Petition for New Town

On November 22, 1871, led by George B. Talbot, men of South Dedham wrote, signed, and sent to the Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives a petition for a new town, “to be called Lyman, or such other name as may be deemed proper…” The town was, of course, eventually called Norwood.

Bryant Tolles writes in his centennial history of the town that the warrant for the Dedham Town Meeting of January 22, 1872 contained the following article: “To see what action the town will take in relation to the General Court effort of George B. Talbot and others, praying for the formation of a new town to be composed of territory from the town of Dedham”

Despite some initial concerns, all matters were amicably settled and a portion of Dedham, as well as a portion of Walpole, were annexed to become the independent town of Norwood.

On February 23, 1872, the incorporation of the “Town of Norwood” was approved by the General Court and signed by His Excellency, Governor William B. Washburn.

Interred in Old Parish Cemetery are several men who signed the original petition:

George B. Talbot (1820-1898)                                                                      lot 76

George Butler Talbot was born in 1820. His parents were Joel Talbot (1785-1878) and Hannah Fuller Talbot (1791-1877) (lot 76). A furniture finisher by trade, George Talbot worked for both the Everett Furniture Company and Haley, Morse & Boyden for many years. In his later years, he became a farmer.

Talbot was described as “one of Norwood’s oldest and best citizens” at the time of his death on January 26, 1898 at his home on Neponset Street. He had been in poor health for several years and had suffered greatly from rheumatism. The cause of death was “old age and general debility.”

Harrison G. Park (1796-1876)                                                                     lot 10

H. G. Park was born in 1796 and graduated from Brown University in 1824. Following his graduation, he studied theology and law. He was ordained as minister of the South Church of Dedham in 1829. In 1830, he married Julia Bird, daughter of George Bird who began paper manufacturing in East Walpole. Julia died in 1835. A few months later, in September, 1835, Park left the South Church of Dedham and served in parishes in Massachusetts and Vermont, where he engaged in temperance work. In 1837 he married Elizabeth Bird, the sister of his first wife. In 1869, Park returned to South Dedham and occasionally preached at local services. He died on 28 June 1876.

E. Fisher Talbot (1814-1882)                                                                       lot 67

E. Fisher Talbot was born on January 1, 1814. Talbot was a well-known businessman in South Dedham. He began to manufacture oil cloth around 1850 and a few years later he had established the Carpet Works on Railroad Avenue for printing floor and carriage oil-cloths. He died on June 9, 1882 of heart disease.

A “true copy” of this original petition hangs in Norwood’s Municipal Building today. It was certified by Francis Tinker, the town’s first Town Clerk. He too is interred in Old Parish.

Francis O. Tinker (1816-1896)                                                                    lot 44

Francis O. Tinker, apothecary and Norwood’s first town clerk and historian, was born on January 3, 1816 in Worthington, Massachusetts. He lived for many years in Ashby, Massachusetts where he was postmaster, town clerk, librarian, and historian. He and his family moved to South Dedham around 1867 where he opened a small drugstore at the corner of Nahatan and Washington Streets. In 1872 at the incorporation of Norwood, Francis Tinker was elected town clerk. He held that office for 23 years until age and ill health caused him to resign in 1895. In addition, he served as a library trustee, and his history of the town appeared in Norwood’s History and Directory of 1890. Francis O. Tinker died on June 6, 1896 at his home on Cottage Street.