10 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



ADDRESS OF JOHN G. AVERY. 



Gentlemen of the State Board of Agriculture : — It 

 is a very great pleasure to me to welcome my late colleagues 

 to the town of Spencer, nestled among the hills, surrounded 

 by a wealth of agricultural interests, and near enough to the 

 heart of the Commonwealth to be affected by its magnetic 

 influence. Spencer is a historical town. In the early days 

 of the nation's struggle for independence she furnished a 

 company of minute men well drilled and equipped for the 

 campaign, who responded i)romptly to the call " on to Con- 

 cord." Washington in his journey to New England in 1779 

 rested for the night at the Jenks tavern on the site of the pres- 

 ent Massasoit hotel. Nothing of interest is recorded of his 

 visit except that he complimented the landlady for her excel- 

 lent bread, which compliment was her boast for ever after. 

 There is a fine specimen of an old colonial homestead in a good 

 state of preservation, within a few rods of this hall. It was 

 built in 1745 by the Rev. Joshua Eaton, the first minister 

 settled in Spencer, and the title has been in the family of the 

 present owner since 177G. There are many relics of the last 

 century to be seen within its walls. The first wire drawn in 

 the United States materialized in Spencer. The first shop 

 for the manufacture of what were known as sale boots was 

 established in Spencer in 1812 by Josiah Green. A few 

 years later Isaac Prouty established a shop in the north part 

 of the town. Elias Howe, the inventor of the sewing- 

 machine, was born in Spencer. By his invention woman 

 has been emancipated from the slavery of the needle, and 

 Hood's " Sono; of the Shirt" releaated to innocuous desue- 

 tude. We are an industrial people. Here you will hear 

 the click of the sewing-machine and shuttle vicing with each 

 other in producing our commercial products, while the 

 monotonous wire drawer is making merry with his long- 

 drawn metallic yarns, and the farmer is making special 

 eflbrts to supply the wants of the operatives. 



Spencer is a picturcs(|ue town, with hills and dales and 

 flowing streams, and every prospect pleasing. Green mead- 

 ows, flanked by young forests, where in the harvest season 

 the click of the mowinij-machinc hustles the woodchuck to 



