USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Shelburne > History and tradition of Shelburne, Massachusetts > Part 37
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In 1840 the building was standing which now houses Keating's Coffee Shop and Ware Fuel Com- pany. for in that year it was the birthplace of Cor- denio (Deane) Merrill who was the grandson of Joseph Merrill. the tavernkeeper, and who was him- self a noted hotel man.
In 1833 the Lamsons, whose business developed into the Lamson & Goodnow Cutlery Co., came to town. Other shops were started and prospered for awhile. The call for houses and tenements was re- peatedly heard, to care for those connected with these companies.
By the early 1840's several more houses had been built on Water Street. One of these standing in 1907 has since been demolished to make way for the car tracks which went over our Bridge of Flowers. In 1907 it belonged to the Hotchkiss estate and ac- cording to the recollection of very old residents was the birthplace in 1843 of Arabella Macomber, daugh- ter of Kingsley Macomber, who as MIrs. Belle M. Reynolds was the only woman regularly commissioned in the United States Army in the Civil War.
In 1844, Zebulon Field was living in the present Edmond Shippee house at 47 Water Street. He was long a trial justice, and a "man of very decided opin- ions."
Mr. Everett Rankin, writing in 1902, mentions many houses standing in 1850, besides those above.
On Main Street was the Hotchkiss house, the home of Carver Hotchkiss, grandfather of the present owner, Miss Hope Hotchkiss. On the west side were the present home of the Martin Whalens at 108. next a house not identified, and then the one at 96 owned now by the Holliens. Next came the house at 94. now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Packard, and then the Brainerd house, which is either the pres- ent Elmer or the Ballard home.
Nathaniel Lamson, president of the Cutlery, had built his home at the southeast corner of Grove and Main, owned now by Mr. and Mrs. James Graves. Here lived later his son, Nathaniel, one Shelburne Falls citizen who believed in living in the grand man- ner. He liked the good things of life and fine horses in his stable, and as a gesture enjoyed lighting his cigar with $5.00 bills. At this rate, even the $100.000 gossip said his father left him, would not last forever. but when later in life he had to move from this home and work by the day in the Cutlery, he confessed to no regrets.
In 1877 from this doorway went Ebenezer Lam- son's daughter with her wedding party, treading on
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a red carpet laid all the way to the Baptist Church, where she married Rev. O. P. Gifford, the noted clergyman.
As being erected before 1850, we can identify the house of Apollos Bardwell at 39 Main Street, owned now by Marvin Shippee; the Gordon Shippee home at 33 Main, apparently the home first of Apollos Bardwell, later of his son, Apollos O., and then of another son, Edward A. Next was the home of Zebu- lon Field, now owned by his granddaughter, Alice NI. Ware.
Then came the house at 29 Main now occupied by the Ormond and Flewelling families. Across the street the Cummings house at 22 Main had been erected.
In 1850 a brick house, a "palace," was built by George Bates at 16 Main. It is now owned by Wil- liam Barnes. Three generations of Frosts later lived there, who are remembered as being proprietors of the livery stable and grain store. There are many stories about the earliest, J. B. or "Judd." One concerns his taking his wife to the Charlemont Fair. It seems that one fine day in late summer when he was hav- ing his best span harnessed to take him to the Fair, an old duffer reminded him that it was Judd's wed- ding anniversary. Why didn't he celebrate by taking his wife along? It seemed a good idea; so much to her surprise and delight she received an invitation and soon they were on their way. They had a good din- ner under the grandstand; then she inspected the baked goods and handwork and exchanged news with her friends, while he visited the ox-drawings and horse races. When the day was over, the homeward journey was made, and Judd entered his home, all ready for his warm supper, only to remember he had left his wife at the Fair.
Across the street was the Morse house at 15 Main, now owned by David Blassberg. The last house was the Chapman house. This was moved in 1913 when the Library building was placed there, and is now the home of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Smith at 87 Bridge Street. Up the hill was the Kellett place. This is on the location of the "Dr. Canedy house," now owned by Mr. J. M. Blassberg and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wishart and family, and is probably the same house. In 1865 a building was moved from this place to upper Main Street, where it became the "marble shop." It is at 120 Main and has been changed into apartments by its owner, Mr. Francis Streeter.
On Water Street the 1850 houses are rather hard to identify because of the fire of 1907, various remov- als, and the demolition caused by the installation of the Colrain Trolley Car line. After the big flood of 1869, the home of Mr. Gilman was undermined, and when salvage operations were attempted the whole house "was precipitated into the river making a per- fect wreck of it." Two children were unhurt, Mrs. Gilman was seriously injured, "perhaps for life, and 2 cats were crushed to death." Two houses of that
era are the Burnap house just south of the Baptist Church, and the Canedy house at the northeast cor- ner of Cross and Water. The apartment house owned by Shirley Renfrew at 5 Water Street, which for many years housed a market, was moved there about 1870 by Zebulon Field from its location on Bridge Street when that was widened. Its exact age is un- known.
Although several notable residences may be omitted from lack of knowledge about them, the following buildings are of special interest.
In 1850 the Hotel Block was built by Ira Merrill and three brothers - Levi, Nathaniel and Solomon. The stone was quarried west of Creamery Avenue, brought by oxen to Band Hill across the road where the bandhouse stood, and then wheeled over on a trestle.
In 1851 Terrace Top, now owned by Donald Young, was built by David Carrier, who built twenty houses, mostly on the Buckland side of the river. In 1853 it was bought by Ebenezer Lamson for use as a Baptist parsonage. Here lived the noted Rev. E. H. Gray. The late Justina Griswold, distinguished for her piety, recollected being the smallest child and slowest to leave in a raid on the fallen apples in the parson's apple orchard. The aged clergyman, a scary figure in a gaudy dressing gown, appeared and scolded her severely for "stealing." At one time this house may have been used by the Yetters, a German family who lived next door in the present Floyd Burnap house, 94 Mechanic Street, and manufactured mouth organs, as pieces of harmonicas have been found in the attic. Later it was a private boarding school for boys, the Pratt School. The same orchard was still bearing abundantly, and a former student, after many years, remembered having apples, "stewed, fried, boiled and baked." In the 1890's it was bought by Mr. Mans- field, a Washington lawyer, and his wife and was run as a boardinghouse for many summers. As many as fifty guests sometimes boarded there, most of them having rooms outside. At one time there was a pri- vate crossing just to the south of the grounds, to allow carriages to cross from Main Street to the Cemetery, before Hope Street was opened. One of the houses built by David Carrier sometime before 1847 is now the home of Mrs. Ruby Burnap Root.
A house, old but of uncertain date, now owned by Mr. A. W. Davenport, stands back from Bridge Street, between the Schack Block and Franklin Res- taurant. This was formerly the property of the Lamson & Goodnow Manufacturing Co., and within recent memory was the home of "Linen" Lamson, so-called because winter and summer he was clad in white linen.
In the early 1850's Deacon Maxwell, prominent in the early history of Franklin Academy, was living in the present Charles Sommers house at 79 Mechanic Street and boarding Shelburne Falls Academy stu- dents.
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About 1860 he built farther north on the same street a residence which in 1955 was moved because of its location in the path of the Trail By-pass. The main part, the present home of Mr. and Mrs. Albert W. Davenport, is situated a few rods up the grade to the north; the former ell is somewhat to the east of the original site.
In 1852 Elbridge Adams built at No. 11 (the Milne home) the first house erected on High Street, which was then "but a rye field." Four of the houses on this street were constructed according to the same plan - No. 11, No. 23 (MIrs. LaFogg's), No. 21 ( Miss Louise Davenport's), and No. 5 ( Mr. Henry Suprenant's). This last one was so rebuilt and changed by the Mayhews that the original similarity is not apparent. Dr. Stebbins built at + High Street the first house on the west side.
In 1852, Dr. Morse, the first dentist in town, built the "many-sided house" at 14 Main Street, now owned by Mrs. Winfred Goodnow. A porch and bay window have been added.
In 1853 the Patch home, the Red House at 3 South Maple Street, occupied by Mrs. Mildred Patch Woods and her son's family, was built by Dr. Bissell, a dentist. He also built the house at the northwest corner of Bridge and Severance Streets, the Sidney Wood home. Dr. Bissell sold the Red House to the Yales of Yale lock fame, from whom the Patches bought it in 1888. The No. 5 Maple Street home of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hoyt was erected in 1860 by Jonas Patch, husband of Tirzah Severance, great- granddaughter of Martin Severance, on the land which was her share of the Severance estate.
Another older Severance home was that of Fair- field Severance at 16 Maple Street, the residence of the late Charles Severance, and now belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Burton Carr. It was originally an attractive cottage of the Cape Cod type with big kitchen fireplace, but raising the roof with its accom- panying changes to form a second-story apartment has obliterated the former features. Mrs. Charles Sever- ance (Eva Embury) was a descendant of Philip Em- bury, who founded the first Methodist Church in this country.
The house at 31 Maple Street, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Carlton Davenport, was built in the late 1850's by Joseph W. Gardner, an Englishman, an inventor and manager at the Cutlery. At that time it was much more severe in line, without its porch and some of its bay windows. When owned by S. T. Field it was used as a Baptist parsonage and from 1879-1882 was the residence of Rev. Mr. Jones, whose wife was the daughter of Rev. Samuel Francis Smith, author of the hymn "America." On his visits here, he must have enjoyed the "rocks and rills," the "woods and templed hills," so near his daughter's home.
When Mr. Gardner in the late 1860's had the means and the desire for a more elaborate domicile, he erected at 40 Church the house which is now the
Smith Funeral Home with its cupola and windows originally wooden canopied, and with interior blinds sliding into the brick walls. Inside are ceilings of artistic design, woodwork of black walnut, and six fireplaces of Italian marble, each individually carved. Mr. Gardner sold this in 1883 to Mr. Montgomery, an Englishman residing in Boston.
Passing mention should be given to three Mont- gomery houses, although they are of fairly recent date, the early 1880's. Mr. Montgomery came and went like a bird of passage; although he is always listed as a nonresident, for several years he was the town's heaviest taxpayer. Besides giving, as a memorial to his wife's departed relatives, the beautiful Emmanuel Episcopal Church edifice, he provided, for those living, three identical dwellings of Queen Anne design. These are at 21 Maple Street, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Decker; at 34 Severance, the McQuade resi- dence; and 17 Severance, the Burnap home.
The last house on the east side of Maple Street boasts a main part which is much older than the ell, for it shows evidence of the old plank construction, and the wooden pegs are visible in the attic. Accord- ing to the recollection of the late William D. Field, it was once located elsewhere and moved to its present site. It is now the residence of Mrs. Cora May Field and son, Frederick, and family.
In 1860 Nathaniel Lamson built for his daughter, the wife of S. T. Field, the large brick house at the corner of Grove and Mechanic Streets. This staunchly constructed residence, with its interior finish of many beautiful native woods, has recently been demolished to make room for the new school. It is noteworthy that the front door was on the east to face a pro- jected continuation of High Street. A fellow towns- man, however, having in his heart something other than human kindness, built his home (the Harper Gerry house) across from the end of High Street, blocking its extension.
A house, interesting not because of its age, for it is Victorian in architecture, but because of its occu- pants, is the residence of the late Edith G. Jones at 24 Main Street. Her parents, the Gilletts, were in- strumental in founding at the Falls the first chap- ter in Massachusetts of the Order of the Eastern Star, Harmony Chapter, No. 1. The charter was later given up, to be returned when Mary Lyon Chapter, No. 70 was instituted.
The Women's Relief Corps, which claims the title of the oldest organized body of women in the United States, had as its mother the Ladies Loyal Post G.A.R., formed in Shelburne Falls in 1876 by eleven women. Mrs. Luanna Gillett, first president of Ozro Miller W.R.C., wrote the ritual and secret work in collaboration with her husband.
And so the story of the old houses is told, the facts and the folklore. May this account, though brief and incomplete, help to make those old times and people nearer and clearer to us.
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IX. Our Well -Known Citizens
MARTIN SEVERANCE
NEAR the falls of the Deerfield River, at the junc- tion of Bridge and Maple Streets, is a boulder mark- ing the site of the cabin built by Martin Severance, one of the first settlers of Shelburne. (See Page 179.)
Martin Severance was born in Deerfield in 1718 when that town was recovering from the Indian raid of 1704, and while negotiations for return of the captives were still going on. Next door to the Sever- ance home lived Martin's uncles, Captain Joseph and Martin Kellogg, famous scouts of the frontier, who must have made much impression on their nephew, and instilled in him a fervour for protecting the frontier settlements.
In 1738, when Martin was twenty years old, his name appears among the scouts under Captain Joseph Kel- logg at Fort Dummer. Fort Dummer was a stock- ade on the west bank of the Connecticut River, north of Northfield, built as a place of refuge for nearby early settlers in times of danger, and also as an out- post from which scouts were sent during all seasons of the year, to patrol the region between the Connecti- cut River and Lake Champlain, and report any signs of approaching French and Indians.
When war between France and England ceased in 1749, Fort Dummer became "The Truck House," and under Captain Kellogg carried on trade with the local Indians. At this time Martin Severance married Patience Fairfield of Deerfield (some authorities say of Cummington) and they lived in one of the cabins inside the stockade. Several of their children were born there.
When fighting between England and France was renewed, Martin became one of the famous Rogers' Rangers who performed valuable and daring exploits around Lake George and Fort Ticonderoga. Only the most experienced and able frontiersmen were accepted by Captain Rogers to serve in his Rangers.
June 25, 1758, Martin Severance and three other rangers were captured by the enemy in a skirmish at Sabbath Day Point on Lake George, and taken as prisoners to Canada, and then to France.
At the close of the war which gave Canada to England, and settled for all time the security of the frontier settlements in New England, Martin felt the need of a permanent home for his growing family, and bought land on the bank of the Deerfield River near the Falls. Doubtless he had passed this spot many times on his scouting trips and had been at- tracted to it. There were remains of a cabin beside a spring of clear water, on the hillside where Jonathan
Catlin had attempted to settle before the last French and Indian war. Here Martin built a small cabin of rough logs, and here, when the ice had melted in the spring, he brought his family, carrying his cloth- ing and supplies in large willow baskets which the Indians at Fort Dummer had made for them. The peacefulness of their hillside must have meant much to them after the turmoil of the Indian wars, and they were all busy all day, completing their home, and clearing the land. It is said that their hayfield ex- tended nearly to the top of Mt. Massaemet.
Soon, however, discontent and protests against the unjust rule of England began to be felt even in the wilderness, and when the question arose of raising and maintaining a company of Minute Men in Shelburne, Martin as well as every other man in Shelburne voted for it. When news came of the fighting at Lexington, Martin and Martin, Jr., marched to Boston with the Minute Men. Later, they fought at Bennington and at Saratoga.
Before the end of the century, there were many homes near "The Falls" and Martin, Jr., built a fine new house across the road from his father's cabin.
Where there had once been only a blazed trail from the Falls to the Center, there was now a rough road, and every Sunday Martin brought his family these five miles on a crude springless cart in summer and on a still more clumsy sled in winter, always drawn by a huge ox with a shaggy mane reaching almost to its knees.
In his old age, Martin became quite a celebrity as a storyteller and many tales of his experiences have come down to us. He died April 8, 1810.
In Sheldon's History of Deerfield, the children of Martin and Patience Severance are listed as fol- lows -
Elisha
Catherine married Elisha Hinsdale
Experience
Abigail married David Hosley
Martin, Jr., married Lucy Whitney
Submit married Asa Smith
Samuel married Azubah Smith
Sophia Sarah Mary
Selah married Hannah Putnam Patience
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LAWYERS AND LEGISLATORS
ASA SEVERANCE
Asa Severance was born at Shelburne Falls October 9, 1802, on the estate of his grandfather, the first settler of the town. He held many public offices - selectman, assessor, county commissioner, Representa- tive in the Legislature in 1841, 1842, 1845, 1848. He was also Colonel of the Militia for three years, and a deacon of the Congregational Church at Shel- burne and also later at Shelburne Falls. It was said of him that he was above reproach, an old-fashioned Christian gentleman, who in public life was respected and loved by all. His daughter, Tirzah. married J. K. Patch.
ZEBULON WHITE FIELD
Zebulon White Field, the son of Reuben Wright Field of Buckland, was born January 19, 1807 and died April 24, 1871. He married Roxana Giles of Charlemont. His activities included the practical work of building and also owning a woolen mill at Con- way, moving to Ohio in early pioneer days and then returning East to establish a home at last in Shel- burne Falls. He was very patriotic and during the Civil War did everything possible to aid families of soldiers in the field. While interested in church and schools, he was opposed to any sectarian influence in the schools and, though a Baptist, regretted that the Franklin Academy was run so exclusively by one sect and used his influence with Ira Arms to keep sectarian influence out of plans for Arms Academy but failed there, as the will as at last drawn provided for Trustees who were "Orthodox Congregationalists." Many anecdotes are related about him, illustrating his quickness at repartee and his sense of humor. Extremely honest and just, he is said never to have had a decision reversed by a higher court. He possessed a combination of keen intellect and practical ability. Mr. Wells of Greenfield, who knew him, said that he would leave his work, walk a mile and write a deed for fifty cents. Legal work alone in those days sometimes had to be supplemented by other means. A widow, being fined five dollars for drunkenness, is said to have departed, muttering rebelliously, "I hope, Mr. Field you will never live to see your poor wife a widow!"
SAMUEL TOBEY FIELD
Samuel Tobey Field was born at Hawley April 20, 1820, the son of Theodore and Deborah Williams Field, and was one of eight children. His education included attendance at the district schools, Select School at Buckland with Whiting Griswold as teacher. Williston Seminary, Williams College with Mark Hopkins as president. He studied law in Greenfield for nearly a year in the office of Grinnell and Aiken, keeping the records of the Probate Court. His early
life included teaching, to earn money to continue his studies. In New Jersey he taught Latin and Greek and he also taught a "select" school in Heath; all this time keeping up with his legal studies. After about a year at Yale Law School he passed an exam- ination in 1852 for admission to the bar before Judge E. R. Hoar and began his law practice at Shelburne Falls. He was Representative in 1855 and 1869.
In 1874, running as an Independent, he was elected district attorney for the Counties of Franklin and Hampshire, serving in 1875, 1876, and 1877. Dur- ing this period there occurred the famous trial of the Northampton bank robbers. The robbery took place on the night of January 26, 1876 when the vaults of the old Northampton National Bank were made to yield up about $800,000 in securities which were then secreted in a little schoolhouse near the old cemetery. Great excitement prevailed. Meanwhile the loot was transferred to New York by the thieves, who then offered to return the securities for $150,000. through an advertisement in a New York newspaper. The Pinkerton Detective Agency was able to locate the hiding place in a cellar on 6th Avenue and Scott and Dunlap were sentenced to twenty years in prison.
This was considered one of the most famous trials in the history of the Connecticut Valley and was replete with brilliant legal strategy on both sides. Associated with Mr. Field was Edward B. Gillett, father of Congressman Frederick H. Gillett. Scott and Dunlap notified Red Leary, an accomplice, to return the securities or they would take the stand against him. In this way nearly all the securities were recovered. Before the prisoners were sentenced they had made an offer to return the securities in return for a light sentence and they had support from some people who thought that the public interest would best be served by the immediate return of the money.
In his campaign for re-election Mr. Field was de- feated by one vote by Daniel W. Bond, counsel for the defense, later a Justice of the Superior Court.
During his entire life he was a leading citizen of the town and county, a deacon of the Congregational Church and a bitter opponent of the Sunday news- paper. He was twice married. His first wife, whom he married in 1856, was Sarah Howe Lamson, the daughter of Nathaniel Lamson, who died in 1871. They had seven children, all of whom survived him - Carrie E., Clifton Lamson, William D., May Ger- trude, Frank Smith, Nathaniel Lamson and Samuel Albert - also Cora L. Smith, a stepdaughter. He married in 1873 Susan E. Loomis, widow of Rev. Wilbur Loomis. He died in September 1901.
WESSON E. MANSFIELD
Wesson E. Mansfield was born in Hawley January 20, 1834. He married Jane Thorpe of Hawley in 1853. She died in 1881. He married Mary Scott
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of Hawley in 1882 and she lived only five years. In 1890 he married Lucy Bartlett of Lisbon, New Hampshire. They spent their winters in Washington, D. C., and in summer had boarders at Terrace-Top in Shelburne.
Mr. Mansfield practiced law, and Mrs. Mansfield looked after the summer people. He died in Janu- ary 1911.
HENRY PUFFER (1835-1905)
One of the sons of Dr. Puffer, called "the Puffer boys," Henry Puffer, maintained a law office, from which he also conducted an insurance business and was correspondent for the Greenfield paper. His office was filled with curios of all kinds, which prob- ably the dainty wife could not find a place for, in her neat and pretty home on Severance Street. He was remembered kindly by all children, who used to resort to his office to obtain pencils and little note- books, advertisements of insurance companies of the day. He was a regular attendant at the Baptist Church, where Mrs. Puffer played the organ for many years. Their home hospitably received and en- tertained the young people of the church.
SAMUEL BARDWELL
Samuel Bardwell was born in Montague. Though his education was informal, he taught school as a young man. He was a trial justice. He lived most of his married life in the house at the corner of Bridge and Maple Streets until shortly before his death. His beliefs were far in advance of his time. He favored woman suffrage and education for girls equal to that for boys. His daughter, Bella, gradu- ated from Antioch, in those days a secondary school, as did her sister, Gertrude. Later, Bella was graduated from Boston University and, with Gertrude, lived in Europe two years, mostly in Germany, where Ger- trude went to Frau Schrader's School for Kinder- garten Teachers. In religion he was very liberal, no doubt shocking some of his conservative neighbors.
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