NEEDHAM'S 
 BICENTENNIAL 
 
 CELEBRATION 
 
0( 1800 
 
 Glass r ' / ni 
 
 Book JV h(W ) , 
 
XEKDIIAM S 
 
 P.ICKX TKNN I AL 
 
 C'i:i.KP,|{Ari()\ 
 
 A KKcoKi) OK riii-: i;\ i:k(" isHs and a 
 
 MKMOKIAL OF FHK (TJ-KMKA I'lON AT NKHDHAM 
 MASSACHUSKTTS ON Till: IWO HI NI)HKI>TH 
 ANNIVKRSAin OF ITS INCORPORATION 
 
 Puhlit<hi(l l)y the CeUbralion Committee 
 C'umpiltd by Thomas Sutton 
 
 I'rintdl nt Niitllinin l>y 
 
 (itMr^'f W. uikI Wintliriip M S.iulliwijrlli 
 
 1 "J 1 3 
 

\\ II 1 I \\I < . M< 'r-l I I ^ . ( lia-riunii 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 FIRST STEPS 
 
 Olehration Coniinittee 9 
 
 Invitations tind Acceptances 13 
 
 Interesting Letters 19 
 
 FIRST EXERCISES 
 
 First Parish Cliiinh 27 
 
 Bicentennial Chronicle 33 
 
 THE CELEBRATION 
 
 First Parish Church 43 
 
 First Baptist Church 59 
 
 Kvan^jelical Con^egational Church 03 
 
 Methodist Episcopal Church 77 
 
 St. Joseph's Church 83 
 Christ Church and First Church of Christ, 
 
 Scientist 85 
 
 Bicentennial Hymn 94 
 
 Addrt>ss of Dr. W. H. P. Faunce 97 
 
 Historical Ixjan Art Exhibit 111 
 
 Atliletic Events 117 
 
 Children's Entertainment 123 
 
 Address of Charles Francis Adams 12g 
 
 Bicentennial P<K'm 157 
 
 Address of George K. Clarke 161 
 
 Civic and Trades Parade 173 
 
 Grand Army 187 
 
 Fire Department 193 
 
 Banquet and Addresses 199 
 
 Ball 227 
 
 Results 231 
 
 [3 
 
nioMAS SUTTON, Sccn-tary 
 
ILLl STKA I IONS 
 
 TowtJ Hall fFr()iiti>i)ir<<') 
 
 (liainuaii of (iriu'ral Cominittcc 
 
 Se<'rvtary ()f (iriirral Comiiiitlec 
 
 MrjnlxTs of (iciHTJil ('umiiiitlf'*' 
 
 Haiul Stand 
 
 Nerdhain Railroad Station 
 
 Lyon's Hridgo 
 
 Mcotiiif; House and Mini>ttr of 1811 
 
 l''irst l*;irisli ( linnli 
 
 Fir»t Ha|)ti>>t ( "liunli 
 
 Kvanmdical C'onj^rcjjalional Clmn li 
 
 Mrtliodist Epi-.co|)a! Church 
 
 Christ ( "hunh 
 
 St. Joseph's ( "hurcli 
 
 Town Hall (Drcttratcd) 
 
 Dr. Faunce, Charles Francis .\(l;inis, (Joorge K. Clarke. M i > 
 
 .1. (;. .\. Carter 
 New Century Chil» Coniniitlee 
 Hijih Shool nuildin^ 
 l*ul)lic Lihrary Muiidin^ 
 Oflicial Medals 
 New Dedhain .\ venue Mridjje 
 New .\very S<hool Huildinj^ 
 Ncodhani Hei^ht.s Stjuan* 
 Stand I*ipe and I'uinpin^ Statiiui 
 NcM'dliaJU Heights Musiucs^ S<'clion (2) 
 Soldiers' Monument 
 Ne«tliuini Hu-sini'ss Section 
 The (lovcrnor. The Lieutenant - (iovernor, Congre.s.sinan 
 
 Weck.s, The Secretary of Stale 
 
 \^ 
 
L. / 
 
FIKST STEPS 
 
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FIRST STKPS 
 
 I'lir fjiiestion of - celehratiiip the fwo lintulrcdth 
 nnni\(T.sary of the irworporal ion of tlic fowii in a fitting 
 iiiaiiiu'r liad Ixm'Ii in the minds of tlu' citi/riis for some 
 months, hnt the first action taken hy tlic town was at 
 tlu* annnal meeting' in Marcli, ninctt'cn hnndrcd and 
 ten, wluMi it was voted tliat the ino<ii'rator (William 
 (i. Mosfjcy ) and the |)r<'scnt hoard of selectmen (John 
 A. iillon," William A. IVohert and Henry T. Childs) 
 together with twenty-one eitizens to he appointed hy 
 the moderator, serve as a committee to take into con- 
 sideration the celehration of the two hnndredfh anni- 
 versary of the incorporation of the town, said com- 
 nuttee to report thereon with recommendations at the 
 next town meeting. 
 
 'I'he moilerator api)ointed Emery Grover, Thomas 
 Sntton. William Carter, T. Otis Fnller, Joseph H. 
 Thorpe. Charles K. Stanwood. John F. Mills, Fdgar 
 11. Mowers. William (Jorse, (leorge K. Clarke, Jam«'s 
 H. Whetton. William Mitchell. Howard A. Crossman, 
 ("harles II. ( rowley, I'Vank W. Scot ton, William F. 
 Iliird. (ieor^'e II. Walk«T. James Maekinf(>>h, (ieurge 
 W. Soiithworth, Aluer F. Faton. Henry I). HIaekman. 
 
 At the first meeting of the committe*' Williani (i. 
 Mo.seh'v WHS chosen chairman and Thomas Sutton, 
 bccretarv. 
 
 [0 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 The chairman appointed the following sub-com- 
 mittees to take charge of different features of the cele- 
 bration, viz.: 
 
 Oration — Emery Grover, John F. Mills, Thomas 
 Sutton. 
 
 Guests — Edgar H. Bowers, William Gorse, 
 George H. Walker. 
 
 Decorations — Howard A. Grossman, Alger E. 
 Eaton, *James Mackintosh. 
 
 Banquet and Ball — William A. Probert, James 
 H. Whetton, Henry D. Blackman. 
 
 Printing and Program — George W. South- 
 worth, fCharles H. Crowley, George H. Walker, James 
 F. Ryan. 
 
 Historical Collection — T. Otis Fuller, George 
 K. Clarke, Thomas Sutton. 
 
 Reception— John A. Tilton, William Carter, 
 William E. Hurd. 
 
 Athletics — *Charles E. Stanwood, Joseph B. 
 Thorpe, William Mitchell, Frank W. Gorse. 
 
 Children's Entertainment — Henry T. Childs, 
 William Mitchell, Frank W. Scotton. 
 
 Civic and Municipal Parade — James F. Ryan, 
 Austin Potter, Henry D. Blackman. 
 
 James F. Ryan, Frank W. Gorse, Austin Potter 
 were chosen to fill vacancies. 
 
 On the twelfth day of January nineteen hundred 
 and eleven, the committee made a report of progress 
 and recommended an appropriation of three thousand 
 dollars to defray the expenses of the proposed cele- 
 bration, but at the annual meeting in March, the sum 
 of two thousand dollars was deemed suflScient by the 
 town and so voted. 
 
 * Resigned 
 t Deceased 
 
 10] 
 
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FIUST STKI'S 
 
 Tlic ^'cjicral conmiittcr held ci^'htrcii meetings 
 before all arraii^'fincuts wrrc iiiadr to sucrr.ssfiilly carry 
 on our cclchration. A simnnary of votes passed is as 
 follows: 
 
 Voted:- That the (•ricbratioii he Ixld on Sunday, 
 Monday and Tuesday, tlie seveiiteentli. ei^liteentli 
 and nineteenth days of Septeinher. 
 
 That five hundre<l dollars he approfjriated for 
 (U'coratinj; town huildin^^^- 
 
 That two Inindred and twenty-five dollars be 
 ap|)roj)riated for athletics. 
 
 'I'hat tin- .school children Ix' ^'iven an enlerlain- 
 
 nieiit ii\ the town hall, an<l ihat each pupil in our puhlic 
 
 .seiiools he ^'iveii a medal coinnieinorat in« the occaMon. 
 
 That the Needhani Military Band he euKa^'cd to 
 
 furnish music. 
 
 That the Board of Trade he invited to assume the 
 responsibility of the trade procession. 
 
 That tile civic and municipal committee act in 
 conjunction with the committee ai)i)ointed by the 
 Hoard of Trade in making' arran^enients for a municipal 
 and trade parade. 
 
 'I'hat a conveyance be furnished to (ialen ( )rr I'ost 
 No. ISl, (;. .\. \{. for the veterans. 
 
 'Ihat fifty dollars be api)ropriated to help the fire- 
 men entertain their ^niests. 
 
 That «-ach of tin- .several churches in town be in- 
 vited to obsjTve the c«'lebration in an appropriate man- 
 ner in the forenoon of Sunday, September the s«'ven- 
 teenth. 
 
 That arran^'ements be made for a civic oration in 
 
 the town hall on Sundav evenini,'- 
 
 That John V. Mills and William H. Carter be a 
 eommitfee to mark i)laces of historic interest in town. 
 
 That Mrs. J. (1. A. Carter be invited to write an 
 anniversary ptK'ni. 
 
 (H 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 That George K. Clarke Esq. be invited to give an 
 historical address. 
 
 That an invitation be extended to Charles Francis 
 Adams to deliver an address. 
 
 That a loan art exhibition and collection of antiques 
 be held in the hall of the High School Building. 
 
 That a banquet be held on Tuesday afternoon, 
 September the nineteenth, followed by speaking by in- 
 vited guests and grand march and ball in the evening. 
 
 That the following persons be invited as guests of 
 the town : 
 
 His Excellency William H. Taft 
 
 President of the United States 
 Hon. George von L. Meyer Secretary of the Navy 
 Hon. Edwin U. Curtis Collector of Port of Boston 
 Hon. Henry Cabot Lodge U. S. Senator 
 
 Hon. W. Murray Crane U. S. Senator 
 
 Hon. John W. Weeks Member of Congress 
 
 His Excellence Eugene N. Foss 
 
 Governor of Massachusetts 
 His Honor Louis A. Frothingham 
 
 Lieutenant-Governor 
 Hon. Albert P. Langtry Secretary of State 
 
 Hon. J. Stearns Cushing Councillor 
 
 Gen. Gardner W. Pearson Adjutant General 
 
 Hon. Allen T. Treadway 
 
 President of Massachusetts Senate 
 Hon. Joseph Walker Speaker of House 
 
 Hon. Charles H. Pearson Senator First Norfolk 
 Rev. Edward L. Horton 
 
 Chaplain of Massachusetts Senate 
 Hon. Edgar J. Sherman Justice of Superior Court 
 Mr. Horatio Hathaway 
 
 Representative to General Court 
 Hon. James H. Flint Judge of Probate 
 
 Hon. John F. Merrill County Commissioner 
 
 Hon. Silas Stone County Commissioner 
 
 Hon. Evan F. Richardson County Commissioner 
 
 121 
 
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 IK WK U i.ttU'-K 
 
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 IIKNU^ I) HI \« KMAN \Ml.ll\M l- IH Hl» 
 
Fin ST STKP'< 
 
 Mr. Sjiimn-1 H. ("ii|>«'ii Slirritr of Norfolk Coiiiity 
 Mr. Utiiry l>. Mumplin-y 
 
 'PrraMin-r of .Norfolk ("uuiily 
 Hon .Mfr.'.i F. I?ark.r I )islri(l All..riM'y 
 
 Frt'dtrick (i. Kiil/.iiianii. 10s(|. 
 
 Assistant District Attorney 
 Hon. .lanirs M. Swift .Vttoriiry (Jrnrral 
 
 Moil, ("harlt's K. llatli.UI Mayor of Nfwloii 
 
 lion. .lolin F. Fit/^'t-raltl Mayor i>f Hostou 
 
 l'n«>iih'nl Cliarlrs W. Fliol Harvanl liiivcrsity 
 
 lion. .loliu 1). l.on^' Hin^,'liain. Mass. 
 
 Hon. Hi-rhrrt l'ark«-r l,an(a^l«T. Mjiss. 
 
 Hon. Fr«'(ltri(k I). Fly l)«-(lliani. Mas.s. 
 
 Hon. lUron H. .Jolmsoii Wallliain. Miws. 
 
 Mr. Frrdcric k H. Ncwrll Wa-I.in^'lon. D. C. 
 
 Rev. (icor^'c Whitakcr S«»nu'r\ illr, Mas-s. 
 
 Rev. N. TilliM;,'ha>l Wliitak.T Lowrll, Miuss. 
 
 I*n)ffS-sor ("luinnin.u Wliitaki-r 'ryiiu'>I)oro, Miuss. 
 R«'v. Charlfs F. Sawtrllc Ncfdliam. M11H.S. 
 
 R<-v. John 1). WaUlron Ncrdhani. Mass. 
 
 R«'V. Nrwton lUack Ni-t-dliain Hrijj;hts 
 
 Rrv. T. .1. Danaliy Newton Ippt-r Falls 
 
 \{r\ . Fdwar.l Marsh N.-rdhain Hri^hts 
 
 I{c\ . .1. .\ilanis I'litfrr .Nfcdhani. Mass. 
 
 Mr. Don (il.-as.Mi Hill 
 
 I'own (h-rk, Dcdhani, Miuss. 
 Mr. Frt'd H. King>l)ury 
 
 Town (It-rk. Wt'lU'sicy, Mas.s. 
 Mr .loliii H. I'aiilk I'own Clerk, Dover, Mass. 
 
 Mr. I,c>trr .NtWfonil) 
 
 (hairnian Selectmen, Dedham, Ma.ss. 
 Mr. Thomas D. Coleman 
 
 Chairman S«-h'ctnien, \V«-llc>lev, Ma.«w, 
 Mr. James A. Chickerin^' 
 
 Chairman Scleclmen. Dover. Mjt.s.s. 
 Rev. John F. (ileason .\mherst. Mass. 
 
 Rev. Rolx-rt L. Wel.h Haverhill. Mass. 
 
 Rev. Fn'<|eri<k Pemher Wot Ko\l»ury. Mass. 
 
 Mr. (iror^e N. Smitii Welloh-y, Mjlss. 
 
 i:\ 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 LIST OF PERSONS ACCEPTING INVITATION 
 
 His Excellency Eugene N. Foss Governor 
 
 His Honor Louis A. Frothingham Lieut. Governor 
 Hon. John W. Weeks Representative in Congress 
 Hon. Albert P. Langtry Secretary of State 
 
 Hon. James M. Swift Attorney General 
 
 Hon. J. Stearns Gushing Councillor 
 
 Hon. Charles H. Pearson Senator 
 
 Hon. Joseph Walker Speaker of House 
 
 Hon. Charles E. Hatfield Mayor of Newton 
 
 Hon. Byron B. Johnson Ex-Mayor of Waltham 
 Hon. Frederick D. Ely Judge Superior Court 
 
 Hon, James H. Flint Judge of Probate Court 
 
 Hon. John F. Merrill County Commissioner 
 
 Hon. Silas A. Stone County Commissioner 
 
 Hon. Evan F. Richardson County Commissioner 
 Mr. Horatio Hathaway, Jr. 
 
 Representative to General Court 
 Rev. George Whitaker Somerville, Mass. 
 
 Rev. N. T. Whitaker Lowell, Mass. 
 
 Prof. Channing Whitaker Tyngsboro, Mass. 
 
 Mr. John H. Burdakin 
 
 Register of Deeds Norfolk County 
 Mr. Samuel H. Capen Sheriff Norfolk County 
 
 Mr. Henry D. Humphrey Treasurer Norfolk Co. 
 Rev. Edward A. Horton 
 
 Chaplain Massachusetts Senate 
 Rev. Robert L. Webb Haverhill, Mass. 
 
 Rev. John F. Gleason South Amherst, Mass. 
 
 Mr. Thomas D. Coleman 
 
 Selectman, Wellesley, Mass. 
 Mr. George N. Smith Selectman, Wellesley, Mass. 
 Mr. Fred H. Kingsbury 
 
 Town Clerk, Wellesley, Mass. 
 Mr. John H. Faulk Town Clerk, Dover, Mass. 
 
 Rev. Charles E. Sawtelle Baptist Clergyman 
 
 Rev. Edward Marsh Methodist Clergyman 
 
 Rev. J. Adams Puffer Unitarian Clergyman 
 
 14] 
 
«ll\ltll-l -IWWnni) .l\MI^ II WlJIJKiN 
 
 W II I I \M (.n|{SI-: 
 
 \MI I I V\l Ml I. Ill.l.l 
 
 Jn-^M'M H I Ihtjii'i 
 
nil ST STKPS 
 
 R<*v. NVwton HIiM'k Ki)is<o{)aI fMf^r^'vin.in 
 
 Ut'v. .lolin (If LiiM. WiildroM 
 
 ( 'onj^rc^iitioiiiil ( Icr^^yiiiJiii 
 Mr. J. ('. Hrimltlfcniii Ivlifor Nrwioii (iraplii*' 
 
 Mr. .loliii !•". Uyaii litlilor Wrllrslcy 'rowiiMiuiil 
 
 As the tiiiu- of the cclchr.-it iuii drew near, t Ikti- 
 was a f^'ciicral iii<T»'a>j' of iiitrrrst aiiiotij^ the citi/j-ns, 
 who with coiiiinciKlahlc j)ri(lt' put thrir otatcs in ordt-r 
 so that Wfll kept hiwus and handsomely di'coratrd 
 huihliii^s wiTt' the ordrr of the day. Hiisiiicss phacrs 
 and mamifactorirs wen* also profusely drajxd with 
 liiintiii;,' and the national colors. I'he stri'ets were 
 ch'aiied, and in many |)laees the sidewalks edited, so 
 that Ihr town |)resented a tid,\ and well kr|)t appear- 
 ance. 
 
 I'lider the direction of. and lar<;e|y through (lie 
 etforts of Mr. lOdmund ( i. I'ond, a Iteantifnl I^md St an<l 
 was erected on the ("ommon, at a cost of nearly mx 
 hnndred dollars. The Needhani iiojird of Trade ^avc 
 one hnndreii dollars; the halance was contrilnit<'d l>y 
 citi/ens intere>led in the ohject. who appr«'ciale<l the 
 |)ul)lic spirit of those who or;;anize<l and de\eloped the 
 Needham Military Hand. 
 
 Tlie Town Hall was painted and the dome Lrildi-d. 
 every pnhlic Iniildin^^'in the town was drape(l with Inml- 
 in^'. the decorations of th<> Town Ilall heirii^ most 
 artistic in desij^n, photographs of which are tiled with 
 the archives of the town. 
 
 [15 
 
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SOMK INTKRKSTIXG LKTTKUS 
 
 The Whit.- II..11.C. Wiixhington, May 20, I'.tll. 
 
 Honorable John W. W kkks, 
 House of Representatives, 
 Washinpton, I). C 
 
 My dear Mr. NNCeks: — 
 
 The Presidi'iil has r(M|ui'st((l iiie to ackiiowlcd^'c the re- 
 ceipt of your hotter of May 'ZiMh and to thank you cordially 
 for your courtesy in asking him to attend the two hundredth 
 anniversary of the founding of the town of Needhani, Ma-o- 
 achusetts, on S<*ptenilH'r ISth. As he has tentative engage- 
 ments in the West on the days you mention, he regrets 
 exceedingly that it will not he possible to accept your inf)st 
 attractive invitation. It affords him much pleasure, how- 
 ever, to send his hcst wishes for a successful anniversary. 
 
 Sincerely yours, 
 
 CH.VHLKS n. IIII.LES, 
 
 Secretary to the President. 
 
 119 
 
NEEDHAM 8 BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 Washington, Sept. 17, 1911 
 
 The President 
 
 regrets his inability to accept 
 
 the courteous invitation of 
 
 The Town of Needham 
 
 to be present at the 
 
 Celebration of the Bicentennial Anniversary 
 
 of the incorporation of the Town 
 
 September 17, 18, and 19 
 
 1911 
 
 20] 
 
S<)MK INTIHI '^TIV*; I KTTKW^ 
 
 Huckfirld, Oxford Co.. Mc. Au^'. .'iO, ll»ll. 
 My (lour Sir: — 
 
 I Hin in nM't'ipt f)f your kind invitation to the niccntcnnial 
 of No<'dlmni. it luivin^ Imhmi forwjirdrd to mh' hrrc when- I 
 iiin stayirij^ ii frw wrrks. I jiin not lik«-Iy to rrturn to Mii-.sii- 
 <'liuscfts in time* to uttrnd ut Nrrdlmin, and I iiin thcrrforc 
 ohli^cd to fon-j^o tlw ph'asurr of Ikmii^; with yon at that tinn*. 
 I can only srnd my thanks for the conrtr'^y rxt<*nd<'d nir and 
 my conlial j^immI wishrs for thi* (K-casion. Ni'<*ilham is <»m* 
 of our ancient towns, and its historical asscK-iations in the 
 pnst and its presrnt proj^rossivf spirit which has nuidc it such 
 a dcH>,'litfnl town, well justify the honor you do it \>y this 
 coinuu'inoratiuu. 
 
 \ cry truly yourjj, 
 
 JOHN 1). IX)NG. 
 
 Cio Home Hay, Ontario, Canada, S<«pt. 'i, I'.Ul. 
 My Diar Mr. Sutton:— 
 
 To you and to your Committee I n-turn appreciative and 
 hearty thanks for the honor of the invitation from the town 
 of Nei'tlham, to its notable celehratioti. I accept it with the 
 earnest hop** that nothing' will arise to |)revent my attend- 
 ance, at the l)an(|Uet ciTtaiidy, and at other exercises if pos- 
 sil)le. I end ujy vacation here on S<>pteml>er Sth, ^<)ing to 
 Moslon at once. 
 
 The jjchhI name and leadership of New England were creat- 
 e<l hy the town loyalty. t«)wn meeting's, town sch(M)Is, town 
 character, — and Ne<'<lham shares nobly in that lustrous 
 history. Your anniversary commemoration will not only 
 testify to ^'ratilu<ie aii<l faithful remembrance on the part of 
 the livinji present, but the (xcasioii will direct attention to 
 S4»ur<es of civic worth and intej^rity, too oft«'n negle<-teil in 
 theM" strenuous times. 
 
 May prupitiou.s skies and favoring circumsLanccs help fullil 
 your plau3. 
 
 Sincerely yours, 
 
 EDWARD A. HOHTON. 
 To Mr. Thomas Sutton, Scc'y. 
 
 (21 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 9 September 1911. West Roxbury, Mass. 
 
 The Rev. Frederick Pember presents his compliments 
 to the Chairman and Secretary of the Committee for the 
 celebration of the bicentennial anniversary, and begs to thank 
 them for their very kind invitation to be present. He deeply 
 regrets that a prior engagement makes it impossible for him 
 to accept it. He will be in the White Mountains, New Hamp- 
 shire, which will deprive him of what would have been a 
 great pleasure. 
 
 South Amherst, Mass., 
 
 Sept. 8, '11. 
 
 Messrs. Wm. G. Moseley, Thomas Sutton, Henry T. 
 
 Childs, et al.. 
 Dear Sirs: — 
 
 I appreciate the honor you have conferred on me in 
 inviting me to the Banquet at the Bicentennial Celebration. 
 Save a seat for me. I hope to be present. 
 
 Yours sincerely, 
 
 J. F. GLEASON. 
 
 Haverhill, Mass., Sept. 14, 1911. 
 My dear Bro. Sutton : — 
 
 I am in receipt of the invitation to the celebration of 
 the Bicentennial Anniversary of the Town of Needham. 
 
 As you well know I have a warm place in my heart for 
 the old town and for many of its good people. 
 
 My heart therefore says, go to this celebration and renew 
 old acquaintances, and I shall obey this command. 
 
 I thank you for the invitation and anticipate much 
 pleasure in attending the exercises. Will you kindly send 
 me a program of the celebration. 
 
 Cordially yours, 
 
 ROBERT L. WEBB. 
 
 22] 
 
HOMK INTKUKSTINC I.KTTKItH 
 
 Nccdham, Mass., Sept. 4th, 1911. 
 
 Mr. Thomas Sitton, Town Clerk of Needluiiii, aiul Serre- 
 
 tnry of Sjicciiil ( 'oiiiiiiittce. 
 Dear Sir: — 
 
 The invitation to ht" a ^'urst of llir Town of Nifdhjirii 
 at the celebration of the Hicentennial .\nniversary of its in- 
 cori)oration is accepted with words of David l*.s. 10:0 "The 
 lines are fallen with ine in pleasant places; yea, I have a 
 ^'(UMlly heritage." Horn hy the I^)r(lly Hudson, son of the 
 Knij)ire Slate, since IS'.l'i the Old Hay Statr has Ik'cii my 
 love, and the past of Old New Hngland very precious. 
 
 Trusting to worthily honor the Town, I am yours in 
 .service to preserve the Commonwealth. (i(k1 hless the 
 Town of Necdham. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 Rev. JOHN De L.\M0NTAIG\E WALDRON. 
 
 Hon. Wm. (J. MosELEY, Needham, Mass. 
 My dear Sir: — 
 
 I thank you and the citizens of Needham for the honor 
 conveyed in the invitation tt> the Hicentennial .Xnnivcrsary, 
 and will do any work however hunihle to Ixvstow the honor 
 which is due to the men and women who have contributed 
 to the civic life of our town. 
 
 Sincerely yours, 
 
 Sept. 10, 11>11. J. ADAMS riFFKR. 
 
 August 22. '11. 
 Mk. Tiio.s. Si tto.n, Needham, Ma>s. 
 I)<*ar Sir: — 
 
 IMease find inclosed my check for S2r).()0 toward defray- 
 ing the ex|M'nses of thf bicentennial of the town of Ne«Mlli;im. 
 I shall 1h' on hand to jtartieipale in the ceK-bration along with 
 six other former n'-.idenls of the town. Wishing you every 
 suece.Hs, I am 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 JOHN SPICER. 
 
 [23 
 
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 \K\N MiKK \i;\N IIWIA \ ll\IMI()|!l> l;\Ili:n\|) -I \II(»\ 
 
FIRST EXERCISES 
 
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 ©jr I-MRST CHURCH IN NKl^DHAM 
 1711 i¥ HU 1 
 
 -J 
 
 HISTORICAL 
 
 TABLET 
 
 UNVEILED 
 
 \l 
 
 MONDAY. MARCH 20 
 
 At 7.30 o'clock 
 
 ^ 
 
 n 
 
 n 
 ^ 
 
PROGRAM 
 
 Organ Voluntary Mrs. Edith Lyman 
 
 \A^elcome Rev. J. Adams Puffer 
 
 AN OLD-TIME SERVICE 
 
 Short Prayer 
 
 Anthem — "Before Jehovah s Awful Throne " 
 
 Reading of Scriptures Rev. Newton Black 
 
 Hymns "Russia," "Complaint" Rev. Edward Marsh 
 
 Long Prayer Rev. J. D. Waldron 
 
 Hymns — " David's Lamentations," " Northfield ' 
 
 Extracts from Jonathan Townsend's Sermons 
 
 Rev. William R. Lord 
 
 Anthem " Jerusalem My Glorious Home" 
 
HISTORICAL SP:KVICE 
 
 U^vcllln^; of Tablet Frederick S. Kinnsbury 
 
 Emily Holland Kinjisbury 
 Alvin Gay Stevens 
 
 The BcKl"r>^"^; "* O^'^ Church George K. Clarke 
 
 Musjc ol Yc Olden Time John F. Mills 
 
 Extracts from Early Records William W. Peck 
 Hymn "Old Hundred" 
 
 Benediction Rev. Edward Marsh 
 
 SOCIAL HOUK IN rHK CHAFKL 
 
i:XKU( ISKS AT I'lli: FII{S'i' 1»AKI-II 
 
 Anticipating soniowliat tijc celohration in S«'i)t«'in- 
 l)er. tlu' First i*ari.sli cliiircli luld a iiiciiiorial M-rvicr 
 on March *£(), to coinujcinoratc tlic Ix-^'iiniiiij,' of piihlic 
 worship ill Nccdhain. the j)riM(ipal feature of whicli 
 was tlio iinveiHn^' of an historical tablet in the pres- 
 ence of a larj^e audience. The exercises were all of 
 tle«'P interest and closely followed. Aft«'r an or^'an 
 voluntary hy Mrs. Kdith Lynum, the pastor, Kev. J. 
 Adams I'utfer, extended a hearty welcome. Then 
 followed an old time .service parlicii)ated in hv Kev. 
 E. Marsh of the M. K. Church, Rev. Newton Black of 
 Christ Church, Itev. J. I). Waldron of the Kvanj,'elical 
 Con^re;,'ational Church, and Kev. Wm. K. Lord of 
 Dover. ( )ld time music was rendered by a choir .seatetJ 
 in balcony at the rear of the church, (leo. K. Mitchell, 
 leader, accomj)aniiMl by strin^j^l instruments. 
 
 The tablet, which is the desii^n and handiwork of 
 J. F, Holmes, is of mahoKimy, with ^'ilt inta^dio letter- 
 ing. It is five by seven feet, surrounded with white 
 bordering' and surmounted with scroll-work of Colonial 
 style of the same color, and received many compli- 
 ments. It is placed (tii tiie wall at the ri^'ht, facing,' the 
 pulpit. 
 
 The in.scription is as follows: 
 
 127 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 The First Church in Ncedham 
 
 Public Worship 1711 
 
 Church Embodied 1720— Parish Organized 1778 
 
 First Meeting House built 1712 — Destroyed by fire 
 in 1773 — Second House built 1774 — Taken down and 
 Third House built and dedicated 1837 — Moved to 
 present site 1879 and re-dedicated — Chapel built 
 and dedicated Oct. 1888 
 
 1720 Jonathan Townsend 1762 
 
 Samuel West 
 
 1764—1788 
 
 Stephen Palmer 
 
 1792—1821 
 
 William Ritchie 
 
 1821—1842 
 
 Lyman Maynard 
 
 1842—1846 
 
 Charles H. A. Dall 
 
 1847—1850 
 
 James F. Hicks 
 
 1852—1853 
 
 George G. Channing 
 
 1853—1855 
 
 Andrew N. Adams 
 
 1855—1857 
 
 John S. Barry 
 
 1858—1860 
 George B. Emerson 
 
 Albert B. Vose 
 
 Solon W. Bush 
 
 1860—1866 
 
 1870—1871 
 
 1871—1889 
 
 Charles A. Allen 
 
 1889—1893 
 
 Philip S. Thacher 
 
 1894—1901 
 
 William W. Peck 
 
 1901—1908 
 
 J. Adams Puffer 
 
 1908- 
 
 281 
 
FIHST KXKiniRKH 
 
 Tlic littli- (liildmi who im\rilc(l if wcrr Mniily 
 Holland Kin^'slmry and Alvin (iay Stfvcns, drsccndants 
 of llu' first faiiiilifs of tin- parisli. FrcMJrrick S. Kiii^s- 
 hiiry, ^Tcat ^'nat ^randxtii of K<'V. Sfrplu-ii I'almtr, 
 an<l also lia\ iiij^' a family coniu-ction willi Kcv. .lona- 
 tlian I'owiiscnd. tin- fir>t iniiii.stcr, rca<l tlu- iiiscriplioiis. 
 
 Tlu' four hoys who pa.s.si'd the pro^rrain.s, were also 
 dcscrndaiits of the early familic's. and wt'r«> Ilarrdd 
 Mcintosh, Raymond Mills, (Iny Mcintosh and Lau- 
 rence Katon. 
 
 Papers of much interest were read l>y (ieo. K. 
 Clarke on "The He^innin^ of our ("hurcli" and l»y 
 John F. Mills on "Music of ye ()i(len Tyme," while 
 extracts from early records were read l»y \Vm. W . I'cck. 
 
 At the close of the formal pro^'ram a social hour 
 was enjoyed in the ehapel wIktc the Ladies' Aid So- 
 ciety served their ^niests with an ahundant supple of 
 lii;ht refreshments. Ihrr were on exhihition r«'lics of 
 the olden time, portraits, hooks, music, manuscripts 
 of sermons, etc., tiiis feature receiving' nuich attention 
 from the visitors. 
 
 (20 
 
Tin-: lUCKNTKNNIAL CIIKoNK LK 
 
THE HI( KNTENNIAL ClllUJMCLE 
 
 As tilt' inmicdiato forc-niniHT of the cclcl)rati()n. 
 The Nccdhuni Chruniclc issued on Saturday, Si'i)tcin- 
 ber 16, a sixtt'on-pa^'f nuinlxT known a.s tlu* " Hiccntcn- 
 iiial Clironiclc." Of tliis edition, t lire*' thousand sev<'n 
 Inindrrd (•o|)ies were j)rint('d and <ii>t ril)nled tlirouj^li 
 the Chronicle's regular channels. It contained articles 
 which, taken tof^ether, made a ^'ooti resume of the his- 
 tory of the town from its founding' to the present; 
 contrihutions fn)in tlie older residents ; half-tone views 
 of the puMic huildin^'s, picturescpie spots, and princi- 
 pal business huildinfjs; portraits of town officers and 
 [)rominent citizens, and much matter of interest con- 
 cerning' the town in recent years. The edition was 
 printed in Nee<ilunn, and was handled entirely by 
 Needliam talent. Thirty reams of paper, wei^'hin^j 
 eighteen hundred pounds, were used in its production. 
 Copies of this edition have been filed in the permanent 
 archives of the town. 
 
 [Xi 
 
Tin: ( KLKlUiA'l ION 
 
I " I I I '; I 1 
 
 () 1 i 1 ( I \ I r K () ( . K \ M o/' ///,• 
 l; u i \ I I \ \ I \ I c I I I r. K \ r ION 
 
 V the I () W \ () I \ I I I) I 1 \ M 
 M \ s > \ ( 1 I I s I. I I .^ 
 
 ScptcinlKT 1"', I S, ;iiul I <; 
 >iiiul.i\, Mniul;u aiiil 'l'in--ti.i\ 
 
SUNDAY, SEPT. 17, 1911 
 
 Special services at all the churches 
 in keeping with the occasion 
 
 12.00 M. The First Parish Sunday School, accompanied by delegations 
 
 from other schools will march to the cemetery and decor- 
 ate graves of past ministers and Sunday School superin- 
 tendents. 
 
 8.00 P. M. Band Concert at Needham Heights 
 
 4.00 p. M. \'espers at tlie First Parish Churcii. ("ireetings from Ded- 
 ham First Parish (the mother church) and Wellesley Con- 
 gregational, the Second Church in Needham. Double 
 Quartet ; Violin Solo, Mrs. F. C. Peabody; Contralto Solo, 
 Miss Adah Gay Fuller. 
 
 T.:>0 V. M. Sacred Concert at Town Hall, by Needham Military Band 
 followed by addre.ss by Dr. VV. H. P. Faunce, President of 
 Brown University. The Hovvland Class Male Quartet will 
 sing. 
 
 MONDAY, SEPT. 18 
 
 9.00 A. M. One mile race. 
 
 0.80 .A. M. Children's Entertainment in the Town Hall from !».80 to 12. 
 
 10.00 A. M. Base Ball Match between Needham V. M. C. A. and Swamp- 
 scott A. C, on Greene's field. 
 
 1.80 r. .\i. The following list of sports will take place : 
 
 100 yard run. Trial heats. 
 
 75 yard for boys under 14. Trial heats. Handicapped at 
 
 start. 
 
 100 yard finals. 
 
 T-") vard, boys under 14, finals. 
 
 Rvuming hi^h jump 
 
 Shot put ; 12 lij shot. 
 
 Broad jump. 
 
 220 yard trial heats. 
 
 Girls under 14, 75 yards. Handicapped at start. 
 
220 ynni finals 
 
 Sack race. S' i (•< l« 
 
 'NO yard run 
 
 Potato race, •■•• \.imi, m i.m u 
 
 K«0 yard run. 
 
 7..'W» V. M Town Hall. Addresses l)y Hon. Charlcn Francis Adams 
 and (icorRP K. Clarke Ks(|. Original poem by Mrs J. <i. A 
 Carter, read liy Kostoe A Carter. Music by Nccdbam 
 Military Hand, and Male Chorus under direction of Fred S. 
 
 Mir. hinl 
 
 TUESDAY, SEPT. 19 
 
 tMM» A.M. Civic and Trades Parade will form in Needham Square 
 at ft with F.. (j. Pond as marshal, and proceed over the 
 following route : HiRhland avenue to May street, to Webster 
 street, to Highland avenue, to Alfreton road, to Conant 
 street, to Hunnewell street, to Hillside avenue, to West 
 street, to Hit;hland avenue, to (ireat Plain avenue, to Warr.*n 
 street, to .Srhnol street, to Chestnut street, to Oak street, to 
 Maple street, to Great I'lain avenue and dislKind at 
 Needham .S»|uare. 
 
 J.ito !•. M. Hanipiet in Town H.ill. Congressman Weeks. (iovem«»r 
 Foss, Mavoi Fit/Gerald, Kev F.dwar<l 1.. Horton. Rev. 
 GeorRe Whitaker, Mayor C harUs K. Hattield, Hon. B. B. 
 John.son and others have been invited and arc expected to 
 speak. iJre.ss informal. 
 
 8.00 I' M. Town Hall. Kxerciscs closinK with ball, (irand March 
 led by Henry T. Childs, Chairman of Selectmen. 
 
 Historic and Art Loan Exhibition 
 
 ^lllltl.l\, .MniKt.iy aiiil Tuesday in High School Hall in » liarne •»! 
 New Century C"lub. 
 
 The First Parish Meeting Hou.se will l>e open to visitors during the 
 tluie ilavs of the Bicentennial. Reception to former mcml»crs and oW- 
 iim<- rt sidenls. On Monday and Tues<lay from :l to .'>, tea will l>e serveil. 
 
 .'\n exhibit of curios collected by Chas. H. Mitchell will be shown 
 .,1 th. P.impinK Station during the three days. 
 
SUNDAY. SEPTEMBER 1 
 
EXERCISES IN OUR CHrRCHES 
 
Ill \ -i i.nu A I' \i Mil; 
 
 i III -I < "i\i» \ii.i;ii\(. 11(11 -I. 
 \ii.i ii\(. iioi -I. \\i> \ii\i-n;i{ <»i iMi 
 
OUR CHURCHES 
 
 One hundred years ago there was hut one church 
 (The First Parish) in the territory now comprising the 
 town of Needhani; and the only celehration of which 
 we have any information, was a notahh* historical 
 sermon by the pastor of that church. Rev. Stephen 
 Palmer, which has been preserved and has recently 
 been printed in full in the local paper, The Needhatn 
 Chronicle. 
 
 There are now seven churches, all well housed and 
 prosperous. The following pages contain an account 
 of their contributions to this Bicentennial celebration. 
 It is to be rcgri'tti'd that in several the addresses were 
 not reported, but tliey were nevertheless full of en- 
 thusiasm and hcljjful in adding interest to the occasion. 
 
»*€ 
 
 • U ^ j> T 
 
Oni rinitriiiN I iHsr r'Mtlsll KXKHflHKH 
 
 1711 1!)11 
 
 TllK FIRST (J(JN(iiU:(.Ari()\ AL ( Illi;( II 1\ 
 NKKDIIA.M 
 
 (Initarinn) 
 Sijiul.iy Sfplcinhcr 17. I!>ll 
 in:\. J AD WIS I'l II- Kit. IVilur 
 
 10.15 «. m lll^T()l{U AL CinRril SERVIPK — EifrncU 
 frum llir (tiitiiry StTiimn i»f ISII 
 
 SERMON i«v rm: i'vstou 
 
 ANTHEM liV IIU: I'AUISII I^IMITET 
 
 MISS MAUY A. TIHDALK UKUMKHT N. MITrUELL 
 
 mas FLOUKNCK K. KATON JAMF_S K. TISUALK 
 
 SOl'UANO S(H.()S l.y Miv* Ti-.UI.- 
 
 12.00 m SI .Nl).\^' S('H(K)L nuircli tn crim-tory and lieojrBtr (frnvci 
 
 of jhlhI iiiiiii.Htcr.t unci Suntlny St-lu»«)l nflitfn 
 
 4.00 p. III. \ H'^I'EU SEUVR1>^ 
 
 ANTHEM in DOI mm: t^l MMKT 
 
 CONTRALTO SOUJ. Mi« Adah (J Fuller 
 
 \ lULlN bOLUS. Mrs E C. Pcabody 
 
 (tt 
 
ADDRESS OF RKN . WUJ.IAM II. NNAl.KKK 
 
 MINISTF.R FIRST CHURril AND FARIHH 
 DKDMAM (moTIIKR TOWN') 
 
 "Frioiuls, it is iiKiccd a i)l('a.Mir(' as niinistcr of the 
 parent First Parisli Chiireh of Dedham, to conpratti- 
 latc tliis (lau^'litcr clmrcli ii{)on lirr two }nin<ir<<ltli 
 l)irtli(lay. It is a phasnrr too. to bear tliat old text: 
 'Stand in the ways and see and ask for the ohl pat lis.' 
 
 The tendency to belittle the past is altogether too 
 prevalent. We are most of ns given to eoninii.serating 
 the colonists. That the few score families who settled 
 along the Charles never scratched a match, baked 
 with gas, read by electric light, u.sed a telej)hone, trav- 
 elled by steam or electric power, telegraphed tlu-ir 
 hnrried messages, or decimated distance with an auto- 
 mobile. That they lackt-d these conveniences nsually 
 arou.ses our pity. Hut has not life been well lived and 
 can it not be even comfortably and happily lived with- 
 out all our modern inventions? The natural sw«'et- 
 ness of life was maiidy soure<l then as it always has 
 been and will be soured by misunderstandings, jeal- 
 ousies and illwill, and not by lack of steam, electric or 
 gasolene power. If the quickness of transportation 
 di«l not make homecoming so fre(|uetit, neither diij it 
 make leavetaking so iii\iting. 
 
 Both the temporary and the enduring satisfactions 
 cxistcfi in colonial times. Such temporary satisfnc- 
 
 (45 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 tions as the exhilaration of sunshine after cloud and of 
 cool bracing weather after a torrid week belonged to 
 them as much as to any generation that ever came and 
 went. The deeper satisfactions such as the joy of 
 working, the success of one's efforts, a cellar filled for 
 winter, fuel enough, and the restoration to health of 
 those near to us — such satisfactions were theirs. The 
 still deeper satisfactions like the sense of filling a place 
 in the working world and the sense of filling a niche 
 in someone's affection so that one feels neither useless 
 nor unloved,^ — such satisfactions belonged as much to 
 the earlier as to the present inhabitants of this river 
 basin. That they should have called this plantation 
 Contentment before naming it Dedham, is proof that 
 they needed not that cheap commiseration a progres- 
 sive present usually showers upon the past. 
 
 Another factor which hinders us in seeing the old 
 ways and walking in the old paths is the forgetfulness 
 of the world as we now know it. I dare to believe that 
 there is nothing hid which shall not be finally mani- 
 fested and that the minds of those gone before are keep- 
 ing their memories, I believe, too, that our hidden 
 helpers will be revealed and that the fog of obscurity 
 and ignorance which envelops us here will be lifted 
 that we may know as we are known by the All Known 
 above. That is my faith, yet time has almost obliter- 
 ated traces of seventeenth century life in this imme- 
 diate locality. How meagre the records. They can 
 be read in a few hours, and after much reading how 
 little we glean of what was for those people the most 
 interesting drama ever played. We are not an histori- 
 cally minded people. Even the prominent are soon 
 forgotten. Our great grandfathers may be known to 
 us through a recorded will or through an early census 
 so that we know the number of their acres, slaves, 
 cattle and horses, and the amount of taxes they paid. 
 
 46] 
 
ftl |{ ( HI l{< lUS MUST PAKISII KXKItf ISh;s 
 
 It is hard to iina^'iiic vt-ry clearly I lit- daily life, the 
 ruling idras, tlir jjriiicipal iiilrrcsts of <»rir who may 
 have ^'iviTi lis our disposition and our lumu' and yt-t it 
 i.s almost wholly ol)s<urf«l hy I In* for^M-lful yrars. 
 
 If wr kiu)w liflh' of iiulividuals in whom wr arc 
 intcrt'stcd throu>;h liiu-a^e, we know morr of tin- rarlirr 
 p'Urrations as a whole, ^^hat w«rc their ehara<t er- 
 istics? Kase, IndependeiKc, Seriousness and N«iKh- 
 i)orliness. 
 
 Ease is the mood of the old [)ainti[i^s. A (om- 
 posite fjieture of a hundred old |)ainlin^'s uoidd show 
 a restfulness not so often found to<lay. It is not a 
 stolidity resulting; from indifrerence. i^'n(»rance and 
 laziness. It is the [)eaceful temper of tliox- who are 
 not hein^ pushed and driven and harried throu^'h lift'. 
 There was ease not only in their faces hut in their 
 architecture. There was very very little of the straiiu <l, 
 the fanciful and the trivial in their construction. Their 
 houses looked easy, natural and dignified. They were 
 not intent as many seem to he, upon imio\ation. The 
 di.scipline of waiting until moiu-y was earned ^ave time 
 to study i)Ians. They huilt few hon.ses that .seenied 
 like half thou^dits or second thou;;hts. 
 
 The old manuscripts reveal h'ss ner\'ousness, les.s 
 triviality; greater ^'race and ^'reater ease in hand 
 writing'. They lived before life ha«l heen artifically 
 speed<'d up to its pn'sent pace. Piece workers in our 
 factories complain that stron^'-hodied, <|uick-»iiin(led, 
 and niml)le-fin;,'ered oj)erators set a pact* for the ma- 
 chinery and a standard for pay, that the less strong and 
 skilful can only with over exertion maintain. The sanu' 
 tiling' has taken place in every liiu* of work today. Life 
 has heen speeded up until ease of maimer and serenity 
 of mind are not the American charac terist i( s. 
 
 Ind«*|)endenee was also a trait of the older time. 
 It was nt)t the securitv our time has attained throu^'h 
 
 147 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 surgery, medicine, insurance and modern interest in 
 health. The records as kept by the ministers of the 
 parent church at Dedham show that contagion claimed 
 many a life that modern medicine could save. Sum- 
 mer took a fearful toll of babies as precious then as 
 now. We have reached some measure of security 
 in these respects. But they, upon their farms and 
 gardens were more secure in their work. No change 
 of fashion or introduction of machinery or lapse of 
 years made their work precarious. Frugal habits 
 warded off disease. Saving was a security against 
 want and a heritage for the generation following. They 
 made this a prosperous locality. 
 
 Neighborliness filled a place in colonial times well 
 nigh unimaginable today. Neighbors helped raise the 
 frame of house or barn, built stone fences, exchanged 
 work at harvests, held bees for the needy, reaped the 
 crops when the farmer was ill, supplied the chairs at 
 party, funeral or wedding, logged, quilted, and watched 
 the sick. Men's interests were not divisive. Beyond 
 the boundary stone wall was very likely a man doing 
 precisely the same thing in the same season. It was 
 a companionable life, a community of men who under- 
 stood one another's cares and difficulties. We go far 
 to associate with men of the same professions and 
 problems. They had a companionship of similar 
 workers in their neighbors. 
 
 The element of seriousness in the colonial mind is 
 very easily overdrawn. We must not give too great 
 weight to the testimony of the cavaliers that the Puri- 
 tan mind had no lighter moods. The destructive 
 testimony of another class or an opposing party is poor 
 testimony, for one party or class can never understand 
 another. That the Puritan was without humor is im- 
 possible. That there are few evidences of their lighter 
 vein we all know. It is hardly to be expected that 
 
 48] 
 
OIR rnrRfTIES- FTRftT PARIHn EXFTirisrs 
 
 piiMiV records or wills or dcrds would he written in 
 joking' mood, (ianu-s and .sports, wit and jr>t iiad 
 currencv then as now. It wa.s a serious life the col- 
 onists faced. The nuiker of ^eegaws, puzzles, trinkets 
 and silly u.sele.ss wares has .some excu.se for a trivial 
 view of life. It is a trivial hiisiness that he is in. One's 
 business inevitably colors liis philosoi)hy and our rc- 
 lif^'ion. The num of illej^itinuite business creates for 
 himself a lawless world and a lawless (ickI. TIh' usual 
 .seriousness of the forefathers was a resultant of the 
 serious situation they faced, the transformation of a 
 wild«'rness, tin* organization of a ^overnuH-nt, pro- 
 tection from Indians, the stamping out of contagions, 
 the erection of school houses and meeting liouses. New 
 En>.jland seriousness lias its fibre runiiini; <iire<tly into 
 the tissue of stout hearts. 
 
 Tlie family nowliere meant more than in tlu-.se old 
 Charles River towns. The emphasis was on the family 
 almost as much as in j)atriarchal times. Families 
 worked together an<l played together and wor>hip|)«d 
 together. And they were real families in size. The 
 number of .sons exhausted the names of favorite dis- 
 ciples and made a good start on the list of the pro[)hets. 
 riiere were not enough well known women's names in 
 the Hible for the daughters. The old occupations were 
 family o<'cupations. The son had a better start when 
 he grew up in the business of his father. Skill is not 
 unknown when it is learned in the multiple industries 
 of the colonial farm. i'lic family occupation had a 
 cementing tendency largely gone today wlu-n vari«*(I 
 work leads us into various outside circles. Family 
 games and family worship seem far distant in these 
 days of tlw fanniy hold and the thousand annisi-ments 
 that tak»' thr Inindrrds of thousands out of lln-ir homes 
 and attempt for them a ncreation tln'y <annot pro- 
 vide for theniselveij. The home and faniilv bulk far 
 
 (49 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 smaller in these latter days. A generation of mothers 
 is needed wise enough, skilful enough and determined 
 enough to bring the home back to its central place. 
 
 And finally, much as we like to view again the 
 old ways and travel the old paths, they are gone and 
 gone forever so far as this present existence is concerned. 
 We would not bring them back, and yet in our absorp- 
 tion in the new we would not belittle the virtues of the 
 elders. They had ease. Their busy lives were spent 
 in ways of quietness and in paths of peace. Theirs 
 was the security they themselves won through in- 
 dustry, frugality and thrift — a security like ours is 
 only partial, for the salvation, the continuance and the 
 consummation of all our lives rests with Him who alone 
 is secure and eternal. They were neighborly then as 
 befits those who have discovered that our origin, our 
 hopes, our ills, our satisfactions and our destinies are 
 one. They were serious because they had work to do 
 and were in an earnest world. They lived the family 
 life and glorified it. They made it mean so much for 
 later generations that the older men and women among 
 us say with deep regret, 'I am the last of my name.' 
 
 The older life is not wholly gone and it certainly 
 is not without influence. There are many in this 
 showy, nervous, speeded-up age leading the easy, con- 
 tented, serious, neighborly family life which had God's 
 favor two centuries ago and receives it today." 
 
 50] 
 
ADDHi^s or Hi.\ wii.i.iAM w. sF.r.i:ri:R 
 
 PASTOH oi TiiK \vki.i,f:si.kv ( ( ).n(;hkc;ati<)\ ai. ( inruii 
 
 " MfinlxTs nu(\ Frii'nds of The First Parish (Imrch of 
 
 Nri'dliaiii: 
 
 I am licrc I his jiftcrriooii lo hriii^ you ^rcftinps 
 from yoiir dau^'litcrl 
 
 If th<' roun of Nccdliam wen- ((•It-hratiii^ it.s 
 ses(|uicentcnnial, and thr dau^littT c Inircli wtTt' [)rrsent 
 by a rcprcscnf ativc, tliat n'|)rcsrntat iv«* woiihl have 
 hrtMi introdiicfil as coming', not from Wclhslcy. hut 
 from West Nccciham; and had it Itrcn tin* ccntciMiial 
 iusfi'ad of thr hiccnlcnniah then thf rrproM'ntativc 
 would haw haih'd from the "West Parisli" nuTfly. 
 
 'Ilu' citi/cns of W«'llcsh'y rcmcmlxT today the 
 st(^ry of the ori^'in of tlirir hcautiful and thriving town, 
 and they are not ashamed to confess tliat their civic 
 inde[)endence spans a period of only thirty years, while 
 for almost one lumdred years j)reviously the moth«T- 
 town shelt<T«'d under her protettini; win^s lier cliildreii 
 who cliose th<-ir honu-s West of the (treat I'laiti anti 
 North of the Ili^ddands. 
 
 Many in this au<h<'nce w«ll r«-meml»er the \<.irs 
 wInn tlie Town Hall in the forest was the rallying' spot 
 for the elans who f^alluTcd from »*a.st and west, and 
 strove to^'ether in hrotherly fa.sliion over matters 
 of communal interest. Now each town ha.s ita stately 
 
 l« 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 civic building, and the old wooden forum, after hous- 
 ing in luxury the meagre company of the elect poor of 
 both towns for a number of years, now offers hospitality 
 under another and more inviting form. 
 
 It is not my task to speak to you regarding town 
 affairs. I come simply as the mouthpiece of the 
 daughter church. And yet my story begins in a town 
 meeting, which none of you — not even the oldest citi- 
 zen of the older town — can possibly remember, since 
 it took place in the year 1774. It was the conclusion 
 of a series of stormy meetings that followed one another 
 at frequent intervals for nine months. The all im- 
 portant question under debate was, where a new 
 meeting-house should be located. Fancy such a ques- 
 tion disturbing a modern town meeting! Our fathers 
 made religion the principal thing, and they were con- 
 sumed by zeal for the Lord's House. Let their sons 
 and grandsons and great grandsons sit up and take 
 notice ! 
 
 In October of the previous year — 1773 — the old 
 historic structure that had served the entire population 
 of Needham as their only and sufficient house of wor- 
 ship, was burned to the ground. And already the 
 families living toward the West were complaining bit- 
 terly because they had to travel so far to attend church. 
 These heroic people of the olden days did not make the 
 distance an excuse for staying away from public 
 worship; but it seemed to them sufficient reason for 
 making a vigorous effort to rebuild the edifice at the 
 center of the town. Hence the repeated town meet- 
 ings. But the eloquent voters of the West failed to 
 convince the stalwart men of the East that they ought 
 to pitch their tabernacle in the wilderness, remote from 
 the settlements on either side, and we are very glad 
 indeed that your church fathers stood manfully by the 
 original location, and brought out a majority vote in 
 
 92] 
 
OTH « UInrilKM- HHST rAHlSM KXTRflSKS 
 
 favor of rtl)wil<lin^ on tlic old sliv. And fiow I must 
 ^o on und tell of sonu'thin^ wliitli o<'<urrrd out.sidt* of 
 toNsn nu'ftin^. ami which shows that the mm of 
 Nt'cdham were rarly risers, and that drtcrmiiu'd nunor- 
 ities vfvrv not easily disoouragc<l wlu-n their heart 
 was fixed. 
 
 It was a morning? in August, 1771. The scene 
 was the great stK-ial function of the olden time, called 
 "a raising." I'he solid frame of the new meeting 
 house had been hewn out and put together, and now 
 it was to he raised and placed t)n the massive sills — 
 tent)n tilting mortise, and the whole jointed together 
 very much as the Apostle I'aul describes the Living 
 Church in one of his epistles. To lift one of these 
 huge struetures wa.s no easy work. The entire nuile 
 j)opulation of the town was summoned. Hut the men 
 of the Kast were su.sj)icious of their western brethren 
 — and with reason, I regret to say. So at half-pa.st five 
 o'clock in the morning, the men of Needham got at the 
 work, (juite in the spirit of llezekiah's men as they 
 raised the walls of Jerusalem. \i nine o'clock an army 
 of sturdy volunteers from the West ai)peared on the 
 seene — too late to helj) — or to hinder! In the journal of 
 the Rev. Sanuiel West where this incident is recorded, it 
 is said,—* When they found the work in such forward- 
 ness, they were discouraged, and prudently withdrew, 
 although with nmch resentment and many threats.' 
 
 And yet, not discouraged! For in June of that 
 very year, an agreement had been drawn up stating 
 tliat if the new meeting-house should be erected on the 
 old site, the subscribers would contribute the sums 
 opposite their names toward the building of a se|)arate 
 church, *on or as near a.s convenient In may be to the 
 center of the Wi-stwardly part ' of the town. 
 
 As it proved imj)ossible to prevent, by vote or by 
 artifice, the rebuilding on the old location, the re.sult 
 
 (U 
 
needham's bicentennial celebration 
 
 was the division of the Parish, and the two new meet- 
 ing-houses instead of one. The good pastor protested, 
 as he had the right to do, against the 'division of 
 towns into Httle and generally poor parishes,' pronoun- 
 cing this policy extremely injurious to society. 'But 
 it is better,' he generously adds in his journal, 'than 
 to live in continual contention, and it often happens 
 that there is no other alternative.' 
 
 In October, following the "raising," the town voted 
 to exempt the inhabitants of the westerly part of the 
 town from all charges on account of the new church, 
 ' provided they do proceed in building a meeting- 
 house, and maintain preaching among them.' And 
 the men of the West Parish at once began to collect 
 material for the new structure, choosing for its location 
 the extremely favorable spot where the Wellesley Con- 
 gregational Church now stands, a commanding ele- 
 vation in the very heart of the village. 
 
 But no one should think that all this ecclesiastical 
 earnestness engendered chronic bitterness between the 
 two halves of the goodly, and Godly, town of Need- 
 ham. Within a year after the famous church war, 
 another war broke out which cemented together the 
 men of Needham in a friendship that has remained 
 unbroken to this day. On the 19th of April, 1775, 
 three companies of volunteers from Needham marched 
 to Lexington and took part in the opening battle of the 
 Revolution. One of these companies was from the 
 West Parish; and on the 4th of July, of this present 
 year, a tablet to their memory was erected, through the 
 generosity of Mrs. Durant, at the East College Gate, 
 where this company assembled, at Bullard's Tavern, 
 then standing on that spot. Shoulder to shoulder, 
 like good townsmen, the men of Needham fought for 
 Liberty and for God. Fifty-nine of the eighty-two 
 men who signed the agreement to build the new meet- 
 
 54] 
 
ofu ( innrnKfl — fiust patiihii FxrnrrfliM 
 
 inp house were in lli.it lir^l Rrvoliif ionary hattlc, and 
 the war nia<h' the work of (Itiircii rnvtion very 
 slow indeed. l*\)r a score of years services were con- 
 ducted in a l)are structure with henches for p«'ws, 
 and niiK li of the time witli un^da/.cd wind«jws. 
 
 In 17 7s, tlie lx,-Kislature >et uW liie West i*rccincl, 
 as a U'^mI hasis for the coUection of cliurch taxes, 
 and the West Parish —not yet a re^Mihirly or^'anized 
 'Church' — was duly le>,Mli/.ed. Twenty years later — 
 in 17!>S -'The Church of Ciiri.st in the'W.-.st Parish 
 in Needhanr was formally 'cmhodied,' as the record 
 c|uaintly says, and althou«i> eighty-two men had si^'ned 
 the ori^'inal ai,'reement for huildiuK', only seven men 
 enrolled themselves as charter memlnTs «)f the new 
 church, — seven men and thrt'e women. 
 
 But after this lon^ and painful parturition, the 
 infant dau^'hter was horn. I cannot take time to tell 
 you the story of her life. To us, of tin* old Wot l'ari>h, 
 that life has heen «'Ventful, significant and hles.sed with 
 a ^iKjd decree of prosperity. A few matters may he 
 hriefly summarized as possessing; interest for you of the 
 older church. 
 
 Vour dau^'liter church has crecte<l and dedicated, 
 since 17!>S, three sui)stantial edifices, the second of 
 which is today an integral part of the Dana Hall School 
 huihliuK'. The present structure Wius designed hy the 
 original architects of Welloley College, an<i with addi- 
 tions and im|)rovements, external and internal, most 
 comfortably accommodati's the congregation, Sunday- 
 school and various organizations of a church that has 
 enrolled since its beginning, eleven hundred ami thirty- 
 five members, ami has ttxiay a rt'.sident membership 
 of three hundred and twenty souls. 'I'he daughter 
 church bi-came a mother and the First Parish ("hurch 
 a grandmother in 1H47, when the Congregational 
 Churcii in .North Ncedham, or (irantville, now Wellesley 
 
 155 
 
needham's bicentennial celebration 
 
 Hills, was organized. Ten pastors in succession have 
 ministered to this church during its hundred and thir- 
 teen years of existence. Of these pastorates, the 
 longest — thirty-four years — was the first, that of the 
 Rev. Thomas Noyes, whose stipulated salary was £100 
 and 12 cords of wood per annum. The Rev. Stephen 
 Palmer of Needham was present at the ordination, 
 and commended the West Parish for the peaceable and 
 orderly manner in which the settlement had been made. 
 It is recorded of our first pastor, that some of his ser- 
 mons, still preserved, were divided into two parts, for 
 the morning and afternoon services respectively, and 
 that each part would occupy at least an hour in the 
 delivery. Our fathers believed in sermons Sundays. 
 It would take a modern minister an entire month to 
 preach one of those double barreled sermons! It is 
 pleasant to record that a hymn-book compiled by the 
 Rev. Mr. Palmer, was being used in 1812, by the large 
 chorus choir of the West Parish Church. So the 
 Mother Church supplied both life and breath to the 
 Daughter Church. 
 
 Our records do not exhibit a large number of par- 
 ticularly distinguished persons. We are proud rather 
 of a high average in the membership of ability and 
 character. One of our members, Calvin Ellis Stowe, 
 enjoyed a brilliant career as theological professor, and 
 earned a still wider fame by his marriage with Harriet 
 Beecher, whose pen has immortalized some of the fam- 
 ilies of the old West Parish and the neighboring section 
 of Natick. On the old Communion Table in Wellesley 
 Church there ever rests the great Bible, presented to 
 the church by the "Lady Lothrop" of Mrs. Stowe's 
 "Old Town Folks." Two of Wellesley's pastors are 
 voluminous authors, — the Rev. Harvey Newcomb and 
 the Rev. Dr. Abijah Richardson Baker. And Mrs. 
 Baker was the "Madeleine Leslie" whose religious tales 
 
 56] 
 
OITR rHURrHKH — KIHHT PAfilHll K\K.I{<ISKS 
 
 attniiifd very wiili- j)o|)ularity— notaMy "Tiiii llir 
 Scissors (iriiidcr.' 
 
 Hut my tiiiu' is lu-arly ^^om-, and I will oidy add, 
 rt'^ardiu^' tlir wt-Ifarc of tlir l)aiij,'lit<T (hurcli. that for 
 all llu-.>«' years sincr sin* left tin- iiial«Tiial roof, sin- has 
 striven ttt fullil worthily her sacred mission of ministry, 
 ami Worthily to illustrate and to transmit the hest 
 traditions handeil down from n-vereiit ancestors. 
 
 In October 1SJ)H, th«' WellesK'v ( "on^'re^ational 
 Church ci'lehrated its ( 'enteiuiial, one of the principal 
 address<*s hein^' made hy the Kev. I*. S. 'riiacher (»f this 
 First Parish Church. And 1 can find no helter, no 
 more Christian sentiment with which to close my 
 paper, than a sentence fnun the masterly address of 
 l)r. \Vm. Hayes Ward. delivere<l on tiiat occasion. He 
 had i)een speaking of the iidluence of the church in the 
 nuikin^ of New England, and the spirit of propliecy 
 stirrinj^ within him, he added these words: 
 
 *1 seem to see rising' up before me in the coming 
 ci'ntury, in no indistinct and misty outline, a fairer 
 form of truth than the world has yet seen, tlie dissevered 
 fra^'ments of the Church of Christ drawn together by 
 that love which every joint supplieth, into one dear 
 fi'Uowshij), one Bride of Christ.' 
 
 We are now wt-11 advanced into the New Century. 
 The (iospel of I\'ace is slowly federating the nation.s 
 into a world-wide Hrotherhood. Conservative churche.s 
 are appreciating as never before, the oneness of aim 
 and spirit that characterizes all Christian Churches. 
 However loyal Christians may be to the creeds of the 
 fathers, they are recognizing that even dognui, if it 
 remains vital, must grow, and we are liberal t-noiigh 
 -all of us, it may be hoped to love righteousness 
 wher«'ver it is exhibited and striven for and prayed for. 
 The Truth, when it is fairly understoo<l, is one and the 
 same for all. And to<lay, as never before, the true- 
 
 Ii7 
 
needham's bicentennial celebration 
 
 hearted everywhere are striving to maintain 'the unity 
 of the spirit in the bond of peace.' 
 
 And may the peace of God, that passeth all under- 
 standing, fill our hearts and minds in the spirit of our 
 common Master." 
 
 58] 
 
iii{>r HM'i 1-1 < III Kt II. \i.i:i»ii \\i 
 
orn niT-RrnER — first nAPTisT F.XKRnaE.s 
 
 FIRST BAPTIST CIirRC'II 
 
 CortuT of (Jri'ut Plain and lii^'hlaiul Avenues 
 OrKnni7.<Hl IHTA) 
 
 PAST()i{ . . ui:n. ( hai{i.ks k. sawtklm: 
 
 Services SepteinlKT 17, 11)11 
 
 10.45 a m. ORGAN PRELIDE— "H..ly. holy. Iioly I I>.r.l 
 Ciotl Aliuiglily " 
 
 INV()( ATION 
 
 UKSPONSIVE READINT. 
 
 (;U)RIA. (All sLiin.lin^) 
 
 ANTUKM. Mail- (iiiartclU-, " The Eartli ii tii.- I>)nln' Grrriah 
 
 SGRIITI UK LESSON — UiiiUronoiny. Chapters 
 
 HYMN 8 
 
 I'UAVKIl 
 
 RESl*ONSE, Male Quartette, " Father in thy mysterious 
 
 pn-JM-ntf kneeliiit; " Gerrish 
 
 OFFERINCi, with verse of dedication .muik by all standinK 
 
 SOLO, Mivs Florence H. CambridKe. " Hold Thoii niy hand " Hri^-gs 
 
 SERMON \\\ rili: i'AS'l'OK — Text in Aet.s21:;W, " A citi- 
 Zen of no mean city " 
 
 AN THEM, Male (iwartette, " I will lift up mine eyes " Gcrriih 
 
 HENEDKTION 
 
 ORGAN POSTLIDE 
 
 12.00 m. n(»\VI.\Nl> (LASS FOR MEN 
 
 I'UOF. (.K()I{(.K H. IIAVKN, Teacher 
 12.10 ». ui. HIIJLK ( LASS. Rally Day. Spcxial exeivwes 
 
 (w 
 
NEEDIIAM'S BICKNTKNNIAL 
 
 AT FIRST nAI»TIST CliriU II, NEEDHAM, MARS. 
 
 Tlu* first (lay of tlic Nt'cdliam Bicenteiuiial was 
 crlrl)rat('(l at the Haptist Cliurcli hy an interesting 
 sermon hy the pastor upon the si^iificance of 400 years 
 in the ape of a town. Text: Acts 21-39. *'A Citizen of 
 no Mean City." The address was Hstened to hy a 
 larpe audience and the occasion was one of great en- 
 thusiasm and interest. 
 
 The Howhmd class contril)uted its portion to the 
 celehration of the anniversary hy special exercises held 
 in a large tent erecte(l upon the church lawn. The 
 regular session of the class took i)lace at Fioon, at which 
 there were .some 75 members |)resent. 
 
 In the afternoon at "2.45 the Rev. James A. Francis 
 n. 1)., of the Clarendon St. Ba[)tist Church conducted 
 a service es})ecially for men, his subject being "The 
 Bible in Our National Life." The s[)eaker gave a 
 forceful and masterly address with regard to the power 
 of the scriptures in directing the life of the nation 
 through the iiidi\idual. "The nation is made U[) of 
 units, and each man stantls for an integral part of the 
 whole. National life can rise no higher than individual 
 life, and the national life ran only be purified by the 
 consecration of the indiviflual life. The [>owit of the 
 Bible makes it possibh* for a man to break with the 
 weakne^^ of the past and go forward into the strength 
 
 l«l 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 of the future. The Bible stands for the framework 
 and foundation upon which personal as well as national 
 life can only be built." 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Hemenway had charge of 
 the music and the congregational singing was a very 
 delightful feature of these gatherings. 
 
 Upon the two following days of the celebration 
 the Rowland class kept open house in the tent, dis- 
 pensing hospitality in the shape of light refreshments 
 and comfortable chairs, to many guests, many of 
 whom came from remote parts of the United States. 
 A corps of members of the class was always in attend- 
 ance, and many pleasant informal reunions with former 
 residents of the town were held in the tent. The exer- 
 cises held in this unusual way formed a fitting contrast 
 to the more dignified services in the church. 
 
 62] 
 
A 
 
 
 l,\ \\<.i 1.1" \i. ( ( t\i .KM . \ I i< i\ \i I III i;< II 
 
Orn < III H( IIKH — EVANGEMCAL f ONOnEOATIONAL KXFnriSKH 
 
 EVANGELICAL CONCHEC.ATIONAL CHURCH 
 
 Coriirr of (irrat IMiiiii Aviiim- iin<l I.imlrn Slrt-oLs 
 
 OrK'aniz.d Mny f). IX'i? 
 
 I'\>l()lt . . UK\. JOHN I). WAIDHnN 
 
 Service Septt'iiilxT 17, ll'll 
 
 OHCW rHKI.l DK MM.MnMi. 211(1 S.natn (. M.rk.l 
 
 WII,I,I.\M HAMILTON, Orpnnist 
 
 dox()Uh;v 
 
 IN\0( ATION -'•Kt«rnnl Onr, Otir GckI who wa-st witli mir fnllicM. \yc 
 willi lis t<M|ay, we hixtth Thif. Hrvial Tliywif unto 
 us nn<l !><• ^'racioii.s unto us. And wln-n wr rrsl from 
 our InlMipt. nmy tlu* work of our Imnds Ik* «'?<tnMi-ilH'<l 
 on earth, and wr r(Mfive<l into thr rtrmal hoUM- of 
 many man*tion.s throuf^li Jesus C'hrUt our I><>r<I 
 
 Amen " 
 
 U)IU)S I'HAVKU 
 
 HKSrONSIVK HKADINC— Psalm U7 
 
 M'o^lI.KS- CHKKL) 
 (iLOIlIA 
 
 OLD TKSTAMKNT D.utrn.nomy 2S:1-1J 
 ANTHEM. HY FULL CHOIR 
 
 JAMKS A|)\Nt>. Uft.Ur 
 NKU rKSIAMr.NT Ilrhn-ws 11:1 an-i 12 :2 
 
 ruAVi;!{ 
 
 HKV. J. n. SKAIU UV 
 
 OFFEIITOUY— Or^an, Adapio. 2nd SonaU 
 
 IHMN — No. 573, "While, with Oajielciw ('<iur?*e. thr Sun" 
 
 SKHMON — Text. I^niah .W: 1. "What havethry Mti\ in thy ImuM- ? " 
 
 lycvsont of the Old Ne^^lham (iarrct 
 
 HYMN— No. 57t'), " I/oni while for nil mankind wr pray" 
 
 ^('^iI.^DE — Orjfan, Intrtxliu tii>n and Fup-. 2nd N>nal« 
 
 m 
 
LESSONS (U' nil; old m;i;i)1ia.m (jAUUKT 
 
 Ki.\. John 1). Waldhon 
 Text, Naiali ii!* : I " \N lial have they srvn in thy house?" 
 ** Juihjcil by the lliiuijs in the Ifou.se 
 
 All that was in Ilrzckiah's house the nicsscii^'crs 
 of Mcrodach Haladiii, Kin^' of Haltvloii, had xni. 
 From what they saw they JikI^^m! Judah. 
 
 \\«' who would know of the past of New Knpland 
 two lnnidr('(| yt-ars a^'o, will road it hcst from the Ixxik 
 of thin^^s in the houses of Needhani in 1711. Those 
 things still remain. I)ul ha\«' risen to tlie fjarrets, or are 
 in lustorieal luuseums which are in character the same 
 as ^'arri'ts. Hut we will reacl them Ity the dim li^dit 
 which comcx lilt«rinj,' thro <liamond pane<l j^'arrtt win- 
 dows. uj)on the relics time has ^'athered there. 
 
 It may he \ou do not know the old Needham 
 fiarret. I'lu-n I nnist open it to you. I'lider ^reat 
 rafters hrowii with ai:c. low l.\ in^', are lon^' forest aisles 
 of <larkncss. Now and then .1 cross ^al>le li;;hts the 
 way. I n<ler f(»ot are j,'r«al wide l)oanls, split from 
 hu^'e io^s, smoothed with ad/e ami plane. .\nd to [\u-> 
 dark, dry sturehouse come worn axes, clinusy sho\«'ls, 
 l>la<ksmith formed hammers, the first tools of the 
 wilderness. With these they opened thi' forest, tilled 
 and shaped the earth, and huilt their aliodcs. Here 
 arc the candlestick, the old hread-lrou^'h, the spinning 
 
 («5 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 wheel, cradle and Bible. These are the tools which 
 brought culture to the wilderness, home to the family, 
 comfort and beauty to the body, increase to the people, 
 and eternal life in God to many. 
 
 To this room on rainy days the children ascended, 
 and while the drops pattered on the roof, and the wind 
 rasped with the branches of the old trees across the 
 shingles, Madeline and Dorothy dressed in the quaint 
 garments of Deborah and Priscilla and laughingly 
 courtesied while John shouldered the flintlock musket 
 of Jonathan and marched to Lexington. Here they 
 felt the Red Tide of 1775, tears fell from childish eyes, 
 youthful hearts again thrilled at the Life of Long Ago. 
 
 'There are broken rings, and pieces of things, and the 
 garments she used to wear.' 
 
 Needham has been too near movement and new 
 things to keep her ancient mansions unchanged, and 
 her relics intact, and we must look in Fort Shirley's 
 collection, the Old State House at Boston, and the 
 treasures of Old Deerfield, once Pocumtuc (and as the 
 child of Dedham, your sister town, for Natick was 
 given to the Indians in exchange for it) and in fine old 
 homesteads in New England's quiet spots. From 
 these we recreate the Old Needham Garret. Now 
 climb the steep stairs. Beware of the low ceiling! 
 Lean forward for balance. Now, keeping to the mid- 
 dle, we move dov^Ti between the survivors of life's 
 storm. Here are tools once wielded with energy by 
 hands that now rest. Here, I say again, are a man's 
 tools, the axe for battle, the shovel, instrument of civ- 
 ilization, the hammer for building, the tools of 1711 
 and their lessons. 
 
 Man's Tools— The Axe 
 
 When the first settlers came hither, they en- 
 tered the woods with axes in their hands. Crude were 
 
 66] 
 
r)t'Tl riltrRrnKfl — EVANfJEMfAI, rf)N-f;niv;ATinvAT. K\'Kt{rmF.H 
 
 tln'V in shape hut tnic in tcinpor, niul they made oi)cn- 
 iii^rs ill tin- oak (loiiiaiii. Tiny Iai<l forest luoiianhs 
 low. 'I'liry >i)lil I Item for i)MM(lieoii floors, for doors 
 ami sliuner>. and henehes such as Lineoln's boyhood 
 knew a hundred years later. As they laid low and 
 hewed the shiMiorn wood, fhey Ihoujrht of (Jideon and 
 the ^'n)ve by the altar of Haai he hewed down. And 
 in spirit they laid I'pas trees in the (hist for 'even now 
 was the axe laid at the root of th<' tree.' the tree of 
 niisi;overninent and usurpation of |)()wer l>y unworthy 
 hereditary rulers. 'I'hose who wen' denying' in prac- 
 tice the riirhts of num. * the certain unalienable rights.' 
 *ri,i:hl to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,' and 
 to us their children they biMiuealh the Battle Axe, 
 .saying: — 
 
 * Strike! for the (Ireeii (i raves of your Sires, 
 (Jod and your native land!' 
 
 The Shovel 
 
 Hi^'ht beside the axe lies a plebeian heavy shovel, 
 fellow brother of the stick which tirst scratched the 
 earth to cover a .seed, or make a plant ^tow, or drew 
 soil to partly op«-n or close a cave's mouth for entrance 
 or defence. Cousin of the branch that became a plow 
 tlrawn by wonian or oxen, the t^nup. plow and railroad 
 .shovel which they never knew. The shovel was a 
 permanent settler's tool and said *I abide.* It f)lanted 
 the first fruit trees on these plains in the wilderness, 
 and siKiiiiied aj^riculture at its bcirinniuK'- It diiTU'ed a 
 channel at the falls for falling water to turn ^rist mills 
 and weave, be^Munin;: manufacture and the harmvssin^ 
 of nature. I'srd in road making', it speaks of travel 
 and the brotherlutod of man. also of trade ami (om- 
 merce. 'I'hro it the steel hi^diway should run from 
 short* to shore, swamps be drained, silver snow uater 
 
 (67 
 
NEBDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 directed from snowy Sierra and Rocky peaks into sun 
 kissed California and sun blistered deserts, till the 
 desert blossoms as the rose. By it the oceans are 
 joined in our day at Panama, and by its aid on land 
 and sea is rising a highway, over which some set of 
 sun the Heavenly King comes riding when toil is done. 
 So they 
 
 'Worked in the morning hours.' 
 
 The Hammer 
 
 The village vulcan shaped that on his anvil. It 
 wrought the nails for old Deerfield's Indian door and 
 drove them to their places, then, in the spirit of that 
 age, clinched them there. After building the doors 
 and shutters against wolf and wolfish Indian, it shaped 
 the door sill and the wide hearth stone where backlogs 
 might roar and crackle and heaps of red embers glow, 
 where the crane swings above, bearing the boiling 
 dinner in a great iron pot. At evening time chestnuts 
 popped, apples roasted and sweet cider simmered, while 
 youthful poets dreamed the melodies of Snowbound 
 to the sound of west wind and drifting snows, and hiss- 
 ing flakes tumbling down the mightj^ throat. The 
 place for this joy, the axe and shovel and hammer had 
 built in the forest. There were but four houses in 
 Needham worth $100 apiece, yet to the brides they 
 were as cosy as the nests to the birds, or the hollow 
 trees to the red squirrel. As before and since some 
 tried to rear without God's plan and left unfinished 
 Babels in the wood. Others reared temples that were 
 filled with glad glory and He abode with them. Some 
 drove their stern Puritan lives ' like nails fastened by 
 the masters of assemblies in a sure place,' while there 
 were unknown Arnolds and Burrs who smote with the 
 hammer of wicked living the cruel nails in the hands of 
 
 68] 
 
)ii{ ( nrii( nrs— F.VANT.EurAL roNOREOATioxAi. KxrnciHBg 
 
 lliiii who woiiM liavc savrd tli.-m; t lioiif,'litlr.s>ly living' 
 imiliiiK' Him who (li«'tl for tht-in His cliihln-ii. Yrt Iht-rt* 
 w«Tf iiiaiiy who mi^^'ht have siiii^' as they swun^' tlie 
 liainiiu'r with .shcl so triio: 
 
 *\Vf iir«' hiiiMiii^' every day 
 
 A t«-iiii)lf the world may not know.' 
 
 Do you not si-e I his h-ssoii of I lie Ohl Nei-dhani 
 (larret? That the forms chaiiK^'. the ^'reat facts remain 
 the same. Tln-re were men who were l)rave and 
 women who were fair, and the part the women who 
 were fair performed is not forgotten in the OhI (iarret. 
 There are ancient bonnets who.se encircHng rufHes 
 formed tlie frames for kisses. Tliere were garments 
 tliat once covered >i)irits as wilHng and hearts as loving 
 jis time ever saw, and they spi-ak ten<h-rly to us today 
 out of tlie Old Needham CJarrct. Here are woman's 
 t(K)ls, the candlestick, hread trougii, spinning wheel, 
 cradle aiul Bihle. 
 
 Woman s TooLs — The Candlestick 
 
 By sunset birds must find their sheltering hough 
 and rest. But by dipped camlle and Betty lamp of 
 1711 life became capable of more complete control. 
 It prolonged day and by its gleam the sacred book was 
 read, the few poets on the shelf tasted and the learned 
 books mastered. For the Fathers did not choo.^e the 
 superlicial or pretty in literature. The candle gleamed 
 for the family reailer who told out the tale to the knit- 
 ting of stockings, the mending of shoes, harness or 
 farm t»Mjls, or the .slicing of apples to dry for winter. 
 It lightetl the be<lside at birth and death; lis the life 
 of the mother lighted tin- dark hours with .stmg and 
 prayer and love, and went gleaming out alt)ng the roads 
 whither her children jounuyid. So that far away the 
 
 iw 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 light — mother, home and heaven shone with the radi- 
 ance of the New Jerusalem. "So shines a little candle 
 in the night." 
 
 The Bread Trough 
 
 was often filled with "Ingin Meal", sometimes buck- 
 wheat, often rye for ash cakes, griddle cakes or bread, 
 to be eaten with maple syrup or fat pork. The bread 
 whether baked in old Dutch ovens or otherwise, was 
 the center of the feast. It spoke of the harvest of sow- 
 ing and reaping, of death for life, of many grains for 
 one loaf, of dying to serve. It made the family meal 
 a Lord's Supper; was sweet as manna from heaven to 
 children and all. It symbolized family life and fel- 
 lowship. It was leaven. It came from the oven that 
 tries. It was of God who saves. They would sing: — 
 
 'Back of the loaf is the snowy flour. 
 
 And back of the flour the mill, 
 And back of the mill the rain and the air 
 
 And God the Father's will.' 
 
 The Spinning Wheel, Baby's Cradle and the Bible 
 
 We must not become entangled in the woolen yarn 
 of the first, nor be caught in the tide that set toward 
 the cradle and the Bible. This day will not permit 
 save to say that furs were good for the hunter in the 
 woods, but the baby in the cradle must be dressed in 
 garments softer, that could be dyed in the blood of 
 berries and stained with woodland roots, to each fond 
 mother's fancy, and then taught the words of the 
 Bible, that her sons might go out (not stay as we are 
 in the Old Needham Garret) to the larger community 
 life upon whose significance we now enter. Out to 
 Lexington, Concord, Bunker Hill, Saratoga, to York- 
 town they went. Out of the individual, the family, to 
 
 701 
 
OUR rnrnrnF.B — EVANOEi.ifAL rns(,Rr.c,\rit>s\j. Kxiitrmrs 
 
 thcconimunity. Kacli iiuiii wirldrd t lie .-ixc of .smiting', 
 the shovel of hihor, the hammer (»f hiiildiii^'. Much 
 woinaii h^'htcd a candle, filled the hread troii^di with 
 fellowship, and turned the spiniiiii;,' wheel, rocked the 
 cradle, ami hi-lieved the IJihIe. And men and women 
 to^i'lluT huill the town, the .scluuil, and tin- chnrch as 
 coininimity tools. 
 
 Thr Town 
 
 At once we see men were the same. Some would 
 nef^lect town meeting,' in those days. Dedham imj)os«'«l 
 a fine of one shillin;,' on those one half hour late, and 
 three .shillings for tho>e absent from the meeting. But 
 by this fine they showed their faith that every man 
 might he brought there. The first meeting of Need- 
 ham was December the 4th, 1711, when they chose a 
 place to bury the dead. Three weeks later they voted 
 to build a house of public worship. They apportioned 
 lands e(pially if they followed Dedham's example which 
 was cfjual lots of 1^2 acres for the home field and 4 of 
 swamp for married men, and S of home and :l of xwamp 
 for unmarried men, which shows a desire to keej) 
 e(iuality. No water rights were to be ai)propriated 
 by any man. Would that this wisdom had been per- 
 sistecl in. Ladders weri' to stand by ev<'r\- house. No 
 reckh'ss men in lire laws. They found the (irace of 
 (io<l in their hearts, and a definite plan accepted, nec- 
 essary for peace and prosperity. And at town meet- 
 ing they fought jealously for every right and further<-d 
 th<' day of 'government »)f the people.' In Dedham 
 they tliink they planted the roots uf the government 
 which came. There they examined the accounts of 
 selectmen. d<'cided where to build bridges, where erect 
 public buildings, when protest t.ixes, petition or d«fv 
 governors. lOvery man hatl one vole, no man had 
 
 [71 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 two and attempts at pressure watched. In these de- 
 bates continental orators were trained, minute men 
 organized, taxes levied, troops raised, traitors de- 
 nounced and preparation for freedom made. All this 
 was well done because the first public building in many 
 communities was the school house. 
 
 The School House 
 
 The first school house built in Needham was three 
 stories high, the top being a watch tower up beside the 
 great chimney. Here the dominie of the day taught 
 the youth with a birch rod as Gideon taught the men 
 of Succoth with briars and thorns. Into this school 
 house they gathered without respect to color, race or 
 social standing and almost to age. Mind and genius 
 were crowned as in Lincoln's and Garfield's day. They 
 had a tower on their school no doubt to detect fire or 
 signals of danger, Indian or other. The days with us 
 demand the watch tower on the school, lest in our 
 foolish optimism we be beaten educationally by others 
 ere we are aware; lest materialism take the place of 
 character as an end, or pleasure that of profit; lest 
 History's lesson that 'sin is a disgrace to any people' 
 be missed; lest foes of the public school demand the 
 withdrawal of religion from the schools and then de- 
 mand relief from its support because of its non-religious 
 character. Parents, citizens, Needhamites, ought the 
 watch tower to come down from the school house or 
 be builded higher and have a sentinel day and night.'* 
 Can children get a better training mentally in private 
 schools, then parents will send them there. Can chil- 
 dren be strengthened in all good ways in religious 
 schools, then will sacrifices be made that daughters 
 may be protected in chastity and their sons not forget 
 the God of their fathers. Are we doing as much for 
 
 72] 
 
OITR rilirRrilEH BVANOKUr'AI, rf»V(JRK<; \ TinSM, KKKHf-mKH 
 
 oiir cliildrcii as lliosr ucecly people did for theirs? I 
 doul)t il. Are wi' tcaeliiii^ as luiieli respect fi>r law 
 und the eoiiiiuunity? Would not the old lo^ school 
 and its master with his collection of >^<>od tou^'h rcwls 
 he a ^'ood thiii^^' for tiie majority of school children? 
 Then hail! thrice hail to the school hiiill in tin; fcjrest 
 with watch tower, ^reat aid to the town house on the 
 cuninion and the church heside it. 
 
 Tlie Church 
 
 As you have seen, the town had to do with men's 
 bodies —rojuls, laws, taxes, military service. The 
 schools had for their purpose the teachint^ of reading,', 
 writing and arithmetic, to train and inform the mind 
 with morality as an object also. IJut the ciiurch was 
 supreme with them, even if they neglected it, even if 
 tiiey rejected it, even if they hated it, supremt?. For 
 it ha<l a IJook that was divine. It receive<l its author- 
 ity from (io<l, and th<' pn-acliers were the inti'rpreters. 
 To obi'y this book the better i)art had crossed the 
 wintry Atlantic. Plymouth, Salem, Boston, by their 
 j?rave.s kej)t fresh the cost of the church. So tis far as 
 their united means |)ermitted. they reared the meetinj^ 
 lu)use, stroni,', substantial and stately. On the coast 
 like beacons ; on the hills they lifted their steeples a 
 higher hand toward heaven. In their pulpits stood 
 men of authority, to whom the learned listen»'d gladly, 
 the Indian and slave reverently, the common pe«)|)le 
 humbly, aiul the boys inditrerenlly. We stand in the 
 fjallery and the tythinj^ man rises to discipline tho.se 
 youn>,rsters and lol a few years fly, and standim; under 
 the star.s I see that stern old pri'acher j)rayin^' for 
 hastily ^athere<l troops, who in their lu-arts answer 
 *.\njen' to the plea. 'Kndue them with coura;;e to put 
 to lli^ht the armies of the alien.' I see their faces as 
 tluy march away tti l/cxingtun and Concord, the frolic- 
 
 173 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 some boys of a few years back, their fathers and grand- 
 fathers. One hundred and eighty-five, and five of them 
 fell; more for the number than from any other town 
 save Lexington. They come back, some marching, 
 some on catafalque, back to the village church. Into 
 the pulpit climbs the old parson. The throng turn 
 their eager faces toward the dead, then toward the stern 
 face shining above. Slowly at first come the words 
 but faster soon and trumpet toned, ' Men and Brethren : 
 These our brethren came with axes into the forest and 
 cleared away its barriers. They tilled the soil and 
 planted it with fruit. Houses now in many a spot they 
 builded. Right earnestly they wrought, while by their 
 sides were the fair women who weep today. These 
 lighted the candle for the evening meal whose loaf 
 their hands had made, turned the wheel spinning as 
 the wise women garments for their children against 
 the cold, rocked the coming generation in the cradle, 
 and ere they retired to well earned rest in humble beds 
 in room or loft, read this Bible to all. Then com- 
 mending themselves to Almighty Love lay down to 
 sleep. Their farms were fruitful. Abundance of hay 
 and grain filled their barns. Potatoes and apples 
 crowded the cellars, nuts, the fruit of the forest, were 
 stored in lofts; the fat swine, well smoked, hanged in 
 the chimney or along the beams with apples dried, and 
 onions and squashes filled the shelves. Cattle in- 
 creased and sheep in the yards. They were happy 
 and prosperous. 'T is true they made many mistakes. 
 Men toiled terribly for worldly gain and forgot God 
 awhile. Girls and women were over fond of adorn- 
 ments, forgetting the grace of Godliness and love. 
 But they spake a goodly tongue; ever to call a man 
 'Loyal, Brave, Good and True' was highest praise. 
 ' Love, Faith, Hope ' were the spirits of their women 
 and maidens, and on their tombs in consecrated spots 
 
 74] 
 
n.U ( in U( IIF.S- EVANfJF.I.irAI- ( ONfiRKfiATIONAT. F.XKIKISKS 
 
 throu^'l.out thr ui.(l;iim.-.i I.iimI an- carvni tlir drar 
 words, *\Vif.-. Cliild, lli'Jivrn, ll.)iur, Bi-yoiid. 1 u- 
 m-tluT in I Ik- iiM>rniiiK'.' The seasons will <ir<N' 
 roun.l TlianksKivinU to Kastor Day, Inil ll..-y wli.. lu- 
 lH'f«)ri' w>, haviiii,' ^nv.-ii tlu- last nirasurf of dcvolK.n 
 to liborly, will <omr no iiioiv. I.i«ld, oli y<>" ln-n-avrd 
 ones, vo'ur tonli al tlu- altar of tlu-ir sacrificr! May 
 llu' (Tod of I>ra(l coinforl yoii who are widows, and 
 lu' a falluT to llu- fallurlrss, wi|)iiik' away all li-ars, and 
 kci'i> von till you imvl a.^aiii! And when ll.c y«ars 
 havo rolled awav, inav your desccndanls looking' l):i<k, 
 find amid the ri-lies of this glud, sad day, such IhinKs 
 as they may hriiii,' down from hiding plaees in our 
 homes' and put tluMii as^ain hy the family lahle, by the 
 bedside in praver and in the lar^jer life of tlie eom- 
 munitv whieh t see ^'randly risini: up in that (lay. ho 
 shall these not have lived ami died in vain.' 
 
 p5 
 
Wi' M -< 
 
 \11 I Il(i|)l-I I I'i-t (ti'M ( III |;( 
 
 < illtl'^l < III l{< II K|>ls...|Ml 
 
 \| I KM Wl III K.ll l>< 
 
MKTIIODIS'I' i:i'lS(()l'AL ( III !(( II 
 couNLH ur mciiiLAM) a\i:m i: and ihnnlw lll sthklt 
 
 OKGAMZKD A PHI I., 18H7 
 "Render t litrtforr fo all tlicir dues."— R<.in. lii: 7. 
 
 ( The folloviruj arc the notes on tlie .srnnon j/rrnrlird In the 
 McthodiM Kpxsrnpal Churrh of Xrcdlunn Uriylit.s on Sunday 
 ntorninij, Sept. 17, 1911 , fn/ Her. F.dunrd Mnr.sh, PaMor) 
 
 " Wc lijive conic to ccIchrMtc the Two Hiindre<llli 
 Ainii\(Tsary of the foimdiii^' of Needh.'iiii. M;m>' ;ire 
 tliinkin^ of llie wotiderfid iiiiproveineiits that have 
 been made (hiring that tinu*. ^'ou may speak of th«- 
 wilderness and only a very few houses, and of the many 
 inconveniences, hut now look at wliat we are : our 
 churches, library huihliuir. town hall, shops, stores, mills, 
 parks, Ix'autiful streets. Iustea<l of wallowiui; in the 
 mud we have ^'ood roads. We lau^di at the"()lil One 
 Horse Shay," for now we have the powerful automobile. 
 
 And so we ^o on calling,' attention to llu* u'reat 
 impr<»\('ments that w<- have made over our forifalhers, 
 but let us ask * How were these improvements possibh?' 
 We an* not to tell so nnich of what we have d(»ne, as 
 what our forefathers mad«' it possibh' for us to <1«) ; and 
 they made it possible by not oidy what they wn»uj;ht 
 with their hands but by the sacrifices they math' the 
 life w hich the\ li\ cd. 
 
 177 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 Our celebration will be most incomplete unless 
 we take into consideration the men and women who 
 first came to New England. Who were these men 
 and women who sought a home in these Western wilds? 
 Because we dress in the latest fashion we need not be 
 ashamed of them. If history will only count us worthy 
 sons and daughters of those who faced for us the forest 
 and the frost, the Indian and the wolf, the gaunt famine 
 and the desolating plague! Oh they were plain people, 
 hard working, Bible reading, much in earnest, with a 
 deep sense of God in them and a thorough detestation 
 of the devil and his works. 
 
 We can not know, we cannot understand Amer- 
 ican history without first becoming familiar with the 
 Puritan spirit. In some ways there has been a grow- 
 ing opposition to this spirit, and it has been because 
 of Vaticanism on the one hand or agnosticism on the 
 other. 
 
 Let me strongly recommend a thorough study of 
 the whole subject — know the truth of the matter. Yes, 
 if you please, be able to distinguish between the Pil- 
 grim and the Puritan. Some time go to Delft Haven 
 and go into that little church where the Pilgrim fathers 
 had their last meeting before sailing for this country. 
 
 But underneath it all find out the Puritan spirit. 
 Who were the Puritans? Taking the word in its broad 
 sense, the institutions of America are largely Puritan. 
 The Puritans were greatly influenced by the Nether- 
 lands, and we might say that for hundreds of years the 
 Netlierlands stood as the guide and the instructor of 
 England in almost everything which made her materi- 
 ally great. Hallam says that Holland at the end of 
 the sixteenth century and for many years afterwards 
 was pre-eminently the literary country of Europe. In 
 Holland the men who sustained painters and musicians, 
 who fostered science and broad learning, were the plain 
 
 781 
 
OtH cm UrilF-S — METHOniRT FPIWOPAI, FXKRriRKfl 
 
 bur^jlirrs in tin- citij-s mcrcliimt.s and riianufacturiTs, 
 im-n wlioin (^ihtm Kli/alictli callril ' hasr nuM-liaiiicals ' 
 — wlio all Worked llirnisrlvt-s, and l»y «'xanipK' or l>y 
 prtM-j'pl tau),'lit that lal»(»r is lioiioraldc 
 
 In 1(117 a yoiMi^' Knticli soldier serving' in llie 
 Dutch army was |)assiii^' throu;;h the streets of IJreda. 
 A crowd was pitluTcd on a coriicr, all intent, studying? 
 a paper pasted on the wall. The yonn^ French sohlicr 
 a>kcd a bystander to translate for him the contents 
 of that poster, and what do you think it <-ontained? 
 Why it was a proMem in mathematics. TIm' .soldier 
 took that proMem to his rooms and in a fi'W days sent 
 in the answ<T, sitrned I)es<art<'s. That was the intro- 
 duction to till' world of Hene Descartes - j^reat French 
 philosopher. Hut think of that crowd interoted over 
 a mathematical j)rol>lem. 
 
 What the country needs is a larger measure of the 
 Furitan spirit in en<T^etic d<'velopment and in wide 
 distrihulion. Fundamentally, the effect of the past 
 one hundred years has heen to plant churches, schools, 
 colleges. All the early .settlers of New Fn^dand |>ai(l 
 ;;reat attention to the instructing' of their children. 
 Hy l(l()5 every town in Massachusetts had a common 
 school, and when the Furitan spirit declined there was 
 u falling off in the scliools and an increase of illiteracy. 
 
 Do you not sa.\ then that there is soniethintr in 
 this Furitan spirit that is worthy of honor.^ 'I'he ele- 
 ments tliat made up the Furitan spirit are es.s«*ntially 
 moral and earnestly practical, not theoretical. Dr. 
 R. L. Storrs in a carefid and criti<al pap«T de<lare«i 
 that there were four elements in the spirit «»f the 
 Furitan. 'The first thin^' that w«' mi;.'ht name in this 
 spirit iiTv inten.se conviction of ap|)nhcmled trtith, a 
 desire to maintain and ext«*nd it and to l>rin^' others 
 to aflirm it. Moral or reli^jious propositions rather 
 than those which are political or philosophical. 
 
 170 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 Second, an intense sense of the authority of right- 
 eousness. 
 
 Third, a profound assurance of God's righteous 
 rule. 
 
 At last the Puritan looks for the absolute over- 
 throw of all sin and the dominion of righteousness. 
 He believed that God held the individual to strict 
 account. 
 
 Fourth. There is a profound sense of the dignity 
 of man.' 
 
 To be sure, as we hold up the Puritan we must 
 admit that he had failings, and no one knew this better 
 than himself. There was first the lack of interest in 
 easthetics. Everything must be of the plainest kind. 
 The Puritan was largely iconoclastic. He was like 
 John the Baptist. Not much of a chance for pleasure 
 in his life. 
 
 Second, to us there seems to be a lack of affec- 
 tionate sympathy. As one told me she never re- 
 membered of having seen her mother kiss one of her 
 children. Mrs. Sarah Knight tells that her father, Capt. 
 Kemble of Boston, returning from a sea voyage of three 
 years, was put in public stocks for two full hours for 
 the crime of having kissed his wife when she met him 
 at the door. Take up a volume of the sermons of a 
 Puritan preacher, and you find none of the subjects 
 of the so-called popular preaching of today. 
 
 But in spite of all that you can say against the 
 Puritan, we must admit that he was sincere. That 
 there was no sham in him. He was a man of great 
 carriage. He felt that one with God was a majority. 
 The uproar of the multitude did not disturb him. He 
 was the same true man in the midst of enemies. Church 
 hierarchies, dignitaries, state authorities did not fcaze 
 him in the least. There was his individual responsi- 
 bility to God. 'First pure, then peaceable' was his 
 
 80] 
 
OT'R rnr-HcuFs — MKrimoisT yviHcnvKL y.\y.u< mrn 
 
 favorite mnxim. If he cared little for the thinjfs of 
 this world. Ill-, iiiiiul dwelt o: ' He read 
 
 iiMK h and pondered lon^ o\ \ ;)'<e. The 
 
 Puritan wife triecj to he as thi- i(i»al niol}i<T of the Old 
 Testament. To her the Chapter of all wa>» the 81st 
 of Pn)Verl)s. 
 
 In these days an* we to l(»ok with <li>rr>pe(f on 
 the real spirit of tiie I*iiritan? \\(m' hi- to us if w<- fail 
 to renicniln'r the Puritan with honor. If we iia<l not 
 this spirit as a founihifion, as a nation we would he in 
 ruins. 
 
 Ix't us thank (iod for tlie Puritan." 
 
 (81 
 
ST li '-I I'll ' III 'I' " '!■ " 
 
ST. josKrii's ( ill i{( 11 
 
 (ROMAN catholic) 
 
 Corner «»f Hi^hlaiul Avtiiiic and May Strct't. First scr- 
 num on ("liri.stmas day, Is'.'O. Conior-slonc of proscnt 
 house laid S«'i)trml)er 20. 1S'.)1. Dedicated, Metnoriul Day, 
 May :iO, IS'.M. i'astor, Rev. T.J. Danahy. Assistant pas- 
 tor. Rev. I). Donovan. 
 
 riiis clnirel), on that cch'hratcd occa.sion, ha<l its 
 fine altar and .saiKtnary heaiilifully derorated and an 
 overflowing congregation of devout worshijjpers, who 
 formally in special j)rayer thanked (iod for His mani- 
 fold hlessings, temjxiral and s{)iritMal, civic and eccle- 
 sia.stical, hi'stcnved upon the town, luind)ly beseeching 
 Mini still more to l)K's.s it and pour down more ahund- 
 antly upon it His gracious mercies for its conservation, 
 its extension and factorage for good aitiidst the glories 
 of this greatist of the nations of the earth. Solemn 
 high nia.ss in all its fascinating beauty of ceremony and 
 musical adjunct was celebrated, the Ke\'. Pastor, T. J. 
 Danahy luing <elebrant, the Uev. Mdmund Daley, 
 (hacon, and Uev. D. Donovan sub-deacon. Rev. Fr. 
 J. A. ("rowley was n^a.^ter of ceremonies. 
 
 A sermon germane to the oc-casion, was |)reache<i 
 by tlie pastor; the Te Deum and RiHcssional bringing 
 to a close thi.s most memorable fact in the hi>lory of 
 the town. 
 
 (83 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 At night, with the same decorations and the added 
 beauty of electrical illumination, the solemn vespral 
 services were sung and the Rev. Pastor again sallied 
 forth into the historical archives of the country and of 
 Europe to show forth the wonderful providence of God 
 in opening up this country for the persecuted of Eu- 
 rope and as an asylum for all anxious, by industrial, 
 intelligent and rehgious conditions, to improve their 
 own fortunes, while helping to develop the exhaustless 
 and wonderfully variant treasures of this peerless Com- 
 monwealth of these United States. 
 
 84] 
 
CHRIST CHURCH 
 
 (episcopal) 
 
 Corner of IIij,'hlimd Avenue and Mellen Street. Or^.m- 
 ized Aug. 11>. IS'.)'). First pastor. Rev. Frederick Pender. 
 Present pastor, Rev. Newton Hluck. 
 
 FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST 
 
 Christian Science Hall, Fowler Block No. 2. Organized 
 July 28. 11)02. with twenty-ftmr charter meinlR'rs at the 
 home of one of its incinlKTs. First Reader, Henry A. T. 
 Ddw. Sciond Render, Mrs. Ix'aiia L. Clancy. 
 
 Lesson Sermon, Sunday, Sept. 17, 1911 
 Subject : ** Matter " 
 
 Golden Text: Luke G: 49. " But he that heareth, and 
 dt)eth not. is like a man that without a foundation l)uilt an 
 house ui>on tiie eartli ; against which the strenni did heat 
 vehemently, and immediately it frll ; and the ruin of that 
 house was great." 
 
 [»5 
 
KXKllCISES IN TOWN ilAI.L 
 
BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE TOWN 
 OF NEEDHAM, ALVSSACHUSETrS 
 
 Sunday Evening, Septemdku 17, llUl 
 
 III tlic town hall hcautiftilly decorated and upon 
 the stage filled with prominent citizens, the Sunday 
 evening program of the Needham Two Hundredth 
 Anniversary celebration was rendered with marked 
 interest and success. 
 
 From seven to seven-thirty o'clock a sacred con- 
 cert was given by the Needham Military Band, assisted 
 by the Howland Class Male Quartette, and at seven- 
 thirty the speaking exercises of the evening were 
 begun by the presiding oflicer, W. G. Moseley, Esq., 
 whose opening remarks were preceded by a prayer 
 by the Rev. Charles E. Sawtelle, as follows: 
 
 "Almighty God, it is fitting that we acknowledge 
 Thee at the l>eginning of these happy services. Thou 
 hast led us as a community; Thou hast richly blessed 
 us in many ways; we do thank Thee for the town in 
 which we live; we thank Thee for its history all these 
 two hundred years; we thank Thee that the blessing 
 of (fO«l has been upon us in so many ways; we thank 
 Thee for the natural beauty of the place, for the good 
 fellowship and neigliborliness of the citizens, for all 
 that makes life rich and full here, and we thank Thee 
 
 [89 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 especially for the increasing opportunities of ours for 
 usefulness as citizens of this growing community. Will 
 God grant that we may have His wisdom in the future 
 to deal with the problems that from time to time arise. 
 
 We thank Thee for the various interests of the 
 town; for its business affairs; for its civic concerns; for 
 its educational interests, and for the religious work 
 of this community. We thank Thee for the work of 
 the various churches, and while there may be differ- 
 ences of administrations, we pray that there may be 
 the same spirit of Christ brooding over all and in all, 
 and may we acknowledge Thee the Father of all, and 
 may we have Thy spirit in our hearts. 
 
 We pray as we enter this anniversary season 
 that we may not fix our attention on the benefits which 
 we have had showered upon us, but conscious of thy 
 fatherhood may seek each one in his place by living 
 nobly; by fighting the good fight of faith; by having 
 the spirit of Christ in our hearts, and his sympathy 
 for our fellow-men. May we seek to advance the com- 
 mon good, and may we see to it that we have all of us a 
 citizenship in heaven above; and while we walk these 
 earthly steps may we in every avenue enrich and fill 
 it full and advance the common good, not only in re- 
 ligious ways but also in our more secular pursuit. 
 
 We ask, O Lord, Thy blessing on this meeting 
 tonight. Bless every home represented. Bless every 
 individual here. Bless those not able to meet with 
 us; bless those who are sick, and may Thy abundant 
 blessing rest on the speaker of the evening. We thank 
 Thee for his work for the youth of the land. We 
 thank Thee that he is interested in so many things 
 pertaining to the welfare of mankind, and as he seeks 
 to do Thy will in all ways may he have the freedom 
 of Thy spirit and the confidence of Thy strength. 
 
 We ask it all in the name of our Lord, Amen." 
 
 90] 
 
f:xi;u( isEs in t()wn iiali. — tiik cuaikman 
 
 Mr Mosoloy's remarks were as follows: 
 
 "At I he oiK'iiin^' ()[ the t'xcrcisc.s coniu'ctcd witli 
 tlic coli'liratioii of the two liun(lr<'<itli anniversary of 
 tlic incorporation of the town of Xetdhani, I deem it 
 hut proper as a representative of the town t(j extend 
 to you a w«*l('onie. 
 
 It is very ^ratifyin^' to the ((jnunittee to say tliat 
 we have met with very eordial su|)port and co-opera- 
 tii>ii in our etforts to make this eelehration a sueeess. 
 
 We welcome to our town those wlui have associa- 
 tions liere, and are bound to us hy ties of kindred or 
 association, and have returned to the town to lielp us 
 in this eelehration. We extend to you all a welcome 
 to our town, to its hospitality, to its comfortai)le 
 homes and to its pleasant streets, and to the well kej>t 
 public building's and to the town as it is, we extend to 
 you all a cordial welcome. And we ask that you will 
 help us in the other days of the celebration to make 
 these anniversary exercises fitting and proper and in 
 keeping with our town. 
 
 I think it is very proper that the town should 
 observe anniversaries of this character; it is well for 
 us to pause occasionalI\- and look back over the history 
 of our country and if possible grasp that which is b»'fore 
 us. It is but a very short time between the landing 
 of the Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth and the iiicor- 
 j)oration of the town of Xeedham, a matter of ninet}' 
 years and those ninety years were f<jr the preparation 
 of tlu' settlement of the different t»)wns in the Com- 
 wealth. As you know the Pilgrims sought this 
 country for the purpose of freedom to worship (iod, 
 and as an instrumentality for the extension of that idea 
 they had the church »)rgani/.ati()n. The training of 
 thos<' men, it has be<>n .said, brought forth nu'ii that 
 have a.stonished the world with the boldness of their 
 
 m 
 
needham's bicentennial celebration 
 
 commercial enterprises; and the qualities recognized, 
 cultivated and developed by the early settlers have 
 been the determining factor in furnishing men fitted 
 to leave the old Bay State and go to the West, and 
 found the states of our western country that have 
 become a power in the whole nation. 
 
 Now, if the early settlers were trained along lines 
 tending to fit men for the responsible positions of life, 
 it seems to me that we can learn a lesson from them, 
 and while today we hear so much said about the pro- 
 gressiveness of the country, and that we should cut 
 loose from the old laws and from the old customs, I 
 think it would do us good to turn back and study the 
 history of the State, to recall again that first settlers 
 came here for the purpose to worship God, and so 
 realizing, we should take a firmer hold upon the duties 
 of good citizenship. 
 
 I was somewhat interested the other day to find 
 published in a magazine a short poem by James Russell 
 Lowell, which seems to bear upon the popular idea of 
 today. I will read it: 
 
 'New times demand new measures and new men; 
 
 The world advances and in time outgrows 
 
 The laws that in our fathers' day were best; 
 
 And, doubtless, after us some purer scheme 
 
 Will be shaped out by wiser men than we, 
 
 Made wiser by the steady growth of truth. 
 
 The time is ripe, and rotten-ripe, for change; 
 
 Then let it come; I have no dread of what 
 
 Is called for by the instinct of mankind. 
 
 Nor think I that God's world would fall apart 
 
 Because we tear a parchment more or less; 
 
 Truth is eternal, but her effluence. 
 
 With endless change, is fitted to the hour; 
 
 Her mirror is turned forward, to reflect 
 
 The promise of the future, not the past.' 
 
 92] 
 
rxmriMKH is town nAi.i- — tmf: ruAinMW 
 
 The trouMc with the tinips, in my opinion, is not 
 that they arc nt'W tinu's (Icniaiidin^ in'W rncasurt's and 
 new men, hut that we have mistaken noise for new- 
 ness. What we need, in my opinion, is that mrn .shall 
 reahze their re.spon.sihiht irs of citi/eiisliip; lliat there 
 shall be a reawakening of the public eon.scicnce; that 
 men shall assume their proper place in the manage- 
 ment and ^'overnment of the country. Laws may be 
 simple, they may be perfect, but they will not work 
 automatically; they need men to execute them; and as 
 a result of this celebration if we can but get a firmer 
 grasp upon our duties as men, if we may be awakened 
 to our responsibilities as citizens, this observance will 
 be worth all it has cost. 
 
 In the early days there was erected on top of a 
 hill in Boston a post with a projecting iron arm upon 
 which was suspended an iron pot, in which a fire could 
 made to serve as a beacon, anil from this t lie hill derives 
 the name of Beacon Hill. It was understood that 
 when a blaze was seen at this point, the men in the 
 surrounding country should come to the centre to give 
 relief to tho.se in danger. There is n(jw in the State 
 House grounds, a granite shaft to take the i)lace (jf the 
 one first erected, and upon the base are tablets bearing 
 in.scriptions. I luive always been impre.s.sed with the 
 inscription on the tablet on the west side, where we 
 find this: 'Americans, while from this enu'nence scenes 
 of luxuriant fertility, of nourishing commerce, and the 
 abodes of .social happiness meet your view, forget not 
 those who by their exertions have secured you these 
 blessings.' As Needham today observes the two hun- 
 dredth anniversary of its foundation let us not forget 
 those who by their exertions have secured to us these 
 blessings. I l)id you welcome." 
 
 Needham's Bicenf«nnial hymn, composed by a 
 citizen, Mr. Geo. K. Mitchell, wa^ sung by the quartet. 
 
 IW 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 NEEDHAM ANNIVERSARY HYMN 
 
 Psalm 100 
 COMPOSED BY GEORGE E. MITCHELL 
 
 Moderate 
 
 ii^ii 
 
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 Make a joy - ful noise un - to the Lord, all ye land, 
 
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 Serve the Lord with glad- ness : Come be -fore His 
 
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 pres-ence with 
 
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 sing - ing. Know ye that the Lord He 
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 d: 
 
 is God ; 
 
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 it is He that hath made us, and not we our - selves. 
 
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 94] 
 
KXFnciHJ S IN T«»\VS II\I,L nirKNTKSVr M, HYMN 
 
 / dim. rit ^ pp . 
 
 \Vc oic His (>eo - pic, and the sheep of Hls pxs • turr 
 
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 Prirht 
 
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 En - tcr in -to His gates with thanksgiv • ing, and in - to His 
 ^ a tempo 
 
 en: 
 
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 tn — TT 
 
 ^' 
 
 ^^— -^ . »^ » » 
 
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 courts with praise :l>e thankful un - to Him and bless HLs name. 
 
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 9 
 
 9 .: • 
 
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 For the I>ord is pood ; His mcr-cy is ev - er - last • ing and His 
 
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 BE 
 
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 truth cii • dur - eth to all gen • e • n • tioos. A 
 
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 |05 
 
needham's bicentennial celebration 
 
 Mr. Moseley. "The committee arranging for this 
 meeting tonight had in mind that they desired a speaker 
 to come here to address this meeting whom we could 
 introduce with considerable confidence; as a speaker 
 acceptable at an occasion like this. And in looking over 
 the field, we found a man of national reputation, a 
 man who is known to be one graceful in expression and 
 forceful in utterance, who never says anything but 
 what people are pleased to treasure and remember, 
 and I therefore take pleasure tonight in introducing 
 to you the speaker for this evening, — Dr. William H. 
 P. Faunce, President of Brown University." 
 
 96] 
 
ADDUKSS OF DR. WIIJ.IAM 11. P. KArXCK 
 
 "Xt'vcr hcforc have I ]wvn in the town of NCcd- 
 ham, and as I canie over on the train toni^'ht I said io 
 myself: 'Shall I not appear as an outsider, shall I not 
 be merely an intruder at a family festival?' 
 
 Hut I cannot he wholly an intruder or outsider 
 anywhere in Massaeiiusetts. In the city of Worcoter 
 I was horn; five generations of my forefathers are 
 buried on the old Burial Hill in the city of Plymouth; 
 and whenever any eomnuinity in the old Bay Slate 
 is celebrating' its achiexemeiils, and seeking to uplift 
 and enlar^'e its life, there I find my.self profoundly 
 interested. 
 
 And for a few minutes this evening, I want to be 
 as one of your family, sitting with you at the .same 
 table and thinking with you the .same thoughts. I 
 can see at a glance that you have here one of the finest 
 town halls and one of the best nmsical organizations 
 to be found in the Commonwealth, and I believe that 
 you will throughout this festival achieve a new access 
 of civic devotion, enthusiasm and unity, which will 
 be felt for a long, long time to come. 
 
 Woodrow Wilson, who is just now a prominent 
 figure in our national life, when he was pri->idiiit of 
 Princeton liiiversity took a journey to the mountains 
 of TenneNsee, and one afternoon was seated by the 
 side of an ohl stage driver for two or three hours. The 
 
 [07 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 driver was somewhat awed at first by the presence of 
 the college professor, but soon his assurance asserted 
 itself and he ventured the remark, 'I suppose you'uns 
 at college know some things that we'uns in Tennessee 
 don't know.' Dr. Wilson admitted that might be true. 
 Then after a few moments' thought, the old driver said: 
 'I suppose that we'uns in the mountains know some 
 things that you'uns at college don't know,' — and Dr. 
 Wilson admitted that that might be true. The driver 
 considered the matter for a time and then said: 'Well, 
 how mixin' does learn folks!' 
 
 Yes, I believe in that philosophy. You will find 
 that the "mixing" in these days of men and women and 
 children from various homes and various occupations 
 from all political parties and religious creeds, — their 
 mixing in splendid civic vision and devotion will accom- 
 plish much for the future of Needham. 
 
 I want to speak with you tonight about patriotism 
 in time of peace, — what it is and what it means. 
 
 What is patriotism .f* It is more than covering 
 your buildings with bunting, it is more than waving 
 flags in a procession, more than pyrotechnics brightening 
 the darkness of the sky. When a man says, 'I love 
 my country,' what does he love? He certainly does 
 not love a spot on the map; he certainly does not love 
 the stones in the street; he does not love trees by the 
 roadside; he does not love the bricks and timbers in 
 the houses. What does he love ? ' I love thy rocks 
 ndd rills,' we say. But that is not patriotism; a man 
 that loves rocks may be a geologist, but not necessarily 
 a patriot. When a man loves his country he loves 
 the ideals which the fathers cherished, and the insti- 
 tutions in which those ideals are embodied. He loves 
 the liberty, the law, the integrity, the loyalty of the 
 fathers, the types of character that they exhibited, 
 and the institutions through which that type of char- 
 
 981 
 
w II r 1 \i \t i: I) 1) < II Mill- ii{A\< I- M)\\i- 
 
 <,l,<iU<.l K • I MtKl 
 
 M|{> J (. \ t \UIKH 
 
rXKIUISKS IN' TOWN MALI, — OH. FAfNf'F 
 
 nrfcr lins l)r('n pcrpctnatcd. Tlic man wlio lovrs tliosc 
 things lovt's liis conntry, or his city, or liis town. 
 
 Patriotism involves tlin-*' thing's, — memory, co- 
 o|)t'rat ion. and cdncafion; rnrniury of tin* past, co- 
 operation in the [)n'scnt, and cdncation for tlir future. 
 
 'I'lu'y sonirtinu's tell us tluit our cliiMrcn at scliool 
 arc not liavin^' tlicir memories cultivated as much as 
 in former days. It is not simply tlie individual mem- 
 ory we need lo cultivate; it is our national memory as 
 well. Repuhlics have heeii <liar^'ed with having' very 
 short memories, hut all Anu-rica lias a short memory 
 for .Vnu-rica has a very short history. 
 
 I shall not forget the first time I visited the old 
 W(»rld, in the year ISSl. I landed at Liverpool and 
 was driving in a cal> to the hotel, when 1 saw the tall 
 tower of a church looming up in the evening sky, and 
 I asked what church that was and when it was huilt. 
 My informant answered that it was 'Ahout four hun- 
 dr»'d years old.' At once I thought: 'Where was 
 America when that church was huilt?' Then 1 began 
 to see that while American civilization is very broa<l. 
 Kuropeau civilization is very deep; that American 
 civilization covers nuich territory, while Kurop<'an 
 civilization covers much time. There is hardly a hoy 
 or girl horn in Kuroj)e who docs not grow up in the 
 sight of some famous hattlefield; some monument of 
 world wide fame; some old castle; some famous palace 
 that speaks from the past; and there arc hundreds of 
 thou.sands of Americans who never in their lives have 
 .seen anything a hundre<l years old. To them his- 
 torical pcrs|)ective is diflicult or im[)ossil)le. 
 
 Hence the monument that the New Knglan<l town 
 places in its public s(piare may be rjuite as useful as 
 any bank or factory, and the tablet erected in nuirble 
 or bronze, to commemorate the deeds of the past may 
 speak <piite as loudly as the voices of [)ulpit or press. 
 
 [99 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 The buildings that cultivate memory, that speak to 
 imagination and loyalty, may be the most serviceable 
 building a community contains. Hence, we should 
 carefully mark the spots of local and historical signifi- 
 cance in New England. In every place in these New 
 England states where a great battle was fought; where 
 a famous man lived; where a noble deed was done; 
 where a great family had its hearthstone, some mark 
 should be set up to tell it to the generations that follow. 
 The men who do not revere their yesterdays deserve 
 no tomorrow. 
 
 This is especially necessary because of the streams 
 of foreign blood that in these later years are pouring 
 into our American life. I know of one New England 
 city of 125,000 population that has 40,000 Italians; 
 another New England city not far away in a population 
 of 35,000 has 25,000 French or French Canadians. I 
 sometimes think I find more of old New England in 
 Minneapolis and Seattle than I find in Lowell or Fall 
 River. 
 
 But I am not afraid of these streams of immi- 
 gration. I am much more afraid of the degeneracy 
 of our American stock than I am of any danger that 
 may come through the inflowing of the old world. Our 
 chief problems are where American families go to sleep 
 and not where alert and ambitious families come to 
 us from across the sea. But these families who come 
 to us from Europe must be made to know for what our 
 country stands. They must be made acquainted with 
 Washington and Adams and Jefferson and Lincoln and 
 Charles Sumner and John Robinson and Miles Standish; 
 they must know for what the Commonwealth of Mas- 
 sachusetts has stood from the days of Roger Williams 
 and Elder Brewster to the present time. They must 
 know what ideals the fathers cherished as they built 
 these towns and cities. If we men and women of the 
 
 100] 
 
EXKIKIHEH IN TOWS MALL — I)U. KAt'N( K 
 
 true American stock have the ri^ht spirit we will not 
 wrap our ^Mriin'iits ain)iit us to j)rotect ours<lvrs from 
 all foreign iiiva>i()n, hut we >liall ^'o to the forciKnt-r as 
 he arrives and say, - 'Welcome not only to our .soil but 
 to our heritage, to our memories, to our traditions and 
 loyalties, to the responsihilities of our Anjerican citizen- 
 sliij)!' Keep llu' m<-mories of Needham alive, if you 
 would have the future of Needham a future in which 
 everyone may he proud and happy. 
 
 But patriotism in time of |)cace means another 
 thinp, ami that is cooperation. 
 
 We all know that America has been the home of a 
 sujx'rl) individuali>m. Our forefathers had a strain 
 of lighting blood in them. They loved their firesides, 
 but they did not care to stay at home; they wantetl to 
 go forth where there was a prairie to be conquered, 
 viririn forests to be fellctl, oceans to be explored. They 
 had bi'hind them when they came to this country no 
 support from court or church; they had simply 'heart 
 within and (lod o'erheatl.* 
 
 The great founders of commonwealths in this 
 country like Roger Williams and William Penn; the 
 great explorers like Se Doto, Hudson, and Fremont; 
 the great inventors like Fulton, Eli Whitney and Edi- 
 son, were all men of sj)lendid self-reliance and per- 
 sonal audacity; men who dared to face the whole world 
 and stand alone and do their work, and the great work 
 of America thus far has been done by the initiative 
 and self-reliance of individuals. 
 
 We have had individualism in industry. When 
 there has been a great work to be done in agriculture, 
 it is the individual that has gone out and bought the 
 farm, planted it ami raised the crops. When there 
 has Ix-en work to be done in manufacturing it is the 
 indivitlual tliat ha> |)lamied his facti>ry, hired his men 
 aud conducted hi:» buaiuess to .success or failure. Id 
 
 (101 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 politics our fathers were so much afraid of centrah'zed 
 authority that they delegated only certain specified 
 powers to the general government. We have had more 
 individualism in this country than in any other country 
 the sun has shone upon. Every man has said to the 
 government : 'Simply protect me, and give me a chance 
 to show what I can do.' 
 
 Now there is a change coming over the temper of 
 our American life. It is not that the old ideal was 
 false,— it was all true, — but that now is quite inade- 
 quate. It is not that that old idea of self-reliance and 
 individual initiative was a wrong idea, — it was perfectly 
 right, — but it is a bridge that only goes half-way over 
 the stream. The supreme question for America today 
 is, — how to preserve that self-reliance of the fathers, 
 that personal daring which marked their whole career, 
 and yet to attain that corporate consciousness, that 
 sense of social unity and solidarity, which alone can 
 enable us to grapple with the problems of the twentieth 
 century. 
 
 A new sense of civic duty, a new sense of partner- 
 ship with the state, is now coming into our American 
 communities. A little time ago a great city in western 
 Pennsylvania awoke to consciousness of its own re- 
 missness and failure. It found that it was one of the 
 most successful cities in the world in the making of 
 steel, but was often failing utterly in the making of 
 men. It did not put on sackcloth and ashes like ancient 
 Ninevah. But it did something better; it appointed 
 a commission; it summoned a traction expert to tell 
 the people to relay their car tracks; it summoned an 
 architect to tell them how to build modern tenements, a 
 landscape gardener to cover the dingy hillsides with 
 homes for working men; and that city is today under- 
 going a process of social and moral regeneration. 
 
 It is not only the great cities that need civic en- 
 
 102] 
 
KXF.UrisKH I\ TOWN' HALL — Dlt. FAINCK 
 
 thiisiasiii; it is our rural tuuiis as \v<-II, for in I lie rural 
 rr^'iinis life oflcn sta^iialcs. I liavr found ^'rralt-r 
 |)r<»l»I<iiis in [\\v small vilia^'i-s of N«'W Kn^'land than I 
 rvrr found during \vi\ yt'urs' rrsidtMici- in tin* nu'lro- 
 politan ilistricf «»f New ^'ork City. What w«- tn«d 
 «'Vrry\vlirr<' is for tvrry man to rcalizr that h«- i> a 
 partner with thr stall". What arr nou i)Usinr.ss mi-ri 
 hen- tt»niu'ht, if I may tiilk din-ctly with you for u 
 nutnuiit, what arc you in l)U.sin«'>s ft»r? I havr heard 
 men say: 'I am not in business for my health; I am in 
 l)U.sine>> to mak«' my little pile as (piiekly as I can 
 and retire.* Wiiat if your minister should say thai he 
 was ill the Itiisiness of preaehinj.,' for the sam<* ohjeet.'' 
 ^ uu Would never care to listen to him a^'ain on Sun- 
 day nioniiiii,'. What if >our doctor >liould say that 
 his only interest in his practice was for the fe<vs that 
 he ^ot out of \\ f ^ oil Would say, *I don't wish him to 
 attend a^'ain my wife and children.' What if the 
 soldier should say that hi> only interest in enli>tinK 
 in the army was his monthl\' waj,'e? ^'ou would >ay, 
 "Stri|) oil' that uniform; he is no lit soldier to defend his 
 country.' What if your .school teacher >hould say all 
 iu" cared ahout education was to pet his .salary auil to 
 <io as litth' teaching as he could.^ \ Ou would say: 
 'Leave the schoolroom; that is not the type of man we 
 want to have as puide for our children.' 
 
 When at dead of ni^ht the lire hells rinp you ex- 
 pect the (irenien to risk their lives, with no thought 
 of the waj^'es that they will receive, in onler in save 
 tlw K<M)ds hehind the counters in your stores. Why 
 do Nou expect the firemen to he moved hy any hi^dier 
 principle than the man who sells the pjods luliind the 
 counter? V<ni demaiul that the tt-acher shall teach 
 the school from faith in education and love of the 
 children. Do you allow the contract(»r who Imilds 
 tin* .schiMil hous<' to huilil it simply in order to put 
 
 money in hi^ pur:>c? 
 
 1103 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 The time is coming when you will demand of the 
 builder of the school house, and of the man who sells 
 goods behind the counter, and of every man who works 
 in the mills and the factories, the same standard which 
 you now impose upon the soldier and the doctor and 
 the teacher and the minister. We are coming to see 
 that every legitimate occupation is a kind of social 
 service, and if a man is not serving the social order, has 
 no right to be in it. The aim of the true baker is to 
 feed the hungry ; the aim of the real clothier is to clothe 
 the naked; the aim of the real doctor is to heal the sick. 
 If these men do it well, they will have some financial 
 reward, — and they deserve it, — but they do not do it 
 for the reward. The man who does it only for the 
 individual reward is against the public weal, he is not 
 worthy to be named a citizen in the highest sense. But 
 a real citizen, a soldier of the common good, whether 
 he works behind the counter, or in the fire station, or 
 in the mill, or the lawyer's office, works as the giver of 
 social service, striving to make the world a finer and 
 better place to live in. 
 
 It is good to say such a thing on Sunday night, 
 but it is a good deal better to try to live it on Monday 
 morning (applause.) I have an easier task in saying 
 it, than you will have in living it in the years to follow. 
 
 I need not tell you the way in which some con- 
 tractors treated the state of Pennyslvania when the 
 capital at Harrisburg was erected. Some of them are 
 behind prison bars today. In America men have 
 sometimes said the state is for what they can get out 
 of it, rather than what they can put into it. The 
 contribution we can make to the state may not be the 
 erection of some great public building, it may not be 
 the opening of a public library; it may be a nobler 
 ideal of manhood, a more unselfish type of service, a 
 more unswerving devotion to the common weal. To 
 make that contribution is to be a patriot. 
 
 104] 
 
EXKRfMHKH IN TOWN' KAIJ.— DR. FAI'Nf'K 
 
 I sometinu's say to my .stu(l«'iit.s in colh'j^'c, that 
 wliat Wf ii«'C(l is to K'o l>a(k to the cxaiiiplr of tlif aiicirnt 
 (irct'ks and (lie lichrcws. ^ On will miH'inhrr tiiat 
 everyone of the Old Testament prophets was primar- 
 ily a patriot. Moses stood hefore the \a)u\ at Sinai 
 anti said, 'If thoii wilt not save this prople, I f)ray yoti 
 i)lot me ont of thy hook.' No om* of the j)rophcts of 
 Israel thou>,'ht of savin;,' himself, a|)art from the savin;; 
 of the nation to whieh he i)elon;,'ed. And so it was with 
 the philosophers of ancient (ireeee. Do you remem- 
 ber the oatli of the K|)iiel>i, which Mayor (iaynor has 
 recommended to the children in the public schools of 
 New York city? When the Athenian youth liad come 
 of a;;e, he was brou;;ht before the ma;jistrates of the 
 "city of the violet crown," and he took in their pres- 
 ence this oath, — * I will not tarnish my sacred arms; 
 I will not desert my fellow .soldiers by whose side I may 
 be set in battle; I will reverently obey the laws and the 
 jud;,'es who enforce them; I will leave my country 
 ;,'reater and not less tiian when she was commit tecj to 
 my keepin;;; I will not forsake the temples where my 
 fathers worshipped; of tliese things the gods are my 
 witnes.ses.' 
 
 Do you call that paganism? If it is, then we 
 need a little more paganism in America. I call it tlie 
 fine union of religion and devotion to the Common- 
 wealth. I would that every boy or girl here tonight 
 might, at some time during this festival be asked to 
 j)romise, — *I will leave my town greater and not less 
 than when committed to my keeping.' 
 
 And now let me speak with you of the thinl ele- 
 ment that I said was included in true patriotism, and 
 that is education. All our country today is swept by 
 a great discussion as to what we call "vocatioruil 
 training." Kverywiiere people are asking. 'Shall we 
 change our scliools, so that their chi«'f aim shall be 
 
 (106 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 to give some special training for the tasks of modern 
 life?' I am not going into the details of that great 
 question tonight. But I want to say this, that after 
 all the great purpose of the school is not to prepare 
 our boys and girls for a job, but to prepare them for 
 a life. While I believe in articulating the schools very 
 closely with modern occupations, while I believe in 
 making our education as practical as we can, I also 
 hold that the great aim is character rather than knowl- 
 edge; is to make a type of citizen rather than a kind of 
 workman ; is largeness of comprehension and steadiness 
 of aim, rather than the acquirement of technical skill. 
 I hope, therefore, that while we make our schools 
 in some respects really vocational, we shall remember 
 that the chief aim is not to make "hands" in our mills 
 and stores, but to make citizens worthy of the Com- 
 monwealth. We seek the inculcation of habits and 
 methods and ideals. When a boy goes to the black- 
 board to solve a problem in arithmetic or algebra, he 
 may show that he has the four cardinal virtues, or he 
 may show he is possessed of the seven deadly sins. It 
 is a matter of character rather than of memory. When 
 we ask a pupil to translate a sentence from some other 
 language into English, at once the type of character is 
 manifested. One kind of pupil looks for help from 
 some other pupil; he is afraid, when he faces the unseen 
 and unknown. There is another kind of pupil self- 
 reliant and courageous, that dares to face the unknown 
 whether it be a problem in arithmetic, a question in 
 history, or the translation of a German sentence into 
 English. The real question about your students is 
 not how much they can remember but what sort of 
 personality they possess; and if in and through our 
 public and private schools we can give our growing 
 young people sturdiness of character and steadiness 
 of aim and earnestness of purpose, after all we have 
 
 106] 
 
KXERriSF.S IN TOWN IIAIJ-^ — DH. KAU.NTK 
 
 ^'ivrii llirm llir cliiff rf|nipni('ii t for life. If we liave 
 ^ivfii thrill idrals \>y wliidi to live, iind if iummI Ix- to 
 <lir, \vt' liavr g'^''" tl'*'"" t'"' Kri'ati'.>.t K'ift that cliurcli 
 and scliool can impart. 
 
 Thomas Strplicnsoii huilt njany liKlitluniM-s alon^ 
 the coast of KiiKlaiid tliat toniK'lit an- st-ndinK out 
 radiance over the chaiuul, hut we owe far more to his 
 .son. Hoht-rt Louis St«phenson, liecause he tau^dit us 
 liow to live coura^'eously and serenely in the face of 
 danger au«l trouble. NVhen Tennyson wrote "Ooss- 
 in^' the Bar" he did more for KiiKhmd than if he had 
 l)uilt the finest poN>il)le harhor for shij)|)inK. The 
 teachers in yt)ur public schools, and the ministers in 
 your churches are doin^' as much for your towns as the 
 men who may build thing's that we can see and touch. 
 They ^ivr our life its tone and (piality, and teach the 
 people what thing's are really worth while. 
 
 1 have told ujy students many a time of the utter- 
 ance of Theodore Iloosevelt when he was Police Com- 
 missioiu'r in the city of New York. He read for the 
 first time Jacob Kiis's book called "IIow the Other Half 
 Lives." and lie wanted to meet the writer. He went 
 down to the lower part of Manhattan and climl)ed the 
 winding' stair and knocki-d at the door. 'I'here was 
 no one there, so Mr. Roosevelt took out his card and 
 wrote upon it. - 'Have read your book and came to 
 helj). Theotiore Hoo.sevelt.' I would like to propose 
 that as a motto for every man who has been educated 
 ill the schools, public or private, in this Common- 
 wealth: *We have read the books the history the lit- 
 erature the science and now we come forth to help. 
 I would propose that as a motto for all who may 
 join in the exenises of this week. *\Ve have seen the 
 l>aiiiu-rs; we have heard the speakers; we have listened 
 to the martial music; and now we ^'o ftirth l«) help <uir 
 communitv to realize its own vision.' 1 give you greet- 
 
 !()< 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 ing tonight on this yeur festival, and wish that from 
 now until it is over it may be an inspiring, uplifting 
 and summoning occasion." (Great applause.) 
 
 Selection by the quartet, " Still with Thee." 
 Benediction by Rev. Mr. Waldron. 
 
 108] 
 
HISTORICAL LOAN ART EXHIIUT 
 
( \I!(H i\i; (. Mil. I. 
 
 K ^ 
 
 i>\iu.i I I. Mill i;it 
 
 KMM \ 1. -Ml III 
 
 I nl l-i; |\\I(.(. 
 
 Ill/ Mil I 11 W II 1,(.<H>»I. 
 
HISTOIIK AI, I-OAN \\VV KXIIIIU I' 
 
 At a meeting <»f llic \nr Crtitiiri/ Chih held May 
 3r(l. 1!>I1. a r(»iiiniitt«'c of {\\v, viz., Kriuiia L. Smith. 
 Isal)t'll«- Miller. Loiiist- Twi^^', Carolirn- (i. Mills and 
 Elizalu'th Will^oose wtTo appointed to assist the Town 
 Committee in {)reparin^ for the eeiehration of the 
 Hieenteiuiial of Needliam. This committee was asked 
 to take entire charge of an Historical Loan Art Kx- 
 hil)it which the Town Committee proposed to hold in 
 the Hi^l" School Hall. 
 
 After meeting' and orpmizin^', we divided the town 
 into sections, ami each memher of the committt'c can- 
 vassed ^iven tiTritory. The articles promised did not 
 at first seem to nnmher very many, hnt when the time 
 came for collecting we found we had pitht-n-d a very 
 interesting' and vahiahle collection. The exhihit was 
 opened Sunday r. m., S«j)teml)er 17th, and closed 
 Tuesday evenin^j, <lurin^ which time over l.'J(H) names 
 were repistered, which showed that Needham people 
 a|)preciated historic subjects. We unearthed so many 
 articles that if another like exhihit wer«' to he held, it 
 would re(piire tlie 'I'own Hall to accommodate it. Some 
 of the many interesting artiele.s exliihited were manu- 
 seri|>ts, samplers, war weajmns. musical instruments, 
 ancient «lolls. cut ^rlass. silver and pewter ware, grease 
 lamps and dilTerent kinds of lanterns. <andlesti<ks, 
 warming' pans, foot stoves, spinning wheels, reels, ^reat 
 
 '111 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 assortment of pictures, fancy bags, fine hand embroid- 
 ery, dresses, bonnets, colash, chairs, tables, shawls, 
 fine assortment of china, homespun linen, cradle, 
 jewelry, Dutch kitchen, Needham's first postoffice, 
 umbrella, hand sewing machine, snuff boxes, vases, etc. 
 
 Many expressed a wish that Needham might es- 
 tablish an historical society, as a permanent reminder 
 of our two hundredth anniversary, as we all realize 
 that many articles of historic interest to Needham are 
 being donated to out of town societies. A meeting 
 has been called, by-laws adopted and officers chosen 
 as follows: 
 
 President, John F. Mills; Vice President, T. Otis 
 Fuller; Treasurer, Chester Dewing; Secretary, Fred 
 Kingsbury; Executive Committee, Alice M. Mcintosh, 
 Alger E, Eaton, George L. Kingsbury and Isabelle 
 Miller. 
 
 It is hoped on Friday evening, Nov. 17th, the two 
 hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of the 
 town, that a society will be permanently organized 
 with a large charter membership. 
 
 Emma L. Smith, 
 President New Century Club. 
 
 112] 
 
MONDAY, SEPTEMHKR 18 
 
TIIK ATHLETIC EVENTS 
 
A Till ,i: TIC i:\ i:nts 
 
 Monday, Septemiiek is, iiui 
 
 Moiulay, Soptciiihcr IStli, was an ideal day fur 
 the atldftics. The tfiii|)(Talure was HO d«-i;re<s and 
 the atin«)s|)here perfectly clear. Such condition:* were 
 cinidiK ive to especially tine performances. 
 
 'I'he tir.st event was tlie mile run which took place 
 in the morning' at 9 a. m. There were fourteen entrees. 
 The winners were: — 
 
 1st. James I. Dalhichie 
 2iul. I)»-Miiy Sullivan 
 3rd. Clinton Ctwjk 
 Time, l.'H) 1-5 
 
 Second Event. Baseball (iamc, 10 a. m. \eed- 
 ham V, M. C. A. vs. Swanipscott A. C. This provided 
 an exciting contest and was won hv the SwaniDscott 
 A. C. 
 
 In tlie afternoon starting at 1.30 were the follow- 
 ing events — 
 
 100 yard dash, iiandicai), won hy — 
 l.st. Frank .1. Stanwixxi 
 2nd. Owen \Vtl»h 
 3rd. Thomu-s .M«K)rehead 
 Time, 10 3-5 soeonds. 
 
 1117 
 
NEEDHAM'S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 15 yard dash for boys under 15 — 
 1st. Paul Nickerson 
 2nd. Gordon Brownville 
 3rd. Charles Crowley 
 
 Running High Jump — 
 
 1st. Charles D. Burrage, Jr. 
 2nd. Lucien Burnham 
 3rd. Daniel L. Falvey 
 Height 5 feet, 5 inches 
 
 Shot Put— 12 pound— 
 
 1st. Frank C. Peabody 
 2nd. Irving Ross Stanwood 
 3rd. Daniel L. Falvey 
 Distance, 44 feet, 6 inches 
 
 Running Broad Jump — 
 
 1st. John Moorehead 
 2nd. Bayard S. Foye 
 3rd. Irving Ross Stanwood 
 Distance, 21 feet, 8 inches 
 
 220 yard Dash — 
 
 1st. Owen Webb 
 2nd. Lewis W. Hasenfus 
 3rd. Chester Mills 
 Time, 24 1-5 seconds 
 
 75 yard Girls' Race, under 15 — 
 1st. Grayce Mitchell 
 2nd. Muriel Kennedy 
 3rd. Audrey Norton 
 
 75 yard Sack Race — 
 
 1st. Wallace G. Rae 
 2nd. Rodney S. Adams 
 3rd. William T. Wilson 
 
 118] 
 
ATHLETIC rV'ENTS 
 
 440 yard Run — 
 
 Ist. Williiiiu J. (iHU^Iuin 
 2nd. L«'wis \V. IIustiifuH 
 3rd. I><'.slif .\IIcn 
 Time, 54 .secoiid.s 
 
 35 yard Potato Race — 
 
 1st. Friink J. Stanwood 
 2iul. Williiim T. Wilsuii 
 3rd. WtiUutt; Ci. Uuo 
 
 2'2() yard Run— 
 
 1st. RoIktI n. Hurrage 
 2nd. Ciror^'c H;isriifus 
 3rd. ("iKirhs 1). Burni^c, Jr. 
 Tiiiu". 2 Miinutes, 9 1-5 .seconds 
 
 The following ofTiciuls ably conducted the athletic 
 events: 
 
 lieferee, William \V. Wvk; Judges, \\ . (i. Rae, 
 John F. Giifoil, Franci.s J. Stanwood; Clerks uf Course, 
 Henry Lawrriicc, Hayard S. P'oyc, Oscar H. Starkweath- 
 er; Stiirtcr, Hei^'iiiald C. Foster; Timers, Arniand J. 
 Mathey, Rodney S. Adams. William II. Wye, Jr.; An- 
 nouncer, Danit'i L. Falvey; Ilandicappers, Ralph (i. 
 Adams, Wallace (i. Rae, Frederick S. Kingsbury. 
 
 The prizes for each of these events were — 
 
 F(tr 1st., solid ^old nietlal 
 For "Jtiti.. silver iiiediil 
 For 3rd., bronze medal 
 
 [119 
 
('iiiLi)KKN's knti:htainmi:nt 
 
•nil: oiiKi \i \ii:i)\L 
 
CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT 
 
 Not the least iiitrrosting feature in Necilham's 
 Bicfiitfiuiial cclrhration was the ciitertainincjit for 
 <-liil<lrcu ill Ne«'(lliam Town hall at !).:{() A. M., Mtdiday, 
 S<'i)teml)er ISth. 
 
 Several hiiiulred "Little Tuts" with a fair sprink- 
 ling of older children anti adults, assembled before the 
 opening hour and practically filled the seats on the 
 main floor of the hall and in the balcony. If not *' over 
 critical," the audience was certainly "appreciative" 
 and vigorously and noisily applauded the efforts of the 
 entertainers. 
 
 The entertainment comprised a "Pimch and Judy" 
 show, .selections by humorists, sleight of hand per- 
 formance and vocal and instrumental nuisic by per- 
 formers from the Eaton Entertainment liurean of Boston. 
 The various acts were credibly performed and the en- 
 tertainnjent as a whole was des«-rving of praise. The 
 performance concluded at about 11.45 A. M. 
 
 Each child was presented with one of medals cast 
 esi>-<ially for this (K'casion. -the boys re<'eiving theirs 
 in the form of a watch charm, and the girls theirs, 
 hung from a ribbon. 
 
 I2:i 
 
y c 
 
KXKRCISKS IN llli: lOWN HALL 
 
BICENTKNNIAL CErKBHATION OF THK TCAVN 
 OF NEEDHAM, MASSACIirSETTS 
 
 Monday Evening, SEPTEiiHEit IH. IIHI 
 
 Tlu' literary exercises of the evening were preceded 
 by a short concert given by the Sralham Mililanj Hand, 
 and also by the presentation of prizes to the winners 
 of the athletic events of the day. These were awarded 
 by W. (i. Moseley, Esq.. the chairman and presiding 
 ofhcer of the occasion. Following this inter«'stiiig fune- 
 tion a male chonis nnder the direction of Fred S. Bir- 
 chard rendered "To Thee O Country,*' by Eichberg. 
 
 The ('n.\iHM.\N. "A person leaving Massachu- 
 setts and starting West when he reaches a stoppintr 
 point is very apt to regi.ster as being from Hoston. TIm- 
 farther south he goes, or west, he soon finds that all 
 that it is necessary for him to put on the register is 
 Massachusettij. 
 
 Massachusetts has occupied a very prominent 
 part in the history of the I'nitcd Slates. It has that 
 position by reason of its many noted men, and Norfolk 
 County has numbered among its residents numerous 
 families who had a great .share in the making of tiie 
 history of this country. I think there is no more not- 
 able family than the one represi-nte<l by our s[)eaker 
 tonight, arid I take great pleasure in intrcnlucing to you 
 as the first speaker this evening, the Hon. Charles 
 Francis Adams" [.great applause]. 
 
 127 
 
ADDUl.SS OF ( IIAHLKS FHAN( IS ADAMS 
 
 "Mr. ( 'li.iiriii.'iii, I,;nlif>> .iiid ( it-iil Itincti : I w.iiit. 
 in tilt' lir.st place, to f^wr xunc rxfuosioii to the fi-rlili^ 
 • )f fiiili.irras.NiiMiit I am this <\riiiii;.' couscious of. In- 
 (KhmI, witliiii tlir last half hour the c|iu'sti()ii has con- 
 stantly l)ccn in my mind *\Vhy am I here at all?' -for 
 I fed much as a stranger feels who. introduced sud<leidy 
 into a family ^^'atlurin;:. is then called upon to take the 
 principal j)art therein. Hy way of explanation, perhaps, 
 tiie jjentleinan who lias just introduced nie sj)oke of 
 Norfolk County, intinuitin^' at hast a county l)on<i of 
 filloNNshij) l)et\\een us. Now, it does so chan<(' that in 
 my own person. <»r vicariously, I had lived, so to 
 speak, here in Norfolk ever since Norfolk was created; 
 hut, some twenty years a^o, one day transferred niy.self 
 to Middlesex; I cannot , ther«for»', figure here as a neii:h- 
 l)or in the same county even. 
 
 It only remains, therefore, to assume that I am 
 pr«sent on this occasion merely as one not altogether 
 inexperienced in affairs of this s(»rt, and, inoreesj)eeially, 
 as havin;; heen f«»r a niimhcr (»f \ears Presi<lent of the 
 Massachusetts Historical Society; for to appear, and 
 be ealled up«)n, on celel (rations like this of yours, is, I 
 stippose, more peculiarly incumhent upon those who 
 chance to he presidents of societies (»f that character. 
 The ii»\t (|ueslion that suL'^'esf> ils<lf relates to 
 the line (»f remark proper to he followe<i hy one called 
 
 il2^) 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 upon under such circumstances. When, some weeks 
 ago, invited by your committee to take part in your 
 approaching celebration, I agreed to do so in neighborly, 
 informal fashion ; but I distinctly declined to undertake 
 the preparation of anything elaborate, or what would 
 involve research. Knowing nothing of your local his- 
 tory, never before have I tarried in this, your town of 
 Needham. I have often, of course, been in Dedham, 
 the county seat, and in Wellesley, the home of my 
 very dear friend, the late H. H. Hunnewell, — in fact, 
 I have been in all the neighboring towns for one pur- 
 pose or another; but I have never more than simply 
 passed through Needham, without alighting in it. I 
 am, therefore, very much of a stranger in your 
 midst. 
 
 I have, however, on more than one occasion 
 officiated, and even taken the principal part, in cen- 
 tennial celebrations; and so doing has led me to con- 
 sider some distinctive features of those affairs, and 
 upon those features I propose this evening more es- 
 pecially to dwell. 
 
 In doing so I have got to deal largely in general- 
 ities, and I shall moreover make free use of old material 
 of my own. To me, it will be somewhat of a twice-told 
 tale; but you at least have not heard it before. If at 
 times you find it a bit dull, or even commonplace, you 
 must bear in mind that you have brought it on your- 
 selves; I did not undertake this task, and find myself 
 in an unexpected position. 
 
 In order the more effectively to begin on what I 
 propose to say, I shall refer to an experience several 
 years ago, which caused me carefully to reflect on the 
 principal object of these celebrations, and how best to 
 conduct them. The experience referred to was in con- 
 nection with the town of Quincy, — the town in this, 
 your County of Norfolk, where I and my people before 
 
 1301 
 
KXKUCISKH IN Tf)\\ N HAM. ( HAItl.K^^ KHANCIH ADAMS 
 
 me li;i(I Ik'cii 1ki!ic of il^ lioiic ;irMl (IcnIi of it> floli for 
 more lliaii two liiiiidrrd .-iikI lifly y«'ar.s. 
 
 If li.ipptiicil (liiis: iif.irly fwnify yr.irs n^'o, in 
 lS!)v', I tliiiik, tlwy liad a (•<iit«'miial crlcliralion 
 thcrt'. an occasion \-cry similar lo that you arc oh- 
 scrvin^ now. The pro^'rani of the day was to he ar- 
 ranged, ami, in arran^'in;,' it, it was understood that tlur 
 pr< paration of the usual address, as it is called, his- 
 torical in eharact«T- would devohc on me. Not 
 relishing' the task, I disctissc'd the matter with a friend 
 of mine, now dead,- he then in his own person repre- 
 senting a name associated with (^iiincy since its Ix'^'in- 
 nin^'. l*\)r years he had l)een with mc a bland-by in 
 town met tint's; and now, in the course of talk, I re- 
 f«*rred t«» an address as one established f«>ature of a 
 cjunmemoration, telling him frankly that I was tire<i 
 of such, and, in my ju<l;,'ment, the day of such perfor- 
 mances was over; that we had, in fact, lu-cn (h'lu^'ed 
 with them, especially since what mi^'ht well enou^di 
 he descrihed as the Kpoch of HcNolut ionary ( 'ent<'n- 
 nials, then more fresh in recollection than now. The 
 not unnatural result had followed, and, as we all know 
 from our individual exi)eriences, we turned with a 
 sense of weariness, if not indeed of surfeit and even 
 mental nausea, from those coluuuis of the daily paper, 
 headed with the announcement that yet one nu)re 
 commemoration had been ob.served in the customary 
 way with an address, or an oration. These j)erforni- 
 anees, whether rhetorical or historical, or both, had, 
 I then went on to ar^ue, at oiu' time served tlu-ir |)ur- 
 pose, and, in its day, a useful purpose; for in them wa.s 
 ri*corded nuich of historical interest anti even value 
 that otherwise mi^'ht not have been [)reserved. Hut 
 this was before the <lays of historical societies and town 
 histories: and the oration or address has now become 
 a luediuin by means of which a (|uantity of elo(|uencc 
 
 [131 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 or sentiment, of small present and, so far as my obser- 
 vation went, of no future value, was forced on the 
 jaded eye and ear of an inattentive public, — forgotten 
 as soon as uttered; and their yellowing pages even the 
 future local antiquarian was not likely to disturb; for, 
 as Hallam, the English historian observed, with a 
 warmth of language in his case not customary, in these 
 respects 'our Public Libraries are cemeteries of de- 
 parted reputations; and the dust which accumulates 
 on their unopened volumes speaks not less forcibly than 
 the grass which waves over the ruins of Babylon.' 
 
 And I further then went on to tell my friend, 
 'Almost every period has some favorite mode of expres- 
 sion, — in Massachusetts we once, and for a century 
 and a half, had an era of sermons and pulpit discourses, 
 and it industriously stored up a vast literature of that 
 description, the present dreariness of which is inex- 
 pressible; ours,' — for this was about the year 1890, — 
 'has been the century of orations and secular addresses, 
 — the Ciceronian period of America; and so, during 
 it, rhetoric and eloquence, much too often of the tinsel, 
 academic sort, were made to serve the purpose which 
 logic and theological fervor had previously served.' 
 And, finally, I expressed the belief that the student of 
 the twentieth century would hold this form of expres- 
 sion of our time in not much greater value than we 
 held the sermons and occasional discourses of our 
 fathers. But we too will have seen ourselves in print! 
 
 As I argued thus, the friend to whom I have re- 
 ferred refused to accept my conclusions, replying that 
 in his judgment it was inexpedient on occasions like 
 that then in view, or like this of yours, to dispense with 
 the time-honored feature of an address. He not in- 
 aptly compared it to the planting of a milestone, 
 marking for all future time some point which a commun- 
 ity had reached in its endless journey. Here we pause 
 
 1321 
 
EXKUCISKH IN TOWN HAI.L <IIAKLF:h FUANCIH ADAM-1 
 
 for ;i iiioiiiciit ; and. resting' from the march, we cast u 
 ^'laiur backward over (lie road hy wliicli we liave come, 
 as well as forward over that wi- arr Vft to travt-r.si*. At 
 siicli a time, lie wciil on, we art*, or ought to hf, a worhl 
 unto ourselves; *\Vhy, tlien, trouhle our minds ahout 
 olhiT people or about posterity, worulering wlietlier 
 others are now ohserving us, or whether posterity will 
 bear in memory what is here to-«lay taking place? it 
 is enough that we — a community by ourselves, having 
 both name and habitation of our own — ^have got thus 
 far in our progress, and, laying aside our btirden for 
 this day, we pile up the stones which in the future shall 
 serve as a memorial that here we rested as we passed 
 a milepost.* Then he referred to other days, reminding 
 me of similar milestt)nes planted in bygone times by 
 the hands of those sinci- dead; and, as he enumerated 
 these, 1 had to admit there was point and force in what 
 he urged. In the case of Quincy, first was the milestone, 
 then more than a century ami a half old, which we owed 
 to the Hev. John Hancock, father of the famous patriot 
 of that name and once ( 17'-2()-1714) past«)r of the North 
 Precinct Church of Hraintree, — a milestone which liad 
 come down to us in the form of two sermons delivered 
 by him to his people, then gathere<l on Sunday, the 
 i>()th(jf September, 17:}!) (X.S.) within the walls\)f the 
 old Braintree meeting house. After the delivery of 
 which discourses, the ancient records say that, 'Being 
 the I>ord's day, the First Church of Braintree, both 
 males and females, solenndy renewed the covenant of 
 their fathers immediately before the particij)ation of the 
 Lord's Suj)per.' The century of church life was com- 
 plete, and a fitting memorial of it provided, — a mem- 
 orial which, though little noticed l)y the great outer 
 world, then or since, some, niN' friend urged, would be 
 sorry not to have. 
 
 Inlluenced, I will freely admit, by these arguments 
 and illustrations, 1 subsequently prepared and delivered 
 
 \IS^ 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 the address on the occasion in question, — I helped plant 
 another milestone. ' All things come to him who 
 waits,' and so, amid present indifference, my appeal 
 then was to the next century, even to a century later 
 than the twentieth. So now, in your own case, this 
 town will presently celebrate its three hundredth anni- 
 versary; indeed, it is just as certain that Needham 
 either by itself or as part of some larger municipality, 
 will be here and will celebrate in 2011 as it is that not 
 one of us will be here then. And why may it not well 
 be that in the year 2111, above our very gravestones 
 crumbling, those dwelling here may again rest for a 
 space as they come to the four hundredth milestone, 
 and in doing so hunt up the record of this very day, 
 now drawing to its close, just as twenty years ago I 
 at Quincy hunted up the sermons of the Rev. John 
 Hancock, dwelling for the moment with curiosity and 
 deepest interest on that memorial of a remote past, — 
 clasping hands, so to speak, across two centuries. 
 
 Yet while, in face of this presentation I then at 
 Quincy withdrew my objections to a formal oration 
 or historical address, I could not fail to reflect on what 
 was appropriate to such occasions; nor can I now but 
 revert in memory to an experience I at a later day had, 
 when a distinguished gentleman from a distant State, in- 
 vited to deliver an address on the centennial of a certain 
 town in a neighboring county, instead of dilating on that 
 which had an application to the family he was address- 
 ing, or was appropriate to that place and such an oc- 
 casion, somewhat surprised, and I am obliged to say, 
 a little fatigued us, by a long and to a certain degree, 
 interesting discourse upon some historical event which 
 had, considerably over a century before, been connected 
 with the development of a portion of the mighty West — 
 the Ordinance of 1787, I think it was. Indisputably 
 good in its way, what he said certainly did not concern 
 
 134] 
 
KXFfUISF.S I\ TOWN HALL THARLEH FUANTIS ADAMH 
 
 tlu' particular comimiiiily then ohsrrviu^ its natal 
 festival - its peculiar day of fete. I'liat experience it 
 behooves me to hear freshly in mind to-ni^dif. 
 
 lint, let me now a^ain preniix- and distinctl\' re- 
 jn-al, 1 am ncjt here to in*>lru<t \'ou this evening on 
 your local history; that is a subject with which I pro- 
 fess no familiarity. Moreover, di<i I attempt so doin^ 
 I would he trespassing «)n tlu' province of the K^'utleman 
 who is to follow me. I shall dwell, fherefori', as I hav«' 
 already told you, lar;<ely on generalities; and, to illus- 
 trate what I mean by generalities, I will begin by going 
 far back. 
 
 \<>u ha\f heard. p()»ibly, of that ad\()cate who in 
 a court of law began his argument with a reference to 
 Adam and tlu' garden of Kden, and was met with a 
 desj)airing appeal from the Court to begin at least with 
 the deluge. Hut I |)ropose to go back lu'vond tlu- del- 
 uge, - back even of Adam and Kdeii far bi-yond both, 
 'lliey, in comparison, are of yesterday. The late Dr. 
 Holmes was once asked by an anxious mother at what 
 age the education of a child should begin; with that 
 inei>ive wit always characteristic of him, the genial 
 .\utocrat rej)lied, 'Madam, it should begin about a 
 hundred and fifty years before it is born.' 
 
 'i'here is much truth in that; and it has a >|)c(ial 
 application to our New Kngland towns. I propose to 
 a|)ply it on this two hundredth anniversary. When 
 did the education, so to speak, of Needham begin.'' 
 When was its future destiny fixed for it? Vou will 
 possibly be surprised when I tell you it began as near 
 as can be ascertaiiu'd about eight thousand years ago. 
 In other words, there is a feature conn»'cted with these 
 cehbrations to which my attention has twice Iwen 
 called, though, s«j far as 1 am aware, no one but my- 
 M'lf has e\er in these connections drawn ;itt«idion to 
 it; yet it is u thing whiih most vitally elfecls the whole 
 
 [135 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 present life of the place. How many in this audience, 
 — intelligent, school-tanght, lecture-going, browsers 
 among the books of your Public Library, — how many, 
 I say, of those here realize that in the case of your 
 Needham of to-day, its products, its industries, the 
 lines on which it has developed, and its modes of life, 
 were all pre-destined? In other words, its future of 
 to-day, — your present, — was fixed for it by events and 
 processes slowly occurring during uncounted ages prior 
 to the first records of the human race; but processes 
 and events which, with a little observation and study, 
 we can still approximately trace. They are inscribed 
 largely and legibly on the face of the land, in its hills 
 and valleys, rocks and soil, have we only patience to 
 read the language and signs in which they are written. 
 But let me find an illustration of what I mean in my 
 own case, — the town in which I live, the place on which 
 I dwell. Lincoln, in Middlesex county, is some twenty 
 miles only from here. In the case of Lincoln, as in the 
 case of Needham, the past divides itself into two por- 
 tions, — the pre-historicand the historic: and the historic 
 is a mere fringe on the garment of which the pre-his- 
 toric constitutes immeasurably the more considerable 
 portion. Our records in Lincoln, yours here in Need- 
 ham, our most remote traditions even, are but of yester- 
 day. Ours, there, go back to 1744, a couple of centuries 
 possibly at most, covering the lives of perhaps six 
 generations of children of the soil. In the case of Need- 
 ham, as in the case of Lincoln, behind that stretches 
 a vast imknown, — a veritable time-Sahara. To the 
 historian, properly speaking, that time-Sahara will 
 remain forever a sealed book; but the geologist has to 
 a degree explored it. It stretches back to that remote 
 Ice Age which gave to Massachusetts, as a geographical 
 expression, the character it bears to-day. Then was 
 dictated in advance for each locality what should be 
 
 136] 
 
F.xrnnaKH i\ town hai-l — f*if\nr,Ka FHAvrm adamh 
 
 tlu' products of its soil, the vorations of its pcoplr. tlie 
 lines of its thoroiiKJifarrs, tlir pliasfs of its (ifvciopmciit. 
 So and thru, comiiu'rcc was dfcrci'd to Hostoii; a iiwm- 
 iifacl iirin^' iiidii>lry f<»r Lowrll and Lawrciicr; a;^'ri(nl- 
 tiirr for llic \allf\ s of tlu' ( '(Minrct i<ut and of tlu- ( 'on- 
 conl. AikI. inM-dlt'ss to add, if you here in i\«M'dliain 
 w«Mit intcliipntly back in your iiivrsligatioiis, you 
 would find in tlu'sc prculiaritifs of the soil, <lraina^c 
 ami clinialc tin- reason for the indti^trirs which ha\«* 
 here ^'rown up. In your homes, in your vocations, 
 and in your ^oin^'s to an<l fro in the field and the 
 pa>f\ir«', in locating a way or a mill, in choosing a 
 sit*' for a house, you do hut f(jllow the lines laid down 
 for you in atlvance, whether the lines of leasl re>iN- 
 tance, or those of beauty and of ^race, —lines laid 
 down for us here in New Enlgand lon^ before the le- 
 ^eml of Kden assumed shape in the minds and imagin- 
 ations of the chihlren of Israel. 
 
 Formerly this was not so. In the times of our 
 fathers the scientific study of the earth, and of the 
 physical ehan^'es it has under^'one was undreanuMl of. 
 The fir^t chaj»l«'r of tlu- book of (iene^is di>po>ed of all 
 that, and disponed of it summarily and finall\-. It wa> 
 all delight f idly simple. The earth was six thousand 
 years old; it was created in six days, it and all its ani- 
 mal life, including', of course, mankind; and all, whetlur 
 atiimate or inanimate, prafically in the form in which 
 we now know it. To (juestion this le^'end was impious. 
 The delude of Noah wa.s accepted as an historic fact. 
 On the other hand, the actual occurrence of an ice a^je 
 was a tiling' not yet dreamed of, even by the most ad- 
 vanc«'d and skeptical of scientists. 
 
 F»)rmerly, the ^'reat ice a^e which pive shapi- to all 
 this region, including' your town of Xeedham, wits 
 supposed to have tx-curred hundreds of thousands of 
 years ago. Become wiser now u:» the result of closer 
 
 137 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 and more accurate observation, we know that, however 
 long this ice age may have endured, it passed away and 
 the earth hereabouts assumed its present shape at a 
 comparatively recent date, some 8000 years ago per- 
 haps. Prior to that, instead of being some ten or a 
 dozen miles from the ocean, Needham was probably 
 fifty miles from it, while its altitude above the sea was 
 more than twice what it now is. Boston was then 
 forty miles inland, and a large river with its aflBuents, 
 predecessor of the Merrimac, drained the country 
 hereabouts. Flowing down from the New Hampshire 
 hills, it found an outlet, it is surmised, not where the 
 Merrimac now empties itself, but through this, the 
 town of Needham, and down the valley of the Charles. 
 Then came the ice age, and during centuries unnum- 
 bered, New England was what northern Greenland and 
 the region about the pole now is, — one unbroken area 
 of frozen matter, its surface dotted by boulders, mov- 
 ing towards the southeast in silent, pitiless march. 
 This indescribable desolation was, it is supposed, a 
 mile or more in solid depth, overtopping the summits 
 of your hills by several thousand feet. When all this 
 region, the crest of Mt. Washington even, was sub- 
 merged by this sea of ice, Needham lay here, crushed 
 and mute under a superincumbent burden of to us 
 inconceivable thickness and weight. Gradually, after 
 a lapse of years concerning which we cannot even form 
 an estimate, from causes which will probably never be 
 ascertained, climatic changes came about, and the ice 
 sheet began to melt away. Its frontier, at the period 
 of greatest development, had been some forty miles 
 east of Nantucket and south of Cape Cod, some 100 to 
 130 miles from Needham. Then as fold by fold it re- 
 ceded, wasting away under altered climatic influences, 
 the continent beneath it emerged, assuming as it did so 
 a wholly new contour. 
 
 138} 
 
F.\FI{<IHF-.S IN* TOWN* UKfA. — (JI MILKS FHWCIS ADAMS 
 
 I have s.uM that I he final cincrj^rru'e of the New 
 Eiii,'lari(I wi* know may lia\'c occiirrcd at a (•<)mj)arat iv«*l y 
 recent period (lot more liiaii KOOO years a^o. ^ Ct in 
 comparison willi KOOO years how wretche<lly small a 
 few scant centuries of municipal life apfx-ar, - a frin^'e 
 .scarce honlcrin^' a j^armcnt of unmeasured size. When 
 the emergence took plac«', the water sheds, hecause 
 of the sliejT weight imposed hy the ice upon the crust 
 of the earth, were no lon^'er as they liad hcen before, 
 the hrtxjks and streams fiiuhri^' new channels and out- 
 lets. The inti-rior had hecome the seahoard, and the 
 old >eal)()ard mark«'d the edt,'e of what are known as 
 deej)-sea soundings, some fifty miles beyond our present 
 coast. In the further interior the contour of tl>e con- 
 tinent had under^'one a total change The former 
 surface hail been "ground down or scraped away, the 
 hills had been denuded, the valleys filled up. Almost 
 everything,' had been displaced. When not ^'ou^'ed 
 away, the soil had been bodily lifted up and carried 
 into remote re;;ions the counties of Harnstabh' and 
 Plymouth, or perhaps, borne still further on, had liter- 
 ally been emptied into the sea. 
 
 I am not sufli( ienlly familiar with tlu' r«'^'ion here- 
 abouts to venture even a surmise as to its former a.s- 
 pect or the reason of its j)resent conditions. I can, 
 however, fin<l an illustration in my own case \Nhich 
 could pnibably be du[)licated in any of the sister towns. 
 In Lincoln the house in which I live faces a lake into 
 which and from which flows a river, the Su<lbury, one 
 of the two streams which lower down become known 
 as the (,'oncoril, and as such nieanders into tlu* .Merri- 
 nuic. The sheet of water before my wind(»ws is known 
 as Fairhavi-n Hay. I liv«'. in fact, at the l>ott<uu tif 
 what was once a ^'lacial lake of very c«>nsiderable si/e, 
 I'airhaven Bay bein^ the last r<>siduum of what wa.s 
 left when tin* barriers disj>olved and the ^dacial lake 
 
 [lao 
 
needham's bicentennial celebration 
 
 drained away. All this can be read, and I have daily 
 occasion to study it, in every feature of the property 
 on which I dwell. The soil reflects its origin; it is little 
 but sand and marl, with here and there a boulder. It 
 is filled with kames and hollows, — askers and sand- 
 plains, as the geologists term them, — indicating points 
 where glacial rivers deposited their sediment, or the 
 ice, melting away, left a cavity in the earth. The 
 trees and products of the soil reflect their origin. With 
 no true pasture land, there is hardly any accumulation 
 of loom. The oak and the pine in all their varieties 
 are indigenous. From the time the ice receded the 
 uses to which that territory could be put were fore- 
 ordained. To those uses it is put to-day. 
 
 Unquestionably it is the same with Needham as 
 with Lincoln. Study your soil and the contour of your 
 town, and you read your destiny. Yet until within 
 the memory of those now living this, so closely iden- 
 tified with our daily being, was a study not conceived 
 of as possible. 
 
 Passing on from that which is pre-historic, — 
 from its vagueness, its immensity, and the well-nigh 
 inconceivable duration and force of powers at work in 
 it, to me in many respects far the more interesting of the 
 two periods, — passing on, I say, from the pre-historic, 
 we come to the historic, that of yesterday, in which 
 Needham at last became known as such. For 8000 
 years or thereabouts the forest had covered the land, 
 its sole occupants the wild man and its animal life. 
 At last you appeared, and, in 1711, only two centuries 
 back, the locality assumed the name by which you 
 have since as a community been known. 
 
 On the 5th of November, 1711, the record tells 
 us Needham, theretofore during almost a century 
 part of.Dedham, was incorporated as an independent 
 political entity. But even 1711 takes us somewhat 
 
 140] 
 
KXFI{risF.8 I\ TOWN HAT,!. CHAUl-KM KHANTIS At)AMH 
 
 f;,r hark— hnrk info lluit period of liunian tnuiitiou 
 lyiii^ far Ix'vond the iiicinory of even tlu" oldest of 
 iidiahitaiits. ' Tliis fact is vrry forril)ly hron^dit liorm- 
 to us wluMi wr licrc in llu' '2i)\\\ (•«-iitiiry n-call, or try 
 to recall, the events and lii>t()ric cliaracters associated 
 with tliat earlier portion of the 18th. Familiar per- 
 ha{)s as honM-hoM words. tln-y yet come to us as echoes 
 more or h-ss faint, and piM-raliy a k«>'><1 <1<'''1 ."""■«' so, 
 from a very remote past. 'Who lived tlicn? \Miat 
 occurred?' In Kurope. it was tiie a^c of (^leen Anne 
 in KnKland. and I-ouis, fourteenth of that name, m 
 France; it was the period of the wars of Marlhorou^di,— 
 the battle of Hlenheim had heen fought only seven 
 years before Needham was incorporated; was less re- 
 inote from the men of that period than San Juan IIill 
 is from ns. So far as the Kn^lish ton^ne was concerned, 
 Joseph Adilison and Alexander Pope were the two 
 ^'reat literarv li^lits of the day; hut. stran^'c to say, the 
 one hook or'name of that period which has come down 
 to us as a veritable and indisputable household word 
 is ]^)binson Crusoe. Daniel Defoe was fifty years old 
 in 1711, and is now more alive to us tlian any event or 
 name of Needham's natal period; while Hobiiison Tru- 
 soe, coming' into existence seven years later, in 171!>. 
 is now probably a familiar at every hearth-stone. Hut 
 if we bear litth' of that time in memory, what little we 
 do .so bear is European. Our own history durm^' the 
 first half of tlje 17th century is a blank,- an absolute 
 void. Who here, for instance, can pive the name even 
 of that (;overn»)r of provincial Massachusetts who af- 
 fixed his signature to Needham's act of incorporation,— 
 much more, who could pive any account of lum.- \Nere 
 his name ^dven. who could mention a sinple one of his 
 contemporaries? It is a for^'otten time; irenerations 
 have pa.s.se<l out of min<i. In. iced the very ^'rave-stcmes 
 in your burying ground, dating from that period, have 
 crumbled away, or ccaiicd to be legible. 
 
 141 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 Nor, indeed, is this in any way surprising; much 
 less does it constitute ground for reproach. The mem- 
 ory of that period, and, for that matter, of the first half 
 of the eighteenth century, has been obliterated, first, 
 by the succeeding period of greater historic interest 
 connected with what is known as our Revolutionary 
 troubles, and, next, by the period when Massachusetts, 
 become a Commonwealth, as one of a sisterhood of 
 states took part in the War of Secession. What is 
 known, therefore, as i?}ie provincial period of Massa- 
 chusetts, — that is the period from 1684, when the first 
 charter was vacated, to 1780, when the present consti- 
 tution was adopted, is a period of slow growth, distinctly 
 lacking in everything which goes to the making of his- 
 torical interest. A century of small things and small 
 issues, the succession of men who then, by appointment 
 from London, filled the office of Governor, has so en- 
 tirely passed out of memory that, with the exceptions 
 of Thomas Hutchinson and Major General Thomas 
 Gage, not one could be named by the average Massa- 
 chusetts inhabitant. In the case of Needham, a certain 
 special interest does, however, as I have said, attach 
 to Gov. Joseph Dudley, for his was the name affixed to 
 your act of incorporation, passed in the ninth year of 
 his administration. I propose consequently, for this 
 reason, to exhume, as it were. Gov. Dudley, and say a 
 few words concerning him. A son of old Thomas Dud- 
 ley, who came over before Gov. Winthrop, and was in 
 fact the first Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, 
 Joseph Dudley, a graduate of Harvard, was in his day 
 an accomplished provincial gentleman, — a man of 
 ability and a man of note. In that one of the Legends 
 of the Province House, entitled "Howe's Masquerade," 
 Hawthorne has given us a description of him — brief, 
 but graphic and to the point. As, in that tale, he came 
 forward in the funeral procession of governors of New 
 
 142] 
 
KXKnCISIS IN TOWN HAI.I- <IIAHI,F,H KUANCIS AI)\MS 
 
 England, descending' tlie sl.iirca.sc of llir I*n)\iri('e 
 House to Kiii^ (icorf^'c's fiiiiri;d dir/.'*-. Haul home 
 di'serihes liim as a man witii a 'tlioii^litfid, anxious, 
 and sonu'wiiat crafty expression of face; and in spite 
 of his loftiness of nianniT. which was evidently the 
 result of an anii)itious sjjirit and of lon^ continuance 
 in lii^di .stations, he seemed not incapai)le of criiiKin^' to 
 a ^Tcater tlian himself.' l''irst and last MassachuM-tty 
 has numl)ere<l consideraMy over sixty (Governors, 
 whether of colony, Province or Common w<'alth, and 
 Joseph Dudley occupied the cliair of stal<' longest of 
 them all. \N hen he died in IT-iO the year of the famous 
 South Sea Huhhle- the Boston \cw.s-Lctlcr referred 
 to him as having been 'a sinpular honor to his country, 
 and in many respects the ^dory of it; early its darling', 
 always its ornament, and in his a;.re its crown. ' Since 
 then, however, the historians of our own time have 
 dealt sonjcwhat harshly with him; the last, and best 
 informed tlms summing up the man:— 'To jud^e Dud- 
 ley's career hy the accusations of his enemies would he 
 manifestly unfair. To jud^'c him in the li^ld of the 
 twentieth century, when the colonies have become in- 
 dcjiendent, would be ef|ually unfair. As has been said, 
 his life fell in the michlle period, when dependence on 
 En^'land was diminishing' an<l independence was not 
 yet pt)ssible Though his character was lack- 
 ing in greatness, and his actions were often tainted 
 by self-seeking, though his aims were those of an Kng- 
 lish oflicial and his ideals opposed to those of his fellow- 
 colonists, his long career proves him to have been 
 capable as an administrator and eflicient as a servant 
 of the crown.' 
 
 L<*aving him whose name is aflixed to tin* j)ar<-h- 
 ment which converted Nee«lham from ln'ing a Precinct 
 into Ix'ing a Town, and fiassing to other lopi<s most 
 Usually dwelt upon on these occasions, I now want to 
 
 [143 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 propound some queries. *Why,' I would first like to 
 ask, 'is it that such extreme prominence is in anniver- 
 sary addresses almost invariably given to times and 
 episodes connected with wars and military operations?' 
 Take for instance your own case: — Needham boasts 
 a corporate and continuous history of 200 years. This, 
 as such things go, is a very respectable antiquity; and 
 during that time its women have never heard an In- 
 dian's warwhoop, or seen the smoke of an enemy's camp- 
 fire. In point of fact, no war or its operations, its 
 successes or its reverses, since the death of him known 
 in our annals as King Philip, has exercised any direct 
 influence on Needham's history, or affected to any 
 appreciable extent the town's development. King 
 Philip met his death in 1676. In the War of Secession 
 as in Queen Anne's War, in the French wars, and in the 
 War of Independence, though in far less degree com- 
 paratively to population and resources in the War of 
 Secession than in any one of the others named. Need- 
 ham doubtless was called on for contributions in ma- 
 terial, in money, and in men. But after those struggles, 
 as during them, Needham's life moved on absolutely 
 undisturbed in the even tenor of its wonted way, — 
 quite unchanged. The same type of people lived in 
 their customary manner, pursuing the established oc- 
 cupations; generations were born, went to school, were 
 married and had offspring, grew old and died, as their 
 fathers and mothers had done before them, as their 
 sons and daughters were to do after them. A few of 
 the younger men — possibly one in ten of the entire 
 population — responded to the long-intervalled calls to 
 arms; but of the great, far-away events in which those 
 men took part only echoes reached the town; and yet 
 what the town did in connection with those memorable 
 but distant events becomes in every address and in 
 every historical narrative the staple of the story. This, 
 
 144] 
 
r.XrMClHTJ* IN TOWN HAIJ, (HAUI.FH KRANTIH ADAMH 
 
 I submit, is not as it should he. In f.icl. it lias in it 
 no local coloring at all. 
 
 Tlius with Ncrdham as with otiicr .Massachusetts 
 towns, the exfx'ditions and battles, whether of 1711, 
 of 1775 or of IHOl, and the suffering's and sacrifices 
 incident thereto were not momentous factors of fate. 
 We remembtT very freshly the conflicts and anxieties of 
 the Civil War, nionunicnts commemorating those of 
 the town who fell in it are .seen on almost every training? 
 pround,^and most properly there seen; for, since 1865, 
 we have waxed numerous and rich; hut, if the his- 
 torical truth were uncovered, it woidd j>r()hahly be 
 founil that the preat, though wholly abortive, (^u<-bec 
 expedition of 1711^ — then very real, now sunk in abso- 
 lute oblivion- came home to Needham closest and 
 hardest of all those trials. Then if was that an expedi- 
 tionary force of some 00 vessels, destined to carry 
 10, ()()() men, was as.sembled at Boston, and Govemor 
 Dudley by proclamation called on the selectmen of the 
 towns to .send in each day meat and ve^'etables sufficient 
 for their sustenance. An issue of bills-of-credit, — the 
 irredeemable {)a[)er money of the provincial periofl — 
 was made; a levy of military efficients was ordered; a 
 price was put on provisions; and the authorizing of a 
 naval })ress-^'an,i; was seriously considered. Recourse 
 to measures such as these, excej)t in the matter of paper 
 money, was never had (hiring; either the war of Inde- 
 yien<lence or the Civil War. And four months later 
 when the expedition, ovt-rwhelmed by disaster, re- 
 turne<l in defeat, we read that 'the consternation, as 
 as well as the disappointment, was extreme.' 
 
 And yet, all this to the contrary notwithstanding, 
 as I view and interpret the n-cord of the two centuries 
 which have since elai>s<'d, there has occurred in them, 
 so far as Needham is concerne<l, but one very consider- 
 able event, far n-achin^, all pervading in its influence, — 
 
 145 
 
NEEDHAM 8 BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 but one event dividing by a line of demarcation — a 
 line clear and unmistakable — the old from the new. 
 The year 1834 was by this made memorable. 
 
 Happening on the 7th of July seventy-seven years 
 ago, who among Needham's inhabitants now living 
 remembers that occasion.'' Doubtless some such there 
 are among your octogenarians; but I greatly question 
 if one is here present. It so chances, however, that 
 over the life-time of a generation ago I had occasion 
 to look up the incidents of that day and to write an 
 account of what took place. This I propose now to 
 contribute to your celebration — a leaf, and an import- 
 ant one, in Needham's local history. 
 
 Throughout the year 1833 the railroad from Bos- 
 ton to Worcester had been in course of construction; 
 and one day, in the latter part of March, 1834, the first 
 locomotive ever used in Massachusetts was set in 
 motion. The readers of the Boston Daily Advertiser 
 were then advised that 'the rails are laid, from Boston 
 to Newton, a distance of nine or ten miles, to which 
 place it is proposed to run the passenger cars as soon 
 as two locomotives shall be in readiness, so as to ensure 
 regularity. One locomotive, called the Meteor, has 
 been partially tried and will probably be in readiness 
 in a few days; the second, called the Rocket^ is waiting 
 the arrival of the builder for subjecting it to a trial, 
 and the third it is hoped will be ready by the first of 
 May.' The last name locomotive, the Rocket, had 
 been constructed in the shops of the Stephensons at 
 Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in England, and "the builder" 
 whose arrival was thus anxiously looked for must have 
 been an English mechanic specially sent out to super- 
 intend the putting of it in operation. 
 
 We are next told by an eye witness, who long 
 afterwards put his recollections in writing, when the 
 locomotive was 'placed upon the track, its driver, who 
 
 146] 
 
KXKnnsKH IN TOUN HAF.I. <nAIU.KH FHANTIH ADAMH 
 
 cainc wi'tli it from Kn^'lnnd, slcpju'd ii[)()ii flic plat- 
 form with almost tlir airs of a jii^'^'lcr or a prof«*ssor 
 of clu'inistry, placed liis hand uj)on the U-vrr, aiul with 
 a sii^'hf move of it the cn^'inc slartc<| al a speed worthy 
 of the eompaiiioii of the rocket amid the shouts and 
 cheers of the mnllihide. It ^^ave me mkIi a slux-k, that 
 my hair si-emed to start froin the roots, rather than to 
 stand on end.' This feat of h-^'erdemain was per- 
 forme<l in March; and, on the lofh of the following 
 month, the first section of the Hoston and Worcester 
 railroad was of>ened, two trips hein^ made each way 
 hetween Boston and Newton. The re^idar passen^M-r 
 railroad service in Massachusetts dates, therefore, from 
 that day. 
 
 By tiie end (»f the following June the road wa.s 
 finislu'd as far as Xeedham, and on the 7tli of July it 
 was formally opened to that point; wlu'U 'the stock- 
 holders and a numher of other ^'entlemen, to the num- 
 ber of about two hundred in all, by invitation of the 
 directors, made an excursion to Xeedham, in ei^ht 
 passenger cars drawn by the new locomotive Vankrc. . 
 Th(> excursion was pleasant, and th«' i)arty ap- 
 peared to enjoy the rifle, and the beautiful .scenery 
 which is presented to view on different parts of the 
 route.' The farther extension to nof)kinton was com- 
 j)leted by September, and so on the 'H)\h (»f that month 
 another excursion, some two hundred in number, went 
 out from lioston in seven of the company's lar^jest 
 pa.s.sen>:er cars drawn by the locomotive Yauhtc, an<l 
 duly Ci'lebrated the occasion. "I'hey started off as 
 the Advertiser of fhe following' day stated, *at a rapid 
 and steady pace. 'I'he weather wa.s unusually fin«\ and 
 the sweetness of fhe atmos[)here, the rapidity of flu- 
 motion, and the bi'aufy and novelty of the scenery 
 which was successively presenfi-d fo vi«'w, appeared 
 to pnxluce in all the i)arty an agreeable exhilaration 
 
 ii; 
 
NEfiDHAM*8 BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 of spirits.* At Framingham the excursionists were 
 met by John Davis, then Governor of the Common- 
 wealth, by ex-Governor Lincoln and other gentlemen 
 from Worcester, who got upon the train and went with 
 it to Hopkinton, where it arrived at half past three 
 o'clock and was received with a salute of artillery, the 
 cheers of the populace and an address from the village 
 authorities; after which, under escort of a company 
 of riflemen, the whole party went to Captain Stone's 
 tavern, where a collation had been provided. 'While 
 the party were at table the ladies were invited to take 
 seats in the cars, and the military with their band of 
 music to take a stand upon the tops of the cars, where 
 they were formed in sections. In this manner they 
 made an excursion of several miles down the road and 
 back, which they appeared to enjoy highly. As they 
 returned, the military on the tops of the cars approached 
 the hotel with arms presented and music playing.' 
 
 While the wars to which I have referred, occurring 
 periodically through a century and a half of your town's 
 existence left no perceptible mark on it, the event just 
 described inaugurated for Needham, as for its sister 
 towns, a complete revolution in occupation, in educa- 
 tion, in religion, in thought, and in daily and family 
 life. That date, therefore, one hundred and twenty- 
 three years from the incorporation, seventy-seven years 
 ago, marks the dividing line between the Needham of 
 the old Massachusetts provincial period, and the Need- 
 ham as we see it to-day, and you know it. 
 
 And now to proceed with the queries I proposed 
 to propound : — How long before July, 1834, I would 
 like next to ask, had your first post-office been estab- 
 lished .f* Quite an incident in your history, what facts 
 have you preserved concerning it.^^ How many pieces 
 of mail-matter were at first handled in it? — What 
 were its annual receipts prior to 1850? Late in 
 
 148] 
 
rXKUCISKS I\ TOWN HAM, <irARI.KS FRANCIS ADAMH 
 
 tlio ci^'litet'iitli (rntury, — that is, sonu'wiicrc in the 
 nci^'hlxirhood of ISOO. sta^*' coachi's lir>t put in thrir 
 appearance in Massaeliusetts. Tliey also were a con- 
 siderable factor of clian^e. What does any one here 
 now know of tlie roads t)ver whicli th»>y ran or of the 
 influence tliey in their time exerted? 'Fiie daily news- 
 I)aper is one of the ^'reat etlucatioiuil forces of modern 
 times. To-day it contains items from all over tiie ^lohe. 
 But when did the daily newspaper first find its way 
 ^'eiieraliy to \ee«lham? Not, I fancy, much if at all, 
 before l.S.3(). What was your armual town levy prior 
 to ISoO? What was your ai)proi)riation for schools? — 
 what for hi^'hways? What ^'reat industrial and econom- 
 ical crisis, affecting every phase of existence, has oc- 
 curred in tile history of the town? Not one person in 
 this audience, I fancy could supply any tiling' approach- 
 ing to a specific answer to one of these questions, nor 
 are the facts anywhere readily accessible; and yet here, I 
 submit, in these industrial, economical, s<K'ial, religious, 
 and educational phases is the true field of historical 
 town study and local research. The present is always 
 familiar and commonplace, — it waa so a century tigo; 
 but it is the past which interests — the past of isfl, and 
 yet more that of 1711, are, with us in New Kn^'iand, 
 almost as much forgotten as the incidents of that geo- 
 logical periotl upon which I so long dwelt when I began. 
 It is already lost to memory. Historically, it is of the 
 nature of a geological stratum. 
 
 Of that forgotten yesterday of Needham, extend- 
 ing practically from the ISth of September, 1711, to 
 the 7th of July. IH.'U,— a space of 117 years— that 
 probably might be s;iid which can be said of almost 
 any sister Massachusetts town. 'We are always ac- 
 custome<l to regard the past as a better and purer time 
 than the present; there is a vague, traditional simjjlicity 
 and innocence hanging alK)ut it, almost Arcadian in 
 
 (UU 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 character.' Yet, somewhat a student of history, I can 
 find no ground on which to base this pleasant fancy. 
 Taken altogether, I do not believe that the morals of 
 Needham or of her sister towns were on the average as 
 good in the eighteenth century as they are in the twen- 
 tieth. The people were sterner and graver, the law and 
 the magistrate more severe; but human nature was the 
 same, and would have vent. There was, I am inclined to 
 think, more hypocrisy in those days than now; but I 
 have seen nothing which has led me to believe that the 
 women were more chaste, or that the men were more 
 temperate, or that, in pro "ortion to population, fewer 
 or less degrading crimes were perpetrated. Certainly 
 the earlier generations were as a race not so charitable 
 as their descendants, and less of a spirit of kindly Chris- 
 tianity prevailed among them. 
 
 Let us for a moment, in a realistic mood, face the 
 facts of that severe and somewhat unlovely period. 
 And first, of morals. The early church records of 
 Needham, I am advised, no longer exist; and, perhaps, 
 it is well for the good names of not a few of your fam- 
 ilies that the fire of April 23, 1751, swept away the old 
 Meeting-house, and with it the documents there stored. 
 The records of the churches of many of your sister 
 towns, however, still remain; and, of some of these, 
 I have made historical use. Those who care so to do 
 may familiarize themselves with my conclusions. So 
 far as morality is concerned, the picture presented is 
 not of a character which would lead us to covet for our 
 sons and daughters a recurrence of that past. 
 
 Next, temperance : — As respects the m-temperance 
 of that colonial period, I mj^self caught a youthful 
 glimpse of its vanishing skirts. Distinctly do I recall 
 the village tavern, with its bar-room and post-office 
 accompaniment; — for in Quincy, in my youth, bar-room 
 and post-office were one, — and, moreover, the village 
 
 150] 
 
exehcihp:.s in town iiaii. — <iim{i,f..s ntANriH adamh 
 
 (Iniiikanls were as familiar to eye and tongiu' as the 
 iiiinislcr. [\\v s(jiiirc. or \\w iloctor. I set* tlicin now 
 sealed ill tliose wooden arni-eliairs on the tavern poreh, 
 waiting' to see the IMyinoutli sta>,'e drive up). The 
 drunkard reeling,' home in hroad dayliKiit is an unknown 
 spectacle now; then, he hardly excited |)assin^ notice. 
 
 Take reli/^'ion next: — I sui)mit in all confidence 
 that the world iias outgrown eighteenth century tlieol- 
 ogy. It is a cast-off ^'arment; and one never to be 
 resumed. IJitter, narrow, uncharitahle, intolerant, an 
 insult to reason, the laxt thin^' it preached was peace 
 on earth and ^'ood will among men. I have had oc- 
 casion to examine into its utterances and to set forth 
 its tenets. The record is there, and those curious on 
 the suhject may inform themselves from it. You 
 would not sit in church to-day, and listen to what was 
 then taught, — an angry, a revengeful, and an unfor- 
 giving (lod. 
 
 Schools: I'rior to 18.50 the schools of Massachu- 
 setts were archaic, the primitive methods alone were 
 in vogue; and not until after the mid-years of the nine- 
 teenth century was any attention at all paid either to 
 scientific instruction, as we now understand it, or 
 to the laws of sanitation. That "little red school 
 house" of the earlier time, of which we hear so much, 
 would, if rei)roduced to-day, he promj)tly closed by 
 order of the Hoaril of Kducation. Charity! the care 
 of the insane! the treatment of the sick! In the aiuials 
 of all our Massachusetts towns you will find entries 
 like the following, taken from those of the town of 
 Weymouth, here in your county of Norfolk: —'Voted, 
 to .s«ll the poor that are maintained by the town for 
 this present year at a \'endue to the lowest bidder.' 
 Do you realize what that meant, and who were in- 
 cluded in the 'jxior that are maintained by the town?' 
 It was the old-time substitute for the a>vhim, the alms- 
 
 151 
 
NEBDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 house and the hospital. In those days the care of the 
 demented was farmed out to him or her who would 
 assume it at the lowest charge to the public. Even as 
 late as 1843, and in the immediate neighborhood of 
 Boston, naked maniacs could be confined in cages, 
 or unlighted sheds, connected with the almshouse or 
 abutting on the public way. Or take this other Wey- 
 mouth record of August 28, 1783, exactly one year 
 before my own ancestor. Rev. William Smith, was 
 ordained the minister of the town: — 'Voted by the 
 Town to give Twenty pounds to any person who will 
 take two of the children of the Widow Ruth Harvey 
 (that is) the Eldest Daughter and one of the youngest 
 (laughters (a twin) and take care of them until they 
 be eighteen years old.' 
 
 Twenty pounds in those days was $66.60 of the 
 money of our days; and that in old tenor bills! A 
 public inducement to baby-farming is not now held 
 out. And so I might go on to the close of the chapter, 
 did time permit. But Macaulay has said it all before, 
 and why now repeat in more prosaic terms the tale 
 of ancient wrong? Rather let me close what I have to 
 say on this topic with the following passage from his 
 History : 'It is now the fashion to place the golden age 
 in times when noblemen were destitute of comforts the 
 want of which would be intolerable to a modern foot- 
 man; when farmers and shop-keepers breakfasted on 
 loaves the very sight of which would raise a riot in a 
 modern work-house; when to have a clean shirt once 
 a week was a privilege reserved for the higher class of 
 gentry; when men died faster in the purest country 
 air than they now die in the most pestilential lanes of 
 our towns, and when men died faster in the lanes of 
 our towns than they now die on the coast of Guiana. . 
 . . There is scarcely a page of the history or lighter 
 literature of the seventeenth century which does not 
 
 1521 
 
EXEIinsKH IN TOWN HALL f'lIAni.rs f-TtAVCIH ADANfS 
 
 contain some pr(M)f that onr anrcstors wrre h'ss }iuiim:i 
 than tlirir posterity. TIh- dixipliin- of work->liop.s, 
 of school^ of |)rival«*' familirs, IIioukIi not rnort- eilicicnt 
 tlian at prtsciit, was iiilinitrly liar>li<r. Ma>t«T.s, wtll 
 born and \m-d, wen- in tin- liahit of lu-atiii^' their mt- 
 vunts. lV(iaKoKn<"i knt-w of no way of ini|)artiii^' 
 km)wltMl^'c Imt by In-atin^' tlu-ir pupils, lluslmmlb, 
 of (Iccriit station, wrrr not afraid to brat tlieir wives. . 
 .The inoH' carefully we examine the history of the 
 past, the more reast)n shall we hud to dissent from those 
 who inui^ine that the evils ure, with .scareely an exeep- 
 tit)n, old. That which is new is the intelliK'«'iice which 
 discerns, and the humanity which remedies them.' 
 
 .Vnd now, in closing,', let me revert to the fhoUKht 
 with which I bepm -the Centennial Milestone and 
 the commemoration sermons of the Reverend John 
 HanctMk .lelivered in the North Precinct MeetiuK- 
 liouse of Hraintree, now (^uincy, in 1710. 
 
 Mutato n«)Uiine de le 
 Fabulu narratur; 
 
 A century a^'o, when already for a liundrc(l years 
 Nee«iham had been set otT from Dedham, a town>liip 
 by itself, the Kiverend Stephen I'almer was its min- 
 i.ster. A ^'raduate of Harvard, in its cla.ss of 17H9, 
 ordained here in 17!)-2. Mr. Palmer served acceptaldy 
 as your pastor until IH^l nearly thirty years, in- 
 cluding the first centennial of the town. How. or to 
 what extent, that anniversary was then observed I do 
 not know; I have not iuipiired. H is recorded that no 
 U-ss than twenty printe«l jiublicat ions of Mr. I'almer 
 have come down to tis, srrn>on> or ad<lres>es on special 
 (KTOsion.s. Anionjf tho.se wcasional address«'s n«)t im- 
 probably there may exist one on Needham's Fir«>t 
 Centennial. If .so, it .should now Ix- exhumed, and again 
 
 [153 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 brought to light and life as a feature of this celebration 
 for 1811 came about at a period when here the United 
 States was trembling on the verge of a war with Great 
 Britain, and in Europe Napoleon was preparing to 
 embark on his fatal Russian venture. And now, think 
 I pray you, how much it would have meant for you 
 and, indeed, for us all, if at that time the Rev. Stephen 
 Palmer, had bethought himself to do what would 
 have been altogether possible; — if as the Rev. John 
 Hancock set out to do in Braintree fifty years before, 
 but, in doing, failed — he had delivered a centennial 
 address in which, not dealing with questions of doc- 
 trine or indulging in flights of rhetoric, he had des- 
 cribed exactly what the town of Needham then was. 
 Of what great value and how intensely interesting 
 that discourse and description would be todaj'! Had 
 he then spoken of the roads, had he spoken of the 
 taverns, had he spoken of the schools, had he described 
 the industries, the morals and the modes of life, what 
 he then said would now for us be a priceless possession. 
 
 Then in closing, let me ask why you do not derive 
 a lesson from the past, and, projecting yourself into 
 the future, do for your posterity what was not done 
 for you. This is the lesson I have to suggest for your 
 celebration. 
 
 You are planting a milestone to-day ; the milestone 
 which marks the end of the second hundred years of 
 the endless journey Needham will traverse. We think 
 of the future as being like the present; so did they of 
 1811. I imagine, however, it is no exaggeration to 
 say that during the next hundred years the changes 
 which will take place will not be less epochal, not less 
 pervasive, than the changes which have taken place 
 during the hundred years now just ended. 
 
 When, therefore, men and women of Needham, 
 your descendants and successors meet here a century 
 
 154] 
 
KKF.UCISKH I\ TOWN ITAt-I- CHAUI.KS KKW* IS ADAM- 
 
 li('ii<«'. till' town wliiili HOW rxists. so familiar to \oiir 
 fvrs. will Itc a^ rcmolf ami strange to tlu*m as llw 
 Nt-rdliaiii of ISII is to you. Why, tluTcfort', not crfct 
 a |nrmaiitiit iiiilf>loiic, I lie record of what is here 
 today, so liKlr of which will then remain? 
 
 That to-day and lo-morr«>w, you should ha\c the 
 ^'ames and the festivities which hav<' marked the o<-ca- 
 sion, is entirely prtipcr, alloLjether as it should \)r\ hut 
 should you not also leave hehind you a permanent 
 memorial of it? 
 
 I.,<'t me tin'refore. suij^^est, this «-n(lurinj; characler. 
 'l'he>e are the days of the surveyor, the printing,' press 
 and the kodak. Acc(»rdin<;ly you have it in your power 
 with little effort to collect in Needham material in j^reat 
 |)erfection, of vast future intenvst. 'I'hen as a part of 
 this celehrat ion. the memory of which in its detail> will 
 s|>ee(|ily fade away, -why not have prepared a volume 
 in which shall he incorj)orated not only the record of 
 the town as it exists, hut illustrations showing each 
 locality and its edifices. Ten years hence it will he 
 little re;,Mr(led; twenty years hence it will increa.se 
 in interest; fifty years hence it will he well-ni^h price- 
 less. Not that only, hut in these days of the kodak 
 there should he filed away in your puhlic lihrary pic- 
 tures and illustrations of every locality in the town, as 
 it now is and looks. .V humlred years hence it will he 
 alloijether ditferent. .Vnd therefore, rememherin^' my 
 interest in the town of (^uincy twi-nty years a^'t>, and 
 the chan^'es there since then taken |)lace, I can only 
 .say here and now that if the fjentleman who is to follow 
 me— for my time has come to a close — if that gentle- 
 man, and those associatt'd with him, will now as a part 
 of this, your Two Hundredth Celehrat ion, hrini; to- 
 p'ther that mass of material and illustration and topo^j- 
 raphy I have descrihed —a thinjj .so easily done —and 
 incorporate it in a permanent memorial, they will have 
 
 [155 
 
needham's bicentennial celebration 
 
 erected a Milestone marking the close of your Second 
 Century which those who a hundred years hence shall 
 meet to celebrate your Third Century, will regard not 
 only as unique but as priceless." (Great applause.) 
 
 Selection by male chorus, "Comrades in Arms." 
 
 Thirty voices under direction of Mr. F. S. Birchard. 
 
 The Chairman. "At the solicitation of the com- 
 mittee we have been enabled to secure for this occasion 
 a poem written by Mrs. J. G. A. Carter, which will 
 now be read by Mr. Roscoe A. Carter." 
 
 1561 
 
BICENTENNIAL I'OKM 
 Mk8. J. G. A. Cartku 
 
 Sons (.f Nwllmm, we greet you! We've heard the })€at 
 O'er a wntinent's hrradth, of your homo-coniinj? feet; 
 From the North's frigid mountains, the South's sultry 
 
 plain. 
 From the western Sierras, the near eastern main; 
 As in festive array our fair town appears 
 To call the long roll of two hundred years, 
 Witli gladness of youth and screneness of age 
 She welcomes you home from the world's great stage; 
 Here stay your fcM)tsteps, attend at her shrine, 
 Leave the furrow unturned, the gold in the mine; 
 The workshoj) unopened, the hammer unswung. 
 The harvest ungalhered, its glories unsung; 
 1 Alive the ships of the sea to the tossing tide, 
 Leave the wealth unexi)lored. that Ix-neath may hide, 
 Ix-ave pleasure, leave treasure, leave power, leave all. 
 Renew the old days, the old home life recall; 
 N-ek the woods where you wandered, the fields where y(JU 
 
 played. 
 The river that still winds hlue through the glade; 
 1 he haunts of the gn-en hills, the dear old trees 
 That still to you wave their long arms in the brccxc; 
 
 (LS7 
 
NBEDHAM 8 BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 To the halls of your fathers, with gladness come ! 
 To the land of first love, your childhood's home! 
 
 With pride of possession our town boasts the day 
 When the red men dwelt where she now holds sway; 
 When the rippling Charles, all its winding length 
 Bore his light canoe, felt his oar's swift strength; 
 She points to the seal w^hich her documents bear 
 With its rude Indian wigwam pictured there. 
 And grave old Nehoiden, rich owner of land. 
 To his white neighbors giving the welcoming hand 
 And to them transferring, for pittance of pay 
 These acres we hold as our township today. 
 
 Our town, fair heritage from them descended, 
 With beauty and thrift in full measure blended; 
 For beauty, the forests, the river, the lakes; 
 (What picture more lovely than Rosemary makes?) 
 With sweetest of air, its healthfulness shedding, 
 With purest of water, in bounty o'er spreading. 
 With churches and schools, uplifting the land 
 Toward culture the highest, to bless and expand. 
 With factories humming, that bring her renown. 
 Seats of Labor's true empire, from base to crown. 
 
 What makes a town's glory? We look forward to see 
 When we living have passed, what judgment shall be; 
 What then the true verdict of those who have wrought 
 For Needham's advance in culture and thought? 
 Men will turn back to each separate name 
 That has added its share to good or bad fame, 
 And where will praise fall? On him who has known 
 But one narrow outlook for country or town? 
 
 158] 
 
nifENTKNM M, VOJStt 
 
 Who lias ^tT\ilfly liowrd to spirit of ^'rcrd, 
 I^Mioriii^' tin- liri^'lits wlicrr tin- soiil riii^'lit feed? 
 Stiiiiil)liii^' atid marriiij^ tlir lifr lie should iiiiiku 
 A pure shilling' lij^ht for |)ostt'rit y's sake? 
 
 Nay, rather on hini who in holh auf and youfli 
 Ilrrr plaiitrd the standard of ri^,'hl and of truth; 
 Here laid the fouiuiation of true l)rr)thrrli(H><l, 
 Tauu'ht liow to advance the triumph <»f K'*'><1'. 
 True townsmen unsullied hy ^'reed or hy pelf, 
 W\[]\ shoulder to wliPtM, rcKardicss of self. 
 True father of eifi/ens ^'inled with pr)wer. 
 E()uipped for the need of the day and the fioiir. 
 
 Real town-Iover he. who works for his town. 
 
 Seeking' only reward in her highest renown; 
 
 He ^ivos his hosi hihor of hand, heart and head. 
 
 To make a strai^dit path where his fellows may tread; 
 
 Iloldiiiji lofty eonce{)tions for one and the whoI<! 
 
 He fearlessly leads the sure way to the poal. 
 
 And an ideal town shall ^ive him neelaim 
 
 Counting iiim the true townsman in deed and in name. 
 
 Our town has a debt, owed to those who arc gone, 
 
 To th(> living as well, and men yet unUorn; 
 
 A debt to the past, for her heroes of years. 
 
 When Needhani wrote history with hlcMxi and with tears; 
 
 To tlie j)resent and future, for all who need aid, 
 
 Of the strong to the weak, the brother afraid; 
 
 A debt of the winner to him who has lost, 
 
 A debt of tlie l)rave to the soul tem[)est-tossed; 
 
 A debt of the pure to him who knows shame, 
 
 A debt «>f the rich to the jxMir's honest elnim; 
 
 The one debt that Right owes always [n Wrong, 
 
 159 
 
NEEDHAM 8 BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 Uncancelled through life, be it never so long; 
 
 The great human debt, bequeathed through all time, 
 
 The payment of which is a thing sublime, 
 
 For it must be paid in the coin of pure love. 
 
 The currency honored wherever men rove; 
 
 So paid, our good town shall her true glory find. 
 
 And stand, a bright beacon, to bless mankind. 
 
 The Chairman. "Needham is to be considered 
 very fortunate in having as one of its citizens a man 
 who has taken a great deal of interest and delight in 
 accumulating various things concerning the town his- 
 tory that Mr. Adams has spoken about, and so I have 
 the pleasure to introduce, — if an introduction is nec- 
 essary, — our fellow-townsman, George K. Clarke, Esq., 
 who has written a sketch for this occasion." 
 
 160] 
 
ADHRKSS RY CKOHCIE K CI.AIIKK, ^:S(^ 
 
 "Mr. Cliairnian, fellow citizens, and welcome 
 miests. Itefore I commence my very lirief address I 
 wi>li to comply with a rcjuiest of the selectmen of the 
 town of Harvard in Worcester County and read to 
 you the following' communication: 
 
 'A gHM'tin^: 'Ilie selectmen »tf Harvard, in Inlialf of the 
 town, wish to congratulate tin' town of Needhani on it.s two 
 hundredth ainii\er>ary. 
 
 Ilespcctfully. 
 
 \N iLi.iAM M. WiLLAUD, Chairman.' 
 
 ( )ne huuflrcd years aL,'o thi> aut umn t he inhabitants 
 of Neetiham m( t on a Sumjay in their meeting house at 
 the ohi cent<T of the town and devoted the day to an 
 ohservance of the completion of the first centurs (jf the 
 lif«' of the town. Since ISll this comnmnity has ln-en 
 chan^red as by an «'nchanter's wami, the people, their 
 homes, their ideas, their environnuMit , their (Mc-upa- 
 tions, all are of another a^e. There is, however, one 
 characteristic hfl to link the men and wcuneii of the 
 older time with those dwelling here today, and that is 
 that Auf^lo-Saxon l)loo<l still |)re<l()minates, and insti- 
 stutions ori;;inatin^ in old Mn^dand are yet the ideals 
 of the people, thouuh suhjeel to man\ iruM)vat ions. 
 
 Ill 1811 the while iidiahilani N of thi> luealitv. with 
 
 un 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 the exception of a few families whose predecessors came 
 from Scotland, were practically all of English stock, 
 and most of them were born in Needham and had passed 
 their lives here. What races and what form of popular 
 government will prevail in the year 2011 we cannot 
 tell, but we may be sure of this, — that then they will 
 nobly celebrate, and that what we have done and said 
 this week will after a slumber of a hundred years again 
 be of interest to living men. 
 
 Our town is a unit in a constellation of towns and 
 cities and mighty states, and it is older than the Federal 
 government itself. Its people have been among the 
 builders of this great Republic, and its sons have shed 
 their blood in many wars. 
 
 In the seventy years of contest between Great 
 Britain and France for supremacy on this continent, 
 men who lived on this soil, although their homes were 
 far from the scenes of conflict, shared with the vic- 
 tories and defeats of the British generals, some of whom 
 were ill adapted to commands in the wilderness. It is 
 true that there were but few officers among our men, 
 but the soldiers suffered much in those northern cam- 
 paigns, and found there their training school for the 
 war of the American Revolution, 
 
 The story of the later wars is long, and fills many 
 pages in our history. The soldiers of the American 
 Revolution and of the great Civil War did credit to this 
 town, and their deeds will be commemorated as long 
 as patriotism appeals to men. 
 
 It is an interesting fact that no prisoners of war 
 have been billeted, or placed in Needham for one hun- 
 dred and fifty years. The reason why no prisoners 
 were sent here during the War of the Revolution is 
 not clear, but perhaps because there were but few 
 paroled officers in Massachusetts, and the privates were 
 not sent to the smaller towns. 
 
 162] 
 
EXKUflHKS IN TOWN MALI. (IKonCK K. Cr.AHKK 
 
 ! feel thai I have a rriiiofc a><s()(ial ioji with tlic 
 Battle of I.i-\iii|,'toii, for in nj,\ cliiliiliood I was often 
 takt'ii to call upon a very an<ient hliml lady. Miss 
 A^'ncs Austin, who was horn in ('harle>town an<l lived 
 thert- for many years, and who deli^dited to tell her 
 visitors that she .sair the British troops under Mar! 
 Percy and Lieutenant-Colonel Smith on their return 
 at the close of tlie m«'moral)K' nineteenth of April, 177.5. 
 A consideiahle numher of thes»)Idiers had thrown away 
 their red coats, and much of their e(|uipnient. The 
 first legacy that I ever recei\«'d was under the will of 
 this vcnerahle lady, who was a distant connection of 
 my family. 
 
 The annals of Needham also record honorahle 
 achievements in peace, of which we may justl\ he proud. 
 In the years of poverty following the War of the l{ev(j- 
 lution our town he^an to maintain its schools from 
 thirty to thirty-six weeks each year, and continued 
 this custom, althou^di until within forty \-ears of the 
 present <lay many |)rosperous towns in this Common- 
 wealth provided for their eliildren only two terms of 
 twelve weeks each, the winter and the sumnuT t«Tm. 
 Our citizens havi* never refused to tax themselves in 
 the cause of education, and have ^iven the schools 
 prominence and t'llicicncy for many years. It should 
 not he forj^'otten that for six years Welleslev Colle^'e 
 was one of our institutions, and the story of its foimdin^, 
 and of its rapid ^'rowth is a j)art of our history. To 
 some liere present the time seems not so far away when 
 we went to the town-farm to attend the meeting's of 
 the town, and to vote at .State an«l Federal j-lections. 
 Then our citizens came from the vill.i^es of Welleslev, 
 ami (irant\ille, and the Lower Falls, and they were 
 not merely friends and neij^hhors, hut were Nee<lham 
 men. Those who live in the Ttiwn of Welleslev take 
 pride in its prosperil\, and its Leant if>d homes, i)ut our 
 iiistorv is their histor\', and s\\\\ e\cr remain >«>. 
 
 [ItKi 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 During the first one hundred and fifty years Need- 
 ham had interesting and varied industries, — faggots, 
 paper, gkie, hats, shoes, silk, cotton and woolen goods, 
 hinges, doors, blinds, machinery, iron implements, and 
 paints, with the usual complement of sawmills, grist- 
 mills and cider-mills, but of them all only the paper- 
 mills at the Lower Falls gave continuous employment 
 to any considerable number of persons. Fifty years 
 ago the manufacture of knit-goods began to be of 
 consequence, and to-day is by far our largest industry, 
 and the product of our factories is widely and favorably 
 known. 
 
 A century ago the community consisted chiefly 
 of farmers, and as late as 1848 this was an agricultural 
 town, although West Needham had been somewhat 
 changed by the building of the Boston and Worcester 
 Railroad. Even in those days Needham was esteemed 
 a healthy town, and invalids were sent here by noted 
 physicians. To-day Needham is one of the suburbs 
 of Boston, the business interests of many of its people 
 are largely there, and agriculture as a calling is of the 
 past. The reputation as a health resort, which our 
 town enjoyed sixty years since, not only has not been 
 diminished by the presence of a comparatively large, 
 and constantly growing population, but has been in- 
 creased by its fine town water, and its freedom from 
 epidemic diseases. The light and dry soil may not 
 have been an unmixed blessing to the farmers of the 
 olden time, but it is a source of health and comfort to 
 the people of to-day. 
 
 Needham has been the residence of few men of 
 national importance, but it has been the birth-place, 
 or ancestral home, of many whose names are known 
 and honored beyond the bounds of this Commonwealth, 
 as well as within its borders. Of those now living there 
 are several whose life-work has been of benefit to thous- 
 
 1641 
 
EXIPrTsrs IN TOWN ITALL f;FORfIF. K. ri.AHKK 
 
 niuls. At (lilTcn'nt periods aufliors Iiav*- dwtll lure, 
 both lucii and women, whose Nterary jirothietions 
 were esteeim-d in their (hi\ , and in .some instances have 
 |)rove<l to he (»f prrmaiHiit vahie. West Xeedharn has 
 a U)n)^'er h^t of writer^ llian has our present town, and 
 its name is hnkcd with tlial of Dr. Wilham T. (i. 
 Morton, th»' imm(Mlal di>cover of ctlier as an anaes- 
 thetic in surgery. 
 
 We had lio|)cd that the l'n>,idrnl of th«- I'niled 
 States wouKl he here at Nomc lime dnrin;,' thi>. Hi- 
 centennial celehrjition, and if it is true that no Troident 
 of this Kepuhlic has visite<l us, whih- in oHice, since our 
 ^reat first President was here in 17S!>. it is time that 
 we should hav«' an opportunity to a;,'ain extend 
 our hospitality to the Chief Magistrate of the Inile.! 
 State.s. Vice-Presiderils have come to iN'eedham, hut 
 I think not in rec»'nt years. In the old days West 
 Needham was on the direct rout«' to the interior of the 
 Province, and the Royal (Jovernors, travelling .slowly 
 by coach, or on horseback, and often stopping,' for re- 
 freshments in our town, knew it well. Before the days 
 of railroads there were sla^'e routes throui^h the town, 
 and several taverns tlourished here, some df them w«'ll- 
 known for the ^'ood cheer and comfort found beneath 
 their roofs. 'lUv Washin^tonian movement t)f more 
 than .seventy years a^'o was the first ellici«-nt uprising 
 in this State in behalf of temperane<' in t he use of drinks, 
 and doubtless did even more than the coming of the 
 railroad to clo.se the taverns. Probably the earliest 
 tavern in Needham was Mills's at the l^.wer Falls. Hen- 
 jamin .Mills was its landlord in 17(>.>, and his hostelry 
 had the advanta^'i- of beinj^' «>n one of t In- main thorou^di- 
 fures, and (iovernor Joseph Dudley, JudKc Samuel 
 Sewall and other ili^'nitaries patronized it. sti we nuiy 
 infer that it was fairly well kept. 'I'here w«re a number 
 of later tavcrn.s in town, but of tho.sc within the limits 
 
 [lOo 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 of the present town the Mcintosh Tavern was perhap- 
 the most prominent, and until Mr. Revere built Nehois 
 den Hall, sixty-seven years ago, its large room was the 
 place for public meetings, social gatherings, and dances. 
 Anecdotes 'have come down to us of good times in this 
 old tavern, and of amusing occurrences there. The 
 building was burned after it had ceased to be a public 
 house. 
 
 It is difficult to tell who was the pioneer among 
 the first settlers of Needham, but it was probably 
 either a Mills or a Dewing. It is true that the Fisher 
 family had owned land in what is now Needham as 
 early as 1650, but apparently they did not live here 
 until much later. Captain John Fisher was appointed 
 in 1703 by Governor Dudley to look after the Natick 
 Indians, which he found no easy task, and at that 
 time his home was on the north side of the Charles 
 River. Captain Fisher had been a soldier in King 
 Philip's War, and was the captain of the first company 
 of militia formed in the Town of Needham. Lieutenant 
 Andrew Dewing was in command of the garrison-house 
 near the Charles River, in the Ridge Hill section, 
 during King Philip's War, two hundred and thirty-five 
 years ago, and may have had some of his family with 
 him. The forty petitioners for the incorporation of 
 of Needham represented twenty-one distinct families, 
 but of the twenty-one only Alden, Dewing, Fuller, 
 Kingsbury and Mills, and perhaps Fisher, have des- 
 cendants of the same surname living in Needham in 
 1911, and of these the ancient Fullers are reduced in 
 number to one young lady. The Town of Wellesley 
 possesses some of the Fullers, and also the Wares, and 
 possibly might add one or two other names to the list. 
 The Woodcocks and Hunttings have disappeared within 
 the recollection of many here present, and for several 
 years there were no Dewings in Needham. 
 
 166] 
 
EXKRflMF.M IV TOWV HALL— fJKOnOE K. CLARKE 
 
 The older Ncrdliani is passinj^' away, tlir populous 
 .sul)urli, p«rliaps (IcNliiicd to preserve its identity. I)ut 
 eerlaiii to l»c a |»arl of a metropolis, is alr«-ady visil»l«" 
 to prophetic eyeN. May the three hundredth anniver- 
 sary he eelel)raled hy a people as loyal to Needhani 
 as those who have done so well their part in this year 
 of (irace nineteen hundred and eleven, even thou^di 
 far ^'reater changes eonie than hav«' yet hecn known, 
 or dreamed of." 
 
 The closing mnnh4>r of the program was the siri^'iii^ of 
 u sc'Ieetioa hy the ehorus, '* Tenting Tt)ui^lit." 
 
 ir,7 
 

 tf^ 
 
 ---^f 
 
 .W" 
 
 T 
 
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBKU 19 
 
THE PARADE 
 
THE PARADE 
 
 Onr of the most interesting features of the eel«- 
 hration. and the one thinp to which the nniltitiide had 
 l<M)ked forward with tlie greatest expectation was |}ir 
 Civic and Trades' Parade, which t(K)k place in the fore- 
 iUH)n of the l!)th. 
 
 The formation of the [)arade was a,s follows: 
 
 Miss Gracf* Elwell, Ahee Elwell and Mary Delvin, mounted. 
 the Inst «»ii a colt frotn the stahlcs of K. (j. Pond which 
 was hroken hy the young woman herself 
 
 Platoon of Police 
 
 Neetlham Military Band 
 
 E. G. Pond. Chief Marshal 
 
 E. Wes.son Adams and Mr. Singleton, Aifis 
 
 Sons of \eteraii-<. and tlie fojlowint,' town ofhcf-rs, guest-; and 
 j)rorniiient citizens (M-cupied the carriages in the parade: 
 
 William G. Moseley 
 Henry T. Cliilds 
 Willijim I'rolxTt 
 Austin Potter 
 txigar H. Bowers 
 
 George A. Ilosley, Senior Vice Commander, Depart- 
 ment of Massnehu setts, (i.A.R. 
 Charles A. NN Dod, Cunnnander l*o>t 03 of Natick 
 
 173 
 
needham's bicentennial celebration 
 
 Edwin A. Taylor, Commander of Galen Orr Post, 
 
 181, of Needham 
 John A. Til ton 
 Fred Orr of Melrose 
 Fred Kingsbury of Wellesley 
 Members of Post 63, Natick 
 Members of Post 62, Newton 
 Members of Post 121, Hyde Park 
 
 Float — Town Seal, which was one of the great features of the 
 parade, represented by John F. and Sumner 15. Mills 
 and George Lyman Kingsbury. The two Mills 
 brothers were dressed in an accurate reproduction 
 of the early woodsmen, and Mr. Kingsbury took the 
 part of the Indian "Nehoiden". The background 
 was a miniature of the familiar scene on the corporate 
 seal. It was particularly fitting that the original 
 transfer of the land to the early settlers should be 
 expressed in tableaux two hundred years later by 
 members of two of the oldest and most prominent 
 families of the town 
 
 Miss Nina Aker, with a Shetland pony team 
 
 Needham Fire Department 
 
 Natick Fire Department 
 
 Wellesley Fire Department 
 
 Dedham Fire Department 
 
 Needham Water Works Department 
 
 Float — Highway Department, with steam drill pulled by the 
 steam roller — representing rock drilling 1711 — 1911. 
 At one end of the float three men were industriously 
 drilling a small rock, two were striking with sledges 
 on a drill held by the third; while at the other end a 
 modern sUeam rock drill was steadily drilling through 
 a large boulder by means of steam supplied by a 
 twelve-ton road roller which at the same time fur- 
 nished the motive power for the whole 
 
 174] 
 
THK, PARADK 
 
 Floiit- Nrr.ll.ai.i Voun^' lV-..|.l.-'s Ass.M-iiili.M.. n"\ '••■'it 
 had imtiirnMis pliuanU iinitly pntilrd. <lrs«rihinK 
 llir various fratnn-s cf tlir or^aiii/.atioii. '1 hr riitirc 
 float was (Irapr.! witli n-d. whitr and blur iMiiitiiiK'. 
 On llir plafforin of llir floal. Mr. Cail-li.k jjavr a 
 dcnioiistratioM of wri^'lil lifting and physical ••xrnisc 
 at fnM|Urnt intervals during' tin- ruWrv coiirsr of the 
 paradf. Aflrr Ihr para<lc ihr rooms of tin- As.scKialioii 
 werr thrown oprn to tin- puhlic 
 
 A. O. U. W. Dc^jrei' rtain 
 
 Boy S<H»uts 
 
 Twcnty-scvcn niiMn»KTs of the Carpmf.Ts' Ininn ird hy thr 
 president. Irving U. Stowcll. and carrying banners 
 
 Fife and Oruin ('(trp 
 
 Principal iNorsTRiEfl of the Town 
 Float— NVilliani Carter Company. Cndcrwt'ar Manufa. tnnrs. 
 with sixteen barges carrying their employees, lliis 
 exhibit was five miniutes in passing a given point. 
 I>ead by an exhibit of ni«Miern machinery. Largest 
 feature in the entire parade 
 Float-Moselev & C.mipany. Knit (mhkIs. drawn by two 
 horses and displaving the various completed pnKliicls 
 of the mill, as well as showing the yarn from which 
 thev are made just iis it originally c<»mes into the 
 factory, then the cloth and finally the finished gar- 
 ments". There was a group of six little . hiMreii 
 dres.scd in knit eai)s. sweaters and leggms. and accotn- 
 I)anied bv two of the men emph.yees. .V sign was 
 shown nrxivc the whole with the trade mark. " hny 
 W.ar " A sign on the sid«' of the float Ih-1ow the 
 phiiform had the firm name "Mos^-Iey & Company, 
 cstablishe.l ISSO." ThoM- on the float wer<— 
 
 William H. .Jackson, and his three little children 
 
 l^iwn-nce .lackson 
 
 Ix'wis .Iacks<in 
 
 AUxTt Jackson 
 
 11- 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 Samuel J. Wilson and his three little children 
 George R. Wilson 
 Ruth A. Wilson 
 Robert B. Wilson 
 
 Float — George E. Wye Company, Knit Goods. This ex- 
 hibit consisted of two four-horse floats, the first depict- 
 ing a Shaker colony scene composed of five young 
 ladies and the overseer, conveying the idea of the 
 origin of the so-called Shaker sweater. This float 
 bore the title "Ye Knitting of 1711," the imperson- 
 ators being costumed after the old Shaker style. The 
 other float bore the title "Knitting of 1911," it being 
 intended to convey the idea of the modern knitting 
 establishment, — displaying the modern sweater knit- 
 ting machine and power sewing table, together with 
 the modern and common office appliances of the tele- 
 phone and typewriter. Both of these floats were 
 enclosed and ornamented with colored trimmings. 
 On the top of each float was the enlarged trademark 
 of the Company, the first being the letter Y with its 
 accompanying design and the second the Great Dane 
 dog's head with its accompanying lettering, and both 
 bore the following inscription : 
 
 Est. 1888 Inc. 1905 
 
 GEORGE E. WYE COMPANY 
 
 Pleasant Street and Dedham Ave. 
 
 Manufacturers of the 
 
 GREAT DANE SWEATER 
 
 BATHING SUITS AND JERSEYS 
 
 Float — William Bourne & Son Piano Company, highly decor- 
 ated, with a piano player attachment in full operation 
 during the entire parade 
 
 Float — Edward E. Dailey, Paper Box Manufacturer, dec- 
 orated with red, white and blue bunting, drawn by 
 four black horses. Suspended from the saddle of 
 each was a suggestion of the lapse of two hundred 
 
 176] 
 
TIIF. PAnADK 
 
 yrnrs. in yrllow nnci wliifr clirv^anf limitims. 1711- 
 HH 1 . Arraiii^rd as a pniiriiitl urrc n-d, wiiilc aii<l 
 lilin- hnxrs from llir lop of wliicli fjoalrd llir Aliirriraii 
 lia^'. Around tlir Imsv of tin* pyramid wrrr M-alcd tin- 
 riiiployr<vs ra«'li dn'ssrd in wliitr, wraring hats ina*!*- 
 l)ox-slia|»«'(l. Irimmrd willi tri-colorrd l)and>i. and 
 wavinj^ the lii-cciitciinial pniiiaiils. At flic front 
 of catli liat w a.s ji ^ijl let trr arranp-d to spt-ll I in- name 
 of tin- «'in|iloyt'r. In llic n-ar two ^'irK. onr holding' a 
 l)tin<il«- w rapjx'd in pajx-r and lied wifli luinr 1711 
 the ollirr a l»ox -I'.Hl n-pn-smfcd the old an<i nrw 
 way of w ra|)pinfi ^oods for >lii|)nirnl 
 
 Float — Tlir Kdison Company, lar^'c and decorated, with an 
 cxhihit of household articles run hy electricity a 
 most aftra<li\c and |>ractical exhihif 
 
 Float -New Mnjiland 'rdephone &: Telegraph ( drnpany. 
 lar^c ami de<(>rated, with a .sw itcliKoard in full <»per- 
 at ion 
 
 Adams Kxpress Conipany, one tram driven l>y William F. 
 Eaton 
 
 Bailey's Auto Express 
 
 Matthes Express 
 
 Float Wilfred (i. lilades. Huilder. with a miniature house, 
 accurate to the smallest detail 
 
 Alfre<l Parker, ('out raclor and Huilder, one dworated team 
 
 Tlie Old Nia^'ara Hand 'I"ul», we||-rememl)ere«I hy those 
 who "ran with the old machin«-." Its pict ures(p]t>nes> 
 was a little injured l>y ha\ in^ it "mamied" l»y Imrses 
 
 II. S. Locke &: Son, l.umlter one four horse deeoratetl wa;^'i»n 
 loaded with huildin^' material. (Jeo. Palmer, dri\ it 
 
 How.ird .\. Oossinan Conipany, Hay and (irain, rfi>rfspnt- 
 in^ the old farmer ^oin^ to prist on h<»rsel)aek in 1711; 
 a sinj^'le team n-|)res<'nlin>; the husincss in lS,Ht); a six 
 horse ^'ray team represrnl inp I In* method of doiiif; 
 l)u.sine.s.s in I'.U 1 
 
 (177 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 E. G. Pond, exhibit from Noon Hill — deer, fawn, eagle, a 
 coon and an owl, guarded by a fine terrier 
 
 Business Houses 
 
 Groeers 
 
 Adams Brothers, five highly decorated teams 
 
 T. J. Grossman's exhibit with Mr. Grossman leading, on 
 horseback. Then five wagons decorated with some of 
 his numerous articles of merchandise. Following 
 came a wagon advertising the tea and coffee depart- 
 ment and driven by Mr. G. M. Donahue, a clerk 
 who had been in his employ fourteen years. Second 
 came a wagon advertising paints, oils and varnishes 
 driven by Mr. J. F. Durbin, also a clerk for fourteen 
 years. Third was one of the finest and most unique 
 of all the teams represented, the cracker team deco- 
 rated by the Sunshine Biscuit Go. and advertising 
 their goods. This was driven by Mr. H. T. Smith. 
 The fourth was trimmed with bunting and decorated 
 with general groceries advertising those on sale at 
 "Grossman's Gorner," driven by Mr. G. L. Grossman, 
 father of the proprietor. The fifth was also decorated 
 with flags and advertised general groceries, driven 
 by Mr. A. B. Grossman, son of Mr. T. J. Grossman. 
 The horses were all decorated with plumes and 
 pennants, and altogether with the wagons made a 
 fine appearance 
 
 J. J. Whetton, represented by three single grocery delivery 
 wagons, decorated, and driven by employees. Notices 
 called attention to two good looking serviceable horses 
 that had been in the service for twenty-three years, 
 Bill and Bell, twenty-nine and thirty years of age. 
 Two double coal wagons, one loaded with a new burning 
 fuel called Briquetts — Highland Goal Gompany. One 
 decorated float representing the Gunard Steamship 
 Gompany of which Mr. J. H. Whetton is agent, 
 manned by persons in uniform of the Steamship Gom- 
 pany and carrying the Gunard House flag 
 
 J78] 
 
TIIK PAHADF, 
 
 Saiiiiirl Siiiilli, (inMM'rlcs and I'ro\ isinns, oim- ilrcurahil 
 wa^'oii driven l>y Tlionias (Jainlxl 
 
 'I linnia-^ Sill Inn. I \vn ri<-\\ly painlrd wa^diis drcciralcd willi 
 llu' nationaJ colors, liiintin^ an<l pliinirs. ihc first 
 callrd a Imfclicr carl, rcprociilin^' ati r)ld-fas|iioiic(l 
 way of snp|»Iyin^ provisions in llic oiil-lyin)4 districis, 
 drawn hy a lirown liorsc. Major, who lia<l Imtii in tlio 
 s»T\ ice for ci^lih'cn years, and driven l>y .larnes K. 
 Tisdale the past ei^dit years; the si'coiul, an order 
 wa^'on drivetj hy Rohert II. Kaynies for ten years. 
 represenli?>^ the present method of order and delivj-ry 
 in the more thickly populated portions of the town 
 
 C. \N . ^^o()dl)U^y, a wajion decorat«'d willi hnnfinj,' and a 
 display of ve^'elahles 
 
 Oliver Crisp, one (h'coratcd deliverv wa^'on dri\(n hy F. 
 Donald Wel.l. 
 
 Dry Ciuoil.t 
 C. K. C'ushinp. a small two-wheeled cart drawn l»y a Shet- 
 land pony of «lin)i?nitive proportions. A tower deco- 
 rati'd with hnnlinp and Maps and surinonnted l»y a 
 small rulilx-r hoof was hnilt ov«'r the carl. whi<h itself 
 was partially covered with si^ns advertisin;^ his giMxls. 
 In the centre of the tower a large sign reading 
 "Always there 
 witii the 
 
 doods" 
 
 was shown, reading alike on hoth sid<'s. Master Kay 
 (lavagan was the (Iriver 
 
 ( iHil (ind MVhk/ 
 Pioneer Coal Coinpany. Joseph Willett. Proprietor. wa.s 
 re|)n-srnted Ity a float drawn l»y a [»air <»f w«ll-mat( lied 
 Mack horses. On the float were nine snow-while coal 
 ho«ls filled with "sparkling Mack diamonds"; aKo 
 cfial shovels |)ainted Mne and white; larp* sij^Mis 
 httere<i "KstaMished 1872" and "I'rouipt Delivcrj" 
 
 (179 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 The whole surmounted by the firm trademark and 
 draped with the national colors. The driver wore a 
 miner's cap surmounted by the regular mine lamp 
 
 Poore & Chadwick, one double team loaded with coal, driven 
 by John Murray 
 
 Farm and Produce 
 
 Pine Valley Farm, showing the old settler who plodded along 
 with his ox-team load of produce 
 
 Webb Farm— Milk 
 
 Hillside Farm — Float decorated with bunting, flags and 
 yellow corn, displaying the utensils used in the care 
 of the milk from the stable to the consumer. A well 
 groomed cow with its calf also added to this very in- 
 teresting feature. The second float contained the 
 milkers in white coats and caps. Two milk wagons 
 covered with bunting and flags finished the display 
 from Needham's leading dairy 
 
 Jerry Bond — Vegetables, Garden Truck 
 
 F. H. Whipple — Distributor fruit and vegetables 
 
 D. Simon — Cattle 
 
 S. Rosenblatt 
 
 David Cohen — Fowl 
 
 Frank Marsilli — Vegetables 
 
 John H. Fitzgerald, Village Blacksmith, decorated float with 
 a forge in full operation and a pony being shod. Oldest 
 established business under the same management, 1869 
 
 Ice 
 
 Needham Ice Company, Frank A. Mcintosh, Manager 
 Union Ice Company, Thomas Kilmain, Proprietor 
 
 1801 
 
THF PARADF 
 
 Pninirrs ivtd Jlnxutc Derordtars 
 
 Bcmis & Jewctt 
 
 Fniiik I.. Hn)\vu. Tlii". (I.ial n'|)n>s«Milr<| a |)airil«'r »»f 1711 
 ami two painters of I'.M 1, with advrrt iM-iiiriits of vani- 
 i^lii's aixl l«-a<l 
 
 I"\ 11. ("lews drove a Konl Kiltialnxit, MtMiel T aillo. to show 
 how it loiiM Ix- iiM'd ill his hiisiiiess. j)aiiiliii^. lie 
 had a box attaehed where the nililMe seat fits on. to 
 carry sl(Kk in, and on the sides were two hir^e pla- 
 < ar<ls. one leMiii;,' the fait that he had painted the 
 town hall and ^ild<'d (he dome for this oeeaNioii, the 
 other tellin<^ of his sil<-eess in l»H'>iiiess iisiii^ Kiilj^'s 
 Invst lead and oil. Tho auto was drapi'd in the national 
 colors 
 
 Fruit 
 
 Ciiarles Stevens & S«jn. two teams loadeij with frnit and 
 riehly decorated 
 
 Frank de Fazio 
 
 Baker 
 
 ('. A. I^'ader had one one-horse hakerv wa^on dressed in the 
 national colors and driven hy Charles A. Iy<'ader, Jr. 
 
 Teamnnj und (Dntrarting 
 
 J«)lin Law^on had a douhh' team driven hy Thomas Kenofiek 
 with two Italians shovi-ling on it. It aUo carried Mr. 
 I.JIWXW1 liimM'lf. A sin^U' team next tlriven by Walter 
 Frederick Lawson with (ieor^^e MtMian and a fellow 
 Italian named I'etc Tine on it. \n Italian named 
 .iohn Marriot drove the third team. ( )ii this there 
 were ti\i- Italians showiiii; how to ii^e the pick and 
 shovel 
 
 S. Goldman 
 L. ilirshbcTg 
 
 Hardware 
 
 (isl 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 Florists 
 
 P. E. Richwagen. A wagon loaded with flowers and foliage 
 plants. Wagon decorated with bunting, horse with 
 flags, driven by his son, P. Burnhardt Richwagen. A 
 second wagon, a light delivery or democrat, decorated 
 with flowers in body of wagon, outside with bunting, 
 horse with flags, driven by his son, Earl W. Richwagen 
 
 Denys Zirngiebel 
 
 Upholsterer 
 
 Wendall Hasenfus — decorated float with three employees 
 showing the process of upholstering furniture 
 
 Float — Cold Spring Boat House, which consisted of a two- 
 horse float carrying a modern canvas canoe richly 
 painted and decorated. The canoe was completely 
 furnished with carpet, cushions, back rests and pad- 
 dles, and had a United States flag at the stern and 
 Union Jack with Canadian coat of arms in the bow. 
 The decorated canopy was supported by oars and 
 paddles 
 
 Sons of Temperance, Leonard Dawson dressed as Nehoiden 
 for whom the Lodge is named, carrying the iron in- 
 signia of the Order surmounted by the regalia worn 
 by the First Worthy Patriarch of the local division, 
 William N. Ayers, fifty -four years ago 
 
 Dedham Wet Wash 
 
 Hathaway's Bakery of Waltham, — a concern that has sent 
 teams to Needham for thirty-seven continuous years. 
 One of the two teams was driven by L. F. Kimball, 
 one of the first drivers; the second by the present 
 driver, W. R. West 
 
 Waltham Laundry, George Twigg, local agent 
 
 Underwood & Company of Natick, furniture and household 
 utensils 
 
 John McDowell dressed as a colonial, on a motor cycle 
 
 182] 
 
TUF I'ARADF 
 
 Howard A. iind Mrs. Crossman, Irving' K. Ross. Mrs. Ross 
 and Irving' Jr.. in aufo Ixautifully dt'ioratcd with 
 wisteria, rrpn'seiitiii^ Japanese family. 
 
 (lordon 'I'lirncr willi two aiitoinobile.s 
 
 Get)rK«' K. Wrag^' and family in dccorali-d auto 
 
 [183 
 

THE VETERANS 
 
Htl.DlKH^ Mn\l \\\.\\ I\ NKKHil.WI < I'.MKTKKY 
 
Till-: VKIKKANS 
 
 Tlie Bicentennial ('onnnittro niadt- tliou^litful 
 provision for the local veterans of the Civil War. 
 
 A lar^'e i)arKc willi fonr liorsi-s was furnisluMJ l.y 
 the Conunittee for tlieir tran>portation in the >,'reat 
 Parade. The har^'c was profusely decorated hy the 
 veterans witii our national colors in red, white and 
 blue hunting,', which with the (xcupants of tlie har^'e 
 added K'r^'i*^lv to the many interesting features of the 
 proc-ession, largely because of this aiuiiversary (-onung 
 in tin- fiftieth anniversary year of that Civd \N ar. 
 
 One of the most pleasing incidents on the last day 
 of Neediuun's celebration of its Bicentennial anniver- 
 sarv wa-s the large KatheriuK «)f Veterans of the Civil 
 War, from the surrounding towns, at the mvitation 
 of our local Crand Army Post. These ex-soldiers 
 were loyal representatives of six difTerent towns, and 
 moreover, they .served in reKimenl>. batteries etc., 
 representing various states, from Maine to Illinois 
 The Po.st thoughtfully provided a s\ibstantial 
 graiuKtand. ui)on which the old soldiers and the la<lies 
 accompanving them comf.)rtably sat and viewed the 
 parade, ai it pa-sseil before them. They enjoyi-d the 
 many humorous things which cK-curred ami observed 
 with* interest the changes in the mechanical arts as 
 shown bv the picturcMjUe display of nuxiels. of the 
 industries now carried on in the town, compared with 
 the days of fifty and sixty years ago. 
 
 187 
 
NEEDTIAM S BICENTE>fNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 Natick and Hyde Park, both large manufacturing 
 towns, were well represented, the former by upwards of 
 forty veterans. Newton, a city of great individual 
 wealth, Dover and Medfield noted for their broad 
 farms, and Dedham, our County seat, and mother of 
 Needham, were here by representation, to witness and 
 express their surprise and delight at the scenes about 
 the town. 
 
 After the parade at 12 o'clock, a luncheon was 
 provided for our visitors in Kingsbury hall, by the Post 
 and the Women's Relief Corps, at which over a hundred 
 were seated. Invocation was said by the Rev. Chas. 
 E. Sawtelle, then the ladies of the Relief Corps charged 
 upon us with great pitchers of coffee ready, sugared and 
 creamed. The clatter of knives, forks, dishes and 
 spoons could not drown the praise, jokes, stories and 
 laughs that served as sweet sauce to the food so rapidly 
 disappearing. 
 
 When hunger and thirst were assuaged. Com- 
 mander Edwin A. Taylor introduced Vice Commander 
 Hosley, whose eloquent address was greatly applauded. 
 Our board of selectmen, Messrs. Henry T. Childs, 
 William A. Probert and Austin Potter honored the 
 occasion by their presence and actively assisted in 
 entertaining our guests from out of town. The chair- 
 man of the board, Mr. Childs, spoke feelingly of the 
 respect and consideration held by the townspeople in 
 the past and present for the veterans of the Civil War. 
 
 The Rev. Edward Marsh followed with appropriate 
 allusions to the day and the services of those present 
 in helping fifty years ago to bring about these present 
 conditions. Representatives from the different towns 
 were called upon, and it can be truthfully said that 
 they acquitted themselves satisfactorily as evidenced 
 by the smiles and applause they received. 
 
 A delegation from each of the Dorchester and 
 
 188] 
 
THE VFTKIIANH 
 
 Nfwtoii "Trnts" of tlir DaiiKlit'Ts of Vrtrrans wvtv 
 our lioiiorcd ^Mn-Nt> llirouKli .iii iiivit;ition rxlnidcd fo 
 thrm, ill oiir lulialf. I»y our lo<-aI Sous of \rf «ran>. N(»t 
 to !)«• ouhloiu- l»v our lu.ilr K"«'>'^- ^^''^"^ Kathrriur 
 l'Moo<l of I lie |)..r(lHst.r Tent <l«IiKlilr«l tlit- au(lirn<«' 
 by luT happy rrmark> prrliiuiit to tin- o<(a>i«.ii atnl 
 prf.MMicf. wliicli wvrr riilliu>ia>ti( ally clirmd. 
 
 This funclinii las|r<i until tin- luiddh- of IIm- aftm- 
 noou and tli.rr \va> >till tiiiu- afTonhii tlio-r pnxnl 
 to listrn for an hour to the ddi^ditful iuusi«- l>y niir 
 Military Hand undtr llw sujMrl) lcad<T>liip «»f K. C. 
 
 Carv. 
 
 Thomas II. Di nmam. 
 
 Chairman I'ost CommUtce of Arrangements. 
 
 (189 
 
Tin: I iiJK i>i:i'AinM i:n r 
 
VUIK DKPARTMKNr TAI^ADK 
 
 I [xm in\ it;il ioii from I lir ( 'ointiiit tec mikI l»y ordrr 
 of ('lii«f il. Hdwjird I plijim, tlif I'irr I )r[)art iix-nt was 
 assriiihK'd at llic ('ciilral I'irc Station, ("lu-stmit Street, 
 on Tnesday. Sept. lOtli, 1!)11 for the pnrpose of en^'a^- 
 iii^ in the Trades and Civic I*ara<l«' of the Hicfnl<'n- 
 nial ( 'elel)rat ion of the Town of Needhani. 
 
 Tlie Chief had previonsly forwarded invitations 
 to parade with tlie department, to the chiefs of the 
 nei^dihorin^ towns and cities indndini; the niother- 
 town of l)e<lhani and tlie ofTsprin^' \\<Ile>Iey. 'Ihe 
 parade was fornie<l as follows: 
 
 BoAHI) OF KnOINKEHS AND StPKIUNTKNDKNT OF FlHK Al.AltM 
 
 Chief, H. Howard Cpliain 
 
 Assistant Chief. AlKtoM IC Howers 
 
 District Kii^,'iiieers, liinofhy A. Sullivan. Needhani Cp- 
 
 JMT Falls, William F. lirown. Charles River 
 Sui)rririten(lriit Fire Alariii, Willard I*. ('(tok>()n 
 
 \'isiTiN(; CniKF-s 
 
 C hit f II. .1 Harridan, of Dedham 
 W. \V. Di.hl. of Wellesl.-y 
 A. II. Fiske. of Fraiiiin^ham 
 William Daniels, of Natick 
 F. !.. Metcalf. of Franklin 
 K. M. Cr.Kkett. of M<-dfor<l 
 .loll II Wetherlxf, of Ilydc Park 
 
 VXi 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 Hand Engine, Niagara 1 
 
 Built in 1846. Purchased from the Town of Hingham, 
 Mass., in 1884. Out of commission in 1890 upon introduc- 
 tion of Water Service 
 
 Combination Co. 1 — Central Station 
 
 Captain Rodney S. Adams 
 George Holt 
 Charles Woodbury 
 Frank Gaughan 
 Fred Cookson 
 Percy Moulton 
 Frank Lane 
 
 Combination Co. 2 — Needham Heights 
 
 Captain John W. Crisp 
 Lieutenant T. R. Quinlan 
 
 Frank Scotton 
 George Kennedy 
 Harry Walker 
 James Pidgeon 
 Samuel Smith 
 William Smith 
 Wallace Rae 
 
 Hook & Ladder Truck Co. 1 — Central Station 
 
 Captain Dana L. Southworth 
 Lieutenant John T. Farrand 
 
 Howard Flewellyn 
 Wendell H. Hasenfus 
 William H. Slaney 
 William Brown 
 Daniel Sullivan 
 William H. Slaney, Jr. 
 William Clews 
 Herbert Slaney 
 
 194] 
 
FTRK nKPARTNtKNT PAnVIii; 
 
 IIOHE Co. 1 CmMU.KS RiVKIi 
 
 r'jiplaiii Lindsay Miiiiiis 
 Liciitciiaiit llarrv l-nrsytljo 
 
 I )anicl Mat ll(•^s son 
 
 .loscpli NN aj^'stair 
 
 .lolm 1). ( 'ook 
 
 Adolph Hurriniin 
 
 ( 'liarK's Day 
 
 Ilowarfl Sliaw 
 
 Hose Co. 3 — Needham Upper Fali^ 
 
 C'a|)tain .larnt-s V. Dairy, 
 ( Orcy Statu 
 John Rao 
 Harry Sliopi>orson 
 Kdward Dalcv 
 
 Hose Co. 4 — Neediiamdale 
 Captain Henry D. Blackmail 
 
 Visiting Companies 
 
 Coinliination Hook and Ladder Co. 1. Wellc.sley, ten men 
 
 Hose Co. 1. Dedliain, ten men 
 
 Hook and I>addcr Co. 1, Natiek, ten men 
 
 I |)<)n (li.sini.Nsal of tlic jjarade tlie drpart nicnt and 
 guests a.ssoinl)le(l at tlic Central Station, wliere a ban- 
 (|uet wa.s .served. 
 
 At '2 A') P.M. a ^M-neral alarm was sounded liy the 
 chief from Ho\ "^S, located at tlie Central Station, 
 calling the entire de{)artment to Needham Scpiare. 
 
 liy order of the chief, ladders were place(i upon 
 the Town Hall and the Hournr Huildintr, wher*- lines 
 of ho.so were placed l>y Comhiuatiun Co. 1 and Com- 
 
 [195 
 
needham's bicentennial celebration 
 
 bination Co. 2. Upon their arrival, lines of hose were 
 placed upon the same buildings by Hose Co. 3 and 
 Hose Co. 4. 
 
 Upon completion of the exhibition the depart- 
 ment was dismissed and sent to quarters. 
 
 196] 
 
THK BA\(^rKT 
 
Tin: liWc^rF/r 
 
 Tuesday Aftkunoon, Septemhih 1!). 1!)11 
 
 At :il)(>ul r.:{<l I'. M. fvrrytliin^' was in readiness 
 f»>r tlie l)an(iiu't and llie company assciuMcd. At the 
 head tal)le iiiH)n the sta^'e was sealed His KxceUetu y, 
 CJovernor Foss; lion. lx)uis A. Frothinghain, Lieuten- 
 ant-(;overnor; Hon. James M. Merrill, Connty Com- 
 missioner; Representative Horatio (i. Hathaway, Jr. 
 of Dedham; Con^'ressman John W. Weeks; Senator 
 CharK's W. Pearson of Brookhne; J. Stearns Cushin^', 
 C'ouneiMor; Secretary of State A. V. Lan^'try; Mayor 
 Charles K. Hatfield of N«'wton; l{ev. (Jeorj^'e Whitaker. 
 Rev. Robert L. \Vel)l>. 15. H. Joimson, Fxj.. and Wil- 
 liam (i. Mo.seley, the chairman of the (M-casion. 
 
 The invocati(m and prayer by Rev. Robert L. 
 Webb was as follows: "Our Father, wilt Thou look 
 upon us with Thy favor today as we ^'ather arouml 
 these tables taking part in this celebration which has 
 meant .so much in this town. We thank Thee for 'Hiy 
 ble>si!i^,' on the fathers who founded this community. 
 We thank Tiiee for the favors shown to this town all 
 throu^'h the years that have ^'uidetl it in its life. We 
 thank Thee for present prospi-rity and for the abuiidant 
 outl(M>k upon the future. W«' pray Thee, our Father, 
 that a> Thou ha>t led us in the past .so wilt Thou lead 
 and bless us in the years to come. Bless, we pray Thee, 
 
 (IW 
 
NRRnilAM S inOENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 those in official positions throu^liont this community; 
 give them wisdom and understanding, ^ive them power 
 to execute. We i)ray Tliee tliat the spirit of true patriot- 
 ism nuiy abide in lh<' hearts of all these our citizens. 
 And, our Father, may not only this comnumity but 
 may all communities in this old 15ay State, the state 
 that has been so nuich in the history of our land, be 
 blessed of Thee, and may the candle of liberty burn 
 brightly that generations to come may be blessed even 
 as we have been blessed. So accept om* thanks for this 
 provision for our physical needs, and help us to see 
 that every good and every i)erfect gift cometli down 
 from above. Amen." 
 
 Music was furnished by the Puritan Orchestra 
 during the banquet. 
 
 The Chairman. "The Governor has come to us 
 today after a long journey from another part of the 
 state and desires to say a few words to us at this time 
 as he desires to depart very shortly; so I have the honor 
 to present to you His Excellency the Governor." 
 
 REMARKS OF GOVERNOR FOSS 
 
 "Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen: I am glad 
 to be here with you totlay just to bring a word of greet- 
 ing. I have come over from Uxbridge this afternoon 
 where I have been attending one of the numerous 
 county fairs. You know that Uxbridge is one of those 
 delightful little towns of about 5,000 inhabitants over 
 in the Blackstone valley good to see, one of those in- 
 dustrial centers studded with mills and several large 
 industries, ami they have had a wonderful county fair, 
 it being a section of the state where oxen are still in 
 
 200] 
 
THK MAVgiKT flOVKHNOIt ^*< >HM 
 
 rvidrricr, mIiIioii^'Ii flic aiitoiuol)!!*' is rorjiin^ in fast 
 iLs yon know. 
 
 Now, vnii lia\'f liail a womlt-rful (rlthraf ion here 
 today I am told, and 1 lia\'(* also Ik'cii attending' soinr 
 cclchralicuis rl.srvvlicrc. Then* was tin* on<* linndrt-d 
 and fiflirtli anniversary in Wardiain tin* other day 
 which I had the pleasnre of attending. Also I went 
 up and attended tin* hundred and fifti<'th uniiiversury 
 of the town of Rutland in N'ernionl. 
 
 liut thi> is tin- two hundredtii anniversary here in 
 Needhani, and I want to conjiujiid the civic spirit <if 
 this eoininunity, this lovely and heautiful town of yours, 
 and your citi/ens in coining out and making such a dis- 
 play and in llouri>hinL,' so many flaj^s and decorations; 
 and th<-n I undcrstaixl the parade has done you nnich 
 credit. 
 
 And the thou^dit which is in my mind today is this, 
 that this connnunity is .so near tlu' ^reat metrop<»lis 
 of l^)ston. so closely connected hy ties of husincss inter- 
 est in every way, my thcju^Mit is that of cooperation. 
 Most of you business men who live here in this town 
 ar<' doin^' husiness in Boston, your husim-ss is hxated 
 there, and when we are thinking' and talking' ahout 
 greater iioston, an<l of the greater unity hecause of 
 what the tendency of the times is today, wc shall have 
 this ^'nater IJ<»ston when we shall hrin^ together these 
 comnnmilies hxated aroimd this ;.,'reat industrial and 
 commercial center. Tln-n we shall ha\<' ma«le a ^'reat 
 city of Boston ; not a city of 7(M».(MM) peo|)le as it is ttnlay , 
 init a city of a million and a half taking' in an area uf ten 
 or fifteen mih's around the State Ilojise; anti then 
 Boston will not rank as the twentieth city in the world, 
 hut as ahoiit the tenth city in tin- world. 
 
 \Vi' are cjititled to that rank, we are fast lie<-omin^'a 
 commercial cent«'r. and I c<»uld tell you ahout tin- Ix'j^is- 
 luture on Beacon Hill and the appropriation of JjSD.UUil- 
 
 [201 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATIO N 
 
 000 for the improvement of our harbor. You are all 
 interested in the proposition, — all of us living near the 
 harbor where our interests are so strong. It is a move- 
 ment which means so much to this state, especially 
 to this section of the country. 
 
 I am not going to detain you long, as you have a 
 great array of talent on the platform, and when the 
 dinner is over you will want to hear from them. The 
 Lieutenant-Governor is here and can tell you what has 
 been going on on Beacon Hill this last year, what we 
 have been doing and what the result is to be. 
 
 I want simply to say in closing that I thank you 
 very much indeed for the warm greeting given me today, 
 and how much pleasure it is for me to be with you and 
 say these few words and to extend to you the greetings 
 of the Commonwealth. I thank you very much " 
 [applause]. 
 
 After the remarks of the Governor, and when His 
 Excellency had departed, the banqueting was resumed, 
 after which the following addresses were made. 
 
 The Chairman. "As we are nearing the close 
 of this very successful celebration I am sure it will 
 give me great pleasure to congratulate you and the 
 town upon the completion of the program provided for 
 this occasion. We have had a very pleasant time; 
 it has been very successful, and now as the final thing 
 we have met here to enjoy this banquet, and we have 
 with us as guests a number of men identified with the 
 Commonwealth and with our county and the neighbor- 
 ing towns. They have come here as the guests of the 
 town of Needham, and I know you are glad to have 
 them here as your guests. 
 
 The Governor, before he left, said a very pleasant 
 word for his Lieutenant-Governor, and said you would 
 have the pleasure of hearing from him, and that he 
 
 2021 
 
THK HAN'gfKT — I.IKfTKVANT <;<)VKIlNf )« rUf)THr N< ;H \M 
 
 woiiM t<'ll you al>out th«' t hint's at tin- State Iloiisr and 
 other itcni>of inttTcst. Wr shall h«> ^'lad t«> ln-ar from 
 tln' Hon. lyouis A. Frot hin^hain. Lirutcnant-Ciovcrnor 
 of Massachusetts." [^^rrat applause and chrrrs, with a 
 fry of "What is the njaftcr with Trijl hiiij^haui, hr'.s 
 all rij^'lit. Who i> all rii^'hlr' I'Vot hiii^'haiu"J. 
 
 KKM.VKKS ()!• LIKl IKN A.\ !-( iDVF.K \()K 
 ri{()lllI.\(ilIAM 
 
 "Mr. Toast niaslcr, la«ii«'s and ^'«*iillcni«-n. I U-v\ 
 vt-ry nuich at Iioiih" in Nt'cdhani, esprcially after your 
 most kind and very warm reception; I feel at home lu-re, 
 not only because I have heen liere before and spoken 
 fronj this platform, but befuu.se I live on Needhuin .soil 
 [lau^'iiter]. 
 
 Now, that may seem ver\ peculiar to you, ladies 
 and j,'entl«'men, but if 1 am correctly informed it i.s 
 absolutely true, because numy years a^'o when they 
 built in that |)art of Boston below Charles Street and 
 the Common, which is now known as the Hack Hay, 
 they took the soil from .W'cdham [renewed lau^diter]. 
 Hut just becau.se we took .some of your .soil I don't 
 know that we can entirely a^'n'e with the (iovernor that 
 you want Hoston to annex all your .soil [a voice, "No" 
 and applause] and I sometimes do a^'ret* with tlu' 
 (iovernor [more lau^hterj. I certainly know it would 
 be u ^'ood tiling' for Hoston to have you with us, because 
 yours is one of the best town governments and a model 
 for any other to follow [applaus«'J. 
 
 .\ny town or city that lan erect as ^'(hmI a hwikin^ 
 building' as this with .such a beautiful hall, and after- 
 ward.s can turn back money into the trea.sury certainly 
 deservt's comm»'nilatit)n and deserves to be followed by 
 oilier communities*. 
 
 (203 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 You also supplied us with trees, I am told, and 
 those trees were taken from here into Boston by oxen, 
 so that we had oxen in those days as now at our agri- 
 cultural shows [laughter]. 
 
 Now, I should not undertake, as much as I would 
 like to do anything the Governor asks me to do, to tell 
 you, as he suggested, all that went on upon Beacon 
 Hill the past winter, for we had the longest session the 
 Legislature ever has had in Massachusetts, and if I 
 undertook to tell you a quarter part of what they did — 
 or left undone — and that latter part would be easy — for 
 they didn't leave much undone apparently — it would 
 take not only this afternoon but a great part of to- 
 morrow. 
 
 Two of those trees which were taken in from here 
 to Boston were rejected, as I understand it, and were 
 brought back again and planted near the border-line 
 between here and Wellesley, and they may now be 
 seen there growing in a flourishing condition. 
 
 The poet, I think it was Holmes, wasn't it, said 
 that 'Little of all we value here waits on the morn of 
 its hundredth year without both looking and feeling 
 queer,' and after double one hundred years we would 
 expect Needham to feel very old and very queer. It 
 is a long time, ladies and gentlemen, for this country, 
 and Needham has prospered and she has been progres- 
 sive without following all the necessarily so-called 
 progressive doctrines we hear about nowadays, but 
 she has progressed in the true lines. Its citizens went 
 forth at the time of our Revolutionary War, and the 
 proportion of loss at Lexington and Concord from this 
 town of Needham was greater than from any other 
 town in Massachusetts except that of Lexington. They 
 went forth again at the time of the Civil War, and they 
 gave their quota of blood and showed that Needham 
 was still patriotic. 
 
 204] 
 
TTIF nANQI'Frr IJKt'TKNAVT-fJOVrRNOn F-RDTMINCHAM 
 
 You Imvr playrd your |)arl, ladies and ^^'itillrrnrTi, 
 uilli Ma.s.sacliux-t t.s in all llu- ^'naf r\(iil^ of this 
 country. 
 
 To many people the hi-.tory of the I'niteil Stales 
 jMH'ins less attractive than that of some forei^'ii countries 
 hecaus*' we ha\<-n't the ruined castles and titles of a 
 feudal nol)ility that are to he found across the water, 
 hut those art" shallow people; the history of America 
 from its very newness lends at tra<tions. Where else 
 can ,\()U find a count r.\' settled as this was, not for con- 
 (|uest. not for f^ain of that kind, l>ut to ^ain freedom, a 
 free church, a free government, a free spi'cch, stretch- 
 ing out its colonies and finally throwing; of? the yoke of 
 the mother c»)unfry and hecomin^,' fr«'e, welding' to- 
 ^'ether into a ^reat and strong' ^rovernment to l>e cast 
 assunder for a time hy the Civil War, hut coming' 
 together afliTwards stronj^er than ever, and l)e((»min>^' 
 the greatest repul)lic(jn the fact of the^dohe? [a|)plause) 
 
 Where else can you find such chara<t«'rs as Wash- 
 in^'ton and Lincoln; in what other coutitr\' in the world 
 can you find so many careers where the harefoot hoy 
 has risen hy the strength of his own j)ersoiiality to the 
 hi^dicst position in husiiu'ss, professioiuil, and political 
 iif.-? 
 
 Ladies and gentlemen, we have a ^reat country, 
 we have great traditions, and no state in this Union 
 has lived up to those traditions hetter than Massachu- 
 setts (a|)plause]. We have «lone t)ur <luty in time of 
 war; let us see to it that we do our dul\ likewise in the 
 time of peace" (great applause). 
 
 TilK CliAiUMAN. "I have had occasion to say 
 once or twice during the cehhration that NLissachusctts 
 is proud of its men. I helieve that Massachusetts is 
 proud t)f its representatives in Congress. We have 
 ahle men from Massaehu.setts parli<ipaling in the delih- 
 
 (206 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 erations at Washington ; we have, however, one man who 
 has been deemed worthy of high official recognition in 
 that body, a man who, whenever he addresses the 
 body, receives the very best of attention; a man whose 
 suggestions are Hstened to with great care, and when 
 followed are found very profitable; and so tonight it 
 gives me great pleasure to present as our next speaker 
 Congressman Weeks, our congressman from this dis- 
 trict" [the audience rises and gives three cheers and a 
 tiger for Congressman Weeks]. 
 
 REMARKS OF CONGRESSMAN WEEKS 
 
 "Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, consider- 
 ing the fact that I am not a candidate for office, I think 
 those cheers were unusually hearty [laughter]. 
 
 You have been wise in having this celebration; 
 it is always wise for people to get together and compare 
 notes, and taking an account of stock to see what they 
 have been doing during the last half century at least. 
 You not only get together yourselves, but you bring 
 back to your community those who have left it for one 
 reason and another, and especially those who were 
 natives of the town; and sometimes they bring back 
 to you something valuable, and occasionally one leaves 
 his native town that which is valuable, and I hope that 
 will be the case here. In any case you have been wise 
 in having this celebration, although it takes work and 
 effort to make it successful, even when there are many 
 willing hands. 
 
 I will say to you confidentially that I came here 
 to talk about a matter I have had on my mind, but 
 I see that this is not the place to do it; therefore I am 
 going to change my text and discuss briefly something 
 the Governor gave us as an indication of his view of a 
 
 206] 
 
TnF nANQifrr ff^vrnKssMW wffks 
 
 pill. lie (iiHvslion. I am not doinj; it Ix-c-aiisc I (lo not 
 aKMtr with llu- (JoViTiKtr, Ixcaiisr I <!<» fn (|iuntiy a;,'n «• 
 with Iiiiii oil matters not pohtical, anil of <-onrM' I wdiild 
 not think of injecting' anything; |)oIiti(al hrrc In tliis 
 parlicuhir I {li>aK'rr«- with liini, and want to call your 
 attention hricfiy— and witliout ^jivinj^' it any <-on.sid«'ra- 
 tion for tliis occasion wliy I disaKn-c with hitn in Ids 
 su^^cstion that tliis coninumity shouM l)cconic a |).'irl 
 of Boston. 
 
 Tlnn^'s hi^' arc not always virtuous sini|»ly hccaiisr 
 they are lar^'<*. If they wrrv I should l>e one of the most 
 virtuous men, which I am not; hut thing's are ^'ood he- 
 eause tlu-y have value without n'j^'ard to their size, 
 and that hrinj^'s up this whole (piestion of ^'overnm«'nt, 
 of the form of ^'overnment, of the ^'overniiK'nt we have 
 had in New Kn^'land for tlie last two hundred and fifty 
 or three hundred years, and the ^'overnment w«- have 
 had to work out of our conditions as they would come 
 to us from day to day. 
 
 Mr. Hryce, the British amhassador, whom I esteem 
 as a friend of mine, has .said in his commeidary uj)on 
 our ^'overnment, that the one faihin- the Ameriean 
 pet)ple have made was in their municii)al p»vernnient, 
 but he would have said in the same hreath that tin- 
 one ^reat success which tliey have ma<le has heen made 
 in their individual town ^'overnment, or the government 
 we have heard ahout and known ever since we have 
 been on this earth. The old New Kn^land town ^Govern- 
 ment is the best ^'overnment evolved by man, because 
 it is the individual j;ov»rnment where every individual 
 knows all the details, takes an interest and becoino a 
 part of it. 
 
 But when a community ^'rows t«) any extent the 
 pure d<-m<Mracy which exists in the small towns mu.st 
 necessarily be substituted with something' akin to it 
 but not exact Iv like il. Therefore we mc in the larger 
 
 (207 
 
NEEDHAM 8 BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 towns some form of Republican government which is 
 made to fit the necessities as they arise. Later on we 
 come to city government, which in my judgment, in 
 comparatively small communities, is the poorest gov- 
 ernment any community can have; the people in a 
 large city are the poorest governed people in this coun- 
 try. Local government is the most important of all our 
 public duties. We sometimes get excited about national 
 and state affairs and county affairs, but when you stop 
 and think we raise more for local purposes, and there are 
 more details in connection with local affairs than all 
 others put together, you will understand why it should 
 receive our first attention. 
 
 I happened to notice the other day that the city 
 of Boston when it was of the size of the city of Newton 
 where I live had a net debt of $100,000, and that the 
 expenditures of the city of Boston at that time per 
 capita were only about one-half of what they are in 
 Newton today. I do not say that to reflect on Newton, 
 which is one of the best communities in the Common- 
 wealth, and where I believe every dollar expended has 
 given a dollar's worth of value to the inhabitants of 
 that city, but I say it because conditions have changed, 
 the world has been moving, we do not live the simple 
 life our fore-fathers lived a hundred years ago, and when 
 those who antedate us by many years were in charge of 
 the conduct of affairs. They did not have the multi- 
 tudinous matters of detail which we have to deal with; 
 therefore the expenditures were smaller, the amount 
 of money raised was very much less than now, but 
 today we have, and I believe we must have, all the 
 modern inprovements and conveniences which go to 
 make up our modern life. Therefore it becomes of the 
 greatest importance that we should have in charge of 
 affairs men on whom we can depend and on whose busi- 
 ness judgment we can place the greatest reliance. 
 
 208] 
 
TiiK nANgrFT — roNf;nEHHM\\ wikkh 
 
 When we oxtt-iul ;i lown's Kovfriuiu-iit into city 
 ROvernnuTit, howcvrr, we ;irr losing sonic part of our 
 touch with them; I Ix'hcvc the city ^'ovcrimu'iit takt-s 
 a\va>- sonic part of the iiniiii<ipal [)ri(lc which i> in 
 every citizen; tliat if we j^'row, as the (iovcrnor sn^'^re.sts 
 we may. to \n' fifty or sixty or (-i^'hty or ninety or a 
 thousand or a million people that we ^ct just that much 
 farther from our direct personal <ontacl with affairs. 
 
 In this town you have something; like a thousand 
 voters. "\'ou can get to^'cther in this liall, you can <lis- 
 cuss your affairs; you arc not only a delil)erativ<' l>ody 
 hut an elective hody as well, — you cle<-t your ofIic»-rs 
 and delil)erate ai)out the way you shall expend the 
 money for municii)al expenses. I.atcr you will iiave to 
 meet other conditions. When the town was organized 
 every hotly knew every hody else; it was a scif-su.stainin^ 
 community, — the local tailor, the hlacksmith, the ^'rocer 
 suj)plicd the needs of the community, hut now you have 
 lar^'c manufacturing cstahlishnients lu-rc not necessarily 
 supplying local needs hut the whole country and other 
 [)arts of the world. The whole condition of life has 
 materially chanued. ^ On were one hundred and ei^'hty 
 years old as a municijiality when you liad :>.■>()() people; 
 in other words, it tt)ok a hundred ami ei^dity years to 
 pet topether in this town that numher of pt'ojjlc; hut 
 you have doui)led Nour jiopiilation, and in the next ten 
 or fifle*'!! years you will douhlc it apain. ^Ou are poinp 
 to p«'t into the condition when you cannot come into 
 this town hall and deliherate your affairs. 'I'hen you 
 are poinp to have a representative poNiTiimcnt not hy 
 selection; the im-n who are comini; here will tell you 
 how to exj)end your niom\ . ^ oii must ha\c some 
 form of repn'sentative govern nuMit to sui)plenient your 
 |)ure deiiKKTacy which has existed in this town. 
 
 I have not .'inythinp to say at this time in criticism 
 of Ho.ston's city government, hut 1 want to say that in 
 
 [209 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 my judgment it is a poorer government than that which 
 exists in these localities here about you; that we get 
 more for every dollar expended than they do in Boston 
 simply because the average citizen does not lose his 
 connection with expenditures and other details that 
 make up municipal life, and when it comes for your 
 body to maintain your individuality and your munici- 
 pality as it is or go into the city of Boston I hope you 
 will consider very seriously and gravely whether you 
 will not be doing yourself and descendants an injustice 
 if you join yourself with a community where the govern- 
 ment is poorer than here simply because it makes a 
 larger community there. 
 
 The mayor of the city of which I am a resident is 
 here to speak for it, but I want to say just one word 
 about your neighbors. Every man is somewhat influ- 
 enced by what his neighbor thinks. If there is a man 
 in this community who maintains his home and estab- 
 lishment at a high standard it is an invitation, in a sense, 
 for others to go and do likewise. The same things exists 
 in municipalities, and it would be impossible for New- 
 ton, Needham, Wellesley, and Dedham surrounded 
 by the splendid municipalities I have named — it would 
 be impossible to be any other than first class communi- 
 ties in which to live. Therefore we as neighbors take 
 an interest in you and your local municipal success, 
 and in your sterling citizenship, and we wish you a 
 continuation of all the good things that have come to 
 you in the past whether you continue your present form 
 of government or change it. 
 
 The fact is, whether you change your government 
 is not the final consideration which will determine 
 whether expenditures are wisely made or not, but it is 
 the quality of the citizens to determine that, and it 
 should be your first purpose to maintain the highest 
 quality of citizenship. Keep your people interested in 
 
 210] 
 
Tin: nANQT'ET rON'OnF.RS>f AN WKFKS 
 
 loc.'il .'iikI ^'ovrnimciil.il nfTairs; tlu* iii;m iiilrrcslt-d in 
 in the cluirch, in tlic lihrary. ••Ircrnosynary instilutions, 
 if tluTc arc sucli, in the various thing's that ^'o to make 
 up our lift- in a coininnnity lik«' this, is ahnost invariahly 
 a ^M)()(l citi/cn, and I say to you fry fo kccj) every citi- 
 zen inlcrcstt'd in those things whether he Ix long's to 
 your f)arty or deiioinin.ilion oryourcit_\' or not. I!\ery 
 man, wliatcvcr hi> oc(ii|)ation, should he pari of thi- 
 hfe, a part of the eonuiinnity where he n\es. 
 
 I want to say one word more, and that is to expri-ss 
 to you fTiy own ap|)reei;il ion of Ne<'dham and of the 
 |)eo|)Ie (»f Ne<'(lham. It i^ iie;irly ei^lit years since I 
 liave tried to represi'ut you in ^^ ashini^ton, and 1 want 
 to thank you for assisting me in the p«'rformance of 
 my pul)hc chities. I say this witliout rc^'anl to tlie 
 pohtical appreciation or support in tliis comnumity: 
 I say it to every man. Democrat, HepuhhCan or Social- 
 ist, because I have het-n allowed, so far as the citizens 
 of Needham are coiu-erncd, to [X'rform my duties with- 
 out in any de^'ree trying' to afTect my jud^'ment of what 
 the jJFoper duties of a representative in Con^'ress are. 
 I have not heen ohli^'ed to (h'vote all my time to petty 
 details of no importance to the general puldic or to tlie 
 nation at lar^^'e. 
 
 Naturally there are some of those thinps which 
 every representative must at times pive some atten- 
 tion to, hut I have heen ^iven op[)ortunity to tlevote 
 my time to the lar^'er affairs of ^'overnment, and if 
 I have not tlone so successfully it is my own fault ami 
 not yours. You have piven nie the opportunity to l>e 
 a ^ood repre.>entat i\'e for you and for myself as an indi- 
 vidual trying to make credit for my>elf ; therefore there 
 is due you my aj)preciation for the manner in which 
 you have assistetl me in performing my puhlic- duties. 
 
 I hope you will po on as you have the last fifteen, 
 twenty, or twenty-five years, and will continue a moilel 
 
 (211 
 
NEEDHAM 8 BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 municipality, trying to be the best municipality there 
 is in this good Commonwealth" (very great applause.) 
 
 The Chairman. "As our Congressman has well 
 said, this is not a political meeting; at the same time 
 I feel that there are those present who will be much 
 pleased to hear from men representing the Common- 
 wealth, and I will introduce to you Secretary of State 
 Langtry." 
 
 REMARKS OF HON. A. P. LANGTRY 
 
 "Mr. Toastmaster, I cannot talk about Needham; 
 I live a hundred miles from Needham, and I know noth- 
 ing about your town excepting that it is one of the most 
 beautiful of the many beautiful suburbs of Boston, 
 and I do not blame any of you for wanting to live here, 
 and I should not think any of you would ever want to 
 leave here, and that none of you would ever want to 
 be annexed to the city of Boston which is my temporary 
 home. I should think that you would rather enjoy your 
 own government and your own associations. Knowing 
 nothing about the history of your town I cannot talk 
 to you about it, but I am going to intrude a short 
 political subject, a little political morality, if you please. 
 
 Every one of you has met the man who tells you 
 that politics is a dirty game, and that all politicians 
 are grafters. There is not one of you but knows 
 the man who tells you that, and that man never stops to 
 think that in this glorious republic the majority rule, 
 and if politicians are grafters it means that the majority 
 of the people are dishonest, and everyone of you at 
 heart knows that that is not true and that every one 
 loves honesty and hates dishonesty. 
 
 Did you ever attend the Bowery Theatre? I 
 
 2121 
 
THE nANQT'ET HON'. A. P. I^ANfiTltV 
 
 have many a time and there will he a melodrama on the 
 chun-liman; we all siii^' the praise of the inuii who is 
 sfa<,'e and the ^'allery will l«- packed with the tou;,'hest 
 men in the t«)U;,diest city of the Tnited States, thie\».'s, 
 piek-po<'k«ls, hlaek-le^'s and murderers perhaps. Tlu.' 
 hero comes on the staj^'e and that /^'allery cheers tiuit 
 hero as you never heard him cheereii when the tickets 
 cost two dollars apiece, and they j)ay ten cents admis- 
 .sion. riie \ illain comes on, an<l he is hissed on that 
 sta^e. Tiiey love rij^\\{ and they hati- wron^, and if 
 you had one of them on the side an«l a.ske<l him why 
 III- lives the life he does lu' wouUi in a sullen sort of way 
 say that the worM is a^'ainst him and owes him a li\in;; 
 and he has ^ot t») ^'et it the hest he can. lOvery man 
 would rather he honest, and the man that tells you 
 your government is dishonest, that the people are dis- 
 honest, is libeling' the people of this glorious Rej)uhlic. 
 We all sin^' the praise of th<' man who is a j^'ood 
 church man; we all sin^' the praise of the man who is 
 a good husband and kind father, but I tell you, Mr. 
 Toastmaster, there is one othir virtue that should be 
 in a man's life. A man ouf^'ht to be those things and 
 he ou^'ht also to be a ^'ood politician, and I mean that 
 in the highest and the best sen.se, and a good politician 
 means a good patriot. He ought to take an interest 
 in his government. There is not a man in this audience 
 if he were a stockholder in a private corporation, and 
 he believed there was graft or inefliciency in that 
 corporation, who would not be around on stockholder's 
 day with certificates in his hand, who would not have 
 his neighb(»rs and frieiuU who were stockholders there 
 to turn the raxals out. And yet you hear there is 
 inefficiency in our government, in our stale govern- 
 ment, and e\ery one of you who pays a dollar in taxes 
 is a stockholder in .Massachusetts which is a state 
 cori)oration, but that is all thai the state of Massa- 
 
 [213 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 chusetts Is. It is a great big corporation doing a busi- 
 ness of many millions of dollars a year; the Governor 
 is the president, the legislators are the board of direc- 
 tors, and if there is graft there, if there is inefficiency 
 there, on stockholder's day, on the first Tuesday in 
 November, you as stockholders owe it to yourselves 
 and to your state and to your country to be at the 
 stockholder's meeting and turn the rascals out. 
 
 In this great state but 60 or 70 per cent of the 
 stockholders in this Massachusetts corporation vote 
 every year, and that includes every man who tells 
 you that politics is a dirty game and that politicians 
 are grafters. 
 
 We have too much politics in Massachusetts. 
 How many realize that but two states in the Union 
 have an election this fall, Massachusetts and Rhode 
 Island, and if the people of Rhode Island should have 
 an amendment to the constitution two years hence 
 Massachusetts alone will hold an election. Every state 
 in the Union except Massachusetts will elect its state 
 ticket either once in two years or once in four years, 
 and give the people a little rest in between. The cam- 
 paign in this state started very shortly after the first 
 of January, and it has been going on ever since, and I 
 presume next year it will begin over again pretty close 
 to the first of January, and so it is from year to year. It 
 seems to me that the people of Massachusetts are en- 
 titled to a rest every other year from politics, and it 
 seems to me also that they are entitled to a rest from a 
 legislative session. The present Legislature lasted 
 nearly seven months — just think of it — nearly seven 
 months, and there are twenty-five states in the Union 
 that by constitutional enactment limits the legislative 
 session in their states to from forty to ninety days, 
 and there are only six states in this whole country that 
 have annual sessions of the Legislature. 
 
 214] 
 
THI HWc^IFT HON. «I|\I<I.KM K. U\TliriI» 
 
 Ni)\v, Mr. ( liairinaii. I am a horn <H)linii>l, and 
 I think tlu' worhl is ^Towin^' hrtl«T ail thr timr; I think 
 \vr have ht'ttrr rulers today than ycst<'r(hi\-. and I 
 think Ix'tttT laws toda\- than r\vr hrfon-. I lliink 
 tin' sun will shine hri^hter tomorrow than it has sln)rjr 
 today, hut I <lo think if is y<uir duty and m\' duty and 
 every num's duty to he a |)atriolie eiti/en. to !)«• inter- 
 ested in his town, in hi> slate, in his nation, and to do 
 his |)art to ^'i\e this country the he.st ^'(n'ernment in the 
 uoriil." [applause] 
 
 Tui; ( "iiAiUM AN. '"ill speaking' ahouf fhe^'o\ern- 
 ment of cities, and esjx-cially of small cities, I am <'on- 
 tident the speaker did not have in mind any ref«'rence 
 to our neighhorin^ city of Xcwton, which we all know- 
 is a Well ^'overnetl city, and we shall he please<l to hear 
 his Honor, Mayor llallield of Newton." 
 
 REMARKS OF HON. CHARLKS K. IIATFIKLI) 
 
 "Mr. Toast master, ladies and ^'«ntlemen. I know 
 it is late and you want to ^'et away; I aiu sure you are 
 not anxious to hear me speak any more than I am 
 anxious to speak to you. I am ^'lad howev«T to <-ome 
 here and to hrin^' the ;,'reetin^'s to you of the city (»f 
 Newton. Newton is proud of Needham; we are hound 
 to you by many ties; we see many of your people in 
 Newton in many of our different orders and »)rpuiiza- 
 tions, and we have come to love those men and to he 
 proud of them. We p-t water from the hanks of the 
 river in Net-dham. Po.ssihiy in N«'wton they mix it 
 with other thing's, hut not during this administration 
 [lau^'hter]. Away hack in tlu' <lark ap's when Con- 
 gressman Weeks was mayor of Newton they may have 
 mixed water with other things, hut not at present. 
 
 1215 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 But Newton is as proud of you as you are proud of 
 yourself at this two hundredth anniversary, and I 
 could not help thinking as I sat here that back of all 
 these comes the opportunity of what two hundred 
 years gives to these young men and women of Needham. 
 It is the inheritance brought to them by their forefathers 
 by the men who have made this possible, by the men 
 and the women too, for the women have done their 
 part. You remember Senator Hoar when asked to 
 speak to the toast 'The Pilgrim Mothers' said this: 
 'The Pilgrim Mothers, they endured all the Pilgrim 
 fathers endured, and also had to endure the Pilgrim 
 fathers.' 
 
 Now, it is that inheritance, that many years of 
 good town government brought down to these boys and 
 girls that is going to give them an opportunity, — the 
 opportunity which comes to an American citizen and 
 gives him the chance to become as great and as good 
 as any other man in the country. That is what freedom 
 means here, it is what has been brought about by the 
 kind of men and women who settled this town, and 
 I assure you that Newton brings to you greetings and 
 hopes that you may at the next celebration after an- 
 other hundred years have as pleasant and even a pleas- 
 anter reunion than this. 
 
 'May you be the same good fellow, genial spirit, man and 
 
 friend 
 Till the shadows fall and lengthen, and life's beaten track 
 
 shall end.' " 
 
 The Chairman. "It has been said, I believe, 
 by some one that a man's birthplace is largely acci- 
 dental, and I presume we have a very little to say about 
 it, but we have here a great many people who claim 
 Needham as their birthplace, and who have a feeling 
 of friendship and loyalty for our town, who take an 
 
 2161 
 
TnE BANQt'ET -IIOV. n. H. JOHVHOV 
 
 intorcst in our town, luid wo have som«" of them with 
 lis (iiiriii^ tlii.s (■(•Irhralioii, atni I assure you it lia> ^'ivcn 
 inv (|uitt' a ftM-lini,' of inspiration to scr witli us from <lay 
 to day frit'iids and nrij^lihors fronj dilTcn-nt towns and 
 cities. 
 
 Tonif^dit w«' liavc with us a man well known ia a 
 hir^f number of our townsmen, one who has <M-(iij)ied 
 responsihh' positions and has heen identified with th<' 
 ^'rowth of the nei^dihorin^ city of Walt ham. and who 
 comes to us toni^'ht with a few words of ^<M)d cheer and 
 encoura^'emenl . I ha\e the pleasure to introduce at 
 Uiis time the Hon. li. H. John.soii." 
 
 KIMAKKS OF HON. h. H. .JOHNSON 
 
 "Mr. Chairman, ladies and i^'entlemen: I was 
 thinking tcxluy tliat 1 wils almost the only native lands- 
 man amon^ tluvse invited quests seated at this tahle. 
 Almost all the gentlemen wlm have heen here toni^'ht, 
 and CNpecially thos»' who are gone, and my ehxpient 
 brother here and one or two that sit at the tahle, are 
 fishermen and they won't know what the catch is until 
 next Novemher. Another one over here is a fisher of 
 men, and I presume you will hear from him. 
 
 Seventy-seven years ago next Novem))er I paid 
 my lirst visit to Needham. Churches were .scarce; 
 now you luive an abundance of them — have enough for 
 every one. ^ Our school houses were poor and scattered; 
 you have splendid edifices iU)W. Hut they had s«)me 
 snuirt Ik)vs and girls in Ne«*dham in those days. Wlu'U 
 tlu' old parson made one of his calls on the Kingsbury 
 family th«' little girl of the family had a composition 
 she had just prepared on the cow. The pastor ask«'d 
 her to read it and she read it to him. The last st-ntence 
 of it wa-s — 'The cow is the most useful animal in tlie 
 
 (217 
 
NEEDHAM S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 world except religion.' The pastor understood that. 
 A town which for two hundred years has stood faithful 
 in education and civil and religious liberty, judged by 
 the standards of the town of Needham, has a right to 
 celebrate its Bicentennial. A town which has sent out 
 its girls and boys imbued with those characteristics 
 they have gotten here, who have made their mark in 
 business and social life of this Commonwealth, such a 
 town has the right to celebrate her Bicentennial Anni- 
 versary with pride. I congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, 
 on what appears to be a most remarkable success that 
 your committee has achieved, and I thus publicly 
 thank you for the invitation to this occasion which I 
 consider a great compliment. I am glad to see so many 
 here from abroad and I am glad that Needham has 
 been honored by some of these talented ones in song, 
 in verse and in service. I was glad to hear that poem 
 last night; it was a credit and an honor to the town and 
 to the woman who wrote it. 
 
 Let me, in conclusion, say that I trust that one of 
 the lessons that will be learned today out of this celebra- 
 tion will be that which has been thrust home tonight 
 more than once — the duty of loyal good citizenship. 
 Let every man and woman resolve that the moral 
 standard of Needham shall never be lowered, and put 
 your hands upon your hearts and pledge yourselves if 
 you are wise that you will never let this town be en- 
 gulfed by any other municipality, even Boston " 
 [applause.] 
 
 The Chairman: "We have with us tonight the 
 representative of a family well known by reputation, 
 and known also by a large number of our citizens, the 
 representative of a family which has taken active part 
 in making the history of Needham, and one which has 
 always held a place of honor in our hearts. We remem- 
 
 218] 
 
Tin; M\N<^iKT -uiv. c.ynnt.y. \vniT\Kiii 
 
 IxT tlu'in and we ropi'cl tlicrii, and it i.s with |)It a>ure 
 tliat I call u\nm Dr. (ieorgc Wliilaker." 
 
 UKMAHKS OF KKV. (iKORCi: Willi AKKR 
 
 "Mr. ( liairiiiaii. I \va^ alxtiil t<» >ay I-'dlow Citi- 
 zens of NiT(lliaiii, for I hardly like to call iiiy>flf now 
 any other than a NCcdhaiii hoy. 
 
 1 am rcininiicd of a certain dignitary of the church 
 who had (Hca.sion at one time to pass throu^'h a .s[)ar.sely 
 settled .section of Missouri, and because of tin- scarcity 
 of provisions found it neci-ssary for his daily wants to 
 nuike application wherever oi)portunity occurred. It 
 is said that he came to the door of u pleasant appearing 
 lo<; cahin, with its ^'arden attractive and l>eautiful 
 about it, and he made a reijui-.st for a meal. A well 
 dre.s.scd lady of particular attractiveness j^dadly con- 
 sented to supply his need. Everything' there denoted 
 the utmost thrift and housewifery. When the dinner 
 was served a ne^ro came in and to(jk his seat at the 
 table, and he proved to be the husband of this woman 
 who had providi'd so well for her guest. Surprise was 
 expressed that she should have married a negro, when 
 she replied, — 'My sister did not fare anything like as 
 well as I did. for she married a ^'ankee.' 
 
 And I have come to consider the situation of that 
 relationship, for the term 'Vanket'' ha.s grown to he 
 wonderfully strong. It started well at the foundation 
 of the splendid characteristics the prai.se of which we 
 iiavi' heard a good deal during this celebratit)n. It 
 was, to be sure, confined largely to Kngland until a 
 certain misunderstanding grew up a little more than 
 fifty years ago. but it spread i)artly by emigration, an«i 
 partly by a loyalty to the country's wtlfare. all ovir 
 thcM,* New Kngland states; and a peculiar ideal of 
 
 [2VJ 
 
NEEDHAM 8 BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 righteousness, that profound devotion to efforts that 
 this country should stand as the representative of abso- 
 lute freedon for church and state, and should become 
 a name indeed, as it had been a name in verse — 'The 
 land of the free and the home of the brave,' and that 
 spirit marks genuine Yankeedom. 
 
 And so I love to think that this town, as we have 
 heard over and over again, was settled by this kind 
 of people. The fathers have done their share in giving 
 us the characteristics of highest manhood of most 
 splendid devotion, of heroic strife and glorious victory, 
 and that has given the Yankee name immortality side 
 by side with the best things of Greece and Rome. This 
 term has become significant of our great American 
 honesty, and is speaking to all generations as they come 
 and go into the activities of life. 
 
 I am here for just a few moments to call your 
 attention to the fact which must not be forgotten, that 
 like old Greece and Rome that took into itself by a 
 system of proselytism all the peoples who were pleased 
 to accept its principles, so this America of ours invites 
 the people of every land to come and take up our faith, 
 take up our courage, take up our national prestige — 
 seize upon all these appliances for the individual grov/th, 
 for splendid development, for heroic achievement, for 
 supplementing the ideal to which they perpetually 
 aspire. It is this principle to which we invite the peo- 
 ple of every land to become a part of our great nation- 
 ality. 
 
 I cannot stop without calling your attention, 
 friends, to this fact, that our Americans are fast becom- 
 ing a mixture of half a dozen old bloods; and to accom- 
 plish that there has been incorporated a little German, 
 a little Scandinavian, a little of the Latin races, some 
 North American Indian, some African blacks and some 
 Aztec, and putting the whole together, consecrating 
 
 2201 
 
TMK lUVQIFT— HKV. (■;KOHf;H WHITAKKR 
 
 nnd moulding' the sariu-, to hriii^' ahoiit a( the last the 
 confj'ornrration of u cosinopolitan Ariifrican. 
 
 Now I must .say a word very hrit'fly on one or two 
 points. First, I tliauk you for tlic privilr^c (»f hcin^ 
 with you a^'ain. and hccausj' you arr N'rcdhani |>ropIc 
 you will l)c intrr«'strd tonight to fjo with rnr to tin- home 
 of citi/cn Morgan. If you will, look with m('outr)fhis 
 north wiiid(»w and sec oik- house. That was the home 
 of the Ke\ . William Hil(hie, then the pastor of the 
 church that stood a little farther away, 'iiirn your 
 eyes out of tlu" west window and fin<l the home of the 
 Kev. Daniel Kind)all. IJoth were uncles of Kd^'ar K. 
 ^Vhil:lker, my father. 
 
 Then turn your eyes out of the south window and 
 you will see one house, now taken down, and I want to 
 say that every nail we pulled out as we tore off the 
 clapboards and timbers and hoards was made of 
 wrought iron, just as the hiacksmith fashioneil every 
 nail that went into that hou.se. Out of the cast window, 
 and nearly opposite the Baptist Church was the next 
 hou.se, the resi(h'nce of Josepli Colhurn. who has gone 
 to his reward. A little f; rther away was Asa Kings- 
 bury's, and just beyond the little .school house where 
 my own ideas were first taught to sprout. Just beyond 
 was the little brick .school-house — and that was Need- 
 luun when I was a boy, and that repre.s«'nted every- 
 thing in sight. This very si)ot where you and I now 
 are is where I once got an awful sweating digging away 
 with the hoc, or swinging the scythe to the best of my 
 strength. My father had the notion that the best wa}- 
 was to bring a boy up with work, and I have found 
 it wi'll to be in league with work, to be overflowing with 
 work, to be never wearied with work, and to determine 
 that work was man's highest character and d<'stiny was 
 one of the good Ics.sons taught me in my Nccdham 
 home. 
 
 (221 
 
needham's bicentennial celebration 
 
 I would like to tell of what throbs in my heart 
 as I recognize some of the men sitting in this au- 
 dience tonight, who began to turn this land only good 
 enough to feed a few cows into a place filled with 
 business industries, to feed factories and the indus- 
 tries represented so nicely in the procession this 
 morning. 
 
 In those early days there was just one church. 
 There was one in what is now Wellesley Hills, and there 
 is another a little to the north of it — the old Needham 
 Circuit, and these constituted the whole. Now see 
 how you are surrounded with all sorts of spiritual 
 enlightenment, and every Sabbath, and every new 
 moon, and every festivity, you can consecrate your- 
 selves with all that is noble in human character, and 
 all that is revealed in the book of God. And in the 
 strength of these truths you go out to work, some in 
 Boston, some on the farm, some in the line of merchan- 
 dise, some at home, and training your children to be 
 magnificent men, and making splendid women of the 
 daughters of your love. There is nothing grander 
 in this world, and may there be nothing better in the 
 world to come. 
 
 I call to mind the fact that years ago the Sons 
 of Temperance were organized here, and that the order 
 is still alive, as evidenced in your parade of this morning, 
 the very regalia of the first patriarch being exhibited. 
 And may I remind you of the revival of this same move- 
 ment, and urge upon you in this community to make 
 the good work of the past a fit introduction to the 
 achievements of the future. 
 
 God bless Needham, its every inhabitant, and those 
 that will come to catch the spirit of the fathers, and 
 the spirit of those hereafter; and that this town shall 
 go on from strength to strength and from light to light, 
 and from grace to grace, from the scenes of our earthly 
 
 222] 
 
TIIK JINNQIKT -RKN'. C.FJmcy \VHTT\KFH 
 
 stnipplrs to srrnrs of quirt at tlic n^\\\ li.iiul of (loci, 
 I thank yoii, Mr. Cliairinaii." 
 
 The audiriicf rose, ami the occasion fnilocl with 
 the .singing of oiu* verse of "Anieric a.' 
 
 (223 
 
1711 
 
 1911 
 
 The Town o i- N i: k i > n a m 
 
 MASSACHUSETTS 
 
 will celebrate this year, with fitting exercises, its 
 BICENTENNIAL 
 
 You are cordially invited to be present Sunday. Monday and 
 Tuesday. September 17, 18 and 19. 1911 
 
 The pro^;ram will include a civic and trades parade, sports 
 and children's entertainment, historic exhibit, reception, his- 
 toric addresses, banquet and ball 
 
 There will be room for everyone, and the committee hopes 
 that you will be able to join with them in making the obser- 
 vance a success 
 
 The subscription to the banquet has been placed at two 
 dollars. In order to determine the number of covers to be 
 laid, notice of your intention to attend will be necessary 
 
 The tickets to the ball will be one dollar each 
 
 WILLIAM G. MOSELEY. Chairman 
 THOMAS SUTTON, Secrrtarv 
 
'I iii: r.ALL 
 
TIIH HALL 
 
 A littiiiK finale to Nccdliani's IH-Cciilriuiial (I'li-- 
 bratitui was tlu' ^'raiid march and l)all licld in tlie Town 
 Hall TiU'sday ovniiiiK, S('i)tcml)rr U)tli. More tliaii 
 one hundred cDupk'S partiiiijatcd. The ^rand march 
 was led by Henry T. Childs, Chairman of the Board 
 of Selectmen, and Miss Bessie Childs. 
 
 'I'he atTair was in char^'e of a committee comprised 
 of Selectman William A. I'lolx-rt. Chairman; Henry 
 D. Hlackman and Jame> ii. Whettoii. The floor was 
 ill char^'e of John L. TwiK^- He was assisted by 
 James H. Whcltoii, Francis J. Stanwood, Wallace (;. 
 liiiv and liodney S. Adams. 
 
 Tiic hall was prettily decorated with pale blue 
 and uhite bunting' draped from the truss beams over- 
 head. Artificial vines and fiowers adorned the col- 
 umns and walls, and pendants of vines and roses huiiK 
 from the chandeliers and li^ht clusters. The front of 
 the stage was decorated with vines and bou(iucts of 
 flowers. 
 
 Mu>ic for dancing' was supplied by flic Vunhin 
 Orrlnstra of Boston. The dance order comprised 
 twelve numbers and several extras. Dancing,' was «-n- 
 joyed until 14 V. M. Many ^mesls were present from 
 ni'dham, W<'lK'sley, Newton. Natick. Dover and other 
 nearbv towns. The beautiful costumes t)f the ladies 
 toKcther with tlu- ta>teful decorations of the hall com- 
 bined to make the atTair easily the lexiding soiial event 
 iu the festivities of the year. 
 
 1227 
 
Til i: Ri:sr i/r 
 
Tin: RKSULT 
 
 Thron^'hoiit tlu- (.-iitirc ci-K'ljration, 1k1<1 midcr un- 
 clouded skifs, not an urii)l('a.saiit iiicidt-nt niarrt-d tlit- 
 siiccr>s of N( odiiaiii's Hicinlt nnial annivtrsary, a 
 success so niarkt'd tliat in it tlie liardt\st worker on 
 the coniinittee for^'ot the Jiours ^'ivcn to tin* many 
 details of the fir.st .ste{).s. Tlie general invitations to 
 attend at sonu* time during' the thre<- days, sent hy 
 citizens to ahsent ones, hroufiht a most ^^ratifying 
 numl)er of Xeedhaiu's sons and daughters, as well as 
 int<'rt>teii friends ; and the surrctundinj^ towns contri- 
 Ituted their share of transient vi>itors. 
 
 A remarkable feature of the celebration was the 
 prevailing orderliness in crowds runninp into the thou- 
 sands. No extra officers were needed, and at no time 
 was even the r«'<,Milar force a necessity, save as a pre- 
 cautionary measure. Not an arrest was nuule dur- 
 ing the whole time. That the real spirit of the cele- 
 bration had been caught by all, was jjlainly shown 
 by each one's effort to hel[) make the event a joy to 
 others. 
 
 Another noticeable feature of tlu- occasion was the 
 absence of all that would in any way tend to lessen the 
 diu'nity of the celebration. Life and f)h-asure alMHuid- 
 e(J, but the committee deei<le(l ai^'airist the admis- 
 sion of *'side shows" and "fakirs", and the discor- 
 dant cries and attendant unruly following usual on sim- 
 ilar occasions were absent. 
 
 [231 
 
NEEDHAM 8 BICENTENNIAL, CELEBRATION 
 
 It was gratifying as well as pleasant to see many 
 of the same faces day after day, signifying that the 
 event was not losing in its force as the program con- 
 tinued, — and those who were obliged to leave before 
 the end did so with genuine regret. 
 
 What will be the permanent effect of the celebra- 
 tion on the civic welfare of the town cannot now be 
 determined ; indirectly, at least, it must be beneficial ; 
 but Needham's Bicentennial will not be forgotten by 
 the present generation, and without doubt the record 
 here preserved will be enjoj^ed by many in the future. 
 
 THE END 
 
 232] 
 
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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