Blackstone Town (part 2 of 2)

Early in the year was completed Institute Hall, a large and handsome edifice, near the St. Paul's Church, devoted to the social and educational interests of its people. The building is .of wood, eighty feet long by forty-five feet in width, and two full stories in height above the basement.

This spring the town was seized with one of its periodical spasms of small economy and fixed the price at which its servants must work. This process involved the choice of a new tax collector and the consequent loss to the town within two years of several thousand dollars. It was voted that the School Committee shall appoint a superintendent of schools, and that board appointed Alvin C. Robbins. The committee appointed to secure the settlement in town of additional manufacturing enterprises were active during "the year, and the valuable water privilege at

Millville, on the Blackatone River, was sold by its Worcester owners to the Woonsocket Rubber Company, of Woonsocket, R. I., and the Lawrence Felting Company.

Rev. R. D. Dyson was appointed to the Methodist Society at Millville and Rev. Charles Nason to the East Blackstone Society. The Mansfield Scythe Factory, built in 1871, oft' Central Street, Millville, was purchased by Messrs. Booth & Kidd and converted into a woolen-mill with four sets of machinery. Dr. Frank J. King opened his office in Millville in August.

The last week in October the Waterford No. 8 Mill was totally destroyed by fire. This mill was the oldest of the Watei ford Mills, having been built by Welcome Farnum in 1825. The loss of this mill was a serious drawback to the town and resulted in the removal of many industrious families and good citizens elsewhere.

1878. - Town Clerk, John Nugent; Selectmen, Americus Welch, Terrence McGinley, Michael Tuite ; Assessors, Americus Welch, Patrick Baxter, Dennis J. Connors; Overseers of the Poor, Micajah Fuller, Peter McCooey, William F. Byrne; Treasurer, Austin A. Wheelock ; School Committee, for three years, Adrian Scott.

April 1st, it was voted, " that the assessors be instructed to abate all taxes assessed on the real estate of Messrs. Cook & Banigan, for the term of five years from the date of their purchase in the village of Millville, except upon the valuation upon said real estate of that date." This vute was passed in behalf of the improvements made at Millville by the Lawrence Felting Co., consisting of the Felting Jlill and its adjuncts, machinery, &c.

Resolred, That the inhabitaiifs of the Town of Blsiclietone, in town, meeting assemliied, leceive with regret tlie information of tlie death of ourreepected former fellow-citizen, Sylvanns H. Benson.

ReauUe'i, That we deem it our duty to express in our name our regard for tlie various imi)nrtalit public services wliicli distinguislied Ills oliicial life and to mark with appiopriate honor the points of his character and the integrity of his aduiiniatration of the several departments which have been intrusted to his care. These entitle him to the afTectioiiate remembrance of the inhabitants of this Town and an honorable place in the history of its public servants.

Resolved, That the Town Clerk be requested to transmit copies of the foregoing resolutions to the family of our deceased friend and to have the same placed upon the records of the Town.

September 27th the town voted to fund the town debt by establishing a Sinking Fund. Commissioners were elected as follows : Jeremiah Gatchell, for three years; Lawrence Boylan, for two years; Henry S. Mansfield, one year.

1879. - Town Clerk, Daniel Wheelock ; Selectmen, Americus Welch, Terrence McGinley, Frederick Thayer; Assessors, Americus Welch, Mathew Marty, James A. Kidd ; Overseers of the Poor, Andrew Kelly, Francis N. Thayer, Lawrence Gibney ; School Committee, Augustus Wilcox, three years, - Dennis McCaffrey, one year, to fill vacancy caused by the resignation of Henry C. Kimball ; Treasurer, Leonard T. Gaskill.

The proceedings of the previous September, in regard to the Sinking Fund, not appearing upon the records in sufficient form, were void. The town, therefore, again pas.sed its vote establishing a Sinking Fund, ordering the assessors to assess each year one and one-half mills on each dollar of taxable property, and elected Jeremiah Gatchell for three years, Henry S. Mansfield for two years and Rice A. Brown, Jr., for one year. Sinking Fund Commissioners.

The revised Truant Laws oftered by Adrian Scott, chairman of the School Committee, were accepted and adopted by the town and were approved by the Superior Court, Francis H. Dewey, Nov. 15th.

A committee was appointed to name the public roads and streets in the town. The committee reported, November -llh, forty-four public and two private ways with names, and the report was adopted.

Mr. Francis Kelly died the latter part of August, in the seventieth year of his age, at Dorchester, Mass., where he removed some three years previous. He was a native of Bellingham, but came to Blackstone when a young man and resided in this town over forty years. His life-long occupatiou was teaching. He had an aptitude for teaching, and his schools were characterized for good order and discipline, a systematic pursuit of studies and a strict attention to the rules and duties of the place. He filled many important town ajjencies.

1880. - Town Clerk, John Nugent; Selectmen, Americus Welch, William J. Bowes, Lawrence Don- Ion, Jr. ; Assessors, Americus Welch, George Williams {1st), Louis R. Banigan ; Overseers of the Poor, Daniel Heft'ernan, James H. Boyle, Andrew Kelly ; Treasurer, Lawrence Boylan ; School Committee, Dennis McCaflrey (for three years), Samuel S. White (for two years, to fill a vacancy caused by removal of Augustus Wilcox).

" Voted that all persons building in the town for manufacturing purposes will be abated their taxes for the term of five years, provided the amount of said investment be not less than $50,000." Under

The new Almshouse was the subject of two meetings during the spring, and was eventually built on the old road opposite the old house, instead of upon the new section of Mendon Street, where it would have been much more accessible and in a much more sightly location.

Rev. Ck'orge F. Walker having resigned his charge at the Blackstone Church, the society remained without a settled pastor for several years.

A new church, known as St. Augustine's, was built at Jlillville by the Roman Catholic Society of that village, which continued under the charge of Rev. William A. Power, of Blackstone.

1881. - Town Clerk, John Fay ; Selectmen, Americas Welch, William.!. Bowes, Lawrence Donlon, Jr.; Assessors, Americus Welch, Michael Tuite, George Baxter ; Overseers of the Poor, Daniel Heffernan, James Meagher, John Clark ; Treasurer, Austin A. Wiieelock; School Committee, for three years, Adrian Scott.

The school-house at Millville was enlarged during the summer. The school-house in the Pickering District becoming untenable, the school was suspended after the spring term. During the summer the iron bridge at the New City began to give signs of weakness, and August 22d a committee of five was appointed to conti'act for a new bridge. The Providence and Worcester Railroad having refused to bear its proportion of the expense, a committee of three was appointed November 11th to a.scertaiu that company's liability. The contract of the company with the town upon the construction of the first iron bridge, in 18()7, as well as all other records bearing upon the subject, were submitted to Francis P. Goulding, Esq., of Worcester, and Judge E. Rockwood Hoar, of Boston, who gave it their opinion separately that the railroad company was chargeable. The attorney for the company, having reviewed these opinions, gave his assent thereto, and the company eventually helped pay for the new iron bridge.

1882. - Town Clerk, William F. Byrne; Selectmen, Americus Welch, Louis R. Banigan, Lawrence Donlon, Jr. ; Assessors, George Williams, John J. Hefl'ernan, John Conway; Overseers of the Poor, Daniel Hefternan, Patrick Baxter, Francis McMnnus ; Treasurer, Austin A. Wheelock; School Committee, for three years, Horatio Stockbridge.

Early this year the proprietor of the Franklin Sentinel at Franklin, Mass., undertook to revive the Blackstone Valley Clironicle by printing a Blackstone edition of his paper, with Edward Savage, Esq., as local editor.

1883. - Town Clerk, William F. Byrne; Selectmen, Americus Welch, Louis R. Banigan, George F. Creighton ; Assessors, Americus Welch, James A. Kidd, Edward McCooey ; Overseers of the Poor, Patrick Kennedy, James H. Boyle, George Williams ; Treasurer, Austin A. Wheelock ; School Committee, for three years, Orlando Scott. November 6th Francis McManus was chosen in place of James H. Boyle, deceased.

March 12th the town adopted a town seal as follows : " Voted, that the Town adopt as a design for a Town Seal, a shield, one-half of which shall contain the coat-of-arms of the Blackstone Family, the other half contain the representation of the tower of the old Blackstone Mill. Below this, upon a scroll, the Blackstone motto, ' T>o well and doubt not,' with flowers ; and above the shield a scroll with the date of the Town's incorporation, 1845 ; and upon the margin shall appear, ' Nepmug Country until 1667; Mendon, 1667; ' and directly above the shield, in the margin, ' Blackstone.' "

The New York and New England Railro.ad removed its unsightly wooden bridges over Main and Canal Streets, and substituted iron bridges during the fall and winter. Under a decree of the County Commis sioners, the company was allowed to erect piers between sidewalks and roadways upon both streets.

Decenil)er 10th the village of Blackstone was startled to learn that Dr. William M. Kimball had been found in his office in an apoplectic shock and unable to speak. He lived about two days, but did not recover the power to speak. Dr. Kimball was born in Southbridge, studied with Dr. Miller, of Providence, and attended lectures at the Berkshire Medical School and at Harvard Medical School, graduating from the latter. He settled in Blackstone in 1840. |

1884. - Town Clerk, William F. Byrne ; Selectmen, Americus Welch, Louis R. Banigan, George F. Creighton; Assessors, John F. Campbell, Orlando Scott, Edward McCooey ; ' Overseers of the Poor, Daniel Heffernan, Francis McManus, George Williams; Treasurer, Austin A. Wheelock ; School Committee, for three years, Adrian Scott. November 4lh Edward R. Thompson was chosen in place of Daniel Hefl'ernan, deceased.

1S85. - Town Clerk, William F. Byrne ; Selectmen, Americus Welch, Patrick O'Donnell, John J. Dorsey ; Assessors, John F. Campbell, Orlando Scott, Edward McCooey ; Overseers of the Poor, Patrick Kennedy, Francis McManus, George Williams (1st); Treasurer, Austin A. Wheelock : School Committee for three years, Horatio Stockbridge.

April (5th, it was voted to have Road Commissioners, and the ballot taken elected Peter Maloney, for three years, Cornelius R. Day, for two years, and Americus Welch, one year. It was also voted to adopt the system for keeping town accounts and printing town reports offered by Americus Welch. The grade of that portion of South Main Street recently re-located was fixed, and the width of the sidewalks was established at two-elevenths of the established width of each street, equal to nine feet upon Main Street, and all roads three rods wide.

This year was rendered memorable by the famous strike at the Millville Rubber Work?, the disastrous effects of which upon the prosperity of the village and the town are not yet entirely overcome. The strike began the latter part of June, and lasted several months. In September the attitude of the strikers was so threatening, when the company substituted new help, that the selectmen judged it prudent to bring down a company of Worcester city police.

The different temperance organizations in town, united with the clergy, and a strong public sentiment that the liquor dealers were acting unscrupulously in selling to minors, on Sundays, etc, gathered force during the winter and manifested its strength at the ensuing annual election.

Matthew Blanchard, the postmaster at Millville, having died suddenly in January, his wife was appointed, and still holds the position (January 1, 1889).

William Byrne was appointed postmaster at Blackstone in August, in place of Junius Bates, and Caleb Colvin at East Blackstone in place of Myron Daniels.

McCooey ; Overseers of the Poor, Daniel W. Heffernan, Francis McJIanus, John P. Maloney; Treasurer, Austin A. Wheelock; School Committee for three years, George K. Marshall; Road Commissioner, Salmon Blanchard.