Henry M. Hutchins

Henry M. Hutchins (about 1835 to 1906) was a North Billerica storekeeper who kept the town's hay scales in that village, served for a year as the North Billerica postmaster, and was one of the town's registrars of voters from 1887 to 1895. The town records name two men called Henry M. Hutchins, and a Henry M. Hutchins Jr. appears in 1897. The offices described here most likely belonged to the elder man, who died in 1906. The younger Henry M. Hutchins, probably his son, farmed on the Boston Road and died in 1939.

The town owned hay scales at the Centre and at North Billerica and let them to local men, who paid the town for their use. In 1885 the town received $21.75 from "Hutchins, use of hay scales," and from 1886 the North Billerica scales were run by the firm of Hutchins & Wilson, which paid $40.13 for them in 1888 and repaired them the same year. The town treasurer recorded payments from "H. M. Hutchins, use of hay scales" in 1890 and "H. M. Hutchins, use hay scales, No. Billerica" in 1895, and in 1897 Hutchins & Wilson received half the receipts of the scales. Hutchins & Wilson were grocers as well, and from 1886 to 1896 the overseers of the poor bought groceries, grain, brooms and other supplies from them for families on town aid. Their store had a small fire on December 7, 1894, found at half past one in the morning and "probably rats," which did $75 of damage to the building and $80 to the goods.

He was postmaster of North Billerica in 1888 and 1889. As a registrar of voters he was paid $45 for three years' service in 1890, and in 1896 the town paid "H. M. Hutchins, services as Registrar 1889 to 1895," $90. From 1894 to 1897 the town meeting chose him one of the surveyors of wood and lumber, and he was sworn into the office.

The town's jury lists from 1899 to 1905 give his occupation as "retired," and in 1905 he was drawn to serve as a traverse juror at the Superior Court. In his last years the selectmen appointed him one of the town's public weighers, from 1905 until his death. By February 1906 the town held a $50 Henry M. Hutchins Fund for the care of his lot in the North Cemetery. He died on August 3, 1906, at the age of 71 years and 7 months.

References

1. Billerica Town Report 1885, receipts: Hutchins, use of hay scales, $21.75
2. Billerica Town Report 1888, receipts: Hutchins & Wilson, use of hay scales, $40.13
3. Billerica Town Report 1890, payments: H. M. Hutchins, services as Registrar, 3 yrs, $45.00
4. Billerica Town Report 1890, receipts: received of H. M. Hutchins, use of hay scales, $21.00
5. Billerica Town Report 1895, report of fires: Dec. 7, 1894, store of Hutchins & Wilson, cause probably rats
6. Billerica Town Report 1895, receipts: H. M. Hutchins, use hay scales, No. Billerica
7. Billerica Town Report 1896, payments: H. M. Hutchins, services as Registrar 1889 to 1895, $90.00
8. Billerica Town Report 1897, payments: Hutchins & Wilson, half receipts of hay scales
9. Billerica Town Report 1900, jury list: H. M. Hutchins, retired
10. Billerica Town Report 1905, H. M. Hutchins and Thomas Callahan drawn as traverse jurors
11. Billerica Town Report 1906, cemetery trust funds: Henry M. Hutchins Fund, for care of lot in North Cemetery, $50
12. Billerica Town Report 1907, town officers: Public Weighers, Henry M. Hutchins
13. Billerica Town Report 1907, deaths in 1906: Aug. 3, Henry M. Hutchins, 71 years 7 months