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Law and Order in Easton A little bit about early law & order in Easton. Before Easton had a jail, it had stocks. According to Chaffin the town stocks were several times repaired and/or replaced, leading one to surmise they were well-used. Other early punishments included fines and corporal punishment, “10 [or 20] stripes upon the naked back, well laid on.” Imprisonment for debt was also widely implemented in the 18th century. Vagabondism was considered a crime. Vagabonds’ names were made public, and they were unable to purchase goods or liquor. Such was the first law & order in Easton. Organized policing took some time to develop, and shaming was a popular tool.  Example of Colonial era stock By 1854 the selectmen of Easton had appointed Ward L. Foster to be a police officer, with some limitations in his duties. After the Civil War, in 1867, the town voted to build a police lockup on Pond Street (probably the first) in North Easton, though no person was named as “keeper” until 1875. It’s thought the building was primarily used to contain people who were drunk and disruptive. Noise coming from the lockup on a Sunday morning was reported by members attending mass at the first Catholic Chapel- right next door on Pond Street! After 1885 two constables were hired and paid, however they were officially engaged to patrol the North Easton Village district only. If needed in other parts of town, they would try to help. No wonder thieves like George White and his gang (earlier, about 1800) operated in the Poquanticut neighborhood- so remote and with no help in sight. A second lockup was built in 1886 and located in South Easton, on Almshouse property. It was not unusual for vagrants and tramps to stop at the Almshouse, which was located on Center School property. It must have been an area in need of policing. That building still stands today. It is located on private property on School Street.  Lockup on School Street. By 1898 a new lockup on Mechanic Street replaced the Pond Street lockup. It was brick with a basement and originally had only one cell, although more cells were added later. Initially there were no toilet facilities. Not until as late as 1928 did the Town of Easton officially employ a policeman and not until 1930 was a police car purchased. The Mechanic Street Station was repaired and continued to function until the current station was dedicated in 1968. It still stands- as a private home. I remember going inside once as a child for some kind of license- Fishing? Bicycle? I'm not sure.  6 Mechanic Street, North Easton. Lockup, 1898-1968 It’s interesting how much the world has changed. The first generations in Easton basically did their own policing with customs brought over from Europe and there was little official organization, although the church of course was a civilizing force and had a great deal to say about members’ lives. Settlers in the New World had to be self-sufficient and willing to take many risks in order to take advantage of the resources and opportunities available here. I think I might have stayed in the Old World!  Early Police Force  Dedication of Lothrop Street Station, 1968.  Lothrop Street Station Today.
THE BOATHOUSE When I was young children had more freedom. I mean physically, in terms of where we could be, unsupervised. We rode our bicycles to lots of places and sometimes parents didn’t know exactly where we were. They were very good parents- times were just different. I remember one time being on the edge of Langwater Pond and exploring the boathouse which even then was not in the finest shape. It was dark and damp and creepy as I recall it. Today the Langwater boathouse is completely gone. I found an article in a “Homebuilder’s Supplement” from 1910. The magazine was called COUNTRY LIFE IN AMERICA and the author was George E. Walsh. The motorboat was increasing in popularity at the time so there was a need for boathouses to protect the engines from rain. The wealthier classes, especially, wanted a structure that was also attractive and fit in with the surroundings. The piece included a caption and a photo, “An attractive boathouse that fits unobtrusively into its environment. The property of Mr. F. L. Ames, North Easton, Mass.”  Boathouse. Property of F. L. Ames Something I don’t personally remember about Langwater is what was called the Ramble Walk. It followed the eastern shore of the pond past the house and continued along the pond’s edge toward Elm Street. Beautiful flowers, including narcissus, bloomed in profusion there and the “Ramble” was open for all to enjoy. I’m not sure when it disappeared. I know in the late seventies beautiful azaleas continued to bloom along the pond edge not far from the old boathouse.  Langwater boathouse I have kayaked and skated on Langwater- we called it Fred’s Pond, and the pond, along with our personal memories of it, are to be treasured. POST CARDS OF BOATHOUSE   Museum News There is a new collection of photographs at the Easton Historical Society. These beautifully framed photographs of the Ames mansions have been hung on newly painted walls in (mostly) the north side of the museum, although one is in the south side of the Museum, and one is in the office. The following mansions are displayed: -Langwater, home of F.L. Ames -Governor Oliver Ames Mansion -Spring Hill, home of William Hadwen Ames -Stone Hill House, home of F.L. Ames Jr. -Queset House, home of Oakes Angier Ames -Sheep Pasture, home of Oliver Ames II -Hobart Ames House at 31 Main Street -Wayside, home of Mary Ames Frothingham & her husband Louis Frothingham -Unity Close, built by Oliver Ames Jr. -Borderland, home of Oakes and Blanche Ames -Oakes Ames House at 25 Main Street -Included also is the Edwin W. Gilmore Mansion, 12 Main Street Edwin W. Gilmore, along with Oliver Ames, Jr., and Oakes Ames, founded the E. W. Gilmore Hinge Factory. This was in 1856. Gilmore later bought out the Ames’s shares. Initially the factory was on The Island; later the factory moved to 25 Elm Street. Following construction of the new factory, Edwin and his wife, Augusta Pool Gilmore designed and built their new house on the southeast corner of Elm and Main Streets.  Photograph of the Governor Oliver Ames house, original house. Of the twelve, seven still stand. Langwater, Stone Hill House, Queset, Borderland, Wayside, Unity Close, and Spring Hill. The others were torn down at various times. Wayside serves as the Easton Town Offices, Stone Hill House is part of Stonehill College, Borderland is a State Park, and the "Learning Commons" at Queset is part of Ames Free Library. Spring Hill, Unity Close, and Langwater remain in private hands and Langwater is the only home still owned by the Ames family. If you have a chance, stop by to view these photographs.   Two of the homes displayed in the “Mansions Gallery”, Spring Hill & Langwater.
Also new at the station are copies of Volume Fifteen of Reminiscences magazine, published yearly by the society, and the fine work of Daniel P. Pare and Hazel L. Varella. Included are articles by Avery Lee Williams, Anne Wooster Drury, Mark C. Bergeron, Frank Meninno, Sharon Baird Graves, Charleton Ames, and several by Daniel Pare including a fascinating and deeply researched article “From the Trenches to Tinseltown: Oliver Ames, Jr., in WWI”. Copies of this year’s volume are $10 and past volumes are just $5. Well worth it! Anne Wooster Drury [email protected] Satan’s Imps As the Halloween season is upon us, many people are flocking to Salem, Massachusetts, home of all things witchy. Of course, we all know of that terrible time between February of 1692 and May of 1693 when 30 people of Salem were found guilty of witchcraft, 19 were hanged for their ‘crime’, and one man, Giles Corey, was crushed to death. Not too much later in time, in the Poquanticut neighborhood of Easton, odd supernatural events sometimes occurred, and some residents of the neighborhood were believed to be practitioners of the ‘black arts’. It was rumored that mill owner Nathan Selee was clairvoyant and that sometimes the imps of Satan ran his sawmill at night. On one occasion Mr. Selee was asked to read the fortune of a daughter of Stimson Williams, but on that particular day he declined to use his mysterious power. He later said to another man present that if she could see what the next week would bring her, she would not have asked to have her fortune told. She died the next week. (Chaffin). A friend and I visited the site of Nathan Selee’s sawmill, which had been out of use for 50 years at the time of Chaffin’s writing (1886). Of course, nothing is left except some walls and other stone ruins, but it was an interesting visit. As we walked into the woods from Mill Street the ground became wetter and eventually, we came upon a small pond and the Poquanticut Brook. The remains of the mill site are located between Mill Street and Possum Run Road.  Sign on Mill Street at the corner with Rockland Street.  Poquanticut Brook. Source of the waterpower for Nathan Selee’s mill.  Stonework associated with the mill. Pond on the right. Nathan Selee, who Chaffin called "an able and worthy man", had a sister, Thankful (Selee) Buck, who was reputed to be a witch. It’s said she spoke incantations at midnight with her daughters and may have done something like ‘scrying’ as she poured water from one pan to another. Scrying involves seeing the future in a reflective surface.
Whatever happened or didn’t happen, no serious harm seems to have been done though stories abound, and it appears a good number of the citizens of Easton were believers. The day we visited the mill site was sunny and benign but we both agreed that it might be a different story in the darkness and lonesomeness of a long ago October eve. Rough dirt roads, no streetlights, no house lights, neighbors few and far between. I can almost hear the old mill now, mysteriously running in the darkest of night. Anne Wooster Drury [email protected] A couple of corrections to previous newsletters: The Easton Garden Club’s Annual Greens & Holiday Sale, listed for December 7th, will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, not 8-4 as printed in the Fall Quarterly. From the last Biweekly, stone from Moyle’s Quarry was used to build homes in Sharon, not Stoughton, as printed. Times Change If you visit Borderland today and walk to the west, north, or east of the mansion you will come upon areas where tangles of stone walls thread through the woods in all directions. In many cases winding between large and imposing glacial boulders. It is interesting to think about the history of this piece of land. When the first European settlers arrived, it would have most likely been covered in old growth forest. “Borderland” got its name from the location of ancient tribal borders in addition to modern-day town lines. Native Americans may well have gathered or passed through here. Early Settlement. Sometime after marrying Priscilla Drake in 1723, Captain Ebenezer Tisdale moved to what would become 697 Mountain Street in Sharon. Captain Ebenezer and Priscilla Drake Tisdale were the grandparents of Colonel Israel Tisdale. By 1783, George and Betty Packard Wilbur had moved from Bridgewater and built the George Wilbur farmhouse and cattle barn at 251 Massapoag Avenue. Later. In 1851 a farm was built where the mansion now stands by Eliphalet Wilson, who raised cattle and farmed. Later, in 1886, Michael F. and Mary Dromey Currivan purchased the farm, to be historically named the Currivan Farm. They ran a Corn Crib on Massapoag Ave. In 1906 the family sold the farm to Oakes and Blanche Ames. The farmhouse was removed by the Ames family to build their new home but today the foundation of the old Currivan house can be seen at the northwest corner of the library and the edge of the rock garden. The Currivan Corn Crib used to be located where the visitor entrance from the parking lot. Here the present lives alongside the past.   Currivan Corn Crib and farmhouse, Easton Historical Society Oakes and Blanche raised mink, turkeys, pheasants, and cattle at Borderland, built a beautiful rock garden, a pool, created ponds and lawns, while leaving much of the property as it had come to them, littered with stone walls and rock formations.  Mansion at Borderland This one piece of land has transformed from glacier to tribal land to farmland to the country estate of Oakes and Blanche Ames, and today, a state park that can be enjoyed by all. Today. Borderland is a great place to hike, bike, cross-country ski, play disc golf, fish, kayak, and more. A place to trace the passage of time and the cycle of settlement.  Small colonial root cellar or possible indigenous stone chamber at Borderland.
Anne Wooster Drury ehsnewsletter [email protected] 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 |
Easton Historical Society and Museum
PO Box 3
80 Mechanic Street
North Easton, MA 02356
Tel: 508-238-7774
[email protected]