USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > History of Providence County, Rhode Island, Volume II > Part 63
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IHISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
1878, and it then passed into the hands of his son, Henry H. Taft, the present owner, who put it in its present inviting shape. During the summer season the house is full of guests from Chicago, St. Louis and other cities, who come here to spend the hot months.
Mr. Nathan Blackman had a hat factory in early times, where he manufactured silk and felt hats. Oliver Owen had a nail factory and a trip-hammer in the early part of the present century. Solomon Owen had a tannery here before 1800. His son, Lawton; continued the business until his death. He was succeeded by his son, George, who had charge of the tannery for several years. The Messrs. Owen had oil works, where oil was pressed from cotton seed. A brick yard was established in Glocester by the owners of the clay beds. Elisha Bartlett was one of the first manufacturers of scythes in Glocester. Potash was manufactured quite extensively in the latter part of the last century by Timothy Wilmarth, in the vicinity of Chepachet. Crude ore, taken from the Sea Patch river in Glocester, was used at the Woonsocket forge before the revolution.
Mr. George Harris had a distillery in the same building where he had his grist mill for many years. He also had a tannery. In 1808 he built a house to carry on the work of carding. The building stood a little east of the bridge in Chepachet. The first custom house for carding and draping wool was where the Granite Mill now stands in Burrillville and was carried on by Daniel Sayles & Son. The wool to be carded was made into rolls to be spun on the family spinning wheel. Mr. Harris' works were sold to the Glocester Manufacturing Company.
Lawton Owen built a mill to spin cotton yarn in 1814. It stood near Chepachet. This mill was sold to Ira P. Evans and afterward to Henry B. Lyman and Elisha Dyer. In 1858 Horace A. Kimball, Jr., and Warren Arnold purchased the factory and commenced the manu- facture of satinet. Later they manufactured fancy cassimeres. In February, 1867, a freshet did great damage to the manufacturing establishments on the Chepachet river. In 1820 Elisha Dyer and Henry B. Lyman built a factory on the south side of the river, near the turnpike, where for 25 years they manufactured cotton cloth. They were succeeded by Otis Sayles and Joseph B. Smith. About 1862 they put in machinery to manufacture cassimeres. Fifty persons were employed. After the death of Sayles and Smith in 1881 Edward Valentine had charge of the factory and manufactured woolen goods. The first one of the White Mills was built in 1840 and was run some time as a cotton mill. No. I was originally 100 by 40 feet, two stories with basement and attic. In 1882 the first addition was built, which is 100 by 45 feet, four stories; and in 1885 addition No. 3 was built, which is 100 by 55 feet, three stories and all built of stone. The goods manufactured are fancy worsteds and the entire works employ 375 people. Mr. Henry C. White, the owner of these mills, also owns another mill known as the Point Mill, but it is not at present in operation.
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
Chepachet is a thriving little village in the northern part of Gloces- ter. It has been the center of business for this section since its first settlement. It contains two churches, one hotel, a woolen inill and several stores. In 1813 there were a dozen stores in the place and much business was done from towns around, reaching into Connecti- cut and Massachusetts, and that commercial relationship was main- tained till the building of the railroads. The Eddys, Kimballs and others were original and prominent in the ownership of land in and around Chepachet. In 1814 Amasa Eddy kept a store, also a saddle and harness shop. The names of Zachariah, Joshua and John M. Eddy also have been largely associated with the place in a business way. Robert Owen traded here as early as 1805 or 1806. Horatio Cook was an early trader here also. He was a native of the place and died in Chepachet. . The old store in which he traded so long and where he also kept the post office is now closed. Eddy M. Smith, an- other merchant, sold out his stock to Eddy & Tourtellot. Following them came Alexander Eddy & Tourtellot, Wade & Read, A. F. Wade, Nathan Young, then Elias Carpenter, who closed out about 1852. The Kimballs also sustained a creditable business relation to Chepachet. An old store originally kept by Thomas O. Evans, afterward by Tour- tellot & Spragnie, was then run by Horace Kimball, who closed the business. Job Armstrong occupied this store for some years He established himself in business as early as 1814 and kept it till 1850, when he failed. He was an active supporter of Dorr, and his zealous partisanship ruined his business. Duty and Ira P. Evans were also prominent merchants. Duty Evans sold his interests to Ira P. Evans abont 1842. The brothers were natives of the place, and traded first in a store now owned by Mrs. Lydia S. Slocum. Ira P. Evans then kept a store at the head of the street. The business was closed out about 1845.
W. W. Hawkins came into this place in 1842, and carried on a wheelwright and blacksmith shop from 1845 to 1855, and then bought out Peckham & Clemence, and has traded in the place ever since. In 1856 he built the store he now occupies. When Mr. Hawkins came here in 1842, he found a number of merchants then in business. Russell Kelly had been trading before that time some years. He died in 1850. Joseph B. Waldron, another merchant, died about 1857 or 1858. Jackson Mowry also traded a short time. He was succeeded by Peckham & Clemence, then W. W. Hawkins, after whom came Robert H. Wade, who crossed the road and is there yet. Horatio Cook, Horace Kimball, Thomas O. Evans and Job Armstrong were trading here in 1842. Charles Kimball traded here after Horace Kim- ball, and he sold to Walter A. Read in 1872, the present owner of that business.
A post office was established here in 1806, and Amherst Kimball was appointed postmaster. Succeeding postmasters were: Cyrus
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
Cooke; Horace Kimball. in 1845: Job Armstrong, in 1849: Horace Kimball. in 1853; William W. Hawkins, in 1861; Walter A. Read, in 1866; and Robert H. Wade, in 1885.
Manton Library Association .- In January, 1847, Mr. H. Barnard, commissioner of public schools for this state, made known to the citi- zens of Glocester, in a public meeting, that a native of Glocester, then residing in Providence, had placed at his disposal the sum of $100 to be expended in the purchase of a public library for the free use of the inhabitants of said town, on condition that the citizens raise a like sum. Subsequently Mr. Barnard offered the further sum of $25 for the same purpose on like condition of an equal sum from the inhabit- ants. The whole money was to be expended in the purchase of books by Mr. Barnard, as commissioner for the donors, and such other persons as the individuals subscribing to raise the town's part should appoint. The library was to be under the control of those individuals who subscribed. These subscribers were authorized to make such laws and regulations for its preservation and increase as to them should seem proper.
Following these propositions the citizens of the town raised the sum of $126.16, and organized by electing Job Owen, treasurer; Thomas A. Evans, collector. The Reverend Orrin F. Otis, A. A. Meader and George H. Browne were appointed a committee, in con- junction with Mr. Barnard, to purchase the books for the library. A constitution and by-laws were adopted by the society in 1847. In 1854 the library contained 750 volumes of well selected books, valued at $400. The library was given by Amasa Manton, of Providence, in memory of his native town, and the citizens in honor of the giver gave it the name Manton Library. In 1885 a new interest was awakened and the Library Association called a meeting and reorganized the so- ciety. The officers elected were as follows: President, John T. Fiske; vice-president, Thomas Irons; secretary, E. W. White; treasurer, Wil- liam H. White; executive committee, Miss Mary O. Arnold, Doctor George A. Harris and Walter A. Read. The library was moved to Mr. Read's store, and he is also librarian.
The village of Clarkville is in the northwest corner of the town. A tannery was here in the early part of the present century, and was continued for many years; also a saw mill. In 1818, Arnold Brothers put up a building to manufacture cotton yarn. The mill has several times been burned and rebuilt and run as a shoddy mill. For several years it was in the hands of Horatio Darling, but now T. R. White & Co. run the mill. The Advent church at Clarkville was erected in 1848 at a cost of about $500. The Adventists also have a little church erected in the northeastern portion of the town, in 1863, at a cost of $750.
West Glocester is a small village near Clarkville. This is a manu- facturing place for carpet warp and heavy woolen goods, conducted
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
by the firm of Hawkins & Houghton. A post office was established here in 1862, with Mr. Keach as postmaster. A saw mill was operated here by the Messrs. Hawkins until the erection of the mill in 1873.
Williamsville is about two miles south of Clarkville. It has a few houses and a grist mill of long standing.
Harmony is in the eastern part of the town. It has but a few in- habitants. The village has one store and a post office, kept by C. I .. Whipple. There is also a hotel here, kept by Mrs. Mary Babcock. The various denominations have been accustomed to worship in the school house at this place, and since a new school house was built the old house has been altered into a chapel. Reverend Charles E. Pres- ton, rector of the Episcopal church at Greenville, holds regular meet- ings here.
Spring Grove is a village of several houses about one mile east of Chepachet. Here Smith Mowry and his two sons, Scott W. and Brown, about 1836, purchased the Spring Grove Mill and manufact- ured cotton goods for about 16 years. The mill then passed into sev- eral hands, until in 1868 it was purchased by T. R. White & Co. to manufacture shoddy goods.
Previous to the town of Glocester being set off from Providence, a road had been laid out from Providence village to Woodstock, pass- ing through what are now the towns of North Providence, Johnston, Smithfield and Glocester to the road in Connecticut that leads to Woodstock. This road was a large country road, and much used. In 1788 so much of it had been taken by private persons that the travel- ing at some seasons had become very difficult. To repair said road, a petition from the several towns was presented to the assembly, asking that the road might be relaid to its original width. It was granted, and Thomas Owen, of Glocester, Caleb Harris, of Johnston, Stephen Brayton, of Smithfield, and Thomas Olney, of North Providence, were appointed a committee to relay and open the road three rods wide, its original width, the aforesaid towns paying all expenses. The com- mittee decided to petition for a lottery to raise $1,200 to aid in paying the repairs. The petition was granted, and Timothy Wilmarth, Thomas Owen, Solomon Owen. Jr., Edward Greene and Nathaniel Bowditch were appointed directors of said lottery. The money was raised and the road repaired.
In 1774 there was a road laid out from Providence to East Hoosick, through Glocester. In 1792 there was a road from Providence to Al- bany through this town; also there was a road through this town in 1792 to Hartford Conn., and Brookfield, Mass.
A road that in the year 1762 passed from Providence to Connecticut through this town was, by a number of persons residing in the towns through which the road passed, represented to the assembly to be so bad that carriages were not able to pass without great difficulty, that
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
some part of the way was without inhabitants, and that the road could not be made passable without some assistance. If the road was in a good condition, commerce between Providence and Connecticut would be greatly increased. The petition to raise necessary funds was granted by having a lottery, on condition that there should be no expense to the state. William Dean, Jonah Steere, Chad Brown, Abraham Winsor and Andrew Waterman were appointed directors to carry out these measures. In due time the road was put in good order for travel.
In 1772 a road was laid out in the north part of the town, from the colony line, at a place known as Alum Pond hill, and leading southerly to Cook's mill, about the distance of five miles, crossing Clear river at the north end and meeting a highway laid out by Massachusetts Bay, which leads from Oxford to Providence. To put said highway in good order, the assembly granted a lottery to raise four hundred dollars. Messrs. Jonathan Harris, William Ross and John Howland were ap- pointed directors. No expense to the state.
After lotteries were forbidden, toll-gates were established to raise funds to make repairs on turnpikes. The road in the south part of the town with a toll-gate was made free in 1856.
In 1825 a charter was granted to Richard Burlingame and others for a turnpike, beginning in North Providence and passing through Johnston, and a corner of Scituate and Glocester, under the name of the Rhode Island and Connecticut Central Turnpike, with the permis- sion to have two toll-gates in Glocester. One of these was opposite the hotel kept many years by Hezekiah Cady, in the western part of the town; the other was established opposite the hotel kept many years by Mr. Richard Aldrich, in the eastern part of the town.
In 1826 the Smithfield and Glocester turnpike was named the Min- eral Spring turnpike. Reports of a committee on turnpikes were an- nually to be made to the general assembly.
The common roads are now laid out by the town and kept in re- pair by town taxes. The roads are generally kept in good condition.
In June, 1816, a charter was granted to incorporate the Foster and Glocester Appian Way Society, as follows:
" Be it cnacted by the General Assembly, and by the authority thereof it is hereby enacted, That the said Society be and they hereby are author- ized to make and establish a branch of the turnpike road which by law they have been authorized to make and establish, and to extend the said branch from some place at or near the dwelling house of Jonathan Williams, in Glocester, to the southerly end of the turnpike laid out by the State of Connecticut, or any other road laid out, or which may be laid out, in that State, leading from Thompson into the Chepachet Turnpike Road, and to make the said branch in the same manner, and with all the same privileges, as they have power, by their own charter, to make any other part of said road: Provided the said
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
Society shall previously obtain the consent thereto, of all the pro- prietors of the lands over which it will pass, under their hands and seals."
No other recorded information has been found of the Appian Way. In January, 1874, the town was authorized to subscribe and hold capital stock in the Providence & Springfield Railroad Company.
The Ponagansett railroad, to connect with the Hartford & Fislı- kill railroad and the Providence & Springfield railroad, has not yet been made.
The Woonasquatucket Railroad Company was incorporated in 1857, the road to pass through or near the village of Chepachet, on the petition of Daniel M. Salsbury, Ira P. Evans, Clovis H. Bowen, Horace Kimball, Jason Emerson, Albert L. Sayles, Otis Sayles, George H. Browne, Nathan B. Sprague, Thomas Barnes, Anthony Steere, William Winsor, Elisha Dyer, Zachariah Allen, Philip Allen, Amos D. Smith and Henry B. Lyman. The road was built, but passes through Oak- land instead of Chepachet.
The lottery system, sanctioned by the legislature, was commenced as early as 1763. It seemed to be the best and surest way to raise needed funds to build bridges, churches, to lay out and repair roads, and make other public improvements. After a few years the legality of lotteries was withdrawn by the assembly.
In 1774, " several persons of the inhabitants of the town of Gloces- ter preferred a petition unto the General Assembly, praying that a lottery may be granted them for the raising the sum of five hundred pounds, lawful money, for the purpose of building a meeting house in the north part of said town, and purchasing a lot for the same; and also a small lot for the use of their Society, commonly called . The Old Standing Baptist,' which Society is under the care of Messrs. Ed- ward Mitchel, John Winsor, William Bowen, and Philomen Hynes; that Messrs. Stephen Winsor, Arnold Smith, Martin Smith and Jesse Smith be appointed directors of the same."
The petition was granted, and it was provided "that said persons be managers of the said lottery, they giving bonds according to law in a sum double the amount of the sum which is to be raised by the sale of the tickets, and that no expense be given to the State."
At the session of the general assembly in January, 1790, " it was voted and resolved, that the Hon. Daniel Owen, Nathaniel Wade, Esq., and Mr. Seth Hunt, be appointed a committee to settle the ac- count of Messrs. Stephen Winsor, Arnold Smith, Martin Smith and Jesse Smith, who were the directors of the said lottery for building a meeting house in Glocester, and that the expense thereof be de- frayed by the said directors without any expense to the State."
The account was settled. Other lotteries were subsequently mnade.
The following account of the churches of Glocester was taken prin- cipally from the valuable work of Mrs. Elizabeth A. Perry:
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IHISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
Among the early settlers of this land while forming a part of the town of Providence, were some of the children and grandchildren of English Dissenters. At first some of them held prayer meetings in their very humble dwellings. Some called themselves Seekers; some were Friends. Several of the owners of land here spent their winters in Providence village. Others lived there most of the time, putting on hired help to clear and cultivate the land. Twenty-four slaves of the late Moses Brown were employed here in cutting down trees and preparing the land for good farms previous to the year 1773. All that were sufficiently favored to have a winter home in Providence had, a part of the year, better religious privileges. Some of the settlers called themselves Separatists, having left the Church of England, and desired only the simple forms of worship. Some were called New Lights.
From Backus' " History of the Baptists" it is learned that Elder Edward Mitchell was pastor of a church in Glocester many years. He died October 22d, 1795, aged 98 years. Elder William Bowen suc- ceeded him. The church was an independent one. Mr. Bowen is represented as faithful in his ministrations for several years. The above church was in the northerly part of the town.
Thomas Knowlton was ordained in Plainfield, Conn .. September 11th, 1742. He soon after came to Glocester and was pastor of a Separatist Baptist church. Here he died. Stephen Place and others assisted Mr. Knowlton in his declining years in church work.
Joseph Winsor, great-grandson of Joshua Winsor, who came to Providence in the year 1638, was ordained October 31st, 1763, and settled pastor to succeed Elder Thomas Knowlton. Backus says in his history: "Elder Joseph Winsor was in full fellowship with our churches." The church prospered, had 72 members, and a new house of worship was built in the southerly part of the village, near the resi- dence of the late Samuel Y. Atwell. In 1771 the church joined the Warren Baptist Association. The members collected a fund to aid in educating pious young men with a view to the gospel ministry. The Warren Baptist Association was the earliest of its kind in New Eng- land. It was formed in 1766. It had for its object "to secure the civil and religious privileges enjoyed by the mother church in Eng- land."
In 1767, says the Reverend David Benedict, in his History of the Baptists, "the Baptist church in Glocester was represented at the Warren Association by the Reverend Joseph Winsor." For years the church prospered. About 1790 a number of active members moved to other parts of the country, and their pastor, becoming aged and infirm, was unable to fully attend to his pastoral duties, and the members became reduced and scattered. Mr. Winsor remained with them and continued their pastor until his death, in the summer of 1802, in the 89th year of his age. He was buried on his own homestead farm,.
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
which was on a commanding hill with a very fine prospect. His large house is still standing.
Mr. Winsor had a great interest in the religious and general edu- cation of the town. He built on his farm a good-sized meeting house with a gallery; the outside was finished, but not the inside. Christo- pher Winsor, grandson of the Reverend Joseph, says " no church was ever organized here, but large neighborhood meetings were held there." Later the house was used for a school. Mr. Christopher Winsor also says that "his grandfather. when his sons married and settled, built a school house near their dwellings." He had five sons: Abraham, Amos, Christopher, Anan and Samuel; and seven daughters: Amey, Deborah, Lillis, Martha, Mary, Thankful, and one died in infancy. All married. Samuel Winsor, his youngest son and for many years Judge Winsor, inherited his father's homestead, on Winsor's hill, and lived there until his death. The old Winsor burying ground is on the hill. John W. Hunt, Clarissa Danforth, of Weathersfield, Vt., and Elder John Colby were devoted religious teachers. Reverend George Lamb held neighborhood meetings several years in Deacon Asa Steere's large kitchen, on Sundays. The old meeting house at Chepachet had either been blown down or torn down.
In 1814 a number of Christian men seeing the great need of having a house, aside from the school house and private dwellings, for regu- lar religious worship and discipline, obtained a charter in October un- der the name of the Christian Benevolent Society. The meeting house was not built until 1821, in the northern part of the village. In January, 1822, it was re-chartered as the Chepachet Meeting House: the Baptists to hold the power to occupy it four Sundays each month, and the Universalists every fifth Sunday. The Reverend Mr. Pick- ering, from Providence, and the Reverend Adin Ballou, of Smithfield, sometimes supplied the desk on the fifth Sunday. After a few years their services were entirely given up. The lot was given by Amherst Kimball. The pews were sold previous to building the house, to pay the expense. The church was well proportioned, with a steeple and a good bell; galleries were on each side and at one end, and the pul- pit was at the other end. The cost was about $4,000. The following named persons were pew owners: Thomas Owen, Esek Brown, Jr., Joseph Steere, Ahab Sayles, Amherst Kimball, Obadiah Smith, Olney Browne, Lyndon Smith, Stephen Wilmarth, Jesse Tourtellot, Chad Sayles, Ira P. Evans, Stephen Eddy, Jeptha Hunt, John B. Snow, James Sprague, Eber Phetteplace, Job Armstrong, Cyrus Cooke, Joel Paine, Amasa Eddy. Jr., Arnold Brown, James Wilder, Samuel Potter, Joseph White, John M. Hunt, Elisha Browne, Jr., Hezekiah Cady, Daniel Evans, Jr., Sayles Browne, Amasa Sayles, Arnold Owen, Law- ton Owen, Ara Hawkins, Elisha Winsor, Duty Evans, Scott C. Arm- strong, Clovis H. Bowen, Jedediah Sprague and Nelson Eddy, with the grant to hold property not to exceed thirty thousand dollars, etc.
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
In the articles of association, under the name of the Proprietors of the Chepachet Meeting House, it was stated that every pew holder on the ground floor had a right to vote at all meetings of the society. Eight owners of pews on the ground floor constituted a legal meeting for business.
A small organ has been furnished. The house has been kept well repaired. It is on a fine lot of land, and has a good shed in the back part of the yard.
A Free Baptist church was organized in the village of Chepachet in the year 1825, Reverend Reuben Allen, pastor. He was followed by the Reverends Joseph White, Zachariah Jordan, Arthur Ross, Maxcy Burlingame and John Pratt. The Reverend D. Curtis sup- plied the pulpit in 1838, 1839 and 1840. He superintended the Sun- day school of 75 scholars. Since then the pulpit has been supplied by Reverends Ami Bradbury, J. M. Purkis, A. H. Morrill and John Rod- gers, the present pastor. Mr. Rodgers took charge in 1884. The church membership is 67. The deacons are Smith A. Steere (who is also church clerk) and Isaac Winsor. Jesse B. Mowry is superintend- ent of the Sabbath school.
The first Sunday school reported from this town was organized in 1828, at Chepachet, in connection with the Baptist church at the meet- ing house. Job Armstrong was the superintendent, and Doctor George Gary, secretary. The school in the above year was made aux- iliary to the Rhode Island Sunday School Union. The school has been continued to the present time, usually in a prosperous condition
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