USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Blandford > Address delivered before the Literary Association, Blandford, Mass., Sept. 21, 1850, upon the history of that town > Part 4
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Russell Atwater,
1802
Orrin Sage,
1833
Joseph Bull,
1804
re-appointed, y
A. M. Collins,
1808
Enos Boise, 1848
Fordice Sylvester, 1818
Theodore Wilson, 1849
Orrin Sage,
1822
Lucius B. Shepard, 1849
NORTH BLANDFORD.
Lyman Gibbs, 1828 | Geo. C. Collester, 1849
POPULATION.
The population of the town at different dates was, -
In 1790, 1,416
In 1830, 1,590
" 1800, 1,778
" 1840, 1,427
" 1810, 1,613
" . 1850, 1,515
" 1820, 1,515
The reason why our number of inhabitants has decreased since 1800, may be attributed to the fact, that, previous to that time, two sixty-acre lots, or one hundred and twenty acres, were considered a large farm. But after learning the art of making cheese, which was profitable, they increased the size of their farms by buying out their neighbors, who moved away. Now, many of our farmers own from two hundred to
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five hundred acres. And the establishment of the Western Rail Road likewise drew the inhabitants to the towns upon the line of that road.
TEMPERANCE.
Our town records exhibit many interesting facts, indicating a vast change in the habits of the people in this respect, which is worthy of notice. We copy a few votes from the records. 4
1757. " Voted, To give Mr. Root 6 pence Lawful money for Each Meal of Vittles each member of the council shall eat in the time that they shall Seat Hear on our Business, and also 18 pence old tenor per Night for each Member of the Council's lodging, and that the town pay Mr. Root for the strong Drink that the Council drink while they are Hear on our Business, saving Syder at their Vittels."
During the same year, " Voted, That the town shall pay to Dea. Israel Gibbs and Samuel Carnahan the first Cost for the Rum and sugar the Council shall Need while they Seat Hear."
We learn, also, from the records, that for many years the inhabitants at their town meetings adjourned for one hour to the tavern, and on their return but little business was usually accomplished.
In the year 1781 twelve town meetings were held ; and it appears that the principal business was to ad- journ to the " Slaughter-house." Tradition informs
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us, that in those days the man who could drink the most and walk the straightest was the best fellow. Indeed, some of our ministers were not entirely free from this habit. It is said that one of them was fre- quently so excited with ardent spirits, that he would preach until sunset. 'This town was settled with "Scotch Irish," with increasing habits of intemper- ance, which elicited the following remark from a gentleman residing in Springfield, while passing through the town. Looking at the old church, he said, - " You have a high church and a low steeple, a drunken priest and cursed people."
For the first ten years of this century the annual sale of intoxicating drinks in this town was probably not less than fifty hogsheads. Merchants without keeping the " striped pig " could do but little business. Indeed, those who were most liberal in treating their customers, sold the most goods.
But not all who engaged in the traffic were success- ful. Some years since we found in a temperance paper the following statement :
" There have been in Blandford since the incorpora- tion of the town, thirty-eight taverners. Of these, three died of delirium tremens ; seventeen became intemperate ; one died in the poor house ; eighteen lost all their property ; seventeen did not improve their pecuniary condition by the business ; three only ac- quired property ; four were cursed with intemperate wives ; twenty-five sons and four daughters became intemperate."
All persons, in those days, partook of this poisonous beverage. It was kept in the family and administered
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in various ways. We state these facts to give a cor- rect idea of the times. But that period has passed away, and fairer skies are spread over, and a brighter sun shines upon us. We are happy, also, to state, that the ministry did much in bringing about a reform. The name of Keep, a noble name and borne by a no less noble man, cannot be here omitted without de- reliction of regard and duty. Twelve years before the general temperance reform, he took the lead in this grand enterprise, and has imposed upon the in- habitants a lasting debt of gratitude. Let his name be embalmed, as a most precious relic, in the memories of all the people ! The names of A. M. Collins, and other good men of the Congregational church who have aided in this glorious cause, might be recorded here ; but after the time of the Rev. Mr. Keep, none operated single-handed and alone. We have quite too much intemperance at the present time; but I trust we are no longer peculiar.
In 1837 the town instructed the selectmen " not to approbate any person to sell spirituous liquors the ensuing year." For several years the town passed a similar vote ; and in April last, the town gave a de- cided majority for the present board of county com- missioners.
MANUFACTURES.
Although the inhabitants of this town are principally employed in agricultural pursuits, its fine water-power
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is by no means neglected. At the falls, in the north village, the stream descends one hundred and fifty feet within less than the same number of rods ; affording several excellent mill sites.
About the year 1812, A. M. Collins, and others, formed a company for the purpose of manufacturing woolen goods here ; and the materials for erecting a factory, and the necessary machinery, were purchased. But the sudden depression of business at the close of the war, induced them to abandon the project. In 1822 another company was formed, under the firm of Sprague, Gibbs, and Lyman, who completed the un- dertaking and manufactured that kind of goods for several years, and then dissolved, not having realized very large profits. In 1825 Mr. Freegrace Norton became proprietor, and he soon after built a second factory and managed their operations successfully. In 1838 Mr. Edwin Ely became associated with him as a partner, whose manly course in his public and social relations, has gained for him a high reputation for in- tegrity, candor, and practical ability. They also have a tannery under their control, and are doing an exten- sive business. In 1832 a paper-mill for the manufac- ture of wrapping-paper was erected by Lyman Gibbs, Esq., and is now carried on by Messrs. W. H. & O. F. Gibbs. The tannery_of David Bates, at the South part, and that of Jarvis Osborn at the center, are profitably employed. There are also several wooden- ware manufactories, which are doing a good business.
The value of woolen goods, leather, paper, wooden- ware, &c., manufactured annually in the north village is $50,000.
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MINERALS.
We are furnished with the following catalogue of minerals found in our town, by Dr. SHURTLEFF, a native of the town, now residing in Westfield :
Carbonate of Lime at North Blandford ; white, coarsely granular, containing probably Augite in such quantities as will make an attempt to reduce it to quick- lime, impracticable.
A stratified bed of Serpentine occurs in the same neighborhood, containing grains of Chromate of Iron interspersed through a considerable portion of the southern and eastern half of the bed. It also occurs in tuberculous masses of several pounds. It contains about thirty per cent. of the oxide of chrome. The attempt made to work it has been abandoned.
There is a very good bed of Steatite on the farm of John Osborn. It has been considerably worked for several years. At the same locality are beautiful speci- mens of crystallized green and white Actinolite; the green actinolite most beautifully radiated. Chlorite, Foliated Green Talc, and Asbestos.
The richest specimens of Crystallized Actinolite in the State are found in boulders in the south-west part of the town.
Octohedrenal Crystals of Iron in talcose mica slate.
Mammillary Calcedony in small boulders.
Rich specimens of Kyanite in fragments about town.
Anthophyllite in a stone wall on the road to East Granville.
Very good specimens of Rose Quartz.
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Crystals of Schorl in Limpid Quartz beautifully ra- diated, on the farm of A. Shurtleff. Near this locality is a large boulder of coarse Granite with flesh-colored Felspar.
Black Serpentine containing Schiller Spar.
Coarse granular Limestone, containing plates of Graphite in a boulder near the Congregational meeting- house.
Sulphuret of Molybdena, - rather rare.
Chrystals of Garnets. Mussite, - Prismatic Mica. Sulphuret of Iron.
About the year 1795, John Baird, who lived in the north part of the "second division," discovered a mass of lead and silver ore near the north line of the town. He cast a portion of it into balls, and sent one pound of it by Mr. Knox, then our Representative, to Boston, to be analyzed. It was proved to contain nine ounces of lead and two ounces of silver to the pound. A number of gentlemen from Boston made Mr. Baird an offer, which would make him independently rich, if he would show them the place where he had discovered the ore. I e went from home in a clear sun-shiny day through the wilderness into a valley which united with the Chester river. The fog from the river rendered said valley so dark, that it frightened Baird, who was superstitious, to such a degree that neither money nor friends could induce him ever after to visit the place. Hundreds have searched for that mine, but have never discovered it. There is no doubt but that if found, it might be worked to great pecuniary advantage.
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GENEALOGY OF DAVID BOIES,
Who was the first settler of that name in the town of Blandford, Mass.
Arranged by JAMES R. BOIES.
Timothy R.
Enos.
Anson:
Watson E.
Aralza.
James R.
Enos.
James.
Adoniram J.
Enos.
Nathan.
Roswell.
John.
Sylvester.
Truman.
John.
Roswell.
Samuel.
Oliver. .
Samuel.
Loring.
Charles.
David.
Joel.
Gardner.
Joseph.
John.
David.
Rufus.
Albert.
William. .
William.
David.
Franklin.
Samuel.
Elias.
Joseph.
Henry ..
David
Reuben.
Lemuel.
John
Samuel.
Harper.
Henry.
Artemas.
William.
David.
Milton.
Harper.
John.
John.
Justus.
Ethan.
Levi.
Renben.
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Stillman.
Silas.
Patrick.
Jarvis.
Dan.
Obadiah.
Patrick.
Patrick.
David.
Anson.
Fisher.
Levi.
Chester.
Erasmus.
Jarvis.
Eli.
Otis.
Wesley.
a W. WileD, Typographer.
1
William.
Curtis.
DAVID
7 : 4
Justus.
Eli.
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THE FIRST SETTLERS.
The first settlers of this town were called " Scotch Irish," from the fact that their ancestors migrated from Scotland to Ireland Being in that country deprived of civil and religious freedom, their descendants fled to this country and settled in Hopkinton (now Sutbu- ry). Thence they removed to Blandford. We have been desirous of obtaining the genealogy of all the families who first settled here. But as the descendants of many of them have gone to the West, and other remote regions, we are ouly able to present the fol- lowing : -
The name Boies was originally Du Boyce, and their progenitor was from France. But during Tre. perse- cution of the Protestants, from Charles the Ninth to Louis the Thirteenth, when the Protestant power was crushed by the influence of Cardinal Richelieu, he fled to Scotland and there took the name of Boies. Subsequently, amidst the convulsions which followed the reign of Oliver Cromwell, he went to Ireland, and afterwards removed to America. As nearly as can be ascertained, Deacon David Boise came to this country about the year 1727, settled in Hopkinton, and after- wards removed to Blandford, where he died in 1752, aged sixty-three years. The names of his male de- scendants may be seen in the the " Boise Tree," fur- nished us by a descendant.
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Mrs. T. S. CHAFFEE, daughter of Rufus Blair, Esq., furnished us with the following : -
The Blair family originated in Scotland, where many of that name yet remain. They probably re- moved to Ireland during the early part of Cromwell's rule, and settled upon that part of the island nearest Scotland. They, with others of their countrymen, appear to have formed a colony retaining the peculiar religious and political views of their own country. In. 1720, David Blair, with his family of twelve children, embarked for the American colonies. They arrived at Boston the same year, and in a few months removed to Worcester, which became their home.
/ David Blair had eleven children :2Matthew, 3John, "James,'William, 'Robert, ?Joseph, Sarah, Dolly, Mary, Betsey, and David. Mathieu Bo
1 Matthew was the oldest son. Ile settled in Hop- kinton, but afterwards removed to Blandford, and be- came one of the pioneers in the settlement of the town.
3 John was ten years old when his father removed to this country. He settled in Worcester, and died in 1796, aged eighty-six years.
y James settled in Rutland, and died there.
David settled in Western, now Warren, and died there about 1790, being eighty-five years old.
5'William went to Nova Scotia.
7 Joseph, who was the youngest of the family, re- mained at Worcester, and died there.
& Robert removed to Blandford and purchased that tract of land now called " The Gore." The original purchase consisted of five hundred acres. Ilere lie
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built a log house for the accommodation of his family, and began to clear the land. The whole region about was one unbroken forest, and the foot-path which led to the nearest fort, a distance of two miles, was through the same undisturbed wild of nature. He remained a few years, when his fear of Indians and the distance from the fort induced him to return to Worcester. The journey was performed upon horseback, carrying his wife and three children and household furniture with him. They staid five years in Worcester, and then returned to Blandford. Mr. Blair was chosen deacon of the Presbyterian Church, and served many years in that capacity. He died in 1802.
2 Matthew Blair had six sous and four daughters. Two sons and a daughter settled here, Matthew, Robert, and Sarah who married Mr. John Hamilton. Matthew was twice married, and had seven sons and one daughter, - Robert, Matthew, Jacob, Isaac, Moses, and Anna : Adam and James were the children by his last marriage.
'David Blair had four children ; Samuel, Williams, Ashel (who settled in Cherry Valley, N. Y., had one daughter), and Arlina (who married Dea. Lyman Shep- herd of Granville.)
Robert Blair had six children ; Robert, David, Dolly, Asa, Rufus, and Hannah.
Robert Blair had eight children ; Robert, Hannah, Jonas, Deborah, Sally, Rachel, Sherman, and Juba.
Hannah married Mr. Hunter ; they had ten children : Robert, Almira, Hannah, Catharine, Orpha, Marcia, Samuel, Elvira, Jolin, and Mary.
Deborah married Mr. Bowditch. They had four 5*
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children : John, Jonas, Mary, and Julia. She after- wards married Mr. Eastman and had two children, Benjamin and Rachel.
Sally Blair married Ashel Blair, and had one child, Arlina.
Robert Blair had one child, Virgil.
Jonas Blair was lost at sea. lle was unmarried.
Sherman Blair (who settled in New Haven), had nine children : Robert, Grace, John, Mary, Elizabeth, George, Frank, Edwin, and James.
Rachel Blair was unmarried, and lived in Blandford, respected and beloved by a large circle of friends.
Julia Blair was unmarried, and died at New Ilaven.
Asa Blair had seven children ; Russell, William, Asa, Polly, Electa, Charles, and Betsey. William is a lawyer, and resides in Westfield ; has two children, William and Helen. Asa is a clergyman, and resides in Kent, Conn. He had one son. Electa married Mr. Loring Watson. They had six children; Dolly Ann, Myra, Loring, Electa, Emily, and Jane. Polly Blair married Mr. Wisewald. They had one son, Oliver. Betsey Blair married Mr. William Watson, of Albany. Charles Blair had four children, Lewis, Julia, Mary, and Nelson. Lewis died at Springfield, Ohio, in Sep- tember, 1849.
Dolly Blair married Mr. David Boies. They had eleven children, Gardner, Rufus, Dolly, Joseph, David, Lemuel, Orpha, Willian, Cynthia, Artemas, and Justus. Hannah Blair married Mr. Samuel Boies. They had one son, Obadiah. Rufus Blair had six children : Samuel, Phineas, Dolly, Rufus, Sylvester, and lucrease. He died in October, 1800, aged forty-
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two years. Samuel Blair had eight children : Justus, Chauncey, Samuel, Caroline, Lyman, William, Ann, and Eliza. Phineas Blair was a lawyer, and resided in Boston. Ile died in June, 1848, aged sixty-five years. Dolly Blair married Mr. Ashel Lyman, and resides in Cortland, N. Y. They had five children : Ann, Ashel, George, Franklin, and Henry.
Matthew, Jacob, Isaac, and Adam married, and set- tled in this town. James died at the age of twenty-two. Robert enlisted in the army, and died of the small- pox at Quebec, about the time that Gen. Montgomery was killed. Jacob had seven children : Reuben, John, James, Jacob, Nathan, Elizabeth, and Patty. Eliza- beth married Mr. Morton. John and James reside in the State of Ohio. Reuben Blair had eight children : Samuel, Polly, Betsey, Truman, Julia, Martha, Maria, and Vincent. Samuel O. Blair had six children : Caro- line, Judson, Edmund, Henrietta, Lester, and Sidney. Truman Blair had four children : Cornelia, Joseph, Mary, and Henry. Julia Blair married Mr, Eli Osborn : they had six children : Dwight, Edson, Vincent, Aure- lia, Helen and Lucia. Vincent Blair was drowned in an attempt to ford a river in Missouri Territory.
James Blair had eight children : Polly, Sally, Dian- tha, Mercy, Ann, Franklin, Marion, and Elizabeth.
Nathan Blair had ten children : Tyrril, Minerva, James, Sherman, David, Daniel, Amanda, Leveret, Reuben, and Mary Ann. Amanda Blair married Mr. Alanson Moore. They had four children : Mary, Jane, Henry, and Nathan.
Jacob Blair had two children : Benjamin and Dolly. John Blair had ten children : Lucretia, Henry, John,
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Jacob, Alfred, Russell, Semantha, Ann, Chauncey, and Smith. Adam Blair had six children : Adam, Linus, Thrall, Polly, Patty, and Creusa. Adam had two children : James and Lester. James had four chil- dren : Chauncey, Henry, James, and Curtiss. Lester had one son, Homer. Linus Blair had four children : Creusa, Franklin, Nancy, and Mary. Thrall had two sons : William and Linus. Polly had two children : Mary Ann and Iliram.
Timothy Blair was son of John Blair, of Worcester. Ile had no children. He lived in Blandford above fifty years, and died in 1837, aged eighty-five years.
David Blair was son of David Blair, of Warren. Ile settled in Blandford. Ile had two sons, David and Ashel.
Rufus Blair died April 14, 1844, aged fifty-four years. Hle had five children : Catharine, Melissa, Increase, Edwin, and Patrick. Catharine married Mr. T. S. Chaffee. She had two children : Sherman and Theo- dore. Melissa married Mr. Theodore Wilson. She had two children : Catharine and Melissa.
Sylvester Blair resided in Cortland, N. Y. He died at New York, in October, 1836, aged forty years.
De Witt Clinton had two children : Sylvester and Nancy.
Increase Blair died at Hudson, N. Y., in October, 1821, aged twenty-one years.
Mr. James Nye was of English descent. He came to this town from Rhode Island in the year 1805. He was the first farmer who made cheese among us ; and in this pursuit he was successful. Although in ordinary
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circumstances when he came to town, it is said that he and his sons at one time owned one thousand acres of land. Mr. Nye was a good farmer, and although he liked sporting, never neglected his farm. When he first came to this town wild game was very plenty. " It has been calculated that the family of Nyes have destroyed more noxious animals than all the rest of the town." Foxes look wild when they are on their track. We unhesitatingly pronounce them the greatest hunters in this region of country. Mr. Nye had seven sons and four daughters: George, Jonathan, Hazzard, James, Dennis, Clark, Randall, Sally, Rebecca, Alice, and Merey. All of these children settled around him, and could be called together at a few hours' notice.
George had twelve children : Jonathan, George, William, James, Barber, Polly, Dewey, Ann, Lucy, Almira, Julia, and Sarah.
Jonathan had four children ; Welcome, Henry, Nel- son and Mary.
Hazzard had two children : Amos and Lydia Ann.
James had four children : Gilbert, Milo, Justin, and Maria.
Clark has three children : Lyman, Lewis, and Emily. Randall has three children : William, George, and Almeda.
Two brothers by the name of Robert and David Crosby, emigrated to this country from England, about the year 1750. Robert, who was n preacher of the Gospel, settled in Chatham, Conn. David settled in New Hampshire. Robert had one son, named David, who was born in 1760. He joined the continental army
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and braved the hardships of the revolution. He was married abont the year 1783 to Grace Stephens of Chatham ; came to Blandford and settled on the farm now owned by the Nyes. He had six children : Robert, Roderick, David, Louisa, Logan, and John. Ile moved from Blandford to Stockbridge, where he buried his wife; from thence to Batavia, then the frontier of the New York settlement. Robert became a sailor, and died at sea. Roderick and David joined the army, and were surrendered prisoners of war to the British with Hull's army. Roderick managed to escape, but David died a prisoner at Detroit. Louisa died quite young. John removed to Meadsville, Pa., where he now resides. Logan is the only one of the family who remains in the town that gave him birth. He married Sally, daughter of Capt. William Knox, in 1815, and had two children, Alonzo and William. His wife died in IS22. He married again in 1824, Olive, daughter of Solomon Ferguson, and had two children, Sarah and Homer. Homer, a promising young man, was killed August 5th, 1845, by being thrown from, and run over by, a cart. This was a sore affliction to the family.
Samuel Ferguson, one of the first settlers, had three sons : Samuel, James, and John.
Jolin was a man of talent and influence. He ac- cepted many important stations of trust in the town; was chosen Captain, served in the revolution, and died in 1792. He had eight children : Mary, Eleanor, Sarah, Ilannab, Isabella, Dorothy, John, and Sam- uel.
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It is difficult for us to trace the descendants of the Ferguson family, there being none of that name now in town.
Mary married Mr. John Collester, who is now living at the advanced age of ninety-four. They had six chil- dren : Arby, John F., Samuel, Polly, Dolly, and Aun. John F. is the only son now living in town ; he has three children : George, Albert, and Frances.
John Watson, of Scotch descent, came to this town from Leicester, in 1788. He married Sarah, daughter of Dea. Israel Gibbs. He died in 1825, aged seventy- eight. Ilis wife died in 1831, aged eighty years. IIe had eleven children : Lois, Dolly, John, Samuel, William (who died when two years old), Hannah, Oliver, James, Loring, Sarah, and William. Lois married Mr. John Babcock of Harpersfield. She died in 1836, aged sixty-six. Dolly married Mr. Noah Shep- ard of Westfield. She died in 1829, aged fifty-seven years. They had one son, Maible, who now resides in town. John married Dorcas Lloyd. He died in 1834, aged sixty years. Samuel died in 1777, aged one year. Hannah married Mr. William Henry, and died in 1812, aged thirty-two. Oliver married Mary Loring, and had seven children : Caroline, Spencer, Mary Ann, Franklin, Julia, Maria, and Joseph. Loring Watson married Eleeta Blair. He had six children : Loring, Dolly Aun, Myra, Electa, Emily, and Jane. He is now a merchant in New York. Dolly Ann married Rev. Mr. Bishop, and died at their resi- dence in Ohio, in 1844. Sarah Watson married Dr. Little, of Middlefield, and died in 1833, aged forty-two
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years. William Watson married Betsey Blair. IIe now resides in Albany.
Jonathan Shepard came from Westfield to Bland- ford about the year 1770. He had four sons : Jona- than, Ezra, Elijah, Oliver, and several daughters. Jonathan had five sons and seven daughters: Larnard, Jonathan, Chandler, Eli, Bradford, Electa, Abigail, Letitia, Mary, Arlina, Polina, and Sarah. Larnard lived and died in Hartford, Conn. He had seven chil- dren : Larnard, George, Alonzo, Hiram, Sarah, Maria, and Harriet. Jonathan had eleven children : Jona- than, Lucius, Joseph, Norman, Philander, Henry, George, Almira, Cynthia, Caroline, and Fidelia. Chandler settled in the state of New York. Eli kas seven children : Harriet, Nancy, Lester, Joseph, Lor- ing, Nathan, and William.
Ezra Shepard had three sons : Strong, William, and Leavett. For many years he resided in the West- ern part of New York.
Elijah Shepard settled and died in Oneida County, New York. He had seven sons and two daughters : Elijah, Luther, Riley, Hinsdale, Joseph, David, and Jonathan. David has been a presiding elder of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in the Oneida Confer- ence, for a number of years.
Oliver Shepard had five children : Linus, Lyman, Oliver, David, and Sarah. Linus had four, children : William (who died when eighteen years of age), James, Elvira, and Levancia. - Lyman resides in Granvite; is a deacon of the Congregational Church ; has five children : Celestia, Franklin, Wilbur, William, and
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