History of Providence County, Rhode Island, Volume I, Part 2

Author: Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather), ed
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: New York, W. W. Preston
Number of Pages: 1036

USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > History of Providence County, Rhode Island, Volume I > Part 2

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. 607

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE MANUFACTURE OF JEWELRY IN PROVIDENCE CITY. PAGE

Providence the Leading City .- Magnitude of the Interest .- Before the War of 1812 .- Later Progress .- Location of the Shops .- In Time of the War .- Short-lived Jewelry Houses .- Brief notices of the Principal Manufacturing Establishments now in Operation. 636

CHAPTER XXIII.

VARIOUS FRATERNAL SOCIETIES.

Early history of Free Masonry here .- Grand Lodge formed .- St. John's Lodge .- Prominent Masons of that Day .- Thomas Smith Webb .- The anti-Masonie up- rising in 1828 .- Revival of the Order .- Different Masonic Lodges .- Royal Arelı Masons .- Other Departments of the Order .- Colored Masons .- Rise and Progress of the Odd Fellows .- Different Lodges .- Good Samaritans .- Grand Army of the Republic .- Knights of Pythias .- Knights of Honor .- Knights and Ladies of Honor .- Knights and Ladies of the Mystic Circle .- Ancient Order of Forresters. -American Legion of Honor .- United Friends .- N. E. Order of Protection .- Royal Arcanum .- Royal Society of Good Fellows .- Order of Elks .- Ancient Or- der of United Workmen .- Alfredians .- Sons of St. George .- Pilgrim Fathers .- Caledonians .- Scottish Clans .- Orders of Lucilius, the Golden Cross, Improved Red Men, and Harugari .- German and Hebrew societies .- Temperance organi- zations. 651

CHAPTER XXIV.

PROVIDENCE CITY-BIOGRAPHICAL, SKETCHES.

Albert Lee Anthony .- Eli Aylsworth .- Joseph Bamgan .- Jerothmul B. Barnaby .- William B. Blanding .- Obadiah Brown .- Henry R. Barker .- John Park Camp- bell .- Henry C. Clark .- William Corliss. - Perry Davis .- Daniel Eugene Day .- Charles Fletcher .- William A. Harris .- William S. Hayward. - Thomas J. Hill. -William Henry Hopkins .- Hiram Howard .- Oliver Johnson .- Benjamin Bray- ton Knight .- Robert Knight .- Herbert W. Ladd .- Henry Lippitt .- Isaac M. Potter .- Fitz James Rice .- Gilbert F. Robbins .- Elisha H. Rockwell .- Samuel Stearns Sprague .- Royal Chapin Taft .- Harvey E. Wellman .- Henry B. Win- ship 677

CHAPTER XXV. THE TOWN OF CRANSTON.

Description .- Organization .- Town Meetings,-Officers, etc .- Settlement and Set- tlers .- Militia .- Industries .- Cranston Print Works .- Knightsville .- Pawtuxet Village .- Oak Lawn .- Fiskeville .- Arlington .- Auburn .- Howard Station .- Corliss Safe Company .- Education .- State Farm .- Early Fairs and Cattle Shows. - Biographical Sketches 746

CHAPTER XXVI. THE TOWN OF JOHNSTON.

Description .- Early Manufacturing .- First Town Officers .- Highway Districts .- Schools .- Johnston in the Rebellion .- Town Farm .- Horse Detective Society .- Prominent Families .- Olneyville. - Merino Village .- Hughesdale .- Manton. -Thornton .- Upper Simmonsville .- Graniteville .- Centerdale. 785

xii

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PORTRAITS. PAGE.

Angell, Emnor J.

808

Anthony. Albert L.

677

Arnold, Barnard.

Aylsworth, Eli.

564

Banigan. Joseph.

682

Barker, Henry R.

690

Barnaby, Jerothinnl B.

684

Beane, George F. . 1.

$10

Blanding, William B

657

Bradley, Charles S.

Brown. Obadiah.

688

Budlong, John (

886

Burges, Walter S

Calef, George C

812

Campbell. John P

692

Clark. Henry C.

694

Cooper, Robert W

802

Corliss, William

612

Davis. Perry

614

Day, Daniel E.

558

Fletcher, Charles

624

Hall, Robert

880

Hall, William H.

774

Harris, William A

616

Hayward, William S.

708

Hill, Thomas J.

626

Hopkins, William H.

:10

Johnson, Oliver ..

714

Kenyon, George H.

88f

Knight, Benjamin B.

720

Knight. Robert.

724

Ladd. Herbert W

728

Lippitt. Henry.

732

Pond, Daniel B.

Potter, Isaac M.

734

Rice, Fitz James

635

Robbins. Gilbert F.

736

Rockwell. Elisha H

738

Sprague, Samuel S

633

Taft, Roval C ..

553

Tucker. Henry G

782

Van Slyck. Nicholas.

Wellman, Harvey E

560

Westcott. Amasa S.

Wheaton. James L.

130

Wheeler, Jonathan M.

784

Winship. Henry B. .

676

VIEWS. ETC.

Map of Providence County

Residence of Win. H. Hopkins 711

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Round lop

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BURR Reservoir

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IL E

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SAYLES HILL

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ROCK HILL

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SMITHFIELD

WIONKHEIGE

Stillwater,

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HILL

Cenfral Falls

asaft View

INE HILL

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PROVIDENCE

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Gien Rock

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East Providence

Hopkins MillsA

scituate)

Dyerville

Olney

Wat Theanoket

ville

Morgan, Mills

Foster Centre

Rockland

Knightsville E

Seekonk

Clayville/ Richmond

CRAN

Kent BAD

JUNKHILL

HILL Sockausset

HOWARD HILL

Jackson

Oak Lawn

Norwood

Stat

Mount Vernon.

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CANBUNCLE

Harris Mills

Jippitt

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Conimicht Stat

Coventry Centre

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Greenwood

Apponaug

Station

Grecite

Summit

Mompton

Warwick Sta

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BALD HILL

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HOPKINS

Ndose Neck

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CHOOSE NECH HILL

SCALE OF MILES.

MAP OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY,

R. I.

W. W. PRESTON & CO.,

.......

ARAYICKA

uwood Bayside

NEW YORK

ANO

NEW ENGLAND

Rockyft

WEEKS KILL

Nowidnick

Coweset

Oakland Beach

Spring'stake

Station

ANDREWS,MI

WEAVERS

Mishnock

HILL

FLAKUR WILL & Pond

East Greenwich/

Rod

Cerve

BOSTON HILLA

Quidmir

#Arctic

Centre

Co VIDe

South

BENNETT,

APPLEMOUSE HILE

ERV

WAR

Grove

Hosteonnaug Reservou

paw Jm ville

Moosup h.

Hemto

Saundersville

Hughes dale

SCITUATE

Simmons ill'ex

Ponaganset Asbland

.. Print Workst

---

Harris

Graniteville

Foster

dale

Reswansicut AHendalde

Elmdale

Pond

·· Geneva

Shippe Br

unvy samy

Hunting House Bral

Greenville

Spring

---------

GLOCESTER Keservoir

HILL

JENKS

Keerky

Waterman Res.

Moim

Blackston. R.N.

ORCE STER

.......

Sucker

Primrose

Albion

CUMBERI

WOONSOCKET

Plainville

Oak Valley

HILL

Mauville

Sayonville# Burntivi Oakland

PROVINE HTE

HAND MASS.

West Glocester

Spring Grove

NoshassNER

Altenvill

wtucket

Killingly Popul

HUKMIST.HI

North

South Koster P.O.S.

Merino Village

Ck Brk

South Scituate

# SBelles

MISERY

QUANT

wwwille

Mark

Flat River

Arkwright w

DIAMOND

Statersville

Ist

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Granitevil

SOPHEAGY MILL

Washington ( Coventry. P.A.

RACCOON

Stillwater Rese

HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.

CHAPTER I.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION.

Political Geography .- Watercourses .- Manufacturing Industries .- Agriculture .- Rail- roads .- Population and Growth .- Schools of the County .- Geology of the County, Rocks, Soils, Minerals, Timber, etc.

P ROVIDENCE COUNTY occupies the entire northern part of the state of Rhode Island. It is bounded on the north by Worces- ter and Norfolk counties, in Massachusetts; on the east by Nor- folk and Bristol counties, of Massachusetts; on the south by Bristol and Kent counties, of Rhode Island; and on the west by Windham county, Connecticut. In shape it is nearly square, its greatest meas- urement being from east to west, near the south side, where it reaches a distance of 24 miles. The length for the most part, however, has an average of about 22 miles, while its width from north to south is twenty miles throughout most of its length, the distance being some- what less in the eastern part. The county has an area of 380 square miles. It has an uneven surface, which, however, nowhere reaches any considerable elevation. Its soil generally is fertile.

The county is drained by the Blackstone river, which runs partly along its eastern border, and by the Pawtuxet river, which forms a part of its southern boundary. These rivers and their numerous branches afford water power for a great number of manufactories, which industry is the chief interest of the county. Of these tributa- ries one of the chief ones is the Chepachet, which waters the north- western part, through its branch, called the Clear river, furnishing power at Pascoag, and after their union giving power at Slatersville and other factory villages, and flowing into the Blackstone at Water- ford on the northern boundary of the county. Blackstone river below Pawtucket takes the name of Seekonk, and below the city of Provi- dence is known as Providence river. The Moshassuck rises in the town of Lincoln, and flows nearly parallel with the Blackstone and about two miles from it, on the west, and empties into Providence river at the Cove, where it meets the larger stream, the Woonasqua-

HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.

tucket, the latter stream rising in the northern central part of the county and driving numerous mills on its way. The Pawtuxet river drains almost the entire southern half of the county. It has numer- ous branches: in the town of Foster, Shippe and Killy's brooks, Pona- ganset river, Hemlock brook, and Westeonnaug reservoir; in Scitu- ate, Hunting House brook, and Moswansicut pond and stream; and in Johnston and Cranston numerous brooks which unite to make the important tributary known as the Pochasset. On the east the Black- stone receives the waters of Seven Mile river and Ten Mile river. The southwestern corner of the county is drained by the Moosup river, which flows southwest into the Quinnebaug, in Connecticut. The last mentioned stream also receives waters from the western border of this county through the Chestnut Hill brook in the vicinity of East Killingly.

All these streams are copious in their flow, and for the most part rapid in their descent, affording a great amount of available water power. The county contains some three or four hundred factories and mills, outside of the cities, and most of these are located on ard supplied with water power from some of these streams. Including those of all kinds in the cities, this county has some 1,700 establish- ments engaged in some kind of manufacturing. These establish- ments have invested an aggregate capital of some sixty million dol- lars, and give employment to about 50,000 operatives. The greatest single industry in this class is the manufacture of cotton goods. There are about 80 establishments in the county engaged in this manufacture. The capital invested would reach about $15,000,000. The amount of power utilized from the streams noticed, used in this manufacture alone, is about 12,000 horse power. In these factories there are employed about one and a quarter million spindles, and eighteen thousand looms. There are thus manufactured annually, about 60,000,000 yards of print cloths, 70,000,000 yards of sheetings, shirtings and twills, 5,000,000 pounds of cotton yarn, and a great variety of other goods in smaller quantities, consuming a grand total of 25,000 tons of cotton, and producing annually gocds to the value of $16,000,000. The woolen manufacturing of the county is carried on in about 40 establishments, employing a capital of about six million dol- lars, 3,000 horse power of water wheels, 1,500 looms and about S,CCO operatives. These mills consume about 15,000,000 pounds of wool, and manufacture some 10,000,000 yards of woolen cloths and 1,000,CCO pounds of yarn, all the products being worth in the aggregate about $14,000,000. The iron manufactures of this county are also important, the bulk of them, however, being confined to Providence city. There are in the county some $10,000,000 capital invested in this branch of manufacturing. Over 6,000 hands are employed in it, and over 2,000 tons of iron and steel are annually used, making products valued at about $11,000,000.

HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.

The agricultural productions of this county in 1880 were: 2,871 bushels of barley, 867 bushels of buckwheat, 96,402 bushels of corn, 7,484 bushels of oats, 4,861 bushels of rye, 124 bushels of wheat, $28,- 670 worth of orchard products, 34,408 tons of hay, 256,094 bushels of Irish potatoes, 439 bushels of sweet potatoes, 785 pounds of tobacco, 3,846 pounds of wool, 2,734,774 gallons of milk, 327,697 pounds of but- ter, and 24,029 pounds of cheese.

The county is intersected by several railroads, centering at Provi- dence. These are mainly in the eastern part of the county, while the western half is almost without railroad communication, the towns of Foster and Glocester being entirely destitute. The Providence Divi- sion of the New York & New England railroad crosses the southeast- ern part; the Providence & Springfield railroad runs up the valley of the Woonasquatucket, to Pascoag in the northwest part, and the Providence & Worcester railroad runs up the valley of the Black- stone, through the eastern part and leaving the county on its north- ern border. The Providence & Warren railroad runs southerly from the city, on the east side of the river, and the Boston & Providence runs out of the eastern side of the county, running northeasterly from the city.

The population of the county is shown by the following figures, which are given for the years preceding the numbers: 1708, 1,446; 1730, 3,916; 1748, 7,142; 1755, 10,947; 1774, 19,233; 1776, 18,479; 1782, 17,540; 1790, 24,391; 1800, 25,854; 1810. 30,869; 1820, 35,736; 1830, 47,- 020; 1840, 58,073; 1850, 87,526; 1860, 107,799; 1865, 122,022: 1870, 149,- 190; 1875, 184,924; 1880, 197,874; 1885, 220,606; 1890, 255,066. Of the total population in 1880, there were 94,921 males, and 102,953 females. Of that population 139,052 were natives of the United States, 100,298 having been born in Rhode Island, while of the 58,822 foreign born population, 13,979 were natives of British America; 10,271 of England and Wales; 29,047 of Ireland; 2,237 of Scotland; 1,542 of the German Empire; 216 of France; and 402 of Sweden and Norway.

The state of Rhode Island looks with just pride upon her school system. In some matters pertaining to public education she can claim to have been a pioneer. The office of city superintendent was first introduced in Providence in 1839, that city being the first in the Union to employ the services of such an official. In many other re- spects the people of the state and especially of Providence county have shown themselves in the fore-front of the army of educational progress. In the original polity of Rhode Island, however, there was no provision for education. Like religion it seems to have been con- sidered not the concern of the public, but matter for individual con- science and parental duty. The first movement toward the introduc- tion of a different policy was made by the Providence Association of Mechanics and Manufacturers. In October, 1798, a committee of that body was appointed to inquire into the most desirable method for the

HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.

establishment of free schools. Upon their report application was made to the general assembly in February, 1799, and that body took steps at once to further the progressive ideas set forth by their peti- tioners. As a result an act passed both houses and became a law in February, 1800. This " Act to Establish Free Schools" was intro- duced by the following preamble:

" Whercas, the unexampled prosperity, unanimity and liberty. for the enjoyment of which this nation is eminently distinguished among the nations of the earth, are to be ascribed, next to the blessing of God, to the general diffusion of knowledge and information among the people, whereby they have been enabled to discern their true interests, to distinguish truth from error, to place their confidence in the true friends of the country, and to detect the falsehoods and mis- representations of factions and crafty pretenders to patriotism: and this General Assembly being desirous to secure the continuance of the blessings aforesaid, and moreover to contribute to the greater equality of the people, by the common and joint instruction and edu- cation of the whole :-

"SECTION 1. Be it enacted &c .;- That each and every town in the State shall annually cause to be established and kept, at the expense of such town, one or more free schools, for the instruction of all the white inhabitants of said town, between the ages of six and twenty years, in reading, writing, and common arithmetic, who may stand in need of such instruction and apply therefor."

The schools were by this act placed in charge of the town council in each town. The cities were required to keep their schools for eight months in the year, some of the towns for six months, and others for four months. Twenty per cent. of the state taxes of the previous year were to be distributed from the general treasury to encourage the project, provided such sum should not in any year exceed $6,000.

The passage of this law met with great opposition, and it was re- pealed in February, 1803, Providence being the only town in the state that carried the act into effect. Again, at the June session of 1821, a committee was appointed by the general assembly, to inquire into the state of education in the several towns, but no report of their work appears to have been made. In 1827 the subject was again brought before the assembly, and at the January session in 1828 an act was passed "To Establish Public Schools." This act provided that cer- tain monies accruing to the state should be set apart for public school purposes, and that each town should be empowered to raise money to double the amount of its apportionment from such public funds. This act was the basis upon which the present school system, modified from time to time as the need appeared, has been built.

At the same session the town of Providence was authorized to raise any amount for free schools, notwithstanding the limitations of the law. In 1831 the school age was limited to 15 instead of 16 years,

HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.

as had been the case previously. In 1832 the provisions of public education were extended to colored children under the age of 10 years, together with five-fourteenths of such population between the ages of 10 and 24 years. In October, 1834. the several school districts of the town of Cumberland were authorized to assess and collect taxes to build and repair school houses. The same authority was granted to Burrillville in January, 1836; to North Providence in October of the same year, and again in May, 1838; to Smithfield in January, 1838; and to the Fourth district of Cumberland in October of the same year. In January, 1839, a thorough revision of all the legislation of the state since 1828, was made. "An Act Relating to Public Schools," being a further revision of the school laws, was passed at the June session of the general assembly in 1845.

According to the census of 1840 there were in Providence county then, 7,359 children under 5 years of age: 19.593 under 15 years; be- sides 468 colored children under 15 years of age. There were then in the county 8.448 men engaged in agriculture; 1,042 in commerce; 14,302 in manufactures and trades; 484 in navigation; and 269 in the learned professions and as engineers. Out of a total population of 58,073, there were 1,059 white persons over 20 years of age who could not read or write. The aggregate of real and personal property was valued at $8,505,652. In 1822 the estimate of real and personal prop- erty had been made at $5,080,000. In 1855 there were attending the public schools of the county 16,101 scholars. The total amount of money paid for instruction in schools was $80,688. There were then employed 367 teachers, in 214 schools, kept in the 179 districts of the county. In 18SS there were attending the public schools of the county 38,044 scholars. The total amount paid for instruction in schools was $378,891. There were then employed 857 different teach- ers, the average being 750 employed for the whole time taught. There were then 684 schools in the county.

In the following description of the geology of this county we have mainly followed the report of Charles T. Jackson, M.D., who under a resolve of the legislature in 1839, made a very particular and minute study of the subject. Providence is based upon conglomerated rocks, alternating with carboniferous clay slate, or shale: latter rocks occu- pying the lowest position in the series. In this formation are found occasional remains or impressions of vegetables, chiefly of the fern tribe of plants, and a few beds of anthracite of an unknown extent. The coarse conglomerate composes the upper or overlying stratum. This consists of various rounded or oval shaped pebbles of the pri- mary rocks cemented together by an argillaceous paste, derived from the decomposition and attrition of similar materials, the whole being compactly indurated, doubtless by heat of the underlying rocks and by the pressure of a formerly superincumbent ocean. The coarse conglomerate graduates into a very fine and compact rock, composed

HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.

of the fine particles of the same materials, which are so closely com- pacted as to give it sufficient firmness for the construction of build- ings and stone walls of great durability.

The same rocks continue to form the sub-stratum until we reach Cumberland, and in that town give place to huge masses of granite, quartz, hornblende, and other rocks of an unstratified nature, which have been thrown up in an incandescent state by subterranean power, producing various chemical and mechanical changes in the stratified rocks resting upon them. At Pawtucket, the conglomerate or grau- wacke alternating with clay slate, occurs abundantly in regular strata, which run north and south, and dip 80 degrees to the east- ward. The slate is glazed with carbonaceous matter, similar to indu- rated plumbago. On the exposed surface of this ledge, where the soil has been recently removed, diluvial furrows or scratches are quite distinctly seen, running in a course north 10° east, or south 10° west. Between Pawtucket and Valley Falls there occurs a red slate, which derives its color from the presence of peroxide of iron, and which alternates with the fine grauwacke rocks. The strata at Valley Falls run northeast and southwest, and dip 80 degrees to the southeast. The superincumbent soil is light and sandy, bearing a natural growth of pitch pines. On the borders of the Blackstone near the latter place the grauwacke rocks also occur, and there are seen to run northeast and southwest, with a dip of 80 degrees to the southeast.

Between the latter point and Cumberland the strata of rock runs north 10" east, and dips to the northward 45 to 50 degrees. Anthra- cite coal beds have been explored here, but have never been worked to any great extent. Some years ago a shaft was sunk to the depth of 67 feet. The soil here was found to be 28 feet thick. In the north- eastern part of Cumberland Diamond hill is an abruptly precipitous mountain of quartz rock, agatized in some places, and interrupted with fragments of jasper and other accidental minerals, such as druses of quartz crystals, phosphate of lime, and veins of red hematite iron ore. The iron ore occurs on the southern slope of the hill, about half way from its base to its summit. The veins are about six inches wide, and their cavities often contain beautiful botryoidal and stalactical groups of the ore, forming interesting specimens. This hill has been much visited by mineralogists for the sake of the beautiful specimens of agate chalcedony and quartz crystals, which abound in it. The former minerals constitute the principal mass of the hill, and are espe- cially beautiful at its summit, where they can be easily broken off from the huge detached masses of rock. The country around is level, presenting intervales of much fertility.

Iron Mine hill is a mountain mass of porphyritic magnetic iron ore, 462 feet in length, 132 feet in width, and 104 feet in height above the adjoining meadow. From these measurements it will appear that there are more than six million cubic feet of iron ore above natural

HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.

drainage. The weight of this mass to the cubic foot is 2403 pounds. On the northern side of the hill the rocks are gneiss and sienite. and on its southern side granite and hornblende. The rock contains 27 per cent. peroxide of iron, 12 per cent. protoxide of iron, 23 per cent. silicic acid, 15 per cent. titanic acid, and 13 per cent. alumina.

This ore is remarkable both on account of its geological situation and its mineralogical and chemical composition. It appears to have been protruded through the granite and gneiss at the same epoch with the elevation of numerous serpentine veins which occur in this vicinity. This will appear the more probable origin of this mass when we consider its chemical composition in comparison with the iron ore thrown up with the serpentine on the estate of Mr. Whipple, and the fact that the ore of Iron Mine hill is accompanied by serpen- tine mixed with its mass in every part, still further strengthens this belief. On the summit of this hill are a few spots covered with a thin soil, and the trees are generally small oaks. On the southern decliv- ity the soil is sandy and the trees borne by it are pines.

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History of Providence County, Rhode Island, Volume I, Part 2

Author: Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather), ed Publication date: 1891 Publisher: New York, W. W. Preston Number of Pages: 1036

Author: Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather), ed
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: New York, W. W. Preston
Number of Pages: 1036