USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Shelburne > History and tradition of Shelburne, Massachusetts > Part 6
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Mrs. Koonz moved into the east store from the Vice Block in early 1900 for her millinery business and was followed by Thomas Walker as a grocery store, and about 1930 The First National Stores lo- cated here for a short period, then it was an antique
shop a short time, followed by Edward Singley furni- ture store about three years before the block was razed, moving into the Haller Block at that time. Bardwell and Whitney were in business in the late '40's and could have been in the center store at that time.
Ambrose Gilman was a grocer in the '60's and his store might have been here at that period.
Elijah Carpenter owned a dry goods business and was located in this store in the late '70's and early '80's. In the '90's it was the clothing store of Lyman Bailey. In the early '70's Rodney Cochrane operated a shoe store here and sold to Ed Hadley, who operated for a time.
In 1909 this was the store of The Kinsmore, owned by Misses Nellie Moore and Hazel Kinsman. After thirteen years Miss Kinsman took over the busi- ness, operating here until the block was razed, and then moving into the Baker Block.
The J. K. Patch Photographic Studio was on the second floor, being established about 1850 when the pictures were daguerreotypes. After his death about 1910, his son Henry Patch carried on the business until about 1934 when it was discontinued. Later on H. R. Ashworth opened up a studio and later moved into the Baker Block on the second floor.
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BAKER BLOCK
Dr. Taylor had a drugstore prior to 1867, as Edwin Baker located here at that time and it was conducted by him until 1920 when Eugene Benjamin took over the business and the building. Subsequent owners in turn are Harold E. Crosier and Charles E. Canedy.
The store on the east side was occupied by A. L. Fisher as a dry goods store. L. MI. Packard bought him out. Later Chandler & Perry became owners, followed by Frank Chandler. Chandler sold to C. D. Spencer in the 1900's. Nathan Bergman was the next owner and operated a number of years till this business was discontinued.
Shortly after, Pearl Burnap opened an appliance store and in 1944 Richard Hoyt bought this business and has been located in the Swan Block since 1953. Miss Hazel Kinsman located here shortly after and sold the business to Mrs. Hazel Goodnow in June 1957.
HOTEL BLOCK
Erected around 1850, William Perry was the first hotelkeeper. James Pickard probably was the next keeper in the '60's. Cole & Lampman operated the hotel in the '70's. Frank Reed became the keeper in late '80's and early '90's. Eugene Spinney became the hotelkeeper in early 1900 until about 1917, then the hotel was operated for short periods by the following : La Chappelle, Forgette and Mayo.
Legate & Drake operated a livery in the rear of the hotel in the '70's. In the '80's Frost & Bartlett oper- ated a grain and feed store in the basement of the hotel. Later on Mr. Frost took it over with the livery, which was conducted by his son Ernest until about the auto age. He owned about 30 fine horses and had some of the best hacks in this part of the county. At the east end of the hotel in the rear, was Reed's Hall. The floor was laid in thick rubber blocks and was called the only spring floor in this locality. There were many gay parties here when square dances, waltzes and two-steps were the vogue.
Mrs. Sawyer's News Store was in the west end of the hotel, just off the lobby, for a good many years. The hotel remained idle a few years and was then purchased by Freezer Locker, Inc. The first floor was lowered to the street level and made into stores, and the two upper floors were made into apartments. The west store was the meat market of N. Fidel, now the store of the Freezer Locker, Inc. The center store was the fruit and lunch store of Julie Ferrari, followed by Hunter & Roberts, and later by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Fitzgibbons, and is now operated by Mrs. Churchill. The store on the east was the Monroe store prior to 1936, and in 1942 the First National Stores opened up there, being there at the present time.
SHELBURNE FALLS BANK BLOCK
The Shelburne Falls Bank began business in 1856 in part of the Lamson & Goodnow Building on Bridge
Street. At that time the law allowed all national banks, as they are now known, to carry savings as well as commercial accounts. The various homes of this institution, both before and after the separation of its two departments, are listed in the article on banks, elsewhere in this chapter. George Merrill built and owned as a private enterprise, the present Savings Bank Block.
FIELD BLOCK
Erected in the late '70's, the Bray dry goods store was located here in the '80's. F. H. Amsden & Co. dry goods located here in the late '80's, moving to the Vice Block around 1905. The Shelburne Falls Savings Bank soon after moved in here from the National Bank Block, being here at the present time.
BRICK BANK BLOCK
The Joseph Merrill Tavern stood here probably from 1825 until around 1870, being moved back onto Water Street, and is now the apartment block owned by Miss Shirley Renfrew. Prior to 1897 the town office was on the second floor of the Brick Bank Block, the G. A. R. and W. R. C. Union Hall being on . the third floor. The store next to Water Street was occupied by A. H. Fisher in the '70's as a shoe store. Probably in the late '70's he sold out to George W. Jenks who conducted the store for a long period. Andrew Amstein had been a clerk and later became a partner and it was then known as Jenks & Amstein. Later MIr. Amstein took over his partner's interest. Philip Eldridge bought out Mr. Amstein and ran the shoe business until it was discontinued in 1936.
The New England Tel. & Tel. office was in the back part of this store. Madeline Bowen was the first telephone operator and Ida Streeter was the first telegraph operator. The J. F. Severance Coal and Ice office was also in this store.
Edmund Shippee, who had a store where the Ren- frew barber shop is, moved into this store about 1942 and bought the west end of the block around 1945 and conducts his electric appliance store there at the present time.
H. A. Merrick operated a clothing store in the center store in the '70's and '80's which was carried on by his son Fred for a long period, after which he sold the business to G. H. Crown. Philip Joyce, who conducted a clothing business on Water Street in 1933, moving to the new addition of the March Block in 1934, purchased the business of G. H. Crown in 1943. In 1958 Joyce's Men's Shop moved from 22 Bridge Street to the Post Office Block at 3 Bridge Street. The new quarters have been completely redec- orated.
The Shelburne Falls Five Cent Savings Bank was in the east part of this block until they moved into the National Bank Block. After this, Sears & Covell, who conducted a grocery and crockery store, located here. No doubt George Halligan bought this business, as he had such a store here until about 1905. A short
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time before this, W. A. Johnson bought two thirds of the block and Andrew Amstein bought the other third. The Johnson Furniture and Undertaking business was conducted in the two upper floors for a time. Then when Mr. Halligan moved into the Couillard Block, he moved into the east store, closing out the furniture business about 1938 and moving into the Joslyn barn which he had made over into a funeral home for the undertaking business, which was carried on by his son Henry until he died, and is now conducted by his grandson Henry and Philip Tedesco.
About 1938 Earl Gould moved into the east store and sold out to Aubrey Crocker in 1947, and Archie Ainsworth has owned the store since 1953.
Albert Davenport bought the part of the block owned by the Johnsons in 1946.
WATER STREET
C. A. Meekins' meat market was in the Couillard Block in the '80's. E. L. Dewsnap was located on this street about this time, selling fishing tackle. Prob- ably in this block, Charles Sing operated a Chinese laundry next to the market about this period. Charles and John Raguse lived in the house just beyond, the former being a shoemaker and the latter a cigar maker. The next building was the blacksmith shop of George Innis. Dr. Canedy later owned this property, which was sold to George G. Merrill, who tore down the shop, built a stone retaining wall, and erected the brick building now used by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. This was for several years the printing estab- lishment of the Shelburne Falls Messenger. Just be- yond this was the carriage shop of D. F. Smith and paint shop of J. H. Rudd, Jr. On the east side of the street was the meat market of Louis Haigis, in the basement of the old tavern, now the Motor Repair shop of Harold Carpenter.
At the north end of the old tavern was the fish market of H. G. Littlejohn and brother, later owned by Dan Howes in the '90's, who had been a man of the sea and always had interesting tales while serv- ing his guests a stew or chowder. Walter Clark was the next owner of the market, followed by G. H. Call for a short time.
COUILLARD BLOCK
Erected in 1875, E. H. Gale owned a grocery and meat market, probably in the east store. Leander Cummings bought the block in 1880. About this time F. H. Amsden located in the store on the west side as F. H. Amsden & Co. Dry Goods. In 1885 Ada Bannister bought the block and F. W. Bannister owned a drugstore in the east store. About 1891 the block was sold to Simon Schmidt, who conducted a bakery and restaurant in the west store after F. H. Amsden moved into the Field Block. Robert Stetson purchased the block and bakery business in 1899. Around 1905 George Halligan located in the east side and was known as "Corner Grocery." Mr. Halli-
gan bought the bakery business and later sold to Clarence Ward, and after several years he sold to Edgar Gillette, who later sold to Will Mascardine. Shortly before World War I Peter Tognarelli and Eugene Valenti opened up a fruit and confectionery store in the west side. Eugene entered the service and Ralph Tognarelli took over his interest in 1918. Two years later Ralph took over Peter's interest and bought the block. The fruit store was discontinued a few years ago and shortly after, LaPierre's Electric Appliance business located in the west store. Earl Gould bought the grocery store of George Halligan in 1908, moving into the Bank Block in 1938. After this, Ralph opened up a package store on Water Street and about 1939 opened up a grocery store in the front part.
KNOWLTON BLOCK
Erected prior to 1870 this block was owned by Jacob Oeffinger and Henry Couillard, the former con- ducting a meat market. O. F. Swift later owned the block. G. F. Mitchell, and C. H. Wilcox owned a tin shop in the '70's. Swift sold the block to C. H. Knowlton. He, being a tinsmith and plumber, located here. Later it was operated as C. H. & C. L. Knowl- ton, and the business was carried on by C. L. Knowl- ton after his father died. The business was sold to Albert Davenport in 1923. Davenport moved the business to the Spencer Block.
Frank Lunardi opened the Franklin Restaurant around 1923 and sold to his brother Joseph about 1941, who sold to Harry Metaxas around 1946. G. Mirick was a printer located on the second floor around 1880. Ralph Tognarelli purchased the block in 1923.
SCHACK BLOCK
This block was erected in the 1920's. West side was occupied by Merrill Gould from 1938 until he moved into the east store where earlier the Western Beef Co. had been, later followed by the Woman's Club Art Center which has been discontinued.
March Barber Shop was in the west side on the second floor after the block was erected, and the busi- ness was sold to Robert Lillpopp. Later he moved into the small building east of the block where the cobbler shop of Mr. Lankhorst had been located.
Kratt's Sea Food Shop has been located in the annex to the Schack Block on the west side.
The house in the rear of this block was for a good many years the millinery business place of Mrs. Diane Lamson. Albert Davenport became the owner of the Schack Block in 1951.
GARAGES
With the coming of automobiles, garages and gas stations were required. E. J. Halligan stored gasoline in five-gallon cans for this purpose until the gas pumps arrived about 1918, and he and William Woods oper-
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ated the first gas station with pumps. In 1927 the business was taken over by Mr. Woods and his son Kendall, and since 1946 has been operated by Kendall.
The Blassberg garage and service station opened up around 1925.
D. H. Eddy opened a garage on Baker Avenue in 1916 and sold to James Greenlees about 1918. Gas tanks were installed later on. Later this was taken over by W. P. Rickett for his trucking business and is now operated by Sweet's Express.
STONE MASONS
The Merrills, Levi, Solomon, Nathaniel and Ira. were stone masons. The Hotel and former National Bank Blocks were built by these four brothers.
George Merrill, son of Ira, constructed many of the foundations of houses erected in the '80's and '90's and early 1900's. He built and owned the present Sav- ings Bank Block.
He also built the river retaining walls and the Veterans of Foreign Wars building, was chairman of the committee for the Bridge, and constructed the foundation of Arms Academy.
Roy Merrill, son of George, erected the stone tower on MIt. Massaemet in 1909, which was quite a feat, there being no water on top of the mountain for cement work ; also sand was carried in by horse and the stone was hoisted by the use of a horse. The former tower, which was of wood, was blown down in the great storm of December 1898 at the time the steamship Portland sank off Cape Cod. The present tower stood the winds of the 1938 hurricane and will probably stand forever. Other stone masons of the early days were: A. Farnsworth. Z. W. Field and G. Frank Dodge. Brick masons were James and Henry McKnight.
SHELBURNE RECREATION CENTER
Clarence Ward opened up a miniature bowling alley in the Couillard Block second floor in the 1900's. This proved so popular that later he erected a bowl- ing alley in the rear of the Vice Block with billiards and pool in the former printer's shop, and later on erected a summer dance pavilion that was very popular in that era. William Noonan bought the bowling alley later and sold it to Peter Tognarelli around 1934, who now operates it.
BOARDINGHOUSES
Mrs. Henry Briggs in Merrill Block on Main Street.
Maple House - Mrs. H. G. Streeter, 1880's. whose husband was engineer at the silk mill. Fred
Kirsch conducted it for a period in the '90's and was followed by Simon Schmidt. W. G. Rickett took it over in the 1900's and conducted his trucking busi- ness from there, later being W. G. Rickett & Son. and upon his death the trucking business was carried on by William Rickett until a short time ago when he sold to Sweet's Express.
NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS
The first paper to be published in Shelburne was the Banner, July 1852, which lasted one issue. The next paper was in 1877 called the Shelburne Falls Standard, published by Major Flemming of North Adams, which lasted about six months. The third paper to appear was the Northwestern Mass. Gazette by Fred Hoyt of Athol, lasting one issue. J. L. Gold- smith was the printer and his shop was located on the second floor of the Thayer Block in 1886.
In September of that year the Shelburne Falls Gazette appeared by Goldsmith, with E. P. Hadley as editor, and lasted three issues. The Deerfield Valley Sun by Hoyt at about this time as a contemporary went three issues. The Fair, an advertising sheet of eight pages, appeared in the fall of 1887 as an adver- tising medium for merchants at the Deerfield Valley Agricultural Fair at Charlemont, one edition per year. The Christmas Bell, which was an advertising sheet, appeared for the Christmas shoppers in 1886.
The Arms Student was founded in 1884 with twelve pages. Edward L. Davis was business manager and Edward C. Billings, editor-in-chief. It came out monthly during the school year as a literary effort and began with 250 copies. It is still being published but for many years it has come out only in the late spring as the Arms Academy Year Book.
The Weekly l'isitor was an eight-page newspaper making its appearance on December 7, 1887, managed by C. E. Goldthwaite. It soon closed out.
The Dental Informer came into being in May 1888, published by Dr. J. C. Perry. This was a professional paper devoted to practitioners and of no widespread local interest. It was later sold to C. W. C. Monson of Toledo, Ohio, a publisher of such publications.
The Deerfield J'alley Echo, a weekly, was the next paper to be published in Shelburne, starting in 1891, J. F. Temple as editor and publisher. It came out regularly until 1906 when it was sold to Lewis E. Strauser, by whom as publisher, it continued under the name of the Shelburne Falls Messenger. Francis Sullivan purchased it in 1909 and discontinued it nine years later. The equipment was bought by H. L. Waste in March 1922 and it is now operated as Waste Printing House on Water Street.
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BANKS
A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE HISTORY OF THE SHELBURNE FALLS NATIONAL BANK
In June of the year 1856, a small group of Shel- burne Falls' leading businessmen met and decided to petition the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for a charter to establish a bank to be called The Shelburne Falls Bank.
It was a young man's bank. Mr. Carver Hotch- kiss, Mr. Jarvis B. Bardwell, and Mr. Ebenezer G. Lamson were doubtless the moving spirits.
Only young and forward-looking men would have undertaken such a venture at a time when the nation was threatened by many conflicting issues such as those which resulted in the Civil War.
As it does today, the strength of the nation rested upon the creative force and foresight of similar small groups of able men. These townsmen, though isolated then by distance and lack of facilities for transportation and communication, built into the national fabric the strength and readiness for the growth which was des- tined to follow.
In compliance with the petition of Carver Hotch- kiss and others, the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts granted the citizens of Shelburne Falls in Shelburne and Buckland, and the citizens of the neighboring towns, subscribers to the stock for a Bank previous to the date of their Act of Incorpora- tion, a charter for a Bank, of which the following is a copy :
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
In the year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty-six
An Act to incorporate the Shelburne Falls Bank.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled and by the authority of the same as follows: -
Section 1. Jarvis B. Bardwell, E. G. Lamson, Carver Hotchkiss, their associates and successors, are hereby made a corporation by the name of the Presi- dent directors and Company of the Shelburne Falls Bank to be established in the town of Shelburne and village of Shelburne Falls and shall so continue until the first day of October in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy eight and shall be entitled to all the powers and privileges and be subject to all the duties, liabilities and restrictions set forth in the public Statutes of this Commonwealth relative to banks and banking.
Section 2. The capital stock of said Bank shall con- sist of one hundred thousand dollars to be divided into shares of one hundred dollars each, to be paid in such installments and at such times as the stockholders may direct, provided that the whole be paid in before the first day of May in the year one thousand eight hun- dred and fifty eight.
Section 3. The stock of said Bank shall be trans- ferrable only at its banking house and on its books.
Section 4. The said corporation shall be subject to all the liabilities, requirements and restrictions con- tained in such acts as may be hereafter passed by the General Court in relation to Banks and banking.
House of Representatives, June 3rd, 1856 Passed to be enacted. Charles A. Phelps, Speaker
In Senate, June 3rd 1856 Passed to be enacted. Elihu C. Baker, President
June 4th 1856 Approved Henry J. Gardner
On the fifteenth day of August, A.D. 1856, a notice was issued to the subscribers for the stock in the Shel- burne Falls Bank, of which notice the following is a copy :
NOTICE
It is hereby given to the subscribers of stock in the Shelburne Falls Bank, that the first meeting of the Corporators will be holden on Monday the 1st day of September next at 10 o'clock A.M. at the Hotel of J. B. Bardwell, Shelburne Falls, for the purpose of accepting the Act of Incorporation, electing officers and otherwise organizing said Bank.
Your attention is requested J. B. Bardwell E. G. Lamson Carver Hotchkiss
Persons named in the Act of Incorporation Shelburne Falls, August 15, 1856
This notice was published three weeks successively in the Franklin County Democrat and in the Gazette & Courier, newspapers published at Greenfield in the County of Franklin, the first publication thereof being fourteen days previous to the said first day of September, and circulars containing copies of said notice were also sent to the original subscribers for the stock of said Bank.
Shelburne Falls, September 1, 1856
Pursuant to the above notice a meeting was this day held of the persons named in the Act incorporat- ing the Shelburne Falls Bank, to wit: Jarvis B. Bard- well, E. G. Lamson and Carver Hotchkiss, for the purpose of organizing said bank, and J. B. Bardwell was chosen Moderator and Carver Hotchkiss, Secre- tary. The Secretary was sworn to the faithful dis- charge of the duties of his office by Arthur Maxwell, Esq., a justice of the peace.
On motion of E. G. Lamson it was voted to associ- ate the following persons with the three named in the Act of Incorporation, for the purpose of voting upon the acceptance of the Charter: (viz) A. F. Goodnow, Henry Eldredge, E. Wing Packer, Calvin W. Shat- tuck, C. K. Hawks, A. Bowen, S. T. Field, Samuel
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Cooledge, A. C. Dean, Jedediah Stark, A. Maxwell. Alfred Willis and Chauncy King.
Whereupon it was voted by a majority of said per- sons above-mentioned to accept the Charter of said Bank, all persons who were present pursuant to the above written notice who had previously subscribed for the capital stock of said Bank, concurring therein.
Voted unanimously that the following By-Laws be adopted by the Bank.
(Then followed the By-Laws.)
Voted to adjourn until 11/2 o'clock P.M.
Meeting came to order at one and half o'clock P.M.
Voted to proceed to the choice of Directors of said Bank.
Voted that the Moderator appoint three persons to act as tellers in assisting and counting the votes for Directors. Whereupon Jedediah Stark, C. K. Hawks and Josiah Trow were appointed Tellers and they were approved of by the meeting.
Voted whereupon
Carver Hotchkiss Wm. H. Maynard
C. K. Hawks Thomas Barber
Solomon Smead J. B. Bardwell
E. Wing Packer Josiah Ballard
were chosen Directors by a majority of those present and voting. each person who voted, voting according to the number of shares subscribed by him upon the subscription paper which was circulated and signed previous to the grant of the Charter for the Bank and at the time the petition for the Charter was circulated for signatures, and all thus voting doing so at the request of the Moderator.
Voted to adjourn
J. B. Bardwell, Chairman C. Hotchkiss, Secty
We are unable to locate any records of Directors' Meetings or election of officers by the Directors of the Shelburne Falls Bank.
From a sheet of bank stationery dated August 27. 1857 we find Carver Hotchkiss was President and E. S. Francis, Cashier. The capital was $100,000.00. and a bank statement of that date shows the total of the bank to be $241.124.72.
The following is the last recorded Stockholders' Meeting of the Shelburne Falls Bank :
Shelburne Falls, Mass., April 15, 1865
At a legal meeting of the Stockholders of the Shel- burne Falls Bank duly called and published, it was unanimously voted as follows: We the undersigned Stockholders of the Shelburne Falls Bank, located in the Town of Shelburne, County of Franklin, State of Massachusetts, having a capital of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, do hereby authorize and em- power the Directors thereof to change and convert said Bank into a National Banking Association under the general Banking law of the United States, and
according to the provision of the forty-fourth section of the act of Congress entitled, "An Act to provide a National Currency, secured by a pledge of United States Bonds, and to provide for the circulation and redemption thereof" Approved June 3rd 1814, and we do also authorize the said Directors, or a majority thereof, to make and execute the Articles of Associa- tion and Organization Certificate required to be made or contemplated by said Act; and also to make and execute all other papers and certificates and to do all acts necessary to be done to convert said Shelburne Falls Bank into a National Banking Association; and to do and perform all such acts as may be necessary to transfer the assets of every description and character of said Shelburne Falls Bank to the National Banking Association into which it is to be converted, so that the said conversion may be absolute and complete ; and I do hereby assume and authorize the said Direc- tors to assume as the name of the National Banking Association into which the said Shelburne Falls Bank is to be converted The Shelburne Falls National Bank. And I do hereby appoint J. B. Bardwell, Solomon Smead, E. G. Lamson, W. H. Maynard, E. Wing Packer, Bartlett Ballard, H. H. Mayhew, J. W. Gardner and Thomas Barber, who are now the Direc- tors of the said Shelburne Falls Bank, to be Directors of the said Shelburne Falls National Bank, to hold their offices as such Directors until the regular annual election of Directors is held, pursuant to the provisions of said Act of Congress, and until their successors are chosen and qualified."
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