USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Greenfield > History of Greenfield : shire town of Franklin county, Massachusetts, Vol. II > Part 4
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Benjamin Hastings's house stood on the high ground nearly opposite old Fort Stocking, on land afterward owned by E. W. Kingsley and now known as the Sanderson farm.
Wise Grennell owned the thirteen acre Spear lot in 1787, and there formerly stood upon it directly south of the High street graveyard, an old house occupied when I first knew it, by a painter called " Copal " Field. Mr. Grennell sold it in 1802 to Wilmot Mayhew and in 1809 Mr. Mayhew conveyed it to Thomas Morley who passed it on to the Reverend Ga- maliel S. Olds who neglected to have his deed recorded. Thomas Morley, was a pioneer in the western reserve, and went all the way to Ohio by ox-team. Mr. Olds sold in 1823 to Lemuel Spurr, who died and his executor conveyed it to Otis Spurr, a physician and son of Lemuel, who in 1835 conveyed it to Benjamin Spear. In 1837 Benjamin Spear deeded the same to his son, the late Daniel W. Spear, and at his decease it came to his son Howard W. Spear. In 1797 Mr. Wise Grennell sold a half acre from the southeast corner of this lot to Robert Cone, and also three acres on the east side of the road. Mr. Cone in 1808 conveyed this to James W. Hoxie, and two years later Mr. Hoxie sold to Oliver Potter, and here was born the late George W. Potter in 1813. Oliver Potter sold in 1821 to Dr. Alpheus F. Stone;
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STONE-TEMPLE-BASCOM
he in 1830 conveyed it to Thaddeus Coleman and Mr. Cole- man two years later deeded it to George W. Potter, who kept the old place until 1837 and then conveyed it to Daniel W. Spear, so that it again became a portion of the original acreage. The old well at this place was in use long after the buildings had gone to decay.
The Swartz place was known fifty years ago as the Stone farm. The greater part of it was conveyed in 1803 by Wise Grennell to Elihu and Rufus Severance, who in 1819 deeded it to Horace Severance and he the same year to Theodore Martindale. Mr. Martindale in 1825 conveyed it to Aaron and Joel Spaulding and in 1826 they deeded it to Dr. Alpheus F. Stone. In 1845 Dr. Stone conveyed it to his son Alpheus H. Stone who within two years had passed it on to his brother John C. Stone. In 1852 the last owner conveyed it to Henry M. Parker, his brother-in-law, who sold it to Charles Devens, who subsequently became of national fame. Mr. Devens deeded it to Reverend Louis B. Swartz, in 1859, and he re- moved to it, from Boston, many antiquarian treasures and portions of celebrated buildings, a part of which were unfortu- nately destroyed by fire a few years since.
Solomon Williams was formerly the owner of a large por- tion of the land now known as the Farren farm. His heirs conveyed it to Wells Childs, and Mr. Childs sold it to Noah Eager in 1797. He made it his home during life and willed it to his grandson, Philo Temple, the old drummer and danc- ing master. Mr. Temple deeded it in 1879 to his daughter, Frances Temple, and in 1881 it was purchased by B. N. Farren.
Several members of the Bascom family, early settlers of the town, were clothiers. Joseph Bascom, born in 1709 owned land about the west side of Franklin street running to Main. His son Joseph was a clothier and bought in 1796 of Joseph Stebbins land about the mouth of Fall river where he had a clothiers' shop. He sold a piece of land to Pierce Chase in
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ADAMS-DAY-MERRIAM
18II, who had a house there and did a large manufacturing business, which ended in his financial ruin, as elsewhere de- scribed in this work. In his old age Mr. Bascom conveyed his farm to his son Chester, who in 1825 sold the farm and manufacturing establishments to Lyman Kendall and Nathan- iel E. Russell. Their works were destroyed by fire in 1829. The large stone mill was then built and a good business car- ried on at this place. In 1834 the Greenfield Manufactur- ing Company was organized, and under the able manage- ment of Theodore Leonard did a profitable business until Mr. Leonard's health failed ; business methods changed and the property quickly went to decay. The Greenfield Manu- facturing Co. conveyed the property in 1872 to Marville W. Cooper, who sold it to Humphrey Stevens as the agent of the Turners Falls Company, who desired the pure water of Fall river for their paper mills.
In 1803 Andrew Adams, described to be from Warwick, R. I., bought twenty-five acres of land of Asher Newton and Caleb Lyon, lying on the west side of the old county road leading from Deerfield to Northfield. Within a few years he and his sons, George, Nahum and Peleg came to own nearly all of the land lying on that road between White Ash swamp and the top of Halfway hill, a large share of which still re- mains in the family name. Andrew at first built a log house just north of the Millard place, and afterwards a better one farther north. His sons were successful business men, the late Pe- leg Adams at the time of his death being the owner of the Mansion House, one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in the town. It is now the property of his son's wi- dow and her two daughters.
James Day, father of the late Captain Edwin E. Day, at one time owned the place where stands the house built by J. P. Morgan, and his house stood at the junction of the roads. He purchased this estate from Erastus Merriam in 1851, he having bought it of the administrator of his father's
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WELLS-BILLINGS-FLETCHER
estate in 1846. It came from the Adamses to the father (Joel Merriam) in 1736 and was sold to Andrew Adams by Pierce Chase in 1813. Mr. Merriam made brick several years, and ran the sawmill upon the little stream by the schoolhouse, formerly called Fall brook.
One John Boyington in 1790 obtained title to about ninety acres of land on Fall hill from John C. Stephens and Moses Ballard and by an execution against Captain Mack he took an interest in the mills at Fall river. He lived where what is known as the Millard place now stands. The estate went into the Adams family. Boyington was a Revolutionary pensioner.
In 1799 Joseph Mott sold to John E. Hall, a merchant of Greenfield, several tracts of land adjoining the Adams and Phillips lands, and he or some former owner built a sawmill on Fall river about a half mile above the present Gill road. The mill went to decay many years ago.
There were several small lots of land with old houses on them in the vicinity of old Fort Stocking. The northerly one was owned by Stephen Gates in 1802, and was formerly owned by Abner Wells who owned the fort and died there. Daniel Crosby, the long-time sexton of the town, married a daughter of Stephen Gates and at one time lived at the old fort. Heirs of Edward Billings, son of the first minister of the town, sold to Mr. Gates, he to Franklin Ripley, Mr. Ripley to Mr. Crosby, and he to Henry W. Clapp. In 1838 Albert Jones, jeweller, sold seventeen acres to Franklin Ripley on which were three houses and two barns. Daniel Crosby sold the old fort itself to Ansel Phelps in 1842. Mr. Phelps's exec- utors conveyed it to Hugh C. F. Smith in 1875, he to Daniel G. Shaw in 1877 and Shaws's estate to Walter A. Lee in 1887. Mr. Clapps's heirs sold about twenty-four acres of this land in 1881 to Henry H. Fletcher. The old buildings have all dis- appeared and modern homes now occupy their places.
Going north from the Adams district, as you cross Half-
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HASTINGS-PHILLIPS-BASCOM
way Hill, on the right in the lot is the Frank Hastings place and on the road the Wait place, the Waits being of the Hast- ings family. The Hastings of this district are all descendants of Seleh Hastings, son of the second Benjamin, the brave soldier, captain in the French and Indian wars, and a lieu- tenant in the Burgoyne campaign. They obtained their lands from their forefathers, and have occupied several small farms in this neighborhood.
On the west side of the road, on the hill, is the Lander place, on which have been two or three small houses, one owned and occupied in 1796 by Abner Mack, who sold to Phineas Jones. Isaac Jones owned one place in 1800. Ben- jamin Hastings, Jr., sold to Peleg Adams in 1862 and Mr. Adams to Benjamin D. Lander in 1866.
Micah Phillips purchased land in this vicinity as early as 1781 of Samuel Stanhope, David Smead and others. In 1798 Israel Phillips purchased of Moses Bascom seventy-one acres to which he added later eighty acres deeded to him by Calvin Frisbee. The Phillips house was a log one and was located near the bank of Fall river, some distance from the main road, and here he raised a large family of children who became worthy and honorable citizens of the town. One of the sons, Rufus S. Phillips, lived at the corner of Lampblack street and the cross road, and another, Noble P. Phillips, for- merly owned the McHard place. The descendants of these men live in the northerly part of the town.
Moses Bascom was an early settler of Greenfield, and owned large tracts of land in the northeast part of the town. About 1820 Dorus Bascom purchased the interests of the other heirs in his father's estate. The place where Abner N. Bascom lately lived seems to have been conveyed by Timothy Childs to Moses Bascom in 1774 and was owned in 1802 by Con- sider Cushman who made it his home until 1825 when he sold to Reuben Kenney. Kenney sold this particular piece in 1829 to Loranson Kenney, who in 1834 conveyed it to
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GRISWOLD-SAWYER-CLARK
Aaron Buddington. In 1841 Mr. Buddington sold it to Dorus Bascom and he in 1844 conveyed it to Elijah S. Bas- com who in 1861 deeded it to Abner N., the late owner. Captain Enoch Briggs resided here from 1834 to 1841.
The well known Griswold farm has been in that family since 1796, at which time Theophilus Griswold obtained a deed from Esther, the executor of the will of Dr. Thomas Williams of Deerfield. He added to his original purchase by obtaining lands from Elizabeth Rogers, Enoch Nickerson, Patrick Wells and Obed Wells, and by his will proved in 1822 conveyed all to his son Lyman Griswold. In 1863 Lyman deeded this farm to his son John Flavel Griswold, who in 1898 by his will conveyed the same to his nephew, Lyman W. Griswold. On this farm was a lampblack manu- facturing place which gave the name to the district.
Dorus Bascom sold to Henry Bascom sixty acres in 1827 and in 1834 Henry Bascom sold to Jared Newell. In 1839 Newell sold to Jonah Sawyer, who by his will proved in 186 1 gave the same to Sylvester J. and Melitta Sawyer, and in 1864 they conveyed the place, lying on Fall river, near the bridge, to Henry H. Turner. Mr. Turner in 1879 sold to Eloisa A. Wetherbee.
In 1807 Robert Clark bought of Samuel Johnson and of Moses Bascom land lying between the road and Fall river, and a little corner where the house stands, which came from the Griswold farm. In 1830 the house was conveyed to Ly- man Griswold, and in 1845 he conveyed it to Augustus B. Clark who, the next year, deeded it to Lyman G. Clark. In 1848 Lyman G. sold to William R. Clark, who in 1852 deeded it to Israel Phillips. Mr. Phillips deeded it to Elijah S. Bascom in 1863 and Mr. Bascom to Ralph H. Chapin in 1876. John Chapin purchased of Ralph H. in 1886, and in 1892 his heirs conveyed to Clifford Bourbeau, who sold it in 1896 to Arthur Mitzie.
Joseph Stebbins and Jonathan Arms owned land in the old
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CHAPIN-POTTER -- RIPLEY
Country Farm strip and sold to Rufus Hosley in 1807 on which he built his home. In 1834 he sold to Samuel Jennison, who kept it four years and conveyed it to Caleb Chapin who oc- cupied it during his life. At his decease he willed this place to his daughter Mary Chapin, who sold it in 1886 to Joseph Vanslet, who in 1889 conveyed it to Tuffield Lenois, and he in 1890 sold to Joseph Brow, and he in 1898 sold to Moses Tevier who immediately conveyed it to George C. Bourbeau.
The Moses B. Phillips place on the cross road was for- merly owned by Phineas C. Page who conveyed to Survanus Britton and he in 1844 sold to Barnard A. Newell, who deeded it the same year to Jason Brown. Mr. Brown deeded to Is- rael Phillips in 1861 and in 1870 Mr. Phillips conveyed it to his daughter, Caroline E., wife of Moses B. Phillips.
The late George W. Potter at one time owned quite a large tract of land at the southeast corner of Petty's Plain. From this land a most delightful view is obtained of Deerfield and its meadows and the mountains and hills beyond. This land was a portion of the first division of Inner Commons, and the first owner, as far as the Franklin County Registry shows, was Henry Sweet of Shelburne. He deeded it in 1802 to Moses Arms who held it two years and conveyed it to Daniel Wells, the father of the late Judge Daniel Wells. This purchase was a ninety acre tract. Mr. Wells purchased other lands between 1805 and 1810 from Calvin Burt, Moses Miller Mitchell and Robert and John Carey. In 1880 he sold to David Ripley, the first keeper of a bookstore in Greenfield, seventy-five acres, and this land became known as the " Rip- ley Farm." Mr. Ripley purchased largely of adjoining lands and after his decease in 1837 his heirs conveyed this farm to George W. Potter, March 14, 1848. Mr. Potter sold out this land as opportunity offered, in small tracts to persons who erected houses upon the premises. Meridian street was laid out upon this farm. That portion of the old farm re- maining unsold in 1877 passed by purchase to James H.
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HOYT-COLEMAN-WAIT
and Charles H. Potter and has recently been purchased by C. C. Dyer.
Jonathan Hoyt, or Hoit as he spelled it, moved from Deer- field to Cheapside about 1775 (before our record of deeds began) and built the large house overlooking the meadows, long known as the David R. Wait place. He was an inn- holder and his house was known as "the White Horse Tav- ern." He was born in 1728, became a lieutenant, was a Tory during the war, and died May 7, 1813. He willed this farm of two hundred and ten acres of land and another house and store at Cheapside and one at Greenfield to his son Cephas. When Cephas died in 1829 his estate was found to be largely indebted and all his large holdings were sold. Elihu Hoyt and Horatio G. Newcomb, administrators of Cephas Hoyt's estate, sold the right of redemption upon two hundred acres of land, two houses and other buildings to Hatsell Purple and P. L. Cushman, for $4,100. The Clark Houghton house to Isaac Abercrombie, for $375. The Clark Houghton store, adjoining the east side of the abutment of the Deerfield river bridge, to Mr. Abercrombie for $400. The Oliver Wilkinson homestead (now Edward Benton's) was owned by Mr. Hoyt and was cut up in pieces and sold to C. K. Gren- nell, Spencer Root, Ansel Phelps and others. He also owned the lot now occupied by M. R. Pierce and Peck, on Federal street, which was sold to Allen & Root for $150. Major Julia and Albert Smead bought a fifty acre pasture adjoining the Sweet farm in Shelburne, for $760.
Purple and Cushman sold the meadow farm August 29, 1831, to Reverend Henry Coleman, the celebrated agricul- turalist, for $12,000. He made this place his home until March 30, 1836, when he sold to Sylvester Allen, Cephas Root, Spencer Root and Franklin Ripley, for $14,300.
The syndicate immediately commenced to sell parcels of the land, the buildings and some of the meadow going to David R. Wait, who resided upon the premises until his death.
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ABERCROMBIE-WILLIAMS-SHELDON
Other purchasers were William Elliot, Rebekah and Hepzibah Wait, David Wait, Philo Temple and John Hibbard.
In 1877, after David R. Wait's decease, the home farm was sold at auction, and purchased by Robert Abercrombie for $10,100, and he still owns the greater part of his purchase.
The premises lately the home of Henry Wait were a por- tion of his father's farm (David R.), the house being formerly occupied by Richard E. Field as a carriage shop, and was located near the Boston & Maine railroad bridge, being moved to its present location when the abutments were built.
Forty acres of the Hoyt farm was sold to John Hibbard in 1836, and four years later was purchased by Major Orra Sheldon, who resided upon his purchase until his decease in 1878. He willed all his real estate to his son, George B. Sheldon, who has recently sold off a portion as building lots.
A large portion of the land easterly of the point of rocks was drawn by the heirs of Reverend John Williams, and owned by John Williams about the beginning of the past century. John Williams never lived at Cheapside, retaining his residence in the old street. Still he exercised a large influence in Cheapside affairs during the height of his pros- perity.
The old house standing between the highway and Deerfield river, east of the old tavern stand, was for years the home of Isaac Abercrombie, Isaac Abercrombie, Jr., and Ira Aber- crombie. Asiel, the father of Robert Abercrombie, kept the hotel. The Abercrombies were talented business men and were often called to assist in the administration of town affairs.
David Wait, 2d, known as " Lumber David " and " Round the Mountain David," was the occupant for many years of the farm just east of the point of rocks, more recently the home of Robert M. Snow.
The five acre homestead known as the Frank Park place, near the west end of the Montague city bridge, was deeded to
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BARDWELL-SAVAGE-PARK
Isaac Abercrombie by Moses Bardwell in 1836, by Mr. Abercrombie to Benjamin F. Savage in 1848 and by Mr. Savage to trustee for Mrs. Park in 1864, and continues to be the home of its whole-souled and good-natured proprietors, the Parks.
In recent years quite a little settlement has grown up in this vicinity, which has rapidly increased in importance since it became a part of Greenfield and especially since the advent of the trolley road. Quite a tract of the original Williams land has been plotted as Riverside Park, and many houses will without doubt be erected here within a short time.
CHAPTER XLVII
BURYING GROUNDS AND CEMETERIES
A T a town meeting held in Greenfield November 19, 1753, Benjamin Hastings, Daniel Nash and Jonathan Smead were chosen a committee " to agree with Samuel Munn for a piece of ground for a burying yard." The com- mittee purchased the ground according to their instructions, and obtained a deed from Mr. Munn of about an acre of land directly west of the Court House, about ten rods south from Main street, where now Miles street leading to the railroad station is situated. The ground was beautifully located upon a high bluff overlooking the Green river valley, but in later years had been encroached upon by neighboring landowners, and at last in order to get an easy approach to the railroad station, the property was condemned to public use, and the remains of those buried there were removed by family friends and descendants, or by the town authorities to other places of burial. The stones erected here showed the names of many of the earliest settlers of the town, among others the Reverend Roger Newton, D.D., who for fifty-six years was the minister of the town. Very many of the stones were placed in the Federal Street Cemetery.
March 7, 1768, Aaron Denio, Samuel Hinsdale and Ben- jamin Hastings were appointed by the town " to look out a proper place for a burying yard " and they selected the acre lying upon the west side of the highway leading from Deerfield to Northfield, east of the old meetinghouse place. This lot is still used for the purpose to which it was dedicated, and
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NORTH AND SOUTH MEADOWS CEMETERIES
[1768-1820
contains the remains of very many of the early settlers of the town, for a century ago, when Gill was a portion of the town of Greenfield, the old meetinghouse was considered to be near the centre of the town, and was the place for large gatherings of the people. The people interested particularly in these grounds have recently become incorporated under the name of High Street Cemetery, and have done very much to improve and beautify the place, and its appearance reflects great credit upon their efforts.
Without doubt the Lower Meadows Cemetery was the third place of burial selected by the people of the town. From an entry in the diary of a granddaughter of Thomas Nims, - who died February 4, 1793, aged seventy-five, I learn that the body of Mr. Nims was the first to be buried there, with the ex- ception of the body of a small child, who died some little time before. In this hallowed soil rest the remains of the Smeads, Armses, Nimses, Mitchells and others of the old families who settled on these rich meadows when the land first yielded of its bounty to white owners. For many years this yard was sadly neglected, but happily it has now come under the care of a corporation founded for its preservation, and creditable work is being done for its improvement. It is legally known as The South Meadow Cemetery Corporation.
In 1820 Asaph and Jesse Smead conveyed to Quintus Allen and others the small piece of ground now known as the North Meadows Cemetery, for the purpose of a general burying ground. The grounds were somewhat enlarged a few years since by a slight change in the highway, and have been put into excellent condition by those people who have especial interest in the place. A corporation has been formed which has the control of sufficient money derived from a fund provided for the purpose (which was largely the gift of the late Elijah Coleman, Esq., of Philadelphia, who was born in this vicinity), to enable them to keep the yard in its present beautiful condition. The managers take great pride in its neat
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' COUNTRY FARMS AND NORTHEAST CEMETERIES
1803]
appearance, and in the oft-repeated assurances that it is a model country burial ground. Many names known to honorable place in the town's history may be found chiseled upon the modest monuments standing in this yard.
The highway once existing, leading from the almshouse southwesterly across Green river to the Green river road, at the house of F. H. Ballou, was discontinued many years ago. On the banks of Green river near where the pumping station of the Greenfield waterworks is now located, and entered from this old road, is a small burial yard, where sleep in un- broken solitude the remains of some of the representatives of the oldest families of the town. Corses, Graveses, Armses lie here, who once figured largely in the business affairs of the community. During the life of the late Noble P. Phillips he always took care that this yard was neatly kept.
A small yard on the east side of the " old stage road," near the ancient Sage place, on land conveyed by Asa Chamber- lain, March 7, 1803, has been generally kept in quite good condition by the kindred of those people of that neighbor- hood who have been buried there. The soil is light and not conducive to that freshness and greenness which we love to see in the places where rest the remains of our loved ones.
As time elapsed it became evident that the village was to be at the town street, and not where the meetinghouse was built, and the ground first laid out as a burial place having been filled, the prominent men of the town purchased from Abner Wells, December 27, 1803, a portion of the land now composing the Federal street cemetery. An additional tract was bought of Calvin Hale in 1804, and a small piece near the brook has since been added to the original purchase, be- side the little square from the Sanderson farm. The original grantees were Ambrose Ames, Elijah Alvord, Jr., Jonathan Bird, Edward Billings, Caleb Clapp, Thomas Chapman, Dan- iel Clay, John Denio, Thomas Dickinson, Eliel Gilbert, John E. Hall, Timothy Hall, Hart Leavitt, Jonathan Leavitt, Cal-
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FEDERAL STREET CEMETERY
[1803-1850
vin Munn, Richard E. Newcomb, Thomas Norton, Proctor Pierce, Samuel Pierce, John Russell, Jerom Ripley, David Ripley, Benjamin Swan, John Stone, Rufus Severance, Daniel Wells, Abner Wells, Samuel Wells, William Wait and Oliver Wilkinson. This list will be found to have included most of the business men of the village at that period. The town erected a receiving tomb in this cemetery some thirty years since. It is incorporated, and the yard is still to a limited extent used for a burial place, by families who came here dur- ing the middle period of the town's existence. The grounds are well kept, and the interest in the care and management of its affairs are well sustained.
GREEN RIVER CEMETERY
In the year 1850 it was found that the old town burying grounds had become inadequate for the requirements of the growing village. A small lot of land was bought to enlarge the Federal street burying grounds, but that proved only a temporary relief. Early in 1851 steps were taken to form a cemetery corporation by association under the general laws, and seventy-seven persons, comprising the business men of the village, signed the agreement. The first meeting was called at the Town Hall on Federal street, May 26, 1851, at which Franklin Ripley was chairman. By-laws were adopted and officers elected as follows : Henry W. Clapp, president ; Henry B. Clapp, clerk and treasurer ; Rufus Howland, col- lector ; Wendell T. Davis, David S. Jones, Lewis Merriam and James S. Grinnell, executive committee.
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