USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Leyden > History of Leyden, Massachusetts, 1676-1959 > Part 5
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According to old records, girls were admitted to the Fall Town school rooms from the first. This practice was advanced for early colonial days when many contended that a girl's edu- cation should be limited to a thorough mastery of the domestic arts. Book learning for women was considered superfluous. Even as late as 1776, in some eastern Massachusetts towns, it was voted that "the master should instruct girls two hours after the boys had been dismissed!" And this was considered quite a concession to the ladies! In other New England areas, girls were allowed to attend school only during the summer months, while the boys were on vacation. In the Leyden district, how-
The Brewster-Hastings House
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ever, boys and girls shared the same educational advantages from the beginning.
The earliest Leyden teacher's record is found under date of May 29, 1773, when the Widow Shaddock received 1 pound, 17 shillings and 4 pence "for teaching." Widow Shaddock was doubtless a member of the family which later became prominent in the Dorrilite movement on Frizzell Hill.
As before noted, the original Fall Town school lot of 100 acres was located on the west slope of Frizzell Hill, but as frequent references to its sale or lease are found, it is not likely it ever was used for school purposes. It was probably chosen in early days with an eye to defensibility in case of Indian attack, but with that threat gone, schools were located in more con- venient spots.
Captain Jonathan Budington, in a rare anecdote, recounts: The Log Schoolhouse soon appeared [in Leyden]. One of the oldest inhabitants used often to relate her teaching experiences in those early days. To her, it seemed wonderful how the children came out of the woods to school, and how they would return home safely through the woods, leaving her alone."
Rare indeed are early Leyden school records. We do know there was a school in Beaver Meadow in the 1780's when "the schoolhouse" is mentioned in a Daniel Newcomb deed. And this same Newcomb, after marrying Irene Field of Fall Town in 1769, contributed substantially to the attendance of said school with a round, one dozen children. In a later chapter, we shall see how the notorious William Dorril played a part in swelling the ranks of the Frizzell Hill school district.
Two interesting highway and church notes wind up the year 1769 in Fall Town: The first "road payment" was recorded when James Couch was allowed "10 shillings for land on Couch Brook taken out of his draft by the road that goes out to Reuben Frizel's." It was voted by the townsmen "to meet one half of the time on winter Sabbaths at the house of Oliver Brewster." Ap- parently the meeting house was more frigid than even puritani- cal training could endure!
The Year 1770: It will be remembered that in 1768 General Gage sent two British regiments to Boston to keep an eye on the Yankees lest they show too much independence. On March 5, 1770 these troops clashed with the Colonists and the first blood of the American Revolution was shed. As will be seen, those
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who were soon to become Leyden citizens were witness to the "Boston Massacre," as it was called.
In Leyden itself during the year 1770, the town was marking time for the third wave of settlers who soon were to flock into its hills and valleys. Bridges were strengthened; roads cleared; proposals were made for providing schoolmasters to "teach the youth of the town." The pioneer families of Newcomb and Hunt added two more children to the growing roster of Leyden's native sons. The foundation for the settlement of Leyden was laid. The curtain was about to rise on a new period of expan- sion during the epochal Minute Man period to follow.
The Year 1771: The first newcomer to Leyden in the third set- tlement period was John Cunnabell of Boston. John was a cou- sin of Samuel who had settled years before on Fall River. Like Samuel, John had been baptized in the Old North Church. He had married Sarah Crafts whose patriot father, hung in effigy one of the British tax collectors in Boston. It was John's sons who witnessed the first fighting between the British regulars and the wrathful Yankee mob.
On March 26, 1771, John Cunnabell mortgaged the home- stead in Boston and bought from Timothy Bigelow of Leyden for 130 pounds two lots (No. 2, Third; and 74, First Division) on the north side and near the head of Couch Brook. The price of 130 pounds for these lots, which a few years before had been pur- chased by Bigelow for 20 pounds, suggests that some "improve- ments" had been added. Such increases in lot prices from owner to owner usually indicated that buildings had been added to the property. Hence, it is fair to assume that when John Cun- nabell, his wife and two sons arrived in Leyden, they found at least a cabin on their lands. The frame house, with huge cen- tral chimney, still standing at the head of Couch Brook, was doubtless built shortly after Cunnabell's arrival. This was the second frame building in Leyden and was later to become part of the Dorrilite Colony.
On March 19, 1771, Thomas Shattuck of Petersham pur- chased from the Reverend Jonathan Ashley of Deerfield, Lot 72, Ist Division, for 31 pounds. The Shattuck homestead, built on an elevation overlooking the Couch Brook Valley, was later the scene of many Dorrilite escapades.
Evidence of activity in the Leyden Hunt family at this time is reflected in the "Hunt Hill" announcement that "Mary Hunt,
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daughter of Thomas and Anne Hunt, was born February 12, 1771."
The Frizzells again appear in the records of '71 when the selectmen voted to "lay out a road from Michael Frizel's to Beav- er Meadow in the most convenient place, and that they apply to M. Frizel for direction in the affair." The next town article pro- posed that a road be layed out "from that road which goes out to Reuben Frizels, to Hezekiah Newcombs." Timothy Bascom, who had settled on East Leyden's lot #56 (later the Newcomb homestead) was allowed 2 days' work "to cut a road from his house to Reuben Frizel's." These early Leyden roadways not only linked the Fall River area with Frizzell Hill and Beaver Mea- dow, but helped link neighbor with neighbor.
Proof that livestock had been brought to Leyden by 1771 is found under a September 18 heading which reads: "Marks of Sundry Person's Creatures." In the list which follows, "Reuben Frizel" is assigned the stock identification mark of "a cross in ye left ear and a Swallows tail in ye right ear."
In the central and western parts of Leyden, activity increas- ed this year as the first County Road, later to be known as the Ethan Allen Highway, was laid out, north and south, from the Greenfield line through what was to become Leyden Center, to the Guilford line. At this time, pay for work on this road was es- tablished at 2 shillings, or about $.48 per day.
Guilford, at this time was becoming the most thickly popu- lated of all "Vermont" towns. It was soon to become the home of the famous playwright, Royall Tyler; the poet, Henry Denison (grandson of Leyden's David Denison), and the rendez-vous of rebel "Yorkers." Guilford was closely linked with Leyden as a result of the new County road. In fact, the parents of Leyden's great sculptor, H. K. Brown, traveled this highway when moving from Guilford shortly before the birth of their illustrious son.
On November 19th, while residents in the Colrain Gore were petitioning the General Court "to be set off from Fall Town," a meeting was being held in Deerfield for the purpose of "agree- ing upon a method of laying out the proprietor's Lands in the Gore." Five years had elapsed since the first meeting. Apparent- ly nothing had been done about surveying the West Leyden lands during the interim.
The Year 1772: Two illustrious New England names were added to Leyden's citizen list early this year when Daniel Cha- pin, son of the brave Indian fighter and descendant of Spring-
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field's early settler, is recorded as a homesteader in Beaver Meadow where a son was born on March 3rd. Farther west, we find the first record of a settlement on the new county road where Daniel Cooledge, of the same stock as our 30th U. S. President, built a cabin on the present List place. Cooledge made the jour- ney from Rhode Island with his wife, Anna, riding "pillion." This was the year patriot Rhode Islanders blew up the British block- ade runner, Gaspee, off Newport. Following this "parting shot," Cooledge took to the hills.
To the west, definite action was being taken to survey that section of Boston Township which included West Leyden and East Colrain. At a late Spring meeting, Hezekiah Newcomb, Ebenezer Nash and Caleb Chapin were assigned to "survey the tract and find the acreage; also to determine the measurements of Farms lying within the Grant, make a plan of same and deter- mine the good and the bad lands." Oddly enough, it was further voted that the Committee "measure off the Poor Lands as Ist Division, or house lots, and the remainder as 2nd Division lots - in all, 98."
Jonthan Ashley, lawyer of Deerfield, was elected treasurer in which capacity he was asked to collect a 5 shilling tax from each Right. Preparations were then made for the drawing. The system is so unique that the records, published here for the first time, are given in some detail.
"Deerfield, Ist Tues. Feb. 1773: Voted that rites in ye Gore be laid out to ye Ist Div. House Lotts [owners] in the Orig. Fall Town Grant excepting ye Ministry and School Lots. (2) Voted that 52-acre Lotts be Ist Div. lands and ye 23-acre Lotts be ye 2nd Div. Lands in Ye Gore. (3) To Draw for sd Lotts as follows: That ye number of rites in sd gore reckoning according to ye Ist Div. or House Lotts in the Orig Grant ... be separately rolled up and put into a Box and that ye no. of Lotts of Ist Div. Gore Lotts be rolled up and put into another Box and that ye No of Lotts in Ye 2nd Div Gore be rolled up and put into another Box."
"Voted that Thomas Williams, Eleazer Nash, and David Dickinson be a Committee to Draw for Lotts in ye Ist and 2nd Divs: First, to Take a number out of the Box of [original] Rites. The Lotts drawn immediately after the Number of ye Rite shall belong to that Rite. Ye Drafts of Lotts shall then be recorded in ye Proprietor's Book."
In the record books we find the following puzzling nota- tion: "Re'd from Sam'l Cunnabell on his Rites in ye Gore #67
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(53-21), 6 sh." This indicates that Cunnabell paid 6 shillings for Lot 53 and Lot 21 in Divisions 1 and 2 of the Gore - both lots drawn on his original Rite #67 in Fall Town. Oliver Brewster drew Gore Lotts 87 and 43 on his original Rite #54. Hezekiah Newcomb, with four original Fall Town rites, drew 4 Ist Division and 4 second Division lots in "ye Gore."
On May 4th at Hoit's Inn at the Old Indian House, Deerfield, it was voted by the Fall Town proprietors to tax each acre of the Gore "two Farthings exclusive of the 4 farms laid out in sd Gore before the survey."
The actual survey dated May 29, 1772, is as follows: "Be- ginning at the SW corner of Fall Town, old Bounds, at a heap of Stone in Grfld line on edge of large Oak Hill (set stake here) and ran W ... 476 perches (rods) to the West side of Green River, thence the same course 614 perches to a Black Birch . . . which is the SE corner of Colrain, thence N . .. 379 perches to a stake and heap of stone, the NW corner of Newbury's grant, then ran E on Newbury's line 190 1/2 perches to his corner, then S . . . 228 perches to a Beech Tree on his SE corner. Found his grant to be 18 a. 44 p. over measure. Then we returned to said stake and stones on Newbury's NW corner and ran N . . . 154 perches and came to a stake and heap of stones, the SW cor- ner of Hubbard's grant which runs from sd stake E 290 perches to Green River . .. Found his survey to be 36 acres over mec- sure. Returned to Hubbard's NW corner which is Calf's SW corner and continued our course 263 1/2 perches to a heap of stone ... called Calf's NW corner, then cont'd our course 17 per- ches to Green River. From thence the course to the NW corner of the Gore is N . . . 662 perches to a stake and stones in the Province Line, from thence E ... 331 perches where we erected a heap of stone and Mark "B.T." From thence the line is 2039 perches to ye Ist Boundary." The survey was carried out by E Nash, Surveyor and C. Chapin and H. Newcomb, "Chane- men." It was conducted under the supervision of Oliver Brew- ster, Hezekiah Newcomb and Captain Agrippa Wells.
Two thirds of the land within this survey lay on the east side of Green River; one third on the west side. The area covered is clearly shown on the map in the front of the book.
First division lots in the "Gore" were laid out in tiers run- ning south to north. Lot #1 ran 60 perches west from the old Fall Town line to the "west side of Country Farm Brook." This es- tablished the eastern boundary of the "Gore" about 60 rods
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east of Country Farm or Glen Brook. Lot 35 in the second tier (later the property of Captain Agrippa Wells) ran to the west side of the County Road and reached north "a little above the Crook of the Brook."
The second division, or 23-acre lot 22 in tier 3, "began at an Oak in Cors (Corse) fence and ran west 160 perches to Green River." This lot, near the old Corse farm, marks the area where the trail of the Deerfield captives began. Showing how close the forts of Colrain were to the western "Leyden" boundary, we note that lot 67 in the second Gore division was bounded on the northeast corner by the lands of David Morris, fort builder of the Old French War.
With the opening of West Leyden to homesteaders, roads were extended and new clearings began to appear on the vir- gin hillsides. With news of the Boston Tea Party still ringing in their ears, settlers began to "dig in" with growing independent spirit. Across Green River, Aaron Whitney pitched "camp" just north of the aforementioned Morris Fort. In Beaver Meadow, Alpheus Barstow, of Norwich, Connecticut, appeared with his wife and belongings and settled close to his cousin, Daniel New- comb. At the eastern approaches to Leyden, Major Stephen Webster, that old veteran of the Indian wars, put his farm on re- cord by proclaiming the identifying mark of his "creatures" as "a cross in ye right ear and a slit in ye end of ye left ear."
The Year 1774: Enraged at the audacity of the Colonists who had destroyed his valuable cargoes of tea, King George of Eng- land bore down, closed the port of Boston and took all govern- ment out of the hands of the people. Patrick Henry, indignant at this treatment of Americans, cried "We must fight." Shortly after this, the Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to set up a government independent of Britain; and John Hancock, heading the Massachusetts government called for 12,000 volunteers, of whom one third were "Minute Men" - men ready to serve their country at a minute's notice.
In Leyden, more newcomers sifted into the high, green hills. Charles Packer, later to play an important role in the town's history, appeared on the scene with Captain Walsworth from Rhode Island. A new road was opened westward along the high- lands above the Keet or Shattuck Brook to the homestead of Minute Man, David Paige. Bridges were strengthened; the building of school houses proposed. An attempt was made to unify the east and west parts of town, under one spiritual head,
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when it was voted that besides the annual 40 cords of wood, all should contribute toward the general comfort of the pastor. Those living west of Thomas Hunt in Beaver Meadow were asked to make special contributions.
The year 1774 in Fall Town, as in all New England, was a year of consolidation, a year of preparation, a year for tighten- ing belts. It was a lull year before the coming storm.
CHAPTER IV
The Revolutionary Period
F oreshadowing momentous events to come, the following notice, dated January 24, 1775, was issued by the constables of Fall Town: "All inhabitants are hereby directed to attend a meet- ing at the Tavern of Major John Burk, on Monday, Jan. 30, 1775 at 10 o'clock in the morning for the following purpose:
"To see if they will grant the Minute Men inlisted in their Town anything for the time they shall spend in learning the art of Military Exercise, or any encourage- ment for same purpose."
This was the local opening gun of the American Revolution. It was quickly followed by an emergency meeting in which John Cunnabell, Elisha Burnham, Joseph Slate, Joel Chapin and James Couch were elected a "Committee of Inspection." Accord- ing to George Sheldon's Deerfield History, such committees of inspection and safety acted as a kind of police force during the Revolution. Their chief work was to intercept correspondence be- tween Tories and the British foe; to round up disloyal Ameri- cans; and to punish such men by confiscation of their property.
At the time of the April Lexington alarm, Captain Agrippa Wells, closely linked with Leyden's history, immediately formed a Minute Man Company and was soon on the march to Cam- bridge. The muster roll of his Company for April 20th '75 includ- ed "Michael Frizzell, who left place of rendezvous, May 3rd, then returned home." Capt. Ezekiel Foster, later to become a Ley- den settler, served as a Lieutenant in Capt. Wells' company. Oth- er Leyden Minute Men were Daniel Chapin, Thomas Hunt, Simeon Allen, Reuben Shattuck, Samuel Cunnabell and David Davis who had settled in Beaver Meadow two weeks before war broke out. John Hunt is listed in Colonel Whitcomb's regiment; while John Workman, veteran of the Indian wars, appears on the roll of Colonel Woodbridge.
It is interesting to note the varying ages of the hardy Minute Men who dropped everything to march over a hundred miles to defend their democratic rights in the first great revolution in his- tory. Men of all ages responded to the call of the fife and drum.
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Michael Frizzell was 35; Lieut. Foster, 23; Thomas Hunt, 58; Sim- eon Allen, 20; John Workman, 40.
On May 18th, it was voted that the town "provide 16 men, together with those already enlisted to serve in the Continental Army at Cambridge." It was also voted to raise the pay of those militiamen serving in the Provincial Army.
Response in furnishing needed supplies for their brothers in arms was spontaneous and generous. In 1775, many blankets were carried to Cambridge for the soldiers from Fall Town. Four hundred and forty-five pounds of bread and 115 pounds of pork were supplied to Captain Wells' Company. By the end of the war, nearly 10,000 pounds of beef had been given the fighting men by the township.
"Soon after June 17, 1775," writes historian Kellogg, "oc- curred the Battle of Bunker Hill, the news of which spread rapid- ly throughout the Colonies. All the peaceful arts were laid aside, and everyone assumed the offensive. Virtually every man old enough to carry a gun repaired to the scene of action."
The Minute Man Company of Captain Wells was reorganiz- ed as early as May Ist, and, according to Sheldon, "served in the siege of Boston." This undoubtedly included the Battle of Bunker Hill. In Wells' company at this time were Leyden men: Reuben Shattuck, David Davis, Daniel Chapin, Thomas Hunt and Ezekiel Foster.
Meanwhile, those who had remained at home - older men as a rule who had served in the Indians wars - guarded the firesides and kept up the flow of food supplies to the front. One such veteran was Minute Man, Joseph Slate, who while plough- ing on West Mountain on that memorable June 17th '75, be- lieved he heard, far in the distance, the rumble of cannon. For years this story persisted as a New England fable. Recently, a thorough research was conducted on the Bunker Hill gun le- gend. The results, first published in Yankee Magazine, are re- printed here.
The Bunker Hill Gun-Legend Story: That the guns at Amer- ica's first great fight for independence were heard more than 100 miles from the famed battleground near Bunker Hill, is a New England legend which has persisted for nearly two centur- ies. Today, the answer to this enigma of early Revolutionary times may be near solution thanks to a local history project and a well-timed note to a major general inquiring about recent un- explained rumblings in the New England hills - rumblings so
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loud that dishes rattled on pantry shelves and farm dogs took to shelter under household furniture.
The story is this: While working on Leyden's history, the author, a World War II "sound sleuth," ran across a story which told of Minute Men in fields near Leyden hearing gunfire on June 17, '75, the day 1400 raw Yankee recruits held their ground for many hours against 3800 crack British red coats, backed by the big guns of His Majesty's navy. So sure were the Leyden men that "blood was again spilled in defense of their country," they dropped their field tools and headed, post-haste toward the sound of the cannon which they rightly believed near Boston, 100 miles away.
Tying in this unique, "call to arms" with the puzzling rum- bles recently heard in and around Leyden, was a natural se- quence. After it was clear that neither jet planes, thunder, mov- ing freight cars or blasting were likely causes of the distant boomings, the commanding officer of the nearest army post, 52 air miles distant, was contacted. Definite information was given him as to the exact time of day a series of thunderous explos- ions had been heard in the hills of Leyden. The communication also mentioned the Bunker Hill legend, suggesting that if the ar- tillery at the army post could now be heard 52 miles away, it was possible the ancient Bunker Hill fable about far-reaching gun sounds, might be more fact than fiction.
Nothing was heard from this communication immediately, but within a few days, a front page story appeared in the local press telling of our attempts to solve the Bunker Hill gun riddle and confirming artillery firings at the army post (Fort Devens) at the exact time the boomings were heard in Leyden. The news- paper story concluded: "Investigations and questions asked of personnel trained in the sonic sciences reveal that under cer- tain favorable conditions it is possible to hear heavy gunfire at unusual distances. These conditions prevailed on the day of the Leyden report and this confirmation may well be the justifica- tion for the ancient Bunker Hill gun legends which have puzzled. historians for generations."
Shortly after this news item appeared, an invitation was received from the Fort Devens commanding officer, Major Gen- eral Bryan L. Milburn, requesting our presence at the Fort on Army Day. The general had learned of our ancestor's part at Bunker Hill and as a Minute Man on the Lexington alarm. "We would be most happy," he wrote, "to welcome the great-grand-
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son of one of Washington's officers to the largest military establishment in New England." During the uncertain days of the 1950's, General Milburn evidently thought it opportune to encourage the "Minute Man" spirit of alertness.
So much interest was aroused in the Bunker Hill gun story, we decided to do a thorough research on the subject. As a result it soon became apparent that not only Leyden, but towns up and down the Connecticut Valley claimed similar gun legends. In all, about sixteen Bunker Hill noise stories were collected. Some of these came from citizens of very high standing.
President Eleazer Wheelock of Dartmouth College, writing to the Governor of Connecticut, Monday, June 19th 1775, pen- ned: "Last Saturday we heard the noise of cannon, we suppose at Boston, and we now are impatient to be informed of the occa- sion and the event." This was quoted in the Jaffrey, N. H. his- tory. It was written in Hanover, 112 airline miles from the battle.
The Reverend Laban Ainsworth, pastor of the Jaffrey church, and student at Dartmouth also reported the sound of gunfire in Hanover on June 17th. Workers shingling the meeting house roof in Jaffrey are said to have heard the distant boomings also.
Colonel James Ripley, a settler in Cornish, N. H., wrote his sister: "We arrived in Cornish on the 14th day of June 1775, and on the seventeenth the sound of cannon thundered through the woods." Similar records came from Plymouth, Lebanon, Wash- ington and Dublin, N. H .; while Hartford, Vermont and Quechee provided other gun-noise reports. Massachusetts contributed Bunker Hill legends from Worcester, Winchendon, Townsend, Templeton, Cummington and Chesterfield. In Cummington, one of the uncles of New England's famed poet, William Cullen Bry- ant, is reported to have heard a far-away cannonading which `proved to be the onset at Bunker Hill."
British ordnance records reveal that the guns near Bunker Hill probably created the greatest bedlam ever experienced in New England. It was learned, too, that about 98% of the racket heard in the Leyden hills came not from Bunker Hill (or Breeds Hill where the Yankees actually were entrenched) but from the guns of British battleships, gunboats and land batteries in and around Boston harbor.
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