USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Groton > Three historical addresses at Groton, Massachusetts > Part 13
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Common (Groton), the, 62, 156, 157, I72. ", the Middle, 72. -, the North, 71, 99.
Concord, Mass., 26, 57, 94, 169.
-- , N. H., 22, 34, 102. Connecticut Historical Society, its
Collections, 21.
Connecticut River, 51.
"Continuation of the Narrative of the Indian Charity School," Wheelock's, III. Cooper, John, 92. -, Timothy, 15, 18, 30, 92, 95.
Corey, Aaron, 59, 60. "Cornwallis," a, 147, 148. Cortland, N. Y., 143. Crispe, Mrs. Benjamin, 103.
Dana, Samuel, 157. , Rev. Samuel, sketch of, 55-57. Dana School (Groton), the, 57. Danforth, Jonathan, 17, 18. , Rev. Samuel, 72. Davis, Dolor, 18. -, John, 42.
Davis's Fordway, 42. Deerfield, Mass., 46. Denison, Major-General, 24. Dennie, Joseph, 59. Desertion of frontier towns, an act to prohibit, 38. Detroit, 126. Devens, Goodwife, 94. Dickinson, James, 156. , Mrs. Sarah, 156. , Thomas, 22. Dickson, Walter, 42.
"Dictionnaire Généalogique des Fa- milles Canadiennes," 37.
Division, N. Y., 143. Dix family, the, 62.
"Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New York," 34, 4I, IOI.
Domesday Book, 19, 20, 138, 164, 165.
Dorchester, Mass., 14, 169.
Douglass, Dr. William, his "Summary, Historical and Political," 150.
Dover, N. H., 100. Drew, Thomas, 38. Dudley, Gov. Joseph, 45, 123.
Dunstable, Mass., 25, 34, 49, 50, 130, 133, 167. Dunstable highway, the, 71. Dupont, Madeleine, 105. Durham, N. H., 41, 100, IOI.
Egeremet, 101. Eliot's church in Roxbury, 73. Emerson, Dearborn, 60. -, Rev. Joseph, 131, 154. Everett, Edward, 52.
Exeter, N. H., 39.
Fairbanks, Lieut. Jabez, 49. Fairfield, William, 46. Farmer, Daniel, 50. Farmers' Row (Groton), 30, 45, 92, 107, 147. Farnsworth, Ebenezer, 51.
Elizabeth, 157 .. Rev. James D., 100. Matthias, 44, 45. name of, 18. Farrington, Matthew, 15, 18. Farwell, Deacon, 155. -, Joseph, his note-book, 155, 156.
Firelands Historical Society, the, 142. First Parish Meeting-house (Groton) the, 154-158, 172. See also Meeting- house in Groton. Fiske, James, 74, 89, 90, 135, 136. -, Rev. John, 135.
177
Fitchburg, Mass., 61. Flint, George, 61.
Foot Company, the, 35. Fort Dummer, 50, 51. Fovel, III. Franklin, Benjamin, 29. Franklin County, N. Y., 110.
Fremont, Ohio, 142. French and Indian War, the, 51. Frontenac, Count de, 37, 98.
Fryeburg, Me., 50.
Fuller, Rev. Arthur Buckminster, 158. Fuller, Margaret, 158.
"Galaxy," the, 48. Garrison-houses in Groton, 92. George, Horace, 60. Gilson, Joseph, 89. , name of, 18.
- Mrs. Sarah (Capell), 157. Gonvil and Caius College, 73. Grant, Goodman, 79. Grantham (Groton), 32.
Greaton, 19. Greene, William, 79.
"Grey Hound" tavern, the (Roxbury), 19.
Groaten River, Nashua River so called, 21.
Grotena of Domesday Book, the, 19. Groton, Conn., 19, 140, 143, 163.
Groton, England, 19, 20, 137-139, 163- 166, 170.
Groton, Mass., 143, 153, 158, 159, 169; destroyed by Indians, 12, 22, 30-32, 93-95; township granted, 13, 70, I21-123, 126; petition for planta- tion, 15-18; first selection of, 18; origin of name, 19, 137, 163-166; various spellings of name, 20; brand- mark of, 21; complaint of improper management by proprietors, 21, 22; disturbed by Indians, 22-26, 41- 51, 91-105, 107-113; in Philip's War, 25, 26, 29-33; petition for relief from county charges, 33; so- cial conditions in early days, 33- 34; garrison at, 35-36, 48, 49, 95- 98; second attack by Indians, 36- 40, 95-102; Acadians in, 51; cor- respondence with Overseers of Bos- ton, 53-54; in the American Revo- lution, 54-58; connected with Shays's Rebellion, 59; stage lines of, 59- 61; taverns in, 60; changes in, 62; meaning of monuments in, 69; early meeting-houses and ministers, 70-91; garrison-houses of, 92; town re-established after Indian attack,
95; character of early settlers, 123- 124, 133-136; deprived of territory, 130-133; connected with Deane Winthrop, 137; pronunciation of name, 144; early customs and manners, 144-152; plants of, 150; advance of temperance, 150-151; First Parish Meeting-house, 154- 158; distinguished citizens, 170; town seal of, 171.
Groton, N. H., 19, 140.
N. Y., 19, 143.
Ohio, 141, 142.
S. D., 144.
Vt., 19, 140-141. Groton Artillery, the, 148.
Groton Historical Society, the, 122.
Groton Inn, the, 157.
Groton Musical Association, the, 84.
Groton Place, England, 139.
Hall, Hon. Isaac Newton, 141.
Hall brothers, the, 60.
Hampton, N. H., 127.
Hampton Falls, N. H., 128.
Hanover, N. H., III.
Hartwell, Dr. Edward Mussey, his letter on name of Groton, 163-166.
Harvard, Mass., 105, 132, 133, 168.
Harvard College, 15, 26, 29, 75.
Haven, Richard, 15.
Haverhill, Mass., 35.
Hawkins, Dr. William, 25.
Hayes, Rutherford B., President of the U. S., 142.
Healy, Nathaniel, 43.
Hector. See Miles, Hezekiah.
Henchman, Thomas, 25.
High School (Groton), the, 70, 92, 156. Hill, Sally Morse, 141. Hinckly, Thomas, 18.
"Historical Collections of Massachu- setts," Barber's, 172.
"History of Massachusetts," Hutch- inson's, 47, 98, 109.
"History of New England," Palfrey's, I23.
"History of New France," Shea's edition, 36, 96.
"History of St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties, N. Y.," Hough's, 109, IIO, III.
"History of the Wars of New-England," Penhallow's, 41, 42, 43, 49.
Hobart, Rev. Gershom, 36, 42, 50, 70, 96, 98; his family, '98.
Gershom, Jr., 98, 99. Holden, John, 41.
23
I78
Holden, John, Jr., 41. Richard, 89. Stephen, 41.
Hollingsworth Paper-mills, the, 112, 147.
Hollis, N. H., 133, 168.
Hollis road, the, 102.
Holt, John, 61.
Homer, Rev. Jonathan, 43. Homestead Acts, the, 18.
Hough, Dr. Franklin B., his "History of St. Lawrence and Franklin Coun- ties, N. Y.," 109, IIO, III. Hubbard, John, 30, 94.
Rev. William, his account of Indian attack on Groton, 30, 94. Hutchinson, Gov. Thomas, his "His- tory of Massachusetts," 47, 98, 109.
"Indian Roll," the, 70. Indian words, list of, 167-168.
Indians, 13, 69, 71, 107, 110; destroy Groton, 12, 22, 30-32, 93-95; cause disturbances about Groton, 22-26, 29-33, 34, 41-51, 91-105, 107-113; make second attack on Groton, 36- 40, 95-98.
Jacobs, Charles, 147. James II, commissions from, 123. James's Brook, 92, 105, 147. Jenkins, Ann, IOI. Johnson, Edward, 15; his "Wonder- Working Providence," 15, 73. Mrs., 51. Journals of the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts, 57.
Keene, N. H., 157. Kennebec Indians, the, 97.
Kerley, Lieut. Henry; 94. Kettle, Goodwife, 94. King George's War, 50.
King William's War, 36, 95. Knapp, Elizabeth, 28. James, 78, 79, 87, 88, 89. Knox manuscripts, the, 104.
Lachine, Canada, 108, 109. Lakin, Isaac, 113. , John, 15, 35, 36, 90. Lakin, William, 15, 23, 78, 88, 89, 90, 91, 96, 98, 102. Lamorandière, Jacques Urbain Robert de, 108. Lancaster, Mass., 15, 21, 24, 25, 32, 34, 41, 42, 94, 95, 105, 168, 169. Lancaster highway, the, 71.
Lawrence, Amos, 155. Enosh, 40, 112.
, James, 107.
", John, 74.
, Joseph, 74.
, name of, 18.
Nathaniel, 23, 78, 87, 88, 90.
Peleg, 89. Lawrence Academy, 105, 147, 163. Lawrence farm, the, 45.
Le Ber, Jacques, 105.
Ledyard, William, 19, 140.
Leverett, Gov. John, 23.
Littleton, Mass., 133, 163, 168.
Locke, N. Y., 143.
Lodowick, Mr., 97.
Loker, John, 105. Mary (Draper), 105.
London, 31, 138. Long Melford, England, 138. Longley, Betty, 37, 103. -, Deliverance (Crisp), 37, 102, 104. , John, 37, 38, 74, 103, 104; his family, 98. Lydia, 37, 44, 45, 100, 103, 104. William, 37, 38, 74, 86, 90, 91, 100, 102, 103, 104, II2. , William, Sen., 103.
Lorette, III. Louisburg, Cape Breton, 131. Lovewell, Capt. John, 50. Lovewell's fight, 113. Lowell, Mass., 61.
Madocawando, 104. "Magnalia Christi Americana," 28, 36, 39, 95, 100.
Main Street (Groton), 60, 62.
Maine, 37, 38, 101.
March, Capt., 102.
Marcoux, Rev. Francis, 112.
Maricourt, de, 105.
Marlboro, Mass., 25.
Martin, William, 15, 18.
Martin's Pond road, the, 99.
Mason, N. H., 130. Massachusetts, charters of, 122-123, 126, 127, 128, 129.
Massachusetts-Bay Colony, list of first established towns in, 169. Massachusetts Historical Society, its Proceedings, 43, 58, 97; its Collec- tions, 28, 43, 53, 97. Mather, Rev. Cotton, 41; his "Mag- nalia," 28, 36, 39, 95, 100. Rev. Increase, 94; his "Brief History," 30. Mattapan, Mass., 14.
179
Meeting-house in Groton, the first,
70-71, 77-91, 93; the second, 71- 72, 84, 107. See also First Parish Meeting-house.
Meriel, 108.
Merrimack River, 15, 34, 50, 98, 102, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 150, 168.
Middlesex County, Mass., 13, 25, 57, 59, 159. Miles, Hezekiah, 10I.
Miller, Rev. John, 26, 72; sketch of, 73-74. , John, Jr., 74. , Lydia, 74. , Susannah, 74. Milwaukee, Wis., 126.
Monaco, John, 95.
Monadnock, N. H., 49.
Montreal, 37, 47, 51, 103, 104, 108.
Moore, Capt. Jacob, 35.
Moors, Benjamin, 147.
, name of, 18.
Morse, Capt. Edmund, 140, 141. , John, 30, 79, 88, 89, 94, 95. , Sally (Wesson), 140. Moseley, Capt. Samuel, 24. Myrick, John, 43.
Nashaway. See Lancaster, Mass. Nashua, N. H., 61, 130, 133, 153; meaning of word, 21.
Nashua River, 21, 49, 112, 131, 133, 167, 168. Nashville, Tenn., 142.
Nassacombêwit, 99.
Nerigawag. See Norridgewock.
"New and Further Narration of the State of New England," 32.
New England, early ignorance con- cerning, 126, 127.
New England Historic Genealogical Society, the, 100, 104, 12I.
"New England Historical and Gene- alogical Register," 46; quoted, 15, 19.
New Hampshire, 50, 60, 61, 127, 128, 129, 130.
New Ipswich, N. H., 130.
New London, Conn., 49.
New Orleans, battle of, 153.
New York (state), 110. Newbury, Mass., 73, 169. Newichewanick. See Berwick, Me.
"News from New England," 32.
Newton, Mass., 43; Homer's "History of," 43. Nicholson, Capt. Francis, 34. Nonacoicus, 35. Norfolk County, Mass., 25.
Norridgewock, 99, 100, 102. Northfield, Mass., 150. Norwalk, Ohio, 142.
Notre Dame (Montreal), the Con- gregation of, 37, 103, 104, 108.
Nova Scotia, 51, 106. Noyes, Capt. Oliver, 45. Thomas, 21. Nutting, John, 30, 74, 76, 87, 92, 93, 95, 135, 136. name of, 18. . "Widow," 93.
Old South Church, Boston, 29. Oliver, Mary (Wilson), 106. Hon. Thomas, 106. Oyster River. See Durham, N. H.
Page, John, 22. Paige, John, 35, 87, 91.
Paine, Robert Treat, 27.
Palfrey, John G., his "History of New England," 123. Parish, Robert, 22.
Parker, Jacob Lakin, 146.
James, 23, 24, 35, 74, 77, 78, 87,
88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 135, 136. , James, Jr., 40, 99, 100, 112; his family, 98.
Serg. James, 27.
John Warren, 158. A
Joseph, 21, 89.
Josiah, 40, 99.
name of, 18, 50.
Obadiah, 155. Phinehas, 40.
Parkman, Francis, 96.
Partridge, Samuel, 54.
Pascaud, Etienne, 108.
Patch, Zara, 157.
Paugus, 50. Peabody Normal College, 142.
Pemberton, Dr. Ebenezer, 29.
Pemigewasset River, 128. Penacook. See Concord, N. H.
Penhallow, Samuel, his "History of the Wars of New-England," 41, 42, 43, 49. Penobscot, 104.
Penobscot Indians, the, 97.
Pepperell, Mass., 49, 106, 130, 131, 132, 133, 148, 154, 167, 168.
Pepperrell, Sir William, 131.
Pequawket, 50, 113. Pescadoué. See Piscataqua.
Petapawage, former name of Groton, 17, 164, 168. Petaupauket, 15, 168. Philip's War, 25, 26, 29-33, 70, 92, 93.
. . ...
180
Pigwacket. See Pequawket. Pike, Rev. John, his Journal, 42, 44, 97. Piscataqua, 36, 96.
Pitcairn, Maj. John, 58.
Pleasant Street (Groton), 60.
Plymouth Colony, 74; list of first established towns in, 169. Pontchartrain, Minister, 96.
Pope, the, III.
Pound (Groton), the, 71.
Powder House Road, 147.
Pratt, John, 35. Prescott, Abigail (Oliver), 105, 106. -, Benjamin, 104, 105, 106.
John, 105.
-, Jonas, 35, 105, 106. -, Mary (Platts), 105. , name of, 18, 50.
-, Oliver, 53, 57. William, 106.
Col. William, 54, 55, 105, 106
Mrs. William, 106. William Hickling, 106.
Prince Collection, the, 94. "Province Gally," the, 38, 100.
Quaboag (Brookfield), 24. Quebec, 38, 45. Queen Anne's War, 47, 48, 109.
Rawson, Edward, 18, 25, 121, 122. Read, John, 16.
Records of Massachusetts, quoted, 23.
Remington, Jonathan, 35.
Revere and Son, 158.
Revolution, the American, Groton in, 54-58. Richardson, Jephthah, 60. Ridgway, James, 157.
Ripley, Rev. Silvanus, III.
Rochester, N. Y., 126. '
Rockwood, Mrs. Sarah Chaplin, 143. Rogers, Rev. Ezekiel, 73. -, William, 47.
Rome, III. Ross, Charley, 38. , Christian K., 38. Rouse, Alexander, 38, roo; his family, 98. "Tamasin," 38, 100.
Rowley, Mass., 73, 169. Roxbury, Mass., 19, 72, 73, 76, 123, 145, 169.
St. Edmund, 20. St. Francis Indians, 51. St. Lawrence River, 109, 110. St. Madeleine, Sister. See Longley, Lydia.
St. Regis, 47, 109, 110, III, 112. St. Regis Indians, the, IIO. Salem, Mass., 46, 54, 169. Salisbury, Mass., 128, 169. Saltonstall, Gurdon,
Governor of Conn., 49. Sandusky, Ohio, 143. Sawtell, Joseph, 146. -, name of, 18. -, Richard, 74. Seager, Ebenezer, 43. -, Henry, Jr., 43. Sewall, Judge Samuel, his Diary, 97, 99, 145. Shattuck, Elizabeth, 113. John, 48, 112. , Mrs. John, 113. John, Jr., 48, 112. name of, 18. , Ruth, 113. Shays's Rebellion, 59. Shea's edition of "History of New France," 36, 96. Shepley, Hon. Ether, 48, 99.
, Gen. George F., 48, 99. , John, 48; his family, 98. -, John, Jr., 48, 99, 100, 102. -, name of, 50.
Samuel, 15. Shepley family, the, 99. Sherman, Abigail. See Willard, Mrs. Samuel. , Rev. John, 27, 76. Shirley, Mass., 132, 133, 167, 168. , Gov. William, 132. Shrimpton, Col. Samuel, 97.
Smith, John, 74. Thomas, 89. Squannacook, 112, 146, 168. Stage-coach lines of Groton, 59-61. Stamp Act, the, 52.
State Archives, 121; quoted, 21, 24, 25; cited, 22, 30, 35, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 48, 49, 58, 94, 97, 100, 101, 102. Stoddard, Capt. John, 45; his "Jour- nal," 46. Stone, Benjamin, 155.
, Deacon, 155.
-, name of, 18. -, Simon, 39, 40. Stony Fordway, the, 112. Stoughton, Gov. William, 41, 101.
Stow, Mass., 57. Sudbury, England, 138. Mass., 31, 42, 105, 169.
"Summary, Historical and Political," Douglass's, 150. Swan, R. F., 139. Syracuse, 126.
18I
Tanguay, l'Abbé Cyprien, his "Dic- tionnaire Généalogique," 37. Tarbell, Battice, 110.
, Eleazer, III. Elizabeth (Wood), 107, 108.
, John, 44, 45, 107, 108, 109, 110, III, 113. Lesor, IIO, III. Loran, IIO. , Louis, IIO. Mitchell, IIO. , name of, 18, 47.
Peter, IIO.
Capt. Samuel, 155.
Sarah, 44, 45, 107, 108, 113.
- Thomas, 45, 50, 89.
Thomas (Indian), IIO.
Thomas, Jr., 22, 45, 46, 47, 74, 88, 107, 108, 110, 168.
Zechariah, 44, 45, 107, 108, 109, IIO, III, 113.
Taverns in Groton, 60.
Taxous, 36, 96, 97, 98.
Taylor, Col. William, 44. , Lieut. Joseph, III.
Telegraph, the, influence of, 153.
Telegraph and Despatch Line, the, 61. Telephone, 153.
Temperance, advance of, 150-151.
Temple, N. H., 55.
Thacher, Rev. Thomas, 29.
Thames River, Conn., 140.
Tinker, John, 18.
Tiverton, R. I., 46. Tohaunto, Indian chief, 22.
Torakaron, Joseph, III.
Torrey, William, 18, 121.
Town incorporation, 14, 120, 121.
Towns, Massachusetts, list of first established, 169.
Townsend, Mass., 130, 131.
Trimountaine, 14. Trowbridge, Rev. Caleb, 156.
"True Account of the most Consider- able Occurrences," etc., 31. Tyng, Edward, 27. Eunice, 27.
Union and Accommodation Line, the, 60.
"Useful Instructions," Willard's, 27, 81-83.
Usher, Hezekiah, 35.
Vermont, 60, 61. Villieu, 97. Virginia, 73.
| Wade, Maj. Nathaniel, 35. Waldron, Richard, 22. Waltham, Mass., 15. Ward, Gen. Artemas, 107. Warumbee, IOI.
Watertown, Mass., 14, 27, 76, 132, 169.
Waubansconcett, 15.
Webster, Rev. Samuel, 55.
Wells, Thomas, 46.
Wells River, Vt., 141.
Wenham, Mass., 46.
West Groton. See Squannacook.
Westford, Mass., 122, 133, 167, 163.
Weston Hall, England, 92.
Wheatsborough. See Groton, Ohio.
Wheelock, Eleazer, his "Continuation of the Narrative of the Indian Char- ity School," III. Wheelock's, I. & S., 60.
White, Corporal, 35. Whitney, Joshua, 79. Wilder, Lieut., 41.
Willard, Col. Josiah, 51.
Miriam, 51.
, Moses, 51.
, Rev. Samuel, 31, 51, 70, 92; sketch of life, 26-29; his pastorate in Groton, 74-91; his "Useful In- structions," 27, 81-83. Mrs. Samuel, 27, 76, 80. Sarah, 97.
Major Simon, 24, 25, 26, 32, 90. William and Mary, charters of, 123, 123. Williams, John, 45.
Winnepesauke River, 128.
Winthrop, Mass., 137.
-, Deane, 17, 19, 137, 164.
-, Gov. Fitz-John, 137, 140. -, Gov. John, 19, 137, 139, 164. Robert C., 139; letter from, 137. Witchcraft in Groton, 28.
Witt, John, 15, 18.
Woburn, Mass., 73.
"Wonder-Working Providence," John- son's, 15, 73. Woods, Eber, 92.
-, Lieut. Isaac, 155.
-, Lieut. John, 155. Samuel, 74, 78. Woolley, Charles, 15, 121.
Worcester, Mass., 61. Wright, Elizur, 151.
Yarmouth, Mass., 72, 74, 169.
READY OCTOBER 1st, 1908
THREE HISTORICAL ADDRESSES AT
GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS
*BY SAMUEL ABBOTT GREEN
With an Appendix
GROTON: 1908
Octavo, cloth binding, 181 pages
Edition, 250 copies Price, $2.50
Sent postpaid upon receipt of price
ADDRESS GEORGE E. LITTLEFIELD 67 CORNHILL BOSTON, MASS.
.
£
1
THREE HISTORICAL ADDRESSES.
T HE three addresses contained in this volume were deliv- ered on as many different occasions and were originally published in pamphlet form in small editions. They have long been out of print, but as there appears to be a steady demand for them it has been thought advisable to reprint them in book form with continuous pagination and to add an appendix and a general index. The edition is limited to two hundred and fifty copies and the publication price is less than the cost of printing.
Rich in its history and fortunate in its historians may well be said of Groton, an ideal colonial New England town. In 1848 Caleb Butler published his " History of Groton," an excellent example of what a town history should be. Although at the time considered to be complete the subject was by no means exhausted, as is shown by the later publi- cations of Dr. Samuel A. Green, viz., "Boundary Lines of Groton," "Early Records of Groton," "Groton Epitaphs," "Groton during the Indian Wars," "Groton during the Revo- lution," several historical addresses, and his magnum opus, " Groton Historical Series," in four stout octavo volumes, a treasury of information for the present inquirer, a veritable mine for the future historian, and a monument to the untiring activity of the compiler in his search for every scrap of infor- mation relating to the history of his native town.
According to Holy Writ the allotted life of man is three score years and ten, which period of time is divided by Shake- speare into " Seven Ages " or decades. In a similar manner the history of towns is reckoned by decades, and on the pass- ing of the decennial year, or a multiple of the decennial, it is customary to interrupt our daily pursuits, assemble in some public place, review the past events and, taught by experience, make plans for a better future. The first of these "Three
£
€
Historical Addresses" was delivered in 1876 at the bi- centennial and centennial celebration; the second in 1880 at the dedication of three monuments erected for the purpose of keeping green the memory of three important events in the history of the town ; and the third in 1905 on the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the settlement of the town. The addresses do not overlap, and necessarily there was no attempt at continuity, but the speaker had such a wealth of material and has so deftly interwoven his facts that apparently there. are no breaks and the three addresses read like a romance in three chapters.
Avoiding glittering generalities, oratorical pyrotechnics, and tedious statistical tables, but adopting a conversational style, and using plain and simple language easily understood by the youngest auditor, the speaker so interested his audiences that although each address occupied, over an hour in delivery no diminution of the audiences was visible. In reading these addresses not only do we learn how the dispute concerning the northern boundary line of the Massachusetts Colony was settled and how that decision affected Groton, what privations were endured during the early years of the settlement, how by bitter experiences gained in "King Philip's" and the "French and Indian " Wars the colonists were taught a mili- tary discipline which enabled them a few years later to cope successfully with the best disciplined troops of Europe and secure independence of the mother country, but also what were the conditions of life and what were the means of enjoyment in a frontier town subject to frequent attacks by the Indians.
When the town was incorporated it was estimated that it contained land enough to furnish subsistence by husbandry to sixty families. To-day there are nearly ten thousand persons in the territory of the original Groton plantation, living mainly by the products of the land. It still retains the aroma of a dignified, quiet, peaceful New England town, and is much sought for by those who wish to avoid the hustle and bustle
of the city. On the town seal are the words "Faith " and " Labor," between which are representations of the Holy Bible and a plough. "The Bible represents the faith of the early settlers who went into the wilderness and suffered innumerable privations in their daily life as well as en- countered many dangers from savage foes. The plough is significant of the general occupation of the inhabitants. By it the early settlers broke up the land and earned their liveli- hood ; and ever since in the tillage of the soil it has been an invaluable help to their successors."
This volume is worthy of being read not only because the information therein contained is extremely valuable historically, but also because it is illustrative of an old town that was typical of life among plain folk in the early days of New England and one that has left an honorable record during the various periods of its existence. That it has been and still is a desirable town in which to live is shown by the fact that among the distinguished men who have made their homes here are two Governors of the Commonwealth, one United States Senator, four other members of Congress, a delegate to the Continental Congress, two members of the President's cab- inet, an assistant Secretary of State, various Justices and Chief Justices of the different Courts, three speakers of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, an Attorney General of the Commonwealth, a President of the State Senate, and three members of the Executive Council.
The volume is not offered as a " history," yet it so abounds with historical information and the manner in which the facts are presented is so charming that it is much more worthy of that designation than many more pretentious volumes.
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