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 4
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John Bliss, 16. Lawyer Strong, 8
Timothy Danielson, 6. Eleazar Porter, 2
" March, 1782. Voted to allow Daniel Gould, and Tho- mas Tuff's one pound, four shillings, for collecting town beef ; allowed Daniel Gould sixteen shillings and six pence, for keeping and driving town beef ; allowed Francis Brak- enridge twelve shillings, for driving beef cattle to Hampton." These were supplies for the army.
In April, 1786, James Bowdoin for Gov. 20 votes. John Hancock, 1
Thomas Cushing, Lieut. Gov. 18 votes.
Senators-Timothy Danielson, 16. Oliver Phelps, 15
Caleb Strong, 16. Wm. Brakenridge 21
In Aug. 1786, the Shays Insurrection began to make trouble in this section of Massachusetts, and a town meet- ing was called on the 1Sth, to "see if the town will choose a delegate or delegates to attend at a county convention that is appointed to be holden at Hatfield on Tuesday, the 22d of Aug. inst. at 10 A. M. at the house of Col. Seth Mur- ray, to see if a constitutional way of relief, or some legal method cannot be proposed, for the security and safety of the good people of this commonwealth, against the burdens and distresses that prevail at the present day." Capt. Bul- len was chosen to go to the convention. David Brown, Isaac Pepper, and Daniel Gould were chosen a committee to give directions to Capt. Bullen. In Nov. Isaac Pepper was chosen delegate to a convention at Hadley, and in Jan. 1787, to another at Hatfield.
In Jan. 1787, the town voted the following list of griev- ances, probably the same voted by the convention.
" 1. The fee table as it now stands.
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2. The present appropriation of the impost and excise money.
3. The unreasonable grants made to some of the offi- cers of government.
4. The supplementary code.
5. The present mode of paying government securities.
6. The present mode of taxation, as it operates unequal- ly betwixt the mercantile and landed interest.
7. The want of a medium of trade to remedy the evil arising from the scarcity of money.
8. The General Court, sitting in the town of Boston
9. The suspension of the writ of Habeas Corpus re- pealed.
10. The Riot Act repealed.
11. Voted to have the Constitution revised.
12. Voted to have the C. C. Pleas abolished.
Voted to send a petition to the General Court for a re- dress of grievances, chose a committee of five men to make a draft of a Petition, chose Isaac Pepper, Lieut. Cummings, Mr. Samuel Dunsmore, Capt. Brakenridge, and Mr. Wil- liam Paige.
Voted to send three men as a committee to General Lin- coln and Capt. Shays, to consult on some measures for peace, chose Capt. Brakenridge, Mr. Parker, and Moses Brown.
Voted that this town do not allow of any property being brought and kept in this town as prizes, except the person bring a receipt, that possesses said property, from the com- mander of the department from whence such property is brought, that they have a right to the same.
Voted that this town, as a town, do not allow of any sleighs, horses or persons being stopped on the public roads by any persons."
On the whole, the people here appear to have been more patriotic than many others.
After the disturbances growing out of the Shays war were passed, the oath of allegiance to the government was requir- ed to be taken by town officers, and for several years it was copied into the records and signed, by those of whom it was required. It will be a curiosity to some.
"I, A. B., do truly and sincerely acknowledge, profess, testify and declare, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is and of right ought to be a free, sovereign and independent state; and I do swear, that I will bear true faith and allegi-
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ance to the said Commonwealth, and that I will defend the same against traitorous conspiracies, and all hostile attempts whatsoever, and that I do renounce and abjure all allegiance subjection and obedience to the king or government of Great Britain, (as the case may be) and every other foreign prince whatsoever, and that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state or potentate, hath, or ought to have, any jurisdiction, superiority, pre-eminence, authority, dispensing, or other power, in any matter, civil ecclesiastical or spiritual within this commonwealth, except the authority and power which is or may be vested by their constituents in the Congress of the United States, and do further testify and declare, that no man or body of men hath or can have any right to absolve or discharge me from the obligation of this oath, declaration or affirmation, and that I do make this acknowledgment, pro- fession, testimony, declaration, denial, renunciation and ab- juration heartily and truly, according to the common mean- ing and acceptation of the foregoing words, without any equivocation, mental evasion or secret reservation, whatso- ever. So help me God."
In May 1787, Mr. Daniel Gould was chosen to repre- sent the town in the Great and General Court. "Chose a committee of five to instruct the representative, chose Capt. Brakenridge, William Paige, Deacon Smith, William Snell, and Lieut. Brown for said committee."
March 31, 1788. " Voted to have a Justice of Peace in town, made choice of Mr. Isaac Pepper for said Justice. Voted that the selectmen make a return to the Governor and Council as soon as may be." No commission was giv- en to him, nor does any justice appear to have been appoint- ed until William Bowdoin was commissioned in 1801.
. At the election Apr. 17SS, the votes for Governor were for Elbridge Gerry 37, John Hancock 15.
About this time it seems to have been the custom to warn all new comers to the town to depart, to prevent their ob- taining a legal settlement and becoming chargeable to the town. In March 1765, the town voted to allow William Bell for warning out several and carrying out some, twelve shillings, and to Abraham Cummings for warning out Job Smith one shilling. In 1790, there is upon record a war- rant duly served by the Constable, in which he is directed to warn fifty-one persons, giving their names, " who have come into this town for the purpose of abiding therein not having the town's consent, to depart the limits thereof with their
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children and all under them, within fifteen days." Among the names are some, who afterwards became substantial citi- zens, and whose children and grandchildren are now living here in as comfortable circumstances as any of us.
Apr. 7, 1794. " Voted to choose a committee of seven to make a list of those persons who are subject to be warned out of town agreeable to the laws of this commonwealth and to report the same at the next town meeting." This is the last record referring to that custom, which was changed about that time by the course of legislation.
The records of the town show that the people never have been rich. The support of paupers for many years was a large part of the business in town meetings. The same custom existed here as in other places of putting up the poor at auction in open town meeting to be supported by the lowest bidder. Like some other things we find to disap- prove in the customs of our fathers, this has gone out of use. The town has now a farm, where a comfortable home is provided for the poor.
Some extracts from the records will show the mode of doing business in those days. At every meeting from the organization of the Precinct, it was a standing vote that "swine should run at large with yokes and rings."
May 1782. " Voted that Capt. Brakenridge as a com- mittee agree with Rev. Mr. Tuttle to supply the pulpit for one year, on condition that if the town can get a young man upon probation, Mr. Tuttle to give way."
Apr. 19. 1757. " Voted to hire preaching for this sum- mer. Voted to raise upon the polls and estates, the sum of £13 6s. Sd. for preaching and boarding of ministers and going after ministers. Voted Joseph Foster to go after min- isters. Voted John Downing to provide a Law Book."
March 1784. " Voted to employ Mr. Tuttle one year or until a young man can be employed in the town."
March 1785. The town voted " to adopt Dr. Watts' Psalms and Hymns to be sung in this congregation .* Voted that they begin next Sabbath."
Previous to this, Tate and Brady or Sternhold and Hopkins had been used, and the change was made while Rev. Jere- miah Hallock was preaching here and probably through his influence. The chorister was chosen by the town, and the
The article in the warrant was, " To see if the Congregation will concur with the Church in adopting Docter Watts' aversion of Pslams and Hymns, to be sung in public worship."
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custom was for the whole congregation to join in singing the deacon reading one line at a time.
March 1790, the record says, " made choice of Dr. Rufus King, Solomon Bush, and Mr. George Brakenridge, Queristers, for the year ensuing. Voted that the deacon read one verse or more at a time according as the tune may require." This was advancing one degree.
When the practice first obtained for the singers to sit in the gallery by themselves, it was strenuously opposed. Some would leave the house rather than listen to such pro- fane singing.
Solomon Howe came into this town from Worcester County. He is spoken of in Mr. Draper's History of Spencer, as " a celebrated teacher of music, and as having effected such a reform in Church music in that place, that the singers were allowed to sit together, and the front part of the gallery was appropriated to their use."*
* At this place the speaker paused, the audience rose and sang in the tune St. Martin's, the following, which was read a line at a time by Deacon Joseph Cummings, the great grand son of Deacon Jacob Cummings, the first deacon of the first Church.
PSALM LXXVIII. OLD SCOTCH VERSION.
Compare this with Dr. Watts' version of the same Psalm, " Let chil- dren hear the mighty deeds," &c. and the improvement in versification will be apparent.
1 My mouth shall speak a parable, and sayings dark of old : The same which we have heard and known, and us our fathers told.
2 We also will not them conceal from their posterity ; Them to the generation to come declare will we :
3 The praises of the Lord our God, and his almighty strength, The wondrous works that he hath done, We will show forth at length.
4 His testimony and his law in Isr'el he did place, And charg'd our fathers it to show to their succeeding race ;
5 That so the race whichi was to come might them well learn and know ; And sons unborn, who should arise, might to their sons them show :
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6 That they might set their hope in God, and suffer not to fall
His mighty works out of their mind : but keep his precepts all.
In 1800, the meeting house was built in the middle of the town, the frame of which has been recently modeled into a pleasant and commodious house. In April, 1801, " chose Capt. Wm. Doane to see that the deck of the cupola is corked and made tight, so as to prevent the water from penetrating through, and also to finish glazing said cupola and other panes of glass which are broken in the meeting house, and fasten the upper casements of the windows so as to pre- vent them from making an interruption in time of public worship."
"Nov. 2, 1801. Voted, that the front door of the meet- ing house be bolted as soon as the speaker hath entered."
." May, 1810. Voted, to raise fifty dollars to be appro- priated to the instruction of singers, and that those who be- long to Mr. Burt's society receive their proportion of said fifty dollars."
In Sept. 1807. " Voted that there may be a Bell plac- ed upon the deck of the cupola in this town, upon some conditions."
" Voted not to choose a committee to receive subscrip- tions. Voted that Isaac Pepper, Rufus King, Benjamin Paige, Ebenezer Titus, Benjamin Davis, Nathaniel R. An- derson, Gould Parsons, Isaac Pepper, Jr., Samuel Conkey, William Paige, Jr .. Thomas Patrick, and Waters Allen, together with such as shall hereafter become subscribers, have liberty to hang a bell upon the deck of the cupola in this town, provided the bell be purchased and hung upon said deck free from any cost or expense upon said town either by tax or otherwise.".
The reason of this extreme caution was, that Isaac Pep- per, who headed the movement, had sometimes led the town into awkward predicaments, and in a measure lost their con- fidence. When the meeting house was built in 1800, he with others procured liberty of the town to erect a cupola upon it, a subscription was raised, the frame put up and fas- tened to the house, and the town told they were at liberty to finish it or not as they chose. This was called " a right Pepper trick," an expression not entirely gone out of use yet.
No bell was placed upon the church until after Mr. Reed's settlement in 1826.
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Dec. 15, 1828. " Voted to give leave to have stoves erected in the meeting house in the centre of the town, if it be done without expense to the town."
After the factories were built, an attempt was made to change the name of the town. In Jan. 1825, " Voted to petition to have the name of the town changed to Water- ford." It does not seem to have been prosecuted. In May, 1827, " Voted to raise a committee of five to peti- tion the Legislature to survey a Rail Road from Boston to the Hudson River in the state of New York. Chose Alphe- us Demond, Homer Bartlett, William Bowdoin, Thomas Snell, and Benjamin Paige." About this time there was some difficulty between the village and the old parish. An attempt was made by the village to be incorporated as a town, which was opposed. At the election of Representa- tive in 1828, the closest contest was had that ever existed here, which seems to have been hinged upon this controver- sy. Aaron Gould had 170 votes, Foster Marsh, 170, Joseph Cummings 1. Whereupon the town voted not to send that year. The matter was adjusted by defining the the lines between the parishes, and the Village was incorpo- rated as the East Congregational Society. The parish lines began at Samuel Gould's south-east corner, by Palmer line, and on his line to Ware River, thence up the river to Mud- dy Brook, up Muddy Brook to the old road to New Brain- tree, north of J. Hartwell's farm, thence on that road to the turn east of Nathan Coney's, thence to Darius Eaton's north line, and on that to Brookfield.
. The alteration of the Constitution, making the support of religion a voluntary thing, in 1833, rendered parish lines of no value.
SCHOOLS.
The first action of the town upon the subject of schools as appears by the records was in Jan'y. 1757, when it was " Voted to Devid ye Peraish into two parts for a scool, and flat Brook to be ye deviding Line."
" Voted Joseph Scott to take care of the West part. Voted William Brackenridge to take care of the East Part.
At this time no money was raised for schools, nor does any appear to have been raised for any other purpose than for preaching until after the incorporation of the town in
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1762. At the first town meeting it was voted to divide the town into four quarters, by a line running East and West by the meeting house, and by flat brook, North and South. " Voted to Raies twelve pounds for Skoling. Voted that Eatch Quarter shall Skool out there part within the year or be forfit." The same sum was granted the next year. In 1771, only four pounds were raised. In 1772 it was raised to fourteen pounds. In 1774 fifteen pounds were granted. For several years no money was raised !for schools. The town meetings were occupied mostly in providing soldiers for the Revolutionary army, and in paying them and provid- ing for their families.
In 1782 twenty pounds were raised for schools, the dis- tricts to remain as formerly. In 1785 it was voted to divide the town into six districts, and determined where the school houses should be located. No provision for houses seems to have been made before. The same year thirty pounds were raised for schools. In 1787, thirty-six pounds were raised to build school houses. In 1791, twelve pounds were raised to build a school house in the middle of the town.
In 1794, forty-eight pounds were granted for schools. This was during the ministry of the Rev. Reuben Moss who did much to raise the character of the schools, as well as the tone of morals and public sentiment. For nearly twenty years it is thought by some, not a teacher was employed from out of town, while all the neighbouring towns sought teach- ers here. Hon. Joseph Cummings taught seven winters in New Braintree, receiving $20 per month, being much more than was usually paid in those times.
In 1797, the town voted to divide the school money into eight parts, ten pounds to each district, Eighty pounds, or $266,67. In 1805, $320. In 1814, $400. In 1825, $600. In 1830, $790. In 1835, $800. In 1836, $1000. In 1840, $1250. Since which time $1100 has been grant- ed. The town has been for many years divided into ten districts. At the present time more than half of the scho- lars are in the first or village District.
The town has now the number of families required by law to support a grammar school, and the provision of a room in this house, for such a school, is an indication of better days for the education of our youth. No school has ever been maintained for any length of time, of a higher grade than our district schools, and our town the last year stood as low as 207, among the 308 towns in the State in
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HISTORICAL ADDRESS. 39
its provision for schools. This year $1600 has been grant- ed for schools.
We have not furnished a large number of students for the Colleges. A few however have sprung up here, that have pushed their way through College, gained credit to them- selves and to their native town.
The first one that studied a profession was the Hon. William Bowdoin, a son of William Bowdoin, Esq. He did not go to College, but read law with the Hon. Samuel Fowler Dickinson of Amherst, and for thirty years, has practised law at South Hadley. The Honorary degree of A. M. was conferred upon him at Williams College in 1832.
He has represented this county in the State Senate for two years -- 1840 and 1841.
Emerson Davis, son of Dea. Enos Davis, was graduated at Williams' College, 1821. He is now settled as minister of Westfield.
John Dunbar, son of John Dunbar, was graduated at Williams' College, 1832. He is now a missionary among the Pawnee Indians.
Isaac Wethrell, son of Thomas Wethrell, graduated at Amherst College, in 1832. He is now teaching in Ban- gor, Me.
William Paige Davis, son of Benjamin Davis, was grad- uated at Union College, 1833. He is now settled as min- ister .in Princeton, N. Y.
Joshua Pearl, son of John M. Pearl, was graduated at Yale College, 1836. He is now Principal of the Natchez Institute in Mississippi.
Porter Snow, son of Dea. Eli Snow, was in Amherst College, in the class graduated in 1837, left before grad- uating, and is now a minister in Baltimore, Md.
Loranus Crowell, son of Joshua Crowell, graduated at the Wesleyan University, Middletown, Ct., in 1840, is a Methodist minister, now stationed in Cabotville.
Thomas Snell Norton, son of Allen Norton, was grad- uated at Amherst College, 1840. He is now settled as minister in Sullivan, N. H.
William Snell, son of Thomas Snell, at Amherst, 1840. Ebenezer Snell his brother, was in the same class, but died just before he completed the course.
Loring B. Marsh, son of Foster Marsh, at Yale College, in 1840, now a Home Missionary in Iowa.
Samuel H. Allen, son of Chester Allen, was graduated at Amherst, 1841, now minister at Windsor Locks, Ct.
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Aaron Walker, son of Aaron Walker, at Amberst, 1841 .. He is now a teacher in Charlestown.
David Gould Sherman, son of Thomas Sherman, grad- uated at Yale College, 1841. Teacher in Natchez Insti- tute, Miss.
Daniel Lyman Shearer, son of John Shearer, graduated at Yale College, IS42, now in business in Boston.
John Hartwell, son of Joseph Hartwell, at Amherst, 1843, now a physician in Boston.
Samuel Dexter Marsh, son of Foster Marsh, at Yale College, 1844,-expects soon to join the South African Mission.
Charles Demond, son of Alpheus Demond, Esq., at Wil- liams College, 1844. He is now reading law.
These are not all natives of the town, but went from here to College.
At the present time I am not aware that we have a single student in any of the colleges.
ROADS.
No roads appear to have been laid out previous to the in- corporation of the town. The inhabitants made use of such as nature had provided, with very small improvements. It appears that the road from Brookfield to Hadley passed through this town. It passed over the summit of Coy's hill, (a high ridge between this town and Brookfield and Warren,) down by the Coneys, and crossed the river at the old bridge place, nearly a mile above the village, passing down the west side of the pond near the village, crossing Muddy Brook at the present bridge between the parishes, then by the old Downing place, on Dr. Goodrich's land, and nearly by the present road to the Swift River bridge, near Samuel Lemmon's. This was probably used in 1660, when the first settlements were made at Brookfield.
The first bridge across the river in the village was nearly opposite the large stone factory. Timbers were laid across the rocks near the new grist mill for foot passengers, but no permanent bridge was erected there until after the factories were built. At that time, the only road to Brookfield was
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over the Coney hill. It cost twenty dollars per ton for trans- portation of goods from Boston, and it was a hard week's work, for a team to go and return.
The road from Swift River to New Braintree was the important road, passing through the centre of the town and over the hill, by the old Durant place, crossing Muddy Brook, at the bridge now used between the parishes, and passing north of Capt. Hartwell's farm. A considerable portion of it has been discontinued.
When stages first passed through Ware from Brookfield to Northampton, they passed along the southern border of the town, crossing the river near Gideon Lamberton's. It was upon this road Dr. Dwight passed through a corner of the town in 1810, when he wrote the following notice : " Ware borders on Belchertown south-eastward. Its soil is generally of a very inferior quality. A traveller formerly passing through this town observed, that he thought the land was like self-righteousness; for the more he had of it, the poorer he would be."
The first Post-Office was established in 1815, at the house now occupied by Samuel M. Lemmon. Timothy Babcock was appointed Post-master. In 1S24, the office was removed to the Village, and Joseph Cummings appoint- ed. He was succeeded by Joel Rice in 1832. In 1840, Lewis Babcock was appointed. He was succeeded by An- sel Phelps, Jr. in 1843. The present incumbent, Addison Sandford was appointed in 1845.
The gross receipts of the office for the first quarter after it was established in the village in 1824, were $44,41. The receipts for the quarter ending March 31, 1847, were $562,07.
THE POPULATION OF THE TOWN AT DIFFERENT DATES.
In 1790
773
1830 .
. 2045
" 1800
997
1837 .
. 2403
" 1810
996
1840
1890
" 1820
1154
The last census was taken at a period of great depression in manufactures, -- when most of the mills were still. The population is supposed now to be 3000.
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MANUFACTURES.
The excellent water power in this town caused it to be settled earlier perhaps, than the quality of the soil would have done. The Ware River originates in the western part of Worcester County, draining most of the country west of the Wachusett, and is supplied partly from ponds, which, with the great extent of open country drained by it, gives it a character of stability not gained by mountain streams .* It enters Ware at the north-east corner, and goes out near the South-west, keeping near the Eastern and Southern boundary. It receives three considerable tributaries here, which traverse the town from Hardwick and Enfield on the north. Flat Brook, very near the middle of the town, Muddy Brook, on the East, and Beaver Brook on the West, divide the town into four nearly equal parts.
The falls at the village afford a fine power, the river fall- ing more than seventy feet in less than that number of rods. On these falls mills were erected by Capt. Jabez Olmstead probably as early as 1730, or soon after. His heirs sold the property to Isaac Magoon; from him it passed to his son Alexander in 1765. At this time a grist mill and saw mill stood here which were extensively known as Magoon's mills.
In April 1813, the mills with about 400 acres of the Olmstead tract, covering the whole territory of the village and West to Muddy Brook, was sold by James Magoon, a grandson of Alexander, to Alpheus Demond, Esq., and Col. Thomas Denny for $4,500. Mr. Demond came here the same year, rebuilt the dam now standing on the middle falls, repaired the saw mill and grist mill, and started two carding machines. The house now occupied by John Gil- more and the store of J. Hartwell were built the same year. In 1814, he built the old tavern house, the old yellow
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