Norfolk Town

School Committee

Democratic. - William A. Hodges, Chairman; William G. A. Pattee, Secretary; Eleazer Frederick, A. B. Packard, Ensign S. Fellows, John Arnold, Georgo Shepard, John A. Duggan, Geo. W. B. Taylor, Henry A. Jones, John Chamberlain, Wm. S. Pattee, Wm. Parker, Geo. 11. Hobart, Seth Dewing, Jr., William Barry, and Id others.

Source changes here: from History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, by Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Ed, published 1884; 3,203 words in this source stream.

Norfolk Town

popular has waxed and waned before his eyes, yet he has never been tempted to turn from his own quiet ways to grasp at the bubbles of public applause, and like a true philosopher measures all such matters with Mr. Ames

He resembles, in a certain leonine cast of face, the late Chief Justice Lemuel Shaw, who was his friend. He is a good type of that better class of country lawyers out of which such men as John Adams and Fisher Ames came. He has always been rich in brains and law-books, and a certain racy humor and

Among its other riches it has a complete set of the English Chancery Reports, from the earliest ages of English law till now. bane at the law term of 1836, and to the present time (1884) has argued his own cases there at every term.

and principal documents of all these cases bound up in twenty folio volumes. place among Massachusetts lawyers will be hard to fill when it becomes vacant.

Norfolk

of Town - Act of Incorporation - First Town-Meeting - Officers Elected - List of Selectmen - Town Clerks - Representatives - Town House - Present Valuation - Industrial Pursuits - Churehes - Schools.

On the 29th of September, 1795, a meeting of the inhabitants of the North Parish was held "for the purpose of knowing the minds of said inhabitants for building a meeting-house for public and social worship at said north end."

"As the Happiness of Society and good order and preservation of ourselves, as well as a rising Generation, greatly depend on a close adherance to morality, piety, and Religion, and these Cannot be Diffused in our Local situation but by the Institution of Public Worship of God, and the Institution of morality, piety, and Religion, therefore to promote the happiness of ourselves as well as the rising Generation, we, the subscribers, do jointly agree to the subsequent articles."

Here follows a number of articles, and the paper was subsequently signed by thirty-eight of the inhabitants, pledging twelve hundred and forty-four dollars.

Incorporation of Town. - The North Parish remained a portion of Wrentham until Feb. 23, 1870, when it was incorporated as a separate town, bearing the name of Norfolk. Portions of Franklin, Medway,

"Sect. 1. All the territory now within the towns of Wrentham, Franklin, Medway, and Walpole, in the county of Norfolk, comprised within the following limits, that is to_say:

Settlements were made here at an early day, and among the prominent namés here in 1795 were David Holbrook, Josiah Ware, Moses Mann, Samuel Richardson, James Holbrook, Asa Ware, Elisha of Wrentham, and following in an easterly course the present line of division between Wrentham and Medfield to Stop River; thence running southerly along said river, and separated by the thread of its stream from Walpole, to a point forty rods north of the mouth of the first brook running into said river, below Campbell's Mills, on the easterly side; thence from said point, by a straight line, ranning to the junction of Back and Bird streets, in Walpole; thence to the easterly side of said Bird street to its junction with West street; thence westerly by the northerly side of West street, twenty-five rods; thence southerly, and near to and westerly from the barn belonging to the home estate of Charles Bird, until said line strikes Stop River, one hundred and twenty rods southerly from West street; thence along said river as far as Wrentham and Walpole are separated by the thread of its stream; thence by a straight line, running westerly of the Walpole almshouse and easterly of the farm | buildings of Patrick Reardon, and easterly of the Dupee Blake | place, so called, to a point on the line between Walpole and Fox- | borough, one bundred and twenty-five rods north-easterly from | Dedham Rock; thence from said point, following the present line of division, between Wrentham and Foxborough, to Dedham Rock; thence southerly from said rock along the present | line of Wrentham and Foxborough to a point on said line on | the southerly side of Pine street; thence by a straight line to a | point on the westerly side of Everett street, northerly of the | house of Edmund T. Everett, and southerly of the Pondville Cemetery, to a point on the westerly side of North street, five rods southerly of the farm buildings of Samuel J. Benn; thence through the Stony Brook reservoir, near to the house of H. 8. Nash, to a point on the line between Franklin and Wrentham, | ninety rods southerly of the house late of Eliphalet Lawrence; thence running northerly, by a straight line, near to and west of the farm buildings of the home estate of J. E. Pollard, near the Elliot Felting Mills, near to and thirty-five rods west of the present residence of Saul B. Scott, to the southern extremity of Populatic Pond; thence along the western shore of said pond, at | low-water mark, to Charles River; thence in an easterly course upon Charles River, and separated by the thread of its stream from Medway to the centre of the iron bridge over said river; thence upon the thread of said river to the bridge of the Med- | way branch railroad; thence along the southerly side of said south-easterly of and near to the village of Deanville, near to and south of the old barn belonging to John Barber, to a point | on Baltimore street, two rods from said barn; thence by a straight line to the easterly side of the great bend in Charles River and near the old fording place; thence upon said river, and separated by the thread of its stream, from Medway to the point of beginning ; - is hereby incorporated into a town by the name of Norfolk ; and said town of Norfolk is hereby invested with all the powers, privileges, rights, and immunities, and is subject to all the duties and requisitions to which other towns are entitled | and subjected by the constitution and Jaws of this Commonwealth.

been passed; and until the next general valuation of estates in this Commonwealth, the town of Norfolk shall annually pay over to the said towns of Wrentham, Franklin, Medway, and Walpole, respectively, the proportion of any State or county tax which the said towns of Wrentham, Franklin, Medway, and |

Walpole, respectively, may be required to pay, upon the inhab- | itants or estates hereby set off; said proportion to be ascertained and determined by the respective valuations of the said towns | of Wrentham, Franklin, Medway, and Walpole, next preceding | the passage of this act. "Sect. 3. Said of pay its just and equitable proportions, according to its present assessed valuation, of any debt due or owing from the towns of Wrentham and Franklin, respectively, at the time of the passage of this act, and shall be entitled to receive from said towns, respectively, its just and equitable proportion, accord- then owned by said towns of Wrentham and Franklin, respectively, including therein the school-houses retained by said Wrentham, Franklin, and Norfolk, respectively; and said town of Norfolk shall be held to refund to said towns of Wrentham and Franklin, respectively, its just proportion of the surplus revenue, whenever the same shall be called for according to law; such proportion to be determined by the decennial And in ease the proportions aforesaid cannot be agreed upon by said towns of Norfolk, Wrentham, and Franklin, respectively, the same shall be determined by three commissioners, to be appointed by the Superior Court for said county of Norfolk, upon a petition of either of said towns.

"Secr. 5. The territory of the town of Norfolk, heretofore part of the towns of Franklin and Walpole, for the purpose of electing representatives to the General Court until the next decennial census, or until another apportionment be made, shall remain a part of said towns of Franklin and Walpole, respectively, and vote therefor at such places, respectively, as the said towns shall vote; and the selectmen of Norfolk shall make a true list of all persons within their town, qualified to vote at every such election, and shall post up the same in said town of Norfolk, and shall correct the same as required by law, and shall deliver a true list of all such voters as are entitled to vote in said towns of Franklin and Walpole, respectively, to the selectmen thereof, seven days at least before such election, to be used thereat.

"And the territory of the town of Norfolk, heretofore part of the towns of Wrentham and Medway, until another apportionment be made, shall, for the purpose of electing representatives to the General Court, remain a part of the Twelfth Norfolk Representative District, and vote for the same in the town of Norfolk; and the clerk of the town of Norfolk shall make returns and meet with the clerks of the towns of Foxborough, Medway, and Wrentham for the purpose of ascertaining the time and place now provided for said meeting by law; and the territory of said town of Norfolk, until legally changed, shall, for the purpose of electing a representative in Congress, continue to be part of the Congressional District numbered eight; and for the purpose of electing a councilor, part of the Second Councilor District; and for the purpose of electing a senator, a part of the Third Norfolk District.

| of Norfolk may issue his warrant, directed to any principal inhabitant of the town of Norfolk, requiring him to notify and warn the inhabitants thereof, qualified to vote in town affairs, to meet at the time and place appointed for the purpose of choosing all such town officers as towns are by law authorized and required to choose at their shall be served by posting up copies thereof, attested by the person to whom the same is directed, in three public places in said town, seven days at least before such meeting. Such justice, or, in his absence, such principal inhabitant, shall preside The selectmen of the towns of Wrentham, Franklin, Medway, and Walpole respective towns within said Norfolk, qualified to vote at said meeting, and shall deliver the same to the person presiding at said meeting before the choice of a moderator thereof.

The First Town-Meeting. - The first town-meeting was held March 7, 1870, with Albert G. Hills as moderator. The meeting was called to order by Saul

The first town-meeting was closed by tendering a vote of thanks to the moderator, and also to Silas HK. Fales and William A. Jepson for the gift of a ballotbox.

located at Island Lake. There is also a small papermill in the west part of the town, in the building formerly owned by the Eliott Felting Company. There is a grist-mill at Norfolk Centre, owned by E. W. Island Lake is a pleasure-ground belonging to the New York and New England Railroad. It is a beautiful spot, and is much frequented during the summer season.

There are two churches located in the town, both at Norfolk Centre, - Orthodox Congregational (Rev. Francis F. Williams pastor) and the Baptist Church (Rev. Daniel Round pastor).

Representative. - The Ninth Norfolk Representative District embraces Medfield, Dover, Needham, Norfolk, and Wellesley, and Norfolk has had since its incorporation one representative, Levi Mann, in 1882.

attractive building, surmounted by a tower, in which is a clock the gift of Mr. Josiah Ware. The building is beautifully located, and the tower affords an ex- | the number of voters one hundred and thirty. At the first gubernatorial election held in the town William Claflin received eighty-eight votes, John

Josiah Ware

Josiah Ware is descended in a direct line from Robert Ware, husbandman, who, we are informed by a record prepared by W. B. Trask, of Dorchester, settled in that part of Dedham, Mass., afterwards ealled Wrentham. prietors of lands granted June 12, 1642; was made company in 1644, and died April 19, 1699. He is referred to on the town records as '' Robert Ware the aged," and his name stands second, in point of wealth, on the tax list of that period. He was one of six who were "impressed, by virture of a warrant from y° major" in Dedham, to serve in the King Philip war. His estate was appraised by his administrators at £250 2s. 10d. This Robert Ware (1) married Margaret Hunting; their children were John, Nathaniel, Robert, Esther, Samuel, Ephraim, Ebenezer. Of these, Nathaniel (2), whose wife was named Mary, was born Oct. 7, 1649; died July 1, 1724. Their children were five sons and three daughters. One of the sons, Josiah (3), was born in Wrentham, March 21, 1707. hood he went to Needham, purchased a tract of uncultivated land, which he improved and cultivated, and on which he resided till his death, 1798. He married Lydia Macintire, Jan. 7, 1741. Their children were Josiah, Elijah, Lydia, Elijah (2). His second wife was Dorothy Dewen, by whom he had Asa, Dorothy, Joseph, and Daniel. His third wife was Mehitable Whitney, by whom he had Mehitable and William. His fourth wife was Sibel Robinson. By this marriage there was no issue. Of these ten children some of them attained positions of promi-

Soon after arriving at the age of mannence and were men of noteintheir day. Asa fought under Gen. Lee, and lost a hand at the battle of Monmouth. at Wrentham nearly forty years. and at the commencement of the war of the Revolu-

Josiah (4), the eldest son, and ancestor of the Josiah whose portrait accompanies this sketch, was born in Needham, Sept. 15,1742. He removed when young to Wrentham, married Lois, daughter of Elisha and Phebe Ware, June 8, 1770. He was a very worthy man, and an industrious, enterprising farmer, and was one of the building committee for erecting the first church in North Wrentham. His children were Rhoda (died young), Eunice, (married Daniel Cook), Josiah, Elisha, Lucy (married Benjamin Rockwood), Darius, and Lois (married Josiah Codding). He died Oct. 23, 1836.

Josiah (5) was brought up on the farm, but also learned shoemaking. He married Mehitable Richardson, daughter of Eli Richardson, of Franklin (now Norfolk), and removed to Oxford, Mass. There their when he was but six years of age, Mrs. Ware died. Mr. Ware then went west to New York State, where he married again, and a few years later died. Young Josiah was adopted into the family of his uncle, Daniel Cook, of Wrentham, where he received a commonschool education, and was brought up to work on the The abundance of out-door exercise in his youth assisted in laying the foundation for a very vigorous constitution, and to-day, at upwards of seventy years, he looks as though he had cheated old Father He is one of the best-preserved men of his years in Norfolk County, or

Time out of at least twenty years. perhaps in the State. Upon attaining his majority he left Mr. Cook and hired out to work on a neighboring farm one year, at the expiration of which time he returned to Mr. Cook. In his twenty-fourth

He then purchased a small farm in Wrentham and engaged in agriculture, in addition to which he also did a great deal of lumbering and teaming of various kinds, and gradually but surely built up his little In December, 1860, Mrs. Ware died, leav- Mr. Ware married as his second wife,

York and New England Railroad) was built, Mr. | Ware was appointed its first agent at Norfolk Station, He was one of the soldiers who engaged in 1775, under | which he kept, and which has since been published. Daniel, another son, passed two short terms of service in the army as orderly sergeant, and afterwards filled various public offices in Needham.

a position which he has held to the present time through all changes of administration and management. In order to be convenient to his business he purchased land adjacent to the depot, and erected a extensively, and at one time did a very considerable livery business. He is at present doing a large | lumber business in copartnership with C. J. Murphy, a young man whom Mr. Ware brought up from the age of thirteen.

In political matters Mr. Ware has always taken a_ liberal and broad stand, voting for the man rather than the party. He has devoted himself to his busi- | ness, and avoided all office-seeking, although he has | consented to fill a number of minor positions.

He has been a remarkably energetic and industrious man, public-spirited and enterprising in all matters pertaining to the public weal and welfare of his town. And when any matter of public improvement has been undertaken, he has always stood ready to do his © part, and more.

An instance will serve to illustrate the character of | the man. When it was proposed to erect a town house, an old church was tendered by the parish as a | building suitable for the purpose when properly repaired. It was the old house where from his boyhood Mr. Ware had attended church, and his reverence for the ancient and venerable structure was such, active part, and gave of his means substantial aid toward having it repaired and remodeled. He was chairman of the building committee, and when completed he placed therein, at his own expense, an elegant and valuable tower clock, which will tell the hour to the passer-by for many a year, and stand as a striking example of Mr. Ware's generous nature.

Mr. Ware enjoys to an eminent degree the confidence of his fellow-townsmen, and is one of the few representatives of the ancient and honorable pioneer families of this section who converted the wilderness into the blooming garden and fruitful field.

| BY A. E. SPROUL. | THE Norfolk Club was organized on March 15, 1884, at Young's Hotel, in Boston, by gentlemen representing the Republican party of Norfolk County. It was the result of a movement which had been begun only a few weeks before, but which, from the very start, had met with almost unexampled favor among the class of gentlemen whom it was designed to interest in its welfare. At one or two previous gatherings of the projectors of the club a preliminary organization had been effected, and a committee was appointed to issue a "call" for a dinner and report a plan for permanent organization. Upwards of one hundred and twenty-five gentlemen having assem- | bled in one of the hotel parlors, therefore, previous to the dinner, the president pro tempore, Maj. J. H. Gould, of Medfield, called them to order, and introduced Mr. George Fred Williams, of Dedham, chair- | man of the committee before mentioned. Mr. Williams briefly summarized the previous doings of the | on behalf of the committee, presented a series of by- | laws and a list of permanent officers for the action of the gentlemen present. The by-laws, which were adopted after a brief discussion, were as follows:

" ArtTIcLE I, This Club shall be called the Norfolk Club, its object being for political and social purposes only. " ARTICLE II, The officers shall consist of a president, ten vice-presidents, a secretary, a treasurer, and an executive committee of five