ing it being
attentively considered, is not paralleled by any in the New England
States: perhaps not by any this side the Delaware."

Judge Gill was a very benevolent and enterprising man, and did much to
advance the welfare of the town in its infancy. During the first thirty
years of its existence, it increased rapidly in wealth and population,
having in 1790 one thousand and sixteen inhabitants. For the next
half-century it increased slowly, having in 1840 thirteen hundred and
forty-seven inhabitants. Since then, like all our beautiful New-England
farming-towns, it has fallen off in population, having at the present
time but little over one thousand people dwelling within its limits. Yet
neither the town nor the character of the people has degenerated in the
last century. Persevering industry has brought into existence in this
town some of the most beautiful farms in New England, and in 1875 the
value of farm products was nearly a quarter of a million dollars.
Manufacturing has never been carried on to any great extent in this
town. "In Princeton there are four grist mills, five saw mills, and one
fulling mill and clothiers' works," says Whitney in 1793. Now lumber and
chair-stock are the principal manufactured products, and in 1875 the
value of these, together with the products of other smaller
manufacturing industries, was nearly seventy thousand dollars.

Princeton is the birthplace of several men who have become well known,
among whom may be mentioned Edward Savage (1761-1817), noted as a
skilful portrait-painter; David Everett (1770-1813), the journalist, and
author of those familiar schoolboy verses beginning:--

"You'd scarce expect one of my age
To speak in public on the stage";

and Leonard Woods, D.D., the eminent theologian.

This locality derives additional interest from the fact that Mrs.
Rowlandson, in her book entitled Twenty Removes, designates it as the
place where King Philip released her from captivity in the spring of
1676. Tradition still points out the spot where this release took place,
in a meadow near a large bowlder at the eastern base of the mountain.
The bowlder is known to this day as "Redemption Rock." It is quite near
the margin of Wachusett Lake, a beautiful sheet of water covering over
one hundred acres. This is a favorite place for picnic parties from
neighboring towns, and the several excellent hotels and boarding-houses
in the immediate vicinity afford accommodations for