Early Petitioners For Gardner

It was just after the American Revolution when the residents of the westerly portion of Westminster, the south-westerly part of Ashburnham and the southern section of Winchendon petitioned the General Court for the creation of a separate town. Their motive was the fact that within their respective towns, the distance to the meeting house was too great for church attendance without encountering some hardships. Thus, a new town would provide them with a more centralized meeting house to conduct town affairs and to hold church services.

The man who drafted the petition for incorporation was Elisha Jackson, who had moved to Westminster from Newton in 1764. Because he was the first person to settle the area which eventually became the town of Gardner, he is traditionally considered the first settler of Gardner.

Jackson built his home on the post road that connected Boston and Athol. Such roads were selected because of the availability of stations along the way that could provide horses and rest stops for coaches and post riders carrying mail. At this location he not only housed his wife and 10 children but also established a very successful tavern which served travelers. Jackson's home no longer remains standing; however, there is a bronze tablet on Jackson Hill in South Gardner marking its former location.

When conflict arose between England and her American colonies, Jackson became a staunch supporter of the American cause. He was one of the first Westminster citizens to sign a pledge not to buy British tea. In that Jackson was an inn-keeper, this was a very meaningful gesture. Later, he also supplied horses from his inn for the colonial war effort. During the war, Jackson served as a captain of militia on six different occasions. He led companies of Westminster men to Lexington and Concord and to Bennington, Vermont.

A man who helped Jackson circulate the petition for incorporation was Samuel Kelton. In 1778, Kelton came from Needham and settled in the western part of Ashburnham or what is now the northern part of Gardner. His home still remains there on Kelton Street. Like Jackson, Kelton was a staunch supporter of the American Revolution, having served during the Lexington alarm and at the siege of Boston.

Another man who circulated the petition was Seth Heywood. He arrived from Sterling in 1773, and bought 300 acres where the Westminster, Ashburnham and Winchendon town lines converged, or what is now uptown Gardner. Here Heywood established a farm and plied his trades as a blacksmith and as a surveyor. Where his home once stood, at the corner of Central and Elm Streets, would later become the site of Gardner's town hall. The piece of land across the way became the town's common and the site of the meeting house. As did Jackson and Kelton, Heywood provided military service during the Revolution. His rank was lieutenant, and in this position he commanded a company of men at Bunker Hill.*

The petition for incorporation was presented to the General Court by John Glazier. He came from Shrewsbury in the same year that Seth Heywood came from Sterling. Glazier bought land and a home in Ashburnham, which was adjacent to Heywood's property. At that time his house was located on Glazier Hill or what is now known as Reservoir Hill. Within a few years Glazier moved the house to the foot of the hill so that it would be in Westminster. Here he continued farming and also established a potash works at what would now be the corner of Pearl and Green Streets in Gardner. Glazier's house was later moved again, this time to Lennon Street, where it remains as the oldest house in Gardner. Like the other petitioners, Glazier was a Revolutionary War veteran, having served in Elisha Jackson's company at Lexington and later at Bennington. Glazier presented the petition of incorporation to the General Court in the spring of 1785. The petition had 61 signatures, just one over the required amount. The General Court accepted the petition and voted positively, creating the town of Gardner from acreage in Westminster, Ashburnham, Winchendon and Templeton. Because many of the petitioners were Revolutionary War veterans, they decided to name their new town after a hero of the war. Thus, they named the town after Colonel Thomas Gardner of Cambridge who had fought valiantly at Bunker Hill where he lost his life. One can presume that Seth Heywood and other petitioners who were veterans of Bunker Hill had a lot of influence in this selection.

While a meeting house was being constructed across from Seth Heywood's house, town meetings and church services were held at John Glazier's home. The first town meeting was held in August of 1785, with Elisha Jackson acting as moderator. A month later another meeting was held in which town officers were elected. Elisha Jackson was elected chairman of the board of selectmen, and John Glazier was chosen to serve on the board. Seth Heywood became the town's first clerk and treasurer. Altogether, 19 officers were elected, completing the establishment of the town.