History of The Town of Fitchburg: Part 11


(I have skipped some pages dealing with building more
schools and public works.  One interesting sentence
indicates that town government has hardly changed.  "They
went through the process of building a new meeting house,
and of course were not exempt from the troubles and
divisions usually consequent on these occasions."

Do any of you know enough about Lunenburg to know whether
any of the old residences mentioned in the last section are
still standing?)

We have one section on bridge and road building then John
Fitch gets kidnapped by the Indians.  Bear with me.)

-------date: 1730s Lunenburg and Fitchburg still not
separated------

The condition of the highways in the early history of the
town can hardly be imagined at the present time.  For the
most part they were merely bridle paths winding through the
woods over one hill after another and making the travelled
distance between two places nearly double what it is now.
Wheeled carriages had not then been introduced.  Travelling
was performed on horseback.  In order that people might not
lose their direction, trees were marked on one side of the
way.  A few roads which would soon prove the destruction of
one of our modern carriages were laid out at an early season
near to the center of the town.  But in that part of town
which is now Fitchburg there was nothing of the kind, till,
in 1743 a committee was chosen, "to lay out and mark a way
to the west line of our town, in order to answer the request
of the Honorable Thomas Berry, Esqr. in behalf of Ipswich
Canada, (Winchendon) and to accommodate Dorchester Canada,
(Ashburnham) and the new towns above us."  The two most
important roads, which led from this part of the town to the
centre, were the one by David Page's (J.L.Haynes's) and
corresponding nearly with what is now denominated the Old
Road, and the one by David Goodridge's who lived on the
place now occupied by Wm. Bemis, near the brick factory at
South Fitchburg.

In 1745 the town voted "that the men that live in the bounds
of Maj.  Hartwells's company build the bridge over the North
Branch in the way that goes to David Goodridge's and the
bridge over the said North Branch in the way that goes to
David Page's."  At the same time, the men residing in the
bounds of Capt. Willard's company were directed to build the
bridge over "Mullepus Brook," in the northerly part of
Lunenburg.  The first of these bridges was where the arched
bridge is in South Fitchburg, and the second near to where
the stone mill is in the "Old City".  In 1748 the road was
laid out from the "south side of Appletree Hill" over the
bridge in the Old City thence over the hill and so on to
Narraganset No.2, (Westminster).

(skip a paragraph about more bridges)

What little communication there was between Lunenburg and
"the new towns above" was principally made though the road
by DAvid Page's already mentioned.  This road probably
passed the village of Fitchburg, nearly in the same place
with the present travelled way.  It then wound up the hill
by Enoch Caldwell's -- over Flat rock -- through the land
lately owned by Sylvanus Lapham -- and thence to what was
then Lunenburg west line, and into Dorchester canada.  (I
think that this is the extension of Prospect Street that
goes by Overlook Reservoir and is called Flat Rock Road.)
John Scott, who lived where Benj. Scott now resides had been
for a long time desirous of a more direct route to the
center of Lunenburg; but the town would not accede to his
wishes.  He accordingly procured a Court's committee, who
laid the present Scott road, "to the great satisfaction of
Mr. John Scott." as the records say.  This road passed from
the middle of LUnenburg by the log house where John Battles,
Jr, now lives then by Evenezer Bridge's where Deacon Jaquith
now resides and then by Scotts own house and so on to the
road before mentioned.  This Scott road was for some years
quite a celebrated thoroughfare, and used to be called the
Crown Point road.

(I have a topological map of Fitchburg.  It shows Scott Road
being the extension of {working from the east} Northfield
Road then Fisher Road then going by Saima Park as Scott Road
it fades into a dotted line until met by Flat Rock Road and
then crossing Ashby West and Ashburnham Hill Roads near
Scott Reservoir.)

Who were the earliest settlers in the territory which now
constitutes the town of Fitchburg, it is impossible to
determine with accuracy.  Enough has been said respecting
David Page.  John Scott, above mentioned appears to have
been residing on his farm in 1734 -- how much earlier I
cannot tell.  In this year was recorded the birth of his
eldest son Edward.  Jonathan Wood who was a man of
considerable note, was living on the place where Widow Grace
Wood lately lived (the last house in Fitchburg previous to
passing Baker' bridge) in 1735 when the birth of his first
child was recorded.  It is probable that he had been living
there for some time.  Samuel Poole lived on Charles
Beckwith's place before 1740 and his brother James Poole was
living at the same time where Joseph Farnsworth now lives.
David Goodridge, at quite an early period commenced on his
farm at South Fitchburg.  His house was partly on, or very
near to the spot now cccupied by the dewelling house of
William Bemis.  David Carlile lived where there is (or
lately was a cellar hole near to the bridge over Baker's
brook, on the road leading to Isaiah Putnam's.  (I know
where Putnam's pond is, does anyone know which is Baker's
Brook? Ken.)  Before 1745, Isaac Gibson was living where
widow Prudence Gibson lives.  Timothy Bancroft lived on the
farm now owned by Joseph Marshall.  Ephraim Whitney lived
where Stephen Lowe now lives -- Thomas Dutton on
Capt. Benjamin Wheeler's place -- William Henderson on Abel
Adams' farm -- John White on the French place, now occupied
by William Wyman.

(Given the reference to Marshall's farm, the names Putnam
and Scott I guess that many of these folks were living north
of the Nashua River west of Old Townsend Road. Ken)

(Coming next: "..the Indian, perceiving that it was in vain
to think of taking him alive, fired--but fortunately, owing
to he rapidity of Goodridge's motion or some other cause,
missed his mark.  The leaps of the horse down the steep part
of the hill were afterwards measured and found to be
eighteen feet in length."

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