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F
74
.56
C4
Press of BLANCHARD & BROWN, Fitchburg, Mass.
TO THE MEMORY
OF THE
EARLY SETTLERS OF SHIRLEY,
TO THEIR
WIDELY-SCATTERED DESCENDANTS,
AND TO
THE PRESENT INHABITANTS OF THE TOWN,
This Volume
IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED
BY THE WRITER.
INTRODUCTION.
CONTENTS.
PART I.
CHAPTER I.
Situation and Extent. Boundaries. Origin. Petition for a separation
from Groton. Incorporation. Name. Additions of Territory. First
Town-Meeting.
CHAPTER II.
Soil and Productions. Roads. Rivers and Bridges.
CHAPTER III.
Mills. Manufactories and Manufactures.
CHAPTER IV.
9-14
17-25
25-35
35-64
Schools. Parker School Fund. Libraries and College Graduates. 65-98
CHAPTER V.
Burying-Ground. Training-Field. New Cemetery. Hearses. Town
Tombs.
Record of Deaths.
CHAPTER VI.
War of the Revolution and its precursors. Shays' Rebellion. Wars
of 1812, and of the Southern Rebellion.
CHAPTER VII.
Almshouse. New County. Post-Offices. Stores. Railroads. Physi-
cians..
CHAPTER VIII.
113-140
141-158
Town Hall. Legacy of Hon. James P. Whitney. Donation of Thomas
and George A. Whitney. Laying the Corner-Stone. Proceedings and
Report of Building Committee. Dedication of the Hall. Village
Hall. Liberality of its owner, etc.
158-187
CHAPTER IX.
Town Officers. Clerks. Selectmen. Treasurers. Representatives.
Senators. Votes for Governor, etc., etc.
187-198
PART II.
Early Ecclesiastical Movements.
First Meeting-House. Candidates
for the Ministry. Settlement of Mr. Whitney. Formation of a
Church. Church Covenants.
201-219
Second Meeting-House. Events of Mr. Whitney's Ministry. Enlarge-
ment of Meeting-House.
Settlement of a Colleague.
219-237
Shaker Society. Brief Sketch of the Origin, Progress and Faith of
the Shakers as a Sect. History of the Community in Shirley.
Universalist Society. Rise of Universalism. Formation of a Society.
Meeting-Houses. Ministers. Church and Sunday-School. Ladies'
Aid Society.
First Congregationalist Society. Formation of the First Parish.
Engagement of Mr. Chandler. His Settlement. Change of Hymn-
Book. New Bell. Sunday School. Ladies' Benevolent Society.
Alteration of the Meeting-House. Legacy of Thomas Whitney, Esq.
Legacy of Hon. James P. Whitney. Church Organ. Removal of the
Meeting-House. Other alterations. Benefactions to the Society.
Library, etc.
245-276
277-288
289-310
Orthodox Society. Church Organization. Meeting-Houses. Ministers.
Miss Jenny Little. Benefactions. Sunday-School, etc.
Baptist Church. Organization. Chapel. Ministers. Too many
churches for the population. Conclusion of Ecclesiastical History.
Moral reflections..
PART III.
Genealogical Register.
Appendix.
Addendum..
Index of Subjects-Parts I. and II.
Index of Names-Parts I. and II.
Index of Names to Part III. .
311-327
328-335
337-693
695-723
- 723
725
729
731