Gazetteer of Hampshire County, Mass., 1654-1887, Part 50

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 50

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).

Hon. Beman Brockway is the son of Gideon Brockway, who with his father Isaiah Brockway, settled on the extreme northwest part of the town adjoining the "third square mile" of the Parsons family one hundred or more years ago. The Brockway family came from Lyme, Conn., where most of those bearing the name of Brockway in this country originated. Beman Brockway was born in 1815, and spent the early years of his boyhood upon the paternal homestead and in acquiring the art "preservative of arts," in the office of the Courier, a newspaper published in Northampton. But his father was allured to the richer lands of Chautauqua county, New York, in 1832, and he fol- lowed him the next year, to be immediately solicited to undertake the publi- cation of the Sentinel, a weekly newspaper at Mayville. The enterprise

TOWN OF SOUTHAMPTON.

proved successful financially, and he remained as editor and proprietor eleven years when he sold the establishment and purchased the Palladium, a weekly paper at Oswego, which he soon converted into a daily. He sold the Palladium in 1853, having been invited by Horace Greeley to join the editorial staff of the New York Tribune. There he remained two years. His duties were laborious but were performed to the entire acceptance of Mr. Greeley, who, to the close of his eventful life manifested a strong personal and political friendship for Mr. Brockway. He returned to Oswego, and in 1858 was elected to the legislature where he served with distinction and usefulness, especially on questions affecting the canals, and was mainly instrumental in perfecting and securing the passage of an efficient law for the registration of voters. Soon after he removed to Watertown, resumed the profession of editor, and was so engaged when, in 1865, he was invited by Governor Fenton to accept the position of private secretary ; but the Governor, who highly appreciated his capacity and ability, presently tendered him the resposible office of canal appraiser, the duties of which he discharged with signal suc- cess until the expiration of his term in 1870. In the course of that year he became connected with the Watertown Daily Times and Weekly Reformer, and by successive purchases soon acquired sole proprietary rights in these two journals of Northern New York. Under his judicious management, as editor-in-chief, these papers have attained a wide circulation and a command- ing influence in that part of the state where they are published. Mr. Brock- way has been a member of the editorial profession for more than half a cen- tury, and during all that time has been an able and efficient supporter of all measures devised to promote and enhance the prosperity and happiness of all classes of people, but particularly of the toiling millions. All official po- sitions have come to him unsought and unsolicited, and all the obligations and duties attached to them have been performed by him with scrupulous fidelity. All things considered, Hon. Beman Brockway may be regarded as the most eminent son of Southampton now living. Mr. Brockway has been twice married, first, to a daughter of Solomon Warner, of Northampton, and second, to her cousin, Sarah Warner Wright, of Keene, N. H., and both were cousins of the late Oliver Warner, for many years secretary of state of Massachusetts.

Noah Burt was a faithful soldier and an ardent patriot during the war for independence. As tradition renders the story he was plowing in the field when the news arrived of the commencement of hostilities. Like Putnam on the same occasion, he unhitched his horses from the plow, and directing his boy to take charge of one of them, mounted the other, and with his gun and a few necessary articles, proceeded with all speed to Cambridge, where the patriots were gathering in force. During his absence the labor on the farm was performed by his wife with such occasional assistance as she was able to procure; and among other tasks which she imposed upon herself was the breaking of a colt to supply the place of the horse which had borne her hus-

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band to the army, and she succeeded in a short time in rendering the animal docile and obedient. At the conclusion of the war Mr. Burt found himself financially embarrassed, and tradition again affirms that he applied to his friend Governor Caleb Strong, of Northampton, for assistance, who generously loaned him half a bushel of silver dollars. In this last transaction tradition may have capriciously mingled fancy with facts, as it is doubtful if all the sil- ver dollars in Northampton at the termination of the war would have filled a half-bushel.

Nathaniel Searle was one of the first settlers, and was noted as the richest man in the precinct. On that account, probably, his house was the only one that contained two rooms, and, before the erection of the meeting house, re- ligious services were held in it. Some of his descendants are still living in the town.

Samuel C. Pomeroy entered Amherst college but did not graduate. He was a representative in the legislature in 1852, went to Kansas where he be- came prominent, and served two terms in the United States senate.

Noah L. Strong also entered Amherst college, but like Mr. Pomeroy, did not graduate. He was a member of the lower branch of the legislature in 1848, and was subsequently elected one of the senators for the county of Hampshire.

Isaac S. Wolcott, son of Stephen, was born on the farm now occupied by L. C. Tiffany, March 30, 1806. He married Eliza Rust September 2, 1829, who bore him two children, Jairus B. and Lemuel P. Mrs. Wolcott died May 15, 1880, and Mr. Wolcott, at the age of eighty years, resides with his son Lemuel on road 12. The latter was born February 21, 1841, married Cor- nelia F. Shepard, of Westfield, October 14, 1880, and has two children, Alfred L. and Anna L.

Asa Southworth was born on the old homestead, in the northern part of the town, in 1793. He married Achsah Wood, in 1817. Mrs. Southworth now lives on the old homestead, aged eighty-eight years

Luther Wright, from Northampton, came to this town in April, 1832, and located upon the old Wright homestead in the northern part of the town. He died here May 9, 1846, aged sixty-nine years. He brought with hin his wife and two children, one of whom, Luther A., still resides on the farm at the age of seventy-seven years. He married Mirza Thompson, a native of Monterey, Mass., (then South Tyringham), who bore him one child, Samuel L., who carries on the farm. Mrs. Wright is still living, but has been a help- less paralytic fifteen years.

Joseph Russell came from Connecticut about 1809, and located at what is still known as Russellville, where he carried on for many years the business of carding and dressing cloth. He married Sylva Norton, August 29, 1805, who bore him nine children, Harriet E., Charles D., Mary, Almera, Joseph H., Sylva L., Isaac N., Martha A. and Augustus, all but three of whom are living. Isaac N. was born April 21, 1823, married Mrs. Ellen M. Ludding-

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ton, April 2, 1878. Charles D. Russell was born here December 19, 1819, and has always resided here. He married Wealthy Upson May 23, 1836. Their children are Emily A. (Mrs. William Boyd), Alfred Z., Cynthia E. (Mrs. George Lyon).

Julius Boyd was born in what was a part of West Springfield in 1801, and came to Southampton about 1840. His son William D. was born there and was seven years of age when his parents moved here. William married Emily Russell, daughter of Charles D., in 1857, and has two ehildren, Frank R. and Lillian E.

Nahum Shumway was born in Belchertown in 1812, and came to South- ampton about 1841. He married Elizabeth Cook, who died in 1844. Mr. Shumway died in 1884. Their only child, Hattie E., occupies the old home- Stead on road 40.

Thomas J. Rawley, son of Thomas, was born on the E. Olds farm, De- cember 2, 1812. He married Eliza Haskell, and they have had two children, Albert W. and Myron J. The latter died September 30, 1884.

Solomon A. Wolcott, residing on road 28, was born in Holyoke, May 29, 1811, and came to this town when five years of age. He married Louisa Pomeroy, who died in 1865; and in November, 1872, he married his present wife, Jane A. Elliott. They have two children, Louisa May and Anna J.

Gilbert Bascom, son of Elisha, was born here January 10, 1796, one of a family of seven children. He married Cynthia Clark, daughter of Oliver, April 25, 1822, and during the following years moved to the old homestead on road 23, where he resided until his death, April 4, 1883, and where his daughters, Elvira B. and Cynthia S. now reside. Mr. Bascom's children were Elvira B (Mrs. Alford Warriner), Sophronia A. (Mrs. Silas D. Clark, of Northampton), Cynthia S. and Delia A., who died July 30, 1857, at the age of nineteen years.

Barney T. Wetherell was born in Middleborough, Mass., October 14, 1822. He married Adelia M. Stedman, born in Manchester, Conn., October 5, 1821, in Southampton, August 10, 1843. Their children are Georgianna E., born October 13, 1844, Helen A., born March 27, 1852, Arthur B., born Febru- ary 2, 1855, and Louis S., born September 4, 1867. Mr. Wetherell is one of the prominent men of the town.

Dr. Sylvester Woodbridge was the first physician, and came to Southamp- ton by the invitation of the town as expressed in a legal town meeting. He was quite successful in his practice, and accumulated a handsome property for those primitive times. He built the Woodbridge mansion, the most pre- tentious edifice in the town, which is in an excellent state of preservation, and may, with proper attention, last the greater part of another century.

Dr. Bela P. Jones, after the field had been occupied for two or three years by a Dr. Blair and then relinquished by him, settled in the town and remained about thirty years. He removed to Hudson, Michigan, where he died.

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Dr. Artemas Bell succeeded Dr. Jones, and also practiced medicine in Southampton thirty years. He withdrew from practice on account of declin- ing health and died a few years ago.

Doctors S. E. Thayer, G. W. Wood and H. P. Atherton followed each other in the order of their names, but did not practice long. Dr. E. Alden Dyer is at present the resident physician.

Dr. E. Alden Dyer was born at South Abington (now Whitman), Plymouth county, Mass., July 17, 1837. He studied in the common schools of South Abington, was three years at Phillips academy, Andover, one year in Am- herst, then three years in Bellevue Hospital Medical college, N. Y., gradu- ating in March, 1882. He then practiced in Northampton a little less than a year, and from there came to Southampton, succeeding Dr. H. P. Ather- ton, March 5, 1883.

The town never had but one lawyer, Charles F. Bates, and he remained only two or three years. He came from Westfield and was a brother of the late Elijah Bates, a lawyer of that town.

Among others than the ones we have spoken of, Joseph Kingsley, George D. Hannum, Elam Hitchcock, John B. Ewing, Lewis Graves, George H. Lyon, S. J. Hobbs, Alfred Woodward, George Clark, Charles D. Russell, Rufus Lyman, George Gorton, B. N. Norton, H. O. Strong, Newton Strong, Anson Swift, Charles P. Gridley, Harris Nimocks and Elijah Lyon may be mentioned as prominent citizens.

VILLAGES.

SOUTHAMPTON, the principal village, is situated at the foot of Little moun- tain near the center of the township, and contains about sixty dwellings, most of which are occupied by farmers whose estates consist of contiguous and outlying lands, which, under an improved system of agriculture, are gen- erally increasing in productiveness. There are also two churches, Congre- gational and Methodist, an academy, three stores, a town hall and postoffice. The Northampton and New Haven railroad passes near the village on the east, and by its connections with other roads affords ample traveling facilities for the inhabitants. Most of the dwellings are neat and commodious, and some may even be termed elegant. The beautiful elm trees that surround the small open park or common in the center of the village, were planted by Asa Judd, a grandson of the Rev. Jonathan Judd, the first pastor of the church.

RUSSELLVILLE is a hamlet of a dozen or fifteen dwellings, in the southwest part of the township, and derives its name from the Russell family who have been engaged in business there for two or three generations.

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MANUFACTURES.

Lyon Bros.' saw and grist-mill, on road 40, was built by them in 1882. The grist-mill has one run of stones and does both custom and merchant work, grinding about 40,000 bushels of grain per year. The saw-mill has a circular saw, shingle machine and planer, saws about 500,000 feet of lumber and 150,000 shingles per year. They employ four men.

B. T. Wetherell's saw-mill, on road 26}, operated by N. H. Lyman, was built in 1868, upon the site of the old John Lyman mill, which has been standing for more than half a century. The mill has a circular and bench- saw and shingle machine. It turns out about 200,000 feet of lumber, 100,000 shingles, and about 6,000 dozen whip-buts annually.

Herman Hupfer's elastic fabric mill, at Glendale, has just been put into operation by him. Mr. Hupfer has been in the employ of the Glendale Co. at Easthampton for the past twenty years, and together with his skill and knowledge of the business, he brings with him considerable skilled labor be- sides. The mill of the Glendale Co., which has been standing idle for some time, has been taken by him, a large, light, airy structure. He has at present three looms in operation, and employ's five hands, though the capacity will doubtless soon be increased. They are now running entirely on elastic shoe goring after a patent of his own.

Charles Wait's saw mill and cider-mill, at Russellville, has a circular saw, one bench-saw, slab-saw, and shingle machine. He employs two men and turns out 200,000 feet of lumber and 100,000 shingles per year. The cider- mill turns out about 3,000 barrels of cider per year.

Peck & Parsons's saw-mill, on r 19, was built by Allen C. Bartlett, about 1875. It has a circular saw, two bench-saws, planer, etc. They employ three men and cut about 200,000 feet of lumber per year.

William N. Graves's cider-mill, on road 2, was built by the Parsons family about half a century ago. Mr. Graves manufactures about 200 barrels of cider per year.

Charles D. Russell & Son's whip factory, at Russellville, was built by them in 1865. When in full operation they employ three men and turn out about $3,000.00 worth of business per year.

L. C. Tiffany's whip shop, on High street, was established by him in 1864. He manufactures, with his son, about 800 dozen per year, the machine part of the work being all done in Westfield.

Jesse F. Finch's blacksmith shop, on road 23, was built by his father, James B. Finch, about thirty years ago. He now does all blacksmith work, horse shoeing. jobbing, and general repair work.

George D. Hannum's cider-mill, on road 23, was originally built many years ago. It has the capacity for turning out about 1,500 barrels per year.

Philo J. Pomeroy has on his farm, on road 23, a valuable bed of fine blue

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pottery clay, covering an area of nearly forty acres, and averaging about twenty feet in depth. He and his father, George Pomeroy, made brick here from this clay for about forty years, or up to the time of the latter's death, in 1881. The deposit is in a desirable location, being only one and one-fourth miles from the depot at Easthampton, so that valuable potteries might be established here.

SHELDON ACADEMY.

This institution was incorporated by an act of the legislature passed Janu- ary 27, 1829. It was established by contributions, the principal donor being Silas Sheldon, who gave $1,500, and in whose honor the institution was named. The original fund was $3,890.50. The building was erected in 1829. For a number of years past the trustees have given the town free use of the building, and it in turn maintains a high school therein. The fund now amounts to $2,200.00.

ECCLESIASTICAL.

Congregational church .- There seems to have been preaching in the settle- ment as early as 1737 ; but it was not continuous and regular. The names of two persons who officiated here previous to the precinct organization have been preserved. They were David Parsons and John Woodbridge. The services were conducted in private houses. Mr. Parsons was subsequently settled over the church in Amherst, and Mr. Woodbridge over that in South Hadley. As early as 1737 Northampton had voted in town-meeting that part of the tax assessed upon the new settlement should be appropriated for the erection of a meeting house therein ; but several years elapsed before it was finished. Although an unpretending structure compared with the one in which the Congregational society now worship, its completion severely taxed the financial resources of the people. When finished a committee was chosen to dignify the seats and pews, dignity not being very clearly defined as " in the compound ratio of age and property." This structure was used until 1788, when the increase of population rendered it necessary to enlarge the building, or erect a new and more spacious house of worship. The latter proposition was adopted and the present edifice was built. It will be ob- served that it is nearly one hundred years old. Forty-six years ago it was thoroughly repaired, and quite recently the interior was remodeled in accord- ance with modern ideas of taste and convenience. The building itself is in a good state of preservation, and with care and attention may last the greater part of another century. The first minister of the church in Southampton was the Rev. Jonathan Judd. Mr. Judd was a native of Waterbury, Conn., and a graduate of Yale college in 1741. He preached a few times to the people early in 1743, and with so much satisfaction that in June of that year they gave him an unanimous call to settle with them in the work of the min- istry. The following ministers constituted the council that installed the pas-

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tor : Jonathan Edwards, Northampton ; Samuel Hopkins, Springfield ; John Ballantine, Westfield ; John Woodbridge, South Hadley ; David Parsons, Amherst. Mr. Edwards preached on the occasion. The church thus organ- ized numbered sixty-three persons, and it may be noted as a peculiarity of the time and the condition of thought that then prevailed, that it comprised nearly every adult inhabitant in the precinct. For settlement Mr. Judd was given two hundred acres of land, one hundred pounds old teno: in money, and one hundred and twenty-five pounds in work, probably in building a . house and clearing land. His salary was to be { 130 in money per annum for three successive years, and then to be increased £5 a year until it amounted to £170. The following is the ministerial record of Mr. Judd's successors, the respective dates denote the beginning and close of their labors : Rev. Vinson Gould, 1801-32 ; Rev. Morris E. White, 1832-53; Rev. Ste- phen C. Strong, 1854-59 ; Rev. Joseph E. Swallow, 1859-62 ; Rev. Alexan- der D. Stowell, 1863-64; Rev. Burritt A. Smith, 1865-68 ; Rev. Rufus P. Wells, 1869-74; Rev. Edward S. Fitz, 1874-76; Rev. E. L. Clark, 1877- 86. Messrs. A. D. Stowell and E. L. Clark were acting pastors, as is Rev. D. W. Clark, who now supplies the pulpit.

Methodist church .- It is believed that Simeon Sheldon and his wife were the pioneer Methodists of Southampton. Previous to 1840 they had attended meetings of that denomination in the northern part of West Springfield-now Holyoke-and were so favorably impressed with the views and methods of the advocates of that ecclesiastical system in the prosecution of Christian effort and labor, that they invited Rev. Rufus Baker to visit their neighbor- hood and preach to the people. He complied with the request and religious services were held in the school-house in Foggintown, as the southeast part of the town is sometimes called. Others, mainly local preachers from various places in the vicinity, continued the work which Mr. Baker had begun, and a class was formed connected with the church in Westfield. These meetings, at the outset infrequent, gradually became regular, and were conducted for two or three years by Rev. Henry Battin. In 1842 a church organization was perfected, and two years afterwards the present meeting-house was erected. This is an unpretending, but handsome edifice, and sufficiently spacious for the wants of the society, which is in a prosperous condition. Rev. Tmomas Marcy was the first conference preacher, and he received his appointment the same year that the church was organized. In accordance with the usage and custom of the denomination, the pastors of the church have been changed at stated periods. Rev. A. W. Wood is the present minister.

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TOWN OF SOUTH HADLEY.

S® OUTH HADLEY lies in the southern part of the county, and is bounded north by Hadley, from which it is separated by the Mt. Hol- yoke range, east by Granby, south by the county line and west by the Connecticut river. It has an area of about 10,000 acres.

The surface of the town is picturesquely diversified and affords a large amount of good farming territory. The only streams of importance are Bachelor's and Stony brooks, flowing a westerly course across the township to the Connecticut, the former in the northern and the latter in the central part.

Settlement and Growth .- As this town was originally part of the town of Hadley, and included the township of Granby, it is not necessary to repeat the circumstances of its early grant. They are detailed in the sketches of those towns. In brief, South Hadley was set off as the second, or south pre- cinct of Hadley, in 1732, and thus remained till April, 1753, when it was in- corporated as a district. With this incorporation all the powers of a town- ship were conferred, except that of sending a representative to the general court. In this privilege the district shared with Hadley and Amherst till 1775-

The settlement of the town was begun in the winter of 1726-27, and in November of 1727 the following persons are known to have been here : Daniel Nash (2d), Richard Church, Samuel Taylor, Samuel Smith, Samuel Kellogg, John Smith, John Preston, Nathaniel White, Thomas Goodman, Jr., John Taylor, Joshua Taylor, Joseph Kellogg, William Smith, Jonathan Smith, Luke Montague, Joseph White, Ebenezer Smith, Ebenezer Taylor, John Smith, Ephraim Nash and John Lane, the four last named in what is now Granby. The additions before 1731 were ; William Gaylord, Nathaniel Ingram, Jr., Samuel Rugg, Samuel Taylor, Jr., Moses Taylor, Joseph Taylor, Daniel Nash (Ist), William Montague, Ebenezer Moody, Ebenezer Moody, Jr., Peter Montague, Chileab Smith (2d), Timothy Hillyer; 1731 to 1740, John Smith, Falls Woods, Rev. Grindall Rawson, Benjamin Church, Jr., Moses White, John Alvord, John Alvord, Jr., Joseph Moody, Josiah Snow, Eleazar Goodman, Jabez Bellows, James Ball; 1740 to 1750, Jonathan White, John Gaylord, Gad Alvord, Daniel Crowfoot, Josiah Moody, Joseph White, Jr., Ebenezer Kellogg, Jesse Bellows, Reuben Smith, Moses Mon- tague, John Stanley, Hugh Queen, Jonathan Preston, Josiah White, Joseph Cook, Daniel Moody, Thomas Judd, Rev. John Woodbridge, Silas Smith, Philip Smith, John Smith (4th), Thomas White, Nathaniel White, Jr., Ephraim Smith, Aaron Taylor, Samuel Preston, Elijah Alvord, John Hillyer, Timothy Hillyer, Jr .; 1750 to 1763, Phinehas Smith (2d): David Nash, Noah Goodman, Joseph Kellogg, Jr., Titus Pomeroy, Josiah Smith, John Rugg, Asahel Judd, Reuben Judd, Martin Wait, Josiah Snow, Jr., Gideon Alvord, John Woodbridge, Jr., William Wait, Jabez Kellogg, David Eaton, Israel Smith, John Chandler, Moses Alvord, Ebenezer Snow, Joseph Nash, John French, Benoni Preston, James Henry, Nathan Alvord, John Marshall, Elisha Church, Nathaniel Bartlett, Benjamin Pierce, Josiah Smith (2d),

29*

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TOWN OF SOUTH HADLEY.

William Taylor, Elisha Taylor, Job Alvord, William Brace, Reuben Taylor.

Moses Montague is a direct descendant of Richard Montague, who was the first settler of that name in America. He had born to him ten children, four of whom are living, namely, Mrs. E. Judd, of Southampton, Mrs. W. R. Kemp, of Holyoke, Col. G. S. Montague, of New Bedford, Mass., and C. Newton. The last mentioned was born on the homestead on road 4, which has been in the family for five generations, March 16, 1827. has always lived here, and married Lucy E. Judd, of Geneva, N. Y., in January, 1854. He has three children, Clara E., born September 3, 1858, Mary L., born July 17, 1869, and Wallace N., born December 1, 1871.

Gardner Powers is the son of John and Jerusha (Preston) Powers, and was born in this town, June 20, 1813. His mother was the great-grandchild of John Preston, one of the first settlers of this town, and whose death occurred March 4, 1827. He was probably the first adult buried in town. Neville, brother of Gardner, died in 1837, aged about twenty-seven years. Gardner married Esther, daughter of Levi Wilber, and has had born to him three children, only two of whom are living, Neville J. and Anna J., who was born in 1839, and is at home with her father. Neville J. was born August 4, 1837, married Elizabeth Davis, and has two children, Alice W. and Ber- tha E. He is a fresco painter, and lives in Troy, N. Y. The wife of Gardner Powers died December 30, 1883, at the age of sixty-eight years.

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Gazetteer of Hampshire County, Mass., 1654-1887, Part 50

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