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Athol    Massachusetts,  past  and  present  / 


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i^Ssj^  A  SoMrdt 


AIHOL 

MASSACHUSETTS, 

Past  ^i^^TpRESENT 


BY  LILLEY  B.  CASWELL. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


"IT  IS  A  NOBLE  FACULTY  OP  OUR  NATURE  WHICH  ENABLES  US  TO  CONNECT 
OUR  THOUGHTS,  OUR  SYMPATHIES,  AND  OUR  HAPPINESS  WITH  WHAT  IS  DIS- 
TANT IN  PLAGE  OR  TIME;  AND  LOOKING  BEFORE  AND  AFTER,  TO  HOLD  COM- 
MUNION AT  ONCE  WITH  OUR  ANCESTORS  AND  OUR  POSTERITY." 


PUBLISHEt)  BY  THE  AUTHOR. 

ATHOL,    MASS. 

1899. 


VIEWS  AND  CUTS. 


Athol  from  the  Ledges,  1 

Boundary  Map,  (initial)  1 

Round  Top,  5. 

Fitchburg  E.  E.  Depots.  7 

Indian  Fording  Place,  11 

Churches,  68 

Main  Street  School  House,  126 

Lake  Park  School  House,  127 

Highland  School  House,  128 

Old  High  School  Building,  137 

High  School  House,  138 

Grand  Army  Badge,  14g 

Scene  of  the  great  fire  of  1890  and  portrait  of  Alexander  McLeod,  175 

"Water  Works  Elevations,  178 

Eesidence  of  George  "W".  Horr,  Esq.,  Igg 

Millers  Eiver  National  Bank,  348 

Ginery  Twichell  as  the  Unrivalled  Express  Eider.  356 

Letter  from  John  Brovpn  to  Col.  George  H.  Hoyt.  360 


PRESS  OF 

The  athol  transcript  co., 

Athol,    Mass. 


coisnrE:N:a^s. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Drscriptive.    Location —  Boundaries —  Surface —  Streams —  Ponds  — Hills 

— Products — Census — Growth  of  the  Town — Valuation.  1—8 

CHAPTER  n. 

Ancient  Pequoig.  The  Nipnets— Survey  ol  the  town— Names  of  the  men 
who  drew  house  lots  in  1734 — First  settlers — Indian  depredations — 
French  and  Indian  War.  9— It 

CHAPTER  III. 

Naming  thE^Town.    The  name  of  Paxton— Act  of  Incorporation— Slietch 

of  John  Murray.  18—24 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Town  Government  Call  for  first  town  meeting — List  of  Selectmen — 
Sketches  of  Wilson  D.  Smith— George  W.  Bishop  -Chas.  A.  Carruth 
—Henry  Gray — Town  Clerks — Sketch  of  John  D.  Holbrook — Town 
Treasurers — Slietch  of  Samuel  Lee— Collection  of  taxes— The  town's 
poor — Roads  and  bridges — The  currency.  25 — 44 

CHAPTER  V. 

Churches.  The  first  church — Evangelical  Congregational  Church— First 
Baptist — Methodist  Episcopal — South  Athol  Methodist  Church — Sec- 
ond Unitarian — St.  John's  Episcopal — Second  Advent — St.  Catherine's 
Catholic.  4.5—83 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Athol  in  the  Revolution.  Action  of  the  town  just  before  the  Revolu- 
tion— Minute  men— Sketch  of  Ichabod  Dexter,  Athol's  first  captain — 
Marching  order  of  Capt.  Ephraim  Stockwell — List  of  Athol  men  in  the 
Revolution — Votes  passed  by  the  town  during  the  war.  84 — 94 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Wat  of  1812  and  Political  History.    Opposition  of  the  town  to  the 

War  of  1812— Political  History— Representatives— Senators.  95—104 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Athol  in  the  Rebellion.    Opening  of  the  Rebellion— First  volunteers 

—"War  meetings— Roll  of  Honor.  105— 12a 


IV  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Educational.  First  provision  made  for  schools— School  expenditures — 
Sketch  of  Flora  E.  Kendall— School  Committee— Sketches  of  Charles 
A.  Chapman  and  W.  D.  Luey— Teachers— High  School— Principals  of 
the  High  School— College  Graduates— Libraries— Library  committee.     123— lf6 

CHAPTER  X. 

Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  Parker  Post,  No.  123— Sketches  of 
James  C.  Parker  and  Commanders — Hubbard  V.  Smith  Post,  No.  140 
—Sketches  of  Hubbard  V.  Smith  and  Commanders— Memorial  Day 
Orators— Gen.  W.  T.  Sherman  Camp,  Sons  of  Veterans— Hoyt  Post, 
Matrons  of  the  Republic — Woman's  Relief  Corps,  No.  82 — Sketch  of 
Mrs.  Clare  H.  Bnrleigh.  147—165 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Fire  Dbpartmeht.  First  engines — Stea^r  contest — Sketches  of  Fred  A. 
HaBkins — James  McManamy — Charles  F.  Smith — Harry  F.  Boutell — 
The  great  fire  of  December,  1890— Water  works.  16&— 178 

CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Legal  Profession.    First  Lawyers— Sketches  of  Clough  R.  Milps- 
Isaac  Stevens — Hon.  Charles  Field — Geo.  W.  Horr — Sidney  P.  Smith 
— ^Henry  M.  Burleigh — Edgar  V.  Wilson — Charles  Field,  Jr. — Joseph 
A.  Titus— Trial  Justices — District  Court — Deputy  Sherifls.  179 — 194 

CHAPTER  Xni. 

The  Medical  Profession.  Early  doctors— Sketches  of  Dr.  Wm.  H. 
Williams — Dr.  George  Hoyt — Dr.  George  D.  Colony— Dr.  James  P. 
Lynde — Dr.  Samuel  H.  Colbum — Dr.  Marshall  L.  Lindsey — Dr. 
Charles  H.  Forbes — Dr.  Hiram  H.  Bums — Dr.  Alphonzo  V.  Bowker 
—Dr.  H.  R.  Thayer— Dr.  Windsor  A.  Brown— Dentists.  195—208 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Old  Athol  Families.  The  Lords— Olivers— Kendalls— Mortons— God- 
dards — Sweetser  family — Estabrooks— Fish  familj' — Humphreys — 
Hoar  family — Morses — Havens — Stockwells — Fays.  209— 28  T 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Biographical.    Sketches  of  Addison  M.  Sawyer— Capt.  Charles  C.  Bassett 

— John  C.   Hill— Daniel   Appleton   Newton — Joseph  B.    Cardany 

Cephas  L.  Sawyer-J.  Sumner  Parmenter-Frank  C.  Parmenter-Edwln 
Ellis— Lyman  Wilder  Hapgood — Nathaniel  Richardson — George  T. 
Johnson— Washington  H.  Amsden— Pardon  D.  Holbrook— Daniel  W. 
Houghton — J.  Wesley  Goodman.  288—306 


CONTENTS.  V 

CHAPTEE  XVI. 

Biographical  Continued.  Sketches  of  Theodore  Jones-Frederick  Jones- 
George  Sprague— Jonathan  Stratton— Abner  Graves  Stratton— Wm. 
H.  Garfield — Jonathan  Wheeler — Joseph  Proctor — Major  Warren 
Horr — Col.  Wilson  Andrews^Joseph  F.  Packard — Thomas  D.  Brooks 
—Edmund  J.  Gage — Alexander  Gray — James  M.  Rice — Joseph  F. 
Dunbar— Russell  Smith— Azro  B.  Folsom— Daniel  Bigelow— Dexter 
Aldrich— Gilbert  Southard— James  W.  Hunt.  307—328 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Journalism.  Athol's  first  newspaper,  Freedom's  Sentinel — Worcester 
West  Chronicle — Sketch  ol  E.  Wm.  Waterman — Athol  Transcript — 
Sketches  of  Dr.  Vernon  O.  Taylor— Wells  h.  Hill— Edgar  A.  Smith 
Frank  W.  Gourlay — Cottager  Company  and  W.  H.  Brock  &  Co. — 
Sketches  of  Wiofield  H.  Brock— Will  K.  Briggs.  329— '!.3!) 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Post  Offices  and  Banks.  Early  post  offices- List  of  Postmasters  at 
Athol  Center — Sketches  of  James  F.  Whitcomb — Edwin  B.  Hortou — 
Athol  Depot  post  oflice — List  of  Postmasters — Change  of  name  of 
post  offices — Sketches  of  Howard  B.  Hunt — Arthur  C.  Longley — Justin 
W.  Clayton — Millers  River  Bank — Athol  Savings  Bank— Athol  Na- 
tional Bank — Athol  Co-Operative  Bank — Sketches  of  Hon,  Alpheus 
Harding — Thomas  H.  Goodspeed — Col.  Albert  L.  Newman.  340—353 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Sons  of  Athol.  Sketches  of  Hon.  Ginery  Twichell — Col.  Geo.  H.  Ho\  t 
— Joel  D.  Stratton — Lysander  Spooner — Edwin  Loriug  Sprague — 
Henry  Harrison  Sprague — Lucius  Knight  Sprague — Jerome  Jones — 
Frederick  E.  Proctor — Wilson  H.  Lee— Roland  T.  Cakes — Charles 
W.  Cheney — Henry  M.  Phillips — Joel  D.  Miller — Frederic  E.  Stratton 
— Seth  Twichell— Dr.  Maurice  H.  Richardson— Josiah  W.  Flint.  ."54—384 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Early  and  Latkr  Industries.  First  grist  mill  and  saw  mill — Indus- 
tries in  the  early  part  of  the  century — Boot  and  shoe  industry — 
Sketches  of  Charles  M.  Lee — Solon  W.  Lee — Merritt  Lee — William  D. 
Lee,  Jr. — James  M.  Lee — Athol  Shoe  Co. — Hill  &  Greene — Eli  G. 
Greene — Sketches  of  Leroy  S.  Starrett— George  D.  Bates— Charles  A. 
Bates— Arthur  F.  Tyler— C.  Fred  Richardson— Herbert  L.  Hapgood 
— Almond  Smith— Henry  R.  Stowell— Abijah  Hill— Charles  L.  Morse 
Frank  E.  Wing— Lewis  Sanders— Fred  R.  Davis.  385—409 


■VI 


CONTENTS    AND    PORTRAITS. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
Commercial.  Sketches  of  Oscar  T.  Brooks — Charles  M.  Sears — Charles 
A.  Crosman — Nelson  Whitcomb — Harding  R  Barber — Herbert  S. 
Goddard — Adolphus  Bangs — Converse  Ward — George  H.  Cooke — 
James  Cotton — Calvin  Miller — George  S.  Brewer — Andrew  J.  Hamil- 
ton— Albert  R.  Tower — Frank  S.  Parmenter — William  H.  Kendall — 
Chas.  W.  Bannon — Russell  S.  Horton — Americus  V.  Fletcher — Allen 
P.  Fletcher — Augustus  Coolidge — Lilley  B.  Caswell — Isaiah  L.  Cragin 
Adin  H.  Smith — Azor  S  Davis — Hiram  C.  Dunton — Henry  F.  Pres- 
ton— John  W.  Donavan — Enoch  T.  Lewis — John  Swan — Moses  Hill      410 — 439 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
MisscELLANEOUs.  Free  Masons — Odd  Fellows — Worcester  Northwest 
Agricultural  and  Mechanical  Society — Spanish-American  War — 
Sketches  of  William  L.  Pike— Hugh  G.  Davis— William  H.  Rivett^ 
Harland  H.  Knight — Samuel  French  Cheney — George  S.  Cheney — 
Amos  Cheney — Wheelock  A.  Cheney.  440 — 448 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PORTRAITS. 


Aklrich ,  Dexter 

324 

Amsden,  Wiishin^on  H. 

3u3 

Andrews,  Col.  Wilson, 

318 

Avery  F.  C. 

132 

Bangs,  Adolphus 

414 

Baunon,  Charles  W. 

424 

Bassett,  Capt  Charles  C. 

200 

Barber,  Harding  R. 

414 

Bates,  Charles  A. 

398 

Bates,  George  1). 

397 

Bennett,  George  A . 

15S 

Bigelow,  Daniel 

324 

Bigelow,  P:ilen  JI. 

1.32 

Bishop,  George  W 

32 

Boutell,  Harry  F. 

172 

Bowker,  Dr.  !Alphonzo  X. 

204 

Brewer,  George  S. 

418 

Briggs,  Will  K. 

3,39 

Brock,  WinHeld  H. 

3.39 

Brooks,  Oscar  T. 

412 

Brooks,  Thomas  D. 

318 

Brov.n,  Rev.  Horace  F. 

58 

Brown,  Dr.  Windsor  A. 

204 

Burleigh,  Clare  H. 

164 

Burleigh,  Henry  M. 

150 

Bums,  Dr.  Hiram  H. 

204 

Cardany,  Joseph  B. 

295 

Carruth,  Charles  A. 

32 

Carruth,  Ida  E. 

134 

Caswell,  Lilley  B 

Frontispiece 

Chapman,  Charles  A. 

132 

Chenev,  Amos 

446 

Cheney,  Charles  W. 

376 

Chenev,  Geo.  S. 

446 

Cheney,  S.  F. 

446 

Cheney,  W.  A. 

446 

Clayton,  Justin  W. 

346 

Colony,  Dr.  George  D. 

196 

Cook," Caleb  A. 

322 

Cooke,  George  H. 

418 

Coolidge,  Augustus 
Cotton,  .James 

428 

418 

Cragin,  Isaiah  L. 

431 

Crosman,  Charles  A. 

412 

Davis,  .Azor  S. 

434 

Davis,  Fred  R 

408 

Doane,  Roswell  L. 

150 

Donovan,  .John  W. 

434 

Drury,  Susie  F. 

1,34 

Dunbar,  Joseph  F. 

324 

Dunton,  Hiram  C. 

434 

Ellis,  Edwin 
Estabrook,  llev.  .Joseph 

298 

248 

Fav.  Capt.  Farwell  F. 

28 1 

Pay,  J.  Ward 

285 

Paj-   Levi  B. 

286 

Pay,  Rev.  Lysander 

280 

Fav,  Sereno  K. 

281 

Field,  Hon.  Charles 

182 

Pish,  William  W. 

252 

Fletcher,  Allen  F. 

424 

Fletcher,  Americus  V. 

424 

Flint,  Josiah 

383 

Folsom,  Azro  B. 

324 

Forbes,  Dr.  Charles  H. 

204 

PORTRAITS. 


VII 


Gage,  Edmund  J. 
Garfleld,  William  H. 
Goddard,  GoodeU 
Goddard,  Herbert  S. 
Goodspeed,  Thomas  H. 
Gould,  Rev.  Edwin  S. 
Gould,  Samuel  N. 
Gourlay,  Prank  W. 
Gray,  Alexander 
Gray,  Charles 
Gray  Henry 

Hamilton,  Andrew  J. 
Hapgood,  Herbert  L. 
Hapgood,  Lyman  W. 
Harding,  Hon.  Alpheus 
Harris,  Henry  W. 
Hasliins,  Fred  A. 
Heustis,  William  H. 
Hill,  Abljah 
Hill,  John  C. 
Hill,  Wells  L. 
Hoar,  Timothy 
Holbrook,  Pardon  D. 
Horr,  George  W. 
Horr,  Major  Warren 
Horton,  Russell  S. 
Houghton,  Daniel  W. 
Hoj't,  Dr.  George 
Hoyt,  Col.  George  H. 
Humphrey,  Henry  M. 
Hunt,  Howard  B." 

Jaquith  William  E. 
Jones,  Jerome 
Jones,  Theodore 

Kendall,  Miss  Flora  E. 
Kendall,  Ira  Y. 
Kendall,  Joab 
Kendall,  John 
Kendall,  Ozi 
Kendall,  William  H. 

Lee,  Charles  M. 
Lee,  Wilson  H. 
Lindsey,  Dr.  Marshall  L. 
Lombard,  Rev.  Charles  P. 
Longley,  Arthur  C 
Lord,  Charles  L. 
Lord,  Ethan 
Lord,  Franklin  G. 
Lord,  Gardiner 
Lord,  Gardiner  Jr. 
Lord,  Lucien 
Lord,  Nathaniel  Y. 
Lynde,  Dr.  James  P. 

Martin,  Rev.  Edward  F. 
McManamv,  James 
Mellen,  William  H. 
Miller,  Calvin 
Morse,  Charles  L. 
Morse,  Frank  F. 
Morse,  Henry  T. 
Morse,  Laban 


322 
314 
229 
414 
351 

58 
152 
336 
322 
150 

32 

422 
402 
299 
350 
150 
172 
152 
4UB 
292 
336 
263 
304 
184 
318 
424 
305 
196 
358 
260 
346 

158 
372 
307 

132 
231 

229 
229 
229 
422 

390 
372 
196 
58 
346 
218 
214 
218 
218 
218 
216 
218 
199 

.'J8 
172 
1.58 
418 
408 
272 
150 
270 


Morse,  Leander  B. 
Morton,  John  D. 
Murray,  Col.  John 

Newman,  Col.  Albert  L. 
Newton,  D.  Appleton. 
Norton,  Rev.  John  F. 

Oakes,  Roland  T. 
Oliver,  Dr.  James 

Packard,  Joseph  F. 
Parker,  James  C. 
Parmenter,  Frank  C. 
Parmenter,  Frank  S. 
Parmenter,  J.  Sumner 
Preston,  Henry  F. 
Proctor,  Frederick  E. 
Proctor,  Joseph 

Rice,  James  M. 
Richardson,  C.  Fred 
Richardson,  Nathaniel 

Sanders,  Lewis 
Sawin,  Levi  C. 
Sawin,  Lewis  H. 
Sawyer,  Addison  M. 
Sawyer,  Cephas  L. 
Sears,  Charles  M. 
Shaw,  E.  J. 
Shrimpton,  Rev.  C.  J. 
Smith,  Adin  H. 
Smith,  Almond 
Smith,  Charles  F. 
Smith,  Edgar  A. 
Smith,  Hubbard  V. 
Smith,  Russell 
Smith,  Wilson  D. 
Southard,  Gilbert 
Spooner,  B.  W. 
Sprague,  Edwin  Loring 
Sprague,  George 
Sprague,  Henry  Harri.sou 
Sprague,  Lucius  Knight 
Starrett,  Leroy  )S 
Stowell,  Heury  K. 
Stratton,  Abiier  G. 
Stratton,  Frederic  E. 
Stratton,  Jonathan 

Taft,  Charles  E. 
Tavlor,  Dr.  Vernon  O. 
Tower,  Albert.  R. 
Townsend,  Harlan  P. 
Twichell,  Hon.  Ginerv. 
Twichell,  Seth 
Tyler,  .Arthur  F. 

Ward,  Converse 
Waterman,  R.  Wm. 
Wheeler,  Jonathan 
Whitcomb,  James  F. 
Whitcomb,  Nelson 
Williams,  Dr.  William  H. 
Wil.son,  Edgar  V. 
Wing,  Frank  E. 


272 

234 

22 

362 

294 

58 

372 
223 

318 
150 
298 
422 
298 
434 
372 
316 

322 
401 
300 

408 
158 
158 
289 
296, 
412 
152 

58 
432 
403 
172 
336 
158 
324 

32 
326 
162 
366 
311 
368 
370 
395 
404 
313 
134 
312 

152 
336 
422 
134 
354 
381 
399 

414 
332 
315 
346 
412 
196 
190 
408 


PREFACE. 

When  Athol  Past  and  Present  was  first  conceived  it  was  designed 
to  be  a  Gift  Book  of  two  hundred  pages  or  more,  but  after  the  woi'k 
had  been  commenced  and  a  portion  of  it  was  printed,  the  author  pur- 
chased all  the  interest  that  Mr.  W.  A.  Emerson,  its  originator,  had  in 
the  work,  and  its  plan  was  materially  changed  until  it  has  reached 
proportions  never  thought  of  at  fii'st,  with  upwards  of  four  hundred  and 
fifty  pages,  exclusive  of  the  portraits,  which  number  about  one  hundred 
pages  more. 

The  author  has  performed  all  of  the  work,  not  only  of  gathering 
the  material  and  writing  the  history,  but  has  also  solicited  all  of  the 
portraits  and  sold  the  books,  during  the  time  that  he  could  get  while 
not  engaged  in  his  regular  profession  and  other  business,  and  most  of 
this  has  been  done  in  the  few  months  of  the  winter  season  of  each  year 
for  the  last  nine  or  ten  years.  Those  who  have  never  written  or  as- 
sisted in  writing  a  historical  work  are  not  aware  of  the  vast  amount  of 
labor  involved.  The  fields  from  which  the  material  of  the  following 
chapters  have  been  garnerned  are  the  town  and  church  records,  old 
muster  rolls  in  the  state  archives  at  the  State  House,  family  records  and 
manuscripts  and  printed  volumes  wherever  found.  The  files  of  the 
Athol  Transcript  and  Worcester  West  Chronicle  have  been  freely  con- 
sulted as  well  as  those  of  the  Barre  Gazette  and  Greenfield  Gazette  and 
Courier,  and  we  have  also  availed  ourselves  of  the  valuable  information 
contained  in  the  centennial  discourse  of  the  Rev.  8.  F.  Clarke,  the 
well  prepared  work  of  "Athol  in  Suppressing  the  Great  Eebellion," 
and  the  history  of  Athol  by  George  W.  Horr  in  Jewett's  history  of 
Worcester  County. 

We  have  also  received  valuable  assistance  from  the  Fitchburg 
Public  Library,  and  from  Edmund  Barton,  librarian  of  the  American- 
Antiquarian  Society  at  Worcester,  and  are  indebted  to  the  publishers  of 
Picturesque  Worcester  North  for  the  unique  little  poem  on  "Margery 
Morion"  bv  Mrs.  Clare  H.  Burleigh,  which  we  have  incorporated  in  our 
sketch  of  the  Morton  Family.  The  author  is  also  largely  indebted  to  the 
assistance  of  George  W.  Horr,  Esq.,  and  Herbert  L  Hapgood,  who 
have  enabled  him  to  cari-y  out  his  plan  for  a  more  complete  history  than 
was  at  first  contemplated.  To  these  and  all  others  who  have  in  any 
way  contributed  to  the  advancement  of  the  work,  and  have  thus  en- 
abled us  to  present  to  the  people  of  Athol  the  first  published  history  of 
the  town,  we  would  tender  our  grateful  acknowledgements. 

The  first  five  chapters  of  the  work  were  printed  during  the  year 
1893,  and  the  succeeding  ten  chapters  in  1896,  and  consequently  the 
events  of  the  departments  treated  in  those  chapters  and  the  sketches 
of  individuals  there  appearina-,  do  not  bring  them  up  to  the  present 
date. 

LILLEY  B.  CASWELL 


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CHAPTER    I. 


DESCRIPTIVE. 

"  Whatever  strengthens  our  local  attachments  is  favorable  both  to  individual 
and  national  character.  Show  me  a  man  who  cares  no  more  for  one  place  than  an- 
other, and  I  will  show  you  in  that  same  person  one  who  loves  nothing  but  himself." 

ATHOL  is  situated  in 
the  north-western 
part  of  Worcester 
County,  on  the  Hoo- 
sac  Tunnel  line  of 
railroad,  8  2  miles 
from  Boston,  and  is 
connected  with 
Springfield,  from 
which  it  is  48  miles 
distant,  by  a  branch 
of  the  Boston  &  Al- 
bany Railroad,  form- 
merly  known  as  the 
Springfield,  Athol  &  Xortheastern. 

The  township,  as  originally  laid  out  and  surveyed  in 
October  and  November,  1732,  consisted  of  a  territory  six 
miles  square,  but  from  time  to  time  portions  of  the  original 


2  ATHOL,    HISTORICAL   AND   PICTURESQUE. 

territory  have  been  annexed  to  other  towns,  and  set  off  in 
the  formation  of  surrounding  towns. 

Portions  of  Athol  were  annexed  to  Eoyalston  Feb- 
ruary 26,  1799,  and  March  7,  1803;  a  part  of  Athol  was 
taken  to  form  Gerry  in  1786,  and  a  portion  of  the  north- 
west corner  was  set  off  to  form  Orange.  There  has  also 
been  several  additions  to  the  town,  a  part  of  Gerry  being 
annexed  February  26,  1806;  a  part  of  Orange  February 
7,  1816,  and  parts  of  New  Salem  February  5,  1830,  and 
March  16, 1837 ;  the  boundaries  now  present  a  very  irregu- 
lar outline,  especially  on  the  Phillipston  line.  The  town  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  Orange  and  Koyalston ;  on  the 
east  by  Eoyalston  and  Phillipston;  on  the  southeast  by 
Petersham,  and  west  by  New  Salem  and  Orange.  It  now 
contains  19,000  acres.  The  southeast  corner,  as  at  first 
surveyed,  was  south  of  the  meeting-house  now  standing  in 
PhUlipston;  the  northeast  corner  was  northeast  of  South 
Royalston  meeting-house ;  the  northwest  corner  was  a  few 
rods  south  of  North  Orange  meeting-house,  and  the  south- 
west corner  probably  remains  unchanged. 

The  surface  is  very  uneven,  hills  abounding  in  almost 
every  part  of  the  town,  but  rising  to  the  greatest  height  in 
the  northern  and  eastern  sections.  Here,  Millers  River, 
after  entering  the  town  a  short  distance  from  South  Roy- 
alston, flows  for  several  miles  through  a  narrow  valley 
among  the  hills,  forming  some  of  the  wildest  and  grandest 
scenery  in  this  portion  of  the  State,  until  just  below  the 
village  it  expands  into  fertUe  meadows,  which  with  their 
emerald  hues  in  Summer  form  a  beautiful  setting  for  the 
village  which  lies  along  the  Aalley,  and  stretches  up  the 
sloping  hillsides  until  it  merges  in  the  "Highlands,"  and 


DESCRIPTIVE.  6 

the  "Street,"  the  home  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  town; 
indeed,  beautiful  for  situation  is  Athol,  the  Queen  of  North- 
western Worcester. 

Millers  River,  known  by  the  Indians  as  the  Pequoig, 
like  many  of  our  New  England  rivers  and  mountains,  was 
robbed  of  its  name,  and  given  one  which  has  no  special 
significance,  except  that  unfortunately  for  the  generations 
coming  after  him,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Miller  was  drowned 
in  the  waters  of  this  river  while  attempting  to  cross  it,  and 
thus  gave  his  name  to  the  stream.  The  most  important 
tributary  is  TuUy,  which  coming  from  the  north  unites  with 
MUlers  River  where  the  meadows  expand  northwest  of  the 
village.  This  stream,  according  to  tradition,  derived  its 
name  from  an  Indian's  dog,  which  in  following  a  deer, 
drove  the  animal  over  the  meadows  into  these  waters,  and 
while  attempting  to  seize  his  prey,  was  struck  by  the  deer 
and  held  under  the  water  until  poor  TuUy  was  drowned. 

This  has  been  the  generally  accepted  theory  until  re- 
cent investigations  tend  to  show  that  this  is  not  probable,  as 
TuUy  has  been  found  to  be  a  good  old  English  family  name, 
instead  of  an  Indian  name. 

As  there  were  persons  by  the  name  of  TuUy  in  Massa- 
chusetts and  other  New  England  States  it  seems  more  likely 
that  the  brook  was  named  after  some  of  these  early  settlers, 
who  in  some  way  became  interested  in  this  section,  perhaps 
some  surveyor,  as  has  been  suggested  by  those  who  have 
investigated  the  matter. 

Another  stream  entering  MUlers  River,  which  is  of 
more  importance  to  the  town,  is  "  Mill  Brook,"  that  has  its 
source  among  the  hUls  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town  and 
the  edge  of  PhUlipston,  aiid  comes  rushing  down,  making  a 


4  ATHOL,    HISTORICAL   AND    PICTURESQUE. 

descent  of  several  hundred  feet  in  the  course  of  two  or 
three  miles,  and  affords  numerous  sites  for  mills  and  facto- 
ries, and  upon  which  are  located  some  of  the  most  flourish- 
ing manufacturing  establishments  of  the  town,  while  many 
other  privileges  of  equal  value  are  yet  undeveloped. 

This  stream  was  known  by  the  name  of  "  Mill  Brook '' 
as  early  as  1737.  In  regard  to  the  origin  of  its  name,  Rev. 
Mr.  Clarke,  in  his  Centennial  address,  says :  "  Whether  it 
was  so  called  from  the  circumstance  that  a  mUl  had  been 
previously  built  on  it,  or  because  it  afforded  numerous  sites 
for  nulls,  or  from  some  other  cause,  I  have  been  unable  to 
determine." 

But  aside  from  the  business  connected  with  this  brook, 
it  possesses  attractions  for  the  scenery  connected  with  it ; 
the  waters  of  this  stream  and  its  tributaries  form  what  is 
now  known  as  Lake  Ellis,  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  dot- 
ted with  islands,  upon  some  of  which  are  located  tasty 
Summer  cottages.  Before  reaching  the  Lower  Village  the 
brook,  in  a  series  of  cascades  and  falls,  flows  along  a  rocky 
bed,  above  which  forest  trees  rise,  forming  most  romantic 
and  picturesque  spots. 

The  largest  sheet  of  water  is  South  West  Pond,  situ- 
ated in  the  westerly  part  of  the  town,  while  Silver  Lake, 
secluded  among  the  hills,  only  a  few  rods  from  the  village, 
is  a  perfect  gem,  bordered  on  the  east  by  the  beautiful 
cemetery  bearing  its  name,  and  on  the  south  and  west  by 
"  Lake  Park,"  which,  ere  long,  will  be  covered  Avith  fine 
residences,  and  is  destined  to  become  a  favorite  rural  resort. 
Near  by  was  the  home  of  .Jason  Babcock,  whose  name 
these  waters  formerly  bore,  and  who  was  taken  prisoner  by 
the  Indians  and  carried  to  Canada  ;  the  newh-laid  streets 


DESCRIPTIVE. 


of  this  section  bear  old  Indian  names  and  those  of  the 
early  settlers. 

The  principal  hills  are  Chestnut  HUl  in  the  north, 

Eound  Top,  Ward's  and 
Pierce's  in  the  east,  from 
which  extensive  and  wide- 
sweeping  views  of  the  coun- 
try for  mUes  around  can  be 
obtained,  with  villages  dot- 
ting the  hilltops  ;  below, 
seeming  almost  at  your  feet, 
winds  the  river,  and  by  its  side 
curves  the  iron  track  over 
which  is  daily  being  trans- 
ported the  passengers  and 
traffic  of  a  continent ;  looking  to  the  west,  stretching  away 
in  the  dim  distance,  can  be  discerned  the  peaks  of  the 
Green  Mountain  range  of  southern  Vermont  and  Berkshire, 
while  to  the  north,  rising  in  clear,  bold,  outline,  Monad- 
nock's  rocky  summit  seems  to  be  within  hailing  distance. 
To  the  west,  across  the  intervening  valley,  is  "West  Hill," 
one  of  the  locations  of  the  early  settlers,  with  its  "  Sentinel 
Elm,"  a  landmark  seen  from  every  direction.  High  Knob, 
south  of  the  Centre,  is  another  eminence  from  which  an 
enchanting  view  of  a  deep  valley  and  the  western  hills 
beyond  is  obtained. 

To  the  lover  of  beautiful  scenery,  pleasant  and  attrac- 
tive drives  stretch  out  on  every  side.  Would  you  like  a 
Avild  mountain  road,'-jiow  on  the  breezy  hilltop,  anon  dijD- 
ping  into  deep  gorges,  and  traversing  rocky  hillsides,  travel 
over  "  Bear's  Den  Road,"  as  it  winds  o^er  and  among  the 


€  ATHOL,   HISTORICAL   AKD   PICTtJEESQUi:. 

kills  of  tke  northeastern  section  of  the  town ;  another  ro- 
mantic drive  is  the  "  Gulf  Eoad,"  connecting  the  Bear's 
Den  Eoad  with  Chestnut  Hill  Road. 

If  meadow  and  river  scenery  is  desired,  most  charm- 
ing bits  of  these  can  be  found  on  the  Orange  and  South 
Athol  roads. 

Athol  is  not  distinguished  as  a  farming  town,  yet  there 
are  good  farms  in  various  sections  of  the  town  that  yield 
fair  returns  for  the  labor  expended  on  them,  and  the  farm- 
ers of  Athol  have  been  among  its  most  substantial  and 
reliable  citizens.  According  to  the  State  census  of  1885, 
the  agricultural  property  was  valued  at  $647,319,  and  the 
agricultural  products  amounted  to  $143,653,  of  which  $43,- 
"252  was  the  value  of  dairy  products. 

But  it  is  as  a  manufacturing  town  that  Athol  is  most 
distinguished,  and  few  towns  of  its  size  possess  such  a 
variety  of  manufacturing  industries  as  the  people  of  this 
busy  and  thriving  community  are  engaged  in.  Among  the 
products  turned  out  from  the  factories  and  shops  are  shoes, 
cotton  and  woolen  goods,  silk,  doors,  sash  and  blinds,  pine 
furniture,  piano  cases,  billiard  tables,  rattan  chairs  and  baby 
carriages,  packing  boxes,  paper  boxes,  wallets,  machinery 
of  various  kinds,  fine  mechanical  tools,  matches,  building 
material,  soapstone  articles,  etc.  The  State  census  of  1885 
gave  114  manufacturing  establishments,  turning  out  pro- 
ducts to  the  value  of  1 1,3 28, 948,  which  at  the  present  time 
has  been  largely  increased  by  new  industries  coming  into 
town,  and  by  additions  to  those  already  established.  With 
all  these  varied  industries,  there  is  little  danger  of  a  general 
depression  of  business.  The  town  has  had  a  healthy  growth, 
both  in  population  and  business. 


FITCHBURG   R.   R-    DEPOT,  BUILT  IN  1873. 

fDamaged  by  Fire.  July,   1892.) 


■*T^F-^fe^ 


FITCHBURG   R.   R.   DEPOT,  REBUILT  IN  1893. 


DESCRIPTIVE,  1 

The  first  census  of  which  we  have  any  record  was  in 
1776,  when  the  population  was  848,  and  the  first  census 
enumerator  was  Hiram  Newhall,  the  town  records  of  1777 
stating  that  it  was  voted  to  allow  his  account  for  numbering 
the  people.  The  population  had  increased  but  little  up  to 
1800,  when  the  number  was  993  ;  the  various  census  returns 
since  that  time  are  as  follows:  1810,  1,041 ;  1820,  1,211  ; 
1830,  1,325;  1840,  1,591;  1850,  2,084;  1855,  2,395; 
1860,  2,604;  1865,  2,814;  1870,  3,517;  1875,  4,134; 
1880,  4,307;  1885,  4,758  ;  1890,  6,319.  The  per  cent,  of 
gain  from  1880  to  1890  was  46. 

The  growth  of  the  town  dates  from  the  building  of  the 
Vermont  &  Massachusetts  Eailroad,  which  was  completed 
as  far  as  Athol  in  December,  1847,  the  cars  commencing  to 
run  to  this  town  on  the  last  Monday  of  that  month,  when 
the  event  was  duly  celebrated  by  a  large  gathering  of  the 
people.  Since  the  completion  of  the  Hoosac  Tunnel  the 
raUroad  facilities  have  wonderfully  increased,  until  now 
seven  passenger  trains  a  day,  each  way,  pass  over  the 
Fitchburg  road,  while  another  important  factor  in  the  rail- 
road communication  of  the  town  is  the  branch  of  the  Bos- 
ton &  Albany,  which  was  constructed  in  1871  as  the  Athol 
&  Enfield  Eailroad,  and  in  which  the  town  took  nearly 
$100,000  in  stock,  two  passenger  trains,  each  way,  pass 
over  this  road  daily,  between  Athol  and  Springfield.  The 
railroad  station  is  an  elegant  structure,  built  in  1873,  and  is 
an  ornament  to  the  town. 

The  valuation  of  the  town,  as  returned  by  the  Assess- 
ors for  1891,  was  $3,156,287.  Real  estate,  $2,473,000  ; 
personal  estate,  $683,287 ;  polls,  1820 ;  dwelling-houses, 
1 123.  '■  The  taxes  assessed  amounted  to  $69,895.83,  and  the 


8  ATHOL,    HISTORICAL    AND    PICTURESQUE. 

rate  was  |21  per  thousand.  The  growth  for  the  last  four 
or  five  years  has  been  rapid,  more  than  $600,000  having 
been  spent  in  the  erection  of  buildings  during  the  past 
three  years,  among  which  are  the  new  Bank  Block  of  the 
Millers  River  National  Bank,  Webb's  new  Main  Street 
Block,  the  Commercial  House,  three  new  school  buUdmgs, 
including  a  fine  High  School  building,  Lucien  Lord's  Aca- 
demy of  Music,  and  C.  F.  Richardsons  Block. 

The  natural  and  acquired  advantages  of  Athol  are 
many ;  with  abundant  water-power  furnished  by  MUlers 
River  and  Mill  Brook,  good  streets  and  roads,  more  miles 
of  sidewalk  than  any  town  of  its  size  in  Western  Massa- 
chusetts, a  good  system  of  water-works,  streets  lighted  by 
electric  lights,  a  good  public  library  and  schools,  and  sur- 
rounded by  beautiful  scenery,  it  is  fast  being  filled  up  with 
beautiful  homes. 


CHAPTBR    II. 


"  Within  a  lone,  sequestered  glen, 

All  desolate  and  wild, 
The  haunt  of  beasts  and  savage  men. 

Here  roamed  the  forest  child." 

ANCIENT    PEQUOIG. 

The  valley  of  the  Pequoig  seems  to  have  been  among 
the  last  portions  of  Eastern  and  Central  Massachusetts  to 
be  settled ;  the  country  to  the  east  and  south,  and  the  Con- 
necticut Valley  on  the  vilest,  had  contained  for  many  years 
flourishing  settlements,  but  along  this  valley  and  on  these 
hills  the  white  man  had  scarcely  penetrated.  From  the 
eastern  headwaters  of  MUlers  River  in  Ashburnham,  down 
the  valley,  until  the  Connecticut  was  reached,  there  were 
no  settlements  before  1735. 

This  was  the  country  of  the  Nipnets,  or  Nipmucks, 
whose  territory  extended  bver  nearly  the  whole  of  Worces- 
ter County,  and  an  old  map  makes  the  Nipmuck  region 
also  extend  beyond  the  Connecticut,  on  the  west,  and  north- 
ward into  New  Hampshire.  According  to  Eliot,  Nipmuck, 
or  Nipnet,  was  a  "  great  country  lying  between  Connecticut 
and  the  Massachusetts,  called  Nipnet,  where  there  be  many 
Indians  dispersed."  These  were  the  Indians  out  of  whom 
the  Christian  settlements  were  gathered,  of  whom  Eliot 
was  the  missionary  and  apostle.     One  branch  or  faction  of 


10  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

the  tribe,  whose  home  or  headquarters  was  around  Wicka- 
boag  Pond,  in  West  Brookfield,  was  called  the  Quabogs. 
To  the  east  of  the  Quabogs  lay  the  possessions  of  the  Nip- 
nets,  or  Nipmucks.  The  Nashaways  lived  north  of  the 
Nipnets,  and  are  sometimes  called  the  Wachusetts,  from 
their  strongholds  in  the  mountain  of  that  name  in  Princeton. 

Another  tribe  was  the  Squakheags,  who  occupied  the 
territory  now  included  in  Northfield,  Vernon  and  Hinsdale, 
and  the  Millers  River  Valley.  It  has  been  customary  with 
most  writers  to  class  all  these  tribes,  under  the  general 
name  of  Nipnets. 

These  natives  had  many  places  of  temporary  sojourn, 
as  the  rich  valleys  for  planting,  and  by  the  falls  of  the 
rivers  and  shores  of  ponds  for  fishing.  The  meadows  of 
Athol  formed  one  of  the  favorite  corn-plantuig  places  of 
the  Indians,  while  the  forest-covered  hills  around,  which 
abounded  with  wild  game,  were  their  hunting-grounds. 
This  was  also  upon  one  of  the  most  frequented  Indian 
trails  from  southern  New  England  to  Canada,  and  there 
were  two  Indian  crossings  of  the  Pequoig  within  the  limits 
of  this  town,  one  a  little  above  Lewis'  Bridge,  and  the 
other  not  far  from  the  house  of  the  late  James  Lamb. 

Sqviakheag,  now  Northfield,  was  one  of  the  gathering- 
places  during  King  Phillip's  War,  and  during  that  strife 
bands  of  the  dusky  warriors  traversed  this  valley.  During 
this  war  the  Indians  had  gathered  at  their  Menameset 
camps,  which  were  located  in  what  is  now  New  Braintree 
and  Barre.  Major  Thomas  Savage  was  sent  with  a  force 
of  troops  to  break  up  this  gathering.  Upon  learning  of 
the  near  approach  of  the  English  the  Indians  left  Mena- 
meset, and  pushed  on  northward,  heading  for  Paquayag. 


ANCIENT  PEQUOIG. 


11 


This  band  comprised  the  Narragansetts,  the  Nipmucks 

__  and  the  Grafton  Indians,  a 
miscellaneous  crowd,  num- 
bering, in  all,  about  2,000 
souls.  The  English  pur- 
sued, but  the  Indians,  by  a 
feigned  attack,  drew  them 
off  on  the  wrong  trail,  and 
reached  Millers  River, 
which  they  crossed,  prob- 
ably at  the  crossing  near  the 
James  Lamb  place.  Mrs. 
Eowlandson,  who  was  a 
prisoner  with  the  Indians,  gives  an  interesting  account  of 
the  flight  and  the  crossing  of  the  river.  She  says :  "  They 
went  as  if  they  had  gone  for  their  lives,  for  some  consider- 
able way,  and  then  they  made  a  stop,  and  chose  out  some 
of  their  stoutest  men,  and  sent  them  back  to  hold  the 
English  army  in  play  whilst  the  rest  escaped ;  and  then, 
like  Jehu,  they  marched  on  furiously,  with  their  old  and 
young ;  some  carried  their  old,  decrepit  mothers,  some 
carried  one  and  some  another.  Four  of  them  carried  a 
great  Indian  upon  a  bier,  but  going  through  a  thick  wood 
with  him,  they  were  hindered,  and  could  make  no  haste ; 
whereupon  they  took  him  upon  their  backs,  and  carried 
him,  one  at  a  time,  till  we  came  to  Pacquag  River.  Upon 
a  Friday,  a  little  after  noon,  we  came  to  this  river.  They 
quickly  fell  to  cutting  dry  trees,  to  make  rafts  to  carry 
them  over  the  river,  and  soon  my  turn  came  to  go  over. 
A  certain  number  got  o,ver  the  river  that  night,  but  it  was 
the  night  after  the  Sabbath  before  all  the  company  got  over." 


12  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

When  the  English  came  np  to  the  river,  which  was  in 
the  forenoon  of  Monday,  they  saw  on  the  other  side  the 
smoke  of  the  wigwams,  which  the  retreating  Indians  had 
set  fire  to,  but  the  stream  was  swollen  by  the  Spring  floods, 
and  they  did  not  attempt  to  cross. 

The  Massachusetts  Council  were  deeply  chagrined  at 
the  signal  failure  of  this  expedition,  and  in  a  letter  to 
Major  Savage,  who  had  made  his  headquarters  at  Hadley, 
said:  "  Leaving  Captain  Turner  in  Captain  Poole's  place, 
with  the  rest  of  the  army  we  expressly  command  you 
to  draw  homeward,  and  endeavor  in  your  return  to  visit 
the  enemy  about  Pachquake  (Paquayag),  and  be  careful 
not  to  be  deceived  by  their  lapwing  stratagems,  by  drawing 
you  off  from  your  nest  to  follow  some  men." 

Early  in  May  the  Indians  that  had  gathered  at  Squak- 
heag  separated  into  four  parlies.  One  remained  at  Squak- 
heag  for  planting  and  fishing ;  one  went  to  Pacomptuck 
Meadows  to  plant  corn,  and  one  to  Paquayag,  now  Athol, 
for  the  same  purpose. 

Nearly  sixty  years  after  King  Phillip's  War,  a  vote  is 
passed,  by  both  Houses  of  the  General  Court,  in  July, 
1732,  "  that  there  be  four  towns  opened  of  the  contents  of 
six  miles  square  each ; "  of  these  the  first  one  named  was 
to  be  at  Paquoag,  on  Millers  River.  This  was  ordered 
to  be  surveyed  in  October,  or  November,  of  that  year,  and 
that  there  be  sixty-three  house  lots  laid  out,  one  for  the  first 
settled  minister,  one  for  the  ministry,  one  for  the  school, 
and  one  for  each  of  the  sixty  settlers  who  shall  settle 
thereon  in  his  own  person,  or  by  one  of  his  children. 
Among  the  conditions  that  the  settlers  were  to  comply 
with,  was,  that  each  settler  actually  live  on  his  land  within 


ANCIENT   PEQCOIG.  13 

three  years  from  his  admission ;  build  an  house  on  his  land, 
of  eighteen  feet  square  and  seven  feet  stud,  at  the  least, 
and,  within  the  same  time,  do  sufficiently  fence  in  and  till, 
or  fit  for  mowing,  eight  acres  of  land.  The  settlers  in 
each  town  were  also  required  to  buUd  a  suitable  meeting- 
house, and  to  settle  a  learned  orthodox  minister,  withm  the 
space  of  five  years  from  the  admission  of  the  settlers.  In 
case  the  settler  failed  to  perform  these  conditions  he  was  to 
pay  a  forfeit  of  twenty  pounds. 

In  the  Proprietors'  Records  is  found  the  following : 
"  The  following  is  a  List  of  the  Names  of  the  men  admitted 
by  the  Honorable  William  Dudley,  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee and  others,  the  Great  and  General  Court's  Com- 
mittee, to  draw  House  Lotts  in  the  Township  of  Pequoiag 
on  Miner's  River,  on  the  26  of  June  1734  at  Concord,  as 
Settlers  of  said  Pequoiag." 

The  names  of  the  settlers  given  are  as  follows :  Ed- 
ward Goddard,  Daniel  Epps,  Jr.,  Daniel  Epps,  Sr.,  Eben- 
ezer  Goddard,  Zechariah  Field,  Nehemiah  Wright,  Richard 
Wheeler,  Richard  Morton,  Samuel  Morton,  Ephraim  Smith, 
Nathan  Waite,  Charles  Dulharty,  Gad  Waite,  Joseph  Lord, 
Benoni  Twichel,  John  Wallis,  Samuel  WUlard,  John  Smeed, 
William  Chandler,  Jonathan  Marble,  William  Higgens, 
James  Kenney,  Abner  Lee,  Abraham  Nutt,  John  Headley, 
Isaac  Fisk,  Daniel  Fisk,  Thomas  Hapgood,  Richard  Ward, 
Samuel  Tenney,  John  Wood,  Benj.  Townsend,  Jonathan 
Morton,  Joseph  Smith,  William  Oliver,  Moses  Dickinson, 
Joshua  Dickinson,  James  Kellogg,  Richard  Crouch,  Ezekiel 
WaUingford,  James  Jones,  John  Grout,  Daniel  Adams, 
John  Cutting,  Samuel  Kendall,  Jonathan  Page,  John  Long- 
ley,  Joseph  Brown,  John  Child,  Nathaniel  Graves,  George 


> 


14  ATHOL,   PAST  AND    PKESENT. 

Danforth,  James  Fay,  Captain  Joseph  Bowman,  Francis: 
Bowman,  Stephen  Fay,  Israel  Hamond,  Benjamin  Bancroft, 
Joseph  Harrington,  James  Holden. 

The  next  year  after  the  drawing  of  the  house  lots,  on 
the  17th  of  September,  1735,  there  arrived  in  the  township 
five  of  these  proprietors — Richard  Morton,  Ephraim  Smith, 
Samuel  Morton,  John  Smeed  and  Joseph  Lord;  they  had 
traversed  the  -\vilderness  from  Hatfield  and  Sunderland,  on 
the  Connecticut,  and  had  come  to  make  their  homes  on 
these  unimproved  hills,  and  commence  the  first  civilized 
settlement  in  old  Pequoiag. 

These  five  pioneer  settlers  must  have  been  men  of 
resolute  spirit  and  bravery ;  here  they  were  on  these  hills 
with  their  families,  miles  from  any  settlement,  surrounded 
by  the  virgin  forest,  through  which  roamed  wild  beasts,  and 
the  savage  Indian. 

All  the  means  for  their  sustenance,  except  what  they 
could  procure  from  the  wild  game  of  the  forests,  must,  for 
months,  be  transported  from  the  Connecticut  Valley ;  their 
labors  in  clearing  up  their  lands  for  cultivation  must  have 
been  arduous,  and  they  must  have  had  a  constant  anxiety 
for  the  protection  of  their  families  and  themselves  against 
the  prowling  and  wHy  Indian. 

It  is  probable  that  they  located  their  dwellings  and 
spent  the  first  Winter  together,  about  a  mile  south  of  the 
Highlands,  on  what  is  now  called  the  Street;  here  they 
built  their  first  log  huts,  and  here  during  the  first  Winter 
after  their  arrival,  according  to  tradition,  were  born  three 
sons,  the  first  white  natives  of  old  Pequoig — these  were 
Abraham  Morton,  son  of  Richard  Morton,  Abner  Morton, 
son  of  Samuel  Morton,  and  Thomas  Lord,  son  of  Joseph 


ANCIENT    PEUUOIG.  15 

Lord.  The  &st  white  female  born  in  town  was  Margery 
Morton,  who  was  born  in  1738 ;  the  baby  shoes  worn  by 
her  are  still  treasured  as  relics  in  the  Kelton  famUy,  by 
Mrs.  Electa  Kelton,  who  is  a  descendant  of  the  Morton 
family. 

In  the  Spring  of  1736  this  little  company  of  settlers 
were  joined  by  others,  among  whom  were  Aaron  Smith, 
Samuel  Dexter,  Robert  Young,  Noah  Morton,  Nathaniel 
Graves,  Eleazer  Graves,  Robert  Marble,  William  Oliver 
and  his  three  brothers — John,  James  and  Robert.  Other 
settlements  were  soon  commenced  in  different  parts  of  the 
town — "  West  Hill,"  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  town, 
and  Lyon's  HUl,  in  the  east  part,  being  the  first  localities 
cleared.  Chestnut  Hill  was  first  settled  about  the  year 
1761,  and  the  first  settler  was  John  Haven. 

This  was  a  frontier  township,  and  especially  exposed 
to  the  depredations  of  the  Indians ;  while  the  breaking  out 
of  the  French  and  Indian  War,  soon  after  the  arrival  of  the 
first  settlers,  together  with  the  fact  that  this  was  a  favorite 
haunt  of  the  Indians,  made  it  necessary  to  exercise  the 
greatest  care  and  precaution  against  attacks  from  the  wily 
foes  around  them,  and  the  settlers  were  not  only  obliged  to 
carry  firearms  with  them  while  about  their  work,  but  also 
to  buUd  forts,  for  the  mutual  safety  and  protection  of  the 
settlement.  Three  of  these  forts  are  said  to  have  been 
built,  the  first  and  principal  oncbeing  on  the  "  Street,"  in 
cl6se  proximity  to  where  the  first  dwellings  were  erected; 
another  was  located  on  what  was  called  "  West  HUl,"  not 
far  from  where  the  old  "  Sentinel  Elm"  now  stands,  as  if  a 
monument  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  the  deeds  and 
scenes  of  those  trying  days  of  Ancient  Pequoig.     The  third 


16  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

place  of  refuge  is  said  to  have  occupied  the  spot  where  the 
Pequoig  House,  in  the  Lower  Village,  now  stands. 

Notwithstanding  the  perilous  situation,  it  is  not  known 
that  more  than  one  person  was  ever  kUled  by  the  Indians 
in  this  toAvn,  and  that  was  Mr.  Ezekiel  Wallingford,  who 
was  living  at  the  time  in  the  fort  on  "West  HUl;"  it 
is  stated  that,  supposing  he  heard  bears  in  his  cornfield, 
one  evening,  he  went  out  to  watch,  but  soon  discovered 
that  he  had  been  deceived  by  the  Indians,  who  had  imi- 
tated the  noise  of  bears,  and  were  surrounding  him ;  he 
immediately  started  to  regain  the  fort,  which  was  about 
a  hundred  yards  away,  but  was  soon  stopped  by  a  musket- 
ball,  and  his  life  ended  by  the  tomahawk.  This  was  in 
August,  1746,  and  the  next  Spring,  in  April  or  May,  Mr, 
Jason  Babcock,  \Vhile  looking  for  his  cows  on  the  meadows 
of  TuUy  Brook,  was  fired  upon  by  the  Indians,  wounded, 
taken  prisoner,  and  carried  to  Canada;  in  the  course  of  a 
few  months  he  was  redeemed,  and  returned  to  his  home, 
near  what  is  now  SUver  Lake,  where  he  lived  for  many 
years. 

Rev.  Mr.  Clarke,  in  his  Centennial  discourse,  gives  an 
account  of  a  little  Athol  girl,  Mary  Smeed,  six  years  old, 
who,  with  her  father,  mother  and  brothers,  was  taken  pris- 
oner at  "  Fort  Massachusetts,"  on  the  Hoosac  River,  where 
they  had  gone  for  safety;  they  were  carried  through  the 
wilderness  to  Canada,  and,  after  a  captivity  of  nearly  two 
years,  those  of  the  party  who  survived  were  ransomed,  and 
returned  to  their  former  home,  at  Pequoiag. 

Several  Athol  men  were  in  the  army  during  the  French 
and  Indian  War,  among  whom  were  Samuel  Graves  and 
Adonijah  Ball ;  also  Abraham  Morton,  the  first  white  child 


ANCIENT  PEQUOIG.  17 

born  in  Athol,  who  was  engaged  in  the  expedition  agaiast 
Canada  under  Colonel  Rogers,  and  of  whom  tradition  teUs 
the  following:  That  after  Rogers'  defeat,  the  party  to 
which  Morton  belonged,  on  their  return  home,  being  out 
of  provisions,  came  near  starving,  and  the  strong  proba- 
bility is  that  the  party  drew  lots  to  determine  who  of  their 
number  should  yield  his  body  to  save  the  rest  from  fam- 
ishing. It  is  supposed  that  the  lot  fell  on  Mr.  Morton,  for 
he.  was  never  heard  of  afterwards.    • 

One  of  the  first  settlers,  Mr.  Josiah  Holmes,  lost  his 
life  in  consequence  of  sickness  brought  on  by  exposure  and 
fatigue,  "experienced  while  guarding  and  defending  the 
garrison  in  which  the  little  flock  was  obliged  to  resort  for 
shelter  and  safety." 

Such,  briefly  told,  are  some  of  the  perils  and  privations 
passed  through  by  the  courageous  and  sturdy  pioneers  and 
their  families,  who  planted  on  these  hills  the  first  homes  of 
Ancient  Pequoig. 


CHAPTER    III. 


"  What's  in  a  Name  ? ' 


NAMraG   THE    TOWN. 

^-  i-^f^  HE  FOUNDING  of  a  New  England 
town,  and  investing  it   with    aU    the 
rights  and  privileges  possessed  by   a 
town,  was  an   event   of  great  impor 
tance. 

Every  day  brought  its  labors  and 
duties  that  must  be  attended  to;  roads 
must  be  made,  schools  established  and  school-houses  built, 
the  young  men  trained  to  arms  against  the  savages,  the 
bears,  wolves  and  wild  cats;  the  preaching  of  the  gospel 
must  be  maintained  and  meeting  houses  erected,  and  for 
all  these  taxes  must  be  laid  and  collected. 

AU  of  these  duties  the  first  settlers  of  Old  Pequoig 
performed,  and  laid  for  us  the  foundations  of  all  that  we 
enjoy  to-day.  For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  this 
little  settlement  had  grown  and  prospered  under  the  Pro- 
prietors' control,  when  a  movement  was  made  for  the 
incorporation  of  "  Pequoig  on  Miller's  Eiver  "  into  a  town. 


NAMING   THE   TOWN.  19 

What  name  should  be  conferred  upon  this  new  town 
when  admitted  to  the  sisterhood  of  towns  in  the  Common- 
wealth'? It  seems  somewhat  singular  that  in  aU  the  State 
there  are  so  few  of  our  towns  that  bear  their  old  and  ro- 
mantic Indian  names,  but  in  most  instances  were  given  the 
names  of  towns  in  Old  England,  or  those  of  the  rulers  or 
prominent  men  in  the  colony. 

It  would  seem  from  the  record  of  a  warrant  for  a  pro- 
prietors' meeting  that  appears  in  the  second  volume  of  the 
Proprietors'  Records,  that  a  different  name  than  the  one  it 
now  bears  was  first  selected  for  the  new  town,  but  why  and 
by  whom  we  have  not  been  able  to  determine.  The 
record  reads  as  follows: 

[Seal]  "  Province  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  in  New 
England,  to  Nathaniel  Graves,  of  Paxton,  in  the  county  of 
Worcester,  New  England,  Gentleman: 

GREETING 

You  are  hereby  required  to  notify  the  Proprietors  of 
said  Paxton,  lately  known  by  the  name  of  Pequoig,  lying 
on  Miller's  River  so  called,  in  the  County  of  Worcester, 
that  they  assemble  and  meets  at  the  Publick  Meeting  House 
in  said  township  on  the  second  Wednesday  'of  March  next, 
for  the  transaction  of  their  usual  business,  &c." 

This  warrant  was  dated  February  22,  1762,  just 
twelve  days  before  the  town  was  incorporated  with  an  en- 
tirely different  name.  Why  the  name  of  Paxton,  which 
certainly  was  expected  by  the  clerk  of  the  proprietors  to 
be  the  one  selected,  did  not  appear  in  the  act  of  incorpora- 
tion is  not  known. 

We  may  consider  it  a  fortunate  circumstance  that  the 
town  escaped  bearing  the  name  of  Paxton,  for  the  people 


20 

of  another  Worcester  County  town  upon  which  it  was 
bestowed  a  few  years  after  became  so  disgusted  with  the 
character  of  the  man  from  whom  they  received  the  name 
that  they  petitioned  the  Legislature  to  change  the  name, 
but  for  some  reason  the  petition  was  not  granted.  Charles 
Paxton,  the  man  referred  to,  was  one  of  the  Commisioners 
of  the  Customs  at  Boston.  He  was  remarkable  for  finished 
politeness  and  courtesy  of  manners,  but  is  said  to  have 
been  an  intriguing  politician  and  a  despicable  sycophant. 
On  one  occasion  he  was  exhibited  between  the  figures  of 
the  devil  and  the  pope,  in  proper  figure,  with  this  label; 
"  every  mamus  humble  servant,  but  no  ■man's  friend." 

He  made  himself  so  obnoxious  to  the  people  of  Boston 
because  of  his  issuing  search  warrants  to  discover  supposed 
smuggled  goods,  and  was  so  insolent  and  tyrannical,  that  he 
became  an  object  of  such  hatred  that  he  was  hung  in  efiigy 
upon  Liberty  Tree,  and  was  driven  into  Castle  WUliam. 

On  the  evacuation  of  Boston  he  accompanied  the 
British  army  to  Halifax,  and  subsequently  went  to  Eng- 
land, where  he  died  in  1782. 

The  corporate  act  creating  the  new  town  is  recorded 
in  chapter  XX  of  "  Acts  and  laws  passed  by  the  Great  and 
General  Court  or  Assembly  of  His  Majesty's  Province  of 
the  Massachusetts  Bay  in  New  England,"  and  reads  as 
follows: — 

"  Anno,  Regni,  Regis.,  Georgii  III,  Secundo,  IJ62." 

CHAPTER  XX. 

"An  act  for  erecting  the  new  Plantation  called  Payguage,  in  the" 
County  of  "Worcester,  into  a  Town  by  the  Name  of  Athol. 

Whereas,  it  hath  been  represented  to  this  Court  that  the  inhabitants 
of  the  Plantation  of  Paygauge  in  the  County  of  "Worcester,  labor  under 
great  Difflcultie?  by  reason  of  their  not  being  incorporated  into  a  Town, 
and  are  desirous  of  being  so  incorporated; 


NAMING    THE    TOWN.  21 

Be  it  therefore  enacted  by  the  Governor,  Council  and  House  of 
Eepresentatives  that  the  said  Plantation  be  and  hereby  is  erected  into  a 
Town  by  the  Name  of  Athol,  bounded  as  follows,  viz..  Northerly  on 
the  Plantations  of  Royashire  and  Mount  Grace,  Westerly  on  Ervingshire 
and  New  Salem,  Southerly  on  Petersham  and  the  Plantation  called 
Number-Six,  and  Easterly  on  said  Number-Six ;  and  that  the  inhabitants 
thereof  be  and  hereby  are  invested  with  all  the  Powers,  Privileges  and 
Immunities  that  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Towns  within  this  Province  are 
by  Law  vested  with.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  that  John  Murray, 
Esquire,  be  and  hereby  is  directed  and  empowered  to  issue  his  Wan-ant, 
directed  to  some  of  the  principal  Inhabitants  within  said  Town,  requir- 
ing them  to  warn  the  Inhabitants  of  said  Town,  qualified  to  vote  in 
Town  Affairs,  to  afesemble  at  some  suitable  Time  and  Place  in  said 
Town  to  choose  such  Officers  as  are  necessary  to  manage  the  Affairs  of 
said  Town :  Provided  nevertheless  the  Inhabitants  of  said  To^\m  shall 
Ijay  their  proportionable  part  of  such  County  and  Province  Charges  as 
are  already  assessed  in  like  manner  as  tho'  this  Act  had  not  been 
made." 

It  is  established  beyond  a  reasonable  doubt  that  Athol 
received  its  name  fronji  John  Murray,  Esq.,  whose  name 
appears  in  the  charter  of  incorporation  as  the  one  directed 
and  empowered  to  issue  the  warrant  calling  the  first  town 
meeting,  and  who  was  also  the  moderator  of  that  meeting. 
He  was  largely  interested  in  lands  in  the  township,  owning 
several  hundred  acres  before  the  incorporation  of  the  town, 
and  acquiring  nearly  as  much  more  thereafter;  several  of 
the  old  deeds  of  his  Athol  property  are  now  in  possession 
of  his  descendants  in  New  Brunswick. 

That  he  was  probably  the  most  distinguished  man 
among  the  proprietors  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  the 
title  of  Esquire  is  attached  to  his  name  as  it  appears  upon 
the  records,  which  title  is  bestowed  upon  no  other  one  of 
the  proprietors.  It  seems  reasonable  also  that  he  should 
desire  to  bestow  his  family  name  upon  one  of  the  New 
England  townships  in  which  he  was  so  largely  intereisted, 
and  as  Rutland,  the  town  where  he  made  his  residence,  had 


22  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

already  been  named,  lie  would  naturally  look  to  the  one  in 
which  he  was  next  most  largely  interested,  which  was  old 
Pequoig. 

The  fact  that  the  beautiful  and  romantic  scenery  of 
the  hills  of  the  new  town,  which  is  said  to  resemble 
Blair-Athol,  his  ancestral  home,  might  recall  to  his  mind 
that  (Pleasant  Land)  among  the  Scottish  hills,  and  thus  be 
an  additional  motive  for  the  naming  of  the  town. 

Athol,  in  Scotland,  is  a  district  of  450  square  miles, 
situated  among  the  hills  of  Perthshire  on  the  southern 
slope  of  the  Grampian  hUls,  and  is  intersected  by  many 
narrow  glens,  down  which  flow  the  rapid  tributaries  of  the 
Tay.  It  is  chiefly  composed  of  gneiss  and  quartz  rocks, 
with  beds  of  primary  limestone.  It  was  once  one  of  the 
best  hunting  districts  in  Scotland,  and  the  Athol  deer 
forest  is  said  to  contain  100,000  acres  and  10,000  head  of 
deer,  of  which  100  are  killed  annually.  The  larch  trees 
surrounding  Blair  Castle,  the  seat  of  the  Duke  of  Athol, 
are  said  to  be  remarkable  for  their  enormous  size,  and  for 
the  fact  of  their  being  among  the  first  planted  ia  Scotland. 
In  the  picturesque  pass  of  Killiecrankie  in  this  district,  1 7 
miles  northwest  of  Dunkeld,  Claverhouse  feU  in  1689, 
though  victorious  over  the  troops  of  King  'WJ.illiam  III. 

In  this  connection  a  sketch  of  the  man  who  gave 
Athol  her  name  will  be  of  interest. 

John  Murray  of  Rutland,  Mass.,  was  the  youngest  son 
of  the  Duke  of  Athol  in  Scotland.  Becoming  displeased 
with  his  family,  he  left  his  country  and  went  to  America 
before  the  Revolution.  It  is  said  that  by  his  enterprise 
and  good  fortune  he  became  the  wealthiest  man  of  the 
town.     He  was  the  principal  man  in  his  section  of  the 


COL.  JOHN    MURRAY. 


NAMING   THE    TOWN.  '  23 

country,  and  represented  Rutland  in  the  General  Court  for 
twenty  years,  and  was  one  of  the  country  gentlemen  or 
colonial  noblemen  who  lived  upon  their  estates  in  a  style 
that  has  long  siuce  passed  away. 

He  was  a  colonel  in  the  militia,  and  in.  1774  was  ap- 
pointed a  Mandamus  Councillor,  but  was  not  sworn  into 
office.  When  the  Revolution  broke  out  he  remained  loyal 
to  his  King,  and  was  proscribed  and  his  property  seized. 
He  abandoned  his  house  on  the  night  of  the  25th  of 
August,  1774,  and  with  a  friend,  Mr.  Hazen,  escaped  in 
the  darkness  of  the  night  to  the  woods,  and  only  their 
wives  knew  their  hiding  place.  These  watched  their  op- 
portunities, and  carried  them  bread  and  meat.  Sometimes 
the  ladies  would  be  so  closely  watched  that  they  could  not 
elude  the  revolutionists,  and  once  it  was  three  days  that 
they  could  take  them  no  food.  Finally  they  escaped  to 
Boston,  and  in  1776  Col.  Murray,  with  his  family  of  six. 
persons,  accompanied  the  royal  army  to  Halifax.  In  1778 
he  was  proscribed  and  banished;  and  in  1779  his  extensive 
estates  in  Rutland,  Athol  and  Lenox,  valued  at  23,367 
pounds,  17  shillings  and  9  pence,  were  confiscated,  with 
the  exception  of  one  farm  for  his  whig  son,  Alexander. 
After  the  Revolution  Col.  Murray  became  a  resident  of  St. 
John,  New  Brunswick,  and  buUt  a  house  in  Prince  Wil- 
liam street.  He  was  allowed  a  pension  of  £200 
per  annum  by  the  British  Government.  The  descendants 
of  Col.  Murray,  in  New  Brunswick,  have  several  relics  of 
the  olden  time  of  much  interest ;  among  these  are  articles 
of  silver  plate  of  a  by  gone  fashion,  books  of  accounts,  bus- 
iness memoranda,  muster  rolls,  or  list  of  officers  of  the 
regiment  which  he  commanded,  deeds  of  his  estates,  &c. 


(/ 


24  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Of  the  latter,  there  are  no  less  than  twenty-two  of  his  lands 
in  Rutland,  and  several  of  property  in  Athol.  One  of  the 
deeds  is  stamped,  but  it  bears  date  some  years  previous  to 
the  passage  of  the  odious  stamp-act.  The  manner  in 
which  he  kept  his  books  and  papers,  shows  that  he  was  a 
careful,  calculating  and  exact  man  in  his  transactions.  In 
person  he  was  about  six  feet  three  inches  high,  and  well 
proportioned,  A  picture  of  Col.  Murray,  by  Copley,  is  in 
the  possession  of  Hon.  J.  Douglas  Hazen  of  St.  John's, 
New  Brunswick.  In  this  picture  he  is  represented  as  sit- 
ting, and  in  the  full  dress  of  a  gentleman  of  the  day ;  and 
his  person  is  shown  to  the  knees.  There  is  a  hole  in  this 
portrait,  and  the  tradition  in  the  famUy  is,  that  a  party 
who  sought  the  Colonel  at  his  house  in  Rutland  after  his 
flight,  vexed  because  he  had  eluded  them,  vowed  they 
would  leave  their  mark  behind  them;  and  accordingly 
pierced  the  canvas  with  a  bayonet. 


Chapter  iv. 


TOWN    GOVERNMENT. 

"No  other  practicable  human  institation  has  been   devised  or  conceived  to 
secure  the  just  ends  of  local  government,  so  felicitous  as  the  town  meeting.'' 


HE  FIRST  Town  Meeting  of  Athol  was 
held  March  29,  1762.  The  call  for  the 
meeting  read  as  follows  : 

"WoRCESTEB,  ss.  To  George  Cutting  of 
Athol,  in  the  County  of  Worcester,  and  one 
of  the  principal  inhabitants  of  said  Town; 
"Whereas  I,  the  Subscriber,  am  Impowered  by 


NUilUcM^,' 

w^ 

m 

til 

w^\ 

act  of  the  Great  and  General  Court,  to  call  a  meeting  of  the  Inhabitants 
of  the  Town  of  Athol,  to  choose  Town  Ofllcers,  etc.  These  are  there- 
fore in  his  maiestie's  name  to  Require  you  forthwith  to  warn  and  Notifle 
the  said  Inhabitants  of  Athol,  qualified  to  vote  in  Town  Affairs,  that 
they  meet  at  the  Meeting-  House  in  said  Town  of  Athol,  on  Monday, 
the  29  of  this  Instant  March,  at  one  of  the  clock  in  the  afternoon,  then 
and  there  to  Choose  a  Moderator,  Selectmen,  Town  Clerk,  Assessors, 
Town  Treasurer,  Wardens,  Constables,  Surveyors  of  Highways,  Tyth- 
ingmen.  Fence  Viewers,  Sealers  of  Weights  and  Measures,  Field 
Drivers,  Hog  Reaves,  and  all  other  ordinary  Town  Officers,  as  Towns 
Choose  in  the  month  of  March,  annually. 

Hereof  fail  not,  and  make  return  hereof  with  your  Doings  hereon, 
unto  me  before  said  meeting. 


26  ATHO'Ly   FAST  ASD    PEESEKT. 

Given  under  my  Hand  and  Seal  at  Rutland,  In  said  County,  this 
fifteenth  day  of  March,  1762,  in  the  second  year  of  his  present  Majestie's, 
Beign,  etc."    John  Murray,  Jus.  Peace. 

At  this  meeting  John  Murray  was  chosen  moderator 
and  the  following  town  officers  were  elected  : 

Selectmen  and  Assessors,  William  Oliver,  vlaron  Smith, 

John  Haven  ;  Toum  Treasurer,  Nathan  Goddard  ;  Wardens, 

Robert  Young,  Nathan  Goddard  ;    Constable  for    South 

Ward,  Richard  Morton  ;   Constable  for  North   Ward,  Eph- 

raim  Smith  ;    Surveyors  of  Highways,  Nathan  Goddard, 

John  Oliver,  Seth  Kendall ;    Tythingmen,  Jesse  Kendall 

and  Jotham  Death ;  Fence  Viewers,  WUliam  Biglo,  Martin 

Morton  ;    Sealer  of  Leather,  Jotham    Death  ;     Sealer    of 

Weights    and  Measures,  WUliam  Oliver ;    Field  Drivers, 

Joseph  Dexter  and  James  Oliver  ;    Deer  Reeves,  Eleazer 

Graves  and  Jason  Babcock  ;   Hog  Reeves,  Silas  Marble  and 

Ichabod  Dexter ;    Sealer  of  Boards   and  Shingles,   Jesse 

Kendall.      No  Town  Clerk  was  chosen  untU    the    next 

annual  meeting,  March  7,  1763,  when  John  Haven  was 
chosen  to  that  office. 

The  second  town  meeting  was  held  May  25,  1762, 
when  the  first  appropriations  made  by  the  town  of  Athol 
after  its  incorporation  were  voted.  The  following  are 
some  of  the  votes  passed  at  that  meeting : 

"Art.  2.  Voated  the  Rev.  Mr.  James  Humphrey  Fifty-two 
pounds  for  the  ensuing  year,  beginning  the  year  when  we  ware  made 
a  Town." 

"Art.  3.  On  the  third  artecal,  voated  twenty  pounds  to  repair 
highways." 

"Art  4.  On  the  fourth  artecal,  voted  seven  pounds  to  buy  a 
book  for  records,  and  build  a  pound,  and  to  defray  other  necessary 
charges." 


TOWN    GOVERNMENT.  27 

'■•Art.  5.  On  the  fifth  artecal,  voted  Lay  out  a  I'oad  from  the 
Eiver  to  Royalshea  line." 

"Art.  7.  On  the  seventh  artecal,  voted  that  men  be  allowed  three 
shillings  a  day  for  highway  work,  and  one  shillipg  and  six-  pen^e  for 
two  oxen  a  day,  and  nine  pence  a  day  for  a  cart  and  nine  pence  a  day 
tor  a  plow,  and  that  eight  hours  be  esteemed  a  day's  worli.^' 

It  is  interesting  to  know  who  tlie  men  have  been  who 
have  been  called  upon  by  their  fellow  citizens  to  manage 
the  affairs  tjf  the  town,  and  to  learn  something  of  their 
history. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  those  who  have  served  as 
Selectmen : 

1763 — Samuel  Morton,  Aaron  Smith,  John  Haven. 

1764 — Aaron  Smith,  John  Haven,  Martin  Morton,  Samuel 
Morton,  Silas  Marble, 

1765 — Wm.  Oliver,  Aaron  Smith,  Nathaniel  Graves,  John  Haven 
Abraham  Nutt. 

1766 — Aaron  Smith,  Wm.  Oliver,  John  Haven,  Abraham  Nutt, 
Seth  Twichell. 

1767 — Wm.  Oliver,  Aaron  Smith,  John  Haven. 

1768— Nathaniel  Graves,  Wm.  Oliver,  Aaron  Smith,  Jesse  Ken- 
dall, Ichabod  Dexter. 

1769 — Nathaniel  Graves,  John  Haven,  Lieut.  Wm.  Oliver. 

1770  -Aaron  Smith.  John  Haven,  Jesse  Kendall. 

1771 — John  Haven,  Jesse  Kendall,  Nathaniel  Babbitt. 

1772- -John  Haven,  James  Oliver,  Geo.  Kelton. 

1773 — Aaron  Smith,  John  Haven,  Jesse  Kendall. 

1774 — Dea.  Aaron  Smith,  James  Stratton,  Jr.,  James  Oliver. 

1775 — Aaron  Smith,  James  Stratton,  Jr.,  Hiram  Newhall. 

1776— Aaron  Smith,  James  Stratton,  Hiram  Newhall. 

1777 — Geo.  Kelton,  Hiram  Newhall,  Abner  Graves. 

1778— Geo.  Kelton,  James  Stratton,  Josiah  Goddard. 

1779 — Josiah  Goddard,  Abner  Graves,  Hiram  Newhall, 

1780— Josiah  Goddard,  Hiram  Newhall,  Abner  Graves. 

1781 — Josiah  Goddard,  Hiram  Newhall,  Johir Foster. 

1782 — Josiah  Goddard,  Caleb  Smith,  Daniel  EUenwood. 

1783 — Daniel  EUenwood.  Thomas  Lord,  Simon  Goddard,  Josiah 
Godilai-d,  John  Poster. 


28  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

1784 — Geo.  Kelton,  Josiah  Goddard,  Abner  Graves. 
1786 — Geo.  Kelton,  Josiah  Goddard,  Abner  Graves. 
1786 — Josiah  Goddard,  Abner  Graves,  Caleb  Smith. 
1787 — Josiah  Goddard,  Abner  Graves,  Caleb  Smith. 
1788— Josiah  Goddard,  Aaron  Oliver,  Abner  Graves. 
1789 — Josiah  Goddard,  Abner  Graves,  Aaron  Oliver. 
1790 — Josiah  Goddard,  Joseph  Pierce,  Eleazer  Graves,  Jr. 
1791 — Josiah  Goddard,  Joseph  Pierce,  Caleb  Smith. 
1792 — Josiah  Goddard,  Thomas  Stratton,  Aaron  Oliver. 
1793 — Thomas  Stratton,  Eleazer  Graves,  Jr.,  Caleb  Smitli. 
1794 — Josiah  Goddard,  Thomas  Stratton,  Eleazer  Graves,  Jr. 
1795 — Josiah  Goddard,  Thomas  Stratton,  Eleazer  Graves,  Jr. 
1796 — Josiah  Goddard,  Thomas  Stratton,  Eleazer  Graves,  Jr. 
1797 — Samuel  Young,  Joseph  Pierce,  Aaron  Oliver. 
1798 — Josiah  Goddard,  John  Humphrey,  Aaron  Smith,  Jr. 
1799 — Josiah  Goddard,  John  Humphrey,  Aaron  Smith. 
1800 — Eleazer  Graves,  Samuel  Young,  JoshuaBallard. 
1801 — Eleazer  Graves,  Jpshua  Ballard,  Wm.  Young. 
1802 — Eleazer  Graves,  Aaron  Smith,  Elijah  Goddard. 
1803 — John  Humphrey,  Eleazer  Graves,  Elijah  Goddard. 
1804 — John  Humphrey,  Eleazer  Graves,  Samuel  Young. 
1805 — Eleazer  Graves,  Samuel  Young,  James  Humphrey. 
1806— Eleazer  Graves,  "Wm.  Young,  James  Humphrey. 
1807 — Eleazer  Graves,  James  Humphrey,  James  Oliver. 
1808 — James  Oliver,  Elijah  Goddard,  Joseph  Pierce. 
1809 — Eleazer  Graves,  Elijah  Goddard,  Joel  Morton. 
1810— Eleazer  Graves,  Joseph  Proctor,  Elijah  Goddard. 
1811 — Eleazer  Graves,  Elijah  Goddard,  James  Oliver. 
1812 — Joshua  Ballard,  James  Humphrey  ,  James  Oliver. 
1813 — James  Humphrey,  James  Oliver,  Joseph  Pierce. 
1814— James  Humphrey,  James  Oliver,  Joseph  Pierce. 
1815— James  Humphrey,  James  Oliver,  Theodore  Jones. 
1816 — Eleazer  Graves,  Joseph  Pierce,  Zachariah  Field. 
1817— Eleazer  Graves,  Zachariah  Field,  Ezra  Fish. 
1818— Lieut.  Eleazer  Graves,  Ezra  Fish,  Eliphalet  Thorpe. 
1819— Lieut.  Eleazer  Graves,  Eliphalet  Thorpe,  Capt.  James  Oli- 
ver. 

1820— Eliphalet  Thorpe,  Joseph  Proctor,  Capt.  James  Oliver. 
1821— Eliphalet  Thorpe,  Joseph  Proctor,  Capt.  Jam'fes  Oliver. 
1822— Eliphalet  Thorpe  James  Oliver,  Abner  Graves,  Jr. 


TOWN    GOVERNMENT.  29 

1823— Eliphalet  Thorpe,  James  Oliver,  Abner  Graves,  Jr. 
1824— Ellphalet  Thorpe,  James  Oliver,  Abner  Graves,  Jr. 
18-25 — Eliphalet  Thorpe,  James  Oliver,  Abner  Graves,  Jr. 
1826— James  Oliver,  Capt.  Abner  Graves,  Col.  Nathan  Nickerson. 
1827-  Col.  Nathan  Nickerson,  James  Young,  Daniel  Ellenwood. 
1828— James  Young,  James  Oliver,  Esq.,  Dr.  Ebenezer  Chaplin. 
1829— James  Young,  Samuel  Sweetzer,  Jr.,  Josiah  Fay, 
1830 — James  Young,  Samuel  Sweetzer,  Jr.,  Josiah  Fay. 
1831 — James  Young,  Eliphalet  Thorpe,  Josiah  Fay. 
1832  —James  Young,  Eliphalet  Thorpe,  Josiah  Fay. 
1833 — James  Young,  Eliphalet  Thorpe,  Josiah  Fay. 
1834 — James  Young,  Eliphalet  Thorpe,  Noah  Stockwell. 
1835— James  Young,  Gideon  Sibley,  Noah  Stockwell. 
1836 — James  Young,  Gideon  Sibley,  Noah  Stockwell. 
1837 — Benj.  Estabrook,  Amasa  Lincoln,  Nehemiah  "Ward. 
1838 — Benj.  Estabrook,  Amasa  Lincoln,  Nehemiah  Ward. 
1839 — Benj.  Estabrook,  Stillman  Knowlton,  Nehemiah  Ward. 
1840 — Theodore  Jones,  Elias  Bassett,  Joseph  Stockwell. 
1841 — J.  W.  Humphreys,  Elias  Bassett,  Alexander  Gray. 
1842— J.  W.  Humphreys,  Henry  Fish,  Alexander  Gray. 
1843 — John  H.  Partridge,  Alexander  Gray,  John  Kendall. 
1844 — Eliphalet  Thorpe,  Benj.  Estabrook,  Elias  Bassett. 
1845— Elias  Bassett,  Theodore  Jones,  Samuel  Sweetzer. 
1846—  Theodore  Jones,  Elias  Bassett,  Samuel  Newhall. 
1847 — Samuel  Newhall,  Benj.  Estabrook,  Nehemiah  Ward. 
1848 — Calvin  Kelton,  Nathaniel  Kichardson,  Wm.  D.  Lee,  Jr. 
1849 — Calvin  Kelton,  Nathaniel  Richardson,  Wm.  D.  Lee,  Jr. 
1860 — Calvin  Kelton,  Nathaniel  Richardson,  Benj.  Estabrook. 
1851 — Benjamin  Estabrook,  Isaac  Stevens,  Josiah  Haven. 
1852  —Benjamin  Estabrook,  Isaac  Stevens,  Josiah  Haven. 
1853 — Samuel  Newhall,  Josiah  Haven,  Nathaniel  Richardson. 
1854 — Nathaniel  Richardson,  Josiah  Haven,  Laban  Morse. 
1855 — Josiah  Haven,  George  Farr,  Calvin  Kelton. 
1856— Calvin  Kelton,  James  Lamb,  A.  G.  Stratton. 
1857— Calvin  Kelton,  A.  G.  Stratton,  Benjamin  Estabrook. 
1858— Nathaniel  Richardson.  Calvin  Kelton,  John  Kendall. 
1859 — Nathaniel  Richardson,  Calvin  Kelton,  John  Kendall. 
1860— Calvin  Kelton,  A.  G.  Sti-atton,  Jona.  Drury. 
1861— Calvin  Kelton,  Amos  L.  Cheney,  John  Kendall. 
1862— Amos  L.  Cheney,  John  Kendall,  A.  D.  Horr. 


30  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


1863— Calvin  Kelton,  A.  D.  Horr,  Amos  L.  Cheney. 
1864— Calvin  Kelton,  Josiah  Haven,  G.  Lord,  Jr. 
1866— Calvin  Kelton,  J.  W.  Hunt,  J.  M.  Rice. 
,    1866— Calvin  Kelton,  J.  W.  Hunt,  J.  M.  Eice. 
1867— Calvin  Kelton,  J.  W.  Hunt,  J.  M.  Rice. 
1868— Calvin  Kelton,  N.  Richardson,  John  Kendall. 
1869— Benjamin  Estabrook.  N.  Richardson,  John  Kendall. 
1870 —  Benjamin  Estabrook,  A.  G.  Strattou,  Josiah  Haveu. 
1871— Edwin  Ellis,  A.  G.  Stratton,  Josiah  Haven. 
1872— Edwin  Ellis,  A.  G.  Stratton,  Josiah  Haven. 
1873 — Solon  W.  Lee,  A.  G.  Stratton,  Josiah  Haven. 
1874 — A.  G.  Stratton,  Josiah  Haven.  E.  J.  Gage. 
1875— A.G.  Strattou,  W.  H.  Amsden,  G.  Southard. 
1876— W.  H.  Amsden,  Wm.  W.  Fish,  G.  Southard. 
1877— Wm.  W.  Fish,  G.  Southard,  W.  D.  Smith. 
1878— Wm.  W.  Fish,  Gilbert  Southard,  W.  D.  Smith. 
1879— Wm.  W.  Fish,  G.  Southard,  W.  D.  Smith. 
1880 — G.  Southard,  Geo.  W.  Woodward,  Josiah  Haven. 
1881— G.  Southard,  O.  F.  Hunt,  O.  T.  Brooks. 
1885J — G.  Southard,  Henry  Gray,  Josiah  Haven. 
1883— G.  Southard,  C.  F.  Richardson,  A.  J.  Nye. 
1884— C.  F.  Richiirdson,  W.  D.  Smith,  Henry  Gray. 
1885— W.  D.  Smith.  Henry  Gray,  J.  W.  Sloan. 
1886— W.  D.  Smith,  Henry  Gray,  J.  M.  King. 
1887— C.  F.  Richardson,  Ira  Y.  Kendall,  A.  J.  Nye. 
1888— C.  F.  Richardson,  Ira  Y.  Kendall,  Henry  Gray. 
1889— Gardiner  Lord,  Henry  Gray,  Orrin  F.  Hunt. 
1890 — Gardiner  Lord,  Henry  Gray,  James  Cotton. 
1891— Geo.  W.  Bishop,  James  Cotton,  Edwin  W.  Ellis. 
1892— C.  F.  Richardson,  Edwin  W.  Ellis,  James  Cotton. 
189,3— W.  D.  Smith,  Geo.  W.  Bishop,  Herbert  L.  Hapgood. 

Wilson  D.  Smith,  chairman  of  the  board  of  Selectmen 
for  1893,  was  born  in  New  Salem,  Jan.  11,  1845.  His 
parents  removed  to  Athol  when  he  was  five  years  of  age, 
and  this  town  has  since  been  his  home ;  he  attended  the 
public  schools  of  Athol  and  continued  his  studies  at  Wes- 
leyan  Academy,  Wilbraham,  Mass.,  and  Eastman's  Busi- 
ness College  at  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.     After  leaving  school 


TOWN    GOVERNMENT.  31 

he  engaged  in  business  with  George  Farr  in  the  manufact- 
ure of  matches  on  South  Street,  in  which  he  continued 
three  years,  and  in  1866  went  into  the  wool  and  wool 
waste  business,  being  in  company  with  G.  P.  Sloan  for 
about  a  year  since  which  time  he  has  carried  on  the  busi- 
ness alone ;  for  about  a  year  he  run  the  cotton  mUl,  and 
sold  out  that  business  to  Jones  Brothers. 

In  1877  he  was  elected  on  the  board  of  Selectmen, 
assessors  and  overseers  of  the  poor  and  held  that  position 
for  three  years  ;  he  was  elected  to  the  same  position  in  1884 
and  again  served  three  years,  and  in  1892  was  elected  on 
the  board  of  assessors  of  which  he  was  the  Chairman.  In 
1893  he  was  elected  Selectman,  Assessor,  Overseer  of  the 
Poor  and  Road  Commissioner.  He  has  been  actively  inter- 
ested in  a  number  of  the  business  enterprises  of  the  town, 
having  been  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Athol  Machine  Co. 
from  its  organization  until  1892,  and  has  been  in  almost 
every  stock  company  that  has  been  organized  in  town. 
He  is  a  member  of  Star  Lodge  of  Masons,  Union  Royal 
Arch  Chapter  and  Athol  Commandery  of  Knights  Templars, 
and  was  a  charter  member  of  the  Poquaig  Club.  He  was 
married  in  1867  to  Lucretia  Wheelock,  daughter  of  Dea. 
E.  M.  Smith  of  Athol,  and  has  had  two  children,  only, 
one  of  whom,  Ray,  is  now  living.  Mrs.  Smith  died  in 
1891. 

Geo.  W.  Bishop  was  born  in  West  Burke,  Vt.,  Oct.  4th, 
1849.  He  graduated  from  St.  Johnsbury  Academy  at  the 
age  of  17,  and  then  entered  the  employ  of  the  Connecticut 
&  Passumpsic  River  Railroad  in  the  train  service  and  main- 
tenance of  way.     After  four  years  of  service  with  this  com- 


32  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

pany  he  went  to  work  for  the  old  Vermont  <fe  Massachu- 
setts Railroad  in  1870.  He  had  charge  of  a  section  until 
1874  when  he  was  appointed  roadmaster  of  the  Fitchburg 
Railroad  which  position  he  still  holds,  having  charge  of  the 
road  from  Fitchburg  to  Greenfield,  Worcester  to  Winchen- 
don  and  the  Ashburnham  and  Turners  Falls  branches.  He 
holds  a  high  rank  among  railroad  men,  having  been  pres- 
ident of  the  New  England  Roadmasters'  Association,  and 
also  a  delegate  to  the  conventions  of  the  Roadmasters  of 
America  Association  at  Denver,  Col.,  in  1889,  and  Detroit 
Mich.,  in  1890.  He  is  prominent  in  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity, having  become  a  member  of  Star  Lodge  of  Athol  in 
1872 ;  is  a  member  of  Union  Royal  Arch  Chapter,  Athol 
Commandery  of  Knights  Templars,  Titus  Strong  Council 
of  Greenfield  and  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  has  been  master 
of  Star  Lodge,  Commander  of  Athol  Commandery  and  Dis- 
trict Deputy  Grand  Master  of  the  12th  Masonic  District, 
and  in  December,  1893,  was  elected  (^rand  Senior  Warden 
of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Massachusetts.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  TuUy  Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  various  other  or- 
ganizations. 

Believing  in  the  future  growth  of  Athol  he  has,  during 
the  last  few  years,  invested  largely  in  building  operations, 
He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  board  of  Selectmen  in 
1891,  and  was  the  Chairman  that  year,  and  was  elected 
again  in  1893.    He  married  Annie  B.  King  Sept.  16,  1873. 

Charles  A.  Carruth  was  born  in  Petersham,  Dec.  13, 
1853.  He  attended  the  common  schools  of  his  native  town, 
and  Highland  Institute,  and  immediately  after  finishing  his 
studies  at  the  Institute  was  called  upon  to  take  charge  of 


WILSON    D.  SMITH. 


GEORGE    W.    BISHOP. 


CHARLES    A.    CARRUTH. 


HENRY    GRAY. 


TO-VVN    GOVERNMENT.  33 

a.  difR-Cultt  school  in  the  west  part  of  Petersham,  which  he 
conducted  successfully. 

He  commenced  his  mercantile  career  in  1870  when 
he  came  to  Athol  and  entered  the  employ  of  Parmenter 
&  Tower  as  clerk,  where  he  remained  four  and  a  half 
years,  when  in  company  withF.  S.  Parmenter  he  purchased 
the  dry  goods  and  clothing  business  of  J.  S.  Parmenter, 
the  firm  being  known  as  Parmenter  &  Carruth ;  this  part- 
nership was  continued  for  two  years  when  the  business 
was  sold  to  Holbrook  &  Twichell  in  1876  and  Mr.  Car- 
ruth entered  the  store  of  Walter  Thorpe  as  clerk  in  his 
dry  goods  and  clothing  business  where  he  remained  for 
five  months,  and  in  February  1877  bought  out  the  clothing 
business  of  Wm.  Bixby  in  Masonic  Block,  where  he  con- 
tinued until  the  building  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1890; 
after  occupying  a  temporary  store  for  some  time  he  moved 
into  his  present  store  in  Starr  Hall  Block. 

He  married  Lizzie  I.  Bassett  Feb.  15,  1877.  She 
died  March  24th,  1879,  and  he  was  married  a  second 
time  Jan.  23,  1880  to  Ida  E.  Davis  of  Orange. 

In  1891  be  was  elected  on  the  board  of  assessors  and 
again  for  the  year  1892,  and  re-elected  for  1893.  He  is  a 
prominent  society  man,  being  a  member  of  the  several  Ma- 
sonic and  Odd  Fellow  organizations  and  of  Corinthian 
Lodge  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  was  one  of  the  organizers  of 
Poquaig  Club  of  which  he  has  been  one  of  the  Executive 
Committee  since  its  formation. 

Henry  Gray  was  born  in  Athol,  Jan,  16,  1830,  a  son 
of  Alexander  Gray.  He  attended  the  common  schools  and 
worked  on  the  farm  irntil  about  23  years  of  age  when  he 


34  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

came  to  the  Centre  to  live,  working  at  the  carpenter  busi' 
ness  for  several  years,  and  later  vv^as  employed  in  the  shop 
of  W.  H.  Amsden  at  Kennebunk.  For  quite  a  number  of 
years  he  has  been  engaged  in  farming  and  the  milk  busi- 
ness, and  has  frequently  been  called  upon  to  serve  the  town 
in  official  positions.  He  has  served  as  Selectman  seven 
years,  and  has  also  been  assessor,  overseer  of  the  poor  and 
road  surveyor,  and  was  a  member  of  boards  of  Assessors 
and  Overseers  of  the  Poor  for  1892  and  1893.  Was  mar- 
ried March  10,  1859,  to  Lucinda  M.  Peirce  of  New  Salem; 
they  have  one  daughter,  the  wife  of  Dr.  Z.  E.  Luce  of  Bos- 
ton. Mr.  Gray  has  been  a  member  of  Athol  Lodge  of 
Masons  for  about  twenty  years,  and  was  the  first  Master  of 
Athol  Grange. 

Town  Clerks. 

It  is  interesting  to  know  who  have  transcribed  the 
records  of  the  Town's  doings  through  the  years  of  its  his- 
tory and  to  learn  something  of  their  lives.  The  first  Town 
Clerk  was  John  Haven,  who  was  chosen  at  a  town  meeting 
held  March  7th,  1763,  and  served  continuously  until  1774, 
and  during  the  years  1776  and  1777. 

Those  holding  this  office  since  that  time,  have  been, 
William  Bigelow  1774  and  1775,  John  Foster  from  1778 
to  1782,  Hiram  Newhall  1782  to  1788,  Thomas  Stratton 
1788  to  1797,  John  Humphrey  1797  to  1818,  Theodore 
Jones  1818  to  1829,  Wm.  H.  Williams  1829  to  1833,  Ben- 
jamin Estabrook  1833  to  1840,  John  W.  Humphrey  1840 
to  1845,  Joseph  E.  Jones  1845,  Isaac  Stevens  1846  to  1850, 
James  I.  Goulding  1850  to  1863,  T.  H.  Goodspeed  1863 
to  1873,  Edwin  Ellis  1873,  J.  S.  Parmenter  1874  to  1881. 


TOWN    GOVERNMENT.  35 

John  D.  Holbrook  the  present  Town  Clerk  was  appointed 
to  that  office  by  the  Selectmen  on  the  death  of  J.  S.  Par- 
menter  in  the  faU  of  1881,  and  was  elected  by  the  town  at 
the  next  annual  meeting  in  March,  1882,  and  has  held  the 
office  continuously  since  that  time.  ^ 

Mr.  Holbrook  was  born  Oct.  6th,  1843,  at  Townsend, 
Vt. ;  he  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town  and 
Leland  &  Gray  Seminary.      The  war  of  the   Eebellion 
breaking   out  when  he  was  a  student,  he  enlisted  from 
school  when  about  18  years  of  age,  in  1862  in  the  16th 
Vermont  Regiment  in  which  he  served  nine  months,  and 
on  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service  enlisted  in  the  26th 
New  York  Cavalry  for  three  years  or  during  the  war.    On 
his  return  from  the  war  he  taught  school  in  Townsend  dur- 
ing one  winter,  and  then  went  into  the  country  store  of 
Winslow  &  Piper  of  that  town  as  a  clerk ;  after  five  years' 
service  in  this  position  he  went  to  Fayetteville  in  the  town 
of  Newfane,  and  carried  on  a  general  country  store  for  two 
years,  from  which  place  he  came  to  Athol  to  reside  in  the 
Spring  of  1872,  the  firm  of  Holbrook,  Twitchell  &  Co. 
having  been  established  in  Athol  the  previous  year  vrith  a 
store  in  the  Music  Hall  building  at  the  Centre.     The  firm 
continued  to  carry  on  business  at  that  place,  doing  a  dry 
goods  and  clothing  business,  untU  the  burning  of  Music 
Hall  in  April,   1876,  and  in  September  of  that  year  re- 
moved to  the  Lower  Village  and  occupied  the  store  where 
he  now  carries  on  business  in  Parmenter's  block.     In  1878 
Mr.  Twitchell  retired  from  the  firm  which  then  became  J. 
D.  Holbrook  &  Co.     In  August,  1877,  he  married  Miss 
Lydia  A.  E.  Smith  of  Barre.     Mr.  Holbrook  represented 


36  ATHOL,    PAST   AJND    PRESENT. 

this  district  in  the  Legislature  of  1879.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Congregational  Church,  Hubbard  V.  Smith  Post,  G. 
A.  E..,  and  Acme  Lodge  Knights  of  Honor. 

Town  Treasurers. 

The  first  Town  Treasurer  was  Nathan  Goddard  who 
was  chosen  at  the  first  town  meeting  in  March,  1762,  and 
held  the  office  during  that  year  and  1764. 

Others  who  have  held  that  position  are ;  William  Oli- 
ver 1763,  Abraham  Nutt  1765  to  1775,  Hiram  Newhall 
1775  to  1779,  Daniel  EUenwood  1779  to  1787,  Joshua 
Morton  1787  to  1793,  James  Humphrey,  Jr.  1793  to  1797, 
Thomas  Stratton  1797  and  1798,  Joseph  Peirce  1799  to 
1803,  Joseph  Crosby  1803  to  1806,  Joel  Morton  1806  to 
1821,  Henry  Lee  1821  to  1840,  Theodore  Jones  1840  to 
1850,  Benjamin  Estabrook  1850  to  1855,  Merrick  E.  Ains- 
worth  1855  and  1856,  Chas.  C.  Bassett  1857  and  1858, 
Abner  G.  Stratton  1859  and  1860,  S.  E.  TwitcheU  1861 
to  1865,  Nathaniel  Eichardson  1865  to  1875,  Thomas  H. 
Goodspeed  1875  to  1879,  Enoch  T.  Lewis  1879,  Samuel 
Lee  1880  to  the  present  time. 

Samuel  Lee,  who  has  been  the  efficient  Town  Treas- 
urer since  1880,  belongs  to  the  well  known  Lee  family, 
and  was  born  in  Athol,  Feb.  10,  1834,  on  what  was  known 
as  the  old  Morton  farm,  on  the  Orange  road,  now  occupied 
by  J.  W.  Sawyer.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  Lee,  who  was 
also  a  popular  town  treasurer,  having  held  that  position  the 
longest  of  any  one  in  the  history  of  the  town,  He  attended 
the  common  schools  of  the  town,  and  before  completing  his 
school  life  was  for  a  time  clerk  in  a  store  at  Royalston, 
attended  the  select  schools  that  were  held  at  the  Town 


TOWN    GOVERNMENT.  37 

Hall,  and  was  also  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  James  I.  Gould- 
ing  when  about  15  years  old.     In  1855  he  went  into  busi- 
ness with  the  late  W.  D.  Lee,  Jr.,  in  a  general  country 
store,  the  firm  being  known  as  Lee  &  Co.    In  1885  he  sold 
out  his  interest  in  the  business  and  in  company  with  Charles 
Horr  built  the  Summit  House;  he  was  also  in  company 
with  T.  H.  Goodspeed  for  about  four  years,  and  was  ap- 
pointed as    postmaster  by  President  Buchanan  in   1858, 
serving  untU   June    25,    1862.      For  the  next   six   years 
he    was   largely    engaged    in    the    real   estate     business, 
and  in  1868    in    company   with  Geo.    W.     Stevens  was 
engaged  in  trade   where  H.    M.  Humphrey's  drug   store 
now  is.     In    ]  873  he  went  into    partnership   with   J.    F. 
Humphrey  in  the  general  hardware  business  and  in  1888 
bought   out   Mr.  Humphrey's  interest  and   has   continued 
the  business  since,  dealing  in  hardware,  building  materials, 
sash,  blinds,  etc.     He  has  been  clerk  of  the  old  first  parish 
of  Athol   since  1874,  was  assessor  for  three  years,    1869, 
'70  aud  '71,  and  has  been  tax  collector  five  years.     He  has 
always   taken    an   active  interest  in  politics,    having   been 
chairman  of  the  Democratic  Town  Committee  for   several 
years,  and  president  of  the  Young  Men's  Democratic  Club, 
and   has    several  times  been  a  candidate  of  the  party   for 
representative  to  the  Legislature.     Was   married  May  1st, 
1861  to  Hattie  L.  Nourse  of  Athol,  and  has  one  son,  Fred 
H.  Lee. 

The  ofiice  of  Assessors  has  varied,  sometimes  having 
been  combined  with  the  Selectmen  and  Overseers  of  the 
Poor,  and  at  other  times  a  separate  board.  For  the  last 
number  of  years,  the  Assessors  have  been  elected  as  a  sep- 
arate board. 


38  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

The  collection  of  taxes  for  most  of  the  time  in  the  past 
has  been  let  out  to  the  lowest  bidder,  and  occasionally  the 
office  of  Collector  and  Treasurer  has  been  combined,  as  in 
1860  when  at  the  March  meeting  A.  G.  Stratton  was 
elected  as  Collector  on  the  condition  that  he  act  as  Col- 
lector and  Treasurer  for  the  sum  of  $35,  the  same  as  paid 
him  the  year  before.  In  1793  we  find  it  recorded  that 
"the  Collector  was  struck  off  to  John  Jacobs  at  six 
Pounds,"  in  1799  "Hired  Calvin  Kendall  for  $18.25  to  be 
Collector  of  Taxes."  In  1803  it  was  struck  off  to  Samuel 
Morse  at  |16.75,  and  m  1806  and  1807  the  work  of  col- 
lecting must  have  been  considered  either  as  an  honor  or  a 
profitable  occupation  as  Samuel  Morse  offered  to  serve  the 
Town  as  Collector  of  Taxes  without  compensation  during 
those  years,  and  was  elected,  while  the  position  was  still 
more  eagerly  sought  after  in  1812,  when  James  Oliver 
offered  to  give  One  Cent  for  the  Collector's  office ;  the 
town  accepted  the  offer  and  he  gave  bonds  and  was  sworn. 
Samuel  Lee  has  been  the  Collector  for  several  years, 
and  receives  a  salary  for  the  same  of  $250. 

The  Towns  Poor.  Athol  like  other  towns  in  the  early 
days  took  care  of  her  paupers  by  disposing  of  them  to  the 
lowest  bidder,  and  early  in  the  present  century  we  find 
numerous  records  like  the  following  :  At  a  town  meeting 
held  May  2d,  1803,  "voted  to  give  Francis  Green  Ten 
Dollars  annually  for  keeping  Hannah  Marble  (one  of  the 
Town's  poor)  during  her  natm-al  life."  In  1811  "the  sup- 
port of  the  Paupers  was  disposed  of  to  the  lowest  bidder  in 
the  following  manner :  Hannah  Marble  struck  off  to  John 
Crosby  at  fifteen  dollars  for  one  years  Board  and  Clothing. 


TO^VN    GOVERNMENT.  39 

Violet,  a  Negro,  struck  off  to  Abner  Stratton  at  seventy- 
five  cents  per  week  for  the  term  of  one  year."  This  Violet 
was  for  many  years  the  slave  of  the  first  minister  Rev.  Mr. 
Humphrey.  She  was  sold  by  Mr.  Humphrey  to  Mr. 
Thomas  Stratton,  and  finally  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Strat- 
ton and  the  manumission  of  slaves  in  this  Commonwealth, 
she  was  supported  by  the  town  until  she  died  at  a  very  ad- 
vanced age.  One  of  the  last  records  of  this  kind  is  found 
in  1828  when  it  was  "voted  that  the  Provision  for  the 
Paupers  for  the  year  ensuing  be  set  up  by  the  Overseers 
of  the  Poor,  and  sold  at  auction  to  the  lowest  bidder. 
Voted  that  a  fortnight  from  this  day  be  the  time  for  the 
selling  of  the  Poor."  A  more  humane  method  is  soon  inau- 
gurated for  at  the  annual  meeting  held  in  1829,  it  was  "vot- 
ed to  purchase  a  Farm  to  use  for  the  support  of  the  paupers 
and  that  a  committee  be  chosen  to  effect  that  purchase, 
provided  they  can  do  it  to  their  own  satisfaction  as  regards 
price  and  payment,  and  the  board  of  Selectmen  was  chosen 
thier  committee."  At  a  town  meeting  held  in  May  of  the 
same  year,  "Voted  to  accept  the  following  Report" — The 
subscribers  a  Committee  chosen  by  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Town  of  Athol  at  their  last  meeting  to  purchase  a  farm  for 
the  use  of  their  paupers,  have  attended  to  the  duties  of 
their  appointment  and  submit  the  following  report,  viz: 
That  on  the  Twenty-third  AprU  last  James  Young  the 
chairman  of  your  Committee  bid  off  at  auction,  for  the  in- 
habitants of  the  Town,  the  farm  lately  owned  by  xldonijah 
Ball,  Jr.,  deceased,  for  the  sum  of  f  1856  ;  that  the  Ad- 
ministrator considered  the  said  Young  as  purchaser,  etc.'' 
This  farm  has  been  used  as  the  Poor  Farm  to  the  present 
time. 


40  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

There  used  to  be  a  statue  of  the  province  that  existed 
before  the  Revolution  and  was  continued  for  some  time 
after,  which  provided  that  if  persons  were  legally  warned 
to  depart  from  a  town,  they  could  not  gain  a  legal  resi- 
dence there,  and  so  the  town  would  not  be  chargeable  for 
their  support  in  case  they  came  to  want.  When  any  ob- 
jectionable persons  came  into  town,  the  Selectmen  and 
Constables  were  diligent  in  serving  this  notice  upon  them. 
It  was  called  a  "warning  out."  In  the  town  records  we 
find  a  copy  of  one  of  these  documents  that  reads  as  follows: 

"  Worcester,  ss. — To  John  Jacobs  Constable  of  the 
Town  of  Athol  in  said  County— Greeting.  You  are  in 
the  name  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  directed 
to  warn  and  give  notice  unto  Jerusha  Bradish  of  Athol  in 
the  County  of  Worcester,  Spiner,  who  has  lately  come 
into  this  Town  for  the  purpose  of  abiding  therein  not  hav- 
ing obtained  the  Town's  consent  therefor,  that  she  depart 
the  Limits  thereof  'within  fifteen  days.  And  of  this  pre- 
cept with  your  doings  thereon  you  are  to  make  return  un- 
to the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  Town  within  twenty  days 
next  coming,  that  such  further  proceedings  may  be  had  in 
the  premises  as  the  Law  directs.  Given  under  our  Hands 
and  Seals  at  Athol  aforesaid  this  Second  day  of  January. 
A.  D.  1794. 

Caleb  Smith  |      Selectmen 

Thomas  Stratton        >  of 

Eleazer  Graves  Jr.  j         Athol. 
Athol,  January  the  lOth,  1794. 

In  obedience  to  the  above  Warrant  I  have  this  day  fully 
executed  the  same  as  the  Law  directs. 

John  Jacobs,  Constable." 


TOWN    GOVERNMENT.  41 

Roads  and  Bridges. — The  building  and  repairing  of 
roads"  and  bridges  was  a  source  of  heavy  expense  to  the 

inhabitants  of  Athol  in  the  early  days  of  its  history,  as  it 
was  to  all  our  New  England  towns,  and  always  has  been 
in  later  times.  In  1733  the  Provincial  Government  had 
caused  a  road  to  be  laid  out  and  opened  for  travel  from 
Lancaster  to  the  valley  of  the  Connecticut,  near  Deerfield, 
through  Hubbardston,  Templeton,  Petersham,  etc  ,  to  its 
westerly  terminus  at  Sunderland,  which  gave  it  the  name 
of  the  "Sunderland  Road."  This  road  was  undoubtedly 
used  by  the  early  settlers  of  Athol  in  their  journeys  to  and 
from  the  towns  of  the  Connecticut  Valley.  In  1740  a 
road  was  marked  and  cleared  from  Templeton  to  Pequoig, 
and  in  1754  a  county  road  was  laid  from  Lancaster  to  Po- 
quaig  through  Narragansett  No.  6  (Templeton.)  In  1753 
the  town  of  Warwick  chose  a  committee  to  lay  out  and 
clear  a  road  to  Pequeage  (Athol.)  Prior  to  1761,  when 
the  first  gristmill  was  erected  in  AVarwick,  the  inhabitants 
of  that  tovpn  were  compelled  to  go  to  Northfield  and  Athol 
with  their  grain,  and  not  only  to  go  on  foot,  but  to  carry 
home  on  their  backs  their  grain,  and  even  hay,  which  they 
were  obliged  to  buy  for  their  cattle.  At  the  second  town 
meeting  after  the  incorporation  of  the  town,  held  in  May 
1762,  one  of  the  articles  called  for  the  building  of  a  road 
to  Royalshea  (Royalston)  line. 

For  many  years  there  were  no  bridges  over  the  rivers, 
and  it  was  necessary  either  to  ford  the  streams  or  cross  on 
boats  or  rafts.  Among  the  arrangements  made  by  the 
proprietors  in  September  1750,  for  the  ordination  of  Rev. 
James  Humphrey  as  pastor  of  the  first  church,  we  find 
that  Lieutenant   Graves,  Lieutenant  Morton,   Mr.   Nutt, 


42 


Mr.  Samuel  Morton  and  Mr.  Aaron  Smith  were  appointed 
"a  Committee  to  make  a  Boat  so  big  as  to  carry  two  Horses 
at  once."  The  building  and  rebuilding  of  bridges  over 
Millers  River  and  Tully  was  a  heavy  expense,  and  among 
the  ways  suggested  to  lighten  the  burden  was  that  of  a 
lottery,  it  having  been  voted  by  the  town  in  September 
1784,  "to  petition  the  General  Court  for  leave  to  make  a 
lottery  to  build  the  Bridges  over  Tully  and  Millers  River 
and  repair  the  Causeway  and  chose  Hiram  Newhall ,  Josiah 
Goddard  and  WUliam  Bigelow  a  Committee  for  that  pur- 
pose." Among  the  necessary  and  indispensable  articles 
for  the  buUding  of  a  bridge  in  those  days  was  an  abund- 
ance of  rum,  sugar  and  powder,  as  the  following  bill  which 
appears  on  the  town  records  will  show : 
The  Town  of  Athol,  Dr. 

To  the  Subscribers  for  rebuilding  the  bridge  over  Millers  River  in 
the  year  A.  D.,  1793. 


£ 

s.      d. 

For  Timbei-, 

9 

1        0 

To  Framing, 

U 

6         0 

To  erecting  Abutment, 

13 

15         7 

To  Rum,  Sugar  and  Powder, 

5 

11         6 

Samuel  Young, 
Benjamin  Blanchard 
William  Young, 
Eleazer  Graves,  Jr., 

■1 
J 

Committee 

for 

Rebuilding  said 

Bridge. 

Some  degree  of  relief  was  afforded  the  towns  during  the 
first  half  of  the  present  century  by  the  turnpike  system  in 
which  companies  were  formed  and  incorporated  with  the 
design  of  making  better  roads  than  the  towns  could  afford 
to  make,  and  toll  was  collected  by  the  company  from  those 
who  travelled  on  them.  I^his  part  of  the  state  obtained 
relief  in  that  way  from  the  Fifth  Massachusetts  Turnpike 
Corporation,  which  was  incorporated  about  1800  by  the 


TOWN    GOVERNMENT  43 

Legislature.     A  section  of  the  act  of  iucorporation   states 
the  object  to  be  "for  the  purpose  of  laying  out  and  making 
a  Turnpike    road  from  Capt.  Elisha  Hunts  in  Northfield 
aforesaid,  through  Warwick,  Orange,  Athol,  Gerry,  Tem- 
pleton  and    Gardner  to  Westminster  meeting  house,  from 
thence  to  Jonas  Kendall's  Tavern  in  Leominster,  and  also 
from  Calvin  Munn's  Tavern  in  Greenfield  through   Mon- 
tague and  up  Millers  River  through  unincorporated  land 
so  as  to  intersect  the  road  aforesaid  in  Athol  and  making 
the  same  in  such  place  or  places  as  the  said   corporation 
shall  choose  and  keeping  the  same  in  repair,  which  road 
shall  not  be  less  than  four  rods  wide  and  the  path  to  be 
travelled  in  not  less  than  eighteen  feet  wide  in  any  place." 
The    location  of  the    toll  gates    is  described   as   follows: 
"One  of  which  gates    shall  be  near   where    David  Mayo 
keeps  a  tavern  in  Warwick,  one  oth«r  near  where  Samuel 
Sweetzelr  keeps  a  tavern  in  Athol ;  one  other  to  be  near  the 
line  between  Gardner  and   Westminster.     One  other  near 
where  Jonas    Kendall  keeps  a  tavern  in  Leominster,  the 
other  one  gate  where  the  Corporation  may  judge  most  con- 
venient on  the  road  from  Greenfield  to  Athol  aforesaid." 
In  1806  what  was  known  as  the  Monson  Turnpike  was 
laid  out,  which   extended  from   Monson  in  the  southern 
part  6f  the  state  to  Richmond,  N.  H.,  and  intersected  the 
Fifth  Massachusetts  Turnpike.     Athol  was  largely  inter- 
ested in  these  roads,  and  several  of  its  prominent  citizens 
held  the  office  of  clerk  of  the  board  of  directors,  Joseph 
Proctor,  Clough  R.  Miles  and  Benjamin  Estabrook  having 
held    that   position.      In    1832    the   Fifth   Massachusetts 
Turnpike  Corporation  gave  up  its  franchise  and  the  road 
was  laid  out  as  a  county  road. 


44 


The  Currency. — Great  difficulty  was  experienced  dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  War  with  the  currency.  The  paper 
money  had  become  a  legal  tender,  and  it  had  depreciated 
to  an  alarming  extent,  the  prices  of  everything  being  high 
and  unstable  while  hard  money  was  extremely  difficult  to 
obtain  and  grain  became  a  legal  tender  for  the  payment 
of  taxes  and  other  debts.  The  greatest  trouble  was  expe- 
rienced from  1779  to  about  1785,  as  is  evidenced  by  the 
various  votes  passed  by  Athol  during  that  time.  At  a  town 
meeting  held  in  1783  the  Constables  were  impowered  to 
receive  rye  for  town  rates,  and  it  was  voted  that  Benjamin 
Sanders  collect  twenty  bushels  of  rye  to  be  delivered  to 
Nathaniel  Graves,  Jr.  Also  chose  Eliphalet  Moore  and 
William  Bigelow  to  receive  grain  and  pay  whom  the  town 
owes,  grain.  In  July  1780  "Voated  to  raise  Fifty  Seven 
Thousand  five  pounds  to  pay  the  town  debt."  "Voted  to 
give  sixty  pound  for  a  blanket,  and  thirty-six  pound  for  a 
pair  of  shoes,  and  thirty  pound  for  a  shirt,  and  twenty 
pound  for  a  pair  of  stockings."  At  a  town  meeting  held 
in  1779  it  was  "voated  to  give  as  a  Bounty  to  any  man  in 
this  Town  that  shall  kill  a  grown  wolf  thirty  pound,  and 
for  a  young  one  fifteen  pound,  said  wolves  to  be  kiUed 
within  ten  miles  from  this  meeting  house  in  Athol."  The 
next  year  this  bounty  was  increased  to  three  hundred 
dollars. 


CHAPTER   V. 


CHURCHES. 

"  Great  is  the  Lord  our  God, 
And  let  his  praise  be  great ; 

He  makes  his  churches  His  abode, 
His  most  delightful  seat. 

These  temples  of  his  grace, 
How  beautiful  they  stand ! 

The  honors  of  our  native  place. 
And  bulwarks  of  our  land." 


gjgpg]  T  IS  impossible  to  fix  the  exact  date  of  the 
Wk  I  ifl        building  of    the  first  Meeting  House,  owing 
H(^i)fil        to  the  loss  of  the  early  records    of   the  Pro- 
prietors, but  from  the  best  information  to   be 
obtained,  it  seems  probable  that  it  was  not 
buUt  previous  to  the  year  1741. 

An  ancient  document  referred  to  by  Rev. 
S.  F.  Clarke  in  his  centennial  discourse  con- 
tains a  description  of  "fifty-eight  acres  of  land"  lying  on 
both  sides  of  "Mill  Brook,"  surveyed  and  laid  out  by 
Abner  Lee,  agreeably  to  a  vote  of  the  Proprietors,  "  Sept. 
ye  2d,  1741,"  "and  to  ye  election  and  choice  of  Lt.  Samuel 
Kindle,"  "on  the  original  Right  of  Jonathan  Marble,  No. 
30,  ye  eight  acres  to  Lyee  in  common  for  a  Buririg 
Place  and  Meeting  house  place,  if  ye  Proprietors  shall 
think  proper  to  put  them  too." 


46  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

From  the  reading  of  this  it  would  be  inferred  that  the 
lot  was  not  then  occupied  by  a  meeting  house. 

These  eight  acres  referred  to  lay  upon  the  north  bank 
of  Mill  Brook,  and  included  what  is  now  known  as  the 
Old  Indian  Burying  Ground  on  the  Hapgood  road,  and  the 
land  where  the  school  house  recently  erected  stands ;  it  is 
believed  that  the  first  meeting  house  was  located  very  near 
the  spot  occupied  by  the  school  house.  Here,  in  a  rough 
and  uncompleted  log  structure,  the  fathers  of  Athol  first 
engaged  in  public  worship.  But  there  are  no  records  to 
tell  by  whom  religious  services  were  conducted,  nor  how 
long  they  were  held  in  that  place.  It  is  reasonable  how- 
ever, to  suppose  that  Dr.  Joseph  Lord,  who  was  the  best 
educated  of  the  early  settlers,  officiated  as  the  first  preacher. 
This  structure  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  a  few  years,  and 
there  is  a  tradition  that  it  was  burned  by  the  Indians  ;  but 
later  investigations  point  to  the  fact  that  the  fire  caught 
from  a  fire  in  the  woods. 

Another  house  was  soon  erected  on  "  East  Pequoiag 
Hill,"  or  street,  in  close  proximity  to  the  Fort. 

No  record  gives  any  exact  date  of  the  erection  of  this 
building,  or  of  its  size  or  cost. 

It  is  said  to  have  had  but  one  pew,  and  that  original- 
ly belonged  to  Dr.  Joseph  Lord,  the  first  proprietor's  clerk 

Here  the  few  inhabitants  of  old  Pequoiag  assembled 
Sunday  after  Sunday  to  engage  in  worship,  and  whUe  a 
portion  were  worshiping  God  within,  others  were  obliged, 
arms  in  hand,  to  keep  guard  outside,  lest  the  worshipers 
should  be  surprised  by  the  wily  and    treacherous  Indians. 

The  first  record  of  any  provision  made  for  preaching 
in  the  settlement  is  as  follows:       "Oct.  18,  1749.       Voted 


CHURCHES.  47 

that  Mr.  Brown  be  allowed  for  one  day's  preaching,  five 
pounds,  Old  Tenor."  It  is  possible,  however,  that  a  regu- 
lar preacher  may  have  been  employed  previous  to  this  date 
as  the  early  records  are  lost. 

Kev.  Timothy  Brown  and  Eev.  John  Mellen  are  re- 
ferred to  in  the  records  as  ministers  to  whom  the  Proprie- 
tors were  indebted,  and  they  probably  preached  for  them 
in  the  year  174:9,  or  just  previous.  Rev.  John  Mellen  was 
pastor  of  the  first  church  in  Sterling  and  he  is  said  to  have 
been  a  man  of  superior  ability,  who  probably  stood  at  the 
head  of  the  clergy  in  the  county.  His  pastorate  at  the 
Sterling  church  extended  over  a  period  of  34  years,  and 
after  a  long  controversy  regarding  the  veto  power  of  the 
clergy,  which  right  he  maintained,  he  was  excluded  forci- 
bly from  the  pulpit.  But  his  friends  united  with  him  in 
maintainuig  separate  worship,  for  about  10  years,  either  in 
his  own  house  or  in  a  school  house. 

On  the  third  Wednesday  of  May,  1750,  the  Proprie- 
tors "Voted  that  we  choose  an  Orthodox  minister  to  settle 
in  this  Place,"  and  also  voted  that  ]Mr.  James  Humfries, 
our  present  Preacher,  be  the  Orthodox  Minister  in  this 
Place."  Mr.  Humphrey,  it  appears  by  the  records,  had 
been  supplying  the  pulpit  at  Pequoiag  from  the  10th  of 
December,  1749,  to  the  16th  of  May,  1750. 

The  terms  of  settlement  which  were  to  be  offered  Mr. 
Humphrey  were:  "Voted  that  we  give  Mr.  James  Hum- 
fries,  our  present  Preacher,  the  sum  of  Fifty  Pounds  law- 
ful money  of  this  Province  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay,  per 
Annum,  while  he  continues  in  the  work  of  the  Gospel 
Ministry,  in  this  Place,  and  farther,  add  to  that  right,  a 
whole  share  of  Land  in    the  Township    of  Pequoiag   laid 


48  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

out  by  the  General  Court  for  the  first  Minister  of  sd.  Pe- 
quoiag,  of  which  the  House  Lott  on  East  Pequoiag  Hill, 
on  the  west  side  of  the  High  Way,  Number  Eight  in  Part, 
the  sum  of  Sixty-six  Pounds,  thirteen  shillings  and  four 
Pence  lawful  money  of  the  Province  of  the  Massachusetts 
Bay,  to  be  paid,  one-half  within  one  Year  after  the  Pay- 
ment of  the  first  half,  if  he  accepts  of  the  work  of  the 
Gospel  Ministry  in  this  Place." 

Mr.  Humphrey's  answer  to  the  committee  chosen  to 
see  if  he  would  accept  the  call  reads  as  follows : 

"To  the  Proprietors  of  the  New  Township,  called  Pe- 
quoiag, at  their  Meeting  continued  by  Adjoiirnment  from 
May  16th  to  August  8th,  ensuing"" — 
"Gentlen.:" 

"  I  received  by  the  Hand  of  Lieut.  Richard  Morton  a 
Copy  of  your  Votes  passed  at  your  Meeting,  on  the  1 6th  of 
May  last,  respecting  my  settling  among  you  in  the  Capacity 
of  a  Gospel  Minister.  And  in  Answer  thereto, — In  the 
first  Place,  I  do  heartUy  thank  you  for  the  good  will  you 
have  expressed  to  me  in  your  Invitation.  After  mature 
Deliberation  upon  the  important  affair,  I  now  signify  my 
acceptance  of  the  Salary  and  Encouragement  you  have 
given  me  to  Settle  in  the  Work  of  the  Ministry  among  you 
in  this  Place,  in  Case  the  Propriety  will  make  me  an  addi- 
tion of  Forty  Shillings  lawful  money  to  your  former  En- 
couragement for  my  Annual  Support, — and  if  it  please  God 
in  his  aldisposing  Providence  regularly  to  introduce  me 
into  the  Pastoral  Office  over  you,  I  hope  by  his  grace  and 
Spirit  I  shall  be  enabled  in  some  good  measure  to  fulfil  my 
ministry.  So  I  remain  with  hearty  regards  your  Servant 
in  Christ  Jesus." 

JAJMES  HUMFREY. 


CHURCHES.  49 

"Pequoiag,  August  8,  1750." 

The  terms  of  Mr.  Humphrey  were  accepted,  and  a 
committee  was  chosen  to  make  arrangements  for  the  ordi- 
nation, also  "  to  send  to  a  Neighboring  Miaister  or  Minis- 
ters to  assist  them  in  a  Fast  and  in  Gathering  a  Church  in 
this  Place. " 

The  church  was  formed  August  29th  1750,  when  the 
pastor  elect,  and  Eichard  Morton,  Nathaniel  Graves,  Abra- 
ham Nutt,  Eobert  Marble,  Samuel  Morton,  Nathan  Wait, 
Eleazer  Graves,  Ephraim  Smith  and  Aaron  Smith  affixed 
their  signatures  to  the  solemn  church  covenant. 

The  ordination  took  place  Nov.  7th,  1750,  and  from 
that  time  for  nearly  25  years  Rev.  Mr.  Humphrey  minis- 
tered in  peace  and  happiness  to  his  people,  until  an  inno 
vation  in  the  custom  of  singing  brought  on  a  controversy, 
which  finally,  after  nearly  seven  years  of  exciting  town  and 
church  meetings,  led  to  the  severing  of  the  pastoral  rela- 
tion, and  the  dismissal  of  Mr.  Humphrey  Feb.  13,  1782, 
and  nearly  resulted  in  the  dismemberment  of  the  town.  In- 
deed, there  is  but  little  doubt  that  the  setting  off"  of  a  por- 
tion of  Athol  to  form  the  town  of  Orange  was  effected  in 
consequence  of  this  quarrel  and  the  dismission  of  Mr. 
Humphrey.  During  his  ministry  there  were  121  mem- 
bers added  to  the  church.  Mr.  Humphrey  continued  to 
reside  in  town  from  the  time  of  his  dismissal  to  that  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  May  8,  1796,  in  the  seventy-fifth 
year  of  his  age. 

The  town  and  church  were  without  a  settled  miaister 
for  more  than  five  years,  during  which  time  various  attempts 
were  made  by  both  church  and  town  to  unite  upon  a 
preacher,  but  all  was  in  vain,  until  July  25,  1787,  when 


50  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


the  right  man  seems  to  have  been  found.  The  church 
then  voted  "  unanimously  to  invite  Mr.  Joseph  Estabrook 
to  take  the  pastoral  care  of  them  in  the  Lord, "  and  on  the 
8th  of  August  the  town  concurred  with  the  church  in  extend- 
ing an  invitation  to  Mr.  Estabrook. 

He  was  publicly  ordained  on  the  21st  of  November, 
1787,  the  terms  of  his  settlement  being  as  follows: 

The  town  voted  to  give  him  two  hundred  pounds  for 
his  "  encouragement  to  settle  with  them,  and  also  the  use 
of  a  pew  in  the  meeting  house  so  long  as  he  should  remain 
the  minister  of  the  town.  "  For  his  "  support "  or  salary 
they  obligated  themselves  to  give  him  "Seventy-five 
pounds"  in  cash,  and  twenty  cords  of  good  fire-wood  an- 
nually. He  soon  succeeded  in  bringing  harmony  and  peace 
out  of  discord,  and  for  nearly  forty-three  years  ministered 
to  a  united  parish  and  happy  people  until  his  death,  April 
18,  1830. 

Through  his  careful  oversight  and  good  judgment 
the  religious  controversies  of  the  day  that  agitated  other 
communities  had  not  crept  into  his  parish,  but  on  his  death 
the  question  of  exchanges  between  the  minister  that  shoul  i 
be  called  and  ministers  of  other  churches  came  up,  and  a 
division  of  the  church  resulted. 

After  several  exciting  Town  Meetings  had  been  held 
regarding  the  hiring  of  a  minister  it  was  finally,  at  a 
Town  Meeting  held  Nov.  6,  1830,  "  Voted  unanimously 
that  we  give  the  Rev.  Josiah  Moore  a  call  to  settle  as 
Minister  over  the  First  Congregational  Church  and  Society 
in  the  Town  of  Athol,  upon  the  following  terms : — 

1st.  He  shall  exchange  Ministerial  labours  with  all  the  Consre- 
gational  Clergymen  in  the  neighborhood,  who  are  of  regular  standii'.g 
and  who  will  exchange  with  him : 


CHURCHES,  5 1 

2d.     Whenever  two-thirds  of  the  voters  of  said  society  shall  have 
given  Mr.  Moore  three  months  notice  that  they  msh  the  connexion 
between  him  and  the  Society  dissolved,  it  shall  be  dissolved;  and  when- 
ever Mr.  Moore  shall  have  given  the  Society  three  months  notice  that  he 
vishes  the  connexion  dissolved,  it  shall  be  dissolved  accordingly: 

3d.  We  will  pay  Mr.  Moore  as  a  salary,  at  the  rate  of  Five  Hun- 
dred Dollars  for  each  year,  which  sum  shall  be  paid  at  the  expiration  of 
each  year,  and  if  the  said  connexion  be  dissolved  before  the  completion 
of  any  full  year,  the  salary  which  shall  then  remain  unpaid,  shall  be 
paid  at  the  dissolution  of  said  connexion." 

The  ordination  of  Mr.  Moore  took  place  Dec.  H, 
1830,  and  he  served  the  church  as  pastor  until  August, 
1833.  He  was  followed  by  Rev.  Liuus  H.  Shaw,  who 
was  ordained  Nov.  12,  1834  and  dismissed  Aug.  29,  1836. 

Following  Mr.  Shaw's  dismission  there  was  no  settled 

minister  for  nearly  12  years.     Among  those  who  supplied 

the   pulpit    during    this    time    were  Stephen  A.  Barnard, 

Rev.  Crawford  Nightingale    and  Rev.  E.  J.  Gerry.      Of 

these  Rev.  Crawford  Nightingale  became  the  best   known 

to  the  people  of  the  town  through   his    marriage    into    a 

prominent  Athol  family.      Mr.  Nightingale   was  born   in 

Providence,  R.  I.,  Nov.  3,  1816.      He    was    educated    in 

the  public  schools  of  that  city,  and    at  Brown  University, 

gi'p^duating  from  that  institution  in   1834.      After   leaving 

college  he  entered  the  Divinity  School  at  Cambridge,  from 

which  he  graduated  in  1838.     He  was  at  Charlemont  and 

Shelburne  as  pastor  for  two  years,  and  came    to  Athol   in 

1841  and  was  pastor  of  the  church    here    for   two    years 

and  at  Chicopee  for    six    or    seven   years.     In    1846    he 

married  Mary  Hoyt  Williams,  daughter    of  Dr.   William 

H.  Williams,  a  physician  and  prominent  citizen  of  Athol. 

Mr.  Nightingale    was   pastor    of  the    church   in  Athol    a 

second  time  for  a  year  or  more,  and   was    then   pastor    at 

Groton  for  13  years  and  at  Ayer  for  10  years,  leaving  the 


52  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

former  place  on  account  of  his  anti-slavery  sentiments. 
He  had  no  settled  pastorate  after  leaving  Ayer,  and  resided 
in  Ashmont,  a  suburb  of  Boston,  from  1876  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  Aug.  20,  1892,  in  Providence, 
where  he  was  crusned  to  death  by  a  cable  grip  car  on 
College  Hill.  During  his  pastorate  in  Athol  his  public 
spirited  and  genial  ways  made  him  popular,  and  he  was 
always  a  welcome  visitor  in  town. 

Tiev.  Samuel  F.  Clarke  was  ordained  as  pastor  April 
19,  1848,  and  continued  until  1856,  having  had,  next  to 
the  pastorates  of  Rev.  Messrs.  Humphrey  and  Estabrook, 
the  longest  term  of  service  in  the  history  of  the  church. 
He  was  stirring  and  active,  not  only  in  his  church,  but  in 
social  and  town  affairs,  being  for  several  years  a  member 
of  the  School  Committee,  and  was  the  first  historian  of 
the  town,  his  Centennial  Discourse  delivered  at  the  cele- 
bration of  the  One  Hundredth  Anniversary  of  the  First 
Church  and  Society  in  Athol,  Sept.  9.  1850,  being  the 
first  attempt  to  rescue  the  early  history  of  the  town  from 
the  oblivion  to  which  it  was  fast  hastening,  and  preserve 
it  in  such  a  permanent  form  as  to  make  the  people  ac- 
quainted with  it.  This  discourse  has  been  the  basis  of  all 
subsequent  historical  sketches  of  the  early  church  and 
town  history. 

Mr.  Clarke    was   followed   by  Rev.  D.  C.  O'Daniels, 

who    served    1857-59.      Rev.   George    Bradburn   became 

pastor  in  1859. 

Of  all  the  ministers  who  have  occupied  the  pulpits  of 

Athol  churches,  the  one  who  was  the  best  known  to  the 
world  at  large,  and  the  most  distinguished  was  Rev  George 
Bradburn,  who  occupied  the  pulpit  of  the  Unitarian 
Church  for  one  year,  during  1859.  and  was  also  a  resident 


cnrECHEs.  53 

of  the  town  for  two  years  longer,  and  who  for  the  last 
twenty  years  of  his  life  spent  a  portion  of  each  summer 
here  with  his  old  friends  and  co-laborers,  the  Hoyts,  He 
was  born  in  Attleboro,  Mass.,  March  4,  1806,  his  lather 
James  Bradburn,  being  one  of  the  earliest  manufacturers 
of  woolen  cloth  in  New  England.  He  was  educated  a 
practical  machinist  and  at  the  early  age  of  nineteen  stood 
at  the  head  of  a  large  number  of  employees,  but  his  love 
of  study  and  desire  of  usefulness  to  his  race  impelled  him 
to  leave  this  business ;  and  after  pursuing  his  studies  at 
Exeter  Academy  and  the  Divinity  "School  at  Cambridge, 
he  became  a  Unitarian  minister,  his  first  settlement  being 
over  a  church  in  Nantucket.  While  at  Nantucket  he 
was  elected  to  the  Legislature  by  the  Whigs  in  1839, 
was  a  Representative  from  that  place  for  three  years,  and 
was  considered  one  of  the  most  remarkable  men  in  the 
House  of  Representatives. 

He  allied  himself  to  the  Anti-slavery  cause  and  en- 
dowed with  rare  gifts  as  a  popular  speaker,  a  face  and 
figure  of  rare  dignity  and  beauty,  and  a  courage  that 
feared  no  antagonism,  he  stood  among  the  strong  men  of 
the  Anti-slavery  cause,  and  became  at  one  time  more 
widely  known  throughout  the  Northern  States  than  almost 
any  of  the  orators  of  that  cause. 

He  was  an  intimate  associate  of  Garrison,  and 
had  the  confidence  and  friendship  of  Whittier,  Chief 
Justice  Chase,  Gerritt  Smith,  Governor  Andrew,  and  other 
prominent  leaders  in  that  great  conflict.  He  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  World's  Anti-slavery  Convention,  held  in 
London  in  1840,  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  its  pro- 
ceedings. 


54  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

From  1846  to  1849  he  edited  the  "  Pioneer  and 
Herald  of  Freedom"  at  Lynn,  in  1850  was  associated  with 
Elizur  Wright  on  "  The  Boston  Chronotype,"  and  in  1851 
removed  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  to  become  one  of  the  editors 
of  "  The  True  Democrat,"  a  daily  paper,  afterwards  the 
"  The  Leader."  He  resigned  this  position  at  the  end  of 
two  years  and  entered  the  lecture  field  throughout  the 
Western  States.  He  worked  through  the  Fremont 
political  campaign,  speaking  twenty-six  evenings  con- 
secutively. 

His  health  faiUng  him,  an  entire  change  of  climate 
was  ordered  by  his  physician,  and  he  soon  came  to 
Athol,  where  he  remained  until  1861,  when  his  friend, 
Salmon  P.  Chase,  offered  him  his  choice  of  consulship 
abroad,  or  an  honorable  position  in  the  Boston  Custom 
House.  He  accepted  the  latter,  which  position  he  re- 
tained for  14  years,  making  his  home  in  Melrose.  He 
died  July  26,  1880. 

"Rev.  Ira  Bailey  served  from  1861  to  1866,  Rev. 
W.  S.  Burton  1868-73,  Rev.  S.  R.  Priest  1874-76,  Rev. 

E.  P.  Gibbs  1877 The   pastors    since    then    have 

been  Rev.  W.  C.  Litchfield,  Rev.  D.  H.  Rogan.  Rev. 
Caroline  R.  James  supplied  the  pulpit  in  1888  and 
A.  L.  Ferry  in  1889. 

Rev.  Herbert  Whitney,  the  last  pastor,  was  born 
in  Hancock,  Vt.,  Nov.  6,  1850.  He  studied  theology 
at  St.  Lawrence  University,  and  also  took  a  course  in 
philosophy  at  Harvard.  He  has  been  pastor  of  churches 
at  Waterloo,  Canada ;  Webster,  N.  Y. ;  Ludlow.  Vt. ; 
Storm  Lake,  Iowa  and  Sherburne,  N.  Y.  He  came  to 
Athol  in    July,    1890,    and    closed    his    labors    Jan.    29. 


CHURCHES.  55 

1893.    Rev.  Charles  Conklin  supplied  the  pulpit  in  1893. 

The  second  meeting  house,  which  was  located  on 
the  "Street,"  was  used  for  public  worship  until  1773. 

When  it  became  necessary  to  build  a  new  meeting 
house,  the  town  was  agitated  from  centre  to  circum- 
ference regarding  the  location,  and  for  a  year  or  two 
Town  Meetings  were  held  every  few  months  to 
determine  the  spot ;  votes  would  be  passed  and  then 
annulled  and  made  void  at  the  next  meeting,  until  fi- 
nally, as  the  best  way  out  of  the  trouble,  it  was  decided 
to  choose  a  committee  from  other  towns  in  the  County, 
and  at  a  meeting  held  Jan.  16,  1772,  "  A  Committee 
consisting  of  Capt.  Oliver  Witt  of  Paxton,  Capt.  Stephen 
Maynard  of  Westboro  and  Col.  John  Whitcomb  of  Bolton 
were  chosen  to  fix  a  spot  for  the  inhabitants  of  Athol  to 
sit  a  meeting  house  to  accommodate  the  whole  town." 

The  Common  was  finally  decided  upon  as  the  place, 
and  here  the  third  meeting  house  was  erected  and  opened 
for  public  worship,  on  the  first  Sunday  of  July,  1773. 
This  was  occupied  until  its  destruction  by  fire,  probably 
by  an  incendiary,  on  the  night  of  July  2,  1827. 

The  present  church  edifice  was  built  in  1828,  at  an 
expense  of  between  five  and  six  thousand  dollars,  on  land 
donated  for  the  purpose  by  Mr.  Samuel  Sweetzer.  This 
building  was  remodelled  and  repaired  in  the  fall  of  1847  ; 
the  upper  part  was  finished  into  a  hall  and  disposed  of  to 
the  Town,  being  the  prfesent  Town  Hall.  The  church 
below  was  rededicated,  Dec.  8,  1847. 

THE    EVANGELICAL    CONGREGATIONAL    CHURCH. 

As  a  result  of  the  controversy  on  the  theological  doc- 
trines which  rent  the  old  First  Church  after  the  death  of 


56  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Rev.  Mr.  Estabrook,  all  but  eight  of  the  church  member- 
ship, with  two  of  its  deacons,  withdrew  in  October,  1830, 
and  formed  the,  "Evangelical  Society  of  Athol,  "  articles  of 
faith  being  adopted  by  the  new  church,  March  25,  1831. 

The  first  meetings  were  held  in  the  Town  House, 
which  stood  where  now  is  the  yard  in  front  of  James  M. 
Lee's  stable,  on  the  corner  of  Common  St. 

The  newly  organized  church  worshipped  here  until  a 
meeting-house  was  built  in  the  summer  of  1833,  which 
is  the  present  house  of  worship.  The  church  was  ded- 
icated in  June  of  that  year,  the  sermon  being  preached 
by  Rev.  Mr.  Winslow  of  Boston.  The  land  on  which  the 
church  was  built  was  given  by  Mr.  Frederick  Jones  of 
Boston,  and  the  timber  was  contributed  and  many  days 
work  were  put  in  by  individuals.  When  the  building  was 
completed  the  pews  were  sold  at  auction  and  the  money 
received  was  used  in  paying  the  cost  of  building.  In  1859 
the  church  was  enlarged  and  repaired  at  a  cost  of  about 
$6000,  at  which  time  the  present  tall  and  stately  steeple 
took  the  place  of  the  old  black  belfry  that  had  formerly 
surmounted  the  structure.  In  1868  a  fine  pipe  organ  was 
put  into  the  singers  gallery,  taking  the  place  of  the  violins, 
bass-viols,  trombone,  flute  and  seraphine,  that  had  for 
many  years  pealed  forth  their  music  for  the  singers  ;  later 
the  organ  was  removed  to  the  left  of  the  pulpit  in  front  of 
the  audience,  and  other  changes  and  improvements  have 
been  made  about  the  building. 

Rev.  George  J.  Tillotson,  who  had  preached  for  six 
weeks  in  the  old  First  Church,  before  the  call  was  ex- 
tended to  Rev.  Mr.  Moore,  and  before  the  division, 
continued  to  minister  to' the  new  church  for  three  months, 


1CHUKCHES.  57 

wlieii  he  was  invited  to  become  its  settled  pastor  but  de 
clined.  During  his  short  ministry  there  was  a  revival  of 
religion,  when  about  forty  were  converted.  Mr.  Tillotson 
is  remembered  as  a  wise,  strong  and  earnest  Christian 
minister.  Soon  after  leaving  Athol  he  was  ordained  as 
pastor  of  the  Congregational  church  of  Brooklyn,  Conn., 
which  position  he  held  for  twenty-seven  years.  He  served 
other  churches  in  Connecticut,  his  native  state,  for  eighteen 
years,  when  he  retired  from  active  service,  after  a  ministry 
of  forty-five  years.  In  1860,  he  married  for  his  second 
wife  Mary  Wood,  a  well-known  teacher  and  descendant  of 
the  Sweetzer  family  of  Athol, 

The  first  settled  minister  was  Eev.  B.  B.  Beckwith, 
-who  was  ordained  June  8,  1831,  and  dismissed  Nov.  11, 
1834.  A  notable  event  in  his  pastorate  was  a  great  re- 
vival under  the  labors  of  Evangelist  Foote,  which  resulted 
in  the  conversion  of  nearly  sixty  people,  and  awakened 
such  opposition  that  it  is  said  a  cannon  was  fired  near  the 
church  during  services,  while  a  stone  was  thrown  through 
the  window  in  the  direction  of  the  pulpit ;  another  event 
of  importance  to  the  society  was  the  erection  of  the 
church. 

Mr.  Beckwith  was  born  in  Lyme,  Conn.,  was  a  gradu- 
ate of  Williams  College,  and  a  student  of  Yale  Theological 
Seminary.  His  last  pastorate  was  with  the  First  Presby- 
terian church  at  Gouverneur,  N.  Y.,  where  he  died  July 
4,  18T0.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  James  F.  Warner, 
who  served  from  March  4,  1835,  until  Dec.  18,  183T. 

Mr.  Warner  is  said  to  have  been  a  man  of  a  quick 
and  excitable  temperament,  and  evidently  had  mistaken 
his  calling,  for  after  leaving  Athol  he  did  not  again  engage 


53  ATHaL,    PAST  ANC   PRESEST, 

in  the  ministry,  but  went  to  New  York  City  where  he  be 
came  a  teacher  of  music,  and  died  March  6,  1864. 

The  next  pastor  was  Rey.  E,.  M.  Chipman,  whose 
ministry  began  Aug-  15,  1839,  and  ended  Dec.  23,  1851, 
lasting  a  little  over  12  years,  and  is  succeeded  in  length  by 
only  one  pastorate  in  the  history  of  the  church.  This  pas- 
torate was  made  exciting  by  the  Temperance  Reform  and 
Anti-Slavery  agitations  as  well  as  the  Millerite  excitement 
which  at  this  time  was  sweeping  over  the  country,  and 
in  these  agitations  this  church  put  itself  on  record  on  the 
side  of  Temperance  and  human  freedom.  Mr.  Chipman 
was  a  native  of  Salem,  Mass.,  and  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth 
College,  his  theological  studies  being  pursued  at  Princeton, 
N.  J.,  and  at  the  University  of  New  York.  He  was  an 
energetic  pastor  and  is  remembered  with  esteem  by  many ; 
he  was  for  seven  or  eight  years  a  member  of  the  School 
Committee.  After  his  removal  from  Athol  he  served 
churches  in  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts,  and  was  also 
engaged  in  historical  and  genealogical  work. 

The  fourth  settled  pastor  was  Rev.  John  F.  Norton, 
who  was  installed  March  17,  1852,  and  served  for  15  years, 
his  pastorate  terminating  March  11,  1867,  and  being  the 
longest  of  any  pastorate  of  any  church  in  town  with  the 
exception  of  the  two  first  ministers  of  the  old  First  Church. 
No  minister  of  Athol  during  the  last  half  century  has 
probably  made  a  deeper  impression  upon  the  people  of  the 
town  than  Mr.  Norton,  and  under  his  leadership  the  church 
enjoyed  a  season  of  uninterrupted  prosperity  with  several 
revival  seasons  and  large  ingatherings  to  the  church.  He 
was  also  held  in  high  regard  and  esteem  by  the  towns 
people,  irrespective  of  church  membership,  and  was  given 


Rev.  J.   H.   HUMPHREY. 


Rev.   E.  S.  GOULD. 


Rev.   H.  F.  brown. 


CHtJRCHES.  59 

lesponsible  and  honorary  positions.  He  was  for  many 
years  a  member  of  the  School  Committee,  and  served  as 
chairman  much  of  the  time.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Eebellion,  he  was  made  chairman  of  a  committee  appoint- 
ed by  the  town  to  keep  a  record  of  all  the  town  did  in 
support  of  the  government.  This  resulted  at  the  close  of 
the  war  in  the  publication  of  "  Athol  in  Suppressing  the 
E.ebellion,"  the  large  part  of  the  work  on  which  was  the 
labor  of  Mr.    Norton, 

He  was  born  in  Goshen,  Conn.,  Sept.  8,  1809,  and 
and  was  educated  at  Yale  College  and  East  Windsor 
Theological  Seminary.  After  teaching  school  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  he  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  at  Milton, 
Conn.,  Oct.  23,  1844.  He  remained  there  for  five  years 
in  home  missionary  work,  and  previous  to  coming  to 
Athol  was  installed  as  the  first  pastor  of  the  Porter  Evan- 
gelical Church  of  North  Bridgewater,  Mass.  After 
leaving  Athol  Mr.  Norton  served  churches  at  Eitzwilliam, 
N.  H.,  West  Yarmouth,  Mass.,  and  Hubbardston.  He 
resided  for  several  years  in  Natick,  Mass.,  where  he  died 
Nov.  3,  1892.  He  left  a  widow  and  one  son,  Lewis  M., 
a  professor  in  the  Institute  of  Technology,  at  Boston. 
His  remains  were  brought  to  Athol  and  buried  at  the 
Highlands, 

Rev.  Temple  Cutler,  the  successor  of  Mr.  Norton, 
was  installed  March  4,  1868,  and  served  eight  years,  being 
dismissed  April  19,  1876.  These  were  years  of  great 
spiritual  growth  and  numerous  additions  to  the  church.  It 
was  during  this  pastorate  that  a  parsonage  was  purchased 
by  forty  individual  members  and  presented  to  the  Society. 
Mr.  Cutler  is  still  reg  rded  with  the  greatest  respect  and 


60  ITHOL,    PAST   ANU   PHESENl', 

affection  here.  He  was  born  at  Lynn,  Mass.,  May  4,  I828» 
graduated  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  in  1857,  and  studied  theology 
at  Andover,  Mass.  He  was  ordained  at  Skowhegan,  Maine, 
Feb.  20,  1861,  and  preached  there  seven  years  before 
coming  to  Athol.  After  leaving  Athol,  he  spent  several 
years  in  the  service  of  the  American  Missionary  Associa- 
tion, preaching  and  teaching  at  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  and 
Charleston,  S.  C.     He  now  lives  at  Essex,  Mass. 

Mr.  Cutler  was  followed  by  Rev.  Henry  A.  Blake, 
who  was  ordained  Sept.  13,  1876,  and  closed  his  labors; 
May  1,  1883.  This,  also,  was  a  period  of  prosperity  in  the 
church.  It  was  during  this  pastorate  that  the  50th  anni 
versary  of  the  organization  of  the  church  and  Sunday 
school  was  observed,  and  the  historical  addresses  delivered 
by  Mr.  Blake  on  these  occasions  are  valuable  additions  to 
the  church  history  of  Athol.  After  leaving  Athol  Mr. 
Blake  became  pastor  of  a  church  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  and 
is  now  settled  over  the  church  at  Webster,  Mass. 

Rev.  H.  W.  Stebbins,  a  graduate  of  Andover  Theo- 
logical Senainary,  was  settled  Sept.  1,  1883,  and  remained 
five  years,  terminating  his  labors  Dec.  31,  1888.  He  was 
born  in  Worcester,  Nov.  15,  1857.  In  his  boyhood  he 
went  to  Montpelier,  Vt.,  where  he  fitted  for  college,  and 
entered  Dartmouth  College,  graduating  in  the  class  of 
1878.  He  studied  another  year  at  that  place,  after  his 
graduation,  and  entered  Andover  Theological  Seminary ; 
he  was  a  member  of  the  class  of  1882,  but  as  he  took  an 
advanced  and  extra  year,  did  not  leave  there  until  1883, 
when  he  came  to  Athol.  While  in  Athol  he  married  Miss 
Anna  Spear,  a  well  known  vocalist  and  musician,  the 
daughter  of  Mr.  Caleb  Spear. 


CHURCHES.  61 

It  was  during  Mr.  Stebbins'  pastorate,  that  the  memor- 
able church  trouble,  regarding  the  pastor,  occurred  that 
nejirly  divided  the  church,  and  resulted  in  the  calling  of 
one  of  the  most  important  and  exciting  ecclesiastical  coun- 
cils ever  held  in  this  section  of  New  England  ;  the  council 
included  some  of  the  most  eminent  clergymen  and  leading 
laymen  of  the  denomination  in  the  State.  The  decision 
was,  that  although  recognizing  the  ability  and  faithfulness 
of  the  pastor,  and  the  more  than  common  success  of  his 
work,  they  deemed  it  for  the  best  interests  of  the  church 
that  he  resign  at  an  early  date,  not  later  than  the  end  of 
the  calendar  year.  In  accordance  with  this  recommenda- 
tion Mr.  Stebbins  tendered  his  resignation  to  take  effect 
Dec.  31,  1888.  Soon  after  finishing  his  labors  in  Athol, . 
Mr.  Stebbins  received  a  call  to  become  the  pastor  of  the 
Congregational  church  of  West  Medford,  where  he  com- 
menced his  duties  in  October,  1889. 

The  present  pastor.  Rev.  Edwin  S.  Goidd,  was  born 
in  New  Braintree,  Mass.,  Feb.  20,  1844.  When  five  years 
old  his  parents  moved  to  Oakham.  His  early  education 
was  received  in  the  schools  of  Oakham  and  at  Williston 
Seminary,  Easthampton,  where  he  prepared  for  college  and 
was  also  a  student  of  Phillips  Academy,  Andover.  In  the 
war  he  enlisted  in  the  51st  Mass.  regiment,  and  was  hon- 
orably discharged  with  his  regiment,  at  the  expiration  of 
the  term  of  service.  He  also  served  in  the  60th  Mass. 
regiment.  After  the  war  he  was  for  three  years  local  and 
associate  editor  of  papers  in  Hartford  and  Worcester.  In 
the  fall  of  1869  he  entered  the  Hartford  Theological  Semi- 
nary, where  he  graduated  in  1872.  He  studied  a  year  in 
Andover  Theological  Seminary  as  a  resident  graduate,  and 


62  ATHOL,    FAST   AND   PRESENT. 

was  ordained  to  the  ministry  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  Oct.  1, 
1873,  and  installed  as  pastor  of  the  Richmond  Street  Free 
Evangelical  church  in  that  city.  He  was  married  Oct.  20, 
1875,  to  Phebe  Sherman  Gladding,  of  Providence.  He 
has  held  pastorates  in  West  Brookfield,  and  with  the 
Globe  church,  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  and  came  to  Athol  May 
18,  1890. 

FIRST    BAPTIST    CHURCH. 

In  the  early  town  records  appears  the  following : 
"We,  the  Subscribers  being  chosen  a  Committee  by  the  Society  of 
the  people  called  Antipedo  Baptists,  who  meet  together  for  religious 
worship  on  the  Lord's  Day  in  Athol  to  exhibit  a  list  or  lists  of  the  names 
of  such  persons  as  belong  to  said  Society  or  Congregation  do  certify, 
that  Zadok  Hayward,  Benjamin  Dexter,  Silas  Kendall,  Daniel  Lamson,  " 
Thomas  Lord,  Nath'l.  Babbitt,  Joseph  Crosby,  Ben'm.  Powers,  John 
Ballard,  do  belong  to  said  Society  or  congregration  and  that  they  do  fre- 
quently and  usually,  when  able,  attend  with  us  in  our  meeting  for  reli- 
gious worship  on  Lord's  day,  and  we  do  verily  believe  are  with  respect 
to  the  ordinance  of  Baptism  of  the  same  religious  sentiments  with  us." 

Whitman  Jacobs,  Elder,  "f 

Simeon  Chambeklen,  >  Committee. 

Asa  Jones,  ) 
August  30th,  1775. 

Similar  lists  dated  the  previous  year  give  the  names  of 
Eliphalet  Moor,  Simon  Haven,  Ebenezer  BuUard,  Martin  - 
Morton  ;  these,  with  others,  constituted  the  adherents  of 
Elder  Whitman  Jacobs,  who  was  at  that  time  the  second 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  Royalston,  but  who  was  a 
resident  of  .4thol,  and  of  whom  Governor  Bullock,  in  his 
historical  address  delivered  at  the  Centennial  anniversary 
of  Royalston  says,  "  he  left  many  of  those  marked  and  de- 
cisive influences  which  control  a  local  history." 

In  May,  1802,  three  men  were  baptised  in  this  town 
by  Rev.  Ebenezer  Burt,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in 
Hardwick,  two  of  whom  afterwards  served  the  church  as 


CHURCHES.  63 

deacons  and  one  as  pastor.  Soon  after,  others  were  bap- 
tized, all  of  whom  became  members  of  the  Baptist  church 
in  Templeton.  June  24th,  1810,  the  Athol  members  were 
constituted  a  branch  of  the  Templeton  church  and  Isaac 
Briggs  and  Aaron  Oliver  were  chosen  deacons. 

They  were  occasionally  supplied  with  a  preacher  from 
abroad,  but  when  they  were  not,  the  deacons,  in  turn  con- 
ducted religious  services  on  the  Sabbath.  On  April  13, 
1813,  this  branch  was  organized  as  an  independent  church 
with  22  members  at  school  house  No.  2  on  the  "  Street." 
For  the  first  seven  years  of  its  existence  the  church  had  no 
regular  pastor,  and  the  services  were  generally  conducted 
by  the  deacons. 

The  first  to  be  ordained  as  pastor  was  Deacon  Isaac 
Briggs,  who  was  called  to  the  pastorate  and  ordained  Oct. 
4,  1820,  and  served  the  church  faithfully  for  nearly  12 
years  until,  in  consequence  of  the  infirmities  of  age,  he  re- 
signed the  pastorate  of  the  church  March  11,  1832.  He 
died  July  12,  1837,  at  the  age  of  75  years.  This  is  the 
longest  pastorate  in  the  history  of  the  church. 

Services  were  first  held  alternately  at  the  school  house 
on  the  "  Street,"  and  at  the  old  brick  school  house  in  the 
Lower  VUlage.  The  first  house  of  worship  was  buUt  in 
1828  or  1829,  and  is  now  the  dwelling  house  of  E.  T. 
Lewis,  Esq.,  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Summer  streets  at 
the  Highlands.  The  second  and  present  house  of  worship, 
on  the  corner  of  Church  and  Walnut  streets,  was  built  in 
1848,  and  dedicated  Feb.  14,  1849.  The  leading  spirits 
in  this  enterprise  were  Dea.  Job  Fry  and  Dea.  Jonathan 
Wheeler,  together  with  Eev.  Lysander  Fay,  who  was  then 


64  ATHOL,    PAST    AND   PRESENT. 

pastor  of  the  church  at  Orange  and  who  canvassed  the 
church  and  village  to  obtain  funds  for  the  enterprise.  An 
addition  was  made  to  the  front,  and  the  present  stately 
spire  erected  in  1859.  The  interior  was  entirely  remod- 
eled in  1885  at  a  cost  of  about  |5,()00,  including  the  fine 
organ  which  cost  $1,800,  and  the  formal  re-dedication  of 
the  renovated  structure  took  place  on  Oct.  1st,  1885. 

The  church  has  had  during  the  79  years  of  its  exist- 
ence as  an  independent  body,  fifteen  settled  pastors.  The 
second  settled  pastor  was  Rev.  Ambrose  Day  who  came  in 
the  spring  of  1833  and  remained  two  years ;  Rev.  J.  Gla- 
zier was  settled  in  April  1835  and  served  two  years;  Rev. 
Asaph  Merriam  was  settled  Oct.  13,  1839,  and  remained 
until  the  spring  of  1846,  a  term  of  six  and  one-half  years  ; 
in  May,  1849,  Rev.  Oren  Tracy  became  pastor  and  served 
a  little  more  than  a  year;  April,  1855,  Rev.  Charles  Far- 
rar  became  pastor  and  held  the  office  three  years  ;  in  the 
spring  of  1858  Rev.  J.  D.  Reid  was  settled,  but  he  soon 
changed  his  religious  doctrines  and  declared  his  purpose  to 
return  to  the  communion  of  the  Episcopal  church ;  he 
asked  a  dismission  but  the  church  had  become  greatly  at- 
tached to  him  and  voted  to  retain  him  until  the  end  of  the 
year  for  vvhich  he  was  engaged.  This  caused  trouble  and 
a  division  of  the  church  and  community,  and  resulted  in 
the  closing  of  the  meeting  house  for  a  year  The  next  set- 
tled pastor  was  Rev.  Charles  Aver,  who  commenced  his 
labors  in  September,  1862,  and  remained  a  year  and  a 
half;  April  2d,  1864,  Rev.  G.  L.  Hunt  became  pastor  and 
held  the  office  for  three  years  ;  On  April  7,  1867,  Rev.  D. 
H.  Stoddard  preached  his  first  sermon  to  this  church  and 
was  settled  as  pastor  the  1st  of  June  following;    this  pas- 


CHURCHES.  65 

torate  continued  for  seven  years,  being  next  to  the  longest 
in  the  history  of  the  church,  and  was  emiuently  successful. 
In  1B74  Rev.  J.  C.  Emery  became  pastor  and  served 
two  years,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  E.  M.  Bartlett, 
who  commenced  his  labors  on  the  first  Sabbath  of  July, 
1876  and  continued  four  and  one  half  years ;  Rev.  J.  H. 
Cox  became  pastor  in  1881  and  served  six  years  during 
which  time  the  church  enjoyed  a  great  degree  of  prosperity. 
Rev.  Horace  F.  Brown,  the  next  pastor,  was  born  in 
Hopkinton.  N.  H.  He  attended  the  schools  of  his  native 
town  and  prepared  for  college  at  the  New  London  Literary 
and  Scientific  institution,  New  London,  N.  H.  He  gradu- 
ated at  Brown  University  in  1876  and  three  years  later 
from  the  Newton  Theological  Seminary.  He  was  ordained 
Oct.,  1879,  as  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Antrim, 
N.  H.,  where  he  remained  five  and  one  fourth  years. 
After  a  pastorate  of  between  two  and  three  years  at 
Rumney,  N.  H.,  he  came  to  Athol  in  1887,  and  was  the 
loved  and  popular  pastor  until  March,  1893,  when  he  re- 
signed to  accept  the  pastorate  of  the  church  in  East  Green- 
wich, R.  1. 

Rev.  Byron  H.  Thomas,  the  present  pastor  commenced 
his  duties  July  1,  1893,  and  the  services  held  in  ■'  Recogni- 
tion" of  the  pastor  took  place  on  the  evening  of  Sept.  13 
following.  Rev.  Charles  A.  Eaton  of  Natick  preaching  the 
sermon.  Mr,  Thomas  was  born  May  22d,  1865,  at  South 
Bay  in  the  Province  of  New  Brunswick,  and  is  of  Welsh 
parentage,  his  father,  Benjamin  Thomas,  coming  from 
Wales  to  America  when  a  boy.  His  education  was  re- 
ceived in  the  Boston  public  schools,  Acadia  University, 
■  Wolfville,  Nova  Scotia,  and  the  New  Brunswick  Baptist 


66  ATHOL,   PAST   AKD   PEESENT, 

Seminary  at  St.  John's,  N.  B.  He  was  ordained  to  the 
ministry  at  Maugerville,  N.  B.,  June,  18,  1888,  and  has 
served  successful  pastorates  at  Sackville,  Maugerville  and 
Jacksonville,  New  Brunswick,  more  than  three  hundred 
being  added  to  these  churches  under  his  labors.  In  April, 
1889,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Bessie  M.  Harrison,  daughter 
of  C.  B.  Harrison,  a  man  well-known  in  the  provincial 
parliament  of  his  country.  Mr.  Thomas  has  always  been 
interested  in  the  temperance  cause  from  a  boy,  and  early 
connected  himself  with  temperance  organizations,  in 
which  he  has  held  the  highest  offices  ;  he  is  a  Past  Grand 
Chief  Templar  of  New  Brunswick.  Over  nine  hundred 
members  have  been  connected  with  this  church,  since  its 
organization. 

Rev.  Ebenezer  Biirt,  a  prominent  Baptist,  although 
not  a  pastor  of  the  Athol  church,  was  well  known  in  this 
town,  which  was  his  home  during  some  of  the  latter  years 
of  his  life,  and  where  he  occasionally  preached.  He  was 
born  in  Norton,  March  9,  1766,  and  died  in  Athol  Nov. 
25,  1861.  He  was  ordained  as  a  Baptist  minister  upon 
a  rock  in  Hardwick,  June  20,  1798,  Elder  Enoch  Goff  of 
Dighton  preaching  the  ordination  sermon.  He  lived  to 
preach  4961  sermons,  to  solemnize  97  marriages,  attend 
827  funerals  and  baptize  200  candidates.  Of  all  the 
sermons  he  ever  preached,  it  appears  that  but  one  was 
written,  and  this  after  he  had  been  fifty  years  in  the 
ministry. 

Among  the  Societies  that  have  been  connected  with 
the  Baptist  Church,  we  find  the  records  of  one  that  will 
be  interesting  to  the  members  of  the  church  to-day,  as 
showing  the  self-sacrificing  spirit  of   the  sisters   of    the 


tHTJRCHES.  67 

church  a  half  a  century  ago.    This  society  flourished  from 
1835  to  about  1845,  and  bore  the  name  of  "  The  Female 
Judson  Plain  Uress  Society  in  Athol." 
The  constitution  read  as  follows: 

"Akt.  1st.  The  object  of  this  Society  is  to  lessen  our  expenses 
tor  dress  that  we  may  be  enabled  to  iiierease  our  charities,  and  aid  in 
■sending  the  gospel  and  means  of  grace  to  the  many  millions  of  our 
tellow  creatures  who  are  perishing  for  lack  of  a  knowledge  of  the 
•Savior — And  also  to  encourage  the  heart  of  that  beloved  and  devoted 
Missionary  (Mr.  Judson)  who  has  recommended  that  such  societies  be 
iformcd,  and  is  willing  to  deny  himself  of  many  things  if  he  may  but 
give  the  bread  of  life  to  the  perishing, 

Akt.  2nd.  All  females  contributing  annually  twenty-five  cents 
(or  more  if  they  feel  disposed)  shall  be  members  of  this  Society. 

Art.  Mrd.  The  funds  of  this  Society  arising  fi-om  contx-ibutions 
by  the  members  of  the  Society,  or  by  others  disposei  I  to  aid  their  be- 
nevolent design,  shall  for  the  present,  be  appropriated  to  aid  in  supply* 
ing  the  Burmans  with  the  Bible,  which  is  now  being  printed  in  their 
own  language." 

Other  articles  related  to  the  officers  of  the  Society, 
their  duties,  the  times  of  meetings,  etc. 

The  first  meeting  of  this  Society  was  held  at  the 
Parsonage,  Aug.  11,  1835,  and  the  records  of  the  Secre- 
tary read  as  follows :  "  The  meeting  was  opened  with 
prayer  by  Sister  Dexter,  after  which  the  constitution  was 
read  and  adopted.  We  then  proceeded  to  choose  the 
officers  for  the  year  ensuing,  and  the  following  were 
chosen,  viz.  :  Hannah  Glazier,  Secretary  ;  Miss  Lucinda 
Fay,  Treasurer ;  Mrs.  Frances  Dexter,  Mrs.  Hannah 
Briggs,  Miss  Hannah  Ann  Ball,  Mrs.  Mary  W.  Brooks, 
Collectors.  The  meeting  was  then  adjourned  to  the 
second  Wednesday  in  August,  1836.  Prayer  was  offered 
by  Sister  Goddard — '  May  the  blessing  of  Heaven  rest  on 


68  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESKNT, 

this  Society,  and  may  oiir  united  efforts  be  a  means    of 
putting  the  Bible  into  the  hands  of  many  a  Burman. 

H.  GLAZIER,  Sec'y. 

Hannah  Glazier,  the  secretary,  was  probably  the 
wife  of  Eev.  J.  Glazier,  who  was  the  third  pastor  of  the 
church,  while  the  names  of  the  more  than  40  members  of 
the  Society  are  those  of  old  Athol  families. 

THE    METHODIST    EPISCOPAL    CHURCH. 

The  first  Methodist  meeting  held  in  the  village  of 
Athol  Depot,  as  far  as  can  be  learned,  was  in  the  fall  of 
1851  at  the  house  now  standing  at  the  corner  of  Main  and 
School  Streets,  then  the  residence  of  George  (Jerry,  and 
the  congregation  consisted  of  three  persons.  On  Novem- 
ber 30th  of  that  year  Rev.  Wm.  A.  Qapp,  then  the 
preacher  in  charge  of  the  Phillipston  Church,  came  to 
Athol  Depot  and  organized  a  class  of  fifteen  persons,  and 
appointed  Mr.  George  Gerry  as  leader.  The  persons 
constituting  the  class  were  Ephraim  W.  Weston,  Roxanna 
C.  Weston,  George  Gerry,  Sophia  Gerry,  William  R.  Bat- 
tles, Cynthia  Battles,  James  Giles,  Parthena  Giles,  Sumner 
R.  Morse,  Mary  T.  Morse,  Edwin  J.  Decker,  Charlotte  C. 
Hinckley,  Roswell  Graham,  Sylvester  Davis  and  Catherine 
Young. 

Meetings  continued  to  be  held  at  the  house  of  Mr. 
Gerry  until  the  spring  of  1852,  when  the  presiding  elder 
appointed  Rev.  .Mr.  Heywood  of  Gill  as  pastor  of  the 
society.  Mr.  Heywood  did  not  reside  in  town,  but  came 
here  every  week  to  preach  and  visit  his  people.  Services 
were  held  at  this  time  in  what  was  known  as  Hill's  Hall, 
in  the  upper  part  of  the  building,  now  known  as  the  Old 


wifir^- 


-IITAnlAN 


CHURCHES. 


CHURCHES.  69 

Arcade  standing  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Canal  Streets. 

After  a  few  months  Mr.  Heywood  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  John  Goodwin,  who  moved  into  town,  and  lived 
under  the  hall  in  which  services  were  held,  making  shoes 
during  the  week  and  preaching  on  Sunday.  Mr.  Goodwin 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Mr.  Rice,  who  also  resided  in  the 
village.  The  next  minister,  and  the  first  one  appointed 
by  the  New  England  Conference,  was  Rev.  N.  H.  Martin, 
whose  pastorate  commenced  in  the  spring  of  1855  and 
continued  two  years.  The  ministers  since  then  have  been 
as  follows  :  Rev.  Linus  Fish,  '57-58  ;  Rev.  W.  J.  Hamble- 
ton,  '59 ;  Rev.  Increase  B.  Bigelow,'60-61  ;  Rev.  John 
H.  Coolidge,  '62  ;  Rev.  F.  T.  George,  '63-64  ;  Rev.  John 
Capen,  '65  ;  Rev.  C.  H.  Hanaford,  '66-67 ;  Rev.  Mr. 
Hardmg,  '67  ;  Rev.  N.  T.  Harlow,  '68  ;  Rev.  C.  L.  Mc- 
Curdy,  '69-70-71  ;  Rev.  John  Peterson,  '72-73-74  ;  Rev. 
xiustin  F.  Herrick,  '75-76-77  ;  Rev.  Lorenzo  A.  Bosworth, 
'78-79-80  ;  Rev.  Wm.  Full,  '81-82  ;  Rev.  A.  R.  Nichols, 
'83  ;  Rev.  P.  M.  Vinton,  '84-85-86  ;  Rev.  W.  N.  Rich- 
ardson, '87-88-89-90  ;  Rev.  Wm.  W.  Baldwin,  '91-92  ;  Rev. 
James  H.  Humphrey,  '93. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Martin  in  1855  the  place  of  meeting  was  transferred  to 
Houghton's  Hall,  the  building  now  occupied  by  the  City 
Hotel,  and  in  1861  the  present  church  edifice  was  erected, 
the  dedicatory  exercises  taking  place  Nov.  6th,  1861.  In 
1887  during  the  first  year  of  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  W.  N. 
Richardson,  the  interior  of  the  church  building  was  re- 
modelled and  repaired  at  an  expense  of  about  $4000,  and 
was  re-dedicated  Jan.  25th,  1888.  In  1892  a  corner  tower 
was  erected  which  adds  much  to  the  appearance  of  the 


70  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

building,  and  the  grounds  in  front  were  graded  and    en- 
closed with  a  stone  curbing.     Both  interior  and  exterior 
now  present  a  most  pleasant  and  attractive    appearance. 
During  the  42  years  existence  of  this  church  696  persons 
have  been  in  its  membership.     The  present  membership 
is  224.     Sixteen  revival  "seasons  have  been    enjoyed,  in 
which  from  20  to  113  names  have  been  entered  as  pro- 
bationers, the  latter  number  being  during  the  ministry  of 
Rev.  W.  N.  Richardson,  whose  pastorate  of   four-    years 
was  the   longest  of  the  twenty-two  ministers  who   have 
served  this  church  as  pastors.     Two  anniversary  occasions 
have  been  observed  by  the  church  ;  the  first  being  Nov. 
22,  1881,  the  30th  anniversary  of  the  organization  of  the 
church,  when  Rev.  Mr.  Full,  the  pastor,  gave  an  historical 
address  and  Mr.  C.  R.  Bruce,  Superintendent  of  the  Sun- 
day School,  gave  a  brief  history  of  the  School.     At   this 
time  the  sum  of  $500  was  raised  by  subscription  as    a 
thank  offering  to  pay  olf  the  floating  debt  of  the   church. 
There  were  five  of  the  former  pastors  present.  Rev.  N.  FT. 
Martin,  Rev.  Increase  B.   Bigelow,  Rev.   C.  H.  Hanaford, 
Rev.  A.  F.  Herrick  and  Rev.  L.  A.  Bosworth.   The  second 
occasion  was  the   40th  anniversary  which  was    observed 
Nov.  29,  1891,  with  a  historical  sermon  by  the  pastor,  Rev. 
W.  W.  Baldwin,  a  sketch  of   the  Sunday  School  by   the 
Superintendent,  L.   B.    Caswell,  and  short  addresses     by 
those  representing  the  various  departments  of  the  church. 
Rev.  W.  W.  Baldwin,  pastor  in    1891    and  '92,  was 
born  in  Blenheim,  N.  Y.,  May  30,   1837,  the   youngest  in 
a  family  of  twelve  children.     His  father  was  of  the   Con- 
necticut family  of  that  name,  and  his  mother  came  from   a 
Scotch  Presbyterian  family   who    came    to    this    country 


CHURCHES.  71 

about  1790.  Mr.  Baldwin  was  educated  at  Union  College 
and  at  the  Theological  School  of  Boston  University.  He 
was  licensed  to  preach  at  Seward,  N.  Y.,  in  August,  1859, 
and  joined  the  Maine  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  in  May,  1862,  when  he  was  sent  into 
mission  work  in  northern  New  Hampshire.  In  1865  he 
Was  sent  into  the  Colorado  Mission  among  the  gold  and 
silver  miners.  In  1867  he  planted  the  Methodist  church 
in  the  then  new  territory  of  Wyoming,  at  its  capital, 
Cheyenne.  From  1868  to  1873  he  labored  in  Michigan, 
and  from  1873  to  1884  he  served  churches  in  Maine,  and 
from  that  time  his  pastorates^  have  been  in  Massachusetts. 

Rev.  James  H.  Humphrey,  the  present  pastor,  was 
born  in  New  York  State,  and  when  two  years  of  age 
moved  with  his  parents  to  Wisconsin.  He  received  his 
coUege  training  at  Lawrence  University,  Appleton,  Wis., 
and  afterwards  took  a  law  course  at  the  Wisconsin  State 
University.  In  1871  he  went  to  Boston  and  entered  the 
Theological  School  of  Boston  University,  from  which  he 
graduated  in  1873,  and  subsequently  received  the  de- 
gree of  Ph.  D.  He  is  a  veteran  of  the  war,  having  served 
in  the  40th  Wisconsin  Regiment.  His  first  pastorate  was 
at  Marshfield,  in  1873,  and  he  has  since  had  appointments 
at  Mansfield,  Bourne,  New  Bedford,  Reading,  Ashburn- 
ham,  Edgar  town  and  other  places. 

A  name  dear  to  Athol  Methodists  is  that  of  Rev.  J. 
N.  Mars,  or  Father  Mars,  as  he  was  known  among  New 
England  Methodists.  He  was  born  of  slave  parents,  June 
22,  1804,  in  Norfolk,  Conn.,  but  was  never  a  slave,  as  his 
father  and  mother  had  escaped  from  bondage,  or  had 
committed  "  An  Exodus,"  as  he  called  it.     In  a  sketch  of 


72  ATHOL,    PAST   AND    PRESENT. 

his  life,  entitled,  "Battles  with  Bondage,  or  My  Life  for 
Three  Quarters  of  a  Century,"  which  he  prepared  for 
a  Methodist  publication,  he  says,  "  My  father,  whose  name 
was  Jupiter  Mars,  and  mother,  whose  name  was  simply 
Fannie,  were  not  of  Puritan  stock,  but  were  owned  by  a 
Presbyterian  preacher,  which  was  no  mean -inheritance, 
and  what  was  more,  they  were  both  born  in  Virginia. 
Married  in  the  South,  they  were  brought  to  the  North  a 
few  years  later  by  their  master,  the  Eev.  Mr.  Thompson, 
who  had  come  into  New  England  to  live.  The  minister 
settled  in  Canaan,  Conn.,  where  my  father  and  his  family 
continued  to  be  his  ■  slaves."  Father  Mars  had  only  six 
months  schooling  and  worked  on  a  farm  until  nearly  19 
years  of  age,  but  he  was  a  natural  speaker,  with  a  bright 
intellect,  and  being  profoundly  converted  to  God,  labored 
with  most  powerful  effect  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel  and 
evangelist.  At  camp  meetings  his  bronzed  face  would 
beam  with  light,  and  the  vast  congregations  swayed  like 
the  tree-tops  in  the  wind  under  his  powerful  exhortations, 
and  he  would  move  his  audiences  as  few  other  men  could. 
During  the  war  he  was  Chaplain  of  the  First  North  Caro- 
lina colored  regiment,  and  had  charge  of  the  army  stores 
at  Newbern  for  several  months  ;  he  was  ordered  to  Norfolk 
and  Portsmouth,  Va.,  where  he  was  the  Chaplain  of  a 
number  of  regiments  until  1864,  when  he  was  admitted  to 
the  New  England  Conference,  and  stationed  in  Clinton, 
Mass.  Afterwards  he  became  presiding  elder  in  the 
Washington  Conference,  (colored,)  and  was  also  the 
honored  pastor  of  a  large  congregation  in  Baltimore. 
Returning  to  New  England  in  1870,  he  was  stationed  at 
Revere  Street,  Boston,  was  city  missionary  in   1871   and 


CHURCHES.  73 

stationed  in  Athol  in  1872,  which  was  ever  after  his  home 
until  his  death,  Sept.  18,  1882. 

SOUTH    ATHOL    METHODIST    CHURCH. 

The  Methodist  Church  at  South  Athol  was  first  or- 
ganized in  December,  1831.  The  members  of  the  first 
class  were  Royal  Smith,  James  Giles,  Benjamin  Cook, 
James  GUes,  Jr.,  BraddyU  Smith,  Jr.,  Daniel  Hale,  Nathan 
Smith,  James  Oliver,  Elbridge  Smith,  Asa  Adams,  Frank- 
lin GUes,  Ebenezer  Wilber,  WUlard  Blanchard,  Daniel 
Hager.  Their  meetings  were  first  held  in  school  houses 
and  private  dwellings,  and  sometimes  in  the  summer  in 
barns. 

The  present  house  of  worship,  which  was  among  the 
first  Methodist  meeting  houses  in  this  part  of  the  State, 
was  built  in  1836.  At  that  time  it  was  within  the  limits 
of  the  town  of  New  Salem,  but  the  next  year  after 
its  erection  that  section  became  a  portion  of  Athol. 
The  first  Methodist  converts  were  baptized  in  a  pond 
called  Hacker's  pond  in  New  Salem,  and  the  woods  were 
full  of  people  to  witness  the  ceremony.  The  first  minis- 
ters were  a  Rev.  Mr.  HuU,  Eev.  Hezekiah  CoUer,  Rev. 
Geo.  W.  Green,  Rev.  John  Brackett,  Rev.  Simon  Pike, 
Rev.  T.  W.  Gile,  Rev.  Amasa  Taylor,  Rev.  Jarvis  Wilson. 
The  ministers  since  1860  have  been  as  follows:  Rev. 
H.  T.  Eddy,  Rev.  Alonzo  Sanderson,  Rev.  Mr.  Smith, 
Rev.  J.  J.  Woodbury,  Rev.  H.  S.  Booth,  Rev.  Randall 
Mitchell,  Rev.  Wm.  Jagger,  Rev.  Alphonzo  Day,  Rev.  Mr. 
Ferguson,  Rev.  T.  C.  Martin,  Rev.  Mr.  Ross,  Rev.  J.  J. 
Woodbury,  Rev.  Mr.  Sherman,  Rev.  Mr.  Bragg,  Rev. 
George  Hudson,  Rev.  Wm.   Silverthorne.      The  present 


PT^ 


74  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

pastor  is  Rev.  J.  W.  Fulton.  A  large  pulpit  Bible  was 
presented  to  the  Society  at  the  dedication  of  the  church 
in  October,  1836,  by  Sumner  R.  Morse  of  Athol.  The 
present  membership  is  29, 

THE    SECOND    UNITARIAN    CHURCH, 

This  Society  was  legally  organized,  at  a  meeting  held 
at  Starr  Hall,  June  11,  1877,  and  was  composed  largely 
of  those  Avho  had  been  members  and  attendants  of  the 
Old  First  Church.  The  first  officers  of  the  Society  were : 
Hon.  Alpheus  Harding,  moderator ;  Lucien  Lord,  clerk ; 
D.  A.  Newton,  treasurer ;  Edward  F.  Brown,  collector ; 
and  an  Executive  Committee  of  ten  as  follows  :  Hon. 
Alpheus  Harding,  George  T.  Johnson,  E.  F.  Brown,  A. 
A.  Ward,  A.  L.  Newman,  D.  A.  Newton,  A.  L.  Cheney, 
W.  W.  Fish,  Hon.  Charles  Field,  Lucien  Lord. 

The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  James  C.  Parsons  of  Wal- 
tham,  to  whom  a  unanimous  call  had  been  extended  on 
April  3rd,  1877,  and  who  preached  his  first  sermon  as 
pastor  the  first  Sunday  in  May,  and  was  installed  June  12, 
1877.  The  installation  was  a  memorable  occasion,  and 
was  participated  in  by  some  of  the  most  distinguished 
Unitarian  clergymen  of  the  State,  including  Rev.  A.  P. 
Peabody,  D.  D.,  of  Harvard  University,  who  preached  the 
sermon,  Rev.  A.  D.  Mayo  of  Springfield  gave  the  charge 
to  the  pastor,  and  Rev.  J.  F.  Moors,  of  Greenfield,  the 
address  to  the  people.  The  Society  held  its  meetings  m 
Starr  Hall  for  over  four  years,  until  its  present  church 
edifice  was  built.  Land  was  purchased  in  the  spring  of 
1880,  and  the  erection  of  the  church  was  soon  commenced 
and  was  first  opened  to  the  public  April  13th,  1881,  at 


CHURCHES.  75 

which  time  the  choir  gave  an  organ  concert.  The  first 
rehgious  services  were  held  on  Easter  Sunday,  and  on  the 
7th  day  of  September  following,  the  church  was  dedicated 
free  from  debt,  with  interesting  exercises,  the  sermon  being 
preached  by  the  Eev.  Rush  R.  Shippen,  of  Washington, 
D.  C. 

Mr  Parson's  pastorate  was  successful  throughout,  and 
under  his  efficient  leadership  the  Society  was  rapidly  built 
up.  He  was  a  man  of  culture  and  fine  education,  and 
actively  promoted  the  intellectual  life  of  the  community. 
He  was  prominently  identified  with  the  organization  of 
the  Athol  Library  Association,  that  has  since  become  the 
Athol  Public  Library,  and  to  his  labors  much  of  the  credit 
for  its  successful  formation  is  due.  He  tendered  his  res- 
ignation July  17,  1881,  to  take  effect  October  1st  of  that 
year,  and  has  since  been  the,  popular  Principal  of  the 
Prospect  Hill  School  for  young  ladies  at  Greenfield. 

The  second  pastor  was  Rev.  Charles  P.  Lombard,  who 
was  installed  April  11,  1882,  Rev.  Dr.  Bartol,  of  Boston, 
preaching  the  sermon.  Mr.  Lombard  was  born  in  Boston, 
June  9,  1845,  and  attended  the  Mayhew  Grammar  School 
in  that  city,  entering  the  Public  Latin  School  at  ten  years 
of  age.  Preparing  to  enter  college  his  health  failed  him, 
and  it  was  several  years  before  he  regained  strength  to 
enable  him  to  study  for  the  ministry.  He  graduated  from 
the  Harvard  Divinity  School  in  1878,  and  received  a  call 
to  Ellsworth,  Maine,  where  he  remained  three  years,  and 
then  came  to  Athol.  He  remained  as  pastor  of  the  church 
for  six  years,  and  then  resigned  to  accept  a  call  to  the 
First  Parish  of  Plymouth,  which  is  the  old  historic  society 


76  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  established  in  England  in  1606, 
and  where  he  stUl  ministers.  During  Mr.  Lombard's  pas- 
torate the  handsome  and  pleasant  parish  building  known 
as  Unity  Hall  was  built,  and  was  dedicated  June  11, 1885, 
with  interesting  services.  Mr.  Lombard's  pastorate  was 
eminently  successful,  and  when  he  resigned  it  was  deeply 
regreted,  not  only  by  his  own  church,  but  by  the  towns- 
people generally. 

Rev.  Charles  E.  Perkins,  the  third  pastor,  was  born 
in  La  Porte.  Ind.,  June  12,  1853.  His  early  education 
was  obtained  in  the  public  schools  of  Maumee  City,  Ohio, 
from  the  High  School  of  which  he  graduated  in  1867. 
He  was  for  a  time  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store  in  Oswego, 
N.  Y.,  and  for  eleven  years  was  employed  in  the  office  of 
the  Kingsford  Starch  Works  of  that  city,  which  position 
he  resigned  to  take  the  pastorate  of  the  Universalist 
Churches  in  Clifton  Springs  and  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
remained  three  years,  resigning  in  May,  1888  to  accept 
the  call  extended  to  him  by  the  Second  Unitarian  Church 
of  Athol.  He  was  installed  on  the  29th  of  June  of  that 
year,  the  installation  sermon  being  preached  by  Rev. 
Edward  Everett  Hale,  D.  D.  He  resigned  the  last  of 
April,  1892,  and  in  May  went  to  Iowa  City,  Iowa,  as  pas- 
tor of  the  Unitarian  church  of  that  city 

During  the  summer  of  1892,  Walter  Eustace  Lane, 
of  Saco,  Maine,  preached  as  a  candidate  on  several  occa- 
sions, with  such  general  satisfaction  that  in  September  he 
was  given  a  unanimous  call  to  become  pastor  of  the 
church,  and  was  ordained  and  installed  Nov.  17,  1892, 
Rev.  Francis  B.  Hornbrooke,  of  Newton,  preaching  the 
sermon.     Rev.  Walter  Eustace  Lane,  the  present  pastor 


CHURCHES.  77 

of  the  Second  Unitarian  Society,  was  born  in  Gloucester, 
Mass.,  Sept.  6,  1866.  His  home,  since  he  was  six  years 
of  age,  has  been  in  Saco,  Maine,  where  his  parents  now 
reside.  In  his  early,  school  life  he  conceived  a  desire  to 
enter  the  ministry,  but  circumstances  forced  him  to  en- 
gage in  journalistic  labors,  instead  of  fulfilling  his  plan  of 
taking  a  university  course.  During  several  years  of 
newspaper  work  he  furthered  his  prospects  and  prepara- 
tions for  the  ministry,  and  in  1888  the  way  opened  for 
him  to  enter  the  Meadville,  Pennsylvania  Theological 
school  where  he  took  a  four  years  course  graduating  in  the 
summer  of  1892.  His  energy,  enthusiasm  and  devotion 
have  made  him  popular  as  a  preacher  and  in  the  social 
life  of  the  church. 

The  cost  of  the  church  property  owned  by  this  society, 
including  the  church  edifice,  Unity  Hall  and  the  parson- 
age has  been  about  $23,000. 

A  Sunday  school  was  organized  June  23rd,  r877, 
with  Mr  Lucien  Lord  as  superintendent,  who  has  contin- 
ued to  serve  in  that  capacity  to  the  present  time.  The 
annual  fair,  held  by  the  ladies  of  this  society,  has  become 
one  of  the  social  events  of  the  year  and  the  average  net 
receipts  of  these  fairs  during  the  last  twelve  years  has 
been  over  $500. 

ST.  John's  episcopal  church. 

According  to  Whitney,  the  historian,  there  was  one 
family  of  Episcopalians  in  Athol  in  1793,  but  we  have  no 
record  of  religious  services  being  held  by  this  denomina- 
tion prior  to  June  1864,  at  which  time  the  Rev.  P. 
Voorhees  Finch,  now  of  Greenfield,  ofiiciated.     The  meet- 


78  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

ings  were  then  held  in  the  Town  Hall  where  E.ev.  Dr. 
Huntington  and  others  continued  to  hold  occasional  ser- 
vices up  to  the  time  of  the  formation  of  the  parish.  On 
September  3,  1866,  St.  John's  Parish  was  organized  and 
on  the  third  of  December  following  was  incorporated. 
Rev.  James  D.  Eeid  was  at  once  chosen  as  rector  of  the 
new  parish,  but  after  laboring  for  about  a  year  he  removed 
from  town  and  for  several  years  thereafter  few  services 
were  held.  In  the  autumn  of  1881,  however,  Rev.  J.  S. 
Beers  was  elected  diocesan  missionary  and  under  his 
faithful  labors  interest  in  the  work  of  this  organization 
was  revived  and  prospered  and  in  December,  1888  a  suc- 
cessful effort  was  made  to  reorganize  the  parish.  Regular 
meetings  were  held  in  the  To\\ti  Hall  imtil  March  of  the 
following  year,  when  Temple  of  Honor  Hall  was  secured 
where  the  meetings  continued  to  be  held.  On  March  10, 
1889  a  Sunday  school  was  established  and  March  18,  a 
call  was  extended  to  Rev.  C.  J.  Shrimpton  of  Ridgeway 
Pa.,  to  become  the  rector  of  the  parish.  The  call  was  ac- 
cepted and  on  the  7th  of  April  following  Mr.  Shrimpton 
began  his  labors. 

At  that  time  there  were  about  sixty  communicants, 
and  the  pressing  need  of  a  suitable  house  of  public 
worship  was  so  apparent  and  the  desire  for  a  permanent 
church  home  so  generally  felt  that  steps  were  immediately 
taken  to  secure  an  eligible  site  for  a  church  edifice. 
The  house  and  lot  of  HoUon  Farr  on  the  corner  of  Park 
Avenue  and  School  Street  and  extending  to  Allen  Street 
was  purchased,  and  in  June  1890  ground  was  broken, 
and  the  erection  of  a  building  begun,  the  corner   stone  of 


CHURCHES.  79 

which  was  laid  June  with  appropriate  and  interesting 
exercises.  It  is  a  unique  structure  the  interior  of  which  is 
tastily  and  beautifully  arranged  and  furnished ;  the  cost  of 
the  buUding  was  $3,500,  and  it  was  first  occupied  on  Sun- 
day, Oct.  5,  1890.  The  church  was  consecrated  Oct.  22, 
1891  by  Rt.  Eev.  Phillips  Brooks,  and  was  one  of  his  first 
oflacial  acts  after  assuming  the  duties  of  Bishop  of  the 
Diocese  of  Massachusetts. 

The  present  number  of  communicants  is  seventy. 
Rev.  C.  J.  Shrimpton,  the  present  rector,  was  born  in 
Montreal,  in  1835.  He  was  educated  in  Woodstock 
Institute,  Woodstock,  Canada,  and  was  ordained  as  a 
Baptist  minister  in  1861,  serving  churches  at  Stratford, 
Canada,  and  at  StUlwater  and  Ithaca,  N.  Y.  He  was 
ordained  a  priest  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church,  at 
Fayetteville,  N.  Y.,  in  1878,  and  was  in  charge  of  parishes 
in  Galesburg,  111.,  and  at  Ridgeway,  Pa.,  until  coming  to 
Athol  in  April  1889. 

SECOND  ADVENT  CHURCH. 

Those  who  have  given  historical  sketches  of  the 
churches  existing  in  Athol  at  the  time  of  the  great  MUlerite 
excitement  which  swept  over  the  country  in  1842  and  '43 
allude  to  its  eff'ect  upon  their  societies.  Rev.  S.  F.  Clarke 
in  his  Centennial  discourse  of  1850  says,  "the  two  most 
remarkable  excitements  experienced  in  town  were  those 
which  were  felt  more  or  less  over  a  large  portion  of  our 
country,  and  which  were  very  similar  in  their  nature, — - 
the  one  known  here,  in  popular  phrase,  as  the  "Foote," 
the  other  as  the  "Miller"  excitement.  Upon  either  of 
these  we  forbear  comment,  or  even  an  attempt  at  descrip- 


80  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

tion.  We  would  be  charitable  in  our  judgment,  especially 
of  the  latter."  Rev.  D.  H.  Stoddard  in  his  history  of  the 
Baptist  Church  delivered  in  1873  says,  "The  vagaries  of 
Millerism  also  brought  discord  and  division  to  this  church 
as  to  many  others.  At  one  time  fifteen  members  having 
been  led  to  believe  that  the  church  as  it  then  existed  w^as 
Anti-Christ,  went  out  from  the  church."  And  Rev.  H.  A. 
Blake  in  his  historical  address  of  the  Evangelical  Congre- 
gational church  delivered  on  the  occasion  of  its  fiftieth 
anniversary  in  1880  said,  regarding  the  converts  of  Evan- 
gelist Foote,  "Some  were  intemperate,  some  altogether 
indifferent  and  many  were  drawn  into  the  excitement  and 
error  of  the  Adventist  movement  of  1843."  Evidently 
there  was  a  great  searching  and  shaking  up  in  the 
churches  while  the  agitation  attending  this  movement  was 
in  progress. 

In  1842  the  Millerites,  as  they  were  called,  held  largely 
attended  camp  meetings  in  a  grove  not  far  from  the  south 
end  of  Pleasant  Street,  and  these  meetings  were  kept  up 
for  years  by  a  few  of  the  faithful  who  accepted  these 
doctrines. 

These  faithful  few  on  May  17,  1863,  effected  a 
church  organization  with  twenty-eight  members.  This 
first  church  roll  contains  the  following  names:  Addison 
Cutting,  Daniel  EUinwood,  J .  F.  Sawtell,  Geo.  A.  Streeter, 
Ensign  K.  Marsh,  LaRoy  EUinwood,  J.  F.  Crawford, 
Daniel  W.  EUinwood,  Henry  W.  Stratton,  Persis  F. 
Cuttmg,  Jane  Sawtell,  Caroline  Stratton,  Mary  E.  Streeter 
Hannah  Stratton,  Lydia  W.  KendaU,  Hannah  Whitman, 
Lutherea   Weaver.    Fannie    M.    Stratton,  Sarah  T.   EUin- 


CHURCHES.  81 

wood,  Hannah  Ellinwood,  Sarah  R.  Stratton,  Martha  J. 
Crawford,  Anna  E.  Kendall,  Sarah  Hager,  Lydia  Co^ok, 
Diantha  Stockwell,  Wealthy  J.  Stockwell,  Laura  M. 
Stratton.  Meetings  were  at  first  held  in  the  school  house, 
near  the  Drury  farm,  on  the  Petersham  road,  and  in  1870 
the  hall  of  the  engine  house  at  the  Upper  Village  was 
engaged  and  services  were  held  there  until  1872.  In 
January  of  that  year  the  church  was  reorganized  with  54 
members  a  tract  of  land  was  purchased  on  Main  Street, 
nearly  opposite  the  Town  Hall,  and  during  the  year  1873 
the  present  neat  church  building  was  erected  at  an  ex- 
pense of  about  $3000.  Soon  after  the  new  church  was 
occupied  Rev.  Roland  D.  Grant  became  the  pastor  and 
served  the  society  from  Jan.  5.  1876  to  Nov.  1,  1876. 
Mr.  Grant  has  since  become  one  of  the  most  eminent 
Baptist  preachers  of  the  state,  serving  churches  at  Beverly 
and  Boston  and  is  now  pastor  of  a  church  in  Portland, 
Oregon,  with  a  salary  of  $4000.  Dr.  James  Hemenway, 
who  has  been  the  acting  pastor  of  the  church  most  of  the 
time  since  its  organization,  was  born  in  Framingham  in 
1823,  and  began  to  work  in  a  mill  in  that  town  when  only 
seven  years  old.  He  educated  himself  outside  of  working 
hours  and  rose  to  the  position  of  overseer.  He  removed 
to  Concord  in  1840  and  became  superintendent  of  the 
woolen  department  of  Damon's  factory  which  position  he 
held  until  1844,  when  he  was  converted  and  soon  began 
travelling  as  an  independent  evangelist.  He  was  ordained 
in  1859  by  the  Rhode  Island  Advent  Christian  Conference, 
serving  societies  in  Danielsonville,  Conn.,  Dover,  Me.,  and 
other  places,  and  came  to  Athol  in  1864. 


82  ATHOL,    PAST  AND   PRKSENT. 

Mr.  Hemenway  has  practised  dentistry  much  of  the 
time  since  he  has  resided  in  Athol,  and  at  one  time  had  a 
Boston  office  in  connection  with  his  Athol  office.  He  was 
or  nearly  four  years  business  agent  and  treasurer  of  the 
Advent  Publication  Society,  and  largely  increased  its  bus- 
iness during  his  connection  with  it.  He  has  also  devoted 
much  time  to  a  study  of  the  pyramids  of  Egypt,  upon  which 
he  has  lectured  successfully  in  many  places.  Dr.  Hemen- 
way has  been  for  several  years  president  of  the  Advent 
Camp  Meeting  Association  at  Springfield,  and  is  one  of  the 
leading  men  of  his  denomination.  He  has  been  active  in 
temperance  and  other  reformatory  work,  and  was  the  can- 
didate of  the  Prohibition  party  for  Representative  to  the 
Legislature  in  1893. 

ST.  Catherine's  catholic  church.    ■ 

Previous  to  1850  the  Catholics  of  Athol  had  no  reg- 
ular services,  but  were  visited  occasionally  by  priests  from 
different  places.  After  this  time  Rev.  M.  W.  Gibson,  of 
Worcester,  held  services  here,  and  in  1853  purchased  the 
old  Baptist  Church  in  the  Upper  Village,  which  was  the 
church  home  of  this  denomination  for  thirty  years.  In 
1855  Rev.  Father  Turpin,  of  Fitchburg,  took  charge  of 
Athol  as  a  mission.  About  1862  Otter  River  in  Temple- 
ton  became  a  parish,  and  Athol  and  Orange  were  attached 
to  it.  For  several  years  Rev.  Father  Bannon,  the  resident 
pastor  of  Otter  River,  visited  Athol  monthly  and  held 
services.  Following  hira  were  Rev's.  William  Orr,  two  by 
the  name  of  McManas,  R.  J.  Donovan  and  Robert  Welch. 
Rev.  Joseph  Coyne  for  several  years  held  services  three 
times    each    month,  until    1882,    when    Athol   became    a 


CHURCHES.  h?1 

parisli,  and  Rev.  E.  F.  Martin  was  appointed  as  the  first 
resident  pastor. 

Eev.  Edward  F.  Martin  was  born  in  Barre,  Mass.,  in 
1844.  His  eariy  life  was  spent  in  Worcester.  During 
the  war  of  the  Rebellion  he  enlisted  in  the  United  States 
Navy,  and  served  on  board  the  "Cannndaigua"  and 
"Miami,"  and  was  captured  at  Fort  Temple,  Sept.  8,  1863. 
He  spent  fourteen  months  in  Andersonville  and  other 
Southern  prisons,  and  was  discharged  from  the  service  in 
1865.  He  soon  after  took  up  college  studies  at  St. 
Charles,  Maryland,  and  was  ordained  at  St.  Joseph's  Sem- 
inary, Troy,  N.  Y.  He  was  first  stationed  at  Lee  and 
Adams,  in  this  state,  as  assistant,  and  was  appointed  pastor 
of  St.  Catherine's  Parish  in  1882.  The  old  church  build- 
ing soon  proved  too  small  to  accommodate  the  Society,  and 
meeting  swere  held  for  a  time  in  the  Town  Hall.  In  1883 
the  valuable  real  estate  known  as  Drury's  Grove,  contain- 
ing about  four  acres,  and  situated  between  the  villages, 
was  purchased,  and  in  1884  a  commodious  basement  was 
built  and  roofed  over  where  the  church  services  have  since 
been  held.  The  next  year  a  fine  parochial  residence  was 
erected.  The  Society  numbers  about  nine  hundred  souls. 
In  addition  to  ministering  to  this  large  number.  Father 
Martin  also  holds  services  every  Sunday  at  Orange,  which 
is  attached  to  the  Athol  Parish. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


ATHOL  TN  THE  REVOLUTION. 

"Few  were  the  numbers  she  could  boast, 
But  every  freeman  was  a  host, 
And  felt  as  though  himself  were  he 
On  whose  sole  arm  hung  victory." 

HE  ANNALS  of  the  town  leave  no 
doubt  as  to  the  patriotism  of  Athol  in 
the  dark  days  of  the  Revolution,  and  the 
records  of  the  frequent  town  meetings 
held  through  the  years  of  the  war  bear 
testimony  that  the  town  was  not  behind 
her  sister  towns  in  resisting  the  oppres- 
sion and  tyranny  of  Great  Britian,  and  in  furnishing  food 
and  clothing  for  the  suffering  armies  of  freedom,  while  the 
families  of  her  citizens  who  were  taking  part  in  the  great 
struggle  for  liberty  were  kindly  cared  for.  As  early  as 
May,  1770  a  vote  was  passed  granting  "six  pounds  to  pro- 
vide a  stock  of  ammunition  for  the  town."  When  the 
news  of  the  order  for  closing  the  port  of  Boston  was  re- 
ceived, we  find  the  men  of  Athol  gathering  at  a  full  meet- 
ing of  the  Freeholders  and  other  inhabitants  of  the  Town 
July  7,  1774,  with  Deacon  Aaron  Smith  as  Moderator,  and 


ATHOL    IN    THE    REVOLUTION.  85 

unanimously  agreeing  to  enter  into  a  '■'•League  or  Covenant 
binding  ourselves  to  renounce  the  use  and  consumption  of 
all  goods  that  shall  arrive  in  America  from  Great  Britain 
from  and  after  the  last  day  of  August  next  ensuing, 
until  the  act  for  blocking  up  the  Harbor  of  Boston  shall  be 
repealed  and  us  restored  to  the  free  use  and  enjoyment  of 
our  national  and  charter  rights,  <  or  until  other  measures 
shall  be  adopted  by  the  body  of  the  people  or  the  General 
Congress  of  the  Colonies  that  are  soon  to  meet  shall  be 
thought  more  likely  to  afford  deUverance."  A  Committee 
of  Correspondence  was  also  chosen  consisting  of  Dea. 
Aaron  Smith,  Wm.  Bigelow,  Josiah  Goddard,  Capt.  John 
Haven,  Ephraim  Stockwell,  James  Oliver,  Abner  Graves, 
James  Stratton,  Jr.  and  Daniel  Lamson,  to  correspond  with 
similar  committees  in  other  towns  ot  the  Province. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  freeholders  and  other  inhabit- 
ants of  the  town  duly  assembled  and  convened,  on  the 
25th  of  August  following,  seven  patriotic  resolutions  were 
unanimously  passed. 

The  1st.  of  these  resolutions  points  to  a  closer  and 
firmer  bond  of  union  between  the  colonies. 

The  2d.  acknowledges  the  loyalty  of  the  people  to 
King  George  the  Third,  so  long  as  he  shall  rule  and  govern 
agreeable  to  the  English  constitution  and  our  chartered 
rights,  but  no  longer. 

The  3d.  condemns  the  blockade  and  plunder  of  Bos- 
ton. 

The  4th.  complains  of  the  injustice  involved  in  the 
practical  repeal  of  the  charters  of  the  colonies. 

The  5th.  is  a  pledge  of  resistance  to  the  unjust  meas- 
ures pursued  by  the  British  Government. 


86  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

The  6th.  signifies  their  approbation  of  a  County  meet- 
ing that  is  to  be  held  at  Worcester,  and  appoints  William 
Bigelow  and  Daniel  Lamson  to  attend  said  meeting. 

The  7th.  is  as  follows:  "Resolved,  that  if  any  persoa 
shall  accept  any  commission  or  post  of  office  to  serve  under 
the  new  establishment,  he  ought  to  be  looked  upon  and 
treated  as  an  enemy  to  his  country;  as  he,  thereby,  is  joining 
with,  and  lending  a  helping  hand  to  those  who  are  endea- 
voring to  enslave  us."  Such  were  the  sentiments  of  the 
men  of  Athol  in  the  days  of  the    Revolution. 

The  votes  passed  at  the  various  town  meetings  show 
that  the  voters  of  Athol  were  determined  that  as  far  as 
they  were  concerned,  the  rights  of  freemen  should  be  pro- 
tected at  any  cost. 

At  a  town  meeting  held  on  the  29th  of  September 
1774  it  was  voted  "to  enlist  thirty  men  exclusive  of  officers 
to  send  in  case  of  alarm,"  and  also  "to  have  two  companies 
of  militia  in  town,"  one  on  each  side  of  the  river.  At  the 
same  meeting  William  Bigelow  was  chosen  a  delegate  to 
attend  and  represent  the  town  "in  the  Provincial  Congress 
to  be  hoi  den  at  Concord  on  the  second  Tuesday  of  October" 
ensuing.  He  was  also  chosen  as  a  delegate  to  attend  at 
Cambridge  and  "join  with  the  Provincial  Congress  at  their 
first  sessions  if  the  Continental  Congress  breaks  up  and  the 
members  that  went  from  this  province  return  home." 

Jan.  11,  1775,  the  town  voted  "that  we  do  approve  of 
and  wUl  adopt  the  non  importation  agreement  recommend- 
ed by  the  Continental  Congress."  And  on  March  6,  1775 
the  last  town  meeting  is  warned  in  his  Majesties  name. 
On  the  15th  of  the  following  June  it  is  voted  to  raise  a 
Minute  Company  consisting  of  25  men  commissioned   offi- 


ATHOL    IN    THE    REVOLUTION.  87 

/ 

cers  included.  Who  were  these  minute  men?  Geo.  Wm. 
Curtis  in  his  address  at  the  Centennial  anniversary  of  the 
battles  of  Concord  and  Lexington  most  truly  describes 
them : 

"The  minute  man  of  the  American  Revolution,  who 
was  he  1  He  was  the  husband  and  father  who,  bred  to 
love  liberty,  and  to  know  that  lawful  liberty  is  the  sole 
guaranty  of  peace  and  progress,  left  the  plow  in  the  furrow 
and  the  hammer  on  the  bench,  and  kissing  wife  and  child- 
ren marched  to  die  or  to  be  free.  He  was  the  son  and 
lover,  the  plain  shy  youth  of  the  singing  school  and  the 
village  choir,  whose  heart  beat  to  arms  with  his  country, 
and  who  felt,  though  he  could  not  say,  with  the  old  English 

cavalier : 

•'I  could  not  love  thee,  deare,  so  much, 
Loved  I  not  honor  more." 

When  the  decisive  moment  came  and  "the  shot  heard 
round  the  world"  was  fired,  the  minute  men  of  Athol  were 
ready  to  respond  to  the  Lexington  alarm,  and  among  the 
musty  old  records  preserved  at  the  State  House  in  Boston, 
we  find  their  names  recorded  on  "X  Muster  Roll  of  ye 
Comp.  that  marched  on  ye  19th  of  April  under  ye  com- 
mand of  Capt.  Ichabod  Dexter  in  Col.  Doolittles  Regt. 

Ichabod  Dexter,  captain,  Benja.  Death,        " 

;)    Ephraim  Stockwell,  lieutenant,     vJ  Abner  Morton,      " 

^  Abner  Graves,  lieutenant,  U»o'')^-i  Joshua  Mortpn,     " 

-i  Thomas  Lord,  sergeant,    (Jj^-^    -i  Moses  Ball,  " 

/  Simon  Goddard,  sergeant,  J  Isaac  Ball,  " 

Caleb  Smith,  sergeant,  -^  Jonathan  Train,    " 

y  Asa  Smith,  corporal,     «-<    j'      —• — John  Dike,  " 

;  John  StockweU,  corporal,  ,i  Bamble  Woods,    " 

v|  Joseph  Cummings,  corporal,  \  Zebulon  Stratton," 

,i  Ezra  Hudson,  private,  i  Joseph  Fay,  " 

\Kobbart  Young,  "  \  Ebenz.  Goddard,  " 


88  ATHOL,    PAST   AND    PRESENT. 

^'  Samuel  Young,    "  Jleuben  Graves,    " 

^-i  Wmiam  Young,  "  ,  Samuel  Hall,         " 

Benja  Townsing,"  -4  Jonathan  Biglo,    " 

Robbai-t  Oliver,    "  J  Asa  Hartuess,        " 

Most  of  these  were  in  service  13  days  and  their  travel 
was  160  miles. 

Ichabod  Dexter,  Athol's  first  captain  in  the  Revolu- 
tion, who  led  the  minute  men  in  the  Lexington  Alarm, 
was  a  son  of  Samuel  Dexter,  who  is  supposed  to  have  come 
to  Athol  in  1736  and  settled  on  what  was  called  West 
Hill,  irij  the  vicinity  of  the  old  fort.  Samuel  was  a  son  of 
Benjamin  Dexter  who  was  born  in  Rochester,  Mass.  in 
1670  ^nd  married  Sarah  Arnold,  daughter  of  Rev.  Samuel 
Arnold  the  hrst  minister  of  Rochester,  and  was  a  descend- 
ent  of  Thomas  Dexter  who  came  from  England  in  1630, 
being  one  of  the  1500  that  came  with  Winthrop. 

^chabod  was  a  young  blacksmith  and  according  to 
trachtion  was  in  the  French  and  Indian  war,  and  was  at 
the  taking  of  old  Fort  Ticonderoga  when  all  the  men  in 
line,  on  both  sides  of  him  were  shot  down  and  his  clothes 
wejfe  riddled  with  bullets,  but  none  happened  to  draw 
blood.  He  and  his  brother  Samuel  were  also  out  as  scouts 
at  one  time,  and  were  taken  prisoners  by  the  Indians,  who 
started  with  them  for  Canada,  but  as  they  were  camped 
one  night  the  brothers  woke  up  and  finding  thfeir  captors 
were  all  asleep  they  sent  the  whole  company  to  the  happy 
hunting  grounds,  and  started  through  the  wilderness  for 
Athol,  which  they  barely  lived  to  reach,  being  obliged  to 
kill  and  eat  their  dog  which  was  vsdth  them.  He  was  one 
of  the  early  Selectmen  of  Athol  and  held  other  town  offi- 
ces. 

Sometime  before  1781  he  moved  to   Hardwick,   for 


ATHOL   IN   THE    REVOLUTION.  89 

according  to  the  records  of  that  town  he  was  one  of  the 
Selectmen  of  Hardwick  in  1781,  1782  and  1785  and  re- 
presented that  town  in  the  General  Court  in  1782  and 
1783.  He  was  an  active  promoter  of  Shay's  Rebellion  in 
1786  and  his  name  with  Samuel  Dexter  was  among  a  list 
which  the  Sheriff  of  Worcester  County  in  a  letter  to  the 
Governor  says  are  "the  names  of  a  number  of  their  princi- 
pal leaders  and  commanders,"  but  he  afterwards  made  his 
peace  with  the  Government. 

He  died  of  apoplexy  Feb.  13,  1797,  being  at  the  time 
of  his  death  59  years,  7  months  and  19  days  of  age.  On 
the  settlement  of  his  estate  in  April  1798,  shares  were 
allotted  to  seven  children.  After  returning  from  the 
Lexington  Alarm  it  seems  that  Capt.  Dexter  soon  led 
another  company  to  the  field,  for  we  find  a  muster  roll  of  a 
company  under  command  of  Capt.  Ichabod  Dexter  in  Col. 
B.  Ruggles  Woodbridge  Regt,  to  Aug.  1,  1775,  most  of 
whom  enlisted  the  last  days  of  April  or  first  of  May.  On 
the  roll  appear  the  names  of  seven  who  were  in  the  first 
company  that  marcbed,  whUe  eighteen  new  recruits  appear. 

Another  Athol  captain  was  Capt.  Thomas  Lord,  who 
was  Sergeant  in  the  first  company  that  marched  and  was 
afterwards  captain  in  several  different  companies.  "A 
Continental  Pay  Roll  of  Capt.  Thomas  Lord's  company 
in  Col.  Nathan  Sparhawk's  Regt.,  of  Militia  from  Athol 
in  State  of  Mass.  Bay  to  Bennington  including  the  time  to 
return"  contains  the  names  of  thirty-one  men  including 
the  Captain.  This  company  enlisted  Aug  21,  1777,  and 
was  discharged  Aug.  26,  1777.  Their  distance  from  home 
was  96  miles,  and  the  time  of  service  including  time  to 
return,  ten  days. 


90  ATHOL,  PAST  ADD  PRESENT. 

Another  continental  pay  roll  of  Capt.  Thomas  Lord's 
company  in  Col.  Job  Cushing's  Regiment  of  Militia  from 
the  state  of  Mass.  Bay,  including  the  time  to  return  home, 
contained  the  names  of  forty-five  men,  most  of  whom 
marched  a  distance  of  220  miles  from  home,  and  were  ten 
or  eleven  days  in  service.  The  name  of  John  Oliver  also 
appears  on  some  of  the  muster  rolls  at  the  State  House  as 
an  A.thol  captain. 

A  statement  in  the  town  records  of  llll  shows  that 
Athol  had  furnished  soldiers  who  were  distributed 
throughout  the  Continental  army,  at  Cambridge,  Roxbury, 
Dorchester,  Nantastick,  York,  Ticonderoga,  Tarrytown, 
the  Jerseys,  Rhode  Island,  Bennington,  Saratoga  and  Fort 
Edward. 

There  is  preserved  in  the  Sprague  family  an  interest- 
ing relic  in  the  shape  of  an  ancient  document  which  con- 
tains the  marching  orders  sent  to  an  Athol  captain : 
"To  Capt.  Eph'm  Stockwell: 

Sir: — By  virtue  of  an  express  from  Genr'l  Warren  in  which  i  am 
Directed  to  detach  Every  Sixtli  man  out  of  my  Regiment  to  go  to  the 
releaf  of  our  Distressed  Breatheren  to  the  westward.  I  do  Hereby  Di- 
rect and  Order  you  forth-with  with-out  the  Least  Delay  and  with  the 
utmost  Despatch  to  Detach  Every  Sixth  man  out  of  the  Training  Band 
and  alarm  List  of  your  Company  for  the  purpose  affores'd  and  See  that 
they  are  acquipt  according  to  Law  with  armes,  ammunition,  also  with 
Kittles  and  Cooking  utejisils.  The  Selectmen  are  Directed  to  acqnip 
those  that  are  not  acquiped,  you  are  also  to  detach  one  Corporal.  And 
when  you  have  so  Done  you  are  to  march  them  to  Petersham  on  Mon- 
day the  twenty-eighth  day  of  this  Instant  July  to  meet  on  the  Paraid 
near  the  Meeting  House  in  said  Town  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  forenoon, 
you  are  also  to  take  the  command  of  the  men  Detached  from  captains 
Nye.  Henery  and  Lord's  Companey's  Together  with  your  own  Detach- 
ment. And  from  sd  Petersham  you  are  to  make  your  Route  By  the  way 
of  Bennington,  where  you  are  to  receive  further  orders  from  Colo- 
Cushing,  you  are  to  Return  me  a  List  of  the  names  of  those  men  De- 
tached from  your  Company  Immediately. 

Barre,  July  26th,  1777. 

NATHAN  SPARHAWK,  Col." 


ATHOL   IN    THE   REVOLUTION. 


91 


This  company  was  in  the  battle  of  Bennington  and 
afterwards  captured,  in  New  Jersey,  a  British  detachment 
one  less  in  number  without  firing  a  shot.  In  the  terrible 
conflict  of  White  Plains  two  of  its  men  were  killed  who 
bore  the  Athol  names  of  Morse  and  Goddard.  The  first 
pastor  of  Athol,  Eev.  James  Humphrey,  has  left  this  rec- 
ord respecting  them,  "Mr.  Earl  Cutting,  their  townsman 
and  messmate,  was  between  them  when  they  fell."  Tra- 
dition adds  that  one  of  them  when  wounded,  leaped  over  a 
fence  arid  died  without  uttering  a  word. 

Preserved  ia  the  archives  of  the  State  House  at  Bos- 
ton on  the  various  muster  rolls  and  continental  pay  rolls 
of  companies  and  regiments  we  find  the  names  of  156 
Athol  men  who  served  in  the  Continental  Army  at  some 
time  from  1775  to  the  close  of  the  war. 

Capt.  Thomas  Lord, 


Capt.  Ichabod  Dexter, 
"     John  Oliver, 

Lieut.  Abner  Graves, 
"      Zebediah  Allen, 

Sergt.  Caleb  Smitli, 
"      Ezra  Hudson, 
"      Martin  Morton, 
"      Ebenezer  Goddard, 
"      Geo.  Cutting, 
"      'William  Smith, 

Corp.  Asa  Smith, 
"      Joseph  Morse, 
"      Samuel  Hara, 
"      John  Stone, 
"      Francis  Smith, 
"      Ithamer  Bowker, 

Drummer  Jesse  Stockwell, 

Fif  er  Moses  Goddai'd, 

Nathaniel  Ara, 

Isaac  Sail, 

Noah  Bates, 


"     Ephraim  Stockwell, 
Lieut.  Benj.  Townsend, 
Sergt.  Simon  Goddard, 
"     Steven  Stratton, 
"      Joseph  Cummings, 
"     Joseph  Buckman, 
"     John  Humphrey, 
"     David  Oliver, 
"      Aaron  Smith, 
Corp.  John  Stockwell, 
"      Eobert  Young, 
"      Benjamin  Death, 
"      Nahum  Fairbanks, 
"      Wm.  Braimond, 
"      James  Wilson, 
Drummer  Isacher  Bates, 
Fiter  Simeon  Prosson, 
Moses  Ball, 
Aaron  Ball, 
Theodor  Bates, 


92 


ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


Uri  Babbitt, 
Joshua  Bea] 
Eeuben  Buckman, 
Daniel  Bushnell, 
Lucas  Carlton, 
Ephraim  Cady, 
Stephen  Crosby, 
Samuel  Cutting-, 
Wm.  Cutting, 
David  Copeland, 
Joshua  Davis, 
John  Dike, 
Benjamin  Fairbanks, 
Philemon  Fairbanks, 
Jason  Fisk, 
James  Fletcher, 
Ebenezer  Goddard,  Jr., 
Stephen  Goodell, 
Eeuben  Graves, 
Asa  Hartness, 
Lucas  Hilton, 
Daniel  How, 
Moses  Huckans. 
Elhathan  Jacobs, 
Eli  Jacobs, 
Jonathan  Johnson, 
Jonathan  Kelton, 
Samuel  Kendall, 
Joseph  Knights, 
William  Lord 
James  Lucas, 
Joshua  Morton, 
Silas  Marble, 
Aaron  Marble, 
Daniel  Mayson, 
Moses  Mixture, 
John  Muuro, 
Abraham  Nutt, 
Aaron  Oliver, 
Joseph  Parker, 
David  Peri-y, 


Nathaniel  Babbitt, 

Jotham  Biglo, 

Samuel  Bradish, 

Jabez  Carter,  belonged  to  Eeading-, 

but  enlisted  for  Athol. 
Ephraim  Cheney, 
Wm.  Crosby, 
Earl  Cutting, 
Isaac  Commings, 
Jonathan  Childs, 
Jotham  Death, 
Benjamin  Dollbear, 
John  Fairbanks, 
Joseph  Fay, 
Jonathan  Fletcher, 
Bartholomew  French, 
David  Goddai-d, 
Timothy  Goodell, 
Samuel  Hale, 
Edward  Hamon, 
Wm.  Holman, 
Jacob  Huckans, 
Seth  Hutson 
John  Jacobs, 
Whitman  Jacobs 
John  Kelton, 
Lucas  Kelton, 
Timothy  Kendall, 
William  Lewis, 
Eobert  Love, 
Abner  Morton, 
Eichard  Morton, 
Moses  Marble, 
John  Mansur, 
Josiah  Moor, 
Sam  Mixture, 
Asa  Buckman, 
Eobbart  Oliver, 
Daniel  Parling 
Eben  Parsons, 
Nathaniel  Powers 


ATHOL   m   THE   teJSVOLtmoK.  93 

Benj.  Pressoii,  Peter  Thompson, 

Seth  Rider,  Enos  Twichell, 

Zacheus  Rich,  Josiah  Wait, 

Daniel  Rice,  Peleg  "Watson, 

■Jotham  Rice,  Nicholas  Watson, 

teilfus  Richardson,  Sam  Watson, 

Benj.  Russell,  Ichabod  Warner, 

Luke  Robbins,  Abel  White, 

Solomon  Smith,  Eben  Williams, 

bayid  Smith,  Jacob  Winslow,  ■ 

Eben  Stratton,  L/evi  Witt, 

Peleg  Stratton,  Kimble  Woods, 

Zebulon  Stratton,  Jonathan  Wood, 

Thomas  Stow,  Samuel  Young, 

Ruf  us  Taylor,  William  Young, 

Isaac  Train,  David  Youngs 
Jonathan  Train, 

When  we  consider  that  the  entire  population  of 
Athol  during  the  Revolution  did  not  exceed  nine  hundred, 
we  can  form  some  idea  of  what  the  people  of  this  town 
were  called  upon  to  do,  when  almost  the  entire  able  bodied 
male  population  of  the  little  town  must  have  been  in  the 
service  at  some  time  during  the  war. 

We  have  no  means  of  ascertaining  how  many  of  these 
soldiers  were  killed  in  battle,  or  died  from  disease  brought 
on  by  the  hardships  and  perils  encountered,  or  the  feats 
of  valor  or  heroism  they  may  have  performed ;  it  would  be 
interesting  to  know  something  more  of  their  lives,  but  the 
records  of  both  town  and  state  show  that  Athol  was  ever 
ready  with  a  noble  spirit  of  self  sacrifice  to  contribute  of 
her  sons  and  money  most  liberally  for  the  cause  of  free 
dom. 

The  following  are   some  of  the   votes   passed  by  the 
town  during  the  war: 


94  Afaoh,  -PAsr  Anv  ttcESEm', 

July  24,  1776,  voted  "to  grant  six  pounds  to  eacli 
man  who  should  enlist  into  the  colony  service  to  go  to 
Canada."  March  10,  1777,  "voted  to  raise  thirty  pounds 
to  provide  a  town  stock  of  ammunition."  April  29  of  the 
same  year,  voted  to  pay  twenty-four  pounds  to  each  man 
who  "shall  enlist  himself  into  the  Continental  army  for 
three  years  or  during  the  war,"  and  the  selectmen  were 
directed  to  borrow  the  money.  June  6,  six  pounds  were 
granted  in  addition  to  the  above  to  each  man  so  enlisting. 
Dec  2,  1777,  it  was  "voted  to  raise  1128  pounds  16  shil- 
lings to  pay  the  extraordinary  charges  of  the  war."  At 
a  town  meeting  held  April  9,  1778,  a  committee  consisting 
of  John  Haven,  Aaron  Smith  and  Jesse  Kindal  were 
chosen  to  supply  the  Continental  soldiers'  families  with  the 
necessaries  of  life,  according  to  the  act  of  contract.  June 
16,  1778,  voted  "to  raise  125  pounds  11  shillings,  to  pay 
for  tbe  Continental  clothing  and  for  transporting  the  same 
to  the  army."  July  15,  "voted  to  raise  1583  pounds,  three 
shillings  and  eight  pence  to  pay  those  men  that  have  done 
service  in  the  war  for  the  town  of  Athol."  June  28,  1779, 
voted  "to  give  500  pounds  for  each  man  that  will  engage 
in  the  nine  months  Continental  service."  Voted  "to  allow 
170  pounds  for  any  man  that  will  engage  in  the  six 
month's  service  to  Providence  Plantation,"  October  27, 
1780,  voted  to  allow  7,650  pounds  to  Oliver  Holman,  for 
beef  procured  by  him,  as  agent  for  the  town,  for  the  army. 


CHAPTER    VII. 


WAU  OP  1812  AOT)  POLITICAL  HISTOKY. 

*'  A  weapon  that  comes  down  as  still 
As  snowflakes  fall  Upon  the  sod, 

But  executes  a  Freeman's  will 
As  lightning  does  the  will  of  God, 

And  from,  its  force,  nor  doors  nor  locks 
Can  shield  you^ — "'tis  the  hallot-box.'' 


HE  WAR  of  1812  was  most  strenuously 
opposed  by  the  people  of  Ath.ol,  and  the 
significant  language  of  the  various 
petitions  which  they  addressed  to  the 
President  of  the  United  States  and  the 
State  Legislature  show  the  intense  feel 
ing  that  prevailed  and  that  they  were  in  earnest.  The 
first  action  taken  by  the  town  was  at  a  town  meeting  held 
August  31,  1808,  when  it  was  voted  to  petition  the  Pres- 
ident of  the  United  States  to  repeal  the  laws  laying  an 
embargo.  The  following  were  chosen  a  committee  to 
prepare  the  petition:  James  Oliver,  Elijah  Goddard, 
Joseph  Pierce,  James  Humphrey  and  Joseph  Proctor. 

The  following   petition   was   read   and   unanimously 
adopted : 


96  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

"To  THE  President  op  the  United  States:  The  inhabitants  of 
the  Town  of  AthoJ  in  the  County  of  Worcester  and  Commonwealth  of 
Massachusetts  in  legal  town  meeting  assembled,  beg  leave  respectfully 
and  unanimously  to  represent  that  although  the  evils  resulting  from  the 
late  embargo  laws  may  not  be  so  immediately  and  sensibly  felt  by  inland 
towns  as  by  our  seaports,  and  although  the  farmer  may  not  at  present  sO' 
much  as  the  merchant  feel  their  deliterious  efiects,  yet  they  are  consid- 
ered of  suiiicient  magnitude  to  create  a  general  alarm  and  distress  in 
this  interior  part  of  the  country,  and  that  the  riyn  of  the  husbandman 
will  soon  follow  that  of  the  merchant  unless  said  evils  can  speedily  be 
removed.  We  therefore  pray  that  said  laws  may  be  suspended  as  soon 
as  may  be  consistent  with  the  nature  and  fitness  of  things,  and  as  in  duty 
bound  will  ever  pray." 

This  petition  not  having  the  desired  effect,  the  fol- 
lowing winter  a  town  meeting  is  called  to  take  action  on 
the  subject,  when  the  doctrine  of  state  sovereignty  and 
resistance  to  national  control  is  advocated  in  a  most 
emphatic  and  unequivocal  manner.  The  records  of  this 
town  meeting  are  most  interesting  and  read  as  follows : 

"The  inhabitants  of  the  Town  of  Athol  in  legal  town  meeting  oii 
Wednesday,  the  16th  day  of  February,  1809,  assembled  for  the  purpose 
of  taking  into  consideration  the  late  measures  of  our  National  Admin- 
istration affecting  our  Navigation  and  Commerce,  voted  to  choose  a 
committee  to  draft  an  address  to  our  State  Legislature  upon  the  subject 
aforesaid  and  the  following  gentlemen  were  chosen,  viz:  James  Olivei- 
Joseph  Pierce,  James  Humphrey,  "William  Young  and  Joseph  Proctor. 
Adjourned  half  an  hour  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  said  inhabitants 
met  agreeably  to  adjournment  and  their  committee  reported  as  follows: 
"That  whereas  civil  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness  are  considered 
by  us  as  inalienable  rights,  and  no  less  essential  to  the  good  and  well  be- 
ing of  Political  Society  than  publick  authority,  therefore :  Eesolved  that 
we  will  never  surrender  these  Rights  but  with  the  surrender  of  our  lives 
and  as  the  late  measures  of  our  national  administration  by  which  our 
commerce  is  well  nigh  destroyed,  the  right  of  Trial  by  Jury  in  many 
instances  taken  away,  the  civil  authority  subjected  to  the  military, 
standing  armies  distributed  over  our  peaceful  land  and  the  right  of 
property  left  unprotected,  are  in  our  opinion,  partial,  unjust,  inexpedient 
and  unconstitutional,  the  opinion  of  any  earthly  judge  to  the  contrary 


POLITICAI-    HISTORY.  97 

.  notwithstanding,  therefore :  Resolved  that  we  are  not  bound  to  support 
and  we  will  not  support  such  measures:  Resolved  that  we  will  con- 
tribute all  in  our  power  to  aid  and  support  our  State  Legislature  by  all 
proper  means,  in  opposing  such  oppresive  measures  hoping  and 
earnestly  requesting  that  Honorable  Body  not  to  quit  their  posts  until 
they  shall  have  asserted  the  Sovereignity  and  Independence  of  this  State 
and  secured  to  its  citizens  their  wonted  privileges. 

James  Oliver,  Chairman." 
William  Young  and  Abnev  Twichell  entered  their  verbal    protest 
against  said  report. 

Political  History.  It  was  in  1776  that  the  first  step 
was  taken  toward  the  formation  of  a  State  Constitution, 
when  the  Legislature  recommended  to  the  people  that 
they  choose  deputies  to  that  body  authorized  to  fix  a  form 
of  government.  The  plan  or  form  of  government  for  this 
state  as  agreed  upon  by  the  convention  held  Feb.  28,  1778 
and  submitted  to  the  people  was  rejected  by  a  large 
majority,  because  no  declaration  of  rights  was  attached  to 
it.  That  it  was  not  satisfactory  to  the  citizens  of  Athol  is 
evident  by  the  action  of  the  town  meeting  at  which  it  was 
presented,  when  one  hundred  and  one  voters,  voted  not  to 
accept  it,  and  a  committee  of  nine  were  chosen  "to  take 
into  consideration  and  point  out  what  amendments  they 
think  proper  on  the  said  form  of  government  and  report 
to  the  town." 

In  January,  1780,  the  existing  Constitution  was 
formed  and  submitted  to  the  people  who  ratified  it  by  a 
vote  of  more  than  two  to  one.  A  declaration  of  the 
Constitution  was  that  "all  men  are  born  equal,"  and  under 
this  provision  it  was  decided  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
State  that  slavery  was  abolished.  At  the  first  state 
election  under  the  Constitution  Sept.  4,  1 780,  Athol's  vote 
for  governor  was,  John  Hancock  39,  and  for  lieutenant 


98  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

governor,  James  Warren  19.  In  1790  Athol's  vote  for 
governor  was,  John  Hancock  29,  Hon.  James  Bowdoin  9, 
and  Hon.  Nathaniel  Gorham  6.  In  1794  when  the 
immortal  Samuel  Adams  was  chosen  governor  Athol  did 
not  cast  a  single  vote  for  him,  the  vote  for  governor  that 
year  being  Wm.  Gushing  22,  Samuel  Phillips  17  and 
Francis  Dana  12. 

The  insurrectionary  movement  known  as  the  Shay's 
Eebellion  which  had  its  greatest  following  in  the  interior 
and  western  parts  of  the  state  does  not  seem  to  have  been 
looked  upon  by  the  citizens  of  Athol  with  much  favor. 
This  is  clearly  shown  in  the  action  of  Athol  in  the  conven- 
tion held  at  Boston  in  1787  for  the  purpose  of  considering 
the  proposed  National  Constitution,  when  the  entire 
northern  part  of  Worcester  County  with  the  exception  of 
Athol  voted  against  its  adoption,  assigning  as  a  principal 
reason  that  too  many  of  the  rights  of  the  citizens  were  not 
well  guarded.  As  a  general  rule  those  towns  and  indivdi- 
uals  who  favored  the  Shays  movement,  opposed  the 
Constitution,  from  the  fear  that  there  would  be  too  much 
power  in  the  central  government. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  part  Athol  has  taken  in 
the  various  political  movements  that  have  agitated  the 
state  and  nation.  At  the  first  presidential  election  held 
Dec.  18,  1788,  Abel  Wilder  Esq.,  and  John  Sprague,  Esq., 
each  received  forty  votes  as  candidates  for  electors  of  the 
president  and  vice  president  of  the  United  States.  A 
large  majority  of  the  voters  of  Athol  were  Federalists 
all  through  the  early  years  of  the  century,  and  in  1800 
when  Caleb  Strong,  the  renowned  Federalist,  who  held  the 


ATHOL   IN    THE    REVOLUTION.  99 

office  of  governor  longer  than  it  was  held  by  any  other 
man,  and  is  said  to  have  been  the  man  of  the  most  decided 
character  that  has  ever  been  at  the  head  of  the  state, 
Athol's  vote  for  governor  was  Hon.  Caleb  Strong  75  votes, 
and  Hon.  Elbridge  Gerry  10.  Governor  Strong  was 
defeated  in  1808  by  James  Sullivan,  a  democrat. 

The  Federalists  regained  power  again  in  1809,  when 
Christopher  Gore  was  chosen  governor,  but  in  1810  the 
Democrats  were  again  successful,  making  Elbridge  Gerry 
governor  and  re-electing  him  in  1811.  All  through  these 
changes  Athol  was  steadfast  to  the  federalist  cause,  and  in 
1812  when  a  most  vigorous  and  successful  eff'ort  was  made 
to  "redeem"  the  state  from  the  democrats,  and  Hon. 
Caleb  Strong  was  again  their  leader,  Athol  rolled  up  her 
largest  vote  when  Hon.  Caleb  Strong  received  169  votes 
for  governor  and  Hon.  Elbridge  Gerry  27. 

In  1829  the  voters  of  Athol  and  other  towns  in  this 
section  of  the  state  were  unusually  agitated  over  the  rail- 
road question  and  broke  away  from  all  party  allegiance. 
This  was  known  as  the  anti-railroad  election.  Governor 
Lincoln  who  was  in  favor  of  a  railroad  line  from  Boston 
through  Worcester  and  the  southern  part  of  the  state 
to  Albany  was  opposed  by  Hon.  Samuel  C.  Allen  of 
Greenfield,  who  was  supported  for  governor  by  many  of 
the  towns  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state.  In  1828 
Lincoln  had  received  66  votes  in  Athol  against  26  for  Hon. 
Marcus  Morton,  but  at  the  election  of  1828  Governor 
Lincoln  received  only  two  votes,  Hon.  Samuel  Allen  142 
and  Marcus  Morton  seven.  The  following  year  Athol's 
vote  was  reversed,  Allen  receiving  but  two.  Morton  41 
and  Lincoln  59. 


]00  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT, 

During  the  ascendency  of  the  Whig  party  in  Massachu- 
setts, Athol  was  a  Whig  town,  and  in  the  famous  Log 
Cabin  campaign  of  1840  when  the  great  victory  of  "Tip- 
pecanoe and  Tyler  too"  was  achieved,  cast  233  votes  for 
the  Whig  electors,  79  for  the  Democratic  and  11  for  the 
free  Soilers. 

In  the  great  political  overturn  in  1854  when  the  new 
American  or  Know  Nothing  party  elected  Henry  J. 
Gardner  as  Governor  and  buried  the  old  Whig  party  in 
Massachusetts  so  deep  that  it  has  never  had  a  resurrection, 
Athol  went  overwhfelmingly  in  favor  of  the  new  party,  the 
vote  for  Governor  being  Henry  J.  Gardner  200,  Emory 
Washburn  67,  Henry  Wilson  13  and  Henry  W.  Bishop 
20.  The  year  before,  Emory  Washburn,  the  last  of  the 
Whig  governors,  received  146  votes,  Henry  Wilson  122 
and  Henry  W.  Bishop  63,  but  the  Know  Nothing  candi- 
date for  representative  to  the  Legislature,  Josiah  Haven, 
was  elected  after  an  exciting  contest  of  two  days,  receiving 
on  the  last  ballot  but  two  votes  more  than  the  number 
necessary  for  election,  it  requiring  a  majority  vote  to  elect 
at  that  time  which  rendered  the  representative  contests, 
especially,  very  exciting. 

From  the  formation  of  the  Eepublican  party  in  1855 
to  the  present  time  the  vote  of  Athol,  with  a  few  excep- 
tions, has  been  given  to  the  candidates  of  that  party  for 
national  and  state  officers.  The  state  campaign  of  1860 
was  a  tremendous  struggle,  and  the  coming  war  loomed 
up  on  the  political  horizon.  The  Republican  state  con- 
vention had  nominated  John  A.  Andrew  for  governor,  and 
against  him  was  pitted  Erasmus  D.  Beach,  the  old    Dem- 


POLITICAL   HISTORY.  101 

ocratic  war  horse,  the  candidate  of  the  Douglas  faction  of 
his  party.  Amos  A.  Lawrence  was  the  nominee  of  the 
conservatives  and  Benjamin  F.  Butler  of  the  Breckinridge, 
or  ultra  wing  of  the  Democratic  party.  In  this  memorable 
election  Athol  gave  the  Republican  presidential  electors 
347  votes,  and  all  others  55.  The  vote  for  governor  was 
John  A.  Andrew  338,  Erasmus  D.  Beach  31,  Amos  A. 
Lawrence  13  and  Benjamin  F.  Butler  10. 

Seldom  have  political  campaigns  been  fought  that 
created  such  excitement  and  interest  as  always  attended 
the  State  campaigns  when  Gen.  Benjamin  F.  Butler  was 
a  candidate  for  Governor  of  Massachusetts.  The  very  air 
seemed  surcharged  with  political  electricity,  and  it  was 
said  regarding  Athol  in  those  days,  "that  the  politics  of 
each  child  can  be  ascertained,  even  before  the  time  of 
teething  is  gone  by,  for  men,  women  and  children  talk 
politics."  The  vote  of  Athol  for  Governor  in  those  mem- 
orable campaigns,  was  as  follows:  In  1878,  Thomas  Tal- 
bot 419,  Benjamin  F.  Butler  407,  Alonzo  A.  Miner  9. 
1879,  John  D.  Long  431,  Benjamin  F.  Butler  428,  John 
Q.  Adams  4,  Daniel  C.  Eddy  1.  1882,  Benjamin  F. 
Butler  422,  Eobert  E.  Bishop  409,  Charles  Almy  1. 
1883,  Geo.  D.  Eobinson  549,  Benjamin  F.  Butler  537, 
John  F.  Arnold  4,  Charles  Almy   4,  John   Q.    Adams  1. 

Some  of  the  caucus  gatherings  held  here,  have  at- 
tracted more  than  local  interest.  When  Butler  made  his 
first  attempt  to  secure  the  republican  nomination  for  Gov- 
ernor in  1871,  the  Athol  republicans  engaged  in  a  most 
exciting  contest  for  the  election  of  delegates  to  the  State 
Convention.     The  caucus  that  was   called  to  meet  at  the 


102  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT, 

Town  Hall  organized,  and  immediately  after,  the  Wash- 
burn men,  fearing  that  the  caucus  might  be  carried  for 
Butler,  adjourned  to  the  High  school  building,  where  the 
officers  of  the  caucus,  with  many  others  repaired.  Dele- 
gates to  the  State  Convention  at  Worcester  were  chosen 
at  both  places,  the  school  house  delegates  being  for  Wm. 
B.  Washburn,  and  the  town  hall  delegates  for  Butler. 
Both  delegations  went  to  Worcester,  and  the  Butler  dele- 
gates were  admitted  to  the  convention,  on  the  ground  that 
they  met  at  the  place  at  which  the  caucus  was  called. 
The  Butler  delegates  were  Col.  George  H.  Hoyt,  A.  M. 
Sawyer  and  Kev.  C.  L.  McCurdy,  then  pastor  of  the  Meth- 
odist church.  The  unsuccessful  delegates  were  Dr.  J.  P. 
Lynde,  Ozi  Kendall  and  Hon.  Charles  Field. 

Representatives.  Athol  was  represented  in  the  vari- 
ous Provincial  Congresses  as  follows :  William  Bigelow 
was  chosen  to  attend  the  Congress,  to  be  holden  at  Con- 
cord, on  the  second  Tuesday  of  October,  1774,  and  was 
also  chosen  as  delegate  to  the  Congress  held  at  Cambridge 
Nov.  23,  1774.  John  Haven  was  chosen  to  represent  the 
town  in  a  Provincial  Congress  held  at  Watertown,  May 
31,  1775. 

The  first  mention  of  a  Representative  to  the  Great 
and  General  Court,  is  in  1775,  when  Capt.  John  Haven 
is  elected.  The  following  are  the  Representatives  since 
that  time:  Josiah  Goddard,  1792,  '95,  '96,  '98,  '99, 
1800;  Lieut.  Eleazer  Graves,  1802, '04, '05, '17  ;  James 
Humphrey,  1806,  '09,  '10,  '11,  '12,  '13,  '16,  '21,  '23,  '25  ; 
Samuel  Young,  1808;  James  Oliver,  1814,  '15;  Joseph 
Proctor,  1819  ;  Dr.  Ebenezer  Chaplin,  1827,  '29;  Col.  Sam- 


POLmCAl   HISTORY.  103 

uel  Sweetzer,  1830,  '44,  '46  ;  Eliphalet  Thorpe,  1832 ; 
Col.  Nathan  Nickerson,  1833  ;  Benjamin  Estabrook,  1835, 
'36,  '52.  In  1837,  two  representatives  were  sent,  Benja- 
min Estabrook  and  James  Young,  and  in  18S8,  Benjamin 
Estabrook  and  Abner  Young;  Theodore  Jones,  1840,  '43, 
'45 ;  John  W.  Humphrey,  1841,  '42  ;  Nathaniel  Richardson, 
1847 ;  Lysander  Fay,  1848  ;  Stillman  Simonds,  1850  ;'  Ne- 
hemiah  Ward,  1851 ;  Josiah  Haven,  1854  ;  Laban  Morse, 
1855 ;  James  I.  Goulding,  1856  ;  Charles  Field,  1857. 
In  1857,  Atholand  Royalston  were  constituted  as  the  Sec- 
ond Representative  District  of  Worcester  County,  and  re- 
mained so  until  1877,  being  represented  as  follows: 

Isaac  Stevens  of  Athol,  1858,  George  Whitney  of 
Royalston,  1859,  Nathaniel  Richardson  of  Athol,  1860, 
Elisha  F.  Brown  of  Royalston,  1861,  Farwell  F.  Fay  of 
Athol,  1862,  Alpheus  Harding,  Jr.,  of  Athol,  1863,  Ebe- 
nezer  W.  BuUard  of  Royalston,  1864,  Calvin  Kelton  of 
Athol,  1865,  Wm.  W.  Clement  of  Royalston,  1866,  Al- 
pheus Harding,  Jr.,  of  Athol,  1867,  Jeremiah  A.  Rich  of 
Royalston,  1868,  Thomas  H.  Goodspeed  of  Athol  1869, 
Benjamin  H.  Brown  of  Royalston,  1870,  Ozi  Keudall  of 
Athol,  1871,  Geo.  H.  Hoyt  of  Athol,  1872,  '73,  Jeremiah 
A.  Rich  of  Royalston,  1874,  Edwin  Ellis  of  Athol,  1875, 
Wm.  W.  Fish  of  Athol,  1876. 

Under  the  apportionment  of  1876,  Athol  and  Roy- 
alston constituted  the  Eighth  Worcester  District,  and  were 
represented  as  foUows;  Joseph  Walker  of  Royalston, 
1877,  J.  Sumner  Parmenter  of  Athol  1878,  Leander  B. 
Morse  of  Athol  1879,  Russell  S.  Horton  of  Athol,  1880, 
Ira  Y.  Kendall  of  Athol,  1881,  Henry   M.  Humphrey  of 


104  ATHOL,   PAST  AND   PRESENT'. 

Athol,  1882,  Dr.  Frank  W.  Adams  of  Royalston,  188^, 
C.Frederick  Richardson  of  Athol,  1884,  Washington  H. 
Amsden  of  Athol,  1885,  Benjamin  W.  Rich  of  Royalston, 
1886. 

Under  the  apportionment  of  1886,  based  on  the  cen- 
sus of  1885,  the  towns  of  Athol,  Royalston  and  PhUlipston, 
were  constituted  the  First  Representative  District  of  Wor- 
cester County,  and  have  been  represented  as  follows : 
Sidney  P.  Smith  of  Athol,  1887,  '88,  John  D.  Holbrook  of 
Athol,  1889,  C.  V/aldo  Bates  of  PhilHpston,  1890,  Lucien 
Lord  of  Athol,  1891,  Charles  A.  Crosman  of  Athol,  1892, 
Col.  Geo.  Whitney  of  Royalston,  1893,  C.  Waldo  Bates  of 
Phillipston,  1894,  Harding  R.  Barber  of  Athol,    1895,  '96 

Athol  has  been  represented  in  the  Senate  by  James 
Humphrey  in  1817  and  '18,  Benjamin  Estabrook,  1843, 
Charles  Field,  1858,  '59,  Alpheus  Harding,  1879,  '80, 
and  Sidney  P.  Smith,  1891,  '92.  Lyman  W.  Hapgood 
was  elected  delegate  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  in 
1853.  Those  who  have  been  honored  by  their  political 
parties  as  national  delegates  and  electors  are :  Hon.  Chas. 
Field,  who  was  one  of  the  Republican  Presidential  electors 
in  1860,  Hon.  Alpheus  Harding,  delegate  to  the  National 
Republican  Convention  at  Chicago  in  1880,  and  Leander 
B.  Morse,  delegate  to  the  National  Democratic  Convention 
at  Chicago  in  1884. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


ATHOL   IN   THE  REBELLION. 

"But  these  are  deeds  which  should  not  pass  away, 
And  names  that  must  not  wither." 


HE  NEWS  of  the  thrilling 
events  that  were  transpir- 
ing in  the  South,  during 
the  opening  days  of  the 
Rebellion,  as  it  came  to  the 
people  of  Athol,  fiUed  them 

with  amazement  and  indignation. 

When  the  telegraph  wires  flashed  over  the  country 
the  startling  news  that  the  brave  sons  of  Massachusetts 
had  been  shot  dovni  in  the  streets  of  Baltimore,  the  excite- 
ment was  intense,  and  the  patriotic  spirit  of  the  days  of  the 
Eevolution  burned  fresh  and  bright  in  the  sons  of  Athol,  as 
with  enthusiasm  they  hoisted  the  stars  and  stripes  from  the 
buUdings  and  over  the  streets,  and  gathered  at  the  spirited 
meetings  that  were  held  in  both  villages. 

On  the  evening  of  AprU  20th,  1861,  at  an  immense 
meeting  held  in  the  Town  Hall,  stirring   speeches   were 


106  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

made  by  the  Orthodox  and  Unitarian  clergymen,  Isaac 
Stevens,  Esq.,  Dr.  J.  P.  Lynde,  Principal  Lathrop  of  the 
High  School,  Hon.  Charles  Field  and  others,  counciUing 
prompt  and  energetic  action  in  support  of  the  government, 
and  to  stand  by  the  flag  through  all  dangers  and  under  all 
circumstances  ;  sentiments  vphich  were  received  with  deep 
and  tumultuous  applause.  A  general  illumination  fol- 
lowed, of  all  the  dwellings  in  both  villages,  making  the 
night  Ughter  than  the  day,  while  the  streets  were  traversed 
by  long  processions,  headed  by  the  band  playing  national 
airs,  untU  a  late  hour,  and  patriotism  reigned  supreme. 

Vigorous  measures  were  taken  to  form  and  equip  a 
military  company,  and  at  a  meeting  held  April  22nd,  after 
brief  addresses  26  volunteers,  all  young,  active  and  brave, 
stepped  forward  and  subscribed  their  names  to  the  enlist- 
ment papers  amidst  a  perfect  shower  of  cheers. 

The  first  Athol  man  to  enlist  and  be  mustered  into 
the  United  States  Service  was  Leander  W.  Phelps ;  vsdth 
him  were  fifteen  young  men  who  share  with  him  the  honor 
of  standing  at  the  head  of  the  long  list  of  Athol  soldiers, 
and  of  being  the  first  to  start  for  the  seat  of  war.  Their 
names  are:  David  E.  BUlings,  J.  B.  Billings,  Delevan 
Hichardson,  Hubbard  V.  Smith,  Edward  L.  Townsend, 
Charles  H.  HUl,  Charles  S.  Green,  Columbus  Fox,  William 
L.  Clutterbuck,  Horace  Hunt,  William  Nute,  Frederic 
Cummings,  John  D.  Emerson,  Thomas  Johnson  and  Aurin 
B.  French.  These  were  assigned  to  the  Second  Regiment 
of  Massachusetts  Volunteers,  under  command  of  Col. 
George  H.  Gordon.  Two  brothers,  John  F.  Merrill  and 
James  L.  Merrill'  joined  the  Tenth  Eegiment,  which  left 
for  the  seat  of  war  a  few  days  after  the  Second.     Durino- 


ATHOL   IN    THE   REBELLION.  107 

the  summer  23  men  joined  the  Twenty-first  Regiment, 
most  of  whom  were  coimected  with  Co.  A,  which  was 
raised  in  Templeton,  and  was  imder  command  of  Captain 
George  P.  Hawkes.  A  successful  effort  was  made  in  Sep- 
tember to  recruit  a  company  in  Athol  and  vicinity,  and  in 
ten  days  from  the  time  the  list  was  opened  for  recruits, 
Mr.  Adin  W.  Caswell  had  raised  a  fuU  company  of  101 
men,  mainly  from  the  citizens  of  Athol,  of  which  he  was 
made  captain. 

The  first  day  of  the  annual  Cattle  Show  and  Fair  of 
that  year,  Oct.  4th,  1861,  was  made  memorable  as  the  date 
of  the  departure  of  the  company  for  the  encampment  at 
Springfield,  when  a  dinner  was  given  the  soldier  boys  on 
the  Common  at  Athol ;  and  the  men  were  addressed  from 
the  balcony  of  the  Summit  House.  Dr.  James  P.  Lynde 
presided,  and  with  words  of  encouragement  and  patriotism 
addressed  the  soldiers  and  immense  audience  assembled. 
A  sword,  sash,  etc.,  were  presented  to  Captain  Caswell, 
Hon.  Chas.  Field  making  the  presentation  address.  Capt. 
CasweU  responded,  and  addresses  were  made  by  Hiram 
Woodward  Esq.,  of  Orange ;  James  Brooks  Esq.,  of  Peters- 
ham ;  J.  H.  Goddard,  editor  of  the  "  Barre  Gazette  ";  Rev. 
I.  S.  Lincoln,  of  Warwick  ;  Rev.  A.  Harding,  of  New 
Salem;  Calvin  Kelton  Esq.,  Chairman  o'f  the  Board  of 
Selectmen ;  Rev.  Ira  Bailey  and  Rev.  John  F.  Norton  of 
Athol.  A  patriotic  poem,  prepared  for  the  occasion,  was 
read  by  Rev.  D.  J.  MandeU  of  Athol.  At  the  close  of  the 
exercises  the  company  was  escorted  to  the  depot  by  the 
large  assembly,  the  Athol  High  School  Guard,  under  com- 
mand of  Principal  Lathrop,  with  fifty  mounted  men  of 
Athol,  and  nearly  the  same  number  from  Royalston,  doing 


108  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

escort  duty.  The  company  left  with  the  cheers  and  bene- 
dictions of  the  assembled  multitude,  and  at  Springfield 
were  mustered  into  the  United  States  Service  as  Co.  B,  of 
the  Twenty-seventh  Eegiment,  Massachusetts  Volunteers. 

On  Aug.  4th,  1862,  President  Lincoln  issued  an  order* 
for  three  hundred  thousand  men  to  serve  for  the  term  of 
nine  months  ;  the  quota  of  Athol  under  this  caU  was  sixty- 
one  men.  Great  enthusiasm  was  manifested  while  the 
enlisting  for  nine  months  service  was  going  on,  and  many 
offered  themselves  who  could  not  be  accepted  on  account 
of  physical  disabihty.  Farwell  F.  Fay  Esq.,  of  Athol,  re- 
cruited this  company,  and  was  elected  its  captain.  This 
company  was  assigned  to  the  Fifty-third  Regiment  of  the 
Massachusetts  Volunteer  Militia,  and  became  Co.  E  of  that 
regiment.  They  went  into  camp  at  Camp  Stevens,  Groton 
Junction,  Oct.  1st,  1862,  and  left  that  place  for  New  York 
Nov.  30th. 

Athol  had  representatives  in  many  other  regiments,  of 
this  and  other  states,  and  always  responded  promptly  to 
the  various  caUs,  and  when  the  quota  of  the  last  call  of 
Dec.  19,  1864,  was  filled,  the  Tovpn  had  a  surplus  of  28 
men  to  her  credit. 

The  whole  number  furnished  by  the  town  was  387, 
and  of  this  number  50  died  in  the  service,  or  from  diseases 
contracted  in  it.  Fourteen  were  killed,  or  died  of  wounds 
received  in  action.  Thirty-four  died  of  various  diseases. 
One  was  kOled  by  the  cars,  and  one  thrown  from  a  horse. 

Among  the  early  town  meetings  after  the  breaking 
out  of  the  war,  was  one  held  April  30th,  1861,  when  upon 
the  recommendation  of  a  committee,  consisting  of  C.  C. 
Bassett,  Hon.  Charles  Field,  Nathaniel  Richardson,  Lyman 


ATHOL   m   THE   REBELLION.  109 

W.  Hapgood  and  John  Kendall,  it  was  voted  "  that  |5000 
be  appropriated "  for  the  purpose  of  encouraging  men  to 
volunteer  for  military  service;  and  that  ten  dollars  per 
month  be  given  to  each  unmarried  volunteer  and  twenty 
dollars  to  each  married  volunteer,  in  addition  to  the  pay 
insured  them  by  the  laws  of  the  United  States.  And,  "if 
more  be  necessary  to  support  the  families  of  the  married 
volunteers,  the  committee  is  to  make  up  the  deficiency." 

And  thus,  all  through  the  years  of  the  war,  the  voters 
of  Athol  were  ever  ready  to  provide  liberally  for  the  sol- 
diers who  were  fighting  the  battles  of  their  country,  and 
for  their  famUies  left  at  home,  and  when  the  war  closed, 
the  total  amount  of  expenses  of  the  town  and  individual 
citizens  had  reached  the  sum  of  $39,565,62. 

One  of  the  great  war  meetings  was  held  at  the  Town 
Hall,  July  2nd,  1864,  when,  by  special  iuAdtation  of  many 
citizens,  Geo.  W.  Horr  Esq.,  delivered  an  address.  The 
poster  announcing  the  meeting  called  upon  the  citizens  of 
Athol,  both  ladies  and  gentlemen,  to  meet  at  the  Town 
HaU  on  that  evening.  "To  consult  together  upon  the 
state  of  the  country — to  review  the  heroic  past — to  act  in 
*  the  living  present — to  provide  for  the  uncertain  future — to 
make  a  united  ofiering  in  aid  of  our  struggling  country." 
The  ladies  of  both  villages  organized  Soldiers'  Aid 
Societies,  and  all  through  the  war  were  actively  engaged 
in  sending  supplies  and  hospital  stores  for  the  comfort  and 
relief  of  the  brave  defenders  of  the  country. 

athol's  roll  or  honor. 

The  following  are  Athol's  soldiers,  who  died  in  the 
service  or  from  diseases  contracted  in  it: 


110  ATHOL,   PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

Andrew  J.  Ames,  private,  was  born  at  Brattleborty, 
Vermont;,  he  enlisted  at  the  age  of  18  years  in  Company 
K,  Twenty-seventh  Regiment.  He  died  of  congestion  of 
the  lungs  at  Newbern,  N.  C,  April  2nd,  1862,  and  was 
buried  at  Newbern. 

Thomas  G.  Barry,  private,  was  bom  in  Leominster. 
He  enlisted  in  Company  B,  Twenty-seventh  Regiment; 
was  m  the  engagement  with  his  regiment  at  Roanoke 
Island.  While  at  that  Island  he  took  a  severe  cold  and, 
remaining  sick,  was  discharged  September  12,  1862.  He 
returned  to  Athol,  where  he  died  October  18th,  1862,  of 
the  disease  contracted  at  Roanoke  Island. 

Warren  A.  Beaman,  private,  was  bom  m  MUlbury ; 
he  was  drafted  in  July,  1863,  and  reported  for  service, 
when  be  was  mustered  into  the  Niuth  Regiment,  August 
21,  1863,  and  joiaed  the  regiment  in  Virginia.  In  May, 
1864,  he  was  in  the  engagements  when  General  Grant 
moved  towards  Richmond  and  is  supposed  to  have  been 
taken  prisoner  in  the  battle  of  the  WUderness,  or  about 
that  time.  He  was  carried  to  Andersonville,  Georgia,  and 
was  in  other  rebel  prisons ;  was  sick  of  chronic  diarrhoea 
at  the  time  he  was  paroUed  for  exchange  at  Charleston,  ,, 
S.  C,  in  December,  1864.  He  was  brought  to  AnnapoHs 
very  low,  and  died  there  January  2nd,  1865.  He  left  a 
wife  and  one  child. 

Harry  R.  Blackmer  was  bom  in  Dana ;  enlisted  as  a 
private  in  Company  B,  Twenty-seventh  Regiment,  and 
joined  the  regiment  in  North  Carolina  in  the  fall  of  1862. 
He  was  in  the  engagements  at  Kingston,  Whitehall, 
Goldsboro,  Gum  Swamp,  and  at  the  seige  of  Washington, 
N.  C.     In  October  1863,  he  came  with  his  regiment  to 


ATHOL   IN   THE   REBELLION,  111 

Newport  News,  Va.,  and  served  with  it  ia  Norfolk  and 
Portsmouth,  having  been  promoted  Corporal  August  14, 
1863.  In  January,  1864,  he  was  taken  with  small-pox,  of 
which  he  died  Jan.  28th,  at  Norfolk,  Va. 

EU  Bodet,  private,  was  bom  in  Canada  East ;  he  en- 
listed in  Company  A,  Thirty-second  Eegiment,  and  partic- 
ipated with  his  regiment  in  the  marches  of  Porter's  Corps 
in  the  retreat  down  the  peninsula,  and  during  the 
campaign  ia  Maryland  supported  batteries  at  the  battle  of 
Antietam.  He  was  taken  sick  with  chronic  diarrhoea  and 
removed  to  a  hospital  in  Washington.  He  was  discharged 
Jan.  22,  1863,  and,  while  being  removed  to  his  home,  died 
in  New  York,  Jan.  26,  1863.  His  remains  were  brought 
to  Athol,  and  funeral  services  held  at  the  Congregational 
church,  Jan.  29,  1863.     He  left  a  wife  and  two  children. 

Francis  B.  Brock,  private,  was  bom  in  Dudley  and 
enUsted  in  Company  A,  Twenty-fifth  Regiment.  He  was 
with  his  regiment  in  the  expedition  of  General  Burnside  to 
North  Carolina  and  was  a  participant  in  the  battles  of 
Roanoke  Island,  Newborn,  Kingston,  Whitehall  and 
Goldsboro,  N.  C,  and  in  engagements  in  Virginia.  In 
the  battle  of  Coal  Harbor,  while  engaged  in  a  desperate 
but  unsuccessful  assault  upon  the  enemy's  works,  he  was 
killed  June  3,  1864.  His  body  lay  upon  the  ground  about 
a  week  before  it  could  be  reached  by  our  troops,  and 
buried. 

George  H.  Clark,  private,  was  born  in  Athol.  He 
enlisted  in  Company  F,  Thirty-second  Regiment,  when 
only  16  years  of  age;  was  in  the  campaign  in  Maryland, 
at  the  battles  of  Antietam,  Fredericksburg  and  Chancel- 
lorsville,  and  was  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight  at  Gettysburg 


112  ATHOL,   PAST   AWD   PRESENT. 

and  in  the  battles  in  the  WUdemess ;  he  is  supposed  to 
have  participated  in  21  battles.  Late  in  the  year,  1864, 
he  was  taken  sick  with  chronic  diarrhoea,  and  died  in 
Washington,  Dec.  15,  1864,  in  which  city  he  was  buried. 
Welcome  J.  Cleveland,  private,  was  born  in  Barre; 
he  enlisted  in  Company  E,  Fifty-third  Regiment,  at  the 
age  of  18  years,  and  went  with  his  regiment  to  Louisiana. 
He  was  taken  sick  with  the  measles,  and  was  three  months 
in  the  hospital,  but  going  into  the  first  day's  fight  near 
Brashear  City,  the  effort  was  too  much  for  him,  and  he 
was  taken  worse  and  died  at  that  place,  April  24th,  1863. 
His  remains  were  removed  to  New  Orleans  for  burial. 

Cyrus  W.  Conant,  private,  was  born  in  Stowe;  he 
enlisted  in  Company  E,  Fifty-third  Regiment,  and  was 
with  the  regiment  in  its  first  engagements,  but  being  taken 
sick  at  VermUlionville,  La.,  he  was  taken  to  the  hospital 
at  New  Orleans,  where  he  died  July  10,  1863,  of  chronic 
diarrhoea.     He  was  buried  at  New  Orleans. 

James  Connell,  private,  was  born  in  Ireland;  he  en- 
listed in  Company  A,  Thirty-second  Regiment,  and  went 
with  the  regiment  to  Washington  and  Harrison's  Landing, 
Va. ;  at  the  latter  place  he  was  taken  sick  and  was  re- 
moved to  Philadelphia.  After  his  recovery  he  did  service 
with  his  regiment.  In  January,  1864,  he  reenlisted  and 
came  home  on  a  furlough  of  30  days.  Returning  to  his 
regiment  he  was  in  the  great  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  and 
was  instantly  killed,  not  far  from  Spottsylvania  Court 
House.  He  was  shot  in  the  morning  and  his  remains  lay 
upon  the  breast  works  until  evening,  when  they  were 
recovered  and  buried  by  his  comrade,  Ebenezer  Kneeland, 
and  others. 


ATHOL   IN   THE   REBELLION.  113 

Joseph  H.  Collins,  Color  Sergeant,  was  born  in 
Marlboro;  be  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Twenty-first  Regi- 
ment, and  was  with  his  regiment  in  the  engagements  at 
Roanoke  Island,  Newbern,  Camden,  and  in  the  forced 
march  to  Pollocksville  to  rescue  the  Second  Maryland 
Regiment;  he  was  in  the  Bull  Run  battle,  No.  2,  in 
the  battles  of  ChantiUy  and  Antietam,  and  finally  in  the 
terrible  contest  at  Fredericksburg,  Dec.  12,  1862.  He 
was  Color  Sergeant  in  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  and 
when  about  sixty  rods  from  the  city,  was  severely  wounded 
in  the  leg  and  fell.  This  was  when  Sergeant  Plunkett  of 
Company  E  seized  the  colors,  and,  as  he  was  bearing  them 
forward,  a  shell  from  the  rebel  earth  works  carried  away 
both  of  his  arms.  Mr.  CoUins  was  removed,  with  other 
wounded  ones,  to  a  hospital  at  Washington,  where  he  died 
from  the  effects  of  his  wound,  Jan.  3,  1863.  He  was 
buried  at  Southboro,  Mass.,  Jan.  12,  1863. 

Marshall  CoUins,  private,  was  bom  in  Marlboro  ;  he 
enhsted  in  Company  E,  Fifty-third  Regiment,  and  was  with 
his  regiment  at  the  capture  of  Fort  Bisland,  and  in  the 
long  marches  to  Opelousas  and  Alexandria :  was  sent  sick 
with  chronic  diarrhoea  from  before  Port  Hudson,  June  6, 
1863,  to  Baton  Rouge,  where  he  died  July  14,  1863.  He 
was  buried  at  Baton  Rouge,  and  left  a  wife  and  two  chil- 
dren in  Athol. 

George  S.  Dresser,  private,  was  born  in  Orange  and 
enlisted  at  the  age  of  18  years  in  Company  B,  Twenty- 
sevelith  Regiment,  in  the  fall  of  1863.  He  was  taken 
prisoner  at  Drury's  Bluff,  May  16,  1864,  was  removed  to 
Libby  Prison,  Richmond,  and  then  to  Danville,  where  he 
was  taken  sick   with   lung    fever.     He    was    afterwards 


114 

carried  to   Andersonville,  Ga.,  where   it   is   supposed   he 
died  in  the  summer  or  fall  of  1864. 

Theodore  Jones  Dyer,  private,  was  born  in  Athol; 
he  enlisted  in  Company  I,  Twenty-fifth  Regiment,  and  as- 
sisted in  the  captures  of  Roanoke  Island  and  Newbern, 
and  was  with  his  regiment  in  all  its  engagements  and 
expeditions  in  North  Carolina ;  he  went  with  his  regiment 
to  Virginia,  and  was  probably  in  the  battles  at  Drnry's 
Blufi"  and  Coal  Harbor,  but  during  the  siege  of  Petersburg 
he  was  taken  sick  and  died  near  that  city  Sept.   19,  1864. 

Daniel  W.  Foster,  private,  was  born  in  Phillipston ; 
he  enlisted  in  Company  D,  Thirty-sixth  Regiment,  and 
was  with  his  regiment  in  Maryland  and  Virginia.  He  was 
taken  sick  with  an  intermittent  fever  on  board  the  Trans- 
port, "  South  America,"  in  Chesapeake  Bay ;  was  landed  at 
Newport  News,  and  died  in  the  hospital  there  Feb.  14, 
1863.  His  remains  were  brought  to  Athol,  and  funeral 
services  were  held  Feb.  26,  1863. 

Jacob  Orlando  Gould  was  born  in  Athol.  He  en- 
listed in  Company  E,  Fifty-third  Regiment,  and  was  made 
Corporal  May  1,  1863;  was  with  his  regiment  in  the  fight 
of  Fort  Bisland,  and  in  the  long  marches  to  Opelousas  and 
Alexandria.  He  died  at  Baton  Rouge,  July  27,  1863,  of 
chronic  diarrhoea. 

Charles  S.  Green,  private,  was  bom  in  Oakham.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  young  men  to  enlist,  from  Athol,  in 
Company  F,  Second  Regiment.  He  was  with  his  regiment 
on  the  Upper  Potomac  and  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley. 
Early  in  December,  1862,  he  was  taken  sick  with  brain 
fever,  and  died  at  Frederick  City,  Maryland,  on  the  20th 
of  that  month.  His  remains  were  sent  home  to  his 
friends. 


ATHOL   IN    THE   REBELLION.  115 

Charles  E.  Hagar,  private,  was  born  in  Athol.  He 
enlisted  ia  Company  A,  Twenty  first  Regiment,  and  was 
with  the  regiment  in  the  engagements  in  North  Carolina. 
He  was  thrown  from  a  horse  in  Alexandria,  Va.,  and 
kiUed. 

James  Harkins,  Jr.,  private,  was  bom  in  Ireland.  He 
went  into  the  service  first  as  a  member  of  the  First  New 
York  Mounted  Riflemen.  He  was  taken  prisoner  in  North 
Carolina,  and  taken  to  Richmond ;  after  a  few  months  was 
exchanged,  and,  his  time  of  service  having  expired,  was 
discharged.  Jan.  1,  1864,  he  enhsted  in  the  Thirty-first 
Regiment,  but  was  transferred  to  the  Sixth  Massachusetts 
Cavalry,  and  went  vdth  General  Banks  on  the  Red  River 
expedition.  In  a  desperate  engagement  he  was  again 
taken  prisoner  and  carried  to  Texas ;  he  escaped  and  made 
his  way  back  through  swamps  and  thickets  to  Louisiana, 
but  was  soon  taken  sick  with  rheumatic  fever,  and  died  at 
New  Orleans,  August  30,  1864. 

William  HUl,  private,  was  born  in  Athol.  He 
enlisted  in  Company  B,  Twenty-seventh  Regiment ;  in  the 
engagement  at  Roanoke  Island,  Feb.  8,  1862,  he  was  mor- 
tally wounded  by  a  ball  that  passed  through  him  and 
lodged  in  his  overcoat,  and  died  two  days  after,  being  the 
first  man  from  Athol  who  was  kUled  in  the  war.  He  was 
buried  at  Roanoke  Island,  and  left  two  sons  in  service  and 
two  daughters  in  Athol. 

Andrew  J.  HUl,  private,  was  born  in  Athol,  a  son  of 
William  HiU.  He  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Twenty-first 
Regiment,  and  was  in  the  engagement  at  the  capture  of 
Roanoke  Island.  Whole  standing  in  the  water  during  the 
battle  he  took  a  severe  cold  that  brought  on  a  fever,  from 


116  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

which  he  died  March  3,  1862.     He  was  buried  at  Eoanoke 
Island. 

James  S.  Hodge,  drummer,  was  bom  in  Athol.  He 
enlisted  in  Company  B,  Twenty-seventh  Regiment,  and 
was  with  his  company  in  the  various  engagements  in 
North  Carohna.  WhUe  on  a  furlough  to  visit  his  family 
in  Athol  he  was  killed  by  the  cars,  at  Springfield,  Sept.  20, 
1863. 

John  W.  Howe,  private,  enlisted  in  Company  B, 
Twenty-seventh  Regiment,  and  was  taken  prisoner  at 
Drury's  Blufi"  from  whence  he  was  carried  to  Richmond, 
and  finally  to  Andersonville,  Ga.,  where  he  died  of  chronic 
diarrhoea  July  24,  1864.     He  left  a  wife  in  Athol. 

John  Humphrey  was  born  in  Athol.  He  joiaed  the 
United  States  Navy  in  the  summer  of  1861,  going  first  on 
board  the  receiving  ship  at  Charlestown ;  he  was  after- 
wards a  marine  on  board  the  Cumberland  when  that  ill 
fated  vessel  was  attacked  by  the  rebel  ship,  Merrimac, 
near  Newport  News,  Va.,  March  8,  1862,  and  was  one  of 
the  six  marines  who  were  killed  by  a  shot  before  the 
sinking  of  the  Cumberland.  His  remains  were  not  recov- 
ered. 

Horace  Hunt,  private,  was  born  in  Prescott.  He  was 
among  the  first  men  to  enlist  from  Athol  in  the  Second 
Regiment ;  was  clerk  for  his  captain,  and  afterwards  in  the 
Commissary  Department.  While  with  his  regiment  in 
New  York,  to  suppress  riots,  he  took  a  severe  cold,  and 
going  with  the  regiment  toTullahoma,Tenn.,he  was  taken 
sick  and  returned  to  his  home  in  Athol  very  feeble,  where 
he  died  April  7,  1864.  Funeral  services  were  held  at  the 
Baptist  church. 


ATHOL   IN  THE   REBELLION.  117 

William  H.  Johnson,  private,  was  bom  in  Athol.  He 
enlisted  in  Company  A,  Twenty-first  Regiment,  and  while 
participating  in  the  battle  of  Newbern  fell,  mortally 
wounded,  dying  the  next  day,  March  15,  1862.  His 
remains  were  buried  at  Newbem. 

C.  Dwight  Kelton,  son  of  Calvin  Kelton  Esq.,  was 
bom  in  Athol.  He  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Thirty-second 
Regiment,  and  went  with  it  to  Washington  and  Harrison's 
Landing,  Va.,  and  to  Maryland  when  the  rebels  invaded 
that  State.  He  was  taken  sick  at  Alexandria,  Va.,  of 
pneumonia,  and  died  there  Oct.  31,  1862.  His  remains 
were  brought  to  Athol  for  burial,  and  the  funeral  was  held 
in  the  Congregational  church,  Nov.  11,  1862. 

Patrick  Leonard  was  bom  in  Ireland.  He  enlisted 
in  Company  C,  Twenty-first  Regiment.  He  went  with  his 
regiment  to  North  Carolina ;  was  wounded  very  severely  in 
the  right  leg  at  the  batttle  of  Roanoke  Island,  from  the 
effects  of  which  he  died,  eight  days  after,  and  was  buried 
on  tlie  island. 

Horatio  W.  McClellen  was  born  in  Athol ;  he  enlisted 
in  Company  B,  Twenty-seventh  Regiment,  when  18  years 
of  age;  was  in  the  Kinsgton,  Whitehall  and  Goldsboro 
fights  and  participated  in  the  defence  of  Washington,  N.  C, 
and  the  Gum  Swamp  engagement.  He  was  made  Corporal 
June  19,  1863.  He  was  wounded  at  Arrowfield  Church, 
Va.,  May  9,  1864,  and  was  removed  to  Philadelphia,  where 
he  died  of  scarlatina,  June  21,  1864. 

Adin  Oakes  was  born  in  Athol.  He  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany E,  Fifty-third  Regiment,  and  took  part  in  the  capture 
of  Fort  Bisland,  in  the  marches  to  and  from  Alexandria, 
and  in  the  first  engagement    at  Port   Hudson;  he    was 


118  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

wounded  at  the  latter,  place,  May  29,  1863,  and  sent  to  the 
hospital  at  Baton  Eouge,  where  he  died  June  29,  1863. 
He  was  buried  at  Baton  Bx)uge,  and  left  a  wife  and  chil- 
dren in  Athol. 

Sylvanus  E.  Oliver  was  bom  in  Athol.  He  enlisted 
in  Company  B,  Twenty-seventh  Regiment.  He  was  with 
his  regiment  in  the  various  engagements  in  North  Carolina, 
and  in  the  desperate  battle  of  Drury's  Bluff,  May  16,  1864, 
where  he  was  taken  ]li;isoner  with  247  others  of  his  regi- 
ment, and  carried  to  Libby  Prison,  Richmond,  afterwards 
to  Andersonville,  Ga.,  where  he  died  of  chronic  diarrhoea 
Aug.  14,  1864. 

James  C.  Parker  was  bom  in  Stickney,  C.  E. ;  he 
enlisted  in  Company  A,  Twenty-first  Regiment,  and  went 
with  his  regiment  to  North  Carolina.  In  the  battle  of 
Newbern  he  was  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight  and  was  mor- 
tally wounded,  dying  the  next  day,  March  15,  1862.  He 
was  buried  at  Newbern,  leaving  a  wife  and  three  children 
in  Athol. 

Chauncey  Parkman  Jr.,  was  born  in  Northfield.  He 
enlisted  in  the  First  Heavy  Artillery,  and  went  with  his 
company  into  service  in  Virginia,  and  was  in  the  battle  at 
Spottsylvania,  May  17, 1864,  when  he  was  fatally  wounded 
by  a  shell  in  the  head  and  side,  and  was  removed  with  the 
wounded  to  Washington,  where  he  died  June  3,  1864. 
He  was  buried  at  Washington,  and  left  one  chUd  in  Athol. 

Asa  Phillips  was  born  in  Hubbardston.  He  enlisted 
in  Company  E,  Thirtieth  Regiment,  and  started  for  the 
seat  of  war  under  General  Butler,  but  died  at  or  near 
Fortress  Monroe,  Jan.  30,  1862.  His  remains  were 
brought  to  Athol  for  burial,  where  he  left  a  wife  and 
children. 


ATHOL   IN   THE   REBELLION.  119 

Joshua  Rich  was  born  in  Royalston;  he  enlisted  in 
Company  H,  Thirty-sixth  Regiment,  and  went  with  his 
regiment  into  service  in  Virginia,  and  accompanied  it  to 
Mississippi.  He  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  the  Wildemess, 
May  6,  1864,  a  ball  passing  through  his  body  from  side  to 
side,  and  he  lived  but  three  hours,  his  remains  falling  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy.  He  was  made  Corporal  April  1, 
1863. 

Samuel  Rich  was  born  in  Atho!*  he  enlisted  ia  Com- 
pany B,  Twenty-seventh  Regiment,  and  was  with  the 
regiment  nearly  three  years  in  North  Carolina  and  Virgia-  . 
ia.  At  the  battle  of  Drury's  Bluff  he  was  taken  prisoner, 
and  died  at  Andersonville,  Ga.,  of  Chronic  diarrhcea, 
caused  by  starvation  and  cruel  treatment  about  Aug.  1, 
1864. 

Neri  F.  Ripley  was  born  in  Tinmouth,  Vt.;  he  enlisted 
in  Company  A,  Twenty-first  Regiment,  and  was  with  his 
regiment  in  North  Carolina.  He  died  at  Winchendon, 
Jan.  16,  1863,  of  an  abscess  in  the  stomach,  brought  on  in 
the  service.  His  remains  were  brought  to  Athol  for 
burial. 

Harvey  Robbins  was  born  in  Warwick ;  he  enlisted 
in  Company  B,  Twenty-seventh  Regiment,  and  joined  the 
regiment  in  North  Carolina  in  1862.  He  was  taken  sick 
and  died  of  a  fever,  at  Newborn,  June  23,  1863.  He  left 
a  wife  and  four  children  in  Athol. 

Cutler  Seaver  was  born  in  MUford;  he  enlisted  when 
17  years  old  in  the  Forty-second  Regiment  and  went  to 
Great  Falls,  Maryland,  where  he  did  garrison  duty  till  the 
term  for  which  he  had  enlisted  expired.  He  reentered  the 
service,  and  while  in  camp  at  Readville,  was  taken  sick 
and  died. 


120  ATHOL,   PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

Spencer  Stockwell  was  bom  in  Athol;  he  enlisted  in 
Company  E,  Fifty-third  Regiment,  and  went  into  camp  at 
Groton  Junction,  where  he  was  taken  sick  with  diptheria, 
and  died  Nov.  20,  1862.  His  remains  were  brought  to 
Athol  for  burial. 

Horace  O.  Thayer  was  bom  in  Ware ;  he  enlisted  in 
Company  B,  Fifty-sixth  Regiment,  and  went  into  camp  at 
ReadvUlem  the  fall  of  1863,  but  before  the  regiment  left 
for  the  seat  of  war  was  taken  sick  of  brain  fever,  and  died 
Feb.  2,  1864. 

Lauriston  A.  Thorpe  was  bom  in  Athol;  he  enlisted 
in  Company  B,  Twenty-seventh  Regiment,  and  went  with 
his  regiment  to  North  Carolina,  and  after  taking  part  in 
the  battles  at  Roanoke  Island,  Newbern,  and  other  places, 
he  was  sent  to  the  hospital  sick ;  after  recovering  he  served 
in  various  departments  of  the  hospital  until  the  period  of 
his  enlistment  expired,  when  he  started  for  home,  but  the 
vessel  upon  which  he  embarked  was  sent  into  quarantine 
at  Fortress  Monroe,  on  account  of  the  prevalence  of  yellow 
fever,  and  Mr.  Thorpe  died  at  that  place,  of  the  disease, 
Oct.  7,  1864.  His  remains  were  brought  to  Athol,  and 
funeral  services  were  held  at  the  Methodist  church,  Oct. 
23. 

Robert  W.  Thrower  was  born  in  Athol ;  he  enlisted 
in  Company  B,  Twenty-seventh  Regiment;  was  in  the 
battle  of  Roanoke  Island,  but  was  sick  on  board  a  transport 
at  the  battle  of  Newbern,  and  was  landed  at  that  place, 
where  he  died  of  lung  fever,  March  31,  1862.  He  was 
buried  at  Newbern. 

Nathaniel  B.  Twichell  was  born  in  Erving ;  he  enlisted' 
in  Company  B,  Twenty-seventh  Regiment,  and  was  in  va- 


ATHOL   IN  THE   KEBELLION.  121 

rious  engagements  in  North  Carolina ;  was  made  Corporal 
Feb.  20,  1863.  Hereenlisted  in  January,  1864,  and  after 
a  furlough,  returned  to  his  regiment  and  was  killed  in  the 
engagement  at  Arrowfield  Church  by  a  baU  that  struck  his 
head,  killing  him  instantly.  May  9,  1864.  He  left  a  wife 
and  two  children  in  Athol. 

Willard  Twichell  was  born  in  Athol ;  he  enlisted  in 
Company  D,  Eleventh  U.  S.  Infantry,  early  in  the  war, 
and  was  in  six  of  the  seven  days'  conflicts  before  Rich- 
mond in  1862,  also  at  Fredericksburg,  Chancellorsville  and 
Gettysburg,  the  battles  of  the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania 
and  North  Anna,  and  was  fatally  wounded  in  the  engage- 
ment before  Petersburg,  June  24,  1864. 

William  Washburn  was  born  in  Orange  ;  he  enlisted 
in  Company  D,  Thirty-sixth  Eegiment,  and  was  with  his 
regiment  at  the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  After  the  surrender 
of  Vicksburg  he  returned  with  his  regiment  to  Kentucky, 
where  he  was  sick  with  dumb  ague,  and  died  near  Nich- 
olasviUe,  Ky.,  Sept.  5,  186f3.  He  left  a  wife  and  five 
children  in  Athol. 

Edmund  R.  West  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Twenty- 
fourth  Regiment,  and  is  supposed  to  have  died  a  prisoner 
at  Andersonville,  Ga.,  May  24,  1864. 

Chandler  Whitney  was  born  in  Royalston ;  he  enlist- 
ed in  Company  E,  Thirtieth  Regiment,  and  died  in  camp 
atPittsfield,  Mass.,  Feb.  1,  1862,  after  an  illness  of  three 
weeks. 

Nelson  G.  Wood  was  born  in  Royalston ;  he  enlisted 
in  Company  B,  Twenty-seventh  Regiment,  and  was  with 
his  regiment   in   various   engagements  in  North  Carolina 


122  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

and  Virginia,  and  was  instantly  killed  in  the  conflict  at 
Arrowfield  Church,  May  9,  1864.  He  was  buried  near 
the  battlefield. 

George  B.  Wood  was  born  in  Shutesbury ;  he  enlisted 
in  Company  E,  Fifty-third  Regiment ;  was  taken  sick  while 
his  regiment  was  at  New  York,  and  was  removed  to 
Shutesbury,  where  he  died  Jan.  2,  1863,  the  day  after  his 
discharge  from  the  service. 

Asa  Wyman  was  born  in  Winchendon;  he  enlisted  in 
Company  K,  Thirty-sixth  Regiment,  and  went  with  his 
regiment  to  Virginia,  and  along  the  Mississippi.  Was 
sent  in  the  sick  boat  up  the  river  and  removed  to  An- 
napolis, where  he  died  of  a  fever  and  chronic  diarrhoea 
May  3,  1864, 


CHAPTKR    IX. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

"Yet,  on  her  rocks,  and  on  her  sands, 
And  wintry  hills,  the  school-house  stands, 
And  what  her  rugged  soil  denies, 
The  harvest  of  the  mind  supplies. 

The  riches  of  the  Commonwealth, 

Are  free,  strong  minds,  and  hearts  of  health; 

And  more  to  her  than  gold  or  grain. 

The  cunning  hand  and  cultured  brain." 

EXT  TO  liberty  and  religion,  educa- 
tion was  the  object  nearest  to  tbe 
hearts  of  the  fathers  of  New  Eng- 
land, and  consequently  we  find  in 
the  settlement  of  all  these  towns  that 
the  school  house  soon  followed  the 
church.  Of  the  original  grant  of  the 
township,   one    sixty-third   part   was 

reserved  and  forever  set  apart  "for  the  support  of  a 
school."  The  Proprietors  records  give  no  information  re- 
garding schools  or  teachers,  but  undoubtedly  there  were 
schools  formed  within  six  or  seven  years  after  the  first  set- 
tlement, and  probably  as  in  the  early  history  of  many  other 
towns,  schools  were  first  held  in  private  houses. 

The  first  public  provision  made  for  schools  after  the 
incorporation  of  the  town,  was  at  a  town  meetiag,  March 
7,  1763,  when  it  was  voted  to  raise  thirteen  pounds,  six 
shillings,  eight  pence,  "  to  provide  a  school,"  and   "  to  di- 


124  ATSOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT- 

vide  the  school  money  by  the  river,  and  those  that  live  ori 
the  south  side  to  have  what  they  pay  towards  the  sum 
raised ;  and  those  that  live  on  the  north  side  to  have  what 
they  pay  toward  the  said  sum."  Nathan  Goddard,  Jesse 
Kendall  and  John  Oliver  were  chosen  a  committee  to  hire 
a  school-master.  The  town  voted  March  3,  1766,  "to 
build  two  school  houses,  one  on  the  West  Hill,  between 
Deacon  Aaron  Smith's  and  Ichabod  Dexter's,  the  other  on 
the  East  Hill,  [now  known  as  the  "  Street,"]  at  the  head 
of  Capt.  Field's  lane,  so-called  ;  and  the  above  houses  are 
to  be  buUt  sixteen  feet  wide,  and  eighteen  feet  long,  and 
six  feet  and  a  half  stud."  In  May  of  the  same  year,  it 
was  "  voted  to  raise  twenty-six  pounds,  thirteen  shillings, 
four  pence,  to  build  these  school  houses,  and  that  men 
should  be  allowed  to  work  out  their  raits  on  the  school- 
houses  at  two  shilliiigs  and  four  pence  per  day,  under  the 
direction  of  the  committee  chosen  for  that  purpose,  by  the 
first  day  of  November  next."  These  were  probably  the 
first  school  houses  of  Athol,  and  were  doubtless  built  of 
logs  and  furnished  in  the  most  primitive  style.  As  other 
portions  of  the  town  became  settled,  new  schools  were 
opened,  and  in  1770,  the  town  voted  to  have  four  addi- 
tional schools,  "  one  at  the  north  end  of  Meeting-house 
hill ;  one  in  the  east  part  of  the  town  ;  one  at  the  south- 
west part,  and  one  on  Chestnut  Hill,  and  each  part  to 
enjoy  the  benefit  of  the  money  they  pay  for  schooling." 

In  1774,  the  town  was  divided  into  school  districts,  or 
"  squadarns,"  as  they  were  termed,  of  which  there  were  six, 
two  on  the  north  side  of  Millers  river,  Tully  east  branch 
being  the  dividing  line  of  these  two,  while  the  south  side 


TEDt)t!AT10NAL.  125 

of  the  river  was  divided  into  four.  The  work  of  providing 
school  masters  for  these  six  schools,  must  have  been  one 
of  great  responsibility.  For  some  years  a  committee  of 
thirty  was  appointed  for  this  purpose;  this  number  by 
1796,  had  become  reduced  to  seven,  which  thenceforth 
was  the  usual  number  chosen  until  the  State  law  of  1826 
was  passed,  requiring  towns  to  choose  three^  five  or  seven 
School  Committeemen,  since  which  time  the  town  has 
chosen  a  School  Committee  of  three,  until  1893,  when  the 
number  was  increased  to  six.  The  first  General  School 
Committee  was  chosen  in  1829,  and  consisted  of  Rev. 
Joseph  Estabrook,  Horatio  Willard  and  Abel  Sweetzer. 

In  1772,  it  was  voted  to  allow  Jesse  Kendall  five  shill- 
ings for  going  to  Salem,  to  provide  a  school  master. 
Among  the  early  school  masters  and  dames  whose  names 
appear  on  the  town  records  are;  Joshua  Poor,  who  was 
paid  one  pound  for  keeping  school  in  1776;  one  pound 
thirteen  shillings,  four  pence,  was  also  paid  to  John  Bal- 
lard for  his  sons  keeping  school.  Among  the  bills  paid 
in  1777,  was  one  of  fifteen  shillings  to  Nathaniel  Babbitt 
for  keeping  school;  Nehemiah  Ward  received  three 
pounds,  twelve  shilliugs,  and  Paul  Church  received  five 
pounds,  four  shillings,  for  his  wife  keeping  school,  also 
the  wife  of  Capt.  John  Oliver  received  five  shillings,  ten 
pence.  All  through  the  Revolution,  liberal  appropriations 
were  made  for  the  schools,  and  in  1793,  the  sum  of  seventy 
pounds  was  granted  for  schooling.  In  1795,  in  addition 
to  seventy  pounds  for  schooling,  twelve  pounds  was  also 
granted  for  the  use  of  a  singing  school,  and  an  appropri- 
ation for   this  purpose  was  regularly  made  for  some  years, 


126 


ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


James  Oliver  being  named  quite  frequently  as  the  agent  to 
lay  out  said  money.  From  1819,  for  a  period  of  ten 
years,  $550  a  year  was  raised  for  schools,  and  in  1850,  the 
sum  of  $1600  was  raised.  In  1860,  there  were  540  child- 
ren   of  school  age,   and  the  amount     expended   on    the 


MAIN    STREET    SCHOOL. 

schools  was  $2,518.45.  In  1870,  the  total  expenditure 
for  schools  was  $8,176.93,  and  in  1895,  it  was  $19,894.78. 
In  1889,  the  town  became  awakened  to  the  need  of  better 
school  buildings,  and  under  the  lead  of  some  of  the  pro- 


EDUCATIONAL. 


127 


gressive  citizens  of  both  villages,  a  sentiment  was  aroused 
that  has  resulted  in  our  present  beautiful,  and  well  furn- 
ished school  houses.  The  first  to  be  erected  was  the  Main 
street  building  in  1889  ;  this  was  followed  the  next  year 
by  the  Highland  school  house;  in  1892,  the  High  school 
building,  and  in  1894,  the  one  at  Lake  Park,  making 
within  five  years'  time,  more  than  $75,000  expended  in 
new  school  houses. 


i3!.i"^ 


ft     jT^ 


LAKE   PARK   SCHOOL. 

The  town  first  employed  a  Superintendent  of  Schools 
in  1870,  when  Dr.  J.  P.  Lynde  was  engaged  at  a  salary 
of  |450.  He  held  that  position  for  three  years.  In  1874, 
the  School  Committee,  in  accordance  with  a  vote  of  the 
town,  procured  the  services  of  Virgil  M.  Howard  of  Deer- 
field,  as  Principal  of  the  High  school,  and  Superintendent 
of  schools.     He  received  for  the  former,  a  salary  of  f  1000, 


128 


ATHOL,  FAST  AND  FEKSENT. 


and  for  the  latter,  |500.  He  held  the  position  for  two 
years,  from  which  time,  no  Superintendent  was  employed 
until  April  1,  1893,  when  Miss  Flora  E.  Kendall  was 
elected  Superintendent  of  Schools,  which  position  she 
holds  at  the  present  time. 


HIGHLAND    SCHOOL. 

Miss  Kendall  is  a  native  of  Montague,  and  received 
her  early  education  in  the  schools  of  that  town,  together 
with  a  course  under  private  instruction ;  this  was  sup- 
plemented by  a   course    at  Wellesley    College,  and    at  a 


EDUCATIONAL.  129 

school  of  oratory  in  Boston.  She  believes  that  however 
much  one  may  have  been  in  the  schools,  that  education  is 
never  completed,  and  much  of  the  time  of  her  summer 
vacations  is  spent  at  summer  schools.  She  began  teach- 
ing in  the  district  schools  of  Ashby,  Mass.,  and  worked  her 
way  up  through  the  diiFerent  grades  to  the  High  School. 
While  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of  Leominster,  she  was 
elected  in  1890,  Superintendent  of  the  schools  of  the 
Princeton  district,  which  includes  the  towns  of  Princeton, 
Westminster  and  Sterling,  with  twenty-eight  schools,  and 
held  the  position  for  three  years.  Miss  Kendall's  work  in 
the  Athol  schools  has  been  highly  commended  by  promi- 
nent educators,  and  she  receives  frequent  calls  to  address 
Teachers'  Institutes  and  various  educational  gatherings. 

The  following  persons  have    served  the   town    as  mem- 
bers of  the  School  Committee  : 

1829,  Kev.  Joseph  Estabrook,  Horatio  Willard,  Abel  Sweetzer. 

1330,  Rev.  Joseph  Estabrook,  Dea.  Elijah  Ballard,  Emerson  Fay. 

1831,  Rev.  Josiah  Moore,  Wm.  H.  Williams,  Capt.  Adin  Holbrook. 

1832,  Rev.  Josiah  Moore,  Rev.  B.  B.  Beckwith,  Wm.  H.  Williams. 

1833,  Dr.  Geo.  Hoyt,  Rev.  B.  B.  Beckwith,  Rev.  Lysander  Fay. 

1834,  Rev.   Linus  H.   Shaw,  Rev.  B.  B.  Beckwith,  Rev.  Ambrose 
Day. 

1836,  Rev.  Wm.  Warner,  Dr.  Geo.  Hoyt,  Col.  Samuel  Sweetzer. 

1836,  Rev.  Linus  H.  Shaw,  Rev.  Wm.  Warner,  Rev.  J,  Glazier. 

1837,  Dr.  Geo.  Hoyt,   Col.  Samuel   Sweetzer,   Rev.  Wm.   Warner, 
Lincoln  B.  Knowlton. 

1838,  Rev.  Lysander  Fay,  Kev.  Mr.  Smith,  Benj.  Estabrook. 

1840,  Rev.  R.  M.  Chipman,   Rev.  Stephen  A.  Barnard,  Rev.  Asaph 
Merriam. 

1841,  Rev.  R.  M.  Chipman,   Rev.  Asaph  Merriam,   Dr.  Geo.  Hoyt. 

1842,  Benjamin  Estabrook,  Chas.  Field,  Samuel  Sweetzer. 

1843,  Rev.   R.     M.   Chipman,    Rev.  Crawford    Nightingale,   Rev. 
Asaph  Merriam. 


130  _     ATHOL,   PAST  AND   KRE-SENT, 

1844,  Kev.    R.   M.   Chipman,  Rev.   Ci-awford    Nightingale-,   Rev. 
Asaph  Merrism. 

1846,  Dr.  Geo.  Hoyt,  Benjamin  Estabrook,  Daniel  Heywood. 

1846,  Rev.  Richard    M.   Chipman,    Rev.    Asaph    Merriaim,    Isaac 
Stevens. 

1847,  D1-.  Geo.  Hoyt,  Benjamin  Estabi-ook,  Elbridge  G.  "Wood. 

1848,  Rev.  R.  M.  Chipman,  Rev.  Samuel  F.  Clark,  Dr.  Geo.  Hoyt. 

1849,  Rev.  R.  M.  Chipman,  Rev.  Samuel  F.  Clark,  Dr.  Geo.  Hoyt. 

1850,  Dr.  Geo.  D.  Colony,  Benjamin  Estabrook,  ,Rev.  Oren  Tracy. 

1851,  H.  W.  Carter,  Dr.  Geo.  D.  Colony,  Lyman  W.  Hapgood. 

1852,  Dr.  Geo.  D.  Colony,  H.  W.  Carter,  Lyman  W.  Hapgood. 

1853,  Rev.  S.  F.  Clarke,  Lyman  W.  Hapgood,  Dr.  Geo.  D.  Colony. 

1854,  Dr.   Geo.  D.  Colony,  Lyman    W.  Hapgood,   Rev.    Lysander 
Fay. 

1855,  Rev.  Lysander  Fay,  Daniel  Davis,  G.  Rice. 

1856,  Rev.  John  F.  Norton,  Rev.  Nathaniel  H.  Martin,    Dr.  Geo.  D. 
Colony. 

1867,  Rev.  John  F.  Norton,  Dr.  Geo.  D.  Colony,  C.  B.  Swan. 

1868,  R*jv.   John   F.  Norton,   Dr.  Geo.  D.   Colony,    Rev.    D.   C. 
O'Daniels. 

1859,  Rev.  John  F.  Norton,  Dr.  Geo.  D.  Colony,  L.  W.  Hapgood. 

1860,  Rev.  John  F.  Norton,  L.  W.  Hapgood,  F.  F.  Pay. 

1861,  L.  W.  Hapgood,  Rev.  I.  B.  Bigelow,  J.  B.  Gould. 

1862,  Rev.  John  F.  Norton,  Rev.  Ira  Bailey,  James  Coolidge. 

1863,  Rev.  John  F.  Norton,  Rev.  Ira  Bailey,  Rev.  Charles  Ayer. 

1864,  Dr.  J.  P.  Lynde,  S.  E.  Fay,  Edvsrin  Ellis. 

1865,  Dr.  J.  P.  Lynde,  S.  E.  Fay.  Rev.  Geo.  L.  Hunt. 
866,  Dr.  J.  P  Lynde,  Rev.  Geo.  L.  Hunt. 

1867,  Dr.  J.  P.  Lynde,  Kdwin  Ellis,  S.  E.  Fay. 

1868,  T.  H.  Goodspeed,  Rev.  Temple  Cutler,  Rev.  I).  H.  Stoddard. 
1869.'iRev.  Ira  Bailey,  Benj.  Estabrook,  Jennie  L.  Case. 

1870,  \V.  H.  Amsden,  F.  G.  Lord. 

1871,  W.  H.  Amsden,  F.  (t.  Lord,  S.  M.  Osgood. 

1872,  A  G.  Stratton,  Edwin  Ellis. 

1873,  Rev.  W.  S.  Burton,  Geo.  W.  Horr,  H.  A.  Stearns. 
1»74,  E.  F.  Brown,  S.  M.  Osgood,  Edwin  Ellis. 

1875,  E.  F.  Brown,  S.  M.  Osgood,  Edwin  Ellis. 

1876,  H.  M.  Humphrey,  E.  A.  Thomas,  S.  M.  Osgood. 

1877,  H.  M.  Humphrey,  Rev.  E.  M.  Bartlett,  Fred  Allen. 


TSDUCATIONAIL.  131 

1878,  H.  M.  Humphrey,  Rev.  E.  M.  Bartlett,  Fred  Allen. 

1879,  H.  M.  Humphrey,  Eev.  E.  M.  Bartlett,  Fred  Allen. 

1880,  L.  B.  Caswell,  Fred  Allen,  Eev.  E.  M.  Bartlett. 

1881,  L.  B.  Caswell,  Dr.  James  Oliver,  E.  V.  Wilson. 

1882,  L.  B.  Caswell,  Dr.  James  Oliver,  Rev.  J.  H.  Cox. 

1883,  L.  B.  Caswell,  Dr.  James  Oliver,  Rev.  J.  H.  Cox. 

1884,  L.  B.  Caswell,  Sidney  P.  Smith,  Rev.  J.  H.  Cox. 

1885,  L.  B.  Caswell,  Sidney  P.  Smitli,  A.  J.  Nye. 

1886,  L.  B,  Caswell,  Sidney  P.  Smith,  A  J.  Nye, 

1887,  L.  B.  Caswell,  A.  J,  Nye,  E.  V.  Wilson, 

18S8,  L.  B.  Caswell,  E.  V.  Wilson,  Rev.  F.  B.  Knowlton. 

1889,  E,  V.  Wilson,  Rev.  F.  B.  Knowlton,  Ellen  M.  Bigelow, 

1890,  Rev.  F.  B.  Knowlton,  Ellen  M.  Big-elow,  E.  V.  Wilson. 

1891,  Ellen  M.  Bigelow,  E.  V.  Wilson,  Chas.  A.  Chapman. 

1892,  E.  V.  Wilson,  Chas.  A.  Chapman,  Ellen  M,  Bigelow. 

ISgS,   Chas.  A.   Chapman,  Ellen    M.  Bi-gelow,  Lucien   Lord,  Dr, 
James  Oliver,  Geo.  D.  Bates,  W.  D.  Luey. 

1894:,   Chas.    A.  Chapman,  Elien  M.  Bigelow,   Lucien  Lord,  Drv 
James  Oliver,  Geo.  D.  Bates,  W.  D.  Luey. 

1895,   Chas.  A.  Chapman,    Ellen  M.  Bigelow,  Lucien    Lord,   Dr. 
James  Oliver,  Geo.  D.  Bates,  W.  D.  Luey. 

Charles  A.  Chapman  was  born  in  Springfield,  Mass., 
in  1848,  where  he  attended  the  public  schools  Until  he  was 
fifteen  years  of  age.  The  last  year  of  his  school  life  he 
worked  in  a  store,  before  and  after  school  hours,  on  Satur^ 
days  and  during  vacations,  and  when  eighteen  years  of  age, 
received  the  position  of  confidential  clerk  and  first  book- 
keeper in  the  firm,  which  was  doing  the  largest  wholesale 
and  retail  grocery  business  in  Springfield.  After  three; 
years  of  this  work,  his  health  failed,  and  he  was  obliged  to 
give  up  the  position  for  one  that  would  take  him  out  of 
doors  more.  In  1868,  he  was  elected  teller  of  the  Lee 
National  and  Sa\angs  Banks,  where  he  remained  until 
1874,  when  he  was  chosen  cashier  of  the  Athol  National 
Bank,  then  just  organized,  which  position  he  still  occupies. 


132  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Mr.  Chapman  has  been  prominently  identified  with  the 
Congregational  church  of  Athol,  of  which  he  has  been  a 
member  since  his  residence  in  this  town.  He  has  been 
treasurer  of  the  church  for  ten  years,  of  the  parish  four 
years,  and  has  led  the  singing  for  eighteen  years,  and 
Was  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school  for  six  years. 
In  1891,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  School  Com- 
mittee, which  office  he  now  holds,  and  has  also  served 
the  town  on  important  committees.  He  was  married 
October  13,  1875,  to  Miss  Frances  A.  Rowland  of  Spring- 
field, the  daughter  of  a  prominent  business  man  and  citi- 
zen of  that  city,  who  was  one  of  the  first  members  and  or- 
ganizers of  the  Republican  party,  and  was  noted  for  his 
strong  anti-slavery  principles.     They  have  one  daughter. 

Wm.  D.  Luey  was  born  in  Deerfield,  Mass.,  April  6, 
1855.  He  attended  the  lower  grade  schools  of  his  native 
town,  and  the  Greenfield  High  school.  After  leaving 
school  he  worked  in  a  store  for  a  year,  and  then  became 
clerk  in  the  Franklin  County  National  Bank  of  Green- 
field, and  was  with  that  institution  and  the  Packard 
National  Bank  for  six  years,  when  he  went  to  the  Con- 
way National  Bank,  where  he  was  cashier  for  a  year  and 
a  half,  and  came  to  Athol  in  May,  1881,  to  take  the 
position  of  cashier  of  the  Millers  River  National  Bank, 
which  position  he  has  held  to  the  present  time.  He  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  School  Committee  in  1893,  and 
is  also  one  of  the  Sewer  Commissioners.  He  is  prom- 
inently identified  with  the  Second  Unitarian  Society,  and 
is  the  collector  and  a  member  of  its  executive  committee ; 
interested  in    the  social   life  of  the  town,  he  was    one  of 


CHARLES  A.    CHAPMAN. 


F.    C.   AVERY. 


ELLEN    M.   BIGELOW. 


FLORA   E.   KENDELL. 


EDUCATIONAL.  133 

the  organizers  of  the  Poquaig  Club,  and  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  In  September  1880,  he 
married  Emma  C.  Allen  of  Greenfield;  they  have  four 
boys. 

Among  those  who  have  been  teachers  in  the  schools  of 
Athol  are :  Wm.  La  Roy  Haven,  now  Superintendent  of 
the  schools  of  Morristown,  N.  J.,  Hon.  Samuel  C.  Gale  of 
Minneapolis,  Minn.,  Col.  Lyman  A.  White,  of  Chicago, 
Hon.  Henry  H.  Sprague  of  Boston,  Hon.  Joel  D.  Miller, 
Leominster,  Frederic  E.  Stratton,  Ph.  D.,  of  Carleton  Col- 
lege, Minnesota,  Hon.  Percival  Blodgett  of  Templeton, 
the  late  Capt.  Farwell  F.  Fay,  Beriah  W.  Fay  of  New 
Salem,  Geo.  S.  Cheney,  Boston,  Horace  Mann,  Petersham, 
Wilson  Smith,  Phillipston,  Dr.  James  Oliver  and  Prof. 
Harlan  P.  Townsend. 

In  selecting  a  few  teachers  of  whom  to  give  brief 
sketches,  we  have  taken  those  who  have  been  connected 
with  our  schools  for  the  longest  time  during  the  last 
twenty-five  years.  The  teacher  best  known  to  the  people 
of  Athol,  and  who  numbers  among  her  former  pupils 
members  of  almost  every  family  who  has  resided  in  town 
any  length  of  time,  is  Miss  Ellen  M.  Bigelow,  now  teacher 
of  the  Grammar  school.  Miss  Bigelow  is  a  native  of  Phil- 
lipston ;  she  commenced  her  first  school  in  the  Fry ville  dis- 
trict in  the  summer  term  of  1856,  and  for  forty  years,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  terms,  has  been  a  popular  teacher 
in  the  Athol  schools,  having  had  charge  of  the  Grammar 
school  for'  more  than  twenty  years.  She  has  taken  an  ac- 
tive interest  in  the  educational  work  of  the  town  aside 
from   her  duties  in   the  school   room,  and    in    1889  was 


134 


elected  a  member  of  the  School  Committee,  which  positoin 
she  now  holds  ;  she  has  also  been  a  member  of  the  Public 
Library  committee  for  the  last  ten  years. 

Susie  F.  Drury  was  born  in  Royalston,  a-nd  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  that  town.  She  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Westfield  Normal  school,  and  was  a  teacher  in  the  Athol 
schools  for  ten  years,  eight  years  of  which  time  she  was  in 
the  Advanced  Primary  and  Intermediate  grades,  where  she 
proved  one  of  the  most  successful  teachers  of  the  town. 
After  leaving  the  Athol  schools  in  1887,  she  was  a  teacher 
in  the  Gardner  schools  for  two  and  a  half  years,  when  she 
took  a  position  in  the  schools  of  Everett,  Mass.,  and  in  the 
summer  of  1893,  was  elected  Principal  of  the  Devens 
school  building  in  that  city,  which  position  she  now  holds, 
having  charge  of  more  than  four  hundred  pupils. 

Ida  E.  Carruth  is  a  native  of  Petersham.  She  attende  d 
the  public  schools  of  that  town  and  the  Highland  Institute, 
also  Barre  Academy  in  Barre,  Mass.,  and  commenced 
teaching  in  Dana,  where  she  remained  one  year,  when  she 
came  to  Athol,  and  was  a  teacher  for  eleven  years  in  the 
Advanced  Intermediate  school  at  the  Lower  Village.  Af- 
ter leaving  Athol  in  1888,  she  was  a  teacher  in  the  schools 
of  Orange  nearly  three  years,  when  she  took  a  position  in 
the  Brockton  schools,  which  she  now  holds, 

Nettie  A.  Doane  was  born  in  Boston,  and  attended  the 
schools  of  that  city  and  the  Templeton  High  school.  She 
taught  her  first  school  in  Phillipston,  and  commenced 
teaching  in  the  Athol  schools  in  1869,  where  she  remained 
continuously  for   twenty-six  years    as     a  teacher    in    the 


FREDERIC  E.  STRATTON. 


HARLAN    P.  TOWNSEND. 


SUSIE  F.  DRURY. 


IDA  E.  CARRUTH. 


EDUCATIONAL.  135 

Primary  grade,    resigning  in  1895,  to  accept  a  position  in 
the  schools  of  Melrose,  Mass. 

Miss  Nellie  E.  Clark  came  from  Winchendon,  where  she 
had  already  attained  an  excellent  reputation  as  an  instruc- 
tor and  disciplinarian  in  1872,  and  took  charge  of  the  Ad- 
vanced Intermediate  school  at  the  Upper  Village,  where 
she  has  remained  to  the  present  time,  giving  general  sat- 
isfaction to  the  committee  and  parents  for  nearly  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century. 

Clara  Jackson  commenced  teaching  in  the  Athol  schools 
in  1883,  and  has  taught  continuously  to  the  present  time, 
now  having  charge  of  one  of  the  Lake  Park  schools. 

Minerva  K.  Pitts  was  a  teacher  from  1881  to  1891, 
most  of  the  time  in  the  Advanced  Primary  grade  at  the 
Highlands. 

Harlan  P.  Townsend,  who  has  been  connected  with  the 
schools  at  different  times,  and  has  also  attained  distinction 
as  a  teacher  of  elocution  in  various  institutions  of  the 
country,  was  born  in  Athol  May  26,  1844.  He  attended 
the  Athol  schools,  and  graduated  from  the  High  school,  of 
which  for  a  short  time  he  was  assistant  teacher.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  53d  Mass.  Kegt.  of  Vol- 
unteers, and  was  with  his  regiment  during  its  time  of  ser- 
vice. After  returning  from  the  war,  he  taught  schools  in 
Phillipston,  Warwick,  Fitzwilliam,  N.  H.,  and  Athol.  In 
1870  he  resigned  his  position  in  the  Athol  schools  to  be- 
come first  assistant  in  Trenton  Academy,  Trenton,  N.  J. 
In  1873  he  went  to  the  National  school  of  Elocution  and 
Oratory  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  graduated  in  1874,  and 
soon  accepted  a  position  in  Marietta  College,  Ohio.     After 


136  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

a  few  months  in  that  institution,  he  went  to  the  Lane  The- 
ological Seminary  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  as  teacher  of  elocu- 
tion, and  while  there  was  also  one  of  the  teachers  in  the 
Conservatory  of  Music  of  the  Western  Female  Seminary. 
Poor  health  compelled  him  to  resign  his  position  iu  those 
institutions.  He  studied  for  two  or  three  years  with  Prof. 
James  S.  Murdock,  the  celebrated  actor  and  Shakesperian 
reader,  and  in  1887  was  called  to  the  National  School  of 
Oratory  at  Philadelphia,  to  have  charge  of  the  department 
of  voice  culture  and  expression  reading.  He  has  also 
been  a  teacher  of  elocution  in  various  other  institutions, 
but  for  the  last  number  of  years  his  health  has  not  per- 
mitted him  to  take  any  permanent  position. 

THE  HIGH  SCHOOL. 
One  of  the  most  prolific  sources  of  controversy  between 
the  citizens  of  many  New  England  towns  arises  when  the 
locations  of  public  buUdings  are  to  be  decided,  and  Athol 
passed  through  one  of  these  experiences  in  1856,  when 
the  town  had  attained  the  number  of  families  which  made 
it  necessary  to  establish  a  High  school.  In  the  March 
meeting  warrant  of  that  year  was  an  article  relative  to  the 
establishment  of  a  High  school,  and  then  occurred  that 
memorable  struggle  between  the  two  vUlages  in  regard  to 
the  site  for  the  building  ;  meeting  after  meeting  was  held, 
and  the  excitement  ran  high,  even  to  such  an  extent  as  to 
break  up  long  and  intimate  friendships,  and  endanger  the 
ties  of  church  membership.  Finally  the  present  location 
was  selected,  and  a  High  school  building  was  erected  that 
did  service  for  thirty-five  years.     This  gave  place  in  1892 


EDUCATIONAL. 


137 


too  the  present  fine  building  that  was  built  at  a  cost  of 
$25,000,  and  was  dedicated  on  Labor  Day,  Sept.  5,  of  that 
year,  when  Rev.  A.  E.  Winship  delivered  an  eloquent  ad- 
dress before  a  large  audience  upon  "The  Mission  of  the 
High  school." 

The  first  term  of  the  High  school  was  held  in  the  spring 
of  1857,  vidlh  Geo.  A.  Wheeler  of  Topsham,  Me.,  a  grad- 
uate of  Bowdoin  College,  as  the  teacher.  The  salaries  of 
the  teachers  of  the  school  for  the  first  year  amounted  to 
$543,  and  the  largest  number  of  scholars  during  any  one 
term   was   ninety-three.      During   the   first   year   of  the 

school  some    of    the 
older  scholars  assist- 
ed  the    Principal  in 
hearing  recitations, 
and  among  those 
V  whose    names    are 
mentioned  in  this 
connection ,     in    the 
_^___      school    reports,    are 
OLD  HIGH  SCHOOL  BuiLDiNu  Henry  H.    bprague, 

Henry  M.  Humphrey,  Horace  Mann  and  James  Oliver, 
Jr.;  also  during  the  year  1858,  each  member  of  the  school 
committee  frequently  instructed  some  of  the  classes  in  the 
recitation  room.  The  first  to  be  engaged  as  a  regular  as- 
sistant was  H.  H.  Sprague,  who  in  1858  received  a  salary 
of  |16  per  month  for  his  services.  There  was  no  regular 
course  of  study  until  1873,  when  a  graded  system  of  schools 
for  the  town  was  completed,  and  a  three  years  course 
of    study  established   for   the    High  school,    the   School 


138 


ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


Committee  at  that  time  being,  Eev.  W.  S.  Burton,  Geo. 
W.  Horr,  Esq.,  and  Henry  A.  Stearns.  The  first  class  to 
graduate  from  the  school  with  this  course  of  study  was  the 
class  of  1876,  consisting  of  nine  members.  This  course 
was  continued  until  1882,  when  the  School  Committee, 
consisting  of  L.  B.  Caswell,  Dr.  James  Oliver  and  Eev.  J. 
H.    Cox,  with   the   Principal    of  the  school,  Mr.    B.   F. 


^■-.1  :■  "^Fiff      -'-^-^*^- 


/^ 


"-it^JSRy^^Ti^V^^    T^  ^r^~-      Z^      __J(         ,^'<^^   ^    '    ^ 


HIGH    SCHOOL. 

Brown,  arranged  a  four  years  course  of  study,  and  in 
1883,  the  first  class  to  complete  a  four  years  course  grad- 
uated with  honor  to  themselves  and  the  school.  This 
course  was  continued  for  only  a  few  years,  as  the  people 
evidently  were  not  ready  for  the  change,  and  again  the 
classes  were  graduated  in  three  years  time.     In  1892  the 


EDUCATIONAL.  139 

present  courses  of  study,  consisting  of  classical,  literary 
and  general  courses  of  four  years,  and  an  English  course 
of  three  years  were  adopted. 

During  the  forty  years  existence  of  the  school  there 
have  been  thirty-one  Principals,  those  serving  the  longest 
being,  Sidney  P.  Smith,  who  taught  eleven  terms,  and  L. 
McL.  Jackson  and  W.  H.  Terrill,  each  of  whom  held  the 
position  nine  terms. 

The  following  list  contains  the  names  of  those  who  have 

held  the  position  of  Principals  of  the  High  school,  and  the 

year  in  which  they  served : 

Mr.  Geo.  A.  Wheeler  of  Topsham,  Me.,  1857. 

Mr.  Farwell  Fay  of  New  Salem,  1857. 

Mr.  D.  D.  Leavittof  Grantham,  N.  H.,  1857,  1859. 

Mr.  H.  Toothaker  of  Holden,  Me.,  1858,  1859. 

Mr.  Geo.  B.  Towle  of  Saco,  Me.,  1860. 

Mr.  A.  J.  Lathrop  of  Watertown,  1861. 

Mr.  L.  S.  Burhank  of  Lancaster,  1862,  1863. 

Mr.  Francis  E.  Tower  of  Petersham,  1864. 

Mr.  H.  E.  Morse  of  Chelmsford,  1864. 

Mr.  H.  F.  Lane  of  Templeton,  1865. 

Mr.  Joel  D.  Miller  of  Athol,  1865,  1866. 

Mr.  Oscar  H.  Stearns,  1867. 

Mr.  H.  Brown  of  Qnincy,  1867. 

Mr.  A.  L.  Gleason  of  Amherst  College,  1867. 

Mr.  Stephen  A.  Snow,  1868. 

Mr.  J.  P.  Fielden,  1868. 

Mr.  F.  W.  Bardwell,  1868. 

Mr.  Sauford  B.  Cook  of  Petersham,  1869. 

Mr.  Fred  F.  Foster  of  VVeare,  N.  H.,  1870,  1871. 

Mr.  A.  TV.  Bacheler  of  Boston,  1872,  1873. 

Mr.  Geo.  G.  Pratt  of  Boston,  1873. 

Mr.  Virgil  M.  Howard  of  Deerfield,  1874,  1875. 

Mr.  E.  A.  Baldwin,  1876. 

Mr.  Sidney  P.  Smith  of  Princeton,  111.,  1877  to  1880. 


140  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Mr.  Lewis  Parkhurst  of  Fitchburg,  1880. 

Mr.  B.  F.  Brown  of  Fitchburg,  1881,  1882. 

Mr.  L.  McL.  Jackson  of  Bernardston,  1883  to  1886. 

Mr.  W.  H.  Terrill  of  Mon-isville,  Vt,,  1886  to  1889. 

Mr.  W.  J.  Rushmore  ol  Cambridge,  1890,  1891. 

Mr.  Geo.  M.  Strout,  1892,  1893. 

Mr.  F.  C.  Avery  of  Waterbury,  Vt.,  1894, 

There  have  been  employed  as  assistant  teachers,  twenty- 
two  as  follows :  H.  H.  Sprague,  1858 ;  James  Oliver, 
Jr.,  1860  ;  Geo.  A.  Black,  1873 ;  Emma  L.  Pierce,  1873; 
Annie  Knapp  Cheney,  1874  to  1876  ;  Etta  V.  Cutter, 
1876  to  1878  ;  Mary  Durkee  Robinson,  1878,  1879 ; 
Ellen  M.  Bigelow,  1880,  1881  ;  Kate  Tower  Pinney,  1882 
to  1887 ;  Elizabeth  Bridgeford  Amsden,  1887  to  1889. 
Since  that  date  the  teachers  have  been :  Clara  Preston, 
Fanny  Bugbee  Cobb,  Grace  G.  Rickey,  Henry  A.  Roberts, 
Mary  Lang  Strout,  Janet  G.  Patterson,  Cora  Coolidge, 
Mary  Epps,  Helen  M.  Humphrey,  Julia  Strong  and  Anna 
Kitchel. 

We  give  brief  sketches  of  some  of  the  principals   who 
have  recently  served  the  school. 

Benj.  F.  Brown  was  born  in  Lowell,  Vt.  in  1849.  He 
removed  to  Fitchburg,  Mass.,  in  1866,  where  he  was  fitted 
for  college  at  the  Fitchburg  High  school,  and  entered  Am- 
herst College,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1874.  From 
the  time  of  graduation  until  1890,  he  was  engaged  in 
teaching  in  the  following  places  :  High  school  and  Day 
Street  Grammar  school  of  Fitchburg,  1874  to  1881  ;  Athol 
High  school,  1881  to  1883  ;  Montpelier  Vt.  High  school, 
1883  to  1885,  and  the  Gibson  School,  Boston,  1885  to 
1890.     In    1890  he    engaged  in    the    development    of  a 


EDUCATIONAL.  141 

macMne  for  automatically  measuring,  filling,  and  sealing 
packets  of  seeds,  dyes,  powders  etc.  The  machine  was 
perfected  and  put  into  successful  operation  the  following 
year,  and  a  company  organized  in  Fitchburg  to  manufac- 
ture them,  of  which  Mr.  Brown  is  President  and  Manager. 
He  was  married  in  1880  to  Zephirine  Normandin  of  Mil- 
ford,  and  their  present  residence  is  at  Dorchester,  Mass. 

Mr.  W.  H.  Terrill,  who  was  principal  of  the  High 
school  for  three  years,  beginning  with  September,  1886, 
was  born  in  Morristown,  Vermont,  He  prepared  for  Col* 
lege  in  the  Academy  of  his  native  town,  and  entered  Wes- 
leyan  University  in  the  Fall  of  1879,  graduating  in  the 
class  of  1883.  He  entered  upon  the  work  of  teaching  im- 
mediately upon  graduation.  For  three  years  he  filled  the 
chair  of  Natural  Sciences  in  the  Vermont  Methodist 
Seminary  at  Montpelier,  Vt.,  resigning  that  position  to  ac- 
cept the  Principalship  of  the  Athol  High  school.  Since 
leaving  Athol,  Mr.  Terrill  has  held  the  position  of  in- 
structor in  Greek  and  Latin  in  Phillips  Academy,  An- 
dover,  Mass.,  where  he  is  still  employed. 

F.  C.  Avery,  the  present  Principal  of  the  High  school, 
was  born  in  Tunbridge,  Vt.,  April  14,  1861.  His  early 
education  was  received  in  the  Grammar  schools  of  Staf- 
ford, Vt.  He  was  for  three  years  at  Kimball  Union  Acad- 
emy, Meriden,  N.  H.,  and  graduated  from  Dartmouth  Col- 
lege in  1888.  After  graduating  he  was  Principal  of 
Wells  River  High  school  and  Superintendent  of  Grammar 
schools  in  that  town  for  two  years,  and  held  the  same 
position  in  Waterbury,  Vt.  three  years,  from  which  place 
he  came  to  Athol  as  Principal  of  the  High  school  in  1893. 


142  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Under  his  charge  the  school  is  attaining  a  high  rank 
among  the  High  schools  of  the  state.  He  was  married  in 
August,  1894,  to  Miss  Mabel  Ripley  Hatch,  of  Stafford, 
Vermont. 

The  whole  number  of  graduates  from  the  school  since  a 
course  of  study  was  established  and  diplomas  awarded, 
commencing  with  the  Class  of  1876,  and  including  the 
Class  of  1896,  is  199.  Of  this  number,  divided  among  the 
twenty-one  classes,  more  than  forty  have  been  engaged  as 
teachers,  some  of  them  filling  important  positions.  The 
largest  class  to  graduate  was  the  Class  of  1896,  with 
twenty- two  members,  and  the  Class  of  1887  was  the  next 
in  rank,  sending  out  nineteen.  Thirteen  graduates  have 
died. 

College  Graduates. — The  following  persons,  natives  of 
Athol,  have  received  a  College  education : 

Williams  College. — Jesse  Stratton,  1814;  Joseph  Es- 
tabrook,  1818 ;  John  Wiswell  Humphrey,  1823  ;  John 
Drury,  Jr.,  Wm.  La  Roy  Haven,  1864  ;  Joel  Drury  Mil- 
ler, 1864,  Frederick  Eugene  Stratton,  1871. 
Harvard  University. — Joseph  A.  Shaw,  1858  ;  Henry  H. 
Sprague,  1864  ;  Maurice  H  Richardson,  1873;  George  A. 
Black,  1879,  Albert  H.  Newman,  1895. 

Amherst  College. — Chas.  H.  Sweetser,  1862  ;  Henry 
A.  Simonds,  1883  ;  Eugene  T.  Allen,  1887. 

Yale  College. — HoUon  A.  Farr,  1896. 

Princeton  College. — Ward  Talbot. 

Brown  University.     Lucien  E.  Taylor,  1895. 

Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology.  -Louis  Mills 


EDUCATIONAL.  143 

Norton,  1873  ;  James  P.  Lynde,  1886  ;  Walter  J.  Eickey, 
1895  ;  Mortimer  A.  Sears,  1896. 

Military  University,  of  Norwich,  Vt. — Henry  M.  Phil- 
lips. 

Wellesley  College. — Arline  Smith,  1895,  Grace  G. 
Rickey. 

Louis  M.  Norton  took  his  degree  of  Ph.  D.  at  Gotten- 
gen   University,  Germany. 

Eugene  T.  Allen,  after  graduating  from  Amherst  Col- 
lege, also  took  a  course  at  Johns  Hopkins  University,  from 
which  he  received  the  degree  of  Ph.  D. 

Wm.  H.  Parmenter  entered  Yale  College,  and  after  two 
years  in  that  institution  entered  the  Harvard  Law  school. 

Ralph  W.  Drury  entered  the  Massachusetts  Agricult- 
ural College,  and  left  that  institution  to  take  an  appoint- 
ment at  the  United  States  Military  Academy,  West  Point, 
where  he  remained  two  years. 

LIBRARIES. 

Previous  to  1830,  the  Athol  Social  Library  had  been  in 
existence,  as  we  find  in  a  copy  of  Freedom's  Sentinel  of 
1828,  an  advertisement  of  books  belonging  to  that  organi- 
zation for  sale.  During  the  decade  between  1850  and 
1860,  three  libraries  were  in  existence,  as  follows :  A 
"  Ladies'  Social  Circle  Library,"  organized  in  1^56,  hav- 
ing 239  volumes,  in  charge  of  Miss  Anna  Cobleigh,  and  a 
"  Ladies' Library  Association,"  organized  in  1857,  having 
270  volumes  and  officered  as  follows  :  President,  Miss 
Clara  Thorpe  ;  Vice  President,  Mrs.  Geo.  D.  Colony ;  Sec- 
retary, Miss  Ellen  M.  Bigelow  ;  Treasurer,  Miss  Emma  J. 
Knowlton  ;  Librarian,  Mrs.  J.  S.  Parmenter,   with  the  fol- 


144  ATHOL,    PAST   AKD   PRESEinT. 

lowing  assistants:  Mrs.  Alvin  Houghton,  Mrs.  Leander 
Cheney,  Mrs.  Geo.  Sprague,  Emma  J.  Knowlton,  Miss 
Josephine  M.  Knowlton  and  Mrs.  Susan  Ainsworth. 
Another  was  "  The  Athol  Agricultural  and  Mechanical 
Library  Association,"  organized  in  1858,  "with  the  object 
of  diffusing  among  the  people  a  greater  knowledge  of  the 
acts  and  sciences,"  having  150  volumes,  and  the  following 
officers :  President,  L.  W.  Hapgood ;  Vice  President, 
F.  F.  Amsden ;  Secretary,  J.  I.  Goulding  ;  Treasurer,  C. 
B.  Swan ;  Librarian,  J.  I.  Goulding. 

The  largest  collection  of  books  gathered  by  any  Society 
was  that  of  the  Athol  Library  Association,  which  was  or- 
ganized in  December,  1878,  with  Hon.  Chas.  Field  as 
President.  This  association  collected  a  library  of  upwards 
of  1000  volumes  during  the  three  years  of  its  existence  ; 
the  library  room  of  the  Society  was  at  the  residence  of 
Joel  M.  Doane  on  School  street,  and  Mrs.  Eliza  Doane 
was  the  librarian.  In  the -spring  of  1882,  this  association 
offered  to  make  over  to  the  town  its  library  on  conditions 
that  the  town  should  furnish  a  suitable  place  for  the 
books,  and  appropriate  money  for  the  support  of  the 
library  and  the  purchase  of  new  books.  This  offer  was 
accepted  by  the  town,  and  at  a  town  meeting  held  in  April 
1882,  a  library  committee  was  chosen,  consisting  of  Hon. 
Charles  Field,  Kev.  H.  A.  Blake,  Rev.  J.  H.  Cox,  E.  V. 
Wilson,  Esq.,  and  L.  B.  Caswell. 

Mr.  Field  was  chairman  of  this  committee,  and  Mr. 
Caswell  the  secretary  and  treasurer.  The  Athol  Library 
Association  then  made  over  its  library  to  the  town,  and 
the  Free   Public  Library  of  Athol    was  established.     Ar- 


^•^iigfeiAeiits  were  made  to  continue  the  library  room  at  the 
"same  place,  and  also  to  retail!  the  services  of  Mrs.  Doane 
las  the  librarian,  during  the  first  year  that  the  library  was 
>open  to  the  public  650  persohs  availed  themselves  of  its 
^rivileges^  and  88t3  books  w6re  delivered. 

Duriiig  the  year  1895^  13,869  books  wete  delivered. 
'The  Library  was  continued  in  its  first  quarters,  a  room  in 
the  dwelling  hwuse  of  Joel  M.  Doane  on  School  street,  and 
in  charge  -of  th'e  samfe  librarian,  Mrs.  Miza  F.  I)oane,  un- 
til April,  188 '7,  when  it  was  removed  to  its  present  qtiart- 
fers,  and  the  present  librarian,  Mrs.  Mercie  S^  Doane  was 
lengaged.  The  appropriation  by  the  town  the  first  year 
Vvas  |300,  and  from  that  time  until  1894,  it  was  f  500  each 
year,  since  which  time  it  has  beeii  flOOO  per  year. 
Special  attention  has  been  paid  t6  making  the  library  an 
laid  in  school  work,  and  in  the  selection  of  books  calte  has 
been  takteti  to  secure  a  goodly  number  of  such  works  as 
"w  ould  be  of  value  and  stervite  to  teachers  and  scholars  in 
their  daily  work ,  and  the  library  committee  evety  ye^ar  in- 
cludes   one  of    more  membei«  of  the  iSehool  Committee<. 

The  Library  now  contains  5000  volumes.  The  organi- 
fealion  of  the  Library  Committiee  has  been  as  follows  * 

1882,  Chaa-le*  Field,  Chairman^  Lilley  B.  Oas-W^ell,  B6V.  H.  M 
felake,  Bev.  J.  H.  Cox.  Edgar  V.  Wilson. 

1883,  Charles  Field,  Chaiiiiiau,  Lilley  Bi.  Cafitvell,  Heaiy  M- 
Humphrey,  Daniel  A.  Newton,  Lucieii  Lord. 

1884,  ChaWes  Field,  Chairman,  Lilley  B.  Caswfell,  Thomas  H, 
"(ioodspeed,  Mrs.  A.  H.  iFrenchs  Hsenky  M.  HikmphSrey,  EeV.  Chai-les  Pv 
fciombardi,  Mi-g   Sarah  It.  Smith. 

1886,  Lilley  B.  CaSweli,  Chairman,  feohfert  Bi-oOkhouse,  Miss  Ellea 
"M..  Bigelow,  Thomas  H.  Goodspeed,  Eevi  ChaS.  Pi  Lorafeard,  Mi's* 
Sarah  Hi.  Sulith,  "Vfilliara  Fi  ThOniasi. 


146  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

1886,  Kev.  Charles  P.  Lombard,  Chairman,  Sidney  P.  Smith,  Rob- 
ert Brookhouse,  Miss  Ellen  M.  Bigelow,  Augustus  Coolidge,  Mrs.  Sarah 
H.  Smith. 

1887,  Rev.  Charles  P.  Lombard,  Chairman,  Miss  Ellen  M.  Bigelow, 
Robert  Brookhouse,  Almond  Smith,  Mrs.  Sarah  H.  Smith,  Edgar  V. 
Wilson. 

1888,  William  H.  Terrill,  Chairman,  Edgar  V.  Wilson,  Miss  Ellen 
M.  Bigelow,  Rev.  H.  W.  Stebbins,  Almond  Smith,  Mrs.  Sarah  H. 
Smith. 

1889,  Edgar  V.  Wilson,  Chairman,  Mrs.  Sarah  H.  Smith,  Miss  Ellen 
M.  Bigelow,  Rev.  Chas.  E.  Perkins,  Almond  Smith,  Rev.  H.  W. 
Stebbins. 

1899,  Edgar  V.  Wilson,  Chairman,  Mrs.  Sarah  H.  Smith,  Miss  Ellen 
M.  Bigelow,  Rev.  Chas.  E.  Perkins,  Rev.  C.  J.  Shrimpton,  Almond 
Smith. 

1891,  Edgar  V.  Wilson,  Chairman,  Mrs.  Sarah  H.  Smith,  Miss  Ellen 
M.  Bigelow,  Rev.  Chas.  E.  Perkins,  Rev.  C.  J.  Shrimpton,  Almond 
Smith. 

1892,  Edgar  V.  Wilson,  Chairman,  Mrs.  Sarah  H.  Smith,  Rev.  H. 
F.  Brown,  Miss  Ellen  M.  Bigelow,  Rev.  C.  J.  Shrimpton,  Almond 
Smith. 

1893,  Rev.  C.  J.  Shrimpton,  Chairman,  Mrs.  Sarah  H.  Smith,  Miss 
Ellen  M.  Bigelow,  Mrs.  Clare  H.  Burleigh,  Liicien  Lord. 

1894,  Rev.  C  J.  Shrimpton,  Chairman,  Mrs.  Sarah  H.  Smith,  Miss 
Ellen  M.  Bigelow,  Lucien  Lord,  Mrs.  Clare  H.  Burlfeigh. 

1895,  Rev.  C.  J.  Shrimpton,  Chairman,  Mrs.  Sarah  H.  Smith,  Miss 
Ellen  M.  Bigelow,  Lucien  Lord,  Mrs.  Clare  H.  Burleigh,  Rev.  S.  W. 
Sutton. 

1896,  Rev.  C.  J.  Shrimpton,  Chairman,  Mrs.  Sarah  H.  Smith,  Miss 
Ellen  M.  Bigelow,  Lucien  Lord,  Rev.  S.  W.  Sutton,  Lilley  B.  Caswell. 


CHAPTER   X. 


GRAND  AEMY  OF  THE  REPUBLIC. 

"Loyal  to  country  I  Brothers  dear,  be  true 

Unto  the  right,  in  whatsoe'er  ye  do  I 

And  He  who  died  for  man  will  care  for  you ! 

With  armor  golden,  free  from  sinful  dross. 
Bearing  the  glorious  banner  of  the  cross. 
In  the  last  conflict,  ye  shall  fear  no  loss  1" 

EFOEE  THE  organization  of  a 
Grand  Army  Post  in  Athol,  some  of 
the  old  soldiers  became  members  of 
Abraham  Lincoln  Post,  now  the 
General  Sedgwick  Post,  No.  17  of 
Orange.  Early  in  1870,  a  move- 
ment was  started  for  the  formation 

of  a  Post  in  Athol,  which  resulted  in  the    organization  of 

one  during  the  summer. 

PARKER    POST,    NO.     123,    G.    A.    R. 

Parker  Post  was  organized  June  8,  1870,  with  sixteen 
charter  members.  The  Post  was  named  in  honor  of 
James  C.  Parker,  who  enlisted  in  Co.  A.,  21st  Regiment 
Mass.  Volunteers,  which  left  Athol  for  the  seat  of  war, 
Aug.  22,  1861.  Mr.  Parker  was  born  in  Stickney,  C.  E., 
in  the  year  1826,  and  was  thirty-five    years  of  age    at  the 


1 

^ 

us 


ATHOt,   FAST  AITO  PRESEWT, 


time  of  his  enlistment.  He  went  with  his  regiment  t(% 
North  Carolina,  and  was  sick  at  the  time  of  the  capture* 
of  Roanoke  Island,  and  on  board  a  transport.  In  the  bat- 
tle of  Newbern  he  was  in  the  thickest  ©f  the  fight,  and  was, 
mortally  wonnd.ed.. 

The  historian  of  the  5flst  Regiment  says  ;  "^Parker  was. 
one  eC  our  many  men  who  went  into  the  fight  with  an  un-. 
seifTiceable  gun,  but  stood  courageoitusly  in  his  place, 
though  unable  to  fire  a  shot.  He  and  Wm.  H..  JohnsoQ 
died  in  the  field  hospital  on  the  15th 
of  March-  Parker's  and  Johnson's, 
names  are  engraved  on  the  brass> 
rebel  cannon  belonging  to  a  battery 
of  flying  artillery  which  was  silenced 
by  a  bayonet  charge  of  the  21st  Reg- 
iment Mass.  Volunteers,  under  Lieut, 
Col.  Clark,  at  the  battle  of  New- 
bern, N.  C,  March  U,  1862.  This, 
cannon  was  preseiftted  to  Amherst 
College  in  memory  of  Adjutant. 
Stearns.  Mr.  Parker  was  buried  at 
Newbem,  leaving  a  wife  and  three 
children  in  Athol.  A  daughter  married  Monproe  F.  Gage, 
The  Post  has  expended  in  charity  during  the  twenty^ 
six  years  of  its  existence  upwards  of  two  thousand  dollars, 
and  many  a  veteran  and  his  family  have  had  cause  to 
bless  the  organization  for  the  fraternal  sympathy  and 
needed  relief  of  which  they  have  been  the  recipients  in 
times  of  trouble  and  sickness.  The  faHowing  is  a  list  of 
those  who  have  been  Commandeirs  ; 


GRAND    ARMY    OF   THE   REPUBLIC.  149 

Farwell  F.  Fay,  1870,  '71 ;  Geo.  H.  Hoyt,  1872,  '73, 
'76;  li.  M.  Burleigh,  1874,  '75;  Charles  Gray,  1877; 
Henry  T.  Morse,  1878  ;  Geo.  R.  Hanson,  1879;  Eoswell 
L.  Doane,  1880;  E.  J.  Shaw,  1881 ;  James  Oliver,  M.  D., 
1882,  '83,  '86 ;  Samuel  N.  Gould,  1884,  '85 ;  Chas.  E. 
Taft,  1887 ;  Henry  W-  Harris,  1888,  '89,  '91 ;  Benj.  W. 
Spooner,  1890;  Wm.  H,  Heustis,  1892;  James  Oliver,  2d, 
1893  ;  Hiram  A.  Bancroft,  1894,  '95. 

Sketches  of  Commanders  Fay,  Hoyt,  Burleigh  and  Dr, 
James  Oliver  will  be  found  in  other  chapters  of  this  work. 

The  fourth  Commander  was  Charles  Gray,  a  son  of 
Alexander  and  Elvira  Gray,  He  was  born  in  Athol,  Aug, 
19,  1841.  In  September,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  B., 
27th  ttegiment  of  Massachusetts  Volunteers,  and  was  ap- 
pointed sergeant  soon  after  enlisting,  which  office  he  held 
until  discharged  from  the  service,  June  26,  1865.  He 
participated  with  his  regiment  in  the  battles  and  sieges  in 
which  it  was  engaged  in  North  Carolina  and  Virginia, 
among  which  were  Roanoke  Island,  Kingston,  Goldsboro, 
siege  of  Washington,  N.  C.,  and  Drury's  Bluff,  Va.,  in  the 
latter  of  which  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  confined  in  the 
rebel  prisons  of  Libby,  Danville,  Anderson ville,  Savannah 
and  Millen,  being  exposed  to  the  weather  for  over  seven 
months  without  a  change  of  clothing.  Soon  after  his  re- 
turn from  the  war  he  was  married  Aug.  11th,  1865,  to 
Hattie  N.  Horton  of  Athpl,  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Athol  Fire  Department  for  twenty-five  years,  having  joined 
first  in  the  spring  «f  1860,  and  was  for  ten  years  the  chief 
engineer ;  he  alsq  served  the  tqwn  as  one  of  its  constables 


150  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

for  eighteen  years,  and  was  for  several  years  one  of  the 
truant  officers. 

Henry  T.  Morse,  the  fifth  Commander,  is  the  oldest  son 
of  the  late  Laban  Morse,  and  was  born  in  Athol,  Jan.  11, 
1840.  He  received  his  education  at  the  common  schools 
of  the  town,  and  then  went  to  work  in  the  shop  of  his 
father.  He  enlisted  in  the  27th  Eegiment  band  and  went 
with  his  regiment  to  North  Carolina.  When  the  regimen- 
tal bands  were  discontinued  in  Aug.,  1862,  he  returned 
home,  but  reentered  the  service  in  1863,  in  the  band  of 
the  1st  Brigade,  2d  Division,  6th  Army  Corps,  and  was 
three  months  at  Harper's  Ferry,  and  afterwards  in  the  bat- 
tles of  the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  North  Anna,  Coal 
Harbor,  and  before  Petersburg.  On  the  consolidatirm  of 
his  Brigade,  Nov.  11,  1864,  he  was  discharged  and  re- 
turned home.  In  1865,  with  his  brother  Leander,  he  en- 
gaged in  business  with  his  father,  under  the  firm  name  of 
L.  Morse  &  Sons.  This  continued  for  about  a  year,  when 
he  went  to  California,  where  he  remained  two  years,  and 
then  returned  to  Athol,  which  was  his  home  until  1881, 
when  he  removed  to  Boston,  and  has  since  been  engaged 
as  an  inventor.  He  was  the  inventor  of  Morse's  folding 
settee,  and  one  of  his  latest  inventions  is  Morse's  rotary 
engine.  While  in  Athol  he  was  connected  with  the  fire 
department  for  a  long  time,  being  the  foreman  of  the 
Athol  Steamer  Co.  when  it  was  first  organized.  He  mar- 
ried Helen  S.  Sibley  of  Athol. 

George  E..  Hanson,  the  sixth  Commander,  was  born  in 
New  Salem.  He  enlisted  when  nineteen  years  old  in  the 
27th  Regiment,  and  was  one  of  the  band  accompanying  the 


JAMES  C.   PARKER. 


HENRY    M.    BURLEIGH. 


CHARLES  GRAY. 


HENRY  T.    MORSE. 


ROSWELL  L.    DOANE. 


HENRY   W.    HARRIS. 


GRAND    ARMY    OF    THE   REPUBLIC.  151 

regiment  to  North  Carolina  in  Burnside's  expedition.  On 
the  discontinuance  of  regimental  bands  he  was  discharged 
Aug.  30,  1862.  He  reenlisted  July  14,  1863,  in  Co.  A, 
2d  Mass.  Heavy  Artillery.  Was  on  detached  service  for 
six  months  with  Capt.  Geo.  W.  Bartlett,  27th  Mass.  In- 
fantry, was  provost  marshal  at  Beaufort,  N.  C,  and  clerk 
at  regimental  headquarters  of  the  2d  Mass.  Heavy  Ar- 
tillery for  nearly  a  year,  and  held  the  office  of  Sergeant 
in  this  company.  Was  commissioned  First  Lieutenant  in 
the  14th  IT.  S.  Colored  Heavy  Artillery,  June  21st,  1865, 
and  Nov.  7,  1865,  was  commissioned  as  Captain  in  the 
same.  He  was  discharged  from  the  service  Dec.  11,  1865. 
Eoswell  L.  Doane,  the  seventh  Commander,  was  born 
in  Phillipston,  Jan.  26,  1843.  He  attended  the  schools 
of  his  native  town  and  the  Templeton  High  school*  leav- 
ing the  latter  to  enlist  in  April,  1861,  and  was  mustered 
into  Co.  A,  21st  Regiment  Mass.  Infantry  in  July  of  that 
year.  He  went  with  the  Burnside  expedition,  and  was 
with  his  regiment  in  all  the  battles  in  North  Carolina,  at 
the  second  battle  of  Bull  Eun,  Chantilly,  South  Mountain, 
Antietam  and  Fredericksburg,  in  the  latter  of  which  he 
was  shot  in  the  right  hip,  the  bullet  remaining  in  him  to 
the  present  day.  He  was  discharged  from  the  service 
June  1,  1863,  and  after  six  years  spent  in  Worcester  and 
other  places,  came  to  Athol  in  1869,  which  has  since  been 
his  home.  He  carried  on  the  slating  business  for  ten 
years,  and  was  also  extensively  engaged  in  the  teaming 
business  for  many  years.  On  Jan.  1,  1893,  he  was  ap- 
pointed deputy  sheriff.  Was  on  the  staff  of  department 
commander  Richard  F.   Tobin  in  1886,   and  accompanied 


153  ItWdt,  i^Agf  Mb  PREsMf, 

iiiflt  to  the  National  Encampment  at  l^an  Francisco.  A 
prominent  member  of  the  Knights  of  f  ythia*,  he  wa^ 
elected  in  1893  to  the  office  of  Lieut.  Col.  of  the  First 
Hegiment  Uniform  Eank  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  has  held 
the  office  of  Judge '  Advocate  Qeneiral,  oil  thd  staff  of* 
Brigadier  General  John  H.  Abbott,  of  the  Mass.  Brigade^ 
with  the  rank  of  Colonel.  lie  was  married  Oct.  10,  1864^ 
to  Miss  MerCie  S.  Gray  of  Templeton. 

E.  J.  Shaw,  the  eighth  Commander,  was  born  in  SU 
George^  New  Brunswick,  July  11,  1840.  In  1855  he 
Went  to  New  York  City,  where  he  attended  school  four' 
years,  after  which  he  learned  the  druggist  business,  and  in 
January,  1860,  opelied  a  drug  store  ill  company  with  hi^ 
brother,  who  was  a  graduate  of  the  New  York  tlniversity 
Medical  College^  In  September^  1861  ^  he  was  appointed 
Surgeon's  Steward  in  the  United  States  Navy,  and  or-- 
dered  for  duty  to  the  tJ.  S.  S.  "Montgomery",  under  Sur- 
geon David  T  Lincoln  of  Cambridge,  Mass.  The  vessel 
sailed  from  the  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard  Sept.  29,  1861,  and 
joined  the  Gulf  Squadron  ulider  Admiral  Farragut. 

Mr.  Shaw  was  proprietor  of  a  drug  store  in  Worcester' 
from  1864  to  1868,  when  he  sold  out  his  business  and 
came  to  Athol  to  take  the  position  of  agent  and  superin-' 
tendent  of  the  cotton  mill,  owned  by  his  father-in-law,  W^ 
A.  Fisher.  He  held  this  position  Until  the  fall  of  1881, 
and  since  that  time  has  been  in  the  hotel  business,  being 
iiow  proprietor  of  the  Central  Hortse  at  Plymouth,  Mass. 

Saniuel  1^.  Gould,  the  tenth  Comniandei',  was  born  iri 
Abington,  Conn.,  Jan.  20,  1830.  He  canle  to  Massachu^ 
setts  when  about  sixteen  years  of  age  aild  learned  the  car-^ 


in$it. 


E.  J.  SHAyv. 


S.   N.  GOULD. 


CHAS.   E.  TAFT. 


WM.  H.  HEUSTIS. 


B.  W.  SPOONER. 


TJUAND   ARMY   OP  THE   UEtUBLIC  153 

penler's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  a  number  of  years. 
In  1853  he  married  Miss  Sally  M.  Davis,  who  died  in 
■early  life,  leaving  one  son,  and  in  1857  he  married  Miss 
Phcebe  S.  Davis.  He  enlisted  from  Templeton,  July  19, 
1861,  as  musician  in  Co.  A,  2lst  Eegiment  Mass.  Vol- 
unteers, and  followed  the  fortunes  of  his  regiment  through 
its  term  of  service,  being  discharged  Aug.  30,  1864.  He 
came  to  Athol  in  1874,  and  entered  the  Athol  Machine 
Co.,  where  he  was  employed  until  the  time  of  his  death, 
Feb.  24,  1892.  Soon  after  coming  to  Athol  he  became  a 
member  of  Parker  Post,  served  as  adjutant  three  years, 
and  was  elected  as  commander  for  1884  and  1885,  always 
maintaining  a  deep  interest  in  the  Grand  Army. 

Charles  E.  Taft,  the  eleventh  Commander,  was  born  in 
PitzwilUam,  N.  H.,  Aug.  9,  1846.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  A, 
21st  Mass.  Eegiment,  and  joined  his  regiment  early  in 
1864,  going  into  service  in  Virginia ;  was  first  under  fire 
at  the  explosion  of  the  mine  in  front  of  Petersburg,  July 
30,  1864,  and  was  also  in  the  great  battles  near  Peters- 
burg, in  April  1865.  Since  his  return  from  the  war,  Mr. 
Taft  has  been  a  resident  of  Athol ;  in  1870  he  kept  a 
billiard  hall  at  the  Lower  Village,  was  for  a  time  engaged 
in  canvassing  for  various  papers,  and  has  for  many  years 
been  employed  at  the  furniture  works  of  L.  Morse  &  Sons, 

Henry  W.  Harris,  the  twelfth  Commander,  was  born  in 
Petersham,  July  28,  1845.  He  enlisted  from  New  Salem 
in  1863,  in  the  4th  Mass.  Cavalry,  and  also  served  in  Co. 
H,  4th  Mass.  Heavy  Artillery.  His  service  was  mostly  in 
Virginia.  In  his  early  life  he  was  a  shoemaker,  but  most 
of  the  time  since  his  return  from  the  war  he  has  been  en- 


154  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

gaged  in  the  meat  and  provision  business.  He  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  Grand  Army,  and  was  on 
the  staff  of  Department  Commander  Myron  P.  Walker. 
He  is  a  member  of  various  Odd  Fellow  and  Masonic  or- 
ganizations, and  was  appointed  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  by 
Governor  xlmes.  He  was  married  Jan.  19,  1893  to  Lizzie 
Eldridge  of  Maine. 

B.  W.  Spooner,  the  thirteenth  Commander  of  the  Post, 
was  born  July  8,  1837,  at  the  old  Spooner  homestead  in 
Petersham,  where  his  father  and  grandfather  were  also 
born,  and  which  has  always  been  his  home.  He  was  mar- 
ried Jan.  1,  1862,  to  Fanny  M.  Grout  of  Westminster, 
Vt.,  and  in  September  of  the  same  year  he  enlisted  in  Co. 
F,  53d  Regiment  Mass.  Volunteers,  under  Capt.  J.  G. 
Mudge,  and  was  with  his  regiment  during  its  term  of  ser- 
vice in  Louisiana.  After  he  returned  from  the  army  he 
engaged  in  the  meat  business  in  connection  with  his  farm- 
ing, and  continued  it  for  fifteen  years,  when  he  gave  it  up, 
and  devotes  his  entire  time  to  his  farm,  on  which  he  has 
made  many  improvements.  He  has  five  children,  four 
daughters  and  one  son. 

Wm.  H.  Heustis,  the  fourteenth  Commander,  was  born 
in  Boston,  May  5,  1841,  and  attended  the  public  schools  of 
that  city.  He  removed  to  Leominster  when  about  eigh- 
teen years  of  age,  and  on  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  went 
to  Annapolis,  Md  ,  where  he  was  in  government  employ  un- 
til September,  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  C,  53d  Mass. 
Volunteers,  and  was  appointed  corporal.  He  was  wound- 
ed at  Port  Hudson  June  14,  1863,  and  was  discharged 
from  the  service  Sept.  2,    1863,  after  which  he  re-enlisted 


GRAND    ARMY    OF    THE    REPUBLIC.  155 

in  the  4tli  Regiment  Heavy  Artillery,  and  was  honorably 
discharged  from  the  same.  Mr.  Heustis  has  been  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  Grand  Army,  having  joined 
Timothy  Ingraham  Post  May  3,  1872,  and  was  transferred 
to  the  H.  V.  Smith  Post,  No.  140,  of  which  be  was  the 
third  commander,  and  later  to  Parker  Post,  No.  123,  of 
which  he  is  still  a  member.  He  has  served  on  the  staff  of 
Department  Commander  Geo.  L.  Goodale,  and  on  the 
staffs  of  National  Commanders  John  Palmer  and  John  J. 
B.  Adams.  He  has  been  prominent  in  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity, having  been  made  a  Mason  in  1864  in  Wilder  lodge 
of  Leominster ;  he  has  held  many  of  the  prominent  offices 
of  the  local  lodges,  having  been  Master  of  Star  lodge  and 
Eminent  Commander  of  Athol  Commandery,  and  is  also  a 
member  of  many  of  the  higher  orders  of  the  fraternity,  in- 
cluding the  Massachusetts  Consistory  32d  degree,  and 
Aleppo  Temple  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  also  a 
prominent  Odd  Fellow,  and  has  held  the  office  of  High 
Priest  in  Mount  Pleasant  Encampment  and  Captain  of 
Canton  Athol.  He  came  to  Athol  in  September,  1873, 
which  has  since  been  his  home. 

James  Oliver,  2d,  Commander  in  1893,  was  born  in 
Royalston  Sept.  29,  1832,  and  came  to  Athol  in  1849, 
working  at  first  in  the  cotton  mill.  He  worked  in  various 
machine  shops  until  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  27th 
Mass.  Regiment,  and  was  in  the  various  battles  in  which 
his  regiment  was  engaged  in  North  Carolina.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1863,  he  was  detailed  as  Regimental  Armorer  at 
Norfolk,  Va.,  and  later  was  detailed  as  nurse  in  the  hos- 
pital, and  also  as  carpenter.  He  was  discharged  from  the 
service  Sept.  27,  1864. 


156  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  FEESENT. 

After  his  return  from  the  war,  he  worked  four  years 
for  the  Vermont  &  Mass.  R.  E.  Co.,  was  in  the 
machine  business  in  Athol  for  five  years,  and  commencing 
in  1874,  was  employed  by  the  Fitchburg  Eailroad  Co.  as 
locomotive  foreman  for  thirteen  and  a  half  years,  his  home 
being  for  several  years  at  North  Adams.  He  returned  to 
Athol  in  1890,  which  has  since  been  his  home.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  church  and  one  of  its  trustees. 
He  was  married  Oct.  19,  1854,  to  Charlotte  D.  Bailey  of 
Lunenburg,  Mass.  They  have  one  daughter,  Miss  Idella 
Oliver. 

Hiram  A.  Bancroft,  the  fifteenth  Commander,  was  born 
Dec.  21,  1847,  in  Templeton.  His  parents  moved,  to 
Phillipston  when  he  was  eight  years  of  age,  from  which 
place  he  enlisted  Oct.  26,  1863,  in  Co.  G,  34th  Mass. 
Volunteers,  being  at  the  time  less  than  sixteen  years  of 
age.  He  joined  his  regiment  at  Harper's  Ferry,  Va  ,  in 
January,  1864,  and  was  under  Gen.  Sigel  in  the  Shenan- 
doah Valley,  on  Hunter's  raid  to  Lynchburg,  and  after- 
wards under  Gen.  Sheridan  at  the  time  of  his  ffimous  ride 
from  Winchester  to  Cedar  Creek ;  was  afterwards  trans- 
ferred to  the  army  of  the  James,  and  in  1865,  to  the  army 
of  the  Potomac,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  final  cap- 
ture of  Petersburg  and  Richmond  and  the  surrender  of 
Lee.  He  was  transferred  to  the  34th  Mass.  Regiment, 
and  was  finally  mustered  out  of  service  Jan.  20,  1866. 
He  was  married  Dec.  22,  1876,  to  Miss  Lizzie  Moore  of 
Athol.  He  joined  the  Grand  Army  Post  of  Orange  in 
1869,  and  later  was  transferred  to  Parker  Post,  of  which 
he  was  elected  commander  for  1894  and  again  for  1895. 


GRAND    ARMY   OF   THE   REPUBLIC.  157 

HUBBARD    V.    SMITH    POST,    NO.     140    G.    A.    R. 

This  post  was  organized  Feb.  22,  1882,  with  twenty-five 
charter  members,  and  was  composed  almost  wholly  of  com- 
rades residing  in  the  lower  village.  Chief  Mustering  offi- 
cer A.  C.  Monroe,  was  the  installing  officer,  and  the  first 
meetings  were  held  in  Phoenix  hall  on  Exchange  street, 
and  then  in  Cardany's  block,  until  December,  1886,  when 
the  present  fine  hall  was  dedicated,  which  has  since  been 
the  home  of  the  Post.  The  Commanders  of  the  Post  have 
been  Wm.  E.  Jaquith,  Lewis  H.  Sawin,  Wm.  H.  Heustis, 
Levi  C.  Sawin,  W.  H.  Mellen  and  Geo.  A.  Bennett. 

Hubbard  V.  Smith,  from  whom  the  Post  takes  its  name, 
was  a  son  of  Abner  and  Florilla  Smith,  and  was  born  in 
Shutesbury,  April  27,  1840.  He  came  with  his  parents 
to  Athol  in  1850,  attended  the  public  schools,  and  was 
one  of  the  first  to  join  the  army  from  this  town  on  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  enlisting  in  Co.  F,  2d  Mass. 
Infantry ;  was  in  the  Shenandoah  campaign  under  Gen. 
Burke,  and  was  wounded  on  the  retreat  from  Winchester, 
May  25,  1862,  a  minie  ball  entering  his  body  just  above 
the  right  hip,  and  passing  so  nearly  through  him  that  it 
was  extracted  above  the  left  hip.  He  was  taken  prisoner, 
and  when  the  rebels  were  obliged  to  retreat,  he  was 
paroled  for  exchange ;  after  being  in  hospitals  at  Harper's 
Ferry  and  Annapolis  for  several  months  he  was  able  to 
come  home  in  October,  and  was  discharged  Jan.  1,  1863. 
After  his  return  home,  he  went  to  WUbraham  Academy, 
but  his  wound  was  so  troublesome  that  he  was  obliged  to 
return  home ;  he  sufiered  a  great  deal  and  died  Aug.  2, 
1867. 


158  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

William  E.  Jaquith,  the  first  Commander,  was  born  in 
Orford,  N.  H.,  Sept.  9,  1838.  Most  of  his  life  has  been 
spent  in  railroad  work,  he  having  served  as  section  fore- 
man on  the  Rutland  and  Burlington,  Rutland  and  Wash- 
ington, Worcester  and  Nashua,  and  New  London  North 
ern  railroads  previous  to  coming  to  Athol  in  1876.  At 
that  time  he  became  a  foreman  on  the  Fitchburg  railroad, 
which  position  he  filled  for  nearly  twenty  years. 

On  Aug.  29,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  15th  Regi- 
ment Vermont  Volunteers.  He  was  married  April  3, 
1867,  in  Keene,  N.  H.,  to  Miss  Addie  D.  Fisher.  Since 
residing  in  Athol,  Mr.  Jaquith  has  been  deeply  interested 
in  the  Grand  Army,  having  joined  Parker  Post  in  1877, 
and  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  Hubbard  V.  Smith  Post 
in  1882,  being  its  first  Commander,  and  serving  in  that 
position  at  different  times  for  five  years.  He  was  instru- 
mental in  the  organization  of  the  Gen.  W.  T.  Sherman 
Camp  Sons  of  Veterans,  and  also  of  the  Woman's  Relief 
Corps.  He  was  Aide  De  Camp  on  the  staff  of  Command- 
er in-Chief  Palmer  of  the  Grand  Army,  and  a  delegate  to 
the  National  Encampment  at  Milwaukee. 

Lewis  H.  Sawin,  the  second  Commander  of  the  Post, 
was  born  in  Athol  Oct.  5,  1845.  He  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  the  town,  and  went  from  the  High  school 
into  the  Navy,  in  which  he  enlisted  March  6,  1862.  For 
four  months  he  was  on  the  Receiving  Ship  Ohio,  at  the 
Charlestown  Navy  Yard,  and  was  then  transferred  to  the 
Gun  Boat  Sonoma,  The  Sonoma  was  sent  to  the  James 
River,  and  remained  there  until  McCellan  made  his 
famous  retreat,    when  she  was    sent  up    the  Potomac    to 


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HUBBARD  V.  SMITH. 


LEWIS  H.  SAWIN. 


WILLIAM   E.  JAQUITH. 


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LEVI   C.  SAWIN. 


WILLIAM    H.    MELLEN. 


GEORGE  A.   BENNETT. 


GRAND  ARMY  OF  THE  REPUBLIC.  159 

Washington,  and  joined  the  flying  squadron  in  the  West 
Indies.  While  on  this  cruise  the  Sonoma  took  three 
vessels  ;  this  was  the  first  gunboat  to  go  through  the  ob- 
structions at  Savannah,  and  did  picket  duty  at  Charles- 
ton the  next  night  after  the  surrender  of  the  city.  He  re- 
ceived his  discharge  from  the  Navy  March  17,  1865.  Af' 
ter  returning  home  he  w^ent  to  a  business  college  in  New 
Haven,  and  worked  in  Boston  for  a  year.  Was  engaged 
in  the  grocery  business  in  Athol,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Packard  &  Co.  for  about  three  years,  and  was  in  the  em- 
ploy of  Smith  &  Jaquith  at  Templeton  four  years,  and  for 
nearly  twenty  years  has  been  book-keeper  for  the  Athol 
Machine  Co.  In  1891,  served  on  the  staff  of  Commander- 
in-Chief  Veazy.  Is  a  member  of  the  Sons  of  Veterans 
and  the  Knights  of  Honor.  Was  married  June  22,  1869, 
to  Miss  Marietta  Bangs  of  Leverett. 

Levi  C.  Sawin,  the  fourth  Commander,  was  born  in 
Ashburnhara,  Aug.  11,  1838.  When  sixteen  years  of  age 
he  went  to  Fitchburg  and  learned  the  machinists'  trade, 
and  afterwards  the  carriage  makers  trade,  which  occupa- 
tion he  has  ever  since  followed.  He  went  to  Gardner  and 
engaged  in  business  for  himself,  where  he  enlisted  in  Co. 
G,  53d  Mass.  Regiment,  and  remained  Avith  his  regiment 
during  its  term  of  service.  On  his  return  from  the  war  he 
resumed  his  business  in  Gardner,  where  he  remained  un- 
til 1876,  when  he  came  to  Athol,  where  he  has  built  up  a 
flourishing  business.  In  1864,  he  married  Miss  Euth  E. 
Temple  of  Gardner.  While  in  Ashburnham  he  joined 
the  Methodist  church,  of  which  denomination  he  has  since 
been  a  momber,  and  is  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Athol 


160  ATSOL,   PAST   AND   PRESENT, 

church.  Mr.  Sawin  was  commander  of  the  Post  for  three 
successive  years,  and  has  been  captain  of  the  Athol  Divis- 
ion Uniform  Rank,  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  was  also  one 
of  the  constables  of  Athol  for  nine  years. 

William  H.  Mellen,  the  fifth  Commander,  was  born  in 
Spofford,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  9.  1842,  being  the  youngest  of  a 
family  of  eight  children  ;  removed  with  his  father's  family 
to  North  Orange,  Mass.,  when  but  a  few  years  old.  He 
learned  the  mechanics  trade  at  Templeton,  and  on  the 
breaking  out  of  the  war  of  the  rebellion  enlisted  in  Co.  A. 
21st  Mass.  Volunteers,  and  was  mustered  into  the  U.  S. 
service  Aug.  23d,  1861.  He  was  in  the  battles  of  Roa- 
noke Island,  Newbern,  Camden  and  Second  Bull  Run,  in 
the  last  of  which  he  was  wounded  and  sent  to  hospitals  ui 
Philadelphia,  Washington  and  Portsmouth  Grove,  R.  I, 
Was  discharged  from  the  service  May  6,  1864.  In  July, 
1864,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Gertrude  E.  Squire  of  Rus- 
sia, Herkimer  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  returned  to  Templeton  and 
resumed  his  trade,  remaining  there  about  a  year,  when  in 
company  with  J.  W.  Lamb,  he  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  pine  and  chestnut  furniture  in  the  town  of  Or- 
ange, under  the  firm  name  of  Mellen  &  Lamb.  In  1881, 
they  bought  a  steam  mill  and  did  custom  sawing  ;  later 
Mr.  Mellen  purchased  his  partner's  interest,  and  is  still  en- 
gaged in  the  same  business,  having  converted  into  lumber 
upwards  of  twenty  million  feet  of  logs. 

He  was  elected  as  Commander  of  Hubbard  V.  Smith 
Post  for  1891,  and  re-elecicd  to  the  same  position  for 
1892,  and  served  on  Department  Commander  Innis  staff 
in  1890.     He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights   of  Honor 


GRAND    ARMY    OF   THE   REPUBLIC.  161 

and  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  was  elected  on  the  board  of 
Selectmen  for  1894,  and  was  re-elected  in  1895  and  1896, 
serving  the  latter  year  as  chairman.  He  was  also  elected 
to  represent  the  First  Worcester  District  in  the  Legisla- 
ture of  1897. 

George  A.  Bennett  was  born  in  Salem,  Mass.,  April 
21st,  1844.  He  received  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  that  city,  and  after  leaving  school  was  apprent- 
iced to  learn  the  cooper's  trade.  He  eidisted  Aug.  21, 
1862,  in  Co.  A,  50th  Mass.  Eegiment,  serving  one  year, 
and  then  re-enlisted  in  the  13th  Unattached  Co.  M.  V. 
M.,  and  also  later  in  Co.  E,  1st  Frontier  Cavalry.  After 
returning  from  the  war  he  learned  the  shoe  cutting  busi- 
ness, and  since  1878  has  been  employed  as  foreman  of  cut- 
ting rooms  by  S.  B.  Fuller  &  Son  at  Essex,  Mass.,  for 
Francis  W.  Breed  at  factories  in  Lynn  and  Eochester,  N. 
H.,  coming  to  Athol  with  Mr.  Breed  in  the  fall  of  1887. 
For  the  last  three  years  he  has  been  employed  as  foreman 
for  Hill  &  Greene.  He  was  married  April  7th,  1874,  to 
Miss  Helen  F.  Lufkin  of  Essex,  Mass. 

The  first  few  years  after  the  observance  of  Memorial 
Day  was  commenced,  Parker  Post  united  with  the  Orange 
Post  in  the  decoration  ceremonies  and  exercises  in  both 
towns,  the  speaking  being  by  local  speakers.  The  most 
distinguished  soldier  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Repub- 
lic who  ever  participated  in  the  exercises  of  Memorial 
Day  in  Athol,  was  Gen.  Ambrose  E.  Burnside,  who  was 
the  honored  guest  of  Athol  comrades  on  Memorial  Day, 
1873,  when  the  greatest  Memorial  Day  demonstration 
ever  witnessed  in  this  section  of  the  state    took  place. 


162  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

The  town  was  profusely  decorated  with  flags  and  bunt- 
ing, and  Depot  Square  was  thronged  with  an  immense 
crowd  when  the  morning  train  arrived  with  General  Burn- 
side,  accompanied  by  Gen.  Richmond  and  Sergt.  Plunkett, 
the  armless  hero  of  Fredericksburg,  and  as  these  old 
heroes  were  received  by  Gen.  Hoyt,  and  escorted  to  the 
barouche  in  waiting  for  them,  the  enthusiasm  and  demon- 
strations of  the  veterans  of  the  Grand  Army  was  almost 
beyond  description.  The  procession,  which  extended  from 
the  Pequoig  House,  nearly  to  the  Lower  Village  cemetery, 
included  Parker  Post,  the  Grand  Army  Posts  of  Gardner 
and  Orange,  the  Athol  Fire  Department,  Father  Matthew 
Temperance  Society,  the  school  children,  and  nearly  one 
hundred  carriages  containing  the  citizens  of  the  town. 

Speeches  were  made  by  Gens.  Burnside  and  Richmond 
in  front  of  the  Summit  House  at  the  Upper  Village,  and 
in  the  afternoon  Music  Hall  was  filled  with  nearly  two 
thousand  people  to  listen  to  the  exercises.  The  Memorial 
day  orators  since  that  occasion  have  been  as  follows : 
1874,  Hon.  Rufus  Liver  more  of  Orange  ;  1875,  Hon.  Geo. 
S.  Boutwell ;  1877,  Col.  J.  A.  Titus  of  Worcester ;  1878, 
Hon.  Frank  Gargan  of  Boston  ;  1879,  Col.  W.  S.  B.  Hop- 
kins of  Worcester  ;  1880,  Capt.  A.  A.  White  of  the  36th 
Regiment;  1881,  William  H.  Hart  of  Chelsea;  1882, 
Gen.  S.  G.  Griffin  of  Keene,  N.  H.  ;  1883,  Rev.  Melville 
Smith  of  Newburyport ;  1884,  Hon.  J.  R.  Thayer  of  Wor- 
cester; 1885,  Rev.  Geo.  S.  Ball  of  Upton,  chaplain  of  the 
21st  Mass.  Regiment ;  1886,  Rev.  P.  M.  Vinton  of  Athol ; 
1887,  Capt.  John  F.  Ashley  of  Gardner  of  the  53d  Regi- 
ment ;  1888,   Col.  Asa  L.  Kneeland  of  Worcester,  an  old 


GRAND    ARMY   OF   THE   REPUBLIC.  163 

Athol  soldier  of  the  32d  Regiment ;  1889,  Rev.  I.  J 
Lansing  of  Worcester ;  1890,  Rev.  F.  O.  Hall  of  Fitch- 
burg  ;  1891,  Wm.  H.  Bartlett'  of  Worcester  ;  1892,  C.  S 
Chapin  of  Fitchburg  ;  1893,  Prof.  A.  S.  Roe  of  Worcester; 

1894,  J.  B.  McCabe,  Commander-in-chief  of  the  Sons  of 
Veterans  of  the  United  States;  1895,  Col.  G.  W.  Hooker 
of  Brattleboro,  Vt. ;  1896,  Past  Department  Commander 
Geo.  S.  Evans  of  Cambridge. 

GEN.    W.    T.    SHERMAN    CAMP  NO.    65,    SONS    OF    VETERANS. 

This  Camp  was  organized  May  26,  1886,  with  twenty- 
one  charter  members.  The  present  membership  is  fifty. 
The  first  captain  was  W.  D.  Mellen,  and  C.  H.  Upham 
and  Edward  Hosmer  served  during  1887.  The  Captains 
since  that  time  have  been :  F.  H.  Brock.  1888,  F.  H. 
Sprague,  1889,  C.  W.  Chapin,  1890,  '91,  E.  H.  White, 
1892,  F.  P.  Hall,  1893,  W.  B.  Gould,  1894,  H.  L.  Doane, 

1895,  P.  H.  Starrett,  1896, 

HOYT    POST,    NO.    3,    MATRONS    OF    THE    REPUBLIC. 

Post  3,  Matrons  of  the  Republic,  was  organized  as  aux- 
iliary to  Parker  Post,  at  Athol  Centre,  May  3,  1878.  The 
object  of  the  organization  is  to  assist  Parker  Post  in  caring 
for  disabled  soldiers  and  their  families,  and  during  the 
eighteen  years  of  its  existence,  has  expended  upwards  of 
three  thousand  dollars  in  relief  work.  Soldiers  wives, 
widows  J  mothers,  sisters,  daughters  and  Sons  of  Veterans' 
wives,  only,  are  eligible  to  membership  in  the  Post.  Those 
who  have  served  as. Commanders,  are:  Mrs.  Mary  A. 
Hoyt,  1878,  '79  s  Mrs.  Sarah  L.  Drury,  1879,  '80 ;  Mrs. 
Mercie   S.  Doane,    1881,  82,  '83,  '84 ;  Mrs.  Fannie  Kil- 


164  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

burn,  1885  ;  Mrs.  Mary  F.  Wellman,  1885  ;  Mrs.  Abbie  A. 
Hill,  1886,  '87,  '96 ;  Mrs.  Kate  J.  Oliver,  1888,  '89 ;  Mrs. 
Carrie  M.  Pond,  1890,  '91,  '94,  '95  ;  Mrs.  Nettie  C. 
Stevens,  1892,  '93. 

HUBBARD   V.    SMITH,    WOMAn's    RELIEF   CORPS,    NO.    82. 

The  Woman's  Relief  Corps,  No.  82,  auxiliary  to  Hub- 
bard V.  Smith  Post,  was  organized  Feb.  22,  1887,  with 
forty-one  charter  members.  The  officers  were  installed  by 
Mrs.  Mary  M.  Perry  of  Springfield.  The  organization  has 
done,  and  is  doing,  a  grand  work  in  comforting  sorrowing 
hearts  and  relieving  the  necessities  of  needy  ones,  and 
ranks  high  in  the  state  department  for  relief  work.  The 
present  membership  is  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven. 

The  Presidents  have  been :  Mrs.  Clare  H.  Burleigh, 
who  served  three  years,  Miss  Minerva  K.  Pitts  one  year, 
Mrs.  Mercie  S.  Doane  two  years,  Mrs.  Julia  Hamilton 
three  years.  Mrs.  Sarah  H.  Smith,  who  now  holds  the 
office  is  serving  on  her  second  term.  Mrs.  Smith  is  a 
daughter  of  the  late  Lyman  W.  Hapgood,  and  has  always 
been  prominently  identified  with  the  musical  and  social 
circles  of  the  town.  She  has  for  some  time  been  the  Sec- 
retary of  the  Public  Library  committee. 

Mrs.  Clare  Hoyt  Burleigh,  daughter  of  Dr.  Geo.  Hoyt, 
was  born  in  Athol.  Her  early  education  was  obtained  in 
the  Athol  schools,  after  which  she  attended  the  famous 
Seminary  of  the  Misses  Stone  in  Greenfield  for  a  year 
and  a  half,  and  was  also  a  pupil  for  about  the  same  length 
of  time  of  Mrs.  Willard's  celebrated  Seminary  in  Troy.  N. 
Y.     Her  musical  and    art  education  was  obtained  under 


CLARE    H.    BURLEIGH. 


GRAND    ARMY    OF    THE    REPUBLIC.  165 

the  instruction  of  some  of  the  most  distinguished  teachers 
of  Boston  and  New  York ;  among  them  were  Madame  Ar- 
nault, Keller  and  Kriessman  of  Boston,  Bassini  of  New 
York  and  Madame  Nora  of  the  Eoyal  Academy.  She  was 
the  only  soprano  soloist  in  Christ  and  St.  John's  churches 
at  Hartford,  Conn,  for  six  or  seven  years.  She  was  mar 
ried  in  Kansas,  April  22,  1869,  to  H.  M.  Burleigh,  Esq., 
who  died  in  March,  1894.  She  is  a  graceful  and  able 
writer,  and  in  the  early  days  of  the  Athol  Transcript  was 
the  writer  of  its  editorials,  and  has  contributed  poems  and 
sketches  for  various  magazines  and  papers,  also  for  many 
local  celebrations  and  anniversaries.  A  number  of  these 
poems  have  been  collected  into  a  volume  bearing  the  title 
ot  "  A  Four-Leaved  Clover  and  Wayside  Rhymes." 

Her  greatest  work,  however,  has  been  done  for  the  vet- 
erans of  the  late  war  and  their  dependents.  Instrumental 
in  the  organization  of  the  local  Woman's  Relief  Corps, 
she  was  its  first  President,  which  position  she  held  for 
three  years.  Her  enthusiastic  and  earnest  work  caused 
her  to  be  recognized  in  the  State  Department,  where  she 
served  as  Department  Inspector,  Junior  and  Senior  Vice 
Presidents,  and  finally  in  February,  1894,  was  elected 
President  of  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps  of  Massachusetts. 
A  woman  of  more  than  average  talent,  gifted  as  a  public 
speaker,  and  possessed  of  great  executive  ability,  she  held 
that  position  with  honor  to  herself  and  the  women  of 
Massachusetts.  Soon  after  her  retirement  from  that  office 
she  was  offered  the  position  of  Superintendent  of  the 
National  Home  of  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps,  at  Madison, 
Ohio,  which  she  accepted,  and  where  she  is  now  engaged. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


FIRE   DEPARTMENT. 
"A  little  fire  is  quickly  trodden  out;  which,  being  suffer'd,  rivers  cannot  quench." 

T  a  town  meeting  held  April  7,  1817, 
a  committee  consisting  of  James  Oli- 
ver, Geo.  Oliver  and  James  Humph- 
rey, chosen  to  investigate  in  regard 
to  a  fire  engine  made  the  following 
report:  "As  to  the  engine,  your 
committee  are  of  the  opinion  that  a 
large  majority  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  town  could  not  be  directly  benefitted  by  it,  but  as  it 
will  be  a  benefit  to  the  whole  town  to  have  the  buildings 
of  any  of  the  inhabitants  preserved  from  fire,  we  are  of  the 
opinion  the  town  will  be  willing  to  be  at  one  third  part  of 
the  expense,  if  individuals  should  see  fit  to  pay  the  residue 
of  the  expense  of  obtaining  one  all  which  is  submitted." 

The  recommendation  of  the  committee  was  adopted  by 
the  town.  The  origin  and  minutes  of  Fire  Engine  No.  2, 
are  first  recorded  under  date  of  May  26,    1817,  and  at  a 


FIRE   DEPARTMENT.  167 

meeting  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town,  a  committee  is  ap- 
pointed to  confer  with  the  town's  committee  to  carry  in- 
to effect  the  intentions  of  the  subscribers,  viz  :  to  purchase 
a  good  effective  engine. 

George  Fitts,  Esq.,  an  Athol  mechanic,  is  engaged  to 
build  an  engine  upon  the  conditions,  that  if  it  does  not 
answer  a  good  and  sufficient  purpose,  and  answer  the  ex- 
pectations of  those  concerned  in  it,  and  be  satisfactory  as 
to  price,  the  committee  shall  not  be  under  obligation  to  re- 
ceive it.  As  the  records  further  state,  that  three  hundred 
dollars  was  paid  to  G.  Fitts,  Esq.  for  engine,  we  conclude 
that  it  proved  satisfactory  in  all  respects.  The  sum  of 
thirty-six  dollars  was  also  paid  Morton  &  Sheldon  for 
twelve  buckets,  and  of  the  total  amount  individuals  paid 
two  hundred  and  twenty-four  dollars,  and  the  town  one 
hundred  and  twelve  dollars. 

The  engine  men  appointed  for  this  engine  were  as  fol- 
lows :  Ebenezer  Sheldon,  Charles  Crosby,  Josiah  M. 
Jones,  Alden  Spooner,  Asa  Spooner,  William  Hoar,  Peter 
Wilder,  Loring  Hascall,  Theodore  Jones,  Paul  Morse, 
George  Fitts,  James  Brown,  David  Orcut,  Joel  Kendall, 
Jr.,  Wm.  Fowler,  Wm.  Morse,  Nathaniel  Wilder.  The 
old  records  of  this  company  refer  to  suppers  had  at  early 
candle  lighting  at  Z.  Field's  and  at  Mr.  Preston's.  At  one 
of  these  festive  occasions,  the  company  from  the  Lower 
Village,  with  the  Selectmen,  Fire  Wards  and  others,  were 
invited  guests,  who,  "  to  the  number  of  about  eighty,  took 
supper,  drank  toasts  and  had  a  jovial  time,  all  which  was 
done  in  order."  Occasionally  a  vote  like  the  following  is 
recorded :     "  Voted  that  the  company  after  the  roll   call 


168  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

return  to  the  tavern-,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  something 
to  cheer  up  their  spirits,  and  that  the  clerk  should  pay  for 
the  same  out  of  the  fine  moneys." 

There  was  also  an  engine  and  a  company  in  the  Lower 
Village  at  the  same  time,  and  the  records  of  1817  read  as 
follows:  "We,  the  subscribers,  inhabitants  of  the  town 
of  Athol,  are  appointed  by  the  gentlemen  selectmen  of  the 
town  to  man  and  exercise  said  engine  :  Eliphalet  Thorp, 
Adin  Holbrook,  Ezra  Fish,  Perley  Sibley,  Stephen  Har- 
wood,  William  Newhall,  David  Young,  Jr.,  David  Har- 
wood,  Reuben  Fairbanks,  Amos  Blodgett,  John  H.  Morse, 
Thomas  Barry,  Gideon  Sibley,  Moses  Fish,  Ira  Thorp." 
The  meetings  of  this  company  were  held  at  the  old  "  fact- 
ory store,"  for  which  they  seemed  to  have  a  singular  affec- 
tion, for  a  term  of  years,  and  where  undoubtedly  their 
warm  deliberations  were  slaked  by  installments  of  "moun- 
tain dew." 

In  1840,  it  was  voted  to  raise  sixty  dollars  to  furnish  a 
suitable  carriage  to  convey  the  ladders  and  hooks  belong- 
ing to  fire  engine  No.  2,  and  also  to  furnish  suitable  sleds 
to  carry  the  engines  of  the  town  in  winter  in  case  of  fire, 
and  also  a  reward  of  two  dollars  was  voted  to  the  person 
who  shall  be  first  at  the  depositories  of  the  engines  with 
suitable  horses  in  case  of  fife. 

In  the  summer  of  1846,  the  town  purchased  two  hand 
fire  engines,  one  for  the  Upper,  and  one  for  the  Lower 
Village.  The  one  for  the  former  was  called  the  Despatch, 
and  that  for  the  latter  the  Tiger.  The  officers  of  the 
Tiger  were  C.  W.  Bannon,  foreman,  E.  A.  Puffier,  1st  as- 
sistant,  Russell  Smith,  2d  assistant,  Henry  Mason,    Jr., 


FIRE    DEPARTMENT.  169 

clerk,  David  Drury,  foreman  of  leading  hose,  F.  G.  Lord, 
foreman  of  suction  hose,  Eufus  Putnam,  steward ;  the 
company  numbered  forty-five  men.  The  Despatch  had  as 
officers  :  J.  R.  Pierce,  foreman,  Erastus  Smith,  clerk  and 
1st  assistant,  Samuel  A.  Hill,  foreman  of  leading  hose, 
Wilder  Stratton,  foreman  of  suction  hose,  Wayland  Peck, 
brakemaster,  C.  W.  Morse,  and  W.  Cram,  stew^ards. 
There  was  great  rivalry  between  these  two  companies,  and 
a  grand  trial  was  arranged.  The  contest  was  a  great 
affair  for  those  days,  and  was  witnessed  by  a  large  crowd. 
The  Tigers  won,  making  the  quickest  time,  and  throwing 
the  longest  and  highest  streams.  The  fire  department  in 
those  days  was  a  great  institution,  and  was  called  upon  to 
do  escort  duty  on  many  occasions,  as  well  as  to  extinguish 
fires. 

In  1868,  a  steam  fire  engine  was  purchased  for  the 
Lower  Village.  In  the  spring  of  1871,  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  obtain  an  engine  for  the  Upper  Village.  The 
committee  consisted  of  Lyman  W.  Hapgood,  Nathaniel 
Richardson,  A.  G.  Stratton,  Laban  Morse,  E,  T.  Lewis,  F. 
G.  Lord  and  D.  W.  Houghton.  At  a  town  meeting  held 
May  4,  1871,  a  verbal  report  was  presented  by  L.  W. 
Hapgood,  chairman  of  the  committee,  the  substance  of  the 
report  being  that  the  committee  were  divided  in  opinion 
between  the  Amoskeag  engine  made  at  Manchester,  N. 
H.,  and  the  Jucket  made  at  Fitchburg,  as  to  which  should 
be  purchased  by  the  town.  The  members  of  the  commit- 
tee of  the  Upper  Village  were  in  favor  of  the  Jucket,  and 
those  of  the  Lower  Village  favored  the  Amoskeag;  and 
now   occurred  that   memorable  controversy   between  the 


170  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

citizens  of  the  two  villages  that  agitated  the  whole  town, 
from  the  children  to  the  gray-haired  old  citizens  and  staid 
matrons.  At  one  of  the  town  meetings  it  was  voted  to 
purchase  the  engine  made  in  Fitchburg,  and  then  the  con- 
test waxed  hot,  several  town  meetings  were  called  and  at- 
tempts made  to  rescind  the  vote.  The  two  factions  of  the 
committee  each  purchased  an  engine,  one  the  Amoskeag 
the  other  the  Jucket,  and  the  greatest  efforts  were  made 
by  both  parties  to  get  their  machines  to  town  first.  The 
Jucket,  or  Fitchburg  machine,  arrived  first,  was  met  at  the 
depot  by  a  band  of  music,  and  amid  the  most  intense  ex- 
citement was  escorted  by  the  victorious  citizens  of  the 
Upper  Village  to  their  engine  house.  It  did  service  until 
the  spring  of  1893,  when  a  new  engine  was  purchased. 
The  Amoskeag  steamer,  which  arrived  soon  after  the 
other,  was  after  a  short  time  sold  to  the  town  of  Orange. 

A  new  era  of  the  fire  department  commenced  in  1 877, 
on  the  completion  of  the  Athol  Water  "Works,  when  the 
town  made  a  contract  with  the  Athol  Water  Co.  for  fifty 
hydrants.  The  apparatus  at  that  time  consisted  of  two 
steamers,  two  hand  engines,  four  hose  carriages,  and  one 
hook  and  ladder  carriage,  and  the  water  supply  was  ob- 
tained from  fifty  hydrants  and  three  reservoirs.  The  board 
of  engineers  at  that  time  consisted  of  L.  B.  Morse,  chief 
engineer,  and  J.  M.  King,  O.  A.  Fay  and  H.  H.  Haskins, 
assistants. 

In  1893,  an  elegant  brick  engine  house  was  erected  on 
Exchange  street,  at  a  cost  of  fifteen  thousand  dollars,  and 
in  1896,  one  was  built  at  the  Highlands,^on  the  corner  oi 
Main  and  Pleasant  streets,  costing  about  twelve  thousand 


FIRE    DEPARTMENT.  171 

dollars.  In  1894,  an  electric  fire  alarm  system  was  es- 
tablished at  a  cost  of  three  thousand  dollars. 

The  engineers  of  the  department  for  1896.  were  Fred 
A.  Haskins,  chief  engineer,  and  Chas  F.  Smith  and  James 
McManamy,  district  chiefs. 

Fred  A.  Haskins,  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Fire  Depart- 
ment, was  born  in  Hardwick,  in  1855.  At  the  age  of  five 
years  his  parents  moved  to  the  southwest  part  of  New 
Braintree,  where  his  father  carried  on  a  large  farm.  He 
remained  at  home  on  the  farm  until  fifteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  went  into  the  railroad  business,  serving  in 
various  capacities  as  fireman,  brakeman,  etc.,  on  the  Bos- 
ton &  Albany,  Ware  Eiver,  and  New  London  Northern 
railroads.  After  being  engaged  in  this  business  for  up- 
wards of  five  years,  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  and 
came  to  Athol  in  June,  1876,  where  he  has  been  engaged 
ever  since  as  a  builder  and  contractor,  having  had  charge 
of  the  erection  of  some  of  the  large  buildings  of  the  town, 
among  which  are  the  shoe  shops  of  C.  M.  Lee,  the  Com- 
mercial House,  Ellsworth's  Opera  House,  the  Green 
Mountain  shoe  shop,  the  new  Engine  House,  in  the 
Lower  Village  and  many  others.  In  September,  1881,  he 
married  Miss  Kate  Finn  of  Athol.  Mr.  Haskins  has  been 
in  the  fire  department  five  years,  four  years  of  which  time 
he  has  been  one  of  the  engineers,  and  for  the  last  three 
years  has  been  the  chief  engineer  of  the  department. 
He  was  one  of  the  constables  of  the  town  two  years. 

James  McManamy,  one  of  the  district  chiefs,  was  born 
in  Athol,  Feb.  6,  1860.  He  attended  the  public  schools 
of  the  town,  and   commenced  working  in  the  mills  when 


172  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

only  ten  years  of  age.  Among  the  first  places  in  which 
he  was  employed  were  the  saw  mill  of  J.  M.  Cheney,  W. 
A.  Fisher's  cotton  mill,  and  Leander  Cheney's  cotton  bat- 
ting mill.  For  more  than  fifteen  years  he  has  been  em- 
ployed in  the  sash  and  blind  factory  of  A.  F.  Tyler.  He 
was  one  of  the  constables  for  three  years,  commencing  with 
1892,  and  was  appointed  one  of  the  engineers  of  the  fire 
department  in  1895,  which  position  he  now  holds.  He 
was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Highland  Association  of 
Firemen,  and  a  member  of  the  committee  under  whose  di- 
rection the  Highland  Engine  House  has  been  erected. 

Charles  F.  Smith,  one  of  the  district  chiefs  for  1896,  was 
born  in  Townsend,  Mass.,  Dec.  5,  1855.  He  learned  the 
cooper's  -trade,  and  has  been  employed  in  that  business 
most  of  the  time  since  coming  to  Athol,  in  March,  1882, 
He  has  been  coimected  with  the  fire  department  thirteen 
years,  and  has  been  one  of  the  Engineers  six  years.  He 
has  also  served  as  constable  eight  years.  He  married 
Mary  E.  Newton,  May  23,  1874. 

Harry  F.  Boutell,  son  of  James  and  Martha  H.  Boutell, 
was  born  in  Athol,  Sept.  28,  1855.  He  attended  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  the  town  until  thirteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
entered  the  store  of  Thorpe  &  Thomas  as  clerk,  and  re- 
mained in  their  employ  five  years.  In  1875,  he  purchased 
the  interest  of  Geo.  Ward,  in  the  firm  of  Ward  Brothers, 
and  the  firm  of  Ward  &  Boutell  was  formed,  which  did  a 
milling  and  retail  hay  and  grain  business  at  Athol  Center. 
He  was  also  associated  with  Dexter  Aldrich  in  the  same 
business  for  a  short  time,  and  for  quite  a  number  of  years 
carried  on   the  business  in  his  own  name  until  April   1, 


FRED  A.   HASKINS. 


JAMES  McMANAMY. 


CHARLES    F.   SMITH. 


HARRY   F.   BOUTELL. 


FIRE    DEPAKTMENT.  173 

1895,  when  he  sold  it   to  his  brother,  Geo.  W.   Boutell, 
and  removed  to  Barre,  where  he  now   resides.     He  mar- 
ried Eliza  W.  Upton  of  Burre,  Aug.    1,    1877.     There  is 
probably  no  person  that  has  been  connected  with  the  fire 
department  during  the  last  thirty  years  for  so   long  a  time 
as  Mr.  Boutell.     He  joined   the  Despatch  Hand  Engine 
Co.  in   1871,  when  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  served  con- 
tinuously in    some  position  of  the  department  for  twenty- 
four  years,  during  which  time  he  never  missed  but  one  fire 
when  in  town,  and  he  had  seen  every  member  who  was  on 
the  rolls  when  he  joined  go  out  of  the  department.     He 
served  for  several  years  on  the  Athol  Steamer  Co.,    and 
was  appointed  foreman  of  Hook  &  Ladder  Co.  No.  1,  May 
1st,  1879,  which  position  he  held  for  eight  years,  when  he 
was  appointed  as  one  of  the  board  of  Engineers,   May  1 , 
1887,  and  served  as  such  until  Feb.  1,  1895.     He  was  one 
of  the  organizers  of  the  Highland  Association  of  Athol 
Firemen,  and   its   president  in    1895.     He  is   a    charter 
member   of  TuUy   Lodge  of    Odd  Fellows    and    Banner 
Lodge  Daughters  of  Rebekah,  and  is  a  member  of  various 
other  organizations.     He  was  elected  one  of  the  constables 
of  the  town  in  1887,  and  served  until  March,  1895. 

Among  the  great  fires  of  Athol,  we  have  space  to  men- 
tion only  three  :  The  burning  of  Music  Hall  at  the  Up- 
per Village,  April  8,  1876,  when  the  citizens  of  that  sec- 
tion saw  swept  out  of  existence  in  a  few  minutes  what  had 
been  the  pride  of  their  village,  for  it  was  the  most  elegant 
and  perfectly  equipped,  as  well  as  the  largest  hall  in  north- 
western Massachusetts.  The  loss  amounted  to  nearly 
sixty  thousand  dollars,  and  was  a  severe  blow  to  the  busi- 


114  ATHOL,    PAST  AND   PRESENT, 

ness  of  that  village.  Another  was  the  destruction  of  the 
large  shoe  shop  of  C  M.  Lee,  when  upwards  of  two  hund- 
red and  fifty  hands  were  thrown  out  of  employment,  and 
the  loss  was  estimated  at  nearly  seventy  thousand  dollars. 
This  occurred  Dfec,  26,  1883. 

Athol's  greatest  conflagration  was  that  of  Dec.  21,  1890v 
when  Masonic  block  and  Central  block,  two  of  the  largest 
business  blocks  of  the  town,  with  their  contents  were  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  causing  a  loss  of  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars  worth  of  property.  It  was  a  memorable  day,  and 
thousands  of  people  lined  the  streets,  while  the  Athol  fire- 
men, and  a  large  delegation  of  the  ablest  fire  fighters  of 
Orange  did  heroic  work,  and  achieved  victory  by  the  most 
magnificent  fire  fighting  ever  witnessed  in  this  section. 
The  saddest  event  of  the  day  was  the  accident  to  the  fire- 
men, n  which  four  of  the  Athol  firemen,  and  two  from 
Orange  were  seriously  injured,  and  which  resulted  a  few 
days  after  in  the  death  of  Alexander  McLeod,  from  in- 
juries received  while  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty  as  fore- 
man of  Star  Hose  Company.  This  was  the  first  time  in 
the  history  of  Athol  that  one  of  her  firemen  had  met  with 
death  resulting  from  injuries  received  while  in  the  dis- 
charge of  duty,  and  a  sadness  rested  upon  the  entire  com- 
munity. 

Alexander  McLeod  was  native  of  the  Province  of 
Quebec.  He  had  been  a  resident  of  Athol  for  more  than 
fifteen  years,  and  was  employed  in  the  shoe  shops.  He 
had  been  for  more  than  thirteen  years  a  member  of  the 
Fire  Department,  and  was  considered  one  of  the  most  faith- 
ful and  able  firemen  of  the  department.     His  ability  had 


•FTRE   DEPARTMENT. 


175 


been  recognized  by  his  appointment  as  one  of  the  en- 
gineers of  the  Department  in  1889.  At  the  time  of  the 
iire  he  was  foreman  of  Star  Hose  Company,  The  funeral 
was  held  at  the  Methodist  church  and  was  largely  attend- 


ed, every  member  of  the  Fire  Department  in  town,  with 
the  exception  of  the  injured  men,  being  present,  while  a 
large  number  of  the  citizens  by  their  presence  attested 
their  respect  and  esteem   for  the  deceased  fireman.     The 


176  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT- 

remains  were  conveyed  to   Windsor  Mills,  Quebec,  where 
the  burial  took  place. 

Water  Works.     In  1876,  Robert  Wiley    and  Solon  L. 
Wiley,    co-partners    under   the  firm   name    of  the    Athol 
Aqueduct  Company,  "  agreed,  under  seal,  with  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Athol.  to  furnish   them  with  pure  water  for  fire 
and  domestic   purposes,    and  to  provide  fifty  hydrants    at 
fifty  dollars  each  per  year,  and  others  needed  at  the  same 
rate.     This  agreement  was  signed  by  Eobert  and  Solon  L. 
Wiley,  and  the  selectmen  of  Athol,  June  7,  1876,  and  ap- 
proved by  the  town  June   13,  1876.     During  the  summer 
and  fall   of  that  year,  the    street  mains  were  laid  and  the 
reservoirs  constructed.     The  source  of  supply  selected  was 
among   the  PhUlipston    hills,  just  over   the    Athol  line, 
where  the  Wellington  and  Cutting  brooks,  and  numerous 
springs  furnished  water  of  purest  quality.     The  main  res- 
ervoir  was   located   partly   in  Phillipston    and   partly  in 
Athol,  a  short  distance    east  of  the  buildings  of  the  Athol 
town  farm,  contains  nineteen  acres,  with  a  storage  capacity 
of  nearly  sixty  million  gallons,  and  is  five   hundred  and 
eight  feet  above  the  Pequoig  House  in  the  Lower  Village. 
The  water  shed  of  this  reservoir  has  an  area  of  four  hund- 
red   and  twenty-one    acres.     Two    distributing  reservoirs 
were  also  built,  one  known  as  the  Summer  street  reservoir, 
situated  north  of  the  Highland  cemetery,  and  the  second, 
of  about  an  acre  in  area,  known  as  Pleasant  street   reser- 
voir,  located  north  of  the  farm  of  C.  K.   Wood.     Water 
was  first  introduced  into  town  in  November,  1876.    About 
this  time  the  Athol  Water  Company  was  organized,  with  a 
capital  of  eighty  thousand  dollars,  its  act  of  incorporation 


FIRE    DEPARTMENT.  177 

being  dated  April  10,  1877.  The  officers  of  the  company 
were:  Robert  Wiley,  president;  Solon  L.  Wiley,  treas- 
urer ;  Joseph  B.  Cardany,  superintendent.  In  1886,  an 
additional  source  of  supply  was  made  available  by  the  con- 
struction of  the  Buckman  brook  line,  around  the  Bears 
Den  hills,  which  brings  water  from  the  "  Newton"  reser- 
voir to  Summer  street  reservoir,  a  distance  of  over  four 
miles.  The  "Newton"  reservoir  has  a  storage  capacity  of 
eight  million  gallons,  and  a  water  shed  area  of  five  hund- 
red and  twenty-two  acres.  A  Water  Committee  were 
chosen  by  the  town  in  March,  1876,  consisting  of  the 
board  of  selectmen,  W.  H.  Amsden,  Wm.  W.  Fish  and 
Gilbert  Southard,  together  with  Jonathan  Drury,  James 
M.  Lee,  A.  H.  Smith,  Edwin  Ellis,  J.  W.  Hunt  and  J.  S. 
Parmenter. 

A  controversy  between  the  town  and  the  Athol  Water 
Co.  regarding  the  efficiency  of  the  hydrant  service,  and  the 
refusal  of  the  town  to  pay  the  rental  due  for  hydrants,  re- 
sulted in  a  law  suit  in  1888,  which  was  the  most  extensive 
law  case,  in  which  the  town  was  ever  engaged,  and  which 
was  decided  in  favor  of  the  Water  Company. 

The  management  of  the  Water  Works  changed  hands 
January  1,  1892,  gentlemen  from  Portland,  Me.,  being  the 
purchasers.  The  officers  of  the  new  management  are : 
Arthur  W.  Merrill,  president ;  George  F.  West,  treasurer  ; 
Warren  G.  West,  superintendent.  There  are  at  the  pres- 
ent time  seventy-one  public  hydrants  and  four  private,  and 
about  twenty-four  miles  of  water  pipe  laid.  The  ac- 
companying diagram  gives  the  elevations  of  the  several 
reservoirs  and  other  localities  in  town,  with  distance  above 
or  below  Main  street  at  the  Pequoig  House. 


178 


ATHOL,   PAST   AND   PRESENT. 


WATERWORKS  ELEVATIONS 


508  F.-ra   L-lN-^ar    DVWFLQW- — 
^  MAIN  RESERVOIR 

r^       PH1LL1P5T0N 


n=A  PLEASANT   ST.  RESERVOIR 


325  F. 
322  R 


A    NEWTON      RESERVOIR 
7\        BUCKMAM        BROOK 
-ENTRANCE  TO  W.N. VV. FAIR  GROUNDS 

\SUMMEaST.    reservoir" 


The  return  of  the  Athol 
Water  Company  filed  in  the 
Tax  Commissioner's  office, 
and  dated  May  1,  1895, 
states  that  the  capital  stock 
of  the  Company  is  eighty 
thousand  dollars,  the  num- 
ber of  shares  eight  hundred, 
and  the  par  value  of  each 
share  one  hundred  dollars. 
The  certificate  of  condition 
filed  by  the  Company  with 
the  Secretary  of  State  dated, 
July  16,  1895,  gives  the 
value  of  land,  water  power  and  buildings  as  upwards  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  and  the  total  as- 
sets at  nearly  two  hundred  and  fifty-four  thousand  dollars. 
In  February,  1895,  the  Company  made  two  proposals  to 
the  town  of  Athol,  one  of  which  was  an  offer  of  sale.  A 
committee  was  appointed  by  the  town,  and  an  investiga- 
tion of  the  water  supply  has  been  made. 


3PA    C'           CURBSTONE  AT    SUMMIT    HD 
'^^^    ^- ■ —    HIG-HLANDS 

GREE.N    ST.  NEAR    RESIDENCE 
1B7     r.-  DF    MRS.  W.H.AMSDEN 


.-^     P  PARK      AVENUE     , 

1"^'      rH ^OPPOSITE    ST. JOHNS   CHURCH 


TRACKAT   SCHOOL  STREET 
25      R (FITCHBUR&)  R.R,   CRDSSlNOv 

ABOVE -nuiififeHftCENTER  OF  MAIN    5T.  "     ., 

BELtJ'V  OPPOSITE     PE0UOKJ    HOUSE    >i 

I  3  '     F.-l OPPOSITE  LOWtaVlLLA&ESC.  HDr 


CHAPTER  XII. 


THE  LEGAL  PEOFESSION. 

"The  time  ahall  come  when  his  more  solid  sense 
With  nod  important  shall  the  laws  dispense ; 
A  justice  with  scrave  justices  shall  sit; 
He  praise  their  wisdom,  they  admire  his  wit." 

'HE  FIRST  lawyer  of  Athol,  whom  we 
have  any  record  of,  is  Solomon  Strong. 
He  was  a  native  of  Amherst,  the  son 
of  Hon.  Simeon  Strong,  Judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  and  was  born  in  1780. 
Graduated  at  Williams  College  in  1798, 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1803,  and  soon  after  com- 
menced the  practice  of  law  in  Athol.  He  remained  in 
town  three  or  four  years,  during  which  time  he  was  prom- 
inent in  town  affairs,  serving  as  moderator  at  town  meet- 
ings, on  various  committees,  and  was  one  of  the  first  post- 
masters after  the  establishment  of  the  post  office.  The 
records  show  that  he  was  the  agent  of  the  town  in  vari- 
ous cases  that  came  before  the  courts.  He  removed  to 
Westminster,  became  distinguished  in  politics,  and  reached 
the  most  elevated  position  in  the  legal  profession.  From 
1812  to  1814,  he  was  a  member  of  the  State  Senate,  and 
again  in    1844.     Served  two  terms  in  Congress,  and  was 


180  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

appointed  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  in  1818, 
which  office  he  reitained  until  1843.  He  removed  to 
Leominster  after  his  appointment  to  the  bench,  and  resid- 
ed there  until  his  death  in  1850,  at  the  age  of  seventy 
years. 

Hon.  Emory  Washburn  in  an  address,  referred  to  him 
as  follows :  "  A  few  of  us  remember  him  before  he  had 
been  elevated  to  that  place,  when  he  honorably  filled  a 
seat  in  Congress,  and  was  called  thence  to  a  vacancy  upon 
the  bench.  With  a  good  legal  mind,  and  respectable  at- 
tainments in  his  profession,  he  brought  much  experience 
in  the  practical  affairs  of  life,  to  the  business  of  the  court, 
and  did  much  to  elevate  and  sustain  its  character.  He 
won  the  confidence  of  all,  by  his  uprightness  as  a  Judge, 
and  the  diligence  and  fidelity  with  which  he  performed  his 
duties." 

Another  lawyer  who  commenced  practice  in  xlthol  early 
in  the  century,  was  Joseph  Proctor.  He  was  born  in  Lit- 
tleton, Mass.,  Feb.  11,  1766,  and  graduated  at  Dartmouth 
College  in  1791.  In  1811,  he  married  Mary  Orcutt  of 
Templeton.  His  house  stood  in  the  corner  of  the  roads  at 
the  junction,  of  what  is  now  Main  and  School  streets,  near 
the  lot  now  owned  by  Mrs.  F.  C.  Parmenter,  and  his  office 
was  a  small  building  located  on  what  is  now  the  Music  hall 
lot  at  the  Highlands.  About  1812,  there  seemed  to  be 
more  enterprise  starting  in  town,  and  the  town  offered  to 
give  Mr.  Proctor  that  spot  of  land  where  his  office  was 
located,  and  which  was  then  a  ledge  of  rocks,  if  he  would 
build  a  residence  upon  it.  Accordingly,  he  began  the 
task  of  clearing  this  ledge  away,  at  a  great  expense,  and 


LEGAL   PROFESSION.  181 

built  a  substantial,  square,  brick  house,  which  was  re- 
moved to  make  room  for  the  erection  of  Music  Hall.  Mr. 
Proctor  was  a  man  of  strict  integrity,  of  few  words,  but 
«ound  judgment,  and  his  counsel  was  considered  of  great 
worth  in  his  profession,  and  was  sought  by  the  people  from 
all  the  surrounding  towns.  He  was  prominent  in  town 
and  political  affairs ;  was  one  of  the  committee  chosen  by 
the  town  in  1808,  to  draw  up  a  petition  to  the  President  of 
the  United  States  for  the  repealing  of  the  laws  laying  an 
embargo,  served  as  moderator  at  town  meetings,  was  one 
of  the  selectmen.  Representative  to  the  Legislature  in 
1819,  and  postmaster  from  1809  to  1822.  He  died  in 
August,  1822,  of  paralysis. 

(jLough  R.  Miles,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Proctor  as  the 
lawyer  of  the  town,  was  born  in  Westminster,  May  31, 
1796.  Graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1817,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1820.  He  commenced  the  practice 
of  his  profession  in  Athol,  where  he  resided  until  1835, 
when  he  removed  to  Millbury,  Mass.  In  1865,  he  relin- 
quished the  practice  of  law  and  moved  to  Graniteville,  then 
a  part  of  Needham,  now  Wellesley  Hills,  where  he  died  in 
1879.  He  was  one  of  the  postmasters  of  the  Athol  office, 
and  prominent  in  town  affairs. 

Isaac  Stevens,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Miles,  was  born  in 
Wareham,  Mass.,  April  12,  1792.  He  was  admitted  to 
the  Bar  in  1821,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  the  law 
immediately  after  that,  in  Middleborough,  which  town  he 
represented  in  the  Legislature.  In  1836,  he  removed  to 
Athol,  and  continued  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  un- 
til within  a  few  months  of  his  death,  which   took  place 


182  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Sept.  6,  1866.  He  enjoyed  in  a  large  degree  the  respect 
and  esteem  of  his  associates  at  the  Bar,  and  the  community 
at  large.  He  was  an  honest  man,  and  a  safe  and  judicious 
counsellor.  Was  honored  by  his  fellow  citizens  with  posi- 
tions of  honor  and  responsibiUty,  serving  as  Representative 
to  the  Legislature  in  1858,  was  several  years  on  the  Board 
of  Selectmen  and  was  postmaster  from  July  13,  1841,  to 
Sept.  5,  1842,  and  again  from  June  10,  1850,  to  May  13, 
1854.  He  was  an  honored  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity. His  sense  of  justice  was  very  acute,  and  of  his  life 
as  a  christian,  a  citizen  and  a  lawyer,  too  much  cannot  be 
said. 

Charles  Field,  is  one  of  the  senior  members  of  the 
Worcester  County  Bar,  and  one  of  the  vice  presidents  of 
Bar  Association.  He  was  born  in  Athol,  June  9,  1815, 
where  he  lived  until  his  father  moved  to  Greenfield,  in 
1826.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  Fellen- 
berg  Academy,  and  fitted  for  college  by  Professor  Coffin, 
but  was  obliged  to  relinquish  a  collegiate  course  on  ac- 
count of  an  affection  of  the  eyes,  threatening  blindness, 
caused  by  over  study.  On  the  removal  of  his  father  to 
Troy,  N.  Y.,  in  1830,  he  became  an  inmate  of  the  fanaily 
of  Hon.  Daniel  Wells,  the  leader  of  the  Franklin  County 
Bar,  and  afterwards  Chief  Justice  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas,  in  whose  office  he  studied  law,  and  with  whom  he 
remained  until  he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age.  After  his 
admission  to  the  bar  he  spent  four  years  in  the  West  and 
Southwest,  returning  thence  to  Massachusetts  and  to  his 
native  town,  where  he  has  since  resided  and  practiced  his 
profession.     In  1856,  he  was  elected  to  the  House  of  Eep- 


Hon.  CHARLES    FIELD. 


LEGAL   PROFESSION.  183 

resentatives,  and  in  the  two  years  following  to  the  State 
Senate,  in  which  he  rendered  creditable  and  faithful  ser- 
vice. In  the  fall  of  1860,  a  few  months  before  the  Civil 
War,  when  politics  were  literally  seething,  he  was  chosen 
a  Republican  Presidential  Elector,  and  with  Chief  Justice 
Chapman,  John  G.  Whittier  and  others,  few  of  whom  sur- 
vive, cast  the  electoral  vote  of  Massachusetts  for  Abraham 
Lincoln  and  Hanibal  Hamlin.  Great  interest  attached  to 
this  vote  in  the  Electoral  College  and  in  the  country  gen 
erally,  for  strong  and  impassioned  appeals  had  been  made 
to  the  electors,  in  view  of  the  excited  state  of  public  feel- 
ing at  the  time  touching  the  slavery  question,  to  do  noth- 
ing that  would  drive  the  southern  states  out  of  the  Union, 
or  to  arms,  which  seemed  probable  if  they  voted  for  Lin- 
coln and  Hamlin.  But  the  electors  were  unmoved  by 
these  appeals,  and  discharged  the  plain  and  patriotic  duty 
for  which  they  were  chosen. 

In  1862,  Mr.  Field  was  appointed  an  assistant  assessor 
of  the  U.  S.  Internal  Eevenue,  and  held  the  office  until  the 
great  majority  of  taxes  under  that  system  were  abolished 
by  Congress.  Since  then  he  has  confined  himself  to  the 
duties  of  his  profession.  On  the  establishment  of  the  First 
District  Court  of  Northern  "Worcester  in  1884,  he  was  ap- 
pointed J  ustice  of  the  same,  and  still  holds  that  office.  Ip 
1856,  he  married  Caroline  C.  Alden,  a  native  of  Green- 
wich, and  a  lineal  descendent  of  John  Alden,  of  Pilgrim 
memory,  and  has  one  son,  Charles  Field,  Jr.,  who  gradua- 
ted at  Williams  College  in  the  class  of  1881,  and  follows 
his  father's  profession.  In  religious  belief,  Judge  Field  is 
a  Unitarian  of  the  conservative  type.     Prominently  identi- 


184  ATHOL,    FAST   AND   PRESENT, 

fied  in  the  organization  of  the  Second  Unitarian  Society  in 
1 877.  he  has  been  for  many  years  a  member  of  its  execu- 
tive committee,  and  is  now  one  of  its  most  interested  and 
attached  members.  He  was  president  of  the  Worcester 
County  Conference  of  Unitarian  and  other  Christian 
churches,  comprising  thirty-three  societies,  for  two  success- 
ive terms,  1885-1887,  decUning  a  reelection. 

Mr.  Field  is  a  charter  member  and  President  of  the  Po- 
quaig  Club,  a  social  club  embracing  many  of  the  business 
and  professional  men  of  the  town,  incorporated  in  1891, 
which  has  become  a  popular  and  permanent  institution. 

George  W.  Horr.  the  senior  member  of  the  bar  of 
Northwestern  Worcester,  was  born  in  New  Salem,  June 
22,  1829,  and  is  descended  from  good  old  New  England 
stock,  his  great  grandfather,  Robert  Horr,  having  held  an 
official  position  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  his  duties  be- 
ing to  collect  forage  for  the  army.  His  father  was  Major 
Warren  Horr,  'and  mother  Sally  Peirce  (Sloan)  Horr. 
He  attended  the,  district  schools  of  his  native  town,  and  at 
thirteen  years  of  age  entered  New  Salem  Academy,  and 
when  fifteen  years  old  was  teaching  school,  which  he  con- 
tinued for  three  successive  winters.  Few  young  men  of 
his  day  had  the  educational  opportunities  with  which  he 
was  favored,  for  in  addition  to  the  training  received  at 
New  Salem  Academy,  he  was  also  a  student  at  Quaboag 
Seminary,  Warren,  and  Phillips  Academy,  Andover,  and 
graduated  from  Williston  Seminary,  Easthampton,  in 
184:8,  as  the  Salutatorian  in  a  class  of  twenty-eight.  He 
entered  Harvard  College,  Aug.  26,  1848,  and  received  his 
certificate  of  matriculation  from  President  Edward  Everett 


k 


GEORGE   W.  HORR. 


LEGAL   PROFESSION.  185 

Jan.  11,  1849.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Lawrence  Scien- 
tific School,  and  the  Harvard  Law  School,  from  the  latter 
of  which  he  received  the  degree  of  L.  L.  B.  iq  1860. 
Soon  after  graduating  he  entered  the  law  office  of  George 
T.  Davis  and  Charles  Allen  of  Greenfield,  and  later  was 
student  and  clerk  in  the  law  office  of  Lincoln,  Maynard  & 
Chatfield  of  New  York  City,  the  latter  being  Attorney- 
General  of  the  State.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Massachu- 
setts bar  at  Greenfield  in  1860,  and  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice in  the  United  States  Courts  in  1870.  He  first  opened 
an  office  in  New  Salem,  but  attracted  by  the  enterprise  of 
Athol,  came  to  this  town  in  1863,  where  he  has  been  in 
continuous  and  successful  practice  for  more  than  a  third  of 
a  century.  His  practice  in  the  department  of  the  Inte- 
rior at  Washington  is  extensive,  his  thorough  knowledge 
of  and  success  in  pension  claims  having  gained  for  him  an 
extended  reputation.  Always  interested  in  the  cause  of 
education,  he  was  chairman  of  the  School  Committee  of 
New  Salem  in  1859  and  1860,  and  was  also  chairman  of 
the  School  Committee  of  Athol  in  1874.  While  a  resi- 
dent of  New  Salem,  he  also  frequently  served  as  mod- 
erator at  town  meetings,  and  was  chosen  for  two  terms  as 
Commissioner  of  Insolvency  of  Franklin  County.  He  has 
also  served  frequently  as  moderator  at  some  of  the  most 
important  and  exciting  town  meetings  of  Athol. 

Notwithstanding  his  extensive  professional  business, 
Mr.  Horr  has  always  been  engaged  to  quite  an  extent  in 
literary  work  from  1854,  when  in  company  with  the  late 
Charles  G.  Colby,  he  organized  a  literary  bureau  in 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.     In  1876,  he  prepared  interesting  his- 


186  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT, 


torical  articles  on  Athol  for  the  Worcester  West  Chronicle, 
was  author  and  compiler  of  the  histories  of  Athol,  Peters- 
ham, Royalston,  Phillipston  and  Dana,  for  Jewett's  History 
of  Worcester  County,  published  in  1879,  and  was  also  a 
contributor  to  Lewis  History  of  the  same  County  in  1889. 
He  was  the  author  of  the  sketch  of  his  native  town  of  New 
Salem,  that  appeared  in  the  Centennial  Souvenir  of  the 
Greenfield  Gazette  and  Courier,  and  the  Flora  of  North- 
ern Worcester  published  in  Picturesque  Worcester,  and  is 
now  engaged  on  an  extended  history  of  New  Salem 
Academy. 

He  is  always  a  welcome  speaker  on  public  occasions, 
and  his  eloquence  has  stirred  the  people  to  hearty  applause 
and  deep  feeling,  as  he  has  presented  to  them  the  political, 
educational  and  social  questions  of  the  day.  Among  the 
addresses  delivered  by  him  are  :  Addresses  at  the  dedica- 
tion of  the  town  hall  in  Erving  in  1875,  at  the  dedication 
of  the  town  hall  of  Warwick  in  1895,  the  Centennial 
Fourth  of  July  address  in  Athol  in  1876,  also  a  Fourth  of 
July  oration  at  a  large  gathering  on  the  Worcester  North- 
west Fair  Grounds  in  1887,  the  first  address  delivered  be- 
fore the  Worcester  Northwest  Agricultural  &  Mechanical 
Society,  after  its  incorporation  in  1867,  the  Memorial  Day 
address  at  Hatfield  in  1890,  one  at  the  annual  meeting  of 
the  Pocumtuck  Valley  Memorial  Association,  of  which  he 
is  a  life,  member,  in  1893,  on  "Academic  System  of 
Schools  in  Massachuisetts,"  was  the  orator  of  the  Alumni 
Association  of  New  Salem  Academy  in  1890,  elected  the 
president  of  the  Association  in  1892,  and  gave  an  address 
at  the   Centennial  of  the  Academy  in   1895.     He  was  one 


71 

m 

a 
m 

z 
o 
m 

o 

■n 

O 
m 
O 
3) 
O 
m 


z 
o 

3 
30 

n 

CO 

o 


186  ATHOL,   PAST   AND   PRESENT- 

torical  articles  on  Athol  for  the  Worcester  West  Chronicle, 
was  author  and  compiler  of  the  histories  of  Athol,  Peters- 
ham, Royalston,  Phillipston  and  Dana,  for  Jewett's  History 
of  Worcester  County,  published  in  1879,  and  was  also  a 
contributor  to  Lewis  History  of  the  same  County  in  1889. 
He  was  the  author  of  the  sketch  of  his  native  town  of  New 
Salem,  that  appeared  in  the  Centennial  Souvenir  of  the 
Greenfield  Gazette  and  Courier,  and  the  Flora  of  North- 
ern Worcester  published  in  Picturesque  Worcester,  and  is 
now  engaged  on  an  extended  history  of  New  Salem 
Academy. 

He  is  always  a  welcome  speaker  on  public  occasions, 
and  his  eloquence  has  stirred  the  people  to  hearty  applause 
and  deep  feeling,  as  he  has  presented  to  them  the  political, 
educational  and  social  questions  of  the  day.  Among  the 
addresses  delivered  by  him  are  :  Addresses  at  the  dedica- 
tion of  the  town  hall  in  Ervlng  in  1875,  at  the  dedication 
of  the  town  hall  of  Warwick  in  1895,  the  Centennial 
Fourth  of  July  address  in  Athol  in  1876,  also  a  Fourth  of 
July  oration  at  a  large  gathering  on  the  Worcester  North- 
west Fair  Grounds  in  1887,  the  first  address  delivered  be- 
fore the  Worcester  Northwest  Agricultural  &  Mechanical 
Society,  after  its  incorporation  in  1867,  the  Memorial  Day 
address  at  Hatfield  in  1890,  one  at  the  annual  meeting  of 
the  Pocumtuck  Valley  Memorial  Association,  of  which  he 
is  a  life,  member,  in  1893,  on  "Academic  System  of 
Schools  in  Massachusetts,"  was  the  orator  of  the  Alumni 
Association  of  New  Salem  Academy  in  1890,  elected  the 
president  of  the  Association  in  1892,  and  gave  an  address 
at  the   Centennial  of  the  Academy  in   1895.     He  was  one 


m 

CO 

a 
ui 
z 
o 
m 


O 
m 
O 
3) 
O 
m 


z 
o 

31 
31 

in 

(0 

o 


LEGAL   PROFESSION.  187 

of  the  invited  guests  at  the  unveiling  of  the  statue  of 
Josiah  Bartlett,  the  first  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence, at  Amesbury,  Mass.,  July  4,  1888,  and  was 
one  of  the  speakers  on  that  occasion.  For  more  than 
thirty  years  consecutively,  he  lectured  before  public 
schools,  academies,  lyceums,  and  other  popular  assemblies 
upon  the  subject  of  astronomy,  illustrated  by  maps,  charts 
and  diagrams. 

During  the  great  civil  war  he  enlisted  in  the  33d  Regi- 
ment of  Massachusetts  Volunteers,  but  after  three  exami- 
nations was  refused  enrollment  on  account  of  severe  in- 
juries received  before  the  war.  He  was  an  ardent  sup- 
porter of  the  government  through  the  war,  and  is  a  warm 
friend  of  the  old  soldiers,  who  always  welcome  him  to  their 
gatherings  and  listen  to  him  with  pleasure.  He  is  an  As- 
sociate member  of  the  Hubbard  V.  Smith  Post,  G.  A.  R. 
In  politics  he  has  been  a  consistent  democrat,  and  cast  in 
1865,  for  General  Darius  N.  Couch,  the  democratic  can- 
didate for  Governor,  the  only  democratic  vote  polled  in 
town  that  year.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Harvard  Law 
School  Association  and  the  Worcester  County  Bar  Associa- 
tion. 

Sidney  P.  Smith  was  born  in  Princeton,  111.,  July  13, 
1850.  His  father  was  from  Massachusetts,  being  a  native 
of  Hampshire  County.  He  was  educated  in  the  common 
and  High  schools  of  his  native  town,  and  entered  Amherst 
College  in  1870,  and  graduated  in  1874.  After  graduat- 
ing, he  taught  school  for  two  years  in  the  West,  and  came 
to  Athol  in  1876,  as  principal  of  the  Athol  High  school, 
which  position  he  held  until   1880,  when  he  resigned  to 


188  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

pursue  his  law  studies,  which  he  did  at  the  Union  College 
of  Law  in  Chicago,  graduating  in  1882,  and  was  the  same 
year  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Illinois.  In  the  spring  of 
1883,  he  returned  to  Athol,  was  admitted  to  the  Massachu- 
setts bar,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  July, 
1883.  In  1884  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  School 
Committee  and  served  three  years.  On  the  establishment 
of  the  First  District  Court  of  Northern  Worcester  in  1884, 
he  was  appointed  one  of  the  Special  Justices,  and  was 
twice  re-appointed  after  vacating  the  oiRce  while  a  mem- 
ber of  the  House  of  Eepresentatives. 

He  represented  the  First  Worcester  District  in'the  Leg- 
islature in  1887  and  1888,  and  was  elected  to  the  Senate 
from  the  Worcester-Hampshire  District,  serving  in  1891 
and  1892.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Judiciary  committee 
in  both  the  House  and  Senate,  and  served  on  other  im- 
portant committees.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational church,  and  was  for  three  years  the  Superin- 
tendent of  its  Sunday  school.  As  moderator  of  town 
meetings  for  several  years,  he  has  gained  a  reputation  as 
an  able  presiding  officer.  Prominently  identified  with  all 
of  the  Masonic  organizations  in  town,  he  was  master  of 
Athol  lodge  for  two  terms,  and  has  been  Worthy  Patron 
of  the  Eastern  Star.  He  married  Miss  Stella  M.  Parmen- 
ter,  daughter  of  F.  C.  Parmenter,  Dec.  26,  1879.  They 
have  three  daughters. 

Henry  M.  Burleigh  was  born  in  Hartford,  Conn., 
March  2,  1835.  He  was  fitted  by  private  tutors  for  the 
profession  of  law,  and  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Suffolk 
County,  in  July,    1858.     He  settled  in  New  York  City, 


LEGAL   PROFESSION.  189 

where  lie  practiced  law  until  AprU  1861,  when  he  enlisted 
in  the  First  Regiment  New  York  Volunteers  under  Col. 
Allen.  He  held  various  offices  in  his  company  and  regi- 
ment, served  as  provost  marshal  of  Camp  Hamilton  at 
Fortress  Monroe,  and  in  the  spring  of  1862,  was  com- 
missioned by  Abraham  Lincoln  as  assistant  adjutant  gen- 
eral, and  assigned  for  duty  on  the  staff  of  Brigadier  Gen- 
eral Max  Weber,  with  whose  command  he"  went  to  New- 
port News,  May  8,  1862.  The  following  September,  with 
General  Max  Weber  and  four  regiments  of  infantry,  he 
joined  the  army  of  McClellan,  and  participated  in  the  bat- 
tle of  Antietam,  in  which  he  was  badly  wounded  by  a  shot 
through  the  right  shoulder.  After  recovering  from  his 
wound  he  was  assigned  to  duty  in  Washington,  later  at 
Harper's  Ferry,  and  was  then  assigned  to  Custers'  division 
of  Sheridan's  Cavalry  Corps  at  Winchester,  and  served  in 
the  Shenandoah  VaUey  campaign  untU  the  surrender  of 
Lee  at  Appomattox,  April  9,  1865.  After  the  war  he  re- 
turned to  New  York,  and  soon  after  located  in  Levan- 
wOrth,  Kansas,  where  he  practiced  his  profession  seven 
years,  holding  the  office  of  United  States  Commissioner  for 
five  years,  and  also  served  two  terms  as  prosecuting  attor- 
ney of  Allen  County.  While  in  Kansas  he  married  Clare 
Hoyt,  daughter  of  Dr.  George  Hoyt  of  Athol,  AprU  22, 
1869.  In  1872,  he  came  to  Athol,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  was  appointed  by  Gov- 
ernor Eussell  as  one  of  the  special  justices  of  the  First 
District  Court  of  Northern  Worcester.  He  was  prominent 
in  Grand  Army  cii'cles,  was  one  of  the  early  Commanders 
of  Parker  Post,  and  in  ^1893,  was  appointed  Judge  Advo- 


190  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT, 

eate  of  the  Department  of  Massachusetts.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  St.  John's  Episcopal  church,  and  Superintendent  of 
its  Sunday  School  for  three  years.  He  died  March  2, 
1894. 

Edgar  V.  Wilson  was  born  in  Winchendon,  Mass.,  July 
1,  1847.  His  early  childhood  was  passed  in  Winchendon, 
Gardner  and  Baldwinville,  and  when  about  five  years  of 
age,  his  parents  removed  to  New  Hampshire,  where  his 
early  education  was  obtained  in  the  schools  of  Stoddard 
and  Sullivan.  From  the  latter  place  he  entered  Cornell 
University,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1872.  After 
teaching  school  several  terms  he  read  law  with  Wheeler 
&  Falkner  in  Keene,  N.  H.,  and  was  admitted  to  practice 
in  the  New  Hampshire  courts  in  1875,  with  a  year's  less 
study  than  is  usually  necessary.  In  1876,  he  was  admit- 
ted to  the  Massachusetts  bar  at  Greenfield,  and  after  a  few 
months  practice  in  Orange,  came  to  Athol  in  May,  1876, 
where  he  has  continued  to  practice  his  profession  to  the 
present  time.  He  was  appointed  Trial  Justice  by  Gov- 
ernor Long  which  position  he  held  until  1883.  For 
several  years  be  was  prominent  in  political  aff'airs,  and  was 
an  active  member  of  the  republican  town  committee  dur- 
ing some  of  the  most  exciting  campaigns  ever  held  in 
town;.  He  has  been  prominently  identifi<;d  with  the  edu- 
cational interests  of  the  town,  and  for  several  years  de- 
voted much  of  his  time  to  school  work,  serving  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  school  committee  seven  years.  He  has  been 
auditor  for  the  town  several  years,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  Sewer  Commissioners  during  the  construction  of  the 
sewer  system.  He  married  Miss  Emma  M.  Pollard  of 
Woodstock,  Vt.,  July  23,  1879.      ■ 


EDGAR   V.  WILSON. 


■LSGAt   tRlOFESSIOlil..  191 

CsA'RLES  Field,  Jr.,  son  of  Judge  Charles  Field,  was 
born  in  Cambridge,  Mass.  His  early  education  was  ob- 
tained in  the  schools  of  Athol.  He  was  fitted  for  college 
at  Phillips  Academy,  Andover,  and  with  private  tutors,  and 
graduated  from  Williams  College  in  1881.  He  studied 
law  in  his  father's  office  for  two  years,  was  two  years  in 
the  Boston  Law  School,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Massa- 
chusetts bar  in  June,  1886. 

Joseph  A.  Titus,  son  of  Vernon  and  Mary  (Moore) 
Titus,  was  born  in  Leicester,  Mass.,  January  21,  1838, 
His  ancestors  on  his  father's  side  settled  at  RehobotK 
Mass.,  about  1640,  and  his  mother  was  a  descendant  of 
one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  city  x>{  Worcester.  He  at- 
tended the  public  schools  of  his  native  town  and  Leicester 
Academy,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1859,  and  entered 
Amherst  College,  At  the  close  of  bis  junior  year  he  en- 
listed in  the  42d  Regiment  Mass.  Volunteers,  and  was  1st 
Sergeant  of  his  company.  After  the  term  of  service  of  his 
regiment  expired,  he  taught  school  in  North  Brookfield^ 
and  had  charge  of  the  High  School  of  Leicester  for  two 
years,  with  the  exception  of  five  months,  which  he  spent  in 
the  army  as  1st  Lieut,  of  Co.  F,  60th  Regiment  Mass* 
^^oluntee^s.  He  commenced  his  legal  studies  in  the  office 
of  Judge  Henry  Chapin  and  Apple  ton  Dadmun  in  Wor- 
cester, and  in  the  year  1868,  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and 
opened  an  office  in  Worcester,  where  he  remained  till  the 
summer  of  1891.  Ill  health  obliged  him  to  give  up  active 
practice  in  the  city,  and  he  went  to  Orange,  Mass.,  where 
he  took  up  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  from  which 
place  he  came  to   Athol  in   1894.     After  his  return  from 


192  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

the  army  to  private  life,  he  remained  in  the  military  ser- 
vice of  the  state  of  Massachusetts  for  nearly  twelve  years, 
commanding  the  Worcester  City  Guards  for  four  years, 
and  serving  the  remainder  of  the  period  as  chief  of  staff, 
under  the  command  of  Brigadier  General  Kobert  H. 
Chamberlain,  of  the  3d  Brigade  Mass.  Volunteer  Militia. 
In  1868,  he  was  appointed  Associate  Justice  of  the  Muni- 
cipal Court  of  Worcester  by  Governor  Bullock,  which  of- 
fice he  retained  until  that  court  was  abolished  in  1872. 
In  1872  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Legislature  from 
the  city  of  Worcester  for  the  year  1873.  He  also  served 
two  years  as  a  member  of  the  Common  Council  of  the 
city  of  Worcester.  He  is  a  charter  member  of  Geo.  H. 
Ward  Post,  No.  10,  G.  A.  R.,  and  was  for  nearly  three 
years  its  commander.  He  has  spoken  in  nearly  every 
town  in  Worcester  County  on  the  varied  topics  connected 
with  politics,  agriculture.  Memorial  Day  services  and  other 
matters.  In  1868,  he  was  married  to  Bertha  G.  Manning 
of  Worcester,  who  died  October  29,  1894.  He  has  three 
children,  George  A.  Titus  and  Albert  G.  Titus,  now  of 
Boston,  and  a  daughter.  Bertha  M.  Titus,  now  residing  in 
Worcester. 

Sketches  of  Farwell  F.  Fay  and  Geo.  H.  Hoyt,  promi- 
nent as  Athol  lawyers,  will  be  found  in  other  chapters  of 
the  history.  Other  members  of  the  green  bag  fraternity, 
whose  names  appear  as  practicing  in  Athol  are  :  Frederic 
H.  Allen,  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Vermont,  Wm. 
Bliss,  graduate  of  Harvard  College  in  1818,  Ephraim 
Hinds,  graduate  of  Harvard  in  1805,  Wm.  H.  Jewell, 
who  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1883,  Henry  Hogan,  ad- 


LEGAL   PROFESSION.  193 

mitted  to  the  bar  in  1888,  Simeon  Saunderson,  admitted 
in  1820,  J.  C.  B.  Ward,  and  Geo.  H.  Graves,  who  was 
a  graduate  of  the  Albany  Law  School. 

Trial  Justices.  In  the  early  part  of  this  century  law 
cases  both  civil  and  criminal  were  tried  before  a  Justice  of 
the  Peace.  For  many  years  Eliphalet  Thorpe  was  the 
magistrate  of  Athol  before  whom  cases  were  tried.  In 
1858,  an  act  was  passed  by  the  Legislature  as  follows; 
"The  justices  of  peace,  designated  and  commissioned  un- 
der chapter  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight,  of  the  Statutes 
of  1858,  shall  continue  to  hold  their  offices  and  powers, 
according  to  the  tenor  of  their  several  commissions;  and 
the  governor  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  council, 
shall  from  time  to  time  designate  and  commission  in  the 
several  counties  a  suitable  number  of  justices  of  the  peace 
as  trial  justices." 

Under  this  act,  the  following  Trial  Justices,  residing  in 
Athol,  have  been  appointed  for  the  County  of  Worcester, 
the  term  of  appointment  being  three  years :  Isaac  Stev- 
ens, May  7,  1858,  and  held  the  office  until  his  death,  Sept. 
6,  1866.  Franklin  E.  Haskell,  Dec.  4,  1866,  was  re- 
appointed twice.  Thomas  D.  Brooks,  June  25,  1873. 
Samuel  M.  Osgood,  Jan.  4,  1876,  resigned  Dec.  31,  1878. 
Enoch  T.  Lewis,  Nov.  30,  1878.  Edgar  V.  Wilson,  May 
12,  1880.  Lilley  B.  Caswell,  June  13,  1883.  Before  the 
the  terms  for  which  Enoch  T.  Lewis  and  Lilley  B.  Cas- 
well were  appointed  had  terminated,  the  First  District 
Court  of  Northern  Worcester  was  established,  and  the 
powers  of  all  Trial  Justices  within  the  towns  included  in 
the  district  ceased. 


194 


District  Court.  The  act  establisMng  the  First  Dis- 
trict Court  for  Northern  Worcester,  was  approved  in 
May,  1884,  and  took  full  effect  July  1st,  of  that  year. 
The  towns  included  in  the  district  were  Athol,  Petersham, 
Phillipston,  Royalston,  Templeton,  Gardner  and  Hubbard- 
ston.  The  court  is  held  in  the  towns  of  Athol  and 
Gardner.  Charles  Field  was  appointed  Justice,  James 
Stiles  and  Sidney  P*  Smith,  Special  Justices,  and  Julian 
Dunn,  Clerk.  In  December,  1889,  Charles  B.  Boyce 
was  appointed  clerk,  which  position  he  now  holds,  and 
Henry  M.  Burleigh  was  serving  as  Special  Justice  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  in  1894.  The  officers  now  holding  the 
positions  are  the  same  as  first  appointed,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Clerk. 

Deputy  Sheriffs.  Of  the  residents  of  Athol  who  have 
held  the  office  of  Deputy  Sheriff,  we  find  the  names  of 
William  Bigelow  and  Joseph  Pierce,  as  holding  the  office 
previous  to  1807.  Since  that  time  the  ofiice  has  been 
held  by  the  following:  James  Oliver,  1807-28;  Flavel 
Humphrey  and  Abijah  Hill,  1828-38 ;  John  H.  Partridge, 
1838-59;  Gardiner  Lord,  1859-90;  Albert  W.  Tyler, 
1890-94,  and  Eoswell  L.  Doane,  the  present  incumbent 
who  was  appointed  in  January,  1894. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 

"Nothing  is  more  estimable  than  a  physician  who,  having  studied  nature  from 
his  youth,  knows  the  properties  of  the  human  body,  the  diseases  which  assail  it, 
the  remedies  which  will  benefit  it,  exercises  his  art  with  caution,  and  pays  eqilal 
attention  to  the  rich  and  the  poor." 

jHE  first  physician  of  Athol  was  Dr. 
Joseph  Lord,  one  of  the  first  five  set- 
tlers of  the  town,  who  had  practiced 
his  profession  in  Sunderland,  Mass. 
Among  the  early  doctors  of  the  town 
were  Dr.  Daniel  EUinwood,  Dr.  Koyal 
Humphrey,  a  son  of  Rev.  James 
Humphrey,  and  Dr.  Joshua  Morton, 
who  was  born  in  Athol  Oct.  20,  1744,  and  was  a  life  long 
and  successful  physician.  He  died  Feb.  13,  1827.  His 
home  was  on  the  place  now  occupied  by  J.  W.  Sawyer. 
He  was  much  interested  in  town  affairs,  and  was  town 
treasurer  from  1788  to  1793.  Among  the  doctors  of  the 
early  part  of  the  present  century  were:  Dr.  Ebenezer 
Chaplin,  who  is  described  as  a  tall  portly  man.  He  lived 
on  the  east  side  of  the  common  at  the  Highlands,  and  was 
prominent  in  political  and  town  affairs,  representing  the 
town  two  years  in  the  Legislature,  and  was  also  one  of  the 


196  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT, 

selectmen.  Dr.  Jacob  Holmes  was  an  old  school  gentle- 
man, who  lived  in  the  house  now  occupied  by  Gilbert 
Southard.  He  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  George  Hoyt,  and 
removed  to  Leicester,  where  he  practiced  from  1834  to 
1847. 

Dr.  William  H.  Williams  was  born  in  Deerfield,  June 
28,  1792.  Among  his  ancestors  were  the  first  minister  of 
Deerfield,  and  the  founder  of  Williams  College.  His 
father  was  a  physician  of  Deerfield,  and  the  son  studied 
medicine  there.  His  first  wife  was  Marietta  Stebbins, 
daughter  of  Col.  Asa  Stebbins  of  Deerfield,  a  descendant 
of  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  town,  by  whom  he  had 
three  children.  Mr.  Williams  came  to  Athol  about  1816, 
and  in  1822  married  Frances  Humphrey,  a  granddaughter 
of  the  first  minister  of  the  town.  They  had  two  children, 
John  H.  Williams  and  Mary  Hoyt  Williams,  who  married 
Eev.  Crawford  Nightingale.  Dr.  Williams,  in  addition  to 
his  profession,  was  largely  interested  in  public  and  town 
affairs,  having  served  as  postmaster  of  the  town  from  1837 
to  1847,  with  the  exception  of  a  little  more  than  a  year, 
was  town  clerk  from  1829  to  1833,  served  on  the  school 
committee,  was  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  a  surgeon  in 
the  militia.  After  withdrawing  from  active  practice,  he 
kept  the  only  drug  store  in  town.  He  died  June  22, 
1855,  and  Mrs.  Williams,  who  lived  to  the  age  of  ninety 
years  and  three  months,  died  in  1887. 

Dr.  George  Hoyt  was  born  in  Deerfield,  Mass.,  April 
17,  1801,  a  son  of  Ebenezer  Hoyt,  and  a  descendant  of 
Lieut.  Jonathan  Hoyt,  who  was  taken  captive  by  the  In- 
dians and  carried  to  Canada.     One  of  his  ancestors  owned 


Dr.  GEORGE   D.  COLONY. 


Dr.  WILLIAM   H.  WILLIAMS. 


StU'^-  lX,T£^i^ 


DR.  MARSHALL  L.  LINDSEY. 


Dr.  GEORGE  HOYT. 


MEDICAL   PROFESSION.  197 

and  occupied  the  "  Old  Indian  House  "  in  Deerfield.  He 
attended  the  Deerfield  Academy,  and  graduated  at  the 
Pittsfield  Medical  School,  and  then  practiced  in  the  hos- 
pitals of  Boston,  especially  in  surgery.  He  commenced 
practice  in  Hubbardston,  Mass.,  where  he  remained  two 
years,  and  where  he  married  Miss  Avaline  Witt,  the  eld- 
est daughter  of  Clark  Witt,  Esq,  Removed  to  Athol  in 
1^32,  and  succeeded  Dr.  Jacob  Holmes,  who  lived  where 
Gilbert  Southard  now  resides.  He  had  a  large  medical 
practice,  and  was  one  of  the  first  to  introduce  the  use  of 
water  medically  in  baths,  etc.,  establishing  a  Water  Cure, 
which  became  quite  extensively  known.  He  was  an  active 
abolitionist  and  reformer,  and  espoused  the  cause  of  the 
slave  when  it  was  unpopular  and  even  dangerous  to  do  so. 
At  one  time,  while  speaking  against  slavery  in  an  evening 
meeting,  the  minister  pronounced  the  benediction. 

His  action  in  a  habeus  corpus  case,  where  he  caused  a 
young  slave  who  had  been  brought  to  Athol  by  his  mis- 
tress, to  be  liberated,  caused  great  excitement  at  the  time, 
and  was  the  first  case  of  the  kind  in  Massachusetts.  The 
young  negro,  who  was  nine  or  ten  years  of  age,  lived  in 
the  families  of  Dr.  Hoyt  and  Eev.  Richard  Chipman  for 
several  years,  and  attended  the  Athol  schools.  For  his 
position  in  this  affair  he  was  almost  mobbed,  and  was 
threatened  so  that  he  did  not  dare  to  ride  about  the  town 
with  his  gig  without  carrying  stones  in  it  as  weapons  for 
his  protection.  In  1851,  he  removed  to  Boston,  where  he 
resided  for  five  years,  and  then  returned  to  Athol  and  pur- 
chased what  was  known  as  the  Morton  place,  now  the  res- 
idence  of  Dr.  James   Oliver,  which  was   henceforth   his 


198  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

home,  until  his  death.  June  24,  1866.  He  was  deeply  in- 
terested in  the  business  and  social  life  of  Athol,  and  buUt 
the  first  mill  where  the  Hapgood  &  Smith  match  factory 
now  stands.  He  was  also  for  several  years  a  member  of 
the  school  committee,  in  which  position  he  did  excellent 
service.  He  was  a  great  student  during  his  whole  life, 
and  was  especially  interested  in  the  science  of  Geology,  ac- 
companying Prof.  Hitchcock  about  the  state  in  his  geolog- 
ical investigations.  He  had  two  children,  George  H.  and 
Clare,  who  married  H.  M.  Burleigh,  Esq. 

Dr.  Geo.  D.  Colony  was  born  in  Keene,  N.  H.,  May  6, 
1821,  and  graduated  at  Dartmouth  College  in  1843.  Af- 
ter graduating,  he  studied  medicine  vpith  Dr.  Amos 
Twitchell  at  Keene,  attended  the  Woodstock  Medical 
School,  and  graduated  from  the  Medical  College  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1846.  He  came  to  Athol, 
August  6,  1846.  One  of  his  first  professional  calls  after 
coming  to  town,  was  to  the  terrible  accident,  when  a  rail- 
road bridge  on  the  Vermont  &  Massachusetts  Railroad 
went  down  and  several  were  killed.  His  cotemporaries  in 
Athol  during  most  of  his  practice  here  were.  Dr.  George 
Hoyt  and  Dr.  Wm.  H.  Williams.  He  was  for  a  number 
of  years  a  popular  member  of  the  school  committee.  He 
was  married  May  23,  1849,  to  Harriet  N.  Stevens,  daugh- 
ter of  Isaac  Stevens.  He  removed  to  Fitchburg,  May  1, 
1861,  where  he  has  continued  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession to  the  present  time. 

When  Dr.  Hoyt  removed  to  Boston,  in  1851,  he  sold 
his  practice  and  Water  Cure  establishment  to  Dr.  J.  H, 
Hero.     Dr.  Hero  is  said  to  have  been  a  man  of  unusual 


Dr.  JAMES    P.  LYNDE. 


MEDICAL   PROFESSION.  199 

natural  ability,  endowed  by  nature  with  a  commanding 
physique  and  a  pleasing  manner.  He  ran  the  Water  Cure 
for  several  years  with  varying  success,  and  sold  out  to  Dr. 
George  Field,  who,  after  a  few  years  gave  up  the  busi- 
ness. For  a  number  of  years  previous  to  1856,  Dr.  Aus- 
tin was  a  well  known  physician  of  the  town.  He  died 
from  the  results  of  an  accident  on  the  Phillipston  road,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Dr.  James  P.  Lynde. 

Dr.  James  P.  Lynde.  Of  the  members  of  the  medical 
profession  in  Athol,  the  one  best  known  to  the  present 
generation  was  Dr.  James  P.  Lynde,  who  was  for  more 
than  a  third  of  a  century  a  prominent  factor  in  the  pro- 
fessional, social  and  educational  life  of  the  town.  Dr. 
Lynde  was  born  in  Gardner,  March  19,  1H28,  and  was 
the  oldest  son  of  Wm.  S.  and  Christiana  Comee  Lynde. 
His  early  education  was  obtained  in  the  common  and  pri- 
vate schools  of  that  town,  and  at  Lawrence  Academy  in 
Groton.  He  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Harriman  of 
Gardner,  and  the  late  Dr.  Ira  Eussell  of  Winchendon,  at- 
tended medical  lectures  at  the  Dartmouth  Medical  School, 
and  at  the  Medical  department  of  Harvard  University, 
where  he  graduated  March  3,  1852.  The  same  year  he 
commenced  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Hardwick,  Mass., 
where  he  remained  until  1856.  WhUe  in  Hardwick  he 
represented  that  town  in  the  Legislature  of  1855.  He  re- 
moved to  Athol  in  1856 ;  for  a  period  of  thirty-four  years 
continued  in  the  active  practice  of  his  profession,  until  his 
death,  Jan.  28,  1890.  He  was  an  earnest  investigator  in 
his  profession,  and  associated  himself  with  various  medical 
societies,  being  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  Medical 


200  ATHOL,  FAST  AND  PKESENT. 

Society,  and  also  was  one  of  the  seventeen  original  sub- 
scribers to  the  constitution  and  by-laws  of  the  Worcester 
North  District  Medical  Society,  of  which  he  was  at  one 
time  president;  he  was  also  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
Millers  River  Medical  Society.  Though  devoted  to  his 
profession,  he  was  a  public  spirited  citizen,  and  took  an 
active  interest  in  all  measures  for  the  advancement  of  his 
town  and  the  community.  Educational  interests  always 
found  in  him  an  active  worker,  and  for  several  years  he 
held  the  position  of  school  committee  and  superintendent 
of  schools,  and  was  often  called  upon  to  serve  the  town  as 
moderator  of  town  meetings,  and  in  other  capacities.  In- 
terested in  Agriculture,  he  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Worcester  Northwest  Agricultural  Society,  was  its  first 
President,  and  its  delegate  on  the  State  Board  of  Agricul- 
ture from  1880,  until  his  death ;  he  was  also  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Control  of  the  Amherst  Experimental  station, 
and  for  some  time  its  treasurer.  As  a  public  speaker  he 
was  listened  to  with  interest,  and  delivered  well  prepared 
papers  before  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture,  farmers  in- 
stitutes and  medical  societies,  his  annual  address  before  the 
Massachusetts  Medical  Society  in  1887,  on  "  Pure  milk  as 
a  diet  for  infants,"  being  received  with  more  than  usual 
enthusiasm,  while  his  address  on  "  Sanitary  Conditions  of 
the  Home  and  Farm,"  was  most  favorably  received  at  va- 
rious farmers'  institutes. 

In  whatever  position  he  was  placed,  he  brought  to  the 
discharge  of  his  duties,  life  and  enthusiasm,  and  impressed 
upon  his  associates,  a  great  degree  of  the  same  spirit  that 
animated  himself.     On  the  organization  of  the  present  sys- 


MEDICAL   PROFESSION.  201 

tem  of  Medical  Examiners,  he  was  appointed  the  Medical 
Examiner  of  this  district,  which  position  he  held  until  his 
death. 

In  1857,  Dr.  Lynde  married  Miss  Candace  Brooks,  a 
daughter  of  John  Brooks,  a  prominent  and  wealthy  citi- 
zen, and  proprietor  of  the  up  town  hotel,  known  as 
"  Brooks  tavern."  They  had  two  children,  Helen  and 
James  P.,  both  of  whom  survive,  the  latter  being  engaged 
in  the  drug  business  at  Palmer.  A  memorial  of  him,  pre- 
pared by  his  associates  of  the  Worcester  North  District 
Medical  Association,  has  the  following  to  say  of  him : 
"  His  social  qualities,  his  general  intelligence  and  cultiva- 
tion, added  to  his  professional  accomplishments,  made  him 
among  his  patients,  as  among  his  friends  generally,  a  most 
entertaining  and  agreeable  companion,  and  won  for  him  in 
the  community  in  which  he  lived,  many  warm  and  devo- 
ted admirers.  His  surviving  professional  friends  and  as- 
sociates, who  mourn  his  loss  and  cherish  his  memory,  will 
not  soon  forget  his  cheerful  presence,  his  sympathetic  na- 
ture, his  unfailing  humor,  his  entertaining  anecdote,  and 
the  overflow  of  good  spirits,  which  added  so  much  to  the 
pleasure  of  all  brought  into  his  association." 

Other  physicians  who  practiced  in  Athol  at  different 
periods  between  1860  and  1880,  are:  Dr.  Kendall  Davis, 
Dr.  J.  B.  Gould,  Dr.  James  Coolidge,  who  was  eminently 
successful  in  his  profession,  and  who  died  in  the  prime  of 
manhood  from  a  disease  produced  by  nervous  prostration 
and  excessive  professional  labor.  Dr.  O.  M.  Drury,  Dr. 
M.  F.  Cragin,  Dr.  Alfred  G.  WLlliams,who  served  in  the 
army  in  the  rebellion,  as  assistant  surgeon.  Dr.  Vernon  O. 


202  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT, 

Taylor,  Dr.  Jackson,  Dr.  Kemp,  Dr.  King,  Dr.  Chamber- 
lain, Dr.  Donnell,  Dr.  Simmonds,  Dr.  D.  A.  Chase,  Dr.  D. 
D.  Davis,  Dr.  F.  Broons,  and  Dr.  H.  A.  Deane,  who  was 
a  well  known  physician  in  town  from  1860  to  1879,  when 
he  removed  to  South  Hadley,  and  later  to  Easthampton, 
where  he  is  now  located. 

Dr.  Samuel  H.  Colburn  was  a  graduate  of  the  Hahne- 
mann Homoeopathic  Institution  of  Philadelphia  in  1870, 
and  came  to  Athol  from  Springfield,  Vt.,  in  October,  1875, 
opening  an  office  in  the  bank  building.  He  secured  an 
extensive  and  successful  practice,  which  he  continued  until 
May,  1883,  when  he  removed  to  Worcester.  He  returned 
to  Athol  with  impaired  health  in  the  autumn  of  1888,  and 
died  Aug.  22,  1890,  aged  sixty-four  years.  Previous  to 
entering  the  medical  profession  he  was  a  Methodist  minis- 
ter in  the  Vermont  Conference  for  sixteen  years.  His 
widow,  one  daughter  and  one  son  still  live  in  town. 

Among  those  who  have  practiced  in  town  since  1880, 
not  residing  here  now,  are  Dr.  A.  W.  Parsons  and  his 
brother,  Dr.  C.  W.  Parsons,  Dr.  H.  R.  Dunne,  now  of 
Westerly,  R.  I.,  Dr.  Geo.  L.  Perry,  removed  to  Petersham, 
Dr.  H.  O.  Dunbar,  who  came  to  Athol  in  1873,  and  was  a 
prominent  physician  until  his  death,  Dec.  27,  1894.  Dr. 
Sumner  T.  Smith,  a  graduate  from  the  College  of  Medi- 
cine of  the  University  of  Michigan,  and  who  had  a  large 
practice  in  Alstead,  N.  H.,  for  more  than  twenty  years, 
practiced  in  Athol  for  a  few  years  previous  to  his  death, 
which  took  place  March  26,  1892. 

Of  the  resident  physicians  at  the  present  time.  Dr. 
James  Oliver  is  the  senior  in  practice.  A  sketch  of  him 
will  be  found  in  another  chapter  of  this  work. 


MEDICAL   PROFESSION.  203 

Dr.  Marshall  L.  Lindsey,  son  of  Dr.  Daniel  Lindsey, 
was  born  in  Swanzey,  N.  H.,  Dec.  9,  1831.  His  parents 
removed  to  New  Salem  in  1832,  and  from  there  to  Peters- 
ham in  1834,  where  he  attended  the  public  schools,  and 
also  was  a  student  at  New  Salem  Academy  for  several 
terms.  In  1849,  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  North 
Dana,  where  he  commenced  studying  medicine  with  his 
father.  In  August,  1855,  he  went  to  the  Berkshire  Med- 
ical College,  and  in  December  of  the  same  year  entered 
Harvard  Medical  School,  and  after  leaving  there,  practiced 
with  his  father  until  1862,  when  he  again  attended  lec- 
tures at  Harvard,  graduating  in  March,  1863.  He  then 
returned  to  North  Dana,  and  practiced  there  until  1882, 
when  he  removed  to  Athol,  where  he  has  siace  practiced 
his  profession.  He  married  Luella  M.  Sly  of  Webster, 
Mass.,  May  14,  1878. 

Dr.  Charles  H.  Forbes  was  born  in  Millville,  N.  J., 
Jan.  25,  1860;  when  about  five  years  of  age  his  parents 
moved  to  Monson,  Mass.,  where  he  lived  about  ten  years 
and  attended  the  public  schools  of  that  town.  The  re- 
mainder of  his  early  life  was  spent  in  Brookfield  and  West 
Brookfield,  and  he  graduated  from  the  High  school  of  the 
last  named  town.  He  pursued  his  medical  studies  at  the 
New  York  Homoeopathic  College  and  Hospital,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  1883,  and  immediately  commenced  to 
practice  his  profession  at  Athol  in  the  spring  of  1883, 
where  he  stUl  continues  in  practice.  He  was  married  to 
Miss  Eva  L.  Bush,  daughter  of  H.  W.  Bush,  Esq.,  of 
West  Brookfield,  Nov.  14,  1883.  Mr.  Forbes  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Worcester  County,  and  Western  Massachusetts 


204  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Homoeopathic  Societies,  and  is  also  a  prominent  member 
of  the  Masonic  and  Odd  Fellow  organizations,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Grand  Commandery  of  Massachusetts  and 
Ehode  Island  Knights  Templars. 

Dr.  Hiram  H.   Burns  was  born  at  Kingston,  Mass.,  in 
1856.     His  early  education  was   received  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  town,   and  he    graduated  from  the 
Kingston  High  school  in  the   class    of   1876.     Entering 
Tufts  College  in  the  class  of  1880,  he  graduated  as  vale- 
dictorian of  his  class,  having  attained  the  highest  average 
during  his  four  years  course,  of  any  student  in  that  Insti- 
tution for  years.     After  leaving  College,  he  was  a  teacher 
for  four  years,  being  Assistant  in  Natural  Sciences  at  the 
Marlboro,  Mass.   High  School,  Principal  of  the   Hollis,  N. 
H.  High  School,  and  teacher  of  Natural  Sciences  at  Dean 
Academy,  Franklin,  Mass.     Mr.  Burns  then  turned  his  at- 
tention to  the  study  of  medicine,  studying  wtth  Dr.  J.   B. 
Brewster  of  Plymouth,  Mass.,  and  also  taking  the  course 
at  the  Harvard  Medical  School,  from  which  he  graduated 
in  1887 ;  practiced  for  a  short  time  at  Kingston,  his  native 
town,  and  removed  to  Athol,  in  February,  1888,  where  he 
has  since  practiced,  moving  to  the  Upper  Village  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1890.     He  was  married  in  March,  1888,  to  Sarah 
B.  Faunce,  of  Kingston,  Mass.,  a  graduate  of  WeUesley 
College,  and  former  Principal  of  Kingston  High  School. 
Dr.  Burns  is  a  member  of  the  following  medical  societies ; 
American  Medical  Association,  Massachusetts  Medical  So- 
ciety, Harvard  Medical  Alumni  Association,  and  Millers 
River    Medical     Society.     Also     of    the    Tufts     College 
Alumni. 


Dr.   HIRAM   H.   BURNS. 


Dr.  ALPHONZO  V.   BOWKER. 


Dr.  WINDSOR  A.   BROWN. 


Dr.   CHARLES   H.   FORBES. 


MEDICAL   PEOFESSION.  205 

Dr.  Alphonzo  V.  Bowker  was  born  in  Savoy,  Mass., 
Jan.  17,  1857.  His  parents  moved  to  Bernardston,  Mass. 
in  1865,  which  was  his  home  until  he  commenced  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  His  education  was  obtained  at 
Powers'  Institute,  and  he  graduated  from  the  medical  de- 
partment of  the  University  of  Vermont,  in  June,  1879. 
He  then  practiced  for  two  years  in  Millers  Falls,  after 
which  he  took  a  post  graduate  course  in  the  hospital  of 
Jefferson  Medical  College  in  Philadelphia.  He  returned 
to  Millers  Falls,  where  he  practiced  his  profession  until  he 
came  to  Athol,  in  1890.  While  in  Millers  Falls  he  was  a 
member  of  the  school  committee  of  Montague  for  several 
years,  and  also  served  on  the  Board  of  Health  of  that 
town.  He  married  E.  Louise  Amidon  of  Millers  Falls,  in 
November,  1884. 

Dr.  H.  E..  Thayer,  born  in  Pittsford,  Vt.,  November  5, 
1819.  Graduated  from  the  Hahnemann  Homoeopathic 
School,  Philadelphia,  in  March,  1855.  Was  in  the  South 
from  1855  to  1860,  and  had  a  large  practice  in  the  city  of 
Augusta,  Georgia,  from;  which  place  he  was  driven  out 
with  his  family  just  before  the  war,  because  he  was  a 
northern  man.  He  practiced  in  Athol  from  1871  to  1876, 
when  he  removed  to  Boston,  and  returned  to  Athol  in 
February,  1892,  where  he  has  since  practiced. 

Dr.  W.  L.  Edgar,  a  graduate  of  the  Hahnemann  Medi- 
cal College  of  Philadelphia,  in  1894,  and  commenced  prac- 
tice in  Athol,  in  June  of  that  year. 

Dr.  Lilley  Eaton",  graduated  at  the  Dartmouth  Medical 
College  in  1892,  served  in  the  Boston  City  Hospital,  as  as- 
sistant superintendent  and  physician  at  the  Hospital  Cot- 


206  ATROL,   FAST   AND  FKESENT. 

tages  for  children  at  Baldwinville,  and  commenced  practice 
in  Athol,  in  January,  1895, 

Dr.  Harbib  M.  Gardner,  a  graduate  of  the  Medical 
School  of  the  University  of  Vermont,  at  Burlington,  in 
1895,  commenced  to  practice  in  Athol,  in  July  of  that 
year. 

Dr.  Windsor  A.  Brown,  is  a  native  of  Aurora,  111., 
where  he  was  born  Nov.  15,  1868.  He  graduated  from, 
the  Medical  Department  of  the  University  of  Vermont  in 
1889,  practiced  in  Oakham  and  North  Brookfield,  and 
came  to  Athol,  in  October,  1895. 

Dr.  Garrett  Larkeque  commenced  practice  in  Athol 
in  1894. 

W.  F.  Whitman  has  been  employed  as  a  Medical  Clari- 
voyant  upwards  of  forty  years.  He  was  born  in  Palmer, 
Mass.,  Dec.  10,  1825,  and  came  to  Athol  in  1857.  O.  S. 
Wheeler  has  also  had  quite  an  extensive  practice  in  the 
same  profession  for  more  than  fifteen  years  in  Athol. 

Dentists.  The  first  dentist  in  town  was  Dr.  John  H. 
Williams,  a  son  of  Dr.  Wm.  H.  Williams,  who  was  born 
Aug.  24,  1824.  He  studied  dentistry  with  Dr.  Ball  of 
Boston,  and  was  engaged  in  the  business  for  twenty-five 
years.  He  also  combined  the  drug  business  with  his  dent- 
istry, and  was  engaged  in  that  for  about  thirty  years,  be- 
ing for  a  long  time  the  only  druggist  in  town.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  genial  and  companionable  of  men,  and  had 
a  strong  vein  of  humor  hidden  under  a  surface  appearing 
to  be  the  opposite.  He  was  for  nearly  four  years  post- 
master of  the  Centre  ofiice.  He  married  Harriett  M. 
Ball,  Oct.  14,  1850.     His  death  took  place  Aug.  22, 1875. 


MEDICAL   PB.OFESSIOK.  12D7 

"Dt.  H.  M.  Humphrey  studied  dentistry  in  Boston  for 
two  years,  and  then  took  a  course  in  the  Philadelphia 
Dental  College,  from  which  he  graduated  and  received  his 
degree  of  D.  D.  S.,  and  practiced  ten  years. 

Dr.  H.  C.  Smith,  the  senior  member  of  the  dental  pro- 
fession, was  born  in  Cooperstown,  N.  Y.,  where  his  father 
was  a  manufacturer,  in  1837.  He  attended  the  schools  of 
that  town  and  Hartwick  Seminary.  He  pursued  his 
•studies  at  the  Baltimore  Dental  College,  and  studied  den- 
tistry with  Dr.  Robinson,  of  Watertown,  N.  Y.  In  Dec- 
ember, 1861,  he  commenced  to  practice  dentistry  in  Athol, 
and  has  been  engaged  in  his  profession  continuously,  to 
the  present  time.  His  first  office  was  in  the  old  Foster 
house,  now  owned  by  A.  J.  Hamilton,  and  for  many  years 
in  the  old  Bank  building,  until  he  moved  into  his  present 
office  in  Webb's  block.  He  was  married  in  1861,  to 
Sarah  F.  Steere,  daughter  of  Rev.  M.  J.  Steere,  of  Provi- 
dence, R.  I. 

Dr.  E.  Ward  Cooke  studied  dentistry  with  Dr.  H.  C. 
Smith,  and  finished  his  dental  studies  at  the  Dental  Col- 
lege in  Philadelphia.  He  commenced  practice  for  himself 
in  AthoL  in  1875,  and  remained  here  eight  years,  going 
to  Cambridge  in  August,  1883,  and  has  continued  in  prac- 
tice there  to  the  present  time.  He  married  Etta  J.  Lewis, 
June  16,  1875. 

Dr.  J.  J.  Coxeter  commenced  to  study  dentistry  with 
Dr.  L.  F.  Tolman  in  1876,  and  afterwards  was  in  partner- 
ship with  him  for  three  years,  when  he  opened  an  office 
for  himself,  and  practiced  here  until  1888,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Newton. 


208  ATHOL, 

Dr.  C.  E.  Smith  first  studied  his  profession  in  the  office 
of  Dr.  L.  F.  Locke,  of  Nashua,  N.  H.,  his  native  city.  He 
graduated  from  the  Dental  Department  of  the  University 
at  Pennsylvania,  in  1888,  with  the  degree  of  D.  D.  S.  He 
came  to  Athol  in  1888,  purchasing  the  business  of  Dr.  J. 
J.  Coxeter.  He  now  has  an  office  in  the  Bank  building, 
and  has  a  good  practice. 

Dr.  L.  F.  Tolman  was  born  in  Fitchburg  in  1843. 
When  the  rebellion  broke  out,  in  1861,  he  enlisted  in  the 
sixth  New  Hampshire  Infantry,  and  served  until  the  close 
of  the  war.  After  the  war  he  studied  dentistry  with  Dr. 
Stebbins,  of  Shelburne  Falls,  for  three  years,  and  con- 
tinued in  his  office  until  1875,  when  he  removed  to  Athol, 
having  purchased  the  dental  business  of  Dr.  James  Hem- 
enway.  He  continued  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  un- 
til partial  blindness  compelled  him  to  give  up  business, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Leon  C.  Tolman,  in 
1894. 

Dr.  James  Hemenway  practiced  dentistry  in  town  for 
many  years,  and  others  of  recent  years  have  been  Dr.  A. 
O  Stoddard  and  Dr.  V.  W.  Leach,  who  had  offices  at  the 
Highlands. 


CHAPT^ER  XIV. 


OLD   ATHOL   FAMILIES. 

"  If,  however,  a  man  says  that  he  does  not  care  to  know  where  his  grandfather 
lived,  what  he  did,  and  what  were  that  grandfather's  politics  and  religious  creed, 
it  can  merely  mean  that  he  is  incapable  of  taking  interest  in  one  of  the  most  in- 
teresting forms  of  human  knowledge— the  knowledge  of  the  details  of  the  Past." 

N  this  chapter  we  give  sketches  of  some  of  the 
old  Athol  families,  whose  history  is  inter- 
twined with  that  of  the  town  through  many 
decades.  Although  much  attention  has  been 
paid  to  the  ancestry  of  many  families,  yet  we 
have  not  attempted  a  complete  genealogy  of 
all  branches  of  the  various  families  of  whom 
sketches  are  given.  Sketches  of  the  heads 
of  families,  and  some  of  the  most  important  members, 
who  have  been  residents  of  this  town,  or  who  have  gone 
out  into  other  communities  and  become  distinguished  in 
various  walks  of  life  vdll  be  given.  Among  the  families 
selected  are  the  Lords,  Mortons,  Olivers,  Humphreys, 
Kendalls,  Morses,  Sweetsers,  Estabrooks,  Havens,  God- 
dards  and  others. 


x\      \ 


210  ATHOL,   PAST   AND   PRESENT, 

THE  LORDS. 

Of  the  first  five  settlers  of  old  Pequoig,  the  one  whose 
family  has  been  most  prominently  identified  with  the  town 
through  all  the  generations  to  the  present  time,  was 
Joseph  Lord. 

The  first  ancestor  of  the  Lords  in  New  England  was 
Robert  Lord  of  Ipswich,  whose  name  appears  on  the  rec- 
ords of  that  town  as  a  freeman  in  1636,  and  a  representa- 
tive in  1638.  He  was  town  clerk,  clerk  of  the  courts  and 
register  of  deeds.  He  married  Mary  Waite,  and  had 
eight  children.  He  died  in  1638.  Of  his  children, 
Thomas,  born  in  1633  at  Ipswich,  married  Alice  Rand  ; 
they  had  eight  children.  Of  these,  Joseph  Lord,  was  born  / 
in  Charlestown,  Mass.,  June  30,  1672,  and  graduated  at 
Harvard  College  in  1691.  From  1692  to  1695,  probably, 
he  taught  the  school  in  Dorchester,  He  married  Abigail, 
daughter  of  Governor  Thomas  Hinckley,  (by  his  first 
wife  )  on  the  third  of  June,  1698.  In  the  fall  of  1695,  a 
church  was  gathered  in  Dorchester  with  the  design  of  re- 
moving to  South  Carolina,  and  Joseph  Lord  was  ordained 
as  pastor.  He  accompanied  the  church  to  that  state  and 
remained  as  its  pastor  over  twenty  years,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Massachusetts,  and  in  1720  was  installed  pastor 
of  the  church  in  Chatham,  where  he  continued  to  preach 
until  his  death  in  1748.  His  diary  containing  many  in- 
teresting notes  and  observations  relative  to  the  church  and 
people  on  the  Cape,  is  said  to  be  in  existence.  He  had 
eight  children,  of  whom  Joseph  and  Abigail  were  born 
Sept.  27,  1704. 

Joseph  Lord,  who  was  one  of  the  first  five  settlers  of 


OLD   ATHOL   FAMILIES.  211 

Athol,  was  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1726,  and  i/' 
practiced  medicine  for  a  time  in  Sunderland,  Mass.,  being 
the  first  physician  of  that  town.  In  September,  1735, 
with  four  others,  he  came  to  Pequoig,  and  commenced  the 
first  settlement  of  this  town  ;  his  dwelHng  was  located  on 
the  "  Street,"  on  the  place  known  for  a  long  time  as  the 
Humphrey  place.  He  appears  to  have  been  the  principal 
man  among  the  company  of  settlers,  both  in  education  and 
infiuence,  and  was  the  first  clerk  of  the  Proprietors,  which 
office  he  continued  to  hold  up  to  Oct.  18,  1758.  He  was  ^ 
during  all  these  years  the  leading  spirit  in  ancient  Pe- 
quoig, being  the  first  doctor,  the  first  preacher,  the  first 
magistrate,  the  first  treasurer,  the  first  tax  gatherer,  the 
first  surveyor,  in  fact,  as  an  old  manuscript  has  it,  he  was 
"■  Boss  and  all  hands."  At-  length  a  misunderstanding 
arose  between  Mr.  Lord  and  the  proprietors,  the  particular 
cause  for  which  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  satisfactorily  de- 
termine. For  some  reason  he  refused  to  give  up  the  rec- 
ords, and  an  action  was  commenced  against  him  for  the 
recovery  of  the  books,  records,  plans  etc.  The  court  rend- 
ered judgment  against  Mr.  Lord  in  November,  1759,  for 
one  thousand  pounds.  The  result  was  that  Mr.  Lord  left 
Pequoig  and  went  to  Putney,  Vt.,  then  New  Hampshire, 
where  he  lived  for  thirty  years,  holding  high  and  responsi- 
ble positions.  By  commissions  dated  the  16th  of  July, 
1766,  he  was  appointed  second  judge  of  the  Inferior  Court 
of  Common  Pleas,  and  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  Cumber- 
land County.  These  commissions  were  renewed  on  two 
subsequent  occasions,  and  he  was  continued  in  office  until 
the  commencement  of  the  Revolution.     He  was  also  ap- 


212  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

pointed  by  a  writ  of  dedimus  potestatem,  a  commissioner  to 
"  swear  all  officers "  chosen  in  that  county,  and  held  the 
office  until  the  14th  of  AprU,  1772,  A  few  months  pre- 
vious to  the  time  for  appointing  judges,  in  the  year  1772, 
Mr.  Lord  was  desirous  of  withdrawing  from  the  service  of 
the  province.  In  his  letter  to  Governor  Tyron,  dated  the 
29th  of  January,  he  declared  his  reasons  for  wishing  to  re- 
tire, in  these  words  :  "  I  being  now  arrived  at  the  sixty- 
eighth  year  of  my  age,  and  attended  with  the  infirmities 
common  to  advancing  years,  such  as  great  deafness,  loss  of 
memory,  dimness  of  sight,  and  at  times,  a  paralytic  tremor 
in  my  hands,  etc.,  which  disqualifies  me  for  the  full,  free, 
and  perfect  discharge  of  the  offices  of  second  judge  of  the 
Inferior  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  and  justice  of  the  peace, 
which  I  have  sustained  in  the  county  for  several  years  last 
past,  and  having  a  desire  to  retire  from  public  business  and 
spend  the  remainder  of  my  days  in  a  calm  retirement 
therefrom,  and  concern  myself  in  nothing  else,  but  doing 
good  to  my  numerous  family  and  neighbors,  and  praying 
for  the  King,  your  Excellency,  and  all  others,  the  King's 
officers,  and  prepare  for  a  glorious  Immortality — therefore 
humbly  entreat  your  Excellency  to  appoint  some  other 
person  to  said  offices  in  my  room  and  stead." 

Having  been  informed  that  his  colleague  had  tendered 
his  resignation,  Judge  Chandler  wrote  to  Governor  Tryon, 
begging  him  to  continue  Judge  Lord  in  office  in  the  next 
commission,  and  suggesting  the  propriety  of  rewarding 
him  for  his  past  services — especially  for  his  efibrts  in  quell- 
ing a  disturbance,  in  which  the  inhabitants  of  Windsor 
had  been   engaged.     Previous  to  this  time  the  court  had 


OLD    ATHOL   FAMILIES.  213 

been  constituted  with  three  judges.  A  fourth  was  added 
at  the  next  commission,  and  Judge  Lord  was  continued, 
but  with  the  understanding  that  he  was  to  take  only  "  as 
little  share  of  the  burden  of  the  office  "  upon  himself  as 
should  be  agreeable  to  him.  Governor  Tyron  wrote  him 
in  a  letter  dated  the  3d  of  April,  1772  :  "  His  Excellency 
desirous  of  retaining  in  office  the  most  respectable  persons 
in  the  county,  could  not  think  of  appointing  any  person  in 
your  stead."  Hall,  the  historian  of  Vermont,  says  of  him  : 
"  Respecting  his  abilities,  there  are  no  means  of  deciding  ; 
but  of  his  uprightness  and  candor  as  a  man  and  as  a  judi- 
cial officer,  there  can  be  no  doubt.  The  little  that  is 
known  of  this  worthy  magistrate  is  so  favorable,  that  a 
natural  regret  arises  at  the  absence  of  the  data  which 
might  supply  the  details  of  his  life,  character  and  services." 

He  died  at  Westmoreland,  N.  H.,  Dec.  7,  1788,  in  the 
85th  year  of  his  age,  having  moved  to  that  place  from 
Putney,  some  time  before. 

Dr.  Joseph  Lord  had  seven  children,  viz :  Joseph,  born 
April  17,  1730,  William,  born  May  3,  1732,  Mary,  born 
May  2,  1733,  Thomas,  born  Jan.  17,  1736,  the  first  winter 
after  the  settlers  'arrived  in  Athol,  Stephen,  Nathaniel  and 
Sarah,  who  married  Judge  Thomas  Chandler  of  Vermont. 
Thomas  Lord,  the  third  son  of  Dr.  Joseph  Lord,  married 
Leonard  Smith,  Oct.  18,  1760.  He  was  one  of  the  Athol 
minute  men  who  marched  to  Lexington,  being  sergeant  of 
the  company,  and  was  afterwards  captain  of  a  company 
that  went  to  Bennington.  He  had  eleven  children  :  Asa' 
born  Oct.  1,  1761,  married  Lydia  Humphrey,  Joseph,* 
born  Oct.  26,    1763,  married  Esther  Johnson,  Aaron,  born^ 


214  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Dec.  25,  1766,  married  Hannah  Graves,  Abigail,  bom 
July  7,  1772,  married  Abijah  Ellis,  Abel,"' born  March. 
12,  1774,  died  in  1799,  Rhoda,'born  March  1,  1776, 
Thomas,  Jr.,  born  Jan.  17,  1780,  was  a  hotel  keeper  at 
Northfield,  Jotham,  born  June  4,  1783,  married  Julia 
Allen  in  1806,  Leonard,  born  in  1785,  Gardiner,  born 
April  8,  1788,  married  Nancy  Young,  and  Absalom,  born 
June  30,  1790.  Jotham  Lord,  the  sixth  son  of  Capt. 
Thomas  Lord  had  ten  children. 

Ethan  Lord,  the  second  child,  was  born  in  Athol, 
Aug.  9,  1808.  In  his  twentieth  year  he  left  home,  and 
came  to  what  was  then  known  as  the  factory  village,  to 
begin  life  for  himself.  His  fidelity  to  his  parents  and 
love  for  them  was  shown,  when  his  father  had  lost  a 
number  of  cattle  by  disease,  and  in  consequence  was 
forced  to  mortgage  his  httle  farm.  This  misfortune 
weighed  heavily  upon  Ethan,  and  at  the  end  of  his  first 
years  service,  he  carried  home  his  entire  earnings,  one 
hundred  dollars,  and  gave  it  to  his  father  to  clear  oif  the 
mortgage.  He  was  married  Sept.  6,  1836,  to  Thankful 
Richardson  of  Swanzey,  N.  H.  He  had  a  saw  mill  and 
grist  mill  on  Freedom  street,  and  carried  on  business  there 
for  more  than  fifty  years.  He  bought  large  tracts  of  real 
estate  in  the  village  and  near  by,  that  at  the  time  of  his 
death  had  become  some  of  the  most  desirable  property  in 
town.  He  always  shrank  from  positions  of  a  public  na- 
ture, was  a  man  of  unflinching  integrity,  just  and  exact  in 
his  business  dealings,  and  generous  in  every  cause  to  every 
person  that  appeared  to  him  as  worthy.  Was  identified 
with  the  old  First  Church  until  the  founding  of  the  Sec- 


ETHAN    LORD. 


OLD   ATHOL   FAMILIES.  215 

ond  Unitarian  church,  when  he  became  an  earnest  sup- 
porter of  the  latter.  He  had  three  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters: Ethan,  Jr.,  Lucien,  Wallace,  Sabra  J.  and  Mary. 
Sabra  married  Dr.  Vernon  O.  Taylor,  and  Mary  married 
John  L.  Earle. 

Lucien  Lord  was  born  in  Athol,  Oct.  11,  1840,  a  son 
of  Ethan  and  Thankful  ( Richardson )  Lord.     He  attended 
the  village  schools,  and  at  an  early  age  went  to  work  for 
his  father  in  the  lumber  and  saw  mill  business.     When 
the  war  broke  out  Mr.    Lord  wished  to   enlist,  but  ill 
health  prevented  him,   and  he  purchased  the  store  of  H. 
K.  Barber  on  Exchange  street.     A  year  later  he  sold  the 
business  and  went  into  the  store  of  Walter  Thorpe  and 
J.  W.  Sloan  as  clerk,  where  he  remained  three  years.    He 
then  went  in  company   with  Howard  B.  Hunt,  who  Was 
then  the  village  postmaster,  in  the  book  and  music  busi- 
ness.    In  1869,  Mr.  Hunt  resigned  as  postmaster,  and  on 
his  recommendation,  Mr.  Lord  was  appointed  his  successor 
by  President  Grant,  April  21,   1869.     He  held  this  posi- 
tion through   the   administrations    of  'Presidents    Grant, 
Hayes,   Garfield  and  Arthur,  nearly  19  years,  when  he 
was  succeeded  by  Wm.  W.  Fish,  in  February,  1888.     He 
also  during  most    of  the  time   that  he   was   postmaster, 
carried  on  an  extensive  book  and  stationery  business.     In 
1873,  he  purchased  the  Twitchell  property  on  the  south 
side  of  Main  street,  and  soon  after  built  the  fine  Masonic 
Block,  which  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  December,  1890, 
and  other  blocks  of  stores  and  tenements.     Few  citizens 
of  the  town  have  been  so  prominently  identified  with  the 
social,  religious  and  business  interests  of  Athol  during  the 


216  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

last  quarter  of  a  century  as  Mr.  Lord.  He  is  one  of  those 
who  believe  that  every  man  should  have  a  family  home, 
a  religious  home,  and  a  business  home,  and  he  has  been 
eminently  successful  in  building  up  all  of  these,  not  only 
for  himself,  but  in  assisting  others  to  have  the  same. 
Since  retiring  from  the  post  office  and  mercantile  business, 
Mr.  Lord  has  been  engaged  in  real  estate  operations  of 
great  magnitude.  Among  his  enterprises  has  been  the 
development  of  the  Lake  Park  property,  which  has 
opened  up  to  the  town  from  the  pine  forests  of  six  or 
seven  years,  a  most  desirable  location,  from  which  the 
chimneys  of  more  than  thirty  homes  look  out  upon  the 
village.  He  has  also  developed  other  tracts  known  as 
South  Park,  Intervale  and  Pleasant  Valley,  nearly  two 
hundred  acres  in  all.  But  the  enterprise  that  has  re- 
quii-ed  the  most  courage  and  backbone,  was  the  building 
of  the  new  Pequoig  House  and  the  Academy  of  Music, 
the  former  of  which  erected  at  a  cost  of  sixty-five  thousand 
dollars,  is  the  finest  hotel  building  in  Western  Massachu- 
setts, while  the  Academy  of  Music,  built  in  1892,  at  a  cost 
of  nearly  forty  thousand  dollars,  is  the  pride  of  the  town. 
Mr.  Lord  started  the  first  street  sprinkler,  was  instrumen- 
tal in  organizing  the  Board  of  Trade,  and  was  actively 
interested  in  the  introduction  of  the  gas  and  water  sys- 
tems. He  has  also  assisted  generously  in  promoting  other 
local  business  enterprises,  among  which  is  the  Athol  Silk 
Co.  Li  1871,  with  the  late  E.  F.  Jones,  he  started  the 
Athol  Transcript.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Unitarian, 
and  was  for  several  years  superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
school  of  the  old  First  Church.     He  was  instrumental  in 


LUCIEN    LORD. 


OLD   ATHOL   FAMILIES.  217 

the  organization  of  the  Second  Unitarian  Church,  and  has 
been  the  superintendent  of  its  Sunday  school  ever  since  it 
was  organized.  In  1891,  he  represented  the  First  Wor- 
cester District  in  the  Legislature,  and  is  now  a  trustee  of 
the  Athol  Savings  Bank,  a  member  of  the  School  Com- 
mittee, Trustee  of  the  Fubhc  library,  and  Secretary  of 
the  Board  of  Trade.  He  married  DeHa  M.  Pierce  of 
Royalston. 

Gardiner  Lord,  youngest  chUd,  save  one,  of  Captain 
Thomas  Lord,  was  born  in  Athol,  April  7,  1788,  on  the 
place  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Ira  Wright,  on  the 
road  leading  from  the  brickyard  of  E.  A.  Bailey  &  Co., 
to  North  Orange.  Being  of  a  large  family,  and  his 
father's  means  limited,  he  was  obliged  at  an  early  age  to 
earn  his  own  living.  He  worked  as  a  farm  hand  and 
hostler  until  1813,  when  on  March  4,  he  married  Nancy 
Young,  daughter  of  Samuel  Young  of  Chestnut  Hill,  and 
went  to  her  home  to  live.  His  wife  died  in  less  than  a 
year,  leaving  a  daughter  who  died  in  early  womanhood. 
On  March  2,  1815,  he  married  Sally  Smith,  a  native  of 
Truro,  Mass.,  whose  father  had  lately  moved  to  Phillip- 
ston,  then  Gerry;  by  her  he  had  six  children:  Abigail, 
born  Nov.  6,  1816,  Nathaniel  Y.,  born  Nov.  5,  1820, 
Sarah  S.,  born  July  30,  1822,  Gardiner,  Jr.,  born  Feb. 
26,  1B24,  Franklin  G.,  born  Oct.  4,  1827,  and  Charles 
L.,  born  Dec.  26,  1832. 

He  continued  on  the  farm  until  his  death,  Nov.  24, 
1869.  Of  his  children,  Abigail,  the  oldest,  married  John 
Wood  of,  Royalston,  Dec.  5,  1834;  they  had  four  child- 
ren, three  of  whom  are  now  Kving,  Henry  S.  Wood  and 


218  ATHOL,   PAST   AND   PRESENT, 

Mrs.  B.  H.  Brown  of  Koyalston,  and  Geo.  H.  Wood  of 
Tangerine,  Florida.  Nathaniel  Y.  married  Sarah  Miller 
of  Phillipston,  Feb,  11,  1847;  she  died  Sept,  16,  1854,  and 
he  married  Elvira  E.  Goodnow  of  Whitingham,  Vt.  He 
had  no  children.  In  early  life  he  assumed  the  care  of  his 
father's  place,  which  he  occupied  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
April  28,  1876.  He  was  one  of  the  cemetery  committee, 
who  had  charge  of  the  laying  out  of  Silver  Lake  cemetery, 
and  was  one  of  the  first  to  be  buried  there,  Sarah  S. 
Lord  was  never  married,  and  resides  in  Athol  with  Mrs. 
C.  L.  Lord. 

Gardiner  Lord,  Jr.,  in  early  life  learned  the  shoe- 
makers trade,  and  was  for  several  years  identified  with  the 
firm  of  F.  G.  &  C.  L.  Lord  &  Co.,  boot  manufacturers. 
He  was  Deputy  Sheriff  for  thirty  years,  and  was  one  of 
the  Selectmen  of  Athol  in  1864,  1889  and  1890,  and  has 
also  served  as  Overseer  of  the  Poor  for  several  years.  He 
married  Mary  Barker,  of  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  March  18,  1868, 
He  has  one  son,  William  G-,  born  Sept.  7,  1871. 

Franklin  G.  Lord,  worked  on  his  father's  farm  until 
seventeen  years  of  age,  attending  school  about  eight  or 
nine  weeks  during  the  winter,  and  then  went  to  work  bot- 
toming boots.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  went  to 
Natick,  and  worked  at  cutting  shoes  for  George  Walcott, 
the  goods  made  being  brogans  for  the  Southern  trade; 
Mr.  Lord  for  two  years  had  charge  of  the  shop.  He  re- 
turned to  Athol  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  boots 
and  shoes,  at  first  with  the  late  C.  C.  Bassett,  then  with 
Geo.  W.  Babbitt,  and  later  formed  a  partnership  with  his 
brothers,  Gardiner  and  Charles    L.,  for   the  manufacture 


FRANKIN   G.  LORD. 


CHARLES   L.  LORD. 


OLD    ATHOL   FAMILIES.  219 

of  boots,  which  continued  from  1863  to  1872.  When 
this  firm  was  dissolved,  he  went  into  mercantile  business 
with  S.  M.  Osgood  for  two  years,  and  afterwards  was 
travelling  salesman  for  O.  Kendall  &  Co.  for  fifteen  years. 
He  has  been  in  the  retail  boot  and  shoe  business  since  the 
fall  of  1887.  He  was  one  of  the  engineers  of  the  fire  de- 
partment for  thirteen  years,  and  also  served  on  the  School 
Committee.  On  July  4,  1851,  he  was  married  to  Eliza 
A.  Flint  of  Athol ;  they  have  two  sons,  Geo.  F.  Lord  and 
Fred  W.  Lord,  both  of  whom  have  been  engaged  in  busi- 
ness in  Athol. 

Charles  L.  Lokd  also  learned  the  shoemakers  trade, 
and  was  in  company  with  his  brothers,  as  already  stated, 
in  the  manufacture  of  boots.  For  a  few  years  he  carried 
on  the  crockery  and  furniture  business  on  Exchange  street. 
which  he  sold  out  on  account  of  failing  health.  His  first 
wife  was  Lottie  A.  Wight,  by  whom  he  had  two  children, 
one  who  died  in  infancy,  and  Milton  Kirke,  who  died 
Dec.  21,  1889,  aged  twenty-two  years.  On  April  18, 
1876,  he  married  for  his  second  wife  Miss  Eldora  Bur- 
nett of  Holden,  Mass.,  who  survives  him.  Mr.  Lord  died 
Mav  14,  1892. 

THE  OLIVEES. 

Among  the  early  settlers  of  Athol,  were  four  brothers 
John,  Robert,  William  and  James  Oliver,  who  settled  in 
town  either  in  the  fall  of  1735  or  the  spring  of  1736. 
They  were  Scotch-Irish,  and  came  to  America  directly 
from  the  north  of  Ireland.  They  are  said  to  have  been 
healthy,  stout,  robust  men,  who  had  the  strength  and  will 
to  build  for  themselves  homes   among  the  forests  of  old 


»220  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Pequoig.  They  were  prominent  in  town  and  church  af- 
fairs, WiUiam  Oliver  having  been  one  of  the  first  Select- 
men and  Assessors  of  the  town,  and  also  the  second  town 
Treasurer.  Robert,  William  and  James,  subsequently  re- 
moved to  other  states,  John  alone  remaining  in  Athol,  and 
it  is  from  him  that  the  present  Olivers  of  Athol  and  vicin- 
ity are  descended. 

John  Oliver  settled  in  that  part  of  the  town  known  as 
Lyon's  Hill,  and  built  his  first  house  of  logs  on,  what  is 
now,  the  east  side  of  the  road,  a  short  distance  north  of 
the  house  occupied  by  Charles  H.  Moulton.  For  many 
years  he  lived  here  and  cleared  up  and  cultivated  the  land 
around,  and  it  was  in  this  log  house  that  most  of  his  child- 
ren were  born.  Later  he  built  a  gambrel  roofed  house  a 
few  rods  above  the  house  known  as  the  Drury  house,  near 
the  Petersham  road.  John  Oliver  was  a  young  man  un- 
der twenty  years  of  age  when  he  .came  through  the  wild- 
erness from  Hatfield,  and  settled  here  on  these  hUls ; 
every  account  of  him  goes  to  show  that  he  was  one  of 
nature's  noblemen ;  a  young  man  of  daring  energy,  he  de- 
veloped into  a  man  of  noble  proportions,  both  physically 
and  mentally.  He  is  described  as  having  been  a  very 
large  man,  six  and  one  half  feet  tall,  straight  and  well 
built,  a  powerful  man.  He  was  familiarly  known  as  ''  Old 
Dap."  His  name  appears  frequently  on  the  early  records 
as  a  town  ofiicer,  and  as  prominently  identified  with 
church  affairs,  and  he  was  also  a  Captain  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War.  He  was  married  about  1746,  and  had  a 
family  of  eleven  children.  He  lived  to  a  very  old  age, 
and  died  Dec.  23,  1811,   at  the  age  of  ninety -three  years, 


OLD   ATBOL   FAMILIES.  221 

iand  ^vas  buried  in  the  cemetery  known  as  the  Street  Hill 
burying  ground.  He  died  during  the  great  snow  storm  of 
1811,  and  his  remains  lay  for  eight  days  in  the  house,  be^ 
fore  they  could  be  taken  to  the  grave  yard. 

Aaron  Oliver,  the  oldest  child  of  John  Oliver,  was 
born  Sept.  15,  1748,  in  the  old  log  house  built  by  his 
father.  Although  his  early  life  was  full  of  cares  and  re- 
sponsibilities that  usually  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  oldest  child 
of  a  large  family,  yet  his  leisure  was  improved  in  such  a 
manner  that  he  obtained  a  good  education  for  those  days. 
He  was  a  man  of  prominence  in  town  affairs,  and  served 
the  town  as  one  of  its  Selectmen ;  was  often  chosen  as 
moderator  to  preside  at  town  meeting,  and  served  on  im- 
portant committees.  He  also  had  strong  religious  convic- 
tions, and  was  one  of  the  first  to  espouse  the  Baptist  doc- 
trines in  this  town.  Aaron  Oliver,  and  his  near  neighbor, 
Isaac  Briggs,  were  the  prime  movers  in  founding  the  pres- 
ent Baptist  church  in  town,  and  were  the  two  first  deacons 
of  the  church,  being  elected  to  that  position  Dec.  1,  1810. 
He  married  Lucy  Smith,  Jan.  19,  1T7J:,  and  had  seven 
children.  He  buOt  a  large  square  story  and  a  half  house, 
about  half  a  mile  northeast  from  the  old  homestead  on 
the  old  turnpike  road  to  PhiUipston.  This  was  one  of  the 
first  carriage  roads  of  the  town,  and  was  discontinued  over 
eighty  years  ago.  He  lived  here  about  thirty  years,  and 
finally  sold  the  farm  to  his  son  James.  He  died  Jan.  3, 
1826,  at  the  home  of  his  son  George,  on  the  farm  formerly 
owned  by  Thomas  Brooks. 

James  Oliver,  was  the  second  son  of  Aaron  Oliver,  and 
was  born  April  19,  1778.     Tradition  says  he  was  a  prom- 


222  ATHO'L,   FAST   AND  FKESENT, 

ising  boy,  full  of  daring  and  energy.  He  learned  surrey- 
ing,  and  became  the  surveyor  for  this  and  adjoining  towns; 
his  plans  of  farms  and  lands  surveyed  are  now  in  exist- 
ence, and  are  skillfully  and  accurately  made.  He  also  did 
a  large  amount  of  business  in  making  out  deeds,  contracts 
and  all  kinds  of  legal  documents.  He  married  Hannah 
Kendall,  Sept.  30,  1801.  Miss  Kendall  was  the  daughter 
of  Jonathan  Kendall,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Chestnut 
Hill;  they  had  seven  children.  In  1804  he  built  the  large 
two  story  house,  now  standing  on  the  old  place  near  the 
Petersham  road,  and  known  as  the  "  Drury  place."  He 
was  one  of  the  Selectmen  of  the  town  from  1807  to  the 
time  of  his  death  in  1829,  with  the  exception  of  six  years, 
and  was  the  Deputy  Sheriff  for  this  section  for  a  period  of 
twenty-one  years.  He  was  also  elected  Captain  of  the 
militia  company,  and  became  known  as  Captain  Oliver. 
As  captain,  surveyor,  selectman,  farmer  and  deputy  sher- 
iff, he  was  an  exceedingly  busy  man;  and,  in  addition  to 
all  these,  he  was  also  sent  to  the  General  Court  at  Boston 
as  Eepresentative,  in  1814  and  1815.  He  acted  as  auc- 
tioneer for  the  whole  town  for  more  than  twenty  years, 
and  during  this  time  settled  a  large  number  of  estates. 
The  last  few  years  of  Capt.  Oliver's  life  were  passed  in 
a  house  on  "  Athol  Street "  on  the  site  of  the  residence 
of  the  late  Ebenezer  Brock.  He  died  there,  of  erysipelas. 
May  7,  1829,  at  the  age  of  51  years. 

James  Olivee,  (2,)  the  oldest  son  of  Capt.  James 
Oliver,  was  born  July  -31,  1802.  His  early  life  was 
spent  upon  the  farm.  Soon  after  he  was  of  age  he 
learned  the   blacksmith  trade,  and   in  the  Fall  of  1828, 


DR.  JAMES   OLIVER. 


OLD   ATHOL   FAMILIES.  "22^ 

moved  to  Orange,  aad  bought  the  old  Putnam  shop  on 
the  north  side  of  the  river,  where  he  did  blacksmithing 
with  water  power.  He  lived  there  four  years,  when  on 
uccount  of  his  health  he  vras  obliged  to  sell,  and  moved 
to  South  Athol,  then  called  Podunk,  and  opened  a  store. 
He  remained  in  South  Athol  about  four  years,  and  then 
moved  to  Athol  street  and  engaged  iu  blacksmithing  and 
house  building.  In  September,  1843,  he  moved  to  the 
Upper  Village  and  continued  the  blacksmith  business,  and 
in  1845,  built  a  house  upon  the  Common,  which  was  his 
home  for  nearly  thirty-five  years.  About  1850,  he  com- 
menced the  manufacture  of  steel  garden  rakes,  potato  dig- 
gers, etc.,  which  he  continued  with  yarying  success  for 
ten  or  fifteen  years,  and  in  I860,  engaged  in  getting  out 
house  finish,  which  business  he  followed  for  twelve  years 
or  more.  He  married  Minerva  Fay,  Sept.  18,  1827.  She 
died  Aug.  16,  1879,  and  Mr.  Oliver  April  20,  1887. 
They  had  seven  children,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 

Dr.  James  Oliver,  (3,)  the  only  son  of  James  Oliver, 
(  2,  )  was  born  June  28,  1836,  on  Athol  Street.  His  school 
days  commenced  at  the  early  age  of  three  years,  when  he 
went  to  school  with  an  older  sister.  When  about  seven- 
teen years  of  age  he  taught  his  first  school  in  the  New 
Sherborn  district,  where  his  wages  were  fourteen  dollars 
per  month,  and  he  paid  one  dollar  per  week  for  his  board. 
He  taught  other  schools  at  North  Orange  and  Phillipston, 
and  during  the  intervals  between  his  teaching  attended 
the  High  school.  He  was  the  teacher  of  the  Athol  Cen- 
tre Grammar  school  for  several  terms,  and  was  one  of  the 
first  assistant  teachers  of  the  High  school. 


224  ATHOL,   PAST  AJSTD   FRESENT, 

In  1860,  he  first  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  as  a. 
student,  with  the  late  Dr.  J.  P.  Lynde,  and  attended  med- 
ical lectures  at  Boston  for  several  terms,  graduating  July 
16,  1862.  During  the  last  year  of  his  studies  the  Civil 
war  was  raging,  and  several  times  he  almost  decided  tO' 
leave  his  studies  and  enter  the  army ;  fearing  the  war 
might  close  before  his  graduation.  As  soon  as  he  grad- 
uated from  the  Medical  College,  he  was  commissioned  as- 
sistant surgeon  in  the  21st  Mass.  Eegiment,  and  joined 
his  regiment  at  Falmouth,  Va.  At  the  second  Bull  Eun 
battle,  which  was  his  first  engagement,  Dr.  Oliver  was  left 
in  charge  of  the  sick  and  wounded,  and  was  taken  pris- 
oner, but  soon  managed  to  escape.  He  rejoined  his  regi- 
ment at  Alexandria,  and  participated  in  the  battles  at 
South  Mountain  and  Antietam.  He  was  promoted  as  sur- 
geon of  the  21st  Regt.  May  26,  1864,  and  passed  through 
the  battles  of  the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  Bethesda 
Church  and  Coal  Harbor.  His  term  of  service  having 
expired,  he  was  mustered  out  Aug.  30,  1864,  and  in  Sep- 
tember of  the  same  year  was  commissioned  assistant  sur- 
geon of  the  61st  Mass.  Regt.,  Oct.  18,  surgeon  of  the 
same,  and  June  2d,  1865,  brigade  surgeon.  He  partici- 
pated in  the  great  battles  of  April  1865,  which  resulted  in 
the  fall  of  Richmond,  and  was  mustered  out  with  his  regi- 
ment July  30,  1865. 

After  the  war  Dr.  Oliver  was  for  a  number  of  years 
engaged  in  cotton  raising  in  South  Carolina,  but  returned 
to  Athol  upwards  of  twenty  years  ago,  and  has  continued 
to  practice  his  profession  to  the  present  time.  He  has 
been  actively  interested  in  town  affairs  and  politics,  sue- 


OLD    ATHOL   FAMILIES.  225 

ceeded  the  late  Dr.  J.  P.  Lynde  as  the  Medical  Examiner 
of  this  district,  is  prominent  in  Grand  Army  circles,  and 
has  been  a  member  of  the  school  committee  for  several 
years,  being  a  member  of  the  present  board.  He  married 
Miss  Kate  Johnson,  daughter  of  the  late  Geo.  T.  Johnson, 
Jan.  25,  1876.  They  have  two  children,  Annie  J.  and 
James. 

The  other  children  of  James  Oliver,  (2,)  are,  Harriett 
K.,  who  married  S.  B.  Pitts,  Jane  T.,  married  Foster  J. 
Benjamin,  Eosella  A.,  married  Ransom  Ward,  and  Min- 
erva, married  Delevan  Richardson. 

George  Oliver,  a  son  of  Aaron  Oliver,  was  born  in 
Athol  in  1776.  He  lived  for  many  years  on  the  farm 
known  as  the  Brooks  farm  on  the  North  Orange  road. 
He  removed  to  Vermont,  where  he  lived  a  few  years, 
and  then  came  back  to  Massachusetts  and  resided  in  Roy- 
alston,  until  his  death  in  1841.  He  was  married  three 
times.  His  first  wife  was  Rhoda  Young,  by  whom  he 
had  four  children,  Hepzibah,  Samuel,  George  and  Na- 
thaniel. His  second  wife  was  Deborah  White,  and  by 
her  he  had  four  children,  Catherine,  Cynthia,  Moses  and 
Caleb.  Cynthia  Goddard,  the  third  wife,  bore  him  five 
children,  Charles,  James,  Aaron,  Mary  and  Lucy.  A 
sketch  of  James  Oliver  is  given  in  the  Grand  Army  chap- 
ter. Chas.  Oliver  was  born  April  5,  1831,  and  married 
Ellen  Davis,  a  sister  of  A.  S.  Davis,  April  5,  1854.  He 
resides  in  Fitchburg.  Moses  is  a  civil  engineer,  and  lives 
in  Lawrence,  where  he  has  been  prominent  in  building 
the  mills  of  the  city. 

Franklin    Oliver,  a   son  of  James  (1,)  was  born  March 


226  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

24,  1810,  and  lived  and  died  in  the  vicinity  of  his  native 
place.  He  had  a  saw  miU  near  South  Athol,  and  manu- 
factured lumber,  in  which  he  was  an  extensive  dealer. 
He  married  Emily,  a  daughter  of  Bartholomew  Wood- 
ward, and  had  eleven  children:  Ozi,  Sylvenus  E.,  Otis, 
Franklin,  Jr.,  Sally  E.,  Franklin  2d,  Solon  J.,  Orville, 
Orrin,  Edd  O.  and  Lilia  E. 

THE  KENDALLS. 

Among  the  names  in  the  "•  List  of  men  admitted  by  the 
Great  and  General  Court's  Committee,  to  draw  House 
Lotts  in  the  Township  of  Pequoig,  on  Millers  Eiver,  on 
the  26  of  June,  1734,  at  Concord,  as  settlers  of  said  Pe- 
quoig," we  find  the  name  of  Samuel  Kendall.  This  Sam- 
uel Kendall  was  from  Woburn,  where  he  was  born,  Oct. 
29,  1682,  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Ruth  Kendall.  He  was 
a  man  of  great  activity  and  enterprise,  well  known  as 
Lieutenant  Kendall,  having  received  a  Lieutenant's  com- 
mission from  Governor  Belcher,  Oct.  5,  1732.  He  was 
an  extensive  land-owner  in  his  native  town,  and  was  also 
an  original  proprietor  of  Northtown,  or  Townsend.  He 
was  one  of  the  principal  men  among  the  early  settlers  of 
Pequoig,  and  here  he  and  several  of  his  sons  suffered  from 
flood  and  from  depredations  of  the  Indians  in  the  French 
war  between  the  years  1744  and  1760.  He  was  a  car- 
penter by  trade,  and  did  good  service  in  the  settlement  of 
the  town.     He  died  at  Woburn,  Dec.  13,  1764. 

It  was  either  this  Mr.  Samuel  Kendall,  or  his  son  Sam- 
uel, that  the  proprietors  made  an  agreement  with  for 
building  a  mill,  for  at  a  meeting  of  the  proprietors,  held 
by  adjournment  on  the  18th  day  of  October,  1738,  a  grant 


OLD    ATHOL    FAMILIES.  227 

of  sixty  acres  of  land  was  made  "  to  Mr.  Samuel  Kendall 
for  building  a  corn  mill  and  keeping  it  in  Repair  for  ye 
space  of  ten  years,  so  as  to  Grind  for  ye  Above  said  Pro- 
prietors." Jesse  Kendall,  a  son  of  Samuel,  was  a  promi- 
nent man  in  the  early  days  of  Athol,  especially  in  building 
mills  and  developing  the  water  power,  and  was  one  of 
the  deacons  of  the  old  first  church,  being  chosen  to  that 
position  Nov.  10,  1774.  Mrs.  Anstis  Kendall  MUes,  a 
granddaughter,  in  the  Kendall  genealogy  which  she  ar- 
ranged in  rhyme,  has  the  following  in  regard  to  him  : 

"Now  Jesse,  eleventh  of  Samuel,  I'll  show, 
Whose  wile  was  Elizabeth  Evans,  I  know, 
He  moved  to  "  Pequoage  "  and  lived  near  the  river, 
Now  Athol,  for  the  Kendalls  are  millers  forever. 

He  dug  a  canal,  took  the  water  away. 
Which  moves  much  mechanical  busmess  to-day. 
And  built  the  first  mill  to  ijrind  corn  and  wheat, 
Eye,  barley  and  oats,  for  the  people  to  eat. 

He  owned  a  good  farm,  which  he  cleared  up  with  care, 
And  contended  for  crops  with  the  flood  ancl  the  bear. 
And  the  men  of  the  forest,  being  loth  to  depart, 
Shot  their  arrows  of  vengeance,"  but  ne'er  reached  his  heart. 

He  was  honest  in  toil,  was  constant  to  meeting, 
And  the  brethren  united  and  made  him  a  Deacon, 
Yet  at  this  distant  day,  it  seems  rather  odd. 
That  they  carried  their  guns  to  the  house  of  their  God. 

The  scripture  injunction  they  fully  obeyed, 
And  some  watched  without  while  the  minister  prayed. 
'Twas  the  war  with  the  French  that  kindled  their  ire. 
To  murder  and  steal,  and  burn  up  with  fire. 

How  little  we  think  what  our  fathers  went  through, 
As  we  till  the  green  fields  that  they  strove  to  subdue, 
E'en  my  father,  when  young,  caught  a  cub  by  the  way. 
When  going  to  meeting  one  fine  Sabbath  day. 

This  Jesse  a  patriarch  was  in  his  day, 

Had  twelve  sons  and  daughters,  all  handsome  and  gay." 

Joel  Kendall  of  this  family,  owned  a  saw  and  grist  mill, 
where  the  factory  of  the  Millers  River  Manufacturing  Co. 
is  now  located,  and  also  owned  a  large  tract  of  land  be- 
tween the  villages.  He  was  succeeded  in  business  by  his 
sons,  Lyman  Kendall  and  Joel  Kendall,  Jr.,  the  former's 


228  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

residence  being  the  house  now  occupied  by  M.  L.  Lee, 
while  the  latter  lived  where  the  S.  E.  Fay  house  now 
is,  and  had  a  mill  where  the  Goddard  and  Manning  piano 
shop  is  now  located. 

Another  family  bearing  the  name  of  Kendall,  which 
has  been  prominently  identified  with  the  town  all  through 
its  history  down  to  the  present  day  and  generation  settled 
on  Chestnut  HUl.  Six  Kendall  brothers  came  from  Scot- 
land and  settled  in  Massachusetts.  Jonathan  Kendall, 
one  of  the  six,  came  to  Athol  and  settled  on  Chestnut 
Hill.  He  built  a  log  house  and  cleared  up  about  half  an 
acre  of  land,  where  the  old  Kendall  house  now  stands. 
In  1765,  he  married  Anna  Oliver.  He  was  a  soldier  in 
the  Revolutionary  war,  and  participated  in  the  capture  of 
Ticonderoga;  his  grandson,  John  Kendall,  now  has  the 
old  powder  horn  that  he  carried  in  the  war.  His  wife, 
Anna,  was  a  woman  of  uncommon  strength  and  endur- 
ance, and  is  said  to  have  been  a  great  marksman.  She 
did  much  of  the  farm  work  while  her  husband  was  in  the 
war,  and  is  said  to  have  dug  forty  bushels  of  potatoes  in  a 
day.  He  kept  a  store,  and  people  came  from  Warwick  to 
get  codfish,  salt,  rum  and  molasses,  which  they  carried  to 
their  homes  through  the  wilderness  on  foot.  The  old 
store  stood  until  seven  or  eight  years  ago  on  the  farm. 
Jonathan  Kendall  also  owned  the  up-town  common,  which 
he  sold  to  Samuel  Sweetzer.  He  had  six  children,  five 
girls  and  one  boy.  He  died  in  1817,  and  his  wife  Anna, 
died  in  1824. 

John  Kendall,  the  only  son  of  Jonathan  Kendall,  mar- 
ried Susan  Smith  in   1796.     He  was  prominent  in  mili- 


JOAB  KENDALL. 


OZI  KENDALL. 


JOHN  KENDALL. 


GOODELL  GODDARD. 


OLD   ATHOL   FAMILIES.  229 

tary  affairs  of  those  days,  and  was  a  captain  in  the  militia. 
He  had  ten  children,  six  boys  and  four  girls  :  Jonathan, 
Stephen,  Wyman,  Annie,  Joab,  Lydia,  Ozi,  John,  Maria 
and  Susan,  Stephen  and  Susan  died  young.  Annie  mar- 
ried Joshua  Young,  and  died  in  a  few  years,  Lydia  mar- 
ried Gardner  Davis,  and  was  the  mother  of  Azor  S, 
Davis,  and  Maria  married  Russell  Smith,  who  was  one  of 
Athoi's  prominent  manufacturers.  Jonathan  settled  in 
Orange,  and  was  the  father  of  Aral  Kendall.  Wyman 
went  South,  and  was  engaged  in  peddling  saddles  and 
other  articles.  He  returned  to  Athol  and  worked  at  shoe 
making,  and  subsequently  went  to  Vermont,  where  he  re- 
mained for  some  time. 

Joab  Kendall  was  born  Dec.  22,  1805.  He  lived  at 
home  on  the  farm,  and  his  education  was  received  in  the 
district  school.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  went 
to  Worcester,  and  lived  for  a  year,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  Athol  and  purchased  a  farm  on  Chestnut  Hill, 
near  the  old  homestead.  He  was  married  Sept.  26,  1830, 
to  Louisa  Young  of  Orwell,  Vt.  He  carried  on  his  farm 
for  nearly  forty-five  years,  until  October,  1871,  when  he 
removed  to  the  Village  and  retired  from  active  business. 
He  was  a  prominent  and  active  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  and  was  one  of  its  deacons  for  fifteen  years. 
He  had  one  son,  Ira  Y.  Kendall.  He  died  Dec.  14, 
1884. 

Ozi  Kendall  was  born  Sept,  13,  1810.  He  received 
the  common  school  education  afforded  in  those  times,  and 
when  a  young  man  of  seventeen,  entered  a  Worcester 
leather   store,   and  later  went   to   Templeton,   where   he 


230  ATBOL,    FAST    AND   PRKSEWT. 

learned  the  shoemakers  trade  of  Jonathan  Bowker.  He 
returned  to  Athol,  and  in  1834,  began  business  for  him- 
self in  a  small  way,  in  the  shop  on  Main  street,  which  for- 
merly adjoined  the  house  in  which  he  lived  and  where  he 
died.  His  business  grew  slowly,  but  steadily,  until  it  out- 
grew the  Main  Street  shop,  and  the  large  brick  factory 
on  Exchange  Street  was  erected  in  1814.  In  1855,  he 
admitted  his  son  George  N.,  into  partnership  with  him, 
which  was  continued  until  1875.  the  firm  name  being  O. 
Kendall  &  Son.  In  1870,  his  nephew,  Ira  Y.  Kendall 
and  Geo.  S.  Pond,  were  admitted  to  the  firm,  and  the 
name  was  changed  to  O.  Kendall  &  Co.,  which  it  re- 
mained until  the  business  was  given  up  in  1887.  In 
1884,  which  completed  half  a  century  of  his  business,  he 
sold  out  his  interest  to  Ira  Y.  Kendall  and  Geo.  S.  Pond. 
He  married  Miss  Fanny  A.  Ainsworth,  a  sister  of  the 
wife  of  Jonathan  Bowker,  his  early  employer  in  Temple- 
ton.  They  had  two  children,  George  N.  and  Helen  F., 
who  married  Rev.  Alonzo  Sanderson,  a  Methodist  min- 
ister, now  of  Worcester.  Mr.  Kendall  was  a  trustee  of 
the  Athol  Savings  Bank  for  many  years,  and  in  1871, 
represented  this  district  in  the  Legislature.  He  was  one 
of  nature's  noblemen,  quiet  and  retiring,  with  a  tender 
heart  and  generous  impulses,  while  the  most  solid  virtues 
were  ingrained  in  his  character,  and  when  he  passed 
away  on  Nov.  16,  1884,  the  whole  community  mourned 
the  loss  of  a  good  man. 

John  Kendall  was  born  Oct.  26,  1812,  and  has  always 
lived  on  the  old  homestead  settled  by  his  grandfather 
Jonathan.     In  addition  to   carrying  on  his  farm   he  en- 


IRA  Y.  KENDALL. 


'OLD   ATHOL   FAMILIES.  2Sl 

gaged  quite  extensively  for  many  years  in  the  lumbering 
business.  He  has  served  his  fellovr  citizens  in  positions 
■of  responsibility,  having  been  for  six  years  a  member  of 
the  board  of  Selectmen,  two  of  the  years  being  the  first 
years  of  the  late  war,  and  was  for  forty  years  one  of  the 
sextons.  For  many  years  he  was  a  prominent  member  of 
the  old  First  Unitarian  church,  was  a  teacher  ill  its  Sun* 
day  school,  and  one  of  the  committee  of  arrangements  for 
the  Centennial  celebration  of  the  church  in  1850.  He 
is  now  a  member  of  the  Second  Unitarian  church.  The 
divining  rod  works  well  in  his  hands,  and  his  reputation 
in  this  du-ection  has  been  such  that  his  services  have  been 
in  demand  in  all  of  the  towns  of  this  vicinity,  and  he  has 
also  been  called  to  a  distance.  He  has  discovered  more 
than  one  hundred  and  fifty  springs  in  Athol  alone.  He 
married  Cynthia  Garfield,  in  November,  1836.  She  died 
Mar.  13,  1877,  and  he  was  married  to  Almira  Goodell, 
Feb.  22,  1878.  He  had  two  children  by  his  first  wife, 
Henry  and  Susan  who  married  Simeon  B.  Jiewton. 

Ira  Y  Kendall,  son  of  Joab,  Was  born  Dec.  25,  1831. 
He  attended  the  common  schools  of  the  town,  and  in  the 
fall  of  1853,  went  to  Brandon  Seminary,  in  Brandon,  Vt.^ 
where  he  became  acquainted  with  Miss  Ettie  Thomas  of 
that  town,  whom  he  married  Sept.  6,  1855.  He  learned 
the  shoemakers  trade  and  the  bottoming  of  boots,  and 
settled  down  at  home  on  the  farm,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  farming  and  lumbering,  until  he  moved  to  the  Village, 
April  1,  1870.  He  went  into  company  with  his  uncle, 
Ozi  Kendall,  in  the  manufacture  of  boots,  the  firm  name 
being   O.    Kendall  &   Co.     In  1884,  with  Mr.   Geo,   S. 


232  ATHOJL,    FAST   AND    PRESENT. 

Pond,  he  bought  out  the  business,  and  continued  it  under 
the  old  firm  name,  until  the  spring  of  1887.  when  they 
retired  from  business.  Since  then  he  has  been  engaged 
in  the  lumber  business  most  of  the  time.  Mr.  Kendall  has 
always  taken  an  active  interest  in  town  and  public  affairs, 
represented  this  district  in  the  Legislature  of  1881,  served 
the  town  as  Selectman,  Overseer  of  the  Poor  and  Road 
Commissioner  in  1888  and  1889,  and  was  for  a  number 
of  years  one  of  the  Republican  town  committee.  During 
the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  he  was  one  of  the  committee  for 
raising  money  for  the  volunteers.  He  is  also  prominently, 
identified  with  the  Congregational  church,  was  Superin- 
tendent of  its  Sunday  School  for  three  years,  and  was 
chosen  Deacon  in  1879,  which  position  he  holds  at  the 
present  time.  He  had  one  son,  Warren,  a  young  man  of 
much  promise,  who  died  in  1890,  at  the  age  of  eighteen, 
while  a  student  at  Cushing  Academy. 
THE  MORTONS. 
Among  the  first  five  settlers  of  Athol  were  two  brothers, 
Richard  Morton  and  Samuel  Morton,  while  a  third 
brother,  Noah,  came  a  few  years  after.  They  came  from 
Hatfield,  and  were  the  sons  of  Abraham  Morton,  who  was 
born  in  May,  1676,  and  married  Sarah  Kellogg,  May  8, 
1701.  The  first  ancestor  of  the  family  in  America  was 
George  Morton,  one  of  the  Pilgrims,  who  was  their  finan- 
cial agent  in  England,  and  the  one  who  chartered  the 
"Mayflower,"  which  brought  over  the  first  colony  that 
landed  at  Plymouth  in  1620,  coming  himself  in  1623. 
Richard  Morton  married  Mary  Waite,  a  granddaughter  of 
Sergeant  Benjamin  Waite,  the  "  Hero  of  the  Connecticut 


OLD    ATHOL   FAMILIES.  233 

Valley,"  Feb.  25,  1731.  He  came  to  Athol  in  Septem- 
ber, 1735,  and  built  the  first  dwelling  in  town,  which  was 
a  log  hut  near  the  house  formerly  occupied  by  Mr.  Lynda 
Smith.  He  was  actively  engaged  in  the  organization  of 
the  first  church  of  Athol,  and  was  one  of  the  first  to  afiix 
his  signature  to  the  solemn  covenant.  He  had  seven 
children:  Martin,  Jeremiah,  Abraham,  Margery,  Ben- 
jamin, Mary  and  Submit. 

(  1 )  Martin  Morton,  the  oldest,  was  born  in  Hatfield, 
Feb.  7,  1732.  He  had  fifteen  children,  born  in  Athol 
between  1754  and  1782.  This  family  probably  removed 
from  town. 

( 2 )  Jeremiah  Morton,  the  second  son,  was  born  in 
Hatfield,  Nov.  20.  1733,  and  married  Alice  Ford,  Nov. 
30,  1766.  They  had  seven  children,  Daniel,  the  oldest 
son,  married  Electa  Fairbanks,  and  had  five  children,  all 
of  whom  died  within  six  months  of  each  other,  with  the 
exception  of  Electa,  who  married  John  W.  Kelton,  and 
died  in  1892,  at  the  age  of  ninety-five  years.  She  was  the 
mother  of  John  and  Cornelius  W.  Kelton. 

Lieutenant  Joel  Morton,  the  second  son  of  Jeremiah 
Morton,  was  born  Dec.  17,  1770.  He  married  Annie 
Kendall  of  Athol,  and  was  a  man  of  wealth  and  influence 
in  the  town,  holding  the  position  of  town  treasurer  for 
many  years.  He  had  several  daughters,  of  whom,  Alice 
married  Bela  Putnam,  and  Fanny  married  Lyndes  Smith. 

Jeremiah  Morton,  the  youngest  son  of  Jeremiah  and 
Alice  (Ford)  Morton,  was  born  Nov.  30,  1781,  and  mar- 
ried Olive  Morse,  March  30,  1809.  He  was  engaged  in 
the  saddlery  and  hatter  business,  and  built  the  house  now 


234  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

occupied  by  Dr.  James  Oliver,  which  was  his  home  until 
his  death  Feb.  1,  1854. 

John  Dwight  Morton,  his  son,  was  born  Oct.  3,  1830. 
His  education  was  obtained  in  the  public  schools  of  Athol, 
and  he  served  his  first  apprenticeship  in  business  when 
fifteen  years  old  in  a  store  in  Koyalston  kept  by  Austin  & 
Work.  He  remained  there  three  years,  after  which  he 
returned  home  and  spent  another  year  in  school,  when  he 
started  business  on  his  own  account,  in  what  is  now  the 
town  of  Putnam,  Conn.,  where  he  remained  three  or  four 
years,  and  went  to  Boston  in  1853.  He  first  obtained  a 
situation  in  the  store  of  Stimson  &  Valentine,  wholesale 
dealers  in  paints,  oils  and  varnishes.  In  1859  he  entered 
the  employ  of  the  house  of  Banker  &  Carpenter,  who 
were  engaged  in  the  same  business,  and  became  a  partner 
in  1864.  In  1868,  the  firm  name  was  changed  to  Car- 
penter, Woodward  &  Morton,  and  remained  the  same  un- 
til Jan.  1,  1893,  when  the  business  was  incorporated,  un- 
der the  name  of  the  Carpenter-Morton  Company,  of  which 
Mr.  Morton  is  the  treasurer  and  general  manager.  This 
company  does  the  largest  business  of  any  in  New  Eng- 
land in  its  special  line  of  goods,  and  is  one  of  the  largest 
in  the  United  States.  He  has  had  much  to  do  in  mould- 
ing and  influencing  the  business  and  social  organizations 
of  Boston.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  "  Paint 
and  Oil  Club  of  New  England,"  serving  as  its  President 
in  1886  and  1887,  was  also  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
"  National  Paint,  Oil  and  Varnish  Association,"  which  was 
organized  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  1888,  and  served  as  its 
President  in  1893  and  1894.     He  first  suggested  the  for- 


JOHN    D.  MORTON. 


OLD    ATHOL   FAMILIES.  235 

mation  of  the  present  "  Boston  Associated  Board  of 
Trade,"  and  served  as  its  first  vice  president.  Among  the 
various  clubs  and  associations  of  which  he  is  a  member 
are:  The  Ancient  and  Honorable  Artillery  Company, 
Bostonian  Society,  Boston  Art  Club,  Boston  Commandery 
of  Knights  Templars,  Boston  Chamber  of  Commerce,  Rox- 
bury  Club,  Boston  Young  Men's  Christian  Union,  Ameri- 
can Unitarian  Association,  and  many  others.  He  was  in 
1889  and  1890  President  of  the  Worcester  Northwest 
Agricultural  and  Mechanical  Society.  He  married  Mar- 
cia  E.  Wesson,  daughter  of  William  C.  Wesson  of  Hard- 
wick,  Oct.  7,  1862.  They  have  three  children,  two 
daughters  and  a  son.  Arabel,  the  oldest  daughter,  mar- 
ried in  1887,  Joseph  H.  Goodspeed,  treasurer  of  the  West 
End  Railroad  Co.,  and  Clara  married  George  F.  Gray  of 
Boston,  who  is  associated  with  the  Shephard  &  Morse 
Lumber  Co.  George  C.  is  associated  with  his  father,  and 
is  a  director  of  the  Carpenter-Morton  Co. 

(  3  )  Abraham,  the  third  son  of  Richard  Morton,  born 
Dec.  25,  1735,  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  Athol. 
His  supposed  tragic  death  is  related  in  the  chapter  on 
Ancient  Pequoig. 

(4)  Margery,  born  Oct.  28,  1737,  was  the  first  white 
female  born  in  Athol.  She  lived  a  maid.  The  following 
poem  was  written  of  her  by  Mrs.  Clare  H.  Burleigh  for 
"  Picturesque  Worcester:" 

"No  poet,  or  painter,  no  hero  of  fame 
We  8mg,  but  of  Athol's  first  baby,"  whose  claim 
The  records  preserve  undisputed.    Her  same 
Was  Margery  Morton. 

We  know  not  the  tint  of  her  hair  or  her  eyes, 
If  sombre,  or  gleaming  with  light  from  the  skies ; 
If  sober,  or  smiling,  if  foolish  or  wise, 
This  Margery  Morton. 


236  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 


But "  Athol "  her  balJy  lips  learned  to  repeat, 
The  dust  of  the  highway,  the  first  village  street  i 

Was  trodden  oft-times,  by  the  wee  toddling  feet  , 

Of  Margery  Morton. 

No  garment  of  her's  bright  with  cochineal  hues. 
No  apron  of  jean,  dyed  with  indigo  blues. 
Hare  we,  but  one  of  the  queer  little  shoes 
Of  Margery  Morton. 

She  looked  from  her  home,  on  the  valleys  below, 
On  hills  clad  with  verdure,  or  covered  with  snow ; 
The  famous  old  "  fort  tree  "  began  first  to  grow 
With  Margery  Morton. 

For  her,  all  the  wild  flow'rs  made  haste  to  unfold 
Their  petals  of  crimson,  of  purple  and  gold ; 
As  lovely  as  now,  were  the  blossoms  of  old. 
For  Margery"  Morton. 

Perchance  a  fierce  savage,  with  dark  painted  face 
Frowned  on  her  young  beauty,  her  innocent  grace. 
And  danger  may  always  have  haunted  the  place 
For  Margery  Morton. 

We  follow  her  not  through  life's  devious  way, 
A  fair  winsome  maiden,  or  sad  spinster  gray ; 
We  sing  but  of  Athol's  first  daughter  to-day, 
Our  Margery  Morton. 

(  5  )  Benjamin,  son  of  Eichard  Morton,  was  born  Oct. 
20,  1739,  and  married  Mary  Dexter,  Sept.  28,  1760. 
They  resided  in  Orange,  and  had  nine  children. 

(  6 )     Mary  married  Stephen  Lord  of  Athol. 

(  7  )     Submit  married  Caleb  Smith  of  Athol. 

Samuel  Morton,  who  came  to  Athol  with  his  brother 
Eichard  in  1735,  was  born  at  Hatfield,  Sept.  8,  1708, 
and  married  Lydia  Smith,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Smith 
of  Hatfield,  June  23,  1731.  They  had  nine  chUdren: 
Lydia  married  Eobert  Bradish,  Abigail  married  James 
Stratton,  Jerusha  married  Jonas  Bradish,  Lois  married 
Samuel  Humphrey,  a  brother  of  Eev.  James  Humph- 
rey, and   Martha  married  Daniel  Lamson,  all  of  Athol. 

Julius  Sterling  Morton,  who  is  descended  from  Sam- 
uel Morton,  is  the  most  distinguished  descendant  of  the 
old  Athol  families.     He    was  born    at   Adams,  Jefferson 


TfUD    ATHOL,  FAMILIES.  237 

County,  New  York,  April  22,  1832,  a  son  of  Julius 
Dewey  Morton  and  Emeline  (Sterling)  Morton.  When 
he  was  but  two  years  old  his  parents  removed  to  Monroe, 
Michigan.  Until  he  was  fifteen  years  old  he  attended  a 
private  school  in  Monroe,  and  was  then  placed  in  the 
Wesleyan  Seminary  at  Albion,  Mich.  In  1850,  he  en- 
tered the  Michigan  University  at  Ann  Arbor,  and  after 
nearly  four  years  at  this  institution,  he  went  to  Union 
College,  and  in  1854  received  his  degree  of  A.  M.,  from 
Dr.  Eliphalet  Nott,  the  famous  president  of  that  college. 
During  the  last  two  years  of  his  college  life  he  was  a  fre- 
quent contributor  to  the  editorial  columns  of  the  Detroit 
Free  Press.  Soon  after  graduating  he  married,  and  in  the 
fall  of  1854,  started  for  the  newly  organized  territory  of 
Nebraska,  where  he  pre-empted  a  claim  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  and  in  true  pioneer  style  built  a  log 
cabin,  which  was  the  home  of  himself  and  wife  for  a  year. 
The  cabin  then  gave  place  to  a  cottage,  and  that  spot  has  ■ 
ever  since  been  Mr.  Morton's  home.  His  early  purpose 
had  been  to  become  a  lawyer,  and  he  practiced  that  pro- 
fession until  1860,  when  his  office  and  library  were  burned, 
when  he  abandoned  law  for  business,  and  occupations 
more  congenial  to  him.  In  April,  1855,  he  established 
the  Nebraska  City  News,  which  he  edited  for  many  years, 
and  which  is  still  in  existence,  being  the  oldest  paper  in 
the  state.  He  took  a  lively  interest  in  public  affairs,  and 
became  a  member  of  the  territorial  legislature,  and  was 
appointed  by  President  Buchanan,  Secretary  of  the  Ter- 
ritory, in  1858,  which  position  he  held  until  1861,  and 
during  a  portion  of  this  period  he  was  the  acting  governor. 


2^8  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Mr,  Morton  has  been  repeatedly  the  candidate  of  his  party 
for  governor,  and  a  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate,  but 
during  his  entire  political  career,  his  state  has  been  stead- 
fastly Kepublican,  and  it  was  not  until  1893  that  he  came 
into  power  as  a  member  of  President  Cleveland's  Cabinet, 
when  he  was  selected  as  Secretary  of  Agriculture.  It  was 
exceedingly  appropriate  that  this  importaut  position 
should  be  conferred  upon  one  whose  devotion  to  agricul- 
ture and  forestry  had  become  of  national  renown,  as  being 
the  originator  of  Arbor  Day,  and  through  whose  influence 
the  treeless  lands  of  the  West,  are  being  transformed  in- 
to gardens  and  orchards,  and  dotted  with  vigorous  forest 
growth.  As  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  he  has  labored  un- 
tiringly to  promote  the  agricultural  interests  of  his  state. 
His  entire  course  of  public  life  has  been  characterized  by 
an  uncommon  independence  of  merely  popular  and  super- 
ficial movements.  His  wife  died  twenty  years  after  their 
removal  to  Nebraska.  He  has  four  sons,  who  have  grown 
to  manhood  and  become  heads  of  families. 

Abner  Morton,  son  of  Samuel,  was  born  Jan.  17,  1736. 
He  married  Sophia  Goddard,  May  14,  1764.  They  be- 
longed to  the  church  in  Athol,  he  joining  in  1765,  and 
she  in  1774.  The  records  give  the  names  of  four  children 
as  born  to  them. 

Dr.  Joshua  Morton,  another  son  of  Samuel,  was  born 
in  Athol,  Oct.  20,  1744.  He  married  three  times,  his 
first  wife  being  Azubah,  daughter  of  Capt.  Nathaniel 
Graves,  the  second  Eebecca  Rich,  and  the  third  Azubah 
Williams.  Seven  children  are  recorded  as  having  been 
born  to  him.  A  brief  sketch  of  him  is  given  in  the  Medi- 
cal chapter. 


tSLD    ATHOL   FAMILIES. 


289 


IS^oah  Morton,  who  came  to  Athol  a  few  years  after  Ms 
brothers,  Eichaid  and  Samuel,  w«,s  born  in  Hatfield,  Dec 
5,  1718,  and  died  in  Athol,  March  W,   1798.     H«  mar- 
ried  Ehoda.  Waite,  and  they  had  three  children. 
THE  GODDAEDS. 

Several  of  the  Goddard  families  of  Athol  are  descend- 
ants of  one  Edward  Goddard  -of  Norfolk  County,  England, 
His  seventh  son,  William,  was  a  wholesale  merchant  in 
London,  and  came  to  New  England  in  1665  to  look  after 
property  that  he  had  in  this  country.  He  liked  so  well 
that  he  sent  for  his  family  and  settled  in  Watertown,  Mass. 
His  son,  Benjamin,  born  in  1668,  married  Martha  Palfrey, 
and  lived  in  Charlestown.  Thesy  had  a  son,  Benjamin, 
born  in  1705,  who  married  Mary  Kidder,  and  resided  in 
Grafton,  Mass.  Their  son  James,  born  in  1740,  came  to 
Athol  sometime  between  1760  and  1765,  with  his  second 
cousin,  Josiah  Goddard,  and  settled  on  Chestnut  Hill, 
Josiah  on  the  last  farm  in  Athol,  since  known  as  the  Flint 
farm,  and  Lieut.  James  Goddard  on  the  next  farm  south 
on  the  east  side  of  the  road. 

Josiah  Goddard,  or  "Squire  Goddard,"  as  he  was  called, 
was  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  probably,  the 
most  prominent  man  in  public  affairs  in  town.  In  the 
opening  days  of  the  Eevolutiou,  he  was  one  of  the  commit' 
tee  of  Inspection  and  Correspondence,  and  was  from  1778 
to  1800,  one  of  the  selectmen.  He  was  moderator  of  town 
meetings  for  many  years,  was  on  many  important  commit- 
tees, and  was  Eepresentative  to  the  Great  and  General 
Court  for  six  years. 

James  Goddard  married  Miss  Betty  Goddard  of  Shrews- 
bury, a  sister  of  Josiah  Goddard,  in  1767.  They  had  five 
children. 


2i0 

Elijah  Goddard.  the  second  child  of  James  Goddard^ 
was  born  in  1771.  He  married  Miss  Mehitable  Goodell 
in  1794,  and  had  twelve  children,  most  of  whom  died 
young.  He  was  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  old  First 
Church,  and  was  one  of  its  deacons  from  1807,  until  the 
separation  of  the  Evangelical  Church  in  1830,  when  he 
went  with  the  new  church,  and  was  one  of  its  deacons  un- 
til his  death,  in  1854.  He  was  the  Superintendent  of  the 
first  Sunday  School  in  town,  until  the  division  of  the 
church,  and  was  for  several  years  one  of  the  selectmen. 

GooDELL  Goddard,  the  second  son  of  Elijah,  was  born 
May  1,  1797.  He  married  Miss  Hannah  Paine  of  Green- 
wich. He  rebuilt  the  hfiuse  of  his  grandfather,  Lieut. 
James  Goddard,  where  he  lived  until  after  the  death  of 
his  mother  in  1836,  when  he  returned  to  his  early  home  to 
care  for  his  father.  He  remained  on  this  farm  until  about 
1858,  when  he  removed  to  the  village  and  occupied  a 
house  that  he  had  built  on  the  corner  of  Park  and  Central 
Streets,  where  he  lived  during  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
He  never  cared  for  office  of  any  kind,  but  loved  a  quiet 
life.  He  dealt  largely  in  real  estate,  and  had  an  interest 
at  different  times  in  three  or  four  stores,  the  last  one  be- 
ing where  Dr.  H.  M.  Humphrey's  drug  store  now  is.  He 
was  a  prominent  member  of  the  Congregational  church,  of 
which  he  was  elected  Deacon,  May  1,  1863.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  church  for  forty-six  years,  and  a  deacon 
fourteen  years.  Quiet  and  unobtrusive  in  manner,  yet 
firm  to  the  truth  at  all  times,  he  was  respected  and  be- 
loved in  the  community.  He  died  July  12,  1877,  being 
the  last  survivor  of  his  family. 


OLD  ATHOL   FAMILIES.  241 

THE  SWEETSER  FAMILY. 

During  the  first  half  of  the  present  century  the  Sweet- 
ser  family  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  families  of 
Athol,  but  for  the  last  thirty  or  forty  years  there  has  been 
ao  descendant  in  town  bearing  the  family  name.  Samuel 
Sweetser,  son  of  Phillip  and  Sarah  (Richardson)  Sweetser, 
was  born  in  Leominster,  Mass.,  Oct.  16,  1764.  Before 
his  marriage  he  kept  a  store  in  Warwick  for  a  year  or 
two,  and  then  moved  to  Athol.  where  he  bought  the  tav- 
ern at  the  Centre.  In  1792  he  married  Miss  Hannah 
Moore  of  Cambridge,  and  their  home  was  at  the  tavern 
until  1806,  when  Mr.  Sweetser  sold  to  Thomas  Lord.  The 
family  then  moved  to  the  substantial  house  which  Mr. 
Sweetser  had  just  built  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street 
from  the  tarern  and  further  to  the  north.  Upon  the  death 
of  Mr.  Sweetser,  this  house  was  occupied  by  his  son  Sam- 
uel until  his  death  in  1847,  when  it  was  sold  to  Mr.  Ly- 
man W.  Hapgood. 

Mr.  Sweetser  was  for  many  years  widely  known  as  a 
grazier,  owning  large  farms  and  pastures  in  Athol,  Royal- 
ston,  Wendell,  Petersham,  Phillipston,  Northfield,  Heath, 
and  Warwick.  He  drove  great  numbers  of  cattle  to  the 
Brighton  market,  and  there,  his  ruddy  face,  and  portly 
figure  in  its  long  white  coat,  and  his  reputation  for  business 
ability  made  him  a  person  of  note.  One  year  it  was  said 
that  he  pastured  and  sent  to  Brighton  400  head  of  cattle. 
Mr.  Sweetser  was  kind  and  generous  to  the  poor  and  un^ 
fortunate,  especially  to  women  deprived  of  their  natural 
supporters,  and  many  supplies  from  his  abundant  larder 
found  their  way  to  the  needy.     He  died  in  1842  ;  but  Mrs. 


242  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Sweetser,  whose  home  was  for  five  years  with  her  son 
Samuel,  and  afterward  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Frederick 
Jones  in  Boston,  survived  him  fifteen  years.  Mrs.  Sweet- 
ser was  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Prescott  Jones  of  Athol.  She 
directed  her  large  household  skillfully,  and  without  bustle, 
and  lived  in  the  fear  of  God.  The  Sweetsers  had  nine 
children,  all  of  whom  lived  to,  maturity. 

(1)  Mary,  born  in  1794,  the  exemplary  and  beloved 
eldest  sister  died  unmarried  at  the  age  of  twenty-four. 

(2)  Abby,  born  in  1195,  was  an  intellectual  and  deep- 
ly religious  woman ;  a  teacher  in  the  first  Sunday  school 
in  Athol.  In  1818  she  married  Mr.  Joel  Wood  of  West- 
minster, by  whom  she  had  five  children.  The  three  sons 
died  in  youth.  Her  oldest  daughter,  Mary,  is  better 
known  in  Athol  than  any  other  descendant  of  the  Sweetser 
family.  After  a  wide  experience  as  a  teacher,  she  mar- 
ried in  1860  Rev.  Geo.  J.  TUlotson  of  Connecticut,  in 
which  state  she  has  since  resided,  and  for  some  years  in 
the  town  of  Wethersfield.  Her  sister  Abby  Maria,  lived 
for  some  years  with  her  imcle,  Luke  Sweetser,  in  Am- 
herst, and  married  in  1855,  Rev.  Daniel  Bliss,  who  was 
first  a  missionary,  and  is  now  president  of  the  College  at 
Beirut,  Syria. 

(3)  Samuel  Sweetser,  Jr.,  who  was  born  in  1798,  and 
died  in  1847,  always  resided  in  Athol,  and  was  associated 
with  his  father  in  business.  His  house,  until  the  death  of 
the  father,  was  that  now  occupied  by  Roswell  Beard.  He 
was  a  deacon  in  the  Orthodox  Church,  and  justly  re- 
spected and  beloved.  To  him  were  fitly  applied  the 
words,  -'Not  slothful  in  business,  fervent  in   spirit,  serving 


OLD   ATHOL    FAMILIES. 


243 


the  Lord."  Mr.  Sweetser  married  in  1823,  Anna  E. 
Humphrey  of  Athol,  who  died  in  1835,  three  of  whose 
children  are  living.  Hannah  A.,  who  in  1847  married 
Wm.  B.  Washburn,  afterward  Governor  of  Massachusetts. 
Her  home  is  in  Greenfield.  George  D.,  of  the  firm  of 
Sweetser,  Pembrook  &  Co.,  large  jobbers  in  dry  goods  in 
New  York,  and  Wm.  Penn,  with  Charles  Fox  of  Stafford 
Springs,  Conn.  Mr.  Sweetser  was  married'  the  second 
time  in  1836  to  Nancy  Maria  Harbach  of  Worcester,  who 
died  in  1B47,  and  their  son,  Charles  H.,  who  died  in 
1871,  was  a  journalist  of  ability. 

(4)  Luke  Sweetser,  born  in  1800,  went  to  Amherst, 
Mass.,  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  After  serving  Mr.  Wright 
Strong  as  clerk  for  a  short  time,  he  bought  Mr.  Strong's 
store,  and  was  a  successful  merchant  for  thirty-eight  years. 
He  represented  Amherst  in  the  Legislature  and  served  the 
town,  the  college  and  the  church  in  various  offices  with 
fideHty.  In  1833,  Mr.  Sweetser  married  Abby  G.  Mun- 
sell  in  New  York,  and  their  son,  John  Howard,  is  also  of 
the  firm  of  Sweetser,  Pembrook  &  Co.,  of  New  York. 
Mr.  Sweetser  died  in  1882,  and  his  wife  survived  him  less 
than  a  year. 

(5)  Abel  Sweetser,  born  in  1802,  resided  in  Worces- 
ter, where  he  engaged  in  mercantile  business,  and  later  in 
Springfield,  Mass.,  where  he  had  a  milk  and  fruit  farm 
and  nursery,  and  where,  in  1845,  he  died  from  an  ac 
cident.  His  first  wife  was  Almira  Jennison  of  Phillipston, 
whom  he  married  in  1833,  by  whom  he  had  two  children, 
Horatio,  a  house  decorator  in  New  York  city ,  and  Sarah, 
now  Mrs.  Fish  of  Quincy,   111.     In  1841    he  was  married 


244  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

the  second  time  in   Lowell  to    Eunice   White,  whose    son 
Luke  resides  in  Peoria,  111. 

(6)  Miranda,  born  in  1804,  was  married  in  1827  to 
James  Goldsbury  of  Warwick,  and  their  life  together  was 
numbered  by  almost  65  years,  when  her  death  occurred, 
November  6,  1891.  Mr.  Goldsbury,  who  throughout  his 
life  has  possessed  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  towns- 
people, still  retains  health  and  a  clear  mind  at  the  age  of 
96.  Their  daughter,  Ann  Maria,  lives  with  him,  while 
the  son  James  resides  in  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  engaged  in 
real  estate  business.  A  younger  son,  Sweetser,  died  in 
early  manhood.  Mrs.  Goldsbury  held  strong  convictions 
concerning  a  Christian  living  and  duty,  and  when,  ten 
years  before  her  death  she  was  crippled  by  an  accident, 
maintained  a  lovely  spirit  of  submission  to  God's  will. 
She  outlived  all  her  brothers  and  sisters,  and  looked  for- 
ward with  clear  faith  to  the  life  beyond  our  sight. 

(7)  Maria,  born  in  1806,  married  Frederick  Jones  of 
Athol  in  1831.  Mr.  Jones  continued  his  father's  business, 
as  a  tanner,  and  early  commenced  the  manufacture  of 
boots  and  shoes,  in  which  he  secured  a  large  fortune.  In 
1836  he  removed  to  Boston,  which  was  ever  after  his 
home.  The  Athol  boot  and  shoe  factory  was  owned  by 
Mr.  Jones  and  Mr.  Milton  Baker.  For  half  a  century, 
the  hospitality  of  Mr.  Jones'  city  home  was  enjoyed  by  the 
large  family  circle  and  many  friends,  and  with  it  are  con- 
nected delightful  memories  Mrs.  Jones'  character  was 
singularly  well  balanced.  With  a  quick  perception  of 
character,  and  of  the  humorous  side  of  things,  and  the 
rare  faculty    of  saying  much  in   few  words,,  she   had  the 


OLD    ATHOL    FAMILIES.  245 

charity  that  never  faileth.  Although  deeply  interested  in 
the  church  and  a  wide  range  of  charities,  chief  of  which 
was  the  Boston  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  her  tastes  were  preeminently 
domestic  and  womanly.  She  died  suddenly  of  apoplexy, 
July  16,  1884,  and  Mr.  Jones'  death,  June  7,  1887,  was 
from  the  same  cause.  Two  sons  died  in  infancy  and 
a  daughter  Jane  M.,  at  the  age  of  21.  The  older 
daughter,  Caroline  S.,  the  wife  of  F.  F.  Emery,  Mr.  Jones' 
partner,  died  Oct.  1,  1890. 

(8)  Joseph  Artemas,  born  in  1809,  early  removed  to 
Amherst,  and  in  1835  married  Catherine,  daughter  of 
Saihuel  Dickinson  of  that  town.  Mr.  Sweetser  became  a 
dry  goods  merchant  in  New  York  City,  and  their  home 
was  first  in  Brooklyn,  then  for  many  years  in  New  York, 
and  after  his  retirement  from  business,  upon  a  large  estate 
in  Poughkeepsie.  He  was  a  man  of  cultivated  tastes  and 
agreeable  manners,  and  much  attached  to  the  Madison 
Square  Church  and  to  its  pastor,  Rev.  Wm.  Adams.  In 
January,  1874,  when  the  family  were  boarding  in  New 
York,  Mr.  Sweetser  fell  upon  the  ice,  striking  the  head 
severely.  It  is  supposed  that  inflammation  of  the  brain 
ensued,  for  after  a  few  days  of  prostration,  he  walked 
away  from  the  hotel  on  the  evening  of  a  dense  fog,  and 
has  never  since  been  heard  from.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sweetser 
had  eight  children,  of  whom  three  only  are  living.  The 
oldest,  Henry  E.  was  a  valued  member  of  the  staff  of  the 
New  York  World.  Two  children  died  in  childhood,  and 
two  daughters,  Emma  and  Kate,  in  young  womanhood. 
Samuel,  connected  with  the  Metropolitan  S.  S.  Co.,  of 
New  York,  and   Mary,  Mrs.  Charles  H.    Sweetser,  reside 


246  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT, 

with  their  mother  in  Orange,  N.  J.     The  youngest  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  Edward  Winslow,  resides  in  New  York. 

(9)  Carohne,  born  in  1814,  was  married  in  1838  to 
Ebenezer  L.  Barnard  of  Worcester.  Of  their  five  child- 
ren, Lewis  died  in  infancy  ;  Edward  L.,  in  the  civil  war  ; 
Caroline,  wife  of  John  K.  Tiffany  of  St.  Louis,  in  1871. 
The  second  son,  Frederick  J.,  a  lavi^er,  and  Eliza,  reside 
in  Worcester.  Mr.  Barnard  died  in  1850,  and  in  1870 
Mrs.  Barnard  married  Alphonso  Wood,  author  of  the 
standard  works  on  botany,  and  their  home  was  in  West 
Farms,  New  York  City.  After  Mr.  Wood's  death  in 
1881,  Mrs.  Wood  resided  with  her  son  in  Worcester,  until 
her  death  in  1885.  She  was  a  woman  of  strong  character, 
ardent  temperament  and  wide  interest ;  and  it  is  to  her 
care  in  collecting  and  recording  the  history  of  the  family 
that  this  record  is  due.  The  Sweetser  family  were  charac- 
terized by  intelligence,  industry,  and  thrift  ;  by  strong  con- 
viction of  duty,  sometimes  sternly  held  ;  and  by  devotion 
to  the  church  and  to  the  needy. 

THE  ESTABROOKS. 

The  Estabrooks  are  descended  from  a  ministerial  family, 
their  ancestor,  Rev.  Joseph  Estabrook,  coming  from  Eng- 
land in  1660  with  two  brothers.  He  entered  Harvard 
College,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1664,  and  was  settled 
in  Concord  in  1667,  as  colleague  with  Rev.  Mr.  Buckley, 
where  he  continued  till  his  death,  which  happened  in 
1711.  He  had  four  sons,  of  these,  Joseph  Estabrook.  the 
oldest,  was  born  in  1669,  and  died  in  Lexington  in  1733  ; 
he  was  a  deacon  in  the  Lexington  church,  and  filled  almost 
every  office  in  the  gift  of  his  townsmen,  and  also  com- 


OLD    ATHOL    FAMILIES.  247 

manded  a  military  company.  He  was  a  man  of  more  than 
ordinary  education  for  that  day,  was  often  employed  as  a 
surveyor,  and  was  engaged  to  teach  the  first  mans  school 
in  the  town.  His  son  Joseph,  who  was  born  Oct.  10, 
1690,  and  died  Aug.  19,  1740,  was  like  his  father,  captain 
of  the  military  company,  deacon  of  the  church,  and  filled 
almost  every  important  ofl&ce  in  town. 

His  son,  Benjamin  Estabrook,  was  born  Dec.  20,  1729, 
and  married  Hannah  Hubbard  of  Concord,  May  9,  1757. 
He  was  for  many  years  a  coroner  and  a  justice  of  the 
peace,  and  was  in  the  campaign  to  Ticonderoga  in  1776. 
He  died  March  8,  1803. 

His  son,  Joseph  Estabrook,  was  born  in  Lexington, 
March  4,  1758.  Although  but  a  boy  of  seventeen  when 
the  memorable  Lexington  fight  of  April  19,  1775  oc- 
curred, he  was  one  of  those  who  resisted  the  advance  of 
the  English  troops  on  that  eventful  morning  ;  after  having 
assisted  his  father  in  carrying  his  mother,  with  a  young  in- 
fant, to  a  place  of  safety,  he  seized  his  musket  and  did 
valiant  service  in  checking  the  invaders  of  his  country. 
He  was  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1782,  and  after 
pursuing  his  theological  studies  with  Rev.  Jonas  Clarke, 
the  minister  of  his  native  town,  he  came  to  Athol,  and  was 
ordained  as  pastor  of  the  Athol  church  Nov.  21,  1787. 
The  town  was  most  fortunate  in  securing  for  its  second 
minister,  one  whose  lemarkable  abilities  and  tact  were  not 
only  able  to  bring  harmony  and  peace  to  a  community  rent 
by  years  of  discord  and  bitter  feeling,  but  who  also  exerted 
a  most  salutary  influence  upon  his  associates  in  the  min- 


248  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

istry  and  the  people  of  this  whole  region,  where  his  name 
has  always  been  held  in  blessed  memory. 

He  was  a  man  of  large  perceptive  powers,  and  pos- 
sessed a  rare  knowledge  of  human  nature,  which  enabled 
him  to  win  the  confidence  and  love  of  all ;  courteous  and 
affable,  he  was  every  one's  friend,  and  thus  was  often  let 
into  many  family  secrets  and  difficulties  where  his  soothing 
words  and  friendly  counsel  and  advice  acted  like  oil  upon 
the  troubled  waters,  and  he  became  known  far  and  wide 
as  a  peace-maker.  The  older  residents,  even  at  the  pres- 
ent day,  relate  many  amusing  stories  of  the  tact  displayed 
by  him  in  settling  troubles  among  his  parishioners  and 
fellow  townsmen.  Not  only  was  he  a  peace-maker  in  the 
domestic  affairs  of  his  people,  but  among  his  ministerial 
associates  at  that  time,  when  the  theological  controversies 
of  the  day  were  being  hotly  contested,  and  were  distracting 
many  of  the  churches  throughout  the  state.  He  would 
not  preach  upon  these  doctrines,  nor  did  he  wish  others  to 
do  so  in  his  pulpit.  He  wished  to  keep  free  of  human 
creeds,  and  advised  his  brethren  in  the  ministry  to  do  the 
same.  He  used  repeatedly  to  say,  '■  I  am  neither  a  Trini- 
tarian nor  a  Unitarian,  but  a  Bibletarian."  To  the  close 
of  his  long  ministry,  Mr.  Estabrook  retained  fellowship 
with  all  the  neighboring  clergy,  and  all  respected  him. 

Soon  after  his  settlement  in  Athol,  Mr.  Estabrook  was 
married  (Sept.  3,  1788,)  to  Miss  Lucy  Gushing  of  Pem- 
broke, Mass.  Her  parents  were  wealthy  residents  of  the 
old  colony,  and  she  was  their  only  daughter.  Born  and 
educated  in  affuence,  she  left  her  home  and  came  into  a 
land  of  strangers,  at  that  time  almost  a  wilderness.     She 


Rev.  JOSEPH    ESTABROOK. 


OLD   ATHOL   FAMILIES.  249 

acquainted  herself  with  the  duties  of  her  situation,  and 
resolutely  and  successfully  performed  them.  She  pos- 
sessed a  strong  mind,  which  study  and  reflection  had  dis- 
ciplined and  stored  with  useful  knowledge.  For  nearly 
forty-three  years,  Rev.  Mr.  Estabrook  continued  the  faith- 
ful minister  of  a  happy  people,  and  finally  closed  his  life 
on  the  morning  of  Sunday,  April  18,  1830,  lamented  by 
the  entire  community. 

He  had  seven  children,  four  boys  and  three  girls.  Lucy 
Gushing  Estabrook  married  Col.  Abner  Young,  Marcia 
married  Theodore  Jones,  Esq.,  and  had  a  large  family,  and 
Fidelia  married  Rev.  Preserved  Smith,  who  became  one  of 
the  most  prominent  clergymen  of  western  Massachusetts. 

Turner  Estabrook  went  South  and  died  young.  Gen. 
Nathaniel  Estabrook  attained  distinction  in  the  militia,  and 
removed  to  Leominster,  where  he  died  at  a  good  old  age. 

Dr.  Joseph  H.  Estabrook  graduated  from  Williams  Col- 
lege in  1818,  was  also  a  graduate  of  the  Harvard  Medical 
school,  and  studied  in  Boston  with  Dr.  Ezekiel  Cushing, 
and  settled  in  Camden,  Me.,  about  1825,  where  he  prac- 
ticed fifty  years.  He  was  demonstrator  of  Anatomy  in  the 
Brunswick  Medical  school,  and  was  for  two  years  Presi- 
dent of  the  Maine  Medical  Association.  He  died  at  Port- 
land, Me.,  in  1885,  at  the  age  of  eighty  seven  years. 

Benjamin  Estabrook,  the  youngest  son,  was  bom  Nov. 
23,  1803.  He  remained  at  home  with  his  father  until  the 
decease  of  the  latter,  when  he  came  into  possession  of  the 
"  home  place."  He  always  remained  a  resident  of  the 
town,  and  on  the  place  of  his  birth,  and  became  the  most 
prominent  man  of  his  day,  wielding  a  powerful  influence 


250  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

in  the  moulding  of  the  town  affairs  of  those  days,  and  by 
his  energy  and  prudence  accumulated  property,  until  at 
the  time  of  his  death  he  was  reported  to  be  one  of  the 
wealthiest  men  of  the  town.  He  held  almost  every  office 
in  the  gift  of  his  townsmen,  having  been  for  many  years  a 
member  of  the  board  of  selectmen,  was  town  clerk,  town 
treasurer,  member  of  the  school  committee,  post-master, 
represented  the  town  for  a  number  of  years  in  the  Leg- 
islature, and  in  1843  was  State  Senator,  and  in  all  the 
offices  that  he  held  there  was  never  a  question  as  to  his 
faithfulness,  honesty  and  capability.  The  words  of  condo- 
lence to  friends  from  one  intimately  acquainted  with  him, 
at  the  time  of  his  death,  are  exceedingly  appropriate  ; 
"  Like  all  men  he  had  his  faults,  yet  he  was  a  noble  heart- 
ed, philanthropic  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  always  hon- 
est and  honorable,  possessing  a  character  among  his  fellow 
men,  that  you  can  feel  a  just  pride  in  being  one  of  the 
same  blood.  That  greatest  and  grandest  of  human  virtues, 
— that  which  Christ  himself  personified  and  impressed  on 
mankind — charity,  "  Uncle  Ben  "  practiced  to  a  large  and 
commendable  degree."     He  died  October  19,  1872. 

FISH  FAMILY. 

One  of  the  old-time  Athol  families,  which  has  been 
identified  with  the  history  of  the  town  for  a  century  or 
more,  and  has  become  interlinked  by  marriage  relations 
with  many  of  the  old  families,  is  the  Fish  family.  Simeon 
Fish,  the  ancestor  of  this  family  in  Athol,  came  from 
Mendon  some  time  between  the  close  of  the  Revolution 
and  the  opening  of  the  present  century,  and  settled  here. 
He  was  a  sheriff  in  Mendon,   and  had  been  a  soldier  in 


OLD   ATHOL   FAMILIES.  251 

the  Revolution,  being  with.  Ethan  Allen  at  the  taking 
of  Ticonderoga.  He  was  also  an  extensive  landholder. 
When  he  came  to  Athol  there  were  only  two  houses  in 
that  portion  of  the  town  that  has  been  known  as  the 
lower  village  ;  one  of  these  was  the  old  Pequoig  House 
which  had  been  built  several  years,  and  which  he  pur- 
chased of  Dea.  Jesse  Kendall.  He  had  seven  children : 
Hannah,  Ezra,  Samuel,  Benjamin,  Eunice,  Sally  and 
Lucinda. 

(  1  )  Hannah,  married  Joshua  Smith,  and  was  the 
mother  of  Adin  H.  Smith. 

(  2  )  Ezra  Fish  was  a  farmer,  and  came  into  possession 
of  the  broad  acres  of  his  father,  that  included  nearly  all 
the  tract  now  occupied  by  the  busy  shops,  elegant  busi- 
ness blocks  and  fine  residences  of  the  Lower  Village.  He 
had  four  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  Moses 
married  Ann  Young,  lived  in  Athol  a  number  of  years 
and  died  in  New  Jersey.  Henry  became  the  owner  of 
his  father's  farm,  and  he  and  his  brother  Moses  were 
among  the  first  landlords  of  the  old  Pequoig  House.  He 
married  his  cousin,  Sally  Fish.  Lucy  married  Amos  L. 
Cheney. 

( 3 )  Benjamin  moved  from  town  and  resided  for  a 
time  in  Prescott  and  New  Salem.  He  afterwards  re- 
moved to  Peoria,  111.,  where  he  died. 

(  4  )     Eunice  married  Absalom  Ball  of  Warwick. 

(  5  )  Sally  married  Capt.  Francis  Twichell,  and  was 
the  mother  of  Ginery  Twichell. 

(  6  )  Lucinda  married  Reuben  Fairbanks,  and  moved 
to  Champlain. 


252  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

(  7  )  Samuel  Fish,  son  of  Simeon,  came  to  Athol  from 
Mendon,  but  whether  at  the  same  time  as  his  father  or 
not,  we  are  unable  to  determine.  When  he  first  came  to 
town  he  settled  on  Lyon's  hill,  towards  Petersham,  but  as 
he  felt  that  he  was  at  too  great  a  distance  from  school 
for  his  children  to  attend,  he  purchased  the  farm  now  oc- 
cupied by  Charles  H.  Moulton,  on  the  Petersham  road. 
He  also  at  one  time  lived  on  Chestnut  Hill,  on  the  place 
now  owned  by  Eev.  F.  B.  Knowlton.  He  had  eleven 
children :  Joseph,  Jason,  Francis,  Nancy,  Lucinda,  Bet- 
sey, Sally,  Samuel,  Jr.,  Esther,  Lucia  and  Horatio. 

(1)  Joseph,  the  oldest,  went  to  Putney,  Vt.,  when 
about  twenty-one  years  old,  and  afterwards  resided  in 
Dummerston  in  the  same  state. 

(  2  )  Jason  was  born  in  Athol,  Feb.  14,  1796,  and  for 
several  years  occupied  the  farm  of  his  father  on  Lyon's 
Hill.  He  left  Athol  in  1820,  and  lived  in  Vermont  for 
about  fifty  years.  He  had  four  sons  and  one  daughter  : 
Frederick  A.,  Prescott  M.,  Henry  L.,  William  W.  and 
Abby  M. 

William  W.  Fish,  son  of  Jason  Fish,  was  born  in 
Dummerston,  Vt.,  May  11,  1832.  He  remained  at  home 
with  his  father  until  about  seventeen  years  of  age,  when 
he  went  to  Angelica,  Alleghany  County,  New  York,  and 
learned  the  blacksmith  trade  with  his  brother.  He  re- 
mained there  about  two  and  a  half  years,  and  came  to 
Athol  in  September,  1852,  and  went  to  work  at  his  trade 
for  Mr.  Asa  Foster,  at  the  Upper  Village.  In  the  spring 
of  1853,  he  went  into  partnership  with  Mr.  Foster,  their 
place  of  business  being  a  shop  where  the  Chronicle  block 


WILLIAM    W.  FISH. 


OLD    ATHOL   FAMILIES.  253 

now  stands.  In  1855  he  bought  the  business  of  Mr.  Fos- 
ter, in  which  he  continued  for  many  years,  and  also  en- 
gaged in  the  carriage  business,  putting  up  the  first  build- 
ings on  the  "  Island  "  for  that  purpose.  He  carried  on 
this  business  until  he  was  burned  out  in  1871,  and  then 
went  into  the  real  estate  business  with  the  late  J.  B. 
Cardany,  and  about  that  time  built  the  block  now  known 
as  the  "  Chronicle  Block."  He  is  one  of  the  few  demo- 
crats that  have  represented  this  district  in  the  Legislature 
during  the  last  quarter  of  a  century,  being  a  member  of 
the  House  in  1876.  He  served  the  town  as  selectman 
four  years,  has  been  assessor  and  road  commissioner,  and 
is  now  one  of  the  cemetery  commissioners.  President 
Cleveland  appointed  him  postmaster  of  the  Athol  office 
Jan.  16,  1888,  which  position  he  held  until  Feb.  14, 
1891.  An  active  worker  in  the  Masonic  organizations,  he 
was  for  fifteen  years  prelate  of  Athol  Commandery 
Knights  Templars,  of  which  he  has  also  been  Eminent 
Commander,  and  High  Priest  of  Union  Royal  Arch  Chap- 
ter. In  1855,  he  married  Rosella  B.  Hey  wood  of  Athol, 
who  died  in  1867.  He  was  married  again  in  June  1875, 
to  Mrs.  Abbie  P.  Bingham,  of  Nashua,  N.  H.,  by  whom 
he  has  one  daughter,  Grace  Fish.  Since  his  retirement 
from  the  post  office,  Mr.  Fish  has  not  been  engaged  in 
active  business,  except  to  manage  his  farm  on  Chestnut 
HiU  Avenue. 

Abby  M.  Fish  married  Henry  L.  Sargent.  They  lived 
in  Athol  many  years,  and  moved  to  Newfane,  Vt.,  where 
Mrs.  Sargent  died  in  1892.  They  had  one  son,  Fred  H. 
Sargent. 


254:  ATHOL,    PAST    AND    PRESENT. 

(  4 )  Nancy  married  Henry  Lee,  and  was  the  mother 
of  Samuel  Lee.  She  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-three 
years. 

( 5 )  LuciNDA  married  Eber  Goddard,  and  lived  on 
Chestnut  Hill. 

( 6 )  Betsey  married  Samuel  Newhall,  and  was  the 
mother  of  Mrs.  Kate  L.  Newton. 

(  7  )  Sally  Fish  was  born  in  1808,  and  died  March  3, 
1887,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years  and  nine  months. 
She  married  her  cousin,  Henry  Fish.  They  had  two 
children,  Wilson  and  Samuel,  both  of  whom  died  in  early 
manhood.  On  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Fish  came 
into  possession  of  a  large  amount  of  real  estate.  She 
deeded  to  the  town  the  Lower  Village  Common,  and  gave 
to  the  Baptist  Society  the  lot  on  which  their  church 
stands.  She  was  averse  to  selling  her  real  estate,  and  at 
her  death  retained  some  valuable  tracts  in  the  heart  of 
the  town.  She  was  a  woman  of  great  independence  of 
character  and  a  determined  will,  was  true  to  her  friends, 
and  helpful  in  times  of  trouble  and  need. 

(8)  Samuel  Fish,  Jr.,  was  for  many  years  Superin- 
tendent in  one  of  the  Amoskeag  mills  in  Manchester,  N. 
H.  He  died  Jan.  16,  1863,  and  his  widow,  Elvira  Fish 
died  Dec.  12,  1896. 

( 9 )  Esther  married  Laban  Morse.  Mrs.  Morse  died 
Sept.  5,  1896. 

(10)  Lucia  married  Jotham  D.  Otterson,  who  was 
Superintendent  of  the  Lancaster  Gingham  Mills  in  Clin- 
ton. 

(11)  Horatio  died  young. 


OLD    ATHOL   FAMILIES.  255 

THE  HUMPHREYS. 
A  family  prominent  in  the  history  of  Athol  from  the 
organization  of  the  First  Church  in  1750  to  the  present 
time,  is  the  Humphrey  family,  whose  first  representative 
in  this  town  was  Rev.  James  Humphrey,  the  first  minis- 
ter of  old  Pequoig.  The  first  one  of  the  Humphrey  fam- 
ily who  came  to  this  country  was  Jonas  Humphrey,  who 
came  to  Dorchester  with  his  wife  Frances,  and  son  James, 
from  Wendover,  in  Buckinghamshire,  England,  in  1634. 
James,  the  son,  was  twenty-six  years  of  age  when  they  ar- 
rived. He  was  grantee  of  Necklands  in  1637 ;  member 
of  the  church  in  1639  ;  freeman  May  13,  1640  ;.  and  pro- 
prietor in  the  great  lots  in  1646.  He  lived  in  what  is 
now  called  Humphrey  Street  in  Dorchester,  and  the  es- 
tate or  portions  of  it  are  now  in  possession  of  his  descend- 
ents.  In  the  ancient  graveyard  in  Dorchester  is  a  monu- 
ment vvith  the  following  inscription : 

"ELDER  JAMES  HUMPHEEYS,  WHO  DIED   MAY  12,  1686,  AGED  78." 

'•'  Inclosed  within  this  shrine  is  sacred  dust, 
And  only  waits  for  the  rising  of  the  just. 
Most  useful  while  he  lived ;  adorned  his  station, 
Even  to  old  age  he  serv'd  his  generation: 
Since  his  death  thought  of  with  great  veneration." 

'■  How  great  a  blessing  this  Ruling  Elder  he 
Unto  the  Church,  and  Town,  and  J?astors,  three. 
Mather,  he  first  did  by  him  help  receive ; 
Flint,  he  did  next  of  burdens  much  relieve ; 
Renowned  Danf  orth,  he  did  help  with  skill. 
Esteemed  high  by  all ;— bear  fruit  until 
Yielding  to  death  his  glorious  seat  did  fill." 

Elder  James  had  a  son  Hopestill,  whose  son  Jonas  was 
the  father  of  James  Humphrey,  who  was  born  in  Dorches- 
ter, March  30,  1722.  He  graduated  at  Harvard  College 
in  1744,  taught  school  in  Dorchester  in  1748,  and  was 
ordained  minister  of  Pequoig  Nov.  7.  1750.  Mr.  Humph- 
rey commenced  his  duties  as  pastor  of  this  town  under 


256  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

very  trying  and  discouraging  circumstances.  His  salary 
was  small,  a  trifle  over  twenty  shillings  a  week.  His 
parishioners  were  few,  there  being  probably  not  more  than 
twenty  families  in  the  place  at  the  time  of  his  settlement, 
and  they  were  in  constant  danger  from  the  hostile  Indians. 
For  three  years  did  the  young  minister  preach  with  his 
gun  by  his  side,  while  some  of  his  flock  guarded  the  doors. 
The  next  year  after  his  settlement,  Rev.  Mr.  Humplu:ey 
was  married,  Oct.  9,  1751,  to  Miss  Esther  Wiswell  of 
Dorchester,  a  lady  of  high  respectability,  and  much  energy 
of  character  who  was  highly  esteemed  and  much  re- 
spected by  the  people  of  this  town,  and  lived  to  an  ad- 
vanced age.  The  record  of  this  marriage  is  entered  upon 
the  Church  Book  in  the  handwriting  of  Mr.  Humphrey  as 
follows : 

" — Dorchester,  October  the  9th,  1751,  James  Humph- 
rey and  Esther  Wiswell  was  married,  and  the  third  day 
we  got  home  to  Perquage."  The  reception  of  the  pastor 
and  his  young  wife  by  the  people  of  Pequoig  is  thus  de- 
scribed :  "  The  occasion  of  the  return  of  their  pastor  vdth 
his  young  and  accompHshed  bride  was  one  of  lively  and 
exciting  interest  to  the  unpolished  but  affectionate  parish- 
ioners of  Pequoig.  Before  the  sun  had  dissipated  the  dew 
on  the  morning  of  the  third  of  November,  a  company  of 
happy  men  and  joyous  youth  mounted  on  horseback,  each 
with  his  good  wife  or  smiling  maiden  seated  on  the  pillion 
behind  him,  were  riding  over  the  old  street,  now  moving 
with  cautious  step  along  the  obstructed  path,  and  now 
galloping  in  frolicsome  glee  across  some  open  plain,  full 
of  high  anticipation,  on  their  way  to  Barre  to  welcome  the 


OXD   ATHOL   FAMILIES.  1257 

arrival  of  their  absent  pastor,  and  escort  him  with  his  pot 
ished  bride  within  the  precincts  tjf  their  own  rude  but 
happy  homes.  That  was  a  joyous  day  for  the  settlers  on 
these  hills.  The  few  who  remained  were  busy  making 
due  preparation  for  the  reception  of  so  important  a  per- 
«onage  as  their  pastor's  welcome  bride."  For  more  than 
twenty  years  pastor  and  people  lived  together  in  harmony, 
during  the  entire  period  of  which,  but  three  church  meet- 
ings are  recorded.  Elements  of  discord  began  to  appear 
in  1773,  and  increased  in  intensity  through  the  years  un- 
til his  dismission  by  an  ecclesiastical  council,  Feb.  13, 
1782.  After  his  dismission,  Mr.  Humphrey  withdrew  his 
connection  with  the  church  in  Athol,  and  connected  him- 
self with  the  church  in  Warwick,  but  continued  to  reside 
in  Athol  until  his  death.  May  8,  1796.  Mrs.  Humphrey 
died  March  8,  1822,  aged  ninety-four  years.  Their  re- 
mains rest  in  the  family  tomb  in  the  old  burying  ground, 
a  short  distance  from  the  lower  end  of  Pleasant  Street. 

Rev.  James  Humphrey  had  six  children,  Sarah,  John, 
Lois,  James,  Royal  and  Calvin.  Sarah  died  in  infancy, 
and  Calvin  died  when  but  little  more  than  six  years  of  age, 
Lois  married  an  Oliver. 

John  Humphrey,  the  oldest  son,  was  born  Jan.  8,  1758, 
and  died  Jan.  24,  1837.  He  was  prominently  identified 
with  town  aifairs,  served  as  selectman  for  several  years, 
and  was  Town  Clerk  for  twenty-one  years,  the  longest 
time  the  ofiice  has  ever  been  held  by  one  person.  He 
had  eight  children.  Of  these  two  died  in  infancy.  Fran- ' 
ces  married  Dr.  Wm.  H.  Williams,  and  died  in  1887,  at 
the  age  of  ninety  years  and  three  months.    Anna  married 


258  ATHOL,    PAST  AND   PRESENT, 

Samuel  Sweetser,  Jr.  Clarissa  married  Spencer  Field,  a 
brother  of  Hon,  Charles  Field,  and  lived  for  many  years 
in  New  Orleans. 

Charles  Humphrey,  born  Oct.  9,  1807,  married  Jane 
Jones,  and  moved  to  Lancaster,  Mass.,  where  he  died. 

John  Harvey  Humphrey,  the  youngest  son,  was  bom 
Jan.  16,  1813.  He  married  Urania  Barrett,  of  Putney, 
Vt.,  May  9,  1837.  He  was  a  farmer.  He  moved  to 
Boston  about  thirty  years  ago,  and  after  a  few  years  to 
Philadelphia,  where  he  died.  His  son  John  was  killed  on 
board  the  Cumberland  in  the  late  war.  He  has  a  daugh- 
ter. Flora  Corson,  living  in  Philadelphia. 

Royal  Humphrey,  the  second  son  of  Rev.  James,  was 
born  Sept.  22,  1761.  He  was  one  of  the  early  physicians 
of  Athol.  He  had  five  children,  John  Flavel,  Arathusa, 
Otis,  Henry  and  Esther. 

John  Flavel  Humphrey,  the  oldest  son  of  Dr.  Royal 
Humphrey,  was  born  Sept.  7,  1788.  He  married  Betsey 
Eager,  of  Gardner,  Mass.  He  was  clerk  in  a  store  before 
marriage,  and  went  to  Albany,  N.  Y.,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  grocery  business.  His  health  failed  him,  and  he  re- 
turned to  Athol,  where  he  served  as  Deputy  Sheriff  for 
some  time.  He  had  four  children ;  Edwin,  bom  July  15, 
1814,  John  Flavel,  Jr.,  born  Jan.  29,  1819,  Caroline,  bom 
June  28,  1821,  and  Rebecca,  born  Sept.  15,  1823. 

John  Flavel  Humphrey,  Jr.,  was  bom  in  Albany 
while  his  father  was  in  business  in  that  city,  and  removed 
to  Athol  with  his  parents  when  a  few  months  old.  He 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  worked  at  for  sev- 
eral years,  was  engaged  at  one  time  in  manufacturing,  and 


XSVD   ATHOL   FAMILIES.  259 

was  for  fifteen  years  in  the  general  hardware  business  with 
Samuel  Lee  at  the  Centre.  He  married  Cordelia  Baker, 
■of  Troy,  N.  H.  They  had  one  son,  George  ilavel.  Mrs. 
Humphrey  died  April  29,  1S92,  and  Mr.  Humphrey  was 
married  again  Sept.  30,  1894,  to  Hattie  A.  Crosby. 

Rev.  George  Flavel  Humphrey,  son  of  John  Flavel 
Humphrey,  Jr.,  was  born  in  AthoL  May  4th,  1847.  He 
prepared  for  college  at  the  Athol  High  school,  and  en- 
tered Williams  College  in  the  junior  class  in  1871.  Hav- 
ing completed  the  junior  and  senior  years,  he  entered  Au- 
burn Theological  Seminary,  graduating  in  1874.  He  was 
ordained  in  the  gospel  ministry  of  the  Congregational 
church  by  the  Hampshire  East  Conference,  Mass.,  Jan.  7, 
1875,  and  has  served  the  following  churches  as  pastor; 
North  church,  Amherst,  Mass.',  1874  and  1875;  Elmwood 
church.  Providence,  R.  I.,  1877  to  1880 ;  the  Presbyterian 
church,  Milford,  K  Y.,  1882  to  1885,  and  in  April,  1885, 
became  pastor  of  the  church  at  Ninevah,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
is  now  located.  He  married  H.  Beatrice  Hotchkiss,  of 
Virgil,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  28,  1875, 

Caroline  Humphrey,  daughter  of  John  Flavel  Humph- 
rey, Senior,  married  Ebenezer  Brock,  and  Rebecca  mar- 
ried Solomon  Hoyt  of  Bernardston. 

Arathusa,  the  oldest  daughter  of  Dr.  Royal  Humphrey, 
was  born  Nov,  7,  1795,  and  married  Rev.  John  Walker, 
Otis  died  young,  and  Esther,  the  youngest  daughter,  mar- 
ried Hiram  Allen  of  Amherst,  Mass. 

Henry  Humphrey  was  born  Nov.  7,  1795.  He  mar- 
ried Sophronia  Parker,  June  21,  1836,  and  had  three 
children,  Henry  Martin,  and  two  who  died  in  infancy. 
He  was  a  farmer,  and  lived  on  "Athol  Street." 


260  ATHOL,    PAST  AND   FRESEWT.. 

Dr.  H.  M.  Humphrey,  son  af  Hrairy  Humphrey,  wass 
Born  in  Athol,  Aug.  10,  1840.  He  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  af  the  town,  studied  dentistry 
two  years  in  Boston,  and  was  graduated  from,  the  Philadel- 
phia Dental  College.  He  engaged  with  the  late  Dr.  J. 
H.  Williams,  in  the  dental  business  in  Septeraiber,  1863, 
with  whom  he  was  associated  for  five  years,  and  also  con- 
tinued the  business  alone  for  a  year  or  two.  In  1870,  he 
purchased  the  drug  business  of  Mr.  "Williams,  which  he 
has  continued  to  the  present  time.  He  has  been  honored 
with  various  positions  of  trust  by  his  townsmen,  having 
served  on  the  School  Committee  for  several  years,  and  is 
now  one  of  the  board  of  Registrars  of  Voters.  In  1882, 
he  represented  this  district  in  the  Legislature,  and  was  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Committee  on  Education.  He 
has  for  many  years  been  an  active  and  influential  member 
of  the  Congregational  church,  and  was  for  three  years  the 
Superintendent  of  its  Sunday  School.  He  is  also  one  of 
the  directors  of  the  Athol  National  Bank,  and  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  having 
held  the  position  of  District  Deputy  Grand  Master  of  this 
Masonic  district.  He  was  married  Oct.  18,  1866,  to  Ab- 
bie  F.  Holton  of  Athol,  and  has  two  children,  John  H, 
and  Helen. 

John  H,  Humphrey  is  a  graduate  of  the  Athol  High 
School,  and  is  now  associated  with  his  father  in  business. 
He  is  the  Secretary  of  the  Worcester  Northwest  Agricult- 
ural Society,  and  chairman  of  the  Republican  Town  Com- 
mittee, and  is  prominently  identified  with  the  social  and 
political  aff"airs  of  the  town.     Helen  is  also  a  graduate  of 


i«i 


HENRY    M.  HUMPHREY. 


OLD   ATHOL   FAMILIES.  261 

the  Athol  High  School,  and  of  the  Bridgewater  Normal 
School,  and  is  now  one  of  the  teachers  in  the  Fitchburg 
Normal  School. 

James  Humphrey,  the  third  son  of  Rev.  James,  was 
born  Dec.  29,  1763.  He  was  the  merchant  of  the  town, 
and  prominent  in  town  and  political  affairs,  serving  as 
selectman  seven  years,  town  treasurer  four  years,  was  rep- 
resentative to  the  Legislature  for  ten  years,  between  1806 
and  1825,  and  was  State  Senator  in  1817  and  1818.  He 
was  also  postmaster  of  the  Athol  office.  He  had  four 
children.  Lucy  married  Fenno  Thorpe,  and  one  died  in 
childhood. 

John  Wiswell  Humphrey,  son  of  James  Humphrey, 
was  born  Aug.  9,  1801,  graduated  at  Williams  College  in 
1823,  commenced  the  study  of  law  at  Greenfield,  but  sub- 
sequently went  into  the  dry  goods  trade  in  Athol.  He 
represented  the  town  in  the  Legislature  two  years,  was 
town  clerk  five  years,  and  selectman  two  years. 

James  Humphrey,  son    of  James  Humphrey   (2,)  had 

three  children :     Antoinette,    who  married    a  brother  of 

Gov.  A.  H.   Bullock,  and  died   in  Athol,  leaving   a  son, 

Rufus  A.   Bullock,  who  is  a  lawyer  in   Boston.     James, 

who  married  Mary  D.  Ripley,  was  a  merchant  in  Boston, 

and  left  a  widow  and  three  children,  two  daughters  and  a 

son,  James  Humphrey ;   another  son,    Fred,  died  in  his 

youth  in  Athol. 

THE  HOAR  FAMILY. 

The  origin  of  the  name  of  this  family  has  been  ascribed 
by  some  to  Mount  Horeb,  the  tribe  of  Horites,  the  terri- 
tory of  La  Hore,  and  even  to  the  Egyptian  Horeis,  but 


262  ATHOL,  FAST  AND  PRESENT. 

probably  all  this  is  merely  imaginary,  dating  too  far  back 
into  the  distances  and  darkness  of  long  past  ages.  Fam- 
ilies of  the  name  of  Hore  have  been  found  in  very  early 
times  of  English  history,  many  of  that  name  having  sat  as 
members  of  Parliament  in  early  times  from  various  bor- 
oughs and  counties  in  England.  In  early  times  the  name 
was  spelled  "  Hore,"  later  Hoare;  the  family  that  came  to 
America  omitted  the  final  letter  "  e  "  in  their  name,  and 
have  ever  since  continued  spelling  the  name  Hoar,  al- 
though there  are  certain  branches  of  the  family  that  have 
adopted  the  spelling  of  the  name  as  "  Horr."  The  Latin 
"hora,  signifies  an  hour,"  a  mark  and  boundary  of  time. 

The  ancestor  of  the  family  that  settled  in  America  was 
one  Charles  Hoare,  who  was  of  Frampton-on-Severn,  near 
Gloucester,  England,  according  to  the  statement  of  Capt. 
Edward  Hoare  of  England,  who  a  few  years  since  pub- 
lished a  history  of  the  family.  This  Charles  Hoare  mar- 
ried Annie  Clifford,  and  they  had  a  son  Charles,  who  was 
an  alderman  and  sheriff  of  Gloucester  in  1634.  The  son 
Charles  married  Joanna  Hinkesman.  He  died  in  1638, 
and  administration  was  granted  to  his  widow,  Joanna 
Hoare,  in  December  of  that  year.  Not  long  after  his 
death,  his  widow  with  all  the  children  except  the  eldest 
son,  came  to  New  England  about  1640,  or  perhaps  a 
little  earlier.  Joanna  died  in  Braintree,  Dec.  20,  1661. 
She  had  four  sons  and  two  daughters.  Leonard  Hoar, 
son  of  Charles  and  Joanna  Hoar,  graduated  at  Harvard 
College  in  1650,  and  was  President  of  the  College  from 
1672  to  1675.  The  son  John,  settled  first  in  Scituate, 
but  later   went  to    Concord,  Mass.,  where  he  died  April 


TIMOTHY  HOAR,  JR. 


OLD    ATHOL   FAMILIES.  263 

2,  1704.     He  was   an    eminent  lawyer,  and    had  much 
to    do  with  the  Indians.     He  was  the  agent  for  the  colo- 
nies in  negotiating  with  the  Indians  for  the  liberation  of 
Mrs.  Eowlandson,  who  was  taken  captive  at  the  destruc- 
tion of    Lancaster,  Mass.,  in   1676.     He  was   present    at 
the    interview   with  King  Phillip    and  chiefs  at  Redemp- 
tion Rock,   Princeton,  Mass.,    which  resulted  in  the  lib- 
eration of  the  captive.     Daniel,  the  son  of  John,  married 
Mary  Stratton,  July  19,    1677.     She  was  the  mother    of 
eleven  children.     Her  son,  Lieut.  Daniel,  born   in  1680, 
married  Sarah    Jones,  Dec.     20,      1705,    and    was  the 
father  of  Timothy,  who  married  Abigail  Brooks  of  Con- 
cord, Jan.    23,   175-2.     Their  son  Timothy    was   born  in 
Concord,  Mass.,  March  15,  1759,   and  served  in  the  con- 
tinental  army   in   the    Revolution.     He    married    Lydia 
Hunt,- also  of  Concord,  Oct.  9,  1788,  whose    ancestry  can 
be   traced   far  back   in   the    annals     of  EngHsh   history, 
Queen   Elizabeth  conferring   many  favors  upon  the  Hunt 
family  in  her  reign. '   They  moved  from  Concord  to  West- 
minster, Mass.,  in  April,    1789,  Mrs.    Hoar  carrying  her 
eldest  son  William,  in  her   arms    on  horseback,  a    dis- 
tance of    thirty-three    miles.     They  had  eleven  children, 
seven  sons  and  four  daughters. 

Timothy  Hoar,  Jr.,  the  second  son  of  Timothy  and 
Lydia  (Hunt)  Hoar,  was  born  in  Westminster,  Mass., 
July  24,  1791.  When  about  sixteen  years  of  age,  he 
commenced  to  serve  an  apprenticeship  with  Mr.  Ephraim 
"WiUiams  of  Templeton,  and  went  with  him  to  a  place 
called  Black  Rock,  near  what  is  now  the  city  of  Buifalo, 
N.  Y.     He  returned  to  Westminster,  probably  in   1812, 


264  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

where  he  remained  but  a  short  time,  when  he  went^to 
Templeton  and  worked  at  his  trade  of  a  carpenter,  and 
came  to  Athol  about  1816,  and  located  at  the  Centre. 
With  Paul  Morse  he  developed  the  water  power  on  the 
property  now  owned  by  Geo.  S.  Brewer,  at  the  corner  of 
Main  and  Pleasant  streets.  There  he  engaged  in  the 
wheelwright  business,  and  the  manufacture  of  sleighs. 
He  added  a  dwelling  house  to  his  factory,  which  was  oc- 
cupied by  his  brother  William  and  family  with  whom  he 
boarded  until  his  marriage.  In  the  records  of  the  old 
First  Church  we  find  the  following :  "  Athol,  January  the 
21,  1819,  were  married  Timothy  Hoar  and  Lydia  Bow- 
ker,  both  of  this  town,  by  me  Joseph  ^Estabrook."  Lydia 
Bowker  was  a  daughter  of  Asa  and  Susannah  (  Bryant ) 
Bowker,  and  was  born  in  Phillipston,  June  9,  1794. 
They  settled  down  and  commenced  housekeeping  in  the 
house  adjoining  his  factory.  About  1832,  he  built  and 
moved  into  a  new  house  nearly  opposite  the  old  one  on 
the  north  side  of  Union  Square.  At  about  the  same  time 
he  also  erected  the  building  now  occupied  by  Newton  & 
Call,  grocers,  and  established  in  it  the  first  bakery  in 
town.  Between  1833  and  1835,  he  built  a  dam  and 
erected  a  factory  on  Mill  Brook  on  the  site  now 
occupied  by  the  factories  of  L.  Morse  &  Sons.  In  this 
factory  he  put  in  operation  the  first  circular  saw  mill  in 
this  part  of  the  state.  He  made  a  spoke  machine  for 
turning  spokes,  axe  handles,  etc.,  which  was  a  great  labor 
saving  machine.  He  used  it  for  two  or  three  years,  when 
other  parties  claimed  priority,  and  he  discontinued  the  use 
of  it.     Later  he  invented  a  mitre  dovetailing  machine  for 


OLD   ATHOL   FAMILIES.  265 

jfQakmg  boxes  strong  enough  at  the  corners  without  nails 
<or  glue.  He  made  a  trade  with  Boston  parties,  and  this 
business  was  continued  by  himself  and  others  for  several 
years.  In  1841,  his  fectory  was  burned  and  was  a  total 
loss,  there  being  no  insurance  upon  it,  but  he  immediately 
commenced  to  rebuild.  About  the  year  1842,  he  asso- 
ciated himself  with  William  Fletcher  and  Jonathan  Kid- 
der of  Athol,  and  they  built  a  dam  and  saw  mill  on  Mill 
Brook.  The  saw  mill  formed  a  part  of  the  sash  and  blind 
factory  of  Edwin  Ellis  &  Son,  that  was  destroyed  by  fire 
in  December,  1896,  and  the  pond  flowed  by  the  dam  is 
now  known  as  "Lake  Ellis."  This  dam  gave  away  in 
December,  1845,  destroying  considerable  property  along 
the  stream,  but  was  soon  rebuilt.  The  first  shipment  to 
Boston  of  sash  and  blinds,  made  by  machinery  in  the  town 
of  Athol,  was  from  the  shop  of  Mr.  Hoar,  about  1845. 
In  1847  or- 1848,  he  sold  out  his  business  to  his  son,  Ad- 
dison D.  Horr  and  Joseph  Proctor,  He  purchased  a  part 
of  the  old  hotel,  and  moved  portions  of  it  on  to  Central 
street,  and  also  in  1852,  built  a  residence  for  himself  at 
the  corner  of  Park  and  Central  streets,  which  was  his 
home  until  he  removed  to  Worcester,  in  1866.  He  was  a 
man  of  great  business  activity  and  push,  and  did  much 
for  the  building  up  of  the  Athol  of  his  day,  indeed,  it 
would  seem  that  from  the  Ellis  dam  to  the  corner  of  Park 
and  Central  streets,  his  footsteps  were  marked  with  either 
a  mill  or  dwelling  built  and  owned  by  himself.  He  was 
a  man  of  positive  and  pronounced  opinions,  and  not  afraid 
of  expressing  them.  He  was  a  member  of  the  First  Uni- 
tarian  church.      Politically    he  was  a    Whig,  until    that 


266  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

party  met  its  death.  The  Free  Soil  movement  met  his 
approbation,  and  when  the  Republican  party  was  organ- 
ized, he  voted  that  ticket,  and  continued  in  the  party  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  He  seemed  to  care  little  for  office 
but  was  ready  to  work  on  committees  for  the  improve- 
ment of  the  town. 

Mrs.  Lydia  Bowker  Hoar,  his  first  wife,  died  Sept.  11, 
1848,  after  a  short  illness.  He  married  for  his  second 
wife  Miss  Hannah  H.  Ellis  of  Barre,  Mass.,  daughter  of 
Bethuel  Ellis.  She  died  in  Cambridgeport,  Mass.,  April 
2,  1884.  The  funeral  services  of  each  were  held  in  the 
First  Unitarian  church  of  Athol,  and  their  remains  were 
placed  in  the  family  lot  in  the  Highland  cemetery.  Mr. 
Hoar  lived  only  about  two  years  after  removing  to  Wor- 
cester, and  died  in  that  city  Feb.  20,  1868.  His  remains 
were  broaght  to  Athol,  and  buried  in  the  family  lot. 
There  were  six  children  by  the  first  marriage,  and  one  by 
the  second.  Those  by  the  first  marriage  were  Addison  D., 
Lucy  Ann,  Susan  Graves,  Christopher  C,  Charles  and 
Eliza. 

(  1 )  Addison  D.,  the  eldest  son,  was  born  March  28, 
1820.  In  1847  or  1848,  he  associated  himself  with 
Joseph  Proctor,  and  purchased  the  box  factory  owned  by 
his  father,  which  they  operated  successfully  until  he  en- 
gaged in  the  sash,  door  and  blind  business  with  Sumner 
R,  Morse  and  his  brother  Charles  Horr,  in  Detroit,  Mich., 
in  1852.  At  the  same  time  he  was  engaged  in  the  box 
business,  he  was  also  engaged  with  others  in  the  sash, 
door  and  blind  business  in  a  shop  just  across  the  stream 
from  the  box  factory.     He  remained  in  Detroit  until  the 


OLD    ATHOL   FAMILIES.  267 

spring  of  1856,  when  he  went  to  Boston,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  business  and  built  a  house.  He  returned  to 
Athol,  and  served  on  the  board  of  selectmen  in  1862  and 
1863,  having  much  to  do  with  recruiting  soldiers  for  the 
suppression  of  the  rebellion.  He  was  also  for  some  time 
associated  with  Lyman  W.  Hapgood,  in  the  manufacture 
of  matches.  He  never  married,  and  died  in  Boston  Aug. 
5,  1890. 

(  2  )  Lucy  Ann  and  Eliza,  both  died  young,  the  former 
being  only  four  years  old,  and  the  latter  two  years. 

(3)  Susan  Graves,  was  born  Jan.  24,.  1825.  She 
married  Matthew  Cheney,  a  native  of  North  Orange,  and 
their  residence  for  many  years  was  Boston,  Mass.,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  the  Chickering  &  Sons  piano  factory. 
They  had  one  daughter,  Ella  Bowker  Cheney.  Mrs.  Che- 
ney died  in  Boston,  Aug.  13,  1892,  and  Mr.  Cheney  Dec. 
3,  1896,  in  Dorchester. 

(4)  Christopher  C.  Horr,  was  born  March  9,  1827. 
He  was  employed  for  many  years  by  the  Vermont  &  Mass. 
R.  E.  Company,  first  as  brakeman,  and  later  as  conductor 
of  freight  and  passenger  trains.  He  married  Mrs.  Lucy 
F.  Wadsworth,  Dec.  20,  1868.  She  died  June  14,  1886, 
and  he  married  Miss  Louisa  Darling,  Jan.  28,  1888.  He 
died  Dec.  15,  1889. 

(  5  )  Charles  Horr,  was  born  Aug.  9,  1830.  He  was 
associated  with  his  brother  Addison  D.,  and  Joseph  Proc- 
tor, in  the  manufacture  of  sash,  doors  and  blinds  for  about 
two  years,  when  he  went  to  Detroit,  Mich.,  in  the  fall  of 
1851,  and  was  associated  with  his  brother  and  Sumner  R. 
Morse,  in  the  same  business  that  he  had  been  engaged  in 


ATHOL,    PAST  ANB  FRESETilT. 

Athal,  where  he  remained  until  1856.  He  then  retuxnedl 
to  Athol,  and  was  soon  after  associated  with  Samuel  Lee- 
in  building;,  the  Summit  House  at  the  Centre,  which  was 
opened  to  the  public,  April  1,  1858.  He  has  never 
married. 

Frederick  E.  Horr,  the  only  child  of  Timothy  and 
Hannah  H,  (Ellis)  Horr,  was  born  in  Athol,  April  11, 
1853.  He  married  Miss  Ellen  H.  Dimond  of  Concord,  N. 
H.,  Feb.  15,  1882.  He  has  for  some  years  been  in  the 
United  States  post  office  service  as  carrier  in  and  about 
Boston,  being  now  in  the  Brighton  district. 

The  family  of  Geo.  W.  Horr  are  descendants  of  Jona- 
than Hoar  of  Taunton  and  Middleboro,  Mass.,  who  was  a 
grandson  of  Daniel,  of  Concord. 

THE  MORSES. 

The  Morses  of  Athol  are  descended  from  Samuel  Morse, 
of  whom  history  gives  the  following:  Born,  in  England, 
1585  ;  emigrated  to  New  England  1635  ;  settled  at  Ded- 
ham,  1637,  and  died  at  Medfield,  April  5,  1654. 

It  further  says,  that  he  belonged  to  that  class  of  I'uri- 
tans  who  strove  to  separate  from  the  corruption  of  the 
English  church,  yet  continued  in  her  communion  until  the 
embarkation  for  this  country.  His  emigration  evidently 
originated  in  the  same  circumstances,  and  was  undoubted- 
ly dictated  by  the  same  well  known  motives  as  that  of  the 
earlier  emigrants  to  New  England. 

The  first  member  of  the  family  of  whom  we  have  any 
record  as  being  a  resident  of  Athol,  was  William  Morse, 
of  the  sixth  generation,  son  of  Paul,  who  resided  at  Hollis- 
ton  and  Medway.     Wm.  Morse  was  born  May  10,    1738, 


OLD    ATHOL   FAMILIES.  269 

and  died  in  Athol,  Feb.  6,  1830,  aged  eighty-eight  years. 
He  was  in  the"  second  French  war,  and  was  compelled  with 
his  company  to  march  fourteen  miles  on  the  bed  of  a  river 
in  water ;  he  was  with  his  companions  seized  with  a  fever, 
with  which  half  of  the  company  died ;  the  remainder  be- 
came temporarily  insane.  His  insanity  regularly  returned 
at  intervals  of  fourteen  years  during  the  remainder  of  his 
days,  and  finally  led  to  his  exposure  and  death  in  a  snow 
storm,  among  the  Bear's  Den  hills,  near  where  he  lived. 

Paul  Morse,  the  fourth  son  of  William,  was  born  in 
1780,  and  died  Aug.  29,  1838  ;  he  married  Sally  Rice  of 
Ashby,  and  had  eight  children.  Two  died  in  infancy.  He 
was  one  of  the  early  manufacturers  of  Athol,  and  estab- 
lished a  tan  yard  on  Mill  Brook  in  1807  where  he  carried 
on  a  flourishing  business  for  many  years,  being  assisted  in 
his  later  years  by  his  son,  Laban  Morse,  who  continued 
the  business  until  1845,  when  the  works  were  destroyed 
by  the  great  freshet  of  that  year.  The  six  sons  of  Paul 
Morse  who  grew  to  manhood  were,  Sumner  R.,  Laban, 
George,  John  Edwin,  Gushing  B.,  and  Charles  W.,  and 
these  six  brothers  are  said  to  have  measured  thirty-six  feet 
in  height,  and  weighed  twelve  hundred  pounds. 

Sumner  R.  Morse,  the  second  son  of  Paul  Morse,  was 
born  Dec.  8,  1808 ;  he  married  Nancy  Stratton,  April  25, 
1833.  With  his  brothers,  Laban  and  Gushing  B.,  he  pat- 
ented an  improved  grate,  called  the  Air  Distributor,  for 
burning  light  fuel,  such  as  sawdust  and  bark,  for  which 
they  were  awarded  a  silver  medal  at  the  State  Fair  in 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  in  1848.  He  was  a  merchant  in  Athol 
and  Wendell  for  many  years,  and  was  also  engaged  in 


270  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

various  business  enterprises,  among  which  was  the  palm 
leaf  hat  ousiness.  He  was  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church.  He  married  for  his  second  wife  Mary 
Stratton,  and  died  Dec.  11,  1870. 

Laban  Morse  has  been  more  prominently  identified 
with  Athol  and  its  manufacturing  interests  than  any  of  the 
children  of  Paul  Morse,  of  whom  he  was  the  third  son. 
He  was  born  in  Athol,  Jan.  30,  1812.  In  his  early  life  he 
worked  with  his  father  in  the  tannery,  and  when  that  was 
swept  away  by  the  freshet  of  1845,  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  furniture  making,  beginning  with  towel  racks  and 
cribs,  in  a  little  shop  in  the  rear  of  the  homestead,  where 
he  was  born  and  always  lived.  In  1865,  he  took  his  sons 
Leander  B.  and  Henry  F..  in  company  with  him,  the  firm 
being  known  as  L.  Morse  &  Sons,  in  which  he  continued 
until  1877,  when  he  retired  from  business. 

He  married  Esther  Fish,  April  16,  1838,  by  whom  he 
had  three  children,  Henry  T.,  Leander  B.  and  Frank  F. 
Personally,  Mr.  Morse  was  a  quiet  man,  never  seeking 
publicity,  but  always  interested  and  helpful  in  local  affairs. 
He  was  prominently  connected  with  the  fire  department 
for  many  y^ars,  and  took  a  great  interest  in  it,  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  Selectmen,  and  was  elected  to  the  Leg- 
islature of  1855  by  the  Know-Nothing  party.  During  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion,  he  was  a  great  worker  in  behalf  of 
the  soldiers,  and  in  1862,  when  the  reports  of  the  sufl^er- 
ings  and  loss  of  the  Athol  soldiers  who  were  in  the  thick- 
est of  the  fight  at  Newbern  reached  Athol,  he  was  appoint- 
ed the  agent  of  the  people,  to  repair  at  once  to  Newbern, 
and  to  aid  in  every  possible  way,   our  sick  and  wounded 


LABAN    MORSE. 


OLD    ATHOL   FAMILIES.  271 

soldiers.  He  left  home  the  next  morning,  March  21,  and 
arrived  at  Newbem  March  25,  where  he  was  most  joyfully 
greeted  by  the  soldiers.  He  slept,  rolled  in  his  blanket 
upon  the  floor  of  the  hospital,  that  he  might  be  ready  for 
any  service,  and  devoted  all  his  energies  to  the  welfare  of 
the  soldiers.  After  an  absence  of  more  than  five  weeks, 
he  returned  with  a  number  of  sick  and  wounded  soldiers, 
and  at  a  public  meeting  called  to  hear  his  report.  May  5, 
1862,  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  was  extended  to  him  for 
his  faithful  and  laborious  services.  For  aU  his  time  and 
labor  Mr.  Morse  declined  any  renumeration.  His  name 
will  ever  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance  by  the  many 
whom  he  relieved  and  comforted.     He  died  Jan.  31,  1890. 

A  sketch  of  Henry  T.  Morse  will  be  found  in  the  Grand 
Army  chapter. 

Leander  B.  Morse,  the  second  son  of  Laban  Morse, 
was  born  in  Athol,  March  29,  1842.  He  attended  the 
common  schools  and  the  High  School  the  fixst  term  it  was 
opened,  and  then  worked  in  the  shop  of  his  father  until  he 
enlisted  in  the  Band  of  the  27th  Regiment.  He  was  on 
duty  at  Roanoke  Island  and  Newbern,  and  was  discharged 
in  August,  1862,  by  a  government  order  discontinuing 
the  Regimental  Bands.  After  returning  home  he  went 
to  Boston  in  April  of  the  following  spring,  and  was  Fore- 
man on  Boston  Common  and  Public  Garden  until  Novem- 
ber, 1863,  when  he  reentered  the  service  as  a  musician  in 
the  56th  Regiment,  and  was  mustered  out  of  service  July 
22,  1865.  In  the  fall  of  1865,  he  engaged  in  business 
with  his  father  and  brother.  Henry  T. ,  in  the  manufacture 
of  towel  racks,  settees,  cribs  and  other  furniture,  under 


272  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

the  firm  name  of  L.  Morse  &  Sons,  in  which  business  he 
has  continued  to  the  present  time. 

Mr.  Morse  has  been  prominently  identified  with  the 
political  afifiairs  of  the  town  and  district ;  he  was  elected  by 
the  Democrats  and  Greenbackers  as  Representative  to  the 
Legislature  of  1879,  was  a  delegate  to  the  National  Dem- 
ocratic Convention  at  Chicago  in  1884 ;  has  been  the 
Democratic  candidate  for  State  Senator  and  Councillor 
from  this  district,  and  for  many  years  was  a  member  of  the 
Democratic  Town  Committee.  He  has  not  held  town 
ofiice  with  the  exception  of  being  one  of  the  Engineers  of 
the  Fire  Department  for  several  years.  He  is  a  member 
of  Parker  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and  of  Athol  Lodge  of  Masons, 
Union  Royal  Arch  Chapter,  and  Athol  Commandery  of 
Knights  Templars.  He  was  married  November,  1868,  to 
Martha  E.  Brooks  of  Athol,  and  has  one  son,  Sumner  L. 
Morse. 

Frank  F.  Morse,  the  youngest  son  of  Laban  Morse,  was 
born  in  Athol,  Nov.  7,  1848  ;  attended  the  common  schools 
of  the  town,  and  then  went  to  work  in  the  shops  of  his 
father,  becoming  a  member  of  the  firm  of  L.  Morse  &  Sons 
in  1877,  in  which  business  he  has  since  continued.  He 
was  married  May  19,  1872,  to  Maria  L.  Smith,  daughter 
of  the  late  Russell  Smith  of  Athol.  Mr.  Morse  was  for 
several  years  leader  of  the  old  Athol  Brass  Band,  and  is  a 
prominent  member  of  all  the  Odd  Fellow  organizations  of 
the  town. 

George  Morse  was  born  Oct.  31,  1813,  and  married 
Sophia  Proctor,  Nov.  5,  1835.  He  was  engaged  in  the 
manufacture   of  boots,  in  the  building  now  occupied    by 


OLD    ATHOL    FAMILIJIS.  273 

]!^e-wton  &  Call.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  B.,  27th  Mass.  Regi- 
ment.  His  son,  John  E..,  also  enlisted  in  the  same  Com- 
pany, and  another  son,  Frederick  P.,  was  in  the  56th 
Mass.  Regiment, 

John  Edwin  Morse  was  born  May  12,  1817.  He  went 
South  when  a  young  man,  and  lived  for  many  years  in 
Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  died.  He  was  clerk  in  some 
•of  the  promiuent  hotels  of  the  city,  and  was  also  at  one 
time  employed  on  the  public  parks.  He  married  Eliza- 
beth Stratton,  in  1845, 

Cdshing  B.  Morse,  was  born  September  IB,  1820.  He 
was  for  several  years  engaged  in  the  palm  leaf  hat  busi- 
ness, and  later  in  the  manufacture  of  shoes,  at  one  time 
with  Andrew  Chubb,  and  afterwards  with  W.  D.  Lee.  He 
also  travelled  several  years  selling  shoes,  and  had  a  shoe 
store  where  the  Centre  post  office  now  is.  He  married 
Julia  Munsell.  Nov.  24,  1847.  They  have  two  children, 
Mary  A.,  who  married  Charles  Sanderson,  and  now  lives 
in  Amherst,  and  Walter  E.,  who  lives  in  Athol,  and  is  en- 
gaged in  the  trucking  business, 

Charles  W.  Morse  was  born  July  1,  1825.  He  mar- 
ried Hannah  Cheney  of  Athol,  a  sister  of  Amos  L.  Che- 
ney, and  was  employed  for  many  years  in  the  Chick ering 
piano  factory  in  Boston,  being  one  of  the  oldest  employees 
of  that  company.  They  had  two  children,  Charles  Edgar, 
who  is  head  bookkeeper  in  the  North  Packing  and  Pro- 
vision Co.  of  Boston,  and  Evelyn,  who  is  a  teacher  in  the 
Boston  schools.  Mr.  Morse  died  April  18,  1896.  His 
remains  were  brought  ro  Athol  and  buried  in  the  High- 
land Cemetery. 


214  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  FRESENT. 

THE  HAVENS. 

The  Havens  of  Massachusetts  are  descended  from  one 
Eichard  Haven,  who  came  from  England  and  settled  in 
Framingham.  His  grandson,  John  Haven,  came  from 
Framingham  to  Athol  about  1760,  and  was  one  of  the  first 
settlers  of  Chestnut  Hill.  He  was  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent men  in  town,  having  been  one  of  the  first  board  of 
Selectmen,  wq,s  the  first  Town  Clerk,  the  first  Representa- 
tive to  the  Great  and  General  Court,  and  was  chosen  dea- 
con of  the  old  First  Church,  Nov.  10,  1774,  which  office 
he  probably  held  until  his  death,  July  12,  1807,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-one  years.  He  had  two  sons,  John  Haven, 
Jr.,  and  Daniel.  John  Haven,  Jr.,  was  in  the  Revolution, 
and  on  his  return  in  1777,  built  the  house  now  standing 
on  the  Josiah  Haven  farm.  He  had  six  boys  and  five 
girls,  all  of  whom  grew  up  to  manhood  and  womanhood. 
The  boys  were,  Levi,  John,  Asa,  Samuel,  Chauncey  and 
Jotham.  Levi  lived  near  the  brick  yard,  and  removed  to 
Vermont ;  John  married  a  Miss  Death  of  Wendell,  and 
lived  on  the  place  now  occupied  by  Merrick  Sly,  near 
South  Athol.  Among  his  children  were  Samuel  S.  Haven, 
who  died  in  Athol  in  1894,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven 
years,  and  Ezra  Haven,  who  is  now  living  near  South 
Athol.  Of  his  daughters,  one  married  the  late  Edmund 
Gage,  and  another,  William  G.  Fay ;  Asa  lived  in  Hard- 
wick  and  Barre,  and  died  in  the  latter  town ;  Samuel  died 
when  twenty-two  or  twenty-three  years  of  age  ;  Chauncey 
went  to  Girard,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  died,  over  eighty 
years  of  age ;  Jotham  lived  in  Athol,  on  the  old  home- 
stead.    He   married  Hannah  Taft,   and  had  seven    child- 


OLD   ATHOL   FAMILIES.  275 

Ten,  Oramel,  Josiah,  Eunice,  Jotham  F.,  Hannah  M.,  John 
H.  and  WiUiam  La  Roy. 

(1)  Oramel  lived  at  home  on  the  farm,  and  died  at  the 
age  of  fifty-two  years. 

(2)  Josiah  Haven  was  born  March  16,  1818.  He 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  at  which  he  worked  until 
1850,  when  he  took  his  father's  farm,  and  during  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life  was  engaged  in  farming.  He  was  of- 
ten called  upon  by  his  fellow  townsmen  to  assume  offices 
of  public  trust,  having  served  on  the  Board  of  Selectmen 
thirteen  years,  between  the  years  1851  and  1883,  and  al- 
so held  various  other  town  offices.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Know-Nothing  party,  and  in  1853,  was  elected  Repre- 
sentative to  the  Legislature  by  a  majority  of  one,  after  an 
exciting  contest  of  two  or  three  days,  and  served  in  the 
Legislature  of  1854.  He  married  Susan  Wiley,  Oct.  14, 
1857,  by  whom  he  had  four  children,  Herbert,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  drug  business  at  Seattle,  Washington  ;  Er* 
win  J.,  who  lives  on  the  old  homestead ;  Evelyn,  who  was 
teacher  in  the  Athol  schools  for  several  years,  and  married 
Fred  Judkins  of  Worcester,  and  Viola  E.,  who  is  a  gradu- 
ate of  the  Athol  High  School,  and  has  been  a  teacher  in 
Athol,  Phillipston  and  Petersham. 

( 3  )  Eunice,  born  in  1820,  married  Deacon  James  G. 
Smith  of  Phillipston,  and  died  in  Athol  in  1894. 

( 4  )  Jotham  F.  Haven  was  born  in  1825.  He  married 
Mary  Prouty,  and  had  two  children,  John,  who  is  a  clerk 
in  the  grocery  store  of  O.  T.  Brooks  &  Co.,  and  Isabella, 
who  married  Frank  W.  Whitney.     He  died  in  1886. 

(  5  )     Hannah  M.,  born  in  1829,  married  Levi  W.  Car- 


2^76  ATiroL,    PAST  AND   FRESENT, 

ruth,  and  is  now  living  'with  her  brother,  Wm.  La  Eoy  fra 
Morristown,  N.  J. 

(  6  )    John  H.,  born  in  1833',  died  in  1&55,  of  consump- 
tion. 

(  7  )  William  La-  Roy  Haven  was  born  May  24,  1835^ 
and  lived  at  home  working,  on  the  farm  and  attending  the 
district  school  for  ten  or  twelve  weeks  in  the  winter,  until 
twenty  years  of  age.  He  then  taught  school  during  the 
winter  season,  attended  school  in  the  fall  and  spring,  and 
worked  on  the  farm  summers  until  the  fall  of  1860,  when 
he  entered  Williams  College,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1864.  The  two  following  years  he  taught  school  in  Wis- 
consin, and  in  the  fall  of  1866,  was  appointed  Principal  of 
Plattsburg  Academy,  Plattsburg,  N,  Y.  The  following 
year  the  public  schools  of  the  town  were  graded,  and  the 
Academy  was  merged  into  the  High  School,  when  he  was 
appointed  to  take  charge  of  the  schools  of  the  town,  re- 
maining in  that  position  two  years.  In  the  fall  of  1869^ 
he  received  the  appointment  of  Principal  of  the  High 
School  and  Superintendent  of  the  public  schools  in  Morris- 
town,  N.  J.,  which  position  he  still  holds.  In  December, 
1867,  he  married  Florence  A.  Watson  of  Fredonia,  N.  Y. 
She  died  in  1870,  and  in  1873  he  married  EHzabeth 
Stuart  Tweed,  of  Williamstown,  N.  J.,  by  whom  he  has 
two  sons,  Samuel  C,  who  has  graduated  at  Amherst  Col- 
lege, and  Wm.  La  Roy,  Jr.,  about  thirteen  years  of  age. 
THE  STOCKWELLS. 

John  Stockwell,  who  emigrated  from  Scotland  to  Amer- 
ica in  1626,  was  the  father  of  the  American  Stockwells. 
His  grandchildren  settled  in  Sutton,  Mass.,  about  the  year 


OLD    ATHOL   FAMILIES.  277 

1700.  Among  the  children  of  John  Stockwell,  Jr.,  of 
Sutton,  was  Noah  Stockwell,  who  was  born  in  Sutton, 
May  6,  1746,  and  came  to  Athol  about  1796.  He  bought 
the  farm  on  the  Petersham  road,  which  has  been  in  pos- 
session of  the  Stockwell  family  ever  since,  and  the  owner 
of  the  place  when  he  purchased  it  was  one  John  Stockwell. 
Noah  Stockwell  was  married  twice,  and  had  twelve  child- 
ren, all  of  whom  were  born  in  Sutton.  He  died  Oct,  19, 
1839,  aged  ninety-three  years. 

Noah  Stockwell-,  Jr.,  who  was  born  in  Sutton,  July  10; 
1 784,  came  with  his  father  to  Athol.  He  married  Polly 
Briggs,  daughter  of  Elder  Isaac  Briggs  of  Athol.  He  was 
a  farmer,  a  worthy  and  respected  citizen,  served  the  town 
several  years  as  Selectman,  and  was  Deacon  of  the  Baptist 
church  for  many  years,  until  his  death,  Feb.  9,  1846.  His 
children  were  :  Freeland,  Cyrus,  Stillman,  Mary,  Sarah, 
Nancy  and  Francis  J. 

(  1 )  Freeland  Stockwell  was  born  March  19,  1808. 
He  married  Minerva  Ball,  by  whom  he  had  two  children, 
Harrison,  who  served  in  the  Union  army,  and  lives  in 
Springfield,  Mass.,  and  Maria,  who  married  E.  Hopkins,  a 
merchant  of  Belchertown.  Mr.  Stockwell  was  a  mill- 
wright by  occupation.     He  died  June  17,  1887. 

(  2  )  Cyrus  Stockwell  was  born  in  1809,  married  Ruth 
Bancroft  of  Erving,  Dec.  3,  1835,  and  died  Sept.  29,  1895. 
He  had  one  child,  George  Stockwell,  born  Dec.  27,  1836, 
who  married  Diantha  P.  Burrill,  of  Auburn,  May  1,  1860, 
by  whom  he  had  two  children,  George  F.,  who  died  in 
childhood,  and  Lena  B..  born  in  August,  1872.  Mr. 
Stockwell  is  a  farmer,  and  a  deacon  in  the  Second  Advent 
Church. 


278  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

(3  )  Stillmaii  Stockwell  was  born  March  31,  1812,  and 
married  Wealtha  Spencer  of  Westfield  in  1833.  She  died 
in  1838,  and  he  married  for  his  second  wife  Jane  Seaver 
of  Phillipston,  in  1839,  by  whom  he  had  three  children, 
Spencer  Stockwell  who  enlisted  in  the  army  and  died 
while  in  the  service,  Alfred,  who  died  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
years,  and  Wealtha  J.,  born  in  1844,  who  married  Albert 
J.  Battersby,  and  lives  in  Petersham. 

(  4  )  Mary,  born  April  5,  1819,  married  Kimball  Cole, 
and  resided  in  Laconia,  N.  H.     She  had  four  children. 

(5  )  Sarah,  born  Jan.  4,  1821,  married  Amos  Drury  of 
Wendell.  They  lived  in  Athol,  and  left  one  child,  Henry 
Drury. 

(6)  Nancy,  born  July  22,  1825,  died  when  twenty 
years  of  age. 

(  7  )  Francis  J.  Stockwell,  born  July  25,  1830,  mar- 
ried Harriet  Whitney,  by  whom  he  had  one  child,  Frank 
J.  Stockwell,  a  machinist.  He  married  for  his  second  wife 
Ruth  L.  Alexander,  by  whom  he  had  two  children,  both  of 
whom  are  dead.     He  lives  at  East  Walpole,  Mass. 

John  Stockwell,  brother  of  Noah,  Jr.,  was  born  Sept. 
21,  1793.  He  married  Betsey  Briggs  of  Athol  in  1815. 
They  had  six  children,  all  of  whom  removed  from  town. 

Another  Stockwell  family  settled  in  Phillipston,  near 
Prospect  Hill.  Josiah  Stockwell  of  this  family,  was  one 
of  the  old-time  stage  proprietors,  and  run  a  stage  route 
from  Worcester  to  Winchester,  N.  H.  Ginery  Twichell 
commenced  his  career  driviag  stage  for  Mr.  Stockwell. 

Sylvester  Stockwell,  a  son  of  Josiah,  was  born  in  Phillip- 
ston in  1808.     He  carried  on  the  sash  and  blind  business 


OLD    ATHOL   FAMILIES.  279 

with  Chandler  Skinner,  in  the  Upper  Village,  where  the 
John  E.  Woodis  shop  now  is,  and  later  came  to  the  Lower 
Village,  and  carried  on  the  same  kind  of  business  in  a 
building  that  stood  where  the  shop  of  Horace  Hager  is 
now  located,  until  his  shop  was  destroyed  by  fire.  For 
many  years  he  did  all  the  teaming  for  the  shops  of  the 
Lower  Village.  He  married  Polly  Fay,  Sept.  4,  1832, 
and  had  six  children,  two  boys  and  four  girls.  He  died 
March  27,  1890.     His  sons  are  Sylvester  J.  and  Otis  J. 

Otis  J.  Stockwell  was  born  in  Athol,  Sept.  26,  1844. 
He  was  clerk  in  the  grocery  store  of  S.  E.  Fay  two  years, 
and  in  the  dry  goods  and  clothing  store  of  Thorpe  &  Sloan 
five  years.  He  also  for  many  years  carried  on  a  store  in 
the  Main  street  block,  which  he  bought  in  1869.  He  is 
now  engaged  in  farming  just  over  the  line  in  Orange.  He 
married  Eliza  A.  Wheeler  of  Athol,  July  7,  1868,  and  has 
three  boys  and  two  girls.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of 
the  Methodist  church  and  one  of  its  trustees. 

Sylvester  J.  Stockwell  has  been  for  many  years  a   fore- 
man in  the  C.  M.  Lee  shoe  shops. 
THE  FAYS. 

Solomon  Fay  came  from  Shrewsbury,  Mass.  to  Athol, 
and  was  deeded  a  grant  of  land  from  Massachusetts  Bay 
Co.  in  1760.  He  was  in  the  French  and  Indian  War 
and  participated  in  the  battle  on  Abraham's  Heights.  He 
settled  on  the  place  now  occupied  by  William  Oliver. 
His  brother  Joseph,  settled  on  the  place  known  as  the 
Hiram  H.  Gage  farm.  Solomon  and  Joseph  were  mem- 
bers of  a  family  of  twenty-five  children.  Solomon  had 
hree  sons  and  eight  daughters.  The  sons  were  Arte- 
mas,  Nahum  and  Jonas. 


280  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Artemas  Fay  married  Delight  Cleveland  of  Walpole, 
Mass.  Their  children  were:  Sabra,  who  died  in  child- 
hood, Emerson  and  Lysander. 

Emerson  Fay  was  the  father  of  Farwell  F.  Fay  and 
Gelestina  M.  He  married  Nancy  A.  Foster  of  New  Salem. 
He  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  New  Salem,  and  represent- 
ed that  town  in  the  Legislature. 

•  Rev.  Lysander  Fay  was  born  in  Athol,  May  3,  1805. 
His  parents  were  poor  and  hard-working  people,  and  his 
early  educational  advantages  were  very  limited.  He  how- 
ever, made  the  most  of  the  opportunities  offered  by  the 
district  school,  and  by  hard  study  at  home  by  the  light  of 
the  pine  knot,  supplemented  with  a  few  weeks  study  at 
New  Salem  Academy,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  was  ready 
for  his  first  experience  in  teaching  school.  From  this 
time  for  seventeen  years,  he  was  engaged  as  ^a  teacher, 
having  taught  twenty-eight  district  and  select  schools, 
ninety-three  writing  schools,  and  having  under  his  charge 
at  different  times  more  than  four  thousand  pupils.  He 
was  desirous  of  taking  a  college  course,  and  had  nearly 
fitted  himself  to  enter  college,  when  failing  health  and 
the  care  of  his  aged  parents,  changed  his  plans.  In  the 
summer  of  1828,  when  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he  was 
baptized  by  Elder  Briggs,  and  united  with  the  Baptist 
Church,  of  which  he  was  ever  after  an  honored  member. 
In  September,  1831,  he  was  licensed  to  preach,  and  from 
that  time  onward,  was  a  successful  preacher  of  the  gospel, 
being  pastor  of  the  church  in  Orange  nearly  eleven  years, 
at  Royalston  Centre  five  years,  at  Warwick  about,  the  same 
length  of  time,  and  at  Winchendon  for  eleven  years.     Be- 


Rev.  lysander  fay. 


SERENO  E.  FAY. 


OLD    ATHOL   FAMILIES.  281 

sides  these  regular  pastorates,  he  labored  in  other  church- 
es, having  preached  over  four  thousand  sermons,  baptized 
one  hundred  and  seventeen  persons,  and  attended  nearly 
five  hundred  funerals.  As  vpas  truly  said  at  his  funeral, 
"  all  along  these  hills  and  valleys  are  scattered  the  faithful 
witnesses  of  his  godly  life  and  noble  service".  He  served 
several  years  on  the  School  Committee,  and  in  1848,  rep- 
resented the  tow^n  in  the  Legislature.  In  1830,  he  mar- 
ried Prfscilla  E.  Chamberlain.  They  had  eight  children . 
Adoniram  J.,  Sereno  E.,  Lovinia  E.,  Josephine  A.,  Deb- 
orah M.,  Othello  A.,  Priscilla  E.,  and  Clara  L.  In  1880, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fay  celebrated  their  golden  wedding.  Mr. 
Fay  died  July  9,  1881.  His  widow  is  still  living,  at  the 
age  of  ninety-one  years. 

(  1  )  Adoniram  J.,  married  Altamiah  A.  Smith,  and 
resides  in  Athol.  They  have  had  five  children,  three  of 
whom  are  now  living:  Charles  L.,  of  the  firm  of  Fay  & 
Fay,  grocers,  Rosa  and  Clarence. 

(2)  Sereno  E.  Fay  was  born  in  1833.  In  early  life 
he  was  a  school  teacher,  having  taught  for  six  years  in 
Athol  and  adjoining  towns.  He  engaged  in  the  grocery 
business  in  1861,  in  what  is  now  known  as  the  City  Hotel 
block,  where  he  remained  five  years,  when  he  purchased 
the  property  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  where  he 
continued  in  the  grocery  business  for  twenty-two  years. 
When  he  retired  from  business,  in  1888,  there  was  not  a 
person  in  the  village  in  trade  that  had  continued  in  busi- 
ness that  length  of  time.  He  was  for  several  years  a 
member  of  the  School  Committee,  and  has  been  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  Baptist  Church  for  many  years. 


282  ATHOL,    PAST    AND    PRESENT. 

having  been  clerk  of  the  Church  for  more  than  twenty 
years,  and  also  for  several  years  vs^as  Superintendent  of  the 
Sunday  School.  He  married  Emma  P.  Holton  of  Gill, 
in  1862.  They  have  two  children:  Frederick  H.,  en- 
gaged in  the  grocery  business  in  the  firm  of  Fay  &  Fay, 
and  Perley  E.,  who  is  connected  with  W.  E.  Wood  in  his 
hot^l  and  railway  eating  houses  in  Greenfield. 

(  3  )  Lovinia  E.  married  Deacon  Amos  Breck  of  Ster- 
ling, and  died  about  1868,  leaving  one  son. 

(4)  Josephine  A.,  married  Geo.  A.  Bishop,  and  died 
in  Leominster  in  1892.     They  had  four  children. 

(  5  )  Deborah  M.,  married  Levi  Bourne  of  Athol,  who 
died  in  the  army,  leaving  one  son.  She  afterwards  mar- 
ried Geo.  Woods  of  Leominster. 

(6 )  Othello  A.  Fay,  the  youngest  son,  was  born  in 
Athol,  Oct.  14,  1844.  When  eighteen  years  of  age  he 
went  to  work  in  the  sewing  machine  shops  at  Orange, 
where  he  continued  for  three  years.  He  then  entered  in- 
to partnership  with  his  brother  Sereno  E.,  in  the  grocery 
business,  which  they  continued  for  twenty-two  years. 
They  had  stores  in  both  villages,  Othello  A.  having  charge 
of  the  store  at  the  Centre.  He  has  been  engaged  in  the 
lumbering  business  for  upwards  of  fifteen  years,  operating 
extensively  all  through  Western  Massachusetts,  and  is 
now  engaged  in  that  and  the  brokerage  business.  In 
1868,  he  married  Clara  A.  Lee,  daughter  of  the  late  Wm. 
D.  Lee,  Jr,,  and  has  two  children,  a  daughter,  the  wife  of 
C.  W.  Pratt  of  Orange,  and  a  young  son.  Mr.  Fay  is  one 
of  the  most  prominent  Masons  in  this  part  of  the  country, 
having  taken  the  degrees  of  that  order  up  to  the  thirty- 


OLD    ATHOL   FAMILIES.  283 

second.  He  has  been  a  director  of  the  Athol  National 
Bank  for  several  years. 

(  7  )  Priscilla  E.,  married  Charles  F.  Tandy,  Sept.  12, 
1872.  They  have  three  children  :  Charles  Eugene,  Wil- 
bert  Clifton  and  Ruth  L. 

(8)  Clara  L.,  married  Joseph  Slate,  Oct.  15,  1868, 
and  lives  in  Edinburg,  111.,  and  has  three  children. 

Nahdm  Fay,  son  of  Solomon,  left  no  issue. 

Jonas  Fay  married  Anna  E.  Ward  of  Athol,  and  had 
six  children:  Lucy,  Charles,  Beriah  W.,  William  G., 
Freeborn  and  Nancy.     Lucy  and  Charles  left  no  issue. 

Beriah  W.  Fay  was  born  in  Athol,  Dec.  2,  1819.  His 
education  was  obtained  in  the  public  schools  and  at  New 
Salem  Academy.  In  early  life  he  was  a  popular  school 
teacher,  having  taught  in  the  Athol  schools  for  eleven 
winters,  and  also  conducted  several  select  schools.  About 
1850  he  took  up  surveying,  and  for  nearly  half  a  century 
has  done  much  of  that  work  in  the  towns  of  Northwestern 
Worcester,  and  throughout  Franklin  County.  He  has 
been  prominently  identified  with  town  and  public  business. 
In  1861  he  was  appointed  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  in 
1872,  was  elected  one  of  the  special  commissioners  of 
Franklin  County,  both  of  which  positions  he  has  held  con- 
tinuously to  the  present  time.  In  1865,  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Legislature,  representing  the  district  including 
New  Salem,  Orange  and  Warwick.  For  thirty-nine  years 
he  was  a  member  of  the  School  Committee  of  New  Salem, 
serving  most  of  the  time  as  chairman  of  the  board.  He 
also  served  his  town  for  several  years  as  Selectman,  As- 
sessor and  Overseer  of  the  Poor,  and  was  recruiting  officer 


284  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

for  the  town  in  1864.  He  married  Hattie  L.  Ballard  of 
Wendell,  Oct.  1,  1868,  and  they  have  two  children,  Har- 
ry W.  and  Beatrice  A. 

William  G.  Fay  married  Emily  King  of  New  Salem, 
Oct.  21,  1846.  She  died  and  he  married  for  his  second 
wife  Sally  E.  Haven  of  Athol,  in  1850.  He  served  in  the 
war,  being  a  member  of  Co.  E,  53d  Regiment.  His  oc- 
cupation has  been  that  of  boot-maker. 

Freeborn  E.  Fay  married  Lucy  Augusta  Foster  June 
4,  1849.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  E,  53d  Eegiment,  and 
served  as  Surgeon's  Orderly  with  the  regiment  in  Louis- 
iana. He  died  in  Athol,  May,  1865.  Mrs.  Fay  and  three 
children  are  living,  Leona,  who  married  Frank  A.  Gates, 
and  Waldo  and  Helen. 

Farwell  F.  Fay,  son  of  Emerson  Fay,  was  born  in 
Athol  Feb.  17,  1833.  He  was  a  successful  teacher  in  the 
Athol  schools,  and  was  the  second  Principal  of  the  High 
School,  which  position  he  relinquished  to  engage  in  the 
study  of  law  in  the  Harvard  Law  School.  He  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  1859,  and  for  many  years  had  a  large 
and  lucrative  practice  in  Athol.  In  August,  1862,  he  re- 
cruited Co.  E,  of  the  53d  Regiment,  of  which  he  was 
chosen  Captain  Sept.  13,  1862,  and  was  commissioned  by 
Governor  Andrew  five  days  later.  At  the  time  of  the 
surrender  of  Port  Hudson,  he  was  in  command  of  the  reg- 
iment. In  July,  1864,  he  was  commissioned  as  Assistant 
Adjutant  General  of  Massachusetts,  to  recruit  for  the  Com- 
monwealth in  the  Department  of  Mississippi,  in  which  he 
did  successful  work.  In  1862,  he  represented  this  district 
in  the  Legislature,  was  president  of  the  Worcester  North- 


capt.  farwell  f.  fay. 


J.  WARD    FAY. 


OLD    ATHOL   FAMILIES.  285 

west  Agricultural  Society  in  1868,  and  also  represented 
that  Society  for  three  years  as  its  delegate  on  the  State 
Board  of  Agriculture.  He  married  Hattie  Babbitt,  by 
whom  he  had  three  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy, 
Carrie  J.  Fay,  who  died  in  1888,  and  Wm.  L.  Fay,  who 
is  engaged  in  business  in  Boston,  and  who  married  Arria 
Flint  of  that  city.  The  last  year's  of  Mr.  Fay's  life  were 
spent  in  Boston,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
law,  and  where  he  died  in  May,  1888. 

Joseph  Fay,  who  first  settled  the  place  known  as  the 
Hiram  H.  Gage  farm,  came  from  Wales  with  his  brothers, 
Solomon  and  Stephen,  and  settled  in  Westboro,  Mass., 
from  which  place  he  came  to  Athol  about  1760.  He  mar- 
ried Abigail  Twichell  of  Athol,  and  had  ten  children : 
Josiah,  Nehemiah,  Dolly,  Matilda,  Sally,  Nabby,  Benja- 
min,'Seth,  Hannah  and  Lucinda.  Nehemiah,  Sally  and 
Benjamin  moved  to  New  York  state  in  early  life,  Dolly 
married  Daniel  Ellenwood,  and  Matilda  married  Seneca 
EUinwood,  and  lived  in  Erving. 

JosiAH  Fay,  the  oldest  son  of  Joseph  Fay,  was  born 
March  16,  1774.  He  married  Molly  Ward  of  Orange, 
Sept.  18,  1798.  He  died  March  16,  1834,  and  MoUy,  his 
wife,  died  Aug.  14,  1866,  over  ninety-three  years  of  age. 
They  had  seven  children:  Esther  W.,  J.  Ward,  Minerva, 
Polly,  James  S.,  Adaline  and  Betsey. 

(  1 )  Esther  W.  Fay  married  Jonathan  Stratton  March 
8,  1821. 

(  2  )  J.  Ward  Fay  was  born  April  25,  1801.  He  was 
engaged  in  farming  most  of  his  life.  For  several  years  he 
was  the  collector  of  taxes,  and  in  1840  was  the  only  con- 


28G  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

stable  in  town.  He  married  Mary  Babbitt  of  Taunton, 
and  they  had  six  children:  Joseph  F.,  Rebecca  L.,  Jo- 
siah,  Abbie,  Martha  and  Levi  B.  Mr.  Fay  died  May  6, 
1892,  at  the  age  of  ninety-one  years  and  ten  days.  Of 
his  children,  Rebecca  L.,  Josiah  and  Martha,  died  young. 

Joseph  F.  Fay  enlisted  in  the  27th  Regiment,  and 
served  in  the  Regimental  band.  He  died  Nov.  27,  1892, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years. 

Abbie  Fay  married  Charles  Lamb,  and  resides  in  Athol. 

Levi  B.  Fay  was  born  April  14,  1843.  During  the  late 
war  enlisted  in  Co.  E,  53d  Regiment,  and  was  with  his 
regiment  during  its  entire  campaign  in  Louisiana  and 
Mississippi.  In  1873  he  entered  into  partnership  with  the 
late  Orrin  F.  Hunt,  in  the  sale  stable,  carriage  and  sleigh 
repository  business,  and  the  firm  of  Hunt  &  Fay  did  an 
extensive  business  throughout  this  part  of  the  country. 
This  partnership  was  continued  until  Mr.  Hunt's  death, 
and  since  that  time  Mr.  Fay  has  conducted  the  same  busi- 
ness. Mr.  Fay  is  one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  the 
town,  is  a  trustee  of  the  Athol  Savings  Bank,  of  the  Wor- 
cester Northwest  Agricultural  Society,  and  one  of  the  ex- 
ecutive committee  of  the  Athol  Board  of  Trade.  He  mar- 
ried Hattie  A.  Smith,  Jan.  8,  1866.  They  have  only  one 
child  living,  Miss  Katie  Fay. 

( 3  )  Minerva  Fay  married  James  Oliver,  Sept.  18, 
1827. 

(  4  )  Polly  Fay  married  Sylvester  Stockwell,  Sept.  4, 
1832. 

( 5  )  James  Sullivan  Fay  married  a  Miss  Farrar  of 
Petersham,  by  whom  he  had  one  son,  James  Humphrey 


LEVI    B.  FAY. 


OLD    ATHOL   FAMILIES.  287 

Fay.  He  was  married  a  second  time  to  Harriet  A. 
Twichell,  May  31,  1848,  by  whom  he  had  two  children, 
one  of  whom,  Mary  A.,  married  Amos  Blanchard.  Mr. 
Fay  died  Jan.  10,  1857,  and  his  widow  married  Hiram  H. 
Gage. 

(  6  )     Adaline  Fay  married  Abel  Lord,  and  Betsey  died 
young. 


CHAPTER  XV 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 

"There  is  no  life  of  a  man,  faithfully  recorded,  but  is  a  heroic  poem  of  its  sort, 
rhymed  or  unrhymed." 

MONG  THE  business  men  and  man- 
ufacturers of  Athol,  who  have  dur- 
ing the  last  half  century,  laid  the 
foundations  for  and  conducted  suc- 
cessful business  enterprises,  that  in 
many  instances  are  still  continued 
and  carried  on  by  their  sons  or  suc- 
cessors, and  who,  having  accomplished 
their  work  and  mission,  have  passed  on  to  their  reward,  we 
may  mention  the  names  of  John  C.  Hill,  Capt.  C.  C.  Bas- 
sett,  Lyman  W.  Hapgood,  Edwin  Ellis,  W.  H.  Amsden, 
Nathaniel  Richardson,  J.  Sumner  Parmenter,  Frank  C. 
Parmenter,  D.  A.  Newton,  Geo.  T.  Johnson,  Daniel  W. 
Houghton,  Addison  M.  Sawyer,  and  many  others.  These, 
by  their  untiring  industry  and  ability,  have  contributed  in 
a  large  degree  in  making  the  Athol '  of  to-day  what  it  is, 
and  have  left  examples  worthy  of  emulation,  and  names 


■S'lgo-ljij  AflliltcniC' 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  289 

that  will  stand  high  on  the  roll  of  Athol's  honored  busi- 
ness men  through  the  coming  years. 

Addison  M.  Sawyer  was  born  in  Templeton,  Aug.  14, 
1827,  a  son  of  John  and  Lucy  (Balcom)  Sawyer.  The 
family  had  for  several  generations  been  distinguished  for 
its  mechanical  skill  and  ingenuity.  The  father,  John 
Sawyer,  was  a  farmer  and  mechanic  of  unusual  ability. 
The  sons  attended  the  public  schools  of  their  native  town, 
became  familiar  with  labor  in  their  early  days,  and  were 
trained  in  habits  of  industry  and  frugality.  Addison  was 
employed  by  the  American  Eattan  Co.  on  its  organization, 
and  becoming  familiar  with  the  machinery,  his  mechanical 
genius  soon  discovered  where  important  imptovements 
could  be  made,  and  he  invented  and  perfected  many  con- 
trivances of  great  value.  One  of  these,  the  Tubular 
Spurred  Cutter,  invented  by  Mr.  Sawyer,  and  patented  in 
1854,  revolutionized  the  business.  It  was  adopted  by  the 
Wakefield  Rattan  Co.,  and  yielded  the  inventor  a  hand- 
some revenue.  From  his  boyhood,  Mr.  Sawyer  had  been 
an  expert  with  the  gun  and  rifle,  and  his  familiarity  with 
these  led  him  to  investigate  the  science  of  projectiles, 
which  resulted  in  the  "Sawyer  Gun,"  and  other  ordnance 
materials,  which  were  valuable  to  the  government  in  the 
late  war.  The  Sawyer  canister  shot  was  tested  by  the 
Government,  and  proved  of  such  value  that  the  inventor 
was  awarded  twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  He  was  also 
the  inventor  of  other  valuable  machines.  One  of  his  last 
investigations  was  the  invention  of  a  process  of  refining 
and  giving  the  ripeness  and  qualities  of  age  to  distilled 
spirits,    which  attracted   the  attention    of  scientific  men. 


290  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Mr.  Sawyer  became  a  resident  of  Athol  about  1860,  and 
soon  after  coming  to  town  invested  in  real  estate   at  the 
Highlands.     He  built  the  finest   and  most  costly  home  in 
town,  spending  upwards  of  eighty  thousand  dollars  upon 
the  buildings  and  grounds.     He  purchased  the   Summit 
House,  built  a  large  shop  on   Main  Street  opposite  the 
cemetery,    was   largely  instrumental   in    the    building   of 
Music  Hall,   and  active  in  the  starting  of  the  Athol  Na- 
tional Bank.     He  was  always  interested  in  town  affairs, 
and  ready  in  town  meeting  to  advocate  whatever  his  judg- 
ment approved.     A  great  friend  and  admirer  of  General 
Butler,  he  always  supported   him    in   his  campaigns  for 
Governor.    -He   was     a  member    of  the    Congregational 
Church,  to  which  he  was  a  liberal  contributor.     A  man  of 
commanding  presence,  he  was  affable,  courteous  and  kind, 
and  his  social  qualities,   with  his  unbounded  hospitality, 
made  his  beautiful  home  the  centre  for  a   host  of  warm 
friends.     He    married    Harriet  Elizabeth     Blackmer,     a 
daughter  of  Hosea  Blackmer  of  Dana,  Oct.  23,  1854.    She 
died  July  23,  1876,  having  borne  him  four  children,  none 
of  whom  are  now  living.     He  was  married  a  second  time 
to  Mary  E.  Stevens,  a  daughter  of  Darwin  H.   and  Harriet 
(Andrews)  Stevens   of  Guilford,  Vt.     Mr.    Sawyer   died 
Jan.  23,  1890. 

Capt.  Charles  C.  Bassett,  for  thirty  years  one  of 
Athol's  most  honored  citizens  and  prominent  business  men, 
was  born  in  Norton,  Mass.,  Feb.  24,  1805.  When  a 
youth  he  moved  with  his  family  to  Phillipston,  where  for 
many  years  he  was  in  business  with  his  father,  Isaac  Bas- 
sett, and  others,  including  the  late   Col.  Artemas  Lee  of 


Capt.  CHARLES  C.  BASSETT. 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 


291 


Templeton.     More  business  was  done  by  this  firm  than  by 
any  other  in  this  part  of  the  state.     They  were  the  pion- 
eers in  the  palm  leaf  hat  business  in  this  vicinity,  and  the 
second  firm  in  the  state  to  put  out  palm  leaf  to  braid,  their 
sales  in  this  branch  alone  amounting  to  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  thousaiid  dollars  in  one  year.     Not  only  was 
Mr.  Bassett  an  enterprising  business  man   of  Phillipston, 
but  he  was  also  prominent  and  active  in  town  and  church 
affairs.     He  was  town  clerk   from  1834  to  1845,  with  the 
exception  of  three  years,  and  was  clerk  of  the  parish  dur- 
ing the   memorable    church  controversy  about   the   year 
1830,  when    as    clerk    he   had   nearly    a   dozen   actions 
brought  against  him  in  the  courts,  for  refusing  in  a  parish 
meeting,  the  votes  of  those  who  had  once  withdrawn  from 
the  society.     He  represented  the  town  of  Phillipston  in 
the  Legislature  of  1851,  and  held  various  other  offices  and 
positions.     He  joined  the  Congregational  church  in  1832, 
and    was  for    some  time    Superintendent   of  its    Sunday 
School,  and  was  also  Captain  of  one  of  the  largest  mihtary 
companies  of  the  state      In  1856  he  removed   to  Athol, 
where  he  continued  to  engage  in  mercantile  business,  and 
afterwards  in  manufacturing,  being  a  member  of  the  Mill- 
ers River  Manufacturing  Co.,  and  prominent  in  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  Athol  Silk  Co.,  of  which  he  was  the 
largest  local  stock-holder.     He  was  one  of  the  incorpora- 
tors of  the  Millers  River  Bank  in  1854,  and  was  interested 
in  the   organization  of  the   Athol  Savings  Bank    and   its 
vice  president.     He  took  an  active  interest  in  town  affairs 
served  as  town  treasurer,  and  was  often  appointed  on  im- 
portant committees.     Interested  in  agriculture  and  horti- 


292  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

culture,  he  was  for  several  years  the  delegate  to  the  State 
Board  of  Agriculture  from  the  Worcester  Northwest  Agri- 
cultural Society.  He  was  one  of  the  most  prominent 
members  of  the  Congregational  Church,  and  served  the 
church  and  Sunday  School  in  the  most  important  positions. 
In  1845  he  married  Miss  Lucinda  S.  Jones  of  Phillipston. 
They  had  two  children,  Charles  H.,  who  has  been  for 
many  years  engaged  in  the  drug  business  in  Boston,  and 
Helena,  who  died  of  consumption  in  1881.  Mr.  Bassett 
was  one  of  the  most  kind  and  genial  of  men,  jovial  and 
cordial,  and  one  o'f  the  most  respected  and  honored  men  of 
the  town. 

John  C.  Hill  was  born  in  North  Orange,  March  2d, 
1816.  He  came  to  Athol  when  a  boy,  and  was  adopted 
by  the  late  Abijah  Hill,  who  was  for  a  long  time  Deputy 
Sheriflf,  and  grew  to  .manhood  in  his  family.  Early  in  life 
he  showed  promise  of  unusual  business  ability,  and  started 
out  for  himself  in  the  tinware  and  foundry  business,  which 
he  built  up  to  large  proportions,  his  tin  carts  traversing  the 
whole  western  section  of  the  state.  His  first  foundry  was 
located  on  South  Main  Street,  in  rear  of  the  house  form- 
erly the  residence  of  W.  L.  Hill,  and  later  he  built  a 
larger  one  near  Canal  Street,  which  he  operated  himself  or 
leased  to  others  for  many  years.  He  also  started  the  man- 
ufacture of  pails  in  the  "old  White  mill,"  and  before  the 
building  of  the  Vermont  &  Mass.  E.  E.,  was  engaged  in 
teaming  merchandise  and  supplies  from  Boston,  also  coal 
and  sand  from  Montague.  W^hen  the  building  of  a  rail- 
road from  Fitchburg  to  Brattleboro  was  first  agitated,  he 
rendered   timely  and  valuable  assistance    to    the   project. 


JOHN    C.  HILL. 


BIOGEAPHICAL.  293 

foreseeing  the  great  advantage  it  would  be  to  Athol,  and 
in  him  the  late  Alvah  Crocker  found  a  most  efficient  co- 
laborer  in  pushing  the  enterprise  to  completion.     He  was 
also  equally   as  earnest   in  favor  of  the  building  of  the 
Athol  and  Enfield  railroad,  and  advocated  the  town's  as- 
sistance in  that  enterprise  in  the  face  of  much  opposition. 
He  was  a  director  of  this  road  until  it  was  merged  into  the 
Springfield,  Athol  and  Northeastern.     In  1859  he  became 
interested  in  the  manufacture  of  woolen  cloth,  satinets  and 
horse  blankets,  and  was  the  pioneer  of  that  industry  in  this 
section ;  the  firm  of  Johnson.  Hill  &  Co.  was  organized, 
Mr.  Geo.  T.  Johnson  moving  from  North  Dana  to  Athol 
to  engage  in  the  business.     In  1863,  the  business  was  en- 
larged, and  became  the  Millers  River  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, now  one  of  the  flourishing  business  concerns  of  the 
town.     In   1873,  Mr.  Hill  retired  from  the  business,  and 
devoted  his  time  to  mills  that  he  had  at  Eagleville,  Fry- 
ville,  Otter  River  and  in  New  Hampshire.     He  was  also 
one  of  the  organizers  and  directors  of  the  Athol  Machine 
Co.     Scarcely  any  enterprise  was  started  in  towa  for  near- 
ly forty  years,  from   1840,  but  had  his  active  co-operation. 
Among  others  was  the  organization  of  the  Millers  River 
National  Bank,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  founders,  and 
a  director  for  twenty-six  years.     He  was  also  one  of  the 
incorporators  of  the  Athol   Savings  Bank,  organized  in 
1867,  of  which  he  was  a  trustee  at  the  time  of  his  death. 
From  1865  to  1875,  he  was  the  largest  real  estate  owner 
and   tax   payer  in  Athol.     He    never  held  any  town   or 
political  office,  but  always  took  an  active  interest  in  town 
affairs,  and  was   a  prominent  figure  in  the  exciting  town 


294  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  FRESENT. 

meetings,  for  which  Athol  has  been  noted,  speaking"  with 
earnestness  in  favor  of  what  he  believed  for  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  town.  He  married  Dolly  Smith,  a  descend- 
ant of  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  town  in  November, 
1837.  They  had  five  children,  a  boy  who  died  in  infancy, 
iSTettie,  who  died  in  1863,  at  the  age  of  21  years,  and 
three  who  are  now  living,  Clara,  Abijah  and  Wells  L. 
Mrs.  Hill  died  Oct.  9,  1889,  and  Mr.  Hill  March  11,  1890. 
Daniel  Appleton  Newton  was  born  in  Templeton, 
March  25,  1833,  the  youngest  of  six  children  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Daniel  Newton,  he  being  the  only  son.  In  early  life 
he  was  clerk  in  the  store  of  Col.  Lee  at  Templeton.  He 
first  came  to  Athol  as  clerk  for  Lee  &  Bassett,  and  subse- 
quently in  connection  with  Roland  T.  Oakes,  he  bought 
out  the  firm,  and  the  Oakes  &  Newton  store  for  several 
years  did  a  prosperous  business  where  Starr  Hall  block 
now  stands.  Later,  Mr.  Newton  bought  Col.  Lee's  busi- 
ness in  Templeton,  and  operated  it  a  few  years,  leaving 
that  to  become  the  manager  of  the  Otter  Kiver  Woolen 
Mill  in  Templeton.  In  1869  he  went  to  Chicago  as  agent 
of  the  Athol  Machine  Co.,  and  at  the  same  time  estab- 
lished an  office  in  New  York.  He  conducted  these  agen- 
cies until  about  1873,  when  he  returned  to  Athol  and  con- 
nected himself  with  the  home  management  of  the  Machine 
Co.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  the  general  mana- 
ger and  treasurer  of  the  Company.  He  was  one  of  the 
most  prominent  members  of  the  Second  Unitarian  Church, 
and  was  treasurer  of  the  Society  from  its  first  organization. 
Although  an  aggressive  and  determined  fighter  in  politics 
and  town  affairs,  he  had  a  never  failing  fund  of  cheerful- 


DANIEL  A.  NEWTON. 


JOSEPH   B.  CARDANY. 


'BIOGUAPHICAL,  295 

ness  "and  good  humor,  and  in  all  his  business  dealings  was 
honorable,  systematic,  courteous  and  hopeful.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Kate  Newhall,  a  daughter  of  one  of  Athol's  old 
time  business  men,  Oct.  31,  1877.  They  had  three  child- 
ren.    Mr.  Newton  died  May  19,  1889. 

Joseph  B.  Cardany  was  born  in  Rouses  Point,  N.  Y., 
April  6,  1829,  and  at  an  early  age  moved  to  Eoyalston, 
Mass.,  where  he  learned  the  cabinet  makers  trade,  and  re- 
mained seven  years.  He  came  to  Athol  in  1858,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  furniture  business  in  a  portion  of  Richard- 
son's machine  shop,  in  company  with  Charles  Frye,  and 
subsequently  carried  on  a  large  business  on  Exchange 
Street,  at  one  time  under  the  firm  name  of  Cardany  & 
Spooner.  He  had  finishing  shops  on  South  Street,  and 
did  a  wholesale  business.  Mr.  Cardany  was  a  large  owner 
in  the  Athol  Gas  Co.,  and  was  its  superintendent  for  sev- 
eral years,  as  he  was  also  of  the  Athol  Water  Co.  Dur- 
ing the  last  few  years  of  his  life,  his  attention  was  given 
exclusively  to  his  furniture,  crockery  and  undertaking 
business,  which  was. the  largest  in  this  section  of  the  state. 
He  was  pre-eminently  a  business  man,  and  cared  nothing 
for  public  office.  He  was  an  active  member  of  the  Second 
Unitarian  Society,  and  one  of  its  executive  committee,  also 
a  member  of  TuUy  Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  married 
for  his  first  wife  a  Miss  Holman  of  Royalston,  by  whom  he 
had  one  child,  who  died  in  infancy.  In  1862  he  married 
Miss  Sarah  Lamb,  daughter  of  James  Lamb  of  Athol,  by 
whom  he  had  two  daughters,  only  one  of  whom  is  now  liv- 
ing, Mrs.  T.  S.  Mann  of  Orange.     He  died  June  16,  1889. 

Cephas  L.  Sawyer  was  born  in  Northfield,  Mass.,  Aug. 


296  ATHOL,   FAST  ANB  FEESENT. 

1837,  and  his  early  life  was  passed  in  his  native  town.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  went  to  Greenfield,  where  he 
was  engaged  as  a  cracker  dealer,  buying  his  goods  at  the 
bakery,  and  selling  them  out  in  that  and  neighboring 
towns.  He  continued  in  that  business  for  two  or  three 
years.  He  married  Miss  Ellen  Wood,  only  daughter  of 
Mr.  S.  N.  Wood,  of  Williamsburg,  in  January  1861.  Mr, 
Sawyer,  then  in  company  with  his  father-in-law,  purchased 
the  bakery  business  in  Greenfield,  which  they  carried  on 
for  three  or  four  years,  under  the  firm  name  of  Wood  & 
Sawyer,  when  they  sold  out  and  came  to  Athol  in  June, 
1867,  and  purchased  the  bakery  business  at  the  corner  of 
Main  and  School  Streets.  They  made  extensive  improve- 
ments here,  and  increased  the  business  until  the  annual 
sales  amounted  to  nearly  forty  thousand  dollars,  and  the 
products  of  their  shop  were  sold  throughout  the  towns  of 
Vermont,  New  Hampshire  and  Western  Massachusetts. 
In  April,  1879,  Mr.  Wood  retired  from  the  business,  and 
Mr.  Sawyer  continued  it  alone  until  his  death.  While 
residing  in  Greenfield,  he  joined  the  Baptist  Church,  and 
on  his  removal  to  Athol  took  a  letter  to  the  Baptist  church 
of  this  town.  He  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  and 
loved  members  of  the  church,  ever  ready  with  his  means 
and  influence  to  aid  the  cause  of  the  church,  and  was  for 
eight  years  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School.  He 
was  also  a  prominent  Mason,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 
was  Eminent  Commander  of  Athol  Commandery  Knights 
Templars.  He  was  especially  interested  in  the  temperance 
cause,  in  which  he  took  an  active  part,  and  was  ever  ready 
with  cheering  words  and  an  open  purse  to  assist  those  who 


CEPHAS   L.  SAWYER. 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 


297 


were  unfortunate  or  in  trouble.  He  had  one  daughter, 
May  E.  Sawyer,  who  married  William  E.  Mayo  of  War- 
wick.    Mr.  Sawyer  died  Aug.  14,  1880, 

J.  Sumner  Parmenter,  son  of  Joseph  Parmenter,  was 
born  in  Petersham  May  7,  1827.  At  the  age  of  twelve 
years  he  became  clerk  for  Wetherell  &  Hamilton,  and  two 
years  after  came  to  Athol,  where  he  obtained  a  situation 
with  Thorpe  &  Simonds,  and  also  attended  school.  In 
1848,  he  became  one  of  the  firm  of  Thorpe  &  Parmenter, 
which  was  continued  to  1865,  when  he  entered  into  part- 
nership with  his  brother  Frank  C,  and  the  firm  was  J.  S, 
and  F.  C.  Parmenter,  until  1870,  when  his  brother  retired, 
and  his  son  Frank  S.  took  his  place  for  four  years,  when 
Mr.  Parmenter  retired  from  mercantile  business.  He  was 
prominently  identified  with  the  religious,  political,  finan- 
cial and  business  interests  of  Athol,  and  when  he  died, 
Dec.  7,  1881,  in  the  prime  of  manhood,  and  in  the  midst 
of  a  successful  business  career,  the  community  felt  that  it 
had  lost  one  of  its  strong  men  and  most  valued  citizens. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  in  1878,  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death  was  vice  president  of  the  Athol  Savings 
Bank,  clerk  of  the  Millers  River  Manufacturing  Co.,  treas- 
urer of  the  Athol  Library  Association,  trustee  of  the  Up- 
ham  Machine  Co.,  and  had  been  town  clerk  nearly  seven 
years.  He  was  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church,  which  he  served  as  deacon,  and  was 
also  superintendent  of  its  Sunday  School.  He  married 
Caroline  B.  Baker  of  Troy,  N.  H.,  June  7,  1848,  and  had 
two  children,  Frank  S.  and  William  H. 


298  iTHOL,    PAST  AND   PRESENT. 

Feank  C.  Parmenteb  was  born  in  Petersham,  Oct.  17, 
1830.  When  fifteen  years  of  age  he  went  to  work  for 
Bassett,  Chiokering  &  Co.  in  Athol,  and  later  for  Thorpe 
&  Parmenter.  He  was  with  these  two  firms  for  six  and  a 
half  years,  when  he  returned  to  Petersham  and  opened  a 
store,  where  he  carried  on  business  for  ten  years,  after 
which  he  came  back  to  Athol,  and  was  in  company  with 
Lewis  Thorpe,  at  the  Centre  for  two  years,  and  with  his 
brother,  J.  Sumner  Parmenter,  at  the  Village  five  years. 
After  being  out  of  business  for  a  time,  he  formed  a  part- 
nership with  Albert  R,  Tower  in  the  dry  goods  business  in 
1870,  and  the  firm  of  Parmenter  &  Tower  did  a  flourish- 
ing business  for  twenty-two  years,  when  Mr.  Parmenter  re- 
tired from  the  firm.  He  joined  the  Congregational  Church 
in  Petersham  in  1858,  and  after  locating  in  Athol,  became 
a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church  of  this  town,  of 
which  he  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  most  prominent 
members,  being  one  of  its  deacons,  collector  and  treasurer, 
and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School.  He  was  con- 
nected with  nearly  all  of  the  temperance  organizations  of 
the  town,  in  which  he  took  an  active  part.  He  was  a  di- 
rector of  the  Athol  National  bank,  and  auditor  of  the 
town  for  two  years,  and  was  interested  in  several  of  the 
manufacturing  companies  in  town.  He  was  married  Oct. 
17,  1852,  to  EHzabeth  J.  Goodnough  of  Athol.  They 
had  one  daughter,  Stella,  who  is  the  wife  of  Hon.  S.  P. 
Smith.     Mr,  Parmenter  died  Oct.  28,  1893, 

Edwin  Ellis  was  born  in  North  Orange  on  the  old  Ellis 
homestead  Jan.    10,  1822.     He  was   a  son  of  Seth  Ellis, 


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EDWIN    ELLIS. 


J.  SUMNER   PARMENTER. 


FRANK  C.   PARMENTER. 


LYMAN    W.  HAPGOOD. 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  299 

■who  had  a  family  of  ten  children.  Seth  was  a  descendant 
of  Samuel  Ellis,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Cape  Cod,  and 
whose  descendants  were  quite  prominent  among  the  early 
settlers  of  Sandwich,  Yarmouth  and  Harwich.  Mr.  Ellis 
came  to  Athol  and  he  soon  commenced  the  manufacture 
of  sash  and  blinds  in  1847,  at  the  site  on  Water  street, 
where  he  continued  the  business  until  his  death.  In  his 
early  business  career  he  had  a  partner,  his  brother-in-law, 
John  Wood,  who,  after  retiring  from  the  partnership,  con- 
tinued in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Ellis,  until  the  latter's  death. 
In  1888,  he  admitted  to  partnership  his  son,  Edwin  W. 
Ellis,  and  the  firm  was  known  as  Edwin  Ellis  &  Son.  Mr. 
Ellis  was  not  only  successful  in  building  up  a  flourishing 
business,  but  he  also  had  the  confidence  of  his  fellow  citi- 
zens who  elected  him  to  positions  of  trust  and  honor.  He 
served  on  the  board  of  selectmen,  was  a  member  of  the 
school  committee,  and  was  elected  as  representative  to  the 
Legislature  in  1875.  Prominently  identified  with  the 
Congregational  church,  he  was  one  of  its  deacons  and 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School.  Honorable  in  all 
his  business  affairs,  sound  and  prudent  as  an  adviser,  a  so- 
cial and  cordial  friend,  he  was  a  true  man  in  every  rela- 
tion. He  married  Lois  L.  Wood  of  North  Orange,  Jan. 
10,  1846,  by  whom  he  had  three  children,  Adele  C,  wife 
of  Frank  S.  Parmenter,  Orrin  P.  and  Edwin  W.  He  died 
July  9,  1888. 

Lyman  Wilder  Hapgood  was  born  in  Barre,  Mass., 
Nov.  27,  1811,  where  he  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools,  and  learned  the  trade  of  a  wheelwright.    He  came 


Md  AtflOL,  tA&f  A&f)  M£8ESrf.. 

to  Athol  in  1838,  and  engaged  in  the  wheelwright  busi- 
ness with  his  brother  Asa,  in  the  building  now  occupied  by 
Newton  &  Call,  grocers.  He  commenced  the  manufacture 
of  match  splints  in  company  with  Cyrus  Stockwell,  on  the 
Petersham  road,  and  also  carried  on  the  bnsiness  where 
the  L.  Morse  &  Sons  shops  are  now  located,  and  was  in 
company  with  A.  D.  Horr,  under  the  firm  name  of  Horr, 
Hapgood  &  Co.,  having  an  office  in  Boston.  In  1844  he 
removed  his  business  to  where  the  present  match  shops  are 
located,  and  built  up  one  of  the  most  flourishing  industries 
of  the  town,  which  was  continued  after  his  death  by  his 
son  and  son-in-law,  under  the  firm  name  of  Hapgood  & 
Smith,  and  which  was  purchased  by  the  Diamond  Match 
Co.  in  1882.  He  had  natural  talents  as  a  leader,  and  ex- 
erted a  strong  influence  in  church,  political  and  town  af- 
fairs. He  was  for  many  years  connected  with  the  Fire 
Department  as  Chief  Engineer,  served  as  school  committee 
seven  years,  was  active  in  the  establishment  of  both  local 
banks,  both  of  which  he  served  as  director,  and  also  held 
other  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility  for  the  town. 
He  was  the  leader  of  the  Free  Soil  party  in  Athol,  and 
Was  elected  as  ddegate  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  of 
1853.  He  was  also  prominent  in  the  old  First  Unitarian 
Church,  of  which  he  was  the  clerk  for  many  years,  and 
was  also  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School  for  twenty 
years.  He  married  Eliza  J.  Finney,  April  18,  1839,  and 
had  two  children,  Sarah  H.,  who  married  Almon  Smith, 
and  Herbert  L.     He  died  Oct.  18,  1874, 

Nathaniel  Richardson  was  bom  in  Swanzey,  N.  H., 


NATHANIEL   RICHARDSON. 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  301 

Dec.  31,  1804.  He  was  the  second  son  of  a  family  often 
children,  and  his  early  life  until  twenty-one  years  of  age 
was  spent  on  the  farm  and  in  the  blacksmith  shop  of 
his  father.  He  came  to  Athol  and  engaged  in  work  as  a 
machinist  for  the  Athol  Manufacturing  Co.,  April  25, 
1826.  In  1835  he  bought  the  house  on  Main  street, 
which  was  his  home  for  nearly  half  a  century,  and  in 
June,  1838,  he  purchased  the  machine  shop,  now  occupied 
by  C.  F.  Richardson  &  Son,  where  with  his  brother  Luna, 
or  alone,  he  carried  on  a  most  successful  business  for  many 
years.  He  was  prominent  in  town  and  public  affairs,  was 
representative  to  the  Legislature  in  1847  and  1860,  a 
member  of  the  board  of  selectmen  for  nine  years,  town 
treasurer  from  1865  to  1875,  and  was  for  thirty-one  years 
a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  having  received  his  first  appoint- 
ment in  1852.  In  1854  he  was  elected  a  director  of  the 
Millers  River  Bank,  and  filled  that  office  to  the  time  of 
his  death,  and  was  also  a  trustee  of  the  Athol  Savings 
Bank  from  the  time  of  its  organization.  In  1827  he  uni- 
ted with  the  Free  Masons,  in  which  he  always  took  an  ac- 
tive and  prominent  part,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was 
the  oldest  Mason  in  town.  In  all  of  his  relations  he  was  a 
true  and  honorable  man.  He  married  Emeline  Young, 
daughter  of  Reuben  Young,  a  descendant  of  Robert 
Young,  who  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Athol,  Oct. 
31,  1830.  They  had  two  children,  George  H.  and  Charles 
F.     Mr.  Richardson  died  Feb.  16,  1883. 

George  T.  Johnson,  who  for  more  than  thirty  years  was 
one  of  the  leading  business  men  and  citizens  of  Athol, 


302  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

was  born  in  Springfield,  Mass.,  Feb.  11,  1823.  At  the 
age  of  seventeen  years  he  went  to  Boston  as  clerk  in  a 
grocery  store,  where  he  remained  five  years,  when  he  went 
to  Dana,  Mass.,  where  he  was  employed  for  some  time  as 
a  clerk,  and  then  engaged  in  business  in  the  company  of 
Lindsey  &  Johnson,  in  a  general  country  store.  In  1860 
he  removed  to  Athol,  and  engaged  in  the  satinet  business 
with  the  late  John  C.  Hill  and  Charles  C.  Ba,ssett,  the 
firm  being  known  as  Johnson,  Hill  &  Co.,  of  which  Mr. 
Johnson  was  president.  This  firm  was  soon  merged  in  the 
Millers  E.iver  Manufacturing  Co.,  which  was  incorporated 
in  1863,  with  a  capital  of  forty  thousand  dollars,  and  the 
Kendall  mill  water  power  was  purchased,  and  a  large 
factory  built.  Mr.  Hill  soon  retired  from  the  company, 
which  was  continued  by  Messrs.  Johnson  and  Bassett,  un- 
til the  latters  death  in  1886,  when  Mr.  Johnson  with  his 
son,  W.  G.  Johnson,  took  the  management  of  the  busi- 
ness, and  continued  it  until  his  death.  He  was  active  and 
public  spirited,  taking  an  interest  in  nearly  all  of  the  new 
enterprises  that  were  started  in  town  during  his  residence 
in  it.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Athol  Machine 
Co.,  of  which  he  was  the  president  and  treasurer  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  was  active  in  the  establishment  of  the 
Athol  Silk  Co.,  the  Citizens'  Building  Co.,  and  the  Upham 
Machine  Co.  He  was  one  of  the  first  directors  of  the  Mil- 
lers River  Bank,  which  position  he  held  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  was  a  trustee  of  the  Athol  Savings  Bank  for  many 
years  and  its  vice  president.  He  was  one  of  the  charter 
members  of  TuUy  Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  the  treas- 


WASHINGTON    H.  AMSDEN. 


BIOGRAPHICAL.  303 

urer  of  the  lodge  from  its  organization  until  his  death. 
He  was  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  Second  Unita- 
rian church  from  its  organization,  and  a  constant  attend- 
ant at  its  services,  where  he  was  ever  ready  to  extend  a 
hearty  greeting  and  handshake  to  all  as  they  entered  the 
house  of  worship.  He  married  Eunice  Fales  in  March, 
1845.  They  had  three  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  in- 
fancy, and  William  G.  and  Kate,  who  married  Dr.  James 
Oliver. 

Washington  H.  Amsden  was  born  in  Dana,  April  19, 
1825,  and  came  to  Athol  about  1844.  Some  time  after- 
wards he  purchased  a  factory,  located  where  the  L.  Morse 
&  Sons  shops  now  are,  and  engaged  in  the  sash  and  blind 
business  with  his  brother  Festus.  His  factory  was  burned 
March  4,  1864,  and  he  purchased  the  Kennebunk  prop- 
erty, November  19,  1865,  where  he  continued  in  business 
until  his  death,  with  the  exception  of  a  year  and  a  half  in 
1879  and  1880.  He  built  up  one  of  the  flourishing  in- 
dustries of  the  town,  and  his  reputation  for  honor  and  in- 
tegrity as  a  business  man  was  above  reproach.  In  town 
affairs  his  judgment  was  sound  and  keen,  and  he  was  al- 
ways outspoken  and  forceful  in  the  expression  of  his  views. 
He  exerted  a  strong  influence  in  the  community,  and 
served  the  town  as  selectman,  assessor  and  supervisor  of 
roads  for  several  years.  He  also  represented  this  district 
in  the  Legislature  of  1885,  was  one  of  the  first  directors 
of  the  Athol  National  Bank,  a  trustee  of  the  Athol  Sav- 
ings Bank  and  Worcester  Northwest  Agricultural  Society, 
and  a  liberal  supporter  of  the  First  Unitarian  church.     He 


304  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

married  Chloe  Ann  Gates  of  Wendell  Nov.  23d,  1846.  They 
had  four  sons  and  one  daughter:  Otho  F.  and  William  H., 
who  succeeded  their  father  in  business,  Henry,  who  is  a 
merchant  in  Shelburne  Falls,  Festus  G.,  who  has  been  en- 
gaged in  business  in  Athol,  and  Anna,  who  married  Sum- 
ner L.  Morse,  William  H.  died  Oct.  1,  1891,  Mr. 
Amsden  died  Nov.  3,  1886. 

Pardon  D.  Holbrook  was  born  in  Townsend,  Wind- 
ham County,  Vt.,  March  6,  1842.  His  parents  died  when 
he  was  fifteen  years  of  age.  His  education  was  received 
in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town  and  at  Leland 
Grey  Seminary  in  East  Townsend.  In  the  war  of  the  Re- 
bellion he  enlisted  in  the  16th  Vermont  Regiment,  and 
served  honorably  for  nine  months,  being  severely  wounded 
in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  from  the  efiects  of  which  he 
did  not  recover  for  a  long  time.  After  his  return  from 
the  army  he  engaged  in  the  livery  business  in  Townsend, 
and  also  purchased  a  hotel,  which  he  managed  in  connec- 
tion with  his  livery  business  for  several  years.  During  his 
residence  in  Townsend  he  was  appointed  a  Deputy  Sheriff 
of  Windham  County,  which  position  he  held  for  two  years. 
He  married  Theodosia  M.  Twitchell  of  Townsend,  Vt. , 
May  6,  1868.  Mr.  Holbrook  came  to  Athol  in  1872,  and 
in  company  with  F.  F.  Twitchell  and  John  D.  Holbrook, 
engaged  in  the  clothing  and  dry  goods  business  in  Music 
Hall  block  in  the  Upper  Village.  After  three  years  he 
sold  out  to  his  partner  and  went  back  to  Townsend,  where 
he  engaged  in  farming  for  two  years,  when  he  returned  to 
Athol  and  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  with  Joseph 
W.  White,  the  firm  being  known  as  Holbrook  &  White. 


PARDON    D.  HOLBROOK. 


DANIEL  W.  HOUGHTON. 


BIOGRAPHICAL,  305 

He  continued  in  this  business  until  his  death  April  19,1886, 
He  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  Baptist  church, 

Daniel  W.  Houghton  was  born  in  "Wendell,  now  Sun- 
apee,  N.  H.,  in  1820.  He  removed  to  Lunenburg,  Mass., 
when  four  years  of  age  with  his  parents,  and  there  lived 
with  them  until  his  seventeenth  year,  when  he  went  to 
Boston,  where  he  engaged  in  business  for  the  next  ten 
years.  He  was  afterwards  in  business  in  Clinton,  from 
whence  he  removed  to  Millington  in  New  Salem  in  1857, 
and  to  Athol  in  1863.  While  in  Athol  he  was  engaged 
in  the  foundry  business,  which  then  was  one  of  the  flour- 
ishing industries  of  ihe  town.  He  was  also  connected 
with  the  Athol  Machine  Company  from  its  organization, 
and  was  one  of  its  directors.  He  was  one  of  the  engineers 
of  the  Fire  Department  at  the  time  of  the  memorable 
steamer  contest.  While  living  in  Boston  Mr.  Houghton 
united  with  the  Bennett  Street  Methodist  church,  and  dur- 
ing his  whole  life  in  Athol  he  was  one  of  the  strong  piUars 
of  the  Methodist  church,  being  a  member  of  the  official 
board  and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School.  The 
Athol  Transcript  at  the  time  of  his  death  referred  to  him 
as  follows  :  "The  death  of  Mr.  Houghton  removes  from 
our  community  one  of  the  most  honorable  and  upright 
men  who  have  ever  contributed  to  its  moral  and  spiritual 
welfare.  He  was  a  just  and  high  minded  man,  with  whom 
it  was  a  pleasure  to  deal."  He  devoted  much  of  his  time 
to  the  cause  of  temperance,  and  was  very  efficient  and 
successful  in  that  field  of  work,  entering  into  it  with  his 
characteristic  wisdom  and  earnestness.     No   matter  what 


306  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

his  surroundings,  his  every  desire  and  act  was  guided  by 
the  purest  principles,"  About  the  time  that  he  came  to 
Athol,  Mr.  Houghton  married  Sarah  H.  Hale  of  New 
Salem,  Nov.  26,  1863.  They  had  one  child,  Effie  Hough- 
ton.    He  died  Dec.  16,  1879. 

J.  Wesley  Goodman,  was  bom  in  North  Dana,  Sept. 
17,  1839,  a  son  of  the  late  Dr.  Allen  Goodman,  who  with 
Warren  Hale  established  the  business  of  piano  and  bUliard 
table  leg  manufacturing  about  1845.  In  1861  J.  Wesley 
was  admitted  as  a  partner  in  the  firm  which  was  then 
Warren  Hale  &  Co.,  and  in  1876  he  purchased  the  entire 
business,  to  which  he  added  the  construction  of  billiard 
table  frames  and  all  the  wood  work  connected  with  the 
tables.  He  continued  this  business  at  North  Dana  until 
1880  when  he  moved  to  Athol  and  occupied  the  building 
known  as  the  Upham  shop  with  his  business.  His  billiard 
tables  obtained  a  high  reputation  and  the  industry  was  one 
of  the  largest  of  the  kind  in  the  country.  His  oldest  sons 
were  associated  with  him  in  the  business  for  several  years 
before  his  death.  While  living  in  North  Dana  he  was 
actively  interested  in  the  building  of  the  Athol  and  Enfield 
railroad  and  was  one  of  the  directors  of  the  company.  He 
was  a  member  of  Athol  Commandery  of  Knights  Templars 
and  a  prominent  Mason.  Of  a  social  and  genial  nature  he 
had  a  large  circle  of  friends,  and  was  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  Poquaig  Club.  He  married  Julia  A.  Amsden  of 
Dana,  Oct.  1,  1861.  They  had  four  children,  Frank  A., 
Fred  L.,  Will  A.  and  Minnie.  Mr.  Goodman  died  May 
15,  1893. 


THEODORE  JONES. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


BIOGRAPHICAL-CONTINUED. 

"There  is  no  heroic  poem  in  the  world,  but  is  at  bottom  a  biography,  the 
life  of  a  man." 


HEODOEE  JONES  was  born  in  Tem- 
pleton,  Mass.  His  early  mercantile 
experience  was  obtained  in  the  employ 
of  John  Chandler,  who  had, stores  in 
Petersham,  Athol  and  other  places. 

Mr.  Jones  at  one  time  had  the  su- 
pervision of  all  of  these  stores.  He 
came  to  Athol  and  was  in  partnership 
with  Mr.  Chandler  for  a  number  of  years,  when  he  bought 
out  the  business,  and  was  in  trade  in  Athol  for  forty 
years,  his  store  occupying  the  site  of  the  present  Union 
block  at  Athol  Centre.  He  was  prominent  in  the  busi- 
ness, social,  public  and  church  life  of  his  day,  and  was 
one  of  the  staunch  men  of  the  town,  whose  influence  was 
felt  in  a  marked  degree,  and  whose  judgment  was  sought 
in  all  public  matters.  He  was  courtly  in  his  manners,  of 
innate  courtesy,  and  manifested  a  kindly  interest  in   all. 


308  ATHOL, 

He  served  as  a  Savings  Bank  for  the  young  people  who 
wished  to  save  their  pennies,  and  when  a  boy  or  girl  car- 
ried a  dollar  to  him,  he  gave  his  note  for  the  amount  with 
interest.  He  served  the  town  as  selectman,  was  town 
clerk  from  1818  to  1829  inclusive,  town  treasurer  from 
1840  to  1850,  and  represented  the  town  in  the  Legislatures 
of  1840,  1843  and  1845,  and  was  a  deacon  of  the  First 
Unitarian  church  for  many  years.  He  married  Marcia  Es- 
tabrook,  daughter  of  Rev.  Joseph  Estabrook,  the  second 
minister  of  Athol,  Aug.  29,  1819.  They  had  eight  child- 
ren :  Joseph  E.,  Theodore,  Frederick,  Charles,  Nathaniel, 
Benjamin,  Jerome,  Ellen  and  Marcia.  Of  these,  Theo- 
dore and  Charles  are  dead,  Joseph  F.  resides  in  Newton, 
Frederick  in  San  Francisco,  Nathaniel  in  Chicago,  Jerome 
is  head  of  the  extensive  crockery  establishment  of  Jones, 
McDuffee&Stratton  in  Boston,  and  Ellen  and  Marcia  reside 
in  Athol  at  the  old  homestead.  Mr.  Jones  died  Jan.  5, 1863. 
Frederick  Jones  was  born  Aug.  31,  1803,  at  Athol,  a 
son  of  Prescott  and  Jane  (Moore)  Jones,  and  was  a  lineal 
descendant  of  Lewis  Jones,  who  came  from  England  and 
settled  in  this  country,  at  Roxbury,  about  1635  to  1640. 
His  descendants  settled  at  Weston,  Templeton,  Athol  and 
other  places.  The  family  is  of  Welsh  origin,  and  its  mem- 
bers have  always  been  practical  people,  distinguished  for 
acts  and  deeds,  rather  than  for  theories  and  sentiments ; 
sensible,  God-fearing  and  well  to  do  people.  Frederick 
Jones  appears  to  have  inherited  in  a  marked  degree  the 
characteristics  of  the  family.  He  was  eminently  practical 
in  his  purposes,  a  close  calculator,  cautious  and  deliberate 


BIOGRAPHICAL— CONTINUED.  309 

in  forecasting  and  planning :  enterprising,  energetic  and 
persistent  in  the  execution  of  his  plans,  a  man  of  excellent 
judgment  and  uniformly  successful.  At  an  early  age  he 
entered  the  tannery  of  his  father  at  Athol,  as  an  appren- 
tice, and  served  the  regular  time  at  that  branch  of  indus- 
try. In  1825  his  father  retired  from  business,  and  Fred- 
erick, in  connection  with  his  brother,  Prescott,  Jr.,  suc- 
ceeded to  it.  They  operated  it  together  for  a  year  or  two, 
when  the  last  named  removed  from  Athol  to  Boston,  where 
he  engaged  in  business  as  a  dealer  in  hides  and  leather, 
and  at  which  place  he  died  in  1839. 

In  1831  Frederick  Jones  added  to  his  business  of  tan- 
ning, that  of  manufacturing  heavy  shoes  and  brogans. 
Some  lighter  shoes  had  been  made  previously  in  Athol, 
but  only  in  a  small  way.  Mr.  Jones  started  the  industry 
upon  a  larger  plan,  and  four  years  afterwards  the  manu- 
facture was  changed  from  shoes  to  boots,  and  the  business 
finally  became  one  of  the  important  industries  of  the  town. 
The  tannery  and  the  boot  factory  were  operated  by  him 
and  his  partners  until  about  1872.  In  1833  he  enlarged 
his  business  operations,  by  embarking  in  business  in  Bos- 
ton as  a  dealer  in  boots,  shoes  and  leather,  being  associated 
with  his  cousin,  Nahum  Jones,  under  the  firm  name  of  F. 
and  N.  Jones.  He  continued  to  reside  in  Athol,  and  per- 
sonally conducted  operations  at  the  tannery  and  boot  fac- 
tory until  1838,  when  he  removed  his  residence  perma- 
nently to  Boston.  The  firm  of  F.  and  N.  Jones  was  dis- 
solved in  1848,  and  Frederick  Jones  continued  alone  until 
1853,  when  Francis  F.  Emery  became  associated  with  Mr. 


310  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Jones  as  partner,  the  firm  being  Frederick  Jones  <fe  Co., 
which  was  continued  until  1882,  when  Mr.  Jones  retired 
permanently,  and  the  business  was  continued  by  Mr. 
Emery.  The  firm  of  Frederick  Jones  &  Co.  manufactured 
and  sold  all  kinds  of  heavy  boots  and  shoes,  selling  only  to 
the  wholesale  and  jobbing  trade,  the  manufactured  pro- 
duct aggregating  from  five  hundred  thousand  to  one  mill- 
ion pairs  per  year.  The  firm  had  factories  at  Ashland, 
Milford,  Athol,  South  Braintree,  Brockton  and  Plymouth, 
Mass.,  and  at  Dover,  Farmington  and  Alton,  N.  H. 

Mr.  Jones  was  in  active  business  in  the  boot  and  shoe 
trade  for  fifty-seven  years,  and  no  man  in  the  guild  was 
more  highly  respected.  His  business  life  was  an  example 
of  gentleness,  purity  and  uprightness.  He  was  married 
December  1,  1831,  to  Maria  Sweetzer,  daughter  of  Sam- 
uel and  Hannah  (Moore)  Sweetzer  of  Athol.  They  had 
four  children.  The  oldest,  Caroline  Sweetzer,  born  at 
Athol  Oct.  28,  1835,  married  Francis  F.  Emery,  Sept.  18, 
1855,  and  died  at  Boston.  Oct.  1,  1890.  Jane  Maria,  born 
at  Athol,  May  28,  1837,  was  unmarried,  and  died  at  Bos- 
ton, March  16,  1858.  Two  sons  died  in  infancy.  Mr. 
Jones  died  at  Boston,  June  7,  1887.  He  did  not  confine 
his  usefulness  to  his  business,  but  gave  the  benefit  of  his 
counsel  and  active  cooperation  to  various  organizations. 
He  was  a  life  member  of  the  New  England  Historical  So- 
ciety, the  Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  the  American  Board  of 
Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions,  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  and  other  kindred  societies  to  which 
he  contributed  liberally.     He  endowed  the  Andover  Theo- 


GEORGE   SPRAGUE. 


BIOGRAPHICAL CONTINUED.  311 

logical  Seminary  with  a  professorship  of  elocution  known 
as  the  Jones  Professorship,  and  also  endowed  the  Young 
Woman's  Christian  Association  of  Boston  with  a  fund 
known  as  the  Frederick  Jones  fund. 

George  Sprague,  son  of  Josiah  Sprague,  was  born  in 
1796.  He  was  a  direct  descendant  of  Edward  Sprague  of 
Upw&,y,  Dorset  County,  England.  The  three  sons  of  Ed- 
ward Sprague  emigrated  to  Charlestown,  in  this  state,  in 
1628.  Of  these,  William  Sprague,  who  went  to  Hingham 
in  1636,  is  the  ancestor  of  George.  He  was  granted  a 
tract  of  land  in  Hingham  that  year,  and  soon  took  a  prom- 
inent position  in  the  management  of  the  town's  affairs, 
holding  the  ofl&ces  of  selectman  and  constable.  One  An- 
thony Sprague  of  this  family,  Avho  was  an  invalid,  is  said 
to  have  read  the  Bible  through  once  a  month  for  thirty 
years.  George  was  the  third  child  in  a  family  of  nine,  and 
from  an  early  age  was  deeply  interested  in  mechanics.  On 
becoming  of  age  he  engaged  at  once  in  business,  which 
was  the  manufacture  of  shingles  by  hand.  From  this  he 
turned  his  attention  to  the  making  of  sleighs  and  wagons, 
which  he  sold  himself,  his  trade  extending  as  far  as  Cana- 
da. After  this  he  engaged  in  cabinet  making,  and  about 
1830,  came  to  the  lower  village  of  Athol,  then  known  as 
the  "factory  village,"  where  he  first  did  the  mechanical 
work  for  the  cotton  factory.  He  also  manufactured  vari- 
ous kinds  of  machinery,  and  soon  commenced  a  hardware 
business,  which  he  gradually  enlarged  and  carried  on  until 
1862,  when  he  sold  it  to  his  son  Lucius  K.  On  June  1, 
1826,  he  married  Nancy  Knight  of  Phillipston.     They  had 


312  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

six  children :  George  Lorenzo,  Martha  Angeline,  Lean- 
der  Milton,  who  are  dead,  and  Lucius  Knight,  Edwin 
Loring  and  Henry  Harrison,  now  living  in  Boston.  Mr. 
Sprague  died  June  25,  1870. 

Jonathan  Stratton,  second  son  of  Joseph  Stratton,  was 
born  in  Athol  Oct.  5,  1795.  His  grandfather,  Elias  Strat- 
ton, came  from  England  and  settled  in  Sherborn,  Mass., 
and  came  to  Athol  about  1770,  where  he  purchased  a 
large  tract  of  land  in  the  south  part  of  the  town,  to  which 
he  gave  the  name  of  New  Sherborn,  after  the  town  from 
which  he  came,  a  name  which  that  district  has  borne  to 
the  present  time.  Elias  had  five  sons  and  two  daughters. 
As  the  sons  grew  to  the  age  of  maturity,  each  one  of  them  was 
given  a  farm  from  this  tract  and  settled  around  their  father. 
Four  of  the  sons  lived  on  their  farms  until  they  died,  and 
from  these  are  descended  most  of  the  Strattons  of  Athol 
and  vicinity. 

Jonathan  lived  on  his  father's  farm,  the  place  now  occu- 
pied by  S.  C.  Perham.  He  was  frequently  called  upon  to 
settle  estates,  was  appointed  guardian  of  many  children, 
and  on  many  occasions  was  chosen  as  referee  to  settle  dis- 
putes both  in  Athol  and  surrounding  towns.  He  also  did 
considerable  town  business,  serving  on  the  board  of  assess- 
ors, and  on  many  important  committees.  He  was  a  prom- 
inent member  of  the  old  First  Church,  and  was  chosen  as 
deacon  May  25,  1835,  which  office  he  held  until  his  death. 
At  the  celebration  of  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the 
organization  of  the  church,  he  was  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee   of  arrangements.     He    married    Esther   W.    Fay 


JONATHAN    STRATTON. 


ABNER   G.  STRATTON. 


"BlOGHATPHICAl;  -CONTINtJED.  313 

March.  8,  1821,  and  they  had  six  children:  Eleanor,  who 
married  Amos  T.  Stratton,  J.  Henry,  who  lives  in  the  up- 
per village,  Otis,  who  lived  in  San  Jose,  California,  and 
Lucena,  Winsor  and  J.  Milton,  who  are  dead.  Mr.  Strat- 
ton died  Feb.  21,  1852. 

Abner  Graves  Stratton  was  born  Feb.  8,  1820,  in  the 
■south  part  of  Athol,  his  ancestors  being  among  the  early 
settlers  of  the  town.  He  received  his  education  in  the  dis- 
trict schools,  and  first  embarked  in  the  active  duties  of  life 
as  a  farmer  in  that  part  of  the  town,  now  known  as  "Athol 
■Street."  He  was  engaged  in  farming  for  several  years, 
and  then  associated  himself  with  Asa  W.  Twitchell  in  the 
manufacture  of  palm  leaf  hats,  occupying  a  building  in  the 
rear  of  the  present  Chronicle  block.  On  retiring  from  this 
business  he  was  for  a  short  time  landlord  of  the  old  Pe- 
■quoig  House,  after  which  he  again  associated  himself  with 
Mr.  Twitchell  in  the  livery  stable  and  express  business,  at 
the  place  now  occupied  by  C.  W.  Moore,  on  Exchange 
Street.  This  firm  continued  for  a  long  time,  doing  a  very 
successful  business,  which  was  carried  on  for  some  years 
after  Mr.  Twitchell's  death  by  Mr.  Stratton  alone.  In  the 
early  seventies  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Charles 
Adams  in  the  retail  boot  and  shoe  business  in  the  old 
Houghton  block,  and  retiring  from  the  business  in  1876, 
was  not  again  engaged  in  active  business,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  auctioneer,  in  which  capacity  he  was  in  constant 
demand.  He  was  chosen  to  the  office  of  constable  in 
1842,  and  for  a  third  of  a  century  held  various  town  offices 
continuously,  having  served  the  town  as  selectman,  assessor, 


314  ATHOL,  FAST  AND  FKESENT. 

overseer  of  the  poor,  constable,  tax  collector,  treasurer,  and 
many  other  minor  offices,  indeed,  it  is  said  that  at  one  time 
he  held  every  town  office  with  the  exception  of  town  clerk. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  fire  department  for  twenty-eight 
years,  and  for  a  time  its  chief  engineer,  and  was  tax  col- 
lector nineteen  years.  He  was  active  in  the  organization 
of  the  Worcester  Northwest  Agricultural  and  Mechanical 
Society,  and  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  was  a  familiar  fig- 
ure as  chief  marshal  at  the  annual  fairs.  He  was  a  man 
of  strong  physical  constitution,  and  his  keen  wit  and  Yan- 
kee genius  are  well  remembered  by  the  older  inhabitants, 
who  can  tell  many  amusing  incidents  of  his  public  and 
private  life.  He  married  Ophelia  Barton  of  Athol  July  7, 
1842,  and  by  her  had  two  •  sons,  Frederick  A.  and  Solon. 
His  wife  died  in  1875,  and  he  was  again  married  Jan.  5, 
1876,  to  Mrs.  Fanny  Forrester  of  North  Orange.  Mr. 
Stratton  died  March  26,  1882. 

William  H.  Garfield  was  the  second  son  of  George 
and  Pattie  Garfield,  who  settled  in  Athol  in  1814.  Will- 
iam was  born  in  Harvard  Dec.  31,  1809.  His  boyhood 
from  the  time  he  was  four  years  old  was  spent  in  Athol. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen  years  he  left  the  paternal  roof  to 
go  out  into  the  world,  and  went  on  foot  to  Concord,  Mass. 
to  obtain  work.  He  remained  there  two  years,  and  went 
to  Boston  in  1831.  He  was  the  first  one  to  introduce  in 
Boston  the  New  York  daily  papers,  and  was  for  four  years 
one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Boston  Daily  Times.  He  en- 
gaged in  the  coffiee  and  spice  business  in  1856,  in  which 
he  continued  for  nearly  forty  years,  doing  an  extensive  and 


WILLIAM    H.  GARFIELD. 


JONATHAN    WHEELER. 


BIOGRAPHICAL — -CONTINUED.  315 

successful  business,  and  attending  personally  to  his  affairs 
eyery  day  when  over  eighty-two  years  of  age.  Mr.  Gar- 
field was  twice  married,  his  first  wife  being  Sarah  Teague 
of  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  whom  he  married  iu  Boston,  Dec. 
2,  1839.  Mrs.  Garfield  died  April  18,  1879,  and  May  5, 
1880,  he  married  Mrs.  Eliza  A.  Maine,  formerly  of  Dor- 
chester.    Mr.  Garfield  died  July  18,  1894. 

Jonathan  Wheeler  was  born  in  Athol,  March  30, 
1790.  His  parents,  Zacheus  and  Silence  (Leland) 
Wheeler,  came  from  Grafton,  Mass.,  in  February  of  the 
same  year  and  settled  on  the  north  bank  of  TuUy  brook, 
near  where  Pine  Dale  is  now  situated.  A  log  cabin  was 
built  for  their  home,  a  large  tract  of  land  was  purchased, 
and  a  grist  mill  was  erected  upon  the  brook.  Jonathan 
was  the  ninth  of  eleven  children,  and  the  youngest  son. 
He  attended  the  district  school  in  Athol,  going  through 
the  forests  to  school  by  means  of  blazes  on  the  tree  trunks. 
After  he  left  school  he  worked  for  his  father  on  the  farm 
until  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  then  went  into  busi- 
ness for  himself  making  trunks,  and  later  sent  lumber  to 
Worcester  and  Boston.  He  soon  was  able  to  buy  out  his 
father's  interest  in  the  farm,  mill  and  woodland,  built  up 
the  little  village  called  Wheelerville,  now  Pine  Dale,  and 
in  1834  began  to  manufacture  pails,  being  one  of  the  first 
to  engage  in  that  industry  in  the  country.  As  his  busi- 
ness increased  he  built  larger  mills,  and  also  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  matches  and  of  sash  and  blinds.  He 
was  very  successful  in  his  business  life  and  accumulated 
considerable  wealth,  but  reverses  soon  came,   and  he  lost 


316  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

a  large  amount  of  property  by  fire,  which  destroyed  three' 
large  shops  and  thousands  of  dollars  worth  of  stock.  Ow- 
ing to  his  heavy  losses  he  was  obliged  to  sell  his  property 
at  Wheelerville,  and  with  a  portion  of  the  proceeds  pur- 
chased real  estate  in  the  village  of  Athol,  which  proved  a 
good  investment.  He  was  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Baptist  church,  to  which  he  contributed  most  liberally. 
He  was  married  three  times,  and  by  his  second  wife,  Mrs, 
Hannah  Fisher,  had  seven  children,  of  whom  three  are 
now  living,  Mr.  Augustine  Wheeler  and  Mrs.  Hollon  Farr 
of  Athol,  and  Mrs.  Bela  Dexter  of  Eutland,  Vt.  He  died 
July  19,  1872. 

Joseph  Proctor,  son  of  Joseph  Proctor,  one  of  Athol's 
first  lawyers,  was  born  in  Athol  Feb.  20,  1823.  He  lived 
in  town  until  1855,  being  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
boxes  and  sash  and  blinds,  in  company  with  Charles 
Spooner  at  the  Kennebunk  mills,  and  also  with  Addison 
and  Charles  Horr,  at  the  Ellis  mill.  Owing  to  failing 
health  he  went  to  the  West  in  1855,  and  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  in  the  state  of  Minnesota.  He  made  his  way  on 
foot  up  the  Mississippi  river  to  St.  Cloud,  where  he  located 
and  engaged  in  the  hardware  business  in  company  with  N. 
P.  Clark  of  Hubbardston.  He  soon  took  his  family  there, 
and  the  hardware  business  was  changed  into  that  of  gen- 
eral merchandise.  This  was  one  of  the  outposts  of  civili- 
zation, and  was  made  a  great  distributing  point  for  all  the 
Northwest,  controlling  a  large  business  from  the  Indians 
and  the  Eed  River  country.  The  breaking  out  of  the  In- 
dian war  changed  entirely  the  plans  of  Mr.   Proctor's  life. 


JOSEPH    PROCTOR. 


BIOGRAPHICAL CONTINUED.  317 

Mrs.  Proctor  and  the  children  were  sent  to  the  East,  and 
in  a  year  or  two  Mr.  Proctor  closed  out  his  business  and 
came  back  to  Athol.  After  a  while  he  went  to  Logans- 
port,  Ind.,  and  engaged  in  the  retail  boot  and  shoe  business, 
the  firm  being  Proctor  &  Myers.  About  1866  he  com- 
menced the  manufacture  of  boots  and  shoes  in  Athol  with 
a  Mr.  Albee,  their  shop  being  in  Union  block.  This  was 
continued  for  about  three  years,  when  he  closed  out  the 
business,  and  after  that  was  not  engaged  in  any  active 
business.  He  married  Lucia  Baldwin,  a  daughter  of  Jon- 
athan Baldwin  of  Baldwinville,  June  7,  1848.  They  had 
seven  children,  of  whom  two  died  young.  Mary  Jose- 
phine married  Herbert  L.  Hapgood,  Fred  E.  is  engaged 
in  business  in  Boston,  Carro  F.  is  bookkeeper  at  the  Athol 
National  Bank,  Anna  F.  married  Chas.  Eobbins  of  Or- 
ange, and  Joseph  L.,  is  engaged  in  business  in  Chicago. 
Mr.  Proctor  died  Aug  2,  1888. 

Major  Warren  Horr  was  born  in  New  Salem,  July 
17,  1803,  a  son  of  Warren  Horr  who  was  at  one  time 
treasurer  of  the  town  of  Shutesbury.  His  education  was 
obtained  at  New  Salem  Academy,  of  which  he  was  the 
oldest  graduate  at  the  time  of  his  death.  His  early  life 
was  devoted  to  farming,  and  he  was  honored  by  his  fellow 
townsinen  with  many  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility, 
representing  New  Salem  in  the  Legislature  of  1850,  and 
also  served  the  town  as  selectman,  assessor  and  overseer 
of  the  p6or  for  seven  years  in  succession.  Actively  inter- 
ested in  the  old  militia  he  held  the  office  of  major,  and 
was  elected  colonel,  which  office  he  declined.  He  removed 


318  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

to  Athol  in  1857  and  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  with 
J.  W.  Hunt  and  J.  F.  Packard  for  a  few  years,  and  then 
gave  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits.  In  1826  he 
married  Sally  P.  Sloan,  a  sister  of  Jonathan  "W.  Sloan. 
She  died  in  1868  and  in  1869  he  married  Mrs.  Harriet 
Townsend.  He  had  one  chUd,  George  W.  Horr.  He 
was  the  oldest  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  in  this 
section,  having  been  made  a  Mason  in  Golden  Rule  Lodge, 
New  Salem,  in  1826.  His  life  and  character  may  be  sum- 
med up  in  the  following  words :  He  was  a  just  man,  a 
true  man,  and  a  Christian.     He  died  Feb.  14,  1890. 

Col.  Wilson  Andrews  was  born  in  New  Salem,  April 
3,  1804,  the  second  son  of  Daniel  Andrews  of  that  town. 
Through  all  his  more  active  life  from  early  manhood  until 
seventy  years  of  age  he  was  well  known  throughout  Cen- 
tral Massachusetts  in  his  business  relations  with  the  promi- 
nent and  leading  men  of  those  days.  He  was  appointed  a 
deputy  sherriff  of  Franklin  County  in  the  year  1832,  which 
office  he  held  for  thirty  years.  In  1833  he  was  elected 
colonel  in  the  militia  of  Massachusetts,  his  commission 
being  signed  by  Gov.  Levi  Lincoln.  For  this  office  he 
was  eminently  adapted,  his  fine  figure  and  bearing,  with 
his  commanding  presence  rendered  him  ever  a  pleasing 
picture  to  the  eye  as  he  commanded  his  regiment.  After 
holding  this  position  for  some  years,  he  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  General.  But  with  a  young  and  growing  family 
which  rendered  it  necessary  for  him  to  devote  himself  un- 
ceasingly to  his  business,  he  felt  it  his  duty  to  decline  the 
office,  and  Col.  James  S.  Whitney,  father  of  Ex-Secretary 


r 


Major  WARREN   HORR. 


COL.  WILSON  ANDREWS. 


1^%^ 


JOSEPH  F.  PACKARD. 


THOMAS  D.   BROOKS. 


BIOGRAPHICAL CONTINUED.  319 

of  the  Navy  Whitney  was  appointed  in  his  place.  He  was 
a  Mason  for  nearly  forty  years  and  actively  interested  in 
the  order.  He  removed  to  Athol  in  1871,  which  was  ever 
after  his  home  until  his  death  June  5,  1886.  He  married 
Miss  Samanthy  O.  Hastings  of  New  Salem,  Feb.  26,  1827. 
They  had  six  children:  Ophelia  M.,  George  W.,  Ellen  S., 
Waldo  H.,  Phoebe  L.  and  Henry  O.  Ophelia  married 
Dr.  O.  S.  Lovejoy  and  resides  in  Haverhill,  Mass.,  Phoebe 
L.  married  Henry  M.  Smith  of  Enfield,  and  Ellen  S.  and 
Henry  O.  reside  in  Athol. 

Joseph  Fairbanks  Packard,  oldest  child  of  Winslow 
and  Eachel  (Freeman)  Packard,  was  born  in  New  Salem, 
Oct.  12,  1812.  His  early  life  was  spent  upon  his  father's 
farm.  When  about  nineteen  years  of  age  he  left  the  old 
homestead  and  went  to  Hadley,  Mass.,  where  he  engaged 
in  manufacturing  brooms.  It  was  there  that  he  made  the 
acquaintance  of  a  most  estimable  young  lady,  Susanna 
Hinds  Bowman,  to  whom  he  was  united  in  marriage  Jan- 
uary 28,  1833.  He  soon  after  returned  to  his  native  town 
and  to  his  former  occupation  of  farming.  Two  children 
were  born  to  him,  Susan  Sophia,  February  3,  1834,  and 
three  years  later,  a  son  Joseph  Henry.  While  a  resident 
of  New  Salem  he  was  for  some  years  engaged  with  J.  W , 
Hunt  in  driving  cattle  and  sheep  from  Vermont  to  the 
Brighton  market,  and  held  many  town  and  society  oifices, 
serving  the  town  a  number  of  years  as  selectman,  assessor 
and  overseer  of  the  poor.  In  the  spring  of  1857,  with  his 
family,  he  removed  to  Athol  and  engaged  in  business  with 
J.  W.  Hunt  under  the  firm  name  of  Hunt  &  Packard, 


320  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

grocers,  at  the  store  now  occupied  by  O.  T.  Brooks  &  Co. 
In  the  fall  of  1866  this  co-partnership  was  dissolved,  Mr. 
Packard  taking  up  his  residence  at  Athol  Centre,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  the  same  business  with  Lewis  H.  Sawin 
and  George  H.  Cooke.  He  continued  this  business  until 
suffering  from  a  paralytic  shock  he  was  obliged  to  give  up 
work,  and  with  his  wife  passed  the  remaining  years  of  his 
life  at  the  home  of  his  daughter  and  son-in-law  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Adolphus  Bangs.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Packard  were 
for  many  years  worthy  members  of  the  Congregational 
church.  Mrs.  Packard  died  February  2,  1883,  and  Mr. 
Packard  April  30  of  the  same  year. 

Thomas  D.  Brooks,  a  son  of  Capt.  Joel  Brooks,  was 
born  in  Petersham  in  May,  1811.  He  worked  on  his 
father's  farm  until  twenty-four  years  of  age,  when  he  pur- 
chased a  farm  in  the  south  part  of  Petersham,  and  after  a 
year's  experience  on  the  farm  moved  to  the  Centre  and 
commenced  the  manufacture  of  boots  and  shoes  with 
Gardner  Farrar.  In  1841  he  removed  to  Wendell,  where 
he  continued  the  same  business,  and  also  kept  a  store  with 
his  brother  Otis.  In  that  town  he  held  the  offices  of 
selectman,  overseer  of  the  poor,  town  clerk  and  assessor, 
and  was  one  of  the  trustees  of  New  Salem  Academy.  He 
was  appointed  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  Franklin  County 
in  1850.  During  the  Rebellion  he  took  an  active  part  in 
helping  the  soldiers  of  Wendell,  and  was  liberal  in  gifts  of 
money  and  in  assisting  their  families. 

In  1874  he  moved  to  Athol  and  purchased  the  Eichard 
Moore  farm  on  the  old   North  Orange  road  where  he  re- 


BIOGRAPHICAL CONTINUED. 


321 


sided  until  his  death.  He  was  appointed  Trial  Justice 
June  25,  1873,  which  position  he  held  ahout  two  years 
and  a  half,  when  he  resigned.  His  last  years  were  spent 
upon  his  pleasant  farm,  which  his  vigorous  health  enabled 
him  to  carry  on  almost  to  the  time  of  his  death.  He 
married  Miss  Mary  L.  Sawtelle  of  Templeton.  Their 
golden  wedding  was  celebrated  in  a  most  pleasant  and 
interesting  manner  at  their  hospitable  home  in  1886. 
They  had  three  sons  and  one  daughter,  Oscar  T.,  a  grocer 
in  Athol,  Herbert  of  Brg,ttleboro,  Vt.,  Charles  C,  a  grocer 
in  Orange,  and  Eliza  A.,  who  married  Marcus  M.  Stebbins 
of  Erving.     Mr.  Brooks  died  March  23,  1893. 

Edmund  J.  Gage  was  born  in  Wendell,  Mass.,  Feb.  22, 
1821.  He  lived  there  until  nine  years  of  age  when  he 
moved  to  New  Salem,  which  was  his  home  until  eighteen 
years  old.  He  came  to  Athol  in  1841,  and  worked  at  the 
boot  business  for  a  few  years,  and  then  purchased  a  farm 
in  the  south  part  of  the  town,  where  he  resided  until 
about  1875,  when  he  moved  to  the  village  and  took  charge 
of  the  new  Silver  Lake  cemetery,  of  which  he  was  the 
efficient  superintendent  until  his  death.  He  served  the 
town  as  selectman  and  assessor  in  1874,  and  always  took 
an  active  interest  in  town  affairs.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Congregational  church,  and  of  Star  Lodge  of  Masons. 
He  married  Mary  H.  Haven.  They  had  two  children, 
Charles  F.  and  Monroe  F.  Mrs.  Gage  died  April  16, 
1885,  and  he  was  married  a  second  time  to  Mrs.  Maria  F. 
Taft,  Dec,  17,  1885.     Mr!  Gage  died  Oct.  9,  1893. 

Caleb  A.  Cook,  son  of  David  Cook,  was  born  in  Roy- 


322  ATHOL,    PAST    AND   PRESENT. 

alston,  April  10,  1821.  His  early  life  was  spent  on  his 
father's  farm  in  West  Royalston.  He  learned  the 
watchmaker's  trade  when  a  young  man,  and  did  quite  a 
business  at  his  home  repairing  watches,  clocks  and  jewelry. 
While  a  resident  of  Royalston  he  was  interested  in  public 
affairs,  and  held  various  town  offices.  He  came  to  At  hoi 
in  May,  1864,  and  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  with 
P.  C.  Tyler.  He  soon  disposed  of  his  interest  in  the 
grocery  business  and  went  into  the  jewelry  business  with 
S.  W.  Bliss,  and  after  a  few  years  .went  into  the  jewelry 
and  watchmaker's  business  for  himself,  in  which  he  con- 
tinued until  his  health  failed,  and  he  sold  out  to  S.  N. 
FoUansbee.  He  married  Susan  Herrick  of  Royalston, 
May  8,  1842.  They  had  three  children,  a  son  who  died 
at  four  years  of  age,  Stella,  who  married  Frank  Hutchin- 
son, and  Saran  A.  the  wife  of  Charles  H.  Tyler.  His  wife 
died  Aug.  11,  1881,  and  he  was  married  again  March  30, 
1882,  to  Jane  L.  Case.     Mr.  Cook  died  April  13,  1888. 

Alexander  Gray  was  born  in  Worcester,  July  21,  1798, 
and  came  to  Athol  in  1805,  when  about  seven  years  of 
age.  His  home  was  on  the  farm  known  as  the  Twichell 
place,  near  the  Petersham  Road,  where  he  lived  until 
about  1850,  when  he  purchased  another  farm  further 
north  and  lived  about  ten  years,  and  then  came  to  the  vil- 
lage and  bought  a  home  on  Central  Street,  where  he  lived 
until  his  death  in  1876.  He  was  a  millwright  by 'trade, 
and  did  much  work  in  Athol  and  surrounding  towns  in 
building  and  repairing  waterwheels,  machinery,  etc.  He 
was  interested  in  public  affairs,  and  served   the  town   as 


%, 


EDMUND  J.  GAGE. 


CALEB  A.  COOK. 


ALEXANDER  GRAY. 


JAMES   M.    RICE. 


BIOGRAPHICAL CONTINUED.  323 

selectman,  assessor  and  overseer  of  the  poor  for  several 
years.  He  married  Elvira  Bancroft  of  Wendell,  Dec.  21. 
1825.  They  had  four  sons  and  three  daughters;  two  of 
the  sons  died  young  and  the  remaining  two,  Henry  and 
Charles,  are  well  known  citizens  of  Athol. 

James  M.  Rice  was  born  in  Athol,  Sept.  10,  1827.  In 
early  life  he  worked  on  a  farm  and  drove  an  ox-team 
between  Athol  and  Worcester,  conveying  produce,  etc. 
About  1853  he  went  into  business  for  himself,  manufac- 
turing stands  and  tables  of  various  kinds.  In  1857  he 
enlarged  his  business,  and  bought  the  saw  mill  of  Mr. 
Button  "Wood,  and  also  engaged  in  the  lumber  business 
with  J.  Milton  Stratton.  They  built  a  new  mill  in  place 
of  the  old  one  and  continued  .the  partnership  for  about  a 
year,  when  Mr.  Rice  bought  out  his  partner  and  continued 
the  business  alone.  In  1867  he  built  an  addition  to  his 
furniture  factory.  Soon  after  this  his  buildings  were 
burned,  but  he  immediately  replaced  his  factory  with  a 
new  one,  with  enlarged  facilities  for  the  business.  In 
1871  he  again  enlarged  his  business  and  built  an  addition 
to  the  factory,  at  the  same  time  putting  in  steam  power. 
He  continued  in  the  manufacture  of  furniture  until  his 
death,  July  27,  1878.  He  was  interested  in  town  affairs, 
and  served  as  selectman,  assessor  and  overseer  of  the  poor 
for  three  years,  was  enterprising  in  his  business,  and  ever 
ready  to  help  along  anything  that  he  believed  was  for  the 
best  interest  of  the  town.  The  furniture  business  was 
continued  after  his  death  for  several  years  by  the  firm  of 
Rice,  Barlow  &  Co.      He  married  Clarissa  Meacham  of 


324  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

New  Salem,  Nov.  18,  1846.  They  had  four  children, 
two  of  whom  are  now  living,  B.  Madison  and  Harriet 
Ellen,  wife  of  Charles  F.  Barlow. 

Joseph  F.  Dunbar  was  born  in  Orange,  Feb.  4,  1819. 
In  early  life  he  worked  for  Jonathan  Wheeler  in  the  pail 
factory,  at  what  is  now  known  as  Pine  Dale,  for  seventeen 
years.  About  1852  he  came  to  the  lower  village  in  Athol 
and,  in  company  with  George  Farr,  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  matches,  and  also  made  pails.  The  firm  was 
known  as  Farr  &  Dunbar,  and  their  shops  were  located  on 
Walnut  Street,  and  where  the  box  shop  of  Horace  Hager 
now  is.  In  about  four  or  five  years  he  sold  out  to  Thorpe 
&  Parmenter,  after  which  he  was  engaged  for  some  time 
in  the  lumber  business.  He  was  also  a  painter  by  trade, 
and  did  considerable  work  in  that  business.  He  was  mar- 
ried Dec.  31,  1850,  to  Sarah  E.  Goodrich  of  Gill,  Mass. 
They  had  three  children,  Jennie  G.,  the  wife  of  Charles 
F.  Amsden,  Joseph  A.,  who  is  clerk  at  O.  T.  Brooks  & 
Co's.,  and  Sarah  May.     He  died  Jan.  3,  1892. 

Russell  Smith,  a  son  of  Luther  and  Abigail  Smith,  was 
born  in  Athol,  Sept.  11,  1812.  As  soon  as  he  became  of 
age,  he  learned  the  trade  of  scythe  making  of  the  Sibley's, 
and  when  about  twenty-five  years  old  engaged  in  business 
for  himself,  purchasing  the  interest  of  Stephen  Hammond 
in  the  scythe  factory.  He  carried  on  this  business  success- 
fully until  a  few  years  before  his  death,  which  took  place 
Aug.  24,  1870.  He  was  prominent  in  the  fire  department, 
and  served  as  foreman  of  one  of  tho  old-time  engine 
companies.     He  married  Maria  Kendall  Aug.   21,   1893. 


/At  0i 


t    *►■ 


RUSSELL  SMITH. 


JOSEPH    F.   DUNBAR. 


DEXTER   ALDRICH. 


DANIEL  BIGELOW. 


AZRO   B.    FOLSOM. 


BIOGRAPHICAL CONTINUED.  325 

They  had  six  children,  four  boys  and  two  girls.  The  boys 
are  all  dead.  The  daughters  are  Mrs.  Hattie  Moore  and 
Maria,  the  wife  of  Frank  F.  Morse. 

AzRO  B.  FoLSOM  was  born  in  Worcester,  Vt.,  in  1830. 
He  removed  to  Athol  about  1856,  and  soon  after  engaged 
in  the  jewelry  business,  which  he  continued  until  a  few 
months  before  his  death.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  E,  Fifty 
Third  Regiment,  and  returned  from  the  war  in  feeble 
health.  Several  years  after  his  return  from  the  war  he 
united  with  the  Methodist  church,  and  was  ever  after  one 
of  its  most  prominent  members,  serving  as  trustee  and 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School.  He  was  also  an 
earnest  and  active  worker  in  the  temperance  cause,  a  man 
of  upright  character  and  honorable  in  his  business  rela- 
tions.    He  died  Aug.  29,  1882. 

Daniel  Bigelow  was  born  in  Athol,  June  8,  1800,  and 
was  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  old  families  of  the  town. 
His  grandfather,  William  Bigelow,  came  to  Athol  about 
1746,  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  the  south  part  of  the  town. 
WiUiam  Bigelow  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  of 
the  town  in  his  day,  and  was  especially  active  during  the 
opening  days  of  the  Revolution.  He  was  one  of  the 
Committee  of  Correspondence,  Delegate  to  the  Provincial 
Congress  and  other  gatherings,  town  clerk,  the  first  Dep- 
uty Sheriff,  and  was  chosen  deacon  of  the  old  First  Church 
in  1795.  Daniel  lived  on  the  old  ancestral  farm  most  of 
his  long  life,  but  during  his  latter  years  lived  on  Pleasant 
Street.  He  became  a  Spiritualist  in  1853,  and  ever  after 
was    a   firm    believer    in    those    doctrines.       He   married 


326 

Hannah  Stockwell  April  29,  1827,  and  had  three  children, 
one  who  died  in  infancy,  Elmer  S.  and  Sarah.  He  was 
married  a  second  time  Aug.  22,  1872,  to  D.  E.  Grout. 
Mr.  Bigelow  died  Jan.  2,  1894. 

Dexter  Aldrich  was  born  in  Pittsford,  Vt.,  in  April, 
1822.  His  parents  resided  in  various  places,  and  moved 
to  Athol  from  Royalston  about  1834.  He  first  worked  at 
shoemaking,  which  he  continued  until  about  1852,  when 
he  commenced  selling  goods  for  Horace  Partridge,  of 
Boston,  travelling  over  the  country  and  selling  his  goods 
at  auction  at  the  various  cattle  shows,  musters  and  other 
occasions  where  large  numbers  were  gathered.  He  was 
also  engaged  at  different  times  as  travelling  salesman  for 
several  Boston  firms.  He  was  the  first  one  to  occupy  a- 
store  in  the  Summit  House  block,  where,  in  1857,  he 
opened  a  millinery  and  dry  goods  store  which  was  one  of 
the  first  of  that  kind,  of  importance  in  town,  and  where 
he  did  an  extensive  business.  He  was  one  of  the  projec- 
tors of  Union  block,  and  was  also  among  the  first  of  those 
who  favored  the  introduction  of  gas  and  water  into  town. 
He  also  did  an  extensive  business  as  an  auctioneer. 
In  company  with  T.  H.  Goodspeed  he  purchased  Music 
Hall  a  short  time  before  it  was  burned.  For  several  years 
before  his  death  he  occupied  a  store  in  his  block  adjoining 
the  Summit  House.     Mr.  Aldrich  died  Dec.  19,  1882. 

Gilbert  Southard  was  born  in  Swanzey,  N.  H.,  Dec  7, 
1820.  He  was  left  an  orphan  at  the  age  of  eight  years, 
and  his  boyhood  was  one  of  hardship  and  work.  When 
a  young  man  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture   of  pails  at 


GILBERT  SOUTHARD. 


BIOGRAPHICAL CONTINUED.  327 

Fitzwilliam,  N.  H.,  and  after  a  few  years  there  removed  to 
Athol,  locating  near  South.  Athol,  where  the  village  which 
was  built  up  by  his  business  became  known  as  Southard- 
ville.  He  continued  the  manufacture  of  pails  at  that  place 
from  1848  to  1858,  when  he  sold  out  his  business  and 
removed  to  Athol  Centre,  and  bought  the  residence  on 
Chestnut  Street,  which  was  his  home  until  his  death.  He 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business  at  the  store  now  occupied 
by  Newton  &  Call,  and  sold  out  in  a  few  years  to  S.  E.  and 
O.  A.  Fay.  He  then  engaged  in  the  stove  and  tinware 
business  in  the  store  where  Samuel  Lee  is  now  located. 
After  continuing  this  business  a  few  years,  he  sold  out  and 
became  interested  in  lumbering  operations  and  other  busi- 
ness. He  became  prominently  identified  with  town  ajffairs, 
and  from  1875  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  selectmen 
for  nine  years  continuously,  serving  also  most  of  that  time 
as  overseer  of  the  poor  and  road  commissioner.  In  1891, 
he  was  elected  overseer  of  the  poor  and  served  three  years. 
He  also  for  a  number  of  years  was  elected  to  defend  the 
town  in  law  suits,  and  served  on  important  committees  for 
the  town.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
church,  and  for  many  years  the  leader  of  its  choir.  He 
was  married  in  1842,  to  Miss  Lucy  A.  Ellenwood  of 
Athol.  She  died  Nov.  13,  1895.  ■  They  had  five  children, 
the  only  survivor  of  whom  is  Henry  Southard,  who  now 
lives  at  the  old  homestead.  Mr.  Southard  died  Feb.  1, 
1898. 

James  W.    Hunt  was  born  in  Prescott,  June   1,  1821. 
and    was    one    of   eight   children    of  Samuel    and    Polly 


828  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

fSloane)  Hunt.  His  early  life  was  spent  upon  the  farm, 
and  attending  the  district  schools.  He  was  for  a  number 
of  years  engaged  in  driving  sheep  and  cattle  from  Vermont 
to  Brighton  market,  in  company  with  J.  F.  Packard.  He 
was  for  many  years  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Prescott, 
serving  the  town  as  selectman,  assessor  and  overseer  of 
the  poor  for  twelve  years  in  succession.  He  came  to 
Athol  in  November,  1856,  and  engaged  in  the  grocery 
business  with  J.  F.  Packard  and  Warren  Horr,  where  the 
store  of  O.  T.  Brooks  &  Co.  is  now  located.  He  contin- 
ued this  business  for  fourteen  years,  and  afterwards  had  a 
grocery  store  with  his  brother,  Orrin,  where  the  Chronicle 
block  now  is.  Later  he  engaged  in  lumbering  operations, 
alone  or  in  connection  with  others.  He  was  one  of  the 
purchasers  of  the  Pinedale  property  and  also  of  the 
Uphartl  shop  near  the  depot,  and  he  also  had  much  to  do 
in  the  settlement  of  various  estates.  He  was  a  prominent 
factor  in  town  aifairs,  having  been  selectman  for  three 
years,  assessor  eight  years,  and  was  often  chosen  to  act  on 
important  town  committees.  He  was  a  charter  member  of 
the  Poquaig  Club.  He  was  an  attendant  of  and  liberal 
contributor  to  the  Baptist  church,  and  sang  in  the  church 
choir  for  many  years.  He  married  Sophia  L.  Haskins  of 
WiUiamstown,  May  23,  1844.  She  died  Nov.  23,  1879, 
and  Aug.  8,  1881,  he  married  Miss  Lizzie  M.  Rugg  of 
Montague.     Mr.  Hunt  died  March  1,  1898. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


JOURNALISM. 


"Here  shall  the  Press  the  People's  right  maintain, 
Unawed  by  influence  and  unbribed  by  gain, 
Here  patriot  Truth  her  glorious  precepts  draw, 
Pledged  to  Religion,  Liberty  and  Law." 


^  ^s.1  yj,  FIRST  venture  in  the  field  of  jour- 
nalism in  Athol  was  that  of  Alonzo 
Rawson  who,  Dec.  18,  1827,  issued  the 
first  number  of  his  "Freedom's  Senti- 
nel." It  was  printed  in  folio  form  on 
a  sheet  eighteen  by  twenty-six  inches  wide,  and  contained 
twenty  columns.  The  oflace  was  located  at  Athol  Centre, 
and  Mr.  Rawson  was  the  editor  and  publisher.  His 
editorials  were  ably  written,  and  he  expressed  his  views 
upon  the  public  questions  of  the  day  in  a  fearless  manner. 
One  of  the  principles  which  he  stated  he  should  be  con- 
trolled by  in  the  discharge  of  his  editorial  duties,  was  the 
following :  "We  shall  never  hesitate  to  reprobate,  in  the 
strongest  terms,  the  injustice  and  horrors  of  slavery." 
This  paper  was  continued  for  two    years,  the   last   issue 


330  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

appearing  Dec.  14,  1829,  when  Mr.  Eawson  gives  his 
farewell  as  follows:  "This  week  we  issue  the  last  numher 
of  Freedom's  Sentinel,  in  Athol.  It  has  been  published 
two  years,  during  which  time  the  publisher  has  devoted 
his  whole  time  and  attention  to  its  editorial  and  mechan- 
ical departments ;  and  now  he  thinks  he  has  an  undoubted 
right  to  take  a  friendly  leave  of  his  patrons,  and  depart  in 
peace,  good  spirits,  and  with  empty  pockets." 

The  next  paper  to  be  printed  in  Athol  was  the 
"White  Flag,"  the  first  number  of  which  was  issued  Sept. 
7,  1850,  M.  H.  Mandell,  publisher,  and  D.  J.  Mandell, 
editor  aud  proprietor.  The  object  of  this  paper  was 
briefly  stated  by  Editor  Mandell,  who  said,  "The  object  of 
this  journal  is  to  promote  the  Christian  Confederacy  of 
Neighborhoods,  Towns,  States  and  Nations."  Evidently  the 
people  did  not  appreciate  the  good  intentions  of  this  jour- 
nal, for  only  a  few  numbers  were  issued  in  the  second 
volume,  when  the  publication  suspended.  From  1851 
until  Nov.  28, 1866,  Athol  was  without  a  newspaper.  "The 
Worcester  West  Chronicle"  was  established  in  Barre  by 
R.  Wm.  Waterman,  in  January,  1866.  During  that  year  a 
movement  was  started  in  Athol  for  the  establishing  a  local 
paper  in  town,  and  several  meetings  were  held  by  the  citi- 
zens to  see  what  inducements  could  be  offered,  and 
arrangements  made  with  some  journalist  to  establish  a 
weekly  paper  in  town,  devoted  to  its  local  interests  and 
independent  in  politics.  An  invitation  was  extended  to 
the  proprietor  of  the  "Worcester  West  Chronicle"  to  remove 
his  plant  from  Barre  to  Athol.      He  accepted  the    offer 


Journalism.  S3l 

ttlade  him  by  the  citizens'  committee,  and  on  Nov.  28, 
1866,  the  first  issue  of  the  "Worcester  West  Chronicle" 
was  published  in  Athol.  It. was  printed  on  an  Adams 
hand  press,  on  a  sheet  twenty-four  by  thirty-six  inches, 
folio  form,  with  twenty-eight  columns.  In  1867  a  power 
press  was  purchased.  In  1870  the  paper  was  enlarged  to 
thirty-two  columns,  and  on  a  sheet  twenty-seven  by  fofty- 
two  inches.  In  January,  1875,  it  was  again  enlarged  to 
forty-eight  columns  on  a  sheet  thirty  by  forty-four  inches 
quarto  form,  and,  in  1881,  a  new  cylinder  press  was 
purchased.  In  1890,  two  more  pages  were  added,  the 
paper  continuing  to  be  a  ten  page  weekly  until  September, 
1895,  when  it  was  made  a  semi- weekly,  being  published 
on  Thursdays  and  Saturdays.  The  paper  has  been  from 
the  start  under  the  same  business  and  editorial  man- 
agement. 

R.  William  Waterman,  the  editor  and  proprietor  of 
the  Chronicle,  was  born  at  St.  John's,  Newfoundland, 
Nov.  8,  1836,  and  came  to  Massachusetts  with  his  mother 
when  quite  young.  His  parents  were  of  American  and 
English  descent,  his  father,  William  Waterman,  being  a 
descendant  of  one  of  the  oldest  Massachusetts  families  of 
that  name.  His  mother  was  Jane  Ryland  Burton, 
daughter  of  George  Burton,  a  commissioned  officer  in  the 
English  army  stationed  at  Newfoundland.  His  father 
died  when  he  was  an  infant,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
young  Waterman  commenced  to  learn  the  printing  busi- 
ness, graduating  in  1857  from  the  University  office  in 
Cambridge,  after  serving  seven  years  apprenticeship. 
Notwithstanding  he  had  gained  as  thorough  a  knowledge 


332  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

of  book  printing  as  could  be  obtained  in  one  of  the  best 
offices  in  the  country,  he  gave  a  year's  time  soon  after  in 
another  office  in  gaining  a  still  further  knowledge  of  type 
setting  in  foreign  languages.  At  Andover,  Mass  ,  he  did 
the  composition  on  Henderson's  Commentary  of  the  Minor 
Prophets,  in  which  he  set  six  languages,  all  but  one 
Oriental.  Mr.  Waterman  was  afterwards  employed  at  the 
New  England  Type  Foundry  in  Boston,  and  at  the  Eiver- 
side  Press,  Cambridge,  as  a  type  setter.  While  at  the 
former  place  he  worked  upon  "Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,"  in 
the  manuscript  of  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe.  At  the 
University  office,  when  a  boy,  he  worked  upon  the 
manuscript  of  the  first  edition  of  Longfellow's  "Hiawatha," 
carrying  the  proofs  to  the  author  daily.  He  was  also 
employed  at  the  Boston  Stereotype  Foundry,  and  at 
Wright  &  Potter's  State  Printers,  going  from  the  latter 
place  to  Barre,  Mass.,  as  foreman  of  the  Barre  Gazette 
office  in  1864,  and  in  January,  1866,  established  in  that 
town  the  Worcester  West  Chronicle,  which  he  removed 
to  Athol  in  the  fall  of  that  year.  He  has  been  promi- 
nently identified  with  various  Press  Associations,  having  in 
1870  been  one  of  seven  to  organize,  at  Worcester,  the 
Massachusetts  Press  Association,  of  which  he  has  several 
times  been  elected  vice-president,  and  it  was  through  an 
invitation  issued  by  him  to  newspaper  publishers,  that  the 
Suburban  Press  Association  was  organized  at  Athol,  in 
1881,  which  has  now  become  the  "Suburban  Press  Asso- 
ciation of  New  England,"  the  largest  and  most  useful  in 
the    United    States,   and    of    which     he     has     been    the 


ifl 


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R.  WILLIAM    WATERMAN. 


JOURNALISM.  333 

corresponding  secretary  to  the  present  time.  He  was  also 
one  of  the  delegates  sent  to  Cincinnati  to  organize  the 
National  Press  Association  in  1885  which  has  since 
held  its  sessions  in  the  different  states  of  the  Union,  most 
of  which  he  has  attended.  He  has  had  an  extensive  and 
varied  experience  in  travelling  in  the  United  States  and 
Mexico,  having  been  in  every  state  except  Washington. 
Mr.  Waterman  was  married  Jan.  1,  1861,  at  Cambridge, 
Mass.,  to  Henrietta  Florence  Taylor,  daughter  of  Charles 
and  Mary  E.  Taylor  of  that  city.  Miss  Taylor  was  a  native 
of  North  Heading,  and  was  born  at  the  old  Whittredge 
homestead,  which  has  been  in  the  possession  of  her  family 
from  the  Colonial  days.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Waterman  have 
had  three  children,  Charles  A.  J.,  who  was  born  in  Cam- 
bridge, and  for  a  number  of  years  was  successfully  engaged 
in  the  job  printing  business  in  Athol.  He  died  in  1889, 
leaving  a  widow,  one  daughter  and  a  son.  George 
Burton,  born  in  Barre,  died  in  infancy,  and  Marshall  B., 
born  in  Barre  in  1866  is  the  only  surviving  child. 

The  first  number  of  the  "Athol  Transcript"  was 
issued  Tuesday  morning,  Jan.  31,  1871,  byE.  F.  Jones  & 
Co.  Mr.  Jones  was  an  able  and  popular  printer,  and  had 
been  for  several  years  the  foreman  of  the  Chronicle  office. 
Lucien  Lord  was  the  silent  partner,  and  Dr.  V.  O.  Taylor 
became  the  first  editor.  The  changes  that  have  taken 
place  in  the  ownership  and  management  of  the  paper  are 
as  follows:  July  3,  1872,  Col.  George  H.  Hoyt  bought 
Mr.  Lord's  interest,  and  the  firm  name  of  E.  F.  Jones  & 
Co.  was  continued.  Col.  Hoyt  doing   the    editorial    work, 


334  ATHOL,   PAST    AND   PRESENT. 

and  giving  the  paper  a  strong  political  tinge.  During  the 
absence  of  Col.  Hoyt  in  the  Legislature  the  editorial  duties 
were  ably  assumed  by  his  sister,  Mrs.  Clare  H.  Burleigh. 
June  24,  1873,  Lucien  Lord,  W.  L.  Hill  and  E.  A.  Smith 
purchased  the  entire  business  and  plant  and  a  new  firm 
was  organized,  under  the  name  of  Smith,  Hill  &  Co.,  with 
Mr.  Smith  as  business  manager,  Mr.  Hill  as  editor,  and 
Mr.  Lord  as  silent  partner.  This  partnership  continued 
until  April,  1881,  when  Messrs  Lord  and  Hill  purchased 
Mr.  Smith's  interest,  the  former  continuing  as  silent 
partner,  and  the  latter  as  editor  and  business  manager,  the 
company  name  being  the  Athol  Transcript  Company.  In 
September,  1893,  W.  H.  Brock  purchased  Mr.  Lord's 
interest,  and  succeeded  him  as  silent  partner,  the  firm 
name  remaining  as  before. 

Dr.  Vernon  O.  Taylor,  the  first  editor  of  the  Trans- 
cript, was  born  in  Charlestown,  Mass.,  Aug.  28,  1847. 
He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Charlestown, 
and  Park  Latin  School  of  Boston,  entered  Tufts  College, 
but  left  that  institution  in  the  sophomore  year  to  enter  the 
Harvard  Medical  School,  from  which  he  received  the 
degree  of  M.  D.,  in  July,  1868.  In  September  of  that 
year  he  went  to  the  west  coast  of  Africa,  and  sojourned 
in  the  colony  of  Senegal  until  April,  1869.  In  September, 
1869  he  located  in  Athol,  and  commenced  the  practice  of 
medicine.  In  addition  to  the  duties  of  his  profession  he 
was  local  and  special  correspondent  for  the  Springfield 
Republican,  and  was  editor  of  the  Transcript  for  nearly 
two  years.     He  was  married  Sept.  15,  1871,  to   Sabra  J. 


JOURNALISM.  335 

Lord,  eldest  daughter  of  Ethan  Lord,  and  they  have  one 
child,  Lucien  Edward  Taylor,  born  June  24,  1872.  In 
1874  he  removed  to  Lowell,  Mass.,  to  accept  a  position 
with  the  firm  of  Dr.  J.  C.  Ayer  &  Co.,  and  in  1882  went 
to  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he  took  the  position  of  foreign 
correspondent,  and  had  charge  of  the  advertising  depart- 
ment of  the  Rumford  Chemical  works.  He  resigned  this 
position  in  July,  1889,  to  accept  the  special  agency  of  the 
Winner  Investment  Co.,  of  Kansas  City,  Mo.  While  in 
Athol  Mr.  Taylor  was  appointed  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  by 
Gov.  Wm.  B.  Washburn,  was  regular  correspondent  of  the 
Massachusetts  State  Board  of  Health,  and  also  United 
States  Examining  Surgeon  for  Pensions.  He  took  a  great 
interest  in  Masonry,  was  Master  of  Star  Lodge,  and  was 
active  in  securing  the  dispensation  and  charter  for  Athol 
Commandery  of  Knights  Templars,  of  which  he  was  the 
first  Eminent  Commander. 

Wells  Louet  Hill,  editor  and  part  proprietor  of  the 
Athol  Transcript,  was  born  in  Athol,  July  25,  1850,  the 
youngest  child  of  the  late  John  C.  and  Dolly  (Smith)  Hill. 
He  is  descended,  on  his  mother's  side,  from  Aaron  Smith, 
one  of  the  early  'settlers  of  the  town,  and  a  member  of 
Athol's  first  board  of  selectmen.  He  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  of  the  town,  until  a  severe  attack  of 
scarlet  fever  deprived  him  wholly  of  his  hearing,  at  the 
age  of  twelve  years.  He  then  attended  for  four  years  the 
American  School  for  the  education  of  deaf  people  at 
Hartford,  Conn.,  and  entered  the  college  at  Washington, 
D.  C,  in  1868,  from  which  he  graduated  with  high  honors 


336  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

in  1872.  A  few  years  after  he  was  honored  by  his  alma 
mater  with  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts.  His  first 
newspaper  work  was  done  while  in  Washington,  as 
correspondent,  first  for  the  Worcester  West  Chronicle,  and 
later  for  the  Athol  Transcript.  In  June,  1873,  Mr.  Hill, 
in  connection  with  Edgar  A.  Smith,  purchased  an  interest 
in  the  Transcript,  forming  a  partnership  with  Lucien  Lord, 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  paper.  Mr.  Hill  became  the 
editor  at  that  time,  and  has  held  the  position  ever  since. 
In  1889,  he  was  chosen  by  the  directors  of  the  American 
School  for  the  deaf  at  Hartford,  Conn.,  to  represent  that 
institution  at  a  grand  international  congress  of  the  deaf, 
held  in  Paris,  France,  called  for  the  purpose  of  considering 
methods  of  educating  the  deaf.  He  was  absent  abroad 
about  two  months,  and  on  his  return  made  a  lengthy 
report  of  his  doings,  which  was  printed  and  widely  dis- 
tributed at  the  instance  of  the  directors  of  the  Hartford 
school.  Mr.  Hill  has  frequently  been  called  upon  by  his 
friends  among  the  deaf  to  make  addresses  in  their  behalf, 
and  he  has  ofiiciated  in  this  way  in  Boston,  Hartford, 
Conn.,  Washington,  D.  C,  New  York,  Worcester  and 
other  places.  In  May,  1875,  he  married  Abbie  M.  Earle, 
a  member  of  the  well-known  Hunt  family.  Four  children 
have  blessed  this  union,  the  oldest  son,  J.  Clarence  Hill, 
being  local  editor  of  the  Transcript. 

Edgar  A.  Smith,  son  of  Abner  Smith,  was  born  in  New 
Salem,  Sept.  2,  1849.  In  1865,  he  entered  the  employ  of 
the  Vermont  &  Massachusetts  R.  R.  Co.,  as  the  first  tele- 
graph operator  at  the  Athol   station.     He  was   afterwards 


WELLS  L.   HILL. 


DR.  VERNON    O.  TAYLOR. 


EDGAR  A.  SMITH. 


FRANK  W.  GOURLAY. 


JOURNALISM.  337 

operator  at  Fitchburg,  and  in  1869  was  appointed  time- 
keeper and  clerk  in  the  master  mechanics'  office  at 
Fitchburg,  then  general  utilitj'  man  on  the  trains,  and 
private  secretary  to  Otis  T.  Ruggles,  superintendent  of  the 
Vermont  and  Massachusetts  R.  R.  He  then  became  train 
dispatcher  on  the  Fitchburg  road  from  Boston  to  North 
Adams,  and  in  1890  was  made  General  Superintendent  of 
Telegraph  from  Boston  to  Troy,  and  was  empowered  to 
or^nize  and  put  in  operating  condition  the  entire  tele- 
graph system  of  the  Fitchburg  railroad  between  those 
places.  In  1897,  he  was  appointed  Passenger  Train 
Master,  having  general  direction  of  the  whole  passenger 
equipment.  Mr.  Smith  was  for  nearly  eight  years  one  of 
the  owners  of  the  Athol  Transcript,  having  in  June,  1873, 
with  Lucien  Lord  and  W.  L.  Hill,  purchased  the  business 
and  plant,  the  firm  name  being  Smith,  Hill  &  Co.,  Mr. 
Smith  being  the  business  manager.  This  partnership 
continued  until  April,  1881,  when  Mr.  Smith  sold  out  his 
interest.  He  was  married  May  3,  1875,  to  Josie  M. 
Chapin,  of  Hartford,  Conn. 

Frank  W.  Gourlay  was  born  in  Boston,  Jan.  17, 
1859.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of  that  city,  which 
was  his  home,  with  the  exception  of  four  years  spent  in 
New  Haven,  Conn.,  until  he  came  to  Athol  in  1876.  He 
immediately  entered  the  Transcript  office,  where  he  has 
been  employed  to  the  present  time,  and  has  for  the  last 
nine  years  held  the  position  of  foreman.  He  is  a 
member  of  all  the  local  Masonic  and  Odd  Fellow  organi- 
zations, is  a  charter    member    of    Tully    Lodge,  Mount 


338  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Pleasant  Encampment  and  Canton  Athol,  and  is  Past 
Commandant  of  Canton  Athol.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen.  He  was  married  June  20,  1889,  to  Miss  Mary 
E.  Stowell,  of  North  Orange. 

No  sketch  of  the  newspaper  enterprises  of  the  town 
would  be  complete  that  overlooked  the  unique  and 
successful  undertakings  of  the  Cottager  Company  and  W. 
H.  Brock  &  Co.  These  are  "The  Cottager,"  The  Healthy 
Home,"  "Progress"  and  "Our  Church  Eecord."  The  "Cot- 
tager" was  established  in  1881,  and  is  an  eight-page  family 
monthly  devoted  to  "good  literature  and  a  concise  record 
of  current  events."  It  has  gained  a  phenomenal  circulation, 
and  was  long  ago  ranked  by  Pettingill's  agency  as  having 
the  largest  subscription  circulation  of  any  paper  in  the 
state  outside  of  Boston,  with  but  one  exception.  "The 
Healthy  Home"  is  a  hygienic  publication,  also  a  monthly. 
It  is  published  by  W.  H.  Brock  &  Co.,  and  the  mechanical 
work  is  done  by  the  Cottager  Company.  It  was  founded 
in  1890,  and  is  known  all  over  the  country  as  the  leading 
paper  of  its  class.  The  "Progress"  is  the  weekly  edition 
of  the  "Cottager,"  and  contains  numerous  local  features. 
"Our  Church  Record"  is  a  successful  and  unique  weekly, 
devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  local  churches.  All  these 
papers,  except  "The  Healthy  Home,"  are  published  by  the 
Cottager  Company,  an  organization  incorporated  in  1896, 
under  Massachusetts  law,  to  carry  on  the  printing  and 
publishing  business  previously  owned  by  W.  H.  Brock  & 
Co.     It  has  a  paid-up  capital  of  fifteen  thousand  dollars. 


^^^ 

WINFIELD   H.   BROCK. 

i^^^^^H 

WILL  K.   BRIGGS. 


JOURNALISM.  339 

with  these  officers:  President,  W.  K.  Briggs;  clerk, 
Ernest  Shriver  ;  treasurer,  Winfield  H.  Brock. 

WiNFiELD  H.  Brock  is  well  known  as  the  stirring  and 
successful  moving  and  managing  spirit  in  this  large  print- 
ing and  publishing  house.  He  was  born  Oct.  24,  1861, 
and  is  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  oldest  families  in  town, 
and  lives  in  the  ancestral  homestead  on  Pleasant  Street. 
He  graduated  from  the  Athol  High  School  in  1878,  and 
after  teaching  school  and  pursuing  further  studies  in  other 
institutions,  began  newspaper  work  as  local  man  for  the 
"Springfield  Republican."  He  bought  an  interest  in  "The 
Cottager"  in  1885,  and  has  since  been  at  the  head  of  the 
business  department  of  that  paper,  and  its  associated  un- 
dertakings. No  small  part  of  their  growth  and  success 
has  been  due  to  his  tact  and  enterprise.  In  1893,  he 
bought  a  half  interest  in  the  "Athol  Transcript,"  though 
never  taking  an  active  part  in  its  management.  He  was 
married  September  22,  1889,  to  Angela  B.  Ford,  of  Han- 
over, Mass.     They  have  one  son,  Roland  Humphrey. 

Will  K.  Briggs  has  been  associated  in  the  ownership 
and  management  of  the  Cottager  Company's  various 
undertakings  since  1890,  having  sole  charge  of  the  me- 
chanical part,  and  is  now  president  of  the  corporation. 
He  was  born  in  Athol,  Feb.  9,  1856,  and  has  been 
connected  with  the  printing  business  since  early  boy- 
hood. He  is  one  of  the  stewards  of  the  Methodist 
church,  and  has  been  connected  with  the  choir  for  many 
years.  He  is  a  member  of  TuUy  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows. 
He  was  married  March  30,  1878,  to  Miss  Jennie  L.  Gage, 
and  has  one  son,  Merton  L.,  a  graduate  of  the  Athol  High 
School,  and  now  a  student  at  Boston  University. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


POST  OFFICES  AND  BANKS. 

"The  post  is  the  grand  connecting  linlj  of  all  transactions,  ot  all  negotiations. 
Those  who  are  absent,  by  its  means  become  present;  it  is  the  consolation  of  life." 


EFORE  the  establishment  of  a  post 
office  in  Athol,  those  having  mail 
probably  received  it,  as  did  the  peo- 
ple of  most  of  the  other  towns  in 
the  state,  either  by  sonle  post  rider 
passing  through  the  village  or  by  the 
service  of  private  parties.  In  1769,  the  only  post  oifice 
in  Massachusetts  was  in  Boston,  and  in  1793  the  nearest 
offices  to  .\thol  were  those  of  "Worcester  and  Greenfield. 
A  post  office  was  established  in  Athol  in  1802,  and  the 
first  record  we  find  of  mail  coaches  passing  through  the 
town  is  in  1803,  when  a  line  of  mail  coaches  from 
Leominster  to  Greenfield  Avas  established,  connecting  at 
Leominster  with  mail  stages  for  Boston.  These  coaches 
left  Leominster  at  6  a.  m.,  on  Thursdays,  via.  Westminster, 
Templeton  and  Athol,  arriving  at  Greenfield  at  7  p.   m., 


POST    OFFICES.  341 

and  returning  on  Saturdays.  The  first  postmaster  of  the 
Athol  ofiace  was  Joseph  Estabrook,  appointed  Oct.  1,  1802. 
He  held  the  ofiice  only  six  months,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Solomon  Strong,  a  young  lawyer  who  had  just  located  in 
Athol.  He  was  appointed  April  1,  1803,  and  held  the 
office  two  years.  The  postmasters  of  the  Athol  office  since 
that  time,  including  those  who  have  served  since  the  name 
of  the  office  was  changed  to  Athol  Centre,  with  the  date 
of  their  appointment,  have  been  as  follows: 

James  Humphreys,  April  1,  1805;  Joseph  Proctor, 
Feb.  11,  1809;  Nathaniel  C.  Esterbrook,  Sept.  13,  1822; 
Clough  E.  Miles,  March  24,  1823 ;  Lincoln  B.  Knowlton, 
Feb.  25,  1835;  Wm.  H.  Williams,  Aug.  24,  1837;  Isaac 
Stevens,  July  13,  1841 ;  Wm.  H.  Williams,  Sept.  5,  1842; 
Benjamin  Esterbrook,  Dec.  30,  1847;  Stillman  Simonds, 
Aug.  25,  1849 ;  Isaac  Stevens,  June  10,  1850 ;  John  H.  t 
Williams,  May  13,  1854;  Samuel  Lee,  March  27,  1858; 
Thomas  H.  Goodspeed,  June  25,  1862;  Frank  H.  Eay- 
mond,  July,  1885 ;  James  F.  Whitcomb,  Dec.  20,  1889 ; 
Edwin  B.  Horton,  March  28,  1894. 

The  office  at  the  Centre  has  been  known  as  the  Athol 
Centre  office  since  July  1,  1875.  The  business  of  this 
office  for  the  year  1897  is  shown  by  the  following  figures: 
Gross  receipts  for  the  year,  $3,213.65;  domestic  orders 
issued,  1,075.  amounting  to  $6,316.57;  domestic  orders 
paid  253,  amounting  to  $1,945.04  ;  pouches  received  daily, 
ten,  despatched  daily,  nine. 

James  F.  Whitcomb,  who  succeeded  F.  H.  Eaymond 
as  postmaster  of   the   Athol   Centre  office,   was  born    in 


342  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

1835,  at  Claremont,  N.  H.  At  the  age  of  five  yea^s  he 
had  lost  both  of  his  parents,  and  was  taken  to  the  home 
of  a  relative  in  Templeton,  Mass.,  vi^here  his  childhood 
was  passed.  When  twelve  years  of  age  he  was  appren- 
ticed to  learn  the  boot  business  in  Brooks  village,  where 
he  worked  at  boot  making  until  twenty-five  years  of  age. 
After  two  years  spent  on  a  farm  in  Phillipston,  he  came  to 
Athol  about  1863,  and  was  employf^d  at  the  shop  of  Jones 
&  Baker  until  that  firm  closed  up  business  here,  when  he 
went  to  work  for  M.  L.  Lee  &  Co.,  where  he  w^as  engaged 
for  six  or  seven  years.  Since  that  time  he  has  been 
engaged  in  the  tin  and  stove  business  in  the  firm  of  Frost 
&  Whitcomb.  Mr.  Whitcomb  was  appointed  postmaster 
by  President  Harrison,  Dec.  20,  1889.  He  was  secretary 
of  the  Worcester  Northwest  Agricultural  Society  about 
♦  fifteen  years,  first  taking  that  position  in  1874,  has  served 
as  assessor  of  the  town  for  several  years,  been  one  of  the 
engineers  of  the  fire  department,  Master  of  Athol  Grange, 
and  prominent  in  the  various  Masonic  organizations  of  the 
town. 

Edwin  B.  Horton,  the  present  postmaster  of  the 
Athol  C'entre  ofiice,  was  born  in  New  Salem,  Jan.  28, 
1839.  His  parents  moved  to  Athol  when  he  was  about 
twelve  years  of  age,  and  this  town  has  been  his  home  ever 
since,  with  the  exception  of  about  a  year  and  a  half,  when 
he  was  employed  in  the  United  States  Armory  at  Spring- 
field. He  was  an  employee  in  the  Edwin  Ellis  sash  and 
blind  shop  for  eighteen  years,  and  has  also  been  employed 
in  the  C.  M.   Lee  shoe  shops  and  the  Kennebunk    mill. 


POST    OFFICES.  343 

He  was  also  in  the  stove  and  tin  ware  business  with  E.  W. 
Train,  at  the  lower  village,  for  five  years.  He  has  been 
prominent  in  the  Masonic  fraternity,  having  been  Master 
of  Athol  lodge.  He  was  married  in  1860  to  Martha  M. 
Drake  of  Warwick,  and  has  two  children.  He  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  by  President  Cleveland,  March  28, 
1894,  and  took  charge  of  the  office  April  7  of   that  year. 

The  residents  of  the  "factory  village,"  as  it  was 
formerly  called,  used  to  have  their  mail  brought  to  them 
by  the  school  children  in  their  dinner  pails,  and  about  fifty 
years  ago  a  boy  was  hired  to  go  to  the  post  office  at  the 
Centre  every  day,  who  brought  the  mail  to  the  village  in 
his  hat  except  on  Fridays,  when  the  papers  came,  and  he 
then  carried  a  small  bag. 

A  post  office  was  first  established  in  the  village  in 
1849,  and  was  called  Athol  Depot.  The  first  postmaster 
was  Joseph  W.  Hammond,  who  was  appointed  Aug.  4, 
1849.  He  was  a  tailor,  and  opened  the  office  in  his  shop, 
situated  where  C.  F.  Gage's  store  now  is.  Sylvanus 
Twichell,  landlord  of  the  Pequoig  House,  was  appointed 
postmaster  Aug.  7,  1851,  and  moved  the  office  to  the  hotel, 
where  it  remained  for  thirteen  years.  The  postmasters 
since  that  time  with  the  date  of  their  appointments  are ; 
Howard  B.  Hunt,  Nov.  1,  1864  ;  Lucien  Lord,  April  21, 
1869;  William  W.  Fish,  Jan.  16,  1888;  Arthur  C.  Long- 
ley,  Feb.  14,  1891;  Justin  W.  Clayton,  March  12,  1895. 
Some  time  in  1873  the  citizens  of  the  Lower  Village 
petitioned  the  Post  Office  Department  to  change  the  name 
of  their  post  office  from  Athol  Depot  to  Athol.      This 


344  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

petition  did  not  succeed,  but  another  and  more  determined 
effort  was  made  in  the  spring  of  1875,  when  W.  H. 
Bigelow,  a  special  agent  of  the  Post  Office  Department, 
was  sent  to  Athol  to  investigate  the  case.  He  spent  sev- 
eral days  in  town,  during  which  time  public  hearings, 
which  were  largely  attended  and  of  a  most  exciting 
nature,  were  held  in  Starr  and  Music  halls  on  the  twelfth 
and  thirteenth  of  March.  Hon.  Charles  Field  represented 
the  petitioners  and  Col.  George  H.  Hoyt  appeared  for  the 
remonstrants,  who  were  the  citizens  of  the  Upper  Village, 
with  a  few  residents  of  the  Lower  Village,  and  who 
objected  most  strenuously  to  any  change  in  the  name  of 
their  office.  As  a  result  of  these  hearings.  Postmaster 
General  Jewell  issued  the  following  order  in  April: 
"Ordered  that  the  name  of  the  post  office  at  Athol  Depot 
be  changed  to  Athol;  the  post  office  now  called  Athol 
may  be  called  Athol  Centre,  or  it  may  be  made  a  station 
of  Athol  post  office,  or  may  be  given  another  name  than 
Athol  which  the  people  interested  may  desire.  The 
change  of  name  is  to  take  effect  July  1st."  In  1854,  the 
business  of  this  office  for  the  quarter  from  April  1  to  July 
1  amounted  to  only  $79.98,  and  for  the  same  quarter  in 
1874  the  full  business  amounted  to  $1,078.70.  The  busi- 
ness for  the  year  1897  was  as  follows:  Gross  receipts  for 
the  year,  $12,210.61;  total  expenditures,  $6,257.20; 
domestic  orders  issued,  4,007,  amounting  to  $22,128.12; 
domestic  orders  paid,  2,454,  amounting  to  $16,730.07; 
pouches  received  daily,  twenty,  despatched  daily,  eighteen. 
This  office  handles  more  newspapers  than  any  office  of  its 


HON.  ALPHEUS   HARDING. 


X,., 


THOMAS    H.  GOODSPEED. 


BANKS.  351 

for  the  Athol  Savings  Bank,  of  which  he  was  the  treasurer 
until  Jan.  1,  1892,  when  he  was  elected  president,  which 
position  he  still  holds.  In  1879  and  1880,  he  was  sena- 
tor from  the  Fourth  Worcester  District,  serving  the  first 
year  as  chairman  of  the  committees  on  banks  and  banking, 
and  education.  In  1880,  he  was  a  delegate  from  the 
Tenth  Congressional  district  to  the  national  republican 
convention  at  Chicago,  and  assisted  in  nominating  Gen. 
Garfield  for  president.  He  was  married  Sept.  6,  1842, 
to  Maria  Prudence  Taft,  they  have  two  children,  William 
B.  who  resides  in  Holyoke,  and  Ella  who  married  A.  L. 
Newman. 

Thomas  H.  Goodspeed  was  born  in  Phillipston,  Nov. 
15,  1833.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
town,  and  served  as  clerk  in  the  store  of  his  uncle,  Jason 
Goulding,  where  he  commenced  his  business  career,  at  the 
age  of  thirteen  years,  going  to  school  during  the  winter 
and  working  in  the  store  the  remainder  of  the  time. 
When  fifteen  years  old  he  went  to  New  Salem  as  clerk  in 
the  store  and  postoifice  of  Alpheus  Harding,  where  he 
was  the  only  clerk.  From  New  Salem  he  went  to  Willis- 
ton  Seminary  at  Easthampton,  where  he  was  a  student  for 
a  year,  after  which  he  returned  to  Phillipston  and  the 
store  of  his  uncle.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  years  he 
engaged  in  business  for  himself  in  Phillipston,  which  he 
conducted  for  three  years,  and  came  to  Athol  in  1856,  and 
went  into  business  with  his  uncle,  James  I.  Goulding,  at 
the  Centre.  Subsequently  he  bought  out  his  uncle,  and 
continued  the  business  alone  for  several  years,  and   then 


352  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT, 

went  in  company  with  Samuel  Lee.  His  mercantile  life 
in  Athol  extended  over  a  period  of  about  twelve  years, 
from  1856  to  1868,  after  which  he  was  largely  engaged  in 
conveyancing,  insurance  and  real  estate  business.  Few  of 
our  citizens  have  held  so  many  positions  of  trust  and 
honor  as  Mr.  Goodspeed.  He  was  appointed  postmaster 
of  the  Centre  office  June  25,  1862,  which  position  he  held 
until  July,  1^5,  was  town  clerk  from  1863  to  18-73,  town 
treasurer  from  1875  to  1879,  and  a  Representative  to  the 
Legislature  from  this  district  in  1869.  He  has  been  pres- 
ident of  the  Athol  National  Bank  from  its  incorporation, 
in  1874,  to  the  present  time,  and  has  served  the  Worcester 
Northwest  Agricultural  Society  as  its  treasurer  from  its 
incorporation  in  1867,  a  period  of  thirty  years,  and  is  now 
the  Delegate  of  the  Society  on  the  State  Board  of 
Agriculture.  He  was  also  treasurer  of  the  Athol  SUk  Co. 
from  1882  until  it  was  reorganized  under  the  new  man- 
agement in  1895.  Mr.  Goodspeed  has  been  an  active 
worker  in  the  Hepublican  party  for  many  years,  and  was 
the  alternate  delegate  from  this  congressional  district  at 
the  National  Convention  of  1896,  in  St.  Louis.  He  has 
always  been  actively  interested  in  town  aifairs,  and  has 
served  on  many  important  committees.  He  married  L. 
Elvira  Richardson  of  Phillipston,  Oct.  22,  1856. 

CoL.  Albert  L.  Newman,  who  was  for  upwards  of 
fifteen  years,  one  of  the  most  prominent  factors  in  the 
financial,  social  and  political  affairs  of  Athol,  was  the 
second  son  of  George  and  Lydia  Newman,  of  Brattleboro, 
Vt.,  where  he  was  born.     He  came  to  Athol  when  a  young 


POST    OFFICES.  345 

size  in  this  part  of  the  country,  there  being  twelve  publi- 
cations entered  at  the  second  class  rate,  the  total  w6ight 
of  which,  for  the  year  1897,  amounted  to  48,514  pounds. 
The  free  delivery  system  went  into  effect  Nov.  1,  1897, 
when  Charles  A.  Perry,  Josiah  P.  Bigelow,  Irwin  L. 
Knowlton  and  Harry  L.  Doane  were  appointed  as  the 
first  letter  carriers,  with  Charles  S.  King  and  Charles  E. 
Tandy  as  substitutes.  There  are  twenty-eight  street  letter 
boxes,  and  one  package  box.  Miss  Minnie  E.  Slate, 
assistant  post  master,  was  first  appointed  as  clerk  in 
February,  1888,  and  has  served  as  assistant  to  postmasters 
Longley  and  Clayton. 

Howard  B.  Hunt,  who  succeeded  Sylvanus  Twichell 
as  postmaster,  was  born  in  New  Salem,  Nov.  22,  1834. 
His  education  was  obtained  in  the  schools  of  New  Salem 
and  Orange,  and  at  Monson  Academy.  He  taught  school 
several  years,  and  came  to  Athol  about  1862,  when  he 
entered  the  employ  of  J.  S.  Parmenter  as  clerk.  In  1864, 
on  the  death  of  Postmaster  Twichell,  Mr.  Hunt  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  office  by  President  Lincoln.  In  1868,  he 
resigned  in  favor  of  Lucien  Lord,  and  engaged  in  the 
music  and  insurance  business  with  his  brother.  Nelson  H. 
Hunt.  From  small  beginnings  this  business  became  one 
of  the  most  important  and  extensive  in  this  vicinity,  and 
increased  to  such  an  extent  as  to  necessitate  the  removal 
to  a  larger  field,  and  in  1875  the  firm  removed  to  Spring- 
field and,  in  1878,  to  Boston,  where  as  the  New  England 
agents  for  the  Estey  Organ  Manufacturing  Co.,  of 
Brattleboro,  Vt.,  they  did  an  extensive  business.      While 


346 


a  student  at  Monson  Academy  Mr.  Hunt  was  converted, 
and  joined  the  Baptist  church  at  North  Prescott  and,  soon 
after  coming  to  Athol,  connected  himself  with  the  Baptist 
church  of  this  town,  in  which  he  was  deeply  interested, 
and  took  an  active  part  during  his  residence  in  town.  In 
1862,  he  married  Miss  Jennie  Scott,  who  died  a  few  years 
after.  Mr.  Hunt  died  suddenly  of  apoplexy,  April  4, 
1880,  at  the  home  of  his  brother  in  Newton.  The  remains 
were  brought  to  Athol,  where  they  were  received  by  a 
committee  of  the  citizens  and  escorted  to  the  Baptist 
church,  where  a  large  number  had  assembled  to  pay  the 
last  tribute  of  love  and  respect  to  one  who  had  been 
deeply  loved  and  honored.  The  burial  took  place  at  Silver 
Lake  cemetery.  He  was  a  man  of  the  kindliest  impulses, 
who  brightened  his  own  pathway  through  life  by  lessening 
the  burdens  of  others. 

Arthur  E.  Longley,  who  succeeded  William  W.  Fish 
as  postmaster  of  the  Athol  ofl&ce,  was  born  in  Peterboro, 
N.  H.,  Aug.  20,  1861.  When  he  was  eight  years  old  his 
parents  moved  to  New  Ipswich,  N.  H.,  and  after  a  residence 
there  of  six  years  removed  to  Royalston,  which  was  his 
home  until  he  came  to  Athol  as  assistant  postmaster,  June 
6,  1881.  He  served  as  assistant  under  the  administrations 
of  Lucien  Lord  and  William  W.  Fish,  and  performed  the 
duties  of  his  position  in  such  a  satisfactory  maniier  that  at 
the  expiration  of  Mr.  Fish's  term  of  office  a  petition  for 
the  appointment  of  Mr.  Longley  a,s  postmaster  was  circu- 
lated, and  largely  signed  by  the  patrons  of  the  office.  He 
was  appointed  by  President  Harrison,  Feb.   14,  1891,  and 


HOWARD   B.   HUNT. 


ARTHUR  C.   LONGLEY. 


JUSTIN  W.   CLAYTON. 


JAMES   F.   WHITCOMB. 


POST   OFFICES.  347 

served  until  April  1,  1895.  After  retiring  from  the  post 
ofSce,  Mr.  Longley  was  employed  as  clerk  in  various  stores 
until  the  fall  of  1897  when,  in  company  with  Fred  B. 
Oliver,  he  purchased  the  stationery  and  paper  business  of 
E.  E.  Cleveland. 

Justin  W.  Clayton,  the  present  postmaster  of  the 
Athol  office,  was  born  in  Windham,  Vt.,  April  20,  1867, 
His  father,  Rev.  A.  W.  Clayton,  was  an  Adventist  minis- 
ter, and  a  veteran  of  the  war  of  the  rebellion.  Justin 
was  graduated  at  Glenwood  Seminary,  in  Brattleboro,  Vt., 
in  1887,  and  pursued  his  studies  at  the  University  of 
Vermont  for  a  year.  He  came  to  Athol  in  September, 
1888,  to  enter  the  employ  of  Goddard  &  Manning,  then 
starting  the  manufacture  of  piano  cases.  He  was  for  six 
years  foreman  of  the  veneer  department  of  that  iudustry, 
and  was  appointed  postmaster  March  12,  1895,  and  took 
charge  of  the  office  April  1.  He  is  a  prominent  member 
of  the  Baptist  church  and  has  been  active  in  the  work  of 
the  church  and  Sunday  School.  He  is  one  of  the  direc- 
tors of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and  also  of 
the  Massachusetts  Baptist  Sunday  School  Association.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  of  the  Poquaig 
Club,  and  in  1892  was  the  candidate  of  the  democratic 
party  for  representative  to  the  Legislature.  A  short  time 
before  coming  to  Athol  he  married  Miss  Claudia  M. 
Campbell,  daughter  of  C.  C.  Campbell  of  Westminster, 
Vt.  During  his  administration  of  the  post  office  the  free 
mail  delivery  system  has  been  established,  and  other 
improvements  made. 


348  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

BANKS. 

Millers  Eiver  Bank.  In  1854  Charles  C.  Bassett, 
Isaac  Stevens  and  Lewis  Thorpe,  their  associates  and  suc- 
cessors, were  made  a  corporation  by  the  name  of  the 
Millers  River  Bank,  and  September  12th,  of  that  year, 
commenced  business  with  a  capital  of  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  The  first  president  was  John  Boynton, 
a  successful  tinware  manufacturer  of  Templeton,  who  was 
the  founder  of  the  Free  Institute  of  Industrial  Science  at 
Worcester.  The  first  cashier  was  also  a  Templeton  man- 
ufacturer, Merrick  E.  Ainsworth.  In  1856,  Seth  Hapgood 
of  Petersham  succeeded  Mr.  Boynton  as  president,  and 
Alpheus  Harding,  Jr.,  was  appointed  cashier  in  August  of 
the  same  year.  On  the  death  of  Mr.  Hapgood,  Isaac 
Stevens  was  chosen  president  in  1864,  and  in  January, 
1866,  Alpheus  Harding  succeeded  Mr.  Stevens  as  presi- 
dent, which  position  ke  still  holds.  On  the  promotion  of 
Mr.  Harding  to  the  presidency,  Albert  L.  Nevsman  became 
cashier  and  held  the  position  until  May,  1881,  when  he 
was  succeeded  by  Wm.  D.  Luey,  who  still  holds  the  posi- 
tion. In  August,  1857,  the  capital  was  increased  to  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  and  March  1,  1865, 
the  name  was  changed  to  the  Millers  River  National 
Bank.  In  1889  the  present  fine  banking  house  which  it 
now  occupies  was  built  at  a  cost  of  upwards  of  seventy 
thousand  dollars. 

Athol  Savings  Bank.  The  Athol  Savings  Bank  was 
chartered  Feb.  12,  1867,  and  commenced  business  in 
March  of  that  year.     Charles  C.  Bassett  was  its  first  pres- 


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BANKS.  349 

ident,  wMch  position  he  held  until  1882,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  John  G.  Mudge  of  Petersham,  who  held  that 
office  until  his  death  in  1891.  Alpheus  Harding  was  the 
treasurer  from  the  organization  of  the  bank  until  he  be 
came  president  in  Jan.  1,  1892,  when  Wm.  D.  Luey  was 
elected  as  treasurer.  The  deposits  Jan.  I,  1898,  amount- 
ed  to  12,019,786.95. 

Athol  National  Bank  began  business  Sept.  15,  18T4, 
with  a  capital  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Its  first 
board  of  directors  were  Thomas  H.  Goodspeed,  Solon  W. 
Lee,  Lyman  W.  Hapgood,  Edwin  Ellis,  James  M.  Lee, 
Washington  H.  Amsden  and  Gilbert  Southard,  Athol;  S. 
S.  Farrar,  South  Royalston ;  Edward  Powers,  PhiUipston ; 
D.  C.  Paige,  Petersham  ;  Isaac  Bourn,  Templeton.  Thomas 
H.  Goodspeed  has  been  president  of  the  bank  since  its 
organization,  and  Charles  A.  Chapman,  cashier. 

Athol  Co-Qperative  Bank  was  organized  in  July, 
1889,  with  George  D.  Bates  as  president,  T.  H.  Goodspeed, 
vice  president  and  C.  F.  Richardson,  secretary  and  treas- 
urer. Eighteen  series  of  shares  have  been  issued,  and  it 
now  has  loans  on  real  estate  amounting  to  $77,205,  and 
on  shares  of  |4,990. 

Hon.  Alpheus  Harding,  son  of  Rev.  Alpheus  and 
Sarah  (Bridge)  Harding,  was  born  in  New  Salem,  Jan.  12, 
1818,  and  was  the  fifth  in  a  family  of  seven  children. 
His  father  was  a  settled  minister  in  New  Salem  for  more 
than  forty  years,  and  especially  prominent  in  connection 
with  New  Salem  Academy,  the  public  schools,  and  the 
general  educational  interests  of  his  time.      Alpheus,  Jr., 


350  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

was  fitted  for  college  in  the  Academy  at  New  Salem,  and 
entered  Amherst  College  in  1833,  leaving,  on  account  of 
ill  health,  the  following  year.     In  1835,  he  entered  the 
store  of   Jonathan  Haskell  &  Co.,  and  was  engaged   in 
mercantile  life  in  Petersham  and  New  Salem  for  twenty- 
one    years.      During    ten    years    of    that   time    he    was 
postmaster  of  New  Salem,  and  served  the  town  about  the 
same  length  of   time  as  town  clerk   and  treasurer.      He 
was  also  at  various  times  chairman  of  the  board  of  select- 
men, assessors  and  overseers  of  the  poor,  and  has  been  one 
of  the  trustees  of  New  Salem  Academy  since   1856.     He 
was  a  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  from  New 
Salem  in  1851,  and  took  part  in  the  long  and  memorable 
struggle  which  resulted  in  the  election  of  Charles  Sumner 
to  the  United  States  Senate  for  the  first  time,  and   was 
again  a  member  representing  the  same  town  in  1853.    His 
first  political  affiliation  was  with  the  democratic  party,  and 
he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  as  a  democrat,  but   the 
slavery  question    took   him    out   of    that   party,  and    he 
assisted  in  the  formation  of  the  free  soil  party,  with  which 
he  acted  until  the  formation  of    the  republican  party,  of 
which  he  has  always  been  an  ardent  supporter.      In  1856, 
he  received  the   appointment  of   cashier  of   the   Millers 
River  Bank,  and  removed  to  Athol.    He  held  that  position 
eleven  years  and  was  then  elected  president,  which  office 
he  has  held  to  the  present  time.     In  the  years    1863   and 
1867,  he  represented  Athol  and  Royalston  in  the  Legisla- 
ture, serving  both  years  on  the  committee  on  railroads,  and 
was  instrumental  in  the  latter  year  in  obtaining  a  charter 


Col.  ALBERT   L.NEWMAN. 


BANKS.  353 

man  less  than  twenty  years  of  age,  and  began  his  duties 
as  teller  of  the  Millers  River  National  Bank,  from  which 
position  he  was  promoted  to  that  of  cashier,  in  January, 
1866,  and  continued  in  that  position  until  May,  1881, 
when  he  resigned  to  accept  the  vice  presidency  of  the 
National  Bank  of  the  Commonwealth,  in  Boston.  Mr. 
Newman  had  managed  the  affairs  of  the  Millers  River 
Bank  with  such  ability  and  success  that  it  had  attracted 
attention  from  abroad,  and  when  he  left  Athol  for  the 
wider  field  of  the  great  metropolis  of  New  England,  his 
commanding  abilities  as  a  financier  and  business  man  soon 
gave  him  honorable  rank  among  Boston  financiers,  and 
after  serving  the  National  Bank  of  the  Commonwealth  as 
vice  president  for  a  short  time  he  became  its  president, 
which  position  he  continued  to  hold  until  about  1892, 
when  he  retired,  on  account  of  failing  health,  and  with 
his  wife  spent  several  months  in  Europe.  On  his  return 
home  he  engaged  in  the  brokerage  business  with  H.  A. 
Rogers  and  J.  S.  Tolman.  Mr.  Newman  was  one  of  the 
founders,  and  always  a  generous  supporter  of  the  Second 
Unitarian  church  of  Athol.  He  served  on  the  staff  of 
Governor  Oliver  Ames,  with  the  rank  of  Colonel.  He 
was  a  man  of  engaging  social  qualities,  absolute  integrity, 
and  of  strong  and  tender  affections.  He  married  Miss 
Ella  M.  Harding,  only  daughter  of  Hon.  Alpheus  Harding, 
June  16,  1868.  They  had  one  son  Albert  Harding 
Newman.     Col.  Newman  died  in  Boston,  May  2,  1894. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


SONS   OF  ATHOL. 


'"the  heights  by  great  men  reached  and  kept 
"Were  not  attafned'  by  sudden  flight ; 
But  they,  while  their  companions  slept, 
"W^ere  toiling  upward  through  the  night." 

MONG  the  Sons  of  Athol,,  reared 
among  these  hills  who  have  gone 
forth  into  the  world  and  performed 
deeds  that  have  set  in  motion  influ- 
ences that  have  assisted  in  moulding 
public  opinion  and  the  legislation  of 
the  country,  and  have  made  their 
names  distinguished  beyond  the 
boundaries  of  their  native  town, 
county  and  state,  may  be  mentioned  the  names  of  Ginery 
Twichell,  Lysander  Spooner,  Joel  D.  Stratton  and  Col. 
George  H.  Hoyt. 

Ginery  Twichell,  a  son  of  Captain  Francis  Twichell 
was  born  in  Athol,  August  26,  1811.  He  left  school  at 
the  early  age  of  sixteen  to  take  charge  of  a  portion  of  the 
business  of  Mr,  Joel  Kendall,  an  extensive  miU  owner. 
After  that  he  went  into  the  employment  of  Samuel  Sweet- 
ser,  and  subsequently  worked  as  clerk  in  a  store  in 
Petersham.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  took  charge  of  the 
stage  line  from  Barre  to  Worcester. 


Ur-(nip-}ri[aiLR/.lilL3'mn^  &^T\gn(m.ng  Co  Boaton 


SONS   OF   ATHOLv  355 

By  patience  aud  kindness,  not  only  to  his  pat- 
rons, but  also  to  rivals  and  competitors  in  business,  by  the 
strictest  fidelity  to  all  the  trusts  committed  to  him  and  by 
wise  economy  in  the  conduct  of  his  business,  he  advanced 
from  the  position  of  driver  to  that  of  owner;  and  finally,  by 
thus  conciliating  and  winning  the  public  patronage  ex- 
clusively to  himself,  he  drove  his  rivals  from  the  field.  For 
five  years  he  was  employed  as  driver  on  the  stage  line  from 
Barre  to  Worcester,  He  then  secured  an  interest  in  the 
business;  and  so  rapid  was  his  success  that  in  ten  years  he 
became  sole  proprietor  of  over  two  hundred  horses,  and  of 
several  lines  of  stage-coaches  between  Worcester  and  var- 
ious points  in  the  states  of  Massachusetts,  New  Hampshire 
and  Vermont.  For  ten  years  from  1840  Mr.  Twichell  was 
engaged  to  collect  the  votes  of  the  State  on  election  day 
so  that  they  could  be  published  in  the  Boston  papers  the 
following  morning,  and  in  the  accomplishment  of  this  he 
took  many  stiiTing  and  daring  rides.  The  most  remark- 
able feat  in  the  way  of  conveying  news  was  performed  by 
him  in  1846,  which  illustrates  his  indomitable  energy  as 
well  as  the  rival  enterprise  of  the  newspaper  press.  It 
appears  that  the  steamship  Hibernia  had  arrived  in  Boston 
in  January,  1846,  nineteen  days  out,  with  news  that 
Robert  Peel  was  to  return  to  office  as  Prime  Minister, 
John  Russell  having  failed  to  form  a  ministry.  This  had 
an  important  bearing  on  the  question  of  the  Oregon  bound- 
ary, Russell  being  for  war  with  the  United  States  and  Peel 
for  peace.  The  New  York  papers  were  anxious  to  secure 
the  news  as  soon  as  possible.     The  Herald  had  made  ar- 


356 


ATHOL,    PAST    AND    PRESENT. 


rangements  with  the  railroad  and  steamboat  companies  to 
carry  its  despatches  to  New  York,  and  the  Tribune  and 
other  papers  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia  were  ex- 
cluded by  the  Herald  from  participating  in  its  arrange- 
ments. 

Mr.  Twichell  undertook  to  carry  the  despatches  to  the 
papers  that  were  excluded  by  the  Herald,  and  was  obliged 
to  use  horses  instead  of  steam  power  for  most  of  the  dis- 
tance.    He  could  obtain  an  engine  to  run  from  Boston  to 


GiNBRY   TWICHBLL  AS  THE  UNRIVALLED  EXPRESS  RiDER. 

Worcester  only  on  condition  of  its  being  fifteen  minutes 
behind  the  Herald's  train.  From  Worcester  to  Hartford, 
a  distance  of  sixty-six  miles,  he  rode  on  horseback  through 
a  deep  snow  in  the  remarkably  short  time  of  three  hours 
and  twenty  minutes;  thence  from  Hartford  to  New  Haven, 
by  railroad,  thirty-six  miles;  from  New  Haven  to  New 
York,  seventy-six  miles,  by  horses;  and  reached  New  York 
City  in  season  for  the  printing  of  the  despatches  before  the 


SONS    OF    ATHOL.  357 

arrival  of  those  of  the  Herald.  In  this  case  horse  power 
surpassed  steam  power.  Mr.  Twichell's  remarkable  feat 
of  horsemanship  excited  so  much  interest  that  it  was  com- 
memorated by  a  large  and  beautiful  engraving  entitled 
"The  Unrivalled  Express  Rider." 

Although  the  railroad  from  Boston  to  Worcester  was 
opened  July  6,  1835,  Mr.  Twichell  continued  his  extensive 
stage  business  until  June  1,  1848,  when  he  was  appointed 
Assistant  Superintendent  of  the  Boston  &  Worcester  Rail- 
road. In  less  than  a  year — May  1849 — he  was  promoted 
to  the  oflB.ce  of  Superintendent.  After  holding  this  posi- 
tion for  ten  years  he  was  advanced  to  that  of  President  of 
the  road,  in  February  1857,  and  was  elected  to  the  same 
position  annually  for  ten  successive  years. 

Soon  after  the  opening  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  he 
rendered  valuable  assistance  to  the  Government  in  the 
transportation  of  the  mail  from  Washington  to  the  North. 
Communication  with  the  East  was  blockaded,  when  Mr. 
Twichell  tendered  his  services  to  the  Government  to  re- 
move or  escape  the  blockade.  The  mails  had  been  accum- 
ulating for  five  days  when  the  Post  Master  General  con- 
fided the  mails  to  his  care,  and  they  were  safely  delivered 
to  the  towns  and  cities  of  the  North.  Mr.  Twichell  was 
elected  to  Congress,  and  was  a  member  of  the  fortieth, 
forty -fir  St  and  forty-second  Congresses,  serving  on  the  Com- 
mittee of  Post  OflRces  and  Post  Roads.  In  1870  he  be- 
came president  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka,  and  Santa  Fe 
Railroad,  which  he  served  four  years,  was  elected  president 
of  the    Boston,    Barre    and    Gardner  Railroad  in  March 


358  ATHOL,    PAST    AND    PRESENT. 

1873,  and  continued  until  February,  1878.  Also,  in  1882, 
became  president  of  the  Hoosac  Tunnel  and  Western, 
Railroad  Company.  He  was  twice  married,  first  on  Aug. 
26,  1846,  to  Miss  Theodotia  R.,daughter  of  Mr.  Creighton 
Ruggles  of  Barre,  by  whom  he  had  eight  children.  He 
was  married  a  second  time,  June  28,  1877,  to  Mrs.  Cath- 
erine M.  fBurt)  Vinal,  daughter  of  William  S.  Burt,  of 
Ithaca,  N.  Y. 

Among  the  sons  of  Athol,  none  have  attained  a  more 
famous  name,  or  engaged  the  attention  of  the  public  to  a 
greater  extent  than  did  Col.  George  H.  Hoyt,  who  in  the 
brief  time  of  less  than  two  decades  had  performed  deeds 
that  link  his  name  with  some  of  the  most  stirring  events 
of  the  last  half  century. 

CoL.  George  H.  Hoyt  was  born  in  Athol,  Nov.  25, 
1837,  a  son  of  Dr.  George  Hoyt.  In  1851,  Dr.  Hoyt 
moved  with  his  family  to  Boston,  and  at  an  early  age 
George  entered  a  law  office  in  that  city.  He  was  engaged 
in  the  study  of  law  at  the  time  of  the  ever  memorable 
John  Brown  raid  on  Harpers  Ferry.  He  had  inherited 
from  his  father  those  fearless  and  daring  qualities  of  his 
nature  that  were  characteristic  of  him  throughout  his  life, 
and  with  the  enthusiasm  of  his  young  manhood,  he  offered 
himself  as  volunteer  counsel  for  Brown,  and  his  services 
having  been  accepted  he  went  to  Charlestown,  Va.,  where 
he  defended  Brown  with  courage  and  ability.  Soon  after 
Hoyt's  arrival  the  Southern  counsel  appointed  to  defend 
Brown  withdrew,  and  left  the  responsibility  for  the  defence 
upon  the  young  lawyer  until  the  arrival  of  Messrs  Chilton 


Col.  GEORGE    H.  HOYT. 


SONS    OF    ATHOL.  359 

and  Griswold,  who  were  to  conduct  the  defence.  A  paper, 
in  referring  to  these  advocates  for  Brown,  had  the  follow- 
ing: "The  zeal  and  devotion  of  Messrs  Chilton,  Griswold 
and  Hoyt  in  behalf  of  an  unfortunate  fellow  being, 
surrounded  only  by  those  against  whom  his  crimes  were 
directed,  and  from  whom,  therefore,  he  could  expect  no 
sympathy,  are  worthy  of  all  praise.  Hoyt  had  come  from 
Boston  travelling  night  and  day,  to  volunteer  his  services 
in  defense  of  Brown."  As  showing  the  danger  to  which 
those  who  defended  Brown  were  exposed,  we  quote  from 
a  Richmond  letter:  "Judge  Russell  of  Boston  started  for 
home  this  morning.  Mr.  Hoyt,  the  lawyer,  also  returned. 
That  he  was  suffered  to  depart  without  molestation  is 
considered  here  a  powerful  proof  of  the  forbearance  of 
the  people."  We  next  hear  of  the  young  lawyer  in 
Kansas  where  early  in  1861  he  enlisted  in  John  Brown, 
Jr's.  company  of  sharpshooters,  and  afterwards  became 
connected  with  the  First  Kansas  Cavalry,  being  commis- 
sioned Second  Lieutenant.  Early  in  1862  he  was  made 
a  Captain  in  that  regiment,  and  as  such  served  with  dis- 
tinction under  Generals  Grant  and  Rosecrans  in  various 
campaigns.  After  the  sacking  of  Lawrence,  Captain  Hoyt 
assisted  in  raising  the  Fifteenth  Kansas  Cavalry,  and  was 
made  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  regiment,  leading  it  with 
great  bravery  in  the  battles  of  Lexington,  Little  Blue, 
Independence  and  other  severe  conflicts.  He  was  com- 
missioned Brigadier  General  by  Brevet,  March  13,  1865, 
for  gallant  and  meritorious  services  at  the  battle  of  New- 
tonia,  Missouri,  Oct.  28,   1864.     A  Kansas  paper  referred 


360  ATHOL,    PAST    AND    PRESENT. 

to  this  battle  as  follows :  "In  this  charge,  one  of  the  most 
glorious  in  its  results  during  the  war,  and  perhaps  per- 
formed with  less  loss  to  the  attacking  party,  acts  of 
individual  daring  might  be  mentioned,  deserving  special 
commendation.  The  conduct  of  Lieut.  Col.  Hoyt,  in 
particular  upon  this  occasion,  was  such  as  to  elicit  the 
highest  encomiums  from  all,  and  deserves  to  be  recorded 
as  worthy  of  particular  emulation."  He  served  in  the 
army  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Although  so  busily 
engaged  in  fighting  the  battles  of  the  Union,  yet  he  found 
time  during  those  eventful  days  to  worship  at  Hymen's 
altar,  and  on  March  10,  1862,  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  Anzonette  Cheney,  an  Athol  girl,  who,  courageous 
as  her  lover  was  fearless,  journeyed  from  Massachusetts  to 
Kansas  for  that  purpose.  After  the  war  Gen.  Hoyt 
resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Kansas,  in  which 
he  attained  considerable  distinction,  and  was  in  1868 
Attorney  General  of  the  State,  residing  at  Topeka.  He 
was  also  for  a  time  editor  of  an  influential  daily  paper  of 
that  state.  In  1871,  he  removed  to  Athol  with  his  family, 
and  continued  to  practice  law,  and  also  purchased  an 
interest  in  the  Athol  Transcript,  then  recently  established, 
and  of  which  he  was  the  editor  until  the  summer  of  1873. 
He  was  twice  elected  as  Representative  to  the  Legislature 
from  this  district,  serving  in  1872  and  1873,  and  attained 
quite  a  reputation  as  a  leader  in  legislation.  He  was 
commander  of  Parker  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  for  three  years,  and 
was  prominently  identified  Avith  the  Masonic  fratemitv. 
He  had  two  children,  George  DeWitt  and  Mary.  He 
died  Feb.  2,  1877. 


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LETTER    FROM   JOHN    BROWN    TO    COL.   GEORGE    H.    HOYT. 


SONS    OF    ATHOL.  361 

JoelD.  Stratton  was  born  in  Athol,  Aug.  11,  1816. 
He  spent  his  boyhood  and  youth  with  his  parents,  laboring 
upon  his  father's  farm  until  he  was  twenty- one  years  of 
age,  when  he  removed  to  Worcester  and  was  employed  by 
Thomas  Tucker,  Esq.,  the  proprietor  of  the  American 
Temperance  House.  It  was  while  he  was  there,  in  the 
capacity  of  a  waiter,  in  the  autumn  of  1842,  that  occurred 
the  memorable  event  in  his  life,  which  made  him  so  widely 
known  throughout  the  United  States,  and  still  more  widely 
in  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  as  the  man  who  was  the 
instrument  of  John  B.  Gough's  reformation.  Mr.  Gough, 
in  his  autobiography,  describes  in  a  feeling  manner  the 
circumstances  of  his  meeting  with  Mr.  Stratton,  and  of 
signing  the  pledge.  At  the  time  of  this  interview  Mr. 
Stratton  was  a  single  man,  and  is  said  to  have  been  a 
modest,  unobtrusive  and  retiring  man,  and  those  who 
wished  to  become  acquainted  with  him  were  compelled  to 
seek  his  society.  On  the  6th  of  May,  1845,  he  married 
Miss  Susan  P.  Day,  an  excellent  Christian  lady,  who  was 
his  constant  and  faithful  companion  through  life.  There 
was  little  to  distinguish  his  later  years,  and  the  care  and 
support  of  a  family  compelled  him  to  follow  closely  his 
occupation,  which  was  that  of  a  boot- crimper.  With  the 
exception  of  four  years  spent  in  the  town  of  Paxton,  his 
home  was  Worcester  during  all  his  later  life.  He  died 
Nov.  4,  1860,  and  on  his  death  bed  received  the  blessing 
of  the  reformed  man,  who  reminded  him  of  the  thousands 
who  were  thankful  that  he  ever  lived.  Mr.  Gough  said 
of  him :     "I  owe  to  him  all  that  I  am,  since  I  have  been 


362  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PKESENT. 

worth  anything  to  my  fellow-men."  Regarding  the  results 
of  this  act,  Francis  A.  Gaskill  says  in  his  sketch  on  the 
History  of  Worcester,  "The  consecration  to  a  life  of 
sobriety  and  moral  effort  made  by  John  B.  Gough,  when 
at  the  Worcester  Town  Hall  on  Oct.  31,  1842,  he  took 
the  pledge  of  total  abstinence,  had  doubtless  a  more  ben- 
eficial effect  upon  the  whole  land  in  the  grand  efforts  for 
the  reclamation  of  those  addicted  to  the  excessive  use  of 
liquor,  and  in  the  elevation  of  the  moral  sentiment  of  the 
country,  than  any  other  agency." 

Lysander  Spooner  was  undoubtedly  the  most  unique 
and  remarkable  character  Athol  ever  produced,  and  his 
work  and  influence  were  of  a  national  character.  He  was 
born  Jan.  19,  1808,  on  the  farm  bordering  Lake  Ellis  on 
the  east,  now  occupied  by  George  J.  Sutton.  He  was  a 
son  of  Asa  Spooner,  who  had  a  family  of  children  several 
of  whom  attained  distinction.  Young  Spooner  spent  his 
boyhood,  and  a  few  years  of  his  early  manhood,  on  his 
father's  farm,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-five,  equipped  with 
such  learning  as  a  country  school  education  then  afforded, 
he  went  to  Worcester  where  he  obtained  a  clerkship  in 
the  Registry  of  Deeds.  After  a  year's  experience  there 
he  gave  up  his  clerkship  and  began  to  read  law  in  the 
office  of  John  Davis,  a  celebrated  member  of  the  Worces- 
ter bar,  and  later  studied  in  the  of&ce  of  Charles  Allen, 
one  of  the  foremost  of  Massachusetts  lawyers.  At  that 
time  Massachusetts  statutes  required  three  years  extra 
study  from  men  not  college  bred  as  a  condition  of  admis- 
sion to  the    bar.     In    utter   disregard    of  this    law,    Mr. 


SONS    OF    ATHOL.  363 

Spooner  opened  a  law  office  in  Worcester,  and  this  bold 
move,  made  still  more  forcible  by  an  argument  that  he 
printed  and  circulated  among  the  members  of  the  Legis- 
lature, secured  the  repeal  of  the  obnoxious  law.  After  a 
residence  of  six  years  in  Ohio  he  returned  to  the  East,  and 
commenced  the  memorable  contest  with  the  government, 
which  gained  for  him  the  title  of  "father  of  cheap  postage 
in  America."  At  that  time  the  rates  of  postage  were 
enormous,  as  compared  with  the  present.  Mr.  Spooner 
saw  that  the  evil  could  be  remedied  by  competition,  and 
failing  to  convince  the  people  of  this  fact  by  arguments, 
he  accordingly,  in  1844,  started  a  private  mail  between 
Boston  and  New  York,  and  soon  extended  it  to  Philadel- 
phia and  Baltimore,  charging  but  five  cents  a  letter 
between  any  of  these  points,  which  was  a  very  much 
smaller  sum  than  the  government  was  then  charging. 
The  business  was  an  immediate  success  and  was  rapidly 
extending.  As  the  carrying  of  each  letter  was  a  separate 
offence,  the  government  was  able  to  shower  prosecutions 
upon  him  and  crush  him  out  in  a  few  months.  The 
matter  had,  however,  created  such  an  excitement  in  the 
country  that  the  following  year  public  sentiment  compelled 
a  large  reduction  in  the  government  rates  of  postage.  He 
was  also  prominent  in  the  abolition  conflict,  and  attained 
considerable  fame  at  the  time  by  his  pamphlet  on  "The 
Unconstitutionality  of  Slavery."  The  work  and  doctrines 
were  endorsed  by  Gerrit  Smith  and  Elizur  Wright,  and 
became  the  text  book  of  the  Liberty  Party.  He  was  the 
author  of  numerous  pamphlets,  the  most  largely  circulated 


364  ATHOL,    PAST    AND    PRESENT. 

of  which  was  one  which  appeared  under  the  title  of 
"Eevolution"  and  which  treated  the  Irish  land  question  in 
a  most  vigorous  style.  This  pleased  the  friends  of  Ireland 
so  much  that  an  edition  of  one  hundred  thousand  was 
printed,  and  a  copy  sent  to  each  member  of  the  English 
aristocracy,  to  each  member  of  the  House  of  Commons, 
and  to  every  official  of  any  note  in  the  British  dominions, 
and  the  remainder  throughout  the  centres  of  England  and 
Canada.  The  last  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  Boston, 
where  he  could  be  seen  almost  every  day  in  the  Boston 
Athenseum  Library,  busily  engaged  in  studying  and 
writing.     He  died  May  14,  1887. 

The  Sprague  Brothers,  Lucius  Knight,  Edwin 
Loring  and  Henry  Harrison',  all  of  whom  are  Sons  of 
Athol,  trace  their  paternal  ancestry  back  to  Edward 
Sprague  of  Upwey,  Dorset  County,  England,  whose 
ancient  stone  fulling  mill,  erected  probably  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  seventeenth  century,  is  still  standing,  a  silent 
memorial  to  one  of  Upwey's  old-time  industries.  William 
Sprague,  youngest  son  of  Edward  and  the  founder  of  this 
branch  of  the  family  in  America,  was  one  of  the  early 
planters  of  Massachusetts,  arriving  at  Naumkeag,  now 
Salem,  in  1628,  with  Governor  Endicott.  He  originally 
settled  in  Charlestown,  whence  he  removed  in  1636  to 
Hingham,  and  was  a  leading  man  of  that  settlement.  His 
father-in-law,  Anthony  Eames,  was  also  active  in  the 
town's  affairs,  and  was  the  first  commander  of  the  militia 
or  "train  band."  They  are  also  descendants  of  Richard 
Warren,  one  of  the  immortal  band  of  Mayflower  pas- 
sengers. 


EDWIN    L.  SPRAGUE. 


SONS    OF   ATHOL.  365 

George  Sprague,  their  father,  was  a  son  of  Joshua 
Sprague  who  removed  from  Hingham  to  Petersham  and 
married  Lois  Stockwell,  daughter  of  Capt.  Ephraim  and 
Sarah  Stockwell.  Capt.  Stockwell  was  one  of  Athol's 
captains  in  the  Revolution  and  led  a  company  to  the  battle 
of  Bennington. 

Edwin  Loking  Sprague  was  born  in  Athol,  July  6, 
1838,  and  received  his  education  in  the  schools  of  the 
town.  Upon  the  opening  of  the  Millers  River  Bank  in 
1854  he  became  its  clerk  and  so  remained  until  his 
removal  to  Boston  in  1858.  In  Boston  for  three  years  he 
was  book-keeper  for  Clement,  Colburn  &  Co.,  a  prominent 
boot  and  shoe  firm,  which  position  he  relinquished  on 
account  of  impaired  health  early  in  1861.  After  a  long 
vacation  he  returned  to  Boston,  and  engaged  in  the  shoe 
manufacturing  business  as  junior  partner  in  the  firm  of 
Geo.  N.  Spear  &  Co.,  the  firm  name,  after  several 
changes,  becoming  and  thereafter  remaining,  E.  L. 
Sprague  &  Co,  Although  Mr.  Sprague  has  never  held 
public  office  he  has  always  been  an  active  worker  in 
public  matters,  some  of  which  have  been  of  lasting  influ- 
ence. In  186T  he  was  chairman  of  the  committee  of 
Young  men  whose  labors  culminated  in  the  organization, 
after  a  temporary  suspense  of  operations,  of  the  Boston 
Young  Men's  Christian  Union  upon  its  present  successful 
basis;  and  from  1868  to  the  time  of  his  resignation  in 
18 7  T  was  its  vice  president,  giving  much  time  and  thought 
to  the  work.  lu  187"2  he  initiated  the  final  attempt  which, 
after  a   hard  struggle  with  powerful  contending  interests, 


366  ATHOL,    PAST    AND    PRESENT. 

resulted  in  the  establishment  of  the  Board  of  Health  of 
the  city  of  Boston,  the  first  commission  of  its  kind  in 
Boston.  In  1873  after  the  "great  fire"  had  demonstrated 
the  imperative  need  of  a  reorganized  fire  department,  he 
did  like  service  towards  the  establishment  of  the  Fire 
Commission  on  a  basis  similar  to  that  of  the  Board  of 
Health.  The  years  of  1876  and  1877  were  largely 
passed  in  Europe  on  account  of  ill  health.  In  1889  he 
proposed  and  secured  the  trial  of  a  new  manner  of  holding 
caucuses  in  Ward  Eleven,  where  he  resided;  and  in  1890, 
as  Chairman  of  the  Republican  City  Committee  of  Boston, 
he  took  the  leading  part  in  framing  and  securing  the 
adoption  of  the  rules  which  embodied  the  "Australian 
caucus"  system,  which  later  was  incorporated  into  the  law 
of  the  state.  In  1892  he  pioneered,  and  was  most  active 
in,  the  movement  which  resulted  in  the  enactment  by  the 
Legislature  of  the  so-called  "Corrupt  Practices  Act,"  the 
first  elaborate  Act  of  its  kind  enacted  in  the  United  States, 
the  provisions  of  which  have  since,  to  a  considerable 
extent,  been  adopted  in  other  States. 

As  Chairman  of  Committees  of  the  Massachusetts 
State  Board  of  Trade,  having  the  work  so  far  as  that  body 
was  concerned,  in  charge,  Mr.  Sprague  in  the  years  of 
1893-7  was  an  influential  factor  in  securing  the  Anti-Stock 
Watering  Legislation,  which  has  placed  Massachusetts  far 
ahead  of  any  other  state  in  enactments  which  serve  to 
place  public  service  corporations  upon  a  sound  and 
equitable  basis.  Much  of  the  "literature"  upon  this  sub- 
ject has  come  from  his  pen.     He  was  one  of  the  founders 


SONS    OF    ATHOL.  367 

of  the  Boston  Civil  Service  Reform  Association,  the  second 
if  not  the  first  Civil  Service  Association  formed  in  this 
country,  and  has  always  been  one  of  its  officers.  He  is 
also  a  Director  of  the  Massachusetts  Civil  Service  Reform 
League,  of  the  Municipal  League  of  Boston,  and  the 
New  England  Shoe  and  Leather  Association ;  a  trustee  of 
the  permanent  fund  of  the  Boston  Young  Men's  Christian 
Union,  a  Vice  President  of  the  Massachusetts  State  Board 
of  Trade,  and  since  its  formation  has  been  President  of  the 
Election  Laws  League  of  Massachusetts.  He  was  married 
April  18,  1881  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Searle  Davis,  daughter 
of  Brevet  Brigadier  General  Hasbrouche  Davis,  a  son  of 
Governor  John  Davis.  They  have  had  five  children, 
Edwin  Loriug,  Jr.,  Ruth  Davis,  Henry  Bancroft,  John 
Davis  and  Richard  Warren,  of  whom  all  but  John  Davis 
are  now  living. 

Henry  Harrison  Sprague,  youngest  son  of  George 
and  Nancy  (Knight)  Sprague,  was  born  in  Athol,  Aug.  1, 
1841.  He  received  his  preparatory  education  in  the 
public  and  high  schools  of  Athol  and  at  the  Chauncey 
Hall  school  of  Boston,  and  was  graduated  from  Harvard 
College  in  1864.  He  spent  one  year  in  Champlain,  New 
York,  as  a  private  tutor,  and  in  1865  entered  the  Harvard 
Law  School  and  also  became  a  proctor  of  the  college.  In 
the  fall  of  1866  he  became  a  student  in  the  law  office  of 
the  late  Henry  W.  Paine  and  Robert  D  Smith  in  Boston. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  Suffolk  bar,  Feb.  25,  1868,  and 
at  once  began  the  general  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Boston,  where  he  has  come  into  prominence  as  an  able, 


368  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

and  industrious  lawyer.  Mr.  Sprague  very  early  devel- 
oped an  interest  in  public  affairs,  and  has  for  many  years 
filled  important  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Boston  Common  Council  for  the 
municipal  years  of  1874,  1875  and  1876,  and  served 
during  his  second  and  third  terms  as  a  trustee  of  the  Bos- 
ton City  Hospital  on  the  part  of  the  city  council.  In  1878 
he  was  elected  one  of  the  trustees  at  large  of  that  hospital, 
and  continued  to  act  as  such  until  the  establishment  of  the 
board  as  a  corporation  in  1880,  when  he  was  appointed  a 
trustee  by  the  mayor.  He  has  held  this  office  by  succes- 
sive reappointments  down  to  the  present  time,  a  period  of 
more  than  twenty  years,  and  for  eighteen  years  also  served 
the  board  of  trustees  as  secretary.  In  1880  Mr.  Sprague 
was  elected  to  the  lower  house  of  the  Legislature,  and  was 
twice  re-elected,  serving  through  the  sessions  of  1881, 
1882  and  1884.  He  was  a  member  of  important  commit- 
tees, and  his  service  was  marked  by  untiring  fidelity,  not 
only  to  his  constituents,  but  to  the  best  interests  of  the 
entire  Commonwealth,  and  won  for  him  the  reputation  of 
an  able,  honest  and  conscientious  legislator.  In  1884  be 
was  a  member  of  the  Municipal  Reform  Association,  and 
as  its  senior  counsel  was  largely  instrumental  in  securing 
the  passage  by  the  Legislature  of  1885  of  the  important 
amendments  to  the  Boston  city  charter  by  which  the 
executive  authority  was  vested  in  the  mayor. 

Mr.  Sprague  was  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  Senate 
in  1888,  1889,  1890  and  1891,  representing  the  Fifth 
Suffolk  district,  and  during  his  first  term  served  on  the 


HENRY    H.  SPRAGUE. 


SONS    OF    ATHOL.  ''  369 

committee  on  rules,  on  the  judiciary,  on  cities,  and  on 
election  laws.  As  chairman  of  the  last  named  committee 
he  drafted  and  introduced  the  new  ballot  act,  the  passage 
of  which  accomplished  ballot  reform.  He  was  elected 
President  of  the  Senate  in  1890,  and  was  re-elected  to 
that  office  in  1891.  He  made  an  excellent  presiding  offi- 
cer, displaying  great  parliamentary  ability,  and  winning 
the  respect  and  confidence  of  both  opponents  and  friends 
for  his  strict  impartiality  and  firm,  yet  courteous  rulings. 
In  1862  Mr.  Sprague  was  appointed  by  Governor  Russell 
as  chairman  of  a  commission  to  revise  the  election  laws 
of  the  Commonwealth  and  the  revision  recommended  was 
adopted  by  the  Legislature  of  the  following  year.  He 
was  appointed  by  Governor  Greenhalge  a  member  of  the 
Metropolitan  Water  Board  upon  its  organization  in  1895 
aud  made  chairman  of  the  board  which  position  he  still 
holds.  He  has  served  as  President  of  the  Boston  Civil 
Service  Reform  Association  since  1889,  and  has  been  a 
prominent  member  of  the  board  of  government  of  the 
Boston  Young  Men's  Christian  Union  since  1867.  He 
was  for  many  years  a  manager  of  the  Temporary  Home  for 
the  Destitute,  or  Gwynne  Home,  and  was  one  of  the  "Com- 
mittee of  Fifty"  on  the  Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts.  He 
has  been  secretary  of  the  Massachusetts  Charitable  Fire 
Society  since  1883,  and  is  a  member  of  the  New  England 
Historic  Genealogical  Society,  of  the  Bostonian  Society, 
the  Harvard  Law  School  Association,  the  Union  and  Uni- 
tarian Clubs  and  St  Botolph  Club.  He  is  also  one  of  the 
trustees  appointed  to  hold  the  buildings  of  the  Woman's 


370  ATHOL,  FAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Educational  and  Industrial  Union  on  Boylston  Street,  Bos- 
ton, and  is  treasurer  of  the  board,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
board  of  overseers  of  Harvard  College  from  1890  to  1896. 
In  1884  he  published  a  treatise  entitled  "Women  Under 
the  Lavp  of  Massachusetts,  their  Rights,  Privileges  and  Dis- 
abilities," and  in  1890  another  treatise  on  "City  Govern- 
ment ;  Its  Rise  and  Development,"  and  he  compiled  for  its 
one  hundredth  anniversary,  "A  Brief  History  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Charitable  Fire  Society."  Mr.  Sprague  was  mar- 
ried in  1897  to  Charlotte  Sprague  Ward,  a  daughter  of 
the  late  George  Lee  Ward,  of  Boston.  He  resides  in  Bos- 
ton, and  in  the  practice  of  law  as  well  as  in  various  capac- 
ities in  which  he  has  served,  has  worthily  and  honorably 
represented  the  sterling  characteristics  of  those  who  have 
so  long  borne  the  family  name  in  New  England. 

Lucius  Knight  Sprague,  the  oldest  of  the  children 
now  living  of  George  and  Nancy  (Knight)  Sprague,  was 
born  in  Athol,  Aug.  7,  1836.  His  education  was  obtained 
in  the  Athol  schools,  and  his  first  business  experience  as 
clerk  in  the  dry  goods  store  of  Thorpe  &  Parmenter,  where 
he  remained  two  years.  In  1857  he  went  to  Iowa,  then  a 
frontier  state,  where  he  was  with  his  brother,  Leander  M., 
for  two  and  a  half  years,  when  he  returned  to  Athol,  tak- 
ing his  former  position  with  Thorpe  &  Parmenter.  In 
1861  he  went  to  Boston,  into  the  employ  of  Farley,  Ams- 
den  &  Co.,  returning  to  Athol  again  in  1862  to  succeed 
his  father  in  the  hardware  business,  which  he  conducted 
with  marked  success  for  two  years,  when,  because  of  im- 
paired health  by  reason  of  close  attention  to  business,  he 


LUCIUS    K.  SPRAGUE. 


SONS    OF    ATHOL.  371 

sold  out  to  Frank  Hutchinson.  He  spent  part  of  the 
year  1873  travelling  in  the  West,  and  on  his  return  to 
Athol  was  made  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Athol  Ma- 
chine Co.,  which  position  he  held  till  1875.  On  the  ill- 
ness and  consequent  long  absence  of  his  brother,  Edwin 
L.,  in  1876  he  went  to  Boston  to  take  the  personal  man- 
agement of  his  brother's  business  and  has  maintained  his 
connection  with  it  to  the  present  time.  He  is  engaged  in 
the  shoe  machinery  business,  being  treasurer  of  the  Steam 
Heated  Horn  Co.,  of  Boston.  In  1862  he  married  Electa 
L.  Roberts  of  Norwalk,  Ohio.  They  have  one  child, 
Rufus  Bates,  a  graduate  of  Harvard  College  in  the  class 
of  1897,  and  now  a  member  of  the  Harvard  Law  School. 
Mr.  Sprague,  with  his  son,  has  recently  returned  from  an 
extended  tour  in  Europe  intended  mainly  for  health  and 
recreation,  but  resulting  in  establishing  extensive  business 
connections  for  the  machinery  company  of  which  he  is  the 
treasurer. 

Jerome  Jones,  youngest  son  of  Theodore  and  Marcia 
(Estabrook)  Jones,  and  grandson  of  Rev.  Joseph  Estabrook, 
the  second  minister  of  Athol,  was  born  in  Athol,  Oct.  13, 
1837.  He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  the 
town,  and  when  a  boy  began  his  commercial  life  in  a 
country  store  and  post  office.  He  was  for  a  time  a  boy  of 
all  work  in  the  store  of  Goddard  &  Ward  of  Orange.  In 
June  1853  he  began  an  apprenticeship  with  Otis  Norcross 
&  Co.,  of  Boston  then  the  leading  crockery  merchants  in 
the  United  States.  After  serving  in  this  position  for  sev- 
eral years  he  was  in  1861  admitted  as  partner,  being  then 


372  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

twenty-four  years  of  age.  For  fifteen  years  he  was  the 
foreign  buyer  for  the  firm,  going  to  Europe  every  year, 
where  he  selected  the  goods  from  the  potteries  and  glass 
factories  of  England,  France  and  Austria.  After  a  long 
career  of  honor  and  success,  the  firm  of  Otis  Norcross  &  Co. 
disappears  from  the  list  of  Boston's  great  business  houses, 
and  is  succeeded  by  that  of  Jones,  McDuffee  &  Stratton, 
the  largest  establishment  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States, 
and  of  which  Mr.  Jones  is  the  head.  Possessed  of  a  keen 
judgment,  innate  tact,  and  an  executive  ability  of  the 
highest  order,  Mr.  Jones  has  been  called  upon  by  various 
organizations  to  assist  in  their  management,  and  especially 
is  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  by  his  fellow 
citizens  of  Boston  shown  by  the  positions  of  trust  and 
honor  to  which  they  called  him.  No  Bostonian  is  more 
active  in  everything  tending  to  promote  the  commercial 
interests  of  Boston  than  Mr.  Jones,  and  when  Mayor 
Quincy  requested  the  leading  commercial  organizations  of 
the  city  to  choose  representatives  to  form  the  Merchants 
Municipal  Committee,  Mr.  Jones  was  chosen  by  the  Boston 
Board  of  Trade  to  represent  that  organization  in  the 
Mayor's  cabinet.  Among  the  various  positions  of  honor 
and  trust  that  he  has  been  called  upon  to  fill  are  the 
following :  President  of  the  Boston  Commercial  Club, 
trustee  of  Mt.  Auburn  Cemetery,  vice  president  of  the 
Home  Savings  Bank;  president  of  the  Boston  Board  of 
Trade,  director  of  the  Third  National  Bank  and  of  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Loan  and  Trust  Co.  He  is  a  member  of  several 
clubs,  also  of  the  Sons  of  the   Revolution,  the  Bostonian 


JEROME  JONES. 


FREDERICK    E.    PROCTOR. 


WILSON    H.    LEE. 


ROLAND  T.    OAKES. 


SONS    OF   ATHOL.  373 

Society,  the  Bunker  Hill  Monument  Association,  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Union,  and  other  organizations. 
He  served  the  Worcester  Northwest  Agricultural  Society 
several  years  as  its  president.  He  married  Elizabeth  R. 
Wait  of  Greenfield,  Mass.  She  died  July  10,  1878,  leav- 
ing four  children,  Theodore,  Elizabeth  W.,  Marcia  Esta- 
brook  and  Helen  Reed  Jones.  He  was  married  the 
second  time  Feb.  16,  1881  to  Mrs.  Marcia  E.  Button  of 
Boston.     Their  home  is  at  Corey  Hill  in  Brookline. 

Frederick  E.  Proctor,  son  of  Joseph  H.  Proctor, 
was  born  in  Athol,  Jan.  4,  1855.  He  attended  school  until 
the  age  of  fifteen,  when  he  went  to  Boston  and  entered 
the  employ  of  Jones,  McDuffee  &  Stratton.  After  spend- 
ing a  number  of  years  in  the  office,  he  travelled  extensively 
through  the  western  and  southern  states  and  went  abroad 
twice  in  the  interest  of  the  firm.  He  was  given  an  interest 
in  the  business  in  1 884,  and  became  a  partner  in  the  firm 
in  1887,  in  which  he  has  continued  to  the  present  time. 
He  was  married  in  1877  to  Sarah  Pierce  Fenno  of  Revere. 
She  died  Feb.  5,  1882,  and  he  married  for  his  second  wife 
Martha  Cunningham  of  Newtonville,  June  1,  1887.  He 
has  six  children,  two  daughters  and  four  sons.  One  of  the 
daughters  is  a  member  of  the  senior  class  of  the  Newton- 
ville High  School  and  the  eldest  son  is  a  student  at  Cornell 
University. 

Wilson  Horatio  Lee,  son  of  Joseph  Lee  was  born  in 
Hard  wick.  May  3,  1852.  His  mother  died  when  he  was 
two  years  of  age,  and  he  came  to  live  with  his  grandmother 
in  Athol,  which  was  his  home  until   nineteen   years   old, 


374  ATHOL,    PAST    AND    PRESENT. 

when  he  left  Athol  to  take  a  position  as  canvasser  for  a 
directory  publisher.  His  education  was  received  in  the 
Athol  Schools  and  one  term  at  New  Salem  Academy.  He 
was  so  successful  in  his  work  as  a  canvasser  that  in  two 
years,  in  1873,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Wm.  H.  Price 
and  purchased  the  directory  rights  in  Bridgeport  Conn., 
where  they  opened  a  publishing  office.  A  year  later 
they  purchased  the  New  Haven  directory  and  moved  their 
office  to  that  city.  The  business  has  grown  until  the  Price 
&  Lee  Co.  publish  more  directories  than  any  other  firm  in 
the  United  States.  The  firm  do  their  own  printing  and 
binding,  and  employ  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
hands.  This  extensive  business  has  been  built  up  by 
energy,  accuracy  and  fair  dealing,  and  Mr.  Lee  has  been  a 
prominent  factor  in  its  success.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Sons  of  the  American  Revolution,  the  Quinnipiac  and 
Pequot  Clubs  of  New  Haven,  Poquaig  Club  of  Athol,  New 
Haven  Typothetae  and  New  Haven  Chamber  of  Commerce 
and  is  actively  associated  with  other  social  and  business 
societies.  He  is  serving  on  his  second  term  as  Police 
Commissioner  of  New  Haven,  and  was  for  two  years  presi- 
dent of  the  Worcester  Northwest  Agricultural  Society, 
which  he  has  rendered  valuable  assistance.  He  married 
Orianna  Lewis,  daughter  of  Henry  Lewis  of  Athol,  Feb. 
10,  1875.     They  have  one  daughter,  Miss  Prudence. 

Roland  T.  Oakes  was  born  in  Athol  in  1835.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen  years  he  commenced  to  learn  the  mercan- 
tile business  as  clerk  for  Thorpe  &  Parmenter.  After 
serving  as  clerk  he  was  engaged  in  business  in  Athol  for 


SONS    OF    ATHOL.  375 

several  years  with,  the  late  D.  A.  Newton,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Oakes  &  Newton,  their  store  being  in  a  block  that 
occupied  the  site  of  the  present  Starr  Hall  building.  He 
was  actively  interested  in  the  aflfairs  of  the  lower  village, 
and  conferred  the  names  upon  the  streets  of  the  village 
then  existing.  In  the  fall  of  1861  he  removed  to  Chicopee, 
where  he  continued  in  the  mercantile  business  under  the 
firm  names  of  Oakes,  Bragg  &  Co.,  and  Roland  T.  Oakes 
&  Co.  He  remained  in  business  in  Chicopee,  with  the 
exception  of  eight  years  when  he  was  purchasing  agent  for 
the  Ames  Manufacturing  Co.,  until  1885  when  he  removed 
to  Holyoke  to  engage  in  the  electrical  business.  This 
has  grown  to  a  large  and  successful  business,  occupying 
one  of  the  best  stores  in  Holyoke  and  carrying  the  largest 
stock  of  electrical  supplies  at  wholesale  and  retail  in  the 
state  outside  of  Boston.  In  1893  the  firm  became  a  cor- 
poration under  the  state  laws  as  The  Roland  T.  Oakes  Co., 
with  Mr.  Oakes  as  president  and  treasurer.  The  company 
has  been  extensively  engaged  in  constructing  electrical 
plants  in  various  places,  and  employ  a  large  force  of  men 
for  the  purpose.  Mr  Oakes  has  been  a  member  of  the 
city  council  of  Holyoke,  serving  for  1889  and  1890.  He 
has  been  for  many  years  deeply  interested  in  Sunday 
School  work,  and  was  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School 
of  the  Third  Congregational  church  of  Chicopee  from  1867 
to  1885  with  the  exception  of  one  year.  He  is  now  super- 
intendent of  the  First  Congregational  Sunday  School  of 
Holyoke,  having  served  in  that  position  nine  years,  making 
twenty-six  years  that  he  has  officiated  as  superintendent  of 


376  ATHOL,    PAST    AND    PRESENT. 

Sunday  Schools.  He  married  Ellen  E.  Baker  of  Athol, 
Nov.  30,  1854.  She  died  May  5,  1857,  and  he  was  mar- 
ried the  second  time  to  Mrs.  Betsey  Snow  of  Hardwick, 
Mass.  in  1859. 

Charles  W.  Cheney,  only  son  of  C.  Warrea  Cheney, 
was  born  in  Boston,  Nov.  7,  1857.  The  first  five  or  six 
years  of  his  life  were  passed  in  Boston,  and  from  that  time 
his  childhood  and  youth  was  spent  in  Athol  where  he  re- 
ceived his  education.  He  went  to  Boston,  May  1,  1876, 
and  began  his  career  as  apprentice  with  Joseph  T.  Brown 
&  Co.,  apothecaries  on  Washington  and  Bedford  Streets, 
his  salary  the  first  year  being  fifty  dollars.  He  remained 
there  three  years,  and  then  entered  the  store  of  J.  P.  T. 
Percival  apothecary,  then  located  in  the  front  of  of  Young's 
Hotel,  where  he  remained  a  year,  and  in  June,  1880  en- 
gaged with  T.  Metcalf  &  Co.,  apothecaries  at  39  Tremont 
Street.  In  1883  Mr.  Cheney  accepted  a  position  with  the 
company  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  Mellin's  Food.  In 
order  to  acquire  a  more  complete  knowledge  of  chemistry 
he  attended  the  lectures  of  the  Massachusetts  College  of 
Pharmacy,  and  graduated  in  the  spring  of  1883,  with  the 
degree  of  Ph.  G. 

The  works  of  the  Doliber-Goodale  Company,  of  which 
Mr.  Cheney  is  vice  president  and  a  director,  occupy  seven 
large  buildings  on  Central  Wharf,  while  the  offices  of  the 
company  are  in  a  fine  structure  on  Atlantic  Avenue  and 
India  Street  He  is  superintendent  of  the  works,  which 
employ  over  one  hundred  men,  and  also  has  the  general 
management  of  the  advertising  department.     In  1890  he 


CHARLES   W.CHENEY. 


SONS    OF    ATHOL.  377 

was  sent  to  London  for  the  company  which  resulted  in 
largely  increased  business  for  the  company  in  foreign 
lands.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Algonquin  Club  of  Boston, 
the  Boston  Druggists'  Association,  Riverdale  Casino,  Brook- 
line,  and  the  Boston  Commandery  and  St.  Paul's  Chapter 
of  Masons.  He  was  married  June  15,  1887  to  Miss  Flora 
Hutchinson  of  Cambridge.  They  have  three  children,  two 
sons  and  a  daughter.     Their  home  is  in  Brookline. 

Henry  M.  Phillips,  son  of  Alonzo  D.  and  Mary  A. 
(Robinsonj  Phillips,  was  born  in  Athol,  Aug.  11, 1845,  his 
father  being  at  that  time  landlord  of  the  Pequoig  House. 
He  is  descended  from  the  Rev.  George  Phillips,  who  came 
to  America  in  1630,  and  was  the  first  minister  of  Water- 
town,  Mass.  His  education  aside  from  the  public  schools, 
was  received  at  Deerfield  Academy  and  the  Military  Uni- 
versity of  Norwich,  Vt.  He  was  but  a  lad  of  sixteen 
when  the  war  broke  out,  but  his  ardor  led  him  to  enlist  in 
the  Seventh  Squadron  of  Rhode  Island  Cavalry,  and  later  he 
served  in  the  Fourth  Massachusetts  Cavalry.  His  ready 
capacity  and  efficiency  soon  won  for  him  a  lieutenant's 
commission,  and  gave  him  constant  stafi"  duty  during  his 
term  of  service.  He  served  as  Assistant  Provost  Marshal 
of  the  Tenth  Army  Corps,  and  was  at  several  times  on  the 
staffs  of  Generals  Birney,  A.  H.  Terry  and  Weitzel.  He 
began  business  life  as  private  secretary  to  Hon.  Henry 
Alexander,  Jr.,  then  Mayor  of  Springfield,  immediately 
after  his  discharge  from  the  army.  In  1871  he  was  ap- 
pointed deputy  collector  in  the  United  States  internal 
revenue  service  and  assistant  assessor  of  the  Tenth  Massa- 


378  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

chusetts  District.  The  same  year  he  organized  the  firm  of 
Phillips,  Mo  wry  &  Co.,  for  the  manufacture  of  steam-heat- 
ing apparatus,  in  which  he  has  been  engaged  since,  his 
firm  being  succeeded  in  1876  by  a  corporation  under  the 
title  of  the  Phillips  Manufacturing  Co.,  of  which  he  is 
the  President.  He  is  also  a  director  of  the  Second  National 
Bank  of  Springfield,  of  the  Springfield  Five  Cents  Savings 
Bank,  the  Hampden  Loan  and  Trust  Company,  and  has 
been  a  director  of  the  Springfield  Board  of  Trade  since  its 
organization.  He  served  on  the  staff  of  Gov.  William 
Washburn,  and  also  on  that  of  Governor  Talbot.  Probably 
no  native  of  Athol  ever  filled  more  positions  of  public 
honor  and  trust  than  Mr.  Phillips.  He  commenced  his 
public  career  as  a  member  of  the  Springfield  City  Council, 
in  which  he  served  two  years.  In  1880  and  1881,  he  rep- 
resented Springfield  in  the  lower  house  of  the  Legislature ; 
in  1883,  '84  and  '85  he  was  mayor  of  Springfield;  in  1886 
and  1887  a  member  of  the  State  Senate  for  the  First 
Hampden  District,  and  in  1894  he  was  elected  as  treasurer 
and  receiver-general  of  the  State,  and  was  re-elected  in 
1895,  but  resigned  the  office  in  April  of  that  year  to  accept 
the  secretaryship  of  the  Massachusetts  Mutual  Life  Insur- 
ance Company. 

Joel  D.  Miller  was  born  in  Athol,  October  10,  1837 
the  son  of  Isaac  and  Asenath  Miller.  His  early  education 
was  received  in  the  public  schools  of  Athol  and  at 
Powers  Academy  in  Bernardston.  From  the  Academy  he 
entered  Williams  College  and  graduated  with  high  hon- 
ors in  the  class  of  1864.     He  taught  school  for  a  year  in 


SONS    OF    ATHOL  379 

Jewett,  N.  Y.,  and  then  for  nearly  two  years  was  principal 
of  the  Athol  High  school,  which  position  he  left  to 
assume  charge  of  the  Field  High  school  in  Leominster, 
and  was  its  principal  for  twenty-five  years.  He  was  or- 
dained to  the  ministry  in  1866,  but  was  never  a  candidate 
for  settlement.  He  has  been  editor  and  proprietor  of  the 
Leominster  Enterprise  upwards  of  ten  years,  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Leominster  School  Committee  for  six  years,  and 
has  been  a  member  of  the  public  library  committee  over 
twenty-five  years.  Mr.  Miller  has  been  an  active  worker 
in -the  Republican  party  all  his  life,  and  although  not  am- 
bitious for  political  distinction  his  popularity  was  so  gen- 
eral that  in  1893  he  was  induced  to  be  a  candidate  for 
State  Senator  from  his  district.  He  was  elected  and  re- 
elected the  two  succeeding  years  serving,  in  the  Senate  for 
the  years  1894,  '95  and  '96.  He  was  soon  recognized  as 
the  most  interesting  speaker  of  that  body,  and  one  of  its 
most  important  members,  serving  as  chairman  of  the  most 
important  Senate  committees.  It  was  mainly  through  his 
efforts  that  Fitchburg  secured  one  of  the  new  normal 
schools.  In  1895  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  state 
board  of  education,  which  position  he  now  holds.  Mr. 
Miller  was  married  July  18,  1865  to  Miss  Maria  Sanderson 
of  Athol. 

Frederic  E.  Si'Ratton,  son  of  Joseph  and  Alice  W. 
(Mann)  Stratton,  was  born  in  Athol,  July  5,  1847,  and 
attended  the  public  schools  of  the  town  until  sixteen  years 
of  age,  when,  with  the  reluctant  consent  of  his  parents  he 
went   West,  stopping  for    a  while    in  the   oil  regions  of 


380  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Pennsylvania,  and  continuing  his  trip  into  Illinois.  After 
a  little  more  than  two  years  he  returned  to  Athol  and  pre- 
pared for  college  at  the  High  School  and  Shelburne  Falls 
Academy  and  entered  Williams  College  in  1867.  He 
maintained  a  good  standing  in  his  class  during  the  course, 
carrying  off  the  first  prize  in  mathematics  during  the  soph- 
omore year,  and  graduated  in  1871.  While  at  Williams 
he  was  chosen  one  of  a  party  of  six  who  went  to  Central 
America  on  a  scientific  expedition,  the  experiences  and 
discoveries  of  which  are  recorded  in  "Life  and  Nature 
under  the  Tropics,"  published  by  D.  Appleton  &  Co. 
After  graduating  he  taught  a  private  school  in  Warwick, 
Mass.,  where  he  became  acquainted  with  Miss  Mary  T. 
Goddard,  step-daughter  of  the  late  Rev.  John  Goldsbury, 
whom  he  married  March  14,  1874.  In  1872  he  accepted 
the  position  of  principal  of  the  Orange  High  School,  was 
principal  of  New  Salem  Academy  from  1874  to  1877,  and 
of  Powers  Institute  at  Bernardston  for  the  two  succeeding 
years.  In  1879  he  went  to  Boston  and  passed  the  super- 
visors examination,  after  which  he  substituted  in  various 
schools  in  the  city  and  suburban  High  schools  for  nearly 
four  years,  when  he  accepted  the  principalship  of  Daven- 
port, Iowa,  High  School  in  1883,  then  the  largest  High 
school  in  the  state  of  Iowa,  where  he  remained  until  1892. 
While  in  Davenport  many  of  the  educational  associations 
and  other  organizations  of  his  city  and  state  called  upon 
him  to  occupy  positions  of  honor  and  influence.  He  was 
for  five  years  president  of  the  Davenport  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
was  the  first  president  of  the  Secondary  Section   of  the 


SETH   TWICHELL. 


SONS    OF   ATHOL.  381 

State  Teachers'  Association,  and  a  member  of  the  Educa- 
tional Council.  In  1891  he  received  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Philosophy  from  the  Illinois  Wesleyan  University  of 
Bloomington  111.  In  1892  he  accepted  the  principalship 
of  the  academy  connected  with  Carleton  College  in  North- 
field,  Minn.,  where  he  now  resides.  He  is  deacon  and 
trustee  of  the  First  Congregational  Church,  and  is  promi- 
nent in  other  organizations  of  the  town  of  which  he  is  a 
worthy  and  honored  citizen.  Mr.  Stratton's  picture  appears 
in  the  educational  chapter. 

Seth  Twichell  son  of  William  and  Susanna  Twichell 
was  born  in  Athol,  July  10,  1822.  During  his  early  life 
he  worked  on  a  farm  and  run  a  saw  mill  at  South  Athol. 
In  1846  he  moved  to  Fitchburg  and  worked  at  the  car- 
penter's trade  for  two  years,  after  which,  in  1848,  he  com- 
menced moving  buildings,  which  business  he  has  continued 
for  half  a  century,  and  in  which  he  attained  such  a  reputa- 
tion that  his  services  were  sought  in  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
try. One  of  his  first  ventures  was  the  moving  of  the 
Fitchburg  hotel  a  large  brick  structure.  He  remained  in 
Fitchburg  five  years,  and  then  went  to  Worcester,  where 
he  carried  on  business  for  seventeen  years.  Among  the 
important  buildings  that  he  has  moved  are  the  State 
House  at  Columbia,  S.  C,  which  was  done  in  1854.  The 
building,  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  feet  long  and  sixty- 
two  feet' wide,  was  removed  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  feet,  and  was  done  without  any  injury  to  the  struct- 
ure and  with  the  chimnies  standing.  Another  large  build- 
ing was  the    Fort   William    Henry  hotel  at  Lake  George. 


382  ATHOL,    PAST    AND    PRESENT. 

New  York,  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  long,  over 
forty  feet  wide  and  four  stories  in  height,  with  a  dining  hall 
extending  at  right  angles  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  feet, 
three  stories  high;  the  whole  structure  was  raised  fourteen 
and  one-half  feet.  Other  places  in  which  he  has  success- 
fully moved  large  and  important  buildings,  many  of  them 
of  brick,  are  Worcester,  Boston,  New  Bedford,  Philadel- 
phia, Pa.,  Chester,  Pa.,  New  London,  Conn.,  Fitchburg, 
Leominster,  Keene,  N.  H.,  and  many  other  places. 

Mr.  Twichell  has  made  his  home  in  Fitchburg  for 
many  years,  and  owns  extensive  and  valuable  tracts  of  land 
and  buUdings  in  that  city.  He  has  been  a  special  police 
officer  for  over  thirty  years,  is  a  member  of  the  Fitchburg 
Board  of  Trade,  the  Fruit  Growing  Association  and  the 
Worcester  North  Agricultural  Society.  He  has  never 
taken  much  interest  in  political  affairs,  having  voted  but 
once  in  his  life,  which  was  in  the  days  of  the  abolition 
party.  He  married  Phebe  O.  Farnsworth,  daughter  of 
Asa  Farnsworth  of  Athol  in  1845,  by  whom  he  had  one 
child.  Mrs.  Twichell  died  Aug.  8,  1855,  and  he  was 
married  again  in  1856  to  Martha  C.  Whitney,  by  whom  he 
had  three  children.  She  died  in  1885  and  Oct.  12,  1886 
he  married  Emma  S.  Merriam.     They  have  one  son. 

Dr.  Maurice  H.  Richardson,  son  of  Nathan  H. 
Richardson,  was  born  in  Athol,  Dec,  31,  1851.  His  par- 
ents moved  to  Fitchburg  when  he  was  six  months  old. 
He  attended  the  Fitchburg  schools,  fitted  for  college  in  the 
Fitchburg  High  School,  and  entered  Harvard  College  in 
1869,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1873.     He  began  the 


^  H^**^ 

T^Btt^tf'"    /l^^uALi.        ' 

^ 

f 

te 

JOSIAH   W.  FLINT. 


SONS    OF    ATHOL.  383 

study  of  medicine  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Peirson  of  Salem  in 
1873,  and  entered  the  medical  school  of  Harvard  Univer- 
sity in  1874,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1877.     He  vras 
surgical  house  pupil  at  the  Massachusetts  General  Hospi- 
tal in    1876,  and  resigned  that   position  to  be    assistant  in 
anatomy    to    Dr.    Porter    who    was   the    Demonstrator   of 
Anatomy.     He  dissected  for  the  lectures  of  Oliver  Wendell 
Holmes,  until  Mr.  Holmes  retired  from  the  school,  about 
1882,  and  was  then  made  Demonstrator  of  Anatomy,  in 
which  position  he  continued  until  1888  or  1889  when  he 
became  Assistant  Professor  of  Anatomy.     In  1894  he  was 
transferred  from  the  anatomical  to  the  surgical  department, 
and  is  now  Assistant  Professor  of  Clinical  Surgery.     He 
now  holds  the  position  of  surgeon  at   the    Massachusetts 
General  Hospital,  and  is  consulting  surgeon  to  the  follow- 
ing institutions:     Carney  Hospital,  New  England  Hospital 
for  Women  and  Children,  the  Free  Hospital  for  Women, 
the  Public  Hospital  at  Deer  Island,  the    State  Hospital 
at  Tewksbury,  the  State  Farm  at  Bridgewater,  the  Melrose 
Hospital,  Fitchburg  Hospital,  etc.     He  is  secretary  of  the 
American  Surgical  Association,  and  a  member  of  several 
surgical  and  medical  societies.    On  the  10th  of  July,  1879, 
he  married  Margaret  White  Peirson  of  Salem  and  has  six 
children. 

JosiAH  W.  Flint  was  born  in  Athol,  on  Chestnut 
Hill,  Nov.  4,  1839.  He  lived  at  home  on  the  farm  until 
fifteen  years  of  age,  attending  the  district  schools.  When 
sixteen  years  old  he  went  to  Hardwick  to  live  with  a  sister, 
where  he  also  attended  school,  and  then  took  charge  of  his 


384:  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

sister's  farm  for  nine  years.     He  then  carried  on  the  meat 
business  for  a  year  or  two,  and  then  purchased  a  farm  in 
Enfield,  Mass.,  which  town  has  since  been  his  home.     After 
farming  a  few  years  he  sold  his  farm  and  then  engaged  in 
the  lumber  business  in  which  he  has  continued  to  the  pres- 
ent time.     For  many  years  he  has  been   in   partnership 
with  Hon.  D.  B   Gillett  of  Enfield,  and  they  have  carried 
on  an  extensive  lumbering  business  all  through  Hampshire 
county  and  southeastern  Franklin,  employing  from  fifty  to 
seventy-five  men.     Mr.  Flint  has  been  prominently  identi- 
fied with  town  affairs  in  Enfield,  having  been  selectman 
since  1891,  was  road  commissioner  twelve  years,  constable 
eighteen  years  and  tax  collector  nine  years.     He  has  also 
been  one  of  the  Deputy  Sheriffs  of  Hampshire  County  since 
1891,  and  has  been  frequently  called  upon  by  the  Boston 
&  Albany  Railroad  Co.  to  appraise  fire  damages.     He  has 
been  married  three  times,  his  first  marriage  being  Dec.  27, 
1865,  to  Emma  E.  Taft  of  Athol.     She  died   Aug.    12, 
1891,  and  in  1894  he  married  Martha  Maria  Shoals  of 
Easthampton.     She  died  the  same  year,  and  he  was  mar- 
ried a  third  time  to  Charlotte  Maria  Shoals,  March  4, 1896. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


EARLY    AND    LATER    INDUSTRIES. 

The  artisan  with  cunning  skill 

Compels  the  idle  flood 
To  bow  obsequious  to  his  will, 

And  labor  for  his  good. 

'  ITES  of  wate  rpower  along  Millers  River, 
Mill  Brook,  TuUy  Brook,  and  other 
streams  in  the  south  part  of  the  town, 
have  from  early  days  of  the  town  been 
utilized  for  manufacturing  purposes, 
until  Athol  has  become  conspicuous  as 
one  of  the  manufacturing  towns  of  the 
State.  The  first  record  we  have  in  re- 
gard to  any  mill  is  an  agreement  made 
by  a  committee  of  the  Proprietors  of 
Poquoaig  and  Samuel  Kendall,  Jr.,  of  Woburn,  May  24, 
1737,  whereby  Mr.  Kendall  was  to  receive  fifty  acres  of 
land  as  part  pay  or  encouiagement  for  building  a  saw  mill. 
The  next  year,  Oct.  18,  1738,  the  Proprietors  made  a 
grant  of  sixty  acres  of  land  "to  Mr.  Samuel  Kendall  for 
building  a  corn  mill  and  keeping  it  in  repair  for  ye  space 
of  ten  years,  so  as  to  grind  for  ye  Above  said  Proprietors." 


386  ATHOL,  FAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Rev.  S.  F.  Clarke  in  his  centennial  discourse  says,  "It  is  a 
matter  of  doubt  where  the  saw  mill  or  grist  mill  was  first 
erected."  As  near  as  can  be  ascertained  the  first  grist  mill 
was  built  near  where  the  Richardson  machine  shop  is 
now  located,  and  it  is  believed  that  the  saw  mill  was 
erected  near  the  location  of  the  present  match  shop  on 
Mill  Brook.  The  first  grist  mill  must  have  been  given 
up  for  some  reason  for  at  a  Proprietors'  meeting  held  Jan. 
3,  1759,  article  three  of  the  warrant  was  to  see  "Whether 
the  Proprietors  will  give  any  encouragement  to  any  suita- 
ble person  or  persons,  or  be  at  any  expense  towards  build- 
ing a  good  Grist  Mill  in  said  Pequoig,  provided  a  suitable 
stream  can  be  obtained  whereon  to  build  one — and  it 
passed  in  the  affirmative."  It  was  also  "Voted  to  raise 
four  shillings  lawful  money  on  each  Right  for  the  use 
and  encouragement  of  any  Person  that  shall  build  a  good 
and  sufficient  Grist  Mill  at  Mill  Brook,  so  called,  provided 
the  said  person  shall  come  under  proper  obligation  to  have 
the  same  running  on  or  before  the  18th  Day  of  October 
next  ensuing  and  to  keep  the  same  in  due  repair  for  the 
space  of  fifteen  years  next  coming — and  to  give  due  at- 
tendance at  said  mill,  two  Days  in  the  Week  if  business 
requires,  during  said  term,  allowing  for  extraordinary  oc- 
currences." The  place  that  this  second  grist  mill  was 
built  was  undoubtedly  the  location  near  the  Richardson 
machine  shop,  from  which  place  it  was  moved  about  1768 
to  the  present  location  of  the  Ethan  Lord  grist  mill.  Those 
who  owned  and  operated  the  mill  before  it  came  into  the 
possession  of  Ethan  Lord  were    Simeon    and  Ezra   Fish, 


EARLY   AND   LATER   INDDSTRIES.  387 

William    and    Augustus   Newhall,    Joshua   Newhall    and 
Joseph  Richardson. 

At  a  town  meeting  held  Jan.  11,  1775  an  article  ap- 
pears in  the  warrant  as  follows:  "To  see  if  the  Town  will 
choose  a  Committee  to  look  out  for,  and  to  see  if  they  can 
find  a  good  Clothier  to  come  and  settle  in  Town  so  that  the 
town  may  be  the  Better  Enabled  to  carry  on  their  own  Man- 
ufacturies."  Under  this  article  it  was  voted  to  choose  a 
committee,  said  committee  to  do  the  service  of  getting  a 
clothier  gratis.  In  1791,  according  to  the  Historian 
Whitney,  there  was  in  the  town  four  grist  mills,  six  saw 
mills,  one  fulling  mill  and  one  trip  hammer.  The  trip 
hammer  was  located  near  what  is  now  known  as  Pine  Dale, 
where  there  was  also  a  grist  mill.  Previous  to  1798  Just- 
ice Ketcham  had  mills  in  the  south  part  of  the  town,  and 
in  1801  Levi  Lovering  had  a  fulling  mill  on  what  is  now 
Freedom  Street. 

-Early  in  the  present  century  quite  an  impetus  was 
given  the  manufacturing  interests  of  Athol  by  the  intro- 
duction of  several  new  kinds  of  business  into  the  town. 
Before  the  close  of  the  last  century  David  Lilley  was  mak- 
ing nails  in  a  shop  near  the  present  silk  mill.  About 
1800  he  sold  the  premises  to  Perley  Sibley  and  Stephen 
Hammond  who  established  a  scythe  factory,  which  for 
more  than  half  a  century  was  a  flourishing  industry.  Sum- 
ner, Gideon,  Paul  and  Willard  Sibley  were  engaged  with 
their  father  in  the  business,  which  was  also  carried  on  by 
Russell  Smith  for  many  years.  Eliphalet  Thorpe  came  to 
Athol  from  Dorchester,  in  1812,  and  bought  a  paper  mill 


388  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

on  Freedom  Street  then  owned  by  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Leland.  He  manufactured  paper  for  more  than  a  third  of 
a  century,  and  the  business  was  also  carried  on  by  his  sons, 
Albert  and  Fenno,  until  about  1868  when  it  was  discon- 
tinued. Greenfield  and  Amherst  newspapers  were  printed 
on  paper  made  at  this  mill. 

The  cotton  factory  was  built  in  1811,  where  business 
has  been  carried  on  to  the  present  time  by  various  owners. 
In  1837  the  factory  contained  ten  hundred  and  twenty-four 
spindles,  employed  ten  males  and  forty-five  females  and 
turned  out  three  hundred  and  sixteen  thousand  yards  of 
cotton  goods.  At  the  Centre,  Paul  Morse  established  a 
tannery  on  Mill  Brook  in  1807,  which  was  carried  on  by 
himself  and  his  son  Laban  until  1845,  when  the  works 
were  destroyed  by  a  freshet.  Prescott  Jones  also  had  a 
tannery  on  Mill  Brook,  on  the  premises  now  owned  by 
Geo.  S.  Brewer,  which  was  operated  many  years  by  him- 
self and  also  by  his  sons  Frederick  and  Prescott,  Jr.  About 
1816  Timothy  Hoar  commenced  to  develop  the  water 
power  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Pleasant  streets,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  sleighs,  and  between  the 
years  1833  and  1835  he  built  a  dam  and  erected  a  factory 
on  Mill  Brook,  on  the  site  of  the  Morse  factory,  and  about 
1842  with  William  Fletcher  and  Jonathan  Kidder  built  a 
dam  and  saw  mill  on  the  site  of  the  Ellis  factory. 

We  shall  not  attempt  in  this  chapter  to  give  a  history 
of  all  the  various  manufacturing  enterprises  of  the  town 
as  many  of  them  are  described  in  connection  with  personal 
sketches  of  their  founders  in  other  chapters. 


early  and  later  industries.  389 

Boot  and  Shoe  Industry. 
The  manufacture  of  boots  and  shoes  has  been  the  lead- 
ing industry  of  the  town  for  more  than  half  a  century.  In 
1831  Frederick  Jones  added  to  his  business  of  tanning  that 
of  the  manufacture  of  heavy  shoes  and  brogans.  Some 
light  shoes  had  been  made  previously  in  Athol,  but  only 
in  a  small  way.  Mr.  Jones  started  the  industry  on  a 
larger  plan.  In  1832  he  enlarged  his  operations  and- took 
his  first  lot  of  shoes  to  New  York  for  sale,  teaming  them 
over  the  road  to  Hartford,  and  then  by  steamer.  Four 
years  afterwards  the  manufacture  was  changed  from  shoes 
to  boots  and  the  business  finally  became  one  of  the  impor- 
tant industries  of  the  town.  The  tannery  and  boot  factory 
were  operated  by  Mr.  Jones  and  his  partners  until  about 
1872. 

In  1834  Ozi  Kendall  commenced  the  manufacture  of 
boots  in  a  little  shop  on  Main  Street  adjoining  the  house 
in  which  he  lived.  As  the  business  increased  he  took  in 
partners  and  the  firm  became  Ozi  Kendall  &  Co.,  the  fame 
of  whose  boots  extended  all  over  New  England  and  the 
West.  At  one  time  they  turned  out  calf  boots  to  the  value 
of  seventy  thousand  dollars  a  year.  Mr.  Kendall  retired 
from  the  business  at  the  end  of  fifty  years,  and  the  other 
members  of  the  firm  continued  three  years  longer,  until 
1887,  when  the  business  was  closed  up. 

There  is  no  one  family  that  occupies  so  prominent  a 
position  in  the  manufacturing  annals  of  Athol  for  the 
last  half  century  as  the  Lee  family.  The  father,  William 
Dexter  Lee,  was  descended  from  John  Lee,  or  Leigh,  as 


390  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

the  name  was  originally  spelled,  who  came  to  this  country 
in  1634  and  settled  in  what  is  now  Ipswich,  Mass.  The 
family  is  said  to  have  been  noted  for  ability  and  energy. 
The  family  of  William  Dexter  Lee  was  large,  there  having 
been  twelve  children  born  to  Mr.  Lee  and  his  wife,  Lydia 
H.  The  family  was  in  humble  circumstances,  and  each 
member  was  dependent  on  his  own  resources  at  an  early 
age.  The  boys  of  the  family  who  grew  to  manhood  were 
William  Dexter,  James  M.,  Merritt,  Charles  Milton,  John 
Howard  and  Solon  Wetherbee. 

Charles  Milton  Lee,  who  for  many  years  was  the 
largest  manufacturer  and  the  leading  figure  in  the  up- 
building of  the  town  was  born  May  23,  1828.  He  com- 
menced the  manufacture  of  shoes  in  1850  with  a  capital  of 
about  one  hundred  dollars,  going  on  foot  to  Boston  to 
purchase  his  stock,  and  returning  to  his  father's  farm 
among  the  Bears  Den  hills,  where  he  made  his  first  shoes, 
a  few  dozen  pairs,  which  were  sold  to  the  merchants  of  this 
and  adjoining  towns.  During  the  first  year  the  goods 
made  and  sold  by  him  brought  about  six  hundred  dollars. 
His  first  real  shop  was  on  Exchange  street,  where  he  em- 
ployed about  twenty-five  hands,  and  Mr.  Lee  himself  did 
all  the  selling  of  his  goods,  travelling  in  northern  Vermont 
and  New  Hampshire  with  his  shoes  packed  away,  at  first 
in  an  old  box,  and  later  in  a  fine  two-horse  wagon.  In 
1858  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  two  brothers,  John 
Howard  and  Solon  W.,  which  continued  for  ten  years, 
meanwhile  establishing  a  business  house  in  Boston  for  the 
sale  of  their  goods.    In  1869  this  partnership  was  dissolved, 


CHARLES  M.  LEE. 


EARLY   AMD   LATER    INDUSTRIES.  391 

C.  M.  Lee  continuing  the  manufacture  in  Athol,  while  his 
brothers  carried  on  the  business  in  Boston.  He  year  by 
year  increased  his  business  until  in  four  large  shops  he  was 
employing  about  six  hundred  hands,  and  turning  out  goods 
to  the  amount  of  nearly  half  a  million  dollars  annually. 
This  business,  which  was  for  many  years  the  great  industry 
of  Athol,  was  built  up  by  the  indomitable  energy  and 
enterprise  of  Mr.  Lee,  who  believed  in  every  fibre  of  his 
being  in  industry  and  persistent  effort.  He  cared  nothing 
for  public  honors  and  devoted  himself  steadfastly  to  his 
business  and  his  family  and  home.  He  married  Amanda 
M.  Simonds  of  Lyme,  N.  H.,  by  whom  he  had  seven  chil- 
dren, George  M.,  Everett,  W.  Starr,  Angie,  Auburn,  Bay- 
ard and  Carrie,  who  married  Chas.  H.  Brown.  Of  these 
all  but  Angie  and  Bayard  are  living.  He  was  married  a 
second  time  to  Miss  Minnie  Howe  of  Post  Mills,  Vt.,  by 
whom  he  had  two  daughters,  Marion  and  Minnie.  Mr. 
Lee  died  June  29,  1896.  Since  his  death  the  business  has 
been  continued  by  his  sons,  George  M.,  W.  Starr  and 
Auburn,  under  the  firm  name  of  C.  M.  Lee  Sons. 

John  Howard  Lee  was  born  in  Athol,  Aug.  15,  1834. 
He  attended  the  public  schools  of  the  town,  and  the  Acad- 
emy in  Townsend,  Vt.,  for  one  term.  When  a  boy  he 
worked  in  the  pail  factory  of  Jonathan  Wheeler,  and  was 
clerk  for  a  year  in  the  store  of  Lee  &  Bassett.  He  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  shoes  with  his  brothers,  Chas. 
M.  and  Solon  W.,  in  1858,  which  was  continued  for  ten 
years,  when  the  partnership  was  dissolved,  and  he  con- 
tinued the  business  in  Boston.     He  was  also  in  the  shoe 


392  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

business  for  many  years  with  his  brother  Merritt.  He  in- 
vested largely  in  real  estate  in  Boston  and  also  engaged  in 
other  business,  in  all  of  which  he  has  been  eminently  suc- 
cessful. He  married  Miss  Abbie  M.  Lamb,  daughter  of 
James  Lamb  of  Athol,  Jan.  4,  1858.  She  died  Oct.  31, 
1859.  He  was  married  a  second  time,  Oct.  9,  1862,  to 
Sarah  E.  Emmons  of  Boston.  They  have  had  five  children, 
Carlton  Howard,  Evelyn,  Bertha,  John  Howard,  Jr.,  who 
died  when  four  years  old,  and  Robert  E.  Mr.  Lee  is  a 
director  of  the  Continental  National  Bank  of  Boston,  Athol 
National  Bank,  and  the  Merchants'  and  Clerks'  Saidngs 
Bank  of  Toledo,  Ohio.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
and  Honorable  Artillery  Co.,  St.  John's  Lodge  of  Masons, 
and  other  organizations. 

Solon  W.  Lee  was  born  in  Athol,  July  11,  1836.  He 
attended  the  Athol  schools,  and  the  High  school  of  Peters- 
ham three  terms.  He  engaged  in  the  shoe  manufacturing 
business  with  his  brothers,  Chas.  M.  and  J.  Howard,  in 
1858,  and  when  the  partnership  was  dissolved  in  1869, 
and  the  business  divided,  he  with  his  brother  Howard  took 
the  Boston  part  of  the  business,  where  he  remained  until 
1871,  when  he  sold  out  and  returned  to  Athol  and  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  boots  and  shoes  in  which  he  contin- 
ued until  1883  when  he  went  into  the  lumber  business,  in 
which  he  has  remained  to  the  present  time.  Mr.  Lee 
has  served  the  town  as  selectman  and  assessor.  He  was 
married  in  1859  to  Martha  A.  Coville  of  Templeton. 
They  had  three  children,  Myra  A.,  Cora  H.  and  Mary  H. 
The  latter,  who  married  C.  J.  Kratt,  is  the  only  one  now 
living. 


EARLY   AND   LATER   INDUSTRIES.  393 

Merritt  Lee  was  born  March  22,  1825.  He  was 
employed  for  a  number  of  years  in  the  shoe  shop  of  Jones 
&  Baker  at  the  upper  village,  and  in  1861  with  his  broth- 
ers, established  the  firm  of  M.  L.  Lee  &  Co.,  for  the  man- 
ufacture of  men's,  youths'  and  boys'  kip  boots,  brogans  and 
plow  shoes.  The  business  was  carried  on  for  thirty-five 
years,  when  he  retired  in  1896.  His  shop  for  three  or 
four  years  was  in  the  building  known  as  the  Pitts  block  on 
Exchange  Street,  and  later  in  the  block  now  occupied  by 
W.  H.  Brock  &  Co.,  opposite  the  depot,  and  in  Union 
block  at  the  upper  village.  In  1879  the  firm  employed 
upwards  of  one  hundred  hands,  and  the  annual  sales 
amounted  to  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  He  married 
Ellen  E.  Fessenden,  of  Guilford  Vt.,  in  May,  1852.  Their 
children  are  Walter  M.,  Geo.  H.,  Wm.  D.  and  Ellen  F. 

William  D.  Lee,  Jr.,  was  born  Aug.  7,  1816.  He 
was  engaged  for  some  time  in  the  manufacture  of  women's, 
and  children's  shoes  with  John  S.  Lewis  at  the  upper  vil- 
lage. He  was  for  a  number  of  years  in  business  with 
Samuel  Lee  in  a  general  country  store,  the  firm  being  Lee 
&  Co.,  and  was  also  engaged  with  John  Lewis  in  the  lum- 
ber business  at  Warwick,  and  was  an  extensive  dealer  in 
real  estate.  He  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  selectmen 
in  1848  and  1849.  On  June  27,  1841,  he  married  Sarah 
H.  Munsell  of  Winchester,  N.  H.  They  had  two  daugh- 
ters, Clara  the  wife  of  O.  A.  Fay,  and  Anna,  who  married 
Elmer  Merriam.     Mr.  Lee  died  Nov.  29,  1869. 

James  M.  Lee,  the  only  one  of  the  Lee  brothers  not 
engaged  in  the  shoe  business,  was  born  March  2,  1822. 


394  ATHOL,    PAST    AND   PRESENT. 

From  early  boyhood  until  his  death  he  kept  a  livery  stable, 
and  was  an  extensive  dealer  in  horses.  He  invested  largely 
in  real  estate,  and  his  judgment  in  business  matters  was 
excellent.  He  was  trustee  of  the  Athol  Savings  Bank, 
and  a  member  of  its  investment  committee,  also  a  director 
of  the  Athol  National  Bank,  in  which  he  was  a  large  stock- 
holder. He  served  the  town  as  assessor  and  road  surveyor, 
and  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Worcester  Northwest 
Agricultural  Society.  He  accumulated  a  large  property, 
the  result  of  shrewd  business  management  and  good  in- 
vestments. He  married  Rachel  Dexter  of  Royalston  in 
1847.  They  had  two  children,  Warren  D.  and  Mabel. 
Mr.  Lee  died  Nov.  10,  1893. 

Athol  Shoe  Co.  F.  W.  Breed  of  Lynn  commenced 
operations  in  November,  1887  in  a  large  brick  factory,  one 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  long,  sixty  feet  wide  and  three  stories 
high,  which  was  built  that  year  for  his  occupancy  at  the 
upper  village  at  a  cost  of  over  twenty  thousand  dollars,  in 
which  he  did  business  five  years.  Employment  was  given 
to  about  three  hundred  hands,  and  nearly  four  hundred 
thousand  dollars  worth  of  goods  were  produced  annually. 

Hill  &  Greene.  This  firm  moved  a  part  of  their  busi- 
ness from  Beverly  to  Athol  in  February,  1889,  and  occupied 
the  large  shop  that  had  been  erected  on  Riverbend  Street 
by  the  Citizen's  Building  Co.,  where  they  employed  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  hands  and  turned  out  about  twelve 
hundred  pairs  of  shoes  a  day.  They  bought  the  shop  for- 
merly occupied  by  the  Athol  Shoe  Co.,  to  which  they 
moved  their  business  in  January,  1893,  and  are  now  em- 
ploying about  two  hundred  hands. 


EARLY    AND    LATER   INDUSTRIES.  395 

Eli  G.  Greene,  the  resident  partner  of  the  firm,  was 
born  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  July  11,  1854.  He  engaged 
in  the  wholesale  shoe  business  in  Boston  in  1882  and  be- 
gan manufacturing  shoes  in  Beverly  in  1886.  Mr.  Greene 
takes  a  deep  interest  in  the  affairs  of  his  adopted  town  and 
its  social  organizations,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Republican 
town  committee.  He  married  Miss  Grace  Putnam  Kilham, 
daughter  of  Capt.  Daniel  A.  Kilham  of  Beverly,  Jan.  22, 
1890,  and  came  to  Athol  in  February,  1891. 

Leroy  S.  Starrett  was  born  in  China,  Maine,  April  25, 
1836.  He  is  of  Scotch  descent,  and  one  of  twelve  children 
of  Daniel  D.  and  Anna  Starrett.  He  was  brought  up  on 
a  farm  and  attended  the  public  schools  but  two  or  three 
months  in  the  year.  He  had  a  natural  taste  for  mechanical 
pursuits,  and  when  a  boy  spent  his  pennies  for  small  tools, 
such  as  knives,  gimlets,  chisels,  planes,  etc.,  with  which  he 
delighted  to  work.  When  seventeen  years  of  age  he  left 
his  home  and  came  to  Massachusetts  where  he  engaged  in 
farming,  and  from  1861  to  1864  carried  on  a  stock  farm 
of  six  hundred  acres  in  Newburyport,  Mass.,  called  "Tur- 
key Hill  Farm."  At  the  same  time  that  he  was  success- 
fully engaged  in  carrying  on  this  farm  he  displayed  his 
inventive  genius  in  the  mechanical  line  by  taking  out  sev- 
eral patents  in  1864,  and  the  next  year  sold  his  farming 
interest  and  started  a  machine  shop  in  Newburyport, 
where  he  employed  several  skilled  mechanics.  In  the 
spring  of  1868  he  came  to  Athol  and  put  his  business  into 
the  Athol  Machine  Company,  which  was  incorporated 
especially  for  the  manufacture  of  his  inventions,  prominent 


396  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

among  which  was  the  American  meat-chopper.  He  was 
the  general  agent  and  superintendent  of  this  company, 
and  was  connected  with  it  until  1878,  when  he  resigned 
and  made  arrangements  to  manufacture  some  of  his  inven- 
tions on  his  own  account,  having  taken  out  a  number  of 
patents.  One  of  the  inventions  that  entered  into  his  new 
enterprise  was  the  combination  square,  and  others  were 
surface  gauges,  steel  rules,  caliper's  etc.  He  started  his 
business  in  1880,  employing  ten  hands.  The  usefulness 
of  his  inventions  and  the  thorough  manner  in  which  the 
articles  were  made  soon  gave  his  goods  great  popularity 
among  mechanics  and  established  his  business  on  a  solid 
foundation.  The  quarters  in  which  he  commenced  were 
soon  outgrown,  and  he  purchased  a  new  building  eighty  by 
forty  feet,  three  stories  high,  and  equipped  it  with  the  most 
improved  machinery.  This  soon  proved  insufficient  to 
accommodate  his  rapidly  increasing  business,  and  in  three 
years  he  added  a  story  and  a  half  to  the  building,  and  in 
1894  built  an  addition  one  hundred  and  sixty  by  forty  feet, 
with  three  stories  and  a  basement,  and  a  brick  annex 
seventy-five  by  forty-two  feet.  These  buildings  are  fur- 
nished with  all  modern  improvements  and  everything  for 
the  comfort  and  convenience  of  the  employees.  In  1887 
he  bought  out  the  Fay  Caliper  Manufacturing  plant  of 
Springfield,  and  in  1894  a  Providence  plant,  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  milling  cutters,  and  added  them  to  the 
Athol  establishment,  making  one  of  the  best  plants  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  fine  mechanical  tools  in  the 
country,  that  gives  employment  to  one  hundred  and  eighty- 


GEORGE    D.  BATES. 


EARLY  AND  LATER  INDUSTRIES.  397 

five  skilled  workmen.  In  1882  Mr.  Starrett  visited  Europe 
vphere  he  established  agencies  in  England,  France,  Belgi- 
um and  Germany  that  have  made  his  productions  about  as 
well  known  in  Europe  as  in  the  United  States.  The  busi- 
ness is  conducted  under  the  name  of  the  L.  S.  Starrett  Co. 
Mr.  Starrett  devotes  his  whole  time  and  energy  to  his 
business,  and  has  not  been  tempted  to  turn  aside  into  poli- 
tics or  public  life.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
church  of  which  he  is  one  of  the  trustees.  He  was  married 
April  20,  1861,  to  Lydia  W.  Bartlett,  daughter  of  Henry 
A.  and  Hannah  Bartlett,  of  Newburyport,  a  descendant  of 
Josiah  Bartlett,  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence.  Mrs.  Starret  died  Feb.  3,  1878.  He  has 
four  children  living. 

George  D.  Bates,  son  of  Alonzo  and  Eliza  Bates, 
was  born  in  South  Deerfield,  April  2,  1846.  He  attended 
the  common  schools  and  High  school  of  his  native  village, 
and  commenced  his  life  work  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years. 
From  eighteen  to  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  was  em- 
ployed in  the  wallet  shop  at  South  Deerfield.  In  1867 
he  went  to  Montague  and  formed  a  copartnership  with 
the  late  George  K.  Palmer,  for  the  manufacture  of 
wallets,  under  the  firm  name  of  Palmer  &  Bates,  employ- 
ing about  thirty  hands.  In  1871,  desiring  a  more  central 
field  of  operations  the  business  was  removed  to  Atliol, 
and  temporary  quarters  were  fitted  up  for  it  in  Lord's 
block  on  Exchange  Street.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  the 
firm  occupied  the  large  and  commodious  factory  built  for 
them   by   the  citizens  of  Athol   near  the  Lower  Village 


398  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

common.  In  1879  the  firm  of  Palmer  &  Bates  was  dis- 
solved, and  the  firm  of  Bates  Brothers  was  formed,  consist- 
ing of  James  P.,  George  D.  and  Charles  A.  Bates.  They 
commenced  business  in  a  building  near  the  Upham  Ma- 
chine shop.  The  business  soon  outgrew  the  quarters  it 
occupied,  and  in  June,  1882,  a  factory  was  built  on  the 
Island,  near  Main  Street.  Additions  have  been  made  at 
various  times,  the  latest  and  most  extensive  being  the 
improvements  of  1897.  The  business  has  now  been  in- 
corporated as  the  Bates  Brothers  Company  of  which  Geo. 
D.  Bates  is  treasurer  and  resident  manager.  Upwards  of 
two  hundred  hands  are  now  employed.  In  addition  to 
looking  after  the  interests  of  this  extensive  business  Mr. 
Bates  is  prominently  identified  with  various  other  business 
and  financial  interests  of  the  town,  and  his  worth  as  a  citi- 
zen and  business  man  is  shown  by  the  important  positions 
he  holds.  He  is  president  of  the  Athol  Co-Operative 
Bank,  vice  president  and  director  of  the  Millers  River 
National  Bank,  president  of  the  Athol  Board  of  Trade, 
president  of  the  Athol  and  Orange  Electric  Railway  Co., 
and  a  member  of  the  school  committee.  He  married  Hat- 
tie  M.  Warner,  daughter  of  H.  W.  Warner  of  Greenfield 
in  1869.  She  died  in  1876,  leaving  one  daughter,  Maud, 
now  the  wife  of  A.  N.  Ellis.  He  married  a  second  time 
Miss  Abbie  J.  Sheldon,  June  9,  1880,  by  whom  he  had 
two  daughters.  She  died  March  17,  1897.  He  married 
Anna  M.  Tenney,  Aug.  31,  1898. 

Charles  A.  Bates,  son  of  Alonzo    and  Eliza  Bates, 
was  born  in  South  Deerfield,  Dec.  2,  1848.     His  educa- 


CHARLES  A.  BATES. 


ARTHUR  F.TYLER. 


EARLY    AND   LATER   INDUSTRIES.  399 

tion  was  obtained  in  the  schools  of  that  village,  and  at 
Deerfield  Academy.  He  learned  the  wallet  business  in 
South  Deerfield  and  came  to  Athol  with  the  Palmer  & 
Bates  Co.,  in  1871.  In  1879  he  became  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Bates  Bros.,  successors  to  Palmer  &  Bates,  and  was 
the  energetic  superintendent  of  the  works  until  his  death ; 
his  practical  knowledge  of  the  business,  good  judgment  and 
tireless  energy  being  of  great  value  in  the  building  up  of 
this  important  industry  of  the  town,  Although  of  a  quiet 
and  genial  nature,  he  was  a  man  of  strong  convictions,  and 
was  especially  tenacious  in  his  political  views.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Democratic  town  committee  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  was  an  active  worker  for  his  party.  He  was  a 
member  of  Acme  Lodge  Knights  of  Honor,  and  a  charter 
member  of  the  Poquaig  Club  in  the  prosperity  of  which  he 
was  deeply  interested.  He  married  Josephine  Pratt,  Nov. 
23,  1875.  They  had  three  children.  Mr.  Bates  died 
Dec  3,  1894. 

Arthur  F.  Tyler,  one  of  Athol's  most  successful 
manufacturers,  was  born  in  the  historic  town  of  Lexing- 
ton, March  12,  1852.  His  father  died  when  Arthur  was 
eleven  years  of  age,  and  he  went  to  New  Hampshire  on 
to  a  farm,  where  he  remained  a  year,  when  he  returned  to 
Lexington  and  attended  school.  He  first  came  to  Athol 
in  December,  1866,  and  remained  until  the  following  fall 
as  clerk  in  the  dry  goods  store  of  T.  W.  Savage  at  the 
Upper  Village.  When  fifteen  years  of  age  he  entered 
the  works  of  Geo.  F.  Blake  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  steam 
pumping  machinery  in  Boston,  as  an  apprentice,  where  he 


400  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

served  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years,  and  continued  in 
their  employ  another  year.  After  leaving  this  company  he 
went  to  work  in  the  repair  shops  of  the  Fitchburg  Railroad 
at  Charlestown.  At  this  time  the  Westinghouse  air  brakes 
were  being  introduced,  and  Mr  Tyler  had  charge  of  putting 
these  upon  the  engines  running  between  Boston  and  Fitch- 
burg. He  remained  in  this  business  four  years,  and  came 
to  Athol  in  April,  1876,  and  commenced  the  manufacture 
of  window  blinds  with  Wallace  Cheney  in  the  old  Cheney 
Mill.  At  the  expiration  of  a  year  he  purchased  his  part- 
ner's interest  in  the  business  which  he  has  continued  to 
carry  on  to  the  present  time.  He  continued  to  manufac- 
ture window  blinds  for  seven  years  in  the  old  mill,  running 
by  water  power,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  had  increased 
the  number  of  workmen  in  his  employ  from  five  or  six 
which  he  had  when  he  commenced  business  to  sixteen.  In 
January  1883  he  bought  the  tract  of  land  known  as  the 
Estabrook  lot  on  Main  street  and  commenced  to  build  a 
new  factory  to  run  by  steam  power.  He  also  commenced 
the  manufacture  of  window  sash.  His  business  gradually 
increased,  and  in  1890  he  bought  out  the  window  frame 
department  of  the  Kennebec  Framing  &  Lumber  Co.,  of 
Fairfield,  Me.,  and  removed  it  to  Athol.  The  original 
factory  was  thirty-two  by  seventy-two  feet,  but  additions 
have  been  made  until  the  capacity  has  more  than  doubled, 
and  he  has  one  of  the  best  equipped  factories  of  the  kind 
in  New  England.  He  has  employed  upwards  of  eighty 
hands.  He  also  has  an  office  and  store  in  Haymarket 
Square  in  Boston.     Mr.  Tyler,  in  addition  to  his  manufac- 


C.  FRED    RICHARDSON. 


EARLY   AND    LATER   INDUSTRIES.  401 

turing  business,  is  interested  in  many  of  the  business  and 
financial  enterprises  of  the  town.  He  is  a  director  of  the 
Millers  River  National  Bank,  trustee  of  the  Athol  Savings 
Bank,  and  one  of  the  owners  of  the  Athol  and  Orange 
Street  Railway.  In  1895  he  served  as  selectman,  and  is 
chief  engineer  of  the  fire  department.  He  is  a  member 
of  all  the  Odd  Fellow  and  Masonic  organizations  of  the 
town,  of  Acme  Lodge  Knights  of  Honor  and  of  the 
Congregational  church.  He  was  married  May  12,  1875, 
to  Mary  Baker  Cheney,  daughter  of  J.  Munroe  Cheney  of 
Athol. 

C.  Fred  Richardson,  son  of  Nathaniel  Richardson, 
was  born  in  Athol,  Sept,  28,  1839.  He  attended  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  the  town  until  about  eighteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  went  into  his  father's  shop  and  learned  the 
machinist's  trade.  He  was  for  four  or  five  years  in  the 
sewing  machine  shops  at  Orange,  and  a  year  in  the  rattan 
shop  at  Fitchburg,  and  the  rest  of  his  life  has  been  spent 
in  Athol.  In  1870  he  succeeded  to  the  business  of  his 
father,  which  was  a  general  machine  jobbing  business,  and 
has  since  added  to  it  the  manufacture  of  architects'  and 
carpenters'  levels  and  transits,  and  also  deals  extensively 
in  bicycles,  his  son  Fred  R.,  being  in  company  with  him. 
Taking  an  active  interest  in  the  business  and  financial 
affairs  of  the  town,  he  has  been  called  upon  to  serve  in 
various  capacities.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  board  of 
selectmen  eight  years,  represented  this  district  in  the  Leg- 
islature of  1884,  and  on  the  resignation  of  John  D.  Hol- 
brook  as  town  clerk  in  1897,  he  was  appointed  to  fill  the 


402  ATHOL,    PAST    AND   PRESENT. 

Tacancy,  which  position  he  now  holds.  He  is  a  trustee  of 
the  Athol  Savings  Bank,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
Athol  Co-Operative  Bank,  and  secretary  and  treasurer  of 
the  Citizens  Building  Co.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  and  Knights  of  Honor,  and  has  been  Master  of 
Orange  Lodge  of  Masons.  He  married  Celia  C.  Lamb, 
Sept.  21,  1862.  They  have  two  children,  Fred  R.,  who  is 
in  company  with  him,  and  Carl. 

Herbert  L.  Hapgood,  son  of  Lyman  W.  Hapgood,  was 
born  in  Athol,  Feb  5,  1850.  His  education  was  obtained 
in  the  public  schools  of  the  town  and  at  New  Salem  Acad- 
emy. After  leaving  the  Academy  he  went  to  Winchendon 
and  spent  about  two  years  in  the  shops  of  Baxter  D.  Whit- 
ney, learning  the  machinist's  trade.  He  returned  to  Athol 
and  in  1874  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother-in-law. 
Almond  Smith,  to  carry  on  the  match  business,  established 
by  his  father.  The  firm  was  known  as  Hapgood  &  Smith, 
and  did  an  extensive  business  until  1882,  when  they  sold 
the  plant  to  the  Diamond  Match  Co.  They  conducted  the 
business  for  that  company  four  years,  and  then  bought  the 
plant  and  continued  the  business  until  1892,  when  they 
sold  again  to  the  same  company.  While  engaged  in  the 
match  business  Mr.  Hapgood's  inventive  genius  added 
much  to  its  value  and  prosperity,  through  his  improvements 
in  machinery  and  methods  of  handling.  Among  his  inven- 
tions was  a  sand  papering  machine  that  has  been  used  quite 
extensively.  Since  retiring  from  manufacturing,  Mr.  Hap- 
good has  been  engaged  to  some  extent  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness, and  has  also  devoted  much  time  to  town  affairs.     He 


HERBERT   L.  HAPGOOD. 


■Sa 


-•sr      -  -IK./^I 


'  "^IK^ 


ALMOND   SMITH. 


EARLY  AND  LATER  INDUSTRIES,  403 

has  served  on  the  board  of  selectmen  five  years,  has  been 
one  of  the  assessors  for  the  same  length  of  time,  and  super- 
intendent of  streets  three  years.  He  is  also  one  of  the 
sewer  commissioners,  having  been  a  member  of  the  first 
board  elected,  under  whose  direction  the  system  of  sewerage 
was  constructed.  He  is  a  member  of  all  the  Masonic  and 
Odd  Fellow  organizations  of  the  town,  the  Highland  Fire- 
men's Association  and  the  Poquaig  Club,  In  politics  he 
has  always  been  a  Republican,  and  has  been  an  active 
worker  in  the  party,  serving  as  chairman  of  the  town 
committee  several  years.  He  was  married  Feb.  25,  1875, 
to  Mary  Josephine  Proctor,  daughter  of  Joseph  Proctor, 
and  granddaughter  of  one  of  Athol's  first  lawyers.  They 
have  had  five  children,  three  of  whom  are  now  living, 
Lyman  P.,  Edith  and  Frederic  H, 

Almond  Smith  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Petersham, 
Oct.  23,  1845.  When  he  was  nine  years  old  his  father 
died,  and  three  years  later  the  death  of  his  mother  broke 
up  the  home  and  caused  the  separation  of  the  nine  chil- 
dren then  living  out  of  the  original  family  of  eleven.  He 
found  a  home  in  Athol  first  under  the  guardianship  of 
Calvin  Kelton.  After  that  he  lived  in  several  families, 
doing  chores  and  general  work,  while  receiving  his  educa- 
tion, which  was  completed  in  the  Athol  High  School.  He 
then  worked  at  the  shoe  business  for  ten  years.  Novem- 
ber 21,  1874  he  went  into  the  match  splint  business  in 
company  with  H.  L.  Hapgood,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Hapgood  &  Smith.  This  was  continued  for  eight  years, 
when  they  sold  their  plant,  mill  and  entire  interest  to  the 


404  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Diamond  Match  Company.  They  carried  on  the  business 
for  the  company  for  three  years  and  a  half  when  they  re- 
purchased it  and  continued  the  business  for  themselves 
for  six  and  a  half  years,  when  they  sold  out  again  to  the 
same  company.  Mr.  Smith  has  since  continued  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  company,  and  is  engaged  most  of  the  time  in 
looking  after  the  lumber  supply.  He  was  for  about 
twenty-four  years  a  member  of  the  fire  department,  during 
a  number  of  years  of  which  time  he  was  the  clerk  and 
treasurer  of  the  board  of  engineers.  He  was  also  superin- 
tendent of  the  First  Unitarian  Sunday  School  ten  years.  He 
has  been  an  active  worker  in  politics,  and  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Republican  town  committee  for  several  years. 
He  married  Miss  Sarah  L.  Hapgood,  daughter  of  Lyman 
W.  Hapgood,  Dec.  29,  1870.  They  have  one  child,  Miss 
Arline  Smith,  a  teacher  in  the  Hyannis  High  school. 

Henry  R.  Stowell  was  born  in  Petersham,  June  19, 
1832.  He  received  a  common  school  education,  and  left 
home  at  sixteen  years  of  age  to  make  his  way  in  the  world. 
For  three  years  he  worked  on  farms  in  Amherst,  Deer- 
field  and  Greenfield  and  then  went  to  Indiana  and  Illinois, 
where  he  spent  a  year  or  two  and  then  returned  to  Green- 
field and  engaged  in  the  grocery  business.  While  in 
Greenfield  he  was  married  in  1854  to  Miss  Lucina  Hough- 
ton of  Petersham.  He  carried  on  the  grocery  business  for 
a  year  when  he  sold  out  and  went  to  Tully,  in  Orange, 
where  he  obtained  employment  in  the  furniture  factory  of 
Pierce  &  Mayo.  In  1860  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  furniture  with  Joseph  Pierce  at  Tully,  but  soon   pur- 


HENRY   R.  STOWELL. 


EARLY    AND    LATER    INDUSTRIES.  405 

chased  the  interest  of  his  partner.     In  1862,  while  in  the 
midst  of  a  good  and  profitable  business  he  enlisted  as  a 
private  in  Co.  F,  52d  Regiment  Massachusetts  Volunteers 
with  seven  of  his  employees.     This  furnishes  one  of  those 
striking  exhibitions  of  patriotism  which  abounded  in  the 
Northern  States  in  the  early  days  of  the  war.     The  quota 
required  of  the  town  of  Orange   was  lacking  eight   men, 
and  unless  that  number  would  volunteer  a  draft  must  be 
ordered.     At  this  crisis  in  affairs  Mr.  Stowell  and  his  em- 
ployees present  themselves  and  make  up  the  required  num- 
ber.    The  gate  of  the  factory  is  shut  down  and  the  work- 
ing jackets  of  the  men  are  hung  upon  the  walls  of  the  shop, 
some  of  them  never  to  be  donned  again,  their  owners  lay- 
ing down  their  lives  in  the  far  South  lands.     Mr.  Stowell 
had  promised  his  men  that  he  would  carry  a  musket  with 
them,  and  this  he  did  through  their  term  of  service,  al- 
though he  might  have  served  in  higher  positions,  having 
been  for  several  weeks  General   Banks    private   secretary 
which  position  he  might  have  retained.     At  the  close  of  his 
term  of  service,  with  his  surviving  comrades,  he  returned 
to  TuUy,  and  resumed  business  at  the  factory  where  it  had 
been  left  the  year  before.     In  1865  fire  destroyed  his  fac- 
tory and  all  his  stock  of  lumber,  on  which  there  was  no 
insurance,  leaving  him   hundreds  of  dollars  in  debt.     He 
immediately  bargained  for  part  of  another  factory  and   re- 
sumed   business,  which  he  has    continued  to  the   present 
time.     In  1883  he  removed  to  Athol  and  purchased  a  fine 
estate  on  School  Street,  which  has  since  been  his  home. 
He  has  become  prominently  identified  with  the  business 


406  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

and  social  affairs  of  the  town,  is  a  director  of  the  Millers 
Eiver  National  Bank,  vice  president  of  the  Athol  Savings 
Bank,  and  one  of  its  board  of  investment,  and  has  been 
chairman  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Poquaig  Club 
since  its  formation.  He  was  married  the  second  time  July 
10,  1856  to  Miss  Ellen  A.  Davis  of  Royalston.  They  have 
three  children. 

Abijah  Hill,  oldest  son  of  John  C.  Hill  was  born  in 
Athol,  Feb.  16,  1847.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of 
the  town  and  a  business  college  at  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y., 
for  a  year.  His  first  business  was  running  a  blanket  mill 
in  Swanzey,  N.  H.  He  then  was  engaged  in  building  the 
Eagleville  and  Tully  blanket  mills,  and  a  blanket  shop  on 
Canal  Street.  He  run  a  mill  at  Otter  River  for  a  year  or 
two,  and  then  carried  on  the  Eagleville  mill  most  of  the 
time  until  about  ten  years  ago.  He  is  now  eagaged  in 
farming  and  real  estate  business.  He  was  made  a  Knight 
Templar  in  the  Connecticut  Valley  Commandery  at  Green- 
field, and  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Athol  Com- 
mandery.    He  was  married  Feb.  6,  1895  to  Isabel  Vaughn. 

Charles  L.  Morse  was  born  in  Rochester,  Vt.,  March 
26,  1849,  where  he  lived  until  fourteen  years  of  age.  His 
grandfather,  Charles  Morse,  and  his  father,  Charles  Morse, 
Jr.,  both  served  their  country,  the  former  in  the  war  of 
1812  and  the  latter  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  his  father 
being  killed  in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg.  His  early  life 
was  spent  in  farming  during  the  summer  and  lumbering  in 
the  winter  season  until  about  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
when  he  went  to  Canton,  Mass.,  where  he  learned  the  car- 


ABIJAH    HILL. 


EARLY   AND    LATER    INDUSTRIES.  407 

penter's  and  joiner's  trade.  While  there  he  married  Mari- 
ella  F.  Howes  of  that  town,  Nov.  30,  1873.  He  continued 
to  work  at  his  trade  in  Canton,  until  the  spring  of  1877, 
when  he  went  to  Topeka,  Kansas,  to  work  for  the  Atkin- 
son, Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railroad  Co.  The  next  winter 
he  accepted  a  position  on  the  Kansas  Pacific  Railroad,  where 
he  had  charge  of  the  wood  work  on  the  Eastern  Division 
of  that  road,  until  he  lost  a  foot  in  the  employ  of  that  com- 
pany. After  a  season  spent  in  travelling  among  the 
Rocky  Mountains  he  came  East  and  worked  for  the  Eureka 
Silk  Co.,  until  the  fall  of  1881  when  he  came  to  Athol  as 
master  mechanic  for  the  Athol  Silk  Co.,  and  is  now  super- 
intendent of  the  silk  business  of  D.  E.  Adams.  He  is  the 
inventor  of  the  Morse  valve  reseating  machine,  is  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  Masonic,  Odd  Fellows  and  other 
organizations  of  the  town  and  is  an  earnest  worker  in  the 
temperance  cause. 

Frank  Edward  Wjng,  son  of  Edward  E.  and  Helen 
Newman  Wing  was  born  in  Conway,  Mass.  June  27,  1865, 
where  four  generations  of  Wings  had  lived  before  him. 
He  attended  the  public  schools  of  Conway;  was  graduated 
from  Smith  Academy,  Hatfield  in  1882,  and  entered  Yale 
College  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated in  1886.  While  in  college  he  was  Fence  Orator, 
Class  Historian  and  chairman  of  the  "Courant"  editorial 
board.  In  April  1887  he  came  to  Athol  and  was  em- 
ployed in  the  oiiice  of  L.  S.  Starrett,  where  he  has  remained 
ever  since  In  1887  he  composed  the  entire  office  and 
shipping  force  of  the  establishment,  where  now  nine  per- 


408  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

sons  are  required  to  do  the  work.  Mr.  Wing's  attention 
now  is  confined  mainly  to  the  finances  and  advertising  of 
the  company  He  was  married  Sept.  28,  1892,  to  Miss 
Edith  May  Smith  of  Athol.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Eepublican  town  committee  and  president  of  the  Athol 
Eepublican  Club,  and  is  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Notary 
Public,  and  clerk  of  of  the  Second  Unitarian  society.  He 
is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Masonic  organizations  of  the 
town,  is  past  High  Priest  of  Union  Royal  Arch  Chapter, 
present  District  Deputy  Grand  High  Priest  of  the  Grand 
Royal  Arch  Chapter  of  Massachusetts  and  Eminent  Com- 
mander of  Athol  Commandery,  Knights  Templars. 

Lewis  Sanders  was  born  in  Townsend,  Mass.,  March 
15,1842.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
town  and  several  terms  at  Lawrence  Academy,  Groton, 
where  he  was  preparing  for  a  college  course,  when,  his 
father  having  lost  his  sight,  Lewis  was  called  home  to  take 
charge  of  the  business  when  seventeen  years  of  age.  In 
1865,  with  others,  he  purchased  the  Stevens  mill  in  Town- 
send  and  engaged  extensively  in  lumbering.  At  the  end 
of  three  years  he  had  bought  out  his  partners,  and  then 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  kegs  and  barrels.  His 
business  continued  to  increase,  and  in  March  1882,  he 
moved  it  to  Athol;  employing  at  that  time  about  twenty- 
five  hands.  After  coming  to  Athol  the  business  increased 
rapidly,  outgrowing  the  buildings  in  which  he  first  located, 
and  a  larger  plant  was  erected  south  of  the  village,  which 
at  one  time  in  its  various  departments  gave  employment  to 
upwards  of  seventy-five  men,   the  manufacture  of  boxes 


t 


iSmm 


FRANK  E.  WING. 


CHARLES   L.   MORSE. 


LEWIS  SANDERS. 


FRED   R.   DAVIS. 


EARLY    AND    LATER   INDUSTRIES.  409 

and  match  blocks  having  been  added  to  the  original  busi- 
ness. This  was  discontinued  in  1897,  and  Mr.  Sanders 
went  to  Seattle,  Washington,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the 
wood  business.  He  is  an  Odd  Fellow  of  long  standing, 
and  on  the  organization  of  Tully  Lodge  was  elected  its 
first  Noble  Grand,  and  was  also  the  District  Deputy  Grand 
Master  of  this  district  in  1889  and  1890.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  several  Masonic  organizations,  and  was  for  five 
years  one  of  the  engineers  of  the  fire  department.  He 
married  Ellen  M.  Gilchrist,  a  native  of  Lunenburg.  They 
have  one  daughter,  Jennie  I. 

Fred  E.  Davis  was  born  in  Waltham,  July  4,  1856. 
He  went  through  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town, 
and  after  graduating  from  the  High  school  learned  the 
iron  founders  trade  and  was  for  twelve  years  engaged  in 
the  construction  of  gas  and  water  works.  He  came  to  Athol 
Jan.  1,  1883  and  took  the  position  of  superintendent  of 
the  gas  and  water  companies.  He  has  been  for  several 
years  superintendent  and  treasurer  of  the  Athol  Gas  and 
Electric  Company.  He  was  married  Nov.  24,  1875  to 
Miss  Jennie  M.  Emerson.  They  have  one  son,  Forest 
Davis.  Mr.  Davis  is  a  member  of  the  various  Masonic 
organizations. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


COMMEKC'IAL. 


"Seest  thou  a  man  diligent  in  hie  businese?    He  shall  stand  before  kings ;  he  shall 
Jiot  stand  before  mean  men." 

OST  of  those  connected  with  the  commer- 
cial interests  of  Athol,  from  the  early 
days  through  all  the  years  of  its  history, 
have  been  men  of  integrity  and  worthy 
business  principles,  and  the  town  has 
been  fortunate  in  the  character  of  its 
merchants  and  those  engaged  in  kindred 
occupations  or  business.  Sketches  of 
many  of  these  have  already  been  given  in  connection  with 
other  departments  of  this  work,  and  this  chapter  will  be 
devoted  more  especially  to  those  doing  business  at  the 
present  day- 

Oscar  T.  Brooks  was  born  in  Petersham,  June  6, 
1839.  When  two  years  of  age  his  parents  moved  to  Wen- 
dell, Mass.,  which  was  henceforth  his  home  during  his 
youth  and  early  manhood.  His  education  was  obtained 
in  the  common  schools  of  Wendell,  the  Winchester,  N.  H., 
High  school  and  the  New  Salem  Academy.     In  1859  he 


COMMERCIAL^  411 

engaged  in  mercantile  business  in  Wendell  in  company 
with  his  father  and  was  the  postmaster  there  several 
years.  In  the  fall  of  1862  he  came  to  Athol  and  with  the 
late  J.  M.  King  bought  out  the  general  country  store  busi- 
ness of  P.  C.  Tyler,  and  carried  on  business  in  the  store 
now  occupied  by  Chas.  H.  Tyler  for  about  a  year  and  a 
half.  In  the  fall  of  1864  in  company  with  J.  M.  King 
and  Franklin  E.  Haskell  he  engaged  in  business  in  the 
store  now  occupied  by  A.  E,.  Tower,  and  in  1869  in  com- 
pany with  J.  F.  Packard  he  commenced  business  in  the 
store  which  he  has  occupied  to  the  present  time.  This 
partnership  was  continued  for  about  a  year  when  Mr. 
Brooks  purchased  the  interest  of  his  partner,  and  in  1870 
in  company  with  Chas.  M.  Sears  established  the  firm  of 
Brooks  &  Sears,  which  was  continued  until  the  death  of 
Mr.  Sears,  Sept.  28,  1885,  since  which  time  Mr.  Brooks 
has  continued  the  business  alone.  In  1881  he  served  the 
town  as  Selectman,  Assessor  and  Overseer  of  the  Poor. 
He  is  a  trustee  of  the  Athol  Savings  Bank,  director  of  the 
Athol  Co-Operative  Bank  and  a  member  of  the  executive 
committee  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  and  at  the  1897  election 
was  elected  Representative  to  the  Legislature  from  the 
First  Worcester  district.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Second 
Advent  church,  and  has  been  superintendent  of  its  Sunday 
school  for  fifteen  years  or  more,  and  is  also  president  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  On  Jan.  3,  1866  he 
married  Cornelia  R.  Smith,  daughter  of  the  late  Abner 
Smith.  They  have  had  five  children,  only  two  of  whom 
are  now  living,  Annie  and  Ralph. 


412  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

Charles  M.  Sears  was  born  in  New  Salem,  April  4, 
1842.  When  fifteen  years  of  age  he  went  to  Hartford, 
Conn.,  where  he  was  employed  in  a  grocery  store.  He 
returned  to  New  Salem  in  1862  and  engaged  in  the  palm- 
leaf  business  until  he  came  to  Athol  in  May,  1866,  and 
opened  a  small  grocery  store.  In  1870  in  company  with 
O.  T.  Brooks,  he  established  the  firm  of  Brooks  &  Sears, 
which  was  continued  without  change  until  the  death  of 
Mr.  Sears  Sept.  28,  1885.  Mr.  Sears  never  held  political 
or  town  office,  but  was  for  several  years  one  of  the  trustees 
of  the  Methodist  church  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  most 
loved  and  efficient  members.  He  married  Annie  F. 
Chapin  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  Sept  15,  1863.  They  had  two 
children.  Mrs.  Sears  died  April  12,  1868,  and  he  was 
married  a  second  time  to  Mrs.  Annis  J.  Smith,  Nov.  10, 
1870.  By  this  marriage  he  had  two  children,  a  daughter 
and  son.  The  daughter  died  in  infancy,  and  the  son, 
Mortimer  A.  Sears,  is  a  mining  engineer. 

Charles  A.  Crosman  was  born  in  Athol,  Dec.  27, 
1839.  He  received  a  common  school  education  in  his 
native  town,  and  attended  New  Salem  Academy  two  terms. 
In  1860  he  removed  to  Barre,  Mass.,  and  was  a  resident  of 
that  town  until  1874,  being  engaged  most  of  the  time  in 
the  market  business.  In  1874  he  returned  to  Athol  and 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business  at  Athol  Center  with 
George  W.  Stevens  in  which  he  continued  until  his  death, 
Aug.  7,  1896.  He  represented  this  district  in  the  Legis- 
lature of  1892,  and  served  the  town  as  assessor  two  years. 
He  was  made  a  Mason  in    1868  in  Mt.  Sinai  Lodge    of 


'^  ^, 


OSCAR  T.  BROOKS. 


CHARLES  M.   SEARS. 


i»si^ 


<" 


NELSON    WHITCOMB. 


CHARLES  A.  CROSMAN. 


COMMERCIAL.  413 

Barre,  became  a  Chapter  Mason  in  1886  and  was  made  a 
Sir  Knight  in  1889.  In  1895  he  was  Eminent  Commander 
of  Athol  Commandery  Knights  Templars. 

Nelson  Whitcomb  was  born  in  Bolton,  Mass.,  Feb.  1, 
1814.  He  lived  in  his  native  town  on  a  farm  until  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  attending  school  ten  weeks  in  the  winter 
and  the  same  in  the  summer.  After  leaving  home  he  went 
to  work  in  Jaffrey,  N.  H.,  and  later  at  Harvard  and  Bolton. 
He  went  to  Worcester  and  learned  the  trade  of  making 
plows,  and  then  returned  to  Bolton  and  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  plows  and  farming,  which  he  continued  for 
eleven  years,  when  he  went  to  Clinton  where  he  was  in 
the  livery  business  for  ten  years,  and  also  started  a  passen- 
ger and  express  team  from  Clinton  to  Northboro.  He 
then  went  to  Fitchburg  and  was  express  messenger  from 
Fitchburg  to  Boston  for  the  United  States  and  Canada  Ex- 
press Co.,  for  five  years,  commencing  in  1867.  He  was 
proprietor  of  the  Leominster  Hotel  for  two  years  and  a 
half  and  came  to  Athol  in  1874  and  engaged  in  the  coal 
business  which  he  carried  on  until  his  death,  April  6, 
1895.  He  married  Elvira  Holman  of  Bolton  in  October, 
1837,  and  their  golden  wedding  was  happily  observed  in 
1887.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  of 
the  Second  Unitarian  church. 

Harding  R.  Barber  was  born  in  Warwick,  Mass., 
Dec.  20,  1839.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  town,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years  com- 
menced his  commercial  life  as  clerk  in  a  country  store  at 
Erving.     He   came  to  Athol  in  1857  and  entered  the  em- 


414  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

ploy  of  Alvin  Houghton,  who  had  stores  where  the  City 
Hotel  now  is.  He  was  also  clerk  in  stores  at  Greenfield 
and  South  Royalston,  and  in  August,  1862,  enlisted  in  Co. 
E,  53d  Regiment,  Mass.  Volunteers  and  participated  in 
the  various  battles  and  engagements  of  his  regiment  until 
it  was  discharged.  Soon  after  leaving  the  army  he  returned 
to  Athol  and  purchased  a  harness  business  which  he  has 
continued  to  the  present  time.  He  also  at  one  time  did 
quite  an  extensive  business  in  the  manufacture  of  horse 
blanket  straps  and  other  leather  goods.  In  additioa  to  his 
store  for  the  sale  of  goods,  he  has  for  many  years  em- 
ployed several  skilled  workmen  in  his  manufacturing  de- 
partment. He  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in 
political  affairs,  and  for  a  number  of  years  served  on  the 
Republican  town  committee.  He  represented  this  district 
in  the  State  Legislature  for  the  years  1895  and  1896,  and 
was  also  State  Senator  for  1897  and  1898.  In  the  Senate 
he  was  chairman  of  the  agricultural  committee  for  both 
years,  and  served  on  other  important  committees.  In  Jan- 
uary 1899,  the  question  of  who  should  be  postmaster  of 
the  Athol  oflBLce  having  been  given  by  Congressman  Gillett 
to  the  Republican  patrons  of  the  office  to  decide  by  a  cau- 
cus, he  was  elected  by  a  large  vote  for  that  position.  He 
has  been  prominently  identified  with  the  Grand  Army  and 
Masonic  organizations  of  the  town,  having  been  master  of 
Star  Lodge  two  terms,  and  is  one  of  the  executive  commit- 
tee of  the  Second  Unitarian  Church,  of  which  he  has  been 
a  member  since  its  formation.  In  1859  he  married  Josie 
M.  Knowlton,  daughter  of  Stillman  Knowlton  a  prominent 


HARDING   R.   BARBER. 


HERBERT  S.  GODDARD. 


CONVERSE  WARD. 


ADOLPHUS   BANGS. 


COMMERCIAL.  415 

citizen  of  Athol,  by  whom  he  had  two  children,  Henry  H. 
and  Fred  K.  In  1874  he  married  Miss  Annie  Clapp  of 
Montague,  by  whom  he  had  one  daughter,  Mabel,  and  in 
April,  1883,  married  Miss  Alice  Nims  of  Keene,  N.  H. 
They  have  two  daughters,  Grace  E.  and  Helen  R. 

Herbert  S.  Goddard  was  born  in  Royalston,  April 
11,  1852.  He  lived  at  home  on  the  farm  until  sixteen  years 
of  age,  attending  the  district  schools.  His  education  was 
supplemented  by  several  terms'  attendance  at  Powers  In- 
stitute in  Bernardston,  and  a  year  at  the  State  University  of 
Minnesota.  He  then  returned  to  Royalston  and  was  en- 
gaged for  about  fifteen  years  in  the  portable  steam  mill  and 
lumbering  business  with  C.  D.  Davis,  also  of  Royalston, 
their  field  of  operations  being  mostly  in  Royalston  and 
Petersham.  In  1888  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
piano  cases  in  Athol,  in  company  with  the  late  Robert 
Manning,  the  firm  being  known  as  Goddard  &  Manning, 
and  a  successful  business  was  conducted  until  the  death  of 
Mr.  Manning  in  March,  1895.  The  business  was  continued 
with  another  partner  until  1897  when  Mr.  Goddard  sold 
out  his  interest,  and  has  not  since  engaged  in  any  business. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  of  which  he  was 
for  several  years  the  treasurer,  and  has  been  a  director  and 
vice  president  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  since  its  organization. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  board  of  assessors  of  the  town. 
He  was  married  Sept  15,  1880,  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  Forristall 
of  Boston,  and  they  have  two  daughters. 

Adolphus  Bangs,  youngest  son  of  Joel  and  Minerva 
(Haskins)  Bangs  was  born  in  New  Salem,  May  19,  1830. 


416  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT.  • 

He  remained  at  home  upon  tJie  farm  until  eighteen  years 
of  age,  when  finding  agricultural  pursuits  not  congenial  to 
his  tastes,  he  went  to  Hadley,  Mass.,  where  he  learned  the 
broom-making  business.  He  was  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  brooms  in  Leverett  until  January,  1857,  when  he 
commenced  his  career  as  a  hotel  keeper,  leasing  the  hotel 
in  Montague.  In  the  fall  of  1858  he  moved  to  Athol 
and  entered  the  employ  of  Hunt  &  Packard,  grocers,  where 
he  remained  until  August',  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co. 
E,  53d  Mass.  Eegiment.  He  returned  home  with  his  reg- 
iment, Aug.  24,  1863,  and  in  the  summer  of  1864  went  to 
Vicksburg  as  recruiting  officer  for  the  State  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  at  the  close  of  this  service  engaged  in  the  gro- 
cery business  with  his  father-in-law,  J.  F.  Packard.  He 
continued  in  this  business  until  Jan.  1,  1867,  when  with 
the  late  Orrin  F.  Hunt  he  purchased  the  Pequoig  Hotel 
property.  In  1868  Mr.  Bangs  became  sole  owner  of  the 
property,  and  the  landlord  of  the  hotel,  which  he  success- 
fully managed  for  nearly  two  decades.  He  has  been  iden- 
tified with  the  growth  and  enterprise  of  the  town,  always 
taking  a  deep  interest  in  the  introduction  of  new  business 
into  the  place,  not  only  using  his  influence  but  his  money 
in  that  direction.  He  is  a  member  of  the  various  Masonic 
organizations  of  the  town  and  of  Titus  Strong  Council  of 
Greenfield,  and  also  of  the  Hubbard  V.  Smith  Post,  G.  A. 
E.  He  was  married  May  27,  1852,  to  Miss  Susan  S.  Pack- 
ard of  New  Salem.  They  have  one  daughter,  the  wife  of 
Chas.  A.  Fairbanks  of  Boston,  with  whom  they  have  made 
their  home  since  the  sale  of  the  hotel  property  in  Athol. 


COMMERCIAL.  417 

CoNVEESE  Wakd.  a  well  known  druggist  in  town,  was 
born  in  North  Orange,  Sept,  23,  1845.  He  attended  the 
district  and  private  schools  of  that  village,  and  at  the  age 
of  eighteen  years  he  came  to  Athol  and  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  S.  E.  Fay  in  his  drug  and  grocery  store  in  Hough- 
ton's block,  now  the  City  Hotel  building.  He  remained 
in  that  position  for  seven  years,  and  was  then  clerk  for 
Hunt  Bros  ,  about  two  years,  when  he  went  to  Turners 
Falls  and  was  confidential  clerk  and  bookkeeper  for  the 
late  Hector  L.  Goss  for  five  years.  He  then  returned  to 
Athol  and  purchased  the  drug  store  of  Wm.  H.  Puffer  in 
the  Starr  Hall  block,  in  which  building  he  has  ever  since 
carried  on  that  business.  Mr.  Ward  has  been  a  member 
of  the  board  of  Registrars  of  Voters  for  fifteen  years.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  three  Masonic  organizations  of  the  town, 
and  has  been  treasurer  of  Union  Royal  Arch  Chapter  for 
eight  }  ears.  He  is  also  a  member  of  TuUy  Lodge  of  Odd 
Fellows,  and  a  charter  member  of  Poqaaig  Club,  and  its 
treasurer  since  its  organization.  He  was  married  Oct.  31, 
1867  to  Mary  E.  Haskins  of  Athol.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren, Franklin  E.  and  Ethel  V. 

George  H.  Cooke,  son  of  Jacob  Smith  Cooke,  was 
born  in  Athol,  Aug.  15,  1851.  His  education  was  received 
in  the  Athol  schools  and  at  New  Salem  Academy.  His 
first  work  was  in  the  sash  and  blind  shop  of  Edwin  Ellis, 
where  he  received  twenty-five  cents  per  day.  He  was 
assistant  postmaster  for  T.  H.  Goodspeed  at  the  Athol 
Centre  office  for  two  or  three  years,  and  then  went  in  com- 
pany with  J.  F".  Packard  in  the   grocery  business  fi)r  about 


418  ATHOL,    PAST    AND    PRESENT. 

a  year,  when  he  sold  out  and  went  to  Leominster,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  the  grocery  and  drug  business  for  five 
years,  two  years  of  which  time  he  was  in  company  with 
Bela  J.  Jacobs,  and  three  years  alone.  He  then  returned 
to  Athol  and  engaged  extensively  in  building,  having 
erected  the  Grand  Army  blocks  in  each  village  and  about 
fifty  dwelling  houses,  and  has  also  invested  heavily  in  cen- 
trally located  real  estate,  becoming  one  of  the  largest  real 
estate  owners  in  the  town.  He  has  been  active  in  getting 
new  business  interests  into  town,  and  has  been  largely  in- 
terested in  the  Millers  River,  Citizens'  and  Athol  Building 
Companies,  and  has  also  been  engaged  to  some  extent  in 
the  lumber  business.  He  married  Mary  A  Patterson, 
Nov.  25,  1875.  They  have  one  son,  Charles  Henry,  now 
a  student  at  Amherst  College. 

James  Cotton  was  born  in  Princeton,  Mass.,  Nov.  1, 
1848.  He  came  to  Athol  when  fifteen  years  of  age  and 
obtained  employment  in  the  mill  of  the  Millers  River  Manu- 
facturing Co.  In  August,  1864,  he  enlisted  iu  Co.  H,  Fourth 
Mass.  Heavy  Artillery,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  returned  to  Athol  and  went  to  work  for  J.  M. 
Cheney  in  the  match  business,  and  in  1875  hired  the  shop 
of  Mr.  Cheney  and  carried  on  business  for  himself  for  three 
years,  since  which  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  lumbering 
business.  Mr.  Cotton  served  on  the  board  of  selectmen 
for  three  years  and  was  a  constable  of  the  town  for  nearly 
twenty  years  continuously.  He  is  a  member  of  Parker 
Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and  of  the  various  Masonic  organizations 
in  town  and  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  married  Miss  Maria 
Plunkett  of  Athol,  Nov.  15,  1866,  and  has  eight  children. 


;i 


GEORGE  H.  COOKE. 


JAMES  COTTON. 


CALVIN    MILLER. 


GEORGE   S.    BREWER. 


COMMERCIAL.  419 

Calvin  Miller  was  born  in  Westminster,  March  18, 
1837;  his  education  was  obtained  in  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  town  and  at  the  old  Westminster  Academy. 
Born  on  a  farm  near  old  Wachusett  Mountain,  his  early 
life  was  spent  on  the  farm  until  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
when  he  went  into  a  htore  in  Westminster  as  clerk  for 
four  years.  In  1864  he  went  to  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  and 
that  year  and  the  following  was  employed  in  a  dry  goods 
store  of  that  city.  He  then  returned  to  Massachusetts  and 
was  book-keeper  in  one  of  the  chair  manufacturing  estab- 
lishments of  Gardner  for  four  years.  He  came  to  Athol 
in  1871  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  furniture  with 
the  late  J.  B.  Cardany,  under  the  firm  name  of  Cardany  & 
Miller.  At  the  end  of  two  years  the  firm  was  dissolved 
and  Mr.  Miller  continued  the  business  alone  for  ten  years. 
He  was  also  engaged  in  the  coal  business  from  1875  to 
1883,  built  the  bakery  on  Exchange  Street  with  A.  A. 
Ward  in  1881,  bought  him  out  in  1883,  and  after  continu- 
ing the  business  alone  till  1886,  sold  out  to  Albert  Ells- 
worth. From  that  time  until  his  removal  to  Worcester  in 
1894,  he  was  engaged  in  lumbering  and  the  real  estate 
business.  Mr.  Miller  served  the  town  as  collector  of  taxes 
in  1883,  '87  and  '88.  He  married  Miss  Amelia  V.  Alger 
of  Winchendon.  Feb.  15,  1870,  and  has  two  children. 

George  S.  Brewer  was  born  in  Petersham,  June  11, 
1851.  His  education  was  received  in  the  common  schools 
of  his  native  town,  and  at  the  Highland  Institute  of  Pet- 
ersham. He  remained  at  home  on  the  farm  until  twenty 
years  of  age,  and  came  to  Athol  in  1872  when  he  went  to 


420  ATHOL,    PAST    AND    PRESENT. 

work  for  J.  M.  Cheney  in  the  match  bushiess,  where  he 
remained  two  years.  He  then  in  company  with  Dwight 
Bass  established,  the  wood  turning  business  in  the  old 
Drury  &  Allen  shop,  but  soon  removed  to  the  Hapgood  & 
Smith  shop,  where  he  was  in  the  same  business  alone  for 
four  years.  He  has  been  largely  interested  in  the  im- 
provement of  real  estate  at  the  Highlands,  having  in  1878, 
purchased  the  Oliver  property  on  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Pleasant  streets,  and  in  1882  the  Milton  Baker  property, 
extending  from  the  Congregational  church  to  the  grist  mill. 
This  property  he  has  improved  by  the  building  of  new 
blocks  and  shops.  He  furnished  the  land  and  put  in  the 
water  plant  for  the  Hill  &  Greene  shoe  shop,  and  was 
largely  interested  in  the  building  of  the  Ellis  dam.  He 
has  been  for  several  years  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
boxes,  window  frames  and  mouldings.  He  is  a  member 
of  TuUy  Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen,  and  was  a  membei-  of  the  Republican 
town  committee  for  several  years.  He  was  married  Dec. 
8,  1890  to  Miss  Mabel  Lee,  daughter  of  James  M.  Lee. 

Andrew  Jackson  Hamilton,  oldest  son  of  Harrison 
and  Lucy  A.  (Gilbert)  Hamilton,  was  born  in  Shutesbury, 
Mass.,  March  12,  1846.  He  removed  to  Bernardston  in 
1856,  where  he  attended  Powers  Institute  five  years  under 
the  noted  principal,  L.  F.  Ward,  served  one  year  in  a  vil- 
lage grocery  store,  followed  by  three  years'  service  in  the 
"old  brick"  general  store  of  R.  F.  Newcomb.  While  in 
the  latter  place  his  employer  was  absent  about  a  year  in 
the  Civil  war,  leaving  young  Hamilton  with  a  clerk  still 


COMMERCIAL.  421 

younger  in  charge  of"  the  business.  Later  a  year's  service 
as  dry  goods  clerk  in  Holyoke,  Mass.,  was  followed  by  one 
year  in  a  general  store  and  post  office  at  Hinsdale,  N.  H., 
during  which  jear  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Julia  Wilkins  of  Orange,  who  still  shares  his  fortunes. 
They  have  one  son,  Andrew  Foster,  a  student  in  Amherst 
College,  class  of  1901.  In  April,  1869,  Mr.  Hamilton 
came  to  Athol  as  clerk  for  S.  E.  Fay,  druggist  and  grocer, 
with  whom  he  remained  two  years,  and  then  accepted  a 
clerkship  in  the  insurance  office  and  music  store  of  H.  B. 
&  N.  H.  Hunt,  later  Hunt  Brothers,  where  he  continued 
until  July  ],  1878,  when  with  J.  Luther  Hunt  as  a  co- 
partner the  business  was  purchased  and  continued  under 
the  firm  name  of  Hunt  &  Hamilton  until  July  1,  1883, 
when  the  partnership  was  dissolved,  Mr.  Hamilton  becom- 
ing sole  proprietor  of  the  "Athol  Life  &  Fire  Insurance 
Agency,"  which  had  been  established  in  1865  by  the  late 
Howard  B.  Hunt.  In  1894  he  made  extensive  additions 
and  improvements  to  the  premises  now  known  as  Hamil- 
ton's Block,  and  occupies  a  convenient  insurance  office  on 
the  ground  floor.  Mr.  Hamilton  has  been  prominently 
identified  with  the  social,  religious  and  political  affairs  of 
the  town,  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  church,  treas- 
urer of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and  a 
member  of  the  board  of  cemetery  commisioners.  In  poli- 
tics he  has  always  been  a  Republican,  and  an  active  worker 
in  the  party.  He  is  a  Past  Dictator  of  Acme  Lodge 
Knights  of  Honor,  Past  Grand  of  Tully  Lodge  of  Odd 
Fellows,  Past  High  Priest  of  Mount  Pleasant  Encampment, 


422  ATHOL,    PAST    AND    PRESENT. 

a  member  of  Banner  Rebekah  Lodge,  Canton  Athol,  the 
Poquaig  Club,  and  an  associate  member  of  Post  140,  G.  A. 
E,.,  and  holds  commissions  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Notary 
Public  and  commissioner  to  qualify  civil  officers. 

Albert  R.  Tower  was  born  in  Boston,  Sept.  19, 
1849.  His  mother  died  when  he  was  only  a  few  days  old, 
and  he  was  brought  to  New  Salem  to  live  with  his  uncle, 
William  Rice,  where  he  lived  until  twelve  years  of  age. 
After  two  years  spent  in  Petersham  he  came  to  Athol, 
which  has  since  been  his  home.  In  September,  1865,  he 
went  to  work  for  J.  S.  and  F.  C.  Parmeuter  in  the  store  on 
the  corner  of  Main  and  Exchange  Streets,  where  he  re- 
mained five  and  one-half  years.  In  April,  1871,  he  went 
into  partnership  with  F.  C.  Parmeuter,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Parmeuter  &  Tower,  and  in  May,  1892,  Mr.  Tower 
bought  out  the  interest  of  his  partner  and  still  continues 
the  business.  He  was  married  Oct.  15,  1873  to  Miss  Nar- 
cissa  A.  White,  daughter  of  Rev.  L.  White,  then  principal 
of  New  Salem  Academy,  in  which  institution  Miss  White 
was  also  a  teacher.  They  have  two  daughters,  Jennie  W., 
who  married  Rev.  A.  V.  House  of  New  Salem,  and  Mary 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  David  Findlay  of  Athol,  and  one  son, 
Albert  R.  Jr.,  who  lives  at  home.  Mr.  Tower  has  been 
for  many  years  a  prominent  member  of  the  Congregational 
church  of  which  he  was  chosen  deacon  in  January,  1892, 
and  was  for  three  years  superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
School. 

Frank  S.  Parmenter,  son  of  J.  Sumner  Parmeuter, 
was   born  in  Athol,  Oct.  26,  1849.     His  education  was 


ANDREW  J.   HAMILTON. 


ALBERT  R.  TOWER. 


FRANK  S.   PARMENTER. 


WILLIAM    H.   KENDALL. 


COMMERCIAL.  423 

received  in  the  Athol  schools  and  at  Trenton  Academy  in 
New  Jersey.  After  returning  to  Athol  about  1867,  he 
entered  the  store  of  J.  S.  &  F.  C.  Parmenter  as  clerk,  and 
in  1870  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  business  with  his  father, 
which  partnership  was  continued  for  four  years,  when  his 
father  retired  from  the  business  and  he  continued  it  in 
company  with  Charles  A.  Carruth  for  two  years.  After 
this  he  was  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  business  in  Spring- 
field, Mass.,  for  three  years,  St.  Albans,  Vt.,  about  two 
years  and  Orange,  Mass.,  three  years,  when  he  returned  to 
Athol  and  was  engaged  in  the  clothing  business  with  W. 
H.  Kendall  for  four  years,  the  firm  name  being  Parmenter 
&  Kendall.  After  being  out  of  business  for  a  time,  he  was 
in  the  West  for  a  short  time,  and  then  again  engaged  in 
the  dry  goods  business  in  Orange,  where  he  continued  un- 
til the  fall  of  1897,  when  he  removed  his  business  to  Athol. 
He  was  married  Aug.  26,  1873  to  Adele  C.  Ellis,  daughter 
of  Edwin  Ellis.  Mr.  Parmenter  has  been  town  auditor,  is 
a  member  of  the  Congregational  church  and  of  Athol 
Lodge  of  Masons. 

William  H.  Kendall  was  born  in  Boston,  April  14, 
1851.  He  came  to  Athol  when  fourteen  years  of  age,  and 
after  attending  school  in  Petersham  for  two  or  three  years 
went  to  work  in  the  sash  and  blind  factory  of  Edwin  Ellis, 
where  he  was  employed  for  nine  years.  He  was  then 
clerk  for  several  years  in  the  stores  of  Chas.  L.  Lord  and 
Chas.  A.  Carruth,  after  which  he  became  manager  of  the 
clothing  store  of  S.  Packard  in  the  Houghton  block.  After 
a  year  or  two  in  this  position,  in  company  with  Frank  S. 


424  ATHOL,    PAST    AND    PRESENT. 

Parmenter  he  bought  out  the  busmess  of  Mr.  Packard, 
which  was  continued  for  three  or  four  years,  when  he 
bought  out  the  interest  of  his  partner  anl  carrisd  on  the 
business  until  February,  1897,  when  he  sold  out  and  since 
that  time  has  been  clerk  in  several  stores.  He  was  married 
May  20,  1873,  to  Miss  Flora  M.  Wood,  daughter  of  the 
late  John  C.  Wood. 

Charles  W.  Bannon  was  born  in  Springfield,  Mass., 
Dec.  14,  1824.  He  attended  the  schools  of  his  native  city 
until  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  then  learned  the  tailor's 
trade  of  Cole  &  Brownell  in  Springfield.  He  came  to 
Athol  April  28,  1846  to  superintend  a  tailoring  establish- 
ment for  Hardon  &  Houghton,  and  this  town  has  been  his 
home  ever  since.  He  carried  on  business  for  himself  from 
1857  to  1873,  and  then  was  connected  with  the  late  Alvin 
Houghton  for  three  years.  In  1876  he  again  commenced 
business  on  his  own  account  which  he  continued  until  1883 
when  he  opened  a  merchant  tailor  and  ready  made  cloth- 
ing store  in  Orange,  which  he  carried  on  fifteen  years. 
Mr.  Bannon  entered  the  fire  department  in  1846,  when  he 
first  came  to  town,  and  was  soon  made  foreman  of  the  old 
Tiger  Engine  Co.,  No.  1,  which  position  he  held  for  sev- 
eral years.  He  was  one  of  the  first  board  of  fire  engineers. 
He  has  been  prominent  in  the  Masonic  fraternity,  having 
been  the  first  Master  Mason  raised  in  Star  Lodge  in  1864, 
was  Master  of  the  lodge  in  1871,  High  Priest  of  Union 
Royal  Arch  Chapter  in  1872,  was  the  first  High  Priest  of 
Crescent  Chapter  of  Orange  in  1884,  and  has  been  Grand 
Principal  Sojourner  of  the  Grand  Chapter  of  Massachusetts. 


CHAS.  W.   BANNON. 


RUSSELL  S.   HORTON. 


ALLEN   F.   FLETCHER. 


AMERICUSV.   FLETCHER. 


COMMEHCIAL.  425 

He  was  one  of  the  committee  to  publish  the  book,  "Athol 
in  Suppressing  the  Rebellion,"  upon  which  he  did  much 
work.  In  1850  he  commenced  investigating  the  philosophy 
and  phenomena  of  modern  Spiritualism,  and  was  one  of  the 
first  in  Athol  to  give  attention  to  that  subject.  He  is 
president  of  the  first  Spiritual  Association  of  Athol.  He 
was  married  Jan.  10,  1849  to  Miss  Betsey  H.  Mayo  of 
Worcester.  They  have  two  sons,  Frank  W.  and  Charles  A. 
Rdssell  S.  Horton  was  born  in  Gill,  Jan.  16,  1825. 
He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  J'ranklin 
county  towns  and  the  High  school  at  Warwick.  After 
leaving  school  he  traveled  in  the  West  about  two  years. 
He  came  to  Athol  in  1850,  and  went  to  work  for  C.  M. 
Lee,  who  had  then  just  commenced  making  shoes.  He 
remained  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Lee  until  1852,  when  he 
went  to  Lynn,  and  was  engaged  for  several  years  in  manu- 
facturing shoes.  While  in  Lynn  he  married  Ruth  Adaline 
Newhall,  July  25,  1857.  He  served  in  the  war  in  the 
Fourth  Mass.  Heavy  Artillery.  In  1869  he  came  back  to 
Athol  and  again  entered  the  employ  of  Mr.  Lee,  where  he 
remained  until  1881.  He  represented  the  eighth  Worces- 
ter district  in  the  Legislature  of  1880,  and  has  served  on 
the  board  of  fire  engineers.  He  was  the  head  of  the  Sov- 
ereigns of  Industry,  when  that  organization  flourished,  and 
has  been  interested  in  nearly  all  of  the  labor  organizations 
that  have  existed  in  Athol.  After  leaving  the  employ  of 
Mr.  Lee  in  1881  he  worked  for  Horace  Hager  several  years 
making  shoes  and  has  also  worked  at  the  Hill  &  Greene 
shops. 


426  ATHOL,  FAST  AND  PRESENT. 

Americus  V.  Fletcher  was  born  in  Athol,  Oct.  24, 
1835.  His  mother  died  when  he  was  a  young  boy,  and  he 
lived  with  different  families  in  town  until  thirteen  years  of 
age  when  he  went  to  Greenwich,  which  was  his  home  about 
two  years.  He  then  went  to  Greenfield  where  he  was 
employed  in  the  John  Russell  cutlery  works  for  two  or 
three  years,  and  then  to  Pratt's  Hollow  in  New  York  state 
where  he  worked  for  a  time  in  the  hop  fields.  After  en- 
gaging in  different  occupations  for  a  few  years  he  went  to 
Hubbardston  and  learned  the  stove  and  tin  ware  business. 
Returning  to  Athol  he  started  in  business  with  his  brother, 
A.  F.  Fletcher,  in  1858,  in  the  basement  of  the  house 
known  as  the  Stockwell  house,  near  E.  T.  Lewis's  office  at 
the  upper  village.  In  1859  they  built  what  is  known  as 
Fuller's  block  at  the  Centre,  and  later  purchased  the  Hum- 
phrey sash  shop,  where  the  piano  case  shop  has  since  been 
located,  and  where  they  manufactured  pumps.  In  1868 
Mr.  Fletcher  purchased  a  stove  and  tin  ware  business  on 
Exchange  street  in  which  business  he  has  been  engaged 
ever  since  in  different  places  in  the  village.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Star  Lodge  of  Masons.  He  was  married  July  4, 
1860  to  Emeline  O.  Peckham  of  Dana.  They  have  two 
children,  Edith,  the  wife  of  Chas  L.  Fay,  and  Carl  A.,  who 
is  a  student  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.' 

Allen  Florentine  Fletcher  was  born  in  Athol,  Mar. 
!28,  1839.  His  mother  died  when  he  was  five  years  old, 
and  his  boyhood  was  spent  with  relatives  in  Templeton, 
North  Orange,  Greenwich  Village  and  other  places.  In 
1853  he  went  to  Greenfield  and  worked  in  the  John  Rus- 


COMMERCIAL.  427 

sell  cutlery  factory  for  a  short  time,  after  which  he  returned 
to  Athol  and  was  employed  in  the  Hapgood  match  shop 
for  a  while.  In  1855  he  went  to  Hubbardston  and  engaged 
himself  to  Appleton  and  Leonard  Clark  for  three  years  to 
learn  the  tin  trade.  In  1858  in  company  with  his  brother, 
Americas  V.,  he  bought  the  tin  and  stove  business  of  Col- 
lins Andrews,  and  the  next  year  they  built  the  block 
which  has  been  known  as  Fuller's  block  at  the  Centre, 
now  occupied  by  Samuel  Lee  and  others.  About  1862  he 
added  the  manufacture  of  pumps  to  his  business,  and  in 
1 868  sold  his  interest  in  the  tin  and  stove  business  to  his 
brother,  and  has  since  that  time  given  his  attention  to  the 
manufacture  of  pumps,  having  taken  out  several  patents 
and  made  valuable  improvements,  his  shop  being  located 
near  the  junction  of  Riverbend  Street  with  Hapgood  Street. 
In  1863  he  built  the  first  brass  foundry  in  town  where  the 
piano  shop  is  now  located.  He  was  married  May  28, 1862, 
to  Miss  Ann  Jane  Chamber lin.  They  have  two  children, 
Grace  G.,  who  married  Wellington  I.  Dow  and  Edgar 
Allen. 

Augustus  Coolidge  was  born  in  Erving,  Mass.,  Oct. 
2,  1842.  His  education  was  obtained  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  town  and  at  Burnham's  Business  College  in 
Springfield.  He  was  employed  for  two  or  three  years  in 
the  cartridge  manufacturing  establishment  of  CD.  Leete 
&  Co.,  of  Springfield,  and  then  engaged  in  canvassing  for 
books,  pictures,  etc.,  which  he  followed  for  several  years, 
and  then  took  up  the  life  insurance  business,  locating  in 
Worcester  in  1869.     In  1874  he  commenced  to  build  up  a 


428  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

fire  insurance  business  which  he  conducted  successfully 
until  his  removal  to  Athol  in  July,  1884.  He  opened  an 
insurance  office  in  a  small  room  in  Parmenter's  block, 
where  he  remained  two  years,  was  in  Starr  Hall  block  five 
and  one  half  years,  when  he  removed  to  his  present  office 
in  his  Main  Street  block  which  he  erected  in  1891.  Soon 
after  coming  to  Athol,  having  faith  in  the  future  growth 
and  prosperity  of  the  town,  Mr.  Coolidge  commenced  to 
invest  in  real  estate.  His  first  venture  was  the  purchase 
of  the  Simonds  block  in  1886,  which  he  followed  up  in 
1887  with  buying  the  cotton  mill  property,  which  had  been 
in  the  market  for  years.  He  developed  the  property  by 
laying  out  a  portion  of  it  into  building  lots,  erected  houses, 
and  sold  various  parts  of  the  estate,  making  therefrom  a 
handsome  sum.  In  1890  he  purchased  the  Charles  L. 
Lord  estate  on  Main  Street.  He  was  secretary  of  the 
Athol  Board  of  Trade  for  several  years,  and  spent  much 
time  and  money  in  his  labors  to  induce  business  enterprises 
to  locate  in  town  and  one  of  the  results  of  these  efibrts  was 
the  piano  works  of  Goddard  &  Manning.  While  in  Wor- 
cester he  was  a  member  of  the  Main  Street  Baptist  church, 
and  was  an  active  worker  in  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  of  that  city.  On  coming  to  Athol  he  connected 
himself  with  the  local  Baptist  church,  and  first  came  into 
public  notice  by  revolutionizing  affairs  in  that  church,  be- 
ing at  the  head  of  a  committee  for  raising  five  thousand 
dollars  for  repairing  the  church.  He  has  been  Noble 
Grand  of  TuUy  Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  various  Masonic  organizations  in  town,  and  for 


AUGUSTUS  COOLIDGE. 


COMMERCIAL.  429 

the  last  number  of  years  has  been  an  active  and  influential 
worker  in  town  and  political  affairs,  and  was  chosen  Re- 
publican presidential  elector  in  the  campaign  of  1896.  In 
1888  he  delivered  the  historical  address  at  the  50th  anni- 
versary of  the  town  of  Erving.  He  was  married  July  30, 
1869  to  Hannah  P.  Blake  of  Springfield,  a  teacher  in  the 
public  schools  of  that  city. 

Ltlley  B.  Caswell  was  born  in  Fitchburg,  March 
29,  1848.  His  early  education  was  obtained  in  the  district, 
Grammar  and  High  schools  of  his  native  town.  In  1867 
he  entered  the  Massachusetts  Agricultural  College  at  Am- 
herst as  a  member  of  the  first  class,  known  as  the  "Pioneer 
Class,"  and  graduated  in  1871.  While  in  college  he 
taught  school  during  the  winter  terms  in  several  towns, 
aud  also  for  several  terms  after  graduating.  Soon  after 
leaving  college  he  entered  the  office  of  George  Raymond, 
civil  engineer  of  Fitchburg,  and  in  May,  1873,  came  to 
Athol  and  in  company  with  Samuel  D.  Baldwin  of  Fitch- 
burg opened  an  ofiice  for  the  civil  engineering  business 
under  the  firm  name  of  Baldwin  &  Caswell,  This  partner- 
ship was  continued  between  three  and  four  years  when  it 
was  dissolved,  Mr.  Caswell  retaining  the  business,  which 
he  has  continued  to  carry  on  to  the  present  time.  During 
his  residence  of  twenty-five  years  in  Athol  he  has  been  ac- 
tively interested  in  town  affairs,  and  in  the  religious,  educa- 
tional and  political  life  of  the  community.  For  several 
winters  after  coming  to  Athol  he  taught  the  Grammar 
school  at  South  Koyalston  and  the  High  school  at  Royal- 
ston  Centre,  and  conducted  evening  schools  in  Athol.     In 


430  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

addition  to  his  civil  engineering  business,  which  has  ex- 
tended into  all  the  towns  in  this  part  of  the  state,  he  has 
done  much  work  as  a  correspondent  and  reporter  for  various 
papers,  among  which  are  the  Boston  Globe,  Boston  Her- 
ald, Worcester  Spy,  Greenfield  Gazette  and  Courier,  Athol 
Transcript  and  others.  He  has  also  compiled  and  published 
several  directories.  In  1880  he  was  appointed  a  census 
enumerator  of  Athol,  for  the  United  States  census  of  that 
year,  and  in  March  of  the  same  year  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  school  committee,  which  position  he  held  for  nine 
years.  In  1882  he  was  chosen  one  of  the  library  commit- 
tee by  the  town  to  receive  the  library  from  the  Athol 
Library  Association,  when  it  became  public  a  library,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  committee  until  1886,  and  has  also 
been  a  member  of  the  committee  for  the  last  three  years. 
He  has  also  served  the  town  in  various  other  positions,  is 
serving  his  second  term  on  the  Board  of  Health,  is  one  of 
the  Sewer  Commissioners,  and  has  served  on  important 
committees.  He  was  appointed  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  by 
Governor  Long  in  1882,  and  has  received  successive  re- 
appointments to  the  present  time.  In  June,  1883,  he  was 
appointed  one  of  the  Trial  Justices  for  the  county  of  Wor- 
cester by  Governor  Butler,  and  held  that  position  until  the 
establishment  of  the  First  District  Court  of  Northern  Wor- 
cester abolished  the  office.  He  was  also  appointed  by 
Governor  Butler  a  commissioner  for  qualifying  civil  officers, 
which  position  he  now  holds.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  church,  with  which  he  has  been  prominently 
identified,  is    one  of  the    stewards  of  the  church,  and  is 


ISAIAH    L.  CRAGIN. 


COMMERCIAL.  43 1 

serving  on  his  ninth  year  as  superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
school.  He  has  been  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  since  its  organization,  is  a 
member  of  Tully  Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows  and  Mount  Pleas- 
ant Encampment,  was  one  of  the  charter  members  of  Athol 
Grange,  and  is  a  corresponding  member  of  the  Fitchburg 
Historical  Society.  For  many  years  he  was  a  member  of 
the  Democratic  town  committee,  and  several  years  the 
chairman.  He  was  married  Jan.  2,  1877,  to  Mary  Eliza- 
beth Keyes  of  Melrose. 

Isaiah  L.  Cragin  was  born  in  Alstead,  N.  H.,  Aug. 
'22,  1819.  His  parents  moved  to  New  Ipswich  when  he 
was  one  year  old,  and  this  was  his  home  until  1831.  After 
attending  the  public  schools  he  pursued  his  studies  at 
Appleton  Academy,  New  Ipswich,  and  Lawrence  Academy, 
Groton.  In  1837  he  went  to  Boston  and  was  employed 
in  a  shoe  store  on  Hanover  Street,  where  he  remained  un- 
til he  had  an  appointment  in  the  Navy  as  assistant  surgeon 
under  Commodore  Stewart  at  the  Washington  Navy  Yard. 
In  1843  he  went  to  Groton  and  engaged  in  farming,  but 
owing  to  ill  health  he  was  obliged  to  give  up  the  business. 
He  again  went  to  Boston  and  was  engaged  in  business, 
being  for  a  year  or  two  in  the  firm  of  J.  Nourse  &  Co., 
dealers  in  agricultural  implements.  About  1866  he  went 
to  Philadelphia  and  had  the  agency  of  Dobbin's  Electric 
soap  for  about  a  year,  when  with  his  son  he  purchased  the 
business,  and  developed  an  extensive  and  profitable  busi- 
ness, which  is  now  carried  on  by  his  son.  In  1877  Mr. 
Cragin  came  to  Athol  and  purchased  the  old  Humphrey 


432  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENT. 

homestead  on  "Athol  Street,"  which  he  greatly  improved. 
He  is  one  of  the  owners  of  the  Cragin  Cattle  Co.,  in  the 
Indian  Territory  which  has  had  at  times  nearly  twenty 
thousand  head  of  cattle.  He  has  been  deeply  interested 
in  the  agricultural  interests  of  Athol,  and  was  for  three 
years  president  of  the  Worcester  Northwest  Agricultural 
Society. 

Adin  H.  Smith,  son  of  Joshua  and  Hannah  (Fish ) 
Smith,  was  born  in  Athol,  June  18,  1815,  on  the  farm 
known  as  the  "brick  yard  farm"  in  the  west  part  of  the 
town,  where  his  father  was  also  born.  His  great  grand- 
father, Lieut.  Ephraim  Smith,  was  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  Athol,  who  came  from  Hatfield  when  tweuty- 
one  years  old  built  a  log  house,  where  the  house  of  Charles 
L.  Goddard  now  stands.  He  was  one  of  the  minute  men 
who  marched  on  the  Lexington  alarm  in  the  Revolution, 
and  his  son  Caleb  was  also  a  sergeant  in  the  same  com- 
pany. Caleb.  Smith  had  eleven  children,  all  of  whom  with 
the  exception  of  Joshua,  Adin's  father,  went  to  Vermont 
and  New  York  and  settled  around  Lake  Champlain.  Adin 
lived  on  the  farm  where  he  was  born  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  brick  making  until  1874,  when  he  removed  to 
the  village,  which  was  ever  after  his  home.  He  continued 
to  carry  on  his  farm  and  brick  business  until  1889,  when 
he  retired  from  the  latter.  The  bricks  from  the  Smith 
yard  were  considered  among  the  best  manufactured  in  the 
state  and  were  used  extensively  by  the  Vermont  &  Massa- 
chusetts Railroad  Co.,  and  in  Worcester,  Fitchburg,  Athol, 
Orange  and  other  places.     He  was  interested  in  the  intro- 


ADIN    H.  SMITH. 


COMMERCIAL.  433 

duction  of  gas  and  water  into  town,  and  was  the  first 
president  of  the  Athol  Gas  Light  Co.,  and  one  of  the  first 
directors  of  the  Athol  Water  Co.  He  woul  never  accept 
of  town  office,  though  he  took  an  active  part  in  town  affairs. 
He  was  a  member  of  Star  Lodge  of  Masons  and  Athol 
Commandery  Knights  Templars.  He  was  married  Nov. 
10,  1837,  to  Miss  Mary  C.  Adams  of  Orange  by  whom  he 
had  two  children,  Martha  J.,  the  wife  of  Jonathan  W. 
Sawyer,  and  Ellen,  who  married  Jonathan  Davis  of  Sterl- 
ing, and  died  in  1883.  He  was  married  a  second  time, 
March  2,  1843,  to  Louisa  M.  Adams,  a  sister  of  his  first 
wife.  By  this  marriage  there  were  three  children,  Mary 
A.,  who  married  Edgar  Hanson,  Lucy  M.,  widow  of  L.  C. 
Parmenter  and  H.  Waldo.  Mr.  Smith  died  of  pneumo- 
nia, Jan.  21,  1898. 

AzoR  S.  Davis  was  born  Sept.  26,  1830,  in  Kingston, 
R.  I ,  and  when  two  or  three  years  old  came  with  his  par- 
ents to  Athol,  who  made  their  home  on  Chestnut  Hill  on 
the  farm  now  owned  by  George  A.  Merrifield.  He  attend- 
ed the  district  school  in  that  part  of  the  town,  working 
evenings  and  on  Saturdays  making  boots.  His  school  life 
closed  when  only  twelve  years  old,  and  he  continued  to 
work  for  his  father  until  about  twenty  years  of  age,  when 
he  came  to  the  village  and  went  to  work  for  his  uncle,  Ozi 
Kendall.  After  working  for  him  three  or  four  years  a 
co-partnership  was  formed  between  Ozi  Kendall,  Geo  N. 
Kendall,  and  A.  S.  Davis  with  the  firm  name  of  O.  Ken- 
dall &  Co.,  for  the  manufacture  of  calf  boots.  This  part- 
nership was  continued  until  about  the  time  of  the  civil  war, 


434  ATHOL,    PAST    AND    PRESENT. 

when  Mr.  Davis  enlisted  in  August,  1862,  as  a  musician 
in  Co.  E,  25th  Mass.  regiment,  and  served  until  the  ex- 
piration of  his  term  of  enlistment,  Oct.  20,  1864.  On  his 
return  to  Athol  from  the  war  he  commenced  making  cus- 
tom work  at  his  home  on  Walnut  street,  employing  two 
or  three  hands  until  about  1870  when  he  opened  a  retail 
boot  and  shoe  store  on  Exchange  Street,  where  he  contin- 
ued until  about  1883,  when  he  removed  his  business  to 
Stockwell's  block  on  Main  Street,  where  he  remained  until 
1898,  when  he  moved  to  his  present  location  in  the 
Academy  of  Music  block.  Mr.  Davis  is  one  of  the  trustees 
of  the  Methodist  church,  and  has  been  a  member  of  its 
choir  since  the  society  was  organized  in  1851,  except  while 
absent  in  the  army,  serving  most  of  the  time  as  leader. 
He  married  Elizabeth  M.  Morse,  April  7,  1853.  They 
have  one  daughter,  Florence,  the  wife  of  N.  S.  Beebe. 

Hiram  C.  Donton  was  born  in  Phillipston,  Nov.  4, 
1855.  He  attended  the  district  school  until  fourteen  years 
of  age,  and  remained  at  home  on  the  farm  until  twenty- 
one  years  old.  The  following  year  he  entered  the  employ 
of  J.  D.  Parker  &  Co.  of  Goulding  Village  in  Phillipston, 
working  on  the  farm  and  in  the  chair  shop  for  three  years. 
Desiring  to  enter  mercantile  business,  he  took  the  hard- 
earned  money  of  those  three  years  and  attended  Glenwood 
Classical  Seminary  at  Brattleboro,  Vt.,  for  one  year,  pay- 
ing his  tuition  by  caring  for  the  school  buildings.  He  then 
took  a  six  months'  course  at  French's  Business  College  at 
Boston.  In  1879  he  became  clerk  in  the  store  of  N.  L. 
Johnson  at  North  Orange    where  he   remained   until   the 


AZOR  S.   DAVIS. 


H.  C.   DUNTON. 


H.  F.  PRESTON. 


J.  W.   DONOVAN. 


COMMERCIAL.  435 

following  April,  and  then  entered  the  employ  of  Charles 
T.  Hudson  in  the  grocery  business  at  Springfield,  com- 
mencing at  the  bottom  and  working  up  to  be  head  clerk. 
He  continued  there  until  1882,  when  he  went  to  Orange 
as  clerk  for  Chas.  Towne,  where  he  was  engaged  until  the 
fall  of  1885,  and  then  came  to  Athol  to  work  for  J.  B. 
Cardany,  with  whom  he  remained  until  Mr.  Cardany's  death 
in  1888,  and  continued  to  work  for  C.  F.  Dow,  who  pur- 
chased the  business,  until  September  1890,  when  he 
bought  the  Henry  Cook  crockery  and  furniture  business, 
and  has  increased  it  until  it  has  become  one  of  the  largest 
complete  house  furnishing  establishments  between  Boston 
and  Troy.  He  is  also  the  leading  undertaker  of  the  town. 
He  is  a  member  of  TuUy  Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  the 
Knights,  of  Pythias  and  is  one  of  the  cemetery  commission- 
ers of  the  town.  He  was  married  in  January,  1882,  to  Miss 
Mary  E.  Newton,  a  teacher  of  large  experience.  They 
have  two  daughters. 

Henry  F.  Preston  was  born  at  Peterboro,  N.  H. 
Dec.  8,  1848.  He  attended  the  common  schools  and  later 
the  Academy  in  that  place,  after  which  he  was  employed 
in  several  wood  working  shops,  and  was  also  assistant  over- 
seer in  the  cotton  mill  there.  When  seventeen  years  of 
age  he  joined  the  Peterboro  Cornet  Band  as  cornetist,  and 
was  chosen  its  leader  three  years  after,  which  position  he 
held  until  January,  1874,  when  he  became  leader  of , the 
East  Jafirey  Band,  and  was  engaged  by  the  Winchendon 
Band  from  January,  1875,  to  October,  1878,  when  he  came 
to  Athol  as  leader  of  the  Citizens  Band,  which  he  conducted 


436  ATHOL,    PAST    AND    PRESENT. 

until  the  breaking  up  of  that  organization  eight  years  later. 
He  has  been  temporary  leader  of  nine  other  bands,  and  has 
filled  engagements  with  thirty  four  bands,  among  which 
are  the  Fitchburg,  Medford,  Metropolitan  of  Boston,  two 
in  Newburyport,  Manchester,  N.  H.,  Brattleboro,  Vt.,  and 
other  places.  He  has  filled  summer  engagements  at  Lake 
Pleasant,  the  Isle  of  Shoals,  White  Mountains,  Bar  Harbor, 
while  his  band  engagements  have  extended  from  St.  Al- 
bans, Vt.,  to  Martha's  Vineyard  and  from  North  xidams  to 
Portland,  Me.  In  1892  he  bought  and  has  since  carried 
on  the  Highland  photograph  studio.  He  is  a  member  of 
Athol  Lodge  of  Masons.  He  was  married  Nov.  11,  1875, 
to  Belle  L.  Bartlett,  a  native  of  Monroe,  Wisconsin. 

John  W.  Donovan  was  born  in  Athol,  June  8,  1857. 
He  attended  the  public  schools  from  the  lowest  grade 
through  the  High  school,  and  after  leaving  school  went  to 
work  for  H.  R.  Barber,  making  buckle  straps,  where  he 
was  employed  for  two  years.  He  was  then  clerk  in  the 
grocery  store  of  S.  E.  Fay  for  three  years,  and  worked  at 
the  Athol  Machine  shop  for  two  years,  after  which  he 
learned  the  business  of  a  barber,  in  which  he  has  continued 
since  1880,  having  been  in  business  for  himself  with  the 
exception  of  the  first  three  years.  He  was  married  Nov. 
23,  1884,  to  Miss  Joanna  Fitzgibbons  of  Athol.  They 
have  one  daughter.  Mr.  Donovan  has  been  superintend- 
ent of  the  Sunday  School  of  St.  Catherine's  church  four 
years,  and  is  a  member  of  Court  Athol,  Foresters  of  Amer- 
ica and  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

Enoch  T.  Lewis  was  born  in  Poyalston,  Sept.  6,  1830. 


COMMERCIAL.  437 

His  father,  Timothy  Lewis,  was  a  native  of  Athol  and 
lived  here  during  his  early  life,  being  a  surveyor  and  Just- 
ice of  the  Peace.  Enoch  lived  at  home  until  about  four- 
teen years  old  when  he  went  to  Warwick  and  worked  on 
a  farm,  but  soon  came  to  Athol  and  learned  the  trade  of 
marble  worker  of  Whitman  T.  Lewis,  who  carried  on  busi- 
ness at  the  Centre.  He  worked  at  Laconia,  N.  H.,  and 
Marlboro  about  four  years.  He  married  Almira  M.  Jen- 
nison  of  Prescott.  July  4,  1^52,  and  the  next  year  started 
the  marble  business  in  Athol  which  he  carried  on  until 
about  1^73,  when  he  sold  out  to  L.  M.  Wellman.  He 
was  appointed  sexton  in  1853,  and  engaged  in  the  under- 
taking business  in  1869  which  he  continued  until  1884. 
As  sexton  and  undertaker  he  officiated  at  the  burial  of 
over  eighteen  hundred  persons.  In  1862  he  enlisted  in 
Co.  E,  P^ifty-third  Mass.  regiment,  and  was  with  the  regi- 
ment in  all  its  marches  and  engagements.  He  has  served 
in  many  public  ofl&ces.  He  was  appointed  a  Justice  of  the 
Peace  in  1863,  and  has  by  successive  reappointments  served 
to  the  present  time;  has  been  a  Notary  Public  since  1874, 
was  one  of  the  Trial  Justices  from  1878  to  1884,  and  a 
coroner  from  1870  to  1871.  He  was  one  of  the  enumer- 
ators of  the  United  States  census  of  1880  and  the  state 
census  of  1875.  He  served  the  town  as  constable  for  nine- 
teen years,  tax  collector  seven  years,  auditor  for  two  or 
three  years  and  treasurer  one  year.  He  has  been  one  of 
the  most  prominent  members  of  the  Worcester  Northwest 
Agricultural  Society,  serving  as  secretary  from  1864  to 
1880,  with  the  exception  of  one  year  and  was  also  secre. 


438  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

tary  in  1883 ;  represented  the  Society  as  delegate  to  the 
State  Board  of  Agriculture  three  years,  and  was  its  presi- 
dent in  1882.  Since  retiring  from  the  undertaking  busi- 
ness in  1884,  he  has  engaged  in  the  settling  of  estates  and 
in  looking  after  his  extensive  real  estate  interests.  He  has 
one  daughter,  the  wife  of  Dr.  E.  Ward  Cooke  of  Cam- 
bridgeport. 

John  Swan,  son  of  John  and  Polly  (Levering)  Swan, 
was  born  in  Phillipston,  March  2,  1833.  His  mother  was 
killed  by  lightning  when  he  was  about  six  years  old,  and 
he  went  to  live  with  an  uncle  until  ten  years  of  age,  when 
his  father  married  again  and  the  family  moved  to  Ham- 
mond, St.  Lawrence  County,  New  York.  John  lived  there 
until  fifteen  years  old,  when  he  came  to  Athol,  which  has 
since  been  his  home.  He  engaged  in  butchering  and  had 
a  market  under  the  old  Pequoig  House  for  ten  years  or 
more.  His  market  was  also  located  for  a  number  of  years 
under  the  old  Bassett  &  Chick ering  store,  where  Starr 
Hall  block  now  stands.  Soon  after  the  old  block  was 
burned  he  moved  his  market  to  the  building  on  Exchange 
St.,  where  it  has  ever  since  been  located,  and  where  it  is 
now  carried  on  by  his  son,  W.  L.  Swan,  Mr.  Swan  retiring 
from  the  business  in  1887.  About  1861  he  purchased  the 
farm  known  as  the  Partridge  place,  on  an  elevation  west  of 
the  village,  which  has  since  been  his  home,  and  where  in 
addition  to  the  market  business,  that  he  carried  on  so  long, 
he  has  engaged  extensively  in  farming.  He  has  devoted 
much  attention  of  late  years  to  the  raising  of  horses,  and  is 
also  the  owner  of  several  noted  trotting  horses.     His  first 


COMMERCIAL.  439 

venture  in  this  line  was  the  celebrated  trotting  mare,  Lady 
Sheridan,  which  in  1891  won  five  more  races  than  any 
other  horse  in  the  country,  besides  numerous  ice  races  in 
which  she  participated  in  Canada  and  New  York,  where 
she  won  every  race  in  which  she  engaged.  Her  fastest 
time  is  2.15  1-4,  Other  trotters  owned  by  him  are  Checo 
and  Claremont.  Mr.  Swan  is  one  of  the  few  men  of  the 
present  day  who  does  not  belong  to  any  secret  organiza- 
tion. He  was  married  in  June,  1858,  to  Augusta  S.  Fox 
of  Wilmington,  Vt.  They  have  three  children,  Minna,  the 
wife  of  Albert  Ellsworth,  and  William  L.  and  Everett  L. 

Moses  Hill,  son  of  Asa  and  Anna  ( Ballard)  Hill,  was 
born  in  Athol,  Aug.  15,  1822.  His  grandfather,  Moses 
Hill,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Chestnut  Hill.  The 
family  have  now  in  their  possession  an  old  deed  dated 
Juue  21,  1765,  in  which  Aaron  Jones  of  Weston  deeds 
to  Moses  Hill  of  Spencer,  in  consideration  of  Ninety 
Pounds,  land  in  the  northerly  part  of  Athol,  containing  by 
estimation  two  hundred  and  forty-five  acres.  Moses  Hill 
probably  came  to  Athol  about  1767  and  built  a  house  on 
Chestnut  Hill  about  twenty  feet  square.  This  farm  has 
ever  since  been  in  the  possession  of  the  Hill  family,  and  is 
now  the  home  of  Moses  Hill  and  his  son-in-law,  Oren  M. 
Lawton,  who  married  his  daughter,  Lucy  Hill.  Mr.  Hill 
has  always  been  engaged  in  farming.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Congregational  church. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 


"I  will  pick  up  a  few  straws  here  and  there  over  the  broad  field  and  ask  you  a 
few  moments  to  look  at  them." 

lEAELY  all  of  the  secret  societies  of  the 
country  are  represented  in  Athol, 
many  of  them  with  large  and  flour- 
ishing lodges. 

F'ree  Masons.  The  earliest  Free- 
masonry in  Athol  ot  which  any  rec- 
ord has  been  preserved  was  about 
the  year  1790:  when  the  names  of  a 
few  brethren  from  this  town  appear  on  the  rolls  of  two  or 
three  of  the  older  lodges  of  the  County.  They  went  long 
distances  to  attend  the  meetings  without  railway  or  decent 
road  facilities,  and  at  great  expense  of  time  and  labor.  At 
a  meeting  of  the  Grand  Lodge,  Sept.  13,  1802,  a  charter 
was  granted  for  a  lodge  named  "Harris"  to  be  held  in 
tliis  town.  Harris  Lodge  was  duly  constituted  and  conse- 
crated,   and    its    officers  installed  by  the    M.    W.    Isaiah 


MISCELLANEOUS.  441 

Thomas  (the  Patriot  Printer  of  the  Eevolution),  on  Oct. 
13,  1803.  The  Grand  lodge  was  formed  in  the  Crosby 
tavern,  where  the  house  of  Winfield  H.  Brock  now  is,  and 
after  the  private  work  was  over  a  grand  procession  was 
formed,  headed  by  a  coach  drawn  by  two  black  horses, 
which  had  brought  the  Grand  Master  and  his  aids  from 
Boston,  and  a  band  of  clarinets  and  bugles,  which  wended 
its  way  to  the  only  meeting  house  in  town  upon  the  com- 
mon at  the  Centre  where  an  appropriate  sermon  was 
preached  by  Rev.  Bro.  Elliott  of  Watertown.  The  lodge 
was  composed  of  the  Athol  Masons  together  with  those  of 
Gerry,  Templeton,  Petersham  and  Orange.  In  1812  the 
lodge  was  removed  to  Gerry,  and  a  year  or  so  later  to 
Templeton,  where  meetings  were  held  until  1834.  For 
more  than  half  a  century  there  was  no  Masonic  institution 
of  any  kind  in  Athol,  until  July  4,  1864,  when  Star  Lodge 
was  chartered,  with  Andrew  Atwood  as  the  first  Master. 
The  first  meetings  were  held  in  the  lower  village,  but  the 
place  of  meeting  was  soon  changed  to  the  upper  village. 
The  first  Mason  raised  in  Star  Lodge,  and  consequently 
the  first  in  Athol  for  more  than  fifty  years  was  Charles 
W.  Bannon. 

As  showing  the  feeling  against  Masonry  during  the 
great  Anti-Masonic  excitement  prevailing  during  the  first 
half  of  this  century,  we  quote  a  verse  from  a  song  pub- 
lished in  "Freedom's  Sentinel,"  Athol's  local  paper  in  1829  : 

"Mourn,  mourn,  ye  mystic  sons  of  woe, 
In  sadness  bow  the  head ; 
Bend  everj'  back  in  sorrow  low, 
Poor  Masonry  is  dead." 


442  ATHOL,  PAST  AND  PRESEKT. 

Union  Eoyal  Arch  Chapter  received  its  charter  March 
13,  1866,  with  Rev.  George  L.  Hunt  as  the  first  High 
Priest.  Athol  Lodge  was  chartered  Sept.  12,  1872,  with 
Erastus  Smith  as  the  first  Master.  Athol  Commandery  of 
Knights  Templars  was  instituted  Jan.  23,  1874  with  Dr. 
V.  O.  Taylor  as  the  first  Commander,  It  has  had  a  total 
membership  of  two  hundred  and  forty-six. 

Themis  Chapter  of  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star  was 
instituted  Oct.  3,  1890,  with  fifty-six  charter  members,  and 
Mrs.  George  F.  Lord  as  Worthy  Matron. 

Odd  Fellows.  Odd  Fellowship  as  a  permanent  or- 
ganization in  Athol  dates  from  Oct.  15,  1884,  when  Tully 
Lodge,  No.  136,  was  instituted,  with  Lewis  Sanders  as  the 
first  Noble  Grand.  Previous  to  this  several  in  Athol  had 
been  members  of  Social  Lodge  of  Orange.  Mount  Pleas- 
ant Encampment  was  instituted  April  23,  1889,  and  Can- 
ton Athol  was  organized  Sept.  6,  1889. 

Banner  Lodge  No.  89,  Daughters  of  Pebekah,  was 
instituted  April  17,  1890,  under  most  favorable  circum- 
stances with  Mrs.  Maria  L.  Morse  as  the  first  Noble 
Grand. 

Worcester  Northwest  Agricultural  and  Mechani- 
cal Society.  The  first  cattle  show  in  Athol  was  held 
Sept,  28,  1858,  on  the  common  at  the  Centre.  The  next 
month,  Oct.  27,  the  Athol  Agricultural  and  Mechanical 
Society  was  organized.  The  first  ofiicers  were :  President, 
Dr.  J.  P.  Lynde ;  secretary,  Samuel  Lee ;  treasurer,  Moses 
H.  Wood;  trustees,  Elias  Bassett,  Calvin  Kelton,  Joseph 
F.  Dunbar,  Lyman  W.  Hapgood.    The  new  society  started 


MISCELLANEOUS.  443 

off  with  ninety-eight  members.  The  society  existed  as  a 
town  organization  until  April  2,  1867,  when  it  was  incor- 
porated as  the  Worcester  Northwest  Agricultural  and 
Mechanical  Society,  and  was  admitted  to  the  sisterhood  of 
agricultural  societies,  enjoying  the  bounty  of  the  state. 
During  the  years  it  was  a  town  society  the  fairs  were  held 
on  the  uptown  common,  and  the  vestry  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church  was  used  as  a  hall.  The  first  annual  fair 
of  the  newly  incorporated  society  was  held  Sept.  25,  1867. 
In  1868,  the  present  fair  grounds  were  purchased  and  in 
1869  a  half-mile  track  was  built,  and  the  hall  and  other 
buildings  erected,  and  the  grounds  were  enclosed  by  a 
fence.  On  the  completion  of  these  improvements  the 
society  found  itself  in  debt  to  the  amount  of  fourteen  thous- 
and dollars.  The  first  fair  held  on  the  new  grounds  was 
Oct.  5  and  6,  1869.  The  fairs  of  this  society  have  become 
noted  throughout  the  State,  and  especially  the  dinner  and 
after-dinner  speaking  have  become  famous.  Among  the 
speakers  at  the  dinners  have  been  some  of  the  most  noted 
agriculturalists,  politicians,  clergymen,  business  and  liter- 
ary men,  not  only  of  the  state,  but  of  the  nation.  Nearly 
every  governor  of  the  state  for  thirty  years  or  more  has 
honored  the  society  with  his  presence  at  the  fairs. 

Spanish-American  War.  As  in  all  the  wars  of  our 
country  in  the  past  Athol  nobly  did  her  duty,  so  in  this  the 
latest  conflict  for  the  rights  of  humanity,  the  sons  of  Athol 
went  to  the  front  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight  and  did 
their  duty  bravely.  Although  the  town  did  not  have  the 
honor  of  sending  a  full  company  to  the  war,  it   was  well 


444  ATHOL,    PAST   AND    PRESENT. 

represented  in  the  company  raised  in  our  sister  town  of 
Orange,  Co.  E,  of  the  Second  Massachusetts  Regiment  U. 
S.  Volunteers.  The  Athol  boys  in  this  company  were  as 
follows :  Sergeant  Harry  L.  Doane,  Corporal  Joseph  T. 
Bemis,  Corporal  Adolphus  C.  Sweezey,  Corporal  Elwin  W. 
Barton,  Corporal  Harland  H.  Knight,  Corporal  Herbert 
F.  Burdick,  Corporal  Lester  L.  Luey,  Corporal  James  D. 
Smith,  Musician,  Frank  H.  Rainey ;  Privates,  Fred  J. 
Betters,  Sylvester  O.  Cheney,  Ernest  L.  Coburn,  Oliver  D. 
Cook,  Harry  E.  Dennis,  Hugh  G.  Davis,  George  L.  Davis, 
Frederick  A.  Hastings,  Ernest  W.  Haskins,  Albert  Little- 
wood,  Thomas  McRae,  Halbert  V.  Morse,  William  L.  Pike, 
William  H.  Rivett,  William  L.  Smith,  Frank  E.  Wheeler, 
Byron  J.  Whitcomb. 

Co.  E  was  the  first  to  put  foot  on  Cuban  soil,  and  was 
in  the  thickest  of  the  fight  at  El  Caney  and  San  Juan. 
Although  none  of  the  Athol  boys  were  killed  on  the  field 
of  battle  or  died  from  wounds  received  there,  yet  four  gave 
up  their  lives,  two  having  died  at  Santiago,  and  two  a  short 
time  after  reaching  home. 

William  L.  Pike  was  the  first  Athol  boy  to  give  up  his 
life  in  the  war.  He  was  born  in  Worcester,  July  8,  1874, 
a  son  of  Albert  L.  Pike.  When  about  four  years  old  his 
parents  moved  to  Athol  and  William  attended  the  Athol 
schools,  completing  his  education  in  the  Grammar  school, 
after  which  he  was  employed  in  different  shops  in  town. 
He  was  a  popular  member  of  Athol  Hose  Co.,  No.  3. 
When  war  was  declared  and  volunteers  called  for,  he  en- 
listed in  Co.  E,  at  Orange.  He  died  Aug.  7,  1898,  at  San- 
tiago of  malarial  fever. 


MISCELLANEOUS.  445 

Hugh  Goddard  Davis  was  born  in  Royalston  Aug.  10, 
1878.  He  came  to  Athol  with  his  parents  when  about 
fourteen  years  of  age  and  entered  the  High  school  from 
which  he  graduated  in  the  class  of  1896.  After  graduating 
he  immediately  entered  his  father's  box  shop  where  he  was 
engaged  in  work  until  that  business  was  closed.  When 
the  war  broke  out  he  was  among  the  first  to  enlist  at  the 
Orange  recruiting  station  in  Co.  E,  and  passed  a  high  med- 
ical examination.  He  was  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  took  an  active  interest  in  the  athletic 
sports  of  that  organization.  He  died  Aug.  11,  1898,  at 
Santiago  of  embolism. 

William  H.  Rivett  was  born  in  Hinsdale,  N.  H.,  Dec. 
25,  1874.  He  attended  the  public  schools  and  was  then 
employed  in  the  Kauffman  woolen  mill,  and  for  about  four 
years  in  the  Bates  Bros,  wallet  shop  where  he  was  at 
work  at  the  time  of  his  enlistment.  For  nearly  a  year 
previous  to  the  outbreak  of  the  war  he  had  been  a  member 
of  the  militia  in  Co.  E,  at  Orange.  When  the  call  for 
volunteers  came  he  enlisted  and  went  with  Co.  E  to  Fram- 
ingham  and  through  the  campaign  in  Cuba.  He  came 
home  from  Camp  WikofF  with  others  of  his  company  a  little 
in  advance  of  the  regiment,  suffering  from  the  deadly 
typhoid  fever,  and  died  at  his  home  Aug.  31,  1898.  He 
was  a  brave  soldier  and  a  noble  young  man. 

Harland  H.  Knight,  the  last  of  the  Athol  boys  who 
died,  was  born  in  Phillipston  in  January,  1877.  He 
moved  to  Athol  with  his  parents  when  very  young  and 
attended  the  public   schools   until   he   reached  the   High 


446  ATHOL,   PAST   AN0   PRESENT. 

School,  when  he  entered  Hill  &  Greene's  shoe  factory. 
When  the  war  broke  out  he  was  employed  at  the  C.  M. 
Lee  shoe  shops.  He  had  been  a  member  of  Co.  E  for 
over  two  years  and  was  considered  one  of  the  best  shots 
in  the  company,  having  represented  it  at  State  tourna- 
ments on  several  occasions.  Soon  after  reaching  Cuba  he 
was  taken  sick  with  malarial  fever,  from  which  he  never 
fully  recovered.  He  was  one  of  the  last  to  return  home 
and  died  Sept.  21,  1898. 

Other  Athol  boys  serving  in  the  war  were  Everett 
Young  and  Leon  H.  Crosman,  who  were  members  of  the 
Sixth  Massachusetts  Eegiment,  and  Harry  Hutchins,  who 
served  on  the  Government  dispatch  boat  Huntress. 

Samuel  French  Cheney  was  born  in  Orange  in  1802. 
He  married  Laurinda  Battle,  also  a  native  of  Orange,  and 
settled  in  Athol  Factory  village  in  1825.  Four  children 
were  born  to  them,  all  of  whom  grew  up:  Elizabeth, 
who  died  at  the  age  ■  of  eighteen  ;  Nathan,  who  died  in 
1871  at  the  age  of  thirty-nine ;  George  S.  and  C.  Warren, 
who  still  survive.  He  worked  at  his  trade  of  shoemaker, 
and  built  up  a  wholesale  business,  employing  a  number  of 
workmen  until  1840,  when  having  suffered  severe  losses 
in  the  financial  crash  of  that  period,  he  abandoned  the 
business  and  engaged  with  his  brother  Amos,  and  later 
with  Amos  L.  Cheney  in  the  manufacture  of  cotton  batting, 
first  in  the  old  mill  on  the  spot  where  Starrett's  shop  now 
stands,  and  afterwards  building  a  dam  on  Mill  Brook  and 
flowing  Cheney's  Pond.  He  spent  the  later  years  of  his 
life  not  engaged  in  active  business,  except  as  he  built  vari- 


SAMUEL  F.  CHENEY. 


AMOS  CHENEY. 


^It^ 


GEORGE  S.  CHENEY. 


WHEELOCK  A.  CHENEY. 


MISCELLANEOUS.  447 

ous  houses  on  the  land  which  he  purchased  when  a  young 
man.  He  was  a  man  of  kindly  disposition  and  genial 
companionship.  He  died  April  17,  1874,  and  his  wife 
survived  him  untU  1885. 

George  S.  Cheney,  son  of  Samuel  F.  and  Laurinda 
Cheney  was  born  in  Athol,  May  19,  1834.  He  attended 
the  schools  in  town  and  New  Salem  xicademy,  and  after 
teaching  several  terms  in  the  district  schools  of  Athol,  he 
fitted  at  the  Boston  Music  school  for  the  avocation  of  music 
teacher,  which  he  followed  succcessfully  about  twenty 
years,  teaching  singing  schools  in  the  towns  of  Worcester, 
Franklin,  Hampshire  and  Hampden  counties  and  spending 
seven  years  in  Amherst,  where  he  taught  in  both  the  old 
college  and  the  Masssachusetts  Agricultural  college.  In 
1875  he  entered  the  employ  of  Hunt  Bros.,  who  were  then 
general  agents  for  the  sale  of  Estey  organs,  and  in  1878 
went  with  them  to  Boston.  He  was  for  some  time  mana- 
ger of  the  business  of  the  Estey  Organ  Co.,  for  New  England 
and  the  Lower  Provinces,  and  has  for  several  years  been 
connected  with  the  A.  M.  McPhail  Piano  Co.  His  residence 
is  Brookline.  He  was  married  Nov.  2,  1865,  to  Francelia 
E.  Perkins  of  Woodstock,  Vt.  They  have  three  children, 
Grace  Perkins,  Jessie  May,  who  married  Almon  J.  Fair- 
banks, and  Nathan. 

Amos  Cheney  was  born  in  Orange,  Nov.  2,  1793.  He 
resided  for  a  few  years  in  Weare,  N.  H.,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cotton  batting.  Later  occu- 
pied a  Connecticut  River  farm  in  Gill  and  came  to  Athol 
about  1846.     He  was  for  a  time  engaged  in  the  manufac- 


448  ATHOL,    PAST   AND   PRESENIT"  ) 

ture  of  cotton  batting,  and  then  served  as  clerk  in  the 
stores  of  Col.  Nickerson,  Alvin  Houghton  and  P.  C  Tyler. 
He  was  an  enthusiastic  lover  of  Free  Masonry,  having 
joined  the  order  in  his  early  manhood.  He  was  married 
May  7,  1826,  to  Elvira,  daughter  of  Solomon  and  Anne 
(Wheelock)  Mallard  of  Gill.  They  had  five  children. 
One  died  in  infancy,  and  the  others,  all  of  whom  are  now 
living,  are  Wheelock  A.,  of  Worcester,  Ann  Maria,  who 
married  George  A.  Flagg,  Hiram  W.,  of  Cambridge,  and 
Mary  A.,  who  married  the  late  Col.  George  H.  Hoyt.  He 
died  Dec.  5,  1871. 

Wheelock  A.  Cheney,  son  of  Amos  and  Elvira  (Mal- 
lard) Cheney,  was  born  in  Weare,  N.  H.,  April  22,  1830. 
He  came  to  Athol  with  his  parents  when  a  boy  of  fourteen 
or  fifteen  years  old.  His  first  employment  was  in  the 
printing  office  of  the  Mandell's,  who  published  Athol's  sec- 
ond paper,  the  "White  Flag."  He  then  went  to  Fitchburg, 
where  he  was  employed  in  a  printing  office  for  several 
years,  and  from  there  to  Worcester,  where  he  was  for  some 
time  foreman  and  manager  of  the  Edward  Fiske  printing 
office,  after  which  he  established  a  printing  office  of  his 
own,  which  has  grown  to  large  proportions.  He  was  mar- 
ried May  22,  1852  to  Lavinia  Browning  of  Hubbardston. 
They  have  three  children,  two  daughters  and  a  son.  The 
son,  Wilfred  Leroy,  is  in  the  office  of  his  father ,  the  oldest 
daughter,  Florence  Lilla,  married  Frank  P.  Kendall,  and 
Alice,  the  youngest  daughter,  lives  at  home. 


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