Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-10-07


least once in century turn from the hustle Of
life, and contemplate our origin as individuals
and as community.
Two hundred years ago. this section of the
Commonwealth was traversed only by the red
men of the forest; but they were friendly and
| in manner ander the protection of the Mas
| sachusetts colony. Fer at a court held al
Boston in 1914, some Sachems from the great
hill of the west, called Wachuset, came, desir.
ing to be received under that protection. But
| Philip the daring chiefor the Wampanoags un-
tied the tribes and became the terror of the
| English colouists, The colonists suffered a
| sanguinary war which lasted about year, and
| which called out the effective men Of the col
| ony. Towns were burned, and all the horrors
of an Indian war realized. This war cost
New England the loss Of 600 men, and
about the same number of dwellings laid in
| ashes.
The colonies were poor and the soldiers
were poorly paid. After the lapse of over
half century the Legislature OF Massachu-
sets authorized the laying out of tracts of
land for the benefit of the soldiers who served
in the Narraganset war, or their representatives,
as reward Tor their past services.
1t was stipulated that each proprietor should
be obliged to settle sixty families at least in
each township, with learned Orthodox minis
VII SCNSh III " hASh VI
laying out lot for said settled minister, and
one for the school, they should forfeit the grant.
Under such grant was the land now consti-
tuting the town of Westminster conveyed to
the Narraganset soldiers in 1928. 1t was not
confined to a particular company till 1882.
Then it was resolved that the grant should be-
long to 10 persons on condition that they
should settle sixty families, i'll seven years
which time was subsequently extended two
years further.
A general meeting of the grantees was held
i'll Boston Common June d, 1888. 1t was
found that the grantees numbered $40, where
upon it was agreed that they be devided into
seven societies of 120 members each. AT
another meeting the townships were numbered;
and No. l, on Saco river was assigned to Phil
lips, Dane and company. 1t is now known as
Buxton. 1t was agreed to dispose of the rest
by lot, and that the company drawing No 2,
near Wachusett should assign 500 acres to
His Excellency Gov. Belcher, for his honored
fathers right. The lot was drawn by James
Lowden for the Cambridge company.
The proprietors of Narraganset No. 2, 1.-THE
name by which the township was known till
it was Incorporated in 1852 held their first
meeting in Cambridge, December 3, 1873, and
organized by choosing Joseph Bowman, mod
orator, and VIM Willis of Medford, clerk.
Jos. Bowman of Lexington, John Getting of
Watertown, and James Lowden of Charles
town, were chosen a prudential committee.
Subsequently Benz. Brown of WATERFOWL,
VIM. Brattle of Cambridge, Benz Pemberton
and Edward jackson of Newton, John Hall of
Medford and Nathaniel Norcross of Weston,
were added. A committee was also chosen to
divide and lay out their lands, in lots of sixty
acres, with power to add to this quantity
where the soil was poor; they were directed
to omit all meadows and cedar swamps. The
standing committee in December 18th, direct
ell the dividing committee to fix upon a place
for house lots, His Excellency's farm, and a
proper place for Westinghouse and then
lay out land sufficient for meeting house,
training field, and a burying ground, not ez
ceeding ten acres; then lot for the first set
tied minister, lot for the ministry, another for
schools, and then lots for the PROJECTORS.
The place selected for the meeting house
was on the HILL where the first meeting. houses
were erected. The Governors farm was To-
Gated southwesterly from the meeting house
lot, and contained 500 acres, and 20 acres for
roads. In fixing upon house lots, the commit
tee first laid out the town street, where it now
runs, through the village and over the hill, and
then laid out the lots in the form of a parelelo-
gram, 160 rods by co.
In June 1874, there had been no buildings.
erected, and the committee contracted with
one Newton n and Smith for $50, tee t. erect
Mouse in the township % feet long, 16 feet
wide, and feet studs, to be built of square
timber, framed root, covered with long shin
giles, and having good stone chimney. This
was the first building erected in the township
1t was built similar to log houses of square
timber 1t was situated little west of the
present Baptist Westinghouse 1t was unoc-
cupied except by committees and surveyors
till 1884, when it became for short time the
residence of Capt. Morse, the first settler in
the town.
In May 1875, the proprietors contracted with
Maj. VIM. Bratte OF Cambridge, to build
good saw mill and keep it in repairs for twenty
years in consideration OF twelve acres of inca
dow swamps," and the privilege of blowing
all the meadows above his lot from the last OF
September to the 10th of April, from year to
year. This mill was completed in 1876, and
was the second building in the town. 1t was
located at the head of the "Narrows."
As yet no settlement had been made The
proprietors were not very DESTROYS to leave the
metropolis for wilderness made vocal by the
bowling of wild beasts. AT that time the place
was dense forest. Save the surveyors, these
fields hadnever been traversed butby the rowing
savage. These rivulets which are now made
to contribute to the works of art and to the
comfort OF civilized life, then meandered
through the thickets or glided down their rocky
beds unseen by the white man. The lofty
pine and the stately hemlock bowed in the
breeze, and sang their mournful requiem to
none but the red men of the forest. No
wonder that our fathers were not solicit
tors to take up their abode in a trackless
waste, and exile themselves from the
privileges OF older settlements. In May
1875 bounty of forty dollars each, was offered
to the first fifteen families which would settle
in the town before October, 1875. This was
Intellectual and bounty of S33 was offered
to each of the first sixty families who would
settle in the town within two years, and a tax
of 1857 on each proprietor, was levied to en-
able them to hold out the inducements. No
settlement, however, was made till the next
spring.
Capt. Fairbanks Moore, from Lancaster, was
the first who removed his family into the
place. He built frame house at the northeast
end of the pond, near the spot where Mr.. So.
Ion Raymond now resides. Here, if we may
believe the tradition, the first birth and the
first death occurred--both children of Capt
Moore. Nor record of this birth or death
have been found, unless rough stone in the
old part of the burial ground marked GA NJ,
lI42." said to have been erected for Abner
Moore, lad II or Is years of age. This is
undoubtedly the Oldest stone in the yard.
Capt. Moore was afterwards massacred by the
Indians. Deacon Joseph Holden was the sec
ond settler. He died at the age of Sc. His
son Abner, prominent citizen, died at the age
of SO. His son Joseph died at the age of s..
His son Stephen died aged rs.
Deacon Holden's family, consisting of him
self and wife, three sons, and two daughters,
and Capt Moore's, of himself and wife, and six
children, were the only families who spent the
succeeding winter in this then savage wilder
ness. Rutland and Lunenburg, The nearest