USA > Rhode Island > Kent County > Warwick > The history of Warwick, Rhode Island, from its settlement in 1642 to the present time; including accounts of the early settlement and development of its several villages; sketches of the origin and progress of the different churches of the town, &c., &c > Part 23
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pursues the remainder of its way to the Shanticut. The view from the cliff is beautiful and picturesque aside from the cascade, but with this in addition affords a bit of natural scenery hardly less pleasing than the falls of the Ammonusuc.
PONTIAC.
No one of the villages on the Pawtuxet river and its tributaries has been designated by so many different names in the course of its history, as the one we have now come to. The changes began during the aborigi- nal period. The territory in the vicinity, and probably including the site of the present village, was known as early as the year 1662, as " Papepieset, alias Toceunck," (see page .57.) The latter name is variously spelt in the town records, and seems to have been applied to the Indian village then existing in this vicinity, as well as to the meadow lands along the river. Papepieset, or Toskiounke, as it was sometimes called, makes a very good mouthfull of language, and either term is prefera- ble to those that were subsequently taken to designate the place, except the present one, which we regard with favor. The signification of those Indian names I have not been able to learn.
The earliest English designation of the place, or at least a very early one, was the " Great Weir." Previous to the erection of the mill dams, different kinds of fish, as the salmon, shad, and alewives or herring, migrated from the ocean to the inland ponds in the early part of the season, and deposited their spawn, and in the fall · returned with their progeny to the sea. The natural falls'in the river were favorite places where the anglers were inclined to station themselves at the proper sea- sons, and with lines and nets make prey of the finny tribes as they proceeded on their annual journeys. The de- mand for these fish inclined some of the more ingenious and avaricious to erect " weirs," or water-traps, in the
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river, by which large quantities of fish could be taken. These weirs " consisted of a wooden trellis-work, armed with sharp pointed sticks, and sunk upon rocks one or two feet below the surface of the stream, and as the middle of the river by being filled with large stones, was rendered too shallow for the upward passage of the salmon and shad, they plunged by necessity into the deeper water near the shore, where these concealed traps received them with a fatal welcome."* When the dams of the cotton mills were erected, the fish took . offence, and regarded the innovation as aimed against their long established rights, and finally abandoned their old nurseries. For awhile the rights of the fish were partially protected by laws, which provided that sluice ways should be kept open in the spring time, in order that the fish might freely pass to the inland waters. But this proved unsatisfactory to them, and the fish concluded if they could not have their full rights they would seek more favorable haunts, which they accordingly did. The "weir" was then of no longer use and soon ceased to properly designate the place, and became like the play of Hamlet, with Hamlet left out. In the course of time a bridge was erected across the river, and like a drowning man, who is said to " catch at a straw," the people rechristened the place as " the great bridge near the weir." Then a prominent man in the vicinity became associated with the structure, and the place was known as "Capt. Benjamin Greene's bridge."} Capt. Greene subsequently lost this honor, and another man took the laurels, and it was called "Arnold's bridge." This continued until John H. Clark .
* The weir was below the present dam, and the centre of the river had been so filled up with stones as to form an island.
+ Capt. Benjamin Greene was familiarly known as "Tobacco Ben. Greene," to distinguish him from another person in town of the same name, and also by reason of his raising large quantities of tobacco.
# Benjamin Arnold was the grandson of Capt. Benjamin Greene, and inherited the homestead on both sides of the river. He was the first Arnold who lived in this vicinity. From him the homestead descended to his son. Judge Dutee Arnold The estate is now owned by Dutee Arnold, Esq., grandson of the Judge.
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purchased the water power, and the village assumed the name of Clarksville, which continued in use until the present manufacturing company purchased the property, and gave it its present title of Pontiac. Pontiac was the name of a celebrated Indian chief, and was styled " The King and Lord of all the Northwest."* Mr. Clark, while out in Michigan, saw the picture of the old chief, Pontiac, and on his return had it engraved, to be used as a label on his goods. The name gradually be- came attached to the village after he left, though many continued to call it " Arnold's Bridge." Though these several later changes in the name of the village indicates a series of changes in the real estate comprising the village proper, the land in the vicinity was chiefly owned by a few families, prominent among them being the Staffords and Greenes and their descendants. The following paragraphs, are from Mr. Rousmaniere's inter- esting letters :
"The progenitor of the Staffords, was named Thomas, a native of England, an early settler in Plymouth Colony, a citi- zen of Newport in 1638, subsequently a sojourner in Provi- dence, finally, in 1652, an efficient inhabitant of Old Warwick. In 1655, he bought the house and land of John Townsend, front- ing on the common, the lot reaching southerly to the brook, whose waters flowed past the grist mill that had been erected five years before. Thomas Stafford bequeathed an independent estate to his three sons, Samuel, Thomas and Joseph. Samuel married Mercy, the daughter of Stukely Westcott, one of the earliest settlers of the town; Joseph married Sarah Holden, daughter of Randall Holden, another veteran worthy of that period. Joseph Stafford, youngest son of Thomas, was ad- mitted a freeman in Warwick in 1677, and four years after settled near the " great weir," on the dividing line between Cranston and Warwick, building his mansion house in both towns, according to the survey that was made many years afterwards, when Cranston was set off from Providence. His descendants have altered the old domicile into a commodious two-story mansion. He bought land from the old proprietors, from the Pawtuxet river, westward to Moshanticut brook.
* See Parkman's book, entitled "The Conspiracy of Pontiac and the Indian War after the conquest of Canada."
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As he came into this region at the close of Philip's war, it is presumed that the tract was a wilderness, and for the first time subjected to the touch of culture. He was an accumulator of property. His children were Stukely, Joseph, John, Margaret, Elizabeth, Mary and Frances; the latter married Benjamin Congdon.
" The large tract, south of the upper farm of the Stafford's, was owned by Thomas Greene, youngest son of John Greene, senior. His wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Rufus Barton, by whom he had seven children. His oldest son, Thomas, who was born August 14, 1662, was drowned during a thunder storm in the winter of 1698 or 1699, while returning in a small boat from Newport to his residence in Potowomut. The youngest son of Nathaniel, who was born April 10, 1679, re- moved to Boston. The oldest son of Nathaniel was named Rufus; one of the daughters of the latter, Sarah, married Thomas Hickling; Catherine, daughter of Thomas and Sarah Hickling, became the wife of Judge Prescott, of Massachu- setts, and mother of that brilliant author and historian, Wil- liam H. Prescott.
"The descendants of Thomas Greene, have been styled the " Stone Castle Greenes," from the fact that he dwelt in the massive stone garrison house in Old Warwick, built by John Smith, in 1649.
" Allusion has been made to Thomas Greene, who was drowned in 1698. His only son John, inherited a large estate at Potowomut. John became a convert to the views of George Fox, and married Deborah Carr, of Jamestown. Judge Caleb Greene, of Coventry, was one of his sons. Another, Richard, was an Episcopalian, and lived in princely style upon the pat- rimonial estate at Potowomut, and from the prodigality of his habits, and partly perhaps from the fact that he was a royalist during the revolution, was styled King Richard .. Being af- flicted with a cancer, it is said, he went to Newport with a flag of truce for advice from the British army surgeons, where his death was occasioned by an overdose of cicuta. The farm of 650 acres in extent was subsequently purchased by her father for Mrs. Thomas P. Ives, by whose descendants it has been much improved and beautified.
Let us return to the village of Pontiac, or as it was then termed, the "great weir." Thomas Greene, the elder, among whose descendants were Rowland Greene, a preacher of the Society of Friends, and John Wickes Greene, Esq., of Old Warwick, gave his land in this vicinity to his second son Benja- min, who was born January 10, 1665. He was captain in the colonial forces, and held at different times various civic offices. He had a tannery upon his estate, and one of the large stones used in breaking bark is now at the front door of his family
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homestead. He married Susanna, daughter of Randall Holden. During a high freshet in the Pawtuxet river it is said he saved his wife by taking her from the house in a boat. He soon after took that house to pieces and removed it to a more elevated location. The latter house still remains on the Arnold farm. It is more than 140 years old, according to tradition, having been erected before the death of his daughter Margaret, in January, 1730. Margaret was the wife of Pardon Tillinghast, of Providence. Catherine, his second daughter, married Governor William Greene, senior.
"Captain Benjamin Greene, son of Thomas, died, Februay 22, 1757, aged 91, his landed domain, which was quite extensive, was distributed among his daughters and their sons. One of the Natick farms near Phenix village, subsequently owned by the late Mr. George Burlingame, was bequeathed to his grand- son, the second Governor William Greene. His homestead and the land adjoining, he gave to his grandson Benjamin Arnold, son of Philip, who lived near Apponaug. Benjamin Arnold married one of the daughters of John Rice, who lived between Apponaug and Greenwich. He died, February 25, 1799, aged 77. He possessed a large landed estate, which was distributed in several towns, and which he bequeathed as fol- lows :* To Benjamin, a farm in Coventry; to John Ricet and Philip, farms in Cranston; to Stephen, land in Warwick; to Henry, the farm on the south side of the Pawtuxet; to Dutee, the homestead farm on the opposite side of the river; and to Thomas,land in Warwick. Henry kept a tavern on the south side of the river for many years. The late Major Hughes, father of John L. Hughes, of Providence, it is said, entered this public house one night on his return from the Indian wars in the western States, soon after the close of the revolution. Mrs. Arnold asked him how he passed over the river: the Major re- plied: "I rode over the bridge; the horse picked his way, as it was so very dark I could not see the path." Mrs. A. replied in a very excited tone of voice, "You must be mistaken, Major, for all the planking was taken off the bridge to-day in in order to repair it." Major H. who was not a man to surren- der his opinions to any one, reiterated in the most positive manner that he had so crossed it, and asking for a lantern, he groped his way back to the bridge, and ascertained that as the
* Benjamin Arnold's farm was about a mile above Washington vil- lage. His son Thomas started the acid works, which have continued to be operated by his heirs. F.
t John Rice Arnold's farm is the present State Farm. It afterwards passed into the hands of Wm, A. Howard, who was brought up in the . family of John Rice Arnold ; then Dea. Win. Snow bought it of How- ard's heirs, and a few years ago sold it to the State. F.
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HISTORY OF WARWICK.
planks had all been removed, his horse must have walked over on one of the string pieces ! Mr. Hughes then resided near Centreville."
The house in which Mr. Hughes lived, and which he probably built, is the one now standing next to the Quidnick railroad bridge, and now owned and occupied by Mr. Casey B. Tyler.
The old tavern on the south side of the river, was one of the most noted public houses outside of the city of Providence, until the Providence and New London turnpike was built, and was kept by Henry Arnold, son of Benjamin, who was a grandson of Capt. Benjamin Greene. The old road on which it was situated, was laid out in 1729, and was the only thoroughfare from Providence into the country in this direction. When the turnpike was put through it was left out of the main line of travel, and a new tavern was built to the west- ward on the turnpike, which became known as the Gor- ton Arnold Tavern, or " Gorton Arnold Stand." Gorton Arnold was a son of Philip, who was brother of Judge Dutee Arnold. A few years ago the tavern was con- sumed by fire and a new one erected, which is now standing.
Judge Dutee Arnold was one of the most conspicuous men of the place, and was well-known throughout the State for more than half a century. In June, 1817, he was elected an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. He took his seat on the bench in May, 1818, and con- tinued in office until 1822. He had three children, Horatio, Walter, who died young, and Marcy, who re- cently died unmarried.
The site of the village in the year 1800, was in pos- session of Gideon Mumford, who was drowned in the river near his house. The land and water power was subsequently purchased by Henry Arnold, who in con- nection with Dutee Arnold, erected a saw and grist mill in 1810. Horatio Arnold subsequently carried on wool carding and cotton spinning in another mill. This building was also used at different periods for the man-
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ufacture of coarse woolen cloth .* In February, 1827, Rice A. Brown, Jonathan Knowles and Samuel Fenner bought the land and two-thirds of the water-power of the Arnolds for $4,250. They run it for about two years, having twenty looms, on which they wove coarse sheetings. In 1829, during the general depression in manufacturing operation, they failed, and the property was sold at public auction, in 1830, to John H. Clark. Two years afterwards, Clark bought of Dutee Arnold the other one-third of the water-power, with the saw mill and grist mill, and in 1832, built a stone factory, in which he run seventy-five looms. In 1834, the bleachery was built fitted to bleach 2,250 pounds per day. George T. Spicer, now of Providence, of the firm of Spicers & Peckham, was superintendent. Mr. Spicer married the grand-daughter of Judge Dutee Arnold. From 1822 to 1829, Mr. Spicer, who has kindly furnished many of the items of this account, lived at Phenix, having charge a portion of the time of the machine shop. He after- wards removed to Providence, and in 1830, went to Pontiac, where he was connected with the mills, having full charge of the concern for ten years previous to 1845. He afterwards removed to Providence, where he took the general charge of the High Street Furnace Company, for five years, and then bought in with Dutee Arnold, and built the furnace now known as Spicers & Peckham's Furnace.
John H. Clark was born in Elizabethtown, N. J., April 1, 1789. His father Dr. John Clark was a de- scendant of Dr. John Clark, the friend and companion of Roger Williams, the faithful servant of the colony, who mortgaged his property to raise the means of main- taining himself in London, where he was defending its interest and pleading its cause. He was the founder
*Gideon Mumford lived in a house that stood just opposite the pre- sent store. After his death the house was used as a place for calen- dering, by Horatio Arnold and James Simmons. The calender was afterwards removed to Apponaug, where it was used but for a short time.
23
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HISTORY OF WARWICK.
planks had all been removed, his horse must have walked over on one of the string pieces ! Mr. Hughes then resided near Centreville."
The house in which Mr. Hughes lived, and which he probably built, is the one now standing next to the Quidnick railroad bridge, and now owned and occupied by Mr. Casey B. Tyler.
The old tavern on the south side of the river, was one of the most noted public houses outside of the city of Providence, until the Providence and New London turnpike was built, and was kept by Henry Arnold, son of Benjamin, who was a grandson of Capt. Benjamin Greene. The old road on which it was situated, was laid out in 1729, and was the only thoroughfare from Providence into the country in this direction. When
the turnpike was put through it was left out of the main line of travel, and a new tavern was built to the west- ward on the turnpike, which became known as the Gor- ton Arnold Tavern, or " Gorton Arnold Stand." Gorton Arnold was a son of Philip, who was brother of Judge Dutee Arnold. A few years ago the tavern was con- sumed by fire and a new one erected, which is now standing.
Judge Dutee Arnold was one of the most conspicuous men of the place, and was well-known throughout the State for more than half a century. In June, 1817, he was elected an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. He took his seat on the bench in May, 1818, and con- tinued in office until 1822. He had three children, Horatio, Walter, who died young, and Marcy, who re- cently died unmarried.
The site of the village in the year 1800, was in pos- session of Gideon Mumford, who was drowned in the river near his house. The land and water power was subsequently purchased by Henry Arnold, who in con- nection with Dutee Arnold, erected a saw and grist mill in 1810. Horatio Arnold subsequently carried on wool carding and cotton spinning in another mill. This building was also used at different periods for the man-
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ufacture of coarse woolen cloth .* In February, 1827, Rice A. Brown, Jonathan Knowles and Samuel Fenner bought the land and two-thirds of the water-power of the Arnolds for $4,250. They run it for about two years, having twenty looms, on which they wove coarse sheetings. In 1829, during the general depression in manufacturing operation, they failed, and the property was sold at public auction, in 1830, to John H. Clark. Two years afterwards, Clark bought of Dutee Arnold the other one-third of the water-power, with the saw mill and grist mill, and in 1832, built a stone factory, in which he run seventy-five looms. In 1834, the bleachery was built fitted to bleach 2,250 pounds per day. George T. Spicer, now of Providence, of the firm of Spicers & Peckham, was superintendent. Mr. Spicer married the grand-daughter of Judge Dutee Arnold. From 1822 to 1829, Mr. Spicer, who has kindly furnished many of the items of this account, lived at Phenix, having charge a portion of the time of the machine shop. He after- wards removed to Providence, and in 1830, went to Pontiac, where he was connected with the mills, having full charge of the concern for ten years previous to 1845. He afterwards removed to Providence, where he took the general charge of the High Street Furnace Company, for five years, and then bought in with Dutee Arnold, and built the furnace now known as Spicers & Peckham's Furnace.
John H. Clark was born in Elizabethtown, N. J., April 1, 1789. His father Dr. John Clark was a de- scendant of Dr. John Clark, the friend and companion of Roger Williams, the faithful servant of the colony, who mortgaged his property to raise the means of main- taining himself in London, where he was defending its interest and pleading its cause. He was the founder
* Gideon Mumford lived in a house that stood just opposite the pre- sent store. After his death the house was used as a place for calen- dering, by Horatio Arnold and James Simmons. The calender was afterwards removed to Apponaug, where it was used but for a short time.
23
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arranged with all the modern improvements for carrying on the bleachery business, and capable of turning off fifteen tons of goods per day. The old stone mill (of which a view is given in the engraving with the old bleachery,) was torn down and the handsome new brick building erected upon its site in 1863. The di- mensions of the new mill are 200x66, with an L, 90x40. Its capacity is 20,300 spindles. The fall of water is about seven feet. The goods manufactured are fine sheetings, known by the popular name of the Fruit of the Loom. In 1866, the company built a large brick store, with an upper room nicely fitted up for religious ser- vices, and in 1874, a store-house of stone, 157x58 feet, and five stories high. The present capable superintend- ent, Mr. S. N. Bourne, has been in immediate charge of the works since June, 1866. In addition to the exten- sive works in this village, the Messrs. Knight own the mills at White Rock and Dodgeville, and are also the principal owners at Hebron and Manchaug.
In 1868, the new public highway leading from this village to Natick, was laid out, and in 1873, the company obtained a charter from the General Assembly to lay rails along side this road from the Hartford Railroad to their village, for carrying freight and passengers. The rails have been laid, and railway communication estab- lished between the village and the rest of the world. A private telegraph is in operation between their office in this village and their headquarters in Providence.
From this village the Pawtuxet passes onward to the sea, several miles distant, before entering which, and just as it is about to mingle its waters with those of the Narra- gansett, it allows a portion of them to be drawn away at the Pettaconsett pumping station to meet the wants of a hundred thousand people in Providence, and the remainder to perform a final service for the manufac- turer at Pawtuxet village. By this time we think, it de- serves its liberty, and has established its claim to be a hardworking and benevolent river. Along its course, from its many sources, it has been attended by the hum
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of machinery, and its merits, as an auxiliary to human industry, though unsung by the poet, is attested by the score of thriving villages that have developed along its banks. But even the poet has been awakened to its merits and tuned his lyre as he contemplates it in its final efforts to assuage the thirst and guard from destruc- tion the homes of a neighboring city. The following appreciative lines were recently published in the Provi- dence Journal :
PAWTUXET.
River of beauty that peacefully flows, Winding its bright way through forest and, mead, Turns from its shadows of dreamy repose, Answers the call of humanity's need.
Leaving the valley of sunlight and calm, Home of the wild flower and haunt of the bird, Bearing to thirsty lips coolness and balm, Swift to the dusty town comes at our word.
Health for the drooping and comfort for all, Let our glad thanks for thee echo again ; River of bounty that flows at our call, Bear on thy bosom our grateful refrain.
Soft flowing river, yet mighty in power, Guarding our homes from destruction and death, - Rising in calmness through terrors dark hour, Quenching in silence the fire-demon's breath.
Joyful our welcome, oh, glorious river, Hushed be all discord, forgotten all strife, Strong in thy purity flow on for ever, Emblem so bright of the river of Life. Providence, August, 1875.
HILL'S GROVE.
To the east of Pontiac, a couple of miles on the Ston- ington railroad, a thriving little village has sprung up within the past ten years, in connection with the es- tablishment of a new branch of industry. The place was evidently named for the president of the company doing business here, and who is said to be the owner of a tract of land in this vicinity, of about 800 acres in ex-
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tent. The Rhode Island Malleable Iron Works started in 1867, by a company, of which Thomas J. Hill is Pres- ident and Treasurer, Smith Quimby, Superintendent and Samuel W. Kilvert, Agent. They erected a fine brick edifice with a front of about 247 feet by 60 feet with an L, used as a moulding room 165 by 60. When in full operation it employs 100 hands. Its business is the manufacture of all kinds of malleable iron castings. The stockholders and its several officers have continued the same from the beginning.
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