History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

536 HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
ing-room, a spncious apartment 22 X 60 feet, and
finished in a rich and tasteful manner. Adjoining
this is tlie art-gallery, or picture-room, which is
entered immediately from the vestibule. The east-
erly portion of the building is octagonal in form,
with a conical roof. It is intended for a museum,
or depository of specimens in natural history, and
other objects of local or historic interest. The
building was opened to the public May 1. On the
shelves of the alcoves and in the reading-room are
placed and classified nearly 17,000 volumes; a
portion of these were bought from the "Wiim fund.
On tlie walls of the picture-gallery are hung fifty-
five oil-paintings of varying size and quality (which
Mere also the gift of Mr. Winn), but all of them at-
tractive in subject and of more than average merit.
Division ofilic Town. — The original territory of
Woburn, as has before been stated, comprised not
oidy its present limits, but the towns of Burlington
ence the population was largely centred about the
meeting-house, which was located on the blutf or
hill east of the present Common, or public square.
In 1700 the number of persons taxed by the prov-
ince was 187, but in 1725 the number had in-
creased to 305, showing a gain of more than one
third in twenty-five years. This increase was quite
largely in the northerly direction, and new centres
were formed, which received the names of Shawshine
and Goshen. The latter place had become
of so much importance, and its distance from the
centre so inconvenient for many purposes, that in
1721 the town was petitioned either to remove
the meeting-house fartiier to the north or allow that
section to be set off as a new town. The petition
was decidedly refused. But the people of Goshen
were in earnest, and one or two rebuffs could not
silence them. They continued tiieir petitions for
several years before their end was attained. Tlie
repeated denials of the town led them to seek a
separation by authority of the General Court. The
prayer of the first petition was to be made into a
precinct only. This was rejected by the court in
1729. It was renewed, however, shortly after,
with the request tliat Goshen be made into a sej)a-
ratc town. Tlie burden of the petition was "the
diflicullics tlu'v arc under by reason of their re-
moteness I'niiu the ])]ace of public Morshi])."
While tlic niurl was considering the jii'tition in
behalf of G,, shell, the people of .Shawshin.' wre
making similar cllorls to scriire a si'paralion or be
made into a legal precinct. At the first hearing
the petition of Shawshine was joined to that of
Goshen. A court committee was appointed to meet
the agents of the town, which took place in the
summer of 1730. The committee reported in
favor of granting the petitions of both Goshen and
Shawshine; the first to be created into an independent
township by the name of Wilmington, and
the latter to be made a precinct, or second parish.
In thus dividing the town the court's commit-
tee say " they are of opinion that the charge
of supporting a minister in the First Parish at
Woburn will still be a very easy matter to the
inhabitants of that parish." The truth is, how-
ever, that this extended clipping of the town was a
great disadvantage to its prosperity for many years.
The number of taxable persons was reduced from
three hundred and twelve to one hundred and
eighty-seven. Such a reduction of taxable force
and Wuichester, and a large portion of Wilmington. could not fail to make the support of preaching
During the first fifty or sixty years of its exist- in the old parish a severe burden. The ministers
were settled for life, their salaries fixed on a scale
commensurate with the taxable resources of the
parish, and there was no escape from the respon-
sibility of the situation. Increased taxation for
the remaining members was the only alternative.
Rev. Mr. Fox was now declining in health. As-
sistant preachers had been employed to relicNe
him; but, his infirmities increasing, it was consid-
ered necessary to supply him with a pennanent
colleague. The candidate for the position was Mr.
Edward Jackson, of Newton, a graduate of Harvard
College in 1719. He preached for some
time on probation, and was ordained as colleague
August 1, 1729. But Mr. Fox was never recon-
ciled to the choice. Mr. Jackson was to receive
£250 settlement and £120 salary per year in bills
of credit, " as the money now is." The ordina-
tion was accompanied with a most sumptuous en-
tertainment, of which the principal report left is a
bill of Jonathan Poole for supplying it. Of what
neighboring ministers or others the council and
officiating ministers consisted no record is ])re-
served ; but that the visiting pastors and their
retinue were numerous, and that the citizens of
the town very generally partook of the ordi-
nation repast, may be fairly inferred when it is
stated that said Poole provided for four hundred
aiul thirty-three dinners and one hundred and
scvi-iily-eigiit breakfasts and suppers, which, with
liorse-keeping, eider, wine, brandy, rum, sugar,
and pipes, amounted to £S3 9.v. (w/. I'mui lliis