USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Gazetteer of Hampshire County, Mass., 1654-1887 > Part 17
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Mrs. Lucy Crossett, widow of Samuel, was born in North Brookfield, March 28, 1786, and was the only child of Joel and Ruth Abbott. She came to this town about eighteen years ago on a visit to Dr. Taylor's. She met with an accident by falling down stairs, and was unable to return to her home in Prescott. She now resides on High street. She married Samuel Cross- ett, May 25, 1805, who died June 13, 1850. Five of their thirteen children are living. Mrs. Crossett is now over one hundred years of age.
Rev. George E. Fisher is a native of Harvard, Mass., graduated from Am- herst college in 1846, and from the Andover Theological seminary in 1849. He was pastor at Rutland, Mass., from 1850 to 1852, at North Amlierst from 1852 to 1858, at Greenville, N. H., from 1859 to 1862, at Ashburnham, Mass., from 1863 to 1867, at South Hadley Falls from 1867 to 1878, and at East Amherst from 1879 to 1886. He removed to North Amherst in 1885. He was a member of the general court of Massachusetts in 1867. He married twice, first, Harriet B. Holt, of Amherst, May 1, 1850, who died in August, 1858, and second, Ellen E. Kellogg, of North Amherst, September 7, 1859.
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TOWN OF AMHERST.
Rev. Charles Crombie Bruce, M. A., son of Charles F. and Mary E. Bruce, was born in Peterboro, N. H., February 5, 1854, prepared for college at Ap- pleton academy, New Ipswich, N. H., graduated from Amherst college in 1875, and from the Andover Theological seminary in 1878. He was or- dained over the First Congregational church at Rowley, Mass., July 2, 1878, installed over the Congregational church in Haydenville, Mass., December 7, 1882. and was acting pastor of the Congregational church in South Deer- field, Mass., from January 23; 1885, to August 1, 1886. He married Laura Bassett Green, March 1, 1874, and has three children, Josephine, Annie E. and Martha P. He has resided in Amherst since September 1, 1884.
Edward Tuckerman was born in Boston, December 7, 1817. He passed his youth in the same city, fitting for college at the Boston Latin school. He graduated from Union college, Schenectady, in 1837, and afterwards gradu- ated successively from the Harvard Law school, the regular academic depart- ment of Harvard university, and the Harvard Divinity school, Throughout his life, which ended March 15, 1886, he retained his interest in the subjects indicated by the above university courses, and for a time (1854-58) occupied positions as lecturer on history in Amherst college. But his life was mainly devoted to botanical investigation, more particularly to the investigation of the difficult order of Lichens. In May, 1854, he married Sarah Eliza Sigour- ney Cushing, of Boston, and the same year they removed to Amherst, where Mrs. Tuckerman still resides. Prof. Tuckerman's most important works are his Enumeratio Methodica Caricum Quarundam, the elaboration of the diffi- cult genus Potamsgeton, the Synopsis of the Lichens of New England, Lich- enes Americana Septentrionales Exsiccati, and finally his Genera Lichenum and Synopsis of North American Lichens, Part I. The latter two embody the results of long and assiduous critical study by one whose genius as a systematizer is unquestioned, and they will secure for their author the grate- ful remembrance of all who shall hereafter tread the maze of American lichenology.
VILLAGES.
There are three post villages in the town at present. The Amherst post- office is located in the largest and most important of the villages, and is near the town's geographical centre. This village is on an elevation of land which includes the site of Amherst college and the common-a pretty stretch of green beneath stately elms lying in the very heart of the town, and which is under the care of a village improvement society. The village stores, public halls and hotels are on three sides of this common, Amherst college and various club houses and residences completing the enclosure. The main street runs from this village to the Pelham line, passing through the East vil- lage, where is a Congregational church, a store, etc.
The North Amherst postoffice is near the northern boundary of the town,
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TOWN OF AMHERST.
and accommodates many of the residents in the adjoining extremities of the towns of Sunderland and Hadley. At the village is situated the North Con- gregational church, two stores and a neat brick school-house, containing also a public library. Mill river passes just above this village, on its way from its source in the Shutesbury hills to its place of deouchure into the Connecticut river, just below the village of North Hadley. This river gives the town its principal water-power. Fort river, which rises in Pelham hills and enters the town's eastern limit about two miles below Mill river, flows in a southwesterly direction and empties into the Connecticut below the town of Hadley. A grist-mill upon this stream, where it crosses the West street, gives the name of " Mill Valley " to its vicinity, which lies between two ranges of hills south of the center village.
The postoffice in South Amherst is on the East street, and was established in 1838 for the convenience of the farming population of this vicinity. There is a Congregational church here also, as well as a store and school-house, grouped about a village green. The town farm for the maintenance of the town's poor is in this village. The farm was purchased in 1837, and contains about one hundred and fifty acres. The buildings were burned by an incen- diary fire set by one of the inmates on the evening of January 1, 1882, and were subsequently replaced by a new and much more convenient dwelling house and out-buildings. Henry C. Dickinson is the present warden, and his wife the matron. In 1885-86 there were twelve inmates of this institution, but the selectmen reported the whole number of those receiving town aid that year as fifty-three.
In addition to the post villages there is a pretty village in the northeast corner of the town, known as "North Amherst City." There is a Methodist church, a brick store, and a group of clustered dwellings here. The North Amherst station of the New London Northern railroad is also in this village, and in the days during and succeeding the war, when business was driving at the paper-mills, upon whose wages this village depends, the place was quite thriving and successful. Of late years business has fallen off and the popula- tion and the value of real estate has somewhat decreased.
BANKS.
The Amherst Savings bank, largely through the efforts of the late I. F. Conkey, Esq., was incorporated April 15, 1864, and commenced business with a deposit of fifty dollars, on January 2, 1865. The second deposit, made on the following day, has never been withdrawn. At the end of the first year's business there was on deposit sixty-eight hundred and sixty-two dollars. The following statement, made on August 1, 1886, will show how largely the bank has prospered during the twenty-one years of its existence :-
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TOWN OF AMHERST.
Liabilities.
Deposits.
$ 983,918.51
Profit and loss.
28,775.69
Guaranty fund.
23,270. 15
$1,035,964.35
Assets.
Mortgage notes.
$
509,878.00
Town notes .. .
30,700.00
Parish notes.
4,733.55
Personal notes.
46, 175.00
Collateral notes.
3,200.00
Bank stock.
186,383.51
City and town bonds
87,120.00
Railroad bonds
85,000.00
Real estate.
15,000.00
Deposits in bank's on interest
62,000.00
Cash on hand.
5,774.29
$1,035,964.35
The officers of the institution are E. F. Cook, president; C. S. Carter, treasurer ; and F. A. Hobbs, assistant treasurer.
The First National Bank of Amherst was organized in January, 1864, with a capital of $51,000.00, which has since been increased to $150,000.00, with a surplus fund of $50,000.00. Leonard D. Hills is president of the institu- tion, and R. J. D. Westcott, cashier. The first president of the institution was Leonard M. Hills.
INDUSTRIES.
Roberts & Co.'s mill .- The earliest manufacturing in Amherst was done in Rowe's paper-mill, at North Amherst. This mill was erected as early as 1795. Soon after 1800 Rowe sold out to Roberts & Cox, and about 1809 the firm became the Roberts Brothers. Reuben and Ephraim Roberts were both natives of East Hartford, Conn., and became influential and prominent citizens in Amherst. Reuben was one of the town's representatives in the legislature in 1835. Their mill was located just above the City, on Mill river. Rags for this mill were gathered through all the western part of the state, and the products of the mill were carried by teams to Albany for market. The early paper makers of North Amherst did all their work by hand, with the exception of reducing the stock to pulp, for which purpose rude machinery was employed. From 1795 paper of one kind or another has continued to be made at this place, the present proprietors being two brothers, Lowell and Manning Roberts, who succeeded their father, Reuben Roberts, Jr., the son
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TOWN OF AMHERST.
of the Reuben Roberts who bought out the original owner, Rowe. The firm now manufactures straw and leather- board, turning out about one ton per day.
D. Graves & Co.'s sash, door and blind factory .- In 1809, or thereabouts, the first cotton-mill was erected in "Factory Hollow " at North Amherst, a short distance below the mill of the Roberts Brothers, and at a place where there is an excellent water-privilege. This mili, a three-story wooden build- ing, was erected by Ebenezer Dickinson, a farmer who lost all his property in an attempt to spin cotton yarn by machinery. Tradition avers that in his disappointment he vigorously " cursed " the Hollow, and subsequent mis- fortunes, neither few nor far between, have frequently been attributed to " Ebenezer's Curse." In 1812 a company (at the head of which was Gen. Ebenezer Mattoon) put $10,000.00 into business in this mill, manufacturing cotton yarn and putting it out in families to be woven on hand-looms. No one of the company had any practical knowledge of the business, and every dollar of the capital was finally lost. One or two others undertook to revive the enterprise, but without any marked success. About 1835 Elnathan Jones obtained possession of the property and ran the mill until 1842, when it was en- tirely swept away by fire. The mill was re-built by Elnathan Jones and his broth- er Thomas, the latter of whom was at one time owner of three mills on this stream and a manufacturer of Kentucky jeans. In 1850 " The Amherst Manufacturing Company" was formed, consisting of Edward Dickinson, L. M. Hills, G. Cutler, William Kellogg and others, with a capital of fifty thousand dollars. This company bought out Jones, but, like General Mattoon's company, they lost their capital and the property passed back into the hands of Jones, who sold it to Dana Wheelock. Not long after this the mill was again destroyed by fire. The next enterprise in this place was the hat-finishing business, un- der charge of L. M. Hills. His mills were washed away in the freshet of 1863. Undismayed by this succession of calamities, Ephraim Cushman & Sons bought the water-privilege and erected a paper-mill, at which they manufac- tured printing and manilla paper. The company was financially ruined by the destruction of their mill by fire in 1873, the third disastrous fire on this spot. For some time the blackened ruins of the mill, its lofty chimney and huge boilers, were an unsightly object to the dwellers in the Hollow, but at last a new building was put up, in 1880, by the firm of Graves, Kellogg & Bangs, for making sash, doors, blinds and other articles of wood work. The business of this firm was originally organized in 1868, and they seem to have broken the "spell " of the " curse." They employ ten hands.
Cushman's paper-mill .- The third mill on this stream was built higher up, above the Roberts Brothers' mill, by Peter Ingram, about 1830. It was a small woolen-mill and the enterprise was ruined in the disastrous days of 1837. New parties undertook to revive the business, but the mill was destroyed by fire. Jones & Bradford re-built it in 1845, and it was again burned in 1857. Thomas Jones, the senior proprietor, died from the effect of excitement brought on by this fire. Ephraim and John R. Cushman, brothers, who had
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TOWN OF AMHERST.
been engaged in paper making at a mill still higher up the stream, now called " Cushman's old mill," bought the water privilege and erected the present " Red mill," just beyond "the City," in 1859. Ephraim Cushman sold out when he went into business in the Hollow, and J. R. Cushman & Sons con- tinued the business, which is now under the management of Avery R. Cush- man, manufacturer of straw and leather-board. He employs fifteen hands and turns out about two tons of goods per day.
S. E. Harrington & Son's wood-working factory .- In addition to the two Cushmans and the Roberts mills near " the City " and the unfortuate mill at the Hollow, there was a fifth mill privilege on this stream in what is known as Westville, where the planing-mill of S. E. Harrington & Son now stands. Here the Westville Company (William H. Smith, George Cutler, Luke Sweetser and Thomas Jones) built a woolen-mill in 1852, and it was burned in 1858. William H. Smith and John Wiley then erected a paper-mill on this site, but this too was burned, and the privilege remained unused until S. E. Harrington moved here from Greenfield and put up his mill for working lumber, and took his son, Frank W., into partnership with him in 1882. They get out lumber for builders, such as cornices, moldings, window frames, etc., and do also a general jobbing business.
Charles E. Hayward .- Eli Dickinson was the first manufacturer at South Amherst. His shop occupied the site of Hayward's present manufactory for children's wagons, and made wood faucets, on which he had obtained a patent. About 1835 James Kellogg bought the property and began making planes; in 1839 he moved the business to Kelloggville, where it has been carried on for many years by William Kellogg. Hayward's manufactory was established in 1844, by C. & C. F. Hayward. In 1860 the firm was changed. to C. F. Hayward, and since 1865 it has been conducted by the present pro- prietor.
William Kellogg's plane factory, on road 38, was established by James Kellogg, his father, as stated above, about 1835. He carried on the business until about 1867, when he retired and the manufactory was taken by his son William, who still carries on the business. When the shops are in full opera- tion they give employment to twenty men and turn out about $10,000.00 worth of goods, all kinds of carpenter's planes.
A. J. Robinson's factory .-- The site now occupied by Mr. Robinson's man- ufactory for children's carriages was first used by Luther Fox, who manufac- tured wood faucets. Afterwards Ebenezer Nutting and others made planes there.
Levi E. Dickinson's wood-work factory .- Mr. Dickinson commenced busi- ness in a saw-mill at North Amherst, in 1872, doing all kinds of job work. He introduced the box-making business in 1873. In 1879 he removed to Amherst, building a factory fitted up for all kinds of job work, the manufacture of house finishings, etc., also all kinds of box-work. He began making boys'
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TOWN OF AMHERST.
tool-chests and tools in 1882. and has facilities for making from 500 to 1,000 chests a week. according to size.
The Hills Manufacturing Co .- Near the depot the first business enterprise was the paim leaf shop of L. M. Hills & Son, which was opened in 1856. The site of this mill, which was destroyed by fire in 1880, is still occupied by the Hills Manufacturing Company. incorporated 1878. (Henry F. Hills, prest.), which employs about two hundred and fifty hands. The material used by this company comes from nearly all parts of the world.
Henry D. Fearing & Co., whose first mill was destroyed by fire at the same time with Hills's shop in 1880. have now a substantial brick mill, where straw hats are pressed and prepared for the market. This is also a large concern.
Edward P. Dickinson's machine and blacksmith shop, on road 26. was established about 1835 by his father. Porter Dickinson, who died in October, 18;9. He manufactured hammers, forks and edged tools till the last fifteen years of his life. when he did nothing but general job work. His son suc- ceeded him in 1879, and in 1885 began the manufacture of builders' molding planes.
Albert A. Thayer's grist-mill was purchased by him of the Northampton Savings bank in the spring of 1833. The mill is operated by water-power and has the capacity for grinding about one hundred bushels of grain per day. Connected with it is a saw-mill, which cuts about 200,000 feet of lum- ber per year. He employs six men when in full operation.
A. W'. Hall's carriage and wagon shop is located on road 9}. He has car- ried on a successful business in this place for the last eight years. He also does general blacksmithing. employing from three to six men.
Stephen P. Puffer's grist mill. located on road 2, was established in 1838 by M. F. and Sylvester Dickinson. Mr. Puffer commenced operating the mill in 1860. The mill is run by water-power. has three runs of stones, and capacity for grinding about three hundred bushels of grain per day.
O. M. Clapp's marble and granite works was established by Chandler Sabin, about 1330. In 1850 Mr. Clapp bought out Mr. Sabin, and has con- ducted the business since. The shop is located on road 21. Mr. Clapp is now eighty-four years of age, and his son, Charles D., manages the business.
S. B. Matthew's rope manufactory, on road 21, was established in 1876, by M. B. Mosier. Mr. Matthews took the business in April, 1886. The walk is 140 feet long. He also makes fish lines, window cord, garden lines, etc. Turns out about 100.000 feet of rope per day.
Roswell H Howard's brick yard, on road 38, was established by him in 1836. He has since carried on the business, making about 500,000 bricks per year.
Anthony B. Culver's bakery, located on Pleasant street, was established by him in 1880, he having moved from Main street, where he had been since 13;6. He has the capacity for turning out sixty loaves of bread per day,
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TOWN OF AMHERST.
aside from a large quantity of cakes, etc. Mr. Culver came here from Miller's Falls, and was the first to establish the bakery business in Amherst.
The Amherst Co-operative Association was established in March, 1877. Previous to this time, for several years, the local grange had brought their goods on the co-operative plan, but at that time they concluded to start a store, and formed a stock company under the laws of Massachusetts. The stock was issued, 120 shares at $10.00 each. The first agent was F. M. Hub- bard, succeeded by George H. Dana, and W. G. Town, the present agent. J. L. Lovell's photograph gallery was established in 1850, by a Mr. Shum- way, whom Mr. Lovell bought out in 1856. In 1879 he took his son. Charles O. Lovell, into partnership with him, and the firm was thus J. L. Lovell & Son till 1885, when the latter went to Northampton to engage in the business. Mr. Lovell is a master of his profession ; was appointed chief photographer at the Lick Observatory. California, to take views of the transit of Venus.
ECCLESIASTICAL.
When the general court granted the prayer of Zechariah Field and others of the inhabitants of East Hadley, to form them into a precinct, it was upon the condition that they should build a meeting-house and settle a " learned orthodox " minister within three years. This permission of the general court being given December 31, 1734, a warrant was issued "in His Majestie's name " for a first precinct meeting, which was held at the house of Mr. Zecha- riah Field, October S. 1735, when the necessary officers having been chosen its first vote was to " Hiere a Menestor half a yeare." and John Ingram, Jr., John Coles and Nathaniel Smith were appointed a committee to carry out this vote. Probably the East inhabitants had hired a minister for half a year before this, for in January, 1732, Hadley voted an abatement of one-fifth of the minister's rate or tax to such of them as had been at the expense of hiring a minister ; and again, August 27, 1733, Hadley voted that if the East inhabitants should hire a minister for six months they should have an abatement of one-half their assessment for Rev. Mr. Chauncey's support at Hadley. But who the preacher or preachers thus hired were we have now no means of knowing.
In the March following the first precinct meeting another meeting voted to raise £15 towards the minister's rate and that the remainder of the rate should come out of the non-resident money. so that there was probably a preacher that year. In September, 1736, the precinct again voted to hire a minister for six months ; and the next April it was voted " to give Mr. David Parsons. Jr., a call to Settle in ye ministry." They also " voated for his set- tlement to give him tow Lots of Land that was Granted heretofore by the town of Hadley for the Settlement of the Gospel in this Precinct ; Voated 2d, to give him Eeighty pounds ye first year & five pounds to be yearly added until it amounts to one Hundred; Voated 3d, also towards Building a Dwell- ing House to set him up a frame forty foots in Length in Breth twenty-one
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TOWN OF AMHERST.
foots & two Storys high and Cover sd House and Build ye Chimney and Cel- lor." Mr. parsons did not seem favorably disposed towards this call, for an- other meeting was held July 4, 1737, when a committee was appointed "to try to get more Lands for his Settlement," and in September following it was " Voated to Give Mr. David Parsons, Jnr, one Hundred and twenty pounds sallery." The offer was unsuccessful and Mr. Parsons went to Southampton to preach November 22, 1737, and the precinct voted to hire a minister for five months and to pay him forty shillings a Sabbath. In March, 1738, the precinct voted Jonathan Cowls "eight shillings for keeping Mr. Parsons upon the Sabbath and John Cowls five shillings for keeping Mr. Parsons' hors." This shows that Mr. Parsons had returned to Amherst from Southampton, and December 15, 1738, it was voted to raise one hundred pounds for Mr. Par- sons for preaching the year past. March 14, 1739, it was voted “to get ye Ministers Lots laid out." On the 12th of July following, they renewed the call to Mr. Parsons, offering him two lots of land, one in the second division, the other in the third, and also f175 "of money " towards building his house. September 28, 1739, another meeting voted that his salary should be £100 the first year, and that as the polls and estates of the parish increased his salary should increase accordingly until it amounted to £160 ; but this increase was to come entirely from new families which might move into town. Following the record of this meeting in the town books is the following :-
" Hadley 3d Precinct Septemb'r ve 28th 1739: Complied with the Request of the Inhabitants of ye third precinct in Hadley.
"P'r me David Parsons, Jn'r."
Mr. Parsons, who thus became the first pastor of Amherst, was born in Malden, March 24, 1712, was the son of Rev. David Parsons, of Malden and Leicester, was educated at Harvard college, and first preached in Amherst, in November, 1735, six years after his graduation at college. The Harvard catalogue shows his place in his class of twenty-three members to have been the tenth. This place was determined not by scholarship, but in accord- ance with the aristocratic customs brought from England by the supposed rank and dignity of his family. Mr. Parsons's son (and successor in the Am- herst pastorate) graduated at Harvard in 1771, and was ranked as the twelfth in a class of sixty-three members, showing that the family was one of some prestige among the early colonists.
March 19, 1740, the precinct voted John Nash eleven pounds for providing for Mr. Parsons's ordination. The Boston News Letter, the paper of that early day, records the date of his ordination Wednesday, November 7, 1739. He continued in the pastorate until his death, January 1, 1781. He was deeply loved by his people, as was shown by the continual increase of his sal- ary until it became the largest of any minister's in this vicinity, except that of Mr. Hooker at Northampton. It was also shown in the fact that his peo- ple continued to pay his salary, though after some delay in spite of his strong
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TOWN OF AMHERST.
sympathy with the English arms during the Revolutionary war. Mr. Parsons's wife, Eunice, was the daughter of Gideon Wells, of Wethersfield, Conn. She was eleven years younger than her husband, and survived him fifteen years. They had eight children, two of whom died in infancy, and one, (the young- est son) died while a member of the junior class in Yale college in 1785. The oldest son graduated at Harvard college in 1771, and another son mar- ried and located in Esopus, New York. Two daughters were married, and one, unmarried, survived until 1839, when she died at the age of eighty-four.
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