USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > History of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Volume II pt 1 > Part 40
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The establishment of newspapers in Pittsfield exercised a potent in fluence on its prosperity. The first paper established was the American Centinel. This was published by E. Russell, and the first number ap. peared December 1st, 1787. At that time there were but two other news. papers in Massachusetts west of Worcester. The Sentinel was ten by eighteen inches in size, and was probably not liberally patronized. for it had only a brief existence.
It was succeeded by the Berkshire Chronicle, the first number of which appeared May 8th, 1788. It was published " by Roger Storrs. near the meeting house," the first meeting house, which stood on East street, there being then no park. This paper was at first only twelve by eight inches in size, but the thirty-first number had the dimensions of eighteen by ten inches. It was skillfully conducted, and it appears to have enjoyed a liberal advertising patronage.
At that time the circulation of journals was attended with difficul ties that it is not now easy to appreciate. There was but only post office in Western Massachusetts-that at Springfield-and from that mail matter was carried by post riders, or private mail carriers. who left letters and papers at the doors of their pations. This post rider also took papers from the printing office and distributed them to sub seribers. A scarcity of paper was another difficulty to be contended with Because of this scarcity Mr. Storrs was compelled to announce, in March, 1789, that he would for the present publish only half a sheet, but as soon as these obstacles were removed "would print a half sheet extrali- nary."
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
This paper was federal in politics, advocated temperance and good morals, and opposed gambling and other fashionable vices. How long it was published after June 17th, 1790, is not known.
After the Chronicle, a paper was published, tradition says, by a Mr. Spooner, who afterward removed to Windsor, Vermont.
Succeeding these papers came the Berkshire Gazette, which was first published by Nathaniel Holly, Orsemus C. Merrill, and Chester Smith. It was a respectable newspaper, of nineteen by twelve inches in size. The few numbers of it that are left give evidence of the increasing violence of party spirit at that time. Mr. Merrill withdrew from the firm in 1798. and Mr. Holly in March, 1799. in which year its publication ceased. These were the only journals published in Pittsfield prior to 1809. 1 post office was established in the town in 1794. and probably the existence of a paper hastened its establishment.
The Sun, established in October, 1800, continued to be published by Phinehas Allen, alone, until 1829, when he admitted hisson of the same name as partner in the publication and editorship. The senior partner died May 8th, 1868, but his son continued the paper until May, 1872. when he sold it to his kinsman, Theodore L. Allen. The new proprietor. after condueting it creditably from May to Angust of that year, sold it to William H. Phillips, of North Adams, who removed to Pittsfield, and made many improvements in the office. Mr. Phillips was succeeded by Horace J. Canfield, as owner, who continued to condnet the paper till March, 1852, when the present Sun Printing Company was formed, with John F. Allen, president and treasurer.
In May, 1827, the Argus, a handsome sheet twenty-one inches by sixteen in size, was commeneed by Henry K. Strong, who had been for some years principal of the grammar school, or Pittsfield Academy. Mr. Strong was succeeded, May Ist, 1828, by Samuel W. Bush, who conducted the paper until September 1st, 1831, when he removed it to Lenox and united it with the Berkshire Journal, then published by John Z. Good- rich.
In removing to Lenox the Argus dropped from its heading a neat view of the Pittsfield park, which had adorned it ; and the paper took the name of the Journal and Argus. Mr. Bush continued to edit it until September, 1838, when Mr. Goodrich became editor as well as proprietor. In the issue of August 27th, the name was changed, without any announce- ment or explanation, to that of the Massachusetts Eagle. In March, 1838, Messrs. Eastman & Montagne became publishers, with Henry W. Taft as editor. Charles Montague became sole proprietor in July. 1838 ; and on the retirement of Mr. Taft, in 1840, he assumed the editorial chair. In 1842, Mr. Montagne removed the paper to its old home at Pittsfield. where he continued its publication until November 20th, 1852. It was then purchased by Samuel Bowles & Co., of Springfield, who replenished the material of the office, and leased it to Otis F. R. Wait. Mr. Wait much improved the editorial management, and changed the name to the
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TOWN OF PITTSFIELD.
Berkshire County Eagle. But, at the end of one year, the establishment was sold to Henry Chickering, of North Adams, and Henry A. Marsh. of Pittsfield, who conducted it until July 20th, 1855, under the firm name of Chickering & Marsh. At that date Mr. Marsh was succeeded by James B. Davis, and the firm continued to be Chickering & Davis until January 1st, 1859, when Mr. Davis withdrew, Mr. Chickering conducting the paper in his own name until July Ist. 1865, when William D. Axtell, previously a successful printer in Pittsfield and Northampton. became associated with him in its ownership and management. Mr. Chickering died in March, Isst. In July of the same year William M. Pomeroy was taken in as a partner, and the firm name continued to be Axtell & Pomme- roy until March, 1883, when Mr. Pomeroy was succeeded by John B. Haskins.
The Berkshire County Whig was established in 1840. It was edited by Hon. Henry Hubbard, and his son, Douglas S. Hubbard ; the latter also being publisher. Independent in its political course, it supported the whig party, but not uniformly or without reserve. When the first native American party nominated Henry Shaw, of Lanesboro, for gov- ernor, it gave him its support, and in 1848 it entered earnestly into the free-soil movement. In 1849, its publisher joining in the new migration to California, the paper was discontinued.
In 1844 T. D. Bonner, a violent temperance reformer, established the Cutarad, as an organ of his peculiar views regarding that interest. Its office was at one time mobbed-the only instance of that kind in the his- tory of Berkshire. After two years it passed into the hands of Quigly, Kingsley & Axtell, who continued it eighteen months, and then soll the subscription list to an Albany publisher.
In 1847 William D. Axtell, afterward of the Eagle, published. for six months, an extremely sprightly and pleasant paper, entitled the Star.
In 1840 Thaddeus Clapp. 3d. published a small campaign sheet enti tled " Old Tip."
During the existence of the Berkshire Gymnasium the students of that institution published a small sheet of the same name, which num- bered among its editors Thomas Allen, Charles E. West, and other men afterward of note. It was entitled to a fair rank among papers of its class.
The Institute Omnibus was a small but sparkling sheet, published by the pupils of the Young Ladies' Institute for several years.
The Berkshire Agriculturest was commenced in left by Charles Montagne, the publisher of the Eagle, and E. P. Little, a bookseller. Rev. Dr. Todd was editor for the first eleven numbers, although his con- nection with it was not made public. Mr. Little left town at the end of that time, and the paper was continued by Mr. Montagne until 1848, when he sold it to Dr. Stephen Reed, who changed its made to the Cultupist und Giuzette. Dr. Reed continued to edit it until 1855, when its publication was
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
suspended. During the existence of the Culturist and Gazette under Dr. Reed's editorship the publishers were Reed, Hull & Pierson, and Reed & Pierson, Mr. Varnum Hull, a printer, and H. M. Pierson, Dr. Reed's partner in an agricultural warehouse, being associated with him.
In 1861 Professors William H. Thayer and R. Cresson Stiles pub- lished the Berkshire Medical Journal, a monthly magazine which coll- tained many able original articles and much valuable medical information.
The Evening Journal, the only daily paper published in Berkshire county, made its first appearance September 27th, 1550. It was conducted by the founder, Nathaniel C. Fowler, until August 1, 1831, when it was sold to the Journal Company and I. C. Smart, the present pastor of the South Church, became the editor. March 12th, 1983, the paper was pull- chased by Whitman & Mills. This firm conducted the paper until August 30th, 1883, when they sold out to B. C. Magie, jr. The present proprie for. Joseph E. See, purchased the business of Mr. Magie. December 22d. 1883
When the Berkshire Chronicle was established in 1788. not only was there no post office in the county, but the post riders were very irregular in their cirenits, their visits being sometimes at very long intervals. But in January, 1790, Mr. Storrs announced that " the printer of the Chron- icle, ever endeavoring to furnish his customers with the earliest intelli. gence, had engaged a post to ride weekly from his office in Pittsfield to Springfield on Mondays and return on Wednesdays, with the papers published in the different States of the Union : when matters of import- ance [brought] by them will be published by the Chronicle on Thursday, and immediately cirelated to the several towns by the different post- riders."
In 1792 a post office was established at Stockbridge, the first in the county. The Pittsfield office, the second in the county, was estab- lished in 1994. Col. Joshua Danforth was appointed postmaster by Pres ident Washington. He was removed in 1798 and John Stoddard was ap- pointed. In 1801 Colonel Danforth was restored and he held the position till his death in 1836. Hon. Jonathan Allen was postmaster from 1836 till his death in 1845. Phinehas Allen was appointed in 1845 and, with the ex- ception of two years, in which Henry G. Davis was postmaster, held the , office till 1861. In that year he was succeeded by Hon. Henry Chickering. who died in 1881, and was sneceeded by William F. Osborne. Thomas HI. Learned, appointed in January, 1883, is the present postmaster.
CHAPTER XX.
TOWN OF PITTSFIELD continued.
Agriculture and Manufacturing .- Fulling Mille-Iron Works. Tameris. First Wollen Manufacturing .- Arthur Scholfield. - The HunstonD. Milli-The Pit feld Factory .- The Pomerog Mills. - The Boston-ne Mill. - Backervink and Stearnsville. ~ The Knee Woolen Mill .- Peck's Factories-Taconic Mill, -Pittsfield med Bel Air Wooden Compar nies .- The Osceola Mill .-- Pittsfield Cotton Factory. Coma Tenery. Fleste Paper Mill .- Waconah Mills,-Shaker Mill .- Ogcola River Flearing Mill- K. Hogy Steam Power Company. - William Clark & Op. - May & Chapel .- Holding & Kellogg- Pittsfield Tack Company .-- Terry Clock Company. - Sprague Brummer Congany- Willey Robinson Company .- Berkshire Overal Company. - Berkshire Knitting Ville- W. C. Stevenson Manufacturing Company .- Henry Blain & Co - Carriage Factor- The Lumber Business .- Paper Boxes .- Gindich & White. - William H. Testing & Cie -- Hotels and Stores .- Fire Department and Water Works. - Bank and Insurang Com. panies.
A LTHOUGH commerce and manufactures were business elements of some importance in Pittsfield prior to the beginning of the nine. teenth century, agriculture was the chief employment of the people. Those engaged in other pursuits were usually also practical farmers. The clergyman, lawyer, physician, merchants, clothiers, tanners, iros mas. ters, etc., nearly all owned and cultivated farms
Of course the methods of farming then were rude compared with those of the present day, and the exhaustive practice of constant crop ping without the use of fertilizers prevale las lite as 1990, or even later: but as time went on the more intelligent of the farmers here began to recognize the importance of a more prudent system of cultivation, and to adopt better methods, even before the existence of any agricultural sos ciety here. On the other hand it is time that here, as elsewhere, many clung with obstinate stupidity to the old insane methods, and regarded every improvement as a useless innovation
The agricultural products of that period were somewhat different from those of the present time here, wheat and this having given place to other products. Of course the values of other agricultural products have changed since then, as will be seen by a comparison of the present prices with those of 1995, a list of which, taken from the assessors book for that year, is here given :
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
Middling (average ?) horse. . $30.00
Rye per bu. 50
Three-year-old horse 15.00
Corn per bu .40
Yearling horse 10.00
Peas and beans per bu .07
Middling oxen
40.00
Oats per bu
Middling cows 12.00
Hay per ton 5.00
Three-year-old cattle 12.00
Pork per lb
.08
Two year old cattle
7.50
Beef per lb .04
Yearling cattle
4.01)
Cheese per Il .08
Swine per lb
0.03
Butter per lb .12
Wheat per bu. 1.00
Flax per lb
Within less than seven years after the close of the French wars the first falling mill and the first iron forge were established in Pittsfield. 1 fulling mill was built by Aaron Barker, at the present Bakersville, in 170%. It was purchased by Valentine Rathbun, in 1770, and by Pan Munro. in 1800, and sold to Daniel Stearns in 1801. Jacob Ensign had a clothingy built in 1767 at White's mills, on Water street. Titus Parker one on the Cameron Brook, in the southeast corner of the town, and Deacon Matthew Barber one which he built in 1776, in connection with a saw mill, on the site of the present Wahconah flonring mills.
It is known that the iron works of Captain Charles Goodrich were built, previous to 1767, where Taconic village now is, on the same site where Lemuel Pomeroy afterward had his musket factory. Goodrich's forge passed through several hands, and was operated till about 1800 In its later years it was worked by Captain George Whitney, and his four sons. Joshua, Asa. Noah, and Porter, who did the greater part of the labor with their own hands. They manufactured iron, forged it into an chors, ploughshares, and other articles which found a market, not only at home, but in Hudson and elsewhere. They forged for their own wayonl. the first iron axletree made in Pittsfield. This was in use on a farm wagen as late as 1872, seventy years after it was made.
In 1806, James Mills, from Springfield, purchased the old Whitney forge, and established on the site a small gun shop. for the manufacture principally of fowling pieces and other custom work for the neighboring country. In ISOS. Lemuel Pomeroy purchased the place of the repre. sentatives of Mills, and extended the works to the manufacture of mis. kets, for which he had contracts with Massachusetts and other States. The extent of the production was about two thousand stand annually.
In 1816 Mr. Pomeroy obtained a contract for supplying the United States Government with two thousand stand annually for a term of five years. This contract was renewed for terms of five years, until 1846, al- though the amount of production was reduced in 15% to fifteen hundred stand, but of a more expensive quality. In addition to the muskel- maile for the government, Mr. Pomeroy supplied two hundred stand annually to the trade.
While the business was in the full tide of sweets, in 1928. M. Paul eroy erected. for its better prosecution, a brick building fifty fost by
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TOWN OF PITTSFIELD.
forty in size : and in 1828 he added a brick trip hammer shop : these were called the water shops, the machinery being driven by the water power since used by the Taconic factory. The muskets were finished at a wooden shop two stories in height, on the corner of East street and Pomeroy avenue. In 1846 the brick water shop was burned, and Mr. Pomeroy abandoned the manufacture of muskets ; but for about ien years longer the trip hammer shop was used for the manufacture of iron axles.
The armory, which employed abont thirty gunsmiths, was very prof- itable from the first, both to its proprietor and the town. From it Mr. Pomeroy obtained a portion of these resources which under adverse circumstances, enabled him to lay the foundations of his woolen than factures. The trade of the gunsmith was hereditary in the Pomeroy fam. ily, the muskets manufactured by Me. Ponroy's grandfather. Genial Seth Pomeroy, having been famous throughont New England and the Canadas in the French and Indian wars.
The second forge was built in 1775, by Captain Rufus Allen, on the west branch of the Housatonic, just above the West street bridge. The unhealthfulness caused by the flooding of a large surface of the dam necessitated its demolition, and the forge was abandoned.
About 1788-9 Captain Allen, Caleb Morell, Simon Larned, and Elisha Camp erected a forge on Onota Brook, just above its junction with the Housatonic. A little farther up the same stream was the forge of John N. Seymour, and still nearer the lake was that of Aaron Hicock. Al Coltsville John Snow built a forge where he manufactured large quanti- ties of iron. These forges, with one exception, continued in operation till after 1800.
The ore used in these forges was first obtained from boulders, which were found on the surface, or in the drift. After this supply failed ore was brought from mines in other towns. Malleable iron was made in these forges, but by processes different from those in use at present. The manufacturers of this iron sent it directly to market in bars, anchors, or other manufactured articles, bartered it with the merchants here, or sold it to the blacksmiths in the vicinity.
The manufacture of leather was early an important branch of in- dustry here. Previous to 1795 Captain Daniel Weller (probably, built the first tannery in Pittsfield, on the north bank of the Wampenum Brook, on the west side of South street. In 1796 he sold this to his son, Major Daniel Weller, and the next spring purchased ten acres on the north bank of the Housatonic, and on the west side of South street. His son, Enoch, had a bark will on a small water power on Wampenum Brook, below South Mountain street, and from this he supplied ground bark to his father and brother.
Small tanneries or single vats were scattered in different parts of the town where saddlers and shoemakers manufactured theirown leather. Tanning was then profitable, and the tanneries in Pirisfield. although
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
not more numerous than in other towns, were quite a source of local wealth.
The burning of charcoal for the forges and the collecting of bark for the tanneries facilitated and reduced the cost of cleaning away the for ests, and the utilization of ashes in the maun facture of potash still further counterbalanced the expense of preparing the land for cultivation. This manufacture was sometimes carried on by the farmers in their woods. but more generally the ashes were taken to potacheries, where the manu. facture was carried on more systematically and economically. Of these potasheries that of Graves & Root was opposite the tammery on Elm street ; that of Colonel Danforth in the rear of his store ; that of Simon Larned a little east of the meeting house ; and that of D. & S. D. Colt on West street, a short distance east from Center street ; and each did a thriving business.
It thus appears that the staple manufactures of Pittsfield at the commencement of the present century were : cloth from household louis. finished by the clothiers; malleable iron and its sub products : leather, clocks, and potash.
The packing of beef and pork by the merchants, although not, strictly speaking, a branch of manufacture, was something of an industry,
There were several minor branches of manufacture carried on in the town. The seed of the flax that was raised to supply the material for the linen cloth that was manufactured in almost every house was utiliza for the manufacture of oil in a mill in the town.
After Captain Rufus Allen's forge dam came to grief. John and Jabez Colt built, at the same place, one of less height, and utilized the water to propel machinery for manufacturing ent nails. This was in operation as late as 1800, if not later. Wrought nails were made by many farmer- sons on small anvils, and a supply was this provided. not only for home use, but for barter at the village stores.
Grist mills and saw mills of course sprang up where there was water to propel them.
The first to introduce the manufacture of woolen in Pittsfield was Arthur Scholfield. He was an Englishman, born in 157, and reared a clothier in Saddlesworth, a manufacturing town of Yorkshire. He came to America in 1993, and to Pittsfield in 1800. Here he found the clothing's business in a flourishing condition, but confined to the fulling and finish- ing of cloths, including. sometimes but not always, the dyeing. Carding. spinning, and weaving were done in private families and with primitive machinery that, although improved from that placed in Elder Valentine Rathbun's fulling mill in 170, was still exceedingly imperfect. Rath- bun's mill, after lying idle for awhile, had been purchased in 1800 by Dan Monroe, who supplied it with improved machinery. Deacon Eli Maynard, who had succeeded James Ensign in the Water street mill, had made a similar change. Deacon Barber, in the mill at Wahconah, built in 1776. used the best machinery of that period.
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TOWN OF PITTSFIELD.
With the growth of the neighboring country business increased, and the clothiers found abundant employment. But while the manufacture of homespun woolen cloth. the fulling and finishing, were done with tol- erable economy and fair excellence, the product on the whole was inferior, and the processes by which it was obtained were slow, laborious, and im- perfect. This Arthur Scholfield undertook to remedy. The processes to whose improvement he addressed himself wore carding. spinning, and weaving. Heretofore the wool had been prepared in rolls by the primi- tive little hand cards, a tedious proceeding, and the product was apt to be uneven and sometimes flimsy. The spinning upon the old fashioned hand wheel was subject to the same defects. The weaving was done upon a narrow hand loom, which made a course cloth. generally twenty three inches wide. And for all these machines. Mr. Scholfield undertook to introduce the labor-saving and more efficient inventions which were in use in England.
He completed his first carding machine November 1st. 1801, and its advent was thus modestly announced in the Pittsfield Sun:
" Arthur Scholfield respectfully informs the inhabitants of Pittsfield and the neighboring towns, that he has a carding machine half a mile west of the meeting house, where they may have their wool carded into rolls for 1212 cents per pound; mixed 157% cents per pound. If they find the grease, and pick and grease it, it will be to cents per pound, and 1212 cents mixed. They are requested to send their wool in sheets, as they will serve to bind up the rolls when done Also a small as- sortment of Woolens for sale.
" Pittsfield. November 2d, 1801."
This machine was set up in the building erected on the dam a little north of the West street bridge over the Housatonic, and dignified by the title of " The Pittsfield Factory. " a building which may well be called the cradle of Pittsfield manufactures : for here as Mr. Scholfield an- nounced in an advertisement of May, 1802. .. were carried on under dif- ferent firms, dyeing of wool of various colors, making of chairs of various kinds, ent and wrought nails, marble monuments. Rumford fireplaces, common stone for building, hulling and perling of barley, ete , ete." After such a list one would like to know what the double et cetera in- dicated.
But to return to Scholfield's carding machine, the good housewives were at first rather shy of the innovation, and Mrs Jared Ingersoil, who sent the first fleece, confessed that she did so with great doubt as to the result. But the experiment proved successful. The rolls were more firm and even than those made by hand, the cost was not great, and the saving of time was considerable. Others gave the arding machines a trial, with the like result, and soon one of the most frequent sights in the streets was a wagon wending its way to the Pittsfield factory with a load of wool, or returning with the rolls nicely wrapped in linen sheets pinned with thorns.
Captain Hosea Merrill was an early friend of Scholfield. and fur-
.
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
nished lumber to him for his machines ; but his good wife thought it prudent to risk but little in her first trial of his carding. When the rolls came home there was a little domestic scene, in which the characteristics of the different ladies of the family were exhibited Mrs. Menill and her two daughters brought out their spinning wheels to try the rolls pre- pared for them After working silently for a while, one of the young ladies remarked, with a satisfied air, " This is goo l." " Yes," said her mother, after waiting a little longer, and with a little more crophasis, "it is good." The other daughter spun steadily on, and when she had tin- ished, said quietly: " Mother, I can do twice as much spinning with these rolls as with the old hand carded things "" And it actually proved that. one and a half runs of yarn having been an average day's spinning with the hand-carded rolls, three could easily be spun after Scholfield's card. ing .*
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