USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Shelburne > History and tradition of Shelburne, Massachusetts > Part 27
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Each Memorial Day the Relief Corps decorates graves of Civil War veterans and takes part in the program, reading General Logan's orders. Presidents have been: Luana Gillett 1886-1887; Ellen Wilder 1888, 1889, 1891; Susan Russell 1890; Hattie Am- stein 1892-1893; Luella Meekins 1894-1896; Hattie Amstein 1897-1900; Luella Meekins 1901-1902; Edith G. Jones 1903; Luella Meekins 1904-1907 ; Annie Mann 1908-1911; Helen Heathcote 1912; Minnie Shaw 1913-1914; Emma Mcknight 1915- 1916; Eva Severance 1917-1919; Agnes Amstein 1920; Annie Mann 1921-1925 ; Sadie Lees 1926-1927 ; Ada Lawless 1928-1929; Gussie Mitchell 1930-1931; Gertrude Manning 1932-1933; Nellie Morrissey 1934-1935; Ethel Waste 1936-1937 ; Emily Bourdeau 1938-1939; Mildred O'Brien 1940-1941 ; Evelyn Miner 1942-1943; Gussie Mitchell 1944-1945 ; Emily Bourdeau 1946-1949; Evelyn Booker 1950-1951; Nellie Greenlees 1952-1957.
1919 - AMERICAN LEGION
Shelburne Falls American Legion Post No. 135 was organized in 1919 in the old courtrooms in Memo- rial Hall. Meetings were held for several years in second-floor rooms of the Knowlton Building. Later they moved to rooms in Memorial Hall when the hall was renovated after fire.
In 1945 they purchased a building on Water Street where they still meet. Among the community projects the Legion has sponsored are Christmas and Hallow- e'en parties for children of the town and a Junior League baseball team which played throughout the county. Blood donors were available for years among Legionnaires. In 1947 a blood-typing project was installed as a public service. The object was to have on file a list of blood types of our townspeople so that
donors were available at all times. This was before the local hospitals had this service.
The post sponsors the program whereby each year a boy is sent for a week to Boys State, held each year in June at the University of Massachusetts. Each year a prize of $10 is given to the boy who does the best work in English during the year in elementary school. During the past few years the post has given free to the town of Shelburne the use of their building to help alleviate the school building shortage.
In May 1949 the post erected a memorial on the Bridge of Flowers, dedicated and presented in honor of the citizens of Buckland and Shelburne who served in the Armed Forces of our country in World Wars I and II, and in loving memory of those who made the supreme sacrifice. The monument is of native quartz with a bronze plaque that lists the names of those who died in service to their country.
Post Commanders have been: 1919, Dr. C. L. Up- ton ; 1920, Harry Ward; 1921, Walter Ryan; 1922, Harry P. Shaw; 1923, David Archambo; 1923-1924. James E. Rand; 1925-1926, Kenneth Beaman; 1927- 1928, Charles J. Delaney; 1929-1930, William E. Mills; 1931-1932, Raymond J. Messer ; 1933-1934. Ralph L. Gray and Bert R. Hathaway; 1935, Lauris- ton Koonz; 1936-1937, Harold Davenport; 1938, H. Ellsworth Legate; 1939, Arthur J. LaPlant; 1940- 1941, Adolph O. St. Jacques ; 1942, Carl G. Johnson ; 1943, Robert E. Scott; 1944, Roswell Miller; 1945, Donald G. Young; 1946, Harry M. Chamberlain ; 1947, Herbert H. Saunders; 1948, Frank L. Mar- shall; 1949, Philip Tedesco, Jr .; 1950, George L. Mirick; 1951, David W. Baker; 1952, John E. Phillips; 1953, William J. Meyers; 1954, William J. Meyers; 1955-1956, Gaius Burnap: 1957. William H. Nadeau.
1921 - THE AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY UNIT NO. 135
The American Legion Auxiliary Unit No. 135 of Shelburne Falls, Mass., was granted a State charter on December 23, 1921. There were thirty-eight char- ter members listed on the charter: Mrs. Helen Ken- drick, Miss Nina Legate, Miss Vivian Schack, Mrs. Gertrude Ryan, Mrs. Clara Mills, Mrs. Lula Peck, Miss Muriel Damon, Mrs. Caroline Archambo, Mrs. Nettie Shirtcliff, Mrs. Sadie Spaulsbury, Mrs. Mil- dred Goodell, Mrs. Genevieve Schack, Mrs. Estella MacDonald, Mrs. Madeline Cramer, Mrs. Agnes Starkey, Mrs. Helen Ward, Mrs. Myrle Field, Mrs. Grace O'Niel, Mrs. Ethel Koonz, Mrs. Mina Peck, MIrs. Minnie Stone, Mrs. Pauline Tognarelli, Mrs. Flora Mills, Mrs. Emily Thackeray, Mrs. Louise Colby, Mrs. Irene Ashton, Mrs. Minnie Legate, Mrs. Mispah Woffenden, Mrs. Louise Cronan, Mrs. Mar- ian Mills, Mrs. Ethelyn Ellison, Miss Ursula Pur- inton, Mrs. Olive Nichols, Mrs. Elizabeth Spencer, Mrs. Everlyn Lee, Miss Harriet Spencer, Mrs. Ada Sumner.
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The early meetings were held in the back room on the second floor in the block owned by Ralph Togna- relli. The furnishings were all second-hand furniture. Dues were $1.00 per year and the meetings were held twice each month, on the second and fourth Tuesdays. Dues now are raised to $2.00.
The American Legion Auxiliary was so young nationally at this time that no ritual or by-laws were available, and each unit struggled along making its own laws and conducting its own meetings as best it could. To meet the necessary expenses for rent, etc., card parties and occasional food sales were held in the Legion Room.
The first president elected after the permanent char- ter was Mrs. Helen Kendrick and the secretary was Mrs. Irene Ashton.
The town of Shelburne came to the aid of the Legion in 1922, when they voted to pay one half the rent, or a sum not to exceed $100. In 1924 the town of Buckland received a special dispensation whereby it could vote money for the support of the Legion Home in Shelburne, since so many Legion members came from the town of Buckland. The town of Shelburne then offered a room in the rebuilt Memorial Building, where the Auxiliary and Legion remained until May 1944, when a building was purchased on Water Street.
The most important activity of the Auxiliary is work done for the veterans at Leeds Hospital. The first volunteer workers were called Orchid Ladies, who went into the hospital to make the patients' stay more enjoyable. They read, talked, played games, et cetera, to take up their time. Variety shows, musicals, card parties, carnivals, dances, and other entertain- ment are furnished the men well enough to go to the recreation hall. Members from all units help in these entertainments. This unit has volunteered sharing in the three big dances sponsored at Thanksgiving, Christ- mas and Easter. At Christmastime a gift shop is con- ducted at the hospital to enable the veterans to send gifts to their immediate families. Each unit is asked to donate one-dollar gifts for this cause, and members help in wrapping and mailing. Magazines, pocket books, and puzzles are collected by our members for the hospital. One night each month a group of volun- teers goes from the unit to a ward at the hospital to entertain. The Auxiliary buys the poppies the vet- erans make at Leeds Hospital and sells them on Memo- rial Day for veterans' benefit.
Our unit is also active in local and national drives. Each year our unit sponsors a girl for Girls State. A girl with top grades is chosen from the junior class at Arms Academy to go to Bridgewater for a week to learn just how our government functions. Each girl upon her return gives a fine report.
The Auxiliary also contributes ten dollars as a prize for the senior showing the most outstanding work in English.
Each Memorial Day the Auxiliary marches with the parade and contributes to the services at the ceme-
tery. A geranium is placed on the grave of each de- ceased member. The members also join with the Legion and attend a memorial service at one of the churches each year.
In July 1952, the Auxiliary donated a box to be put on the Bridge of Flowers to hold donations from people visiting the bridge. This has been very success- ful.
1946 - VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS
The Kennedy-Chamberlain Post No. 8503 Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States was chartered October 27, 1946 with thirty-two members.
Robert Grogan, deceased, was installed as first com- mander at the Buckland Town Hall. Other command- ers have been: Andrew Stafursky, James O'Donnell, Wallace McCloud, William Hill, Charles Martin, Charles Emerson, and Edgar Jepson. The present commander is Raymond Jepson. The organization takes part in Memorial Day Parade Firing Squad and Col- ors, grave decorations, and military funerals; spon- sors a basketball team, Rag Shag children's parade donation, and has presented the Good Citizen Award to Mrs. Rolland Spencer for saving a child's life after he had fallen into the water. They have a high school award for scholarship and give help to needy families. They donate to the Leeds Veterans Hospital, Dis- abled Veterans and Soldiers Home, Holyoke.
Meetings are at the Post home on Water Street with a membership of seventy-five. This post was named for John Kennedy and Russell Chamberlain who lost their lives in World War II.
1947 - KENNEDY-CHAMBERLAIN AUXILIARY POST NO. 8503
The Auxiliary obtained its charter and the first installation was held in January 1947 in the Com- munity Room in Shelburne Falls with fifteen members present. The Auxiliary now meets at the V.F.W. Building on Water Street. The first president was Mrs. Annabelle Andrews, who served for two years. Other presidents have been Mrs. Dorothy Grogan, Mrs. Louise Copley, Mrs. Olive Chamberlain, Mrs. Phyllis Paoletti, Mrs. Fredericka Martin, Mrs. Helen Long, Mrs. Bernice Carpenter, and Mrs. Mary Jep- son, the present president.
The post is active in community work and supports local and national drives. They give a ballpoint pen to each man from Buckland and Shelburne when he goes into the Armed Forces.
Members frequently donate time to dances, card parties, and carnivals held at Leeds Hospital for vet- erans' recreation. Card parties are held in the club- rooms with proceeds given to Leeds Hospital veterans. The Auxiliary has received an annual award of merit for contributing to all programs of the department.
(See Appendix for early political organizations)
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VIII. Our Early Homes
OLD FRAME HOUSES IN RURAL SHELBURNE (As distinguished from brick houses)
SHELBURNE CENTER ON THE "OLD HILL"
THE FIRST VILLAGE OF SHELBURNE
SHELBURNE's pioneers, wise men that they were, chose for the town's first center a plateau where natural beauty spread forth its glory far and wide, and a village began to grow and prosper on the hill above our present rural Center.
The Hill Cemetery, around which all life and death centered, is not the only monument to that small and first village of Shelburne. We are fortunate in having two historical, yea, ministerial souvenirs, in the homes of Rev. Robert Hubbard and Rev. Theophilus Packard, D.D., now owned respectively by Raymond Helbig and Mrs. Dorothy Dyer. With these two old landmarks, the expansive cemetery, and the present homes of Mrs. Tognarelli, James Wil- liams, Urban Levine, and Charles Clark to guide the placements of other dwellings in and around our first village, we will endeavor to mentally envision the upper Shelburne Center. In this backward glimpse of these early homes, their setting will be incomplete without reference to other buildings which will be mentioned insofar as known.
Foremost, on what is now the enclosed east section of the cemetery, stood the church - first a crude log structure and later a plain frame building - where it could look around and down upon all the houses from whence came the inhabitants to worship. "Aye, call it holy ground" - the spot on which it stood.
There is no house lot plan of the village homes surrounding that old church. Until 1778 we are obliged to be content with only the following brief statements.
Lawrence Kemp "built a log cabin not far from the meeting-house." "Lawrence Kemp lived on the hilltop in an old red house at the north" which may have been a house built to replace his cabin, or did his son, Lawrence, Jr., build a house on the hill? In 1792 town meeting "voted to adjourn to Lt. Hazael Kemp's house." Thus we find the possibility of more than one Kemp house on "Old Hill."
Dr. John Long came to the Center District in 1776, settling on Dragon Hill just southeast of the village proper.
Before 1780 town records mention Landlord Ran-
som's public house and Ransom's pound, both of which were undoubtedly close to the church.
Dr. Ebenezer Childs was in town in 1779, and his son, Ebenezer, Jr. practiced in Shelburne from 1813 to 1834. One or both of them had a home on land near the Packard house.
Among the pioneers who settled on the "Old Hill" were John Wells, Shelburne's first town clerk and selectman for about twenty years; Moses Smith, who settled near the log meetinghouse in the 1700's, and others.
On a map of Franklin County made in 1832 ten marks, representing homes, can be counted close to the church. Four of these houses, two of which were built before the 19th century, still stand.
Beginning at the site of the first church, an old house, showing age in 1858 and gone over seventy years, stood south and next to the cemetery. Being near the church and having a dance hall, it may have been one of the "four public houses" in the village.
Across the road a short distance south of the ceme- tery, the present home of Charles Clark stands on the site of Severance Tavern (described with other tav- erns) on the discontinued "East and West Road" which ran east up over the hill.
On this so-called "East and West Road" there was, on the east hill close to the Tavern, the home of Lawrence Dole as late as 1867, when it was purchased by William Smith. It was an old house, believed to have been built and owned by Nathaniel Merrill who sold to Josiah Dole, who later transferred to Lawrence Dole. Dole's "Half-moon pasture," rolling down the south slope, still carries his name.
Near the Dole home, another house has been tradi- tionally remembered on that old road to the east and, as there are five wells apart from the home supply on the present Clark farm, it is thought a number of homes stood not far from the Tavern. Eventually, the William Smith farm engulfed those house lots.
One of these houses stood very near the Tavern at the north. Now, its stone-walled well is the only
Totally ignorant of the prolonged research required, I began this study of old frame houses when invited to enlarge Mrs. Fannie Barnard Long's chapter, which she was physi- cally unable to complete. I wish to thank my townspeople who have been pleasingly cooperative. Also, I am grateful to Mrs. Fannie Gleason Long, the late Mrs. Elvira Andrews Barber, and Miss Mary Fellows who have repeatedly helped and to all other former residents who have given facts or encouragement. - L.S.B.
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marker of the home of Samuel Anderson, who died in 1838.
Tradition has placed a store in this location, where ploughing in recent years has from time to time unearthed many bricks, English and early American coins, and broken pottery. It seems plausible that a store stood next to the Tavern.
Through reading, it has come to light that Robert McClellan in 1799 and 1800 kept a store "near the meeting house," in which he was succeeded in 1801 by a man named Moses Whitney. In 1799 the town meeting "voted to adjourn to Robert L. McClellan's."
In 1810 Stephen Taylor kept a store at Shelburne Center where he sold rum, molasses, tea, pepper, tobacco, cotton, fish, etc. Original licenses of Select- men for the years 1812 and 1813 state he was a "retailer of spirituous liquors." Also, he operated the Potash Works a few rods south of the meetinghouse.
Furthermore, this versatile gentleman was a team- ster ; schoolteacher in town some twenty years; justice of peace, joining in wedlock a number of couples with names of the old families; and a tavernkeeper. From 1816 through 1821, Stephen Taylor was given a license as inn-holder and, of a certainty, his inn was in the village because a few town meetings "voted to adjourn to Esq. Taylor's" and Dr. Packard wrote "Stephen Taylor, Esq. kept a public house at the center of the town."
PARSON HUBBARD HOUSE - The "Cyrus Bard- well House" - originally Rev. Robert Hubbard's - now Raymond and Beatrice Helbig's. Cyrus Bard- well's house, which he sold in 1954, just north of the cemetery, is still a part of the scene of Shelburne's first village and is one of the oldest and most distin- guished houses in town. It was the home of Rev. Robert Hubbard, who became pastor of the "Old Hill" Church in 1773, although he did not build his house until he took unto himself a wife a few years later.
A town record reads, "July 1, 1773 - voted to let Mr. Hubbard have the proprietor's lot for 18 shillings an acre," and in 1774 "voted - Lawrence Kemp, Lieut. John Wells, and Moses Hawks to be a committee to give a deed of the proprietor's lot in the Center of the district to the Rev. Robert Hubbard in behalf of the District."
Dr. John Long wrote in his diary in 1778 the fol- lowing items as dated - June 23, "Mr. Jones began to get timber for Mr. Hubbard's house"; July 13, "Mr. Hubbard went courting"; August 14, "began to frame Mr. Hubbard's house"; August 27, "Mr. Hubbard's house raised." These items convincingly establish the age of this old house still standing in all its dignity on "Meeting-house Hill."
Built in the era of the sturdy, low house, Rev. Mr. Hubbard chose his native Connecticut type of archi- tecture in a two-story structure with two three-inch overhangs. Instead of a large center chimney, which invariably prevented any size to the entrance hall,
two chimneys arose and a roomy Georgian-type hall resulted. The straight staircase with handrail and un- usual balusters has a three-foot wood casing on the wall side.
Originally there were four main rooms on the first floor with duplicate rooms over three of them. Ceil- ings are low, and the two front rooms downstairs have ceiling rafters. Floor boards are wide. Two rooms on each floor have horizontal wainscotting with chair rail heading. Perhaps the finest feature of the house interior is the paneling in the room at the right front, and the one over it. To each of these, rare beauty is given in a full-length cupboard each side of the fireplace, and paneling covering all that side of the room.
Tremendous closets around the chimney back of these fireplaces and cupboards now offer speculation as to their first use. Two other rooms on the first floor have the original fireplaces.
In six rooms, the sliding wooden shutters of the same design as the paneling are still in existence, as are the small windowpanes. The outside window sills are interesting, being convex instead of bevelled. The addition of a wide front porch is the only major alteration. Appreciating its original beauty of archi- tecture, the Bardwells made few interior changes to lessen the charm of their house. Much of the pine woodwork was dressed in white. The front hall was shortened to give space for a bathroom. A part of the large kitchen was removed a few years ago.
The ell of the house appears in construction to have been older than the main house and is believed to have originally been a complete unit in itself. Its large kitchen with huge fireplace was shortened by Mr. Bardwell. The massive chimney was taken down. "Shelburne Shays men took oath of Allegiance in Rev. Robert Hubbard's old kitchen." (Town record.) Certainly many other interesting events transpired in his house but no record of them has been found.
It is not known how long Mrs. Hubbard lived in the parsonage after her husband's death in 1788. She was taxed in 1796 for real estate valued at $1755. Tradition tells us she married Theodore Barnard and moved to his home, later returning to her former home, where she died in 1823.
In 1817 "The Centre Lot" containing eighty acres, which belonged to the Rev. Robert Hubbard, was conveyed by his son, Robert Hubbard, to Giles Lyman, whose wife was Mary Hubbard, the minister's sister. Giles Lyman and his family came to Shelburne to live in the Hubbard house in 1809. Their son, Giles, Jr., studied for the ministry under his neighbor, Theophilus Packard, Jr. The Lymans moved to New York State in 1833, and that year deeded their prop- erty to Alpheus and John Anderson. The Anderson ownership lasted over forty years. Lafayette Anderson sold "The Hubbard Place" to Joseph Severance, who in 1877 added a bay window and piazza to the house. He was a resident only a short time before moving to the south part of the town for three or four years.
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In 1885 Joseph Severance returned. During his owner- ship, Rufus Dinsmore's first blacksmith shop was on the south lawn.
For five years "The Hubbard House" was empty or used for hired help before Joseph Severance sold to Cyrus Bardwell. Since Mr. Bardwell moved to Florida his house has been owned briefly by two non- residents. It is now the property of the Helbigs who appreciate all the original characteristics of this Geor- gian-type house.
DOROTHY DYER'S HOUSE - Originally Rev. The- ophilus Packard's. An extremely interesting history of "The Packard House" (presently the Dyer home) has been given in Mrs. Long's writings.
The Packards have been gone nearly a century; the fence around their lawn disappeared years ago; the small-paned window sashes have been replaced with a large size; a flue of one of the two chimneys was closed with an old slab tombstone ; but Shelburne still proudly breathes the Packard atmosphere of this eight- room house (originally ten before removal of the ell).
It is a grand old house with six fireplaces, doors hung on wrought HL hinges, secret sewing drawers built under windows, sliding wooden shutters which close completely over the windows, a double door at the east, and a wide front door crowned with a six- paned fanlight displaying the dignity suitable for ushering in the notables that came to the Packard home.
"THE PACKARD HOUSE" was for many years occu- pied by Mr. Z. D. Bardwell. The following is a copy of a letter written to Mr. Bardwell by Rev. T. Pack- ard, Jr., "I have often thought of you as dwelling on the very premises where I was born, February 1. 1802, and I have long been desirous of writing to you, both as a matter of duty to you, and a privilege to me. It gives me pleasure to recall to mind my happy residence in that venerable old house for over thirty years, and the memorable events which have there occurred within my knowledge.
"In relating some historical facts and incidents connected with the buildings and acres of that estate of yours, it is natural I should feel more interest in the matter than you probably do.
"About 1799 my father bought of Julia Kellogg, Deacon E. Kellogg's father, all of the land except the swamp and the land north of it, and the small house on the premises at that time, in which old house my eyes first saw the light.
"He built the present house about 1802, and re- modeled it in 1826, and bought of Dr. E. Childes, Jr. about 1819, the swamp. Relics from Mr. Kellogg's blacksmith shop just east of the house, I have often dug up in the garden.
"The barn was removed to its present site from its location a few rods west of the house in 1826 by Enoch Dole for $50.
"The swamp was drained by cutting an outlet through rock to overflow the southwestern part of the farm. The work was done by Moses Allen and Elihu Lyman in 1825 for $50.
"The maple trees, now so large and thrifty, on the roadside south of the farm, were set out in 1825, and many, if not all of them, were brought from the woods north, on the back of myself and transplanted by my own hands.
"I should like to look upon them now, once more, and see what giants they have become in these 57 years.
"All portions of that old paternal mansion seem still quite familiar to me, and my memory often runs over some of the interesting events which have there occurred. As a place for bodily exercise and recruit- ing feeble health, my father converted that northwest lower room into a workshop for a while, since my remembrance, and therein made many a good basket instead of hammering away to make what he thought could be only a poor sermon. In that southeast cham- ber have I spent years of study, and tried to write what the people had to take as sermons. In that same venerable red chamber my father instructed many school teachers, when academies were rare, and also taught 31 students in preparing for the gospel ministry. Among them were Rev. Robert Hubbard, son of the first Shelburne pastor. Rev. Dr. Ezra Fiske, Rev. Amariah Chandler, and Rev. Pliny Fiske, early mis- sionary to Jerusalem. Likewise, in the same room (so consecrated to study) I have enjoyed the privilege of aiding several youth in preparing for college, among whom were Rev. Giles Lyman, Rev. Levi Pratt and Joseph Anderson. That house has welcomed to its accomodations for many past years a vast multitude of people, some of them for religious purposes, for consultation and counsel and confession and prayer. There have been held social meetings for religious instruction, exhortation and supplication, and those rooms have become vocal with songs of praise and elevation. There have sometimes resorted anxious, inquiring youths for pastoral advice and relief, asking. 'What must I do to be saved?' Not a few have there appeared before the church committee from time to time preparatory to admission to membership. There ministerial associations have convened, and consulted and prayed for the welfare of the churches and the prosperity of Zion.
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