USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Greenfield > History of Greenfield : shire town of Franklin county, Massachusetts, Vol. I > Part 24
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May 11, 1789. Voted " That the Selectmen be a Com- mittee to secure the Fishery at ye Falls between Montague & Greenfield or act as they think proper Respecting sª Fishery." (See article on Burham's Rock.)
December 6, 1790. Voted " That their be a sufficient sum of money Raised to Repare the Meeting House."
" That there be three Porches built to the meeting House." " That be a Committee to petition the General Court for a Lottery for the purpose of building a bridge across Deerfield River or act as they shall think proper."
" That Capt. Moses Arms Jos Wells Ensign Hull Nims be a committee to Vew the Road in Goddards Meadow and take such measures as they think proper to prevent the River's wairing into sª Road."
" Goddard's Meadow " is now owned by Jonathan E. Nash, and lies at the west end of the bridge over Green river, at Nash's Mills.
December 5, 1791. Voted " That David Smead Esq. and Wm Colman Esq be a Committee to meet the Committees from the adjacent Towns at the House of Beriah Willard in Greenfield on the last Tuesday of December next for the pur-
289
THE IMPARTIAL INTELLIGENCER
pose of adopting sum measures to effect a division of the County."
" To Rais nine pounds to purchase two Palls."
On the Ist of February, 1792, Thomas Dickman, twenty- three years of age, a printer from Boston, issued the first num- ber of the Impartial Intelligencer, which still survives in the Greenfield Gazette & Courier. William Coleman, a citizen of energy and means, was the moving spirit in the enterprise. The combined population of Greenfield and Gill at this time was about one thousand five hundred souls, and the village of Greenfield had become an important business center. Very little local intelligence can be gleaned from the columns of the paper during its early years, but full particulars of the wars in Europe up to a period from thirty to fifty days before the date of publication are faithfully gazetted.
From its advertising columns, we learn that Beriah Willard, Daniel Forbes, William Moore, Jerome Ripley, John Noyes, Jr., Hart Leavitt, Hall & Taylor, and Calvin Munn were gen- eral storekeepers, dealing in dry goods, groceries, and partic- ularly in New England rum, which they would exchange for all kinds of produce, etc .; William Wait wants an apprentice in the cooper's trade ; Thomas Dickman one in the printer's trade (which he found in John Denio) ; Elijah Alvord wants cherry tree boards ; Asa Strong would like those who wish to have their rye malted to bring it before warm weather sets in ; Jonathan Leavitt sells public securities, and Enfield Falls lottery tickets ; Obed Wells wants Silvanus Burnham, a run- away apprentice, returned to him; Zenas Severance is a tailor and makes buckskin breeches ; John Russell & David Ripley carry on clockmaking and goldsmith business ; Hall & Tay- lor make nails ; Isaac Merriam, the barber, wants to purchase human hair ; Lemuel Bascom and Noadiah Kellogg want a journeyman joiner ; Benjamin Francis wants rye and barley at the gin distillery near David Smead's; Jared George and Roswell Wells make brick a few rods west of Nash's Mills ;
19
290
THE TOWN OF GILL SET OFF
and the making of reeds is carried on one half mile west of the street at Dan Corss's; Caleb Clapp & John Stone, M. D., carry on the drug business at Dr. Edward Billing's store ; Levi Page announces that he has established a line of stages from Springfield to Dartmouth, N. H.
May 7, 1792. Voted " Not to purchase Burnham's Rocks." (See Chapter on Burnham's Rock.)
December 3, 1792. Voted "That the Town can be ac- commodated with one Meeting house."
" Not to move the meeting house."
"Not to build a meeting house at the N. E. part of the town." (Gill.) There was at this time a good deal of friction in that portion of the town lying north of the village school district, and west of Fall river.
March 4, 1793, voted "To Choose a committee not inhabi- tants of this town to settle the Difficulty subsisting in the three Northwest Districts for schooling in sª town."
" Colº Hugh McClalan, Sam11 Barnard and Sam1 Field be a Committee for the above purpose."
May 7, 1793. Voted "To accept the report of the com- mittee chosen by the Town to settle the Difficulty subsisting in the Northwest Districts for schooling in said Town."
The town then chose a committee to report some just measure for setting off the northeast part of the town into a separate district, and they made the following report : "That the North East part of the Town in the opinion of the com- mittee is entitled to such proportion of all the publick property in said Town as that part of the town was rated in the town tax for the (year) 1792, and that they Hold the same propor- tion in all the Debts and credits of said town as shall be sub- sisting at the time of their incorporation."
" That the middle of fall river so called be the Dividing line between the Town of Greenfield and said proposed Dis- trict and that the bridges on said stream be maintained in equal halves."
291
DIVISION OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY AGITATED
" If any dispute shall arise concerning the value of the meeting house in said town the same shall be appraised by an impartial Committee hereafter to be agreed upon by the par- ties."
" That the proposed District bear a like proportion of the last valuation made the past year."
" That the said proposed District shall maintain all such persons as have ever been inhabitants of said District and shall hereafter become chargeable as poor persons."
" To choose a committee to build a pound " and " that the pound shall stand on the green by the meeting house."
David Smead and Jonathan Leavitt were appointed a com- mittee to meet a committee of the General Court who were to examine the County in regard to a division of it.
December 17, 1793. Voted "To raise the sum of six pounds for the encouragement of singing the year ensuing."
March 10, 1794. Voted " To seat the meeting house."
" That £ 20 on the list be considered equal to one years age in seating the meeting house."
There was some hitch in the settlement of affairs with the new town of Gill, which had been incorporated September 28, 1793. Esq. David Smead had resigned as one of the committee chosen to settle the differences, and Lemuel Smead had been appointed in his place. The committee made a report which the town would not accept, and the committee was directed to have the meetinghouse appraised.
December 1, 1794. Voted " To raise the sum of one hun- dred pounds for the purpose of repairing the meeting house." (See chapter on Old Meeting House.)
May 7, 1794. A town meeting was held for the sole pur- pose of protesting as a town against the allowance of the peti-
New business advertisements are: Timothy Hall, hatter, wishes to buy furs. Daniel Clay has established a cabinet shop on Federal street. Cooley & Henry appear as general traders. Ephriam Bound from Boston opens a bakery. Simeon Nash (at L. O. Hawk's place) wants to sell his blacksmith shop and farm. Wise Grinnell, near the meetinghouse, makes and sells spinning wheels.
292
TOLL BRIDGE AT CHEAPSIDE
tion of John Williams of Deerfield, to the General Court, for license to erect a toll bridge " over Deerfield River, at a place called rocky Mountain." A long protest worded in the strongest language was adopted by the town, and it was ordered that it be placed upon the town records, and a copy sent to the Legislature. The protest is in part as follows : " First, the inhabitants of this part of the County who are most Immedi- ately interested in the measure, are decidedly and unanimously against having a toll bridge over said river, the Town of Deer- field alone excepted, who would by such toll (bridge) be ex- cepted from the expense of keeping a free bridge in repair. But the Inhabitants of the Town of Greenfield cannot hesitate to express in the most unequivocal terms their decided disapprobation of the place where the petitioner pro- posed in his said petition to build the bridge. If a toll bridge must be built the place most convenient to the publick, past any kind of doubt, is that where the ferry is now kept. (Near Pine Hill.) that it will appear from the doings of a respectful convention from a number of towns lately assembled in Greenfield, for the purpose of collecting the sentiments of the people in the north part of the County, on the subject of the petition and making them known to the Legislature ; it appears to be their unanimous sentiments that as much as they suffer from the want of a bridge over said River they would prefer being without one for a longer time yet, than that the prayer of the said petition should be granted, and we, the in- habitants of the town of Greenfield are entirely in Opinion with them."
The petition of John Williams was not granted, but in 1797, that of Jonathan Hoit and David Smead was granted, and they and their associates were incorporated, built a bridge and for seventy years collected tolls, at the place called Williams Ferry.
The minister's wood was still a burning question, now about to be finally settled.
293
GREENFIELD AQUEDUCT COMPANY
December 7, 1795. Voted " To give the Revnd Mr. Newton seven shillings in lieu of each cord of wood that will become due to him from the Town during the time he con- tinues the minister of this town."
" Decemb. 7, 1795 .*
" I hereby signify my compliance with the above Vote re- specting my Wood, & that in the Lieu of forty four Cords of wood I am willing to receive yearly fifteen pounds eight shilings. " ROGER NEWTON."
March 7, 1796. Voted " That the wages for work on the highways for the months of May June July and August be one dollar pr day and five shillings for the month of April and four shillings for the month of September and three shillings the remainder of the year."
This is the first time in the records of the town, when money values have not been expressed in pounds, shillings and pence.
May 9, 1796.1 Voted " That the Town of Greenfield have no objections to the prayer of the petition of Daniel Wells & Others praying to be incorporated for the purpose of bringing
* 1795. The proprietors of The Upper Locks and Canal wish two houses built in Mon- tague. February 5th a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons was constituted in Green- field. Reverend Mr. Parsons of Amherst preached in the meetinghouse and after- ward the lodge was addressed by Isaiah Thomas (of almanac fame), Senior Grand Warden. Abner Smead and Samuel Lucas, tanners, want oak bark. Greenfield en- joyed a great celebration July 4th. The cavalry company under Captain Ambrose Ames, and the artillery under Captain Solomon Smead escorted the speakers, county and town officers and the clergy to the meetinghouse, where Richard E. Newcomb delivered an address. Hart Leavitt has retired from trade and Ozias H. Wells suc- ceeds to his business. Samuel Lucas's tan house was burned December 4. (Ga- zette.)
11796. Samuel Lucas sells his tannery (near the present gas house) to Samuel W. Lee, Oliver Wilkinson, Ozias H. Newton and Aaron Green form the new firm of Oliver Wilk- inson & Co. July 4th, celebrated at Munn's hotel. Rev. Dr. Newton delivers the ad- dress. Theatrical entertainment in Munn's Hall. Mr. Hogg of Boston played the tragedy of "George Barnwell " and " The Oracle." First meeting of the proprietors of Deerfield River Bridge. E. Lamb takes the Munn Tavern. Ezekiel Bascom es- tablishes the clothing mill. David Ripley has a book-bindery. Clapp & Stone make potash ; and David Wells is the miller.
.
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SEATING THE MEETING HOUSE
Water into Greenfield Street being granted, provided that the said proprietors agree with the owners of the Mountain for the Water." (See Chapter on Waterworks.)
April 1, 1799 .* Voted " To seat the meeting house."
Five of the votes passed by the town at this meeting related to the " seating of the Meeting house" which seemed to be the most important matter before the meeting.
April 7, 1800.1 Voted " That Abner Wells George Gren- nell Jerom Ripley Elihu Lyman & Dan1 Wells be a commit- tee to seat the meeting house."
" That two pews on the East side of the pulpit and one on the West side and Mr. Newton's pew be seated at the discretion of the Committee that six heads of families or twelve single persons be allowed to class themselves and be numbered ac- cording to their ages and property, agreeable to the last May list and by the rule adopted by the town at the last seating and them who do not class themselves to be classed by the committee by sª rule and that the classes so formed be allowed to choose their pews in rotation."
"To give Mr. Obed Wells twenty Dollars for his taking the lead in singing the last year."
William Starr, the miller, gives notice that he shall grind salt the 17th day of July, at Benj. Swann's mill. All salt
*April 16, 1799, the house of Thomas Chapman was burned. It stood about where Pond's new Chapman street block now does, and the old square house belonging to J. H. Sanderson now standing westerly of the Chapman street schoolhouse was erected in its place. The construction of the railroad caused the house to be removed and its first resting place was where Chapman street now runs, about on a line with the south side of the school lot.
Rates of postage in 1799 :
Under 40 m. .IO
Over 40 not exceeding 90 .12}
90 150 .17
66 I 50 300 .20
66 300 500 .25
There were three military companies in town. Captain Solomon Smead commanded the artillery; Captain Ambrose Ames the cavalry, and Captain Daniel Wells the in- fantry. Silas Wells carried on business as a tailor, and John Graves as a malster, at the place now owned by Charles B. Wells.
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CENSUS IN 1800
must be sunned one day before being brought to mill. By the new census Greenfield had 1,256 population,-173 fami- lies. New firm of Norton & Bird commence a general store. " Cash will be paid for beef bladders suitable to pack snuff in, at the printing office." (Gazette.)
CHAPTER XXVI
ITEMS FROM THE TOWN RECORDS AND OTHER SOURCES
"How short the space ! how much to do ! How few and brief the days of men ! So much to learn of false and true, And only threescore years and ten !"
M ARCH 1, 1801. R. Newton, librarian for "The Pro- prietors of the Library in Greenfield" requests mem- bers to return all books before March 1Ith, as the " Proprietors will meet that day at Munn's tavern." David Ripley keeps a bookstore in connection with other business. Clement Smith advertises a general store in Greenfield Mead- ows, near Joseph Severance's tavern. (This store stood on leased land near the present Parmenter house.) Holbrook & Hosford, Brattleboro, offer twenty cents per pound for Ginsing, and a bounty of one dollar on every ten pounds.
Tything men were chosen and a committee to seat the meetinghouse appointed.
April 5, 1802. Voted "Jerome Ripley, Capt. Caleb Clap & George Grennell be a committee to inquire into the situa- tion and expense of raising the ground in the road near Capt. Ambrose Ames's house."
The road from the street to the meetinghouse (now Federal street) was laid out in 1788. It crossed the little brook near Captain Ames's house by a small bridge only raised a few feet above the water. It seems that the highway surveyor in 1801 had made a contract with Moses Ballard of Gill, without in-
296
297
BUSINESS MEN IN 1803
structions from the town, to raise the road at this place several feet, building side walls to retain the filling. Either the job was not satisfactorily performed, or his charges were thought exorbitant, hence this committee. At a special meeting held May 5th, the committee reported, and the town voted, "Not to give Moses Ballard any further compensation for his service in making the road near Capt. Ames house."
In 1802 Dr. Newton reported that he had attended the funerals of fifty-seven children dying of dysentery in this town during the year. (See Vol. II.)
In the Gazette & Courier of July 30, 1860, Lucius Dick- inson gives the names of the heads of thirty-seven families living in Greenfield village in 1803. They were: George Grennell, Sr., Abner Wells, Caleb Clapp, Ezekiel Bascom, Hart Leavitt, Jonathan Leavitt, David Ripley, Aaron White, Calvin Munn, Samuel Pierce, Daniel Clay, Oliver Wilkinson, Calvin Hale, Richard E. Newcomb, John Russell, Sr., Am- brose Ames, Elisha Wells, Jerome Ripley, Eliel Gilbert, Thomas Chapman, Thomas Dickinson, Daniel Wells, Jona- than Bird, Elihu Severance, Rufus Severance, Samuel Wells, Timothy Hall, Silas Bell, Beriah Willard, Roger Newton, Ozias Newton, John E. Hall, Benjamin Swan, Nathan Draper, William Wait, Oliver Starr and Proctor Pierce.
April 4, 1803. Voted, "That Calvin Munn be a commit- tee to attend particularly to the road in the hollow north of Capt. Ambrose Ames house." This year and for several succeeding years the town raised money, from $ 20 to $ 60, "for the encouragement of singing," and appointed committees to expend the same.
December 3, 1804. Voted, "That the selectmen be a committee until another is chosen in their stead, to provide seats for those entitled to seats in our meetinghouse and are now destitute of seats in said house, and that sª committee have power to seat part of the galleries as they think proper." " Eliel Gilbert & Co. will put into operation one of the most
298
BUSINESS IN GREENFIELD MEADOWS
useful, & curious, and complicated machines ever invented by man, for breaking and carding wool-makes rolls-at the new grist mill of Swann & Munson."
"Clement Smith has moved his store in the Meadows to a building near Mr. Coleman's house, and Daniel Forbes opens a store where Mr. Smith had been."
Proctor Pierce (son-in-law of Reverend Dr. Newton) takes the corner store lately Newton & Green's. Aaron White keeps a shoe store. Oliver Cooley takes the store lately oc- cupied by David Ripley. Ebenezer Allen, Jr., and William Granger are the new blacksmiths.
April 1, 1805. Voted, " That the sum of twenty cents be given for each crow killed within the town of Greenfield from the first of April to the tenth of June, the present year."
Voted, " That William Wait, Daniel Wells & Solomon Smead be a committee to put springs into the meeting house windows."
December 2. Voted, " To choose a committee to rebuild the lower bridge over Green river." (Smead bridge.)
April. 15, 1806. Voted, " That Capt. Isaac Newton be a committee to sell the old pound." The pound stood on Elijah Alvord's land.
April 6, 1807. Voted, " That Samuel Pickett, Solomon Smead, Eben" Arms be a committee to build the bridge over Fall river at Chase's mills (Hollow) or contract with the town of Gill to join with them in making a road so as to make two bridges unnecessary."
Daniel Forbes offers for sale his store in Greenfield meadows, " or the city of Flanders." Daniel Clay is making twenty-four chaises. Prices from $100 to $300. Fare from Brattleboro to Boston on the new stage line, $5.75.
The Embargo went into effect in January, 1808.
April 4, 1808. The fifth article in the town meeting war- rant was "to see if the town will take into consideration the alarming situation of our country, and adopt such measures as
299
PUBLIC QUESTIONS OF THE DAY
they may judge necessary and expedient relative to our national concerns."
Voted, " That Jonathan Leavitt, Richard E. Newcomb, Jerome Ripley, Esquires, Capt. Isaac Newton, Maj. John Russell be a committee to take said article into consideration and make report thereon."
Voted, " That the house owned by the town be put into the care of the overseers of the poor of said town, to be sold, repaired or moved, as they think proper."
Honorable Jonathan Leavitt of this town was nominated Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas for Hampshire county in June.
A petition is filed in the Court of General Sessions repre- senting that the toll bridge at Cheapside is so laid that the entrance to the old fordway and the place of crossing on the ice is prevented, and praying that a new way may be made so that people may not be forced to pay toll when fording or ice make a free passage.
February 8, 1809. The second article in the town warrant reads : " To take into consideration the state of our public affairs, to express their firm and deliberate opinion of public measures, to petition the Legislature of this Commonwealth to exercise their constitutional powers in redressing the wrongs and grievances under which the people suffer, and if possible to grant them relief against the late unnecessary, arbitrary and ruinous violations of their undeniable and sacred rights, and in an orderly and peaceful way to adopt such other methods in relation to the public good and the preservation of our dearest rights and privileges as the said inhabitants may deem proper and expedient."
The preamble and resolutions adopted by the town cover nine closely written pages of the town book of records, and were drawn by a master hand, and their spirit and tone is in- dicated by the article in the warrant above quoted.
Voted, "That Col. Richard E. Newcomb, Col. Eliel Gil-
300
THE EMBARGO
bert and Col. Samuel Wells be delegates from this town to meet in convention at Northampton on the last Wednesday of this month with those who may be chosen from other towns in this County to take into consideration the state of our pub- lic affairs."
December 4. Voted " to raise the sum of twelve hundred dollars to build a house for the poor, maintenance of the poor & other contingent expenses." Under the authority of this vote, the committee of the town purchased of John and Silas Cook, for $180, a little place in the upper meadows, since known as "the old poorhouse," and lately as the Asa Kel- logg place, which did service until the present town farm was purchased.
September 12. At a large meeting of the inhabitants of the town the following resolution was passed : " Resolved that the inhabitants of Greenfield do hereby approve of the proceedings of Boston and other towns which have forwarded petitions to his Excellency the President of the United States for a suspension or repeal of the acts laying an Embargo, and we do most earnestly pray that the same may be repealed as soon as possible." A committee was chosen to have the same transmitted to the President.
A mail stage commenced running from Greenfield to Bos- ton, leaving this town Saturday at I P. M. and arriving in Boston Monday morning.
May 7, 1810. Voted, " That there be two gates erected on the road leading from Lemuel Smead's (Ballou place) to Guy Arms place." (Present town farm.)
Cyrus Martindale has purchased Ezekiel Bascom's cloth- ing works (opposite the present Wiley & Russell works) ; Robert Nash those at Nash's Mills. Lyman Kendell succeeds Samuel Holland in general trade.
The county of Franklin was incorporated May 24, 1811. Town action in relation thereto will be found in a separate chapter.
301
FRANKLIN COUNTY ORGANIZED
October 29. Sylvester Allen of Brookfield announces the commencement of his business career in Greenfield.
April 1, 18II. There was a smallpox scare, and it was voted, " That Dr. John Stone, Dr. Alpheus F. Stone and Jerome Ripley be a committee to superintend the innoculation of the Kine pox," and twenty dollars was appropriated to de- fray the expense of innoculation of poor people.
March, 1812. Beriah Willard offers the Willard tavern (which stood where the Franklin County Bank now does) for rent.
Eliel Gilbert, Ambrose Ames and David Ripley, a com- mittee of the Court of Sessions, call for proposals for the building of a courthouse forty-five feet by thirty-eight, the walls to be twenty-five feet high, of brick (the Gazette & Courier building). Also a jail to be built of timber, secured by iron, thirty-four by sixteen.
The town this year, and for several years previously voted to allow each man for labor on the highway the sum or ninety- one cents per day for the months of May, June, July and August, for the months of April and September seventy-five cents, and fifty-six cents for the remainder of the year. For a team, cart and plow, one dollar and twenty-five cents.
At a Court of Sessions, held at Greenfield, April 13, 1812, the following order was entered : "Ordered that the inhabi- tants of the town of Greenfield, in their corporate capacity, shall forever have the privilege of holding their Town Meet- ings, in the Court House about to be erected in said Town, by the County of Franklin, upon condition that the said Town shall pay to the said County the sum of five hundred dollars, in such time and manner as the said Court shall direct ; pro- vided however, that such meetings shall never interfere with the use of said building by said County."
The foregoing right was released by vote of the town, May 2, 1836, the county refunding the five hundred dollars.
A convention of delegates from fifty-six towns met in North-
302
A NEW MEETING HOUSE WANTED
ampton July 14th and passed resolutions condemning the war with Great Britain as neither just, necessary nor expedient, and urged the President to appoint commissioners to negotiate an honorable peace.
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