USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > History of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Volume II pt 1 > Part 5
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" The house of Justin Dewey stood where the farm house of his grandson, Justin
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TOWN OF GREAT BARRINGTON.
Dewey, Esq., now does, and his brother Hugo resided in the house next north, still standing, in which his son Grotius afterward lived. Justin and Hugo Dewey were notable characters, and in some respects remarkable men. Both were large and portly; both were genial and sociable; and a fondness for mirthfulness equally characterized both. They were brothers in every sense of the word. Living but a short distance apart they were almost constantly in each other's company. They tilled their farms and harvested their crops together. If they went to church they went together; if they visited the village tavern it was together, and together they told their stories and sipped their mugs of flip. Their lives were of that peaceful, unruffled nature which tends to happiness and longevity, and which in their case, won the esteem and respect of their townsmen. Justin Dewey died August 31st, 1832, in his eighty-second year, and Hugo died in his eighty-first year, April 17th. 1833."
About 1773-4 Oliver Watson removed from the village to Seekonk, where he erected a saw mill. His house was not far from the present residence of his great-grandson. Charles Watson.
In 1809 Charles W. Hopkins, in company with Deacon Allen Hender- son, engaged in the tanning business near the Great Bridge. He after- ward erected a shop on Water street, where the stone factory of the Berk- shire Woolen company is now situated : and Deacon Henderson pur- chased the General Dwight place as his residence, and had a saddles's shop in the basement.
In 1805 Aaron Mansir erected the house now occupied by M. L. Whitlock, and carried on the business of wagon making on his premises. He is said to have built the first four wheeled wagon made in this town.
As early as 1785 Samuel Whiting and his brother, Abraham K. Whiting, were engaged in business here, having their store on the north corner of Main and Castle streets. The business handbill of these gon- tlemen, a copy of which is now in the possession of Frederick T. Whiting, Esq., announces that " Samuel Whiting. next door to the Court House. Great Barrington, has a handsome (little) Assortment of Dry Goods and Groceries," and that " Abraham K. Whiting, at the same Store, is fur- nished with a moderate retailing Assortment of Medicines, where Gentle. men of the Faculty, who favour him with their Recipes, may depend on having justice done their Prescriptions."
In 1805 David and Isaac Leavenworth, brothers, succeeded the Messrs. Whiting, and having erected a new building. kept for nearly twenty years the principal store of the town. In the upper story was a "long, low, arched room" known as Leavenworth's Hall, used for lec- tures, balls, and other entertainments. This building was destroyed by tire in 1839 : and upon its site Silas Sprague afterward erected the Ma- haiwe House which still remains.
James A. Hyde came to this village from New Marlboro in 1811. and was associated in the practice of law with General John Whiting. He was a respected and influential citizen, and held the office of town clerk for thirteen years.
In 1815 William Cullen Bryant, a native of Cummington, moved to
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
Great Barrington and opened a law office with George H. Ives. He after- ward occupied the south wing of the Bazy W. Pattison place as an office, and later there was erected for him, on the site of St. James Church, a small building, since used by the late Misses Kellogg as a school house. Before his marriage Mr Bryant lived with Deacon Allen Henderson in the old General Dwight place. In his twenty seventh year Mr. Bryant mar- ried Miss Frances Fairchild, of this town, and the record of their marriage on the town register is in his own handwriting, as he held the office of town clerk at the time. It was to this lady that he had addressed the lines beginning " O fairest of the rural maids," and also . The Future Life," and "The Life That Is." The wedding ceremony took place in the south front room of the old General Dwight mansion. Their rest. dence the first year after marriage was in the house now owned by Ralph Taylor. Many spots of local interest have been rendered famous by his pen, as is perhaps best shown by his poems " Green River" and " Monu- ment Mountain." In 1821, the year of his marriage. Mr. Bryant pub- lished a volume of verse, which ultimately led to his removal to New York city in 1825.
The same year the late Honorable Increase Sumner, of Otis, began the practice of law in this town, having recently been admitted to the Berk . shire bar. Mr. Summer was a man prominent in town, county, and State affairs, and continued the practice of law till his death in 1871.
In 1818 Charles and Ralph Taylor, of Colchester. Conn. opened a store on the site of the " Long Stone " building. Two years later Alve- nus Cone was taken into the firm, but he remained only four years, at the expiration of which time he commeneed business by himself in the store lately vacated by the Leavenworth brothers. In 1827 Mr. Cone went into partnership with Mr. John C. Russell, who had been his clerk to that date. In 1830 Mr. Russell bought his partner's interest, and two years later formed a partnership with his brother, Asa C. Russell. This firm continued in the Leavenworth store until 1535, when their stock was transferred to the stone store, where they remained till 1844. In the year of their removal to the stone store the Russell Brothers purchased the water privilege just south of the Hopkins tannery, together with a plot of land bordering on the river. The following year they erected a small factory and began the manufacture of woolen goods. The Berkshire Woolen Company was soon incorporated with the Messrs. Russell as managers, and afterward as the principal stockholders. Under their charge the business rapidly increased until the whole water power came into their possession, and in 1858-9 the present stone edifice was erected. After the death of John C. and Asa C. Russell the business came into the hands of the sons of the former gentleman, Parley A. and George E. Russell, by whom it is still conducted.
In 1847, Horace H. Day, a native of the town, purchased the water privilege about an eighth of a mile down the river, on the site of the mill dam of Israel Dewey, and began the manufacture of India rubber goods.
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TOWN OF GREAT BARRINGTON.
A claim was immediately made by the Berkshire Woolen Company that the water was set back upon their wheels by Mr. Day's dam, which was followed by a long and expensive suit, resulting in an order from the court to Mr. Day to lower his dam by eleven inches. Sufficient water power was not left for conducting the business, and Mr. Day was compelled to withdraw. His buildings, now used for storage, are still standing near the . Rubber " bridge.
As early as 1760 Daniel Rathbun. from Stonington, Conn., built a mill, near the Green River bridge, for fulling and dressing cloth. These works afterward fell into the hands of Major John Kellogg, who carried on the business until his decease. from which time it was continued by his son, John Kellogg, until 1835, when the Green River Manufacturing Company was formed. This corporation enlarged the building, purchased woolen machinery, and began the manufacture of satinets, but was not successful. The building has since been converted into a grist mill.
In 1828 William Leavenworth purchased land on Green River, about three quarters of a mile above the Kellogg mills, with the purpose of quarrying the marble which crops out at this place. Here he built a mill for sawing and polishing the stone, and continued until about 1833, when he sold to John Dixon, of Albany ; but the business was never prosper- ons, though carried on until 1843 by Philip Barnes.
About the year 1830 Elijah Foster, who occupied the Mrs. Mark Hopkins place, in making some improvements on the premises, noticed that the blue limestone, which appeared in such quantities in the village. could be easily split. This discovery was soon utilized, and the first building constructed of this material was the Episcopal church. now known as "Church Block." at the corner of Main and Railroad streets. The " Long Stone" store was soon after built of the same substance by Messrs. J. C. & A. C. Russell. The stone was mostly quarried from either side of the main road near the Dr. Collins place, which was at that time owned by John C. Briggs. This gentleman opened a quarry near his residence and furnished the stone for the erection of the house of Joseph Gibson, now owned by Frederick T. Whiting. From the same quarry has been supplied the material for other buildings, among which are the Berkshire House, erected in 1838, and later St. James' Church and the Congregational church which was destroyed by fire in 1882. Afterward Dr. Collins opened on the east side of Mount Peter a quarry, from which he enlarged the house built by Mr. Briggs. The stone for the chapel of the Congregational church, also destroyed in 1852, was procured from the same place, being donated by Dr. Collins.
In 1883 Dr. Samuel Camp, upon examining the stone on the left bank of the river east of the village, found the blue stone to be of a finer tex- ture than any thus far obtained. The land was purchased for Mrs. Mark Hopkins, and a quarry was immediately opened. the material being used for the erection of a barn and coachman's house upon her estate, as well
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
as for the new parsonage of the Congregational society. The new church and chapel were built of the stone of the former structure.
We have already stated that the main road near the residence of Ralph Taylor descended into the " Great Hollow." nearly on a level with the adjoining meadow. In 1815 George H. Ives. Esq., son of General Thomas Ives, widened the highway through the hollow, and raised the road-bed six feet : in 1883 the road was again widened and raised at the same point, and a handsome blue stone side wall was built, surmounted by an iron fence.
The same year that Mr. Ives improved the road through the hollow he erected the house now the residence of Ralph Taylor, having pre- vionsly taken away the old dwelling of the Gunn and Hopkins families.
In 1838 Mr. George R. Ives removed the old Josiah Smith tavern and built the Berkshire House, which was opened to the public in the sun. mer of 1840. He also cleared away a number of barns and out buildings adjacent, among which was the old court house, which had been remov ed to the ground in the rear of the present store of Egbert Hollister, by Captain Walter Pynchon. Mr. Ives soon after laid out Bridge. River. and Church streets, and divided the land into building lots. He also re. moved the old Doctor William Whiting house from the present site of the Summer building to Bridge street, where it still stands-the old rel cottage opposite the residence of Albert Winchell.
Mr. Ives died at Ashley Falls, October 25th. 1879. He was a man of great enterprise, and from him the spirit of village improvement received its first impulse.
We have already described the main road through the village, which was probably laid out as early as 1725, and was the same as the present highway from the Sheffield line as far north as the Berkshire House. From near this point. however, it turned to the east. crossed the river at the old Indian ford, near the residence of W. W. Norton, and thenco ran westerly along the east bank to the site of the old meeting house.
At an early date a foot path probably ran along the west bank of the river, and joined with the road to Van Densenville. This became, in pro. cess of time, a highway, and was accepted as such by the selectmen of the town of Sheffield in 1745, and at the same time the road leading north- erly from the ford on the east bank of the river was discontinued. From a point in the southern part of the village, just north of Mount Peter, a road leading from Main street ran northwest to Castle Hill, and thence to Mansfield Pond. This was discontinued in 1747, and the road now ealled Castle street was then opened. East of the river a bridle-path ran south- erly from the old meeting house between the mountains to Sheffield Center. This was accepted by that town in 1749, and in recent years it has been reopened by the county commissioners.
Earlier than 1744 a road led from the Great Bridge up Christian Hill. This was afterward extended past Long Pond to the West Stock bridge line. In 1733 a road was laid out from near the present residence
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TOWN OF GREAT BARRINGTON.
of John C. Munson, running nearly straight to the Alford line near the house of the late Silas S. Dewey of that town. From the site of the present residence of Joseph Soudant a road extended west from the county road to the Alford line, traces of which are still to be seen, as well as old cellars along its track. On this road John Speley. already mentioned, settled in 1793 and built his saw mill. Here, also, Jared Seeley had his cooper shop, and later, William Ford erected his saw mill. From the Seeley saw mill a cart path ran southerly to the road near the house of Egbert L. Tuller.
West of Green River, in the southern part of the town. a road was extended northward from the farm of Samuel Harmon, now a part of the estate of Elisha Collins. In 1812 a road called the Great Barrington and Alford Turnpike was built from the foot of Monument Mountain through Van Densenville and North Egremont to the New York State line. In the same year the county road, which ran from the Great Bri lge. as has already been stated, to the south and front of the old meeting house, was changed to its present position in a direct line with the bridge east- ward. Above the Bung Hill corner the highway was changed from its original road bed, lying between the old Levi Hyde place and the resi- dence of Deacon Daniel W. Beckwith, to the low land north of the home of Warren Crissoy. In 1834 the road over Monument Mountain was changed from the north to the south side of the ravine. and otherwise greatly improved. The " East Road" to Sheffield was established in 1785, but was not opened immediately. It was, however, accepted by the county in 1815, and was partially relaid five years later. In 1828 a county road was constructed running along the river from Van Deusenville. through Housatonic. to Glendale, and in 1858 a road was extended from the foot of Monument Mountain to Housatonic.
In very early times the " Great Road from Boston to Albany." fol- lowing an old Indian trail, ran through the village and left Main street just above the South Burial Ground, thence west across Green River through Egremont to the Kinderhook and Claverack landings on the Hudson. In 1836 the cross road from the Dr. Collins place to the Green River road was constructed. and was called Maple avenue.
The Berkshire-since called the Housatonic-Railroad was extended to Great Barrington in 1842 and a new impulse was given to the business interests of the town. From the topography of Southern Berkshire Great Barrington is the natural market for the surrounding towns, and · produce that had previously been transported to Hudson was now sent to this place. Railroad street was laid out by Silas Sprague, in 1842, five years later Major Samuel Rosseter built Rosseter street, and in 1854 Charles W. Hopkins, Esq., opened the street that now bears his name. During the same year George G. Pierce constructed South street, running westerly from Main street north of the house of Ralph Taylor, and also Western avenue, branching south to the residence of Marcus E. Tobey. In recent years Elm street has been laid out by John L. Dodge & Co .
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
Mahaiwe street by Rodney Hill, Pope street by Charles Botsford, Dres- ser avenue by Henry Dresser, and the streets on the east side of the river by Mark Humphrey.
In 1863 the Great Bridge was replaced by a large iron structure. which was built at a cost of over $10,000. This was the first iron bridge erected in the southern part of the county. In 1884 it was found to be unsafe, and the present bridge was constructed. In 1879 the old " Rub. ber" bridge was taken down and a neat and durable iron one was erected in its place ; shortly afterward iron bridges were built at Green River and at Van Deusenville.
The huge wooden structure at the foot of Bridge street, known as Humphrey's Bridge, was replaced by an iron one in 1884.
In the Upper Housatonic township there were, in 1742. forty propri etary rights, the owners of which had received from the settling commit- tee honse lots, with meadow and upland laid out from the Great Bridge as far north as Monument Mountain. Hezekiah Phelps, from Westfield. is known to have had a lot of 106 acres on the Van Deusenville road. His house was situated near the ground where the barn of Frederick Abbey now stands. Some time after the death of Mr. Phelps, which oc- curred about the year 1746, this land was purchased by Israel Dewey. who soon conveyed it to his son, Benedict, by whom the house in which Mr. Abbey now lives was built. Stephen Vanhall or Van Allen possessed a lot. probably where Jared Lewis now resides. Daniel Sackett, of West- field. Aaron Van Dyck, of Kinderhook, and David Ingersoll also owned tracts of land in this part of the township. John Williams, of Westfield. early became a prominent man in the northern part of the town. His house was located on the site of the Hollenbeck place, and his mills, erected about 1750, were situated near the present furnace dam on the north side of the river that now bears his name. At an earlier date Peter Burghardt is known to have had, on the same stream about two miles above Van Deusenville, a saw mill, which he sold to Dimon Bradley in 1791. Mr. Williams also had a blacksmith shop near his mills, and he is supposed to have erected, in 1759, the house now the north part of the old tavern, which stands just north of the bridge. He died about 1776. leaving an estate valued at $1,900. He was an active member of the Episcopal church at the Center, and was the largest resident contributor toward the erection of the house of worship. After his decease a part of his estate, including the saw mill and grist mill, was purchased by Mr. Isaac Van Deusen, the first of that name, who deeded the property in 1787 to his son, Jacob, " together with the dwelling house, corn mill, saw mill, and other buildings thereon standing."
Isaac Van Densen, from Kinderhook, settled here in 1735, having five years previously married Fitie, or Fitchie, a daughter of Coonrad Burghardt. He erected a log cabin on the west side of the road to Monu- ment Mountain. just south of the residence of the late Joseph K. Pelton. A few years afterward he replaced his cabin by a larger building, which.
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1626848
TOWN OF GREAT BARRINGTON.
after having been tenanted by three generations of the family, was de- molished about 25 years ago. Mr. Van Densen died Jannary 14th, 1796. at the age of 91 years. He was a man of influence in town affairs, and was for eight years one of the selectmien ; he was also a firm adherent of the Episcopal church, and contributed largely toward the erection of the church edifice. He left a family of six sons, all of whom, with the ex- ception of Matthew, who removed to Lee, settled near the homestead of their father. Abraham. the eldest, located at the foot of Monument Mountain near the house of the late William Van Deusen. In 1771 Coonrad built the old stone house that now stands on the road to Housa- tonic, though there was no street near it at the time of its erection. John built the brick house at the foot of Monument Mountain, the residence of the late Joseph K. Pelton Jacob lived in the house, now the north part of the old Enos Ford tavern at Van Deusenville, and carried on the mills adjoining until his death in 1812. Isaac, the youngest son, sie- ceeded his father in the possession of the old homestead. where he died in 1794, and was in turn succeeded by his son, known as " Wise Isaac." This gentleman seems to have had an eventful career. From 1785 to 1800 he was engaged in the tanning business in Great Barrington village. having his shop on the premises lately owned by Mrs. Edwin W. Mc. Lean, and his tan vats in the hollow where the house of Frederick Law. rence now stands. In 1800 he suddenly left his family and went west, where he wandered about for nearly twelve years. He afterward return- ed to Great Barrington. and wrote a brief history of the Episcopal church of this town, which has since been published. He died at the Van Deusen homestead May 16th, 1831, at the age of 63.
After the decease of Jacob Van Deusen the Williams mills came into the possession of his son, Captain Isaac L., who carried on the business for seventeen years. It is to him that the village owes its name and many important improvements. In 1822-3 he built a woolen factory, ou the north side of Williams River, between the old grist mill and the bridge. The business was at first carried on by Captain Van Deusen in connection with Sidney N. Norton, and afterward by Washington Adams & Co. About 1837 Mr. Adams refitted the factory with machinery for the man. ufacture of cotton, and remained until 1847, when he removed to Adams. The building was afterward taken down by the Richmond Iron Works. In 1825 Captain Van Densen built the large house since ocenpied by the late John H. Coffing and now the residence of his wife. In 1828 the cap tain erected another factory lower down the stream, in which the mann- facture of cotton was carried on by different firms as late as 1761, when the building was destroyed by fire.
As early as 1816 a wool carding and cloth dressing establishment was built just east of the present railroad bridge, and was worked by Amos Church, and afterward by Orange H. Arnold, and by Martin Pratt. Near the site of these works Washington Adams built, in 1837. another cotton mill. After his removal from town this building was converted into a
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
chair manufactory by Captain Benjamin Peabody and Frederick Chapin. who were soon after succeeded by I. D. W. and Orrin Baldwin.
In 1803-4 John C. Coffing and Timothy Chittenden, of Salisbury, Conn., erected a blast furnace for the manufacture of pig iron, on the south bank of the river and west of the bridge. The furnace was pur- chased. in 1844, by the Richmond Iron Works, by which company it was enlarged and remodeled in 1856-7, and it is the only one of the many in- dustries of Van Deusenville that still survives. In 1829, on the ground donated by Captain Van Deusen, an Episcopal chapel was built, of brick, which was replaced by the present edifice in 18CC.
During the period of Van Deusenville's highest prosperity a keen rivalry existed between the village and Great Barrington Center. In 1837, ten years previous to the incorporation of the Mahaiwe Bank, an attempt was made to establish a bank at Van Densenville, and was cal- ried so far that a committee of the Legislature reported in favor of a bill for the establishment of a bank at that village, to be called the " Williams River Bank," but the charter was never obtained. In 1844-5, after the destruction of the town house at the center, a strong effort was made for the erection of a new one at Van Densenville, and money was raised by subscription for that purpose. So high was the feeling between the two villages that the project was abandoned for the time, and a compromise was made by hiring the hall over the store of J. C. and A. C. Russell. now owned by Egbert Hollister, where the town meetings were held till 1860.
Previous to 1809 that part of the town known as Honsatonie was an unbroken forest. In December of the preceding year Stephen Sibley. who had resided in Great Barrington village about twenty-six years. in connection with Abel Sherman, from Rhode Island, purchased of Captain Ezekiel Stone nearly three acres of land in the extreme northern part of the town, and bounding east on the river, with the water privileges ad- jacent, where the upper buildings of the Monument Mills now stand. South of this property Mr. Sibley also purchased about ten acres, through which a road was cut, which has since become a portion of the main street. At the same time Mr. Sherman bought a tract of eleven acres south of the purchase of his partner. A dam was erected by these gen- tlemen in 1809, and near by a saw mill ; and about the same time Mr. Sherman built the first dwelling house in Housatonic, which still stands, just west of the Congregational church. In 1810 the first road was laid out, which ran from the mill westerly to the North Plain. From near the present residence of H. H. B. Turner a branch road was extended northward to the town line, at which point it met a road already built by the town of West Stockbridge. In 1813 Eber Stone erected the second1 dwelling house in the village, which is now occupied by H. H. B. Turner. Mr. Stone built near his honse a shop in which he carried on the manu- facture of spinning wheels. About 1827 the fourth house was built. upon the site of the present residence of Cyrus R. Crane. It is related that at
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