Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-06-28

OF the Town.
A preliminary celebration was held at South
Brookfeld two years ago, with great success.
MANY old veterans who attended that have
since fallen, but the ranks are constantly filling
up, and now, the second century has run its
round, enough will gather there to make this,
also, complete success.
This is the land onr fathers loved,
The heritage they toiled to win;
This is the soil on which they moved,
These are the graves they sumber in;
And we're the sons by whom are borne
Names that the honored dead have worm"
Brookfield is on the line OF the Western rail-
road, nearly half way from us to Springfield.
The clay OF the land was so attractive, and
the facilities for fishing in its numerous
brooks, rivers, and lakes, were so fine, that
the aborigines had made this their headquar-
tiers long before the pale face had looked upon
its glories. And at the time Of our first know.
ledge OF it in 164S, it was the principal posi-
ton OF the Nipmuc Indians, powerful tribe,
who occupi, d all the territory from the Con.
necticut river TO the east line Of Worcester
county, and southwark far into Connecticut
One of the Subdivisions OF this tribe, called the
Quaboag, ruled by a chief named Quacunqua-
sit, resided on the west and north sides of
Wicaboag pond, in now West Brookfield.
Some of the Cape Ann settlers at Ipswich,
attracted by the beauty Of the location, OBJ
tanned Of the general court at Boston, in May,
1860, grant of six miles square near Qua
boag pond, provided they have twenty fami'
lies there resident within three years, and that
they have an able minister settled there within
said term" Some attempts at settlement, it is
supposed, had been made previously, but this
was the first permanent and successful one
1t was located about half a mile southeast
from the present village OF West Brookheld,
on what is now known as Fosters Hill. upon
the brow of which was the family residence of
Hon. Jedediah Foster, and Of his son, Hon.
Dwight Foster, father OF the late Hon. A. d.
Foster of this city, whose son, Hon. Dwight
Foster, is one of our esteemed citizens.
On the 10th of November, 1865, Ensign
Thomas Cooper of Springfield, for the use
and behoof of the present English planters at
Quaboag and their associates and successors
and heirs forever" bargained for and took
deed from Shattoockquis and Wattowampe, of
this land lying mainly between the Quaboag
pond (now in South Brookfeld) and Wicka-
boag pond, including the river then called
"Lashaway," with all the 'wet meadows" ly-
ing beside it, and SO extending north and east
about three miles, and south and west four
miles, making territory of about five by sew
en- miles, and paying therefor 'three hundred
fathom of 'Wampumpeage,' or wampum, then
valued at five shilIings per fathom.
The settlement ltinuing prosperous, be-
came of sufficient consequence to receive of
the general court an act of incorporation, Oct.
IS, 1878, and then occupied territory about
ten miles square, which was reduced by adj
joining towns somewhat till the incorporation
in l741 of the town of Western (now Warren)
took bodily of the southwest corner, leaving
about three quarters of the original territory
to the present Brookfelds
In 1875, the Nipmucks joined King Philip
in his great confederacy to exterminate all the
English settlers. Hypocritically protesting
friendship, an arrangement was made for
treaty, and Capt. Hutchinson being appointed
by the governor to form the treaty, arrived at
Brookfeld with twenty horsemen, by ap-
pointment with the Nipmucks, on the
I'd Of August, 1875, and with some of
the principal inhabitants, proceeded un-
armed to the appointed rendezvous, some
two miles northwest from the settlements
but failing to find the treacherous Indians,
cd ri all init
buscade, when eight men were killed, two OF
them settlers, and three were MORALLY wound
ed, Capt. Hutchinson also being wounded.
Retreating to the settlement, all took refuge
i'll strong house which they hastily fortified
with logs The Indians, having burnt all the
other building, some twenty houses with their
barns, and the meeting house, attacked the
stronghold without success; for although they
besieged it for three days and kept constant,
watch and fire upon it, they killed only one
man, who carelesssly exposed himself, and
did no particular damage to the building,
which they tried to set on fire by lighted ar
rows Of pitch, and by thrustng against it with
long poles cart loaded with combustibles in
blaze, but heavy shower Of rain quite oppor.
timely extinguished it.
Late at night on the third day, Major Will
lard, with forty-eigbt horsemen, arrived to their
relief, having heard of the attack. The cat
tie Of the settlers, gathering round and follow.
ing the party Of relief, created so much noise,
that the Indians, alarmed at the seeming mum.
beers of thcarriving army, raised the siege and
fed. A garrison was maintained here till win
ter, when, by direction OF the general court, the
settlers retired and left the ground to tile In
dians, Till the King Phillip war had ceased,
and about 1856 or 1887, the settlement was re-
sumod aud has continued a permanent resi-.
denco Of Anglo Saxons till this day.