Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Mass., 1725-1885, Part 13

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., Printed at the Journal Office
Number of Pages: 972

USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Mass., 1725-1885 > Part 13

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St. Charles Borromeo, Roman Catholic church, located on Park street, has 2,000 members, with Rev. Dennis C. Moran, assisted by Rev. James F. Maher, pastor.

A LFORD lies in the southwestern part of the county, in lat. 42° 15' and long. 3° 36', bounded on the northeast by West Stockbridge, on the east by West Stockbridge and Great Barrington, south by Egremont and west by Hillsdale and Austerlitz, N. Y. The township is extremely irregular in outline, being about five miles in length and nearly three in width,

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TOWN OF ALFORD.

and containing about 11,000 acres of territory, which was made up of sev- eral tracts of land, as follows : A tract purchased of the Stockbridge Indians in 1756, known as the "Shawenon Purchase," bordering on Egremont, the northern boundary line of which town was finally established February 6, 1790 ; the "Greenland Grant," supposed to have been granted to David Ingersoll, of Great Barrington, 652 rods long and 210 wide on the north line, 266 on the south ; and an addition of 712 rods in length to the south - end of this latter tract, made February 18, 1819, and a small strip from New York, that fell into the town when the boundary line between New York and Massachusetts was established. The township was incorporated February 16, 1773.

The surface of the town is rough and mountainous, especially in the wes- tern part, where the scenery is unusually wild aud romantic. The princi- pal elevation is Tom Ball mountain, in the northeastern part, from whose summit a large extent of beautifully broken and variegated landscape is visi- ble. The streams are numerous, clear and sparkling. Seekonk river flows a southerly course through a beautiful and fertile valley in the central part of the town, furnishing several good mill privileges. Burnham brook, its prin- cipal tributary, enters it from the west. Green river, a very beautiful stream has its source among the highlands of the southwestern part of the town, whence it flows through a charming valley, and meandering through Egre- mont and Great Barrington, it unites with the Housatonic. This stream has the honor of having inspired the pen of William Cullen Bryant to breathe the fine descriptive poem, commencing,-

" When breezes are soft, and skies are fair, I steal an hour from study and care, And hie me away to the woodland scene, Where wanders the stream with waters of green, As if the bright fringe of herbs on its brink

Had given their stain to the wave they drink : And they whose meadows it murmurs through Have named the stream from its own fair hue."

And it is a fact that the stream was named from the color of its waters the green cast probably being attributable to the clay washed from its banks, and not to "the bright fringe of herbs on its brink."

The soil, except the rocky and barren tracts of the mountains, is generally good, especially in the valleys of the several streams. In the northern part of the territory it is quite gravelly, while in other localities it is a loam with an intermixture of clay. The geological formation is Lauzon schist and Levis limestone. Galena iron pyrites and hematite are found, while in the northeastern part are valuable quarries of marble. Upon the farm of J. P. Ballard, on road 15, is a bed of hematite which was opened in 1865, when about 200 tons of ore were mined; but the company, for some reason, failed, and the ore was left upon the ground. In 1872 the property came into Bal- lard's hands, who recently leased the mine to Brown & George, who have

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begun active operations again, with prospects of success in the enterprise. The marble is of the clouded variety, and of good quality. That which was used in the construction of the old city hall, at New York, was taken from the farm now owned by Mary J. Reed. H. S. Fitch, on road 4, is operating quarries that were opened in 1845. There were formerly other quarries in operation, and in 1865 a company, known as the Berkshire Marble Co., erected mills for sawing the marble, near Mr. Fitch's quarry, but after a few years the company failed and the work was abandoned.

In 1880 Alford had a population of 348. In 1883 the town employed three male and three female teachers in her public schools. There were 60 pupils attending school, while the entire amount raised for school purposes during the year was $492.62.

ALFORD (p. o.), the metropolis of the township, is a hamlet located in the southeastern part of the town, on the Seekonk river.

C. F. Stoddard's grist and saw-mill, located on r 17, is operated by water- power and cuts 30,000 feet of lumber per year and does custom grinding.

It is not known precisely when the settlement of the town was begun, though it was not far from the year 1750. The early settlers mostly came from Connecticut, among whom were Dea. Eleazer Barrett, Ebenezer Barrett, Dea. Robert Johnson, John and Simeon. Hulburt, and the Sperry, Wilcox, Kelsey, Hamlin and Baker families. Later there came families by the name of Brunson, Fenton, Munger and Warner. In 1773 the population had in- creased to about what the town now has, and in 1791 it had 577 inhabitants, 229 more than it had in 1880. On February 16, 1773, the town was incor- porated, and named, it is supposed, in honor of John Alford, founder of the Alford professorship in Harvard University. The first town-meeting was held on the 4th of the following March, when the following officers were elected : David Ingersoll, 'moderator ; John Hurlbut, town clerk ; Deodat Ingersoll, John Hurlbut, William Bronson, Daniel Kelsey and Eleazer Barrett, select- men ; William Bronson, treasurer ; Stephen Kelsey and Sylvanus Wilcox, constables and collectors ; John Morris, James McLellan and Daniel Griffin, church wardens ; Daniel Griffin, Jabez Olmstead, Daniel Ticknor and Robert Johnson, highway surveyors ; Reuben Kelsey, Daniel Griffin, William Bron- son and James Baker, fence viewers ; Ezra Creppen and Deodat Ingersoll, deer reeves; Nathaniel Daly, Jabez Olmstead and Joshua Hurlbut, hog reeves ; and Noah Hopkins, sealer of leather and tythingman. It was also voted at this meeting " that William Bronson's house be the work-house."

The first mill erected in the town was a grist-mill, and stood where Stephen Smith's cider-mill now is, on Seekonk river. The following is a copy of the builder's agreement to perform the work :-

"This indenture witnesseth that Jonathan Hughs, Dan Burns, Joseph Jones and Ebenezer Barrett, all of Great Barrington, in the county of Berkshire and Province of Massachusetts Bay, yeomen, have jointly and severally agreed, and do by these presents jointly and severally agree, to and with one another on the following articles, and in manner and form following, viz: That the

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said Jonathan, Dan, Joseph and Ebenezer shall begin, build and finish one good and convenient saw-mill in said Great Barrington [now Alford], on See- konk river, in lot twenty-third, west division, by the 20th day of May next ; and the said Jonathan, Dan, Joseph and Ebenezer do likewise agree as afore- said that at the place aforesaid they begin, build and finish a good and con- venient grist-mill by the 20th day of October next ; and in performing the several articles aforesaid, the said Jonathan, Dan, Joseph and Ebenezer are severally to do an equal part of the labor, to provide an equal proportion of iron and all other necessary materials to complete the same, according to the true intent and meaning of this agreement. Dated, 15th day of March, in the fourth year of the reign of George III. of Great Britain, etc., King, etc., Annoque Dom,, 1769."

At the iron ore deposits in the western part of the town, there was erected at an early date a forge for smelting the ore. It was built by John Whitten, and stood upon the farm now owned by E. K. Williams, on road 17. For some reason the employees and neighbors became possessed with the idea that the community was invested with witches, and that one of them haunted Mr. Whitten, as revenge for his not loaning her a horse on a certain occasion, and that she would cause the dam that gave him his water-power to break as often as he should repair it. As the dam really did, for some reason, cause him a great deal of trouble, the story gained general credence, and the busi- ness was given up and the forge abandoned.

Near the forge was also erected a saw-mill, by a Mr. Spurr, one of the original proprietors of what was known as the "Spurr grant," which is sup- posed to have been the first saw-mill erected in the town. On this farm there now stands an old house which sheltered Commodore Perry and a por- tion of his men while on their way to Sacketts Harbor, it being then the prop- erty of a certain George Darby.

Upon the farm now owned by B. E. Stoddard, on road 15, occurred the birth of the first male child born in the town, Abel, son of Stephen Kelsey.

Located on road I, the property of G. W. Stickles, is the oldest house in the township. It was built by Abithy Fowler, in 1765. The building is a large two-story structure, finished in a style not common to buildings of that day, the siding to the main or "upright" part being composed of boards thirty inches in width. Mr. Fowler came to Alford a poor man, but subse- quently amassed considerable wealth, and this building was in its day con- sidered a very imposing mansion.

Capt. Elisha Tobey, from Sharon, Conn., was an early settler. He pur- chased of John Bronson the farm now owned by his grandson, Elisha L. Tobey, and also much additional land, amounting in all to 500 acres, which he divided among his sons. Jonathan, one of his seven children married, for his first wife, a Miss Hatch, who bore him two children; for his second wife, Polly Dyer, and for his third wife, Anna Hill, who bore him three children, Harriet, William, and Elisha L. The latter is the only one now living. He occupies the old homestead, as mentioned above, the third in line to inherit its acres.

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TOWN OF ALFORD.

Eleazer Barrett was born in England in 1704, and came to this country while still quite young, locating first in Salisbury, Conn., and subsequently, in 1760, came to Alford, locating on road 12. Eleazer, Jr., born in 1733, came here with his father, and subsequently married Sarah Church, who bore him eight children. She died in 1779, and in 1780 he married Orpha Bush, who died in 1823, aged ninety years. His son Daniel, born in 1778, married Cornelia Hollenbeck, who bore him ten children, six of whom are now living, viz. : Mary H., wife of James Baker, of Richmond ; Timothy P. and Emma D., in Michigan ; Howard L., in Kansas ; Eleazer, in La Porte, Ind. ; and Charlotte M., wife of Elisha L. Tobey, of this town.

Cornelius, son of Samuel Williams, was an early settler of Alford. He was born in 1750, and in 1772 he came to this town, from Hartford, Conn., and made the first settlement on the farm now owned by his son Elijah K., build- ing, in 1784, the house that now stands thereon. He married, for his first wife, Anna Kelsey ; for his second, Mrs. Thankful (Sackett) Nash, who bore him five sons ; and for his third wife he married Sarah, daughter of Elijah Kellogg, a direct descendant of Lieut. Ephraim Kellogg, who was one of the early settlers of Hadley, Mass. The fruit of this latter union was six chil- dren, two of whom, Elijah K., of this town, aged eighty-two years, and Cor- nelius, of Egremont, aged seventy-nine years, are living. Elijah K. married Orret, daughter of David Wheeler, of Egremont, who bore him three chil- dren, of whom only one, Samuel C., survives, and with whom Elijah resides.

Josiah Curtis, from Sharon, Conn., came to Alford in 1806, and purchased of Pelex Dewey the farm now owned by his grandsons, Robert M. and George R. Curtis. Ashbel H., son of Josiah, who was twelve years of age when his parents came here, married Phoebe L., daughter of Robert Miller, of Franklin, Delaware county, N. Y., who bore him six children, three of whom, Robert M., George R. and Elisha, are living.

Elisha Stoddard came to Alford, from Woodbury, Conn., in 1803, and pur- chased the farm now owned by Dr. Richard Beebe. This family trace their ancestry back to 1060, in a cousin knight of William the Conqueror, and who went to England in the year mentioned, from Normandy, with William. The first of the family in this country was Anthony, who immigrated to Boston in 1639. Elisha married Mary Crane, November 22, 1791, and reared eight children, only two of whom, William and Augustus R., are living. William, born July 21, 1801, married Elizabeth Emigh and has reared five children. He has been representative in the State legislature two terms, 1842 and I860.

Abner Kellogg was an early settler, locating upon the farm now owned by Elihu Church. His son kept one of the first stores in town, where E. M. Gates now resides. It is said that the two men hung at Lenox in 1787, for burglary committed in Lanesboro during the excitement attending Shays rebellion, also broke into Mr. Kellogg's cellar, but appropriated nothing but bread.

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TOWN OF BECKET.

Stephen Barnum came to this town from Danbury, Conn., in 1796. He purchased of Sylvanus Wilcox the farm now owned by his grandson, E. R. Barnum, where he reared a family of nine children.

Jeremiah D. Hatch came to Alford from Kent, Conn., about 1800, and purchase the farm now owned by E. M. Gates.

Isaac Tuttle, from Woodbury, Conn., came to Alford in 1796, locating up- on a part of the farm now owned by H. S. Jacobs. He married Olive Hann, who bore him five children, only two of whom, Michael H., of Alford, and Joanna M. Chittendon, of Lansing, N. Y., are living.

James Baker, an early settler, located upon the farm now owned by W. C. Hinman, about 1761. Upon this farm is an old burial ground, the grave stones of which bear record of as early a date as 1774.

Sanford Fitch, from Salisbury, Conn., came to Alford in 1797, purchased the farm now owned by Mrs. Mary J. Reed, and in 1799 moved his family here. His first wife, Abigail Landon, bore him three sons, only one of whom, Freder- ick, is living. For his second wife he married Abisher Lewis, of West Stock- bridge, who bore him three children, Horace S., Nancy J. Milligan, and Sarah A. Fitch, all of whom are living.

William, Daniel and Benjamin Ticknor, from Sharon, Conn., came to Alford in 1764. William and Daniel located upon the farm now owned by Thomas Cruikshank. Daniel reared two sons, Daniel, Jr., and Elijah, and two daughters. Daniel, Jr., married Anna Chadwick, of Lyme, Conn., who bore him eight children, only one of whom, Ezra C., is living. Ezra C. has served three terms in the State legislature, and has been a justice of the peace over forty years. He resides at Alford Center with his only child, Henry, at the age of eighty-one years.

Hubbard Hurlbut, one of the early settlers, had a pottery in operation for a time where John H. Tuttle's dwelling now stands.

The first church in the town was probably not established until 1780. It was Congregational, and its pastor, who must have been settled about the time the church was organized, was Rev. Joseph Avery. The disturbances that occurred at the time of the Shay's Rebellion created trouble between the pas- tor and his people, and he was dismissed, it is supposed in 1787. His church languished for a time and then became extinct. Several other soci- eties have been organized, but the only church building here now is what is known as the Union meeting-house. Rev. Jay Dana, residing on road 4, is pastor of the Congregational society.

B ECKET lies in the eastern part of the county, in lat 42°17' and long. 3º52', bounded north by Washington, northeast by Hampshire county, east by Hampden county, south by Otis, and west by Tyringham, Lee and Washington, thus occupying about the district of territory that formed, under the name of "No. 4," one of the line of four townships established by

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the general court in 1735. These townships reached from the Connecticut to the Housatonic valley, and were conveyed to the government by the Stockbridge Indians. During this year "No. 4" was granted by the gen- eral court to Joseph Brigham and fifty-nine others, its charter limits origin- ally enclosing thirty-six square miles, or a district six miles square ; but owing to the waste land by ponds, it is said, these limits were somewhat enlarged, to eight miles by four miles and two hundred and ten rods. Various changes have since taken place, however, so that the outlines of the town are now very irregular, viz .: In 1783 that part of the town lying northeast of the west branch of Agawan or Westfield river was severed to go towards making up the territory of the present town of Middlefield, in Hampshire county; in 1798 a tract lying between this town and Blandford, and that part of Otis which was then called Loudon, was annexed to Becket on the south ; and in 1810 another tract was annexed, from that part of Otis which was formerly called Bethlehem, so that the town now has an area of about 26,000 acres.

The surface of the town is hilly, broken and rocky, and diversified by numerous streams and ponds, or lakelets. While these features afford a pic- turesque landscape scene, they greatly retard cultivation of the soil and ren- der much of the land unimprovable. The soil is usually hard and cold, con- taining very little clay or sand, though when well-cultivated it yields moderate crops of rye and corn, wheat being out of the question. The excellent pas- turage lands the hills and vales afford, however, compensate in a great meas- ure for the lack of grain-bearing soil. The natural growth of timber is that common to the vicinity, excepting, perhaps, walnut, chestnut and white-oak. Of the elevations, Benton hill, in the northern part of the town, is a com- manding eminence ; Becket Station, in the northern part, has an elevation of 2,194 feet above sea-level; while Wadsworth hill, in the central part, is the water-shed of the Westfield and Farmington rivers. The streams are numerous, but small and rapid, affording rather poor mill privileges. Among the several beautiful sheets of clear water are Center Lake, covering an area of 163 acres ; Rudd pond, ninety-six acres; and Yokun pond, 118 acres. The climate is clear and bracing, and exceedingly cold in the winter, though quite healthful, withal, the longevity of the town's inhabitants being marked.

Geologically, rocks of several formations appear, though gneiss and granite prevail almost universally, excepting, perhaps, a few beds of limestone in the eastern and northern parts. A fine granite quarry was opened here in 1879, by Brown & Cheney, which is now known as the Snow-Flake Granite Quarry of Becket. It is now the property of Francis S. Gross, of Lee, who takes from it a granite of fine texture, susceptible of a high polish, and which has already found its way into many states of the Union.

In 1880 Becket had a population of 1,123. In 1883 the town employed, during the year, one male and ten female teachers, at an average salary of $29.00 per month for male and $20.00 for females. There were 117 school children in the town, while the entire amount raised for school purposes was $1,105.23.

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TOWN OF BECKET.

NORTH BECKET (Becket p. o.), a handsome post villiage and station on the Boston & Albany railroad, has two churches (Cong. and Baptist), four stores, one hotel, four basket shops, a blacksmith shop, grist-mill, and about fifty dwellings.

BECKET CENTER postoffice is located in the central part of the town.

WEST BECKET postoffice is located in the southwestern part of the town.

A few individuals came into the town with the intention of commencing a settlement as early as 1740, locating in the southeastern part, on Walker brook, where they erected a saw-mill, etc .; but they were soon obliged to re- linquish their endeavors, through fear of hostile Indians, and it was not until fifteen years subsequent, in 1755, that the settlement was renewed. For a time Jonathan Walker and his wife were the only inhabitants, and during their first winter here, it is recorded, Mr. Walker cut his foot badly, so that he stood greatly in need of assistance. The nearest neighbors being in Bland- ford, a distance of several miles through an unbroken wilderness, Mrs. Walker was at a loss how to obtain the needed aid, as she did not deem it safe to leave the wounded man alone while she made the journey. As a forlorn hope, then, she resolved upon taking the bloody bandages from her husband's wounds, and tying them about the neck of their horse, start him off towards Blandford. This she did, with great success, for the animal arrived at Bland- ford with his message of blood, procuring the desired assistance. Through such and kindred perils and hardships did our forefathers pass, laying deep the foundations of our present comfort and prosperity.

One of the earliest tragic accidents in the history of the town was the acci- dental shooting of Micah Higley. He and James Rudd were hunting deer ; during the progress of the hunt they became separated, and Mr. Rudd, sup- posing he saw a deer, hastily fired his weapon, killing his companion instantly. It is said that the accident so overwhelmed him with sorrow as to nearly lead to insanity. A parallel case is also noted by a grave stone now standing in the center of the town, bearing the following inscription :-

IN MEMORY OF LUKE VIETS, WHO WAS SHOT, SUPPOSED FOR A DEER, AND DIED IN BECKET, OCTOBER 21, 1757, IN THE 15TH YEAR OF HIS AGE.

When the trying times of the Revolutionary period came upon the people, Becket evinced her patriotic spirit and remained true to her country, choos- ing and instructing her delegates to the provincial congress, and voting her quota of men and supplies. Some of the citizens it seems, however, needed a certain disciplining before they could be induced to strike off the shackles of Royalty. In 1777 the selectmen of the town called a meeting, whence they reported the names of certain individuals whom they charged with being

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"dangerous to the public peace and safety." At a subsequent meeting, when seven men took the oath of allegiance, these persons presented a long and humble petition, acknowledging their error, asking forgiveness, and pledging themselves to do all in their power for the "American cause." During the late war, also, Becket showed her patriotism, sending out 110 men, nine of whom, it is recorded, lost their lives in the service.

The early settlers were mostly from Connecticut, and bore the names of Birchard, Goss, King, Kingsley, Messenger, Wadsworth, Wait and Walker. The first birth was that of Jabez Wadsworth, in December, 1755, who died here in April, 1826. On the 2 1st of June, 1765, ten years after the settlment was begun, the town was incorporated, and on the 15th of the following month it was duly organized, the first town-meeting being held on that day, when Na- thaniel Kingsley was chosen moderator and clerk; Nathaniel Kingsley, James Birchard and Eldad Taylor, selectmen ; James Birchard, treasurer ; and Jonathan Walker, constable. Of these gentlemen, who formed the orig- inal executive in the municipal government, Mr. Birchard was the last sur- vivor. He died July 27, 1828, having lived a useful life of ninety years.

James Harris, the subject of this sketch, was born in the State of Rhode Island, about 1760, and emigrated to this town immediately after the close of the Revolution. As was the condition of nearly all who participated in that extraordinary contest on the part of the colonists, he came out of it poor, and with a fortitude and perseverance rarely developed in men, accom- panied with sterling judgment, succeeded in a few years in converting the forest into a fruitful field. Many years were allotted to him to enjoy the benefits derived in part from his services as a soldier, which embraced the whole period of the war, he having died about 1845. He was emphatically a man of daring, always ready and willing to embark in any enterprise con- nected with the interest and welfare of his country. Aside from his firmness and iron will, he exercised much of benevolence, although ill-timed and often misplaced. Truth with him was a word of potent meaning, and to its mild teachings he yielded implicit obedience. The following incident related by himself, and corroborated by history, fully illustrates the leading characteristic of the man. At an early period of the war the Continental forces suffered a severe loss in the capture by the British of Gen. Lee, and war councils were frequent to devise ways and means for his restoration to his compan- ions in arms. It was clear that the rule of exchange could not be applied to accomplish the object ; for at this time no general officer of the British army was in the possession of the Americans. Stratagem alone could ac- complish the object. This was hazardous, especially when the duty required was that of a spy, and although officers in command may sanction experi- ments of the kind, rarely recommend and never order such undertakings. Gen. Green, who commanded in Rhode Island, feeling deeply the loss sus- tained by the American cause in the absence of Lee, suggested to Col. Bar- ton, a brave and meritorious officer of his corps, the idea of making the

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Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Mass., 1725-1885, Part 13

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., Printed at the Journal Office Number of Pages: 972

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., Printed at the Journal Office
Number of Pages: 972