USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > History of Providence County, Rhode Island > Part 72
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Trading was begun in the village at a very early day. Richard Rhodes kept a store here before 1800. He abandoned the store in 1835. Jeremiah Tourtellot and Fenner Smith were early traders. They kept the factory store for a number of years. They gave up. business in 1845. This store building is now used as a tenement. Al- bert Hubbard came in 1835 from Thompson, Conn., and acted as clerk for the Scituate Manufacturing Company till 1838. In 1839 he built the store now owned by the widow of Joseph G. Gahan, and kept it till 1847, when he sold out to Luther Waldron. This store changed hands a number of times. In 1866, Joseph G. Gahan took the stock of Israel Randall, and since then he has been three different times in the place. He returned in 1879 the last time and continued the business until his death, carrying an extensive stock. His widow continued the business till the year 1890, when Elber O. Card, the present occu- pant, took it. The Scituate Manufacturing Company built their store in 1826, and in 1845 they ceased trading in the mercantile line. War- ren S. Ballou traded in the village a long time, as also did the Colwell Brothers. In 1868 Albert Harris built the store now occupied by Leach & Harris. Daniel A. Clarke, who was in the mercantile busi- ness in Ponaganset from 1865 to 1878, traded here from 1878 to 1890, with his son Daniel A. Clarke, Jr., under the firm name of Daniel A. Clarke & Son. A large hall occupies the second floor of this building,
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
and is used by the village people for public purposes. Mr. Clarke, Sr., came here from Glocester and began work in the cotton mill in 1821, since which time he has been identified with the town. Mr. Is- rael Randall, a former occupant of the old Hubbard store, and Wil- liam A. Randall, his successor and the present postmaster; Charles Preston, who began trading here about the close of the late war, and D. C. Remington, the former town clerk, are all names of prominence in business here.
The Scituate Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1834, and carried on business here from that time till 1889, when operations ceased. The business was established in 1826 by Benjamin Aborn, Thomas Brown, Richard Jackson and John L. Hughes, who built the mill at that time and began the manufacture of print cloths. Mr. Jackson died first, then Brown and Aborn; subsequently it became Bal- lou & Brown, who owned it at the time of the great freshet, when it was sold at auction. The company owned two mills, one at North Scituate, the other at Ashton. The mill at North Scituate was for- merly superintended by Isaac Cowee, who was in the employ of the company about 40 years. The mill at Ashton was under the superin- tendence of Mr. Allen for years. Mr. Henry F. Nichols succeeded Mr. Cowee at North Scituate.
Scituate National Bank was organized in the year 1832 as the Citi- zens' Union Bank, and in 1865 was changed to a national bank. The officers of this bank have been as follows: Presidents-Josiah West- cott, David Phillips, S. L. Harris, Albert Hubbard, Isaac Saunders, Uriah Colwell, Charles H. Fisher (during which time it was changed into a national bank) and George A. Atwood; cashiers-David H. Bra- man, Cyrus P. Eddy, John A. Harris, Albert Hubbard, Byron J. Cowee. On the night of March 25th, 1868, the bank was burglarized by four men, who, after a vain attempt to gain access to the safe, repaired to the residence of the cashier, whom they found ill and in bed. They first bound and gagged the wife and son, and then compelled Mr. Hub- bard to accompany them to the bank, at the point of a revolver and knife, and open the safe. During this trying scene two of the ruffians remained at the house guarding the wife and son, and Mr. Hubbard, fearing for their safety as well as his own, reluctantly yielded to their nefarious demand. The loss amounted to $8,000 cash, together with a large collection of valuable papers, which being of no value to the robbers, they very considerately returned addressed to the register of deeds, Providence. No portion of the money, however, was ever re- covered, nor were the perpetrators ever apprehended. This loss did not affect the solvency of the bank. The institution was closed at the beginning of 1889.
Hotels in North Scituate were better patronized years ago than at the present time, the travel being greater then than now. John Rich- ards has operated the stage route from Providence through this place
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to Danielsonville for 55 years. One hotel was built by Stephen Smith in revolutionary times, and the place was called Smithville for a long time. The front part of the present structure was put up in 1830. It was then kept by Comer Smith, his son. After him his son, William Smith, kept the house a number of years, and also a store. He married Mary Potter, daughter of John Potter, a Quaker of this place, in 1807. From him it passed to his son, Fenner Smith. It is now owned by Mrs. J. A. Scranton, and is used as a dwelling house. John Potter was a revolutionary soldier. September Sth, 1777, he married Wait Waterman and lived in the old red house, now the oldest house stand- ing in North Scituate. He afterward built the house south of the Four Corners, where James Harris now lives. Mary, the daughter of John Potter, was the mother of William G. Smith. The hotel now owned by John Whipple is also an old house. Mr. Whipple bought the prop- erty in 1868, and accommodates what little travel there is in the place. David Phillips kept this hotel 75 years ago. His son, Harley Phillips, also ran it a long time.
A Congregational church was formed at North Scituate, and or- ganized January 1st, 1834. A house of worship was dedicated in 1834, and is now standing and occupied. Pastors: Reverends Benjamin Allen, Charles P. Grosvenor, Benjamin J. Relyed, James Hall, Charles C. Beaman, Thomas Williams, Loring P. Marsh, J. N. H. Dow, William A. Fobes, J. M. Wilkins, Thomas L. Ellis, J. H. Mellish, Frank Palmer, John Marsland, John H. Mellish. There is a Sabbath school under the direction of Deacon Henry Harris, and its good influence is felt in the town.
A Free-will Baptist church was gathered January 7th, 1832, as a branch of the Smithfield Free-will Baptist church, with 32 members, Reverend Reuben Allen, pastor. The church organized April 22d, 1835, with 30 members. Pastors: Reverends Martin J. Steere, Eli Noyes, D. P. Cilley, Reuben Allen, J. B. Sargent, John Chanly, Amos Redlon, William H. Bowen, O. H. True, J. M. Brewster, L. P. Bick- ford, John Purkis, George W. Cortiss, S. S. Barney, and George Wheeler, the present pastor. This society has over a hundred mem- bers, and has a good Sabbath school under the superintendence of Elber O. Card.
A Free Baptist church, having a comfortable house of worship, has long been in existence in the northwest part of the town.
A small society of Adventists have a church in the place, but at present have no pastor. A good Sabbath school is maintained under the superintendence of Mr. Reuben Davis. The deacons are James King and Allen Bishop. Elder Elisha B. Card officiates in the pulpit at times to fill vacancies. The last regular pastor was Elder William Durfee.
The Good Templars have a following in this village, and stoutly maintain their principles under the leadership of Albert Farrow, chief
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templar. The society was organized in 1886. It meets in the Public Hall, and its influence on the minds of the community is beneficial.
Saundersville Mills were built and operated first by Isaac Saunders and Thomas Harkness, his uncle, in 1834, but the place was named after the former. They manufactured cotton cloth. They also about this time built the house now owned and occupied by R. L. Beckwith, the present owner of the mills. The reservoir property was bought of Richard Saunders about the year 1850 at a cost of $1,000. Mr. Saund- ers was a prominent man, was justice of the peace, president of town council, representative and state senator, holding each of those posi- tions a number of years. He was lieutenant governor in 1859 and 1860. He died April 8th, 1888. He was married three times. His son Robert H. Saunders, by his last wife Ann Eliza Chamberlain, is a medical student about completing his medical education at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York. The mill property went through various hands after Mr. Saunders gave it up. About the be- ginning of the late war it passed into the possession of the Citizens Bank at Scituate and was leased to Steere & Champlin for ten years, Beckwith & Richmond taking the property off their hands. Then Nathaniel Tucker took the property and from him it passed to the Pascoag Savings Bank, and was leased by them to several parties in succession, A. W. Harris & Co. operating it for a few years beginning about 1877. After Mr. Robert Joslin was burned out at Richmond he took the property and was the first to put in braiding machines. He bought of D. C. Remington, Jr. R. L. Beckwith took. possession in 1885, and the mills are now doing good service. Mr. Beckwith manu- factures shoe and corset lacings. , In 1865 Clarke, Fisher & Co. sold the grist mill to D. C. Remington, the present owner.
Hope village is situate in the southeastern part of the town of Scituate, at the terminus of the Pawtucket Valley railroad. It is one of the oldest localities in the state and is noted for the casting of can- non and manufacture of bar iron and nails, before and during the revolutionary war. They used to cast two cannon at a time. Ore was obtained from the bed in Cranston and carted to the furnace. In 1765, the discovery of another bed of iron in the same locality caused a com- pany to be formed and a furnace to be erected at Hope village. Thir- teen new cannon, cast at the Hope furnace, were fired at the Great Bridge, in Providence, in honor of the declaration of independence, July 26th, 1776. Stephen Hopkins was one of the earliest and most influential of the men who got up this company, and his eldest son, Rufus, who had been a sea captain, was for many years superinten- dent at the furnace. Wrought iron nails were also made at this furnace.
This thriving little village is the seat of the Hope Manufacturing Company's mills, and contains one church, a good hotel, and four or five stores; and some mechanical trade is carried on. The railroad
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has brought more or less enterprise to the village since its construc- tion in 1874. One freight and six passenger trains come and go daily.
The first dry goods and grocery store in Hope village was kept by Daniel Gould, who had located where Daniel Howland is now. Mr. H.W. Emmons, however, was one of the earliest traders in the mercan- tile line in this place. In 1825 he visited this locality, selling goods when going from place to place. At that time Stephen Brayton, Thomas Snell, Stephen K. Fiske, Ebenezer Burlingame, father-in-law of Stephen K. Fiske, and A. W. Fiske, his son, were the principal residents of the village. A colored man named Crosby, a pensioner of the revolutionary war, then lived here in one of the first houses erected, where Albert Johnson's house stands now. Ezra K. Potter, father of Ezra Potter, came here in 1797. Thomas Ralph, father of Ezekiel Ralph, and others were old settlers also in the place.
In 1825 Thomas Snell kept the boarding house, and about one year afterward Daniel Gould built the store above mentioned. After trad- ing here a short time Gould sold out, and following him came Hall & Ramsey, Burrell Madison, Joseph Tisdale, George Babson, Henry Bur- lingame and Henry Babson; and on December 22d, 1870, Daniel How- land, the present proprietor, took the stock and still continues the business. Mr. H. W. Emmons opened a store in Fiskville in 1833, but moved to Hope in 1847 and built his store in 1848. Following him came Tisdale & Johnson, Mr. Bayley, Emmons & Ralph, Allen B. Ralph (who kept it from 1858 to 1861), Comfort W. Searle, Thomas Needham, Fred. Simmons (1871 to 1874), Edwin P. Emmons (1874 to 1878), William Myrick, and Mr. Thomas Needham, the present owner, who came in 1881. Mrs. Mary Potter carries on a trade which she built up by taking orders from different parties to fill by laying in the stock afterward. Russell S. Young, Hopkins Brothers, and Fred. Roe also do trading here.
Manufacturing was begun in Hope by Ephraim Talbut, who built the original cotton mill in 1825. At that time the boarding house for the company was also started. Subsequently Brown & Ives, the pres- ent owners, purchased the property and have been running the mills ever since. The old mill was burned and the stone mill was built by Brown & Ives in 1844. This company operate 430 looms and employ 250 hands in the manufacture of 40-inch sheetings. The Hope Com- pany also own the Hope Company Mills at Phenix, and operate in both mills 880 broad looms, 44,448 spindles and employ 480 hands. The officers of the company are: William Goddard, president; T. P. I. Goddard, treasurer, and R. G. Howland, superintendent.
In 1872 the Hope Manufacturing Company erected some 13 large two-story tenement houses for their employees. In 1874, in the inter- est of those employed, they erected a church at a cost of about $15,000, used at present by the Methodist denomination. They also established a library and reading room for the people, open three evenings every
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week. William McDonald is librarian. The library contains about 800 volumes.
The boarding house above mentioned was run till 1845, when the present hotel, built by Welcome Matteson, took its place. It is called the Hope House and was erected on the site of the old boarding house. In 1873 Mr. Matteson sold out to the Hope Company, since which time Mr. Daniel Howland has been in charge. The house is well managed and has a good reputation.
The postmasters of Hope village have been: Welcome Matteson, Henry Emmons, George Babson, Henry Emmons and Daniel How- land.
Jackson Mills were first built by Governor Charles Jackson, about the year 1825. After a time the property was sold to Christopher Lippitt, L. M. Blodget, John Higgins and Mr. Durand. There were several changes in the ownership of the property. Christopher Lip- pitt & Co. now own the mills and manufacture sheeting. They oper- ate 120 broad looms and give employment to 50 hands. The superin- tendent is A. H. Himes.
Potterville has been a center for the manufacture of spools and bobbins for nearly half a century. Moses Potter came to the place in 1828 and purchased 40 acres of land. He ran the hotel 14 years. The house was built by Elisha Fish during revolutionary times. It was a favorite stopping place for the travelling public for many years. In 1842 it was turned into a dwelling house and is now owned and occu- pied by Samuel Potter.
June 19th, 1847, the water wheel for the Potter spool and bobbin works was started by Moses Potter. He died in 1865, since which time the business has been carried on by Emery Potter and his brothers. The first building was burned July 17th, 1878, and the pres- ent structure, 28 by 34 feet, two stories high, was erected.
Asahel Harris erected a mill at Elmdale about the year 1840, and leased it to Daniel Smith for the manufacture of cotton yarns. After a number of years it was next leased to Darius Lawton for a woolen mill, and then leased to A. W. Harris, who subsequently bought the entire property. He used the two lower floors for the manufacture of spindles, flyers, rings, etc., and the two upper floors for the manufac- ture of cotton yarns.
The Harrisville Mill, formerly owned by A. W. Harris, was burned June 30th, 1875. It was erected in 1845 by Asahel and A. W. Harris, who ran it under the firm name of A. W. Harris & Co. in the manu- facture of print cloths. A. W. Harris exchanged his half of the prop- erty for the Elmdale Mills.
Kent Corners, sometimes called Four Corners, is on the road lead- ing from Hope to South Scituate. In 1838 Mr. Alanson Steere com- menced manufacturing here. He purchased a saw mill, which he converted into a cotton mill. His brother associated with him, the
HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY. 609
firm name being A. & O. Steere. Ralph & Field became their suc- cessors in 1847 and continued the business some years, when the build- ings were consumed by fire. In 1873, Mr. A. B. Cahoone, the present proprietor, purchased the property, rebuilt the mill and turned it into a bobbin and spool factory. He also operates a grist mill.
The Christian Union church was organized at Kent Corners March 7th, 1877. At that time Reverend Daniel Knight was chosen pastor. The society is small but maintains a good Sabbath school.
Ashland is a beautiful little village situated near the central part of the town on a good water privilege, and contains one store, one church, a number of houses, and is the seat of the Ashland Mills. The land covering the site of this village was formerly owned by the Bat- tey family. Allen, James and Deacon Horace Battey were early and prominent citizens of this vicinity, and were the first to utilize the water privilege at this point for sawing lumber and grinding grain, Allen Battey being the owner of the mills, which were built about the year 1820. The place was named after a township in Kentucky, in honor of Henry Clay.
About the year 1827 the old grist mill and saw mill were torn down to make a site for the cotton mills. Before Allen Battey's death an acre of ground was disposed of for the new mills, which were built by Hughes & Brown in 1838. The original structure consisted of a building three stories in height, the first being of stone, the next two of wood, the dimensions being 44 by 64 feet. In 1857 an addition was made to the original building, 44 by 160 feet, and about this time the present stone dam was constructed, also some other buildings, all of which was done at a cost of about $80,000.
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In 1847 the Ashland Company was incorporated, the firm of Hughes & Brown being changed to the style now in use. The incorporators were William W. Brown, Thomas Brown, Zephaniah Brown, Mary B. Gladding, Stephen R. Rathbone, James Y. Smith, William M. Bay- ley, Benjamin B. Dyer and their associates. Zephaniah Brown was the first treasurer of the company, and held the office from 1847 to 1856. The other treasurers have been: James Y. Smith, 1856 to 1876; Charles N. Nichols, April 10th, 1876, to April 1st, 1878; Horatio Rog- ers to April 1st, 1880, and Ferdinand H. Allen, the present treasurer, elected April 5th, 1880. Samuel G. Allen, superintendent of the mills, and father of Ferdinand H. Allen, has held . his present position 50 years. He is 87 years of age, but retains the vigor of a man half that age. The company operate 104 looms, 5,000 spindles, and employ on . an average 60 hands in the manufacture of cotton sheetings.
The tenements are 27 in number. The first six were erected in 1839, the others about the year 1859. The store is also owned by the mill company. It was originally a small building, which was moved to the present site and increased to its present dimensions. It is 20 by 47 feet, two stories in height.
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
The church building at Ashland was erected by the Ashland Mills Company in the interests of their employees, and for the people at large. On April 4th, 1859, the company decided to take this step, and during that year a building was erected at a cost of $2,900.89. The church is open to all denominations, the Methodists having used it the most. Probably the most important and interesting religious feature connected with this society is its Sabbath school. Of those who have been prominent in this work should be mentioned Thomas J. Hines and wife, Maria Allen, the mother of F. H. Allen, Doctor Thomas P. Newhall, Reverend John Adams, Miss Elizabeth Dawley, Miss Nancy Searle, Mrs. Lucy E. Allen, present superintendent, Mr. F. H. Allen, present teacher of the Bible class, and Doctor James E. Roberts, one of the prominent members of the Methodist society of this place.
The cotton mill at Rockland is a large building, three stories in height, with three pretentious projections. It is situated on the West- connaug branch of the Pawtuxet river. The first mills here were erected about the year 1812, by Joshua Smith, Frank Hill and others, and were run by them for some time, the product being cotton yarn. They subsequently passed into other hands. Timothy Greene pur- chased them in 1822, and later sold them to Charles Hadwin, who put in looms and began the manufacture of cotton cloth. Caleb Earl pur- chased the property in 1834, and it passed in rapid succession through the hands of several parties until the year 1854, when it was burned, and it was rebuilt in 1856.
The red mill was erected about 1814 or 1815, by Peter B. and Peleg C. Remington, and was run by them for several years in the manu- facture of cotton yarn. It passed into other hands, and was in opera- tion till 1840, when it, too, was burned. During this same year John Burgess rebuilt the mill, put in new machinery and operated it till 1863. In 1856, Thomas Remington and Isaac Saunders bought the es- tate originally owned by Joshua Smith, Frank Hill and others, erected a portion of the mill now standing on that site, and leased it to A. & O. Steere. These brothers began in 1857 the manufacture of cotton goods with 90 looms and 40 hands. They continued operations till 1863, when Alanson Steere purchased the interest of his brother, and continued alone till 1875. Byron L. Steere took an interest in the concern at that time, and it has since been run under the style of A. Steere & Son.
In 1865, Mr. Steere purchased the estate of the old mill. In 1871, and again in 1881. extensive additions were made to the new mill, and now it presents an imposing appearance. The mills are run in the manufacture of print cloths, and give employment to 90 hands. The mill contains 220 looms and 10,000 spindles. Both steam and water power are used.
Remington Mill, Rockland, was erected in the year 1831 by Thomas Remington, and started with 36 looms in the manufacture of cotton
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cloth. About 1840 an addition was built and 12 looms added. In 1845 it was leased to Barden & Manchester, who operated it till 1856. Soon afterward Mr. Manchester died and Mr. Barden continued the busi- ness until the expiration of the lease, when Thomas Remington again took it and continued the business till the war broke out, when he stopped manufacturing entirely.
George B. Smith was the first to engage in the wheelwright busi- ness in the hamlet of Rockland. He commenced this business in 1846 and continued until his death, which occurred recently. Mr. Smith learned his trade in Foster and by industry and strict attention to business secured a good patronage and a competency.
The old store, originally kept in the village by Oscar Angell, was sold to A. & O. Steere and run by them as the company store for a number of years. They sold to George Cole. Following him came Luther & Steere, Luther & Rounds and now Richard B. Rounds. The firm of Luther & Steere was composed of Albert N. Luther and Byron Steere, who kept the store a long time.
The Christian Union church was organized in the village of Rock- land about the year 1825. The pastors of this church have been: Reverends James Burlingame, George Collins, Nelson Luther, who was in charge 18 years, George Williams, J. L. Pierce, Z. Post, Alden Allen, Thomas Howard, a Mr. Spade and Reverend Mr. Miller, the present pastor. The congregation numbered 300 originally, but now there are only about 100 members. The house of worship was built during the pastorate of Reverend Mr. Luther, who was ordained to this work in 1837. Josie Angell is the present Sabbath school super- intendent. There was also a church of this persuasion built at Clay- ville some years ago. It is a small society.
The Clayville Mills were erected about the year 1837 by Josiah Whitaker and used as a comb shop. About the year 1847 the mill was changed to a rubber mill, for the manufacture of rubber shoes, etc. In 1853 it was altered into a cotton mill and in 1857 it was burned, with all its contents. It was immediately rebuilt and used as a cotton mill. The lower mill was subsequently built to run in connection with it by the same parties and both were leased by Mr. Lindsey Jordan for a term of years. Mr. Jordan. then bought both mills. He died in November, 1865, and his estate continued to run the mills till 1875, when the property passed into the hands of Charles W. Jordan.
S. R. Weeden & Son manufacture cotton yarns. The store was built by Josiah Whitaker. It is now run by Hopkins Brothers. They succeeded F. A. Allen April 15th, 1889. The store now owned by Saton & Hill was built by Nathan Matteson in 1861. The upper part of this store is used for a lodge room.
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