USA > Rhode Island > Kent County > Greene > A history of Greene and vicinity, 1845-1929 > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8
A HISTORY
of
Greene and Vicinity
1845-1929
Gc 974.502 G83w
Gc 974.502 G83W 1134375 50 3.
M. L
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00084 6920
R. Morton Smith, M.I.
January 19370
SQUIRE G. WOOD
A HISTORY
of Greene and Vicinity
1845 - 1929
By SQUIRE G. WOOD
)
PRIVATELY PRINTED PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND 1936
Juan - 3.50
1134375
Foreword
Squire G. Wood often related to me facts about the early days of Greene, which I found most interesting and felt should be put in writing. As a result of my interest he wrote the following history.
This book is published on the Tercentenary Anniver- sary of Rhode Island as a testimonial to its author, Squire G. Wood, who was one of Greene's best informed and most loyal citizens.
June, 1936
MITTIE ARNOLD
CONTENTS
Page
THE RAILROAD .
7
HOMES
II
STORES 17
HIGHWAYS
19
SCHOOLS 21
CHURCHES
24
PHYSICIANS
. 27
POST OFFICE AND RURAL DELIVERY .
28
CAMP MEETING . 31
INDUSTRIES
33
DISASTERS .
. 37
WAR VETERANS 38
POLITICS . 41
REPUBLICAN CLUB
42
AMUSEMENTS
· 43
LIBRARY
44
SECRET SOCIETY
46
FIDELITY GRANGE NO. 20
47
MECHANICS
48
EASTERN STAR 50
ARTHUR B. DEXTER, REPRESENTATIVE
5I
ADELBERT K. GREENE, SENATOR ·
52
WILLIAM R. POTTER, REPRESENTATIVE
53
JOHN Q. KETTLE, REPRESENTATIVE 54
EDWARD EVERETT ARNOLD . 54
AMBROSE H. NICHOLAS, SENATOR 56
RICE CITY CHURCH .
. 57
CRANBERRY BOG .
58
FREEMASONRY
61
IONIC LODGE NO. 28 OF F. A. A. M. 61
HOPKINS HOLLOW CEMETERY 66
HISTORY OF "SOUTH FARM" 71
THE NICHOLS FAMILY TREE .
72
THE WOOD FAMILY TREE .
73
THE WOODS-NICHOLS FAMILY . 75
HUI
677/
. W.V.T
wir
I Tillinghast!
J. Camwell.
. J Tilhughast
WV Phillips
Mrs BFH
. E .Jordan
GREENE
J. Har!
J H & O.Lewiso
239
P.O.
HARFFO
303
O.Briggs
S
¡C. Briggs
J.Lewis k
,90
126
.J. Jordan
D Potty
94
A G Briggs
TOLAS
JE HOPKINS,
A. Juryının.
W Capwell.
20
73
20
59
F Union Che 66
Amold
. R Capwell
S.H
DIST
Wº 3
. C Cornell.
J. Putter
WPP
J Harris, Store
·WC
110
W Hopkins
W .S. Pearce
W BWavis
W MatCION
334
W. Reed.
'A.S Hopkins
OG R Hoykum
303
Hodges & Sampson.
345
S G Wood.
American Cranberry Cu
T/ Gul :
JJ Bright
GREENE
Scale 35 Rods to the Inch W. V. P
GW Brown
WV Philips L Davis
WVPhillips Steam Skru
EJordan
CI Borden
CELStone
I. Tullinym Store
Freight. Ho H. P &. F. R. R
SCWoods
Barn
.W. V.Phillips
A Peck
W V. P
re.s Wilcox
Depot
10.0FHall.
Bordend.Tabor.
S.G. Wood Store & PO
4
J F. Hopkin Cem
247
& y Hopkins
105
· G Mul
1.Capwill
Rice : = :
G.W Ryiler
1015h-
SH.
281
Gi MUI
N Bennett
OG.
187
96 92%. 142
S Mills
History of Greene and Vicinity
By SQUIRE G. WOOD
THE RAILROAD
If we were to go back to 1845, the place where the village of Greene now stands we would find to be a little-used cart path through what was then a swamp, and the road which led from what was then known as Rider's Corner to Bowen's Hill one not much traveled at that time. Such was the site which was to become later a very flourishing village in the extreme west end of Coventry.
The question may be asked, how Greene came to be on the map, and there can be only one answer, the new way of travel. The Steam Railroad which had its beginning in the Eastern States in 1846 and in 1847 reached Providence, one of the two capitals of Rhode Island.
In 1850 there began talk of a new railroad to connect Providence and Hartford by way of Plainfield and Willimantic, and in 1852 the first survey was made, followed by another survey in the next year when the final location was made and contracts let for the building of the Providence and Plainfield Railroad, which was afterward to become the Providence, Hartford and Fiskeville Rail- road. Early in 1854 a stopping place was made where Greene now stands, and the station was called Greene, by the officials of the Railroad Company, in honor of General Nathanael Greene of Revolutionary fame, and a native of Rhode Island.
Greene is located two and a half miles east of the Connecticut State line, and about the same distance from Summit, the next station east on the railroad. Its eastern and northern boundaries lie on the Buckshorn River, the western boundary at Jordan's Cut, so called, and the southern boundary near the schoolhouse now standing on the road to Hopkins Hollow.
The railroad located its road bed on land owned by Esek Jordan on the north side of the track and by Olney Briggs on the south side of the track. These two farmers were the only owners at that
8
History of Greene and Vicinity
time of the land where Greene now stands, and their permission was bought for the laying of the railroad and the building of the station.
The steam power of the locomotives was gained from wood and it was necessary for the company to have its supplies of wood for engine fuel somewhat near together. Greene was chosen as one of the stations for supplying the fuel needed to take the trains east to Washington and west to Plainfield.
In the summer of 1854 a small station was built on the south side of the track, and on October 2, 1854, the first train for the use of the public was run from Providence to Willimantic. Soon after a regular schedule of trains, including freight, was put into effect, all trains stopping at Greene.
The first station agent was the late Squire G. Wood, who came from Narrowlane in the morning and returned home after the last train had gone by at night. After a few months he was followed by Daniel Tillinghast of West Greenwich, who moved into the small station. Thus he and his family became the first residents of Greene. He stayed only about a year. In 1856 a new station was built, which is in use at the present time. The new station was also located on the south side of the railroad, and was two stories high, with a tenement in the second story for the use of the station agent and his family. The first station was moved to its present location, and became the home of the new baggage master and general helper around the station. Thomas Holihan served Greene for several years in that capacity, and was a very faithful man, doing his work well, and well liked by all who knew him.
The first station agent to occupy the new station was David E. Burnap from Connecticut, who stayed several years and then went to Andover, Connecticut, returning to Greene later for a few years more.
Among the early agents was Horatio N. Reynolds from Foster, who stayed eight years in the best part of the history of Greene when it was a very prosperous and busy village.
Soon after Mr. Burnap's first period of work the Greene Station was made a telegraph station, and one of the old style Tape machines, as they were called, was installed, and an operator employed,-as station agents of that day were not required, as
9
History of Greene and Vicinity
they are now, to be operators. The messages over the telegraph were printed in the Morse code on the tape as it passed over the wheel, and were copied in long hand by the operator who gave the messages and orders to those concerned. A few years later the new method of receiving the message by sound was invented and this is in use at the present time. Miss Emma Davis, now Mrs. Emma Bates, was the first operator at the Greene Station,-and until recent years the only lady to fill that position there. Mr. Reynolds has been followed by a long list of station agents, who have worked as station agents and operators, a new ruling of the Railroad Company making it compulsory for all station agents to be operators of the telegraph. The present station agent and operator, William R. Potter, has filled the position faithfully for the past twenty-seven years.
Early in the eighties of the last century the railroad station was moved from the south side of the railroad to its present site on the north side of the railroad near the east side of the crossing.
Soon after the station was built a freight house was erected,- and also a building called the acid house, for the storage of barrels of acid from the works of Bela P. Clapp of Pawtucket, located in West Greenwich and Hopkins Hollow. The making of acid from wood for many years was quite an industry in West Greenwich and elsewhere, and added considerably to the freight receipts at Greene. The acid house was kept up until a few years ago, when the making of acid from wood was discontinued, something better having been found to take its place.
Early also in the history of the station at Greene began the sale of milk to Providence by farmers within a radius of three or four miles, and very early a milk platform was built for the use of the milkmen, and a milk car added to the Plainfield train to Provi- dence. This milk car ran continuously on the same train for sixty years or more, used by nearly all the farmers in the vicinity. A year or two ago the trains were taken off, and the milk, now sold by only a few of the farmers, is sent to Providence by truck.
The Greene station being a wooding up station, so called, a great opportunity for the sale of all kinds of wood for the use of the railroad was given the farmers for several miles around, and as a consequence a large number of cords of wood was stored on
IO
History of Greene and Vicinity
the company grounds to be used in the making of steam to carry the passenger and freight trains.
Early in 1854 a horse sawing machine was installed at Greene Station to saw the four-foot lengths of wood into two, to fit into the fire box, and for more convenient handling by the fireman. The sawing machine was owned by Samuel Arnold of Quidnick who had several machines at the different stations where wood was stored for use by the Railroad Company. He kept two horses at Greene, one to be used in the forenoon and the other in the after- noon. This was continued until early in the seventies when coal came into use, and soon after all engines were altered and the use of wood discontinued, thus stopping a great sale of wood by the farmers who had their money invested in horses and wagons, and some of whom had many cords of wood cut and nowhere to sell it.
Soon after the first passenger train went through Greene on October 2, 1854, a time table went into effect which gave Greene good facilities for traveling both east and west. The first train for Providence left Greene for many years at 7:25 in the morning six days a week. This was the milk train, with W. J. Cross, of Plainfield, Connecticut, as conductor. At 9:25 a train from Hart- ford for Providence stopped at Greene. Another from Hartford at II:30 A.M. also stopped at Greene. In the afternoon a train from Plainfield stopped at 1:30,-also one at 5 o'clock from Hart- ford which carried mail and was due in Providence at 6 o'clock. Going west Hartford trains left Greene at 8 o'clock and at 10 o'clock. A train for Plainfield stopped at 12:30 P.M. Hartford trains stopped at 2:30 and 5:30 P.M., and the last train for Plain- field at 6:30 P.M.
In the early part of the seventies the road changed hands, be- coming the New York and New England, and the time table for Greene was completely changed. The through train to Hartford was taken off and this road was made a division ending at Willi- mantic. The 7:25 milk train was still kept. A train from Plain- field stopped at Greene at 9:24 A.M. A through train from Willi- mantic stopped at II:30 A.M., and trains from Willimantic stopped at 4:50 and 8:22 P.M. Going west trains left Greene for Plainfield at 8:10 A.M., for Willimantic at IO A.M. and 1:00 P.M., for Plainfield at 3:45 P.M., and for Willimantic at 5:30 and 8:22 P.M.
II
History of Greene and Vicinity
So it is seen that traveling facilities were good from the early days of Greene up to 1921 when a reduction of trains began which now leaves Greene with only one passenger train a day on the steam road, as it is now called, from Greene to Providence and return. The motive power has been changed from steam to gaso- line, and in place of a train one car is used to transport passengers from Greene to Providence and from Greene to Plainfield. During these years several express trains have been run over this road which did not stop at Greene. Two of these in the early days ran express from Hartford to Providence and from Providence to Hartford, passing Greene about I o'clock P.M. During the summer of 1876 the Centennial Express carried passengers to the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia. This train stopped at any station which had passengers for the Exposition. Changes in transportation have affected Greene, as other places, as times and motive power have changed. During the seventy-four years of the history of Greene no change has been greater than that in the motive power of transportation, originally steam and now gasoline. What will come next is hard to foretell.
GREENE AND ITS HOMES
In the starting of any new village or town it is necessary for the new residents to build permanent homes, for these are to make up the permanent life of the village or town. In this history of Greene we must now turn our attention to those who, by building homes, made of Greene the village it came to be in after years.
The late Squire G. Wood came from his farm three miles south of Greene, and in 1856 bought the first building lot from Olney Briggs and in 1857 proceeded to build the first home in the new village of Greene. This first home was a house some 40 x 20 feet, a story and a half high, with an ell attached on the east end, with a basement suitable for store purposes, and a cellar the entire length of the house and ell. The house was finished in 1858 and occupied by its owner and family until 1861 when the family moved back to the farm, and the house at Greene was occupied by Gustavus Wilbur and his wife, son-in-law and daughter of S. G. Wood. They occupied the house until August, 1865, when, upon
12
History of Greene and Vicinity
the death of the wife, Huldah Wilbur, the family of the owner returned. Squire G. Wood died there in August, 1887. His widow and her daughter lived there until 1897, when the house was sold to Charles E. Capwell. Mr. Capwell lived there for some time, and also rented the house for some years to Burrill Wood from Foster, and to Daniel Billington. Later it was sold to its present owner and occupant, Sanford T. Briggs.
The second home to be established was on the lot adjoining Mr. Wood's lot on the south. This was erected by Whipple V. Phillips, who came from the town of Foster, and who, it will be seen later, had much to do with the building up of Greene as a village. He built a very comfortable home, with a large barn and carriage house, and made other improvements. Mr. Phillips occupied this house until about 1880, when he removed to Provi- dence where he resided until his death some years ago. Mr. Phillips' house at Greene was bought by Daniel Tillinghast, who lived there until his death, when it was bought by the present occupant, Albert W. Cleveland.
The next and for many years the last house on the east side of the road was built and occupied by Alexander Peck and wife, who came to Greene in the early sixties. Mr. Peck, a carpenter, helped to build several of the houses now making up the village of Greene.
For many years no home was built on the west side of the road south of the railroad, this side being occupied by a storehouse for grain, a blacksmith shop and a barn owned by S. G. Wood. In 1882 or 1883 the building used as a grain storehouse was altered into a house and an ell was added and thus was made the home of Curnel S. Brown who still lives at an advanced age and con- tinues to make this his home.
We now go north of the railroad on the main road through the village, for the main part of the village and also its business have been on this side of the railroad.
The first house on the west side of the road was built by W. V. Phillips in the year 1860, and soon after was sold to Lyman Davis who came from New York State in 1858 and lived for a short time at Hopkins Hollow, then moved to Greene where he lived until his death in 1885, leaving a widow, Mrs. Serena Davis, and
I3
History of Greene and Vicinity
two sons, William and Leroy, and a daughter, Emma. William Davis has been connected with many of the mill firms as an engineer and boiler inspector. Leroy Davis for more than fifty years was trainman and conductor on the Norwich and Worcester division of the New Haven Railroad. Mrs. Emma Davis Bates was the first telegraph operator at Greene. The house has always remained in the Davis family and is now occupied by William Davis and family.
Next in order on the same side was a house built by Oliver Lewis and occupied by him until his death in 1887. It was after- ward owned by Amos Jordan and wife, who lived there for many years until the house was destroyed by fire. It was never rebuilt.
The next home in our history of old homes was located a little west of the main road to Bowen's Hill on the new road to Rice City. This was a small house built and owned by Jerry Knight who worked as a blacksmith in the early days of Greene. He had quite a large family, lived at Greene for several years, and then moved away. The next occupant of his house was Horace Wood, son of David Wood of Rice City. Horace Wood was noted as a very fine violin player. Later the house was owned and occupied by T. Jerome Harrington, or Deacon Harrington, as he was better known, for many years a deacon in Rice City Church. This was his home until his death in the early nineties. After his death the home was owned by his widow, Hitty Potter Harrington, who lived several years after her husband's decease. At her death it became the property of her brother, Bates M. Potter, and after his death was sold to Stephen E. Brown, who rebuilt it, making a large well appointed home which is still kept up. Mr. Brown lived here several years and then moved to the south part of the State, where he now lives. Several years ago Eben A. Briggs purchased this place from Mr. Brown and has since made it his home. He has one son, Ernest, who is an employe of a bank in Providence.
The next old home whose history we record is located on the west side of the road leading to Bowen's Hill,-the land being located on the road to Rice City as well as on the Bowen's Hill road. This home was built by Deacon Otis Foster, as he was known everywhere, early in the history of the village, and he
I4
History of Greene and Vicinity
came here and lived until his death. Later the place was owned by Daniel Freeman, who had been a railroad employe for many years. Mr. Freeman was one of the best men Greene has ever had, taking an active interest in everything that would benefit the community. He was much missed when death took him. He left a wife but no children. The place has been owned for many years by George W. Chace of Providence, who still lives there. He now has a small planing mill and workshop to aid him in his trade of carpenter.
The next home is one built early in the nineties by the late Herbert A. Stone and sold to Bates M. Potter, who came from North Sterling, with his good wife. Here they lived during their declining days, and went to their eternal home within a few years of each other. Bates M. Potter and his wife were both active Christians and both believed in the spirit of helpfulness to all with whom they came in contact. Both are buried in the cemetery at Hopkins Hollow. The home is now occupied by Everett Hop- kins, and his wife Ethel M., who is a granddaughter of the former owner, Bates M. Potter.
Across the Buckshorn River, close to the river, is one of the oldest of the homes built in the early days of Greene, for Lyman Scott, who for more than forty years made this his home. He had two sons and three daughters. One son, George W., and one daughter, Jane, are still living in the old home.
We now return to the east side of the Bowen's Hill road leading north from the village. In the early days there were no homes between the railroad and the small brook just south of the Brown place, so called. On the site of the old mill, whose history will be written later, in the early nineties was built a new home by the late William A. Stone, who came from Washington, R. I., and who made this his home for several years. He then sold the house to Charles M. Howland, who was for several years the mail driver on what is known as the north route. Mr. Howland sold the house to Mrs. John Tanner, who now owns and rents it.
The next home on the right was built for Frank A. Brown, son of John A. Brown of West Greenwich, who lived there until his death several years later. The home is now owned by Charles H. Arnold, storekeeper at Greene.
I5
History of Greene and Vicinity
Across the small brook we come to one of the first homes to be established in Greene. This house was built by, and for, George T. Brown, one of the early settlers. He had quite a large family,- most of them now gone, never to return. Mr. Brown and his family were in Greene during the booming days of the village. They afterward moved to the city of Providence. In 1885 Dr. C. L. Ormsbee came to Greene, and used this house as his home and office for many years. It is now owned by William H. Brown, and for several years Fred W. Arnold has made it his home.
The next home on the right also was built by the late Herbert Stone and soon after was sold to Shubael Colvin of Moosup, Connecticut, who made this his home until his death some years later. The house was then sold to its present owner, William Alexander, who came to Greene from Pawtucket several years ago.
We now go across the Buckshorn River once more to a small home first owned, and occupied for many years, by Andrew J. Cahoone. It was afterward owned by Elisha Matteson, who came to Greene from Moosup Valley, and this was his home until his death a few years ago. The house is now owned by Mrs. Hattie M. Gee, who lives there at the present time.
A short distance farther another home was built by John Peck, and was his home until his death in the late nineties. Lucius Capwell then moved there and lived for several years,-finally selling to William R. Potter, who now lives there.
We now come back to the railroad crossing and proceed east along the side of the railroad on what has been known from the early days as Benefit Street. In 1890 Rev. Ansel M. Bourne came to Greene and erected a new house on the first lot east of the store and for several years made this his home, finally removing with his family to Providence. It was afterward, for some years, the home of the Pastor of the Methodist Church. Later the house was bought by John H. Tanner and until his death was his home. Finally the house was destroyed by fire, and a new house was built by Mrs. Tanner, now occupied by her.
The next house on Benefit Street was built by Charles Borden, storekeeper and station agent, and was afterward owned by his sister, Mrs. Bailey. In 1890 S. H. Potter became the owner, and it is now the home of his widow, Mrs. Amanda Potter, and his daughter, Eva A. Potter.
16
History of Greene and Vicinity
The next house on Benefit Street is one of the oldest in the village and was built early in the history of Greene by Stephen Brown of W. V. Phillips & Company. For many years this was the home of Mr. Brown and his family. After his death his widow and children continued to make this their home, but the children grew up and have gone away, some of them far from this, their birthplace. James Knight and his daughter Ida became owners of the house, and at their death it became the property of two brothers of James Knight-Thomas J. and John Knight, of West Greenwich.
The next home on Benefit Street was the first house built by Herbert Stone and later sold to Seneca S. Rathbun, who came here in 1871 and worked with several of his sons in the mill which was then in operation. After many years' residence here he moved to Gibson Hill in Connecticut. This home is now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Earl Cargile, who have made many improvements so that it is now one of the best homes in Greene.
The next home, built by Stephen Wilcox in the early days of the village, later became the property of Jeremiah S. McGregor, who made his home here for several years and then removed to Thompson, Connecticut. It was then by purchase owned by a Mrs. Grant, and upon her removal became the property of Mr. and Mrs. Everett Hopkins, who rent it.
The next home on Benefit Street was built by John Rowond, who lived here a few years, and then sold it to Nathan Kenyon, who married Amanda Briggs, daughter of Olney Briggs, one of the owners of the land which is now Greene. He removed to Provi- dence and the place was bought by Elijah Robinson of Moosup who made it his home until his death. It is now owned by Henry R. Albro, who carries on a trucking business in Greene and vicinity.
The last home on Benefit Street was built by Thomas Holihan, our first and only baggagemaster, who lived there until his removal to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he was a railroad employe until his death several years ago. The house became the property of J. S. McGregor, whose son John made it his home until his removal to East Providence. It then became the home of Albert W. Aldrich, who lived there for many years until shortly before his death. It is now the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Finley, son-in-law and daughter of A. W. Aldrich.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.