USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > History of Providence County, Rhode Island > Part 74
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Moses Potter, son of Moses, was born in Scituate in 1795, and mar- ried Susan, daughter of Israel Angell, who was a colonel in the revo- lutionary war. In early life he was a farmer, and for 15 years kept a hotel. In 1847, in company with his sons, he engaged in the manu- facture of spools and bobbins. He died in 1867, since which time the business has been carried on by his sons. Emra, born in 1816, was married in 1843 to Phebe Wilbur. They have one son and one daughter. Moses O., born in 1821, married Harriet A. Carpenter. They have one son, Samuel P., born in 1824, maried in 1853 to Cathe- rine F. Wilbur. They have three sons and three daughters. Nehe- miah K., born in 1818, married Nancy Phillips. They had two sons and two daughters. Harley W. Potter, born March 7th, 1827, married Joanna Franklin. They had four daughters and one son.
Earl A. Potter, born in Scituate in 1859, is a son of Emra and grand- son of Moses Potter. He married in 1879 Cora E. Cole. They have one son, Wallace C. Mr. Potter was elected to the town council in 1888.
James K. Ralph, born in Scituate in 1857, is a son of Samuel, grand- son of Ezekiel, and great-grandson of Thomas, a major in the revolu- tionary war. James K. was married in 1864 to Lucy E. Card, of Scit- uate. Mr. Ralph has spent most of his life in a store. About seven years ago he engaged in mercantile trade at Jackson, which business he still continues.
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
Roswell A. Randall was born in Scituate in 1815. His father was Thomas Randall. He was married in 1876 to Louisa J. Blanchard. He is a carpenter and wheelwright.
Raymond A. Rathbun was born in Scituate in 1845. Olney Rath- bun was his grandfather, and Joshua his great-grandfather. He was married in 1869 to Ella J. Barnes, of Sturbridge, Mass. They have five children: Clarabel J., Mattie A., Byron R., George O. and Ray- mond A., Jr. In early life he learned the mason's trade and followed it some years. He has since been engaged in the lumber business. He was elected to the town council in 1884, 1885, 1886 and 1887, and was president of the same three years. He was elected to the assem- bly in 1888 and reelected in 1889. At the May session of the general assembly, 1890, Mr. Rathbun was elected sheriff of Providence county.
Thomas J. Remington was born in Coventry in 1835, and soon after his parents came to Scituate. His father was John, grandfather Thomas, and great-grandfather Thomas Remington. They were resi- dents of Coventry. In 1859 Thomas married Letitia White, of Scitu- ate. They had three children. One son, Frederick, and one daugh- ter, Lydia, are living. He was elected to the town council in 1887 and 1889, and was president of the same for last term. He was in the war of the rebellion, in First Connecticut Heavy Artillery.
Job Rogers was born in Coventry, in 1852. His father, Albert, and grandfather, Abner, were both residents of Coventry. Job settled in Providence in 1873, and later at Pawtucket. He was overseer of factories at these places. In 1889 he came to Scituate as superinten- dent for S. R.Weeden & Son, manufacturers of cotton yarn at Clayville. He was married in 1873, and has two sons and two daughters.
Richard B. Rounds is a son of Alvah and Mary W. (Arnold) Rounds. His grandfather was Constant Rounds. Richard B. married Mary J. Esten. They have one daughter, Allie M. Mr. Rounds car- ried on a tin shop at Rockland for 15 years, and afterward entered the store of Byron L. Steere as clerk. About 1884 he engaged in the mercantile trade at Rockland, in partnership with Albert N. Luther, and two years later he purchased Mr. Luther's interest, and has since conducted the business alone. He is postmaster at Rockland at the present time.
Joseph B. Rounds, born in Scituate, in 1838, is a son of Alvah, and grandson of Constant Rounds. Of his father's family there are four sons and three daughters living. Joseph B. was married in 1866 to Maria Rathbun. They have one daughter. When young he learned the carpenter's trade, and has followed that business.
Isaac Saunders, born in Providence, in 1808, was a son of Caleb and Esther (Harkness) Saunders, of Hopkinton, R. I. Mr. Saunders was three times married. In 1830 he married Mary Ann Cushman, who had two children, one daughter living. In 1834 he was married to Maritta M. Salisbury. They had seven children: one son and a
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
daughter are living. In 1865 he married Ann E. A. Chamberlain. They had one son, Robert H., who is studying medicine in the Col- lege of Physicians and Surgeons of New York city. From 1833 to 1861 ·or 1862, Mr. Saunders was engaged in cotton manufacturing. He was also president of the Citizens Union Bank (afterward changed to Scit- uate National). He was also collector of internal revenue, and member ·of the state board of valuation. He was a member of the assembly sev- eral terms, and was in the senate for a number of years. He was also president of the town council, and justice of the peace. He was elected lieutenant governor in 1859. He died April 7th, 1888.
Thomas W. D. Simmons, born in 1845, in Scituate, son of Otis and Barbara (Colvin) Simmons, of Foster, was married in 1867 to Maria Perkins, of Scituate. In early life he was engaged in a factory. Since 1875 has been engaged in the grain and feed business at North Scitu- ate. He was in the war of the rebellion, being a member of Battery E, First R. I. Light Artillery. He is a member of Temple Lodge, No. 18, A. F. & A. M., of Greenville, and Royal Arch Chapter, No. 8, of Scituate.
Martin S. Smith is a son of Martin, and grandson of Israel Smith, who was born in Smithfield, and came to this town in 1785. Martin S. was born in Scituate December 21st, 1844, and was married in 1881 to Marcelia, daughter of Joseph Dexter. They have two sons and two daughters. Mr. Smith was educated at the Smithville Seminary and Brown University, being a member of the class of '67. He entered the rebellion as lieutenant of Company K, 14th Heavy Artillery, after- ward changed under orders of War Department to 11th U. S. Heavy Artillery. He was in mercantile business at Blackfoot City, Mon., for three years. He afterward engaged in same business for five years in Providence. In 1876 he engaged in farming on the farm settled by Israel Smith. He was elected to the assembly in 1874 and 1875, and again in 1879, and held that office for five successive years. He was trial justice from 1879 to 1883, member of town council in 1878, and is at present superintendent of schools. He is a republican. He is a member of the First Baptist church of Providence, and a member of the G. A. R .; joined Prescott Post in 1867, afterward transferred to Rodman Post, of Providence. His father was a member of assembly in 1867.
Henry D. Sprague was born in 1832, in Banston, Canada. His fa- ther was Daniel Sprague. He was born in Methuen, Mass. He mar- ried Dorothy Heath. Henry D. was married in 1853 to Mary A. Fish, in Lowell, Mass. They had two daughters and one son. This wife died in Providence, R. I., in 1884, and he was married again in 1887 to Mrs. Chloe Pratt, of Scituate, daughter of Allen Staples, of Taun- ton, Mass., and Mary Lucas of Freetown, Mass. Mr. Sprague is a car- penter and contractor. He came to Providence in 1872, and in 1887
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
settled in Rockland, town of Scituate. He is a member of Oriental Lodge, Knights of Pythias, also a Mason.
ALANSON STEERE, a manufacturer, is distinctively one of the self-made men of the county. His life, covering a period of over 80 years, has been one of incessant activity and usefulness. He was born in the town of Glocester, this county, September 2d, 1810, and from the sixteenth year of his age has been engaged in manufacturing of some kind. His education was limited to the curriculum of studies of our district schools, and from the district school house he entered immediately upon the active pursuits of life. In the middle of April, 1826, he began work with his father, Hosea Steere, at building mills, and worked on mills at several places in Rhode Island and Connecti- cut till 1838. Mr. Hosea Steere was born in July, 1784. He was a carpenter and millwright. In 1840 he retired from mill work to his farm, where he died in April. 1866, in the 82d year of his age.
In 1838, he and his brother Otis Steere purchased the saw mill property at Kent Corners, fitted it up with the necessary machinery and spun cotton yarns, continuing there till 1847, when they sold out to Ralph & Field. In 1847 he went to Phenix, R. I., as the superin- tendent of a mill, but at the expiration of one year he and his brother rented the Brown Mill, in Johnston, and commenced the manufacture of cotton cloth. They remained here about four years and a half, when they began operating the mills now owned by Henry White, then belonging to Samuel Hunt, at Chepachet. They carried on busi- ness at this point quite successfully till 1856, when arrangements were made with Thomas P. Remington and Isaac Saunders for a lease of the mills now owned by him and his son at Rockland. The Honor- able W. O. Arnold, present member of congress, worked for Mr. Steere in his mills at Chepachet. Mr. Steere has now been at the head of the firm at Rockland for 34 years, and under his management there the business has doubled as to the number of looms operated and hands employed. In addition to this, a mill has been built and in various ways the property improved.
Mr. Steere has also been a very active man in political work. His first vote for president was cast for William Henry Harrison in 1840, and since then for every republican candidate for presidential honors. He was a member of the town council in all, nine years, four years of which time he was chairman of that body. In 1865 he was elected state senator and held that office till 1869. While representing the people in this capacity he prepared a petition to the legislature for a charter for a railroad, to run from Providence through the towns of Scituate, Foster and west to Springfield, Mass., and succeeded in get- ting the necessary legislative enactments passed relative to it. For 20 years since that time he has persistently advocated this enterprise, until now he has the satisfaction of seeing his efforts taking a more substantial form-as the road will undoubtedly be built in the near
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
future. Mr. Steere has several times been sent as a delegate to the various state conventions, and in 1872 he was sent as a delegate to the national convention at Philadelphia, at which General Grant was nominated for the second term. Mr. Steere was married February 14th, 1836, to Julia, daughter of Jeremiah and Freelove Westcott of Coventry. She died April 8th, 1877. One daughter and two sons were born to this union. Byron L., the youngest, is a member of the firm of A. Steere & Son. Hiram, the other son, died June 20th, 1872. Mr. Steere is a public spirited man, and has donated freely of his means toward the upbuilding of our public institutions. He has always taken an active part in temperance work. He was a member of the. Temple of Honor, and of the Sons of Temperance, and for the last 40 years has advocated the principles of temperance. He became a member of the Hamilton Lodge, No. 15, in 1866, and was master of that Lodge one year, and treasurer 23 years. He was a charter mem- ber of the Scituate Royal Arch Chapter, No. 8, organized in 1867, and has been treasurer of this Chapter from its beginning to the present time.
Andrew Steere was born in Scituate in 1844, and is a son of Asahel D. Steere and a grandson of Hardin Steere, of Cranston. His mother was Cyrena Andrews. He was married to Freelove B. Hopkins in 1873. She died in 1874. He is a farmer and dealer in horses and carriages. He owns the farm formerly occupied by his father. Of his father's family four children are living: Andrew and Hardin, and two daughters, Adelaide V. and Abbie A.
Samuel R. Stone is a descendant of Hugh Stone, who came from England in 1665. He was born in Scituate in 1838. His father, Samuel Stone, married Abbie Bennet. His grandfather was Edmands and great-grandfather Samuel Stone. Samuel R. married Roxanna Shippie in 1856 and had two daughters. The elder died March 15th, 1878, leaving a son, Charles Elmer Stone, born March 21st, 1877, adopted by his grandfather. The younger has cne daughter, Nellie M. Tucker, born in North Scituate May 12th, 1879. His wife died in 1861. January 4th, 1863, he was married to Harriet M. Fiske. They have had three sons and two daughters, all of whom are deceased. Mr. Stone has been engaged in the lumber business for many years and was one of the directors of the Scituate National Bank. He was a member of the town council in 1886 and 1887.
Byron W. Wells, born in Foster in 1849, is a son of Dexter Wells and Marcelia Bennett. He was married in 1870 to Mercie A., daugh- ter of Joseph Wells, of Foster. He has lived in Foster and Scituate, and is in the lumber and mill business.
Josiah Westcott was born in 1781 in Foster, and was a son of Rev- erend John Westcott. He was married in 1807 to Marcy Peckham. They had ten children, only two of whom are living: Andrew J., who has recently settled in California, and Josiah E., who resides in Scit-
Alemson Steere
ARTOTYPE, E. BIERSTADT, N. Y.
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
uate. Josiah settled in Scituate in early life and engaged in farming. He was several times elected to the assembly and to the senate; was also judge of court of common pleas, member of town council several times and was president of that body. He was also justice of the peace and town clerk for a long time. He died June 19th, 1867. Josiah E. Westcott was born in 1828 in Scituate, and was married in 1875 to Fannie G. Russell of Chester, Conn. They have two sons: Harry H. and Leslie P. He has always been engaged in farming. He has been assessor of taxes.
Charles L. Whitmarsh, born in Scituate in 1861, is a son of Thomas B. Whitmarsh of the same town. He was married in 1879 to Ella M. Place of Johnston. They have one son. In early life he followed farming, later learned the carpenter trade and afterward that of ma- chinist, which is his present business.
40
CHAPTER XV.
THE TOWN OF FOSTER.
Description .- Interesting Localities .- Early Town Meetings .- Statistics .- Town Asylum. -Town Clerks .- Town Officers in 1890 .- Mount Hygeia .- First Church in Foster .- Early Business Interests .- Foster Centre .- The Hammond Church .- Hopkins Mills. -Union Chapel .- Creameries .- Moosup Valley .- Foster.
T HE town of Foster is situated on the extreme western border of the county, some 15 miles from the city of Providence. It was incorporated with Scituate in 1730, forming the western section of that township up to 1781, when it was set off as a distinct and separate township. It is bounded on the north by Glocester, on the east by Scituate, on the south by Coventry and on the west by the towns of Killingly and Sterling in Connecticut. The town comprises about 50 square miles, having an average breadth from east to west of about six miles and an average length from north to south of about eight miles. The greater part of the town is very rugged, being hilly, rocky and broken. In the western section extensive forests abound, furnishing large supplies of wood. The land is a gravelly loam and better adapted to grazing than to the production of grain. The agri- cultural products consist of corn, rye, oats, hay, potatoes, butter and cheese.
The principal stream in the town is the Ponaganset river, which has its source in a pond of the same name, situated in the town of Glocester. This stream is the principal branch of the Pawtuxet river, which enters into the Providence river, about five miles below the city of Providence. Hemlock brook, a branch of the Ponaganset river, rises in the interior of this township and after many windings, runs easterly into the border of the town of Scituate, where it unites with the Ponaganset. Moosup river, a branch of the Quinebaug, runs through the western part of the town, passing into Coventry and from thence into Connecticut. Upon these streams are good sites for fac- tories, mills, etc., but little use has been made of the water power they furnish. The town took its name from Theodore Foster, who gave it in consideration a good library, a book case, a record book for the town clerk and a record book for the town treasurer.
The principal places of interest are as follows: Villages .- Hemlock, Hopkins, Mills, Moosup, Clayville (Foster side), Cook's Store, South Foster, Foster Centre. Brooks .- Meadow, Bear Tree, Shippee, Hem-
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
lock. Rivers .-- Moosup (so named from a sachem who was the brother of Miantinomi, sometimes called Pessicus), Ponaganset, Westcon- naug, or Westquodnoid, Reservoir. Hills .-- Mt. Hygeia (noted as the residence of Doctor Solomon Drowne), Bennett's, Howard's, Dolly Cole's, Sand, Cranberry, Biscuit. Mills .- Ram Tail Factory (haunted), Major Sam's Grist Mill, now Searles, Yell Mill (Spear's Saw Mill), Ol- ney Walker's Saw Mill. Miscellaneous .-- Round's Tavern, Hemlock Swamp, Fenner Woods, Carter Plain, The Money Hole, Witch Hollow, Witch Rocks, Bill Wood's Furnace, Quaker Meeting House.
The first town meeting in Foster was held November 19th, 1781, at the house of Thomas Hammond. The meeting was organized by the choice of the following officers: John Williams, moderator; John Westcott, town clerk; John Williams, chosen first deputy to represent the town in the next general assembly. November 23d they met pur- suant to adjournment and chose the remainder of the town officers, as follows: Enoch Hopkins, town sergeant; Timothy Hopkins, Chris- topher Colwell, William Tyler, Daniel Cole, Stephen Colgrove and William Howard, town councilmen; Jonathan Hopkins, Jr., town treasurer; Daniel Hopkins, sealer of weights and measures; Enoch Hopkins, vendue master; Jonathan Hopkins, Jr., George Dorrance, Jr., and Abraham Walker, assessors of rates, and to have their ac- counts adjusted by the town; John Cole and Josiah Harrington, Jr., collectors of taxes; John Hammond, pound keeper; Joseph Weather- head, Peter Cook and Daniel Cole, viewers of estates; Josiah Harring- ton, Jr., and Levi Wade, constables; Peter Cook and Noah Miller, overseers of the poor; Peter Cook, John Davis and John Williams were chosen a committee to audit the town treasurer's report.
" Voted. That the surveyors of highways stand as chosen before the division of the town, except Abraham Wilcox, Francis Fuller and John Westcott," who had already been chosen. Peter Cook, James Seaman and Noah Miller were chosen as fence viewers. Joseph Davis, Peter Cook and John Cole were chosen a committee to meet a committee appointed by the general assembly, to ascertain the . proportion of taxes between the towns of Scituate and Foster.
On Friday, the 27th of November, at the house of Thomas Water- man, in Coventry, "Voted that John Westcott and Jonathan Hopkins be appointed to receive in behalf of the town the case and books given to said town by Theodore Foster, Esq., and also to return the thanks of said town to Mr. Foster for the same." Reuben Westcott, Luke Phillips, Eleazar Bowen, Peleg Fry, Benjamin Fry, David Hatch and Reuben Blanchard were propounded in order to be voted freemen of said town. "Voted that this meeting be adjourned until the 7th day of December next, at the house of Thomas Hammond, and that notice be given by the clerk for making a town tax."
At a town meeting holden in the town of Foster, on the 4th of March, 1782, it was voted that Mr. James Seaman " be and is hereby
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
appointed to erect a pair of stocks and whipping post for the use of this town."
The town clerk's office has been in various parts of the town, gen- erally at the house of that officer. The town meetings have been held at Foster Centre.
The population of the town in 1782 was 1,763; in 1790, 2,268; in 1800, 2,450; in 1810, 2,613; in 1820, 2,900; in 1830, 2,672: in 1840, 2,181; in 1850, 1,932; in 1860, 1,935; in 1865, 1,873; in 1870, 1,630; in 1875, 1,543; in 1880, 1,552; in 1885, 1,397. The population at the present time is about 400 less than it was 100 years ago.
From the town treasurer's report, we find the total valuation of real and personal property in 1888 was $580,700; the assessment of 70 cents on every $100 amounting to $4,043.90, besides the delinquent highway taxes amounting to $104.90.
The public schools receive the bulk of the taxes paid. The appro- priation by the town for the year 1887-8 was $1,768.75, and the amount of orders paid was $3,528.50. The following may be of interest. " Prices of labor on the highway are: For a good able-bodied man, 15 cents per hour; for a good yoke of oxen, 15 cents per hour; for a wagon, cart, plow, drag or ox-shovel, 5 cents per hour. The wages for labor performed in breaking out the highways when encumbered or obstructed with snow: For every good able-bodied man, 10 cents per hour; for a good yoke of oxen, 10 cents per hour."
The town of Foster has always taken good care of its poor. Or- iginally the care of these distressed persons was committed to the lowest bidder, but in 1865 a farm of 100 acres was purchased of David Phillips and wife, and thereafter a more perfect and systematic man- agement was had. This farm was the old Fenner estate. In times past the asylum would have at one time the care of 20 to 30 inmates. That number has been gradually reduced until only an average of eight persons were there for the year 1888. The largest number at the asylum for 1888 at one time was ten. Two deaths occurred, those of John Salisbury and David S. Rounds. The principal produce of the farm for the year ending April 1st, 1888, was as follows: 10 tons of hay, 3 tons of oats, 1 ton of swale hay, 2 tons of corn fodder, 100 bushels of ears of field corn, 30 bushels of ears of sweet corn, 165 bushels of potatoes, 6 bushels of shelled beans, 7 bushels of beans in the pod, 125 pounds of dried apples, 8 bushels of cucumbers, 3 bushels of pop corn, 16 barrels of apples, 14 barrels of cider, 16 bushels of French turnips, 3 bushels of beets, 153 pounds of cheese, 257 pounds of butter, 1,675 pounds of pork, 491 pounds of beef, 230 heads of cab- bage, 2 loads of pumpkins. Stock on the farm, 5 cows, 2 bulls two years old, 2 heifers two years old, 1 horse, 4 shoats, 82 hens. Expenses for the year 1888, $413.61.
John Westcott was the first town clerk of Foster, and held the office from 1781 to 1796. He was succeeded by Nehemiah Angell in
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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.
1796, and after him came Daniel Howard in 1803; Daniel Howard, Jr., 1827; Raymond G. Place, 1852; William G. Stone, 1854; George W. Phillips, 1856; Ethan A. Jenks, 1868; George W. Phillips, 1869; Lester Howard, 1882, and Daniel Howard in 1888. Daniel Howard, Sr., and his son Daniel held the office 49 years.
The principal town officers elected in 1890 are: town clerk, Emory D. Lyon; town council, James W. Phillips, B. O. Angell, William R. Hopkins, Job D. Place, and John W. Round; town treasurer, Ray Howard; town sergeant, S. A. Winsor; overseer of poor, Leonard Cole.
Mount Hygeia was first settled by two of the most learned and dis- tinguished men in the state. Theodore Foster and Solomon Drowne are names not only intimately connected with the history of the town of Foster, but bear honorable place in the historical record of their na- tive state. Senator Theodore Foster came from Brookfield, Mass., while yet in his teens, and graduated at Rhode Island College in 1770. He married a sister of the late Governor James Fenner. He was town clerk 12 years, was drawn into the exciting life of a politician, studied and practiced law in Providence, and in 1790 was made United States senator, which office he held till 1803. In 1800 Mr. Foster, who had great interest in the town which had taken his name, proposed to his friend, Doctor Drowne, to purchase a farm then for sale adjoining his estate, and carry into practice certain cherished ideas of their youthful days. Doctor Drowne, who had had enough of the West, lent a willing ear. The farm was surveyed, its soil was pronounced good, its situa- tion elevated and eligible, its sylvan scenery charming, and its title was secured. Doctor Drowne called it Mount Hygeia, after the Greek goddess of health, and wrote a letter composing some verses invoking the favor of that cherished divinity of heathen mythology, and sent it to Mr. Foster at Washington. Mr. Foster caught up the glowing strain of his friend and penned the following poen1:
THE ANTICIPATION OF MOUNT HYGEIA, IN THE TOWN OF FOSTER.
Hail Hygeia ! Rhode Island's fairest seat ! Famed Fosteria's highest hill ! Where beauty, love and friendship meet And rapture's sweetest joys distil !
The noblest boast of Narragansett's groves, In great Miantinomi's day, Where native chieftains told their softest loves, And cheerful passed their time away !
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