Worcester County, Massachusetts - Chapter 78: Brookfield, 1889 (part 2 of 2)

lu 1784, the town instructed its representative that *'it is the opinion of this town that the articles of confederation and perpetual union between the thirteen United States, ratified and established by each stite in the union, are solemnly binding on the several states, and that no attempt ought to be made to dissolve or weaken the same ; but, on the other hand, if we mean to support our dignity as a nation, every effort ought to be used to strengthen the union, and render the bonds indissoluble.'' Thus, in advance of the formation of the Con-titution of the United States, the people of Brookfield declared what the result of the Civil War has confirmed, and what now every citizen of our country believes, in every State of our Union, whether East or West, North or South, that the nation established by our fathers is not a rope of sand, but is a welded, coQipact, and forever-united Union.

The annoyances of the French war in the latter part of the century from which the people on the seaboard suffered, like the summer air from the ocean, were not felt in the inland towns, Nor did the war of 1812 much disturb them. What was called Shays' Rebellion caused a mi)mentary ruffle on the surface of public affairs wbich soon subsided. The next real source of disturbance to the people of Brookfield was the movement of the inhabitants of the second precinct to be incorporated as a separate town by the name of North Brookfield. The movement began in 1810, and in that year, uider the direction of a committee consisting of Daniel Gilbert, Jason Biglow, Luke Patten. Aaron Forbes and Jacob Kettridge, the following petition was presented :

To the Hon" Senate and House of Representatives; The Inhabitants of the Second Precinct in Brookfield humbly pray that they may be set oflF from the other precincts in eaid town, and be incorpomted into a township by the name of North Brookfield; and that the territorial limite of such incorporation may be the same as those whereby the said Precinct is designated.

And the said inhabitants would beg leave to further state that from the extensive limits of said town, it being separated into three distinct precincts together with the necessary mode of transacting the business of the same by annual rotation in each precinct, tbey not only find the distance of travel burdeiisonie, but in considering the transactiug of their parochial concerns a two fold labor and expense, that the offices of Siiid Town are of necessity distant from the centre, and that from the numbers of its inhabitants and the multiplicity of the business of the sjiid town, the term of one day insufficient for transactiug the same."

was presented, which the town voted to oppose under the direction of a committee formed for that purpose, consisting of Dwight Foster, Seth Banister and Nathan Allen. The result, however, was this time favorable to the petitioners, and the following Act of incorporation, amended in some of its provisions in 1818, was passed February 28, 1812 :

Sect. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled and by the authority of the same. That all that part of the town of Brookfield which has been heretofore called and known by the name of Second or North Parish (exceptiug that part of said territory now lying south of the post-road leading from Worcester through Spencer to Springfield) together with the inhabitants thereon be and the same is hereby incorporated into a separate town by the name of Xorth Brookfield. And the said town of North Brookfield is hereby vested with all the powers and privileges and shall also be subject to all the duties to which other corpnrato towns are entitled and subjected by the constitution and laws nf the Commonwealth.

Sect. 2. Be it further enacted, That the inhabitants of the said town of North Brookfield shall be entitled to hold such proportion of all the personal property now belongiiigtoand owned by the inliaUitants of the town of Brookfield as the property of the said inhabitants of North Brookfield bears to the property of all the inhabitants of the town of Brookfield according to the last valuation thereof.

Sect. 3. Be it further enacted, That the inhabitants of the said town of North Broiikfiold shall be holden to pay all arrears of taxes due fmm them together Mith their proportion (to be (iscerfained as aforesaid) of all the debts now due and owing from the said town of Braokfield on what may be hereafter found due and owing by reason of any contract or other matter and thing heretofore entered into or now existing.

Sect. 4. Be it further enacted, That the s lid town of North Brookfield shall be bolden to support their proportion of the present pnor of the town of Brookfield, which proportion shall be ascertained by the present valuation of the town ; and all persona who may hereafter become chargeal'le as paupers to the town of Bruokfield and North Bruokfield shall be considered as belonging to that town or the territory of which tbey had their settlement at the time of passing this act, aiul shall in future bo chargeable to that town only.

Sect 0. Be it further enacted, That the suid town of North Brookfield shall be bohleu to pay their proportion of all state, town and county tixes assessed on the inhabitants of the said town of North Brookfield until a new valuation shall be made of the said towns. Provided, That the said town nf North Brookfield shall be holden until the further order of the legislatuio to pay the town of Brookfield such proportion of any of the expenses of maintaining the bridges and causeways over the rivers in the town of Brookfield as a Committee of the Court of Ses.-iiona forthe County of Worcester shall determine ; and said Court of Sessions are hereby authorized on application of either of the inhabitants of Brookfield or North Brookfield from time to time to appoint a committee for the above purpose whose report made to and accepted by said court shall be binding on said towns.

Sect. G. Be it further enacted, That any Justice of the Peace for the County of Worcester upon application therefor is hereby authorized to issue lier warrant directed to any freeholder in the said town of North Brookfield, re'iuiriug him to notify and warn the inhabitants thereof to meet at such time and place as shall be appointed in said warrant for the choice of such officers as towns are by law required to choose at their annual town meetings.

Be it enacted, that Austin Flint, of Leicester, Nathaniel Jones, of Barre, and Joseph Cunimings, of Ware, are hereby appointed a committee to lienr and consider the claim of Brookfield on one part and of North Brookfield on the other ; and finally to determine whether the town of North Brookfield ought in future to pay any part of the expenses of maintaiin'ng the bridges and causeways in the town of Brookfield.

Sect. 2. Be it further enacted, That from and after tlie time the report of said committee sliall be filed in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth tlie said fifth section of said act incorporating the town of North Brookfield shall be repealed, and the duties and liabilities of said North Brookfield resultiug from the said section shall altogether cease.

by the Legislature which still further, though in a moderate degree, changed the bounds and contracted the territory of the town. It provided that Daniel Coney, with so much of his estate as is within the towns of Brookfield and Weston, in the county of Worcester, be and they are hereby set off from said towns and annexed to the town of Ware, in the County of Hampshire. A much earlier change in the boundaries which has not before been mentioned in the narrative was made in 1791, when the General Court in establishing a line between Bn-okfield and New Braintree s-et off a tract of land to the latter town and annexed to the former, "the lands of Calvin and Francis Stone and a part of Whitney Hill, so called."

The next change in the boundaries and the next birth of a new town from the loins of the mothertown occurred in 1848. On the 22d of the previous November, at a town-meeting over which Alanson Hamilton presided as Moderator, it was voted "that the town choose a committee of two, nominated by the Moderator, one from each Parish; to present a petition to the next Legislature to send out a disinterested committee to report to theirbody the terms upon wiiich this town be divided, and that the town will abide said decision; provided that the town shall not agree among themselves upon the terms of division previous to the first of January next, in which case said committee will petition the Legislature to divide the town upon the terms agreed upon." John N. Fisk and Francis Howe were appointed on the committee. It was also voted that a committee of twelve, six from each parish, be appointed to agree on terms of division. This committee consisted of Perley Blanehard, Elliott Prouty, Alfred Rice, Wm. J. Adam-*, Wm. Howe, Charles Flagg, Baxter Ellis, Baxter Barnes, Nathaniel Lynde, Wm. Adams, Joseph Dane and Avery Keep.

The Conmiittoe clioseu by tlie town of Broolifield t) consider and agree upon an ecuiitiible division of said town into two distinct towns in such manner iind npon such terniB as shall subject each town to bear tlie just proportion of the burdens or expenses and present liabilities of the whole undivided town, respectfully submit tlie following report: having duly considered all the fucts and circumstances that we could bring to our minds, are of the opinii>n tlmt the town should be divided by the same line that divides the two ancient parishes, all the part lying west of said line, excci)t Prestou Haver's hind, shall be incorporated as a new and distinct town by the name of West Brookfield, with the following conditions on agreement, viz.: If the County Commissioners shall order either the road from Ware to West Brookfield depot or the road from Fiykdale to South Brookfield depot, or both of them to be made as they are now located, except a slight alteniliou muy be made without additional expense, within two years each town shall puy an equal portion of the expense of making said road or roads ; also of the present debts of the town, if any there be, West Brookfield shall relinquish and give up to Brookfield all their right or interest in the town fHrni with all the personal property on or belonging thereto, and Brookfield shall keep and support all the paupera who are now at the said establishment during their lives. West Bniokfield paying to Brookfield fifty cents a week each for one half the number of paid paupers now at said almshouse during their lives. The names of the persons to be there supported are as follows, and no other person, viz.: Joseph Porter, Abigail Stephens, Simeon Johnson, David Snow, Eleanor Gilbert, Solon Phipps, Hannah Lawrence, Martlia Ilichardson, Elizabeth Hobbs, Harriett Richards, Sally Forbes, Sally Parker, Iluldah Wood, Mary Walker, Mary W'ard, Esther Jennings, Sally Thomas, Abigail I'addock, John Lindly, Wm. Richardson, Emily P. MurriB, Ben Hamilton. Ruth Hensbaw, insane, is to be supported by the town of Brookfield and Harriett Cording to be supported in West Brookfield. All persons who may hereafter claim town aid to be supported or assisted by the town in whose territtrial limits they may have gained a settlement by the laws of the Commonwealth previous to the division of said town of West Brookfield, shall have the right to visit said Almshouse by an Agent or Committee for the purpose of seeing that said paupers are well treated or taken care of.

The expense incurred by your Committee they pray may be allowed, and that the town direct the Selectmen to give an order to Perley Blanehard, Chairman, for the sum of sixteen dollars for that purpose.

It was then voted to petition the Legislature for an act providing for admission substantially in accordance with the report, and ou the 3d of March the following act was passed :

Section T. All that part of the town of Brookfield in the county of "Worcester which lies westerly of the line hereinafter described, is hereby incorporated into a separate town by the name of West Brookfield, and the said town of West Brookfield is hereby vested with all the powers privileges, rights and immunities, and shall be subject to all tlie duties and requisitions to which other towns are entitled and subjected by the constitution and taws of this Commonwealth. The dividing lino between the two towns shall be and the same is hereby established as follows : Beginning at the north end of the said line at a town monument between Brookfield and North Brookfield, thence south eighteen and three-fourtha degrees west thirty-one rods and twenty-two links to u stake and stones ; thence south eighty-six degrees west twenty-four rods ; thence north eighty-four and three-fourths degrees west ten rods and eighteen links ; thence south fifty-six and three-fourths degrees west seventeen rods and five links ; thence south fifty-four degrees west fifteen rods and twenty-three links ; thence south sixty-nine and one third degrees west fourteen rods and twenty-two links ; thence south seven degrees west nineteen rods and seven links ; thence south twenty-four and one-fonrtii degrees west nine rods and nine links; thence north fifty-six and one-fourth degrees west twelve rods ; thence north fifty-two and three-fourths degrees west sixteen rods ; thence south nine degrees west sixty -six rods and twenty links ; thence south fifteen degrees west sixty-six rods and twenty links ; thence south nine degrees west seventeen rods and seventeen links ; thence south eighty-two and one-half degrees west fifteen rods and three links ; thence south five and one-half degrees east fifty-nine rods and seven links : thence south forty-nine degrees west eighteen rods and twelve links; thence south thirty-three and one-half degrees west eight rods; thence south ten and one-hulf degrees east seven lods and four links ; thence south thirty degrees east seven rods and four links ; tlience south fifty-three and one half degrees east nine rods and thirteen links ; thence south thirty-four degrees west twenty-six rods and tliirteen links ; thence south seventy-five and threefourths detirees east nine rods and twenty liuks ; thence south nine and one-fourth degrees west three rods ; thence south seventy-four degrees east sixteen rods ; thence south twenty and one-fourth degrees west one hundred and twenty-nine rods to the north bank of the river; thence southerly to the middle of the river ; thence down the middle of the river to a point <.>pposite the corner of land of Reuben Blair and the Brigham farm lying on the southerly side of said river ; thence southerly to said corner ; thence south thirty-three and one-fonrth degrees west one hundred eighty-five rods and fifteen links ; thence north sixty-eight and three-fourths degrees west thirty-three rods and twenty links ; thence south sixteen degrees west two hundred thirty-six rods and twenty links; thence south sixty seven and three-fourths degrees east thirtytwo reds ; thence south seven degress west three rods; thence south seventy degrees east sixteen rods and eight links ; thf-nce seventeen degrees west forty rods and two links ; thence south eighty-four and threefourths degrees west seven roils and fifteen links ; thence south three and one-fourth degrees west twenty-six rods ; thence south eighty-five and one-half degrees west twenty-four rods and thirteen links ; thence north seventy and three-fourths degrees west twenty-eight rods and eighteen links; thence north eighty-six and one-half degrees westtwentyeigat rods and five links; thence south twelve rods, thence south twentynine and ono-haU degrees west forty-four rods and fifteen links ; thence south seventeen one-hulf degrees west fifty-tive rods and fourteen links ; theuce auuth aerentf-fire aadoae-half degrees east ninety rods ; thence suuth thirteen one-third desi'eas west eishty-eightrods and twenty-two liulis ; thence nurtli aeveuty-fire degrees west sixty-one rods and twenty links ; tlieuce south nineteen and tliree quarters degrees west eiglity rods ; thence south forty and one-half degrees east seventeen rods ; tlience north twenty-live degrees east twenty-three rods and fifteen linlis tliencjsoutli eighty degrees east fifty-four rods and ten linlis; tlience south tliirteeil and oue-third degrees west one hundred twenty -seven rods and live linlis ; thence north sixty-four degrees west sixty-eight rods and ten iinl<s; theuce eoutli sixty-two degrees west eleven rods and twelve links ; tlience north forty-nine degrees west five rods and nine links ; theuce north sixfy-one and one-half degrees west forty-two rods and twenty iinlts, to a point on the town lino between said Broolifield and Warner.

The remaining sections of the act provided for equitable settlements of arrears of taxes, of county taxes of debts, of corporate pi-operty, the support of the poor, the construction of roads, and further provided, that West Brooktield should

Continue to be a part of the town of Brookfield for the purpose of electing a representative to the General Court, State officers, senators, representatives to Congress and electors of President and vice-President of the United States until the next decennial census shall be taken in pursuance of the 13th article of ainendtnent of the Constitution ; and all meetings for the choice of said ollicers shall be called by the selectmen of the town of Brookfield in like manner and in the same places as heretofore called.

Six years later, on the 15th of April, 1854, the town lines were again, and for the last time, changed. An act of the Legislature of that date provided that

So much of the town of North Brookfield in the County of Worcester as lies southerly of a line beginning at a stoue nionunieut at the old post road leadiug to Brookfield, a little Northwesterly of what is called the Wolcott Mill, and running thence soutii seventy-seven degrees and thirty minutes east three hundred and seventy-five rods, to a stone monument, as now established in the line -of Brookfield and North Brookfield, on the easterly side of the Stephens pond, so-called with all the inhabitants and estjites thereon is hereby set off from the town of North Brookfielii and annexed to the town of Brookfield ; pro. vided, however, that for the purpose of electing representatives to the General Court to which the Siiid town of North Brookfield is entitled until the next decennial census shall be taken in pursuance of the thirteenth article of amendment to the constitution, the said territory shall remain and continue to be a part of the town of North Brookfield, and the inhabitants resident thereon shall be entitled to vote in the choice of such representatives, and shall be eligible to the office of representative in the town of North Brookfield in the same manner as if this act had not been passed.

The record of Brookfield in the War of the Eebellion impresses upon us anew a realization of the immense resources of our government in bringing it to a successful conclusion. Every city and town and hamlet in the loyal North poured out its men and its means, and their sources of supply were far from exhausted when the last soldier had been drafted for the Confederate Army, and the last dollar had been expended for its support. On the 30th of April, IStil, at a town-meeting, at which John E. Prouty acted as moderator it was voted, " that every person belonging to this town who should enroll himself in the company now being raised in this town and vicinity for the purpose of volunteering its services to the Government, subject to the call of the Governor shall, as soon as said company is accepted by the Governor, receive one dollar a day for every day he is called out to drill by the drill-master, or such officers as are authorized so to order. The payment of the above to be made weekly to the order of the drill-master, or the officer properly calling them out, and this shall continue till otherwise directed by the Selectmen."

It was also voted, " that every private and noncommissioned officer when called into actual service shall receive from the town such an amount as shall make his pay, including that received by him from the Government, fifteen dollars per month ; that every private and non-commissioned officer, who has a family or any person dependent upon him for support, shall receive in addition to the above eight dollars per month to be paid in such a manner and to such person as the Selectmen of the town shall think best for the support of saiil family or dependent persons."

It was furlher voted, " that when the company has been organized and accepted by the Governor, each and every member shall be provided with a plain, substantial uniform, and before going into actual service with an army blanket and revolver at the expense of the town unless otherwise provided."

It was still further voted, '' that the Selectmen be authorized to borrow what money the town may want to carry the foregoing votes into effect, to be paid in one, two and three years, and the Selectmen to give all necessary obligations binding the town to pay the same sums and interests that may accrue thereon. And it wtis finally voted, " to choose a committee of three to confer with North Brookfield in regard to the uniform, etc., and for the purchase of the same for the volunteers." This committee consisted of Emmons Twichell, J. S. Montague and Charles Fales.

At a subsequent meeting held on the 15th of June in the same year, at which also John E. Prouty acted as moderator, it was voted " that each member of the family of the volunteer militia be paid one dollar per week for every member of the family, the sum not to exceed twelve dollars per month for any one family and the Selectmen be authorized to borrow the money." It was also voted " that all members that the Committee uniform be paid two dollars and fifty cents per week for five weeks, to be left discretionary with the Selectmen and officers of the company, when to be paid, and to be paid to the officers of said company."

At a meeting held on the following November, at which George W. Johnson acted as moderator, the committee on uniforms reported that the uniforms had been furnished under a contract with Marshal & Duncan of North Brookfield, and that the following men had been supplied :

At a meeting held on the 2d of January, 1S62, at which Austin H. Moulton acted as moderator, it was voted " that the Selectmen ;be authorised to pay to each volunteer not to exceed thirty-four in number, who may enlist or has enlisted under the last call of the President for three hundred thousand volunteers, the sum of one hundred dollars, to be paid to each volunteer upon his being mustered into the service of the United States, it being understood that those who have previously enlisted shall be entitled to the same bounty as those who may hereafter enlist, if they can be legally counted as belonging to our qu^ta of thirty-four men which this town must raise under the call above mentioned.'* At a meeting held on the 12th of September, 1802, at which also George W.Johnson acted as moderator, it was voted '* that one hundred and fifty dollars be paid to each man voluntarily as a part of the quota of the town under the last call for men for nine months' service whether enlisted before or after the first day of September, 1862."

The following is a list of the soldiers furnished by Brookfield in the War of the Rebellion, taken from the tablets on the interior walls of the town-house:

The expenditures of money by the town during the war were $29,874.91, of which the sum of $14,106.19 was re-imbursed by the State, as expended under the law for State aid.

But this sketch with the limited space assigned to it in these volumes, must be brought to a close. Besides the Orthodox, Unitarian and Baptist churches already referred to, there is a Methodist church, established in the early part of this century, and a Catholic church, established about the year 1867, of which Father Grace is pastor. Both enjoy a steady and prosperous growth. The town-hou^e was built at a cost of about seventy thousand dollars, and there are two hotels, a high school, a public library, a Grand Army Post and a Masonic Lodge. The business of the town is not extensive, and is chiefly confined to the manufacture of boots and shoe-!, and bricks, the former by George H. Burt & Co., \\ho employ about five hundred hands, and the latter by the Brookfield Press Brick Company. Under the last census of 1885 the population of the town wa-< throe thousand and thirteen, having increased to that number from two thousand six hundred and sixty, in 1875. The valuation of the town is about one million three hundred thousand dollars. At the last annual meeting the following appropriations were made to defray the expenses of the town for the ensuing year:

The Merrick Public library, a valuable adjunct to the school system of the town and a means of improvement and cultivation to all its inhabitants, stands as a monument to the memory of two of its sons. Its foundation was laid in 18G5, for the formation of a library association, with a capital of two hundred and ninety-five dollars, divided into fifty-nine shares at five dollars each, which were taken, five by one person, forty by twenty persons at two each, and the remainder by fourteen at one each. Additions to this capital were made by gifts of money and books, and about two hundred volumes which had belonged to another, then extinct association, were placed on its shelves. Mr. George Howe, of Boston, contributed one hundred dollars, and his brother, Jabez C. Howe, two hundred and fifty dollars as mementoes of their attachment to an early home. With these and other gifts the library prospered until 18G7, when receiving a bequest under the will of Pliny Merrick, a native of the town, it was merged in the Merrick Public Library. Mr. Merrick said in his will : " Having always felt a strong attachment to the town of Brookfield, in which I was born, and where I -spent the early years of my life, and where the remains of my parents are entombed ; and wishing to do something to promote the well being and prosperity of the inhabitants of the town in all time to come, I do hereby to that end, and for that purpose, give and bequeath to the said town of Brookfield, the sum of ten thousand dollars to be preserved and maintained perpetually as a fund to be denominated the ' library fund.' The income and interest of which shall be appropriated to the purchase, binding and repair of books, to constitute a library for the free use of the inhabitants of the town and the visitors thereto, subject only to such rules and regulations as the town shall from time to time make and present, and I in like manner give and bequeath to said town all my books which I shall own at my decease, except law books, to constitute a part of said library. These two legacies of money and books are upon the condition that the town shall within nine months next after the probate allowance of this will, vote to accept the same upon and subject to the conditions herein contained. If the town should not so vote the said legacies are to be wholly void and of no force or eflect."

The legacies were accepted at the annual meeting of the town in April, 1867, and the library received ten thousand dollars and four hundred and fifty volumes, with one hundred and fifty magazines aud unbound serials. The fund yields an income of about seven hundred and fifty dollars. This income is expended, as provided in the will, for the purch.ise, binding and repair of books, while other current expenses of the library are met by town appropriations.

The commodious and substantial building in which the library is now kept is called "Banister Memorial Hall," aud was erected by William A. Banister, of New York, a native of the town, at a cost of about ten thousand dollars, on land presented to the town by Nancy S. K. Felton, widow of Oliver C. Felton, and was dedicated January 31, 1884. At that time the library contained seven thousand five hundred volumes. The present trustees of the institution are Washington Tufts, D. W. Hodgkins, L. H. R. Goss, H. V. Crosby, E. J. Irwin and C. F. Holt.

Judge Pliny Merrick, the benefactor aud real founder of the library, was born in Brookfield, Au- ' gust 2, 1794, and died in Boston, February 1, 18G7. He was the son of Pliny Merrick, a graduate at Harvard in 1776, and one of Brookfield's most prominent men. Judge Merrick graduated at Harvard in 1814 in the class with Martin Brimmer, Rev. Francis G. P. Greenwood, William H. Prescott and Rev. James Walker. He studied law with Levi Lincoln, and began practice in Worcester in 1817, subsequently practicing at Swansea and Taunton. In 1824 he was appointed county attorney, in 1832 attorney for the middle district, and in 1843 a judge of the old Commorh Pleas Court. In 1851 he was again appointed judge of the Common Pleas Court, and in 1853 a justice of the Supreme Judicial Court. He was also Representative from Worcester in 1827, and Senator in 1850. Besides the btquest to his native town, he made bequests to the City of Worcester for the establishment of schools of a high grade.

Among other distinguished men of Brookfield, the following may be mentioned. Jedediah Foster was born in Andover, October 10, 1726, and died October 17, 1779. He graduated at Harvard in 1744, and settled in Brookfield in the practice of law. He was a delegate to the Provincial Congress in 1774-75, and was an influential member. He was chosen councillor in 1774, and disapproved by General Gage, aud re-chosen in 1775. He was judge of the Superior Court of Judicature from 1776 to his death, and had previously been probate judge and judge of the Worcester County Court of Common Pleas.

Dwight Foster, son 'of Jedediah, was born in Brookfield, December 7, 1757, and died in that town April 29, 1823. He graduated at Brown University in 1774 and practiced law in liis native town. He was Sheriff and Common Pleas Judge of Worcester County, a member of the House and Senate in the General Court, member of Congress from 1793 to

1799, and United States Senator from 1800 to 1803. On the death of his father, in 1779, while a member of the State Convention for framing the State Constitution, he was chosen in his place.

Jabez Upham, son of Phinehas Upham, was born in Brooklield in 1704 and graduated at Harvard in 1785. He studied law with Dwight Foster and was admitted to the bar in 1788. He practiced a few years in Sturbridge, Mass., and Claremont, New Hampshire, and thence removed to Brookfield, where he died, November 8, 1811. He represented his native town in the General Court and the Worcester South District in Congress, resigning his seat in 1809.

Wm. B. Banister was born in Brookfield, November 8, 1773 and graduated at Dartmouth in 1797. He was a distinguished member of both the Worcester and Essex bars and died in Newburyport, where a considerable portion of his proftssional life was spent, July 1, 1853.

Amos Crosby was born in Brookfield in 1761 and graduated at Harvard in 1786. He was a preceptor in Leicester Academy and tutor at Harvard. He afterwards practiced law in Brookfield until his death in June, 1836.

1800, and graduated at Harvard in 1819. He studied law with S. M. Burnside, but after a few years' practice retired from active business. He was three years a member of the Executive Council, and a member of the Massachusetts Senate in 1848.

Daniel Gilbert, a native of Brookfield, graduated at Dartmouth in 1796 and was admitted to the bar in 1805. He died, iVIarch 11, 1851, at the age of seventy-six.

Lovell Walker was born in Brookfield in 1768 and graduated at Dartmouth in 1794. He practiced law in Templeton and Leominster, and was a member of the Senate in 1830 and 1831. He died March 25, 1840.

Among other natives of Brookfield who have distinguished themselves either at home or in wider fields of enterprise may be mentioned Joseph Dwight, Josiah Converse, Phinehas Upham, Thomas Hale, Oliver Crosby, Simeon Draper and Oliver C. F'elton. These belonged to past generations and of the living it is not proposed to speak.

With these sketches this imperfect narrative musts close. It is only necessary to say in conclusion that the writer has drawn freely from Temple's valuable " History of North Brookfield" as a source of supply of historical material, for which he desires to express the fullest acknowledgment and the sincerest thanks. That history being a town publication, he has esteemed it a sort of town record, and therefore free for public use.