USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > North Providence > Annals of Centerdale : in the town of North Providence, Rhode Island : its past and present, 1636-1909 > Part 3
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THE REVOLUTIONARY POWDER-MILL.
Connecticut; being transported to the State magazine in Providence by boat, or overland by horses or oxen.
On account of the difficulty of obtaining powder from these places after the opening of hostilities, it was decided to encourage the manufacture of it within the colony, and the following resolution was passed by the General Assem- bly at the January session, 1776.
"And where as it is necessary that one powder Mill be immediately erected in the colony for the manufacturing of gun powder
"Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid that a bounty or premium of Thirty Pounds, shall be paid out of the Colony Treasury, to the person or persons who shall erect a powder-mill in this Colony and shall make and manufacture therein Five hundred pound weight of good and merchantable gun-powder.
"And where as, it is expedient that such Powder Mill should be situated as to accommodate the public in the best manner."
The bounty of thirty pounds did not offer sufficient in- ducement for anyone in the colony to undertake the risk of manufacturing a product that they had so little knowl- edge of, and, realizing the pressing need of it, the colonial government decided to undertake its manufacture on their own account; and at the May session of the General As- sembly, 1776, John Jenckes and John Waterman were ap- pointed a committee to procure a suitable site, and erect a powder-mill thereon at the charge of the colony as soon as possible, and they were authorized to draw out of the general treasury "One hundred and Fifty Pounds Lawfull money for the purpose."
The committee immediately set at work to secure a
5
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ANNALS OF CENTERDALE.
suitable site; one that would be convenient to the colony magazine, and at a place where water-power could be had to reduce the powder to its proper fineness.
The committee in their search selected a site on the Woonasquatucket river in Centerdale.
The exact location was between the railroad station and the dam of the Centerdale Worsted Co., as now located. At that time there was a saw-mill upon the opposite bank of the river, and the State or colony obtained the right to use the water from the saw-mill pond to operate the powder-mill.
About the middle of June, of the same year, the mill was completed : but on account of it being a new industry. the committee found some difficulty in procuring a man sufficiently informed in the process of the manufacture of gunpowder to take charge of the mill.
They reported the fact to the Assembly who, alive to the necessity of taking active steps to set the mill in operation as quickly as possible, instructed and authorized John Waterman to procure a man at SOME PRICE, or upon the best terms he could make, to operate the mill.
He finally succeeded in obtaining the services of a man, well versed in the manufacture of gunpowder, by the name of Jacob Goff.
In order that Goff might be with his family. the Assembly appropriated two hundred pounds to purchase a piece of land and erect a dwelling-house for them, and appointed Jacob Goff and Caleb Harris a committee to superintend the building of the house.
The house built by the State for Goff was the second dwelling-house built within the limits of what is now the village of Centerdale, and stood upon that part of the old
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THE REVOLUTIONARY POWDER-MILL.
colonial road which was abandoned as a public highway after the completion of the Powder-Mill Turnpike, in 1815. The house stood about 125 feet west of the iron bridge that crosses the Woonasquatucket river (see map), and was destroyed by fire April 14, 1902.
DWELLING HOUSE BUILT BY STATE FOR JACOB GOFF, 1777. 1134400
Soon after Goff took charge of the mill he secured the services of a man by the name of Laban Beverly. In August, 1779, the State had a quantity of powder which by dampness had become unfit for use, and transported it to the powder-mill to be remanufactured, as it was called. The process of remanufacturing was a hazardous operation, but had proceeded without mishap until the afternoon of August 28th, 1779, when it was supposed that some foreign substance had in some way got into the mixing or stamping mortar, when suddenly the place was illumined by a lurid glare, followed quickly by a terrific explosion, not unlike the deafening crash of a hundred thunderbolts, the concussion being felt for many miles
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ANNALS OF CENTERDALE.
around, causing fear and alarm in many homes, whe fully realized that some terrible disaster had occurred. The country around was strewn with the debris from the wreck of that which was but a moment before the colonial powder-mill. One of the beams from the building was blown for nearly three-quarters of a mile from the mill.
After the dense smoke had cleared away it was seen that the powder-mill was completely demolished, and that Jacob Goff and Laban Beverly had been blown some distance and were terribly burned and mangled, but were still living: death relieved them of their suffering the following evening.
At the time of the explosion there were about two tons of finished powder upon the premises, besides a large quantity that was being made over.
The family of Jacob Goff, consisting of his wife Olive Goff and five children, were left destitute, and with no relatives who were able to provide for their comfort. The facts being made known to the General Assembly. with the knowledge that Goff lost his life in the service of his country, they immediately granted an allowance of six hundred dollars for the relief of the destitute family.
The State decided not to rebuild the powder-mill. and the site lay idle until 1785, when the General Assembly appointed a committee, consisting of John J. Jenckes and Jabez Bowen, to sell the property.
In August. 1786, they sold the land and dwelling-house to Isaac Olney, also (as the deed describes it) the large water-wheel, with all the privileges of the water which the State bought of the owners of the saw-mill called the " Mudd Mill."
After Isaac Olney bought the property he erected thereon
37
THE REVOLUTIONARY POWDER-MILL.
a grist-mill, which was the first grist-mill erected here. He continued to run the mill until October 27, 1797, when he sold it to William Goddard, who removed it across the river and ran it in connection with the saw-mill of which he was part owner.
In a work entitled "Revolutionary Defences in Rhode Island," by Edward Field, on page 40, the colonial powder- mill is erroneously located on the Waterman road near the little hamlet known as Cæsarville, which is about one mile south from its true location. There is no evidence that more than one powder-mill was built by the Rhode Island colony, during the Revolutionary War, and it is well known by old residents of Centerdale that the mill was located on the western bank of the Woonasquatucket river near the dam of the Centerdale Worsted Mills; and as further proof is the positive evidence of the deed of the powder-mill site given by Joseph Clark, general treasurer of Rhode Island, to Isaac Olney, dated August 24, 1786, and recorded in book number two, page 180, of the records of the town of Johnston.
After defining the boundaries of the lot, the following additional description is given: "there being about one acre and an half of said land with the dwelling house, and the large water wheel with all of the privileges of the water which the State bought of the owners of the saw mill called the Mudd Mill."
It is common knowledge among elderly people for many miles around Centerdale that the saw-mill once located here was known by the name of Mudd Mill. After Israel Arnold built the spinning-mill here, in 1812, he named the place Center, and it was known by that name until in after years it received the affix of "Mill" and
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ANNALS OF CENTERDALE.
"Ville," and finally, after the post-office was established here, in 1849, it was changed to Centerdale.
Further evidence can be given that the powder-mill was located here from the fact that the old colonial road leading from Providence (after the erection of the powder mill) was called the Powder Mill road, and in 1810, when the turnpike company was incorporated, it took for its corporate name, "The Powder-Mill Turnpike Corpora- tion," undoubtedly on account of its following the line of the old highway leading to the powder-mill and in many places using the old roadbed.
The highway was always called the Powder-Mill Turn- pike until it was purchased by the State in 1873, when that part lying in North Providence was named Smith street, it being a continuation of Smith street, Provi- dence.
CHAPTER VI.
HIGHWAYS.
P REVIOUS to the year 1810 the only public high- way leading from Providence via Centerdale to the towns in the northern part of the State and the adjoin- ing towns in the States of Connecticut and Massachusetts was the old colonial road; and from its winding course, undoubtedly it was originally a continuation of driveways from the farm of one settler to that of another, as the pioneers pushed their way back into the new country, and in many cases following old Indian trails.
As the country became more thickly settled, and the farmer and trader had more frequent occasion to journey to Providence to sell or exchange their produce, the necessity for better highways became apparent. To meet the requirements it was proposed to construct a direct turnpike road from Providence to connect with the Glo- cester turnpike, which was already completed from the northern part of the State as far south as Greenville.
The prospect of a paying investment and the encourage- ment of the starting of a stage line from Putnam, Conn., to Providence, caused the organizing of a stock company with sufficient capital to undertake the construction of the much needed highway, the connecting link between the towns near the Connecticut line and Providence via the Glocester turnpike road.
At the February session of the General Assembly, 1810, an act was passed incorporating the Powder-Mill Turn-
NXHYHY
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MAP OF CENTERDALE
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ANNALS OF CENTERDALE.
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Mineral Spring Av.
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HIGHWAYS.
pike Corporation, consisting of Henry Smith, Philip Allen, Richard Olney, Robert Newell, and others, giving them the power to construct and maintain a turnpike road three rods wide, to begin at Sprague's tavern (a point near the junction of the Snake Hill road, in Greenville) at the easterly end of the Glocester turnpike road; from thence running easterly until it reaches the westerly line of the town of Providence, on the plain (as it was called) near Fenner Angell's, or at such point or place as the committee to be appointed shall fix and establish.
This proposed turnpike road now constitutes the main thoroughfare through the village of Centerdale, upon which is located the principal business places of the town, and is now called Smith street.
Soon after the act of incorporation was granted by the legislature, arrangements were made for the construction · of the road, and in 1815 it was opened to public travel. Like all turnpike roads, the charter provided for the repairs and maintenance of the road by a system of taxation from all who traveled over it, the tax, or toll, as it was called, being collected at certain designated places called toll-gates. There were two gates established; one being located at the northeast corner of what is now called Smith street and Fruit Hill avenue. At that time the old Fruit Hill tavern stood there, and was kept by James Angell, who afterwards built the Centerdale hotel. Mr. Angell was one of the first to collect toll upon the new road.
The other gate was located at the corner of the turnpike road and the road that leads to Spragueville, at what was afterwards known as the George Mowry tavern, about midway between Centerdale and Greenville.
ANNALS OF CENTERDALE.
The corporation was obliged by law to post a sign- board, or rate-board, as it was called, near the gate, giving the rates of toll to be paid before passing through.
One of the old rate-board is still preserved, and a copy of the rates of toll charged is here given:
RATES OF TOLL.
For every waggon. cart. truck or sled drawn by two" Horses or oven 10 cents if drawn by three enttle 12; cents Ifdrawn by more than three cattle 15 cents. for every sleigh Drawn by one horse 6 cents if drawn by more than one Horse Bi cents. for every coach, chariot. phaeton or Curricle 25 cents. for every chaise, chair, sulkey or other Pleasure carriage drawn by one horse 122 cents for every Additional horse 6 cents, for every horse and horse cart Orwaggon 6 cents. for a person and horse 6cents, horses Ormulesin droves 2 cents per. head, neat cattlein droves Icent per head, sheep or swine in droves & cent per head For all loads over fifty hundred pounds & cent per.hundred For'cach additiondi hundred.
OLD SIGN OF RATES OF TOLL.
The Powder-Mill turnpike was no exception to nearly all other turnpike roads in the State, and eventually proved a failure as a dividend-paying enterprise. After a time the roadbed required extensive repairs, and the annoying system of toll-taking became unpopular with the public, which induced the towns through which it ran to petition to the legislature to purchase the highway. the towns agreeing to accept such parts as lay within their boundaries as town roads, and to keep the same in repair. Accordingly, at the January session of the General Assem- bly in 1873, one thousand dollars was appropriated to purchase the road, and it was then thrown open to the public. and declared a free public highway; and August 3. 1874. that part lying in North Providence was named
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HIGHWAYS.
Smith street, it being a continuation of Smith street, Providence.
THE FARNUM TURNPIKE, NOW WATERMAN AVENUE.
At the February session of the General Assembly, 1808, Joseph Farnum, Caleb Farnum, Stephen Steere, Elisha Steere, and others, were granted a charter incorporating the Farnum Turnpike Company, whose object was to construct a turnpike road from Centerdale, running north- erly through Georgiaville to the Appleby road, so-called. It was thought that the building of this highway would prove a great convenience to the people living in Georgia- ville and the surrounding country in Smithfield, by afford- ing them a more direct route to Providence. For some reason unknown the road was only partially constructed, and the charter was allowed to lapse; but at the meeting of the General Assembly, in 1819, the charter was revived. After continuing along inactive it again lapsed, when finally, at the January session, 1828, the charter was again revived, and a meeting of the incorporators was ordered to be held at the hotel of Winsor Farnum, in Georgiaville, on the first Monday in March, 1828. The company was then reorganized, and the turnpike was eventually com- pleted. The highway, as anticipated, was a source of convenience to the public, and remained a turnpike road until the January session of the General Assembly, 1873, when an appropriation of $500.00 was made to purchase the turnpike and make it a free public highway, provided the towns through which it passed would accept it as a town road and forever keep it in repair. This the towns of North Providence and Smithfield voted to do at their next town meeting, and in 1873 the Farnum turnpike
44
ANNALS OF CENTERDALE.
was declared a free town road. After the town of North Providence accepted the portion lying in that town it was, in 1875, named Waterman avenue, in honor of Caleb V. Waterman, an old and respected resident of Centerdale.
MINERAL SPRING TURNPIKE.
At the June session of the General Assembly, 1825, a charter was granted incorporating the Smithfield and Glocester Turnpike Corporation, with power to con- struct a turnpike road, starting from Pawtucket, running thence westerly until it intersected the Powder-Mill turn- pike road, at Centerdale; thence running in a westerly course through Johnston, Scituate, and Glocester to the Connecticut line; from whence it was to continue on to Pomfret, Conn.
The construction of that part west of Centerdale was abandoned before any work was commenced, and at the October session of the General Assembly the name of the corporation was changed to the Mineral Spring Turnpike Corporation, the company taking its name from a spring near the line dividing the town of North Providence from the city of Pawtucket, not far from Orchard avenue. This spring is said to be strongly impregnated with some mineral, probably iron.
The following year, 1827, the work of construction was begun, opening up a part of the country lying between Pawtucket and Centerdale which previously was not well provided with a convenient highway running east and west, and as Pawtucket was at that time a part of North Providence and the seat of government of the town, the new highway proved to be a great convenience to the people living in and around Centerdale.
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HIGHWAYS.
Unfortunately the course of the road lay over long hills, requiring frequent and expensive repairs, and the com- paratively limited travel over the road resulted dis- astrously to the stockholders. The unpopularity of the toll-gate system was demonstrated in this case as in others, and the enterprise followed the way of similar projects in this State. The road was purchased by the town in 1867, and declared a public highway and named Mineral Spring avenue.
WOONASQUATUCKET RIVER ROAD.
After the completion of Mineral Spring turnpike Cen- terdale was well provided with outlets in either direction, excepting the country bordering on the Woonasquatucket river, from Centerdale to Manton.
After the successful spinning and weaving of cotton by water-power, the country bordering along the river began to be rapidly improved. Daniel Lyman had already built a cotton mill at Lymansville, and in 1822 Zachariah Allen completed the mill at Allendale. This increasing business soon demanded better highway service, the only way of reaching those places being by private driveways con- structed by the owner of the mills, and not at all adequate to public need. It was evident that a highway was needed from Centerdale through the villages of Allendale and Lymansville to Manton, connecting with the old road now called Manton avenue, from whence one could reach Olneyville and Providence with much greater convenience.
The distance from Centerdale to Manton was only about two miles, and was too short to encourage the construction of a turnpike road; so if a highway was to be built, it must be done by the aid of popular subscription.
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ANNALS OF CENTERDALE.
This being so, and the need of such a road clearly appar- ent, a meeting of the citizens interested was called about the first of October, 1843, to consider the matter and take such action as might seem expedient. At this meet- ing it was voted to build the road by subscription, and after its completion to have the town accept it as a town road.
A subscription paper was drawn up, dated October 2d. 1843, a copy of which is here given :
"We the undersigned, for and in consideration of the use and benefits derivable from the opening of a level public road between Center Mill & Triptown [now Cen- terdale and Manton], along the Easterly bank of Woon- asquatucket river in North Providence, do hereby agree to pay the several sums affixed to our respective names for the purpose of constructing said road, to the com- mittee of the subscribers who may be hereafter appointed to complete the same.
"North Providence Oct 2ª 1843"
The paper contains 112 names, with amounts varying from $1.00 to $225.00. The total amount subscribed was $900.00 in cash, besides all the land needed for the road and fencing the same.
The largest donators were Zachariah Allen, James Angell. Obediah Olney, Charles Olney, and the Center Mill Company.
As soon as success was assured, a meeting of the sub- scribers was called, February 10, 1844, to make the nec- essary arrangements for carrying on the work. Elisha O. Angell was elected chairman and Zachariah Allen,* secretary, and as the record of the meeting is still extant
* One of Rhode Island's noted cotton manufacturers.
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HIGHWAYS.
and in Mr. Allen's own handwriting, it is given here in full :
"At a Meeting of the subscribers and others interested in making a new Road from Center Mill to Triptown holden at Center Hotel in North Providence on Saturday Feb 10th 1844 pursuant to notice in the public papers "Mr Elisha O Angell was elected Chairman & Z Allen Secretary
"It was voted that the following named Gentlemen be appointed a committee to collect the Subscriptions for building said road, and to make the necessary contracts through Mr James Angell, Joseph Cunliff, Elisha O Angell, Olney Angell, Z. Allen and Asa Steere.
"Voted that James Angell be appointed Treasurer to receive the sums collected by the aforesaid Committee and to disburse the same on their joint order
"Z Allen Secretary"
The committee immediately advertised for bids for the construction of the road, and April, 1844, the contract was let to Col. George Smith, who agreed to build the road for $900.00
It is curious to note the form of contract used then in comparison with the voluminous form, covering thirty or forty printed pages, now in use for work of that kind. That one being written upon a scrap of paper scarcely half the size of this page, the words occupying about a dozen lines.
It is a curiously worded document, and is here given, the spelling and capital letters used in the original being retained :
"April th 1844
" I James Angell Joseph Cunliff & Elisha O Angell Let the Road Leading from Center Village To Triptown to
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ANNALS OF CENTERDALE.
Col George Smith for Nine Hundred Dollars Said Smith Makes the Road 18 feet on the travil Wide Except the Cuts & filling Cuts to be 16 feete at Botton filling 16 ft at top. He to Build the travil from Powder Mill Road on the West Sid & Gradualy Strike the Center of Road accross the Brook. then & there Strikes the East Sid at the Rock in the Swamp. We are to advance the money as We can Collect & as the Road Advances & Said Smith is to Comince Building Road Tuesday April th & is to finish Road Soon as Convenant Can Be Built."
With this (ironclad) contract Col. George Smith set to work some time in April, 1844, to carry out its provisions, and in the early part of October of the same year the road was completed and ready for public travel.
The road was afterwards accepted by the town as a public highway, and named Woonasquatucket avenue.
This comprises all the main or principal highways that lead to or pass through Centerdale.
CHAPTER VII.
TRANSPORTATION.
TO give the history of transportation through the val- ley of the Woonasquatucket to and from Centre- dale, it will be necessary to begin the story at the time when the farmer's oxen furnished the motive power for moving the products of the forest and farm to market; and in the early days of the colony it is not supposed that the freight traffic exceeded the transportation facilities.
The passenger traffic was expected to take care of itself. People must get to town and back again the best way they could: that way, generally, was on foot, with their gun for a traveling companion; but the more fortu- nate would go on horseback.
The colonial roads over which they were obliged to travel were little better than cartpaths now seen on country farms or in the woods, and originally were pass- ways from one farm to another and were laid out to convenience the parties interested, which accounts for the winding course which many of them took.
The introduction of the cotton and woolen industry into the country greatly increased both the freight and passenger traffic, which ultimately called for better high- ways for moving the products of the mill.
The poor condition of the roads encouraged the organ- izing of turnpike corporations, whose object was the con- struction of turnpike roads as an investment and source of revenue from toll-gates which were placed at certain distances along the road.
4
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ANNALS OF CENTERDALE.
Turnpike roads were generally surveyed and laid out in a more direct course than were the colonial roads, often shortening the distance to be traveled between points one or more miles; but they were far from being model highways, such as we now have, but were still a great improvement over the old colonial road. An event of importance to early Rhode Island people was the com- pletion of the Powder-Mill turnpike, in 1815. from Provi- dence to Greenville, where it connected with the Glocester turnpike, which had already been completed to Chepachet. The Glocester pike was here met by the Putnam pike. which continued on to Putnam, Conn., thus forming a complete turnpike road from Putnam, Conn., to Provi- dence, R. I., a distance of about 30 miles. The building of these turnpike roads made a promising opening for a through stage line from Providence to Putnam.
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