Essex County, Massachusetts - Chapter 17: Town of Middleton, 1922

From records and notes written up in the eighties by David Stiles, and from present-day interviews, the following facts have been gathered and carefully compiled into a sketch of the history of Middleton. Mr. Stiles begins his sketch with this paragraph:

This town is about five miles long from north to south, and about three miles wide, bounded north by Andover and North Andover, on the west by North Reading, south by Danvers and east by Topsfield and Boxford. The larger part of the town is on the left bank of Ipswich river, which runs from southwest to northeast. Another stream is Beech Brook, named from the original beech trees along its banks. Its rise is in Andover, and its mouth is near the old box mill of J. B. Thomas, into the Ipswich river. Middleton Pond is the largest body of water in this town. The town has hills and valleys and there are many productive farms. In population the village has greatly increased in fifty years, but the country districts have gone back. This town was settled sixty-eight years before the act of its incorporation.

In 1639 the town site was one unbroken wilderness, except one Indian plantation near the great pond. Richard Bellingham's grant, dated November 5, 1639, says: "In it is a pond (Wilkins Pond) and an Indian planation." This grant contained seven hundred acres. At this and another Indian plantation have been found numerous Indian relics, such as stone implements for domestic and war purposes.

William Nichols was the first settler to invade this section of Essex county ; the date of his coming was 1651 ; he located near the later William Peabody's, then New Meadows, from which came two of the first church officers. Bray Wilkins, a native of Wales, came among the very first. He was an enterprising man, and for many years operated as a licensed boatman on Neponset river, and charged a penny a passenger. Later he engaged in the iron business at Lynn. In 1859, with his brother-in-law, John Gingle, he laid out Bellingham, comprising seven hundred acres, paying therefore £250 in money and a ton of bar iron. It now seems strange that in the deed for this property, its original owner had inserted that in case mineral was ever found on this tract, the heirs were to receive ten pounds more per year.

On the Dennison tract of land was discovered iron ore, and a mill was erected on the site of what later was known as the knife factory. An iron puddling mill in the Fuller family of this town remained in that family in company with the Cave family for generations. The families of Fuller and Wilkins increased rapidly and others came in for actual settlement, so that in 1692 the town had about three hundred population.

Before the incorporation of this town, which was sixty-eight years after Wilkins bought Bellingham's claim, several incidents happened in the tov/n's history which are mentioned at other places within this work. The lands of Wilkins and those owning under him were in 1661 annexed to Salem Village, which gives the long and peculiar-shaped boundaries of the place. It was in this neighborhood that the delusion of witchcraft began. The little settlement became greatly disturbed over this matter, and one man of no little note was selected as a victim and hanged on the spot still known as Gallows Hill, Salem. This refers to the unfortunate John Willard, an account of whose execution will be found in the article on Witchcraft.

The first church was formed here in October, 1729, with fifty-two members. The first settled minister was Rev. Andrew Peters. Daniel Towne was the first schoolmaster. Of those who formed the first church in Middleton, twenty-five came from Salem Village, nine from Topsfield, and eleven from Boxfield.

The ordination of a minister, which was for life, was a great event in those days. From all the towns around, says one wi'iter, "they flocked to Middleton for a feast ; all doors were open, and tables loaded with the best of good things, and it was not an uncommon thing for individuals to boast that they had called at every house on the way home, and took something to eat or drink at each, and in some cases they rested on the way till their stomachs were relieved of its unwonted burden." As nearly as can be ascertained, the ordination took place on November 26, 1729. Mr. Peters was then twenty-nine years of age. He remained twenty-seven years. He was a devoted minister, and the church prospered under his ministry. He died October 6, 1756, aged fifty-five years.

It is said that Mr. Peters had a negro servant who drove his master's cows to pasture up by the pond, and that at that time the road went round by the old Timothy Fuller house. Fuller was rather a lawless man, and often loved to bother people, especially those whom he could intimidate. The negro complained to his master of these insults, and forthwith Mr. Peters undertook to drive the cows, and he found the hectorer of his negro and expostulated with him, but without satisfaction. Then Mr. Peters took off his coat and laid it upon a stump, saying, "lay there, divinity, while I whip a rascal," and gave him a sound thrashing. At another time, when looking after his cattle near Wills Hill, he entered the hut of Old Wills, the Indian (the last of his race in town), and his squaw asked him to stay to dinner with her. He first asked her what she had; she answered, "Skunk." Well, he thought he would not stop then, but would perhaps some other time. Not long after he found himself under the cover of her tent or shanty, and, knowing that he loved eels, she had prepared a most tempting dish, which he did not decline, and ate heartily ; after which the old cunning squaw came to his side and said, "you say you no eat skunk, but you eat rattlesnake," and so he had, but without any harm, as all Indians know they are good eating.

The first town clerk was Edward Putnam, son of the first deacon in Salem village. The first selectmen in Middleton were Thomas Fuller, Thomas Robinson, John Nichols, Samuel Symonds and Edward Putnam. Soon after the incorporation of this town it was fined for not maintaining a public school.

1775 - ^^Captain Archealus Fuller was chosen to represent the town in the Provincial Congress to be holden at Cambridge Feb. ye first day, 1775.

1781 - ^Voted to raise nineteen hundred pounds in old Continental money to procure beef now called for by the General Court. (A week's board in Continental money cost $105, while in gold it could have been had for $2. Such was the depletion of currency in the days of our forefathers).

1806 - The Essex Turnpike was constructed through the town during this year; toll-gates were placed at each end of the town, per order of the common laws then in force.

Concerning Captain Fuller, the following is vouched for by fairly authentic tradition : Mr. Fuller was at work on his land, near where the old road crosses the turn-pike at Danvers Centre, and went into an ordinary (tavern), and called for a drink of cider. Mrs. Smith said, "You rock the cradle, while I draw the cider." When she returned. Fuller asked for the gift of the child; this request was granted, provided he would wait till she was eighteen years old. True to his promise, he appeared at the expiration of the time, and took her to Middleton and exhibited her before his forty slaves, which he then owned, little and great, and in all conditions, and said, "You are mistress of them all." "What can I do with such a black, dirty-looking company?" The answer came quick as lightning, "Get one nigger to lick another." These slaves were domiciled in a house later owned by George Currier, which was built in 1710. Fuller lived in the gambrel-roofed house standing near the burying ground. "We have no reason to doubt this statement," says a local resident, "for the dates on their grave-stones show the disparity of their ages." Captain Fuller sei-ved in the Revolutionary struggle, as will be observed in reading the military chapters of this History.

In 1817 all the poor of the town were put up at auction at the annual meetmg in March, and struck off to the lowest bidder, none of whom received over $1.50 per week. Some of the most feeble, who were nearly helpless, were bid in by their relatives at seventy-five cents per vv^eek, rather than have them go into the hands of unfeeling strangers. However, this was the custom in all towns Vv^here there was no poor-house. A century ago there were a smaller number of poor people here than before or since; also, more independent farmers according to the population. The lands had not begun to be exhausted; flocks and herds were large, and eveiywhere these families were distinguished, not only by their social accomplishments, but by their dress and daily deportment, from the poor and unfortunate.

As Lynn became a larger trading center and took to manufacturing, many of the people removed from other parts of the county to that city, and some found their way from Middleton and Lynnfield to Lynn and Salem, thus reducing the rural population.

In 1835 a shoe-making establishment was opened in Middleton by Francis P. Merriam. In 1887 the business was still carried on there by Merriam & Tyler; they usually employed a hundred workmen. A knife factory was also established by S. A. Cummings on the site of the old iron works. Major-General Daniel Dennison, of Ipswich, started this industry about 1665. In the seventies the box-making business was established by J. B. Thomas. Immediately after the close of the Civil War there were a half dozen or more small shoe factories in this town and a number of business houses. The Essex railroad v/as opened up for travl in 1848. Saw-mills, grist-mills, carding-mills, etc., were ali to be seen in operation in this tov/n at an early day in its history, some of which continued to operate till recent times.

In the summer of 1921 the business interests in the village of Middleton were inconsiderable. There is one good practicing physician - Dr. C. A. Pratt. There are a few small stores, a good hotel, well patronized in summer season, especially by summer tourists. The Pubhc

Library was erected in 1891, of stone and brick; it was the bequest of a resident, Charles L. Flint, and is known as Flint's Library. The only church organization is now known as the Union Church, but formerly was of the Congregational denomination. The present pastor is Rev. H. A. G. Abbe. The two lodges represented here are the Grange, and Red Men of America, both of which assemble in the town hall.

The Public Librarian's report shows volumes in library, January 1, 1921, to be 8,355 ; added by purchase in the year, 85 ; total volumes added in year, 134 ; circulation of books in year 1920, 7,544.

The 1920-21 town officers included the following: Moderator, F. W. Giles; Town Clerk, William Cannavan; Treasurer, Harry H. Bradstreet; Selectmen: Hazel K. Richardson, Maurice E. Tyler, Wayne A. Giles; Overseers of the Poor, B. T. McGlauflin, Maurice E. Tyler, J. Allen Atwood; Assessors: Maurice E. Tyler, B. Frank Phillips, Lyman Wilkins; School Committee : George E. Gifford, Arthur E. Curtis, Miss Ruth Hastings; Highway Surveyor, Herbert J. Currier; Tax Collector, Henry A. Young; Tree Warden, B. T. McGlauflin; Constable, Will A. Russell; Auditor, Frank B. Tyler; Town Accountant, Harley M. Tyler; Forest Fire Warden, Thomas M. Robinson; Chief of Fire Department, Oscar Sheldon ; Superintendent of Burials, J. Allen Atwood ; Janitor of Town Hall, Henry A. Young; Manager Electric Light Plant, Maurice E. Tyler; Inspector of Animals and Slaughtering, Lyman S. Wilkins.