<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>
================================================
PotpourrEMAIL
================================================
<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>
================================================
Vol. 2, No. 9 - 1 March 2001. Circulation: 100 and growing!
(C) 1999 Boylston Historical Society and Museum
7 Central St., PO Box 459, Boylston, MA 01505
boyhisoc@ma.ultranet.com 508-869-2720
Editors: Betty L. Thomas and Judith Haynes
Boylston Historical Society and Museum Web Page:
http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/
To subscribe or unsubscribe to the PotpourrEmail, or
to submit information to be included in the PotpourrEmail,
e-mail info to: boyhisoc@ma.ultranet.com
CONTENTS. Welcome; What's in a name?; Tidbits;
Book of the Month; BHS News; On The Web; Humor
================================================
<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>
================================================
Welcome to our email newsletter! For those of you who are not
members of BHS and don't receive the snailmail newsletter, it is called
The Potpourri. Sooooo, we thought the appropriate name for this version
would be PotpourrEMAIL. This email version is not meant to repeat or
copy the snailmail version, but to complement it, with the addition of
topics of interest to those with computer and web capabilities. If you
have a story to tell, information to impart, a good genealogy joke, computer
or web genealogy info, a Boylston genealogy Query, or anything that would
be of interest to our readers--please email us at:
boyhisoc@ma.ultranet.com
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+
What's In a Name??
"Names of Places" by G.L. Wright
Volume I in the Historical Series
Two Mills Near Rocky Pond
On the brook rising in a lttle spring on the southwestern declivity of
Stiles Hill, and on to and from Sewall Pond, have stood two saw
and grist mills during the greater part of the Town's history. The
Cyprian Keyes, Jr. Mill, later long known as the James Locke Mill,
and the Whitney and Bannister Mill, the latter of which, during its
history occupied at least three different sites between Sewall Pond
and the present Mill Road.
More on Dinner-Pail Falls
[while speaking of French Brook in a previous article, Mr. Wright
mentioned " Dinner-pail Falls." In the following excerpted section of
a one page memo, he continued his description of the place.]
A little distance from [Dinner-Pail] falls were the remains of a high
stone wall formerly the dam of an oldtime saw and grist mill. The
falls received the name of Dinner-pail Falls from the stroy that many
years ago a schoolgirl who lived nearby lost her dinner-pail whil
playing about the falls.
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+
Tidbits
from the BHS scrapbooks -
The Telegram - Jan 19, 1899
OLD IN GOOD WORK
Congregational Church Has Annual Meeting and Reunion
The Congregational Church of Boylston held its annual reunion
and turkey dinner today.
The special cars from Worcester during the day were crowded and
the evening cars brought some 75 people. There were also visitors
from Clinton, Shrewsbury, Sterling, West Boylston, and other
surrounding towns.
The Boylston church was organized Oct. 6, 1743. Previous to this
time, from 1705 to 1740, the inhabitants of Boylston were connected
with the churches of Lancaster and Shrewsbury. In the year 1740
the people of Boylston, petitioned for incorporation as a separate
parish. They succeeded in their object, and the general court granted
their request Dec. 17, 1742. Jan 19, 1743, the first meeting of the new
precinct was held and the first parish officers chosen. They were:
Deacon John Keyes moderator, John Bush clerk, Joseph Biglo,
Deacon Cyprian Keyes, Joshua Houghton and Abner Sawyer parish
committee. Sept. 18, 1743, the officers voted to build a meetinghouse,
which was to be 45 feet long, 35 feet wide, and 20 feet between joints.
Oct 16, 1743, the church was organized, having 19 , men members, no
record being found of the women. Oct 26, 1743, Rev. Ebenezer Morse
was ordained its first pastor. The service took place in the new
meetinghouse, which had been erected on the common in front of
what is now the old burying ground. The house at the time of the
ordination was in a rough, unfinished state, having neither pulpit or
pew, even the floor was not laid nor the doors, nor the windows
provided. In 1744 the church was finished. Mr. Morse was dismissed
Nov 10, 1777, 22 years and 15 days after his ordination. He was
succeeded by Rev. Eleazer Fairbanks, who was ordained on
March 27, 1777, the church at that time numbering 71 members,
29 men and 42 women. Rev. Eleazer Fairbanks was dismissed
April 23, 1793, after a pastorate of 16 years. March 12, 1794,
Rev. Hezekiah Cooper was ordained, remained one year and died
of consumption in 1795. During his pastorate a new church was
built where the Center schoolhouse now stands. Its location caused
a division in the town, which resulted in the incorporation of the town
of West Boylston. June 7, 1797, Rev. Ward Cotton was made pastor
of the church, which he served until June 22, 1825. During the
ministry of Mr. Cotton the first Sunday school was organized in the
town. Rev. Samuel Russell, who was the next pastor, was ordained
June 21, 1826, and remained until April 17, 1832. Rev. William H.
Sanford was the next minister, and served from Oct 17, 1832 until
Sept. 15, 1857. During his pastorate, in the spring of 1835, the
parish determined to build a new meetinghouse, which had been a
cause of divsion in the town, as well as the church.
The present church was built and dedicated Dec. 10, 1835. The
successor of Mr. Sanford was Rev. H. Hastings Ross who remained
until Jan. 16, 1866. Rev. Andrew Bigelow, D.D., a native of Boylston,
was acting pastor from August 1866 to April 1873. The succeeding
pastors have been: Rev. H.S. Kimball, 1877 to 1888; Rev. Schyler
Moore, 1882 to 1883; Rev. Isreal Ainsworth, 1883 to 1887; Rev.
Austin Dodge, 1887 to 1891; Rev. Carlotto Lewis, 1892 to 1893;
Rev. E.D. Burtner, 1893 to 1898.
During the pastorate of Rev. E.D. Burtner the church was
thoroughly repaired and renovated at cost of $2200.
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+
Book of the Month
"Like a Ship Without a Rudder:The Great Fire of 1924"
By Carl Sharpe & Norman French
Story of the fire at the Boylston Congregational Church
15 pgs. illustrated $3 plus
shipping
Visit the gift shop
http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/gift.htm
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+
BHS News
Program - Thursday, March 15, 2001 7:30 pm
" Land Distribution and the Origins of Shrewsbury"
By Bob Cormier of the Shrewsbury Historical Society
A slide lecture on the proprietors' records, historical anecdotes, glimpses
at the Prior Grants, and a look at the Land that the Proprietors gave out.
Admission: FREE
Program - Thursday, April 19, 2000 at 7:30 pm
The Works of George Wright, Boylston's Foremost Historian"
by BHS Staff and Board member, Jim Lavallee
This multi-media presentation will showcase the writings and artwork
of George Wright, 1856-1943. Admission: FREE
Sponsored in part by the Local Cultural Councils of Boylston, West Boyslton
and Berlin.
Event - "John B. Gough Day"
Sunday April 29, 2 -5 pm
Entertainment, food, fun, and tours through Gough House.
Event - Monday, May 28, 2001, 10am to 2pm
"Memorial Day Open House" Come and visit!!!
Free Museum admission
Through September 2001
"Who Are They - Boylston's Unidentified Citizens - Photo Exhibit
Are they part of your family or an old neighbor or maybe someone
you went to school with ??
This is an interactive exhibit. Each photo has a place for
viewers to leave their comments, ideas, and clues to the identity
of the people in that photo.
Museum admission: $2
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit the gift shop
http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/gift.htm
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+
On The Web
The CIRCUS, THEATRE & MUSIC HALL FAMILIES PAGE. Resources for
circus, theatre, music hall/vaudeville, travelers, Gypsy-Romany
and others. Census data, newspaper articles, collections, book
sources, specialist societies and libraries, circus and theatre
portraits, British Circus Society, links to other U.K. and
non-U.K. sources.
http://www.entertainer-genealogy.org.uk
FRONTIER HOMES (U.S.A.)
http://www.historychannel.com/classroom/frontierhomes/index.html
The OLDEN TIMES. Obituaries and other news scanned from 18th,
19th, and early 20th century U.S. newspapers.
http://theoldentimes.com/
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+
Humor
The census taker knocked on Miss Kimball's door. She answered
all his questions except one. She refused to tell him her age.
"But everyone tells their age to the census taker," he said.
"Did Daisy Hill, and Loretta Hill tell you their ages?"
"Certainly."
"Well, I'm the same age as they are," she snapped.
"As old as the Hills," he wrote on his form.
================================================
<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>
================================================
PERMISSION TO REPRINT articles from PotpourrEMAIL is granted
unless specifically stated otherwise, PROVIDED: (1) the reprint
is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the
following notice appears at the end of the article:
Written by
Previously published by PotpourrEMAIL,
PotpourrEmail, Vol. 2, No. 9 - 1 March 2001. Please visit
Boylston Historical Society and Museum's main Web page at
.
This newsletter is distributed monthly, on the first day of the month,
to all Boylston Historical Society members (who have email!), genealogists,
and friends who have a special interest in the history of the town of
Boylston.
================================================
<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>
================================================
boyhisoc@ma.ultranet.com
508-869-2720
Boylston Historical Society
PO Box 459
Boylston, MA 01505
Web Page: http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/index.shtml
Back to Archives
Back to Newsletter page