The first entry in Walpole town records is the first town
meeting, December 24, 1724. At that time or to be accurate, an
May 15, 1724, our town was set off from Dedham and named for Sir
Robert Walpole. Whatever parts our citizens took in the
preservation of our liberties prior to that is recorded in the
history of Dedham. Sir Robert Walpole was an eminent English
statesman, leader of the Whig party and prime minister in the
reigns of George 1 and 2. He was accused of corrupt practices and
not without some grounds as it was his custom to win public men
to his sides by giving bribes, either in money or in public
office. He is said to have been the author of the memorable
saying "Every man has his price." Notwithstanding this
trait of character, he was recognized as one of the foremost
statesmen of his days and his own acts in public life stand above
reproach.
Early in Colonial days, two great townships had been granted the
land in this section south of Boston, extending to what is now
the Rhode Island line. "Contentment" the name changed
to Dedham included what is Wrentham, Plainville, Franklin,
Norfolk, Medfield, Norwood, and Walpole. The adjoining town was
Dorchester. The line as far as we are interested is about the
line of Washington Street, was later annexed after the territory
had become known as Stoughton. Thinking of the geographical
features of the territory, the reason is suggested why Medfield
and Wrentham were chosen by the early adventurers for the
establishment of their homes. They quite likely followed the
choice of the Indians and it is an accepted fact that the Indian
always chooses for his camping ground land free from swamps and
still or slowly moving water. South Walpole, with its numerous
little streams and cedar swamp, was probably not an attractive
spot for the Indians' camping ground or for the early settler
looking for farming locations. Anyway, we have the stories of the
big Indian attacks upon the towns of Wrentham and Medfield and in
these places interesting and historic spots are found, like
Indian Rock in Franklin, The Devil's Oven in Medfield (The cave
in the rock where the Indian picked off the white men by using
the trail) and Moose Hill where the Indians retired to view the
burning of the town. No one knows of historic spots in Walpole or
of any serious trouble from the Indians in this territory.
We are told two trails passed through this town, quite easily
distinguished to this day. One practically known as "the Old
Post Road" is Pleasant Street passing through East Walpole
until lost in the woods, emerging again very near P.R. Allen's
residence and becoming a used road from that on through Foxboro
to Attleboro. The other trail passing through Walpole center was
"the Old Saw Mill Road" which contented Dedham with the
saw mill at cedar swamp. Probably they followed the Medfield
trail from Dedham through what is now Westwood until they reached
Bubbling Brook and then the trail branched off and ran through
the woods along what is now North Street to Main Street at the
concrete bridge and then to Walpole Common. From here it followed
West Street to Stop River and then King Philip's Road to
Wrentham. It is claimed as late as 1690 these trails were easily
traveled by foot or horseback; probably ox teams were used in
carting out the lumber especially from the cedar swamps to the
old saw mill.
An important step was taken at the town meeting when the town
voted to grant money toward a school. On March 17, 1732, 30
pounds was voted for the upholding of the school of the town; 15
pounds of this to be used for the instruction of small children
in the summertime-to be a woman's school, the other 15 pounds to
be used for a writing school in the winter season-a moving school
to be kept at each side of the town and to have equal proportions
of time.
During the Revolutionary period, this town did nobly its part in
supplying soldiers and supporting their families. A group of
Walpole men under Captain Seth Bullard took part in the battle of
Lexington and Concord The population of the town at this time was
800 and about 190 men took part in the Revolution. There graves
are decorated with flags every year by our townsman, Isaac Newton
Lewis.)
East Street was laid out in 1793 from the old Saw Mill to Allen's
Corner. In the French and Indian War a large part of the company
under Captain William Bacon for the invasion of Canada, came from
Walpole. There were also several men from Walpole in Captain
Eliphalet Fales' company from Dedham. At one side of the square
in Walpole, almost in front of the town hall, stands a granite
monument in the shape of a fountain which was presented to the
town by George A. Plimpton in 190?. On the front of the fountain
is the inscription "1755-1763. Erected in grateful
recognition of the service of the men of Walpole and vicinity in
the French and Indian War. They enlisted not for a livelihood but
with intent to return to their farms and trades being influenced
to take up arms by a regard for the honor of the King, the
defense of their country, and the preservation of their religion
and liberties."
At a town meeting on January 11, 1802, at a time when dependent
upon stage coaches, it was voted to act on the petition of Esq.
Starkweather and others respecting a turnpike coming through the
town and voted a resolution to be drawn up by the Selectmen and
to send by Mr. Bacon to the General Court to have him use his
influence against the turnpike throughout the town. The turnpike
is on Washington Street. The Old Post Road had been used up to
this time for travel between Boston and Providence. General
Lafayette and other persons of note had passed over
In 1802 the Walpole Light Infantry was formed with Captain Fales
in command and when the War of 1812 began they were ready and
under Captain Warren Clapp marched to Dorchester and Boston. When
Walpole was incorporated there was no meeting house in town. The
first town meetings were therefore held at the house of one of
the residents. After the meetinghouse was sufficiently completed,
the town meetings were held in that structure and still later in
the vestry of the First Church where they met as late as 1881
when the present Town Hall was completed, standing upon an
eminence at the corner of Main and Stone Streets. (Note-when the
town hall was built, Stone Street did not come up to the Town
Hall.) The cost of the building was about $30,000 dollars. There
are tablets to the memory of the men who served in the Civil War.
There are 146 names on the Roll of Honor, 12 of whom were either
killed in action or died in hospitals. The building was
thoroughly remodeled in 1916.
A small library started by Mary R. Bird at East Walpole (in the
old Morse Tavern Building) was the mother of our present town
library. It was offered to the town in 1876 when money was first
appropriated towards a library. There were 700 volumes. These
books were given to the public library upon the condition that
books should be sent to East Walpole free,once a week, for 10
years. Mr. Carnegie gave the town of Walpole $15,000 dollars
toward our Library and Mr. Charles S. Bird gave the land. This
building was dedicated May 14, 1903.
By an act of the legislature approved on May 2, 1893, the town of
Walpole was authorized to supply its inhabitants with water,
using therefore the water of Spring Brook, Trap Hole Brook, Mill
Brook, artesian or driven wells, etc. The source of supply
consists of 40 driven wells near Lower Brook just off of
Washington Street, a pumping station equipped with machinery that
pumps the water from these wells into three standpipes having a
combined capacity of 675,000 gallons.
In our square in East Walpole is a fountain bearing the
inscription: "Erected 1895 by Children's Sewing Circle in
memory of Mary R. Bird." Miss Bird taught sewing to the
children of the village and her sweet and womanly personality and
loving kindness remains to this day a blessed remembrance to all
who knew her. In Lewis Square is the fountain given by Mr. Frank
Lewis in memory of Bradford Lewis, his father, in 1910; also the
equestrian statue of Lieut. Lewis, officer in wars of King
William and Queen Anne. This statue is to Sergeant William Lewis
and Judith M. Lewis,1864-1896, by their children, Isaac Newton
Lewis and Mary P. Lewis, 1911
In response to President Wilson's call for men "to make the
world safe for democracy" 305 answered to the appeal; 4 of
this number were killed in action and 3 died of disease. The Roll
of Honor in front of Town Hall is but a temporary tablet as it is
made of wood. (this tablet is no longer there and there is no
tablet bearing the names of those brave men.)
Upon the town seal of Walpole is depicted and old watermill,
presumably the old saw mill of Eleazer Lusher and Joshua Fisher
on the Neponset River, with a forest of trees in the background
and in the margin are the words, "Walpole, Mass.,
incorporated 1724." Quite a change has come to the town
since the conditions represented by the Corporate Seal existed.
Walpole of the present day is one of the thriving towns of the
Old Bay State with a population of 5,446.
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This article on the history of Walpole was written by Mrs. Maude
R. Graves (Mrs. George M. Graves) and was read before the
Wednesday Club on January 4th, 1922.
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:Corrections on "The History of Walpole" by Maude R.
Graves 1
1-Dedham was first called "Contentment", but later
changed to Dedham.
2-Dedham Grant of 1636.
3-After the burning of Medfield by the Indians in February 1676,
the Indians retired to a high hill, possibly Noon Hill, not Moose
Hill.
4-The Town Hall was not built until 1881. Stone Street was not
built until 1885 or 1886.
5-A tablet placed on a boulder has since been erected on Walpole
Common;to the memory of all the Walpole Servicemen in all the
wars.
6-She says no one knows of historic Indian spots in Walpole, etc.
That is not quite true. At Plimtonville near the Neponset River
is an old Indian mortar in a lodge or rock in the ground. This
was the Old Indian Reservation, reserved for them for hunting and
fishing. At the Morse Farm off Washington Street in East Walpole
was an old Indian mortar now at the Larrabee place on Union
Street. At Water Street just over the Norwood line are a series
of pot holes in the ledge extending into the Neponset River.
Indian relics have been dug up in several parts of town. Mr.
Howell years ago, every spring when he dug up his garden at the
rear of his house on Union Street, he would dig up Indian
arrowheads.