Plymouth County, Massachusetts - Miscellaneous, 1884

Miscellaneous

I Ilowurd Collegiate lostitute - Tlio Press - West Eridgewater Times - West Bridgewuter News - Pbysiuians - Furmera' Club - Manufat'turers - Civil History - Incorpuration uf Town - Clerks - Treasurers - Selectuien - Ucpi-esentatives - War of tbe Hebelliun - Action of tbe Town - A'arious \'otcs - Auiount of Money Expended for War Purposes - The Town Quotas - List of Soldiers - Soldiers' Monument, Its Inception, Cooipletion, and Dedication.

Howard Collegiate Institute. - This institution was established by the munificeucc of the late Benjamin B. Howard (see biography of JMr. Howard elsewhere in this work). The building is a handsome and commodious brick structure, beautifully located, in the midst of a wealthy and beautiful agricultural region. The institution is for girls and young women, and was opened Oct. 2, 1883. The principal is Miss Helen Magill, Ph.D. (Boston University, and more recently from Cambridge Uuiveisity, England), who is assisted by an able corps of instructor.s.

The present faculty of inatruclion and government is as follows: Helen ftlagill, Ph.D., principal and instructor in Ancient Languages and in History; Rev. William Brown, instructor in I\lental and Moral Philosophy; Eudora Magill, A.B., instructor in Mathematics; Gertrude B. Magill, A.B., instructor in Modern Languages, English Literature, and Elocution ; Lydia S. Ferguson, instructor iu Physical Science and English branches; Drawing and Painting, vacant; Sarah Washburn Ames, instructor in Music; Matron, Mrs. Eliza A. Kingsbury.

The institute, as at present organized, offers a seven years' course of study. This course is so arranged as to give a good general education, and at the same time a thorough preliminary training for those who may wish to pursue their studies further at- such institutions as offer University work to women.

The curriculum includes the work usually done in the first two years of the best college courses, with more work in some departments, especially history and English literature, than is required for entrance to college or in tliis part of the college curriculum.

The residence is arranged on the cottage .system, one cottage having been already built, accommoduting a small number of students, each with a single room. This plan is considered most favorable to individual training, and will be adhered to in future building. The aim is to retain as much of the character of home-life as may be in an institution.

Public Library. - The Public Library was organized Oct. 4, 1879, and is located in the Howard Institute. There were added to the library for the year ending Feb. 1, 1884, four hundred and twentynine volumes by purchase, many of which were standard works of permanent value, consisting of choice selections, and embracing most all subjects.

There were donations also from Mr. John S. Martin and from Mr. C. W. Copelaod amounting to thirty-eight volumes, making the total number of books in the library Feb. 1, 1884, two thousand one hundred and sixty-two.

The books in all the departments have been selected with much care and criticism, and they constitute a comprehensive and valuable library for a small town.

By the librarian's memoranda, it appears that the total number of books taken from the library during the year was six thousand four hundred and seventynine, or a weekly distribution of about one hundred and twenty-five volumes, divided among the various classes of subject-matter in the following ratio, viz. : fiction, about fifty-one per cent. ; juvenile, about twenty per cent. ; travels, about four and one-half per cent. ; history and humorous, about two and one-half per cent, each ; science and general literature, about two per cent, each ; biography, about three percent. ; poetry, about one and one-half per cent. ; magazines, periodicals, about ten per cent.

It was recommended that the town raise the sum of ihree thousauJ dollars for tlie support of schools for the ensuing year and four hundred dollars for repairs.

The Press. - A sheet called the West BiiJ(ji:water Times was issued here in 18G7, and lived about two years. It was printed in Middleboro', and the corre.spundeut iu this town was Rev. J. G. Forman. The latest Venture iu this field was the West BiiJjewater News, which was issued here iu 1882, by William Fay. It was short-lived.

Post-Offices. - There are two post-offices in the town, - one at Central Square, Charles R. Packard, postmaster, and one at Cochesett, Edward Tisdale, postmaster.

West Bridgewater Farmers' Club was established in December, 1871, with James Howard as president. The present officers are Davis Copeland, picsident; James Howard, vice-president; J. A. Shores, secretary ; J. E. Ryder, treasurer.

Copeland & Hartwell's Shoe Manufactory. - This establishment is one of the oldest iu Plymouth County, having been established in 1845 by Caleb Copeland and Josiah Quiney Hartwcll, and the oriijinal firm has been continued without change to the present lime. This factory has been enlarged several limes, and is now one hundred and thirty feet long by twenty-five feet wide. They employ fifty hands, and the value of the annual product amounts to i'rom seventy-five thousand to one hundred thousand dollars.

Among the other manufaclurcrs may be noted M. A. Ripley, flouring-mlll ; George W. Bent, iron foundry ; Milvin C. Edson, Joseph Ring, T. P. Ripley, shoe manufacturing; 0. Ames & Sou, saw- and shingle-mills, and Jonathan Howard, vinegar manufacturer.

Incorporation of Town and Civil List. - It is a somewhat singular fact that West Bridgewater as a parish was never incorporated by an act of the Legislature. The parish was incorporated as a town Feb. 10, 1822. The following is a list of the clerk.s, treasurers, selectmen, and rcpresentalives from the incorporation of the town to the present time :

War of the Rebellion. - Tlie first town-meeting relating to the war was held April 27, 1861, vfheti it was voted to pay each volunteer belonging to the town while in the service eight dollars per month, and $1.25 per day spent in drilling, and money sufficient for the comfortable maintenance of his family. It was also voted to furni.sh arms and equipments to the military conijiany then forming, and the selectmen were authorized to expend two thousand dollars for that purpose.

July 18, 1862, voted to pay a bounty of one hundred and twenty-five dollars for recruits for three years, to the " number of twenty-three." A committee of one from each school district was appointed to act with the selectmen in procuring volunteers, each to be paid two dollars per day while engaged. August ISth, the bounty was increased one hundred dollars. August 22d, the bounty to volunteers for nine months was fixed at one hundred and twentyfive dollars. It was also recommended that the recruits of West and KasL Bridgewater unite and furm a company for nine months' service, also " that the whole town attend the meeting on Wednesday evening next, at Agricultural Hall, Bridgewater, to encourage recruiting." Another meeting for a similar puipo-se was held September 2d, and to create a volunteer fund.

March 14, 1864, it was voted to raise fifteen hundred dollars by taxation, to refund money paid by citizens to encourage enlistments; also, five hundred dollars to pay bounties to re-enlisted veterans.

July 29th, it was voted to borrow twelve hundred dollars, and four thousand dollars were appropriated to repay citizens who had contributed to encuiiraue recruiting.

West Bridgewater did nobly during the war of the Rebellion, and forwarded about two hundred and nine, - a surplus of eleven. Four were commibsioned officers.

Seamen In Naval Service

Soldiers' Monument. - Soon after the close of the war a movement was started for the purpose of erecting a suitable meiuoiial in honor of those citizen.s who had liillen in that struggle, and on Nov. 7, 1865, a meeting of the citizens was called to consider the feasibility of forming a monument association. The association was organized Dec. 4, 1865, with the following officers : President, Pardon Copeland ; Vice- Presidents, Caleb Copeland, Jr., Shepherd L. Pratt, Nahum Snell, Francis E. Howard, George D. Ryder ; Secretary, George Copeland ; Treasurer, Benjamin Howard.

Immediately after the organization subscription papers were circulated throughout the town, and March 3, 186G, $1215.50 had been raised. This was subsequently enlarged by a gift of $100 from Mr. George D. Ryder, also $100 from Otis Drury, and $50 Iruni Azel Howard, and Dec. 31, 1866, the fund amounted to $2040. For more than ten years the project slumbered, the fund, however, remaining on interest, and Nov. 28, 1877, amounted to $3364.46. Active steps were then taken toward the consummation of the pruject, and a contract was closed for the construction of the monument with Messrs. Thomas & Owens, of Quincy.

The monument ia a beautiful piece of work, thirtyfive feet high, weighs seventy tons, and cost nearly thirty-five hundred dollars. The bottom-base, platform, second base, die, and cap are of Quincy granite, the remainder being granite from Clark's Island, Me. The bottom-base is a large stone seven feet by two feet six inches high.

The second base is five feet six inches square, by two feet and one inch in height, and is neatly molded. Upon it rests a polished die inscribed, on the north face, as follows :

Above the die is a handsomely-molded cap, upon which rests the plinth. The front of the plinth bears a cannon cut in relief, draped with a flag ; the east side, an anchor and coil of rope ; the west, crossed swords and a rifle ; the south, a circular laurel wreath. The column-base, column, and cap rest upon the plinth, and are handsomely polished and fluted. Surmounting the whole is an eagle with unfolded wings, grasping in its talons a shield. The entire monument is beautiful in design, and the citizens of West Bridgewater may justly feel proud of this tribute to the memory of their gallant sons who lost their lives in the defense of their country.

The monument was dedicated July 4, 1879, with appropriate ceremonies. It was presented to the town by Mr. Francis E. Howard in behalf of the association, and accepted by Mr. Henry Copeland, chairman of the board of selectmen. Mr. Howard, iu the course of his remarks, said, -

*' 1 hardly need rewind you that this is sacred ground. On or near this spot was erected, if not tlie tirat, cert:iinly the second and third meeting-houses. Here for more than one hundred and twenty-live years the people of the ancient town of Bridgewater (which then included the now cntcrpiisiiig towns of Brockton, Bridgewater, East Bridgewater, and West Bridgewater) were wont to assemble to worship their Maker according to tlte dictates of their consciences and the beauty of holiness. llere for ninety years the town-meetings were held. From this spot to the tent, where we are soon to assemble to continue these exercises, the legal voters of this ancient town were accustomed to meet and array themselves on either side of the street lo decide important questions which then agitated the public mind, the house being insulficient to accommodate them ; arul to-day, after a lapse of two hundred and Gve years from the time the second bouse of public worship was here erected (the lirst one of which we have any reliable knowledge), we come to consecrate this ground anew. This monument, with the names and inscriptions thereon, will remind us and those who come alter us uf that dark and fearful event in our nation's history known as the Rebellion, and will perpetuate the names of those of our suns who sacrificed their lives in not only defending our country as a whole, but in sustaining our government that wc might have peace, without which no nation can be truly prosperous."

What is known as the A!'.:ier district, or Madagascar, as it is sometimes called, is the southwestern part. Here is located the irou-fuundry of James Otis Algier.