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 6
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Captain-Zenas Winsor. First Lieutenant-Joab Mathewson.
Second Lieutenant-Peleg Peck.
Ensign-Job Aldrich, Jr.
February. Daniel Mowry was appointed one of the com- missioners upon the boundary line between this State and Massachusetts.
October. John Sayles appointed to collect, in the County of Providence, the money due upon the bonds taken for the interest of the bills of credit emitted May, 1786.
Caleb Aldrich appointed one of a committee to report upon the removal of certain obstructions to the passage of fish up Pawtucket river.
At the February session of the General Assembly, 1797, Joshua Jenckes, Joseph Wilkinson, Simeon Wilkinson, Na- than Dexter, Christopher Dexter, Ahab Mowry, Benjamin Ballou, Jr., Jesse Mowry, Charles Wright, Joseph Hendrick, Winsor Aldrich, Rufus Streeter, Jeremiah Newman, Samuel Clarke, Nathaniel Mowry, William Mowry, Jesse Whipple, Nahum Aldrich, George Harris, Simon Whipple, Job Page, Stephen Clarke, Sally Page, Amos Lapham, Adam Jenckes, William Jenckes, George Eddy, Peter Harris, Samuel Mann, Nathaniel Streeter, William Harris, George Hill, John Jenckes, Jr., Isaac Comstock, Nicholas Jenckes, Lewis Dexter, Charles Angell, Jr., Edward Tripp, James Bryan, Jonathan Harris, Simon Harris, Thomas Mann, Benjamin Newell, Jesse Harris, George Streeter, Dexter Ballou, Smith Sayles, Welcome Har- ris, George Chace, Jonathan Lapham, Nathaniel Spaulding, William Aldrich, Jr., and Job Lapham, were made a " Body politic and corporate by the name of the Smithfield Third Library-Company."
The purpose was to establish a library of useful books, certain of the incorporated members having theretofore associated themselves together for said purpose. But the corporation was authorized to hold lands to the value of five
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thousand dollars. It will be seen at once over what a wide territory these persons were distributed, and how modest were their ideas as to the value of the "tenement " in which to place that library owned, or to be owned by so numerous a company, with right to admit others, and, in the language of the charter, " to subsist at all times forever hereafter."
1805. Joseph Farnum, Noah Farnum, Jabez Mowry, Stephen Olney, William F. Magee, Henry Smith, Fenner Angell, Nicholas Brown, Rufus Waterman, Amos T. Jenckes, George Weeden, James Smith, Noah Arnold, Benjamin Sheldon, David Mowry, Gardner Aldrich, Artemas Smith, Delvin Smith, Chad Smith, Cyrus Cook, Thomas Arnold, Eleazer Bellows, Richard Mowry, Enos Mowry and others were incorporated for the purpose of building and estab- lishing a turnpike road from Providence to the line of Mas- sachusetts in Douglass or Uxbridge.
The Smithfield Turnpike Company was incorporated at the February session of the General Assembly, 1805, the following named persons being the incorporators: Joseph Farnum, Noah Farnum, Jabez Mowry, Stephen Olney, William F. Magee, Henry Smith, Fenner Angell, Nicholas Brown, Rufus Waterman, Amos T. Jenckes, George Weeden, James Smith, Noah Arnold, Benjamin Sheldon, David Mow- ry, Gardner Aldrich, Artemas Smith, Delvin Smith, Chad Smith, Cyrus Cook, Thomas Arnold, Eleazer Bellows, Rich- ard Mowry, and Enos Mowry.
February, 1805, the Smithfield Union Bank was incorpo- rated with a capital of fifty thousand dollars, and, having been chosen by the stockholders, Peleg Arnold, Stephen Whipple, Enos Mowry, Baruch Aldrich, William Buffum, Duty Winsor, Jesse Brown, Walter Allen, Thomas Mann, Simon Whipple, Thomas Aldrich, Elisha Olney and Joel Aldrich were appointed temporary Directors.
August, 1807, the town voted to rebuild the middle bridge
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SMITHFIELD.
at Woonsocket Falls, as had theretofore been done between the towns of Smithfield and Cumberland; and at the same time appropriated two hundred dollars toward rebuilding the westernmost, or capital bridge at Woonsocket Falls.
1807. October. John Slater having petitioned therefor, Seth Mowry, Robert Harris, Enos Mowry and Ananias Mow- ry were empowered to raise four thousand dollars by lot- tery, to be appropriated to building a meeting house in the town of Smithfield.
1808. October. Samuel Clark, Simon Aldrich, Simon Whipple, John Jenckes, 2d, Jeremiah Whipple, Ahab Mow- ry, Nathaniel Mowry, Winsor Aldrich, James Aldrich and Susannah Jenckes were incorporated by the name of the Smithfield School Society, and empowered to hold property to the amount of ten thousand dollars.
Enos Mowry, Ananias Mowry, Seth Mowry and Arnold Mowry were empowered to raise the sum of two thousand dollars by lottery, for the benefit of the Smithfield Academic Society.
At the October session, 1808, the Smithfield Academic Society was incorporated, Enos Mowry, Seth Mowry and Nicholas Brown being incorporators.
1810. February. Peleg Arnold, Richard Stecre, Ezekiel Comstock, Joel Aldrich, John W. C. Baxter and David Aldrich were made a body corporate by the name of The Trustees of the Smithfield Academy. They were empow- ered to hold real and personal property, not exceeding in all, five thousand dollars.
President-Peleg Arnold. Vice-President-Joel Aldrich. Treasurer-Richard Steere. Secretary-David Aldrich.
Peleg Arnold, Marcus Arnold and George Aldrich were
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authorized to raise by lottery the sum of fifteen hundred dollars, for the erection of a building for the Smithfield Academy.
October. William Steere, David Sayles and John Esten made report to the General Assembly that they had ex- pended more money in building a meeting house, than they had received from a lottery.
1812. February. Duty Winsor, Daniel Winsor, Anson Mowry, Elijah Day, Emor Olney, Nathan B. Sprague, Augus- tus Winsor, Jr., Ziba Smith, Abraham Smith and Asa Win- sor incorporated as Trustees of the Greene Academy; to hold property to the amount of five thousand dollars.
A lottery was granted to the benefit of the Greene Academy.
February 12, 1812, the Trustees of the Greene Academy in Smithfield were incorporated. The incorporators were Duty Winsor, Daniel Winsor, Aaron Mowry, Elijah Day, Emor Olney, Nathan B. Sprague, Augustus Winsor, Jr., Ziba Smith, Abraham Smith, and Asa Winsor. And at the February session, 1812, the trustees were granted the right to hold a lottery to raise twenty-two hundred dollars.
June, 1812, the town considering that the sum of five dol- lars per month allowed by Congress to the soldiers drafted from the town was inadequate to common laborers; and feeling that the general complaint in regard thereto was just, voted that such drafted men, or any who should serve for them, should be paid by the town seven dollars per month.
1814. The Independent Smithfield Rifle Company was incorporated.
Captain-Thomas Wright. First Lieutenant-Benjamin Bennett. Second Lieutenant-Jonathan Cole. Ensign-Benjamin Harris.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SMITHFIELD.
1814. The Smithfield Light Infantry Company was in- corporated.
Captain-Jedediah Carpenter. Lieutenant-Samuel Taft. Ensign-Henry Carpenter.
At the October session of the General Assembly, A. D. 1818, Thomas Buffum, David Ide, Rowland Rathbone, Win- sor Aldrich, Nathaniel Mowry, 3d, Jeremiah Smith, William Buffum, Jr., Ezekiel Comstock and James Harkness were made a corporation by the name and style of the New Eng- land Pacific Bank, to be located and established in the town of Smithfield. The capital stock was fifty thousand dollars. The Directors, until others were elected, were named in the charter, as follows: Thomas Buffum, Nathaniel Mowry, 3d, William Buffum, Jr., Ezekiel Comstock and James Harkness.
1820. The first Cadet Company in the sixth Regiment of Militia was incorporated.
Captain-Harris J. Mowry. First Lieutenant-Otis Marsh. Second Lieutenant-Simon Aldrich, 3d. Ensign-Charles C. Mowry.
August, 1821, it was voted to "cause a town house to be built in some convenient part of said town ;" and Reu- ben Mowry, Thomas Mann and Thomas Buffum were chosen a committee to procure a lot, and build the town house.
1822. Joseph Wilkinson and Benjamin Coe were ap- pointed a committee to ascertain the middle of the bridge at Woonsocket Falls, and repair the Smithfield half of the bridge or bridges. There was some dissatisfaction at the action of the committee in locating the town house on the town's lot "near the White School House," but it was voted that it should proceed to build there. The members of Congress were instructed to use their influence to get some alterations
5
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SMITHFIELD.
in the Bankrupt Bill, in agitation before Congress. The for- mer action in relation to the town house was repealed. The bridge committee aforesaid, was directed to negotiate with the authorities of the town of Cumberland in relation to the bridges at Woonsocket, Unity (Manville) and "Whipple's." A survey of the town was also moved. It was voted 89 to 0 in favor of a written Constitution for this State.
June, 1822, Daniel Winsor, Daniel Mathewson, Jesse Fos- ter and Stephen W. Smith were incorporated by the name of The Baptist Society in the southwesterly part of Smith- field.
June, 1822, Daniel Winsor, Joseph Mathewson, Dexter Irons, Nathan B. Sprague, Asa Winsor, Richard Smith, Stephen Steere, John S. Appleby, Reuben Mowry, Silas Smith and Elisha Steere were incorporated as The Smith- field Exchange Bank. Capital stock forty thousand dollars.
1823. Joseph Wilkinson was appointed to attend to the indictment against Cumberland in regard to the bridges at Woonsocket ; Smithfield had been indicted in the same be- half, a few years before. A tax was voted to be levied upon the Blackstone Cotton factory, and thereafter the Representatives were instructed to oppose the petition of the Blackstone Manufacturing Company to the General Assembly, in relation to said tax.
October, 1824, it was voted 129 to 18 in favor of the Constitution framed at Newport, in June preceding.
October, 1826, the eastern and lower section of the Smith- field and Glocester Turnpike, was designated as the Mineral Spring Turnpike.
In 1827, the town voted that the Representatives in the General Assembly use their influence to procure a law taxing cotton and woolen machinery in the town where operated ; and that they should endeavor to procure the repeal of the new Judiciary law. The northern line of the town was not 9
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SMITHFIELD.
fairly established, and Thomas Mann and Joseph Wilkinson were appointed a committee to ascertain whether the new factory of Welcome and Darius Farnum was or not in Rhode Island.
January, 1828, Nathaniel Mowry, 2d, Winsor Aldrich, Simon Whipple, Abab Mowry, Nathan Aldrich, John Dex- ter, Jesse Mowry, Nathaniel Scott, Jeremiah Smith, Amasa Mowry, Stephen G. Arnold, Sterry Jenckes, Jeremiah Whip- ple, George Smith and John Jenckes were incorporated by the name of the Smithfield Lime Rock Bank. Capital stock one hundred thousand dollars.
1828. Messrs. John Harris, Jr., of Scituate, Thomas Mann, of Smithfield, Samuel W. King, of Johnston, George Burton, of Cranston, Barney Merry, of North Providence, and Benjamin C. Harris, of Providence, were made a com- mittee to superintend the drawing the Free Will Baptist Society's Lottery, in Smithfield.
1832. Samuel Greene, Joseph M. Brown, James Wilson, Jr., Ariel Ballou, Jr., Edward Harris, and others were in- corporated by the name of the St. James Church, at Woonsocket Falls in Smithfield; and the corporation was authorized to hold property in the sum of fifty thousand dollars.
January, 1834, Lewis Dexter, Jeremiah Smith, Morton Mowry, and others were incorporated into a banking com- pany, by the name of the President, Directors and Company of the Providence County Bank. The capital stock was fifty thousand dollars.
Location changed to Woonsocket, 1855. Name changed to Globe Bank.
In 1835, Arnold Spear and Lewis Dexter as a commit- tee for the town, purchased the Seth Mowry farm for five thousand five hundred dollars; and in 1836, Ethan Harris was chosen to "repair the outside of the town's meeting house, and make some necessary repairs inside of said house."
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SMITHFIELD.
1835. Timothy W. Dexter, and his associates, were in- corporated by the name of Christ's Church in Lonsdale, in Smithfield ; for the purpose of establishing and maintaining public worship. The corporation was authorized to hold property to the amount of thirty thousand dollars.
1836. Daniel Hale, Stephen P. Train, John Vannerar, Nathan Young, Bradbury C. Hill, Washington Wilkinson and others were incorporated by the name of Emanuel Church, at Manville, in Smithfield. To hold property not exceeding in value ten thousand dollars.
1836. Reuben Mowry, Alexander Barney, Abner Bal- lou, Phillips Hill, John Jenckes, Jeremiah Smith, Willard Smith, Lewis Dexter, Daniel Jenckes, George L. Barnes, Samuel B. Harris, Thomas D. Holmes, Daniel C. Jenckes, G. H. Mowry, E. Ide, and those who should become mem- bers, were created a body corporate and politic, by the name of the Lime Rock Baptist Society, in Smithfield. The society was empowered to have and to hold real and personal estate not exceeding in all the sum of ten thousand dollars.
In 1837, the Representatives were instructed to use their exertions to procure the passage of an act authorizing the town to form itself into school districts; and that the said districts might tax themselves for the building of school houses, and might appoint each for itself a school commit- tee. A petition was also by a unanimous vote addressed to the General Assembly as follows: "The Citizens of the Town of Smithfield, in Town Meeting assembled, would respectfully represent that they were incorporated in the year 1730 with all the benefits and privileges which other towns in this State have and enjoy ; that at that time the population of the town was small; that they then sent two Representatives to the General Assembly, which, probably, was a fair representation for the then population. But since
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SMITHFIELD.
that time the population and business of the town has greatly increased; that in 1830 the population of the town was 6,853, and is believed now to be 8,000 or more; that in the early settlement of the town they were almost exclusively an agricultural people, but at the present time the pursuits of the citizens are extended to a greater variety of occupa- tions than almost any other town in this State. The citizens of this town are free to admit that a larger town ought not to be entitled to the same representation in proportion to its population as a small one, but they do say, that such a gross inequality of representation as now exists in this State, ought to be corrected without delay. When the citizens of this town look at the present representation from the several towns in the State and see that the town of Portsmouth with a population of about 1,700, sends four Representatives to the State Legislature and this town but two they see that one freeman in Portsmouth has about the same representa- tion in the legislature of the State as twenty freemen in Smithfield; to which the citizens of this town are unwilling longer silently to submit.
Wherefore they would respectfully request the General Assembly to take the subject of the extreme inequality of the present representation from the several towns in this State under consideration, and in such manner as seems most practicable and just correct the evil complained of."
1838. George Aldrich, 4th, George H. Mowry, William H. Gardner and others were incorporated by the name of the Lime Rock Library; to hold property not exceeding five thousand dollars.
At the June session, 1838, George O. Smith and others preferred a petition for the division of Smithfield, and at the January session, 1839, the petitioners, at their own re- quest, had leave to withdraw their petition.
In the year 1839, the town council was instructed not to grant licenses for the sale of intoxicating liquors in less
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SMITHFIELD.
amount than one gallon ; and a committee was appointed to examine into the expenses of the town as to the support of the. poor since the purchase of the town farm, and make a detailed statement. In 1840, Arnold Spear, Lewis Dexter and Dexter Aldrich were appointed a committee to draft rules and regulations for the management of the town farm, and the poor of the town. It was also provided that a com- mittee of three be appointed to examine persons proposing to teach in the schools; this committee was also to recom- mend school books, and visit the schools. The first school committee, chosen in town meeting, consisted of Amos D. Lockwood, Nicholas S. Winsor and Samuel S. Mallery. The school committee was enlarged so as to consist of five persons. Spencer Mowry was appointed to consider the expediency of building a stone arch bridge over the easterly stream at Woonsocket Falls, and negotiate with the town of Cumber- land ; the expense to Smithfield to be not over four hundred dollars. James I. Harkness was appointed on the school committee in place of Mr. Lockwood, who declined to serve, . and Thomas D. Holmes and David W. Aldrich were added to said committee. The town council was instructed not to grant license to any person to exhibit Circus Sports or performances. Twelve hundred and seventy-three1% dol- lars were voted to George Olney as the committee who had built Whipple's bridge. In 1841, the sum of three thousand dollars was appropriated for the repair of highways, and one thousand dollars for the public schools. As early as 1828,
it had been voted that the money appropriated for the pub- lic schools should be divided; one-half equally among the several districts, and the other half according to the number of scholars from four to twenty years old; and in 1829 an appropriation of five hundred dollars was made, which was increased in 1830 to six hundred dollars, and in 1831 to one thousand dollars; no school tax appears as of record to have been levied in 1832, but in 1837 a tax of one thousand
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dollars was levied for school purposes, and this sum was an- nually appropriated until the year 1843, when it was reduced to five hundred dollars, but was raised in 1844 to one thou- sand dollars.
October, 1841, Samuel Withington, Silas W. Plympton, George W. Steere, Edward H. Adams, Simeon Newton, Hiram Bennett, Daniel F. Knapp, David Daniels, Edward H. Sprague, Lyman Cook, Arnold Briggs, Ozias M. Morse, Thomas A. Paine, Seth Chapin, and such as should become members hereafter, were created a body corporate and pol- itic, by the name of The Congregational Society of Woon- socket Village, in Smithfield. They were entitled to hold property of every description not exceeding the value of twenty thousand dollars.
At a town meeting held on the 31 day of August, 1841, Stephen Steere, John Jenckes, Charles Moies and George Aldrich were appointed delegates from this town to attend a Convention to be holden at Providence, on the first Mon- day of November next, to frame a new Constitution for this State, either in whole or in part, with full powers for that purpose.
A town meeting was held on the twenty-first, twenty- second and twenty-third days of March, 1842, to vote for the ratification or rejection of the Constitution adopted by the Constitutional Convention, held in Providence on the first Monday in November, 1841.
The vote of the town of Smithfield was:
For Ratification 334
For Rejection. 993
In August of this year, Samuel B. Harris, Charles Moies, Nathan B. Sprague and Edward H. Sprague were chosen delegates to attend a Convention to be holden at Newport, on the second Monday of September next, to frame a new Constitution for this State, either in whole or in part, with full power for that purpose.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SMITHFIELD.
At a town meeting held on the twenty-first, twenty-second and twenty-third days of November, 1842, held to vote for the adoption or rejection of the Constitution proposed by the Constitutional Convention held at Newport in Septem- ber preceding ; and also to vote upon the question, whether in case the said proposed Constitution be adopted, the blank in the first line of section second, of article second of said Constitution, shall be filled by the word "White." Upon counting the votes there appeared :
For Adoption 374
For Rejection None.
For filling the blank with the word "White " 54
Against so filling the blank 302
May, 1842, the Wionkheige Library, upon the petition of Harris Wing, was revived, and Robert Harris authorized to call the first meeting.
June, 1843, the petition of Charles Moies and others, that the town of Smithfield may be divided, was continued.
1843. David Clark, Isaac Smith, Alfred Arnold, E. S. Barrows, Peleg B. Sherman, A. Palsey, Daniel W. Luther, and such other males as now compose the Lonsdale Baptist Church, and such others as may become members of this corporation, were incorporated by the name of the First Baptist Society in Lonsdale, Smithfield; for the purpose of establishing and maintaining the worship of Almighty God, according to the rites and ordinances of the Baptist denom- ination, as practiced by the Warren Association.
At the June town meeting in 1844, the town council was requested to obtain annually, hereafter from the town treas- urer, and other officers having the disbursement of the pub- lic money, a statement of the items, under general heads of the expenditures by them made; and this information was to be made public. In 1845, the school committee was re- duced to three, and the members were to be paid one dollar
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SMITHFIELD.
per day each, when engaged in their duties as such commit- tee. This year the town voted 573 to 86 against the grant- ing of licenses. Two thousand dollars was appropriated in 1846 for the public schools, and the committee allowed inci- dental expenses in addition to one dollar per day. The town council was authorized to audit, settle and order paid all accounts and demands against the town of less amount than fifty dollars. Thomas Buffum was appointed a com- mittee to negotiate with the town of Cumberland in relation to the widening the westerly arch bridge at Woonsocket. The Senator and Representatives were instructed, in Novem- ber, as it seems at a meeting specially called therefor, to op- pose any dismemberment of the town. It was also voted unanimously not to divide the town. At the June town meeting, 1847, the town treasurer was requested to make thereafter, to the annual town meeting in June, a statement in writing of the situation of the town treasury. Five hun- dred copies of the report of the school committee were ordered published. Three hundred dollars was appropriated in 1848, to purchase safes for the safe keeping of the town records. In 1849, the town voted 417 to 355 in favor of granting licenses. This year the town voted to raise the highway tax in money. The appropriations for bridges and highways begin to increase notably.
1845. Joseph Wood, Hiram Wilmarth, John Moies, Sam- uel Wood, Sylvester C. Pierce, Pardon White, and their associates, were incorporated by the name of the Central Falls Congregational Society ; for the purpose of erecting and maintaining a meeting house for the public worship of Almighty God, in the village of Central Falls, Smithfield, R. I., and for the purpose of supporting and promulgating the Christian religion, according to the rites and usages of the Trinitarian Congregational Churches in the United States.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SMITHFIELD.
At the January session of the General Assembly, 1845, Smithfield was divided into four districts, for voting pur- poses.
District No. 1 comprised all that portion of the town lying northerly of a line drawn from the Blackstone river at the Mott Dam, so called, to the junction of the Branch, and Providence and Douglass turnpikes, near the residence of Ethan Harris; and from said junction, following the said Providence and Douglass turnpikes, northeasterly to the line of Burrillville.
District No. 2 was bounded as follows: Beginning at the said junction of the Branch, and Providence and Douglass turnpikes, near the residence of Ethan Harris; thence northeasterly, following said Providence and Douglass turn- pikes to the road leading to Martin's way, at the corner near Daniel Angell's tavern house; thence easterly with said road to the four corners, so called; thence southerly, following the road to the Louisquissett turnpike, near the brick school house, and following the said road easterly to the old Provi- dence and Worcester road to a drift-way near the Smith lime-kiln; thence easterly, following said drift-way to the river road, so called ; thence crossing said river road, near the Joseph Wilkinson house, and following a straight line and the nearest course to the Blackstone river.
District No. 3, bounded northerly by said District No. 2, easterly by the town of Cumberland, southerly by the town of North Providence, and westerly by the Providence and Douglass turnpike.
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