USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Woonsocket > History of Woonsocket > Part 2
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*This man deserves more than a passing notice. IIe was born about the year 1610. He arrived at Plymouth when in his twentieth year. Previous to this he had spent the greater part of his life in Holland, where he acquired the intimate knowledge of the language, man- ners and enstoms of the inhabitants, which in after times made him " so acceptable " to the Dutch of New York. In 1647, he succeeded Miles Standish as military commander at Ply- mouth. In 1651 he was elected one of the Governor's assistants, which office he retained fourteen years. In 1660 he became an inhabitant of Rehoboth. After the surrender of New York to the English in 1664, he was elected the first English Mayor of the city. IIe was twice chosen to the position. So much confidence had the Dutch in his integrity that he was by them chosen umpire to determine the disputed boundary between New York and New Ilaven. He returned from New York to Rehoboth, where he passed the remainder of his days. He died August 4, 1674. ITis remains now hie buried and neglected, at the head of Bullock's Cove. He was the original purchaser of the Taunton North Purchase (now Norton, Mansfield and Easton), of Wollomonopoag (now Wrentham), and of the Rehoboth North Purchase.
+The description of this purchase is as follows: From the bounds of Rehoboth ranging upon Pawtucket river, unto a place called Waweypounshag, the place where one BLACK- STONE sojourneth, and ranging along said river unto a place called Messanegtaeanch; and from this upon a straight line crossing through the woods unto the uttermost bounds of a place called Mamantapett or Wading River (probably the source of the Ten Mile River), and from said river one mile and a half upon an East line, and from thence upon a South line unto the bounds of the town of Rehoboth.
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HISTORY OF WOONSOCKET.
Plymouth Colony on the west by the river, and Rhode Island on the east by a line extending due North from the Pawtucket Falls to the southern line of Massachusetts. They defined the southern line of Massachusetts to be a line from a point " three miles south of the southernmost waters of the Charles river," overlooking the difficulties which might arise were one party to construe the " waters of the Charles river" to be the main stream, and another party to define them as the waters which ran into it. As might have been anticipated, this carelessness resulted in Massachusetts claiming her southern line to be nearly as far south as where the village of Manville now is, and in Rhode Island claiming her northern line to be even further north than where it is now established.
But this dispute was not the source of much difficulty until about the year 1694, when the Rehoboth North Pur- chase was incorporated into a township and named Attle- borough. It had then become thickly settled enough to reward the tax-gatherer for his annual visit, and the dispute begun in earnest. The locality became famous as " disputed territory," and was known as the " Attleborough Gore." As the inhabitants of the "Gore" were more in sympathy with their neighbors of Rhode Island, the officers from Mas- sachusetts were frequently sent away with empty hands and with sore heads. At the annual Rhode Island elections officers were appointed for the territory, which tended to increase the strife, and conveyances of real estate thereon were placed both upon the records of Rhode Island and of Massachusetts, containing the clause, the "Gore of land in controversy between Massachusetts Bay and Rhode Island. "% Whether the Rehoboth North Purchase extended as far
*The deed of John Arnold to his son Anthony, given August 24, 1733, and which conveyed what is now the most valuable portion of our town, namely, the estates between Market and Monument Squares, reads as follows : "Thirty acres in the township of Smithfield, on the east of the Great River, and is a part of the Gore of land in controversy," etc.
[ .. Smithfield Records," Book 1, page 72.]
16
HISTORY OF WOONSOCKET.
north as Woonsocket, I shall not venture to discuss. It is one of the many questions which have taxed the legal skill of centuries without avail, and I am content to leave it where it is-in the courts. Committees were appointed from time to time by Rhode Island and Massachusetts to run our northern line. On one of these was Richard Arnold, and on another was his son John, of whom I shall have much to say in succeeding chapters. But the point, " three miles south from the southernmost waters of the Charles river," could never be satisfactorily found, and thus the case rests to-day. Petitions were frequently and numerously signed by the inhabitants of the " Gore," praying to be set off to Rhode Island. Indeed, in 1729 Attleborough herself prayed to become a member of our little colony. At last, in 1746, by a decision of George II. in Council, the " Gore " was detached from Attleborough, annexed to the county of Providence, and named in honor of Prince William, Duke of CUMBERLAND.
The first election of officers for the new town of CUMBER- LAND was made February 10, 1746-7. For one hundred and thirty years the inhabitants of Woonsocket, who lived east of the river, participated in its annual elections, until at last they were permitted to set up housekeeping for theni- selves. This act was consummated January 31st, 1867.
Although that portion of Woonsocket which lies east of the river is an offspring of old Cumberland, it is a curious fact that the territory which eventually became the property of the Arnold family, and which now comprises the chief business portion of the town, is now held under the Mendon instead of the Rehoboth proprietary. Whether the lands were not deemed worth quarreling over, or whether the Mendonites had become too firmly fixed thereon to be easily removed, at all events, the claim of Mendon, if she ever made any, was never conceded, and MENDON* may now be
*The Indian name for the large territory which afterwards became Mendon was Qunsha-
17
HISTORY OF WOONSOCKET.
fairly considered as the parent of the most valuable portion of Eastern Woonsocket.
A line running nearly south from a stone now standing a little east of Jenekesville, to its interseetion with the river near the Hamlet mills, was claimed by Mendon as its eastern boundary, and the river as its southern and western boun- daries. I will now briefly follow down the land titles of this territory from its original Mendon proprietors to the ARNOLD FAMILY.
May 19, 1669, the General Court at Boston granted two hundred acres of land to Samuel Chapin, of Springfield, for " services rendered." From a plat of this estate, now in the archives at Boston-a copy of which was kindly furnished me by Dr. J. G. Metcalf, of Mendon-I judge this land to have been in the vicinity of the " Falls." This man never came here to reside; and in 1716 the Court granted two hundred acres to his son, " in lieu of the two hundred acres granted to his father." But I think that the first grant, or a portion of it, was retained in the possession of the Chapin family until November 15, 1710. On that day Capt. Seth Chapin conveyed the following described estate to John Arnold :*
Forty-two acres and eighty rods, bounded on the east by the Great (alias the Nipmuck) River, by the saw-mill ; southerly, upon said river ; westerly, part on said river and part on land of Capt. Richard Arnold (the father of John) ; northerly on Common, by a direct line one hundred and twenty rods ; and easterly upon Common down to the river, with an allowance for a roadway down to the saw-mill and to the Wading Place below the " Falls."
pange or Squnshopog. It was purchased of the Indians by Moses Paine and Peter Brackett, of Braintree, April 22, 1662. The consideration therefor was £24. The witnesses to the instrument were John Elliot, sr., John Elliott, jr., and Daniel Weld. The purchase was incorporated May 15, 1667, and May 12, 1670; the original purchasers assigned their rights to the selectmen of the town.
*I am indebted to Moses Roberts, Esq., for the original document. It is copied among the papers of Suffolk Co., Mass., Book 65, page 31.
3
18
HISTORY OF WOONSOCKET.
A straight line, from a point near where "Dr. Ballou's bridge " is now located, to a point on the river near the Clinton mill, and the winding course of the river from one point to the other, will encircle the above-mentioned estate.
This was conveyed in after times by John Arnold to his son Anthony, by Anthony to his brother Seth, and by Seth to his son James, who, in the last generation, disposed of it to various parties.
May 20, 1711, twenty-five acres were laid out by the pro- prietors of Mendon to James Bick. About the same time lands were laid out to Jonathan Sprague and Thomas San- ford. These three estates were probably adjoining. Bick's homestead was a little above "Dr. Ballou's bridge." Sprague lived near the new mill of Harris Woolen Co., at Mill river, but probably owned lands in the vicinity of what is now Monument Square. The residence of Sanford I am unable to locate.
William Arnold (the son of John) purchased the whole of the Bick and Sanford estates and a portion of Sprague's, thus becoming the proprietor of a belt of land adjoining the section before described, and extending from the river above " Dr. Ballou's bridge " across the country to the river again below the Clinton mill. That portion of this estate which was situated in the vicinity of the Monument House was conveyed August 12, 1747, by William Arnold to his nephew Moses. The heirs of Moses sold a part of their inheritance to Joseph Arnold, the grandson of Daniel, who was the brother of William aforesaid, and another portion to Prince Aldrich, a negro. Cato street, named in honor of one of the heirs to this last-mentioned property, passes through the centre thereof. The remainder of William Arnold's estate, extending from where the Providence Railroad now is, to the river above "Dr. Ballou's bridge," eventually passed into the hands of Darius D. Buffum, where I will leave it for the present.
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IHISTORY OF WOONSOCKET.
In 1719, and again in 1749, lands were laid out to Ebe- nezer Cook. He probably increased his estate by purchas- ing the lands which were laid out to Samuel Thayer, July 6, 1705, consisting of forty acres " on both sides of Mill river, near the Great River." Angust 19, 1721, fifty-five acres were laid out to Jonathan Richardson, "beginning at James Biek's land, then by Ebenezer Cook's land, and so running near where John Sprague did live" (at Mill river, as before- mentioned). The lands of Cook and Richardson were adjoining. Cook lived at the Social, and Richardson some- where in the vicinity of the Harris homestead.
This belt of land, extending from the river at Cold Spring, across the country to the river again at the Social, was con- veyed by the original proprietors to Daniel Arnold, the son of John and brother of William before-mentioned. Daniel bequeathed this large estate to his grandson Joseph. Joseph conveyed the Social portion to his sons, Joseph P. and Smith, and gave his son Benjamin that portion which extended to, and included, the Cold Spring Grove. There are many now living who remember the farm-house of Ben- jamin Arnold, and locate the well thereto where the front yard of Smith Brown's residence now is.
March 19, 1705, lands were laid out to Nicholas Cook on the cast of the Great River and on both sides of Peter's river. The larger part of this outer belt of land, and which was originally owned by Cook, Boyce, Sewell, Chace, and perhaps others, eventually became the property of the Aldrich family.
APPENDIX TO CHAPTER I.
A LIST OF CUMBERLAND TOWN OFFICERS,
FROM ITS INCORPORATION, IN 1747, TO THE INCORPORATION OF WOONSOCKET, IN 1867.
THE first town officers were chosen February 10, 1746. The year at that time began in March, so that it was really 1747. These officers served until the regular election in June. The reader will, therefore, understand that while I use the date 1746, it is simply as a matter of convenience. For instance, David Raze was elected Town Sergeant, February 10, 1746. On the following June he was succeeded by Uriah Jillson. My record will read: David Raze, 1746; Uriah Jillson, 1747.
TOWN CLERKS.
Job Bartlett
1746 iJohn Rogers. .1799
Daniel Peck 1748
Stephen Joslin 1804
John Dexter. 1751
Pardon Sayles. 1830
David Dexter .1766 Lewis B. Arnold 1842
John Dexter 1768
Pardon Sayles . 1854
*John Singer Dexter .1785
William G. Arnold 1855
Jotham Carpenter. 1791
F. G. Jillson 1865
*John S. Dexter was chosen in November, 1785, upon the decease of his predecessor. ¡John Rogers was chosen in February, 1799, upon the resignation of his predecessor.
TOWN TREASURERS.
Samuel Bartlett. 1746 Stephen Joslin. 1799
Uriah Jillson.
1755
Isaac Raze 1804
Abner Lapham
1764
Ariel Cook 1814
Isaac Kelley
1769
Isaac Raze 1815
Abiel Brown .
1770
Ariel Cook 1816
Philip Capron 1775
Isaac Raze 1818
Nathan Staples 1778
Arnold W. Jenckes. 1821
Abner Lapham
1783
Barton Cook. 1838
Elijah Brown. 1788
Gladding O. Thompson 1842
Col. Simon Whipple. 1790
William Whipple 1852
Elijah Brown. 1794
John Rogers 1798
George Cook. 1855
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HISTORY OF WOONSOCKET.
TOWN SERGEANTS.
David Raze 1746
Uriah Jillson. 1747
David Bartlett 1805
Jonathan Armsbury. 1748
Elih Darling. 1812
Jabez Armsbury 1813
Isaac Kelly
1762
John Fisk .1765
Rufus Bartlett. 1775
Benjamin Ballou. 1779
William Sheldon 1781
Gilbert Grant ..
1782
Jeremiah Armsbury 1785
Elijah Brown. 1786
Capt. Amaziah Weatherhead. 1787
Barney Clark.
1791
Jeremiah Armsbury
1793
David Bartlett.
1797
PRESIDENTS OF THE COUNCIL.
Job Bartlett 1740
Jos. Brown 1747
Levi Ballon 1829
Job Bartlett 1748
Davis Cooke 1835
Jeremiah Whipple.
1754
Nathaniel Robinson 1764
Davis Cooke. 1840
Jeremiah Whipple. 1767
Daniel Wilkinson. 1770
James Dexter. 1771
Jomm Lapham 1779
Levi Ballou. 1789
Fenner Brown. 1854
John Lapham
.1790
Willard H. Whiting 1853
Davis Cooke. 1856
Davis Cooke 1816
Turner Haskell 1861
William E. Hubbard 1862
Nathaniel Elliott
1863
Jabez Armsbury.
1821
James M. Cook
1864
J. B. Aldrich
1865
James C. Molten 1866
SECOND COUNCILMEN.
Jos. Brown 1746
Josiah Cook.
1747
Nathaniel Jillson, jr. 1748
Daniel Wilkinson. 1754
Levi Cooke.
1828
Nathaniel Jillson. 1755
William Whipple. 1820
Daniel Jenckes 1764
Levi Cooke. 1830
Mowry Taft. 1839
James Dexter 1768
Jervis Cooke.
1841
Nathan Staples 1771
Columbia Tingley. 1842
Daniel Jenekes. 1772
James Wilkinson 1814
Abner Haskill 1845
George L. Dana. 1849
John E. Brown
1850
John A. Cory. 853
Willard II. Whiting 185-4
Lovet Haven .. 1855
Abner Haskill. 1856
Jesse Brown. 1796
Levi Cooke 1818
Levi Ballon .. 1821
Amos Whipple 1824
Nathan Staples 1776
John Lapham. 1777
Enoch Weatherhead 1779
Levi Ballon. 1780
Capt. Stephen Whipple 1789
Elisha Waterman. . 1793
Jason Newell. 179-1
Amos Arnold. 1803
Ezekiel B. Brown 1818
Olney Ballou 1819
Jonathan Sweet. 1821
Amos Cook, jr.
1828
Ariel C. Whipple 1842
Lucien J. Arnold. 1855
George C. Wilder 1856
Horace M. Pierce 1857
Elijah B. Craig
1859
Horace M. Pierce 1860
Job Jenekes 1828
Jos. A. Scott
1839
Jos. A. Scott 1812
Olney Ballou 1846
Abner Ilaskill.
18449
Lyman Burlingame .1852
Levi Bartlett 1810
Levi Bartlett .. 1818
William Whipple 1819
Levi Cooke
1823
Levi Ballon. 1824
Nathaniel Robinson. 1767
Olney B. Scott.
1857
Abiel Brown. 1759
Fenner Brown. 1817
22
HISTORY OF WOONSOCKET.
Stephen Whipple 1801
Elijah B. Newell .1860
Levi Ballou ... 1802
Nathaniel Elliott .1861
Elisha Waterman. 1806
Olney B. Scott 1863
Nathaniel Scott 1808
Clinton Puffer
.1865
Levi Cooke 1811
James F. Smithi. 1866
THIRD COUNCILMEN.
David Whipple 1746
Nathaniel Scott. 1818
Nathaniel Ballou.
1747
Pardon Sayles .1820
Gideon Tower
1748
Levi Ballou. . .1821
Daniel Jenckes
1754
Amos Whipple 1823
Job Bartlett .1757
Jos. Whipple (2d). .1824
Daniel Jenckes 1760
Levi Cooke. .1826
James Dexter 1764
Abner Haskill 1828
Daniel Jenckes 1767
Jonathan Sweet. 1829
James Brown. 1768
Jere. Whipple .1830
Nathan Staples.
1772
Nathan Harris 1837
Peter Darling 1776
Ezra Blake 1839
Jos. Raze, jr 1779
Alfred Arnold .1841
Capt. James Lovett 1781
Jos. C. Aldrich .1842
John Bartlett. . 1782
Abner Haskill .1844
Nathaniel Shepherdson. 1785
Leonard Wakefield .1845
Stephen Whipple. .1786
George L. Dana. .1847
Capt. Elisha Waterman 1789
John E. Brown 1849
Jos. Raze .. .1793
Lyman Burlingame. ,1850
Benjamin S. Walcott 1795
John A. Cory ..
1852
Absolom Ballou. 1796
James R. Case 1853
Stephen Whipple 1799
Alfred Hixon 1854
Abner Ballon .. 1801
Christr. C. Gates .1855
Jason Newell. 1803
Bailey E. Borden. 1856
Absolom Ballon .1804
Elisha Gaskill. 1857
Levi Cooke. .1810
William O. Mason. 1860
William Aldrich.
1811
Warren J. Ballou 1861
Abner Ballon .. 1814
Ellis L. Blake. 1863
William Whipple. 1815
James W. Taft 1865
Bennett Whipple 1816
James F. Smith. 1866
FOURTH COUNCILMEN.
Jacob Bartlett, jr. .1746
Levi Ballou. 1818
Nathaniel Jillson, jr.
1747
Amos Whipple .. 1821
William Walcott 1748
Jos. Whipple (2d). 1823
David Whipple
1750
Nathaniel Aldrich 1824
Robert Aldrich.
.1752
Palemon Walcott. 1825
Ichabob Peck.
1754
Jolin Nicholson
1755
Daniel Jenekes
1758
Gideon Tower. 1760
James Weatherhead 1830
Peter Darling.
1764
James Dexter.
1767
Nelson Jenckes .1838
Daniel Jenckes
1768
Jervis Cooke 1839
Peter Darling. .1772
Tyler Daniels 1841
Levi Ballou. . .1776
James Weatherhead. 1842
Stephen Whipple 1779
Jerry A. Olney 184-1
Capt. Elisha Waterman 1780
George L. Dana 1845
Nathaniel Shepherdson 1783
Abner Jillson 1817
William Whipple .. 1826
Jeremiah Whipple. 1828
James Whipple. 1820
Nathaniel Robinson 1762
Nathan Harris .1833
James Weatherhead 1837
Stephen Whipple (2d) 1816
.
FIFTHI COUNCILMEN.
Nathaniel Ballou. 1746
Nathaniel Seott. .1815
Willlam Walcott .1747
Oliver Harris. 1846
Daniel Wilkinson 1748
Amos Whipple . .1818
Charles Capron. .1752
Nathaniel Seott. 1821
Benjamin Tower 1754
Nathaniel Aldrich. 1823
Gideon Tower. 1758
Palemon Walcott. .1824
Elisha Newell. 1760
Levi Cooke. .1825
Ariel Ballon. 1762
Job Jenckes 1826
James Dexter
1763
Oliver Harris. 1828
James Cargill.
1764
Fenner Brown 1829
John Gould. 1768
Nathan Jenekes
1832
Nathaniel Carpenter 1769
Dexter Ballou.
1833
Robert Aldrich 1772
James Weatherhead. 1835
Nathaniel Jillson 1773
Nelson Jenckes.
1837
Amos Arnold
1775
Abner Haskill 1838
Columbia Tingley. 1839
Abner Iaskill' 1840
Jos. Jacobs. 1841
Stukely S. Waterman 1842
Leonard Wakefield 1844
Linus M. Harris 1845
Abner Jillson. 1846
Jeraul O. Willcox.
1847
Jesse Brown. 1789
Jason Newell. 1792
Holomon Potter 1793
Nathaniel Jillson. 1794
Alfred Hixon .. 1853
David Sayles 1795
Arnold Carpenter. 1851
Benjamin Tingley. 1796
Osmond S. Fuller 1855
John Walcott. 1798
Abner Ballou. . .. 1799
Elisha Waterman. 1801
Levi Cooke 180-1
Enoch Arnold. 1810
Jos. Whipple (2d). 1811
Absolom Ballou. 1814
Lyman Tourtellot. 1848
Amos Whipple 1786
Lyman Burlingame .. .1849
Jos. Raze. 1788
John A. Corry. .1850
Jason Newell.
1793
James R. Case
.1852
Willard II. Whitney 1853
Nathaniel Jillson. .1795
William C. Crapon .18544
Stephen Whipple. 1796
John Waleott ..
.1799
William H. Pierce. 1856
Absolom Ballou.
1801
Jason Newell 1857
Jacob Smith .1803
Potter G. Hazard .1859
Abner Ballou . 1806
William M. Rawson .1860
William Aldrich. 1810
William E. Hubbard 1861
Enoch Arnold. 1811
Turner Haskell 1862
Samuel Grant, jr 1814
William M. Rawson 1863
Reuben Whipple 1815
James F. Smith. 1865
Abner Ballou 1816
Batavia Matthewson 1866
23
Simon Whipple. 1782
Nebadiah Wilkinson 1783
Capt. Amos Whipple 1784
Jos. Raze .. 1785
Thomas Joslin. 1788
John A. Cory.
1848
James R. Case 1850
Willard II. Whiting 1852
John L. Clarke
1856
Daniel Wilkinson (2d). 1857
William O. Mason. 1859
Daniel C. Mowry 1.860
Batavia Matthewson 1862
James W. Taft
1866
Peter Darling 1766
Olney Mason . 1830
Roger Sheldon 1776
Thomas Joslin. . 1779
Capt. Jos. Tillinghast. 1781
Thomas Carpenter. 1855
Benjamin S. Walcott. 1794
HISTORY OF WOONSOCKET.
Capt. Amos Whipple. .1785
24
HISTORY OF WOONSOCKET.
SIXTH COUNCILMEN.
William Walcott 1746
Levi Ballon. . 1775
Daniel Wilkinson. 1747
Sam Whipple.
1776
John Dexter .. 1748
Capt. Renben Ballou. 1779
Samuel Bartlett
1749
Daniel Jenckes. 1782
Jos. Brown ..
1751
Gideon Sprague 1783
John Nicholson. 1752
Jos. Raze .. 1784
Obadiah Ballou 1754
Christr. Whipple 1785
Gideon Tower. 1755
Jotham Carpenter 1787
1788
James Dexter.
1760
Levi Arnold
1789
Peter Darling 1763
Jason Newell
1791
Abner Ballou. 1764
Holomon Potter 1792
Nathan Staples 1765
Thomas. Joslin 1793
Gideon Tower. 1767
Jesse Brown. . . 1794
Nathan Arnold.
1768
Benjamin Tingley
1795
Ezekial Ballou.
1771
Abner Ballou. 1796
Nathaniel Shepherdson 1772
Absolom Ballou. 1799
In 1799 there were seven Councilmen, the seventh being Elisha Waterman.
In the year 1800 the number was reduced to five, and continued so to the present time.
Elisha Newell.
1758
Jesse Brown.
CHAPTER II. UP THE RIGHT BANK OF THE RIVER, FROM PROVIDENCE TO WOONSOCKET.
THE first settlers of Providence emigrated chiefly from the Plymouth and Massachusetts Colonies. The Pawtucket river had, therefore, to be crossed.
It was necessary that Roger Williams should cross in a canoe, for no artist would brave the ridicule of an astonished world by seating the founder of a State and of a great moral truth, upon an ox-cart in the middle of a shallow stream, surrounded by his household goods, his cattle and his family. But it was neither imperative nor reasonable that his companions in exile should have adopted the same mode of transportation, for there were five points upon the river where at its average height it might easily have been forded.
The first of these " wading-places " was at a point called the Ware*, now Central Falls. The second was at " Black- stone's Wading Place,"f now Lonsdale. The third was at " Pray's Wading Place," now Ashton. In the immediate vicinity of this place was an estate, owned by JOSHUA VERIN,¿ who, it will be remembered, was expelled from the Colony under the conscience dogma of Roger Williams. The precise locality of this historic spot is the farm of the late Capt. Benoni Cook, near Lime Rock. The fourth " wading- place " was at Senetchonet Island,§ now Manville. The fifth was at Woonsocket.
*R. I. Col. Rec., Vol. IV., page 451.
+Prov. Trans. Rec., page 125.
#From an original MS. in possession of Win. R. Cook, Esq. §Smithfield Council Rec., Book 1, page 82.
4
26
HISTORY OF WOONSOCKET.
think before we cross the busy stream to which I Woonsocket is so largely indebted, we had better stop a moment and pay it our respects, for notwithstanding its kindness to us, it has been thus far a sadly neglected river. But ploughmen instead of poets, artisans rather than artists, have lived, loved and died upon its banks ; and during their lives, while diverting its foaming waters to useful ends, they have deprived the lovers of romantic scenery and good fish of much enjoyment. Not only have the verdant meadow and the jagged rock disappeared in some localities beneath its placid bosom, but the farm laborer is no longer compelled to stipulate that salmon shall not form his chief article of diet .* All the flights of fancy that its admirers have bestowed upon it, have been employed to prove that its course through the village, which now inseribes the initial letter "W " of the name of the town,; was at one time in striking contrast with that of some of the dwellers upon its banks. But the deep fissures and cavities worn by its waters in the blue mica slate at the " Falls," are evidences that it has pursued its crooked ways for so many ages, that we may indulge in the reasonable hope that it will never return to its ancient bed. But although the river has not been sufficiently hon- ored in song to awaken a smile of approval or of pity from the poet, it has been honored with names to a remarkable degree ..
It has been called the Seekonk, the Narragansett, the Patucket, the Neetmock, the Nipmuck, the Great, and finally the Blackstone.
In ancient times it was occasionally called the Blackstone,, but not until the beginning of the present century did this
*Aged people have informed me that before the construction of dams upon the river, salmon were so plenty that, unless otherwise agreed upon, they formed the chief article in the farmer's bill of fare.
¡In relation to the meaning of the word Woonsocket, the reader must make his own selec- tion from the following : 1. Dr. Ballou gives it "Pond on the Hill." 2. S. C. Newman, from woone (thunder), suckete (mist). 3. I have been told that Dr. J. 1Iammond, Trumbull, Pres. of the American Philological Association, gives it as "The place where the water comes down."
27
HISTORY OF WOONSOCKET.
name come into universal use. It was so named in honor of William Blackstone (or Blaxton), who was the first white settler upon its banks, or, indeed, within the present limits of Rhode Island.
The first grant of lands west of the river was obtained from the Indians "by God's merciful assistance, without monies or payment." The bounds thereof and the con- sideration therefor were equally indefinite-its description being " the lands between the Pawtucket and the Pawtuxet rivers, up the streams without limit."
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