USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Ware > An address, delivered at the opening of the new Townhall, Ware, Mass., March 31, 1847 : containing sketches of the early history of that town, and its first settlers > Part 2
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The plat and the order indorsed on the back of it cannot be found. Very few papers of that kind between 1710 and 1730, are among the archives of the commonwealth, and it is supposed they were destroyed when the State House was burned in 1741.
Tradition has always connected with this grant an obliga- tion to maintain mills at the falls, but the records disclose no such condition. The following deed copied from the Springfield Records will throw light on the earliest con- veyances.
" To all People unto whom this Present Deed of sale shall come, Jonas Clarke of Boston, within the County of Suffolk in New Eng- land, Mazier, Sendeth Greeting.
Know Ye, that I the said Jonas Clarke, for and in consideration of the sum of Four hundred pounds to me in hand at and before the en- sealing and delivery hereof well and truly Paid by Jabez Olmsted of Brookfield in the County of Hampshire* in New England aforesaid, Husbandman, the Rec't whereof I do hereby acknowledge, have given, granted, bargained, sold, conveyed, and confirmed, and by these Pres- ents do give, grant, bargain, sell, convey, and confirm unto the said Jabez Olmsted, his heirs and assigns forever, all that my certain tract or parcel of land situate, lying and being within the Province of the Massachusetts bay, in the Road from Brookfield to Hadley, Containing by estimation five hundred acres more or less, as the same is delineated and decyphered in a Plan thereof on file among the Records of the General Court or Assembly of this Province, which said land, upon Wednesday, twenty-fifth day of May, was allowed and confirmed as the Five hundred acres of land granted unto Richard Hollingsworth, Anno. 1673, by the said General Court, and is the same land which the said Hollingsworth's heirs sold lately unto Samuel Prince, late of Rochester, Yeoman, who sold the same to Thomas Clarke of Boston aforesaid, Merchant, of whom I purchased the same land, together with all and singular the trees, woods, underwoods, profits, privileges, and
Worcester county was not established till 1731.
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appurtenances, to the said granted land belonging or in anywise apper- taining, and the Reversion and remainders thereof." [Here follow the usual covenants of warranty.] " To Have and to Hold the said given and granted land and premises with the appurtenances, unto the said Ja- bez Olmsted his heirs and assigns forever, to his and their only proper use, benefit and behoof from henceforth and forever."
" In witness whereof I, the said Jonas Clarke have hereunto set my hand and seal the second day of April. Anno Domini, one thousand seven hundred and twenty-nine, and in the second year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second, King over Great Britain, &c.
Signed, sealed, and delivered in presence of Moses Rice. Benjamin Rolfe. Jonas Clarke and seal.
Received the day and year above written, off the within named Ja- bez Olmsted, the sum of four hundred pounds, being the consideration money within expressed.
JONAS CLARKE.
SUFFOLK, SS. Boston, April 2, 1729. The above named Jonas Clarke personally appearing, acknowledged the above written instru- ment to be his act and Deed
Before me, SAMUEL SEWALL, Jun., Just. Peace.
Received, April 24, 1732, and recorded from Original."
The south-east corner of this tract was near the north line of Hon. Joseph Cummings' farm, on the side hill, above Benjamin Eaton's. Thence the line ran north, taking in the lower falls, and extending to the farm now owned by Joseph Hartwell. Thence it ran west to the Read manor, and south, on its east line, to the south west corner on the plain west of muddy brook, between land of John Gould, and the farm formerly owned by Dea. Enos Davis, covering nearly the whole territory of what is now this village .*
Upon this tract, I suppose the first settlements in the town were made. Capt. Jabez Olmstead came here from
. Brookfield, probably in 1729, and built mills upon the falls. He erected a house east of the Bank. The well now used for the tenements next the Bank was dug for his house, which afterwards was a tavern. It was a large two story house, called "the Great House," and was standing when the first movements were made to erect factories here in 1813. Mr. Demond occupied it for a year or more, and it stood till 1821.
Jacob Cummings came here very soon after, from Kil- lingly, Ct. and was one of the most influential men in the esta- blishment of a Church and Society. He located upon the farm now owned by Joel Rice, Esq., and owned that, and
* It appears by the Palmer records, that 100 acres adjoining Jabez Olmstead's farm, was granted to his eldest son.
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the one now owned by his great grandson, the Hon. Joseph Cummings. This tract was first laid out to Stewart South- . gate, clerk of the proprietors of the Elbows.
What is now the south east corner of the town was first settled by Isaac Magoon. He and his son, Isaac Jr., own- ed the farmns now owned by Samuel Gould, Haskell Cum- mings and Josephus Lamberton, about 700 acres. These lands then belonged to the proprietors of the Elbows, now Palmer. Their grant covered all the lands not included in the ten thousand acres and the five hundred acres, except 1443 acres in the north-east corner of the town, and some small portions since added to this town from Brookfield.
The first settlers on this tract were what would be called in these days, squatters. Judah Marsh came from Hatfield or Hadley about 1730, and settled near Marsh's mills. He married a daughter of Capt. Jabez Olmstead, and his de- scendants now occupy some portions of the land granted to him and his brothers. The petition and grant may interest the descendants. They are copied from the originals in the Secretary's office at Boston.
" To his Excellency Jonathan Belcher Esq. Captain General and Commander in chief of His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, &c., The Honorable His Majesty's Council and House of Representatives in General Court assembled at Boston, Oct. · 3, 1733.
The Petition of us, the subscribers, Humbly sheweth. That your Pe- titioners are now actually dwelling on a tract of the unappropriated lands of this Province, in the county of Hampshire, bounded south partly by that tract of land called the Elbows and partly by Brookfield township, East by Ware River, North by land lately granted to Col. Lamb and Co., and west by that part of the Equivalent lands belonging to John Read, of Boston, Esq. containing fourteen hundred and forty-three acres, as per a plat of said land herewith presented, more particularly appears, and on said tract of lands we have lived some of us three years where we have spent the most of that little substance we have ; and we assure your Honours, it was not the extraordinary goodness or quality of the lands, that induced us to go upon it, for a considerable part of said tract is Ledges of Rocks, and very Rockey, so as 10 render it unprofitable and almost useless, (as those that are acquainted with it can Testifie,) but that which induced us to settle on it, was our necessi- ty, our principle dependance for the support of ourselves is husbandry, and we had not a foot of land to imploy ourselves and families upon, were exposed to idleness and pinching want, and being then unsensi- ble how highly the court resented such a way of settling, and appre- hending that the principle thing insisted on was that there should be no trading or stockjobbing, but an actual settlement and improvement in husbandry, by the grantees themselves, with which we were ready to comply.
Wherefore, being thus unhappily intangled on said Land, with great submission, we most humbly move, that this great and Honorable As-
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sembly would condescend to exercise their charity and Pitty towards us, in granting us, (out of said land, including the spots we have al- ready begun on,) so much Land as may be a competency for us to im- prove for a livelyhood for ourselves and children, we have no tho't of any other, but with submission to spend the remainder of our Lives and substances on the spot, are content and ready to submit to any injunc- tions or Limitations within our reach, this Great and Honorable Court shall think meet to lay upon us, who as in Duty bound, shall ever pray. his
JOHN X. CLEMENS. mark. THOMAS MARSH.
WILLIAM CLEMMENS. his JONATHAN X ROOD. mark. JUDAH MARSH.
In the House of Representatives, Oct. 29, 1733. Read and ordered that the prayer of the Petition as particularly set forth in the vote on the plat of the lands hereto annexed.
Sent up for concurrence, J. QUINCY, Speaker.
In Council, Oct. 29, 1733. Non-concurred, and ordered that a com- mittee be appointed to view the lands and report.
The House non-concurred in this vote, and the petition was not call- ed up again until 1737.
Here follow the plat of the survey with the oaths admin- istered by Timothy Dwight Esq. of Belchertown, to Nathan- iel Dwight the Surveyor, and to William Clements and Jon- athan Rood the chain-men.
" In the House of Representatives, Jan. 3, 1737.
Read, and ordered that the petition be revived, and that the plat be accepted, and that the lands therein delineated and described be and here- by are confirmed to the said Thomas Marsh, William Clements, John Clements, Jonathan Rood, Judah Marsh, and Samuel Marsh, their heirs and assigns respectively, provided each of the grantees do within the space of five years from this date, have six acres of the granted premises brought to English grass, or broken up by plowing, and each of them have a good dwelling-house thereon, of eighteen feet square, and seven feet stud at the least, and each a family dwelling therein, that they actually bring to the settlement of said Linds by themselves, or their children as above laid, provided also, the plat exceeds not the quantity of fourteen hundred and forty-three acres, and does not inter- fere with any former grant, and also that the grantees do within twelve months, pay to the Province Treasury, five pounds each, for the use of this province. Sent up for concurrence,
J. QUINCY, Speaker.
In Council, Jan. 4, 1737. Read and concurred. SIMON FROST, Deputy Sec'y. Consented to. J. BELCHER.
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I have been more particular in tracing the origin of the grants, because I found the traditions so erroneous. It ap- pears to have been the custom of the Indians to burn over this territory, to aid them in securing game. The practice had destroyed the forests to a great extent, and doubtless in- jured the soil. Brookfield was settled as early as 1673, and the inhabitants used these lands for pasturing, and continued the practice of burning to improve the feed. Brookfield pastures was their common name. So bare of timber was the country, that the early settlers of Warren, on coming to the top of Coy's hill, could discern a stray beast any where in this whole valley.
The town seems to have taken its name from the river passing through it, which bears the same name, from its sources to its junction with the Chicopee of which it is the middle and longest branch. It abounded with fish, the falls being a famous place for taking salmon. Weirs or Wears were constructed to aid in taking them, and hence the name of Wear River, which was afterwards spelled Ware. It is not so sweet as the Indian name " Nenameseck," the mean- ing of which I am not able to give.
The town does not appear to have been settled very rapid- ly. The soil was poor, and we cannot appreciate the hard- ships the early settlers encountered. In 1742, when by the aid of Mr. Read, they petitioned to be incorporated as a town, it seems there were but thirty-three families here. The petition, report of the committee, and act of incorpor- ation, are carefully copied into the book of records, and from that time to the present, the records have been regular- ly kept, and carefully preserved. Few towns can show a more perfect record of their affairs from their first incorpo- ration than this town.
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In the history I shall give, from this period, I shall con- fine myself as closely to record evidence, as I have in searching for the grants.
The town as incorporated, contains a tract lying mostly between Ware river and Swift river, being about six and a half miles long east and west, by four and a half north and south. It is the south-east corner town of Hampshire. County.
The Read Manor was the first located in 1713.
The Hollingsworth grant, taking in the tract now occupied by the village and the water power, 1715. The Elbow tract was laid out in 1732. And the Marsh and Clements. grant in 1733.
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"To his Excellency William Shirley, Esq., Captain General and Governour in Chief, the honorable the Council and Representatives in General Court assembled 26th May 1742. The petition of Thomas Marsh and others to the number of thirty-three house holders, about and between Wear River and Swift River, near Brookfield, humbly Sheweth. That your Petitioners are settled on a tract of land bound- ed, beginning at the Southwest Corner of the ten thousand acres of Equivalent land at Swift River, thence running due east to Brookfield Bounds, thence on Brookfield to Ware River, thence on Ware River to Hardwick, thence on Hardwick to the ten thousand acres of Equivalent lands aforesaid, and thence on the Bounds of the said ten thousand acres, including the same unto the first mentioned Boundings. They dwell at a great distance from any place of public worship, most of them six or seven miles, and therefore cannot enjoy that privilege in their present condition, but as their Hearts are sincerely desirous of the Public Worship of God, they persuade themselves they shall be able chearfully to bear the Charge that will attend it. But as some of them belong to the town at the Elbows, some to Brookfield, and the rest of them live on farins of the Province Grants, they cannot properly and lawfully Proceed to erect and maintain the Public Worship of God among them, without the aid of this Court, and therefore Pray this honorable Court by a suitable Committee of this Court, to inquire into their state and circumstances, and make them a separate and distinct Township or Parish, and your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray, &c.
JOHN READ, for the Petitioners.
JABEZ OLMSTEAD.
PAUL THURSTON. JOSEPH MARKS, SEN.
JERM. OLMSTEAD.
EDM'D. AYRES. JOSEPH MARKS.
ISRAEL OLMSTEAD.
ISAAC MAGOON, JUN. JOSEPH BROOKS.
JACOB CUMMINGS, JUN. WVM. PATERSON.
BENJ'. SHIPLE.
NAHUM DAVIS.
JOSEPH SIMONS. JOHN ANDERSON.
JAMES CUMMINGS. JOB CORLY,
THO'S. CHAPIN.
Jos. MARSH.
SAM'L. MARSH. DANIEL THURSTON.
RICH'D. ROGERS.
JUDAH MARSH. ISAAC MAGOON.
JACOB CUMMINGS.
EPI'M. MARSH. JOHN POST.
SAM'L. ALLEN.
THOMAS MARSH.
SAM'L. DAVIS.
In the House of Representatives, June 2, 1742. Read and ordered that Capt. Patridge and Capt Converse with such as the honorable Board shall joine, be a Committee to view the State and Circumstances of the Petitioners. They giving seasonable Notice to the Inhabitants or Proprietors of Brookfield and the Elbows (so called) and the Inhab- itants of Western who may be affected thereby : that they may be pre- sent at the meeting of said Committee if they see Cause : The Com- mittee to report as soon as may be what they judge proper for the Court to do in answer to this Petition. Sent up for concurrence. T. Cushing Spk'r. In Council June 8, 1742. Read and Concurred and Joseph Wilder, Esq. is joined in the affair.
J. WILLARD SECT. Consented to W. SHIRLEY. Copy examined by J. WILLARD, SECT.
The Committee appointed on the Petition of Thomas Marsh and others living near Ware River, in the County of Hampshire, have at-
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tended on said service, been upon the Spot, viewed the Lands Prayed for to be erected into a township, inquired into the Circuinstances of the petitioners, and heard the objections of some of the Inhabitants of Kingstown,* and are of opinion that the Petitioners at present are not sufficient in order to erect a Town, with privileges, &c. But inasmuch as they Live at a weary great distance from any place of public worship and meet with great difficulty thereby, we are further of opinion that the Petitioners living Northward of a Line Run due eastt from the South- west Corner of the land Belonging to John Read, Esq., to Western Line, be freed from all Taxes to any other place or Town during the Pleasure of the General Court, so that they may be able to Provide Preaching among themselves which is submitted in the name and by order of the Committee.
Dec. 4, 1742.
JOSEPH WILDER.
In council Read and ordered that this Report be accepted and also that the Lands within the limits above mentioned, and the Inhabitants thereon, be erected into a Precinct, and that the said Inhabitants have the Powers and Privileges which other Precincts do, or by Law ought to enjoy, and that they be and hereby are obliged to maintain the Public worship of God among them in the Support of a learned orthodox min- ister. Sent down for Concurrence.
J. WILLARD, SECT.
In the house of Representatives, Dec. 7, 1742. Read and Con- curred.
Attest, ROLAND COTTON, CLERK. Dom. Rep. Consented to, W. SHIRLEY.
Copy examined per J. WILLARD, SECT.
· The following deed from Mr. Read, will show that he took some interest in establishing religious institutions here.
" To all People to whom this writing shall come, I John Read of Boston, in the County of Suffolk, Send Greeting. Know Ye that for the founding and Indowment of a Parish Church on the Ten Thou- sand acres of Equivalent lands, lying on the East side of Swift River, upon the Road from Brookfield to Hadley, and now called the mannor of Peace, I do hereby give, grant, convey and confirm unto Jabez Olmstead, Gent. and Isaac Magoon, Yeoman, living near the said man- nor, and William Blackmer, John Davis and Benjamin Lull of the said mannor, Yeomen, the Sixth lott of land from the North of the fourth Tier of lotts from the East in the mannor of Peace, Extending South on a four rod highway a hundred rod wide, and from thence West and by South half a mile long. Also, part of the fifth lot near against the middle of that extending west and by South on the Main road twenty rod wide and from thence North twenty four rod long with the appur- tenances. To Have and to Hold the Sixth lot and part of the fifth lot aforesaid with the appurtenanees to them the said Jabez Olmstead, Isaac Magoon, William Blackmer, John Davis and Benjamin Lull, and their heirs forever, in special Trust and confidence for the only uses, intents
Now Palmer.
t The South line of the Equivalent ran E. by N. The strip be- tween these lines was called "The Garter."
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and purposes hereafter exprest, viz. for the use of the first minister of God's Holy word and Sacraments, who shall be freely chosen by the Inhabitants, free holders of the said mannor and such others as the laws of the Government shall joyn in one Parish with them, or by the ma- jor part of them, and thereupon be lawfully Instituted and Ordained to that holy office there and such his successors forever, in pure and perpetual Almes. and for these special purposes, viz. the three acres, part of the fifth lot aforesaid, for the founding and continuance of a . Parish Church and Christian Burying place forever : and the Sixth lot for a Glebe thereunto annexed for the improvement of such Minister and his Successors at their discretion towards their maintenance and support forever. In witness whereof I hereunto put my hand and seal this nineteenth day of September, Anno Dom. seventeen hundred and forty eight.
Signed, sealed, and delivered in presence of } JNO. READ, and Seal. JOSEPH AYRES, LEMUEL BLACKMER.
Hampshire, ss. At an Inferiour Court of Common Pleas, held at Northampton by adjournment on the first Tuesday of March Anno Dom. 1757. Then Lemuel Blackmer one of the Witnesses to ye within written Instrument appearing, made solemn Oath that he saw John Read, Esq., now deceased, in his lifetime, sign, seal, and Exe- cate the within instrument, as his act and deed, that he signed as a Witness to the same, and saw Joseph Ayres sign as a Witness also, at ye same time.
Attest, J. WILLIAMS, CLERK. Rec'd. March 24th, 1757, and Recorded from the Original. EDW'D. PYNCHON, REG'R.
The warrant for the first meeting of the precinct was is- sued Feb. 18, 1742-3 by William Pynchon, Esq. of Spring- field. It will be remembered that the change from the old style to new was not recognized in this country until 1752. Previous to which the year commenced on the 25th March, and the dates upon our records, between the Ist of January . and that time are double. The first meeting was March 15, 1742-3, at the house of Jabez Olmstead, near where the Bank now is, where they met for some years. Jacob Cummings was the Moderator of the first meeting, and he with Edward Ayres and Joseph Simons were chosen Precinct Committee, John Post, clerk. The object of this meeting, after choos- ing Precinct officers, was to raise money to defray the ex- penses of the act of incorporation, and for preaching the Gospel. It was voted to raise ten pounds and six shillings old tenor, to pay the charge of the committee, surveyor, and chain-men, and to raise forty pounds, old tenor, to hire preaching with. In consequence of the depreciation of the currency at that time, two shillings and eight peuce sterling, was the value of twenty shillings, old tenor.
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It was not my intention to go into the ecclesiastical histo- ry of the town at this time, but to leave that part to those who may properly be supposed to take the deepest interest in those things. But I should give you but a meagre ac- count of the first settlers of the town, were I to omit this part of their history. It was their desire to hear the gospel which moved them to get set off as a separate parish, and the records show that its maintenance was first in their hearts. Up to the time of the organization of the East Congrega- tional Society, in 1826, there was but one religious Society in town. All the business relating to the settlement and support of ministers was transacted in town meeting. I shall therefore give a brief history of the ministry in town. May 5, 1743. The Precinct " voted to hire Mr. Dickin- son to preach among us, until the forty pounds we granted is spent." In March, 1744, sixty pounds were raised for the support of the gospel, and several candidates employed. In Nov. 1745, Mr. Henry Carey was invited to settle as their minister, but declined.
Soon after the incorporation of the Precinct, efforts were made to build a house of worship, but they could not agree upon the spot. Nathaniel Dwight of Belchertown, was em- ployed to find the geographical centre of the town, which is a few rods north of the meeting house now standing in the west parish. In 174S, it was voted " to build a house 40 by 35, IS feet posts, to pay twelve shillings, old tenor, for common laborers, eighteen shillings for team and cart." But nothing efficient was done, until Sept. 1750, when it was voted to build a house 30 by 25,-15 feet posts. " Voted to raise the sum of thirty pounds, thirteen shillings and four pence, lawful money, to defray the charges of build- ing and covering the meeting house. £20 13s. 4d. to be paid in labor and covering and slitwork, provided that every freeholder will pay to the committee or collector the labor or materials his due proportion,-that he shall be as- sessed, upon suitable notice, and four pounds for to procure nails for the meeting house. Voted, that labor shall be set at the value of eighteen shillings per day, and team work answerable, and boards at nine pounds, equal to old tenor, and shingles at four pounds ten shillings, old tenor." Jacob Cummings, Joseph Scott, Edward Ayres, Samuel Allen, and John Taplin, were chosen building committee. It was some years before the house was completed, if it was ever entirely done. " Sept. 4, 1760 .- It was voted to have an
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alley three feet wide, between the men's and women's seats." In June, 1762, " voted to allow Thomas Andrews six pounds to plaister the meeting house over head." Sept. 24, 1766, " Voted, that Thomas Andrews shall halve the boards over head in the meeting house, and is to have what the workmen judge it worth for said halving." It was used as a place of worship until the year 1800, when the house that has been recently remodeled in the west parish, was built.
March, 1750-51, " it was voted to ordain the worthy Mr. Grindall Rawson in this Precinct, on the second Wed- nesday in May next." His answer to the call is dated Feb. 11, 1750, and as a specimen of the man and of the times, I copy it from the records, where it is'entered, apparently in his own hand writing.
" MY BRETHREN,
Since you were so unanimous in your invitation of me to settle with you in the work of the Gospel Ministry, (there being not so much as one' negative vote,) upon seriously addressing myself to the throne of grace, as I trust for direction, in the great affair, after proper reflec- tion upon the difficulties you would be likely to be thrown into upon my leaving you,-notwithstanding the great discouragements in regard to my ontward subsistence at present, and the many satisfactions of life of which I foresee I must deny myself, more I believe than you are sensible of, or is any way necessary for me to recite, which have set very heavy upon my mind, and have for a long time preyed upon my spirits, and had I have hearkened to the struggles of animal nature, would soon have determined me to have left you, tho' in the greatest confusion ; yet a sense of duty and a desire of promoting your ever- lasting peace and welfare, have counterpoised all other difficulties, so that I have concluded to comply with your request, and accept of your invitation ; hoping that God in his Providence will so order it, that we shall be mutual blessings to one another. And as it is not yours, but you that I shall seek, I hope that you will be ready to contribute to me at all times of your temporals, as I shall be ready to do to you in spir- ituals, to the utmost of my power, and have no greater joy, I hope, than in promoting your good, and seeing you walking in the truth, and that I shall so walk before you in a sober and Godly life, that you may have me for an example, and that both in my living and preaching, I may set forward the religion of Jesus.
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