town, and were laid out one hundred and sixty rods long, and fifty rods wide. Mr. Henry Fuller owns the largest part of lot number one, and the stones are now visible where the surveyors built their first camp, previous to surveying these lots. The above described lots were laid out in various parts of the town, and on the highest land (except Mount Grace) extending from near the southwest corner, nearly to the northeast corner of the town. Thus you see that they selected the hills, or high ridges of land, for the first settlements; and this is one reason why almost all our roads were located over the hills, instead of passing through the valleys. The boundaries of the town, as it was originally laid out, were as follows. On the west line, by Northfield, six miles and thirty-eight rods; then on Erving's Grant, two miles and thirty-nine rods, making the whole west line Eight miles and seventy-seven rods. North on the line of New Hampshire, four miles and ninety-eight rods on the town of Winchester, and two miles and forty-two rods on the town of Richmond, making the whole north line six miles and one hundred and forty rods (it was originally called Arlington and Province land, north), east on Province land (now Royalston) and Pequeag (now Athol) six miles and thirty rods,* thence west, one hundred and seventy-nine rods, to the north-west corner of Pequeag, thence south, two hundred and fifty-six rods, to a heap of stones, and a small maple tree, on the west line of Pequeag, south on Erving's Grant, four miles and two hundred and sixty-five rods. The west and north boundaries of Warwick continue the same as originally laid out, but when the town of Orange was incorporated, it took off the southeast corner, and it left the east line on Royalston, three miles and one hundred and two rods, the south line two miles and one hundred and eighteen rods, and the southeast is a zigzag line, measuring five miles and three hundred and sixteen rods on the town of Orange. The township contained twenty-three thousand acres of land, exclusive of the Great Farm (so called), which was a grant previously made of sixteen hundred acres to one Johnson and his company for military services; and also exclusive of the Severance and Field farms. The Severance farm contained two hundred acres. It is a traditional story, that it was granted as a reward for the faithful services of the surveyor who laid out this part of the country, and that he had his choice to select where he pleased. The Field farm never belonged to Warwick, but made a notch in the southeast corner of the town. It contained four hundred acres. Late in the fall of 1737, a second division of lots was laid out under the direction of a committee, consisting of Deacon Davis and Ebenezer Case, who were empowered "to agree with one or more Surveyors, and chainmen and pilots." These second division lots, were called Farms, and were to contain one hundred and fifty acres each, if the land would hold out, and the Surveyors were directed to qualify them, viz. to lay them out according to the quality of the land, the poorest land into the largest lots, and the best into smaller ones, so as to have them valued alike. This is the reason why the second division lots are so unequal in size, varying from one to two hundred acres; for instance, on "Beech Allowing one rod in thirty, for sag of chain, as the old records say was customary. hill," the old original lots contain but about one hundred acres each, that being considered the best of the land, while the broken lots contain nearly or quite two hundred acres. It may not be amiss to mention the sectional names in different parts of the town, and their probable origin. "Beech Hill," above mentioned, lies in the east part of the town, and the name originated from the uncommon large growth of beech timber it formerly contained. "Chesnut Hill" was so named for the same reason, the chesnut trees being the most common growth; it is located in the southwest part of the town. "Flour Hill" is in the north part of the town. It is said that this name originated from the following circumstance. The inhabitants that first settled this part, were in the habit of annually setting fire to the woods in the spring of the year, for the purpose of producing a young and tender growth of trees and plants, for the subsistence of their cattle, not having pastures cleared up as we now have. This practice had almost destroyed the first growth of timber on the spot last mentioned, and the land was considered of very little value. Mr. Solomon Ager, who at that time was not considered a prophet, had the hardihood to risk his all (as he had nothing to lose) by settling on this open tract of land. Some of his wiser neighbors attempting to ridicule him for selecting so barren a spot of land to get his living on; the old man replied that "it would one day be the Flour of Warwick," and ever after it has been called "Flour Hill." The east part of the town towards Royalston, probably from its being so rough and uneven, has sarcastically been called "Moose Plain. A portion of the north part of the town is called "The Brook," from the stream of water that takes its rise near the middle of the town, and empties into the Ashuelot River, at Winchester, N. H., being called "Miry Brook." The land south of Morse's Pond was formerly called "Skunks Barren," that further south was called "Padanaram." The first name originated from the sterility of the soil, and the last from its being a plain level spot. The southeast corner of the town was called "Peaked End," that being considered the extreme end of the settlement. The two natural ponds obtained their names from the owners of the soil near them, viz. :—“ Pomeroy's Pond," near the centre of the town, and " Morse's Pond," about one mile southwest of the former. The mountain near the middle of the town was called "Mount Grace," in consequence of a child of Mrs. Rowlandson, whose name was Grace, being buried somewhere near the foot of it. Mrs. Rowlandson with her child was taken captive by the Indians at Lancaster, when that town was destroyed and sacked and burned. After the destruction of the town, the Indians proceeded towards Canada with their captives, and this child died soon after they crossed "Miller's River," in Athol, ten miles from Warwick, and Mrs. Rowlandson brought it in her arms until she arrived near this mountain, where, compelled by fatigue, she reluctantly consigned it to the earth.* The brook that takes its rise near the west side of this mountain is called "Grace Brook," until it reaches Morse's Pond; below there it is called "Morse's Brook." This was an early tradition, and then believed to be true; but it is not authenticated in Mrs. R.'s history of her captivity.-Mount Grace, by the State survey, is 1628 feet high. |