USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Westborough > The history of Westborough, Massachusetts. Part I. The early history. By Heman Packard De Forest. Part II. The later history. By Edward Craig Bates > Part 24
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SQUIRE S. TIDD, unmarried ; son of William and Luthera ; enlisted, April 28, 1864, for ninety days ; mustered, May 4, 1864, in 6th Unattached Company, Militia ; rank, third sergeant. Born, Woburn, Feb. 17, 1822 ; occupation, currier. He was stationed at Readville, Mass., and was discharged, Aug. 2, 1864, at expiration of service.
ALFRED L. TROWBRIDGE, unmarried ; son of William and Ange .. line ; enlisted, March 21, 1862, for three years ; mustered, March
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LATER HISTORY OF WESTBOROUGH.
21, 1862, in 13th Regt., Co. K, Mass. Vols. Born, Westborough, 1844 ; occupation, wheelwright. He was discharged at Washing- ton, D. C., May 24, 1862, by reason of disability. In 1864 he served ninety days (May 4 to Aug. 2) in 6th Unattached Company, Militia, stationed at Readville, Mass.
MELZAR G. TURNER, unmarried ; son of Sidney S. and Mary L .; enlisted, April 29, 1861, for three years ; mustered, July 16, 1861, in 13th Regt., Co. K, Mass. Vols. Born, New Portland, Me., June 29, 1842 ; occupation, mechanic. He was promoted cor- poral; and was discharged at Washington, D. C., Sept. 4, 1862, by order of President Lincoln.
CEPHAS N. WALKER, unmarried ; son of Nathan S. and Mary A .; enlisted, July 15, 1862, for three years ; mustered, July 31, 1862, in 34th Regt., Co. C, Mass. Vols. ; rank, corporal. Born, Barre, June 3, 1843 ; occupation, farmer. He was wounded in right foot at Winchester, Va., Sept. 19, 1864 ; was promoted sergeant, Jan. I, 1863 ; and was discharged, July 6, 1865, at expiration of service.
GEORGE A. WALKER, enlisted, Aug. 9, 1864, for one year ; mus- tered, Aug. 12, 1864, in Co. E, 4th H. A., Mass. Vols. Born, Claremont, N. H., 1834 ; occupation, mason. He was discharged in Virginia, June 17, 1865, at the close of war.
IRVING E. WALKER (accredited to city of Boston), unmarried ; son of Silas, Jr., and Louisa A .; enlisted, March 28, 1864, for three years ; mustered, March 28, 1864, in 19th Regt., Co. A, Mass. Vols. Born, West Boylston, Aug. 2, 1839; occupation, farmer. He served in Army of the Potomac; was engaged in seven battles ; was taken prisoner at Petersburg, Va., June 22, 1864, and carried to Andersonville, Ga. ; thence to Florence, S. C., where he died, Nov. 1, 1864, of starvation and exposure.
LYMAN S. WALKER, unmarried ; son of Nathan S. and Lydia C .; enlisted, Aug. 4, 1862, for three years ; mustered, Aug. 15, 1862, in 34th Regt., Co. C, Mass. Vols. Born, Barre, May 9, 1840 ; occupation, farmer. He was promoted corporal, Jan. 12, 1865 ; and was discharged at Richmond, Va., June 16, 1865, at expira- tion of service.
MELVIN H. WALKER, unmarried ; son of Silas, Jr., and Louisa A. ; enlisted, April 25, 1861, for three years ; mustered, July 16, 1861,
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RECORDS OF SOLDIERS.
in 13th Regt., Co. K, Mass. Vols. Born, Barre, Jan. 23, 1842 ; occupation, farmer. He was wounded in right foot at battle of Gettysburg ; was a prisoner three days at the same time ; was promoted corporal, then sergeant ; and was discharged at Boston, Aug. 1, 1864, at expiration of service.
AUSTIN WALLACE, married ; enlisted for three years; mustered, Sept. 23, 1861, in band of 22d Regt., Mass. Vols. Born, 1831 ; occupation, bootmaker. He served in Army of the Potomac, and was discharged by Act of Congress, Aug. 11, 1862.
CHARLES A. WARE, enlisted, April 28, 1864, for ninety days ; mustered, May 4, 1864, in 6th Unattached Company, Militia. Born, Oakham, 1846; occupation, shoemaker. He was stationed at Readville, Mass., and was discharged, Aug. 2, 1864, at expira- tion of service.
WILLIAM R. WARNER, unmarried ; son of George G. and Jane E. B. ; enlisted, April 29, 1861, for three years ; mustered, July 16, 1861, in 13th Regt., Co. K, Mass. Vols .; rank, 4th sergeant. Born, Walpole, N. H., May 6, 1842 ; occupation, clerk. He was pro- moted second lieutenant, June 30, 1863, first lieutenant, May 1, 1864, and was discharged at Boston, Aug. 1, 1864, at expiration of service.
GEORGE W. WARREN, unmarried; son of William and Betsey C .; enlisted, Aug. 26, 1862, for nine months ; mustered, Sept. 25, 1862, in 5Ist Regt., Co. E, M. V. M .; rank, third sergeant. Born, Hopkinton, April 20, 1840 ; occupation, clerk. He was discharged at Newbern, N. C., March 3, 1863, by reason of dis- ability. He had previously served three months in Co. D, 3d Battery Rifles, stationed at Fort McHenry, Md. In 1864 he served ninety days (May 4 to Aug. 2) as Ist sergeant in 6th Unat- tached Company, Militia, stationed at Readville, Mass.
HARRIS C. WARREN, unmarried ; son of Isaac F. and Martha A. ; enlisted, Dec. 1, 1863, for three years ; mustered, Jan. 4, 1864, in 57th Regt., Co. B, Mass. Vols. Born, Westborough, May 5, 1846 ; occupation, farmer. He was wounded in face and left shoulder in front of Petersburg, Va., Oct. 8, 1864 ; was taken prisoner, March 25, 1865 ; was exchanged March 30, 1865 ; and was discharged at Annapolis, Md., May 24, 1865, by order of War Department.
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LATER HISTORY OF WESTBOROUGH.
STEPHEN WARREN, unmarried ; son of Josiah and Elizabeth ; enlisted, April 29, 1861, for three years ; mustered, July 16, 1861, in 13th Regt., Co. K, Mass. Vols. Born, Westborough, Oct. I, 1833 ; occupation, farmer. He was detailed in Frederick City, Md., Hospital, and was discharged at Boston, Aug. 1, 1864, at expiration of service.
SALEM T. WELD, married ; son of Willard and Mary C. ; enlisted for three years ; mustered, Sept. 11, 1861, in band of 22d Regt., Mass. Vols. Born, Holland, Sept. 19, 1830; occupation, musician. He served in Army of the Potomac, and was discharged at Alex- andria, Va., March, 1862, by order of the colonel.
JOHN C. WHEELER, married ; son of Ephraim and Charlotte ; enlisted, Nov. 23, 1863, for three years ; mustered, Dec. 6, 1863, in Brigade Band, Corps d'Afrique. Born, Fletcher, Vt., Sept. 14, 1833 ; occupation, musician. He had previously served ten months (Oct. 5, 1861, to Aug. 11, 1862) in band of 22d Regt., Mass. Vols.
CHARLES H. WILLIAMS, married ; son of William and Mary ; en- listed, April 29, 1861, for three years ; mustered, July 16, 1861, in 13th Regt., Co. K, Mass. Vols. Born, New York, April 5, 1829 ; occupation, carpenter. He was transferred to Regimental Band, Aug. 7, 1861 ; and was discharged at Warrenton, Va., Aug. 27, 1862, by reason of Act of Congress. He afterwards served twenty- two months in Brigade Band, Corps d'Afrique, stationed in Louisiana.
CHARLES P. WINSLOW, married ; son of Theron and Phebe I. ; enlisted, Aug. 25, 1862, for nine months ; mustered, Sept. 25, 1862, in 5Ist Regt., Co. E, M. V. M .; rank, first lieutenant. Born, Stockholm, N. Y., Sept. 22, 1831 ; occupation, grocer. He was discharged at Worcester, July 27, 1863, at expiration of ser- vice. In 1864 he served ninety days (May 4 to Aug. 2) as cap- tain, 6th Unattached Company, Militia, stationed at Readville. He afterwards served eleven months as captain of Co. E, 4th H. A., Mass. Vols .; and was discharged in Virginia, June 17, 1865, at the close of war. His last enlistment is accredited to the town of Chicopee.
ยท
FREDERICK A. WISWALL, unmarried ; son of Amasa C. and Cla- rissa ; enlisted, July 31, 1862, for three years ; mustered, Aug. 2,
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RECORDS OF SOLDIERS.
1862, in 34th Regt., Co. C, Mass. Vols. Born, 1842 ; occupation, farmer. He was discharged for promotion to second lieutenant in 75th U. S. Colored Infantry, Nov. 13, 1863.
DANIEL T. WITHERBEE, unmarried ; son of Silas and Lois ; en- listed, Aug. 8, 1864, for one year ; mustered, Aug. 12, 1864, in Co. E, 4th H. A., Mass. Vols. ; rank, corporal. Born, Essex, Vt., Nov. 24, 1823 ; occupation, click. He was discharged in Virginia, June 17, 1865, at the close of war.
HARLAN F. WITHERBY, unmarried ; son of Rufus L. and Mary A. ; enlisted, Dec. 2, 1863, for three years ; mustered, Jan. 4, 1864, in 57th Regt., Co. B, Mass. Vols. Born, Grafton, Feb. 11, 1846 ; occupation, farmer. He was promoted corporal, May 1, 1865, and sergeant, July 1, 1865 ; and was discharged at Delaney House, D. C., July 30, 1865, at expiration of service.
EDWIN D. WOOD, married ; enlisted, Aug. 26, 1862, for nine months ; mustered, Sept. 25, 1862, in 5 Ist Regt., Co. E, M. V. M. ; rank, corporal. Born, 1841 ; occupation, mechanic. He was discharged at Newbern, N. C., Jan. 16, 1863, by reason of disability.
ROBERT WOODMAN, married ; son of George and Ann ; enlisted, Aug. 8, 1864, for one year ; mustered, Aug. 12, 1864, in Co. E, 4th H. A., Mass. Vols. Born in England, March 30, 1823 ; occu- pation, mechanic. He was discharged in Virginia, June 17, 1865, at the close of war.
SAMUEL WOODSIDE, married; son of Samuel and Margaret ; en- listed, Aug. 5, 1862, for three years ; mustered, Aug. 27, 1862, in 36th Regt., Co. K, Mass. Vols. Born, Calais, Me., Sept., 1820 ; occupation, carpenter. He served in Armies of Potomac, Ohio, and Tennessee ; was engaged in six battles ; was wounded in right thigh at battle of Rice's Station, Tenn., Nov. 16, 1863 ; and was discharged at Alexandria, Va., June 8, 1865, at expiration of service.
JOSEPH W. WRIGHT, enlisted for one year ; mustered, Feb. 8, 1865, in 6Ist Regt., Co. I, Mass. Vols. Born, 1844. He was discharged, June 7, 1865, by order of War Department.
326
LATER HISTORY OF WESTBOROUGH.
RECORD OF SEAMEN AND OFFICERS - NAVAL SERVICE.
IRA BARKER, of Westborough, is said to have enlisted in the navy ; but no such name can be found on the rolls as accredited to Westborough.
SAMUEL N. BRIGHAM, unmarried; son of Harrison F. and Susan ; entered service, April 7, 1863, as landsman on the " Henry Brin- ker." Born, Westborough, Nov. 23, 1843 ; occupation, mechanic. He was engaged in blockade service; and was discharged at Nor- folk, Va., April 9, 1864, at expiration of service.
DAVID N. CHAPIN, unmarried ; son of Marvel and Caroline ; entered service, June 13, 1861, as private in U. S. Marine Corps. He served on the "Potomac " and the "Brookline." Born, West- borough, Sept. 12, 1837 ; occupation, painter. He was engaged in the battle of New Orleans, and was discharged at Chelsea Naval Hospital, Mass., March 16, 1863, by reason of disability.
PATRICK CROW, unmarried ; son of Michael and Ellen ; entered service, July 29, 1861, and served as private in U. S. Marine Corps on the "Congress," the " Powhattan," and the "Vermont." Born in Ireland, 1842 ; occupation, mechanic. He was engaged in the battle between the "Congress" and the ironclad " Merri- mac " near Fortress Monroe, Va., March 8, 1862 ; was on the ves- sel when she went down, and swam ashore. He was discharged at Brooklyn, N. Y., Dec. 3, 1862, by reason of disability.
WILLIAM H. H. GREENWOOD, unmarried ; son of Charles and Charlotte B .; entered service, July, 1862, as able seaman on the " Albatross." Born, Westborough, March 11, 1840 ; occupation, whaler. He served in siege of Port Hudson and other actions, and was discharged at New Orleans, July, 1863, at expiration of service.
ALBERT E. HARLOW, unmarried ; son of Asa and Betsey ; en- tered service, Sept. 23, 1864, as able seaman. "Born, Windsor, Vt., May 30, 1840 ; occupation, mariner. He was engaged in battle at Fort Fisher, N. C., Jan. 15, 1865 ; was wounded in left hand and body ; was promoted captain of maintop, Nov. 11, 1864;
327
RECORDS OF SEAMEN AND OFFICERS.
and was discharged at Charlestown, Mass., July 19, 1865, at close of war.
SAMUEL B. KINDERS, unmarried ; son of Samuel and Nancy ; entered service, May 16, 1863, as landsman. He served on the "Henry Hudson," the " Midnight," and the " Somerset." Born, Framingham, Sept. 17, 1845. He was engaged in battles of Fort Fisher, Fort Morgan, and St. Andrews ; was promoted seaman ; and was discharged at Brooklyn, N. Y., June 11, 1865, at expira- tion of service. Accredited to town of West Roxbury, Mass.
ALBERT L. LOWD, unmarried ; son of Leavitt and Betsey ; en- tered service, Oct. 18, 1863, as landsman on the " Hendrick Hud- son." Born, Boston, Oct. 5, 1847 ; occupation, laborer. He was engaged in the blockade service, and was discharged at New York, Nov., 1864, at expiration of service.
DANIEL MCCARTHY, unmarried ; son of Jeremiah and Mary ; entered service, Feb. 15, 1862 (being transferred from 36th N. Y. Infantry), as seaman on the " Cincinnati." Born, Boston, May 19, 1840; occupation, mechanic. He was engaged in battle of Island No. 10, Fort Pillow, and Vicksburg; acted as second- class fireman ; and was discharged at Cairo, Ill., Dec. 20, 1862, in accordance with medical survey.
WILLIAM A. SMITH, unmarried ; son of Timothy A. and Corelia M .; entered service, June 21, 1862, as third assistant engineer. He served on the "Sonora " and the " Philadelphia." Born, Glou- cester, March 23, 1836; occupation, civil engineer. He was engaged in six battles ; was promoted second assistant engineer, July 30, 1864.
CALEB TARR, formerly a Gloucester fisherman, enlisted in the navy from Westborough.
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CHAPTER III.
1866-1876.
THE SOLDIERS' MONUMENT. - FIRES AND NEW BUILD- INGS. - CELEBRATIONS.
T HE war had scarcely come to an end before the patriotic citizens of many Northern towns sought, by some appropriate memorial, both to express their gratitude to the heroes who had died in defending their country, and to perpetuate the memory of their sacrifice. The people of Westborough took action with commend- able promptness. At the annual town-meeting in March, 1866, it was voted to erect "a granite monument in mem- ory of our soldiers who have fallen in the late war, to be placed in the cemetery opposite the Town Hall; " and a committee, consisting of John A. Fayerweather, Lyman Bel- knap, and John Homan, was instructed to select a suitable design. The committee reported in favor of a monument similar to one which had just been erected at Newton, and its report was accepted by the town, April 1, 1867. Another committee was immediately chosen to superin- tend the building of a memorial in accordance with the design selected. It consisted of John A. Fayerweather, Zebina Gleason, and Lyman Belknap; but on account of Mr. Fayerweather's resignation and Mr. Gleason's death, Reuben Boynton and Timothy A. Smith were added to the committee before the completion of the work.
The location of the monument was for some time a matter of contention. Many citizens were in favor of
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THE SOLDIER'S MONUMENT.
erecting it in the Square; and a vote so to do was passed, but was afterwards rescinded in favor of the cemetery opposite the Town Hall. The material selected was finely hammered Concord granite. The monument was completed in 1869. Its cost was about $4,300. It is by no means an elaborate memorial, but plain, unpreten- tious, and tasteful. The total height is twenty-eight feet. The base, sub-base, and plinth are three feet and nine inches high; the die is six feet; and over all is a square shaft, with chamfered corners and sunk panels moulded. On the front of the monument is the inscription, -
THE SOLDIERS' MONUMENT. ERECTED BY THE TOWN, 1868. PRO PATRIA MORTUI SUNT.
Chiselled on its granite tablets are the names of the fallen soldiers : -
Minot C. Adams.
William H. H. Greenwood.
William H. Blake.
Francis E. Hanley.
Herbert W. Bond.
George C. Haraden.
John S. Burnap.
Henry A. Harris.
Charles S. Carter.
John A. Hart.
George S. Chickering.
Abner W. Haskell.
John Copeland.
Francis E. Kemp.
Thomas Copeland.
William C. Loker.
William Denny.
Jeremiah W. Marsh.
Timothy Driscoll.
Daniel B. Miller.
Hollis H. Fairbanks.
Herbert O. Smith.
John Flye.
James H. Sullivan.
Irving E. Walker.
The dedication of the monument took place on June 17, 1869. It was a beautiful day; and the deep interest of the occasion attracted a large gathering. A platform, for the committee and those who participated in the exer-
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LATER HISTORY OF WESTBOROUGH.
cises, had been erected near the entrance of the cemetery. The exercises began at two o'clock, when Dr. William Curtis, president of the day, called upon the Rev. W. G. Todd, pastor of the Unitarian Church, to offer prayer. Then came the singing of an appropriate ode, under the direction of S. Dexter Fay. Lyman Belknap, in behalf of the committee, made a report, and, after relating the history of the enterprise from beginning to completion, formally surrendered the monument to the town. Charles P. Rice, chairman of the board of selectmen, made a fit- ting speech in acceptance. Then followed the dedicatory address by the Rev. C. W. Flanders, D.D., pastor of the Baptist Church. He referred to the great antiquity of monuments, their meaning and purpose, and emphasized the truth that they should keep green the memory of great deeds, and should never immortalize vice. This monument, which they were dedicating, he said, was a tribute appropriate and well deserved; for it was in mem- ory of noble young men, once residents of the town, whose valor, as they went forth to fight and fall in a cause ap- proved of God, won the sincerest admiration.
At the conclusion of Dr. Flanders's address, the as- semblage crossed to the Town Hall, where the remaining exercises were held. Dr. George B. Loring, of Salem, the present Minister to Portugal, had been invited to deliver the oration. He was somewhat late, but impromptu addresses by Abijah Wood, a former resident of Westborough, who had moved to Grand Rapids, Mich., and by S. Taylor Fay, filled the interval before his arrival. The oration aroused much enthusiasm. After eulogizing the character of Washington, and paying an impressive tribute to the stern patriotism of Revolutionary heroes, the orator set forth in vivid language its modern counterpart, as exem-
33I
NEW BUILDINGS.
plified in the sacrifices of the dead soldiers in whose mem- ory the monument was erected.
At the close of his eloquent tribute, the singing of a hymn, written for the occasion by Miss Eliza Evans, brought the exercises to an end.
The spring of 1869 saw the completion of another im- portant undertaking, - the building of Post-Office Block. The old Parkman Store, which had stood on the site for seventy years, was burned to the ground on the night of March 28, 1868. Aid from Northborough and from Woodville saved adjoining property from destruction. The burned building was an old wooden two-story structure, interesting for its associations, but, like many other land- marks, no great ornament to the village. John A. Fayer- weather, who had owned it wholly or in part for thirty-two years, in company with Albert J. Burnap and George O. Brigham, immediately set about the erection of the brick three-story block now standing on the site. It was com- pleted in the following spring, and in June the Post-Office was moved from the corner of Main and South Streets to the new building. It has remained there ever since, and given the building the name of Post-Office Block. This was the first of the modern business blocks erected in Westborough, and the general sentiment on the occasion is interesting. "Without doubt," said the Saturday Even- ing Chronotype and Weekly Review, - to give the local paper of the day its official name, -"it is one of the best and completest structures of the kind in this vicinity, and it is metropolitan in style throughout. As we have re- marked, it is a gratifying index to our prosperous town, destined, as we confidently believe, to be the largest man- ufacturing village in this vicinity. Ten years ago the want of such a building could hardly be said to exist, but now
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LATER HISTORY OF WESTBOROUGH.
it is otherwise, and as a community we have a right to pride ourselves on the munificent manner in which the want has been met and filled."
The town had already begun to feel its change from a farming to a manufacturing community, and the decade from 1866 to 1876, in addition to Post-Office Block, saw considerable building in the centre of the village. Among the important changes was the remodelling of the Town Hall, in 1867. The work was under the direction of a committee consisting of Greenleaf C. Sanborn, Curtis Bee- man, Albert J. Burnap, George B. Brigham, and George H. Raymond. The change consisted in raising the build- ing twelve feet, and putting an addition of twenty-six feet on the rear. The alterations cost about $18,000, and, although the expense was heavy, Westborough was pleased with the result; but the poet at the dedication of North- borough's excellent Town Hall a year later, was able to twit the mother town in the following fashion: -
But one thing you have done, depend upon it ! On this I ought to write a sonnet.
You 've stirred up envy in each neighboring town,
And on you, for a season, they 'll be " down." At first, they asked, " What do these feeble Jews ?"
Their bold derision only could amuse.
" Is little Northborough, youngest of the flock Of 'Borough ' towns, to beat the parent stock?"
True, Mother Westborough has given her hall a dressing, But she will give her daughter such a blessing ! The pert young minx, to go and build of brick, And humble thus her mother's pride so slick !
But " her mother's pride" has never been sufficiently strong to cause the erection of a new hall.
In 1868, Reuben Boynton erected his block on Main Street, and moved his market from the basement under D. S. Dunlap & Son's present store to the street floor of the new building. Meat had hitherto been sold only in
-
H
BRITTAN & GARFIELD.
BURNAP & JOHNSON.
POST OFFICE.
WILLIAM R.GOULD.
LOUIS J. ELWELL.
FECTION DO
POST OFFICE BLOCK IN 1870.
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NEW BUILDINGS.
basements, or from " butcher's carts " in the Square, and the novelty of a market above ground excited consider- able comment.
In 1869, Bacon & Williams built a large sleigh-shop at the corner of Milk and Phillips Streets. H. O. Bernard & Co. erected their factory for making straw goods in the winter of 1870. American Block was erected by D. W. Forbes and J. H. Holland in 1871; and during the same year the American Straw Sewing Machine Company built the shop now occupied by the Leicester Piano Company, near the head of Summer Street. The old Union Block, where Spaulding's Block now stands, was burned on the night of April 14, 1872, and the present structure soon afterward took its place. In 1873, the building next to the Westborough Hotel, on South Street, was erected by George H. Raymond and Charles D. Cobb; and in 1874, Alvan Davenport built his grain store on Milk Street.
The churches, too, felt the stimulus of the town's growth. In 1864, the Methodists had built their present house of worship. The Baptists, in 1869, sold their meet- ing-house to the Roman Catholics, who moved it to a lot on Milk Street. It had already been moved to the site of the present Baptist parsonage to make room for the new church, which was completed, at a cost of $21,000, in 1869. During the same year, the former parsonage on South Street having been sold to L. R. Bates and J. E. Parker in 1866, the Society erected their present parsonage on land given for the purpose by Deacon Lyman Belknap. The Evangelical Society also rebuilt and enlarged their church in 1869; and in 1872, partly with a legacy of $2,000 from Albert W. Smith, built their parsonage on Church Street.
The improvement in streets and sidewalks kept pace
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LATER HISTORY OF WESTBOROUGH.
with the improvement in buildings. In 1872, the county roads from the Southborough line to the Silas Howe place on the Grafton road, and from the Square to the "No. 4" School-house, - Main Street and South Street, - were re-located, and in many places widened. Con- crete sidewalks were laid as an experiment. in 1873; and so satisfactory was the result that during the fol- lowing year the town expended, including assessments, $2,065.20 for these excellent walks. By yearly appro- priations of about $500, the walks, at present about eleven miles in extent, have been extended to all parts of the village. The town also began to take an interest in shade trees; and in 1876 the trees in "Centennial Park," along the northeast side of Milk Street, were set out. The Village Improvement Society has since carried on the work, with a result that is appreciated more and more each year.
During the night of June 17, 1873, the town suffered another disastrous fire. The three wooden buildings which occupied the site of the present Central and Henry Blocks - known as Corner Block, Eagle Block, and the Protective Union Store - were burned to the ground. The rest of the village barely escaped destruction ; but aid from Northborough and from Woodville again came to the rescue, and the steamer " Gov. Lincoln " - which came from Worcester in twelve minutes - rendered efficient service. The loss was estimated at $40,000. It was an incendiary fire, and Antonio Joan, who roomed in Eagle Block, is now serving a life sentence in the State prison for setting it. The site was too valuable to remain vacant, and the two present buildings were immediately erected, one by S. G. Henry, and the other by Samuel M. Griggs and George O. Brigham.
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ANNIVERSARY.
In the spring of 1875, the old wooden railroad station, against which the community had protested for a dozen years, gave place to the present structure. The tracks, which had previously run on each side of the old station, were moved to the north of the new one, and the sur- roundings were otherwise improved. Although now in appearance and accommodations inferior to many, the station at Westborough was at that time called the best between Boston and Worcester.
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