USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Greenfield > History of Greenfield : shire town of Franklin county, Massachusetts, Vol. I > Part 44
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558
FIFTH MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE
[1789-1808
to the left up the eastern slope of the hills to the Shelburne line.
The road following up the Fiske brook was not built until many years after. The beautiful Gorge road takes the place of one running over the hills north of that ravine, and the road leading from Greenfield to Shelburne centre formerly commenced at the present home of Chas. W. Smead, and led directly up the hill to the west of the John Thayer place. This road was laid in December, 1775, and was forty feet in width.
May II, 1789. A road from the present Shelburne road was laid running north to the old road which ran by the old John Thayer farm to Shelburne (leading north from the Warren Potter place).
The Fifth Massachusetts Turnpike Corporation, among its members being several Greenfield men, was incorporated March 1, 1799, and built its road practically where our High- land avenue now is, and on by what is now Highland Park and the " Bears' Den " to the Montague City bridge, and thence to Athol.
In 1800 the county road was laid from Cheapside to Mon- tague City bridge around the point of rocks, and Deerfield also built a bridge across Green river, below the Russell works, and also the road across Petty's Plain. Montague City bridge was opened with a great parade in 1802. Travel was fast in- creasing, and stage lines had been established running through Greenfield, both north and south and east and west. About one hundred years ago Cheapside had all the importance of a small seaport. Before the opening of the " Upper Locks and Canal," it was the head of river navigation, and became the point of exchange of all heavy merchandise. Several stores were erected, and carried on large business with the the merchants and people of northern Hampshire and south- ern Vermont.
The road now known as Munson street was laid Novem- ber 19, 1808.
559
ROAD PROPOSED TO NASH'S MILLS
1800-1820]
The road leading from the old county road, just above the Griswold place (Lampblack street) to Fall river and Gill, was laid in 1802. Church street was laid out in 1815, and School and Ames streets in 1822.
In 1812 the road known as " Lover's Lane " (before all the timber was cut from its borders) was laid, starting on the stage road, " one rod north of Asher Newton's blacksmith shop," and running easterly over the hill to the old county road, just south of Halfway Hill.
A survey of the Meetinghouse Common (which has mostly disappeared) was made and put on record, April 6, 1807. It extended east, thirty-three degrees south from where the watering trough now stands, fourteen rods and four links ; thence north thirteen degrees east sixteen rods; thence southerly on the county road, nineteen and one half rods.
In 1817 a proposition was pending before the Court of General Sessions for laying out a road from near the house of Eber Nash to the house of Calvin Hale, which stood on Fed- eral street near where the high school building now stands. A committee of the town was chosen to oppose the laying of this road " in every stage of the business." The road was voted by the court, but its action was afterwards reversed.
December 8, 1817. A committee was chosen to advocate before the Court of Common Pleas, the laying of a road from near the house of Eber Nash to Main street between the houses of Thomas Chapman (where Chapman street now is) and Mrs. Bird (where C. L. Butler's house stands).
May 4, 1818. A committee was appointed to appear be- fore the Court of Common Pleas and obtain the discontinu- ance of the road laid between Eber Nash's and Calvin Hale's, and to favor the laying of a road from Nash's to Main Street. The committee succeeded in getting the first road discontin- ued, but the other road was not laid out.
April 3, 1820. What is known as the "Swamp road " was accepted by the town,
560
THE EARLIEST ROADS
[1754-1802
The road leading from Greenfield to Gill branched off from the county road just north of the J. P. Morgan farm- house, and running across the level land descended abruptly to the Factory Hollow. On the other side of Fall river it ascended just as abruptly to the highlands, crossing the little brook to the north, as can be plainly seen. It is related that a minister residing to the northeast came down to Greenfield to get a load of goods, and meeting many friends of whose hospitality he freely partook, he late in the day wended his way homeward, and coming to the top of the hill first de- scribed, he chained the wheel of his heavily loaded wagon, in order to safely descend the steep pitch. When he arrived at the bottom of the hill, he forgot that his wheel was chained, but succeeded in dragging his load to the foot of the steep hill on the east side of Fall river, but do his best, he could not get his team to pull his load up the hill. After trying several times, he went back to the mill yard where there was a man at work with a pair of cattle, and implored him to help him up the hill. The request of a minister could not be denied, and proceeding to the parson's relief, he soon discovered the reason why the half-exhausted team could not haul the load. When the parson discovered that his wheel was still chained, he tried to make his friend keep his secret, but the story was too good to be suppressed.
In 1754, the new town voted, " to allow Daniel Nash for work done on the Mill brook road." A committee of the town of Deerfield had in 1736 laid out a road ten rods in width, commencing at " Samuel Dickinson's house lot," at the west end of Main street and running northerly to Mill brook falls, and "so on to the town bounds " at Country Farms. A new layout of this road appears to have been made by the town in 1763. Tradition says that the first road leading to Mill brook, followed the line of the meadow fence, along the east bank of Green river.
The Fourteenth Massachusetts Turnpike Corporation, in-
561
THE PLAIN ROAD
1763-1802]
corporated March 17, 1802, was composed of Greenfield men. Their charter authorized them to maintain a road beginning at Munn's tavern, thence westerly through Greenfield street to the " west end of Colonel Samuel Wells barn," which stood where the large brick house on the north side of the street now stands, thence southwesterly to Green river (" where there must be a bridge "), then in a direct line to the south side of Solomon Smead's house (where Madison Woodard now lives), then by the most convenient route to the house of Colonel David Wells, in Shelburne, and so through to the west line of the county. The south Shelburne road connected with this at Solomon Smead's place, and ran much nearer this brook than now, from a point just south of the slaughter houses. The road was laid by the Court of Sessions, and was a county affair. The road leading to Wisdom (from Rev- erend Dr. Robbins's place) was laid by the town in 1808. The cross road from the Woodard place leading north to- ward the Smead bridge, was laid in 1789, and at the same time a road was laid from the east end of the Smead bridge, up the hill and across the land now used for the brick yards, to Samuel Wells's sawmill (Miller place). In 1773 the town laid a road twenty feet wide, commencing on the Colrain road just north of a house occupied by Solomon Dewey and ex- tending across " the great brook." through the plain to the house of Lemuel Smead, now F. H. Ballou's home. This was the " Plain Road " which was rebuilt as a county road a few years since. That road known as the " Barton Road " (formerly " proprietor's road ") across the northerly part of the town, leading from the house of Abner Arms (the S. B. Slate place) to the old county road, just north of Halfway hill, was laid by the town in 1782. The hill on this road leading up to Log Plain has been greatly improved since early days.
March 7, 1763. Voted " to Lay out a road from the West end of the Street to the Head of the Country Farm and to do ten days work on sd road. "
36
..
562
FEDERAL STREET
[1777-1790
Voted " to Lay out a road from Ensn Childs road over fall River, and so to the end of the Bounds & to do ten days work on sd road."
Voted " Lay out a Road from the Meeting House North and so to the end of the Bounds ten days work on sd road."
December 1, 1777. Voted " The Select Men Be a Com- mittee to Lay out a Road from the Great Bridge at Hay Meadow across Small Wells Land to Mill Brook Road so called if they think Best for the Publick Good." Un- doubtedly the selectmen thought it for " the Publick Good," for the road was laid, running up the hill directly east of the Smead Bridge, and across the ground now used for the brick- yards, to the north end of the present Elm street bridge.
March 29, 1787. The town laid a road from the North side of Petty's Plain, westward to the farm of George Grinnell, near the Shelburne line (up the brook by Woodard's slaughter house). This road has been discontinued. The same year a road was laid from Lieutenant Oliver Atherton's (C. W. Leighton place) to what is known as the Barton road. This was discontinued when the new road to Bernardston was built.
In 1788 the Court of General Sessions laid a road from Greenfield street to the meetinghouse,-our Federal street of to-day. The action of the court was hotly criticised, and a committee of the town was appointed to act in the matter " to remonstrate against sª road, or act as they think proper re- specting the same." The same year the town chose a com- mittee " to view the late road laid around Deerfield meadows (the present road to Deerfield) and the ferry and fordway, and make there report to the next December meeting." At the December meeting it was made the duty of this committee to attend a meeting of committees of the surrounding towns at Shelburne on the first Monday of January, 1789, and to "act as they think proper respecting said road." No report of this committee is found. This same year the town laid a road
563
THE OLD STAGE ROAD
1763-1819]
commencing at Abner Arms (Slate) place, by the present poorhouse, crossing Green river near where the pumping sta- tion now stands, and coming to the Green river road near the present Ballou place. On this road was laid out the Country Farms burying ground which by the discontinuance of the highway, is now far from any public way.
A road leading from the Barton road to the Leyden pastures, near the old Pratt place, was laid in 1792. The road leading through the meadows to Nash's mills and eastward as Silver street, was laid by the town in 1785, but must have been used as a highway much earlier, as in 1759 the town voted "to choose a committee to lay out a Road from the Cuntry road to the Meeting House Spot, and from thence to the Cuntry Road in the Meadows, and all other Necessary Roads Ac- cording to their Skill and judgment."
The road from the old meetinghouse, running north to Bernardston, was laid in 1763, and is one of the oldest in town. As first laid it crossed Cherry Rum brook some little distance to the eastward of the present crossing, and then winding to the westward came near the east end of the Sawtell Newton house, and bearing eastward past the log house of the first John Newton which stood on the east side of the road, it came just to the west of the Maynard house, and up the hill .on the east side of the Sawtell place. As it ran up the hill toward the north, it was some little distance east of the present way, and at the Samuel Pickett place (now Mrs. Bullard's) it ran around by the Indian spring, and from this spring Samuel Pickett took water for use at his distillery, which stood on the west side of the road. This afterward be- came known as the " stage road " over which about the be- ginning of the nineteenth century ran stages once a week between Hartford and Hanover, N. H.
In 1819 a road was laid out from the house of Samuel Newton, on Silver street, running north to the house of Elihu Allen, known of late years as the " Sam Hinsdale place," A
.
564
THE SHELBURNE FALL ROAD
[1819-1836
few people here had lived for many years nearly a mile dis- tant from any public highway. This road was extended to the Barton road some fifty years ago, and later to the house of David Chapin in Leyden. In 1822 Greenfield built the road from the Elijah W. Smith place to meet the new Colrain road which followed down the Fiske brook.
April 1, 1822. A road from Main street (School street) was laid out as far north as the brick schoolhouse (G. W. Avery's house) and from that street to Federal between the house and the blacksmith's shop of Captain Ambrose Ames · (Ames street).
September 10, 1826. Colonel Elijah Mattoon of Northfield was paid damages for injuries received " in coming down the hill north of Grey brook, in consequence of the road being out of repair." This was in the hollow by Captain Ames's house on Federal street.
In 1831, the commissioners on petition of N. E. Russell and others laid a new road through the swamp, from near the graveyard on High street to the Merriam place, and the old road around the swamp was discontinued in part.
In 1833 the road to Shelburne was built up the Wheeler's brook to the Shelburne line near Colonel David Wells's place, and the road leading from the John Thayer place directly over the mountain was discontinued.
March 2, 1835. A committee was chosen " to build a bridge across the gulf near the schoolhouse in School street." The county commissioners had laid a road (School street) as far north as Pleasant street, and thence east (Pleasant street) to Federal. The commissioners also laid a road (Crescent street) from the head of Main street over the mountain to Montague City bridge.
At the December meeting a road from the house of Elihu Allen (in the swamp) to the road near the Isaac Barton place.
At the December meeting, 1836, a road near the " Iron Works " (northeast corner of the town) was accepted.
565
THE COLRAIN ROAD
1837-1854]
April 8, 1837. The north end of Hope street was laid to about where the Franklin County Lumber Company mill now stands, and thence west to the Deerfield road, where the freight house now stands.
1837. The road between the houses of Charles T. Nims and Frank S. Kelly was built this year. The travel formerly followed the Plain road to land of the old Coleman place, then turned west toward the present Kelly place. The present road from the west end of Main street to the Smead bridge was also built this year, and the road then running across where the clay has been removed for brickmaking was dis- continued.
March 6, 1843. The town laid a private way from the old county road to the house of Rufus S. Phillips on Fall river.
February 20, 1847. Davis street was laid as far north as Pleasant street and Pleasant street as far east as School.
August 9, 1847. A committee was appointed to oppose the laying of a new highway commencing on the southerly side of Main street just west of where the Catholic church now stands and running to Mill street.
February 23, 1849. Franklin street laid out, bounded east on Henry W. Clapp's land. The fine elms were set out at this time.
November 2, 1852. One thousand four hundred dollars was raised to build the road in Pleasant street and for the change in location on the South Shelburne road (the elbow).
November 10, 1852. Union street was laid out, and Maple street from Union to High.
November, 1853. Two thousand five hundred dollars additional was raised to build the Conway road, laid by the county commissioners.
The new road near the Larrabee place leading to Leyden was built this season.
September 19, 1854. Devens street, Grove street and
566
NEW STREETS AND WAYS
[1858-1880
Conway street from Devens to Grove were laid out and ac- cepted.
April 17, 1858. Chapman street between Main and Pleas- ant was laid out.
1858. The road leading from the house of John S. Allen (Barton district) north to the Bernardston line, and Congress street were both accepted by the town.
June, 1858. The Conway road by Stillwater was ordered built by the county commissioners.
October 23, 1858. Congress street from Crescent street to the Deerfield line was laid out.
April 2, 1862. The road leading from Silver street to the Gunn & Amidon shops was laid out. It is seldom used since the shops were destroyed by fire.
February 19, 1866. Conway street was extended from Devens street to Main. Park street was laid out through the Clapp lot.
April 30, 1872. The road leading from the swamp road over Canada Hill to the Turners Falls road was laid.
June 24, 1873. Wells street was extended north to the line of the Maxwell farm.
October II. The town instructed the selectmen to oppose the petition of Dr. Field for a road from the lower suspension bridge along the mountain to the bridge at the mouth of Fall river. The petition was refused by the commissioners.
June, 1874. The sidewalk from Arms corner toward the railroad station and westerly to the railroad arch was relocated. Three thousand dollars raised to build Arch street.
September 1, 1875. Conway street was extended to Nash's mills.
April 1, 1880. Shattuck Square (name changed to Fort Square) was accepted by the town as a street.
May 8, 1880. The main drain on the north side of Main street from School street to a point forty feet west of the Col- rain road was located.
567
NEW STREETS AND SEWERS
1881-1885]
February 26, 1881. Sewers on Church, Union and Frank- lin streets located.
August 20, 1881. Sewers in Hope and Olive streets lo- cated.
Same day, Church street was widened two feet between Franklin and Federal streets.
October 31, 1881. Grinnell street was laid out.
Same day, Wilson avenue was laid out.
June 3, 1882. Maple street was extended from Union street to Federal.
June 10. Sewer laid through the ravine between Hope and Congress streets north of old jail.
Same day, sewers in Congress and Hope streets located.
Same day, sewers in Conway, Wells and Chapman streets located.
May 12, 1883. Leonard street was laid out.
May 26. Pleasant street was widened two feet from the High school ground to Federal street, on north side of street.
February 16, 1884. Ames street was relocated.
July 3, 1884. The county commissioners relaid the road from Clay hill to Petty's Plain. (See town records, “High- ways.")
Same day, east line of Wells street across the ravine was relocated.
August 7, 1884. School street was extended to a junction with Leonard street.
August 16, 1884. A sewer was located on the north side of west Main street from the Pond place to the Main sewer under Elm street.
February 17, 1885. Walnut street was laid out.
February 20, 1885. Highland avenue extended to the Deerfield line.
February 21, 1885. A sewer was located in Church street east of Union.
568
NEW STREETS AND SEWERS
[1885-1890
May 23, 1885. North line of Prospect street relocated.
Same date, sewer from Euclid Owens to Green river located.
May 30, 1885. Sewer located in Maple street between Federal and Union. Also sewer located on Wells street north of main sewer.
May 30, 1885. Sewer from Hollister's block in Main street to Davis street laid.
October 26, 1885. Sewer from Hope street to Green river located.
February 19, 1886. Mill street sewer located.
Same day, sewer from Mill street at Patrick Cummings to Green river located.
Same day, sewer from Franklin County Bank building, west on Main street and north on Conway to main sewer.
April 18, 1886. Sewer in Prospect street located.
August 21, 1886. Davis street extended to John Ross's land.
Same day, Garfield street extended west of Davis street.
Same day, School street extended from Leonard to Garfield street.
Same day, Solon street laid out. Sewer on extension of Davis street laid.
October 15. Highland avenue extended. James street laid out. Prospect street extended.
October 20. Grove street sewer laid.
October 22, 1887. Pond street was laid out.
October 29. George and Orchard streets were laid out.
February 2, 1888. Highland avenue was laid out as far south as Prospect street.
June 9, 1888. Davis street extended to north line of Blodgett's place.
June 23, 1888. Streets on the "Old Agricultural Grounds" laid out.
October 8, 1888. Sewer for Wilson avenue through the Dr. Osgood lot laid.
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569
NEW STREETS AND SEWERS
1890-1894]
February 22, 1890. 3 Street leading north from Maple laid out.
October 28, 1890. Street on Canada Hill laid out.
Same day, Davis street extended 12061/2 feet farther north.
November 29, 1890. Sanderson street laid.
May 28, 1891. North street relaid.
Same day, Chestnut street laid out.
June 1, 1891. Franklin street extended to Maple.
October 17, 1891. Commissioners relaid Garfield and Davis streets in part.
March 25, 1892. Lincoln street laid out.
September 24, 1892. Chestnut street extended east ninety feet.
Same date, Pierce street west of the Boston & Maine Railroad laid out.
Same day, Oak street laid out.
March 23, 1893. Riddell street laid out east from Federal to the brook.
June 23, 1893. Kenwood street laid between Federal and Davis streets.
Same day, Rugg place laid out.
Same day, relocation of a portion of Silver street.
June, 1893. The county commissioners relaid Elm street.
October 30, 1893. Norwood street located between Fed- eral and Davis street.
Same day, Davis street was extended north.
March 17, 1894. Right of way for Michael Sears laid out. Maple street laid out east of Federal.
March 24, 1894. Bounds of the following named streets were filed and recorded in the town records : Highways : Orchard, George, Highland avenue, Chestnut, James, Grinnell, Congress, Prospect, Franklin, Park, Church, Maple, Union, Sanderson, North, Riddell, Lincoln, School, Allen, Ames, Leonard, Davis, Pleasant, Walnut, Pond,
570
NEW STREETS AND SEWERS
[1894-1900
Pierce, Kenwood, Norwood, Devens, West, Moore, Shat- tuck Square (now Fort Square), Garfield, Oak, Wilson avenue, Wright avenue, Deerfield, Power Square and Power Court.
November 17, 1894. Hastings, Haywood and Pierce streets laid out.
August 21, 1895. Phillips and Beech streets laid out.
December 30, 1895. Shattuck and Cleveland streets laid out.
1896. Plain road was ordered by commissioners. New- ton bridge built, cost $9,200.
March 24, 1898. Laurel street laid out.
March 14, 1899. Spring Terrace was laid out.
April 2. Congress street, Traver Court and Hope street sewer laid ; also Mill street sewer.
April 27, 1899. State highway on Deerfield street laid out.
The minutes of the boundary of the town of Greenfield are recorded in " Highway " book, town records, page 184.
March 20, 1900. James street was extended at the south end to Hope street.
August 1, 1900. Relay of the road from the old cutlery works to Green river mills, along Green river.
Same date, Riddell street was extended east to High street.
September 22, 1900. Charles street laid across the Russell bridge west.
The foregoing memoranda includes but few of the roads laid by the county authorities, and not all which were laid by the selectmen.
The bridges built in the early days were cheap affairs, the abutments being built generally of logs, and not carried out of reach of extreme high water, so that it was not strange that new bridges had to be frequently built over that mad stream, Green river.
At the second town meeting the town voted " that we
571
FERRIES AND BRIDGES
1722 -- 1793]
would Repair the Bridge over Green River," and that has seem- ingly been largely the business of the town ever since.
BRIDGES
As the line between Deerfield and Greenfield existed until 1896, when Cheapside was set off to Greenfield, this town was, as a matter of course, deeply interested in the Connecticut and Deerfield river bridges, although they were built on Deerfield soil. From 1722, when the town of Deerfield chose a com- mittee to consult with Joseph Parsons, "about building a bridge," and the vote of the town in 1727, " to build a bridge at the first turn of the river below the crossing " efforts were constantly made to find some means to bridge the Deerfield river. In 1787 the new highway from Deerfield to Greenfield on the higher land east of the meadows, after violent opposi- tion, was laid out, and John Williams was granted the privilege to perpetually maintain a ferry where now stands the Cheapside bridge ; the old ferry at Pine Hill was abandoned, and Moses Chandler, the ferryman (father of Reverend Amariah Chandler, D.D.), and his boats moved down to the new location. In 1796, Jonathan Hoyt and David Smead petitioned the General Court for liberty to erect a toll bridge at the ferry place, and John Williams also petitioned for a charter for a bridge at the "point of rocks," a short distance below. The court ap- pointed a committee of disinterested persons, to survey and report to the next legislature, which committee reported in favor of Mr. Williams's petition ; but Hoyt and Smead ob- tained the charter, nevertheless.
The first bridge built over Connecticut river was erected at Walpole, N. H., in 1784, and in 1812 there were bridges at Hartford, Enfield, Springfield, Northampton, Hatfield, Sunderland, Montague, Northfield, Brattleboro and West- moreland. Sunderland bridge was opened October 13, 1812 ; 1792, specific repairs on the Iron works bridge, 1793, a new bridge was built over Green river at the mouth of Mill
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