USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Shelburne > History and tradition of Shelburne, Massachusetts > Part 8
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POST OFFICES
IN ITS March 21st. 1792, issue The Impartial Intelligencer, a Greenfield newspaper, carried this announcement in the advertising: "Mr. Joseph Bas- com will be post riding for Shelburne, Colerain and Leyden - 3 pence."
On appeal to Postmaster General McClean by Theophilus Packard, Jr., the first post office in Shel- burne was established in 1822. According to Govern- ment Records it was started on July 3, 1822, and discontinued January 31, 1907. Walter Wells was the first postmaster, and Mary Wells succeeded him in May, 1851. The post office was in the Wells house (now Robert Crafts') for nearly thirty years. In April, 1852, it was moved to the Conant place (now Elden Seward's), where Lyman Conant was followed in 1866 by Edward P. Conant as postmaster.
The post office passed to John A. Franklin, and to the house which occupied the lot where Harding and Clifford Ayer now live, in July, 1867. From 1873 to 1887 the postmaster was Ai Kellogg, and the office was moved to the house near the church, now Carl Shields'. The records show that Lewis G. Alvord was appointed postmaster January 31, 1887, and on February 9, 1887, the name was changed to Lucius G.
As we find no further reference to Lewis G., we assume it was simply a correction in the spelling of the name. The post office under Alvord was in the house now owned and occupied by Mary Shields Helbig.
The last post office in Shelburne Center was in the Dinsmore Building, now Donald Roberts'. Mr. Rufus Dinsmore was appointed postmaster in March, 1901, and served until the Shelburne post office was discon- tinued in January, 1907.
"Clark Slate delivered Weekly Gazette & Couri- ers from 1846 to 1865 to Shelburne and five other towns. Silas Atwood from 1865. After the days of the Pony Express, a MIr. Crittenden delivered the mail with a horse and buggy, and dropped the Gazette 5 Courier along the way. This delivery was only once a week."
"Stephen Long and John Fellows journeyed over the mountain to North Adams to interview our Repre- sentative about a mail carrier. The result was that Orsamus Bardwell was a carrier from Bardwell's around through Peckville and back through the Skin- ner District. Subscribers paid $2 per year for this service." - M.F.
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These early mail carriers were Orsamus Bardwell, Baxter Bardwell, Wilson Graves, David Jones, Fred Kelley, and Ozro Carpenter.
A post office was established in Shelburne Falls on February 13, 1830, in the hotel owned and operated by Joseph Merrill. Mr. Merrill was the first post- master. The next appointment was Gad Townsley, September, 1839, followed by William J. Davis, June, 1843. He was succeeded by Jarvis Bardwell, March, 1844.
For the first twenty-three years the post office was in the hotel, but when Alfred Bowen received his first appointment in October, 1853, it was moved to a small store in what was known as the Wood Block. Luther MI. Packard succeeded Mr. Bowen in March, 1863, and we find no record of the post office being moved at that time.
In another four years, 1867, a hard-fought political contest for postmaster was carried on between Bowen and Packard. Feeling ran very high; it is said that each side accused the other of chicanery, a congress- man was involved, something about a hundred dollar check being passed, lots of mud-slinging - Bowen won out and was postmaster again until February 7, 1878.
About this time the store containing the post office was moved back, and there were extensive additions made. The post office was in the middle store of this new setup until it was moved in 1908 to its present location. John Severance served from 1878 until Joseph H. Wilder was appointed in May, 1886. Charles L. Merriam was postmaster from March 26, 1889, to January 17, 1894. Merton Z. Woodward was appointed at that time and held the office until August 16, 1933. MIr. Woodward was a very much loved postmaster. He served for nearly forty years. It was during his service that the post office was moved for the last time in 1908.
Charles J. Delaney, appointed in 1933, died in office, and his widow, Belle C. Delaney, was appointed acting postmaster February 1, 1940. Roy H. Amstein held the office from August 22, 1940, to January 31, 1950. Upon his resignation Harper T. Gerry was appointed. Mr. Gerry is still in office in 1958.
There was a government post office in East Shel- burne for fifty-one years, with four different post- masters. Isaac Fiske was appointed postmaster when the office was established October 1, 1849, in Temper- ance Tavern. After the first six months Henry Fiske took over, holding the position from April, 1850, to May, 1875. Charles Wilson was postmaster in the Forest Malloy house from 1875 to 1898 with the exception of two years, 1891 to 1893, when it was back with Isaac Fiske. (The record does not say whether he was the same Isaac Fiske who had it in 1849.) Lulu MI. Hodge was appointed postmaster in 1898, and the office was moved to the Fred Fiske house, which is now Bill's. The East Shelburne post office was discontinued September 15, 1900.
The post office at Bardwell's Ferry was established
as South Shelburne August 26, 1869. Its name was changed to Bardwell's Ferry September 20, 1869. The post office at Bardwell's Ferry was always in the railway station by that name, and was discontinued November 30, 1931.
The names of postmasters and dates of their ap- pointment were: Levi Dole ---- August 26, 1869; Frank M. Rand - September 8, 1876; Franklin M. Rand - December 26, 1876; Havelock Bardwell --- March 31, 1881; Fred H. Collins - April 26, 1881; Fred J. Hawkes August 25, 1884; George L. Glass - March 10, 1887; Lawrence L. Wholey --- May 31, 1921.
Rural Route #1, Bardwell's Ferry, Massachusetts, was established on September 1, 1900. Mr. Davis N. Jones was appointed carrier at that time and served until his resignation in 1910. Ozro Carpenter was given a temporary appointment as carrier January 1, 1911, and this was converted to a regular carrier February 1, 1911. He resigned September 30, 1911, and Winfred A. Gould was appointed a rural carrier October 1, 1911. Mr. Gould operated the route until his retirement September 30, 1949.
The route was transferred from Bardwell's Ferry October 16, 1921, and became Route #2 at the Shelburne Falls P. O., still under Mr. Gould. Tem- porary carrier James F. Williams operated the route from October 1, 1949, to April 29, 1950, at which time it was taken over by temporary rural carrier David W. Baker. Rural carrier Robert J. Walters took over the route November 13, 1950, and is pres- ently serving its patrons.
On May 1, 1955, Routes #1 and #2 were con- solidated into one route. Route #2 was originally 27.6 miles in length; when consolidated with Route #1 it was 64 miles, and at the present time it is 66.60 miles long.
(Mr. Winfred A. Gould was a much-appreciated carrier. He was given a big party on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his appointment and another larger one on his retirement after thirty-eight years of service.)
The town's only post office in 1958 is in Shelburne Falls. The personnel is as follows: Postmaster, Har- per T. Gerry; Assistant Postmaster, Lucius J. Lee ; Clerks, Parker Gerry, Wayne Truesdell, Emory Broadhurst; Carriers, Earle Richmond, Charles R. Walden; Substitute Carriers, John E. Phillips, Car- roll O'Neil; Rural Carrier, Robert J. Walters; Sub- stitute Rural Carrier, Wilfred N. Smith; Star Route Carriers, Douglas Graves to Ashfield, Anthony Cor- mier to Heath, Walter Lively to Colrain.
In its January 24, 1957. issue the Greenfield Recorder-Gazette carried this item: "Shelburne Falls - Four employees at the local post office have a service record totaling 142 years. They are Assistant Postmaster Lucius J. Lee, 40 years; C. Raymond Walden, (Carrier on the Buckland side of the river) 38 years; Clerk Emory C. Broadhurst, 35 years; (and Carrier on the Shelburne side) Earl Richmond, 29 years.'
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STAGE DRIVERS
Ix 1796 a line of stages had been established be- tween Hartford, Conn. and Hanover, N. H., and between Troy, N. Y. and Boston, Mass., crossing Hoosac Mountain. Both lines passed through Cheap- side and must have used the Old Albany and Old Charlemont Roads.
The Gazette and Mercury of October 2, 1838 tells of a stagecoach accident in which several passengers were injured, none seriously.
One of our contributors says that she remembers her grandfather telling of coming to this country. They came up the Connecticut River by boat to Cheapside, thence to Shelburne Falls by stagecoach.
"Horatio Benton, a farmer from Buckland, did the freighting between Shelburne Falls and Boston with a six-horse team, making about two trips a month." - Buckland History.
Seth Keyes was the last to drive stage between Greenfield and Shelburne Falls. We find no men- tion of earlier drivers and the route was given up in 1867 when the railroad came through to the Falls. Stage drivers who carried mail and passengers to Ashfield were: William Demming, Ned and Chet Guilford, Frank Pike, William Goodrich, Fred John- son, Ray Stockwell, and Addison Graves. From Shelburne Falls to Jacksonville were: John Wilde, Asa Sanderson, William Hancock and J. N. (Judge) Brownell. From Shelburne to Heath: Andrew Royer and Henry Churchill. From Shelburne to Colrain: Charles Galvin.
"Honey" Briggs drove a hack from the railroad station on the Buckland side of the village, carrying mail to the post office and passengers to any part of the village.
OPA NOTHING NEW
Document found by Town Clerk W. P. Rickett, signed by David Wells and Chairman of the Town's Safety Committee :
"Shelburne, Feb. 28, 1777, to the inhabitants of the town of Shelburne, gentlemen, at a meeting of the committee of safety and selectmen and agreeable to the orders and directions of the court, we have stated the price of provisions and labour and many other necessary articles of life according to the best of our judgments."
West India rum by the gallon is quoted at nine shillings "and so in proportion for smaller quantities." New England rum was to be sold at six shillings a gallon.
Common dinner at innholders, nine pence.
Men's good yarn stockings, eight shillings per pair.
Good merchantable shoes, men's wear, eight shil- lings per pair.
Good butter, eight pence per pound.
Horse keeping a night on good English hay, 10 pence and in the summer in good pasture, six pence per night.
Good merchantable white pine boards at the mill, quality middling, one pound, 10 shillings per thousand, and other boards in proportion as they are better or worse.
Good merchantable wheat, six shillings per bushel.
Labor in haying and harvest time if they are found their victuals and drink, three shillings per day.
The document bears a notation by Charles M. Taintor dated March 6, 1850, stating that it was written by Deacon Aaron Skinner.
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IV. We Organize Our Facilities
WATER SUPPLY AND FIRE PROTECTION
The first running water for the pioneers was a twelve-year-old boy running to the spring with a pail. Progressive homes dug wells and had a well sweep or bucket on a windlass. Then came the pitcher- lipped hand pump that had to be primed. The spring that feeds Patch's Pond and reappears in the Ravine on its way to the Deerfield River was just across the road from the "first house" at "The Falls," now corner of Maple and Bridge Streets, and supplied it with water.
In the 1890's they were filling up, with coal ashes, the abandoned wells on Main Street. Many such wells dried up after the sewer was run down Mechanic Street.
Roy Goldthwaite of Little Mohawk Road, who has quite a reputation as a "Dowser" or "Water- witch," being able to locate underground water veins with a forked stick, was in great demand in 1957, the driest season on record in the town.
All of Shelburne is hilly, and many in rural Shel- burne still have running water in their homes from wells or springs on the nearby hillside. Galen Johnson of East Buckland in 1957 still had the augers with which, in the old days, pipes were made of logs. But in later years the Shelburne Falls homes had running water brought down mostly in lead pipes from East Mountain. The Covell Aqueduct Co. was the largest and eventually had 100 customers. It brought water to the homes on the lower streets that were too remote from the mountain to have their own private water supplies. The water was brought originally from East Mountain and finally through a genuine wrought- iron pipe from the Manning springs, beyond the Dugway and Steel's Flats. The water was metered by screwing a metal cap into the discharge from the lead pipes. In the cap was a hole as small as the dian- eter of a needle or pin, and through this fine hole spurted the water, day and night, into a wooden barrel, with an overflow into the sink. This cap was both a water meter and a protection to the water company so that no one of its many customers "hogged" the water. By flowing continuously, pipes were less likely to freeze in winter.
Such was the condition at the turn of the century. These aqueducts couldn't supply fire hydrants nor the growing need for more water, as the flush-toilet came into use.
For fire protection small reservoirs were built on brooks, as is being done now in rural areas. Here the hand "pumper-down" or "breaker-down" could draw and deliver a stream to a fire not too far away. The hose was made of leather with copper rivets.
At certain places lanes were built down the steep banks of the Deerfield to level places to which a fire pump could be hauled.
At the Cutlery, Lamson and Goodnow permitted a fire pump to be driven by one of the water wheels that ran the shop. From this pump, water mains were laid to fire hydrants on both sides of the river. These had water only when the Cutlery pump was run during a fire, and the main across the steel bridge had to be drained in winter to keep it from freezing.
EARLY FIRE COMPANY RECORDS
The earliest record book starts with January 17, 1845, when the Shelburne Falls Engine Company had 58 members. It was a serious business, as a century later in 1951 there were 56 names. In 1952 there were 34 names and in 1957 but 22 names. A system of fines was enforced for non-attendance or "for fail- ure to provide a competent substitute." Fines in 1949 were "25 or 50 cents for unsatisfactory per- formance or neglect of duties."
The first record of a fire was on March 7, 1845, as follows: "Actual Fire - The Company was called out by an Alarm of Fire at 1 o'clock A.M. and found the Scythe Shop of Messrs I. H. Morse & Sons to be on Fire, which was extinguished but sustained some damage." This is thought to have been on Main Street about opposite Grove Street.
Two days later another one was reported as follows: "Actual Fire - The Company was called out by an Alarm of Fire Sunday March 9 at 2 o'clock P.M. from the center of the Town Of Shelburne. The Company repaired immediately to the place and found the Congregational Meeting house entirely consumed." It is believed that firemen on foot hauled the engine four miles to the fire and four miles back.
"May 3, 1845 voted to Pay Samuel Streeter One Dollar & twenty five cents out of the funds of the Company for Drawing the engine with Horses."
Accounts of four meetings in 1846 and 1847 ended with the cryptic notation, "Took the Oysters."
January and February 1851: "Voted to look into purchase of uniforms and chairs and to buy pants with red stripes, red flannel shirts, patent leather belts, 'Top Knot hats'." May 3, 1851: "Voted that we will not take out the Engine again until it is put in complete repair and the room seated for our accom- modation." July 22, 1850: "tried out the engine but no good." October 28, 1850: report after J. B. Bardwell's barn fire: "The Machine worked beauti- fully." Later Bardwell sent a note of thanks and said he would contribute $10 toward a supper; Elijah
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Richmond added $5. and the "Eaters" (36 in uni- form) paid the balance.
It took from 1854 to 1857 to pass a vote to raise $1500. (Did they then get the pants, shirts, belts and hats sought in 1851?) In 1864 the Prudential Committee repeated the purchase of two engines "in- cluding hose cart," digging of wells and water works, payment of bills, and appropriated $2000 for a firehouse on the Buckland side and for one on the Shelburne side.
In 1865 they reported five wells sufficing for dry weather and three in fair condition. In 1869 they voted to move the "Niagara" engine to the lock-up building being erected farther east on Bridge Street. The other pumper was called the "Annawonsett." June 26, 1871, E. C. Richmond proposed a control whereby he would "introduce" water into the district for extinguishing fires, but there is no record of any action being taken. On August 18, 1876, it was voted $1000 to put in a force pump at the sawmill. install pipes, hydrants, etc. Feb. 6, 1877 there was agitation to lay pipes across the bridge at a cost of $3000, but action was postponed.
The following quotation is from the annual report of the engineers of the Shelburne Falls Fire Depart- ment submitted April 9, 1877. It typifies the sorrows and joys of the department and includes a bit of con- temporary humor. "We have one Engine Co. (Niag- ara #3) of good men and ready to do their duty at all times . . . Our Hook & Ladder Co. is in prime order and are a smart and active set of young men and always on hand.
"We have had 3 Fires the past year. One very large one burning several buildings, the Engines worked well also the Hook & Ladder Co., but the citizens would not and could not be made to work as they ought to at such times. Many a man owning property stood and looked on without helping. Many persons cut hose and did other damage. Our 2nd fire was at the Cong. church, which did but little damage, for every man worked like men and were blessed with pure Baptist water which saved the Cong. church. [Hose was laid across Main Street, past the Baptist Church, and down to the river for a water supply. Ed.]
"Our 3rd was the Carriage Shop of James O'Con- nell, which we think was saved by the Fire Pump and the determination of every man to stop it where it was. The Engine got to work and did good service, also the Hook & Ladder Co. Had men worked at the first fire as they did at the two last, we think that 2 buildings might have been saved."
Ten years after these fires, the fire department had three hand pumpers and its first and only steam pumper. The steam fire engine was horse-drawn. In going to a fire in Colrain, horses drew the engine to Steel's Flats and changed horses to finish the run to Colrain. A hand pumper, when manned by 20, could throw one fire stream, but they couldn't pump at that rate very long.
EARLY FINANCES
In an attempt to pay the debts, it was voted in 1878 to organize to serve without pay during depressed business conditions, and pay resumed in 1883.
Financing early fire departments came hard. Old members scrutinized new applications and required all members to sign the by-laws. Able firemen were extremely necessary, and the money for the depart- ment was raised by social events, entertainments and private donations. A group of glass blowers put on an early performance, and a model fire engine blown from glass by them then, was still carefully preserved in 1957 in a cabinet in the fire station. Oyster stews and beer parties helped keep the membership loyal and ready, for there were long periods when they drilled but were not called out to fight fire.
It was common to have a keg of beer for the monthly firemen's meeting. One fire that broke out after such a meeting pretty much had its own way!
As of 1957 the department consists of a chief and 22 members. The members receive a retainer of $50 per year, $17 for attending 17 meetings per year. $1.50 per hour for fire and labor.
The 1906 Fire: This wrecked three houses and their barns. On May 1, 1906 I was a student apprentice at the electric works at Pittsfield. Mass., and received a phone call from my father. He asked how I was and I reciprocated. He said it was his fiftieth birthday and I asked what he was doing to celebrate. He said, "We burnt down the old house." For some reason they couldn't get any water in the hydrants, although the Cutlery pump was pumping into the mains at full output. Then the steam fire engine tipped over en route. Finally an old hand pumper delivered water from the Mechanic Street Brook and stopped the conflagration. Later it was discovered that the waste valve by which water was drained from the water main under the steel bridge had been left open for the winter and had not been closed when warm weather came. For days the vil- lage stank from patent medicine spilled in a Mechanic Street building that caught fire.
GRAVITY SYSTEM
Four years later a gravity water supply and hydrant system was voted. The Avery Brook in East Charle- mont was considered too remote. The Hog Hollow Brook was not large enough. The Fox Brook in Colrain was dammed and a water main laid to the village of Shelburne Falls. Because it crossed the North River on the new steel trolley bridge, a water connection was granted to the new railway power house at Frankton. Others on that road, but not in the Fire District, also wanted water but were refused. Said one indignantly, "That is theft - worse than theft - that is polygamy." He liked big words. Later, demand for more water than the Fox Brook could furnish during dry weather made necessary an auxil- iary pump and well near the North River.
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BEFORE THE BRIDGE OF FLOWERS
When the street railway was discontinued and its right of way sold, the Shelburne Falls Fire District bought the railway's concrete bridge across the Deer- field at Shelburne Falls. In its roadway was buried the Buckland-to-Shelburne water main, which until then was hung beneath the steel bridge and subject to freezing. Then the Woman's Club beautified the five-arch concrete bridge and it became the greatly admired Bridge of Flowers - of which there is more elsewhere in this book.
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM
For many years the Cutlery bell has rung as an alarm as well as ringing employees to work in the morning, and sounding noon and the curfew at 9 p. m. When a fire station and enginehouse was secured at the west end of the bridge, a fire-alarm bell was mounted on it. The present electric alarm system with siren was started with six boxes about 1921. By 1957 there were 51 fire-alarm boxes and, we are told, the most boxes per capita in the United States. The boxes are inexpensive.
FIRE STATION
Now in 1958 there is a real fire station, where is housed the following equipment : 750-gallon-per-minute auto truck pumper with 375-gallon tank and high- pressure fog nozzle. (Fog requires a minimum of water and does a minimum of water damage) ; 500- gallon pumper and 110-gallon tank; one mile of 21/2- inch hose; and Civil Defense headquarters, as the President or the Governor can commandeer the fire department. There are two-way radios at the station, on three autos and on two trucks and a First Aid Room in nearby Buckland Town Hall.
TRI-STATE MUTUAL AID ASSOCIATION
This is an important pool of all the fire departments in 44 neighboring towns in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It gives us access to $50,000 worth of fire apparatus in other towns. There is two- way radio communication from our fire station, our three autos, and our two trucks with 44 other fire departments through Greenfield. Thus, our firemen fighting a fire or driving on the highways can talk to and receive messages from our fire station and from those of the pool. If both of our fire engines are fighting a fire, one from an adjacent town will come to our fire station and stand by ready to answer an- other call of fire. In this all fire departments recipro- cate. Central control is at the Greenfield fire station.
FIRES:
Oct. 10, 1862 Roy manufacturing building, 45x208 feet - three stories
Mar. 5, 1864 Big fire on Shelburne side stopped at the Tannery
1874 No fire reported this year
July 22, 1876 I.O.O.F. Newell Block, Montague House, Woodward place, Method- ist Church --- loss $100,000
May 1, 1906- Call, Perry, Sears homes and barns - loss $15,000 Feb. 18, 1920 Buckland School - loss $40,000
Jan. 31, 1922
Lamson & Goodnow - loss $17,716.99
1924
Silk mill, Jackknife shop, Knitting mill, Reamer shop
1928
Congregational Church
1928 Shelburne Town Hall
1938 Flood took out all fire alarm equip- ment in fire station
1947
Mayhew factory
1948
Mayhew factory
1948
Arms Academy fire
1953 Shaw Greenhouse
1954 Laundry fire - kept from spreading - loss $30,000
1956 Loss about three cents per capita ------ $772.28
HIGHLIGHTS OF FIRE DEPARTMENT HISTORY
1855 Fire district incorporated by the Leg- islature included the Shelburne School District #9 and the Buck- land School District #3. Two hose companies.
Nov. 9, 1863 The two companies were reorganized,
each with its engine and 100 men.
1866 Voted $1000 for needs and $3000 to pay indebtedness
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