Mansfield, Massachusetts, USA
1899 - Mansfield

Mansfield. - This was the thirteenth town formed in Bristol county, and was set off from Norton April 26, 1770, as a district. On August 23, 1775, the district was made a town by a general act. It forms a part of the Twelfth Congressional district, and with Easton and Raynham constitutes the Second Representative District, with 2,459 legal voters, entitling the district to one representative. The State census of 1895 gives the town a population of 3,722 and the number of registered voters in 1897 was 764.

Mansfield has three post offices, Mansfield, East Mansfield and West Mansfield. The largest and most important village in the town is Mansfield, which is situated in the northern central part. It has for many years been an important industrial center. Early in the present century Simeon White began making shoe nails and tacks at Whiteville, which eventually became a large industry under direction of his sons. There is at the present time no business interest of importance at that point.

The making of baskets has always been a prominent industry and is still extensively carried on by J. A. Blake, Elmer M. Shepard, who buy largely from small manufacturers and supplies the Boston market; Isaac Hodges, James L. Hodges, who is one of the largest makers in the town; James E. Paine, C. L. Corey, David Green and Alexander Palmer, at Robinsonville; Benjamin Treen, at West Mansfield; Fisher Brothers, at the Center. One of the leading interests of the town has been the manufacture of soap. Fifty years ago Capt. Schuyler Shepard began the business, which is continued by his son, albert S. Shepard. Other soap manufacturers are J. W. Cobb and the Jinks Soap Manufacturing Co.

Inducements were made which brought to Mansfield, in 1887, from Lynn a large shoe manufacturing business, carried on by Rumsey Brothers. A large factory was built in 1888 and the business is now conducted by Burpee Rumsey, as a branch of the Lynn factory. Another shoe manufacturing business has recently been established by the Mansfield Shoe Company.

The manufacture of shoe knives and awls has been largely carried on since 1842, when Robert McMoran and Robert Fulton began the business. Mr. McMoran and his son-in-law, George A. Robinson, and his grandson, william N. McMoran, established another factory at West Mansfield. This business is now conducted under the name of George A. Robinson & Co. Other cutlery manufacturers are Matthew George, John Murphy, W. W. Taylor.

Near the line of the railroad Gardner Chilson built a foundry in 1846. It is now operated by the Chilson Furnace Company. Some years ago William Bird built another foundry, now operated by J. E. and W. H. Rider. Other foundries in the town are those of the Mansfield Cooperative Furnace Company and Patrick Shields.

The straw braiding business was established in 1835 by John Rogers, but finished goods were not made until 1840. About ten years later Mr. Rogers built a factory and operated it until 1866, when his son, John W., with J. F. Comey and D. E. Harding, succeeded, under the firm name of Rogers, Comey & Co. The name was changed later to Comey & Company who continued the business.

Some twenty years ago John Birkenhead came from Canton and began the manufacture of spindles; he continued several years. S. W. Card began making taps and dies about fifteen years ago, and later took as partner David E. Harding, the firm name being S. W. Card & Co. They were burned out in 1890, rebuilt and continue the business. Jewelry manufacturing has in recen years become a large industry, having originated with Sturdy Brothers, of Attleborough. They were followed by Merritt & Draper, who began making shell jewelry. This business is now conducted by D. S. Spaulding, of whom a sketch appears in another part of this work. Mr. Merritt formed a partnership with John Shepardson in making of plated and solid jewelry, but subsequently removed to Attleborough. Other jewelry manufacturers now in business are Cobb, Evans & Co., s. A. Evans, C.D. Lyons, and Fred S. Bliss.

The water power for the supply of some of these industries is furnished by Rumford river (sometimes called Ten-Mile River) and Canoe River. Flint's saw mill, which stands on the site of the old Hartwell thread factory, is operated by B. K and B. Flint.

Mansfield has two banks, the Mansfield Co-operative Bank, which was organized February 22, 1883; chartered and began business in the same year. The other is the private banking house of Alfred B. Day & Company (Alfred B. Day and Charles C. Haggerty), which was established in 1891.

A newspaper named the Mansfield News was established in 1873 by Pratt & Clarke (S. b. Pratt and E. W. Clarke), the latter being editor. In November of the same year the management changed and Thomas S. Pratt became proprietor, with E. S. Clarke, assistant editor. In 1881 T. S. Pratt and William White became owners of the establishment, under the firm name of Pratt & White. This firm was succeeded by the present proprietor and editor, William White. The paper is an independent Replublican journal and has a large circulation. An edition for Foxborough is published and call the Foxborough Times.

Mansfield village has six churches, three in West Mansfield, and onein East Mansfield. Those in Mansfield are the Baptist, Emanuel Methodist, First Universalist, Orthodox Congregational, Society of the New Jerusalem, and S. Mary's Catholic. Those in West Mansfield are the People's Free Evangelical, Friends' and First Christian. The one in East Mansfield is the First Methodist.

The new town hall in Mansfield was dedicated in 1883, the town having appropriated $10,00 for the erection of the structure, and $5,000 having been donated by W. O. Grover, of Boston. The building committee were A. C. Hardon, E. M. Reed and A. V. Rogerson.

Mansfield has ample railroad facilities, being connected with Boston, Providence, Taunton and Framingham. Electric roads are contemplated for construction in the near future to many near by points. The village is supplied with pure water by the gravity system, which was introduced in 1887, the supply being taken from Cate spring, situated about two miles east of the place.

The Mansfield Public Library was established in 1884 and as about 3,000 volumes. The educational facilities of Mansfield consist of eight schools and a high school, all of which are liberally supported by the community.

West Mansfield is a small village in the western part of the town and practically connected with Mansfield village. Most of the prominent industries that have been established there have been noticed. The place contains three churches, post-office and one store; two blacksmiths, one carriage maker, several basket manufactories, before noticed, a school house, a cutlery manufactory, etc. On the site of the cutlery manufactory formerly stood the woolen mill of Marcus Williams. Upon Wading river, which flows through the western part of the town, formerly stood Sweet's flour mill, long operated by Elbridge Sweet; it was burned and not rebuilt.

East Mansfield is a hamlet in the east part of the town containing a post-office, school house, one church, a basket manufactory, the planing mill of B. K. & B. Flint, the monumental works of F. W. Burt, and two or three stores.

Robinsonville is a hamlet in the northwestern part of the town with unimportant interests. Whiteville is a small village in the northeast part of the town, where considerable industrial interest was in existence years ago.

In past years efforts have been made to mine coal and iron in this town, which undoubtedly exist in large quantities, but the question whether they can be successfully produced is still unsettled. General farming is followed throughout the town, and market gardening is carried on to some extent. The growing of nursery stock has in recent years become an industry of considerable importance.

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE A DESCRIPTIVE AND BIOGRAPHICAL... Boston History Company, 1899

Visit Mansfield, Massachusetts, USA
Discover the people who lived there, the places they visited and the stories they shared.