Gazetteer of Hampshire County, Mass., 1654-1887, Part 24

Author: Gay, W. B. (William Burton), comp
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., W. B. Gay & co
Number of Pages: 824

USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Gazetteer of Hampshire County, Mass., 1654-1887 > Part 24

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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TOWN OF CHESTERFIELD.

physician and druggist. Albert, to the manor born in 1812, still remains loyal, has resided here almost continously from birth and still retains the old homestead of his ancestors. In 1838 he married Clarinda B. Johnson, of Williamsburg, by whom he had three sons, all .of them rendering service to the government in the land and naval forces. The youngest (John H.) still survives, resides in Haydenville, Mass. The others, Warner B. and William J., have been resting these many years among the multitude of their silent comrades in " God's silent acre," at Arlington, Va. This last representative of the Nichols family now residing here, has, we think, been favored with opportunities to enjoy a busy life. In addition to farming interests, engaged in school work, as a member of the school committee or teacher, or both since 1838, several years' service as selectman and assessor, etc., now render- ing his twentieth year of service as town clerk and treasurer of the town, by the good will of his fellows occupying a seat in the legislature three sessions, then with a commission as a justice of the peace for twenty years, must, as we think, have furnished abundant opportunities for doing many little things, while leaving those of greater magnitude to more ambitious citizens.

Ezekiel Pierce. from Attleborough, married Wealthy, daughter of " Uncle" Solomon Livermore, who lived on the Clarke farm, and located at the foot of the " Mount" hill. He had one son and one daughter. His daughter mar- ried E. B. Taylor, of this town, and the son is still a bachelor of eighty-two, yet Asahel, "the Major," still blows his flute as satisfactorily to himself as in the old training days when he bore the commission of fife-major.

The Macomber family is of Scotch descent, tracing their family history back to the time of King Robert the Second of Scotland. They were among the first of the colonists bearing the honorable title of "Pilgrims," and located in Bridgewater and Easton, where David was born. On reaching his major- ity he left Easton in a company of emigrants to Chesterfield, where he located in 1773. After a short service in the Revolutionary war, and becoming unfit for further service in the field in 1776, he married Katharine, daughter of Daniel Littlefield, purchased the farm now occupied by a grandson, Joseph B., and settled there. Here he reared twelve children, of whom six removed to Westford, Vt., two to Ohio, and four passed their days in Chesterfield. Alvan, a son, married Mercy Noyes for his first wife, by whom he had one son, D. Wright. His second wife was Nancy, daughter of Joseph Burnell, by whom he had five children, Chandler T., James H., Sophronia, Joseph B. and Martha G. His third wife was Malinda (Bates) White.

From the most reliable sources at hand we find that Ebenezer and Consider Cole came to Ireland street among the earliest pioneers. Of the children of Ebenezer we find Joanna, who married Nathaniel Bryant, Rachel, who mar- ried Daniel Littlefield and lived opposite the present residence of Horace Cole; Ebenezer, Jr., and Elijah. Of the children of Consider we find Con- sider, Jr., and Amaziah. The children of Consider, Jr., were Consider, Sam- uel and Horace. . The last named at present living in Pittsfield, at the age of

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eighty-seven. Of the children of Amaziah we find Amaziah, Jr., the father of John, Ephraim and Betsy (Mrs. Crozier). Most of these named had large families and their descendants are very numerous, but those named are the principal ones who preserve the family name in town. Of the children of Consider, Jr., Horace, Consider and Samuel, above mentioned, married sis- ters, daughters of Elijah Cole. Other children of Elijah were Nancy, wife of Lot Drake, Amos, of Worthington, Isaac, Elijah, Jr., Lydia and Sophia.

Prince and Barnabas Cowing, from places unknown, were among the pio- neers and both were in the Revolutionary war. Of their descendants we find that John, a son of Prince, was the first child born in town. We also find Samuel, Calvin,,Thompson, Thomas, Job and Gathelius. Job settled on the " Mount " and had a large family. Of the sons of Gathelius we find Job, the father of Lewis, and John, now living on Ireland street. One daughter mar- ried Elijah Cole, Jr.

Archelaus Anderson resided at the Center and afterwards where Dr. D. W. Streeter now lives. In 1805 he sold the Streeter place to Gershom Collier, just arrived from Boston, and bought the place where T. S. Ring now lives. Afterwards he sold this place to Elijah Graves and removed West.

Amasa Clapp settled where W. I. Rice now lives. Of his children are Ira (father of Ira, now living in town), and a daughter was Mrs. Alvin Rice.

Luther Curtiss's homestead in the east part of the town is now occupied by his descendants.

Samuel Reed settled on the " Mount." His children were Samuel, Daniel, Mrs. Joseph Nash, Mrs. Luther Tower, Simeon, Joseph, Mrs. Jacob Bates, Mrs. Thomas Stearns and Alanson.

Nehemiah Bates came to Chesterfield with his three brothers about 1771, and built the house which is now occupied by his great-granddaughter. He reared eleven children, of whom Solomon B. lived and died on the homestead. Hudson B., oldest son of Solomon B., was born September 11, 1802, married Judith Pynchon, February 7, 1825, and had born to him four children. One son died in the army, where he served as a corporal in the 52d vols. Mr. Bates was for many years captain of the old home militia, and was always known afterwards as Captain Bates. He served as town representative in 1850-51. He died October 3, 1884, aged eighty-two years, his wife having died ten years previous.

Dyar Bancroft, the fourth of the legal profession to settle in Chesterfield, and for more than half a century one of the most respected of the town's res- idents, was a grandson of Ephraim Bancroft, of East Windsor, and subse- quently of Torrington, Conn., an officer of the Revolution. Ephraim married Esther Gleason, of East Windsor, Conn., who bore him six children, and lived to the great age of ninety-six years, dying in December, 1809, surviving her husband eighteen years, who died in 1791. Noadiah, the second of their children, married Jerusha Loomis, of Torrington. They both died in 1827, he surviving her from October 6th until November 28th of that year.

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Eight of their eleven children attained an adult age, viz .: Luman, Dyar, Eras- tus, Chester, Warren, Jerusha, Clarissa and Charlotte, only one of whom is living, Chester, a resident of Winsted, Conn.

Dyar, a brief sketch of whose life we trace, was born in Torrington, Conn., April 12, 1786. Prophetic of the erudition he in his future life was to pos- sess, at the age of eleven years he began the study of Latin in the district school. He entered Yale college in September, 1805 ; but at the earnest solicitation of his friends he left in the following spring and entered Williams college. Among his classmates here were Samuel A. Talcott, of Hartford, Conn., afterwards attorney-general of New York, Samuel J. Milis and Darius O. Griswold, the latter of whom became the first settled minister of Saratoga Springs. Wholly uneclipsed by this array of talent, he graduated with high honors in September, 1809. He then went to West Brattleboro, Vt., where he engaged as a teacher in the academy which is still sustained there. In 1810 he made his first visit to New York, by the way of Hudson river from Albany, his journey from that point by sloop, the fastest transportation in those days, occupying six days. He soon after entered the law office of Hon. Daniel Dewey, of Williamstown, where he continued about one year, when he was appointed to a position as tutor in Williams college, which he success- fully held for two years, and when he took his final leave was strongly urged by the trustees to remain as professor of languages. In the meantime he had continued his study with Judge Dewey, and continued so to do until De. cember 13, 1813. On the 14th of February of the following year, 1814, at the sessions of the Berkshire county court held at Lenox, he was admitted to the bar, and immediately afterward settled in Chesterfield, where he remained until his death, September 13, 1866, aged eighty years.

Of the circumstances which induced Mr. Bancroft to locate here, and the sensations he experienced on his first arrival, we quote his own version : " This was the time of the last war," he used to relate, " and was rather a dull time generally throughout the country for my professional business, and it was a matter of great difficulty to find an opening of much promise ; and my friends thought this place had as many encouragements as any one I should be able to find, so I came on. I really believe it is written out in the great book of Heaven, how ardently and devotedly I prayed to God when coming up the everlasting hill, in four feet of untrodden snow, that I might never lay my bones in Chesterfield. Whereas, as I now feel (in 1858), if I could get at that great book, I should be tempted to make an erasure. I love the place -it is to me a perfect paradise-it is the birthplace of my children."

Three lawyers had preceded him here, the last being Benjamin Parsons. He purchased of Parsons an old arm-chair which had been in use by both the other lawyers, and which he used up to the day of his death, preferring it to a modern easy-chair. It was made a special bequest to his son William, who prizes it highly. He held many positions of trust and honor, was elected justice of the peace in 1814, which office he held to the time of his death;

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was justice of the quorum, notary public for many years, and county com- missioner ; through his old master, Judge Dewey, who was then a member of congress (1814), he established the first postoffice in the town, Phineas Par- sons being the first postmaster, who accepted the office on condition that Mr. Bancroft should transact the chief business for him, he feeling incompetent for the task, though Mr. Bancroft was soon after appointed postmaster, and held the office more than a quarter of a century ; he was first elected to the legislature in 1825, holding the office, with one exception, twelve consecutive years. He was very familiar with the general routine of legislative business, was always on some respectable committee, and very often its chairman. He was a prominent member of the Hampshire county bar, and was steadily ad- vancing on the sure road to fame when, in 1834, he was sorely afflicted by the loss of his eyesight. In all of his earlier years in Chesterfield, his pros- pects, social, professional and political, were most promising, but after this affliction came upon him he was painfully handicapped, and lived in an eclipse.

May 25, 1815, Mr. Bancroft married Sally Hayes, daughter of Rutherford Hayes, of Brattleboro, Vt., granddaughter of Ezekiel Hayes, of Branford, Conn .. and aunt to ex-president Hayes. They began housekeeping in Ches. terfield, in the house now owned and occupied as a summer residence by the Rev. J. W. Chadwick, of Brooklyn. Their union was blessed with a family of four children, viz .: One daughter, Helen, who in 1834 married Hazelton Walkley, of Hartford, Conn., and shortly afterward moved to New York, where she spent most of her life, and where her husband died in 1864. She subsequently married Emmons Putney, of Goshen, Mass., where she died in 1868 ; Talcott and William, who still live on the homestead in Chesterfield ; and Edward, who died here in 1873. Mrs. Bancroft died August 31, 1882, in her ninetieth year.

"The Bailey Tavern building," which Mr. Bancroft bought early in his life in Chesterfield and made his family residence for forty years thereafter, was burned in December, 1859. His son William, then a merchant living in New York, came home and immediately re-built the present mansion, standing precisely upon the original site. In 1864 he replaced the old barns with a commodious new one, and with the other out-buildings the homestead makes one of the finest farm establishments in the county. William, with his fam- ily, have made this place their permanent home since 1864. His wife was Miss Julia A. Trowbridge, daughter of the late Henry Trowbridge, Esq., of New Haven, a distinguished West India merchant. They have three surviv- ing children, Ellen J., Frederick H. and Eliza T. Talcott and William are the sole survivors of the only Bancroft family that ever lived in this town.

Physicians .- Dr. Robert Starkweather settled here in 1790, emigrating from Stonington, Conn. He studied with his brother Ezra at Worthington, and for fifty years was the only settled physician in town. His father and mother finally removed to Chesterfield and died here, the former in 1819,

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aged ninety-one, and the latter in 1824, aged ninety-three. Dr. Robert died in 1858, aged nearly ninety-three. Dr. Starkweather was succeeded by Drs. Ellis, Wilson, Perry, Richardson and D. W. Streeter. The latter settled here in 1866, and has a wide range of practice in this and neighboring towns.

VILLAGES.

CHESTERFIELD is a fine post village located in the central part of the town, occupying a fine, sightly location, commanding a lovely view. The village has a number of fine private residences, a town-hall, church, store, etc. The first postmaster here was Benjamin Parsons, the present, William Baker.

WEST CHESTERFIELD village received its name when the postoffice was established here about 1850. The postmasters have been Job Cudworth, James M. Angell, Ansel Thayer, Joseph W. Tirrell, Nelson A. Higgins and Dwight I. Stanton. The postoffice occupies a building erected for the pur- pose of a store, postoffice and a public hall. The latter is used for Sunday- schools, meetings, lectures, etc.

MANUFACTURES.

Ruins of mills and dams may be seen on most of the streams, but their history is lost in the treacherous memory of the oldest inhabitants and in the scarcely less trustworthy traditions handed down through the generations. Years ago large quantities of broom-handles were manufactured here ; but the tempting tobacco raising speculation has driven the raising of broom corn from the fertile valleys of the Connecticut river and ruined the broom business in this section. The manufactures of the town are as follows :-

S. C. Damon's saw mill bears the worthy distinction of being the oldest in town. About 1760 Joseph Burnell emigrated from Dudley to this spot, and built a dam and grist-mill at what is known as the Narrows at the head of the present lower pond, and just below a beaver dam that existed at the time. At the decease of Joseph Burnell the property passed into the hands of his son, Joseph, Jr., who built the dam now standing early in the century. For many years this dam served the purpose of a highway from Chesterfield to Goshen. During the ownership of Joseph, Jr., a grist-mill, carpenter shop and blacksmith shop were erected and occupied by him, and after his decease by his son Francis, who inherited the mechanical genius as well as the prop- erty of the family. At his death, in 1863, the property passed to William Baker, who had married one of the daughters, and from him the property went into the hands of the present owner. "Burnell's Pond" is known far and near to fishermen, and a picnic ground on the shore of the pond is a favorite resort for Sunday School and Fourth of July festivities, and the immense quantities of blueberries in the vicinity help to make the place very attractive. The grist-mill has long since ceased its hum, and the carpenter shop has been

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converted into a dwelling house. The dwelling house has put on a more pretentious style of dress, but the old oaken bucket still hangs in the well as it has for more than a century, and children's children to the fifth generation have drank from its mossy brim.

Bisbee's mills .- The saw-mill on the east branch of the Westfield river was built prior to 1773, as it appears from the town records of that year that money was voted to build a bridge at that location. The mill after- wards passed to James Cox, and from him to Benjamin Pierce, who built a grist-mill on the east side of the stream. From Pierce the mills passed to Gershom Collier, who owned them till his death, when Elisha Bisbee pur- chased them, in 1819, of Collier's widow, and in 1823 erected the grist-mill on the west side of the stream. He also built a small shop in connection with this mill, using the dwelling house of Thomas Collier for that purpose. This shop was soon burned and the present shop was immediately erected. The present grist-mili was built in 1854. The present saw mill was built by Orin and Osmon Bisbee, about 1840, and by them sold to Elisha and Andrew Baker, and by them to Orin Bisbee. The present owners are Orin Bisbee & Son, Horatio, the son, having purchased an interest in the property. The original dam stood near the mills, but for thirty years the water has been taken from the stream farther up.

H. B. Smith & Son's mill was originally built by Jonathan Burr, for a tan- nery. Chittenden, Job Cudworth, Silas Robinson, Alpha Thayer and P. H. Cudworth succeeded to the business, until about 1855, when the property passed into the hands of Patrick Bryant, who changed the business for the manufacture of seive hoops, until February, 1866, when the mill was de- stoyed by fire, but was immediately re-built, a few rods below the original location, where it now stands. About 1877 the property passed into the hands of H. B. Smith, who, in company with his son, Thomas E., has con-, tinued the hoop business in connection with the lumber business, employing eight or ten hands usually.

S. A. Healy's mill, occupied by him in the manufacture of plane and saw- handles, and by Henry L. Eddy in the manufacture of gun nipples, and by Lyman Hitchcock in the general turning business, occupies the mill privilege originally constructed by William Williams, in 1839. The original dam was about 200 rods higher up the stream, and the mill about thirty rods above the present location. This property has had many owners. L. K. Baker and Rufus Hyde used it for a long time for a saw-mill, carding works, broom handle and button works, until about 1849, when G. W. Rhodes succeeded Baker and commenced the manufacture of plane handles in that year. In June, 1850, the dam was destroyed, and Rhodes substituted a steam engine in place of water-power, and in 1852 the present mill, which had formerly done good service at the Green Mountain academy, located at Worthington, was erected and run by steam till 1860, when Parsons & Healy became sole proprietors of the mill rights and erected the dam as it stands. About 1864

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S. A. Healy became sole owner and continues the business, employing from three to six hands. After the loss of the dam in 1850, Rufus Hyde conceived the idea and carried it into execution, of building a dam higher up the stream, bringing the water a part of the way on the opposite side of the river and thence across the river in a cylinder into the old canal. This proved an ex- pensive experiment, although temporarily successful. Hyde and his wife were both drowned in a flood at Rowe, Mass., while trying to save his mill from destruction.

George S. Spencer's mill was originally built by Lyman Litchfield and Duandler Moore, for an iron foundry, and for many years the " Green Moun- tain " cook stove, made by Moore & Litchfield found a place in the kitchen of most farm houses in the vicinity. Plows, cultivators and mop sticks were made in large quantities. The business and mills were sold to Alpha Thayer & Son, about 1856, who carried on the same business several years. In 1861 the foundry was burned, and immediately Edward Thayer re-built the mill as a grist-mill, and put in a new dam, where it now stands. Several owners carried on the grist-mill till it came into the possession of George S. Spencer, the present owner, who exchanged the machinery for other kinds and has since carried on a business manufacturing factory supplies.

E. H. Higgins & Son's mill was originally built by Elisha Bisbee, about 1800, and the dam now standing includes the original dam. Bisbee sold the mill to Capt. Joel Thayer, who occupied it till his decease, in 1832. Reed & Tower owned it a long time, and through successive owners it has come down to the present. The saw-mill was taken out many years ago, and the building is now used for the manufacture of gun tubes.

Hiram Higgins's saw-mill near the mouth of Dead branch, was erected about twenty years since, by Job Torrey and Dexter Damon, passing through the hands of several owners before coming to the present proprietor. Just above this mill is a small establishment owned by Henry A. Weeks, and used for the manufacture of cutlery.

The Fiske saw-mill .- The saw-mill on Culver brook at present belonging to the estate of Rufus H. Fiske, was built about 1840, by Lyman Culver, passing at his decease to his son Horace and from his heirs to Rufus H. Fisk. There is also a cider-mill connected with the saw-mill, where large quantities of apples meet a horrible death in the hope of an ignoble resurrec- tion in the form of cider.

CHURCHES.

The Congregational church of Chesterfield .- There have existed a Baptist church and a Methodist church in Chesterfield, but as in most of New Eng- land towns the Congregational faith always was in the majority. The Con- gregational society was formally organized. October 30, 1764, by Rev. Samuel Hopkins, of Hadley, and Rev. John Hooker, of Northampton. There

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were seven members besides the Rev. Benjamin Mills, who had received a call from the town the preceding July, had accepted, and commenced his labors. He was installed as the first pastor of the newly formed church, November 22d, three weeks after the organization. The first members were Benjamin Mills, Joseph Burnell. Joshua Healey, David Stearns, Ezra May, Robert Hamilton, Benjamin Tupper and George Buck. The meeting ·house was repaired in 1814-15, and stood till 1835. The new house was dedicated November 18, 1835. The society now has sixty-five members. Its pastors have been as follows :-

Rev. Benjamin Mills, 1764-74, continued to reside in town, and became prominent in public affairs during the Revolution ; Rev. Josiah Kilburn, 1780-81 ; Rev. Timothy Allen, 1784-96, remained in town and died in 1806, aged ninety-one : Rev. Isaiah Waters, 1796-1831, died at Williamsburg, N.Y., 1851 ; Rev. Benjamin Holmes supplied the pulpit 1832-33 ; Rev. Israel G. Rose, 1835 -- 42, he died while pastor, in 1842, aged forty-three ; Rev. Oliver Warner, ordained in 1844, services closed by reason of ill health, in 1846, but he, however, supplied the pulpit considerably before the settlement of another pastor ; Rev. Samuel W. Barnum, ordained in 1853, dismissed in 1855 ; Rev. John E. Corey, stated supply, 1856-59 ; Rev. J. W. Allen, 1859- 62 ; Rev. William Rose, ordained in 1862, continued pastor till 1864; Rev. J. A. Wilkins, 1864-65 : Rev. Edward Clarke, 1865-72 ; Rev. I. P. Smith, 1872-73 ; Rev. William A. Fobes, 1873-81 ; Rev. Truman A. Merrill, 1882 -85 ; Rev. Elijah Loomis, 1885, now holds the position.

Baptist church .- By the records of the association, there existed a Baptist church in Chesterfield as early as 1780, but there is no record at hand dating farther back than 1789, at which date a meeting was held at the house of Zebulon Robertson (Robinson), where E. S. Kinne now lives, with Luke Bonney as clerk, and for a long time after the meetings were held at private houses. October 6, 1789, a committee consisting of Luke Bonney, Zebulon Robinson and Seth Taylor, was chosen to provide a "teacher." January 26, 1790, it was reported from this committee favoring and recommending the engagement of brother Vining as minister, and, the report having been ac- cepted, it was voted to raise §45. 14s. 6d. by subscription, to defray the ex- penses of moving. ordaining, and furnishing a suit of clothes for him. June 15, 1790, Brother Vining was ordained pastor of the Baptist church in Chester- field. In the following May it was voted to move the place of meetings to Mr. Stone's new barn, and in 1798 we find a meeting recorded at the meet- ing-house, with Dan Daniels, of Worthington, clerk, an office held by Daniels for thirty years, assisted in the latter years by his son, Ira Daniels. January 30, 1801, Samuel Kingman, of Worthington, and William Keene, of Chester- field, were chosen deacons to wait on the church. In 1803 the name of Asa Todd, who had arrived from Whately, appears as the minister, and in 1805 Noah White was chosen deacon in the place of William Keene, who re- moved to the state of New York. January 31, 1807, Deacon Kingman was

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dismissed, and in March, 1808, David Macomber was chosen deacon, and in July 1815, Timothy Austin was chosen deacon in the place of Noah White, dismissed. In 1817 the name of Job Cudworth appears as one of the dea- cons. Deacon Macomber died in 1819, and subsequently the names of David Todd, Asa Robinson and Almon Higgins, appear as holding that office.

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Gazetteer of Hampshire County, Mass., 1654-1887, Part 24

Author: Gay, W. B. (William Burton), comp Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., W. B. Gay & co Number of Pages: 824

Author: Gay, W. B. (William Burton), comp
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., W. B. Gay & co
Number of Pages: 824