History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

184 HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
ter, Mc4rose Council, and Hugh de Payeu's Com-
mandery of Knights Templars hold their meetings.
The Melrose Lodge No. 157, Independent Order
of Odd Fellows, and the Golden Eule Degree
Lodge No. -I'i, Daughters of Kebekali, hold their
meetings in Temple of Honor Hall, corner of Main
and Foster streets. The U. S. Grant Post No. 4,
G. A. R., was organized in 1866. The literary so-
cieties are tlie Roundabout Club, Franklin Frater-
nity, Centennial Club, Avon Club, and the 0. 0. S.
Club. The High School Alumni holds an annual
gathering. The Melrose Lyceum gives an annual
course of lectures and entertainments in the town-
hall. The Knights of Honor and the Eoyal Arcanum
each have a lodge. The Crystal Lake Boat-
Club has its headquarters on L Pond. And there
are the Melrose Orchestra, and the Wyoming
Musical and Social Union, which has taken the
place of the Melrose Musical Association. Truly
it may be said, that of societies — religious, tem-
perance, educational, fraternal, charitable, military,
and social — Melrose has a great abundance.
Tlie growth of Melrose has been very even, as
will be seen by the different censuses. When incor-
porated in 1850, it had a population of 1,260 ; in
1855 it had 1,976; in 1860, 2,526; in 1865,
2,865; in 1870, 3,4.14; in 1875, 3,990. It now
has a population of 4,365. In 1850 its valuation,
personal and real estate, was §483,446; now it is
§3,666,343. In 1850 there were 125 buildings;
now, 1,045 dwellings, stores, churches, school-
houses and halls, — Masonic, Temple of Honor,
Good Templars, Unity, and Armory. There are
now 1,203 ratable polls and 925 voters. Ac-
cording to the census of 1875, there were thirteen
manufacturing establishments and thirty -three
occupations, which produced during that year
§388,772 ; and fifteen farms, valued at §118,450,
NATICK.
which produced §16,180.
Situated as it is, so near Boston, with admirable
railroad facilities, delightful and varied scenery,
charming drives, with every facility for home comfort
and enjoyment, churches of many denomina-
tions, good schools, an unfailing supply of pure
water for dwellings and public buildings, with soci-
eties and associations of almost every kind, iMelrose
will continue to grow in the future, as it has in
the past, and, in a time not far distant, there will,
perhaps, be another city in the good old common-
wealth of Massachusetts.
BY EEV. S. D. HOSMEll, ASSISTED BY REV. DANIEL WIGHT AND AUSTIN BACON.
HE neighbor towns of Natick
are, on the east Neediiam and
Diiver in Norfolk County, Sher-
Imrii to the south, Franiingham
west, and Wayland north. Lake
Cochituate, the Long Pond of
our fathers, but resuming its
Indian name when it became
Boston's water-supply, is a note-
Centre, on the Boston and Albany Railroad, seven-
7,419.
This town, one of the few in Massachusetts with
an Indian name, preserves thus the fact of its abo-
riginal origin; for when John Eliot's missionary
labors at Nonantum bore fruit, he wished to gather
these converts into a community remoter from the
whites. Riding in quest of a good location, and
disappointed in one place examined, the record
states that he prayed behind a great rock for
guidance in this matter. Soon after a friendly
worthy natural feature. Charles Indian suggested another site, of which Eliot thus
River crooks through South Natick; and on the writes " : The Lord did discover that there it was
edge of Dover Pcgan Hill rises four hundred feet. his pleasure we should begin this work. When
Natick has three villages : the compact, populous grasse was fit to cut, I sent some Indians to mow,
and other to make hay, because wc must oft ride
teen miles from the city ; Felchville, a mile north ; thither in the Autumn, and in the spring before
and two miles southeast tlie original settlement, any grasse is come, and there is provision for our
South Natick. Population, by the census of 1875, horses, their work was performed well, as I found
whiii I went u|) to llicm with my man to order it."