Excerpt from Henry S. Nourse’s “History of the Town of Harvard Massachusetts 1732–1893,” written in 1894.
The map of the Harvard survey of 1794 shows a fulling-mill [to shrink and thicken cloth] where George E. Burt’s machine shop now stands, a trip-hammer just south of the highway, and two grist-mills and a saw-mill upon the brook above at dams still in use. The forge occupied the site of the Daby blacksmith shop, which Thomas, the son of John, sold to William Hudson of Bridgewater in 1771. Hudson probably introduced the trip-hammer.
In 1783, Prince Turner, a son-in-law of Jabez Keep, bought Hudson’s forge and “water-works.” He was a soldier of the Revolution, and a blacksmith by trade. It was jestingly said of his numerous descendants that they came honestly by their noses, which were commonly of generous length, for that organ in the progenitor, Prince Turner, was the most “rhinocerostic” ever seen upon a human face in Harvard. Of an earlier patriarch of the tribe it is told that his nose was so protuberant that he had to drink from a bottle even from childhood.
The forge was largely employed in the makes of axes, scythes, and other farmers’ tools. Luther, the son of Prince, succeeded him, and the excellent quality of his work brought him plenty of orders.
One night when returning from Boston with a heavy load of steel and iron for the shop, his wagon was upset, and being caught under the load, his leg was so badly crushed that it had to be amputated. He lived eight years after this misfortune, but had to relinquish the business to his son Elisha, who, after running the forge for a few years, in 1829 sold the water rights and building to Cyrus Whitney.
The shop was replaced by the mill now standing, and the manufacture of paper was undertaken, but met with indifferent success.
For a time the paper pulp was made in the [upper] mill, and by a long wooden trough was conveyed to this lower mill for manufacture into sheets, and drying. Mr. Whitney sold the privilege to John W. Patch in 1844, and in 1849 the title passed to George C. Roundy of Lowell, a paper-maker. He at once transferred it to Edward A. Winslow, who used the power for the sawing of slate and marble.
The title was constantly changing hands by the foreclosing or transfer of mortgages… . Since 1880 Mr. Burt has conducted the business [of making of horse-power machines] by himself, until failing health destroyed his ability to labor… . He has patented numerous mechanical devices, chiefly improvements in farming implements. His “American hay tedder,” manufactured by the Ames Plough Company, has been sold by the thousands, and his patent horse-rake and improved horse-power have been widely used.
On these he received a royalty, selling the rights of manufacture to others.
It is rare that inventive talent is accompanied with those business qualifications that ensure large financial success, and Mr. Burt is not exceptional in this respect.
275 Years of a Town: In June 1732, the town of Harvard incorporated within the colony, after nearly 100 years of settlement in the area and several years of petitions, objections, and re-petitions to the legislature. To celebrate this milestone, the Press is running extracts from Henry S. Nourse’s History of the Town of Harvard Massachusetts 1732–1893.