USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Greenfield > History of Greenfield : shire town of Franklin county, Massachusetts, Vol. I > Part 16
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180
ORGANIC ACT CONTINUED
[1753
a meeting for the choice of a representative, shall give season- able notice to the clerk of said district for the time being, of the time and place of holding said meeting, to the end that said district may join them therein ; and the clerk of said dis- trict shall set up in some publick place, in said district, a notification thereof accordingly, or otherwise give seasonable notice as the district shall determine.
" That the said district shall pay their reasonable proportion of all town, county, and province taxes already set on, or granted to be raised by, said town, as if this act had not been made.
" That the lands in a certauin interval or meadow called Cheapside which do now belong to Timothy Childs jun. and David Wells, shall pay their taxes to said district, so long as they are owned by any persons living within said district.
" That the first meeting house in said district shall be set up at a place called Trap Plain, where the committee of the town of Deerfield have fixed a white oak stake.
" That a tax of one penny farthing per acre be levied upon the unimproved allotted lands in sª district so soon as the frame of a meeting house is erected at the aforesaid place ; and also a further tax of one penny farthing per acre upon said unimproved lands, so soon as a minister is settled within said district, which taxes are to be employed for building said meet- ing house, and settling and supporting a minister.
" That the non resident proprietors of lands in said district shall be allowed to vote in meetings of said district with re- gard to building a meeting house, and also with regard to the salary and settlement that shall be given to a minister.
" That said district shall have the improvement of one half of the sequestered lands on the north side of Deerfield river, until there shall be another district or parish made out of the said town of Deerfield.
"'That the said district shall pay the same proportionable part of all County and province taxes that shall be laid on the town
1
1753]
CALL FOR FIRST DISTRICT MEETING IN GREENFIELD 181
of Deerfield, as there was levied on the polls and rateable es- tate within the limits of said district for the last tax until this court shall otherwise order, or set out their proportions.
" That no poor person or persons residing in said district, and who have been warned by the selectmen of said Deerfield to depart said town, shall be understood as hereby exempted from any process they would have been expos'd to if this act had not been made.
" That Elijah Williams Esq., be and hereby is impowered to issue his warrant, directed to some principal inhabitant of said district, to meet at such time and place as he shall appoint, to choose all such officers as by law they are impowered to choose for conducting the affairs of said district. (Passed June 9; published June 23.)"
The observant reader is asked to keep in mind the italicized words in the above copy of the organic act, and the fact that in this respect the act does not correspond with the report of the committee agreed upon for the division of the town. It should also be borne in mind that until after the revolutionary war, Greenfield had no separate representative at the General Court, to care for its especial interests.
" Esquire Williams promptly exercised the power placed in his hands by the General Court, by issuing the following war- rant for the election of district officers :
" Hampshire, ss. To Ensign Ebenezer Smead, of the Dis- trict of Greenfield in the County of Hampshire : Greeting.
" You are hereby Required in his Majesties name to warn all the freeholders and other Inhabitants of sd District qualified by Law to vote in the Choice of District officers to meet to gather at the house of James Corse in sd District on tuesday the third day of July next att one of the Clock in the after noon then and there after a Moderator is Chosen to Chouse all such officers as by law are to be Chose for the Manageing the affairs of sd District also to doo what Shall be thoat Nec- essary to be done in order to provide preaching in sª District.
182
RECORD OF FIRST TOWN MEETING
[1753
Hereof fail not and make Return of this warrant att the time and place Afforesd.
" Given under my hand and seal att Deerfield this twenty-six day of June 1753.
" ELIJAH WILLIAMS.
" Who am by Law authorized to Grant this Warrant."
No return upon the warrant appears upon the record, and the original has not been found.
The action of the District under the warrant is given in full.
Att a Legal Town or District meeting held Greenfield July the third 1753.
I. Benjamin Hastings was chosen Moderator.
2. Voted that Benjamin Hastings Should be town Clerk.
3. Voted Missers Ebenezer Smead, Samuel Hinsdell & Daniel Nash to be Select men and Assessors.
4. Voted that Ebenezer Armes Should be town Treasurer.
5. Voted Benjamin Hastings Should be Constable.
6. Voted Missrs. Nathaniel Brooks and Shubael Atherton to be tithing men.
7. Voted Messrs. James Corse, Jonathan Smead and Elea- zer Wells be fence vewers.
8. Voted Messrs. Amos Allin and Ebenezer Wells to be Surveyers of the highways.
9. Voted Mr. Aaron Denio Should be dear reaf.
IO. Voted James Corse and Amos Allin Should be Hog Reafs.
II. Voted Josha Wells Should be Sealer of weights and messures.
12. Voted Benjamin Hastings Should be Sealer of Leather.
13. Voted Messrs. Thomas Nims and Gad Corse Should be Field Drivers.
14. Voted Daniel Graves, Daniel Nash and Aaron Denio be a Committee to suply us with preaching for the present year.
183
INDEPENDENT GREENFIELD
1753]
Thus, one month after the date of the act of incorporation, the district of GREENFIELD is, after much tribulation and many trials, duly organized and fully equipped with a board of offi- cers, to take its place among the organized Districts of the Massachusetts Bay.
" You may crush, but you cannot kill, The patient sense of a natural right ; It slowly moves, but the peoples' will, Like the ocean o'er Holland, is always in sight."
I
CHAPTER XVII
RIVERS AND STREAMS
" Sweet are the little brooks that run O'er pebbles glancing in the sun, Singing to soothing tones."
T HE territory set off from Deerfield, to form the new district of Greenfield, was practically the same as that which now constitutes the towns of Greenfield and Gill, with this exception, that Cheapside, lying between the Deerfield river and the eight thousand acre line, was May 2, 1896, set off from Deerfield and added to Greenfield. For almost one hundred and fifty years, the eight thousand acre line had been the division between the two towns, although the territory lying between the river and the line had been constantly claimed by Greenfield as being equitably a portion of the territory which should have been set out to it in the division originally made.
That portion of this territory which is now Greenfield, con- sists largely of rich meadow lands lying in the valley of Green river and its numerous tributaries, and the uplands, lying be- tween these branches. There are gentle elevations, sometimes quite extensive plains, with now and then low hills covered with growing timber, which were originally heavily laden with immense pines, hemlocks and numerous varieties of hard wood trees. In several places within the limits of the town were quite large tracts of swamp land, which in early times were heavily timbered, and thick with underbrush ; for these were seldom burned over. Green river (or in the Indian tongue, Picomegan,
184
185
GREEN RIVER
or boring river) rises in the hills and mountains of southern Vermont, and flows through the westerly part of the town, from north to south. Upon reaching the more level section in this town, it discharges from its waters the rich alluvial soil gathered in its more rapid course among the hills of Vermont, thus forming extensive meadows, which were early occupied by the first settlers in the town. Near the southern boundary of the town the course of the river was obstructed by two ledges of red sandstone, over which the stream made consid- erable fall. These falls were early used by the settler for milling purposes, and are now the seats of important manu- facturing interests. The highest point of land in town is near its northwest corner, and is about 850 feet above the sea level. Beginning at the present southwest corner of the town, its boundary from thence to the Deerfield is the Sheldon brook, which rises in the Shelburne (or in Indian, “ Sun- sick ") hills, and its name has been prominent before the leg- islature of the state for many generations in the efforts of Greenfield to obtain Cheapside. Continuing northward along the western line of the town, the next stream, singing down by the south Shelburne road, is upon the maps called Smead's brook. It is a beautiful little mountain stream, which upon reaching the meadows was at one time diverted from its course, and its waters made to aid in turning the wheels of the mills on its sister stream.
The next stream north, known as the Wheeler brook, rises also in the Shelburne hills, and enters Green river just above the Newton mills. The road from Greenfield to Shelburne Falls winds along its banks, and half way up the mountain below the road, its waters make a picturesque little cascade.
Another little brook rises in the swamp at the foot of the Shelburne hills in the rear of the Lucius Nims farm, and finds its way down past the schoolhouse in District No. 2 into Green river. This is the little stream about which cluster memories of the characters in Mrs. Smiths' "Jolly Good
186
THE BROOKS FROM SHELBURNE HILLS
Times at School." It figures in the early records as the " Arms " brook.
Still going north, we come to the Allen brook ; this comes through the Gorge from the Shelburne hills, and is crossed by the Colrain road over a little iron bridge. This brook, until the flood of 1843, was but a branch of the Hinsdale or Fiske brook, which it joined near the new iron bridge, on the Plain road just above the house of Charles T. Nims. But the Hinsdale brook, during the great local flood of 1843, cut for itself a new channel from the place in the meadow where it turned to the south, and has ever since entered the Green river a half mile above its former bed. In the early records it was known as Brook's brook.
The Allen brook is locally celebrated for its great beauty, and justly so, for nothing can be more charming in the way of natural scenery than the constant succession of little water- falls, catching the eye of the traveller, as he ascends the wind- ing way up the brook to the Shelburne hills .*
The Hinsdale or Fiske brook receives the waters from a large area of northern Shelburne and southeastern Colrain, and at times is a madly rushing stream, but is easily affected by drought. In East Shelburne it furnishes power for the Fiske sawmill, and years ago there was quite a large woolen mill in full operation in the gorge, the property of a Shel- burne Jones family. Greenfield has legislative authority to take at any time the waters of this stream as an additional water supply.
Punch brook is a little stream taking its rise in East Shel- burne and Colrain and winding through the meadow in the rear of the old William Smead place, it finally enters the Hinsdale or Fiske brook. Fifty years ago this was a splen- did trout stream, its clear waters being alive with the spark-
** " I believe there is nothing in nature which so enlarges one's love for the country and binds it with willing fetters, as the silver meshes of a brook. "
D. G. Mitchell.
187
GLEN BROOK
ling beauties, but there is less water in the stream now, the level portion of lands through which it flows have been ditched, and its glories have faded.
The first tributary of Green river, lying east of that stream, on the northern boundary of the town, is Glen brook. This stream drains the southern part of Leyden, and has always been of great interest to Greenfield people. Until the hand of man entered into its royal gorge, to dispoil it of its native charm, it was celebrated for miles around for its wild- ness and picturesque beauty. In the summer it was the scene of picnics and pleasure parties from Greenfield and the sur- rounding villages, and the upper part of the stream was cele- brated for its fine fishing. Now it is the property of the fire district of Greenfield, and there has been a high stone dam built across the head of the gorge, and the wild and pictur- esque scenery robbed of its native charms to accommodate the two lines of iron pipe which supply Greenfield with its pure water. The distance from the dam to the village is about five miles, and the pressure of the water is sufficient at the village hydrants to enable the fire department to dispense with all mechanical means for forcing water to any desired height.
Proceeding easterly, there is a little stream entering the Glen brook just above the bridge by the town poorhouse, known in the author's boyhood days as " Aunt Mary's brook." It was a tiny stream, across which a person, so inclined, could step back and forth, and on days when it rained so hard that a boy could not saw wood, he could sally forth, barefooted and with breeches rolled to the knees, fish up this brook from its mouth to its head, and then down the McHard brook. Such trips never failed to give results entirely satisfactory to the fisherman.
The McHard brook, just spoken of, is a little stream com- ing from the Leyden and Bernardston hills, celebrated in early days only for its trout, and for the difficulty of getting
188
MILL BROOK
them because of its everlasting thickets. It enters Mill brook just above the Eddy mill pond.
Mill brook is the largest stream coming from the Bernard- ston and Leyden hills, and received its name from having at an early day been improved for mills. These were located at the considerable falls near its entrance into Green river, the place known as Nash's mills. Captain Turner with his little army May 19, 1676, crossed Green river at the mouth of this brook when going to attack the Indians at Peskeomskut Falls and upon his retreat was killed as he recrossed the river at the same place.
A tiny stream, coming into Mill brook from the east, forms the pretty little pond at the Barnard Newell place, and its waters here furnished power to blow the forge and turn the grindstones for the manufacture of axes by Russell S. Strickland, nearly a hundred years ago. Later some one manufactured steelyards in the same shop, but hand-made axes and steelyards have had their day.
The eastern boundary of the town is Fall river, a stream but little smaller than Green river, but no brooks of any size en- ter it from Greenfield. It was of much more importance a hundred years ago than now, as it furnished power for several manufacturing interests which have now gone to decay. The pure water of the stream is now taken across the Connecticut in pipes and used in the large paper mills at Turners Falls.
Driving from Greenfield to Gill as you pass through "the swamp " and down the hill to the Factory village you may hear
" A noise like a hidden brook, In the leafy month of June, That to the sleeping woods all night Singeth a quiet tune."
This little stream is referred to on the records in early times as Fall brook. It drains the eastern end of White Ash swamp, and this locality was the scene of stirring events
189
BROOKS AND BROOKLETS
at the time of the Falls fight. Even this little rill in early days had its sawmill, which was operated by Andrew Adams and his stalwart sons, Nahum, George and Peleg.
Cherry Rum brook flows from the west end of White Ash swamp, and continues westward discharging into Mill brook. The thickets which lined its winding way were cover for the Indians who attacked the retreating forces of Captain Turner, after the Falls fight, and near its northern bank some of the captured soldiers were burned at the stake. Nearly a century ago its waters turned the wheels of a sawmill, which was lo- cated just east of where the swamp road crosses the brook. Gunn, Amidon and Holland built the stone dam just west of the Boston and Maine Railroad, and here began the exist- ence of the prosperous business of the " Millers Falls Com- pany."
Near the eight thousand acre line, on the east side of Rocky mountain, there arises a large and remarkable spring, for the waters of which many years ago great medicinal virtues were claimed. Its constant flow is the nucleus of a small stream which empties itself into the Connecticut just above the Mon- tague bridge and at one time Noah Eager had a sawmill thereon, located just in the rear of Mr. B. N. Farrin's farm buildings, now occupied by Mr. Kells.
A most wonderful little stream, formed from springs under- lying the high land in the southwest part of the town, known as Petty's Plain, runs northerly and forms the little pond in the locality, named by Morris Munson, Fairy Land, and for- merly, after turning the wheels at the Rugg factory and at the Newton mills, entered Green river just above the iron bridge. Although but a span wide, it is faithful at all times, and is but little affected by storm or drouth.
Between the village of Greenfield and the Connecticut river, extending from the mouth of Fall river to the banks of the Deerfield, is a most remarkable upheaval of volcanic rock, known as Rocky mountain. Its western side is at many places
190
A WONDERFUL SPRING 1
almost perpendicular, and rises some 250 feet above the gen- eral level of the village streets. At the western base of this remarkable ledge rise little streams, which joining, made in former times a sizable brook; this in the old records is called Grays, Grave, and Graves brook. In June, 1724, three men were ambuscaded and killed by Indians on a little branch of this brook now crossed by Lincoln street, and Deacon John J. Graves of Greenfield asserted that these men, being buried where they fell, caused the brook to be called Grave brook. The brook, formerly quite celebrated as a trout stream, is now the basis of the town sewer. It once boasted its sawmill, owned by Colonel Samuel Wells, which stood near where Elm street bridge crosses the stream, the dam setting the water back as far as the present Conway street. The southern branch of this stream was formed by a large spring still flow- ing in Highland park. It was once improved by the Green- field Aqueduct Company, and furnished water for many of the village places.
LOCAL NAMES.
Very early in the history of the town, local names became attached to its various sections, which were in common use until within the last half century. The whole section of country, now comprising the towns of Greenfield and Gill, was known to the people of Deerfield as Green River. In 1673, when the General Court, at the solicitation of Samuel Hinsdale and others, made to Pocumtuck an additional grant of seven miles square, which the liberal surveyors made to mean the Greenfield and Gill territory, there was a restriction that there be " an able and orthodox minister settled among them within three years " and that a " a farme of two hundred and fifty acres be laid out for the country's use." So the sur- veyors set out a strip eighteen and one half rods in width, stretching from the Connecticut river to the seven mile line, across the north part of the seven miles square, and called it
SHELDON'S BROOK-BLAKELY HOLLOW-NASH'S MILLS 191
the Country Farm. But the name only became attached to that locality which has been known for many years as the Country Farms school district. This was perhaps the most ancient local name given to any section of the town, though the high tableland lately annexed from Deerfield, known as " Petty's Plain," may have been so distinguished before this. This section was in early times covered with large pine tim- ber, the underbrush of which was kept subdued by an annual burning over by the Indians, and it was through these great pines that the Deerfield captives of 1704 passed on their first night of horror, as prisoners of De Rouville and his French and Indians. Sheldon's brook and Blakeley's Hollow are in this immediate vicinity, the latter getting its name from one John Blackler, a soldier of Burgoyne, who straggled from the line of prisoners on their march to Boston, and settled there. The whole region is known in Deerfield records as Little Hope.
The road from Greenfield to Shelburne Falls runs through The Gulf ; and the Lower Meadows and the Upper Meadows have been the name of school districts for more than a hundred years. That portion of the Upper Meadows, where Frank Gerrett resides, was in early times called Flan- ders, the name having been occasioned by its being at one time the residence of a man who was more profane "than the army in Flanders." The high level land opposite the Wil- liam Smead place, was known as Irish Plains, and was for many years famous as a muster ground for the militia. This was the plain over which Benjamin Hastings and young John Graves fled when attacked by the Indians at Country Farms. Hastings declared that it was covered by sweet fern waist high, but that he went over the whole of it. Bassville, on the plain road, is a late name for the Stebbins locality. Nash's Mills obtained its designation from Daniel Nash, a member of the first board of selectmen, and the owner of the mills at that place. Music Hill, where Joseph P. Felton now resides, has
192
PUDDING LANE-FACTORY HOLLOW-CHEAPSIDE
long been thus designated, and from thence to Country Farms leads Pudding Lane. As you go east from Nash's Mills you ascend Science Hill (the upper story of the schoolhouse was built by subscription and for many years was used for select schools, now called " Chandler Hall"). As you traverse Silver street you wonder just where the counterfeiter's den was, towards which this street led. It was said to be somewhere " in the woods." The Swamp was that portion of the town near the Sam Hinsdale place, once the home of Elihu Allen, on whose farm stands the Eddy Mill. The north central portion of the town was early known as Log Plain, and was celebrated for its immense pine timber, the uprooted stumps of which formed a large proportion of its fences until within the last fifty years. Lampblack street was that portion of the old county road to Northfield which lies between Halfway Hill (just north of the George Adams place) and the Bernardston line. (See Manufactories.) Lover's Lane extends from this old road to the Stage Road which led from Greenfield to Brattleboro. Factory Hollow was at one time a place of con- siderable importance in the industries of the town. It was often called North East.
The great swamp lying between the village and Fall river was known as White Ash swamp. Its miry thickets were soaked with both English and Indian blood on the 19th of May, 1676. The first meetinghouse was located on Trap Plain, at a point supposed to be central in the "seven miles square grant " (now Greenfield and Gill). This locality was heavily wooded and was much resorted to by local hunters. The Old Indian spring a mile north on the stage road was particularly attractive to wild animals, and here a few years since was dug up one of James Corse's bear traps. Goose Lane extended from the old meetinghouse to Bernardston ; hardly a house on the road but what had its flock of geese. Cheapside was known under that name as early as 1689, and at one time barely escaped being the county seat of Franklin. Round the moun-
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POET'S SEAT-SACHEM'S HEAD-BEAR'S DEN
tain is fully described by its nomenclature, and seems now to be on the top wave of prosperity. The sequestered lands in- clude Judith's Point and Fort Hill and was the scene of the comical skirmish between the people of Deerfield and Green- field in 1767-8. In 1812 when the county jail was located just south of the present Union house, that vicinity obtained the name of Charlestown. Goddard's Meadow lies about the west end of the bridge over Green river at Nash's Mills, and Hay meadow at the west end of the Smead Bridge. Poet's Seat, Canada Hill, Sachem's Head, and the Bear's Den are well known localities upon the Rocky Mountain.
13
CHAPTER XVII
TOWN AFFAIRS
" God's in his heaven, All's well with the world."
O N the 7th day of August, 1753, a meeting was held to consider the question of greatest importance to our forefathers, that of the selection of a minister for the new district, and to make the necessary preparation for his settlement among them. For the purpose of due religious preparation for this important event, it was voted that the six- teenth of the month should be " sett apart and Kept by us as a day of prayer and Fasting." The action of the district in regard to settling a minister will be found in another chapter.
'At the same meeting it was decided that "two shillings a day in summer and one shilling four pence pr day in the fall be alowed to those persons that have done service for the District." The selectmen were made a committee to " pro- vide the District with school and school house as Reasonable as they can till the first of April next." A committee was also chosen to "act for us in a division of the Sequestered Land on the north side of Deerfield River and Likewise to agree with the town of Deerfield how the charge of the Com- mittee that Settled the boundaries of Greenfield Shall be paid and Likewise to inquired Whether we have not a just Chal- lenge to half the Lot in Deerfield Commonly Called the town Lot and doo what they Shall think proper and Likewise to Take Care that we have our half of the Rent for the present Year of the Sd Sequestered Land."
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