USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Gazetteer of Hampshire County, Mass., 1654-1887 > Part 46
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The Methodist Episcopal church .- The beginning of permanent Methodist worship in Pelham was in the spring of 1831, when Rev. Isaac Stoddard was invited to preach. Previous to that, meetings of a general character had been held in town. Mr. Stoddard was formally settled as pastor by the con- ference of 1831. In 1832 the society had grown to a membership of 125. In 1834, Pelham and Greenwich were connected together under the same pastoral charge. In 1836 the society occupied the old meeting-house on Pelham Heights, near the town-house. Between 1838 and 1843 the Metho- dist meeting house in the west end of the town was erected. The deed for the original parsonage at the west end was made by Emory Ballou, July 5, 1847, "for the benefit of such men as shall be employed by the Methodist
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Episcopal church to preach in the western part of Pelham," to the following trustees: Rufus Grout, David Newell, Lemuel C. Wedge, Horace Gray, Zadoc Preston, Ansel A. Rankin and John Sisson. This parsonage was used by the various ministers who have been in charge, until August II, 1875; when it was sold and a new one erected, at a cost of $1,050.00, on land given for that purpose by Russell Whipple. The present pastor is Rev. Henry A. Jones.
P LAINFIELD* lies in the extreme northwestern corner of the county, has an area of about twenty square miles, being five miles in length from north to south and four miles in width from east to west, and is bounded north by Hawley and east by Ashfield, both in Franklin county, south by Cummington, and west by Savoy and Windsor, in Berkshire county.
The surface of the town is rough and mountainous, as it lies upon the east- ern slope of the Green Mountain range of Massachusetts, and presents an almost endless variety of beautiful scenery. From Deer hill, in the south - western part of the town, a magnificent view may be obtained. While the township is thus diversified and broken, there yet remains a large percentage of good arable land, with a strong, moist, fertile soil. Copious springs abound and many streams dance through the many valleys. Mill brook, a branch of Westfield river is the principal stream. This may also be said of the other streams and brooks, they flow a southerly course and help to swell the cur- rent of the Westfield river. North pond, in the northwestern corner of the town, is quite a romantic little body of water, surrounded by wild and pic- turesque scenery. Among the minerals found are two ores of manganese- rhodonite and pyrolusite -- and the rare variety of hornblende, cumming- tonite.
Grant, Settlement and Growth .-- The original grant of this section, as " Township No. 5," its subsequent sale at public vendue at Boston, February 16, 1762, and its final erection into the township of Cummington, has all been detailed in the sketch of that town, on page 222. A repetition of all this is unnecessary. On March 16, 1785, the northern part of Cummington was in- corporated as a district, and on June 15, 1807, this district was made a town- ship-the Plainfield of to-day. Additions to the original territory have twice been made. February 4, 1794, when a portion of Ashfield, with the families of Joseph Clarke and Joseph Beals was added, and June 21, 1803, when a tract of one mile in width from the southerly portion of Hawley was annexed. A tract in the northeastern part of the town, comprising 600 acres, was early granted to Mr. Mahew, for missionary and legal services among the Indians, and was soon after transferred to one Wainwright, whose name it subse- quently bore.
*For this sketch we are largely indebted to Rev. Solomon Clark.
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TOWN OF PLAINFIELD.
Of the early settlement of the town nothing more of importance may be said than what has already been said in connection with the Cummington sketch. Most of the settlers were from Bridgewater and Abington, Conn. The first settler in this part of the old town of Cummington was doubtless a Mr. McIntyre, who located about where Mrs. Mary A. Dunning now lives, not far from 1770. Drs. Fay, Bradish and others were located here previ- ous to 1774, and between that time and 1880 we know that the following were here, and doubtless a number of others, viz. : Lieut. Joshua Shaw, Andrew Cook, Isaac Joy, Caleb White, Lieut. Colson, Lieut. Samuel Noyes, Ebenezer Bisbee, Abram Beals, John Streeter, William Robbins, Jonathan Munroe and Noah Packard. The first birth was that of John Cook, October 27, 1778.
The growth of the town may be seen from the following figures, which show the population for the several years mentioned : 1790, 458; 1800, 797; 1810, 977 ; 1820, 936 ; 1830, 984 ; 1840, 910 ; 1850, 814 ; 1855, 652 ; 1860, 639 ; 1865, 579 ; 1870, 521; 1875, 481; 1880, 457.
Organization .- After the incorporation of the district, in 1785, the first legal meeting was held at the house of Simon Burroughs, July 25, 1786, when Lieut. Ebenezer Colson was chosen moderator; Lieut. Joshua Shaw, clerk ; Lieut. Ebenezer Colson, Lieut. John Packard and Lieut. John Cunningham, selectmen ; Lieut. John Shaw, treasurer; Simon Burroughs, constable ; Isaac Joy, Lieut. John Packard, tithingmen ; Josiah Torry, Solomon Nash, Nathan Fay, William Daniels, Jacob Clark, Abijah Pool, Jonathan Munroe, David White and Daniel Streeter, surveyors of highways; Lieut. Samuel Noyes, surveyor of lumber ; Daniel Streeter, sealer of leather ; John Streeter, fence viewer ; Asa Joy and Azariah Beals, hog-reeves; David White, field- driver, and John Streeter, deer-reeve.
Notes .- Dr. Marcus Whitman, noted as a missionary, physician and sur- geon for over ten years in Oregon, also for the long, tedious journey which he made across the Rocky mountains in mid-winter to Washington, D. C., when Mr. Webster was secretary of state, a journey requiring heroic bravery and uncommon physical endurance, spent many of his boyhood days up to early manhood in Plainfield, living with Col. John Packard. He is remembered by some, then his associates, as an energetic youth, possessing a good mind and good principles. By his daring, promptness and skill when a large boy, he saved another boy on the point of drowning, from a watery grave. He at- tended the school of Rev. Moses Hallock, in this town, which was probably the means of shaping his subsequent career. His acquaintance, more or less, with several connected with the same school, who afterwards became foreign missionaries, probably contributed to the same result. It is under- stood that on leaving Plainfield, having decided on his profession, he entered the Pittsfield medical school. Time passes on ; in 1835 he became an ac- cepted missionary of the American board, his future field being some of the Indian tribes in Oregon. The next year, 1836, associated with Rev. Henry
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H. Spaulding, they and their wives crossed the Rocky mountains and became located at two stations, one on the Walla Walla river, the other on the Clear Water. These missionary ladies were the first white women who ever crossed those mountains. Their courage and patience in meeting and overcoming the many hardships and perils of the journey astonished both hunters and trad- ers. Visiting as physician and surgeon the various forts and agencies of the Hudson Bay Company, Dr. Whitman at length became satisfied that the plan was formed by that company to secure that vast territory, with all its unknown wealth and resources for Great Britain. He felt certain that American im- migration must be brought over the Rocky mountains or the entire region would be lost to the United States. Sitting at table one day at Fort Walla Walla, in the autumn of 1842, a messenger came in, announcing the arrival of British immigrants from Red river, this side of the mountains. Toasts were drank, and one of the company said, " Now the Americans may whistle, the country is ours." Dr. Whitman soon excused himself and left, rode that night twenty-four miles to his home, sent his wife to the family of a Method- ist missionary, made preparations, and started off to cross the continent in mid-winter, risking cold, starvation and hostile Indians, to save Oregon for
his country. Reaching Missouri in February, 1843, frost-bitten and ex- hausted, with all earnestness he told the people that the Pacific coast must be rescued from the Hudson Bay company. Contradicting the reports that wagons could cross the mountains, he engaged to pilot a colony in the spring to the Columbia river. At Washington he called on Daniel Webster, then secretary of State, and told his story. The secretary replied, " Wagons can- not cross the mountains. So says Sir G. Simpson. So say all his corres- pondents in that distant region. Besides, I am about trading that worthless territory for some valuable concessions in relation to the Newfoundland cod- fisheries." With earnestness in his looks and tones, Dr. Whitman replied, " I hope you will not do it, sir. We want that valuable territory ourselves." He emphasized the word valuable. The long head and profound intellect of Mr. Webster did not then penetrate the design of the agents of Great Brit- ain. But he saw it afterwards. Saw how near he came towards committing a fundamental mistake. Those " valuable concessions " pertaining to New- foundland codfisheries were trifles compared with Oregon in its vast extent and wealth. Leaving the secretary, Dr. Whitman next went to President Tyler and said 'the same things, affirming that wagons and emigrants could cross the mountains. The president replied, " Dr. Whitman, since you are a missionary I will believe you, and if you take your emigrants over there on your return as you propose, the treaty will not be ratified." In March, after a hurried visit to Boston, he was back in Missouri, and led a thousand emi- grants to Fort Hall. Captain Grant who commanded it, in the service and interest of the Hudson Bay Company, asked where they were going, and pro- nouncing the rest of the way impassible for wagons, offered to change them for pack horses, as he had done for others .. The men were in great trouble
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when they heard this. Dr. Whitman rose up and said : " Friends, you have trusted me so far, have I deceived you ? Continue to trust me, and I will take you, wagons and all to Oregon." They trusted him, he went before, marking the road with stakes and bits of paper with written directions, till they reached his home, and, at length, the Willimette valley. It was a long and successful journey. September 4, 1843, he and his 800 emigrants emerged on the plains of the Columbia river. Those who a few months be- fore, in sanguine tones had said " Now the Americans may whistle, the coun- try is ours," were mortified andlsilenced. The treaty was not signed. Oregon and the Northern Pacific coast were saved by the heroism, the energy and Chris- tian zeal of one individual, a missionary physician of the American board, many of whose boyhood days up to early manhood were spent in the remote, quiet town of Plainfield. Joseph Beals, known as the " mountain miller," united with the Plainfield church in 1792. Came from Bridge- water, and settled here in 1779, with his wife and several young children. For the first ten years of his residence in town he considered the mere exter- nals of morality enough for his safety here and hereafter. He experienced a severe reverse in 1789. A scarcity of provisions prevailed in the community that year. In the absence of himself and wife from home one evening his cottage took fire, and with it, in one short hour, was consumed the fruits and avails of several years. It was a severe lesson, but one which a wise Provi- dence appointed to make him acquainted with himself. He became an altered man, one of the most humble, useful Christians the town ever had. The year 1798 marks an important date in his career. He purchased a corn-mill, so- called, a mile south of the meeting-house-not the one that now stands on the same spot. Many the incidents connected with that mill, covering fifteen years. Numbers resorted thither for special conversation. It became a noted spot. Troubled ones there found help. The church elected him one of the deacons in 1803. He died ten years after at the age of sixty-one. For more than half a century, people in various countries have read the story of his life. In 1831 the American Tract Society published the " Mountain Miller," a popular and useful tract. Within a year 140,000 copies were circulated. Soon a larger edition was issued. Societies in other lands published the same. How many editions have been given to the world we cannot say. It has gone to the ends of the earth. The instances of its usefulness would fill a volume. This example shows that a quiet community on the hills, not rich as judged by a material standard, may send out an influence for good that shall bless multitudes in distant parts of the earth.
Jacob Nash came to Plainfield directly after the close of the Revolutionary war, and settled on the farm now owned by Stephen Parsons, on road 8. His son Arvin was born in 1790, and married three times, first, Lucinda Vinton in 1813, who bore him four children, namely, Eunice V., Martha J., Spencer and Maria S. He married for his second wife Mrs. Dorothy Covell, in 1834, and had born to him two children, James A. and Mary L. The mother of
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these children died in 1841, and he married for his third wife Lucretia Pixley. Mr. Nash died in July, 1869, aged seventy-nine years. His son James was born in December, 1836, married Mary A. Torrey in 1860, and has had born to him four children, Elmer E., Frank E., Charles A. and Lewis S. He lives on road 34, on the west bank of Mill river, and is proprietor of a grist-mill there.
Jacob Clark was born in Abington, Mass., in 1756, served in the Revolu- tionary war, and came to Plainfield in 1783. He married Susanna Jones, had born to him eleven children, and died in 1832. His son Chester was born in this town in 1805, married Minerva Jones in 1831. and had born to him two children, Seth W. and Elizabeth S. Mr. Clark and his wife both died in 1885. Seth W. was born in 1838, married Nancy W. Jones, and had born to him six children, five of whom are living. He now resides on road 44.
John Hamlen was born in Bridgewater, Mass., October 22, 1762, moved with his parents to Cummington in 1776, and began service in the Revolu- tionary war at the age of sixteen years. He married when he was twenty- eight years old, about the year 1790, Sally Town, who bore him ten children, and with whom he lived twenty-eight years. He married for his second wife Dorothy Gove, who died in 1847. He served his town in many public offices, serving as selectman nineteen years, justice of the peace, etc. He died April 15, 1852, in the ninetieth year of his age. His son Freeman was born May 8, 1805, married for his first wife Clarissa Whiting, June 4, 1829, who bore him one son, Edward F., and died October 13, 1847. He married for his second wife Martha Taylor, November 30, 1848. Mr. Taylor served the town as selectman six years, and was town clerk twenty-three years.
Samuel Thayer was an early settler of this town, locating here about ninety years ago, at which time he cleared 100 acres, and built a log cabin. He lived many years on the farm now owned by Lemuel Mason.
Sumner Martin was born March 2, 1801, came to this town about 1821, and married twice, first, Temperance Taylor, July 4, 1822, who bore him seven children. He married for his second wife Mrs. Abigail Taylor. Mr. Barton died October 7, 1880. His son Nathan was born May 27, 1835, married Louisa E. Gardner, in 1860, has four children, and lives on road 5.
Leonard Campbell was born in this town in 1811, married Louisa Bisbee, in 1835, and has had born to him one child, Fred E. He served as deputy sheriff twenty-eight years, and was appointed postmaster in 1850, which office he still holds. The postoffice occupies a part of the store in which he has been engaged for forty years.
Jerijah Barber was born in Windsor, Conn., in 1804, came to this town about 1827, and married Dorothy Morton, in 1834. He has had born to him three children, two of whom are living, a son, who resides in Pittsfield, and a daughter, who is a widow, and resides at home with her father. Mrs. Barber died June 23, 1882.
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TOWN OF PLAINFIELD.
Professional Men .- Among the professional men who have originated in Plainfield may be mentioned the following :-
First, lawyers-Cyrus Joy, son of Jacob, graduated at Williams college in 18Iz, studied law and practiced at Northampton, afterwards in his native town. Hosea F. Stockwell, lived forty years at the West, a lawyer, having an extensive practice in New Philadelphia, Ohio. Elisha Bassett, son of Thomas, studied law, for forty-seven years connected with the United States district court, Boston. Alden B. Vining graduated at Williams college in 1843, a lawyer, located in Bridgeport, Conn. Erastus N. Bates graduated at Williams college in 1853, studied law, his health did not allow him to pursue its prac- tice, and in the last war rose to the rank of major, and has been twice state treasurer of Illinois. Ephraim L. Lincoln graduated at Williams college in 1855, studied law, was admitted to the Hampshire bar in 1858, and died at Westfield in 1859. Almon Warner, son of James, now a lawyer in Cincin- nati, Ohio.
Second, editors and literary persons-Gerard Hallock graduated at Will- iams college in 1819, started the Boston Telegraph, united it with the Boston Recorder in 1826, then removed to New York, became one of the editors and proprietors of the New York Observer, and in 1829 established the Journal of Commerce, a first-class paper. Charles Dudley Warner graduated at Ham- ilton college in 1851, has published extensively, now edits one of the Hart- ford daily papers. Mrs. Fidelia Cook for some time superintended the lit- erary department of the Springfield Republican. Mrs. Martha J. Lamb has published in two magnificent volumes, the History of New York City. A work of hers, Coast Survey, has become a text-book in sonie colleges.
Third, professors and classical teachers-James Hayward, graduated at Harvard college in 1819, tutor there ; also professor of mathematics and natural philosophy ; published Elements of Geometry. Isaac Newton Lin- coln, graduated at Williams college in 1847 ; professor of Latin and French at that college nine years. Tilly Brown Hayward, brother of Professor James, graduated at Harvard; born in 1820; a teacher for many years. Alden Porter Beals, graduated at Williams college in 1849; high school teacher for over thirty years. Francis Torrey, superintendent of schools in Newark, N. J. Charles Shaw, graduated at Williams college in 1864 ; taught a classical school for many years in Astoria, N. Y. Fordyce A. Dyer, son of Albert, graduated at Williams college in 1865. Capt. Edward Hanlin, clerk of the executive department, state house, Boston.
Fourth, physicians-Samuel Shaw, M. D., had an extensive ride in his na- tive town for thirty years, a man of great endurance, never lost a meal through sickness for forty-seven years. Dana Shaw, M. D., brother of the foregoing, for over twenty-five years was a physician in Barre, N. Y. G. Washington Shaw, nephew of the foregoing, settled in Williamsburg, Mass., highly es- teemed. Joseph Richards, a brother of the missionaries, long a physician in Hillsdale, N. Y. Chilion Packard, M. D., in early life went South. Seth H.
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Pratt, M. D., went West many years ago. Newell White, M. D., is still liv- ing in Pennsylvania. James F. Richards, a physician in Andover, Mass. Royal Joy, studied with Dr. Samuel Shaw and settled in Cummington. Francis Pratt is a physician in Ohio. Newton Robinson resides as a physi- cian in the same state. Francis Shaw, surgeon in United States navy. Lewis Whiting, deceased, resided in Saratoga, N. Y. Emerson Warner, a physician in Virginia. Daniel Thayer, a physician in Cheshire. Dr. Shepherd L. Hamlin, was a dentist in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dr. Joseph Beals is a dentist in Greenfield.
Fifth, ministers-Rev. Jephthah Pool, many years ago a pastor in Wind- sor, Mass. Rev. James Richards, a foreign missionary. Rev. William Richards, missionary to the Sandwich Islands. Rev. William A. Hallock, corresponding secretary of the American Tract society. Erastus Dickinson, settled in several places. Rev. Austin Richards, D. D., settled in Frances- town, N. H. ; also in Nashua, N. H. Rev. David Rood, missionary to South Africa. Isaac Newton Lincoln, professor in .Williams college. Rev. Stephen C. Pixley, missionary in South Africa. Rev. Spencer Dyer, minister in the Methodist denomination. Elder James Clark and Elder Thomas Thayer, both ministers in the Baptist denomination. Rev. William A. Hallock, set- tled in Bloomfield, Conn. Rev. Leavitt Hallock, settled in Portland, Me. William Austin Richards, son of Col. Jason, graduated at Amherst college, had the ministry in view, died suddenly in 1863.
Military .- The settlement of Plainfield was effected about the time of the Revolutionary war, and then as a part of Cummington, hence as a town it could take no action in those stirring times. Many of the settlers though took part in the struggle, and many veterans subsequently became residents of the town. In 1834 the following pensioners were here : Lemuel Allis, Joseph Barnard, Ebenezer Bisbee, John Campbell, Vinson Curtis, Ebenezer Dickinson, James Dyer, Joseph Gloyd, Rev. Moses Hallock, Jacob Nash, Philip Packard, Whitcomb Pratt, James Richards, Josiah Shaw, Samuel Streeter, Josiah Torrey and Caleb White.
In the late great war the town furnished sixty-one men, an excess of seven over all calls, and three of whom were commissioned officers. The town also furnished $4,505.00 in money, besides $1,622.02 in aid to soldiers' families, etc., which was subsequently reimbursed by the state.
VILLAGE.
The only village, Plainfield, is located at the center of the town. It con- sists principally of one street, nearly three-quarters of a mile long, extending east and west. This is intersected by two roads from the south, which unite in one north of the village. The postoffice was established here in 1816, and John Mack was the first postmaster. The present incumbent of the office is Foster W. Gilbert, to whom we are indebted for the following sketch of the
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TOWN OF PLAINFIELD.
MANUFACTURES.
On the brook in the northwest part of the town is situated Campbell's saw- mill. It was built by Levi Campbell and was for many years conducted by his son, Levi N. Campbell. It is now managed by George Billings. A lim- ited amount of custom work is done.
The small stream which flows from the northeast to the south part of the town has been from the first the scene of many attemps at manufacture. Probably the first enterprise of this sort was the grist-mill of Thomas Shaw. This was situated several rods above the present residence of W. H. Dyer. Evidence exists that places the date of its erection before 1800. The mill was abandoned about 1830, and no trace of it now remains.
On the stream below the grist-mill, in the earlier years of the present cen- tury, was the cloth factory of Jacob Clark. In 1825 or 1830, on the same site, Randall Whiting, James Warner and Jacob Clark, under the firm name of Whiting, Warner & Co., built a factory for the manufacture of satinets and for general custom work. They employed about a dozen hands at their looms. The above firm conducted the business for about twelve years, and afterwards it was managed by Jacob Clark alone. Subsequently, one Gur- ney made an attempt to revive the business, but it soon died away and the buildings were removed about 1857. Remnants of the dam and raceway are yet discerned.
Still lower on the stream John White established a mill for the manufac- ture of broom-handles, about 1836. This was in operation for eight or ten years, and the buildings were then removed. A saw-mill on the same site was continued a few years longer.
Further down was the ancient saw-mill of Ziba White. This mill was sup- posed to have been erected near the beginning of the century. After forty years of service it fell into disuse.
A mill-privilege below was improved by Warner & Lloyd about 1845. They erected a saw-mill and afterwards a cider-mill. Both have long since become untraceable.
The small stream emptying from the sluice directly below the store of Leonard Campbell seems hardly sufficient to turn a boy's water-wheel, yet on this rivulet, about one hundred years ago, a pretentious tannery was erected by Messrs. Dorn & Remington. Their water-wheel was an overshot wheel, eighteen feet in diameter, and their buildings were of unusual size. The preparations were for some reason unavailable and they went down the valley and settled on Mill brook. On this brooklet also were, at about the same time, the potash works of Iram Packard.
Going west from the village we come upon the busiest stream of water in town. It is called Mill brook, and empties into the Westfield at Cum- mington.
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