USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > History of Providence County, Rhode Island > Part 34
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The supply of water for use in case of fires was from the mill dams direct, and from eight large cisterns and the mains leading to them. These cisterns were constructed in various parts of the town, and hold from 7,000 to 25,000 gallons of water. The mains laid are four miles long, and from four to eight inches in diameter. Properly distributed are 75 hydrants. Water was supplied by seven service- able force pumps, which when fully worked gave a direct pressure through the hydrants of 120 pounds to the square inch. When all the conditions were harmoniously worked the system was quite effec- tive, and some of its features are retained by the present department. The affairs of the corporation were last managed by Henry T. Wales, George Worrall and Charles E. Grant, engineers; Clinton Puffer, sec- retary, and George C. Wilder, treasurer.
In 1885 the property of the corporation passed to the town of Woonsocket by purchase, and the present fire department was organ- ized. The following year $7,000 was appropriated for its support, and in the fall of 1886 the electric fire alarm system was extended. The same season a fire tower was erected at Church and Boyden streets and provided with a heavy bell. In the spring of 1889 the alarm sys- tem consisted of 15 miles of wire, three bells with electric strikers, one 15-inch gong, one indicator, three electro-mechanical tappers, three direct-action tappers, 23 public and four private signal boxes. George Worrall was the superintendent of the system.
The extension of the city water works has also made it possible to extend the lines of the fire department and thus insure greater pro- tection against fires, and the appropriations to this end have been liberal. In 1889 $12,000 was set aside for the purpose of maintenance and general improvement. In the latter class was included the erec- tion of a fine two story frame building on Clinton street, near the Nourse Mill, for the use of Social Steamer Company. It is very com- plete in all its appliances and was first occupied in January, 1889. The old armory or town hall has been fitted up for the use of Steamer No.
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1, and is well adapted for that purpose. The quarters of the Woon- socket Hook and Ladder Company and the Monument Hose Com- pany are also comfortably arranged, and the apparatus of the five companies is in good condition. There were 7,450 feet of rubber- lined hose, nearly new, and attachment was afforded by 349 hydrants, supplied with city water. The engineers of the department were Jay Neill, James Farrar and William H. Smith. The enrolled men on the force numbered 58. The department owned four horses which had been efficiently trained for their work.
In the period of eight months ending January 1st, 1889, the de- partment had given 18 responses to alarms of fires, the aggregate loss from which was $41,191.60. Of these the fire at Ray's Cotton mill, at Jenckesville, October 31st, 1888, caused a loss of $17,695, and the fire in the American Block, originating in the office of the Evening Re- porter, December 23d, 1888, entailed a loss of $8,449.60. In the pre- ceding year there were 17 fires, with losses aggregating $29,243.76. The prompt action of the department in many cases prevented more disastrous results, and the efficiency of the service was fully demon- strated.
In this place a brief summary of the most important fires at Woon- socket may appropriately be given. In the nature of things they most frequently occurred in the mills, although every class of buildings has fallen a prey to the devouring element: March 25th, 1829, and in April, 1835, the cotton mills of Dexter and Hosea Ballou and business houses around Market Square; January 23d, 1846, the cotton mill of George C. Ballou; April 12th, 1858, the Baptist church; August 6th, 1866, Edward Harris Mill No. 4; May 22d, 1868, the old St. Charles Catholic church; June 13th, 1872, the Globe planing mill; September Sth, 1872, the fine residence of the Reverend Ebenezer Douglas; July 1st, 1874, the extensive Social Mills; October 16th, 1875, the High School building; January 25th, 1882, the Providence & Worcester railroad station and Edwards Block.
In 1889 George Batchelor was the marshall of the city fire depart- ment, and John B. Fountain, Thomas A. Buell and Jay Neill were the firewards.
The rapid growth of the town, after 1880, awakened a desire for a system of pure water supply, and the construction of works was urged upon the council. But before that body acted in the matter, the "Woonsocket Water Works Company " was chartered and as a corpor- ation endeavored to secure the co-operation of the town in supplying water by submitting a propositionto that end. On the 19th of Janu- ary, 1882, the town appointed Francis L. O'Reilly, A. J. Elwell, John W. Ellis, Charles Nourse and James C. Molten a committee "to con- sider the whole subject matter, as presented by that corporation." In their report they reccommended that a survey be made to ascertain the
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cost of such works, etc. But this proposition was rejected by the council the same month.
Thereupon the company determined to erect the works on its own account, and in the spring of 1883 it contracted with George H. Nor- man to build them. He began operations, but in May, 1883, he aban- doned the contract, after having already spent several thousand dollars on the work. In July, 1883, H. G. H. Tarr, of New York, became interested with the company in this enterprise and under his direction work was begun at once, with John W. Ellis as the civil engineer in charge of the construction corps. Dams for reservoirs, on Crooks Fall brook, and a brick pumping station at that place were built that year. A stand pipe on Logee hill was also begun. The laying of mains and distributing pipes from the latter place was done on contract by John B. Rutherford, of New Jersey, who began that work in April, 1884.
In June of that year, the town council agreed with Horace A. Jenckes, Francis L. O'Reilly and George H. Grant, of the Woonsocket Water Works Company, for a supply of water for the use of the town, to be properly distributed, and to be available through 300 fire hydrants. Operations were now actively pushed and the works were practically built in 1884. Since that time the system has been ex- tended and the works perfected until they were in first-class condition. . On the 30th of October, 1884, the town voted by 120 yeas and 56 nays to buy the works from the company at an advance of $50,000 over the amount expended. Oscar J. Rathbun, Joseph E. Cole, George A. Wilbur, Charles F. Ballou and John McDonald were appointed a committee on behalf of the town to effect the purchase. The same committee also secured the necessary legislation to bond the debt which would thus be incurred. The purchase was made April 1st, 1885, and the price paid was $298,612.62. The extensions and main- tenance of the works have since cost nearly $100,000 more. On the 11th of February, 1886, the dam of the works was damaged $7,000, 100 feet being washed away by the freshet.
The water supply is from Crooks Fall brook, in North Smithfield township, the dams being about two and a half miles from the center of the city. There are two reservoirs, about 1,000 feet apart. The upper has an area of nearly 11 acres and holds 36,000,000 gallons. The area of the lower is 83 acres and its capacity 15,000,000 gallons. These reservoirs have a source of supply from seven square miles of con- tiguous country. One half a mile distant, on Logee hill, is a stand pipe, holding 339,400 gallons, which receives and stores the surplus pumped water forced through the pipes by two Worthington pumping engines. This tank is on an elevation 239 feet above Market Square, and when full gives a pressure of 105 pounds to the square inch, enabling a stream of water in a fire hose to be thrown over the highest building in the city. On the same hill another stand pipe, to hold 513,000 gallons has been built. In 1889 there were nearly 25 miles of
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mains, 374 fire hydrants, nearly 800 meters, and over 900 services, sup- plying about 2,400 families and 350 other consumers with nearly 300,- 000 gallons of water daily.
The works are profitably maintained and in the past year the expenditures have been but two-thirds of the receipts. A pleasing feature of the system is the maintenance of a number of attractive drinking fountains, for man and beast, which are located at Market Square, Monument Square, Greene street and Hamlet avenue, Social and Rathbun streets, Blackstone street and Harris avenue, South Main and Mason streets, and at the Harris Institute. The water is pure and its average temperature is about 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Until April 1st, 1889, the superintendent of the works was Willard Kent. At the date named he was succeeded by Byron I. Cook.
The appropriate care of the dependent poor was a matter of con- cern to the authorities, soon after the organization of the town. The war had impoverished a large number of persons, who needed aid until they could adjust themselves to new conditions, and others were absolutely homeless. To relieve the former liberal appropriations were made, amounting to nearly $9,000 in 1868; to dispose of the lat- ter engaged the attention of various town committees in 1867 and 1868, among the persons so serving being Alonzo D. Vose, Peleg J. Congdon, John A. Corey, Charles Nourse, D. M. Cook, Edwin B. Miller, Albert J. Elwell and Doctor Ariel Ballou. But it appears that for many years only temporary provision could be made for securing a home for the indigent, but often worthy, poor of the town. The present asylum was provided in obedience to a resolution of a meet- ing, held June 11th, 1883, which placed the matter in the hands of committeemen Spencer Mowry, James C. Molten and Daniel B. Pond. They purchased twelve acres of land, on Mason street, on which was erected a frame building, 28 by 56 feet, two stories high, with an ell, 20 by 23 feet, which was fitted up for asylum purposes. It was ready for use April 11th, 1884, and was placed in charge of J. M. Wheaton as keeper. Other improvements since that time have made the asylum a very creditable institution. In December, 1888, the property was valued at about $9,000. From ten to fifteen persons find a good home in the asylum each year, and are maintained at an expense of about $180 per inmate. The entire support of the poor in the city is about $6,000 per year, and Edward Thurber was the overseer of the poor in 1889.
For many years, even after the settlement of what is now Woon- socket, there were no clearly defined or well kept roads in this sec- tion, being for a long time merely paths which led over the most favorable conditions of ground. Later the roads, on each side of the river, leading from Providence to points in Massachusetts, and their connecting roads were made the subjects of town records, and their courses were restricted to certain limits. One of these north and
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south roads was long designated as the "Great road," or the " Smith- field Mendon road," since it passed through that town. It ran by the Quaker meeting house, through Union Village, and thence into Mass- achusetts near the house of Jedediah Wilson. In 1841 it was relaid to pass around Sayles' hill, instead of over it as before, and was there- after improved with greater care. Its companion road, on the east side of the river, was located at an earlier period and was long known as the " Old Rehoboth road." It was projected as early as 1650 by the proprietors of the town for their use, " or for any that shall have occasion to pass from town (Seekonk Plain) to Providence." Later it became better known as the " Cumberland Mendon road," which term, to some extent, still applies; and it has been but little varied from its course since it was located.
Leading from this highway to the " falls " and beyond were two roads, which united at what is now Monument Square, and which have developed into Social, North Main and Main streets. They were a part of the east and west thoroughfare from Massachusetts to Con- necticut and probably were much traveled. In 1735 Ebenezer Cook was paid $40 by the town of Mendon (which claimed jurisdiction at that time) to build a bridge across Mill river, on the former road. The north part of these roads was less used, but also received atten- tion as early 1750. The road where is now Main street proper had some sort of existence before 1710, probably being a mere path to the crossing places of the river. One of these was at the ford or " wading place," below the falls; and the other was the "rafting place," near where the Clinton Mills are. Passing from these locali- ties were the roads forming the southern or western connections between the Mendon roads. The road which has developed into South Main street was located about 1731, but in the next hundred years had its course much modified. It was one of the arms which formed the widely known "Cross Roads" where it intersected the " Great road," at what is now Union Village, and which circumstance caused that place to become a business point. The old Logee Hill and River roads are perpetuated by streets bearing these names, and whose course is much the same as when located in 1732. Being al- most parallel with the "Great road " and east of it, this highway was popularly called the "East road." Intermediate between these a road was laid out, May 23d, 1752, which, in a modified form, has be- come Providence street. An older road located in 1731, having nearly the same course, was abandoned after this had been opened. Traces of this highway remained a hundred years after it was abandoned.
The first account of the building of a bridge at the " falls " was in 1736, when the colony appropriated one-half its cost. The other £128 was raised by private subscription. In 1762 a better bridge was built in its stead, the funds being secured by a lottery, authorized by law, which provided £1,002 for that purpose. Twenty-five years later
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the legislature legalized another lottery to build a bridge across the river, by means of which £900 was raised. A new site was selected, and this bridge of 1787 was several rods below the old one, near where the bridges have since been. It was swept away by the great freshet of February, 1807, whose magnitude has not been equaled since the settlement of the country. In August, 1807, the work of rebuilding both bridges was begun by the towns of Smithfield and Cumberland, and by them again repaired in 1825. In the latter year Dexter Ballou and David Wilkinson, acting for Smithfield, erected the stone arch bridge from the side of that town to the island. A stone arch bridge was built in 1833 by Aaron Rathbun and Cephas Holbrook, to replace the middle bridge. This was itself replaced in 1861 by a better bridge of the same nature, built after plans by S. B. Cushing, the noted bridge architect. In 1867 the Hamlet avenue bridge, below the Groton works, was built. In 1868-9, the Doctor Ariel Ballou bridge, so called, was built at an outlay of nearly $4,000. All of these bridges have since been kept in repair by liberal appro- priations.
Since the civil organization of Woonsocket large sums of money have been expended in the extension and improvement of the streets, thousands of dollars being spent in making straight their courses. In 1869 the lines and grades of the streets were established by a civil engineer, and the work of paving and curbing begun. Since 1883 Main street, from Market Square to Monument Square, has been paved with granite blocks. In 1888 more than $35,000 was expended on the streets and bridges of the city.
While these improved roads and bridges afforded better communi- cation at home, the need of superior transportation facilities to points abroad was early apparent. The building of factories along the Black- stone steadily increased the tonnage of freight. Vast quantities of raw material were to be brought in and the manufactured goods taken out. The freighter's wagon and the stage coach were becoming in- adequate to perform this work. Hence a canal from Providence to Worcester was projected, and it was believed that its construction would still more fully develop the resources of the Blackstone valley. It was intended to utilize the channel of the river as much as possible and thus, following the windings of the stream, the improvement would be about 45 miles long. From Providence to Woonsocket most of the canal was completed in the fall of 1827, after several years had been devoted to work on it under the management of General Car- rington. Among his laborers on this contract was Michael Reddy, whose name has passed into history as the first Irishman to make Woonsocket his permanent home. In the progress of the work, from Providence up, he reached the town in the fall of 1826 and remained here, an honored though humble citizen, until his death, more than half a century later.
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
After years of trial it was seen that the canal had failed of its first purpose. By it transportation was slow and costly, and having so many locks the canal was expensively kept in repair for use a few months in a year only. The stockholders had received no returns, and it only required the agitation of the matter of building a railroad along the same route to convince them that their venture would better be abandoned. But little was done after 1840, and six years later the Massachusetts part of the canal was sold to the Providence & Worces- ter Railroad Company for $22,500, while in Rhode Island the property reverted to the former owners of the land. It is said that by the above sale the holders of canal stock realized their only dividend, about one dollar per share .*
Through the town of Woonsocket the course of this almost-forgot- ten thoroughfare was, when not in the channel of the stream, mainly on the north side of the river. It thus passed out of the stream, after leaving the Massachusetts line, at Buffum's bridge, thence by trench to a point above the Doctor Ballou bridge, where it again entered the river and remained until a second departure was made above the dam at the " falls." From this point it passed down, crossing Main street where Greene's Block now is, and thence across the "meadows," in the line of the present mill trench, to near the railroad bridge, where was a tow-bridge across the river to the Smithfield side. The chan- nel of the river was now used until near the Hamlet dam, when a cut was again made across the land to a point into the river, near the present bridge at Hamlet. Below the "falls" were a series of locks and near the Lyman Mill was a basin where boats lay while taking on and unloading goods. At its best three canal boats per day are re- membered as passing through, and later they were so infrequent that there was but one every few days.
But, if the canal failed as a means of transportation, it proved to be the means of more fully developing the water power of the Black- stone for manufacturing purposes, and in that sense its projectors builded wiser than they knew. Along its abandoned course numerous mills were erected, and now the demand for speedier and cheaper transportation was greater than ever. To the progressive the solution of the problem was plain, providing a railroad could be built. In the minds of others such an improvement meant the expenditure of vast sums of money and disaster to the occupations of the farmer, the mer- chant and the hotel keeper. Hence the movement to build a railroad was deferred from year to year. As early as 1832 the project of build- ing a railroad to Boston had been discussed and various lines were proposed and abandoned. Thus a dozen years were spent in discus- sion when it became apparent that the railroad was coming, but, alas, the spoke did not radiate from the " Hub!" The feasibility of build- ing a railroad along the route of the canal was set forth as early as
*Richardson's History, p. 166.
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
1843, and later, it was demonstrated that such a road would also pay well. Because of this belief the matter was pushed energetically, and at the May, 1844, session, the Rhode Island legislature chartered the Providence & Worcester Railroad Company. The route was soon after located and the work of construction begun.
In its report on the advantages which would accrue if the railroad were built, a committee appointed to investigate the matter said, in regard to Woonsocket and vicinity:
"1. Hamlet-population 250, contains two cotton mills, with 5,832 spindles, 120 looms, employing 67 females and 74 males, producing 20,000 yards of cotton cloth per week, and working 650 bales of cotton per annum.
Estimated annual tons of merchandise, 400.
Estimated sum for passengers, per annum, $400.
Estimated sum for freight, per annum, $700.
"2. Bernon-population, 750, contains two cotton mills with 11,000 spindles, 288 looms, employing 175 females and 75 males, producing 38,500 yards of cotton cloth per week, and working 1,000 bales of cot- ton per annum.
Estimated annual tons of merchandise, 633.
Estimated sum for passengers, per annum, $633.
Estimated sum for freight, per annum, $1,266.
" 3. Woonsocket-population 4,000, contains 17 cotton mills, with 34,456 spindles, 812 looms, producing 151,039 yards of cotton cloth per week, and working 5,251 bales of cotton per annum; three woolen mills, with 10 sets of machinery, producing 4,700 yards of cloth per week, and working 281,500 pounds of wool per annum; six machine shops, an iron foundry, two grist mills, a saw mill, one spool and bob- bin shop, one soap manufactory, two wholesale grocery stores. In the mills 413 females and 456 males are employed.
Estimated annual tons of merchandise, 15,233.
Estimated sum for passengers, per annum, $10,100.
Estimated sum for freight, per annum, $30,466.
"N. B .- It should be stated that the estimation of sums from pas- sengers was based on that estimated to be received by stages."
The railroad was completed for the transportation of freight in September, 1847, and was formally opened Monday, October 25th, the same year, when stockholders and their invited guests, numbering about 1,500 persons, passed over the route to Worcester, where they were served with a collation. The passenger station at Woonsocket was erected in August, 1847, and, with some repairs, was used until the summer of 1872, when it was remodeled at an outlay of $10,000. This building and the adjoining Doctor Edwards block were destroyed by fire January 25th, 1882. Soon after the erection of the present handsome depot building was begun and finished, after plans pre- pared by John W. Ellis. It is a brick structure, trimmed with free-
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stone, and has a slated Gothic roof. Its dimensions are 47 by 164 feet, and its front end, on Main street, is two stories high, the lower part being adapted for business purposes, and an entrance way from the street to the depot. The interior of the depot is finished in fine style, having all the modern improvements, and it is claimed that this is the finest local station in New England. It was occupied for busi- ness March 11th, 1883. For many years B. W. Johnson was the sta- tion agent, faithfully looking after the interests of the company until June, 1879, when he was succeeded by the present efficient agent, Al- vertus Dean.
The shipping business of the station has largely increased in recent years and this is one of the best paying points on the road. The pas- senger traffic has also proportionately increased. In 1885 there were 9 passenger trains each way per day; in the same month in 1889 the number each way was 13 trains. A station on this road is also main- tained at Hamlet.
But the idea of having a direct railroad to Boston was not given up even when the above road was assured. It was deeply rooted in the minds of some of the leading business men of the town, and nothing short of its realization would content them. Large and spirited meet- ings were held in Armory Hall in the fall of 1846 and the spring of 1847, in which the principal men participated and gave expression to their earnestness. Unfortunately for the fruition of their hopes and their peace of mind there were bitter feelings and jealousies awak- ened which arrayed individuals and corporations of this and neigh- boring towns against one another, and what might have been advan- tageously adjusted by compromise was made the issue of contention. The building of an " Air Line" from Boston westward was charac- terized by a fierce rivalry for the position of a station on the line, be- tween Waterford and Woonsocket, in which the latter was beaten, although being very much superior as a commercial point. "The genius, will and money of Welcome Farnum prevailed, and the Air Line went to his town-Waterford."
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