Essex County, Massachusetts - Chapter 26: Town of Groveland, 1922

Groveland originally was included in territory now occupied by Georgetown, Boxford, Rowley and Bradford, Rowley having been first settled in September, 1639, by Rev. Ezekiel Rogers and about sixty families, and was then styled Roger's Plantation. It was named Rowley on account of the immigrants coming from Rowley, England. Among the companions of Rev. Rogers were John and Robert Hazeltine and William Wilde. In 1649 these men desiring to obtain more land sought the rich meadows and fields in the handsome, rich Merrimac Valley, in the then Indian territory of the Pentucket, for a permanent abiding place. As the settlement increased, the name was changed to Merrimac, and finally to "Bradford," so called after Bradford, England. The earliest mention of Bradford in Massachusetts records is in October, 1675, in a list of expenses occasioned by King Philip's War. The Gen-

In answer to the petition of the inhabitants of Rowley, living over against Haverhill, the court, having considered the petition, perused the town of Rowley's grant to the petitioners, heard Rowley's Deputy and also considering a writing sent from Rowley with what else hath been presented in the case, doe find there is liberty granted to the petitioners by the town of Rowley to provide themselves with a minister and also an intent to release them from the township when they are accordingly provided, and therefore see not, but this court may grant the petitioners to be a township provided they doe gett and setle an able and orthodox minister and continue to maynteigne him or else to remain to Rowley as formerly.

At the village of Groveland in the summer of 1921 the business was in the hands of the following persons : Hardware store, by Cobban Bros. ; Groceries, by Messrs. C. P. Boynton, W. T. Pike, A. E. Brock, "the Distributing Store"; a bakery by F. E. Packard; tobacco and cigar store, Fred Wood ; Groveland Garage, by H. L. Macdonald, also another garage by Harvey Hatch; Banking by the Groveland Co-operative Bank; The Mutual Fire Insurance Company, W. T. Pike president. The place has street car connections by the Newburyport and Haverhill line, every fifteen minutes during the day.

The records show a town meeting was held, at which, on February 20, 1668, officers were elected as follows: Thomas Kimball, constable; John Gage, Robert Haseltine, Joseph Pike, John Griffing and John Tenney, selectmen; Joseph Pike, clerk of writs; Samuel Worcester, Benjamin Gage, Benjamin Kimball and David Haseltine, overseers.

The major part of Groveland was at first platted into lots running south from the river, which were granted in the following order, beginning down the river at the easterly end, to Joseph Richardson, Jonas Platts, John Hopkinson, Joseph Bailey, Edward Wood, Benjamin Savory, William Hutchens, Ezra Rolf, Samuel Tenney, Francis Jewett, Samuel Worster, Samuel Stickney, John Hardy, William Hardy, Abraham Parker, and Daniel Parker, and adjoining the Carleton Patent. A large part of Johnson's Pond was within this town, and from it flowed Johnson's creek, having a fall of seventy-five feet to the river. The name Groveland has no special significance, other than that it was suggested by the existing beautiful groves in and surrounding its territory.

The industries of this town, save those in South Groveland, had in the early eighties of the last century become about extinct, though in an early period were well sustained and quite numerous. The falling waters of the stream called Johnson's creek were harnessed up as early as 1670 and made to do service in propelling a grist-mill on that stream. Corn mills were opened along the stream in 1684. A fulling-mill was built in 1660 and a flouring mill on the same stream in 1690. It has been stated by an old historical writer that up to 1820 there had been on this creek four saw-mills, five grist-mills, three fulling-mills, and two tan-bark mills. During the year 1820, it is certain that there were five tan-yards in operation. On account of the production of leather here, there grew up quite a manufacture of coarse boots and shoes. Other factories included a chocolate works, brass and pewter buckles, coopershops, tobacco factories, together with brick-making and the straw hat industry. By about 1837 many of these industries had disappeared.

The population of Bradford in 1850, after it had seen Groveland incoi-porated, was 1,328; the town of Groveland having 1,286. In 1885 Bradford had 3,106 and Groveland 2,272. The United States census returns for 1900 gave Groveland 2,376; in 1910 it was 2,253, and in 1920 it was 2,650.

Of course, being a well regulated New England town, Groveland has had its full share of various religious sects and societies. In 1667 Rev. Zachariah Symmes was engaged as pastor, at a salary of £40, onehalf to be paid in wheat, pork, butter and cheese, and the other half in cattle and com. At the town meeting in April, 1670, it was voted by the townsmen that "Sargeant Gage, Robert Haseltine, Benjamin Kimball, Thomas Kimball, John Simmonds, Nicholas Walington and John Griffing be chosen for the ordering, setting up and furnishing of a Meighting House according to their best discretion for the good of the town."

The Church in the East Parish of Bradford was incorporated in 1726; organized in June, 1627, with Rev. William Balch as pastor, with £100 settlement and £100 annually as a salary At the first year's end the church numbered one hundred and seventy-nine. He served as minister here for the long term of sixty-five years, closing it only at death in 1792. He was followed by Rev. Ebenezer Dutch, who served till his death in 1814. Next came Reverend Gardner Braman PeiTy, who died while pastor in 1859. Other ministers were Revs, Wasson, Daniel Pickard, Thomas Daggett, Martin S. Howard, John C. Paine, James Mc- Lean, Augustus C. Swain, 1881, followed by Rev. Bernard Copping to October, 1887.

The present membership of the Congregational church is 241, the largest it has ever been. In 1895 the Ladies' Parlor was added to the chapel ; in 1008 the church was renovated, new pews were placed without rental, and the entire front of church was changed; in 1910 the chapel was raised and a gymnasium built; a new organ was also installed; in 1912 the house of the third pastor Perry was made into a parsonage, with extensive repairs ; in 1918 hardwood floors were placed in the church building. Pastors since 1894 have been Revs. Louis F. Barry, Alexander Sloan, Charles F. Clarke, Arthur Deckman, Andrew Campbell, Archibald Cullens. The present pastor is Herbert E. Beckwith.

Besides the Congregational church, there was organized at Easi- Bradford, a Methodist church before its incorporation as Groveland. This was formed October, 1831, under direction of Rev. Thomas W. Gile and Aaron Wait, employed by the Christian Union Association. Rev. Charles S. McReading was the first Methodist pastor assigned to this charge. A church building was erected the following year. Since then the Methodists have had a work in the town for many years, but not at present.

The South Groveland section was started as the result of the building of the Groveland Woolen Mills at that point. It is also a near-by village to Haverhill city, and street cars run every quarter of an hour between the two places. There is a small retail store business, a postoffice, and school and church interests suitable to a place of its size.

In 1921 the government in the town of Groveland was in the hands of the following officers: Town Clerk, Harry W. Vaughan; Treasurer and Collector, Frank M. Worthen; Assessors, Charles S. Husten, James H. Early, Ralph E. Maddock ; Selectmen : H. W. Hardy, James H. Early, Charles H. Pike; Constables: Charles H. Stevens, George L. Nelson, Daniel Buckley, William T. Shanahan; School Committee: Stanley P. Ladd, Robert H. Cravvrford, John W. Cochrane; Three Warden, Sidney E. Johnson; Overseers of the Poor: Samuel H. Nelson, John F. Dorgan, C. Russell Cammett, clerk ; Water Commissioners, George Mitchell, Allen G. Tv/ombly, George B. Stiles ; Auditor, Elliott C. Dorr ; Moderator, John Morris.

In 1920 the following items from the assessors' report were for the town of Groveland: Number residents assessed on property, 536; nonresidents assessed on property, 182; assessed for poll-tax only, 340; value of assessed personal, including bank stock, $358,459; value of assessed real estate exclusive of lands, $988,590 ; land exclusive of buildings, $263,167 ; total, $1,610,246 ; tax rate per thousand dollars, $30.40.