USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Mass., 1725-1885 > Part 32
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This date places John Perry as the first settler in the Hoosac Valley, though he never came back here. Among the early settlers of Egremont, however, was a John Perry, who possibly may have been the one in question. The es- timates he made on his property, it must be remembered, was in "lawful money, " that is, colonial bills made legal tenders, and these, during that very year, were being redeemed by Massachusetts at the rate of eleven for one sil- ver dollar.
Jeremey Slye removed to North Adams from Rhode Island, at an early date, coming some time previous to 1784. He located on a portion of the farm now owned by his grandson, Addison M., where he resided until his death in 1854, rearing a family of five children, of whom but one, Mrs. Lydia Howland, of Palmyra, N. Y., survives. A son, Ira, born here in 1805, lived upon the homestead until his death in 1880, and was the father of eight children, five of whom are now living, one son, Addision, occupying the old homestead. A daughter, Mrs. Martha Bowen, resides in Adams.
Otis Blackinton immigrated to this town from Attleboro, Mass., in 1782, located about three miles from the village, and followed farming as a business. He reared a family of ten or eleven children, four of whom are still living. He died while on a visit to Attleboro. One son, Sanford, was born in Attleboro, in 1798, but has spent his life in this town. He has been engaged in manufacturing a great many years, and is now president of the Glen Woolen Company, also of the Blackinton Woolen Company. He is
17*
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president also of the Adams National bank, and for many years has been one of the most prominent business men of the town.
James Paul, of Connecticut, came to this town about 1786, and located on road 18. He was an extensive farmer and land holder. Of his family of eight children, one, David, now resides in Indiana. James died about 1828. .Joseph, another son of James, came here with his father when about four years of age. When a young man he was a school teacher. About 1816 he married and settled on the farm where his father first settled, where he resided until 1852, rearing four children, all of whom are now living, and one of whom, George R., succeeds to the homestead.
Elisha Kingsley came to this town from Swansea, Mass., about 1790, locat- ing in 1810 on road 23, where he died in 1849. Two sons, Elisha and Henry W., reside in North Adams, Henry occupying a farm adjoining that formerly owned by his father.
William Wilbur came to this town about 1800, located upon the farm now owned by his grandson, L. S. Wilbur, rearing a large family. His son, Smith, was born in town in 1804, and resided here until his death in 1879. Two of his children, Mrs. Emily Ballou, of Adams, and L. S., residing in this town, on road 20, survive.
Ansel Amadon came to North Adams from Pownal, Vt., at an early date residing here until his death. His son, Philander, accompanied him here, where he also resided until his death in 1875. His two sons, George A., and L. T., are residents of this town.
David Darling, a blacksmith by trade, immigrated to this town from Rhode Island about a century ago, and is said to have been the first to carry on that trade in North Adams. His son David, who came here about the same time, followed his father's trade, also keeping a hotel on the site of the present Martin block, which was known as the " Black Tavern." George, son of David, Jr., also a blacksmith, always resided in North Adams, and reared a family of five children, three of whom are still living, and two, Albert and Allen B., in this town.
James Eddy went to Adams from Rhode Island, at an early date, it being some time previous to 1784. He settled in the "Bowen District," and reared a family of seven children, among whom was one son, Preserved, born in 1795, who always resided either in that town or North Adams until his death in 1867, rearing four children, of whom three are still living, among whom are Mrs. William Ketchum, and James W. Eddy.
John Whipple from Rhode Island, came to North Adams about 1807, locating near the village, but afterwards removing to South Adams, where he died, about 1843, having reared a large family, five surviving. One daughter, Almira, married Nathan Gove, an early settler from New Hampshire, and had thirteen children, five still living, and one son, W. H. Gove, residing on road 2, in this town.
Orson Wells, grandson of John Wells, one of the early settlers of Chesh-
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ire, was born in that town in 1795, and removed to North Adams in 1810, engaging in the manufacture of acid. He married Zeruah Philips in 1817, and has one son, Daniel M., whom he has associated with himself in busi- ness. Mr. Wells is now eighty-nine years of age.
Benjamin Chase, from Dartmouth, Mass., came to this town about the year 1812, and cleared a farm. None of his family of nine children are now living. One son, Joseph, who came here with his father, resided upon the homestead until his death ,in 1837, at the age of eight-seven, and was the father of eleven children, of whom Hiram A. succeeded to the old home- stead on road 21.
Ezra D. Whitaker, son of Ezra, a sea captain, was a merchant in this town from 1824 to '29, after which he removed to Troy, N. Y., returning to North Adams in about five years, and engaging in mercantile pursuits, which he fol- lowed until about 1858 when he became treasurer of the North Adams sav- ings bank, which office he resigned October 7, 1872, after a service of about fourteen years. He is still an active business man, although eighty-six years of age. His son, Valmore A., was chosen treasurer of the bank to succeed his father, which office he still holds.
Josiah Quincy Robinson emigrated to Adams from Hardwick, where he remained from 1794 to 1828, when he settled in North Adams, where he died in 1856, at the age of eighty-three. His son, Benjamin F., who was born in Adams, coming thence to North Adams in 1828, owns several farms in Adams, and two in North Adams. He was engaged in mercantile pursuits until 1845. He married Eliza B. Whitman, who died in 1853, rearing three children, two of whom, Mrs. Susan F. Fisher of New York, and Sarah Eliza, wife of G. L. Rice, of this town, are still living.
Dr. Edward Norman, born in Hudson, N. Y., in 1806, removed to this town in 1830, and opened the first drug store in the place, selling out in 1859, to W. H. Griswold and Dr. Lawrence, both now deceased. Dr. Norman married Miss L. M. Putnam, a great-granddaughter of Gen. Israel Putnam, by whom he had two children, Martha M., wife of Samuel Keyes, of this village, and Emily N., wife of L. M. Hayden. He was one of the oldest F. & A. Masons in the town. He died May 28, 1874.
Dr. Seth N. Briggs was born at Rochester, Vt., September 2, 1813, the youngest of six children of Enos and Lovisa (Nichols) Briggs. He began the study of medicine in 1832, with Dr. Ross, of Rutland, and afterwards studied in Philadelphia. He first began practice in Starksboro, but in 1840 came to North Adams, and has since practiced in this place. His wife was Sarah Campbell, also from Rochester. They have three daughters, all residents of North Adams, Calphurna V. (Mrs. William M. Lennox) Elizabeth (Mrs. Oliver Arnold), and Mrs. Minerva S. Boss.
Dr. Snell Babbitt's father was a Revolutionary soldier, and a prominent early settler in Savoy, serving in the legislature several terms. Snell came with his father from Norton, Mass., to Savoy. He became a physician and
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practiced in Hancock for some years, when he moved to Adams, where he practiced successfully until his death in 1854.
Dr. Nathan S. Babbitt, son of Dr. Snell Babbitt, was born in Hancock, August 30, 1812. He studied medicine with his father and with Dr. Wells, of Windsor, graduated at Williams college, and began the practice of medicine before twenty-one years of age, and has always practiced medicine in Adams. He married Ann Eliza Robinson and has no children.
William Hazelett, was born in Houston, Scotland, in 1821, emigrating to North Adams in 1834. He married Miss Chesbro, by whom he has four chil- dren, Mary S., David W., Emma E., and William H., all living. He was a member of Co. B, roth Regt. Mass. Vols.
James Hunter emigrated from Scotland to America in 1833, locating in 1838, in North Adams. In company with Mclellan, Magee, and Dr. Hauks, and under the firm name of Mclellan, Hunter & Co., he built the original Greylock mills at Greylock.
James Easton, a shoemaker, by trade, was born in Southwick, Mass., in 1819. He came to this town in 1841, where he has followed his trade forty- three years.
Lester M. Hayden, born in Clarksburg in 1831, came to North Adams in 1853. He married Susan Clark, by whom he had three children, John, Fred, and Arthur. He was a captain in Co. E, 31st Mass. Vols., afterwards the 6th Mass. Cavalry in the late war for the Union.
Moses B. Darling, from Rowe, Mass. removed to this town in 1858. He has been engaged in the grocery business about thirty years. In 1883 he was elected representative of the second district to the general court by the Republican party, and he has also been assessor several years.
Edward A. Messer, born in Troy, N. Y., in 1844, came to this town in 1867, where he is now foreman in the extensive shoe factory of the Sampson Manufacturing Co. He married Miss Kimball, rearing nine children, namely : Mary, Charles, Maude, Edna, Ralph, Frank, Willie, Madge, and Paul, seven still living.
William H. Button, of Berlin, N. Y., came to Adams in 1869. He was a member of Co. I, 30th Regt., N. Y. Vols., and was in several engage- ments. He is now of the firm of Button & Bassett of this town.
S. A. Kemp, (son of Nathan Kemp, who came to Florida from Shelburn about 1790, and cleared a farm, raising eight children,) came to North Adams in 1869, and located in Kempville, so-called from the fact that Mr. Kemp has erected a large number of buildings here, both for dwellings and business. He is a lumber dealer and real estate agent. Barnas, son of S. A., is a builder in the town.
Henry H. Peck, born at Whitingham, Vt., in 1841, married Elizabeth Sabin, by whom he had three children, Carrie C., Willie H., and Nellie, all of whom are now living. His wife dying in 1876, he married Miranda H. Sabin, and has been foreman for C. T. Sampson thirteen years. Mr. Peck
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was a member of Co. H, 27th Regt. Mass. Vols., being in three general engagements, and was discharged March 8, 1864.
John H. Towle, from Windsor, born in 1844, came to this town in 1871. He was twice married, having by his first wife, Lettie A. Thayer, one daugh- ter, Lillian M., and by his second wife, Sabra Baker, one son, Alfred S. Mr. Towle enlisted in Co. B, 10th Regt. Mass. Vols., was wounded at the battle of Malvern Hill, July Ist, 1862, and July 2d was taken a captive to Richmond, where he was retained two months, and was discharged Decem- ber 28, 1863. He is now employed in the Sampson shoe factory.
J. M. Pinkham, a native of New Hampshire, born in 1836, was a member of the Ist N. H. Cavalry. He came to this town in 1875, where he is one of the foremen in Sampson's shoe factory. He married for his first wife, Sarah Plumber, by whom he had two children, Fred W. and Metta W. He married for his second wife Melinda M. George.
Joseph Scott, a blacksmith, located in the southern part of Williamstown about 1808, and reared a family of nine children, seven of whom are still liv- ing, five residing in North Adams, one in Worcester, Mass., and one in Penn- sylvania. Joseph died about 1869, aged eighty years.
W. H. Draper, from Brimfield, Mass., came to North Adams in 1882. He married Sarah J. Wheeler, of Marlboro, Mass., rearing four children : Ella, who died in 1869, William E., Ea M., and Charles E. Mr. Draper was a member of the roth Regt., Mass. Vols., under Gen Miles, in the 6th corps. He is now one of the foremen in Sampson Manufacturing Co,
David Smith, born in West Stockbridge, Mass., was a soldier in the war of 1812. He married Betsey Smith, by whom he had eight children. Orange, born in 1810, married Climena Kline, and reared a family of ten children. His daughter, Amanda, married Nelson Bishop, and resides in North Adams.
Don C. Mathews, born in Skowhegan, Maine, in 1850, came to North Adams in 1883, and is now one of the foremen in the Sampson Mfg. Co.'s works. He married Mary J. McKay, by whom he has had three children, two, Louisa H. and Rena Mckay, are living.
The Congregational church of North Adams .- The early settlers, most of whom were from Connecticut, immediately established the institutions of religion, in accordance as well with their uniform policy, as with the con- ditions attached by the general court to the conveyance of the township. They built a meeting-house of logs, on a site at the corner of the roads near the southern line of the town. A church was formed, and Rev. Samuel Todd settled as pastor, but at what date is not known, as the records are lost. It was probably, however, in 1766; at least Mr. Todd came into the town in the autumn of that year. The change in the character of the population, which must have occurred soon after Mr. Todd's settlement, withdrew from him his support, and put a stop to his labors. A vote of the inhabitants was taken, January 3, 1778, proposing to him to relinquish his claim to the min- isterial lands, and to receive his dismission, but, while he acceeded to the
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latter clause, he retained the lands. Mr. Todd was a native of North Haven, Conn., and graduated at Yale college in 1734. The first church probably existed, with him as pastor, for about ten years, and then became extinct. For a period of twenty years after the dismissal of Mr. Todd, there was no society in the town except that of the Friends, which was formed in 1781. About 1782 the people of North Adams, comprising the remnants of the de- funct Congregational church, with others of similar sentiments, joined in put- ting up and covering the frame of a meeting-house a few rods south of the village, which stood unfinished and unused until 1794, when it was moved into the village and finished. But it was not until April 19, 1827, that the present church was organized, Rev. J. W. Yeomans being the first pastor. Their fine brick church building, located on Summer street, was completed and opened during the following year.
The First Baptist church of North Adams, located on Church street, was organized under the ministry of Elder George Witherell, with twenty-two members, October 30, 1808. Their first church building, however, was erected ten years previous, in 1798. It did service until 1828, when it was succeeded by another, which was used until 1848, and the present structure was erected in 1880. It will comfortably accommodate about 1,000 persons, and is valued, including grounds and other property, at $100,000.00, the original cost of the church being about $50,000.00. The society now has 900 members, with Rev. A. C. Osborn, D. D., pastor. The home Sunday school has 600 scholars and the five mission schools about 100 each.
The Methodist Episcopal church, located on Church street, was organized by Rev. Mr. Lewis, of Petersburg, N. Y., with twenty members, in 1824. Rev. Friend Draper being the first pastor. Their first church building, erected in 1828, did service until 1842, when it was superseded by the present brick structure, which will seat 1,500 persons, cost $65,000.00, and is valued, including grounds, etc., at $75, 000.00. The society now has 650 members, with Rev. J. W. Thompson, pastor. The Sunday school has 400 members.
St. John's Episcopal church, located on Summer street, was organized by William Tatlock, Stephen H. Tyng, Jr., the students of Williams college, and some others, in 1856, the Rev. Benjamin F. DeCosta being the first rec- tor. In 1857 a church building was erected of wood, which was succeeded in 1869 by the present stone structure, which will seat about 350 persons, and is valued, including grounds, at $26,000.00. The society now has 140 communicants, with Rev. Harry I. Bodley, rector. The Sunday school has 191 scholars and fifteen officers and teachers.
The Blackinton Union church, located at Blackinton, was organized by its first pastor, Rev. John Alden, in 1843, with twenty members. The church building, erected in 1871, will seat 300 persons, and is valued, including grounds, at $12,500.00. There are now about 150 members here, the pul- pit being supplied by Rev. T. T. Munger, S. Mckean and A. C. Osborn, of
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North Adams. The church building was erected by Sanford Blackinton and donated to the village.
0 TIS lies in the southeastern part of the county, in lat. 42° 12' and long. 3º 56', bounded north by Becket, east by Blandford in Hampden county, south by Tolland, in Hampden county, and Sandisfield, and west by Tyringham and Monterey. It was made up by uniting the old town of Lou- don and the district of Bethlehem. Loudon was incorporated as a township in 1773, from what was previously known as Tyringham Equivalent, a tract granted to the proprietors of Tyringham, as an equivalent for loses sustained by them. It had an average length of seven miles from north to south, and three miles from east to west, comprising an area of about 13,000 acres, 2,944 of which lay at the bottom of ponds, and was bounded as follows : North, by Becket, east, by Blandford, south, by West Granville, now Tol- land, and west by Bethlehem. The latter section was incorporated as a dis- trict, June 24, 1789. It was originally called the " North Eleven Thousand Acres," with reference to Southfield, which was called the "South Eleven Thousand Acres," and which was also incorporated as a district, June 19, 1797; and united with Sandisfield February 8, 1819, and both of which tracts, with the exception of a few individual grants, belonged to the four towns of Tyringham, New Marlboro, Sandisfield and Becket. The "North Eleven Thousand Acres," or Bethlehem, was about four miles square, bounded north by Becket, east by Loudon, south by Sandisfield, and west by Tyringham. The tracts thus described, then, Loudon and Bethlehem, were incorporated, under the name of Loudon. This name was retained only for a short period, however, for at a town meeting held in May, 1810, it was proposed to have the name changed to Mountville, "or by some other name, at the discretion of P. Larkson, Esq.," who was at that time their rep- resentative in the general court. In June he obtained for the town its new name, selecting Otis, in honor of Harrison G. Otis, of Boston, then speaker of the House of Representatives. As Bethlehem was three miles shorter than Loudon, and Sandisfield extended as far east as Bethlehem, the north- east corner of Sandisfield is only about half a mile south of the center of Otis, thus appearing on the map to greatly overlap the township.
The surface of the territory, lying among the highlands as it does, is ele- vated and broken, rendering much of the land unfit for purposes of cultiva- tion, while the soil is not, in general, of a good quality, except for grazing purposes, as the rocks, being of a granitic character affords but small contri- butions to it by disintegration. Tilley's mountain is the highest peak, afford- ing a fine view of the beautiful scenery with which the town is replete. The Farmington river flows a southerly course through the central part of the town, affording, with its tributaries, many excellent mill-sites. It rises in
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Becket, formed by the union of two streams in the northern part of that town. There are also several large, beautiful natural ponds, as Great Lake, of 335. acres, Parish pond and Rand pond, forming a chain in the eastern section of the town. They are connected by a stream called Fall river, which, after leaving the last pond, falls over a precipice of sixty or seventy feet, forming a charming cataract, after which the streams passes through a deep defile into Farmington river. Hayes pond lies in the northwestern part of the town. These bodies of water, aside from lending a charm to the surrounding land- scape, afford a home for many of the finny tribe, attracting numerous disci- ples of Walton; There are yet remaining about 3,381 acres of woodland, the forests consisting mostly of beach, birch, maple, ash and hemlock. Pine and whitewood were once quite plentiful, but are now scarce.
The geological structure is made up almost entirely of rocks of calcareous gneiss formation. Iron ore has been mined at one place, but owing to the marshy character of the surrounding land, the enterprise was soon abandoned. Near the center of the town, or about half a mile west of it, there is a large rock having an opening or cavity in it, where crystals of quartz and iron pyrites have been found. The cavity in this rock was formed, it is said, in a singular manner. About one hundred years ago, the tradition affirms, Daniel Summer, while passing in the vicinity of this rock, heard a sudden loud explosion, so violent as to hurl fragments of rock a distance of fifteen or twenty rods. Investigation discovered this rock, with its newly made fissure, black and discolored. It was supposed the explosion was caused by the combustion of hydrogen gas.
In 1880 Otis had a population of 785. In 1883 the town employed thir- teen female teachers in its public schools, at an average salary of $18.84 per month. There were 175 school children in the town, while the entire amount raised for school purposes was $1, III.55.
OTIS CENTER (Otis p. o.) is a post village located in the central part of the town, on Farmington river, along which it extends for nearly a mile. It has two churches (Congregational and Episcopal), one hotel, town-hall, which contains a town library and school rooms besides a hall. two stores, tin shop, blacksmith shop and about twenty dwellings.
EAST OTIS is a hamlet located in the southeastern part of the town on very uneven ground. It has a saw-mill, blacksmith shop, hotel, and about half a dozen dwellings.
WEST OTIS (p. o.) is a hamlet located in the southwestern part of the town. It has a church (Baptist) and two dwellings.
Clark Chandler's saw-mill, located on road 12, on Farmington river, has been owned by Mr. Chandler about thirteen years. He runs it about nine months in the year.
William Tinker's tannery, located about a mile north of Otis Center, on Farmington river, employs five men. The power here was first used in 1785, though for operating a tannery only since 1830.
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William H. Stow's saw-mill, located on Farmington river, about a quarter of a mile north of Otis Center, is said to occupy one of the oldest water-pow- ers in the town. Mr. Stow is a resident of Winsted, Conn.
Fay & Williams's saw-mill, located at Otis Center, manufactures lumber, shingles, lath, etc., doing a large business and employing a number of men.
Henry B. Norton's saw-mill, located at East Otis, does a large amount of custom work.
Isaac L. Bristol's rake factory, located on road 2, was first used as such in 1845. The saw-mill just above it was first used about 100 years ago.
The settlement of the town was commenced about 1851, by a few families locating in the eastern part of Loudon, though the precise date of their migra- tion is not known. Among the first settlers were David, Stephen, and Isaac Kibbee, soon after followed by Paul Larkeom, Dan Gregory, Jeremy Stow, Ephraim Pelton, George Troop, Ebenezer Trumbull, Jacob Cook, Tim- othy Whitney, Jonathan Norton, and Smith Marcy. The Kibbee's and Larkeom were from Enfield, Conn., Pelton from Greenville, Whitney from Petersburg, Norton from Suffield, and Marcy and Troop from Woodstock, Conn. At a later period Bethlehem began to be settled, its first inhabitants being Daniel Sumner, Thomas Ward, Phineas Kingsbury, Adon- ijah Jones, Ebenezer Jones, Miles Jones, John Spear, John Plumb. James Breckenbridge, and Robert Hunter, most of whom were emigrants from Pal- mer. The Jones, however, were from Connecticut, and accessions to the settlement were made from time to time from that State. In 1791, at the taking of the first census, the returns show the town to have had 605 inhabit- ants. Ten years previous to this, however, in 1781, Loudon had only forty- seven men capable of bearing arms, as the town at that time was called upon for three men for service in the army, and the names given in from which they were to be selected only aggregated this number. This shows that the settlement must have been rapid during that decade, owing, probably, to the close of the war and return of peace.
In 1774 the first vote for a move towards establishing educational facilities was taken. During this year, also, was made the first interment known to have occured in the old cemetery in the southeastern part of the town, though there were probably burials there at an earlier date. The first road, or path, made through the town was in 1759, by Gen. Amherst and his army, while on their way to Albany, from Boston. He stayed one night each at Westfield, Blandford, Sandisfield, and Monterey. For many years after the Revolution this road was called "the great road from Boston to Albany," and was the only road from those places crossing directly Berkshire county. Burgoyne's army, after the surrender at Stillwater, passed over this road on their way to Boston, and remained three days in Otis, where they buried one of their sol- diers. A few deserters remained in the town, and an officer was left here sick. He resided here several years after, teaching school, though he finally returned to England.
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