USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Royalston > The history of the town of Royalston, Massachusetts > Part 45
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HISTORY OF ROYALSTON
Mildred Harris, born Oct. 24, 1895, and Harris Alfred, born April 24, 1905.
SOUTH ROYALSTON HOTEL.
The building which has been the Hotel of South Royalston for more than half a century, was originally a dwelling house on the Nahum Green place on Gale Hill. It was taken down and erected for a shoe shop in South Royalston, and was moved to its present location by John King in the early sixties. Mr. King remodeled the building into a hotel, and after renting it for a year or two to a man by the name of Baker, occupied it himself, and was the landlord for about seven years, having a livery stable connected with it.
In 1872 Richard Moore purchased the property and was the landlord for thirty-three years, when he sold out to James Powers in 1905, who kept it until 1915, when he sold it to J. D. Perreault in October of that year. Mr. Moore was a native of Athol, where he commenced the hotel business when a young man. For five years previous to coming to South Royalston, he was in a hotel at Southbridge, Mass. After retiring from the hotel business, Mr. Moore purchased the Dr. Henry O. Adams place near the Congregational church and started a store, which he has conducted to the present time. Back in old stage times, before the building of the Vermont and Massachusetts Rail- road, there was an old tavern in the building now standing just west of E. J. Richmond's store. Names that have been men- tioned as landlords of this old tavern are Patch and Bowker. The stage line that ran from Worcester to Keene, N. H., used to change horses here.
SOUTH ROYALSTON SCHOOL ASSOCIATION.
In the summer of 1904, some of the scholars who attended the South Royalston school from 1868 to 1874, conceived the idea of holding a reunion. Letters of invitation were accordingly sent out, and on the day announced, Aug. 3, 1904, about fifty of the old scholars and teachers gathered at Mechanics Hall in South Royalston. The forenoon was spent in renewing the
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SOUTH ROYALSTON SCHOOL ASSOCIATION
friendships, and indulging in reminiscences of school days, a picture of the group was taken and dinner was served in the hall. In the afternoon exercises were held at which Charles Safford of Atlantic, officiated as chairman and M. Abbie Sherwin of Gardner, secretary. L. B. Caswell, teacher of the school in 1873 and 1874, called the roll of his scholars of those years, and Rev. Reuben Whipple of Bridgeport, Conn., offered prayer. There were brief speeches from many of the old scholars and teachers, M. Abbie Sherwin gave a poem on "Our Childhood Home," and Mrs. Helen Stuart of Worcester, one on "Our School Days and the Old School House." It was such an enjoyable occasion that it was the unanimous opinion that a permanent organization should be formed, which was done with the following officers: President, Charles A. Safford of Atlantic; Vice President, J. Herbert King, Baldwinville; Secretary, M. Abbie Sherwin, Gardner; Treasurer, Fred L. Drury, Fitchburg; Executive Committee, Mrs. Myra Benson, Otter River, Fred Ingalls, Greenfield, Mrs. E. G. Beals, South Royalston.
The meetings of the Association have been kept up each year to the present time, and what was first started as the reunion of two or three classes has developed into the annual gathering of South Royalston, including all who ever attended the South Royalston schools, and the sons and daughters of this little village among the hills, who are now scattered all over New England, look forward each year with pleasure to the first Wed- nesday of August, when they can return to the scenes of their early homes and school life, and they feel like saying as does the poet :
"There is no friend like the old friend That has shared our morning days, No greeting like his welcome, No homage like his praise."
One of the most successful reunions held was that of 1911 when about two hundred gathered at Whitney hall; the fore- noon was given over to a social time and the afternoon to a pro- gram of music and speaking. Mrs. Delia (Pierce) Lord of Athol, who was a teacher of the school forty-four years before, read the roll of her pupils from the original record book and eighteen re- sponded to their names. The chief address of the day was given by Rev. John F. Lehy, S. J., of Holy Cross College, a South Royalston boy. He had not visited the village for nearly forty
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HISTORY OF ROYALSTON
years. He was escorted to the platform by Rev. Walter Rice of Agawam, pastor of the Congregational church in South Royals- ton from 1868 to 1874, and who during his pastorate there had Father Lehy as a private pupil.
Among other speakers were Geoffrey B. Lehy of Boston, who was a student in 1874 and Dana M. Dustan of Worcester, a former teacher, who married a South Royalston girl. At the eleventh annual reunion, among the speakers were: Mrs. Enez (Wheeler) Barrett of Orange, a teacher forty-three years before; L. B. Caswell of Athol, a teacher forty years before; Andrew Turner, a student at the school sixty-three years ago; Rep- resentative Fred W. Cross and Harrison Baker of Athol, who stated that thirty-two former students of the school enlisted in the Civil War and nine died in the service.
Charles R. Safford of the Boston Custom House, who was elected president at the first reunion in 1904, M. Abbie Sherwin, the first secretary and Fred L. Drury, the first treasurer, have been elected to their respective offices at each reunion to the pres- ent time.
HL
VIEW IN SOUTH ROYALSTON
RIVERSIDE
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RIVERSIDE CEMETERY, SOUTH ROYALSTON
CHAPTER XXVII
CEMETERIES.
South Royalston has two cemeteries. The one that lies directly east of the old Methodist church building, and near the mills of the American Woolen Co., is the oldest in the south part of the town. Benjamin Blanchard of Athol deeded this lot Sept. 29, 1790, to eighteen proprietors, whose names were as follows: Edward Holman, A. Jones, B. Clark, T. Fish, E. New- ell, T. Waite, S. Twichell, S. Smith, G. Talbot, M. Blanchard, E. Wilder, S. Hale, S. Stow, Samuel Larned, S. Bruce, William Thimway, T. Burbank. This piece of land was described as being for a burying ground and when deeded was in the town of Athol. It contained half an acre. Benjamin Blanchard, the grantor of this deed, and South Royalston's first mill builder, was buried in this cemetery in 1808.
These proprietors evidently constituted the first cemetery association in South Royalston, and these grounds were used for burial purposes between fifty and sixty years. There have been few interments there since 1850, and none since that of Ambrose Clark, who died May 18, 1882. The members of the old association are mostly dead, and the town has for some time contemplated assuming the care of the grounds.
The newer burial ground of South Royalston, or Riverside Cemetery, as it is now called, is situated a little out of the village on the Winchendon road, near the banks of Millers River, and presents a beautiful appearance, being well cared for, and con- taining some fine monuments. This is owned by an association which had its origin at a meeting of some of the citizens of South Royalston held in the vestry of the meeting house on the even- ing of Nov. 22, 1842, for the purpose of taking into considera- tion the subject of procuring and preparing a piece of land for a Burying Ground, and adopting measures in relation to the same. The meeting organized with Hiram W. Albee as moderator, and William H. Vose, secretary. A committee was chosen to make investigations and after several subsequent meetings an Asso- ciation was formed on Dec. 12, 1842, of which H. W. Albee was chosen president, Ephraim Turner, vice-president; and
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HISTORY OF ROYALSTON
William H. Vose, secretary and treasurer. The names of the members of the association as given under date of Jan. 9, 1844, included thirty-two residents of Royalston, seven of Phillip- ston and one each of Athol and Princeton. To these men as proprietors, Timothy Lewis, on Jan. 9, 1844, deeded a piece of land containing one hundred and ninety square rods and con- stituting the easterly part of what is now known as Riverside Cemetery. In this deed the grantor reserved the lot in which his remains today lie at rest, also the right of occupancy of the north end of the tract until the purchase price of fifty dollars should be paid. Timothy Lewis was chosen sexton in November, 1844, and in February, 1849, Luther Harrington was chosen as the sexton and served until 1868, after which Josephus T. Day was elected to that position in which capacity he served nearly a score of years. In the early seventies Benjamin W. Rich, who owned the land west of the cemetery, began to cut it up into burial lots and sell them, and the dividing wall between his land and the cemetery was duly removed. After Mr. Rich's death his daughter sold the remainder of the strip to the Cemetery Association, and it has now been prepared for burial lots. It seems that interments began to be made within the enclosure before it was deeded to the proprietors, for Sarah Elizabeth, a young daughter of Rev. Joseph and Mrs. Rowena Lewis, who died Oct. 27, 1842, was buried there as was also Capt. Enoch Whitmore, father of Mrs. Timothy Lewis, who died in 1843.
MEMORIAL TABLETS AT SOUTH ROYALSTON THE CROSS MEMORIAL
On Sunday, May 28, 1916, an enduring and appropriate memorial given by the late Edward W. Cross of Winchendon, was unveiled in Riverside Cemetery, South Royalston. The memorial stands at the head of the middle aisle. It is of Quincy granite, about five feet in height, and bears a bronze plate with this inscription, "To the Boys of South Royalston who served their Country in the war for the Union, the Donor, himself one of those Boys, erects this Memorial." Then follow the names of 42 young men whose homes were in or near this village, all but
ALFRED W. NEALE (See page 29)
EDWARD J. RICHMOND (See page 509)
DEDICATION OF THE E. W. CROSS MEMORIAL
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THE CROSS MEMORIAL
four of whom served on Royalston's quota. The unveiling took place at 3.45 p. m. just before the decoration of the graves of the soldier dead. Grouped about the monument were five members of Co. E, 53d Mass. Inf. and twelve other veterans from Athol, Templeton, Phillipston, Royalston and West Acton. There were also present thirty Sons of Veterans from Athol, Orange, Gardner and other towns, six Spanish War veterans, and a concourse of about 300 citizens, visitors and school children. Mrs. Ellen J. Cross, the widow of the donor, was present as the guest of honor of the occasion. The history of the monument was given by Representative Fred W. Cross.
MR. CROSS' REMARKS.
"Modesty would forbid as emotion almost prohibits my say- ing anything upon this occasion were it not for the fact that I know, perhaps better than anyone else, the story of this memo- rial. In September, 1861, a motherless boy 16 years of age came from West Swanzey, N. H., to live in this village at the home of his uncle a hundred yards distant from this spot. Being of an industrious disposition he at once found employment, first in the shop of S. S. Farrar and later in the woolen mill of Col. George Whitney. The Civil war had just opened but no man as yet dreamed of the magnitude to which that struggle would eventually grow. In the early summer of 1862 came two urgent calls for troops, 300,000 to serve for 3 years and 300,000 to serve for 9 months. In response to this latter call Royalston furnished two commissioned officers and 25 non-commissioned officers and privates, practically all of them for Co. E of the 53d Mass. infantry. Among these was Edward W. Cross, our West Swanzey boy. He was mustered into the service Oct. 17, 1862, and followed the varying fortunes of his regiment until its final muster out in September, 1863. He shared the life of his comrades at Camp Stevens. He suffered with them the nausea of sea sickness on the Old Continental which bore the regiment from New York to New Orleans. He shared the long toilsome marches through the Teche country and from Opelousas to Alexandria. He bore a soldier's part in the battle of Fort Bisland and in both assaults on Port Hudson. And he only laid aside his arms as a soldier and resumed his duties as a citizen when the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi had fallen and the great river was opened from Cairo to the sea. After his own
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HISTORY OF ROYALSTON
army service was ended his father, Ebenezer F. Cross, enlisted in Co. L. of the 1st Vermont heavy artillery, was captured near Petersburg and died in Andersonville prison. Shortly after, his return from the war Edward W. Cross took up his residence in Winchendon where he resided until his death less than 3 months ago. Four years ago today he attended our Memorial exercises and when we arrived at this spot he asked that he might decorate the grave of Alonzo French, his tentmate in the Banks campaign, who sleeps a few yards from where we stand. About two years ago as he stood looking over this sacred enclosure where so many soldiers sleep, he expressed an earnest de- sire to erect a memorial to the boys of this valley who with him responded to the call of their country .. Again one year ago this month when a fatal disease had laid its hand upon him and re- peatedly thereafter while something of life and strength remained he reiterated that desire. He lived to examine and approve the plans to read the inscription and to know that the work was at least begun. His faithful companion for over forty years and those who have assisted in the completion of this work have felt that in doing it they were but agents in helping to give reality to the fondest and most earnest wish of the loved one who has passed from sight."
At this point the cord was loosed by Miss Dorothy K. Cross and the flag which draped the monument was removed by James N. Hunt of Maplewood, Mass., and Charles V. Goddard of Athol, both members of the same company and regiment with the donor. Taps was then sounded.
"This monument comes to us today as a loving tribute from a soldier to his fellow soldiers; from one who marched and fought to his comrades and associates who in the same cause marched and fought; from one who hungered and thirsted to others who like him often hungered and thirsted; from one who had made his soldier bed in the frost or in the rain to others who oft awoke with rain soaked garments to take up the weary round of army life. It is especially fitting that it should stand here overlooking the last resting places of so many brave men whose names are written thereon. Of the 42 soldiers whose names are cast upon this tablet 17 sleep in this cemetery and one other in this village. Seven were killed or mortally wounded in action. Seven died in hospitals. Fully one-third gave their lives for their country. Four are living today: Emerson E. Bissell of Keene, N. H .;
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THE CROSS MEMORIAL
James N. Hunt of Maplewood, Mass .; Charles S. Knight of Gardner, Mass .; and Lyman S. Wheeler of San Diego, Cal. The dews of heaven shall fall gently upon it. The rising sun each day shall bathe these names in golden splendor. Through all the years that are to come men and women and youths and maidens and little children shall point with pride to the name of some kinsman which is written there. And while the river flows and the hills and rocks endure it shall stand as a memorial to our best and noblest sons."
The monument was accepted for the Riverside cemetery asso- ciation by Caleb W. Day, 88 years of age, who in his long and useful life,over 75 years of which have been spent in South Royal- ston, had known personally every man whose name is inscribed on the monument. Remarks were also made by Hon. E. E. Hobson who expressed himself as deeply touched by the occasion. Miss Bertha M. Cross then gave a recitation, "When the Flag Goes By," and the exercises closed with a selection by the band and song by the school children.
THE LEHY MEMORIAL
Another beautiful and appropriate bronze tablet has been donated by Hon. Geoffrey B. Lehy of Boston, which is to be placed in front of the old school house of District Number Ten, a quarter of a mile west of the post office. At the head of the tablet is cast a remarkably good representation of the old school building as it looked a half century ago, and beneath is this in- scription :
"The Old School House. To the memory of a group of village boys who here learned their lessons of patriotism and died for their country.
Chauncey W. Norcross, Edwin O. Vose, Clarence E. King, Nelson G. Wood, Henry E. Knight, Charles M. Upham,
Asa J. Sanborn,
Myron E. Barnes."
It is proposed to have the tablet mounted upon a suitable
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HISTORY OF ROYALSTON
boulder of native granite and set on the ledge by the roadside where the boys whose names are cast upon it, used to play in childhood.
Both of the above memorials were designed and the inscrip- tions written by Representative Fred W. Cross, the author of the military chapter in this history.
SALMON S. FARRAR
CHAPTER XXVIII
SOUTH ROYALSTON FAMILIES
SALMON S. FARRAR FAMILY
Salmon Selden Farrar, for many years a prominent manu- facturer and leading citizen of South Royalston, was born in Winchendon Aug. 17, 1809, a son of Daniel and Rebecca (Stod- dard) Farrar. He was one of four children. Desiring to com- mence his life work before becoming of age, he agreed to pay his father one hundred dollars for his time and went to Athol, Mass., where he served time learning the machinist's trade in the Richardson machine shop.
He came to Royalston in 1829 and first worked for John M. Upham in South Royalston; later he manufactured umbrella handles in a shop adjoining, which was later known as Upham and Day's peg shop. Between 1832 and 1836 he conducted a small machine shop, where he carried on a general jobbing business of iron and wood, the shop being located where the head gates of the American Woolen Co. now stand.
Some of his first machine work was the turning of the shaft- ing in the original Rufus Bullock woolen mill. In June, 1836, he bought of John M. Upham an undivided half of the land located west of the Bullock mills, on Millers river to land owned by Josiah Waite on the west and Josiah Waite and Edson Clark on the north, taking in a tract of land known at the present time as Water street. This land included a water privilege that had formerly been used for a grist mill. During the year 1836, he erected a wood working shop and manufac- tured coffins and dry measures. In 1838 he purchased the un- divided half owned by John M. Upham. Later he manufactur- ed wooden sieves, hoops, wooden pails, deck buckets, rolling pins, saw horses, barrel covers, wooden dippers, children's wheel barrows, and all styles and sizes of children's sleds and rolling hoops. The last addition to his manufactured products was mosquito bars; these being used largely in New Jersey and
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HISTORY OF ROYALSTON
the South. . It is known that he shipped to Boston the first iron bound dry measures that were ever ironed outside of Bos- ton; previous to this time the measures were ironed after reach- ing the city. He was engaged in lumbering more or less all through his business career, and during the latter part of his life he was recognized as one of Royalston's most prominent lumber men. Previous to 1871 he used the up and down saw mill, and about this time installed an up-to-date circular mill, commencing business with little or no capital save his own native tact and shrewdness, he succeeded in acquiring a good paying business. He was personally known to every tax payer as he had served the town in the capacity of tax collector, probably more years than any other man.
In 1832 he married Martha Evans of Rockingham, Vt., who was born March 28, 1816. They had five children: Nelson, born June 25, 1837; Martha M., born Sept. 8, 1840; Edwin Evans, born March 15, 1844; Helen Isabella, born Sept. 28, 1846, and S. Ardella, born Feb. 17, 1850. In early life Mr. and Mrs. Farrar united with the Second Congregational church in which they were deeply interested and were constant atten- dants upon the church services. Mr. Farrar was one of the largest contributors to everything pertaining to church work. In politics he was a Republican.
S. Nelson Farrar, oldest child of Salmon S. and Martha (Evans) Farrar was born June 25, 1837, at South Royalston. He attended the schools of South Royalston, and then entered the employ of his father, at the age of twenty, in his wooden ware shop, beginning at the bottom and working through the different branches until he became a skilled workman in this line. He continued in this work and in 1876 he hired a part of his father's shop for the manufacture of all styles and sizes of barrel covers, which he made until his father's death in 1883. On Oct. 15, 1883, he purchased at public auction of the Farrar heirs the manufacturing plant formerly owned by his father and continued the manufacturing of barrel covers and mosquito bars. On June 15, 1885, his shop property was entirely des- troyed by fire removing an old landmark and the only shop that manufactured dry measures in the state. At this time Mr. Farrar only carried a small insurance and the loss was heavily felt by him. In the fall following the fire he decided to rebuild a smaller shop and put in the foundation for the same,
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THE SALMON S. FARRAR FAMILY
and the new shop was raised on the anniversary of the fire. He continued in the manufacture of barrel covers to which he added that of dry measures. In 1890 he added to the plant a circular saw mill, it being the only one in that part of the town, this was not only a necessity to Mr. Farrar's business but a great convenience in that locality.
He married Sarah A. Whitney of Athol, May 8, 1864. She was a faithful wife and loving mother, and an active worker in church and charitable work, and was a constant attendant at the Second Congregational church. She died Dec. 15, 1893, and Mr. Farrar died April 26, 1896, of cerebral hemorrhage. He was a quiet, unassuming man, who did not seek public office or honors, preferring his home to anything else. They had one son, Walter Nelson, born Feb. 12, 1865.
Walter N. Farrar, son of S. Nelson and Sarah A. (Whitney) Farrar, was born in South Royalston Feb. 12, 1865. He at- tended the schools of South Royalston and at an early age spent a part of his spare time working in his grandfather's shop. After his father purchased the business he continued to help him until the shop was destroyed by fire. The next fall he entered the employ of C. W. Day in his brush handle shop, which was also destroyed by fire in January, 1885, when he went to work for John L. Whiting & Son of Boston, in the same line of business, until his father began rebuilding. In 1890 he entered into partnership with his father under the firm name of S. N. Farrar and Son as the business is known today. At the death of his father he represented the third generation to manufacture dry measures at the same place and the fourth generation in this line of work. When his great-grandfather, Daniel Farrar of Winchendon, manufactured wooden measures, the material was then got out by hand, and the rims bent by soaking in hot water, and when his grandfather commenced the manufacture of wooden measures ranging in size from a quart to a half bushel he introduced a number of labor saving devices not used by his father, and as the business has passed from one generation to another new machinery has been added and the old method of hand work dispensed with, but the high reputation attained for the "Farrar measure" by the founder of the plant has been maintained during the many years that have elapsed since the originator started the business.
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S. A. Morse, one of the employees, had worked for three generations of the family, going to work for S. S. Farrar, when a young man; he came from Sullivan, N. H., and had worked for members of the family continuously with the exception of about eight years, up to a few days before his death which occurred Aug. 31, 1910, at the advanced age of eighty-seven. He was an expert in that line of work, and always had the respect and esteem of his employers.
An act relative to the sale of fruits, vegetables and nuts which took effect March 21, 1912, in regard to selling by weight or numerical count, has affected the sale of dry measures to a great extent here in Massachusetts. For the past twenty years Mr. Farrar has been engaged in the manufacture of lumber and wood fitted for the stove. He has improved the plant by erecting new buildings and putting in new machinery and has also remodel- ed his residence it being his birth place erected by his grandfather. In politics he is a Republican. He served the town as selectman in 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, and has held other minor offices. He IS a member of Star Lodge of Masons, Union Royal Arch Chapter, Athol Commandery Knights Templars, and Themis Chapter of the order of Eastern Star. He married Nellie G. Wheeler of Chesterfield, N. H. They have no children.
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