USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Mass., 1725-1885 > Part 14
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TOWN OF BECKET.
British General Prescott a prisoner of war by stratagem, to which Barton readily acceded and tendered his services to head the expedition, on con- dition that he should be allowed the privilege of selecting the men to ac- company him from the line of the army. This was as readily granted, and in a short time the arrangements were complete, and Barton, with seven men only, were ready for the march. Night came with its gloom and darkness, through which this little valient band could clearly fancy the rays of hope portentiously lighted up. A boat is at hand, and with muffled oars, they leave their friends for the Island, and presently find themselves between two British frigates lying near at anchor, and comprising a part of the fleet under the command of Sir William Howe. Although the hailing words were dis- tinctly heard from ship to ship, yet in silence did the boat pass along unob- served to the point of its destination. They land, and expeditiously make their way to the quarters of Prescott. A solitary sentinel is discovered, and from a consciousness of the security of the place is entraped, then gagged, and conducted to the General's quarters by his stealthy enemy. The stone house is assaulted, and Barton with his brave followers enter and find missing the object of the search, and in the stead thereof the lady of the General and her maid in waiting. " Where is Gen. Prescott ?" shouted Col. Barton, and with the greatest self-possession the lady responded, " Gone to the camp, Sir." Then boys, fire the house, was instantly thundered forth by the chivalric Barton, at which order Gen. Prescott came forth from his hiding place in an adjoining closet, and surrendered himself a prisoner of war. . The party now hastened back to their boat, having thus far succeeded in the object of their mission, leaving Lady Prescott at her leisure to communicate the intelligence of the seizure of her husband to the British camp, which at the time was but one-half mile distant, and contained more than four thous- and men. Having reached the boat in safety, but one further obstacle ap- peared formadable, and that was to repass the frigates, which was done ere the alarm guns had broken the stillness of the night, and the captors and the captured had gained a firm and safe footing on the main shore of Rhode Island. Harris being the last to leave the stone house after the lights were extinguished, sought for some trifling memento of that night's transaction, and sweeping his hand across a table secured what he supposed to be a pewter mug, but on examination the next morning, found it to be the silver pitcher of Gen. Prescott, which he retained in his possession till near the close of life, when he presented it to his son, Judge Harris, of Amherst, Ohio. His granddaughter, Mrs. Nathaniel W. Harris, resides on Main street.
Abel Cheeseman came to Becket from Connecticut about 1770, and settled near the center of the town. He was drafted as a three month's minute man, and was at the battle of Bunker Hill. Having served his time he enlisted again, was in the battle of Stillwater, and was present at the surrender of Burgoyne. He died here in 1825. Two of his six children are now living. A grandson, Sidney H., resides in Becket.
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TOWN OF BECKET.
Oliver, Nathan, Asa and Amaziah Snow, four brothers, with their cousin, Sylvanus, came to Becket, from Ashford, Conn., about 1770. Nathan is now represented by a daughter, Mrs. Letitia Davis, and her daughter, Mrs. Orlando S. Higley. Asa is represented by his grandchildren, Mrs. S. C. Snow, Miss H. C. Snow .and William H. Snow. Sylvanus is represented by his great- grandchildren, Frederick and Clara, and his great-great-granddaughter, Miss Blanche Perkins.
Timothy Snow came to Becket some time previous to 1770, locating on the place where his grandson, Frederick, now resides. Timothy married Joanna Kingsley and reared a large family.
Joseph Higley came to Becket from Simsbury, Conn., about 1776. He had a family of four children, none of whom are living. A grandson, Orlando S., and a great-grandson, William E., now reside in Becket.
Abner and David Ames, brothers, came to Becket from Voluntown, Conn., in 1777, each locating on road 14. Abner has a grandson, Joel, and a great- granddaughter, Mrs. Isabel D. Taylor, now living in Becket, on road 25.
John Messenger came to Becket from Norwich, Conn., about 1780, locat- ing in the northern part of the town. He married five times, reared fifteen children, and his death, at the age of ninety, was caused by a fall from an apple tree, which he was trimming. He was an old Revolutionary soldier. A son, William E., resides on High street.
Moses Barnes came from Brookfield about 1794, and bought a piece of land on the line between Becket and Middlefield, building on the Middlefield por- tion ; but being burned out in 1800, he built on the Becket part of the farm. He had ten children, of whom three sons, Silas, Wright and Almon, reside in town. A grandson, Sidney, is depot-master in Becket.
Samuel Dearing came from Belchertown, Mass., in 1800, locating in the southwest part of the town. He reared four children. The only descendants now in town are Mrs. J. A. Hunt and children, who reside on the old home- stead.
Ebenezer Huntington, from Lebanon, Conn., came to Becket about 1800. He was a clothier and located in the southeastern part of the town. He had a family of eleven children, of whom William S., the present town clerk, is the only resident of the place.
Joseph Mecum was a resident of Becket from about the beginning of this century until his death, in October, 1883, at the age of eighty-six years. His son, Joseph L., resides on road 3.
Gains Carter came from Wolcott, Conn., in 1803. He reared four chil- dren, only two of whom are now living, Stephen W. and Mary, on the home- stead. Stephen W. has been selectman for thirty-seven years, represented the town in the State legislature in 1848, and the same year was a delegate to choose presidential electors.
Richard Church came to Becket, from Chester in 1815, locating in the northwestern part of the town. Of fourteen children only three are now liv- ing, of whom Richard, resides on road 5.
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TOWN OF CHESHIRE.
J. W. Wheeler, a tanner, came from Sterling, Worcester county, in 1847, and in company with ex-Governor Claflin, bought out Mr. Barnard's tan- nery, building, a few years later, two other large tanneries. In 1865 Mr. Wheeler sold his interest and bought about 20,000 acres of timber land in New York. He has one son, a clerk in Boston.
Michael McNerney emigrated from Ireland to America in 1849, settling, soon after, on a small farm in the southern part of Becket. He has now about 300 acres of land. Mr. McNerney had a son John, killed in the battle of the Wilderness. He was a member of the 37th Regt., Mass. Vols.
Elias Ballou, grandson of Elias Ballou, who came from Rhode Island to Peru in 1782, in company with Sanford White, ran a grist-mill in Becket for several years, but has retired from active business, and his son, Monroe E., now owns the mill.
James N. Cross is of Scotch descent, his grandfather having come to Amer- ica in Burgoyne's army, when but a lad of about eighteen. Amos G., great- grandson of David, is proprietor of the Claflin House.
Joshua Shaw removed from Palmer about 1788, coming to Otis by the aid of marked trees, and built a log house in the northern part of that town. Only two of his eight children are now living-Joshua Shaw, Jr., who resides on the old homestead, and Mrs. Sarah Hokum, of Portland, Me. Joshua Shaw Jr., has a son, George H., a farmer in Great Barrington, and a daughter, Julia E., living at the homestead in Becket.
First Congregational church of Becket, located at Becket Center, was organ- ized by Rev. Messrs. Smith and Martin, with five members, December 28, 1758, and Rev. Ebenezer Martin was ordained as its first pastor, February 23, 1759, remaining with the society until October 12, 1764. Their first house of worship was erected in 1762, and did service until 1800, when a new build- ing was erected, being dedicated on the 19th of November of that year. This building was superseded by the present structure in 1849, being dedicated June 19, 1850. Its original cost was about $3,000.00, though it is now val- ued at only about $1,000.00, and is capable of comfortably accomodating 250 persons. The society now has thirty-four members, with no regular pastor.
The Second Congregational church, located at North Becket, was organized by Edward C. Snow and others, to the number of fifty-five, who were dis- missed from the First church for this purpose, September 25, 1849; They immediately erected a church building, which was dedicated November 21, 1850. It will seat 200 persons, and is valued at $3,000.00. The society now has sixty menbers, with no regular pastor.
C' HESHIRE lies in the northern-central part of the county, in lat. 42° 33' and long. 3º 51', bounded north by Adams and New Ashford, east by Savoy, Windsor and Dalton, south by Windsor, Dalton and Lanes- boro and west by Lanesboro and New Ashford. It has an area of about 18,000 acres, enclosed within an outline more irregular than that of any
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TOWN OF CHESHIRE.
other town in the county, its boundary line having twenty-five angles-obtuse right, and acute, all degrees. It is said that in laying out the town, the wes- tern line was drawn with reference to the religious views of the settlers, taking the farms of the Baptist families into Cheshire, and leaving the Presbyterians in Lanesboro, thus giving that boundary much the appearance of a rail fence. The town was incorporated March 14, 1793, being made up from several minor tracts, as follows: What is now the northeastern part of the town was a tract called New Providence, about 1,400 rods in length from east to west, and 600 in width from north to south, which was originally a grant to Colonel Joab Stafford, Joseph Bennett, and Gov- ernor Cook, of Rhode Island, and was named in honor of Providence. With this grant was taken a tract of about 600 by 600 rods from Windsor, a tract 1,400 rods in length and averaging 800 in width from Lanesboro, and a tract about 400 by 400 rods from New Ashford, forming them all into a new town- ship by the name of Cheshire. February 26, 1794, however, a small part of the territory taken from Windsor was re-annexed to that town, and February 6, 1798, another small tract was taken from New Ashford.
The surface of the town is sufficiently diversified by hill and mountain to form a pleasing landscape, yet it is not so broken but that it is, in general, good farming and grazing land. Hoosac river flows a northerly course through a rich and fertile valley in the central part of the town. On either side of this valley rise gentle hill slopes and mountain crests, affording many excel- lent dairy farms, for which the town has many years been justly celebrated. Rounds Rocks, one of these heights, was chosen as a station during the trig- onometrical survey of the State a few years since. Among the Hoosac's affluents, which come dancing down from the higher lands, are Dry brook, South brook and West brook, affording some excellent mill-sites, and also bringing constant enrichments to the arable soil of the valley. Through this valley, also passes the Pittsfield & Adams railroad.
The geological formation is made up of limestone, quartz and gneiss rocks. In the eastern part are found bods of serpentine, and iron ore in the central part. The iron manufacture will be spoken of later, and the celebrated quartz glass sand produced has already been mentioned, on page 30.
In 1880 Cheshire had a population of 1,537. In 1883 the town employed two male and nine female teachers, to whom was paid an aggregate monthly salary of $47.28 to males and $23.75 to females. There were 229 school children in the town, while the entire amount raised during the year for school purposes was $2,800.00.
CHESHIRE, a post village and station on the Pittsfield & Adams railroad, is a bright, enterprising town, lying in the central part of the township on the Hoosac river. It has four churches, five stores, one hotel, school-house, cheese factory, saw-mill and barrel-stock factory, grist-mill, iron furnace, works of the Berkshire Glass Sand Co., one of the Cheshire White Quartz Sand Co., a
8*
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TOWN OF CHESHIRE.
carpenter shop, wheelwright shop, two blacksmith shops, cider-mill and about 1,000 inhabitants.
CHESHIRE HARBOR, a hamlet and station on the Pittsfield & Adams rail- road, is located in the extreme northern part of the town, on Hoosac river.
The Cheshire Water Co. was organized in 1876, for the purpose of sup- plying the village with water. This company, which is under the control of a president and board of directors, has a large reservoir, rendering an excel- lent water supply to the village. J. D. Northup is president, and J. G. Northup, treasurer.
H. C. Bowen & Son's grist-mill, located at Cheshire, was originally built as a tannery, by Alanson P. Dean, in 1845, and was used for this purpose until 1874. It came into the possession of the present firm in 1881, who manufacture about 500 barrels of flour per annum.
Leonard B. Wood's steam cider-mill, located at Cheshire, was built by Mr. Wood in 1876. He manufactures about 400 barrels of cider per annum.
The Berkshire Glass Sand Co., whose works are located at Cheshire, was organized as a stock company in 1879. They have three mills for pulveriz- ing the sand, and ship about 10,000 tons of sand per annum. F. F Petit- cler is superintendent.
The Cheshire White Quartz Sand Co., was organized in 1876, with a capi- tal stock of $6,000 00, J. B. Dean, president, and George Z. Dean, treas- urer. They have two mills, with capacity for manufacturing 3,000 tons of sand per year, which is used in the manufacture of glass. Their process is to crush the rock, without washing.
The Richmond Iron Co .-- This company was originally organized as early as 1829, though it was not incorporated until 1842. Originally the company engaged in smelting only at the Richmond furnace, to which was added at the time of incorporation, the Van Deusenville furnace, and in 1863 was added the Cheshire furnace. All of these have since been rebuilt, enlarged and improved, so that the company now produces about 12,000 tons of iron per annum, giving employment to 700 hands. William H. Barnum, of Lime Rock, Conn., is president ; George Church, of Great Barrington, treasurer ; and R. A. Burget, of this town, agent.
The John Leland Cheese Factory, at Cheshire, was built in 1870, by the Cheshire Cheese Factory Association. It turns out about 110,000 pounds of cheese per annum, with J. D. Northup, superintendent.
Henry Howes & Son's broom factory, located at Cheshire, turns out 200 dozen brooms per year.
Charles Belair's carriage shop, located at Cheshire, was built by Francis L. Jinks, about 1871, and was purchased by Mr. Belair in 1881, who manu- factures new work and does a general repair business.
A. S. Farnam & Bro.'s lime kilns, located on road 25, were established in 1875. They give employment to twenty men, and manufacture 30,000 bar- rels of lime per year.
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TOWN OF CHESHIRE.
Warren B. Dean's saw and stave-mill .- This business was established by J. B. & Alanson P. Dean, in 1855, who conducted it about six years, when George Martin bought out A. P. Dean's interest. The mill was burned in 187 I, and was rebuilt by Dean & Martin, in 1872. In 188) Mr. Martin retired, and in 1883 Mr. Dean sold out to his son, the present proprietor. He employs fifty men and manufactures about 1,000,000 feet of lumber per annum.
Enos Adams & Co.'s quartz sand mill, located at the corner of roads 15 and 19, was built in 1862, for manufacturing sand for sand-paper and for pol- ishing and cutting purposes. They employ four men and manufacture 300 tons of sand per annum.
The Greylock Cheese Factory, located on road 13, was built by A. J. Buck- lin, S. W. Lincoln, S. L. Lincoln and W. F. Card, in 1863, the first cheese factory built in Berkshire county. In 1876 the factory was taken by a stock company, organized at that time, and is now under the management of Henry F. Wood. It turns out about 105,000 pounds of cheese per annum.
The Cheshire Harbor Warp Mill, located at Cheshire Harbor, was orig- inally built by Elisha Jenks, being then used as a cotton and grist-mill com- bined. In 1881 it was taken by the present proprietor, John S. Adams, who employs about forty-two hands. The mill has 5,000 spindles and turns out about 5,500 pounds of warp per week, under the supervision of George I. Rider.
The settlement of the town was commenced in 1767, the earlist and prin- cipal settlers being Joseph Bennett, Col. Joab Stafford, and John Buckland, from Coventry, R. I .; John Lippit, from Scituate, R. I .; Maj. Samuel Lowe, Simon Smith, Amos Smith, Stephen Carpenter, Shubael Willmarth and John Willmarth, from Providence, R. I .; Jonathan Richardson, from Newton ; Isaac Warren, from Framingham ; Charles Saben, from Kil- lingly, Conn. ; and John Wells, all of whom located here previous to 1770. The first town meeting was held in April, following the incorporation, when James Barker was chosen town clerk. Daniel Brown was the first represent- ative to the general court. The first church, Baptist, was organized in 1769, in the New Providence grant.
J. G. Holland, in his History of Western Massachusetts, speaks of the political history of Cheshire as follows :-
" In 1813, Cheshire was, from its firm adherence to Madison's administra- tion, made a rendezvous for British prisoners. In 1793, John Hancock had ninety-nine votes for governor, and all others but three. From that day to 1843, a period of fifty years, the people were nearly unanimous in their sup- port of Democratic principles, in the popular understanding of that term. Jefferson was a great favorite with the people of Cheshire, and to show their regard to him, and their approval of his policy, they made for him a mam- moth cheese, which was sent to Washington, and there, January 1, 1802, pre- sented to him, by Rev. John Leland, as a New Year's gift. The mode of its manufacture was the following : On a given day, the dairy women of the town sent their curds to one place ; but the quantity thus collected was too
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TOWN OF CHESHIRE.
great to be pressed at once, even in a cider mill, so that three additional cheeses were made, weighing seventy pounds each. The big cheese weighed 1,450 pounds."
Capt. Daniel Brown, who at one time owned all the land which the village of Cheshire now occupies, came to Cheshire, from Warwick, R. I., about the year 1767, locating in the eastern part of the town, where he reared a family of eight children, none of whom survive. He died in 1840, in his ninety- fourth year. The hotel which now stands in Cheshire was finished by him in 1797. He was one of the leading men in public affairs, and was at one time a member of the legislature. He served in the war of the Revolution, and was present at the battle of Bennington. His son Darius, who was born in this town, lived here until his death, which occurred in 1835. He reared one son, Daniel B., born in 1806, who has been engaged in the lumber business and in farming. He has run a saw-mill in Cheshire for sixty years, and now resides on road 4.
John Waterman, was born in Coventry, R. I., May 18, 1755. The first and second years of the Revolution he was a sailor or privateersman, annoy- ing the commerce of Great Britain. He came to Cheshire in the latter part of 1776, or beginning of 1777. His home for two years was in the family of Capt. Daniel Brown, being there while the Captain was absent in com- mand of his company, at the battle of Bennington, August 16, 1777. He was enrolled as a " minute man," but we cannot say that he did service in the war after leaving Rhode Island. He married Anna Hall, a native of Stafford, Conn., about 1780, and his eight children were born in Cheshire. In 1803 he removed to his farm adjoining the village of North Adams. The late Col. Wm. Waterman, of Williamstown, was the oldest of his five sons. He was born April 6, 1784, at Stafford Hill in Cheshire, in a house still standing on the southern slope of said hill. John Waterman, the subject of this sketch, had very limited education in youth, but became one of the best informed men of his time. He was fortunate in securing the friendship and society of Dr. William Towner, who practiced medicine in Cheshire before removal to Williamstown. Elder John Leland was another associate and life- long friend. He was a delegate from Adamns to the State convention of 1820, for amending the constitution of Massachusetts, and also had been a member of the legislature previous to that date He was social, kind to the poor and unfortunate. He removed to Williamstown in 1829, and died May 28, 1830, at the age of seventy-five years and ten days.
Jonathan Richardson, born December 30, 1753, removed to Cheshire from Newton, Mass, in 1767, locating in the eastern part of the town, though afterwards removing to road 20, where he resided until his death, in 1840, at the age of eighty-six. In 1779 he married Esther Eaton, and reared a family. He was largely engaged in settling estates, and held many offices of trust. His son Ira was born in Cheshire, December 18, 1794, and at the age of sixteen entered a store in Adams, with his brother Joel, where he remained
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TOWN OF CHESHIRE.
until 1826, when he returned to Cheshire, located on the homestead, on road 20, and resided there until his death, August 21, 1860, at the age of sixty- five. He married Anna Jenks, by whom he had four children, three of whom, Henry W., of Pittsfield, Esther, residing in this town, and Mrs Harriet A. Wilkinson, of Binghampton, N. Y., survive.
John Wells came to Cheshire, from Rhode Island, about 1769, and located on road 18, though removing about 1785 to the farm where his grandson, John B. Wells, now resides. He reared a family of four children, none sur- viving, and died about the year 1812. His son John, who was quite young when he came to this town, reared a family of four children, and occupied the homestead until his death, in 1853. John B., son of John Jr., and the only survivor of the family, resides on the homestead. He has reared a fam- ily of six children, one of whom, Oscar D., occupies the place with his father, his children being the sixth generation to live upon the old homestead. The house is one of the first three framed houses built in Cheshire, of which only two are standing.
Voluntine Barven moved to Cheshire, from Swanzey, Massachusetts, in 1776, and located in the eastern part of the town, on the farm now owned by Hulbert Jacques. He reared a large family, one or two of whom served in the Revolution. He resided on the farm until his death. His son Nathan reared a family and resided on the homestead until his death, in 1840. David, son of Nathan, occupied the old homestead for many years, but finally re- moved to the southern part of the town, where the Farnum brothers now re- side. A daughter, Mrs. Calvin J. Reynolds, resides in Cheshire.
Asahel Potter, a blacksmith, came to Cheshire, from Rhode Island, about 1770, and located in the eastern part of the town. He reared five children, none surviving, and died in 1848. His oldest son, Aden, went to New York when a young man and died in Fishkill, in 1832. Aden's daughter, Mrs. George W. Fisher, resides in this town.
Stephen Northup removed to Cheshire, from Danbury, Conn., sometime previous to the Revolution, locating in the western part of the town, reared a large family, and died in 1836, at the age of ninety-one. He served in the war of the Revolution, and was at the battle of Bennington. Stephen, Jr., who was born in Cheshire, in 1781, and resided here until his death, in 1861, reared a family of seven children, only one of whom, Jared D., residing on Depot street, survives. Stephen, Jr., held several town offices, and served one term in the legislature. His son, Jared D., has three children, Stephen L., of Lanesboro, Leroy J., residing in this town, and Mrs. A. M. Howe, of the Sandwich Islands. Jared is one of the directors of the Water Company.
Edmund Jenks, from Smithfield, R. I., settled in Adams in 1778, locating in the southern part of the town, upon the farm now owned by Charles Jenks. He and his three sons, Charles, Samuel and Thomas carried on a grist-mill for many years where the paper-mill of L. L. Brown & Co. now stands. Ed- mund subsequently removed to this town, and died here in 1818. His son
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TOWN OF CHESHIRE.
Charles succeeded to the home farm here, where his son Charles now lives, and died in 1844. Three of his thirteen children are now living, viz .: Charles, Mrs. Anna Richardson, and Dennison R. Henry, son of Charles and brother of the present Charles, was a surveyor and died here in 1874. Two of his daughters and one son, Scott, now reside here.
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