USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Mass., 1725-1885 > Part 20
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John, son of John Kellogg, one of the early settlers of the county, was born in Tryingham in 1755. He married Lydia Church, of Great Barrington, and made the first settlement on the farm now owned by Joseph Frein. They reared a family of four children, Philander, Charles, John and Norman, of whom John married Hopy Stillman, of Sheffield, Mass., rearing a family of seven children, Norman, Fanny, John, Frederick, Ralph, Edmond, and Hopy. Of these, Frederick and Fanny, both of Great Barrington, survive.
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TOWN OF GREAT BARRINGTON.
Capt. Nathaniel Turner, the common ancestor of the Turners living in New Haven, came from England, accompanied by his wife and four children, with Gov. Winthrop in 1630, landing in Salem June 12th, and lived in Lynn until 1638, when he removed with Gov. Eaton, to New Haven, Conn. Jabez and William, descendants of Nathaniel, and Elijah, all of North Haven, Conn., were among the early settlers in Great Barrington. Jabez and William located in the northern part of the town, and Elijah made the first settlement on the farm now owned by M. G. Hall. Mix, son of Elijah, was born in 1786, and at the age of twelve went to reside with his uncle William, and learned the blacksmith's trade. They used to bring all the iron they worked from West Stockbridge upon their backs, a distance of six miles. Mix after- wards opened a blacksmith shop on the place now owned by Sarah Couch, in the neighborhood of which he always resided. He married for his first wife Salona Vining, who bore him four children, one of whom, Mrs. Mary Thomp- son, of Suffield, survives. His second wife was Mary Large, by whom he had seven children, George L., James M., William P., Joseph L., of Great Bar- rington, David, of Lee, Silence, and Roberts who married Frances Judd, of Sheffield, all of whom are living. Mix died in September, 1881, at the age of ninety-five. Jabez Turner, before spoken of, purchased the farm now owned by his grandson, H. H. B. Turner. Benjamin W., son of Jabez, mar- ried Laura Hart, and reared two children, Cornelia E., and H. H. B. Turner. The latter still resides in Housatonic.
John Van Deusen, one of the early settlers of Great Barrington, came from Salisbury, Conn., locating on the farm now owned by Charles Hollenbeck, and reared a family of five children, only one of whom, Joel, survives. Joel married Lydia S. Molthrop and reared two children, Newton D. and Franklin B., both residing in Housatonic.
Joel Tuller, from Connecticut, was one of the early settlers in Great Bar- rington, purchasing the farm now owned by J. M. Joyner.
John Seeley, one of the early settlers, came from Connecticut, and located near Long pond, where he reared a family of three boys, Jared, Bethnel and John. John, Jr., married Mary Hart, of Great Barrington, rearing a family of two children, John M., and Laura. John M. Seeley was born April 17, 1814, and when fourteen years of age went into the woolen mill of W. Adams & Co., at Van Deusenville, working there four years, when, in company with Mr. Adams, he opened a store in connection with the mill. In 1837 the mills were converted from woolen to cotton mills, the manufacture of which was con- tinued until 1846, when the mill and water-power was sold to Coffin & Chit- tendon, the power to be used in the blast furnace, after which Mr. Adams and Seeley went to Adams and purchased the water-power of the late William C. Plunkett, erecting a cotton-mill which they operated six years, when, in 1864, Mr. Seeley sold his interest to the heirs of W. Adams, and coming to Housatonic, took charge of the Monument Mills, which he has greatly en- larged, and for which he is still agent, at the age of seventy-one years.
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TOWN OF GREAT BARRINGTON.
John Powell, who was born in Great Barrington, January 26, 1781, married Orange Marcham May 27, 1801, and reared nine children, two of whom, Mrs. Benjamin, of this town, and Mrs. Mary Buck, of Conklin Station, N. Y., are still living.
Jonathan Ford, from New Haven, Conn., came to Great Barrington in 1797, locating on the farm now owned by William H. Burget. He married Polly Bassett, of New Haven, by whom he had six children. One son, Jes- sie, married Abigail G. Grinnell and reared a family of eight children, of whom three, Mrs. Phebe A. Benedict, and Enos J. Ford, of Prairieburg, Ia., and Gilbert, of this town, survive.
Peter Burgett removed to this country from Holland, and located in this town, among the earliest settlers upon the farm now owned by Warren Crissy. Lambert, son of Peter, was born here, and married Fischa Van Deu- sen, by whom he had five children. His son, Isaac, who was born May 20, 1796, married for his first wife, Mary A. Burgett and reared three children, John L., of this town, Maria F. Van Deusen, of Binghamton, N. Y., and Caro- line. His wife dying January 1, 1834, he married for his second wife Har- riett Van Deusen, who bore him four children, three of whom, William H., of Great Barrington, Mary Rowe and Henry W. of Egremont, are still living.
Richard, son of Peter Burghardt, was born in Great Barrington, and mar- ried Katie Van Deusen. His son Harry married Mary Van Deusen, and located in Upper Lisle, N. Y. William, the oldest son, lived upon road I until his death in 1884.
Bennet, grandson of Dr. Thomas Pickett of Sherman, Conn., married Arminda Potter, who lived but a short time thereafter. He married for his second wife Sally Giddings, and reared a family of six children, two of whom, Daniel, of Orleans county, N. Y., and Buel, of Rockford, Ill., survive. Noble B., another son, who was born January 19, 1801, commenced teaching at the age of twenty, which occupation he followed about ten years, beginning at the age of thirty the study of medicine. In 1834 he married Laura Giddings of Sherman, Conn., and began the practice of medicine in the north- eastern part of Duchess county, N. Y., coming to Great Barrington in 1835, and locating near Housatonic, where he practiced until 1873, when, losing his eyesight, he was obliged to retire from practice. In 1879 he took up his abode with his daughter, Mrs. D. W. Beckwith, where he resided until his death, in 1884, at the age of eighty-three. Dr. Pickett was a representative in the legislature in 1851-52.
Jacob, son of Isaac VanDeusen, was born in this town and located on the farm now owned by John E. Rogers. His brother, Mason, married Anna M. Holenbeck, of Greenport, N. Y., and reared three children, two of whom, Mrs. John H. Ferguson and Mrs. Elisha Collins, both of this town, are living.
Christian Wolf removed to Sheffield, from Coxsackie, N. Y., in 1808, and purchasing the farm now owned by Ami Wilcox, of New Hartford, Conn., and reared a family of six children, two, Polly Cook, of Winsted,
11*
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TOWN OF GREAT BARRINGTON.
Conn., and Harriet Lawrence, of Canaan, Conn., are still living. His son Henry, born in Coxsackie, and who was twelve years old when his father came to Sheffield, married Sarah Partridge, of Canaan, Conn., and had four children, only one of whom, James C., of Great Barrington, survives.
Thomas Abbey, from Enfield, Conn., was an early settler in Sandisfield, locating on the farm recently owned by Orville Merrill. His son, Capt. Henry, born in 1791, married Julia Gibbs, of Tolland, rearing three boys, Franklin, Milton and Frederick, of whom but one, Frederick, of this town, survives.
James Bennett, a native of England, came to Great Barrington, in 1859. His wife was Ann Burdge, by whom he had eleven children, four of whom, Henry J., Charles B., George W. and Eliza A. are still living. James died in Housatonic, March 27, 1883, at the great age of 101 years, two months and nineteen days.
Edwin D. Brainard, born in Canaan, N. Y., came to Great Barrington when but fifteen years of age and learned the mason trade. Most of his life has been spent in contracting and building. In 188t he erected the fine resi- dence in which he now resides.
Amos Briggs, of Dana, Mass., came to Lenox in 1820, married Anna Amsadon, and reared a family of fifteen children, five of whom, Luther A., George W. and Mrs. Mark Church, of Great Barrington, Alonzo, of Derby, Conn., and Amos of Haverstraw, N. Y., are still living.
John Curtiss came to Sheffield from Wallingford, Conn., being among the first settlers at Ashley Falls. His son Giles, who came with him, joined the Revolutionary army, serving three years and four months. He returned, after the war, to Sheffield, and married Hannah Westover, who bore him fifteen children, all growing to manhood and womanhood, and of whom four, Edmund Curtis, now residing with his daughter, Mrs. Matthias Snyder, at the age of eighty-nine, Mrs. Cornelia Gardner, and Mrs. Hannah Crosby, of Sheffield, and Electa Hall, of Stony Creek, Conn., are still living.
John C. Russell, one of the founders of the Berkshire woolen mills, was born in Westfield, Conn., and came to Great Barrington with the meager sum of one dollar and twelve and a half cents in his possession. The same silver dollar is still in the possession of his son George.
The First Congregational church of Great Barrington .- In the " North Parish of Sheffield," the first meeting-house was built in 1742, and the first minister known to have officiated was Rev. Thomas Strong-afterwards set- tled in New Marlboro-who preached here for a time, probably as a canidate, in 1742-43. The parish committee for providing preaching secured the ser- vices of Rev. (afterwards Doctor) Samuel Hopkins, who came early in July, 1743. Mr. Hopkins, after preaching through the summer, to the acceptance of the people, was invited, by the unanimous vote of the parish proprietors, September 9, 1743, to settle here in the work of the ministry, and was accordingly ordained December 28th of that year. On the same day with
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the ordination of Mr. Hopkins, the church was organized with five members besides its pastor. To these, twelve were added on the 5th of February fol- lowing, and seven others during the year 1744. The old church building did service until the year 1812, when another wooden structure was built ; this in turn was used until 1859, when it was removed to Bridge street, and a fine stone edifice erected upon its site, at a cost of about $22,000.00, to which was added a chapel in 1878, at a cost of $5,470.00. On the evening of March 4, 1882, these buildings were entirely destroyed by fire, the bare walls alone remaining in position. Soon after, however, was commenced the struc- ture of the present elegant stone building capable of seating 600 persons, and furnished with a $30,000.00 organ. A fine, costly parsonage has also been added. The society now has 200 members, with Rev. Evarts Scudder, pastor.
St. James Episcopal church, located at Great Barrington village, was organized by Rev. Thomas Davies, September 21, 1762, the first settled rec- tor being Rev. Gideon Bostwick. Their first church building, erected in 1764, had used in its construction so much glass that it was known as the "glass house." In 1833 this building was superseded by a building of stone, and in 1858 the present building was erected. It is constructed of blue limestone, will comfortably seat 450 persons, cost $18,000.00, and is now valued, including grounds, etc., at $22,000.00. The society has 170 com- municants, with Rev. Joseph E. Lindholm, rector.
The Trinity Episcopal church, located at Van Deusenville, was organized by Rev. Sturges Gilbert, the first rector, in 1829, consisting of about forty mem- bers. Their first church building, erected during that year, did service until 1868, when the present building was erected, at a cost of $14,000.00. It will seat 200 persons, and is valued, including grounds, at $15,000.00. The society has forty members, with Rev. Arthur H. Proffitt, pastor.
The Housatonic Congregational church, located at Housatonic village, was organized by a council convened for the purpose, June 18, 1841, with eight- een members, Rev. Charles B. Boynton being the first pastor. During the following year their church building was erected, and enlarged in 1867, so that it is now valued, including other property, at $10,000.00, and will com- fortably accommodate 450 persons. The society has 153 members, with Rev. Charles W. Mallory, pastor.
The Methodist Episcopal church, located on Main street, Great Barrington, was organized by Rev. John Harmon and others, in 1845, Rev. Humphrey Humphries being the first pastor. Their church building, erected during that year, at a cost of $4,000.00, is a wooden structure capable of seating 475 persons, and is now valued, including grounds, at $8,000.00. The society now has 100 members, with Rev. Gideon Draper, pastor.
St. Peter's Roman Catholic church, located at Great Barrington, was organ- ized by its first pastor, Rev. Patrick Cuddiby, with eighty members, in 1854. During that year, also, their church building was erected, which will seat 300
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TOWN OF HANCOCK.
persons, and is valued, including grounds, at $10,000.00. The society has 500 communicants, under the charge of Rev. John H. Murphy. This parish includes, also, the church at Housatonic village, built in 1877 by Father Peter Hennessy, whose society has 350 members, and also the churches at Mill River and Sheffield
The Housatonic Methodist Episcopal church, located at Housatonic village, was organized by Rev. Albert Nash, with forty members, in 1868, Rev. Will- iam Bryant being settled as the first pastor. This church building was con- structed in 1870, by moving an old church from Monterey and remodeling it. It is now valued, including grounds, at $4,500.00. The society has ninety members, with Rev. James D. Spriggs, pastor.
St. Bridget's Roman Catholic church, located at Housatonic village, was organized by its first pastor, Rev. James Hennessy, in 1877, during which year, also, was erected their church building, which will seat 200 persons and is valued, including grounds, at $5,000.00. This society has 350 members, under the pastoral charge of Rev. John H. Murphy, of Great Barrington, assisted by Rev. Dennis F. Hurley.
H ANCOCK lies in the western part of the county, in lat. 42° 32', and long. 3° 41', bounded north by Williamstown, east by New Ashford, Lanesboro, and Pittsfield, south by Richmond, and west by Columbia and Rensselaer counties, N. Y. It comprises a long, narrow strip of terri- tory, about sixteen miles in length and two miles in width, hemmed in by parallel ridges of the Taconic mountains, which form almost a natural wall around it, whence its early name, Jericho, was derived. Its territory was originally obtained from the State by several minor grants, the residue being sold to the actual settlers by the general court, as follows : The first and prin- cipal grant was made in 1760, the legislature granting a tract to Asa Doug- lass and Timothy Douglass, of Canaan, Conn., Col. John Ashley, of Sheffield, and Josiah Dean. During the following year Charles Goodrich, of Pittsfield, obtained a grant in what is now the southern part of the town, and Dea. Samuel Brown, of Stockbridge, and a Col. Farrington received small grants in the northern part. The residue of the town was sold by the general court in 1789, to the actual settlers. This territory was called Jericho, and August 26, 1776, Jericho was incorporated as a separate township, under the name of Hancock, the name being given in honor of Hon. John Hancock, then presi- dent of the Continental Congress and afterward governor of the State, the act of incorporation reading as follows :
" WHEREAS, It has been represented to this honorable court ; That the Inhab- itants of a place called Jericho, in the county of Berkshire, have been taxed for several years past and have met with difficulties in assessing and collect- ing the same, and likewise are liable to many other inconveniences for want of being incorporated into a township ; Be it therefore enacted by the Council
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TOWN OF HANCOCK.
and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same that the said plantation, bounded east on the towns of Pittsfield and Lanesboro, north on Williamstown, south on Richmond, and west on the line between this and the New York government, containing about 20,000 acres of land, be and is hereby erected into a town, by the name of Hancock, and that the inhabitants be and hereby are invested with all powers and priv- ilages and immunities which the Inhabitants of towns within this Colony do or may enjoy, etc."
Since its erection as a township, however, Hancock has been divested of a considerable portion of its territorial limits. In 1787, when the line between New York and Massachusetts was finally established, it took from the west- ern part of the town a valuable tier of lots of from half to three-quarters of a mile in length, throwing it into the limits of the former state. As this land was of an excellent quality, it proved a serious loss to the town. In June, 1798, the town sustained another, though minor loss, when a tract in the north- eastern part, about 241 to 389 rods wide, and from 950 to 990 long, was set off to New Ashford. Other than these changes, the territorial limits of the town are to-day as they were in 1776.
The surface of Hancock is diversified by smiling, verdant valleys, and rough mountains crags, presenting many combinations of exquisite landscape scen- ery, and affording points of view that are grand in the extreme, Potter moun- tain, on the line between Lanesboro and this town, being one point that is famous for the magnificent view it affords. Hemmed in, as we have mentioned, by its barriers of old Taconic walls, the town has, extending from Williams- town on the north to Hancock village on the south, a distance of about seven miles, a beautiful, productive, though narrow valley, where are found farms that are excelled by none in the county. South of this valley, however, for a distance of several miles, rough, mountainous rises prevail, wild and rough, and presenting such a succession of uprisings and downfallings as to even preclude the possibility of a carriage road, rendering it necessary for the inhabitants of the valley district mentioned, when visiting their southern neighbors, to step out of the town and circumnavigate the mountains by trespassing on the terri- tory of New York. South of this, however, to the Richmond line, is a tract of excellent land again, having a soil of gravel and loom. The soil, except in the mountainous parts, is a good quality, producing good grain crops, except wheat. The mountain slopes and hill-sides abound with fine pastures, adapt- ing the town generally better for grazing purposes than for the cultivation of the soil. The native timber is principally maple, birch, ash, butternut, bass, elm and chestnut. The town abounds with fine springs of water, and in the cen- tral part there is a small pond or lakelet, called Berry pond. About three miles south of the northern boundary, a branch of the Green river has its source, flowing north into Williamstown. Just south of this source Kinderhook creek rises, flowing a southerly and westerly course, passing through the village of Hancock into New York. There are several other minor streams, though few mill privileges are afforded. The rocks, entering into the geological forma-
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TOWN OF HANCOCK.
tion are principally talcose slate, except in the northern part, where is found a considerable range of limestone.
In 1880 Hancock had a population of 642. In 1883 the town employed one male and ten female teachers, to whom was paid an average monthly salary of $12.00 to males and $21.00 to females. There were 103 school children in the town, while the entire amount raised for school purposes was $800.00.
HANCOCK is a small post village located in the central part of the town.
SHAKER VILLAGE is a pleasant and interesting little hamlet, located in the southeastern part of the town, lying partly in Pittsfield. The growth of the sect here was begun in 1780, when several individuals embraced their pecu- liar religious views, and began to visit Mother Ann Lee and the elders at Escuania, N. Y., and in 1784 they set up a meeting-house here. Among the first to embrace the faith were John Deming, Hezekiah Osborn, Daniel, Na- than, David, Ezekiel, Hezekiah and Jeremiah Goodrich, Israel, Josiah and Joseph Talcott, and Joshua Cogswell, the latter from Pittsfield. Since then the sect here has risen from indigence to wealth. The first elders, or rulers, of the society, after it was fairly organized, were Dr. Calvin Harlon and Sa- rah Harrison. Their successors have been Nathaniel Deming and Carson D. Goodrich, Grove Wright and Eunice Hastings, Thomas Dawson, Albert J. . Battles, and Hannah A. Agnew, the present incumbents. The principal occupation of the Shakers at the present time is farming, though there is some manufacturing, but not so much as formerly, there being a grist mill in the Pittsfield portion of the village. They devote considerable attention to breeding and growing cattle, with much success. Ira R. Lawson is their business manager. A large, circular stone barn, 270 feet in diameter, with walls twenty-one feet high and from two to three feet thick, built in 1826, is considered much of a curiosity in its way. "There is nothing to be said against the Shakers," says J. G. Holland, " except that their religion involves the sacrifice of the purest and most enobling relations of life, and-(theoret- ically) the depopulation of the world."
Asa Douglass, the first of the grantees in the original grant of 1760, made the first settlement in the town, in 1762, the story of his settlement being as follows: Having been " unsuccessfully engaged in trade at Canaan, Conn., he concluded to go into a newer country, to try his fortune. Journeying north- ward, inquiring for a good locality in which to settle, he was directed by an Indian to this place. He liked it, sought and obtained a grant of 1,000 acres, and located his dwelling " southwest of the present village, near where the road crosses into the State of New York. Here located, also, most if not all of his seven sons. The settlement was soon after augmented by the arrival of John Clothier, Jesse Squire, Amasa and Martin Johnson, Benjamin Davis, Samuel Grippen, David Sprague, Samuel Hand, Capt. Caleb Gardner, David Vaughn, Reuben Ely, and Henry and Jonathan Hazard, most of whom were from Connecticut and Rhode Island.
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TOWN OF HANCOCK.
In 1764, Daniel Goodrich, nephew of Charles Goodrich, who had obtained the second grant as previously mentioned, began a settlement thereon. During the following year he was joined by his father and his nine brothers, Benjamin, Samuel, Nathan, David, Ezekiel, Elizur, Hezekiah, Jeremiah and Enoch; and about the same time came Jeremiah and Hezekiah Osborne, father and son, and Israel Talcott. In this many of the settlers on this grant afterwards became Shakers.
The first child born in the town was William Douglass, grandson of Asa, the latter of whom was also a direct ancestor of Hon. Stephen A Douglass. The first school-house was built soon after the settlement began, on the Douglass grant. The first grist and saw-mill was built by John Gardner. The first church was built in 1791.
Hon. Rodman Hazard, grandson of Jonathan Hazard, an Englishman and one of the earliest settlers, was born in 1775. Rodman was apprenticed to a tanner and currier in Lanesboro, after which he was engaged for several years as a journeyman shoemaker. He represented the town for a number of years in the State legislature, served one term in the State senate, was a member of the Governor's Council, and was in the senate at the time of the laying of the corner-stone of Bunker Hill Monument, assisting as one of the committees on that occasion. Rodman had two sons, who settled in Han- cock, Rodman, Jr., and Thomas J, The widow of the latter, Mrs. Amanda C. Hazard, still resides there.
Thomas Eldridge removed from East Greenwich, R. I., in 1776, when his son Griffin was only thirteen years of age, coming in a covered wagon, drawn by a yoke of oxen and a horse. Griffin Eldridge reared a family of eight chil- dren, of whom the survivors are Mrs. Hannah White, nearly eighty-one years of age, and Lyman Eldridge, in his seventy-ninth year. Lyman has been a deacon of the Baptist church for nearly thirty-four years.
Caleb Gardner, from near Wickford, Rhode Island, located in Hancock in 1767, on the place now owned by Kirk E. Gardner, which has always been in the possession of the Gardners since. The only representatives now living in Hancock are a great-granddaughter, Sarah W. Gardner, who resides on the place adjoining the homestead, and a great-grandson, Kirk E., together with his son John D., and his daughter, Mrs. F. H. Eldridge. Caleb's son John Gardner represented Hancock in the State legislature, and Kirk E. repre- sented the Berkshire county district in the State legislature in 1873.
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