USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Mass., 1725-1885 > Part 30
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TOWN OF NEW MARLBORO.
several generations of the family. Roderick had five children, Harriet R., Jabez, Warren D., Mary and William P. Harriet R. is the only one living. She married David Brooks and had five children, all of which are dead. Jabez B. enlisted in the 6th Connecticut regiment and died at Hilton Head, S. C. Johnnie C. enlisted in the 1 1th Connecticut and died at New Berne, N. C. He won several prizes as the best shot in his regiment, although but seven- teen years of age, and after being placed in a company of sharp shooters, won credit for himself by taking the prize offered by the officers of the army. Jabez married Abigail Brooks and reared two daughters, Harriet and Eme- line. The latter was an invalid and confined to her bed for years. She be- ing very sensitive to noise, they built a small house for her away from the street, and in which she was burned one morning while the family were at breakfast. Jabez died in 1879, at the age of seventy-three years. He was always the first to call upon the sick and aid them in any way he could. Warren D. married Julia H. Cook and had three children, William, Nellie and Wallace. He died in April, 1876, at the age of sixty-four. He was a carpenter and lumber dealer and accumulated quite a property. William now lives on the old homestead in the south part of the town, and by the addition of his uncle Jabez's farm, has one of the most desirable homesteads in the county. He is at present one of the selectmen of the town and has the confidence and respect of his fellow men. He married Lydia A. Stan- ton, in 1870. They had two sons, Willie H. and Roy W. Lydia A., died May 9, 1883. Nellie married Frank Coon and died August 11, 1872. Wallace married Mary Sardam, has one son, lives on what is known as the Fox place, near that of his brother. He owns a good farm and two saw- mills and is doing a good lumber business.
Charles Adams, of the fifth generation of the family in this country, was born in Canterbury, Conn., January 2, 1716, and returned to New Marl- boro in 1745, locating on road 6. He married Judith Hyde, by whom he had one son, Davenport, who married Elizabeth Tracy, and reared a family of eleven children. Only one of this family, Phebe, living in New York, aged ninety-four, survives. Davenport resided upon the homestead, and was succeeded by his son, Charles. The Adams family is now represent- ed in town by Edwin, a grandson of Davenport, who is engaged in the meat business in Mill River, with his son, James W.
Samuel Trescott, a native of Stonington, Conn., came to this town about 1759, locating on road 77, on the place now owned by his great-granddaughter, Maria Bishop, after having lived about a year on the place where William Sardam now resides, just over the line in Connecticut. He was the first surveyor in this section, which profession he followed all his life. His son, Samuel Jr., who came to the place with his father when but ten years of age, located on the homestead. He married Mary Clark, by whom he had nine children, all removing from New Marlboro, except Jonathan, who remained upon the old homestead. He married Betsey Cobb, and reared a family of
16*
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TOWN OF NEW MARLBORO.
five children. Those now living are Wesley, in Canaan, and Maria, widow of Wesley Bishop, upon the homestead, which has been in the possession of the Trescott family for five generations.
John Hyde, of Canterbury, Conn., came to this town prior to 1768. He was twice married, rearing four children by his first wife and six by his second. James, his youngest son, married Elmira Rogers in 1828, and has had three children, John A., Elizabeth, and Henry D. James is still living at the age of eighty-one. He was representative in the legislature in 1843 and 1858, and was a selectman in 1851, holding this office for several years, and has held most of the other town offices. Henry D. remains on the homestead with his father.
Hopestill King came from the eastern part of the State and located on road 64 about 1778, building, a year or two later, the house now owned by William Amsted. This house, being built during the Revolutionary war, when iron was very expensive. wooden pins were used in the floor and in putting together all other portions of the house where it was possible. Caliph, son of Hopestill, remained on the homestead, and married Sally Shepard, by whom he had six children. Arial, son of Caliph, married Polly White, rearing. four children, of whom none survive, excepting Charlotte, who married Will- iam Amsted. Arial still resides upon the homestead, aged eighty years.
John Gibson, Jr., of Connecticut, removed to this town with his father, when only eleven years of age. about 1785, locating on road I, where Mrs. Noah Gibson now resides. He had three wives, Charlotte Martin, Lucy Powell and Mrs. Wright, rearing five children, John 3d, Harriet, Noah. George and Lucy. Noah married Delia Fairbanks, and located on the homestead. He had five children, George M., Delia, John, Martin and Noah, Noah was representative in the legislature in 1842, and was in the govern- ment council in 1851 and '52. He, with Warren Wheeler, built the first paper mill on Mill River. He was an active business man and held many offices of trust. He died March 29, 1883, aged seventy-nine years. George M. resides on road I.
Stephen Powell who came to this town from Great Barrington, in 1796, and located on road 17, where his son Stephen now resides, was a tailor by trade. August 27, 1806, he was appointed postmaster, which office he held ten years, keeping it in his house. This was at that time an office of no small importance, as the mail had been previously brought from Stockbridge on horseback.
Nehemiah, son of Nehemiah and Weltha Palmer, of Stonington, Conn., immigrated to New Marlboro in 1824. For several years he hired out, but in 1835 he married Frances M. Palmer, and located on the place where he now resides, a prosperous farmer. He had born to him five children. The only one living, Henry W., resides on the homestead with his father.
John Carroll of Union, Me., removed to Suffield, Conn., where he was engaged in the manufacture of paper for ten years, coming from there in
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TOWN OF NEW MARLBORO.
1838 to Mill River, where he entered into business, amassing quite a fortune. He contributed largely for benevolent purposes and was a great benefactor of his town. His death was lamented.
William Alexander, a native of Ireland, came to this town in 1746, from Dedham, Mass., and located on road 8, where Patrick Barrett now resides, and where he soon brought his wife and two children, William, Jr., and Mary. Mary married Mr. Everett, and had two sons, Edward and William Everett. William Alexander, Jr., married Mary Wright and reared eleven children, Molly, William, John, Lovisa, Lucy, James, Jane, Patrick, David, Obadiah, and Caroline. Patrick settled on the old homestead, and reared a family of eight children. David married Mary Hall, daughter of Ebenezer Hall, and had born to him six children. In 1822 he moved to Mill River and carried on a forge where the upper paper-mill now stands. Alfred H. resides in Mill River, where he and his son Fred G. carry on a grist-mill.
Eben Calkins, a native of Amenia, N. Y., removed at the age of seven years with his parents to Monterey. December 31, 1804, he married Etta Stevens, of Lee, and reared a family of five children. They came to this town in 1847, and located on road I. Three of their children, John G., pro- prietor of a grist-mill on road 49, Mrs. Amos Brewer and Lucinda reside in this town.
Grove Gaylord, son of Anson and Almeda Gaylord, of Norfolk, Conn., came to this town in 1847, locating on the place where he now resides. He was a member of the legislature in 1864, and has been selectman for several years.
Patrick R. Hennessy, a native of county Cork, Ireland, came to this coun- try and settled in New Marlboro in 1848. He located upon a farm on road 54, where he still resides in the possession of a handsome property.
John, son of John and Ellen McCarty, and a native of county Cork, Ire- land, came to New Marlboro in 1851. In 1860 he married Bridget Grau, locating in 1865 on road 35, upon the place, where he now lives.
Dennis Hayes, son of Roger and Ellen Hayes, emigrated from Ireland, coming to this town in 1853, where in 1865 he purchased a fine farm. He married Julia McGuiness, and reared a family of seven children. Mr. Hayes has been a selectman.
Hiram Hotchkiss, son of Daniel and Sarah Hotchkiss, of Norfolk, Conn., came to this town in 1865, locating on road 68, on the Samuel Canfield place, where he now resides. Mr. Hotchkiss has twice married, his first wife being Harriet Canfield, and his second Esther Hawley, and has had born to him two children, a son and a daughter. The son, Dennis H., resides near the homestead.
James Foley, son of Dennis and Elizabeth Foley, was born in county Cork, Ireland, and came to this town in 1867. He married Ellen McLaugh- lin, and located on road 54, where he has since resided.
Nathan, William and Timothy Keyes were among the early settlers in New
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TOWN OF NEW MARLBORO.
Marlboro. Timothy was captured by the Indians, carried into New York State, and killed. A son of Nathan, Thaddeus, remained in town and reared a family of nine children. Denison, third son of Thaddeus, born on road 44, upon the place where S. G. Keyes now resides, married Evaline Marshall, of Colebrook, Conn., and located on lot 43, where P. Mambert now resides. He reared a family of six children, Mary Ann, Dorrence D., Marshall, Loren P., J. Henry and Helen, four of whom survive. Marshall was killed at the second battle of Bull Run. Loren P. located, in 1865, on the farm where he now resides, on road 53. Mr. Keyes has twice represented his district in the legislature, besides being selectman and has held most of the town offices.
David Walker, from Hopkinton, Mass., was among the early settlers, locat- ing on road 21, upon the place now owned by O. L. Dowd, and reared a family of three children,-Herman, Lydia and Calvin. Calvin married Almira Chapin, of this town, and had born to him six children, only one, Warren, surviving, who resides in this town, on road 6.
Martin Norton came to New Marlboro from Suffield, Conn., locating on Norton Hill, on road 34. His son, David, remained on the homestead, mar- ried Rachel Spaulding, and reared nine children. Isaac, eighth child of David, married Pauline Ward, settled on the homestead, and reared a family of two children, John C. and Mary W. Mary is now the wife of E. C. Baldwin, and resides in town.
Jedediah Sage, a descendant of David Sage, the first of that name in this country, removed to Sandisfield, from Cornwall, Conn., and reared a family of four sons and three daughters. Calvin, oldest son of Jedediah, was born in 1790, and removed to New Marlboro, locating on road 38, on the place lately occupied by his grandson, Charles H., now of Sandisfield. He married Clarissa Smith, by whom he had five children, - William H., Ebenezer, Har- vey S., Elisha and Marrietta. William H. passed his life upon the homestead. His son Francis lives on the farm adjoining the homestead.
Ebenezer Hall was among the early settlers in this town. Ebenezer, Jr., located on road 25, erecting the house at Mill River now owned by H. Sisson, and an iron forge where Sisson's saw-mill now stands, or just below, on the ground now flooded by the upper paper-mill pond. Opposite Sisson's saw- mill, he built and run the first carding and cloth dressing mill in town, and probably the first in Southern Berkshire, and the second in the county. Eben- ezer, Jr., married Mary Chapin, and reared a family of seven children, being careful to give to each a name containing no more than four letters, as he had always considered his own a burden. His children, John, Levi, Noah, Milo, Mary, Lucy, and Anne, all settled in this town, execpting Lucy, who died in Litchfield. Noah married Almeda Wright, located on road 25, and reared a family of eleven children, two of whom, Wesley and Chauncey, are still living, and both residing in this town. Mrs. Chauncey Hall is grand- daughter of Thomas Renfrew, who came to New Marlboro in 1745.
The South New Marlboro Congregational church .- This church, located at
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TOWN OF NORTH ADAMS.
Southfield, has already been spoken of on page 237. In 1793 the little church of five members which had been planted in the wilderness, forty-nine years before, and which had been guarded from heresy by Rev. Thomas Strong, Rev. Caleb Alexander and Jacob Catlin, had gathered in strength so that they were under the necessity of building a new meeting-house, which they did, removing its site from Mill River to Southfield. This was done the same year and is still in use. The next year, 1794, Ebenezer Smith, Esq., by order of the legislature, divided the town into two parishes. The early pas- tors of the second church were John Stevens, Nathaniel Turner and Sylvester Burt. The church building will comfortably seat 275 persons, and is valued, including grounds, at $7,000.00. The society now has thirty-two members, with Rev. L. B. Scott, pastor.
The Methodist Episcopal church, located at Hartsville, was organized in 1844. Their church building, erected in 1850, will seat 200 persons, and is valued, including grounds, at $2,000.00. The society has thirty-three mem- bers, under the pastoral charge of Rev. L. B. Scott.
The New Marlboro Baptist church, located at Southfield, was organized in 1847, with twenty-five members, Rev. A. N. Benedict, who now holds the office, being the first pastor ; but there have been six other pastors, Mr. Bene- dict not having officiated continuously. The church building, erected in 1847, will comfortably seat 150 persons, and is valued, including other prop- erty, at $2,500.00. The society now has fifty-five members.
St. Mary's Roman Catholic church, located at Mill River, was organized by Rev. Father Mennette, with 400 communicants, in 1865. The church build- ing, erected during that year, of wood, will seat 400 persons, and is valued, including grounds, at $6,000.00. The society has 600 communicants, with Rev. Father Murphy, pastor.
The Mill River Congregational church, located at Mill River, was organ- ized in 1870, with forty-five members, the first pastor being Rev. Thomas Crowther. Their church building was completed February 2, 1871. It will seat 400 persons, and is valued at about $12,000.00. The society now has sixty-nine members.
N ORTH ADAMS lies in the northern part of the county, in lat, 42° 40', and long. 3º 53', bounded north by Clarksburg, east by Florida and Savoy, south by Adams and west by Williamstown. This town, originally including the township of Adams and known as East Hoosac, has already been spoken of in connection with the sketch of Adams, where the story of the early grant, early settement, and a topographical description, etc., are given, bringing us down to April 16, 1878, when the old town of Adams was divided, the southern half retaining the old name and the north-
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TOWN OF NORTH ADAMS.
ern half taking that of North Adams, which its enterprising metropolis had for so many years honorably borne.
The surface of the town is exceedingly rough and broken, except through the valley of the Hoosac ; but there are still some very good farms, though in general the township is emphatically a manufacturing district. Upon the east lies Hoosac mountain, with its "mighty-bore," a good description of which is given in connection with the sketch of Florida, while upon the west lie mountains of the Greylock group, of which "Godfrey Greylock" speaks as follows :-
" The isolated mountain range between the Hoosac and the Taghconics now generally known as the Greylock range, is not so much a chain as an in- tertwisted cluster of mountains in the towns of Adams, North Adams and Williamstown ; from which a spur strikes southward through New Ashford, Cheshire and Lanesboro, to Pittsfield. The main cluster has a length, from east to west, of about six miles, and an average altitude of perhaps twenty- four hundred feet above the surrounding valley. It consists of seven distinct peaks and ridges rising above a common base. The highest peak-the Grey- lock, from which the cluster takes its name-is upon the east, and has an elevation of about 3,500 feet above sea level, or 2,600 feet above the valley of the Hoosac, at its base on the north and east."
Between these mountains, flowing through the narrow but fertile Hoosac valley, is the Hoosac river, which enters the town at about the center of is southern boundary and flows a northerly course to North Adams village, where it is met by the North Branch, whence it flows almost a direct westerly course into Williamstown. On this stream and on the Branch are many fine mill-sites, not a few of which are utilized. The only other stream of impor- tance is Notch brook, which flows a northerly course through the eastern part of the town, uniting with the Hoosac at Braytonville. This brook furnishes the North Adams village water-works with pure, cool water. Among the other elevations of importance in the town are Mount Hawkes, and Williams and Adams hills. Among the curiosities that Dame Nature's eccentric work- people have deftly constructed is the "natural bridge." " This is located," says one writer, "about a mile northeast of the village, near the line of Clarks- burg, where Hudson brook has worn a channel thirty rods long, and in some places sixty feet deep, through a quarry of white marble. The mass of rock terminates towards the south in a steep precipice. Down this precipice it appears, the water once fell ; but finding in some places natural chasms, and in others wearing away the rocks themselves, it has found a passage, from thirty to sixty feet below its former bed. The mean breadth of the channel is about fifteen feet. Two masses of rock- one of which lies ten or twelve feet above the other-under which the water has made its way, lie like bridges across the channel. The upper bridge is now much broken. Under the lower one, which is beauti- fully arched, the stream has sunk its bed nearly fifty feet." " The walls of the ravine," says another writer, " are perpendicular cliffs of pure white marble, highly crystalline in coarse granulation-a dolomite susceptible of a fine edge
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TOWN OF NORTH ADAMS.
under the chisel. They are mottled all over, from top to bottom, with inden- tations of various shapes and sizes ; but oftenest circular and concave, like a saucer, with an average diameter of eight or ten inches, making a very pretty arabesque fret work. But, small or large, the indentations were evidently made by rolling pebbles kept in motion by the waters of the sinking stream." Near the bridge there is a small cave that often attracts the curious, while another is found about a mile south of the village.
The geological structure of the town is made up of rocks of talcose-slate limestone and mica-slate formation, disposed in nearly equal parallel ranges extending north and south, the limestone deposit occupying the center, includ- ing the valley of the Hoosac.
From the school superintendent's last report we make the following abstract : Population of North Adams in 1880, 10,292 ; number of children between five and fifteen years of age, May 1882, 2,720 ; increase from last year, forty-two; number of different pupils enrolled during the year-boys 1, 227, girls 1,257, total, 2,484 ; decrease from last year, eight ; average number belonging, 1,844.9 ; increase from last year, 45.3 ; average attendance, 1,734.3 ; increase from last year, 56.7 ; number of pupils between five and fifteen not attending school during the year, 346; whole number of different teachers employed during the year, fifty-four ; number in regular teaching force, forty-eight ; total cases of tardiness for the year, 731 ; decrease from last year, 258 ; aver- age number of each pupil, .39; decrease from last year, . 15 ; number not tardy or absent during the year, thirty-eight; value of school houses and property, $130,500.00.
NORTH ADAMS, known also by the sobriquet of the "Tunnel City," is a bright, pleasant, decidedly business-like post village located in the northern part of the county on the Hoosac river. It has, aside from its many manu- factories, fine churches, rows of business blocks, convenient hotels, spacious union depot, and elegant private residences, four banks, and two flourishing weekly newspapers, The Transcript and The Hoosac Valley News, the history of the latter two of which, as well as of the several railroads which center here, and of the Hoosac tunnel, is given in the county chapter at the begin- ning of the volume. The nucleus about which this enterprising town has been built was the grist and saw-mill erected here by Ephraim Williams, in order to fulfill the conditions attending the grant of 200 acres of land made him by the general court, viz. : " that he should reserve ten acres for a fort, and build a grist and saw-mill, and keep them in repair for twenty years," as previously mentioned on page 88. Down to about the first quarter of the present century, there had been gathered about this nucelus a village of about a thousand souls, as follows, to quote from a writer of that time :-
" The north village now contains three houses of religious worship, one for Baptists, one for Methodists and one for Congregationalists. It has seven factory buildings, seven stores, two taverns, a printing-office, a post-office, an iron furnace, three blacksmith shops, one tin shop, six shoemakers, one
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TOWN OF NORTH ADAMS.
silversmith and jeweler, three milliners, two tailors, one hatter, two saddle and harness makers, three carpenters and two sleigh and wagon makers. There are other mechanics in the village, who keep no regular shops, such as carpenters and joiners, brick layers, etc., and there are other shops con- nected with the different factories, for working wood and iron, which are not embraced in this list. The village contains eighty-seven dwelling houses, occupied by 105 families, which, including all employed in the factories, mechanic shops, etc., number not far from 1,000 souls."
This is surely not a bad showing for a New England village of that early day ; but now, in conjunction with what we have already said, read the following from "Godfrey Greylock's" Taghconic, and draw your own conclu- sions of the Tunnel City of to-day :---
" But I think bright, busy, bustling, dashing North Adams, with its lively streets and peculiar surroundings, will show off well in this cool, clear atmos-
phere. * * * To my mind, the most notable thing in this fine old town, or its bright village, is the people: not to disparage some very noble scenery, or perhaps the most remarkable natural curiosity in the common- wealth ; and, least of all, to speak lightly of the grand tunnel. But North Adams is, I verily believe, the smartest village in 'the smartest nation in all creation :' the concentrated essential oil of Yankeedom. As you pass through its streets, you see evidence of this great truth everywhere ; in the shops, in the manufactories, in the hotels : and, if these do not convince you, there will be no room for doubt when you come to the Hoosac Tunnel."
The area covered by the village is, in some places, exceedingly rough and hilly, so that one has here the advantage (and disadvantage) of immediate hill, cliff and mountain, and also fine views of far-reaching, magnificent mountain scenery. The village is well protected against loss by fires, having a fair water-supply and an excellent fire-department, the North Adams Fire District having been incorporated Monday, February 4, 1845.
BLACKINTON is a small post village and manufacturing center located in the northwestern part of the town, on the line between this town and Will- iamstown. The village has also a good free library and a fine union school. The library was established in 1859, by the formation of a society with O. A. Archer, president. A tax of fifty cents per annum was at first charged for drawing books, but since 1878 it has been free. It has 1,400 volumes, with O. A. Archer, librarian. The Blackinton Union School was established in 1873, by a special act of the legislature authorizing a Union Graded School. The building, erected that year, is a two-story wood structure and cost $10,- 000.00. The school has now about 275 pupils, with Frank Ketchum, prin- cipal.
BRAYTONVILLE is a small village on the Housatonic, about midway between North Adams village and Blackinton.
GREYLOCK, between Blackinton and Braytonville, is the seat of the Grey- ock mills.
The Adams National Bank of North Adams was organized in 1832, with Caleb B. Turner, president ; William E. Brayton, cashier ; and Caleb B. Turner, Josiah O. Robinson, Nathan Drury, David Anthony, Sanford Black-
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TOWN OF NORTH ADAMS.
inton, Edward Richmond, Isaac U. Hoxie, Samuel Bowen and James Wilbur, directors. The presidents, since Mr. Turner, have been Nathan Drury, Dan- iel Smith, Duty S. Taylor, W. E. Brayton, and Sanford Blackinton who still holds the office, he being the only living member of the original board, and has held an official position in the institution since its incorporation. The cashier is Edward S. Wilkinson. The original capital was $100,000.00, which, upon the re-organization of the bank under the national law, in 1865, was increased to $350,000.00, and has since been increased to $500,000.00.
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