Worcester County, Massachusetts - Chapter 64: Northbridge - (co«//««fa'.), 1889

The Later History

The town came out of the war, as did all the other towns of the State, poor and stripped, but redeemed and free, ready for the use of their energies, and of the resources God had placed within their reach, in building the State, the foundations of which they had laid at such cost of treasure and suffering. They experienced the difficulties from the depreciated currency, and it is evident from the records that they shared in the discontent that led to "Shays' Rebellion.' But when called upon to maintain the authority of the government, they made loyal answer, for rebellion was not the way of redress. They knew that prosperity could cbme, not by discontent, but by industry and thrift, and they gave themselves to these, and soon they began to repair their fortunes. We learn the following facts of the town from Rev. Peter Whitney's " History of Worcester County," published 1793 : - " It is not large, having at the time of the late enumeration (1790) eighty-three houses and five hundred and seventy inhabitants (a gain of eighty-nine since 1776). Besides the Congregationalist Church there is a Society of Baptists, consisting of about ten families, at present destitute of any settled teacher. There are also within the town twelve families of Quakers, and two or three of Universalists. There are two corn-mills, one saw-mill and one forge, where much work is performed. The growth of wood on the highlands is very valuable, consisting of walnut, oak and chestnut. That on the lowlands is less valuable. The people here subsist chiefly by farming, and they have the character of an industrious and flourishing people ; and it is said there is hardly an idle person or tavern-haunter in the place." This is surely a good record. But they did not lose their interest in the national welfare, in absorption in their private and local concerns. May 2, 1786, they are called to meet the next day, "To shoe there minds in regard to the trity now depending between Great Briton and the United States." They met and '' voted to sign a memorial and send to the House of Representatives, in Congress assembled, praying them to accept and ratify the trity, and about seventy of the inhabitants signed it."

The fact that the House of Representatives had taken the action they desired three days before, in giving efficacy to Jay's treaty, does not make their action less significant. The town records have only the following entries concerning the War of 1812-14 with England. In the warrant for the meeting of July 30, 1814, the second article is "To see if the town will give anything, how much, to the men who are detaich'd from this town to do duty in the defence of their country." At the meeting, it was " voted to make up the wages of Lyman Thompson and Clark Adams, detach'd men from the town of Northbridge, sixteen - 16 - dollars per month, including what they git from the State." From this we infer that the town had but small share in this war. But when we come to the war to put down the Rebellion of the Southern States against the Union, we find it (the town) thoroughly aroused and doing its full share. Northbridge furnished three hundred and eleven men for the army and navy, which was seventeen more than all demands. The names of two hundred and fifty-seven, serving in forty-three difierent organizations, have been preserved. Of these, ninety-three were in the Fifteenth Regiment of Massachusetts Infantry; twenty-one in the Twenty-fifth ; eight were commissioned oflicers ; the rest were non-commissioned officers and privates.

Eleven of these were killed, ten died of wounds, ten of disease, one was drowned and two died in Ande'sonville prison, - thirty-four lives for the country's life- Fifty-six were dismissed for disability. The first meeting to consider matters relating to the war was held May 8, 1862, at which it was voted to appropriate "such five sums of money as may be required, not exceeding five thousand dollars, to aid in uniforming, and to obtain such articles as may be needful for the comfort of such residents of the town as shall have enrolled themselves into a company of volunteer militia to be formed in this town and vicinity, and also to aid the families of such volunteers while in actual service; also to pay each volunteer one dollar a day, not exceeding thirty days, for time spent in drilling."

July 26, 1862, the selectmen were authorized to pay a bounty of one hundred dollars to each volunteer for three years' service, who shall enlist and be credited to the quota of the town.

Voted, that an additional sum of fifty dollars be paid to volunteers, who shall enlist in regiments now in the field, on or before the 15th of August. A committee of one from each school-district was appointed " to solicit the enlistment of volunteers."

August 27th, "voted to pay a bounty of one hundred dollars to each volunteer enlisting for nine months; the bounty to be paid when the man was mustered in and credited to the town."

October 11th, the bounty to nine months' men was increased fifty dollars, and the bounty for three years' volunteers was raised to two hundred dollars.

November 3, 1863, voted "that the families of conscripts, disabled soldiers, and those who have died in the service of the United States, be placed on the same footing as regards State aid as the families of volunteers."

April 9, 1864, " voted to pay a bounty of one hundred and twenty-five dollars to each volunteer enlisting to fill the quota of the town for three years' service, under the recent call of the President."

AugUit 5, 186.5, " Voted to refund the money to all individuals who have paid money to aid in recruiting." These votes show the readiness of the town to do her full part in the defense of the country.

There w.is also much done by individuals to help enlistments. More than twenty-six thousand dollars was contributed for this purpose, beyond what was refunded by the State. More than eight thousand

Careful estimates of what the town paid for the cost of the war in taxes growing out of it, and in contributions, make the sum $710,773.63, while the valuation was but .f945,374 in 1860 and $898,385 in 1865. Her part was well done and willingly.

In the beginning the lown-meetings were held in private houses. But as soon as the " Town's Meeting-House" was so far completed as to warrant occupancy, it was used for town (then "District") purposes. It was, as long as owned by the town, the town's house. The first town (or district) meeting held in it was February 24, 1775, and here for nearly sixty years they held their meetings and acted on all the secular interests of the community. They often adjourned to a private house, especially in cold weather, as we understand, because they had no means of warming the meeting-house. About 1830 a desire for another place of meeting appeared. In the warrant lor the March meeting of 1832 there had been an article " to see if the Town will build a house to transact their business in.'' But it was passed over. In 1833 the town-meeting was warned to meet at Jacob Kinneston's Hall, in the publichouse at Holbrook's Upper Village (now Rockdale). March, 1834, it was voted " to build a Town-House for the transaction of Town business." But at the same meeting a committee made a report, which was accepted, " that it is not proper to remove townmeetings from the Meeting- House until a more convenient place is procured." Notwithstanding this vote, they often voted to meet elsewhere, as at Rockdale, and frequently in the chapel of Whitinsville. The desire for a more convenient place belonging to the town continued, and in 1871 a committee was appointed " to consider what Building or Buildings are required for a Town-Hall, High School and other town purposes, to report at a future meeting." In the March meeting of 1872 the report was made. Before any action was taken upon it, Mr. John C. Whitin made an otter in behalf of himself and his brothers to provide suitable rooms for town-meetings and town business in a building to be erected by them. This oft'er was accepted, and they erected Memorial Hall, in Whitinsville, on the site of the homestead of their parents, a handsome building of brick, with granite trimmings, one hundred and ten by sixty feet. In the basement is a hall for townmeetings. On the first floor are a small hall for meetings, two rooms for town purposes, with a fireproof vault for town books, a reading room and rooms for the Social Library. In the second story is a large hall for public meetings.

The first town-meeting in the new building was held in the Lower Hall, November 7, 1876, and since that time all the town-meetings have been held here.