USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Petersham > Sketches of Petersham natives and adopted citizens > Part 15
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There was a hat-pressing factory in the south part of the town owned by Jesse Rogers. He also had a bleachery where he whitened palm leaf. It is owned now by John A. Carter, who manufactures shoe cases. Palin leaf splitting was carried on by Adin Telman in a building where J. H. Gafney now lives. There was a steam mill just west of the common owned by the late P. W. Barr, where large quantities of palm leof hats wer- pressed ; later it was converted into a tannery by the late Alfr. d Peckham. It was destroyed by fire some years later. There was a ladder factory just west of the common, owned
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PETERSHAM SKETCHES
and operated by the late Paul Peckham, also a tin shop on East street owned by the late Collins Andrews.
There were six or seven blacksmith shops in town-all but one being operated by farmers. They were Col. Josiah White, Col. George White, brothers, Lewis and Oliver Whitney, brotli - ers, Dea. Hubbard Peckliam, William Clark, Marshall Twichell and Zuri Stone. The physicians were Dr. William Parkhurst and Dr. Samuel Taylor. Jared Weed was Justice of the Peace and Cephas Willard Deputy Sheriff. There were four boot and shoemakers, Phineas Brooks, Humphrey Farrar, Lorenzo West and Emory Goddard ; also two butchers, Lot Dennis and Ly- sander Blodgett, who is now living at the age of 86.
Col. Josiah White was moderator of the town meeting for many years, also assessor. Col. George White was collector of taxes many years, and Lewis Whitney town clerk for more than 20 years. Capt. Jolin G. Mudge was town treasurer many years.
August 27th, 1892, a very destructive fire burned the Baptist church and residences of the late Captain Mudge, George Fos- ter and George Marsh. The Baptist society rebuilt their church in 1894, on a site just south of the old cemetery. James W. Brooks bought the burned district, cleared it off and graded it, so that it makes a fine outlook for the new Nichewaug, which he rebuilt on the site of the old one, but much enlarged, in 190I.
Of other mechanics not mentioned, most of whom were farmers, were the brothers, Joab and Levi Young, stone cutters in the east part of the town, Daniel Robinson in the west part of the town, George Bosworth on South Main street, carriage maker, Daniel Goddard in the centre, wheelwright, and Chaun- cey Hapgood, east part, and Israel Houghton, also in the ex- treme east part of the town, all wheelwrights. Artemas Brigham, cooper, east part. Joseph G. and Horatio Parmenter, brothers, carpenters in the centre, also Charles Wheeler, Har- rison Williams and David Wheeler, painters. Luther Benjamin a war veteran, now living at the age of over 80, was also a millwright 50 years ago.
Mason Johnson was another of the old time painters, and a first class workman. A tailor, Richard Comerford, did business
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PETERSHAM SKETCHES
on East street just off the common, and Miss Mary Ann Howe, the author of the Petersham centennial ode, was a tailoress, going from house to house, as her services were required, mak- ing men's and boys' clothing. She was a woman of strong personal traits, and quite remarkable in her way. A former avocation largely engaged in by women and children was that of braiding palm leaf hats and seating chairs. Braiding hats was an industry at least 80 years ago, for my mother, who is in her 89th year, braided hats when she was a little girl, and has followed it up to this day.
The survey of 1896 shows Petersham to be 1100 feet above sea level, and near the Bell schoolhouse it is 1238 feet.
PICTURES OF BUILDINGS IN PETERSHAM
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PETERSHAM SKETCHES
Law Office of Aaron Brooks, Jr.
The building shown in the accompanying picture was built by Aaron Brooks, Jr., the father of James Willson Brooks, a sketch of whose life finds a place elsewhere in these pages. Mr. Brooks used this building as his law office, At the time he was practicing law in Petersham such offices were not uncommon in the smaller communities, but as there are very few remaining at the present time it has proved an object of much interest to some of the lawyers who have visited it in recent years. It should be remembered that in those days Petersham had more than twice its present population, offering a field of practice for several lawyers and physicians. In addition to his practice in Petersham, Mr. Brooks gave much of his time to arguing cases before the Worcester and Greenfield sessions, and it is reported that fre- quently, on his return from court, vehicles lined the street in front of his office, whose occupants awaited for consultation, and with- out waiting to eat, he would attend to their needs. Even the . day that he died people came to the house, begging to consult him before he died, and his physician stated that the strain of that sort of life was the cause of his death at the early age of fifty-one years.
In March, 1865. Mrs. Brooks sold the homestead in which James Willson Brooks, his brother and two sisters were born, and had passed their childhood and a considerable part of their maturer years. Not long after this. James Brooks returned to Petersham, and in calling upon the owner of his father's old house, found himself obliged to knock at the door. This, he said, was too much for him, and he determined then and there to possess himself of the place, which he promptly did, buying it back in January. 1868.
Mr. Brooks retained his father's office building just as it was except for certain interior changes which he made with his own hands, such as the installation of oddly carved furniture which he constructed out of curiously gnarled wood and peculiar- ly shaped knots, which he collected and put into their final shape in the little shed which he used as a workshop at the back of the old office building. He had a great love for gathering together all strangely shaped pieces of wood, which he saw could be util-
THE LAW OFFICE OF AARON BROOKS, JR
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PETERSHAMI SKETCHES
ized for decoration, and his supreme love of nature and for all her works in preference to the artificialities of man, gave him a keen eye and sense for the artistic utilization of the little natural oddities in tree. This fashioning of quaint pieces of furniture. in many instances carved with droll figures, he termed his knit- ting-work.
Mr. Brooks' personality, which was no less unusual than the quaint objects with which he surrounded himself, soon made his little "workshop" a centre of attraction to all who came to pass a holiday in the old hill-town, and in 1876, at the suggestion of many people who had urged him to do so. he started a visitors" book, on the first page of which he drew one of his most charac- teristic sketches, depicting a large ink bottle, the neck of which forms the head of a man with flowing side-whiskers ; the cork and rim of the neck, his hat : two arms surround the bottle with hands in front, grasping a label which reads: "Will ve Literate Herein- after set his Signature, and ye Hlitearte make his mark"-(and the first signature, under date of June 4th. 1876, is John Fiske's mark). Beneath the bottle protrude the legs and feet, standing upon two quills, and from the point of the quills flows a scroll on which is inscribed in numerals the year 1876. The visitors' book is an object of real interest and actual historical value in the annals of the town, because besides containing much that is extremely clever from the pen of writer and poet, and the brush of artist, it chronicles the advent of many illustrious people who came. saw, and went away conquered by the unique charm of the town. Neither time nor space suffices to enumerate the names inscribed in this record, but it is of much interest to note that of Thomas A. Huxley, the famous English scientist, who was here in 1876, visiting John Fiske: and that of the Honorable John Bigelow of New York. in Angust. 1885, former American Consul at Paris, and later Minister to France-a life-long friend of Mr. Brooks.
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PETERSHAM SKETCHES
Capt. Park Holland Place
In 1773 Captain Park Holland, at the age of 21, bought this place, which is the last but one on the old road leading from Petersham to Athol, and now the 5th generation from Joel Davenport, the first owner of that name, is living under its roof. The above picture is as it looks at the present time, 1915, it be- ing one of 9 similar structures still standing in the northerly part of the town that were built in the early settlement of the town.
In 1776 Capt. Park Holland and his brother Ivory, who was a Captain in the Continental Army and a soldier in the French and Indian War and lived near him, enlisted with thirty of their neighbors and friends in the Revolutionary Army and served through the war. After the war he was chosen to settle with the soldiers, which required six months. Having done this he in 1785, married and settled down upon his farm, which he continued to do for 5 years. During this time he was chosen Town Clerk, Selectman and Assessor, and represented the town in the General Court two years. During this time the Shay's Rebellion broke out. He was ordered to raise a company to assist in quelling it, which he did, proceeding to Worcester, thence to Springfield, Hadley ard to Petersham, whence the Shay's men had gone. After a thirty-mile march from Hadley in the night, they reached Petersham early in the morning badly frostbitten. The main body of "Shay's" troops marched through the town to the northern bounds, which pass through a valley, and were in a measure out of the cold winds. Here they halted. "Their place of halting was directly in front of my home," says Capt. Holland in his Journal, "where my family then were, and it may be supposed felt themselves in a very unpleasant situation, as it was well known that I was out in Lincoln's army, and opposed to Shay's. Of course they had reason to expect some abuse from them. My wife was at this time confined by illness to her chamber, but with her usual presence of mind she told the young man living with us to make a good fire in all the rooms as soon as she saw their intention of halting, and bring from the cellar and pantry every- thing she had prepared to offer them for breakfast." The house was soon filled to overflowing with men half starved and half
CAPT. PARK HOLLAND PLACE
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PETERSHAM SKETCHES
frozen. His wife sent for a man among them whom she knew and told him she had done all she could for their relief and comfort and hoped he would see that they did no harm or dam- age. He assured her they were very grateful, and after eating and warming themselves to their satisfaction they departed, having done no damage save clearing the house of every eat- able thing. They then disbanded and returned to their homes.
Old Baptist Church
This Baptist Church was built by the Universalists about the year 1838, and occupied by them a few years. Was pur- chased by the Baptist Society in 1849. The Rev. John Shep- herdson became their first pastor and remained with them for twenty-five years.
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OLD BAPTIST CHURCH
THE OLD NICHEWAUG
The Old Nichewaug
The hotel was first named the "Petersham" house. Some years after the hotel was built, the portrait of an Indian was painted by Curran Andrews, a native of Petersham, son of Col- lins Andrews, and placed on the front of the house. Hence- forth it was called the Nichewaug hotel, the original name of the town.
HIGH SCHOOL, REAR VIEW
THE WILLARD PLACE
(Capt. Park Holland's father, Jonas Holland, moved from Shrewsbury to Petersham in 1752, when Park was six months old, and settled at the foregoing place, known as the Willard place. When Park was of age he bought a farm in the north part of the town, which is described elsewhere in connection with "Shay's Rebellion." ) The Willard place is also noted as the birthplace of Dea. Cephas Willard, Deputy Sheriff and Assessor for many years and a life-long resident, and Rev. Joseph Willard, a noted divine. Also Solomon Willard, the architect and builder of Bunker Hill monument.
Error See pa
Samuel
ST. PETER'S (ROMAN CATHOLIC) CHURCH
TTT
OLD UNITARIAN CHURCH
This Unitarian Church, built in 1842, was destroyed by fire Sept. 21, 1908. It was by far the finest church in this section of the state and was conspicuous for a great distance. It also contained a bell the sound of which was deep-toned, melodious, and far reaching. It was ruined by the fire.
NEW UNITARIAN CHURCH
This Unitarian Church was built in 1909 to replace the one burned in 1908, and dedicated June 2, 1910. It cost upwards of $33,000, was built by Frank Goddard, a native of Petersham, son of Forester Goddard.
BAPTIST CHURCH, BUILT IN 1894
TOWN HALL, SCHOOL AND POST OFFICE
MEMORIAL LIBRARY
PETERSHAM COMMON IN 1835
THE NEW NICHEWAUG
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POPULATION OF PETERSHAM AT DIFFERENT PERIODS
The population of Petersham in 1800 was 1794; in 1810 it was 1490; in 1830, 1696; 1840, it was 1775. Its decline began from that date, and in 1900 it was 853. By the State Census of 1855, the population was 1553. By the U. S. Census of 1860 it was 1465, and by that of 1915 it was 716.
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Congregational Church
14.
THE NORTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Erected in 1833, moved back and remodelled Inside in 1899 at an expense of 86.000, borne by Mrs. M. Stewart of Springfield. a native
THE PETERSHAM HOUSE
John F. Barnes, proprietor. This is one of the two houses that escaped the great fire of 1847.
PRESS OF ATHOL TRANSCRIPT COMPANY ATHOL, MASS,
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الحشمة
ممحدد
சிக்கதவிர்க்க பலச கர் முத்துகளில்க்கு
எக்ஸ்பிரஸ்தப்பி -- ---.- க்கு இந் நாஹாரிபோ ---- - 4க்கு
உதிரி சங்குற்றியூர்ல முறைபாடும்
கதிரக்கூஞ்ச தர்தர ஞ்சப்புகழ் பற்று சு சேஞ்ச்
வீர சர்க்கக்கள்க் ஹரர்
இரவுக்காரர்கள் ஒரேவடபார்ரா
தா ரு. பிறர்சந்தர்ப்பம்
க்காகள்ஸ்
அப்புறம் ஆண்டுக
ங்க்ஸ்லம்
நிர் பவை -
مصر
ـيم وحا مد فوع
وسوف
ـة لوسـ
ஜெல்சஞ்ச நிரந்திர ருகருகத்ர் சசேகர நக. சம்வேகன்
பாஸ்கர் ஏற்படக்ச் அர்
நகைகச் சர்கள்க்கிட கீஸ்க்கர் கீர்த்தி
حبايتروي جية
ஹர்ஷர் நிழர்த்தளில் ஆள நேரம் அதிகம்
المودي
--
தர நபர்பேசி நடரா ஸ்டர்கள்சீ ரெய கரையா க்கிக்கர்ப்பான நீக்கரி கற்பர் நூல் ஆதி
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