USA > Massachusetts > Historical collections, being a general collection of interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes, &c., relating to the history and antiquities of every town in Massachusetts, with geographical descriptions > Part 8
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Eastern view of Yarmouth.
As late as the year 1779, there was a cluster of wigwams about a mile from the mouth of Bass river, in the south-eastern part of the town, inhabited by the remains of the Pawkunnawkut Indians. About this time the small-pox was prevalent, and the most of them died. A little to the south-west of this Indian town, is a pond called Swan's Pond : on its north-eastern side, just above a spring, about eighty years ago, there stood an Indian meeting-house. Some anecdotes are preserved of Joseph Nauhaught, a very pious and worthy Indian deacon, of which the following appears to be well authenticated :-
" Deacon Nauhaught was once attacked by a number of large bluck snakes. Being at a distance from any inhabitants, he was, to be sure, in a very precarious situation ; for, unfortunately, he had not even a knife about him for his defence. To outrun them, he found utterly impossible ; to keep them off, without any weapon, was equally so. He therefore came to the determination to stand firm on his feet. They began wind- ing themselves about him; in a little time, one of them had made his way up to the Indian's neck, and was trying to put his black head into his mouth. Nauhaught opened it immediately. The black serpent thrust in his head, and Nauhaught, putting his jaws together, bit it off in a moment! As soon as the blood, streaming from the behead- ed, was discovered by the rest of the snakes, they left their intended prey with great precipitation, and Nauhaught was liberated from the jaws of impending death."
Colonel Joseph Thacher, who died in this town in 1763, was a popular character, and through his influence principally a company of forty, thirteen of which were Indians, was raised, all except six or eight, in Yarınouth, his native town, to go on the
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BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
Cape Breton expedition, in 1745. A condition of their embarking in this bold enter- prise was, that Mr. Thacher should be their captain. It is remarkable that of the Indians, three only lived to return, two having been killed by the enemy, and eight, probably in consequence of a mode of living to which they had not been accustomed, dying of disease; and that the rest of the company, though exposed to great hardships, were providentially all spared to see their native places again, and to participate with their fellow-countrymen in the joy which pervaded the land, on the reduction of the strongest fortress in America. The following anecdote is related of him, by Mr. David Matthews, one of Thacher's company, who is still living. It exhibits the unfeeling disposition of the American savage. Through the treacherous conduct of a certain Frenchman, a party of twenty provincial soldiers had been ambuscaded, nineteen of which were killed. The Frenchman was taken, and at first was given up to the Indians, to be destroyed by them as they might see proper. Isaac Peck, a blood-thirsty Indian, began immediately to sharpen his knife, and, thinking it too good for the traitor to die at once, said he was going to begin with his fingers, and would cut off one joint first, then another, and so on till he had separated all his bones, from head to foot. He would probably have executed his purpose, had not the criminal been rescued from his hands. One of Thacher's Indians, hired by Colonel Vaughan, for a bottle of brandy, was the first of the provincials who entered the grand battery at Louisburg. He crawled in at an embrasure, and opened the gate, which Vaughan immediately entered, the enemy having withdrawn from this battery, though, at the time, this circumstance was not known."-Alden's Collec- tion.
BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
THE county of Berkshire is the western part of the state of Massachusetts, and extends entirely across it from north to south, It originally belonged to the county of Hampshire, or to what was designated the " Old county of Hampshire," until its divison in 1812 into the three counties of Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden. It was separated, and made a distinct county, by an act of the general court of the province at their May ses- sion in 1761, in the first year of the reign of George the Third. According to the report of the survey of the boundary line between this state and that of New York, the west line of the county is 50 miles 41 chains and 79 links in length. The width of the county on the north is 14 miles, and on the south 24. This county is rough and hilly in many parts, but there is a considerable quantity of fine land, mostly in the interval of the Housatonic. It produces much wool, and all sorts of grain, and exports great quantities of pork, beef, butter, cheese, &c. It is the most elevated. county in the state. The Green and Taconic mountains cross it from N. to S., the average height of which is about 1200 feet above the level of the sea. The Housatonic and Hoosic are the two prin- cipal rivers in the county ; the former empties into Long Island, between Milford and Stratford, in Connecticut, and the latter into the Hudson, about ten miles north of Troy, N. Y.
The county possesses in rich and inexhaustible abundance three very important articles of commerce, iron, marble, and lime, and its wood and water power are sufficient to enable it to fit them for useful purposes. The following is a list of the towns in this county, which are 30 in number :-
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ADAMS.
Adams,
Hinsdale,
Richmond,
Alford,
Lanesborough,
Sandisfield,
Becket,
Lee,
Savoy, Sheffield,
Cheshire,
Lenox,
Clarksburg,
Mount Washington,
Stockbridge,
Dalton,
New Ashford,
Tyringham,
Egremont,
New Marlborough,
Washington,
Florida,
Otis,
West Stockbridge,
Great Barrington,
Peru,
Williamstown,
Hancock,
Pittsfield,
Windsor.
The population of this county by the census of 1800 was 33,835; in 1810 it was 35,797; in 1820 it was 35,720; in 1830 it was 37,825; and in the official returns in 1837 it was 39,101.
ADAMS.
THE tract comprehended in this township was formerly called East Hoosic. It was explored and surveyed, and the limits traced, by a committee appointed by the general court of Massa- chusetts in 1749, and was laid out 7 miles in length from north to south and five in breadth. In 1750, Col. Williams, the founder of Williams College, obtained from the general court a grant of 200 acres, on condition that he should reserve 10 acres for the use of the fort, and build a grist mill and saw mill, and keep them in repair 20 years for the use of the settlers. On the 2d day of June, 1762, nine townships in the north-west corner of the state were sold at auction by authority of the general court. Of these, East Hoosac was No. 1. It was purchased by Nathan Jones, Esq., for the sum of £3,200, who after the purchase admitted Col. Elisha Jones and John Murray, Esq., as joint proprietors.
These proprietors, in October of the same year, employed a sur- veyor to lay out 48 settling lots, containing 100 acres each. A line was drawn through the length of the township, dividing the best of the land into two equal parts, and on each side of this line was laid out a range of lots. Each lot was 160 rods long from west to east, and 100 rods wide. These 48 lots, occupying the valley through its whole length, comprised the heart of the town- ship. Four years after, Isaac Jones, Esq., who then resided in the township, was authorized to survey a further number of lots, not exceeding 20, of 100 acres each, and, as agent of the proprietors, to admit settlers to the number of 60. This number was men- tioned because it was required by the conditions of settlement, fixed by vote of the general court, that when the actual settlers should amount to that number, they should build a meeting-house, and settle a "learned gospel minister." The rest of the land was laid out in 1768 into lots of 200 acres each, and divided among the proprietors according to their shares in the property of the town- ship.
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ADAMS.
During the French wars, the Indians traversed this region, but they appear to have had no permanent habitation here. No remains of Indian settlements have existed within the remembrance of the earliest white inhabitants.
Most of the first settlers of this town were from Connecticut. Of these Abiel Smith, Gideon and Jacob, his sons, John Kilbourn, his son-in-law, and John McNeil, were from Litchfield,; Reuben Hinman and Jonathan Smith came from Woodbury. There were also the names of Parker, Cook, and Leavenworth from Walling- ford; and Rev. Samuel Todd, from Lanesborough, was previously from Woodbury. These people settled in the north village. The first settlers mostly disposed of their lands to purchasers from Rhode Island, many of whom belonged to the society of Friends, and the population gradually changed till nearly all had sold out and removed from the town. The settlements of Friends became extensive and prosperous. Several other families, also from Rhode Island, came in about the same time, and these two classes of inhabitants and their descendants have since occupied the greatest part of the town.
The first settlers formed themselves into a Congregational church and society. Their first minister was the Rev. Samuel Todd, from North Haven, Conn. The first meeting-house was built of logs, and was situated near the center of the town. The Friends' society was formed in the year 1781. David Anthony, Isaac Killy, Isaac Upton, Joshua Lapham, George Lapham, and Adam Hart- ness, with their families, constituted the society at its first organi- zation. They worshipped in a log dwelling-house till about the year 1786, when they erected a meeting-house about half a mile north of the south village. The building lot, with land for a burying-ground, the whole containing about four and a half acres, was given to the society by Daniel Lapham. In 1819 the society numbered about 40 families. A Baptist church of 35 mem- bers was organized in 1808, under the ministry of Elder George Witherel. About 1785 a body of Methodists were located in the south part of the town. The society in the north village construct- ed their meeting-house in 1828. A second Baptist church was organized in 1826, in the south village, with 14 members, under the ministry of Elder Elnathan Sweet, of Cheshire. The present Congregational church was organized April 19, 1827. This town was incorporated October 15, 1778, and named Adams, in honor of Samuel Adams, afterwards governor of the state.
The natural bridge on Hudson's Brook in this town is a curi- osity worthy the notice of travellers. . The waters of this brook have worn a fissure from 30 to 60 feet deep, and 30 rods in length, through a body of white marble or limestone, and formed a bridge of that material 50 feet above the surface of the water. There is a cavern in this town containing a number of rooms, the longest of which, as far as it has been explored, is 30 feet long, 20 high, and 20 wide.
The following is a western view of the central part of North
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ADAMS.
Adams, taken from the western side of the south branch of the Hoosic river. The building appearing on the left, is the principal one connected with the Phenix factory. This manufacturing vil- lage is the largest in the county, containing, it is estimated, 2,000 inhabitants. It is surrounded by lofty hills and mountains in every direction, excepting the narrow interval through which the
Western view of the Center of North Adams,
Hoosic passes. It contains 3 churches : 1 Congregational, 1 Bap- tist, and 1 Methodist; the " Adams Bank," with a capital of $200,000, and a printing-office. This village is about three miles south from the Vermont line, 27 miles from Lenox, 5 from Wil- liamstown, 34 from Greenfield, 40 from Troy, N. Y., and 120 from Boston. The village of South Adams is six miles south of the north village. It has 3 churches : 1 Baptist, 1 for Friends, and 1 for various denominations. This is also a manufacturing village, having 8 cotton mills. In 1837, there were in the town, 19 cotton mills, having 20,800 spindles, which consumed 799,536 lbs. of cot- ton ; 4,752,567 yards of cotton goods, valued at $334,649, were manufactured; males employed, 194; females, 434; capital invested, $295,725. Four woollen mills, with 7 sets of machinery ; wool consumed, 175,000 lbs .; cloth manufactured, 215,000 yards ; value, $137,000; males employed, 51 ; females, 41 ; capital invest- ed, $86,000. Two calico print works, which printed 4,561,680 yards of calico, employing 93 hands. The population of the town exceeds any other in the county, being 4,191.
The following shows the appearance of Saddle Mountain, as seen from the Williamstown road about one and a half miles from North Adams village. The elevated peak seen on the left is called "Grey Lock," from its hoary aspect during winter. It is stated to be 3,580 feet above the tide water at Albany, and is the highest land in the state. 'The other peak of this mountain, seen on the right, is called the "Saddle Ball." The depression between the
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ADAMS.
two peaks is called " the Notch," and comprises several valuable dairy farms. The "Massachusetts Fort " so famous during the
North-eastern view of Saddle Mountain, (Adams).
French wars, stood near the barn represented in the fore part of the engraving. The following is from the History of Adams, by Rev. John W. Yeomans, in the History of Berkshire County.
About 1741 or 2, Fort Massachusetts was built in a narrow part of the valley leading towards Williamstown. This was a part of the line of defence erected to protect the northern and western settlements of New England against French and Indian hostilities. The enemy directed their principal movements towards Connecticut river. In general, they came down from Canada in the direction of the Connecticut, and were repelled by. Fort Constitution, at Brattleborough, Vt., Fort Dummer, at Hinsdale, N. H., and Fort Wentworth, N. H., further up the Connecticut, all in connection with each other on the same line. But some came down the Hudson, and, proceeding eastward up the Hoosic, came upon this fortification, and several bloody skirmishes took place. They repeatedly appeared in smaller or larger bodies about the fort. The following facts are taken principally from the Appendix to the " Redeemed Captive," by the Rev. John Taylor, formerly of Deerfield.
On the 6th of May, 1746, as serjeant John Hawks and John Miles were riding out from the fort, they were fired upon by two Indians and wounded. Miles made his escape to the fort ; Hawks fought for some. time, and might have taken them both prisoners, had he understood their language, as appeared afterwards ; for they asked for quarters before he turned to make his escape.
A party of the enemy appeared again at the fort on the 11th of June following, and attacked a number of men who were at a distance from the fort, and a skirmish ensued. After sustaining the fire a few moments, the enemy fled, having lost one of their men. Elisha Nims and Gershom Hawks were wounded, and Benjamin Tenter was taken captive.
On the 20th of August, in the same year, an army of about 900 French and Indians, under Gen. De Vaudreuil, made an attack upon the fort. Col. Hawks, who commanded the fort at that time, had only 22 effective men with him, and but 33 persons, men, women, and children, and was miserably supplied with ammunition. Notwithstanding these unfortunate circumstances, he defended the fort 28 hours, and probably would never have given it up, had not his ammunition failed. He was finally necessitated to capitulate, and offered such articles as were accepted. One special article was, that none of the prisoners should be delivered into the hands of the Indians. The next day, however, Vaudreuil delivered one half of them to the Indians, on the plea that there was danger of mutiny in his army, the Indians being irritated that they were cut off from the profits of the conquest. The savages imme- diately killed one of the prisoners, because, being sick, he was unable to travel. In the siege Col. Hawks lost but one man ; while the enemy, as near as could be ascer- tained, lost 45, who were either killed outright or died of their wounds. The prisoners were carried to Canada, where 12 of them sickened and died. The residue, with other prisoners, were sent on board a flag of truce to Boston, where they arrived
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ALFORD.
on the 16th of August, 1747. The chaplain of the fort at the time it was taken, the Rev. John Norton, wrote an account of his captivity, which was published. He after- wards settled in the ministry at East Hampton, a parish in Chatham, Conn. Another of the captives was Benjamin Simonds, who afterwards became a distinguished inha- bitant of Williamstown, and a colonel of militia.
While the fort was rebuilding, on the 25th of May, 1747, there being several hundred people present, an army of the enemy came with the design of hindering the under- taking. About 100 men had been sent to Albany a few days before for stores of provisions and ammunition. As these were approaching the fort on their return, a scout was sent forward, who, coming within sight of. the fort, discovered the enemy and began an attack, which gave alarm to the people at the fort, who had not as yet discovered the enemy. A few issued out and maintained a small skirmish, until the enemy fled. The people remaining at the fort, and the commander of the party with the wagons, were much blamed for not affording assistance, and were charged with cowardice. In this action three persons were wounded, and a friendly Indian from Stockbridge was killed. 1
On the 1st of October following, Peter Burvee was taken captive near this fort. On the 2d of August, 1748, about 200 of the enemy appeared at the fort. It was then under the command of Capt. Ephraim Williams, afterwards Col. Williams, whose grant of 200 acres has been already mentioned. 'A scout was fired upon, which drew out Capt. Williams with about 30 men ; an attack began, which continued some time ; but, finding the enemy numerous, Capt. Williams fought upon the retreat, until he had again recovered the fort. The enemy soon withdrew ; but with what loss was unknown. A man by the name of Abbot was killed, and Lieut. Hawley and Ezekiel Wells were wounded. In 1755, in the second French war, Col. Williams was sent at the head of a regiment to join Gen. Johnson at the north, and was killed on the 8th of September in that year, near the southern extremity of Lake George.
After the death of Col. Williams, the oversight of the fort was committed, it is believed, to one Capt. Wyman. He is known to have lived in the house within the pickets, and to have occupied the land reserved for the use of. the fort. June 7, 1756, a body of the enemy came again to this fort, and Benjamin King, and a man by the name of Meacham, were killed. The Rev. Stephen West, afterwards Dr. West, minister of Stockbridge, was chaplain in 1758, and perhaps in 1757. The location of the fort is still indicated by the print of a cellar, and the horse-radish, which was planted by the soldiers, and still grows upon the spot.
ALFORD.
THIS town is of irregular form. It is about 5 miles in length, and its greatest breadth is a little more than 3 miles. The south- west part, bordering on Egremont, called the Shawenon purchase, was bought of the Stockbridge Indians about 1736. The time when the settlement commenced is not exactly known. There were not many families here before 1750 or 55. Among the early settlers were Dea. Eleazer Barret, Ebenezer Barret, Dea. Robert Johnson, John and Simeon Hurlburt, and the ancestors of the Sperry, Wilcox, Kelsey, Hamlin, and Baker families ; most of them, perhaps all, from Connecticut. There were also families, who were early settlers, by the name of Brunson, Fenton, Munger, and War-
ner. This place has been remarkable for changing its inhabitants. The first settlers were Congregationalists, and a flourishing church of that denomination formerly existed here. The Rev. Joseph Avery was settled over it about 1780, but, owing to the tumults which occurred in the Shay's rebellion, he was dismissed in 1787, and the church and society soon after became extinct. A portion of the people early became Baptists, and about 1787 a number became Methodists. In 1817, the different denominations united
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BECKET.
and built a meeting-house by subscription, 46 feet by 34, which they agreed to call the " Union Meeting-house." The Methodists were to occupy it half of the time, and the other denominations the other half.
The west part of the town is mountainous. The soil of the val- leys is generally good. The people are mostly engaged in agricul- ture. Population of the town, 441. The center of the place is 24 miles east of Hudson, 14 S. by W. of Lenox, and 125 miles from Boston.
BECKET.
THIS town was granted to Joseph Brigham and 59 others in 1735, and a few persons came into the town for the purpose of set- tling in it as early as 1740, but for fear of the Indians soon return- ed, but not till they had erected a saw-mill in the east part of the town, and some other buildings. The first permanent settlement was made in 1755, by people who emigrated principally from the eastern part of Connecticut. The first settlers were of the name of Birchard, Goss, King, Kingsley, Messenger, Wadsworth, Wait, and Walker. The descendants of these men, except Goss, yet re- main in the town, and those of Wadsworth are, in particular, numerous. The first white person born in the town was Jabez Wadsworth, in Dec. of the year of the settlement, who, after sus- taining a respectable and christian character, died in April, 1826.
The first church was gathered and organized Dec. 28, 1758. Mr. Ebenezer Martin, a graduate of Yale College, was ordained their pastor, Feb. 23, 1759. He was dismissed Oct. 12, 1764, and succeeded by Mr. Zadoc Hunn, a native of Wethersfield, Con., June 5, 1771. He was dismissed in Oct. 1788. The first meeting- house of this society was built in 1762, and stood about 40 years. This society have a fund, raised by the subscription of 60 indi- viduals, (who were incorporated as the "First Congregational So- ciety in Becket," Feb. 17, 1798,) which now amounts to upwards of $5,500. In 1800 the society built a new meeting-house, which was dedicated Nov. 19. Rev. Joseph L. Mills was ordained pastor June 5, 1806. The Baptist church was organized in Sept., 1764. Their first pastor was Elder Robert Nesbit. The Baptist meeting-house was erected in 1815. -
The town was incorporated by its present name June 21, 1765, and the first town meeting was held on the 5th of the succeeding month. The town lies on the Green mountain range. The surface is hilly, broken, and rocky, the soil hard and cold; very little clay or sand is found. When well cultivated the ground yields rye and corn in moderate quantities, but wheat will not succeed. The winters in that town are usually very severe, during which season, high piercing winds prevail, yet it is generally healthy, and the lon- gevity of the inhabitants is uncommon even in New England. The center of this town is 15 miles E. S. E. of Lenox and 110 W. of Boston. Population, 957.
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CLARKSBURG.
CHESHIRE.
THIS town was originally included in the towns of Lanesbo- rough, New Ashford, Adams, and Windsor. The form is very irregular, as the line in passing round it takes 21 different courses. It was incorporated by its present name March 14, 1793. The settlement of the town commenced in 1767. Some of the principal - settlers were Joseph Bennet, Esq., Col. Joab Stafford, John Buck- land, Esq., John Lippet, Samuel Low, Simon Smith, Amos Smith, Stephen Carpenter, Shubael Wilmarth and John Wilmarth, from Rhode Island; Jonathan Richardson, Isaac Warren, and Charles Saben from Con. The inhabitants from the beginning have been generally of the Baptist denomination. There are two houses for public worship belonging to them in the town; one at Stafford's Hill, and one at the Four Corners. The first Baptist church was formed at Stafford's Hill, Aug. 28, 1769. Elder Peter Werden was the first pastor, from Warwick, R. I. The second Baptist church was formed at the Four Corners of 17 members, under the care of Elder Nathan Mason, from Nova Scotia, Sept. 21, 1771. From this church was formed a third, of 15 members, under the ministry of Elder Elnathan Sweet, Jan. 15, 1824. There is a society of Metho- dists in the town, which was formed in July, 1823.
The center of the town is a rich and fertile valley. To the E. and W. of this the ground gradually rises into hills and moun- tains. The township is well adapted to grazing, to which the atten- tion of the inhabitants is principally given. Large dairies are kept, and the Cheshire cheeses are widely and deservedly celebrated. The famous Mammoth Cheese presented to President Jefferson, Jan. 1, 1802, had no small influence to bring these into notice. On a day appointed the dairy women sent their curds to one place. The quan- tity sent proved to be too great to be pressed even in a cider-mill press, so that besides " the monster" three smaller ones were made of 70 lbs. weight each. The mammoth cheese weighed about 1450 lbs. Mr. Jefferson sent back a good-sized piece of this cheese to the inhabitants, to satisfy them of its excellence; and he also sent pieces of it to the governors of the several states. The town is situated 16 miles N. by E. of Lenox and 120 W. N. W. of Boston. Number of inhabitants 924.
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