South Milford, Massachusetts

To verify this let them read what is said in several chapters, and in the "Genealogical Register," concerning the Albees, Chapins, Corbetts, Greenes, Haywards, Joneses, Nelsons, Pennimans, Warfields, Wheelocks, Whites and others of various note and date. They will then be satisfied that our present population have little reason to be ashamed, either of their predecessors or themselves. In the long struggles which resulted first in making Milford a precinct, December 23, 1741, and finally a town April 11, 1780, the inhabitants of now Hopedale were prominent, persistent and influential actors. The First Church (Congregational) of Milford originated chiefly with tlie.«e inhabitants, led by Elder John Jones and his neighbors. It was formed in his dwelling-house. In that house it was organized and ecclesiastically sanctioned April 15, 1741. Many of its regular Sabbath meetings were held there, pending the erection of its first meeting-house ; and there the council convened, which ordained its first pastor, Rev. Amariah Frost, December 21, 1743. In secular affairs the influence of our antecedent citizens was at one period predominant. Samuel Penniman, Esq., at what is called South Milford, now a part of Hopedale, became a manufacturer of woolen and cotton goods, not far froai 1810, at an establishment just on the edge of Bellingham, where Charles River leaves our town. He was a man of sterling business talent and enterprise. Whether he had co-partners in the manufacture of cloth the writer was never definitely informed, but deems it probable. A little later he embarked actively in the straw goods trade, which he carried on in connection with a large grocery and dry-goods store. He did an immense business for a country merchant of those days, commanded custom throughout an area many miles in diameter, and was very popular. He employel hundreds, perhaps thousands, of straw braiders, and supplied their domestic wants out of his ample store. The then famous thoroughfare, the " Ninth Massachusetts Turnpike," so-called, had been recently opened, aud passed close by his premises, affording quite unprecedented facilities for communication with comparatively distant marts. This brought another great public convenience, a post-office. This was Milfbrd's first mail depot. It was es^tablished March 7, 1814, and Major Penniman was appointed postmaster. Milford Centre had no post-ofiice till February 10, 1823. Samuel Penniman, Esq., died, much lamented, in the prime of life, December 22, 1817. He was succeeded in business by Samuel Leeds and one of his own surviving sons. Mr. Leeds was a man of ability and executive enterprise, but after a few years the prosperity of the establishment declined, and never afterward returned to its climax. Other minor cases of business development within our now municipal limits might be mentioned with respect, but were not of sufficient importance to occupy space, until we reach the movement which evolved

Passage source: History of Worcester County, Massachusetts, published 1889.

Business Trades (not previously mentioned). - Henry L. Patrick, who runs two large grocery and country stores in Hopedale, and one in Upton, has a wide range of custom, making annual sales to the amount of one hundred thousand dollars. Smith & Mead opened their establishment in the Town House, December, 1887, for the sale of groceries, meats, dry and fancy goods, etc. Their store and meat market are of first-class rank, and they have a wide run of profitable patronage. Their firm is a flourishing one and promises merited success. The long established "Green Store," once the famous Major Penniman entrepot at South Milford, though shorn of its oldtime importance, is still a respectable grocery and country dispensary, and well managed by Hamblet B. Fisk. We have two enterprising livery and transportation establishments, an ice company and several small artisan and handicraft shops - all useful.

Passage source: History of Worcester County, Massachusetts, published 1889.

Although there is only one church edifice in our town, there is a public hall at South Milford, still, so called, well known as Harmony Hall, where religious meetings and reform lectures have long been held on some part of the Sabbath by the various neighboring clergymen of different denominations, etc. The attendance is generally good and the sacred music commendable. A respectable Sunday-school is also sustained there. It should be understood that in Hopedale Village and throughout our new town there are numerous representatives of nearly all the churches in Milford Centre, who customarily worship in their respective sanctuaries, and seldom, if ever, with the Hopedale Parish. We have Catholics, Episcopalians, Orthodox Congregationalists, Baptists, Methodists and Universalists. And for their devotional convenience our enterprising transportationist, John M. French, runs his barges to and from Milford Centre every Sunday at the proper hours, so that all who have not conveyances of their own are well accommodated. Besides this convenience, some of the sects hold occasional religious gatherings, more or less frequently, in public or private buildings of Hopedale Village. Thus religious privileges are amply provided for all our people according to their various preferences.

Passage source: History of Worcester County, Massachusetts, published 1889.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Hopedale Town - it names this place 2 more 2 times.