USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Smithfield > History of the town of Smithfield [R.I.] from its organization, in 1730-1, to its division, in 1871 > Part 12
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To the southwest, and at a short distance from Union Village, is situated Woonsocket Hill, the highest land in the State of Rhode Island. Its summit is 570 feet above high- water mark at Providence ; it is composed mostly of granular quartz, mica, and tulc. On the highest part of this hill is a large pond.
For the last forty years there has been no increase in the number of dwelling houses in Union Village; two have been removed, and two erected, and yet there is (1870) no land for sale. The population is 125, and the picturesqueness and quiet of this ancient village are equalled by the intelligence, conservatism and virtues of its inhabitants.
THE VALLEY OF THE MOSHASSUCK. .
The valley of the Moshassuck, along which the early set- tlers of Providence pushed northward almost from the first, was originally a region of great natural beauty, and has been the locality wherein the most successful business enterprises have alternated with the most disastrous experiments. The " Lime Rock " country is diversified by hills, possesses a soil rich and permanent, and has been, for more than the life of the town, the centre of the manufacture of lime of the very highest quality. While this territory was yet a part of the town of Providence it was provided by law that the lime- stone quarries should be and remain the property of the
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town; they were not to be set off as other lands, to the inhab- itants, nor sold. This attempt at sovereign prerogative failed, however, although the town of Smithfield made some inef fectual attempts to revive it. The result was that the inval- uable quarries went into private hands.
The manufacture of lime has been carried on with great success, and continuously, by the Dexter Lime Rock Com- pany, and the Harris Lime Rock Company, and their prede- cessors. The village of Lime Rock, which at one time was the location of the Lime Rock Bank, and the seat of consid- erable local business, is now, owing to the construction of the Providence and Worcester Railroad, and the tendency of the times toward centralization of capital, indeed a " deserted village."
Passing down the valley one reaches within a few miles the Quinsnicket country, Quinsnicket signifying in the Indian language " the large place of rock houses." So recently as in the days of the late Stephen H. Smith the ruins of many of the Indian huts were in existence upon his place. Mr. Smith, who was an admirer of nature, a most advanced and excellent horticulturist and an indefatigable improver of whatever locality he had possession of, beautified the imme- diate vicinity of his residence, at Quinsnicket, by damming the Moshassuck and forming a beautiful lake, and by sur- rounding his house with such a wealth of trees, plants and creeping vines as to make it one of the most noticeable situ- ations of the town.
The "Butterfly Factory," located in the immediate vicinity of the house of Mr. Smith, was originally erected for a cotton mill. It has been used for various purposes, but never with any permanent commercial success. Just below this building is a small privilege which was first occupied by Samuel Arnold, who, about the year 1816, established a distillery there. This enterprise proving unremunerative, Mr. Arnold and the late ex-Governor Lemuel H. Arnold, about 1826,
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converted the establishment into a print works, under the name of the Arnoldville Printing Company. This company was soon dissolved, and Holder C. Weeden took the place of ex-Governor Arnold. The concern was, not long after, burnt to the ground. It was rebuilt, Mr. Weeden carrying on the business, but was again, about 1844, destroyed by fire. In 1846 Theodore Schroeder took possession of the establish- ment, which had been rebuilt, and changed the name to " Manchester Printworks," and for a time was eminently successful, but it was blown up by the explosion of steam boilers, and Mr. Schroeder failed about the year 1858. The works were again rebuilt and operated by Brown, Dean & Macready, who failed about 1862. The establishment having been purchased by Messrs. W. F. & F. C. Sayles, was oc- cupied by the American Worsted Co., for the manufacture of worsted braids and yarns. This was the first attempt to
manufacture worsted braids in this country, and the poineer in a business which has since been developed to such an extent as to supply the needs of the country and practically shut out imported braid. The company consisted of Messrs. W. F. & F. C. Sayles, Darius Goff and D. L. Goff. In 1864 the company was dissolved, the Messrs. Goff starting the business at Pawtucket, and Messrs. W. F. & F. C. Sayles continued the old business under the name of the Union Worsted Co., until 1867, when the buildings and machinery were burned to the ground. This was the end, so far, of the attempt to manufacture on this site.
The Friends' Meeting House, situated just below the last mentioned privilege, was erected prior to 1708. On Octo- ber 2, 1708, Eleazer Arnold deeded to Thomas Smith and others a tract of land near the dwelling house of said Eleazer Arnold, seven rods by twelve, "on which stands a certain meeting house, of the people called Quakers." This has been known for many years as "Lower Smithfield meeting house." It still stands in a good state of preservation, and
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is occupied, although not with the same regularity, nor by the same full congregations as in days of yore.
A little further down stream will be seen the Moshassuck Bleachery, owned by W. F. & F. C. Sayles. This establish- ment was commenced in 1848, has increased in extent and facilities without interruption, and rapidly, and is without doubt the most extensive and completely equipped bleachery in the country, as it has been one of the most profitable. Not only are the buildings requisite for the business of the most substantial character, but the dwellings erected for the operatives are neat and commodious, while not a few of the employés own their residences and land sufficient to give opportunity for the display of agricultural taste. Beyond this the whole tone of the vicinage is healthy. The pro- prietors not only encourage, but pecuniarily aid every effort in behalf of temperance, of education, and of religious wel- fare. Here, where a quarter of a century ago there was nothing but the wilderness or a sandy waste, is now a thrifty, an attractive, a prosperous and exemplary village, destined to become still more conspicuous and progressive.
DIVISION OF THE TOWN.
There had been for several years a feeling on the part of many of the inhabitants of the town, that it should be divided. Various attempts had been made to set a portion off to Woonsocket, and the aid of the General Assembly had been invoked to favor such a project, but it was op- posed by the Representatives and Senator from the town, acting under instructions from the tax-payers, and was de- feated. The matter, however, was not allowed to drop, and on Saturday, January 21, 1871, a special meeting of the freemen was called at the Town House. After a full and free discussion, the question "shall the town be divided ?" was carried in the affirmative by a vote of 111 to 33.
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The following resolution was then adopted without a dis- senting vote :-
"Resolved, That this meeting favors a division of the town of Smithfield, according to the act now on the Moderator's table, making the new towns of North Smithfield and Greenville."
Afterwards the act was amended so as to leave the old name Smithfield to that portion of the town designated in the act as Greenville, giving the name of Lincoln to that portion which had been designed to be left as Smithfield.
The following is the act as finally adopted :
AN ACT SETTING OFF A PORTION OF SMITHFIELD TO WOONSOCKET, AND DIVID- ING THE REMAINDER INTO THREE TOWNS.
Passed March 8, 1871.
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows :
SECTION 1. All that portion of the town of Smithfield lying and being within the following boundaries, that is to say, beginning at a point on the southerly line of said town of Smithfield, where the Douglas Pike (so-called) crosses said line in or over the Wenscott Reservoir; thence running easterly with and on said town line to the centre of the Blackstone River, being the southeasterly corner of said town of Smithfield; thence running with the centre of said Blackstone River, being the easterly boundary of said town to a point in the centre of said river, opposite the centre of the mouth of the Crook Fall River; thence running by and with the centre of said Crook Fall River to a point where the road leading from the Providence and Worcester road (so-called) past the house of Ephraim Sayles crosses the said Crook Fall River; thence running southerly on a straight line to the place of beginning, is hereby incorporated into a township by the name of Lincoln; and the inhabitants thereof shall have and enjoy the like benefits, liberties, privileges and immunities, and be subject to like duties and responsibilities, as the other towns in this State generally enjoy and are subject to.
SEC. 2. All persons liable to pay taxes in said town of Lincoln shall be holden to pay to the collectors of the town of Smithfield all arrears of taxes legally assessed on them in said Smithfield before the passage of this act.
SEC. 3. The said town of Lincoln shall and may send to the Gen- 19
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eral Assembly two representatives, until the next reapportionment of representatives by the General Assembly.
SEC. 4. There shall be drawn in the town of Lincoln for the Su- preme Court, when holden in the county of Providence, and for the Court of Common Pleas in said county, one grand and four petit jurors.
SEC. 5. The said town of Lincoln, for the purposes of representa- tion in the General Assembly of this State, shall be considered a town on and after the first Wednesday in April next; and shall be consid- ered a town for all purposes whatsoever, on and after the first Monday in June next.
SEC. 6. The trial justice in the third voting district in the town of Smithfield, as at present organized, is hereby empowered to issue his warrant to any officer or other person whom he may appoint, to warn the qualified voters of the town of Lincoln to meet for the pur- poses required by law and the provisions of this act, on the first Wednesday in April next; on the first Monday in June next, and on the second Tuesday in June next.
SEC. 7. The annual election of town clerk, council, treasurer and justices of the peace for said town of Lincoln, shall be held on the first Monday in June. The annual town meeting for the purpose of order- ing a town tax, school and highway tax, and for the transaction of such other business as may legally come before said meeting shall be held on the second Tuesday in June.
SEC. 8. The town council of said town of Lincoln, shall, at their first meeting next after their annual election, choose and elect so many town officers as by the laws of the State are or shall be required, ex- cepting such as by this act are directed to be otherwise elected.
SEC. 9. The town council of said town of Lincoln elected as herein provided shall, at some meeting previous to the annual election, de- termine the number of justices of the peace to be elected by the peo- ple. Whenever any vacancy occurs in any of the officers of or in said town of Lincoln that are filled by the electors of said town at the annual election, the town council shall order a new election, and such election shall be notified and conducted according to law and the pro- visions herein contained.
SEC. 10. The town council of the town of Smithfield shall make out a correct alphabetical list of all persons resident in said town of Lincoln entitled to vote in said town under article second, section first, of the constitution of this State, and a list of all persons entitled to vote by registry, and the payment of registry and other taxes, or by the performance of military duty; and shall cause the said list to be
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certified and delivered to the trial justice in and for the third voting district in said Smithfield, to be by him delivered to the moderator who shall preside at the first meeting of the electors of the said town of Lincoln. Said council shall also cause a corrected list of all persons entitled to vote as aforesaid, to be certified and delivered to the said justice, to be by him delivered to the moderator who shall preside at the meeting of said electors on the first Monday in June next.
SEC. 11. All that part of the town of Smithfield lying and being within the following limits, to wit: beginning at a point on the State line between the States of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, being the point where the towns of Uxbridge, in Massachusetts, and Smithfield and Burrillville, in Rhode Island, meet, and are bounded, it being the northwest corner of the town of Smithfield; thence running southerly, on and with the west line of said town of Smithfield to a point being the northeast corner of the town of Glocester, where the northerly line of said Glocester and the southerly line of the town of Burrillville meet the westerly line of said Smithfield; thence running easterly to a point where the road leading from the Providence and Worcester road, (so-called,) by the house of Ephraim Sayles, crosses the Crook Fall River, near the house of Simon Newell; thence with said Crook Fall River, and the centre thereof, to a point being the centre of the mouth of said Crook Fall River, and the centre of the Blackstone River; thence in a straight line westerly to a point on the southerly line of the Providence and Worcester road, (so-called,) at the Booth pond, (so-called); thence with the southerly line of said road, exclud- ing said road, to a point on the same, where the road leading from Woonsocket Falls village to the Union village enters said road a little northerly of the Friends' meeting house; thence northerly in a straight line towards the easterly corner of the covered bridge, near the Black- stone Manufacturing Company's mill, until a point is reached due west from the centre of the dam of an ancient grist mill; thence running due east to the centre of Blackstone River; thence running with said river on the present town line of Smithfield, to the State line, it being the northeast corner of the town of Smithfield; thence running westerly on and with the northerly line of said town of Smith- field to the place of beginning, is hereby set off and incorporated into the township by the name of Slater; and the inhabitants thereof shall have and enjoy the like benefits, privileges and immunities, and be subject to like duties and responsibilities as the other towns in this State generally enjoy and are subject to.
SEC. 12. All persons liable to pay taxes in said town of Slater shall be holden to pay to the collectors of the town of Smithfield all arrears
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of taxes legally assessed on them, in said Smithfield, before the passage of this act.
SEC. 13. The said town of Slater may, and shall send to the Gen- eral Assembly two representatives, until the next reapportionment of representatives by the State.
SEC. 14. There shall be drawn in the town of Slater, for the Supreme Court, when holden in the county of Providence, and for the Court of Common Pleas, in said county, one grand and two petit jurors.
SEC. 15. The said town of Slater, for the purposes of representa- tion in the General Assembly of this State, shall be considered a town on and after the first Wednesday in April next; and shall be consid- ered a town for all purposes whatsoever, on and after the first Monday in June next.
SEC. 16. William H. Seagrave is hereby empowered to issue his warrant to any officer or other person whom he may appoint to warn the qualified electors of the town of Slater, to meet for the purposes required by law and the provisions of this act, on the first Wednesday in April next, and on the first Monday in June next.
SEC. 17. The annual election of town clerk, town council, treas- urer, and justices of the peace, for said town of Slater, shall be held on the first Monday in June, and for the transaction of other town business, which may properly be presented, shall be held on the second Monday in June.
SEC. 18. The town council of said town of Slater shall, at its first meeting next after the annual election of such town council, choose and elect so many town officers as by the laws of the State are, or shall be required, excepting such as are by this act directed to be otherwise elected.
SEC. 19. The town council of said town of Slater, elected as herein provided, shall, at some meeting previous to the annual election, de- termine the number of justices of the peace to be elected by the peo- ple. Whenever any vacancy occurs in any of the offices of said town of Slater, that are filled by the electors of said town, at the annual election, the town council shall order a new election, and such election shall be notified and conducted according to law and the provisions herein contained.
SEC. 20. The town council of the town of Smithfield shall make out a correct alphabetical list of all persons resident in said town of Slater, entitled to vote in said town, under article second, section first, of the constitution of this State, and a list of all persons entitled to vote by registry, and the payment of registry or other taxes, or by
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the performance of military duty; and shall cause the said list to be certified and delivered to said William H. Seagrave, to be by him de- livered to the moderator who shall preside at the first meeting of the electors of the said town of Slater. Said council shall also cause a corrected list of all persons entitled to vote as aforesaid, to be certified and delivered to the said Seagrave, to be by him delivered to the moderator who shall preside at the meeting of said electors, on the first Monday of June next.
SEC. 21. The town of Lincoln shall be liable for the support of all persons who now do, or who shall hereafter, stand in need of relief as paupers, whose settlement was gained by or derived from a settlement within the limits of said town of Lincoln, as described by this act. And the town of Slater shall be in like case or cases equally liable for the support of persons needing relief as paupers, whose settlement was gained by or derived from a settlement within its limits, as described by this act.
SEC. 22. The indebtedness of the town of Smithfield, as at present defined, shall be apportioned between and paid by the towns of Lincoln, Smithfield and Slater, as organized by this act, and the ter- ritory herein set off and annexed to the town of Woonsocket, in pro- portion to the ratable property in said towns and territory, according to the last assessment in and by the town of Smithfield, as at present organized. The town of Slater shall be, and is hereby empowered to assess upon the persons and estates in the territory hereby set off and annexed, and collect the ratable proportion of the debt of the town of Smithfield, which said annexed territory would be liable to pay if it had remained as a part of the town of Slater, and the money arising therefrom shall pay over as a part of the sum provided for the pay- ment of the indebtedness of said town of Smithfield; and in case said town and territory aforesaid shall not agree in respect to the division, apportionment and payment of said indebtedness, the Court of Com- mon Pleas for the county of Providence shall, upon the petition of either town, appoint three competent and disinterested persons to hear the parties and make award therein; and their award, or that of any two of them, accepted by the court aforesaid, shall be final.
SEC. 23. The books of records and papers of the town of Smith- field shall be and remain in the custody of the town of Lincoln, but the inhabitants of the town of Smithfield, and of the town of Slater, shall at all times have access to the same, in like manner, and under like conditions as if the town of Smithfield had not been divided. The town clerk of the town of Smithfield shall, as soon as may be, after the passage of this act, cause so much of the said records as re-
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lates to lands in the town of Smithfield, as the same shall be bounded, after the passage of this act; and so much as relates to lands in the town of Slater, as have been made since the year 1850, to be trans- cribed and copied for the use of the said towns respectively, the ex- pense thereof to be charged to the said town of Smithfield, as at present organized. And such transcripts or copies shall have all and the same validity as the original record.
SEC. 24. Said towns of Smithfield and Slater shall provide books for the registry of land titles, and such other records as are and may be required by the laws of this State, to be kept by the several towns therein.
SEC. 25. The town and other officers shall continue to exercise their several offices in the towns of Smithfield and Slater, so far as pertains to town affairs, until the election of officers in the towns of Lincoln and Slater, and until their successors be qualified to act.
SEC. 26. The school commissioner shall apportion the school money in the towns of Lincoln, Smithfield and Slater, in accordance with the last census taken by the authority of the United States in the town of Smithfield, and published, to be divided as follows: The school committee of the town of Smithfield shall cause the census to be taken prior to the first day of June next, in the towns of Smithfield and Slater, of all children under fifteen years of age, and report the number of said children in each town to the said commissioner; and he shall distribute the school money to each town in ratio to the num- ber of children in each town, to the apportionment made to the towns of Lincoln, Smithfield and Slater under the last census, under which apportionment has been made.
SEC. 27. The town councils of the said towns of Lincoln and Slater may each remove all officers by them respectively appointed, for mis- conduct or incapacity, at any regular meeting of said councils.
SEC. 28. All that portion of the town of Smithfield lying north- erly and easterly of a line commencing at a point in the centre of the Blackstone River, directly opposite the mouth of Crook Fall River; thence running northwesterly in a direct line to the southerly line, and including it, of the Providence and Worcester road, (so-called,) at the Booth pond, (so-called); thence running on and with the southerly line of said Providence and Worcester road, and including said road, to a point where the road leading from Woonsocket Falls village to the Union village enters said Providence and Worcester road near the Friends' meeting house; thence in a direct line north- erly towards the easterly corner of the covered bridge, near the Black- stone Manufacturing Company's mill, until the line reaches a point
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due west from the centre of the dam, by what was an ancient grist mill; thence running due east to the centre of the Blackstone River, is hereby set off from said town of Smithfield, and annexed to the town of Woonsocket, and the portion so set off and annexed is hereby declared to be within the limits and jurisdiction of said town of Woonsocket, for all purposes except as herein provided; and the in- habitants of the said portion so set off and annexed shall have and enjoy all the rights, privileges and immunities, and be subject to all the duties and liabilities which the inhabitants of said town of Woon- socket have and enjoy, and to which they are subject.
SEC. 29. The town of Woonsocket shall be liable for the support of all persons who now do, or who shall hereafter stand in need of relief as paupers, whose settlement was gained by or derived from a settlement within the limits of the portion of the said town of Smith- field hereby set off and annexed.
SEC. 30. All persons and estates in said portion of said town of Smithfield so annexed shall be holden to pay to the town of Smithfield all arrears of taxes legally assessed therein prior to the passage of this act, in the same manner as if this act had not been passed.
SEC. 31. All the books of records of said town of Smithfield shall be the property and remain in the custody of the town of Lincoln, in- corporated by this act; but the inhabitants of the portion of Smithfield set off and annexed as aforesaid shall have the same right of access to the same as if this act had not been passed; and the town clerk of the town of Smithfield shall, as soon as may be after the passage of this act, cause so much of said records as relates to land in said portion so set off and annexed as have been made since the year 1850, to be transcribed and copied for the use of said town of Woonsocket, the expense whereof shall be paid by said town of Woonsocket; and said transcripts and copies shall be deposited in the office of the town clerk, in said town of Woonsocket, and certified copies thereof shall have the same validity as certified copies from the original record.
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