USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > Reminiscences of Worcester from the earliest period, historical and genealogical with notices of early settlers and prominent citizens, and descriptions of old landmarks and ancient dwellings, accompanied by a map and numerous illustrations > Part 35
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Reminiscences of Worcester.
for the purpose by Hon. Joseph Allen, on Main street, near the corner of School street ; one short one on the fence near Dr. Dix's house, nearly opposite School street ; one short one on Capt. John Stanton's garden fence on Main street, near the corner of Foster street ; and one long one on the South Meet- ing-house. The long ladders were to be at least 33 feet long, and the short ones not less than 20.
WORCESTER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The first special legislative enactment in relation to fire com- panies in Worcester was in 1828, when the selectmen were au- thorized to appoint any number of engineers and firemen to be organized into companies under their direction.
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The Fire Department of the town was permanently established by a legislative act of Feb. 25, 1835, and organized by the choice of the following board of engineers : Capt. Lewis Bige- low, John F. Clark, Col. Isaac Davis, Francis T. Merrick, George T. Rice, Gen. Nathan Heard, Lewis Thayer, Col. Sam- uel Ward and Dea. Ichabod Washburn. At the first meeting of this board, May 2, 1835, Col. Isaac Davis was chosen chief engineer, Capt. Lewis Bigelow assistant to the chief, and Icha- bod Washburn clerk of the board. Of this original board of fire engineers of the town, forty-two years ago, Col. Davis and Gen. Heard alone survive. The chief engineers since 1835 have been : Col. Isaac Davis in 1836 ; Gen. Nathan Heard in 1837, 1838, and 1839; Henry W. Miller five years from 1840, inclusive ; Joel Wilder five years from 1845; E. N. Holmes five years from 1850 ; Leonard W. Sturtevant four years from 1855 ; Samuel A. Porter in 1859 ; Leonard R. Hudson in 1860 ; Alzirus Brown five years from 1861; A. B. Lovell three years from 1866 ; R. M. Gould three years from 1869 ; Simon E. Combs six years from 1872.
THE OLDEST ROADS.
The oldest established routes of travel through Worcester, after the permanent settlements begun, were : first, from the Boston and Lancaster roads through Lincoln and Main streets to New Worcester and the Leicester road ; and second, from
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the old Boston road by the upper end of Lake Quinsigamond through Plantation street to the Grafton road, and thence cross- ing over on to Heywood street, by the dwellings of Dea. Na- thaniel Moore and Jonas and James Rice, first settlers, near the present grounds of George Crompton, on Sagatabscot Hill ; thence passing west across Vernon street, near where is now Endicott street, on to Ward street, and thence through Ward street and Cambridge street to New Worcester.
The Plantation street route through Worcester from Boston to Connecticut river, was traveled many years, but gave way to the one through Main street as the settlements in the centre increased.
The next oldest roads are : The old road to Rutland, through Salisbury street ; the Grafton road, over what is now Harring- ton street, its first location ; the road through Green and Ver- non and Greenwood streets, and the first settled part of Mill- bury to Sutton ; Pleasant street through Tatnuck to the north part of Leicester and Paxton ; what are now Holden and West Boylston streets, and the old highway from Shrewsbury to Holden and Rutland afterwards known as the " Holden and Shrewsbury turnpike," now Mountain street, by the ancient res- idences of Jonathan Lovell, Dea. David Bigelow and Timothy ; Merrifield.
The Boston and Worcester and Stafford turnpikes, from Bos- ton to New York, through the south part of Shrewsbury, over the middle of Long Pond by a floating bridge, through Belmont street, then first opened to Lincoln Square, and thence through Main street to New Worcester and over Stafford street, through the south part of Leicester and the north part of Charlton, to Hartford, Conn., were begun in 1806.
DELEGATES TO CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS.
The delegates from Worcester to the three constitutional conventions which have been held, were as follows : To the first convention, in 1780, to frame the constitution : Gov. Levi Lincoln, senior, Hon. Joseph Allen and Dea. David Bigelow ; to the second constitutional convention, in 1820, to amend the first constitution : Gov. Levi Lincoln, junior, Dr. Abraham
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Lincoln and Judge Edward Bangs ; and to the third constitu- tional convention, in 1853, to make a further revision : Hon. Charles Allen, Hon. Isaac Davis, Hon. John S. C. Knowlton, Hon. John Milton Earle and Hon. Henry Chapin.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS.
The following is a list of presidential electors for the Wor. cester district, since the organization of the government in 1789. Where portions of Worcester county were taken to form parts of other Congressional or Presidential electoral dis- tricts, the names of all those from towns in Worcester county are given. The year given is the presidential year for which the electors served, generally following the year in which they were chosen :
Moses Gill of Princeton in 1789; Moses Gill of Princeton and Dwight Foster of Brookfield in 1793 ; Joseph Allen of Worcester in 1797 and 1801 ; Gen. Timothy Newell of Sturbridge in 1805 ; Benjamin Heywood of Wor- cester in 1809; Benjamin Heywood of Worcester and Eleazer James of Barre in 1813; Jonas Kendall of Leominster, Bezaleel Taft of Uxbridge and Seth Washburn of Leicester in 1817 ; Jonas Sibley of Sutton in 1821; Levi Lincoln of Worcester, Edmund Cushing of Lunenburg and Jonathan Davis of Oxford in 1825; Edmund Cushing of Lunenburg and Jonathan Davis of Oxford in 1829 ; Aaron Tufts of Dudley and Samuel Lee of Barre in 1833 ; Joseph G. Kendall of Worcester, Samuel Lee of Barre, Bezaleel Taft, Jr., of Uxbridge, and Loammi Baldwin of Phillipston in 1837 ; Ira M. Barton of Worcester and Samuel Mixter of New Braintree in 1841; Charles Allen of Worcester in 1845 ; Benjamin F. Thomas of Worcester in 1849 ; Rufus Bullock of Royalston and Ebenezer Torrey of Fitchburg in 1853 ; John S. C. Knowlton of Worcester in 1857 : Amasa Walker of North Brookfield and Charles Field of Athol in 1861; Levi Lincoln of Worcester in 1865 ; Paul Whitin of Northbridge in 1869 ; Stephen Salisbury of Wor- cester and Aaron C. Mayhew of Milford in 1873 ; Stephen Salisbury of Worcester and John C. Whitin of Northbridge in 1877.
WORCESTER JURY LIST-1742.
Charles Adams, Thomas Adams, Samuel Andrew, Robert Barber, Daniel Bigelow, Daniel Boyden, Robert Blair, James Boyd, Jonathan Bullard, John Chadwick, Joseph Clark, Joshua Child, John Curtis, Joseph Crosby, Daniel Duncan, Joshua Eaton, Samuel Eaton, James Forbush, Isaac Fiske, Ebenezer Flagg, Elisha Flagg, Benjamin Gates, Jonathan Gates, John Gates, Palmer Goulding, James Goodwin, Matthew Gray, Robert Gray, Wm. Gray, Jr., Timothy Green, John Hill, Elisha Hoge, James Howe, Jacob Holmes, Dan- iel Hubbard, James Holden, Francis Harrington, Wm. Jennison, Israel Jen- nison, Edward Knight, Jr., Micah Lovell, Nathaniel Moore, Nathaniel Moore, Jr., James Moore. Isaac Moore, Samuel Mower, Andrew McFarland, Thomas Parker, Maj. Jonas Rice, Gershom Rice, Jonas Rice, Jr., Abisha Rice, Eliakim Rice, Jotham Rice, Absalom Rice, Thomas Rice, Tyrus Rice, Joseph Rugg Thomas Stearns, Nathaniel Spring, John Stowers, Elisha Smith, Joseph Temple, Samuel Thomas, Daniel Ward, Obadiah Ward, Isaac Witherby, Ebenezer Willington, Thomas Wheeler, David Young.
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WORCESTER JURY LIST-1757 TO 1760.
The following is a list of one hundred persons qualified to serve as jurors in Worcester, for 1757. Fifteen of the names for 1757 do not appear on the list for 1760, indicating the num- ber of persons serving during the intermediate period :
Charles Adams, Nathaniel Adams, Samuel Andrews, Nathan Baldwin, David Bancroft, David Bigelow, Joshua Bigelow, Luke Brown, James Brown, James Blair, Daniel Boyden, John Boyden, James Barber, Robert Barber, Samuel Brooks, Jeremiah Beath, Josiah Brewer, Jr., Samuel Bridge, John Curtis, Jr., Samuel Curtis, James Carlisle, John Chadwick, John Chadwick, Jr., Benjamin Chapin, Thomas Cowdin, Jacob Chamberlain, Joseph Clark, Ephraim Doolittle, Simeon Duncan, Samuel Eaton, David Earl, Benjamin Fiagg, Phinehas Flagg, Ebenezer Flagg, Josiah Flagg, John Fisk, Benjamin Fisk, John Green, John Gates, Jonathan Gates, Solomon Gates, Simon Gates, Matthew Gray, John Goddard, James Goodwin, Isaac Gleason, Phine- has Gleason, Daniel Heywood, Jacob Holmes, Ezekiel Howe, Jr., Josiah Harrington, Francis Harrington, Jacob Hemenway, Daniel Hubbard, Israel Jennison, Solomon Johnson, Jr., Micah Johnson, Aser Johnson, Noah Jones, Ebenezer Lovell, Jonathan Mower, Samuel Mower, Jr., Asa Moore, Isaac Moore, Samuel Moore, Nathaniel Moore, Jr., John Mahan, Wm. Mahan, Jr., James McFarland, Wm. McFarland, Daniel McFarland, Samuel Miller, James Nichols, Nathan Perry, Josiah Pierce, Tyrus Rice, Gershom Rice, Jr., Absalom Rice, James Rice, Thomas Richardson, Jabez Sargent, Elisha Smith, Jr., Thomas Stearns, Cornelius Stowell, John Stowers, Jonathan Stone, Stephen Sawing, Joseph Temple, James Trowbridge, David Thomas, David Taylor, Othniel Taylor, Joseph Wiley, Ebenezer Wellington, Ben- jamin Whitney, Thomas Wheeler, Thomas Wheeler, Jr., Ebenezer Wiswall, Daniel Ward, Henry Ward, Phinehas Ward, Wm. Young.
ISAIAH THOMAS' PRINTING OFFICE.
Among the relics of Isaiah Thomas' old printing office now in possession of the American Antiquarian Society, is the old ramage press, made probably more than one hundred years ago, with the imposing stone upon which the forms of the SPY and the pages of his numerous publications were made up. With them are the stand, cases, chase, and two composing sticks, all of antique pattern, donated to the Society by Messrs. Tyler & Seagrave, present proprietors of the old Spy Job office. All these articles are arranged in printing office order in a separate apartment, appropriated for that purpose, in the Society's building.
OTHER NEWSPAPERS, &C.
The " ADVOCATE OF PEACE," edited by Elihu Burritt, and published by the American Peace Society, was printed here for several years since 1847 by H. J. Howland.
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Reminiscences of Worcester.
The " CHRISTIAN REFLECTOR" was an anti-slavery Baptist pa- per, started in Worcester in 1838 by an association of gentle- men. It was edited by Rev. Cyrus Pitt Grosvenor, and print- ed by H. J. Howland. After four years, it was merged with the Watchman, then and now published at Boston.
The " SUNDAY SCHOOL GAZETTE" was a semi-monthly juvenile sheet, begun in 1849, and continued eight years. It was edited by Rev. E. E. Hale, published by the Unitarian Sunday School Society, and printed by H. J. Howland.
The " WORCESTER JOURNAL OF MEDICINE," in connexion with the Eclectic Medical College, edited by Dr. Calvin Newton, was started Jan. 1, 1847, and was printed for two years by Samuel Chism ; afterwards by H. J. Howland. It was published sev- cral years up to Dr. Newton's death in 1853.
The " FRIENDLY REFORMER" was a small four-page sheet, pub- lished in 1839 and 1840 by Joseph S. Wall. Its object was the change of some features in the polity of the Quakers, which to the editor seemed objectionable.
The " PHYSIOLOGICAL JOURNAL" was a small sheet devoted to the ideas of Dr. Sylvester Graham, after whom the bread called " Graham bread," was named. It was edited and published by Joseph S. Wall in 1839 and 1840.
The "AMERICAN PULPIT" is the title of a monthly octavo pub- lished during a portion of the years 1846 and 1847, edited by Rev. R. S. Rust, then pastor of the Laurel street (M. E.) Church in Worcester, and printed first by Estey & Evans, and after- wards by Samuel Chism.
" THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER" was published on Saturdays by John Milton Earle for one year from May 22, 1847, from the Spy office, it being a continuation of the " Bay State Farmer and Mechanics' Ledger" (alluded to on page 323,) purchased J. H. Everett & Co., and merged in the Massachusetts SPY af- ter May 22, 1848.
The " FAMILY VISITOR" was a local religious weekly, edited by Moses W. Grout, published a few months in 1832, and print- ed by H. J. Howland.
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Reminiscences of Worcester.
Among the many advertising sheets published, in newspa- per and other forms, have been several series of a widely cir- culated weekly paper called the " COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER," the first series of which was begun July 4, 1865, by Gould & Cleland, publishing office at No. 5 Brinley Hall. Gould & Browning, and others continued it a year or so. The next scries was begun Feb. 3, 1869, by Snow Brothers, printers, un- der the name of the " Worcester County Advertiser," and con- tinued some time. Another series was begun in January, 1871, by E. Adams, and continued by him, Adams & Corbin, and others to Feb. 3, 1873. The first series were printed by Charles Hamilton, and the last by E. R. Fiske.
There was a weekly devoted to the liquor interest, called the " LIBERTY OF THE PRESS," published in 1848, by Peter Johnson, and edited by Jubal Harrington and others, and printed in a barn in the neighborhood of the Foster street depot. We have not been able to find a copy of this peculiar publication. Its influence culminated in the attempt to blow up the office of the mayor and the dwelling of the city marshal, and in various personal assaults on representative temperance men of the city. It died as it deserved to die, and has left no name behind.
The first number of the " DAILY TRIBUNE" was printed Nov. 14, 1849, published by Adams & Co., at the north corner of Main and Pleasant streets. Jan. 7, 1850, J. Addison Allen & Co. became the publishers, and April 1, the office was removed to Pearl street, in the building, where Moses Spooner for ser- eral years operated his power press. C. Buckingham Webb was editor till May, 1850, after him A. L. Perry became editor the remainder of the year. March 22, 1851, Allen & Co. sold out the establishment to J. Burrill & Co., who on its basis be- gan the publication of the second "Daily Transcript," (alluded to on page 324,) April 1.
A third " WORCESTER DAILY JOURNAL" having no connection with the previous series, (mentioned on pages 325 and 326,) was started Nov. 10, 1871, by Sidney A. Gaylor, and printed a few weeks. It was a small double sheet in octavo form. He had previously printed a weekly from July 21, 1871.
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Reminiscences of Worcester.
The first number of the daily " EVENING BUDGET," by Peter L. Cox, in the Central Exchange, was printed Jan. 1, 1847. Soon after its discontinuance, in May following, the " Worces- ter Daily Telegraph," was issued from the same office and was published by Clark, Cox & Co., and afterwards continued by Clark, Cushing & Gerrish, to March 15, 1849, soon after which the second "Daily Transcript" was started, in which it was probably merged. Julius L. Clark was editor of the " Tele- graph," as he was afterwards of the " Transcript," (see p. 324.)
Three numbers of a bitterly sarcastic sheet, particularly antagonistic to the political acts of the first Gov. Levi Lincoln, a staunch democrat, was printed July 26, Aug. 2, and Aug. 9, 1809. It was a small quarto, and was called "The Scorpion." .
The " WORCESTER DAILY SUN," published by the " Sun Pub- lishing Company," was printed eight days, Oct. 18, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 30, and Nov. 1, 1869, and then became suddenly extinguished.
STREET AND DUMMY RAILWAYS.
The Worcester Horse Railroad was first opened to public travel from Lincoln Square to New Worcester, Aug. 31, 1863, the occasion being celebrated on that day by an excursion to the then " Webster Park," at New Worcester, a beautiful grove on the grounds of Loring Coes, Esq. Here there was a public dinner, with speeches by the president, James B. Blake, Mayor D. Waldo Lincoln, Ex-Mayors Alexander H. Bullock, Isaac Davis, Henry Chapin, P. Emory Aldrich, George W. Richard- son and W. W. Rice, Capt. Ephraim Mower, Charles T. Crom- well of New York, and others.
The Worcester and Shrewsbury Railroad was first opened to public travel from Washington Square to Lake Quinsigamond, three miles, Aug. 1, 1873, from which time to Aug. 1, 1877, it is estimated that over 400,000 passengers were carried over it. IIon. E. B. Stoddard has been president of the road from the beginning, and Richard Barker superintendent for the last three years.
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Reminiscences of Worcester.
OLD SOUTH CHURCH.
The Rev. Nathaniel Migliill, whose vacation from his pastor- ate of the first parish (Old South) Church was alluded to on page 125, having subsequently resigned on account of his con- tinued ill-health, the Rev. Louis Bevier Voorhees, who had supplied the pulpit with much acceptance up to that time, was called to the position with great unanimity by both church and parish, and installed as the thirteenth pastor of that ancient church, June 15, 1877, with the following exercises :
Introductory prayer by Rev. A. H. Coolidge of Leicester ; reading of Scriptures by Rev. E. Porter Dyer of Shrewsbury ; sermon by Rev. A. J. F. Behrends, D. D., of Providence, R. I., from Rom. 12: 1, 2; prayer of in- stallation by Rev. George H. Gould, D. D., late of the Piedmont Church, Worcester ; charge to the pastor by Rev. E. Porter Dyer of Shrewsbury, moderator of the council, the Rev. Dr. J. L. Withrow, D. D., of Boston, who had been assigned to take this part, not being present ; right hand of fellowship by C. M. Lamson of Salem street Congregational Church, Wor- cester ; charge to the people by Rev. J. H. Means, D. D., of Dorchester ; concluding prayer by Rev. George W. Phillips of Plymouth Church, Wor- cester.
The new pastor, Rev. L. B. Voorhees, was born in Rocky Hill, N. J., June 10, 1847 ; graduated at Princeton College in 1868 ; studied one year in the theological seminary of the Re- formed Dutch Church in New Brunswick, N. J., and after that two years at Andover (Mass.) Theological Seminary, graduat- ing in 1871. He was ordained as pastor of the Pilgrim Church at North Weymouth, Mass., Dec. 6, 1871, and dismissed by council, June 7, 1876, having resigned his charge there against the unanimous wishes of the church, in order to enter upon a more enlarged field of labor and influence. After leaving North Weymouth, he made a visit to Europe.
EXECUTIONS IN WORCESTER.
As Worcester has always been the seat of the Courts of Jus- tice in the county, all the executions of malefactors for high crimes and misdemeanors, committed within the county, since its organization in 1731, have taken place here. They have been as follows, comprising eighteen individuals at thirteen dif- ferent times, one of them a female, four of them on one occa- sion, and two at one time on two occasions. Ten were executed for murder, five for burglary and three for rape. Different
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days of the week were selected, the taking of Friday being a comparatively modern usage.
In 1737, Tuesday, Nov. 26, Hugh Henderson, alias John Hamilton, for burglary.
In 1745, Jeffrey, a negro, for murder of his mistress.
In 1768, Thursday, Oct. 20, Arthur, a negro, for rape. The execution sermon was by Rev. Thaddeus Macearty, upon the theme-" The power and grace of Christ displayed to a dying malefactor."
In 1770, Thursday, Oct. 25, William Lindsey, for burglary. Before the execution, a sermon was preached by Rev. Thad- deus Maccarty of the Old South Church, upon the theme, " the most heinous sinner capable of the saving blessings of the gospel."
In 1778, Thursday, July 2, William Brooks, James Buchanan, Ezra Ross and Bathsheba Spooner, for the murder of Joshua Spooner of Brookfield, husband of the woman. Sermon by Rev. Thaddeus Maccarty, from Deut. 19: 13, " Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of inno- cent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thec." It is said that the unfortunate woman rode to the place of her execution in the chaise with Mr. Maccarty. She was a daugh- ter of Brigadier Ruggles of Hardwick, and a sister of the first Dr. John Green's second wife, and was buried in the garden back of the old Green mansion on Green hill.
In 1779, Thursday, Nov. 11, Robert Young, for rape on a young girl 11 years old named Jane Young, at Brookfield.
In 1783, Thursday, June 19, William Huggins and John Mans- field for burglary.
In 1786, Wednesday, Aug. 16, Johnson Green for burglary.
In 1793, Thursday, Oct. 31, Samuel Frost for the murder of Elisha Allen of Princeton, the execution taking place on the hill, where the old State Lunatic Hospital now stands, subse- quently called " Frost Hill." Before the execution, according to the ancient custom, a sermon was preached by Rev. Dr. Aaron Bancroft, at his church, the criminal being present.
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Reminiscences of Worcester.
In 1825, Wednesday, Dec. 7, Horace Carter of Worcester for rape, the execution taking place upon the hill on the north corner of Belmont street and Lincoln Square.
In 1845, Friday, Jan. 3, Thos. Barrett of Lunenburg, for the murder of Mrs. Ruth Houghton of Lunenburg, the execution for the first time being a private one, at the jail, only fourteen persons being admitted.
In 1868, Friday, Sept. 25, Silas and Charles T. James of Rhode Island, for the murder of Joseph G. Clark ; execution at the jail. They were attended at the gallows by the jail chaplain, Rev. R. R. Shippen, who performed religious service but did not stay to witness the execution.
In 1876, Friday, May 25, Samuel J. Frost of Petersham, for the murder of his wife's brother, Frank P. Towne ; at the jail. Rev. C. M. Lamson of the Salem Street Congregational Church, offered prayer at the gallows.
BUILDING OPERATIONS, &C.
The extent of building operations in Worcester within the last ten years is much greater than may be at first imagined, especially considering the unexampled progress of the preced- ing fifteen years in this direction. The most extensive build- ing enterprise of any period here is the new State Lunatic Hospital, not yet completed, which comprises a series of struct- ures from four to five stories in height, having a frontage in all of nearly twelve hundred feet, eighteen million brick being massed therein. Its cost will come up to $1,250,000. The next largest enterprise is the new Union depot, finished in 1875, which cost three quarters of a million ; and then there is the viaduct, not exactly coming under the head of what are usually called " buildings," the cost of which was some over a quarter of a million. In the matter of school houses, those built during the first five of the last ten years cost over half a million. The numerous elegant and costly church structures built within the last ten years, which are the pride and orna- ment of the city, costing from $50,000 to $250,000 each, (the most expensive of these being St. Paul's, All Saints', Piedmont,
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Plymouth, Trinity, Grace and Universalist, built since 1870,) add some three quarters of a million to these expenditures. Many extensive buildings for business purposes, have also been erected within the last few years, adding a million and a half, probably, to the sum. The most extensive structures under the latter head, are the buildings crected by Hon. Stephen Salisbury for the Ames Plow Works, and those just built by him and his son on the site of the recent Court Mills. These all foot up the gross total of $3,500,000, including the nu- merous and costly and palatial dwellings of our citizens.
This is in marked contrast with the state of things fifty years ago, when the valuation of all the churches, school-houses and other public buildings then standing would not exceed $50,000.
During the month of July, 1877, the ancient dwelling of Judge William Jennison, alluded to on pages 56 and 57, which was removed from its original site in 1846, was torn down. It had stood for the last thirty-one years on the south west corner of Exchange and Blackstone streets, a conspicuous monument of a century and a half ago, owned for the last fourteen years by Francis Flynn. Its huge timbers of oak, pine and chestnut were found so sound, that Mr. Flynn worked them into the new structure, just erected by him upon the same site, so that the historic edifice is still perpetuated. The rear part of the old structure bore the marks where the ancient ell, first used for a county jail, had been attached to it, and in which the first prisoners in the county were for a short time confined, (see page 226.)
In the cut of the old Court House and its surroundings on Court Hill in 1802, will be noted the little square one-story building just south of the Court House and north of Isaiah Thomas' residence, which Mr. Thomas used for his counting- room and business office, after he had retired from the manage- ment of the Spy, the office of which was on the south side of his residence. This little square building was about 1838 pur- chased by the proprietors of the Rural Cemetery, and moved to its present location nearly opposite the front entrance to the cemetery. An additional (French roof) story has been added
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to the structure, and it has been for several years the residence of John P. Stockwell, superintendent of the cemetery grounds.
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