USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > History of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Volume II pt 1 > Part 25
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A petition was signed by Gamaliel B. Whiting and thirty eight others. in 1811, setting forth that "Contrary to the broad and liberal provisions of the Constitution, we are made subservient to other denomi- nations of Christians ; in many instances we are taxed for the mainte- nance of teachers of other religions sects with whom we do not consci- entiously worship, etc. Therefore, as we hold our religious tenets dear to us, and our mode of worship most agreeable to our own conscience .. we pray your honorable body that we may be incorporated into a re ligious society by the name of the Methodist Episcopal Society of Lenox."
Unfortunately the early records of the society have not been pre- served. The present church edifice was dedicated in November, 1834. It was moved to its present site in 1851.
In the long list of pastors of this church have been many men of ability. Among them may be mentioned William MeRendree Bangs. 1840, 1841, 1843, and 1844 : A. C. Foss. 1852-4: and John E. Cookman. 1861-3. The present pastor is James M. Yager.
St. Ann's (Roman Catholic) Church was established in Lenox by Rev. Patrick Cuddihy, as a mission from Pittsfield, in 1852. He was joined. in the next year, by the Rev. C. H. Purcell, of Pittsfield. For years the church was small but of vigorous growth. and the services were con ducted in the town hall. In 1857 Mr. Cuddihy removed to New Milford. and Rev. Peter Egan, of Lee, succeeded to the care of the mission. Mr. Egan was followed by Rev. G. H. Brennan, of the Lee church. "Father Brennan," as all the people loved to call him, ministered faithfully to his parish for twenty years. In 1873, under his instruction, and with the earnest aid of Miss Grace Sedgwick and the hearty cooperation of Lenox people of all denominations. the present church was built. The grounds on which it stands were then low and swampy, but were filled. with great labor, and by constant care have been converted into a smooth, well graded lawn. In 1884 Father Brennan resigned his pas. torate and returned to his home in Ireland, and Rev. T. M. Smith is his successor. The church has been greatly enlarged and improved this year, but it is still hardly large enough to contain the congrega. tion, which in the summer includes many of the most wealthy and cultured families that visit us. The growth of the church has been phenomenal. Beginning in 1852 with only fifty members, the attend- ance has steadily increased until now the average congregation is over four hundred.
In an eloquent centennial address, delivered in Lenox, on the 4th of July, 1876, Hon. Julins Rockwell showel that the ently events of every Massachusetts town must be considered in connection with the do ings of the county conventions, the transactions of the Provincial Con
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gresses, and the acts of the Continental Congress, by which the Declara- tion of Independence was finally made. The origin of local resolutions may often be traced to these conventions. Reading the records thus we cannot but feel how close was the union of spirit between the people. If the Continental Congress was the brain of the country, the Provincia Congresses were scattered nerve knots which responded to the central will and sent it in tingling messages along the lines of correspondence to each remotest portion of the body politic. or felt a sympathetic pant when a blow fell upon any most distant member, and instantly reported to the head, the general efront. County Congresses were held in nearly all the counties of Massachusetts in 1774. " They prepared the way for that remarkable change of base which converted the great and general court called by Governor Gage into a Provincial Congress, under the ban of the Governor."
At the Berkshire Congress held at Stockbridge, July 6th, 1774, the delegates from Lenox were : Caleb Hyde, Edward Gray, Lemuel Collins. John Paterson, William Walker. The solemn league and covenant there adopted was signed by one hundred and ten citizens of Lenox. It was placed upon the town records in 1828. The articles of this covenant comprised the great principles of the Revolution, and they became as familiar as household words to the men and women of that generation,
December 26th, 1774, the town voted to defray the expenses of Cap. tain Charles Dibble and Mr. Edward Gray, who had hastened under armis to the coast on a false alarm of war, and Colonel John Paterson. Captain Caleb Hyde, and Elias Willard were chosen a committee to provide a town stock of ammunition. to consist of 100 pounds of powder, 400 pounds of lead, and 600 flints. January 30th, 1775. Colonel Paterson was elected delegate to the second Provincial Congress, in which, as well as in the first. he served on several committees. March 21st it was voted to "abide by the Doings of the late Provincial Congress :" April 14th it was decided to procure " 40 muskets with bayonets and cartouch boxes." The next day the second Provincial Congress, of which Colonel Paterson was a member, was adjourned : but, two days later, on the 17th of April. the committee from Charlestown, which had been authorized to recall the members if necessary, sent express messengers to summon the delegates to return at once, on the ground that General Gage had received rein. forcements, and was manifestly preparing the British troops for a speedy march into the country. Warning the soldiers who were enlisting under him that he might soon need them in earnest. Colonel Paterson returned to his seat in the Congress. On the 19th came the battle of Lexington. and the news of it brought swift confirmation of Colonel Paterson's fore. bodings. Lenox responded promptly to the summons ; and by the time that Colonel Paterson was relieved from his civil duties by the dissolu. tion of the second Provincial Congress, on May 20th, Caleb Hyde had been elected, in his stead, to represent the town at the third Congress. Colonel Paterson found his soldiers ready for action, and immediately
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took the field, with a regiment, of which five companies, at the least. were from Berkshire county. One of them was commanded by Captain Dibble, of Lenox. The first fort thrown up for the siege of Boston. Fort No. 3, was erected by this regiment, and by it manned and defended. by express command of General Ward, to prevent an attack in the rear of the troops engaged in the battle of Bunker Hill.
"After the evacuation of Boston, March, 1776, the regiment was ordered to New York, and thence to Canada, to take part in the attack upon Quebec. Bat. be- fore its arrival, disaster had fallen upon our troops in Canada, and it retreated by way of Ticonderoga, and fortified Mt. Independence. Its two hundred survivors joined the army of General Washington, at Newtown, Pa., crossed the Delaware with him, took part in the battles of Trenton and Princeton, spent the winter at Morris. town, and were concerned in the capture of Burgoyne at Saratoga. General Pater- son, after the war, remained in Lenox until about 1790. It may fairly be claimed that he was among the very foremost of the Revolutionary patriots and soldiers of Berkshire."
Nor did Lenox grow cold in her zeal during the absence of her soldiers. On the 3d of June, 1776. the following instructions were voted to the representatives of the town, Caleb Hyde and Charles Dibble :
"These are to direct you to use your best endeavor to suppress all the tyrannical measures that have or may take place from Great Britain, and likewise to take as much care that you do not set up anything of a despotic power among ourselves, but let us have freedom at home, altho' we have war abroad. We do further direct you to use your utmost abilities and interest with our Assembly, and they theirs with the Continental Congress that if they think it safe for the Colonies, they declare- independent of the kingdom of Great Britain. And in your so doing, we do declare in the above mentioned thing, We'll stand by you with our lives and fortunes.
" ELIAS WILLARD, " JAMES GUTHRIE, " JAMES RICHARD, JR., Com "
On August 16th of the same year the warrants for a town meeting were first issued " in the name of the People."
January 27th, 1778. The articles of confederation and perpetual union, with the resolves of Congress, were read in town meeting. " Voted unanimously that they are agreeable." And now the spirit of war was fully aroused. None were allowed to enter the town "to reside here, unless recommended by the committee of correspondence that they are friendly persons to the United States of America." Harsh measures were taken with the few persons of tory proclivities that remained in town. Families were banished and their property confiscated. or they were con. stantly watched by suspicious eyes, and compelled to remain close at home. There is a small cave in one of the hills across the river, in which tradition has it, tories used to be concealed. One day, the story runs, Mr. Gideon Smith left his house by a rear door and cautiously proceeded a few rods in the direction of this snug retreat. Suddenly he hesitated, stopped. and finally retracing his footsteps, entered his house
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again. The next day one Linns Parker, a noted shot with a musket and a patriotic scout, met Mr. Smith, and says he, "Gideon, I obsarved you yesterday." "Ah !"' says Mr. Smith, "you did?" " Yes, " says Linus, " I'bsarved you leave your house, cantions like; and pint toward the woods. Then I'bsarved you kind o' stop as if you was considerin', and then you went back into the house agin. Now, Gideon, why did you go back ?" "Linus," says he. "Linus, after I had gone a little space I 'bearved you, standing back o' your house, holdin' that long musket o' yours, and I was afeerd if I continued as I was going you would shoot me." "Gideon," says Linus, very solemnly, "Gideon, I certainly should have done it."
On another occasion real violence was used. The following story used to be told by Governor Briggs :
"There was, in Lenox, a notorious tory, who stubbornly resisted all moral suasion plied by his whig neighbors, to induce him to support the Continental cause. The Vigilance Committee of the town finally took his case into serious consideration, and agreed to arrest him and scare his toryism out of him. Accordingly, one day, on his appearance in the village on business, he was arrested and taken before the committee and told that he must either surrender his allegiance to King George or dangle at the end of a rope from the signpost. He told them to ' hang and be damned,' for he should continue a subject of his lawful king as long as he hal life to serve him. The alternative was immediately proceeded with, and having fastened a halter about his neck he was attended with due solemnity to the signpost, pulled up. and suffered to remain until nearly defunct. They then let him down, and suffering him to revive, asked him if he was willing to huzza for the Continental Congress. Though somewhat tamed, he still refused, and was suspended a second time, ontil his situation became decidedly uncomfortable and his executioners feared they had finished him. Being lowered again and plied with restoratives, he was brought to once more, and then informed that he must renounce his opposition or hing in carnest a third time. The experiment proved successful, and he agreed to swing his hat in favor of the colonial cause. He was then taken into the tavern and favored with a glass of toddy, when he remarked -'Gentleman, this is one way to make Whigs, but, thunder, it'll do it!'"
But although the stern patriotism of the fathers led them into occa- sional acts of cruelty during the heat of the struggle, and after the estab. lishment of peace they could not readily lay aside their feelings of res sentiment toward their foes : yet, in their tenderness toward those that had suffered for freedom in the war and in their care of families bereaved they manifested a spirit of true generosity and gratitude. Their suffer ings had been great. For years the safety of their homes was in jeopardy. their currency had depreciated in valne until, in 1780, it required 540 to buy a pair of soldiers' shoes, $1,245 in Continental currency was required to pay the town's debt : $4.800 was assessed to pay for horses purchased by the town for Continental service ; and 96. 100 was voted to pay the town's proportion of beef for the Continental army. The machinery of law had stopped, and the committee of correspond nes, in connection
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
with the selectmen and military officers of the town were empowered to decide disputes between man and man "until some legal anthority is established ;" and many of the best and bravest of the citizens had gone with General Paterson-never to return alive. Under the pressure of such circumstances deeds of violence were unknown, civil rights, in most cases, were secured, and the ordinary duties of life were faithfully per- formed. After independence had been secured and peace returned again the agitation caused by war quickly subsided ; all town debts were hon. estly paid ; the surviving soldiers returned contentedly to workshop and farm ; the town powder house was taken down, and the stones that had enclosed the materials of death were rebuilt into a tomb in our village cemetery, where they still guard the silent bodies of our peaceful dead.
Not even the agitation of the leaders of the Shays rebellion, which has been detailed under the general history of the county, could shake the loyalty of Lenox. Although other towns in Berkshire joined the insurgents, Lenox decided to support the authority of the law. A coun- ty convention was held at Lenox during the last week in August, 1726. This assembly, however, was composed of members as well from the towns where the friends of the government prevailed, as from the disaf- fected ; and although the general rage for reformation was conspicnous. a different spirit was shown from that exhibited at the other conven- tions, a decent and respectful regard was manifested toward the admin- istration of the government. In the most solemn manner the members pledged themselves to use their influence to support the courts of jus- tice, and to endeavor to quiet the agitated spirits of the people.+
Not with votes only did Lenox aid in crushing this rebellion. Gen eral Paterson rendered effective service by dispersing a number of the insurgents that had collected in the town of Adams : aud a company of Lenox men under Captain William Walker took part in the decisive en- gagement near Egremont, which ended in the rout of the rebels and the capture of a large number of prisoners. The Great Barrington jail was not large enough to hold them, and they were taken to Lenox, " un. der an escort of a line of sleighs a mile in length, and with such demon. strations of mock pomp and grotesque hilarity as the occasion was calculated to inspire."
At the close of the oration already mentioned. Judge Rockwell said. in referring to the Rebellion of 1861. .. Lenox furnished one hundred and sixty men for the war. Seven of the one hundred and sixty were com. missioned officers. The amount of money expended by the town on ac. count of the war was 814.612. The ladies of Luos organized a Soldiers' Aid Society in 1861. and were constantly forwarding boxes of clothing and other articles until the close of the war. Of the victims of the civil war, some sleep in this cemetery, two others in that on the east bank of the Housatonic River, but most are far away. Other ap. life sufferers
*Minot's Hist. of Shays Rebellion. p. H.i.
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from the effects of wounds received in the war." In a following memo. rial address, Hon. Joseph Tucker said, " No nobler soldier ever fell for freedom than William Dwight Sedgwick, of Lenox. He came from Mis- souri in 1861. because he wished to fight in a Massachusetts regiment. He was killed in September, 1862, at Antietam. We came from a Pitts- field camp to bury him, bore him to Stockbridge on a beautiful autumn afternoon, and as we parted from him at the grave, the sun was just sinking behind the western hills, and the full harvest moon was rising in the east. Beautiful symbol of a glorious death, and strong assurance of a glorious resurrection."
CHAPTER XI.
TOWN OF LENOX (concluded).
Industries .- Educational and Literary .- Newspapers .- Conventions .- The Library. - Present Condition .- List of Legal Voters in 1-03 .- Gen. John Paterson. - John Mop. I .- Azanah Egleston .- Gen. Caleb Hyde. - John Hotchkin .- The Sabin Family .- Hore Julius Rockwell.
F ARMING has always been the principal occupation of Lenox men. Mr. Caleb Hyde was one of the petitioners in 1811 for the incorpora tion of "The Berkshire Agricultural Society." and from that day to this a generous proportion of the society's premiums has come to Lenox, attest Mr. Luther Butler and Mr. William O. Curtis. The first " Far- mers' Club" in the county, a forerunner of the modern "Grange," was organized by Lenox and Stockbridge men in 1846.
Marble has been worked in Lenox since 1800, the same year in which the post office was established. The first mill for sawing marble was built by Mr. Nathan Barrett, and he and his sons have continued the business to the present time. In connection usually with the marble quarries a large amount of lime has been produced here. In 1853. J. L. Barrett. Esq., received for lime sold $3,000, or about one twelfth of the total re- ceipts for lime in the county.
At Lenox Furnace, a village in the southern part of Lenox, is the abandoned furnace of the Lenox Iron Company. This company, incor- porated in 1848, with a capital of $100,000, continued the reduction of its ores for many years, but the business ultimately proved unprofitable. An older company had made iron there as long ago as the Revolutionary war. Within a few rods of the iron works are the Lenox Glass Works. now under the successful management of William G. Harding, of Pitts: field.
The same year that the Berkshire Glass Company began operations the Lenox Iron Company erected glass works near their iron funne in Lenox. The iron company was composed of Oliver Peck, William A. Phelps, and James Collins. The glass works were constructed under the superintendence of these men and Hitam Potter. Mr. Petter left soon afterward to manage the Briggs Iron Works in Lanesboro, and was she
ยท
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ceeded by his brother, Seneca Pettee. The glass works were soon after- ward burned and immediately rebuilt. After running two years and in- curring a heavy loss to the iron company they were closed. In the fall of 1855 they were leased to James N. Richmond, of Cheshire, who lind been experimenting for the Massachusetts Glass Company, at Cheshire, in the manufacture of rough or rolled plate. Mr. Richmond contracted to purchase the works and organized a stock company. The casting table and fixtures of the Cheshire Company were removed to Lenox. This business was entirely experimental, nothing of the kind having ever be fore been attempted in this country, and they failed in the next year. 1856. The works returned to the iron company and were idle till 188. when the iron company resumed the manufacture of rough plate, and were very successful until 1862, when the works were again destroyed by fire, involving a heavy loss, and with no insurance. They were immedi- ately rebuilt and ran successfully till 1865, when the Lenox Plate Glass Company was organized and succeeded to the property and business. This company continued till December 30th, 1869, when a new company. the Lenox Glass Company, was formed. The new organization was a very large concern, with a large capital, and under it were consolidated the Lenox Plate and Lenox Crystal Companies, also a eryolite company from Philadelphia, formerly known as the " Hot Cas: Porcelain Company " The new company attempted the polishing of plate and erected a fine building for the purpose. The company failed in 1872, and the property was sold and divided. The polishing works were bought by the Smith Paper Company, of Lee, and by them converted into a paper mill. The cylinder or crystal works went into the hands of the Schanek estate of New York, and the plate works to Mr. Theodore Roosevelt, of New York. Since the failure of 1872 the rough plate works have been run at intervals under a lease by Servin & Averill and by Mr. Servin alone, and are now run under a lease by Page, Harding & Co.
The sand used by these various works was principally obtained from the Washington Mountain bed, situated near Lake Ashley, and it was from this bed that the Cheshire works obtained their Sand in 1814. With the exception of the period included during the Civil war, the years be tween 1812 and 1820 seem to have been the most active in glass riaking. especially in Berkshire county, where five different works were estab- lished. From 1815 to 1845 glass works were in operation most of The time in Keene, N. H., and the sand for these works was for many years carted from the Lane bed in Cheshire.
In 1855 Peck. Phelps & Co. owned a saw mill, and manufactured sie- nally 400,000 feet of iumber; also a flour mill, at which they ground each year 10,000 bushels of grain. Jared Miller's flour mill ground 4.000 bushels. There were also saw mills owned by Messis. Johnson. Deary & Washburn, Miller, and Post. As Lenox has grown to be more and more a place of fashionable report, and especially since the removal of the courts, most of her industries have languished. Iton is no longer deg
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
from the ground, the manufacture of lumber has greatly fallen off. the marble interest has become insignificant, and one by one the farmers are selling their old homesteads at what would once have seemed to them fabulous, if not ungodly prices, and moving away to pastures new. In summer gay exotic life blooms throughout the valley, and in winter scores of darkened houses make a dreary contrast to the happy village life of long ago. One who has been familiar with the sweet and sturdy New England past of Lenox may read his Goldsmith with said forebod. ings lest his town, too. become one day a " Deserted village."
Since the first appropriation " to hire schooling." Lenox has main- tained free public schools. John Collins, a Lenox boy, was one of the four graduates in the first class of Williams College, in 1705. Lenox Academy was incorporated, and the present building erected in 1803. The first teacher was Mr. Levi Glezen, who conducted the school with great success until April, 1823, when he removed to Kinderhook, N. Y. Mr. Glezen was born at Stockbridge, December 15th, 1775. He was graduated at Williams College in 1798, ranking among the best scholars of his class. As an instructor he was judicious and thorough, though somewhat eccentric. He was a fine linguist. He was a trustee of his college for thirteen years. He died at Shefield, Mass .. October 21st. 1843. Mr. Glezen was succeeded by Mr. John Hotchkiss, then a theo- logical student at Andover. Mr. Hotchkiss was distinguished by talents for instruction and government. He was a man of unwearied energy. was ardently attached to the interests of the town, and did many things to promote its progress in culture, prominent among which was the es. tablishment of the public library, as will soon be related. Under his care the school had a long season of prosperity, having, at times, more than a hundred pupils of both sexes. Many of them were from distant States. In those days the "Exhibitions " of Lenox Academy were scarcely sec. ond in interest to the commencement exercises of Williams College. The town was filled with visitors. The old church was decorated for the oc- casion, bands of music inspired the hours, public collations were some. times served at midday by the good ladies of Lenox, and the exercises, consisting of declamations. original essays, " disputations," dialogues, and dramatic representations, interspersed with music, lasted, with two ses. sions, during the entire day.
In August. 1834, the exhibition consisted of 48 separate parts, be. sides the concluding comedy in three seenes. Nor were these mere borish effusions. The subjects were mainly serions, and such as required care. ful thought. The subject of disputation, for example, in 1834, was "Are the principles of colonization more worthy of the co operation of the American people than those of Abolition ?"' Mr. Hotchkiss resigned his position in 1847, and was followed by Mr. Josiah Lyman, 1847-49 ; Mr. Timothy A. Hazen, 1849-51; Mr. Matthew H. Buckham, now president of the University of Vermont, 1851-53; Mr. Judson Aspinwall and Mr. Snowden, 1854-55 : Mr. Henry Sabin. 1856 ; Mr. Bullard, 1855-61. From
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1866 to 1879 the work of the academy was suspended, but the building was occupied for most of the time by the town high school and two schools of lower grade. In 1879, at the instance of How. Julius Rockwell, who has always taken the most active interest in the town, steps were taken to restore the academy to its former position of active usefulness. Under the care of Mr. F. W. Rackeman about $3,000 were raised by subscrip- tions, the academy building was moved a little to the south of its original position, and thoroughly repaired and refurnished. The schools of the town were removed, and the academy was reopened September 15th. 1880. under the charge of its present principal. Mr. Hanlan IL. Ballard. In 1882, a commodions house was secured for the principal, and the academy became practically a family school for boys. In 1975 a school scientific society was organized in connection with the Lenox high school, for the study of natural history. This has been continued in the academy, and has gradually increased by the addition of corresponding branches in other places, until now (1885) under the name " Agassiz Association," it comprises about 700 local chapters. Many men of distinction have been prepared for college, wholly or in part, at the Lenox Academy. Among them are Dr. Mark Hopkins. Hon. Sammel R. Betts, Hon. William P. Walker, Hon. Julius Rockwell. Hon. Alexander Hyde, Mr. Charles Sedg. wick, Dr. Oliver E. Brewster, of the Fortieth Massachusetts Volanteers : Hon. Henry W. Bishop, of Lenox, and his son Hon. Henry W. Bishop, of Chicago ; Hon. Marshall Wilcox. Rev. A. G. Orton, D. D., Rev. A. M. Cowan. Henry G. Shaw (Josh Billings), Rev. S. C. Wilcox. Rev. Henry M. Field, Rev. Calvin Durfee, D. D., George J. Tucker, Esq., and his son, Hon. Joseph Tucker: Dr. E. C. Bidwell. Professor Charles JJoy, and An son Jones, once president of Texas.
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