t off, with a part of Ashburnham and Westminster,
into a new town. However, a vigorous opposition from the inhabitants of
the remainder of the town prevented its being granted. But, defeated in
one point, the Dean Hill people turned to another. The time had now come
when a new Church was needed, the little old meeting-house on the hill
being too small to accommodate the increased population. So they
determined to have the new Church in their vicinity, and this
determination was the beginning of a protracted struggle to fix upon its
location. A vote was passed in town meeting that the new Church should
be located "on the nearest convenientest spot to the centre," but the
words _nearest, convenientest_, were a cause of furious contention. Town
meeting after town meeting was held--now victory rested with one
faction, now with the other. Finally, after ninety-nine town meetings,
extending through a period of ten years, the great question was settled,
and the spot was chosen near the location of the present Unitarian
Church.

But now the leaven of heterodoxy was creeping into New England society,
and the people, to a great extent, turned from the theological doctrines
of their forefathers and adopted Unitarian views. In most places there
was a final division of the original Church, and the formation of two
societies, one of the Unitarian, and the other of Orthodox persuasion.

Fitchburg was agitated in this way for about twenty-four years, during
which time many ecclesiastical councils were held, and debate and
dispute were almost continuous, both in and out of town meeting, for
neighbor was divided against neighbor, and one member of a household
against another. The result was the dissolution of the parochial powers
of the town, and a division into two societies. The Unitarians remained
in the old Church, and the Orthodox built a new building on the corner
of Main and Rollstone streets.

But while religious contention went on, worldly growth and prosperity
increased. Quite a number of manufacturing establishments had commenced
operations, and the value of the little stream that furnished the power
was beginning to be appreciated.

In 1830 there were in Fitchburg 235 dwelling-houses, 2 meeting-houses, 1
academy, 12 school-houses, 1 printing office, 2 woolen mills, 4 cotton
mills, 1 scythe factory, 2 paper mills, 4 grist mills, 10 saw mills, 3
taverns, 2 hat manufactories, 1 bellows manufactory, 2 tanneries, 2
window blin