USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Holden > The history of Holden, Massachusetts. 1684-1894 > Part 16
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Sidewalks had been provided by individuals opposite their respective premises, as authorized by vote of the town in 1849, but there was no public expenditure for the purpose, or con- certed effort looking to extension or improvement of sidewalks, until 1890. In November, 1889, the Holden Village Improve- ment Society was organized by a few public-spirited citizens at the Center. Similar societies were soon organized at Jef- ferson and Quinapoxet. The following spring and summer, fairs were held in each village, which resulted in the raising of a large amount of money, which was expended at the Center and Jefferson for sidewalks, and at Quinapoxet for street lights. These societies still maintain their organization, and continue their work of carrying forward and indirectly stimulating vil- lage improvement. In three years several thousand dollars have been raised or secured by these societies, and expended
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN.
for improvements ; many hundred rods of concrete walks have been laid, besides a large amount of gravel walks ; hundreds of shade trees have been set out, and, what is of still greater im- portance, increased painstaking and taste in the care of build- ings and grounds has been extensively developed throughout the town.
The burden assumed by the town of Holden to secure the construction of the Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad has been discussed in the story of the last half century. This railroad runs in a northwesterly direction for about seven miles within the limits of the town. There are five stations in Holden - Chaf- fins, Dawsons, Holden, Jefferson and North Woods. The first two and the last are flag stations ; at the others all trains stop. The present agent and operator at Jefferson, George Henry Stearns, has been connected with the road and the station since its opening, September 4th, 1871. Though the railroad has by no means fulfilled all the hopes of its promoters, it has been of great importance and value to the town. For years before its construction there had been little growth to the town. Build- ing at once began, especially at the Center, and property ap- preciated largely in value. The temporary withdrawal of the early train perceptibly checked this rapidly rising tide of pros- perity, and development has since been gradual and only indi- rectly to be attributed to the railroad, without which, however, the measure of prosperity which has been enjoyed would have been out of the question.
The Massachusetts Central Railroad, running from Boston to Northampton, crosses the town from east to west. For the whole distance there is a sharp grade, with many curves and bridges. This railroad has two stations in town -Quinapoxet and Jefferson. The latter was for a long time the terminus of the road, it not having been opened for traffic beyond until 1887. About one hundred rods from the Jefferson station on each road, the Massachusetts Central passes above the Fitch- burg. At one time there was a Y, so that cars could be trans- ferred from one railroad to the other. This, however, has
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FACILITIES OF COMMUNICATION.
since been removed. The Massachusetts Central was com- pleted as far as the junction with the Boston, Barre and Gard- ner Railroad, December Ist, 1881. May 16th, 1883, trains ceased to run. In 1886, traffic was resumed, and the road was soon opened through to Northampton.
Lines of telegraph follow both roads, the line along the Bos- ton and Maine being used only for operating purposes. There are public offices of the Western Union Telegraph Company in connection with the stations at Jefferson and Holden. Lines of telephone from Worcester to Princeton and Rutland pass through the town, with instruments in a number of offices. A line of long-distance telephone from Boston, west, also follows the road-bed of the Massachusetts Central, but no office has been established in the town.
For many years after the settlement of Holden, there was no post-office within the borders of the town. In the Massa- chusetts Spy, during the early years of the present century, may be found advertisements of letters for Rev. Mr. Avery and other residents of Holden, which were lying in the post- offices at Worcester and Leicester. Late in the winter of 1815 a post-office was established at Holden. A list of the succes- sive postmasters, with the date of their respective appoint- ments, follows : Benjamin Davis, February 21st, 1815 ; Mer- rill Davis, April 3d, 1819; Lemuel Davis, March 20th, 1826; Merrill Davis, January 28th, 1828; Dennis Davis, March 29th, 1832 ; Charles Chaffin, May 20th, 1835 ; Avery Davis, June 2d, 1849; Caleb Kendall, Jr., December 9th, 1852; Charles Chaffin, August 5th, 1853; Ethan Davis, June 29th, 1861 ; Samuel W. Armington, September 27th, 1866; Patrick A. Mclaughlin, October 26th, 1885; Mary F. McLaughlin, September 30th, 1887; Samuel W. Arming- ton, May 14th, 1889.
The next post-office was established at Jefferson. The name was Jeffersonville until 1891. The first postmaster was M. V. B. Jefferson, who was succeeded, in 1886, by William J. Prendergast, and he in turn, in 1889, by Edward W. Merrick.
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN.
Till the appointment of the last named, the office was kept at the railroad station by G. Henry Stearns, assistant postmas- ter. A post-office was also established in February, 1882, at Quinapoxet, with Cyrus G. Woods as postmaster. The name of the office was Woodville for a time, being later changed to Quinapoxet.
CHAPTER XII.
BUSINESS AND MANUFACTURES.
STORES. - BRICK-MAKING. - MILLS. - TANNERIES. - MANU- FACTORIES.
IKE the beginnings of much else in town, it is be- lieved that the first store in town was kept near the Bullard place. The sign continued to offer "West India Goods " for sale within the memory of many
now living. Among others, Lieutenant John Reed kept store before his removal to West Boylston.
In 1780, Samuel Damon came to Holden and engaged in mercantile business at the old Damon stand, which he carried on till his death in 1815. His son, Colonel Samuel Damon, was associated with him as a partner after 1810. He controlled the business almost all the time until his death in 1851, a part of the time having partners associated with himself. Some of the individuals or firms doing business at the Damon stand at different times were Damon & Bartlett, Boyden & Goodell, Damon & Knowlton, Knowlton & Allen, Charles L. Knowlton and Augustus F. Damon. The latter sold, in 1857, to Joseph H. Gleason, who gave way a year later to Paul Wadsworth & Son. Joseph H. Gleason and William H. Drury, in company, bought out the Wadsworths in February, 1865 ; sold to Charles F. Parker in February, 1867, and bought from him again Jan- uary Ist, 1889. Mr. Drury took the business alone April Ist, 1871, and sold in 1868 to William H. Walker. In 1878, the business passed into the hands of Edwin H. Streeter, who was succeeded in turn by Albert A. Cobbett. He sold in 1890 to the Holden Store Company, who still carry on the business.
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN.
A little building, at first standing nearly in front of where the Baptist Church now stands, and later removed to the lot now occupied by the residence of Charles Flagg, was used for years by Lemuel and Merrill Davis as a post-office and for the sale of a few goods. About 1840 the building now occu- pied by Fred H. Fales as a store was erected by Ethan Davis, Sr. It was soon occupied by Boyden, Goodell & Davis as a boot and shoe manufactory, a few goods of their own make being sold on the premises at retail. In 1844 Avery Davis put in a stock of goods, doing the business of a general store for eight years. In 1852 he sold to Nichols & Bryant, who dis- solved partnership after two years, Willis Bryant carrying on the business alone for two years longer, when he sold to Joseph H. Gleason. After the latter removed to the Damon stand, this building stood empty for some time, being for a while used as an armory. In 1865 a stock of goods was put in by Alfred Morse, with Samuel W. Armington in charge, who took the business in 1868, and carried it on till 1877. Fred H. Fales then succeeded him, and has carried on the business till the present time.
In the fall of 1889, Samuel W. Armington put a stock of goods in the building adjoining the Fales store, and has since carried on mercantile business in connection with the post- office:
When, in 1838, the store at the " West Village " was offered for sale by Eunice A. White, guardian for minor heirs, it was stated that the property had been improved as a store for twenty years. It was later occupied by several members of the Davis family. In 1856, it was in the hands of Alfred Morse, and was managed for him by J. Henry Warren from 1856 to 1868. The business was then purchased by Edward W. Mer- rick, who carried it on for three years in company with his father, and then alone till 1882. James F. Putnam succeeded him, and carried on the store till his death in 1890, since which time it has been managed by his widow, Mrs. Sophia Putnam. J. W. Wheeler started a small grocery store at Eagleville, and ran it some years before 1884, when the business was bought
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BUSINESS AND MANUFACTURES.
by Stephen T. Cole, who kept it till 1888, at which time Mr. Wheeler took charge again, managing it himself till the spring of 1892, when he closed it. Mr. Cole started, in May, 1889, another store in the immediate neighborhood.
In May, 1875, Gustavus S. Holden opened a general store in the building erected for the purpose by Howe & Jefferson. Five years later he associated with himself his brother, James A. Holden, and they took the firm name G. S. & J. A. Holden, which partnership still continues. In 1890 they left the Jef- ferson store, which was run for a time in the name of the Jef- ferson Manufacturing Company. The business passed into the hands of L. G. Petts & Co., October Ist, 1891.
The store at Quinapoxet was erected and is owned in con- nection with the factory in that village. It has been occupied successively by A. P. Sampson, Cuthbertson & Crawshaw, Ira D. Bates, Johnson Brothers, Courtney, Knapp, A. A. Cobbett, Feeley & Burns, and G. S. & J. A. Holden. The last named firm rented the store in 1887, and ran it for three years in con- nection with their business at Jefferson. In 1890 they centered all their interests at Quinapoxet.
In Whitney's History of Worcester County, it is stated : " There is a brick yard two miles and a half northeast of the meeting house, where are made annually sixty thousands of bricks." The yard here referred to was in the part of the town soon after set off to West Boylston. Brick were manufactured in this yard for many years. It may also be noted that Josiah Ball, and later his son, Israel M. Ball, made brick to a limited extent on their place, the Ball farm, which has for some years, till 1892, been occupied by Lorenzo D. Newton.
The water privilege at Bryantville, which had been used by Town Bartlett as a candle-wicking mill, and afterwards as a wood-working shop, was improved as at present by Lyman Bry- ant, who came to town in 1827. He was at first, for a short time, in partnership with James Cowden. The planing mill and cider mill are at present owned and run by Frederick L. Bryant.
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN.
The mills built by Asa and Ira Broad, later passed into the the hands of William Howe and Martin V. B. Jefferson, and from 1871 to 1877 were run by the firm of Howe, Jefferson & Austin. Waldo E. Austin, the junior partner, then bought out the interests of Messrs. Howe and Jefferson, and has continued the business to the present time. He uses the mills as a basis for his business as a contractor and builder, preparing builders' finish, and also does mill work, especially repairs of fulling mills and dye vats. He also fills orders for custom work, and carries on a general lumber business.
The first tannery in town was about half a mile west of the Center, at the foot of " Landlord Davis'" hill. The exact date of its construction is not known. December 23d, 1789, the tannery, together with seventeen acres of land, was sold by John Watson to Heman Richardson. He was succeeded in the management by his son, Edward Richardson, from whom the tannery took the name by which it was often called. There was for many years a small tan yard on the Hall place in the
south part of the town. In 1825 John P. Maynard built a tan- nery at Eagleville, across the road from the present site of the Holden Mills. In 1840 this tannery passed into the hands of the brothers, Waterman G. and Samuel Warren, who car- ried on the business in partnership for ten years. Samuel Warren continued the business at Eagleville for about five years longer. W. G. Warren, in the spring of 1850, purchased the Richardson tannery, and carried on the tanning business there until 1882 ; till 1867 alone, for the last fifteen years in company with his son Samuel. In 1874, W. G. Warren, in partnership with his sons, Berthier and Henry W., under the firm name of B. & H. W. Warren & Co., erected the brick tan- nery at the Center, which furnishes facilities for turning out its specialty, card leather, that are unsurpassed, if indeed equalled, anywhere else in the state of Massachusetts. In 1881, Samuel Warren became a partner, and the firm name was changed to W. G. Warren & Sons. Since the death of the father in 1886, the business has been continued by the surviv- ing partners under the style of W. G. Warren's Sons. In
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BUSINESS AND MANUFACTURES.
1887 the two tanneries then in operation, with a capital of $3,500, employed four hands, and tanned one thousand and eighty-five hides, the value of the leather being estimated at $5,300. The tannery of W. G. Warren's Sons now employs sixteen hands, and there has been a corresponding increase in the number of hides tanned.
The first manufacturing in Holden was done at Unionville. " Messrs. Eleazer Rider & Sons commenced spinning Cotton Yarn at this place in 1809. These persons had been previ- ously engaged in the same business, at West Boylston. It is stated upon good authority, that they were among the first, (if not the first), manufacturers of cotton yarn in Worcester Coun- ty. In 1810 the factory of the Messrs. Rider contained 48 spindles. The same year, the establishment was purchased by Mr. Joshua Bassett and Mr. Farnum White. An addition was then made of 56 spindles. Mr. John Rudman purchased of Bassett and White, in 1814. The factory was sold to Mr. John Slater, 1819. In the following year, repairs and alterations were commenced. In 1821, Mr. John Lees became the owner, who continued to make repairs and additions during the three following years. Weaving by the power loom commenced 1822. In 1824, Mr. Lees sold nineteen bales of sheeting to Mr. Samuel Parkman, Jr., of Boston, who shipped the goods to Bata- via. It was reported at the time, to have been the first shipment of cotton goods from this country, which passed around Cape Good-Hope."1
Mr. Lees ran the mill more than twenty years, the firm name in 1841 being Lees & Eldridge. Later Jonathan M. Ladd leased the mill and run it a number of years. The mill was last in the hands of Charles L. Truchon, who confined its operations to the spinning of cotton yarn. It was destroyed by fire, Au- gust 8th, 1882. When burned, it was a two story building, eighty by forty feet in size, with an ell twenty by sixty, was valued at $16,000, and gave employment to about twenty hands.
1 Damon History, pp. 145, 146.
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN.
It is an accredited tradition that the first water privilege ever occupied in town was at Chaffinville, where John Bigelow built a mill in 1726. Manufacturing was begun here in 1817 by Royal H. Chaffin. He at first made a specialty of dyeing wool and coloring yarns, in which he attained great excellence and a very wide reputation, the first prize having been awarded to him in a competition of much importance. Mr. Chaffin ran the mill for many years, and then sold out to his son, Alfred H. Chaffin. In his hands woolen goods suitable for prison uni- forms were principally made. In 1879 it was a one-set mill giving employment to nine hands. June 20th, just after it had been refitted and leased to Peter Scanlon & Co., it was burned at an estimated loss of $7,000. About 1870, Alfred H. Chaffin put in an unusually fine grist-mill. This was later burned and rebuilt and was burned again in 1890.
In 1825, a Mr. Morse built a factory at the village now known as Jefferson. It soon passed into the hands of John Jefferson. In 1841, it was a satinet factory, containing one hundred and eighty spindles and eight looms. The Damon History says1 : " During the late ' hard times ' the proprietor has devoted more attention to agriculture, than to the manufacture of satinet-at a 'dead loss.'" For many years, previous to 1830, Colonel Artemas Dryden was engaged in this village in the manufacture of machines for carding. Later he built a satinet factory, which, in 1841, contained three hundred spindles and eight looms. At that time it was owned by Samuel Damon. but was not running for the same reasons as Mr. Jefferson's. * In 1858, William Howe and Theron E. Hall formed a co-part- nership and under the style of Howe & Hall engaged in the manufacture of woolen goods at this place. In 1860, Martin V. B. Jefferson bought out Major Hall, and the business was con- tinued under the firm name of Howe & Jefferson until 1886. During the continuance of this partnership they so extended their business that, in 1886, instead of running one set of ma- chinery as in 1860, they were running twelve sets. When the
1 Damon History, p. 146.
.
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BUSINESS AND MANUFACTURES.
partnership terminated after twenty-six years, there were only two other manufacturing establishments in the state which had run so long under the same firm name without change on ac- count of death, failure or other circumstances.
January Ist, 1886, Mr. Jefferson purchased the interest of Mr. Howe, and has since conducted the business under the style of the Jefferson Manufacturing Company. The plant in 1892 consisted of two mills (besides a shoddy mill, leased to William Day), an office building, six storehouses, a store and forty-six tenements. The upper mill contained seven sets of cards and forty-six looms, and was run by a Corliss engine of one hundred and twenty-five horse power. The lower mill con- tained seven sets of cards and eighty-four looms, and was run by a Wheelock engine of two hundred and fifty horse power, which was put in place in 1891. There were two hundred and sev- enty-five hands on the pay-roll. The upper mill was devoted to the manufacture of fancy cassimeres, and the output amounted to twenty-three thousand yards per month ; the lower mill was devoted to satinets, of which one hundred thousand yards per month were marketed.
December 8th, 1892, the Jefferson Manufacturing Company were heavy losers from fire. The flames first appeared about half-past eleven in the forenoon in the picker-room, a separate building near the lower mill, and the lower mill was soon burned to the ground. The upper mill also took fire, but was saved, though considerably damaged by smoke and water. The loss amounted to $150,000, which was more than half covered by insurance. .
The mill at North Woods, or Ruralville, was erected by B. T. Southgate of Blackstone for a woolen mill, but in 1827 it was changed to a cotton mill by William Buffum. It after- wards passed into the hands of Colonel Samuel Damon, who owned it in 1840, when it contained fourteen looms and one thousand four hundred spindles. Later, Wesley Howard made bagging there; then for a time, about 1850, cotton cloth was manufactured by J. W. Freeman, who was succeeded by A. P. Colvin. From 1858 to 1862, it was controlled by Wright &
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN.
Morse, with William H. Walker as manager. In 1862, it was transferred to Walker & Wright. In 1868, it was taken by James H. Wright, who ran it till about 1874, when the mill be- came the property of the West Boylston Manufacturing Com- pany. They ran it for some years with Whipple Harris as agent, and in 1882 leased it to A. H. Turner & Co., who still run it. The mill contains three sets of cards and ten broad looms, and about seventy-five thousand yards of fancy cassi- meres are annually manufactured. About forty five hands are employed.
Deacon John Lovell, for many years previous to 1841, had run a machine for " custom carding," and a small mill for the manufacture of cotton batting and wicking. In 1837, the mill contained six hundred spindles, twelve hands were employed, and ten thousand pounds of warp, eight thousand pounds of batting, and twelve thousand pounds of wicking, were manu- factured. On Sunday, May 24th, 1847, the mill and its contents were burned. At this time the mill was owned by David Parmenter, and the machinery was owned and operated by Holbrook & Wilder. After some years the mill was rebuilt, and in 1873 it was controlled by the Lovellville Manufacturing Company ; in 1876, by Messen- ger & Wright of New York; in 1879, by the Lovell Woolen Company, under management of Klebert & Findeisen, and in 1886, it was purchased by Cyrus G. Wood, and is now combined with his mill at Quinapoxet, the whole being treated as one plant.
The factory at Quinapoxet and the village connected with it, stand on six hundred acres of land, formerly a part of the " French Land," which were bought by Damon & Thaxter in 1827. In 1831, Samuel Damon, having purchased the interest of his partner, erected a mill for the manufacture of cotton sheeting. In 1841, this mill contained one thousand four hun- dred spindles and forty looms, manufacturing two hundred and fifty thousand yards of sheeting. Colonel Damon, with various partners, controlled the mill until his death in 1851. In 1856, it was sold to A. F. Smith of Grafton. From 1862, it was run
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BUSINESS AND MANUFACTURES.
for some years by Howe & Myers. It then passed into the hands of Stowell & Ward, who manufactured satinets. May 27th, 1871, their mill was burned with an estimated loss of thirty thousand dollars. It was at once rebuilt, was run for a time by Wood & Ward, and in 1876 was purchased by Cyrus G. Wood. This mill, in connection with the Lovellville property, contains ten sets of cards, gives employment to one hundred and seventy-five hands, and produces one hundred and twenty thousand yards of satinet per month.
The Moss Brook Mill, at the village known as Dawsonville, formerly called Delaneyville, has been run since 1873 by Charles Dawson. Prior to 1854 it was the property of Colonel Samuel Damon, and was put to various uses, having originally been a shingle mill. It was then disposed of to Benjamin Franklin, who manufactured forks of all kinds. In 1862 or 1863 the property was sold to Ashworth & Day. Mr. Day soon took it alone and manufactured shoddy for several years. The first shoddy made in town, was made here, "a company of Eng- lishmen with machinery imported from England " having been engaged in the business as early as 1857. March 14, 1866, it was sold to Kimball & Talbot; October 15th, 1867 to John O'Brien; December 19th, 1868, to Crompton & Dawson of Worcester, who were engaged in the mill supply business. December 20th, 1873, the partnership between Mr. Dawson and Mr Guild, who had succeeded Mr. Crompton, was dis- solved, and Mr. Dawson, who had removed to Holden in July, 1870, devoted his whole time to Moss Brook Mill. He has since that time greatly improved both the mill and the village. The mill itself has been much enlarged, and is now run by an eighty horse power engine, and contains four sets of woolen machinery. Ten or twelve tenements, a dry house, a picker house, store houses and other buildings have also been ad- ded. At first satinets and melton flannels were made, but for the last ten years the product has been fancy cheviots and cassimeres, of which about ten thousand yards a year are turned out.
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HISTORY OF HOLDEN.
In 1864 and 1865, a stone dam, eighty-five feet long, later extended to one hundred and fifteen feet, was built across the Quinapoxet river at the site of the Springdale mill. A two-set wooden mill was then erected, but was burned in 1875. A stone shoddy mill had been put up in 1874, and in 1876 the four-set stone mill now standing, was built by G. J. Smith, who ran it for a time, and afterward leased it to different parties. In July, 1892, after extensive repairs, it was started by its present owner, James Dorr, who is manufacturing satinets.
The saw and grist mills at Eagleville were purchased in 1821 of Caleb Kendall by Samuel Clark, who erected a small fac- tory. This mill was burned in 1834, but in the following year it was rebuilt, and was later enlarged to its present dimensions. In 1840, it was owned by Le Baron Putnam, and was run under the style of The Eagleville Manufacturing Company. It had at this time sixteen hundred spindles, and the annual product amounted to two hundred and seventy-five thousand yards of shirting.
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