Hamilton High School - Hamiltonian Yearbook (South Hamilton, MA)

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The Hamiltonian 5 of which are covered with the famous Hoston historical paintinjis. From here one enters the Memorial Hall, filled with paint- ings of IVlassachusetts soldiers and sailors in the Civil and Spanish W ars. In the Senate Chamber is kept the first firearm taken from the enemy at Lexington in the War for Independence. Above the buildim: still shines the pine-cone, recalling the Pine Tree State which was once part of the Commonwealth and calling attention to the emblem of the IVlassachusetts State Flag, the pine tree, which signifies “An Apped to Heaven.” ' Fhe Paul Revere House on N ' ortii Square, which is the oldest house in Hoston, was built in the seventeenth century. Paul Revere lived there for tliirty years and the old crane that he used is still in the kitchen. On the location of the famous Washing- ton Elm in the roadway next to the Com- mon, Cambridge, Massachusetts, a tablet has been placed stating the historic fact that Washington here first took command of the Continental army. 1 he larngfellow House in Cambridge is a very fine old colonial mansion. It was used by VV ashington as headcpiarters dur- ing the Revolutionary War, and later it became the home of the poet, Longfellow. ' Fhe Colonel Bigelow House on Lincoln Scpnre, Worcestei, the site of which is marked by a tablet, was the home of Colo- nel ' Fimothy Bigelow. He, with the little company of minute men he had drilled and which Washington had praised with the words, “ ' Phis is discipline, indeed!” answered the call of April 19, 177 ' I, and marched to Lexington and Concord. ' I ' he Governor John Hancock mairdon in Worcester, which was built in tlie early seventeenth century, is probably the ( nly house in New England that was the home of five governors. ' Fhcse happen to be John Hancock, Levi Linccrln, Sr., Le i Lin- coln, Jr., Enoch Lincoln, and John Davis. ' i he (9id Marblehead Fown House, built in 1728, was, like Faneuil Hall, used as a market and public meeting place and also as a public school. At the top of three flights of half ruined stairs is the dingy loft where Ebenezer Gerry and other patri- otic plotters against Ring George held their secret meetings. Here the Marblehead legiment gathered during the Revolution. At the United States Armory in Spring- held in 1795 the first musket was manu- factured in the Llnited States. Beginning with a force of forty men and a production of 245 muskets the first year, the rVrmoi has increased its producticm and today manufactures 300 guns a day and employs 1400 men. In the arsenal there are kept twent different models of muskets includ- ing the historic guns of every war in which the LOiited States has taken part. My friend and 1 returned to Hamilton. She had been much impressed by the his- toric shrines of IVlassachusetts, and 1 was proud to show her that Hamilton, too, is famous. I ' he town was named for Wash- ington’s Secretary of the Freasury, Alex- ander Hamilton, and was so honored through the efforts of Rev. Dr. .Manassah Cuttler, the seccnd Congregational min- ister, who greallv admired him. In front of the Cuttler house there is a marker which states on December ,L 1787, the first covered wagon to leave Massachusetts for the West left there, reached the northwest territor - the next spring, and foumled Marietta, (9hio. Hamiltoiians can well be proud of the fact that for a town of its size Hamilton ranks among the mot famous. B ARB.ARA MaXVVHI.I. HISTORICAL PERSONAGES OF MASSACHUSETTS I F was in 1620 that a little band of men and women, famous in history as the Pilgrims, reached Cape Cod, crossed the bay, and founded their settlement at Ply- mouth, Massachusetts. Among this small group was a man named Miles Standish. His foresight was great and without his wise counsel the settlement would have sureh failed. He used fine diplomacy with the Indians and, in this way, he man- aged to protect his people. In 16. 2, Miles Standish founded the town of Duxbury, li ' ing there and working for the welfare of the settlement until his death, (October 3. 1656, In September, 1628, John Endicott ar-

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The Hamiltonian In Concord S(iu;uc there is a Soldier’s Monument dciiicatcd to the men wlio fell at the Hattie of Concord. 1 he Hancock Clarke House in Lexinj ton is the place here Hancock and Adams slept the nijiht before the Hattie of Lexiiif ton when Paul Re ere came with the alarm at midniirht. We journered from here to Ifoston, the capital of Massachusetts, and the Huh of the Universe. First we visited Christ Church which is on Salem Street. This is the oldest church edifice in the city, built in 1722. It is the famous old North Church in the steeple of crhich the signal was flashed for Paul Revere to arouse the peo- ple. Another very famous historical house of worship is the old South Church cn Washinj ton Street. It was built in 172 and not only served as a place of worship hut also as a place to perform such public functions as holding town meetings and delirering orations. It was from this church that the disguised liostonians marched to take part in the famous Hoston d ' ea Party of December, 1773. A tablet ' vhich marks the site of the Hoston Tea Party Wharf reads in part as follows: “Here formerly stood ‘Ciriffin’s 3Vharf’ at which lay moored on December 16, 1773, three Hritish ships with cargoes of tea.” About ninety citizens took part and threw overboard 342 chests of tea. In June, 1876, the church was sold at auction. It is now owned by a patriotic association and contains a rare museum of curiosities. Another up-to-date church has been built near the old South Church for worship. The Old Ship Meeting House in Hingham is the oldest building in the United States, standing on its original site, that has been used continuously for the worship of God. We climbed Hunker Hill Monument which stands on Hreed’s Hill, the actual site of the Hattie of Hunker Hill. The cornerstone of this monument was laid b the Marquis de Lafayette in the presence of a crowd, June 17, 1825, the fiftieth an- niversary of the battle. After a delay of fifteen years, the monument was completed in 1842 and dedicated on June 17, 1843 in the presence of President Tyler, his cabinet, and a huge crowd. At this time, Webster gave his second Hunker Hill Oration, the first having been given at the laying of the cornerstone. The monument is an obelisk and stands in the center of the ground included in the old breastwork with its sides parallel to those of the redoubt. It is built of Quincy granite and is 221 feet in height. W’e climbed a rvimling staircase of 265 stone steps to the top. I ' he room there has four windows with iron shutters through which a beautiful view of Hoston, its suburbs, and harbor may be seen. The foremost among the large buildings in Hoston is Faneuil Hall better known as the “Cradle of Liberty” because at the first public meeting held there in 1763, James Otis dedicated the building to the “Cause of Liberty.” It was erected by Peter Faneuil, a Huguenot merchant, and pre- sented by him to the town to be used as a market place. It was destrored by fire, but was reconstructed shortly afterwards with a second floor to be used for a meeting place. Later a third story was added for galleries, with Doric columns and an ex- tended platform. The old State House, which stands at the head of State Street, is the oldest exist- ing public building in New England. 4 ' he historic part of the new State House is the “Hulfinch Front,” which alone was the M assachusetts State House for more than half a century and today houses the Execu- ti e Department and the Senate Quarters. Its gilded dome is a famil iar landmark to all New Englanders. 4 ' he cornerstone of the new State House was set July 4, 1765 by Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. P ' if- teen white horses, representing the fifteen states of the Union at that time, drew the cornerstone to Governor Hancock’s house. 4 ' he State House was completed in three years, when on January 1 1, 1768, the mem- bers of the General Court assembled foi the last time in the old State House and marched in a body to take their seats in the new one on Heacon Hill. In Doric Hall, the main hall of the “Hulfinch P’ront” as we enter the biulding, there are many distinctive memorials, relics, and works of art, chief of which are perhaps the statue of 3Vashington in marble and the cannons commemorating the American Revolution and the War of 1812. From Doric Hall one enters the passage leading into the Senate Staircases Hall, the walls

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b The Hamiltonian rived in this country and established a settlement which they called Salem. Later his colony merged with the Massachusetts Bay Colony. John Endicott had previously established a settlement at Cape Ann near what is now (jloucester. 1 here were lifty men in this colony but they grew restless and soon moved to Salem. John Endicott was a man of dauntless courage, benevo- lent, and of a rugged nature. Graduallt, he developed Salem, and in I03b he u a ' appointed one of the magistrates of tli . Salem court. Nine years later, John Endicott was chosen governor of Massa- chusetts so he left his work at Salem and went to Boston. Another famous man in the colonies was John VVinthrop. In 1630, he crossed the Atlantic and became governor of Massa- chusetts Bay Colony. To him, Boston owes its foundation ; and, except for brief inter- vals, he served as governor of this colony until his death. John Winthrop was a mild-tempered man who reasoned out his course of action and his decisions frequently saved the colony fia m Indian massacre s and from interference by the English gov- ernment. Even after his death, his influ- ence remained as a strong factor in the development of the colony. In the meantime, a church had been es- tablished at Plymouth and B homas haunce was given charge of it. He knew many of the Mayihtzver’s passengers and they showed him the place where they landed. Upen hearing that the rock was to be covered by the erection of a wharf, he was deeply affected and he protested vigorously to the erection of any edifice over that sacred spot. More than likely it was the pleas of I ' homas Faunce that saved Plv; mouth Rock frem oblivion. During the beginning of the period of witchcraft in Salem, Cotton Mather was ordained as an assistant to his father in the pastorate of the North Church, Postoi. He became exceedingly interested in the problem of witchcraft in Salem and the text of manv of his sermons centered about this subject. Because of the things he said about witchcraft, many people denounced him : but, until his death, he kept his opinions and occasionallv preached sermons on the black magic in Salem. .After a lapse of time, the colonics gained sufficient strength to ask for their indepen- dence from England. However, England disagreed with her colonies and soon a Revolutionary War was in progress. James Otis was sent to the English Parliament to speak in behalf of the colonies. He de- livered many speeches that were very dra- matic but which seemed to make no effect on Parliament. He returned to America very much discouraged and told the people there was no hope for independence e.xcept through war. Soon afterward, Otis re- ceived a blow on the heael from one of the British Revenue Officers ; this led to recur- ring attacks cf insanity. Because of this, his able defense and leadership were lost to the colonies before the armed conflict came. In spite of his unbalanced niental condition, he fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill and survived. Eight years later, he was killed by a stroke of light- ning while reading in his home. Meanwhile, thirty men enrolled them- selves as volunteers to watch over the moves of the British Army. At their head was Paul Revere. When it was known that the British were intending to march to Lexington, a lantern was hung in the belfrey of Christ Church in Cliarlestown. This was a signal to Paul Revere who im- mediatelv leaped up!)ii his horse and sped toward Concord to spread the alarm. Rufus Dawes, his companion who had started on the same errand, was stopped ; but Revere escaped his pursurers and rode rapidly on through the night, arousing the people in the sleeping villages as he passed until he reached Concord. The next day, because of the watchfulness and courage of Paul Revere, so-called minute men were ready to face the British troops on the Green at Lexington, d ' he war with Eng- land had actuallv begun ! The next battle of importance took place at Bunker Hill where Col. Prescott camped for the night of June 16th. The next dav, these troops were besieged by the British. In this battle, a well known, dearly-beloved man was killed, Joseph AVarren, who after the Battle of Lexington, was made major- general of the Massachusetts troops. He was offered chief command at Bunker Hill but refused it because he thought he was incapable of the position. One of the outstanding patriotic men of