The Makers of the Mold

by

Kenneth W. Newcomb


6. The People


The Earliest Families

The vanguard of Governor Winthrop's Massachusetts Bay Company arrived on the ship Arbella at Salem in June 1630. However, the town did not suit Winthrop as a capital town for his Company and after a week's search of the area, he selected Charlestown which he thought would be a more satisfactory place. In 1629 it had a population of about a hundred men, women and children. Winthrop brought the Arbella down to Charlestown on a now very memorable date, June 17, 1630. Soon a number of ships from England joined him there. However, the town did not turn out to be the prosperous place that Winthrop had been assured it to be; also the drinking water came from a single spring that soon developed a very brackish taste. With a population that had grown rapidly to number 1500 people, its location was not only inadequate for that number but unhealthy as well. As many as 80 people succumbed from what is believed to be bad water and by the end of a very hot summer in 1630 nearly 200 more had died, including some of the more prominent leaders of the Company. This caused a number to return to England but most began to search for better locations to live. "Several score", including Sir Richard Saltonstall, George Phillips and one of the ministers went up the Charles River and settled Watertown. Others went to Dorchester where passengers on the "Mary and John", one of the first of Winthrop's fleet to reach this side (June 6, 1630) were already settled. About this time, across the Charles on the peninsula then called "Shawmut", the Reverend William Blaxton an Episcopal minister and learned recluse, who lived as the sole resident in his cottage on the slope of Beacon Hill, invited Winthrop to move over to Shawmut where a fine spring was located. His invitation was accepted and the greater part of the Company, with their minister, John Wilson, moved over in the Arbella in October 1630 to a place he renamed Boston, in honor of a city of the same name in Lincolnshire, England, from which many of the leaders of the Company came.

However, not all followed Winthrop to Boston. A small band located in Roxbury, others in Saugus (later changed to Lynn) while Thomas Dudley, the deputy governor and Simon Bradstreet, his son-in-law, and a few others established the town of Cambridge in 1630-31 which was called "The Newe Towne". A small number remained at Charlestown. Cambridge which later became the parent township of Newton made several grants of land in that part of their township, one in 1634 that included John Haynes and Thomas Dudley. John Haynes later joined John Winthrop's Company and his name can be found among the early governors of the colony. The original holdings of Haynes and Dudley included land in what is now Upper Falls.

While Newton's seal bears the date of 1630 as an indication of the time of its founding, it would appear that this date is a bit early as, in fact, the territory that is now Newton then belonged to Watertown until about 1634 when it was granted to Cambridge. Concord, founded in 1635, was the first inland settlement in the 13 colonies. Other towns, because they were located on the ocean or had access to the sea, were founded earlier. Before the arrival of Winthrop there were settlements in the general area including Plymouth in 1620, Gloucester in 1623 and Salem in 1628.

For the first century or two after its settlement, Newton appears to have been peopled by succeeding generations of the original stock, those who were part of the early westward migration from the coastal settlements. As most of Newton remained rural in nature, these early farmer-settlers clung together.

Only with the industrial revolution that followed the Revolutionary War did change take place, particularly in those villages having access to the water power of the Charles River. Upper Falls was the first village to awaken to this new day in a new nation. Strangely enough, it was a sort of reverse migration that flowed back into the village, attracted by its industrial potential. Aside from a few financial backers from Boston, the majority of the early residents "back tracked" to Upper Falls from communities to the west such as Dover, West Dedham, Foxboro and others. Among them were many notable descendants of the first settlers of our nation. They were to dominate the local population for the next half-century or so.

When the industries of this area began to develop in the early days of the nineteenth century they demanded more and more workers. This brought the skills of other Europeans to the village. By the 1840s different religious and ethnic groups began to emerge, as indicated by the fact the first Catholic Mass in Newton was conducted here during that period. The first available statistics that show changes in the nationalities of the people in Newton were compiled in 1875. Of the 16,105 people who inhabited the city that year, 4,205 were listed as foreign born and the countries of their origin included Ireland, 2,619; Canada, 688; England, 555; Wales, 95; other British possessions, 24; Germany, 81; Sweden and Norway, 34 and the balance from 13 other countries.

By 1890 the city had grown to nearly 20,000 people, and racial classification of its peoples as shown in the city directory of the year previous shows 2,900 persons of Irish extraction, many of them working in the mill villages, 1,275 who had come from the Maritime Provinces of Canada, and 600 who were of English origin. They, for the most part, found employment in the industries of the city. It was not until the last decade of the nineteenth century that immigration from southern and eastern Europe increased so rapidly. It is therefore significant that while 96 Germans and 51 Swedes were among the city's residents, only five Italians were recorded since most of their immigration took place after the turn of the century. Two Chinese and a single Turk were among 617 of various origins.

A racial mix was quite evident in the village of Newton Upper Falls, as Mr.. McLaughlin observed:

"After the potato famine in Ireland, many Irish immigrants came to live in this area. At first they worked on estates and as domestics, but their children soon entered factories, offices and professions."

At the end of the last century, workers from Poland, Lithuania and Russia were in demand in the factories because of their skill, strength and willingness to work at lower wages. Italian laborers worked on construction jobs, such as building of the Newton Water Works. These laborers were housed and fed in labor camps by the contractors. At the conclusion of the contract, they generally went to work on the local farms and soon owned homes, farms and businesses of their own. There was an Armenian settlement in Watertown, a few came to Upper Falls to live. Soon French Canadian families lived in Upper Falls and worked in the factories, but they later moved to Nonantum, the French section.

The melting pot of social intercourse and intermarriage has fused the townspeople into a community minded group who cooperate in many social and religious activities. For instance, in 1928 the twelve elected officers of the Newton Upper Falls Woman's Club were from seven different national origins."

The following includes the author's concept of who might be considered the early residents of the old Upper Falls village. These are drawn from an area previously described in the chapter entitled HISTORICAL, one considerably broader than that of the village today. The information is taken from Jackson's and Smith's histories as well as other sources:


An Alphabetical Listing of Families

Nathaniel Elder (far right)
Four generations of the Elder Family. Nathaniel Elder (R), his daughter Abby (L), her son Frank (Center) and his son and daughter, taken in front of 58 High Street, Newton Upper Falls.

EVERETT, JOSEPH CASWELL - older brother of Nathaniel, came to Upper Falls about 1823 and he became the eventual builder and occupant of the Queen Ann style house at 336 Elliot Street. He was employed as a carpenter at the Elliot Mfg. Co. Joseph was born August 23, 1796 at Foxboro and he died at Upper Falls, Oct. 30, 1861. On April 10, 1825 he married Mary Warren, at Dorchester, Mass.

Louis Everett Adelaide Everett
Warren Pettee Everett during the Civil War, in the uniform of Newton Co. B, 44th regiment

Members of the Parker family listed below are but a few of this illustrious pioneer family. These representatives are those who lived in or had involvement with the village of Upper Falls. See Franklin P. Parker, Some Descendants Of Samuel Parker of Dedham, Massachusetts.

The Woodwards were a strongly religious family yet were extremely patriotic citizens. Deacon John (born 1724 - died 1801) was the moderator of the town meeting in 1776 that passed the unanimous vote requesting Congress to declare the Colonies independent. He was in the battle of Concord and loaned the town 100 pounds to pay the soldiers in 1777. Samuel Woodward was also in the battle at Concord as well as Dorchester Heights. He, too, loaned the town money (120 pounds) in 1777 to pay the soldiers.

The large Woodward farm was included in the village of Upper Falls in the early days. Some of it was in the present village area. This was the property known by many as Pierce's Woods (now Eliot Hill). It was sold by E. Woodward to William Pierce in the 1880s as indicated by this news item appearing July 2, 1881:

"At the Upper Falls, the estate of the late Deacon Ebenezer Woodward has been purchased by a Boston gentleman of the name of Pierce, who intends to erect upon it a residence for himself, and also from time to time to sell lots to other parties for similar purposes."

Because of the many references to members of the medical and dental profession that appeared in our research of the village's early history, we are including some information regarding them here. It is interesting to note that of the ten doctors practicing in Boston in 1721 only one was an M.D., and only about 400 of the 3,500 colonial physicians in 1776 had medical degrees.


Physicians

The first physician of record in Newton is Dr. JOHN STAPLES CRAFTS - He was the son of Moses Crafts who settled in this area in 1729. Mr. Staples was a benefactor to Dr. Crafts and it was in honor of Newton's first schoolmaster that Moses Crafts named his son. Other physicians who appeared later are:

During the last 50 years there have been an additional number of able physicians who have served Upper Falls and vicinity. Among those no longer here would be Doctors Warren F. Hoey (who was succeeded by Carroll Gillespie), Winchester Everett, David York, Charles Badia and Eugene Gandolfo. Those more recently practicing as doctors in the community are Leo U. Zambon, Joseph R. Cotter and Carl Levison.

The above rounds out the list of distinguished physicians who have served this area over the past two centuries. We can only extend our list of dentists to those who have had offices in Newton Upper Falls back to 1845. In the chapter of this book dealing with our churches you will note that A. S. Dudley, "a dentist by profession," also supplied the pulpit of the Universalist Church that existed here for a short time. No others are recorded until the turn of the century when Dr. J. Douglas Thompson (brother of Dr. Charles Thompson) practiced here for a brief time from an office in Prospect Block. Later, three other dentists commenced their practices here, Doctors John King, Charles Crowley and the long-known and highly regarded Walter Billings. Both Dr. King and Dr. Billings had offices in the Prospect Block; Dr. Billings later moving to an office in his home on Indiana Terrace. Dr. Crowley had his office in his residence on High Street.


Founders and Members of Religious Organizations

For historical as well as genealogical purposes, we are including in this section a list of persons who were founders and early members of various religious organizations in Upper Falls in the early nineteenth century. Included also are a few from the Needham side of the river, but the majority were residents of the old village. Later, in the recording of the history of our local fire department, there will be found additional names of early Upper Falls residents.

Some duplications will be found in the following lists.

First, those who comprised the Methodist "class" first organized in 1826:

Marshall S. Rice
Nathan Rice
Mary Rice
Gardner Rice
Jeremiah Trull
Sarah Livermore
Eliza Eager
Dorcas Smith
Mary A. Morse
Mary Childs
Ann Winslow
Mary Fogg
Mary Boynton
Sarah Willis
Rebecca Garfield
Susan Tavener
Sarah Brackett

Members who organized the Upper Falls Religious Society in 1828:

Allen, Kinsley
Allen, Bethuel
Barney, Joseph
Bixby, Hiram
Bacon, Silas, Jr.
Bushee, David
Collins, Matthias
Crafts, Moses
Clark, Nathaniel 2nd
Colburn, Oren
Cabot, Frederick
Carpenter, N.
Drake, Bradford
Dickerman, Joseph
Davenport, Benj. Jr.
Davenport, Alvin
Davenport, Joseph
Dixon, Shepard
Ellis, Newell
Ellis, Rufus
Freeman, Whipple
Haskell, Caleb
Morse, Amos H.
McFarland, Walter
Pettee, Otis
Ray, Pliny
Samuel
Storey, Elijah
Sturtevant, M. P.
Sherman, I.
Winslow, Eleazer
Winslow, Jesse
Winsor, George W.
Wiswall, William 2nd
Wiswall, Elisha
Wheeler, Jonathan

The above and the following 109 members comprised the total males in the congregation for the period 1828-1833. Names of female members are not available.

Alden, Moses
Brown, Michael
Bowker, Elliot A.
Boynton, Richard, Jr.
Boatman, William
Blackburn, Richard
Bartlett, George
Britt, Samuel G.
Barney, Jacob
Blodgett, Amos
Battis, Nathaniel
Bowen, -
Bemis, Sullivan
Bullins, Isaac
Bullins, Ira
Beard, Ira
Bullins, Ira
Burrill, William
Beard, Cleaveland
Cheney, Stephen
Cheney, Samuel
Cheney, Jefferson W.
Clark, William E.
Cheevers, Warren
Colburn, Jotham
Colburn, Seth
Chick, Nathan
Dorr, Jonathan
Dorr, Edmund
Dewing, Seth.
Everett, Joseph C.
Everett, Cyrus
Eager, Moses E.
French, Nelson
Gardner, Joshua
Greenwood, Lyman
Greenwood, Abijah
Grover, Lyndal
Graves, Moses J
Goldsmith, Jonathan
Gray, William S.
Haskell, Charles
Hersey, Elijah, Jr.
Henderson, Fred. A.
Hartford, Barachias
Hawes, Eliab M.
Hawes, Amos B. S
Hanson, Peter
Hall, Ham
Jordan, Charles
Johnson, Charles
Kent,
Keith, George
Kent, Henry
Keyes, Stephen
Lawrence, George
Langley, Thomas J.
Livermore, Joseph T.
Lincoln, John
Mann, Charles
Morse, Jason
Morse, George M.
McIntosh, Samuel
McIntosh, Royal
McIntosh, Michael
Mason, Charles
Mason, Ichabod
Manson, David
Mills, Fisher
Mills, Matthias
Masury, Joseph
Nicholson, John, Jr
Nurse, George
Newell, Artemas, Jr.
Nobleman, Jonathan
Nute, Nicholas
Putnam, Stephen
Plimpton, Oliver
Pettee, Charles F.
Harvey Partridge,
Parker, David
Perkins, Samuel
Parker, Rev. John
Rand, Calvin
Rand, Joseph
Rice, Marshall
Richardson, Benj.
Smith, Oliver
Smith, Isaac
Shedd, Nathan
Henry Sherman, James M.
Sherman, James M.
Sherman, John
Sawyer, Otis
Sawyer, William
Staunton, Thomas
Skinner John L.
Trask, Darling
Turner, Nathaniel D.
Tufts, Joseph
Wetherill, Throop B.
Wheelock, Geoffrey
Woodward, Ephraim
Woodward, Royal
Woodward, Thomas
Weston, Thomas P.
Whipple, Cornelius
Whipple, Levi
Wellington, Timothy
White, Barney L.
Winslow, Charles
Wight, Miram

The First Methodist Episcopal Church was organized from the above Upper Falls Religious Society members in 1832. The number of such members is given at 53 but their names are not available.

Musicians and choir members of the Religious Society for the period 1828-32 comprised the following:

George Morse, Leader
Alfred Bridges, Bugle
Artemas Newell, Bass Viol
Jess Winslow, Clarionet
Miss Eliza Bartlett
Miss Eliza Clapp
Miss Silence Clark
Miss Nancy Ellis
Miss Charlotte Plimpton
Kinsley Allen
Samuel Cheney
William E. Clarke
Samuel McIntosh
Amos Morse
George Ninsor
Oliver Plimpton
Charles Pettee

The following 11 men began the Baptist church organization in 1832 at Newton Upper Falls by the paying of shares:

Jonathan Bixby*
Samuel Scott*
Isaac Keyes*
Lauren Kingsbury*
Ira N. Bullen
John Bullough Jr.
John Nicholson
Asa F. Smith*
Jesse Winslow
Martin P. Sturtevant
Thomas Nicholson*

* Also included in the list that follows.

The 55 members (presumably from Newton Upper Falls) who left the First Baptist Church in Newton Centre to form the Second Baptist Church at Upper Falls in 1835:

Ira N. Baptams
Angelina Bixby
Eliza H. Bixby
Eunice Bixby
Lydia Bixby
Hannah Bond
Amariah Bullens
Levina R. Bullens
William Bullough
Abigail Cheney
Mary S. Cheney
Abigail B. Clapp
Hannah Fisk
Olivia Fisk
Samuel Floyd
Nancy L. Gardner
Catherine Hyde
Abia Keyes
Elizabeth E. Keyes
Francis T. Keyes
Mary Ann Keyes Eliza Kingsbury
Sarah S. Kingsbury
Sally Kingsbury
Matilda Libby
Martha F. Newhall
Samuel Nicholson
Sally Nickerson
Susanna Nickerson
Sylvia Jones
Louisa Peak
Sarah Priest
Chloe Ray
Sarah Richards
Lucius Smith
Sylvester Smith
Charles Scott
Charlotte H. Smith
David Scott
Hannah Scott
Belinda Smith
Betsey S. Smith
Clarissa Smith
Cleora F. Smith
Lucy Taylor
James Taylor
Martha H. Taylor
Susan Willis
Rosanna Woodward

The Universalist Church on High Street was founded in 1841-42 by the following men:

James Barney
Beriah Billings
Henry Billings
Pliny Bosworth
Richard Boynton
Jason Brayman
William Cargill
William Fairfield
Joshua Gardner
Lyndall Grover
Martin Hunting
George W. Keyes
John Kingsbury
William Lyon
Thomas Nealy
William H. Nichols
Harding Partridge
Levis H. Partridge
Stephen Putnam
Samuel P. Skinner
Horace Whitney
Ebenezer Woodbury

The leading laymen of the St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church (the first church of that faith in Newton) in the years 1843-1868 were:

Michael Begley
Edward Cahill
James Cahill (son of Edward)
Michael Daley
Timothy Flanagan

The Church of Yahweh (Second Adventist) was formed in 1886 on Mr. Luther T. Cunningham's property on Boylston Street, and was comprised mainly of three families: the Cunninghams, the Pipers and the Adamses. (See under "CHURCHES")

In Smith's history there are listed the freeholders in Newton in 1798 with their estates and valuations. Altogether there are 200 houses shown; 175 occupied by their owners, 25 by tenants, with a total valuation of the houses set at $71,614.00. The land, totaling 9,544 acres, was valued at $265,439.00 for a total valuation of $337,053.00. It appears that even for those days this was an extremely low valuation and the percentage used must have been very small. The following names, estates and valuations were taken from the Books of the Assessors who were appointed under an Act of the Congress of the United States passed in 1798, levying a direct tax upon the country of $2,000,000. Property exempted by state laws were not to be assessed, nor were dwelling-houses of a valuation of less than $100. This action was taken on October 1, 1798.

The following list includes only those who were believed to be residents of the old Upper Falls village. It does not appear to this writer to be complete as, for example, it does not include any Ellis properties thought to have been in existence at that time. Because of the very low percentage of valuation used, there may have been other houses in the village which are not included as they have been valued at less than $100.

Owner & Occupant House Value Acres Value Total Value
Bixby, Jonathan

Cheney, Aaron

Cheney, William

Cheney, Ebenezer

Craft, Joseph

Clark, Daniel

Collins, Matthias

Elliot, Simon

Elliot, Simon

Elliot, Simon

Fuller, Nathan

Kenrick, John

Kenrick, John, Jr.

Kenrick, Caleb

Hammond, Thomas

Mitchell, Edward

Parker, Samuel

Parker, Joseph

Tolman, Thomas

Winchester, Amasa

Woodward, Ebenezer

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

-

$475

160

-

390

245

335

215

900

300

725

600

280

600

475

370

715

335

230

106

550

1 360

19

41

14

50

78

98

119

53

3

-

75

-

85

68

60

67

54

104

9

151

117

$1,366

1,170

140

1,500

2,612

2,094

2,152

6,455

350

-

1,870

-

3,337

2,490

1,540

1,912

1,901

1,603

255

4,035

2,810

$1,841

1,330 

140

1,890

2,857

2,429

2,367

7,355

650

725

2,470

280

3,937

2,965

1,910

2,627

2,236

1,833

361*

4,585

3,170

*Later the site of Otis Pettee's mansion, "Sunnyside"


The South Burial Ground

Examination of the list of those buried in the old Upper Falls-Oak Hill cemetery (South Burial Ground) does not reveal many names of persons known to have resided in Upper Falls prior to 1800. This ancient burying ground, laid out in 1802 near the junction of Winchester, Dedham and Needham Streets, is the oldest non-sectarian cemetery in the city. It was established as a result of a meeting of the residents of the south side of Newton held June 21, 1802 to consider the matter of laying out a new cemetery. Edward Mitchell, Ebenezer Cheney and Jeremiah Wiswall, Jr. were chosen as a committee to purchase a piece of land for that purpose. As a result, it was decided to purchase three-quarters of an acre from Captain David Richardson near the corner of the Dedham and Sherburne roads. Part of the land was divided into 29 equal lots for family burial places for the original proprietors and the names such as Bixby, Bartlett, Barney, Cheney, Elliot, Hall, Kenrick, Mitchell, Parker, Richards, Richardson, Stone, Winchester and Wiswall include many of the early Upper Falls residents. A complete list of those buried in the old cemetery is on file in the Jackson Homestead. In 1883 the proprietors sold their property to the city, but reserved right to bury their dead in their respective family lots according to the original plan. About the same time, Amasa Winchester gave the city about three-quarters of an acre for the purpose of enlarging the cemetery, extending 60 feet on the west line and 20 feet on the north line adjoining. As a result of this addition the cemetery now contains one acre and a half.

Of the approximately 350 persons buried there, about 100 of them were born in the eighteenth century. As the creation of this cemetery was a joint venture of Upper Falls and Oak Hill residents in 1802, we are including here only the names of those whom we believe were Upper Falls residents and who could have been living here in the 1700s:

Gravestone Names

Name Born Died
Alden, Betsy (wife of Simeon)

Ayling, Thomas

Bacon, Silas

Bacon, Polly (wife of Silas)

Baker, Mary (Mrs) "Died in Newton U. Falls"

Barney, Joseph

Barney, Sukey (wife of Joseph)

Hartlett, Ann R. (Mrs)

Boynton, Richard

Boynton, Betsy (wife of Richard)

Cheever, Lucy (wife of Lyman)

Cheney, Martha (widow)

Crackbon, Hannah (Daughter Jos. 6, Abigail Crackbon)

Crackbon, Joseph

Davenport, Benjamin

Davenport, Nehitable (Mrs) wife of Benj

Davenport, Enoch

Davenport, Priscilla P.

Farnum, Ezra M.

Farnum, Susan (wife of Ezra)

Fogg, David

Fogg, Elizabeth (Mrs)

Garfield, Mary (Mrs)

Garfield, Hepsibath (Miss)

Garfield, Rebeckah (Miss)

Giles - - "Our Mother"

Goodnough, Phineas "Born in Charlton, died in Brookline"

Goodnough, Sarah R.(widow) b. in Sutton

Hayward, Sarah R."Wife of Claudius D.

Born in Gilsum, N.H. Died in Newton U. Falls"

Hill, Betsey (wife of Calvin Hill)

Hurd, John

Hurd, Elizabeth (wife of John)

Jameson, Eliza (Miss)

Jewett, Dorcas A. (Mrs)

Kenrick, Caleb

Kenrick, Elizabeth (wife of Caleb)

Keyes, Deacon Isaac

Keyes, Abigail (wife of Isaac)

Keyes, Sally

McFarland, Eliza (Mrs) (wife of Walter McFarland)

McFarland, Betsy (Mrs) (wife of Walter McFarland)

Nickelson, John

Nickelson, Jane

Parker, Mary (Mrs)

Parker, Benjamin

Partridge, Eunice (Mrs) (wife of Harding Partridge)

Pierce, Koigail (wife of Amos Pierce)

Priest, Sarah (widow)

Scott, David

Scott, Hannah (wife of David)

Sturtevant, Martin P.

Sturtevant, Elizabeth

Wheeler, Jonathan

Williams, Asa

Williams, Ellis (wife of Silas Williams)

Williams, Pamela B. "Died at Lowell, Mass."

Willis, Elisha

Williston, John

Williston or Giles "Our Mother"

Wilson, James

1780

1779

1789

1795

1776

1783

1783

1787

1781

1781

1798

1781

1795

1759

1786

1789

1744

1749

1788

1798

1792

1791

1756

1769

1795

1794

1792

1791

1762

1734

1791

1792

1799

1797

1787

1775

1781

1796

1797

1788

1798

1786

1782

1785

1783

1761

1792

1795

1795

1771

1775

1791

1793

1791

1774

1784

1788

1796

1782

1794

1799

1861

1841

1842

1869

1843

1838

1865

1854

1841

1855

1870

1848

1829

1826

1862

1826

1803

1837

1867

1842

1859

1855

1838

1859

1840

1868

1860

1857

1845

1845

1843

1852

1861

1864

1859

1820

1861

1880

1861

1841

1827

1822

1834

1860

1859

1836

1845

1851

1858

1834

1849

1852

1868

1843

1850

1842

1863

1823

1835

1868

1846

Tombs

Salmon Barney & Aaron Richards

Jonathan & Jonathan Jr. Bixby

Aaron &. Ebenezer Cheney

Edward Mitchell & Jeremiah Wiswall, Jr

Built 1806

Built 1806

Built 1806

Built 1806

Many of the headstones placed in the cemetery have disappeared, been buried or broken, and in many cases the names on some stones have become indistinguishable through time. General Simon Elliot was one of the original proprietors of the cemetery but his name was not found on the list of those who are buried there. It might be noted here that we found one surprising feature of this cemetery in that the tombs and a great majority of the headstones all face away from Winchester Street on which the main gate is now located even though this street (then known as the Dedham Road) was in existence at the time it was laid out. At that time, however, (1802) Boylston Street did not exist and all travel to the fast growing villages of Upper and Lower Falls came up over what is now Centre Street, swung westward on Cook Street (now known as Curtis-Ramsdell, a split street) and then divided at the junction of what is no>r Elliot and Woodward streets; Upper Falls travelers using Elliot and the others, Woodward. Therefore, Cook being the busier and more important street, the cemetery probably was laid out facing this road. A right-of-way leading from Cook Street to the cemetery must have existed at one time. Also, the Southwest District school was located in the area along with two taverns, Mitchell's on the Dedham Road (at the present junction of Centre and Boylston) and Bacon's at the junction of the present Elliot and Woodward streets.

For several years following the Civil War, the graves of that war's veterans were decorated by G.A.R. Post 62 as indicated by these early newspaper accounts. Following are some excerpts:

May 29, 1869: SOLDIERS GRAVES - Delegations of Post 62, G.A.R., of this town, will visit the Cemetery at Newton Lower Falls, at half past eleven A.M., today, for the purpose of decorating the Soldier's Graves, and the ground at the Upper Falls at noon for a similar purpose.

An earlier item of June 6, 1868 (in reference to a list of soldiers killed in the Civil War)

"In addition to the list already given, one of the soldiers of the late war was buried at the Newton Upper Falls Cemetery but we have mislaid the letter containing his name."

Possibly this is in reference to the same person found in this item from the same paper, the Newton Journal, dated June 20, 1868:

Another Dead Soldier - In addition to the list of soldiers attached to the roll of Newton, who lost their lives during the late struggle, already published, the remains of Edward Cornish, a member of a New York Regiment in the Evergreen Cemetery, Upper Falls. He has not a relative in this country, and perished in defense of the land of his adoption. His grave was decorated with flowers with others on the 30th."

A small mystery exists here as a check of the list of those buried in the Winchester Street Cemetery does not reveal the name of Edward Cornish. Also, we have seen a map that designated this cemetery as the Evergreen Cemetery but it was originally called the South Burial Ground. However, another news item appearing on June 3, 1871 indicated that the graves decorated at the Upper Falls Cemetery by G.A.R. Post 62 were those of Charles Brown, Edward Cornish and William Fell. Again, of these three men only the name of Sergeant C.S. Brown, Co. F, 1st Massachusetts Infantry appears on the list of the persons buried in the Upper Falls cemetery. A deceased soldier's name found on the list but not included in the news item was that of C. H. Duvall, Company H, 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry.

Revolutionary War Veterans' graves (including the tomb of Jonathan Bixby) were indicated by iron markers bearing the legend: "Revolutionary Soldier - 1777-1783, Erected by Lydia Partridge Whiting Chapter, D.A.R."

No attempt has been made in this history to give a complete record of the part the people of Newton Upper Falls played in the wars that have plagued our nation since it was founded. No doubt a complete volume could be written of their contribution from the opening shot of the Revolution to the last lingering echoes of the recent struggle in Viet Nam. However, we do include this record of one tribute the people of the village paid to those who served and who gave their lives for their country. This is from the records of the Newton Upper Falls Improvement Association:

DEDICATION OF MEMORIAL TABLET

Saturday, June 11, 1922

On the above date the Memorial Tablet bearing the names of the soldiers who served in the World War was dedicated. The monument which is the gift of the former Athletic Club (of which many of the soldiers were members) and the Improvement Society, stands on the lawn of the Emerson School.

Appropriate exercises had been arranged but were very much upset by the terrible storm and tempest which broke just as Gen. Clarence R. Edwards, the speaker of the afternoon, arrived. The Newton Constabulary Band furnished music as the people numbering about 1500 were gathering. The unveiling was by little Evelyn and Della Fisher whose uncle, Wallace Fisher, fell on the field of battle.

Mayor Childs accepted the monument for the city. Owing to the storm only about a third of the people could hear Gen. Edwards fine address which was given in the Moving Picture House.

The remainder of the company sought shelter in Emerson School Building and the Reading Room. The following formed the committee of arrangements.

Mr. A. D. Colby, Chairman Mr. James Gormerly Miss E. W. Sabin Mr. Daniel Crowley Margaret Sullivan Mr. Walter Dugan

Mr. John Temperley

(The above was recorded by Miss Ethel W. Sabin, Secretary of the Association)

Out of reluctance to eliminate any anecdotes concerning early eighteenth century episodes in John Winslow's life, we feel that this is as good a place as any to add this one.

Barely three generations from the end of the Revolutionary War and the birth of the nation, John and his friends no doubt were still basking in the glow of its achievements. Nearby Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill were fast becoming shrines and these scenes of triumphs and exciting action were still fresh in the memories of its aging survivors. John recalls one of these local heroes:

"There was one character of a different sort who interested the village boys very much. He was known as 'Daddy' Thwing and was a very old man...and lived near what was known as the South Cemetery (South Burial Ground, referred to earlier in the chapter), not far from Deacon Cook's wheelwright shop. I remember him well. He was a soldier of the Revolution and was fond of telling the boys of the battle of Bunker Hill, in which, as he said, he took a valiant part.

As he would stand by the road side on a summer day, protected by the shade of some tree, resting on his cane, looking very, very old, and tell us of Washington, whom he saw of course, and of the battles he was in, and how the soldiers suffered from the heat and cold, or for the want of rations, it would make our young blood hot with indignation..."


Copyright 1997, 1998 Kenneth W. Newcomb and The Friends of Hemlock Gorge. All rights reserved. This page last modified October 8, 1998.

To the Next Chapter, "Merchants" | To the Previous Chapter, "Public Service Buildings" | To the Table of Contents

Back to the Friends' Home Page