USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Greenfield > History of Greenfield : shire town of Franklin county, Massachusetts, Vol. II > Part 40
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The Davenport house was built by John P. Rust in 1852. Where the Washburn house is there stood the house built by Sylvester Allen and sold to Wendell T. Davis. This was later moved to Congress street, and finally came into the possession of F. E. Wells, and when the latter built his fine house on that street he moved the old house to Grinnell
* Grand Army Hall.
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street, where it has lately been sold to Mrs. Margaret Lawler. Next came the house recently bought by Dr. E. G. Best, once occupied by Sylvester Maxwell. Mr. Joseph Griswold's house was built by Franklin Ripley, then came Judge Richard E. Newcomb's house,* and the house on the corner was Francis Russell's. t
The house of the Grinnell property was occupied by George Grinnell, senior. When the new house was built the old one was moved up High street, and was recently bought by Assistant Postmaster Charles H. Slocomb. The present Pot- ter house belonged to Henry W. Clapp. It was the only house on the square formed by Main, Franklin, High and Church streets. This whole square once had a deep ravine, the upper end near Henry D. Packard's house. Mr. Clapp ex- pended thousands of dollars in draining and filling up this lot. He drained out the frog pond, where many Greenfield young people once used to skate. When Mr. William M. Wise built his house he hit a part of this drain in excavating the cellar.
Mr. Clapp set out the line of trees on the east side of Franklin street, and this job suggests to-day the accuracy of all his work. Mr. Clapp would never let a tree stand until it was set exactly in line. He has been known to take up a tree as many as four times because its position did not suit him. There was no house on Franklin street at that time, save a house at the north end, and Sylvester Allen's house, where Mr. William E. Wood now lives.
Next Mr. Wood's was a large old-fashioned house, which was built in the time when the Indians were feared, and was intended to repel their attacks. This was removed when Dr. A. C. Deane built his house. The building was constructed of heavy planks that would have repelled an Indian bullet. It was occupied by Richardson Hall, postmaster, and a brother- in-law of Nathan Hale, who was editor of the Boston Adver-
Now Franklin R. Allen's.
+ Now Wm. Henry Allen's.
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tiser. Mr. Hale and Mr. Hall's families used often to ex- change visits. Mr. Hall was postmaster under the Harrison administration.
The Judge Jonathan Leavitt house, now known as the Hovey place, had been a centre of society. There were young women there, and they naturally drew the young men. 1 The place had been famous as a centre of refinement and good society. Between this place and the Mansion House was the David Ripley house. When Mr. George Doolittle extended the Mansion House, this house was removed to Union street, where it was once occupied by John Keith and now belongs to C. C. Dyer. The Mansion House in those days only came to the west side of the Packard bank as it now stands. When the addition was put on by Wendell T. Davis and by George P. Field they left an archway to the stable, taking the place where the Packard bank now is. Later George Doolittle extended the building farther east. Henry W. Clapp finished the arch into an office ; the postoffice was once kept there by David N. Carpenter.
The Hovey building on the corner of Main and Federal streets was much as now. It was built in 1815 by Lyman Kendall, who came to Greenfield in 1810, he having been a clerk for the Dwight's in Springfield. He was a fine busi- ness man, and was a partner of the late Nathaniel E. Russell both in trade and manufacturing. He removed to Cleveland, Ohio. Next, and where the bank now stands, came Col. Phelps' book store. Col. Ansel Phelps was a man of the finest character, though his book store was not quite up to Mr. Merriam's. Then came a building in which Rust and Clark had a merchant tailor's shop, and in the second story was Whiting Griswold's law office, where I studied law. Peter T. Sprague's shoe store was next. John P. Rust was an enterprising tailor, active in both church and state. He was a good business man and left Greenfield and engaged in busi- ness in New York, where he accumulated a fortune.
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Next was the Bird building on the corner of Main and School streets. There was in the same building the shoe store of Dea. David Smead. All these buildings were several steps above the level of the walk. In the upper floor were law offices, including Mr. George Grinnell's office. Then came several low wooden buildings, for the sale of candy, harnesses and groceries.
In the old Pond block called the " Long house" was the law office of Davis, Devens and Davis. The postoffice was once about where J. G. Yetter's store now is, in the west end of the old Pond block. Where Charles N. Payne's drug store is was a driveway running into a livery stable and coach yard. David Long's house was near there. Then came the building occupied by Dr. Daniel Hovey. Then came the American House, now the Devens, once kept by Maj. Keith, then the low building called the Ripley building.
Near the present railroad arch was the Thomas Chapman place, from whom Chapman street received its name. This was a centre of social interest. Mr. Thomas Chapman's son, Henry Chapman was a man of ability and public spirit. He be- came much interested in the project for putting through the Troy and Greenfield railroad. When on business for that road at North Adams he was, taken ill and never recovered. Mrs. Chapman was also a social leader. The Chapman house now stands on Chapman street, nearly opposite the school. In the Elm house building George Grinnell lived. The Main street school was the old Fellenberg academy building. Part of the building was a dwelling house, and here I roomed for a time. On the site of the First Baptist Church Lucius Dickinson had a dwelling house, which now stands next in the rear of the church on Wells street.
At that time Wells street had not been laid out. Federal, School and Davis were the only streets running north. Judge Daniel Wells' house, now belonging to Dr. Wm. S. Sever- ance, has changed as little as any house in Greenfield. The
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site of Levi J. Gunn's house is the old Bird place. On the corner of Conway street once lived Edwin H. Clark. Here L. O. Emerson, the famous musician, once lived. The house was moved up Conway street, and is now occupied by M. J. Guilford. Where the hospital now stands was an old-fash- ioned farm house, where John Thayer once lived, owned by" P. P. Severance. The house was taken down.
A curious story is told about Mr. James Converse, who lived where the hospital now is. He had made an arrange- ment with some stone masons to do some curbing, but they broke their engagement because they wanted to work for Gov. Washburn. They told him Gov. Washburn was a bigger man than he, so they preferred to work for him. So Mr. Converse countermanded the order, and the curbing was never completed.
Mr. Lamb spoke of the old Bird place on West Main, which was a pleasant social centre. He then gave an inter- esting explanation of the reason why St. James Church is placed so near Church street, when there is so much room on the south. It appears that Whiting Griswold owned the place where the rectory now is and had a fine garden and hedge north of his house, which was greatly enjoyed by all the neighbors. The old wooden Episcopal Church then stood where the present church stands. When this church was sold to the Methodists, Henry W. Clapp tried to buy a rod from this garden, so as to move the church further south, but Mr. Griswold would not negotiate at all.
There are only four houses in Greenfield that I know of that are occupied by the same families or descendants of the families that occupied these houses at that time. These are as follows : John Horr's house on School street; Geo. W. Avery's place on School street, which was once occupied for the village school, with a meeting-place for the Masons up- stairs ; the Capt. Ames' house on Federal street, built by Ambrose Ames in 1793, now occupied by Selectman Ames.
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Ambrose Ames was one of the best known men in Greenfield, an honest, enterprising blacksmith, and was appointed post- master under Thomas Jefferson, keeping the office from 1804 until 1841. The character of his politics may be imagined from the fact that he had sons named Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. The fourth is the house of Alonzo W. McGrath on Pleasant street. His father, Alonzo P. McGrath, was a harness-maker and died much respected.
Pleasant street in those days was a lane, School street was also a lane, for the most part. There was a ravine there, and a sidewalk built on trestle, which one had to be careful in crossing.
There is no business man in Greenfield to-day who was in business when I came here.
Mr. Lamb at his lecture of May 26 devoted nearly all his time to a most interesting characterization of the men who were prominent in the life of Greenfield when he came here, and for some years after that time. He prefaced his talk by saying that there were a number of interesting buildings of which he had failed to speak in his previous remarks, and this omission he proceeded to supply :
The town pump 60 years ago, he said, was a public in- stitution of most important character. It was situated usu- ally in some place easily accessible, and in Greenfield the town pump was located on a well at the northwest corner of the common. It was a large, deep well, and one that never failed. This useful institution was particularly valuable on one occasion when there was a fire in Jones & Page's store, which stood where Arms' block now does. The town pump's value to the community is set forth in the charming little essay by Hawthorne.
At my previous lecture I remarked that the only building in the lot at the corner of Main and High streets was Mr. Clapp's house. I should have referred to the barn on the present site of Anson Browning's house. This barn is now
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on Arch street near the house of George Pond. It has the same cupola and weather vane, and looks much the same. On Federal street where Dr. A. C. Walker's house now is, was a two-story white house which has gone I don't know where. It was formerly owned by Thomas W. Ripley. On the pres- ent site of Dr. Halbert G. Stetson's house was a two-story wooden house owned and occupied by Cephas Root. This once took fire. There was at the time, of course, no good fire department, and buckets were the only fire protection. Two lines were formed to pass up buckets and return them, the water being taken from the brook. I had a place in that line. Next to me was a woman and she did her part nobly. The fire was put out. One man threw a mirror out of the window and carefully carried a pair of brass andirons down- stairs. The building was afterward moved over to School street and became the property of Deacon E. A. Parmenter. It took fire again, and was saved by the fire department. On the corner of Federal and Pleasant streets was then the low one-story house occupied by Mrs. Prentiss, since moved. The old St. James Church was erected in 1814, was sold to the Methodist Church, and was moved easterly on Church street at the head of Franklin, where it stood until the Meth- odists built the present church near the same site. S. W. Hall undertook to move the old building down Franklin street, but the selectmen interfered. He tore the building down, but the frame-work still stands near Nichols Bros. fac- tory. The house at the end of Franklin street where Waymes N. Potter's house now is was occupied successively by E. W. Kingsley and Theodore Leonard. The building now stands on Davis street near the old Wells' place, and it is said that the timbers are as good as when the building was first erected.
At the head of School street, near the site of the present building used as a High school, stood the place of Thomas O. Sparhawk, the druggist. Mr. Sparhawk was a man of much taste, and had his grounds finely laid out with flowers
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and shrubbery. On the west side was a clump of fine trees. When the High school was built, this stone house was torn down and the stone used in some cellar walls on Chapman street by Charles Keith.
Mr. Lamb then went on to his discussion of the men active in business and professional life in 1843-44 and thereafter. He spoke briefly of some of the younger men of that day, Dwight Bullock, James Alden, Josiah Day and others who conducted a lyceum, where affairs of the state and nation were discussed. He then went on to speak of three of the leading clergymen of the time.
Reverend Lorenzo L. Langstroth, pastor of the Second Congregational Church, was a gentleman of fine abilities, cul- tivated mind, a scholar and student. Aside from his theological studies, he was much interested in the honey-bee. He pub- lished a book "Langstroth on the Honey Bee," which I suppose contained about all known at that time that was worth knowing about the habits and treatment of the honey- bee. I well remember seeing him in his enthusiasm going among the bees with his helmet on his head, for friend as he was of the insects they would sting him. I have seen him many times watching the hives on the Dr. Joseph Beals lot next to mine. There was probably no better authority on the subject in the United States. He was also a student of anat- omy. I have heard him speak most interestingly of the hand and the fingers, showing how admirably each part was adapted to the work it had to do. He was a good preacher, not lively, but put his thoughts clearly and was worth hearing.
Dr. Titus Strong was a man of venerable bearing and gave the impression of a true servant of God, one who practised what he preached. He was worshipped by his congregation, highly respected in the town, was a scholar well acquainted in English literature, an admirer of Shakespeare, and lectured on that author very learnedly. He had the art of reading the Episcopal service in such a way as to bring out all the remark-
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able impressiveness of that service, not rushing it as some clergymen do. I remember the old parish parties that used to be a regular thing at the rectory. People came from Country Farms and the Meadows and outlying districts gen- erally, and all had a good time. Dr. Strong would make a brief address and read some of his own poetry appropriate to the occasion. He left a deep impression.
Another clergyman of the old school was Dr. Amariah Chandler, pastor of the First Congregational Church for forty or fifty years. Dr. Chandler was a man of few books and much learning. His sermons, written in a hand so illegible that no one but himself could read them, were delivered with great deliberation and impressiveness. Dr. Chandler did not care much about his personal appearance and his general look was that of a farmer or a laborer. It has been told that a gentleman once came to his house and inquired for Rev. Mr. Chandler. " I am Mr. Chandler," said the clergyman. " But I mean Doctor Chandler," said the visitor, not thinking this carelessly dressed man could be the one he sought. " Well," said the Doctor, "some people are sometimes so foolish as to call me Dr. Chandler." Dr. Chandler was a Democrat and a member of the constitutional convention of 1853. The Whigs nominated George T. Davis, but Dr. Chandler was elected. He was sick at the time the convention met. That gathering included as much of the learning and political ability of the state as ever came together. Lucius Nims asked Dr. Chandler if he did not feel hesitation in meeting all of these great men. " O, no," said Dr. Chandler, " I have seen many men, but I find that when they get their jackets off they are all about alike." He recovered in time to attend the sessions of the convention, and soon gained a high place in the estimation of that body, and was once spoken of as the " wise man from Greenfield." He once said that when freedom drew her last breath it would be among the hill towns of Franklin county.
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Mr. Lamb then went on to speak of the physicians of Greenfield. Dr. James Deane lived once in the house oc- cupied by the Girl's club, and used the addition toward Hope street as his office. He was much interested in scientific study and in the bird tracks at Turners Falls, concerning which he had very extensive correspondence with eminent scientific men.
Dr. A. F. Stone was a physician of the old school, gentle- manly in bearing, scholarly, popular among his patients. He rode about to make his calls on horse-back, carrying saddle bags. He was a fine horseman, though not quite as stately in appearance as Joseph Severance. At his death his horse was led with an empty saddle in the procession to the grave. Dr. Daniel Hovey, older than either of the preceding, made his visits on foot, with cane in hand. He had a good drug store where W. W. Partenheimer's store now is, and lived in the same building. Dr. Samuel Stearns lived near the North meetinghouse, and had a considerable practice among the farmers.
Mr. Lamb next took up the lawyers of the earlier days. He recalled Judge Richard E. Newcomb of the Probate Court, who was active in all political matters, and Judge Horatio G. Newcomb of the Court of Insolvency, a man of much the same character, who lived in the house on Federal street recently modernized by F. A. Pond.
Judge Daniel Wells was a noted lawyer who took a lively interest in all public affairs and who was senator and district attorney. He was appointed in 1845 chief justice of the Court of Common Pleas, and did honor to the common- wealth. He lived in the house now occupied by Dr. W. S. Severance.
George T. Davis came here from the eastern part of the state, a graduate of the Harvard class of 1829, called the brightest class that Harvard had graduated up to that time. He was a gentleman, thoroughly educated, well versed in
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English literature. I was for four years his partner, and was the youngest member of the bar. I well remember two in- cidents that illustrate Mr. Davis' character. I had a very important case and Mr. Davis was on the other side. I made the best argument I could, Mr. Davis made a strong plea, and the judge reserved his decision. The judge met me before the next court and told me he should have to de- cide against me. He said I had argued the case well, but the law was on the other side. I took my disappointment as well as I could. At the appointed day we met in the court room, but greatly to the astonishment of all, Mr. Davis rose and said that he had been through the case very care- fully and had changed his mind, and had concluded that Mr. Lamb was right, and that he thought the case should be de- cided in favor of Mr. Lamb's client. The judge was proba- bly more surprised than anyone else. That was a very high- minded act, considering that he was a leader of the bar and I only a young inexperienced lawyer.
One day when I was in business with him Mr. Davis looked out of the window, and seeing the beauty of the day said, " Let's shut up shop and take a drive ; it's too pleasant to work." We went up the meadows and drove through the Green river road. Mr. Davis was a poor driver and did not understand the management of a horse very well, but he was a most interesting companion. The drive was an enter- tainment from beginning to end. He discoursed upon the nature of the ground, the wonderful features of the gorge formation. I shall never forget the excursion. Mr. Davis went to Congress, but did not enjoy it much. He moved from here to Portland, and lived there in dignity and ease until his death.
His brother, Wendell T. Davis, was much like George. No two brothers ever thought more of each other. Wendell was a lawyer, but devoted most of his time and talents to business, and was particularly interested in the development
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of Turners Falls, which he expected would become a city. Had he devoted himself to law he would have been in the front rank of the profession.
Judge David Aiken was a scholar and a graduate of Dart- mouth. He taught for some time in the old schoolhouse on School street. He went to Shelburne Falls, Charlemont and Ashfield, staying about three days in one place, a week in the next, and two or three weeks in the next, then settled here. I recall that in the old stage days, when the Mansion House was a stopping-place for the stage, Judge Aiken put his trunk with the baggage that was bound for Boston, by mistake. The driver got away with it, but the trunk was brought back. Judge Aiken told the driver that he did not know what he should have done had the trunk gotten to Boston, " for it contains two-thirds of my moral character." " That accounts for it," replied the stage driver. "I was wondering about that trunk, for I never handled one of its size that weighed so little." Judge Aiken was a skilful lawyer, quick, with good judgment, with an eye for the strong points of a case, working them up without thinking much about the weaker points. He was appointed judge of the Court of Common Pleas, which position he held until the court was abolished.
More stories are told about Judge Aiken than of any other member of the bar. It is recalled that in the old days of Grout's tavern at Millers Falls, one man was accustomed to drive up to this old-fashioned resort, hitch his horse in the shed and come in and get warm, but he would never buy a thing. Mr. Grout got tired of this visitor, and one day as he was unhitching the horse told him he could not take the team away until he had paid. "Pay what?" said the man, "I haven't had anything." "Yes, you have," said Grout. " You've hitched your horse here and had the benefit of the fire. I shall charge you 25c." The man argued and argued, and finally when he was ready to pay, Grout declared that he
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had spent so much time in arguing that he would charge him 50c. Thereupon another long argument ensued, and when again the man yielded, Grout raised the charge to 75c. Fi- nally this was paid. The man came down to Greenfield to consult Judge Aiken. He told his story and asked the Judge what he thought of it. " Think, why I think he served you right," said the Judge. When asked what his charge was, Judge Aiken said it was $2 and that if he were not out of the room in three minutes it would be $5. Judge Aiken was a senator in 1874, and in that body took a high position for learning and skilful debating powers.
Daniel Wells Alvord, son of Elijah Alvord, was a man of fine legal mind, who gave great care to the preparation of his cases. He was a member of the constitutional convention from Montague, as towns were allowed to choose non-residents as members.
Whiting Griswold, in whose office I studied law, had been a successful teacher. He was a man with a rare ability for waking pupils up, and I have known of a distinguished clergy- man who said that he owed his first start in life to him. Mr. Griswold was a good lawyer, not as quick as some, but when he had studied a case he understood it from beginning to end. He was ambitious, and his two darling desires were to be governor of Massachusetts and to go to Congress. The fates were against him ; he was well equal to either position, but he got neither. He was a member of the constitutional conven- tion, and was in the legislature five years, and as active as any in electing Charles Sumner United States senator. He was generous to a fault, open-hearted, though a little suspi- cious. Few men in Franklin county have exercised a wider influence over the young men.
George Grinnell was register of Probate and had been dis- trict attorney, was a member of Congress ten years, and served with honor and distinction. He was a man of fine abilities and a good lawyer. He was once a candidate for lieutenant-
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governor. When he was judge of Probate and I register, I enjoyed many of the trips with him to the little villages out- side, where we used to hold Probate Court sessions.
Almon Brainard, register of deeds and county treasurer, was also secretary of the Franklin County Mutual Insurance Company, which insured about every dwelling in the county. He was a good lawyer, though he did not always distinguish between the strong and weak points of a case. Mr. Brainard was very ambitious to go to Congress. He went to the Massachusetts Senate hoping this would help him get to Con- gress, but that was as far as he could go. He had built the bank wall now standing on the Clay hill front of the Hollister place, which has stood there forty years, although the founda- tion is an insecure one.
James Newton was a farmer of remarkable ability. He lived on the old Newton place near the Green river, raised a large family of sons, and though the land is not especially productive, he left a fortune of $100,000. With all the at- tention he gave to business, he was an eminent student of the Bible. I have often heard him speak in prayer meeting, for in those days when prayer meetings were conducted differently from now I used occasionally to attend these gatherings. I have heard him take texts of Scripture and speak on them with as much beauty of language and diction and appreciation of the text as any minister. He learned to repeat the gospel of St. John.
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