USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Pembroke > Town of Pembroke, 250th anniversary, 1712 to 1962 : an illustrated historical account of the town of Pembroke, incorporated in 1712, and its West Parish, since 1820 a part of the town of Hanson > Part 3
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For the next forty years the townspeople struggled with their problem. Several schemes were tried, with varying degrees of success. In 1715 they voted to build three schoolhouses, in 1716 to try a "moving" school, whereby the teacher traveled from one section of the town to another, staying in each part sev- eral months at a time, and in 1717 to "keep" three schools in three separate sections of the town. The moving school appar- ently proved the most successful, however, and a typical vote for its continuance occurs in the 1734 town records: "the school should be kept in three parts of the town, in the middle and at each end, and every part to find their own schoolhouse and each part to have the school kept in it, according to the number of families that live nearest to each schoolhouse, so the time is to be proportioned." This traveling school continued until after the middle of the century, for it was 1753 before a committee was finally formed to recommend actual sites for the school buildings which had been voted so many years before: one in the center, one in North Pembroke, one in East Pembroke, and two, to be used in alternate years, in what is now Hanson.
Thus began in Pembroke the district school system, called by some the "low-water mark in New England education," because some districts made up of well-to-do people provided a fairly good education, while others of poorer inhabitants were hard put to support their schools at all. The failure to build earlier may have been due to lack of funds, for in 1736 Pembroke petitioned the General Court to buy some unappropriated land in the Prov- ince upon which to maintain a "school farm," proceeds from which were to be used for education. It is therefore a strange but historically accurate fact that Pembroke once owned a part of the present town of Northfield, since the land bought for this purpose was far away on the Connecticut River, and in 1778 became a part of that town after Pembroke sold it in 1768.
The first schools were primitive affairs, scarcely more than wind-breaks against the winter storms. That they may not even have had floors is evidenced by the fact that in 1846, when the
SCHOOLS IN PEMBROKE Cont.
town was debating the advisability of replacing the Bryantville school, one old citizen, born in the previous century, objected to a new building on the grounds that the one in use was good enough, as it now had a floor, which it did not have when he was a pupil in it. They were heated by fireplaces and furnished with desks accommodating several pupils at one time. The education was oriented with religion.
By 1858 Pembroke had eight districts, each with its own one- room schoolhouse: Cedar Swamp (West Elm Street), Center, Bryantville, Crookertown (Oakland Square), High Street, East Pembroke, North Pembroke, and Two Mile. Several of the schools built in the nineteenth century are still in existence in very nearly their original condition; for example, the Bry- antville school, now moved to Center Pembroke, is the present home of the Historical Society. Several others have been re- modeled into homes and are now occupied as dwelling-places. Massachusetts abolished the district system in 1869, and al- though it later rescinded this action, Pembroke did not reinstate its district schools, keeping them instead under the jurisdiction of the town. The state finally and completely did away with the district system in 1882.
Meanwhile, of course, there had been considerable agitation for a high school. For several years in its annual reports, the school committee had called attention to the fact that the one- room schools were not properly educating the older pupils. In an impassioned appeal to the townspeople in 1868 the committee urged the voters to consider using the Town Hall as a High School, to stop sending their children to the Academy at Han- over, and in terms probably inspired by Lincoln, to reap "the benefit of such a school ... a glorious democratic institution emanating from the people, supported by the people, and for the benefit of the whole people." In 1869 their appeal was heeded and the next report reads, "The town in its munificence appro- priated two hundred dollars for a term of High School to be kept at the Town Hall." Here then went all the high school students until 1906 when a school was built for them, largely through the generosity of the son of George Francis Hatch, who contributed a great sum of money toward its construction in memory of his father, for whom the school was named.
Education of the younger students continued in the small one- room buildings until 1924, when the new Central School was fin- ished and the first eight grades housed there. With the advent of the nineteen-thirties, however, the growing population of Pembroke demanded more building, and a new modern high school was erected in 1934, with large classrooms and an audi-
SCHOOLS IN PEMBROKE Cont.
torium big enough to accommodate town meetings. This new building released the Hatch School for a grammar school, with the Central School housing the primary grades. Within a few years even these buildings were not enough to take care of the increasing number of pupils, and at a special town meeting in June, 1948, an addition to the high school, providing for six extra classrooms, was voted.
The relief which the town felt over its now seemingly capa- cious and fully adequate school system was soon dispelled by the "population explosion" following World War II. Scarcely three years later, with reluctance by many, but with a sense of prog- ress by others, Pembroke voted in 1951 to start proceedings toward combining with the towns of Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton to build a regional high school. In the fall of 1955 this new school was ready for occupancy, and grades seven through twelve from all four towns were moved into it. The now "old" Pembroke High School and the Hatch School took care of the first six grades, and the Central School was abandoned as a school building.
At this writing an addition is being constructed at the Silver Lake Regional School, and new land has been bought by the town for possible additional primary schools.
Madelon Burbeck Baltzer, November, 1961
(References: Excerpts of the Early School History of Pembroke, as taken from the 1881 Town Report; The Bryantville School Under the District System, W. W. Bryant; Pembroke Town Reports, 1855-1870; 1948-1957; Interviews with Pembroke residents)
Location of Nineteenth Century One-Room Schools
District No. 1 Cedar Swamp (West Elm Street)-Still in exist- ence. O'Malley home.
District No. II Crooker town-Still in existence, corner Plain and Valley Streets.
District No. III. Two Mile-Moved several times. Now the home of Warren Turner, Schoosett Street.
District No. IV High Street-Remodeled by Albert Colley after 1924 and now the home of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Holt.
District No. V. Present home of Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Ash, Centre Street. (May be a later date.)
District No. VI. Bryantville-First building moved to Center, now the Pembroke Historical Society. Date known to be 1847.
District No. VII. East Pembroke-now the East Pembroke Com- munity Club.
District No. VIII. North Pembroke-Home of Mr. Forrest Saunders.
(Editor's Note: Others are said to be in existence but location unknown)
OLD HOUSES OF PEMBROKE
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LUTHER BRIGGS HOME, cir. 1700, Brick Kiln Lane David Oksanen, present owner
JUDGE WHITMAN HOMESTEAD, cir. 1700, Center Street Robert Coughlin, present owner
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OLD CLARY HOMESTEAD, 1685, Barker Street Miss Adah Hall, present owner
HOUSE BUILT BY NATHANIEL LORING, 1702, High Street Francis S. Doody, present owner
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FOR SALE AEITH & WHITE
HOUSE BUILT BY THOMAS SAMPSON, 1777, Forest Street Roy Andresen, present owner
COLLAMORE ESTATE, 1711, Washington Street Clifford Handy, present owner
HOUSE BUILT BY JAMES FORD, 1782, Taylor Street George Stoll, present owner
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HOUSE BUILT BY THOMAS LORING, 1702, High Street Karl Sayles, present owner
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JOHN MAGOUN HOMESTEAD, 1666, Water Street Mr. and Mrs. Frank Horne, present owner
ISAAC HATCH HOMESTEAD, 1719, Elm Street Harold C. Miller, Sr., present owner
HOUSE BUILT BY RECOMPENSE MAGOUN, 1739, Elm Street Henry Lee, present owner
HOUSE BUILT BY BENJAMIN KEENE, cir. 1703, Pleasant St. Michael Cody, Jr., present owner
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KING'S HIGHWAY INN, cir. 1700, Washington Street
HOUSE BUILT BY CAPT. JOB TURNER, 1730, Washington St. Mrs. Gust Westerling, present owner
SOME EARLY HOUSES NOT PICTURED Amy Loring Ludlow
CENTRE STREET The old Burton Homestead, 1730 J. Ralph Cross MATTAKEESETT STREET House built by Nathaniel Perry, 1747 John Sullivan House built by Henry Josselyn, 1700 Perry Broad
OLDHAM STREET House built by James Bishop, 1704 John Witte WEST ELM STREET House built by W. Oldham, cir. 1790 Lauchlin Gillis House built by Henry Josselyn, 1708 Francis Burke
BARKER STREET The Peter Salmond house, cir. 1700 R. E. Clemonds The Squire Keen Mansion, 1745 Mrs. Frank Macdonald House built by Ichabod Loring, 1770 Reginald Brown
LITTLE'S AVENUE House built by Isaac Little, 1788 (on site of old Isaac Little home) Robert Gillette
HIGH STREET The William A. Key house Philip Brooks, tenant House standing in 1768 Mason B. Cook House built by Comfort Bates, cir. 1783 Theodore A. Burbank Gambrel roof house built by Recompense Magoun, 1719 John S. Cloud Kitchen and loft only, middle 1600's Arthur Melanson STANDISH STREET House occupied 1711-12 Mrs. Harry Barnes
WASHINGTON STREET House built by Thatcher Magoun, 1695 Route 3, Opposite Brick Kiln Lane Thatcher Magoun home, 1738 W. L. Horton, Sr. BRICK KILN LANE The Alden Briggs home, 1700 Capt. Theodore Macy
WATER STREET House built by Josiah Holmes, cir. 1695 Miss Mary Lee House built by Capt. Seth Hatch, 1750 Robert Hall
PLYMOUTH STREET Home of Barzella Bryant, late 1700's Mrs. George Bailey
HANSON, OLD WEST PARISH
Antone H. Slaney
The West Parish of Pembroke, now Hanson, was incorporated in 1746. In that year a meeting house was built and two years later Rev. Gad Hitchcock was called to minister to the people.
Previous to 1746 some effort had been made to have the westerly portion of the town set off as a separate township, but the effort was not successful. Even after the incorporation of the West Parish, it was not an ideal community, for besides Pembroke there were portions of four other towns within its boundaries. These towns were Hanover, Abington, Bridgewater and Halifax. In 1754 the citizens petitioned to the General Court, praying that those portions belonging to the other towns be made a part of Pembroke. The towns interested, having given their consent, then became Pembroke territory.
The old question of a separate township was agitated from time to time and on May 3rd, 1819, it was voted "almost unani- mously" that the town consent to a division and a committee of three from each parish was appointed to settle the terms of separation.
On May 26th, 1819, a petition was presented to the General Court by the parish agent, Thomas Hobart, praying that a new town might be formed from the West Parish of Pembroke. There was considerable delay and it was not until February 22nd, 1820, that the petition was granted. The name given to the new town was that of Hanson, named in honor of Alexander Conte Han- son, the so-called father of a free press.
A. C. Hanson was the editor of the Federal Republican, a paper published in Baltimore in 1812. In June of that year he printed an article criticizing the Federal Administration and, as a result, a mob attacked the office of the paper and destroyed the presses. For a short time thereafter the paper was printed in Georgetown, but Hanson soon decided that the freedom of the press had to be defended. He moved back to Baltimore and opened a new office on July 26th, 1812. On that same evening the famous Baltimore riot commenced. Hanson's home and of- fice, which were both in one building, were attacked, and de- fended by him, with the aid of General Henry Lee (father of Robert E. Lee), General Lingan and a number of other friends and supporters. On the 27th, civil authorities placed this entire party in jail for security and the mob seemed to die out. But when the authorities left the jail, the mob reassembled, stormed the building, killing General Lingan and crippling General Lee for life, and throwing a number of others, including Hanson, down the stone steps of the jail where they were left for dead. Later in the day Hanson was revived and smuggled out of the city concealed in a hay cart. Within a month tempers had cooled and public sentiment changed, a new city government was chosen in Baltimore. Hanson was selected as a Representa- tive to Congress and in 1816 was elected United States Senator. He remained in that office three years until his death in 1819, at the early age of thirty-three.
Hanson has always been both an industrial and agricultural town.
OLD WEST PARISH, Cont.
The oldest mill in Hanson was on Wampatuck Pond, near Town Hall Corner. The dam was built in 1694-5 by Col. Nathaniel Thomas of Marshfield who had purchased a large tract of land in the vicinity from the Indians. Col. Thomas erected a mill here for his son Isaac, and a blockhouse was built on the easterly slope beyond the mill. The mill remained in the Thomas family descending from father to son until 1737, when a grist mill was erected and run by Deacon David Beal. In 1829 Benjamin Hobart of Abington bought the mill, and ma- chinery for cutting tacks was installed. It burned down in 1835 but was rebuilt and used as a tack factory until 1848. In 1720 the town of Scituate granted to Capt. Joseph Barstow and Benj. Stetson, two acres of land between Pine Hill and Rocky Run for the erection of a forge and finery. Before constructing works, Mr. Barstow conveyed to Thomas Bardin one half of his share and Mr. Stetson conveyed one half of his share to Nehemiah Cushing and these four persons constructed the works before 1725.
Thomas Bardin was doubtless an excellent workman, coming here in 1716 from Wales at the age of twenty-eight. In speaking of his death in 1774, the Boston Post says that he was the first to make bar iron in New England. This mill site was continu- ously used until 1922 as a nail and tack works, owned and oper- ated by E. Phillips & Son. About the time that the iron works was constructed, a corn grist mill was erected nearby by Isaac Buck. Hatch's Mill, better known at this time as the Industrial Machine Co., was originally built in 1716. It was de- stroyed by fire in 1852 and again rebuilt, later being used as a nail and tack works until 1924.
About the year 1814, Col. Luther Howland owned and oper- ated a tack factory on the Indian Head River at the point where it crosses Winter Street. The old gambrel roof house, still located on this property, was originally used as a boarding house for the tack workers. At the junction of Indian Head River and Rocky Run Brook, Col. Jesse Reed erected a grist mill in 1812 at the foot of a steep ledge on the Hanson side of the stream. This mill was not in service too long, as history mentions that Reed constructed a mill further up the stream on Indian Head River, where he manufactured tacks and nails from iron rods, a new method at the time. Col. Reed had previously invented the first machines for these products and was issued a patent protecting his invention in 1802.
The iron, which nature appeared to have manufactured in the streams and ponds of Plymouth County, was found in vary- ing sizes but in ever diminishing quantities. The large ponds - Assawampsett in Middleboro, Monponsett in Hanson, and Samp- son's in Carver, furnished the larger supply. The first use of this ore was made about 1740, and for a long time six hundred tons per year were raised from the botton of Assawampsett Pond. This had dwindled to three hundred tons per year in 1804. The other two ponds at the last named date furnished about one hun- dred tons each per year.
OLD WEST PARISH Cont.
This ore was found in the shallow waters near the shore, in small nodules about the size of peas. As the water became deeper, from two to six feet, the size of ore grew large as a fig. Out of the lower depths were drawn huge cakes of a dirty black ore whose adhesive power was so slight that it crumbled to pieces easily. The smaller nodular yielded from twenty to thirty per cent iron. The larger blacker ore of the depths was princi- pally valuable for smeltering with the better iron. These ores brought about six dollars per ton delivered at the furnace in 1804. From Silver Lake about three thousand tons of iron ore were taken and from some of this, cannon balls were made which were used in the American Revolution.
There were several sawmills in operation in various locations about Hanson from its earliest days until the early 1900's, name- ly, Cushing Wilders Mill, first known as Moore's Mill at No. Han- son, Cushing's Mill at Winter Street, John Foster's Mill at So. Hanson, formerly known as Barney Eversons Steam Mill, located at the present site of the lumber company of the same name. Other smaller mills stood wherever there was a fall of water on any of Hanson's streams that would turn a water wheel.
About 1833, Joseph White established a tannery on a piece of land some distance east of the present railroad crossing on Washington Street. His eldest son, born in 1832 and named for his father, was taught the tannery trade. However, this second Joseph White disliked his father's business, and when he was twenty-one years of age he decided to enter the horse and car- riage business.
Accordingly, in 1853, he took his savings of $90.00 and started for Brighton, Mass., where he purchased his first team of horses. Returning to Hanson, he set up shop in his little shed on Washington Street. The phenomenal growth of the business was due to the personality of the man.
The business of Joseph White advanced from the tiny be- ginning until it had grown into a plant having 30,000 square feet of space. The buildings were located on both sides of Wash- ington Street. It is difficult to imagine the elegance of this well kept establishment to which people came from all over the state to buy and sell. There is nothing left today except the now badly neglected office building.
Mr. Edward Y. Perry was born in what is now Hanson on Nov. 4, 1812. His mother died when he was seven weeks of age and his father died when the boy was two. He was raised by his grandparents Seth and Hannah Perry at the family home at the corner of Brook and State Streets. Seth Perry was a farmer and as a boy young Edward helped about the farm. Later he went into business for himself as a country merchant and pros- pered for several years. E. Y. Perry had many interests. He was the first president of the Hanover Branch Railroad, which was built and graded by Joseph Smith of Hanson and completed in 1868.
OLD WEST PARISH Cont.
Mr. Perry was Justice of the Peace for a number of years, and a member of the State Legislature in 1867. Mr. Perry worked hard as a boy, and died at the turn of the present cen- tury leaving the fruits of his labors to his fellow townspeople.
Mr. A. C. Burrage, an industrialist, interested in the town's potentials, came to Hanson around the turn of the present century, He built what was then considered an industrial em- pire, known to our present day citizens as Burrage. Mr. Burrage constructed a Post Office, Railroad Station, and a three story hotel entirely of cement blocks. He installed a vast water sys- tem consisting of a standpipe, pumping station, and hydrants which were later incorporated into the town's system. There were approximately fifty homes built for the employees of the three new industries that he introduced to Hanson, namely the Wirt Manufacturing Co., makers of porcelain products for elec- tric systems, the White Manufacturing Co., makers of tinfoil, and the present day Wheeler Reflector Co. During the first World War, the Wirt Co. was sold to a fabric dye manufacturer, who, due to the European dye shortage because of the war abroad, found a ready market for dyestuffs in this country. The Wheeler Reflector Co. manufactured brass casings for artillery shells during the war, transporting this product over the road to Worcester every day by truck to be further processed.
Mr. Burrage was also interested in growing cranberries, and he built some of the largest cranberry plantations in this area. Mr. Burrage's cranberry interests were later acquired by the United Cape Cod Cranberry Co.
The cranberry's colorful background is as much a part of American history as Plymouth Rock, and the development of this wild growing berry into a flourishing industry is a result of the interest of an enterprising grower in Hanson, Mr. Marcus L. Urann. In 1912 Mr. Urann began experimenting with cranberry canning and his company, the United Cape Cod Cranberry Com- pany, organized originally for growing berries, turned its efforts and large sums of money to the processing of this fruit. United States cranberry crops for the past five years have averaged over a million barrels a year and seventy per cent of this total is received and processed in Hanson.
Antone H. Slaney
OLD HOUSES OF HANSON Bertha H. Baresel
A drive through Hanson will reward a lover of old houses, for there are many tucked under lofty trees, or surrounded by shrubs and gardens, a little off the road, their well-cared-for con- dition indicating the love and interest of their owners.
This article will deal briefly with some of the houses built and occupied when this area was the West Parish of Pembroke, be- fore 1820. Men and women of stern, sturdy, industrious char- acteristics, cleared a way through the wilderness, erected homes, bred large families and founded industries that have prospered through generations.
Very few descendants of the early settlers are living here now, so the following stories are culled from articles written by Miss Evie Drew, papers written by Mr. Henry W. Litchfield, Miss Susan Smith Memorial, and old Parish records.
Perhaps it will be well to start where it all began, at the site of the "Col. Thomas Old Saw Mill" on Indian Head Brook where it flows under the road, near Hanson Town Hall. This dam and mill were erected about 1694 or 5 by Nathaniel Thomas, the first real estate promoter in this territory.
The mill was built for his son Isaac, who married in 1711 Ann Thompson and proceeded to build on the hill overlooking the mill, a log house, called the Block House by his descendants for generations. All that may be seen today of this first home in the wilderness are old apple trees blossoming each spring, a testi- mony to the fine farm once there.
Ruth Thomas, a daughter of this home married Josiah Cush- ing, Esq. and their son Captain Josiah married Sarah Hall, daughter of Dr. Jeremiah Hall of Pembroke. Capt. Josiah Cushing built on the top of the hill, the house still standing, a pretentious dwelling in its day, and recently restored by Mr. William Alison. Here the family of Capt. Josiah lived in comfort, served by slaves as were most of the first families. Sarah lived to be 97 years old and told many interesting stories of the old block house, and family traditions. She died in 1861.
Soon after this the house was taken over by the town for an alms house until about the turn of the century when a new place was erected for the town poor, and the old Cushing place was bought by the Kings Daughters and sons as an annex to their vacation home, Gordon Rest.
The house known as Gordon Rest (No. 35) was built for Rev. George Barstow when he came to the West Parish as colleague of Rev. Gad Hitchcock in 1802. It was a fine old colonial resi- dence and has been well kept up, though some of the old features have been eliminated. The "thunder room" which was built be- cause of Mrs. Barstow's fear, is still shown to visitors. This is a dark room in the center of the house where not a ray of light enters. The Rev. Barstow preached to the West Parish people until his death in 1826.
OLD HOUSES OF HANSON Cont.
Not far from Gordon Rest, at 149 Maquan Street, stands the stately old home of Capt. Joseph Smith, (No. 36) third son of Rev. Thomas Smith, second minister of the Pembroke Meeting House. Capt. Joseph spent much of his time as a boy in the fam- ily shipyard and went to sea at an early age, advancing rapidly to become master of the ship Old Colony, built in a Pembroke yard. During the Revolutionary War in 1776, he sailed as second officer on the Republic, in use as a privateer, under the Pine Tree flag of Massachusetts. They soon met up with the British transport Julius Caesar, loaded with a valuable cargo. Though the Julius Ceasar was larger and carried more guns than the Re- public, she was so heavily loaded, it slowed her; and the attack being a surprise, she surrendered to the Republic whose captain took all officers and men on board as prisoners. He then put second lieutenant Joseph Smith and fourteen sailors aboard the Caesar, with instructions to run her into Boston if possible, if not to run her ashore and set fire to her. A British frigate gave chase and though larger and faster, was unable to capture it be- cause Lieut. Smith's knowledge of Boston Harbor and its rocky islands and shallow channels made it possible for him to take the Caesar in through waters the larger vessel could not navigate, and so brought his charge safely into port, making her fast at Rowe's Wharf.
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