Gazetteer of Hampshire County, Mass., 1654-1887, Part 9

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 9

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The Hampshire Herald, an organ of the " Liberty party," was established February 4. 1845. It was owned by J. P. Williston, Northampton, and Joel Hayden, Williamsburg, and conducted by A. W. Thayer. It was continued till August 15, 1848. During its last year it was published by Henry S. Gere and Harvey J. Smith. On the 22d of August it was merged with the North- ampton Courier.

The Independent Citizen was started by Henry J. Smith in 1849, only one or two numbers of which were issued.

THE HAMPSHIRE COUNTY JOURNAL .- In the history of this enterprising sheet we must turn back to the year 1860. On April 13th of that year Henry M. Burt issued the first number of the Northampton Free Press. This sheet had a varying fortune, and, in 1874, it was consolidated with the Northampton Journal, under the name of The Journal and Free Press. This name was retained until the proprietors took the paper, when it was

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changed to the HAMPSHIRE COUNTY JOURNAL. Mr. Burt's venture was in the shape of a semi-weekly sheet of four pages, 20x28 inches, five columns to the page. The new paper met with a warm reception, and the marked independence of character and managerial ability of its owner and editor soon impressed itself upon the paper which he edited, and the Free Press became noted for the vigor and independence of its conduct. In 1864 Mr. Burt enlarged his paper, making it 21X33 inches, and taking as partner Charles H. Lyman. This partnership, however, lasted but a few months, and Mr. Burt remained the sole conductor of the paper a few months longer, disposing of his entire interest in the sheet December 9, 1864, to Albert R. Parsons, a native of Northampton, and a graduate of Yale college. The Free Press was again enlarged under Mr. Parsons's management the following year, making it 23x35 inches. In December, 1869, Mr. Parsons disposed of the establishment to Calvin Porter and H. M. Converse, who gave the paper a new dress of type and improved it generally. At the beginning of the year 1871 the paper was again enlarged, and changed from a weekly to a semi- weekly. Mr. Porter severed his connection with the Free Press November 3d of the same year, and the new firm took the name of Converse & Bur- leigh, the junior partner being Le Moyne Burleigh. Mr. Converse sold his interest in the Free Press to Mr. Burleigh, February 1, 1873. and Mr. Bur- leigh continued alone the management of the paper until its consolidation with the Journal, the latter paper being established September 12, 1874. This was an eight-page paper, printed in old style type. Its proprietors were H. H. Bond. & Co., H. H. Bond and A. M. Powell being editors. In 1875 A. G. Hill, of Florence, bought of Mr. Bond his entire inerest in the Journal property, and consolidated the two papers, as we have shown. George R. Edwards was publisher of the paper till November, 1876. January 1. 1877, the present proprietors, Wade, Warner & Co., took charge of the office. The JOURNAL is a large, bright, independent family newspaper, issued from its office on Court street every Friday afternoon.

Le Jean Baptiste, a French paper, was started here by Burleigh & Chatel, February 24, 1875, but on the 21st of September following, P. O. Chatel · became sole proprietor. April 10, 1876, Mr. Chatel removed the paper to Holyoke. In March, 1878, he again came back to Northampton and remained for a time.

The NORTHAMPTON DAILY HERALD came into existence as follows: In the sunner of 1882, Messrs. Bridgman & Gay bought out the plant of the Holyoke Herald, and October 1, 1882, the Hampshire Herald was started, printed in Holyoke as a weekly. September 1, 1883, the plant was removed to Northampton, and the DAILY HERALD established. Mr. Bridgman soon became the sole proprietor of the paper, and from February 1, 1884, to July 1, 1885, leased the paper to Carruthers & Howland, obtaining management of it again on the latter date. In September, 1885, the present proprietor, E. C. Stone, purchased the office. The paper has greatly increased in circu-

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lation and influence within the past year. It is the only daily published in Hampshire county.

AMHERST.

John B. Cotting was the editor, and Carter & Adams the proprietors, of Amherst's first venture in the newspaper business- The Chemist and Meteoro- logical Journal, whose brief life began with the issue of July 1, 1826. The same proprietors began the publication of The New England Enquirer, De- cember 2, 1826, a file of which is carefully preserved by S. C. Carter, the venerable treasurer of the Amherst savings bank ; its editors were Hon. Osmy !! Baker (a native of the town and a member of congress, 1839-1845) and Rev. Samuel Worcester, a college professor.

The next paper was The Amherst Gazette, James B. Yerrington, editor and proprietor, which appeared in 1839.

The first paper which "lived to grow up" was The Hampshire and Frank- lin Express, edited by Samuel C. Nash. Its publication was begun in 1844, and has continued until the present time, though under different names, viz .: The Hampshire and Franklin Express, 1844-1865 ; The Hampshire Express, 1865-1868; and THE AMHERST RECORD, since May, 1868. Among its editors have been Samuel C. Nash, J. R. Trumbull, who was afterwards editor of The Hampshire Gazette for a quarter of a century ; Leander Wetherell, William Faxon, who was both editor and proprietor as Mr. Trumbull had been before him, Mr. Wetherell having been employed by the Adams Bros. as publisher ; J. H. Brewster and Rev. Pliny H. White, J. H. Brewster and Rev. J. H. M. Leland, and Rev. J. H. M. Leland successively conducted the paper until 1858, when it was purchased by Mr. H. A. Marsh, who sold it in 1866 to Capt. J. L. Skinner. Mr. H. M. McCloud became connected with the paper in February, 1868. He was at first associated with Mr. Skinner, afterwards with Mr. Charles L Storrs, and finally with Mr. J. E. Williams, who became connected with the paper in June, 1877, and who is at present its editor and proprietor. THE RECORD) is issued every Wednesday afternoon.

A rival paper, The Amherst Transcript, established in 1877 by the Marsh Bros., who had the contract for the publication of the AMHERST STUDENT, a college paper. It had an independent existence of about two years, but was soon consolidated with its more successful rival.

The college publications began with The Sprite, in 1831, whose brief exis- tence covered but half a dozen numbers. Its successors, The Shrine and The Guest were yearlings when they ceased to be published. The perma- nent papers have been Horae Collegianae, 1837-1840 ; The Indicator, 1848-1851 ; The Experiment, 1850-1851 ; The Amherst Collegiate Magazine, 1853-1857, and 1861-1862; The Ichnolite, 1857-1861. None of these at- tained the success of the present AMHERST STUDENT, which was started in 1868 and has since been regularly published. Its editors are chosen from

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the junior class and it is published on alternate Saturdays of the college terms.

EASTHAMPTON.

Previous to October, 1875, newspapers were published only transiently at Easthampton. On the 14th of that month appeared the first number of The Leader, which was destined to continue through various vicissitudes and changes in name, form and proprietorship to the present time (1886). The founder of The Leader was H. De Bill, a caterer, who kept a restaurant on Shop Row. It was an eight page, four column paper, published Thursdays, and devoted to local news, correspondence and miscellany. The first eight numbers were printed by the Star Printing Co., at Northampton. On the fol- lowing 9th of December the form was changed to four pages, five columns, and the publication was continued in that form till May 13, 1876, when the publication day was changed to Saturdays. With the next number, May 20, the paper was enlarged to six columns. Mr. De Bill's connection with the paper closed with that month. It was sold June ist to Mr. H. M. Converse, who at that time conducted a job printing office in Easthampton. The name was changed to Easthampton Enterprise, and the publication continued by Mr. Converse till September 1, 1881. With the beginning of the fourth volume, October 11, 1878, the publication day was changed from Saturday morning to Friday evening. The subscription rate was $1,50 a year.

The News Letter was started by the Torrey Brothers, L. E. and D. C. Torrey, on Wednesday, June 4, 1879. It was a diminutive sheet, four small pages of three columns each, published Wednesday and Saturday mornings at $1.00 per year. Twelve numbers were issued in this style. Then, after an interval of eleven days. The News Letter appeared with four pages, four columns, published weekly, Wednesday mornings, at seventy-five cents per year. With the first number of the second volume, May 12, 1885, the size was doubled to eight pages, four columns, the name changed to The East- hampton News, and the price put at $1,00 a year. It was continued without further change till September 1, 1881, when the Torrey Brothers purchased The Enterprise of Mr. Converse and merged the two papers under the title of THE EASTHAMPTON NEWS AND ENTERPRISE. The form adopted was that of the Enterprise, and Friday was chosen as the day of publication. It has been published continuously and with a good degree of growth and prosper- ity to the present time. The interest of the junior partner in the concern was purchased by the senior partner and present owner, L. E. Torrey, Janu- ary 1, 1884.

HUNTINGTON.

THE VALLEY ECHO, of Huntington, is the first newspaper ever published between Westfield and Pittsfield, or in any Hampshire county town west of

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Northampton. In February, 1885, two Holyoke journalists conceived the idea that a right live paper, free from the millstones which might drag down country newspapers, could be made to pay in that large stretch of territory, and accordingly steps were immediately taken to give individuality to the thirteen small towns through the instrumentality of a home organ. In the following month the first issue appeared, and was bought up with an eager- ness that astonished the publishers. . A thorough canvass of all the towns ly- ing in the beautiful valley and among the rugged rocks of the adjoining towns was commenced with such good success, that in July a printing office was established in Huntington. Soon after, the increasing business compelled the publishers to start a separate edition for Chester, and in the early part of 1886 another edition was commenced, for Westfield. During this time the press work had been done by hand-power, and it had become so arduous that in May a large steam press was added, and the paper enlarged. The pub- lishers claim that their success is due principally to these facts, viz. : that they knew their business thoroughly ; that they printed all the home news in the same manner that the daily doings are served by the enterprising dailies ; that a low rate of subscription was charged ; and by "minding their own business."

WARE.

The Village Gazette, Ware's first newspaper, was established by Hemen- way & Fisk, July 7, 1847. The firm remained thus until March 15, 1848, when Mr. Fisk disposed of his interest to Mr. Hemenway, though he re- mained with the paper in the capacity of editor until January 1, 1849. Later on, in the same month, Mr. Hemenway sold out to Mandell & Hathaway, who continued the paper, with an alteration of its title to The Ware Gazette, until the summer of 1850, when the subscription list was purchased by J. F. Downing. Mr. Downing founded upon this list the Ware American. The following autumn it was sold to the Springfield Republican.

The Ware Offering, a monthly publication, designed for factory operatives, was started in January, 1848, by S. F. Pepper, though only two or three issues were printed. Since that time Ware has had no purely local paper. Several, however, from Worcester, Barre and Palmer have been sent to the town as reprints, with Ware headings, and partially made up of Ware local items.

BELCHERTOWN.

The Hampshire Sentinel and Farmers' and Manufacturers' Journal was started at Belchertown in November, 1826, by J. R. Shute. Mr. Shute died March 21, 1828, and was succeeded by C. A. Warren, who, three months later, was succeeded by Warren & Wilson. They issued their first number August 6, 1828, and continued the publication till September 8, 1830, when it was published by S. W. Andrews as the Hampshire Sentinel, till May 4, 1831, when it was consolidated with the Northampton Courier.

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CHAPTER IX.

CONNECTICUT RIVER A HIGHWAY FOR TRAVEL-ITS NAVIGATION IM- PROVED-COUNTY'S FIRST INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS-LOCKS AROUND SOUTH HADLEY FALLS-STEAMBOAT NAVIGATION-MOREY AND FUL- . TON- NEW HAVEN AND NORTHAMPTON CANAL- TURNPIKES AND RAILROADS -- BOSTON AND ALBANY RAILROAD-CONNECTICUT RIVER RAILROAD-NEW HAVEN AND NORTHAMPTON RAILROAD-MT. TOM AND EASTHAMPTON RAILROAD-NEW LONDON NORTHERN RAILROAD -WARE RIVER RAILROAD-SPRINGFIELD, ATHOL AND NORTHEASTERN RAILROAD-MASSACHUSETTS CENTRAL RAILROAD.

I N this chapter it is our purpose to briefly review the internal improve- ments that have been made in the county since the days when its' only highways of travel were its several streams and a few Indian pathways. First, then, we must turn to the noble river which rolls through the county's beautiful valley. From time immemorial Connecticut river was a favorite pathway of Indian travel, and later became the great highway of the white settlers located in its valley. But with the increase of population came the increase of commerce and travel, and it soon became apparent that the river navigation must be improved to accommodate the increasing demand for con- veniences. The several large falls in its course were the greatest inconven- ience the boatmen encountered. Accordingly, petitions were drawn up and presented to the legislature, and on the 23d of February, 1792, that body passed an "act incorporating the Hon. John Worthington, Esq., and others therein named,-for the purpose of rendering Connecticut river passable for boats and other things from the mouth of Chicopee river northward through this Commonwealth, -- by the names of the proprietors of the Locks and Canals on the Connecticut river."

Under this act of incorporation, work in constructing a canal and locks around South Hadley falls was soon after commenced, under the superintend- ence of Benjamin Prescott, of Northampton, engineer. This was the first stroke towards building up the great works of internal improvement that the county to-day enjoys. Turnpike corporations and stage-coach lines rapidly followed.

It soon became apparent, however, that some more convenient mode of transportation must be devised than that afforded by the rude flat boats of the Connecticut, or by the several stage lines which traversed the several turnpike systems. Then followed the period of steamboat navigation on the Connecticut.

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Although steamboat navigation was never brought to a point of practical utility here, its history begins with the history of the steamboat itself, briefly as follows : About the beginning of the century there lived in the northern part of the valley two brothers Morey, Samuel and Ithamar, the former at Oxford, N. H., and the latter at Fairlee, Vt.,-Samuel with a remarkable genius for invention, and Ithamar, a skillful mechanic. The universal appli- cability of steam had already been demonstrated, and among those wiio un- dertook its application to navigation was Samuel Morey. Under his direc- tion Ithamar built a steamboat, which actually navigated the waters of the Connecticut between Oxford and Fairlee. Of this steamboat, which had its machinery in its bow, Samuel took a model to New York and showed it to Fulton, who was experimenting to the same end. Fulton was pleased with the work, and suggested to Morey to change the machinery to the middle of the boat. This he returned to Fairlee to do, and then took his model again to New York, to find that Fulton had made use of his ideas and was ahead of him in getting out a patent. He returned home disappointed and with a sense of injury.

The first really practical attempt at steamboat navigation on the Connecti- cut, however, was not made until 1827, when the " Barnet," a strong boat seventy-five by fourteen and one-half feet, was built at Hartford, and suc- ceeded, with some help, in ascending the river as far as Bellows Falls, Vt. This was her first and last trip, however, for she was taken back to Hartford, laid up, and finally broken to pieces. In 1829 a Mr. Blanchard built a boat called the " Blanchard," of the size of the preceding one, and another eighty feet long and fourteen feet wide, drawing only twelve or fifteen inches of water, called the "Vermont." The stroke of its piston was horizontal, and its engine was of one hundred and twenty horse power. A few experimental trips were made between Bellows Falls and Barnet, but the obstacles were so great that the undertaking, after a few other vain attempts, had to be relin- quished. On the levels between the locks and canals of the several falls, how- ever, steamboats were used with comparative success, though the passengers and freight had to be transferred at the end of each level. The flat boats, rafts, etc., made through trips, using the locks, so that the navigation was fairly good from Hartford, Conn., to Dalton, N. H.

In the meantime a new highway of commerce and travel had been devel- oped. The project of uniting the waters of the Connecticut at Northampton with New Haven harbor was first agitated in 1822. A public meeting of the towns interested in the matter was held at Southampton, in August of that year. A committee was appointed, composed of persons from all the towns represented, of which Jonathan H. Lyman, of Northampton, was chairman, to report on the feasibility of a canal from Northampton to the state line of Connecticut, in Granby. Their report, favorable to the project, with engi- neer's estimates, was published in the following November. In 1823 com- panies were chartered in Connecticut and Massachusetts to build the canal.

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The Connecticut company was called the Farmington Canal Co., and the Massachusetts, the Hampshire and Hampden Canal Co. The capital of the latter company was $300,000.00-about $80,000 00 of which was subscribed in this state. The entire work from New Haven to this town cost about $ 1,000,000 00. The canal was completed to Westfield in 1830, and to Northampton in 1834. The business was not profitable and the stock in both states was finally transferred to a new company, called the New Haven and Northampton Canal Co., for the sum of $300,000.00.

The canal was opened July 4, 1835, on which day the first boat came through from Westfield to Northampton, drawn by four gray horses. It arrived about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The company was chartered in both states in 1836, and continued to do business till 1847. The line of the canal at Northampton was along what is now State street, connecting with the river just above the bridge. The present Northampton and New Haven railway fol- lows substantially the route of the old canal.

While all this was in progress, the advent of the railroad was heralded. But let us turn back a moment, and, of the many turnpike systems that were inaugurated, speak only of one, the Pontoosuc Turnpike Company, chartered in 1825, to Jonathan Allen. Lemuel Pomeroy, Joseph Shearer, Joseph Mer- rick and Thomas Gold, of Pittsfield ; Henry Stearns, of Springfield, and Enos Foot, of Southwick. They were granted the right of building a turn- pike through Chester, Middlefield, Becket, Washington, Dalton and Pitts- field, "which route presented, of all others, the most level passage from the Hudson to the Connecticut," as was subsequently reported by those in charge of the initial survey of the Western railroad. This turnpike was completed in October, 1830, and ultimatety became, practically, the route of the West- ern railway-the Boston and Albany railroad of to-day.

In the meantime the feasibility of building a canal from Boston to Albany was presented to the legislature, which was more seriously entertained after the successful completion of the Erie canal, in 1823, and in 1825 they appointed three commissioners and an engineer to ascertain if it were practi- cable. The commissioners were Nathan Willis, of Pittsfield, Elihu Hoyt, of Deerfield, and Henry A. S. Dearborn, of Boston, with Col. Laomi C. Bald- win, engineer. Several routes were tested, though their report, in 1826, favored a route across "Northern Worcester, up the Deerfield river, through the Hoosac mountain, and by the valley of the Hoosac river, to the Hudson, near Troy."

As early as 1827 the feasibility of constructing a railroad on one of the above mentioned routes was agitated, though it was then contemplated that horse-power be used. Some idea of their conception of such a road may be derived from the following extract from a committee's report before the legis- lature on the 16th of January, 1829 :-

" It is found that the cost of a continuous stone wall, laid so deep in the ground as not to be moved by the effect of frost, and surmounted by a rail

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of split granite about a foot in thickness and depth, with a bar of iron placed on top of it, of sufficient thickness to form the track on which the carriage wheels shall run, is much less than that of the English iron rail, and that rails of this construction, so far as can be judged by experiments which have yet been made, possess all the advantages of durability, solidity and strength."

This impracticable idea was soon abandoned, however, as was also that of utilizing horse power. March 15, 1833, the charter of the Western railroad corporation was granted by the legislature to Nathan Hale, David Henshaw, George Bond, Henry Williams, Daniel Denny, Joshua Clapp and Eliphalet Williams and their associates, for the purpose of constructing a railroad from Worcester, the terminus of the Boston and Worcester railroad. to the line of the state of New York, with a capital limited to $2,000,000.00. The cor- poration was not organized until January, 1836, when the following gentle- men were made directors : John B. Wales, Edmund Dwight, George Bliss, William Lawrence, Henry Rice, John Henshaw, Francis Jackson, Josiah Quincy, Jr., and Justice Willard. Maj. William Gibbs McNeil was engaged as chief engineer, and Capt. William H. Swift as resident engineer of the com- pany. The organization of the directors was Thomas B. Wales, president ; Josiah Quincy, treasurer ; and Ellis Gray Loring, clerk.

The survey of the corporation commenced in April, 1836. Twenty miles of the road, commencing at Worcester, were put under contract in January, 1837, and work was commenced on that section in the month following. In June of the same year the road from East Brookfield to Springfield was put under contract, and the work commenced upon the section in July. On the Ist day of October, 1839, the road was opened to travel between Worcester and Springfield, and, on the 23d of that month, regular merchandise trains were established. Early in 1842 the whole line was completed through to the Hudson river, with the exception of fifteen miles within the state of New York, which was run on the track of the Hudson and Berkshire railroad. From the state line to Albany the road was nominally, at least, under the conduct of a New York corporation, with the name of the Albany and West Stockbridge railway. This section was opened for travel on the 12th of Sep- tember, thus accomplishing the long looked for object. December 1, 1867, the Worcester and Western railroads were consolidated, under the name of the Boston and Albany railroad.

What is now the Connecticut River railroad was the next one built in the county, the enterprise coming about as follows : March 1, 1842, a number of the citizens of Northampton and vicinity obtained a charter to build a rail- road from Northampton to Springfield, under the name of the Northampton and Springfield Railroad Company, with a capital of $400,000.00, which was afterwards increased to $500,000.00. The original route was to cross the river at Mt. Holyoke and pass down on the east side of the Connecticut. Three years afterwards, several gentlemen of Greenfield, and their associates, obtained a charter for the Greenfield and Northampton Railroad Company with $500,000.00. These two companies were consolidated on equal terms July 18,

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1845, taking on the present name of the Connecticut River Railroad Company, and with authority to change the route to the one now in use, from Spring- field, Mass., to South Vernon, Vt., a distance of fifty miles. The road was opened to Northampton in December, 1845; to Greenfield, November 23, 1846, and through to South Vernon, January 1, 1849.

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Gazetteer of Hampshire County, Mass., 1654-1887, Part 9

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