THE HISTORIC TREES OF MASSACHUSETTS 



house burned and his property destroyed. 

 He repaired to Rutland for three years but 

 returned at the end of that time and rebuilt 

 his house. Another was erected on the 

 meadow for his son. 



Other settlers arrived at this time, and the 

 Rice family, together with the Taylor and 

 Hawks families, developed prosperous fron- 

 tier settlements. Peace prevailed so long 

 as the treaty of Aix-Ia-Chapelle was in force. 

 But the three pioneer families lived in a 

 state of preparedness during the period, 

 and fortified their homes against future at- 

 tack. When the storm finally broke it car- 

 ried off Captain Rice; but the settlement was 

 not destroyed, and prompt action on the 

 part of the Province prevented a recurrence, 

 and confined the French to their own terri- 

 tory further north. 



The thrilling events which resulted so 

 disastrously for the family of Captain Rice 

 occurred within sight of the old buttonwood. 

 The tree stands between the site of the first 

 attack and that of the Captain's final struggle 

 and fall. 



