CONTENTS. REV. JOHN PAYSON, FITCHBURG'S FIRST MINISTER, EARLY FAMILies of FitchBURG, By Ezra Scollay Stearns, A. M., PROCEEDINGS. JANUARY 15, 1900.-The annual meeting of the society was held in the common council room, city hall building, President Willis in the chair. The annual reports of the secretary, treasurer and librarian were read and accepted. The report of the treasurer showed receipts for the year of $172.00 and payments of $168.02. Total assets, $195.20. The librarian's report showed receipts of eleven bound volumes, forty-six pamphlets, and other material of a miscellaneous nature during the year. Officers for the current year were elected as follows: Clerk: James F. D. Garfield. Executive Committee: Henry A. Willis, Henry A. Goodrich, Frederick F. Woodward, Atherton P. Mason and James F. D. Garfield. Committee on Nominations (for three years): Charles E. Ware. Voted, that the president and secretary, in behalf of the society, petition the city government for an appropri ation to continue the publication of the old town records. At a meeting of the executive committee, held immediately following the annual meeting, the following officers were elected: President: Henry A. Willis. Vice-Presidents: Henry A. Goodrich, Frederick F. Wood ward. Treasurer and Librarian: Atherton P. Mason. FEBRUARY 19, 1900.-The regular monthly meeting of the society was held in the common council room, President Willis in the chair. Mr. Henry F. Coggshall was elected a member of the society. The committee chosen at the annual meeting to petition the city government in relation to the publication of the Fitchburg town records, reported that in response to their petition, the city government had appropriated $950 for the purpose of continuing the publication during the present year. Mr. Frederick A. Currier read a paper on the "Old Stores and Storekeepers of Fitchburg," covering a period from the incorporation of the town in 1764 to the opening of the Fitchburg railroad in 1845. MARCH 19, 1900.-The regular monthly meeting was held in the common council room, President Willis presiding. Mr. George A. Hitchcock was elected a member of the society. Prof. E. Adams Hartwell read a paper on the "Pearl Hill Pot Hole," explaining the theory of its glacial origin, and giving in connection therewith an informal, but very instructive talk on other pot holes, as found in Fitchburg and elsewhere. APRIL 16, 1900.-The regular monthly meeting was held in the common council room, Vice-President F. F. Woodward presiding. The paper of the evening was by Prof. E. Adams Hartwell, the subject being "The Stars, their Magnitude and Distances, their Size and Composition." MAY 21, 1900.-The regular monthly meeting was held in the common council room, Vice-President Goodrich presiding. Mr. F. A. Currier read his second paper on "Old Stores and Storekeepers of Fitchburg," covering the period from 1845 to 1864. OCTOBER 15, 1900.-The regular monthly meeting was held in the common council room, President Willis in the chair. Prof. E. Adams Hartwell gave a lecture on "Eclipses," with special reference to the eclipse of the sun witnessed by him in the month of May previous, at Norfolk, Va. NOVEMBER 19, 1900.-The regular monthly meeting was held at the common council room, President Willis in the chair. Mr. Festus C. Currier, Mrs. Adaline Snow and Miss Lucy Fay were elected members of the society. A paper was read by Mr. Henry B. Adams, on the "Old Militia Companies of Fitchburg and Vicinity." DECEMBER 17, 1900.-The regular monthly meeting was held at the common council room, President Willis in the chair. The librarian reported the receipt of a partial file of the Boston Daily Journal for 1864. JANUARY 21, 1901.-The annual meeting of the society was held in the common council room, President Willis in the chair. Mr. J. Milton Hubbard was elected a member of the society. The annual reports of the secretary, treasurer and librarian were read and accepted. The treasurer's report showed receipts of $89.80 and payments of $100.86. Total assets, $222.12. The report of the librarian showed receipts of one hundred and forty-four bound volumes, one hundred and nine pamphlets and other miscellaneous material. Officers for the current year were elected as follows: Executive Committee: Henry A. Willis, Henry A. Goodrich, Frederick F. Woodward, Atherton P. Mason and James F. D. Garfield. Treasurer and Librarian: Atherton P. Mason. Committee on Nominations (for three years): Ebenezer Bailey. The president and secretary were made a committee to petition the city government for an appropriation to continue the publication of the old town records. At a meeting of the executive committee, held imme. diately following the adjournment of the annual meeting, the following officers were elected: President: Henry A. Willis. Vice-Presidents: Henry A. Goodrich, Frederick F. Wood ward. FEBRUARY 18, 1901.-The regular monthly meeting was held in the common council room, President Willis in the chair. Several names were proposed for membership, but no paper was read. MARCH 18, 1901.-The regular monthly meeting was held in the common council room, Vice-President Goodrich in the chair. Elmer A. Onthank and Walter F. Stiles were elected active members, and Rev. George M. Bodge a corresponding member of the society. The secretary read extracts from a series of letters written by Rufus C. Torrey during the ten years subsequent to his leaving Fitchburg (1836 to 1846), giving vivid pictures of life in the backwoods settlements of Mississippi and Alabama. APRIL 15, 1901.-The regular monthly meeting was held in the common council room, President Willis in the chair. Thomas C. Sheldon was elected to membership. Mr. Henry B. Adams read a paper on the "Early Explorers of Boston Harbor." The secretary read a letter from the Hon. Ezra S. Stearns of Rindge, giving a record of some of the oldtime stage drivers, residents of Fitchburg. A committee was appointed to see if measures could be taken to prevent the destruction of the boulder on Rollstone hill. The secretary read a letter from Edgar L. Spafford of Watervliet, N. Y., giving the genealogy of that branch of the Spafford family, which at the time of the incorporation of Fitchburg occupied the old Spafford garrison house on the easterly side of Pearl hill. MAY 20, 1901.-At the regular monthly meeting, held in the common council room, no paper was read. OCTOBER 21, 1901.-The regular monthly meeting was held in the common council room, President Willis in the chair. Miss Mary Caroline Green of Dorchester and Mrs. Mary Lowe Dickinson of New York city were elected corresponding members of the society. Mr. Ebenezer Bailey read a paper on the "Separation of Church and State in Massachusetts." |