Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Mass., 1725-1885, Part 38

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

USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Mass., 1725-1885 > Part 38

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Nathan G. Brown, born at Preston, Conn., January 27, 1818, came to Pitts- field, July 20, 1838, as a supply contractor, for the contractors who were build- ing the Albany & Boston R. R. He married Sarah Brown, of this place, Novem- ber 25, 1841, and has always been more or less engaged in manufacturing business both in this place and in Curtisville. He was a member of the leg- islature from this place in 1862 and 1863, and has held many important town offices, being always actively identified with town affairs. He was also one of the prime movers in organizing the Kellogg Steam-power Company, and was its first president. He was appointed special sheriff in 1880, re-appointed in 1883, and is now one of Pittsfield's largest land owners and taxpayers. He has three children, Agnes M., Charles H. and Jessie L.

Jacob Stewart was born in New Baltimore, Greene county, N. Y., Febru- ary 7, 1820, learned the carpenter's trade, and in 1847 came to Pittsfield, and has been engaged in the builders' trade since. He married Margaret Rob- erts, and has three sons, two of whom live in Pittsfield.

Stephen V. R. Daniels was born in Stephentown, N. Y., February 28, 1813, and came to Pittsfield in 1839, locating in the village. He married Louis D. Hart, of Pittsfield, in November, 1836, rearing three children-Clara, who was born in 1849 and died in 1845; Emma L., born in 1849, and Ella I., born in 1851. Emma L. is the wife of Ralph B. Bardwell, cashier of the Third National bank, and has one child, one, Bertie B., having died at the age of four years. Ella is the wife of Henry R. Peirson, of the firm of Peirson

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& Son, hardware dealers of Pittsfield. Mrs. Daniels died September 4, 1877, aged sixty-nine years. When Mr. Daniels first came to this town he engaged in the bakery business on West street, which he continued ten years, during which time he commenced the business of wholesaling flour and grain, which he continued twenty-seven years. Mr. Daniels had also dealt largely in real estate, and now resides with his son-in-law, Mr. Bardwell, on Daniel's avenue, the street named in his honor. He has served on the finance committee of the savings bank for the past four years, and has been tendered offices in the local affairs of the town, though he has never accepted the honor, pre- ferring to leave those offices to those who could better afford to devote the time to their faithful discharge.

Dr. Oliver Brewster, one of the officers in the regiment commanded by Colonel John Brown at the battle of Stone Arabia, in the Mohawk Valley, N. Y., in October, 1780, was a surgeon, the only officer not from Pittsfield, his home at that time being at Partridgefield, now Peru. He was born in Lebanon, Conn., April 2, 1760, and died February 12, 1812, at Becket, Mass., where, after leaving the army, he began, and continued till death, the practice of medicine. His father was of the fifth generation of Elder William Brewster, of the Plymouth colony, and his mother was of the third genera- tion of Governor William Bradford, of the same company. He was a godly man, and in the absence of a pastor, his solemn counsels to his patients, and his fervent prayers with and for them were blessed to their good. He was a faithful physician and successful, particularly in acute diseases. He fell in an apoplectic fit at a house where he was making a professional visit, dying in six hours later.

Dr. John Milton Brewster, the only son of Dr. Oliver Brewster, was born at Becket, Mass., October 22, 1789. Graduating at the Boston Medical School in 1812, he arrived at home the very day his father died, and at once succeeded him in the practice of his profession. After a busy life of nine years at Becket, and sixteen years at Lenox, where he held some positions of trust, he removed to Pittsfield and continued his profession thirty years more, making in all fifty-five years. Here he owned and occupied one of the old- est houses of the place-now 23 East street, still unchanged, and built pre- vious to 1790, by Colonel Simon Larned, paymaster of the United States army. He was among the most active early anti-slavery men of this town, a genial christian man, respected and beloved, living to a good old age, being nearly eighty at his death, May 3, 1869.

Dr. Oliver Ellsworth Brewster, oldest son of Dr. John Milton Brewster, . was born at Becket Mass., January 31, 1816. He graduated at Williams college in 1834, and at the Berkshire Medical college four years later, com- mencing then to practice, in company with his father, in Pittsfield. In Au- gust, 1861, he received a commission from the surgeon-general of Massa- chusetts to appoint such surgeons as he deemed competent to examine re- cruits for the government service in Western Massachusetts, he himself ex-

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amining those raised in Pittsfield and vicinity, which position he held till Au- gust, 1862, when he was commissioned surgeon of the 40th Regt. Mass. Vols. From the beginning of the war he had earnestly desired to serve his country, and it was his patriotism which induced him to leave a practice of over twenty years, lucrative and constantly increasing, and all the comforts of his delight- ful home, for the trials, hardships and dangers of camp life. Just before the regiment was ready to start he was authorized to go at once to the battle- ground, taking or sending other surgeons to help care for the great numbers. wounded at the second Bull's Run battle. In the army his habits of purity, simplicity, unostentatiousness, were at first much in his way ; but after he be- came known, both officers and men saw that he was a conscientious, pains- taking officer, guided by stern principle, holding to his own judgment when he knew it to be right, which others at first differing from him would often acknowledge. After serving the 40th regiment thirteen months, he was hon- orably discharged October 3, 1863, on account of severe sickness. On re- covery he resumed practice, held some positions in town, and was president of the Beskshire Medical Association at his death, September 12, 1866, at the age of fifty. He was a christian man, of noble, generous impulses, delighting. in the society of his friends, to whom he was deeply attached, succumbing to death after a week's sickness of his army trouble, no earthly physician being able to cure him who had been skillful in caring for others, very many of them gratuitously. His two elder sons also served their country in the war of the Rebellion.

Gen. William Francis Bartlett was born in Haverhill, Mass., June 6, 1840, the son of Charles Leonard Bartlett, and descended from a line of honora- ble ancestry of the Revolutionary period. He, in 1861, then a junior in Harvard College, not yet twenty-one, enlisted as private in a militia company, and in July was commissioned captain in the 20th Mass. Regt., and went immediately into active service. By the death of his superior officer in the battle of Balls Bluff, in October, he became acting lieutenant-colonel. In 1862 he was shot in the knee, while in charge of a picket line before York- town, and was obliged to have the limb amputated. This would have ended the military life of a less heroic man, but as soon as able he accepted the duties of organizing and took command of the 49th Mass. Regt., nine months' men, and was its honored and beloved commander until, in the bat- tle of Port Hudson, in May, 1863, his left wrist was shattered by a bullet, and he was forced to return home in advance of his regiment. His next position was colonel of the 57th Mass. Regt., of three years men, and he led it to the field in Virginia in 1864, where they participated in the battle of the Wilderness, in May, and he received a wound in the head. In June he was made brigadier-general. In July following, he was taken prisoner at the battle of Petersburg, and taken to Libby Prison, was exchanged in Sep- tember and took charge of the Ist Div. 9th Corps of the Army of the Potomac, and in 1865 brevetted major-general. All this occurred before

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he was twenty-five years of age. He was married to Agnes, eldest daughter of Col. Robert Pomeroy, of Pittsfield, in 1865, and went with her to Europe where he renewed an acquaintance with Garibaldi, which in his boyhood had begun, and had inspired his youthful mind with a worship for the Italian hero, and an ardor for military affairs. He lost no occasion in the years fol- lowing the war to speak words of reconciliation between the men so lately arrayed in battle against each other, and by his open hearted sincerity and honest patrotism he gained such a place in the hearts of his fellow country- men as few can acquire though they live to twice his years. He died in Pittsfield December 17, 1876, leaving a wife and six children.

Caleb Goodrich, a native of Wethersfield, Conn., and a tailor by trade, came to Pittsfield previous to the Revolution. He was quarter-master in the Continental army, and was present at Burgoyne's surrender. He died about three weeks subsequent to his return home, Of his ten children, Maj. But- ler and Orin remained in Pittsfield. Orin learned the carpenter's trade, but became a farmer. He married Lydia Sackett, and was the father of eight children. He married, for his second wife, Mary Bagg, by whom he had one daughter, now Mrs. Gilbert West. Chauncey Goodrich, who resides on South street, at the age of eighty-six, is the oldest son now living. He has been for twelve years one of the selectmen. Orin was for many years a member of the board of selectmen, and represented Pittsfield in the legislature six or seven years. Maj. Butler Goodrich married Lydia White, and had eleven children. His son George W., a farmer on road 122, has lived in his present residence seventy-one years. He has one son in the customs department, in China, and a daughter, Mrs. Henry T. Dunham, in Norwich, N. Y.

Robert Merriam, a descendant of Robert Merriam who emigrated to this country from England about 1620, came to Tyringham about 1775, where he resided until his death. His son, Robert, Jr., was born in 1782. He was a carpenter and joiner by trade, married Hannah Walker about 1800, and located on a farm on West street, in Pittsfield, where he remained until his death, in 1839. But one of his nine children married, and but one, Lorenzo, who owns the homestead on West street, survives. A brother, Will- iam, married Lucy Fairfield, and reared two sons.

Frazier Luce, oldest son of Trustian Luce, was born in Pittsfield, Novem- ber 7, 1807. Becoming lame from a fever sore when a boy, he adopted the life of a peddler, for which he proved very capable, displaying a marked de- gree of financial ability, and acquiring an ample competence. He continued in his chosen business until 1850, when he began speculating in western land, and at the time of his death, in 1869, was a large real estate owner. He married A. M. Schofield.

Deacon Almiron D., son of Deacon Daniel H. Francis, was born in Pitts- field, May 11, 1807, and has always resided here. He married Lucy Churchill for his first wife, by whom he had three children-Lucy M., Henry M., and James Dwight. His wife died in 1868. He afterwards married

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Mary E. Merrill. Mr. Francis was a carpenter for several years. After working for Gordon Mckay some years he purchased Mr. Mckay's interest in the machine shop, and formed a partnership with John E. Dodge, who, after several years, retired from the firm, David H. McCleary succeeding him. Mr. Francis has been a deacon of the Baptist church for the past twenty years.

William Renne was born in Dalton, Mass., July 27, 1809. His education was limited, and he entered the paper-mill of Zenas Crane at the age of twelve years, where he remained eight years, when he came to Pittsfield and began the manufacture of neck stocks, being the first person to engage in that business, and in which he continued about twelve years. He also man- ufactured Clough's Columbian Bells several years. Mr. Renne is widely known as the inventor of " Renne's Magic Oil," which he placed on the mar- ket in 1854, continuing with large annual sales until 1877, when he sold out to S. W. Warner, of New York. He has been a member of the Methodist church about sixty years.

Ebenezer Dunham, born in Northampton in 1806, came to Pittsfield in 1821, when but a boy, and was apprenticed to his uncle, Jason Clapp, to learn the coachmaker's trade. He married Martha B. Carey, of West Brook- field, Mass., in 1832, and began business for himself about a year later, locat- ing on the spot where the Academy of Music now stands. In 1843 he erected the shop on North Pearl street, where his sons are now engaged in business. In 1874 he purchased the Jason Clapp shop, and, with his son George, worked both shops until his death, January 15, 1883, on Melville, corner of North street. He reared six children, all surviving him-George C., in Middletown, Conn .; Maria B., Charles, and Samuel, in Pittsfield ; Edward H., in Elyria, Ohio ; and Mrs. Ella G. Hudson, in St. Louis, Mo. Mr. Dunham was one of the founders of the South Congregational church.

John C. Parker, son of Linus Parker, was born in this town in 1822, and married Lydia A. Goodrich, December 8, 1856, by whom he had two sons and one daughter. He was a baker for a number of years, but the latter part of his life was given up entirely to town trusts, and to the settlement of estates, as executor, guardian, and trustee. He was assessor eight years and a selectman six years, also a prominent Free Mason. He died December 8, 188t, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his marriage.

Jabez and Elijah Peck, sons of Elisha, one of the early settlers of Lenox, came to Pittsfield, Jabez in 1818, and Elijah in 1828, and engaged in mer- cantile business on East street. Elijah, born in Lenox, in 1791, married Harriet Isbell, rearing seven children, Mrs. N. P. Davis, Miss Julia H. and Charles O. Peck, of this town, now living. Elijah and Jabez began the manufacture of satinet warp in 1847, which mill is now owned by Jabez L., son of Jabez, who is also largely engaged in manufacturing cotton yarns and flannel cloths. Elijah Peck died October 5, 1878, and Jabez died March 11, 1867. Jabez was, for many years the largest tinware manufacturer in Pittsfield. He was born in Berlin, Conn., in 1780.

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· Amos C. Barber, from Russell, Mass., came to Pittsfield in 1833, and entered the paint shop of Jason Clapp, where he learned the trade, and in which business, and in the same shop, he had continued fifty-two years. He painted the carriage presented by the city of Boston, to Franklin Pierce just previous to his inauguration as President, and another which was exhib- ited at the first World's Fair in London, about 1850-55. Mr. Barber married Harriet Parker in 1840, and reared three sons, one of whom, Theodore H., of Concord, N. H., survives. Mr. Barber is now living with his second wife, Susan Aldrich, of Worthington.

J. M. Holland, a native of West Farms, N. Y., came to Pittsfield in 1830 and learned the painters' trade, returning to New York, where, after a resi- dence of three years, he again came to Pittsfield and established himself in business, building the house in which he now lives, in 1842. He married Mary E. Lavery, three of his six children, George A., Walter B., and Mrs. William Gamwell, residing in town. Mr. Holland does an extensive busi- ness in his line.

Hon. E. H. Kellogg, son of Elisha Kellogg, was born in Sheffield in 1812. He graduated from Amherst in 1836, and began the practice of law in Pitts- field in 1838. He was also later engaged in the manufacture of woolen goods. In 1841 he married Caroline L., daughter of David Campbell, the union being blest by three daughters, Elizabeth C. and May, who became successively, each the wife of William R. Plunkett, Esq., and both of whom are now dead ; and Caroline, wife of William E. Cushing, of Cleveland, O. Mr. Kellogg was chosen representative several times, first in 1843, was twice speaker of the House, was once president of the Agricultural Bank, direc- tor of the Saving Bank, and holding many town offices.

George W. Foot, born at Chester, Mass., in 1830, came to Pittsfield where he learned the mason's trade of Lewis Stoddard, with whom he after- wards entered into partnership, the firm continuing until Mr. Stoddard's death. Mr. Foot formed a partnership with Edgar Hodge for a short time, since which he has been alone in business. Many of the finest buildings in Berkshire county, among them, Peck's and Russell's mills in Pittsfield, L. L. Brown's paper mill in Adams, Weston's mill in Dalton, and Smith's paper mill at Lee, were built by him.

Jacob Stewart was born in Baltimore, New York, in 1820, and came to Pittsfield in 1847, where he has since worked at the builders' trade. He married Margaret Roberts, and had a family of three sons, who reside in Pittsfield.

Charles M. Whelden, born in Boston, Mass., in 1821, was the son of Quaker parents. His father being a brass and iron worker, he was brought up to that trade, but having a taste for the druggist business he engaged in this at the age of twenty-six. In 1841 he became a member of the " Wash- ington Light Guards," at Boston, in 1850 joined the " Ancient and Honor- able Artillery." He came to Pittsfield and purchased the drug store of

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Peck & Olds, in 1851, which he conducted until 1874. In 1853 he joined the Pittsfield Guard, Co. A, 3d Division, as sergeant, becoming captain in 1859, which office he held until 1860. He went in the 8th Mass. Regiment as a volunteer staff officer in April, 1861, at the close of the three months term service he beeame a recruiting officer, and, in conjunction with Major A. M. Brown, raised companies in Berkshire county, three of which were mustered into the roth Regiment. He afterwards labored incessantly rais- ing men for the United States service, until October, 1861, when he began to raise the Western Bay State Regiment, under Maj .- Gen. B. F. Butler. In November he had raised several companies and was mustered into the United States army as lieut-colonel, and November 18, 1861, commander of camp Seward (now the Agricultural Fair grounds at Pittsfield). In Jan- uary, 1862, he went in command of the regiment then numbered 31st Mass., to Ship Island, and when Gen. Butler entered New Orleans, his command was the first to land. After the transfer of his command from the United States to the Mass. roll, Gov. Andrews refusing, from personal motives, to give him a commission, he resigned his position, and served on Gen. Butler's staff while in New Orleans. Afterwards becoming a provost marshall gen- eral of the department of Virginia, where he served until the close of the war.

William Pollock was born in Renfrewshire, Scotland, in 1808. In his youth he learned the trade of a cotton spinner, in which he became an adept, and accumulated sufficient capital to bring him to Canada in 1835, where he tried farming, but soon after entered the employ of Gershom Turner, propri- etor of a small cotton mill near Troy, N. Y., in which Mr. Pollock soon became superintendent. He was also employed by James, son of Gershom Turner, to start another factory at East Nassau, N. Y. About 1840 he hired a small factory of George C. Rider, at Adams, Mass., entering into partnership with Nathaniel G. Hathaway, and they were enabled, in 1842, to purchase the mill. In 1845 they purchased the mill privilege just below their mill and erected the " stone mill " now owned by the Renfrew Manu- facturing Company, which mill has since been somewhat altered. In 1848 Mr. Hathaway sold out his interest to Hiram H. Clark, and in 1855 Mr. Pollock purchased his partner's interest, and conducted the business in his own name until 1865, when he received his nephews, James Renfrew, Jr., and James Chalmers, into partnership. The following year the mill privi- "lege and the land now owned by the large brick mill of the Renfrew Manu- facturing Company, was purchased, and soon after the foundations of the mill laid. Mr. Pollock removed to Pittsfield in 1855, where he resided until his death. He also became a large stockholder in the Taconic Wool Company, the Pittsfield Wool Company, Washburn Iron Company of Wor- cester, and the Toronto Rolling mills in Canada. He was for several years president of the Pittsfield Bank, a trustee of the Berkshire Life Insurance Co., a director in the Western Massachusetts Fire Insurance Co., and a

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State director of the Western, now Boston & Albany railroad. On the organization of the 49th Regt. Mass. Vols., in 1861, he equipped at his own expense, one of its companies, known as the Pollock Guard. His first wife, whom he married in Scotland, died before his removal here, leaving one daughter, who became the wife of Benjamin Snow, of Fitchburg, Mass. His second wife was Lucy Gillson, of Adams, by whom he had one daughter deceased. He was united a third time in marriage, to Miss Susan M. Learned, sister of Hon. Edward and George G. Learned, of Pittsfield, and daughter of Edward Learned, contractor of the Boston Water Works. She now resides in Grey Tower, built by Mr. Pollock before his death. Mr. Pollock visited Europe in 1866, and died shortly after his return, at Fifth Avenue Hotel, in New York city, December 9, 1866, in his fifty-ninth year. Mr. Pollock achieved a distinguished reputation as a manufacturer, and amassed a large fortune.

Noah B. Barrett, of Richmond, went to Hinsdale with his parents when young, where he spent most of his lifetime on the farm now owned by his son, Gilbert A. He died in 1881, at the residence of his son, H. N., in Pitts- field.

Hosea Merrill, born in Hebron, Conn., in 1861, came to Pittsfield at the age of nineteen, locating where the government paper mill now stands. He served in the Revolution, being sentinel at the time that Major Andre was shot, and was wounded. He married Sarah Phillips, rearing nine children- four sons, farmers, locating in Pittsfield. One son, Ayers P., was a physician and surgeon in the regular army, and located at Natchez, Miss. Philip was born in this town, October 12, 1790, and married Frances A. Stanton, rear- ing four children, all now living. He was a large farmer, and died in 1873. His son, John C., born in 1820, married Elizabeth Childs, and has six chil- dren. He was representative to the general court in 1867, and has held other offices for years.

Thomas D. Thompson came to Pittsfield about the time of the Revolution, in which war he served as soldier. He lived and died near the village, and had a family of four children. Thomas D. Thompson, of Dalton, is a de- scendant.

Joseph W. Russell, now residing in Pittsfield, was born in Sunderland, Franklin county, Mass., March 17, 1811. He married Myra Taylor, of Hawley, at South Deerfield, in 1835. In 1838 he removed to Dalton, where he lived until 1876, rearing six children, three of whom are now living-E. J. Russell, of North Adams ; Lucy E. Barrett, of Hinsdale ; and Martha A. Russell, of Pittsfield. Joseph W. Russell was for nine years chairman of the board of selectmen, of Dalton, and served the town in some capacity nearly every year of his residence there.

John C. West, son of Abel J., came, to Pittsfield from Vernon, Conn., and began business here as boot and shoe merchant, in 1836, under the firm name of John C. West & Co., Jabez and Elijah Peck being associated with

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him as partners. In 1839 this partnership was dissolved, and Mr. West, in company with Doria Tracy, now of Toledo, Ohio, began a general mercan- tile business on the corner of North street and Park row, where the former has since been located. Mr. Tracy withdrew from the firm in 1844, when Mr. West's younger brother, Gilbert, was taken into partnership, since which no change has been made. So Mr. West has now the honor of being longer in business here than any other merchant now in Pittsfield. He has been a selectman twenty years, being chairman of the board nineteen consecutive years, and has also represented the district in general court several terms. As chairman of the board of selectmen, he had much to do with raising the town's quota of soldiers during the late war.

The First Congregational church .- December 9, 1763, the town decided to invite Rev. Thomas Allen, of Northampton, to preach to them on proba- tion, and under his ministration was formed "The Church of Christ in Pitts- field." On the 7th of February, 1764, " a number of members belonging to different churches" met at the house of Deacon Crofoot-Rev. Samuel Hop- kins, of Great Barrington, Rev. Stephen West, of Stockbridge, and Rev. Ebenezer Martin, of Becket, being also present. A Confession of Faith and a Covenant were drawn up, and signed by eight male members, "who then and there united so as to form a Church of Christ in this place." These eight original members were Stephen Crofoot, Ephraim Stiles, Daniel Hub- bard, Aaron Baker, Jacob Ensign, William Phelps, Lemuel Phelps, and Elnathan Phelps. Col. Williams, Capt. Goodrich, and other prominent citi- zens were connected with churches in other places, but, a few months later, joined this church. In 1817, upon the reunion of the parish, which was divided in 1809, the name of the First Congregational Church was adopted in place of the old designation. The first church building stood directly in front of the site occupied by the present church. It was a plain, angular, framed building, two stories in height, forty-five by thirty-five feet, and twenty feet high, with peaked roof and square windows. Its broad side faced the street, while in the middle of its south, east and west sides were doors of the same Quakerish fashion as the windows. Plain and barn-like though this building was, however, it was commenced in 1761, and not finished until 1770. At its "raising" the workmen were voted four shillings per day for their services, though they were paid only three shillings, the fourth being reserved "to pay for the rum and sugar " used. In 1793, a new building was erected, and in 1853 the present stone structure took its place, the chapel being built in 1870. The original cost of the buildings was $28,000.00 for the church, and $21,300.00 for the chapel, the former being capable of seating 1,200 persons and the latter about 600, while the entire property is now valued at $75,000.00. The church has 484 members, with Rev. Jonathan L. Jenkins, pastor.

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Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Mass., 1725-1885, Part 38

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

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