THE HISTORIC TREES OF MASSACHUSETTS 



Captain Moses Rice, to whom belongs 

 the honor of establishing the settlement, 

 was a native of Sudbury. He married Sarah 

 King in that town, Nov. i6, 17 19, and their 

 first child, Samuel, was born there Aug. 

 10, 1720. Soon after, the family removed 

 to Worcester, where the remaining children, 

 six in number, were born. While at Worces- 

 ter Captain Rice commanded a company of 

 cavalry, and in 1724 was posted with others 

 at Rutland, Mass., in a garrison commanded 

 by Captain Samuel Wright. 



His selection of Charlemont as a frontier 

 home came about through a speculative 

 enterprise on the part of the town of Boston. 

 The Boston Township No. i, as it was called, 

 comprised over 23,000 acres, and finally 

 passed, almost entire, into the hands of two 

 men. From one of these, who had acquired 

 the power of attorney, Captain Rice bought 

 2200 acres, on the 23rd of April 1741, and 

 came with his family in 1743 to take up 

 life on the frontier. 



Some time between the purchasing of 

 the land and the coming of the Captain's 



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