USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Brimfield > Historical celebration of the town of Brimfield, Hampden County, Mass > Part 11
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William Billings had made very popular such fugue music as we have in the tunes Lenox and Northfield, and these supplanted the slow movements of Williams and Tanner. The town went beyond the church, voting, 1789, October 19, that the singers, for the future, shall sing without reading. At the same time, Abner Morgan, Esq., Capt. David Morgan, and James Bacon, were chosen Quoristers, and it was voted to hire a singing master for three months. For a number of years singing schools were maintained with more or less regularity. For a few years the town voted an appropriation of $25.00 or $30.00. Indi- viduals became prominent as singers and leaders-Thomas Hubbard, Deacon Tarbell, Eaton Hitchcock. Captain Salisbury, a famous music teacher for this whole region, was leader of the choir. The people showed their appre- ciation of his services, and perhaps paid him some small
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compensation, by purchasing tickets to his annual "Sing- ing Lecture."
When it was the fashion to accompany the choir-sing- ing with varied instrumental music, James Henry Brown and T. J. Morgan played the violin ; Marquis Converse and P. W. Paige, the bass viol ; Alvan Bacon, afterwards John W. Morgan, the double bass; C. C. Warren and George A. Converse, the flute ; Henry Converse and Pale- man Moon, the clarionet; H. D. Griggs, the bassoon. In 1854. a cabinet organ was first purchased, which was re- placed by a better instrument in 1867, given by Hon. John Wyles.
The order and character of the Sabbath morning ser- vice has not varied much from the first establishment of the church. The town clerk used to publish intentions of marriage just before the services closed. Rising in his seat, and saying, "Please to take notice," he caused some commotion by his announcement of the intended marriage of parties, giving names. Since 1850, it is re- quired only, any time before marriage, to procure a cer- tificate from the town clerk, to be filled by the officiating minister, and returned by him. The afternoon service was given up 1873, when Mr. Boardman's health did not allow him to officiate as before, and has never since been resumed. When it was customary to have services both morning and afternoon, the intermission was only one hour, from November 1 to March 1, as the town voted, 1808, modifying the vote which made the intermission one hour and a quarter, the year round. Doctor Vaill in- troduced the third service Sunday evening, and the Sun- day-school, about 1819.
In Clark Brown's time, there was no evening service Sunday, or during the week. " Lecture day " was some Thursday, when a lecture was given preparatory to the services of " Sacrament day." Any Sunday, at the con-
17
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venience of the minister, was taken for the administration of the Lord's Supper. Under Dr. Vaill. the Thursday afternoon meeting became a regular weekly service, and was so continued till 1868. Since that date, Friday even- ing has been the regular time for holding a social relig- jous meeting, and the Sunday evening meeting affords an opportunity for religious conference, different from the more formal, stated publie worship of the morning.
The social meetings of the church were held at some private house, or at Browning's hall, rather than in the meeting-house. At last, in connection with the revival of 1818-20, an association was formed, which procured from Mr. Jesse Hitchcock, the right, under certain condi- tions, to build a conference hall on the north-west corner of his village lot. A two-story building was erected, with a hall above and two rooms below, with an entrance hall between, which not only served for the social meetings of the church, but was used, the lower part, by Benjamin Salisbury and others for a tailor shop, for private schools, and for the military store-room of the independent rifle company. It was the scene of many gatherings, memo- rable still in the religious experience of some survivors. Often is reference made to one occasion when the dea- cons, knowing there would be no preacher, had kept away ; and Uncle Benjamin Sherman was induced to take charge of the meeting. Entering the desk, he made the announcement, " No minister, no deacon, no nothing, no preparation for nothing. Let's pray." But as the condi- tions on which the subscription was paid, and the land leased, in 1854, had been violated, on the death of Mr. Jesse Hitchcock, his son Alfred came into possession of the property. He sold the building to Truman Charles. It was moved to Fiskedale, where it now stands on the south side of the village street, and is used as a shoe manu- factory.
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Some mention ought to be made of those useful ap- pendages, the horse-sheds, or " horse-houses," as they are called on the early records. The first record found bears date, 1752, May 15, when liberty was voted to Adonijah Russell, Ichabod Bliss, and Ebenezer Miller, " to set up a horse-house at y" West End, and adjoining to the horse- house now set up " Others obtained similar permission to build on the town land; Peter Haynes and Charles Hoar, James Bridgham, Williams Nichols, Jonathan Brown, Daniel Burt. 1792, April 2, it was voted that horse-houses may be built on the side of the wall, east side of the pound. 1808, November 7, a company was authorized to build sheds in a line, one hundred and eighty feet by twelve, west of the meeting-house. These were blown down in the gale of 1815. 1810, April 2, Joseph Griggs and others, had liberty to erect horse- blocks on the common. In 1825, the selectmen were authorized to view a place for horse-sheds. They fixed upon the north side of the street, north of the meeting- house, between the school-house and the store of Ferry & Bliss. They remained there for many years, though endangering, if they should be set on fire, the whole line of buildings to the eastward. In 1857, a company was formed, which purchased, west of the meeting-house, of Cheney Solander, an acre of land. On this, twenty-six sheds were erected, in a convenient, vet not conspicuous place. In May, 1860, a deed was given to the parish of the land on which the sheds were built, reserving the right of the shed owners, and stipulating that the land should be held by the parish for the purpose of affording room for these buildings.
The first Sunday-school was held in 1819. The lessons at first, were portions of Scripture committed to memory, and recited without inquiry or comment. Books were offered as prizes for the largest number of verses learned.
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The changes introduced have been similar to those made in other such schools. Topical question books have been supplanted by lesson papers. The study of Scripture, chapter by chapter, has been succeeded by the study of the international series of selected passages. Library books and newspapers have intensified the interest of the children in attending Sunday-school. Missionary collec- tions and temperance pledges have developed the senti- ment of the young, in favor of active, aggressive effort against evils that fill the world with degradation and mis- ery. Singing has been introduced of more agreeable style to youthful fancy, than the majestic choral music of the older times. An occasion of general interest was a Sunday-school gathering July 4, 1863. The scholars and teachers of Warren accepted an invitation from the Brim- field school, to a celebration and collation. A booth was built on the east end of the park, and ample provision made for the wants of the inner man. Brief addresses followed the procession and collation. September 15, 1869. the semi-centennial anniversary of the organiza- tion of the school was celebrated, by special exercises, in which the other schools of the Brookfield Association also united. In response to a call for the teachers and schol- ars of 1819, only ten arose.
ADVENTISTS .- In March, 1844, Dr. Alva Higgins and wife, and Miss Lavinia Collar, commenced holding meet- ings at the Conference Hall, Brimfield Center ; these were continued at that place for about nine months, when a large room was rented in the Gen. Eaton house, which they occupied until 1859. From that time until the erec- tion of the Chapel, meetings were held at private houses ; in the fall of 1866 the Chapel was commenced, and fin- ished the following spring-size 28 x 35 feet-at an ex- pense of $1,200. The Christian Advent Society was organized July 6th, 1867; present number of members,
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twenty. They have never had a settled pastor ; usually meet every Sabbath; have preaching about twice a month. Since 1843, the Advent Association have held five camp meetings in town, in 1844 and 1849, on the farm now occupied by E. B. Webber ; in 1846, at the east part of the town, on Harvey Goodell's place ; in 1847, on land of Alfred Lumbard; in 1853, on land of James S. Blair, east of Mill Lane road.
CHURCH OF CHRIST, EAST BRIMFIELD .- In 1869, relig- ious meetings were held at school-house No. 2, East Brimfield, by P. Blaisdell, W. A. S. Smyth and others from Woreester; a church was organized July 25, 1869, with eighteen members ; Harvey Lumbard was chosen elder, John E. Lynch, deacon ; in 1871, a church, 32 x 40 feet, was built; cost, $3,000; dedicated January 5th, 1872. " Before the summer of 1873, various persons preached for the church, occasionally ; among them P. Blaisdell, W. A. S. Smyth, A. Wood and A. B. Price of Worcester, HI. U. Dale, William Murray, Howard Murray, J. M. Atwater. July 20th. 1873, O. C. Atwater, formerly of Mantua Station, Ohio, commenced preaching and con- tinued one year." Afterward, James Dockery, of Wales, was employed for a year or more ; for a year or two past services have been held occasionally ; a Sabbath school has been organized, which meets every Sabbath. David Weld, who died December 12th, 1872, bequeathed five hundred dollars to the Society, payable five years after his decease, to be invested and the income used for the support of preaching.
MORAVIANS, OR UNITED BRETHREN .- A young preacher, sent by the Missionary Society, came to West Brimfield. (Powers' Corner,) 1855 or '56, and began to hold meet- ings; there was considerable interest manifested, and his labors were so far successful that it was thought best to erect a church for the accommodation of that part of
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Brimfield, and the adjoining territory in Palmer and Warren, and a church, 40 x 30 feet, was erected in 1857. This church was burned July 21, 1861; rebuilt in 1874, 46 x 30 feet. and occupied until 1867. Several persons were employed as preachers until 1867, and occasionally meetings have been held by the pastors of the churches in Warren, Palmer and Brimfield. As the records of the organization of the Society are out of the State, further details cannot be had at this time.
The first settlers of Brimfield were not all adherents of the " Standing order," as the Congregational church pol- ity was often called. Those who settled in that part of Brimfield which is now the town of Wales, were from the very first of a different religious persuasion. 1734, No- vember 22, according to the law then in force in regard to the support of the ministry, eleven persons signed off from the parish : " We whose names are Underwritten Do own and Acknowledge Ourselves to Be of that persuasion commonly Called Anabaptists. Nathaniel Munger, Dor- othy Munger, Elnathan Munger, Robert Moulton, Eben- ezer Moulton, Anthony Needham, Humphrey Needham, John Bullen, John Bullen, Jr., Thomas Green, Thomas Green, Jr." Ebenezer Moulton was the leader in this affair. Though not a regularly ordained minister, he officiated as the preacher. He was ordained pastor 1741, November 4, by Elder John Collendar, of Newport, R. I. It was the eighth Baptist church formed in Massachusetts. Between 1663 and 1763, only eighteen in all were founded. When in 1749. Elder Moulton began to preach in Sturbridge, he was arrested by the constables, and put in jail as a vagabond. A petition from Anthony Need- ham, Enoch Hides and others, 1757, March 14, for liberty to build a meeting-house " in the highway that leadeth from Brimfield to Stafford in the most Convenient place, near the New Dwelling-house of Ebenezer Moulton,"
VIEW OF BRIMFIELD, 1875 .- FROM THE HILL EAST OF THE VILLAGE.
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marks the probable time of its erection. It stood, till torn down in 1802, a few feet north of the present Town Hall of Wales, which was originally the meeting-house built by the Baptist church after this first building had be- come unserviceable. Further items in regard to this church organization belong more appropriately to the local history of Wales.
The Brimfield in which we live and meet to-day, can not be compared or contrasted in detail, with the place as it was one hundred and seventy-five years ago. No picture nor description can reproduce the appearance of the town, even as it was fifty years ago. The towns and cities that in the Western States will spring up in a few months of mushroom growth, will often as quickly lose their short-lived prosperity. One marked change in Brimfield is that gradually brought about, so that very few families are living now on the estates first occupied by some ancestor of the same family name. The changes that time has made may have been slow, but they have been very great.
The first settlers probably built log-houses. Some log- houses were occupied as late as 1810. As soon as saw- mills were erected and roads made passable, the people began to frame buildings. These were probably of one story only. The oldest of these buildings is, in part, that recently altered and now occupied by Mr. Lucius A. Cut- ler. The house of John Sherman, near this, is built in the style of the first framed houses. The next style adopted was that after which Mr. Jesse Hitchcock built various houses in the village. A good example is that lately occupied by Deacon Paige, of two stories, with a huge chimney in the middle. The house was built with its length along the line of the street, as was also the roof with its steep pitch. In the front of the house were two rooms, between which was the door opening into a
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narrow passage-way. The bull's eyes over the door or on the sides were panes of bottle glass, flattened, but with a knob in the center. From the passage-way doors opened to each front room, and a stair-case turning twice at right angles with landings in the corners, led to the chambers above. The kitchen and dining-room occupied most of the rear half. A small bed-room was cut off from one end ; the side door, a pantry, and cellar-way occupied the other end. In the generous fire-place was room enough to roll in a generous four-foot back-log. So large was this log, that while it were apocryphal to say that it was drawn in by a yoke of oxen, it is a fact that a hand-spike was often used to move it, and at each turn its weight would shake the house. In the side of the fire-place was the big brick oven, which imparted such delicious savoriness to our grandmothers' cookery. A cupboard above held a very miscellaneous collection-books and crockery and herbs. Hooks in the ceiling of the kitchen held long poles, from which hung strings of apples cut for drying, or slices of yellow pumpkin. A door opened out from the kitchen into the wood-house, and the various out-buildings beyond. House painters' colors did not come into com- mon use till after the Revolution; red paint was at first most extensively used, because cheapest and most durable.
The next style, which was common about 1800, was square, with the roof running up to a point in the center, like the house built by Ichabod Bliss for a tavern, after- wards occupied by Dr. Knight, and more recently by the Wales family. Succeeding this style was that of a more ambitious attempt at architectural elegance, with pillars and portico after the fashion of a Doric temple. The Wyles house is a fine specimen of this style. Then came a period in which comfort and economy were consulted rather than elegance, in those houses built with their gables to the street. Piazzas were built around these,
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RESIDENCE OF ELIJAH T. SHERMAN.
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SOCIAL CUSTOMS AND CONVENIENCES.
giving some impression of grace, as well as comfort. Of the Gothic cottage style, which, under the advocacy of A. J Downing, was at one time so popular in the country, we have not a single building. But of the recent style of villa residence. with Mansard roof, turreted observatory, and a multitude of conveniences and ornaments, we have a strikingly beautiful dwelling, now in process of erection for Mr. Elijah T. Sherman, of New York.
Next to the changes in the dwellings, changes in the style of clothing may claim our attention. Brimfield has always been a farming town. There never have been at any one time resident in the place families enough of su- perior wealth or social position to constitute a little clique by themselves of pretentious aristocracy. The style of dress has, like the style of the dwellings, been in good taste, because conformed to the condition of society in the town. The style of dress in the colonial period is familiar to us from pictures of the Continental soldier. Capt. John Sherman wore such a dress. He was the last one who persisted in the use of the cocked hat, the small clothes, knee buckles and low cut shoes. Intercourse with the French during the Revolution, led to the intro- duction of French fashions into this country. Our facili- ties for commercial intercourse and for traveling, make possible the frequent changes of later years, and make impossible, too, the assumption of any style of dress as characteristic of any one's superior position in society. Until 1821, the era of the great cotton factories of Lowell and Lawrence, the clothing worn was almost entirely of domestic manufacture. Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury for 1800, says in his report for that year, that two-thirds of all the clothing and table linen yearly pro- duced, was of family manufacture. Broadeloth, or ker- seymere, was woven in hand looms. The wool was cut from sheep raised on the farm. It was washed and 18
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greased with goose oil, and carded. About 1800, wool began to be earded by machinery. There were several carding machines run by water power in different sections of the town. George Puffer carded wool in this way as late as 1874, though of course such work was only done for some few who kept up some old ways. The wool was spun into yarn by the farmers' wives and daughters. These also pulled the flax, rotted it, spun the linen or tow thread, and wove shirtings and sheetings; or, after dyeing the thread, wove stripes and checks for garments. Tow cloth was in common use for ordinary summer wear. Winter clothing was of home-made cloth, dyed indigo blue or butternut brown. The blue dye tub stood in the chim- ney corner, and was a favorite seat. Boys and men went barefoot during the summer season, and boys wore no hat in warm weather till they were ten or twelve years old.
Brief mention only can be made of changes in social habits and conveniences. Hospitality was the prominent characteristic of social life. Every raising of a frame was attended by neighbors in crowds. The minister of- fered prayer. The workmen and assistants paraded on the ridge pole. A bottle of liquor was passed from hand to mouth along the line, and some rhymes said by those at each end.
Frequent gatherings of neighbors for tea-parties or turkey-suppers, apple bees, husking bees, spinning bees, quilting bees, furnished almost the only amusement. The very name shows that our ancestors knew how to turn work into play, or to find enjoyment in pleasures that were profitable as well as social. Dancing parties were common, and several houses in town have rooms, with high arched ceilings, that were rented for such assemblies.
" These were thy charms, sweet village ! Sports like these With sweet succession taught e'en toil to please."
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" Candlewood," offen mentioned in the old deeds, was gathered in the fall. Stunted or diseased hard pine trees had old knots, which were full of pitch. A splinter gave a tolerable light. This was generally all the light winter evenings, except the blaze from the hearth. Whale oil was not commonly used, and the beef killed not so fat as to furnish much tallow. Tallow candles were made by pouring into moulds, or more commonly by dipping, and candle making was one of the important days of the household, as was also the making of sausages and of lard. The tinder box and flints were as common, but not as convenient articles of household use as the matches now in common use.
Floors were scrubbed, and sanded when wet. Old peo- ple objected to painted floors because they were slippery. The first carpets were introduced about 1802. They were made of square pieces of cloth sewed together, and orna- mented with various patterns cut from differently colored cloth, and sewed on. Then came woven carpets, not at first covering the whole floor. Rag carpets, for which some women have a mania even now, began to be made about 1814. Kitchen stoves of cast-iron, were not intro- duced till 1820. These were. at that time, made in Staf- ford. The crane and pot-hooks of the old fire-place. the hearth and its bed of hot ashes, were rude helps enough, but the cookery of our grandmothers was free from such abominations as the saleratus biscuit and fried beefsteak. Potatoes, introduced about 1733, were for sixty years a rarity eaten with roast meat, equally rare. The farmers' dinner was the common boiled dish, salt beef or pork, cabbage and turnips, and Indian pudding. No "model" cook stove of our days can furnish such an array of deli- cious pies, as from the brick oven of olden times gar- nished the Thanksgiving-day dinner. Nor does the Sun- day dinner of rye and Indian bread and baked beans,
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taste quite as toothsome now, as when, left in the oven from the Saturday previous, it greeted the family on their return home after the parson's arguments up to seventeenthly in the morning service, and the application to the various classes of hearers in the afternoon.
Carts were used for farm work; wagons appeared first about 1790. In 1753, when a special tax on coaches was levied by the State, to encourage " the linnen manufac- ture." there were only two private carriages in Hamp- shire County. They were owned by Moses Porter, of Hadley, and Israel Williams, of Hatfield.
Horseback riding was at first the common mode of trav- eling. The pillion furnished a seat behind the saddle for wife or daughter, sister or sweetheart. The two-horse farm wagon with the common long-backed chairs put in for seats, was at first the usual vehicle for riding. Nathaniel Charles had the first four-wheeled one-horse wagon in town. The seat was mounted on a long wooden spring, fastened at the back end of the wagon. Squire Pynchon was so much pleased with it, that, instead of going to Boston on horseback as he usually did, when elected to the Legislature, he hired Nat. Charles to carry him in his new wagon. The introduction of the one-horse carryall has made it possible for many more of the family to ride to " meeting," than when our farmers had only a chaise or a top-buggy.
One record of the town, in its early history, is worthy of special notice. 1741, March 19, voted, " That the Land Bank shall pass in this town to pay our taxes, or rates." The explanation is this. The " Land Bank " was incor- porated by the General Court, in accordance with a scheme presented, 1739, December 5. It was author- ized to issue £150,000 in bills, which were to pass as lawful money, every note of El to pass as the equivalent of 3 oz. silver; bills to be redeemed in goods in twenty
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years. It was an association of seven hundred or eight hundred persons. Its capital stock consisted of mortgages of real estate at three per cent. Its loans were to be paid in provincial produce, or manufactures. If the proj- cet could have been carried out, the bank would have owned the province in a few years' time. The scheme was favored by many who declared that it should succeed in spite of governors or acts of Parliament. The land- bank party elected a majority of the representatives, and chose a speaker who was in favor of the measure. It was a scheme, from the very first, opposed by Governor Bel- cher, and the vote of the town to receive its bills was in direct opposition to a proclamation by Governor Belcher, 1740. July 17. The bank was finally compelled to sur- render its charter. The bill holders were authorized to sue the directors for the amount of their bills, and it was many years before its affairs were settled.
The scarcity of money in colonial times, induced vari- ous expedients to supply the deficiency. In 1702, bills of credit, paper currency, due bills signed by authorized commissioners of each colony, began to be issued, rang- ing, in value, from 2s. to £5, and made legal tender in payment of all public dues. A certain amount was voted by the General Court, and distributed to each county in sums proportionate to its tax list. Springfield received £627 as its proportion of the issue of 1721, and let it out on mortgages of real estate, at five per cent. This paper money became so depreciated, that Rev. Mr. Bridgham's salary of £140 as voted in 1736, was, in 1746, reckoned at £246; in 1747, at €350; and in 1748, at €455. In 1749, the General Court voted a tax of £75,000 to be used in redeeming the old currency, at the rate of four to one in the new currency issued at that time. By order of the General Court, town accounts were to be kept in both old tenor and lawful money, as the old paper
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