Last
updated 30 October 2000"South and West Walpole seemed to have had special
attractions for the early settlers. South Walpole for its water
power and West Walpole for its agricultural facilities; ...Four
years before the incorporation of our town (c.1720) a clothing
mill was established on what is called Clark's privilege in So.
Walpole. Here the Boyden, Mann, Smith, and Ellis families
settled--At the beginning of the present century Walpole Plain
(19th century) was considered the best part of the town; its men
and women, its farms and its herds of cattle had no superiors. A
new school house was built in 1772 and the school averaged 40
scholars for many years. In building the school house 50 cents
per day was paid for labor and one of the articles in the warrant
for the town meeting reads "to see if the Proprietors will
choose a committee to see the work done in building a school
house and to let everyone of the Proprietors do their equal part
or proportion in said building, in labor and in money according
to agreement." At this end of the town were located a
tannery, lime kiln and a furnace. Much earlier in our history a
saw mill was located on Neponset River near the Cedar Swamp,
between West and So. Walpole.
The Meeting-House "was built on the land now used as the
Common, this belonged to Thomas Clap; at his death it was given
to the town 'so long as said town shall see cause to improve ye
same, as it is now improved and to build and rebuild meeting
houses on ye said land and no other building;" this was
dated April 4, 1739.
The name of Ezekiel Robbins is one not to be forgotten, he was
the proprietor of the famous Golden Ball Tavern (Brass Ball)
which was located not far from the Batting Mills of today, it was
here that people took their lunch on the Sabbath between meetings
and everybody went to see the clock, which was the first one of
its kind in Walpole.
The old milestone that now stands in front of our Town Hall
Building, is one of the many that were placed at intervals of a
mile throughout the town. In the center of the town the Clap
family seemed to have been among the earliest and most
enterprising of the settlers. At one time the most of that
portion of our town between Spring Brook and the Neponset River
was owned by that family. In 1795 what is now known as the
Stetson privilege was owned by Ebenezer Hartshorn who had a Grist
Mill there, built in 1796 it was sold to Joshua Stetson who
commenced the manufacture of farming tools. In the early part of
the present century (19th century) a cotton factory was on this
site also a card clothing factory owned by Deacon Everett
Stetson. The cotton factory was sold and in 1855 Mr. Stetson
became sold proprietor of the whole privilege and continued to
manufacture of Card Clothing until in later years he was
succeeded by its present owner Mr. E.P. Stetson. Eleazer Smith
who is known as the inventor of the card machine lived just
beyond the former home of Mr. Ollis Gay; when but 16 years he
invented the pin machine, in one day he made1500 pins, the
greater part of the time being spent in pointing them, which he
was obliged to do on a grindstone; he also cut the first nail in
America from cold iron with a machine of his own invention he was
the inventor of several other machines but received very little
financial benefit from his labors. Early in the century we find
saw-mill at the Henry Blackburn privilege and a little later a
machine shop; in 1820 a snuff mill was located at the Union
(so-called) also a tanyard and foundry, at the same time where
the Batting Mills now stand was located the business of Daniel
Clap, Clothier. At Plimptonville we find a hoe manufactory owned
by Dea. Henry Plimpton, also a satinet mill owned by Daniel
Ellis.
Rev. Mr. Morey died in 1829 and all his manuscripts were
destroyed at his request, but a remainder of him still exists in
the row of beautiful elms planted by his hands near his old home
on the Medfield road.
The house now owned by Mrs. Lamson (the Goddard house??) has been
the home of many highly respected people: as early as 1765 it was
occupied by Dr. Ebenezer Doggett who was an eminent position of
the place; later it was occupied by a noble family exiled from
their home in the Isle of Martinique during the French Revolution
and a stone in the old Cemetery bearing the date of 1803 marks
the resting place of a governor of one of these islands. It is
said that Gen. Washington once stopped here overnight on his way
through the town. The memory of Mr. Loring Johnson still lingers
about the place a benediction to all that knew him.
East Walpole was the home of Warren Colburn the famous
arithmetician and author of Colburn's Arithmetic and some of our
oldest residents today have very pleasant recollections of him
and his family. The part taken by our town at the time of our
Civil War was very creditable; it furnished 126 men for the war
and one commissioned officer, and about $15,000 for its expenses.
by E. J. Ella Boyden May 7, 1896.
Items from the second article written in 1897.
Until the Town Hall was built (1881?) with its fire proof safe,
the records, reports and valuable documents, were left in the
closet, set aside for that purpose, in the lower part of our
church (Unitarian). More than once, these papers were dislodged
by unknown persons and found scattered about, and we can readily
see how uncertain it would be, whether all were there when
collected, or that several were missing. Some of the early tax
lists were found in a second-hand book-store in Boston, and were
bought by one of our citizens. These, I am told, were donated to
our Library and afterwards claimed by the officer appointed by
the state to look after such matters. At the present time, the
first tax list issued by this town is in the possession of a
resident of Foxboro.
157 men, almost one fifth of the entire population, responded to
the alarm at Concord . (1775). A list of the soldiers who served
in the Revolution, is in the safe possession of our town and in
its original form. The church was embodied July 2, 1730--a
program of the service used at this time is also given--church
records.
Until 1784 no provision was made for the education of the girls.
In 1772 a new school-house was built upon the Plains, with an
attendance second in size to that of the center. In 1797 there
were five schools kept in Walpole and the length of term was not
the same in all sections of the town. One half the money was
raised according to the valuation and one half in proportion to
the number of scholars; so it is happened that the section
containing the most valuable property and the greatest number of
scholars, could have the longest term of school. English currency
was used until February 19,1796, all accounts after that date are
given in dollars and cents.
In January 1797, the money for schools was divided and given to
the different sections as follows:
Center---------- $119.27
North----------- 12.66
Ellis Corner----- 19.38
West----------- 61.45
South---------- 39.94
Five musters have been held on the broad fields of the Plain, and
one of them designated as the "great training" held
after the close of the Revolution lasted two days. There was a
mock battle and the Heights of Cape Breton were besieged and
captured, somebody representing Cornwallis surrendering Gen.
Pond. At the muster preceding the last one the soldiers were
reviewed and addressed by Edward Everett, then Governor of the
State. I do not think this is correct--Edward Everett was
Governor of Mass. from 1836-1840. The Revolutionary War soldiers
would all be dead by then.
The earliest road?? that can be remembered from Boston to
Providence was over the Plain and through Wrentham. A tavern was
kept at West Walpole Elijah Clark where travelers were
entertained, and the stages stopped to change horses on their way
to Providence. The cellar is still to be seen near the railroad
bridge, not far from the present school-house.
Two old taverns in So. Walpole. The Polley tavern (now torn down)
and the other the Fuller Tavern. The old boot shop, now standing,
was used as the stables. I am told that between thirty and forty
stages passed through here daily and many distinguished people
were in this way, guests at the Taverns. In 1824, when General
Lafayette was making his visit to this country, he traveled by
this route, and as it became known that he would take dinner
here, the veterans of the Revolution gathered and formed a line
as he came out of the tavern, to salute him. Mr. Holland Wood,
(the father of Capt. Wood, who died in this town about 22 years
ago) had served with Lafayette and was with him in New Jersey. He
was among the number gathered here, and recognized by the General
and warmly shaken the hand. George Washington may have passed
through the town, as he spent the night of April 4, 1776 in
Dedham on his way to New York. One of the Bonaparte family, a
brother of the first Napoleon is said to have ridden through, and
the children were dismissed from school in order to see him, but
little was gained as even the carriage was covered.
Alexander Hamilton once came here and visited the hoe shop which
was located at Plimptonville, this being the only shop of the
kind in this part of the country. John Quincy Adams stopped here
more than once; he much pleased with the manner in which he was
entertained and expressed a desire to see the landlady, and found
her engaged in the useful art of washing the kitchen floor. It
was remarked that her grace and manners were equal to the
occasion and she left one duty for the other without any apparent
discomfiture.
In 1833 Gen. Andrew Jackson, then President of the U.S.
accompanied by Martin Van Buren and members of his cabinet also
traveled through the town on his way to Boston.
A toll-gate was kept near the grist-mill by Deacon James Boyden,
and ...the road belonged to the same Corporation that owned the
stages and this was the method to raise money for keeping the
road in repair at this place.
A broadcloth mill was one of the industries located in So.
Walpole, with machinery for fulling the cloth in the basement,
and situated just below the Clarke homestead of today. The mill
lately known as the woolen mill, was used for carding and
spinning the yarn for the broadcloth mill. The broadcloth mill
was burned and the two privileges united, and a fine apple
orchard now takes the place of the former mill pond. Mr. Timothy
Mann, the proprietor of this mill, was called upon by Warren
Colburn, the author of Colburn's Arithmetic. his errand was to
negotiate for sufficient cloth for a suit of clothes, but he was
entirely without means to pay for it; he had his Arithmetic ready
for publication, but must have a new suit to wear in visiting
publishers; he offered to pay as soon as he should receive the
money in return for book, and Mr. Mann furnished the cloth
accordingly. Colburn's Arithmetic was a success, and the cloth
was easily paid for out of its receipts.
Mr. Josiah Hall, one of the old time residents of this section,
lived some time after celebrating his 100th birthday; he was
given a reception in the vestry of the Methodist church (S.W.)
and a supper was served to all who came.
In the early days of some of our present oldest residents, a
circulating library was established by subscription at Walpole
Center, and kept at the home how occupied by the Booth family.
Later it was kept at the home of Nathaniel Bird's father, on the
same spot where the old house now stands near our common. The
daughter, Mary, was librarian. The books were read and worn out
and the remains of this library were distributed among the
families who had subscribed towards it originally.
A Lyceum was organized in town in 1830, and one of the questions
discussed was the following: "Is it expedient for the town
to erect a Town House." A course of lectures was given by
several of its members, and it may be interesting to hear the
subjects presented by them:
1 - Art of Printing -- by Mr. Joseph H. Walker
2 - Astronomy -- by Mr. Plimpton
3 - Domestic Economy -- Asa Whitman
4 - Effects of Machinery -- by Edward Wright Clap
5 - Knowledge -- Horatio Wood
6 - Present State of Society -- by Rev. P.B. Storer
7 - Cotton and its Manufacture -- Joshua Stetson, Jr.
8 - History -- Erastus Clap
9 - Art -- Ira Gill
from article by J.Ella Boyden 1897 (Mrs. Porter Boyden)
Last
updated 30 October 2000