Turner's Public Spirit, July 28, 1923
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
Center. The field day of the Middlesex-Worcester and Middlesex-North Pomona Granges was held in the town hall on Wednesday. It was to have been held at the Whitney playground if the weather had permitted. The program was as follows: Community singing, “Oh, how I hate to get up in the morning,” “Pack up your troubles,” “Old Glory”; address by Charles M. Gardner, high priest of demeter, “The value of the Grange as an organization;” solo chaplain; selection, Hubbard’s orchestra of Lowell; cornet, solo, James Plunkett; solo, chaplain. Dancing was enjoyed by the young people for an hour in the afternoon. There was a large attendance. Frankfurts [sic], ice cream and tonic were on sale. Coffee was served free to all.
Harry Stiles is seriously ill at his home on Boston road.
Alex MacDougal [sic] will sail on the Scythia on Thursday for Argylshire [sic, Argyllshire], his old home in Scotland, where he will visit his sisters and old friends. He expects to be away six weeks.
Mrs. C. A. Blaney and three children have returned from a vacation spent with her sister in Needham.
Through the efforts of S. H. Fletcher the flagstaff on the common has received a much-needed coat of paint, the work being done by Ernest Dane, of North Westford. The flagstaff was erected in 1861 by the citizens of the town as a tribute to the men of the town in service in the civil war. Mr. Fletcher hopes to have a bronze tablet placed on the flagstaff giving the date and by whom it was erected.
The bronze tablet was affixed to the old wooden flagstaff. It was mounted near the bottom of the flagstaff, and the section of the flagstaff with the tablet is now in the Westford Museum. The tablet is inscribed:
“On April 22, 1861 at a meeting of the citizens of Westford Sherman D. Fletcher, Marcellus H. Fletcher and George T. Day were chosen a committee to procure a flagstaff for this common.
“Abijah Fletcher gave a pine tree grown on his farm from which Cyrus Hamlin made this flagstaff and it was erected May 18, 1861.
The land for this common was bought by the town from Joseph Underwood March 14, 1748 for five pounds, English money.
“This tablet was placed by the Westford Improvement Association 1923.”
Mrs. Comstock has returned home after a pleasant vacation spent with friends and relatives.
Mrs. Margaret Day, Mr. and Mrs. Houghton Osgood, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Carter, Mrs. Isles and Miss Elizabeth Bosworth visited Swampscott and other beaches on Thursday, going by auto.
The ladies’ degree staff held a well attended dance in the town hall on Thursday evening. Hibbard’s [sic] orchestra of Lowell furnished the music.
Town Clerk Charles L. Hildreth and Mrs. Hildreth and son Roger have returned from a pleasant vacation spent at Monhegan Island, Me. During their absence Mrs. Hildreth’s aunt, Mrs. Pringle, occupied their home.
John Howard has the agency for the Gray automobile in this town and in Littleton
The Young People’s society of the Congregational church enjoyed an outing to Whalom Park on last Saturday, a large number going in Perley Wright’s truck.
Miss Martha Hildreth is reported on the sick list.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Dane and daughter Dorothy were weekend guests at J. E. Knight’s.
Miss Hazel Hovey, of Arlington, was in town on last Saturday and attended the young people’s outing at Whalom Park.
Miss Karen Grant is spending part of her vacation in town.
Mr. and Mrs. Alec McDougal and the Misses Alice and Dorothy Heywood have been at Chebacco Island, Essex. During their absence their son Alister [sic] and family have been occupying their home.
The Legion and Auxiliary met on Monday evening at which time plans for the coming carnival were discussed. The affair will be held in September, this owing to the fact that St. Catherine’s parish will conduct a similar affair in August.
Clarence Hildreth and daughter Grace, accompanied by Miss Ella Hildreth, will go to Rutherford, N.J., going by auto, leaving Wednesday.
The Young People’s league of the Congregational church met in the vestry on Monday evening and gave a surprise party to Rev. John Blair, as he is leaving town soon. He is to marry Miss Hazel Hovey, of Arlington, in the near future. The young people presented him with a beautiful clock, Miss Elva Judd making the presentation. Mr. Blair was completely surprised, but responded in a pleasing manner. The evening was spent in playing games and with music. Refreshments were served of punch, sandwiches and cake. Miss Mabel Prescott presided at the punch bowl. The affair was in charge of the Misses Mabel Prescott, Elva Judd and Mrs. Hilda Bosworth.
The Ladies’ Aid are making plans for their annual picnic for mothers and children on Wednesday, August first, at the Whitney playground. It is hoped that there will be a large attendance as all the mothers and children are welcome. If the weather [is] unfavorable the picnic will be held on the following day. All come and bring a basket lunch.
Anson Griffin is spending his vacation in Troy, N.H.
Field day, dance, etc., Long pond, Littleton, July 28, afternoon, evening.
About Town. Amos Polley of the Morning Glory farm has recently returned from a visit to his sister, Mrs. Arthur Gilman, in Woodstock, Vt. He reports crops very backward and the acreage very light. As a sample of backwardness one farmer has just finished planting corn. How would he look in a procession of Stony Brook farmers planting corn on May first, and sweet corn on the table July 23? Such are the doings of the smart set at the Morning Glory farm, where they heed the spring whistle of frogs and birds rather than the worry squealing of “It’s too early, too early; the seed will all rot in the ground.”
The annual reunion of the Decatur families will be held on August 16 at Lake Nabnassett. At one time thirty by the name of Decatur could be counted in Westford. This, with others in nearby towns, would easily bring it up to forty closeby here so that holding the reunion at Nabnassett is like returning to the old family hearthstone.
Mrs. Jessie Bell, Mrs. Henry A. Fletcher, Mrs. Esther Taylor Snow, Miss Amy M. Schellenger, Stanley L. Snow and S. L. Taylor went to Nashua last week Friday in Mrs. Snow’s new Reo car. This special visit was to call on Mrs. George H. Fifield [nee Mary Jane “Jennie” Dow] at the Old Ladies Home. Mrs. Fifield will be remembered as an old-time resident in the Stony Brook Valley for many years. We found her as of old—jolly, good-natured, returning the spirit of youth interested in welfare work and love of humanity generally. She was in apparently good health, with sprightly step for efficient action to these eighty-seven years last Sunday. Where do the younger set come in? They haven’t arrived yet; they are self-hindered by a lot of modern luggage that too oft cuts short the trip.
Much has been said about our high tariff follies, but here is some low tariff wisdom which I will quote: “Bibles and brimstone are both on the free list of the present tariff.” It is well thus. We stand sadly in need of both as a rectifier and purifier of modern disregard of safety first as it relates to conduct which is more serious than automobile accidents.
The annual reunion and business meeting of the Spalding Light Cavalry association will be held at the Center on Thursday, August 9, afternoon and evening. The business meeting will be held at five o’clock at the association building on the Boston road [now 20 Boston Road]. Sports at the Whitney playground at 2:30. Dinner at 6:30 at the association building, followed by an entertainment and it is up-to-date in making everybody take on a laugh.
For a change the Old Oaken Bucket farm planted a few bushels of Irish Cobbler potatoes to compare with Green Mountain potatoes. The Cobblers have got badly beaten in size and yield, without any difference in earliness. Nearly every farmer in the Stony Brook Valley has had experience with the Cobbler and has quit. We have had two experiences with them and now we join the quit crowd. If it rained steadily seven or eight days in the week they might possibly produce something larger than nutmegs.
Amos Polley, on the Morning Glory farm, is digging a half peck of salable Green Mountain potatoes per hill and this prior to the Wednesday Pomona picnic rain. It is now safe to count a peck per hill. These potatoes were planted in early April, when the usual universal wail went forth “too cold, too early, they will all rot and have to be ploughed out.” Personally I am prepared to challenge anyone to duplicate the exceptionally vigorous vines that cover the more than three feet apart rows and stalks like your two thumbs with the addition of some of your little fingers. Such is their spread that the field covers the entire ground as one green mat. There is but one element to fear with this unusual vigorous foliage, dog-day blight and rot. With only a wall between, the Old Oaken Bucket farm has the largest acreage in this vicinity and many other vicinities, but no such vigorous vines as the Morning Glory farm, being raised on chemicals exclusively and expects no such yield, but expects to make up in part the decreased yield by decreased prospective August rot. Be this as it may, he has taken orders already for 100 bushels and more to follow.
Some of the Old Oaken Bucket farm folks made an auto trip in J. A. Taylor’s new Studebaker to Merrimack, N.H., to visit the Robert M. Schellenger family, recently.
George O. Jackson, of West Chelmsford, and his sister, Mrs. Stephen Kirby, Vancouver, are visiting relatives in Maine and New Brunswick. Mrs. Kirby is the widow of Stephen Kirby, for many years connected with the city government of Lowell. Living in Vancouver, she is well acquainted with Mrs. Hannah Prescott Parsons, formerly of Forge Village.
Mrs. David Sherman, Cold Spring road, was operated upon at the Lowell General hospital on Tuesday for the removal of her tonsils.
Mrs. George Butterfield, of Waltham, formerly of Dunstable, and her daughter, Mrs. James, were visitors of the F. A. Snows of West Chelmsford, Thursday, driving over in their automobile.
With all the parched, dry weather we have had this summer it is regretted that the union outing of Middlesex-North and Middlesex-Worcester Pomona Granges ran right into a wet day on Wednesday. The moisture was too damp for the writer to attend and sit in an unheated hall. I move and second the motion that we adjourn to Whalom Park as soon as word can be passed along the line. It is an automatic place for entertainment and the environments are inspiring. I am self-scheduled to go sometime before long. Will you go?
Our former native citizen, Gilbert F. Wright, of Chelmsford, and promoter of novelties in farming, went to Amherst on Tuesday, where he will be in attendance at the farmers’ work program at the Massachusetts Agricultural college.
Graduates and friends of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will be interested in reading the life of Francis Amasa Walker by J. P. Munroe, now in circulation from the library. President of M.I.T., a general in the civil war at the age of twenty-five, superintendent of the courses and professor at Yale, he was preeminent in the field of education and a leading economist of America.
Edwards & Monahan, the well-known Westford-West Chelmsford firm, have the contract for building two more houses on Brookside road for the Abbot Worsted Company at Brookside. The houses are well under way and with the other new houses will add much to Brookside on the map and in business action.
A Scandinavian convention under the auspices of the International Bible Students’ association is being planned and will be held in Abbot’s hall, Brookside, beginning Friday afternoon, July 27, at 3:30, and closing Sunday evening. Delegates from the New England states and New York are expected in large number and will be the guests of the local members while here. A canvas of the homes of Brookside and vicinity will be made to obtain rooms for the two nights. Anyone having spare rooms will confer a favor by notifying the committee in charge, Paul Lundberg, telephone 5508-R. The program will be interesting covering eight session, during which fine speakers will deliver eight full discourses, while a symposium by four speakers will be heard on the general subject, “Service.”
Monahan Bros., of Westford Corner and West Chelmsford, are making a survey plan for the Abbot Worsted Company of the roads, brooks, hills and mountain, farms, farmers and farmettes [sic] in the Stony Brook valley, from Brookside to the water power privilege and dam of the Abbot Worsted Company at Westford railroad station.
The Old Oaken Bucket farm has been digging potatoes for home use for the last two weeks in the absence of not having the dollar to buy the peck with. Dry weather has written its effects into their thrifty intentions. The abiding place of the potatoes in the earth is dryer than the eighteenth amendment to the constitution, but not dry enough to make criminals like doth our constitution. There are about three and one-half potatoes in the hill to every one planted.
According to official figures from the weather bureau at Washington, D.C., we are short over five inches of normal summer rainfall and all but the hay crop shows it. That was above the average crop in this whereabouts farming country. The unfrozen ground covered with several feet of snow about all last winter, and the excessive rains last summer and autumn evidently contributed to a heavy hay crop, as it did to an above normal fruit crop for the odd year.
Last week federal officers and others made a raid on the old Felch place, better known in the far past as the Chandler place on the shore of Flushing pond, and seized a quantity of anti-eighteenth amendment liquids and a still to produce said anti-drinks in, and also three men, to operate said anti-still and the fluid that floweth therefrom. This is an ideal location of the exemplification of the anti-eighteenth amendment defiance. It is close by the newly improved Groton road and on the road that leads from the Groton road to Tyngsboro and Nashua, and only about a quarter of a mile to Long-Sought lake and Nabnassett lake to the southeast. All contribute 250 acres of water for boating, bathing, fishing and if you like the principles involved in the eighteenth amendment, why here is 250 acres of water to stick to. The federal offices found another kind of stick, hence the arrests. At the time of writing I have not heard of the opinion of the district court in Ayer.
Yes, some of all hands at the Old Oaken Bucket farm crossed the line on last week Friday evening between Westford and Littleton to attend the band concert by the Abbot Worsted Company band and to get impressions of Littleton and the fire of music. The impressions fulfilled expectations. The music nearly captured some of our feet and try them at the feat of dancing, but alas, while our feet were all right and willing for the feat our heads had not forgotten our painful lesson in dancing in our youthful days at the Old Stony Brook school and we were content to sit quiet in our modern “one-horse open shay.” Littleton responded in numbers and enthusiasm creditable to the live town that it is, and this all helps to keep it alive.
The Eighteenth Amendment. Under date of July 14, under Harvard news, I read “If the government was establishing an up-to-date college to educate high-class criminals, then the eighteenth amendment to the constitution has surely accomplished the purpose.” Can it be possible that this view is from one of my several Harvard teachers; if so I unload a dissenting opinion. That crime is on the increase is proven by statistics, so are automobiles and Sunday baseball, and Sunday theatres and boxing matches, and the commercial Sunday and a general breaking-down of all Sunday restraints, full and crowded congregations to all these pleasure excursions of the mind seven days and nights in the week, while our churches are thinly patronized two hours in the week. In the opinion of the writer this condition has had more to do with educating us all into a variety of conduct whose tendency is clearly towards the larger sins of criminality in varying degrees, and all this and more being long before the eighteenth amendment was even seriously considered.
Many of our modern crimes are due to the modern automobile and not to the modern eighteenth amendment, which has actually decreased the crime of drunkenness, especially among women, and the records of our district courts clearly show a diminishing business on account of diminishing drunkenness to be credited up to the eighteenth amendment, and when any Harvard citizen, “teacher” or plain citizen makes the statement about the eighteenth amendment “making high-class criminals” come on with your facts, for in the absence of facts I shall continue to stand by my colors that the eighteenth amendment has not made any criminals, for whoever sells intoxicating liquors in violation of the constitution would sell without any constitutional amendment or any state law restriction.
How queer, also illogical, is being taught that the eighteenth amendment is making criminals, while Vermont has had the same prohibitory law since the Green Mountains were discovered by civilization. And say, you Harvardite, or anybody else, did you ever hear that Vermont was specializing in making criminals as the result of this prohibitory law? Speak right up, for I’ve got my back up and my Scotch dander, too.
Underwood History. I wish to add a few lines in regard to Joseph Underwood, whose name is associated with Westford common and whose life played an important part in the early history of the town.
Hodgman’s History of Westford says of him: “Joseph Underwood, son of Joseph and Elizabeth, was born in Reading [sic, Watertown, MA] in 1681 and died in Westford in 1761, aged eighty years [79 years 8 months]. He was one of the original members of the First church and was active in all public affairs, and was evidently a man of character and influence. He was a farmer and innholder [sic] and owned a large tract of land on the eastern slope of the hill on which the central village now stands, reaching up to the common and included the Osgood farm [located just west of the town hall], together with the farms of the Spalding brothers [at what is now 1 Leland Rd.], of the Ira Leland heirs [4 Leland Rd.] and of Albert P. Richardson [86 Main St.]. His house stood nearly opposite the house of the Ira Leland heirs, where the cellar hole still remains.
“Of his thirteen children, Joseph, born in 1708, graduated from Harvard college in 1735 and studied for the ministry, but was never ordained. He married Ruth Bancroft in 1739 and had one son, Joseph. He died in Westford in 1743 [sic, died in Wakefield 3 Apr 1745], aged thirty-seven years.
“May 28, 1735, the selectmen voted to pay to Mr. Joseph Underwood, Junior for his keeping school in this town of Westford 1734, the sum of £16 to be in full of sd. services.” It is apparent therefore, that the name of Joseph Underwood, Jr., stands at the head of the list of teachers of this town.
Timothy Underwood, another son of Joseph, Sr., was chaplain of a company of fifty-eight men under Col. William Prescott, who as minutemen marched from Westford on April 19, 1775, and helped to fire the “shot heard around the world.” It might be interesting to add that Joseph Underwood has great-great-grandchildren still living in Missouri who have been corresponding with the writer of this article [Samuel L. Taylor] in regard to the history of the Underwoods of Westford, and James Spalding, who married [in 1736] Amy Underwood, of Westford, one of the thirteen children of Joseph Underwood, from whom originated Westford common.
Awarded Traveling Fellowship. Miss Margaret Elliott, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Elliott, of Lowell, Westford and part of Littleton, has won a coveted traveling fellowship at Harvard university, where she is studying for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, which she expects to receive next autumn. Miss Elliott is a graduate of Wellesley college, receiving the degree of B.A. in 1914. During her senior year there she was the head of the student government association. The year following her graduation she was an instructor at Abbot academy in Andover. During the war Miss Elliott rendered distinctive service under General Dickson, of Watertown arsenal, where she had charge of the placing of women in positions which would free men for active service overseas. She worked in that capacity until the end of the war. When her work at the arsenal was ended Miss Elliott went to Trenton, N.J., where she had full supervision of the personnel department of the Waitt & Bond Co., well known cigar manufacturers.
Last year Miss Elliott returned to her studies and entered Harvard university to get a doctor’s degree. Her work has been of such an excellent nature that she was awarded the traveling fellowship, which will enable her to go abroad for about a year’s study. She will return to Harvard university in the autumn of 1924.
Margaret Elliott is the sister of Mrs. John C. Leggat, Herford N., Robert N. and Maurice Elliott. The latter was recently honored by the University of Minnesota, where he was made a full professor. Miss Elliott’s father, Thomas H. Elliott, will be remembered as head of the largest and oldest real estate agency in Lowell and well remembered by others as president of the Middlesex-Northwest conference of Unitarian and other Christian churches.
Presented to the Library. A slender volume entitled “The ancestors and descendants of Abel Russell, revolutionary soldier from Westford, Mass., and Fayette, Me.,” has just been presented to the library by the compiler, A. J. Russell, of Minneapolis. Abel Russell was born “an Englishman in the colonies in Westford, Mass., in 1751,” and was the son of Amos Russell and Sarah Hildreth, who at one time, as Mr. Hodgman says in his History of Westford, occupied part of Mrs. Abigail Fletcher’s house. He entered the revolutionary war as a private in Capt. Zaccheus Wright’s Company and came out a sergeant, his whole war record being known. In 1781 he married Sarah Bryan [Frost], of Chelmsford, the ceremony being performed by Rev. Matthew Scribner, who had also married his father and mother. “In 1782 Abel and Sarah Russell packed all their earthly possessions on the old white horse and started out for the wilderness of Maine,” where they finally settled in Fayette, Me. Mr. Russell died about the year 1822. “Tradition has it that he was poisoned by drinking by mistake a cupful of lye that his wife had set aside for the purpose of making bread.”
Graniteville. The Abbot Worsted team defeated the Philadelphia All Stars (colored) in a finely played game here on Tuesday evening by the score of 4 to 2. Huskins and Ewing were the battery for the All Stars. Purvere and Dee were the battery for the Abbots. Umpires, Dunn and Hartford. The Abbots will play in Lowell on Saturday afternoon and in Gardner on Sunday.
The Abbot Worsted band held their regular rehearsal here on Wednesday evening with a good attendance.
Miss Hilma Hanson is now spending her vacation at the Brady cottage at Hampton beach.
The Abbot Worsted mills will be closed for a brief vacation from July 27 to August 6. Many of the employees will take advantage of the opportunity to visit the various beaches along the north shore.
The M.E. church building is now being painted a pleasing white with brown trimmings. The work is being done by William L. Wall.
William O’Brien is now visiting friends in Monson for a few days.
Miss Harriet Moran of Nashua, N.H., is now stopping with Miss Harriet Moran in West Graniteville for a few days.
The swimming party that was to be held by the Epworth League at Long pond on this Saturday has been postponed for two weeks.
Harvard
News Items. Mr. and Mrs. Edson Boynton [formerly of Westford] took a day off from Questend farm on Wednesday and enjoyed the day with the State Grangers at Westford with the Middlesex-North Pomona. They report a very pleasant day’s outing.
Teacher No. 1, F. S. Savage, Sr., was very much pleased with the second call of our Westford scribe [i.e., Samuel Law Taylor], daughter [Esther P. (Taylor) Snow] and grandsons [Perry Taylor Snow and Stanley Law Snow], and planned for the meeting of Mrs. Royal, Teacher No. 2, and Mr. West, Teacher No. 3. The scribe’s daughter, Mrs. Snow, remarked that her brother from the west [John Adams Taylor] was more of a talker than her father, but not seeing the gentleman I cannot vouch for it. The scribe’s two grandsons are surely two fine young men, who know that silence sometimes is bliss. Now Teacher No. 1 never made any pretense of being ahead of anything. He was always willing anyone should pass him, and always gave them plenty of room to go by, but some time next month, day and date to be officially posted, will call on the Westford scribe and try and bring with him not only Teacher No. 2, but Teacher No. 3, who he thinks will put against anyone as a talker, and thinks that our Westford scribe may have considerable on his mind when we all leave him for home, for I have never met anyone yet who could beat him in a just contest. So get your guns out and see that they are well loaded for Teacher No. 1 means business and has his last dollar bet on Teacher No. 3, whom our esteemed Westford scribe has not had the honor to have met before.
Littleton
News Items. The Odd Fellows have engaged the popular Abbot Worsted band of Forge Village for their lawn party of August 17. If it rains that day it will be held the following Friday.