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    Shrewsbury
    Shrewsbury
    Shrewsbury
    Ebook183 pages1 hour

    Shrewsbury

    By Michael Perna Jr.

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    About this ebook

    Discover the history of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. Incorporated in 1727, this once small farming town has transformed itself into a successful business and residential community. Meet the "Father of the Stages," nicknamed for his stagecoach line, and the many other inventive citizens of Shrewsbury. Experience the fun of the White City Amusement Park. From the days of Maj. Gen. Artemas Ward, the first commander in chief of the Revolutionary army, to the social days around Lake Quinsigamond, Shrewsbury takes you through these dramatic changes. Using exciting vintage photographs and postcards, Shrewsbury provides the first comprehensive photographic account of how the town once looked. Readers will learn about Balance Rock, the old town hall, and one-room schoolhouses. They will see stately mansions, the many attractions Lake Quinsigamond once had, and parts of the town that exist only in memory, such as South Shrewsbury and the Lower Village. Shrewsbury will allow all the town's citizens, past and present, to see and enjoy its history firsthand.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateSep 18, 2012
    ISBN9781439627525
    Shrewsbury
    Author

    Michael Perna Jr.

    Author Michael Perna Jr., a lifelong Shrewsbury resident, is the author of Shrewsbury and has written weekly historical articles for a number of years in the Shrewsbury Chronicle. A past president of the Shrewsbury Historical Society and a member of the Shrewsbury Historic District Commission, he received the historical society�s Spirit of History Award.

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      Book preview

      Shrewsbury - Michael Perna Jr.

      surfaced.

      INTRODUCTION

      The town of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, was formed in 1717 from grants of land awarded to a group of 31 people known as the Proprietors. The grants were awarded with the understanding that at least 40 families and an Orthodox minister be settled in the town within three years. These provisions were met and Shrewsbury was incorporated as a town on December 15, 1727.

      The original area of Shrewsbury was much larger and included parts of several surrounding towns. The first settlers built a meetinghouse and arranged for a burying ground. Although the town was initially reluctant to spend money erecting schools, it eventually did, but not without problems. The town was fined nine pounds in 1769 for not having a grammar school in operation.

      Although Shrewsbury was a small farming community, it was not without industrious and inventive citizens. Luther Goddard was the first person to produce watches in quantity in this country. Nymphas Pratt opened what would be the town’s largest single business for many years, which was a tannery in the Lower Village. Several noted gunsmiths included Joab Hapgood. Both he and Joel Nurse invented improved plows for farmers. Local farms produced apples, cider, and milk.

      Shrewsbury’s most famous citizen, Maj. Gen. Artemas Ward, was the first commander in chief of the Revolutionary army. He served in a number of public positions throughout his life. Today, Harvard University preserves his home as a museum.

      Unlike many nearby towns, Shrewsbury did not have a railroad or waterway to stimulate commerce. In spite of this, the town had a number of mills operating on local streams. Levi Pease began a stagecoach line that rapidly expanded and earned him the title Father of the Stages. Later, trolley lines improved the transportation of goods and passengers through the town, replacing the venerable stagecoaches.

      In the years following the Civil War, the area around Lake Quinsigamond began to develop. A multitude of social, ethnic, and athletic clubs were built, along with summer hotels and cottages. Other attractions included a horse-racing track in Edgemere and the White City Amusement Park. Steamboats transported sightseers up and down the lake.

      As the years passed, Shrewsbury grew more and more quickly. As the town grew, many of the old farms and open spaces were converted into businesses and homes. The Shrewsbury of today is very different from the town that existed even 50 years ago.

      Although a number of Shrewsbury’s early residents recorded the history of the town, there has not been a book published on the subject since the late 1800s. One exception, Remembering Lake Quinsigamond: From Steamboats to White City (1998), details the exciting attractions that existed around the lake area.

      Starting in January 1998, a series of weekly articles on the history of the town were published in the Shrewsbury Chronicle. These proved to be extremely popular with the residents of Shrewsbury. This enthusiasm provided the inspiration to produce a photographic history of the town—something that has never been done before. In writing this book, I endeavored to make it into a community project. Many individuals were nice enough to share photographs that represent interesting parts of the town’s history, and I would like to commend and thank them. I would also like to recognize the assistance and cooperation of the Shrewsbury Chronicle, James Morgan, and the Shrewsbury Historical Society.

      The results of this work are now a reality in Images of America: Shrewsbury. This book will provide past, current, and future residents a window to the past, a way to view the town of Shrewsbury as it once was.

      —Michael Perna Jr.

      One

      THE CENTER

      The town center is shown in this view, looking south toward Graftron Street. On the left is S.I. Howe’s store, which housed the post office at the time. The carriage on the far right appears to be a delivery wagon for a Northborough baker.

      After the Civil War, the town erected a memorial to the 29 Union soldiers from town who made the ultimate sacrifice. One account described this monument: In 1869, Thomas E. Tateum of Worcester erected upon the ‘Common’ a marble shaft at an outlay of $4,000, exclusive of foundations. The funds were secured at first through fairs, lectures, etc. The old Shrewsbury Rifle Company sold its tent equipment at auction in 1866 for $68.50 and donated the sum to the fund. By such means, $1,500 was acquired and the town added $2,500. The monument was toppled during a terrible ice storm and landed on the watering trough that once stood in front of it. It was repaired, however, and has stood on the same spot ever since.

      Known as Juniper Hall, this mansion was built by Matthew J. Whittall, who owned a huge carpet mill complex in Worcester. After his death in 1922, Whittall’s widow gave the estate to the Masons, who used it as a hospital. His wife dedicated the Garden of Sweet Remembrance to her husband’s memory. The Masonic Hospital closed in 1975. The town bought the property in 1976 and had the building torn down in 1979. The site of Juniper Hall, located between Route 140 and Prospect Street, is today overgrown with weeds and brush.

      Juniper Hall is shown under construction. The mansion was on the hill west of Prospect Street. This photograph was taken from the driveway and shows the grounds before landscaping was completed. The sign next to the stone pillar reads: Teams must keep on the driveway. Teamsters must be sure no other teams are coming in opposite direction to avoid turning out. Any cost of repairs for damage to the grounds will be charged owners of teams causing such damage. M.J. Whittall.

      When the trolleys came to town, the Worcester Consolidated Street Railway tracks ran from Lake Quinsigamond, through Shrewsbury Center, and then to Marlborough and points

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