History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

346 nISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
erty of Captain Hay, who owned a mill standing
upon a water privilege westerly from the house of
W. B. Stevens. It being advisable to have the
road go above the mill, it was voted to adjourn
the meeting to the u])per dam of Captain David
Hay, where the necessary arrangements were made.
At a town-meeting held Jlouday, May 5, 1806,
it was voted to send a representative to the General
Court, and Daniel Gould was elected, receiving
thirty-one votes.
In 1809 Rev. .lohn II. Stevens was elected a
representative to the General Court, and was also
re-elected in 1810. This year a bell was purchased
by subscription, and placed upon the meeting-
house. It was to be rung for all the Sabbath
services and all other religious meetings, also for
funerals and all public meetings, as is usual in
other places. Auy one ringing the bell without
the permission of the person employed for that
purpose was to pay a penalty of five dollars.
In 1811 Jabez Lynde was chosen representative,
and in 181'2 Rev. Mr. Stevens was again elected.
This was the first instance of the number of ballots
cast being placed on the record, which is as follows :
Rev. John H. Stevens, forty-one ; Daniel Gould,
twenty-nine ;
Peter Hay, 2d, three.
This year, in consequence of the pressure of the
times, the minister's salary was reduced from $400
toS:3;3:3.;3;3.
Early in the morning of November 2(3, 1819,
the inhabitants of the town were startled by the
announcement that a brutal murder had been com-
mitted the previous night. The family of Jacob
Gould consisted of two bachelor brothers, a maiden
sister whose name was Polly, and a Widow Win-
ship, the hired help. Between eight and nine
o'clock in the evening of November 25 three ruf-
fians, with blackened faces, and armed with dirks,
entered the house occupied by the Goulds, which
stood but a short distance from the one now owned
and occupied by Philander Ames, and situated on
the westerly side of Pond Street, a short distance
north of Spot Pond. They inllicted a deadly
wound upon Jacob, who died about three o'clock
in the morning. David and Polly were both
wounded. The robbers ascertained that .^800
were in a chest, and secured the money. The event
produced great excitement for miles around, and a
reward of S.500 was offered by David (iould for
the driection of the robbers, and to this tiie gov- I
crnor of the state added §500 more. A man by
j
|
Rhode Island, and committed for trial, but just
before tte time appointed for it to take place he
hung himself, thereby confirming the belief in his
guilt, though he made no confession. Several
others were arrested, but sufficient evidence against
them was not obtained to warrant their detention.
The annual town-meeting for the election of
officers was held at the school-house, Moiulay,
JIarch 6, 1826, wanting but one day to complete
a hundred years from the time of the first annual
meeting, that having occurred Monday, March 7,
1726, at 8 o'clock a. m. The following is a summary
of the town expenses for the year commenc-
ing March 7, 1825, as reported by the board of
selectmen.
Total expense of the poor ? G2S.05
Money raised tor a man school 150.00
Expended for a woman school 100.00
^lilitia, gunpowder, making cartridges, paper, etc. 7.25
Town clerk
Coilectoi-'s premium
Selectmen's account
Overseers of the poor
Assessor's services
Printing expenses
Making out accounts
Miscellaneous expenses
Debt ot the town
'
the name of Daniels was arrested at Niwjiort, society he had enjoyed seasons of prosiierity and
Offic.
1.21
40.00
17.70
12. SO
2C.23
5.00
8.G0
530.80
501.90
John H. WRionT, \
David (iERRV, > Selectmen.
Alpua lllCn.iRDSON, )
At this meeting it was voted to raise one hun-
dred dollars to defray the expense of building a
new school-house near where the old meeting-
house stood. The building was to be two stories
in height, — a school-room being finished in the
lower story, and a hall above for the transaction
of town business, and for holding public meetings.
It was removed to the site where it now stands,
at the corner of Central and Pleasant streets, in
18;5;5.
In the year 1^25 the number of dwelling-houses
was seventy ; ninnher of barns, sixty-three; mills,
shops, and ullicr buildings, about seventy-five.
The total valuation fur the financial year ending
March, 1826, was |157,251.5II ; (..lal amount of
polls, one hundred and sixty-six. Of this number
nearly one half must have been engaged in shoemaking
or other matmfacturing business.
The ministry of Rev. ilr. Stevens terminated in
1827, ho being dismissed November II of that
year. During the time of his coiniection \\\\\\ the