History of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, USA

Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Plymouth county. This township was formerly very large. It is now divided into four distinct towns. Not content with attaching the cardinal points of the compass to the names of three divisions of this ancient and respectable town, this remnant of the old territory is often improperly called South Bridgewater. The Indian name of this township was Nunketest. Bridgewater contains some very good land, and is well watered by branches of Taunton river. It lies 27 miles S. by E. from Boston, 20 S.S.W. from Plymouth, and 17 S. from Weymouth landing. Population, 1830, 1,855; 1837, 2,092. This town was first settled in 1651, and incorporated in 1656. The settlements were nearly all destroyed by the Indians in 1676. Manufacturing operations commenced here at an early period. Hugh Orr, an eminent Scotchman, carried on the manufacture of cannon and small arms during the revolutionary war. The present manufactures consist of boots, shoes, hats, paper, anchors, bar iron...

The Indian name was Saughtucket, and the Ancient Town, which included North, East, and West Bridgewater, was purchased by Captain Miles Standish of Massasoit, and for several years formed a part of Duxbury. It was called Bridgewater, after the English Duke of that name.

To show how much towns cost in that day, it may be stated that the Four Bridgewaters cost 7 coats, 9 hatchets, 8 hoes, 20 knives, 4 moose skins, and 10 and a half yards of cotton.

This town, before the separation, was called South Bridgewater. Its soil is good, and well watered by Taunton River.

Its chief manufactures are boots and shoes, machinery, nails, anchors, &c.

One of the State Normal Schools is established here. Distance from Plymouth, 20 miles; from Boston, 27.

Bridoewater, a post-township of Ply mouth county, Massachusetts, on the Fall River railroad, 27 miles S. by E. from Boston. Population, 2790.

BRIDGEWATER, a township of Plymouth co., in the state of Massachusetts, 25 m. SE of Boston. It is watered by branches of Taunton river, is tolerably fertile, and possesses considerable manufactories. Pop. 2,131.

Bridgewater is a fine old town in the western part of Plymouth County, 28 miles south of Boston by the Old Colony Railroad, whose stations within it are Bridgewater Iron Works and, half a mile south of this, Bridgewater (Centre), and in the southern part of the town, State Farm. The post; offices are Bridgewater, Scotland and State Farm; the villages being these (except the last), and Paper Mill Village, in the eastern part of the town. The general form of the township is oval; having an assessed area of 16,055 acres, including 5,000 acres of woodland. The surface is for the most part undulating, having a fine eminence at the north called Sprague's Hill, 192 feet in height. In the western part of the town is the handsome Lake Nippenicket, covering 388 acres, and embracing several pretty islands. Robbin's Pond, three miles northeast of the centre, is also an attractive resort for fishing.

Town and Matfield rivers, entering Bridgewater on the north side, unite in the eastern part;...