USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Great Barrington > History of Great Barrington, (Berkshire County,) Massachusetts > Part 34
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42
In 1846, this burial ground was slightly enlarged. by including within its western border a small strip of land on which the meeting-house, and later the town house, had stood; and again, the next year, a large- addition was made on its southern side, by a purchase, by the town, of one acre, and also by a gift of the Misses Kellogg and Deacon Francis Whiting of two acres ; the donors, however, reserving for their own use one-half of the two acres.
396
HISTORY OF GREAT BARRINGTON.
In this, as in the lower cemetery, very many graves are unmarked by inscribed monuments. The most ancient inscription-1747 (should, we think, be 1745) is found on the tomb-stone of Reuben King; but this, as well as some monuments to other members of the King family, was erected by Major William King as late as 1808, in accordance with the provisions of the will of his sister, Huldah King, who died in that year.
The Van Deusen Burial Ground.
This Cemetery which lies a little remote from the highway, and west from the dwelling house of the late Joseph K. Pelton on the road to Stockbridge, originally a private burial place of the Van Deusen family, was located on land of the first Isaac Van Deusen. Here more than a century since, Fiche, the wife of Isaac Van Deusen, was laid to rest, and he himself, dying at the age of ninety-two years, in 1794 was here buried. Since that time many others of the Van Deusen family have been buried in this ground, including "Wise" Isaac, who died in his sixty-fourth year, in 1831.
On the south side of this ground, and without the fence which encloses it, the negro slaves of the early Dutch settlers of that neighborhood, are reputed to have been interred-a little removed from their masters ; but time and cultivation have obliterated their unmarked graves.
This burial place remained private property until 1819, when Joseph Pelton, into whose possession it had fallen conveyed it to the town.
The Pixley Burial Ground.
On the west side of the Stockbridge road, and a few rods south of the dwelling of Warren Crissey, is-or rather there was formerly-a private burial place of the Pixley and Phelps families. Here Jonathan Pixley the settler, and many of his descendants were buried, and the ground continued in use until within the present century. The latest interment at this spot, was that of Benajah Dunham who died, at the age of eighty-four years, January 17, 1837. A fate only too common with private cemeteries in New England, has attended this burial place. The land on which it is situated,
397
CEMETERIES.
having passed from the possession of the Pixley family, has been plowed and cultivated, the mounds leveled and obliterated, and even the memorial stones have been removed and buried in the ground. No trace now remains to indicate that the spot was ever a place of sepulture.
Other Burial Grounds.
In addition to those we have mentioned, there is in Muddy Brook a burial ground, used principally by the inhabitants of that section for more than eighty years past, and which was enlarged by the town more than twenty years since.
A small burial place in the village of Housatonic has been nearly filled since that place was settled, and the town has within a few years laid out another, of about ten acres, south of Housatonic, for the accommo- dation of that part of the town.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
'IMPROVEMENT OF WATER POWER BELOW THE GREAT BRIDGE-THE KELLOGG MILL- THE LEAVENWORTH MARBLE WORKS -THE SEEKONK DISTILLERY.
In a former chapter we have given some account of the mills and iron works of David Ingersoll, erected below the Great Bridge in 1739, and of the mills of Israel Dewey, lower down the stream, which were built in 1762. The water power, extending from the bridge southerly, has, from the early settlement to the present time, been an important factor in the business and prosperity of the town. Its importance was recognized .by the Settling Committee, who, by special decree, sequestered it for the use of the inhabitants. David Ingersoll occupied this privilege under a surreptitious title, or with no title at all; and his works had in part disappeared or fallen into disuse at the time of the in- ¿corporation of the town.
This town asserted its rights to the premises in 1762, and granted to Israel Dewey the whole of the water power, on condition that he should erect and maintain mills for the accommodation of the inhabitants. Dewey's mills, built in 1762, stood in the rear of the present residence of Henry Dresser-the old Major Samuel Rosseter place. These mills were maintained and operated by Mr. Dewey, and by his sons Justin and Hugo, until 1791, when they were sold to Major Thomas Ingersoll and Moses Hopkins, together with the rights and privileges of the stream, which had been granted by the town to Mr. Dewey. Messrs. In
399
IMPROVEMENT OF WATER POWER.
.gersoll & Hopkins, returning to the old privilege of David Ingersoll, built a grist-mill on the west and a .saw-mill on the east side of the river, their dam occu- pying the site of the old one of David Ingersoll. These works-perhaps begun in 1791-were completed by or in 1792.
The old red grist-mill is still well remembered, with the plaster mill and wool carding establishment after- wards added at its south end. This mill stood upon .the spot where the large wood building-formerly the flouring mill of the Berkshire Woolen Company-and now a part of their manufactory-does. The river bank at this point was formerly high, steep and rocky, ¿ and as the mill stood at the foot of the slope, a ravine of considerable depth, was left between the mill and the road; access to the mill was had by a bridgeway .over the ravine. It was here, February 7, 1824, that Emanuel Hodget, one of the relics of Burgoyne's Hes- sian soldiery, came to his death by falling from the .bridge on to a pile of mill stones below. The grist mill and the saw mill appear to have constituted all the improvements made by Messrs. Ingersoll & Hopkins. But in the same year-1792-Major Dudley Wood- worth leased of Ingersoll & Hopkins a sufficient water power, on the east side of the river, for driving a bel- lows, trip hammer, and grinding stone, and there set up the manufacture of scythes in a building already erected, which stood south of the saw-mill. Major Woodworth had previously made scythes by hand, in a shop which ¿stood just north of the lane leading to the Center school house, as has been mentioned.
In 1795, Major Ingersoll conveyed his interest in the mills to Moses Hopkins, who is presumed to have occupied them until 1799. In 1798, the property was taken into possession, under a mortgage, by William Bacon of Sheffield, Truman Wheeler, David Wain- wright and Thomas Ives of Great Barrington, and was leased by these gentlemen, for a short time, to Moses Hopkins. From 1799 to 1802, the mills were operated by Thomas Ives and Doctor Joshua Porter in the in- terest of the mortgagees under the name of the " Union Mills" or Porter & Ives,; and it is probable that in this
400
HISTORY OF GREAT BARRINGTON.
period, machinery was added to the works for grinding plaster, as plaster was evidently ground there in 1801. In March, 1802, the property was in possession of Thomas Ives and Dudley Woodworth, who carried on the works under the firm of Ives & Woodworth until. the decease of General Ives in 1814. During this period, and long afterwards, the mills retained the title of "The Union Mills."
It is an interesting fact in connection with these- works that the first machine for the carding of wool, in this part of the country, was here set up. This ma- chine was introduced by Messrs. Booth & Gibbs, who occupied the Henderson house, and who seem, for a. time, to have been engaged in trade here. The wool carding machine was set up in the upper story of the grist mill, probably in the spring of 1803, at least, it is. known to have been operated there by Booth & Gibbs in July of that year, and to have been running as late- as June, 1804. The last party connected with it is- mentioned as the "Carding Machine Company" and as "Scoldfield, Smith & Woodworth." This machine is, supposed to have been taken down and carried to West. Stockbridge, as General Ives' books show that he caused the machine-probably the same-to be transported to that place on the 23d of June, 1804.
The enterprise of Booth & Gibbs-perhaps an ex- perimental one-seems to have encouraged Ives & Woodworth to put up new and permanent carding machinery. Ives & Woodworth, in the summer of 1804, erected a building south of the grist-mill for the accommodation of carding machinery and for the grind- ing of plaster. It is still remembered that at the raising of this mill, a bottle of rum was thrown from the frame far into the river, causing a great scramble of men and boys, in the water, for its possession. This was not, then, an unusual custom. In October 1804, a new carding machine with its appendages was set up in this building. The woodwork of the machine was done here by Elnathan Judd, and General Ives, as his books show, had obtained the necessary cards in Boston the preceding winter. The new machine was soon put in operation. In 1805, Lewis L. Gorham ran both the
401
IMPROVEMENT OF WATER POWER.
carding machine and the plaster mill, receiving as a compensation one-third of the profits of the business. Mr. Gorham was, subsequently, for several years con- nected with the running of the mills.
Down to 1812, these works consisted of a grist-mill, plaster mill, and the carding machinery on the west side of the stream, and on the east side, of a saw mill and the trip hammer shop-or scythe manufactory-of Major Woodworth. Fulling mills and cloth dressing machinery were subsequently added to the carding machine building, and all of these works were main- tained until 1835 or later.
In 1812, Major Samuel Rosseter and Hopkins & Henderson obtained a lease of water power from Messrs. Ives & Woodworth, and set up machinery for rolling leather in the upper part of the trip hammer shop. This was in use as late as 1819-20.
About 1816 or 1817, Messrs. Chamberlain & Alden put up machinery for the purpose and began the manufacture of cut nails in the trip hammer shop; but this industry was not of long continuance, and after two or three years these gentlemen removed their machinery to Williamsville, West Stockbridge.
About 1823 or 1824, Major Charles W. Hopkins erected a tannery, south of the carding machine build- ing, and used part of the water power in his business. The tannery was a long building standing close to the river, and some feet below the level of the roadway. Major Hopkins also took down the old David Ingersoll dwelling-house which stood on the west side of the way, and built his own house directly in rear of the site of the old one. The house built by Major Hopkins still stands-next north of the old Gorham tavern. In order to make room for his tannery, between the high- way and the river, he caused the road at this point, to be extended a short distance westerly. The tannery of Major Hopkins, which he occupied for ten or fifteen years, remained until 1858, when it gave place to the present stone factory of the Berkshire Woolen Company.
The mills we have mentioned continued in opera- tion under different parties, representing the Ives & Woodworth interests, until about 1826, when Charles
26
402
HISTORY OF GREAT BARRINGTON.
Taylor and David Ives began business there, erected the brick store and dwelling house, west of the bridge, and ran the mills in connection with their store. In order to supply themselves with brick for their build- ing Messrs. Taylor & Ives opened a clay bed near the Pixley Brook-afterwards long worked by Aaron Burr -and manufactured there the first brick made at that spot. They also built a shingle mill --- afterwards burned down-at the south end of the saw-mill, and revived the manufacture of scythes in the old trip hammer shop. This industry was continued to 1835 or later. Maverick Jennison was the scythe maker, and his scythes had an extensive sale and good repute in all this region. Mr. Jennison, about 1836, removed to Bing- hamton, N. Y. The industries of Taylor & Ives, and later of David Ives, were continued until 1835; and in the spring of that year new carding machinery was set up in place of the old, and the business of carding and cloth dressing was carried on under the direction of Erastus Hull.
The change from the old to the new in the history of this water power dates from 1836; and since that time-with the exception of the saw-mill-all of the earlier buildings and improvements have been swept away. In 1835, David Ives sold to Thomas W. Tal. madge, of Poughkeepsie, and others, the grist-mill, plaster mill, and clothier's works on the west side of the river, the trip-hammer shop, his one half interest in the saw-mill, and other property on the east side. The purchasers-afterwards incorporated as the Berk- shire Iron Company-erected a forge. and puddling works for the manufacture of blooms from pig-iron, on the site of the old trip-hammer shop. This was run for several years under the supervision of William S. Stevens and Frederick Plumb. These works were burned in the summer of 1845, but were soon rebuilt, and were carried on by William S. Stevens and Ben- jamin Cole; the last named manufacturing blooms as late as 1849. Not long after this date the forge and buildings were removed, and the site was afterward occupied by the present machine shop of the Berk- shire Woolen Company. During these years 1836-49
403
THE BERKSHIRE WOOLEN COMPANY.
the grist mill and its appendages remained intact, with the exception that an addition was made about 1845, by Major Loring G. Robbins, to the north end of the mill, and was fitted with machinery for flouring. The mill thus improved, was for a few years operated by Naaman Ford.
At nearly the same time with the purchase made by Talmadge and others-in 1835-David Ives sold to Messrs. J. C. & A. C. Russell a building site on the river, together with water rights, immediately south of the Hopkins tannery. On this site the Messrs. Russell, in 1836, erected a factory of moderate dimen- sions and entered upon the manufacture of woolen goods-cassimeres. This business was soon after merged into the Berkshire Woolen Company which had been incorporated in 1836, and of which the Messrs. Russell were the business managers, and eventually the principal stockholders.
The Berkshire Woolen Company gradually increased its manufacturing facilities by the purchase of all the immediate water power and buildings on both sides of the river, and the erection of extensive works including the large stone factory-built in 1858-9 on the site of the old tannery-and a machine shop on the site of the forge, on the east side of the river. The original factory of the Russells-erected in 1836-was destroyed by fire in December, 1864.
The grist-mill, after sixty years of service, was taken down by the Berkshire Woolen Company in 1852, who built upon its site a flouring mill and added to their business the grinding of wheat flour. This mill was successfully operated until 1865, when, to meet the increasing demand upon their manufacture, the Woolen Company removed the flouring apparatus and substituted machinery for the manufacture of woolen goods in its stead.
Previous to 1836 there was but one building on the river bank between the tannery of Mark Rosseter, at the foot of the hill in Water Street, and the Hop- kins tannery. This one was the smithery of Abram Deming, which stood where the smith's shop of Michael Kelley now does. And on the west side of the street
404
HISTORY OF GREAT BARRINGTON.
there were but three dwellings between the brick store -by the bridge-and the dwelling of the late Gideon M. Whiting. The street was then open to the river, and though rough and unimproved was very attractive ; but the manufacturing industry in that quarter has since lined the river bank with store houses, shops, and tenements, and the dwellings of operatives have spread over a large area to the north and east of the bridge.
Lower down the stream, the original mill privilege of Israel Dewey, abandoned by Ingersoll & Hopkins in 1791, remained unoccupied until 1847. In that year Horace H. Day-a native of the town, whose name had been long associated with the India-rubber manufac- ture of the country-erected the dam at that point, and the buildings still standing on the east side of the stream, and began the manufacture of India-rubber fabrics. This business, which promised to be an im- portant industry to the town, after four or five years' continuance was abandoned for want of sufficient water power for its successful prosecution.
Soon after its erection, it was claimed by the Berk- shire Woolen Company that Mr. Day's dam caused back water upon their wheels. After some controversy between the parties, the Woolen Company forcibly removed a portion of Mr. Day's dam. The damage was promptly repaired by Mr. Day. But a long, ex- pensive, and severely contested litigation ensued. In a final hearing of the case before the United States Court at Boston, in 1849, the decision was adverse to Mr. Day, and he was eventually obliged-in 1852-to cut down eleven inches in the height of his dam. The consequent reduction of water power destroyed the value of the privilege for his manufacturing purposes, and Mr. Day afterwards removed his machinery. The buildings, since unoccupied, are now falling to decay.
Still further down the river, and nearly in rear of the Congregational church, John C. Whiting, about 1826 or 28-we have not the date-damed the stream and built a saw-mill. Mr. Whiting's enterprise was not a success for the reason that his works were set so low down on the meadow that he failed to obtain the full fall of water which the stream, a little higher up,
405
THE KELLOGG MILL.
afforded, while at the same time the lower part of his mill was exposed to inundation in times of high water. This mill, never capable of doing effective work, and but little used, stood many years unoccupied, and then, after short service as a carpenter's shop, was converted into a tenement. The dam long since succumbed to the force of the freshets and disappeared.
The Kellogg Mill.
We have made allusion to the cloth dressing works of Daniel Rathbun, established at the Kellogg Mill on the Green River, about 1760. Stephen King, then living on the Alanson Church place, owned the land on both sides of Green River at this point, and it is not improbable that he succeeded Mr. Rathbun in the cloth dressing business. The works, though still owned by Mr. King, were conducted by Major John Kellogg, apparently as early as 1776. Stephen King conveyed to Major Kellogg-November 4, 1779-for the consid- eration of £4, 10s., one-half acre of land on the west side of the stream, with the fulling mill and building, and the privilege of "turning and fixing water for said mill." Major Kellogg carried on the business of cloth dressing during his life time, and it was continued by his son, the late John Kellogg, and other members of his family, down to about 1835, when an upper story was added to the mill, woolen machinery was intro- duced, and the Green River Manufacturing Company instituted the manufacture of satinets, which they, and after them Charles T. Kellogg, continued for sev- eral years. This manufacture was finally suspended and the machinery removed. Charles T. Kellogg then converted the building into a grist-mill, for which pur- pose it is still used.
The Leavenworth Marble Works.
Three-fourths of a mile above the Kellogg mill, on the Green River, is a quiet, secluded nook, on land now of J. M. Mackie, remote from the highway and formerly covered with a fine grove of sycamores-a favorite resort of the poet Bryant during his residence here. Here William Leavenworth-son of Doctor
406
HISTORY OF GREAT BARRINGTON.
David Leavenworth-conceiving the idea of utilizing the marble which crops out near the river, purchased land in 1828, and soon after erected a dam, and a mill for sawing and polishing marble. He also built, near by, two dwellings for the accommodation of his work- men, and a store house for the product of his mill. Mr. Leavenworth succeeded in obtaining some marble of good quality and finely variegated, which he pre- pared for market. But the product seems not to have compensated for the outlay. Mr. Leavenworth con- tinued the business for a few years and was succeeded by John Dixon, from Albany, about 1833-4, who oper- ated the works for a time, sending his product to New York, Albany and other places. It is said that the floor of the hall of the Revere House in Boston is from the marble of this quarry, furnished by Mr. Dixon.
This business, never very remunerative, was con- tinued as late as 1843, by Philip Barnes; but the works were soon after abandoned. The mills went to decay, one of the dwellings was burned, and the other, later, taken down; and now little remains to indicate the site of the works, except the bolt holes in the rocks, where the dam and foundations of the mill were secured.
The Seekonk Distillery.
We have already chronicled the improvements of water power and the erection of mills at Seekonk. In 1838, Alexander W. and Henry Sawyer from Cornwall, Conn., built a large addition to the grist-mill, and in 1839, began the erection of a distillery for the manu- facture of gin and whiskey. They also, the next year, built a store and put in a stock of goods. The distil- lery went into operation in 1840. The Messrs. Saw- yer were, about that time, joined by Charles Sawyer, and the business of distilling, milling, and merchan- dising was carried on under the firm of C. & A. W. Sawyer & Co. But by the death of A. W. Sawyer- in the spring of 1841-the failure of the firm, which soon followed, was precipitated. The property, not long after, went into the possession of Orren Curtis by whom-and later by his sons-the business of dis
407
THE SEEKONK DISTILLERY.
tilling was long continued. This distillery, though furnishing a convenient market for the grain of the farmer, for years cursed an otherwise attractive neigh- borhood with its effluvia and influences. The proper- ty again changed hands ; and though for fifteen years occasionally used for the manufacture of cider brandy, the distillery fell to decay and was taken down in 1881. Of the participants at the raising of the building Dan- iel Warner, an old-time resident of Seekonk, was the only representative at its demolition.
CHAPTER XXIX.
IMPROVEMENTS AT VAN DEUSENVILLE.
John Williams, a somewhat conspicuous character amongst the early settlers of the Upper Township, may be considered the pioneer in the improvements made at Van Deusenville. The proprietors of the township-December 19th, 1749-granted to Mr. Wil- liams "the stream, commonly called the Old Saw-Mill Brook, and land sufficient for an accommodation of setting a saw-mill and grist-mill on said stream, in case the said Williams erect and perfect said mills within the space of one year after the passing of this vote ; the same to remain and to be continued to the said Williams so long as he shall keep said mills in good repair and order."
The expression, "commonly called the Old Saw- Mill Brook," as applied to the stream-now the Wil- liams River-suggests an earlier occupancy for the purposes of a saw-mill ; but we have failed to find any record of improvements prior to those made by Mr. Williams, nor is any tradition of such improvements preserved. It is, however, well known that Peter Burghardt and others had a saw-mill on the stream, about two miles north of Van Deusenville, at an early date-the same afterwards owned by Dimon Bradley and his sons. The first mention we find of this stream is seven years previous to the grant to Mr. Williams, when it is called "Mill Brook" in the records, a name which it retained for many years, and until supplanted by its present title of Williams River. This name may be supposed to be derived from its occupancy both by
409
VAN DEUSENVILLE.
John Williams at Van Deusenville, and by Colonel Eli- jah Williams, who erected iron works upon it at West Stockbridge-then called Queensborough-in 1767. But the present name was not in use until after the erection of the iron works.
As we have elsewhere written, the Settling Commit- tee, in the original division of the township, did not lay out any land north of the Williams River at Van Deusenville, with the exception of one lot of twenty acres laid to David Ingersoll. This lot bounded south on the river, and included that part of the village lying east of the bridge. It was afterwards owned by Bill Williams, a son of John Williams, as was also another lot of twenty acres lying directly opposite, on the south side of the stream.
John Williams is supposed to have built his mills in 1750, within the time limited by the terms of the grant. His works consisted of a saw-mill and grist- mill, both of which stood on the north side of the stream a few rods west of the bridge, and near the present furnace dam. The saw-mill was west of the grist-mill, and the dam was a short distance above the present one. Mr. Williams had also a blacksmith's shop in that vicinity. His residence was three fourths of a mile south, at the late Mark Hollenbeck place. The locality was designated as "Williams Mills," later -sometimes-as "Williams Upper Mills," in contra- distinction from the works near the Great Bridge, to which, about 1760, Mr. Williams claimed a title.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.