Proceedings at the centennial celebration of the incorporation of the town of Longmeadow, October 17th, 1883, Part 1

Author: Longmeadow (Mass.); Storrs, Richard Salter, b. 1830; Harding, J. W. (John Wheeler); Colton, Jabez, 1747-1819
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: [Longmeadow] Pub. by the secretary of the Centennial Committee, under authority of the town
Number of Pages: 480

USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Longmeadow > Proceedings at the centennial celebration of the incorporation of the town of Longmeadow, October 17th, 1883 > Part 1

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.

THE PARSONAGE EASTWARD.

PROCEEDINGS

AT THE

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

OF THE

INCORPORATION

OF THE

TOWN OF LONGMEADOW,

OCTOBER 17TH, 1883,

WITH NUMEROUS

HISTORICAL APPENDICES

AND

A TOWN GENEALOGY.

ILLUSTRATED.

PUBLISHED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE, UNDER AUTHORITY OF THE TOWN. 1884.

Copyrighted, 1884, By R. S. STORRS, LONGMEADOW, MASS.

1818 183 Up

PRESS OF THE CASE, LOCKWOOD & BRAINARD CO. HARTFORD, CONN. 8/96

PREFACE.

By a vote of the town of Longmeadow, passed at its annual meeting in the Spring of 1883, the maximum sum allowed by the Statutes of Massa- chusetts-one-tenth of one per cent. of the grand list-was appropriated for celebrating the first Centennial Anniversary of the town's incorporation, and for publishing the proceedings of the occasion. The Celebration took place upon the 17th of October-the exact date of the signing of the Act of town Incorporation in 1783. At a meeting of the Centennial Committee on the 3d of November following,-the report of the sub-committee of prepa- ration showing a small unexpended balance from the appropriation,-it was voted " that an edition of the proceedings properly bound and illustrated, and sufficient in number to supply one copy to each family in town and to each invited speaker, be prepared by the Secretary of the Committee, Mr. Storrs, acting with the Chairman, Mr. Harding, and the Town Treasurer, Mr. Wolcott, as a Committee of Publication, at a total expense not exceed- ing the unexpended appropriation."

It was further voted "that in the inability of the Committee-or even of the Town itself-to legally do more than this, by reason of the statute limi- tation already referred to,-the offer of the Secretary to himself publish a second edition to meet any outside demand be gratefully accepted ; and that he be authorized to make use, for this purpose, of the preparation made for the Town's edition ; incorporating with it such other material and illustra- tions as he may desire to add at his own expense."

It is in accordance with these votes that the originally proposed pamphlet of a hundred pages has been enlarged by the Secretary to the present vol- ume of more than four hundred.

The record of the Day's Proceedings will be found unusually complete. The Historical Address is given substantially as delivered ; since any attempt to recast it in a more consecutive and complete form would necessa- rily be at the expense of the characteristics which adapted it for oral deliv- ery. The numerous historical details, by which it might otherwise have been enriched and fortified. have been, by the associated compilers, the Chairman and Secretary of the General Committee, collected and classified in a copious Appendix. In this compilation, documentary history has been largely preferred to narrative ; as only an Appendix, and not at all a complete History has been here attempted.

CONTENTS.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE DAY,

PAGES.

9-125

The Introduction-The Day-The Tent Exercises-Scripture Selec- .tions-Dr. Wolcott's Prayer-Dr. Wolcott's Hymn-The Invi- tation Circular-The Address of Welcome-Prof. Storrs' Hymn -The Historical Address -The Collation -The Centennial Poem-Mr. Boies' Hymn.

THE AFTER-DINNER SPEECHES. 66-124

ADDRESS OF REV. AARON M. COLTON, 67

MRS. SCHAUFFLER'S REMARKS, 74

ADDRESS OF REV. R. S. STORRS, D.D., 76

ADDRESS OF PROF. E. A. PARK, D.I) .. 85

ADDRESS OF REV. HUBBARD BEEBE, 93

ADDRESS OF REV. SAMUEL WOLCOTT, D. I)., . 97

ADDRESS OF REV. CHARLES R. BLISS, . 100

ADDRESS OF REV. JOHN R. KEEP. 106

ADDRESS OF DR. FREDERICK COLTON, . 108

ADDRESS OF REV. W. W. LEETE, . . III

ADDRESS OF REV. DORUS CLARK, I.D.,

. 116

ADDRESS OF JUDGE W. S. SHURTLEFF, .

119

CONCLUDING EXERCISES, 125

MISCELLANEOUS APPENDICES, 127-321

GENEALOGICAL APPENDIX, 323-420

CONTENTS.

PAGES.

9-125

PROCEEDINGS OF THE DAY,

THE AFTER-DINNER SPEECHES. 66-124

ADDRESS OF REV. AARON M. COLTON, 67

MRS. SCHAUFFLER'S REMARKS, 74

ADDRESS OF REV. R. S. STORRS, D.D., 76

ADDRESS OF PROF. E. A. PARK, D.D., 85

ADDRESS OF REV. HUBBARD BEEBE, ·

ADDRESS OF REV. SAMUEL WOLCOTT, D. D.,

ADDRESS OF REV. CHARLES R. BLISS, . 100

ADDRESS OF REV. JOHN R. KEEP. 106

ADDRESS OF DR. FREDERICK COLTON, . . 108

ADDRESS OF REV. W. W. LEETE, . . III

ADDRESS OF REV. DORUS CLARK, D.D.,

116

ADDRESS OF JUDGE W. S. SHURTLEFF, . 119

CONCLUDING EXERCISES, 125

MISCELLANEOUS APPENDICES, 127-321

GENEALOGICAL APPENDIX, 323-420

PREFACE.

It was further voted "that in the inability of the Committee-or even of the Town itself-to legally do more than this, by reason of the statute limi- tation already referred to,-the offer of the Secretary to himself publish a second edition to meet any outside demand be gratefully accepted : and that he be authorized to make use, for this purpose, of the preparation made for the Town's edition ; incorporating with it such other material and illustra- tions as he may desire to add at his own expense."

It is in accordance with these votes that the originally proposed pamphlet of a hundred pages has been enlarged by the Secretary to the present vol- ume of more than four hundred.

The record of the Day's Proceedings will be found unusually complete. The Historical Address is given substantially as delivered ; since any attempt to recast it in a more consecutive and complete form would necessa- rily be at the expense of the characteristics which adapted it for oral deliv- ery. The numerous historical details, by which it might otherwise have been enriched and fortified, have been, by the associated compilers, the Chairman and Secretary of the General Committee, collected and classified in a copious Appendix. In this compilation, documentary history has been largely preferred to narrative : as only an Appendix, and not at all a complete History has been here attempted.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGES.

I. THE MEETING-HOUSE ON THE GREEN, . Frontispiece.

From an oil painting by W. R. Wheeler of Hartford, for R. S. Storrs-Looking northward from near the old Brick Schoolhouse-The present parsonage, east of the Church, upon the exact site of the old Williams parsonage-The Storrs parsonage, just visible three doors northward-The street twenty rods wide-The remodeled Church now located ten rods eastward.

II. THE L-O-N-G MEADOW, To face 9

A vanishing perspective view of the meadow, looking northward from the bluff near the Enfield, Conn., boundary line-Gleams of the Connecticut river on the extreme left- Mount Tom 20 miles, and Springfield 6 miles away, in the dim middle distance-The meadow side hill, and the Longmeadow village church spire 2 miles away, minutely visible, on the right horizon-A merely topographical picture, only faintly suggesting the beauty of the real landscape under favorable conditions. (See page 321.)

III. THE STORRS PARSONAGE, . 24

Built in 1786 by Pastor Storrs, upon the ministry lot-Now owned and occupied by his descendants.

IV. THE BOIES HOMESTEAD, .

Built by Deacon Nathaniel Ely, Senior, about 1770-Now owned and occupied by his great-grandson, Rev. William Ely Boies. (See page 314.)

V. PORTRAIT OF MRS. SCHAUFFLER,

Taken from life, since the Centennial Celebration.

VI. PORTRAIT OF PASTOR STORRS, .

. 80

From an oil painting in the possession of his grandson, R. S. Storrs of Long- meadow.

VII. PORTRAIT OF PASTOR WILLIAMS, . 88

From an oil painting in the possession of his grandson in the fourth genera- tion, R. S. Storrs of Longmeadow.

VIII. THE WOLCOTT PLACE, . 97

The Burnham mansion, burned in 1845: replaced by the Burnham stone cottage in 1848; The Captain Burt place remodeled by William G. Medlicott, in 1864; the Roderick Burt place, built 60 years ago; purchased by Rev. Samuel Wolcott, D.D., in 1883, and since removed to furnish a site for his proposed new residence.

IX. THE COLTON HOMESTEAD AND ELM, . . 108 One of the oldest houses on the Longmeadow street-Built about 150 years ago.

X. THE PARSONAGE, CHURCH, AND CHAPEL, . .

. 127

The Parsonage built by subscription in 1856-The Church removed and re- modeled in 1874-The Chapel built in 1853.

XI. THE NEW TOWN HALL, 148 Built of Longmeadow sandstone in 1882, in East Longmeadow.

XII. THE REMODELED CHURCH, . · 158

The parsonage on the left; the Chapel on the right, with a glimpse of the bury- ing-ground in the rear of the church.

XIII. THE BURYING-GROUND, 199

The front, or oldest quarter of the Longmeadow burying-ground-Pastor Storrs' pyramidal monument on the left-Pastor Williams' table monument near it. Capt. Thomas Colton's table monument central,-see page 33. Three table monuments of Merchant Samuel Colton and his two wives in the right fore- ground,-see page 205. The parsonage roof just visible over the Ely marble obelisk.

XIV. THE DAUPHIN (?) WILLIAMS, 230

From a daguerreotype taken by Cooley of Springfield, on one of Mr. Williams' later visits to Longmeadow.

XV. GROUP OF PASTORS,

254

The five successors of Pastors Williams and Storrs since 1820. From cabinet photographs of later years.

XVI. PORTRAIT OF LIEUT. HOWARD BURNHAM,

284

From a photograph taken in 1861.

XVII. PORTRAIT OF DEACON NATHANIEL ELY, Senior, . 310 From an oil painting in the possession of Ethan C. Ely of Longmeadow.

MINOR ILLUSTRATIONS.

TENT DECORATION, 10

PLAN OF THE OLD MEETING-HOUSE, . 156-7

STREET PLAN, · 178-9

. THE DAVENPORT WILLIAMS COMMUNION CUP, 236

THE BURNHAM PLACE, . 284

INTRODUCTION.

LONGMEADOW is one of the few fortunate towns of our new and imitative country whose name is at once original, significant, and musical. In strong contrast thus to our Romes, Smithvilles, and Mauch Chunks, its liquid name both designates and describes it-a truly proper noun and name. LONG, indeed, and lovely is the MEADOW which stretches beside the quiet Connecticut from Springfield southward to the Bay State boundary, and gives its own name to the village threaded upon its single broad and parallel street of equal length, eastward upon the upland.

The traveler of these modern days, whirled along the iron track which cuts these outspreading meadows, catches glimpses only of the leaf-embowered homesteads of the street, and may be pardoned, perhaps, for questioning the necessity of the solitary station-house which now alone occupies the meadow. But the old-time traveler upon the stage-road from Springfield to Hartford would not easily overlook, nor soon forget, the broad and elm-lined street of this fair New England village, with its single and central Meeting House, lifting from among the trees its slender but springing spire crowned with its vigilant sentinel- bird, and facing

" Four-square to all the winds that blow "

its double deck of antique windows, whence the artillery of the Law and the Gospel could sweep unhindered the paths radiating thence to every village home. 2

The sagacious pioneers who, in 1637, threaded their way west- ward from Boston along the old Bay Path to the Connecticut valley, were not long, we may be sure, in discovering and appropriating to themselves a spot so uniquely attractive. No commemoration of the original settlement of the place can therefore be intended by a Centennial Celebration of the present date; since a postponement of only eleven years will bring us to the Quarter-Millennial Anniversary of that event.

Seven full decades of Springfield service-1644 to 1713- and seven more of semi-detached precinct organization-1713 to 1783-were the Leah and Rachel probation periods of our pioneer youth, 'ere its hale manhood set up its own independent Town organization ;- the event of which the Centennial Celebra- tion of October 17, 1883, was really commemorative.

Moreover-to Longmeadow, as has been pointed out by the learned Secretary of the New England Historic and Genealogical Society,- himself a grandson of the town,-to Longmeadow belongs the distinction of being the oldest child of the Independ- ent State of Massachusetts ; since it was "the first town organized after the signing of the treaty of peace with Great Britain had made the Nation and the State legally and indisputably, as well as practically, free and independent."1 Fittingly, therefore, was it proposed to celebrate with loyal love, the One Hundredth Anniversary of the "coming of age" of this eldest child of the sovereign State.

1 See Appendix C. Letter of Oliver Bliss Stebbins.

1644

1783 WELCOME. 1883

TENT DECORATION.

THE CELEBRATION.

The morning of the long-anticipated day broke with roseate hues and a crisp and frosty air, upon a village green already prepared for the day's festivities. Upon the exact site of the old Meeting House, and just in front of the present one remodelled upon the ancient frame, had been pitched a triple- masted audience marquee, with a smaller one adjoining it for collation conveniences.

At early dawn the villagers were awakened by the finishing thuds of the tent men, and the wagons of the collation purveyors. The bracing coolness of the morning air was soon tempered by the rising sun into the mild and cheery glow of a perfect October day. By and by merry groups of shouting boys opened the festivities with their hilarious games upon the Green ; the red coats of the musicians brightened the scene; and the steady inflow of omnibuses and private carriages, bicycles, and railroad arrivals, effectually awoke the old street from its wonted quietude, and sent through the gathering multitude festal thrills of hospit- able welcome and joyous expectation.

The chief marshal and his corps of assistants were everywhere present and ready with their courtesies. Each team, as it arrived, was met by attendants in waiting, ticketed, and taken to a convenient open field amply provided with facilities for their care; and it was by no means the least of the day's outside attractions, to see the long and well-compacted ranks of horses thus massed and cared for within one enclosure.

Many guests from more distant places had arrived the day before ; and as each hospitable home poured out its inmates, and the long succession of East Longmeadow teams filed in through the intervening woods as in the old Sabbath days when the whole town worshiped together, the gathering throng rapidly filled the settees of the tent to the number of more than two thousand, which afterwards, when the standing room was also occupied, grew to nearly twenty-five hundred.

It was a characteristic Connecticut valley audience, combining the best New England elements of both country and city life, with a fair commingling of adopted citizens. It was especially gratifying throughout the day to notice the respectful, and even eager, interest with which these last listened to the exercises and shared the common hospitalities of the occasion.

One of the most noticeable and interesting features of the scene was the large number of aged men and women seated upon the platform, who, with glowing faces and youth renewed, sat through the protracted exercises of both morning and after- noon, to the equal pleasure of all who, with loving respect, greeted their venerable presence.

On a lower platform in front of the speakers' stand sat Little's Band of eighteen skilled musicians; their scarlet uniforms and shining instruments, lending color to the scene, and their choice selections of music giving restful pauses and cheerful inspira- tions. It was noticeable. that these all kept their places throughout the day, even in the intervals when their attendance might have been excused ; not from perfunctory decorum, but evidently held fast by the intrinsic interest of the occasion.

The natural dampness and possible chill of the earth-floor within the tent had been guarded against by a sufficient carpeting of soft, sweet hay ; the skillful intermingling and arrangement of hundreds of settees and hundreds more of chairs in radiating sections, afforded convenient and restful seating for all ; while the glow of the sun upon the canvas was just enough for cheery light and genial warmth.

Thus, upon the hour, the place, and the multitude seemed to rest the glow and the gladness of a perfect festal day.

THE TENT EXERCISES.

Promptly at the appointed hour the exercises of the tent were opened by the singing of the Doxology in long meter by the whole assembly, led by the cornet and a portion of the band; and as the grand strains of that noble invocation

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,

Praise Him all creatures here below,

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host,

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,

floated out on the tranquil air, it seemed, indeed, a fitting prelude for such a celebration.

The following Scripture selections were then read by Rev. Albert I. Dutton, pastor of the Congregational Church in the East Part of the town :

SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS ..

I. O, give thanks unto the Lord : call upon His name : make known His deeds among the people.

2. Remember his marvelous works that He hath done: His wonders and the judgments of His mouth.

3. He is the Lord our God : He hath remembered His cove- nant forever.

4. When our fathers were but few in number, yea, very few, and strangers in the land ;

5. When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people ;

6. He suffered no man to do them wrong ; yea, He reproved kings for their sake ;

7. Saying, Touch not Mine anointed and do My prophets no harm.

8. And He increased His people greatly ; and made them stronger than their enemies.

9. And He brought forth His people with joy, and His chosen with gladness.

IO. We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work Thou didst in their days, in the times of old.

II. How Thou didst drive out the nations with Thy hand, and plantedst them.

12. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them ;

13. But Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favor unto them.

14. Thou preparedst room before the vine of Thy planting, and didst cause it to take deep root and it filled the land.

15. The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.

16. She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.

17. The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.

18. We will not hide these things from our children, show- ing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord ;

19. And His strength, and His wonderful works that He hath done.

20. For He established statutes, and appointed laws, which He commanded our fathers to make known to their children : that the generation to come might know Him :

21. That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.

22. And He led them on safely, so that they feared not.

23. Our fathers trusted in Thee: they trusted, and Thou didst deliver them.

24. They cried unto Thee, and were delivered : they trusted in Thee, and were not confounded.

25. So we, Thy people and sheep of Thy pasture, will give Thee thanks forever : we will show forth Thy praise to all generations.

26. Blessed be the Lord God from everlasting to everlasting : and let all the people say, Amen.

PRAISE YE THE LORD.

Prayer was then offered as follows, by the Rev. Samuel Wolcott, D.D., Pastor of the First Church in Longmeadow from 1843 to 1847,-now of Cleveland, Ohio.

DR. WOLCOTT'S PRAYER.

Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, Thou art our God, and we will praise Thee, Thou art our fathers' God, and we will exalt Thee. Thou reignest amid the grandeur and the glory of Thine own eternity, and Thou art not worshiped with men's hands as though Thou neededst anything, seeing Thou givest to all life, and breath, and all things, and Thy tender mercies are over all Thy works. All Thy works praise Thee, O Lord, and Thy saints shall bless Thee. We would abundantly utter the memory of Thy great goodness, and would sing of Thy righteous- ness.

We bless Thee that Thou hast kindly watched over us and brought us to this hour, and we humbly invoke Thy presence with us, and Thy blessing upon us, and upon the occasion which has called us together. We ask Thee to preside over all the exercises of this Centennial Celebration. We thank Thee that Thou didst put it into the hearts of our forefathers to forsake the dear delights of their native land and cross the wide waters, bearing the ark of civil and religious freedom to this western continent. We thank Thee that Thou didst safely conduct them hither, to plant in the wilderness the pure Christian faith, and make the solitude vocal with the praise of God. We thank Thee that Thou didst watch over the vine which was here planted, and preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root and fill the land, covering the hills with its shadow. We bless Thee for our godly ancestry, and for all which they suffered and wrought for us upon whom the ends of the world are come. We praise Thee that our souls were early imbued with the pre- cepts and the principles of the religion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ; that we were trained in the ways of Christian knowledge and virtue; that the lines have fallen to us in pleas- ant places, and we have a goodly heritage. Make us worthy to be the descendants and the successors of those of whom the

world was not worthy. In our day and generation may we be faithful to the high trust committed to us, even as they were faithful in their day and generation. The same institutions which we have received as a precious legacy from those that have gone before us, may we transmit unimpaired and strength- ened to those that shall come after us. Thou who hast been our fathers' God, be our God also, and the God of our children.

We thank Thee, O Father, for all the kindness which Thou hast shown to the Christian families, the children of Thy cove- nant, that from the beginning have composed this household of faith. We praise Thee that Thou hast brought the survivors with grateful hearts to this glad festival. May they consecrate themselves afresh to Thy cause, and meet faithfully the obliga- tions which press upon them. Bless Thy servant, our brother, the pastor of this flock of Christ. Strengthen him for the work to which Thou hast here called him ; let Thy pleasure prosper in his hand ; and long may he stand on these walls of Thy Zion, a defender of the faith once delivered to the saints. Bless the other churches and congregations, with their pastors, that unite in this commemoration; and upon the people of this town bestow the blessings of the covenant of Thy grace. May the rehearsal of Thy dealings, to which we shall now listen, deepen in us all a sense of our privileges and responsibilities.

O God, our fathers have told us what work Thou didst in their days, in the time of old,-how Thou didst drive out the heathen with Thy hand and plantedst them. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them ; but Thy right hand and Thine arm and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favor unto them. Our fathers trusted in Thee: they trusted and Thou didst deliver them. They cried unto Thee and were delivered : they trusted in Thee, and were not confounded. In God we boast all the day long, and praise Thy name forever. So we, Thy people and sheep of Thy pasture, will give Thee thanks forever : we will show forth Thy praise to all generations. Amen.

The following Commemorative Hymn, written by Dr. Wolcott for the occasion, was then sung by the united assembly to the tune of Marlowe, with band accompaniment :

DR. WOLCOTT'S HYMN.

The trees their crowns of glory wear, Broad-branched and leafed with green ; The meadows still their harvests bear,- One hundred years between.

Beneath the quiet shades remain The homes our fathers blest ; The pew and pulpit still maintain The faith which they professed.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Proceedings at the centennial celebration of the incorporation of the town of Longmeadow, October 17th, 1883, Part 1

Author: Longmeadow (Mass.); Storrs, Richard Salter, b. 1830; Harding, J. W. (John Wheeler); Colton, Jabez, 1747-1819 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: [Longmeadow] Pub. by the secretary of the Centennial Committee, under authority of the town Number of Pages: 480

Author: Longmeadow (Mass.); Storrs, Richard Salter, b. 1830; Harding, J. W. (John Wheeler); Colton, Jabez, 1747-1819
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: [Longmeadow] Pub. by the secretary of the Centennial Committee, under authority of the town
Number of Pages: 480