Chestnut St.

Chestnut St.

(Part I)

by Michael Markley

I only know of two Chestnut trees on Chestnut St. One stands in front of the Lombard home at 58 Chestnut St. where the home of the late Marcus and Elizaeth (Slocum) Elderkin once stood and Amelia Elderkin let Reverand Charles E Ross hold meetings. It stands today as a living witness to Christ's blessings, and each year still produces Chestnuts.

Chestnut St is approximately 1 mile long. Before the English occupation, it was an old Indian path that crosses part of the Seaconke Plain. People from the Seaconke Village would use this path to travel to the Quinebaug river. 

The Seaconke Indians built a fish weir on the Quinebaug to better catch the fish that came and went into the cove. The cove, today known as Hundred acre Cove, has teamed for millennia with bass, salmon, shad, herring and many other fish and a variety of shellfish.

During early colonial times the Seaconke Wampanoag shared the fish weir with the colonists. The Seaconke colonist called the river Palmer River because Walter Palmer one of the early settlers of the colony had a house near the river. 

The colonists also, in 1645, renamed the part of Seaconke given to them by Ousamequin, The Massasoit of the Wampanoag Confederation of tribes, to Rehoboth. 

The Rev. Samuel Newman suggested the name Rehoboth.

Rehoboth: In Genesis 26:22, Isaac names a well, Rehoboth, and says "for now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in this land." 

Thus the old Indian path became known as Palmer's River road. 

Primus Slocum purchased multiple lots of land on Palmer's River Road in the early 1800's. Upon his death in 1826, Jeremiah Slocum, Susan Freebody Miller and Elizabeth Slocum Elderkin settle his estate. Marcus and Elizabeth purchased the western part of Chestnut St. Marcus and Elizabeth had been living on the land since 1835. 

Susan Slocum Freebody, married John Miller and they lived on the east end of Chestnut St. Jeremiah retain Primus Slocum's home and the lands around it in Pawtucket. 

Through the Years

Primus Slocum purchased and sold multiple parcels of land on Chestnut St. between the years 1803 to 1824. In one purchase on 4 Mar 1805 it is mentioned in the deed that the purchase was of land "running with the highway that runs to Palmer's River". So in 1805 todays Chestnut St was still known as the Palmers River Road.

 Chestnut St

(Part II)

By Michael Markley

26 February 1812: "The western part of Rehoboth was incorporated into a distinct township resuming its ancient name Seacunke ... this western portion included the present cities of East Providence, and Pawtucket Rhode Island, which were then part of Massachusetts." 1. Anawan Historical Society Rehoboth through The Years (1993)

In the late 18th and early 19th century the population of Rehoboth was booming. But, mostly on the western side. The town was divided into a burgeoning factory town and a agricultural town. Both, communities had different needs and maintain separate meeting houses. 

By a vote of the people and the acceptance of the Massachusetts general assembly, the town of Seekonk, Ma. was created becoming one of twenty cities and towns in Bristol County Massachusetts.

The once Indian path, then Palmers River Road, now had another duty it connected the eastside of Seekonk to the westside of Rehoboth.  

The 1795 map (above) does not show anyone living on the old Indian path, by 1830 there was one family, By 1858 six families and by 1812 there were 16 Families living on Palmer's River Road.

After the incorporation of Seekonk in 1812 there were still many dirt roads that serviced farms throughout Seekonk. Palmer's River Road was one of them. 

The Seekonk Selectman and the roads department worked throughout the 19th century to accept and update these roads to required commonwealth standards. It wasn't until the early 20th century that any of these roads like Palmer's River Road was paved and received a new name. 

Route 44, runs from Plymouth, Ma to Kerhonkson, N.Y., 237 miles. The Seekonk portion is named Taunton Ave and historically known as the Providence Taunton Turnpike, or just the Pike. 

Just after the civil war till WWII electric street cars, often called "trollies" ran between communities in southern New England. Trollies ran from Providence, RI to Taunton, Ma. from 1898-1940. 

This made Palmer's River Road/Chestnut St more important to the Seekonk community, as the west end of the street connects to the Turnpike. Thus, the Palmer's River Road/Chestnut St. became important in moving finished good from Providence and Pawtucket into Rehoboth and to get agricultural products into Rhode Island, particularly the big stores in Providence.

The dirt road known as Palmer's River, remained an agricultural service road threw out the 19th century. Fishing did continue on Palmer's River but it was not as important to the survival of the community as it once was. 

In 1925 the Town of Seekonk accepted the old dirt road as a town road. It would take a few years for an approved survey to create a 1 mile lay out. This plan also included the 1/4 mile street known as Back street.

Chestnut Street

(part III)

By Michael Markley

Coming May 2026