USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Greenfield > History of Greefield, shire town of Franklin county, Massachusetts, Vol. II > Part 9
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756
THE MANSION HOUSE
[1830-1903
street and converted into the dwelling long owned and occu- pied by George W. Mark. Elijah S. Alvord kept the house in 1830. In July, 1833, Mr. Newton sold the Mansion House to Charles, son of Colonel Asaph Smead, who contin- ued as landlord until January 1, 1842, when he disposed of it to Asher Spencer and Barnard A. Newell. James Taggart became the landlord for a short time and was succeeded by a Mr. Brewster from Northampton. In 1843 Paul Chase of Brattleboro purchased the hotel and after four years' residence sold it out to George Field and Elijah Coleman, two young Greenfield men who were ambitious to become hotel keepers. Coleman soon retired with more knowledge and less money, selling his interest to Wendell T. Davis in 1847. Field kept the house until June, 1855, and sold his interest to Henry W. Clapp. Mr. Clapp purchased Mr. Davis's interest the same year. In 1857 the Mansion House was leased to Colonel J. M. Decker, after remaining closed for two years. In 1858 H. B. Stevens became the landlord and under the manage- ment of the family, which continued several years, the house gained a very high reputation among the travelling community.
In August, 1869, George Doolittle became the proprietor of the property and he added to the extension easterly where the old Ripley house had formerly stood, the intermediate section having been built by W. T. Davis about 1849. Un- fortunately Mr. Doolittle invested far beyond his means, and after a brave struggle against adverse circumstances, the prop- erty was closed out under foreclosure by the Franklin Sav- ings Institution in 1877, and bid in by Peleg Adams who had a subsequent claim, for $48,500, and about $1,700 unpaid taxes. By Mr. Adams's will the property passed to the widow and two daughters of his son, the late John A. Adams. George T. C. Holden was the lessee for several years, also Schoff & Thompson, and later William E. Wood, the present popular landlord. The house has sustained the good reputation gained for it many years since, and the citizens of
757
AARON DENIO'S TAVERN
1737]
the town are justly proud to hear it well spoken of by the travelling public.
Aaron Denio as early as 1737 was in possession of thirty- four acres of land, the easterly portion of which extended south from Main street eighty rods, and the westerly line southerly on the Deerfield road from Allen's corner, sixty-one rods. On this land, where the Masonic block now is, stood his house, which he kept as a hotel. He was partly of French origin and had many peculiarities and in another chapter of this work will be found several anecdotes of him. His house was also used for public meetings and in 1756 the town voted him £4" for beating the drum for meetings on Sabbath and other occasions." The General Court also granted him 200 acres of land for his valuable military services during the Indian wars. He died April 29, 1780. He was granted an innholder's license from 1740 to 1778, after which his son Battis was licensed until 1783, and probably continued busi- ness at the old stand.
In March, 1791, Jerome Ripley, merchant, who owned the old Hovey property, sold to Eliel Gilbert, saddler, the west- ern portion of his home lot, about three fourths of an acre, and he built thereon a house which became the nucleus of the old American House, although it was not called by that name until 1846. He kept a saddler's shop and in 1816 was licensed as an innholder and kept a public house until his death in 1830, when the property passed into the hands of Timothy Lathrop who married Colonel Gilbert's daughter Catharine. Timothy Lathrop was licensed as an innholder from 1830 to 1835, when Colonel David Wright succeeded him as the landlord. Colonel Wright was the old-time crier of the courts, and it is said that he would sometimes get just a little drowsy during the long sessions of the court, and more- over that at one time when suddenly awakened he greatly shocked judge, jury, lawyers and spectators by adding to the words used in closing the session for the day, " God save the
758
THE AMERICAN HOUSE
[1791
Commonwealth of Massachusetts," a terrible oath which it would be very improper to record. April 20, 1839 this prop- erty passed into the hands of William Keith who did much to improve it, and kept it until its sale January 11, 1867, to Sarah Simons. During the latter part of Major Keith's own- ership the hostelry was run by his brother, the late Charles Keith. David S. Simons in the spring of 1876 pulled down the old wooden structure which had stood for eighty years and erected the fine block now familiar to us as the American House. The hotel has been kept of late years by Eells Brothers, Henry Campbell, G. H. Chatfield, Oscar C. Allen, and F. A. Eells. The property is now owned by a syndi- cate and has recently been put into fine shape by the propri- etors, and Mr. Eells has an established reputation as landlord.
Besides the James Corse and Aaron Denio taverns which were located on the village street, there were several inns at different times in the meadows, and in other parts of the town. Officers of the Revolutionary War, returned to their homes, poor in purse, but rich in stories and interesting sketches of army life, which might entertain willing guests, seemed naturally to fall into tavern keeping as an occupation.
Captain Ebenezer Wells, born in Deerfield, in 1723, select- man of Greenfield for sixteen years, town clerk and treasurer, kept a tavern for many years at the Frederick G. Smith place, now owned by Frank Kingsley. He was licensed as an inn- keeper as early as 1746. He died in 1787, and his son Reu- ben was licensed in 1784, and kept a tavern at the Elihu Goodman place, now owned by Gilbert Corbin. Here, in 1787, the Shays men were compelled to come in and sur- render their arms to Captain Seth Catlin and take the oath of allegiance. Another son, Ebenezer, Jr., was also licensed as an innkeeper in 1781. So also was Asa Wells, a relative. The old Wells property fell into the hands of Joseph Sev- erance, who was one among others to be licensed as an inn- keeper in 1798. Reuben Wells and Elisha Wells, sons of
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759
OLD TAVERNS IN THE MEADOWS
1746-1857]
Captain Ebenezer, married sisters of Joseph Severance, and were both licensed as innholders between 1795 and 1804, presumably continuing business at the old stand, and at the Goodman place.
Samuel Hinsdale in 1746 was living at the place now owned by representative Frank Gerrett, and was licensed as a tavern keeper. He was born in 1708 and died in 1786. His son Ariel seems to have succeeded him as landlord in 1777, and he also married a sister of Joseph Severance. The Hinsdales owned a distillery, so could furnish pure liquors in unstinted supply. The stand passed into the hands Ebenezer Thayer and subsequently to Hollister B. Thayer and from him to Henry A. Ewers. It was closed as a public house when purchased by William N. Nims in 1857.
In 1805-6-7 Captain John Wells had license as an inn- keeper. He came up from Deerfield and took the Willard tavern. He was the grandson of Ebenezer the early settler of Greenfield. There were " three Johns " of the family name in this vicinity at that time. Captain John, " Bottle John," who lived just east of the " Bear's den," and John, son of Joshua.
Amos Allen appears as a licensed innholder in 1768. He had a few years before moved from the fortified house which stood where the Hollister house now stands, to the upper mea- dows, and built the Quintus Allen house (1766). He received a license for several years, but as his daughter Mercy married Joseph Severance and kept the Wells tavern, it is probable that he retired from the business in their favor, as they were nigh neighbors.
George Howland, who lived just west of where the River- side schoolhouse in Gill is located, had three sons, Seth, George and John. The Howlands were very early settlers in that part of Greenfield, now Gill. From 1764 to 1803 either one or the other of these Howlands had a license as an innholder. The place was undoubtedly a resort for the river men, and the opening of the canal upon the other side of the river might
760
THE OLD WILLARD HOUSE
[1770-1819
have rendered the location unfavorable for business at the Howland homestead.
From 1777 to 1792 Wise Grennell, who during a portion of this time, at least, owned what is known as the Spear lot, bounded east by High street and north by Silver, was licensed as an innkeeper. His house stood just across the road from the cemetery, but was torn down years ago.
In 1806 Ahaz Thayer purchased what is now known as the Long farm, and kept a country tavern. In 1811 he built the present house (the James R. Long place) and removed to it, where he continued his business of innholder, and warmed both the insides and the outsides of the attendants of the old meetinghouse on Sundays and town-meeting days.
In 1777 Lieutenant John Clark was licensed to keep an inn at what was known for many years as the Chester Bascom place, on the old stage road, where Fred A. Lamb built a new house a few years since. Lieutenant Clark sold to Jonathan Bacon in 1804.
Agrippa Wells (" Capt. Grip," of the Revolutionary army) took out a license as innkeeper in 1778-79-81. He was fined 40 s. for keeping a tavern without a license, in the year 1780. In 1801 he was living in the old Willard tavern, and had a blacksmith shop in connection with his tavern keeping. It was called the Wells tavern at that time.
Ruel and Beriah Williard came to Greenfield about 1770. How soon the " Old Willard Tavern " was built I am unable to determine, but Beriah Willard was first licensed in 1777, and Ruel Willard in 1781, as tavern keepers. This old hos- telry stood where the Franklin County National Bank now stands, and was kept by Beriah Willard for many years. He died in 1819 and willed his entire estate to his son, David Willard. The old tavern had many landlords : Beriah Wil- lard kept it many years and later, Amos Mansfield, Nathan Fish, 1813-14-15, Reverend Ebenezer Tucker ; he preached at the old church Sundays and sold rum the rest of the week,
761
THE WELLS, BROWNING AND OTHER TAVERNS
1791-1855]
according to a paper read by Deacon Charles L. Smead at a North Parish gathering a few years ago. Ruel Willard owned the Allen corner and the old Aaron Denio tavern stand.
From the Gazette & Courier, September 3, 1855 :
" The old Willard house, situated between Miles & Lyons shop and the Unitarian church is being taken down. It has long been a disgrace to Main street, occupied as it has been by the lowest class of foreigners and others."
This describes the passing of the old Denio tavern, its lo- cation being where the Masonic block now stands. It was owned for years by Ruel Willard.
Elisha Wells, before spoken of, had a license as innkeeper from 1795 to 1801. He lived in a small house which stood where Dr. Walker now lives, and I suspect was lessee of the Willard tavern. Jerome Ripley kept public house in 1791-2. He sold to Eliel Gilbert who built where the American House stands.
Ephraim Wells kept a country tavern in the meadows, just across the road from the old Goodman-now Corbin-place ; from 1812 to 1818, when Ephraim Browning succeeded him, Mr. Wells having died in October of that year. His ancient sign is preserved at the Memorial Hall in Deerfield, as well as that of Mr. Browning, his successor. Mr. Browning died in the spring of 1819, and Rebecca, his widow, was licensed as an innkeeper. This old tavern was burned February 8, 1820, and nothing but the celler hole remains to mark the place where it stood. The place was owned by Hull Nims.
In 1827 Colonel Spencer Root purchased from John E. Hall the place now known as the Hollister house, and threw it open to the public as a hotel which he called the Franklin House. It was only kept as a hotel for one year and was then purchased by a number of gentlemen, who organized the High School for Young Ladies.
Ebenezer Field and James Gould held licenses as inn- keepers in 1803; Joel Clark in 1816, and Elijah S. Alvord
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762
THE " WHITE HORSE" AND OTHER "INNS"
in 1830, but at what place or places (excepting Mr. Alvord) they carried on business I have not ascertained.
When the new county buildings were completed, the resi- dence of the jailor (now the Union House) became a licensed inn, and was kept in 1819 by John Mason, jailor; 1829-30 by Isaac Abercrombie ; 1831 by David S. Jones ; and after- ward by Seth C. Smith and by Charles H. Munn.
In 1865 Lyman Thayer, having had experience in keeping hotel in Wilmington, Vt., retired from his meadow farm, and purchased the place now known as the Elm House, and adding to the capacity of the buildings, opened it as a public house. It has had many occupants and owners since Mr. Thayer's death, but its reputation never was better than now as kept by Mr. C. P. Aldrich. The Franklin House estab- lished about 1850 by the late Amos E. Reed, has been much enlarged and improved by Henry Barnard and for the past few years has been under the excellent management of John Mead. The Germania House, kept at the old John Russell homestead, of fifty years ago, is a popular German house. The Albert, the Warner House and the Central are much later candidates for the public favor, and as yet hardly have a history.
The old David R. Wait place at Cheapside was built about 1775 by Lieutenant Jonathan Hoyt, a stalwart Tory, and he was for the remainder of his life landlord of the " White Horse Inn." He died in 1813, and his son Cephas succeeded to the great house and the broad meadows, but died insolvent in 1829.
The Abercrombie tavern at Cheapside did a rushing busi- ness while the flush times lasted at that thriving port of entry. It was kept several years by the late Nathan F. Henry, be- fore the Abercrombies purchased it, about 1830, but when the railroad took the transportation of freight and passengers from the river, the hotel business, like all others at Cheapside, faded away.
CHAPTER LIII
PHYSICIANS IN GREENFIELD
D R. Zecheriah Converse came to Greenfield from Kill- ingly, Conn., soon after the town was organized. In 1774 he was living upon the lot on the north side of West Main street where the brick house formerly owned by Major William Keith now stands. He was stricken with apo- plexy and died October 30, 1790. Rev. Roger Newton in his diary says of him : " A man who had been capable of doing good and peculiar for his contentment with small things-and refraining from resentful, reviling language and conduct towards mankind."
Dr. Edward Billings, son of the Rev. Edward Billings, the first minister of Greenfield, was born in Belchertown in 1750 and came to Greenfield with his father in 1754. He was graduated at Harvard in 1775, and the next year was licensed to preach by the Hampshire Association. He left the min- istry after a short time and studied medicine, and practised his profession in Greenfield and the surrounding towns until his death, which occurred May 8, 1806. He probably established the first drug store in Greenfield, which he sold to Caleb Clap and Dr. John Stone in 1792.
Dr. John Caldwell was in Greenfield before 1774, and at that date owned the farm of one hundred and five acres, since known as the Grinnell place, at the east end of Main street. He sold this place to Col. William Moore in 1787, and in the deed he is described as of Barre.
Willard in his history mentions a "Dr. White," but I have not been able to learn anything of him. Moses H. 763
764
GREENFIELD PHYSICIANS
White who married Isabella, daughter of Dr. John Frink of Rutland, who lived here in 1809, may have been a physician.
Dr. Joshua Rugg settled in Greenfield before 1784. That year he purchased of William Clark the farm now owned by Da- mon L. Fay on the west side of the Bernardston road, about a mile north of the four corners. He made this his home until 1801.
Dr. Samuel Flagg, Jr., was born in East Hartford, Conn., April 2, 1766, and was the son of Samuel Flagg of that place. He married Mary, daughter of Jonah or David Wyles of Bol- ton, Conn., November 23, 1790. He resided a few years in East Hartford, removing thence to Greenfield, and about the year 1798 to Bernardston, settling in the north part of that town, and practising as a physician until his death, July 30, 1804. In 1801 it was noted that he kept a hotel. He was buried with Masonic ceremonies, and judging from the pub- lished obituaries must have been a man much respected. His widow married second Simeon Allen in 1806. She was born in Colchester, Conn., March 25, 1767, and died August 1, 1845.
Dr. John Stone, son of Capt. John Stone, of Rutland, Mass., was born in that town in 1763. He studied medicine with Dr. John Frink of Rutland, and commenced practice here in 1787. He had a large practice here and in the neighbor- ing towns. I have before me his account book containing charges from January 1, 1790 to October 1, 1791-one year and nine months-covering one hundred and seventy-one closely written pages, averaging twenty-five entries to a page. His charges for a visit in the village or within a mile of his residence was one shilling. A visit to the north part of the town was two shillings, to Leyden five shillings, and to Col- rain six shillings. For extracting a tooth or " blooding" he charged eight pence, and for dressing a wound, one shilling six pence, including the visit. He allowed six pence per dozen for eggs, two pence per pound for mutton, six pence per pound for butter, the same for lard, four shillings a bushel
765
GREENFIELD PHYSICIANS
for wheat, nine pence a pound for sugar, six shillings a cord for wood, and one shilling five pence per quart for rum. He credits one person for fifty shad at three pence each and nineteen pounds of salmon at four pence per pound. He con- tinued his practice here until 1819, when he removed to Provi- dence, R. I., where he remained but a short time, making his final settlement in Springfield, Mass., where he died Septem- ber 12, 1838. He established a high reputation as a skilful physician, and was greatly loved and respected as a man.
Dr. Alphesus Fletcher Stone * was born in Rutland, Wor- cester county, Mass., May 7, 1778. In his younger days he taught school in Connecticut, and probably had a good com- mon education for those days.
About 1798 or 1799 he came to Greenfield, where he en- tered the office of his elder brother, Dr. John Stone. He continued his medical studies for about two years, and com- menced practice at Greenfield, on Christmas day, 1801. Here he continued in active business for fifty years, and became one of the most noted and successful practitioners in this region. He was famous as an obstetrician, and probably had a larger practice in that line than almost any other physician in the Con- necticut valley. He had a great reputation in the treatment of women and children, and was a man of most urbane and gen- tlemanly deportment, and was very popular among all classes. He was exceedingly systematic, and always punctual to ap- pointments. During the last twenty-five years of his life his consulting practice was very extensive.
He became a fellow of the Massachusetts Medical Associa- tion in 1814, and was one of its counselors for twenty-five years. He took an active part in the formation of the Frank- lin District Medical Society, founded in 1851, was one of its counselors, and served for some time as librarian. In 1813 he was elected an honorary member of the American Escula- pian Society of New York. In 1825 he received the hon-
* Centennial Gazette,
766
GREENFIELD PHYSICIANS
orary degree of doctor of medicine, from Williams College ; in 1849 was appointed by the Massachusetts Medical Asso- ciation a delegate to the American Medical Association ; and in January, 1851, was elected first president of the Franklin District Medical Society. Dr. Stone died September 5, 1851, aged seventy-three years and four months.
He was three times married. His first wife was a daughter of Beriah Willard, Esq., of Greenfield ; his second was Harriet Russell of Rutland, Mass .; and his third, Mrs. Fanny Cush- ing Arms, widow of George Arms, Esq., of Deerfield, whom he married about 1820.
His son, Charles P. Stone, was a graduate of West Point, and served during the Mexican war with distinction, rising to the rank of captain in the regular army. Subsequently he visited Europe to perfect his military studies. At the opening of the great Rebellion, in 1861, he took an active and promi- nent part, and received the commission of brigadier-general of volunteers. He commanded at the disastrous battle of Ball's Bluff, which reverse to the Union arms was more the result of errors on the part of the war department than of any fault of the commander. He soon after retired from the serv- ice, and subsequently visited Europe and Egypt, where he entered the army of the khedive, and, by his thorough mili- tary knowledge and soldierly qualities, won the high distinction of virtual commander-in-chief of the Egyptian army. He was born September 30, 1814, and died January 24, 1887.
Dr. James Deane .* " This eminent physician was de- scended from James Deane, one of the earliest settlers of Ston- ington, Ct. Christopher and Prudence Deane, his father and mother, removed early in their married life to Colrain, Mass., where the subject of this notice was born, February 24, 1801, being the eighth child of the family. From his early years he was a close student of Nature. His education was such as the common schools then afforded.
* Centennial Gazette,
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767
GREENFIELD PHYSICIANS
" When James was nineteen years of age, his father gave up the idea of making a farmer of him, as he adapted himself but indifferently to the duties of a farm life. For four years after attaining his majority he was in the employ of Elijah Alvord, Esq., of Greenfield, then clerk of the courts and register of probate. It was at this time that he occupied his leisure hours in the study of medicine, being a pupil of Dr. Brigham. In 1829-30, he attended his first course of medical lectures, given by celebrated professors in New York. In 1831, he received the degree of M. D., and immediately commenced practice in Greenfield, where he established an excellent reputation as a physician and surgeon. In 1849, feeling the need of addi- tional knowledge, he spent several weeks in New York study- ing the latest and most approved works. This was subse- quently of great advantage to him.
" His experience as a contributor to the press began in 1837, with a communication to the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, and continued until January, 1855. His correspond- ence with this publication was extensive and highly appreciated. He was a member of the Franklin District Medical Society and the Massachusetts Medical Society, serving two years as vice-president of the latter.
" Great as were his attainments in his chosen profession, he added new laurels by investigations in the fields of geology and ichnology, for which study the Connecticut valley offered excellent opportunities. He was interested in the " bird tracks " in the Old Red Sandstone. In 1842, specimens were forwarded to London, Eng., and placed before the Geological Society, and subsequently Dr. Deane was acknowledged as the ' first observer ' of the tracks, and the thanks of the so- ciety tendered him. During all these years he was busy pre- paring descriptions and drawings of new fossil specimens. A large amount of this work was presented to the Smithsonian Institute a short time before his death."
Assisted with means by the Smithsonian Institution he drew
768
GREENFIELD PHYSICIANS
with his own hand facsimiles of the fossil bird and animal tracks of this region and published an illustrated work upon this interesting subject. The cuts are almost perfect for their naturalness and accuracy. A copy of the work will be found in the Greenfield Library Association rooms.
Dr. Deane married, in 1836, Miss Mary Clapp Russell, of Greenfield, by whom he had three children,-daughters,-all of whom survived him. His death occurred June 8, 1858, at the age of 57 years.
On the 5th of August succeeding his death a public service was held in Washington hall in recognition of his life and services. Prayer was offered by Rev. Dr. Chandler, and an address was given by Dr. H. I. Bowditch of Boston. The Boston Natural History Society also passed resolutions of re- spect to his memory, and Dr. T. T. Bouve prepared a sketch of his life.
Dr. Amariah Brigham came to Greenfield from Enfield, Hampshire county, in 1821. He married Susan C., daughter of Col. Spencer Root. He remained in practice here for ten years and then removed to Hartford, Conn. He was the au- thor of several valuable medical works and stood well in his profession. He purchased of Dr. Seth Wasburn the place on the east side of Federal street now occupied for a high school lot, and in that deed he is named as a resident of En- field, Mass. He died in Utica, N. Y., about 1850.
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