History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

430 HISTOBY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
their church and organization. A new society was
organized in 1865 under the name of the Uni-
versalist Society of Waltham. Services were held
in Rumford Hall (where they have ever since been
continued). Rev. Benton Smith being pastor. In
1870 Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford succeeded Mr.
Smith, resigning in 1871, and was succeeded in
turn by Rev. M. R. Leonard, the present pastor.
Next in order of orgaiiization was the society
called the First Parish. The old meeting-house of
the original First Parish not proving central enough
to please the people of the growing town, Mr. Ripley
having developed opposition to himself among
a few energetic ones of his society, and the Second
Religious Society having split, measures were taken
to erect a new building. This was built on the
site of the present Unitarian Church, and was dedi-
cated February 6, 1839. The society was formed
under the title of the Independent Congregational
Society, and was composed largely of the three
classes just cited. The membership of the elder
church dwindled to a mere handful, the new society
proving the more attractive, and in 1841 the old
First Parish, sacred by a century and a half of usefulness,
ceased to exist. Rev. George F. Simmons
had been formally installed as pastor in October,
1811. Mr. Ripley was invited, on the dissolution
of his own society, to become an associate, with the
understanding that he was to have no salary and
no parocliial duties, and tiie society took to itself
the old name. In ISIS Mr. Simmons resigned,
and in ISlo Rev. Dr. Thomas Hill was ordained;
in April, 1840, Mr. Ripley, removing from town,
resigned his pastorate; Mr. Hill continued as pas-
tor until 1S(J0, when he was succeeded by Rev.
.Jiiines ('. Parsons; in 18G.5 Rev. S. B. Flagg be-
came pastor; in 1869, Rev. Clay McCauley ; in
1873, Rev. Edward C. Guild, the present pastor.
Tlic old building was thoroughly rcpiiired and re-
modelled in lS(i7.
'I'he Kpiscniml Sncicty was „r-ani/c,l, under Rev.
A. C. Patterson, in JSIS, services being held for
about a year in Rmnford Hall. Tn the Mi(;ni lime
the present church was erected, and iicv. Thomas
F. Fales called to the rectorship, entering upon
those duties in November, IS 11). He still con-
tinues pastor, after nearly thirty years of conliinujus
service. The building lias been enlarged once and
a vestry added.
The Ba])lisl Society was organized N()V( inber t,
in August, 1853. During the early part of his
pastorate the present meeting-house was erected,
and on the 14th of February, 1856, was dedicated.
Mr. Bickford remained as pastor until June, 1863,
and was succeeded by Rev. E. B. Eddy, Rev. A.
M. Bacon, and Rev. W. H. Shedd, each of them
remaining two or three years. In January, 1872,
Rev. AV. C. Barrows became pastor, and he was
succeeded in 1875 by Rev. F. D. Bland, D. D.,
who resigned in 1879. The church is at present
without a settled pastor.
It would not be possible to give in any detail
the history of "Waltham and Waltham's sons and
daughters during the late War of the Rebellion
without exceeding the limits to which this sketch
has been restricted. It is therefore oidy practica-
ble to give a slight outline. "When the booming of
the first gun in Charleston linrbor in 1861 roused
the loyal North, Waltham was among the foremost
to rally to the call to arms. A citizens' meeting
was held and resolutions jwssed demanding imme-
diate action by the town in its corporate capacity.
On the 26th of A])ril a town-meeting was held at
which it was voted to furnish each soldier with a
uniform, to pay him S 10 per month for five months'
service, and to provide for the support of his family
during his absence. For this ])ur|iose the sum of
$6,000 was ii])pr(ii)riated. A resolution M-as al^o
passed authorizing tlie town-treasurer to disregard
any trustee process which might be instituted to
divert any of this money from the purpose for which
it was intended. The stirring sounds of the fife
and drum were heard, and our streets and Common
were the scenes of frequent military parades
and mana'uvres. In July the town appropriated
$5,000 to pay state aid to the families of volun-
teers, in accordance with the law. This sum prov-
ing iiisuliici.iil, nn nddilioiud grant of $2,000 was
made in Janumy, 1S(;:2. In July, 1862, the selectmen
were authorized to pay a bounty of $100 to
each volunteer for three years who was credited to
the town, and in August this bounty was extended
to the nine-months men. In August, 1863, it
was voted to pay state aid to the families of those
men who might be, or had been drafted into the
service. In July, 1SG4, the bounty to three-years
men was increased to ^l-lh. The total numi)er of
men iT(|iiired from the town during liie war was
t;;);', ; the total number scnl «as 7(10; ;in,l in rank
]
1 they
ranged from the dnimmer-boy to the major-
IH.5'2, holding its earlier services in Rmnrord Ibdi. gcneial, there being twenty commissioned oflieers.
' The first pastor was Rev. M. L. Bickford, ordained or the entire number sent less than a dozen were