USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Mass., 1725-1885 > Part 41
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S AVOY lies in the northeastern part of the county, in lat. 42º 35' and long. 3º 59', bounded north by Florida, east by Franklin and a small part of Hampshire counties, south by Windsor and west by Adams and Cheshire. The territory confined within its limits originally formed No. 6 of the ten townships sold at auction by the general court, June 2, 1762, and was purchased by Abel Lawrence for £1,350, though he
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was subsequently released from his bargain on the grounds that the land turned out to be greatly inferior to what it was represented to him to be. Nothing was done with No. 6, then, until April 25, 1771, when it was granted to William Bullock, who appeared as agent for the heirs of Capt. Samuel Gallup and his company, in compensation for services they rendered in a Canadian expedition in 1690, during King William's war. It seems that a grant of a township had previously been voted them, but it was located so as to fall within the limits of New Hampshire, so No. 6 was given instead. Col. Bullock located his grant, a tract equal to a territory six miles square, mostly south of Bernardston's grant, though a narrow strip lay along the east of it, and a larger portion north and northwest of it. The irregular tract thus located was at first called Guilford, and later the early settlers called the por- tion south of Bernardston's grant, being about three-quarters of the whole, New Seekonk. New Seekonk, then, with parts of other grants, was incorpo- rated under the name of Savoy, after a beautiful town in Switzerland, Febru- ary 20, 1797, the act of incorporation bounding the township as follows :-
" Beginning at the southwest corner of Hawley [in Franklin county] and running north 18° east 2,060 rods to Cold river ; thence westward on the line of the channel of the said river 1,245 rods, to the line of Bernardston's grant ; thence on said line north 82° west 780 rods to the line of Adams; thence on the said line south 10° west 1,060 rods; thence north 80° west 240 rods to the line of Cheshire ; thence on said line south 3º east 446 rods to a staddle and stones; thence south 47° west 330 rods to the line of Windsor ; thence south 72° east 1,723 rods to the first-mentioned boundary."
Savoy is a mountainous town, containing much that is beautiful in the way of scenery, but is much better adapted to grazing than grain-raising. A large part of the territory is still covered with forests, giving employment to a great many men in the manufacture of lumber and charcoal. The best lands are located in the southern part of the town. The highlands of the town constitute the water-shed between the tributaries of the Deerfield, Westfield and Hoosac rivers, and the streams, though small in size, by their rapid descent afford many excellent water-privileges. The geological struc- ture of the territory is made up principally of mica-slate, clorite-slate and gneiss.
In 1880 Savoy had a population of 715. In 1883 it employed two male and ten female teachers in its public schools, at an average monthly salary of $22.00 for males and $18.00 for females. There were 137 school children in the town, while the entire amount raised for school purposes was $412.40.
SAVOY (p. o.) is a hamlet located in the southern part of the town.
SAVOY CENTER (p. o.) is located in the central part of the town.
The first settlement in the town was made in 1777, by a man named Bob- inett, who located near the " coal-kilns." What became of him, or how long he remained here, is not known. During the same year Capt. Lemuel Hath- away, from Taunton, located in the southern part of the town, and was soon after followed by others, who located in the northern part, one on what is
22*
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known as the " Dunham lot," another on land now owned by Leonard Mc- Cullock, in what is known as "New State," another on the "Goff place," and another on the hill north of Savoy village. The troubles attending the Revolutionary period greatly retarded emigration, though at the close of the war there were thirty-five families in the town, as follows : Lemuel Hathaway, Daniel Wetherel, William Wilbur, Joseph Williams, Joseph Williams, Jr., Will- iam Williams, Thomas Williams, Loved Eddy, and Zachariah Paddleford, from Taunton ; John Bourne, Joseph Bishop, Comfort Bates, Abial Dunham, Michael Sweet and David Matthews, from Attleboro; Simeon Hodges and Snellem Babbitt, from Norton ; Peleg Hathaway, Nathan Sherman and a Mr. Reed, from Middleboro; Peter Bennet and Elizur Edson, from Pelham ; Joshua Felt, from Easton ; James Nelson, from Brimfield; William Ingra- ham, from Rehoboth; Nathan Haskins, from Shutesbury; Samuel Rogers and William Tolman, from Sharon ; William Bowen, from Warren, R. I .; Samuel Reed, Shubael Fuller, Azariah Heath, Joseph Putney, a Mr. Murphy and a Mr. Hamlin, from some part of Connecticut. The subsequent his- tory of these men, briefly stated, is as follows :-
The families of the two Hathaways remained in town, and many of their descendants still reside here.
William Williams kept the first hotel in the town, obtaining his license in 1794. The Williams families kept hotel and lived in the town for many years.
The Eddy and Paddleford families were also represented in town, for the greater portion of the time since it was settled. The Paddlefords lived for some time in what is now called the " Brier."
Mr. Bishop became discontented and after a short time removed to Adams.
Mr. Bourne's descendants still reside here. John Bourne, born in 1783, was the first male child born in the town. Caleb Bourne, of this family, was for many years a teacher and a prominent man in the town.
Simeon Hodges came here in 1777, and the Hodges of North Adams are his descendants.
Snellem Babbitt, who came here in 1787, became a leader in public affairs and held most of the town offices. He died in 1854, in his ninety-fourth year. His son Edward also became a prominent leader in public matters, while other members of the family were noted as professional and business men.
The Shermans located in the " New State," where the different branches of the family have constituted a majority of the population. Among these were Abial, Jacob, Joseph and Seth. Jabob died in 1873, and members of his family are the only Shermans now in the town.
Nathan Hotchkiss was an early settler, the first settled minister, and received the ministerial right of 380 acres, reserved by charter. His descend- ants formed a large portion of the population in the district known as the " Spruce Corner."
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Mr. Dunham settled in the northern part of the town and left many descendants.
Mr. H. E. Miller, in his " History of Savoy," written in 1879, to which we are indebted for much of the foregoing, speaks still further of the early settlement, as follows :-
" Some of the older families in the south part of the town, were the Ingra- hams, Bowkers, Bateses, Blisses and Sturtevants. William Ingraham was one of the original settlers, and an influential citizen. Obadiah Ingraham, son of William, was for many years owner of a grist-mill at the Hollow, and was also a deacon in the church. His son, David Ingraham, is now town clerk in Savoy. The Bowkers were well educated, all of them attaining hon- orable positions in society. The only male survivor of the Bliss family now living in the south part of the town, is William Bliss, a cabinet maker. Wil- liam's son, Duane, is extensively engaged in the lumber business in Nevada. Of the Bates family, S. W. Bates, alone, resides in town. The Sturtevants came to Savoy in 1811, since which time they have been an influential fam- ily. Simeon Goff was the first of this name in the place. The only village is in this part, on a branch of the Westfield river. It has generally sup- ported two stores, two churches, and for some time two hotels, kept by the Hathaways, Bowkers, Halls and others. In 1849 there was a flourishing lodge of the I. O. O. F., called Green Mountain Tent. In 1850 the " Hol- low" was one of the most prosperous of the hill villages in Berkshire county. Since that time, like other hill towns, its prosperity has declined; however, a spirit of enterprise still exists, indicated by improvements of late.
" In the southeastern part of the town the older families were those of Benjamin Carpenter, who settled where Elbridge Ingraham now lives, and was the ancestor of the Carpenters now residing in this section; of Mr. Mir- ick, from New Bedford-Allen and Noah Mirick, his sons, still reside in the place ; of the Remingtons, and of Capt John Deming, who came from Wethersfield, Conn., in 1811. Mr. Deming had several children, of whom Rev. Amos Deming is yet living here. The 'Elder' is in his eighty-eighth year, \ as for many years pastor of the Baptist church in this place, has bap- ized cver 200 persons and officiated at 142 weddings. He now lives with his ons, Mark and Amos, enterprising farmers and manufacturers of boxes.
" In the part of the town now called Savoy Center, lived Consider Hatha- way and his family; the Millers-Samuel, Barnard, Nathan and William, who were naturally strong and hardy people, and of whom William kept a hotel on the corner now owned by William Sherman-there now being four families of the name in Savoy; and the Carters, who were business men in their day, though none are living here at the present time. The William Carter place is now owned by Lorenzo Shaw, of Cummington, who built here a steam saw-mill, and, for a short time, carried on an extensive lumber business.
" In the 'New State' were the Shermans, the Fish families, who owned an edge-tool shop near Cold river, northeast of W. W. Burnett's place, the Bliss, Roberts, Simmons, and Bridges families. Bradish Dunham, who lived where Horace Ford now resides, was one of the foremost men in the town, taking an active part in all public affairs. Able Carpenter came to Berkshire county in 1787. Abel's son, Philo Carpenter, was born in Savoy February 27, 1805. When about twenty-three years of age he went to Troy, N. Y., and afterwards to Chicago, Ill., buying land in that place when it was but a village of log houses. He established the first Sabbath-school, and delivered the first tem-
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perance lecture in Chicago. He has become wealthy, and has lived to see the city he helped build one of the most prosperous cities in the Union. Mr. Carpenter has given $100,000.00 for religious and educational purposes. His brother, the late Abel Carpenter, was also a resident of the same city. We might also mention other families of this section, among them the Cains, of whom Dea. James Cain is the oldest living representative ; Daniel Estes, a former sea captain, a history of whose adventures would make an interesting volume ; and of William Perkins, a Universalist preacher and grandfather of Rev. O. P. Gifford, the eminent Baptist preacher of Boston. The Tylers have left the town and their farm is now owned by Dennis Haskins, who has near here a slate manufactory, furnishing employment to a number of persons.
" In the 'Brier' were the Dunhams-Daniel and his sons, Alvin and Or- rin, who still reside on the place ; the Pollys, of whom Asa is the oldest now living here ; the Snows, -Simeon, Russel and Harmon,-all intelligent and respected citizens ; Rev. Nathaniel McCullock, who was a resident of this section from about 1800 until his death, in 1867. He had a large family, though only three of his children remain in the town. Four of his sons are preachers, in the Western States. The families of Augustus Maynard and the late Ephraim Walker have lived here for many years. The Joslyns, Rings, and Carpenters, former residents, have nearly all disappeared. In 1841, Rus- sel Snow, Ezra Stearns and J. B. Cudworth built a tannery near where E. J. Crandall's saw-mill now stands, which was afterwards owned by Alvin Cud- worth, and finally by Timothy Baker, who carried on the business until 1860, when it was given up. Mr. Baker now lives in Adams. From 1866 to 1870 a large lumber-mill was in operation here, owned by parties in other towns. The lumber business is now carried on by Asa and Hovey Polly, E. J. Cran- dall and N. B. Baker.
" In the 'Spruce Corner' and the eastern part of Savoy, the early set- tlers were Josiah Blanchard, Asel Horton, who came from Windsor in 1800, and E. Leonard, who came in 1806. The Leonards were from Raynham and were descendants of the Leonards who owned the house in which the head of King Philip, the famous Indian warrior, was exhibited after he was slain in battle. Among the later residents were Nelson Wing, Ethan Maynard, Josiah Tilton, who came from Goshen in 1817, and the Barton families. This is a pleasant region, some of the buildings lately erected giving the place a neat appearance A saw-mill is owned by J. W. Bourn, and Rev. H. K. Flogg, an Adventist preacher residing here a greater part of the time since 1863, has a printing office, established lately, for the purpose of issuing tracts, etc.
" The families of Mr. Phillips, father of Dr. H. P. Phillips, of North Adams, the Walkers, Leonards, and others, lived on the road leading north from Sa- voy Hollow, over the hill known as ' Fifty-one,' from the number of the original lot. Since the introduction of the modern system of building roads in the valleys this road is little used and the region is nearly depopulated. The same may also be said of the old road by Ezekiel Fuller's. Yet this is not an indication of decline, since better advantages are afforded in the valleys."
Daniel Dunham, who cleared the farm known as the Alvin Dunham farm, reared a family of four sons and three daughters. Job Dunham, brother of Dan- iel, also an early settler, has no representative in Savoy, but he has two grand- sons who are both enterprising lawyers, one, Henry J., residing in Stockbridge, and the other, James N., of Pittsfield. They have a cousin who is president of the board of trade in Chicago, and who is also a member of Congress.
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Nathan Haskins, from Shutesbury, the first pastor of the First Baptist church, was present with his wife at its organization, June 24, 1786. He had born to him three sons and six daughters, all of whom are now dead; but Shadrack is represented here by his children, Samuel, Levi, Mary A., and Mrs. Lydia Maynard. Samuel, by Dennis, living in the northern part of the town ; and Levi by Alvin, Henry N., and Shadrack T.
John Bourne was born at Attleboro, Mass., in 1750, and came to this town immediately after his discharge from the Revolutionary war, March 1, 1779. In 1782, he married Louisa Nash, by whom he had six sons and one dangh- ter, nearly all of whom located in Savoy, and all of whom are now dead, ex- cepting Cyrus, who resides with his nephew in Savoy. John Bourne, Jr., born in 1783, the first male child born in the town, is now represented by Wel- come Bourne. John, Jr's, brother Caleb is represented by Franklin C. and his descendants. Two of John's sons served in the war of 1812. Caleb Bourne was a classmate with William Cullen Bryant at Plainfield.
Benjamin Carpenter, with his brother-in-law, William Ingraham, from Rehoboth, located on Bullock's grant in 1783. Mr. Carpenter reared twelve children, all of whom are now dead, excepting the youngest, Charles, who is the only representative of the Carpenters in Savoy. When Mr. Carpenter first came to the place, he was obliged to travel ten miles to Cheshire, where was located the nearest grist-mill. Benjamin was for some time deacon of the First Baptist church in Savoy.
William Ingraham, one of the early settlers, reared a family of five sons and three daughters, none of whom are now living. He is represented in Savoy by his grandsons, Alvin and Eldridge, sons of Obadiah, who reside upon the place cleared by William, and by his grandson, the town clerk, David Ingraham, son of Obadiah, who represented Savoy in the State legis- lature in the years 1853 and '54.
Moses Bliss, who served in the war of 1812, came to Sayoy from Reho- both about 1792, but, tiring of the place, moved away in about a year. About a year or two later his brother Daniel settled on the place now owned by his grandson, Azariah E., which place has always remained in the Bliss family. David had four sons, none of whom are living.
Samuel Miller, from Adams, located in the western part of Savoy about 1796 or '98. He reared six children of whom there are representatives in the place-Daniel and his son, Duane D., Calvin, son of Bernard, and his children, and Alden, son of Eldridge. Daniel married a daughter of Rev. N. McCullock, first pastor of the Second Baptist church in Savoy, and has had three sons, H. E., from whose history of Savoy we have obtained much valuable information ; Duane D., Jones V. and a daughter, Vestella C.
William Perkins, born in Taunton, Mass., came to Savoy in 1798, locating first in the southern, and afterwards in the northwestern part of the town. He reared four sons and three daughters, only three of whom are now living, and but one, Ambrose B., in Savoy, on the old homestead.
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TOWN OF SAVOY.
Wilkes Walker married Ruth Bliss, of Rehoboth, in 1796, probably set- tling in Savoy sometime between that year and 1800, locating south of the old Babbitt place. Of a family of six children, only two daughters, Mrs. Hul- dah Bardin, of Stamford, Vt., and Mary in Illinois, are living. A grandson, Ephraim J., son of Ephraim, and a great-grandson, Gordon J., are the only descendants now residing in Savoy.
Jacob Sherman, Jr., came to Savoy from Middleboro, his native pla ce, about 1800, and located in the northern part of the town, near where his father, Jacob Sherman, had located a year or two previous. Jacob, Jr., mar- ried Abigail Read, of Taunton, Mass., reared five sons and three daughters, dying at the age of ninety. Two daughters and two sons survive him, one only, Mrs. W. Burnett, residing in Savoy. Five of his brothers enlisted in the War of 1812, but Jacob, Jr., being lame, was unable to join, teaching, instead, in the early public schools. Abigail, sister of Mrs. Burnett, resides in Adams.
Simeon Goff, from Rehoboth, removed to this town about the year 1800, settling in the southern part of the town. Of a family of eight children, none survive, and there are but two representatives in town, Louis Goff be- ing represented by his son Louis, and Cromwell by his son Nathan E., a merchant of Savoy.
John Cain, from Taunton, Mass., located in Savoy about 1805, but removed to Florida in about a year. One son, James, located in Savoy and has one son, John L., residing here. Seneca Crain, a brother of John, and a soldier in the war of 1812, also settled here, and has one son living here.
Willis W. Burnett, grandson of Daniel Burnett, Sr., who located in Florida in 1806, resides in Savoy, where he has lived most of the time since coming of age. He has a family of five children-Ella F. Greenslet, Fidelia A. Has- kins, Emma F. Blanchard, Alfred W., who resides with his father, and Herbert W. Daniel has three other grandsons also residing in town, Liberty L., Theodore L., and George M. Burnett.
Ethan Maynard, born in Shrewsbury, settled on a place a little east of the central part of Savoy, near the year 1807. He had seven sons and two daughters, all but one of whom, the late Mrs. Allen Merrick, are living. All married and settled in Savoy, but some have since removed from the town. Ethan Augustus, Albert, Otis, Ambrose and Urbane still reside here. Will- iam Maynard located in Savoy about the same date as his brother, Ethan, Sr., settling near him, in the eastern part of the town. Of a large family, none reside in town, but he is represented here by a grandson, Eber L.
Rev. Philip Pierce, a Baptist minister, came to Savoy, from Swanzey, about the year 1807, locating in the southwestern part of the town. A family of three sons and six daughters were born to him, all of whom are now dead. Two sons of Philip Jr., Stillman and George F., and one daughter, Mrs. Ashley Merkins, represent the family here.
Edward Mason, a captain of militia, removed from Rehoboth to Savoy
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about the year 1807. He reared a family of eight children, none of whom are now living here. Mrs. Amos Deming, daughter of Edward Mason, Jr., resides in this town. Frank E. Mason, on road 35, is a descendant of Ed- ward.
Captain John Deming, a native of Wethersfield, Conn., immigrated to Savoy in May, 1811, locating upon the place now owned by his grandsons, Amos, Jr., and Mark Deming, which place has always been in the possession of the Deming family. He had six children, all now dead, the only repre- sentatives of the family in the place being Amos, Jr., and Mark, sons of Amos Deming. Amos was a Baptist minister, who came to Savoy about two years later than his father, Capt. John, where he preached about eighteen years, and a great many years in the adjoining towns. He reared a family of ten children. John Deming was a sea captain, and also a Revolutionary soldier, serving through the whole of the Revolutionary war, being, for a time, quarter-master. He was with Gen. Israel Putnam when he made his famous ride down the hundred stone steps on his little black pony. He is said to have brought the first iron-axled wagon into town. That it was a great novelty, was proved by the statistics, telling how many happy couple it had carried to the minister to be married.
Thomas Polly immigrated from Chesterfield, to Savoy, in June, 1815, located on the place where his son, Asa, now resides. He reared a family of two sons and three daughters, of whom three, Mrs. Annie Tilton, of Mich- igan, Daniel, living in New York, and Asa, who resides in town, are living. Asa married Mary Blanchard, and had six children, only five now living, namely, Austin, Laura, Ford, Harvey, and Horace. Of these all except Austin reside in this town. Asa Polly and his wife have lived on the home- stead over sixty years, celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of their marriage in April, 1883.
Aaron Remington, from Windsor, located in the southeastern part of the town in 1817, and reared a family of eight children, none of whom reside in Savoy excepting Charles N., a son of Aaron N. Jr., and a grandson of Aaron.
Josiah Tilton came to Savoy, from Goshen, in 1819, locating in the eastern part of the town. He has had three sons and three daughters, all of whom are now living, three daughters and one son in Savoy. Charles W., who resides in the eastern part of the town, and his sons are the only representatives of that name.
Abijah Davis removed from Buckland to Savoy in 1819, locating in the southern part of the town. He reared a family of two sons and one daugh- ter. Henry H. resides in Savoy, and Allen on the line between this town and Windsor, and the daughter, Lucinda S. Thompson, resides in Windsor.
Timothy Baker, son of Rufus, who came to Savoy about the year 1835, kept the tannery for a number of years in the northern part of the town. Na- than B., a grandson of Rufus, is now the only representative of the Bakers in the town. He served in the 52d Regt. Mass. Vol., from Hawley, was at
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Baten Rouge, was in the Red River campaign, and at the seige of Port Hud- son, and was honorably discharged in August, 1863. His grandfather, Timothy, was a Revolutionary soldier.
Rev. N. McCullock came to Savoy in 1837, and has two daughters, Mrs. Elizabeth Miller and Mrs. Mary J. Maynard, and one son, Leonard, now living in town. Leonard, who resides in the northern part of the town, has held all important town offices, was commissioned justice of peace by Gov. Banks, in 1860, which office he has held ever since, and in 1879, represented the 4th Berkshire district in the general court.
The Baptist church, located at Savoy village, was organized June 24, 1786, by the following persons, who convened at the residence of William Williams, Nathan Haskins and wife, William Williams and wife, Lucinda Wilbore, Na- than and Solomon Jay, Benjamin Bulleu, Zachariah Paddleford and Alice Reed. Nathan Haskins, the first pastor, was ordained January 28, 1789, retaining the office until his death, December 10, 1802. The first church edifice, erected in 1804, stood on the corner near the S. W. Bates place, and was removed to its present location in 1848. It will accommodate 250 per- sons, and is valued, including grounds, at $2,000.00. A second Baptist church was organized May 27, 1834, with Rev. N. McCullock, pastor, though they subsequently disbanded and united with the present society. They erected a church building in 1842, which has since heen repaired and fitted up as a union church. The society now has sixty-five members, with no regular pastor.
The Methodist church, located at Savoy, was organized in. 1834, and their church building erected in 1835. The first pastor was A. C. Wheat.
The First Congregational society, composed of twenty members, living in Savoy and Windsor, was organized February 18, 1811, Rev. Jeptha Poole being the first pastor. Their building was erected on the line between Wind- sor and Savoy.
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