A Century Ago in Westford Archives from
the Westford Wardsman
"ABOUT TOWN.-The Stony Brook school, by the generosity of its
teacher, Miss Mellen, went on a sleighride Tuesday afternoon.
Everything was decked with flags and keyed to music. If everybody
didn't have a good time, then the symptoms were misleading. A
two-horse motor power was used, which was furnished by Albert
W. Decatur. "ELECTRICS.-Last week Friday evening the electric car due to
connect at Brookside with the six o'clock steam cars, got stalled
on Edwards hill, owing to inability to release the brakes, which
persisted in remaining set. After a half-hour's effort to start
the car it was abandoned, and the passengers, conductor and motorman
walked to Brookside and boarded that car for Westford. The delayed
passengers were just congratulating themselves on an early realization
of that old sentiment, "There's no place like home," when suddenly
the car left the rails on the curve near the residence of C. R.
P. Decatur [the Pelatiah Fletcher house, 54 Lowell Rd.], and the
passengers alighted voluntarily and walked to their homes. "After
an hour's delay Conductor Smith got the car onto the rails and
started up to complete the trip. When only about a car-length
had been run the car was again derailed. The maneuvers of the
first derailment were repeated in getting it back onto the rails,
and the trip to Westford was finished. The next day the car due
at Westford at 6:30 was derailed there. After a short delay it
was encouraged back to the rails. The cause of derailment is not
known for a certainty. C. R. P. Decatur should be entitled to
at least a free five-cent ride without derailment, for his usual
generosity in furnishing lanterns and tools in this emergency,
including valuable advice. "CENTER.-Coasting parties have been quite in vogue evenings this
week, the long stretch down Richardson's hill [Main St. from Frost
School towards Fairview Cemetery] being in fine shape for the
sport. Some of the venturesome young spirits, anxious to try something
new, succeeded one night recently in attaching a big double-runner
to the 7:30 electric, and enjoyed a lively spin. "The snow on
the tracks Monday morning and Tuesday interfered with the running
of the cars on schedule time. Both mornings the snowplow had to
make the trip previous to the regular cars. "GRANITEVILLE.-Bert DeRoehn, the well-known ball player, has
kept in good practice by following the game in one of the southern
states during the winter. DeRoehn finished last season as back-stop
for [the] champion Bangor team of the Maine state league, and
has received many flattering offers for his services this season.
"THE MEMBERS of the Westford fire commission held an interesting
meeting at the Center last Saturday afternoon, during which much
routine business was transacted. The engineers also visited neighboring
towns for the purpose of inspecting methods as to the formation
of fire companies. A. R. Choate, who is the local commissioner
in charge of the Graniteville district, will call a meeting of
the citizens on Monday night, March 9, the purpose of which is
to organize a fire company and to provide ways and means for its
maintenance. At that time full information will be given as to
what this fire company means, the duties of its members, etc.,
so that all can govern themselves accordingly. As this is a public
affair in which everybody is interested, it goes without saying
that the meeting will be largely attended." "CENTER.-Miss Gertrude Fletcher gave a concert with her talking
machine last week Friday afternoon to her village friends. The
machine is of the best and the records likewise, and the program
was much enjoyed. It was given in the interests of the finances
of the First Parish society and a goodly collection of dimes was
the result. "CLUB.-Owing to some of the members being busy with preparations
for the Unitarian banquet, the attendance at Tadmuck club was
not quite so good, but those present enjoyed a most pleasing and
instructive program. It was in charge of the nature study committee,
with Miss Clara Fisher as chairman. Miss Fisher started with the
beginning of the year going daily to Lowell, where she has charge
of the law library at the courthouse, therefore it was impossible
for her to be present, but she had secured some good substitutes
for the subject, "Birds." The first speaker was Miss Emily F.
Fletcher [1845-1923], who understands the birds so well and has
had much success as an amateur taxidermist. She had brought many
of her specimens to the hall and arranged them attractively to
illustrate her talk. She said in beginning that the birds she
was to talk about were the native land birds of Massachusetts,
in fact, just the familiar feathered friends we have with us every
season. A brief exception to this was a sketch of the loon, duck
and heron, with fine specimen of each. Miss Fletcher gave many
interesting facts about our native birds, their usefulness and
beauty, their habits and sagacity. Miss [Sarah W.] Loker [1847-1943]
gave a charming account of the ruby-throated humming-bird which
had its nest in an apple orchard at Providence farm, and exhibited
the tiny nest secured after the birds had gone. Mrs. Chas. L.
Hildreth [1879-1925] closed the program with a well-written paper
on "The causes of decrease of birds," and gave some encouraging
facts of the efforts being made to stop this decrease. "A WISE CHOICE.-In the selection of A. [Albert] R. Choate, who
was recently appointed fire commissioner for the Graniteville
district, the selectmen of Westford made a wise choice, which
is meeting with the hearty approval of the people in this vicinity.
As regards appointing a fire chief and forming a fire department,
it is probable that not much will be done in this line until after
the town meeting in March. There is excellent material here for
a fire company, and when the right time comes and the question
is properly put, there is no doubt that our boys will respond.
In relation to the chief to be appointed, Graniteville is fortunate
in having just the man for the position, and in the common order
of events, if he will stand and is half as anxious for the position
as the people are to have him take it, he will receive the endorsement
of the entire community and the vote will be unanimous. "ABOUT TOWN.-The fire commissioners have organized. Capt. S.
[Sherman] H. Fletcher was chosen chief engineer, and John Edwards
clerk. An inventory of all the fire apparatus is to be made and
fire companies organized at once." "CENTER.-Patrons of the library are reminded that the building
will not be open on Saturday, Feb. 22. The annual closing of the
library will be later than usual this year on account of the change
in date of the school vacations. All books will be called in on
Tuesday, March 17. "NOTED WOMEN.-In a recent list of eminent American scholars,
compiled by Owen Wister, it was noticed that there were no women's
names, and the question arose if there were none who deserved
recognition in this list. As a result of this investigation the
names of nineteen women who were considered distinguished scholars
of the present day were added, and of this nineteen three are
associated with our hilltop town, and therefore Westford people
can bask in a sort of reflected glory of intellectual achievement,
and are glad to acknowledge the first as Alice C. Fletcher [1838-1923],
who has written valuable books dealing with ethnology and archeology.
She has particularly studied the western Indians, and in order
to know them thoroughly, lived among them several years. There
is probably no other scholar in the country, man or woman, who
has such a complete knowledge of the various Indian dialects,
of Indian manners and customs and of Indian folk-songs. The latter
she has translated with singular fidelity, bringing out all the
rich beauty of their involved symbolism. The Peabody museum fellowship
at Harvard was created by Miss Fletcher and has been held by no
one else; for the museum she has done much of her work. She is
one of the few women members of the Washington academy. Her ancestors
lived in the house now occupied by Melbourne F. Hutchins, and
the family graves are in our Westlawn cemetery. [Her great-grandfather
Peter Fletcher was born in Westford Jan. 11, 1836; he moved to
New Ipswich, N.H., about 1762.] "There is at least one woman who
excels in chemistry. Prof. Ellen H. Richards [nee Swallow, 1842-1911,
an 1863 graduate of Westford Academy], instructor in sanitary
chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was a
member of the first class graduated from Vassar and is now a member
of the Washington academy. Before she began her work with M.I.T.,
she was chemist for the Massachusetts state board of health. Many
valuable books have been written by Prof. Richards, dealing with
sanitation, with air, water and food analysis, and with ventilation.
She has also made an exhaustive study of food in the general dietary
and of sociology. 'My work is only missionary,' she says. 'I merely
teach others to go about the big things.' But it is recognized
among scientists that Mrs. Richards herself has discovered a number
of big things. "The third in this notable trio is Dr. Nettie M.
Stevens [1861-1912, an 1880 graduate of Westford Academy], instructor
in biology at Bryn Mawr. Dr. Stevens has made an enviable record
for herself in biological research. [A geneticist, her work in
insect cytology showed that the presence or absence of the Y chromosome
determined whether an insect was male or female.] "ABOUT TOWN.-The selectmen have appointed as fire commissioners
Capt. Sherman H. Fletcher for Westford Center; Albert R. Choate,
Graniteville; John Edwards, Forge Village. "FORGE.-The ever popular
concert of Groton school boys will be given in Recreation hall,
on Thursday evening, Feb. 27, at 7:45 o'clock. Admission will
be only fifteen and ten cents, to fit the wage conditions of the
times." "ABOUT TOWN.-Wallace W. Johnson has finished harvesting his ice
[on Burgess pond], about 1000 tons, fourteen inches thick. "CLUB.-One of the best programs of the season was given at the
meeting of Tadmuck club Tuesday afternoon at library hall. In
the opening exercises Miss Loker, the president, with happy felicity
referred to the close proximity of the day to Lincoln's birthday,
and paid loyal tribute to the memory of this great and good man.
Miss Eva E. Fletcher supplied a most interesting group of current
events, after which came the subject of the afternoon, which is
the last in the series in charge of the domestic science committee.
This subject was "Sanitation," Mrs. H. V. Hildreth chairman, who
had prepared an ably-written, well-delivered paper that held the
closest attention of her audience to the end. She said in introduction
that sanitation was not so much a product of modern thinking as
is commonly supposed, giving an outline of the place it held among
ancient peoples. The speaker, as is necessary in a thorough treatment
of this subject, covered a wide range, and among some of the sub-topics
all clearly and aptly illustrated were the location of the house,
and sunshine, pure air and dryness as essentials thereto as sunshine
and health go hand in hand; the menace of unsanitary cellars,
giving a sharp contrast of an unsanitary cellar and a sanitary
one. The speaker then spoke of the value and necessity of pure
air in the house, the difference between sufficient oxygen and
oxygen starvation, and the worth of well educated olfactory nerves;
then the best methods of heating and lighting the house, especially
recommending open fireplaces, but with little approval of the
oil heater. The furnishing of rooms, kitchen appointments, care
of the refrigerator, wells, the bathroom, freedom from flies and
mosquitoes, personal hygiene, the value of a knowledge of sanitary
science to the housewife, the desirability of wise janitors for
all places where people gather, the daily sunning and airing of
the home, were all wisely treated. "GRANITEVILLE.-Many people here journeyed to Forge Village Sunday
to watch the large force of men of the Daniel Gage Ice Co. at
work. This work will be all completed this week, so the Lowell
people need not fear for an ice famine next summer. WATER SUPPLY.-After
many months of waiting, the Westford Water Co. has got matters
adjusted so that water was turned on in the houses here last Saturday.
Before this the main pipes had been thoroughly flushed and everything
got in readiness. It is not expected that this water will be at
its best for drinking purposes at the start, but even so, it is
much better than the average well water in this vicinity at the
present time, and the conveniences for household purposes to be
derived from having running water in the house will amply repay
the consumers on that point alone; the rest will come later. There
are still many, however, who have not had their houses piped as
yet, but it is thought that when the warm spring days come they
will soon fall in line, for it is not a matter of not liking the
water, but a question of letting the other fellow try it first.
During the cold weather in the early part of the week many of
the pipes in the different houses were frozen up, but this was
soon remedied, and as the weather has moderated since, it is thought
that the householders will not be caught napping again."
"ABOUT TOWN.-Wallace
Johnson commenced cutting ice on Burgess pond Thursday. This makes
it safely certain for the people of Westford that when the heated
term arrives there will be plenty of stored zero weather to call
upon. "ANNUAL DINNER.-There
is no rain abundantly moist enough, or snow blinding enough, or
ice smooth enough to prevent an unanimous disposition to attend
the annual dinner at the town farm at the annual appraisal of
property, and the rain, snow and ice of last Saturday clearly
proved how much waiting and wading can be endured to reach one
of these occasions, where in the cosey [sic], warm rooms the town
officials meet and hold a sort of preparatory town meeting, with
a dinner attachment. No one refuses to take part; in fact, everybody
wants to be moderator and floor director at the same time, but
a flag of truce at the dinner hour is the signal for a game of
catch as catch can, and while there were no prizes offered for
the one who could eat the most pie, it is evident that there had
been a preparatory hungering for this event going on for some
time; and why not, for if you have ever had one of Boynton's town
farm dinners you will be willing to encourage a fast for the sake
of being in readiness for the other extreme. The writer [probably
Samuel L. Taylor] acknowledged his defeat as champion pie eater.
The other fellow beat him. We knew he would and so did everybody
else. "Mr. and Mrs. E. G.
Boynton have the charge of the town farm, and everything in and
out around and about indicates thrift, order, judgment and a sunshine
attractiveness that makes one feel that it would be a nice place
to go, perhaps, sometime for a more permanent residence than the
annual affairs. Of course don't expect 365 such dinners during
the year. [Westford's Town Farm was placed on the National Register
of Historic Places last December.] "GRANITEVILLE.-The
Daniel Gage Ice Co. of Lowell commenced harvesting its annual
crop of ice at Forge pond on last Monday morning. Many men and
horses from this village are helping in the work. The ice is of
excellent quality and about fourteen inches in thickness. There
is a large gang of men this year and the work is being pushed
rapidly. It is thought that the entire job will be completed in
about two weeks. "Excellent skating has been enjoyed on the millpond
this week, the ice being of sufficient thickness so that all can
enjoy the sport in safety. "C. G. Sargent & Sons' machine shop
is now running on the twenty hours per week basis." "ABOUT TOWN.-The dispensing
of knowledge in the Parkerville school has been temporarily suspended,
pending the outcome of the right of way of the measles. "THE NEW WATER SYSTEM
of the Westford Water Co. has developed into utility, and last
week Friday the iron pipes and hydrants performed the service
for which they were laid, and all Westford rejoices that the pure
and abundant water of the sandbeds of Pine Ridge Valley shall
no longer perform only a negative service in the world, but contrary
to its natural tendency, by the application of a steam harness
it finds no difficulty in scaling the heights of Westford, where
for centuries before it was not even on visiting terms. Thanks
to the Westford Water Co. for their generous courtesy in bringing
about this mutual introduction of the people to the water and
the water to the people. The engine at the pumping station got
into such a high fever over what had happened that an overheated
bearing made it necessary to temporarily stop and take a few mechanical
stitches. [The March 1905 town meeting appointed a committee to
study and advise the town on developing a public water system.
The report was accepted at the March 1906 meeting but the town
voted not to fund further investigation of the subject. In 1907
several prominent citizens, among them John C. Abbot, George T.
Day, Edmund Blake, Charles O. Prescott, Harwood L. Wright, Sherman
H. Fletcher, and Julian A. Cameron, formed the Westford Water
Co., which provided water to the town for decades to come.] "GRANITEVILLE.-The
scarlet fever has broken out here once more and again the tag
is tacked on the house of Henry Provost, the well-known barber.
A short time ago the youngest daughter, Gertrude, was ill with
the fever, in fact the house was fumigated only a few days ago,
and now the eldest daughter, Miss Mary, is down with the troublesome
disease. Mr. Provost is boarding out and conducting his business
in a shop near J. A. Healey's livery stable." "TOWN MEETING.-At
the special town meeting last Saturday afternoon Edward Fisher,
town clerk, called to order and read the warrant. The first article
called for the choice of moderator. Capt. S. H. Fletcher was nominated
and unanimously elected. The second article, relative to the purchasing
of fire apparatus, was taken up, and Edward M. Abbot, secretary
of the board of selectmen [and Westford Center fire warden], read
a carefully prepared report of the investigation on the part of
the selectmen relative to the needs of the town, the kind of hose
to purchase and other apparatus of a fire department. This report
recommended the town to purchase 800 feet of hose for the center
of the town, and 500 feet for each of the villages of Graniteville
and Forge, at an estimated expense, including hose carriage, of
$1,800. Geo. T. Day thought that all the villages should be equipped
alike, and moved an amendment to that effect, which was carried.
This made it necessary to incur a larger expense. Mr. Abbot made
a motion for $2,000. Mr. Day amended by making it $2,200, and
the amendment prevailed. "The 'bug squad,' under the direction
of Harry L. Nesmith have been gathering the browntail moth nests
on the shade trees of the village during these mild days. Many
a neck has a 'crick' in it from watching the climbers in the tops
of our largest elms. What a pity these insects were introduced
into this country and allowed to spread. "The faithful trustees
of the library, always on the alert for its best interests, have
recently installed some fire extinguishers of the most approved
kind and make. "FORGE.-People from
far and near have enjoyed the skating on Forge pond, and the pleasant
moonlight evenings have helped to make the skating more enjoyable."
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