USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Gazetteer of Hampshire County, Mass., 1654-1887 > Part 22
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Lyman Smith's carriage shop, on Main street, was built by Nathaniel Wal- ker, over seventy years ago. Mr. Smith does repairing and jobbing princi- pally.
Dore & Woodman's soup-stone factory .- The manufacture of soap-stone was commenced in the southern part of the town, at Barrett's Junction, in 1880. A large amount of money was expended in the building of a dam, canals and mill, largely by W. B. Kimball, of Enfield. The company, known as the Springfield Soap-stone Company, failed after a year or two, but the busi- ness is now carried on at the same place by the firm of Dore & Woodman, who obtain their supply of stone from Francestown, N. H. The business is in charge of A. M. Cushing, formerly of Boston, who is thoroughly ac- quainted with the business in all its branches, and it promises to become a large and profitable venture. The use of soap-stone is increasing, and as peo- ple come to understand its value, they will doubtless avail themselves of the opportunities presented for obtaining it, especially for fire purposes and for kitchen use.
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TOWN OF BELCHERTOWN.
Nathan W. Bond's grist and saw-mill, on road 99, occupies the last privi- lege on Jabish brook before it empties into Swift river. This site has been occupied for many years, and several mills have been destroyed by fire. In October,' 1883, the mills were burned, and the present mills built during the same year. The grist-mill has one run of stones, with capacity for grinding 300 bushels of grain per day, while the saw-mill has a circular saw and the capacity for cutting 10,000 feet of lumber per day.
Fernando G. Shaw's steam saw-mill, on road 91, was built in 1883. It has a forty horse power engine, circular saw, and the capacity for sawing 10,- ooo feet of lumber per day.
Edwin Snow's spoke and handle factory, on Jabish brook, road 41, was originally built for a grist-mill, by Nathan Shumway, about seventy years ago. Mr. Snow purchased the property in 1879, and put in machinery for manu- facturing spokes and handles. He has also added a saw-mill, cider-mill and distillery for making cider brandy.
Virgil Pratt & Son's grist, saw and shingle-mill, located on Jabish brook, road 23, was built in 1860-61. The saw-mill has the capacity for cutting about 10,000 feet of lumber per day, the shingle-mill 6,000 shingles, and the grist-mill is for grinding coarse grain.
D. Bruce & Son's saw, shingle and planing-mills, on Jabish brook, road 54, were built many years ago, at least a portion of the inills, and used as a woolen-mill. The saw-mill was built by Elijah Walker, about forty years ago, and has the capacity for turning out 10,000 feet of lumber per day. The shingle-mill was also built by Mr. Walker, about thirty-three years ago, and has the capacity for cutting 8,000 shingles per day.
Sanford & Stebbins's saw mill, on road 54, was built by a Mr. Thayer about 1820. It was purchased by the present firm in 1883. It is operated by water-power, gives employment to four hands and turns out about 300,000 feet of lumber per year.
Blackmer & Walker's siw and shingle-mill, on road 74, was built at a very early date, by Orlando Root, and is still known as the "Root mill." The present firm purchased the mill in 1872. It has the capacity for manu- facturing 5,000 feet of lumber and 6,000 shingles per day. The shingle-mill was added to the saw mill in 1820, by Enos Lincoln. There is also a plan- ing-mill connected, added by H. Root in 1855.
George B. Weston's saw mill, on road 52, was originally built by Mr. Bar- ton at an early date, burnt, and re-built by Mr. Weston's father in 1847, and again in 1869. The mill has the capacity for cutting 10,000 feet of lumber per day, and also has a shingle-mill connected which cuts 10,000 shingles per day.
Thomas S. Haskell's cider-mill and vinegar works, on road 54, were estab- lished by him in 1860. In 1885 he put in steam and improved apparatus for converting the cider into vinegar.
The Jabish grist-mill, off road 66, near Belchertown village, owned by Dor-
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TOWN OF BELCHERTOWN.
man & Sanford, was built in 1875, upon the site of an old mill destroyed by fire that year. It has two runs of stones and grinds about 25,000 bushels of Western corn per year, besides a considerable amount of custom work.
La Fayette W. Goodell, on road 22, is extensively engaged in growing seeds. He devotes from ten to fifteen acres to this purpose, employing from five to ten hands. He deals in all kinds of seeds, making a specialty of grow- ing flower seeds.
Gold & Knight's saw mill, on road 6, was built by C. T. Brown, about forty years ago. It was purchased by Mr. Knight in 1863, who took Samuel S. Livermore into partnership with him. In 1875 Mr. Gold purchased the latter's interest. They saw about 200,000 feet of lumber per year.
Levi W. Gold's wood-turning shop, on road 5, was established by him about 1867. The shop is operated by water-power. Mr. Gold does a general wood-turning business and manufactures tool-handles, spokes and hubs.
Alden A. Day's cider-mill, on road 16, was purchased by him about ten years ago. He turns out about 400 barrels of cider per year.
ECCLESIASTICAL.
The early history of the church here has already been touched upon, as in the early times the religious interests and the temporal interests of the community were so closely united that it is impossible to trace one without the other. At this point it was only necessary to remind the reader that the subject of erect- ing a meeting-house was brought up in 1737. A year after, the building was ready for use, though not finished till 1746, and then "done in a manner suited to their embarrassed circumstances." The house now occupied as a place of public worship was erected in 1789, the birth year of our Consti- tutional Republic, but it was not dedicated till September 12, 1792. In 1828, during Dr. Coleman's ministry, it was much enlarged, and the interior entirely re-constructed at an expense of over three thousand dollars. Again, in 1850, during the ministry of Dr. Wolcott, it was re-modeled and better adapted to the wants of the minister and congregation. It was put into its present con- dition in the summer of 1872, being re-constructed and re-furnished at a cost of seven thousand dollars. It was re-dedicated September 12, 1872, on the eightieth anniversary of its first dedication. The exercises of the occasion included a sermon by the pastor, Rev. P. W. Lyman, an historical address by Rev. G. A. Oviatt, and dedicatory prayer by Rev. H. B. Blake, former pastors.
The Brainerd church was organized September 30, 1834 ; between ninety and a hundred persons were then, or shortly after, dismissed from the First church to constitute it. It continued a separate existence until August 31, 1841, when, with about a hundred and eighty members, it was re-united to the parent church, its pastor, Rev. G. A. Oviatt, becoming the pastor of the
14*
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TOWN OF BELCHERTOWN.
united people. About 1,680 persons have been members of this church since its organization.
The first pastor of this church was Rev. Edward Billing, a native of Sun- derland, and a graduate of Harvard college. He accepted the call, in a let- ter dated February 22, 1739, and was probably ordained in April, 1739. He was dismissed in April, 1752. In 1754 he became the first pastor of the church in Greenfield, where he died about the year 1757.
Rev. Justus Forward, the second pastor, was born in Suffield, Ct., May 11, 1730; graduated from Yale college in 1754; taught school in Hatfield, where he studied theology ; was licensed to preach in the fall of 1755, and was ordained February 25, 1756. He was sole pastor till March, 1812, when a colleague was settled. He died March 8, 1814, in the fifty-ninth year of his ministry, and the eighty-fourth year of his age, having followed to the grave more than nine hundred of his people. During his ministry three hundred and eighty members were received into the church, of whom two hundred and ninety-four joined on profession of faith. Several revivals of religion oc- curred during his connection with the church-the most remarkable of which was in the years 1785-86.
Rev. Experience Porter, the third pastor, was a native of Lebanon, N. H., graduated from Dartmouth college in 1803 ; was tutor in Middlebury college one year ; studied theology with Rev. Asahel Hooker in Goshen, Conn. ; was ordained over the church in Winchester, N. H., November 12, 1807, and settled over this church early in 1812. He retained his pastorate until March 9, 1825. During these thirteen years four hundred and tweny-five persons were received into the church, three hundred and forty-five of them on profession. This number was about equal to the whole number added during the previous eighty years. Two remarkable revivals occurred during his ministry. In 1813 one hundred and seven persons were added to the church upon profession, and from the fall of 1818 through 1819, two hundred and eight persons united with it. Mr. Porter died August 25, 1828.
Rev. Lyman Coleman, the fourth pastor, was born in Middlefield, June 14, 1796; graduated at Yale college in 1817; taught three years in the Latin Grammar school at Hartford, Conn. ; was a tutor in Yale college four years and a half. While there he studied theology, and was ordained here October 19, 1825, and was dismissed in September, 1832, having received one hundred and seventy-eight persons into the church. of whom one hundred and thirty-three were upon profession of faith. Since his dismission he has been principal of Burr seminary, Vermont, also of the English department of Phillips academy in Andover, a teacher in Amherst, Mass., and Philadel- phia, Pa., professor of German in Princeton college (from which he received the degree of D.D.), and of ancient languages in Lafayette college, Easton, Pa. He is the author of several valuable works upon sacred geography and subjects connected with Christian antiquities.
Rev. Jared Reid, the fifth pastor, was born in Preston, Conn., February,
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TOWN OF BELCHERTOWN.
1788 ; graduated at Yale college, 1817 ; studied theology at Andover ; li- censed to preach, April, 1822; was settled in the ministry at Reading, No- vember 20, 1823 ; dismissed in 1833 ; installed here September 4, 1833; was dismissed here January 6, 1841. He was afterwards at Tiverton, R. I. Rev. George A. Oviatt, the sixth pastor, is a native of Bridgeport, Conn. ; graduated at Yale college, 1835, where he also studied theology. He was ordained pastor of the Brainerd church in this place August 28, 1838, when (upon the resignation of Mr. Reid) the two churches were re-united, he was invited to become their pastor, and was installed over this church August 31, 1841. He was dismissed July, 1845, and took the pastorate of the Suffolk Street church, Boston ; afterwards of the churches in Chicopee, Somers, Conn., and Talcotville, Conn.
Rev. John Clancey, the seventh pastor, graduated at Middlebury college, 1818; studied theology at Andover; settled in the ministry at Charlton, N. Y., twenty years. He was installed here February 25, 1846, and remained until March 27, 1849, when, having been dismissed, he returned to Charlton.
Rev. Samuel Wolcott, the eighth pastor, was born in what is now South Windsor, Conn., July, 1813 ; graduated at Yale college in 1833 ; completed theological study at Andover in 1837. For two years afterward he assisted the secretary of the A. B. C. F. M. November 13, 1839, he was ordained, and went to Syria as a missionary. He continued his labors in that region till January, 1843, when, on account of the death of his wife and the unset- tled condition of affairs in Syria, he returned to America. In August, 1843, he became pastor of the church in Longmeadow, from which he was dismissed in December, 1847. He was installed over this church October 2, 1849, and dismissed March 29, 1853. At that time he became pastor of a church in Providence, R. I., where he remained six and a half years ; then spent two years in connection with the New England church, in Chicago, Ill., and was then settled over a church in Cleveland, Ohio. A noteworthy revival visited the church during the first year of his ministry here, and one hundred more added to the church, eighty-nine on profession of faith.
Rev. Henry B. Blake, the ninth pastor, was born in Winchester Center, Ct., May 20, 1817 ; united with the church in 1832 ; graduated at Williams col- lege in 1841 ; studied theology at East Windsor, Ct., and graduated in 1844. He was ordained at South Coventry, Ct., January 1, 1845 ; dismissed in May, 1855 ; installed here June 26, 1855, and dismissed at the end of ten years, June 26, 1865. He went to Wilmington, N. C., as an agent of the American Missionary association, in 1868.
Rev. W. W. Woodworth, the tenth pastor, was born at Cromwell, Ct., October 16, 1813 ; graduated at Yale college in 1838, and at Andover Theo- logical seminary in 1841. He was pastor at Berlin, Ct., 1842-52 ; at Water- bury, Ct., 1852-58; stated supply at Mansfield, Ohio, 1858-60 ; at the Olivet church, Springfield, 1860-62 ; at Plymouth, Mass., 1862-64; at Painsville, Ohio, 1864-66; pastor of this church, 1866-70.
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TOWN OF CHESTERFIELD.
Rev. Payson W. Lyman, the present pastor, was born at Easthampton, February 28, 1842 ; graduated at Amherst college in 1867, and at Union Theological seminary, New York, in 1870; ordained and installed over this church, May 10, 1871, having previously preached a short time in Ashfield.
The Baptist church of Belchertown was organized June 24, 1795, by its first pastor, Rev. Samuel Bigelow, with sixteen members. In 1814 the society built a house of worship, which was used until 1842, when the present struct- ure was purchased of the Brainerd church, which at that time re-united with the Congregational church. The building is a fine wooden structure, having been extensively repaired several times. The present pastor of the society is Rev. William Read.
The Methodist Episcopal church of Belchertown was organized by Theodore Blodgett and Thomas Haskell, with twelve members, March 29, 1865. The first pastor was Rev. William Gordon. The church building, a wooden structure erected in 1874, is valued, including grounds, at $6,000.00, and will seat 500 persons. The present pastor is Rev. William F. Lawford.
The Union church society of North Belchertown was organized during the past summer, and a neat chapel has been put up at Dwight's Station, the corner stone being laid on the 6th of October. This church is made up of the people in this vicinity, irrespective of denomination. It is the growth of years ; for, while the people here desired a church, they were not suffi- ciently strong in any one denomination to support one, though at one time a Methodist society flourished here. As an outgrowth of this desire, the present chapel society has grown.
C HESTERFIELD* is one of what is known as the hill towns of the county, lying in the western-central part of the same, bounded north by Cummington and Goshen, east by Goshen and Williamsburg, south by Westhampton and Huntington, and west by Worthington. These boundaries enclose an area of 16,748 acres.
Natural Features .- The land is mountainous, the ranges running north and South, with long, pleasant intervening valleys. Through one of these valleys, in the western part of the town, flows Westfield river, making up the most characteristic feature in the town's landscape. In one place this stream has cut through a ledge of rocks a channel thirty feet deep and sixty rods in length, as symetrically as if done by art. East of this valley lies the valley of Dead Branch, which is a tributary of the Westfield river, the outlet of Dead pond in the Northern part of the town. Generally speaking, the surface of the town is rough and mountainous, better adapted to grazing than cultivation, though its valleys and hillsides afford many fine farms. Its gen-
* For this sketch we are largely indebted to the "Centennial address," delivered by J. D. Vinton, in 1862, and to Chandler T. Macomber.
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TOWN OF CHESTERFIELD.
eral geological formation is granite in the eastern and calciferous mica schist in the western part. The latter formation is rich in minerals, among which is albite, blue, green and red tourmaline, smoky quartz, spodumene, kyanite, rose-beryl, garnet, tin ore. columbite, and lithia-mica.
Original Grants .- King Philip's war broke out in 1675, and was one of the most remarkable of our Indian wars. As the reader well knows eight hundred and forty Massachusetts troops were marched through the December snows to attack Fort Narragansett at Pocasset, and a great slaughter followed. As an acknowledgment for this brave service, the general court of Massachusetts granted, June 30, 1732, seven tracts of land to the descendants of this band of eight hundred and forty. These tracts were designated as Narragansett Township Number One, Two, Three, etc. A part of Number Four was eventually embraced within the limits of the present town of Chesterfield, though the tract was primarily laid out in New Hampsire.
In the court records of Massachusetts Bay, dated December 16, 1735, is the following : -
" A petition of John Foster and Edward Shove in behalf of the grantees of the tract of land granted to the Narragansett soldiers, which lies at Amoskeag, on the west side of Merrimack river, showing, that upon their viewing the said land, in order to their laying it out into lots, they found it so poor and barren as to be altogether incapable of making settlements, and therefore praying that they may have liberty to quit it and take up the said grant in some other province land."
Their petition was granted, and February 4, 1736, we find another act con- firming to them another tract of land "lying between Lambstown on the east, Swift river and the Equivalent Land on the west, Salemtown on the north, and Mr. Reed's land on the south." This grant received the name of " Quab- bin Territory " -- Quabbin being the Indian name-and included the town now called Greenwich, while the " Equivalent Land " was comprised in Belch- ertown, Pelham, Prescott and Ware, and was so called from the manner of settling the boundary between Massachusetts and Connecticut. Twelve hun- dred acres of this territory were confirmed to James Patterson and others, and the remainder was confirmed in the same act to the proprietors of Narragan- sett Township Number Four, " in part to satisfy a grant of a township made to them," meaning the New Hampshire grant. This was insufficient to make up 23,040 acres, or six miles square, therefore it was further ordered in the same act, "that a township of the contents of six miles square be laid out west of Hatfield [the part now Williamsburg] and adjoining thereto, and that so much thereof be confirmed to the proprietors of the Narragansett Town Number Four, as shall be, together with what is found to be contained in the above described land, over and above the twelve hundred acres especially granted, as shall make up and complete the contents of six miles square, formerly granted to them." The Quabbin territory contained 15,779 acres, which was confirmed to them in an act by the general court, January 9, 1737, and the remaining 7,26 t acres was made over in a special act, July
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TOWN OF CHESTERFIELD.
7, 1739, from the above named township west of Hatfield. In laying out this land, they were to commence at the northeast corner and run to the center or middle of the eastern line, and then to extend in a parallel line westward with the north line, so far as to contain 7,261 acres.
This township was laid out June 13, 1738, at least this is the date of its entrance upon the court records, by Nathaniel Kellogg, and contained 23,040 acres, exclusive of six hundred acres granted to one Coleman, bounded "east on Hatfield (or Williamsburg), north, south and west on unappropriated lands, beginning nine miles west of Connecticut river in the line between Hatfield and Deerfield, supposed to be Hatfield northwest corner," running west 2, 160 perch, south 1,880 perch, east 1,880 perch, and thence north 90 degrees east to the first mentioned point. This last statement must be a mistake in the records, as it is a continuation of an eastern line, whereas it really is north 10 degrees east.
The conditions of this grant were, that they should settle forty families in Quabbin, and twenty others in the township west of Hatfield, making sixty the number required to be settled in each township. A committee was ap- pointed by the general court to oversee the laying out of the latter tract, and they were "empowered to admit forty other settlers in said township, first giving preference to John Potter, Jonathan Tarbox, Joseph Breden, John Newhall, John Delaway, Joseph Coolings, Daniel Johnson, Samuel Newhall, and to one of the heirs of each of the following persons : William Wormwood, 'Zachariah Marsh, John Driver, Henry Trivet, John Page and Bartholomew Flagg." Some of these are supposed to be the soldiers, or the descendants of the soldiers, engaged in the Canada expedition of 1690, and who served under Capt. Thomas Andrews. Their portion of the land was located in the southern part of the township and was subsequently called " New Hingham," probably because so many of the soldiers came from Hingham. We have but little evidence that any of the above named persons ever had a settlement in town, but there are records of the transfer of land given in some of their names.
The committee was also "directed to lay out three hundred acres for the first settled minister, another for the ministry, and another for the school, and the rest of the land (besides what is hereby confirmed to the Narragan- sett soldiers) to be equally divided to the other forty settlers, provided each of them shall within two years from this time build and finish a house eighteen feet square and seven feet stud, and he or one of his decendants shall con- tinue to dwell there two years from the building such house, and bring to and put under good improvement ten acres of said land within the space of four years from this time." Another provision was " that the settlers shall build a suitable meeting-house and settle a learned orthodox minister among them within the space of five years from this time." Though this is the read- ing of the act, no meeting-house was built until thirty-two years after.
Of the Coleman grant but little has as yet been ascertained. Why he re-
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TOWN OF CHESTERFIELD.
ceived six hundred acres of the best land in the township, and in laying out the township there should be an allowance made of that number of acres, has not been satisfactorily explained. It is somewhat traditionary that he received the grant for services rendered in laying out lots in the township, which may be probable. We find his grant spoken of in the records of January 13, 1738, but without his given name, and this in the act concerning the boundaries of the town, which we have spoken.
In 1781 the present township of Goshen was set off from Chesterfield ter- ritory.
Settlement and Growth .-- At what precise date the first family entered the town is uncertain. Gideon Bisbee came into town as early as 1755 or 1756, and chopped wood. He only staid during the week, returning to Northamp- ton Saturday nights. How long he worked is unknown. Owing to the In- dian difficulties in and about Northampton, he was prevented from doing it for any great length of time. George Buck is supposed to have been the first person who wintered here, in Ireland street, and perhaps the fact that George Buck and Prince Cowing, two of its earliest settlers, were Irishmen, is the reason for calling the street by its present name. It is related of him that he was detained an unusual length of time in Northampton by a snow storm, where he had gone for provisions, being short at home, and his family were so reduced during his absence as to be obliged to kill and eat their dog.
The settlement from this time gradually increased. In 1776 the population was 1,092 souls. The growth and fluctuation of the town's population since 1790 may beseen by the following : 1790, 1, 183 ; 1800, 1,223; 1810, 1,408; 1820, 1,447 ; 1830, 1,416; 1840, 1,132; 1850, 1,014; 1855, 950 ; 1860, 897 ; 1865, 801 ; 1870, 811 ; 1875, 746 ; 1880, 769.
Organization .- Two sets of proprietors, the Narragansett and Canada, living side by side in the same township, upon different grants of lands, were greatly embarrassed in their civil policy, and it became necessary for the general court to make the two parties one corporate body. To this end an act of incorporation passed the house June 10, 1762, and received the ap- proval of Governor Bernard the next day, June 11. The act reads as fol- lows :-
" Whereas, the proprietors of the new plantation called New Hingham, are under such circumstances that they cannot carry on their public affairs without the aid of this court, they being originally two proprietors as to their property, and have never been united into one propriety as to their public affairs. Be it therefore enacted by the Governor, Council and House of Representatives, that the new plantation called New Hingham, lying in the county of Hamp- shire, boun ded as follows : east on the township of Hatfield, south partly on Northampton and partly on land lately sold by the province, north partly on province lands and partly on a grant made to Narragansett Number Four, and extending west to make twenty-three thousand and forty acres, exclusive of Coleman's grant, which contains six hundred acres, be and hereby is incor- porated into a town by the name of Chesterfield, with powers, privileges and immunities that towns within this government have or do enjoy."
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