USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Walpole > The story of Walpole, 1724-1924; a narrative history prepared under authority of the town and direction of the Historical Committee of Bi-Centennial > Part 15
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22
7
INDUSTRIAL WALPOLE
In the fall of 1871 Mr. Z. T. Hollingsworth, until his death in the spring of 1925 chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hollingsworth & Vose Company, bought the lower mill at East Walpole from F. W. Bird. Young Hollings- worth had been working in his father's paper mill-that of Tileston & Hollingsworth Company -in Hyde Park. He wished to go into business for himself, and, being well acquainted with the Bird family and learning from them that the Walpole lower mill was for sale, decided to make the purchase. By 1875 he employed seven men and was making a ton of paper a day.1
A few years afterward a partnership wasformed with Charles Vose; and in 1881 they pur- chased a paper mill in West Groton from Lyman Hollingsworth, who had been making papers of the same kind there since 1855. The Com- pany was incorporated as "Hollingsworth & Vose Company" in 1892.
The two mills each have three paper machines and each employ about two hundred and fifty men. The Walpole mill manufactures about thirty tons of paper a day and the Groton mill about twenty-five tons, principally from old Manila rope and jute. The papers are used for telephone and cable insulation, sand paper, tag papers and numerous specialties where strong papers are required.
1 State Bd. of Health Report 1876, 92.
[269 ]
3
.
7
THE STORY OF WALPOLE
The value of the annual output is in the neighborhood of $5,000,000.
Let us now turn back towards the Center, stopping first at Spring Brook, previously men- tioned in this chapter.
In 1814 what is now called the Diamond privilege was deeded to Samuel Hartshorn and Daniel Kingsbury by Dr. and Mrs. Jonathan Wilde. The agreement provided that Dr. Wilde was to build a factory at the dam, now the lower end of the Diamond Pond. Here for several years was carried on the manufacture of cotton cloth by a partnership which included in its membership Josiah Hill, Daniel Kings- bury, Nathaniel Guild, James Guild, Ebenezer Hartshorn, Samuel Allen, and Robert Robert- son. The subsequent history is somewhat ob- scured. In 1829 the Diamond Manufacturing Co. was incorporated, in which Smith Gray became half owner. On the map of 1832 the Diamond Cotton Factory is indicated. Some years later the mill became the sole property of Gray, who leased it to various persons. In 1858 Simeon Clap, who had been a manufacturer of straw bonnets and subsequently of lamp wicking and twine, owned the Diamond Factory and continued the manufacture of stocking yarn, twine, thread and Java canvas, until his death in 1881.
In 1872 Bradford Lewis built at the junction
[270]
-
INDUSTRIAL WALPOLE
of Spring Brook and the Neponset a factory for the making of cotton waste. In 1875 he em- ployed 28 hands and washed about 700 tons of waste a year.1 On the death of Simeon Clap, Bradford Lewis bought the Diamond factory and used it for burring wool. The property was afterwards purchased by John B. Rooney,2 and is now occupied by the Walpole Wet Wash Laundry, Inc.
The Lewis mill at the mouth of the brook was burnt to the ground in 1874, but a new one, larger and better, took its place in five weeks. In 1891 James Bradford Lewis was taken into the firm, which then became Bradford Lewis & Son. 3
Upstream, about a quarter-mile above the Diamond Privilege, was in 1840 the machine shop of Royal Smith where for about six years the manifacture of cotton and woolen machinery was carried on. The factory lay idle most of the time until 1860 when it was destroyed by fire. Twenty years later Nathan Clark bought the privilege and built a new dam and saw mill there. Alton N. Clark, son of Nathan, became owner within four years, and subsequently sold to H. A. Morse & Co.4
In 1832 Deacon Jeremiah Allen began to
1 State Bd. of Health Report 1876, 93.
? Lewis, 201. Hist. Norfolk Co., 723.
' Gould Scrap Book, 183.
4 Ibid.
[27] ]
1
1
THE STORY OF WALPOLE
manufacture twine and fish lines at the corner of Peach and East Streets. In 1866 Samuel Allen, Jr., became a partner, and, on the death of Jeremiah, became sole owner. His son was later associated with him in the business.1 The twine mill has since been torn down.
On Mill Brook, which flows into the Neponset from the west, is still another old privilege. There had been a saw mill somewhere on the stream at an early date, but no pond was in evidence in 1832.2 In 1840 a dam was built by Lewis W. and Erastus Robbins, thereby forming what is now called Morey's Pond. They manu- factured axles there.
In 1853 Erastus Robbins died and the privi- lege shortly became the property of Hon George Morey of Boston, who transferred it in 1863 to his brother, Palmer Morey. It afterwards was transferred to George P. Morey.
The machine shop on the privilege was leased by Lewis W. Robbins and John P. Holmes, who continued to make axles to 1858. Ten years later Bradford Lewis leased the property and made use of it in the cotton-waste business he had recently established in the mill of his brother Willard. Bradford removed to a new site in 1872 and turned the Morey property over to his son, E. Frank Lewis, who leased the buildings and in 1873 began scouring wool. 1 Gould Scrap Book, 183. 2 Map of 1832.
[272 ]
1
لغة الـ
INDUSTRIAL WALPOLE
Lewis worked alone in the old wooden factory for the first few months, finally working up business enough to warrant hiring two men to help him. By 1875 he had 12 employees and was cleaning about 4000 pounds of wool a day.1 In 1883 the buildings were enlarged, and 40 men were employed as sorters and washers.2 After being involved in litigation over polution of the stream, Mr. Lewis removed his business to Lawrence in 1890.
At one period The Walpole Dye & Chemical Works, across the track from the railroad station, was an active industry. Founded in 1872 by Henry D. Dupee, under the name Dupee, Weeks & Soren, it was later taken over by Alfred Smith.3 The company stopped opera- tions many years ago.
The business of W. K. Gilmore & Sons, Inc., coal, grain, hay and cement, was founded by Mr. W. K. Gilmore in 1870 at Wrentham, Mass. The Walpole branch was purchased in 1890 of the Gould Estate and the firm was incorporated in October, 1904. Elevator build at Walpole in 1911, and modern machinery installed for handling grain. All milling and mixing for Wrentham, Franklin and Norfolk stores is done at Walpole. About 1400 cars are handled at Walpole and the various branches.
1 State Bd. of Health Report 1876, 93. 2 Gould Scrap Book, 142.
3 Lewis, 203; Hist. Norfolk County, 724.
[273 ]
£
THE STORY OF WALPOLE
The greatest enemy to progress, as may be judged from the preceding account, was fire. In those early days, when construction was usually of wood, and when fire fighting apparatus had not reached its present state of efficiency, factory after factory was levelled, and pros- perous businesses interrupted if not entirely wiped out.
But there was also another danger, neither so great nor so devastating, that was a constant menace-floods. The conformation of the Ne- ponset River Valley in Walpole is such that, under certain circumstances, the ordinary bed of the stream was insufficient to accommodate the waters that poured into it from its various tributaries. This is now prevented by control methods high up on the stream.
One such occasion was recalled before his death in 1863 by Capt. Joshua Stetson. It was in the early part of the last century. The waters rose until they ran a foot deep over the Stetson dam and threatened to destroy it. Capt. Stetson saved it only by spending one night walking back and forth filling every break that appeared. 1
The greatest flood within the memory of men now living, was that of February, 1886. The ground was covered with a layer of ice and on top of that was snow to the depth of eight or ten : Mss. account Walpole Hist. Soc.
[274 ]
1
"ן
الأول
الثورة
INDUSTRIAL WALPOLE
inches. On February 12 there was a heavy, warm rain, which, melting the snow, added to its own bulk. As the layer of ice prevented any of the water from soaking in, it all drained off into the streams.
The pressure was first felt at the Morey dam, where, in addition to the heavy flow from Mill Brook, an outlaw torrent of water coming down along the railroad track from Medfield, washed away the embankment and carried sand and gravel down to the meadow land of Lewis W. Robbins, on the east side of the track.
That night E. Frank Lewis, who occupied the Morey privilege, worked with a number of his men to save the dam.1 But the flood was so menacing that, about two o'clock in the morning of February 13, it was decided that the dam must be cut to relieve the pressure back of it, else it would surely be swept away.
This, however, would place the burden on the Stetson dam, below. So a warning was sent out to the Stetsons, who turned out in the early hours, opened the gates, took up the flush boards, and then waited for the water to come down. Here is the account, by one who was there:
"About three o'clock" it runs, "the flood reached us, the water rising on the dam to a
1 Account of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene F. Fay, in possession of Wal- pole Hist. Soc.
[275 ]
.
1
L
THE STORY OF WALPOLE
depth of a foot or over, and the meadow below became a vast pond. The channel of the river could not be seen. The waters took a straight course to the railroad bridge at Plimptonville, crossing Main Street below Stetson Hill and covering it to a depth of three or four feet. All travel was stopped.
.
"After the Morey Pond was relieved the water lowered, so we were able to keep it within bounds. In the afternoon of the 13th there was another break above us that brought the water up again about a foot over the dam. By using planks to keep the water on the strongest parts of the dam we saved it. There were three times in 24 hours that we expected to see the dam go, but by careful watching we managed to save it.
"About noon of the 13th a message came to us from the F. W. Bird privilege saying they were anxious about their dam and wanting to know if we could hold ours. Our answer was that if nothing more broke above us we would be able to hold; and as it stopped raining, we had no further trouble.
"One end of the Stetson dam was washed out to a depth of about four or five feet, but about fifty dollars put it in shape again.
"The dam at the Blackburn privilege was entirely washed away and was not rebuilt until
[276 ]
----
£
INDUSTRIAL WALPOLE
the privilege was sold to the Massachusetts Chemical Co." 1
Damage was done on all the privileges. At the Morey dam watch was kept for two days and nights, food being sent to the workers, who dared not leave.2
1 Mss. account Walpole Hist. Soc.
2 Mss. account of Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Fay.
[277 ]
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
FRAGMENTS
T HE somber Sabbath of the Puritan was still in vogue in Walpole's early years, and continued in only slightly modified form through most of the first century of the town's life. Those Sundays of church-going were looked . forward to by most of the young folks-and by the less serious-minded of the elders, as well- with mingled pleasure and awe.
There were always two long services, one in the morning, another in the afternoon, and each consisting of a prayer and a sermon, both of appalling length. Now, no matter how gifted a preacher may have been, the ponderous method of expounding doctrinal questions then in style made a really interesting sermon a rarity, if not an utter impossibility. The run of them were extremely dull affairs (to put it mildly), often starting off with some abstruse propo- sition utterly beyond the comprehension of the auditors, and demonstrating its truth from "firstly" to "eighthly" or "twelfthly," according to the preacher's zeal.
[278 ]
ה
FRAGMENTS
While this learned exposition was in progress, the young people of the congregation were seated near the rafters in the upper gallery, and like most young people of today, doubtless oft- times scandalized the rest of the congregation by their whispered conversations and suppressed laughter.
In 1755 the townspeople thought it necessary to elect twelve "overseers of our Young People on Sabbath Days" 1 who doubtless saw to it that the youngsters attended meeting and be- haved themselves in a proper way; and again, in 1770, chose "five Men to Set in the upper Galery to Inspect the youth on the Lords Day." ?
Possibly some of the trouble in the galleries was provoked by the brave attempts of the congregation to sing the psalms. There was no musical accompaniment in the early days. The first time an organ was played in the First Parish meeting house was April 20, 1851,3 though possibly some other form of music had been used before that time.
But for many years the hymns had to be "lined out" by one whose lusty voice fitted him for the task. The others repeated each line after the leader. Getting a leader was not always an easy matter; and the Walpole town meetings, on more than one occasion, busied
1 Town Rec., 150. 2 Ibid., 237. 3 Gould Diary, 39.
[279]
ـلاحية العامة للسداد
THE STORY OF WALPOLE
themselves with searching for a "man or meen to tune the Salm." 1
When there was not some poorly pitched roaring of a psalm for the boys and girls to snicker at, there were the physical discomforts to make them restive. The sermons and the prayers were long, as we have said-very long; and the benches were crudely built and as un- comfortable as one could imagine. Cushions are a thing of very recent years. Further, in the summer months the air up under the roof must have been suffocating. And in the winter, the place must have been frigid. For nearly 100 years a fireplace furnished the only heat. Early in the 19th century it was proposed to install a stove, which was then a new contrap- tion, just beginning to come into style. The proposition was voted down; 2 and it was not until 1822 that the town voted to "purchase a Stove & Funnel for the meeting house." 3
Yet, dismal and uncomfortable as these long sessions in the meeting house may have been to some of the congregation, Sunday was not without its pleasures. The intervals between morning and afternoon services, when the families ate the lunches they had brought, had something of a holiday spirit about them. They afforded almost the only opportunity for social intercourse between the various families 1 Town Rec., 217. 2 Lewis, 143. 3 Town Rec., II, 403.
[280 ]
...
٢٠
FRAGMENTS
of townspeople, many of whom, through the rest of the week, were on remote farms.
In spite of this, however, the Sunday was, on the whole, a rather depressing day. Nor was it offset in the least by week-day social activities in the meeting house or vestry. The church as a social center is a development of the last century. Even in Civil War times when a war drama was given in the Orthodox church, it caused such scandal that the deacons allowed only one performance. 1
The evening Singing School was a popular thing a century ago and was the pattern for the "Community Sings" recently introduced in . many of our cities and towns. In 1801 the town granted "for to hire a room and for Candles & fire wood for the Use of Singers in this Town the present Year ... $10." 2 There were doubtless some in town, however, who looked upon the gatherings as sheer tomfoolery-some freakish new idea. And on one occasion, when a committee was appointed to see if the singers couldn't use the school house at the Centre, it reported back that they had "got no encouraget" from the proprietors.3 The singing school be- came so popular that an appropriation of $50 was made in 1815 to "encorage the Sing- ing,"4 and it was a source of great enjoy- . 1 Allen, 11. ? Town Rec. 3 Town Rec., II, 253, 254.
4 Town Rec., II, 319.
1
[ 281 ]
1
THE STORY OF WALPOLE
ment for old and young for a half-century after. 1
By this time, however (in spite of a fear of anything smacking of the theatre), the meeting houses had become real centers of social life. A vestry for evening gatherings had been erected about 1837 by the Orthodox church.2 Here, as years went on, were held many jolly parties- picnic suppers, with games to amuse both young and old.3 It is probable that political rallies were held in the churches before the Civil War; and we know for certain that when Gen. Zachary Taylor was elected President in 1848 the Whigs of Walpole had a bang-up cele- bration in the vestry of the First Parish meeting house, with an oyster supper, speeches, singing and a band concert. 4
But in the early days, when social life was limited to "going visiting" or taking a "social glass," the failure of the churches to provide some form of recreation helped to make the taverns the chief social centers. One of the first steps Walpole took when set off from Ded- ham was towards establishing a tavern5. The town's earliest standards of measurement in- cluded a "Beer Quart," a "Wine Pint" and a "Wine Half Pint." 6 This was in 1730.
Men drank deep and often in those days and
1 Lewis, 159. 2 Allen, 10. 3 Gould Diary, 27. 4 Ibid., 28. 5 Ante, 205. 6 Town Rec., 30.
[282 ]
1
7
FRAGMENTS
thought nothing of it. It is probable that Wal- pole had its own brewery at one time, for Aquilla Robbins, who was a town official for 20 years from 1745, was by trade a "malster" or maltster, which meant that he was a brewer- and a very respectable business it was, too. Lest any prejudiced soul fear for Walpole's fair name, bear in mind that the great Sam Adams himself was a maltster.
So common was drinking that it was not con- fined to joyous occasions alone. At funerals there was heavy drinking, feasting and gift giving. They became ruinously expensive; yet efforts to put a stop to the custom were for long unavailing. Even as late as 1800 Walpole voted in town meeting to discontinue giving food and drink at funerals,' and repeated the warning in 1816, when the custom was declared to be "unsuitable to the occasion & too expensive for the Poor. . . . " 2 And though it appears to have been accepted as being wholly proper to serve rum punch at the raising of the Orthodox church in 1827,3 the town voted only three years later that "the custome of offering and receiving ar- dent spirits as a token of hospitality is injurious in its tendency and ought to be abolished." 4
The town, some time afterwards, apparently went "dry," and appointed a paid agent to 1 Lewis, 143. ? Town Rec., II, 334.
3 Allen, 9, 10.
4 Ibid., II, 466.
[ 283 ]
M
THE STORY OF WALPOLE
handle liquors for medicinal and mechanical pur- poses. His salary for 1864 was $25.00. 1 So much for this.
Walpole's first physician was Dr. Ebenezer Daggett,2 whose name appears elsewhere in this volume. Daggett was born in Attleboro, and was about 25 years old when he bought a dwell- ing-house and barn from Solomon Bullard in 1757 and hung out his shingle in the town.3 Dr. Dag- gett moved to Medfield between August, 1771, and October, 1772, and resided there until his death in 1782.
For a short period Dr. Rhodes of Boston suc- ceeded Daggett; but it seems that for one period the physicians from the neighboring towns were relied upon, Dr. Daggett coming in to see his old patients, and Dr. James Jerauld and later his nephew and successor, James Jerauld, Jr., coming from Medfield.4
In June, 1776, when smallpox was raging in Massachusetts, a committee was appointed by town meeting "to agree with Dr. Gearld [Jerauld] about setting up Innoculation for the Small Pox."5 At the following meeting, June 28,
1 Town Rec., IV, 136, 137.
? Medical Profession in Norfolk Co., 30.
3 Doggett-Daggett, 122.
4 Medical Profession in Norfolk Co., 26.
5 Town Rec., II, 3.
[284 ]
-
-
FRAGMENTS
permission to carry on innoculation was granted to Dr. Jerauld (this was the younger man, the uncle having died in 1760) 1 and Dr. Sprague (per- haps Dr. John Sprague, a distinguished physician of Dedham),? provided Jerauld gave bond of 1000 pounds to abide by certain restrictions. Every- thing was satisfactorily arranged and a hospital was opened "at ye House latly Micah Bakers." 3
By Fall, however, the townspeople were up in arms. They drew a petition to the General Court asking that "a Stop may be put to Innoc- ulation of the small Pox in the Hospital in this Town and that in Medfield adjoining." 4 The authorities, however, had other matters to keep them busy in those trying days; and in spite of continued protests from the town the hospital was in operation in May, 1777, when "any anocolation or any hospitall," present or pro- spective, was denounced, and a committee was appointed to ask Dr. Jerauld to put an end to the business.5 A month later it was voted to inform Dr. Jerauld in writing that if he con- tinued innoculating or brought any person to his hospital or elsewhere in town after June 17, "he will Greatly Incur the displeasure of the Inhabitants. . . ' 6 What the outcome was we do not know.
1 Medical Profession in Norfolk Co., 26. 2 Ibid., 23.
3 Town Rec., II, 3. 4 Ibid., 7. 5 Ibid., 13.
6 Ibid., 14.
[ 285 ]
THE STORY OF WALPOLE
Dr. Seth Man or Mann, a native of Walpole who studied medicine under Dr. Daggett, 1 appears on the scene in the Revolutionary period; and in 1780 Dr. Jonathan Wild, a native of Randolph, began practice in Walpole. These were the forerunners of the many able and self- sacrificing physicians who have served the town to this day.
It may give our present practitioners, and patients too, a severe shock to learn that in 1843 a bill rendered to a Walpole resident by Dr. John W. Foster of Foxborough, for 31 visits, totalled $23.25.2
It will be recalled that the town had been bound by the General Court, as one of the con- ditions of independent township, to maintain suitable schools; but, there being troubles enough over building a meeting house, all thoughts of school were at first put aside. Not until February, 1728, did the Selectmen finally call upon the people to appropriate money for the education of their children; 3 and there is noth- ing to show that, even then, they voted any funds for the purpose.
There had been some sort of schools main-
1 Medical Profession in Norfolk Co., 30.
2 Boyden papers. For some doctors' charges about 1760 see Chap. VII.
3 Town Rec., I, 10.
[ 286 ]
7
FRAGMENTS
tained in or near the district while it was still a part of Dedham. Back in 1698 Ezra Morse, who lived up near present Ellis Brook (now in Norwood, but at first a part of Walpole), got after the Dedham selectmen for "Sattisfacshun for ye Use off his Hous laste yere toe keepe ye skule in" and was granted 17 shillings.1 There were perhaps other schools kept in later years which the children of present Walpole territory could attend.
It was not until 1732, however, that Walpole herself voted 30 pounds, half to be spent "for Instructing ye Little Children in ye Sumer time to be for a woman School" and half for "a writing School in the Winter season To be for a moving School." Both schools were to divide their time equally between "Easy Plain [Wal- pole Plain] and Near ye Meetinghouse and about a mile or a Mile and a half Northeastern of ye same." 2
Samuel Kingsbury was teacher of the writing school, and received 5 pounds for six weeks' work "at Esie Plain." 3 Samuel's proficiency as a penman also won for him the distinction of keeping the town's record book, for which he was paid £1 for a year's work.4
In 1739 it was voted to build three school- houses and "That each part of the Town should
1 Lewis, 41. 2 Town Rec., I, 38. 3 Ibid., 41.
4 Ibid., 46.
[ 287 ]
THE STORY OF WALPOLE
build there own house at there own charg"; but the proposition was soon dropped, probably as involving a greater expenditure than the people could stand. School sessions were held each year at the north, center and west parts of the town, in private dwellings.1
. Some time in the 1750s, either in 1757 or earlier, Walpole got its first schoolhouse as a result of the joint efforts of Rev. Phillips Pay- son, the minister, and Deacon Ezekiel Robbins, the tavern-keeper. Payson owned a large parcel of land at the Center, on which Robbins built a small schoolhouse for the town's use. This was in the vicinity of what is now the west end of the Common 2 or perhaps on the westerly side of West St., close to the street line and a few feet south from Elm St., where it stood for many years, as residents living in the later part of the 19th century recalled. The building, if not originally built there, was moved to this spot perhaps in 1762, as there is a reference in the town records of that time about its being moved. It was later moved to the southwest part of the lot, at the corner of West and New Station Sts., where it is still standing occupied as a dwelling.3 It is southwest of the Willard Lewis
1 Town Rec., I, 66, 72, 79, 93, 103, 105, 121.
2 Lewis, 143, 144.
3 Statement of Dana W. Robbins and also of George H. Kings- bury, who helped in the remodeling.
[ 288 ]
----
3
FRAGMENTS
place and, some 20 years ago, sometimes was called the Gay house. 1
In the Spring of 1758 the owners of the land and school building offered to give the property to the town. On March 7, 1758, "the Town Excepted of the Present that ye Revd Mr. Payson Gaue to this Town-viz-ye Land that ye School house stands on so long as there shall be a School house Continued there
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.