The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-09-07
To the Senate and House of

Representatives of the General Court of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts,:
NNHE Petition of the undersigned inhabit-
Il ants of Dudley, Oxford and Oxford South
Gore, so called, in the County of Worcester,
represents, that they are resident within ter
ritory containing about ten thousand acres of
land, bounded as foows-beginning at the
South West corner where the line between
Massachusetts and Connecticut intersects
French River, thence easterly by said line
which divides the States to the South West
corner OF Douglas, thence northerly by the
line which divides Douglas from Oxford South
Gore till il intersects the line between Oxford
and Douglas, thence due west TO French Riv.
er, and thence down said river TO the place of
beginning. That said Gore, which is not with
| in the limits Of any municipal corporation, con-
tains about four thousand five hundred acres
that about three thousand five hundred acres
are within the limits Of Dudley, and about two
thousand acres within the limits Of Oxford
that the whole population is supposed to be
from fifteen to sixteen hundred, from sever to
eight hundred of which is in Dudley, from FIVE
TO six hundred in Oxford, and from one hun
dred to one hundred and fifty in said Gore
that said territory was rough and very tEinly
inhabited until the water power afforded by said
( river, and large natural pond, invited the en-
| terprize OF manufacturers and mechanics, from
which time it began to flourish vigorously, and
is destined, undoubtedly, to increase in capital
and business, and 10 afford at no distant period,
| a support 10 much more numerous population
that there are within said territory two Re-
/ ligious Societies, each of which has Meeting
! House, also, a Post Office, FIVE Cotton Mills,
three Woollen Mills, Machine Shop, five
Forge Shops, Hoe and Scythe Shop, Dying
and Bleaching establishment, and six Stores, in
! all which extensive and active business is car
ried on-that most of,said population is distant
from Dudley from three to four miles; from
Oxford, from four TO FIVE miles-that the great
public highways leading TO Boston, to Hartford,
to Providence, and other large towns, do not
pass through Dudley or Oxford, so that said
I population has little natural connection, or con-
nection in business with the villages in the CEN
tire Of those places-that it is burdensome anG
inconvenient to travel SO great distance TO at
tend town meetings and for other town purpos-
es-that 1t would greatly promote the prospect
! ty, happiness, and convenience of said popula-
ton to be admitted to separate municipal priv
ileges, as nearly one half Of said territory has
hitherto been denied all participation in such
rights, and the other half is so situated as to DO
subjected to unreasonable expense, and loss of
time in obtaining thsm-that separation would
not be injurious to Dudley or Oxford, as each
would be left witha large population and terri
itory.
! Your Petitioners therefore pray, that they
may be incorporated into town with the linn
its aforesaid, or such other limits as you shall
see fit to assign them-and as in duty bound
wiki ever pray. GEORGE B. SLATER,
and l73 others.