| Notes |
- http://www.archive.org/stream/historytownmidd00westgoog/historytownmidd00westgoog_djvu.txt
Perhaps the selection of a propier place for the future busi- ness and development of the town was due more to Major Levi Peirce than to any other person. He was the son of Captain Job Peirce, and was born in that part of Middleboro now Lakeville, October i, 1773. His sister Elizabeth had married General Abiel Washburn, with whom he remained, serving as a clerk, until he attained his majority. He opened a store on the lower floor of the first addition to the old Morton house, while his family occupied a tenement on the floor above. After remaining here for a few years, he moved his place of busi- ness to a house which he had purchased near the town house. He became a partner of General Washburn and Major Wil- liam Bourne, and carried on business for a number of years in what was known as the "old store," which was burned about forty years ago, and on its site the present bank building was erected. Upon the dis- solution of this firm he commenced business with his brother, Peter H. Peirce. He was promi- nent in all the affairs of the town, was a delegate to the Constitutional Con- vention in 1820, and post- master for thirty - two years. He served upon the staff of his brother- in-law, General Wash- burn, and was afterwards promoted to the office of major in June, 1809, which office he held for many years. He was largely instrumental in the formation of the Baptist Church in Middleboro, and in the foundation of Peirce Academy, which was named for him, as it was largely through his benefaction that the academy and the Central Baptist church were built. About the same time his younger brother, Peter H. Peirce, who was bom March 25, 1788, commenced his business ca- reer at this place. After the death of his parents, he was brought up in the family of Peter Hoar, a prominent citizen of Lakeville, for whom he was named. He had few advantages, but early developed unusual business ability, and by his en- ergy and persistent endeavor he became the leading business man of the town. He began as a storekeeper in the two-story house now standing at the Upper Four Comers, but moved into the Four Corners, realizing that that would in future be the business centre, and that there he could enlarge his busi- ness and use the water power on the Nemasket River for manufacturing, which was then coming into prominence in the business interests of New England. He early formed a co- partnership with Horatio G. Wood, under the firm name of Peirce & Wood, and erected the factory at the Lower Works. When there came a decline in the cotton industry of New Eng- land near the middle of the last century, he erected a large shovel manufactory, and in connection with this, carried on a general retail store, which has stood in its present position for nearly one hundred years. Aside from his connection with the various manufacturing interests in the Upper Works, he became a large owner of real estate, and at the time of his death, was by far the wealthiest man in. town. In addition to his ability as a business man, no one in southeastern Massa- chusetts had more political influence than he ; at great sacri- fice, he served several terms in the state senate. At the breaking out of the War of 181 2, he was in command of a company which did coast-guard duty at Plymouth and else- where. He was after- wards promoted to the office of lieutenant- colonel of the Fourth Regiment of Infan- try of the Plymouth County Brigade, from which he received the title of Colonel Peirce. It was due to his in- fluence that the rail- road was laid near the Four Corners rather than in Titicut. He left a large family of children, his sons Job, Thomas, and James succeeding him in business. At one time his son Charles was in business in the West. William superintended the large farm and real estate interest, and gave his attention largely to literary pursuits. Thomas, who survived his brothers and inherited much of their wealth, gave at his death over half a mil- ^^. ^^^^^\\l^^M ^^^^ dollars to the town ^B ** ^Jtfl\\^ of Middleboro and a hun- ^^^^tntmi? Vi ^^^^ thousand to the JLilfl? i'BmihJE^fflfil public library, after lib- erally providing for more than twenty-five of his relatives.
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The H600 Project Genealogy DB
1773 - 1847 (73 years)