USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Greenfield > History of Greenfield : shire town of Franklin county, Massachusetts, Vol. I > Part 25
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A special meeting of the town was held July 3d, at which voluminous resolutions were passed, condemning the war, and a committee was appointed to forward the action of the town to the President of the United States. The jail limits were fixed by the Court of Sessions, taking in all west of Clay Hill and Deerfield streets to Main thence westerly to Green river, thence southerly by the river to near the Deerfield line.
December 6, 1813. The first town meeting to be held in the new courthouse. At this meeting a committee was chosen to seat the meetinghouse and report at the ensuing April meeting. At that meeting the report of the committee was accepted, and it was voted that " the selectmen be a committee to provide seats in the meetinghouse for such persons as are destitute." This appears to be the last time the town voted " to seat the meetinghouse."
Eliel Gilbert announces that he manufactures gin of superior quality, for sale by the hogshead, barrel, keg, or smaller quan- tity. His distillery stood just north of where Mr. Hescock's house now is, on High street.
May, 1814. Agitation was begun for the building of a new meetinghouse. An article in the warrant to see if the town would choose a committee to fix on a location was voted down.
January 15, 1815. Voted, "That the Treasurer be di- rected to pay to Mr. David Ripley the sum of Ten Dollars & Twelve cents out of any money belonging to the Congrega- tional Society in said town, it being for balance due to him for the stove in the Meeting house." For fifty years the people of the town had attended services in the old meeting- house, travelling to and fro through the ice and snow of winter, and the sleet and piercing winds of early spring, with no con-
303
WARMING THE MEETING HOUSE
veniences for drying their clothes or warming their bodies, save by the little foot warmers which held a few coals, or a jug of hot water or a heated brick or hard-wood plank.
April 3. Church street was established through lands of Hart Leavitt and Abner Wells.
May. Perry & Mason are running a cotton mill in the upper part of the William Moore mill.
The Franklin County Musical Society of which Reverend G. S. Olds is secretary, held meetings in the different towns.
Asa Goodenough purchases the Munn hotel and Ebenezer Tucker is landlord at the Willard tavern.
Calvin Grennell makes chaises and carriages at the first building north of the Episcopal church. Pliny Russell has moved his carriage-making business to his new brick building two doors north of Mr. Goodenough's hotel. John Stone, Jr., druggist, is at Captain Morgan's store.
July 16, 1816. Reverend Samuel Taggart of Colrain gives notice that having served this district for fourteen years in Congress, he will not be a candidate at the coming election. Lyman Kendell has moved into his new store on the corner of Main and Federal streets (Hovey building).
May 22, 1817. Joseph Nutting, a Revolutionary soldier, died.
October 5. A heavy earthquake occurred.
November 5. The body of a man named John Gay was found in the woods in Gill. The body had apparently lain there about three months, and suspended to a small tree above it was a withe. The coroner's jury reported probable suicide, but after a few weeks, one Jesse Coy was arrested and exam- ined by two magistrates who held him for trial, but Coy died of typhoid fever in the jail before the sitting of the court.
Dr. Silas Long and Dr. Seth Washburn are the practising physicians in town.
1818. The Misses E. & H. Draper have established a young ladies' school in Greenfield,
304
LIST OF REVOLUTIONARY PENSIONERS
It is discovered that the large spring on land of Noah Eager (the Farren farm) near the Boston & Albany turnpike is " cathartic, emetic and diuretic " and very valuable as a mineral spring.
Oliver Wilkinson offers for sale a blacksmith shop a few rods north of the courthouse. " Three fires and a trip ham- mer drawn by a horse, in the same."
Jonathan Leavitt gives notice that he has received pension certificates for the following named persons (not all Greenfield men) :
Anderson, David
Munn, Calvin
Buck, William
Paine, Charles
Bacon, Philo
Powers, Stephen
Blakely, Caleb
Prentiss, Elkanah
Bullock, Israel
Paul, James
Briggs, Jacob
Pratt, John
Ball, Benjamin
Porter, Benjamin
Cooper, Isaac
Pike, David
Coleman, Niles
Rawson, Moses
Clapp, Eliakim
Rice, Nahum
Chapin, Isaac
Richardson, Joseph
Conant, Luthur
Reed, Isaac
Coming, Gershom
Robbing, Ephriam
Call, John
Robbins, Luke
Cutting, Earl
Stedman, Philoman
Cooley, Azariah
Snow, Solomon
Davis, Aaron
Stamford, Moses
Eddy, Ebenezer
Squire, Thomas
Emes, Charles
Smith, Israel
Fairman, John
Sanderson, David
Guild, Joseph
Smith, Asher
Delah, Graves
Thorn, Henry
Garfield, Reuben
Train, Oliver
Graves, Abner
Taylor, Stephen
Green, Peter
Taylor, Capt. William
Hebard, Asa
Thomas, William
Holden, Benjamin
Temple, Silas
Hayes, Aaron
Tenny, Josiah
Hamilton, Robert
Turner, Zadoc
Harding, Abijah
Thayer, Joel
Hale, James
Temple, Salmon
Hinds, Richard
Wilson, Henry
Jaquith, Joseph
Wheeler, Hezekiah
Kempton, Samuel
Wheeler, Russell
305
MEN OF '76
Kimball, Royce Lyman, Maj. Elihu Lester, Francis Lamb, Peter
Wheeler, James
Warren, Neverson
,
Wotton, John
Whittemore, Enoch
Lesure, Samuel
White, Levi
Lewis, William
Wood, Barzilla
McAllister, Benjamin
The names of forty-five other soldiers are given, who need proof of service. Thirty-two names are given as not being on the rolls. Forty-three other names are given as "not ad- missible."
20
CHAPTER XXVII
WAR OF 1812
F OR many years the British government had, as it was be- lieved, been covertly instigating the Indians in the north- west to make war upon the frontier settlements, and the British navy had boldly claimed and practiced the right to search American ships for alleged British seamen, often im- pressing American citizens while sailing upon the open seas, and compelling them by force to fight against people at amity with the United States, and acting in an unfriendly manner in various ways. ..
The feeling of animosity against England culminated when in 1812, the President laid before Congress the confessions of one John Henry, who had been employed in 1809, by the Governor General of Canada as a secret agent, with instructions to proceed to Boston and " endeavor to obtain the most ac- curate information of the true state of affairs in that part of the Union, which from its wealth, the number of its inhabit- ants, and the known intelligence and ability of several of its leading men, must naturally possess a very considerable in- fluence over, and will indeed probably lead the other eastern states of America, in the part they may take in this important crisis, to observe the state of public opinion, both with regard to their internal politics, and to the probability of a war with England ; and to observe the comparative strength of the two great parties into which the country is divided, and the views and designs of that (party) which may ultimately prevail."
John Henry's instructions also said, " it has been supposed that if the federalists of the eastern states should be success- ful in obtaining that decided influence which may enable them to
306
307
JOHN HENRY, BRITISH SPY
direct the public opinion, it is not improbable, that rather than submit to a continuance of the difficulties and distress to which they are now subject, they will exert that influence to bring about a separation from the general union. The earliest in- formation on this subject may be of great consequence to our government, as also, to be informed how far, in such an event, they would look to England for assistance, or be disposed to enter into a connection with us."
Henry's mission was entirely without success. So far as known, not one convert was made to accede to the views of the Canadian agent. His total want of success caused the British Government to refuse the remuneration demanded by Henry, and he divulged the whole scheme to the American government for the sum of fifty thousand dollars.
President Madison declared war with Great Britain, June 18, 1812. The legislatures of Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey, and the strong minority in Congress protested against the war. The course of New England in this war was neither patriotic nor creditable, but the war received the decided approbation of the people of the west, who had suf- fered untold miseries by Indian warfare.
The first campaign of the war was disastrous to the Amer- icans upon the land, but upon the water the gain was largely in favor of the Americans. The navy was largely increased, and maintained its superiority throughout the war, adding much to the prestige of the nation. When Congress met, the President frankly acknowledged the defeats sustained along the Canadian frontier, and entered bitter complaint against Massachusetts and Connecticut for their refusal to place the militia of those states under the control of the national govern- ment.
In 1813 an Embargo, prohibiting all trade with Great Britain, caused great distress in the commercial cities. The protest was so great that in April, 1814, its operation was suspended.
-
308
TREATY OF GHENT
The success during the second campaign had increased the confidence of the American people, giving assurance that they would ultimately succeed, when an offer to mediate, made by the Russian emperor, led to negotations for a con- vention between the parties. A convention was held at Ghent in 1814, and a treaty of peace was negotiated. While noth- ing was contained in the articles of agreement concerning the rights of neutrals or the impressment of seamen, those mat- ters were practically settled according to the American claims.
Before the news of the signing of the treaty of peace reached America, General Jackson had won his decisive victory at New Orleans.
In 1814, some portions of the Massachusetts militia were called out to defend the coast towns from ravages of the enemy. The British had landed at Castine, Me., and some other places on the New England coast belonging to this state, and three western Massachusetts regiments were called out and placed under the command of Brigadier General Jacob Bliss, of Spring- field.
Another brigade under General Isaac Maltby of Hatfield, on whose staff Franklin Ripley was Brigade Major, was called into service. David Strickland of this town commanded a company, in which Thomas Gilbert was an ensign. The draft was made Sunday, September 11, 1814, and the drafted men were ordered to meet at New Salem, there to be formed into companies and regiments. A general response was given to the call and on Friday, the 16th, the men marched for Boston, going into camp at Watertown, Monday, the 19th, at 4 o'clock P. M. Darius Martindale, one of the selectmen of this town, drove a baggage waggon for the Greenfield men .* The regi-
* Hooker Leavitt Esq. Treasurer of the town of Greenfield.
Pay out of said Treasury to Uriah Martindale fifteen dollars & sixty cents & charge the Same on the town Books. The same being expense Money for Transporting the Baggage of our Quota of Drafted Militia to Boston.
OLIVER WILKINSON } Selectmen
Oct. 31st, 1814.
THOMAS SMEAD of Greenfield.
309
CAPT. DAVID STRICKLAND'S COMPANY
ment was at Cambridgeport a few days, and then went into quarters at Commercial Point.
Roll of Captain David Strickland's company, Colonel Longley's Regiment, Mass. Vol. Militia, 5th Reg., 2d Bri- gade; service at Boston from September 13, to November 7, 1814.
David Strickland, Captain.
Lewis Scott.
Samuel Coolidge, Lieut.
Alvah Ballard.
Thomas Gilbert, Ensign.
Seth Munn.
Timothy Hall, Sergt.
Henry Tiffany.
Alpha Ryther,
David Boyden.
August Baldwin, ¥
Walter Smith.
Briggs Potter,
Samuel Newcomb.
Elijah Tryon, Musician.
Gorham Chapin.
James Barry,
Zorah Scott.
Zelotes Ballard, Privates.
Ephriam Stearns.
Zebina Billings.
Erastus Ryther.
Nathan Denison.
Ebenezer Nitingale.
Orlana Horsley.
Alvah Sheldon.
Samuel Starr.
Emerson Presson.
Amos Parsons.
David Guillow.
John Metcalf.
William King.
David Allen.
Rufus Foster.
Jonathan Bacon.
John Wilbur.
John W. Bissel.
James Babcock.
Onissimus Hastings.
Rufus Coolidge.
· Oliver Bissel.
Ashabel Newton.
Pliny Russell.
Alden Eason.
Cyrus Martindale.
Charles Kinyon.
Horace Morgan.
Abner Wells.
Israel Sheldon.
Ira Gaut.
Robert Barber.
Thomas Shattuck.
Josiah Haynes.
Ephriam Javery.
Zecheriah Nutting.
Robert M. Foskett. Ira Call. David Bliss.
Ralph Arms.
Amos Stewart.
Henry Newton.
Arad Towne.
Stephen Smith.
Theopholus Stone.
Robert S. Lanphear.
John Denison. Asahel R. Stanhope.
Newell Graves.
Elijah Ripley. Samuel Walker.
Cavin Kendall.
Ralph Clark.
Moses Rice.
Ripley Walker. Oren Ballard.
Ephraim Pratt.
Simeon Wheeler.
Ichabod Nelson.
Hosea Aldrich.
CHAPTER XXVIII
TOWN RECORDS, ETC.
"The hue and fashion of great days Pass and are gone like voices in a dream."
T HE President and trustees of Williams College having passed a resolution that it was expedient that the college be removed to some more central location as soon as they could obtain. the means, an effort was made to induce the college to locate in Greenfield. By February 3, 1819, eight thousand dollars had been subscribed. If located here the institution was to be called " Washington College."
December 6, 1819. Voted, " To raise money to purchase a hearse." Voted, "That the hearse be kept in the village suitably housed & at the expense of the village." Until this time, biers had been used for funeral purposes.
The committee for locating Williams College reported that Northampton was the most desirable place for the new location. The trustees voted to move when the subscrip- tions amounted to fifty thousand dollars. The amount was declared subscribed in November, and the trustees asked permission of the Legislature to remove, which was re- fused, on the grounds of unconstitutionality and inexpedi- ency.
A movement is now made to establish the Franklin Bank in Greenfield.
1820. John Lyscom, dentist, is located in Greenfield.
310
311
FEDERAL STREET FIRE
Calvin Grennell & Richard E. Field are carriage makers, two doors south of courthouse (Clay Hill). A public meet- ing is called for November 15, to organize an agricultural so- ciety.
April 9, 1821. At a meeting held for the purpose of vot- ing upon amendments to the Constitution, each of the four- teen articles received majority votes in favor of adoption.
In July, Jonathan Leavitt, Judge of Probate Court, resigned, and Richard E. Newcomb was appointed to succeed. Judge Leavitt was also at this time Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. Mrs. Polly Tripp, of Warwick, was indicted by the grand jury as a common scold.
November 23. George Grennell, Jr., delivered an address at the opening of the first bridge over Deerfield river at Shel- burne Falls. A large concourse of people attended. Prayers were offered by Reverend Messrs. Grout of Hawley and Spaulding of Buckland.
January 23, 1822. Bill for the establishment of the Frank- lin Bank (now the First National) passed the Legislature.
June 8. Great fire on Federal street. William Wilson's blacksmith shop, R. E. Fields's wagon shop, Geo. W. Mark's paint shop (over Mr. Fields's) were burned. The fire was ar- rested by the brick house owned by Lyman Kendall and occu- pied by Daniel Clay. J. & G. B. Parker sell at their cotton factory in Greenfield, cotton yarn from No. 5 to 20, and also sheeting, shirting and ticking.
William Wilson and John J. Pierce manufacture plows, and have their Franklin furnace running, just below Green River mills.
November 24. Voted, "That the Overseers of the Poor be a committee to assist Thomas Johnson in setting aside the will of Adam Johnson." Adam Johnson had willed his prop- erty to Amherst College; Thomas was a town charge.
Thomas W. Ripley, Sr., made this memoranda, August 22, 1822 :
312
GREENFIELD VILLAGE IN 1822
In Greenfield village there are,
Dwelling houses
80
Barns and corn barns,
73
Wood-houses,
57
Stores for merchandise,
14
Mechanic shops,
23
Congregational meeting house,
I
Episcopal church,
I
Court house,
I
Jail,
I
School house,
I
Bank,
I
Total buildings,
253
Families :
85
Men, viz:
Farmers,
IO
Traders,
9
Mechanics,
39
Lawyers,
IO
Tavern keepers,
2
Clergymen,
2
Physicians,
2
Sheriff,
I
Jailor,
I
Laborers,
IO
No business,
4
Total men,
90
-
Boys and young men under 21,
Females, viz :
Widows,
14
Married women,
68
Single ladies and girls,
182
Total females, 264
Total inhabitants, 484
130
Total males, 220
April 5, 1824. Voted, " That a committee be appointed to repair the causeway near Capt. A. Ames house at their discretion & be authorized to draw upon the Treasury for money to defray the expenses."
For many years at each December meeting the town had passed the following vote : " To restrain cattle from running at large from this time to the 15th of May next, and the re- mainder of the year from 8 o'clock, evening until sunrise in the morning." In December, 1823, the town voted "To restrain cattle from running at large throughout the year." This did not suit the people, and at a meeting held May 3,
313
A GREAT FLOOD
1824, it was voted " To reconsider the vote passed at the December meeting, respecting cattle running at large," and voted, " That all horned cattle except cows be restrained from going at large during the whole of the year, and that cows be restrained from going at large from eight o'clock at night until sunrise, from this time until the 15th day of October next, and from the said 15th day of October until the first of May next, cows to be wholly restrained from going at large."
February 10, 1824. Occurred a great flood, there being much snow and ice and heavy rain. Two bridges over Green river were carried away in this town, and one in Deerfield, also, the west bent and abutment of the bridge at Montague City, and eight other bridges across the Connecticut river. The dam across the Connecticut at the mouth of Millers river was also lost. Nearly all the bridges over North river in Colrain were washed away. The dams at Turners Falls and South Hadley were both swept away.
April 10. A great meeting was held at Northampton by men interested in fisheries on the Connecticut to protest against the rebuilding of the dams on the river. Resolutions were passed condemning the dams as having been erected in defiance of law and the rights of the people, and preparations were made to take legal measures to protect the interests of the public. Solomon Smead of this town was a member of the executive committee of twenty, who were appointed by the convention.
Three stages per week between Boston and Greenfield. Fare reduced to $3. Stage route between Greenfield and Wilming- ton, Vermont, opened two trips each week.
October 2, the ell to the brick house of Pliny Russell just north of Mansion house was burned. C. Stratton is, and was for many years the village dentist.
October 12. A passenger arrived on the stage coach sick with smallpox. He was quarantined, after many people had been exposed.
314
CANAL AND RIVER NAVIGATION
November 13. Pierce Chase, the mill owner at Fall river, committed suicide with a razor, aged 47.
December 7. It was discovered that the grave of Pierce Chase had been robbed of his body. This discovery caused great excitement, and the selectmen offered a reward of $200, for the conviction of the guilty party.
March 7, 1825. Voted, " That Alanson Clark be agent extra, to take care of the causeway near Capt. A. Ames."
The present travelled road from the house of Henry Briggs to Dwight Smead's in Shelburne was opened this year. A convention was held in this town by representatives of the different towns in the county, to see if some method could not be devised so that the poor of the county could be sup- ported in a county poorhouse. This town chose delegates, who were instructed to unite with other delegates in applying to the Legislature for power to consolidate the poor of the county.
Rev. Dr. Geo. Temple Chapman, late of this town was elected Professor of History, Transylvania University, Ky.
February 13, 1826. Amherst College was incorporated.
February 16. A large convention was held for the purpose of inducing Congress to open Connecticut river to navigation.
May 23. Isaac Newton, Jr., takes the hotel (Mansion House).
July 6. A large meeting was held at Adams (North) to advocate the building of a canal between Boston and the west by way of the Deerfield and Hoosac rivers. The new bridge at Montague City was completed September 15.
The directors of the Connecticut River Company submit a report containing estimates of the cost of opening to three feet of water 219 miles of river between Hartford and Barnet, Vt. (seventeen miles of which distance must be canals), to be $1,071.828.
FIRE.
Between the hours of 3 and 4 o'clock Saturday morning,
315
THE GREAT FIRE OF 1826
December 16, 1826, a disastrous fire broke out in a large quantity of charcoal, stored in the cellar of Strickland & Long's blacksmith shop, on Federal street, in this town. It was fortunate that there was no wind stirring, for if it had not been perfectly calm, the fire might have swept the village out of existence. As it was, in spite of the exertions of the citizens, both men and women, it spread to the south and west, and destroyed the dwelling house and barn occupied by Major Alanson Clark, the dwelling house of Mrs. Munn, and on the north, the cabinet shop and warehouse of Clay & Field, the store of Oliver Wilkinson (originally built by sub- scription for a schoolhouse), and the blacksmith shop and storehouse of Captain Ambrose Ames,-in all eight buildings. The loss by the fire was about $5,700, and the insurance about $2,000. The local paper says : " Owing to the great exertions of the Fire Company, with only one engine, assisted by the inhabitants in the vicinity, both men and women, the progress of the fire was arrested." The next day, Rev. Mr. Strong preached a sermon, with direct reference to the fire, and a large meeting of the citizens was held in Newton's hall in the evening, to take measures to assist those who had suffered by the great disaster. Committees to solicit aid and to distribute the funds received were appointed. It was by far the greatest calamity which had ever befallen the town at that time, and the local paper says : " It is a greater loss by fire, in proportion to the extent and wealth of this place, then we have ever known sustained by any village in the state."
December 4, 1826. Resolutions were passed in town meeting instructing the town representative to the General Court to take every honorable means to secure a charter for the extension of the Hampshire & Hampden Canal to the state line of Vermont.
In March, 1827, the Misses Draper's school for young ladies was opened.
Also a school was opened in town by Miss Charlotte Cat-
316
CANALS AND RAILROADS
lin, late principal of the New Salem Academy. (See Private Schools.)
Two large and enthusiastic meetings were held in April, favoring the opening of the Connecticut river to navigation. Another meeting was held in May for advocating the opening of the Farmington canal through Greenfield to the Vermont line.
A steamboat for river navigation above Hartford is being built. Canal meetings in the river towns between Northampton and Brattleboro were frequent. Canal surveyors were on the route in this town.
August 17. The iron works in Hawley owned by Samuel C. Allen of this town were burned. Extensive repairs had recently been made, and wrought iron was being manufactured there.
September 17. Captain Isaac Newton, an officer of the Revolution, aged seventy-eight, died. He was a very promi- nent citizen, and had lived in town fifty-seven years.
Rev. George Ripley, a native of this town, was ordained pastor of the Purchase Street Congregational Church, Boston, November 8. Sermon by Rev. Dr. Kirkland.
Kendall & Russell are manufacturing broadcloths and cassimeres, at Fall river.
Martin Smith is making guns, in a shop which stands in the rear of the lot where he has recently built a new two story brick house (Wm. H. Allen place). In 1829 he purchased the lot now occupied by the Grand Army Post, and erected that building which he occupied as a gun shop. He connected his well at his residence by a pipe with the shop, and sold the shop in 1836 to Wm. C. Clement, the right to use the water included.
Early in 1827 the citizens of Berkshire call a meeting to discuss ways and means for the building of a railroad from Boston to Albany. The matter was considered in the Legis- lature. Israel Smith, a Revolutionary pensioner, died Janu- ary 30, 1827.
317
THE MANSION HOUSE
The Greenfield Debating Society celebrates its birthday. Oration by Elijah Williams; supper at Colonel Gilbert's tavern (American House).
August 20. Greenfield holds an enthusiastic railroad meet- ing.
March 3, 1828. At the annual town meeting on motion of D. Wells, Esq. the following action was taken : " Resolved that this town disapproves of treating at elections, and that the persons elected to office be requested to abstrain from the practice at this and all future meetings."
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