ADDRESS OF WELCOME. 21 



West Bridgewater, and our own town, which was then 

 known as the South Parish. One after another the North, 

 the East, and finally the West Parishes withdrew from the 

 parent town, leaving the South Parish in the possession of 

 the name and the records of the old mother of them all. 

 Pardon us if we feel a little proud of the name, and of 

 claiming so many prosperous children, one of whom has out- 

 stripped her parent, and indeed all the towns of the county, 

 and has reached the dignity of a city, — the only township 

 in the county entitled to that honor. 



As you are now favoring our town with a visit, you may 

 be disposed to learn from us, before you try to enlighten us 

 with the wisdom here assembled, what we have to say for our- 

 selves. We shall begin our story by boasting a little. We 

 claim to have the best agricultural grounds and buildings in 

 the State ; and, if the New-England Agricultural Society were 

 not apparently permanently wedded to Worcester County, 

 we should be tempted to try to induce her to look with favor 

 on our enclosure over yonder river. But if any one dare 

 dispute the superiority of our grounds, or of our venerable 

 society (the oldest but one in the State), we defy any man 

 from any part of the Commonwealth to dare to deny that 

 we have the best agricultural president in the whole State. 

 We only regret that his white locks remind us that we can- 

 net have him always. 



So anxious are we to make the most of him while we have 

 him in office, that, with the aid of his own town and of the 

 county, Ave have actually cut down yonder great hill lying 

 between us and his homestead in East Bridgewater, that we 

 may the more easily avail ourselves of his well-known hos- 

 pitality, and feast our eyes on his fertile fields and his well- 

 fed favorite Jerseys. 



Our county society was formed in 1819 ; and it is a remark- 

 able fact, worthy of mention, that one of our oldest and most 

 interested members, Mr. George W. Wood of Middleborough, 

 has attended every one of its exhibitions. 



Besides the agricultural grounds, our town presents other 

 attractions. The normal school, established here by the 

 State because of the liberal contributions of our citizens for 

 that object, is an institution of which we feel that we have 

 reasons to be proud. It has been located here so long (since 



