Moyle’s QuarryWhile it’s technically in the town of Sharon, it is also within the bounds of Borderland State Park, so worthy of a newsletter. Moyle’s Quarry is a historic landmark and the source of granite for the façade of the Canton viaduct (1835) that was built for the Boston and Providence railway. The viaduct is still in use today, providing high-speed passenger and freight service.  Canton Viaduct. It was one of those warm and dry days of perfect fall weather when I walked to the quarry. I entered the woods and the Park at the place where Northwest Trail meets Massapoag Ave. It is possible to park by the side of the road. This area is a relatively remote part of Borderland, so I was surprised to see several hikers and bikers on my walk. Probably due to the lovely weather and the fact that it was a Sunday. For the most part the woods were calm and silent, although occasionally a falling nut or darting chipmunk startled me. I took the Ridge Trail off the Northwest Trail and then followed the Quarry Loop Trail. Soon I saw the old quarry off to my left and it was clearly marked.   You can look down into the quarry from a flat green area beside the trail and walk part way around the largest cut in the earth. As you walk along the loop trail you can see scattered remains of cut or partially cut granite blocks.
According to the Sharon Historical Society the stonecutters were mostly Scottish and the other workmen Irish. Horses and oxen hauled the stone from the quarry to Massapoag Ave. and then to the railroad station near Sharon Heights. From there railroad cars took the stone to the Canton site. Stone from the quarry was also used to build some homes in Sharon. There are a few different ways to access the quarry; I entered from Massapoag but you access the trails from Mountain Road or the Visitor Center. The Borderland trail map was very helpful. If you go, I hope you enjoy the walk! Anne Wooster Drury [email protected] More Information/Links: Bi-Weekly NewsletterAmes Plantation, TennesseeThe Ames Plantation is in Grand Junction, Tennessee. Hobart C. Ames, then principal owner of the Ames Shovel and Tool Company, purchased the already standing property in 1901. Clark Moorman had acquired the property in 1824, and his widow Easther Alexander Moorman initially built a large log home on the site. The original portion of what is now known as the Ames Manor House was finished in 1847 and constructed by her son-in-law John Walker Jones.  Ames Manor. Hobart Ames enlarged and updated the original home. The Plantation became connected to the National Field Trial Championships when the event was held near Grand Junction in 1900. Ames became interested in the event and went on to serve as president of the Association for 45 years, annually hosting the bird dog championship. He held strong views on what qualities a top bird dog should have. Typically, the Hobart Ames family would spend about four months a year at the Plantation. Arriving in a private railway car, they were met by Plantation servants and driven to the Big House in a six-passenger surrey. Additionally, the plantation was known for its purebred Angus herd. Ames Plantation Beau won Grand Champion at the 1917 International Livestock Expedition in Chicago. Cotton was also grown on the Plantation. Today corn, wheat, soy, sorghum, and cotton are grown as the Plantation continues to be a working farm.  The Angus herd  Stable for the Angus Cattle, Hobart Ames’s pride & joy.
It was at Ames Plantation that Mr. Hobart Ames died in 1945. Prior to her death in 1950, Mrs. Julia Ames took action to ensure that the National Bird Dog Competition would continue to occur on the property and arranged with the University of Tennessee for the 18,600 acres to be operated by the Hobart Ames Foundation for the benefit of the University. “Thus, Ames Plantation became the largest land resource research facility in the state and is unique in that almost all the operational capital improvement funds are generated by the Foundation without expense to the taxpayers of the State of Tennessee.” (Ames Plantation brochure.) Anne Wooster Drury [email protected] Sources Ames Plantation, https://www.amesplantation.org/the-plantation Brochure, Ames Plantation Ames Monument Many Easton residents are aware that Oakes and Oliver Ames are owed great credit for connecting the US by rail. The First Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869. There is a pyramid not far from Laramie, Wyoming, called the Ames Pyramid, dedicated to Oakes and Oliver as they provided essential financial support for the project. Oliver served as president of the Union Pacific Railroad from 1866 to 1871, and Oakes largely controlled the construction. The monument marked the (original) highest point on the railroad line (8,247 feet); the tracks were later moved south of that location.  Ames Monument, seen from Hermosa Road, Albany County, Wyoming, September 2011. Wikipedia. In July of 2017 the Ames Monument became a National Historic Landmark. Designed by H.H. Richardson, the monument is a four-sided pyramid of local granite. Inside the pyramid is a passageway that is now sealed. On the pyramid are 2 bas-relief medallions showing Oakes & Oliver Ames. These were completed by August Saint-Gaudens, a well-known sculptor who was also responsible for the bas-relief of Oliver Ames in the reading room at Ames Free Library.  Ames Monument, Sherman WY. Cowboy State Daily. The pyramid is in the town of Sherman, Wyoming. Unfortunately, the town became a ghost town when the Union Pacific moved the original tracks south as the grade was better. After thriving for a relatively short time, Sherman ceased to exist. Today the Ames monument is pretty much in the middle of nowhere!  Sherman, Wyoming, about 1870 Correction to the last Biweekly: Dr. Moody had the 1907 Morse car until he died, and then it was sold. In 1991 the Morse car went to collector/dealer Charles LeMaitre of western Massachusetts. LeMaitre traded the 1907 car to Fred Hoch of NJ where it still resides. Sources/Links:
Anne Wooster Drury [email protected] Don't forget to renew your membership if you have not done so already or join if not currently a member. If you're not sure of your membership status call or email the Easton Historical Society and Museum and we will give an update. Early Massachusetts License Plates Thank you to EHS member Paul Berry for his research on this topic. “In 1893, the first running, petrol-driven American car was built and road-tested by the Duryea brothers of Springfield, Massachusetts.” (Wikipedia)  This is a photo of a car belonging to William H. Ames. It is a 1908 Pierce Arrow enclosed car. Mr. Ames’ chauffeur was Philip Riley. In the beginning, early cars drove about as they pleased, often exceeding the 15 mile per hour speed limit, and angering many. There was no accountability or ability to identify offenders. In 1903 Major Henry Lee Higginson, a very influential citizen, with homes in both Boston and Manchester, asked the Massachusetts legislature to license automobiles and his proposal was approved. Massachusetts was the first state to register cars and issue license plates. In 1903 three thousand two hundred and forty-one (3,241) cars were registered in Massachusetts, 97% of which belonged to the upper and middle classes. These first plates were porcelain, and “Mass Automobile Register” was written across the top. In 1906 twenty-four automobiles were registered in Easton, thirteen of those belonging to members of the Ames family. The following makes of cars were represented: Peerless, Buffum, Steamobile, Mercedes, Duryea, Morse, Gilmore, Mobile, Stanley, Oldsmobile, Ford, Daimler, Hotchkiss, Leon Bollee, Stearns, and Pierce Arrow The motorcar’s popularity only continued to grow and by 1907 about 24,000 plates had been issued in Massachusetts. By 1914 thirty-nine automobiles were registered to various members of the Ames family in Easton, many of whom owned more than one vehicle. Oakes Ames owned six, Oliver Ames, five, F Lothrop Ames, six, and Anna, Katherine, and Harriet Ames each owned three.  "Around 1910, Mrs. Anna C. Ames, wife of Governor Oliver Ames of 35 Oliver Street in North Easton, Massachusetts with her chauffeur." EHS The car shown below is a 1907 Morse car currently located at the “Breakers” in Newport, Rhode Island. The owner is Dr. Moody Sr. It is the first 4-cylinder automobile manufactured in Easton. A photo of this vehicle hangs in the Railroad Station; originally the car was dark green with red trim. At present it is painted white.  At the time of this writing, it was listed for sale at $250,000.
Anne Wooster Drury [email protected] Sources: Paul Berry, EHS member “James Michael Curley and the #5 License Plate”, by Kevin Burke, first appeared in Antique Automobile. Wikipedia Uncle Sam, Continued. Troy grew into a city and Sam Wilson’s business continued to flourish. When the United States declared war on England in June of 1812, Troy became a transfer center for troops joining the Army of the North. Sam Wilson was now the meat inspector of New York. Another New York merchant, Elbert Anderson Jr., had won a contract from the US Army to supply meat to the troops. He in turn purchased meat from Ebenezer and Sam Wilson. Sam, at this point, was locally known as “Uncle Sam.” Anderson’s containers of provisions were stamped “E.A.-U.S.” The U.S. stood for United States but at some point, was colloquially used to refer to Uncle Sam Wilson. Apparently, this connection spread far & wide with the troops. Betsey Mann Wilson, Sam’s wife, had some interesting connections of her own. Before she married Sam, she had a boyfriend named Johnny Chapman- who later became known as “Johnny Appleseed”. Francis Scott Key, author of the song “Star Spangled Banner” was a family friend of the Manns. Thomas Nast (1870’s) was one of the first cartoonists to popularize Uncle Sam as he appears today, although his appearance was not dissimilar to previous American symbols, Yankee Doodle and Brother Jonathan. Later, James Montgomery Flagg created the iconic WWI recruiting poster that was reissued during WWII. Harper's Weekly June 29, 1872 (Extract from cover)  Thomas Nast’s Uncle Sam, https://thomasnast.com/cartoons/uncle-sam/ Descendants of Sam Wilson, especially Jon Coe’s grandmother, worked hard to collect information that would support Sam Wilson being officially declared the ‘real’ Uncle Sam. It probably didn’t hurt that he was known in his own time as a kind and esteemed man. (See below.)  Testimony on Sam Wilson. Mrs. Robert Wood Coe (Ellen Thomas Jackson Coe), third from left, was instrumental in gathering documents that supported the resolution passed in 1961. Thanks to her, the Coe family of Easton has a famous relative!
Known local descendants of Uncle Sam Wilson: Jonathan Jackson Coe, Sarah Coe Anestam, Sofia Anestam, Bo Anestam, Frederick Allen Coe Jr., Blake Coe, Baker Coe, Quinn Coe, Donald Buckner Coe, Heidi Pierce, Dylan Pierce, Mathew Pierce, Deborah Coe Luke, Heather Luke, George Luke Jr. Kimberly Hedrick, Connor Hedrick, Caitlyn Hedrick, Anne Coe Judge, Michael Judge, Aiden Judge, Brennan Judge. Anne Wooster Drury [email protected] Sources: Uncle Sam, by Thomas I. Gerson & Flora M. Hood Primary sources provided by EHS Vice President, Jonathan Coe Revisiting Uncle Sam When I wrote a short article about Uncle Sam last month for the Summer Quarterly, I did not have the most important piece of information. Our Easton Historical Society Vice President, Jonathan Jackson Coe, is a descendant of Uncle Sam! Edward Wilson Jr. was Jon’s 4th great-grandfather and the brother of Sam Wilson, the Samuel Wilson (1766-1854) who has been officially recognized as the first “Uncle Sam” and the personification of the United States. In 1961 the United States Congress adopted the following resolution:: "Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives that the Congress salutes Uncle Sam Wilson of Troy, New York, as the progenitor of America's National symbol of Uncle Sam."  Sam Wilson The first Wilson in the New World arrived from Scotland fifteen years after the Pilgrims. He settled in Menotomy- current day Arlington, Massachusetts. His descendants were farmers who stayed in Menotomy, and by young Sam’s time the Wilson family was anti-British and very supportive of the revolutionary movement. As a boy Sam felt strongly about American liberty and according to the biography Uncle Sam, by Thomas I. Gerson & Flora M. Hood, at a young age Sam was a drummer for the Minutemen, and later he ran errands for the Sons of Liberty. He was eventually named an official messenger for the Committee of Safety in Boston and the Committee of Correspondence. In 1775 (Sam was 9) when 14 Redcoats approached Menotomy while on the road to Lexington, Sam was part of a group of older men and boys who fired on the soldiers. Sam killed a Redcoat and the fallen man’s commanding officer surrendered. This was prior to the well-known engagements at Lexington and Concord where 8 Minutemen were killed. During the Battle of Bunker Hill, Sam acted as a lookout from the roof of a building at Harvard College. While Sam’s 2 older brothers fought in the war, Sam continued to serve as a messenger. After the war the Wilson family moved to Mason, NH. Sam was 14. Later, President George Washington was to name Sam’s kinsman, James Wilson, one of the first four Associate Justices to the Supreme Court. In Mason, in 1781, Sam joined the Continental Army where one of his jobs was to slaughter, package, and guard meat. (Meat was often tampered with by enemies.) Later he and his brother Ebenezer left to make their fortune in Troy, NY, where by 1790 they were making bricks. Previously most brick had been imported from England and so was now in much demand. Their business prospered. They also started a meat packing business called E. and S. Wilson Company. Troy was a small but booming outpost and a good fit for a young entrepreneur. In 1797 Sam married Betsey Mann from Mason and they would go on to have four children. Sam Wilson had established himself well and it would be during the War of 1812 that events would conspire to create his patriotic legacy.  ……………......................... .....................to be continued.
Anne Wooster Drury [email protected] Don't forget to renew your membership if you have not done so already or join if not currently a member. If you're not sure of your membership status just contact the Easton Historical Society and Museum by email or phone and we will give an update. Beer Beer is a beverage many people enjoy. A hot summer day is a very good time to have a cold beer. Shovel Town Brewery at 50 Oliver Street is a lovely place to experiment with various brews. A particular favorite of mine is called Flyaway, engendering memories (for oldies) of a long ‘disappeared’ pond off Lincoln Street. To keep it all local, some of the hops used in Shovel Town beer are grown at nearby Langwater Farm and the building Shovel Town Brewery occupies was once part of the Ames Shovel Factory. Easton has a history of beer making going back to colonial times. Once hops grew in a field located approximately where the Southeastern Regional School sits on Foundry Street today. An 1871 map shows a “hop kiln” located there.  Hop kiln. Source: Easton Historical Society. Hops are the flower of a vining plant. They add flavor to beer, keep it fresher and help it retain its head of foam. Initially beer was imported from Europe, but early on out of necessity, Americans began brewing their own beer. Wheat, barley and hops were the best ingredients, though other foodstuffs like corn, molasses, spruce or boxberry were sometimes used. “Beer– Beer is a good family drink. A handful of hops, to a pailful of water, and a half-pint of molasses, makes good hop beer. Spruce mixed with hops is pleasanter than hops alone. Boxberry, fever-bush, sweet fern, and horseradish make a good and healthy diet-drink……If your family be large, and the beer will be drank rapidly, it may as well remain in the barrel; but if your family be small, fill what bottles you have with it; it keeps better bottled. A raw potato or two, cut up and thrown in, while the ingredients are boiling, is said to make beer spirited.” (The Frugal Housewife, 1835) Easton resident Captain George Washington Hayward, who lived in the Red House at 227 Foundry Street (across from the Southeastern Regional School), made hop growing the chief industry on his farm about the time of the Civil War. The picture above is of his kiln. So, beer-making has a documented history in Easton. If you wish, after pulling weeds in your garden or going for a run on a hot summer day, get yourself a cold beer and enjoy!  1871 map shows a “hop kiln” location  Hayward House at 227 Foundry Street (exact date unknown) Anne Wooster Drury [email protected] Links for more information: Hayward - Pool Neighborhood (published in 1993 by EHS&M) Request for Information The Society is looking for memories of Johanna McFadden, a longtime principal at the former North Easton Grammar School. Please send any reminiscences to my email or the Society's [email protected]. Thank you in advance. Easton’s Boundaries Before there were walls there were boundary markers, only sometimes made of something as permanent as stone. William L. Chaffin in his 1886 History of Easton mentions “a little piles of stones” being used to show an early boundary, and in 1713 when there was a boundary dispute over what should be the north line of the Taunton North-Purchase, the boundary was marked by a “heap of stones on a great rock”. Today Easton has 9 known boundary stones indicating its original borders with 8 towns. This is according to an 1899 survey book given to the Easton Historical Society in May of 2018 by a man called William Thomas. The towns are Stoughton, Sharon, Raynham, Brockton, West Bridgewater, Mansfield, Taunton, and Norton. Easton, whose very oldest distances and directions were sometimes described in increments of ‘paces’ taken, now has documented markers. Today the latitude and longitude of each marker is known. According to Joe Pelletier of the Enterprise News “The book, commissioned by the state’s topographical survey commission, was (in a word or two) exhaustively comprehensive.” The book also contains the history of land purchases and legislation that set the borders. The survey was done in 1899 with the technology of that time. The impetus for the survey was that Bay Road had not been well maintained by the Town of Easton and the state required that it be improved.  Book Cover Included in the book, called Boundary Lines of Easton, are 9 photographs showing the 9 markers, most of which are granite. Local historians thought these were out there but were not exactly sure where, although a few had inadvertently been stumbled upon. One of the markers is on Bay Road where Easton, Stoughton and Sharon meet. The letters S, E, and S have been carved onto the sides of the marker. It is not far from where Mountain Road meets Bay Road. Another is on private property, one is in the Hockomock Swamp, one is in an industrial park.  Photos of markers at the time of 1899 survey. Anne Wooster Drury
[email protected] Links for more information: "History of Easton" by William Chaffin (1975 reprint of the original 1886 addition for sale) Marking History: In Easton, a century-old gift reveals location of original town border markers (Enterprise News article) 1899 Atlas of the boundaries of the town of Easton, Bristol County (Source: Digital Commonwealth) A shout out about an upcoming local event: Local author Lisa Braxton will be at Ames Free Library on June 4th6:30-7:30 pm to talk about her recent memoir About Dancing Between the Raindrops. Lisa Braxton is also the author of The Talking Drum, winner of a 2021 Independent Book Awards Gold Medal and an Emmy-nominated former television journalist, essayist, and short story writer. Her new book is about her personal experience with caretaking and grief. Lisa’s parents died within two years of each other, both of cancer. She herself was diagnosed with breast cancer while caring for her mother. “In this intimate, lyrical memoir-in-essays, Lisa takes us to the core of her loss and extends a lifetime of comfort to anyone who needs to be reminded that in their grief they are not alone.” The event will be held in the 1st Floor Presentation Commons at Queset House.  Author Lisa Braxton. On Sunday, May 19, a very successful event was held at the Historical Society & Museum. Lori Pires presented “The History of Hats” to a large audience. Lori has been a collector of hats from a young age and has a sizable collection that she shared with us. Her lively and knowledgeable presentation was informative and entertaining. Lori walked us through the history of hats- work hats, fashionable hats, military hats, ball caps. Lori's daughter accompanied and assisted her. ECAT filmed the presentation if you are interested!  “History of Hats by Lorraine.” Presenter Lori Pires. President Ken Michel, always a good sport, introduced Lori.  Ken Michel.  Hats and a hat box. Personally I remember buying a new hat every Easter when I was young; Women and girls still wore hats to church in the 1960's. Enjoy the good weather while we have it and stay tuned for information about upcoming events. Purple iris rim the small pond Yellow iris in fat bud at the big pond Long ago D & K carved initials Into that tree bending under yesterdays  STONE WALLS One more time with stone artifacts and I promise I will stop. Often overlooked as important artifacts from the past, stonewalls, and other stone structures, created or edited by man, are a window into the history of New England and its original small farming communities. One of those communities is Easton. Glacial stone is enduring, unlike wood, clay, glass or paper. Here are a few things of interest.  A beautiful wall along South Street. A member steered me toward a stone tunnel under the railroad tracks, most likely used for livestock crossing once the train went through. Neighborhood children remember playing in it.  This tunnel runs under the railroad line in North Easton.  I love this photo from sometime before 1909 when the trolleys stopped running. Five Corners looked very different. Photo EHS. "There is life in a stone. Any stone that sits in a field or lies on a beach takes on the memory of that place. You can feel that stones have witnessed so many things." Quote from Andy Goldsworthy. If this is true and I hope it is, the old stone walls hidden in the woods, the lichen covered ruins in disarray, and the stately boulders of the Rockery must all hold on to memories of our past. Nothing is ever really gone. While some perhaps see the old stone walls and ruins as an unsightly nuisance, many love them for what they represent. They speak of our communal past- in New England, and here in Easton in particular. Today many street names still reflect Easton’s rural past- Randall Farm Drive, Andrews Farm Road, Deer Meadow, Beaver Dam, Scotch Dam Road, Sawmill Lane, Cranberry Lane, Olde Farm Road. Perhaps we are nostalgic for the past. Some stone walls in New England have been re-purposed for other projects. While this may be practical in some cases, we should also remember that the walls are artifacts from the past and as such are a precious window into our common history. So, while you’re enjoying a walk in the woods or a stroll along Easton’s streets, keep an eye out for these beautiful reminders of our agricultural past.  From 1895: Around 469 Bay Road looking south.  |
Easton Historical Society and Museum
PO Box 3
80 Mechanic Street
North Easton, MA 02356
Tel: 508-238-7774
[email protected]