USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Easthampton > Historical address delivered at the centennial celebration, in Easthampton, Mass., July 4, 1876 > Part 1
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Gc 974.402 Ea972 1149143
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01100 9344
HISTORICAL ADDRESS
DELIVERED AT THE
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION,
IN
Easthampton, Mass.,
JULY 4, 1876.
BY REV. PAYSON W. LYMAN.
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. : THE CLARK W. BRYAN COMPANY, PRINTERS. 1877.
HISTORICAL ADDRESS
DELIVERED AT THE
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION,
IN
Easthampton, Mass.,
JULY 4, 1876.
-
BY REV. PAYSON W. LYMAN.
SPRINGFIELD, MASS .: CLARK W. BRYAN & COMPANY, PRINTERS. 1877.
1149143
INTRODUCTORY.
A MEETING of the citizens interested in having a celebration, with an historical address, on the Centen- nial 4th of July, was held at the Mansion House on the evening of June 21, 1876.
Lieutenant-Governor Knight was called to the chair. After a free and full interchange of views, it was voted to appoint a committee of five to consider the matter, and report at a subsequent meeting.
The committee consisted of Lieut-Governor H. G. KNIGHT, Hon. E. H. SAWYER, Dea. LAUREN D. LYMAN, Dea. C. B. JOHNSON, OSCAR WARD.
The committee subsequently reported that it is expedient to have a celebration, with an historical address, whereupon it was
Voted, To invite the Rev. Payson W. Lyman of Belchertown, to deliver the address, and C. B. John- son was appointed a committee to ascertain if Mr. Lyman would accept the invitation. He subse- quently reported that Mr. Lyman had consented to deliver the address.
It was also voted, that E. R. Bosworth and John Mayher be appointed a committee on finance.
Subsequent meetings, in furtherance of the object, were held as follows: One on the evening of June 22d, another on the evening of the 24th, and still
0
Tyson
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INTRODUCTORY.
another on the evening of the 26th. The final meet- ing was held June 30th.
At these meetings it was
Voted, That the preliminary Committee of Five be a permanent Committee of Arrangements.
Voted, That Maj. Henry E. Alvord be appointed chief marshal, with power to employ as many assist- ants as he may require.
Voted, To appoint Henry H. Sawyer a committee on vocal music.
Voted, To invite all the Sabbath-schools in the town to unite in the celebration, and the invitation was accepted.
Voted, That the address be delivered in the town hall, and that the exercises begin at 3 o'clock P. M.
Voted, That James Keene, superintendent of the Sabbath-school in the First church, A. J. Lyman, su- perintendent of the school in the Payson church, S. W. Pierce, superintendent of the Methodist Sabbath- school, N. W. Farrar, superintendent of the school in the Episcopal Society, and the Rev. R. J. Dono- van, of the Catholic Sabbath-school, be requested to make the necessary arrangements for their respective schools. It was decided to set the tables for refresh- ments in the Seminary grounds.
Voted, That the Easthampton Cornet Band be en- gaged to furnish music for the procession.
The One Hundredth Anniversary of our National Independence was ushered in by the ringing of bells, firing of cannon, blazing of bonfires, and other dem- onstrations of joy ; and a procession, headed by a drum corps, marching through the principal streets, in the early gray of the morning, finished the first act. At 9 o'clock, A. M., the Manhan Hose company,
V
INTRODUCTORY.
in full uniform, headed by the Easthampton Cornet Band, paraded the streets, making an imposing ap- pearance. There has been no demonstration like it in the town for many years.
At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the exercises in the town hall were opened by Hon. E. H. Sawyer, in be- half of the Committee of Arrangements, who spoke as follows :
One hundred years ago to-day, our fathers, few in number, but strong in faith and hope, declared themselves free and independ- ent, and capable of self-government. From that day to this, they and their descendants have maintained the truth of that deela- ration ; and this afternoon, in our established freedom, we have gathered in this place to speak of the good way the Lord has led us in the hundred years just past. After the manner set us by our forefathers, to secure an orderly meeting, a Committee of Arrangements, chosen for the purpose at a preliminary gather- ing, have agreed to propose officers for this occasion ; and as di- rected by said committee, I now nominate as president of the day, our townsman, native-born, His Honor the Lieutenant-Gov- ernor of this Commonwealth; and as secretaries, Lafayette Clapp, Esq., and C. B. Johnson, Esq.
The nominations were carried unanimously, and Governor Knight, on taking the chair, spoke as fol- lows :
I cheerfully and gratefully take the place assigned to me on this occasion by the Committee of Arrangements ; cheerfully, be- cause the duties of the position will be easily performed; and gratefully, because it is an honorable one, and my call to it fur- nishes evidence of the continued good-will of my associates and fellow-citizens, whose uniform and abounding kindness has placed me under the greatest obligations.
In accordance with the proclamation of the chief magistrate of the nation, it is becoming in us, as a Christian people, on this one hundredth birthday of our republic, to assemble, as we have done ; render thanks to God for his goodness to us in the century that has passed; for our freedom and union; for our arts and
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INTRODUCTORY.
industries; for our fields and factories; for our trade and com- merce ; for our homes, our schools, and churches ; and for all his benefits to us as a nation ; and to beseech Him that he will be our guide and defence during all the years of the century upon which we are now entering.
It will not be proper for me to occupy the time that has been assigned to others, and thus detain you from the feast that has been prepared. The scenes of this day forcibly remind me of the great changes that have come over our own little town during the last few years. Some of us remember when our population was only about one-sixth of what it is to-day, and when the noble families of Clarks, Clapps, Lymans and Wrights, constituted a majority. We also had a goodly though smaller number of Pom- eroys.
Our attention is soon to be directed to some facts and events in our local history, by one of the Lyman family, whose tastes and studies have well fitted him for the service. As we listen to his words, may we remember, and never forget, that a pure and upright character is the most precious relie of our past history which we can cherish ; and that such a character, built up in us and our children, is the noblest monument we can erect to the memory of our fathers, and of the men who laid the foundations of our government. I am not among those who think the former times were greatly better than the present, and who take a de- sponding view of the future. We have seen some decay of pri- vate virtue and public honor; but now we witness a quickened spirit of honor and integrity in the management of public affairs, a growing contempt for dishonesty and dishonest men, and a hatred of every form of fraud and falsehood, which may well lead us to thank God and take courage.
Permit me to express the earnest hope, that by the exercises of this hour, and by all the grateful and patriotic memories of the day, we may be inspired with new thankfulness to the God who upheld our fathers in their struggle for liberty and independence ; and who has carried their children through the trials of the cen- tury; and that we may all make vows of new devotion to the unity and welfare of our dear country, and the preservation and purity of its institutions.
, Representative Lafayette Clapp then read the Pres- ident's proclamation, after which prayer was offered
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INTRODUCTORY.
by Rev. A. M. Colton, the audience joining in the Lord's Prayer at the end. Next, the Star Spangled Banner was sung by a select choir, under the direc- tion of H. H. Sawyer. The Declaration of Independ- ence was read by Capt. David Hill, and after the sing- ing of Keller's National Hymn, the Rev. Payson Wil- liston Lyman, of Belchertown, was announced as the speaker of the day.
At the close of the address, William G. Bassett, Esq., offered the following resolution, which was unani- mously adopted :
Resolved, That the thanks of the meeting be re- turned to Rev. Payson W. Lyman, for his appropri- ate and entertaining address ; and that a copy be re- quested of him, to the end that the Committee of Arrangements may comply with President Grant's proclamation, relating to the preservation of histor- ical addresses.
The audience then joined in singing America ; Rev. Dr. S. T. Seelye followed with a few remarks, and closed the exercises in the hall with the benediction.
One prominent and very interesting feature of the occasion was, that the platform was filled with a large number of the elderly men of the town.
After the close of the exercises in the hall, the Sabbath-schools were formed in procession, under the direction of Chief-Marshal Alvord, and after marching through the streets for a while, brought up in the Seminary grounds, in front of the well filled tables ; and proceeded to perform the part of the programme assigned to them, in a manner satisfactory to them- selves, and equally so to their friends.
The fire-works in the evening, owing to signs of rain, began a full hour earlier than was expected, and
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INTRODUCTORY.
many of the best pieces were lost to the crowd. A slight shower coming up about that time, the large concourse gathered sought their homes, being a little disappointed, perhaps, at this part of the day's pro- ceedings, but, on the whole, well satisfied with the celebration of the Centennial Fourth.
Historical Address.
Two hundred and eleven years ago, December 13, 1664, the town of Northampton granted John Webb a piece of land "at Pascommuck," to build a house upon. The house he is supposed to have built the following Spring; and it was the first civilized habi- tation within the borders of our town. It stood near the residence of the late Augustus Clapp, in Nasha- wannuck. It was on a little rise of ground, near the bank of the river, at the westernmost bend of the " old bed," which was then the only channel. This was ten years after the actual settlement of North- ampton, in 1654.
The purchase of the tract of land known as Nono- tuck, from the aboriginal owners thereof, was made in 1653. Upon May 6th of that year, certain inhabi- tants of Windsor, Hartford and other places, twenty- four in number, petitioned the General Court for lib- erty " to plant, possess and inhabit the place, being on the Conetiquot river, above Springfield, called Non- otuck." They represented that they knew the place to be " desirable to ereet a town in, for the further- ance of the public weal, by providing corn and rais- ing cattle, not only for their own, but likewise for the good of others-the propagating of the Gospel-the
2
NONOTUCK-ITS PURCHASE AND BOUNDARIES.
place promising, in an ordinary way of God's provi- dence, a comfortable subsistence, whereby people may live, and attend upon God in his holy ordinances without distraction." This petition was aided by three of the principal men of Springfield, John Pyncheon, Elizur Holyoke, and Samuel Chapin, who, upon the granting of the petition, May 18, 1653, were appointed commissioners to lay out Nonotuck into two plantations, of which the petitioners were to have one. The other, subsequently laid out, was east of the river.
The first public document on record in Northamp- ton, in the words "not molesting Indians, nor de- priving them of their just rights and property, with- out allowance to their satisfaction," recognizes the principle upon which our fathers proceeded in effect- ing settlement. Accordingly, September 24, 1653, their representative, John Pyncheon, effected a pur- chase of this region, at Springfield. Conveyance of title was made by six prominent Indians, sachems of the Norwottuck tribe and others, two of whom appear as owners of land east of the river.
The tract of land purchased, according to Sylvester Judd's version of the deed, *" Extended from the brook below Munhan, called Shankwonk, below Asahel Ly- man's," (i e. the brook crossing the highway, not far above Smith's ferry,) " up by the Quinetticott, to the brook or gutter below Capawonk, called Masquomp, (now Half-way brook,) and out into the woods westerly nine miles." Hoyt and others make it to have ex- tended downward to the Falls on the Connecticut at South Hadley. The price paid was 100 fathom of wampum, 10 coats, and the plowing of 16 acres of land
*History of Hadley, page 114.
3
FURTHER PURCHASES.
on the east side of the river. A fathom of wampum, of white beads, was worth five shillings, and of black beads ten shillings.
The settlement was effected the following Spring, though only a third of the original petitioners are thought to have become actual settlers. One of these was John Webb, who, ten years after, made the first settlement within the present limits of East- hampton.
July 20, 1657, the settlers bought the South meadow in Hatfield, called by the Indians Capawonk, of Sachem Umpanchala, otherwise Womscom or Lam- panoho, for fifty shillings, which was received from "John Webb of Northampton," who no doubt acted as the town's agent.
Being desirous of encouraging a settlement higher up the river, between them and the northern wilder- ness,-a motive which had actuated Springfield in fa- voring our settlement-they sold this tract the next year, October 17, 1658, to certain Hartford men who proposed to settle across the river from Northampton, for £10, to be paid in wheat and peas. They stipu- lated, among other things, that settlement should be begun by May, 1659, and that they should settle on both sides of the river. Some of the conditions of sale were not complied with, and March 11, 1659, we find John Webb and two others, in behalf of North- ampton, agreeing with three representatives of the new plantation, to sell Capawonk meadow for £30 sterling, to be paid in wheat and peas delivered in Hartford. This agreement is the first instrument re- corded in the book of deeds in Springfield. The deed, for some reason, was not given till January 22, * 1663.
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4
HADLEY-OTHERWISE NORWOTTUCK.
These new settlers bought of the Indians the land stretching nine miles east of the river, and extending from Mount Holyoke to Mount Toby. Also, at a later date, a tract lying along the west bank of the river, above Capawonk, running back nine miles. Pynch- eon, who, with Holyoke and Chapin of Springfield, and William Holton and Richard Lyman of North- ampton, was appointed to lay out the new plantation, negotiated these purchases, as he was an influential man and a great trader. This second settlement in old Nonotuck was at first called Newtown or Norwot- tuck ; but at its incorporation, May 22, 1661, it took the name Hadley.
These accounts of the purchase of Indian lands make it clear that our fathers did no injustice to the natives. It is said that they welcomed the English, and gladly sold their lands, knowing well to what use the English were accustomed to put them. Though the price received was small, it was all they de- manded, and all the lands were worth, considering the hardships, risks and costs to be endured, in effecting settlement in a wilderness, and reducing the land to cultivation. And then the Indians, in reality, surren- dered little which was of value to themselves. It was understood that they might still dwell, hunt, and fish, within the territory sold. Two of the deeds ex- pressly permit them to set up their wigwams and get fire-wood from the commons. They had little use for the land for other purposes than these. "It may well be doubted," says Sylvester Judd, " whether all the Indian corn fields in the valley, from Holyoke and Tom on the south, to Toby and Sugar Loaf on the north, contained more than seventy acres." In Had- ley one corn field of sixteen acres, more or less, was
5
SETTLEMENT OF EASTHAMPTON.
expressly exempted from sale. They lost little, therefore, for the men continued to hunt and fish, and the women to raise corn, perhaps even to better advantage, upon shares, on well plowed lands, than ever before. "It would be difficult, perhaps," says Mr. Judd, "to tell why the purchase of Indian lands in Pennsylvania, by William Penn, is more worthy of renown than the purchase of Indian lands in North- ampton and Hadley, by John Pyncheon, twenty years before." The principal chiefs of the Norwottucks, north of Mounts Tom and Holyoke, at the period of settlement, were Chickwallop, Umpanchala and Quon- quont, whose names are prominent in the early deeds.
The first white resident within the limits of East- hampton, as has been shown, was John Webb, who seems to have been an honored citizen of our mother town. His land was granted December 13, 1664, and settlement made, probably, in the ensuing Spring. At what time he died is uncertain. Robert Danks, an early resident of Northampton, married his widow, and, with two sons of Webb. lived in Nashawannuck many years. Descendants of Webb were there for seventy-five years.
The first bridge over the Manhan river was voted in 1668, and most likely was near the house of John Webb, and not far from where the meadow road now crosses the same stream. Over this the settlers con- veyed such of their produce as they did not require for home consumption. Their taxes were payable first at Charlestown, and afterwards at Boston, in wheat. This was conveyed to Hartford in carts and wagons, and thence shipped to Boston. The cost of shipping from Hartford, in at least one recorded in- stance, consumed one-third of the cargo.
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PASCOMMUCK.
Just across the Manhan from the homestead of John Webb, at the foot of the mountain, is a beauti- ful plateau, overlooking the meadows, and Northamp- ton beyond. It is at the point where now the road leading up the mountain which bears up the ancient name of this section,-Nonotuck-takes its departure from the public highway. This was the location of the next residences within our limits, and the hamlet planted here bore the Indian name Pascommuck. The settlers were five in number, Moses Hutchin- son, John Searle, Benoni Jones, Samuel and Benjamin Janes, with their families. The town granted them their home lots in 1699.
They were not, however, destined to remain long in undisturbed possession of their homes. On the 24th of May, 1704, early in the morning, a party of non-resident Indians, passing this way, came down from the mountain and fell upon the hamlet so sud- denly, and so impetuously, that defence, though at- tempted, was impossible. Nineteen persons, nine of the name of Janes, were slain, either here, or shortly after capture. Benjamin Janes escaped from his cap- tors, and, rowing to Northampton across the flooded meadows, gave the alarm. A troop of cavalry, under Capt. John Taylor, speedily started in pursuit, who encountered the Indians, but with no other result than the death of nearly all the captives, and of Cap- tain Taylor himself. Another troop afterwards came up from the lower settlements to punish the savages, but were unsuccessful. More than ten years elapsed before this ruin was repaired, but at length other per- sons came in to take the places of the slain, some of them being children of the slain.
Twenty-five years before the settlement at Pascom-
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BARTLETT'S MILLS.
muck, or in 1674, Northampton gave " David Wilton, Medad Pumry, and Joseph Taylor, liberty to erect a saw-mill on the brook, on the right hand of the cart- way going over Manhan river." Twelve years later, (1686-7) they voted Samuel Bartlett liberty to set up a corn-mill, " on the falls below the cart-way on the river." The cart-way was just above our covered bridge at the foot of Meeting House hill. These mills were doubtless built soon after, though their owners did not effect a residence here. Samuel Bart- lett gave the corn-mill to his son Joseph in 1705, who made the first permanent settlement in the region of the present village, probably as early as 1725 or 30. His house he kept open for the accommodation of travelers for twenty years. His nephew, Jonathan Clapp, ancestor of all the Clapps among us, lived with him and succeeded to the greater portion of his es- tate, and to his business. About the same time at which Landlord Joseph Bartlett built his house, his brother David settled some forty rods westerly from the present residence of Julius Pomeroy, and after him his son lived there till near or quite the time of the Revolution. Between the homes of the Bartlett brothers was the home of four brothers named Wait, not far from where R. C. Dresser now lives.
Twenty years later, May 28, 1745, Deacon Stephen Wright and Benjamin Lyman, bought of Northamp- ton the upper School meadow, a tract of eighty acres of land, lying on both sides of the river above the cart-way, which the town had set apart for the sup- port of schools .* Deacon Wright settled where Sam- uel Hurlburt lives, and Mr. Lyman where Joel Bassett lives. They were the ancestors of the Wrights and
* The original deed may be seen in the museum.
S
POMEROY'S MEADOW-PARK HILL-THE PLAIN.
Lymans of Easthampton, and, until recently, most of their lands have been held by descendants.
Not far from 1732, Samuel and Eldad Pomeroy, settled upon what is now the homestead of Dea. E. W. Hannum and son. Caleb, son of Samuel, soon af- ter built near the late residence of A. L. Strong. In
1742, the Pomeroys entered a protest to the General Court, against being set off from Northampton with the then recent settlers in what is now Southampton, who were moving for separation, and with whom they had had no connection. In their address, they state that they had improved their lands, and paid taxes upon them for forty or fifty years. This would seem to show that their land came under cultivation not later than 1700. They were, afterwards, at their own request, received into the new society at South- ampton.
As early as 1750, Josiah Phelps established him- self upon Park hill, upon the place, until lately, for many years occupied by J. Rockwell Wright. About 1760 John and Eleazer Hannum settled upon the plateau now occupied by J. Milton and Edwin Han- nunı.
The first settler upon the plain upon which our village stands, was Serg. Ebenezer Corse, who built a house where Spencer Clapp formerly lived, and cut his road for a mile through the forest to this point. He was followed soon after by Stephen Wright, Jr., and Benjamin Lyman, Jr., sons of the purchasers of School meadow, and also by Benjamin and Aaron Clapp, the posterity of all of whom, John and Luther L. Wright, Ansel B. Lyman, William N. Clapp and son, and James H. Lyman, still occupy their ancestral seats. The first settlement in the south-east part of
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SETTLEMENT OF SOUTHAMPTON.
the town was effected by Israel Hendrick, about a hundred years since.
The first settlers of Southampton were mostly from Northampton, sons of men with large families, who wished to find homes for their children. The first meeting of those proposing to effect a settlement there, of which there is any record, was held January 31, 1730. A committee of Northampton citizens di- vided the lands among them. The first recorded notice of this settlement, afterwards called "the sec- ond precinct," was in the account of a meeting held December 22, 1732, when a committee was chosen " to lay out a highway, over the branch of Manhan river, at or near Pomeroy's meadow, or some other suitable and convenient place, so as to accommodate the new settlement." In 1732, two houses were erected there, and in 1733, fourteen ; and shortly af- ter fourteen more. This, in brief, was the origin of Southampton. It was established by the General Court as the second precinct of Northampton, July 23, 1741, on petition of thirty-five freeholders, one of whom was Eleazer Hannum of our town. They had preaching from the first, whenever they could secure it. In 1737, measures were taken to secure a house of worship, which was begun but not completed for several years. The first pastor, Rev. Jonathan Judd, was ordained June 8, 1743. Serg. Ebenezer Corse, before mentioned, was the only one who voted against Mr. Judd's settlement, and he afterwards be- came a decided supporter of the new minister. In 1753, they appointed a committee "to dignify the seats and pews." The relative dignity of citizens was determined by a combination of age and prop- erty, one year in age being equal to £10 in property. 2
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PRE-REVOLUTIONARY TROUBLES.
For more than a century after Webb's settlement in Nashawannuck, those who resided within our bor- ders had their civil and ecclesiastical relations with North or Southampton. They shared with those towns the perils of Indian hostilities; they joined with them in the support of the Gospel. Side by side they marched with British soldiers in the early French and Indian wars. They endured toil and pri- vation, and some of them shed their blood, on the fields about Lake George, Louisburg and elsewhere. The names of those soldiers are mostly forgotten, and the record of their individual service, saving in ex- ceptional cases, has perished. But their heroism and valor helped to procure this country for the use of an English speaking and liberty loving race. Along with the heroes of later wars, they should be awarded honored places in the regard of those who, in this and succeeding generations, enjoy the priceless herit- age won by their valor.
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