Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-14
FIFTY YEARS AGO.
Men Who Were Voters When
the City Was Incorporated.
AND WHO ARE VOTERS NOW
A List of W ell Known Venerable
and Honored Citizens.
Many Of Whom viii Take Active Part in
the Celebration of Worcester's Semi
Centennial This Year.
AND WHO ARE VOTERS NOW

with the city of 1898, a few more facts
regarding the state of things here 81
years ago with a list of the voters Of
lS4S, who are still here, may be of inter
est. In the sweeping changes of time but
very few Of the $4,000 persons who Were
here a half century ago, help to make
up the 10000 persons now comprising
the city of Worcester.
OF the Worcester county officials, who
comprised so large a proportion of the
active business life of Worcester at the
turning-point between being a town and
city, 30 years ago, those well remem-
bered for their staid and dignif1ed de-
meanor were: Treasurer, Anthony
Chase; register of deeds, Alexander H,
Wilder; clerk of courts, Charles w.
Aartshorne; sheriff of the county. John
w. Lincoln: crier of the courts, Gen.
Ihomas Chamberlain, father of the pres
ent nigh sheriff; keeper of the Jail and
mouse OF correction, Asa Mathews; turn
Key, Rufus Carter, still resident of
Worcester and the only one on the list
now living
The judges of the supreme court, who
dispensed the highest law from Court
Hill, were Chief Justice Lemuel Shaw,
samuel S. Wilder and Samuel Hubbard
OF Boston, and Charles A. Dewey of
Northampton. The judges of the court
OF common pleas were: Chief Justice
Samuel Wells Of Springfield Pliny Mer-
rick and Emery Washburn of Worces-
Ter, luther S. Gushing of Boston, Joshua
H. Ward of Salem, and Charles e.
Forbes of Northampton. The district at
tomey was Ezra Wilkinson of Dedham.
Inc judge of the probate court was Ben
Jamin +. Thomas, with Charles G. Prem
tl5s as register. The county commission
ers were: Gen. William Crawford of
Oakham, Jerome Gardner of Harvard,
and Joseph Bruce of Grafton.
The banking institutions of Worcester
were differed as follows: Old Worcester.
stephen Salisbury, president; William
Cross, cashier. Quinsigamond, William
Jennison, president; Charles A Hamil-
ten, cashier. Central Thomas Kinnicutt
president; William Dickenson cashier.
Cltlzens', Francis S. Merrick president
George A. Trumbull, cashier. Worcester
county Institution for Savings, Stephen
Salisbury, president; Thomas Kinnicutt,
secretary, and Samuel Jennison, treas
urer.
The officers of the Old Worcester Mu-
tual Fire Insurance Company were: F.
w, Paine, president; Anthony Chase,
secretary. Merchants and Farmers Fire
insurance Co.. Isaac Davis, president;
Charles L. Putnam, secretary. State Mu-
tual Life Assurance Co, John Davis,
president; Clarendon Harris, secretary
Or. John Green, DR. Benjamin F. Hey
"ood and DR.. Joseph Sargent, consult
ing physicians. Worcester County Agri-
cultural Society Levi Lincoln presi-
dent; William S. Lincoln, secretary; An
thony Chase, treasurer Worcester Coun-
y Horticultural Society, Wade Davis,
president; John Milton Earle, cores
p{iiding secretary; George Jaques, re-
eording secretary; F. w. Paine, treas
urer.
Of the churches and religious societies
here in 1S4S, the pastors were: Old
South, Rev George P. Smith. First Uni
tartan, Rev. Alonzo Hill. Central, for
merly Calvinist, Rev. Seth Sweetser.
First Baptist, Rev. S. " SWAIN First
Methodist, on Park street, Rev. ]. D.
Bridge. Second Methodist, now Laurel
street, Rev George Dunbar. First Uni
versaist, Rev Albert Case. Church of
the Unity Rev, + r. Hale. Second Bap-
tist, on Pleasant street, Rev. John Jen-
nings. Union, Rev. Elan Smalley. All
Saints. Episcopal, on Pearl street, Rev.
q. H. Clarke. Society of Friends, meet
lng-house at corner of Oxford and Chat
ham streets.
The Worcester fire department in 1S4S
consisted of these officers: Chief Engin-
eer, Joel Wilder; assistant to chief en-
glneer, Freeman Uphami assistant en-
gineers, Osgood Bradley, Joel H. Litch,
Frederick Warren; engineers, Edward
Lamb, William M Bckford, Levi
Knowlton, Tilly Raymond, John F.
Gleason; clerk Eldridge G. Pratt. Rapid
Engine Co.. No 2, New Worcester, Will
liam H. Haywood. foreman; John Elliot,
second foreman; Levi Hardy, clerk. Des-
patch Engine Co, No, 3, n Main street,
j. H. D. Blake, foreman; Lyman Howe,
second foreman; Lowell Thayer, third
foreman; Warren Ball, clerk Torrent
Engine Co, No. 4, town hall, I. w Sturt-
evant, foreman; David M. Warren, Sec
ond foreman; James Mcfarland, third
foreman; Horatio Doliiver, clerk. Wash
ington Engine Co, No. 5. Lincoln square,
Samuel A. Porter foreman; William
Allen, second foreman; B. E. Hutchin-
son, third foreman; Charles Sanders,
clerk Lafayette Engine Co., No. 6, IS
Exchange street, Danforth H. Bundy,
foreman; Alexander Thayer, second
foreman; Hiram c. Weather, third fore
man; John r. Westcott clerk Hook and
Ladder Co, apparatus on the common,
Erastus NJ. Holmes, foreman; Josiah Co
burn. second foreman; Thomas L. Bug
bee, clerk
OF the young men of 20 years ago
there was Hon Charles b. Pratt then
. his 25th year. a lnoulder in Wheeler S
aundry on Thomas street, who later
secame submarine navigator, then an
Expert horseman, a member Of both
branches of our city government in sue
eession, of both branches Of the legisla-
ture, city marshal, three years mayor,
insurance company president, and now
president of the Worcester Consolidated
Street Railway Company.
Another young voter Of 1S4S of the
name of Pratt, Samuel A. Pratt, came
to Worcester in 1S47 to become agent OF
the New England Protective Union, Dl-
vision A. and started at what was DR..
r, H. Kelley's building, at the corner OF
Front and Carlton streets, 81 years ago
the grocery institution Of which he has
since been the agent and manager, from
Its small beginning to its present vast
proportions in the present commodious
quarters
Another of the young vote. of 1S4S
who came to Worcester in 1S47, was
Hon. z. B. Stoddard, who, after gradua-
ton at Brown University, studied law
here with Hon. ]. c. B. Davis and his
prospective father-in-law, Hon. Isaac
Davis, became district attorney, state
senator, president of the common coun-
ell, mayor and bank president and insu-
rance manager.
There was then here also Gen A. B.
r. Sprague, who was then in partner
ship with his father, Lee Sprague, and
Francis Harrington, in the produce
trade. Since which time he has filled
various positions, sheriff of the county,
alderman, mayor and other offices be-
sides his services in the war to put down
the rebellion.
Still another successful aspiring young
man of so years ago was Con-
gresham Joseph H. Walker, who
then worked for his fatehr, the
late Jospeh Walker, boot manufac-
turer, and succeeded him In the much
more enlarged business, from which he