History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

in all towu affairs. Dr. Chapin was born in Spring-
field, Massachusetts, in February, 1805, and grad-
uated at Amherst. He was mission phj'sician to
the Sandwich Islands from 1834 to 18:37. Ee-
turning to America, he continued in the practice
of his profession, and settled in this towu in 1850.
It was while upon the school board, in Decem-
ber, 1876, at the age of nearly seventy-two years,
that he was suddenly stricken down, and called
from the work he so much enjoyed, and in which
he had so many cheering words for teachers and
children and for his co-workers, to another and
better sphere of usefulness. He devoted to the
interests of the schools all the knowledge and ex-
perience of his ripened years, and the memory of
his good words and works will long linger in the
history of the town.
Public Library.-— -The Winchester Library xis-
sociation was organized March 20, 1848. It was
formed with a view " to increase the general moral-
ity, intelligence, and happiness," by the establishment
of a public library. It was first located in
the store of Dr. Youngman, and supported by the
voluntary contributions of its members. The As-
sociation voted, February 19, 1859, to offer the
library, containing one thousand volumes, to the
town, as the nucleus of a public town library,
upon certain conditions. At the annual town-
meeting, March 28, 1859, the town voted to
accept the ofi'er on the conditions specified.
The Winchester Agricultural Library Associa-
tion was formed March 26, 1857, "for the pur-
pose of procuring and maintaining a library of
agricultural papers and such other works as may
tend to the improvement of agriculture." No
meeting of the association was held after April 9,
1857, and nearly all the shareholders signed a
paper relinquishing their right to the library, and
presenting the same to the town to be incorporated
into the public town library. A board of trustees
was chosen in March, 1859, consi'sting of three
gentlemen, who at once caused the books to be
examined, arranged in proper order, catalogued,
and under proper restrictions thrown open to
the use of the residents of the town. An appro-
priation of two hundred dollars was made for its
expenses the first year. At the end of the first
year it appeared there were 396 borrowers, who
had taken out 4,400 books. Since then the town
has from year to year made liberal appropriations
for the expense of carrying on the library and for
WINCHESTER. 519
February 28, 1880, there were 1,029 borrowers
and 21,445 books taken out. The library now
numbers 4,532 volumes, and is located in the second
story of the brick building on Main Street,
near the Centre, owned by Richardson and Tyler.
The amount expended upon the library since its
establishment in 1859 is ^ 10,469.24.
The following named citizens of the town have
served as senators in the state senate from the dis-
trict of which this town was a part : Frederick 0.
Prince in the year 1854; Oliver R. Clark in 1861
and 1864 ; Abraham B. Coffin, in 1877 and 1878 ;
and as representatives to the General Court, Fred-
erick 0. Prince in the years 1851, 1852; Zachariah
Richardson, 1853; Joseph Stone, 1854;
Cephas Church, 1855; Aaron D. Weld, 1856;
Alvin Taylor, 1857.
In 1857 a change was made in the basis of
representation, and this town was joined with
Arlington as a representative district. Since then
the district has been represented as follows
Moses Proctor of West Cambridge in 1858; Oli-
ver R. Clark of Winchester in 1859; Joseph
Burrage of West Cambridge in 1860; Charles
Heywood of Winchester in 1861 ; Albert Wiini
of West Cambridge in 1862 ; Frederick 0. Prince
of Winchester in 1863; Samuel Butterfield of
West Cambridge in 1864; Charles Goddard of
Winchester in 1865; Joseph S. Potter of Arlington
in 1866, 1867, 1868 ; Salem Wilder of Win-
chester in 1869; Jesse Bacon of Arlington in
1870; Samuel W. Twombly of Winchester in
1871 ; David N. Skillings of Winchester in 1872
J. W. Pierce of Arlhigton in 1873; John T.
Manny of Winchester in 1874; A. B. Coffin of
Winchester in 1875 ; S. D. Hicks of Arlington
in 1876 ; William H. Kinsman of Winchester in
1877; William G. Peck of Arlington in 1878 and
1880; Josiah F. Stone of Winchester in 1879.
Religious. — After frequent meetings between
March, 1839, and May, 1840, and much discus-
sion, a general meeting of prominent citizens resid-
ing in what was then South Woburn was held
May 12, 1840, at which it was decided to organ-
ize the South Woburn Congregational Society.
June 1, 1840, a society bearing this name was
organized under due form of law, and a building
committee consisthig of Benjamin F. Thompson,
Harrison Parker, Stephen Swan, Henry Cutter,
Marshall Wyman, Nathan B. Johnson, and Sumner
Richardson were cliosen to purchase a site, and
the purchase of new books. For the year ending erect a house of worship. The site selected was the
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