Gleasondale, Massachusetts facts for kids
Gleasondale is a small village located where the towns of Hudson and Stow meet in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It sits right along the Assabet River. For many years, Gleasondale was known for its busy mills, but today it is mostly a quiet place where people live. Its name comes from two important people: Benjamin W. Gleason and Samuel J. Dale.
Contents
A Look Back at Gleasondale's History
Early Days: Native Americans and First Settlers
Long before Europeans arrived, Indigenous people lived in this part of central Massachusetts for thousands of years. The Nipmuc people had settlements near and along the Assabet River. Their lands connected with those of other Algonquian-speaking groups like the Massachusett, Pennacook, and Wampanoag.
European settlement in the Gleasondale area began around 1750. The Whitman family and Ebenezer Graves built a dam and a lumber mill on the Assabet River. The Whitmans later sold their land and mills to Timothy Gibson in 1770. A few years later, Abraham Randall bought them. For many years, this area was known as Randall's Mills.
The Rise of the Mills and New Names
In 1813, the Rock Bottom Cotton & Woolen Company built a wooden textile mill at Randall's Mills. The growing village and its new post office then became known as Rock Bottom. In 1815, Randall sold the mill to Joel Cranston and Silas Felton. These business partners were from Feltonville, a village that later became the town of Hudson.
In 1830, Cranston and Felton sold the mill to Benjamin Poor. Then, in 1849, two new business partners, Benjamin W. Gleason and Samuel J. Dale, bought the mill. After the original wooden building burned down in 1852, they built the current five-story brick mill building in 1854. In 1898, the village was renamed Gleasondale to honor Gleason and Dale. The brick mill building became known as Gleasondale Mills.
A Notable Event at the Mill
On March 31, 1911, a former superintendent of Gleasondale Mills, Phineas Feather, had a serious disagreement with the mill owner, Alfred Gleason, about money. During this conflict, another superintendent, Charles E. Roberts, stepped in and was injured while trying to stop the dispute. Other people, including Robert J. Bevis, also got involved and were hurt. Thankfully, no one died from their injuries. Phineas Feather was later released in 1915.
Gleasondale's Train Station
Until 1965, Gleasondale had its own train station. It was one of two train stations in Hudson. The Central Massachusetts Railroad Company first operated it, and later the Boston & Maine took over. On an 1888 map of the Central Massachusetts Railroad, the station's name is shown as "Rocky-bottom".
Gleasondale Today
Today, Gleasondale is mainly a residential area with a few homes. The old mill buildings are now used as a small industrial complex. The dam on the Assabet River is still there, even though it no longer produces power. Gleasondale does not have its own post office because it's not big enough. It shares the same zip code as Stow, which is 01775.
