Putnam patriot., 1923-05-18

landmarks of the old stage-coach days when this Willington, Westford and North Woodstock route was alive with .safnc and by-way industries. The decline was due to the coming Of the railroads. We learn that through stages were discontinued five years before the New London and North eTn railroad was put in operation in 1854 Business on the Central Turn pike (as this stage route was then known) had fallen of, due to the competition of the Boston and Albany and Norwich and Worcester roads, and other lines were under construc- tion or projected. lt is easy to un- derstand that Messrs. Child, Rich mond and Shell, who received the charter to build and operate the sec tion of turnpike. could not foresee that the then-coming railroads would so utterly fail. 75 years later, to take care of the cross-country traffic now done by autocars and trucks.
 Travelling today from the Staf- ford highway lat the point mentioned above West Willingtonl and along the IT miles strip, about half mile east of Browns Crossing you may see traces of the old-time 'Eldridge Mill tshingle and gristl and of the Parker Brothers thread and spool shops, which must have made good use of the water power of Roaring Brook. To the right. as we proceed, silica quartz sand was procured on the c. A. Frink farm (now owned by w. D. Rubyl for the nearby glass factories. The samples of glass available indi- cate the presence of iron oxide. and reports state that the quantity IS ann pie.
 "The new Roaring Brook school house of recent years, costing 20 times as much as it's predecessor still standing adjacent-would lead one to suppose that ambition is not dead except in the trifiing matter of earning money The Athol and Nor wich turnpike, now abandoned in this section-it crossed the Central Turn pike about one-third mile south of the new choolhouse-was the site of a toll-gate, later moved 10 a point near the Moose Meadow church, by special act of the legislature.
 E.ting, Mill
 "On a cross-road a few rods to the left was the Estings mill, where the once-famous Estings scythes were made, and remnants of the dam and foundation walls may still be seen. The name Estings was a symbol of quality in scythes. It is interesting to recall that in 1894 the general as sembly granted charter for a turn pike starting at the Ben Lillibridge house-not on the Central Turnpike. but on the old road from Westford to Stafford about half a mile west of Moose Meadow church-and going north and east in Willington. Staff ford. Ashford. Union and Woodstock, and later amended to permit junction with Central Turnpike at any point between Browns Crossing and the bastford line. Our friends from the north might proftably look into this especially the grade from the axe factory The broken down dam at Moose Meadow pictures reservoir of large capacity.
 Benton Brook, with Bishop saw mill and steei-yard works; Ward grist mill, at the present Beaver dam; a stockiBet mill above; thread and grist mill not far below at Tinkerville-all these show that the earlier industries of stage coach days knew how to make the water work for them. Tradition has it that Esquire Richmond over ruled in his desire to have the turnpike follow the top of the dam, thus great ly improving plan and grade.
 Passing into Ashford. We come to the site of the Burley hotel. now burned. Situated as 1t was at the highest ~oint on the Central Turnpike wiah two beautiful ponds in front, it- self sheltered from winter winds by hills and timber. 1t indicated that it's founder was endowed with a rare sense of favorable location. Little is now left of the old George Lincoln tannery at the next four-eorners. One shoemaker's leather apron in good condition can still be seen--a gift of Mr. Lincoln to Andrew Chapman, a lifelong friend and neighbor who ex- eelled at the shoemaker's art
 Al this point stands the last-re. veuient to the gate and to the dwell Aiks tue latttf HOW ottupled pN George Urdn. Of the numerous tan ners' and curry shops in this section. this Lincoln shop was probablys the last te produce leather.
 Boston Hollow
 "Geologieally. Boston Hollow, still a most picturesque spot just north east of westford village. deserves a special volume by trained observers who in fact will come in numbers when the opening highway brings re- alization of the wonderful formations Co be observed here-but in those days of which we now speak the in dustrisl activities. including the gold mine near the west end. Boiling Rock maple-sugar making, and shingle-split- ting near midway of the Hollow. t has yet been produced. It i