The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-09-14
To the Senate and House of

Representatives of the General Court of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts,:
FHNHE Petition of the undersigned, inbabit.
n ants eff Dudley, Oxford, and Oxford Soutb
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 fellows-beginning at the
South West corner where the line between
Massachusetts, and Connecticut intersec,s
French River, thence easterIy 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 it intersects the line between Oxford
and Douglas, thence due west 10 French Rlv
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-
talns 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 sunnosed to be
from fifteen to sixteen hundred, from sever 10
eight hundred of which is in Dudley, from five
10 SIX hundred in Oxford, and from one HIM.
bred 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 tie en-.
terprze 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 TO 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, a Machine Shop, five
Forge Shops Hoe and Scythe Shop, a DYING
and Bleaching establishment, and six Stores, in
all which extensive and active business is car
RED 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
population has little natural connection. or con.
nectaon IN business with the villages in the cen.
ire OF those places-that it is burdensomo and
lnconvenient 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 popua.
| ton to be admitted to separate municipal priv
lleges, as nearly one half of said territory ha:
hitherto been denied all participation in such
rights, and the other half is so situated as to be
subjected to unreasonable expense, and loss O
time IN obtaining thsm-that separation would
not be injurious to Dudley or Oxford, as eacl
would be left with large population and terri
tory.
Your Petitioners therefore pray that the,
may be Incorporated into town with the lin
It's aforesaid, or such other limits as YOU shall
see mt to assign them-and as in duty boun
wiki ever pray. GEORGE B. SLATER,
h and l73 others