Book Review: One Hundred Years of Banking Service

Continuing through my history book pile, I recently read an antique pamphlet, One Hundred Years of Banking Service published by Blackstone National Bank in 1925. At two hundred years of service, the Uxbridge-based bank is now a branch of UniBank. The book is only thirty-three pages in length but offers a wealth of insight into local history along with photographs and engravings of important people, places, and things. While a product of its time in some aspects, I was impressed by the research that went into the publication.

The structure of the book is similar to the script used at house tours in New England, as the story begins with a brief mention of American Indians who have lived in the region for thousands of years. The book was fairly progressive in its treatment but with some irregularities in spelling, noting the Nipmuck Nation as original residents of Wacantug or Wacantuck. (Regular blog readers may recall that members of the modern Hassanamisco Band and of the Nipmuc Nation co-led fish passage events at Slater Mill National Historic Site in October 2022, May 2023, and May 2024.) However, the writer assumed the readers would have prior knowledge of Christian missionaries, John Eliot and Daniel Gookin, who were referenced by surname only. Additionally, the sachem to Wampanoag people was named only by his English name, King Philip, rather than his preferred name, Metacomet.

After these two paragraphs, the rest of the book focused on the work of “the white man”. The book presented the information I would expect. Uxbridge, MA is named for the Earl of Uxbridge in England. The first town-meeting occurred at Cornet John Farnum house, still standing in Uxbridge. The booklet conveniently skipped the story of Lydia Taft, who was possibly the first woman voter in the English colonies in North America. Instead, it went to the George Washington visit, catalogued by author Nathaniel Philbrick in Travels with George. Other interesting anecdotes in this first section included regret for the early persecution of Quakers by Puritans, although Uxbridge later became a safe haven for Christian denominational minorities; the creation of the first library in the early 19^th century; and the influence paternalistic mill owners and their families had over the town.

Upon its opening in 1825, familiar names of prosporous mill-owners like Capron, Taft, Wheelock, Whitin, and Hayward dominated the boards of the bank and the presidential office. Not until 1918 did someone of a different background receieve such a position; Charles S. Weston of Vermont had moved to the area in 1867, seemingly as a nineteen year old, and worked his way to this level.

While a job at the bank was typically safe, a bizarre robbery incident occurred in 1872. Young future president Charles S. Weston was living with the family of elderly cashier Ebenezer Hayward when a group of four robbers tied up the family and forced Weston to aid them in removing thirteen thousand dollars from the bank. The robbers later sent letters letting the family know of where they had hidden personal belongings stolen from the house and sixty dollars in nickels, which the book described as “a perverted sense of honor or a decidedly unusual sense of humor”. The perpetrators were never caught.

Besides these types of interesting stories, the black-and-white photographs provided a glimpse into the lost word of the early 20^th century in small town New England. The blacksmith shop and Capron Building are both gone. However, photographs of the village green, Deborah Wheelock House, Uxbridge Free Public Library, Farnum House, and former Uxbridge Academy turned Masonic Lodge look little different from the photographs I took during my Quick History Stops in Uxbridge, while the bank building has greatly expanded in size.

Despite being incredibly narrow in scope and using noticeably dated language in some passages, I enjoyed learning about local history from the perspective of people who had lived through it. So much work went into the creation of this booklet, and I wonder if any effort has been given to celebrating this year’s anniversary. The Unibank website lists the 1870 founding of Uxbridge Savings Bank as its birthday, placing its years of service closer to a hundred and fifty and not acknowledging Blackstone National Bank. I have not found a reason for this ommission, but I imagine it might be hidden in another little pamphlet in a local archive.

Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 8/10

Accessibility: 6/10