USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Wilbraham > Historical address, delivered at the centennial celebration of the incorporation of the town of Wilbraham, June 15, 1863 > Part 5
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lowing March, 24, 1761, it is " voted that the same Comtee which were Chosen to Apply to the Town to set us of a District be further Impowered to Apply to the General Court for a Confirmation of the same on the Precinets Cost and Charge."
As obstacles rise, their courage rises. Failure inspires with new resolutions. They determine to try what virtue there is in new men and more of them, the south part of the precinct coming to the rescue, and the next year January 7, 1762, it is " Voted that John Bliss, William King, Daniel Cadwell, Stephen Stebbins and James Warriner be a Comtee to apply to the Town for their Consent that we be set of a District or Town." Not much progress appears to have been made in softening the hearts and subduing the wills of the Town, for in March following, 22, 1761, it is "Voted that Stephen Stebbins, James Warriner and Daniel Cadwell be a Committee to Apply to the Town and General Court, if need be, to see if they will sett of this Precinct a separate Town or District." These repeated petitions are evidently producing their effect, for once more in renewed vigor, they vote, January 3, 1763, "that Dec" Nathaniel Warriner, L" Thos Mirick and Stephen Steb- bins be a Comtee in behalf of the Precinct to Apply to the Town of Springfield for their Consent to be Sett of a Separate Town or District, & that they be fully Im- powerd to Persue our Petition to the General Court in Ordr to be Sett of aforesd."
This committee succeeded in their endeavors. Four-
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teen years after their first petition went to Springfield, delayed, defeated, but never subdued or discouraged, they at last wring, by their tireless importunity, a fa- vorable answer to their prayer. Their petition was granted, and the Act of Incorporation was signed by Sir Francis Bernard, Governor of the Province, June 15, 1763, - one hundred years ago this day, - by which act the fourth parish in Springfield was erected into a separate town by the name of Wilbraham, and there were granted to the town all the privileges and immunities of other towns with the anomalous excep- tion of the power of choosing a representative to the General Court; in this election, they must still unite with Springfield. The consequence was that we did not have a representative till 1773, ten years after in- corporation, the two representatives assigned to the town being chosen the one from Springfield Street, and the other from West Springfield; and even then we were favored with one rather by the rivalries and jeal- ousies of the two sides of the river than by any love of justice in either party. West Springfield was es- pecially offended with Springfield Street, or the First Precinct, on account of the large share of town school- money which was appropriated to the support of the " Grammar School" on the east side. They there- fore conferred with Longmeadow, and agreed to give them the Springfield representative if they would unite with them and sustain their municipal policy. The bait took. Longmeadow went over to the west-side-of-
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the-river policy, and sustained its platform. The old town, however, was apprised of the bargain and came out to the mountains to see what could be done. John Bliss - the grandfather on his mother's side of our honored President, and in whose veins the Bliss blood is fresh and strong and swift now, at four-score years, as when he saw the morning of the nineteenth century whose titles rise steadily, in the Records, from Mr. to Esquire, and from Esquire to Colonel, and from Colonel to Honorable - had recently removed from Long- meadow to Wilbraham, and was very popular there, as he came afterwards to be here. The Springfield men said to the Wilbraham men, " Vote with us and we will give you John Bliss for representative of Wilbraham." This was too shining a prize to be rejected. Town- meeting came ; and the "mountains" sent forth their hardy voters, for almost the first time, to make good the pledge and secure the honor. The West Spring- field men were filled with amazement when they came to the polls to see a host of strangers, of rough ex- terior, in deerskin breeches and rusty hats, and asked, " Who are these?" Their fate was sealed. Jolm Bliss's old friends in Longmeadow, as soon as they learned that he was a candidate, voted for him, and he was chosen ; and as the Wilbraham men turned homeward, and the sun at his going down was making the mountains glow, they looked higher and nobler in their eyes, for their town had been honored above their neighbors that day, and they felt that they were a power in the State.
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But I am running before my story. The territory of the Precinct was enlarged, in the act of incorporation, by the addition of a strip of land on the west side, from the " inner commons," half a mile wide, extending from Chicopee River to Connecticut line. In 1780, when the line of Connecticut was accurately surveyed, there fell to our portion another strip of land, called the " Ob- long " or " Wales," about a mile in width at one end, and three-quarters of a mile at the other, across the whole width of the town. And finally, to render any further allusion to the territory of the town unneces- sary, I will add that, in 1799, thirty-six years after the town was incorporated, that portion of the first divison of the " outward common of Springfield," which lay on the east side of Chicopee River, now called the "El- · bows," then "Kingsfield or the Elbows," was added to the town. By these additions, the town was made four and a half miles wide, as far north as its western line extended. Its length, on the west side, was eight miles and one hundred and fifty-two rods; and on its eastern side its length was ten miles and one hundred and thirty rods.
But some of the early settlers had gone, and enjoyed not the ripe clusters of their hopes and labors. A few had left the precinct. Of the pioneers, David Merrick, Abel Bliss, Samuel Stebbins, and Paul Langdon, had died. There had been births to rejoice and deaths to grieve them during this period. Infancy and manhood went down to the grave, and the " grave-yard," which
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they had raised many pounds to keep "decent," was becoming the sacred treasury of many of their dear ones. There had been eighty-eight deaths since the settlement, three before the incorporation of the pre- cinct. There had been also three hundred and twenty- five births, and if we include those born in the half -. mile added from the "inner commons" and in the strip called Wales, annexed to the south end of the town, there had been three hundred and sixty-six births. The population of the town at the time of incorpora- tion, June 15, 1763, could not have varied much from four hundred and fifty or five hundred souls.1
III. The Third Period of our history now opens. The "Outward Commons on the east side of the Great River," the "Mountains of Springfield," the Indian " Minne- chang " or "Berryland " has become a town, with all the rights and honors of a town of the Province of Massachusetts Bay ; Wilbraham is henceforth to be its name.
The first warrant for a town meeting was issued by John Worthington, Esq., of Springfield, to Stephen Steb- bins, of Wilbraham, Yeoman, bearing date August S, 1763, requiring him "to warn the Inhabitants of Said Town of Wilbraham Quallifyed by Law to Vote in Town affairs that [they ] meet and Assemble together at the Meeting House in Sª Wilbraham on Thursday the Twenty-first Day of Augt Currant At one of the Clock
1 Appendix J.
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in the afternoon Then and there to Choose a Moderator to preside and Conduct the Said Meeting- and then to Choose all such Town Officers as may be Necessary to Manage the affairs of Said Town and Towns in this Province are by Law Oblige to Choose." " Stephen Stebbins, Yeoman, failed not" to "warn " the people, nor were the people slow to hear and obey the warning. They " assembled and met together " as required, Aug. 25, 1763, and it was "Voted that Lt Thoms Mirick Should be Moderator for Sd Meeting. Voted that Ezra Barker [he who was called Master Barker] Should be Clerk for Said Town." The meeting then adjourned to one o'clock the next day to give the " Clerk " opportu- nity to go to Springfield to be sworn, for there was no Justice of the Peace in Wilbraham in those days. " Josiah Dwight Just Peace " certifies that Ezra Barker " took the Oath Respecting the Bills of the other Gov- ernment and the Same Time the Oath of Office as a Clerk for Said Town of Wilbraham." 1 Barker hastens back to town meeting at one o'clock, when the rest of the town officers are duly chosen : "Selectinen, Treas- urer, Constables, Assessors, Tithing Men, Surveyors of Highways, Fence Viewers, Dear Reaves, Sealers of Leath- er, Hogg Reaves, Wardens, Surveyor of Shingles, Cla- boards, &c., Surveyors of Wheat." There is no tradition that there had been any caucusing previously to the meeting, but there was some sly waggery among these
I This office he held ten years to 1773, when James Warriner was chosen in his stead, and held the office for twelve years to 1785, beyond the limit of this Period.
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grandfathers of ours on town-meeting day. It is re- corded by Ezra, the Clerk, that "Sergt Moses Burt & Wm Stacy Hogg Reaves (were) not Sworn at This Time being absent." Four days after, the honest clerk records that " Sergt Moses Burt and Wm Stacy Refusd taking their oath of Office, They being chosen Hogg Reaves !"
Three officers are named here whose duties ceased long since and of which the younger portion of this as- sembly require an explanation. The " Warden's " duty was to see that no trespasses were made on the common lands, by destroying the timber, and carrying off valua- ble property for private uses contrary to law. The " Dear Reaves" were to see that deer were not hunted and taken at unsuitable seasons of the year. The " Tithing Men " were to see that the Sunday laws were obeyed, and especially that frisky boys and girls in the galleries at the meeting-house should restrain their playfulness and dumb telegraphing to each other while the sacred services continued. The latter was a task requiring ceaseless vigilance, and often was regarded as " labor spent for naught and in vain."
The town is now organized. Money must be raised and appropriated for highways, schools, the poor, and the ministry. We may well arrange our survey of this period under the three general heads of Municipal, Ecclesiastical, and Revolutionary History.
At the second meeting, held, December 1, 1763, the first money was raised and appropriated : for the "Sup- port of Schooling," £15; for Mr. Merrick's salary, £51,
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2s .; for the support of the poor, ¿2, 5s; for fines, 15s; pound, &£2; service of bulls, £3, 10s .; contingent charges, £1; in all, £76, 2s. The first money appropriated, be it known, and let it be borne in everlasting remembrance, was for the "Support of Schooling," an indication not to be mistaken of the value set by our fathers upon education. The sum is small, it is true, but they were poor, their harvests were scanty, their families large, and they were still struggling for the common comforts of life.
At the next meeting, January 3, 1764, a committee of five is chosen to divide the "Town into Districts for Schools ;" and it is voted "that the said Committee Should Divide the Money Granted at this meeting for the use of Schooling in This Town and Proportion the same Equally to each District when Divided in method following, viz: one-half of said money to be Divided upon Poles and Estates and the other half to be Divided upon Children from 4 to 12 years of age." Thus in
the very beginning was laid the unwise and troublesome system of school-districts, which have in many ways done much to render schools expensive and inefficient. Though these districts were laid out in 1764, I find no record of their number or boundaries till 1775, when the old districts were remodelled and ten districts were formed, and the same year the town raised about one hundred and twenty-six dollars for schools, which would give to each district only the poor pittance of twelve dollars and sixty cents for the support of a school. The
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whole amount of money raised for schools to 1774, ten years from the incorporation of the town was £217, an average of a little over £21 a year, or about $70. The two "School lots," which were assigned for the support of schools in the allotment of 1684, and also the share of Mr. Clark, who left the county and gave his land for the support of schools, were sold after very much diffi- culty and hesitation on the part of the town and of buy- ers. The income from this fund was added to the sum which the town raised. But one school-house was built in town during this period. It was on the mountain near where Mrs. Green now lives, and was erected at the ex- pense of that school-district. There were but two school- houses in the town, this and the one which stood, as early as 1754, nearly opposite the site of the present Congregational Church in the north parish. The schools were kept in the rooms of private houses, and not seldom were taught by the farmers who could read and write a little. There were three celebrated teach- ers, however, - Master Barker in the north part of the town, and Masters Moses and Enos Stebbins in the south part. The "lesser lights" of knowledge were few and dim. Dillworth's Spelling-Book and the Psalter, and later Webster's Spelling-Book and Third Part were the books used for reading and spelling ; Hodder's and Root's Arithmetic for ciphering, when any scholar ventured upon that dark art. The master only had an arithmetic and the sums were given out to the scholar and written down; he "did" them at his leisure. No slates were
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used till after this period ; ink and paper, coal and board, nail and birch-bark were the mathematical apparatus. The knowledge communicated was very meagre, child- ren rarely attending school after twelve years of age, if the limit in the division of the school money enables us to determine.1
Passing from schools to Highways, we find that the first roads were accepted, March 20, 1764, " upon Con- dition that those Persons who are benefited by said Roads or Highways would Endemnify this Town from any Charge arising on Account of said Roads or High- ways." This principle was adhered to till after the Revolutionary War, perhaps through the century. The first Road "Established " was from "Third Brook so Called," near Miss Experience Stebbins's, in the south part of the town, running easterly and southerly through the southeast part of the town to " Wales" so called. A part of the way it was in the " Old Path." Paul Langdon was surveyor. The second road estab- lished was in the north part of the town, running from the " West Rode " or " Main Road," west to Stony Hill, not far from the present road. The roads varied in width from one to three rods and much care was taken to "establish " them so that they should run on dividing lines, or cross a lot at right angles when that must be done. Perhaps I may as well say here as anywhere, once for all, that the roads or paths appear to have been arranged according to a general principle or by a chance which proved to be a principle.
1. Appendix K.
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The " Bay Road," as I have said, was on the north end of the town, erossing from west to cast. From this road there ran south through the whole length of the town, four paths, more or less used for foot-travellers, bridle-paths, or for wheels ; - the "West Road," so called usually, on the west side of the mountain; the " Middle " or " Ridge Road," following the top of the mountain about a mile east of this in the north part of the town, descending the east side as it passes south, running over the Scantic and up the hill, south to Con- necticut line ; the "East Road," about a mile east from this, starting near "twelve-mile " brook and running south to the south-east corner of the town; then one mile west of the "West Road" was the road on the west side of the " outward commons," nearly correspond- ing to the present road. By these roads the town was divided into four parts, each a mile wide, and the west one eight and the east one ten miles long. The roads crossing east and west had a similar regular ir- regularity. They were five in number ;- the Bay Road on the north ; the next road south, nearly where the present road comes from the mountain and crosses at the Methodist meeting-house going west ; the road cross- ing the " West Road " at Deacon John Adams's ; the road going west from the school-house a mile further south, and, two miles south of this, the road through, or rather over, the mountain; for it ascended the hill from the present south parish common to Mrs. Beriah Smith's, then crossed the north end of the south moun-
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tain, and, descending, crossed the " West Road " a little below Mr. Ralph S. Chapin's, bearing off westerly to Longmeadow. These roads were all laid out or " estab- lished " at different times before, and from 1763 to 1772, after the incorporation of the town. They were mere paths. Probably there was not a wrought road in town during this period. The bridge over the Scan- tic, near Mr. Silas Chapin's, was not built till 1768. This poor condition of the roads will appear evident from the money expended on them. The first three years no money was raised for roads, and £7, 17s. 8d. were paid as a fine for " defective highways." Up to 1773, ten years, the whole amount raised was £257, or $837.67, which is but $83.76 a year. This sum would hardly clear the paths of stones and cut away the intruding bushes. Fast horses and two hundred pound buggies would be at a discount on such roads. There was very little riding but on horseback during this period, except when there was snow. There were but two two-horse wagons, and but five two-horse sleighs in the north part of the town before 1782. A man and his wife on the pillion behind him, one child on the pommel before, and the baby in the mother's lap were the usual travellers in these paths.1
The Ecclesiastical Affairs of the town went on by no means smoothly. The south part of the town was in- creasing rapidly in population, both by births and im- migrations, and was not disposed to aid in repairing the meeting-house, or building new pews in it ; and not 1 Appendix L.
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seldom the controversies were sharp and long on these topics. Once, at least, as a compromise, persons were permitted to build pews at their own cost.
The method of "seating" the meeting-house was productive of more and more dissatisfaction, the doings of the "seating committee " being sometimes wholly rejected, and very often, almost always, amended.
The proverbial difficulty of managing singing, and especially singers, was felt most keenly and treated most unwisely. It is evident that the "rising genera- tion," our grandfathers, were weary of the "leading" of good Deacon Warriner, who had now, from the " dea- con's seat" under the pulpit, raised the pitch, and lit- erally led the singing for over twenty years. The people generally felt that there was fulfilled among them the prophecy of the Prophet Amos, "The songs of the temple shall be turned into howlings." Singing masters had made their way to the new town. New music came with them. The old tunes were laid aside. Strange feats of voice and limb were performed by mouth and arm when the new singers came into the . seats in the gallery. The congregation could not sing. The poor deacon's voice was silent. Great were the " searchings of heart" among the ancients. Most un- fortunately of all, the town took the matter in hand. The wisdom of the fathers forsook them. The flames burned all the more fiercely for being fanned. The second article in the warrant for town-meeting, Sep- tember 24, 1770, was "To see whether they will come
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into some method or agreement for more Regular Car- rying on the Singing in the Public worship in this town than it is at the present time;" and the third, " To see whether the Town will be willing to sing four Times in the Publick worship on the Sabbath for the fu- ture." It is pretty evident that this movement origi- nated with the new singers. They appear to be ambitious to excel in quantity as well as quality. There seems to have been no opposition worthy of record to choosing the committee asked for, and ten men were chosen " to be a Com., to take into considera- tion the Broken state of this Town with regard to Singing in the Publick Assembly on Sabbath Days, and to consult together and agree upon some Plan or Method whereby to encourage & promote regular and Universal Singing in said assembly, & make report there- of to this or some future meeting." On the 22d of Octo- ber, at the adjourned meeting, the committee of ten, Nathaniel Warriner, John Bliss, Thomas Mirick, Moses Stebbins, William King, Ezra Barker, Daniel Cadwell, Jolın Jones, Eliezer Smith, and Phineas Newton make an elaborate Report covering two pages of the book of Records in Master Barker's best handwriting, in which a list of twenty-three tunes, - " called Low Dutch, Windsor, Old 100d, New 100d, Stroudwater, Meer, Buckland, Broomsgrove, Bangor, St. Martin's, Warwick, St. Hellens, All-Saints, Little Marlborough, Cambridge, Portsmouth, Southwell, Quercy, Worksop, Wantage, Standish, New York and 149 Psalm Tune,"-
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is given, which " shall be made use of in the Publick worship of God in this town;" this " List is to be trans- mitted to Mr. Morgan (now singing-master in this Town) in order that he may Teach or Instruct his schol- lars to Sing them according to Rule." No other tunes are to be introduced without " consent." Dea" Nath'l Warriner is to give the lead in singing on the fore- noons on each Sabbath & one of the Young Men lately Instructed by Mr. Stickney (as they shall agree among themselves) give the lead in singing in the afternoon of each Sabbath for the space of three months from the Date hereof, excepting when Mr. Morgan is present, then it is expected he will carry the singing." They also report " that all who Assist in Singing Shall be at their pleasure either to Stand or Sit when Singing with- out giving Offence to any ; that the singers lately In- structed by Mr. Stickney who are seated in the Gallery of the Meeting House are at their Liberty to make a decent and orderly Exchange of Seats as They Shall agree among themselves and so to Set for the Space of Three Months from the Date hereof and no longer, or else to continue to Set as they were last Scated; " and " Gthly " and lastly, " that whoever shall lead in the singing shall be at Liberty to Use the Motion of his hand while singing for the Space of Three Months from the Date hereof or a shorter Space as need shall re- quire." Thus far "the committee " "propose to be tryed by Vote." The committee then recommend, that "as the Beating with the hand in the Congregation
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when singing is offensive to some it be laid aside as quick as may be and confine the same to the school only ; that all in the Town whose voices will admit of it speedily use proper means to get themselves ac- quainted with the art of Singing Ruleably & well, - in the mean time " they "recommend to all both old and Young to Join in Singing in the Worshiping as- sembly and to sing as well as they can; and lastly," say they, " we cannot but recommend to ourselves & others to studdy the Things which make for peace, and the things whereby we may Edify one another."
The town voted what the committee recommend- ed. But it is evident that the flames were not to be quenched by any such appliances. "Three months" grace and "no longer" is given to " Beating with the hand" and occupying "exchanged seats " if they can agree to exchange, which is very doubtful. The con- gregation are all to "sing, as well as they can," it is true, but to "Join in Singing " at any rate. The Stick- neyites in the " Gallery " would hardly be satisfied. The compromise is like Nebuchadnezzar's image, gold in the head, but " clay and iron " in the legs and feet. So it turns out, as the " three months" are expiring, that an article is inserted in the warrant, January 7, 1771, "to pass any votes in further addition " to those before passed " as the Town Shall think proper by further lengthening the Time of the Present Mode of Singing." This article came from the " Gallery " party evidently. It is followed by another which came from the "dea-
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con's seat," as evidently. Hear it: "to make Inquiry into the conduct of those who call themselves the singers in this Town, and see wheather they have conducted or proceeded agreeable to the report of the Town's Comtee and the Town's vote thereupon at our last Meeting and pass such Vote or Votes as shall be thought Necessary in Consequence thereof." Greek has now met Greek. At the meeting it is voted, " that Dea" Nath'l Warriner Shall continue to Set the Psalm as Usual During the Town's Pleasure ; also that Moses Warriner and Jona- than Bliss do the same." The " young men " are voted down ; the " Galleries" are in a minority ; so it would seem. But there is abundant life in young blood, and, rallying their strength, "a motion was made whether the singing should be performed in the congregation according to the late mode by Beating with the hand, &c .; it being put, and the House being Divided it passed in the affirmative, 25 against about 19." The " Deacon's Seat " now loses, but does not yield ; for " a motion was made" to Deside it by the Town List or by Lawful Voters, and after some Debate it was thrown by and the following vote passed, namely, Voted that the Rev. Mr. Mirick be Desired to call a Society meet- ing in order to come into some method of Reconcilia- tion with regard to Singing in the Publick worship." They adjourn ; and no more is recorded or known of the result. Poor Mr. Merrick had cares enough of an- other kind, as we shall soon see, without being dragged into this controversy about the singing. Thus ended
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