HISTORY AND DIRECTORY -Oi^ ffRENTHAM and NOKFOLK, MASS. FOR- ISQO, Containing a Complete Resident, Street and Business Directory, Town Officers, Schools, Societies Churches, Post Offices, Etc., Etc. HISTORY er The TevNS. FROM THE FIRST SETTLEMENT TO THE PRESENT TIME, BY SAMUEL. WARNER. Compiled and Published by A. E. FOSS 6- CO., Needham. BOSTON PRESS OF BROWN BROS., 43, LINCOLN STREET. I S90. ADVEKTFSEMENTS. LHKE PEHRIj. One of the most beaiitirul inlaiul summer resorts in New liuglaiidj situated about midway between IJoston and Providence on the new branch of the Old Colony Railroad. Spacious grove, charming lake, exquisite scenery, natural amphitheatre, hall, restaurant, bicycle track, good stable, steam launch, ample accomodations. OPEN DAILY TH€ YGHR ROUND. ^-LIBERAL TERMS MADE TO SOCIETIES. -#- Lake Pearl Bakery, ( Permanently Situated on the Grounds, ) turns out First-Class Goods at the very Lowest Prices. K>0:r)cy ^peecd, fe^ai^e c-sfpj, rakeps c. THE TEAM RUNS TO THE SURROUNDING TOWNS AND VILLAGES. Baked Beans and Brown Bread. W M. L. ENEG REN, JR., - PROPR IETOR. Jja.S. J%.. C3rXJIlL.i>7 -DEALER, IlSr- CHOICE GROCERIES, TEAS, COFREES AND SPICES A SPECIALTY. BOOTS, SHOES MD RUBBERS. All Goods kept iu a First-Class Country Store. Orders taken and (iootls Promptly Delivered. - E. B. Guild, Salesman. * In AVrentham TImrsday and F'riday of each week. oiT-Y" INFILLS, - - :m:j^ss. ADVERTISEMENTS. ERNEST C. MORSE, periodicals, stationery, Confectionery, Cigars and Tobacco, TeiLiKin QseDS. sejsits' PURfiigHiNSS. All kiiiicis of Temperance Drinks. Correspondent and Agent for the Wrentham Sentinel. J. G. BARDEN. E. M. BLAKE. J T. JOYCE Iardem, Ilake 4 io., M-VNITACTI REKS OF Fine Gold (sIewelbi^y. IMITATION OF DIAMOND GOODS A SPECIALTY. FIRST-CLASS DINING ROOMS, MEALS AT ALL HOURS. OYSTERS IN THEIR SEASON. VVH- E; I3E5.A.nvrE!,iV NO. 23 ELM STREET, NORTH ATTLEBORO, - - MASS. ADVERTISEMENTS. H. E. THOMPSON -DEALER IN- GROCERIES, FLOUR, GRAIN, ' BALE HAY, STRAW, &c. Drv Goods, Boots and Shoes, Crockery, Patent Medi- cine, Hardware, Farming Toois, Cutlery, Stationery, Small Wares, (SiC, (Stc, Patronage Solicited. Satisfaction Guaranteed. PROMPT DELIVERY. SOUTH STREET, - PLAINVILLE MASS. ^cTm. VVHEELER7 DEALER IN Fresh and Salt Beef, Pork, Lafd, Hams, Butter, Eggs, FRUITS, VEGETABLI^S' AND PROVISIONS, CANNED GOODS A SPECIALTY. Orders Promptly A-tteiided. to. COWELL'S BLOCK, SOUTH ST., WRENTHAM, MASS. > CONTENTS. Wrentliam. Norfolk. ^ Abbreviations used, - _ _ _ 103 136 Business Directory, - - - - 123 144 Churches, ---___ 95 133 History, - - -. _ . _ 9 ^ 130 Index to Advertisers, - - - - 143 Library, - 134 Post Office, - - - - _ _ 93 135 Resident Directory, - _ _ _ 103 136 Schools and Teachers, - - - - 95 133 Societies, Fraternal and Social,. _ _ 98 134 Street Directory, - - - _ 91 132 Town Officers, - - _ _ _ 94 135 Wrentham Book Clul), - - - 93 JOHN LEFFLER, ""^JyC I ,* Bouquets, Rustic Baskets, Yases, Floral Designs arid Ferrieries tastefully., arrarlged. Flo-wers supplied for Weddings, Parties -and Funerals, ' IMP^RT^ER HND DEHLEI^ IN BabBeaS. • R@@iFS * HND PMNTS ©P EVERY DESC1^IPTI@N. SOUTH STREET, . - PLAINVILLE. MASS. ADVERTISEMENTS. G-EO. B. nyHETCA-LB", -DEALER IN- FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. Ocean Lake ami River Fish, Oysters, Lobsters and Clams in their season. Will average as large a variety and as good stock as ever carried through the town Demand will regnhite supply. Tuesday cart runs on South Street, Wednesday on Franklin, East Dedham, Emerald, Winter and Norfolk Streets. Thursday on South and Taunton Streets. Friday on East, Dedham, Winter, Emerald and Franklin Streets. MARKET, FRANKLIN ST., C. M. ALDRICH, HARNESSMAKER & CARRIAGE TRIMMER. Having soouied the services of a good workman, is prepared to lill all orders Avitli neatness and de.spatch. REPAIRING PROMPTLY ATTENDED TO. South. Street, "Wrentliaxn, Mass. F. P. REDDING, GROCERIES and' PROVISIONS, FLOUR AND GRAIN, CROCKERY, GLASSWARE, CANNED GOODS, ETC. BOOTS, SHOES AND RUBBERS. Men's Furnishing Good.*. Harnesses, JJobes, Blankets, Whips and other Horse Fittings, Farming Tools and Hardware of all kinds. South Street - - - - Wrentham, Mass. HISTORICAL SKETCH OF WRENTHAM. , BY SAMUEL WARNER.* At a General Court holden at Newe Towne, Sept. 2, 1635. it was ordered " that there shall be a plantation settled about two miles above the Falls of Charles River on the northeast side thereof, to have ground lying to it on both sides of the river, both upland and meadow to be laid out hereafter as the Court shall appoint." On the 8th of September, 1636, the General Court ordered that the planta- tion to be settled above the Falls of Charles River shall have three years immunity from public charges, as Concord had, to be accounted from the first of May next, and the name of said plantation to be Deddham ; to enjoy all that land on the southerly and easterly side of Charles River not formerly granted to any town or particular persons, and also to have five miles square on the other side of the river. This was the original grant, as appears in the first volume of the Records of Massachussetts, of that tract of land which includes the present townships of Dedham, Medfield, Wrentham, Needham, Belling- ham, a part of Sherborne, a part of Natick, Franklin, Medway (which was attached to Medfield until 1781), Walpole, a part of Foxborough, Norfolk and Norwood. In about the year 1647 the Records of Dedham say that John Dwight and Francis Chickering gave notice of hopes of a mine near certain ponds, thirteen miles from town. It is supposed that the ponds here meant were at Wollomonuppoag, the Indian name of the plantation afterwards made a town by the name of Wrentham. It is probable that at the date of this grant of the General Court the inhabitants of Dedham had little knowledge of this part of their township. But it must have been somewhat explored * Note.—This account is taken from the history of Norfolk County published by J. W. Lewis & Co., Philadelphia, 1884, with the consent of the writer. : lO HlsroRV OF WRENTHAM. before the year 1649, as we learn that in that year on account of the scarcity of grass in Dedham the inhabitants went to Wollomonuppoag to cut grass from the meadows there. But the earliest movement regarding the occupation of Wollomonuppoag of which any record is found was made in the year 1660. It is as follows " Dedham 22, 4. 1660, at a meeting of the Selectmen there Lieut. Fisher, Serg't. Fuller, Richard Wheeler, Ensign Fisher are deputed to view the lands, both upland and meadow, near about the ponds by George Indians wigwam, and make report of what they find to the Selectmen in the first opportunity they can take." This was in obedience to the desire of the inhabitants expressed " formerly in a lecture day." The Selectmen reported on the 31st of loth month (DecV.), 1660, that they had deputed men to search and view the place, whose returns en- couraged them " to depute two men to endeavor to compound with such Indians as have a true right there," and they approved of the establishing it that it a plantation there in this careful language, viz. : "to us seems might be helpful to conduce to public and particular good that the place might be planted with meet inhabitants in due time." They also sug- gested that the present care thereof be left to a committee to explore the place further, and to consider what measures are proper in the premises, and " propose them to the town in some public meeting to be considered and resolved as the case may require." At a town meeting in the following month a committee was chosen " in respect of Wollomonuppoag." On the 27, I, 1661 (March), at a general town meeting, the question being put whether there should be a plantation erected or set up at the place called Wollomonuppoag, it was answered by a vote in the aflSrma- tive. The question being further put, whether the town would lay down six hundred acres of land at the place before named for the encouragement of the plantation, it was answered by a vote in the afiirmative. This vote, however, was not unanimous. Thirteen voters dissented, and their names were entered upon the record. A committee was appointed also at this meeting " to settle and deter- mine such things as shall be mentioned needful for the plantation before named. First, they shall determine when men present themselves for en- tertainment there who are meet to be accepted. Second, they shall propor- tion to each man his part in the six hundred acres. Third, they shall order the settling of the plantation in reference to situation, highways, convenient place for a meeting-house, a lot or lots for church officers, with such other things necessary as may hereafter be proposed." In case the committee should reject ai)p]icants the right of appeal to the town was reserved to them. It will be noticed that in this legislation in the Dedham town meeting it was especially provided that the Indian title to the lands at the place intended for the new plantation should be extinguished by purchase. As early as 1629 the Governor of the New England Company advised the Governor and Council for London's Plantation in the Massachusetts Bay that " if any of the savages pretend rights of inheritance to all or any part HISTORY OK WRF.NTHAM. of the lands granted in our patent, we pray you endeavor to purchase their title that we may avoid the least scruple of intrusion." And in a second communication similar advice was repeated. In the year 1652 the General Court solemnly resolved that what lands any of the Indians within this jurisdiction have by possession or improvement by subduing of the same they have just right thereunto according to that in Genesis i and 28, and chapt.