text: ^fc^JZSL. &% RMNMIAM 7© m Town Warrant 1775 Bristol to the Constables of the Town of Raynham or either of them Greeting — These are in his majesties Name to require you forthwith to notifie and warn the freeholders and other inhabitants of said town qualified according to law to vote in town affairs to assemble and meet at the publick meeting house in said town on Monday on the thirteenth of November next at one of the clock in the afternoon then and there (if they see cause) to act on the following articles viz lstly to chuase a moderator to regulate said meeting 2ndly to see what provision the town will make for the support of the town schools 3rdly To see if the town will vote to raise a sum or sums of money to defray town debts and those persons who have any just demands on said town are desired to bring in their bills 4thly To see if the town will vindicate the selectmen in delivering to the widow Han- nah White a small quantity of goods that were the widow Marcy Read deceased for her trouble are of said read in her last testament 5thly To see if the town will chuse one assessor and one constable to serve in said town for the present year 6thly to see what method the town will persue in the manufactoring salt petre agree- able to the advice and recommendation of the Continental Congress and Gen- eral Assembly of this coloney 7thly To see if the town will raise a sum of money to put in the treasury for the town use and you are to make due return of this warrant with your doings thereon to us the subalterns at or before the time for honoring said meeting Given under our hand and seals at Raynham aforesaid this 26th day of October 1775 and in the sixteenth year of his majesties reign 1775 Joseph Dean Selectmen of Raynham Joseph Shaw RAYNHAM 76 Published by Raynham Bicentennial Committee July 4th, 1976 © Copyright Raynham Historic Commission Raynham, Massachusetts Acknowledgements In addition to many long hours put in by the bicentennial committee, there were several contributions from many without whom this work would have been impossible. We wish to express our appreciation to Dr. LaLiberte, Chet Millett, Lois Wakefield, Bob Boule and other members of the public school department who helped so much in publicizing our booklet. Our thanks to Bill Hanna and Carolyn Owen for their contributions with a special word for the efficiency with which Mrs. Owen has catalogued pictures of historic Raynham. Bernice Fountain wrote several of our organizational histories. Tony Riggillo took several pictures, Dora Pine contributed a fine rubbing, and Roger Hill provided a fine map. To all of you who helped, our sincere thanks. Richard Hill Printed in U.S.A. All rights reserved Introduction RAYNHAM '76 is the Bicentennial Committee's final contribution to Raynham. It attempts to capsulize the Raynham of 1976 while providing some historic information about Raynham's heritage. This booklet seeks to honor the accomplishments of past citizens, serve present citizens and provide future Raynham residents with some knowledge about what Raynham did in 1976 to observe America's Bicentennial. This booklet is dedicated to past, present and future citizens of Raynham in hopes that the spirit of the bicentennial will continue. The Raynham Bicentennial Committee Richard W. Hill, Chairman Marge Largey, Secretary Robert Newton, Treasurer Robert McGuire Sandra Hill Kathleen Roberts Patrice White Table of Contents History of St. Ann's Church 6 Organizations of Town: Amariah Hall Singers 7 American Legion Post 405 7 Capeway Route 44 Businessmen's Association 9 Citizen's Scholarship Foundation 10 Conservation Commission 10 Council on Aging ■. 11 Raynham Giants 11 Historical Society 12 Human Services 13 Jaycees 13 Raynham Public Library 14 Little League 15 Raynham Lions Club 16 Raynham Police Department 18 Scouting 19 Raynham Soccer League 20 Sociable Seniors 20 Town Meeting Questions and Answers 21 The Iron Works 22 Toby Gilmore 28 Toby Gilmore & His Legends 29 Perez Fobes and His 1793 History 35 Simeon Doggett 42 Amariah Hall ; 44 Enoch Sanford 44 Raynham in 1870 46 Report of the Superintendent of Schools, 1876 47 Truant Officer's Report, 1906 52 Music Supervisor's Report, 1924 52 RN's Report, 1924 53 Walter O'Brien 54 Communication from Rainham, England 57 Raynham Celebrates the Bicentennial 57 Honorary Grand Marshalls 61 A History of Raynham? Why Not? 62 List of Subscribers 63 To God Be The Glory Parsonage of First Baptist Church 1912 Old Colony Museum First Baptist Church Reverend James C. Malkemes 494 Church Street - 823-5477 Old Colony Museum Sunday Services: Sunday School, 9:30; Morning Worship, 10:45; Evening Service, 7:00; Wednesday Evening Prayer Meeting, 7:30 Bible Study: Couples — Saturday Evening, Women — Wednesday Morning Pioneer Girls: Grades 2-6 — Thursday, 6:30; Grades 7-8 — Tuesday, 7:00 Senior High Group — Friday evening every other week Junior Boys' program throughout the year jttfvW IKUXCH *M»W*M WfcSS. V^V^^'ilL First Congregational Church of Raynham Reverend Merlin Batt 785 South Main Street - 822-6177 First Congregational Church of Raynham 1 832 Burned 1912 Old Colony Museum Sunday Service at 9:30 A.M. Church School at 9:30, nursery care provided Young Adult Group and Junior Fellowship meet throughout the year Thrift Shop every Saturday 1 :00-5:00 P.M. 4 North Raynham Congregational Church Reverend Paul Colby 1002 Broadway - 822-4576 Sunday: Sunday School, 9:30; Morning Service, 10:45; Youth Groups, 5:45; Evening Service, 7:00 Thursday: Prayer Meeting, 7:00 St. Ann's Roman Catholic Church Reverend Gerald Shovelton 660 North Main Street - 824-8604 Vigil Masses Saturday Evening, 4:15 and 5:30 Sunday Masses, 8:00, 10:00, 11:15 Sacrament of Penance, Saturday 3:00-4:00, 7:30-8:30 Daily Mass, Monday - Saturday, 9:00 A.M. History of St Ann's Church by Bernice Fountain The first Catholic Church in Raynham was established by decree of Bishop James L. Connolly on June 7, 1960. Reverend Leo T. Sullivan, assistant at Holy Name Church New Bedford became the first pastor. Temporary facilities were made available at Gilmore Hall and the first Mass in Rayn- ham was said there on June 19, 1960. On July 26, the Feast of St. Ann, the build- ing fund campaign began, and construction of the church edifice, of colonial design was be- gun on North Main Street on land formerly owned by Mrs. William Connors. Palm Sunday, March 26, 1961 was a day of rejoicing when the first mass in the new struc- ture was celebrated in the lower hall. All religious services and other meetings were conducted there while the upper church was being completed. St. Ann's Choir organized and held its first rehearsal on Tuesday, March 2 1 and sang for the Easter Vigil and Midnight Mass. Mrs. Michael Connors was organist and Mr. James Dolan the choir director. On April 5, the ladies met to establish the Women's Guild and elected Mrs. Almon Turn- er as first president. On April 6 the Men's Club was organized with Cyril Tucker presi- dent. The Solemn Blessing of St. Ann's Church was held on Sunday, July 16, 1961 with Reverend William Morris and Reverend Gerald Shovelton assisting Bishop Connolly. Mass was said at 4:00 followed by a dinner served in the church hall. In the new parish there were many notable firsts: William and Robert Navin of South Main Street were the first altar boys serving at all the masses, June 19 at Gilmore Hall, Palm Sunday, and on July 16 at the dedication Mass. Elizabeth Ann Perry, daughter of JVlr. and Mrs. David Perry of North Main Street was the first to be baptized. The first wedding was that of Lynn Curry, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Curry to David A. Burton on August 5, 1961. The first funeral was that of Edward J. Reilly formerly of White Street on August 7, 1961. The first Country Fair was on October 10, 11, and 12, 1961. First Sunday School was on October 1, 1961 with two nuns* from St. Mary's assisting ten teachers. The first CYO meeting convened on Nov- ember 10, 1961. On May 1, 1963 the first Living Rosary Ceremony was held. This became an annual tribute to the Blessed Virgin Mary and was conducted by the Women's Guild. Reverend Thomas F. Neilan assisted Father Sullivan at St. Ann's from February 8, 1962 to January of 1969. In November of 1964 an interesting project was conducted called "Come to the Feast" in which various ways of celebrating Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Holy Thursday, Easter, and Pentacost in the home in a meaningful way were demonstrated in six different homes. St. Ann's celebrated its fifth anniversary concurrently with Father Sullivan's 30th an- niversary and a celebration and dinner marked both events in June 1965. Reverend Edward Mitchell came to St. Ann's as assistant in February 1969 and re- mained for the year. In October 1969, Reverend William E. Farland was assigned as the second pastor of St. Ann's succeeding Reverend Leo T. Sullivan who was transferred to Immaculate Conception Church in North Easton. After five years, Father Farland was transferred to St. Joseph's Church in Woods Hole and in September of 1974 Reverend Gerald Shovel- ton from St. Rita's Church in Marion came to St. Ann's as its third Pastor. On January 28, 1975, Reverend Herbert T. Nichols, newly ordained was welcomed as assistant. Through his efforts and enthusiasm the newest group was organized, the altar boys — as Knights of the Altar, a national organization into which the boys were install- ed in a ceremony on June 3, 1976. Our sincere gratitude is expressed to Miss Doris Morrisey who kept a careful and very complete scrapbook, making this history possible. Amariah Hall Singers The Amariah Hall Singers are a group of vocalists begun in the spring of 1974 by Richard Hill to perform music of the period of the American Revolution. They meet twice a month for rehearsals in Mr. Hill's home on 1681 Broadway and sing five or six concerts each year. No auditions are necessary to join the group which is open to all interested per- sons from high school age up. But an ability to read music helps immeasurably. The group's first concert was for the celebration of Liber- ty and Union Week in Taunton in the fall of 1974 at First Parish Church. Two concerts of early American Christmas music have been sung in Raynham and in Easton. The group was a guest of the Council of Minutemen in Concord's First Parish Church for their ob- servance of Washington's birthday on Feb- ruary 22, 1975. Their program for this occa- sion was comprised entirely of music compos- ed at the time of Washington and heard by him. Their concerts are held in churches with historic organs or in small halls or homes. They often employ a harpsichord and other instruments in their concerts which utilize a cross section of early music from hymns and anthems to ballads, popular songs, keyboard works, and ensemble works. Anyone inter- ested in joining the Amariah Hall Singers or having them perform should contact Mr. Hill. American Legion Post 405 The Legion is a home away from home, a second home. Many wives will attest to that. Raynham's Legionnaires treat their Post Head- quarters on Mill Street as another home. The drinks are almost as cheap as at home only made by one of the several "Professionals" and the food is superb. There always seems to be at least one "expert" Polish cook on duty who can turn out a fine kale soup or some other Polish delicacy. The clam boil however should not be overlooked. The American Legion of Raynham is com- posed of the friendliest bunch of fellows in town. No one is ever lonesome at the Legion. Strangers, there aren't. People are easily ac- cepted and made to feel at home in the warm hospitality of the place, a place where this writer has enjoyed many a cold winter even- ing while the family was visiting in Florida. Chartered on January 18, 1947 under Commander Patrick Barden, the Legion has been a bulwark of support to our town. Its 43 charter members immediately took steps to mark the graves of all Raynham veterans with flags. Throughout its history the Legion has helped needy families with financial and food aid giving several Christmas baskets each year. Their clam boils and turkey raffles financed Legion charities. In 1950 the Post dedicated a memorial to all those from Rayn- ham who served during World War II in our armed forces. In a large assembly, a parade marched to the town library for dedication of the stone. In the early fifties the Legion's parties for children at Halloween and Christmas provid- ed much enjoyment in a town with as yet little organization for the youth. But of all its accomplishments, Post 405 is most proud of its initiation of Raynham's Little League. On November 6, 1957, the Post voted unanimously to adopt a motion made by Henry Kulak and seconded by Tony Burgess to .sponsor baseball for children from 9—14 years of age. The Post then established a league organization whose first officers were: President — Anthony Burgess; Vice President — Carl Sherman, William Murby; Secretary - Bob Arsenault; Treasurer — Henry Kulak. Four teams, the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force were formed. Russ Murray of the Dog Track, then owner and director donated funds for all uniforms and equipment. On May 25, 1958, opening day, a parade of lire trucks, police, and boys proceeded to the North School where the opening ceremonies were held. Post 405 now has a membership of some 175 men. To join the Legion you must have active duty service in the United States Arm- ed Forces during one or more of the wars or the Korean or Vietnam conflicts. Chester A. Bearse for whom the post was named was the first Raynham man killed in action when his plane was shot down over Europe in the early years of World War II. Today's Post 405 is a large operation. The Post originally met in Weonit Hall which burned in 1958. The Post then moved to Gilmore Hall and in 1968 bought land on which to build the present headquarters on Mill Street. A ball at the Black Mallard kicked off the building fund and after much organ- ization and fund raising, the post bought a building from Morton Hospital. Members and friends of the Legion made the place very comfortable by 1970 and all Legion activities have centered around Mill Street since. The Post continues to support needy families and the Little League. They have also made large donations to the Raynham Football Giants and numerous charities. For many years the Legion has sponsored students at Boy's and Girl's State, an honor for graduating seniors. They also donate a thousand dollar scholarship to the Bridge - water-Raynham Citizens Scholarship Fund each year. During the March of Dimes Walk- a-thon the Legion provides free refreshment to the walkers. They also sponsor poster con- tests, essay contests and oratorical competi- tions. The new Post 405 Hall was completed in time to provide a perfect setting for Jim Hauck's testimonial. It's attractive interior and capacity of up to 300 make it ideal for town functions. Also available to towns- people is the use of the pine grove with its picnic benches and twenty foot barbeque pit. Post 405 has produced more than its share of Raynham folk heros. Among these are Postmaster Carl Sherman who always seems to be in an active role on committees where work is needed. "Mitch" Roscuska who dishes out the Friday night clam boils is another hard worker. Bill Thomas and Henry Kulak served host to the Bicentennial Committee during its planning in 1976 dishing out cold cuts and cheeses to make the meetings much more tolerable. Raynham citizens who haven't met Post #405 haven't realized the potential of living in Raynham. They don't know what they're missing. Post #405 American Legion Hall (Tony Riggillo) 8 Capeway Route 44 Businessmen's Association Capeway Bowl Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 822-2304 Slips Capeway Marine Inc. Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 822-6948 Dean Electronic Center Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 824-4117 Superior Auto Body Shop Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 824-6050 United National Bank Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 823-0200 John Bright Shoe Store Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 822-0203 Sears Roebuck Co. Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 823-0701 Taunton Savings Bank Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 823-1733 Fernandes Super Market Inc. Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 823-4227 Kentucky Fried Chicken Route 44 Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 823-3394 Anderson Toyota Center Inc. Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 823-4544 Brockton Public Market Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 822-5660 Tanes on 44 Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 824-9141 First Bristol County National Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 823-2256 Donle's Firestone Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 824-8684 Newfield Insurance Agency, Inc. Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 824-5801 Sherwin Williams Co. Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 822-7391 Pirozzi Gulf Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 824-9081 Brisco Realty 1 1 Dean Street Taunton, Massachusetts 02780 824-7508 Heritage Gift Shop Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 823-7114 Mobil Service Station Route 44, Taunton, Massachusetts 02780 824-9075 McDonalds Family Restaurant Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 823-2022 or 697-3311 B— Z Cleaning Service 513 North Main Street Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 823-0189 Pilgrim Auto Route 44, Middleboro, Massachusetts 02346 947-6802 Mac's Arco Route 44, Taunton, Massachusetts 02780 822-0487 Weir Auto Sales Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 823-1781 Mello's Package Store Route 44, Lakeville, Massachusetts 947-1144 Mr. Tony Dunkin Do-Nuts Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 824-9302 Bickfords Pancake House Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 824-4691 Burger Chef Restaurant Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 824-8267 Raynham Tennis Club South Street Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 823-7022 Reliable Fence Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 823-6552 Burger King Route 44, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 823-7007 9 Citizens 9 Scholarship Foundation The Citizens' Scholarship Foundation was formed in 1962 to grant scholarships to stu- dents of the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School on the basis of merit, with the amount of the award based on need. The Citi- zens' Scholarship Foundation seeks to help all students who are qualified for education be- yond high school and are in need; not just those students who are at the top of their class. In addition, the Citizens' Scholarship Foundation seeks to help students obtain technical training as well as college degrees. The organization is organized without capi- tal stock and is operated exclusively for non- profit and educational purposes. Scholarships are awarded in the name of contributors who donate at least $100.00 to the Foundation, and the students from the regional school participate in the scholarship house-to-house drive in April. The money col- lected from the house-to-house drive and the contributors' donation is awarded to deserv- ing students from Bridgewater-Raynham Reg- ional High School at graduation. Contributors of $100. or more become members of the Board of Directors. They may also stipulate certain conditions for the award recipient including the student's career inten- tions and student record. 10 Conservation Commission by Bernice Fountain The commission was established in 1963 with three members, Jeremiah H. Callahan, Richard O'Brien, and T. Richard Leonard. In 1969 it became a five member board and was expanded to seven in 1972. At this time John Welch became chairman. In 1972 copies of the Natural Resources Study were distributed to the schools and the public library. Plans for developing a nature trail at the Raynham State Forest were completed, a contract for the Soil Survey approved at Town Meeting was signed, and a program of nature and con- servation education for children was begun using the land behind the Merrill and Junior High Schools. Mrs. Betty Thompson has serv- ed as corresponding and recording secretary since 1971. James M. Carey designed the Commission's letterhead. The Commission's aim is to pre- serve, protect, and enhance the natural re- sources of Raynham. Under Art Lazarus, the commission has begun administration of the Wetlands Protec- tion Act examining sixteen sites and develop- ing criteria for recognizing and evaluating wetlands. The Raynham State Forest work was completed. Surface Water Quality in- ventories of the towns rivers, brooks and ponds was done by Bridgewater-Raynham High School students under the guidance of the Science Club sponsor. Administrative control of the 180 acre Pine Swamp was turned over to the Commission. 8.5 acres of woodland bordering the Forge River were purchased using money from the previously established conservation fund. On this land, the site of Raynham 's first iron works, is the anchor donated by the United States Navy as a memorial to our parent industry. The Commission is affiliated with the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions and is a member of the Massa- chusetts Forest and Park Association and the Conservation Law Foundation. Ongoing activities include gifts of books to the library, information distribution to the schools with a program of speakers, send- ing a 4-H student to a conservation workshop, and participation in canoe races. Meetings are held at eight o'clock in the Junior High teachers' room on the last Thurs- day of the month. Hearings publicized in the Legal Notice section of the Taunton Daily Gazette are held in the Junior High All Purpose Room. Anyone with a vital interest in conservation who is willing to devote some time to it may become a member. Associate memberships are available to those with the interest but with- out the time to attend regular meetings. Council on Aging Raynham Giants The Council on Aging of the Town of Raynham was founded in 1972 at the direc- tion of the Selectmen. The first meeting was held on April 21, 1972 in the Town offices. At that first meeting were: Remington Elting, chairman; Raymond Milliken, vice-chairman; Janice Rylander, secretary and Mary Varao, treasurer. Other members were: Newcomb Reid, Rev. John P. Christensen and Rev. Charles Wakefield. Since that first date the Council on Aging has met regularly through the ensuing years with a very high degree of enthusiasm and attendance. Much has been accomplished by the Council for the elderly of Raynham. The Secretary is apologetic if he slips up and just doesn't remember or catch all that has been done. The Council has sponsored trips, luncheons, drop-in center, transportation services, referral services, clinics, ID cards, newsletters, card files on all over 60 years of age, affiliated with CIRCA, Cape and the Islands Regional Coun- cils on Aging, applied for State funds, spon- sored Cape Cod Senior Citizens' Chorus in concert, arranged for discounts for the elderly from various businesses, been concerned for real estate tax relief for the elderly, been con- cerned about Housing for the Elderly, Christ- mas remembrances were sent the elderly over eighty years of age, and is looking forward to Bi-Centennial Week in Raynham to sponsor a party for all Senior Citizens sixty years and over. In the course of time we had two resigna- tions from the Council on Aging and lost Janice Rylander by death. The Council on Aging membership now is as follows: Ralph Hagan, chairman; Raymond Milliken, vice- chairman; Rev. John P. Christensen, secretary and Mary Varao, treasurer. Other members are: Remington Elting, Barbara O'Brien and Walter Francis. The Council takes this opportunity to thank any and all who helped in any way through these few years to be of assistance to the ELDERLY CITIZENS of the Town of Raynham. The Council on Aging wishes to thank the Selectmen for their continuing sup- port without which there would be no pro- program in Raynham. The Council on Aging pledges itself in this year of Bi-Centennialism to be ever alert to the needs of the Elderly of this wonderful Town. Rev. John P. Christensen Secretary The Raynham Giants Junior Football Team was established in the fall of 1970 to teach 9-13 year old boys the basic fundamentals of football. The league consists of six teams from the greater Taunton area. Between August and November, the Giants play each other team in the league twice. Games are played on Donald Bryer Field, a regulation 100 yard field in eight minute quarters with modified NCAA rules. Football players, cheerleaders, and Pep Squads practice several times a week in preparation for Sunday after- noon games. Financial support comes from donations, dances, and other activities. In its short history, the "Big Red" has won two league championships and twice been runner up. The cheerleaders have won three consecutive league cheerleading titles. From 45-50 boys and girls participate in the pro- gram annually. The program is open to all children who are ten to thirteen years old. Football players must weigh between 75 and 120 pounds. All must be Raynham residents. The team was founded by Don Bryer. Presi- dent is Cliff Bettencourt,, Secretary-Treasurer is Jack Roche and Head Coach is Mike Fitz- simmons. His assistants are Dave Yelle, Neil Joseph, Bill Tripp, and Ted Hutchins. Sharon Joseph, Pam Taft, and Joan Sypher coach the cheerleaders and pep squad. 11 Historical Society Recognizing the need to preserve data and artifacts relating to Raynham and its people, a group of interested residents were induced to form the Raynham Historical Society. By- laws for its orderly functioning were adopted and officers elected on June 8, 1972. Since that date, growth has been steady to the present membership of ninety-eight, eight of whom are life members. The six member- ship meetings each year have averaged more than thirty members in attendance to hear programs on a wide variety of historical sub- jects. Of equal enjoyment to many is the op- portunity for social contact with others having common interests. Most of the meet- ings are held in the Stone Church, on the corner of South Main and Orchard Streets. The cataloging of all the local cemeteries has been one of the ongoing projects of prime historical importance. The Society has good copies of an ancient map of the area for sale at a nominal price, and shortly will have copies of a cookbook of old and tasty recipes available. A most cordial welcome is extended to all interested individuals to visit and participate in the activities of the Raynham Historical Society. Timothy Jones House, oldest home in Raynham owned by Raymond Milliken, Pleasant Street (Old Colony Museum) Human Services The Raynham Human Service Association is a Community Growth Center which was established in the beginning of January 1974 with the philosophy of a community oriented association. The purpose of the association is the coordination of community, state, and federal resources for social, recreational and counseling activities to help meet the needs of the community of Raynham. The counseling component of the associa- tion includes individual, marital, family, and team problem solving counseling. The social and recreational activities presently include a weekly mother's group, an after school arts and crafts program for children in grades three through five, and periodical seminars which are relevant to the community of Raynham. The past and future has and will include the continuation of the "Operation Green Thumb" garden project, where plots are allocated for vegetable growing, and the "Task for Teens" project which offers mutual benefit for unemployed teenagers and the Raynham residents in need of their services. The association also has a well established thrift shop which is open on Wednesday and Saturday. The staff at the Raynham Human Service Association includes full-time directors, com- munity mental health nurse, community mental health worker and a part-time staff of a psychiatrist and psychologist. All the staff members are trained to provide either direct counseling services or information and referral to proper agencies when necessary. The Raynham Human Service Association is located at King Philip House on 1 King Philip Street off of South Main Street. The facility is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and the phone number is 823-7432. For emergencies during the non- working hours a hot line staff can be reached at 823-5700. The Raynham Human Service Association is designed to service the popu- lation of Raynham with no eligibility require- ments for services. Jaycees The Raynham Jaycees were founded in May 1975 by a group of young men inter- ested in the welfare of Raynham. The Rayn- ham Jaycees Inc. are affiliated with the Massa- chusetts and United States Jaycees. The purpose of the Jaycees Organization are leadership training, and community devel- opment. Leadership training is provided through community development activities. The typical Jaycee approach to community problems is usually more action oriented than that of any other organization. The mem- bers will, if necessary work thousands of hours to actually complete a project. Since its inception in May 1975, the Raynham Jaycees have been involved in um- piring the Little League, running the Cystic Fibrosis campaign, a town attitudinal survey and have taken a major role in the town's Bicentennial celebration. The President of the Raynham Jaycees is Charles Fallo of 537 Pleasant Street, Internal Vice-President is Richard Fiske of 379 Robin- son Street, the External Vice-President is John Howard of 151 Elizabeth Drive. The total membership of the Jaycees for 1976 is 48 members. Anyone interested in joining who is between 18 and 35 years of age can contact these officers or write to Raynham Jaycees, P.O. Box 207, Raynham Center, Mass. 02767. In this bicentennial year the Jaycees have been instrumental in providing the manpower for operation of the parade and in helping to carry out several important jobs relative to the celebration. Jaycee members have been extremely faithful in their attendance at Bicentennial Meetings and in following through on execution of their assignments. 13 Raynham Public Library by Kathleen Roberts How long has the Town of Raynham had a free public library? In tracing the origin and development of the library, one finds in Raynham the value and pleasure derived from good books and a recognition that a town with a library can offer more to its citizens was recognized as early as April 7, 1888. On that date 93 citizens signed the library's first report indi- cating "We the undersigned of Raynham wishing to add to the educational advantages of the town, and knowing how great the need is of a well-equipped library that shall be free, under proper conditions, to every person re- gardless of sex, creed, or color, do hereby form ourselves into an association for the vagrants could put up for the night and get a meal. The "Tramp House" was a very small building containing two rooms one of which was used chiefly for children's books. In 1949, the present library building was dedicated. In 1961, the library took a step forward and transformed the lower floor into a Children's Room. Again the rapid growth of the town necessitated enlarging facilities. In 1971, inspired by Past President Alfred Gar- shick and Robert Newton, work was begun to expand the facilities of the library to its present size. The library is run by a board of directors headed by a president. There have been 21 presidents over the years, including three Raynham Public Library (Tony Riggillo) purpose of establishing and maintaining such a library, and we individually and collectively agree to aid and assist the objects of this association to the best of our ability." Originally the library was housed in Dean Hall which was located on the site of John- son's Pone Memorial Park from 1907-1903. From 1903 until 1947 the library was housed in the town "Tramp House". This house, located near the site of the present town of- fices, was originally used as a place where ladies. Mrs. Kathleen Roberts, the current president, has served in that capacity since January, 1973. The directors are elected from the mem- bership of the Raynham Library Association consisting of approximately 249 members. Any resident of Raynham, interested in help- ing the library, is eligible for membership in the Raynham Library Association. There is always a need for good workers. The Associa- tion meets only once a year. The board of 14 directors meets at the library seven times a year. In its infancy, the library association com- bined business with pleasure and had money- making ventures such as a "pink Tea Party" in its first year of its organization. Subse- quently such social activities as clam bakes and a "Butterfly Party," were held to raise funds for the library. Activities sponsored by the library in re- cent years included travelogues on England, Ireland, Africa and Greece. Other features offered were talks on Lincoln, King Philip, and Sport Broadcasting. Last fall, as part of its bicentennial activities, the library pre- sented a style show of clothes worn from colonial times to the gay nineties. The library's most successful programs have been those for children. Each year since 1961 in June the library association has sponsored a birthday party for the Children's Library. Refreshments, including a large birth- day cake, cookies, and punch, are provided by association members. New children's books are on display. These may be purchased for library use. The donor's name is inscribed on the fly-leaf of the book. For entertainment we have had the Children's Museum Zoomo- bile, pet shows, costume parades, bike and doll carriage decorating. As many as four hundred at one time have participated in these birthday parties. For several years the teachers of the town have presented programs after school, Sat- urdays or vacation time for the children at the library such as an African safari, Easter egg hunt, book binding, making and painting plaster of Paris plaques and jewelry, and art programs. This year the Association started a news- letter which is mailed not only to association members but to all card-holding families giv- ing news of library activities, services, and new acquisitions such as the new copying machine now the property of the library and a permanent feature. Current library hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 1 to 8 P.M. and Sat- urday from 12 to 5 P.M. Mrs. Alice Miller has held the post of librar- ian since 1961. Assisting her are Mrs. Marie Ventura and Mrs. Marilyn Wood. Association officers besides Mrs. Roberts are Marilyn Krajcik, 1st Vice President; Roberta Rodgers, 2nd Vice President; Maxine Englund, Secretary; Donald Guthrie, Treas- urer; and directors Evelyn Moura, Janine Bowes, Robert Newton, Paull Cushman, Reginald Nickerson and Alfred Garshick. Little League Little League in Raynham started in 1958 by the American Legion and was sponsored by the Raynham Dog Track. The President of the League, at that time, was Tony Burgess. It was started with 60 boys which made up four teams. The managers at that time was Carl Sherman, Gus Oliver, Fred Glavin and Bill Murby. In 1967, Alden Cooley became President and Tony Burgess became treasurer, and Connie DeSouza was secretary. In 1974, John Lynn was elected president, Tom LaFleur was vice-president, secretary was Arthur Hubert, and Mark Sheehan was treasurer. In this bicentennial year, Little League has a registration of 409 boys and girls, making up 10 major league teams and 14 minor league teams. One of the original managers, Carl Sherman, is still managing today. The officers of Little League today are: John Lynn President Barry Sanders Vice-President Arthur Hubert Secretary Mark Sheehan Treasurer 15 Raynham Lions Club The Raynham Lions Club was founded by thirty-eight men at Weonit Hall on February 13, 1946, making it the oldest service organ- ization in town. Lions International is the world's largest service organization with clubs located in countries throughout the free world. Lions have been instrumental in eye research programs and in development of new ways to treat eye disease and blindness. In its thirty years, the Raynham Lions Club has provided for hundreds of local needs. In its early years, the Lions added valuable as- sistance to the public schools donating and erecting the first basketball stantions still in use behind the North, Center, and South Schools. They donated the first movie pro- jector used in the schools and operated a competitive school spelling bee among the three schools the trophy of which was retired by the North School. Their Halloween and Christmas parties for the youngsters were eagerly awaited events in the early fifties. The Lions and Legion cooperated to floodlight Johnson's Pond for skating and the Lions provided instruments for the first school band. King Lion David Fisher, Congresswoman Margaret Heckler, Kenneth (Cornflakes) Kellogg and his wife at the Lion's 30th Anniversary Celebration, Carl's Restaurant (Tony Riggillo) To finance further service projects, the Lions began in 1952 an annual orgy that still survives called "The Game Supper" which continues to be the local stag special event of the winter. Tables are laden with venison, bear steak, raccoon, stuffed bass, moose, wild goose, wild duck, and the favorite, hunter's pie. Occasional surprises such as wild moun- tain lion appear along with the traditional vegetables and Indian pudding dessert. An- other tradition of the Game Supper has been the raffle with the stentorian voice of William "Bottles" Squires. "Bottles" who joined the club in 1955, got his nickname from his former ownership of the Milk Bottle on Broadway. Lions are quite particular about their nicknames, especially in Raynham where the practice has achieved new "depths". A new member has an oppor- tunity to suggest a nickname after which nominations are made from the floor with a majority vote the deciding factor. Some of the more original choices have been Bunker Hill, Tax Hall, Pineapple Dole, Stagnant Poole, Stinky Thompson, Smoky Januse, Popeye Olson, Fig Newton, Habeas Cushman, Creeper Briggs, Ding Dong Bellamy, Leaky Goslin, Sawdust Williams, Wink Lewis, Choo Choo Derby, Greasy Markowski, Boondocks Cameron, Zipper Secatore, Shades DeCosta, Kingfish Fisher, Red Baron Manning, Corn- King Lion for 1976-77 Antone (Shades) DaCosta and Senator John Parker at 30th Anniversary (Tony Riggillo) flakes Kellog, Gassy Seymour, Red Baron Manning, Machine Gun Kelly, Hi Ho Tokarz, Blueberry Hill, and Robin Hood Waldron. The Lions are a service group who enjoy socializing. Weonit Hall is long since gone but the club has continued its meetings at Gil- 16 more Hall, Butterworths, and finally Carls where they meet on the first and third Thurs- days of each month gathering at 6:30 and having dinner at 7:30. Meetings are high- lighted with special programs of importance and interest to members. Lions are men who enjoy diversity. Many find Lions a perfect spot to meet different kinds of people, to hear differing ideas and opinions and to enjoy each others company regardless of these differences. Native Rayn- hamites whose families have lived here for generations mingle with those who moved to town last month. Their common bond is a community interest. This year the Raynham Lions Club spon- sors a Little League Team, the Raynham Lions who won the championship last year. They sponsor a Cub Scout Pack and annually donate money to the Boy and Girl Scouts. For years they have aided needy families and sent annual contributions to Eye Research. Since its founding the club has continued collection of eyeglasses for use in other coun- tries. Last year members built some forty chairs for Paul Dever State School. For sev- eral years the Lions operated a community band which was held together by the leader- ship of the late "Doc" Heywood and begun by "Buff" Viles. Organizations such as the Marathon House and the Raynham Human Services Center have also benefitted from their help. In this bicentennial year the Lions are donating invaluable service to Raynham. An anchor to commemorate the "Anchor Forge" has been donated to the town by the United States Navy. The Lions are providing a con- crete foundation upon which to rest the anchor, transporting it here from Newport, R.I. and restoring it to a suitable condition. The Lions are also hosting a dance on the evening of Saturday, May 15, preceded by a chicken barbeque, all as part of the week long bicentennial observation. Dick (Red Baron) Manning and wife enjoy a hearty chuckle at Lions 30th (Tony Riggillo) Last year, the club began an annual Eye Re- search Dance to replace the annual light bulb sale in raising funds for Eye Research. In 1961 the Lions Club began its annual scholarship drive which results in a donation to a worthy Raynham student. The club chooses a committee of citizens to award a thousand dollars annually to one or more recipients. The Lions Club then is a viable force in the Raynham of 1976 embodying the "Spirit of '76" in its service to the community and in its fellowship of men from differing back- grounds and occupations. To join the club one need only speak to a member. To be a Lion is to be concerned, involved, and work- ing together with some good fellows for some worthy causes. Welcome! 17 Raynham Police Department by: Detective Michael Folcik Raynham Police Dept. Prior to 1930, the Town of Raynham had no full-time Police Officers or a Police Depart- ment. The Town and State Laws were admin- istered by Constables appointed on a yearly basis by the Board of Selectmen, which gov- erned the Town. As time went on and the Town grew, Al- mond White was appointed the first Police Chief in 1930, on a part-time basis. Also at this time many part-time Special Police Of- ficers were appointed to serve the Chief, but there was still no full-time Police force. Almon K. White, Raynham's First Police Chief (Patrice White) In 1952, Russell M. Reid, Jr. was promoted from Special Officer to Chief, on a full-time basis and was the only full-time officer on the force. During the year of 1957, George R. O'Brien was promoted from a Special Of- ficer to full-time Lieutenant. During those days, all Police Department business was conducted from the homes of Reid & O'Brien. The Police telephones, burglar alarms and two way radios were in- stalled in both their homes and their wives served as dispatchers. The work day con- sisted of two shifts of 7:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M. - 7:00 A.M., seven days a week. In 1957, the Town constructed a new Town Building on Orchard Street, and the first Police Station was included in the rear of the building. It consisted of two small rooms for office space. At the present time, this same station is being utilized by the Police Department. Since this meager beginning, the Town now has a full-time force consisting of eleven men including the Chief, who are appointed under the rules of Civil Service of the Common- wealth of Massachusetts. All the men on the Department now receive twelve weeks of basic training and specialized training yearly. Many of the men on the Department have degrees in Law Enforcement or are currently attending college. Today, the Town owns three Police vehicles which are fully equipped for all emergencies. Under today's administration of Chief Peter King, many changes are being implemented for the future, which includes a new Police Station with its own lockup, a full-time De- tective, and possibly additional manpower. Up to this time, Raynham has had a total of nine Police Chiefs. A list and dates of of- fice is as follows: 1st Almond White 1930-1934 2nd Joseph Varo 1935-1936 3rd Frank Copeland 1936-1940 4th George Cabana 1941-1942 5th Harold Whitmarsh 1943-1948 6th Theodore Hutchins 1949-1951 7th Russell Reid 1952-1973 8th George R. O'Brien 1973-1975 9th Peter King 1975-Present 18 Scouting TROOP 42 Boy Scouts of America is spon- sored by the First Congregational Church in Raynham Center. The troop meets with Scoutmaster Gordon Francis on Wednesday evenings at the Lillie B. Merrill School at seven o'clock. Affiliated with Annawaon Council in Taunton, as all Cub and Boy Scout units in this town are, Troop 42 was organ- ized in 1957, making it the oldest active troop in town. In its early years, it turned out a dozen Eagle Scouts many of who are now in successful careers and several of whom are finishing their education. Troop 42 empha- sizes patrol activities and individual initiative. They are an active camping troop in which the boys take a large share of responsibility. It is the philosophy of the troop that re- sponsibility is best learned when it is given. TROOP 43 is sponsored by St. Anne's Church where its meetings are held each Tuesday at seven o'clock. Troop 43 was founded in 1962. It's Scoutmaster is Ray- mond Bellemore, 1125 Broadway (telephone 824-6802). The emblem of Raynham's Iron Foundry is worn on the neckerchiefs of this troop which is one of the top troops in the council. No article on Scouting in Raynham should omit the name of the man who gave much of his life to Cubs, Boy Scouts and Explorers, Granderson "Gus" Shove. To many, Gus Shove was the Mr. Scout in town and we hope that a future history of Raynham will utilize his background of knowledge for an exciting chapter on the history of scouting in town. CUB SCOUT PACK 33, Raynham's oldest pack is sponsored by the First Congregational Church. The pack holds monthly meetings at Merrill School and weekly den meetings around town. Cubmaster is Mike Pollock of Shady Lane. Annual activities include the Pinewood Derby where Cubs race their model cars down the inclined track after weeks of trauma by fathers and mothers at producing a winning car. Blue and Gold banquets, Christmas Parties, shows, and scouting dem- onstrations all highlight the Cub year. CUB PACK 43 is sponsored by the Rayn- ham Lions Club. The Pack meets at St. Anne's Church on the last Thursday of each month. Cubmaster is Steve Savina. CUB PACK 1 1 meets on the fourth Mon- day of the month at seven o'clock at Gilmore Hall. Sponsored by the Raynham Police As- sociation, the pack is headed by Cubmaster Harvey Alden. The GIRL SCOUTS of Raynham have a most efficient organization. They are affiliat- ed with the Plymouth Bay Council. Ten units of Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, and Seniors comprise the Raynham Girl Scout program. Brownies are from ages six to eight, Juniors from nine to eleven, Cadettes from twelve to fourteen, and Seniors from fifteen to eighteen. A Service Unit coordinates Girl Scout activi- ties in Raynham, and acts as liaison with the Plymouth Bay Girl Scout Council. President of the service unit and liaison to the council is Linda Belenger of Carver Street. Joanna Alden of Carver Street is Service Unit Admin- istrator and Troop organizer. Persons desir- ing to enroll their children in the Girl Scout Program need only contact Mrs. Alden. A Bicentennial booklet's article on Girl Scouting would be remiss if it did not men- tion the prime Girl Scout leader in Raynham who was honored at the Girl Scout National Bicentennial Convention this year for her fifty years of service to Girl Scouting. The author can attest to the dedication of Mrs. Frances Hill to Girl Scouting through her years of troop leadership. Camp Director- ship and individual service to Girl Scouts. A future history of Raynham should indeed include an article on Girl Scouting with long interviews from Mrs. Hill who kept Girl Scouting alive here for years. 19 Rarnham Soccer League The Raynham Soccer League has grown during the past four years from two back- yard teams of twenty-five boys to more than six teams of eighty boys and twenty girls and a formalized playing program. 1975 saw that program branch out to play teams from West and East Bridgewater. In 1976, the Raynham Soccer League joined the South Shore Soccer League encompassing Brockton, Abington, West and East Bridgewater, Bridge- water, Foxboro and Rockland. South Shore League games will be played on Sunday by teams of boys age 8-10, 11-12, and 13-14, and girls 8-12. The regular Raynham Soccer League games will continue to be played on Saturday. Gordon Francis (Tel. 823-8317) Sociable Seniors The Sociable Senior Citizens of Raynham was organized in January 1972, under the direction of Amelia Coughlin, Gertrude Marion, and members of the Taunton Council on Aging. The first officers were Edward Carr— Presi- dent; Ruth Travers— Vice-President; Janice Rylander — Secretary, Raymond Milliken — Treasurer, and Bernice Fountain chaplain. The first regular meeting was held Febru- ary 2, 1972 with 25 present. Membership is now limited to 125. Those 80 or older may be life members paying no dues. Raynham residents 60 or older may apply to the mem- bership secretary and attend the meetings as a guest until acceptance is possible. Meetings are held the first and third Wed- nesdays at 1:30 in the downstairs of the First Congregational Church except for July and August. 20 Town Meeting, Questions and Answers What is a town meeting? The town meeting is the legislative body of the town government just as the State Legis- lature and the Congress are legislative bodies in state and national governments. However the town meeting in Raynham differs in that each person represents himself and has a right to be heard. Who may vote at a town meeting? All registered voters in the town may vote. Registration of voters closes fourteen days prior to a special town meeting and twenty- five days before a regular town meeting. What is the difference between a regular and a special town meeting? Regular town meetings are held beginning on the third Monday in May for as long as it takes to transact the business. Special town meetings may be called by the Selectmen during the year. How are town residents notified of town meetings? Meetings are posted seven days in advance by publication of the warrants in local news- papers. What is a warrant? A warrant is a list of all the articles to be voted on at the town meeting. Who may place an article on a warrant? Any town department may submit an article. Any group of twenty voters may also submit an article. What is the deadline for submission of arti- cles for the town meeting? All articles to be acted on at the regular May town meeting must be submitted to the Town Clerk and the Selectmen by February 10 preceding. All articles to be acted on at special town meetings must be submitted at least two weeks before the meeting. Is discussion allowed at town meeting on topics other than the articles on the warrant? No discussion is allowed unless it pertains to the articles on the warrant. What constitutes a quorum at a town meet- ing? A quorum is the necessary number of voters to transact business. There must be at least 200 voters present to act on articles deal- ing with one thousand dollars or more. A quorum of twenty-five voters is sufficient to take action on non money articles including changes in zoning by-laws and in articles deal- ing with sums less than a thousand dollars. Who is in charge of the town meeting? The Moderator who is elected at the an- nual town election presides over the town meeting. No one may speak unless recognized by the moderator. The moderator has the power to limit discussion on articles. Once he feels that all sides of a question have been raised and that further discussion is only repetitious he may call for a vote. Board of Selectmen L-R: Don McKinnon, Executive Secretary Brian Newton, Don Francis, Harry Carey (Tony Riggillo) 21 Can a voter at the town meeting call for a vote? Yes, a voter who feels that discussion has been exhausted on an article may move the question. The moderator will hear a second on the question and determine himself whether it is a fair time to vote after which he may allow a vote on the question and an immediate vote on the article. How can a voter interrupt action when he feels that an insufficient amount of time has been provided in which to explore the issues of an article? The voter can call for a POINT OF ORDER which implies that the meeting has deviated somewhat from proper order in not allowing a side to be heard. A point of order must cease all action at the town meeting until it has been clarified and acted upon by the moderator. What recourse does a voter have who feels that the moderator does not deal fairly with his powers? The voter can support another candidate for moderator in the town election or run himself for the seat. Is it possible to change the figures in a money article? Yes, a money article can be amended downward all the way to zero but proposed budgets may not be increased by the town meeting. A new budget with increased figures must be prepared and submitted to a suc- cessive town meeting to accomplish this. What is reconsideration? Reconsideration is an action of the town meeting requiring a two thirds majority that can bring up an article previously acted upon in that meeting. Once the article has been passed for reconsideration by the two thirds vote, it stands as if it were a new article, not before voted upon. When is an article safe from reconsidera- tion? It is safe after reconsideration has been moved and defeated. Is it necessary to move for an article to be defeated in order to dismiss it? No. It is sufficient to vote down the mo- tion to accept the article. Who may make a motion? Any voter may move an article or second it. Once an article is moved and seconded it is open for discussion after which a vote is taken. How may votes be taken? A moderator has three options. He can call for a voice vote which he determines by its sound volume. If a shouting match ensues the moderator may call for a standing vote in which he will appoint tellers to count the house. At the request of a voter or in ques- tions of personal nature, he may call for a secret ballot which will be distributed, col- lected, and counted. Obviously the moderator will seek to determine most votes by voice in the interests of brevity. The moderator is em- powered to decide whether a voice vote is in the affirmative or the negative but reason- able challenges can result in standing or secret votes. What roll does the finance committee play in the annual town meeting? The finance committee in Raynham is an appointed body whose duty is to review the proposed expenditures of town departments and make a judgement as to whether or not the town should attempt to meet these ex- penses. Ideally, a finance committee should have a member who becomes an expert in the budget of each department. If questions on the budget are answered by a finance com- mittee member who has studied the budget, he is apt to be much more objective in his answer than a member of the department who has submitted the budget. However, the bud- get making process has become complex and many times department heads are the only ones qualified to speak on their budgets. It is in the best interest of citizens for them to become as well informed about all depart- ment budgets as they can. Some departments such as the school department hold separate budget hearings for informational purposes. How is the school budget different from other department budgets? Obviously it is considerably higher. But the most important consideration is that a school budget may not be reduced by a town meet- ing except by the town placing itself in the jeopardy of a ten taxpayer suit and a resulting court fine of up to 25% of the total budget. What recourse does a voter have who feels that the school committee is overspending? He should either run for school committee himself or back a candidate who shares his philosophy. Why must the town vote money for the American Legion and the VFW? It is a state law that they must take this action annually. Why is the dog fund paid to the public library? It is a tradition peculiar to Raynham to turn the dog fund over to the library and no article has ever been prepared in recent mem- ory to pay the dog fund anywhere else. 22 The Iron Works by Richard w. hhi The first industry established in the old colony of Plymouth was the iron industry. Eastern Massachusetts had an abundance of iron ore in swamps, along river banks and on the bottoms of ponds. John Winthrop, first Governor of Massachusetts Bay urged the establishment of furnaces to smelt this ore and around 1643, Scot laborers who were actually prisoners taken by Oliver Cromwell in the English Civil War were brought to Massachusetts and furnaces were built, first at Saugus in 1647, and later at Braintree in 1649. These enterprises quickly ran short of iron ore and within two years the fires at Saugus died. status to the clergy who were the upper strata of the seventeenth century. Production was dependent upon a ready supply of ore and a constant source of charcoal. Scot colliers were specialized in the production of charcoal. They cut the trees for acres around the fur- nace, sawing them into suitable lengths and stacking them carefully into a pile over which was placed clumps of sod. Once the kiln was prepared, the firing was ready. When the col- lier started his fire he had to guard it closely day and night. There was always the danger of it burning too fast and destroying the char- coal. Then, the fire might also extinguish. It had to burn slowly and constantly, baking House of James Leonard shown around 1890, built in 1653, first house built in Raynham (Old Colony Museum) Meanwhile in the new settlement of Taun- ton bought from Massasoit in 1630, for two shillings an acre, iron ore was found in quan- tity on the banks of the Two Mile River in what is now Raynham. 600 pounds were raised and a stock company organized that included the most prominent Plymouth Col- ony and Bay Colony citizens. In 1652, James and Henry Leonard and Ralph Russell, form- erly in the Braintree works moved to the Two Mile River, built a home, and began construc- tion of a furnace. By 1656, the furnace pro- duced its first iron ware. Iron production was the most sophisti- cated process of its day and the "Ironmaster" as James Leonard was called was equal in the impurities out of the wood and turning it into pure charcoal. The furnace was an imposing affair. The chimney rose some thirty feet in the air and was so constructed that wagons could be backed to the top of it and ore shoveled di- rectly down the smoke stack. Once the fur- nace was charged, it burned twenty-four hours a day. Starting the fires was a complex process and they could seldom if ever be al- lowed to burn out. The charcoal would be placed in the chimney first followed by the bog ore and a fluxing agent such as sea shells that helped the ore separate from the dirt. Massive blasts from a huge bellows tripped by a water wheel directed more oxygen into 23 the furnace and the flames that belched from the stack could be seen for miles around. After the iron melted, it settled to the bottom of the furnace with the impure mater- ials known as slag rising to the top. The slag was raked off and piled in the huge heaps that now cross South Street. A tap in the bottom of the furnace was opened and the molten iron ran out into a large hole dug in the sand, (a sow) and trickled out of this into smaller molds (pigs). Here it was allowed to cool and harden. These lumps of pure iron were now ready for their chemical change into a primi- tive steel. The pig iron was lifted from the sand and carried to the "Bloomerie", a separate shop nearby that contained a gigantic trip hammer In early Taunton, iron soon became a cur- rency in which taxes and salaries were paid. A visitor to Taunton in 1660 described it as "a pleasant place, seated among the windings and turnings of a handsome river, and hath good conveyance to Boston by cart." By 1670, Taunton was the richest town in Plymouth Colony. But King Philip's War soon changed this. The fires were allowed to burn out. Colliers refused to cut wood with the Indian menace. And two years passed before iron production resumed. But through the seventeenth and into the eighteenth century the industry continued. Its predecessors having given up, and its suc- cess assured, we can rightfully claim for our View of the trip hammer from the Old Raynham Forge taken in 1880 Note the trips on the shaft that lifted the beam holding the hammer (Old Colony Museum) operated through a system of trips on a shaft from a water wheel. The pig iron was reheated in a hot fire and held under a hammer that beat it into a red hot pancake shape that glowed with its heat and "bloomed". In this process, carbon was being combined with the iron to make it much stronger and ready to withstand much wear. The blooms were then fashioned into nails, spikes, kettles, skillets, anchors, chains, and wheel covers. For a per- fect understanding of this process, the reader is urged to visit the iron works restoration in Saugus run by the National Park Service. parent industry, the title of the first suc- cessful ironworks in America. By 1731, when Raynham separated from Taunton, many of the stock holders were liv- ing in Raynham. John Wales, Raynham's first minister married the granddaughter of James Leonard. The first Raynham meeting house was built a short distance from the iron works in 1731 and used until 1773. The Taunton River offered perfect trans- portation opportunities both for export of iron ware and import of ore once the supply 24 in the immediate area was gone. By 1767, however, the supply of good ore was at a premium. By this time iron manufacturers were common throughout Southeastern Mas- sachusetts. Carver, Middleboro, Taunton, Norton and Easton all had one of more fur- naces most founded by children or grand- children of James Leonard. The shares in the Raynham business began to depreciate in value. So after three generations of Leonards had supervised this enterprise, it was sold to Josiah Dean. Dean began a nail works and a rolling mill. He also set up a manufactory for copper bolts but it was chiefly out of bog ore, until that kind was much exhausted in these parts, and then a rich treasure was opened in Middle- boro, which had been long hid from the in- habitants. About the year 1747, it was dis- covered there was an iron mine in the bottom of our great pond at Assowamset; and after some years, it became the main ore that was used in the town, both at furnaces and forges, and much of it has been carried into the neighbouring places for the same purpose. Men go out with boats, and make use of instruments much like those with which oysters are taken to get up the ore from the bottom of the pond. Raynham 's First Meeting House built on Richmond Street in 1731 (Old Colony Museum) to be used in ship building, the first such production in Southeastern Massachusetts. Bolts for the first sloops and frigates of the fledgling United States Navy were cast here. He continued in this line of business until 1825. A letter on the subject of iron ore was written in Middleboro by the Reverend Isaac Backus on July 25, 1794. "Vast quantities of iron, both cast and wrought, have been made in this part of the country, for more than a hundred years past; I am told that, for a number of years, a man would take up and bring to shore, two tons of it in a day; but now it is so much ex- hausted, that half a ton is reckoned a good day's work for one man. But in an adjacent pond is now plenty, where the water is twenty feet deep, and much is taken up from that depth, as well as from shoaler water. It has also been plenty in a pond in the town of Carver, where they have a furnace upon the stream which runs from it. Much of the iron which is made from this ore is better than 25 Ruins of Anchor Forge shown in 1 880 (Old Colony Museum) *.vj.- . : > Marker on Site of Old Iron Works (Tony Riggillo) 26 they could make out of bog ore, and some of it is as good as almost any refined iron . . ' The above letter sheds some light on one of the sources of ore that kept the Raynham fires burning so much longer than those in surrounding towns. In 1825, Major Eliab Dean took charge of the plant and converted to the sole manu- facture of anchors in which the works contin- ued until 1876 when cheaper and more modern steel making processes in Pittsburg and elsewhere forced the local iron manu- facturers out of business. For 51 years, the Anchor Forge produced anchors for seagoing vessels in Taunton and up and down the coast. Civil War contracts with the United States Navy saw several anchors cast for use on ironclad Monitors. And in 1976, the Navy took the occasion to send an anchor back to Raynham. Much more has to be written about these iron works. There is a wealth of social history in court records. Samuel Eliot Morison in his Story of OLD COLONY OF NEW PLY- MOUTH, describes the humor with which a Plymouth Court dealt with a Scot's servant. It seems that this Scot employed at the iron works, seduced a young Irish married woman when her husband was absent. The court found the pair guilty, and the husband too, for leaving his wife alone and "exposing her to temptation." So all three, husband, wife, and lover, sat in the stocks side by side. Old Colony museum contains the complete records of the iron works a collection that should be researched and published for our further understanding of the unique heritage of Raynham. 27 Toby Gilmore By William F. Hanna The passage of time obscures men and events, sometimes making history and legend so intertwined as to be almost inseparable. On the stage of great events the deeds of heroes appear even more daring, while the infamy of villains seems all the more treacher- ous. Legend embroiders the fabric of history. So it may have been with Toby Gilmore and his role in the American Revolution. It is a fact that the boy who became Toby Gilmore lived the first sixteen years of his life in Africa, the son of a local chieftain. His name was Shibodee Turrey Wurry and as he developed physically it became apparent that he was also a boy of intelligence. One day, in Hat worn by Toby Gilmore during the Revolution (Tony Riggillo) the year 1758, the young man was captured by slave merchants and forced aboard a ship bound for Virginia. The trip across the At- lantic was not an easy one, for the ship was heavily damaged by storms and put into the harbor at Newport, Rhode Island for emer- gency repairs. The ship's master decided to sell off some of his human cargo in order to better finance the work. In the crowd of curious onlookers that day was Captain John Gilmore, of Rayn- ham. He had been trading in the vicinity of Egg Harbor and eventually found him- self in the midst of a slave auction. When Shibodee Turrey Wurry was led to the auc- tioneer's block Captain Gilmore cast the deciding bid and became the boy's owner. In olden times it was common for a slave to take the family name of his master, thus Shibodee Turrey Wurry was renamed Toby Gilmore. The new master of the Gilmore house- hold was well treated. He was given im- portant responsibilities in the operation of the farm on Britton Street and eventually became a trusted member of the family. As Toby Gilmore was growing to man- hood in Raynham events elsewhere were leading the country inevitably toward war. Relations between England and her colon- ies in America were strained beyond en- durance and it was no surprise that open warfare broke out in April of 1775. These were times when men put away the tools of farming and took up the tools of war. "Old Tobey" the field piece given Toby at the close of the Revolution as displayed in the military room of the Old Colony Museum (Tony Riggillo) The activities of some of the participants in the American Revolution were well docu- mented. Other soldiers, however, labored in relative obscurity, and the tales of their service which later arose sometimes appear to be in conflict with official records. This is the case with some of Toby Gilmore's reported experiences in the struggle for independence. 28 The legend of Toby Gilmore is well known. It holds that sometime in 1776, Captain John Gilmore was drafted into the army. Toby, now thirty years old, volunteered to go in his master's place in return for his freedom. Toby, the story goes, was assigned to the staff of General David Cobb, a Taunton of- ficer who was serving on General Washing- ton's staff. Reportedly Washington was so impressed with Toby's efficiency and loyal- ty that he prevailed upon Cobb to allow the former slave to become a part of the com- mand staff. Thus Toby Gilmore became Washington's own servant, attending to his needs throughout the trying years of war. Toby Gilmore's military record casts some doubt on this story. Legend has it, for in- stance, that Toby was with Washington that freezing night in December of 1776, when the Americans crossed the Delaware River on their way to a stunning victory at Tren- ton. Records show, however, that when this occurred Captain Jonathan Shaw's company, of which Toby was a member, was on duty in Warren, Rhode Island. Toby Gilmore's service with General Cobb is also left open to some uncertainty. The latter began his career under Colonel Thomas Marshall, of the Tenth Massachusetts Regi- ment. He later enlisted to serve under Colonel Henry Jackson in the Sixteenth Massachu- setts Regiment. This group, known as the Boston Regiment, devoted most of its time to the defense of that city, though it did also see some action at the Battle of Monmouth as well as at Quaker Hill, Rhode Island. In these years, Cobb's promotion to the com- mand of a brigade was still several months away, as was his future association with George Washington. Toby Gilmore was not listed as a member of either the Tenth or the Sixteenth Massa- chusetts Regiments. Instead his military records show that from September 19, 1777 to December 31, 1779, he was in the service of Captain James Cooper's company of the f t '# yp** \*s^ First home of Toby and Rosanna Gilmore built around 1 785 owned by Richard Hill, 1681 Broadway (Tony Riggillo) 29 Home built by Toby and Squire Gilmore around 1800 which burned in 1918 (Old Colony Museum) Fourteenth Massachusetts Regiment, serving at Ticonderoga, White Plains, Fort Clinton, and West Point. Thus it cannot be established that David Cobb and Toby Gilmore ever served together. General David Cobb was assigned to Gen- eral Washington's staff on June 15, 1781. Toby Gilmore's exact location at this time is not known, so there is a remote possibility that he was with Washington and Cobb. How- ever, he was back in Massachusetts on Sep- tember 21, 1781 because records show that on that day he enlisted to serve with Captain Daniel Drake's company at the North River in Marshfield, Massachusetts. Toby Gilmore stayed there until December 6, 1781, when he left the service to return to civilian life. After completing his military service Toby Gilmore led a full and successful life. When he returned to Raynham he purchased forty- five acres of land formerly owned by John Borland, a descendant of Elizabeth Pole. During the American Revolution, Borland's sympathies had been with the British, and because of this he found it necessary to run for his life. His land was confiscated and auctioned off. The highest bidder was Toby Gilmore. On the land the former slave built a beautiful house in which he and his wife, the former Rosanna Hack, of Taunton, raised eight children. Toby Gilmore died in 1812. Each year before his death, he would celebrate Inde- pendence Day by dragging an old cannon down to the Taunton Green where he would load and fire it fourteen times. Thirteen salutes were discharged for each of the original states, and the last and loudest was for General Washington. Some said that the old field piece was given to Toby by Gen- eral Washington himself, as a token of ap- preciation. This, however, seems unlikely. 30 Toby Gilmore and His Legends A rubbing of Toby Gilmore's stone by Dora Pine Nevertheless, Toby Gilmore's participation was sought by his fellow townsmen when- ever an event of a patriotic nature was ap- proaching. He was a respected and valued member of his community. Although Toby Gilmore's friendship with General Washington is probably more legend than fact, his very real contributions to the American cause should not be overlooked. He was willing to give over two and one half years to the fight for liberty, serving ably and well, and for that he deservedly takes his place among the Revolutionary War heroes of Raynham. By Richard W. Hill Having grown up in North Raynham on the land once owned by Toby and subse- quently moved into his first house, I have developed a personal interest in the facts and fables surrounding Raynham's favorite folk hero. I remember from boyhood one Bill Hoxie, an elderly man now blind, living alone in the woods behind the trailer park. Bill cared for two young orphans who ran around with our group so we all got to meet him. It was Bill who told me my first stories about Toby. Bill had known Toby's children and grandchildren. He had grown straw- berries and apples on the old Gilmore land grant. And he had farmed his life through in North Raynham. Apparently, the one most responsible for the local fame of Toby Gilmore was Toby himself. He must have been quite a story teller and we can picture him in his later years on the front porch of his big house (which burned in 1918) surrounded by children and grandchildren spinning his yarns of what was not a totally uneventful life. Slaves, rum, and molasses brought Toby to America. Newport's "Golden Age" of prosperity was brought about and peaked just before the Revolution by this triangular trade. The Newport rum was first intro- duced to Africa in 1723 and before long twenty-two Newport distilleries were dis- gorging thousands of hogsheads of rum for the slavers. The average slaver was from 40 to 50 tons with a small crew, usually a cap- tain, a mate, a cooper, two men, and a boy. A slave ship entering the trade in 1750, had to be fitted with handcuffs, medicines, bread, flour, pork, beef, tobacco, tar, sugar and tal- low. The rum cargo would run about 8000 gallons on a 60 ton vessel. The voyage from Newport to Africa took from six to ten weeks. The crew busied themselves cutting planks to form a slave deck. As the Newport "Rum Vessel" (as it was known up and down the coast of Guinea) arrived, word spread of their approach and white "Governors" who lived along the shore trading in slaves prepar- ed for a sale. Newport captains usually bought their slaves from middlemen who had bought from the governors although at times the captains were known to have traded directly with African native chieftains who had captured 31 their victims in war or obtained them by raiding peaceful villages. Trading took place after the initial banquet provided by New- porters for their clients. Rum flowed freely at these affairs but the Newport men mixed their's with lime juice or water while the slave owners took their rum straight. After the purchase, slaves were branded on the body with a branding iron. "P" was the symbol for the slave who was to be separated from the commercial cargo to be retained by the captain or for his employer. The slaves were packed tightly in between decks while the crew slept above in "dog- houses" temporary shacks built on deck. The slave space was not over three and a half feet high. The males were shackled in pairs with the left ankle of one shackled to the right ankle of the next, with a yoke iron stapled to the planking between them. Women and children would be equally crowded behind a screen, but without chains. This is where Toby at age 12-14 would have been kept. in handcuffs while the crew went below to swab out the quarters with vinegar. Many a cabin boy made his retirement decision at this point. It is written that the odor of a slaver was distinguishable five miles down wind. The slaver usually reached the West Indies with a mortality rate of 8-10% with deaths usually due to diseases, changes of food and climate, exposure, accident, manslaughter, and suicide. The captain would elect, depend- ing on market conditions, to trade directly for molasses or sell for cash and buy the molasses. The molasses odor permeated the ship by the time it reached Newport removing most traces of the slaves. Profits were enormous. The sloop ADVENTURE netted 14,000 pounds profit in 1774 from a cargo of 64 slaves. Owners profits were anywhere from 500 to 2000 pounds. Of course, it was this slave money that financed the fortunes of Abraham Redwood, William Ellery, John Home ofOthniel Gilmore shown around 1900 at Broadway and Gilmore Streets (Old Colony Museum) This middle passage from Africa to the West Indies lasted about seven weeks. Slaves were fed ten at a time twice a day with slab- ber sauce made of flour, water, palm oil, and pepper. Thumbscrews were used to punish rebellious slaves and iron opens were used to force them to eat if necessary. At times, all of the slaves were brought out on deck Channing, and Aaron Lopez. Their money built Trinity Church, the town library, and many mansions of Colonial Newport. The British blockade during the Revolution ended the slavers days. Newport had more Negroes than any other New England city but few slaves were taken along to Newport from the West Indies. Slave 32 labor was never very profitable in Rhode Island and white servants were preferred. There were several slave markets around Newport of which Egg Harbor was one. Who were these slave traders and how could they traffic in humans and live with themselves? Actually before the Revolution the slave trade was regarded as honorable a vocation as lumering or fishing. Many thought of it as a means of christianizing a race "plunged in heathen darkness". Others thank- ed God on returning from a voyage that "an- other cargo of beknighted beings had been brought to a land where they could benefit of Gospel dispensation." So was Toby Gilmore's boyhood. His father was rumored to have been an African chieftain. John Gilmore's wife taught Toby reading and writing and treated him as a son. The Gilmores had no children of their own. Thus Toby was raised in an atmosphere of love and respect that led to his volunteering for service in place of his seventy year old father who in 1776, was being drafted by the State Militia. proudly displays, "Old Toby", and a bounty with which he bought his land. His first house which is where I write this was built around 1784, a plank affair with 12" x 12" corner posts and beams, planks nailed vertically into place both on the ex- terior and in dividing the rooms. Originally a three or four room Cape, Toby's house had a large kitchen with the beehive oven which we recently restored. The large kitchen fire- place fronted a chimney with three other fireplaces, two in the front rooms and one upstairs. Toby's family grew fast and before long, with the help of his son, Squire (1784- 1864), he built a large Federal house well back from the road. It was Bill Hoxie and Maude Lincoln, both who told me that Toby planted an oak tree in his front yard which grew to the enormous Toby Oak of today. Whether or not the Toby Oak is fact or fiction, I have always accepted it. As children, we climbed on it, built tree houses in it and on at least one occasion, played hookey in it. It is massive and at least 200 years old. Gilmore could have Toby's Grave at the North Raynham Cemetery with stones of his children in the background (Tony Riggillo) As to Toby's exploits of war, we are open to further research. The service records are very misleading as men were often recorded as having participated in an engagement solely for the pay they could get. We know that over 25,000 men filed for pay after Lexington and Concord. Toby was not one of these. But after his service in the war, Toby was given a field piece which the Old Colony Museum planted it in his front yeard. The Toby Oak is now in the front yard of Mrs. Warren Hill still stretching its boughs out over a half an acre. Hoxie said that the cannon was kept there by Samuel Gilmore (1816-1907) who he knew quite well and that he witnessed it taking two fingers off an unfortunate youth who stood too close to the firing. A recent Gazette article indicates that Taunton found 33 the cannon in Raynham after widespread searching for use in its 1876 festivities. Could they have found it in Raynham under the Toby Oak? Toby's seven children and their children settled around the neighborhood and in time, Gilmoreville was the black section of Rayn- ham. All of its citizens were farmers and we know that Squire Gilmore became quite well to do in later life. Toby died in 1812, but his wife survived until 1857. Toby and several of his children and grandchildren are buried in the North Raynham Cemetery. His estate as recorded in the Bristol County Probate Records gives us a fascinating picture of the man and his time. ESTATE OF TOBY GILMORE Real: Homestead farm containing 35 acres with the buildings thereon standing $2,360.00 2 acres of meadow at Nunketty Pond 60.00 2 acres of swamp on the Burnt Ground 10.00 2 acres of swamp at Flag Hole 130.00 Personal: one yolk of oxen, 4 cows 100.00 3 heifers, 1 horse 32.00 1 hog, 10 bushels of corn 18.00 farming utensils 30.00 one note 3% stock 96.84 one note deferred stock 64.56 one note (unintelligible) debt 129.12 one turnpike share 148.00 1 bed & furniture 25. 2 beds & furniture® 15. 55.00 1 table, 1 chair, 1 looking glass 7.00 Ironware, tinware, chair 12.00 four wheels, one loom, chest of drawers 18.00 40 pounds geese feathers 30.00 two chests and meat tubs 9.00 one bible 4. and other books 3. 7.00 two pairs of sheets, one table cloth, two towels 8.00 two pairs pillow cases, crockery ware 50.00 one table, one toilette 3.00 wearing apparel 11.00 The fact of black families living in freedom in a community within Raynham during the age of the Fugitive Slave Law gives rise to much conjecture about their role in the "Underground Railway". It is interesting to note two prospective hiding places for fugi- tives in the Toby House. Between the chim- ney system is a small area that would offer ideal concealment. And in the crawl space under the house, there is, under the chimney, a type of stone room with shelves niched into the rocks. Future research on the role of Raynham blacks in the 1850's could prove quite rewarding. By the early twentieth century, all of Toby's heirs were dead. But his home and the land around it remained in the hands of those who had known his sons and grandchildren. The legends that they passed along to me have been set down here in hopes that some day they can be researched and the truth finally found. 34 Perez Fobes and His 1793 History By Richard W. Hill Taunton's distinguished historian, Samuel Hopkins Emery collected a two volume hist- ory of Taunton area church history and had it published in 1853 by the John P. Jewett Company of Boston. The second volume of this set contains a chapter on the ministry of Raynham which includes a section on Dr. Perez Fobes by his grandson, Theophilus P. Doggett. The Fobes family were original proprietors of Bridgewater where Perez was born on September 21, 1742, son of Josiah Fobes and eventually one of twelve children. Fobes is described as a child having "physi- cal feebleness and want of health". It would seem that his love for literature and study grew from much forced idleness due to sick- ness. At the age of thirteen, Perez was en- trusted with the position of teacher of his neighborhood school. In 1762, he received his first degree from Harvard. And on Nov- ember 19, 1766, he was ordained a min- ister of Christ to the church and society of Raynham. In 1777 he volunteered as chap- lain in the Continental Army. Doctor Mann- ing, president of Brown University in 1786, was elected to the newly established Ameri- can Congress and Doctor Fobes was called to serve as President of Brown during Mann- ing's absence. The next year he was chosen a Professor of Experimental Philosophy. In 1792, he received Brown's highest honors and shortly after was chosen a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1796, he joined the Board of Trustees of the newly formed Bristol Academy of which his son- in- law, Simeon Doggett was the first headmaster. Soon after the beginning of his Raynham ministry, Fobes began a school for young men in his house where he taught literature, science, and theology. Reverend Robert Carver of Raynham remarked in 1853 that Fobes "took great interest in education, and succeeded, I am told, in infusing a portion of his own interest into the minds of youth. It is said, the schools in this town during Doctor Fobes' ministry, and principally by his agency, were of a higher order than in ad- jacent towns." Fobes devotes considerable space in his 1793 History of Raynham to the town's educational accomplishments. He was ob- viously well read for his time, equally familiar with the Bible, Shakespeare, Pope, Blair, Barrow, Tillotson, Sherlock, Price, Paley, Johnson, and Addison. As a writer, he re- flected the best of his time. His sermons were written rapidly with much left to be filled extemporaneously. As a pulpit orator, Fobes had few equals. It is said that his clear, sweet, strong voice generated interest and passion upon the listener. Doggett relates that during one of his eloquent prayers calling for an end to a parching dry spell, "the land was suddenly overclouded and suffering vegetation was refreshed by a most copious rain . . ." He was noted for his great tact and his ability to communicate to all, "at the fireside, or in the shop, on the field, or in the street . . . he possessed the faculty of adapting himself to every variety of character ... to a man of refined taste and extensive reading, and to the man of humbler capacity and limited attainments". Astronomy was his favorite study to which he devoted many leisure hours. His self made orrery was a curiosity of all his "friends of science". He also cultivated a small botanical garden collecting all the known flowers indigenous to Raynham. He was married to Prudence Wales, daugh- ter of Raynham's first minister, John Wales. As Raynham's second and most famous min- ister, Fobes was a leading theologian of his day. His writings included numerous sermons and a highly praised Scripture Catechism. The sermon Fobes delivered in Taunton on November 11, 1786 at the execution of 24 year old John Dixon for burglary will give a clear insight into the theology of the times. ". . . In this pitiable object, who stands before us, we behold, at once, an instance of the folly and wickedness of human nature and a moving spectacle of wonder and horror to the world, to angels, and to men. Before the sun goes down, his body now vigorous and active, will be a lifeless ghast- ly corpse, coffined and buried deep down among the sheeted dead . . . Your appointed time on earth has come, and die you must in all the bloom and vigor of youth with breasts full of milk and your bone moistened with marrow. Today you must appear before the judge- ment seat of Christ; a God all mercy, and 35 too indulgent to punish the wicked can never be found .... I most gladly say, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; if thou believest with all thine heart, thou shalt be saved . . .! Look on this criminal and believe that he who pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death . . . beware, especially beware of gaming and that intemperate use of spirit- uous liquors to which this ill fated youth was so infamously addicted, and which, by the confession of his own mouth, had the principal hand in bringing him to this miserable end . . . Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath Babbling? Who hath wounds, with and without a cause? Who hath redness of eyes? Who are poor and steal, and take the name of the Lord in vain? Who break up houses, commit murder, are confined to prisons, loaded with irons, and die upon the gallows? They that tarry long at the wine, they that go seek mixt wine and are mighty to drink strong drink . . . "Next to intemperance as a cause, this ' malefactor ascribes his licentious life and ignominious death to the want of im- proper restraint in his youth. The Bible and experience both told us to train him up in the way he should go and that when he was old he would not depart; we were commanded to beat him with a rod, and not spare for his crying . . . who can after all go home and neglect the education of his own children; "Finally, when we look at this unhappy criminal and think what would the poor wretch give that he were in our condition: Let none of us indulge or nourish in our hearts the pride of the Pharisee or even so much as think in a way of boasting what he spoke with his mouth, "God I thank Thee that I am not as other men or even as this malefactor", when perhaps the principle distinction between him and numbers here present may be nothing more than the gilding of a coffin or the paint of a sepulchre; and even of some others, the difference may consist only in this, that he is detected and condemned, but they as yet are concealed from human eye, while in the eye of God omniscient, both they, and we, and all have sinned and come short of His glory". Condemned therefore by the same law, guilty before the same God, we are all prisoners of divine justice, and equally need repentence and pardoning mercy, through the blood of the same atonement. "except ye repent, ye shall all like wise perish; repent therefore, let us all, and be converted, that we may have redemption through the blood of Christ, even the for- giveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; and receive in the end the riches of the glory of the inheritance, in His everlasting kingdom. Amen. A Topographical Description of The Town of Raynham, In The County of Bristol, Febru- ary 6, 1793. By The Rev. Perez Fobes, LL.D. Raynham is distant from Boston, the cap- ital of the state, about thirty-six miles; in a southerly direction. This town, which, with a number of others, originally belonged to the old township of Taunton, was taken off and incorporated, in the year 1731. It is bounded on the east by Bridgewater; on the west by Taunton; on the south by the river called Taunton Great River, and on the north by Eastown, Bridgewater, and a part of Nip- paniquet pond. It is about eight miles in length and four miles and a half wide. This town makes a part of those lands which orig- inally were known by the name of Cohanat, in the colony of New Plymouth. They were first purchased of Massasoit, the Indian Chief, by Elizabeth Pool and her associates. The lands in general are level and smooth. A stranger, riding through the town, will form but an indifferent opinion of the whole, if he judges from that part only, which he sees. The roads are excellent, but the soil is penurious. This however is not character- istick of the whole. The soil, in general, has sufficient variety, and yields, under the hand of industry, almost every kind of production in tolerable plenty. Rye and Indian corn are in general raised here with great ease, and in such quantities as not only to supply the in- habitants, but to afford considerable for market. There are indeed two kinds of soil here, of which the farmers frequently com- plain. The one is the clayey cold kind; the other is the light spungy soil: but as these are often found near together, and will, by mixing, correct and meliorate each other, this complaint, it is hoped, will not long continue. The timber here growing is principally oak, white, red, and black oak; walnut, maple, black and white birch, elm, pine, cedar, locusts, spruce, beech, buttonwood, hornbine, and sassafras; the last of which, when used for posts, or any other way, is found to be the most incorruptible of any wood hitherto known. A considerable part of the town lies upon a circular bend of Taunton River. This river is between seven and eight rods wide, and af- fords a great plenty of herrings and other fish: 36 but so unfavourable is it, in this place to sein- ing or fishing, that the exclusive privilege of fishing is annually sold for less than twelve shillings, while the same privilege in Bridge- water and Middleborough, (towns which lie above this) is annually sold for more than two hundred and fifty pounds. Justice perhaps in this case pleads for indulgence from govern- ment, or the grant of some artificial conven- ience, where nature seems to have denied one. Besides the great river, there are several other useful streams, upon which, in different places, stand six saw mills, three grist mills, one furnace, a forge, and fulling mill. It is remarkable, that notwithstanding the quan- tity of pine timber sawed at these mills, the logs rafted down the river, and the pine con- sumed in furnaces, in slitting mills, and com- mon fires; yet it is confidently affirmed, that there is now standing in this town as much pine timber as on the first day of its settle- ment; such has been the growth of swamp pine. But of no other kind of wood or fuel can it be said, that the growth has been equal to the consumption. The large quantities of coals, consumed in carrying on the iron man- ufacture in all its branches, has, within a few years past, greatly enhanced the value of wood. This has already occasioned emigra- tions, and will probably produce more. But when the rapid growth of wood in general, of white birch and pine in particular, is con- sidered; when the late use of this species of pine, as an article of firing, which is known to grow faster in our most barren uplands, than even in the swamps; but especially when some of the late discoveries in the philosophy of heat, and its operations on the human body, become more generally known, it is very probable that the want of fuel will not be the cause of so much complaint. Upon the northerly part of the town, there is a large and valuable tract of cedar swamp; and towards the centre, are two considerable tracts more. The one is called the Dead, and the other, Titicut swamp. On the easterly side of the town is a pond, which is about two miles in circumference. It joins to Titicut swamp, and is supplied with pike, or pickerel, perch, and other kinds of fish. On the westerly boundary are two ponds more, called the Forge, and Fowling ponds. There is also a large pond, which makes part of the northerly boundary of this town, and divides it from Bridgewater. This pond is two miles in length and one in breadth, and is called Nippaniquit, or Nip- pahonsit pond. Here alewives in millions an- nually resort, and leave their spawns. An ex- cellent kind of ore, and various kinds of fish are found here. Allured, perhaps, by the pleas- ures of fishing, and the beauty of the pros- pect, that curious political character, Dr. Benjamin Church, of Boston, came here; and in the year 1768, built an elegant house upon one of the elevated sides of this pond. Although the lands in this town are in gen- eral level and smooth, yet there are some con- siderable elevations or hills. The principal ones are known by the names of Tareall and Smooch hill. The first is exceedingly fruitful; the other is equally barren. There is another situated near the line between this and the town of Taunton, which is called Steep hill. The first meeting house was built the year preceding the incorporation of the town. It then contained about thirty families; over which, in the month of October, 1731, was ordained the Rev. John Wales, father of the Rev. Doctor Samuel Wales, late Professor of Divinity at Yale College in Connecticut. He was blessed with talents, which rendered him very amiable and entertaining in social life. In publick prayer, his performances were emi- nent, and on some occasions almost un- equalled. He was a faithful plain preacher; and having served in the gospel ministry thirty- four years, he died February 23d, 1765, in the sixty-sixth year of his age. To him suc- ceeded the Rev. Perez Fobes, LL.D. He was graduated at Cambridge college, 1762, ordain- ed November 19th, 1766, and is now in the twenty-seventh year of his happy ministry, among a happy people. The first meeting house was conveniently situated for the first inhabitants; and contin- ued as the place of publick worship, for more than forty-two years, that is until June 9th, 1771; when a new meeting house was erected nearly in the centre of the town. It stands upon a level spot of ground, near the inter- section of two roads. It has an elegant steeple lately built, is pleasantly situated, decently painted, and is about the distance of three miles from the county court house. The number of families in this town is near two hundred, which, according to the late census, contains about a thousand souls. Of this number nearly one sixth part are of the baptist denomination; of whom some attend worship with the congregationalists in the meeting house, others attend baptist meetings in the neighbouring towns; and some are con- tented with few occasional meetings at pri- vate houses. If it has been said of the baptists in general, that they were rather unfriendly to government and learning, yet in justice to that denomination it ought now to be said, that they are improving in their friendly re- gard to both. 37 If the salubrity of the air and soil can be accurately determined by a philosophical instrument, called an eudiometer: yet, among us, it is perhaps best known at present, by the health and longevity of the inhabitants. From a careful inspection of the bills of mortality, which in this place have been kept for more than twenty years past, and which might here have been inserted, it appears that the air is by no means unfavourable to health and long life. In one family born in this place, there were living not long since, five brothers and one sister, whose ages, taken together, amounted to more than five hundred years. The people of this town are principally farmers, with a proportion of mechanicks, traders, and professional characters. Besides the usual business of husbandry, numbers are here employed in the manufactories, of bar iron, hollow ware, nails, irons for vessels, iron shovels, pot ash, shingles, etc. These, to- gether with the late rapid increase of build- ings, as well as improvements in agriculture and iron manufacture, bear unquestionable attestation to the industry and enterprise of the people. Raynham has been considered as one of the most patriotick towns in the state. The in- habitants, especially those who attend pub- lick worship here, have been distinguished for their zealous attachment to republican government, to learning, to military disci- pline, and church musick. The unanimity and ardour of their publick decisions during the late war; their cautious, but spirited exertions, their prompt and peaceable compliances with the numerous calls of government in the days of exigence and danger, are well known; and perhaps ought the rather to be remembered, as their patience long endured the trial of cruel op- position, and the shock of ridicule, from the tongues, the pens, the publick votes, and contradicting examples of great numbers all around them. The people here can appeal to the living and the dead, when they say that not among their number was ever yet found, either a tory, a paper money man, or insur- gent. Fired at the name of insurgency, and hearing that a conspiracy was formed to pre- vent the sitting of the October court of 1786, the troops of this little town, consisting of two small companies, roused unanimous; and at the first call of their leaders, mustered in arms, marched alone to Taunton, entered the court house as a preoccupant guard, there lay upon their arms through the whole of the night, preceding the day of the court's sitting; and in open defiance of all the bloody threats of an unprincipled and outrageous mob, in constant expectation of hundreds in arms ready for battle, they stood firm, but alone; until the next day about noon, when by a reinforcement of troops from the county of Plymouth, and a number gleaned from dif- ferent parts of this county, they formed, and under the command of General Cobb, the insurrection was crushed, the supreme court sat, and government was triumphant; but from the whole county of Bristol, not another whole company appeared, except the two companies from Raynham! On the last regi- mental muster at Taunton, the equipment and military appearance of the two Raynham companies met with distinguished approba- tion from the inspecting general; by him they were pronounced equal to any in the state. As a proof of taste, and of real attachment to literature, it ought to be known that for more than fifteen years past, a kind of aca- demical school has been constantly taught in this town. It began in the year 1773, under the care of the Rev. Perez Fobes; and a large number of youth, from different towns and states, were instructed here, not only in the languages, but in the arts and sciences. When he could no longer attend, another instructor was employed, and a school of a similar kind set up, at the expense chiefly of a few indi- viduals in the town; and with little intermis- sion, it has continued in the same place to this day. A publick social library, consisting of a valuable collection of books has lately been established here, and through the last season, five English schools, besides a grammar school were taught in this town. At present there are six schools, four of which are now taught by respectable grammarians. Add to this, that four young men, from this town (two of whom lately settled in the ministry) have been graduated at different colleges, within a few years past; and six others from this place are now members of colleges. If this should not be thought cateris paribus, an in- stance without a parallel, it will perhaps be admitted as an evidence of literary zeal. But, in the opinion of the publick, perhaps that which chiefly gives this little town a claim to publick attention, is that here once lived Philip, the Indian King; and here still remain some pleasing monuments of antiquity and of great natural curiosity. They can here mark the place, and point with the hand to their children, and say, "Our ears have heard, and our fathers have told us," there once lived the tawny chief, the dread of women and children, a terror that walked in darkness, haunted in dreams, and butchered at noon- day. On that spot of ground stood his house; 38 my great grand parent knew him; he once sold him an ox for beef, and often supplied him with iron made with his own hands, in yonder forge, which he himself built, and was the first America ever saw. See, there yet stands the friendly dome, the once well- known garrison, to which our friends in num- bers fled, eager for life and panting in horror of Indian foes— and see— but let history speak—" The first adventurers from England to this country, who were skilled in the forge iron manufacture, were two brothers, viz. James and Henry Leonard. They came to this town in the year 1652, which was about two years after the first settlers had planted themselves upon this spot; and in the year 1652, these Leonards here built the first forge in America. Henry not long after moved from this place to the Jerseys and settled there. James, who was the great progenitor, from whom the whole race of the Leonards here sprung, lived and died in this town. He came from Ponter- pool in Monmouthshire, and brought with him his son Thomas, then a small boy, who afterwards worked at the bloomery art, with his father in the forge. This forge was situated on the great road; and having been repaired from generation to generation, it is to this day still in employ. On one side of the dam, at a small distance from each other, stand three large elms and one oak tree. Two of the elms are near three feet in circumference, and are still flourishing. These trees are now almost a hundred and twenty years old; which with the ancient buildings and other objects around, present to the eye a scene of the most venerable antiquity. In the distance of one mile and a quarter from this forge, is a place called the Fowling Pond, on the northerly side of which once stood King Philip's house. It was called Philip's hunting house, because, in the season most favourable to hunting, he resided there, but spent the winter chiefly at Mount Hope, probably for the benefit of fish. Philip and these Leonards, it seems, long lived in good neighbourhood, and often trad- ed with each other: and such was Philip's friendship, that as soon as the war broke out, which was in 1675, he gave out strict orders to all his Indians, never to hurt the Leonards. During the war, two houses near the forge were constantly garrisoned. These buildings are yet standing. One of them was built by James Leonard, long before Philip's war. This house still remains in its original gothick form, and is now inhabited, together with the same paternal spot, by Leonards of the sixth generation. In the cellar under this house, was deposited, for a considerable time, the head of King Philip; for it seems that even Philip himself shared the fate of kings; he was decollated, and his head carried about and shown as a curiosity, by one Alderman, the Indian who shot him. There is yet in being an ancient case of drawers, which used to stand in this house, upon which the deep scars and mangled im- pressions of Indian hatchets are now seen: but the deeper impressions made on those affrighted women, who fled from the house, when the Indians broke in, cannot be known. Under the door steps of the same building now lie buried the bones of two unfortunate young women, who, in their flight here, were shot down by the Indians, and their blood was seen to run quite across the road; but more fortunate was the flight of Uriah Leon- ard, who, as he was riding from Taunton to the forge in this place, was discovered and fired upon by the Indians. He instantly plucked off his hat, swung it around, which startled his horse, and in full career, he reached the forge dam, without a wound; but several bullets were shot through the hat he held in his hand, and through the neck of the horse near the mane, from which the blood on both sides gushed and ran down on both his legs. While deacon Nathaniel Williams, with some others, were at work in the field, on the south side of the road, about half a mile from the forge, one of the number discovered a motion of the bushes, at a little distance; he immediately presented his gun and fired; upon which the Indians were heard to cry, Cocoosh, and ran off: but soon after one of the Indians was found dead near the fowling pond. Near the great river are now to be seen the graves of Henry Andross, and James Philips, who, with James Bell and two sons, were killed by a number of Indians, who lay in ambush. This happened in the place called Squabette. The place already mentioned, by the name of Fowling Pond, is itself a great curiosity. Before Philip's war, it seems to have been a large pond, nearly two miles long, and three quarters of a mile wide. Since then, the water is almost gone, and the large tract it once covered, is grown up to a thick set swamp, of cedar and pine. That this, however, was once a large pond, haunted for fowls, and supplied with fish in great plenty, is more than prob- able, for here is found, upon dry land, a large quantity of white floor sand; and a great number of that kind of smooth stones, which are never found, except on shores, or places long washed with water. There is also on the east side a bank of sand, which is called the Beaver's Dam, against which the water must 39 formerly have washed up; and if so, the pond must once have been of such amplitude as that above mentioned. Add to this, that a large number of Indian spears, tools, pots, etc. are found near the sides of this pond. This indicates that the natives were once thick settled here. But what could be their object? What could induce Philip to build his house here? It was, undoubtedly, fishing and fowl- ing, in this then large pond. But more than all, there is yet living in this town a man of more than ninety years old, who can well remember, than when he was a boy, he had frequently gone off in a canoe, to fish in this pond; and says, that many a fish had been catched, where the pines and cedars are now more than fifty feet high. If an instance, at once so rare, and well attested, as this, should not be admitted as a curious scrap of the natural history of this country; yet it must be admitted as a strong analogical proof, that many of our swamps were originally ponds of water: but more than this, it suggests a new argument in favour of the wisdom and good- ness of that Divine Providence, which "changes the face of the earth," to supply the wants of man, as often as he changes from uncivilized nature, to a state of cultivation and refinement. There is one remarkable circumstance, rela- tive to the soil which environs this pond, and that is, its prolifick virtue in generating ore. Copious beds of iron ore, in this part of the country, are usually found in the neighbour- hood of pine swamps; or near to soils, natural to the growth of pine or cedar. In this case, if there is sufficient to filtrate the liquid mine, before it is deposited in beds, there will be found a plenty of bog ore. Now all these cir- cumstances remarkably coincide, in the vicinity of this pond, and the effect is as re- markable: for in this place, there has been almost an inexhaustible fund of excellent ore, from which the forge has been supplied, and kept going for more than eighty years; be- sides large quantities carried to other works, and yet here is ore still; though, like other things in a state of youth, it is weak and in- capable of being wrought into iron of the best quality. The signs already mentioned, as in- dicating ore, will afford to the philosopher an easy clue, for investigating the process of nature in the production of ore. In this way only, it must be determined, whether the original seeds, or pullutating particles of the ore, be lodged in the soil, or in the pine; and what is the process, the pabulum and period of its growth, through all its various stages, to maturity. The subject, perhaps, is new and unexplored; but by a number of well-conducted experiments, in the hands of genius, it promises a reward, which will add new riches to science, if not to the country. The time may come, when it will be easy, and as common, to raise a bed of bog ore as a bed of carrots. Appendix. Of the Family of Leonard. The following genealogical sketch is in- tended to show that longevity, promotion to publick office, and a kind of hereditary at- tachment to the iron manufacture, are all cir- cumstances, remarkably characteristick of the name and family of LEONARD. The great progenitor, James Leonard, lived to be more than seventy years old. He had three brothers, five sons, and three daughters, all whose ages, upon an average, amounted to more than seventy-four years. His son Uriah had five sons and four daughters: Of his sons four lived to be more than eighty, and all his daughters above seventy-five. Thomas, the oldest son of James, was a distinguished character. He held the office of a justice of the peace, a judge of the court, a physician, a field officer, and was eminent for piety. Sacred to his memory, an eulogy was printed in 1713, by the Rev. Samuel Danforth of Taunton, one of the most learned and emi- nent ministers of his day. This Thomas had five sons, of whom four lived above seventy years. His son George was a justice of the peace and a military officer. In Norton, in a poem published by a character of eminence, on occasion of his death, in 1716; he is styled "the prudent, pious, worthy, and worshipful Major George Leonard, Esq." He had four sons and three daughters. His oldest son George was a colonel, and a judge both of the probate and common pleas: he lived to be more than eighty; he had one son and two daughters: His son is the Honourable George Leonard, Esq. late member of congress: His oldest daughter is the wife of the Rev. David Barnes, and the mother of David Barnes, Esq. attorney at law. The other daughter was the wife of the late Colonel Chandler of Worcester. The second son of Major George, was Nathaniel, a pious, worthy minister, who settled in Plymouth. He lived more than seventy years; and he had a son Abiel, who was a minister in Connecticut, and a chap- lain in the American army in the revolution war. The third son of Major George was Ephraim: he was a colonel, a judge of the court, and a man of eminent piety: he lived to be more than eighty. He had one child only, viz. Daniel, who is now chief justice of the island of Bermuda: he also has but one son, Charles, 40 now a student at Cambridge college. Two of the daughters of Major George lived to be aged. One was the wife of Colonel Thomas Clap, formerly a minister of Taunton; the other was the wife of a respectable clergy- man. Samuel Leonard, the fourth son of Thomas, was a man of distinguished piety. He held the offices of a deacon, a captain, and justice of the peace. He had four sons and five daugh- ters. Two of his sons were captains, one a justice of the peace, and all of them deacons. Three are yet alive, one above eighty, and two above seventy. His third son Elijah has a son of his own name lately settled in the ministry. His oldest daughter was the parent of Dr. Simeon Howard of Boston. His second daugh- ter was the wife of Rev. John Wales of this town, and the mother of Rev. Dr. Samuel Wales, professor of divinity at Yale College. The other daughters were the wives of re- spectable characters, and all in publick of- fices. Elkanah, the fifth son of Thomas, had three sons, two of whom lived to see more than seventy. One was a captain, the other a major, a lawyer, and one of the most dis- tinguished geniuses of his name and day. He left two sons, both captains, and above sixty. One of them, viz. Zebulon, has an only child, that is now the wife of Dr. Samuel Shaw. John was another son of Thomas. He had four sons and three daughters, who all lived to be above eighty. A daughter of the oldest son, was the wife of the Rev. Eliab Byram, and the parent of the present wife of Josiah Dean, Esq. of this town, who himself is also a lineal descendant, and the present owner of the forge first built by his great ancestor. Thus far of the posterity of Thomas the oldest son of the progenitor, James, the second son of James, bore his own name. He had four sons and three daughters: three of his sons lived to be near eighty; and two of the daughters above ninety. One of them was the wife of Doctor Ezra Dean; and the other was the parent of Gershom Crane, esq. who lived to be almost a hundred years old, and was the father of the present Doctor Jon- athan Crane, esq. The oldest son of James was Captain James Leonard, who had three sons and five daughters, two of his sons were mil- itary officers, and all of them lived nearly to the age of seventy. His oldest daughter was the wife of Thomas Cobb, esq. and the moth- er of the Hon. David Cobb, esq. speaker of the house, member of congress, etc. The second son of James was Stephen Leonard: he was a justice of the peace, and a judge of the court of common pleas. He had four sons, three of whom lived to be aged; one was the Rev. Silas Leonard of New York; the oldest was Major Zephapiah Leonard, esq. and judge of the court. He had five sons of whom four are yet alive, three of them had a publick education at Yale College. The oldest is Capt. Joshua, who now inhabits the ancient pater- nal building, and is nearly seventy: he has a son of his own name, who at the age of twenty-two, was an ordained minister in Connecticut. The second son is Colonel Zephaniah Leonard. He has held the offices of an attorney at law, a justice of the peace, and is now sheriff of the county. He has three sons, two of whom are now members of college. The third son is Apollos Leonard, esq. one of the special justices of the county. The youngest son, is Samuel Leonard, lately appointed a justice of the peace. He is a re- spectable, opulent merchant, and has a num- ber of promising sons, that wait only for the proper age, to receive such an education, as will add still greater honour to the ancient honourable family and name they bear. Such has been the longevity and promotion to publick offices, in two branches of this family only. The circumstance of a family attachment to the iron manufacture is so well known, as to render it a common observation in this part of the country, viz. where you can find iron works, there you will find a LEONARD. Henry, the brother of James, went from this place, to the Jerseys, and was one of the first who set up iron works in that state. He was the progenitor of a numerous and re- spectable posterity in that part of America. 41 Simeon Doggett By Mrs. Carolyn Owen Rev. Simeon Doggett was born in Middle- boro in 1765. His birthplace was in a part of that town that became Lakeville in 1853 and near the Lakeville Hospital. Simeon, his father, had migrated from Marshfield in 1742, and with his brother served in the French and Indian War. He was a skillful cabinet maker and in later years was known as "the Tory farmer of Middleborough". Conscientious in his belief that it was wrong to rebel against the mother country, he was imprisoned and released only when he promised the "Com- mittee of Inspection" that he would not leave his farm without permission. Rev. Doggett was a graduate of Brown Uni- versity and became the first preceptor of Bristol Academy in Taunton, on July 18, 1796, a position he held until 1813. At that time he was far in advance of the other edu- cators of that day and was an advocate for giving females the same advantages for in- struction with the other sex. He married Nancy Fobes, whose father, the Rev. Perez Fobes, was the second minister of Raynham, and whose mother was the daughter of the Rev. John Wales, the first minister of Rayn- ham. After leaving Bristol Academy, Rev. Dog- gett went to Mendon where he settled into the ministry. In April 1828, he returned to Raynham where he served as pastor of the Second Congregational Church until their suspension of public worship about 1850. A period of over twenty years. One of his "boys" from earlier years at the Academy wrote of his old headmaster in his memoirs, "When he was about 70 years of age and on a journey to visit a son in the south, he was a welcome visitor at my fire- side at my home in New York. The same calm beniguity on his countenance, the same firm but subdued accent as I recalled 30 years previously his morning prayer, daily given in the Bristol Academy, when his voice rose with meek and unaffected grace at my own table". He continued to write later of another meeting, "In the summer of 1850, I rode on horseback to his quiet residence in Raynham, to offer my congratulations to my revered and venerable old teacher. He was in his study leaning over the Sacred Volume. With that suavity of manner which he never forgot, he rose to receive me. Pointing to the book that lay open before him, he referred in a few Home of Simeon Doggett built by him in 1828 on South Main Street. It burned around 1915 (Old Colony Museum) 42 First Unitarian Church ofRaynham where Doggett was Pastor, later used by Employees of the Johnson Shoe Company as a clubhouse, later became the property of the Woman's Club who called it "Weonit" Hall now that they owned it. Bruce Johnson Park is located here today. (Old Colony Museum) simple graphic words his life long devotedness to the sacred teachings, enforcing its pre- cepts in a manner that deeply touched me." He wrote later of his leave taking, "With a kindness wholly parental he grasped my hand at parting and renewed his benediction, speaking of the termination of his earthly pilgrimage with no repining." Rev. Doggett died in 1852, at the age of 87, beloved and respected universally by those who had derived the benefit of educa- tion and high moral example at his hands. 43 Amariah Hall Amariah Hall was born in 1758 to his father, also Amariah Hall who lived on South Main Street in Raynham. He learned to care for his father's tavern and later kept the tavern there. It was at this location that young Amariah, himself a fine tenor, kept a singing school in which neighbors and friends would hold weekly meetings to learn the "rudiments of musick" and several tunes of the day. Hall's popularity as a singing school leader grew and he traveled throughout south- ern New England conducting singing schools. By 1813, several of his own tunes had been published and stolen by other publishers of the day. Meanwhile, Hall was busy manu- facturing straw bonnets and farming. Ap- parently he was almost completely self taught in music. Amariah Hall's Tavern where he conducted singing schools and tended bar, built by his father in 1761 (Old Colony Museum) His hymns traveled south with New Eng- land emigrants and were published in the MISSOURI HARMONY (1827) and the SOUTHERN HARMONY (1835) and the SACRED HARP (1844). Many of his hymns were also published locally. The Old Stough- ton Musical Society's Centennial edition of 1876 contains Hall's "masterpiece" "All Saints New" along with an accurate biograph- ical description of Amariah Hall. Among some of his hymns known to us are "Devotion", "My Glory", "Canaan", "Crucifixion", "Har- mony", "Hosanna", and "Restoration". The tunes are Hall's with the words taken from several biblical and contemporary sources. Most of Hall's music is in four parts although some is. in three. We know that he used both men and women on the melody, and counter parts with only women on the alto and men alone on the bass. Enoch Sanford By Enoch Sanford The fourth pastor of this church was Rev. Enoch Sanford, of Berkley, who graduated at Brown University, in the class of 1820, and was subsequently tutor in that institution two years. He studied Theology with Calvin Park, D. D., Professor of Moral Philosophy in the college, and was admitted to orders in the ministry, by the Old Colony Association at Berkley, in 1822. He had preached a year in Seekonk, while an officer in the college, was evangelical, but not high Calvinistic, and con- servative in his sentiments. As there were in Raynham a number verging towards Unitarian- ism, it was thought he would not be unaccept- able to the different parties, and after preach- ing here four months, was ordained Oct. 2d, 1823. The vote calling him was unanimous, and the salary five hundred dollars, with the use of the parsonage and glebe. At his ordina- tion a great assembly collected, filling the house below and above. The ordaining coun- cil was composed of: Rev. Pitt Clark Norton Rev. Calvin Park, D. D Providence Rev. Abraham Gushee Dighton Rev. Luther Hamilton Taunton Rev. R. M. Hodges Bridgewater Rev. Philip Colby Middleborough Rev. Thomas Andros Berkley FORMATION OF A SECOND SOCIETY Rev. Thomas Andros preached the ordina- tion sermon, and Mr. Gushee offered the or- daining prayer; Mr. Hamilton gave the right hand of fellowship; Mr. Clark the charge, and Mr. Colby the concluding prayer. The council and visitors were entertained by Peyton Randolph Leonard, at the King Philip man- sion, near the forge,— the famous old house built about 1670. The council walked in pro- cession to the church, led by Rev. Mr. Andros, the moderator, in his canonical robe. The music at the ordination was by the Beethoven Society, composed of select singers from sev- eral towns, under the leadership of Colonel Adonirum Crane, of Berkley. For several years Mr. Sanford maintained pulpit exchanges with the neighboring clergy indiscriminately; but when the distinction between Orthodoxy and Unitarianism became more accurately defined, he deemed it in- consistent with his duty to continue ex- changes with ministers of the latter denomin- ation. This refusal raised opposition from a portion of the church and society, which presently took a definite form and expression. While Mr. Sanford was absent at the anniver- saries in Boston, the dissatisfied members 44 prepared a remonstrance, requesting him not to discontinue such exchanges, stating therein that his settlement was on the expectation that ministerial intercourse should be main- tained alike with liberal and orthodox clergy- men irrespectively. On his return another memorial was pre- sented, desiring him to regulate the matter of exchanges according to his own judgment and discretion,— declaring that his settlement was not on the expectation that he should ex- change with Unitarians. This paper was signed by about two-thirds of the voting members of the church and society. Prior to this time the line of separation had never been so clear- ly drawn. There were Articles of Faith adopt- ed and formerly used by the church, in ad- mitting members. This creed and covenant was similar to that of other evangelical churches, but had been lost or suppressed during Mr. Hull's ministry. These discords resulted in the formation of an Unitarian Society, in 1828, comprising twenty-five of the church and a portion of the society. The new organization, styled the Second Congregational Soceity, included some of the most respected and influential families in the town. They first worshipped in Captain Reuben Hall's public hall, and at length built a church a little north of the first church, on land presented by Ellis Hall, Esq., and engaged Rev. Simeon Doggett, of Men- don, for their minister, who continued to preach while the organization was maintained. The new society received few accessions, and, at the end of a dozen years, services were discontinued, and a portion of the congrega- tion and their pastor attended public worship at the old church. Before the separation was accomplished, various circumstances occurred, tending to a division. Some wished to introduce the Unit- arian Hymn book. The leader of the choir, Mr. Otis Washburn, conferred with Mr. San- ford upon the expediency of the change, who advised to leave the decision to the church. New books were, however, distributed among the choir without further consultation. On the following Sunday, when the hymn was announced from Watts as usual, the choir remained silent. In the afternoon, Mr. Wheeler Wilbur volunteered to lead the tune, and the choir followed in the accustomed hymn. Soon after, at a meeting of the church and society, a majority determined to make no change in the hymn book. Subsequently, difficulties arose concerning the funds of the first society, the trustees of which Horatio Leonard, Maj. John Gilmore and others, who were all among the seceders. They refused to pay over the income of the investment. Suit was brought, and the case conducted by Z. Eddy, of Middleborough, carried before the Supreme Court, where the decision was in favor of the first society, on the ground that the funds were originally given to it; and those who withdrew from the society could not lawfully carry any portion of the funds with them. The income then was about $200,— formerly it had been more. Not long after, Captain Edward Leonard left to the society, by his will, a legacy of $1,000 and land worth $800. He also gave $1,000 to the Unitarian society, in behalf of his brother Samuel, who inteded to make the bequest had he executed a will. After a service of nearly twenty-five years, Mr. Sanford resigned, in 1847. Notwithstand- ing the Unitarian withdrawal, during that period the church increased and prospered, receiving, during his ministry, one hundred and twenty-five new members, augmenting its numbers from eighty to one hundred and forty -nine. Largely through his influence the society received several thousand dollars in donations and legacies. The Sabbath school was instituted in 1823, and Dea. E. B. Deane became the first superintendent. Amicable relations were maintained with the venerable pastor of the new society, and no dissonance ever arose. In the superintendence of the pub- lic schools, where Mr. Sanford was active for thirty years, and in sustaining the various public interests of the community, the two pastors acted cordially together. In 1824, Mr. Sanford was married to Miss Caroline White, of Weymouth. They lived, for more than twenty years, in the parsonage house, and there five children were born. Be- fore the era of railroads, when all travelling was by horses and much of it by private con- veyance, the parsonage was a centre of hospitality for clergymen and friends passing that way. Here Mr. Sanford resided until he built a new house, an eighth of a mile distant, where he continues to live. Of his children, two are successful physicians, one a lawyer and one a manufacturer. Mr. Sanford died November 29, 1890. 45 Raynham in 1870 The anchor forge was originally built for the extraction of iron from the ore, and for the manufacture of the numerous articles in iron needed by a young colony. Cart tires, chimney cranes and irons, hooks, spikes, nails, axes, chains, plough-shares and bolts were among the various products. It was conducted for many years by Hon. Josiah Dean, and the iron work for his ship building was wrought there. William Byram was his foreman. E. D. Dean, son of Josiah, inherited it and it is now conducted by Theodore Dean, and wholly de- voted to the manufacture of anchors. The Raynham Furnace, now discontinued, formerly stood on a branch of Two-mile river. It was owned by Israel Washburn, who man- ufactured hollow ware. A grist mill has long stood on the same dam. Of late years, G. W. King has manufactured nails and shovels there, adding a steam engine for increased power. About 1840, a freshet burst the dam and destroyed the works. They were restored, and burned in 1846, and again re-erected. At the same place, the Raynham Tack Company had extensive works, which were consumed in 1868. They have been rebuilt - , 'A 1 4 ' 'iii^Tglfll -?- ■ ■ Ju^^XlH^S • 1 n IjBjF 4 £ Mm 1 bought the estate and are erecting a new manufactory. At the mouth of Two-mile river, there are works for the manufacture of wrought iron nails, by machinery, owned by Martin G. Williams. At the same place, there is a saw mill and a rapidly running grist mill driven by a turbine wheel. At the north, Bradford D. Snow had a shop run by steam, recently burned. At Squawbetty, Jahaziah S. King has carried on, for a long time, the manufacture of nails, shovels and hay-forks. At Squawbetty, lying on both sides of Taunton river, partly in Taunton and partly in Raynham, are the Old Colony Iron Works. They cover four acres of ground, and employ seven hundred workmen. Railroad tracks run through the works, and a steam tug brings freight up the river entering the shops, by a lock and canal. The water power is not ex- celled in the county, except as Fall River. The dam was first erected sixty years ago, by Stephen King. Successive increase has brought the works to their present extensive proportions. Ten chimneys, seventy feet high, show where the iron is heated, to be rolled into bars, plates and rods. The power of the | King's Tack Shop on Gardner Street about 1890 (Old Colony Museum) by Robinson, Rounds & Co. On the west branch of Two-mile river, Emery S. Wilbur has a saw and grist mill. On its east branch, are the mills of Oliver S. Wilbur, burned in 1866, and rebuilt. On the next dam below, are the saw mills of John Tracy. At the centre, are the saw, shingle and grist mills, long owned by Ellis Hall. The head of water is twelve feet and the capacity of the pond large. In 1869, D. G. Williams and W. O. Snow rolling mill is enormous; its balance wheel is thirty-five feet in diameter. Iron wire, nails and shovels are produced in large quantities. A single machine, of which there are hundreds, will make three nails per second. August 15, 1869, the shovel shop, three hundred feet long, in which there were a hundred dozen shovels in process of manufacture, was burn- ed, entailing a loss of $150,000— one-half insured. It was rebuilt in 1870. 46 Report of the Superintendent of Schools 1876 The Town, at its last annual meeting, in- structed the School Committee to choose a superintendent of schools, and also expressed its preference for one of the then school board to fill the office. It also expressed its desire to have the labor performed for the enormous sum of one hundred dollars. Accepting the of- fice under these circumstances, I have en- deavored to perform as little labor as possible and come within the requirements of the law. Still I doubt much if any citizen of the town will give personally to another, the amount of labor performed for so small a compensation. During the year I have written in the interest of the schools, fifty-seven letters and made one hundred and twenty-one regular visits. I have visited Boston, Chelsea, Berkley, Attle- boro, Foxboro, East Bridgewater, Dighton, Bridgewater, and five times to Taunton for teachers. I have been to Boston several times for books for the schools, attended meetings of Committee, to supplying the schools with fuel, to the repairs, and to supplying the scholars with books. I think no one would be willing to perform that amount of labor for less than double the amount of pay. It may seem to you there is no need of so many visits. I have felt at times need of very many more, and have therefore visited some schools more than others. Would you think the super- intendent of a cotton mill need visit it only once a month for an hour or two? Would you not rather say, keep a strict watch and over- sight over the whole, and if aught goes wrong apply an immediate remedy,— not wait until the whole machinery is disarranged and all must be stopped for repair? It is an erroneous notion, and yet one which prevails somewhat extensively, to sup- pose that our schools will do well enough if the Committee look in upon them three or four times during a term. Is that the way men of business conduct their affairs? We know it is not. Many of the large dealers hire men to do nothing but walk about and oversee the salesmen in their employ. Are not those the most successful in acquiring property? Ought we not to use as much foresight in the culti- vation of our children? Which is of greater moment, the present and future well being of your child, the building up its mind, life and character, according to the highest stand- ard of moral culture, or the making a yard, more or less, of cotton cloth? During the Spring Term of school we were favored by a visit from Hon. Abner J. Phipps, General Agent of the State Board of Educa- tion, who, in the two days spent with us, visited all the schools of the town, with one exception. Coming, as he does, with authority from the State, and with his universally ack- nowledged capabilities for interesting and pleasing the children with whom he comes in contact, what wonder that the schools gained a fresh impetus, and felt more was dependent upon their own individual effort. The teachers also cheered by the presence of one who sympathized in their labors, who understood the trials and perplexities of their vocation, were strengthened and encouraged to more determined action. During the Fall Term we were again favored by a visit and lecture. The facts there stated by him and which many of you heard, may well fill our minds with grave apprehensions of the future, if we remain so supinely indifferent to the right direction and education of all the children of the community. It becomes us to wake from our lethargy and insist upon every child having an education, sufficient to enable him to enjoy the privileges of enlightened civil life. At our request he again lectured in Gil- more Hall, during the Winter Term, to an interested audience. The advice given by him, having as he does the opportunity for obser- vation and comparison, not only each town with every other in the State, but with those of other States and countries, should receive our careful consideration. His ideas as given you, and as given us in private, in the matter of grading our schools coincides entirely with the views heretofore entertained by us and so often given you in former reports. It is un- necessary for us to say more in regard to the matter. For the advice given, and for the good influence of his visits in the schools, he should receive your warmest thanks. The schools during the past year have taken a better stand than during the few years that have directly preceded. There has been more unanimity in the work, less change of teachers, and more earnestness on the part of the pupils. As a whole, the parents have become more inter- ested in the welfare of their children, and in many cases have inconvenienced themselves to have them attend school. Yet there is a lamentable neglect on the part of some, to send their children to school if they desire to stay at home, or absent themselves for any reason. There is also a reluctance and a disposition to rebel on the part of some parents, against 47 the rule requiring an excuse for absence or tardiness. In thus opposing one of the regula- tions which is absolutely necessary to the well-being of the whole, do you not know your act is an indirect attempt to destroy the good influence of the teacher, and finally to ruin the school? Your own individual opinion cannot be taken as the guide into the school room, but the united opinion of those who have the interest of all at heart. We must act as we are, members of a body corporate, and as mem- bers of such body, shrink not from perform- ing the duties required of us as individuals. It may be at times unpleasant and annoying, but for the good of the whole is not our duty plain? unitedly, what momentous results have been attained. Thus we must endeavor by all our words and all our acts, to suffer no hindrance to be placed in any child's way, whereby he may lose the opportunities that are rightfully his. Examine the statistical table, and see if you have not been remiss, criminally remiss, in what pertains to the duty of a true citizen. You have no right to hinder another in his class, by having your child absent from school or tardy, as, generally, for some frivolous, unmeaning excuse. Parents see to it, that in this particular, while you are insisting upon truthfulness and uprightness in your children, you do not set them the example by your own acts, of appropriating, through indiffer- ence or neglect, what is not your own. As you 4 ,,. Wm *" m I ^W 4 M B^M Gilmore School Class around 1895. Standing: Roy Grinnell, Gene Lincoln, teacher unidentified, Roscoe Wilbur, Lucy Kelly, Justin Hall. Seated: L-R Helen Kelly, Arthur Dean, Julia Kelly, Sarah Kelly, Robinson and Sadie Leach. (Old Colony Museum) The matter of compulsory attendance at school is attracting the attention of all edu- cators, of all those who look forward to the prolonged good and growth of our nation. The question of right and wrong in the mat- ter is palpable to any one who views the sub- ject with an unprejudiced mind. Is it for the best interest of the community that all child- ren should grow up with their minds well stored with knowledge, trained to earnest habits of thought, and their spirits fully im- bued with the highest moral principles of ac- tion? If it is, you have no right as a member of that community, to place any impediment in the way of such a consummation,— but rather by all the means in your power, even to sacrificing your own personal ease and welfare, to help on to such a grand result. We are not to labor for ourselves alone, but for the whole. Alone we can do but little, but would wish a future for your children full of pleasant memories, as you would have them look back when you have closed your life here with fond affection for the care and kindness and love that has watched their footsteps and guided them on in the path of duty, let not this neglect of yours rise up to cast a shadow over the memory of your life. North School The Spring term of this school was taught by Miss Ruth A. Hovy, of Ipswich. She brought to her work the experience of former teaching and a conscientious determination to do her whole duty. The lessons for the day were well arranged and understood before being called up, and her whole attention was given to each class in its order. The Fall and Winter terms were taught by Miss Hannah H. Taft, of East Bridgewater, a 48 graduate of Bridgewater Normal School, with an experience of one year of successful teach- ing. She has labored diligently with her school, acquiring the good will of her pupils, as shown by the good order manifested at the close. As this school is composed almost al- together of primary scholars, we did not ex- pect to see as interesting a close as in former years. East The teacher of several years past Miss Eugenia Hall, of Raynham, has taught this school during the past year, with her usual success. Some matters that do not legally belong to the school were introduced, with- out our knowledge and against our wishes. South Primary This department of the school, has been taught during the year by the teacher of sev- eral former years, Miss Sybil Williams, of Raynham, with her former success. The class that should take its place in the other depart- ment at the commencement of the next term, is not as far advanced, is not as well qualified, as the class of last year. The scholars as a whole are younger and lack a little of the energy that characterized those. South Grammar This department has been taught during the year by Miss Eudora M. Allen of Berkley. A teacher of several years experience, a grad- uate of Bridgewater Normal School, with the training which that school supplies, with her devotedness to teaching as a life work, with a conscientious regard for the best interests of her pupils, what could be expected, with scholars eager to learn, but a successful year of school. And we were not disappointed. The class in grammar taught by the Normal method, we hope will remain in school long enought to prove whether the experiment is a success. We hope to hear she remains an- other year. At the close several of the district were present, also the teachers of the ad- joining school in the city of Taunton; sev- eral of the parents, teacher and pupils of the Tracy school; the teacher and several of the pupils of Prattville, and the teacher of the North. The exercises were varied by several of the pupils of the Tracy school, at the close, sing- ing a piece at our request, which we wish all the parents of the town might hear and heed. Gilmore For the year past we have employed Miss Lottie K. Richards, of East Bridgewater. Soon after the commencement of the spring term, she had an offer of a situation in a yearly school at a higher salary. Yet deeming it un- just to cancel her engagement without our permission, which we could not give willing- ly, she has remained throughout the year. There are some parents in this district, who apparently do not desire to have their child- ren brought under wholesome restraint. They are earnest to have punishment inflicted upon others, but theirs must be excused. It would be well to let the teacher govern the school without parents insisting that their children shall decide what shall be done and what not. The writing in this school was much the best in town, showing what can be done by care- ful attention and strict compliance with the simplest requirements. We desire to say here if the several schools in town would adopt the method enforced here, more progress would be made in that important branch of educa- tion. The school year has been one of success. At the commencement of the year, we ap- pointed three truant officers for the town, Hiram A. Pratt for the north part, Charles F. Snow for the centre and Chauncey G. Wash- burn for the south. As far as deemed advisable they have attended to their duty. Several parents have been notified and have promised to send their children to school, while others put in the plea of want of suitable clothing. Some of those parents who promised to send them, have done so for a few days and then ceased, while those who complained of want of clothing, have had sufficient to be out of doors most of the time, and some of them at times dressed better than many of those at- tending school. If at the opening of the spring term they do not appear and continue, we propose to try the effect of the law. We have striven to persuade, but it is now time we think to resort to other means. We would recommend to the town to authorize the School Committee, at their discretion, to procure a number of diplomas or medals to be given those scholars who at- tend school without absence or tardiness for one, two and three terms, also for two years and upwards. Repairs The following are the principal repairs dur- ing the past year. We have whitewashed the plastering and supplied with blinds the North. Repaired plastering, whitewashed the ceiling and papered the walls of Gilmore. Whitewashed, papered and repaired the plastering of Prattville. Papered, whitewashed, and some slight repairs upon Tracy; painted the blackboards throughout the town, and slight work done on all the houses. 49 Old South School about 1890 (Old Colony Museum) We would recommend the following re- pairs for the coming year, on the school houses and grounds. Painting of the North, new stove-pipe for the South, as that is dangerous it is so badly rusted. Gilmore, draining the cellar, as water stands there a large portion of the year, the centre of the house is settled, should be raised, gravel drawn to fill up around the house to the underpinning, and ceil the school room, as the plaster is continually falling. The stove and pipe in Prattville needs renewing, and several slight repairs in all the school houses of the town. Several of the schools need Webster's Unabridged Dictionary as hereto- fore, the others having been used up. We would also recommend that the several re- pairs and the care of the school houses and grounds, be left in the hands of the School Committee. 50 Nelson Rivet Works, formerly Johnson Shoe Shop 1900 (Old Colony Museum) Raynham Center Post Office about 1915 (Old Colony Museum) North Raynham Post Office, comer of Broadway and Center Street 1915 (Old Colony Museum) 51 Truant Officer's Report 1906 To the School Committee of Raynham: I see that my predecessor in office com- mences his last report with the statement that the complaints have been about the same as usual. I do not know exactly what that means, whether from the teacher or parents, for I have received complaints from both, in fact most of the cases of truancy my attention has been called to the parents have complained bitterly about the teacher, one man in particular requesting me to discharge the teacher and assuring me that if I didn't do it his children should never enter the school house again, but the teacher is still at her desk in that same school room and those children continue to attend that particular school. I have had one call from the Judson school and one from the Center Primary and Grammar each, and all the rest of my time has been taken up at the South school and I can assure you I have been busy most of the time. I do not know just how many times I have been called upon by the teachers at that school but it is safe to say that if I had re- ceived fifty cents for each time my salary would be more than double what it is. Most of the parents in that district seem determin- ed not to send their children to the school and some of them go so far as to threaten the truant officer with dire punishment if he comes after them, but he comes just the same and gets the children too, and lives to tell the story. I have had no calls from the Prattville, Gilmore or the North Schools during the year. Herbert A. Wilbur, Truant Officer for Town of Raynham 1906 Music Supervisor's Report 1924 To the Superintendent and School Commit- tee of Raynham: I herewith submit my annual report as Music Supervisor in your public schools. On the whole the work is moving along as well as could be expected under existing condi- tions. It would be well to establish one system of music and use the books of this system. At the present time we are using books of four different systems which is unwise and does not meet with the best results. At the South School since the opening of school in September a very commendable change has been made in the division of the upstairs room. There are not so many grades to a teacher, consequently more time can be given to the individual. The Intermediate room is in urgent need of books. It is difficult to improve the tone quality of the children in this section as their natural speaking voices are harsh and deep. At the Gilmore the singing spirit is good and there is a satisfactory supply of books. Again at the North and Prattville Schools there are too many grades for satisfactory work. The school is divided into two singing classes consequently the amount of time for each is insufficient. The graduating class is always weak when entering the Gilmore. The work in these schools has sometimes been handicapped by the fact that the teacher, while doing very creditable work in other subjects, could not carry a tune. In a build- ing of more than one room teachers can ex- change work, but it is a hopeless task to get acceptable results in music if a teacher cannot sing or has a faulty ear. The supervisor can present, outline and explain but it remains with the room- teacher to do the drilling and if she drills day after day on the wrong thing how well that wrong thing is perfected. At the Centre school conditions are more favorable. A new impetus has been given the work in music by the purchase of some com- munity song books. These were bought with money raised by the teachers at social parties. Two of the pupils add to the enjoyment of the singing by accompanying in tune on the piano. In June we held a music memory con- test which aroused much enthusiasm on the part of the children. The pupils heard the selections played on the victrola. The names of the composer and the composition were written on the blackboard. A list of twenty- five selections were played in the Grammar 52 Grades and fifteen in the Intermediate. Prize ribbons were awarded to Arthur Spencer, George Plentus and Emily Prado in the Inter- mediate Room and to Milford Hardison, Merrill Hartshorn and Edna Hiltz in the Grammar Room. At the State Music Supervisors' Confer- ence held in Boston, Nov. 16 of this last year it was suggested that all the boys and girls in the state this coming year memorize "America" "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "America the Beautiful". Respectfully yours, Lois J. Snow, Music Supervisor RNs Report 1924 Raynham, Mass., January 16, 1924 Mr. William J. B. MacDougall, Superintendent of Schools, Dear Sir: I herewith submit my third annual report as School Nurse of Raynham. During the year 1923 a total of 129 visits were made to the Schools as follows: Center 24 South 23 Judson 14 North 22 Gilmore 22 Prattville 24 A total of 37 home visits was made by the Nurse and 4 children were accompanied to the doctors for treatment. Beginning with the fall term 315 examina- tions were made at the schools by the School Physician, Doctor Ralph S. Dean. 31 children were found to have diseased adenoids and tonsils and their parents were notified. Dur- ing the year 6 cases had tonsils removed. 20 notices were sent informing parents of defective teeth in their children. Eye and ear examinations to the number of 334 were made by the Nurse. 18 have defec- tive vision and 6 children obtained glasses through the Nurse's efforts. Apr 4* I ! UtllUli BP - ■ Home of Lillian Hewitt, RN, Raynham 's First School Nurse In 1923 there was an epidemic of measles at the South and Judson Schools. The North and Center Schools had Whooping Cough. Prattville School had 3 cases of Scarlet Fever. The State Department of Health considers it the duty of the School Nurse to introduce lunches in the schools. Milk is practically a whole food, therefore a body builder. Some- thing hot, either cocoa or hot soup to sup- plement the lunch brought from home should be served at noon for every child who brings a lunch, the expense to be met by the parent or some social organization. To date we are serving hot lunch at the Gilmore School and mid-morning milk at the North and Center Schools; this plan is strongly approved by the teachers who notice a bringing up of the average weight of the children as well as the increased efficiency of their work. In closing I desire to thank all who have so kindly cooperated with me in my work during the past year. Respectfully submitted, Lillian M. Hewitt, School Nurse Walter O'Brien It was a cool October night in Easton. Walter O'Brien, in the toughest campaign of his life was out for another night of door to door campaigning. He drove with his helper riding along. A master of the personal cam- paigning who had never lost an election, he never took a single vote for granted. He visit- ed four homes that night, three of which belonged to Democrats. None had ever met him before. All would vote for him. He was sincere, humble, and down to earth. He was polite and very likable. In his opponent's hometown he was nailing down votes. This was Wally's last campaign. It was 1968, Nixon vs. Humphrey, a year of open change, often rebellion as at the Democratic Con- vention in Chicago. Bobby Kennedy was dead in California. Joe Martin, former Speak- er of the House had lost his primary with O'Brien's help to young fresh Margaret Heckler who captivated Raynham Repub- licans and dared to sink the unsinkable. The Democrats were out for Heckler's district running Annapolis graduate, handsome Coun- ty Commissioner Patrick Harrington. And they were out for Wally's too having removed heavily Republican Norton from his Legisla- tive district. This would be his eighth term in the State House carrying him through his last (seventh) term as selectman. His op- ponent, George McGarry was smart with a powerful organization in Easton. Young, liberal and quite likable he could probably have beaten any other candidate. But he was up against a man who had many friends and these friends were working right alongside their candidate to return him to Beacon Hill. Who was this Walter O'Brien that Rayn- ham oldtimers often speak of? Why are so many either very loyal to him or very op- posed? What were his contributions to Rayn- ham? He was born in Raynham on October 14, 1910. His grandfather, Wilson Wilson had worked at the White and Warner Stove Company in Taunton's Weir Village as a mold- er and lived on King Philip Street. His mother, Agnes Wilson O'Brien was a Raynham native. Walter J. O'Brien, his father was born in Whittenton, went to Boston working as an instructor in a roller skating rink, and later drove a coach from Boston to Nantasket before returning to Raynham to drive a milk wagon for C. D. Lincoln. He met Agnes Wil- son on his milk route and they married in 1909. Wally was the first son in a family of nine children, eight of whom survive today. As a 54 boy he became very familiar with the woods and fields of Silver Valley and Pratt's Hill. He recalls waving at the passengers on the old Fall River Boat train as it chugged across King Philip Street towards Taunton. His first formal education was at the Pratt- ville School where Mrs. Marion F. Pettigrove and later in succession Miss Ruth E. Baker and Miss Emma S. Smith were his teachers in grades one through five. Prattville School was a one room schoolhouse with five grades in the room. In 1916 there were 34 in the class with but six in the first grade. By 1919 the school held 43 students. Wally recalls the little wood stove with its pipe running the length of the building. All students walked to school then even with snow "up to your belly". For his sixth through eighth grades he went to the old Gilmore School. The classroom for the three grades was downstairs with the up- per floor used for special functions. A recent graduate of Bridgewater Normal School who went on to become the backbone of the Taunton Public Schools music program, Rose Reilly was Wally's teacher in sixth grade. It was also in this year that Mrs. Lillian Hewitt, R.N. became Raynham's first school nurse. For his last two years at Gilmore School Wally had Miss Mae A. English, also fresh out of Normal School. Following eighth grade graduation he went on to Taunton High School. Use of spare time was never a problem for boys in the early twenties. There was always work to be done, wood to be cut, cows to be milked, animals to be fed. Winter however did offer sledding opportunities behind the school and skating on the ducker pond. Taunton High students took the trolley to and from the city using a ticket provided by the town. Wally recalls teachers from Taunton High, Miss Anna Kelliher, Grace Hopkins, and Elsie Salthouse. In 1926, he left school to work running the dressing plant at Russ Hutchinson's duck farm which he later bought and managed. About this time he took part in several sports. Ed Murby ran a sports club where the Raynham Drive-In now stands where boys could box, wrestle, play football and base- ball. Wally took up boxing, was licensed, and boxed for four years. He had several bouts and recalls doing quite well. He also played baseball on the old Raynham Town Team. He recalls ball fields where the Milk Bottle stands and behind Chet Bearse's. Walter O'Brien married his wife, Florence in 1933, and lived on Mill Street. His father worked for several campaigns in town elec- tions and Wally also worked for some candi- dates. The most important political name in Raynham in the thirties was John Rogers. Rogers who lived on White Street and Rogers Lane had been in and out of the selectman's office since 1919. He was a farmer who raised chickens and vegetables. Wally had picked asparagus for him as a boy and later dressed hens for him. Never one to campaign for votes, Rogers was straight forward and frank. You either were his friend or his enemy. He had quite a temper and could be very tough. For awhile John Rogers and Lester Hall were in charge of the town government. John didn't like to spend money. He consistently fought for low taxes and he was instrumental in bringing the dog track to town. In 1940, Rogers appointed Wally as a special police officer for duty at the new track. The next year Walter and his wife built the house where they now live. In 1946, he became a regular police officer and two years later was persuaded by his friends to run for selectman. He went on his first house to house campaign for his own candidacy and won by 200 votes. In 1950, John Rogers retired from town politics leaving in his place a new leader, one with greater political gifts than Rogers, Walter O'Brien. For the next twenty-one years he served as selectman. In the seven terms he saw Raynham grow from a small agricultural community to a bustling suburban town. The change was not always gradual and peaceful. There were times when groups within the town fought long and hard for changes. The Merrill School built in 1956 was one of the first such changes. After the thirties, Rayn- ham had existed with three small schools, the North, Center and South. But with the Pleasantfield development, a new school was mandatory and the educational services along with other municipal services caused a drastic rise in the sacred tax rate. To counter this, many citizens sought to bring more industry to town to enlarge the tax base. Route 44, completed in the forties offered a perfect setting. The road was too new for any resi- dences to have been built yet so a business district would be perfect for this highway. Wally, and" selectmen Al Porter and Roger Hall worked long and hard to bring in new business. In 1954, Harold Ashley and Warren Hill joined with Arthur Pillsbury, Ralph Moye and Mary Varao in forming the first Raynham Planning Board. They recom- mended zoning laws to successive town meet- ings that when accepted began the first government of this town with an eye to the future. Wally points with pride to the "Gold- en Mile" which clearly broadened Raynham's tax base and continues to provide jobs and services to Raynham people at an ever in- creasing rate. 55 In 1954, O'Brien ran for the state legis- lature in the district comprising Raynham, Easton, Norton, and Mansfield. His opponent, Albert Wood won in Easton and Mansfield by a combined total of 350 votes but O'Brien was able to split in Norton and carry Rayn- ham by 700. For the next sixteen years, he served in the State House of Representatives under five governors. Walter O'Brien believes that a public of- ficial in an elective office is a public servant. It is therefore his responsibility to help as many of his constituents as he possibly can in cutting through the red tape of bureau- cracy to get things done, in filing legislation for constituents and in doing favors for his district. He always held to his low tax ideolo- gy and the equally important philosophy that government closest to the people is most ef- fective and efficient. Now that the give-away programs of the late sixties are beginning to bankrupt the state, many who questioned O'Brien's political views are finding that he was very right in many of them. He fought with all his heart the state takeover of wel- fare from the towns. We needn't say any more about the results of that measure alone in its tax impact on the commonwealth. He says that the welfare takeover "hurt us worst of all". Another issue on which O'Brien took a tough stand that lost him support was his opposition to a cut in the size of the house of representatives. There are those who would benefit from a house cut, but they don't live in the small towns. Fewer repre- sentatives mean fewer and larger districts which mean representatives being elected from population centers and good-bye to representation of Raynham, Easton, or Norton. The press was so strong on the house cut that at one time opposition to it was equated with treason. Now many realize that O'Brien was right. He cites his roughest selectman campaign as his last against Tom Coughlin in which he again made his house to house visits. He buried his opponent 1514-861 in the largest percentage of votes cast at a local election yet. It was a tremendous vote of confidence in Walter O'Brien. So it was 1968 again and George Mc Garry was knocking on the door to the state house too. He had a pleasant way with people and saw a good chance. Easton, Mansfield and Raynham had higher Democratic registrations than ever before, so high that the word Dem- ocrat was not even considered obscene in town anymore. A heavy vote was expected for Hubert Humphrey who was endorsed by the Globe and Massachusetts never liked Nixon. O'Brien had made many friends in fourteen years on the hill but he also had enemies who were rallying to McGarry. Mc- Garry's strategy was to hold O'Brien low in Raynham and win in Easton. But he was up against a veteran who didn't make political mistakes. In Easton, young attorney John Keech worked hard and Mansfield News editor Howard Fowler printed some fine editorials. By election day, everyone was ready. But most Raynham Republicans were working solely for Walter. The support for Peg Heckler was strong, but Nixon would lose Raynham. The old strategies of driving voters after four o'clock were employed again for one last time, "a last Hurrah". That night at the Republican headquarters where the Center Post Office now is at Tracy's corner, a large blackboard was up. A TV blared Huntley and Brinkley. And two long tables at the end of the room held coffee, sandwiches and drinks of every description. By ten-thirty you couldn't turn around in there and the returns began trickling in. At first Wally thought McGarry looked too strong in Raynham. He had never seen an op- ponent get 829 votes in Raynham before and was afraid Easton would carry McGarry. But then the Easton bunch arrived. Art Dunn, John Keech, and Mackenzie Smith were ecstatic. McGarry had taken Easton by only two hundred votes and Mansfield by but five. Walter had 1089 Raynham votes MORE than McGarry and was home. The "plasma" flowed and everyone there knew that their legislative seat was back in Raynham for two more years, perhaps the last two it ever would be but no- one dreamed of that. It was a happy time and as Humphrey led, and Peg Heckler, down 9000 in Fall River began her victory party, O'Brien's political career began its close. 56 Communication from Rainham, England London Borough of Havering Whybridge Junior School Blacksmith Lane Rainham Essex RM13 7AH Telephone Rainham 52870 Headmaster L. F. Thomason Date June, 8th: 76. Dear Mrs. Largey, I am enclosing a list of signatures of every child and adult concerned with the running of this part of the life of Rainham, Essex, England. At least, everyone who was acces- sible at this period of our communal history! With our names we send our best wishes to Raynham 'over the water' and our hope that your celebrations of the Bicentennial Anniversary of Independence have been, are being and will be immensely successful, joyous and memorable. Independence is a great thing. So is the link which our name provides. Greater still is that of the human spirit, the well that bubbles with kindness, compassion, sympathy and fellow-feeling. To you personally, to your committee and to all Raynham — special happiness this particular fourth of July and for the rest of this exciting anniversary year. Yours sincerely, L. F. Thompson Headmaster Mrs. Arthur Largey , The Secretary, Raynham Bicentennial Committee, 89, Jackson Drive, Raynham, Massachusetts, 02767. Raynham Celebrates the Bicentennial In 1975 Bicentennial Committees were set up in towns and cities throughout the United States to coordinate activities commemorat- ing America's birth. In Raynham, the com- mittee began by seeking ideas from the towns- people on how they would like to observe this event. Robert McGuire, the first chairman of Raynham 's committee who is employed by the United States Navy in Newport arranged to have an anchor donated to the town to be used to honor the memory of Raynham's parent industry, the iron works. As plans progressed on this project, the committee was enticed by the State Bicentennial Com- mission to apply for matching funds that would finance an exhaustive research of the existing iron works records and publish the findings. Before application could be made for these funds, all plans had to be finalized. So the local committee went to work inter- viewing prospective authors and after three months of frequent meetings selected a re- search team to delve into the old iron works books and prepared the necessary application for matching funds. It was with shock and despair that we learned of the refusal of our application. Some of us took a more realistic view of the whole concept of state matching funds and determined to avoid any future entanglements with this type of project. But worse, our Bicentennial Committee, after planning for over a year on a compre- hensive bicentennial project found itself facing 1976 with no plans, with its hopes dashed by state bureaucracy. At this point, we matured. We learned that the most im- portant goals to set for 1976 were those that involved Raynham and remained within the town and that if we were to make 1976 a time for honoring the past, celebrating the present, and planning for the future, we'd better get moving. In December, representa- tives of all -of Raynham's clubs and organiza- tions along with the Historic Commission, the Conservation Commission and the Bicenten- nial Commission sat down to salvage 1976. And in the next five months they succeeded in working out plans for a fine celebration week in May and the publication of this book- let. May was chosen because of the comfort- able weather and the fact that schools still had a month to run. We would not be com- peting with bicentennial activities in the cities and in state and nationwide extravaganzas. We planned simply to coordinate a week oi 57 events in which each town organization could "do it's thing". It proved to be a super week. May 8 was election day in town. One of Raynham's virtues is its Saturday elections. Most voters can vote at their leisure and there isn't a better night in the week for victory parties. The day began bright and windy. Tony DaCosta rose early that morning and the first thing he saw when he looked out his window was the large bicentennial banner that stretched across North Main Street flapping wildly in the stiff breeze. By nine- thirty, Don Francis had the sign well in control with his timely call to the lighting plant. Admiral Thomas Morris (U.S. Navy) presents anchor to Raynham May 16, 1976. Abo shown left to right: Robert Newton, Richard Hill, David Fisher (just behind the Admiral), Kristen Hill, Harold Ashley , Florence O'Brien and Gladys Walters. At the Merrill School it looked like a con- test of sports jackets. Al Porter and Bill Powers were so strikingly attired that some- one mentioned the possibility of prohibiting their standing in front of the same precinct at the same time. Their bright colored coats were enhanced by the sun. Meanwhile, Art Pillsbury and Alice Powers, decked in yellow drew eyes like magnets, that is until a young lady in tennis shorts came in to vote. At this point eyes gravitated from the politicians in concert. The ten o'clock line up at Merrill School was imposing. Representative Peter Flynn was furthest down the line flanked by George Fairbanks, Ronald Cugno, Kevin Flynn, and Alice Powers. And just before you walked in to vote, you had to see or shake hands with friendly Jack Lynn (for water district commissioner). Henry Ellis lost his boy at one point in the morning but found him in safe hands down in the Senior Citizens Fair. Ralph Hagan and his Council on Aging had outdone themselves with their Senior Day in the auditorium. The most welcome coffee drew candidates and voters alike to the warm sanctuary of the hall. Craft displays, paint- ings, weaving, and exhibits were attractively arranged around Raynham's nicest people. Later in the day were sing-a-longs and all day there was plenty of good fellowship. We know that the Senior Citizens will continue this activity on future election days. In addition to serving a useful purpose to the voters, it is a subtle way of reminding all aspiring poli- ticians of Senior Power and its importance. Meanwhile, at Gilmore Hall with its old world flavor, another army of solicitors greeted the voters. Raynham elections are al- ways personal affairs and a chance to greet old friends but more so at Gilmore Hall. Al Porter who has been in town office since 1934 and continues to offer us his services has clearly loved his politics. His enjoyment of the election day is in his every handshake. This has been his life, and win or lose, he loves it. The contests in election '76 were interest- ing. There was an eight person race for school committee. Chairman George Fairbanks who had served since 1967 and Barbara Sleezar, first elected in 1964 had a battle to keep their seats against challengers Kevin Flynn, Alice Powers, Ron Cugno, Henry Ellis, Tom Sims, and Virginia Wynn. The issues varied depend- ing on your favorite. One did not win elec- tion to the Raynham School Committee in 1976 by attacking the school system. A fine administration and loyal parent support for many fine teachers had built Raynham's Schools into excellent shape in the past twenty years. For assessor there were two well qualified candidates. Charles Barnes of Broadway had an intimate knowledge of real estate and excellent credentials for the job. Opposing him was popular and equally able Raynham Giant football coach Mike Fitz- simmons. These two had worked hard in campaigning and were greeting voters at the polls. The selectmans' race was the big inter- est with two former selectmen, Art Pillsbury and Al Porter opposing incumbent Don McKinnon. Pillsbury had a long record of service to the town which included one term as selectman. Porter, the veteran of town politics served on the school committee from 1934 to 1941 and in several other offices before being elected selectman in 1950. Porter was selectman for 24 years before his defeat by Harry Carey in 1974. A colorful figure with class and style, Porter also im- pressed many with his mastery of town fi- nances during his tenure and he had several loyal supporters. Predictions on the school committee race that morning gave it back to the incumbents with such a large field. There were several predictions for Fitzsimmons too based on a 58 careful campaign strategy. But in the select- men's race, people were not predicting. All afternoon the people filed into Gil- more Hall and Merrill School, shaking hands, buying tickets to Troop 43 's Ham and Bean supper, buying candy bars, and finally leav- ing intact. Around four, the strategists among the candidates began the calling of those who had not yet voted who they knew they could count on. Most close elections are won from four to closing and the old pros were hard at it. By eight o'clock, election '76 was all over. 2426 votes had been cast with several more absentees, a record turnout. The counting began. Votes are counted in blocks of fifty and re- corded. In the North, one has to eavesdrop closely to get any figures while at Merrill, Merrall Viles will always read them loudly for all to record. Generally the first few blocks give a random sampling from which one can deduce the ultimate winner. But in a close contest, a few votes either way on a late block will decide. The assessor race ended first with Fitzsimmons a two to one victor. His campaign organization told the story. Mike had run a logical, well planned strategy with street volunteers that carried him through easily, a perfect example of good organization. The selectman's race was not so easy. Mc- Kinnon forged ahead in the Center while Porter did likewise in the North. The question was whether Porter would take enough of a lead in the North to overcome McKinnon's lead at the Center. He never did and McKinnon came out with 1,052 to Porter's 740 and Pills- bury 's 531. In the School Committee race, five candi- dates began to look well. In the North, Fair- banks jumped ahead with Powers closely be- hind. Sleezar was third with Flynn and Wynn right behind after eight blocks. But at Merrill School, Powers was leading strongly with Fairbanks second, Sleezar third, and Flynn and Cugno behind after 17 blocks. It looked as if Mrs. Sleezar would lose her seat at that point. But then the counting took a very un- usual turn. Generally a block is a random sample and the final count represents some multiple of the early count. But in Barbara's case, she began in seventh place and picked up strength all evening until with the final count, she nosed out her chairman by 15 votes to win her fifth term. Barbara Sleezar has always been a quiet candidate preferring not to make speeches or knock on doors but to abide by the will of the people who are free to accept or reject her on the basis of her work on the committee. Her lack of cam- paigning should not be construed as a lack of enthusiasm for the position but rather a per- sonal philosophy. She has served the Rayn- ham voter well. Mrs. Powers won because of a hard working telephone campaign that con- tacted many voters very quietly without the press and publicity but with that voter strength that wins elections. So it was now May 9, Mother's Day and Election '76 in Raynham was over. The suntanned faces of the candidates and workers rejoiced and com- miserated at a mulitude of parties. Democracy had spoken again. And Bicentennial Week had just begun. Monday night at the First Congregational Church, the Amariah Hall Singers offered a few tunes and musicks of early Raynham. The songs of Hopkinson and Oliver Shaw to the harpsichord accompaniment once more sounded in Raynham. William Billings, and Amariah Hall tunes were sung in the style of their time and for an evening, we were in touch with the past. The schools were into bicentennial activi- ties on every level. On Tuesday the Junior High's E Pluribus Unum featured the influ- ence of the traditions of Europe, Asia, and Africa on America. Choral readings and folk dances were performed and eight classes dis- played food, art, home crafts, and costumes. The choruses of Lillie B. Merrill School performed on Wednesday night and on Thurs- day the Junior High Choruses and bands per- formed. The Friday night Band Concert of the Bridgewater-Raynham High School Con- cert Band and Choir was superb. A stereo tape of this performance was later broadcast along North School Celebration: L-R; Michael Powers, Jennifer Chase and Kevin Alvamaz with the Amariah Hall concert on WRLM's Sunday evening show, Adventures in Music, the only such program featuring classical music produced outside of Boston. On July 4, W-PEP broadcast the band concert. 59 Saturday began with the Park Department's largest Field Day yet. Races and field events for all ages were run under Lou Emond's di- rection. By two o'clock, the chickens were done for the Lions Club chicken barbeque behind the fire station. After the food was gone the Lions prepared the fire station for an evening dance which proved to be a great time. Sunday dawned bright defying forcasts of clouds and rain. And the weather held for the parade. Lining up the parade near Mammoth Mart was the Raynham Jaycee Chapter with Dick Fiske in charge. Fiske had everything well in hand and by one o'clock the Fire Chief's car followed by Chief Januse and his men in full dress uniform stepped out onto South Street. A line of fire trucks followed with scremaing whistles and sirens. The color guard of Post 405 American Legion led Rep- resentative Peter Flynn and the selectmen, Don Francis, Harry Carey, and Don McKin- non. Then followed a large flatbed truck driven by Bucky Glavin with the Lions Club banner and the huge 5000 pound Danforth anchor prepared by Lieutenant John Mc- Gillvray for the occasion. A smart looking Navy Wave Color guard followed the anchor preceding an open car driven by King Lion Dave Fisher with Navy personnel Rear Ad- miral Thomas Morris, Captain Charles Horn, Lt. McGillvray and Officer Richard Anwright. The Bridgewater-Raynham High School Band followed. A reviewing stand on the site of the first iron works proved to be the ideal vantage point to see the parade. The line of march descended a curving incline on South Main Street before it passed the stand offering a wide view of several units. On the review- ing stand were a group of Honorary Grand Marshalls selected by the combined planning committees for their service to the town. There was always the chance that some de- serving citizen would be overlooked in se- lecting these Grand Marshalls and no doubt some were. But it was felt strongly that the bicentennial should in some way show its gratitude to those who had worked so hard for their community, an honoring of the past as well as a celebrating of the present. The ceremony at the reviewing stand was brief. Chairman Richard Hill introduced King Lion David Fisher who had arranged the transportation of the anchor to Raynham. Fisher introduced Admiral Morris who noted that since the Raynham Anchor Forge had turned out several anchors for the United States Navy between 1835 and 1876, it was only fitting for the Navy to return one to Raynham. Chairman of the Board of Select- men Don McKinnon accepted for the town and Ruth Danforth, chairperson of the Historic Commission accepted for the re- sponsibility of keeping and caring for the anchor. And the parade marched by. Pat Connors and her High Steppers, Ralph Hagan and his shotgun in the Sociable Seniors Float, the Mddleboro Chowder and Marching Society who won best band, the VFW Twist- ers from Weymouth, the most original float, Anvils Incorporated, the Space Center float and beautiful Miss Bicentennial, Sheila Ducharme, of Taunton completed the first division. Then the Taunton Junior Police Band, the Massachusetts Fife and Drum Corps from Uxbridge and the Little C's marched by. The newly formed Easton Militia in their home-made costumes with regulation pikes were followed by the always stunning Taun- ton Colonial Minutemen who are an authentic and welcome addition to any parade. A color- ful selection of antique autos followed and in the distance one could hear the approaching Silver Lake Regional High School Band. As they neared the reviewing stand, this out- standing marching unit suddenly became a fife and drum corps silencing all other instru- ments. Then, in front of the stand they put on a spectacular show. The band's obvious pride and spirit added to its musicianship and judges awarded it the high school band trophy. Troop 42 led the boy scouts followed by Troop 43 and a fine float. The Girl Scout units were followed by General Jack Lynn and the largest contingent of the parade, the Little League. Mike Pollock and his wife ac- companied Pack 33 while Frank Gendreau and his wife on a bicycle built for two led bike riding Pack 43. A fine Jaycee Float end- ed this community parade that passed scores of lawns with family parties. After Marge Largey and Pat White had dis- pensed all the punch and cookies, and the last marchers had departed, the Legion hosted a fitting reception in their new hall. Honorary Grand Marshalls and friends who had worked together for the past five months celebrated together on the conclusion of Bicentennial Week in Raynham, a community week which the town shared in preparing and enjoying. 60 Honorary Grand Marshalls Mrs. Lillie B. Merrill was Raynham's Town Clerk and Treasurer from August 15, 1928, until her retirement in the spring of 1966. The Pleasant Street School was renamed in her honor. She currently lives in Washington, D.C. with her daughter. She traveled to Rayn- ham for the Bicentennial and visited the school that bears her name on Friday, May 14, where she was serenaded by the school chorus. Walter W. O'Brien and Florence O'Brien: Walter was a selectman from 1948 to 1969 and a representative to the General Court from 1954 to 1970. Albert Porter was a member of the Rayn- ham School Committee from 1934 to 1941 and a Selectman from 1950 to 1974. Russell M. Reid was selectman from 1924 to 1930. Roger Hall was a selectman from 1955 to 1964. Miss Barbara Sullvan was a teacher at the North School and Gilmore School and later principal of the North School and the Lillie B. Merrill School from 1924 until 1969 when she retired. Mrs. Lillian Hewitt, R.N. was the first School Nurse in the Raynham Public Schools. She served from 1921 to 1955. Mrs. Olga Markowski was appointed to the school committee in 1961 to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Eleanor Faloon. She had previously served on the School Building Committee for the Merrill School. She was elected chairman of the Raynham School Committee and during her chairman- ship, Raynham became an independent school district from West Bridgewater, largely through her efforts and those of Edward Cameron. Her committee elected E. Joseph LaLiberte as Raynham's first full time School Superintendent. After being defeated for re- election in 1967, she chaired the building committee which added the two story addi- tion, music room and Chamberlain Gymnasium to the Junior High School. She also chaired the committee that named the Pleasant Street School after Lillie B. Merrill. Mrs. Helen Cameron is the widow of Ed- ward Cameron, member of the Raynham School Committee 1962-1968 and of the Bridgewater - Raynham School Committee 1968-1974. Mrs. Kay Heywood was a pioneer in Girl Scouting in Raynham. She is the widow of Doctor Richard Heywood who served on the Raynham School Committee from 1951 to 1961 and on the Bridgewater Raynham Reg- ional High School Committee from 1961 to 1964. He was also a key person in operating the Lions Club Community Band from 1955 to 1965. Mr. Ralph Moye served on the Raynham School Committee from 1951 to 1960. Mrs. Warren Hill has been music supervisor in the Raynham Public Schools since 1947. She has also served in Girl Scout leadership during this period. She is the widow of War- ren W. Hill, a founder and member of the planning Board 1954-1974. Mr. Joseph Varao was a Constable for the Town of Raynham from 1929 to 1934 and Raynham's second Police Chief in 1935. Mr. Harold Ashley was an assessor from 1937 to 1943 and a founder of the planning board in 1954 on which he has remained to this day. He has also served in several other capacities including the Merrill School Build- ing Committee. Mr. Embert Hall has served the town in numerous functions, as Inspector of Cattle, Barns, Slaughterhouses, as Fish Warden 1926-1932 and as Cemetery Commissioner since 1939. Mr. George Mador served on the Finance Committee from 1942-1952 and was the first King Lion of the Raynham Lions Club in 1946. Attorney Paul Cushman has served as Raynham's Town Council since 1956. He has also been instrumental in founding the Raynham Historical Society. Mr. Arthur Schutzmeister served on the finance committee 1941-1966. Mr. and Mrs. George Powers: Mr. Powers has served on the Planning Board since 1963. Mr. John Lovenbury served on the Planning Board since 1962. Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Milliken have been instrumental in formulating activities for the Senior Citizens. Mr. Ralph Hagan is Chairman of the Coun- cil on Aging and has organized several Senior Citizens activities. Mrs. Alice Cote is the widow of Rosario Cote who served on the Finance Committee 1950-1953 and as Assessor from 1954 until his death in 1972. Mr. Arthur Walters served on the Finance Committee from 1949-1973. Mr. James Hauck served on the Board of Assessors from 1945 to 1976. Mrs. Maria Machado is the widow of Leon O. Machado who served as Highway Surveyor from 1954-1963. 61 Miss Jedidah Goodick taught at and was principal of the South School from 1925 to her retirement in 1956. Mrs. Loretta Murphy was a teacher and later principal of the North School from 1946 to 1963. The Golden Cane Award was presented to Mr. Gifford Dexter, 251 Broadway who at 92 is Raynham's oldest citizen. A History of Raynham? Why Not? This booklet has not attempted to give a complete history of Raynham. Rather, it has attempted to whet the appetite in hopes that Raynham in preparation for her 250th An- niversary in 1981 will begin now to under- take the compilation of an exhaustive local history, one that will encompass everything from James Leonard to Don McKinnon and beyond to 1981. It is a time consuming and exhaustive chore to research a community's past. But we owe it to those who have labored to make our town what it is and to those future citizens who deserve to know of their heritage to make the sacrifice necessary to do this job. Now is the time to begin so that by 1981, we'll have something to pass on to our children that will memorialize all those who contributed to Raynham rather than just those who we could uncover in five months. We hope the readers of this booklet will take an increased interest in Raynham's past as they plan for the future building on past ac- complishments and learning from past advice. This is the spirit of the bicentennial, the "Spirit of Raynham '76.". 62 Subscribers Mrs. Benny Abney Mr. and Mrs. Richard R. Adams Mr. and Mrs. Robert Adams J. F. Alden Mrs. Theodore J. Aleixo Ames Free Library of Easton, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Anderson John R. Anderson Lillian J. Archer Thomas R. Atchison Mr. and Mrs. John Barros Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Barry Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Bassett Rev. and Mrs. Merlin T. Batt Mr. and Mrs. William Becker Mr. and Mrs. George Bellamy Shirley Brush Bennett William H. Bennett, M.D. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Bergman Bruce Beuttel Mrs. Gert Black Anne E. Bolen Florance Bonaparte Charlotte M. Borden Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Borden Paul A. Borsari Robert W. Boule Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School H. Walker Briggs Rodney P. Briggs Ellen M. Brimmner Richard W. Brown Mr. and Mrs. M. Butler David Cabana Mrs. Daniel H. Cabral Eleanor B. Calvin Mrs. Edward F. Cameron Robert L. Campbell Ernest Cardoza Mr. and Mrs. Harry Carey Alice E. Carlson Norrine Carlson Walter Carlson, Jr. Thomas M. Casiato Henry Caswell Lydia M. Caswell Daniel G. Chartier Mrs. Leon W. Chase Mr. and Mrs. Paul W. Chicca Colin Chisholm Robert E. Christine Bessie Ciarcia Ms. Patricia Cochrane Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Colpitts Mr. and Mrs. Stephen P. Costa Mrs. Alice Cote Edith C. Cote Mr. and Mrs. William G. Cote Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Coveney Carlton S. Crapo, Jr. Craven's Catering Service Mr. and Mrs. Paull M. Cushman Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Czahar Walter J. Czerny Dr. and Mrs. Edward D'Andrea Fred G. DaCosta Glyde U. Dauphinee Mr. and Mrs. Charles Davis Mrs. George Davis Beatrice I. Day Mr. and Mrs. David B. Dean Mr. and Mrs. John DeArruda Mr. and Mrs. Manuel DeMello Thomas W. Devereaux, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Gifford Dexter Mr. and Mrs. Frederick C. Dimock Vicky Dixon Herbert A. Doyle Mr. and Mrs. E. Otis Dyer Phyllis Eaton Robert E. Eastman and Dorothy G. Eastman Mrs. Madeleine T. Edmonds Dr. and Mrs. Roger P. Ellis Joseph Ferreira William H. Ferrier Alvin Firmin David T. Floyd Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Flemming Henry W. Foley Miss Bernice A. Fountain Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Francis Mary J. Fuller Mr. and Mrs. Anibal L. Furtado Mr. and Mrs. Roland N. Gadry Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Garshick Bernard Goodless-Berlen K. G. Corp. Dr. and Mrs. David Gouveia Richard P. Grabarz Marlin T. Graham Mr. and Mrs. William F. Graves Russell W. Green Mr. and Mrs. David Groves Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Grzywacz Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Gutterson. Ms. Laura Hall Isabelle M. Hannant Ann M. Hardy Barbara Hathaway James J. Hauck, Sr. Maurice L. Hayden, Jr. Mrs. Arthur O. Heath Lillian Hewitt, R.N. Mrs. Richard E. Heywood William Heywood Mrs. Frances R. Hill Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hill Mr. and Mrs. David Hoey John D. Holloway 63 Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Holmes John C. Holmes Hartley Howland Mr. Andrew N. Isaacsen Edna G. Isenor Mrs. Elaine F. Jackson Stanley Januse Henry Jaskola Catherine E. Kaladin T. E. Kapala James L. Kasputis Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth E. Keith Frederick Kelley Mrs. Ruth L. Kendall Mr. and Mrs. John Kerrigan Kir-Pac Construction Co. Dorothy H. Knox Barbara La Flamme Joan Lamson Leo Landgraf Mr. and Mrs. Arthur M. Largey, Jr. Ann M. Laughlin Elsie Laverty Elaine Lemmo Donald S. Leonard John Wood Leonard George V. Leonard Marian H. Leonard Paul C. Leonard T. Richard Leonard Mr. and Mrs. Clarence M. Lewis Mr. and Mrs. Donald A. Littlefield Mrs. John G. Loja, Jr. Mrs. Susan L. Loomis Arnold Lopes, Jr. Helen B. Lounsbury John Lovenbury Louise Lunn Mr. and Mrs. John P. Lynn George Macabello Geraldine Malmberg Mr. and Mrs. Francis Machado Mrs. George MacDonald Mr. and Mrs. Robert McGuire, Jr. John G. Manganaro II June M. Manganaro May fair Cafe, Inc. Nancy McCarthy Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. McCusker Linda McGarry Robert D. Mclntyre Alfred Mailloux Mr. and Mrs. John Majkut Mr. Anthony Mannelta Mr. Lionel N. Marcotte Mr. and Mrs. John Mariorenzi Raymond J. Marquis Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Mastria Mrs. Barbara Medas Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Merriam, Jr. Kenneth J. Meyer Leo O. Michaud Alice Miller Mr. and Mrs. Chester J. Millett, Jr. Raymond G. Milliken Michael L. Monoghan Mr. and Mrs. John R. Moore Sadie M. Motta Doris F. Murphy Mrs. Daniel Murphy John D. Murphy Mr. and Mrs. Paul C. Murphy Mr. and Mrs. Russell D. Myers Richard Nelligan Mrs. Nancy Ness Mr. and Mrs. Robert Newton Mr. and Mrs. John Niles John Noblin Mrs. Leo F. Nourse Mr. and Mrs. Kendall Nye Mrs. Laura O'Keefe Old Colony Historical Society Barbara A. Oliveira Chris Osburn Frank L. Pacheco Frank E. Park Dr. and Mrs. Stanley R. Parker, Jr. Gail M. Peaslee Arthur R. Pelletier Alfred J. Perry Dwight F. Perry Clifford E. Pierce John Pillsbury Dora & George Pine, Wm. & Richard Louise W. Porter Mr. and Mrs. Albert Raggiani Edith C. Ray Raynham Auto Sales Raynham Lions Club Raynham Lions Club Raynham Public Schools Raynham Police Association Raynham Town Clerks Office Robert M. Reddy Ellsworth H. Reed Jeffrey Reed Newcomb Reid Russell M. Reid Mrs. Stephen Rhodes Miss Mildred Rich Bertha E. Richardson Sidney K. Rideout Tony Riggillo Randolph Riley Mr. and Mrs. Donald K. Roberson John A. Roberson Mr. and Mrs. J. Douglas Robertson Ricardo Rodrigues Philip J. Roos Manuel F. Rose, Jr. Mrs. Lee F. Rowland Mrs. Irene Rowley Dr. and Mrs. David Rubin John G. Rugg M. E. Salter Edward J. Sears Mr. and Mrs. Louis Secatore Mr. and Mrs. Albert C. Seymour Richard H. Sharland Mr. and Mrs. Augustus G. Shove Arthur L. Silva Mrs. Grace Silva Margaret Silva Mrs. Frank R. Simmons Barbara L. Sleezer Jerry P. Smallhoover Family Walter Smith Audrey A. Solomon Arthur G. Souza Delores E. Spankenbell John Spaulding Mr. and Mrs. Russell C. Spearin Arthur Spencer Mrs. E. Steek Robert Stevens Mrs. John Susko Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Swartz Taunton Public Library Kelly Tate Mr. and Mrs. Paul Taylor May A. Thomas William O. Thomas Lowell F. Thompson Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Thompson Mrs. Nancy L. Thurston Elizabeth J. Tipping William and Marie Tobin Edwin A. Tomawski Miss Mary C. R. Tracy Mr. and Mrs. Elroy L. Trefethen Minnie E. Turner Frank G. Ventura Joseph Viera Merrall W. Viles Joyce E. Wallace Arthur L. Walters Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Waterman Mrs. Andrew Weiland Mr. and Mrs. John Welch Mrs. Thomas E. West Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. White The Wheelers Howard K. White Mr. and Mrs. Duane E. Wheeler Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell P. Whitters Donald C. Wilbur Anne Williams Hayden M. Williams James B. Williams Mary Williams Mr. and Mrs. Walter B. Williams Dr. and Mrs. Bruce K. Willitts Mr. and Mrs. Paul Witherell Gene L. Wong (China Garden Restaurant) Mrs. A. H. Wyman Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Varao Mr. and Mrs. David Yelle Mr. and Mrs. George A. Yelle Mrs. Joseph E. Yelle Arthur K. York Ms. Laurene L. York Lillian Young Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Young Helen M. Zellner 64 f/ ? 5~J a 'ffrZ-e- 4t> yt^t K****V*- -y>o/H ~Hi* L'hVz^U Seth Dean SOLDIERS OF THE REVOLUTION Mr. Seth Dean volunteered as a soldier at the age of seventeen, when the British force occupied Boston. Mr. Joseph Shaw and other young men of this town were enrolled with him in a company, of which John King was Captain, and Noah Hall, Lieutenant. Seth Dean was thus in the first cam- paign of the war, and went into the army then assembled around Boston, under command of Washington, whose headquarters were in Cambridge. He then served during a term of eight months. He was on Boston Neck when Bunker Hill battle was fought, June 17, 1775, and saw the burning of Charlestown. During that battle, and on sev- eral successive days, cannon balls were flying over the Neck, where he was stationed. Returning home in January, he enjoyed repose but a few weeks, for in the inclement month of February, 1776, he returned again to the army and served two months at Cambridge, Winter Hill and Dorchester Heights. Mr. Dean was with the troops when the British evacuated Boston. The cannonading commenced in the town at twelve o'clock at night, and created much alarm among our people. At daylight, he saw the British go on board their ships, and leave the harbor. This was a day of rejoicing. Then Wash- ington marched in his forces, and took possession of the town. Afterwards, Mr. Dean was in the army on Rhode Island, when the French fleet, under Count de Grasse, had come to our assistance, and taken pos- session of the Island. BRIOGEWATER-R' REGIONAL HIGH SCHOO' BRIOGEWATER ■A S/f ' o G e w A r £fi^ MAP TOWN OF RAYNHAM BRISTOL COUNTY - MASSACHUSETTS Papulation - - I96S Cansut - 0J>37 TO BOSTON f<? Compiled and Reproduced by ROLFE W- B^RNS TOWN PLOTTIHQ CffclNEE* JANUARY A9G? REVISION *j^£EGEND * * Scale = I : 13320 One lnch = 1 1 10 feet NIPPENICKET "^67 5000 ilne Town Office Bull ROAD CLASSIFICATION Heovy duly —^— Light duly ■ — Medium duty ' Unimproved = = = ^s«- ©«... R.e« c r:L a J°"" R °° ds UILDINGS AND SITES C-l First Congregational Church L-l Roynham Memorial Library C-3 Raynham Soptltl Church PS-l N.Roynhom Water Dltt. Pumping Sto No-I 0-1 Elm Strael Development - ChOO Hgll mKTanf'&n. 0-3 Slonybrooh Development -Tounton Const Ct D-5 Plea$anlfleld Oe* Sec. \ -Componelll 0-6 Pleoscntfield Oev Sec. 3 - Companel l.i S-2 Center School D-8 Rovnnam Acree Dev ■ Tounlon Const, Co. 5-5 Brldgenaier-Roynhom Regional High School D-IO Allied Sloret Business- Oav.- J.M Co All Town Offices lOoen Tuesaoy-7;OOto9.00RM.) p-14 Boy Acres-George Holl D-15 Highland Terrace Da* -Chlcnerlng J-Z Gilmore Hall 0-17 Stoge Cooch Landing Dev -ChlcKerlno. C-9 Edgewood Club 0-20 HoitiMOit Hill On. S ftfi Com'. LOCATION OF NEW STREETS AND ROADS Svtvaln'* } - -[ Restaur Sylvoin Slree Broadway - Woodward Ro ad--©- Elm SI- Oev. May Avenue /* .<*.* LMr!ir%w9f S^>^ >r> Bradford Roo sj*^ ** Macy Rood Rood] © ( ^"pment'' ®-- Sun et Hts. Ext. ] ]©C Ro Bl».lo A m" ■%. Standlshfloo< X^ 'P Birch Avenue - . -®--C alr.T»rrace