v-Jv' ^''<^^ •^ > •A W^ "^. > ■.*' V ^-o,.^" ^O ^ .. ■ , . -. ■ - ^. "-'•^ * iS\Vu-'?>'/Z'; ■ V'^^ .0* '^_ o > \' ^. ■ sj^ <^, ' * « ^^ O r ° " ° II O ^>'-^<; >^, .0' .-V ^.^v.n,o^ \> ^-^ .^^^ V' ^ ,0^' A '^ - ''^^ 0^ e^o* ^" '''^■^. > ■^. V-^' .s^^.. '?/ '^ '^l^^^V^V ^' "^ ^% .0' c ^^ .^ .\<^S^-r'- > -^^ A. o V -n.- 0^ f < o^ / *■■ .s^V 9 "-I fe' '^ " ■« <*^; (^^^y^^,^^ THE IIISTOIJY OF LEOMINSTER, NOllTIIERX HALF OF THE LAXCASTEE NEAV OR ADDITIONAL GRANT^ FROM JUNE 26, 1701, THE DATE OP THE DEED FROM GEORGE TAIIANTO, INDIAN' SAGAMORE, TO JULY 4, 1852. B^ IX^VID WILD EH FITCIIBU: r U I X T E D A T THE R E A' E I M. E OFF! V V. . 1853. ^ PREFACE. Leominster, December 3, 1851. This (lay I commence the work of preparing a history of this town from its earliest existence as a purchase from the Indians. And in view of my incompetency to perform a task of so great responsibility, in a manner satisfactory to myself or to others. I am ready to exclaim., O, that some abler native son Had written out what I've begun; ' Tis too important to be lost, And 'tis too late to count the cost. Submitting myself however, to the disposal of that Almighty Being through whose goodness my life has been spared beyond the common age of man, I would humbly pray for a few months more, and that He will continue my health, and grant me strength, both of body and mind, to complete an undertaking which, as I trust and believe, may not be wholly uninteresting to those who are at present, or who may hereafter be citizens of this town. DAVID WILDER. December 3, I85'<>. It is done. My prayers have been answered. My life has been prolonged. My health and strength, both of body and mind, have been preserved. The work which, a year ago, was commenced with doubts and fears has been completed. And while I would be truly grateful for the unmerited favors of the past, I would for the future humbly submit myself to Ilim who has sustained me through a long and diversified life of difficul- ties and trials. •* PREFACE. I regret cxceediiioly that the following pages could not have be^n written by some one whose education is superior to mine ; but such as they are I cheerfully submit them to my friends, not doubting but that when they read, instead of criticising tlie language, they will " put on charity." My business has been principally with the facts. And although no inconsiderable por- tion ot them have been written from memory and oral tradition, yet I have had recourse to the Records of the Church, the town, the County, the State, and the Proprietor's Book. And I have also extracted, and in some instances rather copiously, from the Centennial Discourse preached by the Rev. R. P. Stebbins, in 184:3, from the History of Laacaster, by J. WiUard, Esq.; that of Sterling, by I. Goodwin, Esq., and some others. So that in- stead of being a work of mine, the book may with propriety be considered a compilation from the works of others. And now I would return my thanks to those friends who have kindly furnished me with statistical and other facts concerning- the Churches, the Agricultural, the Manufacturing, the Mechan- ical and other interests of the people here. I feel myself under particular obligations to the Rev. Amos Smith, and to the Messrs. J. C. Allen, Leonard Burrage, James Boutelle, Charles H. Colburn, Samuel M. Carter, Wm. F. Howe, John Gardner, x^mos Ilaws, Jabez B. Low, J. C. Lane, Luke Lincoln, G. &i A. Morse, Josiah and Scwall Richardson, Albert SUalton, of this town ; and to Hon, O. B. Morris, of Springfield, Charles G. Prentiss, Esq., of Worcester, Charles W. Lovett, Esq., of Boston, Silas Bruce, Esq., of Townscnd, Doctor P. T. Ken- dall, of Sterling, Mr. S. C. Simonds, of Norwich, Vt., Hon. John Prentiss, of Keene, and Mr. Asa Kendall, of Mount yernon, N. H., afid Hon. Timotiiy Boutelle, of Water ville, Maine. If, with their aid, I have been instrumental in' preserving such a knowledge of past events as may bo interesting and useful to posterity, my reward is ample and sure. DAVID WILDER. IIISTOllY OF LEOMINSTER. In order to render the liistory of this town the more intelligible, it is proper, and even necessary, to give some account of Lancaster and Sterling, Avith both of which it has been intimately connected. Joseph ^Villard, Esq., in his history publish- ed in the Worcester Magazine for September, 1826, says: "The first settlement of Lancas- ter goes fiir back in the early liistory of ]Mas- sachusetts. It was the tenth town incorpora- ted in the County of Middlesex, and precedes, by many 3"ears, every town now within the lim- its of the County of AYoreester. Indeed, no town, so fiir from tlie sea coast, excepting Springfield, was incorporated so early. * * * The plantation at Xashaway was undertaken sometime m 1643. The whole territory around was in subjection to Sholan or Shauman, Sa- chem of the Xashaways, and whose residence was Waushacum, now' Sterling. ^Ir. Thomas King, of Watertown, united with a num- HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. ber of others, and purchased the kind of 8ho- lan, viz : ten miles in length, and eight in breadth ; stipulating not to molest the Indians in their hunting, fishing, or planting places. This Deed v.'as sanctioned by the General Court. It covered a considerable portion of the towns of Harvard and Bolton, the whole, or nearly the whole of what is now Clinton, and one half mile in width on the Easterly side of Sterling, Eat not much progress was made in the settlement for eight or ten years. The Town was incorporated May 18, 1653, (O. S.,) there being then but nine families in it." " The inhabitants were ordered to take care that a Godly minister be maintained amongst them, that no evil persons, enemies to the laws of this Commonwealth, in judgement or prac- tice, be admitted as inhabitants, and none to have lots confirmed to them, but such as take the oath of fidelity." The affairs of the town seem to have proceed- ed with tolerable quiet for more than twenty years from the first settlement, till 1674. The population had increased quite rapidly and was spread over a large part of the to^vnship. The Indians were inclined to peace, and, in various wavs, were of service to the inhabitants. But tliis happy state of tilings was not destined to HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 7 continue. The day of deep and long continued distress was at hand. The natives with whom tlicy had li^■ed on terms of mutual good will, were soon to become their bitter enemies : des- olation was to spread over the fair inheritance : fii-e and the tomahawk, torture and death, were soon to be busy in annihilating all the com- forts of domestic life. On the 22d day of Au- gust, 1675, eight persons were killed, and on the 10th of February following, early in the morning, the forces of several tribes of Indians, led by Phillip, made a desperate attack upon tlie town in five different places at once. From fifty to fifty-five persons were either killed or taken prisoners. And in about six wrecks af- terwards all the houses but two were destroyed, the town was deserted, and for more than thr(« years Lancaster remained without an inhabi- tant. No record exists by which the precise time of the re-scttlcment took place ; but it was probably in the spring of 1680. Some of the first planters, or theii- children, who were still living, returned, accompanied by others. Of the former were the Prescotts, Houghtons, Saw- yers, Wilders, Szc. A number of brothers by the name of Carter came in soon afterwards from Woburii, and were the descendants of the first minister of that town. b HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. The civil history of Lancaster from 1680 to 1T2-A, excepting- what is preserved by Mr. Har- rington, is probably lost ; what progress there- fore the town made in popnlation and wealth for thirty years after its rc-settlcment is un- known. It is however certain that during this whole period the Indians continued hostile, and at nine different times made depredations on the inhabitants, killing some, taking others caj^ti^e, and burning their dwellings and their meeting-house. The first Avas on the 18th of July, 1692, when a party of the Indians attack- ed the house of Peter Joslin, and murdered his wife, three children, and a widow by the name of AMiitcomb, who resided in the family. Jos- lin himself, at the time, was at work in the field, and knew nothing of the terrible calamity that liad befallen him, till his return home. Eliza- beth How, his wife's sister, was taken captive, but was aftewards returned. Another child of his was put to death by the enemy in the wil- derness. Eeing a lineal descendant from Joslin on my mother's side, I am able, by tradition, to add some particulars to the above account. One of the little boys in the morning requested lea"\e to go into the field witli his father, assigning as a reason that he liad seen some red men in HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 9 the hemp ; but the father heeded him not. It was baking day with Mrs. Joslin, and she de- fended herself against the Indians with tlijc bread-shovel, till she received a death wound from a tomahawk. Elizabeth How was spin- ning on the little wheel ; and probably was spared on account of the sweet melody she was making with her voice. The Indians used to make her sing to them in her captivity. Peter Joslin, who out-lived his foiu-tli wife, died at the house of his son John in this town, April 8, 1759, aged 9^ years, and his grave is in the north-east part of the old burying ground. " The last attack was on the 5th of August, 1710, and the last person killed was an Indian boy at work with Nathaniel and Oliver Wild- er." THE LANCASTER NEW OR ADDITIONAL GRANT. It must be a source of satisfaction to the owners of real estate, to know that they have acquired it honorably, paid for it honestly, and obtained a, good and sufficient title to it. Thus it was with the New Grant. In October, 1G79, tt committee was appointed by the County Court, under a law then in force, to re-build 10 HISTORY OF LEOMI^^STER. the town of Lancaster, and it is not improbable that some encouragement of an additional grant was held out to the first settlers to induce tliem to return. And this cii'cumstance may have led to the error in the sermon j)rcached on leaving the old meeting-house, Oct. 12, 1823, by the late Eev. Mr. Conant, in which he says that " the first grant of this town must have been prior to the year 1680." That no such grant was either confirmed or made till many years afterwards, will appear by the following documents copied from the history of Sterling, by the late Isaac Goodwin, Esq., and published in the Worcester Magazine for 1826. The first agreement was made in 1701. The following is a copy of the Indian deed of the New Grant, the bargain with George Tahanto and other Indians, for lands of them purchased. " Know all men by these presents, that I, George Tahanto, Indian Sagamore, for and in consideration of what money, namely, twelve pounds, was formerly paid to Sholan, my uncle, sometime Sagamore of Nashuah, for the 'piu- chase of said township and also forty-six shil- lings foijnerly paid by Insigne John Moore and John IIoi%hton of said Nashuah to James Wi- ser, alias Quenepenett, now deceased, but espec- HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 11 ially for and in consideration of eighteen ponnds paid part, and the rest secnred to be paid, by John Houghton and Nathaniel "Wilder, their heirs, executors and assigns forever, a certain ti'act of land on the West side of the AVestward line of Nashuah township, adjoinmg to said Ime, and butts southerly for the most part on Nashuah river, bearing westerly towards Wa- chusett Hills, and runs northerly as far as Nasliuah township, and which lands and mead- ows, be it more or less, to be to. the said In si (pic, John Moore, John Houghton, and Nathan- iel Wilder, their heirs and assigns, to have and to hold forever. And I, the said George Ta- hanto, do hereby promise and engage to pro- cure an order from the honored General Court, for their allowance and confirmation of tlie sale of said lands ^as aforesaid, and also that I will show and mark out the bounds of said land in convenient time, not exceeding four months, and also to make such deeds and con- veyances, as may be necessary for the confirma- tion of the premises, and that also I, the said George Tahanto, do by these presents, fully notify and ■ confinn, all and every, the said township of Nashuah, alias Lancaster, to the Inhabitants and Proprietors thereof according as it was formerlv granted to them or their an- 12 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. cestors by my Uncle Sliolan, and laid out to them by Ensign Thomas Noyes, and confirmed by the Hon. General Court. For the perform- ance of all the above said, I, the said George Tahanto, have set my hand and seal this twen- ty sixth day of June, in the 13th year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord, William, the Thu'd, over England, &c.,King, Annoque Dom- ini, 1701. Signed and Sealed in presence of George Tahan'to, his O mark. Mary Aunsocamug, her ) mark. John Wonsquon, his ) mark. John Aquitticus, his I mark. Peter Puckataugh, his P mark. Jonathan Wilder- John Guild." The above is a copy of the deed as it stand? upon the Proprietor's llecords. Tlie following is the confirmation " Anno- que Pegni Anna.^ Pegina^ Duodecimo." " At a Great and General Court or Assembly for her Majesty's province of the Massachusetts Bny in New England, begun and held at Boston, May 27, 1713. " In Council. — The report of the Committee upon the surveys of land prayed for by Lancas- ter, Nov. 21 and 22, 1711. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 13 '' Whereas, we the subscribers, viz : Jonathan Prescott, John Farnsworth, and Samuel Jones, are a Committee appointed to view a tract of land, petitioned for by the Inhabitants of Lan- caster, and to make report to the General Court, for their consideration, we have accord- ingly been upon the spot, the days above dated, and proceeded thereupon as follows : Imprhnls. We began at the proper bounds of the Lancas- ter plantation, and thence run our line upon a Northwest point or thereabouts, along by the Southwest side of Masshapauge and Unkach- PU'alwick Ponds extending said line three miles, from thence we made an angle running near upon a S. W. point, crossing a river called the North ri^-cr, and so running over hills called Monnoosuck Hills, said line being about six miles in length, till it meets with the mid- dle branch of Lancaster river, at or near a little hill on which the Indians had marked a ti'ee for a corner of said, land, being near five miles wide. At the Southward end bounded partly by Capt. Davenport's farm, to the S.^W. comer of Lancaster old bounds. The land in- cluded within these bounds is rocky and moun- tainous, and very poorly accommodated with meadow. Jonathan Prescott, Samuel Jones, John Farnsworth. 2 14 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. " Read and ordered tliat the tract of land above described, be added and confirmed to the to^^■n of Lancaster, as a part of the township, not prejudicing any former grants. Concurred by the KepresentatiATS, Consented to, Joseph Dudley. Isaac Addington, vSec'ry." Previous "to this act of confirmation the In- habitants of Lancaster, at a Public Town-meet- ing, Feb. 5, 1711, voted that all such as were inhabitants, might join m the purchase of the Indian Land, and all such as would do it, should signify the same, by subscribing their names to the following contract : " Know all men, that we, the subscribers, being desirous to purchase a tract of land which lieth on the West side of Lancaster, which lands have formerly been petitioned for to the General Court, and which the Inhabi- tants of Lancaster are still in pursuance of, and their petition is still with the General Court for granting the same, and considerable money having been paid to George Tahanto and other Indians, towards the purchasing of said lands, though not yet consummated: "We, the subscribers, do hereby bind ourselves and our heirs to pay each one his equal share of the purchase of said lands and all charges that HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 15 liave or shall be expended about thesa nie, and to run equal hazard of obtamin<:^ said land, provided, that ii' said land be obtained, we sliall each one have an equal share, and the said money to be paid before the 5th of March next, and shall subscribe hereto on or before the 15 th of the present month, or else lay no claim to said land. Signed by Joii?? Prextice, James "Wilder, And 96 others." Thomas "Wilder and John Houghton were appointed to manage the Petition at the Gen- eral Court. Feb. 15, 1714, a Committee was chosen to allot said land in lots of 40 acres to a share of the best land, and 40 acres for a Minister, in the most convenient place, and if they find or know of a convenient place for clay ground, that it be reserved for the benefit of the whole. All lots not so good in quality to be more in quan- tity, so as to be equal to 40 acres of the best land. The first legal meeting of the Proprietors was called by Thomas How, Esq., one of tlie Justices of the Peace for the County of Middk*- sex, to be held in Lancaster, March 6, 1716 ; John Houghton was then chosen Clerk. 16 IIISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. Thus the arrangement commenced in 1701, was consmnmatcd and confirmed by the Gener- al Court, whoehy ten* ioiy ec|iiivalent to about fifty square miles was added to the town of Lancaster, making it thii'teen miles in length from East to West, and ten miles in width be- tween North and South. But although the territory thus acquired was under the controrof the town in its corporate capacity, yet the land itself was owned by sun- dry inhabitants of said town in their capacity as Proprietors ; and as such, they, their heirs, and successors, caused it to be laid out and dis- posed of, and have managed the whole concern up to the present time. Hence came the Pro- prietors' Meetings, and the Pj-oprietovs' Books and Records. Among the principal Proprietors and those wlio had the greatest number of lots laid out to them, were, the Beamans, the Sawyers, the Houghtons, the Osgoods, the Carters, the Jos- lins, the Whites, the Whitcombs and the Wild- ers. Few, if any, of the original Proprietors, removed on to the New Grant, but their sons were among the iii'st settlers. As early as the year 1720 Gamaliel Beaman, Samuel Sawyer, Benjamin Houghton, David Osgood and Jona^- than Osgood, established themseh'cs in that part HISTORY OF LEOMI^■STER. 17 of it which is now Sterling. Their settlements were all within short distances of each other, lying ^Soi'thwestwanlly of the INIeeting House. The Inhabitants found there a small tribe of Indians, with whom they lived on terms of the most perfect friendship. In 1725, Gershon Houghton and James Boutell ventured a few miles farther North and erected houses in what is now the South and S. Westerly part of Leom- inster. Seven years afterwards Jonathan Wliite fixed himself in the North part. And in two years more Tliomas Wilder and Nathaniel Car- ter became permanent settlers. And soon af- terwards settlements were commenced in differ- ent parts of the Northern half of the Grant (for it is yet all Lancaster) by Benjamin Whitcomb, Jonathan Wilson, Jonathan Carter, William Di- voU, Gardner Wilder, Ebenezer Policy, Oliver Carter, Josiah Carter, Thomas Houghton, Thomas Davenport, and others. Tradition says (and I believe the records will prove it to be true) that Samuel Carter owned four or five farms, and that he gave one to each of four sons. Nathaniel being the oldest had his first choice. And, to be the better satisfied which was the most valuable, he w^ould work one week on the Bee Hill lot, and the next on the Unckache- watunk. One Monday morning when he was 18 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. * about to start, his father says to him, " Nat, wliich lot did you work on Last week ?' " Bc-e Hill, sir." " Well, that you go on to this morn- ing must be yours." When he came to the par- ting of the roads he turned to Bee Hill, where he and his son and grandson Nathaniel lived and died, and the farm is now in the possession of the fourth generation from the first settler. Tiius far vv^e have been speaking of Lancas- ter as a whole ; but it is now time to turn our attention to, and describe more particularly the Northwesterly corner thereof. Yv^hile the settlements advanced with great rapidity in the Southern half of the New Grant, by accessions not only from the old Parish, but also from Essex County and other places ; in the Northern, and, as I think, the better half of that Grant, the settlements were compara- tively few. For nineteen years after the Grant had been confirmed, there had been but two liouses erected. And there were scarcely more than five families even in 1733, when they had become so numerous in the Southern half as to induce them to petition to be set oiF as a sepa- rate township. But in a few years aftcrAvards there came in a considerable number of just such men as are necessary to manage a good cause successfully. They were generally Intel- HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 19 liijent and industrious farmers, and not in the habit of taking backward steps. As early as the year 1737 they came to the conclusion that they could conduct thcii' Parochial and Munici- pal concerns themselves, and with much less trouble and expense than to go to what is now Lancaster. And after several years of perse- vering efforts, they at length succeeded in satis- fying the General Court, that, among other con- ditions required of them, they could, and they would " maintain a Godly Mmister," And on the strength of the fulfilment of the last named condition, probably, mo]-e than any or all others, the prayer of their Petition was granted, and on the 23d of June, O. S., 1740, the same as the 4th of July, N. S., just thirty-six years be- fore the Declaration of xlmerican Independence, an Act was passed whereby territory equiva- lent to something more than five miles square was incorporated into a town by the name of Leominster, with all the powers and privileges, and subject to all the duties and requirements generally with the 150 other towns which had previously been incorporated in what is now tlie Commomvealth of Massachusetts and the State of Maine. 20 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. BOUNDARIES. Although the Petition has been lost, and the Act of incorporation cannot be found, yet the boundaries of the town may be very accurately described. Commencing at the Southwest cor- ner, as it was originally, being the Northwest angle of Sterling, it runs east, nineteen and one h alf degrees South, sixteen hundred and ninety rods on Sterling to a stump at Lancaster ; thence making a right angle, it runs a few degrees East of North on Lancaster old line, about ten hundred and seventy rods ; thence, by many angles, in almost every direction, so as to in- clude the whole of what was formerly the farm of Thomas Houghton, quite at the Northeast corner of the town, it comes back up to the point of the said Lancaster line ; thence North- westerly on the line of Lunenburg to the South- erly end of Massapog pond ; thence, in nearly the same direction, to the Westerly end of the Chualoom pond ; thence, in a Southwesterly direction, on Lunenburg and Fitchburg to the top of the North Monoosnock Hill ; thence, nearly West, on Fitchburg to what, till lb38, was unincorporated land, or " No Town," and HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 21 till said year the Western boundary was on said No Town. But by three Acts passed in 1838 the whole of No Town was anner:ed to Prince- ton, Westminsier and Lcomhister ; and the boundaries in tluit quarter are now as follow, viz : beginning at a stake and stones at the Northeast corner of a lot of land belonging to John Whitne}', of Princeton ; and runnmg, first, South, thirty- three degrees West, two hun- dred and niwely-seven rods to a stone monu- ment, being the Southwest correr of Leomins- ter ; thence, secondly, from said Whitney's cor- ner, NorLli, fifty degrees and thirty minutes West, on what is now Princeton, about four hundred rods to a stake and stones; thence. North, fourteen degrees East, on the line of that part of No Town annexed to Westminster, about seven hundred rods, to a stake and stones on the South line 6f the town of Fitchburg ; thence South, seventy-eight degrees and forty minutes East, on the South line of Fitchburg, three huncked and tv/enty-five rods, to a stone monument, being the Northeast corner of what was No ToAvn, and the Northwest corner of what was previously Leominster. Previons to the annexation in 1838, the town contained 16,602 acres, being thir- y-e'ght acres short of twenty-six square miles. But by the 2*2 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. ~ annexation of a part of No Town, two thousand acres were added, thereby increasing the number of acres to 18,602 being forty-two acres more than twenty-nine square miles. Although the West line of Lancaster was originally a straight one, yet, by some means or other, there are now several angles in it as will appear by the record of the perambulations be- tween that town and this. Pfl^'DS, RIVERS, &c. Previous to 1838, there Avere no collections of water wholly within the limits of this town tliat could be called natural ponds. On the p]ast the line includes a small portion of ^Yhite's Pond, and on the Northeast it touches Massa- pog and includes the Southwesterly corner of Chualoom. Biit by the annexation of No Town the whole of Ilocky Pond comes within our limits. And but few towns are now better watered in every direction than this. The Nashua river (in all the old deeds call- ed the North river) after the union of the sever- al branches whose sources are in Ashburnham HISTOUY OF LEOMINSTER. 23 and AVestniinstcr, runs tlirougli the centre of Fitcliburg, and enters this town from the Xortli, ' about equi-distant from the Northwest and the Northeast angles, takmg a serpentine course through the North ViUage, and in a Southeast- erly direction, enters the town of Lancaster about a mile South of White's Pond ; thence running in an Easterly, and a Southeasterly di- rection, till it unites with the true Nashaway, about a mile South of Lancaster meeting-house, forming what was originally the Penecook, but now by common consent the Nashua, they pass off together and unite with the Merrimack at Nashua in New Hampshire. Baker's Brook, quite a considerable stream, whose principal sources are in Asliby and Ash- burnham, after running through a portion of Fitchburg and the SouthAvest corner of Lunen- burg, enters the Nashua on the East about two hundred rods South of the North line of the toAvn. Several other smaller streams run in on the East side, the last of which is the outlet of White's Pond. From the West and Southwest the water comes pouring down from the hills through the valleys in rivulets and streams from every quarter and in all directions. The first in point of size and importance is 24 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. the Monoosnock Brook, whose principal source is in Hocky Pond, which after receiving several streams from the North, and numerous tributar"* ries from the hills in the West and South, runs through the centre of the town, and unites with the Nashua about a mile below Crehore's paper-mill. The next is Fall Brook, whose principal sources are at Long, Baberry, and Sheldon's hills, which, with one other stream fprn the South, unitedly empty into the Nashua about two hundred rods above where it enters the town of Lancaster. ■ In the south-w^est corner of the town there are several streams, the most important of which is, or formerly was, from the Southern outlet of Rocky Pond, and which, when united, form what is at first called Justice Brook, afterwards Still Water, and runs Southerly tlirough Sterling, and unites v/ith the South branch of the Nashua in West Boylston. Quite at the Southeast part of the town is tlie source of one branch of the Wichapekctt, in Sterling. And at the northerly part, the outlet of Chualoom Pond forms a considerable stream which passes through meadows of the same name, and through ^lassapog to Shirley Village, and still firther a small stream takes the same course. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 25 SURFACE, sou AND PRODUCTIONS. Although the Committee on the survey of the New Grant in their report represent " the land as rocky and mountainous, and very poorly ac- commodated with meadow," yet with the excep- tion of the Monoosnock, Baberry and Rocky Hills, in that portion of the Grant included within the boundaries of this town previous to the annexation of the No Town land, the sur- face cannot truly be said to be mountainous or rocky. It is true that numerous parts of the town have from time immemorial been designa- ted under the appellation of Hills, such as Bee Hill, Joslin HUl, Chualoom HUl, Nichols Hill, Houghton Hill, Carter Hill, Gardner Hill, Boutell Hill, and some others ; but they are generally only gentle swells of the first rate of the upland, not difficult for the farmer to get about upon, and were selected by the first setr tiers. Although there is a good proportion of level and plane land, yet, strictly speaking, the surface is undulating. But to the No Town land annexed in 1838, the language of the Com- mittee is truly applicable. 3 26 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. And although this town may not abound in deep and miry meadows and swamps, yet there is a fair proportion of the true alluvial mead- ows lying on the river, the brooks and streams. I'he upland contains stone sufficient for fence, and, to the credit of the cultivators of the soil be it said, that they have made pretty free use of them for that purpose. But very little wooden fence is to be seen- The above named Hills, ^^ ith one or two ex- ceptions, can all be seen from the windows in the room in which I am now writing. The top of the South Monoosnock Hill is ten hundred and twenty feet above tide-water, being six hun- dred and six feet higher than the common in the centre of the town near the Meeting-houses. This Hill contains large, and perhaps inex- liaustible supplies of the very best granite, ly- ing in strata of every thickness. It is suitable for underpinning, doorsteps, the construction of bridges, and for other purposes ; and from ^1,500 to ^2,000 worth of it is annually quar- ried and prepared. The Xorth Monoosnock al- so, the South part of which only lies in this town, is said to contain granite of good quality. There is a tradition that the first owner of the South Monoosnock, while at work there one Saturday in the afternoon, discovered what HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 27 he considered far more valiia])le than granite, \'iz. a carhuncle. But being a conscientious man, he did not take it home with him that night, lest the approaching Sabbath might thereby become profaned. But the story got wind, and the next morning, Sunday or no Sun- day, the neighbors and others were all on the move searching for the hidden treasure, but without success. And, to the extreme disap- pointment of the owner himself, behold, Mon- day morning, it was not where he left it. — Whether it had been removed by some magnet- ic power, or whether he had been deceived by the reflection of the sun's rays, was of no conse- quence to him. On application to Molly Pitch- er, or some other soothsayer, it was predicted that a grandson of his by the same name would find it. There was such a grandson, but it is not known tliat he ever obtained possession of a jewel so j)recious, otherwise than by find- ing a most excellent woman for his wife. This town probably contains as great a vari» ety of soils as are to be found in any other town in the Commonwealth. And hence the natural growth of the wood and timber, as well as the Agricultural and Horticultural produc- tions, are also various. While the high, coarse, gravelly planes produced only the small pitch- 28 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. pine, the lower and richer planes were thickly covered with the large white, pitch and yellow pines, for timber. On the deep alluvial was the white and sugar maple, the birch, the beach, the sycamore or button-wood, and the elm. And the rich soils of the upland were thickly cover- ed with the different species of oak, chestnut and walnut. And although of late years great quantities have been cut for the market, there are many heavy timber lots yet remaining. The lumber and fire-wood annually cut and prepared for the last ten years probably does not fall short of 600,000 feet of the former, and 3,000 cords of the latter, at a value of not less than j$f 13,000. Different kinds of fruit trees, such as the ap- ple, pear, peach, plum, cherry, &c., &c., also thrive well on the upland soils. The annual value of such fruits for ten years past may be safely estimated at from ^3,000 to ^'4,000. The Agricultural and Horticultural productions are hay, all the various kinds of grain and vegeta- bles, and garden fruit, the annual value of w hich for ten years past may be safely set down at from ;^40,000 to ^45,000. There is much good pasture land in town ; and not many years since, butter and cheese of the value of from ^8,000 to ^10,000 was an- nually made ; but of late, farmers are sending HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 29 their milk to Boston and exchanging it for those articles made by they know not whom. Milk to the value of J^o,000 or $6,000 is now annually sent to Boston and other towns. Whatever may be the effect of this course uy)on their pecuniary interests, it is to be fear- ed that in at least one other point of view it may be unfavorable, inasmuch as farmers' daugh- ters will not only lose the opportunity of learn- ius: how to make those articles so necessary and convenient in a family ; but they will have more time to be idle, and thus be less fit for good and profitable wives. During the first half century this was strict- ly and almost exclusively a farming town. There were no manufactories, and only a suffi- cient number of mechanics to dress the cloth home-spun and made in the family — to do the blacksmithing — construct the ploughs, carts, and other implements of husbandry — to make and inend the custom shoes, Sec. It was not uncommon in those days for a shoemaker " to pack up his awls" and other tools, not except- ing even his seat, and go about from house to house making up the shoes for the year. And even the mechanics themselves were also farm- ers. The inhabitants were generally industri- ous and frugal, and the land was productive. 30 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. Large crops of grain were annually raised, and Indian meal and wheat flour were carried to the Boston market. A large proportion of the soil was natural to wheat. And even ten years ago, under the law allowing a bounty on wheat, there were but few towns in the Com- monwealth in which a greater quantity was raised than in this. And in one of those years there was but a single town to which a higher premium was paid, and that was Sheffield, in the County of Berkshire. But of late years the crops of wheat have been light. The article of flax was also raised in abundance. Almost every farmer would have his little patch, and some their acres, and hence have flax to sell. The wives and daughters made cloth of it for the family ; and the latter, to their credit, and in the promotion of their health, used to go into the field and help to pull it. And the boys, at an early age, learned to brake and swingle it. With few exceptions, the farmers in this town are not, nor have they ever been large landholders. The lots were accurately sur- veyed, and judiciously located, by a disinterest- ed Committee. No proprietor, on his own single right, could claim more than forty acres of the best land. If the quality was not so HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 31 good, then more was allowed in quantity. The first fanns were generally from fifty to seventy rods in width, and from two to three hundred rods in length. And some of those farms still remain with the same metes and bounds that were established one hundred and twenty-five years ago. And a few of them continue to be owned, either in whole or in part, by the lineal male descendants of the first settlers, Samuel M. Carter, Abel Wilder, Levi Smith, and Charles F. Carter, are of the fourth generation from Oliver Carter, Thomas Wilder, Abijah Smith, and Nathaniel Carter. And Joseph Colburn, Solon Carter, William Carter, David Houghton, Shepherd C. Wilder, Luke and Ephraim Buss, are of the third generation from Nathaniel Colburn, Josiah Carter, Ebenezer Houghton, Gardner Wilder, and Stephen Buss. And those of David Robbins, and Thomas Houghton are in the possession of the female descendants. And some few farms have de- scended to the third and fourth generation of a former owner, other than a first settler. Of the fourth are William M. Legate, and Abel C. Wilder ; and of the third, Emory Burrage, Luke Lincoln, William A. Nichols, James Boutelle, and, perhaps, a few others ; but, for the most part, the real estate has gone into the 32 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. possession of those in whose veins there flows not a drop of the blood of the first settlers, or of their children. Although various and numerous manufacto- ries (of which more will be said hereafter) have been established, yet they are for the most part in those portions of the town where the soil is the least suited to cultivation. And although dwelling houses have been multiplied to a \'ery great extent, yet this has been generally so in the vicinity of the manufactories, and in the villages. The buildings of the farmers, in by far the greatest proportion of the town, con- tinue to be about the same distance from each other as they were sixty-five years ago. Take for instance that portion of the Neck (so call- ed) commencing at the parting of the roads near B. Gibson's and going North, East and South, by the burying-ground to the elegant mansion lately built by Mr. J. C. Lane, a distance of about three miles, and there are only four more dwelling-houses than there 'wer^e in 1790. Take the Southwest road to Princeton, from Joseph Conant's to the line, along which, sixty years since, there lived seven or eight families by the name of Boutell, or those connected with them, and where at present there resides but a single man of the name, and the number of HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 33 dwelling-houses remains nearly the same. And SO also of a very great proportion of the South and East portions. But the most remarkable instance is on the road from M. D. Richardson's to A. Wilder's, near the pond, a distance of more than two miles, the number of dwelling- houses in 1786 was sixteen, and the same in 1846 ; but since the latter period six or seven have been added to the number. Of a truth may it be repeated that this is still a farming town, and in this particular not a whit behind its neighbors. And in order still further to promote the in- terests of Agriculture and Mechanical pursuits, an Association was organized here in the au- tumn of 1851, to the Constitution of which the following Preamble was reported and adopted : " Recognizing voluntary labor as a wise and beneficent appointment of Providence, condu- cive to the well-being of individuals, indispen- sable to the existence of society, honorable in itself, and deserving therefore, to be cherished and encouraged, we, inhabitants of Leominster, in order to promote the interests of Agriculture, and all industrial pursuits, and especially to" benefit those engaged therein, by inciting to investigation, to reflection and to action, and by furnishing facilities for a free interchange of 34 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. opinions, thereby to call forth the results of in- dividual observation and experience, and to elicit practical and scientific information, do hereby constitute ourselves an Association, and adopt the following CONSTITUTION. Art. 1. The name of this Association shall be " The Leominster Farmers' and Mechanics' Association." The annual meetings are to be held on the first Monday of January, and a Cattle Show and Fair for the exhibition of live stock, &c., in the autumn of each year. The present Officers are Leonard Burrage, President; Solon Carter, Vice President ; Joseph S. Darling, Secretary ; Porter Piper, Treasurer ; Edmund H. Nichols and Abel C. Wilder, Aud- itors ; Sewall Pichardson, Oliver Hall, Ezra Curtis, Charles C. Boyden, William B. Ilosmer, together with the first four officers above named, Executive Committee. The influence which such an Association wdl exert over the indus- trial pursuits can hardly be otherwise than sal- utary. For the first twenty-five years, aside from its Ecclesiastical concerns, there was nothing of great importance to be noted. Private ways had been laid out and established in almost every HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER, 35 direction, so that the inhabitants were generally well accommodated with roads not only to meet- ing, but also into all the adjoining towns. For many years there was but a single instance in which compensation was made to those through whose lands the roads were located. Taxes were light. The farmer was seldom called from home to attend to public affairs. The Governors and other State officers being ap- pointed by " The Crown," the people here had none to choose except a Representative to tlie " Great and General Court," and of this privi- lege they did not avail themselves until the year 1774, when " clouds and darkness were round about them." During this period the number of families had been increased to about one hundred and twenty, a large proportion of whom were the children of first settlers. Oth- ers had come in from different places, but most- ly from the parent town. They w^ere an indus- trious, a prosperous, and a happy people. Some few Indians had remained here, but they did not molest their white neighbors other than by now and then plucking a few ears of com, or some other vegetable to satisfy their hunger. And although the French War had happened during this period, I do not find that any ob- jections were made to furnishmg the thirty-six 36 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. men required for that service. Some who were drafted want willingly, others hired suh- stitutes. And what is remarkable, they all lived to return and unite with their friends in a General Thanksgiving held October 9, 1760, throughout the Province on account of the total reduction of Canada. Alas ! the people did not even dream that within a few years the French and the Ameri- cans would be unitedly engaged in a war with Great Britain in the struggle for Liberty and Independence. But the time of suffering draw- eth nigh. And it is hardly possible to imagine greater trials than were experienced here du- ring the most part of the next twenty-five years. Although our fathers, after the estab- lishment of the State, and the United States Government, were eminently a Law-abiding and Constitution loving people ; yet, up to the year 1765, and even later, King George the Third had no subjects more loyal than they were. But they well understood their rights and their privileges, both of a civil and of a re- ligious character. And at a very early day they unitedly determined that their liberty should not be wrested from them without a struggle. But they were not hasty in any of their movements. All their resolutions were HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. O I adopted with great care and deliberation. They sympathized with those whose trials were more severe than their own. Numerous votes on record in the Town Books, prove their patriot- ism. As early as March 3, 1766, an Address to the people of Boston, who were enduring great hardships on account of the unjust laws of the British Parliament, was adopted in town meeting, in which the inhabitants express their views pretty clearly upon the subject of civil and religious freedom, as the closing paragraph of that Address will abundantly show. " We must, we -can, and we will be free. We can- not part with our creation right. We are obliged forever to assert it as it is our glory to be in subjection to that Supreme Power that formed us free." If any other town in the Province, at a date so early, expressed their views more plainly in favor of freedom, I have yet to learn the fict. Another Resolution will show in what light the men of those days viewed tlie liberal arts and sciences as connected with civil and re- ligious liberty. " We feel ourselves most firmly obligated to plead in behalf of Liberty, because she is the most powerful and necessary patroness of lib- eral arts and sciences. It was doubtless on this 4 38 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. evident principle, that our worthy ancestors, choosing an A-merica.n Desart with Liberty, rather than the fair fields and gardens of their dear native land with slavery, erected a very few years, after the first settlement of Massa- chusetts, the famous Seminary of Harvard Col- lege in Cambridge, which now, for considerably more than a century, has been a great orna- ment and blessing' to New England, and other parts of the world. May that respectable Uni- versity under the benignant influence of Heaven be a plentiful source of true literature, liberty and virtue to the last period of time. We re- solve in our measure to be zealous promoters of learning and liberty united ; and now rec- ommend to our children and their successors forever, to follow our example and that of our memorable and venerable ancestors." Sept. 19, 1768. A Committee of three was chosen to meet others in Boston, on the dan- gerous situation t)f the country. Jan. 25, 1773. * Several votes were passed m town-meeting in approbation of the doings of the town of Boston on public grievances. Aug. 22, 177-i. A Committee of correspon- dence was chosen. Those Committees in the towns were a channel of intelligence, and a bond of union which proved of the utmost im- HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 39 portance to the general cause, and finally led to, the appointment of Deputies to meet in a General Congress. After the passage of the Act of Parliament for shutting up the Port of Boston, the Com- mittee appointed by the town " to take into consideration the present state of our distracted circumstances of a public nature, &c.," report as foll(»vs : " "^^"e are of the opinion, that as the Dele- gates from the several Colonies are soon to meet in Congress in order to point out and ad- vise what is best to be done at this alarming crisis, it will be most proper in us to wait until we are informed what measures they recom- mend before we come to any particular Pesolu- tions concerning the matter, except as follows : " 1st. That we will to the utmost of our abili- ties strictly and steadfastly pursue such meth- ods as shall be recommended by the said Con- gress as the most likely to recover our just rights and privileges. " 2d. That we will heartily endeavor as much as in us lays, to awaken and stir up every per- son to a thorough sense of the real certainty there now is of America being reduced to the most abject slavery and poverty ; and the dang- er there also is of the loss of our religious as 40 PIISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. well as our ci\il rights and privileges, unless we unitedly endeavor, by a steady and manly opposition to prevent it. " 3d. We earnestly recommend it to tlie con- sideration of this town, whether it is not their indispensable duty to afford some relief to the industrious poor of the town of Boston who are really exposed to the most severe hardships by means of the late cruel Acts of Parliament. " 4th. AVe recommend Peace, firmness, and a manly fortitude, in asserting and maintaining, to the utmost of our abilities, all our just, law- ful, and Constitutional rights and privileges." Thomas Leggett, Israel jSTichols, Stephen Johnson, V Committee. John Joslin, Jr., j Thomas Gowing. J August, 27, 1774. After all other means to preserve the i-ights of freemen had been resorted to in vain, and it was found necessary to take up arms in defence of those rights, the inhabitants of this town were by no means backward in the cause. The following officers, non-commissioned of- ficers and privates marched immediately from HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 41 their respective homes for Lexington on the alarm of the 19th of April, 1775: Captain, David Wilder, Leominster. Lieittcnunts, Joseph Bellows, Lunenburg, Thomas Harkness, do. Sergeants, Thomas Garfield, Fitchburg, John Lock, Ashburnham, Rufus Houghton, Leominster, Abijah Butler, do. Privates, Noah Dod'p;c, Lunenburg, Fhinehas Carter, do., Israel Wyman, do.. Richard Fowler, Lunenburg, Jonathan Martin, do.. David Kendall, Leominster, Josiali VVhitcorab, do. James Joslin, do. David Wilson, do. William Nichols, do. Ebenezer Stuart, do. Ephraim Buss, do. David Clarke, do. Josiah Colburn, do. Asa Kendall, do. Richard Stuart, do. Reuben Gates, do. A Comjpany was immediately enlisted into the Continental service for eight months in the twenty-third Regiment, under the command of Col. Asa Whitcomb, stationed on Prospect Hill, in Cambridge. So large a proportion of the Company belonged to this town, it may not be improper to present the names of all. Those in italics belonged to Ashburnham, Jonathan W. Smith to Westminster, and all the others to this town. Some of them continued in the army, by other enlistments, during the war. William Warner received a Captain's commis- sion, and under the law of 1818, obtained a pen- sion by which the last years of his life were rendered more comfortable than they otherwise would have been. 42 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. Continental 23d Regiment of Foot, commanded bt Colonel Asa "Wiiitcomb. Capt. David "Wilder, Lieut. Jonathan Gates, Lieut. Timothy Boutelle, Co»imis»ioned April 19, 177'5. Sergeants^ Francis Lane, William Warner, Josiali Carter, Peter Joslin. Corporals. Levi Warner, Samuel Buss, James Butler, Jonathan Warren. Drummer. Thomas Rogers. FiFER. Abijah Haskell. Privates. CTiarles Fames, James Boutelle, Abel Bigelow, John Battles, Isaac Blodgett, Amos Brown, Levi Blood, Jonathan Colburn, Stephen Chase, Nathaniel Chapman, David Clark, Elisha Carter, Josiah Colburn, David Clark, Jr. Daniel Rdson, David Fleeman, John Farmer, Reuben Gates, Jotuithan Gates, Jr., Joshrta IJemancay, Henry Hall, Benjamin Hale, John Hale, Joshua Holt, David Hale, Luke Johnson, Jonathan Kendall, Jacob Kibberiyer, Asa Kendall, Amos Kendall, Philip Lock, John Lock, Ebenezer Osgood, Josh ua Pro loty, Asa Priest. David Jiol»?)son, Joseph Smith, Benjan^in Stearns, Zebedc%Simonds, John Stone, Samuel Salter, Aaron Sai)ipson, Othniel Taylor, Joshua White, Henry Winchester^ Samuel Willard, John Whitney, Isaac Whitmore, Josiah White, Fbenezer Wood,. James Wood, Philip Winter, Luke Wilson, Jacob Winter, Joseph Smith, Jr. All except eight enlisted April 19, 1775. PATRIOTISM. During the whole of that Revohitionary struggle the inhabitants of this to^vn complied with all the various and burdensome requisi- tions which from time to time were made upon them by the State authority. They were fre- quently called on to furnish men on short en- listments. And in 1777, in order to stop the HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 43 progress of Gen. Biirgoync in his march from Canada, in addition to numerous yohmtcers, a whole Company went under the command of Capt. John Joslin, and were engaged in the Bennington battle ; and at the first fire received from the enemy, Thomas Joslin, the youngest brother of the Captain, was shot through the heart, and as he fell, had time only to say " I am a dead man. The Lord have inercy on m\) soul." A large proportion of those who volunteered, arrived on the ground only in sea- son to see the British army which had been conquered by Gen. Gates, march out and lay down their arms as prisoners of Avar. And, of course, they speedily returned with the joyful news to their families. On the 15 th of July, 1776, the tow^n voted Independency of Great Britain, and a copy of the Declaration by Con- gi'ess is entered in the Town llecords. Nov. 29th, of the same year, the town voted to raise £1200 to pay for soldiers' services. March 20, 1776, tlie population had increased to one hundred and fifty-three families, and nine hundred and ninety souls, including ten ne- groes, averaging almost six and one half to a family, three fifths of whom were those who settled in town during the first ten or fifteen years, and their descendants. 44 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. Having seen the inefficiency of short enlist- ments, and the uncertain dependence to be placed upon the militia, Congress determined to raise an army of more permanency by requir- ing the enlistments to be for threo years. On the 24th of March, 1777, the town voted £500 to x)ay those who should enlist for the three years, and the men were obtained without much trouble. John Joslin, John Buss, Levi Phelps, Edward Phelps, Levi Blood, Caleb Wood, Peter Joslin, Thomas Uobbins, Samuel Jones, Samuel Houghton ^and Samuel Rogers were among the number.* They "vvere in the Monmouth and some other battles ; but, with the exception of Peter Joslin and Samuel Rog- ers, they returned again to their friends. They were then young, but most of them lived to be aged men. Edward Phelps, the last survivoz', died in Stoddard, N. H., in 1851. Four of them remained in town and brought up families here. Dea. John Buss died in 1845, aged eighty-six years. The wife-j" ,of his young days survives him at the age of ninety-one. The town was also called upon to furnish provision and blankets as well as men. Jan. 20, 1777, it w^as Resolved by the House of Representa- *There were probably five others. {Mrs. Buss died June 37, 1852. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 45 tives, " That there be five thousand blankets le- vied on the several towns and ^Dlantations in this State, in the several proportions as expressed in this schedule." Tlie number required of the County of AVor- cester was 665, and of the town of Leommster fifteen. Nov. 21, 1777. — Up to this date the inhab- itants of the town had not only complied with- out a murmur with all the requisitions that had been made upon them, but had also approved of the doings of the Legislature of the State. But in proof of their discernment as well as of tlieir hidcpendence of mind, at a meeting legal- ly held on the day above named, the town by vote disapproved of the Act of the General Court putting Bills of Public Credit on interest. And at a town-meeting held June 3, 1778, it was (substantially) " voted, that it is the opin- ion of this town that a llcmonstrancs be sent to inform the General Assembly that Ave have at all times sent our quota of men for the pub- lic service : but the great deficiency of many other towns in the State, of which we are fully convinced, has increased our burdens to such a degree, that we shaU not be able to furnish men at our own expense for the public service much longer, without involving ourselves in 46 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. such a manner, that we shall be reduced to the greatest extremity," Whether the Remonstrance produced any ef- fect on the General Assembly or not is uncer- tain ; but the town was not called upon for any more soldiers until near the time the term of the first three years men was about to expire. At a town-meeting held Jan. 8, 1778, the Articles of Confederation were approved ; and at a subsequent meeting, June the 8th, the first Constitution was approved by this town twen- ty-one to ten ; but it was rejected by a majori- ty of the people of the State. In 1779, the town voted in favor of having a Constitution, and instructed the Representa- tive to vote for a Convention for the sole pur- pose of forming one ; and when it was sent out to the people for their action upon it, the vote of this town was three to one in its favor with certain amendments or alterations suggested by them. In August of 1779, the town raised £5,000 tax. By a Resolve of the House of Representa- tives, of September 25th, 1780, the towns in the State were required to furnish for the army 2,400,440 pounds of beef, or money to pay for that quantity. This town's proportion was 7200 pounds. And not only did the town HISTORY 0¥ LEOMINSTER. 47 ♦ comply with this and all other like requisi- tions, but they did actually pay for three hun- dred and thirty-four pounds more than their proportion. It is ^iossible, and indeed it is quite proba- ble, that in some subsequent State Tax, an al- lowance was made for the overplus. But tlie measure of their burdens was not 5'et full. The term of the first three years men would expire in 1781. And the towns were required to furnish their respective quotas of men for another army whose enlistments should be for the term of three years, provided the war should continue so long. This town was not backward in complying Avith the requisition ; and in doing so it was divided into classes, each class to furnish a man and j)ay him. The contract made by one of those classes with the man hired, must suffice for insertion here. Leominster, April 10, 1781. I, the subscriber, do engage to serve in the (Jontmental army for three years unless sooner discharged, for the class of which Capt. Joshua Wood is the head, provided the class pays me two thousand dollars in paper money, or silver at the exchange, before I go, and eighteen three year old middling cattle, provided I stay Uvo 48 HISTORY' OF LEOMINSTER. years and six months ; and if I stay one year and six months, said cattle are to be two years old ; and if I stay not one week, said cattle are to be one year old. Day id Joslin. Lancaster, April 12, 1781. Then passed muster, David Joslin, for a Con- tinental soldier for the term of three years, and for the town of Leominster and Capt. Joshua Wood's class. Before me, Wm. Dunsmoor, Must. Mast. There was no seal to the contract, neither %yas there on it the name of a witness ; but there was wrapped up in it, and still remains in it, a lock of hair which was undoubtedly cut from the young man's head to be left as a me- mento for his friends in case he should not re- turn. He was not quite sixteen years of age, a stripling and slender; and tradition says, that with his new, high-heeled shoes, and some extra under garments, he did but just pass muster : but that he made an excellent soldier, returned safely home at the close of the w^ar, and received of the class the eighteen young ■ cattle according to agreement. Although a cessation of hostilities was an- nounced by Sir Guy Carleton on the 19th of HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 49 April, precisely eight yeriis after the Lexington battle, yet the army was not disbanded until the 18tli of October following. Joslin was an excellent discij)linarian, and was quite efficient, after his return from the army, in the organization of the militia of this town, under the laws of this Commonwealth. In due time he "was married, removed to Stod- dard, X. II., where he brought up a large fam- ily of children, and died April 9th, 1825, at the age of sixty years, lacking sixteen days. Two of his daughters, the widow Martha Pierce and the wife of Mr. Horace Richardson, reside here. But the cup of bitterness was not yet quite full. More men are called for. The town is again divided into classes. One of those class- es, comprehending all on the north-east side of the river, met "April 2, 1782, for the purpose of procurmg a man to serve as a soldier in the Continental army." They had hired their man, and voted to assess upon themselves the sum of seventy-two pounds to defray the expense, when, after having met by adjournment ten times between the said second of April, and the eighth of Xovember following, the joyful tidings of the surrender of the British army, at Yorktown, relieved them as they hoped, from any furtlier requisitions of men. — Truly those 50 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. were times that not only " tried men's souls," but drained them of their worldly substance also. Nor were the men the only ones who had their trials. The women also were great sufferers. The hardships which some of them endured are almost incredible. In the absence of their husbands, sickness and death prevailed in their families. They w^ere at times nearly destitute of the necessaries of life. And in some instances their courage also was put to the se- verest test. One example among many must suffice. Two men who enlisted for the first eight months had married sisters. The elder had four little children, and the younger had one. For their comfort, during the absence of their husbands, they resided in the same house. A thoughtless, [possilly mischievous) man in the neighborhood circulated a report that the Regulars were marching into the country with the determination to kill the wives and children of all the men who had enlisted and gone to Cambridge. And although the two sisters hard- ly credited the report, yet, that they might have some weapons on hand that would prove more effectual than a " bread-shovel," they carried in an axe, a sledge hammer, and two pitch-forks, and placed them under their beds with a deter- mined resolution that, if " the Eed Coats " did HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 51 come, they would defend themselves and their little ones in the best way they could. It so happened, however, that they had no occasion for the defensive use of those weapons ; hut they probably would not ha^e been considered greatly blame-worthy if they had "forked" that foolish neighbor a little. At the commencement of the Revolutionary war there were some instances in which there was more of patriotism than prudence. On the 19th of April, 1775, a young man by the name of Joshua White, was crossing the mill-pond in a boat with two ladies. And while he stopped to listen to the alarm guns that were being fired in the middle of the town, the current had drifted them so near the dam that there was no escape ; there was but just time to turn the boat end foremost, and o\ev they all went into the water below. But White being strong, and meeting no harm, lie took a Miss Wheelock under .each arm, And carried them both safely ashore, Then bid them good bye and said nothing more; But hastening home he snatched his gun, And travelled off for Lexington. In another case a man by the name of Levi Woods was plowing in the field with a yoke of oxen and a horse, who, on hearing the guns. 52 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. left the oxen with a small boy, mounted his horse, and, Avith his gun in hand, rode to Con^- cord, turned his horse out to find his way home, and he marched on to Cambridge. And hav- ing served some time in the war, he died at home in 1779. Numerous other instances of true patriotism might be named, but the above must suffice. Although the men of this town were loyal subjects to their King before the Eevolution, yet, during the whole time of the struggle for Independence, no one was accused, or even sus- pected of being a Tory, or unfriendly to the cause. And although there were none here who had been honored by any office of trust be- yond that of Justice of the Peace, yet there were those, and there are still some, who could claim relationship to those on whom the title of nobility had been conferred. Mr. James Si- monds, one of the early settlers, owned the firm on which Mr. Timothy Warner now lives. Among five or six other of his children, were the late Mr. John Simonds, and Abigail, the wife of the late Bezalcol Lawrence, Esq. This James Simonds had a sister, who became the wife of a man by the name of Thompson. They had a son Benjamin, born in Ilumford, now Concord, N. H. Benjamin married a widow HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 53 l^dy of that town, by the name of Rolfe, and Ly her he had a daughter, an only child. At the commencement of the trouhles be- tween Great Britain and America, Thompson was suspected and accused of Toryism, at which he took offence, and left his family and his country. He went first to England, where he was highly flattered by tlie notice taken of him there. He afterwards resided some time in Ba- varia, and while there the title of Count Rum- ford was conferred upon him. Subsequently he, sent for his daughter, who, after spending many years in Paris and other places in Europe, returned again to this country, and now resides in Concord, her nati'se town. She must be over seventy-five years of age, and has never been married. She is supposed to be v^ry rich, hav- ing for many years enjoyed a part of the pen- sion formerly settled upon her father ; but whether in the disjjosal of her wealth, this Hon- orable Countess will remember her distant rela- tives in this town, remains to be settled.* Peace having been concluded, and the Inde- pendency acknowledged, the inhabitants of this town now had time to reflect upon the past, • The Countess died Dec, 1852, at Concord, aged 78, leaving something like $40,000 fur charitable purposes in her native town. 54 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. and look forward to the future. And witli re- gard to the past, it must have been hio-hly grat- ifying to tliem to know that they had faithfully and punctually performed their whole duty. They had fully complied with all the requisi- tions that had been made upon them by the Government, and even more. And they had the consolation also of knowing that all of those who, from time to time, had been in the army during tl\ose eight years of hard struggle, with only two or three exceptions, lived to re- turn again to their friends. But in looking forward to the future, they coidd not but per- ceive that the days would be evil. This Com- monwealth, as well as this town, had furnished more than their proportion in men and in money ; and there was no authority to compel other States to make due allowance. People were greatly involved in debt. There was but little gold or silver coin in circulation, and pa- per money and public securities had become nearly worthless. But even rmder all these un- favorable circumstances, the men of this town generally sustained their credit and honestly paid their debts. Some few, however, who sold their farms and took their pay in paper money, were ruined. To show the uncertain value of what was HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. DO then the circiilatiiiG^ medium, I shall insert here a scale of depreciation, "which I have found among some old papers, and which it may be well to preserve, as an evidence of the difficul- ties with wliich our fathers had to contend. SCALE OF DEPRECIATION. Agreeable to an Act of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to be observed as a Rule for settling the rate on contracts made since Jan. 1, 1777. SlOO in gold and Silver, in Jan., 1777, being equal to ^IlOo in the Bills of the Credit of the United States. 1778 1779 1780 1777 January, February, March, i| January, . February, March, January, February, March, ' January, ^105 1 April, 107May, lOOiJune, 32.3'April, SoOjMay, ■ 37o,June, 742 April, 868Mav, 1000 j Julie, 2934!Februarv, 5112 115 120 400 400 400 1104 121-5 1342 3322! •July, 5125 August, 150 September, 175 July, 4251 August, 450J September, 475 July, 1477; August, 1630: September, ISOOJ March. 37361 October, November, December, October, November, December, October, November, December, April, ,?275 300 310 500 545 634 2030 2308 2.593 4000 From April 1st to 20th, 1780, one Spanish milled dollar was equal to forty of the old Emission. 1780 April 2oth, 42 May 20th, 54,. Tune 20th, 69iNov. 30th, 74 " 30th, 44 " 25th, 60 August 15th, 70 February 27th. May 5th, 46 " 30th, 62 Sept. 10th, 711781, 76 " 10th, 47 June 10th, 64 October 15th, 72 " 15th, 49 " loth, 68lNov. 10th, 73 DEPRECIATION OF THE NEW EMISSION. From the 27th of Feb., 1781, to the 1st of May following, 1 3-8 of a dollar of the said New Emission was equal to one dollar in specie. From the 1st to 25th of May, 2 1-4 New Emission was equal to one in specie. From 25th of May to the 15th of June, three of New Emis- sion forgone in specie. From 15th of June to 1st of October, four of New Emission for one in specie. Although the inhabitants of this town had sustained themselves in a remarkable degree in the trials through which they had passed, yet it was far otherwise in many other towns, and es- 56 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. pecially in the County of "Worcester, and what was then the okl County of Hampshire. Taxes were exceedingly high. Many suits were brought acrainst individuals for debt, and land and goods were seized and sacrificed on sale. In 1784 and 1785, nearly 4000 actions were entered in the County of Worcester, with a population less than fifty thousand. Great pre- judices existed against the Courts. And so general was the dissatisfaction that at length it manifested itself in open rebellion to the laws of the Statc; But nevertheless, the inhabitants of this town maintained their integrity by firm- ly sustaining the Government. In the year 1786, a man by the name of Daniel Shays, with thirteen writs upon his back for debt, assem- bled an armed mob to stop the Courts, and sent his message to the Judges of the Supreme Court, then about to hold their session at Springfield, ordering them not to open their Court nor indite the rebels. About the same time another body of the disaffected had col- lected to stop the Court of Common Pleas, at Worcester. Under these alarming circumstan- ces, the militia were notified (even on Sunday) to assemble at an early hour the next morning, at the meeting-house. They assembled accord-_ ingly, and not only adopted resolutions disap- HISTORY OF LEOiriNSTER. 57 proving- of mobs and riots, but a goodly num- ber volunteered to march at a moment's warn- ing. And in two or three days afterwards, a company under the command of Captain J^evi Warner, did march as far as Shrewsbury, (now "West Boylston,) and there received orders to re- turn home, as the Insurgents had assembled to the number of a thousand, and the Court had adjourned. The Commander in Chief ordered out a de- tachment of the militia under the command of Major General Lincoln. The head quarters of one portion of the detachment were at Spring- field under the command of Brig. Gen. Shep- herd, and the other at Barre, under Gen. War- ner. This to^Yn had no difficultv in furnishinjr its quota of men ; and two of the officers also resided here, ^iz : Ensign John Buss and ]Ma- jor Timothy Boutcll, the latter of whom, early in January, 1787, was promoted to the rank of Colonel. The Insurgents were encamped at Petersham. And on that intensely cold night, when so many of the soldiers were frozen on the march, Col. B. led the advanced guard, and arrived in Petersham sufficiently early to sur- prise the rebels in their beds, who all surren- dered without a shot, and without a struggle. In Springfield the attack of Shays on Gen. 58 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. Shepherd was made in the afternoon of January 25th, 1787. Shepherd had given notice to Gen. Shays that if he approached within a cer- tain distance of the Court-house his men would be fired upon. Shays, however, paid no regard to the notice, but marched on and had passed the forbidden point. After two shots purposely in a direction to do the rebels no harm, at the third fire three of them fell dead upon the spot, others were wounded, and the whole then fled precipitately without firing a gun. And that was the end of Shays' rebellion. Those who went from this town to sustain the laws (and none were among the Insurgents) all returned home in peace and saftity, and with the con- sciousness of having discharged an incumbent duty. Col. B. acquired great credit for the tact and skill which he exhibited on that trying occasion, and for many years afterwards contin- ued to be the commander of the reoimcnt. En- sign Buss was soon promoted, and for some time was the Captain of the South company in this town. The next trial through which the inhabitants of this town were called to pass was of a politi- cal character. It was no less than to form a Constitution, or enact a supreme law, by which all the States, and all the people in the several HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 59 States, should be governed. It was no easy matter to frame an instrument that woukl con- fer a sufficient degree of power on a United States Government, and at the same time not deprive individual States of a portion of their Constitutional rights and privileges. But a Constitution was framed and sent out to the several States for their action upon it. And in a Convention of delegates chosen by the towns in this Commonwealth assembled in Boston, in 1788, after mature deliberation, that Constitu- tion was adopted by a small majority, the dele- gate from this town voting in tlie affirmative. Since the close of the first half century of the town's existence as a corporation, but few events have occurred in which the patriotism of the iiihabitants has been put to the test On the ground that obstructions imposed on commerce might injuriously affect the agricul- tural and other interests essential to their pros- perity and happiness, they voted in town-meet- ing to petition the President to remove the Em- bargo of 1808, or call Congress together. And in the last war with Great Britain, when there was thought to be some danger of an invasion, the spirit of '75 was manifested by a vote to pay those who were detached into the military service at South Boston in 1814. And even at 60 HISTORY OF LE0MI]S8TER. the present day, should their iDolitical rights and privileges be infringed, a "vast majority of the inhabitants of this town would, doubtless, at once stand forth in the defence of freedom, and to sustain the laws, and support the Constitu- tion, both of this Commonwealth and of the United States. General George Washington, the first Pres- ident of the United States, after an illness of only two or three days, died at !Mount ^"ernon, Dec. 14, 1799, in the 68th year of his age. On the third day of February, A. D. 1800, under an Article: To see what measures the town will take to commemorate the death of the late General George Washington, or act or ^ do thereon as they shall think proper, the town voted that they would adopt measures to com- memorate his death, and chose a Committee Cronsisting of Thomas Legate, Esq., Dr. Thomas , Gowing, Major David Wilder, Mr. John Si- monds, Wm. Nichols, Esq., Col. Timothy Bout- ell, Capt. Ephraim Lincoln, Mr. Michael New- haU and Capt. Thomas Legate, to make arrange- ments and carry the vote into effect. And thus authorized, the Committee made their arrange- ments for the twenty-second of February, the anniversary birth-day of him whose sudden and lamented death was to be commemorated. The HISTORY OP LEOMINSTER. 61 tlircc military companies — the seven winter scliools preceded by their respective teachers — and the inhabitants of the town generally, moved in slow and solemn procession into the mectinij^-house and were seated. The house was densely filled. The pnlpit was shrouded in black. A most comprehensive and fervent prayer was offered up to the Supreme Being by the Eev. Francis Gardner. Several pieces of appropriate music were performed by the clioir and a eulogy was pronounced by Doctor T)aii- iel Adams, then a practising physician in this town, and now a resident of Keene, in the State of Xcw Hampshire. The most perfect order prevailed from the beginning to the end — the performances were all of a high character — and the deep impressions made upon the minds of tliose j)re9ent have probably never been obliter- ated. At a town-meeting subsequently held, a Com- mittee was chosen " to return the thanks of this toAvn to Doctor Daniel Adams for the ele- gant and patriotic oration, delivered by him in commemoration of the death of General George Washington, and to request a copy thereof for the press." The town voted an appropriation sufficient to defrav the expenses of printing the oration, 6* 62 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. and directed the Committee to furnish every family in town with a copy of it, and Doctor Adams and the Rev. Francis Gardner with fif- ty copies each. Doctor Adams was a graduate of Dartmouth College in 1797, and received the degree of Bachelor of Medicine from that Institution in 1799, and Doctor of Medicine in 1822. He was a native of Townsend, and mar- ried the daughter of Doctor Mulliken of that place. ROADS. In February, 1734, after many of the lots had been surveyed and located by the proprie- tors, a road was laid out and established by the town of Lancaster, passing along by "White's Pond, and over the Follansbee Hill through the easterly part of what is now the North Village, and then in a Northerly direction to Lunen- burg line on the West side of Chualoom Pond. It was five rods wide and with great propriety was called the " broad road." On the first of October, 1740, a road, commencing at the river, about four rods above the dam of Ebenezer HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 63 Wilder s mill-pond, live rods wide, was laid out, running straight into the " broad road" a little North of John Bennett's log house to the bridge over the little brook. On the sixteenth of De- cember, IT-iO, a road was laid out frofti Oliver Carter s, running through the land of Jonathan, Rufus and Ebenezer Houghton to Josiah White's saw-mill on the Monoosnock Brook. Numerous other private ways in various direc- tions, to the lines of the adjoining towns, were early laid out and established. In 1751 a pri- vate way was laid out from the great bridge (across the mill-pond above mentioned) to the meeting-house. It does not appear, however, that this road was accepted by the town ; nor was it necessary, because in the following year a County road was established from the centre of Lunenburg, through a part of the " broad road," crossing the mill-pond, and over this same private way to the meefing-house, and so on over Bee Hill, and almost all the other high hills to the town of Worcester. And it is not vet twcntv-five years smce the traveller in that direction has been able to avoid the steep as- cent and descent of Bee Hill by taking another road, judiciously located by the County Commis- sioners, a little to the West of it. For many years the principal road to the centre of this 64 HISTORY or LEOMINSTER. town, from the North and West, was oyer the pine hmd West of the river. But after improAements began to be made in the location of roads, two w^ere so established in other towns as to bring the Northern and Western travel into this town near the foot of the North Monoosnock, thence through what is now called West street, and then on the old Lancaster road. Highways have now been lo- cated through the town in almost every direction, and they are generally kept in such a state of re- pair as not to suffer by a comparison with the roads in other towns. The repairs ha^e been made by a tax on prop- erty, generally paid in labor and m.aterials by the inhabitants in the several surveyor districts, into which the town is divided ; but in some instances of late years it has been by a money tax, expended under the direction of the Sur- veyors or a Conifnittee. 1'he sum annually raised for many years has, with few exceptions, been $'800, but for the year. 1851 it was in- creased to )flOOO. Connected with the common roads in this town, there are three bridges over the Nashua River, and a dozen or more across the IMonoos- nock Brook and other smaller streams ; and to rebuild and keep these bridges in repair for ten HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. G5 years past has required, in addition to the higli- way tax, the average annual amount of $200. Instead of wood, the town has adopted the more economical plan of building them of stone, and probably the time is not far distant when all the principal bridges will have been constructed either of Monoosnock, or some other granite. TURMKES. In New York, the canal fever has had a reg- ular run, and in this Commonwealth, many years ago, the turnpike fever prevailed very ex- tensively ; and as it was contagious, a consider- able number of perons in this town, caught it, or rather got caught by it. More than forty years since, for the purpose of uniting the fifth Massachusetts and the Con- cord Turnpikes, a charter was obtained to con- struct one from the foot of the North Monoos- nock Hill to Concord, called the Union Turn- pike. It was not contemplated that it should be strictly an " Air-Line,'' but the object was to go as nearly straight as circumstances would permit ; and in the location the ascent and de- 66 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. scent of the ground was pretty much out of the question. It passed over the Nichols Hill, the Follansbee Hill, and down the steep descents beyond, into Farm Meadow, and so on over the Harvard Hill, to the end. It was a well made road, but the traveller found it was no farther, and a great deal easier, to go round the base, than over the top of certain summits, and there- fore the old road was preferred. In a few years the shares became nearly or quite worthless, to the great injury, and even to the ruin of some who held them. Eventually one portion of the turnpike was converted into a County road, while another portion of it in this town still re- mains, as a monument of the folly of laying out roads over high hills and through deep valleys, merely for the purpose of making the line a straight one. KAIL ROADS. On the 3d of March, 1842, a charter was granted by the General Court, whereby N. F. Cunningham, a native of the adjoining town of Lunenburg, Abel Phelps and Alvah Crocker, HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. G7 two native sons of this town, but residing, the one in Boston and the other in Fitchburgf, to- gether with other business and perseverinir men, were authorized to construct a rail road from Charlestown Ihrough the Northeasterly part of this town to Fitcliburg. The capital stock (not to exceed .'^1,5()(),0()()) was taken up, and gen- erally by those who were able to pay, the road was judiciously located and thoroughly made, the land damages were seasonably and honora- bly adjusted, and in little less than three years, viz: m the forenoon of Feb. 10, 1845, the road was opened, the "iron steed" came puffing, snorting and smoking along, and the joyful sound of the whistle was heard for the first time at .the depot in the North Village, by the multitude there assembled as witnesses. At that moment an important change took place in relation to the temporal affairs of the inhabitants of this town. From that moment we were placed within two hour's ride of the city of Boston. Since then men and their fam- ilies may breakfast at home, go to the city and transact business, or dine with and visit their friends, and be home to tea. Truly, as was written by another on a very different subject '' Old things are passed away : behold, all things arc become new." 68 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. April 22, 1852. For four days the rain has been pouring clown, and caused an unusual flood; but while on the Vermont and Massa- chusetts Rail Road, the Cheshire, and others in the vicinity, the bridges have been swept away, and other damage done, the Fitchburg and the Fitchburg and AVorcester roads are unharmed. In 1847, a charter was granted for the Fitch- burg and Worcester Railroad. This road runs on the West side of the river through the whole length of the town from the North to the South- east, taking the centre in its course, and unites with the Worcester and Nashua road a little south of the Washacum Pond, in Sterling. This road was opened for passengers in Feb. 1850, and affords every facility for those who wish to 2:0 to Worcester, and in a direction South and West from that place; and also to Fitchburg, and from thence both West and North. There are at present but few country towns better accommodated with railroad facilities than this. Already a great change has taken place in the business affairs of the town, and whether it is eventually to be for the better or for the worse, remains yet to be settled. And 60 it does also whether the railroads shall con- tinue to be good property for the stockholders, or whether thcv are to share the same fate of HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. G9 some of the old turnpikes. AVe hope for the best. At any rate, mere selfishness prompts to a desire that the evil day, if it ^miist ever come, may be put off for a season, for it is very pleas- ant for an old man, when he has nothing else to do, to sit at his window, and see from twenty to twenty-five trains of cars passing back and forth each of six days in the week, and none on the seventh, or the dav of rest. SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL HOUSES. In his eighth annual Report to the Board of Education, the Hon. Horace Mann, in reference to " The distribution of School moneys among Districts," ex]ircsses his views in the following apropriate terms : — " This subject is intimately connected with that great doctrine of republi- can equality, which constitutes our prmciple, our boast and our hope. " With the exception, perhaps of a dozen towns, all the rest in the State, are divided geographically into school districts. Provision for the territorial sub-division of our towns was first made by the statute of 1789, the germ of TO HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. which was in the Province Law, 8 geo. 3, eh. 309. I consider this, beyond comparison, the most pernicious law ever passed in this Commonwealth, on the subject of schools. " Other things being equal, or, making due allowance for inequality in other things, the schools are now invariably the best, in those towns, which are not divided into districts, but in which the school system is administered by the town, in its corporate capacity. The reasons for this are obvious and numerous. In cases where the schools are maintained by the town, in its corporate cajiacity, it is obvi- ous that every section of the town would be treated substantially alike. No portion of the inhabitants would contribute, for any length of time, to pay for benefits from whose participa- tion they were debarred." " Were the w^hole town responsible in its corporate capacity, for the whole of the schools within it, the inhabi- tants of no town would ever think of, the in- habitants of no section of any town would ever submit to, a school of only three or four months in a year, while other parts were enjoy- ing a school for ten months, or for the whole year." " In fine, if towns, as such, were to administer the school system within their re- spective limits, the great principle of repub- HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 71 lican equality would have an unobstructed sphere of action, and would yield its harvest of beneficent fruits. A few towns, it is true, have abolished their district organization, and reverted to the ancient system." This is one of the excepted towns. It has never been di\ided into those little corporate bodies called school districts in any legal sense of the word. But, during a jieriod of more than one hundred years, the school system has been admmistered upon the plan so highly commended by the late Secretary of the Board of Education. The town, in its corporate ca- pacity, has erected all the school-houses, raised all the money, hired the teachers, by their se- lectmen, or committees, and paid them. There never has existed, in any one portion of the town, any legal authority, except what has been temporarily conferred by the whole town, to take one single step, or to perform one smgle act, in relation to the public schools. And if this town has not raised so great an amount of money annually as has been raised in some other towns, it does not follow that the youth generally have not been as well ed- ucated. But on the contrary, the very fact that it has, for so great a proportion of the time, been equally distributed to, and expended 10 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. ill all parts of the town clearly proves, accord- ing to Mr. M.'s opinion, that the children here have enjoyed superior advantages. The first money voted by the town for the support of schools was in December, 1747. The sum was ten pounds, and Jonathan Wil- son was authorized to hire the master. The first school-house was erected in 1749,^ ftt an expense of £'35. It was 24 by 18 feet, located near the first meeting-house, and built under the superintendence of Gershom Hougli- ton, Thomns Wilder, and Nathaniel Carter, ('ommittee. The first woman school provided for by the town, was in 1752, and the amount appropria- ted was £'3.6.8. In l'«55, £8 were appropria-* ted for a writing school, at the school-house. And m 1757, £T5 were raised to be expended 111 three places. Tlie average amount annually appropriated for the 'support of schools for the first twenty years from 1747j and while there was but one school-house, was about forty dollars, expend- ed under the direction sometimes of the select- men, and at others by a committee specially appointed for the purpose. In 1766, the toT^n was sued for not keeping a grammar school. In those days all who could read by spelling HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. to the words", had a right to go to the grammar schooh III ^larch, 1767, it was voted to divide the town into three parts for schooling, and Thom- as Legate, Jonathan AVhite, and James Rich- ardson, were appointed a Committee to make the division. Voted to raise £'-10 for schooling, and £66.13.4, to build school-houses, and choose three men in each third part of tlio town, to superintend the work. Four new school houses were erected, there being two for tlie South third part. So heavy were the burdens of the inhabitants of tliis town during the Revolution, that for several years they raised no money for schools. One, among many, of the sad effects of war. In 1 768, the town voted £33.6.8 ; in '71, £10 ; in '73, £35; in '76, £55; school to be four months in each third part of the town, und.r tlie du'ection of a Committee t)f three in each part. In January, 1775, they voted not to raise school tnoney ; but in May following, £100 were voted to be expended by the Selectmen in schooling by masters. In 1779, £350 wer« raised as an additional sum for supporting the schools two months in each third part. And in 1 780 the sum of £2000 was raised to defray the expense of six months man school, and six 7 74 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. montlis woman school. About this time those living on the hills in the West xmrt of tlie town were allowed, for a few years, to draw their prox3ortion of school money, and expend it among themselves. From 1784 to 1790, the amount raised for schools ranged from £'50 up to £100 annually. In 1791 an Article inserted for the jiurpose, was referred to a large Com- mittee, who subsequently reported that the town should be divided into seven Districts, to be called Wards; and their report was accepted. And in 1792, under an Article inserted for the purpose, the inhabitants refused to re-consider the vote whereby the town was divided into Wards. This settled the matter, and since that time, the word District has been altogether inap- plicable to the schools, and should not be used. And down to 1820, it was not used, nor was it to be found on the Uecords. These Wards were not formed*by metes and bounds, as is re- quisite in a legally constituted school District, but merel^ by designating the persons who should send their children here or there. In 1822, a vote was passed, that the town should not be divided into school Districts ac- cording to law. In 1791, the town chose a Joint Committee, consisting of the Selectmen and one from each HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 'STER. 79 existence, the books used in the Schools were too few, the Bible, the Psalter, and Dilworth's Spelling Book, being the principal ones. But during the first part of the last half century, they became too numerous. Almost every teacher would introduce some new ones. And they were not alike in hardly any two Wards in town. The Schools were examined once in a year, viz : at the close of the wmter term, by the Clergyman, and the Selectmen. The law authorizing towns to choose a Committee for the special purpose of inspecting the Schools, was not imperative till 1826. But at the sug- gestion of an individual of the town who, from the year 1799, was employed as a teacher five or six years in one of the Schools, an Article was inserted in a Warrant for town-meeting, under which a School Committee was chosen ; and at the suggestion of the same indi\idual that Committee, and their successors, visited the winter Schools at the commencement as well as at the close, and, in both instances, took the books into their own hands, selected the lessons, and made a most thorough exam- ination, and with the most beneficial effects on the School. This was as early as 1803. And under another Article, the School Committee were authorized to i)rcscribe what books should 80 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. be used in the several Schools, and hence they became uniform throughout the town. And about the same time, Registers somewhat sim- ilar to those now required by law, were intro- duced into the Schools with good effect. A list of those who have served on the School Committee. For many years they received no pecuniary compensation : 1803. Dr. Daniel Adams, Abijah Bigclow, Esq., Jonas Kendall, Esq. 1804. D. Adams, A. Bigelow, J. Kendall. 1805. A. Bigelow, Asa Johnson, Esq., Rev. Francis Gardner, David Wilder, J. Kendall. 1806. Rev. F. Gardner, A. Johnson, D. Wilder. 1807. Rev. F. Gardner, A. Johnson, D. Wilder. 1808. A. Johnson, D. Wilder, A. Bigelow. 1809. F. Gardner, A. Johnson, Josiah Rich- ardson, D. Wilder, Bezaleel Lawrence Esq. 1810. F. Gardner, A. Bigelow, J. Kendall, D. Wilder, Joshua Chase. 1811. J. Kendall, D. Wilder, J. Crosby, J. Richardson, Wm. Perry, Esq. 1812. D. Wilder. J. Richardson, Wm. Per- ry. 1813. D'. Wilder, Caleb Barton, Wm. Per- ry. mSTORY OF LEOMLNSTER. 81 18U. Wm. Perry, J. Crosby, J. Kendall 1815. Wm. Perry, Daniel Fuller, Josliua Chase. 181G. Per. Wm. Bascom, A. Bigelow, J. J. Picliardson. 1817. Wm. Bascom, D. Wilder, Doct A. Haskell, Daniel Gates, Horace Pichardson. 1818. W. Bascom, Doct. C. ^V. ■\^'ilder, Jo- seph G. Kendall, D. Wilder, D. Gates.' 1819. Wm. Bascom, D. Wilder, C. W. A\'ilder, Wm. Perry, D. Gates. 1820. D. AA^ilder, C. W. Wilder, ■\^rm. Per- ry, Jonas H. .Kendall, Leonard Burrage. 1821. Rev. Abel Conant, D. Wilder, Levi Nichols, J. H. Kendall, L. Burrage. 1822. A. Conant, D. Wilder, Levi Xichols, J. n. Kendall, H. Pichardson. 1823. A. Conant, D. AYilder, L. Xichols, J. II. Kendall, H. Pichardson. 1824 A. Conant, Wm. Perry, Doct. A. Haskell, Jr., J. II. Kendall, H. Picliardson. 1825. A. Conant, J. G. Kendall, Doctor Tho. P. Boutelle, J. H. Kendall, L. Burrage. 1826. A. Conant, Philip Payson, T. P. Boutelle, J. H. Kendall, J. G. Kendall. 1827. A. Conant, T. P. Boutelle, Solon Car- ter, J. H. Kendall, J. G. Kendall. 1828. A. Conant, Solon Carter, T. P. Bout- elle. 82 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 1829. A. Conant, David Wilder, Charles W. Wilder. 1830. A. Conant, J. J. Taylor, Alansou J. Whitcomb. 1831. A. Conant, A. J. Whitcomb, T. R. Boutelle, Solon Carter, J. H. Kendall. 1832. A. Conant, S. Glover, J. H. Kendall, S. Carter, A. J. Whitcomb. 1833.' A. Conant, S. Glover, J. G. Kendall, S. Carter, D. Wilder. 1834. A. Conant, C. W. AVilder, S. Carter, A. J. Whitcomb, Dr. Albert Smith. 1835. A. Conant, C. W. Wilder, S. Carter, Kev. O. G. Hubbard, Albert Smith. 183G. A. Conant, C. W. Wilder, S. Carter, O. G. Hubbard, A. Smith. 1837. O. G. Hubbard, C. W! Wilder, S. Carter, A. Smith, Sumner L. Carter. 1838. Eev. R. P. Stebbins, O. G. Hubbard, Hev. Moses Harrington, C. W. Wilder, C. C. Field. 1839. R P. Stebbins, O. G. Hubbard, M. Harrington, C. W. Wilder, Dr. C. C. Field. 1840. O. G. Hubbard, M. Harrington, C. W. Wilder, C. C. Field, Rev. John C. Good- ridg6. 1841. O. G. Hubbard, R. P. Stebbins, C. C. Field, Solon Ci^'ter, C. W. Wilder. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 83 1842. O. G. Hubbard, R. P. Stebbins, C. W. Wilder, C. C. Field, S. Carter. 1843. O. G. Hubbard, R. P. Stebbins, C. W. AVilder, C. C. Field, S. Carter. 1844. 11. P. Stebbins, O. G. Hubbard, C. ^y. ^yMeY, C. C. FieUl, S. Carter. 1845. O. G. Hubbard, Pev. Hiram With- ington, C. C. Field, A. J. Whitcomb, Joel W. Fletcher. 1846. O. G. Hubbard, H. Withington, Ilev. J. C. Carpenter, J. M. Burrage, Alanson Richardson. 1847. O. G. Hubbard, H. Withington, C. ^y. wilder, C. C. Field, S. Carter. 1848. O. G. Hubbard, H. Withington, C. W. Wnder, C. C. Field, S. Carter. 1849. O. G. Hubbard, Rev. Amos Smith, C. C. Field. 1850. O. G. Hubbard, A. Smith, Rev. S. Tupper, C. C. Field, Dr. G. W. Pierce. 1851. O. G. Hubbard, A. Smith, Rev. A. M. Swain, C. C. Field, G. W. Pierce. 1852. A. Smith, A. M. Swain, C. C. Field, G. W. Pierce, Charles H. Merriam, Esq. And although there have been some failures on the part of the -teafchers, yet, at least for sixty-five years past, the town has been pe- culiarly fortunate m this particular. 84 HISTORY or LEOMIxXSTEft. Among the Collcgiatcs wlio have since bc- CQinc distinguislicd Loth as scholars and theo- logians, the following Reverend gentlemen may be mentioned, viz : Messrs. Appleton, the Pres- ident of Bowdoin College, — Woods, a Profess- or at Andover, — Emerson, Lincoln, Kendall, Mason, Allen, Huntington, Thomas, Uphani, Clark and Hill. And among those who did not enter upon the ministry are Messrs. Smi- ley, Brown, Pillsbury, Buttrick, Butterfield, Colburn, Carter and Kent. Of those who were not collegiates, but who were apt to teach, aniong many others may be named Messrs. SamL C. and C. W. Wilder, J Ivichardson, O. Kendall, Wyman, Whitcomb, Ciiiter, Graham, Chase and Grout. But without the least disparagement to oth- ers, it may be truly said, that of all tliose who have had charge of the common public schools in this town, as teachers, for the last sixty years, none have been more thorough, syste- matic, and successful in their teaching, than the " Author of Colburn's Arithmetic," and our native-born citizen, James G. Carter. And to them, probably more than to any other two individuals, are the people of this Common- wealth indebted for the establishment of the Noi-mal Schools, and of the Board of Educa- History of leominster. 85 tion. And it was the opinion of some, I think I may say not a few, that Mr. Carter was hy far the most snitahle person to have been ap- pointed the first Secretary of that Board. His \-iews upon some of the most important qnes- tions were probably not materially different from those entertained by the present Secretai-y of the Board. Althongh the young in this place have en- joyed such peculiar advantages in relation to the schools, yet the parents have- frequently sent their sons and their daughters, and others un- der tlieir care, out of town to academies and other useful seminaries of learning^. The Lawrence Academy at Groton, vras in- coporated in 1793, and the catalogue for 1848 contains the'names of no less than forty-six per- sons from this town, who, in their younger days, attended school at that institution. And the names of a great many others may be found in the catalogues of similar institutions, not only in the vicinity, but also at a distance, and cacu in other States. The nimibcr of young men educated at the colleges would seem, at first view, to be small ; and yet, when compared with those in the ad- joining towns, all circumstances considered, it is more than an avera^-e. The followins: is be- 8 1763. Jonathan White, 1. 1824 1773. Manasseh Smith, 2. 1829 Charles Stearns, 3. 1830 1776. John Roffers, 4. 1783. Alphens Moore, 5. 1793. Francis Gardner, 6. 1800. Timothy Boutelle, 7. 1825 1806. Caleb Boutelle, 8. 1778. 1810. Joseph G. Kendall, 9. 1829. 1813. Charles II. Chase, 10. 1831. 1819. Walter R. Johnson 11. 1820. James%. Carter, 12. 86 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. lieved to be a correct list of all the g-raduates from this town. Those who were graduated at Harvard University are chronologically arrang- ed. Those in italics are dead. Charles H. Carter, 13. John James Taylor, 14. Henry Lincoln, 15. John liitrraqe, IG. Salmon Bichardsoti, 17. Thomas Boutelle, 18. Artemas A. Wood, 19. NOTES ON THE FOREGOING LIST. 1. A son of Col. Jonathan White did not study a profession, and left town in the Ilevo- lutionary war. 2. A son of Abijah Smith, Counsellor at liaw, in Maine. 3. A son of Thomas Stearns, Minister of the town of Lincoln, author of the " Philoso- phy of Love," and " Dramatic Dialogues." 4. Son of the first Minister, and a Physician in Plymouth, N. H. 5. Son of the second wife of Mr. Mark Lincoln. 6. Son of the second Minister, Counsellor at Law, in Walpole, in New Hampshire, and a Eepresentative in Congress. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 87 7. A soil of Col. T. Boutclle, Coimscllor at Law, in Watcrvillc, Mc, where he still resides in the 74tli year of his age. He has been much in public life, having served at least a dozen years as Senator and Representative in the Legislature of that State, — was a member of the Electoral College for President in 181(j, and is at present one of the " Board of Trus- tees," of Waterville College, and from it has re- ceived the Degree of L. L. D. 8. A brother of Timothy, Physician, died in Plymouth, 1819. 9. A son of Hon. Jonas Kendall, Counsel- lor at Law, Representative in Congress, &c., Szc, Clerk of the Courts for the County of Worcester, died in AVorcester, 1847, universal- ly lamented 10. A son of -Maj. Metaphor Chase, Mer- chant in Baltimore, Md. 11. A grandson of the Hev. John Rogers, Professor of Chemical and Natural Philosophy, in the Pennsylvania College, resides in Wash- mgtou, D. C, in the employment of the U. S. Government. 12. Son of Capt. James Carter, resided in Lancaster, — Instructor of Youth, Justice of the Peace, Senator and Representative in General Court, died in IS-ls, " 88 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 13. Brother of James, and resides in Athol. 14. Son of Mr. John Taylor, Comisellor at Law, in Owego, N. Y. 15. Son of Mr. William Lincohi, Physician in Lancaster. 16. Son of Capt. J. Bnrrage, (B. U.) Coun- sellor at Law, Representative, died in 1820. 17. Son of Maj. James Richardson, (D. U.) School Teacher, stutUed no profession. 18. Son of Mr. James Boutelle, (A. C.) Minister at Plymouth, and now in Bath, X. IT. 19. Son of Artemas Wood, (A. C.) Minis- ter, first in West Siiringfield, married a daugh- ter of the Hon. Samuel Lothrop, of that town, and is now a ]\linister in the city of jSTew A'ork. And iri addition to those who have received a Degree at some College, and have left the town, vast numbers of others, educated princi- pally, and not a few of them wholly, at our com- mon schools, have gone out from us into all parts of the country. Go which way you will, North or South, East or West, far or near, and you will be pretty likely to find some c^f the native sons of this town working their way along among the ' multitude, hi their various professions, trades and employments. Not a few of them have been entrusted with offices of trust and responsibility in Corporations, in HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 89 Towns and Cities, in Counties, in tlie Common- wealth, and in other States. A good propor- tion of them have hcen successful in business, and have even become wealthy. Many of the citizens of Boston were born here. A number of years ago, one of them took it into his head to invite a Leominster party, and went so far as to begin to write down names ; but soon found, that although his house was very spa- cious, " it was a cjreat deal too little" to accom- modate his fellow natives, and he relinquished his design. It would occupy too much space to mention one tenth of those who, even during the last sixty-five years, have left their nati\e town and gone elsewhere. Among them are the names of Allen, Burrage, BoutcUe, Burditt, Carter, Crocker, Conant, Darling, Gardner, Hills, Haws, Joslin, Johnson, Kendall, Low, Legate, Lincoln, Murdoch, Nichols, Phelps, Pierce, Bichardson, Bugg, Stearns, Snow, Taiiit- er, Tyler, Wood, and AVilder. Soon after the adoption of the United States Constitution, a post office was established in this town, and the late Asa Johnson, Esq., was appointed the first Postmaster. He was suc- ceeded by Mr. Charles Prentiss, for two or three years, and then John Gardner, Esq., was the postmaster about twenty years. His sue- 90 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. cesser was the late Mr. John Kendall. The present accommodating and faithfnl incumhent was first appointed October 1, 1833. In 1851 an additional post oflice was established near the Fitchbnrg Rail Road depot, called the " North Leominster," and Mr. Wm. F. Howe appointed postmaster. For many years the post-riders brought from Boston two mails in a week ; afterwards there were three by stage-coach ; and now, from all directions, we have in both offices six mails a day by railroad, besides the news by telegraph. By a statement in the Worcester Magazine for 1826, it appears that at that time there v>ere but six post offices m the County' of Worcester that yielded a nett revenue to the United States Government greater tlian tlie one in this town, it being then ^113,88. From a particular ac- count, kindly furnished me by Mr. C. H. Col- burn, it appears that the balance accruing to the Government annually on the 30th of Sep- tember, since the first of October, 1833, has been as follows, viz : In 1834, ^•304,1.5. " 1835, 304,70. " 1836,. 33-5,73. ;•' 1837, 353,03. " 1838. 348,59. " 1839, 384,35. " 1840, 420,23. In 1848, g658,56. " 1849, 767,92. " 1850, 934,01. " 1851, 839,40. March 31, 1852, 161,92. In 1841, £451, 07. 1842, 492,99. 1843, 510,35. 1844, 515,34. 1845, 625,52. 1846, 504,84. 1947, 574,39. Total, ^388,29 To which add the baUuioe due and paid by the North Post Otace since it was established in 1S51, lu2,08. and the whole amount of revenue to the P. 0. Dep't will be ,^9520,37. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 91 PRINTING. The " jRural Iiejmsitori/" a weekly sheet by Charles Prentiss, was commenced in this town October 22, 1795, and the publication closed in about eighteen months. The " Political Foais,'' by Charles and John Prentiss, was commenced in June, 1798, and closed Xovember 28, 1799. John Prentiss left the town in March, 1799, and commenced the New Hampshire Sentinel, at Keene, which he conducted with great ability and good suc- cess, for forty-eight years, and which is now published by his son. " The Telescope,'' by Adams and Wilder, edited by the former, was commenced January 2, 1800, and the publication ceased, for want of due encouragement, October 14, 1802. The subscriptions to neither of the papers exceeded five or six hundred, and the advertising and job patronage was small. Charles Prentiss pub- lished a volume of his own " Essays," in prose and poetry, the " Philosophy of Love," a poem by the late Rev. Charles Stearns, of Lincoln, Mass. Also a thick 12mo. volume of " Dram- atic Dialogues," by the same author. He pub- 92 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. lished also several miscellaneous volumes for himself and others, and kept a small assortment of hooks and stationery, with a bindery attached. Doctor Adams published two or three edi- tions of his " Scholar s xirithmetic," and his " Understanding Eeader," two valuable school books, while he resided in this town. Among the Doctor's other works are the " Monitorial Header," " Mental Arithmetic,'' "Book-keeping" and " Mensuration." Doctor Adams now re- sides in Kcene, and, at the age of seventy-sev- en, enjoys comfortable health. Mr. J. Prentiss is also there, and, apparently, in the vigor of manhood. It was a misfortune to this town that two such men should leave it. Mr. Salmon Wilder, the partner of Doctor Adams, contmued for a time to do job printing in this town, and then removed to New Ipswich. Mr. J. Prentiss purchased the copy-right of • the Scholar's Arithmetic, about the year 1806 or 1807, and published large editions until the year 1828, when, to meet the demands of the age, he engaged the author to revise it. From that time to 1848, large stereotype editions were published by him of this new 12mo. work, " Adams' New Arithmetic." Again the de- mands required a revision, and it has been since published by J. W. Prentiss & Co., " Re- HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 93 vised Edition," miicli enlarged and improved. Messrs. Cliaiies and John l^rentiss were the sons of the Rev.. Caleb Prentiss, of Reading, and the elder was graduated at Harvard Uni- versity in 1795. He taught one of the schools in this town the winter preceding. A Mr. Ephraiin A\ ilder opened a Bookstore here about the year 18();3 ; but, although the inhabitants generally at that time were fond of reading, he did not meet with sufficient en- couragement to induce him to remain long. A Social Library of choice books had jn-evi- ously been established in this town. An Asso- ciation called " The Institute," was formed herein 181 (S ; and in 18-17, "The Lyceum" was organized. The funds for the commence- ment of a Library were obtained at a tea-party given by the ladies in January, 18-18. And ui "that year the three Libraries were united into one, and now comprise nearly or quite seven hundred volumes of useful and entertahiing books. 91 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. REPRESENTATIVES. ^ List of Representatives chosen to the Gen- eral Court, from the first on record : 1774. Israel Nichols. 1777. J. Joslin & Israel Nichols. 1780. Israel Nichols. Oct. Thos. Legate, 1st under the Constitution. 1783, 'i, -0. Israel Nichols. 1786. Timothv Boutelle.. 1787, '8. David Wilder. 1789, '91. Israel Nichols. 1793. Timothy Boutelle. 179.5. Thomas Legate, Jr. 1796, '7, '8. Thomas Gowing. 1800, '1, '3, '4, '5; '6. Jonas Kendall. 1S07, 8. Abijah Bigelow. 1809. A. Bigelow & D. Wilder, Jr. 1810. D. Wilder, Jr., § Joel Crosby. 1811. '12. D. Wilder, Jr., and Benjamin Perkins. 1813. David Wilder, Jr., and B. Lawrence. 1814. Joel Crosby and B. Lawrence. ISlo, '16, '17. Bczaleel Lawrence. 1818. Joel Crosbv. 1S19. J. Crosby & B. Lawrence. 1820. Bezaleel Lawrence. 1821. Jonas Kendall. 1824, '5. William Perry. 1826. Joel Crosbv. 1827. Joel Crosby and D. Wilder. 1828. D. AVilder and J. Crosbv. 1829. J. Crosby .Sf Wilder Car"ter. 1830. W. Carter "& Chas. Grout. 1831. W. Carter & Chas. Grout. 1831. November. Wilder Carter and Carter Gates. 1832. L. Burrage and C. Grout. 1833. D. Wilder and C. Gates. 1834. D. Wilder and 0. Gates. 183.5, February. P. S. Burditt. 183.5. C. Gates and P. S. Burditt. 1836. P. S. Burditt and Charles, W. Wilder. 1837. Charles W. Wilder. Jabez B. Low. Rufus Kendall & C. Hills. Charles Hills. Charles Hills. 1842, '3, '4. Leonard Burrage. 1845. Charles W. Wilder. James Burditt. Charles W. Wilder. Charles W. Wilder. Solon Carter George S. Burrage. Joel Crosby Allen, 1838. 1839. 1840. 1841. 1846. 1847. 1848. 1849. 1850. 18-51. HISTORY or LEOMINSTER. 95 The following persons, during their residence here, have been chosen or ai^pointed to offices others than those conferred by the to"svn : CORONERS. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE ITSl. Mnvk Lincoln. 1811. Michael Newhall. 17S2. Jolm Sinionds. John Kendall. 1792. Bezalcel Lawrence. 1819. Williiini Ferry. ISIO. Abel Carter. Levi Nichols.' 1811. Daniel Newhall. 1826. AVilliam Wilder. 1826. William Wilder. 1837. Charles Grout. 1850. William H. Young. 18,39. Charles W. Wilder. JUSTICES OF T}IE PEACE. 1814. Leonard Burrage. 1788. AVilliam Nichols. Solon Carter. 1803. John Gardner. 1818. William A. Nichols. 1810. Joel Crosby. Joel W. Fletcher. Bezaleel Lawrence. 1849. Noah R. Harlow . Asa Johnson. 18.51. Merritt Wood. 18.32. Charles H. Merriam. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 1801. Jonas JCendall, subsequently Quo- rum, and throughout the Commonwealth, Spe- cial Jus. C. Sessions, and was Senator, Coun- sellor, and R,eprescntatiye in Congress. 1809. Solomon Strong, J. C. C. Pleas, Quo- rum, and' throughout Commonwealth, Senator. 1809. Abijah Bigelow, Quorum, Represen- tative in Congress, and Clerk of the Courts. 1817. David Wilder, the Quorum, through- out Commonwealth, Comr. Highways, Senator, Counsellor, Treasurer of the Commonwealth. 96 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 1827. Joseph G. Kendall, of tlie Quorum, Master in Chancery, Senator, Representative in Congress, and Clerk of the Courts. 1804. Lovell Walker, Quorum. 1826. Charles G. Trentiss, Eegister of Tro- bate. 1781. Israel Nichols, Quorum and Senator. . Thomas Legate, Quorum. The last two gentlemen and Thomas Wilder, were in connnission previous to the adoption of the Constitution in 1780. In 177.1:, Israel Nichols was chosen a member of the County Convention at Worcester, and also to attend the General Court at Salem. And Thomas Legate was chosen to the Provincial Conven- tion at Concord. While Judge Strong resided in Westminster previous to 1817, he was one of the Senators for A'S'orcester County, and also a llepresenta- tive in Congress. He was a son of Judge Simeon Strong, and was graduated at Williams College, in 1798, in the eighteenth year of his age. The Hon. Lovell AYalkcr was a graduate of Dartmouth College in 1794. He was a Coun- sellor at Law, and, initil within a few years pre- vious to his death, resided in Templeton. And while there he was for several years a member of the Senate of the Commonwealth. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 97 Tlie widow of Judge Strong, a lineal des- cendant from Philip Sweetser and James llicli- ardson, two of the early settlers, and Mrs. Walker, formerly a Miss Loring, of Hingham, and an aunt to the Rev. A. Young, D. D.. of Boston, botli continue to reside here. MEDICAL PRACTITI OXERS. For nearly fifty years after the town was in- corporated, there was but one Physician in it at a time. The Eev. John Rogers, the first mmister, purchased the firm on which he lived and died, and which is now owned by M. D. Richardson, of a Doctor Howard ; but it is doubtful whether he ever had any practice here. Doctor Jacob Peabody was in town as early as 1746. He lived on the place now owned by William B. Hosmer, and died in 1759. His wife was the eldest sister of Mr. Rogers. He had a son Jacob, who was many years a Physi- cian in Exeter, N. H.. And this son had a daughter by the name of Eunice, who became the wife of Phinehas Carter, of Lunenburg, and 9 1)8 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. lieiice his son Thomas, who now resides in that toAvn, came into the possession of the hible which belonged to his ancestor, the Eev. John ]^ogers, the martyr, and of whicli an account is given, by the Eev. H. P. Stebbins, in his Cen- tennial Discourse. Doctor Thomas Gowing, from Lynn, suc- ceeded Dr. Peabody. After a careful and suc- cessful practice of about forty years, he died in tlie year 1800, aged sixty-six. He lived on the farm now owned by John Babcock, and erected that house before my remembrance. He took a lively interest in the welfare of the schools, and all other praisc-Vv'orthy objects. He pur- chased at Yv'orcester the first copy of " Perry's Dictionary" that was owned in town. He mar- ried the yougest daughter of James Eichardson, one of the early settlers. A niece of his was the wife of the late Hon. Jonas Kendall. His only child, a well educated lady for those days, became the wife of the late Col. Israel Nichols. We were not only school-mates, but also class- mates, and she would kindly allow me to use the new dictionary occasionally, until my father purchased the second copy that was brought into town. Mrs. Nichols died^January 1, 1852, in the 74th year of her age. To Doctor Gowmg, and others who were co- HISTORY OF LEO-MINSTER. 99 temporary with him, as well as to some of the first settlers, are the inhabitants of this town greatly indebted, for the order and regularity with whicli their municipal affairs have gener- ally been managed, for a long period of years. About the year 1790, Doctor Silas Allen es- tablislied himself here. At first he lived on the place that had been occupied by Doctor Pea- body ; but in due time he built a new house near the centre of the town. lie was a careful practitioner, and accumulated a handsome estate. He died August 13, 1840. His first wife was the sister of the Eev. P. Thurston, for some years minister of St. Johnsbury, Vt., and who died in this town. They had three sons and two daughters, who lived to be men and women, and the dauo:hters, and several of the orand- children, continue to reside here. In 1792 or '3, Doctor Ebenezer Learned, a graduate of Harvard College in 1787, came in- to tills town and tarried a year or two. He taught a private school much to the satisfaction of both parents and pupils ; but not finding sufficient encouragement as a physician, he went into Xew Hampshire, where he became distin- guished in his profession, and lived to a good old age. In 1799, Doctor Daniel Adams, of whom 100 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. more is said in another place, came into town. He was a graduate of Dartmouth College in 1797. About the year 1817, the town came very near having at least one too many of those who profess to " cure the ills which human flesh is heir to." There was Doctor Richard Ransom Smith and his son, Jerome Yan Crowningshield, who now resides in the city of Eoston — Abra- ham Haskell, senior, then the most skillful practitioner in the County of Worcester, and wdtli him, either as a student or a partner, the late Charles W. Wilder, who by his persevering efforts, and his extensive 2:)ractice, made himself eminent in his profession — Doctor Silas Allen, before mentioned, and another by the name of Wilder, of Avhom modesty requires that but very little should be said here. Under these circumstances, there came along a young gen- tleman in search of a place to establish himself as a physician, and put up for the night at one of the taverns. In the course of the evening he was very inquisitive, and among other questions asked the landlord (who, by the way, was a great lo^^er of fun) how many doctors thgre were in town ? The answer was as follows, " ~\\"cll, we have not yet so many that we begin to feed the hogs with them, but I don't know' HISTORY OF LEOMIMSTER. 101 how soon we mav have." The voiino- ocntle- man rode off next morning, an^l it is not known that he has ever been in toM ii since. Snhscquently, and at different periods, Doc- tors Albert Smith and Thomas 11. Boutelle re- sided here several years ; but, for reasons best known to themselves, they also went away. Their ancestors were amoni^ tlie early settlers Ircre. Doctor B. is a g-reat-grandson of Dea, James Boutelle, the first of the name who came to this town, and Doctor S. sustains the same relation to the late Hon. Israel Xicliols. The latter resides in Peterboro', N. li., his native town, and the former in the town of Fitchburo-, where he continues to enjoy an extensive and a successful practice. Doctor B., on the nmter- ual side, is also great-grandson of Jonathan Carter and James Richardson, two other of th(? first settlers, and also great ^^r'as an unnecessary let- ter, while his brothers and family connections used it. Several times in life he attempted to domesticate frogs, toads and serpents, and suc- ceeded so wonderfully, as to ha\c them, in a field, come at his call. A cat was his constant office companion, which was named after some statesman, for whom he had a peculiar regard ; one cat succeeded another, and generally bore the name of its predecessor. HISTORY Oy LEOMINSTER. • 105 For a repartee, lie had few equals ; as a specimen of his talents, this circumstance, which is said to have taken place at a hoarding house in Worcester, is recorded. A young mellow-headed lawyer .sitting in company with Johnson, who was surround- ed with counsellors, thinking to put him to a blush, asked hitn if he had ever eaten a dish of stewed poUywogs^ having been informed that he had a relish for dis2;ustin2^ rarities \ Johnson answered in the negative, and said he did not think they would injure him, however, if he should ; but observed to his interrogator, that it would be a rumous meal for him. " Why V said the lawyer, " because," answered Johnson, " it is a well known fact that 2^oIh/wor/s will kill goslings." Johnson was fond of good li-ving, and the society of literary persons ; he was remarkably polite, and among ladies, pleas- ing and agreeable in conversation. Above all, it is to be regretted that he lived, and died as he lived, a professed atheist ; he welcomed death as an unaccountable something that would annihilate his soul forever. At one time in his life he was worth a good interest ; but at the close of it, his prox^ensity for gaming and other concomitant habits, stripped him of his possessions. in a few years. 106 • HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. He died of debility, on Sunday, August 13th, 1820, in his sixty-third year, a pensioner of the United States." The above biographical sketch of Mr. John- son was published in the Boston News Letter, about twenty-ii^e years ago, and must have been written by some one who had been well acquainted with him. Although the course of life which he led, could not, as a whole, conmiend itself to the consciences of sober-minded men, yet there were many good traits in his char- acter. He was kind to the poor. He was not inclined to encourage litigation merely for the sake of pocketing a fee.- He was a charnj- ing singer, and did much to improve the church music in this place. He was strictly an hon- est man, and for several years was Town Trea- surer, and an efficient member of the school committee. And although I shall not vouch for the fact, yet it is strongly impressed upon my mind, that, towards the close of his life, he not only expressed doubts whether the course which he had pursued with regard to religious and moral subjects was the true one ; but even went so far, a day or two before his death, as to say, " I have been a wicked man." In 1797 or '98, Abijah Bigelow, from "West- miiister, came into town and opened an office. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 107 He was a well-read lawyer, a safe counselor, and a successful practitioner. Quite a number of young- gentlemen read law in his office, sev- eral of whom afterwards became distinguished in the profession.* He continued here until he was appointed Clerk of the Courts, in 1817, and then removed to Worcester, where he now resides, and although far advanced in life, still attends to the business of his profession. He was a graduate of Dart. Col. in 1795. William Ferry and Joseph G. Kendall, na- tives of this town, and students in Mr. Bigelow's office, succeeded him and ]\lr. Johnson. Mr. Perry died in August, 1844. Mr. Kendall re- mained here till 1833, when he was appointed Clerk of the Courts in the room of Mr. Bigelow, resigned. He died in Worcester, October 2, 1847, aged 59. These three gentlemen, like their predecessor, instead of encouraging liti- gation, " sought the things that make for peace." They all took a lively interest in the general welfare of the town, and especially in the education of the young ; and, at different times, were all members of the school commit- tee. They possessed, in an eminent degree the confidence of the people. They all served Note. Hon. Timothy Boutelle, B. M. Farley, of Hollis, N. H., Abel Boynton, and Leonard M. Parker, of Shirley. 108 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. in ihe office of Town Clerk and Selectmen. One of them was a member of the Convention for revising the Constitntion of this Common- wealth ; they were all members of the General Court; and two of them Representatives in Congress. Truly may it be said that this town was the better for theii* having lived in it. And it is hoped that their successors in the XDrofession, Messrs. Fletcher and Mcrriam, may follow the praiseworthy examples of their dis- tinguished predecessors. Mr. Perry married a sister of Doctor P. T. Kendall, of Sterling, who still survives him, and continues to reside in this town. He left two daughters, one is the wife of J. W. Fletch- er, Esq., and the other of Mr. C. 11. Colbum, the Postmaster. TANNERIES. The first tannery in this town was located immediately east of Wilson's mill-pond, on the south side of the way leading from the " great bridge" into "the broad road." It was improv- ed by Joshua Smith, who was probably one of the early settlers. It was afterwards owned or HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 109 occupied by a man by tlio name of Gates, whose wife, or widow, was for one or two years, the teacher of the summer school in tlie Xorth part of the town, about sixty-five years ago ; and since that time tliere has been no tanning done in that yard. I'he second was about half a mile West of the meeting-house, and was owned by Oliver Carter, a son of one of the first settlers, and the father of him who was to have found the lost carbuncle. He sold out to Benjamin Hawks about the yeai* 1780, who for about twenty-five years, carried on the business to con- siderable extent, employing a journeyman in addition to two or three apprentices, one of whom, Le^'i Adams, succeeded him. Adams, in company with B. Perkins, did a small business for eight or ten years, and then sold to Thomas Stearns, who, with about the same capital em- ployed by Hawks, say .<^2000, turned out some- thing like j$3500 worth of leather annually for seven or eight years, and then sold to Wm. Barrage, and constructed a new yard on the Monoosnock brook at the Eullum saw-mill, where he continued to do a safe and profitable business till 1847, when he sold out to J. C. Lane. The tanning was successfully prosecu- ted by AVm. Burrage and a younger son, and by Asa Pierce, Jr., at the old yard till 1835, 10 110 HISTOIIY OF LEOMINSTER. imd then -vvlioUy discontinued at tliat place. William Burrage, one of the first, and pro- bably the best of Hawk's apprentices, com- menced tanning- in the north part of the town in 1790, vv'ith a small capital, and on a small scale. He gradnally increased the business, uaitil at the end of thirty years he employed a capi- tal of $3000, and turned out annually, for sev- eral of the last years, S5 000 worth of leather. Leonard Ihirrage, after having been in com' pany with his father tliree or four years, bought the yard in 18'24, and carried on the business by himself, and in company v,ith Geo. 8. Ymr- rage, annually increasing both the amount of capital em})l()yed and the manufactured article till 1844, when the establishment was sold to Eabcock and J. ^I. Burrage. Up to this time tlie tanning in this tov/n had all been done in the old fashioned ^\ay ^vith cold liquor, slow process, and a great amount of nninual labor; but Babcock & Barrage put in steam poAver, and increased the business about four-fold, do- ing as much in three months as had been pi-e- A'iously done in a yeai- ; and, with a capital of $()000, turning out .S 20,000 worth annually. And now, 1852, the establishment has passed into the hands of Putnam & Phelps. Ij. Bur- HISTORY OF LEO:\riNSTErw 111 rago, Tliosmas Stearns, and A. Pierco, anionic others, were ai)])rentices to AA'm. Burrag-e ; and by their industi-y and good nianagcnicnt, tliey liave all acquired more than a competency of the good things of this life. Indeed, tAvo of tliem are now among the most wealthy men in the town. Tliey have followed the example of tlieir master in financial affairs. His first pur- chase was of Doct. Govring, avIio then owned a larQ-e farm, and althou"-h it was only ahout 350 worth, the Doctor required two names upon the note. ]Mr. Burrage, avoiding the ex- tremes of parsimoniousness and extravagance, l)y his economy and industry was successful in his business, and bought not only the Doctor s whole farm, but also anotlier on the other side of liis lanyard ; and after a long and useful life died in 184-1, leaving a large estate to his heir^. A good example for all young men to follow. The manufacturing of patent leather was commenced by Babcock & Burrage, in the vicinity of their tannery, in July, 1^51, and prosecuted by th.em until the following Decem- ber, Avhen a transfer of tlis business was madi^ to Mr. X. W. Stoddard. He being a skilful and experienced workman, is giving a new im- petus to the business, and executing the work in a superior manner. 112 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. The managoment of so important and valu- able a braneli of finishing- leather is attended witli many inconveniences while in its infancy. The proprietor is surmounting the numerous difficulties, and with some half dozen workmen intends to finish about |{'25,{)00 worth of stock annually. One great inducement Mr. Stoddard had to manufacture patent leather at his pre- sent locality was, the convenient opportunity of obtaining an excellent article of leather for the purpose of Putnam & Phelps, successors to Babcock & Burrage. For firmness of texture and its pliability, the leather they tan is seldom surpassed. The valuable improvements intro- duced by the enterprising proprietor, in the fin- ishing of this kind of leather, of Avhich he claims the right, must make it a superior and durable article, compared \\'ith what has here- tofore been manufactured. BOOTS AND SHOES. For seN'enty years but veiy little liad been done in the manufacturing of boots and shoes, except merely for custom w.ork. In 1810, Jo- seph C'onant commenced making ladies' mo- HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. ll^^ rocco shoes, and continiiod in the business about twenty years, selling something like $'800 an- nually, mostly in Xew York and A^evmont. For six years previous to 1842, Tj. & (r. S. Burrage manufactured annually about ,^25,000 worth of leather shoes ; and G. S. Burrage did nearly a third as much for three rears longer. And since 1845, M. D. Haws, in addition to his custom work, has made ladies kid and leather shoes and boots to the value of from .^7000 to ^10,000 annually, sold in Massarlni- setts. X(nv Hampshire and Vermont. SADDLES, &c. About the year 1787, ^Ir. Ephraim Eager, from Sterling, commenced the manufacture of saddles in the old tailor shop of Mr. John Rich- ardson. He was not a business man, his sales were small, and in 170{), he returned to Ster- ling, destitute of property. Asa Kendall, thc^ younger apprentice of Eager, succeeded his master, and, being an industrious, careful man, carried on tlic business successfiMly for about fifteen vears, ^lien lie sold out and removed to 114 HISTORY OF LEO.MI^'STER. Mount Vernon, N. H., wliere he still resides. Francis Jolinson succeeded Mr. K. Jonas Gates, Jun., the elder apprentice of Mr. K.,for a time carried on the business, on a small scale, in the Easterly part of the town. Col. Luke Lincoln, a native of this town, and who served his apprenticeship with Mr. Breck, of Pepperell, manufactured harness, chaises and other carri- ages profitably in this town, from 1827 to 1849; but the amount of capital employed, or the value of the articles annually made, are not known. Mr. George Gay was a partner with himlrom 1828 to 1832, the time of his (Gay's) death. At an early date after the incorporation of the town, the manufacture of potash was under- taken, by Thomas Wilder, Esq., one of the tirst settlers, and continued some years after- wards, by his son Thomas. Their works were at the outlet of Chualoom pond. Jonas Ken- dall, senior, also made quite a business of man- ufacturing the article for a number of years. He also manufactured pearlash, and his wife made jxhicerbread to sell. And after them, Jo- tham Johnson was extensively engaged in the business. Ilis w^orks were situated on the West side of the brook near the Fitchburg & Wor- cester Kail Eoad crossinc^. He sold out to HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 115 John Gardner, Esq., in 1795. Mr. Johnson was a brother of Asa, the hiw)cr. He was not only a man of great enterprise, bnt he was also fair, npright and honest in liis dealings. In 1790, he established the first stage-eoacli that was run from this town to Boston, and contin- ued in the business a number of years. He and a younger brother by the name of Jonas, kept a variety goods store for many years, by which the inhabitants were greatly accommo- dated. He married the eldest daughter of the Rev. Francis Gardner, and their daughter be- came the wife of the Hon. Benjamin Seaver, the present Mayor of the city 'of Boston. John Gardner also succeeded Mr. Johnson in the store as -well as the potash, and for many years followed the example of liis predecessor in a fair and upriglit way of dealing, and was the first trader in this town who did not fail. Pre- vious to Mr. Johnson, there had been but one trader on a large scale, viz., ^laj. Hichardson, whose name is mentioned in connection vvith the mill. At present there are five or six stores in town, and for fifty years past tliere have been quite as many as were needful. The last named individual lived in the house that for a long time has been known as " Tlic 116 HISTORY OF LEO>riNSTEIl. Abbey/' His store was on the opposite side of the way. .Viid to liim are we all indebted for those two rows of beautifnl ehn trees on each side of the road leading- from the younger Mr. Hosmer s over the Nichol's hill. It was in this, then, most elegant and S2:)acious mansion house, that John Avery, who for many years in succession, was tlie Secretary of tlie Com- mouM-ealth, resided several months with his family, in the early part of the American Rev- olution. A goodly proportion of the first settkn's were careful to set out a few~ trees in front of their - dwellings, and by the side of the road, and although tlie axe has been laid at the root of too many of them, there are a considerable number remaining ; several at the Col. White place; one at the Divol farm; one at Mr. Farmers ; one at the Key. Mr. Rogers' house ; two at the Gates' place ; tvro or more at each of the places formcniy owned by' (). S: J. Carter, Vj. Stuart, J. Boutelle, L. "^^'arner, and at some other places, (^uite a number of these elms arc stately trees, measuring in circumference over fifteen feet. Tlie largest, one at the Oliver Carter place, eight feet from tlie ground meas- ures twenty feet. It was set out in 1719, then a mere s[)rout. Even the town in its corporate HISTOUY OF LEOMINSTER. 117 capacity early manifested a good taste in the matter. About the year 1765, the land now enclosed as the New Cemetery Avas rented to Joshua Smith, the first tanner in town, on con- dition, among others, that he shonkl plant a row of ehns by the side of it. .He fulfilled that part of the contract, but the soil not being suited to the elm, but very few of them liwd ; two only now renuini. There is a tradition, and I believe it to be true, that Smith also set out a row of elms on the south side of the way from his tan-yard, up -into the " broad road." Two of those trees are yet standing, and one of them A\ith a top of the greatest imaginable beauty. The elms on both sides of the road between the Kev. Amos Smith's and the burying-ground, were planted in tiie spring of 1793. More were set out, but they did not live. The button- woods on that street were probably set out at the same time. There were then only three dwelling houses on the West side of the road, and but one or two on the East. For those orna- mental trees, Ave are indebted to Mr. John Rich- ardson, who, for more than fifty years, Avas the only " man-tailor ' in toAvn, and Avho from liis OAvn family, not only furnished a goodly num- ber of tailoresses ; but also some half dozen or 118 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. more most exceliciit female teachers of the town schools : to Doctor Silas Allen, for many years a practismg physician here: to Mr. Ephraim Eager, the first saddler in town, and who lived and died a bachelor: and to ]Mv. Josiali llich- ardsoii, then an .apprentice to Imager, and Avho, as was the case in the days of Job, only sur- vives to tell the story. And Ave are happy to know that after having lived in various otlier places, both A\'est and South, he has at lengtli returned to end a long life in his native town, and within sight of the liouse in Avhich he Avas born. It must afford him peculiar satisfaction- to walk in the shade of those trees. Many others are deserving of credit for of= namenting their houses and the roadside with shade trees. The late Joel Crosby, Esq., many years ago was at much pains to set out maples and other ornamental trees, along on the farms now owned by C'apt. Charles Xickerson and Mr, Warner. Indeed such trees may be found nearly all the way around what is called " tlie Xeck," either in front of the dwellings or by the roadside. The late Hon. Jonas Kendall possessed an uncommonly correct taste in relation to forest trees and garden flowers, as may be seen by a A'iew of the arran^-ements made bv him at liis liiSTOIlY OF LEOMINSTER. Il9 last residence. Col. J. II. Kendall, the only survivor of seven children, and a non resident, owns and improves the estate ; and so far as it respects the cultivation of flowers, of fruit and forest trees, the discernment of the son is equal to that of the father. Some years ago the late I)ea. Wm. Burrage, together with his son Leon* ard and ^[r. ,T. Wood, caused rock-maples to he set out on l)oth sides of the road against their land for a third of a mile or more. Phhiehas Goodrich has made an appropriate selection of trees, and^' arranged them ^'cry regularly on two sides of his little cottage place. Those choice trees by the side of ^[rs. C. Baldwin's place in the tillage, in a few years more Mill sliow to great advantage. If we look into ?iranchester street, or at some of the roads that have been only recently estal)- lishcd, in iine, into almost every .part of the town, it must he apparent that many of the in- habitaiits have been individually turning their attention to this subject. And last, but bv no means least, the town itself in its corporate ca- ])aciiy, has taken this matter up, and caused elms and other trees to be set out on the Com- mon near three of the Meeting houses and the Town house, which already begin to show to good advantagc\ These circumstances, togeth- 120 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. CI' with the course which the town has pursued for some )-cars past in relation to the Cemeter- ies, speak well for the good taste and discern- ment hoth of the present and of tlie past gen- eration. The land for the new Cemetery was purchas- ed hy the town in 1840. It is enclosed with a handsome fence, and the lots are tastefully laid out, and many of them ornamented with shrubs and flowers. Great improvements have also been made in the old one. MILLS. It has generally been supposed that the first grist-mill in town was erected by Jonathan Wilson, and it is more than probable that he superintended the work; but the mill was built and owned by Ebenezcr Wilder, of Lan- caster, and probably before the town was in- corporated. The Selectmen, when they laid out the private way on the east side of the river, in October, 1740, commenced about four rods above the dam of Ebcnczer Wilder's mill- pond. There was then no bridge, but a ^ote HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 121 had been passed just one month before, to build one. Wilder OAvned large tracts of land in this town. He had two sons and one daughter ; Benjamin went to Sterling, David staid in Lancaster, and Hepzibah was married to Jona. Wilson, and came here before 1740. After AVilder's death, w^hich took place Decem- ber 25, 1746, in the G5th year of his age, Wil- son came into possession of a large portion of the real estate in this town, in the right of his wife. But, as is too apt to be the case with men who marry women supposed to be rich, he lived above his income, became involved in debt, and the mill with the farm and other land adjacent, passed into the hands of Major James Richardson, who rebuilt the mill, and construct- ed a new dam lower down the stream. Rich- ardson was in trade on a large scale for a coun- try dealer at tliat time ; but, having failed in business, the mill, etc., passed into the posses- sion of some of his creditors in Boston, by name of Hubbard, who, by their agent, rented them and the farm for a number of years, and then sold to Asa Perry, who in 1795, convey- ed to Hopestill Leland; and in 1809, the Le- lands sold to Israel Nichols; and in 1830, Amos Haws, a grandson of Leland, bought of I. Nichols' heirs, and after putting in circula? 11 122 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. saws, shingle mill, etc., sold to Jonas Kendall & Sons, and since then, there has been but lit- tle griding or sawing done there. The build- ing is now an appendage to Crehore's paper- mill. For sixty years the dam at the Wilson mill was the only one that had been constructed across the Nashua River, in this town. In the year 1800, Doct. James Carter, of Lancaster, erected a grist and saw-mill quite at the East part of the Tow^n, which, after having been in the possession,'at different times, of some half- dozen others, are now owaied by Whiting Gates. And in addition to the common business of the mills. Gates & Harris manufacture horn but- tons there, to the amount of ^5,000 annually, employing from ten to thirteen hands, part fe- males. For more than twenty years, while the mills were owned by Merritt Wood, he carded wool to a considerable extent. During that period, Mr. W. took down the old mill and erected new. The last mills operated by the water of the Nashua, were built by Major Amos Haws, in 1837. They are now owned by Joseph Coz- zens, wdio does a vast amount of business, both in grinding and sawing. Large quantities of HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 123 timber, sawed at this mill, are transported on the Fitchburg Rail Road. The saw goes the whole year. The water is carried about one hundred rods, in a canal, from the main stream. During the nine years these mills were o^vTied by Major Haws, the average quantity of grain ground annually, was 15,-100 bushels, nearly one fifth of which was wheat. The bolting is done in good style. In 1808 or '9, some. gen- tlemen had it in contemplation to erect a cot- ton-factory, on a large scale, near the paper- mills ; but the project was finally abandoned. In 1832, a small cotton-mill was built at the outlet of Chualoom Pond, by Silas Bruce, Esq., and others. It was o-l by 35 feet, and four stories high, including basement and attic. There were 500 spindles, and sufficient power for 500 more. The lowest d?pth of the pond has never been ascertained. The head at the outlet is 10 ft., and there is a fall of 70 feet in about 100 rods. The building and machinery were destroyed by fire, December 6, 1836, and has not been rebuilt. There is one fact connected with the erection of the mills now owned by Mr. Cozzens, too good to be withheld from posterity. From time immemorial it has been the custom in this town, whenever the mills, dwelling-houses, or 124 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. Other buildings of individuals, sliall have been swept away by floods, or destroyed by fire,* for the inhabitants generally to raise funds, by subscription or otherwise, to enable such indi- viduals to rebuild, without any expectation that such funds will ever be returned. But I have known of only one instance of funds hav- ing been raised in this way to encourage an m- dividual to commence a neiv work. After J. Kendall & Sons had purchased of A. Haws the " old Wilson Mills," where the grinding for a large portion of the inhabitants had been done for nearly one hundred years, they of course controlled all the Avater, and if cither mill was stopped it w^as the grist-mill ; hence the farmers and others, when the water was low, sometimes found themselves disap- pointed, by not having tlieir meal, and conse- quently their bread, in due season. In order, therefore, that a new mill might be erected, where grinding could be done at all seasons of the year, and so constructed that the wheat of the farmer could be made into good flour, a handsome sum was raised by subscription, and * About 30 years ago, 2 Fire Engines were purchased by the town, and they ans\yer a good ptirpo.se where .tbere is a supply of water. Tliere arc now two well organized companies of en- «iae-men in town. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 125 given to Major Haws, to encourag-e him to un- dertake the work in his own p^i^ate capacity. This he did do. And after improving the mill profitably for a number of years, with charac- teristic honesty and honor, he called on all the contributors then lining, and very unexpectod- ly to them, refunded to each the full amount of his subscription. PAPER MILLS. The first Paper Mill in this town, was erect- ed by Wm. Nichols and Jonas Kendall, Esqs., a few rods below the Wilson mills, and the water was taken from that pond. It went into oj)eration in 1796. It was a one vat mill, and one engine. The value of pa^x^r manufactured the first year, did not much exceed ^^4000.* The mill was destroyed by fire in 1810, and re- built the next winter. Jonas Kendall and * Among the first hands employed were Samuel Crocker and Willard Parker. Deacon Crocker is still living. lie has always been a sober and a conscientious man, and both by precept and example did much towards preserving and even im- proving the morals of the boys and others who worked in tliG mill. r2G HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. Sons manufactured paper on a cylinder, first in 1825, and in 1833 they put in a fourdrinier machine. ^Miilc the mill was operated under the firm of Kendall & Sons, the amount of paper annually manufactured was greatly in- ciieased. In 18-15, the whole establishment was purchased by Edward Crehorc, who, having enlarged the buildings, operates with steam power, works ten engines, and makes from sixty-fi"S'e to seventy thousand dollars worth of paper annually. In 1801, Nichols & Kendall erected a second Paper Mill some little distance below the first, and in 1804, they dissolved partnership, and Nichols took the lower mill, and in 1818 sold it to A. J. Allen, of Boston, who carried on the business a number of years, when the mill be- came unfit for use, and was taken down. And in 1850, Allen sold his privilege out to Joseph Cozzens. To this lower mill was attached a grist mill and an oil mill. The value of the oil made there the first year was y$fl400, and the second over $2300. There was not much done in the grist mill. The third paper-mill was erected by Caleb Leland, in 1802. It was a one vat mill, and is about two hundred rods higher up the river than the first. It was occupied by Leland and HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 127 others till 1807, -when it was sold to Edward Simmons, and in 1836, by him to Wm. T. Par- ker, of Boston. The valnc of paper annually niade in this mill is abont ,^14,000. In 182S, J. Kendall & Sons purchased of John Taylor his carding and woollen factorA\ which they converted into a paper-mill, and connected it with their other mill. All the mills above described are on the river; and during- 1851, another dam has been constructed, about a mile above the Parker mill, where an- other paper-mill is to be erected. And there are two or three other good privileges on the same stream, yet unoccupied. In 1799, Nichols & Ivendall and Ephraim Lincoln purchased a water privilege of II. Le- land, and erected a building on a small scale for a woolen factory. In the spring of 1800. Mr. John Taylor, an Englishman, who had come here from the Byfieid Eactories, in Essex County, rented this building, and put in ma- chmery for carding wool and manufacturing woolen cloth, and occupied it for that purpose till 1810, when, having become naturalized, he purchased additional water-power, and erected a new building near the otlier, but on a much larger scale, which he occupied till 1828, and then sold to J. Kendtdl & Sons, as befoie men- 128 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. tionecl. The first builcling was occupied a few years by Major T. L. Chase, as a nail-factory. The first Saw ISIill in this town of which we have any account, was located on the Monoos- nock Brook, and must have been erected as early, and probably previous to the year 1740 ; for in December of that year the Selectmen, in tlic laying out of a private way from O. Carter's through the land of Jonathan, Rufus, and Ebenezer Houghton, after describing the last angle, say, " thence strait to Josiah White's saw mill." This was probably near the place where the F. & W. R. R. crosses the stream, and where a grist mill was erected by Landlord Joseph Beaman, about the year 1775. About the year 17G3, another saw mill was erected lower down the stream, by Rufus Houghton. It was afterwards known as the " Fullmn Mill," and is now owned by ^Ir. J. C. Lane. Previous to his death in 1806, Major Meta- phor Chase had made preparations for erecting a grist mill just bclow^ the R. R. crossing, and after his decease, the work was completed, and a saw mill added by his widow, Mrs. Maria Chase. These mills are now owned, or im- proved by the ^Icssrs. Conants. In the wet seasons of the year some sawing is done at the old Bartlett mill, which is loca- HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 129 ted quite in the South-west part of the town. Ill former times there have been saw mills m other places, which have either gone to de- cay, or been converted to other uses. There was one at the outlet of Chualoom pond ; another, and also a shingle mill, at the outlet of the meadow of that name ; one at the outlet of AVhite's pond ; two on the Fall brook, the Bennett mill, and the one above the buildiner erected some years ago for a starch factory, and since used for the maiiufiicturing of paper and various other articles. The first oil mill in this town was erected previous to 1790, but the particular year is not known to me; probably about 1785. It was owned by the late Hon. Jonas .Kendall, and there was a saw-mill attached to it. They were located on the Monoosnock Brook, near the Fitchburg line. For some years large quantities of oil were manufactured, and the cake M'as eagerly sought after by the farmers, for their hogs, as well as for their cattle. It was thought however, by some, that it did not make very good pork. The business was dis- continued about twenty-five years ago, and the buildings have since been converted to other uses, principally for a comb factory. We will now pursue our course along down 130 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. and see what more we can find on this little stream and its tributaries, before their waters unite with those of the jSTashua. About the year 17()3, Mark Lincoln cfime into town and established himself as a clothier. He construct- ed a dam and erected a fLillino;-mill a little North of the road which had been laid out from Oli- ver Carter's to Josiah White's saw-mill. He employed an Englishman by the name of Cam- bridge, who well understood the business, and the dressing of home-made cloth was carried to great perfection, and for more than half a cen- tury was a profitable business. The late Capt. Ephraim Lincoln succeeded his father, and af- ter him Deac. Otis Stearns, one of his appren- tices, carried on the business a number of years ; but of late our girls can neither spin * nor weave, and home-made cloth is out of use. The privilege is now occupied and improved by Messrs. Wheelock and Eletcher as a comb fac- tory. * Excepting, perhaps, what Mr. E. R., in his report at the Cattle Show, was pleased to call " Street Yarn," HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. l3l COMBS. Ill the return made by the Assessors of this town to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, in 1S45, the number of persons employed in the manufacture of combs, is set down as 146 — the number of manufactories, 24; — capital in- vested, ;|^22,000 — value of combs manufac- tured, ,^^77,400. Since that time there have been erected and fitted up, from twelve to fifteen buildings, at an expense of not less than S'45,000, — the number of persons em- ployed has been increased to more than 400, — the capital invested (exclusive of buildings, dams and fixtures,) to ^^75.000, and the man- ufjxctured article to the value of more than $250,000 annually. Two of the establishments on the Monoos- nock Brook have already been referred to. And now as we pass down that stream two or three hundred rods from what was the old full- ing mill, we come to what may properly be de- nominated the West' Village. And here, on the south branch of the Monoosnock, which is formed by the confluence of the waters which come do^\al from Baberry hill on the south, with tlv)se which come down on the west side 132 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. of the Carter hill from the north, we find built up "svitliin half a dozen years past, through the energy and enterprise of General A. jMorse • & Brother, and some others, on land that had previously been occupied merely as pasture ground, four two story dwelling houses, one store and house, and nine one-story cottage houses, at an expense of at least ^15,000. Also four large mills, one of brick, in which 200 persons might be enjployed. Cost of the mills including dams and privilege, j^ 11,000. Average amount of capital, ^^20,000. And the average Aalue of combs annually manufactured, $75,000. The next comb factory on this brook be- longs to J. H. Carter & Co., and is situated on the east side of the road leading to Princeton. It vvas built in 1850. Tlie number of persona employed is eighteen, — capital, |j'1200, — value of combs annually manufactured, ^^15000. Mr. Carter has been engaged in the comb, business more than thirty years. The last comb factory on the Monoosnock brook is situated near the old Fullum saw mill, is owned by Wakefield, Prcscott & Co., who, with a capital of ,$'3000, employ thirty-three hands, and turn out annu- ally about $25,000 worth of the manufactured article. This factory was erected in 1848. HISTORY OF LEO^^^"STER. 133 There arc numerous other estahlishmeuts in difterent parts of the town, operated by steam power or water. And among the hitter are those of ]\ressrs. Jonas and Seneea Colburn, situated on the nortliernmost stream that unites with the Fall Brook. Both of these men have long been engaged in the comb business, and manage their affairs very prudently. This branch of industry was first commenced in this town about the year 1770, by Mr. Oba- diah Hills from Newbury. He was a brother of Mr. Silas Hills. And his descendants, and those of the same name, have been more or less engaged in it from that time to the present. Joseph Tenney, Edward Low, John Chase, and s"ome others from that ancient town work- ed at the trade. AMth a capitnl of ^^100 they would make ,S'500 worth of combs in a year. In tlie History of the County of "Worcester, published in 1793, in reference to combs, it is said that that work was carried on to great per- fection and profit. "About twenty persons work, more or less, at this trade ; about ten are constantly employed therein, and they manu- facture about six thousand dozen a year. Mr. Jotham Johnson, a trader here, employs five men in this work, who make twenty-five hun- dred dozen per annum. (Tliey were small combs, 12 134 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTEll. witli coarse teeth on one side and fine teeth on the other side.) Among these is one who makes ivory combs, equally good, perhaps, as any "imported from any coantry." (The indi- vidual referred to was Xathaniel Loav, Jun., who afterwards carried on the business in Lan- caster for many years.) For more than half a century the work was done by hand. Mr. J. B. Low was the first to introduce an improved press. It was in March 1822. The business has from its commencement had its " ups and its downs," but on the whole it has been a source of wealth to the town, and of profit to many of those who have been engaged in it. But it cannot be true, as has lately been stated in a newspaper, that two thirds of all the combs manufactured in the United States, (or even in this Commonweath) are made in this town. And it is not improbable that the above account, extracted from the Rev. Mr. Whitney's Histo- ry, may have been somewhat exaggerated. But with this, as with other profitable busi- ness, some have been engaged in it who possess- ed but little or no practical knowledge of it, and, of course, they have been unsuccessful. According to statistical returns made by the assessors of the several towns in Massachusetts for the year ending April 1, 1845, the value of HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 135 combs made here, as before stated, Avas 377,400. Ill the town of AY. Xewbiiry, ^70,700, and in nine other to^Yns in the ConimomveaUh, ;^5 1,983. Since that time the business has- been vastly increased in this town, but whether in the same ratio in the other towns I am una- ble to say. The nine other towns above refer- red to were Boston, Haverhill, Holliston, Bol- ton, Xorthboro', Lancaster, Conway, Pitts- field, Tyringham and Attleborough. There is another branch of industry that lias been introduced into this town since the com- mencement of the year 1845, viz., the man- ufacturing of piano forte cases, legs and keys, by Messrs. J. C. Lane, J. II. Locky, L. Stone and J. C. Gove ; and their works are all situa- ted on the Monoosnock Brook. Mr. Locky occupies the building erected by Mr. Lane, hi 1847, and the latter a new building, erected in 1851, on the opposite side of the stream from J. H. Carter's comb factory : — Ail together em- ploy about forty persons — a capital of 8 or 9000 dollars (exclusive of real estate) — and turn out annually something like 334,000 worth of the manufactured articles. And in addition to the ffrist mill and saw mills alrcadv mentioned, there are on this stream the two carpenter shops* of Messrs. Cowdry & Haskell — the machine I'^O HISTORY OF LEOMINSTEK. shop of Dea. Cotton & Son— the carriage facto- ry and the whcel-wright sliop of L. Johnson 8c Son. In all these are employed 30 men or more — $S or 9000 capital — and turning out annu- ally at least |20,000 worth of work. Mr. J.'s shop Was erected in 1823 — but all the others are of recent date. The dam across the stream at Johnson's shop was erected in 1811, by Mr. Luke Wilder, who, for many years, with trip- hammer works, manufactured axes, scythes and other edge-tools, and sent them abroad in al- most every direction, and especially to the great West, so that, (as Governor Everett once re- marked) one could hardly tra"S'el in any direc- tion M'ithout finding " a Leominster axe." But some years ago he disposed of his water privi- lege, and has gone up on to the bank where, " high and dry," with the strength of his own arm, in the good old way, he continues to man- ufacture first rate edge-tools, and to render other services in the line of his trade, as his father and his grandfather did before him. ■' As his day is so may his strength be." Some years ago a manufactory of tin ware was established here by John Boynton, Esq., of Templeton, and carried oii for a while by Ber- nardo S. Nichols, and now continued by Wm. W. Elliott, who also manufactures all kinds of HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 137 stoves. The value of both khids of articles, together with metal pumps, cannot be less than $5000 annually. Several thousand dollars worth of baskets, brooms, mechanics' tools, pumps of wood, cast iron ploughs. Sec, are manufactured in this town. Formerly our ploughs were made of a more perishable mate- rial. Mr. Simon Daiby constructed them of wood ; and if men told the truth, his ploughs were xcvj good ; they ^^ould run without a holder, and turn the <>iebe fiat over. But wluui the driver chose it, tliey would only cut and cover. About the year 1800, and previous thereto, 200,000 of bricks were manufactured here ; but one of the yards having been dis- continued, only half the number are now made. Fifty years ago coopering was a profitable employment, and many large loads of barrels were weekly sent to the Boston market ; but that business has entirely failed ; and so also has the manufacture of straAV bonnets, hair selves, and some other branched of industry, by which men and women used to obtain a liveli- liood and lay up money. In 176;3 the nuniber of inhabitants was 743, including five negroes. In 1776 there were 980 whites and 10 colored. In 1790, 1189 whites, 8 colored. In 1800, 1486 whites, 9 colored. .138 HISTORY OF LEOMINStEfi,. In 1810, 1584. In 1820, 1790, 1 colored. In 1830, 1861. In 1810, 20(39. In 1850, 3096. Increase for ten years, from 1840 to 1850, more than fifty per cent. Seventy years ago, as has been before re- marked, the inhabitants of this town were nearly all farmers. Generally they ate and drank the fruits of their own labor. They made their o^'^n butter and cheese, fattened their own beef and pork, and salted it down. In those days the meat barrel would have been a very unsafe place for a " dandy husband to hang his watch in." Indeed there vrere no dandies then. They lived frugally, but their food w^as substantial. The wives and daugh- ters always knev/ where to go for meat. They did not wait for the butchers cart to come along. Indeed, in those days, and for many years after, there was no such thing. It is true, that some fifty or sixty y^ars ago, an aged man by the name of Evans used to ride about on horseback, with a pannier on each side, and lie thought he did well if, in this and the ad- joining towns, he could sell out a calf and three or four lambs in a week. 'But now, and for tvventy-five or thirty years past, since there are so many who obtain their living in some other way than in tilling the land, a ^-reat HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 139 change has taken phice m the mode of living, and from fifteen to twenty thousand dollars worth of fresh meat are consumed by the in- habitants in a year. During the year past, Fletcher & Ilobbins have sold at least y$' 18,000 worth. Similar clianges have taken place in other articles of food. Less milk and more tea and coffee are consumed than formerly. In- stead of the good old brown loaf baked in the oven once or twice a week, hot wheaten cakes are served up for breakfast at least. And it is probable too many families, instead of making their own, depend altogether upon some regu- lar baker for all their " daily bread." And in regard ta some drinks, there has also been a change, and I am happy to say for the better. Fifty years ago, when young people were about to go to housekeeping, custom rendered it as necessary for them to have at least two decan- ters, a dozen tumblers, and as many little tod- dy sticks, as it was to have tea-pots, cups,, saucers and spoons. And here I claim tlio honor^ without fear of contest, of being the first man in town to set the decanters away empty, and to discontinue the practice of invit- ing friends to drink when they called to see me. And I claim half the credit of doing one other uood thino-. Previous to 1828, the selectmen 1-iO HI8T0RY OF LEOMINSTER. received no pecuniary compensation for ordi- nary services ; but when they met at the tavern to transact busmess, it was customary for those in whose favor orders were drawn on the trea- sury to bring on to the table something that was "good to drink." In 1819 or '20, one of ^ the selectmen went away, leaving only the late Joseph G. Kendall and myself on the board. Finding that the practice drew together men who had no other business than to help empty the mugs, we put a stop to it, and from that time it was wholly discontinued. These, to be sure, were small beginnings, but the effect was salutary, and for twenty years the cause of temperance in this town was progressive with- out the aid of additional legal enactments. What proportion of the inhabitants of the town are strictly " temperate in all things," I am unable to say. That there are too many who are " out of the way through strong drink" is undoubtedly true. And that numbers, through a long course of intemperance and idle- ness, and others by misfortune, have become town paupers, is also a lamentable ftict. And this leads me to notice another change. With- in my remembrance there w^as no one support- ed here as a pauper. But during the first 25 of the last fifty years, they had become so nu- HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 141- meroiis, and tlic burden of their support so heavy, that the to^vn m November, 1830, Aoted to purchase a "poor-fann," and on it they erected suitable buildings, and there the poor are made as comfortable as the inhabitants of the town generally. But the average expense of their support now is nearly or quite twice as much as it was under a former system. The number, wholly supported, is about fifteen. It is wonderful to look back on the changes that have been made here in the course of " three score years and ten," not only in the mode of li\'ing, and in the different employ- ments of men ; but also upon the greatly in- creased number of dwelling houses in and near the centre, at the Xorth Village, on the river, and other smaller streams of water. And I would respectfully ask the reader, and espec- ially if he be a young man, and Avhose life may providentially be prolonged for iifty years to come, to take a stand with me on the bridge over the stream near the house of AVm. Wilder, Esq., and I will inform him, that on that brook and its tributaries, where are now located tlie numerous and various mills and factories already mentioned, the^-e were, seventy years ago, only a little fulling mill, a small grist mill and a saw mill. And if he will look towards the east he 1^2 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. may be told that on the road to the Lancaster line tlicre wei;e but five dwelling houses where there arc now fifty. And then again south, where that whole village has been built up between the Monoos- nock Brook on the north, and the smaller stream running by Jonas Colburn's on the south, containing two school houses, seventy- two dwelling houses, and twelve or fifteen comb shops and factories, there was only that solitary habitation of ]\Ir. Colburn's, the for- mer residence of Stephen Johnson. And if we take a northerly view, on the west side of the road, where there were two dwelling houses, and, on the Colnmon, the second meeting house, we shall see the third meeting house, with its beautiful front, and handsome steej)le, and fifteen neat and elegant dwelling houses. And then on the opposite side of that road, and for nearly one mile East- erly towards the river, where, instead of the steam whistle might have been heard the hoot- ing of the owl ; and where there was only the old Landlord Beaman house, with its plastered outside, there are now, besides" a meeting-house, " the brick block," and the Rail Road Depot, sixty commodious dwelling-houses. And if we now turn towards the setting sun, and travel up HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 14-J West street, go by the old fulling mill, over to the clay pit, along- the base of that granite hill, and down the streams to the bridge again, there were but eight dwelling houses and one store, where there are now two elec^ant meeting- houses, two town houses, one of brick lately erected at an expense of about ,$9,000, one large school-house, a spacious tavern house, three stores and ninety dwellino'-houses. And now, my young friend, as you are to transmit to posterity in 1902, the account of the changes which may take place between this time and that, if you please, we will take a walk Nortlieastwardly, over the plain-land, through more than one mile of which no habi- tation has ever yet been erected for living men to dwell ill. But we will first go into the old cemetery and look at the Northeast corner there- of, it being the first lot purchased by the early settlers for a burying-place. You will there find a few stones which mark the place of the early dead. That whole spacious ground, en- closed with a substantial stone wall, you may view at your leisure. We will now^ as we pass along, turn aside and go through the new cem- etery, and look at some of tlie costly marble monuments that have recently been erected there to perpetuate the memory of dear depart- ed friends and relatives. 144 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. There is a tradition, and I doubt not the truth of it, that before the first purchase for a burying place had been made, a stranger who died in this town was buried on the farm of INIr. Jonathan Wilson ; and that soon afterwards he gave the lot, on which Avas the stranger's grave, to the inhabitants for a burying-place. That lot is a little to the Southeast of the brick school-house in "\Va;-d No. 3, on the farm own- ed- by Mr. John Babcock. There rest the re- mains of quite a number of the first settlers. And among them are those of Thomas "Wilder, Esq., and his wife (who was a lineal descendant from Peregrine AYliite, the first male child born after our Pilgrim fathers landed on the Ply- mouth shore) and several of their daughters. The last person buried there was Lois, the widow of ]Michel Wood, a daugliter of Mr. Wilson, and the mother of Mrs. Hepzibeth Davis, from whose lips I \\^\e received this ac- count, and she is now in the 74th year of her age. Mrs. Wood died October 14, 1837, aged one hundred ye^irs, six months and six days. I cannot find that more than one otlier per- son in this town has lived to the age of one hundred years, and she was the widow of Mr. David Robbins. Her age, as I am informed by HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 145 her grandson, Thomas Kobbins, was one hun- dred years and six months. She died October 21, 1823. Many others have lived far beyond the time scripturally allotted to man. The following are among tliose who ha^'c died at the age of eighty and upwards, viz : — At 80, Ephraim Lincoln, died Sept. 10, 1843 ; John Divol, Dec. 1, 1842 ; Simon Butler, A^ml 9, 1795. At 81, Phinehas Tyler, died August (>, 1817; Phine- has Carter, March 2, 1843 ; Tabitha, widow of Josiah Carter, June 29, 1810 ; Priscilla, Avidow of James Joslin, July 16, 1826. At 82, Phin- ehas Tyler, died Jan. 21, 1847 ; Tabitha, wid- ow of P. Tyler, March 25, 1850 ; John Eich- ardson, Aug. 8, 1852 ; Thomas Ilobbins, Aug. 15, 1843. At 83, Mary, widow of Gardner Wilder, died April 21, 1801 ; Samuel Hale, June 13, 1834 ; Ismona, widow of Joshua Ty- ler, May 7, 1837 ; Jonas Gates, July 24, 1839. At 84, Hannah, widow of Ichabod Perry, died April 25, 1847 ; Jacob Fullam, Oct. 20, 1833. At 85, Samuel Hale, died July 4, 1801 ; Josi- ah Carter, Feb. 14, 1812 ; AVilliajn Nichols, Dec. 11, 1835 ; Lydia, widow of Joshua Pierce, Jan. 25, 1826 ; Huldali, widow of Joseph John- son, Aug. 21, 1851. At 86, Jonathan \yilson, died March 31, 1o O 146 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 1789; Raclicl, Avidow of T. BoutcUc, Jan. 1, 1828 ; Bcnj. Perkins, Oct. 9, 1834: ; John Buss, Oct. 81, 1845 ; Prudence, widow of Josiali Car- ter, Sept. 21, 1849. At 87, Jonathan Carter, died March 19, 1799; John Divol, Aug. 30, 1814; John Woods, Jan. 4, 1832 ; Eunice, widow of John Richardson, March 2, 1831 ; John Dexter, Jan. 15, 1839 ; Jonas Kendall, Jan. 22, 1844. At 88, Lydia, widow of Luke Lincoln, died Oct. 30, 1799 ; Elizabeth, widow of John AYoods, Oct.. 27, 1826. At 89, Catherine, wid- ow of Oliver Hale, died July 16, 1789 ; Wm. Burrage, Sept. 23, 1820 ; Sarah, widow of Wil- liam Lincoln, being his 3d wife, Eeb. 1833. At 90, Judith, widow of James Boutclle, May 28, 1791 ; Lydia, widow of Joseph Richardson, April 14, 1850 ; Benjamin Haws, Dec. 4, 1844 ; Sarah, Avidow of Benjamin Haws, Dec. 26, 1849. At 91, Sarah, widow of John Buss, Ju- ly 27, 1852.* At 93. Betsey, widow of Edward Low, died Dec. 12, 1846. * She was a sister of Doctor Thomas Richardson, of Fitzwil- liam, N. H., who, in his 87th year, died Aug. 8, 1852, the same flay with his hrother John of this town. The members of this family have been remarkable for their longevity— the average age of the parentsand six of the children, deceased, being a frac- tion over eighty-one years. And of the two only surviving broth- ers, Josiah is in the 77th, and Sewall in the G9th year of his age. The other three deceased were Luke, of this town ; Damaris, vvife of David Boutelle, late of Fitchburg ; and Abigail, wife of HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 147 At 94, Peter Joslin, died April 8, 1759 ; Thos. Stearns, Feb. 5, 1811. At 95, Ilepzibeth Wil- son, died about the year 1800. At 97, John Burditt, died Dec. 19, 1843. The above accounts have been mostly taken from the gra^e stones, and I am sorry to say that, so far as concerns the ages of deceased persons, the inscriptions on the stones are not all to be depended on for their accuracy. For example, (and there may be other instances) on the stone, the age of Rachel 13outclle is eighty. From a reliable source I learn that she was born August 7, 1742, and was of course in her 86th year. She was the wife of Col. Timothy B., of this town — a daughter of Capt. Luke Lincoln, of Leicester — and her genealogy may be traced back to a near relationship with the late distinguished Gen. Lincoln, of Ilingham. She was the grandmother of the Rev. Artemas B. Muzzcy, of Cambridge, and the mother of Hon. T. Boutelle, of Watervillc. Timothy, last named, is the only survivor of a family of seven children, and is now in the 74th year of his age. And although he has resided here but little since he was sixteen years old, yet, Thomas Ballard, of Lancaster. On the maternal side, their gen- ealogy may be traced back through Peter, to the first of the name of Joslin among the early settlers of Lancaster, 148 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. as I have abundant reason to know, he still cherishes a lively interest in the prosperity of this, his native town. He married a daughter of the late Judge Rogers, of Exeter, X. H., by whom he has had six children, only two of whom are now living. The daughter, Helen R., is the wife of Edwin Noyes, Esq., formerly a Professor in Waterville College — and the son, Xathaniel Rogers, a physician, has recently been married to Mary Kelley, a daughter of a Professor of that name, in the same college. The tradition is that the first of the name of Boutelle, (Boutall, Boutell or Boutwell) who came from England, settled in Ipswich, in the County of Essex, or in that vicinity — that one of his descendants, (whether son or grandson I am not able to say) went to Sudbury — and'that his son James, born there in 1700, came to this place in 1725, and was one of the first two set- tlers. Besides Col. Timothy, before mentioned, he had three other sons, viz., James, William and Kendall. . James, last named, had a son James, who was the father of the present Deac. James, and he has a son by the same name. One of the caiiy settlers of what is now South Reading, by the name of BQutwell,* married a • May not this man have been the first of tlie name who came into Massachusetts? And may not the first James of this town HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 149 daughter of Deac. Thomas Kendall, of that town. His widow, Ilchecca Kendall, died Ju- ly IT, 1803, aged 85 years. Sec N. E. II. & G. Reg., V. 7, No. 1. ' The above and the two following, may serve to show what might he done in a genealogical point of ^icw, if one had time and money, and an inclination. At an early date (previous to 1G38) a widow by the name of Martha Wilder (Wyelder) came from Lancaster in England to Ilingham in Massachusetts. She was accompanied by two sons, Thomas and Edward. The latter remain- ed in Hingham ; and the former, after having resided some ^-ears in Charlesto^^'n, removed to Lancaster, in the County of Worcester, July 1, 1659, and must then have been about forty years of age. He had three sons, Thomas, born 1G41, John and Nathaniel. Thomas begat Jo- seph.; he begat Thomas, one of the early set- tlers here ; he also had a son Thomas, who was the father of the«present Peter Andrew AVilder, whose age is 87 — and he has a son Abel, with whom he lives, and also a little grandson of the have called one of his sons " Kendall" in reference to his grand, cr rather to his great grandmother? These qncstions may in- terest the Bout-eHes. Thoit^name ia not to be found in " Felt's History of I]j3wicli," 150 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. same name, born December 20, 1844. They own and reside upon the fifty acre lot, near the Chnaloom pond, ^vhich was snrveycd and laid out to Joseph, the great grandfather of Peter A., in 1716. John, the second son, begat Eb- cnezer — he begat Pavid of Lancaster— and he, David, afterwards of Leominster — and he, Da- vid, who now gives the acconnt, and who is the father of David Wilder, Jinr., of Brookline — raid he has a son of the same name, born Sep- tember 24, 1837. The genealogy of other descendants from the the first Thomas might be traceel down to the eighth, ninth, and probably to the tenth gener- ation ; but I will forbear, lest the printer may be perplexed, and the reader become weary, with too much of the W. I trust, however, that some others will take up this subject, and trace the genealogy of many of the families of this town back ta a re- mote ancestor. Wc will now proceed, looking both to the right and to the lefl as we pass along, and take our stand on the river bridge, and from thence I will show you what, seventy years ago, was the most thickly settled part of the town. It consisted of a grist-mill, a saw-mill, a little tannery, a scliool-hou^e, (wliich was HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 151 used by those ^\'lio adhered to the Rev. Air. Rof^-crs for their place of worship on the Sab- bath,) and nine dweUing-houses, four of which still remain. And then I will point ont to you one large comb factory, one blacksmith's shop, three or four shoemaker's shops, one on a large scale, two stores, two paper-mills, the contiguous buildings pertaining to one of which extend 400 feet, a grist-mill, a saw-mill, a school- house, a building till recently used by the Bap- tist Society for a place of public worship, the passenger and freight depots of the F. E,. R. Company, and about sixty dwelling-houses. And what is no more strange than true, a large proportion of all the local improvements above- named, and especially near the centre and the West Village^ have been made within the last fifteen or twenty years. But there have been other changes of which it may not be improper to take some notice here. Our fathers and our grand-fithers ! where are the}) ? All ^\■ho breathed the breath of life in tliis town one hundred years ago arc crone to their final account. And of the child- ren of those v/lio at that time were heads of families, there are but thn^e now living here. They are James, a son of Josiah Carter ; Eph- raim, a son of Stephen Johnson ; and Martha 152 HISTORY or LEOMINSTER. Jones, a daughter of Levi Woods. Of their grand-children, there are now living in town about one hundred and thirty, and one half of them are the descendants of nine indi\iduals, viz.: Gardner Wilder, Stephen Buss, Nathaniel Colburn, Joseph Darby, James Ricliardson, Stephen Johnson, Ebenezer Houghton, D. Eob- bins, and Josiah and Jonathan Carter. And the remaining half are the descendants of about twenty-five more of those early set- tlers. I know not how many there may be of the fourth and fifth, but there are a few little ones here of the sixth generation from those whose residence was in this town one hundred years ago. There are a great many more facts concern- ing the political, civil, and municipal history of this town, but they must be omitted for the present. It is novv' the third day of May, 1852, and, according to the family record, I have entered upon the seventy-fifth year of my age, and I am thereby admonished that I should leave this part of the work, and enter upon another portion of the town's history, wliich, although "every page of it may not be bright, may, on the whole, be more interesting than what has already been written. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 153 And I hope the reader will not be alarmed, for I have not the least intention in the world of writing a sermon, althongh I may com- mence with a quotation from scripture, that part of the town's history, which, though for a large portion of the time, it has been insepar- ably connected with the civil, may more prop- erly be denominated ecclesiastical. Acts xi : 26. " And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." And happy in- deed would it have been for all succeeding gen- erations of men if they had never been called by any other name. But in less than thirty years after the Autlior of the C'hrfstian religion had been persecuted and put to death, for pub- licly reproA'ing the Scribes and Pharisees, hypo- crites and other, for doing that which outward- ly should appear righteous in the sight of men, wliile within they were full of 'deceit and un- cleanness, the professed followers of the meek and lowly Jesus began to say "I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ." And from those times to the present, f)rofessing Christians have been accustomed to take to themselves the names of men, and words, and things ; and too nuich inclined to say to each other " stand off, for I am holier than thou." It will not, therefore, be surprising if. 154 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. in the course of one liunclred years, tliere has existed here a difference of opinion on religious subjects. And although in the ecclesiastical history of this town there has been much, very inuch^ to be commended ; yet, itmust be admit- ted, that there have also been some dark spots, us will fully appear in tlie sequel. About the time that this town settled the first minister, there was a spirit of enquiry in the land, both among the clergy and among the laity, whether the human creeds that had been promulgated, and to which professing christians were required to yield their assent, "were strict- ly conformable to the word of God, as revealed in the sacred scriptures. # MEETING-HOUSES AND MhMSTERS. With a view to the fulfillment of the most important condition on which the Act of In- corporation was granted, the inhabitants very soon adopted measures for the erection of a Meeting-llouse, and the settlement of a " Godly Minister." And at their thhxl town-meeting, being the second held at the house of Mr. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 155 ' Benjamin "Wliitcomb, on the fifteenth clay of December, 1740, the question "syhcther "God's Tabernacle should be erected here," was delib- erately decided in the affirmative, and a Com- mittee appointod, consisting of Jonathan White, Joseph Wheelock, and Xatlianiel Carter, " to see that the work was done." The frame was raised in the summer of 1741. The house was located in the north-west corner of what is now the old buryiug-ground, on land purchased for the express purpose, of Ebenczer Houghton, rather than on a spot on the north side of the hollow which had been cfivcn for that use by Ebenczer Wilder, and which is now included within the limits of the new cemetery. In the winter of 1742, so much had been done to the house, that the town made provision to have a month's preaching in it. That house answered the purpose for the humble christians of those times ; but the people of the present day Avould not think it a suitable place in which to wor^ ship God in public. It was 45 feet in length, by 35 in width, and 22 feet high. It was rough boarded on the outside, with but few or no glass windows, and within only a loose floor and moveable seats. For several years there were no pews, and the outside was not finished and painted until 1753. 156 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. But it served the purposes for wliicli it had been erected. Not only did our forefathers statedly assemble in that house for public wor- ship, and for the transaction of their parochial concerns ; but the common towii»meetings were also held in it for one third of a century. And then, viz., in October, 1775, it was sold at pub- lic auction, and purchased by the Baptist Soci- ety in Harvard, taken down and carried to "Still River," and for a long period was the place of worship for that Society. But some years ago, when they were about to build a larger house, the old one was removed across the way and fit- ted up for a parsonage house, and there it still remains. After having heard several other candidates, the town voted to " settle Mr. John Rogers, a learned orthodox minister, as they have been advised by the neighboring ministers." He was a lineal descendant from the martyr of that name. The salary was to be £4:5 annually, at first ; to be increased to £55 when there should be sixty lamilies in town ; and to have a deed of the minister lot of forty acres.* Mr. Rogers was ordained on the fourteenth of September, 1743, O. S. The services were, * The minister lot was in the vicinity of what is now the " poor-farm," and not the one on which Mr. R. lived and died. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 157 " first, prayer by the Rev. Daniel Rogers, of Littleton ; the sermon by the Rev. Thomas Parker, of Dracut, from Ezekicl iii : 17, 18, 19 ; charge by Rev. John Prentice, of Lancas- ter ; right hand of fellowship by the Rev- Wil- lard Hall, of Westford." The other members of the ordaining council were the Re^'. Da^id Stearns, of Lunenburg, and the Rev. Elislia Marsh, of (now) Westminster. On the same day of the ordination a church was organized, composed of sixteen male mem- bers, w^ho signed their names to a co^'enant, which, with other covenants of a later date, may be found in another part of the book. For a number of years, minister and people were happy and prosperous together ; but the days of trouble and sore trial came upon them. When a part of the congregation of the Rev. John Robinson were about to leave Hol- land, and embark for this country, he address- ed them in language like the following : " Brethren, we are now quickly to part from one another, and whether I may ever live to see your faces on earth any more, the God of Heaven only knows ; but, whether the Lord have appointed that or not, I charge you before God and his blessed angels, that you follow me no further than you have seen me follow the U 158 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. Lord Jesus Christ. If God reveal any thing to you by any other instrument of his, be as ready to receive it as you ever were to receive any truth by my ministry ; for I am venly pursuad- od, I am very confident, that the Lord hath more truth yet to break forth out of his Holy Word. For my part, I cannot sufficiently be- wail the condition of the reformed churches, who are come to a period in religion, and will go at present no further' than the instruments of their reformation. The Lutherans cannot be drawn to go beyond what Luther saw. — Whatever part of his will our good God has imparted and revealed to Calvin, they will rather die than embrace it. And the Calvin- ists, you see, stick fast where they were left by that great man of God, who yet saw not all things. This is a misery much to be lamented ; for, though they were burning and shining lights in their times, yet tliey penetrated not into the whole counsel of God ; but, were they now living, would be as willing to embrace further light as that which they first received. I beseech you to remember it as an article of your church covenant, that you be ready to re- ceive whatever truth shall be made known to you from the written word of God. Remember that and every other article of your most sacred HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 151) covenant. But I must hercwitlial exhort yo\i to take heed what you receive as truth. Kx- amine it, consider it, and compare it with otlier scriptures of truth before you receive it ; foi- it is not possible that the Christian workl shouhl come so hitely out of such thick anti-Christian darkness, and that perfection of knowledge should break forth at once, I must also ad- vise you to abandon, avoid and shake oif tli(^ name of Brownist. It is a mere nickname, and a brand to make religion, and professors of it, odious to the Christian world." The llev. ]Mr. Kogers was a scholar. Ilr was a studious and learned divine. But wheth- swich, the second church in Beverly, the first church in Danvcrs, the new brick church in Boston, the first church in A^'cstboro, the first church in Medway, the first church in Rutland District, the first church in Stouo;hton, the church in Southboro, the churcHi in I^unen- burg, the church in Chelmsford, and the first church in Lancaster, by their pastors and del- egates, and the church in Groton, by their del- egates, met at Leominster, July 20, 1757. At the request of a number of persons, members of the church in Leominster, professing themselves dissatisfied with their pastor, the Rev. Mr. John Rogers, by them apprehended unsound respect- ing some of the fundmenatal doctrines of Chris- tianity, with desire that the said council would hear and give advice to said dissatisfied mem- bers under their difiicultics, who having solemn- ly invoked the Great and Only Wise God for direction, and liaving fully understood by pa- })nrs laid before us, and by several testimonies, tliat the dissatisfied brethren had used all prop- «?r endeavors with their pastor, to obtain a mu- 102 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. tuul coucil, before which the pastor and aggriev- ed might with freedom lay their causes, but had finally been denied, by which we were satisfied that they had just right separately to make ap- ])lication for a council, and having to our grief been certified by a committee which we sent to Rev. Mr. Rogers, that he would neither concur with the aggrieved brethren in laying before us what was difficult among them, nor join with them in calling a mutual council, we found our- selves obliged to proceed to an hearing of what the dissatisfied had to exhibit, and after we had gained what light we could in the matter of said difficulty, as well from the brethren of the church who adhered to their pastor, (so far as we could converse with them,) as from the dis- satisfied brethren themselves, we came at last .to the following result, viz : Respecting the first article, which in your letter missive they set before us, viz : that fun- damental doctrine of Christianity of the true Divinity or Godhead of Jesus Christ, we unan- imously judge, that the aggrieved brethren had just reason to be dissatisfied with him concern- ing it, and it appeared to the majority of this council, that the aggrieved brethren had just ground of suspicion, that the Rev. Mr. Rogers did not hold or believe the essential ]3ivinity of Christ as it is revealed in the Divine word. HISTORY or LEOMINSTER. 163 As to the article respecting" original sin, from what hath been delivered unto ns by the breth- ren, from Mr. Rogers' late printed sermon, from his full approbation of a late pamphlet, entitled '' The AMnter Evening Conversation upon dhe Doctrine of Original Sin," and from many co-in- cident testimonies, it appears to this council that he denies the doctrine of original sin, both the imputation of the guilt and the "corruption of our nature, and that the aggrieved brethren have grounds of dissatisfaction with him upon this also. Witli regard to the doctrine of regeneration, it is evident to this council, from the sermon aforesaid, and from other concurring testimon- ies, that the Rev. ISIr. Rogers hath vented and propagated an unsound and unscriptural notion of it, and as to the doctrme of conversion, as ]Mr. Rogers distinguished it from regeneration, he evidently appears' confused and unintelligible, so that in these likewise, he hath given further ground of dissatisfaction. Furthermore, we think we have just ground and occasion to add, the Council hath abundant evidence that Mr. Rogers has cast most inde- cent and unchristian reflections on the shorter catechism of the venerable Assembly of Divines, at Westminster, and as it is our incumbent du- 164 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. ty, wc would bear our public uuitccl testimony against his reflections, at the same time, we do declare hereby, our full approbation of it ^s an excellent composure, orthodox, and agreeable to the Word of God,^ and that we recommend the due use of it to all christians. And now although we may well be supposed to think (as we do) that the aggrieved brethren of the Church of Leominster, who have called us in for their help, had just reason to be dis- satisfied with their pastor, the Ilev. Mr. Rogers, on account of his doctrines, against which we have taken exceptions as aforesaid, yet, unwil- ling to be the abettors of hasty and groundless separations, and willing to hope the Rev. !Mr. Rogers, upon serious consideration, with the help of a divine illumination, may so far change his apprehension of the doctrines of religion, as for the future to recommend his public preaching more to the edification of his flock than in time past, feeding them with knowledge and under- standing, we advise the said aggrieved at the present, and for the space of three months at least, to attend upon their said pastor's minis- try, and to hear him v/ith candor, waiting upon the God that hath the hearts of all men in his hands, to give them relief in such way and manner as shall seem best to him ; but if, upon HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 1()5 SO long attending and waiting, they find no al- teration in your pastor, handling the important doctri^ies of religion, hut that he still goeth on propagating his errors, or give no satisfactory evidence of his change of principle, we advise that you renew your application to the council by the moderator, or if it be in Providence pre- vented, then the next eldest minister, or the el- dest scribe, for further advice. Upon the whole, dear brethren, at whose re- quest we have convened this council, while we approve of your real attachments to the doc- trines of the gospel, and your concern to keep the truth once delivered to the saints unadul- terated, we would earnestly exhort you to pre- serve the mystery of faith in a pure conscience, with undissembled charity, be humbled before (jrod, that he should permit such errors to be diffused among you, as darken the glory of the gospel, and have the greatest tendency to sub- vert the souls of men — praying earnestly for yourselves and for one another, in this day of temptation and danger ; that you may Vvitli un- shaken fortitude, adhere to the form of sound words delivered in the unerring oracles of truth, professed by our fathers, who peopled this wil- derness, and maintained in the harmonious con- fession of the protcstant allies, wlio shook off 166 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. tlie yoke of anti-Christ ; at the same time we ex- hort you with equal earnestness, to behave with the most Christian and charitable disposition towards your other brethren, and to use every prudent method to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, that if possible, you may with one heart join your endeavors to pro- mote the kingdom of Christ. Pray for your reverend pastor, that he may have much of the presence of the Divine "Redeemer Avith him, to guide and influence him m his present circum- stances, and that the difficulties he meets with may be the happy means of purifying his faith, brightening his graces, and preparing him for further usefulness. And we hope it will not be offensive to the llev. ]ylr, llogers, if we take the liberty to as- sure him that it is with the utmost regret that we have been obliged to make these remarks upon the doctrines he hath delivered from the pulpit and from the press ; we beg leave to as- sure him that nothing but a full conviction that they are contrary to the gospel of Christ, and subversive of the wnj of salvation laid down in the inspired oracles, could have persuaded us to have taken these steps, and we would earn- estly beseech him with a meek and teachabh^ temper, to compare the doctrines which liave HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 107 been received by the churches in this hind and other churches of the Reformation, with the sacred scriptures, and to accompany his inquiry with ardent prayer to the Father'bf light, that he may be guided into all truth. We desire to unite our prayers in his behalf, that the spirit of Christ may be found upon him, enlighten him in the whole counsel of God, and make him a distinguished instrument of advancing the kingdom of Christ ; and we seriously advise the brethren who adhere to their pastor, to be earnest in their prayers to God that they may be preserved from error in this day of tempta- tion, and not to suffer their minds to be leaven- ed with prejudice against their brethren who have been, and are dissatisfied with several doc- trines delivered by Mr. Rogers ; but on the contrary to unite with them in your assiduous endeavors to promote the cause of truth, righte- ousness and peace, that the religion of Jesus may prevail in its purity and power among them, and may be safely transmitted to distant posterity. Delegates. James Huesey, Josiah Brown, Edward Hartwell, William Ward, Thomas Grecnough, John Ruddock, Daniel Proctor, Samuel Dakin, Signed by John Parker, Joshua Partridge, Josiah White, Andrew Rice, Cornelius Tarbell, Samuel Flint, Joseph Cressey, Benjamin Foster, Ed\yard Baker, James Stone, Joseph Farwell, Joseph Hartwell, Joshua Osgood, Thomas Cummings, Joshua Fairbank, Nathaniel Whitney, Joseph Boynton, Timothy Brigham. 1G8 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. Pastoks. IT^U. Israel Loring, Sudbnry, 170*. Saml.Wigs;lesworth, Ipswich 1711. John Chipman, Beverly. 1712. Peter Clark, Danvers. 1721. Eben'r. Pembapton, Boston. 1721. Eben'r. Pprkman,Westboro. 1721. Natban Buckinan, Medway. 1722. Thos. Frink, Rutland Dis- trict, (now Oakham.) 1723. Samuel Dunbar, Stoughton. 1726. Nathan Stone, Soutliboro". 1728. David Stearns, Lunenburg. 173o. Aaron Smith, Marlborough. 1736. Eben'r. Bridge, Chelmsford. 1737. Timothy HarriHgton, Lan- caster. [All the Pastors were graduated at Harvard University, and in the years which Ihave take;i the liberty to prefi.K to their respective names.] Agreeably to the advice of the Council in the foregoing result, the dissatisfied and aggrieved brethren did continue for the term of three months at least, to attend upon their said pas- tor's ministry ; but with how much candor they heard him is now known only to. that Be- ing who knoweth all things. The dissatisfied brethren, and the members of that Council, were entirely ignorant of the true character of the Rev. John Rogers, if they supposed, that, after a long and careful study of the Scriptures, he had formed a different opinion from theirs on some theological questions, he would hastily change that opinion, or so far act the hypocrite as to preach doctrines which he did not believe to be true, for the sake of retaining his place in the ministry, or the friendship of those forty men who sat in judgment upon him. Mr. Rog- ers formed his opinions on difficult and import- ant questions with a great deal of care and de- liberation, and afterwards was tenacious of HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 1G9 tlicm, perhaps, even to obstinacy. Among tlie sermons which he preached during those three months, as I have been informed by men who heard liim, was one from the words, " Behold how (/reat a matter a little fire kindleth.'' But it does not appear that his opponents were at all satisfied with any explanations lie made. And they consequently renevred tlieir application to the Council by the moderator, or the next eld- est minister, or the eldest scribe, for further advice." Although I find no record of the fact, the inference is irresistible, that that Council, before they separated, came to the further re- sult, that if in the course of those three months ^Ir. Rogers should " still go on propagating his errors, or gite no satisfactory evidence of his change of principle," that he should be sus- pended from the ministry. Accordingly we find that on AA'ednesday, the 16th of Novem- ber, 1757, at a church meeting held on that day, of which the Rev. Samuel Dunbar, a mem- ber of the Council, was the moderator,* (by what right I do not know, he not being a mem- ber of the Church,) it was voted . " to accept of the result of the venerable Council, which they called to advise them in tlieir difficulty." And on the same day, in town meeting, it was voted " that the Rev. John Roarers desist from hi- L5 170 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. pastoral office for the space of two months, next ensumg, and that the Selectmen be a com- mittee to supply the pulpit during that time." I had learned by tradition, and some entries in Stephen Buss' journal, now in my possession, prove it to be true, that on three several Sab- baths after his suspension, IMr. Rogers went to the meeting house for the purpose of perform- ing his ministerial duties, but being denied an entrance he preached in his own house- The first Sabbath, llev. Mr. Dunbar preached from John 9: 34. The second, the meeting house ^\'as closed ; and the third, the Rev. Mr. Har- rington, of Lancaster, preached from Romans 10: 3. From the best information I have been able to obtam from the records and other sour- ces, I am of the opinion that no other Council {^xceptmg that of the forty members, was form- erly convened in this town in relation to the difficulties between Mr. Rogers and his people. It does not appear that any further measures were attempted towards a reconciliation. On the 28th of January, 1758, both the Town and the Church voted that Mr. Rogers be dismissed from his pastoral office. At that meeting of the Church, the following letter was read : Christian Friends and Brethren : I lament that we must be separated. I suf- IIISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 171 fercd and toiled ^yitll you to establish this church. Most of those who laid the founda- tion of tliis altar of God in the wilderness, will stand ^by me. My enemies are mostly those who came among us, as strangers, whom we welcomed with a Christian affection to our table of communion, and house of worship ; but who have now ungratefully, like the ser- pent in the fable, bitten their benefactor. The council, too, which have advised you to this course, are not free from guilt. Some of them, and not a few, think as I do on those very doctrines which they pronounce so fatal, and which they call upon me, in the pitiful tones of children to renounce. I forgive them their sin. May God forgive them. Posterity will reAdse their decision, and judge their charac- ters. I do not understand why I should be singled out, from the other ministers around me, to be made a victim. I diifer from tlicm in nothing without it is in frankly declaring what I do believe. Their opinions are like mine. I confess that, on some points I have modified my opinions since I came among you ; and I am grieved to think that any are so simple as to suppose it an indication of mental weakness, or perfidy of heart, or treachery to duty, to grow wiser as one grows older, and 172 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. studies longer. John Robinson warned his chuich to beware of thinking that no more light would beam out of the A^'ord of God, expressly warning tliem not to stick fast, as some did, where Calvin left the tnith, but to follov/ on after truth. Oiu" covenant, it is true, implies the doctrine of ,tlie Trinity, but it does not require any one always to believe it ; it expressly exhorts us to study the Word of God, both day and night, and to conform our- selves thereunto. I have done so. Am I guil- ty of a crime 1 I am willing to be classed witli Newton, and Milton, and Locke, and other good and great men, in the opinion which I hold. ' No one need be ashamed in their com- j)any. As for recanting my opinions. Christian friends, I cannot do it. God and my conscience AV'ould both condemn me. I could not think of myself but wdth shame. My ancestor suffered the torture of fire, and death at the stake, rather than recant, or conceal liis opinions ; could I meet him in heaven without a blush, if I should deny what I believe to be God's truth 1 Could I answer to my Master, Christ ? Judge ye. I lament to be cut off from you. I am poor, and know not v/here to go. !My little ones cry around me for bread. Still I will trust in God who has never vet forsaken me. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTTTR. 1T3 He will care for me and mine. I hope, if you do expel me from the office of Pastor, that you will pay me what you owe me. For ten years I have been willing to sliare in your poverty, by not calling for a portion of my salary which is justly due to me. Xow, I am to be cast abroad upon the world, I feel as if I must be permitted to receive what is necessary for my very existence. But no more of this. The ex- tremest want alone could liavc compelled me to mention it in this connection. Brethren, pause before you act. Consider, I pray you, ,what will be the end of these things ; what will be thought of tliis after vre are all in our graves ? God give you wisdom to act in this matter, as you will all wish you had, when you stand in His presence to answer for this deed. And may the great Head of the Church keep you, and build you up in truth and holiness evermore. Your devoted, yet aggrieved Pastor, JOHX POGERS. After tlie letter had been read, the Church " Voted, that wliat Mr. Pogers had heretofore offered, and what he had now offered, was not satisfactory, and that in accordance with- the advice of the late council, he be dismissed from his pasto]-al office." On the same day, the m HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. following- Ivemonstrance was read in town- meeting : "^ To those inhabitants of said Leominster, who have lately pretended to be dissatisfied with the Ilev. Mr. John Rogers, — Sirs : As the article respecting the dismission of the said Mr. Ilogers from his pastoral office, and those articles which refer to your procuring any other preacher, either past ar futr^re, — and also those which relate to the granting or raising any moneys to defray the charges that have arisen or may arise on any such ac- count contained in the Avarrant for callina* a meeting of the town, this day, as all these do indeed appear to the subscribers to be very mireasonable, inequitable and unjust, so they do by these presents utterly protest against your proceeding to pass any vote as a to-wn on any of the fore-mentioned articles. Phillip Sweatsir, Oliver Wyman, John Wheelock, Jacob Peabody, William Warner, Xathanisl Carter, Thomas Lpirett, Jonathan White> John Joslin, Jr., Joseph Polity, James S'ymoiids, Peter Houghton, Phillip Swe-atsir, Jr., Thomas Wilder, Benjamin Whitcomb, Elizabeth Wheelock, Ebeiiezer Colburn, Timothy Kendall, Nathaniel Rogers, Nathaniel Colburn, Jr. Jonas Kendall, Joshua Wnad, Jonathan Wlicelock, Ezra Hal#, Wid. J. noughton,, Joseph Wheelock, Simon Butler, Stephen Johnson^ ' Nathaniel Colburn, Jacob Peabody, Jr., Abner Wheelock, Ebenezer Policy, John Walker, John Joslin, Abel Wheelock, Nuthajiiel Coj-ter, Jr. llecorded by Ionatha.n Wilson, Tctwn Clerk. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 175 ' Thus, the llcv. John Rogers, a* Ihiecil de- scendant from the martyr of that name, after having- ministered to the spiritual wants of liis people more than fourteen years, on a very small salary (and a part of that had heen with- held,) is deharred from going into the pulpit on the Sabbath, is shut out of the meeting house, and tvirned awa\-. Why ? What evil hath he done I '\\'as he guilty of any immo- rality ? Xo. Had he neglected to perform any of his ministerial duties ? Xo. He had only done what the lle^'. John Robinson advised tlie members of his Church to do ; he had sought for more light, and, as he verily believed, had found it. By a careful study of the sacred Scriptures, he had discovered more of the Di- vine truth, and for honestly preaching such truth he was persecuted as a heretic and driv- en away. In familiar language, the members of that exparte Council say to the eighteen or nineteen disaffected brethren, " we think you had just reason to be dissatisfied. Your Pas- tor does not think ^ery highly of that West- 'minster Catechism. He does not believe in total depravity or original sin. He is not a Trinitarian. On the doctrine of conversion he appears to be confused. He chiims to know more of the true meaning of some portions of 17G HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. the Bible than the ' neighboring ministers.' And it is not expedient for you who are deter- mined ' to stick fast' to Calvinism to have sucli a minister. He must be dismissed. But you must not do it hastily. We think you had better ' attend upon his ministry ' for the space of ' three months at least.' And if he still fjo- eth on propagating his errors (as probably he vrill,) instead of convening this whole Council again, you may apply to the llev. Samuel Dun- bar, and he will come up and tell you what to do to effect the object v/hicli the Council havc> in view. He will also act as the moderator of vour church meeting:, record all the votes vou may pass, and put every tiling in the right shape." In 1759, Mr. Rogers brought an action n- gainst the town for the recovery of some al- leged arrearages of his salary. And for more than two years his friends made several unsuc- cessful attempts to get set off as a separate parish. At length the parties agreed to refer all their difficulties, and the following is a copv of the Bulc : Ride of Supreme Court, Septemhcr Term, 1761, Worcester, Masn. Each party shall boar his own cost, and the said John Rogers in court fully released to the said town of Leominster, HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 177 the judgment reviewed and the bond of review and all demands on them as their minister ; and the said inhabitants a^-ree that those who adhere to the said Rogers, as far as lies in said town be incorporated into a separate precinct, and that those wlio shall on or before the last day of October next, send their names to the clerk's office, and desire to be incorporated in- to a separate precinct shall, they and their es- tates, be the precinct, and that the other in- habitants shall on reciuest, by vote, join in the said petition that they may be so incorporated, and also agree that if tlie adherents of the said Kogers shall be so incorporated, the precinct that remains shall, within one year after they arc so incorporated, pay to the said new made precinct, the sum of £4^0, lawful money ; and the farther sum of iJ4:5, of la^^•ful money more, within ten years after they are so incorporated, with the interest thereof, after the expiration of the first year. Copy as of record examined. SAMUEL VvaNTIIROP, Clerk. Agreeably to the provision of the above ule, the presented ; 11 ule, the following Petition was signed and 178 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. To the Honorable Justices of the Superior Court, <^c.,Scpt. 18, 1761. We, the subscribers, inhabitants of Leomin- ster, and adherents of Hev. Mr. Rogers, our present pastor, agreeable to the late rule of court entered into by the said town, do by this writing declare our consent and desire to be incorporated into a separate precinct, so long as we support the gospel ministry among our- sches. — Filed in the office of the Clerk of Sept. Court, Oct. 31, 1761. NATHANIEL HATCH, Clerk. Nathaniel Colburn, Joseph Wheelock, Nathaniel lingers, Thomas Wilder, Jr., Nathaniel Carter, Jr., Abncr Wheelock, Jonas Kendall, Thomas Davenport, James Symonds, Nathaniel Carter, David Farnsworth, William Warner, Susana Peabody, Jonathan Colbarn, jMa^aban Legett, Abel Wheelock, Joseph PoUey, Simon Butler, Thomas Legett, John Colburn, Jonathan White, Timothy Kendall, Jonathan White, Jr., Samuel Ilardeastle. The petition to the General Court was sign- ed by twenty-seven persons, and the Act of In- corporation was passed on the 27th of January, 1762. And the two precincts continued to ex- ist separately until the year 1788, when, by another Act of the General Court, they were again happily united. Compared with the whole town, the second precinct, in point of numbers, was smalL And for reasons which will hereafter appear, but HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 179 few united themselves with it after its incorpo- ration. For about ten years after his dismis- sion, INIr. Kogers preached to his adherents, either in his OA^^l or some other dwelling house. On the 7th of March, 1768, the town voted, " that the second precinct may meet in the school house on the North side of the River, on Sundays, during the Town's pleasure." That school-house was erected the preceding year, and stood a little N. E, of Capt. Josiah Burragc's dwelling house. It was destroyed by fire in the night time, about two weeks before the school kept in it by Jesse Appleton, after- wards President of Bowdoin College, would have been closed in the spring of 1791. That vote of the town was never rescinded, and Mr. Rogers, and his little flock of faithful and affectionate friends, continued, without any mo- lestation, to assemble in that house for public worship for a period of nearly or quite twenty years. Within a dozen or fifteen years after its organization, nearly half the members of the second precinct had either died or left the town ; and among them Deacon White, the only, offi- cer of the church that adhered to IMr. Rogers, and his son Jonathan. Simon Butler was chos- en Deacon in 1763. Very few of the members of the first precinct ever attended meeting at ISO HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. the sclioolhouse, or permitted their children to do so. Once only did I ever hearj Mr. Rogers preach, and that was in the latter part of the winter of 1787. I have never forgotten the ap- pearance of the minister, nor some other cir- cmnstances of the occasion. There were bnt few present, and the ordinance of infiint baptism was administered. I thonght at the time, it was a pretty looking babe ; bnt did not dream that she Avas afterwards to be my wife. Bnt so it happened, and she was the last child Mr. Rog- ers baptized. In a few months after this, tlie ministerial relation betv/een Mr. Rogers and his people was dissolved, as will appear by the following discharge gi^'en by him to the precinct : " Know all men by tliese presents, that whereas the inliabitants of the second precinct in Leominster, have generonsly voted to give and grant to me John Rogers, of Leominster, the sum of forty-five pounds, payable in man- ner following, to wit : fifteen pounds to be paid in one year from the first day of March last, and fifteen pounds to be paid in two years from the first day of jMarch last, and fifteen pounds to be paid in three years from the first day of ]March last — in consideration thereof, I, the said John Rogers, do by these presents re- iilStORY OF LEOMINSTER. 181 mise, release, quit claim and forever discharge the said second precinct of and from all claims or demands, actions or causes of actions, either in law or equity, for any service done by me for or towards them as a precinct, and upon the 2:)ayment of the said forty-five pounds in man- ner aforesaid, I hereby acknowledge the said precinct is fully, effectually, and in the most ample manner exonerated and discharged from me of all demands of every kind that can be named or mentioned on any pretence whatever, the aforesaid sum being to my full satisfaction and contentment, as witness my hand and seal this twenty-fifth day of June, in the }ear of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven. JOHX ROGERS, [l. s.] Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of Nathaniel Carter, Jr., Asa Kendall. Mr. Rogers was the son of the Rev. John Rogers, of Boxford, in the County of Essex, and was born Sept. 2'lth, 1712. lie was grad- uated at II. U., in 1732, and ordained as the minister of this town at the mature age of 31 years. Where, or in wliat manner, he had spent the eleven years j^receding his ordination, I have not the means of ascertaining ; but in IG 182 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. all probability bis time was faitlifully devoted to tlie study of his profession ; and hence he had been enabled to discover more of the Di- vine truth than those ministers of the Council who rebuked and condemned him ; although they were all but three his seniors in College, and, with the exception of the Rev. IMr. Har- rington, were also his seniors in the ministry. Mr. Harrington was first settled at Swansey, N. H., and although I would not state it as a fact, yet I believe it was at so early a date, that even he does not form an exception. It has been more than intimated by several reverend clergymen, as Avell as by the learned historian of Lancaster, that at the time INIr. llogcrs was dis- missed, Mr. Harrington did not diiFcr from him in the least in regard to those doctrines for the preaching of which ^Mr. Rogers was condemned by the Council and turned away. There can be no doubt but that Mr. H. did change his opinion on some of the disputed doctrines of Christianity after he was installed at Lancas- ter ; but there are some ficts to be noted here- after which will go far to prove that this did not take place until after the successor of Mr. Rogers had been ordained over the first precinct in this town. A large proportion of the mem- bers of that i)recinct were Lancaster men. Not HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 183 a few of them had heen brought up uuder ^h: Harrington's ministry from childliood. Could they be deceived in him I There was no min- ister in whom they placed more confidence. During the space of almost five years, while they were without a Pastor, ]Mr. Harrington baptized seven more of their children than all the other ministers who preached for them du- ring that time. If he were not all that time a decided Calvinist, he must have been a most consummate hypocrite, and totally unfit for the Gospel ministry.* But I an not writing the ecclesiastial history of Lancaster. * The following may serve to help correct a mistake, which, I feel confident, has prevailed to a considerable extent in regard to time. During the interim between Mr. Gardner's death, and the settlement of the ministry here, I was present at an interesting conversation between two aged men in relation to the proceedmga against Mr. Rogers. The elder of the two was born in Lancas- ter, attended on Mr. Harrington's preaching till about 17(>3, when he came to this town and united himself with the Church of the First Precinct. The younger was born in town, and ad- hered to Mr. Rogers; but after the two Precincts had been united, was chosen a Deacon of Mr. Gardner's Church. They agreed that at the time Mr. Gardner was ordained, he and Mr. Harrington differed but little, if any, in their religious opinions ; and that although the latter became liberal sooner than the for- mer, yet, at the end of twenty or twenty-five years, neither of them adhered to the belief of a single article of what formerly were called the five points of Calvinism. From the high com- mendations old people used to bestow upon Mr. H. in my young- er days, I cannot make myself believe he acted hypocritically. 18-1 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. On the 27th of March, 1750, Mr. Rogers was married to Relief, a daughter of the Rev. John Prentice, of I^ancaster. They had seven cliildren.* Sarah B., the youngest daughter, was the wife of Capt. Luke Johnson, and died liere. The others were scattered abroad. There are none of his descendants now living in this town. But there ai"e still residing here a grand- son, and seven or eight great grand children of his sister Lydia, wlio was the wife of Abijah Smith. The other sister and a brother (Na- thaniel) left town many years ago.f " ]Mr. Rogers vras a man of intellectual pow- er," says Dr. Bancroft, in his half-century ser- mon, " and an inquisitive spirit, possessed of a name fitted to make a man independent in his opinions, and prepared to encounter every dif- iiculty in defence of religious truth." He was strictly an honest man. His moral character was never impeached. In conversation he was frank even to bluntness, and sometimes gave offence to, or wounded the feelings of his friends unintentionally. He was tenacious of * Relief, born July 25, 1753 ; John, March 27, 1755; Thom- as, June 3, 1757 -, Samuel, Sept. 30, 1758 ; Stephen Sewall, Oc- tober 5, 17G0 ; Sarah Bowers, June 26, 17G2 ; William Stanton, March 20, 17G5. fAbsalom P. Ford, of this town, is a great great grand child of Nathaniel. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 185 his own opinion. Perhaps he thought too highly of the name. But no man is perfect, and his greatest fault, as I learned many years ago from those who knew him well, was a want of prudence. He commenced his ministry at a time when " an inquisitive spirit began to stir in the church." The people of his charge were mostly tillers of the ground. In the sweat of their face did they eat their bread. Comparatively but few of them had leisure for much reading ; but they were men of strong minds, and quite as tenacious of their own opinions as their Pastor was of his. Mr. Rog- ers, having obtained great light for himself, en- deavored to communicate too much to his people in a short time. Although it is unjustifiable and reprehensible in a minister to conceal his religious opinions, yet nothing can be more unwise and improper than to attempt to impart all he knows in a single sermon. And if Mr. E. had been more prudent in this matter, and " made them to understand doctrine " by ad- ministering " precept upon x^rece2)t, line upon line, here a little and there a little," in all probability he would have continued to be the minister of the whole town to the end of his life. Mr. Rogers died October 6, 1789, in the 78th year of his age. In 1815, under the di- 186 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. rection of a Committee of the First Congrega- tional Society in this town, consisting of Hon. Solomon Strong, Dr. Charles W. Wilder, and Abel C. Wilder, a marble monument was erected to his memory at an expense of about $100 ; one half of which was generously given by the Hon. Walter R. Johnson,* of Wash-- ington, D. C, a grandson of Mr. Rogers, and the balance was obtained, or furnished, in equal proportions by the Committee. The first wife of the last named on the Committee was a great grand daughter of Mr. Rogers. After Mr. Rogers had been dismissed, the toMTi seemed to be in no great haste in regard to a successor. Although the pulpit was for the most part supplied, yet the preachers, for several years at least, were not employed as candidates for settlement. " The neighboring ministers" kindly officiated often enough to administer the sacrament of the Lord's supper, and baptize the children. And among them, ^Ir. Harrington seemed to be the favorite ; and, as has already been observed, baptized more children than all the other ministers. In some cases, five or six, and in one instance ten little ones received the baptismal seal at *Died suddenly early in July, 185^. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. IST his hands on a single Sabhatli. And even as late as the 7th of Xovember, 17()2, he baptized seven. On the 4th of February, 17G0, the church adopted a second covenant, materially different from the first, under which those who adhered to Mr. Eogers Avere content to live. These coA-enants, with others, may be found in the Appendix. After this time the candidates for settlement were somewhat numerous ; but it was not until the 20th of September, 1762, that the church made choice of one, and that was Mr. Francis Gardner, he having three more votes than Mr. Emerson. On the oth of October following, the town concurred with the church in the choice of Mr. Gardner, and offered him something more than £100 as a settlement, and £66.13.4. salary so long as he shall be their settled minister. lie gave his answer in the affirmative, and was ordained December 22, 1762. "Tliellev. Mr. Ilarrinj- ton^ of Lancaster, made the prayer ; ]Mr. Smith, of Marlborough, preached ; Mr. Gardner, of Stow, gave the charge ; ]Mr. Goss, of Bolton, prayed after the charge ; and Mr. Swift, of Acton, gave the right-hand of fellowship." For tlie first sermon which he preached after his ordination, he took for a text the 17th and 18th verses of the 3d cliapter of Ezekicl. 188 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. Although it was mtended that all who made a public profession of religion should assent to the second covenant by subscribing thereto ; yet so objectionable was it, that of the thirty- . seven males who united themselves with the church during the first ten years of Mr. Gard- ner 8 ministry, only seventeen could conscien- tiously subscribe to it. And of the twenty-seven who joined the church during the next ten years, only two signed the covenant. And in ^ order to remedy the difficulty in part, a kind of half-way covenant was adopted, by assenting to which parents might offer their children in baptism without coming to full communion. During the first twenty years of Mr. Gard- ners' ministry, twenty-three males, and twenty- nine females recognized the half-way, or bap- tismal covenant ; and all such, without any further ceremony, had a right to come to full communion merely by giving notice to the pas- tor of tlieir intention so to do. Indeed, so high- ly objectionable was the covenant of 1760, that it was permitted by general consent to go out of use, and the following short confession was substituted in its place. " You openly and publicly profess your be- lief that there is one God who is a being of ui- linite and eternal perfection. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 1^0 That the scriptures of the ohl and new testa- ment are the word of God, and a perfect rule of faith and manners. ' '^ You solemnly renew the dedication of your- self, or selves, to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You own God as your God and Father, Jesus Christ as your Redeemer, and the Holy Ghost as your sanctifier to lead you to the truth as it is in Jesus Christ, and to build you up in holiness and comfort. Finally, you promise to walk orderly in the communion of this church so long as your op- portunities to be hereby edified shall be con- tinued to you. You promise this." The records do not show at Avhat time the foregoing confession was adopted ; but it con- tains all that candidates for full communion were required to give their assent to, further back than the memory of the oldest member of the church now living extends. INIr. Gardner was on good terms with the neighboring clergymen (^Ir. Rogers always ex- cepted) and during the first year of his minis- try exchanged twice with Mr. ^Nlellen, of Ster- ling. Previous to the incorporation of the sec- ond precinct, the parochial aftairs of the oppo- nents of ^Ir. Rogers, were transacted in town meeting ; but afterwards in separate precinct 190 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. meetings. But after the lapse of about twenty- seven years, the two precmcts, by another act of the General Court were again united. Wheth- er the leaven used by Mr. Rogers had leavened the Avhole lump, or whether those who adhered to him had changed their doctrinal views on religious subjects, is not for me to say. But certain it is, that for about twenty-six years af- ter the reunion, the inhabitants of this town lived, and publicly worshipped the God of their fathers, in the bonds of peace and harmony, hav- ing none to molest or make them afraid. For the last twenty years of Mr. Gardner's life, with one or two exceptions, the town an- nually voted an addition to his salary, making it up commonly to three hundred and fifty, and in one instance, to four hundred dollars. !Mr. Gardner was a son of E,ev. John Gard- ner of Stow ; was born Feb. 29, 1736 ; was graduated at Harvard University in 1755, and nearly twenty-seven years of age when he was ordained. The same year he Avas ordained he was mar- ried to Sarah, the only child of Mr. John Gib- son, of Lunenburg. They had fourteefi chil- dren, all of whom, with one exception, lived to be men and women. John the oldest son, be- ing now in his eighty-fifth year, continues to HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 191 reside in this town ; and so do several of the daughters. One of them is the mother of tlie Hon. Charles G. Prentiss, the Register of Pro- bate for the County of AYorcester, and another is the wife of the Hon. Abijah Bigelow. IMr. Gardner was a man of sound under- standing, and of great learning. He was a thorough Biblical scholar ; and both in his sermons, and in his prayers, the quotations from the Scriptures were uniformly applicable and appropriate. He was a discreet and jiru- dent Pastor. And as a sermonizer, he excelled all the other ministers in the vicinity, as they themselves were ready to admit. But as an orator, the Rev. Mr. Adams, of Lunenburg, and some others, were far his su^^eriors. By a friend who has kindly furnished some printing statistics, I have been reminded of an anecdote which he and I used to hear related when we were young. Mr. Adams was not only a gi'cat orator, and a good minister, but occcasionally he was somewhat facetious. And it was said (truly, no doubt,) that on a certain occasion he expressed himself in language like the follo^^'- ing : '♦Let father Gardner write a sermon, and let me deliver it, and we w^ould beat the devil." Meaning, undoubtedly, that the effect of such sermons, thus delivered, would be to convince 192 History of Leominster. the hearers, that, whenever they were enticed by the achersary to commit sin, they should iuimediately obey the precept given by St. James : " Resist the devil, and he will flee from thee." Mr. Gardner died suddenly, at "\^'atertovv'n, on his journey to Boston, June 2, 1814, in the seventy-ninth year of his age, and the fifty- second of his ministry. " The remains of Mr. Gardner lie in our (old) burying-ground, over which a table was erected by the town to commemorate his valuable ser- vices, and to express their gratitude and respect for him." In the sermon preached at his fun- eral by the late Dr. Thayer, of Lancaster, it was very truly said of Mr. Gardner, that " he viewed as of minor importance the speculations of men. He had a single eye to the investiga- tion of truth. As an adviser in controversies, he was happily free from precipitancy and prej- udice." "With a single exception, he out-lived all of those who were legal voters at the time of his settlement. And the partner of his life, the sharer of his joys and of his cares, survived him but a few months more than tlireq. years. Durmg the long period of Mr. Gardner s ministry, a great many changes took place in the religious, as well as in the civil and politi- HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 193 ciil concerns of men. Previous to his time it had not been customary here, to read the bible as a part of the public worship on the Sabbath; This practice was introduced by him in 1765. And long after this, it was the custom for all in the congregation who could sing, to join in that part of the worship. And even as late as 1785, as I well remember, some of those aged men used to hold on to those body seats with both hands, and raise their stentorian voices to a very high pitch. And about this time, it was also customary, after the minister had read the hymn, for one of the deacons to " line it," that is, the deacon would read a line, and then the choir would sing it, and so on to the end of the hymn. Some time after this practice had gone out of use here, the Rev. Mr, A. of L., preached, and after having read the hymn, reached the book down to the deacon, as much as to say, take this, sir, and' perform your duty. The deacon was civil enough to rise and take the book ; but he understood his own duty too well " to line the hymn." About the year 1790, the singing was much improved through the aid and influence of A. Johnson, Esq., and musical instruments were carried into the mecL- ing-house. This gave offence to some of the aged men. They were not at that time quite 17 194 HISTORY OF LEOMlNSTElJ. prepared to praise their Maker in public " with stringed instruments and organs, or upon high sounding cymbals." And on two occasions, as soon as the bassoon was heard, the aged senior deacon took his hat and walked out of the meeting-house. During Mr. Gardner's ministry, the second meeting-house was erected. The subject was agitated in the meetmgs of the first precinct six or seven yeai-s before it was settled. At length, on the third of May, 1773, it was voted to build, and that the frame should be raised by the first of June, 177-i. A site, containing rather more than an acre, was purchased of Mr. Hufus Houghton, at the rate of £S per acre, being what is now the common, in front of the First Congregational Meeting House. The precise dimensions of the house are not known, but probably it was sixty feet in length, and fifty feet in width. It fronted to the east, and at each end there was a iDorch, and m each of those porches were two flights of stairs to the gallery. On the lower floor there were eigh- teen square pews m the body of the house, and thirty around on the walls. The pulpit was on the west side of the house, and in fi-ont and underneath that was the deacon's seat, and over the pulpit was suspended a very large sound- msTORY OF LEOMIN^STER. 195 board. From the double doors in front, to the pulpit, was a broad aisle, a wide one all around by the wall pews, and a narrow one from one porch to the other. In front of the pulpit on either side, were three rows of seats 'for aged people. In the gallery there were twenty-three square pews around by the wall, besides the two in the corner for colored people. In front of the gallery pews there were three rows of seats, and those on the east side were occupied by the singers. It was well finished, both out- side and inside ; and for those times M'as con- sidered "a large and an elegant meeting-house." The expense of the house cannot be ascertained. It does not appear from the records, that more than £140 were raised by a tax. The pews were sold before the house was built, and prob- ably for enough to defray the whole expense. The house was erected by the united efforts of both precincts, and of course, was considered the town's property, and the town-meetings were held in it for nearly fifty years. In 1824, it was taken down and converted into a town- house, and used as such twenty-seven years to November 1, 1851, when the new brick town- house had been completed. The former is fifty feet by forty, and the latter eighty feet by fifty-" seven, and both are two stories, high. 19G HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. AVe liave now arrived at a point where we may take an observation of the second eclipse in our ecclesiastical history. The Kev. Mr. Gardner, in his half century sermon, preached in 1812, says "that tw^o things have been particu- larly agreeable to him, in the course of his min- istry ; the candor with wiiich the people had at- tended upon his administrations, and the little attention they had paid to those rambling preach- ers who go about to promote discoixl and con- fusion." But notwithstanding the harmony that had prevailed during the unusually long minis- try of Mr. Gardner, it was hardly to be expected there would be anything like perfect unanimity in the choice of a successor ; and not a few looked forwa-rd to that time with "fear and trem- bling." The committee chosen to provide preach- ing after Mr. Ga,rdncr's death, could find but three young gentlemen from whom a selection was to be made. Those were Messrs. David Da- mon, wdio was afterwards settled in Lunenburg, .Joseph Allen the present minister of North- boro', and Thomas Prentiss ; and they engaged Mr. Prentiss to preach as a candidate. And in January, 1815, the church, by a vote of 22 to eleven, invited him to become their pastor ; but the toAvn non-concurred. Mr. Prentiss was sub- sequently settled over the Harvard church \i\ HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 197 CharlcstowTi, where, after a distressing illness, of eleven days, lie died, October 5tli, 1817, greatly lamented. In February, the church, by a vote of 81 to 12, made choice of the Itev. AVm. Bascom to be their minister ; and in March, the town, by a vote of 197 to 25 concurred, and offered him a salary fii-st of $'550, and afterwards $'600, which he accepted, and he was installed May 10, 1815. The churches in\dted on the occasion were Shirley, Ashburnham, Lincoln, Cambrid^-e, Princeton, Orleans, Templetoii, Lunenburg, Sterling, Lancaster, Bolton, Cambridgeport, Har- vard, and Fitchburg. Introductory prayer by Kev. Nath. Thayer, of Lancaster. Sermon by Rev. Jas. INIurdock of Princetjon. Consecrating prayer by Abiel Holmes, D. D. of Cambridge. Charge by Rev. John Gushing of Ashburnham. Right hand of fellowship by Rev. Thomas B. Gannet of Cambridgeport. Concluding prayer by Rev. Charles Wellington of Templeton. Various undue influences, both from within, and from without, were brought to bear upon the question of Mr. Bascom's settlement in this town. And those who are desirous of learning- many of the particulars in the case, are referred to the piinted centennial discourse of the Rev. R. P. Stebbens, delivered Sept- 24th, 1813. Suf. 198 HISTORY OF LEO^riXSTEK. fice it for mo to say, here, that those in town who had exerted the most influence in favor of the measure were the first to be dissatisfied, and tlie most active in breaking up the connection. In 1819 the subject was brought before the town in an Article inserted in the warrant, and by a vote of seventy-two to fifty-nine, dissatis- faction was expressed with the minister, and a committee appointed to confer with him on the subject'. After an exchange of several written communications, a personal interview was had between one member of the committee and Mr. Bascom, the result of which was, that, in a few days afterwards, he sent in a Avritten request to be dismissed; that request was complied with on the part of the town, a council was convened, and the connection between him and the church was dissolved, March second, 1820, after a min- istry of about five years, Mr. Bascom, like all the rest of us, had his failings ; but he was possessed of many good qmdities. lie was very able in prayer, and es- pecially at funerals. lie was attentive to the wants of his people in their sickness and dis- tress. He manifested a commendable interest in the education of the young, both in a moral as well as in an intellectual point of view. As sermonizer, he failed. A stranger of great HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 190 discrimination being accidentally at meeting one Sabbath, on being asked what he hfxd gathered from Mr. B's sermon, replied that " he had not gathered any thing." Mr. Bascom left town soon after his dismission. He was grad- uated at Harvard University, in 1802, and had been settled in the ministry at Fitchburg before he came here. He died in 18i5. As was to be ex^iected, and as was predicted by some of those who voted against Mr. Bas- com, both in the Church and in tlie Town, he liad laid the foundation for at least one more religious society to be organized sooner or later in this town. And it was under such circum- stances that the Church, on the 23d of October, 1820, invited Mr. Abel Conant to become their Pastor. ■♦ On the 6th of November following, the Town concurred with the Churcli by a vote of 121 in the affirmative, and none in the neg.- ative. They also offered him ^600 salary, and three Sabbaths in the year for his own use. ]\Ir. Conant accepted the call, and was ordahicd Jan- uary 24th, 1821, (the coldest day in my remem- brance.) Ecv. Mr. Damon, made the introduc- tory prayer ; Il(>v. Mr. ^Moorc, of ^Milford, X. H., preached ; ^Ir. Allen, of Bolton, made the consecrating prayer, ^[r. Thayer, of Lancas- rer. gave the charge ; Dr.' Puffer, of Berlin, ad- 200 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER, dressed the society, Mr. Bedee, of Wilton, gave the right hand of fellowship ; Mr. Clark, of Princeton, made the concluding prayer. The other Churches represented in the Council, were in Groton, Westminster, Fitchburg, Win- chcndon and Sterling. For one of the first sermons Mr. Conant preached here (and I believe the very first) he took for his text the whole of the parable of the prodigal son, in the 15th chapter of Luke. He dwelt upon the danger of sin and wicked- ness ; especially of anger, extravagance and de- bauchery — explained the doctrines of repen- tance and forgiveness — alluded to the joys in heaven over repentance — and enlarged upon the fulness of the promises given by the Fath- er, through his Son, Jesus Christ, to all man- kind, on condition that they turn from their evil doings, and live lives of holiness and virtue. And this was a sample of his general preach- ing. He had marked out a plan for a whole life, and from a well stored mmd brought forth things new and old as the wants of tlie people of his charge required. He was a thorough Greek scholar — a sound reasoner — a quick and ready writer — a worth)*, and useful man — and a most excellent minister. He was born in Milford, N. H., July ITth, 1793, and gradua- HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 201 ted at Dartmouth College in 1815. He was the Preceptor of Groton Academy several years while he was studying his profession. On the 15 th of Xovember, 1821, Mr. Conant was married to Miss Rebecca Adams, of Am- herst, N. H., by whom he had two daughters. He died of scrofula, on the 6th of December, 1836. His youngest daughter survived him only about five months. A granite monument, erected by the Society, marks the spot where his remains rest, in the South-' Westerly corner of the old burying-ground. " Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord." Among the im- portant events which occurred during Mr. Co- nant's ministry was the erection of the third meeting-house by the town ; the organization of three more religious societies ; and the erection of three other houses for public wor-^ ship. On the 8th of December, 1821, the town vo- ted to build a new meeting-house, and to place it on land which, some years before had been purchased for the purpose, of the widow Maria Chase ; and at the same time chose a committee of eleven, to whom discretionary powers and instructions were given, to carry the whole ob- ject into effect. It was a neat and commodious building, seventy-five feet in length, sixty-twQ 202 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. feet in width, and contained one hundred and thirty pews. The belfry and steeple rest part- ly on the front end of the house, and partly on a colonade, thirty-two feet in height, which projects five feet from the front, and was fin- ished in the Ionic order. The house was completed early in the fall of 1823, at a cost of ^8000 ; and the pews were sold for ^IGOO more than enough to cover this sum. A part of the j^lGOO was appropriated to the purchase of an organ. " The town were indebted to the generosity and public spirit of one of its citizens, the late Joel Crosby, Esq., for the donation of a bell, which, to this day, on every Sabbath morning, invites the members of all the religious societies, to the worship of God." In the forenoon of October 15, 1823, the Rev. Mr. Conant preached a sermon on leaving the second, or, as it was then called, the old meeting-house, and in the afternoon of the same day, the new one Avas dedicated. The introductory prayer was made by the Rev. Mr. Damon, of Lunenburg, — the dedicatory prayer, by Rev. Dr. Thayer, of Lancaster, — the sermon was preached by the Pastor, from the words, " And the Disciples ivere called Christians first in Antioch.'' (Acts 11, 26.) "A large audi- HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 203 ence were highly gratified with the services ; several pieces of sacred music were sung, in a style Avhich did great credit to the choir of singers in Leominster." The town continued to manage the parochial affairs until May 4, 1835, when " The First Congregational Society of Leominster," was or- ganized according to law. " Near the close of Mr. Conant's ministry, by the will of the late Joel Crosby, Esq., the deacons of the churcli, as trustees, received a donation of one thousand dollars, the interest of which was to be be ap- propriated to the support of the parish, and, by the same will, three hundred dollars was given for the purchase and erection of a clock in the tower of the meeting-house. The clock was not erected till the spring of 1837. The fund became available in 1838." The ordinary expenses of the society are defrayed by an annual tax upon the polls and estates of the members, and the burden is comparatively a light one. Of the eighteen men who constitu- ted the several committees for building the house, selling the pews, taking charge of the securities, and paying off the debt, all are gone to their final account, with two exceptions. The labors of the last committee referred to, were not brought to a close till November, ^04 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 1831. Ill 1850, the house was new modelled and finished up in more modern style, inside and outside ; but the steeple of beautiful archi- tectural symmetry, remains ; and so do the bell and clock, reminding man every hour that he is passing away. The following are the names of those who were on the several committees, before men- tioned : Solomon Strong, Jonas Kendall, Joel Crosby, Bezaleel Lawrence, William Burrage, Eufus Kendall, Israel Xichols, Wilder Carter, Charles Hills, Abel Carter, John Taylor, Joseph G. Kendall, AVilliam Perry, Levi Nichols, Abra- ham Haskell, Jr., John Buss, Jr., Jonathan Merriam, and David Wilder. Only the last two survive. In age, nine of them were younger than the one who now re- cords the fact. In the spring of 1837, Mr. Henry A. Walk- er was engaged to preach as a candidate, and in June of that year, the church and society acting together, invited him to become their minister, by a vote of thirty-nine to nineteen. But he declined the invitation, and died a few months after, at one of the West India Islands, whither he had gone for the recovery of his health. In July, following, Mr. Hufus Phinehas HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 205 Stebbins preached as a candidate, and subse- quently by a vote of one hundred and sixty-four in the affirmative and none in the negative, the church and society invited him to become their minister, with a salary of six hundred dollars, payable semi-annually in advance. He accep- ted the invitation and was ordained Sept. 20, 1837. The services on the occasion were as follows : Prayer and reading of the Scriptures by !Jlev. Peter Osgood, of Sterling. Sermon by H. Ware, Jr., D. D., of the University church, Cambridge. Ordaining prayer by Rev. Isaac Allen, of Bolton. Charge by Dr. Thayer, Lan- caster. Right hand of fellowship, Rev. Calvin Lincoln, Fitchburg. Address to the society, Rev. A. B. Muzzey, Cambridgcport. Conclud- ing prayer, Rev. Joseph Allen, of Northboro'. The other two churches on the council were Harvard and AYorcester. During the ministry of Mr. Stcbbins, the debt of ^'^2000 due for the land on which the meeting-house stands, was paid — a parsonage house v/ as purchased by sun- dry members of the society — a donation of ^1- 000 for the support of a " settled minister " in the society was made by the late Bezaleel Lawr rence, Esq., — the clock in front of the gallery was given by Joseph AVoodward Esq., who at the time, was residing in town with his neph- 18 206 HISTORY OF LEOMlNSTES. ew, the late Dr. C. "VV. Wilder — and just be- fore the ordination, an elegant Oxford Bible was presented to the society for the nse of the pnlpit, by the late Hon. James G. Carter, of Lancaster, a native of this town. The connec- tion between Mr. Stebbins and the society was dissolved by mutual consent in 1 84-4, he having accepted a call " to preside over an institution in Meadville, Penn., for the preparation of young men for the ministry." For a more particular and minute account of the ministry of Mr. Steb- bins, the reader is referred to his centennial dis- course, and to the two printed sermons preach- ed by him Sept. 15, 184:4:. Mr. Stebbins was born in Wilbraham in this State, March 3d, 1810 — was graduated at Amherst college — studied his profession at the Theological School at Cambridge — was married to Miss Eliza C. Livermore of that town, Sept. 11, 1837, and re- moved to this town on the 16th of the same month. He still continues at the Meadville college. On the 15th of Oct., 1844, Mr. Hiram AVith- ington, then recently from the Theological School at Cambridge, was unanimously invited to become the minister of the society, with a salary of seven hundred dollars. He accepted the call; and was ordained on the 25th of the following December. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 207 The Eev. Nathaniel Hall of Dorchester, preached the sermon. The Rev. George Put- nam, of" Roxbury, gave the charge. The right hand of fellowship was given by the Rev. J. H. Allen, of Jamaica Plains. And the Rev. Joseph Allen, of jSTorthboro', add ressedthe society. The other services were by the Rev. INf essrs. Lincoln, of Fitchburg, Hill of Worcester, Huntington of Boston, Wilson of Grafton, Edes, of Bolton, and Gilbert of Harvard. Rev. Messrs. Sears of J^ancaster, and Fosdick of Sterling, were also on the Council. " Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down ; he fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not." The ministry of Mr. Withington was com- paratively short, and interrupted by sickness, trial and death. It cannot therefore be known whether, if his life had been spared, and his health restored, he would have been a, success- ful servant of Jesus Christ or not. Nor wheth- er he would have been able to accomplish the object nearest his heart, the " Church Reform." The connection between him and the society was dissolved by mutual consent, July 31, 1848. IMr. Withington, son of Isaac Withington, was born in Dorchester, July 29, 1818, and on 208 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. the 19th of Nov., 1844, was married by Rev. Nath. Hall, to Miss Elizabeth H. Clapp, daugh- ter of Mr. William Clapp, of that town. She died in this town, Dec. 2d, 1845, leaving a son only a few days old, and her remains were car- ried to Dorchester for interment. On the 21st of Feb. 1848, Mr. Withington was married to Miss Phila A. Field, a sister of Dr. C. C. Field, of this town, who still survives her husband. Soon after his dismission, Mr. Withington remoA^ed with his family to Dorchester, where he died Oct. 30, 1848. Agreeably to his own request, made a few days before his death, his remains were brought to this town for inter- ment, and a marble monument erected by his friends mark the spot in the new cemetery where they rest. In his farewell discourse delivered Sept. 3, 1848, in reference to a successor, Mr, Withington speaks as follows : "I need not say to you, when again you have settled a minister, give him free- dom, power, attention, co-operation. I need not say that all his usefulness depends as much up- on you as upon him. But this let me say, for his sake and yours. Give him your sympathy and confidence. Open to him your minds and hearts. Entrust him with your spiritual expe- HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 209 lience, your aims and struggles, your difficul- ties and doubts. You will thus most effectual- ly aid and encourage him in his labors. Thus will he be better enabled to understand and meet your wants, and secure the best influence over you, wlien you have come near to him in friendship and confidence. Thus you will bes- tow upon him the greatest pleasure, and the highest reward of his efforts. Do not wait for him to make tlie first advances, but open your- selves the way to freedom of intercourse, and real communion of mind and spirit." On the 19th of Oct. 1848, the society invited the Rev. Amos Smith to become their minister, and offered him a salary of eight hundred dol- lars, lie accepted the invitation, and was in- stalled on Sunday, Nov. 26, 1848. The Rev, Dr. Gaimett of Boston, preached the sermon, and the other services were performed by the Rev. Messrs. Lincoln of Fitchburg, Wilson of- Grafton, and Doctor Parkman of Boston. Mr. Smith was graduated at Harvard Univer- sity in 1838 — -studied his profession at the Theological School, Cambridge, and for a num- ber of years was colleague Pastor with Doctor Parkman. Of his ministry here it does not become me to write. He must speak for him- self. I may however be permitted to express 210 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. the hope, that he will lay out his work for a life — that he will continue to administer con- solation to the aged, the sick, and the afflicted — that he will lead the young in the right way, and that at the close of a long and successful ministry here, when his departure shall be at hand, he may be able to say, " I am now ready to be offered, I have fought a good tight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Hence- forth there is laid up for me a crown of rightous- ness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day." Having traced the e«clesiastical history of the town, of the first and second precincts, the first Congregational Society, their ministers and places of public worship, down to the present time, through a period of more than one hundred and nine years since the first vote was passed to settle a minister — it may be proper now to give some account of the three other religious socie- ties that have been organized 'here since the dismission of the third minister and the erection of the third meeting-house. And this I shall endeavor to do in the best way I can from the information I have been able to obtain in relation to them. As was to be expected, and as was predicted by those who were opposed to the settlement HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 211 of Mr. Bascom, he adopted and pursued a course, the natural and inevitable tendency of which was, to disturb and destroy that peace and harmony, which, in such an eminent degree, had prevailed in this towTi, during the last half of the Rev. INIr. Gardner's ministry. But whether for the better or for the worse, would not become me, here, to express an opinion. My business is with the facts, so far as they are attainable. Those who are desirous of reading a more full account of the troubles of those times, are referred to Mr. Stebbins' Cen- tennial, pp. 49 to 55. " The Evangelical Church " was organized in this town by an exparte ecclesiastical council, December 25, 1822, and consisted often mem- bers. The first meeting-house was built in 1824, and located Northerly from the common, nearly half way to the burying-ground, on land that was formerly owned by Ebcnezer Hough- ton. This house was sold to the Methodist Society, in 1838. Their second meeting-house stands South- westerly of the common, on land originally owned by Rufus Houghton, and was dedicated to the worship of God, February 8, 1837. In May, 1850, this house was struck by lightning, and came very near being destroyed. In re- 212 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. pairing it the pews were taken out and altered, and additions made in the galleries, at an ex- pense of ^3000. It is now a neat and commo- dious house, with a steeple and convenient vestry. The first minister, Mr. Phillips Payson, a son of the late Dr. Seth Payson, for many years the pastor of the church in Rindge, N. H., was or- dained Nov. 17, 1825, and dismissed, on ac- count of ill health, April 17,1832. He mar- lied a daughter of the late Mr. James Boutell, of this town, and now resides in the State of New York. The successor of Mr. Payson, as pastor of this Church, w\as the Rev. O. G. Hubbard, of Sunderland, and a graduate of Amherst College in 1829. He was ordained May 23, 1833, and, after a faithful and successful ministry, was dismissed in June, 1851. And we have now ar- lived under the shadow of the third eclipse in the ecclesiastical affairs of this town. The ac^ count is a short one, and I shall endeavor to relate it as nearly as possible in the words of the Rev. member of the council of dismission, from whose lips I received it. '-Not one single accusation did the ojoponents of Mr Hubbard allege against him. Not one of them ventur- ed even to intimate that he had been unfaithful HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 213 in the ministry. The whole truth may be sum- med up in these words. It was a political af- fair. Mr Hubbard, althougli a most decided anti-slavery man, was not a radical abolitionist. He w^as unwilling to violate the Constitution of the United States, and cause a dissolution of the Union, by improperly interfering with the reserved rights of any of the individual states. And this was the front of his offending — this was the sole cause of his dismission. " * Mr. Hubbard has been a most excellent citi- zen, and has taken great interest in the welfare of the schools, having been a member of the school committee every year since his settle- ment^ A very large proportion of the inhabi- tants regret to have him leave town, and, wherever he may be, their good wishes wdll ac- company him.f The Kev. Joel S. Bingham, a graduate of Ma- rietta College, Ohio, and lately minister of *The late Rev. VVm. M. Rogers of Boston. f Eliza, the eldest child of ilr. Hubbard, an accomplished and a well educated young lady, died Feb. G, 1852. And some few months afterwards, he removed with his family to East Falmouth, to preach for a time to a religious society in that place. He died of typhus fever, Aug. 14, 1852, aged 47, and his remains are in- terred in the New Cemetery in this town. Peace be to his ash- es, and comfort and consolation to his afflicted widow, who, with her surviving children has returned to reside here. A handsome marble Monument has been errected by his friends, or by the society, to the memory of Mr. Hubbard. 214: HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. Charlotte in Vermont, was installed pastor of tills churcli and society, Dec. 17, 1851. It would be unreasonable for the town or the society to expect more of him than to make his worthy predecessor's place good. The Methodist Episcopal Society in this town was formed March 27, 1823, at the resi- dence of Nathan Stratton. John Stratton was clioscn clerk. The cliurch was legally organ- ized March 10, 1828. The first meeting-house w^as located in the Easterly part of the town at the junction of the Shirley and Harvard roads. It was dedicated in December, 1829. The sec- ond meeting-house was purchased of the Evan- gelical Society in 1838, and occupied for the first time on the first Sabbath in January, 1839. This house was enlarged and a handsome stee- ple erected in 1849. The mode of securing the services of preach- ers is as follows : " At the annual conference, which usually embraces the travelling ministers within a tract nearly as4arge as a State, the President of the conference with the advice of a council of elders who have charge of Districts within the bounds of the Conference and visit each church quar- terly, determine the stations of the preachers for the ensuing year, never apportioning the History of leominster. 215 same man to one place more than two years in snccession. Each preacher goes to his station previous to any stipulation or agreement with the Society for his own support, except the pro- vision made in the Discipline, which is ^^100 for himself — $100 for liis wife, if he have one — $16 for each child under 7 — and ^$24 for each child over 7 and under 14 years. In ad- dition to this the discipline pro^'ides that the stewards (oihcers in each church who are to raise supplies for the preacher) shall furnish the preacher a house, and they sliall estimate the amount which his family shall need for fuel and table expenses, and they are to defray his travelling or moving expenses. The payment of the above amount is left to the honor of the people ; they are not legally bound to pay a dollar. The allowance of the preacher is raised by voluntary subscriptions and contributions." There is no church covenant except the arti- cles of faith and the general rules in the Disci- pline. The ministers who have preached since 1823 are Erastus Otis, Geo. E. Fairbanks, Benj- Hazelton, John E. Risley, Ira M. Bidwell, John Lmdsay, Jared Perkins, H. S. Ramsdell, Joel Steele, L. B. Griffin, T. W. Tucker, Nathan Rice, AVarren Emerson, Lemuel Harlow, Elias E. Scott, Jefferson Haskell, Sanford Benton, 216 HISTORY OP LEOMINSTER. Henry Mayo, Leonard Frost, E. F. Newell, Lu- man Boydeii, Ei^hraim Culver, John C. Good- rich, Benjamin Paine, William A. Clapp, Hor» ace Moiilton, Tho. H. Mudge, J. C. Ingals, H. C. Dunham, Samuel Tu23per and Daniel Steele. At first the ministers were circuit preachers, hence there were frequently two or three at a time. Mr. Henry Perry has kindly furnished me with an account of the origin and progress of the Baj)tist Church and Society in this town, from which I extract the following : Early in the ministry of the Eev. Mr. Bas- Com, those persons in this town who embraced. Baptist sentiments united with the Baptist So- ciety in Holdcn. The first Baptist preaching and the first baptisms in town, were in 1820. In August, 1822, those who had joined the diurch in Holden, with others to the number of sixty-five, were dismissed to form a church in Princeton, the members living in this town constituting a branch with the privilege of sustaining the ministry among themselves. On the 30th of August, 1824, David Allen and nine others were organized into a Calvinistic Baptist Society. But this is to be distinguish- ed from the Branch Church, which, for fifteen years, was supplied with preaching by the fol- aiSTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 217 lowing among other ministers, viz : Rev. Jolin A\ alkcr, A. Sampson, Elisha Andrews, Nicholas Branch, Elias McGregory, Luther Goddard, Apple ton Belknap, and Samuel Glover. • In 1837, the Hev. Moses Harrington was chosen Pastor, and in June following the Branch w^as publicly re-organized as a distinct and inde^ien- dent Church of Christ- In 1840, Eev. David Goddard succeeded Mr. Harrington, and his successors were Josiah C. Carpenter, David Taylor and B. H. Clift. The first Baptist Church vras dissolved October 27, 1849, and a Church, formed principally from the members of the first, was publicly constitu- ted March 10, 1850, denominated " the Central Baptist Church of Leominster." A new Society had been organized about three months previ- ous to the last date. The Rev. A. M. Swain, the present incumbent, was chosen 2^^"^stor March 10, 1850. • The first place of worship was a building formerly used by Mr. John Richardson as a tailor's shop. Their first meet- ing house v/ as erected on the plain, near the river and the mills, and was dedicated in June 183 2. This house was small, and had been sold, and a new one erected in the centre of the town on land purchased of the " First Congregation- list Society." It is a large and commodious 19 218 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. house with a steeple, and makes an elegant ap- pearance, standmg as it does between the two town houses. Itfwas dedicated to the worship of Almighty God in January, 1850.* The following is a list of the Deacons of the Churches, under l\Ir. Rogers, while minister of the town : CHOSEN. ■ DIED. 1743, Nov. 10, Jonathan White.f 1743, Nov. 10, Gardner Wilder, 1787. April 24. 1747, Dec. 2, James Boutell. 1752, Aug. 22. 1747, Dec. 2, Benjamin Whitcomb, 1778, Oct. While minister of the second precinct, Jonathan White. 1765, March 19. Simon Butler, 1795, Apr. 9, aged 80, Under Mr. Gardner and his successors. Gardner Wilder, 1787, April 24. Benjamin Whitcomb, 17G3, Dec. 2, Jotham White. 1767, Oct. 1, Oliver Hoar. 1769, March 30, Israel Nichols, 1802,Oct.l2,aged 82. 1769, March 30, John Joslin, Jr., 1810, Sept. 6 aa;ed 75. Rf.sigxed 1775, June 17. David Wilder, 1815, Dec.6, aged 75. 1810. 1775, June 17', Ephraim Carter, 1817, May 7 aged 68. 1814. 1797, Mar. 30, Abij ah Butler, 1822,Jan.l9 aged 71. 1814. 1801, June 5, John Buss, 1845,0ct. 31,aged 86. 1814. 1810, May 21, John Boutell, 1837,Aug. 9,aged 74. 1814, Mar. 31, Wm. Burrage, Jr. 1844,Aug. 9,aged 76. 1814, Mar. 31, Abel Kendall, 1846,Aug.l3,aged75. 1819. 1814, Mar. 31, David Wilder, Jr., 1848. 1S19, July 2, Jonathan Merriam, 1853, Apr. 17, 1833. 1824, Nov. 7, Otis Stearns, 1835, Jan. 3, Charles Hills, 1851, Blay 7. 1844, Nov. 7, Ward M. Cotton. 1848, May 19, Emory Burrage. 1851, June 21, Abel C. Wilder. * Since the 4th of July, 1851, the meeting house on the plain has been purchased and fitted up for a place of public worship of a small Congregation of Roman Catholics, f A descendant from Peregrine. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 219 Evangelical Church, under Mr. Payson and his successor. 1822, Abel Wood. 1822, Albert Smith. 1832, James Boutelle. 1835, Peter Farwell. The Methodists have no such officers as Dea- cons among the Laity. The following are the names of the seven stewards now in office : Al- bert Stratton, Forester Rice, J. C. Lane, J. W. Coolidge, J. B. Bodel, F. W. Whitney and H. W. Knowles. Baptist Church, after it had ceased to be a branch of the Church in Princeton, and was organized in this town. Samuel Crocker, James S. Parker, William Howe, INIicah R Ball, William AValker, Jona- than Burrage, Luther Severance, Foster Taylor. APPENDIX. The day on which Mr. Eogers was ordamed, Sept. 14, 1743, O. S., the first church was or- ganized, and adopted the following COVENANT. Being persuaded that we are now called of God to come into the state of a Gospel Church, we do it, therefore, freely in a solemn and relig- ious manner, reflecting on our owm unworthi- ness, admirmg the mercy and condescension of God, and trustmg in his promised grace. Ac- cordingly, in the presence of God and man we make these solemn declarations respecting our faith and practice. Declaring our hearty belief of the Christian religion comprised in the Holy Scriptures we firmly resolve, that (studying and meditating in the word of God, both day and night,) we will thereunto habitually coniform our lives. We dedicate ourselves to the Lord Jehovah, 22*2 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. (to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,) and take him for our eternal portion. We give up our- selves to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, as our Prophet, Priest and King, "VVe promise constantly, and in an exemplary manner, to observe all the duties of the Moral Law, to live soberly, righteously, and piously, keeping consciences void of offence towards God and man. We resolve to walk together as be- comes a church of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the faith and order of the Gospel, according to the best light we can obtain, diligently attending the public worship of God, the sacraments of the New Testament, and all his sacred institu- tions ; watching over one another in meekness and tenderness. We promise likewise, if any children shall be committed to our care, to educate them m the nurture and admonition of the Lord, We promise to be sincerely and regularly concerned for our neighbors' welfare, both tem- poral and spiritual ; to do no injury ; to give no offence ; but to do what in us lies to pro- mote the happiness of all, (with whom we shall be concerned) in every respect, and not to con- fine this caution and benevolence to our friends, but to extend them even to our enemies. More particularly, we j^romise inviolably to i)ractice HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 223 all relative duties, both to superiors, inferiors and equals ; to show them all that honor, love, condescension and beneficence, which shall be due from us. "We promise never to revenge any injury we may suppose ourselves to have receiv- ed of our neighbors. We will never promote or countenance any obscenity or impurity by word or deed. AA'e will never wrong our neighbors' world- ly estate, but endeavor to advance it, conscien- tiously observing the rules of justness and hon- esty ; and as far as we shall be able, make full reparation of any injuries which we may have done. Moreover, we solemly promise, that we will never allow ourselves m the practice of calumny or slander, but will strictly regard such Christian rules as these. (Titus 3, 2,) speak evil of no man. (James 4, 11,) Speak not evil one of another. (2 Cor. 12, 20,) lest^ there be stripes, backbitings, whisperings ; and will ex- ercise that charity which covereth the multitude of faults, and thinketh no evil. And in all our affairs whatever, w^e will religiously avoid (as well as prudently 'discourage,) indiscreet anger, contention, and a selfish and party spirit: And, in sum, we solemnly engage that we w^ill invariably seek the public weal, and gov- ern ourselves by the peaceful, charitable, and 224 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTEH. generous principles of our holy religion, fixed- ly adhering to that most reasonable precept of our Blessed Lord and Pattern, " Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even the same unto them. " And now sensible of our own corruption and weakness, and of the power and vigilance of our spiritual enemies, we implore and trust in the grace of God, through Jesus Christ, to pre- serve us from dissimulation and instability, with reference to these our sacred vows and resolu- tions ; to which, in the presence and fear of our all-seeing Judge, we subscribe our names. John Rogers, Benj.Whitconib, Jona. White, Oliver Carter, Ebenezer Polly, Thomas Wilder, Ephraim Stone, Thomas White, Thos. Houghton, Nathaniel Carter, Simon Butler, Gardner Wilder. James Boutell,' Jos. Wheelock, David Johnson, Phillip Sweetser, Those who adhered to Mr Kogers were, to the last, content with this Covenant. On the fourth day of February 1760, nearly three years before the Ordination of Mr Gard- ner, those members of the Church who were opposed to Mr. Rogers adopted the following : We, whose names are hereafter subscribed, inhabitants of the tov/n of Xeominster, and oth- ers in New England, having been incorporated into a cliurch state, do now before God, angels, and men, solemnly renew our covenant with the Lord, confessing and bewailing our sins, HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 225 and loathing ourselves for our apostacy from God in Adam, with humble dependence upon the gracious assistance of God to make us steadfast in his covenant, and to establish us to- day for a people unto himself and our seed with us, and that shall come after us ; that he may be unto us a God as he promised unto our flithcrs, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, whose children we profess to be, and heirs with them according to the promise, by faith in Je- sus Christ, — we do give up ourselves unto the Lord and unto each other by the will of God to be built up a spiritual house, and to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ ; and therefore, 1. We do avouch the Lord to be our God, whose name alone is Jehovah, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three persons in one God, who is over all blessed forever, to fear him and cleave to him in love, and serve him in truth with all our hearts. 2. We do, through the help of the Holy Spirit, (by coA'enant) choose all the written word of God, to be our only rule for faith and manners, so building upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, not preferring one part of the word by partiality to another ; but esteeming every word of God to be pure and 226 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. useful for reproof, correction and iustructioii in righteousness, and as thoroughly furnishing us to all good works, waiting for the teaching of the Spirit of truth to lead into all truth, in a diligent comparing scripture with scripture, un- til the light thereof shine more and more unto the perfect day — and as some of the truths of God are opposed in this day of apostacy ; — we will therefore stand together in the defence of these truths, resisting steadfostly by his word and spirit, all doctrines that tend to undermine the true Deity or Godhead of our Lord Jesus Christ, or his dignity as King and Prophet and Priest of his church ; or that tend to advance man's innocency by nature, his own merits or righteousness, and to eclipse the sovereignty and efficacy of divine grace in election, '\'ocation and justification, the whole of salvation both begun and perfected only of grace, without any regard had to good foreseen in man or willed by him, — as for human composures, we bless God for the great grace and eminent gifts he hath given to some men and shall use the writ- ings of such as are agreeable to the word of God, as helps for our Instruction, quickening, comforting and establishing in grace, at the same time searching the scriptures whether what they say be agreeable to them, so our HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 227 faith may not stand in the wisdom of man but in the power of God. 3. We covenant throngh the help of tlie Ho- ly Spirit to improve all the ordinances which Christ hath instituted in his church, both gen- eral and special, in their appointed seasons ; as Xn'ayers, praises, hearing God's word, and to hold communion with each other, in the use of both the seals of the covenant, viz : Baptism and the Lord's Supper : 4. We promise peaceably to submit to the discipline appointed by Christ in his church ; as fellowship, the key for opening the doors of the church, to receive in the righteous that keep the truth ; censure, the key for shutting the door of the church ; public admonition, when the offence is public, withdrawing from those that walk disorderly, that cause divisions and offences, or forsake church assemblies ; and excommunicating such as are obstinate here- tics, or persist in open scandalous sins ; and that there may be the less occasion for public censures and excisions, we promise to warn every brother or sister that offends ; not divulg- ing in private offences irregularly, but heed- fully follow^ing the several precepts laid down for church dealing in Matthew 18: 15, 16 17, willmgly forgiving all that maiiifest unto the 2'28 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTEH. judgement of charity that they truly repent of their miscarriage. '5. We covenant by the help of the Holy Spirit, faithfully to discharge our several rela- tive duties : as — 1. To submit to our pastor in waiting ui> on his ministry, esteeming him very highly in love for his work's sake, and as a steward of the mysteries of God to us, obeying him that hath the rule over us, and counting him wor- thy of double honor while ruling well. 2. To discharge our duty to our families, especially to our infant seed, challenging their right to a relation unto God in his church, and to baptism the seal thereof, and therefore to train them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, — in special, by the use of such catechisms as are agreeable to the doctrine of grace, especially the Westminster catechism, and callmg upon them as they grow up, to avouch the Lord to be their God, and to take on themselves the bond of the covenant, that so the true religion may be maintained in our families wdiilst we live, and that when we are dead they may stand up in our stead and be accounted to the Lord for a generation. 3. To discharge our duties to each other, in particular to Tove one another:— to bear each HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 229 other's burthens, and in honor esteeming each other better than ourselves ; to watch over eacli other, praying for, and strengtliening and com- forting one another. 4. To -esteem all men, and to love the broth- erhood and fear God, and to do good to all as we have opportunity, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Thus we cove- nant and promise, and the God of jDcace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us perfect in every good work to do his will, working in us that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Gardner Wilder, Samuel Hale, £)avid Johnson, Joseph Beaman, Oliver Carter, Nathan Bennett, Thomas Stearns, Aaron Brown, Caleb Sawyer, Jotham Bennett, Israel Nichols, Oliver Hoar, Oliver Hale, James Boutell, Heuben Gates, | David Robbins, As has already been observed, the Covenant oi 1760 was so objectionable, that Only two of the twenty-seven who united themselves with the cliurch during the second ten years of Mr^ Gardner's ministry, subscribed their names to it ; and by common consent it was laid aside j and the short and comprehensive confession here re-inserted, was used in its stead. 20 William Bouteil, Joshua Osgood, Kendall BoutelL Stephen Buss, Edward Phelps, J'lseph Wilder, John Fletcher. 230 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. " You openly and publicly profess your be- lief that there is one God who is a being of in- finite and eternal perfections. That the scrip- tures of the old and new testament are the word of God, and a i^)erfect rule of faith and manners. You solemnly renew the dedication of yourself, or selves, to God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. You own God as your God and Father; Jesus Christ as your Redeemer, and the Holy Ghost as your Sanctifier to lead you to the truth as it is in Jesus Christ, and to build you up in holiness and comfort. Finally, you promise to walk orderly in the communion of this church so long as your opportunities to be hereby edified shall be continued to you. You promise this." And there was another called the baptismal or half-way Covenant, by the owning of which parents had a right to present their children in baptism without joining the church. By ac- cident or otherwise, that Covenant is lost or mislaid, and therefore cannot be inserted here. But I well recollect that there was in it one clause by which those who assented to it did promise that they would not rest satisfied until they should come to full communion. And June 29, 1795, the church voted, " That those who have owned the Covenant (Baptismal) and HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 231 desire to come iiito full communion, shall ex- press their desire to the Pastor, who shall make public mention of it,, and if no objection be made in a fortnight after, they shall have a right to full communion." On the second day of November, 1815, all the foregoing Covenants were annulled, and the following was adopted : Art. 1. "We unreservedly give up ourselves to Almighty God, choosing him for our friend and everlasting portion, and promising, with the assistance of his grace, to glorify him witli our bodies and with our spirits, which are his. 2. We heartily embrace the Lord Jesus Christ in all his offices, as our only Saviour, and the Holy Ghost as our Sanctifier and Teacher. 3. We receive the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as the Word of God, and promise to make them the only rule of our re- ligious faith and practice. 4. We promise with seriousness and prayer- fulness, to wait on God, diligently in all his , holy ordinances, both common and special. 5. We engage to walk orderly and charita- bly with each other, to use our endeavors for the Church's purity, edification and prosperity ; to submit ourselves to its watch and discipline ; and in case of offences, to conform to the rule 232 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. pointed out by our Saviour in Matthew, 18 : 15, 16, 17. 6. We promise to bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, to see that all under our care are instructed in the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, to maintain the worship of God in our families, and to set before our households examples of virtue and godliness. All this we do, looking to the blood of the everlasting covenant for the pardon of our sins, and. praying that the glori- ous Lord who is the great Shepherd, would prepare and strengthen us for every good word and work, and receive us at las-t to everla&tinor mansions. "William Basconi, David Wilder, Benjamin Perkins, James Boutelle, William Barrage, Jr. John Boutelle, Joseph Wilder, Ephraim Lincoln, Ephraim Carter, Caleb Wo(jd, Samrtel flalc, Silas Allen, Abijah Butler, David Wilder, Jr., Josiah Carter, James Joslin, James Carter, Joseph Wilder, Jr., Elisha Coolidge, Isaac Bigelow, feumuel Crocker, Simeon Butler, Ephraim Carter, Jr. Caleb Leland. The latest Covenant of the church connected with the " First Congregational Society," in this town, is the following, which, by an unajii- imous vote of that body, was adopted August 12, 1832." Impressed, as you trust, with a due sense of Christian obligation, you surrender yourself in Covenant, unto God, your HeaA^enly Father, and engage to use your endeavors to, '^pnor Him by a life of piety and virtue. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 233 You receive Jesus, the Christ, the Savior, as revealed to your mind m the Sacred Scriptures ; believe it to be your duty to profess his re- ligion, and make the precepts of his gospel the rule of your life and conversation. You re- ceive the Sacred Scriptures, as containing the revealed will of God, and engage to make them the rule of your religious faith and prac- tice. You engage to walk orderly, charitably, and in communion with this church ; to sub- mit yourself to its regular and scriptural disci- pline, and to contribute, as far as in you lies, to its peace, prosperity and good order. This, you do, lookmg unto God, that he would dispose you to walk worthy of your Christian vocation, and adorn the religion you now profess, by purity of life and conversation." Here the Pastor says, " Do you so solemnly covenant and promise V and the individual or i^di^iduals receiving the covenant assenting—^ He then says, " I then, in the name of this church, pronounce you a member with us, in full communion, and entitled to the same privi- leges with ourselves, and engage to discharge towards you the duties of Christian love and fellowship ; expecting and requiring the same friendly offices from you, as members of the same body of which Christ is the Head ; ear- I^d^^ HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER-. nestly desiring that you and we may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord, and finally be admitted members of the church af the first-born, whose names are written in Heav- en. Amen." FORM OF ADMISSION TO THE E¥Ai\fiELICAL CDDRCn. ADDRESS. Beloved Friends: — You have now present'- ed yourselves to make a public profession of your religious faith, and to enter into solemn covenant with God and his people. We trust you have well considered the nature of this transaction, the most solemn and momentous in which you can ever engage, and that you are prepared by di\'ine grace to consecrate your- selves to God, a living sawifice, holy and ac- ceptable through Jesus Christ. Having exam- ined the Articles of Faith and Covenant, adop- ted by this Church, you will now give your as- sent ta the same before these witnesses. CONFESSION OF FAITH. 1. You believe there is one living and true God, who is revealed in the Scriptures as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost ; and that these three are one, and in all divine perfee-«. tioHS equal. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 235 2. You believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament ^Yerc given by the inspira^ tion of God, and are the only perfect rule of Christian faith and practice. 3. You believe that God made all things for himself; that he governs them according to his own will, and that his knowledge and pui'poses extend to all events, both great and small. 4. You believe that our first parents were created holy ; that they fell from a state of ho- liness by transgressing the divine command, and that, m consequence of their apostacy, all their descendants are without holiness and ali- enated from God until their hearts are renewed by the Ploly Spirit. 5. You believe that mankind, previous to regeneration, are proper subjects of moral gov- ernment, accountable to God for their actions, justly required to love him supremely, and for their disobedience justly exposed to his curse and wrath forever. G. You believe that Christ, being God man- ifest m the flesh, by his sufferings and death made an adequate atonement in sin, on account of which pardon is offered to all ; that repen- tance and faith in him, evinced by a holy life, are the indispensable conditions of salvation :. and that sinners are alone to blame for refusing ^o comply with them. 236 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 7. You believe that all who truly repent and trust in Christ Avill, through covenanted grace, persevere in holiness to the end of life. 8. You believe that there will be a resurrec- tion of the bodies both of the just and the un- just ; and a day of judgement when all must give account to Christ of all the deeds done in the body ; when the imjDenitent will go away into punishment, and the righteous into life, both of wliich v/ill be without end. 9. You believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has a \isible church in the world ; that the terms of membership are a credible profession of faith in Christ, and of that holiness which is wrought by the renewing grace of God ; and that none but members of the visible church in regular standmg have a right to partake of the Lord's Supper ; and that only they and their household can be admitted to the ordinance of Baptism. 10. You believe that the first day of the week is the Christian Sabbath, and to be sanc- tified on the authority of the fourth command- ment ; that public religious worship on this day, and family and secret worship on all the days of the week, and the habitual practice of righteousness, temperance, sobriety and truth, are important Christian duties. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 237 All these things you profess and heartily be- lieve. (Here Baptism is to be administered.) You will now enter into solemn covenant with God and with this Church. COVENANT. In the presence of Gkxl and this assembly, you now solemnly covenant to take the great Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to be your God, the object of your supreme affection, and your portion forever. You cordially and thankfully accept of the Lord Jesus Christ as your only Savior, engag- ing to cleave to him as your highest good, and in reliance on his grace, to walk blamelessly in all his commandments and ordinances, to tlie end of life. You sincerely acknowledge the Holy Spirit as your Sanctifier, Comforter, and Guide ; and you promise evermore to seek and cherish those holy influences by which, through the truth, he sanctifies believers, and makes them meet for the inheritance of the saints in light. You will henceforth consider yourselves as the Lord's, and solemnly engage to serve him with all that you have and are. And while you continue among us, you prom- • 238 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. ise to \yalk in communion Avitli this Church, seeking its prosperity, and submitting to its dis- cipline, ever demeaning yourselves before God and man, as becometh saints, working out your own sah-ation with fear and trembling, conmiit- ting yourselves and all your concerns to Him who is al^le to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. This in the presence of God and his people, you sincerely ]3romise. AYe then, the members of this Church, affectionately receive yoii to our communion, and in the name of Christ, declare you entitled to all its privileges. We welcome you to tliis fellowship with us in the blessings of the Gospel ; and engage to watch over you with Christian affection and tenderness, and to seek your edification, as long as you shall con- tinue among us. And now, beloved in the Lord, let it be im- pressed on your minds, that you have entered into solemn engagements from which you can never be released. Wherever you go, and liowever you act, these vows will be upon you. They will follow you to your dying hour ; they will follow you to the bar of God ; tlicy will abide iipon you to eter- nity. You can never tindo what vou have now HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 239 tloiio. You stand unalterably pledged to be the Lord's, and he will hold you to your promise. Henceforth the eyes of tlie world will be up- on you ; and as you demean yourselves, so re- ligion will be honored or disgraced. If you walk worthy of your profession, you will be to us a source of credit and consolation ; but if otherwise, an occasion of grief and reproach. — But beloved, we are persuaded better things of you ; and things which accompany sal^^ation, though we thus speak. May the Lord support and guide both you and us tlirough life, and after this warfare is accomplished, receive us, through the atoning sacrifice of the crucified Redeemer, to that bles- sed world, where our love and joy shall be for- ever perfect. Amen. The Methodists have no covenant other than the following " Articles of Religion." Article 1. There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body or parts, of infi- nite power, wisdom and goodness ; the maker and preserver of all things, visible and invisi- ble- And in unity of this Godhead there are three persons of one substance, power and eter- nity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Art. 2. The Son, who is the word of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one sub- 1^40 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. stance with the Father, took man's nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin ; so that two whole and j)erfect natures, that is to say, the Godhead and manhood, were joined together in one person, never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God and very man, who truly suf- fered, was crucified, dead and buried, to recon- cile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for all actual sins of men. Art. 3. Christ did truly rise hgain from the dead, and took again his body, with all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature, wherewith he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth until he return to judge all men at the last day. Art. 4. The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty and glory, with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God. Art. 5. The Holy Scriptures contain all things necessary to salvation ; so that whatev- er is not read therein, nor may be proved there- by, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of th^^ Holy Scriptures, we do understand those canonical books of the Old HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 24:1 and Xew Testament of whose anthority was nev- er any doubt in the church, (Lamentations ex- cepted.) All the books of the New Testament, as they are commonly received, we do receive and account canonical. Art. 6. The Old Testament is not contrary to the New, for both in the Old and New Tes- tament, everlasting life is oifcred to mankind by Christ, who is the only ^l^ediator between God and man, being both God and man. Wherefore they are not to be heard, who feign that the old fathers did look only for transitory promises. Although the law given, from God by Moses, as touching ceremonies and rights, doth not bind Christians, nor ought the civil precepts there- of of necessity be recciA'ed in any commonwealth, yet, notwithstanding no Christian whatsoever is free from the obedience of the commandments which are called moral. Art. 7. Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam, (as the Palagians do vainly talk,) but it is the corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and of his own na- ture inclined to evil, and that continually. Art. 8. The condition of man after the fall of Adam, is such that he cannot turn and pre- 21 242 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. pare himself, by his own natural strength and woiks, to faith, and calling upon God ; where- fore we have no poAver to do good works, pleas- ant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good M'ill. Art. 9. We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works or deservings : — wherefore that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort. Art. 10. Although good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification, cannot put away our sins, and enchire the se- verity of God's judgments; yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and spring out of a true and lively faith, inasmuch that by them a lively faith may be as evidently known, as a tree is discerned by its fruit. Art." 11. Voluntary works, besides over and above God's commandments, which arc called works of supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety. For by them men do declare that they do not only render un- to God as much as they are bound to do, but that they do more for his sake than of bounden HISTORY OF IvEOMINSTER. 243 duty is required : whereas Christ saith plainly, when ye have done all that is commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants. Art. 12. Not every sin willingly committed after justification, is the sin against the Holy Ghost, and luipardonable, wherefore the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after justification : after we have received the Holy Ghost, we may depart from grace given, and fall into sin, and by the grace of God, rise again and amend our lives. And therefore they are to be condemned who say they can no more sin as long as they live here, or deny the place of forgiveness to such as tru- ly repent. Art. 13. The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faitliful men, in which the pure word of God is preached, and the sacraments duly administered according to Christ's ordi- nance in all those things that of necessity arc requisite to the same. Art. 14. The Ilomish doctrine concerning purgatory, pardon, worshipping, and adoration, as well of images as of relics, and also invoca- tion of saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warrant of Scripture, -but repugnant to the word of God. Art. 15. It is a thing plainly repugnant to 244: HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. the word of God, and the custom of the prim- itive church, to have public prayer in the church, or to minister the sacraments, in a tongue not understood by the people. Art. 16. Sacraments ordained of Christ, are not only badges or tokens of Christian men's profession, but rather they are certain signs of grace, and God's good will towards us, by the which he doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and con- iirm our faith in him. There are two sacra- ments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gos- pel ; that is to say, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. Those five commonly called sacraments ; that is to say, Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Mat- rimony, and Extreme Unction, are not to be counted as sacraments of the Gospel, being such as have partly grown out of the corrupt following of the apostles : and partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures, but yet have not the like nature of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, because they have not any visible sign, or ceremony ordained of God. The sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon, or to be carried about ; but that we should duly use them. And in such only as worthily receive the same, they have a wholesome effect HISTORY OF leo:minster. 245 or operation ; but tjiey that receive them un- worthily, purchase to themselves condemnation,* as St. Paul saith, 1 Cor. 11.29. Art. 1 7. Baptism is not only a sign of pro- fession, and mark of difference, whereby Chris- tians are distinguished from others that are not baptized; but it is also a sign of regeneration, or the new birth. The baptism of young cliild- ren is to be retained in the churcli. Art. 18. The Supper of the Lord is not only a sign that Christians ought to liavc among themselves one to another, but rather is a sacrament of our redemption by Christ'^' death: inasmuch, that to such as rightly, worth- ily, and with faith receive the same, the bread which we break is a partaking of the body of Christ; and likewise the cup of blessing is a partaking of the blooc\ of Christ. Transub- stantiation, or the change of the substance of bread and wine in the Supper of our Lord, can not be proved by Holy Writ, but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthrowetli the nature of a sacrament, and hath given oc- casion to many superstitions. The body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten in the Supper, only after a heavenly and Scriptural manner. And the means whereby the body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper, is faith. The 246 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. sacrament of the LoixVs Supper was not by Christ's cndowance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped. ' Art. 19. The cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the lazy people : for both the parts of the Lord's Supper, by Christ's ordinance and commandment, ought to be administered to all Christians alike. Art. 20. The offering of Christ once made, is that perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world, both original and actual ; and there is none other satisfaction for sin but that alone. Where- fore the sacrifice of masses, in the which it is commonly said, that the priest doth offer Christ for the quick and the dead, to have remission of pain or guilt, is a blasphemous fable, and dangerous deceit. Art. 2L The ministers of Christ are not commanded by God's law either to yoav the es- tate of single life, or to abstain from marriage ; therefore it is lawful for them, as for all other Christians, to marry at their own discretion, as they shall judge the same to serve but to god- liness. Art. 22. It is not necessary that rites and ceremonies should in all places be the same, or exactly alike : for they have been always dif- HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 2^7 ferent, and may be changed according to the diversities of countries, times, and men's man- ners, so that nothing be ordained against God's word. — ^^Vhosoever, through his private judge- ment, willingly and purposely doth openly break the rites and ceremonies of the church, to which he belongs, which are not repugnant to the word of God, and are ordained and ap- proved by common authority, ought to be re- buked openly, that others may fear to do the like, as one that ofFendeth against the conmion order of the church, and woundcth the con- sciences of weak brethren. Every particular church may ordain, change, or abolish rites and ceremonies, so that all things may be done to edification. Art. 23. The president, the congress, the general assemblies, the governors and the coun- cils of state, as the delegates of the lycoplc, are the rulers of the United States of America, ac- cording to the division of power made to them by the constitution of the United States, and by the constitutions of their respective States. And the said States are a sovereign and inde- pendent nation, and ought liot to be subject to any foreign jurisdiction. Art. 24. The riches and iroods of Christians are not common, as touching the right, title, 248 IIISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. and possession of the same, as some do falsely boast. Notwithstanding, every man ought, of such things as he possesseth, liberally to give alms to the poor, according to his ability. Art. 25. As we confess that vain and rash swearing is forbidden Christian men by our Lord Jesus Christ, and James his apostle, so we judge that the Christian religion doth not prohibit, but that a man may swear when the magistrate requireth, in a cause of faith and charity, so it be done according to the prophet's teaching, in justice, judgement and truth. STANDING RESOLUTIONS OF THE CHURCH. A summary declaration of the faith and practice of tlie Baptist Church in Leominster. Resolved^ That it shall be the duty of our pastor or other officer of the church to visit or correspond with any member who, residing in the vicinity of the church, shall neglect for two months in succession to attend the church con- ference, or to provide some satisfactory commun- ication to the church. Resolved^ That we recommend to the mem- bers of this church wdio remove to the vicinity of other churches of the same denomination, to unite with the same without delay. In view of the evils arising from the use of HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 249 intoxicating liquor to the church of Christ and to the salvation of souls, Hesolved, That we will individually abstain from the use of such liquors as a drink. As we consider slavery, in whatever form it exists, to be contrary to the eternal principles and ju^ice, and the spirit and principles of Christianity, therefore, Resolved^ That we will not withhold our tes- timony against this sin and consequently against those engaged in it, and that we will not hold in church fellowship or invite to our commun- ion any person who shall buy, sell or willingly hold as property, any man, woman or child, or accept any such as our pastor or spiritual guide. Summary Declaration. "NMiile we acknowl- edge no creed but the Bible, we deem it expe- dient to make a declaration to the world of what we believe the Bible teaches in respect to some important doctrines. "We feel ourselves called upon to do this from the fact that most denom- mations, however diiferent their faith, profess to found it upon the same word of God. 1. AVe believe that the Holy Scriptures are the word of God, and constitute our only un- erring rule of faith and practice. 2. That there is but one living and true God, and that he has manifested himself to his peo- 250 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. pie in the character of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who are equal in their nature, power and glory. 3. That by sin mankind lost the divine im- age, became wholly debased and defiled in all the affections of the soul, and consequently in- capable of enjoying God truly until renewed by grace. 4. That the only way of salvation from this state is through the atonement which was wrought out for us by Jesus Christ, who veiled his Divinity in humanit}', and made satisfaction for man to God by his perfect obedience, suffer- ings, death and resurrection. 5. That though there is an infinite fullness in the atonement^ sufficient for all mankind, yet none are justified or entitled to any of its spir- itual benefits until united' to Christ by a living faitli which purifies the heart and overcomes the world. 6. AVe believe that God according to his foreknowledge did elect to eternal salvation all who would repent and believe. 7. That all who are renewed' by the Holy Ghost will be kept by the power af God through faith unto salvation. 8. That one day in seven should be kept as a day of devotion and religious Avorship. That History of Leominster. 251 the practice of the early disciples favored tlic observance of the first day of the week as this sabbath. ^ 9. That the ordinances of the church arc two — Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism is pre-requisite to communion, that it is properly administered only to candidates on profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that immersion is the only gospel mode. 10. That the bodies of the righteous and the wicked will be raised from the dead at tlie last day. IL That there will be subsequent to the resurrection a general Judgement. The design of this is to make a full and comx^lcte disclosure of the principles and proceedings of God's gov- ernment, and to exhibit the true character of men to themselves and to others. 12. That the wicked will be doomed to everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, while the righteous will be received into life eternal. COVENANT. As we trust we have been redeemed from the power and dominion of sin and submitted our- selves to the Lord Jesus Christ, so we do now covenant with each other that we will walk to- 552 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. getlier in love as brethren and sisters in tlie Lord. That we will with care and love, watch over one another, faithfully entreat and admon- ish one another, as occasion may require. That we will not forsake the assembling of ourselves together on the Sabbath, at the covenant meet- ings of the church. That we Avill strive to- gether to the utmost of our ability, to support a faithful, evangelical ministry at home and ah road. That we will not neglect the great duty of secret prayer for ourselves and others, and while we have the lead of families, we will call them together to read God's word, converse and pray. That Ave will endeavor to bring up such as may at any time come under our care, " in the nurture and admonition of the Lord," and by a pure and lovely example endeavor to win our kindred and acquaintances to the Savior, to holiness, and eternal, life. We do further en- gage that while we are with the world we will be guarded in our conversation, circumspect in our lives, and by a holy life and godly conversa- tion, we will endeavor to recommend the re- ligion we profess to those around us. That we will regard and carefully fulfil all our promises, and in wdiatever business the Lord calls us to HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 253 engage, these with perfect honesty and becom- ing dihgcnce, we will endeavor to glorify God. We will also carefully refrain from spending our time idly at taverns, in parties of ivorldly pleas- ure, vain amiisements^ or in trfling company ; but our leisure hours we will redeem from such resorts, and spend them for our own advance- ment in holy life, by prayer^ meditation and suitable reading ; or for the good of the poor, the sick, the afflicted or the ignorant. And as we have been raised from the emblematic grave, we will endeavor in all things to lead a new and holy life. Doing with our might what we can to bring back a fallen world to God and holi- ness. This do we severally proniise to do while the Lord shall strengthen and permit, and to him be all the glory. And when heart and flesh shall fail, may we be found watching for the coming of the Son of ^lan, and receive a hearty welcome to the mar- riage supper of the J^amb. The Apostles' Creed, composed in the first ages of Christianity. " I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth ; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord ; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost ; born of 22 254: HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. the virgin Maiy ; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died and buried ; the third day he arose again from the dead ; he ascended in- to heaven ; and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almiglity ; from thence jie shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost ; the forgivness of sins ; the res- urrection of the body ; and the life everlasting. Amen. The Creed of Saint Athanasius. Whoso- ever will be saved, before all things it is neces-' sary, that he hold the Catholic Faith. Which Faith, except every one do keep Avhole and un- defiled, without doubt he shall perish everlast- ingly. And the Ciitholic Faith is this : That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in unity ; neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance, for there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is all one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incom- prehensible, the Holy Ghost incomprehensible. HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 255 The Father eternal, the Son eternal, the Ho- ly Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three- eternals, but one eternal, as also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated, and one mcomprehcnsible. So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son al- mighty, the Holy Ghost Almighty, and yet there are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So the. Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, and yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, and the Holy Ghost is Lord, and yet not three Lords, but one Lord ; For like as we are compelled by Christian ver- ity ; to acknowledge every person by himself to be God and Lord. So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion, to say, There be three Gods or three Lords. The Father is made of none'; neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone ; not made, nor created, but begot- ten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father, and of the Son ; neither made, nor created, nor begot- ten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers ; one Son, not three Sons ; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other; none is greater or less than another. But the whole three Persons 256 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. are co-eternal together : and co-equal. So that in all things as is aforesaid, tlie Unity in Trin- ity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worship- ped. He therefore that will be saved, must thus think of the Trinity. Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation, that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Je- sus Christ. For the right Faith is, that we be- lieve and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man. God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds : and Man, of the Substance of his mother, born in the world ; perfect God, and perfect Man ; of a reasonable soul, and human iicsh, subsisting ; equal to the Father, as touch- ing his Godhead; and inferior to the Father, as touching his Manhood. AVho, although he be God and Man ; yet he is not two, but one Christ. One, not by conversion of the God- head into flesh.; but by taking the ^Manhood in- to God ; One altogether ; not by confusion of Substance ; but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one Man ; so God and Man is one Christ ; who suftered for our salvation ; descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended in- to heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God 4^1mighty ; from whence he shall HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 257 come to judge the quick and the dead. At Avliose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies ; and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good,_ shall go into life everlasting ; and they that have done evil into everlasting fire. This is the Cath- olic Faith ; which except a man believe faith- fully, he cannot be saved. Glory be to the Fa- ther, Sec. As it w'as in the beginning, &:c. I have thus collected together all the " Cove- nants," "Confessions of Faith," "Articles of Keligion, " and " Summary Declarations, " of all the Churches in this town, so far as I have been able to obtain them. And I have also subjoined " The Apostles' Creed, composed in the first ages of Christianity," and also *" The Creedof Saint Athanasiiis," imposed upon Chris- tians in the fourth Century. And now I leave the reader to examine them, and compare them with the New Testament, and to determine for himself, which, among them all, coniform s most nearly to the require- ments of Jesus Christ and his Apostles ; or rather, perhaps I might say, which is the widest departure therefrom. •Copied verbatim, literatim, et interpunctum, from an old C:j- ford Bible, purchased some twenty-five or more years ago of the estate of the late Gen. James Reed, of Fitchburg. 258 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. O ! when will that happy time arrive, when all the professed disciples of the meek and low- ly Jesns shall be willing to sit down at the same table, and commnne together in remembrance of their common Lord and Savior, without re- quiring of each other to confess more than was required by Philip of the Ethiopian, viz : / believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. " TOWX-IIOrSES AND TOWN-MEETINGS. The two Town-houses having been but bare- ly alluded to, I deem it proper to give a more particular account of them both in this place. And in doing so I shall extract from an Ad- dress delivered at the dedication of the New Town Hall, Nov. 7, 1851. It was whilst search- ing the Records, in the preparation of that ad- dress, that I came to the conclusion to comply with the request of those who, for several years, had been importuning me to write the history of this town. Until Oct. 25, 17-12, the Town- meetings were held m dwelling-houses ; and from that time for eighty-two years, with a sin- o-le exception, they were all held in the first two Meeting-houses. But after the third meeting house had been completed it was pretty evident that, on account of an alteration in the consti- HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 259 tution of the commonwealth, and some other circumstances, the time coukl not be far distant, when there would be two or more houses for public worship in the town, and that those houses would be owned by the respective relig- ious societies w^orshiping in the same, and not by the town in its corporate capacity ; and hence it would be not only expedient, but also neces- sary, that some other building should be pro- vided, in which the town meetings could be lawfully held. And to this end, in conformity to sundry votes passed by the town at diiFerent times, in relation to the subject, the second meeting house, (John Gardner, Esq., is the on- ly man now living in town who saw that house raised,) w^as converted into a town house, and located on the westerly end of the new meeting house lot. Tlie house is fifty feet by forty — two stories high — the upper story fitted up for a Town Hall, and the lower one for school rooms, and a room for Town Officers. The expenses incurred, in addition to the materials of the meeting-house, were about eleven hundred dol- lars. The first town meeting was held in it Nov. 1, 1824, on which occasion a dedicatory, and very appropriate prayer was made by the late Rev. Abel Conant. In that Hall the town- nieetings were held twenty-seven years. But 260 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. on account of the rapid and unparalelled in- crease of the popuhition during the ten years preceeding 1850, as well as for some other rea- sons, it was determined, so far as concerned the town-meetings, to pass away from that house and leave it. And during the years 1850 and 1851, sundry votes were passed by the town, whereby it was determined that a new Towi^i House should be erected on land that had been purchased for the purpose, on the westerly side of the First Congregational Meeting-house ; — the necessary funds for defraying the expenses were provided, a plan of the building adopted, and a Committee, consisting of Messrs. Joel W. Fletcher, Joseph Haskell, George AV. Wake- field, Ephraira Robbins, and John Xicholsf ap- pointed to superintend the work, and carry all the objects into effect. How faithfully and successfully that Committee discharged the ar- duous and responsible duties incumbent upon them, is well known. For their indefatigable labors, perseverance and care, by which the building was completed within the time pre- scribed in the vote of the town, tliey were rich- ly entitled to the thanks of all. It is true that this noble and substantial ed- ifice was not erected " without the sound of axe, hammer, or any other tool of iron," as was the lilSTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 261 case of Solomon's Temple of old, nor was any sucli thing to be expected. The structure of the body of the house being of brick, it was necessary that the workmen " Should in one hand hold the trowel, that little iron tool," which, for so many past ages, has been used by masons to spread the cement that unites a buil- ding into one common mass, whilst, with tlie other hand, they shuuld place the material in its proper position. But through the diligence and skill of the contractor, Mr. Joseph Haskell, the work went on regularly from the founda- tion to the top. Through all the grades of the laborers from tlio principal overseer to the bear- ers of the burdens, there appeared to be content- ment. No "conspiracies" were formed, no "strik- ing for higher wages," no contention about the " ten hour system " ; but from morn till night, day after day, week after week, and month af- ter month, the sound of the working tools and the machinery was pretty constantly heard. — And the Building in all its apartments was com- pleted. The length of the House is eighty feet, and the width fifty-seven. The walls are thirty-one feet in height, and the roof is slated. The Town Hall is 60 feet by 54, and 20 feet high in the clear. The basement contains one room for 262 HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. town officers 34 feet by 20 — a safe for the Rec- ords, 10 feet by 6, — a room 20 feet by 20 for the sealer of weights and measures — an engine room 44 feet by 20 — and a spare room 32 feet by ^0, all finished in the best style. And in the afternoon of the seventh of No- vember, 1851, the legally qualified voters of the town, and otlicr men — the wives and the moth- ers, the sisters and the daughters, the old and the young, assembled themselves together to occupy that spacious Hall for the first time, and all rejoice together. In solemn prayer to God, and by. other oppropriate exercises, it was then and there dedicated and set apart for the sever- al purposes for wliich it had been designed. And long may it continue to he a place of or- der, instruction and usefulness — but never, 7iev- er a phace of disorder, confusion and iniquity. If tliere be any one trait in the character of the men of this town of which, more than of any other, tliey have reason to be proud, it is for the good order which, from the beginning, has been observed in their town-me'etings. Those two examples of being seated during tlie dis- cussion of" important and interesting subjects, and of rising and addressing the Presiding Of- ficers with the liead uncovered, which were set bv those few worthy men assembled in town- HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER. 263 meeting, at the house of Mr. Benjamin Whit- comb, on the 15th of December, 1740, to de- termine the momentous question of building a Meeting House, have been pretty generally followed from that time to the present. And I sincerely hope and trust, that the men who are now on the stage of public action here, wdll transmit those, and all other good exam- ples, to their successors; and they again to theirs ; and so on doAvn to the latest period of the town's existence. INDEX. F.VOE. Lancaster, ^ Audition AL Grant, ^ Leominster incorporated, ^ J Boundaries, ^'' Ponds, Rivers, &c., ^^ Surface, Soil, &o., f^ Patriotism, |^ Death of Gen. Washington, oJ 62 JVU.Vl'O, ^. Turnvikes Railroads, ^^ Schools and School Houses, ^^ School Committee,. Teachers,. Printing,. Paper Mill; Combs, Pianofortes. Aged Persons 80 84 V.UX...-.X....,.., • 86 Post Office, • 91 Representatives, &c. , 94 Medical Practitioners, J7 Legal Profession, j"^ Tanneries, |Y° Boots, Shoes, Saddles, &c., |,^Y Potash 11^ Shade Trees }\^ Mills, }f^ .125 .131 .135 ^^^^^^^__ '145 Ecclesiastical, |'^^ First Meeting House, ". 1^^ First.Minister, !„'» Dissatisfaction with Mr Rogers, c" « ' His Marriage and Death, 184 & ^ Ordination of Mr. Gardner, 187 His Marriage and Death 189 Second Meeting House, 1 •'4 Rev. Mr. Bascom, ^^7 Ordination of Mr. Conant,. 199 His Marriage and Death, 201 Third Meeting House, 201 Ordination of Mr. Stebiuns, 21^4 Ordination of Mr. Withington, 206 Installation of Mr. Smith, • 209 Evangelical Church > -|J Meeting Houses and Ministers, 212 Methodist E. Society, &c. 214 Baptist Church, &c., 216 Officers of the Churches,.. 218 Covenants, Creeds, §c., • • • 2'^ Town Houses......... • -^ X--^^-