Notes Epistolary and Horticultural.
THE sources from which the facts were drawn for the statements herein embodied were the papers deposited by the late
Horace D. Hall with the city clerk for safe keeping as the property of the
Medford Historical Society, and the interleaved copy of
Brooks' History of
Medford, belonging to the late
Caleb Swan.
The former is a collection of at least three hundred papers, comprising deeds, copies of wills, bills, accounts, memoranda, letters of a business or social matter covering a period of more than a hundred years, containing nothing of civic interest, but showing the business life of the
Hall family for several generations.
The book, or second source, rich in manuscript notes and printed matter of historical and genealogical interest, was found among the effects of the late
James Gilchrist Swan, a nephew of
Caleb Swan, and was given to our Historical Society by a grandson of the former about twelve years ago. The first owner's notes run from 1855 to 1871.
The second owner added to these notes in 1886 and 1888.
Much of this data and matter from the
Hall papers have been incorporated at various times in the papers of the Register.
In 1793 The Revd.
Mr. Wm Wells came from England to Boston.
He lived in the house afterwards of Mr. Ebenr Hall in Medford near the bridge.
He sometimes preached for Dr. Osgood.
He imported a number of apple trees from England for his farm he had bought in Brattleborough, but they came too late in the spring and he had them sold.
[p. 66]
Mr. Benjamin Hall bought some, and he set them out in his garden, a little South of his Summer house.
The trees are there now in Dr. Swan's garden.
The above is a portion of what
Caleb Swan sent for confirmation to two well-known residents of
Medford, desiring their opinion on the subject.
We give the replies he received; then another note of
Mr. Swan's, evidently a copy of his acknowledgment of their receipt.
The Rev. Wm. Wells left
England for this country in the year 1793 or 4, disgusted with the civil and religious persecution of that time, which resulted in the riots of
Birmingham and the mobbing of
Dr. Priestly, a friend of
Mr. Wells, who also came to this country.
Mr. Wells brought with him a wife and eight children, five sons, Wm., Eben,
Hancox, Alfred and
Howard, and three daughters, Martha,
Mary Ann and
Hannah.
He thought that this new country afforded a better prospect for the eligible settlement of his numerous family, than the old world offered.
He came here with letters of introduction to
the Rev. Dr. Morse of
Charlestown, and his family lived in this town
Medford the first year after their arrival, while the father was exploring different parts of the country, with a view of obtaining a parish as well as a farm, both of which he found in Brattleborough, Vt. He often preached in
Medford and formed a friendship not only with my father, but with many of the most respectable inhabitants of the town, which continued through life.
His son
Hancox was for some years a clerk in the store of
Mr. Jona.
Porter,
Medford, and afterward became a distinguished merchant in
Hartford, Conn. Eben was a farmer and excellent citizen in Brattleborough.
Wm. the oldest was first a bookseller, the eminent Firm of
Wells &
Lilly, Boston, and upon failing in business removed to
Cambridge, where he kept a classical school of a high order and died a few years since in a good old age. His wife was daughter of
Kirk Boott1 of Boston.
Alfred and
Howard the
[p. 67] two youngest sons, died in comparatively early life.
Martha the eldest daughter had received a superior education to her sisters, under the patronage of a wealthy aunt in
England, to whom she soon returned after remaining a short time with her family here.
She married
Mr. Freme a rich merchant who lived near
Liverpool and her house became the resort of American travellers.
Having no children, she came back to this country after the decease of her husband, and as her father and mother were then dead and her two sisters had remained single women, she purchased the old family mansion, added to it and beautified it in every way, and made it a home for herself and sisters.
She was the
Lady Bountiful of the town, and enjoyed an old age of the highest respectability and comfort until the occurrence of the terrible catastrophe which destroyed her life.
She was, however, the only victim of the conflagration in the year 1819, Sunday, May 20.
The other members of the family barely escaped in their nightdresses.
All the first generation are now in their graves but many descendants remain, who are, I believe without exception, distinguished for their goodness and intelligence.
I never heard the history of the apple trees before, but I make no doubt of its truth.
Mrs. Wells was quoted for many years by the matrons here as a model of thrift and economy.
She was greatly shocked at what she regarded as the wastefulness of our habits, in regard to food and other items of housekeeping.
Mr. Wells had been settled in a parish in
England, by the name of
Bloomingdale, I think.
After the death of his wife, when he was past 70 years old, he revisited
England, and went to his birthplace which he had left when only ten years old even the inscriptions on the tombstones, he said, had been obliterated by the humidity of the climate, and every thing was strange to him. These notices, my dear Sir, will I hope meet your wishes.
Truly yours,
Mr. Swan—My Friend, I wish I could answer all the questions; but I cannot.
William W. graduated at Har. College in 1796.
James lived to old age in
Hartford.
Had one son and 3 daughters.
The son of old
Mr. W. at
Brattleboroa was a farmer on the homestead.
Had a family.
Three daughters lived at
Brattleboroa.
Two unmarried.
One married
Mr. Freme of
Liverpool, and was burned in the house at
Brattleboroa, the only death by fire.
With respect and esteem
Yrs truly
C. Swan begs
Miss Osgood to accept his thanks for her very
[p. 68] full account received last summer of the Revd
Mr. Wells formerly a resident of
Medford.
The only wonder is that she ever came to the Knowledge of so many incidents connected with his history.
It increased my regrets of which I have told
Mr. Brooks that the History of
Medford had not been written 30 years sooner when
Governor Brooks and
Doctor Osgood, and others could have furnished so many items of historic interest.
Thursday Dec. 15, 1864.
From the second source of material some letters came to hand that quite unexpectedly supplemented the accounts given by
Miss Osgood of the Wells family.
The first is addressed to Benjamin Hall,
Esq.,
Medford, near Boston, dated
Birmingham,
Cheshire, July, 1781, and subscribed
Eliza Worthingto,. late
Loughes.
She thanks him for having procured for her stock to the amount of $1,144 in the Union Bank of Boston, and asks to have the amount, with interest, remitted to her, in care of her nephew,
J. J. Hancox, who is with a firm of merchants in
Liverpool which she names.
She writes
Mr. Hall she is enclosing her letter in one to her nephew,
William Wells of Boston, and has been made happy that day by the receipt of a letter from
America, and expresses the hope of seeing her niece,
Martha Wells, in
England in a short time.
Mrs. Worthington was probably the rich aunt alluded to by
Miss Osgood.
The letter abounds in those dignified and gracious expressions of courtesy common to the letter writers of that time.
At the top of another large half sheet of heavy linen paper the following is written:—
dear Sir,
Inclosed I send you bank securities for fifteen hundred Dollars. You will please to transfer 143 script, or 1144 Dollars, to my sister
Mrs. E. Loughes and send the remainder with those you have in your hand already, when convenience suits, to
Brattleboro.
I left my family well last week, and intend to set off for
Vermont again tomorrow.
With respectful Compts to your family and friends I remain your obliged and humble Sevt
Wm. Wells.
[p. 69]
In the center of this same half sheet, which we must notice if only for its very beautiful writing, like copperplate, are eleven lines of writing unlike that at the top, and through the text four oblique lines in ink have been drawn.
The writer speaks as having been informed by his father of a bill of £ 100, remitted through
Mr. Hall to
James Hancox of
Birmingham, which he fears lost or delayed, as it had not been heard of so late as 4th April (no year given), and asks for information concerning it, and concludes by saying his brother and sister join him in ‘respects to you,
Mrs. Hall, and the rest of our
Medford friends.’
Subscribed
James H. Wells.
There is another letter from
William Wells to Benjamin Hall, Sr., dated
Brattleboro, May 3, 1802, in which he thanks his friend for past business favors which he says have been conducted to his entire satisfaction, and that he has given his son William, in Boston, power of attorney to receive interest as it becomes due at the Union Bank, as he is not willing to longer trouble
Mr. Hall with this trifling concern.
He asks assistance for his son, in the way of advice, should he need it, and further says that in the affair of the interest of
Mrs. Worthington's scrips it was a misapprehension of his altogether.
Probably the elder
Wells sent the letter he had written to
Mr. Hall to his son, who added the explanation which closed the transaction satisfactorily to all, and then forwarded the sheet to
Mr. Hall.
A scrap of paper in the
Hall collection contains a memoranda of trees bought in New York, and shows the purchase of three early Red Rareripes, three late Red Rareripes, two Beurre Colmars and two Bon Chretiens.
The
Rareripes were peaches of American origin, very highly esteemed, and were planted as follows; The early varieties, ‘one on the Bank, one by
Dr. S[wan] fence near the grape vine, one by the cherry tree east.’
The late ones, ‘near the west side of the Barn, one in the alley near the grape vine.’
[p. 70]
The others were pear trees.
The
Beurre Colmars were planted on the east side of the garden and the
Bon Chretiens on the north.
The
Bon Chretien is the pear now found in all American gardens called
Bartlett.
It was originated in
England, propagated by a London grower by the name of
Williams, and sent out by him. Its original name was lost soon after imported here in 1799.
It was propagated and disseminated by
Enoch Bartlett of
Dorchester.
When the trees fruited they were supposed to be seedlings and were given the grower's name,
Bartlett.
Mr. Manning of
Salem, an eminent authority, felt that the fruit was identical with an English variety, and the statement he made at that time to that effect he was afterwards able to prove, but it was too late to restore the original name.
Till 1830 all trees that had been propagated were from scions in
Bartlett's garden, but after that time they were largely imported.
In the early part of the nineteenth century there were several nurserymen in New York who sent out catalogs.
It is interesting to look over their catalogs, so different from the large illustrated ones of today, many of which have elegantly embossed covers and are works of art. The early ones were very simple in their makeup, there were no illustrations and some were merely a single sheet or broadside.
Prince's Nurseries,
Flushing,
Long Island, called the
Linnean Botanic Gardens, were then well known.
His catalogs give a list of imported trees, and also one of trees obtained from people in the
United States, and as we find the Bartlett listed in the latter, from Boston, and the
Bon Chretien in the former, we may fairly assume
Mr. Hall's trees were imported stock, quite likely obtained at
Prince's. Probably the Bartlett pear found a home in
Medford in the early part of the nineteenth century.
Though we have a local horticultural society established in 1913 (January 22), interest in the culture of
[p. 71] fruits and flowers in this city antedates it by many years.
‘Horticulture had a cordial reception in the early days of
Medford, even back as far as the building of the house of
Matthew Cradock.’
The grounds of the Royall estate were known far and wide, and mention has been made in the Register of fine gardens of a later date belonging to well-known families that were justly celebrated.
Some exist today, and in many small gardens fine flowers and fruits have been grown for many years by those who have been unknown save locally, and yet have been deeply interested in gardening.
Medford has had honor conferred upon her by two well-known residents through their interest in horticulture.
Captain Joshua T. Foster2 produced an excellent peach called Foster Seedling, and
Charles Sumner Jacobs originated a fine apple named Jacobs Sweet.
These fruits originated in
Medford, were extensively grown at one time and were highly esteemed.
Change is the fashion of the day, and they have been superseded by others, yet for real merit they were unsurpassed.
The secretary of our State Agricultural Board writes me some nurserymen today carry the Foster peach, and that he knows of several persons who are still growing the
Jacobs Sweet.
3
The peach attracted great attention at the exhibitions of the
Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and won many prizes, both for the originator and others who grew the trees.
It was a very attractive looking fruit, and specimens were sold at a dollar each.
More plates of this variety were exhibited than of any other, it is said,
[p. 72] either because it was so popular, or because the season favored its growth.
This seedling peach tree came up about 1857 and the apple about 1860.
The fruit of the latter is of good size, ‘yellow with a handsome red cheek.’
At the time when these fruits were so prominently before the public
Medford was also well represented at the exhibition of our State Horticultural Society by the following—
Mrs. Caroline B. Chase,
Mrs. Elsey Joyce,
Mrs. Ellen M. Gill and
Francis Theiler.
The ladies were genuine lovers of flowers and enthusiastic and successful growers.
Fifty years ago they were prize winners at the weekly exhibitions of the society and were known for their skillful arrangement of floral designs.
The last, at an advanced age, is still
4 enjoying the cultivation of flowers, and her zeal is undiminished.
Mr. Theiler had the German love for flowers and was the first trade florist here, carrying on the business for many years.
Pasture hill indicates by its name the purpose for which it was early used, and until a late time herds of cows might have been seen grazing there.
Today the prophecy is fulfilled made by
Charles Brooks—‘The hill is mostly rock, and will afford, in coming years, a most magnificent site for costly houses.’
Statements made in the Register, Vol.
III, No. 2, p. 85, April, 1900, Vol.
XV, No. 3, p. 65, October, 1912, and the account of the planting of fruit trees of which we have made mention, show the state of cultivation the south end of the hill was under at one time.
The first change was made probably when the three
Hall brothers built their houses just at the foot of this round hill that comes down so close to the road (High street). They had gardens which were spots of beauty for many years, and another
Hall built his home there soon after, and these four houses, two now standing, were dignified and attractive dwellings for years.
When the first building for the high school was erected
[p. 73] in 1845, a portion of the hill was cut away and reinforced with granite blocks, but it was many years before the great change was made that so materially altered the face of nature and changed the
Hill pasture, as it is called in old deeds, into a residential section.
Hillside avenue was laid out through the Magoun land, then came Governors avenue, with its branching avenues, a little to the east of the former, the time for the first being approximately 1880 and for the latter 1890.
This caused the removal of the
Benjamin Hall house, later known as
Dr. Swan's house, and in 1906 the
Richard Hall house was taken down and on its site the brick building for the use of the
New England Telephone and Telegraph Company was erected.
A later generation of Halls built their homes under the east slope of the hill, and in all five generations of this family made their homes at the base of the
Hill pasture.
The hill fell within the bounds of that large tract of land belonging to
Jonathan Wade (Register, Vol.
VII, No. 3, p. 49, July, 1904), and the earliest paper in the
Hall collection bears the date 1689 and is the division of the
Wade estate.
A portion was deeded to Andrew Hall in 1743, and later the whole came into the possession of this family.
Large holdings of land by a few fine old houses whose equipments spoke of all the comforts and elegancies known to early days, spacious grounds around them where each one lived the seclusion of the Englishman in his castle, told of the ancestry of
Medford's early families and gave the aspect of old
England to this
New England village.
With a but slowly increasing population this quiet rural atmosphere prevailed for many years.
Those who never knew
Pasture hill in the old days have missed a charming picture, for as we see it today, crowned with houses, with a broad avenue laid out below, though a fine sight, it has no likeness to the hill of sixty years ago. There was a quietness and seclusion as you reached it byway of Brooks lane that was very attractive,
[p. 74] and the old road at its foot that led through the woods to
Stoneham was the place for a meditative stroll.
Let us close our literary ramble through an old book and a box of older papers with two gleanings, from the former a manuscript note, from the latter a newspaper clipping, as they touch topics of today's interest, though not horticultural.
George L. Stearns is an orator in Town meetings, and it is said speaks very well.
He spoke at the meeting in the Unitarian Church Sunday, July 2, 1865 for the negroes to vote.
He had been in the army with the rank of Major and was some time at Nashville, Tennessee.
The venerable Rev. Dr. Todd, of Pittsfield, says the root of the great error of our day is, that woman is to be made independent and self-supporting—precisely what she never can be, because God never designed she should be. Her support, her dignity, her beauty, her honor and happiness lie in her independence as wife, mother and daughter.
The above is dated in pencil, August 6, 1867.