History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

passed through varied scenes of sorrow and ad-
versity. During his ministry lie solemnized one
hundred and seventy-five marriages. He also
kept a record of two hundred and fifty-seven
deaths. His successor, Kev. Josepii Searle, was
installed May 1, 18^8. This year a subscription
paper was circulated, and fifty-seven dollars col-
lected by K«v. Mr. Searle for the purpose of put-
ting stoves in the meeting-house. During his stay
in the place he specially interested himself in be-
half of the scJiools. He was dismissed Jumiary -l,
18:J:J. Kev. Jonas Colburu was settled August 1,
of tiie same year. During the time of his ministry
lie was at each annual Marcii meeting elected a
member of tlie board of school committee. He
was dismissed February 27, IB.;}?.
uneven. It has some good soil and a considerable
quantity of woodland. The population, in 1837,
was 2-61. During the year ending April 1, 1837,
there were made in this town 380,100 pairs of
siioes, valued at §181,717, employing more than
half its inhabitants. Spot Pond, a beautiful sheet
of soft and jinre water, lies in this town, eight miles
north from Boston. It covers an area of '283 acres,
and is 1-13 feet above high-water mark. Tiiere is
also said to be a fall of 100 feet in the distance of
about 100 rods from the pond. A short distance
northerly from Spot Pond is another one of small
size, situated on the easterly side of Pond Street,
and kuown as Doleful Pond. The -water is said
to be of great depth and in a constantly unsettled
condition, which may account for the name. Eefer-
ence should also be made to a marble-pit situated
at the southwesterly part of the town, upon land
formerly belonging to Joseph Kurd, at tJie pres-
ent time owned by Colonel Lyman Dike. Tiie
lime used in building the first meeting-house is
said to have been taken from that place. The former
jiractice of removing the marble to make lime
was that of making a fire in the pit, thereby ren-
dering it more susceptible of impression from the
tools made use of for removing the same. Two
pits are open at the present time ; small quantities
of the marble have, at different times, been taken
out; specimens of which, when worked, have proved
it to be of an excellent (piality. But as it lies far
below the surface of the ground, it is su))posed
that the expense of getting it out would outweigh
its value when ready for use."
The meeting-house erected in 1803 wasdestroved
STONEHAM. 347
by fire, Sunday, January 5, 1840. The fire was
discovered between the ceiling of the porch and
the singers' gallery, soon after the commencement
of the morning service. Religious services were
held in the afternoon at the town-hall, and were
continued at tiie same place during succeeding
Sabbaths until October. The Congregational jMeeting-house
now standing on the east side of Main
Street was erected and dedicated October 22.
The Universalist meeting-house (at present the
Eoman Catholic Church, standing on the north
side of PomewortJi Street) was also built in 1840,
on the lot of land now occupied by the Christian
Union Church, and was dedicated August 20.
This year a newspaper was published in town,
bearing the significant name of The Stoneham
The following description was given of tiie town Regulator. The jiopulatiou of the town, according
for the year 1837 " : This is a small town, rocky and to the census of 1840, was 1,017. Up to this
time the number of shoe-manufacturers, as Avell as
of shoemakers, had been steadily increasing, and
consequently an increasing amount of capital was
invested.
The Rev. John Haven was settled as pastor of
the Congregational Church, February 24, 1841 ;
and dismissed October 4, 1849. In 1841 a lot
of land was purchased by the town, and laid out
into two hundred and seventy-one burial lots, sit-
uated on the northeasterly side of William Street,
and was publicly consecrated May 15, of that year.
It is now known as the William Street Cemetery.
In 1847 it was voted that all school-district boundaries
slionld be annulled, and a committee was
chosen to enlarge and make all necessary repairs
on the school-houses, and build new ones where
needed. Also to erect a building near the town-
house with basement rooms, the second story to be
finished for a town-hall and tJie lower story for
school-rooms, this being the present town-house,
which was first erected a short distance north from
where it now stands, but was removed at the time
of the erection of the high-school building.
In 1851, by vote of the town, at a meeting held
January 20, five school-houses were erected.
The Stoneham Methodist Episcopal Church was
organized in April, 1856, and at the present time
has two hundred and fourteen members. It is
under the pastorate of Rev. Charles W. Wilder.
April 5, 1856, a section of the northeasterly
part of the town, containing about one hundred
and ninety acres, was annexed to South Read-
ing.
At a meeting held Mav 7, 1859, the town voted