Blackstone Town (part 1 of 2)

Blackstone Town

Mr. Warfield has proved himself to be a very energetic and capable man of business, and has been a very successful one. He is still hale and hearty, promising to remain so for many years to come.

He married Miss Eliza Jane Maxwell in February, 1843, who is still living. They have had four children, two of whom died while young. The fourth, Austin H. Warfield, is now about thirty-six years of age, is married, and is an active business man, associated with his father in his present business.

Chapter Lxxxiv

1. Purchase of the Territory. - The legal title to the soil of what now forms the town of Blackstone was passed from the aboriginal owners to people of the English name in the deed delivered to Moses Payne and Peter Brackett, of Braintree, by an Indian chief, on the 8th day of September, 1662.

To the whole of the purchase then made the name of Mendon was soon afterwards given. The town of Blackstone, the last of several towns carved, in whole or in part, out of that territory, was really marked out by the estaldishment of the so-called South Precinct in 1766, but it was nearly eighty years later before the town was incorporated.

It contains almost exactly one-fourth part of the land granted in that original deed, and its proportional price would be the sum of six pounds sterling, which we will trust was duly and faithfully paid to the natives in current coin of the realm of. King Charles II.

2. Its Bounds and Area. - The South Precinct of the town of Mendon was separated from the First Precinct by a vote of the General Court, November 8, 1766. The bounds are given as follows : Beginning at the southwest corner of Mendon, then on Uxbridge three miles one hundred and twenty-eight rods to a stake and stones on Capt. Daniel Taft's farm ; thence turning and running east eight degrees south to stake and stones by road leading from Thomas Taft's to John Boyce's ; continuing the same course to a stake and stones by road leading from I)am Swamp to Ens. Benjamin Darling's; continuing the same course to a stake and stones on the east side of Rehoboth Road, south of Darius Daniel's orchard ; then the same course to a pine tree at Bellingham line, with Daniel Taft's and Joseph Day's farms on the north side of line.

The area thus included is stated to be 10,295 acres by Mr. H. F. Walling, who made a survey by order of the town in 1854. The westerly line, as stated above, is 3 miles 128 rods ; the northerlv, 4 miles 248 rods ; the easterly, 3 miles 100 rods ; and the southerly, about 4 miles 230 rods. The latter line, as part of the disputed boundary between Massachusetts and Rhode Island, has fluctuated much.

3. Topography and Geology. - The whole town / lies in the valley of the Blackstone River, which/ flows through its southern section. Northerly from the river the surface rises -in some places with abruptness - and continues to rise beyond the town's limits. Two-thirds of its area is included in this description without much variation from the course of four or five small streams trending southerly into the river. Fox Brook, the largest of these streams, has its head-waters in several brooks issuing from the spurs of Chestnut Hill, the largest, or main stream, issuing from the extensive Pine Swamp between Caleb Taft's and the Uxbridge line. The eastern third of the town is occupied by the Mill River valley, itself a tributary of the Blackstone, but not reaching it within the town limits. This stream has also in much of its course steep, precipitous banks the intervales being generally where smaller streams are received as tributaries. The largest and most important of these is Quickstream, which rises in an extensive swamp beyond the town limits in Bellingham. Second in size is the Hop Swamp Brook, rising in Mendon, and in its southeasterly course draining the locally famous Dam Swamp.

The town has no natural lakes or large ponds, and the area occupied by its streams is stated by Mr. Walling to be ninety acres. The highest land is found in the extreme northwest, in the hills collectively known as Chestnut Hill. More isolated are the Daniels Hill, north of the centre of the town, and Waterbug Hill, a little southwest of the centre. East of Mill River, Candlewood Hill stretches north and south a distance of about two miles. Pond's Hill overlooks the village of Waterford, and presents abrupt sides, both towards Fox Brook on the west and Blackstone River on the south.

The rocky bed underlying these hills is mainly gneifS, with some granite in the northwest. In all parts of the town granite boulders are found, and these afford material for walls. But no quarry of good granite is known to exist within the town limits. In the Mill River valley the hills in many places have the conical appearance of sand dunes near a sea-coast, and many of them are composed of quite pure white sand.

In the Mendon town records, under the year 1700, it is recorded that votes were passed in relation to iron ore and an iron mine in the southern part of the town. It is plain, however, after a careful consideration, that this must have referred to Iron Mine Hill in Cumberland. By records a little earlier and later it appears that even Woonsocket Falls were then claimed as within the town, and a similar exercise of squatter sovereignty claimed Iron Mine Hill. It does not appear that any metals have been found in the

4. Flora and Fauna. - The chestnut, birch, maple and walnut are the predominant forest trees in the town, although the pine swamps have been of great value in the past. Oaks of several species are found rather plentifully, and numerous other woods have representatives. The denuding of the forest surfaces, through the demand for fire-wood and lumber, has had its usual effect upon the streams and indirectly upon the fertility of the meadows and the quality of the crops grown upon them.

No larger game than the red fox now haunts our woods, although in colonial times wolves and deer were plentiful. Woodchucks and skunks are great pests to the farmers, and rabbits are still to be found in young pine and other undergrowth.

5. Soil and Productions. - The town offers a great variety of soils, from one of almost pure sand to rich, deep loam. Mill River Valley has in the northern end of the town light, sandy soil, free from stone, easily worked and giving early crops. But dry weather seriously affects and sometimes ruins crops. The lower end of this valley is now but little used as tillage land. Fifty years ago, liy a system of trench irrigation, the meadows southward from the Old Forge Pond were made very productive. The central and western parts of the town present a better soil, but a very rocky one. The Chestnut Hill region, with its famous Benson Great Meadow, has some good farms, but they require on the part of their owners unremitting toil of the most arduous kind. South of the Blackstone River again the soil is lighter, but gradually grows stonier as one approaches the Rhode Island line.

The raising of cattle, hogs and sheep, once the predominant farming interest of the town, has nearly ceased. The production of milk to sell in the villages and market gardening with the same end now occupy nine-tenths of the farmers. There are a good many orchards growing fine fruit, but the number of trees is slowly diminishing. There are a few good cranberry bogs, but the crop is uncertain unless artificially protected from the frosts.

G. The Earliest Settlers. - The town of Mendon was settled under the proprietary system, each settler having his grant, his common right in all the unappropriated land, and his share when any section was divided. It is probable that the earliest settlers took up their abode here not far fiom the year 1700. They entered the town from two points - on the west at Chestnut Hill, whence they passed down to the Blackstone River at Millville; on the east they settled up and down the Mill Riveras far as Woonsocket Falls. Exact knowledge as to the earliest proprietors is perhaps unobtainable. Some who came very early,. however, are mentioned in the records so definitely that we can grasp the fact.

Richardson had land laid out on the lower course of Mill River in 1700 and upon (iuickstream in 1702. Of this man we know nothing further, save the fact that in 1699 he received the usual bounty per head from the town of Mendon for killing five grown wolves. It is probable that this pioneer in the pleasant fields of the coming East Blackstone was accompanied by other proprietors and those who were not proprietors. Two years before, in 1698, the Rehoboth road was laid out down through the Mill River Valley from Mendon town to the Dedham- line, corresponding nearly to the Bellingham line. Elm Street in our days represents this most ancient of our legal highways. By family tradition rather than by any records we know that the founders of the two families of Daniels and Thayer were fairly settled in the northeastern portion of the tow-n about 1710, and owned and occupied the land in that section by proprietor's rights.

We find the heads of these families distinctly recorded in 1718, when the selectmen laid out a road from the Coverdale place to Hop Brook, at the present residence of Sylvanus White, forming what is now the northerly half of Blackstone Street. Eleazer Daniels, Josiah Thayer and Lieut. Samuel Thayer asked land damages on account of this new highway, and were granted the same out of common land.

Two years before this, in 1716, the town appointed a committee to lay out a road from the iron works to Dedham. These iron works were probably the forge established by Jonathan Richardson at the easterly end of the Forge Pond, on Mill River, and the road then laid out would be the Bellingham Street of the present.

With the settlement of this Mill River valley, and its reduction to fertile fields, grew up the need of a grist-mill in the neighborhood. The first mention of this mill is in 17.5.3, when it was spoken of as something well known under the title of Cargill's Mill. James Cargill belonged to the Society of Friends, and in the lists of Quakers prepared for the town August 30, 1756, his name appears. Not far from this time the grist-mill became the property of Seth Kelly, who came to Mendon from Sandwich, in Barnstable County, and married a daughter of David Daniels, son of Eleazer, previously mentioned. This mill has since been known as Kelly's Mill, having remained in the hands of his lineal descendants. A saw-mill was added at an early date, and in the first quarter of the present century a cotton-mill was built to be run by the same water privilege. In 1809 Seth Kelly the younger and James Paine erected a wooden mill for manufacturing cotton goods on the south side of Park Street, just below the old forge. About 1823 was built the machine-shop of Paine & Ray, on the Quickstream, on the location of the satinet-mill at present owned by Mr. Perrin. Some four or five years later Caleb Colvin built a small cotton-mill of brick, and Messrs. Paine & Ray one of wood, locally known as the Squat Mill, near the junction of the Quickstream with Mill Eiver. From about 1825 to 1835 this portion of the town was blessed with great business activity and success. Colonel Joseph Ray owed his military title to the fact that he was colonel of a militia regiment composed of companies from Mendon, Uxbridge, Milford and Douglass.

The first post-oiEce in what is now the town of Blackstone was established in 1822 at Five Corners, with Samuel Allen as postmaster, and wiili the name of South Mendon post-office. Daniel Kelly was soon after made postmaster, and the office was transferred to his house at the foot of the Handy road. Upon Mr. Kelly's death, in 1826, Elbridge G. Daniels was appointed postmaster, and held the position until 1850, the post-office being kept in his house opposite the Coverdale stand. The name of the office was changed to North Blackstone in 1845.

The people of the Mill River section of the Mendon South Parish seem to have been largely Anabaptists and Friends. Until the beginning of the present century the latter had attended the meeting in Mendon village, where the Friends built a meeting-house in 1729. In 1799 Samuel Smith, a well-to-do farmer belonging to the society, conveyed a piece of land to trustees for the erection of a meeting-house on the southern margin of his farm. Here, in 1812, was erected the building still standing, and meetings twice in the week were held here with the greatest regularity for many years. This meeting absorbed the membership from Mendon Meeting when the latter was discontinued in 1841. The Anabaptists were associated with others of that view in the town of Bellingham, and never erected any house in East Blackstone.

Turning now to the westerly side of the town, we find that, traditionally, at least, the Southwick family is the oldest of the white settlers within the town's limits. That name is intimately associated with those of Aldrieh and Taft in South Uxbridge, and undoubtedly families of those three names owned land within our limits before the new settlers came down irom Mendon way. South of the Blackstone River the Mendon proprietors, about 1700, found themselves in conflict with a proprietor, acting under authority from the Providence Plantation, of the name of Samuel Comstock. The Southwicks, it is presumed, were settled upon grants of land received from him.

Korth of the Blackstone, and at Chestnut Hill, the earliest names seem to be those of Benson and Darling. In the village of Millville, encroached upon by Main Street, just beyond the residence of Willard Wilson, is a neglected burying-ground, containing seven tombstones, whose inscriptions are still legible in whole or in part. These bear the names of Benoni Benson, died in 1761, aged 71 years; Abigail Benson, died in 1751, aged 32 years; Hannah Goldthwaite, died in 1800, aged 70 years; John Goldthwaite, died

These are said to be the oldest inscriptions upon gravestones in the town, and point to a settlement early in the eighteenth century. From the Mendon records, under date of May 16, 1732, we learn that Samuel Thompson then owned a grist mill on the island, at what is now Millville. He bargained with the town to maintain the bridge from the island to the south bank of the Blackstone River, provided the town would build and maintain the bridge on the north side. From this will date the first lay out of Central Street, in Millville. Towards the close of the century a fulling-mill was built here, and in 1814 Esek Pitts built the first woolen-mill ever erected upon the Blackstone River. The Island Mill was erected in 1835. The Stone Mill, destroyed by fire in 1874, and since partially rebuilt, was erected by Collins Capron in 1825. The entire river privilege was bought out by Welcome Farnum in 1845, and the brick mill was added by him directly after to the combination already existing. The forging of axes and scythes was a Millville industry early in the century.

A post-office was first established in Millville in 1827 and Willard Wilson was postmaster at three diflerent times, viz. : 1827-42, 1845-49, 1853-61. Preston Warfield was the postmaster in 1842-43, and George Staples, 1843-45. Preserved L. Thayer was twice postmaster, 1849-53 and from 1861-73.

The first church erected in Millville appears to have been the one on Central Street, of which the basement is now occupied as a store by Thomas T. Smith. It was built in 1833 by the Methodist Reformed Church Society. In 1838 a second church was erected by the Presbyterians on Bow Street, but the society was short-lived and the church building became the property of the Methodist Episcopal Church about 1850.

It must be remembered that the original settlers of this section and their descendants were in general either Friends attending the South Uxbridge Meeting, or Presbyterians attending the Chestnut Hill Meeting. The latter was the religious centre of the South Parish, incorporated in 1766. Its substantial wooden meeting-house, built in 1769,. is still standing in a well-preserved condition. On the 14th September, 1768, Rev. Benjamin Balch was settled as its pastor; but owing to disputes with his people about the " provisions and other necessaries of life," especially fire-wood, included in the loose end of the arrangement for his salary, he fell into the contempt of his parishioners and fled in the night, March 27, 1773, to the town of Dedham. No settled pastor was had after him until the Rev. Preserved Smith came in 1805. He remained seven years and his memory is blessed. The society became extinct before the Millville Church was built.

socket had been occupied and used for nearly a century each before a yet more valuable one, intermediate between them, was taken advantage of and developed by the Blackstone Manufacturing Company. This company, consisting of Nicholas Brown and Thomas P. Ives, the surviving partners of the oldtime commercial firm of Brown & Ives, with Samuel Butler, Cyrus Butler and Seth Wheaton, purchased some two hundred and sixty acres of land on both aides of the river about the year 1804. These men were all residents of Providence, R. I., and had made fortunes in commerce before turning their attention to manufacturing. The section of land thus purchased was practically uninhabited, and the first building erected by the new owners of the soil was a large building to aflbrd shelter and cooking facilities for the workmen, known as the Cook House. It was long since demolished, but stood somewhat north of the present Arcade Building. Work was pushed upon dam, mill and tenement houses, but it was not until 1809 that the mill was completed and work was begun. At first and for a good many years the cotton was spun at the mill and the weaving was done on hand-looms in the lonely farm-houses scattered through the surrounding country.

A respected fellow-townsman, whose memory of Blackstone Village dates back to the year 182u, gives the following description of it as it was at that date. A street, corresponding to our present Main Street, crossed the mill-trench to the north of the site of the iron bridge, passing through the lower ground. The high bluff, now known as the New City and the High Rocks, was common laud crowned with a thick growth of oak wood, but having no houses. Westward of our Mendon Street, from the company's barn northward to the tavern stand at the four corners, were very rough rocky pastures and wooded swamps. Eastward were heavy woods close up to the road, full of game in those days, wood pigeons, partridges, rabbits and gray squirrels. Yankee Yard was then an open lot without a house. Back Street (now Middle) had eight houses and Mill Street (now Church) was pretty nearly as now, save that no church was there nor Arcade, the site of the latter being a sand-bank. Farther down, from the site of Masonic Hall eastward to Fox Brook, Main Street became a mere cart- path through swamp and wouds. The Rhode Island side of the river was reached over a woodeu bridge occupying the site of the present one on Mendon Street in the rear of Blackstone Mills. As to the mill itself, only the old, or No. 1 Mill of the present buildings, existed. Where now stand the stone mills of later date were then several wooden buildings, containing a grist-mill, sawmill, blacksmith-!.hop and machine shop with a woodshop above it. Hereabouts stood also a gambrelroofed house occupied as a residence by superintendeats and overseers. This was afterwards moved to the corner of Mendon and Canal Streets and is now the boarding-house. A little up the intervale stood a house where the cloth was bleached and calendered, while the old brick tenement house with wooden extensions, north of Main Street and beside the New York and New England tracks, was built and used for years as a dye-house, its location being determined by a fine spring of water in the rear of it. On the ground now occupied by the tracks of the Providence and Worcester Railroad, from the counting-room towards the iron bridge and on that occupied by the Blackstone Station, stood a row of buildings. First, a stone boarding-house nearly fronting the present countingroom site ; secondly, a stone store almost on the site of the railroad station-house ; thirdly, a stone storehouse; and fourthly, quite up under the bluff, were sheds for horses and the hand fire-engine. This row of buildings has entirely disappeared, but they played a very important part in the village life of 1820. The store especially was a depot of supplies for the country round about. Blackstone had its hotel at that date in the second house above the Arcade, on what is now called Church Street, and a landlord in the person of one William Bussey. The Cook house was occupied by one Southworth at this time, who made shuttles there. The old vestry building, now revamped to do service as a public library building, was both church and school-house. The school was kept in session for forty weeks in the year, the long winter term of sixteen weeks always being taught by a master. For textbooks a full equipment numbered only a Webster's Spelling-Book, a Columbian First Class Book, a Daboll's or Adams' Arithmetic, Morse's Geography (abridged), Murray's English Grammar and a New Testament. In the average New England winter the Blackstone Company used to have much trouble in keeping its great stone mill warm, although four-foot wood was crowded into its numerous fire-places without stint. A trial of box iron stoves gave not much better results, and the problem was not settled until Lehigh coal came to the rescue. The superintendent was a man named Tripp, who had lost the sight of one eye, a driving business man, well-liked by the mill-help. As superintendents' names we find Tripp's succeeded by Whipple, Waterman and Hartshorn down to 1833, when Holder Borden came under the new title of agent of the Blackstone Manufacturing Company. He was succeeded by Silas H. Kimball in 1834, who remained in charge until 1853, and was succeeded by Henry C. Kimball, his son, the present agent. Four large additions to the mill-buildings, forming by themselves a connected group apart from the No. 1 Mill, were erected in 1841, 1845, 1847 and 1854 respectively. In 1820 no village existed in what we call Waterford. Only three farm-houses were to be found in all that section - Peter Gaskill's (now David's), Cogswell Chase's, not far from the present residence of Daniel Chase, and Elisha Gaskill's, just eastward of Chase's, near the brook. Pond Hill was covered with a heavy forest growth, predominantly pine, in which the wild pigeons found a congenial home. The snaring of pigeons in the season for the market was an important business with Peter Gaskill, who even in those days was not unmolested by mischievous boys.

In 1825 Welcome and Darius D. Farnum built a satinet mill which in local terms was afterward known as Waterford No. .3. This mill was an extremely profitable investment from the start. The present No. 2 Mill was built in 1828 to supply it with cotton warps, and was used lor that purpose for ten or twelve years. No. 1 Mill, just across the town and State line, was built in 1835. The erection of these mills and their steady profitable manufacture of woolen goods soon produced a village of wage-workers in their immediate vicinity. Just at the time the Farnums began their local enterprise the canal from Providence to Worcester was being built. The only mention of this canal in the Mendon records is under date March C, 1826, when it was " Voted that Washington Hunt be an agent to call on the Blackstone Canal Company to make good the damage done to the road between Fox Brook and Rhode Island line." The growth of Waterford village was rapid. A post-office was established there in 1831 with James Wilson, Jr., as postmaster. He was succeeded in 1833 by Darius D. Farnum, and the latter by Welcome Farnum in 1811. The office was discontinued in 1850, when the villages of Blackstone and Waterford, having coalesced by natural growth, united in a post-office on the "Square." Blackstone village had its first postmaster in 1825 in Daniel Kelly ; its second in 1831 was James S. Warner, and its third iu 1837, and up to the union, John Cady.

In 1822 there was organized the Mendon Free-Will Baptist Church of Clirist, which held its meetings in private houses and the old vestry at Blackstone until the building of the Blackstone Church in 1836, when it held its meetings for some four years in that building. Finally in 1841 this society erected its own home in the Waterford Church, at the corner of Main and Blackstone Streets. Its first regularly settled pastor was Elder Ma.xcy W. Burlingame, who remained with the society from 1831 to 1846. In 1845 it was re-named the Free-Will Baptist Church of Waterford.

The old vestry at Blackstone has been twice mentioned. This building, erected by the Blackstone Manufacturing Company sometime previous to 1820, was used for many years as both school-house and church. In 1836 the company built a fine wooden church building, which was used by the Waterford Society for several years. In 1841 the Blackstone Congregational Church was organized with Rev. Michael Burdett as its first pastor and he remained with the society until 1852. The Blackstone Company has steadily sustained this church with liberal assistance, giving the use of its building to the society and maintaining it in repair.

Under date of August 22, 1791, the Mendon records contain the report of a committee of ten who had been appointed to redistrict the town into school districts. This committee reported the bounds of thirteen districts, of which seven appear to have been in the South Parish. The following are the words of the report defining what is now the Five Corner District: "Beginning at the Wid. Margaret Daniel's, excluding her, thence east on the Mill River to where David Handy lives, including him, thence to Hop Brook bridge (so called) on Smithfield road, thence to Benjamin and Nicholas Thayer's, including them, thence northward to the first bound." The East Blackstone and the Harris Privilege Districts were combined as follows : " Beginning at Hop Brook bridge, thence to Anthony Chase, including him, thence to Cumberland line, thence to Bellingham line, thence to Jotham Pickering's, including him, thence to Ichabod Pickering's, including him, thence to Seth Kelly's, including him, thence to first mentioned bound." The Waterford and Blackstone Districts were defined thus: "Beginning at George Gaskill's, including him, thence to Cogswell Chase, including him, thence up stream to the Great River until it comes south of Matthew Darling's house, thence to Jacob Aldrich's, including him, thence to Gideon Thayer's, excluding him, thence to the firstmentioned bound." Millville District was divided in two by the Blackstone River. The southern section is bounded : " Beginning at Uxbridge line, where it crosses the Great River, thence down stream the Great River to the Colony line, thence west on said Colony line to Uxbridge line, thence on Uxbridge line to the bound first mentioned." The northern section was bounded : " Beginning at Uxbridge line diiectly west of the Widow Warfield's house, thence to Benjamin Blake's, excluding him, thence to Matthew Darling's, including him, thence south to the Great River, thence up stream said river till it comes to Uxbridge line, thence to first mentioned bound." The Chestnut Hill District, less extensive than at present, was bounded: "Beginning at Nathaniel Taft's, including him, thence to Col. Joseph Chapin's old house, including him, thence to Uxbridge line to Jacob Taffs, including him, thence to Levi Young's, including him, thence to Jesse Tourtelotte's, including him, thence to first mentioned bound," which appears to be a section of the North Parish. Now Mendon: "Beginning at Timothy Alexander's, including him and Simon Alexander, thence to David Legg's, including him, thence on Uxbridge line until it comes directly west of the Widow Warfield's house, thence to Asa Blake's, including him, thence to Benjamin Blake's, including him and his son, Zaccheus, thence to the first mentioned bound.'' Between the Five Corners District and the district just described was another district now divided between them : " Beginning at Damp Swamp road, where the Parish line crosses, thence to Timothy Alexander's, excluding him, thence to Benjamin Blake's, excluding him, thence to the road south of said Benjamin Blake's house, thence to Gideon Thayer's, includino' him, thence east to Hop Brook bridge, thence up stream said brook to the first mentioned bound." As thus defined the school districts remained until September 2, 1811, when the town accepted the report of a committee, advising the union of the two sections at Millville into one district, and the constituting of the village property of the the Blackstone Manufacturing Company a new district. The first part of this change did not prove acceptable, for on the 5th of June, 1812, it was "voted to set oil" all the inhabitants on the west side of Black^tone River, except Esek Pitts, Daniel Southwick and Nathaniel Capron, as a school district." On the 2Sth of June, 1824, the school districts were again defined, but substantially as already described. Prudential school committees were first chosen on 25th of August, 1827, and on that date the number of districts was unchanged, but at their election, April 15, 1833, two new districts are added - -Pickering's, or Harris Privilege, and Waterford. A few years later we find the whole number of districts in the South Parish to be eleven, and with that number the town of Blackstone began its corporate existence. Both Chestnut Hill and the Five Corners had school-houses shortly after 1790.

The Division of the Town or Mendon. - The question of the division of Mendon into two towns makes its appearance in a petition to the selectmen late in the year 1815. A town-meeting was desired - 1. To see if the inhabitants will vote to have the South Parish set ofl" into a town by itself. 2. To choose a committee to agree upon the division line of said town. 3. To act upon any other business relative to said division that the town shall see fit. Signed by John Pond, Henry Thayer, John Thompson, Smith Daniels, Elisha Thompson, I^ewis Allen, Daniel Darling, Timothy Chase, Nicholas Thayer, Luther Warfield. A warrant drawn upon this petition called a town-meeting at the South Parish (Chestnut Hill) meeting-house on the Ist day of January, 1816, and on that day Joseph Adams was chosen moderator, and the proceedings were summed up in the one line of the clerk's record - " Voted to adjourn this meeting without day."

At this time Blackstone Village was beginning to exist, and its people felt it a hardship to be obliged to travel six or seven miles to reach the town-meetings when lield in Mendon Village.' On the other hand, the development of the new village called for increased expense upon bridges and highways, as well a* a new school. Thus, in the first ten years of this century, the town of Mendon raised an averageof $580ayear for the repairs of bridges and highways. In 1810 it was 1700, in 1812, $1000, and in 1816, $1200, and the average for the second decade was $930 a year. Similarly during the first decade an average of $460 was yearly a])propriated for schools, and in the second $620. In 1820 the appropriation was $800, and it did not drop below that figure in the following years. When Waterford Village started into existence in 1828 the school money was raised to $1000. To the people of the North Parish this swelling of the taxes was unwelcome because the money raised extra went to the southern part of the town. From 1820 to 1840 the Mendon records show almost every year's action taken at town-meeting in relation to laying out new roads, relaying old ones, or building bridges in the South Parish. Sometimes this action was negatived. The older settled portion of the town frequently put a veto upon the schemes for improvement proposed by its growing southern half, and, when it did so, murmurs of discontent and threats of secession would arise.

One improvement long struggled for was the section of Mendon Street between the town-house and the Samuel Verry homestead. For residents upon what is now known as Milk Street there was no means of reaching Blackstone village except by coming east by the Five Corners or by going over Waterbug Hill. On the 5th of May, 1823, a committee of three was appointed to consider and report on a road between the two points named. At an adjourned meeting on the following 2d of June the road was rejected. It came up with ill fortune time after time, until on April 7, 1828, when it was " voted to accept of a road laid out near Nathan Verry's house to near John Mann's house (tavern), provided the petitioners build the road and pay all land damages for the sum of three hundred dollars." From this hard bargain the town somewhat relented, for on May 4, 1829, an extra one hundred dollars was voted for completing this road. When the county road was in contemplation from the Uxbridge line to Blackstone Mills, at a townmeeting May 16, 1825, Warren Rawson was chosen an agent to oppose the new road " in every stage of it." This struggle to preserve the old order of things on the one hand, and on the other to create a new market and a new centre of human interest, could have but one issue. But it was long delayed and the fight had many curious episodes. On the 26th of September, 1823, a town-meeting warrant had the article, "To see if the town will vote to be divided into two separate towns," and the vote as recorded was forty-five yeas and sixty-two nays. On the 1st of March, 1824, a similar article was dismissed the warrant without a test vote. September 12, 1825, it was voted to choose a committee of ten persons, fivp Irom each parish, to take into consideration and consult on measures relative to a division of the town and make report at the next town-meeting. On the part of the South Pari.sh was chosen Ichabod Cook, Asa Kelly, Elijah Thayer, Nathan Verry and Esek Pitts. The appointment of this committee caused great excitement, and town-meetings were held October 3d, November 28th and December 9th, remonstrating against division, appointing committees to oppose division before the General Court, and a committee " to take into consideration the inconveniences complained of by a portion of the inhabitants in regard to the at- tendance upon town-meetings and the transaction of mnnicipal business." Finally, at a meeting held December 15th, the committee appointed September 12th reported against division, and the report was accepted, one hundred and eigbty-three yeas to seventy-eight nays. Meanwhile, June 30th of this same year, Seth Hastings and one hundred and eighteen others had put in a petition that Meudon North Parish be incorporated as a new town ; and on the 19th, 20th and 21st of October, 1825, a special committee of the General Court visited Mendon to give the subject a hearing. When tbis committee reported to the Committee on Towns, February 7, 1826, the report recommended that the petition he granted. Meanwhile the opponents of division had sent in four petitions against it, with the names of Joseph Adams, James S. Warner, Rufiis Aldrich and Jesse Tourtelotte beading them respectively, and containing a total of about two hundred and forty names. In the records of Massachusetts General Court for 1826 is the following curious record :

Commonwealth of Massachusetts la Senate, June SessiuD, 182G. Upon the suggestion of the Committee on Towua that the Petition of Seth Hastings and others for a new town, cannot be found, it waa Ordered, that the Committee have further time allowed them until the next Session of the Legislature to report on the subjert matter of said Petition and that the Petitioners have leave to tile a new Petition in the meantime.

The friends of division did not hesitate to declare there had been foul play on the part of their opponents, and that the petition of Seth Hastings had been stolen. But the outcome was so ludicrous, and the majority of the people so strongly opposed to dividing the town, that the petition was not filed anew. In the spring town-meetings of 1827 the matter was discussed somewhat and then allowed to die a natural death. The quarrel went on, however, in regard to new roads, the place of holding townmeetings and other subjects of public policy. The town-meeting question was compromised by holding some of the meetings at the Chestnut Hill meetinghouse, some at the Coverdale tavern, and the more important ones at the old meeting-house in Mendon village. When the latter building was sold and demolished in 1843, meetings were voted to be held at Marsh's Inn instead.

A new disturbing question arose the nest year, when it was voted to build a town-house. Naturally, both ends of the town wanted it, but for it to be located in either end would entail great trouble and expense in reaching meetings, upon a large proportion of the voters. The centre of the town was still a wilderness of forests and swamp, - the Dam Swamp heretofore mentioned. However, at a meeting on Decceraber 2, 1843, it was " voted that tbe town-house be built in Nicholas Thayer's pasture, where a road from Samuel Very's cider mill will communicate with a road from Artemas Thayer's road to Millins Taft's." This

It was getting to be a troublesome matter for all the voters to travel either to the extreme northeast corner (Coverdale's) or the extreme northwest corner (Chestnut Hill) to a town-meeting every week, so at a meeting called at the Verry Tavern, so called, on the 7th of June, it was voted to choose a committee to take into consideration and report at this meeting the location and size of a building for a town-house. Dan Hill, Dr. Abel Wilder, Willard Wilson, Jared Benson and Francis Kelly were chosen and forthwith reported, " that it is expedient to build the house seventy feet by fifty, with about eighteen feet posts, and that it be located on such spot of ground, near the Verry Tavern, as is suitable and can be obtained on fair terms." This report was accepted, and Dan Hill, Washington Hunt and Jared Benson were chosen a committee to build.

Another meeting was immediately called for the purpose of reconsidering, but it failed of its purpose, and the present town-house was at once built. It was completed in season to be used the 10th November, following, at the annual election of State officers.

The Surplus Revenue of the United States received through the town of Meudon, and amounting to §4,- 803.45, was disposed of by voting to loan it on security satisfactory to the selectmen.

The selectmen during the year erected stone-bounds on the westerly side of each highway, between Mendon and Blackstone, and perambulated the bounds with the selectmen of Uxbridge, Mendon and Bellingham.

The assessors for 1844 in Mendon, through Preserved S. Thayer, reported the valuation and polls in the South Parish as follows: Real estate, $548,299; personal estate, $366,025; total, $914,324. Polls, 696.

On November 10th, before voting for State officers, the voters of Mendon and Blackstone, in the latter's new town-hall, balloted for Representative. Rufus Hayward, of Blackstone, had 163; Alanson S. Freeman, of Mendon, had 96; Charles L. Harding, of Blackstone, had 75; scattering, 6; and there was no choice.

November 24th, a second meeting was held for choice of Representative. Rufus Hayward had 191, Alanson S. Freeman had 96, Charles L. Harding had 22, scattering 27, and Rufus Hayward was elected.

On the 9th November the voters of Meudon and Blackstone were to meet in Harrison Hall, Mendon, to elect a representative to General Court. The Mendon voters opened the polls promptly at 10 A.M., cast their ballots and closed the polls before the majority of the Blackstone voters arrived. There was no choice. The Blackstone men organized a new meeting and elected Dan Hill; but he was refused a seat in the General Court, and the two towns went unrepresented that session, as Mendon refused to call another meeting for an election. In the opinion of Mr. Dan Hill and most of the Blackstone people, this manoiuvre was in the interest of a railroad company proposing a terminus in Woonsocket, R. I., instead of Blackstone.

The town unanimously voted resolutions to be presented to the General Court in favor of the railroad from Boston to pass through Blackstone Village, and appointed Dan Hill its agent to present it.

At the April meeting Emanuel N. Paine was chosen selectman in place of Caleb Thayer, and Preserved S. Thayer assessor, in place of William Legg, declined to serve.

At the April meeting there was an article " to see if the town will consent to an alteration, or new location, of the county road in the village of Millville over a portion of an ancient burial-ground near the resi. dence of Willard Wilson." And the town voted that this article " be referred to the selectmen to examine, and grant the request of the railroad company, if they see fit." The railroad here referred to was the Providence and Worcester, which put its first train through the 17th of September following.

were built this season, which was further rendered nota'ble by tlie settlement in town of Paul P. Todd, the eminent attorney and legal adviser.

A Methodist Society was formed at Waterford, with Jeremiah N. Hanaford as pastor, and meetings were held for about two years in " Odd Fellows' Hall," now the residence of Thomas Campbell.

Early in the year (January 10th) the town voted "That the Selectmen be authorized to loan .S700 of the 'Surplus Revenue' money for one year, without interest, to Oliver Johnson, of New York (or to some other person whom they may deem suitable), to enable him to procure a printing-press and appurtenances for publishing a newspaper in this town. And for security they are to take a mortgage on said press and appurtenances. It being understood that the paper is to be conducted independent of party, both in politics and religion." The paper thus inaugurated under town auspices was a weekly four-page paper, called the Blackstone Chronicle, first issued February 26th. It failed before the 1st of the following October, and the town had lo take the press and type.

Canal Street was laid out by the selectmen October 13th, accepted by the town October 21st, and was buik at once by Welcome Farnum. Federal Street was laid out by the selectmen October 21st, and was accepted by the town November 7th.

The union meeting of the two towns to elect a Representative to the General Court again failed to make any choice November 13th, as did also a second meeting November 27tb, although at the latter meeting the Blackstone voters combined on Samuel V. Stone, and gave him 245 votes in a total of 499.

Rev. Benjamin D. Peck, removing from town, was succeeded in the Waterford Parish by Rev. Thomas Brown, and on the School Committee by Rev. Michael Burdett.

At a thinly attended town-meeting, held May 19lh, the school district system was abolished, and votes passed looking to the purchase of school-houses from the districts, and the building of new bouses by the town. This radical step was reversed at the adjourned meeting, August 18th.

Birchmore as pastor. Some trouble having arisen in the Methodist Reformed Church in the same village, certain members withdrew, and called Rev. Daniel Fillmore as minister.

The meeting, November 12th, to elect a representative to the General Court, resulted in no choice, and again the two towns were unrepresented.

The Blackstone Savings Bank w.as incorporated April 20th, but failed to do any business. The Worcester County Bank was incorporated May 1st, with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars, by Welcome Farnum, Silas H. Kimball and Dan Hill. It was located for many years in Blackstone Block, a large brick structure erected this year by Welcome Farnum.

On the 15th of May the long-awaited first train over the Boston road arrived in Blackstone from Walpole. The road was then known as the Norfolk County Railroad, and its completion had been due almost solely to the iron will of Welcome Farnum.

School Districts Nos. 10 and 11, the two sections of Millville, were joined this spring into one district, No. 10. This district then proceeded to build a new brick school-house on Central Street, now owned by the town.

The liquor question puts in its first appearance in Blackstone town-meetings, and Millens Taft, Frederic M. Ballou and Jared Benson, Jr., were chosen a committee to enforce the license law of the Commonwealth.

The small-pox broke out among the people working in Eli Kelly's factory at Upper Canada (East Blackstone), and the town voted a general vaccination, a hospital and a quarantine of the sick.

St. Paul's Church was founded in the autumn, the first place of worship constructed by the Roman Catholics in the town, although for more than fifteen years previously services had been held in private houses. Rev. Charles O'Reilly was its first priest.

The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 awakened the following protest, written by Daniel Hill, Dr. Moses D. Southwick and Thomas Davis, and adopted by the town April 7th :

Hesolred, Th.it we adhere to the doctrine that '* all men are born free and equal," not because it is a sentiment, solemnly declared by our fathore, in defence of which they pledged "their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor," but because it is, as declared by theni, a selfevident truth, ajiplicable to every age and to every race ; and those, and those only, who have sacrificed their convictions on the altar of ambition or self-interest, would deprive the African of this God-given birthright.

liesotved. That the Fugitive Slave Law, recently enacted by Congress, is not only contrary to the fundamental principles of our government, but it is an act which attempts to transform us into slave catchers, requiring us to sacrifice the noblest feelings of our nature, which prompt us to aid the weak rather than the strong, and by no means to strengtlien the arm of the oppressor.

Itesohed, That the attempt to justify this Law on the plea that it is necessary to preserve the union of these States, is but declaring that this Union cannot exist on the principles of .Justice, Humanity and Righteousness (and therefore is not worth preserving), a declaration which we are unwilling to admit.

Ilesoh-ed^ That so great and indiscriminate is our abhorrence of slavery, if one who had basely sold himself to Southern slave holders should escape from his keepers and seek our protection, we could not so far *' conquer our prejudices " as to "perform the disagreeable duty " of rendering aid in returning him into bondage.

Jiemtvi'd, That we regard it as the duty of the Legislature of this Commonwealth, now in session, to pass an art, without further delay, securing to all persons, claimed as fugitives from hihor, "the privilege and benefit of the Writ of Habeas Corpus"' and the " right to a trial by Jury," and in all Constitutional ways protecting them against tho atrocious provisions of this abominahle Fugitive Slave Law.

Unsolved, That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted to our Representative in the General Court, with a request that he present them to that body.

" Our Representative," Mr. Caleb Thayer, was at that time balloting in the Legislature for Charles Sumner as Senator in the National Congress, a result secured on the twenty-sixth ballot. This was the time of the famous coalition between the Democrats and Free Soilers. A largely attended Teachers' Institute was held in April.

James Mason having mysteriously disappeared from Waterford, a town-meeting was held December 9th, and a reward of fifty dollars offered for the recovtery of his body, and five hundred dollars for evidence convicting any one for taking his life.

1852. - Town Clerk. James P. Hayward; Selectmen, Laban Bates, Richard Battey, Henry S. Mansfield ; Assessors, Willard Wilson, Richard Battey, Welcome A. Thayer ; Overseers of the Poor, " Voted not to choose any Overseers of the Poor ;" School Committee, Martin J. Steere, Thomas Davis, Dan A. Comstock ; Treasurer, Alexander Ballou, in place of James P. Hayward, excused.

At the April meeting Dr. Moses D. Southwick was chosen to the Board of School Committee in place of Dan. A. Comstock, excused, and to the Board of Assessors in place of Willard Wilson, excused. Dan Hill and Aaron Burdon were chosen additional assessors. The County Commissioners had re-located the County road (Main Street) over the Blackstone Company's mill trench and the Providence & Worcester Railroad, and the town opposed the re-location. » Rev. Martin J. Steere was chosen Representative to the General Court at the adjourned meeting, November 22d.

Rev. Michael Burdett closed his connection with the Blackstone Congregational Church February 10th, and Rev. Joseph W. Backus was ordained as his succe^'sor September 29th.

Rev. John E. GiflTord became pastor of the Methodi.st Episcopal Society of Millville, and in the same, village Rev. Spencer M. Rice became rector of St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church, May 17th.

Willard Wilson was elected delegate to the State CoHi^titutional Convention. Dr. William M. Kimball having declined to serve on School Committee, Francis Kelly was elected.

With the increase of population came an increase in the number of grog-shops, and the constables were directed to prosecute those who violated the law. A lock-up was now first voted.

14th, gave a bond to the town to keep in repair the western abutment of the New City bridge for ten years, the town on its part withdrawing opposition to the re-location of the County road (Main Sireet) at that point.

On April 4th an article in reference to a map of the town was referred to the selectmen. This must refer to the map "Surveyed by Order of the Town, by H. F. Walling, 1854," a very accurate map.

After three separate attempts to elect a Representative to the General Court there was no choice, and the town was not represented in the Legislature of 1854. The law requiring only a plurality for election was passed in 1854, and thereafter there was no further troubl.e on this score.

Darius Bennett was made postmaster of the Blackstone office and remained therein until 1861. Willard Wilson for the third time became postmaster at Millville.

The Blackstoue River Bank, of Millville, was incorporated March 30th by Edward S. Hall, Charles E. Hall and Spencer M. Rice, with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars, but it never materialized.

In February the town voted a remonstrance against the Charles River Railroad (eventually Woonsocket Division, N. Y. & N. E.), and sent Dan. Hill to present it to the Legislature. Just at this time Welcome Farnum was making his la^t desperate endeavor to push through to New York City a western extension of his Norfolk County road. He succeeded - and failed ; not through lack of wisdom in making a wise plan, but through the business stringency now beginning, which culminated in 1857, and the failure of promised assistance from others at this critical juncture.

Dan. Hill was excused from acting as assessor, and William Cook was elected. By a vote of 119 to 82 was adopted an act of the General Court of 1854 establishing a Police Court.

By the failure of Mr. Farnum, the Millville manufacturing interests on the Blackstone passed into the hands of Edward S. and Charles E. Hall.

1855. - Town Clerk, James P. Hayward; Selectmen, John C. Scott, Rufus A. Benson, Lyman Paine; Assessors, William Cook, James B. Hall, Joseph G. Ray; Overseers of the Poor, Willard Willson, John B. Salisbury, Welcome A.Thayer; Town Treasurer, Eleazer W. Barrows; School Committee, Rev. Edmund M. Tappan, Dr. George E. Buliard, Alexander Ballon, Jr. Dan. Hill was justice of the Police Court.

A war had now broken out against the Police Court, and at a meeting February 1st Lyman Legg was chosen agent to secure a repeal of the act establishing it.

It was voted to purchase five hundred of Mr. Walling's map and that each tax-payer might have one for sixty cents. This was all reversed at another meeting on the 8th. It would appear that very few of Mr. Walling's maps were actually circulated in the town. After two more meetings the town voted Mr. Walling two hundred dollars for publishing the map.

March 18th, Rev. Joseph W. Backus resigned his ministry at Blackstone, and was succeeded in September by Rev. Thomas E. Bliss. Rev. John A. M. Chapman was assigned to the Millville Methodist Society, and Rev. Alfred B. Goodrich was called to the St. John's Society.

The Blackstone Library Association was organized October 4th at the house of Mr. Welcome Farnum, whose wife, sister to the historian, George Bancroft, took great interest in the matter, and secured many valuable donations from literary friends of her brother. The original list of officers was as follows: President, Thomas Dermot; Recording Secretary, James K. Comstock; Librarian, George B. Allen.

A visit of a special committee of the Legislature sent out to examine and report upon the condition of the Boston and New York Central Railroad put up for dinner at the Union House April 17th, and scandalized the natives by bringing with them "36 bottles Extra Champagne Wine and 48 bottles of Brandy."

The rapid growth of the three villages - Waterford, Blackstone and Millville - -had strained the old arrangements for schooling children, both in respect to rooms and the amount of money. The Blackstone Manufacturing Company had erected an elegant building with four school-rooms the year preceding, and given itsj use to the district. The rural districts had dwindled in population until several of them numbered scarcely more than a dozen children of school age. It cost as much for each of these schools as for one in the village with sixty to eighty l)upils. To remedy this inequality, it was proposed to reduce the number of districts, and a committee was appointed to report upon the feasibility of doing so.

The Waterford stone dam, near the Union House, was built by Daniel F. Simmons. The dam, together with the abutments, is one hundred and sixty feet long, of solid masonry, faced and capped with wrought stone.

At the first anniversary meeting of the Blackstone Library Association the officers reported fifteen hundred volumes secured, "only about 100 volumes belonging to the department of novels and tales." Lectures were given during the fall and winter under the auspices of the association, amongst the lecturers being Wendell Phillips, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Rev. Theodore Parker, Rev. Thomas Starr King and others.

The Blackstone Athenseum, a rival library association, was organized February 26th. Rev. Asa U. Swinerton was assigned to the Methodist Society, Millville.

Estus Lamb having declined to serve as assessor, David Brayton was cho-en. The committee in charge of re-districting the town into school districts made a radical report, reducing the number of districts to five. This report was at first accepted, and then, at a subsequent meeting, reconsidered and rejected.

Samuel Thayer, Jr., was chosen Representative to the General Court. Rev. William N. Morrison was assigned to the Millville Methodist Church. Rev. Charles O'Reilly, of the St. Paul's Church, died in September, and was succeeded by Rev. Edward J. Sheridan.

Channing Smith having declined to serve as overseer, Ebenezer Chase was chosen. The Blackstone Manufacturing Company had brought suit against the town for over-assessment, and Dan Hill was appointed general agent by the town to defend the suit. An article to see if the town would establish a high school was dismissed. John B. White was chosen Representative to General Court. Rev. Justus Erskine succeeded Rev. E. M. Tappan at Waterford Baptist Church. Willard Wilson becirae trial justice.

About the middle of May Rev. B. G. Northup, agent of the State Board of Education, lectured in the New City School-house, afternoon and evening, to teachers. The afternoon lecture covered methods of instruction, dwelling especially upon President Dwight's advice to the young man to " open his eyes." The evening lecture was upon the subject of moral and intellectual culture.

Early in May occurred a great strike among the operatives of the Waterford woolen-mills. The Nos. 1 and 2 Mills were run at this time by Evans, Seagrave & Co., and the No. 3 Mill by Bradford & Taft. The two former had been stopped all winter, but the latter had run steadily, being the one bright spot in the hard times of the past year. The strike, which was general in the three mills, was caused by a reduction of 20 per cent, in the rate of wages.

The papers in Massachusetts discussing large trees gave, after due inquiry, the precedence to Blackstone. The largest tree in the State at that time was supposed to be the elm standing near the Nicholas Thayer homestead. The trunk measured 22 feet about near the ground, and 20 feet around 10 feet above the ground. It spread from the trunk with seven large branches, giving a *hade 125 feet in diameter.

Silas A. Burgess was chosen selectman and Richard Battey assessor in place of William Kelly and Joseph G. Ray respectively, as the latter did not take the oath of office. District No. 2 was annexed to No. 9. Joseph G. Ray was chosen Representative to the General Court. At this time Blackstone by itself formed the Twenty-first Worcester District.

About the middle of May occuri'ed the sad cas-ualty by which Miss Georgiana IJrown, of Pawtucket, a teacher in the New City School, and Miss Frances Cady, only daughter of Mr. John Cady, formerly

Some time in March a rabid dog owned in Concord, Mass., passed through the village, biting numerous other dogs and two or three persons. About the 10th of April a boy named Thomas Quinlen, fourteen years old, one of those bitten, died with all the symptoms assigned to hydrophobia.

During the year Mr. Freeman Kurd was engaged in building the Edward Harris New Privilege dam across Mill River in the southeast corner of the town, flowing many acres of meadow land in Blackstone.

Rev. William H. Bowen became pastor at Waterford Baptist Church, and Rev. Charles A. Merrill was assigned to the Methodist Episcopal Church at Millville.

I860. - Town Clerk, Dr. George E. Bullard ; Selectmen, Richard Batty, Mowry Lapham, Joseph G. Ray; Assessors, Arthur Cook, David Brayton, Sylvanus H. Benson ; Overseers of the Poor, William A. Kelly, Lyman Legg, Hiram Daniels ; Treasurer, Moses Farnum ; School Committee for three years, Henry C. Kimball. James P. Hayward was chosen assessor in place of David Brayton, who declined serving. Mr. Hayward also declining, and Arthur Cook failing to take the oath, the latter was re-elected and Marius H. Warfield was chosen. Mowry Lapham resigned in September and Millens Taft was chosen selectman for the unexpired term. Charles H. Fletcher was chosen Representative to the General Court. February 2'2d, Rev. John V. Lewis became pastor of St. John's Society at Millville.

The Blackstone Block was built by Welcome Farnum in 1849. In planning a building for the Worcester County Bank, for which a charter had been procured, Mr. Farnum, with his characteristic enterprise, concluded to put up this large block, containing stores, offices and a large hall for public meetings and entertainments. His original plan was to locate it on Main Street and to have a building just one hundred feet in length ; but failing to make satisfactory terms for the purchase of a lot, it was placed upon its present site, where the- size of the lot limited the building to eighty-two feet. This block was subsequently mortgaged to Edward S. Hall, of Millville, and after Mr. Farnum's failure was transferred to Joseph Almy, of Slatersville. In 1859 it was sold at auction and purchased by Dan Hill, who deeded it to Albert Gaskill in 1863. In 1870 he sold it to Charles A. Pierce, and the latter disposed of it in November, 1874, to Mr. William Keely, in whose possession it has since remained.

1861. - Town Clerk, Dr. George C. Bullard ; Selectmen, Emory Scott, John C. Scott, Daniel N. Chase; Assessors, Millens Taft, Libbeus L. Wood, Willard Wilson ; Overseers of the Poor, Ruins Hayward, John G. Gatchell, Lyman Legg ; Treasurer, Richard K. Randolph ; School Committee for three years, Henry S. Mansfield ; for one year, William L. Southwick.

The people living in the old Second School District being aggrieved at the vote annexing them to No. 9, secured at a special meeting, February 9th, a re-division assigning three families to District No. 3.

The first evidence in the town records of the e-xistence of Civil War occurs in the warrant drawn April 23d, in which occurs an article " To see if the town will vote to appropriate any money in aid of citizens of this town who may volunteer their services to the United States to suppress rebellion or invasion, and who shall be called into active service for said purpose and to aid the families if in destitute circumstances, or to act in any way relative to the same."

The President of the United States having called upon all good citizens to aid him in his effort-' to enforce the laws and suppress an insurrection which threatens to overthrow the Government : We, the citizens of Blackstone in Towr. Meeting assemhled, deeply impressed by the perils that beset us, but with unfaltering confidence in God and the Right : - Inspired by the cherished memory of the heroic deeds and manly sacrifices of our patriotic Fathers, and impelled by a solemn sense of duty which we owe to our posterity, no less thjin to ourselves - declare our readiness to aid, to the full extent of our ability, in sustaining this Government and in crushing tlie rebels that assail it. And we hereby "pledge our lives, our fortunes and our sacred lionor," that, come weal or come woe, we will never prove recreant to the Government to which we justly owe allegiance, and from which we derive so many blessings - a Governmeut which is the only formidable foe of Despotism and Tyranny, and the last hope of Civil and Religious Liberty in the World. In this "irrepressible conflict " between Freedom and Slavery, every pulsation of our hearts is for Freedom, and in lier sacred cause we are ready to give buttle - our watch-word ** The Government and the enforcement of the laws," - our banner the Stars and Stripes.

Upon the firing upon Fort Sumter immediate steps had been taken to raise a company, and after several exciting meetings, a company of ninety-six, afterward known as Company K, Fifteenth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, was enlisted and drilled under command of Captain Moses W. Gatchell, with Edwin B. Staples, first lieutenant, and Caleb H. Arnold, first sergeant. The men were mustered in July 1st, the officers August 1st, and the regiment was sent to Maryland, where it was placed on the right wing of the Army of the Potomac. October 21st, at the battle of Ball's Blufl', Captain Gatchell and three privates in the company were killed. Lieutenant Staples resigned the following year to accept a position in the Fourth Regiment Massachusetts Cavalry, in which he gained the rank of major. Caleb H. Arnold became second lieutenant of Company K, January 3, 1863, and died of wounds received at the battle of Gettysburg, July 20, 1863. Mellville Howland, acting as first sergeant and lieutenant, died in Maryland, August 28, 1862, and Thomas Furnald, succeeding him as first sergeant, was killed at the battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862, as were six others in the company. George W. Bolster became second lieutenant June 9th, and first lieutenant November 7, 1862, and resigned March 18, 1863.

Owing to the change in administration, Darius Bennett, the postmaster at Blackstone, was supplanted by Sylvanus H. Benson, and Willard Wilson, at Millville, by Preserved L. Thayer.

18G2. - Town Clerk, George E. BuUard ; Selectmen, John C. Scott, Emory Scott, Joseph G. Ray (this board also acted as Assessors and Overseers of the Poor) ; treasurer, Richard K. Randolph ; School Committee, Frank Kelly, three years, John V. Lewis, two years. Dr. Wm. H. Kimball, one year.

The earlier meetings of this year were mainly taken up with discussions of the manner in which aid should be given the families of soldiers now in the service. July 17th was held a meeting to take measures to raise forty-two volunteers under the call of President Lincoln. This was just after the failure of General McClellan on the Virginia Peninsula, and extra inducements were needed. The town voted to call in and place on deposit in the Worcester County Bank three thousand one hundred and fifty dollars of the " surplus revenue," and that every man volunteering before August 10th should be paid a bounty of seventy-five dollars. The matter was the subject of two more meetings, the bounty for men enlisiing for three years being made three hundred dollars, and for those enlisting under the new call for nine months a bounty of one hundred dollars was voted.

Joseph G. Ray having moved out of town, Estus Lamb was elected August 30th to the Board of Selectmen. Chauning Smith was chosen Representative to the General Court.

Captain Daniel W. Kimball, Company K, Fiftyfirst Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, had enlisted sixty men, and wanted overcoats for them, which the town voted November 5tb, appropriating ten dollars apiece, and John S. Needham to furnish them. The Fifty-first was a nine months' regiment.

August 23d, Rev. George M. Hamlin and Dan Hill were appointed to the Board of School Committee in place of Rev. John V. Lewis resigned, and Dr. Wm. M. Kimball declined to serve.

Rev. J. A. Howe was called to the pastorship at Waterford, aud Rev, George Rumney to St. John's Society at Millville, in place of Mr. Lewis. In June Rev. John E. Edwards was called to the Blackstone Society.

1863. - Town Clerk, James K. Corastock ; Selectmen, James P. Hayward, Lewis W. Taft, Sylvanus H. Benson ; Assessors, William A. Northup, Lyman Paine, John C. Hobbs; Overseers of the Poor, Hiram Daniels, Andrew Kelly, Channing Smith; Treasurer, Moses Farnum ; School Committee, Le Roy Chilson, three years, Edwin Jenckes, one year.

A. Northup was elected selectman. Lyman Paine declining to serve as assessor, Arthur Cook was chosen. Charles A. Wright became trial justice.

Early this year broke out the " Hickey Hall" school war, waged by Dan Hill of the General School Committee against the Blackstone Manufacturing Company. The bitter conflict ended with the company still in possession of their own school-house, and the committee letting their wrath coruscate in a most unique annual report.

The subject of State aid to the families of soldiers and sailors came up from time to time, and was settled on the libera! side. Limited at first to families of volunteers, residents of the town, in the army, it was extended to volunteers in the navy, to the families of drafted men, to those not residents in the town, and was made perpetual to the families of those killed, or who died in the Union service.

James K. Comstock was chosen Representative to the General Court. Rev. Lewis B. Bates was appointed to the Methodist Church, Millville. The Kelly cottonmill at Upper Canada (East Blackstone), hitherto used to manufacture bagging, was converted into a woolen-mill.

Tuesday, July 21st, arrived home Company K, Fifty-first Mass.achusetts Volunteers, Captain Daniel W. Kimball, and they were given an ovation. They had served at Newborn, N. C, on the Virginian Peninsula and, during their last month, with the Army of the Potomac in Maryland. On Wednesday, July 22d, the company re-assembled to attend the funeral of Lieutenant Caleb Arnold, Company K, Fifteenth Regiment, who had died of a wound received at the battle of Gettysburg.

April 16th the town voted to borrow $7500 to be applied by the selectmen as bounties of $125 apiece to the men volunteering to fill the town's quota under the calls of the President, dated October 17, 1863, and February 1, 1864. Sylvanus H. Benson had been made recruiting officer for the town at $3 per day, and his energetic labors kept the town's credit pretty well up with the various calls, and earned him the sincere gratitude, in this respect, of his fellow-townsmen.

Night police were enjoyed by the village people from shortly after the March meeting until May 21st, when the police were ordered paid up and discharged by the town. At this meeting too, it was voted " that the clergymen, lawyers, doctors and selectmen of this town, irrespective of denomination, be appointed a committee to use to the utmost extent their powers of moral suasion to do away with the sale and consumption of intoxicating liquors."

July 14, 1864, the President called for more soldiers, and Blackstone's quota was fifty-six, of which only ten were already secured. The town voted, August 19th, $5750, in order to give each of the remaining forty-six a bounty of §125. H. K. Merrifield opened a lawoffice. John S. Needham was elected Representative to the General Court. Dr. Moses D. Southwick was also elected Senator for the Southeast Worcester District. Arthur Cook was appointed trial justice. Eev. E. W. Porter began his first ministry at Waterford this year. The Kelly & Paine cotton-mill in East Blackstone, owned and run by Andrew Aldrich, was burned in March. Waterford No. 1 was burned this year, causing great loss to the wage-workers of that village.

February 6th died Dr. Abel Wilder, for more than forty years engaged in the practice of his profession in this community. Dr. Wilder was born in Ashburuham, Ma?s., June 24, 1786. He was the seventh son in a family of twelve children and was brought up to hard work on the farm until he was fifteen, when he was apprenticed to shoemaking. After he was twenty-one he set himself to acquire an education, and when twenty-four he began studying medicine, attending lectures at Dartmouth College, and supporting himself by teaching school. He began his practice in Winchendon and married there. He went to Swansey in 1815, removed to Walpole in 1819, and came to Blackstone in 1823, where he remained until within a few months of his death, which occurred at the home of his son in New York. He had a family of twelve children, eight of whom survived him.

February 7lh died Dr. Horatio Stockbridge, in the seventy-sixih year of his age. He was the son of Hon. David Stockbridge, of Hanover, Mass., where he was born. The family descends from John Stockbridge, who came from England in the ship " Blessing" in June, 1635, and settled in Scituate, Mass. In 1804, at the age of sixteen, he was sent to Harvard, College and remained two years. He studied medicine with Dr. Freeman Foster, of Scituate, and Dr. James Mann, of Wrentham. He« first practiced in Berwick, Maine, afterwards in Medway, Mass., and came to Blackstone in 1819. Here he remained until 1833, when he opened his long famous apothecary shop in Woonsocket. His son Horatio Stockbridge survives him.

April IGth died in Mendon, where he had but recently moved, Dan Hill, a native and, save a few months, always a resident of Blackstone, who.se life for a long period of years was closely identified with the history of the town. As a member of both branches of the State Legislature, as justice of the Police Court, and in the various oflices and agencies which the town could bestow, he always commanded respect, not only by his marked abilities, but his unswerving integrity and uprightness of purpose.

At a meeting January 21st the town voted $4,250 to be divided in bounties of 1125 to each of the thirty-four men in the town's quota under the call of the President, December 19, 1864.

April 3d it was voted to establish a High School forthwith, and that the School Committee procure a suitable room for such school. That Henry C. Kimball, Laban Bates and Milieus Taft be a committee on building a High School-house, and that it be located on or near the corner of Church and Mendon Streets, in Blackstone village, provided the Blackstone Manufacturing Company will give the lot to the town for this purpose. The High School was begun in September in the grammar school room of the New City building, with Daniel A. March, a graduate of Amherst College, as principal. It was also voted to redistrict the town according to the plan submitted by the School Committee, which reduced the number to eight by dividing No. 4 between Nos. 5 and 3, and re-numbering so that Chestnut Hill was No. 1 ; Five Corners, No. 2 ; East Blackstone, No. 3; Pickering, No. 4; Waterford, No. 5 ; Blackstone, No. 6; Town House, No. 7 ; Millvijle, No. 8.

Estus Lamb and Henry S. Mansfield were added to the committee on the High School building. C. G. Keyes, Esq., opened a law-ofiice in the Arcade. Hiram Daniels was chosen Representative to the General Court. James K. Comstock was appointed postmaster at Blackstone Post-OlEce. Jerome B. Bolster took an office at Blackstone as attorney-at-law.

May 23d, Bernard Creighton, of Waterford, brought home a sick daughter from Dedham, who proved to have the small-pox. From large exposure twentythree cases resulted, with seven or eight deaths.

18(j6. - Town Clerk, James K. Comstock; Selectmen, Estus Lamb, Henry C.Kimball, Silas A. Burgess; Assessors, Estus Burdon, Hiram Daniels, Clovis L. Southwick ; the latter declined, and William A. Cole was chosen ; Overseers of the Poor, Clovis L. Southwick, Lewis W. Taft, Moses A. Daniels ; Treasurer, Moses Farnum ; School Committee, Jerome B. Bolster.

Voted to accept of the list of by-laws in relation to truancy offered by Silas A. Burgess, Esq. Estus Lamb and Henry C. Kimball having declined to serve as selectmen, Milieus Taft and Libbeus L. Wood were chosen. The committee on building a High Schoolhouse reported a plan of building, and the proposal of ^ the Blackstone Manufacturing Company to give the ^ town a lot so long as certain conditions were fulfilled. The report and proposal were both accepted, and six thousand dollars was appropriated for the building, which was continued in the charge of the same com- miltee of five. Ellis T. Hayward having resigned from the School Committee, Dr. Moses D. Southwick was chosen. About three weeks later, April 21st, an attempt was made to reverse the town's previous action in regard to High School building, but without success. The " Harris Road " (the southern half of present Farm Street) first came under discussion at this meeting, and Francis Kelly, Millens Taft and William G. Hadley were appointed a committee on the part of the town to build the road. The order of the County Commissioners upon the road occupies the first twentyone pages of Vol. 3, Town Records. May 19th, the town resolved vigorously against the road and instructed its committee to fight for a reversal of the County Commissioners' decree.

By the lamented death of Jerome B. Bolster, October 27th, there was a vacancy on the Board of School Committee, which was filled by the appointment of Rev. E. W. Porter.

In the month of March, Patrick Hughes disappeared, and three weeks later his body was found in the Blackstone River. Foul play was suspected, but not proved.

1867. - Town Clerk, James K. Comstock ; Selectmen, Henry K. Merrifield, Stephen S. Benson, Welcome A. Thayer; Assessors, Estes Burdon, Robert J. M. Chase, Lyman Paine ; Overseer of the Poor, Clovis L. Southwick, Edmund 0. Bacon ; Treasurer, Moses Farnum ; School Committee, William A. Cole, 1 year, Henry C. Kimball, 2 years, Sylvanus H. Benson, 3 years.

Voted to abolish the school districts. This vote led to a series of votes at the following meeting, April 6lh ; the most important in the whole history of the town. It was ordered that the Blackstone Manufacturing Company's school-house at the New City be purchased, that steps be taken to build a new school-house at Wateiford, that all the school property of the districts be appraised and paid for by the town, and that S5000 more be appropriated to complete the High Schoolhouse.

The New City School-house was appraised at $12,- 500 ; Chestnut Hill, $1400 ; Verry, $50 ; Five Corners, $300; Lower Canada, $1400; Pickering, $100; Town House, $150; Millville, $8000, - total, $23,900. The town books do not afford data for stating the cost of the Waterford school-house. This year the first iron bridge at the New City was built and the stone-arch bridge on Lincoln Street, over Fox Brook. The " Harris Road " was fought, but in vain. The town had to build it. The selectmen, contrary to custom, made no report of the indebtedne-s of the town March 1, 1868. It is probable these various undertakings were in such stages, that it was impossible. On March 1, 1867, it was $25,586; March 1, 1869, it was $68,316, - an increase of $42,730 in two years' time.

Henry K. Merrifield, Esq., succeeded Arthur Cook as trial justice, and held the position for six months, when he resigned to accept a position in an insurance oflSce in Worcester. He was succeeded by Theodore S. Johnson, Esq., of Worcester.

1868. - Town Clerk, James K. Comstock; Selectmen, George E. Bullard, Millens A. Taft, Daniel S. Southwick ; Assessors, Lewis R. Daniels, Jeremiah Gatchell, Alexander Blanchard ; Overseers of the Poor, Willard Wilson, Step'nen Tucker, Lawrence Boy Ian ; Treasurer, Moses Farnum. Alexander Blanchard declined to serve, and Willard Wilson was chosen. School Committee, William A. Cole for three years ; Samuel Thayer, Jr., for one year.

March 2d, when most of the above officers were chosen, was an extremely bleak and snowy day. Whether owing to the storm, or to dissatisfaction with the management of town affairs, the result was the placing in office of men for the most part of the opposite politics of those who had controlled the town for some years. The selectmen having, under a vote of the town, contracted with George M. Blanchard to build a stone lock-up, and the town having rescinded its vote, the lock-up was not built, but the town paid rather more than its cost would have been in the way of damages and costs to Mr. Blanchard. Forty-two thousand dollars of the town debt was funded with the State treasurer, under vote of November 4th.

Rev. M. E. Phetteplace was called to the Baptist Society at Waterford, and Rev. Frederick C. Newell was appointed to the Millville Methodist Society. A missionary effort for several months in East Blackstone, by Joseph iMiett, of Woinsocket, led to the appointment of Rev. Thomas B. Gurney to that field.

August 9th died Rufus Hayward, a native of Mendon but a resident of Blackstone the greater part of his life, and thoroughly identified with the political history of the town. For many years he was the leader of the Democratic party in the town. He was an active politician, a man of genial temperament and a kind neighbor. He had filled various town offices, and was once elected to the General Court as Representative. He was found dead in his bed at the Lincoln House, having probably died of apoplexy. Daring this year work was prosecuted on the road-bed of the Boston and New York Railroad, and there was an unusual number of fatal acciden's on the tracks.

John C. McCarthy ; Overseers of the Poor, John G' Gatchell, Joseph Byrne, Samuel Verry ; Treasurer, Moses Farnum ; School Committee, for three years, Samuel Thayer, Jr. Willard Wilson having declined to serve as assessor, Americns Welch was chosen, Samuel Verry having declined to serve, and Joseph Byrne having removed from town, Millens A.Taft and Bezaleel Richardson were chosen overseers of the poor.

A new school-house was built at the Five Corners. May 24lh the County Commissioners laid out that part of St. Paul Street extending from Canal Street to the Rhode Island line under the tracks of both railroads. Pearl Street, in Millville, was laid out at this time with mutual asseverations of interest on the part of town and railroad in its behalf The " Hiram Daniels road" (section of IMendon Street from Milk Street to Asylum Street) first appeared in town affairs November 2d, when a committee was appointed to ojipose it before the County Commissioners.

March .31st Junius Bates was appointed postmaster at the Blackstone office. April 24th the Methodist Episcopal Society of East Blackstone was organized, and a church, costing about $3500, was erected during the summer. The organization of the Quickslream Lodge of Good Templars on March 22d afforded a powerful auxiliary to the church continuing to the present time (January 1, 1880).

Edmund O. Bacon, late landlord of the Lincoln House, was appointed one of the deputy sheriffs of Worcester County at the beginning of January. The firm of Bates & Comstock (Laban Bates and James K. Comstock), who had been engaged in the grocery business in Blackstone Block for twenty years, sold out in May to John W. France.

A new depot was built at Waterford as a Union station for both railroads. In November the smallpox was again introduced into Blackstone and resulted in forty cases and eight deaths.

The new school-house at the Town House was built. This provided all the eight districts with good houses except No. 4, - " Pickerings." An article in the April warrant to repair or to rebuild in No. 4 simply secured a vote to repair, - an injustice which the town has not yet (1888) reversed in its treatment of tliis district.

April 30th the town resolved against the " Hiram Daniels Road," and appointed a committee to oppose it. It is difficult to understand why this road created so much opposition. The construction of five or six miles more of such road, in certain lines, would enable the town to close up nearly double that length of poor road difficult to keep in repair. August 2d, 20th, 30tb, three town-meetings were held in regard to increasing the number of school-rooms at Blackstone and Waterford, and using the ui)per story of the High School-house as a library and readingroom. At the third meeting the whole scheme was negatived. Lyman Paine was chosen representative - to the General Court. I

The Blackstone River Lodge built the Masonic building on Main Street, at a cost of eight thousand dollars. It was dedicated Washington's Birthday by a fair and ball. The building is sixty feet deep by thirty-two feet wide, and two stories in height, the end fronting the street. The heavy stone arches on the Boston Road in Waterford village were completed during the year after several intermissions in the work.

The Blackstone Valley Lodge of Good Templars became extinct in June. Rev. T. H. Bannon, of the St. Paul's Society, falling into poor health, he resigned, and in October Rev. William A. Power was installed. Rev. James H. Cooley was assigned to the East Blackstone Methodist Episcopal Society, and Rev. Thomas S. Thomas to that of Millville. Rev. James Rand was called to Waterford Church.

1871. - Town Clerk, Junius Bates ; Selectmen, Darius Bennett, Micajah Fuller, Owen Bradley; Assessors, Jeremiah Gatchell, Louis R. Daniels, David M. Gaskill; Overseers of the Poor, John G. (jatchell, Samuel Thayer, Sr., Estes Burdon ; Treasurer, Moses Farnum; School Committee, for three years, William A. Cole, April 3d, Louis R. Daniels and David M. Gaskill having declined to serve as assessors, Patrick Kennedy and Americus Welch were chosen. John G. Gatchell and Samuel Thayer, Sr., having declined to serve as overseers, Stephen Tucker and James H. Boyle were chosen. It was voted to increase the School Committee to six, and John Worrall was chosen for three years. Welcome A. Thayer two years, and Horace H. Benson for one year. The latter having declined, Samuel S. White was appointed.

Blackstone sent no representative to General Court this year. Silas A. Burgess, E.sq., was appointed trial justice in August, T. S. Johnson having resigned to accept the position of clerk of the Municipal Court at Worcester.

Rev. Samuel E. Evans was appointed to the Methodist Society at Millville. In April the Blackstone Library Association and the Athenteum held a union meeting, and effected an organization under which their libraries, conjointly numbering nearly three thousand volumes, were united and placed together in the Arcade. The last week in July the house and barn of Mr. Bernard Hoye and the barn of Mr. L. .S. Penniman were destroyed by tire, causing a loss of

The first week in August died Varnum Bartlett, a native of Cumberland, R. I., but a resident of Blackstone for a quarter of a century, and bis shoe-store on Main Street was one of the old landmarks of the town. His honest dealing secured a largeijatronage in trade, and he was a successful business man of the old school.

A lively interest in temperance work prevailed during the year among the several societies, religious and lay. In October the St. Paul's Temperance Society celebrated the anniversary of the birth of Rev. Father Matthew, and by the interest aroused largely strengthened its membership.

1872. - Town Clerk, Junius Bates ; Selectmen, Henry S. Mansfield, Samuel S. White, Augustine H. Rankin; Assessors, F. Myrick Thayer, Americus Welch, Robert J. M. Chase; Overseers of the Poor, Caleb S. Taft, Darius Bennett, Michael Rowan ; Treasurer, R. K. Randolph; School Committee, Henry C. Kimball, Louis A. Cook, for three years, John S. Needham, two years, Alvin C. Robbins, one year.

April 15th, F. M. Thayer and R.J. M. Chase having declined to serve as asse-sors, Jeremiah Gatchell and John S. Needham were elected. It was voted to chooae Road Commissioners, and there were elected, Andrew Kelly, for three years, Samuel S. White, for two years, Henry S. Mansfield, for one year.

John C. Scott was elected representative to the General Court. The new Board of Road Commissioners laid out a continuation of Main Street from New City iron bridge over the Blackstone Dam to Millville, passing near the houses of George Hanney and James Pitts to Central Street. This was accepted and ordered built and then the acceptance was revoked.

Rev. S.imuel D. Church was called to the pastorship of the Waterford Society, Rev. Walter J. Yates was appointed to the Methodist Society at Millville, and the Rev. E. N. Maynard at East Blackstone. Rev. Edward H. True became rector of St. John's Parish, Millville.

August 1st, the Second District Court of Southern Worcester, embracing the towns of Northbridge, Douglas, U-\bridge and Blackstone, took the place of the trial justice courts, with Arthur A. Putnam, Esq., as justice. It holds sessions every week-day alternately at Blackstone and Uxbridge - Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Blackstone; Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at U.Kbridge. The court has jurisdiction in all civil actions where the amount does not exceed three hundred dollars, and a trial by jury may be had on the demand, in writing, by either party.

Assessors, Americus Welch, Miilens Taft, Michael Rowan ; Overseers of the Poor, Micajuh Fuller, Daniel Hefl'erman, F. Myrick Thayer; Treasurer, Austin A. Wheelock ; School Committee, Horace A. Bensou, Dr. Robert Booth, for three years, Welcome A. Thayer, one year. It was voted to abolish the Board of Road Commissioners. Milieus Taft having declined to serve as assessor, Daniel Wheelock was chosen. Town liy-laws, oftered by A. A. Putnam, Esq., in regard to obstruction of sidewalks, disturbance in streets, fast driving, etc., were adopted and were subsequently approved by Judge Devens, of the Massachusetts Superior Court, as required by law. The sum of one hundred dollars was now first voted to be placed at the disposal of " Gatchell Post, G. A. R.," for the suitable observance of Memorial Day. The " Hiram Daniels road " first ordered by the county commissioners January 4, 1871, had been so far successfully resisted because the lay-out crossed the Town Asylum Cemetery. The commissioners now executed a Hank movement and issued a decree, June !-, 1873, and the road was built by a contractor.

On the evening of October 16th occurred the great firein Wilder's Lane, which destroyed eight dwellinghouses and several barns. The Woonsocket steam Hre-engine prevented a more extensive conflagration by its opportune arrival. Several meetings were now held to secure fire apparatus, but there was no result. Eighteen families were rendered homeless, and altogether some fifty families moved their household goods at considerable loss, so that this fire caused a widespread feeling of insecurity.

Albert Smith was elected Representative and Jeremiah Gatchell Senator to the General Court. Lyman Legg was appointed postmaster at Millville. Rev. Albert W. Moore was called to the vacant pul()it at Blackstone, January 22d. Deacon Daniel Gunn died February 21st, aged sixty-five years. He was born February 6, 1808, at Swauzy, Vermont, and <'ame to Black-tone in 1833, where he resided until his death. He was an ardent and devoted member of the Waterford Church. The Worcester County National Bank removed to Franklin in August.

1874. - Town Clerk, Aaron S. Esty ; Selectmen, Jerennah Gatchell, Matthew Faulkner, Albert Smith ; Assessors, Americus Welch, Philip Nully, Millens Taft ; Overseers of the Poor, Micajah Fuller, Richard Newsome, William G.Miller; Treasurer, Austin A. Wheelock ; School Committee, Welcome A. Thayer, John P. Needham, three years each.

There was considerable agitation during the year for a new town hall, to be located at the village. One proposition was to purchase " Block Hall." Nothing was accomplished, however, in this direction, the committee reporting through its chairman, John S. Needham, "in view of the present depressed state of business the committee recommend a postponement, but not an indefinite postponement of the subject."

The town having paid no attention to the decree of the County Commissioners in relation to the " Hiram Daniels Road," they had built the road, and now served notice upon the town to pay the expenses and charges of completing, amounting to $5505, into the county treasury. This the town voted to do, October 3 ; then also voted " that a committee of three be appointed to take into consideration the matter of inducing capitalists or mechanics to locate in this town." The committee was Jeremiah Gatchell, Daniel Simmons, John' C. Scott.

Thanksgiving morning, November 26th, a fire destroyed the barn, paint, wheelwright and blacksmith shops, and the dwelling-house of Micajah Fuller, the barn and greater part of the Lincoln House, owned by Martin Jenckes. As in the preceding year, the Woonsocket steam fire-engines came to the rescue. At a meeting, December 9th, it was voted to have a steam fire-engine, and five thousand dollars was appropriated for its purchase.

In February a disastrous fire in Millville destroyed the large stone woolen-mill. The satinet-mill at Upper Canada, run by John C. Scott, was burned this year.

1875. - Town Clerk, Junius Bates; Selectmen, Henry S. Mansfield, Patrick Kennedy, Samuel S. White; Assessors, Americas Welch, William A. Cole, John Gallagher; Overseers of the Poor, Micajah Fuller, Alonzo W. Southwick, Dennis McMullen ; Treasurer, John S. Needham ; School Committee (for three years), Alvin C. Robbins, Andrew Kelly.

John S. Needham having declined to serve as treasurer, Daniel Wheelock was chosen. The steam fire-engine company of the town was organized. The town accepted the selectmen's lay-out of Farnum Street, September 18th. Patrick Kennedy was chosen Representative. Rev. Edwin G. Babcock was assigned to the Methodist Society at Millville, and Rev. William R. Mays to East Blackstone. Under the kindly infiuence of Rev. William A. Power was formed, in St. Paul's Society, the Young Men's Catholic Union, a literary society, which long held weekly meetings, and collected a considerable library.

Mr. John Needham, after twenty-three years' residence in town, having removed to Lawrence, Mass., to become superintendent of the Washington Mills in that city, the Rev. S. D. Church was chosen to fill the vacancy on the Board of School Committee. In May John L. Utley opened a law-office in Blackstone. Myron Daniels was appointed postmaster at East Blackstone. .Tune 9th died Dr. Moses D. Southwick. He was born in Mendon, July, 1805, on the farm of his father, George Southwick, where his early life was spent. By teaching school he won his way through Brown University, graduating in 1828, and Bowdoin Medical College in 1831, having read medicine with Dr. Usher Parsons, of Providence, R. I. He practiced a short time in Bellingham, but soon (1834) removed to Millville, where he spent the rest of his life. He was a man of sterling character, of vigorous powers of mind, well-balanced, and of remarkably even temperament.

1876. - Town Clerk, John Nugent; Selectmen, Americus Welch, Patrick Kennedy, Matthew Faulkner ; Assessors, Americus Welch, James Dollard, Patrick Baxter ; Overseers of the Poor, Micajah Fuller, Willard Bennett, Richard Newsome ; Treasurer, Horatio Stockbridge; School Committee, James Dollard, three years; Austin A. Wheelock, one year.

Francis N. Thayer was chosen Representative to the General Court. The town now voted to reduce the Board of School Committee to three members again.

In December Rev. Theodore G. Wilder was called to the Waterford Baptist Society, and May 21st Rev. George F. Walker to the Blackstone Church. Rev. William H. Turkington was appointed to the Methodist Society, Millville, and Rev. N. G. Axtell to East Blackstone. Rev. John D. McConkey took charge of St. John's Parish October 14th. Francis N. Thayer, a native of the town, having been admitted to the bar of Worcester County, opened an office in Blackstone Village.

Rev. S. D. Church closed his pastoral labors at the Free Baptist Church, in Waterford, on Sunday, June 4th. He returned to the church in Taunton, Mats., where he first entered upon his pastoral <luties and where he then served for six years. Mr. Church was a devoted student, a man of excellent abilities and attainments, and as a Hebrew scholar ranked high in his denomination.