USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Brookline > History of Brookline, formerly Raby, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire : with tables of family records and genealogies > Part 29
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1833. The prices to be paid for labor this year were fixed by the town as follows: for men ten cents per hour; for oxen, eight cents per hour.
The "Star Shower" of 1833.
Those of Brookline's inhabitants who happened to be awake and out of doors before daylight on the morning of Jan. 19, 1833, were witnesses to a most remarkable display of heavenly fireworks. The entire expanse of the upper atmosphere was filled with "shooting stars" which coming, apparently, from every direction, crossed and recrossed each other's paths in bewildering confusion. Many years after the event, one of the town's then oldest inhabitants, who had witnessed the display, in speaking of it, said that it appeared to her-"as if all the stars in heaven were falling from their places, and that the sight, although a most beautiful one, was in its effects most awe-inspiring." The display was witnessed throughout the country.
Brookline's Bass Viol.
1835. At this time Brookline was and for several years has been the owner of a bass viol. How, when or from where the instrument came into the town's possession is unknown. Several years prior to 1835 an attempt has been made to procure a vote to sell it. The attempt failed and, for the time being, the matter was dropped.
In 1835, however, at a town meeting holden on the 28th day of No- vember the viol was again brought into public notice by an article in the warrant which called for its being sold or otherwise disposed of. After a
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heated discussion the article was disposed of by the following vote: "That the bass viol shall still be owned by said town and that the select- men put it into the hands of some person who will keep it well strung at his own expense and bring it to the meeting-house when religious meetings are holden in the same and use the same according to his best skill to promote religious harmony."
At this time the Congregational Church and society and in fact the town's entire population divided into two factions were engaged in dis- cussing the question of the propriety of using stringed, wind, or other musical instruments in the Sunday services of the choir. Those who were opposed to the practice, representing the more conservative part of the community, argued that for men to worship the Supreme Being by the use of any kind of musical instrument other than that with which he was naturally endowed, viz, his voice, was sacrilegious. This faction was especially opposed to the use of the viol in question. Probably because its use even in church music was suggestive of worldly pleasures, and therefore calculated to draw the minds of the congregation away from the contemplation of subjects fitting for the day and send them wandering off into by and forbidden ways.
On the other hand the radicals, those who favored the use of the viol, laughed their opponents to scorn and called them old fogies and their arguments antiquated; claiming that the use of musical instruments as an aid to the voice in singing divine praises was no more sacrilegious then, than it was in the days when King David played on a harp of a thousand strings, or when Miriam sang her song of triumph and accom- panied it with the timbrel. In the end the matter in dispute was carried into town meeting and settled as is recorded in the foregoing vote. The viol was in use in the choir for many subsequent years. But whoever became its final custodian or whatever finally became of it are today matters of conjecture only.
At the said November town meeting it was voted-"To purchase a stove or stoves and pipes sufficient to warm the meeting-house," and Moses Shattuck, Reuben Baldwin and James Parker, Jr., were elected a a committee to carry the vote into effect. The stoves were installed in the house the same year.
Prior to that year the old meeting-house had been without heating facilities. For although at the time of its being built it was provided with chimneys, the chimneys had never been provided with fireplaces. Conse- quently, during all the winters of the seventy which had come and gone since the house was completed in 1791, the worshipers within its
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walls whose means enabled them to do so, in order to be able to endure the cold with any sense of comfort whatever, had been compelled to pro- vide themselves with little tin or zinc stoves heated by "tallow dips," and called "foot-warmers." From which the fortunate possessors derived sufficient warmth to enable them to listen with some degree of compla- cency to the sermon, while their stoveless neighbors were shivering out- wardly and, doubtless, in many instances, swearing inwardly.
Disappearance of the Sounding Board.
At that same meeting, also, it was voted-"To take down the sound- ing board and sell it to the highest bidder." Subsequently, and, according to the records, during the same year, the sounding board was taken down and sold to David Willoughby. And thus the mystery connected with its disappearance is at last cleared away.
1837. The wooden bridge over the stream near the sawmill of Abel Foster, on the highway to Mason, was replaced by one built of stone. Dr. Harris, by a vote of the town-"Vaccinated all its inhabitants with kine pox who have not had it." and received for his services sixty-seven and sixty-five one hundredth dollars.
1839. The Congregational meeting-house was built and dedicated. Colburn Green was still holding the position of county coroner, and Capt. John Smith that of deputy sheriff. The price of labor was eighty-three and one-half cents per day. The selectmen received for their services each twenty dollars per year and found themselves. Asa Betterly received twenty dollars per thousand for planks furnished the town for repairing the pond bridge.
1840. Population, 652.
Two soldiers of the Revolution, Eleazer Gilson and Abel Hodgman, were still living in town. The main part of the village tavern, Nissitisset house, was built this year by Daniel Bills. Highway from Jeremiah Hood's house, in the Milford line, to the main road from Brookline to Mil- ford was laid out and accepted.
Town Poor Farm.
1841. Prior to this year the keeping of the town's poor had been put up at public auction, each individual case being farmed out to the lowest bidder. This practice, although a very convenient and, perhaps under the circumstances, even a necessary one, had been far from satisfactory to the majority of the townspeople; and year by year there had been devel-
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oping in the community a strong sentiment against its continuance. This sentiment found expression at a town meeting holden March 9th of this year, when it was voted to purchase a poor farm, and Samuel Farns- worth, Jr., George Daniels, Nathaniel Shattuck, Jr., and Luther Rock- wood were elected as a purchasing committee.
On the 19th day of April following, the committee purchased of Asa Burgess the land and buildings on the same located on the east side of what was afterwards known as the Poor Farm road in the northerly part of the town which was subsequently for many years used as a town farm, paying therefore the sum of fourteen hundred dollars.
September 20th of the same year the town voted to make the poor- house a workhouse, and elected John Hemphill as its manager; thus es- tablishing for the first time in town the office of overseer of the poor. The farm thus purchased continued to be used as a home for the town's poor until the year 1864.
In the meantime, on the very year of its establishment, the legislature passed an act by which all settlements gained in towns prior to 1796 were declared to be void. By the passage of this act, the number of paupers to be supported by the county was largely increased. In 1839, the county judges, Hon. Jacob Whittemore of Antrim, and Jesse Carr of Goffstown, who at that time were in charge of all matters appertaining to the county paupers, with a view of diminishing the county expenses, purchased a farm located in Goffstown to be used as a county farm. In 1850 this farm was opened to the admission of paupers. In 1861, the legislature passed a law voiding all settlements gained in towns prior to 1840. By this act the county became responsible for the support of nearly all pau- pers; and the result was that nearly all of the towns sold their poor farms.
At a town meeting holden Nov. 8, 1864, Brookline voted to sell its poor farm, and elected Wilkes W. Corey, Abel Foster and James Clinton Parker as a committee to effect the sale. The committee immediately proceeded to divide it into suitable lots and, during this and the following year, sold the same at public auction. Lot number 13, which included the farm buildings, was sold to William Gilson, James H. Hall, and John Burge, on the 24th day of February, 1865.
1846. At the March town meeting of this year there was an article in the warrant-"To see if the town will vote to alter the name of this town from the name of Brookline to Oregon." The article was passed over. The year was noted for the settlement by compromise of a long-continued controversy between the United States and Great Britain over the question of title in and to the northwest territory, which each claimed, and in the
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dispute concerning which matters had reached the point where war be- tween the two countries was imminent. By the compromise, which was suggested by Great Britain, the 49th parallel was fixed upon as the bound- ary line between the United States and Canada. It was probably in con- nection with this event that some patriotic citizen was inspired with the idea of a change in the town's name.
The steam sawmill which stood on the west side of the street leading easterly from Main street, at a point near the store of Tucker and Stiles to the north highway to Hollis, was built this year.
Milo Rockwood, a son of Luther and Kesiah Rockwood, was killed by coming in contact with a saw in the sawmill of Levi Rockwood in South Brookline. He was a young man, and was held in high esteem in the com- munity. He was buried with military honors by the local militia company, of which he was a member.
The Ladies' Benevolent Society.
1847. This society was organized January 20th of this year. Its object, as set forth by its constitution, was-"To assist any among us who may need and desire assistance; and to aid such other objects of benevo- lence as may present themselves from time to time, according to our means"; and at the same time-"To improve our minds by profitable conversation, reading, &c."
The society as originally constituted, although it originated with the ladies of the Congregational Church and society-then the only church in town-was intended to be unsectarian in its nature; a policy which, so far as possible, it maintained throughout its existence; a period of twenty- five years. It was exclusively a woman's organization. It commenced its existence with a membership of thirty-three in number. Its first board of officers were as follows:
President, Mrs. Thomas Bennett,
Vice-President, Mrs. Rhoda Betterly,
Directors,
Mrs. David Harris, Mrs. James Parker,
Secretary,
Mrs. Daniel Goodwin,
Treasurer,
Mrs. Mary A. Hall.
In 1856 the society was re-organized under the same name, but with a new constitution and new by-laws which, however, were practically identical with the original. Under its re-organized conditions, the society's first board of officers were as follows:
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President, Mrs. Linville J. Hall, -
Vice-President,
Mrs. Amos Merrill,
Secretary,
Mrs. Daniel Goodwin,
Treasurer,
Mrs. Lucy Pierce.
Directors, Mrs. Mary Wright, Mrs. Calvin R. Shedd.
In 1861 the society was again re-organized, this time under the aus- pices of the Brookline Methodist Episcopal Church. Under this last or- ganization the complexion of the society was so far changed that gentle- men were admitted to membership. At this time its membership was thirty-four; and its board of officers was made up as follows:
President, Mrs. Orman F. Shattuck,
Vice-president, Mrs. Benjamin F. Kendall,
Secretary, Miss Marietta Dustin,
Treasurer, Mrs. Nathaniel B. Hutchingson,
Directors, Mrs. Lucy Blodgett, Mrs. Henry B. Stiles, Mrs. Amos Merrill.
The society had an existence of over twenty-five years, its records showing its last regular meeting to have been holden Sept. 29, 1872.
At the present time (1914) organizations similar to the foregoing are maintained by the ladies of both churches.
Inventory of Brookline for the Year 1848 .*
"No. and value of Polls-87 $ 4,296.00 No. and value of cows, oxen and other neat stock-391 $ 9,944.00
No. and value of sheep-108 $ 147.00
No. of buildings not specially designated-250
Value of improved and unimproved lands- $153,289.00
Value of carriages. $ 300.00
Value of shares in bank and other corporations. $ 160.00
Amount of money on hand, at interest and on deposit $ 187.54
Value of stock in trade $ 80.60
Value of mills. $ 87.00
Amount of Inventory $256,100.00" 1850. Population, 718.
At a special town meeting holden February 6 the citizens were called upon to act on the following article in the warrant-"To see if the town
* See Inventory of Hillsborough County, 1848.
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will vote to build a new townhouse, or to remove the old house at or near the centre of the town, and fit up the lower part of the same as a school- room for school district number four, and the upper part for a hall to be used for town meetings, and also as a suitable place for religious and scien- tific instruction; and for all social gatherings the purposes of which are sanctioned by the good taste of the present age."
The citizens voted not to build a new house, but did elect a commit- tee to see about repairing the old one. The committee never reported.
1852. March 12 Isaac Sawtelle was elected as a delegate to the Con- stitutional Convention which was holden at Concord on the first Wednes- day in November.
The Steam Sawmill Fire.
This year was marked in local history by the destruction by fire of the steam sawmill at the north end of the compact part of the village. The fire occurred in the forenoon of a day in June. A stiff breeze from the northwest was blowing at the time. The wind carried the sparks and burning cinders over and set fire to many of the buildings at the south end of the village Main street. At one time during the fire's progress eleven dwelling houses were simultaneously reported to be in flames. The only fire engine in town was the old hand tub; and so inadequate to meet the exigencies of the case was it deemed, that messengers asking for assistance were dispatched to Hollis and other neighboring towns. Hollis responded to the call and sent its engine. But before it arrived the local firemen, aided by the citizens, who turned out en masse, had succeeded in checking the progress of the flames, and in the end, although considerable damage was done, the sawmill was the only building to be destroyed.
The New Fire Engine.
Asa result of the claimed inefficiency of the old "hand tub" at the time of the steam mill fire, soon after the fire occurred, certain citizens began to agitate and discuss the question of the town's purchasing a new fire engine. As usual in discussions of questions of this nature, the towns- people divided into two factions, one faction favoring and the other opposing the purchase. In the end, those in favor of the purchase carried the day, and on the second day of September the town voted to purchase a new engine, and at the same time elected S. Warren Shattuck, James N. Tucker and Ensign Bailey as a purchasing committee. Soon after its appointment and during the same year, the said committee purchased
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BROOKLINE BRASS BAND-1852-1883
Left to Right-Back Row-Ira Daniels, George W. L. Hobart. John B. Hall, David D. Rockwood, Benjamin Shattuck, Jr. Middle Row-Orman F. Shattuck, William B. Rockwood, Harvey M Hall, William Wallace, Ellab B. Shattuck. Front Row -- William W. Corey, Sumner S. Daniels, Joshua Hobart, Fernando Shattuck, N. Herman Shattuck.
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the Hunniman fire engine which ever since has been and at the present time is in service.
The new machine's advent in town was greeted by those who had opposed its purchase with contemptuous smiles and derisive words. And when, one afternoon soon after its arrival, it was brought out for the purpose of testing its capabilities, they appeared in force with the old tub prepared to dispute the claimed superiority. Both companies prepared their respective mahcines for the test which, by agreement between them, was to consist of each engine's playing a stream against the somewhat decayed shingles on the roof of Tucker and Stiles'-store, (the old store), the company whose machine did the most damage by way of tearing up and ripping off the shingles to have the honor of having won the victory. The new engine played first. But, although it threw a great volume of water, the stream lacked force and had little or no effect upon the sta- bility of the roof covering. Then the "old tub" took its turn and the stream tore up and scattered the rotten shingles like, as one spectator expressed it,-"They were a pile of dead autumn leaves." Its company members immediately claimed the victory and made the welkin ring with their triumphant cheers. In the midst of the excitement that followed, Orman F. Shattuck, the leading hoseman of the new machine company, accidentally, probably, held his hose pipe in such a position that the spray from its nozzle fell upon the members of the other company, by whom it was received as a challenge to battle, which they immediately accepted. Capt. Artemas Wright, who for the nonce was acting as their foreman ordered his men to man the brakes, and at the same time directed his leading hoseman to turn the stream full upon the members of the new company. His commands and directions were obeyed to the letter. The stream from the pipe struck squarely in the face of Shattuck who, blinded and nearly strangled by the force and volume, endeavored, for a mo- ment, to retaliate by an answering stream; but was finally forced to drop his pipe and make an ignominious retreat; as did also all the members of his company; not, however, until they were thoroughly wet down.
Military Bands of Music.
Since the town was incorporated it has, at different times in its his- tory, been the home of three separate and distinct military bands of music. The first of these was the old militia band, so called, which was associated with and furnished music for the old militia company. Origi- nally, the company marched to the music furnished by a fifer and a drum-
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BROOKLINE
mer who were paid by the State. But, as years passed by, the fifer and drummer were joined by musicians who played upon musical instruments of other and different descriptions. In 1847, by reason of these additions to its ranks, the company's corps of musicians had increased to eight in number, and attained to the dignity of being called "The Band." The following is the list of the names of its members at that time and the kind of instrument played by each: George W. L. Hobart, E-flat bugle; William Wallace, clarionet; Lemuel Brooks, ophiclide; Moses Bohonon, trombone; Abner H. Bills, trombone; Kendall Shattuck, snare drum; Eliab Shattuck, bass drum. This band went out of existence with the militia Company in 1848.
The Brookline Brass Band.
The Brookline Brass Band was organized in the summer and fall of 1851. As originally constituted, its membership consisted of sixteen men, as follows: Wilkes W. Corey, John S. Daniels, Joshua J. Hobart, Fernando Shattuck, Luke Baldwin, N. Herman Shattuck, Orman F. Shattuck, William B. Rockwood, John Hall, William Wallace, Eliab Shattuck, Ira Daniels, George W. L. Hobart, Harvey M. Hall, David D. Rockwood, Benjamin Shattuck.
During the thirty or more years of its existence, in addition to its original members, there were enrolled in its ranks at various times eleven others of the town's citizens, as follows: Bela G. Cochran, Charles S. Wil- loughby, Albert W. Corey, Charles Coggin, Frank L. Willoughby, John E. French, Clinton Coggin, Leroy A. Wallace, J. Edgar Hobson, Charles E. Shattuck, Clinton Bohonon.
The band's first leader was George W. L. Hobart, who held the posi- tion for twenty-five consecutive years. For the first ten years of its exist- ence it was under the instruction of Peter A. Clark of New Ipswich, who at this time enjoyed throughout this part of New England the reputation of being an excellent musician, both vocally and also as a performer on wind instruments; his favorite instrument being the E-flat bugle, in the playing of which, his admirers claimed, he was second to none, the cele- brated Ned Kendall alone excepted. About 1865, Mr. Clark retired from his position as the band's instructor. He was succeeded by Alonzo Bond of Boston, Mass.
Musical Festival, 1866.
In 1866, while under Mr. Bond's instruction, and at his suggestion, the "Old Brass" as it had then begun to be called, issued invitations to
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several of the military bands located in the towns and cities in this vi- cinity to attend a musical festival to be holden in Brookline on the 6th day of September of that year. The invitation was accepted by the bands in Nashua, Milford, Wilton, Hollis, Dunstable, Mass., Townsend, Mass., Pepperell, Mass., and Groton Junction, Mass., each of which was present on the occasion.
The scene of the gathering was in the grove on the north shore of Muscatanipus pond. Besides the citizens of Brookline, who turned out en masse, there were present large delegations from neighboring towns. At ten o'clock the procession, having already been formed, marched from Main street to the grove in the following order: each band being followed by their respective delegations-Brookline Brass Band, G. W. L. Hobart, leader, including Prof. Alonzo Bond, leader of Bond's Band of Boston; Pepperell Cornet Band, Augustus Shattuck, leader, sixteen pieces; Townsend, Mass., Cornet Band, Stephen A. Tyler, leader, fourteen pieces; Hollis Cornet Band, W. A. Trow, leader, nineteen pieces; Milford Cornet Band, A. A. Nickles, leader, W. C. Kidder, director, including Walter Dig- nam, leader of Manchester Band, nineteen pieces; Wilton Cornet Band, Carl Krebs, leader, eighteen pieces; Nashua Cornet Band, B. F. Sargent, leader, E. T. Baldwin, director, fifteen pieces; Dunstable, Mass., Cornet Band, H. Spalding, leader, eighteen pieces; Groton Junction, Mass., Band, fourteen pieces.
On arriving at the grove the following citizens were elected as officers of the day: Rev. C. H. Chase, President; Charles A. Priest, Secretary ; J. Alonzo Hall, Chief Marshal; David Hobart, James Clinton Parker, Charles A. Priest, Henry B. Stiles, Dr. David P. Stowell, William Wright, and Nathaniel Hobart, Assistant Marshals.
The estimated number of people present was three thousand. At eleven o'clock the meeting was called to order by Rev. Mr. Chase. The order of exercises was as follows: Music by the Brookline Brass Band; prayer by President Chase; addresses by President Chase and Henry K. Kemp. Esq., of Brookline, after which each of the bands present played select pieces of music.
At the close of the exercises more than eight hundred people, includ- ing the bands, partook of a most bountiful banquet, which had been pro- vided for the occasion by the citizens of Brookline ..
At the close of the banquet, the consolidated bands, consisting of one hundred and fifty pieces, played patriotic airs. The procession was then re-formed and marched back to the square in front of Tucker and Stiles store, where the consolidated bands, under the leadership of Professor
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Bond, by way of a finale, played several popular airs. The several bands then adjourned to and met in convention in the hall of Tucker and Stiles.
Musical Association.
During the post prandial exercises at the grove, Professor Bond, in an eloquent speech, had suggested the idea of forming a musical association, to consist of the bands then present and of such other bands in the vicinity as could be induced to join with them in the enterprise.
The idea was enthusiastically received by the members of the bands; and at a meeting in the hall a motion to form such an association was carried unanimously. A committee of one from each band was appointed to nominate a board of officers. And upon the reception and adoption of the committee's report, the following gentlemen were elected as the asso- ciation's first board of officers:
Wilkes W. Corey, Brookline, President; E. T. Baldwin, Nashua, W. C. Kidder, Milford, vice-presidents; E. A. Blood, Pepperell, Mass., sec- retary. The band leaders and the said board of officers were appointed as an executive committee.
In 1868, this Association held its second annual meeting, under the name of "Band Convention," at Nashua, on the 15th day of September; on which occasion, in addition to eight of the bands of which it was orig- inally composed, there were also present bands from Hooksett, Franklin, North Chelmsford, Mass., and Leominster, Mass. The third and last convention of this Association was held at Leominster, Mass., in Sep- tember, 1869.
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