USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Amherst > Amherst past and present : being an historical sketch of the founding and development of the town of Amherst, Massachusetts and its institutions, together with a guide to the principal points of interest > Part 4
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The Church of Christ in Amherst College was formed in 1826 to unite more closely faculty and students. Its beautiful stone edifice of Gothic architecture looks across the valley to the Pel- ham Hills. It was built in 1870 through the generosity of W. F. Stearns, son of President Stearns, and the chimes were given by George Howe in memory of the Amherst graduates who died in battle in the Civil War.
SCHOOLS
Amherst has been an educational center since the opening of Amherst Academy in 1814. The public schools, however, like the majority of public schools elsewhere, were not graded until half a century later. At that time was laid the foundation for a system of free education that has developed into Amherst's fine elementary and high schools.
The general plan of organization comprises six years of elementary, two of Junior High School, and four of Senior High School work. The elementary school buildings number seven. The newest of these, the school at Cushman, built in 1927, is a model structure containing two class rooms, a library, and a hall for school and community use. The advantages of Amherst's
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·system of schools, especially the Senior High School, are drawing from other towns nearly 100 pupils who pay about $10,000 an- nually for tuition.
AMHERST HIGH SCHOOL
The town may well take pride in its High School group on Lessey Street. The Senior school, built in 1916 at an expense of $115,000, is a modern, well-equipped building with an auditorium which seats 400. The new Junior High School (1929), costing $75,000, is L-shaped and so planned that if necessary the north and extreme west walls can be extended to make the whole a rectangular building of ten rooms. The manual training room, which is used by pupils of both High Schools, is as fine as any in this part of the state. A feature of the building is the provision for radio reception in each room, which enables the pupils to hear the Damrosch concerts without going to the Senior High School auditorium.
The High School ranks well in preparatory work for college. 37.6% of its graduates enter degree-granting institutions as against 16.7% of high school graduates from the state as a whole. About 60% continue their education in higher institutions. 513 boys and girls have been graduated from Amherst High School during the ten-year period 1920-9. 190 of these have
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entered forty-nine colleges, counting as such only degree-granting institutions which have four-year courses. Of this number 180. have entered directly from Amherst High School. Many others have continued their education in institutions offering less than four-year courses or which do not grant degrees. Several girls- have gone to normal schools and others to hospitals for training as nurses. Pupils who have been trained in the commercial department are occupying good clerical positions in Amherst. and other places.
THE BOYS CLUB
The Boys Club is unique in that such a work in its own club- house is supported by a town as small as Amherst. The club, organized in 1918, functioned in the basement of the Pariseau Block formerly on Amity Street until a building of its own became- a necessity. In 1922 a clubhouse near the High School Center was erected by popular subscription at a cost of $18,000. The raising of this sum was made possible by the generosity of the- community at large supplemented by generous amounts from single donors.
The purpose of the club was to provide headquarters for the play life of all boys of the town; to afford not only recreation but training in character. This purpose the club still maintains. However, its field has enlarged until at the present time the gymnasium is also used by groups of boys and girls-on separate days-under the supervision of public school teachers, to supple -- ment the facilities of the schools. The clubhouse serves as the meeting place of the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Business Girls, and a special class of small boys. The organization is a member- of the Boys Clubs Federation (International).
EMILY DICKINSON
The approaching Centenary of the birth of Emily Dickinson has evoked the prophecy that Amherst may sometime be known not as the seat of two colleges but as the home of the poet.
She was indeed a child of Amherst. Her whole life (Dec. 10, 1830 to May 15, 1886) was passed in the town and nearly all her days in the old brick house on Main Street where she was born. Her only absence of more than a few weeks was the year at Mt. Holyoke Seminary, 1847-8. Moreover, the roots of her being were deep in Amherst soil, for her generation was the fifth of her line in the town. Now the poet's ashes lie in the West Cemetery which is contemporary with the beginnings of the community.
After Emily Dickinson's return from Mt. Holyoke she again attended Amherst Academy of which she had been a pupil 1841-7. Her earliest dated poem belongs to the year 1848. While in her twenties she began to love solitude and to withdraw from the village life until she became almost inaccessible except'to a con- genial few. Her days were occupied with the cultivation of her flowers and writing the verses that are considered by competent critics the greatest ever produced by a woman poet. These were not intended for publication but were to be destroyed at her death. The world is the richer in that her sister Lavinia per- mitted Mrs. Mabel Loomis Todd, with the co-operation of Thomas Wentworth Higginson, to edit a volume of the poems in 1889 and the "Letters" in 1894. In 1914 Madame Martha Gilbert Dickinson Bianchi of Amherst, the poet's niece, brought out a collection of verses hitherto unpublished entitled "The Single Hound." From the same source appeared "Complete Poems" and "Life and Letters" in 1924 and "Further Poems" in 1929.
Emily Dickinson was the eldest child of Edward Dickinson who married Emily Norcross of Monson, Mass .; the group of children also included Lavinia and Austin. Her father, a gradu-
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ate of Yale, was an emiment lawyer, at one time a member of Congress, and for many years the treasurer of Amherst College. Her grandfather, Samuel Fowler Dickinson, also a lawyer, was the builder of the brick house on Main Street. He was a member of the class of 1795 at Dartmouth College, a man of great pub- lic spirit, and, as has been mentioned in connection with Amherst Academy, was one of the founders of the academy and of Amherst College.
The name of Dickinson from earliest days in Amherst de- noted the most numerous clan and the one most influential in town affairs. The common ancestor of all the Dickinsons in the Connecticut Valley region was Nathaniel, who arrived in Water- town, Mass., from Ely (or Hadleigh), England, in 1630, migrated to Wethersfield, Conn., in 1636, and finally became one of the founders of Hadley in 1659. His numerous progeny settled in Hadley, Hatfield, Shutesbury, Sunderland, and nearby places. A grandson, Ebenezer, was one of the first eighteen settlers in what is now Amherst, in 1731, and from him many Amherst families trace their line. Other descendants of the original Nathaniel joined the community at somewhat later dates and the Dickinson connection became the underpinning of the town's structure.
Emily Dickinson was a product of Puritan lineage, seven generations in America including the original Nathaniel of Had- ley. Her line in Amherst began with Nathan who left Hatfield for Amherst in 1742 and settled at North East Street. The site of his house as well as that of his son Nathan, Jr., on East Street is marked on the old map of Amherst made in 1772. Nathan, Jr., who fought in the French and Indian Wars and also served in the Revolution, lived to the age of ninety years. It was said of him that he owned but one book, the Bible, but he knew it well and was a godly man. Though he had but little education himself he desired it for his children and sent his sons Timothy and Sam- uel Fowler to Dartmouth College. Samuel Fowler Dickinson was the grandfather of Emily, the poet.
GEOGRAPHY
Amherst is not only of noble ancestry; she is also one of the most beautifully situated towns in New England. From her plateau she surveys a section of the Connecticut Valley that is enclosed by picturesque heights. To the west gently roll the Hampshire Hills with Mt. Warner in the foreground; on the south the Holyoke Range lifts its jagged outline, sharply cleft between Mt. Holyoke and Mt. Tom to give passage to the river; eastward the Pelham Hills are green or amethyst according to the summer hour; on the north Mt. Toby stands guard and Sugar- loaf displays its scarred red sides.
The Connecticut Valley is the garden spot of New England. Of late years the farmers specializing in onions and tobacco have become prosperous, notably our Polish neighbors. Geologically the locality is especially interesting; it is Amherst's good fortune that her own President Edward Hitchcock was the scientist to preserve for the world certain of nature's writings in the Valley. In the Triassic Period earthquakes and volcanic ex- plosions carved the region into a semblance of its present shape. Streams sweeping through this basin deposited sand and gravel flats in which long-extinct animals made footprints that hardened into stone. President Hitchcock discovered and preserved traces of reptiles, insects, fishes, and frogs. These fossil foot- prints may be seen in the Geological Laboratory of Amherst College.
The river itself was produced ages later toward the end of the Glacial Period by the melting of ice to form a lake the level of which was 200 feet higher than the present Connecticut. The lake shrank into a river which gradually deposited rich alluvial meadows, lovely and productive.
INTERESTING DRIVES ABOUT AMHERST
The beauties of the Connecticut Valley and neighboring regions are easily seen from Amherst as here the new Boston Post Road crosses macadam highways running north and south as well as east and west. One may drive via Greenfield over the
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scenic Mohawk Trail to North Adams and Williamstown, home of Williams College and the Summer School of Politics, the round trip being about 120 miles.
Another jaunt is to Pittsfield and Lenox by way of North- ampton and the Berkshire Trail. At Cummington en route is the former summer home of William Cullen Bryant. From Pittsfield it is easy to reach Lenox, the autumn resort of fashionable so- ciety. This tour covers approximately 125 miles.
A shorter but very beautiful country drive of 65 miles is the loop to South Deerfield, Conway, Ashfield, Goshen, Northamp- ton, and Amherst. Between Ashfield and Goshen is the charm- ing valley called "Little Switzerland."
To Northfield and the Moody Schools, via Greenfield and Bernardston, is a delightful excursion of 60 miles.
Nearer the town there are drives that combine beautiful scenery with the romantic flavor of the past. One of the best is the trip through Old Hadley to the top of Mt. Holyoke and back via South Hadley, about 20 miles. The points of interest at Hadley are the cemetery, the wide streets that retain their original boundaries, the old church which is a fine example of the style of Sir Christopher Wren, the new museum, and the Elmwood Hotel. This inn stands on the site of the house in which for many years Parson John Russell concealed the Regicides Goffe and Whalley. On the return to Amherst one may drive over a good road to South Hadley, seat of Mt. Holyoke College, then proceed north to Amherst through the picturesque "Notch" in the Holyoke Range.
Another glorious prospect is that from Mt. Tom. The easiest way to reach the mountain is by way of Northampton where are located Smith College, Clark School for the Deaf, the Northampton and Burnham Schools for Girls. It was once known as the home of the famous divine Jonathan Edwards; now it gains fame from numbering among its citizens Ex-Presi- dent Coolidge. From Northampton the river road leads to Mountain Park on the shoulder of Mt. Tom, from which a cable road conveys passengers quickly and safely to the summit. The panorama as seen from Tom was declared by Henry Ward Beecher to be one of the finest in the world. The return drive may be varied when Northampton is reached by following the west bank of the Connecticut. The road passes through the old village of Hatfield, home of Sophia Smith who founded Smith College; across the Connecticut River Bridge at Sunderland which offers one of the prettiest views in all the valley, and through North Amherst to Amherst. The distance is about 35 miles.
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The visit to Old Pelham is full of scenic and historic interest. The route follows Main Street and goes through West Pelham, passing, just over the Amherst line, the Montague City Rod Co. which manufactures fishing-rods famous among sportsmen. From West Pelham there is a good road, partly macadam, to the summit of Pelham's two-mile hill. In clear weather the view is an extended one including the mountains to the north and west and the Swift River Valley to the east. This is the valley re- cently taken by the city of Boston to increase its water supply. On the hilltop stands a church, the town hall, and a few houses- all that is left of the original settlement of Scotch Presbyterians who came in a body in 1739. The town hall was the first church building and was used from the beginning for civic purposes also. As it has been in continuous service since its completion in 1743, it is the oldest town hall in New England; probably in the United States. Before this building encamped the weary soldiers during the Shays Rebellion, when they were fleeing north before the regular troops under General Lincoln.
One should not miss seeing Old Deerfield, one of the most fascinating towns in New England. To reach it, drive through North Amherst and Sunderland and across Sunderland Bridge. Just over the river towers Mt. Sugarloaf, on the north side of which an easy road winds to the summit. The outlook over the rich valley, divided into green squares of onions and tobacco, varies from that of Holyoke or Tom. Here from the red scar on the southern face, legend says that the Indian King Philip used to spy on the settlers below. Near the base of the mountain is a picnic grove and dancing pavilion where the Polish farmers enjoy themselves on Sunday afternoons. Beyond the mountain stretches South Deerfield, now conquered Polish territory, and further, along a fine state road, is Old Deerfield. Here antiquity speaks from every time-blackened structure, for the town was founded in 1671. Being an outpost it suffered Indian raids, notably in 1704 when forty-nine of the inhabitants were killed and one hundred taken prisoner. Of these, some were murdered and the rest, who were carried to Canada for ransom, were re- stored two years later. Tourists should notice the ancient dwel- lings, especially the Frary house (built 1683), the oldest in the Connecticut Valley; visit the Museum, the reproduction of the "Indian House," the cemetery, and the site of the fort, all of which are marked by tablets. The house built for Parson Wil- liams, the "Redeemed Captive," is now one of the dormitories of Deerfield Academy, a preparatory school for boys. This house has a secret stairway. The Deerfield Industries are located in certain of the old houses and from them may be bought char- acteristic products. The round trip from Amherst to Deer- field is approximately 30 miles.
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HERST
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STREET PLAN OF AMHERST MASSACHUSETTS Locating Features of Special Interest. Prepared for the Tercentenary Committee By A. K. Harrison March South East 1930
Scale of feet. 1000 2000 3000
4000
Amity
Northampton
Street.
10
Lincoln
6
23
2.3
23 29
27
Coll
33
College 35 36
100
0
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Street.
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and Springfield.
Road.
Massachusetts Agricultural
Street.
70-
NorthAmherst, Greenfield, and Deerfield.
Campus 22
Pleasant
19
th
20
1
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Ingle
a
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Cemetery.
1
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Vermont
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Street.
North Hadley
Ave.
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College
!venue.
East
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Central
North
[44
East
References to the Street Plan of Amherst
1. Amherst College Astronomical Observatory
2. A. M. E. Church
3. President Hitchcock House
4. Home of Helen Hunt Jackson
5. President's House, Amherst College
6. College Hall (Formerly Congregational Church)
7. Hope Congregational Church
8. Baptist Church
9. Site of Amherst Academy
10. Boltwood-Cutler House
11. Home of Eugene Field
12. Home of Ray Stannard Baker (David Grayson)
13. The Perry Hotel
14. Historical Society House (Strong House)
15. Jones Library
16. First National Bank
17. Fire Department
18. Catholic Church
19. The Davenport
20. Site of Mount Pleasant Institute
21. Memorial Building Massachusetts Agricultural College
22. President's House
23. The Common
24. Site of Noah Webster's House
25. Unitarian Church
26. Post Office
27. Lord Jeffery Inn
28. Episcopal Church
29. Town Hall
30. Boys' Club
31. Masonic Hall
32. High School
33. First Congregational Church
34. Site of Birthplace of Helen Hunt Jackson
35. Amherst College Church
36. Barrett Hall (First College Gymnasium in America)
37. Emily Dickinson House
38. Methodist Church
39. Noah Dickinson House
40. Second Congregational Church
41. East Common
42. Ebenezer Mattoon House
43. Dickinson-Baggs Tavern
44. Daniel Kellogg House
PRESS OF CARPENTER & MOREHOUSE, AMHERST
HECKMAN BINDERY INC.
JAN 97
Bound -To-Pleas® N. MANCHESTER, INDIANA 46962
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