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HISTORICAL n

Ij)I?'.I.lVF.Rl?‘.l) IN

TOVVN HALL,A
MEI*,1{OSE, MASS,

JUI.&’ 4, 1876.

VIE} II/lI;.?3 j1?{.[ IIQ.) (Li [I933 H. G O  .

ALSO, THE: PROCEEDZINGS 01:‘ THE DAY.

)1.]ri£wz1tc1;g jgritttcb.
N1: 159 L ;I;‘{1 C)  E ,

ADDRESS.

Mk (}'}u;z'i7'*m,c19~’2., ¢md I/'elZ0w—— C;’z'tizem..s* .: --——-

In eeec)1'(1:mc:e with C/C)1'lg1'E3SSi(‘“)1jl.éiL1 eat aml P1'ee;i(fle11.tizL1
proe1m11etiecm, the peop],e th1roug€Itt1.0ut the 1eng;t1"1 a:m.:1 b1'ezuf1t]f1.
of this gg,'<:>c.><i1 1.::m<:1 of oures, ere t0~c1ey a.see1nh1ed to xixmlze :1.
note of peeeixiag €3V¢i§il.f1f»tS; to tztlaze a 1'et1'o:speetiV*e View of the
pzL:;st_; to C()1i1VtGI1]II)1é.Lt(§ fmr e elxert time the s.mz1.11 1:)eg'i.n1"1i%1g;‘e
<::>:f;' our :;m.(;:eet<:>1'e; their }:m.1.'(:1s};1i1:>e, the;i.1' et1‘ugg__g1c3e, their ‘vic-
tc::)ry, And We ere z1..~;s:e;e1:r1’1;>].(3d in 0111' epec:i.0uee towxix-h.:«;L1l new,
to t}el\i.I11{, to talk, to ]]j1(£€ ..' e(3r::t1et11i:1e1g about Melxwse -——-its
emrly cleys, its‘. g'1fOVVtVl'l., its pc.:<)p1e, ite i1'.lSi3i.t111).i,(fi)1”l.t&5. Ami we
are here not enly in :=Lecm:<f1e11ee with the I’reei(1<;=mt’s pro-
e1eI1“1eti.c:>11., but by reec)n'ux1e11deti01t1, elm, of max‘ own, tim:1i—-
vi.d1.1e1 tewu, 73]Tlh1“(‘§>11g11 its 13oe1*c1 of Selectmen. A Th,eee towns
of <;>u1'e: (:10 we e"_pp1*ec:i.zLte them as we mght  Do we fully
1'ee.flize what little ix‘1depex1<1ent eki11g;d<3111s they ere, g0ve1'.nec;1
z~Lt1t1.d controlled in eve:-y1n,i11ute pe1‘ti<3u].e1' by the people?
Nothing like them was k1‘.lA0W1'1 before our own New Eng1e,nc1
Wes settled. Neither Exmglexxd 1101: any other country haul
known such i11depe1i1de:r1cie:s, suelm self-ggover11e<i rnur1icipe.1i—
ties es have been, and ere cum. Vi1~gi11ia, and ell the rest
of the eoloniee, excepting New Ellglelzxd, were govterned in
e diffex-ent rn2Ln1'1er. Theyhed their eou11tihe:::, towns, hun-
dreds, plmetetions and pm;'is1'1ee; but the “municipality in
NewtE11g1a11d was the :si111p1estof all the mun.ieipe1 fcu-ms
and the best adapted to develop the 1*ep1:1b1ic:m idea.” Re-

efe1'1fing to our early town system, George Wi11i2t1I1 Curtis
, says: “Each town was at smzmll but perfect republic, es solitea-y
tanclesecluded in the NewAEI1g1e11d twildemees as the Swiss

4 HLS'TOR.I0_AL ADDRESS’.

cantons among the Alps. No other practicable hurnan. insti-
tution has been devised or conceived to secure the just ends

of local government so felioitons as the town meeting.”

The choosing of seleetmen and other ofiioers at annual town
meetings was first adopted by Massachusetts; and to Charles-
town-—-—of which we were originally a pa1't-mbelongs the
honor of establishing the first Board of Selectmen, in 1635,
six years after its settlement. Dorehester, two years before,
had tried a plan which approached this idea, but the inhab-
itants of Oharlestown matured and consummated it, and
adopted an order, the original of whielii is still preserved,
with the signatures, and of which the following is a eopy;
and a facsimile of which may be found :in Frothingham’s
“ History of Oharlestown :”—-—~

“An order made by the inhabitants of C)ha1'1estow11e at a full
meeting for the government of the Town by Select-nien.

“ In consideration of the great trouble and eliearq of the
inhabitants of Clharlestowne by reason of the frequent meeting
of the townsmen in generall and y” by reason of many men
meeting things were not so easely bx-otight unto a joynt issue.
It is therefore agreed «by the sayde townesmen ioyntly that these
eleven men Whose names are written on the other syde, (WW the
advice of Pastor and ’l.‘eae.her desired in any case of eonsoience,)
shall entreat of all such business as shall eonseerne the Towns-
men, the choice of oflieers excepted, and what they or the greater
part of them shall conclude of the rest of the towne willingly to
submit unto  their owne propper act, and thesell to eontinue
in this employrnent, for one yeare next ensuing, the date hereof
being dated this : 10”‘ of February 1634 (16:35,)

“ In witness of this agreement we whose names are under
vvritten have set o’r hands.”

Soon afterward the General Court embodied this idea in
its rlegislatioii, ancl provided for general town government.
Theneeforward, from that day to this, year after year,the
people of the towns have met in open tow11-meeting, and

y with free discussion upon all questions, elected their Board

of Selectmen, and other officers, and traiisacted all other
neeoessaryybusiness. In short, the town-meeting ever has
been, and now is, the true glory of New England; and before

7'0 WN 01¢ MIz;i1,Az.:c>zst1z;'. 5

th€~: Re"vo11:1tiou, it Was, i.:1:1<ileecl, “tl"1e 11t11'ssc~31'y of A1:11’e‘1*ica,1‘1
Indepe11<:le11c:e.'” l

Long l;)ef01'e 0u1'i11clepe11de.11ue vvas ach.ievecl, the Sc1~ip-
ture, “P:1.'0c1z>1,i1:r1 lili:)e1*ty tl11'0ugl1out all the lamcl unto all the
i11l1abit£mts. t11e1:'e0f,,” lmcl laecim cast i.nt<:l> :1 <:e1'tai11 he1ll,----
ClGStl1'l€3Cl to beconm it 11'10.stfaIx10u.~3 01l1ce,— zmcl plzwecl upmll tlm
Stzvce House in Pl"1ui1aclelpl1iu,. True, “p1'0pl1et.i0 vouices cou-
ce1'11ing A1‘11e1*ic:.x” hurl spolwxmu a..~:» eziu.'1yu.:s 17552, 'VVl”lC"317.1l tl'.l.l$
bell Wm cast. Bisl1()p Ilwlceley, E‘szL1nue1 Sewnl1,'tl1e lVl2l.1‘-
q_t1i:s lI)’A1'ge11s0’1*1u, '.Il'1u11-g<‘>t1, zuutzcl c.>tlu1e1u*s, luul Ii)lilLl1"lly“ mettliictucl.
tlw tirne when tlu-1: c<_)luo1‘1uuices w<i>u1(;l be ;t’1'ec:; the l€Ll>f»€:‘-1.‘ s::Lyi1:1g'
in 1750, “CIOl.()1'TlIl.GfS are like f;x'1.1it.s, wl1iuul'1 lwlcl to the t1u'<;a0
only until tl1ei1' Il12ll.l3?l.11'lut*V-'. wl"1e'u :~s1;1."t’l1iuui<3.11t; fox‘ tflmrxlumves,
tlley did t‘1l‘{.1’t Wlmich. ([3 1l’l;1‘l)l'".1u&EL_g,‘(1‘. 2'l1.’l"lL}t¥1'VViL1.'(llt.4 (lid, --«--—- Hm w7a2Ic.:7a
szawze clc”I.g,,/ r1a~m_2v'z'c¢z will do." Axxcl its <3::1.1l1m to p£L::;s tlu‘-Lt tlu1iu.~;~.'.

,ve.1‘yl)e1l, Wl:1ic3l1 lmcl ’l;)ee11 l,n+ol<:¢::1:1 zimcl 1'uc.e2ust twfuee, :;u1<:l lIi)(E3(:I1

in coliustmit me Sl1'l(fl;‘. 1759, with tlI‘lit$ l1uuvlexmu--bomrlx i.1m(.:'1'lu1‘>tui0nu
upoxm it, ;~sho“L1ld., one .lu1111‘1cl1.-ml yezu~:~e :u1,gr>, (lec1.zu'c3 -I-Ji»‘4‘)(’4-%\ll't-‘y‘,‘, 2;m<ul
rilxg out to {slim xvm-1¢.l. t»l'l.f:.§ glzufl. t;i(ling;s, tlxut an new 1l12Ltim:1u
ilmcl “ sp1-uL111.g.;;' :im.l<:> (;‘1‘(l.F‘»lTl(i’.1‘l(t'(3, proula.uiu1;1i1_i.1.‘1g;' :i1::1 lEL1l]g'1ul2;Lg'O 1&~lll-‘m‘(:l‘iB4lI.‘-
stood by eVe1'§r e::2L;1', All M911 aux: ulI3o1l*11 Free zuul Eqn2;1.1.”
A ceu.1:1ut111'y'1“1uas _‘[Qf)£lLE:‘.St;'3l(,l :~..ai;uce:: tlm <.luc;:l~.‘ ‘atiml tltuu-;s l10';‘£Ll(l.Ud,
axmd wl::xicl1 we 1‘1241rv'<;*e 1;: ea agrd 1'e:.u,l 't;<:.>-(.1 aw, Mecsztxxw an l1'€‘3E’:lJ]ri4t:“/)V\;
a=u1(l we 2l~L1*e now <.;a1‘1jc)_y'ing; tlm 1l;>1e:~su.i1‘1 ishcaltx if'<l>ug‘l"1t ;I:'o1- zuixcl.

l G$t€t11»)1i|$]1(fl(1 5 zmcl, at tllivfi 1‘I’l.(T)I‘l"1,(;’:1lLlt, 2L}1x'x1<'>:st ¢3Ve1'y t<:>w1‘1., c:it3y.,m1(ul.

lu"u111e-t is <30"1"rl1n1e111<'u~z1.t»i11ug tltm mrcaxlxt. 'ulu‘0-deny we: (,:(i?l.€il)1.'iLlL(3
the one l1uncl1'ecltl‘1 a1uux1'1ive1's2L1u-y of tlm,t all--‘iu1pu1-’t»£u'1t, that
euventfl1l11 0130011 in mm: 11i.~:sto1'y. It. has l.>ee11 guicfl l3l1£LlJ(3C%1“1-
termizfl U81Gl)1'€:Lt»l(f)1‘.1S am “ast1'i§lci11<::v*s of “alum gxwezmt dlock of
tune, wllich £I(l1“1’10I1lb‘l”ll us to 1T)011Cl(:3LIu' u]_j)ou tlw te2Lcl1iI1g.s* of
the Iinust, 2:u1d 1~igl"1t1y ‘¢‘l;_’[_")]"”)1'(‘.’-C.‘/l.‘c.Lt-(3 tlm 1'€:‘b‘1u)(‘)I‘lSlllllllfiiflfi wit’ the
p1'ese11t.” '1‘hi:~is is, l.l'Il£l.@G!(l, flue g'1<u:>1'iucu>1m zfomtllm c:>:f:‘ July: the
cénteunia,1 foxxrt-1V1 of July! and are we :11<)tlexcurszLb1e if we

indulge in it little self—-gg;lu01'ificzmt:io11? But, to do tl1:i..~3 the

most tho1~oug'hly, the IIIOSTJ s::Ltisfzwt01‘i1;y, it see111s to 1ue,it
will be 1f1ecess:5n:y for ea,c:h Auto 1‘.;I'iLC€3 tlw 1'i:~5ez'~LI1d gxmvltzlx of
their 1'espective towms, froum t»11eli.r small 1:l>egi11ni1f1g:5 to tlmeir

7 p1'esent .~‘sta,11d-point.

  The Cong-ressio11a1 actJca11:ir1g us together., suggests only

6 T rrrsronzcuug ADDRESS.

“ an historical sketch of the town from its formation.”
Strictly adhering to this, we should have nothing to do,
now, except with events which have occurred from 1850
to the present time. "We occupy too interesting a spot,
this domain has been too long settled, to be thus summarily
dismissed.

The territory of Melrose originally belonged to Charles»

town, which was settled in 16:29, and was a far more exten-

sive region than now, as it included Malden‘, VVoburn, Stone-
ham, Bur-lington, Sonierville, a large part of Medford, a
small part of Cambridge and Reading. Dilficulties concern-
ing the boundaries of the different towns arose very early and
were settled by the General Court. July 2, 1633, “ Mystic
side” was granted to Charlestow'n, when it was ordered that
the “g1'ou11d lyeing betwixte the North [Malden] Ryv” 
the creeks on the north side of M“ Mauacks [Maverick’s]

& soe Vpp into the country, shall belong to the inhabitants ‘

of Charlton [Cha1.-lestown]. As “up intothe country ” did
not determine how far the line should go, another order,
passed March 3, 1636, was more definite: “That Charles
Town boimds shall. run eight myles into the country from
their rneeteing howse, if noe other bounds intercept.” This
undoubtedly covered our own Melrose territory. As Char1es-
town inc1*eased, its inhabitants crossed over the Mystic River

‘ as early as 1640, possibly before, and in that year a mill was

erected near Mt. Prospeet, by Thomas Coitinore. In 1649,
this Mystic side was set off by the Greneral Court and named
Maiden, tfromi a town in England bearing the same name,
whence some of the early settlers came. Johnson, in his
“Wo11de1* Working Providence”  that the “foundation
stones” oflMalden were laid “ by certain persons who issued
out of Charles Town, and indeed had her whole structure

within the bounds of this more elderiTown,, being severed

by the broad spreading river of Mistick the one from the
other, whose troublesome passage caused “the people on the
North side of the river to plead for Town priviledges within
thernselves.” The act of incorporation was brief, as com--

pared withone passed now-a——days. It was as follows: T

‘‘ Upon the petition of Mistiek side men, they are granted

T0 WN 01+‘ M}?ILI£0.S’E. 7

to beta distinct towne, & the name thereof to be called
Mauldon.” This whole region of Malden. above the settle-
ment was a dense forest and covered “with stately tiinber,”

" say the Charlestown records; “ and all the country round
about an uncouth wilderness full of timber.” It was the

liomelofthe Indian ‘and the wild beast. It has been said
that when the first settlers at Boston sent out an exploring-
party, they came as far as the line of rnnall hills below "us in
Malden, and turning back reported that beyond the hills
was a dense wilderness, and that probably nobody would
ever penetrate the jniigles. If it were possible that those
same original expl.orers, could again come out “f,roii;1 Boston,
and, leaving Malden l.)€‘l’1lI“l(l them, move slowly ’l.1p the val-
ley, einerge from behind “Island Hill ”- and “' Hog Islanc ,”
behold the beautiful landscape spi*ea<.l out before them, anti
then on to the first i*esti;ng place, i.'igl:it here, they WOi‘ll([l be
somewhat amazed. l\Tc>ITi1(lia1isl no wild beasts.’ Nothing
but harmless lVIelroseiansl fl? thinle: that this time they
would not, as then, 1'eturn and report that this was a “waste
howling wilderness.” ‘

Wllell Malden became a town,‘ in 1649, all its northern.
part (the territory we now 0(3(3L1}T)_‘_y":) was a tract of over two
thousand acres of undivided land; and came to be lmown
as “ The Conmions.” In time it was very closirable both as
woodland and pasturage, and a variety of action was taken
by the town looking to its preservation and utility; and in
Town Meeting, Nov. 20, 1694, it vas “ Voted, That ye
common shall be divided: bottom and top, yt is, land. and

ewood”; and, Nov. 26., a connnittee of three, Maj. Wm. John-
son, Capt. John Smith and Capt. John Brown, reported to

the town the manner in which it should be done. A com-~
niittee of seven were chosen to proceed with. the division.

i It was ordered that this committee “ eniploy an artis to lay

out the lots.” Every lot was to “run 8:2 poles in length,”
and there was to he allowed “ two poles in breadth between
every range of lots for highways.” “Every proprietors

name to be written distinctly, and ye lots be Well lsliniiled

together, and one man chose by the town to draw them out

ofa bag. tThe first naine drawn to have the first l.ot.’l’l

8 HISTORIUA J; ADDRESS’.

This division was tl1us made in 1695, when seventy—four'

freeholders then in Malden received their respective allot-
ments. " y
That this part of Malden know11 as “ the Co1111nons”’ was
settled before this division of land was made in 1695, is very
evident from the order laying out tl1e first road thr'ough
Malden by the General Court, in 1653, hereafter to be
referred to; and in the Malden records at this time, March
26, 1694, there is a report by a eomniittee “to run lines
between the Common & proprietors lands,”  follows:
“Run y” bounds Round Reedy ‘pond y” bounds are first
a great buttenwood tree before Joseph Lines dore-——-—-and
so bounded Round with seuerall trees inarked with letter C

0 next eo1nn1o11.” This “Reedy l9’on(:l” is supposed to be

a small pond very near the boundary between Melrose and
Malden; a11d there are those now living who remember to
have heard it thus called, and who also reniember the large
buttonwood tree referred to. Another vote passed May 18,
1694, was “that Samuel Grreenshall lnjoy his hous and y“
land y“ stands on and so much land about It as y" Connnite
shall so cause to lay to It”; clearly showing thata Samuel
Green had a house, and lived here thus early. A year later,
when the division was made, in speaking of lot number 64,

the phrase is used “ part east against Redding Rl1ode :8: part 0

on y” west of y" Greens farm.” And it was not long after
this ‘division before a number of other ‘families came here
and settled; so that we had on our territory at the begin11ing
of the year 1700, or very soon after, the families of six or
sevendifferent names. 1

In later years, as time rolled on, we were no longer
“ The C‘»omn1o11s,” but known  North Maiden, and so re—
mained until the year 1850, when, after several Legislative

hearings, and a long struggle, an act i11CC)1'p01‘8,ti1]g' the town A

of Melrose, was approved by Gov. George N. Briggs, on the
3d of May. Three years later, in 1858, after another severe
contest, a part of Stoneham was set off to Melrose, giving
us the greater portion of what we call the “Highlands”;

and we now have a territo:ry, roads and all, of nearly or quite
thirty--five hundred square acres. Our name, Melrose, was

TOWN OF MIJYLROSE’. 9

adopted at the suggestion of our tovvnsman, "William Bogle,
Esq., who had then been living here a few years, coining
before the Boston and Maine Railroad was built, and when
he had to go back and forth by the stage-coach, which com-
menced running between Reading and Boston in 1798. Mr.
Bogle evidently had two or three objects in view in offering
us our name;-——-one, a sweet sounding one, that had not been
in common use, we being the first to adopt it in our country;
another, as a memory of his native land; and still ariother,
because of the great resemblance of our town to Melrose in
Scotland: taking the “Abbey” out of the scene, and the
similarity of the two places, the situation of the surrounding
hills and the valley, is very strikincr.

OLD FAMILIES AND ,l:IOM.EST.EA.DS.

Although Melrose as a town is young in years, her ter.ri-
tory has been occupied over two centuries. We have l,101i1t3(?§S
that are, parts of them, very nearly if not qiiiite two l“ll11T1(l1’tL3(fl
years old; possibly older. Here originally lived the Lyndes,

the Greens, the Uphains, the Barretts, the Spragties, the

Howards, and the Vintons. At a later date, but still far
enough back to be called old settlers, some before, and some
about the time of the Revolution, there came the P *z‘,tts, the
Grrovers, the Einersons, the Edmundscs, the Ilrlerriiigs, and
perhaps others; a very large part of these came from fa1nil.ies
that originally settled in Malden centre. Then still later the
Larrabees, the Boardrnans, the Heininenways, the Tainters,
the Fullers, and some others came to North Mahglen. Mr.
Aaron Green very distinctly remembers, at a period. about sixty
years ago, when there were only thirty-five homesteads, all
unpainted,’ in Melrose, and, recently, he very kindly pointed
out to me where they stood, or are still standing. The dif-
ferent branches of the earliest settlers I have mentioned
occupied a very large share of theses honiesteads. This was
thirty years before the Boston and Maine Railroad was built,
which was opened through Melrose in 1845.

As we examine the voting and tax»-lists of to-day, we see
the reason for so long an array of the names of U phani,

A, Lynde, Green, Sprague, Barrett, Vinton, and some others

2

10 HISTORICAL A Dnzzriss.

mentioned, nearly all of which have streets named in their
memory. They were the original, early settlers of this
beautiful spot. Here they lived and had their farms, their
homesteads; and after generations, leaving the old homes,
built new ones, many of which are still standing, venerable
and antique. How C3l1EL1Tlg‘(3Cl. the scene to—day in this com-
miiuity,  compared with those early days, or even a hun-
dred years ago. VVhere then was only the few old fashioned
homesteadis, distant 11eigl1l,::>o1's to each other, With, perhaps,
fifty soul.s all told, now a th1‘iving;' town of over four thou-
sand Il,§I1l]El.lf)ll3fl.l1JC»S; then the quiet and seclusion of a thorouglily
rural and farm life, now the activity of a growing and in-
dustrious comnziunity. i V

It is extremely interesting‘ to thinl: about these old fam-
ilies of ours. ‘ “ The sacred tie of fczm,iZ;y, reaching hackvvard
and forward, ilL.)l1"l(l..‘7?» the generations of men together, and
draws out the plailitive music of our being from the solemn
alternation of cradle and grave,” says Everett. I had in-—
tended, if possible, in a somewhat particular manner to trace
out the farms and homesteads of most or all of the original.
settlers of Melrose ; this would require time and much patient
research of musty documents and records-——and it could
not he done in the short time allotted me for my task. I
can only touch upon these matters, and give you a few items
whicli I have gatliered concerning them. A partial collec-
tion of materials for such a history and description has been
:made by our townsman, Artemas Barrett, Esq., who intends
to l’inisl“1 the seareli and give us the result if his life is spared
l.(:)1.1g' e1;1c>1igl1. It is a Clllfllclillt undertaliing, 1'equii*i11g' much
patience, research and leisure; our hope is that his desire
a.n(l intention may come to a successful fruition.

r.Fl'l,€3 Lyndes are one of the oldest of our families, and
have owned, in former times, nearly all of the southern
part of Melrose. Tlfiey all descended from Eiistigri 'I.‘ho1n.as
Lynxjlue, who came to Malden soon after its inicorporation,
and was the eldest son of Thomas, who came over and set-
t1<:u:l at Clharlestowri, liecoining a freeman in 16334. On the
old. read, now W:'Lsl,ii:1ig;t;<)1"i Street, there stands the oldest

of the Lynde houses; and it is, also, the oldest house in

‘ii

TOWN 012' MI5’.LIi30SJr7. 11

Melrose, known as the Jabez, or Jabe Lynde house. Tra-
dition says that it is over two hundred years of age ; and
this may be so, for we shall see that this territory was occu-
pied by the Lynde family as early as 1658; whether so or
not, there are many here who remember its old fashioned
style; its little diamond paned windows with leaden sashes,
and its wide front door through which its liiige fire logs of
the earlyydays were drawn. A few years ago this house
was altered over, and is now known as the “ Grrundy house.”
Near by, back from this same street, is the Jonathan Lynde
honiestead, which is very old indeed, and by some has been
thought the oldest of the two. Jonathan died a few years
ago at the age of 85, and his brother ‘William is now living
there, at the age of 83. In this old house was born our
townsman, Mr. Aaron Green, whose father once tilled this
farm for a number of years. Tl.'l(3 Joseph. jIIf.4ynde house, a
large portion of it, on the plain yon.cler,-~——tl1z.i.t place that ever
looks so eha1'r11i1.i1g, its btiilcliiigs so clean, white and beauti-
ful,—is a Very old one. i In the collar of this house, there is,
indeed, a relic of “ye olden time,” which I have examined.
It is an oak log, a little largcsi‘ and taller than a barrel,
scooped out like a mortar, with an iron hoop around. the
top 3 the pestle is gone. In this the corn was pounded and
grourid. As the Coitmore rnill was built in 164l(l, and was
not over two miles distant fro1.n any of the Lynde houses,
it would seem as if this must have been in use l;>efo1'e that
time; possibly economy caused them to use it, notwith-
staxiclixig the nearness of the mill, so that it may not be so
very ancient; however that may have been, no one seems
to be able to say ; and I only know, that there it is, a curious
relic of by~gone days. i The Warren Lynde house, a little
way this side, on Main Street, stands on the site of the old
homestead, in which he and his brothers and sisters,—-,——-one
of the sisters being the mother of Artemas Barrett,-—--were
born; as was also their father, Benjamin, before them. The
old house was burned many years since and the present one
built. Mr. Lynde tells me that an old cellar-—hole existed

, on the road, now Sylvan Street, up to the time when the
vWyoming Cemetery was laid out, when it was filled; he

I!

12 111,9:/'oIc1‘c'.-1L _.4IJJ).za:Jrss.
has ever understood this to be where lived one of the early
Lynde families, but does not know which one; -it was not
far from the old original road of 1653. The John Lynde
house, on “ Louisburg Square,” at the junction of Lebanon,
Grove and Lynda Streets, was built by J ohn’s father, Joseph,
considerably over a hundred years ago, and is now in good
condition; and the inagnificent elin tree standing in "front
of it was set out by the builder of the house Very nearly a
century ago. The oldest living representatives of the various
Lynde families, is the VVillia1n Lynde already ineiitioned,
who is 83 years of age.

The ancestor of all the Greens in Melrose was Thomas
Green, who settled in Malden as early as 1651. He very

‘early owned a farm of sixty-three acres at the “ Highlands,”

and it was probably this farm, then in the hands of his son
Samuel, that is referred to as being exeinpted when “the
Connznons ” weiedivided in 1695. However early the ox-ig—
inalThon1as may have owned it, from that day to this, a

portion of the same farm has been in the possession of his 1

descendants. His grandson John lived here when he died
in 1736. How long he had been here I do not know, but
in his will he left to his son John “my dwelling house and
barn, and the land adjoining, that lyeth on the west siderof
the country road that leadeth from Malden to Reading, that

was my gra11dfatl1e1"s”; and to his son Jonah, or Jonas, “all 1

my land on the east side of the country road aforesaid.”
This old homestead was on what was known as “Back
Lane,” which led from the old road spoken of to Stoiieliam,
before the county road from Stonehani to Lynn was built.
J ol1n’s property was inherited by his son J ohn,——— the Johns
were thick in the Green family,—who built and lived in
what has been known for many years as the “John Green
House,” on Franklin Street near Main, which still stands,
though moved from its original site, back from the street,
and modernized. The house of Jonas Green, son of the
Jonas with whom the land was divided in 1753, stilllstands
in its original condition, on the right hand side of Main
Street, over “Reading Hill,” almost to the line between

Wakefield and Melrosef The oldest descendant of the

V

’1‘OW1V 012' .,7Pl'117.1:§()l't5'1z;'. 13

Green family living‘ with us to—clzty, is Mrs. Nenoy Green
E111e1‘so11,--+r11othe1' of Mrulemes Gr. E1‘nerson,——-— who is how
87 years of age.‘ * V’

The Ba,rretts are one of our oldest Melrose families.
Deacon J onethen Ba1~1'ett, son of J arnes, who was born in
Melden in 1644, and g'ra11dson of J emes who first settled in
Ohzuslestowh in 1635, carne to Melrose about 1705., zmd built
his homestead on or near “ I‘3l:;L1~1'ett Lane,” now l’orte.r Street.
His g;'rzL1:1clso11, Joseph, ‘built on the p1:'esent Porter‘ place,
and his l‘)o~n;1ooeste2L(l still l’o:r1ns it 1:;>ert of the residence of Mr.
Charles Porter. His son, Gupteixl Jo11a.then I3e1'1*ett, bo11glt1t
the house on V:i.11ton Street, now lmown es the “ Mountztin
House,” in which he eoxxmlxlermecl the rnzmufeetrrre of shoes,
zmcl was the first ztml only one who oe1'1*ieLl on tlmt hllsiness

s until he died, when he was sL1oeee<,le<;l. by the late Mr. George

E111e1'son. Capt. Ba.rrett was the father of A1'te1tha.s loIo32ter'1'ett,
Esq., who is with us to-clay, £LI1(i;l who vvzts 1f)o1:n in this smxe
olc “ Mou11t::Lin House,” as were also others of the I3e:1o'1'etts,
a1‘11o1*1g' them Mr. JO1'1£1.l3l‘12;t1‘f1 l32?l.1'1'C3l1l3., also with us. An mlolle
ol:F_A1'te1'11zts, Peter li.3E.L1.'1'(i3lJU, was the :fetl1o1' of Alttlgtxstus, tllilrithixlw
recently one of our otitizexrns, now of Cle1re111<i:)11t, N. H. ’1‘he
oldest liviong 1.61-)I.®$eAIfi1t£mtiV® of these fz1.111i1ies now with us, 
Mr. Chzztrles Bzxrrett, ztgecfl. 70.

The Spmtgtles are one of our ezrrlly l'zL1r1ilies. In 1(i3.‘2£§l,
three brothers, .R2tlpl“1, RiCl‘113LI‘(§l,2t11(.l Willim7x1 S[fi)1‘tLg‘11G settloed
at Ol’l‘£L1’l(3StOVVI], :u:u;l their 1w.1.t11es are first on 21, list of the
iI‘].l.”HLl.)it€LI1tS for tlmt year. John, the oldest son of Rzgdplsn,
settled in Melclen, near the Coitmore mill, which was for-
111e11y yezws in possessio11 of the Sp1‘egue l’a,1“1"1i1y. The young--
est son of John, Phineas, eerne to Melrose not far from the
year 1700,  his son, I“)l1l1‘l(32l.‘&;%, was born here tlmt year; encl
the homestead Vves on whet is now Foster Street, e-mil the
resiclehoe of Liberty Bigelovv, Esq., stends on its site. The
gr-amdson of our first Plxinees, also nerxixed Phix1ees., was the
ReVol11tio1:m1'y patriot of whom so many zmeedotes are told,
and succeeded to the old .fe,rIn end homestead on Foster
Street. In later years, previous to the ow1:1e1'sl;1ip of Mr.
Bigelo W, it was known as the Cotton Spmgue place, Cotton
being a son of Phineas. The old house still sta.n<:1ing atthe

14 IJ1iS'T0.RlC’.z-1iL i:*1D.D1i?EiSu,'.".

corner of Foster and Vinton Streets, near the Barrett horne-
stead, was known as the Jonathan Sprague place, Jionathan
being another son of Phineas, and brother of Cotton. Here
in this neighbo1‘l1ood, around the Barrett homestead and
1nanufaetory,was situated “the Village,” where, fifty years
and more ago, the people from different parts of the town
would eo11g1'egztte for social chat and pleasure. The nea1'est
house to “the village,” after the Sprague houses just men»-
tioned, was that of John Larrahee,-~——-—the g1'eat-g1'a1:rr1(:lfather

of our present Town Clerk, John Larrabee, Esq.,—-—-—-situated

on Vinton Street, now the residenee of Mr. Smith W.
Nichols.

Many i11te1'estiI1g tliiiigs iiiiglit be told eo1'1ioe1‘1i1ii1’1g' the thi.r<;l
Phineas Sprague who lived on Foster Street. Mr. Arteinas
Barrett has many of his o1'ig;*i11a1 papers, some of which havcia
been printed. His aeeount of the fearfully dark day, firmii
a diary he kept, will only now be given.

“ Frida May the 19th. 1780.
“This day was the most Reniarkable day that over my eyes
beheld the air had bin full of smoak to an r:meornm.on <:1eg'i"‘ee

So that wee could seairee see a :mountain at two miles distance

for 3 or 4. days Past till this day after Noon the srnoak all went
off to the South at sunset a very blaelc bank of‘ a eloud appeared
in the south and west the Ne); moirning oloudey and thnnderedp
in the west about ten oolook it began to ]:fiii%1.iI'1 and grew Vere
dark and at 12 it was allrnost as dark as Nite so that wee was
obliged to lite our oandels and Rate our dinner by eandel lite
at Noon day but between 1 and :2 ooloek it grew lite again
but in the EVel111i1g the elouctl eairn over us again the moon was
about the full it was the darkest N ite that ever was seen by us
in the world.” 1

This agrees with the old eouplet in point of time and faet :———
‘‘ In 1780, the nineteenth clay of May,
Will ever be remembered as being the dark flay.”

Capt. Phineas Sp1'agne, the fifth geene1'atioI1 of that name.,
who died February 9th, 1869, at the age of 92, was a grand-—
son of the Phineas of Whom we have been Spealiillg, and
his father’s homesteadwas on Porter Street; and his brother,

TOWN oz? JIIELIB one 15

Richard Price Sprague, is still’ with us at the age of 80;
Capt. Sprague’s homestea<ol,_ still stands at the junction. of
Main and Lebanon Streets, opposite L I?’on.d, and was built
in 1810. We had other Sp1'ag11es here, also. Samuel Sp1'ag11e,
who served on our quota clu1'i11g the late Rebellion, and now
with us, descended from another branch of the same c)1'ig‘i1is1a1
family. The oldest represeiitative of these families, is 
Mary Sprague Boardman, now l..lV'll”lg' on lVIain Street, at the

age of 89.
The following is a fae-simi,l.e of the signatu1'c;a of Lieut.
,l?l.1.i1,1ea.s Upham, of Ma.lden, son of John lllpliani who came
to this oountry and

74 9? m was adinitted free-
 QZ‘ i  man in 1685, and

settled in Maiden
about the year 1(350. Lieut. Upham was a very aotive
oificer in “ I{l.11-g‘ I*’hi1ip’s VVfl.1j‘.,” o()ncl’t,,1ceting many seout--
ing parties, and was severely wounded at the ,{3;rc;:21t battle
at “Narrag'a11sett Fort,” .lf)eo. 1.9, '1 6'75, l3\VOl11l1‘1Cl1‘(it(;l. years
ago, from the effects of which wound he died the follow—-
ing year. This Sl.g”1’l27lLt11I‘e I traoed from the C)I'l,g'i.1.1€tl docu-
ment at the State House, VVl‘1.lC’.l'1 he sigiorrioecl, tog'etl:‘1e1i' with a
number of other eominissioned o“l"li,c;ze1,-s, a few days before
this figlit, and which they sent "‘ To the I"I(‘f)1].. Grovernor and
lounoil Now Sitting at Tl;3osto1;1,” in which they made a
request for company quartermasters, horses, trumpeters, the.
From this Lieut. Upham descended all the Malden and
Melrose Uphams; the first one coming‘ to this part of the
town being Pl1inea.s U pham, a g1'2‘t1’1Cl,$O11 of the Lieutenant;
and he came not far from the year 1700, and his lfimnesteacl
was undoubtedly on Upham Hill, where many of his deseencl-
ants have ever since resided; there l)eing, at the present
time, on Upliam Street, not less than three of the Upflham
homesteads, the houses of which must be at least a liundred
years old; and two of them, I tliinlc, those of Asa and Jesse,
eonsid.erab1y more than that.
The old house, which so many of us remember, that stood
on the corner of Grreen and Howard Streets, at “N orrisville,”
now all gone but the stone door~slab,was built by Phineas

16 IJISTORIOA ADDRESS‘.

Upham, son of the Phineas itvho first came here, not far from
the year 1780. The lot on which it was built was a part of
lot No. 37 of the division of 1695, and was boiiglit by his
father of Joseph Wilson, in 1703. The Widow of the Upham
who built this house married Israel Cook, in 1744, who here
kept the first store in this town, and who was ggrantecl a
license to sell rum, by the General Court, as early as 1759,
and that article was ‘continued to be sold here up to, and
beyond the time of the Revolution, if we juclge from the
story of the two .Lynn “Ininute 1nen,”—-—-—- Hadley and VVell-
1na11,——--—Who, filled with the spirit of patriotism, were on
their way to Lexington, stopped here and became filled with
another kind of spirit; then went on their way and were
both killed. In this house was used the first stove in our
town, and as a whole the old house had an i1itc1'esting; his-
tory, but it is now a thing‘ of the past. We still have with
us many of the Uphams, the oldest living representatives
being Freeman, George, and Eri, all of different families,
and all about 65 years of age.  
A very interesting part of the early history of Melrose
centers on Upham hill, on which so many of our early fam-
ilies congregated, and which still is one of the pleasantest
parts of our pleasant town. i r
, On a road leading by the present Parker place, are the
cellar holes of two of the houses of two of our early families,
the He1*ringrs and the Edmundses. 011 Mr. Francis I~Iem-
menway’s place, corner of East and Porter Streets, there
used to be, in years gone by, an Indian wig_rwani, which stood
there for a long while ; and Mr. I-Iemmenway tells, with much
delight, of an “Indian Muster” which once took place here,
about the year 1820; and which, he says, was the “ l;)ig;gest
day Melrose ever saw,” when the town was literally covered
with people from Reading Hill to where now stands Masonic
Hall. Mr. Hennnenway represented an Indian squaw, and
carried Charles Porter on his back as a papoose. The miilitia,
about three hundred in number, were commanded by the
late Capt. Thomas Emerson, of Wakefield, a brother of our
Mr. Williaiii Emerson, soon to be spoken of.
Thomas and Benoni Vinton, —~——-direct desoendantsof the

To WN OF JVIEISROSE’. 17

original settler, John Vinton, of Lynn, who came to this
country not far from 1643,——-~—settled in Melrose, the part
then Stoneham, aboutthe year 1742. They married sisters,
Hannah and Mary Green. Thomas Vinton left three sons,
Thomas, Timothy, and Ezra, all of whom had farms at the
Highlands, and the homesteads are still stancling; that of
the oldest brother, Thomas, is the first dwelling‘ on Tremont
Street south of the Highlancl Chapel, and still in good con-
dition; that of Timothy, on Ashland Street, between the
residence of Mr. Charles A. Messenger and Franklin Street,
although it has been turned round and altered ; this was the
homestead of the father, Thomas, and must be considerably
over one hundred years old, as he died in 1763; and the
homestead of Ezra, on Vinton Street, a large and imposiiig
house in its day, is just south of the residence of Horatio N.
Perkins, Esq. These three brothers lived side by side, on
the old county road from Stoneham to Lynn, which was dis—-
continued in part when Frankliii Street was built. They
were all in Capt. Samuel Sprag'ue’s company of “minute
men,” which marched from Stoneham to Lexiiigtoli when
the alarm Was given._ They were all well-to-do farmers.
Timothy, who never married, but lived With his mother on

the old homestead, until she died in 1804, lived to be 92

years of age, and died in 1886, an abject miser. Tu1'11ing
his farm productions into money, he would hide it in all sorts
of out-of-the-Way places; burying some of it in the ground,
a part of which was undoubtedly lost; 500 ‘Spanish dollars,
old and tarnished, found in his house, were divided Etl1“l01]g'
his relatives immediately after his funeral. Thomas, left a
son Thomas, who died in 1841, aged 70, of whom it is said
he never left his farm for forty years, and never visited
Boston but once, although living so near it. He left a very
singular will, bequeathing his property in a curious manner
to the Baptist Churches of Wakefield and Malden.

Mary Vinton, a sister of these three brothers, Thomas,
Timothy, and Ezra, married William Emerson, the grand»
father of Isaac and George, who are with us to-day; Mr.
Emerson was born in Walcefielcl, lived awhile in Woburn,

abut spent mostof his days in Melrose, where he died in

3 .

18 HISTORICAL ADDRESS.

1848, aged 88 years. He enlisted in the Revolutionary
army at the early age of 18, and the relation of his experi-—
ence in that service to his children and grandchildren was

always very entertaining. His first homestead “ stood near

the old well with a narrow cartway between the house and
well,” says his son, the Rev. Warren Emerson. This house
was on a lane, now Emerson street, on the site of the house
of the late Amos P. Lynde, where Mr. Emerson kept a public
house for a number of years, and when Mr. Lynde built he
converted the old inn into a barn, and it still stands on the
corner of Lebanon and Emerson Street, now a dwelling
house. In this old public house all of Mr. Emerson’s children
were born, excepting Isaac, the oldest son, who was born in
Woburn. His last homestead, on the corner of..Main and
Emerson Streets, was built in 1807, is still standi1f1g,and

. into which the family moved on the 7th of: November. This

date was written with chalk by the youngest son, VVar1-en,
on the day the family took possession, on a rafter in the
eastern end of the garret, and it remainec:l there until within
a few years, when it was obliterated "with whitewash.
Martha Vinton, another sister of these three brothers,
married John Pratt, who lived in the south-—-eastern part of

. the town, on What is now Lebanon Street, who built a house,

still standing, and occupied by his son Charles l?.1'att. There
are other interesting items concerning other of the Vintons,
but they cannot now be given. Many of the descendants
are still with us, and the oldest living representative is Mrs.
Phebe Vinton Lynde,.. now 85 years of age.

There are other families and homesteads in Melrose that
ought to be spoken of in asketch of this kind, as they have
entertaining histories; but there is only time to allude to
one more, the Hovvards. On I-*IowardlStreet, near where
the old Cook house stood, still stands the old Deacon Samuel
Howard house, built about the time the Cook or Upham
house was, in 1730. Here stood until quite recently the
old-fashioned “well-sweep” and its Well. There are still
left two of these “ vvell-sweeps,” one on Porter Street, on Mr.
Hen1menvvay’s place, and the other on the George Upham

liomestead,» on Upham Street, and long mayitbe before they .

T0 WN 019* Mzzznzroszr. J 19

shall disappear. In the Amos Howard homestead, on the
corner of Porter and Lebanon Streets, and which was stand-—
ing during the Revolution,  large family of children were

born, among them the late Mrs. Isaac Einerson ——-—Atalanta

Howard —-~and Mr. Nathaniel Howard -—-—J‘‘ Uncle Nat.” The
oldest living representative of the llowards, now with us,
is Mrs. Mary Howard Wilson, 93 years of age.

These original falnilies, of which we have been speaking,

or living here in the seclusion they did, interinarried to a very
great extent, and it would be pleasant to trace some of these

relationships.
R O A D s .

The first road, and only one for many years which passed
through Melrose, was laid out by order of the Gretneral Court,
two and a quarter centuries ago, at a session held Sept. 10,
1658. Some of the names of persons and places here men—-
tioned, will be recognized as Melrose ones: “Tl:1orn.as Marshall,
John Smyth £2: John Sprague being chosen to lay out the
country high way betweene Reddinge & VVl1’11'1(~)S(~31"l1(3l3l3
[Che1sea,] do lay it out as follows: from Redding towne,
through Maldon bounds, betwixt the pond & John Smyths
land, [this pond evidently is the present “ S1nith’s I?’o:nd,”
in Wakefield, as Malden bounds then exteiided thus far, and
until Stoneham was set off in 1725,] & so by the east side
of M“ Joseph Hills land, to New Iiloekley Hole, dz: so in the
old way by the Cow Pen, [I am unable to identify the
locality of “ New I-Iockley Hole "’ or the “ Cow Pen ; ” they
were probably near Grreenwood or the Highlands,] & thence
along on the east side of Thomas Coitniorcs lott, by Ele
Pond, in the old way, to Thomas Lynds land, then through

the first field, & so by the field by his howse, from thence, '

on the old way, by Maldon meeting howse, through the
stony swamps, &c. it if it the sd way to be fewer pole broade,
in good ground, & six or eight where need requires.” “ The
old way” so often referred to in this order, means the

a old, crooked, Indian or bridle path or trail, in use before

this date, winding hither and thither, going around this hill,
shunning that swamp or bog, and over which the early

traveller wended his way between Reading and Chelsea.

‘hf’

20 HI 8’ I '01‘)?! CAL JIDDIBI1/}'iSiS”.

Our L Pond is here spolien of, and we see that Mal.den then
had a meeting-house, four years after its incorporation.

Within a few days I have been over most of this old road,
a large share of which is now discontinued, but is still, in
many parts, quite distinct. Main Street was laid out in 1806,
and built soon after, and portions of the old road then and
previously————as some parts of the original road had been
superceded by the one in use when Main Street was
opened-—--— abandoned as a highway, became absorbed by
private interests.

Beginning at the boundary line between "Wakefield and
Melrose, this original road followed the present Main Street
a short distance, crossing it twice, and leaving it for a little

way, before reaching the brow of Reading Hill; thence

through the small woods parallel with the present street, still
clearly defined, under the L of the Barber house, and on to
Green Street, near where that street leaves Main; thence
through the whole of Green Street, by L Pond, through
Lebanon Street to Louisburg Square, down Lynde Street,
to near where the “Dolly Upham ”house now stands, when
it left that street and went back of, or on the east side of
“Boston Rock,” following somewhat nearly the course of
the present Linwood Avenue, almost to Sylvan Street,
crossing through the woods just before reaching the latter
street; thence diagonally across Wyomiiig Cemetery to its
southwest corner; thence over hill and dale, through the
woods to Forest Street, entering that street near the old
Jacob Pratt house; thence to Main Street, skirting
Waite’s Mount. That part of the old road from VVyo1ning
Cemetery to Forest Street is remarkably well preserved and

* clearly defined, and as easily driven over to-day as ever; and

the rocks in the wheel-ruts show the abrasion of the old time
usage very distinctly. After diligent inquiry I am clearly
of the opinion that the old Pratt house just referred to, on
Forest Street, 1nust stand on or near the site of the old
“ howse ” of Thomas Lynde spoken of in the order of 1658,
as also of the Joseph Lynde’s -—-—- Joseph being, perhaps,
son of Thomas-----house, which with its land was exempted
by the Committee in the division of “the Commons ” in 1695.

TOWN 01¢‘ M1rL1a:0s1+7. ‘ 21

Afterwards, but when I cannot ascertain, the road just
described was straightened somewhat from Lebanon Street,
by passing through the Whole of Lynde Street, to Main, by
Masonic Hall, leaving it soon after, passing“ back of the
Grover house, by Mr. Alvin Lynde’s, and thence near the
foot of Boston Rock, across the meadow, back of the Joseph
Lynde barns, through the pines to Main Street again, some-
where 11ear “ Island Hill.” On a plan of Malden, surveyed
by Peter Tufts, J r., of Medford, in 1795, the only roads laid
down in what was then North Maiden, are, the main road as
last described, called the “ Reading Road,” and a “ Stonehain
Road,” which leaves this near where our Masonic Hall now
is ; this is what is now our WyC)1iI1lI1§g‘ Avenue, Hurd, Cottage
and Vinton Streets, then hardly ttlllytlllllg‘ more than a cart-
way. About this time “‘ Uphatm Lane,” our present Uphain
Street, was built tl11-oiigli to Chelsea line, a portion of which
town, at that time, extended up to Rezicliiig, between Malden
and Saugus; and a few years before this, what is now

-Howard Street was built tls11'ougl1 to Saugus, lnitlillfilg‘ a con-

tinued county road from Stonehain to Lynn. For Iiirany
years these were our only streets or roads. Foster Street
was the first cross street built, a few years be'fc)1'e the rail-P
road was opened; soon after, Wyoming Avenue, 1il.£L1]§1(’§Cl by
Mr. Bogle, and other streets were laid out; and after this, as
our town increased in population, new ones have been
opened year by year, until. now, when we have nearly thirty
miles of streets, and all in very good condition.

CHURCHES.

Our forefathers had to wend their way to “-midd1e-town”

on the Sabbath-day to attend public worship, as they did also.

on election days to vote. About the year 1813, the first

preaching service was held in the old district schoolehouse,

near the corner of the old road, now Lebanon Street, and
“ Uphani Lane,” now Upham Street, the only school-house

then in North Malden. In 1815 a Methodist Episcopal‘

Church was formed, which continued to hold its service in
this house until 1818, when a church edifice was built on
the green at the junction of Main and Green Streets, which,

‘n

22 ' IIISTORIOAL ADDIBESS.

quaintly shaped and a1'ra11giecl little affair, many now liviiig
remeniber. This was occupied by that society until 18-1&3,
when a new and larger‘ one was built on the same spot, and
dedicated Nov. 80, of that year, and which was used until
1857, when it was sold, moved down near the corner of
Main and Essex Streets, became “ Concert Hall,” and per»
ished in the flames of Nov. 80, 1875, with Boarcl1na1s1’s.Block,
just thirty—three years from the day it was dedicated. The
Society then in 1857, built the edifice now in use on l\l::Li11
Street, which was dedicated April 1. W1'ig*l1t says, in Iris
sermon of 1831, “Two individuals, i'or.1nerly inciinbcrs of this
church, are now successfully V e11gagecl in pu.l)l.ishin,g the
tidings of salvation to their fellowinen.” This refers to the
Rev. Frederic]: Uplrarn, and Rev. Wa1'1*e11 Einerson, both
horn in Melrose, and still p1'eael‘1i.11,g; the 'l’orrner in Fair--
haven, Mass., and the latter in West Thoinpson,Conn. The
present pastor is Rev. Sanford B. Sweetser.

About the year 1828, while this Society, the Methodist

Episcopal, was in the old church at the junction of M.ai.n and 1

Green Streets, there arose a very serious trouble, beginni;ng
with at disaffection with certain members, who became d,is--
pleased with the form of church governinent, and a division
took place, and a new church was for-nred, called the
“ Protestant Methodist,” often——ti1nes the “ Reformed Method-
ists.” This new society bought the old district school——house,

and moved it down to Main Street, near the site of the

present Baptist Chapel, and comrneneed their labors.

A volume might be Written, giving a history of this
division; the trials and troubles, the l1ea1't~b11r1:1ir1g's, anec-
dotes, the attempts to re—u11ite, and other incidents; possibly,
some day the story may be told. There were those llVl1’]g'
here in those days,——so1ne are living to-day,—-—-who were
so U.I'lg1'ft(3l01.1S, so irreverent, as to call this school-house
church the “Duck Pen; ” and in contradistinction, the
1nother—-churcl1—louilding, the “Cider Mill.” In the year 1841,

the Protestant Methodist Society built a new edifice, and the

“ Duck Pen ” wasinoved to the corner of .l4‘oster and Myrtle
Streets, altered into a tenement house, andwas burned with
the Orthodox Church, Feb. 17, 1869. This society continued

T0 WN OF MEL1eosa*. 23

worshipping in this edifice until January 1, 1856, when it
was niergecl into the First Baptist Church, which society
continued to use the meeting‘-house, with some occasional
repairs and alterations, until July, 1878, when it was sold
to the Catholics, and succeeded by the neat, brick chapel
now in use, and which was dedicated, Nov. 17, 1874. Rev.
Napoleon B. Thompson is the present pastor.

The next church, the Orthodox Co11g1*egatio1ial, was
formed July 11, 1848, and its first edifice on Foster Street,
dedicated May 17, 1849. Prevtious to this, p1‘BEtOl‘1111g‘ services
had been held in the parlor of Dr. Levi Go11l<:l, in the small
house opposite the present Methodist Church. Dr. C‘rou1d
was the first male member of an Orthodox Church that came
to Melrose. Soon afterward iiiectaiiigs were held at the house
of Dea. Jonathan Cochran, and then at the centre depot of
the Boston. and Maine R. R. This church b11i.l.clii‘1g on
F‘oster Street was remodelled and enlargecl in 1858, and de—
stroyed by fire, Feb. 17, 1.869. The new and handsome
edifice new in use by that church, was dedicated Oct. 26,
1.870, and the present pastor is the Rev. Albert Gr. Bale.

The next, the U niversalist Society, was formed in 1849,
and the 11]@(313i11g'S held in “Academy It~Ia.l1,” then stzt1i.(li:ng;
on Berwick Street, and afterwards moved to Main Street,

Where it became “L ceuin Hall” and was destrotred be
, Y 2 .1 3’

fire, Aug. 21., 1870. The cliurch lf)1.11l_h(1l1‘1g' on Essex Street,
now in use by that Society, was dedicated in 1851., and
Rev. William A. Start is novv the pastor. ‘

The next Society forrned here was Trinity Ohurch-—-
Episcopal--—~ May 20, 1857, its first service being held at the
residence of Mr. Samuel Rice, on Lake Avenue, now that
of A. V. Lynde, Esq.; after that in Wav‘e1'ley I-Iall; and
their church was erected on Emerson Street, and dedicated
in the fall of 1859. Rev. Henrr A. Metcalf is the present
rector. 1 1

The next and sixth church formed in Melrose, was the
Unitarian Congregational, which was org*a:nized July 17,
1867, and their chapel, on Emerson Street, was dedicated
May 1, 1872. A ,  

The seventh church, the Catholic, was formed in April,

24   1;IIsToRI0AL ADDRE&51S'.

1873, which purchased the old Baptist church edifice, moved
it to Dell Avenue, and commenced services therein in Octo-
ber of that year. Rev. Dennis J. O’Farre1l, present pastor.

The eighth and last church formed was the Highla:nds
Congregational, organized Sept. 29, 1875, and which now
worships in the Highlands Chapel. 1 Rev. D. Allen More-
house is the present pastor.

SCHOOLS.

The only school in Melrose for many years was held in
the plain, unpainted district school-house, before referred
to as having been sold, moved, and used as a church, and
afterwards burned. lt was built in the year 1800, was
twenty by twenty-five feet in size, and was situated on a
knoll on the old road, now Lebanon Street, about a dozen
rods south of “ Upham Lane.” In this old school—house,
Robert Gerry, who died in Stoneham, April 1, 1873, in his
ninetieth year, taught school during the winter season for
twenty-four years in succession, commencing in 1803. Here
the North Maldenites learned to “read, write, and cipher.”
Many now living, and a number that now hear me, went to

school in this old house, taking their turns at building fires A
“and sweeping out. And I am told that one person, probably
with us at this moment, once received a very severe birch-r
g ing, which he, undoubgtedly, very distinctly reinembers, --at

any rate, if he does not, there are those here who do. The
boys and girls from the west part of the town, came “ across
lots,” passing by the old Howard house, on Main Street,
near here, still standing, and crossed L Pond brook on a
log. Mr. W'arre:u Lynde says that, occasionally, when the
school did not keep here, he went to “- middle-town,” as did
probably others, going over the old road by the foot of
“ Boston Rock.” After this house was sold, a new one was
built on Upham Street, in 1828, by the sclioolmaster, Robert
Gerry, for the town of Malden, which was burned about
the year 1845; and the one built on its site was the only
schoolhouse we had when Melrose was incorporated; in it
was kept a Primary, Inte1~1nediate, and Graminar School.

A This house was burned in April, 1874, and was succeeded

T0 WA? or MEL.ROSE. 25

by the present new and handsome Grammar School struct-
ure. As Melrose increased in population, new school-houses
were built in various parts of the town, and we now have
seven,-——- one of which is a High School building,” in which
we have fourteen schools, all in most excellent condition,
with good teachers, and a carefully supervising committee,
as we have had opportunity to witness in the recent
examinations.

REVOLUTION. _,

Melrose took her part nobly in the war of the Revolu-
tion, inasmuch as many of her sons were erigagecl in i.t.
Malden, of which we were then a part, was a very patriotic
town, and sent forth not only her sons, but several spirited
manifestos, before and during‘ the war. Her “I11st1'uctions
of the town to its Representative, Passed May 27, 1776,”
one month before the Declaration of Independence, is a doc-
ument full of intense feeling‘; its tone firm, manly and true;
honesty of purpose and determination of will pervade its
every line. It would be liighly appropriate to read the
whole paper to-day, but it is too lengthy; one or two sen-
tences must suffice: “It is now the ardent wish of our-
selves that America may become Free and Imiepmzcicm‘;
States. * ** "‘° Unjustifiable claims have been made by the
kiiig‘ and his minions, to tax us without our consent. Those
colonies have been prosecuted in a manner cruel arid unjust
to the highest degree. The frantic policy of Administration
hath induced them to send Fleets and Armies to America,
that by depriving us of our trade, and cutting the throats
of our brethren, they might awe us into subinission, and
erect a system of despotism which should so far enlarge
the influence of the Crown, as to enable it to rivet their
shackles upon the people of Great Britain. *' *‘ 9*‘ We, there-
fore, renounce with disdain our connection with the Kingdom
of Slaves; we bid a final adieu to Britain, *‘ it 9* and we now
instruct you, Sir, to give them the strongest assurance, that
if they should declare America to be a Free and Independent
Republic, your constituents will support and defend the
measure to the Last Drop of tiuavfrr Blood and the Last lib?“-—

4

9.6 were RIC?/1L Annnesu.

thing of their Treasure.” So strong‘, forcible, and eloquent
was this address, that Chief Justice Marshall thought it
worthy of quotation in his “ Life of VVashington.”

A little over a year ago an article was published in the
Melrose Journal, by Mr. Barrett, entitled “Melrose in the
‘Concord Fig'ht.,” In this was given the roll of Capt. Ben—-
jamin Blaney’s company of Malden men, which, on the 19th
of April, went “to resist the ministerial troops.” The names
of the Melrose men in the company were as follows: Ser-
geant Jahez Lyrrde, Nathan Eaton, Joseph Lynde, Jr., Ezra
Howard, John Vinton, Benjamin Lynde, VV:ill:iam Upham,
Ezra Upham, John Grover ye 8d, Unite Cox, Joseph Bar-
rett, Jr., Phineas Sprague, John Grover, Jr., John G'C)ul(Ll.,
Phineas Sprague, Joseph Lynde, and John Pratt. Here we
have nearly all the old family names represented. ’I‘here
was hardly a man living‘ here at the time, who was able to
bear arms, who did not start as a “ minute-m.an,” tvhe1.1 the
alarm was soun(.led. The two Sp1'ag;‘11es mentioned above
were father and son; the father living; on Foster fitreet and
the son on Porter Street. The father died in 1805, agyecl 80.
Mr. Barrett says of the three hrothers, Tlfxoirnas, '.l‘irnotl"1y
and Ezra V inton, who lived at the I“'llg‘l"1l2l»I)Cl.‘S and went in
Capt. Samuel Sprag‘ue’s company from Stonehanmg “After
the men had left for Concord, the women, :fe2L1-irig that they
might suffer for the want of food, filled some sacldle-l;:>ag;s
full of provision, put them upon an old horse owned by
Phineas Sprague, and Israel Cook mounted the horse and
started for Concord. When near the place, fearing that he
might meet the British on their return, he turned into a
by-road to avoid them. rThey soon came in siglit, and dis-
covered him. One of the soldiers left the ranks, crossed the
field, shot at Cool: and killed the horse, and then hastened
hack to the ranks. Cook, 11otl'1i11g daunted, shouldered the
saddle-bags, and trudged on till he met the men who were
sadly in want of something to eat.” A J

After the Revolution the quiet farm life, with the little

p of the shoe 1na11u‘fa.etu1*ing* element which has been referred

to,.went on, nearly up to the time‘ when the Boston and

J Nlaine Railroad was built, which was opened tlir-ough here if

ro WN 029' Mlrzneoszr. 27

July 4; 1845. After this ‘a new impetus was given to immi-
g1'atio11. Some of the old farms were sold to be out up into
house-lots, and people began to come and abide with us.

FIRST TOWN MEETING.

Our town was incorporated May 3, 1850. The first
Town Meeting; was held May 10, in “Academy Hall ;”
The warrant had two articles, V1Z.: “To choose a moderator;
to choose all necessary Town Oiiicers for the year ei1sL1i1;1g.”
The first principal officers then elected were  follows:
Elbridge Green, Town Clerk. Jeremiah Martin, Isaac
Emerson, Jr. and Artemas Barrett, Selectmen. Aaron Green,
S. L. Taylor and William J. Farnswortlix, Assessors. Isaac
Emerson, Treasurer and Collector. lvlenry A. Norris, Caleb
Howard and Elbi-iclge Green, School Committee. James
Howard, Higliway Surveyor. Six only of this number are
with us now. i

The citizens of to-clay receive  somewhat bulky pam-
phlet containing the annual reports of the various town
ofiicers. Not so at the end of our first year, in the sp1'i1:1.g of
1851. The report then made is soinetl;1i;ng of a curiosity;
and, as such, I now hold it up before you. It is a broadside,
10 X 12 inches. It is headed, “Report of the Financial
Concerns of the Town of Melrose, Frorn May 20, 1850, to
April 1, 1851,” and is sigiied by Jonatliaii Cocln-an, Josiah
 Talbot, and John Blake, Financial Committee. The
venerable Deacon Cochran, 86 years of age, is the only one of
these three with us to~—day. A few of the items on this first
report are worth iioticiiig. It was the day of small tliings
and small expenses when compared with our present labors
and outlays. “Jeremiah Martin, for Serv. as Selectman, 384»-
Running town lines, SE10-Exami11i1'1g" Dix Pond, Railirig
and Culverts, =‘}B'7———Casl1 paid for 1?i'i11ti11g, 14.25----Laying
out Streets, SE12--— Letting and Snperintending“ Vinton
Street, 3841+ Cash paid for Jury Box, and for Stationery, $5.90,
$552.15. “Artemas Barrett, for Services as Selectman, $32.
“Isaac Emerson, Jr., Services as Selectman, 8220., $341.88.”

Elbridge Green anclCaleb, Howard, School Committee, were 1

paid $12 and,$10 respectively. “Elbridge Green, for Ser-

We

28 E16’ TORI OAL ADDRESS.

vices as Town Clerk, Express Bills, &c., o $89.50.” “ Isaac
Emerson, for services as Treasurer and for Blank Book,«iB9.18.”
S. L. Taylor, Aaron Green and Wm. J. Farnsvvorth, Asses»-
sors, were paid respectively, $818.7 5, $15 and 3817.25.

LITERATURE.

Melrose in literature has reached a standard which is

T commendable, and of which We may feel well pleased.

We have with us to-day, Samuel Adams Drake, whose
busy pen has given us the “Old Landinarlcs of Boston,”
“ Historic Fields and Mansions of Middlesex,” and “ N ooks
and Corners of the New England Coast ;” besides his “Bun-
ker Hill,” “Israel Putnam,” and other minor publications.
The volumes referred to treat of historical subjects in the
most pleasant and profitable manner; giving incident, anec-
dots and history in a very readable style. May we again
and again be favored with his contzributions, briinful as they
are of historic lore.

Mr. Frederick Kidder has given the World a long array
of historical works ; among which are “Eastern. Maine and
Nova Seotia,” “Expedition of Capt. John Lovcwell,” ‘‘ The
Boston Massacre,” “First N. H. Regiment in the Ii‘.evolu-~
tion,” and, in connection with Dr. A. A. Gould, a “ History
of New Ipswich, N. H.,” his native town,»-—~—-all valuable
works, requiring much research and patient investigation.

For many years Mr. William Frederic Poole was one of
our citizens, Whose trenchant pen has produced many valuable
papers on various historical subjects, the sharpest and best,
perhaps, being his witchcraft monograms: “Cotton. Mather
and Salem Witchcraft ;” “ The Witchcraft Delusion of 16 92,”
&c.; the “ Battle of the'Dictionaries,” and other orthographi-
cal papers; “Anti-Slavery Opinions before the year 1800;”
and “The Ordinance of1787, and Dr. Manasseh Cutler,”
a reprint from the North American Review for April, 1876.
The two last were written since he left Melrose.

We have had with us--—novv, alas! no more -——Mr. Joseph
E. Babson, known in newspaper and magazine literature as
“Tom Folio.” He has Written much, and edited some
volumes containing rare and interesting papers of the

T0 WN 01+“ M.z+JL1eos1:«7. 29

English writers ; among them, Charles Lamb, Leigh Hunt
and Douglas Jerrold.

Deacon Gilbert Nash, a resident of Melrose many years,
gave us, While here, a poetic volume of ?‘ Bay Leaves.”

And we have the veteran poultry raiser and author,
Capt. George P. Burnham, who has written a number of
works about fovvls, including the “ Hen Fever ; ” and recently
he has told us about the “eiB100,000 in Grold, and how to
make it.” Most of us would be perfectly Well satisfied if
we were told just how to make a hundred thousand dollars
in currency!

It is a pleasure to mention our talented tovvns~Woman,
Mrs. Mary A. Livermore, the eminent lecturer and editor,
whose tongue and pen champion every good cause.

The “ Melrose Journal” issued its first number Dec. 10,
1870, still lives and flourishes, is a good, well conducted
local paper, giving us all the items of news that take place
in Melrose, and some that do not. We have also a history
of Melrose in the late civil war;  and other books and pam-
phlets have been written by our citizens, all of which have
given to Melrose a creditable place in literature.

.1~I.13JAL’1‘I:i[.

Much has been said, in times gone by, concerning the
health of the town of Melrose. The 1.1117l"oun<,lec;l prejudices
of some, or the unconsidered reinarlazs of a non-resident phy-
sician, have been quoted; and, by and through these wrong
opinions and harmful inuendos, Melrose has suil"ered. I
think this to be one of the most healthy communities arouml
Boston, and that facts and figures will substantiate the
assertion. When the late historian of Haverhill, George
‘Wingate Chase, was a resident of our town, he was engaged
in the Secretary of State’s office compiling the census for
1865. His attention having been called to this matter of
health, he told me that he took the tables of the Registration
Reports for quite a number of years, and made a comparison

,,  “The Melrose Memorial. The Annals of Melrosc, County of Mid»

ldlesex, Massachusetts, cluririg the Great Rebellion of 1861--5. By Elbridge

H. Goes. Melrose. 1868.”

30 HISTORICAL ADDRESS.

with the other towns, and that Melrose stood number three,
by these figures. Dr. E. O. Phinney, long a resident phy-
sician, told me, a few years ago, that he also had made an
examination of this subject, so far as the figures of the imme-
diately adjoining towns were concerned, and that ours stood
the best; and that, from his own experience, he considered
it one of the most healthy of towns. And I think from our
own observation we can say that ours is a very healthy com-
munity. Look at some of the ages to which have lived some
of the members of our old families. Capt. Phineas Sprague
died in 1869, at the age of 92; Jonathan Lynde, 85: his
brother William, now 83, is still living on the old Lynde
homestead on Washington Street. Ezra Vinton died atthe
age of 63, his widow 79; Thomas Vinton 85, his wife 84;
and Timothy Vinton 92. These were of the three Vinton
homesteads at the Highlands. John Green, of the ‘-‘ John
Green house,” was 84, and many others of the Greens were
very old when they died. William Emerson was 88, and his
wife 77 ; Isaac Emerson 7 4, his widow 79. These were the
grandparents and parents of our present Isaac and George
Emerson. The names of many others might be given, and
some have been already mentioned, when speaking of the
old families, who have attained very advanced ages: the
tombstones in our “Village” and “Wyoming Cemetery”
attest the same fact, very many of the ages far exceeding
the allotted three score and ten; all of which most assuredly
indicates that ours is not an unhealthy town, but, on the
contrary, that it is a Very healthy town.

SPOT POND WATER.

This blessing to our homes cannot be omitted in. enumer-
ating our institutions. Not until after a very severe contest
did we obtain it; but it is ours to--day, and it would take a
large sum of money to purchase the franchise of Melrose.
The first action taken towards the introduction of this water
into the three towns of Malden, Medford and Melrose, was
in 1867 7, when Messrs. Samuel E. Sewall, Daniel W. Gooch,
and George W. Heath of our town, together with three
gentlemen from each of the other two towns, were incorpo-

TOWN 027* MELROSE. 31

rated as the “ Spot Pond Wate1* Company.” Nothing was
done by the three towns towards taking the water until 1869,

when Melrose, after a series of town meetings, in which the
question was thoroughly discussed by those in favor and those

against talring it, voted to unite with Malden and Medford.
in purchasing the franchise of the “ Spot-Pond Water Com-

pany.” This action was duly consummated, the water-

works were finished and first used Aug. 26th, 1870; since

which time, we have been enjoying the luxury of this great

boon, of pure, soft water, for beautifying our grounds, and

for manufacturing and domestic purposes. L

{§pot Pond is not only a very beautiful sheet of water,

s111'rh1111decl as it is with wild and magnificent scenery;

but it has a history. It is first mentioned by Grovernor

John Wintl‘n'c>p in his Journal, under date of Feb. 7, 1632.

He says: The governour, Mr. Nowell, Mr. Eliot and others,

went over Mistick River at Medford, and going N. and
by E. among the rocks about two or three miles, they came

to a very great pond, having in the midst an island of about

one acre, and very thick with trees of pine and beech; and

the pond had divers small rocks, standing up here and there

in it, which they therefore called Spot Pond. They went

all about it upon the ice; From thence (towards the N. W.

about half a mile,) they came to the top of a very high rock,

beneath which, (towards the N.) lies a goodly plain, part

open land, and part woody, from whence there is a fair

prospect, but it being close and rainy, they could see but
a small distance. This place, they called Cheese Rock,

because, when they went to eat somewhat, they had only
cheese (the governour’s man forgetting, for haste, to put up
some bread).” From that day to this the pond has borne
the name then given it. “Spott Pond,” with its island,
appears on a map of this part of New England, which
appeared in William Wood’s “New England’s Prospect,”
in 1634. Many very interesting items and incidents of its
history might be given did time permit. A thrilling tragedy,
the murcler of Jacob Gould, occurred Nov. 25th, 1.819, in the
qroiilcl house, on the Stoneham road, a little way from the
northern border of the Pond.

 

82 ‘ HISTORICAL appease.

L POND.

I have ever regretted the attempt to change the name of
our pretty little sheet of water, “ L Pond,” to “ Crystal Lake.”
It has been known as L Pond for two and a quarter centuries.
As early as 1648, according to the Charlestown Records,
“Bros. Robt. Hale and Thomas Lind were ordered to lay
out young Thos. Coitmore’s two lots by Ell Pond, he to send
one to go with them to help them.” Here it is spelt Ell.
This was nineteen years after Charlestown was settled, and
shows us that the territory of Melrose was very early exam-
ined, and the pond named. °In the inventory of the widow
Martha Coitmore’s estate, made in 1648, appears the item,
“180 acres land at ell pond;” and in laying out the road
from Reading to Chelsea, in 1653, it is called the same. In
the Malden records, under date of Apr. 27, 1699, Corp. John
Green, Phineas Upham and Joseph Floyd were appointed a
Committee to run “y° bounds and renew y° marks between
proprietors land: and y” small peece of common land: adjoin-
ing to L pond : which was left for convenenc for wattering.”
It has been called Eel Pond, but old deeds generally give it
as a capital L, and its name was undoubtedly given it from
its shape. Now here is this pond of ours, a gem in our
centre, most appropriately and rightly named. It is a good
old name, like those of others round about here, named, by
the early settlers, Spot, Mystic, Horn, Spy, Long, Swain’s,
Smith’s, and Humphrey’s Ponds; and, as Savage says, refer-
ring to Spot Pond, “succeeding generations have reverenced
the first nomination.” Our Long and Swain’s Ponds were
named as early as the year 1660. We have seen when, by
whom, and under what circumstances Spot Pond was named;
and who so rash as to wish for an instant to change that name?
But somebody, nobody knows who, has given our L Pond a
new name, —— “ Crystal Lake.” ; Crystal Lake, forsooth I and
thatwhen there is another pond within two or three miles,
bearing the same name. "Whoever wishes may call it “ Crystal
Lake,” or . “ Cerulean Lake,” or “ Sylvan Lake,” or a,lake
with any other mellifluous title; but as for me, giveme thre
old-fashioned, lmatter—-of-fact, reasonable, well-founded name

T0 WN oz? ME_LRO.S’E’. A 33

of “ L Ponc .” In this pond both shad and alevvives ‘heed to
be taken in large numbers, giving food to the earlier inhabit—i
ants. Fish ladders were formerly made at the mill-dams
below, to enable the fish to reach the pond; and when the
mill-ovvners came to make opposition to this method,'it is said
that the fish were carried to the pond in tubs of water.
iWright says, that “ much excitement has prevailed at differ-
ent periods in the town, si.nce 1695, concerning the passage

of alevvives from the tide-water up to Ell Pond, in the north

part of the town. Much time and money have been expend-
ed upon this subject, to little or no purpose.” There was
once, before the memory of any one now living, I thinlzz, a
grist-mill near its outlet, which caused, at times, a great
tflowing back of water, up towards the »Highlands. And
there are those here to-day that remember very distinctly

when all. of the north side of the pond was covered with a F

most dense forest of very large cedar trees: they were not
only very large, but very close together. And inany of us
rememberthe War of “high and low water,” when one party
wished the Water up, and another down; and the clowns
prevailed, causing Wells to dry, and walls to tumble, and
consequent damages to be paid by the town.

MELROSE IN THE WAR OF TI-IE REBELLION.

The story of “ Melrose in the Rebellion of 1.861--5,” has
been told in a volume which is in many of your homes. As
yet it  theronly monument that has been raised by us to
the memory of the “Boys in Blue” who Went forth to fight
the battles for Melrose, or who yielded their all, their lives,

for the sacred cause. From the record. as there given, Ithink

no one can dispute the fact that her history is a noble one;
that she did what she could; that she gave freely and
liberally of her men and money. Up to the time that volume
was issued, in 1868, twenty-three--——tvvo commissioned offi-
cers and twenty-one enlisted men--—of the two hundred

. and three citizens of our town who were in the ranks of our

armies during the Rebellion, had lain down their lives for
theiroountry—--for yourhomesand for mine- Since that
time, a number of others who served upon our quotas have
. " 5 ‘ ‘ ‘

84 HISTORICAL ADDRESS.

followedtheir comrades to the land of the hereafter. Nor

would we forget, by any means, many others, who, after the A

war, made their home with us, and have since gone to their re—-
ward. But recently we placed a wreath upon all their graves ;
upon that of the nurse as well as that of the soldier. Those
wreaths will wither; but the memory of their deeds and the
service they rendered, never. a 6 ‘

Some time ago, in an address delivered by one of our

most distinguished orators, eulogistic remarks were made
concerning the amount of money given, and the number of
men raised for the war, by the town for which he was speaking,
which led me to make an examination of the returns as given
in the late Gen. Schouler’s “History of Massachusetts during
the Civil War,”--—— the volume devoted to the “Towns and
Cities.” From the comparison then made I am prepared to
say, that, so far as this grand old county of Middlesex is
concerned," no town or city did better, if as well, as Melrose.
She contributed a larger amount according to her valuation,
furnished more men according to her population, and had a
larger surplus of men over and above her quotas, at the end
of the war. Take one or two examples: we furnished over
$38,000, 454 men, and a surplus of 73. Cambridge, with
ten times the population and fifteen times the valuation of
Melrose, furnished $450,000, 3600 men, and had a surplus of
158 ; Charlestown, with nine times the population and valu-
ation, $168,000, 4300 men, and a surplus of 111;. and our
mother town, Malden, with more than double our valuation
and population, furnished $60,000, 642 men, and had a
surplus of 71 men. . Our record is a good one; one that each
and all of us, citizenor soldier, may cherish and not be afraid
to show. 0

crzemrnnanon. »

Not always, as now, has Melrose been a temperance town.
Time was when liquor was sold freely in very many places.
At elections, and on other public occasions, drunkenness was

0 a crying evil; but, thanks be to God! times have changed,

and our town now is a noted temperance one; and although
a license law is on our statutes, we have a temperance

T0 WEN 07?‘ .m«J1.eos'1z:. 85

Board of Selectmen, consequently no licenses are granted.
And wenow have seven temperance organizations in our
town, viz.: the “Independent Order of Good Teinplars,”
“Siloam Temple of Honor,” “Siloam Social Temple of
Honor,” “Cadets of Temperance,” “Highland Division of
the Sons of Temperance,” “Loyola Temperance Cadets,”
an.d the ‘-‘ Catholic Total Abstinence Society ; ” all of which
are in a sound and flourishing condition.

THEN, AND NOVV.

In 1850, twenty—six years ago, when Melrose was incor—-
porated, our population was 1260; now it is a little over
41000; it was 8990 by the census of 1875. Then we had
125 dwelling houses; now 946. (I take the figures of the last
Assessors’ Report.) Then our valuation, both real and per-
sonal estate, was $483,446.00; now $4,452,828.10. Then we
had one school»-house, with three schools; now seven; and
there are in these buildings fourteen schools. Then we had
three churches; now eight. Then the oldwfasliioned “ well-
sweep” and pump; now “Spot Pond Water” running
through sixteen miles of our twenty-eight miles of streets.
We have the illuminating gas passing through all our prin-
cipal streets, and in our public buildings. Wehave a fine
Town House, which was dedicated June 17, 1874, and

. which, considering its cost, is hard to be excelled in beauty

and convenience; on it is a town clock, the gift of our
public—spirited fellow-citizen, DANIEL RUSSELL, Esq. We
have a well-selected and growing Public Library, founded
in 1871, now containing three thousand volumes, the circu-
lation of which is very large and constantly increasing; a
Savings Bank, in which all the inhabitants may deposit
their surplus earnings. Of course we have the best list of
town officers that it is possible to have, for do we not elect
them ourselves? We have an excellent Fire Department,
well organized. The Melrose Orchestra, whose sweet strains

we have often enjoyed, we now enjoy; and may it long»

continue to enliven us with its melodies. The Melrose Mu-
sical Association, seven Temperance organizations, a lodge
of Odd Fellows, and I don’t know how many odd women!

.86 rz1sr'01z1aAL _AJ)1)Jwss.i

A Masonic body, with any quantity of degrees, chaptersand
encampments, with a most excellent hall; a Grand Army
Post for the “ Boys that were in Blue ;” Battery C and its
Arinory Hall; a Lyceum, with its yearly’ course of lectures
and concerts. For literary clubs, we have the “Franklin
Fraternity” and the “Round—about Club;” and then we
have a Boat Club, Ball Clubs, &c.; also a live local paper
with a live local editor. In short, I would be pleased to
have you” mention anything we have not in this town of
ours.

' We are but seven miles from Boston, with fine railroad facili-
ties, having three depots, Wyoiiiiiig, Centre, and the High-
lands; and these travelling facilities to be soon increased, if
the rumors concerning ‘‘ narrow--gauge,” “ Upham Hill,”
“ Swain’s Pond,” etc., ever become realities. And if there 
one thing more than another characteristic of our people,
and which prophecies well for our future steady and healthy
growth, I think it maybe the hoinogeneousness of our citizens.
“We do not have, as many towns do, distinctive classes. The
interests of all are intertwined. As such is now the case, and
we do not have these conflicting elements, let us do all we can
to keep this town as it is; and with all these institutions, facil-
ities and advantages, I predict for Melrose a gradual but sure
growth. Witli these, nothing can stay our progress ; and that

nothing may, is the hearty wish of him who addresses you

today.

We have one of the most prettily situated towns in all
New England, to say the least; and to judge of this I do not
mean for you to take a hasty drive through the town, only,
even if you do go through Wyoming Avenue, Ravine Road,

Lake Avenue, the Highlands, or other of our fair parts; but

go also to the summit of “Mount Zion” in the east, “ Boston
Rock” in the south, “Barrett’s Mount” in the centre, or

“ Vinton Hill ” or “ West Rock ” in the north, and tell me‘

if the views are not cliarmingg especially from this last hill,

‘ from whence an extensive range of vision is had,-—--Moiint

Wachuset, mountains in New Hampshire, the ocean, and,
at your feet, our own Melrose, in peace and beauty, tip and
down our valley, with its public buildings plainly seen, its

T0 WJV 01¢‘ M1rL1;:0sE. 37

church spires pointing heavenward, and placid little L
Pond in the centre. You that have been there know the
truth whereof I speak; and you that have not, go, and then
tell me if I speak too enthusiastically.

Fellow citizens: all of these things are ours to enjoy.
Such being the case, let us all, each and every one, do what
We may to further the interest of this good town of Melrose ;
that she may increase in Wisdom and Wealth; that she may
ever foster religion, temperance, morality and education;
that she may deserve Grocl’s blessing; that she may continue,
as she now is, a prosperous, happy community; and so
growing, and We so caring for all right and true interests,
that he Wl10, at the next Centennial, July 4:, 1976, may
perforni the task I am now closing, may have nothing but
good to say of Melrose.’ In the Words of Dickens’ Tiny
Tim, "- GOD BLESS Us, EVERY oNI«:.! ”

N ()'r.t:.. N o one realizes better than myself, that there are matters eon~
eerning our town left unsaid in the foregoing Aclclress, which should have
been 1ne11t'.ic>ne<;l; but it was absolutely i ztx11:)c>ssihle for the Writer, involved
as he was with ot;l.1.e1',duties, to (lo more than he did in the three Weeks
which elapsed between the time of the 1'equest and the occasion. P(31'l1£l.pS,
hereafter, this'text may be enlarged into a “ History of Melrose.”

 H. e.

 

“ M.

PROCEEDINGS.

-u———qu.-unnu-nun;-an

On %the 25th of May, 1876, the President of the United States
issued the following Proclamation :-—-

Wrrnnieas, a joint resolution of the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States was duly ‘approved on the .13th day of March
last, which resolution is as follows : l

“ Be it enacted by the Senate and House qf Represemfatices of the United
iS'zfz;ttes, en Oovzgress assembled : l *

“That it be and is hereby recommended by the Senate and House of
Representatives to the people of the several States, that they assemble in
their several counties or towns, on the approaching centennial anniversary
of our national independence; and that they cause to have delivered on
such day an historical sketch of said county or town from its formation;
and that a copy of said sketch may be filed, in print or manuscript, in the
clerk’s office of said county, and an additional copy, in print or manuscript,
be filed in the office of the librarian of Congress, to the intent that a com-
plete record may thus be obtained of the progress of our institutions dur-
ing the first centennial of their existence.”

Whereas, It is deemed proper that such recommendation be brought to
the notice and knowledge of the people of the United States,

Now, therefore, I, Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States, do
hereby declare and make known the same, in the hope that the object of
such resolution may meet the approval of the people of the United States,
and that proper steps may be taken to carry the same into eifeet. ,

Given under my hand at the city of Washington, the 25th of May, in
the year of our Lord 1876, and of the independence of th§’United.States
the one hundredth. y  U. S. GRANT.

By the President.
HAMILTON FISH, Secretary of State.

On the 6th of June, at a regular meeting of the Board of
Selectmen, Messrs.VVAL'r:s.:a Bans, HENRY G. FIELDS and NATIIAN
D. BLAKE, the following gentlemen were appointed a Committee,
with full power, to arrange for the Celebration in accordance with
the above Proclamation: Messrs. Gnonen F. Sronn, WILLIAM L.
WILLIAMS, J osnrn D. WILDE, HENRY G. FIELDS, W. IRVING

40 PROCEEDINGS.  ‘

ELLIS, ARTEMUS BAI{.R.E'l"1‘, LEVI S. GOULD, JOHN W. FARVVELL,
J OHN O. NORRIS, CHARLES C. BARRY, Gnomes E. CARR, GEORGE
EMERSON, and ELBRIDGE H. Gross. This Committee held its first
meeting in the Seleetmen’s Room, June 12th. Mr. Stone not
being able to serve on the Committee, resigned, and it was then
organized as follows: J. D. VVILDE, Chairman; J. VV. FARWELL,
Secretary; and C. C. BARRY, Treasurer; and the following gen-
tlemen were added to the Committee: Messrs. VVAir..'1*1t1;a, BABE,
NATIIAN D. l3I.A.Im, TIEIOMAS J. KIMBALL, SAMUEL A. DR-AI{E,
FRANK A. M1«:ssENe"en, I‘I(")ItA’1‘IO N. PERKINS, Mosns S. Pests,
and CLARK B. BAL]')W'IN. The various Sub—Committees were
appointed as follows: Finance, Messrs. ELLIS, KI1\mA‘I_.i.., CARR.
and BLAI{.lI.+3; Music, Messrs. I:CM:snsoN, NonnIs‘,FI1ar.ns and CARR;
Decorations, Messrs. VVIr.mt, VVII.LIA1\:ISE1.11d FA RW1<:.I.I.; Invitations
to Representatives of the Old Families, Messrs. (.f:}oUI.n and
I3A.n.1tn*.'rT; Pri1iti.1"1g and P1‘Og1‘€l1T1InG,  T)1tAKt1.3, BABE,
W:ILI.IA Ms, CARR. and E1u;r:nsoN; Regatta, C. C. I-hum’; l3ase-ilriall
Match, Messrs. BLA.I{E‘. and .“I*3.\nn; Invitations to Clergymen,VV. L.
VVII;."LIAM.S; ,lroquet Match, W’. L. VV1:r.r.mMs_; Antiques and
ltlorribles,  S. PAe.1~'«:.

It was voted to request Hon. DAN.1nL VV. (3‘rooc1f1' to act as
President of the Day, Mr. (.9rt1'«3o1.:e1a E. MUiNr«:.o1s: to read the Decla-
ration of Independenee, and Mr. EI.1:It:ri'.>en: I-I. Cross to pre.pa.1'e. a
historical sketch of the town. Various other 1neeti1.1gs of the
Committee Were. held, and all the neeessary steps talcen to have
what proved to be  Very successful celebration. C

THE CELEBRATION;

At sunrise, the bells of the town were 1‘1::11u1g, a salute fired by
a section of" “Battery C, and the large and handsome thirty-foot
flag, presented to the town by the ladies, thrown to the breeze
from the top of town hall. Following this came a procession of the
Antiques and ]}Io1'1'ib1es, under the command of Chief Marshall
Klaw-Hammer, ending with an oration from the music-stand on
School-house Green, on ' Emerson Street, by Col. Much Chin.
From seven to eight o"’clock a concert was given atthe musie«
stand by the Melrose Orchestra Band, under the direction of Mr.
B. FI:A.N‘I{. BURNHAM. At eight o’clock, on the green in front of

the “Mountain House,” there was a1:‘i:1at.c~.li  of Base liall,

between the “Mutuals,” Capt. Cm ARLES Mlmlmin, and the “Alphas,”

TOWN 017’ MELROSE. , E 41

Capt. EDWARD E. BABB. Prizes, $7 and $3. Score: “Mutuals,”
28; “Alphas,” 4. At ten o’clock, a match game of Croquet, on
the lawn of Isaac EMERSON, Esq., between Col. FRANCIS S.
IIESSELTINE and Rev. DANIEL P. LIVERMORE, and Messrs. WIL-
LIAM D. Snnnntrand FRANK G. I-IOWARD. Prizes, two ebony
Wood croquet mallets, won by Messrs. SERRAT and Howann. At
12 o’clock, M., there was a general ringing of bells, with a salute.
At 2 o’clock the literary and musical exercises took place at the
town hall, with the following Programme: —-— A

ORDER OF EXERCISES.

Reading of the President’s Proclamation, . Mr. Josisrrr D. WILDE
Introductory Remarks, . . Hon. DANIEL W. Gooorr
Prayer, . . . . . . . ,. . . . . . Rev. D. ALLEN MOREIICJUSE
Music, “The Great Centennial Ycar,”—-Words and Music by Mrs. Greene-In
N. BORDMAN. (Sung by the pupils of the common schools.)
Reading of the Delaration of Independence, . Mr. GEORGE E. MUNROE
Music, “America,” 1VIEI..ROSl."£ ORCI-IESTRA AND Ontoiws or lvliann Vorens
Cornet 8010, “Young America Polka,” . Mr. WA1xrI<.‘.:R. EMnRsc>N
Historical Sketch of Melrose, . . . . Mr. ELnnIDen H. Goes
Marching Song, “The School Brigade,” . Mrs. Gnonern N. BORIJMAN
(Sung by the school children.)
Presentation of the Flag to the Town, . Miss Clannrn L. WILDE

Response, . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Warxrnn Bars};
Music, “Star Spangled Banner,” OR(3I~IES'I‘.'RA AND Ononus or MALIQ Vorens
Closing Remarks, . . . . . . . . . . Rev. VVILLIAM A. START
Doxology, “Old Hundred,” . BY run AUDIENCE

Benediction, . . . . . . . . . . Rev. NAPOLEON B. T1-IIOMPSON

Mr. WILDE introduced the proceedings at the hall, by reading
the President’s Proclamation; after which, in a few appropriate
remarks, he presented the President of the Day, I-Ion. D. W. C-looen,
who made the following Address:

MR. G-OOACI-I’S ADDRESS.

Fnnnow C‘rrIzENs: ,
Your Committee of Arrangements has assigned to me the pleasant duty
of presiding at this meeting, for which I tender my sincere thanks.
’l‘o~day closes the first hundred years of our national life, and we all
most cheerfully respond to the resolution, passed by the Senate and House
of Representatives, approved by the President, and enforced by his Procla~
mation, to the reading of which you have just listened. ,
A It is a pleasant thought, that, on this day, the people of every mu-

6

ESQ-;.:.::~:»;-.~.sma.-m«< ; :, ; ‘ eégxgsmxagcgc

4:2 PR 0 OEEDING-S.

nicipality throughout our broad land are called upon" to assemble and
listen to an historical sketch of the leading and important events which
have transpired within it since its formation. It will make a most valuable
contribution to our country's and the world's history, to which future
generations will turn with deep interest.

It has been truly said, that the American Revolution was born in the
primary assembly, in the town meeting. We all know that the most inter-
esting portions of New England history are found in our municipal
records; and it is certainly well, that, as a part of the exercises of this
Centennial Anniversary, we should devote something of time and elfort
to extending and perfecting these records, and giving to them a more
enduring form and greater publicity.

Fellow Citizens: One hundred years ago to-day, the declaration of
the great principles on which this nation was to stand, and in accordance

with which its government was to be administered, was made to the world; i

principles so plain, so simple, so just, that they almost immediately com~
manded the earnest and hearty support of all loyal and patriotic men; and
yet so broad, so deep, so comprehensive, so far in advance of anything
the world had ever lmown, that it has cost two bloody wars, almost count-
less millions of money, hundreds of thousands of lives, and a century of
time to secure for them practical recognition in the legislation and admin-
istration of the government. God grant that no succeeding century shall
ever undo or impair the noble work which the first has accomplished.

Ladies and Gentlemen: The programme of the entertainment
provided for this afternoon, which you hold in your hands, admonishes
me that I must not detain you from its enjoyment.

PRESENTATION OF THE FLAG.

The President, upon introducing Miss iW1r,nn, who presented,
in loehalf of the ladies, and Mr. Basis, Chairman of the Board of
Eielectmen, who received, in behalf of the town, a beautiful flag,
which had just been purchased by the ladies, and was then float-
ting over the town ha1l,~——— spoke as follows :--—-

When the Declaration of Independence was declared from the State
House, at Philadelphia, the king’s arms were taken down, carried to the
Common, and burned. The Declaration ended the supremacy of England
over the Colonies, and by this act the symbol of, her power was destroyed.

There are many traditions as to the origin and devices of our flag, but
neither the time, or circumstance of its first use is definitely known.
Almost a year after the Declaration of Independence, the American
Congress, by ., formal resolution, adopted it; and from that time the stars
and stripes have been our national banner, and every loyal citizen has ever
looked to it with pride and satisfaction: with pride, because it has com-
mancled the respect of the world; with satisfaction, because it pledges the
mighty power of the government, whose symbol it is, to the protection of
every citizen.

TO WN OF MELIz30S1i’. I 43

A few days ago it occurred to Miss MINNIE C. KIMBALL, that it would
be a very appropriate and graceful act for our ladies, on this occasion, to
present to the town, for use in connection with this building, the American
Flag; and the ladies, responding cheerfully to the call of Miss Kimball,

‘ have procured the beautiful flag which now floats above us; and Miss CARRIE

L. WILDE, in behalf of the donors, will now present, and WALTER B.A_:e13,
Esq., in behalf of the town, will receive it.

MISS wILnn’s ADDRESS.

Hononnn Sm:

On the 14th of June, 1777, nearly a year after the Declaration of
Independence, whose centennial anniversary we are this day celebrating,
the Continental Congress adopted, as our national banner, the stars and
stripes in the following resolution :——-—-

“Resolved, That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen
stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in
a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

Since the day this resolution was adopted, great and Wonderful
changes have taken place in our nation’s history. The noble men then
assembled at Philadelphia have long since passed away, leaving to us this
emblem of union and liberty, to be kept unsullied and to be passed by us
to the care and keeping of coming generations. All loyal hearts love and
reverence it, and in times of peril thousands have been found ready to
rally to its defence. In times of peace, we love to decorate our homes and
public buildings, on festal days, with this national standard. We teach
even the children to love and cheer it when they see it floating in the
breeze, and all because it speaks to our hearts of the country we love so
well, of the liberty we enjoy, and of the ever increasing brightness of that
“ new constellation ” which our revolutionary fathers labored so earnestly
to place among the nations of the earth.

In every town and city of our country this standard Waves to»day,'the
emblem of a free people, inspiring them with both loyaltyand patriotism.

“ Its hues are all of Heaven :
The red, of sunset dye ;
The whiteness, of the moonlit cloud;
The blue, of morning sky.”

It is with pleasure, sir, that, in behalf of the ladies of Melrose, I present

to the town the beautiful flag now Waving over this hall. We felt that
we could no more appropriately celebrate this hundredth anniversary of
our nation’s independence than by placing in charge of your town oflicers
this cherished symbol of freedom. I would, therefore, ask you to accept
this flag; and I charge you to guard sacredly its honor, and see that no
disloyal heart ever insults or dishonors it; and that, in years to come,
it may be seen proudly waving over true hearts, and in sight of our peace-
ful, happy homes.

44 PROUEEDINGS.

MR. nA.nB’s RESPONSE.

Mr. PRESIDENT:

It would be a bold man indeed who would at this late hour, and under
this oppressive heat, attempt anything like a speech,even on an occasion
so grand as this, the reception of a Centennial Flag from the hands of the
ladies of Melrosez, and more particularly after the subject has been so fully
covered, as it has been, by the eloquent remarks of our president, in the
introduction of the young lady who has so gracefully and beautifully made
the speech of presentation.

Mayor Cobb, of Boston, said, the other day, in presenting bouquets to the
school children, that the duties of the Mayor were not always pleasant,
that he was often brought into contact with hard men, men devoid of
principle, and that sometimes his official duties were distasteful and un-
pleasant; but, said he, this occasion, the meeting with the graduates of the
public schools of Boston, listening to their merry voices in sorry; and praise,
more than offsets all things else. So let me say that the selectmen of even
so cultured a place as Melrose find many duties distasteful and unpleasant.
We often find men unreasonable ; there is sometimes a clamor for impossi-
ble tlririgs, and a great deal of fault found because we perform our duties
as to us seems best; and then comes in an occasion of this kind, and we
forget it all. This occasion comes like a ray of sunliglit through the storm-
clouds.

It has been left to the patriotic women of Melrose to complete the
crowning); act of this centennial “Fourth,” in the presentation of the
beautiful flag; now flying from yonder staff. In behalf of the town of
Melrose I accept this flag; not in the material sense, as so many square
yards of bunting, but in that other and higher sense, as the emblem of our
nationality“ and of everything worth preserving. I accept it as the emblem
of a republican form of government, of free schools, churches, colleges

and the ballot; as the embodiment of those principles which our soldiers‘

in two wars so freely gave their life-blood, and so many of whom found

1, it their windinv‘ sheet; as the emblem which all of us, whether living or

in
dying, have learned to love, respect, and esteem. I receive it in behalf of
this town of ours, of which this day we have heard so much in praise; this
town, which twenty—siX years ago had little but natural scenery to recom-
mend it, now dotted all over with churches, school-houses, public buildings,
and every improvement for comfort and convenience; also represented by
all the various fraternal and other societies which have done so much to
uplift our race ; this town, which has so many men and Women of intel-
ligence, which, for integrity and purity of morals, and for everything that
goes to make a noble community, is equal to any and second tonone in
this commonwealth. In behalf of the town, then, I accept this flztg, and
assure the donors that, during the present administration, nothing shall be
done that is not in keeping with all the sentiments expressed, and that no
act of ours shall ever lower the standard now attained. This flag shall fly on

y all public occasions from this building, and as often as our eyes shall gaze
upon it, Withwpride shall we ever remembtar the loyal, generous and
patriotic women of Melrose,

T0 WN OF M]?/LI£0SE. 45

After the reception of the flag, Miss WILDE presented a silver
medal, with appropriate remarks, to Miss MINNIE C. KIhIBAI.L, as
a token, from the ladies of Melrose, of their appreciation of her

interest and success in raising the money for the beautiful flag,

now the property of the town. On one side of this medal was
engraved a flag; and on the other, “Presented to MINNIE C.
KIM:eaI.1. by the ladies of Melrose, July 4, 1876.”

The Committee to invite Representatives of the Old Families,
issued a notice in the Melrose Journal, and also sent the fol-
lowing circular of invitation :~——— ' A

The Committee appointed to make arrangements for the Centennial
Celebration of American Independence respectfully solicit your presence,
as natives of North Maiden, at the exercises to be held in the Town Hall,
during; the afternoon of July 4th, as gu.e.9ts of the town of Melrosc. Seats
will be reserved for your accommodation, tickets for which will be fur-
nished, upon application to the undersigned, or at the ticket office, in the
Town Hall, after the doors are opened.

In behalf of the Committee.
.7l{eZ~ro..<:c, Jmw 26, 1876. LEVI S. GOULD.

In response to this invitation there was a very general accept-
ance, the seats reserved for them being; fully occupied.

In the account of the pI'oceedings of the day, in the Melrose
Journal of July 8th, the following remarks occur concerning
these exercises: -—-—

“These services in the hall were to many the chiefenjoyment of the
day. The spirited, patriotic introductory address by our honored towns-
men, D. W. Gooch, the singing of “America,” the sweet voices of the
children, the fervent prayer by the Rev. Mr. Morehouse, the history of
our beautiful town, and, lastly, the singing of “Old Hundred” by so
many voices, all made an impressive service, which will mark the day as
one of the pleasantest that ever passed.” ‘

At six: o’clock the regatta took place on L Pond; the first
race being between the four-cared beats, the “Blues” and the
“Reds,”——?- the prize being a ten-foot flag, costing $10.00. The
“Blues ” were CHARLES B. HILL, stroke, J arms? SOAMMON, No. 2,
JOHN W. RoBsoN, No. 3, and WILLIAM D. Snnnar, bow; the
“Reds,” FRANK H. DAMON, stroke, FRANK T. HINcKI.:nY, No. 2,
Jesse A. DILL, No. 3, and Grnonen E. MUNROE, how. The race
was a very close one, but was won by the “ Reds.” The double ,
scull race, for a prize of $3.00 in silver, was between FRANK I-I.

46 PROCEEDINGS.

DAMON and ELISHA W. Conn, and ALBERT B. CLEAVELANI) and
WALTER C. SANDERS; race won by the two latter. The tub race,
for a prize of $2.00 in silver, was between MILL‘EDGE MOALMON
and CHARLES S. J omrs, and was Won by the former.

The decorations of the residences of many of our citizens were
one of the most pleasing features of the day, many of the dis-
plays being very fine ; as were also the illuminations in the
evening‘; both decorations and illuminations, combined, produced
remarkably pleasant pictures in many instances. Therewas,
also, an exhibition of rockets and fireworks in different parts of
the town during the evening. Taken all in all, the celebration
of the Centennial Fourth of July, 1876, in the town of Melrose,
was a thorough and complete success in every particular; and
the committee having charge of the arrangements, and the citi-
zens generally, have every reason to feel satisfied with the result
of their united labors.

At the final meeting of the committee of arrangements, it
was voted that its records be deposited With the town clerk, and
that he be requested to make such entry of the celebration on
the‘ town records‘ as he deemed necessary; and there beinga
small balance of money in the treasury, it was voted to deposit
six dollars in the Melrose Savings Bank, principal and interest
to he held until Melrose shall celebrate the one hundredth anni-
versary of its incorporation, May 3, 1950: said sum to be added
to the $1.50 new cleposited in said bank, in the name of Dexter
F. Munroe, Treasurer, which was a balance left in the hands of
the committee that represented Melrose at Concord and Lexing-

ton, at the celebration of the 19th of April, 1875.

‘ Press of T. W. Ripley, 1:38 Congress Streei, 1>’o.s*t'cm.