USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Shelburne > History and tradition of Shelburne, Massachusetts > Part 28
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"Here I will say, at a meeting of the Franklin Association at your house nearly 70 years ago, the first public resolutions found on record, recommending Amherst as a most eligible place for a college, were unanimously adopted by those nine ministers. Yes, these very rooms you now occupy witnessed, May 10, 1815, the earliest recorded vote of a body of men in favor of a college at Amherst.
"For about 15 years after my father was settled as pastor, on a salary of about $300, the good people of the parish would devote one day every winter to the business of drawing to his house his yearly stock of wood. I well remember what a joyous day that
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was. A warm supper at the close, a hot flip of beer and rum during the hours of the afternoon. That was before the temperance reform reached Shelburne. That southeast lower room was where the cold sled- ders came in to warm, where the poker was heated, the flip drunk, the tongues enlivened and orderly hilarity prevailed for the time. In that southeast lower room some notable and distinguished people have been served at the table by my hospitable and excel- lent mother, among them four presidents of colleges, and also that dictionary maker of worldwide reputa- tion, Noah Webster. In that room I also remember to have seen at dinner that well-known native of the Sandwich Islands, Henry Obookiah."
THE HOME OF THEOPHILUS PACKARD, JR., tradi- tionally reported to have been near, and west of, his father's, was taken down years ago and moved to Main Street in Greenfield.
MOSES SMITH was the pioneer ancestor of the Smiths who lived on or near the "Old Hill." The exact location of his home is not known except as tradition, remembering the homes of three Smiths near the corner of the road between Dr. Packard's and the old church, reports one Smith home may survive in the much changed Tognarelli house.
On the same side of the road, west and just beyond Tognarelli's, there was, a few years ago, a cellar scar where the late William Smith said "Granny Smith" had lived. In 1858 the county map placed on this exact location the house of Mrs. A. Smith, who undoubtedly was Abigail, the widow of Samuel Smith and William Smith's grandmother, who he said lived there. She died in 1864.
The small house next door east (present Togna- relli) has been spoken of as the residence of one Smith. Of this we find no proof. S. Woodbridge Hall was resident owner from 1858 to 1860, probably other years. Joseph Severance, when his home was the "Hubbard House," redeemed this little house from a tool shed to be a home for his hired man, John Welch, who lived in it a number of years. Next came the Morrisons, followed by the Alonzo Tyler family. Now it is the Tognarellis' pleasant home, which is not recognizable as the small house built in 1806. (Date taken from Mrs. Fannie Barnard Long's paper written for the Grange in 1903.)
Across the road in the right angle stood another Smith house. The cellar hole is still visible. The house was down or unoccupied in 1858, because the county map of that year marked no house inside the curve of the road.
Near this spot on the north side of the road in the so-called Packard Lot was a blacksmith shop.
THE JAMES WILLIAMS HOUSE, built in 1790 close to the road (south side) in the first Shelburne Center and right opposite the home of the noted clergyman, Dr. Packard, must retain in its memory untold choice
historical and spiritual tales of Shelburne Village on the hill. This makes us wish it had vocal cords. Since the house fails to talk, it would be a pleasure to haul up the old oaken bucket brimful of memories and pour them out, but the well-house on the south lawn no longer greets us.
Being low in stature, this house, which originally faced the east, outwardly reveals its age even though the large central chimney and the small windowpanes have disappeared. Surgery has removed some of the internal traces in cutting out the old stairway and other organic parts, but three fireplaces still date back to its birth.
Alonzo Long, the first known owner, sold the farm and moved west in 1855. Ruel Severance came to Shelburne in 1847 to care for his uncle, Joseph Sever- ance, who lived in the Tavern, later known as "the William Smith place"; then upon the death of his uncle he purchased this house opposite the Packard place. Here Ruel and Electa Rice Severance lived with their children, and here he died, leaving the farm to his son, Joseph, who sold to Mrs. Lucy Bishop, who occupied the house with her grandson, Ned Williams. After his death his widow and children kept the home. Later one son, Frank, married Eleanor Noyes and became the owner. Since his death the farm has been operated by their son, James.
On the edge of the village at the foot of the hill east of "the old Packard House," and at the corner of the road (going north) stands an old house which is now the home of Urban Levine. The old well- sweep on the lawn and the fireplaces and brick oven in the house have gone with the name of the first resident, unless "Uncle" Elijah Nims (son of Daniel Nims) who we know lived in this house and owned the farm adjoining his father's, built the house. The next owner was Charles Smith, whose daughter mar- ried Oscar Loomis, and here Mr. and Mrs. Smith died in 1889. Later the Chenery Roberts family came to this house, which was their home for many years.
In sight of this house, at the north, on the road to Colrain is the home of Allie Mitchell. It is not an old house, but it stands just south of the spot where Anson Augustus Barnard lived in an old house which belonged to the center of the town. Tradition tells us that Ruel Severance was owner for a short time be- fore he bought the Alonzo Long place on the hill. Amasa Bardwell was a later resident owner. The old house burned in 1871.
South of Mitchell's is a shallow cellar hole which may mark the home of Anson Barnard, Sr., who had a sawmill from 1829 to 1837. In 1855 and 1858 Anson Barnard and Son were assessed for one shop and two houses.
One house on the hill, not included in the total number mentioned in the general introduction of this chapter, was the hearse house next to the cemetery,
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probably tight to the fence, as our mother town of Deerfield voted to build her hearse house "in the burying ground outside the fence." This was likely a customary location.
On Cemetery Hill, where "the heavens declare the glory of God," the residents of our first village of Shelburne found inspiration. Here was the center of all religious and social life. Here stood the church, private dwellings, and at least two each of stores, taverns, and halls. Here town meetings were held, and it was in the meetinghouse on the hill, when Lieut. Robert Wilson, Capt. John Wells, and Dea- con Samuel Fellows were Selectmen, that the last town meeting called in His Majesty's name was held on March 4, 1776. (Town record.)
The first Shelburne Center began to decline as such, soon after 1832 when the predecessor of the present church was built down the hill in the present Center and the Town House (Vestry) was built in 1847 near the church. May it always be remembered that the spark that blazed the future history of the Town of Shelburne glowed on Cemetery Hill.
LITTLE MOHAWK ROAD TO COLRAIN
The Long House
GORDON LONG's house was built in 1784 by his great-great-grandfather, who came from Upton in 1780 and occupied a log cabin until his new house was built. They brought their goods with an ox team from Upton. At the time of Mr. Lewis Long's marriage he thought to build a new house for his bride. For some reason he did not, and following his example, each in his own generation has brought his happy bride to the same ancient, ancestral home, which now shelters the seventh generation of the Long family.
HARRY GOWDY's home, a well-preserved house in "Dublin" stands just north of the old Lewis Long homestead. Originally this house northeast of East Hill was the home of John Long. Now it is the home of the Harry Gowdy family.
This central-chimney-type house with three fire- places around the chimney downstairs and one up, winding stairs, and in the east gable the fanlight and
two tiny windows, proclaims age old enough for Shelburne history.
In 1849, in Dr. Packard's list of individuals resid- ing on the same estate fifty years, is the name of John Long. According to this and the fact that John Long moved to the "old Kemp place" (now D. Waldo Barnard's) in 1856, it follows that he lived fifty- seven years on the home place. He or his father prob- ably built this house.
Very likely A. J. Gleason became the next resident, as he was owner in 1858.
Later, the Long homestead was called "the Trow- bridge place" because James Trowbridge lived on the farm a number of years.
A shed, connecting house and barn, built by him, has been torn down.
In 1874 James Trowbridge sold his place to D. Frank Burrington. Living with Mr. Burrington was his nephew, Robert A. Stetson. After his uncle's death, "Rob" Stetson continued living on the place for two years before selling to Walter Barnes.
In recent years the old John Long place has housed a stream of occupants. A few names recalled are : Dowd, Ryder, Akley, Sullivan, and Nichols.
ANTHONY SAMORJSKI'S HOUSE, the home of the Samorjski family in the north of Shelburne, was built when the compact one-and-a-half-story house was pop- ular among the pioneer settlers. Although the house has been totally covered with shingles, the little square windows high in the gable and the central chimney suggest its age. Inside, the most important original feature is the little winding stairway. Fireplaces were removed many years ago.
Early history of this house is vague. It was owned in 1858 by Joshua Wilder and James Trowbridge, who married Olive Ann, daughter of Joshua and Lovina Long Wilder. It is likely that the Trow- bridges lived in the Wilder home before buying the "John Long place" just south in "Dublin."
Joshua Wilder of Conway in the year 1826 pur- chased from Sarah Lewis Woodward (widow) "the farm where her late husband, Samuel W. Woodward, lived at the time of his death" (1826). Some years later Joshua Wilder purchased from Sarah Wood- ward "the farm where Joseph Woodward ( her hus- band's father) lived at the time of his death."
From these transfers we may infer the present Samorjski house was the home of Joseph Woodward who died in 1814 or, more likely, the home of his son, Samuel W. Woodward.
One of these men lived on the hill at the east in a pioneer house traditionally known as "the old Wood- ward place." Its foundation stones are still visible in Reynolds' pasture.
It is impossible to prove the present house was built by the Woodwards, however, it is safe to say one Woodward family lived in it before Joshua Wilder.
Joshua Wilder and his wife lived in Shelburne more than half a century. It was in 1879 that they
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moved with their daughter and son-in-law, James Trowbridge; to East Charlemont, although they pre- sumably sold their farm a few years earlier. Perhaps they lived with the Trowbridges before leaving Shel- burne, because Beers Atlas of 1871 gives ownership to H. W. Barber. His residence has not been estab- lished. James Gleason lived in "the Wilder house" for a short time.
The next known resident owner of the former Wilder place was C. John Burrington from Colrain.
In 1901 Alfred Bruffee and family came to this sturdy house.
A few years later, Tony Samorjski purchased it.
GEORGE MISLAK'S HOUSE - The original settler of George MIislak's farm next to Colrain was pre- sumably one Wilson, whose grandfather was among the first settlers to brave the Redmen and the howls of wolves. Let us review briefly the history of that Wilson family.
Nearly two hundred years have passed since the first Wilson purchased land in Colrain and Shelburne. He was Deacon James and progenitor of all Colrain and Shelburne Wilsons. He and his wife were born in Londonderry County, Ireland. They came to America in 1729, stopping in Boston for two years, then going to Londonderry, N. H., where they lived for twenty-one years before moving to Shelburne. In 1752 Deacon James Wilson purchased 400 acres of land from Samuel and Benjamin Munn. The late B. Frank Severance, who lived in the northeast sec- tion of Shelburne, wrote a sketch of the Wilson fam- ily. His diligent study tells us Deacon Wilson's land included considerable acreage in Shelburne which later was broken up into a number of farms, and land on the fringe of Colrain, which became the farm of the late Edwin Coombs, a descendant.
James Wilson was deacon of the old Presbyterian Church of Colrain. Desiring to live in the town that embraced his church, he bought a house lot just over the line in Colrain. There he built a log cabin in the wilderness. Later a frame house was built. His elder sons, James and Robert, born in Ireland, settled in East Shelburne and a third son, Samuel, settled south of his father's home.
An early town record states that the Samuel Wil- sons probably settled in Shelburne in 1759. Historical sketches have used the date 1760. From "The Early Settlers of Colrain," printed in 1885, we read, "Sam- uel Wilson settled where Robert Cone now lives." This statement does not agree with tradition, which has always placed Samuel Wilson's old homesite in a different location. The county map of 1858 informs us that David Wilson was owner that year, and a newspaper item of March 1859 stated, "David Wil- son of Shelburne has sold his farm to John Hardy," who did not live on the place. That year Hardy deeded the property to Luman Sherman, who trans- ferred it to Robert Cone in 1867. For thirty-six
years the present house on this farm was the Cone home.
Ownership of the Mislak farm may be traced, but erection date of the house has not been established except as tradition reports it has been standing for over a century. Because interior earmarks of the late 1700's are not visible and old age is not evident on the exterior, we may presume the home of George Mislak is the second house on the farm.
As far back as 1791 one David Wilson owned land in this location.
PATTEN ROAD - NORTHWEST OF LITTLE MOHAWK
ARTHUR GREEN's home in the Patten District is an old house and therein hangs a traditional tale.
The first house which stood just south of, and close to, the present driveway, together with some of the farm property, was owned by Levi Merrill's wife. His farm plans did not always meet with her approval. Her opposition prompted Levi Merrill to build him- self a house, modern with Franklin fire frame, directly back of his wife's house.
Only a slight depression marks the home of Har- riet Anderson Merrill, while her husband's house ---- the symphony of peace - still stands. Its exact age has not been learned but, knowing Harriet Anderson and Levi Merrill were married in 1836 and presum- ably lived together in the first house a few years, we can safely say Levi Merrill's home has passed the century mark.
Parker Carpenter purchased the place in 1860 when his elder son, John, was two years old. This was the birthplace of Ozro and Anna, two more children born to Addie and Parker Carpenter.
A newspaper item in December 1885 stated, "Parker Carpenter's farm is for sale." It was sold to Obed Truesdell, who with his wife, Alice Franklin, and three boys, moved down from Rowe. A fourth son was born in Shelburne.
Josiah was the son who succeeded to his father's ownership of this Patten farm, where he and his wife, Grace, raised their family of four boys. In 1946 Josiah Truesdell retired from farming, selling his place to the present owner.
THE HOUSE OF JAMES DEAN in Patten - The house on the Patten Road bought by Mr. and Mrs. James A. Dean in 1956 has quite a history. It was built on "Fellows Hill" just south of the frame house built there by Ira Arms, and was considered an old house when it was taken down and moved to its present location in 1823. The first occupants on the new site were the family of Nathaniel Farrar.
Ella Dole Bardwell wrote that a son of the Moses Dole who lived on the lower south slope of Cooper's Lane married Lura Farnsworth, and they started housekeeping in this house. Mr. Dole died in 1855, and Mrs. Dole in 1857. Their daughter, Louisa, mar-
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ried George N. Smith, Sr., from Avon, New York in 1854, and he came to live here and carry on the farm. They had five children. George N. Smith, Jr., was born on this place and lived on it ninety years. He married Emma Taylor Graham. They farmed the land for many years, deeding it to their son, Wilfred N. in 1941. Wilfred married Helen E. Mason in 1928 and since they sold the old place to the Deans, they have built a modern home across the road where George N., Jr., continues to live with them.
"WILLOW POND DISTRICT." NEAR COLRAIN
THE STANLEY REYNOLDS HOUSE - From Lucie Ware Wilcox, whose grandmother was Laurinda Hardy (daughter of Constantine), it has been learned that Constantine Hardy moved his family from Up- ton, MIass., to Shelburne in 1806, and settled on the Archibald Lawson farm now owned by Stanley Reyn- olds and that the main house was built by John Hardy in 1842. This date is verified in the assessors' record, which taxed Constantine and John Hardy for one house valued at $200 in 1842, and for one house valued at $1100 in 1843.
It is thought Ira Barnard, Sr., was the builder as William Allen Bardwell said his father, William H. Bardwell, helped with the construction and it is known he worked for Mr. Barnard; furthermore, William Allen Bardwell said this house was built within a few months of the building of the Joel Bardwell Fox- town house built by Ira Barnard, and on which W. H. Bardwell was known to have worked. Again the erection date is proved.
The north wing is much older than the main house and could originally have been the home of an un- known early settler; or it may have been moved from the north pasture, because it has been remem- bered by the Reynolds family that the three Hardy sisters told Mrs. Joseph Reynolds, Sr., that Constan- tine Hardy, when he came to town, lived in a house on the Lawson cellar hole.
Tradition has placed Archibald Lawson's home northwest of the present house, on the cellar hole in the north pasture. He died there in 1799 at the age of seventy-eight, and his wife died three years later. Their son, John, sold the farm to Constantine Hardy for $3100, and the deed was dated March 25, 1806.
It will be remembered Archibald Lawson was one of the first men to settle in Shelburne and bought his first fifty acres with fifty yards of linen cloth which he wove. The agent in Deerfield told Mr. Lawson he wouldn't go into that forest of the "Northwest" for all the land there, and he told Lawson to take his fifty acres anywhere he chose. With all the northwest land from which to pick his acres, it would seem to- day in driving past the farm, MIr. Lawson was an admirer of heavenly views; but, upon second thought, in the midst of tall trees, he doubtless selected his land for security, without realizing the beauty of his choice.
Charles Hardy, the third generation of the family to live on this farm, sold to Charles Allen, who pur- chased only for the lumber and did not live on the place. From him, Charles Reynolds, father of the present owner, bought the farm.
PATTEN
Originally "Pattern Hill," later "The Patten" and now just plain Patten, exposed to winds from every direction, receives cooling refreshment in summer, and perhaps the glory of widespread views offsets any breezy unpleasantness of the winter months.
THOMAS PETERS' HOUSE beyond "Pattern Hill" - An original one-and-a-half-story salt-box house on the west side of the road near Shattuckville was built and owned by Thomas Goodnough.
His wife, Electa, was daughter of Moses, Jr., and Anna Chandler. She was born in 1796 and married in 1814. Since Dr. Packard said in 1849 Mrs. Electa Goodnough had lived on "the same estate 50 years," it appears she was then living on the home place where she had lived since birth. Granting, as stated, that her husband built the present house, her childhood home was an earlier house, which was her parents' home and perhaps her grandparents'.
Electa Chandler Goodnough's grandparents ( Moses and Persis Chandler) were the parents of Amariah, the distinguished pastor of the First Congregational Church of Greenfield. Surely, Amariah's boyhood home was an old house preceding the present Peters home, or else an old house preceding the present Mongeau house on the east side of the road. We know not which one.
The house built by Thomas Goodnough later be- came the David Lusty home. Approximately sixty years ago it was purchased by the Voran family, who raised and shortened the low roof. It acquired a piazza and became modern in other ways. This old salt-box on pioneer soil is now owned by Thomas Peters.
BARNARDS' - We will now inhale the lofty air or view the widespread sweep of sky-horizon of the hilltop home of five generations of Barnards - Elisha, Sr., Elisha, Jr., Francis, David, and Francis - as Mrs. Long makes us acquainted with her childhood home as follows :
Another old house on Patten Hill a half mile north from the Fiske house and on still higher ground, 1200 feet above the railroad station at Greenfield, is the Barnard homestead. I am more familiar with the history of this place than of any other in Shelburne, as it is my birthplace and my happy girlhood home. I often heard my Grandpa relate its history, and I have often read it from the early records themselves.
Ira Barnard, grandfather of the late Frank Gerrett of Greenfield, was the first Barnard to build upon this Patten Hill, a short distance south of the house
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now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. David Barnard. Only a large bed of old-fashioned red roses marks the spot where the house stood. The first bush was planted beside the front door, as was the custom in those days, with a white one on the other side.
A little later Elisha, Sr., built his house where the home of David T. Barnard now stands. When near completion, on January 7, 1790, while the workmen were at dinner at his brother's, this house was burned, sparks from the fireplace having ignited the scattered shavings.
He at once began building a second house, and in six weeks from the day of the fire he married Naomi Chandler, sister of Priest Chandler, and moved in.
I have a letter written by her to him when she learned of the loss of the house which was to have been her home. It is very quaint and expressive of her feelings and of her sympathy.
Though so hastily erected in winter, it has stood for nearly 160 years, and is now the home of the seventh generation of this branch of the Barnard family.
At the time of the fire the neighbors donated vari- ous things to aid in rebuilding. One said he had only a few old boards in his barn to give. These were used for a kitchen floor and have been in constant use since, though for many years in the dining room. The house has been repaired a number of times, but these boards have been carefully marked and relaid.
The only mirror in the house for many years was a small piece of looking glass, about 2 x 4 inches in- serted in the paneling. It is now preserved.
The seven children of Elisha Barnard, Sr., were all born in this old house.
Aunt Prudence Barnard Smith was born in 1801, and was nearly 101 years old at her death. When asked what gave "The Patten" its name she replied, "Why, Pattern people lived there."
I have often heard her speak of attending school in the Old Patten Schoolhouse when there were seventy pupils attending. A well-remembered incident I have heard her relate was of a punishment she received in that same old schoolhouse when only four years of age. She was required to "stand in the floor" with arms extended and holding a good-sized stone in each hand. When the stones became too heavy she would say "I shall drop it." She was allowed to do this at the teacher's word and not before, else she felt the stroke of the ruler on her arms.
The old schoolhouse was moved about seventy years ago to within a few rods of the home of David Bar- nard, where it was used as a shop until replaced by the present one by Francis E. Barnard.
Evidently boys in the olden time liked mischief. I have often seen the burned marks in the big crossbeam overhead in the old shop, where my playhouse was, put there by the boys who had heated the shovel in the coals of the fireplace.
When Priest Chandler visited my grandfather, as he often did, he would go to the old shop, point to those marks and remark that they were "acts of his youthful folly."
COOPER'S LANE
Cooper's Lane, springboard from Patten to the Mohawk Trail, has twice changed its original course. The first two lanes saw much of the early life of our town. Tradition recalls three Coopers in a row on that old road, explaining the name -- Cooper's Lane.
We have learned the names of only two, James Bishop and one Dole. A section of the lane is still called Bates Hill after the Bates whose dwelling living memory recalls.
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