Last
updated 30 October 2000
1635-This was the land of the Indians-the Neponset tribe claiming
what is now the Walpole area and surrounding territory, adjoining
the town of Dedham.
1636-The ancient Dedham Grant - 16 towns have since been carved
out of this original grant to Dedham in 1636. They include in
part Walpole, Norwood, Westwood, Medfield, Norfolk and Dover as
well as Dedham.
1651-Medfield set off from Dedham
1658-At a meeting in Dedham it was voted to lay out a road to
connect the Cedar Swamp and the sawmill with Dedham. It was an
old Indian trail, now Walpole St. The original road was over
North St.
1659-The Saw Mill was the first industry in the Walpole area. It
was built near the junction of School Meadow Brook and Neponset
River in what is now the Town Forest. The mill was built and
owned by Joshua Fisher and Major Eleazer Lusher, two prominent
men of Dedham.
1663-"Granted to Nathaniel Whitting parcel of land between
the path that goes to Ponsett plaine in lieu of his Naticke
Devident as it shall be laid out by Peter Woodward and Joshua
Fisher" (page 70, Dedham Town Records)
1663-The fist white woman to settle in Walpole territory was Ann
(Brock) Fales, wife of James Fales. Her niece, Priscilla, married
William Robbins, also a pioneer of Walpole.
1664- Thomas Clap, a pioneer settler who had married Mary Fisher,
became owner of the mill.
1666-There were four families living "at the saw-mill",
Thomas Clap, James Fales, Quentin Stockwell and Samuel Parker.
1671-In April 1671 Zachary Smith was found murdered at the
Providence Highway (West St.?) near Stop River. Indians running
down the road told the settlers that they had found the body.
Suspicion was directed towards a party of three Indians who had
come down the Saw Mill Rd. from Dedham Village that morning and
had gone on towards Wrentham shortly after Smith had started in
the same direction. Circumstantial evidence indicated the
homicide was committed by an Indian wearing a red coat. One
fitting this description was soon found, tried and executed. This
incident did not precipitate King Philip's War but was one of the
contributing causes.
1675-June 21 & 24th-King Philip's men attacked the
unprotected settlement of Swanzea and killed and butchered their
victims.
1675-Capt Daniel Henchman, in command of a troop of infantry, and
Capt. Thomas Prentice in command of a troop of horse, left Boston
late in the afternoon of the 26th of June 1675 and stopped at the
Ark Tavern, kept by Mr. White, near King's bridge in Dedham
1708-The mill workers of the Walpole area met and petitioned the
Town Meeting of Dedham to form a township to set up their own
boundaries and be free of Dedham's tax burden.
1724-The petition was granted, with certain stipulation. The new
town was named Walpole, in honor of England's prime minister, Sir
Robert Walpole, a staunch friend of the American colonies.
1726-The first man to own his home in Walpole was James Fales.
The tax roll, however, listed some 45 residents.
1729-A Meeting House was at last built-around which the life of
the community revolved-and a satisfactory Preacher called. He was
reverend Payson, beloved by the people of Walpole whom he served
for nearly half a century.
1768-English tax laws gave rise to a critical situation. Walpole
citizens voted to support the ruling of the Continental Congress
to boycott goods imported from England.
1774-The war alarm was answered by 160 men from Walpole's small
population. Walpole citizens later voted to defend the
Continental Congress in declaring the independence of the
American colonies. In 1782, a "Peace Ball" was held
after the long struggle, in the Ebenezer Fales house on Old
Kendall Street, commemorating the American victory.
1793-Forges and mills were operating. In 1825 the Stop River
Foundry was owned by Squire M. Fales. In 1845 it was purchased by
George and Thomas Campbell.
The products of the area included iron, lumber, timber, absorbent
gauze and cotton, axles, cotton batting, bleaching and dye works,
blooming mill, thread, silk covered bonnet wire, hats, hoop
skirts, lamp wicks, mattresses, paper, rubber products, shoes,
stoves, woolens and yarns.
1816-Walpole's first library was formed by "The Ladies'
Literary, Moral Society," designed to provide such books as
might "afford useful information to the mind and improvement
to the heart."
1872-Through the efforts of Miss Mary R. Bird, the first
"public library" was founded. Walpole's present
Carnegie Library, established in 1903, developed from this
beginning.
1912-On June 11, 1912, the Walpole Co-operative Bank was
incorporated. The bank for was ready for business the following
day.
Last
updated 30 October 2000