USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Royalston > The history of the town of Royalston, Massachusetts > Part 49
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HISTORY OF ROYALSTON
Clark & Safford. He was postmaster from 1885 to 1901. He sold his store to E. J. Richmond about 1904, since which time he has not been engaged in business. He was, with his father and brother, a member of the old South Royalston band, and is the only survivor. He married Ellen Sargent.
Ambrose Handel Clark, second son of Ambrose and Joanna (Sherwin) Clark, spent his boyhood days upon the farm and in a chairshop. He was one of the California Pioneers of 1849 that went from South Royalston. When a young man he engaged in selling made clothing and was a conductor on the union railroad of Cambridge, Mass. During the Civil War he enlisted for nine months in Co. A. 47th Regiment Mass. Volunteers. He married Miss Mary Holman Coye in Cambridge in 1857, and they had five children born to them, all living in Cambridge, Mass. For the last forty-eight years of his life he was collector for the Cambridge Gas Light Co. He was a member of the Grand Army and the Pioneers of California.
Melancthon W. S. Clark, oldest son of Ambrose and Joanna (Sherwin) Clark, lived in Lynn and was conductor on the Nar- row Guage Railroad from Boston to Lynn, and his son Edson is now a conductor on the same road; he also had two daughters.
TIMOTHY CLARK FAMILY
Timothy Clark, son of Benjamin and Susannah (Dolbear) Clark was born in South Royalston June 24, 1808 on the place now owned by Louis Jolly, which was settled by his grandfather Benjamin Clark, and where his father lived and died, and which was the home of Timothy the greater part of his life. He was a prominent farmer and actively interested in the affairs of the town and village. He married Mary A. Sprague of Phillipston March 20, 1843, Their children were: Henry Watts, who was accidentally killed by falling from a bridge near the residence of J. Giggie in the spring of 1858 when fourteen years of age; Ellen L., who married James C. Longley; Delia M. who married C. R. Taylor and now resides in East Templeton; Mary T. who married Prof. A. C. Russell, and died at Kent's Hill, Me .; Emma C. who married R. J. Spitz and resides in Whitestone, N. Y .; William B. Clark was born in Royalston Dec. 15, 1849. He attended school in Royalston and South Royalston. He married Abbie J. Murdock February 8, 1871. They have three children
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THE CLARK FAMILIES
living, Walter W., born December 10, 1875; Mabel M., born Jan- uary 21, 1881; and Gladys A., born September 7, 1888. He is engaged in the grocery, men's furnishings and wholesale prod- uce business, also real estate in Natick, South Framingham. Westboro and Worcester. His home is in Worcester.
George F. Clark, son of Timothy and Mary (Sprague) Clark, was born in South Royalston. He resides in Worcester.
CHARLES HOWE BROOKS
Charles Howe Brooks was born in Templeton Oct. 12, 1870, son of John and Ann Richardson (Howe) Brooks, through whom he is a lineal descendant of the famous John Alden of the Plymouth Colony. His education was received in the Tem- pleton schools. He worked on his father's farm till he was twenty-one years of age, and then entered the meat business with his brother, John Brooks, Jr., which they continued to- gether about three years, after which he was collector for Lord, Stone & Co. of Otter River. He married Mary Angie Baldwin of South Royalston, daughter of Eden and Elvira M. (Towil- send) Baldwin, June 12, 1895. They have one daughter, Daisy, born Nov. 14, 1903. In 1895 he bought the farm long known as the Jesse Wheeler farm in South Royalston, which has since been his home. In addition to carrying on his farming oper- ations he deals in cattle and real estate. He is prominent in town affairs, having served as Sexton, Meat Inspector, on the Board of Health, was the superintendent of the first piece of improved highway built in town, one of the assessors, member of the finance committee, trustee of the John N. Bartlett Fund, and was on the Board of Selectmen from 1912 to 1915. He and Mrs. Brooks are both members of the Templeton Grange.
SYLVENDER B. FORRISTALL
Sylvender B. Forristall, for more than forty years a prominent citizen of South Royalston, was born in Fitzwilliam, N. H., a son of Jesse Forristall. He came to South Royalston and pur- chased the Silas Hale farm, one of the best farms in town, where he lived for many years. He has been prominently identified with town affairs, having served on the Board of Selectmen for
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HISTORY OF ROYALSTON
nine years at different times between 1892 and 1911. He has also been quite largely engaged in the lumber business. He married Abbie E. Flint, daughter of Wm. R. and Hannah R. Flint of Swanzey, N. H. She died May 24, 1913. Their chil- dren were: Cora, Ethel, Grace and William; William married Lena Harrington, daughter of Allan Harrington, and their home is in Gardner.
ERNEST F. PORTER
Ernest F. Porter was born in Amherst, Mass., Jan. 1, 1880, and went to Athol at an early age, where he received his edu- cation in the public schools, graduating from the Athol High School in 1897. He had been studying telegraphy in the rail- road office at Athol, and, on leaving school, went to work for the Fitchburg Railroad Co. as a telegraph operator, his first assignment being as night operator, for a few weeks, at the Royalston station. He succeeded L. H. Perley as station agent, when Mr. Perley was transferred to the Athol station, July 1, 1901, and has held that position ever since. He was married in 1904 to Miss Gertrude Harper of Chatham, New Brunswick, and they have one daughter, Marion, born in 1906.
CHAPTER XXIX
SOUTH ROYALSTON PHYSICIANS AND FIRE DEPARTMENT
SOUTH ROYALSTON PHYSICIANS
South Royalston had no resident physician until about the time, or soon after, the Vermont and Massachusetts railroad was being built through the village, when Dr. Horace B. Austin came to the village and commenced the practice of medicine. He married Sally, W. Lewis, daughter of Timothy and Sally (Whit- more) Lewis March 5, 1845. He remained in South Royalston several years and then removed to Athol where he was in practice several years previous to 1856. He died from the results of an accident on the Phillipston road, and was succeeded in Athol by Dr. J. P. Lynde.
His successor in South Royalston was a Dr. Coury, who re- mained some two years.
Dr. J. B. Gould, the physician of South Royalston from about 1850 to 1860, was a native of Hillsboro, N. H. He was a student of medicine in the medical department of Harvard University and in the Medical College of Woodstock, Vt. of which he was a graduate in 1850. He came to South Royalston soon after his graduation. He married the youngest daughter of Silas Hale, and built the house on the hill where Rev. Mr. Bates lived. member of the Royalston School Committee seven years between 1852 and 1860. He practised medicine in Templeton from 1862 to 1874 and then removed to West Somerville, Mass. where he practiced for a number of years.
The physician best known to the people of South Royalston, and who practiced in this village longer than any other one, was Dr. Henry O. Adams. He was born in Brook- field January 14, 1835, and was a brother of Dr. Frank W. Adams of the Centre. He studied at the Philadelphia Electic College and Dartmouth Medical College graduating from the latter in 1858. He came to South Royalston about 1863. He served in
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HISTORY OF ROYALSTON
the army in the Civil War as a private in the 51st Mass. Regi- ment, and as Ward Superintendent in one of the hospitals. He married Miss Mary Carpenter of Worcester in 1860, and they had one son, Walter Adams, now a physician in Northampton, Mass. He was a good physician, and public spirited and up- right citizen, and was for several years one of the School Com- mittee. He died June 16, 1902. Later Dr. Charles A. Bates, a graduate of the University of Vermont practised at South Royals- ton about ten years, and then removed to Ashburnham, Mass. He was followed by a Doctor McConley, who remained about two years.
Dr. Walter H. Adams, son of Dr. Henry O. Adams of South Royalston, was born in South Royalston September 8, 1864. He attended the public schools in Royalston and later Cushing Academy, Ashburnham, graduating in 1884. He graduated from the Medical Department of the University of the City of New York in 1889. He has practised medicine in Stoughton, Mass., East Bridgewater and Northampton, having been in the last named place since 1903. In 1899 he married Agnes M., daughter of Hon. Aaron Hobart of East Bridgewater. They have two sons, Hobart born in 1902 and John McKean, born in 1904. Mrs. Adams died in 1915.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Rescue Engine was bought January 17, 1885 at a cost of $250 and came from Pawtucket, R. I. The organization of the Company at that time was: Foreman - J. A. Rich; As- sistant Foreman - Joseph Richards; 2nd Assistant, - James H. Mellen; Stewards - Almon A. Hyatt, H. H. Haywood, Jerry E. Rich; Clerk and Treasurer - Robert A. Sherwin. The Company at that time was composed of forty men. This engine was sold to Lynn, April 2, 1896.
PIONEER ENGINE CO. NO. 2
This is a Hunneman Engine and was built in 1845. It was bought in Lawrence, Mass. April 13, 1896 for Royalston at a cost of $150. The officers of this company which consists of twenty men are: Foreman - A. C. Kendall; 1st Assistant, J.
/
100*1
A
PIONEER ENGINE COMPANY, SOUTH ROYALSTON, 1914
RESCUE ENGINE COMPANY, SOUTH ROYALSTON, APRIL 21, 1887
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THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
Wheeler; 2d Assistant, E. Twitchell; Stewards - J. Holleran, G. Duley, J. Plant; Treasurer and Clerk-F. A. Brown.
4
FIRE OF 1892
Probably the most destructive fire in Royalston as regards the value of property destroyed was the fire of August 19, 1892, when the Col. Whitney Woolen Mill at South Royalston was totally destroyed. The fire was discovered about 7.30 o'clock on Saturday evening August 19, in the tower of the mill, and is supposed to have originated in the spinning room. It was soon seen that the local firemen could not manage the fire, and aid was summoned from Athol and Baldwinville, and a steam fire engine was sent from each place, the one from Athol making the run by train in eight minutes, and from Baldwinville by road drawn by horses in forty-three minutes.
An employee in the mill and one of the Athol firemen were overcome by the heat. The Athol firemen did not get home until 5.30 o'clock Sunday morning. The mill was well equipped with machinery which was totally destoyed. The total loss was $175,000 with an insurance of $140,000 divided between forty-five companies.
FIRE OF 1904
The "Great Fire of 1904" will long be remembered by the people of South Royalston, as they saw their church, school- house, bridge, and other buildings destroyed by the devouring flames. The fire which occurred on Tuesday October 25, 1904 started about 10.30 A. M., in the old chair shop used as a picker house by the Whitney Woolen Co., and is supposed to have been caused by spontaneous combustion, and with a howling wind blowing directly towards the east, the flames were soon beyond the control of the South Royalston fire department. The fire soon spread to the covered bridge spanning Millers river, and located near the shop, and the bridge was soon de- stoyed. Burning brands were carried far up the hill to the north, and the Congregational Church, Mechanics Hall, and the school-house located in the same building, Richmond's grocery store and several private dwellings were soon in flames. Word was sent to Baldwinville and Athol for help, and both towns responded promptly with a steam fire engine and hose. The
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HISTORY OF ROYALSTON
special Athol train made the run from Athol to South Royalston in eight minutes, and it was only forty minutes from the time the message was received in Athol before the reinforcements from Athol were at the scene of the fire in South Royalston. Other houses near by caught fire and it was nearly three o'clock in the afternoon before the firemen quit work.
The loss was about $40,000. It was the most disastrous fire that South Royalston had experienced since the burning of the Whitney Woolen Mill in 1892.
The citizens of South Royalston were much agitated dur- ing the last half of the year 1884 and the opening month of 1885 by several fires that occurred within about six months' time.
On Sunday night, June 15, 1884, the Farrar shop, owned and occupied by Nelson Farrar, was discovered to be on fire about midnight, and, with its contents, was burned to the ground. The fire spread to adjoining buildings and the barn and paint shop of Nelson Farrar were also destroyed, together with two dwelling houses owned by Martin Fallon and Edwin Farrar, while other houses were damaged. The origin of the fire was supposed to be accidental.
The second fire took place on the night of Oct. 19, when the building opposite L. L. Clark & Co.'s store, owned by Fred Knights and occupied by him as a livery stable and store room and by a meat market and barber shop, was burned about 9 o'clock on Sunday evening. Clark's store and the Congrega- tional church were on fire at one time, and it was feared that they, with other buildings, would be destroyed. Help was summoned from Athol, but the fire was gotten under control and the aid was not needed.
The third fire occurred on the night of Jan. 12, 1885, when the brush wood shop of C. W. Day was discovered to be on fire about half past one on Monday morning, and was in a short time with all its contents destroyed, together with lum- ber sheds. The loss was about seven thousand dollars. The burning of this shop took the last business from the village, with the exception of the mill and shops of Col. George Whit- ney. The last two fires were believed to be of incendiary ori- gin.
CHAPTER XXX
ROYALSTON'S HALL OF FAME
In these pages we give a list of some of the native-born of Roy- alston, who have attained prominence in the State and Nation.
Hon. Alexander H. Bullock - Governor of Massachusetts, elo- quent orator and wise statesman. Held many important offices in State and city, speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representa- tives, four years mayor of Worcester, in 1879 was offered the then vacant English mission by President Hayes.
Hon. Asahel Peck - Eminent lawyer, judge of the Supreme Court of Vermont and governor of the State.
Hon. Rufus Bullock - Model citizen, merchant, manufacturer and benefactor of his town.
James Ormond Wilson - Educator, superintendent of the schools of Washington, D. C., for 15 years.
Hon. George Carter Richardson - Leading merchant of Boston, and mayor of the city of Cambridge; president of the Boston Board .of Trade.
Major-General Lysander Cutler - Prominent in the Civil War; commander of the " Iron Brigade."
Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Cummings - Journalist; proprietor of the Vermont Phoenix; clerk of the House of Representatives of Vermont for three years; officer in the Civil War.
Rev. Amory Gale, D. D. - Eminent Baptist clergyman and mis- sionary.
Samuel C. Gale - Lawyer, and prominent business man of Min- neapolis, Minn.
Major Edward A. Brown - County treasurer of Worcester County for thirty-six years, a longer period than any other person ever served.
William O. Brown - County commissioner of Worcester County for twenty-one years.
Colonel George Whitney-Woolen manufacturer; State Senator, and member of the Governor's Council of Massachusetts.
Rev. Samuel Barrett, D. D. - Eminent clergyman, for many years pastor of the Twelfth Congregational Unitarian Society of Boston.
Joel H. Gates - Prominent furniture manufacturer and business man of Burlington, Vt.
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HISTORY OF ROYALSTON
William Clark Peckham - Physicist and educator; professor of physics at Adelphi College; contributor to scientific journals.
Chester Twitchell Stockwell - Prominent dentist of Springfield, Mass .; author and scientist.
Rev. John F. Lehy - Educator; president of Holy Cross College.
Rev. Daniel Shepardson - Baptist minister and educator and founder of Shepardson College.
Major-General Franklin Gregory - Prominent military officer, and merchant.
Harrison Bliss - Prominent merchant and banker of Worcester; represented the city of Worcester in the General Court, and was a leader in city affairs.
Franklin Edwards Gregory - Merchant; head of one of Boston's leading commission houses; director and manager of various financial and other enterprises.
Rev. John Shepardson - Prominent Baptist minister, and edu- cator.
Dr. Stephen Bacheller, Jr. - Physician of Royalston for forty- five years; probably had a more extensive consultation business than any other physician in the County and, perhaps, the State; vice-presi- dent ofthe Massachusetts Medical Society.
Nancy Priest-Writer of poetry and author of "Over the River."
Josephine L. (Perkins) Ballantine-Granddaughter of Royal- ston's second pastor, and well known missionary in India for more than thirty years.
Hamilton S. Peck - Lawyer; Mayor of Burlington, Vt., and Judge of City Court.
Caleb Buffum Metcalf-Noted Educator; established the famous military academy of Worcester, Mass, over which he pre- sided for thirty-two years.
Eliab Wight Metcalf-Prominent ship builder and owner in Bangor, Me .; extensive dealer in timber lands of the West; promi- nent in temperance legislation in Maine and Ohio, and leading citi- zen of Elyria, Ohio.
Isaac Stevens Metcalf - Civil engineer; had charge of the con- struction of portions of Illinois Central railroad; township trustee of Elyria, Ohio all through the Civil War, and colonel of the vol- unteer militia.
Harlow A. Gale-Leading business man of Minneapolis, Minn .; one of the founders and manager of the city market of that city, and county auditor.
Elmer W. Bliss - One of the early California adventurers; manufacturer of furniture in Brattleboro, Vt., and one of the foun- ders of the Burdett Organ Co. of Chicago, Ill., and Erie, Pa.
Benjamin Goddard - Manufacturer of Worcester, Mass., with Ichabod Washburn he started what has become the great wire business of Worcester.
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ROYALSTON'S HALL OF FAME
Rev. Ariel E. P. Perkins, D. D. - Prominent Congregational clergyman of Massachusetts; pastor of the Congregational Church of Ware for thirty years.
Dr. James Bacheller - Physician of Marlboro, N H., for thirty- seven years; president of the New Hampshire Medical Society; Sen- ator in the General Court of New Hampshire and councillor.
Benjamin Conant Perkins-Lawyer; studied with Rufus Choate; State Senator and Register of Bankruptcy for Essex County.
Rev. Ebenezer Cutler, D. D. - Noted Congregational minister of Massachusetts; pastor of Union Congregational Church of Wor- cester for twenty-five years; elected president of the University of Vermont, but declined the position.
Charles Augustus Gregory - Prominent lawyer of Chicago, Ill .; also interested in extensive land business in that city.
Rev. Albert Bryant - Missionary of the American Board in Turkey; also well known pastor of Massachusetts churches.
Almando Ballou - One of the old "Forty-Niners," who went to California; was the first to erect a frame building in Sacremento City, Cal., became prominent in mercantile affairs in Boston and Philadelphia.
Stephen Holman-Prominent manufacturer of Holyoke and Worcester.
Rev. T. Willard Lewis-Well-known Methodist minister. Had charge of the missions of that church in South Carolina and Florida, and was the founder of Claflin University.
Henry Martyn Harrington-Educator. Superintendent of the schools of Bridgeport, Conn., for fifteen years.
Bertha Winifred Clark-Missionary in Burmah.
Charles G. G. Paine-Educator. Superintendent of the schools of the American Missionary Association for the Freedmen at Hamp- ton, Va., and teacher in schools of Chicago, Ill. and Detroit, Mich.
Andrew Bliss Garfield-Well-known builder of mills in the Blackstone valley.
John V. Hazen -- Civil Engineer. Professor of Civil Engineer- ing at Dartmouth College.
Edwin Augustus Fisher-Civil Engineer. Superintendent of the Pittsburg Division of the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad for four years. City Engineer of Rochester, N. Y., from 1896 to the present time.
Arthur A. Upham-Educator and Author. Professor of Science in the Whitewater, Wisconsin State Normal School. Member of the State Board of Examiner of Wisconsin. Mayor of Whitewater.
Everett B. Bragg-Chemist. Explorer in the West Indies. Vice President and Western Manager of the General Chemical Co. of New York with office in Chicago, Ill.
Dr. Hosea Davis-Prominent Physician of Littleton, Ill., for thirty-seven years. Representative in the Illinois Legislature and a central figure in Schuyler County of that state.
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HISTORY OF ROYALSTON
Dr. Horace Jacobs-Prominent Physician of Springfield, Mass., for many years.
Davis Goddard-State Senator and County Commissioner for Franklin County. Postmaster of Orange for twenty-four years.
Moses Walker Dexter-Wholesale Tea Merchant in Philadelphia for thirty-two years.
Joseph Frederick Perkins-Missionary of the Presbyterian Board in Brazil, South America.
George Ellis Whitney-Woolen Manufacturer. Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives and State Senator in that state.
Frederick C. Nichols-Well-known Banker, Treasurer and Chief Executive of the Fitchburg Savings Bank.
Leonard Nichols-United States Shipping Commissioner of the Port of Providence, R. I.
Robert Winthrop Adams-Electrical Engineer. Manager of the Providence office of the General Electric Co.
Fred W. Cross. . Representative to the Legislature from First Worcester District three years, and State Senator from the Fourth Worcester District.
Geoffrey B. Lehy-Prominent merchant of Boston. Member of the Finance Commission for City of Boston, and first President of the Boston City Club.
Brigham, Newton Bullock-Prominent Banker of Fitchburg, Mass.
Joseph Raymond-Well-known merchant in Baldwinsville and Royalston. Contributed the first money for founding a public li- brary in Royalston.
Charles Watson Bowker-Leading grain and produce merchant of Worcester and owner of large real estate interests in that city.
William H. Bullard-Manufacturer of Holyoke, and President of the Board of Trade of that city.
George W. Holman-Railroad Contractor in the West. Super- intendent of Streets of Fitchburg, Mass.
APPENDIX
HISTORICAL ADDRESS
AT THE
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INCORPORATION of THE TOWN OF ROYALSTON
AUGUST 3, 1915
BY FRED W. CROSS
Mr. Toastmaster, Honored Representatives of our state and na- tional government, Fellow Citizens and Friends of Royalston:
I am placed to-day in a very peculiar position. My friend, Mr. Nichols, in his introductory remarks has said some very pleasant things about me. I only wish that they were all true. For one of his remarks I feel that I must get back at him in some way, and so I am going to tell you how, knowing my rather insurgent proclivities in politics, he said to me the other day: "Now, Fred, if you could be a little more of a regular."
I say I am placed in a somewhat peculiar position. Within a week after a most excellent outline of Royalston's history has ap- peared in the Athol Transcript, and when within two days a most eloquent historical sermon has been delivered in yonder church by the Rev. Asher Anderson, and an evening discourse on the town's church history has been given by the author of our forthcoming town history, and after the President of the day in his opening re- marks has alluded to some of the most interesting and amusing fea- tures in our territorial history, I am expected to give a historical address. But I am going to punish you just the same.
Royalston invites you here to-day to assist her in celebrating, not her age, but her youth. While other municipalities boast of their two centuries or two centuries and a half of history, we come to tell you that we are only 150 years old,-But the book of those years has written upon it's pages as honorable a record as one might wish to see.
As the historian delves in the early records of these New Eng- land townships he naturally seeks first for some Indian traditions, some stories of sudden attack, of brave defense, of captivity and of massacre. He looks for some relics of the aboriginal tribes who three centuries ago roamed these hills, fished these streams, and set their cornfields in our fertile valleys. For Indian traditions the historian of Royalston will seek in vain.
Nearly seventy years before this town was incorporated, King Philip's war had put an end to the power of the Nipmuck tribes of
II
HISTORY OF ROYALSTON
Central Massachusetts and the Payquage or Pequoig Indians as a body had deserted the valley of Miller's River even as the Squakeags of Northfield, the Pocumtucks of Deerfield, and the Norowottucks of Hadley had left the valley of the Connecticut. True it is that in later years, even as late as 1756-58 marauding parties of red men from Canada appeared in northern Massachusetts to kill and plunder and destroy, but they usually followed the regular routes southward along the Connecticut River, or the Hoosac River and the Mohawk Trail, and seldom or never threaded these forest fastnesses where the Poquaigs once roamed and hunted.
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