USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Huntington > History of the town of Huntington, in the county of Hampshire, Mass., from its first settlement to the year 1876 > Part 1
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F 74
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
Chap.
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
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HISTORY
OF THE
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON,
IN THE
COUNTY OF HAMPSHIRE MASS.
From its First Settlement to the year 1876.
BY REV. J. H. BISBEE.
CONGRESS
CON
14
CH
SPRINGFIELD, MASS .: CLARK W. BRYAN & COMPANY, PRINTERS. 1876.
F74 4986
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FIX . H9736
I HEREBY certify that at a legal town meeting, held in the Town Hall in Huntington, June 17, 1876, it was voted that Rev. J. H. Bisbee, G. Mun- son, and C. H. Kirkland, be a committee to prepare and publish a history of the Town of Huntington, from its first settlement to the present time.
WM. S. TINKER, Clerk. HUNTINGTON, NOV. 21, 1876.
IN accordance with the action of the town, the following brief history has been prepared. Meagre and imperfect as it is, it may, perhaps, furnish the starting point for some abler pen, hereafter to delineate it more fully. With all its imperfections, it is hereby respectfully dedicated to the citizens and former inhabitants of Huntington.
December, 1876.
BY THE COMMITTEE.
.
History of Huntington.
THIS is not one of the original townships of the Commonwealth. The larger part of its present territory was embraced in what was called Plantation No. 9. This plantation, in common with several others in the vicinity, was sold at auction by order of the General Court, on the second day of June, 1762; it was pur- chased by William Williams, for £1,500. October 31, 1765, this town was incorporated and named Murrayfield; the greater part of it is now called Chester. The name was changed by act of the Legislature, February 21, 1783.
June 29, 1773, the eastern portion of this territory was, by act of the General Court, set off and incor- porated as a district and named Norwich. In common with other districts incorporated near that time, this had conferred on it " all the powers, privileges, and immuni- ties of a town, that of sending a representative to the General Court, alone excepted." A district thus formed, was permitted to unite with some town in the choice of a representative. Norwich was authorized thus to unite with Chester. The reason for withholding from districts the right to send a representative by themselves, appears to have been a growing jealousy on the part of the crown, lest the popular element, in the government of the colony, should be too strong. Hence, " the governor
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON.
was instructed to consent to no act for the establishment of a new town in the province, unless by a special clause, it should place a restraint upon the power of sending representatives." On the 23d day of March, 1786, this restriction was extensively, if not universally removed. An act was then passed, providing that all districts incor- porated before January 1, 1777, should be towns and thereafter have the right of representation. The line of separation between Chester and Norwich, as described in the act of incorporation of the latter, is about as definite and intelligible to the present generation, as the testi- mony of the witness' in court, who, in describing the dimensions of a certain stone, said " it was about as big as a piece of chalk." .In 1853, a portion of the towns of Blandford and Chester was annexed to Norwich. The reason for this change of boundaries may be found in the fact that a thriving village had sprung up on the corners of the towns of Blandford, Chester and Norwich, on the line of the railroad. The village being in three towns and two counties, police regulations were easily evaded, and the interests of education suffered. As now existing, the township is bounded on the north by Chester and Chester- field, on the east by Westhampton and Southampton, on the south by Montgomery and Russell, and on the west and south-west by Blandford and Chester. . In 1855 the name of this township, was, by act of the Legislature changed to Huntington, in honor of Hon. Charles P. Huntington of Northampton, who aided in securing the annexation of territory. The following is the act : " Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in the year one thou- sand eight hundred and fifty-five. An Act, to authorize the town of Norwich to change its name. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows :
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON.
Section 1. The town of Norwich, in the County of Hampshire, shall take the name of Huntington.
Section 2. This Act shall take effect from and after its passage. This was officially signed by Daniel C. Eddy, Speaker of the House of Representatives, March 2, 1855. By Henry W. Benchly, President of the Senate, March 6, 1855. Approved by Henry J. Gardner, Governor, March 9, 1855, and certified by E. M. Wright, Secretary of State, March 15, 1855. It was accepted by the town, March 26, of the same year.
The territory now composing Huntington, began to be settled about 1760. It was then covered with a dense forest; it abounded in timber, which, at the present time, would be considered valuable ; beech, birch, maple, chestnut, pine and oak were found in great abundance. The first settlers of the place were from Norwich, Conn., and vicinity, hence the origin of the name given to their new home. Among the first who located here, the following names are preserved :
John Kirkland, Caleb Fobes, William Miller, David Scott, Isaac Mixer, John Rude, and Rhoades. John Kirkland resided on " the hill," where C. H. Kirkland now lives; that place has, from the beginning, been in possession of the family of that name.
Isaac Mixer lived on the place now owned and occu- pied by Horace Taylor, near Norwich bridge. Caleb Fobes lived a little farther up the river, where Mr. Brad- ley now resides. William Miller, John Rude, and Rhoades lived several miles still farther up the stream, near the north line of the township; it was in a section long known as Norwich Hollow. William Miller spent his first night in town on a small island near the present school-house in the Hollow. His object, in selecting this lodging-place, was to avoid the wolves which were then numerous. As in other new settlements, so here also,
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON.
much of the time and labor of the first settlers were devoted to the removal of the forests, erecting dwellings, and making roads. Many of the houses were constructed of logs, rudely placed one above another, with openings at suitable places to admit the light. No special arrange- ments was needed for ventilation, the spaces between the logs being ample for that purpose.
The first legal district meeting was held July 14, 1773. David Scott was chosen Moderator, John Kirkland, Clerk; John Kirkland, Caleb Fobes, David Scott, Selectmen and Assessors ; David Scott, Treasurer; Miles Washburn, Con- stable. District meetings were first held at the dwelling- house of Caleb. Fobes, afterwards at Isaac Mixer's hotel. The constable was directed to warn such meeting, by posting up a copy of the warrant at Isaac Mixer's grist- mill, which appears to have been located about half a mile, more or less, above Norwich bridge.
This town came into existence as a district, it will be perceived, at an eventful period in the history of this country. Difficulties between the colonies and the mother country had already commenced. The contro- versy which led to the Revolution, and resulted in the independence of the States, was even then, to some ex- tent waged. The spirit of liberty pervaded the com- munity ; here, as elsewhere, it ran high. The patriot- ism of the inhabitants was aroused. In common with other places, some provision was here early made to aid in meeting the contest. In 1774, the district voted to provide powder, lead, flints and a drum for the use of the district. The same year, Ebenezer Meacham was chosen to attend the congress at Concord. September 23, 1774, at a legal district meeting, the resolves of a county con- gress held at Northampton were read and considered sat- isfactory. A committee was appointed to send to the Provincial Congress the sentiment of this district respect-
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON.
ing the public distresses of this province. It was also " Voted, that it was proper at this critical day, to form into a military company for learning the art of military, and that Capt. Ebenezer Gear be requested to lead in the choice of officers. A military company was accordingly organized October 6, 1774, by the choice of the following officers : John Kirkland, Captain ; David Scott, Lieuten- ant; Ebenezer King, Ensign. As a precautionary measure, to guard against dangerous persons and paupers, certain individuals were voted out of the district, with the refusal to admit them as inhabitants.
In 1775, it was " Voted to choose a committee, in con- pliance with the method adopted by the Provincial Con- gress, and also the same to be a committee of correspond- ence, and said committee are further enjoined by this body to take all possible methods to suppress disorder, and that every person shall be fairly heard before he is condemned, that we may enjoy our interest and prosper- ity peaceably, and live as Christians." When the war of the Revolution was fairly commenced Norwich furnished, it is believed, its full quota of men. Though the town records are on this point very imperfect ; yet from vari- ous sources the following names of Revolutionary soldiers are obtained : Halsey Sandford, Stephen Angel, Isaac Coit.
In the early history of Massachusetts, church edifices, being built and owned by the town in which they were located, were used for both secular and religious purposes. They were the places for all public gatherings. Accord- ingly March 19, 1781, it was " Voted, that town meetings be held at the meeting-house." This continued to be the practice here until 1841, when it was "Voted to give up the meeting-house to the first parish." The first district meeting held in it was April 2, 1781. In 1786, the dis- trict having become a town, with the right of representa- tion by itself, John Kirkland was chosen representative to
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON.
the " Great and General Court." Since that time, the following individuals have been chosen to the same office : Aaron Hall, Jesse Joy, Rev. Stephen Tracy, Samuel Kirk- land, Martin Kirkland, Joseph Stanton, Silas Warner, Aaron B. Dimock, Augustus Clapp, Horace Taylor, Lyman Dimock, Francis Harwood, Garry Munson, Rev. Ebenezer B. Wright, William Taylor, Henry Stanton, Thomas Ring, Charles II. Kirkland, E. H. Lathrop, E. N. Woods. The three last named were elected under the district system. Several years the town voted not to send a representative to the " General Court." Sometimes one was chosen, under instruction to attend or not, as the selectmen should judge expedient. The object in withholding rep- resentation, probably was the saving of expense, as each town then had to pay its own representative. Maj. Thomas James Douglass was delegate to the convention that framed the State Constitution in 1788.
Artemas Knight was the delegate to the State conven- tion for revising the Constitution in 1820. Elkanah Ring was sent to the convention, called for a similar purpose, in 1853.
In 1841, the town having relinquished its right to the meeting-house as a place for public secular business, be- gan to agitate the question of building a town hall. After full and earnest discussion, in which much warmth of feel- ing was manifested, and many strains of eloquence were uttered, it was voted to erect such a building near Knightville. Aaron B. Dimock, Horace Taylor and Ash- ley Lyman were appointed a committee to locate and build the house. Efforts were subsequently made to change the location, but without effect; the edifice was completed, and the first legal town meeting held in it was March 21, 1842; this continued to be the place for holding town meetings not only till the annexation of more territory, but even until after the name of the town
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON.
was changed. Several attempts were made to change the place of meeting. In March, 1860, a vote was carried to hold the fall meeting in Union Hall ; this was a room over the village school-house, owned by a company of individuals ; it was afterwards destroyed by fire; the meeting was held according to the vote, but several sub- sequent meetings were held at the town house. Efforts continued to be made for a change ; at length in March, 1861, while the snow storm raged without and heated discussion within, it was voted 115 to 70 to hold future meetings at the village ; this seems to have been a final settlement of the question.
Meetings were generally held at Union Hall until the destruction of the building by fire, in 1863. The same year a new school-house was erected, by the district, on the site of the old one. Over this, as in the case of the former one, was a hall, built, owned and controlled by an association of individuals ; the town appropriated five hundred dollars toward the expense of this, in considera- tion of which the perpetual right to hold legal town meet- ings in it was secured. It is hence known as Huntington Hall, or the Town Hall.
In the early history of the town, facilities for communi- cation with other places were very limited; no tele- graphs, railroads, or steamboats were then in use. It required several days to perform a journey to Boston or New York; communications from the seat of the national government were at least one, if not two or three weeks on the way, while it required months to carry intelligence across the ocean ; mails were transported by horse power and not very frequently or rapidly at that, especially in new country towns. A post-office was carly established in the village, which was at that time called Falley's X Roads. The mail was carried by stage, running between Boston and Albany, by way of Springfield; at first it
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON.
was carried each way twice a week; at a later period it was increased to three times a week. This met the wants of the community then, and was regarded as satisfactory ; but at the present day this would be regarded as hardly tolerable. After the completion of the Boston and Albany railroad, the name of the office was changed to Chester Village, to correspond with the name of the station. When the name of the town was changed, that of the post-office was also changed and called Huntington. In the first quarter of the present century, a post-office was established on " the hill," and named Norwich, with Wil- liam Hooker for postmaster. This was supplied with mail by a carrier passing once a week, each way, between Northampton and Falley's X Roads.
When the war of the Rebellion broke out in 1861, Huntington was found true and loyal. As at the time of the Revolution, the fathers rose up and fought valiantly for freedom and independence, so the sons also volunteered and fought bravely for the maintenance of liberty, and the preservation of the government; at the call of their country they marched forth under the stars and stripes, to suffer, and if necessary, to lay their lives on the altar for the salvation of the nation. With them, as with the fathers, the motto was liberty or death.
Many of them suffered great privations and hardships ; some fell on the field of battle, others pined in hospitals and died of disease ; others still, returned to their friends and families, with wounds and scars, which attest their bravery, and their attachment to the Union. All honor to their country's defenders. May they and their descend- ants, to the latest generation, enjoy the fruit of their toil and sacrifices. Such is their love of country and their attachment to the old flag, that if occasion should call for it, they would, no doubt, march to the field again with as much bravery as before. Their former sacrifices and
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON.
sufferings in behalf of their country, have made it dearer to their hearts than it was before.
The following is the list of soldiers from Huntington, who served their country in the war of the Rebellion.
Joseph Underwood,
William C. Filley,
*Charles H. Gardner,
Charles Ferry,
*Frederick Taylor, George W. Filley,
Charles R. Copeland,
Isaac C. Blanchard,
Charles Otis,
John A. Decker,
Austin Richards,
*Calvin Porter,
Phineas F. Knight,
*William H. Decker,
Henry A. Weeks,
*Timothy Coleman, Hugh B. Laidley,
John Quinn,
* Albert Holbrook, Henry A. Stewart,
Hiram A. Beach,
David G. Hannum,
*Nelson Knight,
Daniel F. Knight,
*Robert Canfield, Asa P. Merritt,
*Henry Gooch, Edward N. Smith,
Edwin H. Coit,
Lewis Samuels,
James Coleman,
*Julian A. Wing, * Albert B. Rude, *Marcus Lyon, Caleb H. Stickney,
Darius N. Weeks,
Horace N. Weeks,
William Crossett,
Edgar F. Kyle,
Lewis E. Corvette,
Samuel Rust,
Gilbert Branning, Albert Thomas,
Calvin Porter, Jr.,
Erastus V. Lilley,
Ralph Joslyn,
William N. Otis,
Jonathan A. Lilley,
Horace H. Gorham,
Joseph Stanton, Jr.,
Alanson C. Lewis,
*E. H. Chapman, Asa N. Elder, Levi Phelps,
Rufus E. Lyman,
Leander J. Beals,
Francis H. Axtell,
Charles H. Kirkland,
J. Lindsey Niles, Dudley Driscoll,
*David H. Coit,
Henry Beach,
Harvey Porter,
Marshall O. Fisk,
*Died in the Service.
*Henry W. Strong,
*Andrew Lacy,
Esbon J. Burt,
Willie Allard,
John N. Moore, William Cady,
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON.
*Isaac C. Drake,
Rufus H. Fisk,
John Hurley,
Roswell B. Merritt, Milo Wing,
Eleazer Bryant,
Jason H. Fisk,
James D. Middlebrook,
Hophni D. Strong,
Austin T. Hancock,
*Roland M. Kingsley,
Burwell Seymour,
Benjamin F. IIall,
Harlow Gamwell, Assistant Sur- geon in 2d Mass. Cavalry.
*Orange F. Sampson,
Harvey H. Billings,
Charles M. Otis,
James S. Patterson,
*John B. Lyman, Jr.,
*Wilson G. Stevens,
Joseph R. Giddings,
Edwin F. Giddings,
William James,
George F. Horton,
Chester H. Weston,
*Charles F. Randall,
Charles E. Roach,
Charles Hathaway,
Appleton Vaderkin,
Charles H. Reinhardt,
William T. Withington,
Benjamin Barker,
Gilbert W. Branning,
Myron A. Munson,
Lorenzo Brown,
George Walker.
H. E. Stanton,
Of the fatal casualties that have occurred here, only a few can be named, for lack of authentic records. Some sixty years ago, more or less, Oliver Hastings was thrown from a horse and killed, in the " Hollow," near John Rude's present residence.
William Lindsey, Jr., was thrown from a hand-car on the railroad and killed, in 1841, aged twenty-seven years.
The dead body of Lester B. Latham was found by the side of the highway towards Blandford, in 1842. His gun was lying by the body. It is supposed that he accidentally shot himself.
In 1874, Dea. Henry Stanton was thrown from a wagon- load of logs and killed, in the village.
Rodney Fisk was drowned in attempting to cross the river in a boat, above the Pitcher bridge, in 1873.
Oren Burt was killed by a falling tree.
In 1870, William H. Wells, son of Alonzo Wells, was killed in the Massasoit paper-mill, aged five years.
Moses W. Hannum,
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON.
Several individuals have, in various ways, lost their life on the railroad, whose names and manner of death are not recorded.
A number of human bodies have also at different times been taken from the river, the cause of whose death is not known. It is supposed that some were accidentally drowned, while it is conjectured that others committed suicide. In many of these cases, at least, survivors have been left in doubt and uncertainty ; they will probably find no definite solution of the matter in this life, if they do in the next.
In 1844, malignant erysipelas extensively prevailed in some portions of the town ; many fell victims to it, and passed away.
Small pox has several times visited the place, but with no remarkably fatal results.
In July, 1819, there was a freshet which might well be called a flood. Nearly or quite every bridge in the town was swept away. Mills floated off in the stream, the dwelling-house of William Lindsey was carried away ; other buildings were undermined, and several individuals narrowly escaped with life. It was a time of great sad- ness and distress. Other freshets, on a smaller scale, have sometimes done much damage to roads, bridges, inills and dams.
INDUSTRIAL.
In the early history of the town, agriculture was the leading industrial pursuit. Men, with resolute hearts and strong arms, removed the forests and cultivated the soil. From the earth they drew their sustenance. Corn, rye. oats and potatoes were the staple vegetable productions for food. Seeds were sown and crops harvested, not as now, by machinery, but by hand. Mowing machines, horse rakes, and various other modern implements of
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON.
husbandry, were then unknown. Beef, pork and mutton, produced by themselves, furnished them with meat, while from the mountain streams their tables were liberally supplied with delicious fish. What is now the west, furnishing the east with bread and meat, was then a vast wilderness, or broad uncultivated prairie. Instead of depending upon New Orleans, or the West Indies for sugar and molasses, they tapped the maple and drew the sap, from which, by their own labor, they procured a supply for domestic use, and often a surplus to exchange for other necessaries. Flax was a product of much importance in those days; this, together with the wool from the sheep, furnished the clothing for the people. The women manu- factured the cloth from these articles, without the aid of machinery propelled by either water or steam power. They carded, spun, and wove the linen and the wool by hand; the great and little wheel, as well as the loom, were found in nearly every dwelling, and all the women knew how to use them; they were better players on these than on the melodeon, and piano-forte. "They sought wool and flax, and worked willingly with their hands." "They laid their hands to the spindle, and their hands held the distaff." Some made fine linen and sold it. In the spring, long pieces of cloth might be seen spread upon the green grass, which the faithful house- keeper was hourly watering from her sprinkler, to aid in the bleaching process. Thus they ate not the bread of idleness ; their families were comfortably, and decently clothed ; they felt a degree of pride in being able to say " all these things are the fruit of our own industry." Some other branches of industry were necessarily pur- sued. The carpenter found employment in the erection of needed buildings, and the blacksmith in making and repairing the rude implements of husbandry. These were mainly of domestic manufacture, and generally
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON.
coarse and clumsy, compared with those now in use ; some farmers made nearly all the tools used by them in their employment. The grist mill was a necessary ma- chine for grinding the grain. Hence, Mixer's mill was early built, and at a later date, another was erected a short distance below the Pitcher bridge. Other branches of productive industry were gradually introduced.
More than half a century ago, Caleb Hannum erected a factory on " the hill," for the manufacture of axes and other edge tools ; these were extensively used, and had a high reputation for their cutting properties. After his death, his sons, Caleb W. and Harvey Hannum continued the business for a while at the old stand, and subse- quently for several years in the village.
Other parties early commenced the manufacture of whetstones in the northerly part of the town; these were produced in sufficient number, not only for home consumption, but for export. Thus means were furnished to keep the edge tools in working order.
Stephen Taylor had a shop for dressing cloth, near where the Taylor bridge now stands.
Augustus Clapp and Horace Taylor had a similar shop, with a carding machine attached, near Norwich bridge. To these establishments the farmers carried their cloth to be dressed, and made ready for garments. Collins and Wade manufactured cotton sheeting where the Highland mill now stands ; but no great amount of manufacturing was done here until after the completion of the Boston and Albany railroad. Here it may be noticed, that though Huntington is an obscure town in one corner of the county, yet it was the first town in the county favored with railroad privileges. This internal improvement gave a new impulse to business in the village. It drew people from the surrounding hills to the vicinity of the railroad station. Some, indeed, carried on their business farther
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON.
back ; E. and T. Ring, for a number of years, manu- factured sleds, wagons, and cabs for children, at Knight- ville, and A. T. Hancock is still making sleighs at the same place. Parley Hutchins has been, and still is manu- facturing wooden bowls on the middle branch of the Westfield river, some two miles from the railroad; but the greater part of the manufacturing has been and still is near the station.
Alfred Copeland manufactured bedsteads, on a liberal scale, for several years ; this business subsequently passed into the hands of Benjamin Little and Son.
R. S. Bartlett and L. B. Williams made baskets several years, under the firm of Bartlett and Williams.
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