USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Holden > The history of Holden, Massachusetts. 1684-1894 > Part 29
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385
STATISTICS AND OFFICIALS.
date of the Free Soil party. In 1852 there were one hundred and forty-four Free Soil votes, one hundred and twenty-four Whig and forty-one Democratic. Four years later the parties were aligned as Republican and Democratic, as has been the case ever since, Fremont receiving two hundred and forty-five to Buchanan's thirty-two, and twelve " Know-nothing " votes were cast for Fillmore. In 1860 the vote stood two hundred and thirty-nine Republican to twenty-six Democratic ; in 1864, two hundred and fifteen to twenty-five ; in 1868, two hundred and thirty-one to twenty-five; in 1872, two hundred and twenty-five Republican and not a solitary Democratic vote ; in 1876, two hundred and seventy-two to ninety-one ; in 1880, two hundred and thirty-one to seventy ; in 1884, two hundred and seventeen to seventy-two ; in 1888, two hundred and forty- four to eighty-five ; in 1892, two hundred and twenty-seven to one hundred and fifteen. The Prohibition vote was eight in 1884, twenty-two in 1888 and eleven in 1892.
CHAPTER XVII.
THE HOLDEN CALENDAR.
T LEAST curiosity may be gratified by having some of the most important and otherwise interesting events in the history of the town arranged according to the month and day of their occurrence. No attempt has been made to reduce the dates previous to the adoption of new style to the present reckoning. They have been given as reckoned at the time.
JANUARY.
January Ist, 1760. bring on his death."
January 2d, 1793. tennial sermon.
William Fisher died, "froze so as to
Rev. Joseph Davis preached Semi-Cen-
January 6th, 1885. The chapel at Jefferson dedicated.
January 9th, 1875. The Holden Grange organized.
January 9th, 1741. The Act of Incorporation signed by the Governor.
January 14th, 1787. Under this date the church records mention "the noonhouse of Lt. Hubbard."'
January 17th, 1888. Father Joyce died.
1 The Damon History (note, p. 28) says that "there were a number of noon-houses near, for the accommodation of persons living at a distance." One of these buildings is still remembered. It stood opposite the church, near the present corner of the cemetery. The middle of the single room was occupied by a great circular fireplace, the smoke from which found its way up and out through a central chimney. Round this the women and children (the men went to the tavern opposite ) gathered in the intermission from the fireless meeting-house, warmed themselves, roasted apples to accompany their luncheons brought from home, and drank mugs of cider, barrels of which were every fall stored in the cellar.
387
HOLDEN CALENDAR.
January 19th, 1869. Charter granted for Theron E. Hall Post, G. A. R.
January 26th, 1773. Rev. Joseph Davis dismissed by the Town.
January 29th, 1789. Under this date the town records con- tain the following :
" Voted that Mr Samuel Estabrook Shall have liberty to Cut off the wood now on the acre of Land which his exelency John Han- cock Esqr proposes to give the Town of Holden, when Said Han- cock Sends the Town a Deed (excepting the Chestnut timber for Fencing.)"
January 30th, 1874. The Congregational church re-dedi- cated.
FEBRUARY.
February 5th, 1749. The church records contain the fol- lowing :
" By the Chh and Congregation, Voted, That the next Lecture be turned into a Fast on account of the Sickness and Death among us."
February 6th, 1677. Second Indian Deed.
February 10th, 1882. The Dr. Chenery house, built by Rev. Mr. Bardwell, on the present site of the Damon Memo- rial, burned.
February 20th, 1832. The civil contract with Rev. Mr. Bardwell dissolved by vote of the Town.
February 2Ist, 1815. First Post Office established.
February 22d, 1800. Public exercises in honor of Wash- ington.
February 22d, 1869. First meeting of Grand Army Post.
MARCH.
March 2d, 1855. Samuel D. Greenwood killed by a falling tree.
March 3d, 1740. Worcester consented to the setting off of the North half.
388
HISTORY OF HOLDEN.
March 3d, 1888. John Burns found frozen to death.
March 4th, 1793. The Town voted £400 for building School-houses.
March 4th, 1799. Rev. Joseph Davis died.
March 4th, 1815. The Town had on interest $4,692.98.
March 5th, 1824. Rev. Joseph Avery died.
March 12th, 1888. Great blizzard. Snow bills in spring of 1888, $1,053.40.
March 27th, 1741. John Bigelow authorized to call first Town Meeting.
APRIL.
April 7th, 1865. . Illumination and rejoicing over the sur- render of Lee's army. The following Sunday Dr. Paine preached from the text, " Babylon is fallen." On the after- noon and evening of April 14th there was a more formal cele- bration ..
April 13th, 1891. Women's Relief Corps constituted. April 19th, 1775. Two companies march from Holden at the Lexington alarm.
April 20th, 1861. Holden Rifles started for the seat of war, and the town voted $1,500 for them and their families.
April 21st, 1861. Women work at Town Hall all day for the soldiers.
April 30th, 1808. The house of Captain James and Ethan Davis burned. A daughter of Mrs. Winch perished in the flames.
MAY.
May 2d, 1856. The dam at North Woods gave way, break- ing the dam at French Woods.
May 4th, 1741. First town meeting for the election of officers.
May 4th, 1841. Centennial Celebration.
389
HOLDEN CALENDAR.
May 11th, 1824. A large dwelling house owned by Ethan Davis burned.
May 13th, 1740.
First Petition for Incorporation.
May 13th, 1867. The dam at Alfred Morse's mill gave way and several bridges and buildings were swept away.
May 19th, 1741. First business meeting of the Town.
May 23d, 1847.
The " Lovell " cotton mill burned.
May 27th, 1871. The mill of Stowell & Ward, at Quina- poxet, burned.
JUNE.
June 4th, 1804. First meeting for business of the Baptist Society.
June 4th, 1891. School-house at Jefferson burned.
June IIth, 1871. The Cyclone.
June 20th, 1884. The mill at Chaffinville burned.
June 24th, 1825. Worcester County Encampment of Knights Templar instituted.
June 24th, 1875. The Worcester County Commandery of Knights Templar celebrated the Fiftieth Anniversary of its organization by a visit to Holden.
June 28th, 1891. St. Mary's Church at Jefferson dedicated.
JULY.
July Ist, 1891. Sesquicentennial Celebration.
July 4th, 1806. A celebration of Independence Day at which Rev. Joseph Avery delivered an oration.
July 4th, 1842. A Temperance Celebration.
July 4th, 1854. A Fourth of July Celebration " without distinction of party."
July 4th, 1855. Celebration of Independence Day, with an oration by Mr. Homer B. Sprague.
July 4th, 1871. Excursion on the Railroad, though not yet open for traffic.
390
HISTORY OF HOLDEN.
July 4th, 1875. Fourth of July Excursion to Moosehorn.
July 5th, 1875. Severe thunderstorm. Mrs. Collier killed by lightning at Eagleville.
July 13th, 1674. First Indian Deed.
July 19th, 1742. Mr. Joseph Davis invited to become pastor.
AUGUST.
August Ist, 1885. Six places struck by lightning.
August 3d, 1861. The Holden Rifles mustered out.
August 6th, 1840. Mr. Dinsmore killed by lightning near the Nichols place.
August 8th, 1882. The mill at Unionville burned.
August 15th, 1838. Murder of Philip Edwards by John L. Davis.
August 16th, 1868. St. Mary's Church at the Center dedicated.
August 19th, 1880. Moses Winn killed upon the railroad track.
August 20th, 1761. "Observed as a Day of Prayer with Fasting by Reason of the Drought."
August 24th, 1854. Consecration of Grove Cemetery.
August 28th, 1888. Presentation and Dedication of the Damon Memorial.
August 30th, 1835. Mary and Susan Newell died, aged sixty-six years.
" These individuals were twin sisters, lived most of their days in a family and home by themselves, often expressed a wish that they might die together, which desire was almost literally granted, as one died at one o'clock p. m., and the other at eleven o'clock the same day. They were buried in the same grave and in the same coffin."
391
HOLDEN CALENDAR.
SEPTEMBER.
September Ist, 1756. "This day observed as a Day of Prayer by reason of the Sickness."
September 4th, 1871. First regular passenger train on Boston, Barre & Gardner Railroad.
September 7th, 1844. Last meeting of Proprietors.
September 12th, 1873. The Baptist Church re-opened after remodeling.
September 15th, 1829. The First Temperance Society organized.
September 28th, 1757. "Observed as a Day of Prayer by Reason of the War."
OCTOBER.
October 4th, 1876. Holden Library Association organized.
October 12th, 1760. " Observed as a Day of Fasting & Prayer on account of the Aspect of Divine Providence in our public Affairs."
October 12th, 1885. The Women's Christian Temperance Union organized.
October 17th, 1873. Celebration of the Fortieth Anniver- sary of Dr. Paine's settlement.
October 22d, 1823. Rev. Mr. Bardwell installed.
October 24th, 1833.
Ordination of Dr. Paine.
October 25th, 1891. Baptist meeting house reopened after repairs.
October 31st, 1872. Abner P. Greenwood gored to death.
NOVEMBER.
November 5th, 1889. The Town voted to authorize the co-operative care of the poor.
November 10th, 1785. The town records contain the following :
" Voted that the Selectmen warn out of this Town all persons that come to Reside in Said Town."
392
HISTORY OF HOLDEN.
November 11th, 1836. First meeting in Town House.
November 12th, 1781. From town records :
" Voted that the Constables of sd Town are to take one Silver Dollar for 75 of old Currency that is Due to them for Rates.
November 15th, 1755. The Earthquake.
November 20th, 1860. The Farmers' and Mechanics' Club organized.
November 24th, 1724. First divison of land.
November 28th, 1876. Dr. Paine died.
November 30th, 1888. Gale Free Library opened for circu- lation of books.
DECEMBER.
December 8th, 1892. Mill and other buildings burned at Jefferson.
December 16th, 1820.
December 21st, 1774.
December 22d, 1742. Joseph Davis ordained.
The house of Ethan Davis burned. Rev. Joseph Avery ordained.
The Church constituted, and Rev.
December 24th, 1835. cated.
Present Baptist meeting-house dedi-
December 26th, 1853.
Last recorded act of the Propri- etors.
December 28th, 1892. Sesquicentennial Celebration of the organization of the Congregational Church. An Historical Address was given by the pastor, Rev. Thomas E. Babb, and many others participated in the interesting exercises.
December 31st, 1807. Baptist Church constituted.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE STORY RETOLD.
HE historical address given by the author of this work at the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the town, with some supplementary matter, is printed here as it gives a brief review of the whole history of Holden, and thus may fitly close this record :
MR. PRESIDENT, FELLOW CITIZENS, FRIENDS ALL :- We are met to celebrate the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of Holden. That past history should be reviewed is in accordance with the common manner of such celebrations. While on the present occasion it is impossible to rehearse with fullness the annals of the past, while the most that can be done is briefly to suggest the principal events which have occurred, it certainly commends itself as fitting that we should together look back over the multiplying years and generations, and mark what is most noteworthy in the history of our dear old town.
We must look back, indeed, beyond the epoch the anniver- sary of which we celebrate. Incorporation did not create the the town. In the spring of 1741, what was officially desig- nated as "the northerly part of Worcester, commonly called North Worcester," was already, in essential particulars, a town, unified and self-centered, fit for independence, capable of indi- vidual development. Incorporation was merely the formal recognition of the existing fact, and the legal certification of an independence which location had constrained and history had developed.
394
HISTORY OF HOLDEN.
Of aboriginal history there is none to relate. There are few traces of the presence of Indians within our borders, there is no tradition of Indian dwelling, there is no record of bloody deed of Indian warfare.
Before we reach the century and a half of independent his- tory we have three-quarters of a century of dependent history. For more than seventy years this territory was a part of Wor- cester. When we remember that in 1635, before the Pilgrim had been in Plymouth for half a generation, the people in some towns began to complain that they "were straitened for want of room," we are not surprised that thirty years later the beautiful valley of Quinsigamond, almost exactly half way between the settlements on the coast and those on the Con- necticut river, attracted the attention of the General Court. A committee, chosen in 1667, reported the next year that the territory now embracing not Holden only, but also Worcester with its eighty-five thousand inhabitants might "supply about sixty families." The General Court accordingly empowered the same committee to lay out an area equal to eight miles square, and to establish a settlement. In 1674 and 1677 deeds to this territory were secured from the Nipmuck Indians.' In 1684 it was voted out of the four hundred and eighty plots, into which the whole should be divided, two hundred should be laid out "at the northerly end of said plantation." From this time our territory has been distinct.
Because of Indian raids and for still other reasons "the plantation of Quonsikamon, alias Worsterr," grew slowly. It was incorporated as a town in 1722, when it contained scarcely fifty houses, and it is doubtful if in all the northerly part there was the rude cabin of a single bold pioneer. This, I say, is doubtful. We lack all certain information as to the original settlement of Holden. Records are silent, tradition is dumb.
Proprietors' records, however, have been kept since 1722. In that year the proprietors of the common and undivided lands in Worcester ordered a survey of the meadow lands in this northern portion. After a survey was made, a certain number
1 Damon History, pp. 63-66.
395
THE STORY RETOLD.
of acres were allotted to each proprietor.1 From that time for- ward those who had received their allotments became joint pro- prietors of all the undivided lands, and the management of the common and undivided lands ran parallel with the administra- tion of town affairs, but distinct from it, till the year 1853.2
The first record looking to settlement here relates to the contract with Jonas Rice for burning lime. Lieutenant Jonas Rice was the first permanent settler in Worcester, and the moderator of the proprietors' meetings which first dealt directly with our territory. Lime having been discovered in the cast- ern part of this district of Worcester, in March, 1723, he contracted with the proprietors for the exclusive privilege of burning it for the term of seven years. It is not certain, however, that this led to settlement, or even to his availing himself of the contract, as, ten years later, several proprietors to whom a similar contract was offered, burned a "kill" to test the lime, which " it was thought would prove very good." Not far from the same time, possibly a little earlier, Lieutenant Simon Davis settled west of here.
1 The following is the form of record of the allotment of lands to the sev- eral proprietors :
" Worcester octobr 29th 1724 Parsuant to a vote of the Proprietors of the Common and undivided land in the north part of Worcester I have laid in said north part thirty acrs of land with one acre allowed for swagg of Chain as a first Division of land for the use of the School Said school Land lyeth on and adjoyning to the westerly side of meetinghouse hill, & bounded Every way by Common land as here discribed in the Platt surv[ey]ed by
" BENJ'A FLAGG Jun"
nw 80 rod
oak
Comon
Sw 62
Sw 62
Comon
Stake
Stones
nw 80 rod
Comon
2 The last meeting of the Proprietors was held September 7th, 1844. The last recorded act was the appointment of a chainman, December 26th, 1853.
396
HISTORY OF HOLDEN.
1724 was an important year for the settlement of " North Worcester." January 29th, the Proprietors received a sur- veyor's report of the amount of meadow land ; March 18th, they voted to proceed " to Divide and Lay out the Common and undivided lands in the North part of Worcester"; April 29th, a committee of five was chosen to lay out "four Publique Roads Six Rods wide"; July 22d, a tax of two shilling was levied on each ten-acre lot, the first tax for local purposes ; in October the roads were laid out ; and November 2d the first actual allotment of land was made;1 a second division of land and then a third followed till, in 1736, more than twelve thousand acres had been divided.
November 14th, 1733, a petition was received by the pro- prietors from James Thompson and sixteen others, praying that the proprietors "would be pleased to get the Land Taxed for Building a meeting-house and settling the Gospel among them." At this time, however, the proprietors did not grant the request, contenting themselves with the declaration at the adjourned meeting, January 16th, 1734, that they will be " ready to Give Due Encouragement toward Settling the Gospel in the North half." At the next proprietors' meeting, however, three years later, it was ordered that a suitable meeting-house be built, that " Provision be made for supporting an orthodox minister to preach the Gospel for three years next to come," and a tax was levied of four pence per acre for the first year, three pence for the second year and two pence for the third year. The meeting-house was to be " fifty foot long and forty foot wide and twenty Two feet between Joynts." It stood on the site since occupied by the Damon estate.2
1 See page 12.
2 The following was the notice of sale of the original meeting-house :-
"NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN
that their is to be Sold at Public Auction on the Last Wednesday of this Instant at two O'Clock P. M. at the House of Leml Abbot in Holder in Holden that Noted House in Said Town Known by the Name of the Old Publick Meeting House; their is a variety of Excelent Boards no doubt, and a Large assortment of fine Timber, which the purchaser may make Large
397
THE STORY RETOLD.
It now seemed to the people here that they should be estab- lished as a distinct municipality. Their interests were entirely separate from those of Worcester. In one year, at least, Wor- cester had already released its north half part from all taxation, if the residents would care for their own roads. One great duty of towns was to provide for public worship, and one great privilege of citizens was to attend public worship. Distance made it impossible for those living in the north half to worship in Worcester. Indeed, of those who later constituted the church, the majority held membership in Rutland. As we have seen, the proprietary of Holden was entirely distinct from that of Worcester. The two were in fact, and should be in form, separate and independent.
Accordingly, March 3d, 1740, Worcester willingly assented to the proposed division,1 and in May, Mr. John Bigelow was chosen to carry to the General Court, at its May session, the petition of twenty-five of his fellow citizens, that they might be set off as a distinct and separate township. Unsuccessful at this session, the petition met with favor at the next. The bill for the incorporation of Holden2 passed the House of improvements upon besides Some Glass and Nails all which will be sold together, or in sepperate Lots as will best accommodate the purchaser or purchasers. the Conditions of sale will be made Known at the time and place above mentioned.
" March ye 16th 1791
JAMES DAVIS, EBEN ESTABROOK, &Committee. PAUL GOODALE,
"N. B. Notice is hereby given to all persons that have any Demands on said House as private property ; they are Desired to Remove the same before said Day as no allowance will be made to any Person by the Town that Shall Neglect the same."
1 "Voted that ye Northrly part of the Town Comonly Called North Wor- cester agreeable to ye Pertition Line formerly Run be Set of a Distinct & Seperate Township if it be ye pleasure of ye grate & General Court in Con- sideration of Their grate Distance from ye place of public worship." Wor- cester Town Records.
2 "AN ACT FOR ERECTING THE NORTHERLY PART OF THE TOWN OF WORCESTER, INTO A DISTINCT AND SEPARATE TOWNSHIP, BY THE NAME OF HOLDEN.
"WHEREAS the inhabitants of the northerly part of the town of Wor- cester, commonly called North Worcester, by reason of the great difficulties
398
HISTORY OF HOLDEN.
Representatives January 2d, 1740 old style, 1741 new style, and was signed by the Governor January 9th. By another act passed in March, Mr. Bigelow was authorized to assemble the qualified voters on the first Monday in May, which was done. Making no allowance for change of calendar, on the 9th of last January, Holden had been one hundred and fifty years in- corporated ; on the 4th of last May it had been one hundred and fifty years an organized municipality.
And how many and who were these who heroically assumed the responsibilities of a new town, and served religion and education ? It seems almost insidious to choose any names from the lists of our first families, yet time forbids the men- tion of many. Lieutenant Simon Davis was Moderator of the first and of many succeeding town meetings, selectman and tithing man ; Cyprian Stevens was the first town clerk; one of the first selectmen was Captain John Bigelow who had been the bearer to the General Court of the petition for incorpora- tion. With these were others as worthy. The Rev. Mr. Davis in his sermon preached here fifty years after his ordina-
they labour under, have addressed this court to be set off a separate and dis- tinct township, whereto the inhabitants of sd town have manifested their consent,-
"BE IT ENACTED by His Excellency the Governor, Council and Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same,
" That the northerly part of the town of Worcester, within the following bounds ; vizt., bounding, southeasterly, on the lines dividing the north and south proprieties in said town, and is known by the name of the dividing line; westerly, partly on the town of Leicester, and partly on the town of Rutland; north-westerly on said town of Rutland, and easterly on the town of Shrewsbury, be and hereby is set off from the town of Worcester, and erected into a separate and distinct township, by the name of Holden.
" And the inhabitants thereof be and hereby are vested with all the powers, priviledges and immunities which the inhabitants of other towns within this province do or by law ought to enjoy.
" Provided nevertheless,
" That the said new town shall pay their proportionable part of all such province and county taxes as are already assessed upon the town of Worces- ter in like manner as if this act had never been made."
Copied from Volume II. of the Provincial Statutes, published by authority of the State, omitting, however, the insertions of the Editors.
399
THE STORY RETOLD.
tion, says that the people numbered in 1741, all told, twenty families. The names of perhaps forty men have, however, been preserved as active in town, as poll tax payers, or as church members, before the close of the year 1743.1 And what had they for a "setting out " wherewith to begin munici- pal housekeeping ? Their rude homes were new, for few houses in town were ten years old; consequently within and without they lacked much of convenience and comfort which they later gathered about them." So far as the records show, only four
1 The following were the signers of the petition dated May 13th, 1740, and presented to the General Court by John Bigelow: Simon Davis, James Smith, Timothy Brown, Abraham Newton, Samuel Davis, James Cowdin, Jonathan Lovell, Thomas Broad, John McConkey, Cyprian Stevens, Samuel Clark, James Caldwell, James Gray, William Clark, Joseph Woolley, Jotham Bigelow, John Child, William Cowdin, David Cowdin, Benjamin Bigelow, Thomas McMullin, Samuel Hubbard, David Brown, Joseph Hubbard, Sam- uel Heywood.
The following early members of the church are not included in the above list : John Fletcher, William Nichols, Jabez Harrington, Samuel Pierce, Amos Heywood, Samuel Bennett, Eleazar Davis.
2 The ordinary supply of tools and household conveniences may be judged from the following inventory of the estate of Cyprian Stevens, a prominent citizen of the town-four times Selectman in the first six years of its history.
"A True Inventory of all and Singular the Goods Chattels and Credets of Cyprian Stevens Late of Holden in the County of Worcester Gent. Prized at said Holden the 15th Day of May Ano Dom. 1754 by James Moore Jabez Beamon and Samuel Peirce &c as followeth,
£
S.
d.
Imprimis his Apparel
04
02
00
Item his Books
00
08 00
Item his half-pike and Sword To one Yoke of Oxen
00
06 00
08
00
00
To four Cowes
09
09
00
To Three Heifers
05
07
00
To Two Paier of Steres
04
19
00
To one Mare and Colt
09
00
00
To Riding Furniture
00
16
00
To Swine
03
00
00
To one Carte and Wheels
02
05
00
To one Seed-plow
00
09
00
To one Chain and Horse Traeeses
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