History of Fitchburg: part 8


There is one circumstance connected with the grant of the
General Court worthy of notice.  The limits of the new
township, according to that act, (of 1718) were not to
exceed six miles square.  Yet Turkey Hills embraced the
present towns of Lunenburg, Fitchburg, and not a small
portion of Ashby.  It would puzzle a surveyor of the present
day not a little, to discover how the worthy and
conscientious progenitors of Turkey Hills contrived to get
all this territory in a space of six miles square; for
Fitchburg alone is more than six and a half miles long, and
nearly four and a half broad--Lunenburg is of about the same
aize --and add the part afterwards set off to Ashby in 1767,
and we have a territory equal to twelve miles in leangth and
six in breadth, containing at the least calculation
forty-five thousand acres.

No one, however, seems to have found fault with the survey,
and certainly people at this late period, ought to remain
satisfied with it.

In 1724 the grantees began to move into the town and occupy
their respective lots.  The first house built by Old
Governor Page has already been mentioned.  The second
dwelling house as I have been told, was built by Edward
Hartwell, Esqr., on or near the place now occupied by
Stephen Gibson.  It is about three and a half miles in a
southerly direction from the centre of Lunenburg, on the
Lancaster road.  This individual, who exercised a great
influence over the rising fortunes of the new twonship came
from Lancaster as early as 1724--perhaps earlier.  The third
was built by Dea. Philip Goodridge, on the place now
occupied by his grandson, Phinehas Goodridge, on the road
leading to Lancaster, about three miles in a southerly
direction from the middle of Lunenburg.  This house was
built in the Autumn of 1724, or early in 1725.  This
Dea. Goodridge died in January, 1729, and as I have been
informed was the first person interred in the principal
grave yard of Lunenburg.  The inscription upon his grave
stone reads thus:-- " Here lyes ye body of Mr. Phillip
Goodridge (2nd son of Mr. Joseph and Martha Goodridge) who
was born at Newbury and died at Lunenburg, Jan 16, 1728-9 in
the 60 year of his age.  The first Man interred in this
Place."  I find the deaths of several individuals recorded
previous to this time, but where they were buried I do not
know.

At a meeting of the General Court's committee, March 16th,
1726, it appears from information then laid before them that
there were twenty-six houses raised, "and ten of them
settled and inhabited."  Of these the larger portion was
probably near the centre of Lunenburg, some may have been in
that part which is now Fitchburg.  But this is a very
doubtful matter.

Amoung the names which appear on the records at an early
date are those of:

Benoni Boynton -- He probably lived near where O.&
J. Peabody now reside about one and a half miles in a
direction N.N.W. of the meeting house.

John Grout -- He had no fixed habitation and probably never
owned any real estate in Lunenburg.  He was a speculating,
moveable being and if any thing was a pettifogger by trade.

Moses Gould, Samuel Johnson -- This Johnson is said to have
lived where Luther Farwell now lives - about half a mile
northeasterly from the Methodist meeting house.

Josiah Willard -- Co. Willard lived on the "Billings place,"
on the Lancaster road a little more than two miles in a
southerly direction from Lunenburg Meeting house.  He was a
worthy man and had a great share of influence in the affairs
of the infant settlement.

Nathan Heywood -- Mr. Heywood settled in the southern
extremity of the town, on the Lancaster road, where Oliver
Whitney now dwells.  He was a man of considerable note,
having been appointed Deputy Sheriff and afterwards Crier of
the courts.  He also kept in his house what, in those days,
was dignified with the name of store, but on a very limited
scale.

Jonas Gillson, Daniel Austen -- Daniel Austen's habitation
was where Calvin Eaton lately lived.

Joshua Hutchens,
Thomas Prentice
etc.

(to be continued)

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