Hometown History #41: First Saw Mill Makes Lumber for Early Homes

Above, a post card image of a circa 1900 water wheel perhaps similar to those that once worked along Mine Brook.

The History of Norfolk County Massachusetts, 1622-1918, Louis Cook editor, gives the following description of the first saw mill in Franklin not far from the Glen Pharma location of today.

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In 1713 the settlers in the North Precinct of Wrentham (the future Franklin), anxious for a mill nearer to them, induced Daniel Hawes, Eleazer Metcalf, Robert Pond, John Maccane and Samuel Metcalf to build a saw-mill at the falls of Mine brook. The contract, or articles of association signed by these men is here reproduced as a literary curiosity: “Wrentham, Feb. the 7, 1713.

“We hose names are hereunto subscribd doe agree to build a Saw Mill at the place called Minebrook: Daniel Hawes wone quarter John Maccane wone quarter Eleazar Metcalf and Samuel Metcalf wone quarter & Robert Pond Sen Wone quarter. We doe covenant & agree as follows:

“1 We doe promis that we wil each of us carry on & doe our equal proporchon throught in procureing of irones & Hueing framing of a dam & mill & all otherh labour throught so faire as the major part shall see meat to doe then to com to a reckoning:

“2 We doe agre that all of us shallhave liberty to work out his proportion of work & in case anyey wone of us neglect to cary on sayd Work till it be done & fit to saw & he that neglects to carry on his part of sayd mill shall pay half a crown a day to the rest of ye owners that di says Work:

“3 We doe allsoe agre that sayd Land shall bee for a mill pond soe long as the major part shall se fit. We doe Allsoe agre that no one shall sell his part of sayd mill till he has first made a Tender to ye rest of ye Owners We doe also agre that no wone shall sell his part in ye land till he has tenderd it to the rest of ye Owners

Eleasar Metcalf

Robert Pond

John Maccane

Daniel Haws

Samuel Metcalf

The contract was “signed, sealed and delivered" in the presence of Ezra Pond, Robert Pond, Jr., and Jonathan writng,” and notwithstanding its peculiar phraseology and great number of misspelled words, it seem to have answered the purpose just as well as a more elaborate document, drawn up and attested by a notary, would have done. On March 7, 1717, the following supplementary agreement was indorsed on the back of the original:

“We do agree to lay out each man’s loot as they are drawn the first loot is to be gin four foot from the upper sil of the streak sil & soe up untl the ind of the sleapers & to devide it equal into four loots & from the sleapers towards the road so as not to interupt the road.”

This was signed by the five original projectors of the mill and Daniel Thurston, who it appears had in the meantime been taken into partnership. Subsequently the mill and all its appurtenances passed into the hands of the Whitings, who continued to operate it for many years. Many of the early buildings in Franklin were constructed of lumber sawed at the Mine Brook Mill.