Hopkinton Supply Co. Building

Hopkinton furnished four hundred and twenty-five men for the w.ar, which was a surplus of sixteen over and above all demands ; three were commissioned officers. The total amount of money appropriated and expended by the town on account of the war exclusive of State aid was thirty thousand dollars ($30,- 000.00).

Passage source: History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, published 1890.

Catholicity in Hopkinton.' - Time rolls his restless course ; the changing years flit on, and, one by one, unbidden to-morrows burst forth to-days only to lose themselves again in the yesterdays of the sombre, silent past. Life is one continual change, and to none can this be more evident than to him who will carefully pause and reflect on the wonderful transformations that have been eftected during the past forty years, since the inauguration of the Parish of Hopkinton. Who, in those early days would have presumed to predict so glorious a future for this little hamlet? Who then dared hope that the day would ever come when the Catholics of Hopkinton could claim the proud distinction of having erected to the honor and glory of God the grandest edifice within the confines of New England. Truly it seems the finger of God had pointed out the way for His devoted children, and strengthened their hearts in the hour of darkness against the attacks of a bigoted and unrelenting world. But few of the early settlers survive to tell the story of the suflerings and privations undergone in the cause of Christ when the faithful were forced to travel many weary miles over almost impassable roads to receive the consolations of our holy religion. As early as 1846 the Parish of Milford was formed, which included the present parishes of Hopkinton, Medway, HoUiston, Ashland, Upton, Marlboro', Maynard, Rock Bottom, Westboro', Cordaville and Saxonville. Rev. Father Boyce of Worcester was appointed fir.st pastor, assisted by Rev. Father Gibson, by whom regular monthly services were instituted in the surrounding towns ; the priest being obliged to travel from place to place, oftentimes exposed to the inclemency of the weather, to care for the wants of his devoted flock. Previous to this time the Catholics of Hopkinton attended Mass at the homes of Dominic McDevitt and Edward Mc- Govern, both of Milford ; but upon the arrival of Father Boyce as pastor of Milford, services were held at the residence of John McDonough, who sympathized with !ind materially aided these early pioneers in their unswerving fidelity to their holy cause. Still they remained unsatisfied and longed for a church wherein they might worship God according to the dictates of conscience. The faith of Saints Patrick and Columba glowed in their hearts ; nor could they rest until they had a place wherein a priest might dwell and preach the word of God. With this object in view, a meeting was called in November, 1849, by John Wilson, a Protestant, at his home on Mt. Auburn Street, where were assembled all the Catholic men, twenty-two in number, from the outlying districts - very few then resided in the town proper. What transpired at that meeting is best told in the words of Michael Raferty, an eyewitness, and the oldest Catholic resident living : " I have attended many meetings, both political and re- ligious, but never have I witnessed such enthusiasm displayed as at that first meeting of the Catholics of Hopkinton, and to John Wilson must be given the honor of being the first to propose the establishment of a Catholic Church in our town. His actions on that occasion were something not soon to be forgotten, and his generosity is worthy of record. Seven hundred dollars were subscribed in a few moments, and we voted to build a House of Prayer."

Passage source: History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, published 1890.

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 Hopkinton Town - 9,274 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.