set up on a timber lot, where the sawing can be done at a great saving of the cost of transportation to the mills on the streams, the waste material being used in producing the steam power. Sometimes electric power is available for use by such mills. Newton & Davis and others have operated portable mills in Royalston for many years.
The saw-mill and shop known as the Prouty place, on the Lawrence, about a mile easterly from the Common (Sq. 33), was of later origin than most of the others. According to the "Massachusetts Register" William Prouty was making sleds and wheelbarrows in 1853, but no mention is made of a saw-mill, and there is good reason for thinking that Prouty's work at that time was done in a shop on the little stream a little nearer to the Common; Lewis Davis had a shop there and then went to Farrar's at South Royalston, and probably Prouty succeeded him at the little shop. The 1857 map gives the designation of saw-mill and wooden-ware manufactory to the site on the Lawrence. John and William H. Prouty were operating the mill as early as 1859. Later it passed into the hands of Joseph L. Perkins and Franklin H. God- dard, and the building was burned about 1869. It was re- built, and was operated for a time by Albert W. Merriam, and the building was again burned. It was again rebuilt, and Millard W. White was its last operator. In 1905 the building
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Reflections on Royalston
was removed to the Newton & Davis site, the next one above on the Lawrence, to replace the one destroyed by fire.
The Memorial states that Jonas Lewis probably built the saw-mill on the Lawrence near the New Hampshire line. (Square 6.) Here Horace Pierce & Son operated the saw-mill and pail factory for many years, down to about 1869. The place had passed into the hands of Alfred H. Perkins in 1870, and it has had several owners since that time.
Lieut. Joseph Allen (or Alliene) established the saw-mill on Beaver Brook in the easterly part of the town .. (Sq. 26.) Later proprietors have been James Stone, Lyman Stone, and Herbert O. Smith.
Ansel Howard was proprietor of the saw-mill on Priest Brook in 1853 and 1857. (Sq. 36.) The map gives Dr. D. Parker as proprietor in 1870.
Capt. Pelatiah Metcalf started a saw-mill on Boyce Brook in the westerly part of the town. (Sq. 23. ) He was succeeded by his son Isaac, and he by his brother Jacob, and after the death of Jacob the place was sold to Horatio Brewer. But by some deal Nathaniel Greeley was given possession of the original mill-site. On the 1870 map we find two ponds and two saw-mills credited: the lower one to Nathaniel Greeley, and the other one, only a little higher on the stream, to Hora- tio Brewer. Newton & Davis operated a mill in this locality for several years. The building was taken down in 1919.
The saw-mill long known as the Dexter Underwood mill, on a branch of the Tully, (Sq. 23,) is said by one authority to have been established by Jeremiah Dean; Caswell says it was built by Seth Holman, who sold to Baker & Underwood. In 1866 Leonard G. Moore became proprietor, and did an exten- sive business for some 20 years. The place, like others of the earlier mills, became long ago a thing of the past.
Joseph Hicks built a grist-mill and saw-mill on the Tully, in the vicinity of the Forbes place and Forbes Falls.
Down in a southwesterly corner, near the line of Athol and Orange, Barney Paine established a saw-mill on the Tully. (Sq. 44.) Later proprietors were Lemuel Whitney, Ebenezer W. Dexter and Bela Dexter.
Jonathan Shepardson built a saw-mill on the Tully, at a point before it is joined by the Lawrence. (Sq. 45.)
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Nathan Goddard bought a large tract of land in the south-west corner of the town, and established there a saw- mill, a tannery and a public house. But when the town of Orange was incorporated in 1783 his place was set off to that town. The location is indicated outside Square 29 on map.
Benjamin Blanchard, the Memorial states, owned a large tract of land, including most of what was later covered by South Royalston village, and on nearly to the Winchendon line. This land was originally within the bounds of Athol and Phillipston, and was set over to Royalston in 1799 and 1803. Blanchard was the first to develop the water power from Millers River. He built a saw-mill in South Royalston, near the location later occupied by the shops of S. S. Farrar for many years. He also built a grist-mill. Whether this grist-mill was located at his saw-mill, or a little higher up, on the place where a grist-mill was maintained for many years, between the woolen mill and the chair shop, is not apparent; but indications favor the latter location. From the various accounts it appears that Edson Clark and John M. Upham acquired an interest in the Blanchard mill property, which, about 1836, they sold to Salmon S. Farrar; and in 1871 he replaced the old up-and-down mill with a circular saw-mill. The shop and mill property passed into the hands of Salmon Nelson Farrar, son of Salmon S., and the buildings were en- tirely destroyed by fire, June 15, 1884. A new shop was built, and in 1890 a circular saw-mill was installed, which was much needed, as there was no other saw-mill in South Royalston. Salmon Nelson Farrar died in 1896, and the busi- ness was continued by his son, Walter N. Farrar. He died Jan. 7, 1919.
The grist-mill between the woolen mill and the chair shop was in the hands of William Kendall in 1853. Along in the seventies it was operated by C. E. Glazier, who did a large commercial business, supplying dealers as well as con- sumers with his product.
There was a saw-mill adjoining the chair shop which for a time was under different ownership and management. In 1853 the saw-mill was accredited to Whitmore & Bruce, and Bruce, Whitney & Bowker were the proprietors of the chair shop. Changes later brought the whole business into the
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