USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Waltham > Waltham as a precinct of Watertown and as a town, 1630-1884 > Part 8
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The northwesterly settlement in the fertile fields and meadows west of the Great Pond in the Woods acquired the name of Pond End. This pond was later called Samuel's, Sherman's, Fiske's, Mead's and Hardy's Pond from the names of the owners of adjoining or nearby land. By the first of these names Samuel, son of Sir Richard Saltonstall, is meant. Many deeds refer to him as Mr. Samuel without any mention of his surname. The in- habitants of this section were so persistent in their efforts to have a schoolhouse near them that when one was finally built at the "Foot of the Hills" it was called the Pond End Schoolhouse although not in that district.
Why and by whom the uncomplimentary name of Sodom was given to the district traversed by the westerly part of Winter Street is unknown but it was so termed for many years. Efforts of some of the inhabitants, who resented its use, to have it
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LOCAL NAMES
changed were successful enough to persuade the publisher of a map in 1866 to name the vicinity Prospectville.
Samuel Hosier was granted a 35 acre lot in the Great Dividends and at its east boundary one of the old cattle trails branched. One part followed the course of Chester Brook towards the Great Pond meadows and the other went up the valley between Pros- pect and Jericho Hills. The separation of these trails, now the junction of Lexington and Lincoln Streets was known as Hosier's Corner as late as 1733 although Mr. Hosier never lived there and had died nearly seventy years before that time. The immediate vicinity of this corner was inhabited mainly by the Sanderson and Livermore families. Members of these families held the office of deacon continuously from 1703 to 1819. These men and their relatives were very influential in town as well as church affairs and for a long period filled more than their share of public offices. Someone of unknown name and intent called their settle- ment Piety Corner and it is known by that name today. The large tract of level land traversed by the Great Road, where the training bands found ample room for their maneuvers, where Cornwallis Day was celebrated and where there were many taverns but few dwellings was known to outsiders as Waltham Plain but to townsmen simply as The Plain.
The most thickly settled part was at one time where the Great Road crosses Beaver Brook. Here was the store and here was the famous Massasoit House, burned in 1849. This part of the town is even now called by some Massasoit.
As far as known the settlement in the vicinity of Banks Square never had a distinctive name but it was referred to frequently as the Head of the Great Plaine.
After the Boston Manufacturing Company bought the Wal- tham Cotton and Woolen Factory and built a bleachery there the adjacent territory where many of the workmen lived was and is still called the Bleachery. This establishment was often called the Lower Factory and residents of other parts often called the dis- trict the Lower Place.
The district in the east part of the land south of the river was called the Chemistry from the works of the Newton Chymical Company situated there. The Newton Street railroad station was formerly called by that name.
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HISTORY OF WALTHAM
The district and railroad station called Roberts takes its name from the Roberts family. John and Stephen Roberts bought the Upham paper mill on Stony Brook and it was continued by William, son of John, until his death. The family acquired a large amount of land in the vicinity and were locally prominent.
The College Farm is frequently mentioned in the old records. It was made up of three farms and two lots of land adjoining, 160 acres in all, lying east and south of the Great Pond. They were purchased by Anthony Caverley in 1728 and sold by him to Harvard College in 1738. The money for this purchase was obtained by the sale of property in Rowley that came to the College by the will of Rev. Ebenezer Rogers. For this reason the Waltham farm was usually called by the College officials the Rogers Farm. It was owned by Harvard College for over one hundred years, being deeded to Nahum Hardy in 1839. The name is perpetuated by the way known as the College Farm Road.
The principal hills were known by the names they now bear from very early times. Prospect Hill and Bear Hill were mentioned in 1669, Mackerell Hill in 1685 and Jericho Hill in 1690. They were probably named many years earlier.
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BROOK
WALTHAM FAMILIES, 1738
THE FIRST TAX LISTS OF WALTHAM
There were two tax lists made out in 1738 and for many years this precedent was followed. One of them showed the Town rate and the other the Province. There are 112 names in each list but they are not identical. The Town list was headed by Capt. Samuel Harrington and the names follow no apparent order. The Province list was also headed by Capt. Harrington who was followed by Dea. Jonathan Sanderson, Dea. Thomas Livermore, Dea. William Brown, Capt. Samuel Garfield, Thomas Hammond (the largest tax payer), Lieut. Thomas Biglow and Lieut. John Cutting. These prominent men were followed by the others in order of their residence, beginning at the Watertown line on the Great Road.
The names of John Child, Jr., Joseph Priest, Widow Elizabeth Ball, Lieut. Samuel Stearns, Thomas Hammond, Jr., Samuel Harrington, Jr., Samuel Child, George Harrington, Jr. and Jonas Peirce appear only on the Town list while John Michill, Isaac Peirce, William Hager, Thomas Harrington, Jr., Josiah Bemis, Widow Elizabeth Harrington, William White, John White and John Pearke are only on the Province list. There are no dates other than 1738 on these lists but the presence of George Harrington, Jr. only on the Town list and of his widow Elizabeth only on that of the Province would indicate that the former was made before August, the time of his death, and the latter after that time. Joseph Priest was in Waltham in April 1738 but moved away before Sept. 1739.
The following pages contain the information that has been obtained in regard to the homes of the men whose names appear in the first tax lists of Waltham, 1738. It also contains sketches of those of their ancestors or predecessors who had settled or lived in the West Precinct previous to that date. When the homesteads continued in the same family for several generations a short family history is added. No attempt has been made to make complete genealogies. These are fully given in Dr. Henry Bond's Genealogies and History of Watertown, Waltham and Weston. These notes are intended to be additions to and in some instances corrections of the very valuable data published by Dr. Bond.
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HISTORY OF WALTHAM
WALTHAM FAMILIES
GEORGE ADAMS was grandson of George and Frances Adams who were in Watertown as early as 1645 but moved to Cambridge Farms (Lexington) about 1664. His parents George and Martha (Fiske) also lived there when he was born. About 1720 he and his wife Judith came to Watertown and in 1734 bought a dwelling house and 20 acres of land on Winter Street from Allen Flagg. This house was probably built by Allen's brother Jonathan about 1729. It stood on the north side of Winter Street about opposite the upper end of the ice pond. He was termed a chirur- geon or bone-setter and was usually referred to as Dr. Adams. He died in 1775 or 1776 and his family moved away. The house was standing in 1801 but was taken down or moved soon after. Hop vines growing near its site are supposed to be remnants of his garden.
BALL FAMILY John Ball the pioneer of the family was early in Watertown but died in Concord. His son John2 also lived for a while in Watertown but moved to Lancaster where he was killed by the Indians in 1675. At that time he owned four acres on the Great Plaine in Watertown that came to his son John2. The latter, a weaver, acquired a large amount of land on this plain and in the Lots in Lieu of Township but the only purchase recorded was that of six acres bought of Richard Norcross in 1674 probably adjoining the four acres inherited from his father. His house built on the north side of the Sudbury Road just east of Masters Brook was probably on the four acre lot and possibly was erected in 1665 when he was married to Sarah Bullard. They had five sons who lived to maturity, John4, James, Joseph, Jona- than and Daniel. He disposed of all his land previous to his death in 1722 probably by deeds of gift to his sons but only two were recorded, one to John in 1693 and one to Daniel, weaver, in 1708. The latter obtained the homestead and used it for a tavern. He died in 1718 and his widow, Mary (Earl) married Thomas Harrington who thus came into possession of the estate and continued the tavern business.
James Ball, a weaver, lived on the north side of the Great Road just east of Bacon Street on land probably given him by his
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WALTHAM FAMILIES
father, John3, perhaps when he married Elizabeth Fiske in 1694. He died in 1730 and his son John succeeded him.
Joseph Ball was owner of more than 100 acres situated on both sides of the Great Road near the Weston line, his house being on the north side probably just over the top of the hill. He record- ed only a few of his deeds but undoubtedly a part of his land came to him from his father, John3. He married Elizabeth Park- hurst in 1701 and they had a large family but by his will, pro- bated in 1730, he divided his real estate between his sons Peter and David.
David Ball was son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Parkhurst) and was living at Mendon in 1737 when he sold his share of his father's estate to his brother Peter. Shortly after this, in April 1737, he bought a house and land on the west side of South Street and was living there in 1738. This house was built for Ebenezer Gale by his father Abraham probably about 1709. Ball lived there ten years then sold to Benjamin Harrington and moved to Southboro where he died in 1759. Samuel Gale bought the house in 1762 and after this date there is no further mention of it.
Widow Elizabeth Ball. James Ball who died in 1730 left his widow Elizabeth one-half of his estate for life and the other half to his son John. Her death is not recorded but if she was the Widow Eliza- beth Ball whose name appears on the Town tax list only, she must have died before August 1738. Joseph Ball also died in 1730 and left a widow Elizabeth but as she had only one-half of the produce of his estate it is not probable that her name would appear on the tax lists. There is no record of her death.
John Ball4, Sr., was son of John and Sarah (Bullard) Ball. He built a house on a twenty acre lot his father had given him in 1693. It stood on the north side of the Concord Road, probably a little south of the railroad crossing in Stowe Street. He married Bethia Mettup in 1699 so the house may have been built at that time. It was mentioned when the highway was laid out in 1708. He lived in it until his death in 1752 when it came to his son John5. The latter in 1764 sold the house and a part of the
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HISTORY OF WALTHAM
land to Joseph Hager, Jr. who probably built near Bear Hill Road. This estate remained in the Hager family until 1828. The new owner, Elijah Sanderson, built a house now standing about 1833 and in 1849 sold a house and five acres, probably the Hager house, to Moses Hemmenway and the latter in 1855 sold it to Jaleel Baker. The Baker heirs sold the place to Howard L. Stone who later on took the house down.
John Ball, Jr. was son of James and Elizabeth (Fiske). He lived on his father's homestead, Main and Bacon Streets until 1746 when he sold to Josiah Mixer and moved to Worcester.
John Ball" is referred to in the tax list as "the third." He married Mary Benjamin in 1725 and seems to have lived with his father. In 1737 he bought the Joseph Ball place from his cousin Peter but sold it back in 1739 and there is nothing to show that he ever lived there. His wife died in 1752 and he married Anna Harrington daughter of his neighbor William Harrington. In 1764 he sold his father's homestead to Joseph Hager and moved to either his father-in-law's house or erected a new one near by. He was an innholder and his tavern here was afterwards known as the Stratton Tavern, the last survivor of the many old taverns that once lined the Great Road. John Ball was a prominent man, being selectman for several years.
Peter Ball sold his share of his father's estate on the south side of the road to his brother-in-law William Brewer in 1731 and apparently occupied the house and land on the north side that was willed to his brother David during the latter's minority. Feb. 14, 1736-7, he bought the estate from David and the same day sold it to his cousin John. He seems to have been living there or nearby in 1738 and in November 1739 he bought the place back from John Ball and lived there until 1748 when he sold to Jacob Biglow and moved to Southboro where he died in 1754. Jacob Biglow sold to Josiah Biglow in 1749 and the house was probably demolished sometime between that date and 1762 when the land was mortgaged without mention of buildings and no buildings are mentioned in the subsequent transfers.
JONATHAN BARNARD was a great grandson of John and Phebe Barnard, the founders of the family who came to Water-
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WALTHAM FAMILIES
town in 1634. He and his son John lived in the eastern part of Watertown but the latter acquired 25 acres of land south of Trapelo Road mostly in Lot 1 in the third squadron of the Great Dividends. He sold this tract to his son John, a carpenter, in 1699. The latter made this land his homestead, possibly building a house there soon after the purchase. In 1727 he sold 30 acres with mansion house and barn, description similar to that of the 25 acres, to his son Jonathan who was living there in 1738 and continued until his death in 1775. He married Hannah Stowell and they had twelve children. By his will he left all his estate in Waltham to his son Joseph after the death of his wife. She lived until 1801 and in 1802 Joseph, then a resident of Wells, York Co. (Maine) sold the farm to Jonathan Coolidge. Coolidge retained possession until 1825 when he sold to James Bowen. It then rapidly changed ownership from Bowen to William Eaton to Elijah Lawrence to Abiel H. Fillebrown who purchased it in 1827 and lived there until 1871 when he sold to Elisha N. Peirce of Arlington including with it several other adjoining lots. He reserved three acres upon which he built a new house.
RICHARD BEERS was a grandson of Capt. Richard Beers, an original proprietor of Watertown, who was killed by the Indians at Northfield in 1675 during King Philip's War. His father Elna- than, whose wife was Sarah Tainter, when he died in 1714, left a house and 8 acres that was afterwards occupied by his widow and son Richard. This was probably the house that Richard and his wife Mary were living in when the town was incorporated. It stood on the north side of Main Street between Wellington and Rich Streets. Richard owned at various times three other homesteads and perhaps lived in one or all of them. The sale of this homestead is not recorded but a mortgage on it was dis- charged in 1744 so it was probably sold to Josiah Harrington, its later owner about that time. Josiah sold to Daniel Harrington in 1754 and he to Josiah Fiske, Jr., a blacksmith in 1756. Then it went to Ebenezer Davis and to the latter's son-in-law Matthias Collins, another blacksmith. His widow Hannah sold it in 1801 to Zebedee Macomber and from him it was owned successively by Jacob Carter, Ephraim Allen, Horatio Bird and Ephraim Bemis. There is no mention of buildings after 1848.
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HISTORY OF WALTHAM
JOHN BELL was probably living with one of the families of Lower Main Street, perhaps Daniel Benjamin, as his name is listed among residents of that part of the town. No other reference to him has been found.
BEMIS FAMILY. Joseph Bemis and his wife Sarah were early in Watertown. They had nine children but the youngest, John, was the only son whose descendants remained in Watertown. John was married three times but his fourteen children were all by his first wife, Mary Harrington. In 1702 he and his son- in-law Daniel Child bought from Nathaniel Saltonstall the 100 acre dividend granted to Sir Richard and 40 acres of meadow nearby. They divided, Bemis retaining the southwest part. A large part of this purchase is now covered by the Cambridge Water Basin. He gave to his son Joseph most of his share.
John Bemis2 bought from Daniel Smith Lot 24 of the second squadron, 50 acres, in April 1710 and married Hannah Warren the next month so his house that stood on that lot may have been built about that time. He married second Anna Livermore. The house came to his son Abraham. His grandson Abraham2 built a new one on the same site that is now standing, owned by Francis J. Stewart. Abraham, Jr's. only child, Polly, married Rev. George Pickering and the first Methodist services in Waltham were held in that house. John Bemis was a selectman of both Watertown and Waltham besides being on the West Precinct Committee for four years and serving as road surveyor and constable.
Joseph Bemis was son of John and Mary (Harrington) Bemis. He was given by his father a large part of the Saltonstall dividend in 1712. His house, probably built about that time, was on Brook Street, now discontinued and largely covered by the Cambridge Water Basin. At the time of his death in 1741 his farm consisted of 90 acres with house and barn and 8 acres of meadow. This was left to his sons Joseph and Benjamin, their seven sisters receiving cash legacies. Elisha Cutler of the part of Weston now Lincoln bought Benjamin's share in 1748 and Joseph's in 1750. In 1751 he sold the whole place to his son Jonas.
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WALTHAM FAMILIES
Josiah Bemis was a son of John and Anna (Livermore) Bemis and was a young man of 22 at the time of the incorporation of Waltham. The position of his name in the tax list might indicate that he was then living with Dea. Thomas Livermore and if so was probably employed by him.
DANIEL BENJAMIN was a great grandson of John and Abigail Benjamin who came to this country in 1632 and settled in Watertown in 1636. He lived on the south side of Grove Street, probably near Bright Street. His father, Daniel, bought in 1710 from Nathaniel Bond a house and 2412 acres of land here. (See Nathaniel Bond.) It was undoubtedly purchased for Daniel, Jr. for the latter was married to Mary Bond, a cousin of Nathaniel, in 1710 and lived here all his life but did not be- come owner until his father willed it to him. He was very prom- inent in both precinct and town affairs. He served the West Precinct almost continuously for sixteen years as either committee man, treasurer or assessor, sometimes as all three. He was select- man and assessor of both Watertown and Waltham. Soon after his death in 1768 his grandson and executor Benjamin Ward sold his estate, then comprising 85 acres to Samuel Livermore who spent there the last five years of his life. His daughter Hannah Pierpont sold it in 1794 to Christopher Gore.
BIGLOW FAMILY. John Biglow, blacksmith, was in Water- town as early as 1642 when he married Mary, daughter of John Warren, he being then about twenty-five years old. Among the grants to John Warren was one of 1612 acres in the Lieu of Town- ship Lots and this came to his daughter Mary Biglow. In 1686 John deeded it to his son Samuel with the words "which is the land Samuel Biglow liveth upon." Samuel was a carpenter so he probably built his own house, perhaps in 1674 when he mar- ried Mary Flagg. In 1720 he deeded it with other land he had acquired, 94 acres in all, to his son Thomas. Samuel was a select- man and representative of Watertown. From 1702 to 1716 he was licensed to keep a house of entertainment. He seems to have been the first of the long list of tavern keepers along the Great Road in Waltham.
Lieut. Thomas Biglow, lived on his father's homestead that stood on the south side of that part of the Great Road now Weston
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HISTORY OF WALTHAM
Street. It was on or near the site of the Fisk, later the Conant house. He was a member of the first board of selectmen elected in Waltham having also filled a similar position for Watertown. Later he represented Waltham in the General Court. The Biglow farm passed from Lieut. Thomas to his son Jacob and then to his grandson Abijah. In 1795 the latter sold it to his neighbor Bezaleel Flagg and moved West.
BOND FAMILY. William Bond, the Watertown ancestor of the family, gave his son Nathaniel in 1695 a house, barn and 21 acres of land bounded on the north by Grove Street, on the south by the Charles River and on the west by Beaver Brook. This was apparently a part of the 40 acres in the Hither Plain that he inherited from his uncle Ephraim Child in 1662. It seems to have included three original adjoining grants, one of 6 acres to John Eaton, one of 10 acres to William Jennison and one of 5 acres to Samuel Hosier. The house may have been built for Nathaniel at the time of his marriage in 1685. This estate was willed to his son Nathaniel who came into possession in 1700. It was then estimated to include 24 acres. In 1710 Nathaniel sold it to his cousin by marriage, Daniel Benjamin, and moved to Connecticut. (See Daniel Benjamin.)
Jonathan Bond, a great grandson of William Bond the pioneer, married in 1732 Mary, the daughter of Joseph and Martha (Hast- ings) Harrington. In 1736 he bought from her uncles, Robert and David Harrington, their interests in the house on the west side of Warren Street that had been the homestead of her grand- father Daniel Harrington. (See Harrington and Page families.) The deed states that Bond was living there at that time and he had probably been living there since his marriage. In 1742 he and his father-in-law sold the place to Ebenezer Boynton of Mendon and then moved to that town. He afterwards moved to Westboro and died there in 1789. He was a cordwainer and filled the office of Deacon for many years in Westboro.
WILLIAM BREWER. In the first Tax List, 1738, this name is written Brewster, an evident mistake. In 1731 William Brewer, blacksmith, of Weston bought from Peter Ball the part of the estate that the latter had inherited from his father Joseph Ball.
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WALTHAM FAMILIES
It consisted of 45 acres and was on the south side of the Great Road, one corner only touching the highway. It probably in- cluded Lots 39 and 40. The next spring Brewer married Eliza- beth, a sister of Peter Ball and presumably about the same time built the house and barn that were on the land when he sold it to Abraham Biglow of Weston in 1742 and moved to Shrewsbury.
BROWN FAMILY. Abraham Browne was one of the earliest settlers of Watertown and was very prominent being frequently chosen to positions of trust and responsibility. He was a land surveyor and many of the old property lines in Waltham were established by him. His son Jonathan was the only one to have male descendants and the latter's youngest son William was the ancestor of the Waltham Brown families.
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