The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-02-27
THE FIRST SETTLER.
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE ORIGINAL
FOUNDER OF BOSTON.

FOUNDER OF BOSTON.
william Blackstone, who First Lived on
4 the Charles River, Was Obliged to Move
Away From Puritan Inhucnoes-His Sol
itary Life In Rhode Island.
In the year of 1917 there graduated from
Emmanuel college, England, young man
named William Blackstone. He afterward
became clergyman. He had not n merry
nature, was quiet and reserved and pre-
ferred his library of books to the society OF
people He did not get along well with his
brother clergymen. The King and bishops
Of England wished to be obeyed In all
church matters, and as William Blackstone,
with many other Englishmen, found the
rules and regulations very trying, they left
England and came to America.
Mr.. Blackstone, in looking about for land
upon which to build house, chose the land
upon which the city Of Boston now stands
It was then called "Shawmut." Here in
his a5th year this solitary, "bookish re
cluse" built Il dwelling. The house stood
somewhere on the west slope Of Bacon hill
not far from what are now Bacon ant
Spruce streets, and from this spot he com
manded the mouth of the Charles river
Here he lived oil alone. There was no Other
house in Shawmut. He planted garder
and number OF apple trees. 1t is sale
that he planted the Grst orchard in Massi
chusetts, and also SGlirst in Rhode Island
He traded with the Indians and tended hi
garden and orchard.
The winters must have been long ant
dreary, but not to him. His books wer'
company for him. He had brought will
him from England his library, consisting
of 1855 volumes. He lived in this quiet
solitary way for two or three years. TheI
few white men came and settled ON tn
northern edge of the Charles river TIL
name Of Charlestown was given to tho it'll
settlement Charles was king of Englan,
at that time, and the town and river wer
named for him. A year later a larger com
pany of men came to Charlestown. Thei
leader was John Winthrop, who had beer
made governor of the whole Massachusetts
colony.
1t was not long before Governor Win
throp and his company were in grea
trouble. A terrible sickness came upon tn
colony, owing to the failing Of the spring
at Charlestown. Many of the people died
| Mr.. Blackstone had kind heart, even
he was queer. He knew that in Shawmut
near where ho was living, water was pur
and plenty. He went to Governor Win
throp, and told him of livery excellen
spring" in the eastern part OF Shawmut
and urged him to leave Charlestown ant
come there. Governor Winthrop was onl,
too glad to do rs Mr.. Blackstone advised
and the colony Immediately packed al
their belongings and came over to Shaw
| No. al. 4
| fine house in Charlestown for his own use
| The frame was standing, aud he evel
carried that over to Shawmut.
What n change the coming OF these pee
pie made in that quiet place, where onl
built, streets were laid out, and behold
town. The town was named Boston.
| Now came trouble and disquiet to tn
heart Of poor William blackstone. III
colony which had come to be his neighbor
had rules and regulations which were jus
as distnsteful rs the laws of the Church O
England. Unless he would join the churcl
he could not vote, nor take part in publ
affairs. He would not join the church, an,
he soon felt i'll Mt case in the town. Hi
neighbors bothered him with their activ
life, and he felt out Of place among them
even while he belonged there.
So he decided to go away This decision
must have made him very sad, for her
were all his interests. Here was the littl
home he had made for himself, and tn
garden and orchard he had taken SO mucl
pleasure and pride in tending. He n
served the six acres on which his house
garden and orchard stood and sold hi
right to the remainder of the peninsula 70
R3O, which was raised by assessing 6 shil
lings or more on each inhabitant This {
acre lot he kept for some time Longer
though he never lived upon it again. Par
of the lnnd bought from him was used b
the townfolks as a training field, as
common" where all might pasture thei
cows. That very land is still the ICON
mon"
Mr.. Blackstone purchased cattle with
portion of the money obtained from tn
sale of his land and removed to place o
the river now called by his name, fe,
miles north of Providence. Although h
was the first white man to settle In Rhod
Island he took no part in founding til
colony and always acknowledged alleg
ance to Massachusetts,.
Here-about forty miles from Boston-o
the eastern bank of narrow river in
lovely fertile valley, Mr.. Blackstone foun
a meadow which rose in three stretehe
like three long, wide steps On the first {
these he built u house. on the second h
dug well. He planted new apple OF
chard, and cultivated a new garden. tn
place came to be known as Rehoboth, bu
is now called Lonsdale. and the river wa
named for him-the Blackstone.
He agnin lived the life of hermit, an
was even farther away from people than h
had been at Shawmut.
All this time the town of Providence
seven miles away was growing Nj
blackstone often went there to preach, an
he WAS fond of the young children of tn
place. He very often used to carry ther
some of his fine apples.
Once in a while he visited his old HON
in Boston. The town was growing rapidly
After living "a years ut Rehoboth, Nj
Blackstone married n Boston woman
Mrs. Martha Stevenson. They were ma
ried on the 4th of July and kept that da
as II holiday every year They little knee
then that by and by whole new natio
would be keeping that day as n holiday I
celebrate its Independence. Later SO
was born, and Mr.. Blackstone was happ
father.
He died on the Goth of May. 1915. Abou
u month after his death n war begun b.
tween the white men and some of the II
dams, and party of the Indians comm
to Rehoboth set fire to Mr. Blackstone
house and burned and carried off ever,
thing in it. The cellar of his house is sti
to be seen and the small hill where he use
to read.-Goldthwaite's Geographical MAJ
Rzins.
Tho Manufacture of Felt.
The art of manufacturing felt was know