USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Pawtucket > The lower Blackstone river valley; the story of Pawtucket, Central Falls, Lincoln, and Cumberland, Rhode Island; an historical narrative > Part 6
USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Central Falls > The lower Blackstone river valley; the story of Pawtucket, Central Falls, Lincoln, and Cumberland, Rhode Island; an historical narrative > Part 6
USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Lincoln > The lower Blackstone river valley; the story of Pawtucket, Central Falls, Lincoln, and Cumberland, Rhode Island; an historical narrative > Part 6
USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Cumberland > The lower Blackstone river valley; the story of Pawtucket, Central Falls, Lincoln, and Cumberland, Rhode Island; an historical narrative > Part 6
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revenge. Early in the following year they began a series of reprisals that caused considerable fear, especially in the outlying settlements, and these attacks led to the dis- patching of Captain Michael Pierce with troops to disperse the natives, wherever they might be. Captain Pierce, commissioned by Plymouth Colony Court in 1669, was born in England and emigrated to America about 1645.
On March 25, 1676, Pierce and his detachment of sixty- three white soldiers and about twenty native allies marched from what is now Rumford to reconnoitre the territory and locate the enemy. After proceeding about three miles in a northerly direction, a small band of Indians was surprised and quickly routed, and about the same time, advance scouts returned with the news that the Indians, in large numbers, were assembling in the vicinity of what is now Lonsdale. Pierce withdrew his force to the starting point and made preparations for an expedition the following day, Sunday.
At some point in this stage of the narrative, Pierce must have had a premonition of impending misfortune, because he paused long enough in the excitement of military prepara- tions to complete certain personal transactions and to make a will. It is interesting to note that he prefaced his will with the following: "Being now by the appointment of God, going out to war against the Indians, doe make this my last will and testament." At dawn the little column marched toward the Seekonk River and proceeded up the east bank in the direction of Pawtucket Falls. At the same time Pierce dispatched a messenger across the river to Providence requesting Captain Andrew Edmonds to join him with reinforcements at a designated spot on the west banks of the Blackstone River, in what is now Central Falls.
Then occurred what to modern minds seems inexplicable and which, without question, sealed the doom of Pierce and
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his men. The messenger arrived in Providence shortly after the beginning of the Sabbath Day services. But, so deep-seated was his conception of the proper respect due the observance of the Lord's Day that the con- scientious messenger waited several hours for the meeting to come to a close before delivering his important message to Captain Edmonds. The delay was fatal.
Edmonds swiftly mustered his men and started them on a march out of Providence, but they reached the point described by Pierce in his message too late. Confident that Edmonds would reinforce him in due time, Captain Pierce had marched his men over the swamps and fields to the east bank of the Blackstone River above Pawtucket Falls. Not suspecting an ambush, he proceeded boldly along the river bank seeking a place where a crossing could be made to the opposite side. Hardly had a fording place been selected when a mighty roar of warwhoops from the rear and both flanks revealed the near presence of the enemy. Instantly, Pierce ordered his men to stand ground and prepare for a charge, but, on second thought he directed that they cross the river, hoping to gain a strategic advan- tage. The men plunged into the stream and crossed over only to discover that the west bank was also swarming with Indians. The ruse was complete. Forming his little company into a circle, and taking cover behind rocks and trees, Pierce bravely began what his military instincts must have told him was a hopeless struggle. Surrounded on all sides, outnumbered ten to one, the white soldiers kept the enemy at bay for nearly two hours. As one old record states, "Captain Pierce cast his sixty-three whites and twenty Indians into a ring and six fought back to back, and were double, double distance all in one ring, whilst the Indians were as thick as they could stand 30 deep."
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The gallant commander fell early in the battle, but his doomed companions stubbornly fought on as only men can in the face of certain death. Then as their ranks thinned and their ammunition gave out, the Indians closed in for the final onslaught. Clouds of arrows rained upon the survivors, tomahawks whizzed through the air straight to their human marks, and with one mighty charge the Indians swept those who still remained from their stand. A few succeeded in breaking through the ranks of the victors, but they were captured quickly. Nine men were taken to the place described elsewhere in that portion of this narrative devoted to Cumberland as "Nine Men's Misery," and there were put to death. When Captain Edmonds arrived from Providence the woods were again quiet; the waters of the Blackstone River were calmly coursing on their way; and the sun shone brightly overhead. Indians and captives had all disappeared, but the bodies of the dead, half-hidden here and there in the underbrush by the side of the river, told the grim story of tragic defeat. A memorial tablet has been placed at the upper part of High Street, a little north of the archway under the Providence and Boston Railroad bridge, to mark the site of this historic engagement.
EARLY MANUFACTURING
The history of Central Falls is so closely connected with the social, political, commercial and industrial development of Pawtucket that it is difficult to arrange, in narrative form, much more than a general review of the outstanding industries that have brought distinction to the place. Benjamin Jenks was the first to use the water power of the Blackstone River in what is now Central Falls, and he utilized this power by extending a trench by the side of the river up stream above his snuff mill. Charles Keene was
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responsible for the building of the first dam across the river at Central Falls, and perhaps the first dam across the Blackstone anywhere, in 1780, and he erected a building for the manufacture of scythes and other edge tools. This dam was near and probably a little above what is now the Roosevelt Avenue (formerly Mill Street) bridge. A part of the Keene plant was occupied by a manufacturer of chocolate, and that is where "Chocolate Mills" came from, the name that the village went by until 1824. Most of the land was originally owned by the Jenks family, and although portions of the desirable manufacturing sites passed into other hands for a period, it all came back into their possession shortly after the beginning of the nineteenth century. At that time members of the Jenks family were engaged, principally, in the manufacture of iron bolts and ship chandlery. In 1811, Stephen Jenks erected a building at Central Falls and used it as a machine shop in which he made 10,000 muskets. The United States government paid Jenks $11.50 each for these firearms.
CENTRAL FALLS MILL OWNERS ASSOCIATION
In 1823 the water power at Central Falls was divided into six privileges, each of which was entitled to an aperture in the side of the trench six feet long and two feet below the top of the dam. John Kennedy, in conjunction with Almy & Brown, purchased Privilege No. 1; immediately built a brick mill and commenced the manufacture of cotton cloth. John Kennedy was a public-spirited citizen, and it was mainly through his efforts that public subscriptions were raised to built the first highway bridge at Central Falls. This bridge was completed in 1827 and the people held a great celebration in the new mill which had been erected by David and Joseph Jenks on Privilege No. 2. This was the celebrated public observance when Stephen Jenks
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announced that the old name of Chocolate Mills would be dropped and the place would be known thereafter as Central Falls.
On Privilege No. 3 a stone mill was erected by the Pawtucket Thread Manufacturing Co., the members of which were Jabal Ingraham, Bosworth Walker and Uriah Benedict. Stephen Benedict and Joseph Wood built a wooden mill, in 1840, on the north half of Privilege No. 4 and began the manufacture of cotton cloth. Alvin Jenks and David G. Fales erected, in 1835, on the south half of No. 4 and the north half of No. 5 Privileges, a wooden building in the lower story of which they began the manu- facture of cotton machinery, while they rented the upper portions of the mill for the manufacture of cotton goods. Charles Moies, John Moies, and George F. Jenks erected a wooden mill, in 1839, on the south half of Privilege No. 5, in part of which they manufactured cotton cloth, while on the other floors H. N. Ingraham made print goods and David Martin turned out spools and bobbins.
Stephen Jenks was the proprietor of Privilege No. 6. In 1826 he purchased the meeting house of the Attleboro Universalist Society which originally stood in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, moved it to this location in Central Falls and made it into a mill for the manufacture of cotton cloth.
CENTRAL FALLS FIRE DISTRICT
As outlined elsewhere in this narrative Central Falls was still in the Town of Smithfield when these water privileges were occupied. But the rapid rise of industry at this point on the Blackstone River attracted many workers, and as trade increased the citizens of Central Falls realized that they had many local interests that were quite different
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Central Falls City Hall, 1936
Horace Daniels house on the corner of Cross, Broad and Central Streets, Central Falls, in 1904. The house is now located at the corner of Cross and Broad Streets, and is known as Connelly Block
from those of people in the rest of Smithfield. In order to enable them to care for these sectional interests at their own expense the General Assembly, in 1847, passed an act constituting the village a sort of municipal corporation under the name of the Central Falls Fire District. While remaining subject to Smithfield in general matters, the new Fire District was authorized to tax the citizens of the village for the maintenance of fire apparatus and fire companies. As the community increased the power of the District was successively enlarged by legislative amendments to the charter. In 1860, Central Falls was authorized to light the streets; in 1875, then a part of Lincoln which was incorporated in 1871, the District was authorized to main- tain a police force; in 1877, to introduce a water supply; in 1879, to issue bonds to pay for its water works; in 1882, to conduct a free library.
To carry out these projects the Central Falls Fire District had the power of assessing taxes, but, at the same time, the taxpayers continued to pay town taxes for the support of schools, highways, the poor, and the general expense of town government. This arrangement was not destined to last very long after the taxpayers realized that they were carrying a burden of double taxation. At first some of the political leaders talked of a union with Pawtucket but jealousy and other obstacles prevented the consummation of this proposal. Furthermore, the people in the remoter sections of Lincoln objected to the large expenditures of money in Central Falls for streets, sewers and similar large community leads claiming that such improvements were of no benefit to the residents in the rural districts. By 1890, the population of Lincoln had reached more than twenty thousand, of which about two-thirds were in Central Falls Fire District. As a result of these conditions a movement was started with the object of creating a city out of the
compact industrial center in the populous southwest corner of Lincoln. Action was taken at the Lincoln town meet- ings of June II and December 21, 1894, that resulted in the passage of an act by the General Assembly, February 21, 1895, incorporating the City of Central Falls, the remainder of town retaining the name of Lincoln. This act was accepted by the citizens at an election held February 27, 1895.
INCORPORATION AS A CITY
The first election under the city charter was held March 15, 1895, and the first city government was organized March 18. The first Mayor was Charles P. Moies, and the Aldermen elected were Eastwood Eastwood, Hector Schiller, George M. Thornton, William J. Martin, Thomas L. Jollie. The Councilmen elected were Joseph E. Fales, Graham Cowperthwaite, George H. Spaulding, Myron Fish, Eugene B. Ponton, J. Curry McCartney, Francis H. Wash- burn, Charles E. Cummings, Peter Gorman, Allen U. Barber, and Henry Butters.
It is important to record that the Central Falls Fire District, incorporated in 1847, when the small village of Central Falls was in the Town of Smithfield, did not include all that is now Central Falls, but extended northerly up Broad Street only about as far as Blackstone Street, and the territory north of that point, although located in Smithfield (later Lincoln) and now constituting a part of the City of Central Falls, was formerly known as Valley Falls, being the southerly part of the village of Valley Falls, which originally was the name given to the industrial community lying on both sides of the Blackstone River at what is still called Valley Falls in the Town of Cumberland.
When the City was incorporated in 1895, it acquired not only the Lincoln Town House on Summit Street, built in
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1873, which it converted into and used as a City Hall until 1928, and the Lincoln High School and other schools within the city limits (the Lincoln High School becoming the Central Falls High School), but also the property of the Central Falls Fire District, comprising the water, sewer and street-lighting systems, the Central Falls Public Library, the fire apparatus and buildings, including the Pacific Engine House, so-called, which was a two story brick building built prior to 1878 and situated on the northerly side of Cross Street and the easterly side of and adjoining the tracks of the Providence and Worcester Railroad as then located. The basement of this building had been and continued for years to be used as a Police Station, the street floor by the fire engine company and the upper floor for meetings of the District and to house the library which the District was authorized to maintain. Later the second floor was used exclusively for library purposes until the erection and completion of the Adams Library building on the northerly side of Central Street in 1910 at which time the Central Falls Public Library was moved into this new building where it has been located ever since. Stephen L. Adams, a public-spirited citizen of Central Falls, died April 11, 1900, and by his will bequeathed to three certain Trustees the sum of $35,000, of which $25,000 was to be used in the acquisition of a site and the building of a free public library and reading room for the use of persons residing in the vicinity, the remaining $10,000 to be invested and the income thereof to be used for the upkeep of the building and grounds.
THE ADAMS LIBRARY
This "Board of Trustees of the Adams Library" were also authorized to incorporate and thus it was that an act was passed by the General Assembly on March 24, 1905,
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incorporating the three Trustees, Edward L. Freeman, Joseph W. Freeman, Charles S. Foster and their successors under the name of "The Board of Trustees of the Adams Library" to be located in the City of Central Falls, Rhode Island, for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of the trust as created by the will of said Stephen L. Adams. There was considerable litigation concerning the will of Mr. Adams, which accounts for the long delay in executing the provisions of his will, but ultimately the Trustees received the amount of the legacy in full with interest and the building was opened to the public on April 30, 1910. By the Act of Incorporation the Trustees were authorized to make such arrangements and agreements with the City Council of the City of Central Falls as may be mutually agreed upon for the management and maintenance of said free public library and reading room not contrary to the provisions of the will. By the ordinances of the City, it is provided that the "free public library acquired from the Central Falls Fire District" should continue under the name of "The Free Public Library of the City of Central Falls" under the control of three Trustees elected by the City Council for three years terms, one to be elected each year. For many years after the creation of the Adams Library, the same persons occupied the positions of "The Board of Trustees of the Adams Library" and Trustees of "The Free Public Library of the City of Central Falls." Thus it came about that the library belonging to the city is contained and operated in the building of the Adams Library and is commonly referred to as the Adams Library.
The Pacific Engine House, previously referred to, was torn down in 1914 when the railroad tracks were depressed and the railroad bed altered and widened in connection with the abolition of grade crossings. It is also important to note that all of the Smithfield Records up to 1871 and
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all of the Lincoln Records up to 1895 are in the custody of the City of Central Falls and lodged in the City Clerk's office with the Records of the City since its incorporation in 1895, although copies of the Lincoln Records from 1871 to 1895 are on file in the Lincoln Town Clerk's office at Lonsdale.
THE WATER SUPPLY
When the Town of Pawtucket in the late 1870's began to establish their water supply system by obtaining water from the Abbot Run stream in Cumberland, the Central Falls Fire District arranged to obtain water from the Pawtucket Water Works, but installed its own mains and still owns its own mains and hydrants, receiving by way of recompense the same rates to its citizens as Pawtucket should charge citizens of Pawtucket, and also receiving a rebate on the sums paid by citizens of Central Falls to Pawtucket for water. At the time of this writing, the last water contract between the two municipalities having expired several years ago, a controversy is pending in the Superior Court, wherein Central Falls is Complainant and Pawtucket is Respondent, with reference to the financial obligations due from one to the other.
JENKS PARK
In 1890, Alvin F. Jenks, a former resident of Central Falls, conveyed a tract of about four acres, more or less, lying between Broad and Washington Streets for use as a public park which is known as "Jenks Park." It has been greatly improved and beautified and has given much comfort and enjoyment to the citizens of this locality. In 1900 the Coggswell Clock Tower was erected on the high elevation in the park, commonly referred to as "the mountain" from the top of which a view may be had, on a clear day,
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of a large part of Rhode Island and the neighboring portion of Massachusetts.
When the City of Central Falls was incorporated in 1895, there were three iron bridges over the Blackstone River connecting Central Falls with its neighbors, Pawtucket and Cumberland. These have all been replaced by cement bridges,-the Cross Street Bridge in 1905, the Mill Street (now Roosevelt Avenue) Bridge in 1910, and the Broad Street Bridge in 1915.
THE MOSHASSUCK CEMETERY
The Moshassuck Cemetery, the only cemetery located within the City limits, is situated in the northwesterly corner of the City between Lonsdale Avenue and the Town of Lincoln line, and was opened in 1868. It is a private corporation, the owners of lots forming the corporation. It consisted originally of about seven acres. On Memorial Day, May 30, 1888, Ballou Post, No. 3, G. A. R., of the Department of Rhode Island, located at Central Falls, dedicated the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on the large square lot belonging to Ballou Post in this cemetery, and here on each Memorial Day since the members of this Post have held appropriate exercises in memory of their departed comrades, being assisted in the later years by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, the Spanish War Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the Boy Scouts.
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES
In 1927, the new or present Central Falls High School located at the southeast corner of Illinois and Summer Streets, was completed and occupied, and thereafter the former High School Building at the northwesterly corner of Broad and Summit Streets was converted into a City
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Hall and since 1928 has been occupied and used as such, the old City Hall on the southerly side of Summit Street (formerly the Lincoln Town Hall) being converted into a Trade School and headquarters for the School Department.
The oldest church in the city is the Broad Street Baptist Church, formed in the early days of the village of Central Falls, on October 22, 1844, as the "Central Falls Baptist Church." Meeting at first in the school house, its first church building was on High Street (the building where, until a few years ago, the Frost Paper Box Company was located before it was consumed by a fire). In 1876 and 1877 the present church building, of Gothic architecture, was erected at the northeasterly corner of Broad and Central Streets and the same was dedicated on September 18, 1877, with impressive ceremonies. The Central Falls Congregational Society was organized February 7, 1845, having been duly chartered by the General Assembly. The original church building, dedicated June 18, 1845, was located on the easterly side of High Street, on the site where the St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church (Polish) now stands, was later known as Temperance Hall. The present church, located at the southwesterly corner of High and Jencks Streets, was dedicated April 30, 1884. Later in 1868 followed the Embury Methodist Episcopal Church on the northerly side of Cross Street, and at about the same time St. George's Episcopal Church at the southwesterly corner of Central and Clinton Streets.
The original French Roman Catholic Church, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, was located on Fales Street, near Broad Street, being built in the early 1870's, about 1873. This building was demolished in 1935 when the beautiful new church was completed and occupied. It is situated on the westerly side of Broad Street, adjoining Jenks Park. The Holy Trinity Church, Roman Catholic, located on the
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southwesterly corner of Fuller and Hedly Avenues, was erected in 1889 and is of imposing architecture. St. Mathieu's Roman Catholic Church, French, is of more recent date, having been erected in 1927, although originally the church services were held in what is now one of its parochial schools.
In more or less recent years, other churches have been established in the city including the Peoples Mission, United Presbyterian Church, located on the northeasterly corner of Cross and Evaleen Streets, St. Ephrem's Orthodox Assyrian Church and Baptist Portuguese Mission.
Up to 1914 the Police Headquarters were located in the old Pacific Engine House on Cross Street and the sessions of the Eleventh District Court were held in the City Hall on Summit Street. This situation was very unsatisfactory and finally the State and the City jointly built the combined Court House and Police Station located at the south- easterly corner of Broad and Pacific Streets, the dedicatory exercises being held September 15, 1914.
INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES, PAST AND PRESENT
As to the industrial life of Central Falls in the more recent years, it is enough to say that industrially this community is so much a part of Pawtucket, the J. & P. Coats, Ltd., the former Fales & Jenks Machine Company's plants, and the Pawtucket and Central Falls Railroad Station being located on the line between the two cities, that it seems proper to have most of this subject treated of in that part of this history that is devoted to Pawtucket. However, it may be said as to industrial matters not associated with those of Pawtucket, that Central Falls, from its beginning as "Chocolate Mills" in 1823 and 1824, the latter date being the time, when, according to the Real Estate Records, the
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Dam and Grist Mill at Central Falls in 1870
Cogswell Memorial Clock Tower erected 1904
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Cross Street Bridge with the old American Hair Cloth plant and Greene & Daniels Mfg. Co. in the background; Cyrus Aldrich's Transfer Horse Car in the foreground. Photograph taken in 1880
locality began to be referred to as "Central Falls, also called Chocolate Mills," has always had industries of its own. In the course of these years, many enterprises have come into being in Central Falls, grown and prospered and finally moved elsewhere or ceased to exist. Among these, without meticulous regard to chronology, are the following:
A. & W. Sprague Company.
U. S. Cotton Company.
Farwell Worsted Company.
Stafford Manufacturing Company.
American Hair Cloth Company.
Albion Company (operating at the former plant of the Valley Falls Company).
American Curled Hair Company.
American File Company (Removed to Providence as part of Nicholson File Company).
Fales & Jenks Machine Company.
The above list is not inclusive. There are, however, at the present time, a large number of important but not too large industrial concerns located in this city. Among them are the following:
E. L. Freeman Company (in the printing business since 1863 in Central Falls).
Adam Sutcliffe Company.
National Weaving Company.
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