History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

Among the military officers were Major, afterwards
Colonel Josepii Bryant, Captain Abraham
Gould, Lieutenant John Bucknam, Lieutenant
Joshua Burnham, and Lieutenant Daniel Bryant.
The names of at least eighty-seven difi'erent Stoneham
men appear upon the revolutionary muster-
rolls. During these years the town was constantly
purchasing ammunition, furnishing supjjlies to the
army, raising bounties with which to pay soldiers,
and with unflagging zeal supporting the common
cause.
At a meeting held September 17, 1792, it was
voted to procure a schoolmaster, with instructions
to commence the sciiool the middle of October
and continue two montiis; then a vacation until
the next March ; tiien to contiime until all the
money raised shall have been expended.
Altimugh farming had hitherto been the chief
occupation, this year a mill was built, being first
used as a snuff-mill, but afterwards eidarged and
used for the purpose of manufacturing satinets.
It was located but a short distance uortii of the
rubber-works now known as Hayward Mills, and
near the buildings for a series of years owned and
occupied by the millwright, the late Jabez Kendall,
and subsequently by the Messrs. Grundy for the
purpose of brass-finishing. In 1812 a mill was
built on the grounds of the rubber manufactory,
and used for several years for grinding spices and
various medicinal articles.
The ministry of Mr. Cleveland was a few days
over nine years, his dismission taking place Octo-
ber 23, 1791'. During his ministry he solemnized
twenty-six marriages. His successor was Rev.
John H. Stevens, who was pastor of the church
at Methuen at the time of the dismission of Mr.
Cleveland. Mr. Stevens was installed November II,
1795. He was a popular preacher and a good pas-
tor, and continued witli the society for thirty-two
years.
In 1800 Rev. John H. Stevens was elected as
one of the school committee, and this appears to
be the first instance where a minister was chosen a
member of that board. May 7, of the same year,
it was voted to build a new meeting-house, and a
committee was chosen to view the old one, now
standing in Stoneham, and report to tiie town
ence to the subject was instructed to view different
STONEHAM. 345
January 17, 1803. At that time it was voted to
build a meeting-house fifty feet in length and forty-
six in breadth, with a porch and steeple. Each
window in the building was to contain twenty-four
squares of glass 8x10. It was also voted to hire
§100 for building purposes. The meeting-house
was located on the north side of what is now known
as Sjjring Street, at its junction with Pleasant, and
stood upon the lot of land at present belonging to
the widow of the late Captain John H. Dike. The
dedicatory services took place Wednesday, Decem-
ber 14, the sermon being preached by tiie pastor,
Rev. John H. Stevens. His text was taken from
fLaggai ii. 7 : " I will fill this house with glory."
Tiie Sabbath previous, December 11, Mr. Stevens
preached a farewell sermon in the old meeting-
iiouse, and on Thursday, the 15th of December,
the day following the dedication of the new church,
the people assembled and took down the old one.
There it had stood, with but few changes, for
seventy-seven years, the loved resort of a Sabbath-
loving people.
With the in-coming of the present century there
seems to have been a good degree of financial
prosperity.
With the new meeting-house, which was con-
veniently and pleasantly situated, the people were
desirous of making improvements in church music.
Accordingly, at the annual meeling, held March 5,
1801, it was voted to raise $10 for the ])urchase
of one or more bass-viols, or for defraying the ex-
penses of learning and practising in church.
About this time the manufacture of children's
shoes was begun in town, and in a few years it
became the principal employment ; the farmers
themselves, in many instances, engaging in it dur-
ing the winter months. For several years a shoe-
maker's shop might liave been seen at almost every
house, or a room used for the convenience of those
engaged in this work.
In tlie year 1805 the xVndover and Jlcdford
turnpike, now Main Street, was laid out. At that
time a portion of the inhabitants were desirous of
having the road run on the east side of the parson-
age, probably wishing it to be on the line of what is
now Central Street ; but their objections were finally
withdrawn, and in 1806 the turnpike was built.
the estimated cost of repairing the old and of In 1805 it was voted to raise the sum of five
building a new one. In 1802 this matter was
again presented, and the committee chosen in refer-
hundred dollars to be worked out on a proposed
road from Woburn to Stoneham meeting-house, —
the present William Street. At that time the land
lots of ground, and report at a meeting to be held over which Cottage Street is laid out was the prop-