USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > History of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Volume II pt 2 > Part 40
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Voted "To pay to each volunteer soldier mustered into the service on the quota of this town under the last Proclamation of the President ordering a draft of nine months' men, the sum of one hundred dollars."
Special town meeting, January 6th, 1833; William Shattuck. moderator. Second article in the warrant. "To see what course the town will take to raise the number of men required to fill its quota
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of militia ordered into the service of the United States." Voted, "That the Selectmen be a committee with authority to fill up the quota of sol- diers called for from this town thirteen in number and that they shall offer a bounty of one hundred and fifty dollars per man."
Special meeting, August 8th, 1864 ; Benjamin F. Mills, moderator. Voted, " That for the purpose of filling the quota of the town in anticipa- tion of the draft this town raise and apply a sum equal to one hundred and twenty-five dollars for each soldier called for under the last call of the President of the United States, that one hundred and twenty-five dollars be paid for each man furnished before the draft enlisted which shall count upon the quota of the town."
Special town meeting, December 20th, 1864 : Harvey T. Cole, moder- ator. Voted, "To pay one hundred and twenty-five dollars per man for all men enlisted upon the quota of the town under the call of the Presi- dent of the United States just issued."
Annual town meeting, March 8th, 1878 ; Hon. Joseph White, mod- erator. Extract from the record of said meeting: "Dr. Samuel Duncan who was requested by the town at their annual meeting in 1874 to com- plete the rebellion record presented the same and it was voted that the town tender its thanks and also the sum of one hundred dollars to Dr. Duncan for the record he now presents of the soldiers of the town in the war of the Rebellion and that said sum be raised and appropriated for this purpose."
This record contains the names of all the soldiers and officers in the military service and of all the seamen and officers in the naval service of the United States from this town during the Civil war, together with au- thentic facts relating to the military or naval career of each soldier, sea- man, and officer.
With the planting of the town in 1753 began the worship of God in the Congregational way. The house lot No. 36, where the Mansion House now stands, was reserved for the first settled minister, and No. 38, contiguous, for the support of the ministry. The lots in the other divis- ions of the town drawn against these numbers were appropriated to the same uses. The original proprietors purchased their lands subject to this condition, viz .: "That they do settle a learned and orthodox minis- ter in said town within the term of five years of their being admitted." The records of the proprietors afford ample proof of their good faith in at- tempting to fulfill this condition. In the warrant for their second meet- ing, April, 1754, is this article: "To see if the Proprs. will have the Gospel Preached in this town this summer or some part of it and if so to choose a committee to bring in some orthodox minister to preach the Gospel."
December 16th, 1760. "Voted and chose Thomas Train and Gideon Warren a committee to hire a good orthodox Preacher for sd. Proprie. tors."
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September 24th, 1761. "Voted, That Gideon Warren's account of two pounds five shillings be accepted for going after a minister."
October 21st, 1762. " Voted Samuel Kellogg's account £1, 25, 6d, and Josiah Hosford's account $1, 16s, for going after a minister."
March 10th, 1763. " Voted Asa Jonson's account of nine days for go- ing after a minister, 23, 12s."
November 23d, 1763. " Voted To give Mr. Warner a call to preach on probation."
March 24th, 1764. "Voted To raise nine shillings on each right for preaching."
The next year, July 26th, 1765, and immediately after the incorpora- tion of the town it was voted " To give Mr. Whitman Welch a call to the work of the ministry in the town." His settlement was £30 ; his salary. £40 the first year and to increase $3 annually until it should amount to $70. He was ordained in 1765. In 1776 he became a chaplain in a regi- ment in which was a company commanded by Lient. Zebediah Sabin. of this town. That winter he went with the regiment to Canada where he died in March of the same year. Reverends Seth Swift from 1780 to 1807. Walter King from 1813 to 1815, and Ralph W. Gridley from 1816 to 1834. followed; after them came Rev. Joseph Alden. D. D., 1834 to 1836 ; Rev. Albert Smith, 1836 to 1838; Rev. Amos Savage. 1840 to 1843 : Rev. Ab- salom Peters, D. D., 18-14 to 1853: Rev. Addison Ballard. D. D., 1857 to 1864. Rev. A. C. Sewell was installed pastor in February, 1873. While without a pastor the church has been supplied by acting pastors. by the president and professors of the college and others; from 1853 to 1856 by Rev. Henry R. Hoisington, and in 1866 by Rev. Mason Noble, D. D., and at various times by Rev. Edward Griffin and Rev. Calvin Durfee. D. D. In 1869 the church and society having incurred a very burdensome and almost hopeless debt by the erection of their new house of worship. Prof. Albert Hopkins offered to supply the pulpit without salary for an indefi- nite period, which he did till January, 1872, and under his self- denying labors the interests of the church and society were greatly advanced.
The church, at the beginning of the ministry of Mr. Swift. in 1779, consisted of sixty-one members. The number of members, residents of the town, in 1870, was 227. The whole number who have belonged to the church during the century from 1779 to 1879. 1,716.
From the early part of Mr. Swift's ministry, in 1779, till 1836 the Congregational church included the whole town, and the pastor preached every third Sabbath at the south part of the town. In 1836, the Second or South Congregational Church was organized by fifty-one members who had received, August 20th, 1836, letters of dismission from the First Church. In October, 1848, Rev. James A. Hazen became their pastor and remained three years, till December. 1851. Professors from the college and others preached through various periods with intervals of suspended worship.
In 1875 the old meeting house gave piace to the present church and
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chapel, united in one building. They were dedicated September 15th of that year. On the same day Prof. A. L. Perry, D. D., LL. D., was or- dained an evangelist and was acting pastor of the church until 1883. In October, 1884. Lyman Whiting, D. D., was called by the church and society to begin the work of the ministry here. A house for the pastor's residence was built by the society in the summer of 1885.
" The Church of Christ in the White Oaks," was organized by Prof. Albert Hopkins with twelve members, December 20th, 1868. " White Oak Chapel," as their house of worship is called. was erected in the sum- mer of 1866 and dedicated October 25th the same year, the dedicatory ser- .mon being preached by Professor Hopkins, and he was acting pastor of the church till his death in 1872. The chapel cost $2.000, will seat 150 per- sons, and with the ground is valued at $2,500. Rev. B. B. Scott was in- stalled pastor in 1878, and was succeeded in 1882 by Rev. William A. Stocking.
The Baptist church was organized in 1813, with twenty-two members: Rev. Mr. Doty being the first pastor. The members of the society united with the Congregationalists, in 1810. in building the meeting house at South Williamstown and worshiped in it till 1834 when they built the "Stone Church " at Sweet's Corners, still retaining their right in the house at South Williamstown. The " Stone Church " cost $1,500 and will seat 250 people. It has been lately repaired and greatly improved, and is now valued, including grounds, at $3,000. Rev. A. D. Whipple is acting pastor.
The Methodist Episcopal church of Williamstown was organized by Rev. Henry Stead and Billy Hibbard in 1821. the last named being the first pastor. Until 1846 religious services were held in the private houses of the members and in the district school houses in the town, and quar- terly meetings were often held in the meeting house at South Williams town. In 1846 the society built its first house of public worship in Wil- liamstown village, and in 1872 erected the present edifice upon the same site. This house will seat. 450 persons, cost $25.000, and is now valued. including grounds, at $28,000. The Methodist church of Williamstown owes much of its present prosperity to the generous benefactions and faithful devotion of Sumner Southworth, who came here in 1833, and who, till his death in ISSt, was closely identified with its interests and untir- ing in his efforts for its welfare. In 1829 history records that "The Methodists in the town have always been few. and now are a very small number of families." The church has, in 1885. 210 members, and is in a very flourishing condition.
The Episcopal church at North Adams has a mission in this town. and sustains regular worship in a chapel situated on Park street.
The Roman Catholic church at North Adams also sustains a mission here and has a chapel on the ground where the old academy building formerly stood.
Religious worship was held ten or twelve years after the first settle-
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ment of the town in a school house which stood on house-lot No. 36, north of the present site of the Mansion House. The first proposal to build a meeting house was in the warrant for a proprietors' meeting. dated December 30th. 1765, and in December of the following year the proprietors voted "To build a meeting house, also voted that said meet- ing house be forty feet in length and thirty feet in width." Three pounds were raised on each right and it was to be finished in two years.
April 18th, 1768, voted "To appoint a place to set up a meeting house. Voted by 'interest' to set it on the square 9880 acres, the con- trary by interest 5035 acres." It was "set up" and stood west of the cross street between house-lots Nos. 1 and 2. and was occupied as a house of worship until 1798. The location of this house was not satisfactory to other portions of the town, especially to those residing in the south part of the town, and a vote was obtained in town meeting in January, 1777, to build a meeting house "near the center of the town." A stake was set for a meeting house by a committee, and the site approved by a vote of the town in July, 1781, on the top of " Stone Hill," east of the county road, a quarter of a mile north of the Gurdon Bulkley resi- dence. In September, 1796, the town voted to allow the proprietors to build a meeting house, the old one to be removed and used as a town house. The house was soon erectel and began to be occupied for wor- ship in 1798. It was seventy-six feet by fifty five, and cost 86,000. It was destroyed by fire January 21st, 1866. The new building stands on the north side of the street and further east. It is a brick structure and was dedicated September 12th, 1869, and cost $40.000.
The first meeting house at South Williamstown was erected in 1808 and 1800 by subscription. The book containing the names of the sub- scribers and the sums subscribed by each and the items of cost and ma- terials furnished is still extant. The Congregationalists and Baptists united in building and using this house. It was not wholly completed till 1822, at which time the use of it was provided for, each society to occupy it alternate Sabbaths. This house was taken down and another erected by the Second Congregational Society on the same site in the suunmer of 1875. It cost $8,000.
The place first appropriated as a burying ground at the north part of the town was three eighths of a mile north of Main street in the rear of house-lots Nos. 2, 4, and 6, and separated from them by an intended road and west of the old road toward Vermont, which was a continuation north of the cross street. The present ground, west of the village, was taken in 1766, and many of the bodies laid in the first were removed to this. It has been much enlarged and lately greatly improved. In 1844 another ground was purchased, east of Green River and south of the road leading to North Adams. That at South Williamstown was laid out about 1769 and has lately been enlarged. It is about one fourth of a mile east of the meeting house, near the junction of the east and west branches of Green River.
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Mission Park is the college cemetery.
Until about 1860 the town was divided into districts for the support of schools. Each district built its own school house and the public money was divided equally among the several districts, or in proportion to the number of scholars in each district. There were fourteen districts when the district system was abolished by vote of the town. The town pur- chased the school houses of the various districts paying for them an ap- praised value, and built, some time between 1860 and 1870. the school houses as they now are, except one or two of the smaller houses which were built later. Besides these (nine in number) the town is joint owner with North Adams of the school house in Blackinton-the village of Blackinton constituting by special law a union district. A high school and grammar school are kept in the north village for pupils from any part of the town. 85,891.85 were expended for schools in 1884, and the number of pupils of school age was 686.
An academy was established here in 1827 and incorporated in 1828, and continued in operation till about 1860. Afterward the building be- came the property of the Roman Catholic church and was used for a time as a place of worship and lately gave place to their chapel which occupies the same site.
In 1832 Douglas W. Sloan had a private school for boys in the house now owned by Williams College and the present residence of Dr. Franklin Carter. The school was soon discontinued.
Asahel Foot maintained a boarding school for boys several years, be- fore 1840, at his home, now the residence of Mr. Markham, on the road to North Adams.
Henry G. Bulkley had a boys' school commencing about 1840 on "Stone Hill." at the Gurdon Bulkley residence. He afterward continued it in Greenbush, N. Y.
Private boarding schools for boys were also sustained by Richard W. Swan in 1855, where Frederick Leake now resides, also in 1872 by Prof N. H. Griffin at his home near the Methodist church, and by Prof. N. H. Egleston where John B. Gale resides.
The Misses Snyder have established a very flourishing school for girls near the main street in Williamstown and on the road toward "Flora's Glen," and hence is called ". Glen Seminary."
In the year 1842 the brothers. Benjamin F. Mills and Josiah A. Mills, opened a private school for boarding and day pupils in the village of South Williamstown. Mr. Benjamin F. Mills had been educated in the public schools of the town and at an academy in Bennington. Vt., of which Mr. James Ballard was principal. Mr. Josiah A. Mills was a graduate of Williams College in the class of 1839. It was the plan of these brothers to establish in their native town, near their own birth - place. a school of superior grade whose advantages might be enjoyed not only by their townsmen but by all others who should come within the circle of its influence. .
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
The house built and owned by Major Lyman Hubbell was purchased and put in readiness. With its hospitable hall. spacious rooms, and ele- vated location, it was admirably adapted to the purposes of a school, and. in the spring of 1842, two boarding and several day scholars were enrolled as the first pupils of Greylock Institute. One of these boarding pupils resided in New York city, the other in Spencertown. N. Y.
During the first years of the school's history the pupils from New York and Albany made the journey, at the opening of each term, from Albany to South Williamstown. a distance of thirty-five miles, in the family "onmibus," the mention of which vehicle will bring to many minds visions of weary hours, over rough roads, with all the uncertain- ties of boarding school life still in the future. Later. Pittsfield. sixteen miles distant, was the place of rendezvous, and thence through Lanes- boro and New Ashford, " the boys" made their semi-annual journey to their school-home among the mountains.
The growth of the school made necessary additional accommodations. and in 1845 a building was erected that made room for thirty boys. In the year 1859 Mr. J. A. Mills withdrew from the school and opened a law office in the city of Buffalo. From this time Mr. B. F. Mills had entire charge of the school until 1862 when his eldest son, Mr. George F. Mills, was graduated from Williams College, and at once became connected with his father as associate principal. In the year 1859 the Troy & Boston Rail- road was completed to North Adams with a station at Williamstown. five miles distant. As the school thus became more accessible and its reputa- tion for thorough work was already established, its patronage was greatly increased, so that enlarged accommodations became necessary in 1860 and again in 1870. During these years the school had kept pace with improved methods and advanced ideas in education. Additions to its li- brary had been made, the number of instructors had increased, and its courses of study had been extended and more sharply defined.
The first chapter in the school's history may be said to have closed on the 14th of April, 1872. when the Institute building was totally destroyed by fire. During the following summer the work of rebuilding was pushed rapidly forward and in November of the same year the school was reopened with offlarged accommodations, improved conveniences, and increased facilities for educational work. In 1882. after a service of forty years, Mr. Benjamin F. Mills retired from active work as principal and was sne- ceeded by Mr. George F. Mills.
During all these years Mr. Mills has carrie l on a farm in connection with the school. Its products have here found a ready market and its fields have been open to the boys for exercise and recreation. This also has been enlarged and its resources have been more thoroughly developed through modern improvements in agricultural implements and methods. In 1878 Mr. Charles A. Mills, the second son of Mr B. F. Mills, and who. for several years, had been a teacher in the school, assumed the charge of the farm.
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The graduates of Greylock Institute are to be found in all the walks of commercial and professional life in our country. Its first college grad- uate was an alumnus of the Institute in 1851 and each succeeding year it has made its contribution to the ranks of our country's educated young men.
The town library has nearly 2,500 volumes, 2,000 at Williamstown and 500 at the branch in South Williamstown. The " Dog Fund" has been appropriated by vote of the town for the support of the library and. besides this, an annual appropriation varying from $100 to $200 is applied to the same purpose.
In 1827 a printing office was opened here and the publication of a weekly newspaper commenced, called the American Advocate. The press was in the academy building : Ridley Bannister was the editor of the paper. Its publication was continued for several years.
The Williamstown National Bank was organized in 1883, and began business early in 1884, with a capital of $50,000. The first board of thir- teen directors were: A. D. Bullock. H. T. Cole, John B. Gale. Franklin Carter, A. L. Perry, E. A. Talmadge, M. M. Gavitt. Joseph White, Frederick Leake, Thomas Mole, Benjamin F. Mills, Benjamin F. Mather, and Charles H. Mather. Frederick Leake was chosen president. Prof. A. L. Perry, vice-president, and Charles S. Cole, cashier. The bank is located in Griffin Hall. in the rooms of the treasurer of Williams College.
The town is principally a farming town and dairying is the chief in- dustry. Formerly the most abundant product for market was cheese, of which two or three hundred thousand pounds were made annually, and a less quantity of butter. These found a market in the city of New York. almost entirely. The market now for farm produce is principally the neighboring manufacturing villages that have sprung up within the past twenty five years, especially in North Adam, and Pittsfield, and the attention of the farmers is directed to the demands of these home markets. Except for home consumption very little grain is raised. The importa- tion of grain into the town is much larger than the export. Potatoes are raised very extensively and find a near market. although a carload is occasionally sent abroad. More attention is paid to vegetable gardening as a source of revenue. Wool growing has declined in the town but there are several superior flocks of merino sheep, and many farms have a limited number that are kept to supply the demand for mutton and early lambs.
Manufacturing to a limited extent has been attempted in various enterprises.
In 1826 a cotton factory (a wooden balding) was erected on Green River, at the east end of Main street, and employed forty hands. In 1836 it was considerably enlarged by the addition of a stone building. and still further in 1865. It was destroyed by the in 1853.
About 1533 Stephen Hosford created a two story building on ". Doc.
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
tor's Brook," west of the village, for the manufacture of starch from potatoes, and soon after Justus Tower built a factory at South Williams- town for the same purpose. These works were continued in operation several years. the farmers in the immediate vicinity raising the potatoes and delivering them at the factories for twelve and a half to twenty cents per bushel.
The " Williamstown Manufacturing Company." for the manufacture of print cloths, was organized in 1865, Dr. P. A. Chadbourne being the active leader in the enterprise. The works are located on the Hoosick. near the depot of the Troy & Greenfield Railroad, and the waters of the Hoosick form the principal motive power, with steam as an aux- iliary. It employs two hundred hands and produces 18,000 yards of cloth per day.
The " Williamstown Watch Company." for the manufacture of watches, was organized in 1883, Keyes Danforth, treasurer. The com- pany occupies the brick building located in Water street, on Green River, originally built for a twine factory. The works are about to be- gin operations. The capitol stock is $300,000.
The "S. Blackinton Woolen Company" is located at Blackinton, a village partly in North Adams and partly in Williamstown, on the Hoo- sick, and the dividing line of the town passes through the factory build- ing. Three hundred hands are employed and the weekly product is from ten to twelve thousand yards. The first factory on these grounds was built in 1828, by three young men, Wells, Blackinton, and White, and was called the "boys factory." Afterward the business was con- ducted by Sanford Blackinton with marked success, subsequently in connection with his son. William S Blackinton. The entire works were destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1842. and much enlarged and improved since. The present company was organized in 1876.
"Green River Mills." owned by Charles S. Town, and located in Water street, on Green River, were completed in 1859, taking the place of the old mill built in the early settlement of the town. The works are used as a grist mill and for the manufacture of feed and meal. consuming one hundred and fifty bushels of grain per day. This grain is mostly purchased in the western markets by the carload.
There are two steam saw mills located near the line of the Troy & Greenfield Railroad. They give employment to twenty-five or thirty men, and produce annually lumber to the value of twenty-five or thirty thousand dollars.
There are 624 dwelling houses in the town, 28,241 acres of taxable land, 575 horses. 1,210 cows, and 2,038 sheep. Valuation of personal property in 1885, 8331,042 ; real estate. $1,373,450. The rate of taxation in 1885. $1.50 on $1,000. Population in 1885, 3,500.
In the early history of the town the principal north and south roads were the Stone Hill road and another along Green River, and through East street. That over Stone Hill was a continuation south of the cross
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street, and was surveyed as far south as the bridge, near the Titus Dem- ing residence, on the read to New Ashford, and laid out before 1765. In that year the road from the north end of the cross street to Pownal line was surveyed. The Northam Bridge on that road was built in 1765 and 1766, the first bridge over the Hoosick in the town. The account of the committee of the "Great River" bridge, 948, 12s., 3d., was accepted October 9th, 1766.
The first bridge over Green River was built in 1764 near Isaac Strat- ton's, at the south village, and the next year the bridge at the east end of Main street was built.
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