USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Heath > Sesquicentennial anniversary of the town of Heath, Massachusetts, August 25-29, 1935; addresses, speeches, letters, statistics > 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.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12
M. L.
Gc 974.402 H351r 1778993 ,1
1
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
L
Go
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01095 5356
1785 -- 1935 Sesquicentennial Anniversary OF THE Town of Heath Man. Massachusetts
1785-1935
August 25 -- 29, 1935
:
ADDRESSES, SPEECHES, LETTERS, STATISTICS
Edited by HOWARD CHANDLER ROBBINS
Published by THE HEATH HISTORICAL SOCIETY
1778993
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Frontispiece :
Heath Center in 1900, photographed by
the late Edward P. Guild
6
The Sesquicentennial Celebration
7
Sermon by the Reverend Frederick Dixon
14
Address by Spencer Miller, Jr.
19
A Tribute to the Soldiers of the Revolution from the Town of Heath, by Colonel Newland Farnsworth Smith . 24
Lancaster's Part in the Founding of Heath, by Doctor Frederick Lewis Weis 30
Address by Thomas H. Harrington
37
Colonel Hugh Maxwell and His Family, by Mary Eunice Maxwell 41
Heath and Its Families, by Pearle Tanner
53
Illustrations, In Their Grandmother's Clothes and Heath Center . 62
The Church of Christ in Heath, by Howard Chandler
Robbins
.
138
History of Agriculture in Franklin County, by Joseph H. Putnam 145
Heath and Rowe, by Mrs. George E. Stanford
150
The Families of Heath in 1935
153
Selectmen, Town Clerks and Treasurers of Heath .
. 166
HEATH CENTER
The Sesquicentennial Celebration
S UNDAY, August 25, was the opening day of the 150th an- niversary of the incorporation of the town of Heath. It began auspiciously, with perfect weather. Long before the hour appointed, cars began to arrive from surrounding towns bringing visitors to the opening exercises at the Union church.
The sermon was preached by the pastor of the church, the Reverend Frederick Dixon, who began his pastorate in January, 1934, coming from his mission station in Africa. Mr. Dixon took as his text Ezekiel 47 :1-9. His address was a fitting opening of the anniversary celebration, recalling the past and closing with an urgent appeal for loyalty to organized religion. An attentive and responsive congregation crowded the newly deco- rated church to the doors and overflowed into the rooms at the back.
In the evening a thanksgiving service was held in the Com- munity hall, formerly the Methodist church. All of the hymns sung were the best loved ones of a century and a half ago, begin- ning with "A mighty Fortress is our God" and ending with "O God, our help in ages past." The address was given by Mr. Spencer Miller, Jr., of New York City, a great-grandson of the Rev. Moses Miller, who was the pastor in Heath a hundred years ago. At the conclusion of the service those who were present at the 100th anniversary of the town were asked to sign their names in the book which held data concerning that time, and a considerable number of signatures were recorded.
On Monday, August 26, a pilgrimage was made to the South cemetery where graves of the oldest settlers were visited. Wreaths were placed on the graves of Col. Hugh Maxwell and
7
Col. Jonathan White. An address was given by Col. Newland F. Smith commemorating the services of soldiers from Heath during the American Revolution.
A visit then was made to the home of Mrs. John Farwell Moors, formerly Miss Ethel Paine, daughter of Robert Treat Paine, her house having been the home of the Rev. Jonathan Leavitt, Heath's first minister. Tea was served by a committee of ladies dressed in costumes of olden times: Mrs. Frank Bur- rington, Mrs. Henry A. Churchill, Mrs. Horatio F. Dickinson, Mrs. Orman Hicks, Mrs. Oscar Landstrom and Mrs. Andrew E. Royer.
In the evening at Community hall "Pictures of the Past", a dramatization of early events in Heath, was presented under the direction of Mrs. Earl D. Getman of North Adams, a summer resident of Heath, who wrote and read descriptions of each scene. Scene 1, "Indians roam our hills," portrayed by Alan Dun, Richard Tanner and Robert Coates. Scene 2, "Moses Rice, pioneer," portrayed by Alfred Rice, direct descendant of the first settler. Scene 3, "Arranging Fort Shirley site," portrayed by Henry Dwight, direct descendant of Col. Timothy Dwight who arranged the site of Fort Shirley, the first fort to be built at public expense. Scene 4, "Capt. Rice goes to Boston," to petition the General Court for assistance, portrayed by Alfred Rice. Scene 5, "Jonathan White," the first man to clear acres in Heath, then known as Charlemont, portrayed by Angus Dun, Jr. Scene 6, "Indians demolishing Col. White's place," por- trayed by Alan Dun, Richard Tanner and Robert Coates. Scene 7, "First legal meeting of proprietors," portrayed by Alfred Rice, shown in the act of posting the warrant for a meeting in 1753. Scene 8, "Col. Asaph White, with Fort Shirley timber," acted by Henry Stetson with some of the original timbers of the fort. Scene 9, "Rev. Jonathan Leavitt," the first pastor of Charlemont, then also Heath, portrayed by Ralph Dickinson. Scene 10, "Early in 1773, Hugh Maxwell, prominent citizen, comes to Heath," and Scene 11, "Capt. Maxwell at home
8
wounded," portrayed by the Rev. Raymond Maxwell. Scene 12, "Hearing from Gen. Heath," a short historical skit which pictured Col. Maxwell and his wife in their home, the parts being taken by the Rev. Raymond Maxwell and Miss Mary Maxwell, the latter being a direct descendant of the Colonel. Scene 13, "Col. Maxwell goes to Boston to secure act of in- corporation."
Scene 14, "Priscilla at her spinning wheel," Priscilla Max- well portrayed by Miss Ruth Winship of North Adams with a soprano solo "The Old Spinning Wheel." Scene 15, "Reading the News," with the Rev. Raymond Maxwell and Miss Maxwell scanning an early newspaper. Scene 16, "Incorporation of the Church of Christ in Heath in 1785." Scene 17, "The first church officers appointed," portrayed by the Rev. Rayniond Maxwell and Ralph Dickinson. The former represented Col. Hugh Max- well, chosen moderator ; the latter, the Rev. Jonathan Leavitt, clerk. Scene 18, "Rev. Joseph Strong, first settled pastor," portrayed by Roger Cheney.
Scene 19, "Early Trade," portrayed by George Peon, the village store keeper, as Gayton Williams. Scene 20, "Old-time singing school," portrayed by Thomas H. Harrington as the singing master, a direct descendant of the Thomas Harrington who held that position in the early days. Those taking part in the school were : Mrs. Anna Burrington, Mrs. Gladys Davis, Miss Nancy Perkins, Miss Ruth Winship, Mrs. Ella Ward, Mrs. Arthur Churchill, Mrs. Henry Rickett, Horace Snape, Angus Dun, Jr., Frederick Burrington and Francis Kinsman. The ac- companist was Mrs. H. S. Tanner.
Scene 21, "Going to Sunday School in 1800," at which time there were 500 pupils, one of the largest schools in the state. Those taking part were Esther Dickinson, Lois Stetson, Louise Helgeson, Ada Landstrom, Pearl Landstrom, Ruth Landstrom, Jane and Catherine Burrington, Anna Kinsman,. Russell and Rollo Kinsman. Scene 22, "Rev. Moses Miller, pastor for 36 years," portrayed by the Rev. Frederick Dixon. Scene 23,
1
9
"Children going to school," portrayed by the same cast as in Scene 21. (Heath was considered the banner school town in the county, with nine school districts.)
Scene 24, "War of the Rebellion, 1861-65," among those answering the call were 42 men under Capt. William Gleason, the part portrayed by Herbert Gleason, direct descendant. The final scene showed the entire cast on the stage while the narrator recited an original poem. The pageant closed with the singing of "Auld Lang Syne," by cast and audience. The program was repeated on the following evening.
On Tuesday, August 27, townspeople, former residents and the many visitors gathered in the afternoon at the Community hall to listen to a program of the Heath Historical Society con- sisting of historical addresses. Dr. Howard Chandler Robbins, master of ceremonies, read letters from Dr. Paul Allen, Mrs. S. E. Davis and Mrs. Julia A. Read, former residents, and in- troduced the speakers, the first of whom, the Rev. Frederick Lewis Weis of Lancaster, Mass., gave an address on Lancaster's part in the founding of Heath. In the absence of a representa- tive of Deerfield, Dr. Robbins, who is a descendant of the two original settlers of Deerfield, Sampson Frary and Samuel Hins- dale, spoke of the early relations of that town with Heath. A letter written by Horatio Brown, grandson of Deacon John Brown and Thomas Harrington, was read by the present Thomas Harrington, descendant and namesake of the former Town Clerk. Miss Mary Maxwell, a direct descendant of Col. Hugh Maxwell, gave an historical address on her distinguished ancestor, at the conclusion of which a group of his descendants sang "Faith of our Fathers." A most interesting collection of family heirlooms, including the pistols of Col. Maxwell and the Bible which he carried through the Revolution, was on ex- hibition on a table beside them. The concluding address was made by Mrs. Homer Tanner, and was a history of Heath and its families from the earliest days.
Wednesday, August 28, the fourth day of the celebration, was featured by the annual fair of the Heath Agricultural
10
1
Society. Activities began in the morning with a concert by the Northampton Legion band, which was followed at one o'clock by a colorful parade. The keynote of the parade was historical. The procession was led by the Northampton band and two horseback riders, Clara Rice of Hawley and David Hamilton. The first float was the entry of the Rev. Frederick Dixon and his vested choir of young people. The float carried a perfect replica of the present Union church which was borne on the shoulders of four men, the Rev. Raymond Maxwell, the Rev. Angus Dun, Angus Dun, Jr., and Alan Dun, representing re- spectively Col. Hugh Maxwell, a trapper, the Rev. Jonathan Leavitt and the modern generation, and showing that the Church had been upheld on the shoulders of each generation.
The second float, that of Francis Kinsman, showed an old- fashioned kitchen, portraying the activities that went on in a kitchen of the olden days, the churning, tending of the baby, braiding of palm leaf hats, etc. On the float were Mrs. Dean Davis, Mrs. H. A. Churchill, Mrs. Henry Rickett and Miss Mable Hicks. Next came the Grange float, driven by George Peon and carrying the legend, "The 35th Anniversary of the Grange." On the float were Henry Stetson, the first master, and O. R. Thompson, the present master. This float was arranged by Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Royer.
"Harvest Time," was the title of the next float, a team driv- en by Ray Dickinson. On the float were Mrs. Dickinson, Miss Pearl Gleason, Ralph Dickinson, Ralph Kimball and Howard Dickinson. Each was performing some harvesting task, such as paring apples, winnowing beans and husking corn. This float was entered by the Dickinson and Landstrom families.
The next entry portrayed the settlers of 1741 journeying in an ox-cart to establish their home in the wilderness. Two pairs of oxen were drawing the cart, one pair driven by Andrew Royer and the other by Max Churchill. Each driver wore an appropriate costume. In the back of the cart were the imple- ments needed by the settlers in setting up their home.
11
First prize winners in the cattle department formed the next unit of the parade, after which came George Clark's old stage coach from Colrain which has for many years appeared in parades in this section. Mr. Clark was the driver and seated within the ancient vehicle were Mrs. Laurence Chapin, Mrs. William G. Landon, Mrs. Worcester Perkins and Miss Nancy Perkins.
Then came an old surrey entered by the Anderson family of Honolulu. Riding in this were Frances Malone, Betty Chapin, and Jean and Rosemary Anderson. The last float was entitled "The Building of the Fort," and showed a fort being constructed ; part of the fort was done and the rest was nearing completion. A truck from the new CCC camp. in Heath was the final entry in the parade.
A feature of the exhibition at the fair grounds was a col- lection of the original 191-year-old timbers of Fort Shirley, shown by Mr. Orman Hicks as the oldest relics of Heath. Two were purchased by Dr. Robbins, and sections of the remaining timber are still available as souvenirs.
The parade was followed by a program of speaking at the fair grounds. Dr. Edward Staples Drown presided and intro- duced the speakers, who represented the county seat and the four townships adjacent to Heath. Each speaker made an ad- dress from the historical standpoint, bringing the greetings of his respective town. Joseph H. Putnam of Greenfield, Franklin county farm bureau agent, gave an address on the history of farming in Franklin county. George H. Frary, a direct de- scendant of John Frary who was one of the founders of Dedham in 1636, spoke for Charlemont, of which Heath was originally a part. Mrs. George E. Stanford, postmistress of Rowe, recalled incidents of the history of the two towns, Heath and Rowe, which were incorporated in the same year, 1785. The Rev. John J. Parsons brought the congratulations of Colrain, and Whitingham was represented by Wallace S. Allen of Whiting- ham, a member of one of its oldest and most prominent families,
12
who briefly sketched Whitingham's history and told of its being named for Nathan Whiting, the town's first signer.
The attendance at the fair was nearly a record one, which was considered remarkable in view of the fact that so many persons had already been in town for the exercises of the pre- vious days. A dance was held in the Community hall in the evening, a crowd of two hundred filling the hall to capacity. On the following evening a play, "The Blundering Herd," pre- sented by a group of young people of the town under the direction of Mrs. Earl D. Getman, brought the sesquicentennial anniversary celebration to a close.
Believing that the records of this occasion will be of permanent interest and value, the Heath Historical Society undertook the publication of them. At the request of the committee Mrs. Robbins made an informal census of Heath, containing the names of residents and summer residents and the date when they or their ancestors came to Heath. This census shows that in the summer of 1935 Heath had 371 residents and 78 summer residents. Care has been taken to ensure accuracy, but a few mistakes in dates or in the spelling of names are almost inevitable. If such are discovered, they may be corrected in a copy of the book retained by the Heath Historical Society for the purpose.
Committee on Publication
HORATIO FLAGG DICKINSON MARY EUNICE MAXWELL WORCESTER PERKINS HOWARD CHANDLER ROBBINS PEARLE TANNER
13
SERMON
BY
THE REVEREND FREDERICK DIXON
We celebrate today the one hundred and fiftieth anniver- sary of the incorporation of the church in this town. For one hundred and fifty years our forefathers have maintained regular public worship in this place. We today give thanks for this fact. It is fitting that we do so. We who have gathered here today signify by so doing that we believe in the church: We believe in what the church has meant in the past. Do we also believe that the church has a future? The church today is in the glaring white light of criticism.
Quoting almost at random from the radical press we find such statements as these :- "My associates have come to look upon the church and the ministry as the apologists and defend- ers of the wrongs committed against the people." "The Ameri- can working man hates the very shadow which the church spire casts across his path, for the church preaches and permits all those things which are considered necessary for capitalist society."
Others not critical, sit, as some one has put it, "in the seat of the mournful" and lament the death of a dear institution.
Still others are careless and neglect the church, and take the attitude that their children may go or not according as they desire. (They do not permit them to choose whether or not they shall go to day school.)
In the days of our forefathers there was no such churchly paradise as we are wont to assume. A larger portion of the
14
population went to church, it is true, but motives other than those of fervent piety drew them there. Nor were the services of those days all solemnly reverent. It was necessary to draw up and adopt rules for keeping dogs out of the services, and an official was appointed to deal with drowsy adults and discipline unruly boys.
I should like to quote from "The Sabbath in Puritan New England," an incident typical of those days, which happened in 1785, the exact year in which the church in Heath was incor- porated.
"Just fancy the flurry on a June Sabbath in Killingly in 1785, when Joseph Gay clad in velvet coat, lace frilled shirt, and white broadcloth knee breeches, with his fair bride of a few days, gorgeous in a peach colored silk gown and a bonnet trimmed with "sixteen yards of white ribbon," rose in the middle of the sermon from their front seat in the gallery and stood for several minutes, slowly turning around in order to show from every point of view their bridal finery to the eagerly gazing congregation of friends and neighbours. Such was the really delightful and thoughtful custom in those fashion-plate- less-days among persons of wealth in that and other churches. . .. it was in fact part of the wedding celebration."
Cotton Mather declared, "The body of the rising generation is a poor, perishing unconverted, and except the Lord pour down his spirit, an undone generation." The "good old days" of the church in New England were not a paradise.
We frankly admit that the church has her faults. She always has had them. The church of the first century had all the faults of the church today, rent asunder by disputes, hold- ing narrow views, giving precedence to the rich, and sometimes seemingly more dead than alive. In spite of these the church planted in the heart of humanity a new hope and ushered in a new and unprecedented era.
No human institution is perfect. What a contrast between our conception of the ideal home and the average home as it
15
actually is! What a contrast between our ideal of a republic "with liberty and justice for all" and our actual political insti- tutions! Our idealistic educational theories are one thing, our actual schools another. The business ideal of service is one thing ; existing business corporations quite another.
I should like to use the opportunity given me in this hour to make a plea for regular attendance on public worship. Many give the church their good will, many others their financial support, and we are grateful for these, but the heart of the church life is its services of worship, and there are two reasons which send their roots deep down into human nature, which call for public worship :- the one psychological, the other historical.
Our Lord said, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst," and that to bless. "Two or three" means more than one. Here is the statement of a psychological fact, that for the majority of mankind one's sense of the Presence of God is more vivid "in the great congrega- tion" than when worshipping alone. Here is given opportunity to come out from the glare of life, the blare of the every day into the sweet peace of the Presence of God. Those who gather in church on a Sunday morning undertake something tremen- dous, something supernatural. Their coming together for pub- lic worship is silent testimony to the fact that they believe it is possible for God and man to meet and hold converse. They testify that they believe "that God is and that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." In public worship the faith of each is quickened by that of others. The hymns, the prayers, the very place become pregnant with reverent associations.
From the point of view of history we may say that religion never has been a solitary matter. On the mountain top, when the world was asleep, our Lord had unspeakably precious hours with the Father; and yet He was a regular attendant on the services of the synagogue. His attitude toward the synagogue was "a perfect combination of criticism and loyalty."
16
There are those who say they can worship God out of doors as well as in church. It would be interesting to know whether or not they really do and how regularly. And if there are such whether or not they or their parents did not learn how to worship in church. Even so, solitary worship can be no sub- stitute for common worship. The presence of God is realized more surely in public worship than in private.
In this matter we are in danger of rationalizing. A little four-year-old met a dog on the street and ran home in terror at the top of his speed. "But, Edmund," said his mother, "you were not really frightened were you?" "Oh, no, mother, but I thought it was a good time to see how fast I could run."
A husband told his wife that they must change the red wall paper in the dining room, as the present paper hurt his eyes. The fact of the matter was that when he was in high school, on more than one occasion he had been called into the principal's red-walled office, for rebuke and chastisement, following mis- demeanor in class room.
A certain lady of the congregation, began remaining home on Sunday morning, because as she said she could not endure the sight of the minister. When surprise was expressed at her attitude, as the majority thought the new minister rather a handsome man, she replied that he reminded her of her brother- in-law. The deacon explained to the pastor that her brother-in- law had involved her husband in a very painful and embarras- sing law suit.
Shall we attempt to define the church? A very old defini- tion of the church is that it is, "All those in whom the Holy Spirit dwells." Another that it is "The blessed company of all faithful people." "The men and women in whom the spiritual work of Christ is going on."
The definition in the Book of Common Prayer reads, "The visible church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure word of God is preached, and the sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ's ordinance."
17
: :
in
1
£
Again, "The church as it has historically appeared with reference to organization is the sum of those organizations which have been formed to serve as organs of Christ, for the expression and promotion of His religion." Paul speaks of the church as Christ's body. John says it is His bride. The New Testament conceives of the church as receiving her life from Christ as He does from God. The church is the institution in which the Christian idea finds its living embodiment. It may be likened to a great river feeling its way across the dry and track- less desert of human history. Small streams continually push ahead of the deeper waters, many of them running into dead ends. We are impatient at the slow progress of the stream. It is slow, but steady and very sure. The pioneering rivulets complain that they go ahead and not the great river itself. Even so those who criticize the church today as not being suffi- ciently zealous about "social righteousness, industrial equity, international brotherhood and economic justice," forget that it is the church which has kept alive in the world the very ideals for which they stand and which has brought them where they are, in a position to take the stand they do.
There are many different kinds of flag poles, some short, some high, some crooked, some straight, some of wood, some of metal, some perfect, some quite otherwise. The important thing about a flagstaff is none of these things, but the colours it carries. We have in our town different institutions which stand for ideals of varying worth. All of these institutions being composed of human beings have their imperfections. We frankly recognize that the church also is not perfect. But what a banner! The Fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man, the priceless unspeakable Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ !
18
ADDRESS
BY
SPENCER MILLER, JR.
AN INTERPRETATION OF ITS FOUNDING IN 1785 UPON THE ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY, 1935
"To have faith is to create; to have hope is to call down blessings ; to have love is to work miracles." In these inspired words Michael Fairless has epitomized in the "Roadmender" the spirit in which this community was conceived, the character in which its communal life has been lived, and the secret source of its power to bring back her sons to make their public witness of the place which Heath holds in their affections. For we who have known the sense of utter tranquillity which is induced by this place, who have been caught in rapture by the sheer beauty of the sunsets from these hills, or who have tramped along the winding wooded ways of the Avery Brook, know well that this is no common place or is this a common occasion which unites us in this week of happy remembrance. For me this Thanks- giving service has something more than casual interest ; four generations of the Miller family have lived in this place. From the beginning of the pastorate of my great-grandfather, the Reverend Moses Miller of the First Congregational Church of Heath to this hour there is spanned 137 years of the 150 of the town's existence. I do not claim our family to have the longest residence in this place. I can affirm that few families could have a deeper attachment for these hills where four gen-
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.