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Excerpt from History of Hardwick, Massachusetts From an early period I have been deeply interested in the history of Hardwick, and in the genealogy of its inhabitants; - the more deeply, doubtless, because my own ancestors were among the early pioneers, were actively engaged in the management of public affairs and by numerous intermarriages were connected with so many of its families. Although I have been a non-resident and comparative stranger for more than fifty-six years, my attachment to my native town has never grown cold; but its rocks and hills are still viewed with almost childish delight, whenever I visit them, and many of my old friends, though personally departed, are represented by worthy descendants, who are beloved for the fathers sake. As I had opportunity, from time to time, I have gathered and preserved historical materials intending to embody them in a permanent form. Other and imperative engagements intervened, and prevented the execution of my purpose until now: so that what I originally designed to be my first literary labor, of any considerable magnitude, has become absolutely the last; for at the age of eighty-one years it is altogether too late to commence another task requiring much time for its completion. The materials embraced in this history were gathered from various sources; among the most important of which were the Records of the Proprietors, of the Church, and of the Town, of Hard wick, including the Registry of Births and Deaths by the Town Clerk, and of Baptisms from the beginning, and of Deaths since 1789, recorded by the several Pastors of the Church, and supplemented by inscriptions on monuments and head-stones in the several cemeteries. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Ever since the English settled in America, extreme poverty and the inability of individuals to support themselves and their families have been persistent problems. In the early nineteenth century, many communities established almshouses, or "poorhouses," in a valiant but ultimately failed attempt to assist the destitute, including the sick, elderly, unemployed, mentally ill and orphaned, as well as unwed mothers, petty criminals and alcoholics. This work details the rise and decline of poorhouses in Massachusetts, painting a portrait of life inside these institutions and revealing a history of constant political and social turmoil over issues that dominate the conversation about welfare recipients even today. The first study to address the role of architecture in shaping as well as reflecting the treatment of paupers, it also provides photographs and histories of dozens of former poorhouses across the state, many of which still stand.