Plymouth County, Massachusetts - Chapter 6 (2 of 3 so headed), 1884

'-Skct. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and Honte of lirprencutatives, in General Court ae^embled, and hi/ the authority of the tame. That lauao Whitmuo, Levi Kcitli, Nabuin Mitubell, Kpbmiiu Hyde, AaroD Ilubart, John £. lluward, Natbau Lazcll, Jr., and Nathaniel Cross, with their ajisuoiutes, ducccssors, and assigns, siiall be, and are hereby created a corporation by the name of tlie Proaidont, Directors, and Company of tho Ejiat Bridgewater Bank."

The corporators for some reason did not organize under the charter thus obtained, and after the lapse of eight years another charter was secured by a new company as follows :

"Section 1. Wallace Rust, Zenas KciLh, Jr., John A. Whitcouib, their a:jsociates and successors, arc hereby created a corporation by the name of the President, Directors, and Coiupany of the East Bridgewater Bank, to be established in East Bridgewater, and shall so continue till the first day of October, in the year one thousand eight hundred and hfty-one, and said corporation shall be entitled to all the powers and ]irivileges contained in the thirty-sixth chapter of the Revised .Statutes, passed the fourth of November, in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.

The new company, with Hon. Nahum Mitchell president, and John M. Goodwin cashier, went into operation immediately. A house of a size sufficient to accommodate the bank and the family of the cashier was soon erected in the village, and the institution started on an apparently prosperous course ; but Eastern laud speculation was then near its height, the allurements of which seemed to blind the eyes of many business men. So large loans were made from the funds of the back, without adequate security, that its resources were crippled, aud after a few years the iustitutioQ was compelled to close its doors. The baukiug house still remains, and is the residence of Ezra S. Wliitniarsh, Esq.

Savings-Bank. - The East Bridgewater Saviogs- Bank was incorporated March 8, 1870. The incorporators named in the act were Kimball E. Sheldon, Henry Hobart, Isaac N. Nutter, and Moses Bates. The organization of tlie bank was completed JIarch 20, 1871, by the election of the following officers: President, Henry Hobart ; Vice-President, Kimball E. Sheldon ; Secretary, John E. Waterman ; Treasurer, Isaac N. Nutter ; Trustees, Jacob Bates, Eliab Latham, Ezra Kingman, Bobert C. Keith, James H. Mitchell, Isaac N. Nutter, James S. Allen, Charles H. Goss, Franklin Edson, Samuel Shaw, Jr., Moses Bales, Aaron Hobart, John W. Kennua, George M. Keith, Samuel Keith, Merritt Jenkins, Frederick S. Strong, Willard Johnson, of East Bridgewater ; i Horatio L. Washburn, of West Bridgewater; Hosea ! Kingman, Isaac Kingman, of Bridgewater ; William i L. Reed, of South Abington ; Benjamin W. Harris, of Boston ; Martin Bosworth, of Halifax. The ] board of trustees, consisting at first of twenty-four, 1 was subsequently reduced to eighteen ; board of j investors, James S. Allen, Jacob Bates, Samuel ! Keith, John W. Kennan, and Hosea Kiugmau.

The amount of deposits Jan. 1, 1884, was S2U8,- 170.07. Regular semi-annual dividends have been paid since the organization of the bank amounting in the aggregate to $G0,522.I7.

Henry Hobart served as president until the annual meeting held Feb. 25, 1879, when lie declined, and was succeeded by Kimball E. Sheldon, the former vice-president, Samuel Keith taking the position of ' vice-president, which positions they have filled since that time. J

Masonic. - The Fellowship Lodge of Freemasons i was chartered June 15, 1707. It was con.secrated on ] the 3d day of the following November. The exercises i took place at the meeting-house. Rev. Thaddeus M. Harris, of Dorchester, delivered a sermon, and Dr. I Hector Orr an oration. Dr. Orr was installed Grand Master. The other officers of the lodge were then installed. The house was nearly tilled. At the close of 1707 forty-seven members had been initiated. The members belonging in East Bridgewater were Dr.

Hector Orr, Dr. Josiah Otis, Nahum Mitchell, Robert Orr, Silvauua Lazell, and Joseph Lazuli. Joseph Lazell had built his large house, which for many years was a tavern. It stood where the Roman Catholic Church now is ; it had a fine hall, which was adorned with Masonic emblems. Here the Masons met for some time. Afterwards the meetings were held in [ West Bridgewater. In 1825 they occupied the upper room of the academy buildin'^ in East Bridgewater. They are now held in Bridgewater village.

Satucket Lodge of Masons was chartered probably about the beginning of 1881. In April, 1831, they began to meet in the Masonic Hall, in the building then recently erected by Charles H. Go.ss, in the East Bridgewater village. The officers were: W. M., Frederick S. Strong; S. W., Francis ^L Kingman; J. W., Joshua Dean; T., Samuel L. Seaver; S., Wyman C. Fichett ; C, Rev. William F. Farrington ; S. D., George W. Allen ; J. D., A. Harris Latham ; I. S., George A. Wright; Tyler, Jame-. Nelson.

Temperance Organizations. - The Uist temperance society in East Bridgewater was organized in 1828, and Hon. Nahum Mitchell was cliu-Ln its president.

The Union Temperance Society of East and West Bridgewater was formed in the Union meetinghouse, East Bridgewater, June 2, ISol. Rev. Baalis Sauf'ord was chosen president ; Josiah Richards, vicepresident ; and Joshua Reed, Jr., secretary.

Feb. 11, 1847, a new impulse was given to tlu; cause of temperance, aud on the 2od of that month a constitution was adopted on the ]iriiici|iKs of a comprehensive pledge to abstain from all intoxicating liquors, " including all kinds of beer." Joshua Reed was elected president, James S. Barrell secretary uud treasurer. Meetings were held at tlie town hall.

Dec. 30, 1847, a division of the Son.-> ul' Temperance, by the name of Well-Spring, No. 87, was urganized. The following are the names of those who began the division, viz.: Dr. Asa Millet, Abisluii S. Churchill (Worthy Patriarch), William Allen, James \V. SouLNathaniel M. Davenport, Albert II. Dyer, N.ithan T. Snell, Messeuna M. Lucas, llcrvey Lucas, Sjiuuel A. Young, M. Morton Keith, George Edson. Tli.' division held its meetings in the academy and afteiwards in the hall over the brick store. This organization continued about three years.

Nov. 15, 1850, a uew division of the Sous ol' Temperance began its work, being No. 139 of that order in Massachusetts, and bearing the same name as its predecessor here, " Well-Sprlng," with the following members: Rev. Charles H. Payne, Rev.

In the autumn of 1860, through the exertions of Mrs. Jlerritt Jenkins, a Baud of Hope was organized, many ehildreu being thus brought under very favorable influences.

Dec. 20, 1866. Amaranth Lodge of Good Templars Wis organized at the vestry of the Methodist Church in the Centre Village, with George M. Keith, W. C. T. The other officers were Richard M. Smith, David P. Reynolds, Mrs. Prudie, W. Potter, Caleb E. Hicks, George T. Mitchell, George W. Allen, Mrs. Annis Hall, Rev. William F. Farringtoii, James B. Peterson, Winslow Holmes, Gcorgianna Skillings, and Adelaide Kimball.

The third division of the Sons of Temperance was organized in the village of Elmwood, holding the cherishud name of its two predecessors here, " Well- Spring," Jan. 12, 1871, with twenty-three members. The officers were Albert P. Sampson, W. P. ; Mrs. James G. Knapp, W. A. ; Mrs. Edward Kingman, R. S. ; Kenelm W. Shaw, F. S. ; Edward Kingmun, Treas. ; George Hudson, Con. ; Lucinda P. Hudson, A. C. ; Samuel B. Allen, Chaplain ; Miss Harriet A. Holbrook, I. S. ; George H. Benson, 0. S.

The Woman's Christian Temperance Union began its work early in 1878, and on the 12th of April, that year, a juvenile temperance society was formed under tlie auspices of the W. C. T. U., bearing the name of The Star Temperance Union. Its officers were: Pres., Miss Georgianna Keith ; V.-Pres., Miss Annie Chase; Sec, Miss Helen Bird; Treas., Mrs. Isaac Nutter; Coo., Mrs. Rev. Daniel W. Richardson; Ushers, John Herrick and Thomas Delano.

Matticld Lodge of Good Templars was organized in Matfield village, with about thirty members, Feb. 25, 1880. Its meetings were held at first in Winthrop Hall, in Matfield, but more recently at the vestry of the Methodist Church in the Centre Village. Its first officers were George W. Allen, W. C. T. ; Charles G. Wood, Mary L. Allen, Cora J. Poole, George F. Hayward, William Chandler, Emma Grow, 0. W. Bradford, Sarah D. Lyon, F. B. Chandler, Lucius Churchill, L. Anna Harlow, Rena Hayward, C. Lyon.

1830, April 5. " Voted that the selectmen be instructed not to approbate any retailer who does not comply with the statute of the commonwealth respecting Retailers and Inholders."

" The Town viow with alarm and regret the iiwful extent to which the sale of arUent sptrtti is carried on within its borders; therefore those intereiited in the sale thereof uro liercby culled upon to puu^e and consider whether they as good citizens aud as honorable men are nut in duty bound tu abandon without delay the tratlic in an article which causes so luuch expense to the To\vn and so much distress and misery iu the comuuuiity."

1845, March 3. " Voted that the selectmen, together with the committee chosen to settle with the warden of the almshouse, be instructed to procure a warden for the ensuing year, and to procure a Total Abstinence Man with respect to the use of intoxicating liquors." ,

The thirteenth article of the warrant reads " To sea what measures the town will take, if any, to prevent the illegal traffic in spirituous liquors in said town, and to act thereon as the town deem most advisable."

March 13, 1854. Chose A. S. Littletield, D. P. Edson, Alfred Brown, B. R. Robinson, David H. Pratt a committee " to enforce the law concerning the manufacture and sale of spirituous liquors."