USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Brimfield > Historical celebration of the town of Brimfield, Hampden County, Mass > Part 1
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UMASS/AMHERST
310066014554779
SS
IT
1863
DATE DUE
Arn 1 3/1989
SEP 13 1994
11: 3225615
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AT AMHERST
F 74 B75 B9
III
.
Chat.M Sty de
Eng? by HB Hall &. SonsMY
HISTORICAL CELEBRATION
OF THE
TOWN OF BRIMFIELD,
Hampden County, Mass.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1876.
WITH THE
HISTORICAL ADDRESS
OF
REV. CHARLES M. HYDE, D. D.,
AND OTHER ADDRESSES, LETTERS, DOCUMENTS, ETC., RELATING TO THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE TOWN.
PUBLISHED BY VOTE OF THE TOWN.
SPRINGFIELD, MASS .: THE CLARK W. BRYAN COMPANY, PRINTERS, 1879.
LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST, MASS.
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. THE CLARK W. BRYAN COMPANY, PRINTERS AND BOOK-BINDERS. 1879.
Historical Celebration.
..
IN the early part of March, 1876, was passed the following joint resolution of Congress on the celebration of the National Centennial in the several counties and towns throughout the United States :
Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That it be, and is hereby recommended by the Senate and House of Representatives to the people of the several states, that they assemble in their several counties or towns on the approaching Centennial anniversary of our National Independence, and that they cause to have delivered on such day an historical sketch of said county or town from its formation, and that a copy of said sketch may be filed in print or in manuscript in the clerk's office of said county, and an additional copy in print or manuscript, be filed in the office of the Librarian of Congress, to the intent that a complete record may thus be obtained of the progress of our institutions during the First Centennial of their existence.
Approved, March 13, 1876.
By vote of the Legislature of Massachusetts, a copy of this resolu- tion was transmitted June 13, to the clerks of each of the cities and towns of the Commonwealth.
On receipt of this communication Mr. Henry F. Brown, the town clerk of Brimfield, presented the matter to a few of the citizens, who, while approving of the object, thought it desirable to postpone the matter to a later date than the one named in the Resolution of Con- gress, and on Sunday, August 27, a notice was read in church inviting all persons interested in securing as many of the facts of the settle- ment and early history of the town as might be done by a Historical Address and other means, to meet at the Selectmen's room the follow- ing evening. At this meeting it was voted to be desirable and expe- dient to secure such facts and incidents, and Rev. Dr. C. M. Hyde was
iv
HISTORICAL CELEBRATION.
selected to prepare and deliver the Address. Henry F. Brown, Nathan F. Robinson, Sumner Parker, Byron W. Charles and William H. Sher- man were appointed a committee to consult and report a plan for car- rying out the purpose of the meeting. The meeting adjourned to meet on Thursday, September 7, at the Town Hall, when the report of the committee was read and accepted. This report recommended the observance of the day appointed for the address as a holiday to be observed by the descendants of residents of the original town, embracing the present towns of Brimfield, Monson, Wales and Hol- land, and parts of Warren and Palmer. The day selected was Octo- ber 11, and an executive committee as follows was chosen to have gen- eral charge of all the arrangements: Samuel W. Brown, Alfred L. Converse, James B. Brown, George M. Hitchcock, James S. Blair, Moses H. Baker, Newton S. Hubbard, Ephraim W. Norwood and William H. Sherman. Several meetings to perfect arrangements were held by this committee. Special invitations were given to former residents of the town and their descendants, to the survivors of the war of 1812, and of the Brimfield Rifle Company, and to all soldiers of the war of the rebellion within the limits of Brimfield, or who enlisted from the town.
Wednesday, October 11, dawned one of Autumn's brightest, and at an early hour the roads from every direction were thronged with teams and foot passengers, all eager to be on hand for Brimfield's grandest and proudest occasion. Capt. Francis D. Lincoln was president of the day, and Byron W. Charles, chief marshal. Under his direction the procession was formed in front of the hotel near the soldiers' monu- ment, in the following order : Monson Brass Band; Members of Co. G, 46th M. V .; Survivors of the Brimfield Rifle Co .; Hitchcock Free High School; Citizens and invited guests. After moving round the village and taking under escort the president of the day and speakers, the procession marched to the church, where it arrived about 11 o'clock, and which was filled to overflowing before but a small part of the peo- ple had been admitted. Prayer was offered by Rev. M. L. Richardson of Sturbridge, after which the president delivered the address of wel- come, introducing the orator of the day, Rev. C. M. Hyde, D. D.
After the address of Dr. Hyde, a bountiful collation contributed by
V
HISTORICAL CELEBRATION.
the citizens was served in the Town Hall to from 1200 to 1500 people. the number being sufficient to twice fill the hall, necessitating a re- turn to the church after the collation, where addresses were delivered by the president of the day, Rev. Charles Hammond, and Gen. Fitz Henry Warren. These addresses, and the letters received from dif- ferent persons who were unable to attend the celebration, will be found in the appendix.
So much interest was aroused by the celebration that a meeting of citizens was called Tuesday, October 17th, to take measures to secure the publication of the addresses of Dr. Hyde and others, when it was voted "that the Rev. C. M. Hyde, D. D., be requested to write out for publication, with such additional facts as he may wish to incorpo- rate, his historical address on the early history of Brimfield, delivered October 11th, 1876." and a committee of five, consisting of Henry F. Brown, Francis D. Lincoln, Samuel W. Brown, James S. Blair and James B. Brown, were chosen to inform Dr. Hyde and others of the vote, and to " assist in gathering facts to make the history as full and accurate as possible. and to devise and report a plan for the publication of the same .??
The committee finding Dr. Hyde willing to comply with their re- quest, recommended that the question of publication be brought before the town, and a town meeting was called January 13, 1877, for this purpose. At this meeting the town voted to choose a committee of five, who were thereby authorized to arrange for and publish the his- tory of the town as prepared by Rev. C. M. Hyde, D. D., with such additions as he and they might deem advisable. The town elected for this committee the same gentlemen as were chosen at the citizen's meet- ing to arrange for the publication of the addresses, and authorized the printing of an edition of six hundred copies of the History ; the com- mittee were also directed "to present, in the name of the town, a bound copy of the History to each of the speakers on the day of the celebration. to Gov. Horace Fairbanks of Vermont, to the High School and pastoral libraries, the Congressional and State libraries, and to the Connecticut Valley Historical Society, and also one copy to each fam- ily in town resident May 1, 1877."
The departure of Rev. Mr. Hyde, from the town and country, and
vi
HISTORICAL CELEBRATION.
the time necessary in procuring the Genealogies, which the Com- mittee thought best to incorporate, has made the delay in publication unavoidable. But the history has been made more full and complete than it could possibly have been had it been sooner published; and we can but feel that all will be amply repaid for the waiting.
Table of Contents.
PAGE.
Rev. Dr. C. M. Hyde's Historical Address,
1-220
Other Addresses at the Centennial, and Letters read, 221-238
Various historical papers and records, and lists of names, . 239-361
Genealogy of families,
366-476
Corrections,
477,478
Index,
. 479-487
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
C. M. Hyde,
PAGE. Frontispiece.
Map of the original township,
face III
View of Brimfield, 1850,
1
Hitchcock Free High School,
87
Joseph Vaill,
" 107
Congregational Church,
" 112
View of Brimfield, 1875,
" 135
Residence of E. T. Sherman,
“ 137
Asa Lincoln,.
" 172
T. D. Lincoln, .
" 176
Ebenezer Knight,
" 178
Gen William Eaton, .
" 187
Erastus Fairbanks,
" 189
J. W. Foster,
" 192
John Wyles,
“ 195
Abner Brown,
" 197
Alured Homer,
" 199
J. M. Warren,
" 202
Gen. Fitz Henry Warren, .
" 204
Fac-Simile of Town Order,
" 207
Samuel A. Hitchcock,
": 208
Cyrel R. Brown,
" 212
Paul W. Paige,
" 214
Town House,
" 220
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VIEW OF BRIMFIELD, 1850 .- FROM A SKETCH BY COL. JOHN W. FOSTER.
M BRADLEY-CO
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HISTORICAL ADDRESS
BY
Rev. C. M. Hyde, D. D.
" Show me a man," says Southey, " who cares no more for one place than another, and I will show you in that same person one who loves nothing but himself. Beware of those who are homeless by choice. You have no hold on a human being whose affections are without a tap-root. Whatever strengthens our local attachments is favorable both to individual and national character. Our home, our birth-place, our native land,-think for a while what the virtues are which arise out of the feelings connected with these words."
Some of you, who may have left this their native place, and transplanted yourselves elsewhere, have yet retained an unweaned love for the old town. That love has grown only the stronger, while yet growing also more tender, with advancing years. There is a pretty fancy to which poets have often referred, suggested by the fact that when you put a sea-shell to your car, you hear sounds that resemble the ocean's roar afar off. Thus Wordsworth says:
2
HISTORICAL ADDRESS.
" I have seen a curious child, who dwelt upon a tract
Of inland ground, applying to his ear the convolutions of a smooth- lipped shell,
To which, in silence hushed, his very soul listened intensely, and his countenance soon
Brightened with joy, for from within were heard murmurings, whereby the monitor expressed
Mysterious union with its native sea."
I shall esteem myself successful in the part assigned me in the festivities of this occasion, if I can, as it were, hold " the smooth-lipped shell " of history to your ear, and touch some chords that bring back sweet memories of the past.
However it may be with those who have severed the ties that once bound them to this spot, and now call some other place home, I know I speak the sentiments of many here, when I say that to those who have never left old Brimfield, it is endeared to them, not only as the home of their childhood, but as the chosen abode of their riper years. To-day they are ready to avow their faith-which needs for its reason only the sight of these scenes to-day -- that of Brimfield they can truthfully as well as delight- edly say-
" Loveliest there the Spring days come, With blossoms and birds and wild bees' hum ; The flowers of Summer are fairest there, And freshest the breath of the Summer air; There sweetest the golden Autumn day, In silent sunshine glides away."
I see before me the fourth, fifth and sixth generations of descendants from those who first made this town their home. Those who might have heard from the lips of the first settlers the story of their adventures in first bringing the wilderness of two centuries ago under the hand of cul- tivation-these have all passed away. What little there lingers of traditionary information in regard to the early
3
SOURCES OF INFORMATION.
settlers, is very meagre and unsatisfactory. Any papers in writing that might be expected to give some informa- tion on family matters, have very generally been de- stroyed. Especially during the last fifteen years, have the paper manufacturers so thoroughly scoured the coun- try, under the stimulus of high prices for paper stock, that scarcely anything can now be found in our dwellings that gives any written record of the doings of the past.
It ought to be noticed that this is not the first endeavor to rescue from oblivion's engulfing flood something of the story of those who, in first occupying these hills and val- leys, had in their lives and adventures the incommunica- ble charm that attaches to all first experiences. Rev. Dr. Vaill, while pastor here, delivered January 7, 1821, a ser- mon giving some account of the early history of the town and the church. I know not what occasioned the choice of the subject at that particular time. The date makes probable some suggestion of the subject, in the two hun- dredth anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims. The sermon was not printed till 1829, when there was pub- lished, also, a sermon preached by Rev. Dr. Ely of Mon- son, at the funeral of Dr. Vaill's first wife.
Col. John W. Foster, in connection with George C. Homer, prepared a history of the town for Holland's His- tory of Western Massachusetts, published in 1855. This is the fullest published account. It has preserved most of the interesting incidents, known better than now twenty- five years ago, in regard to the first settlers and the Rev- olutionary soldiers.
In 1856, the next year after Doctor Holland's book was published, Rev. Jason Morse, then and for seven years previous the diligent and beloved pastor of this church, published a pamphlet of $4 pages, under the title, " Annals of the Church in Brimfield." Mr. Morse's plan led him to give special prominence to the ecclesiastical history of
4
HISTORICAL ADDRESS.
the town. But this is so interwoven with its political and social history during the hundred years when town and parish affairs were transacted in town meeting, that Mr. Morse has given, in its connection, much also of the secu- lar history of the town. He prepared a lithographie map of the town as originally laid out. In an appendix the residences of the first settlers are located, as far as they could be ascertained, in the whole territory as first em- braced within the town lines .*
Since it became generally known that I was making some researches into the history of the town, every assist- ance that others could give in matters of personal knowl- edge, or by the use of family papers, has been cordially and freely offered to me. Especially have Henry F. Brown, Esq., and Samuel W. Brown aided me by making personal inquiry, and investigation of the town papers. I have also had free access to the files of petitions, reports and other documents at the State House, through the courtesy of the officer in charge, Dr. Edward Strong. I have found great help also from the collection in the Con- gregational Library in care of Rev. I. P. Langworthy.
The settlers of Plymouth, and of the Massachusetts Bay, heard much from the Indians who came to trade with them, of the beauty and fertility of the valley of the Connecticut, "the long river." In 1633, the first settle- ment in the Connecticut river valley was made at Wind- sor. In 1636, a colony from Roxbury obtained leave from the General Court to commence a new plantation. The site they selected, first called Agawam, was named
*Other and brief accounts are the following, viz. : Vol. IX of the Mass. Ilist. Society Collection, pp. 127-186. " A Topographical Description of Brimfield, by Rev. Clark Brown, 1804." Am. Quar. Reg. Vol. 10, p. 266, 1838, by Rev. B. B. Edwards. Barber's Historical Collection, 1839, pp. 276-279. Dwight's Travels, pub. 1821, vol. 2, p. 264. Hayward's Gazetteer of Mass., by Elias Nason, pub. 1874, p. 28. The address given by Capt. F. D. Lincoln at the dedication of the Soldiers' Monument, July 4, 1866, contains the history of the town in connection with the War of Secession.
5
CONNECTION WITH HAMPDEN COUNTY.
Springfield in 1640. Its boundaries, indefinite at first, became fixed as new settlements, were begun further up the river, and then eastwardly and westwardly. In 1662, May 7, Springfield, Northampton and Hadley, the only three townships then settled, were constituted a county, to which the name of Hampshire was given. The four counties, previously organized, 1643, May 10, were Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk. The boundary of Hampshire County on the south was the Colony line ; in every other direction the county line was to be thirty miles from any of the three towns. Brookfield, formerly called Quaboag, legally recognized in 1673 as a town by its present name, though not incorporated till 1718, November 12, was at first included in Hampshire County. When Brimfield was first settled there was no other settlement east of Spring- field, and south of Brookfield, as far as Oxford, settled in 1683, and Woodstock, which was first settled in 1686. Two weeks after Brimfield was incorporated as a town, the County of Worcester was formed, and Brookfield named as one of its constituent towns. This act fixed the eastern boundary of Hampshire County. Its other boundaries coincided with the Province lines. It then included eleven towns : Springfield, Northampton, Had- ley, Hatfield, Westfield, Suffield, Enfield, Deerfield, Sun- derland, Northfield, Brimfield. The western boundary of old Hampshire County was formed when Berkshire County was constituted, 1761, April 27, about a year after Monson was incorporated. The present Hampshire is only the central portion of old Hampshire. Franklin County was set off 1811. January 24. The next year, 1812, February 20, the southern part of the remain- der was set off as Hampden County. Brimfield is the north-eastern town of this County. Previous to the Prov- ince Charter of 1692, the County Court of Hampshire County was held at Springfield. This arrangement con-
6
HISTORICAL ADDRESS.
tinued under that Charter till 1771; 1761, May 22, the people of Brimfield voted against removing the Court to Northampton. The town appointed a committee, who presented six cogent reasons (Mass. Archives, 117 : 664) against the project. The appointment of an additional term of the Court of Common Pleas, and of the Superior Court, to be held at Northampton, was probably a com- promise measure ; 1765, January 18, the first County tax, £10, was assessed on the various towns. Brimfield's County tax, 1876, was $613.23.
In 1763, October 17, Brimfield voted to come into a new County proposed, if Brookfield be made the shire town, though at the next meeting, November 7, this vote was reconsidered and negatived. 1791, July 18, a committee was chosen to confer with committees from other towns, August 1, at Brookfield, in regard to forming a new County. 1793, December 30; the representative to the General Court was instructed to advocate the present limits of the County against any proposed change.
Springfield was not originally incorporated as a town with definite boundaries. Besides several towns on the western side of the river, Springfield's territory in- cluded on the east of the Connecticut the present towns of Chicopee, Wilbraham, Ludlow and Longmeadow, and also Somers and Enfield in Connecticut. 1647, October 27, it was ordered that Springfield should adjoin North- ampton and Hadley on the north, and extend eastward to the foot of the mountain, the eastern base of the first (Wilbraham) mountains. 1685, May 21, the Selectmen report a perambulation of the bounds .* Before Brim- field was incorporated, the people of Springfield voted in
* From the State House records it appears that, in fixing the Eastern boundary line, they went from the Bay Path up Stony Brook forty or fifty rods from where it parts and turns unexpectedly to run eastward, and there found a convenient place to run a north and south line. This eastward boundary of Springfield formed originally the western boundary of Brimfield.
7
CONNECTION WITH NEIGIIBORING TOWNS.
town meeting, 1722, February 9, that "the running of the line between this town and Brimfield be en- tered on record."
As originally laid out, Brimfield extended eight miles east from the east boundary of Springfield. Its northern line was the Chicopee river, now more commonly called the Quaboag. The southern limit was the Colony line. The earliest map (in the State House, AAncient Plans, 2: 84) was taken in accordance with an order of the General Court, 1714, June 10, in reference to a contemplated addition of a strip three miles in width on the east. On this map, Fellows' tavern is designated, and probably, at this time, this was the only house in the territory. 1740, August 15, Ephraim Hayward of Brookfield, and others in Kingstown (now Palmer), and in the north part of Brimfield, petitioned to be set off as a separate town. The petition was granted, and Western was incorporated, 1741, January 16; the name was changed to Warren, 1834, March 13. It took from Brimfield all that part of the present township of Warren, south of the Chicopee river, and west of the original line of Brookfield. (See Massachusetts Archives, cxvii : 102-7, and Ancient Plans, iv: 117.)
Monson was originally a part of Brimfield. 1759, June 7, the people then living in the west part of the town, petitioned to be set off (see Massachusetts Archives exvii : 500). Joseph Blodget, the representative that year from Brimfield, was instructed to present the town's objections to this division of its territory and pop- ulation. But his arguments and pleas were unavailing Monson was incorporated as a district 1760, April 25. The English government had taken offence and alarm at the increasing numbers and power of the representative element in the Massachusetts Legislature. The incorpora- tion of new towns was forbidden, unless they would con-
8
HISTORICAL ADDRESS.
sent to forego the privilege of representation. Monson was united with Brimfield in the choice of a represent- ative. Otherwise the district had the same privileges and obligations as the mother town. After the breaking out of the revolution, Monson was regularly incorporated as a town, 1775, October 20. Governor Pownal, as was the custom with the Royal governor, probably gave the town its name in honor of one of his friends, Monson, the President of the Board of Trade. 1763, February 7, the legislature annexed to Brimfield the bridge over the Chicopee river, for the purpose of keeping it in repair. Palmer was to keep in repair the bridge at the west end. Monson was to repair one-half of the county road, Palmer the other half.
Some people, in what was at the time the north-west section of Brimfield, opposed the incorporation of Monson. (See petition of date 1760, Jan. 10, on file in Massa- chusetts Archives, cxvii : 503.) 1760, April 23, two days before the incorporation of Monson, these persons, living north of the Country Road from Boston to Springfield, and south of the Chicopee (or Quaboag) river, were annexed to the district of Palmer. Palmer was formerly a plantation called "The Elbow Tract," (so named from a sudden bend or elbow in the Chicopee.) It was also called Kingsfield, or Kingstown, from the name of the leading family in the place. It was incorporated as a district under the name of Palmer, 1752, Jan. 30. That part of the present township of Palmer, which lies south of the Chicopee river, was originally a part of Brimfield.
Still another diminution of the original territory was made 1762, September 18, when the southern half of what remained was incorporated as a separate district by the name of South Brimfield .* The people of the new dis-
" By an act of the State Legislature, 1786, March 23, it was enacted that all dis- tricts incorporated before January 1, 1777, should be towns with full rights and privileges.
9
PRESENT BOUNDARY LINES.
triet did not find it an easy matter to fix the location of the meeting-house to accommodate the inhabitants. A conflict was waged for several years, as appears from papers on file, (Massachusetts Archives 14 : 402, 443-146. ) Their petition for a further division into two parishes was not granted till 1783, July 5. The East parish was in- corporated as a distriet 1796, February 25; as a town, 1836, May 1. It took its name from Lord Holland, better known as Charles James Fox, an eloquent advocate on the side of the people of this country in the Parliament- ary contests previous to the recognition of American inde- pendence.
The western section of South Brimfield continued to be called by that name till 1828, February 20. The name was then changed to Wales-(Clinton was first preferred ) -in accordance with a vote of the citizens. They took the present name from James Lawrence Wales, a native and resident of the town, who bequeathed a legacy of about $2,000 in recognition of the honor.
The present township of Brimfield has Monson on the west, Wales and Holland on the south : Warren lies north of it: Palmer extends along its north-western bor- der : Brookfield touches it on the north-east corner. On the east lies Sturbridge, originally called New Medfield. This neighboring town was granted to proprietors mostly from Medfield, 1729, Sept. 3. Sturbridge was incorpo- rated as a town under its present name, 1732, June 24. 1735, May 26, is the first record of the perambulation of the town lines, now performed every five years.
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