USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Orange > History of North Orange, Massachusetts : including leading events from the first organization of Orange, 1781-1924. > Part 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12
NINETEEN
home with your girls, They came around the road and I came across lots, so I got ahead of them." These are a few of the little foolish happenings of more than 100 years ago. Yet these old residents were people of sterling in- tegrity, a frugal God-fearing people, and their descendants are men and wo- men who we may feel proud are the sons and daughters of North Orange. For this old town has sent forth men and women who have helped to make the world better and happier, and have made a success of life and names that will not soon be forgotten. And so today we hold reunion here in memory, with those gone before, as well as those we greet from year to year.
District of Orange
In 1805 a man was a Federalist or he was a Democrat, (Anti-federalist). There was no compromising, no neutral ground and regularly political battles were fought with great heat and bitter contention. Each party was distrust- ful of the other and each feared the other party would gain the ascendeney. This distrust and fear of defeat were so great at the May meeting, 1805, when the inhabitants of Orange and Warwick met to choose a representative, that "they agreed to leave the Meeting-house and go out upon the Common; accordingly they marched out in Indian file and paraded in two parallel lines, so that each, being single, might put in his vote without a chance of deception or of voting twiee and each might be counted, viz., the number of voters and the number of votes given in. The town clerk and selectmen carried the ballot-boxes to the voters."*
Political feeling continued to run high at succeeding elections for the Dem- ocratic party; the Anti-masonry party that raised such a "politieal tornado"; the Anti-slavery movement with its appeal to the conscience of the people; that secret organization, the "American" party, popularly named "Know-nothings" because the members under mutual agreement, replied, "I don't know," when asked about the society's proceedings; the Free-Soilers, the Temperance move- ment which merged into the Prohibition movement, influenced, cach in its own way the politics of North Orange, Lively interest in elections was some times taken by the women, one of whom thus states in her diary the result of an election,- "Locos out of office; all Whigs." But slavery issues broke up the Whig party, and in 1854 Free Soilers, anti-slavery Whigs and some Democrats formed an organization named the Republican party. In the meantime the Democratic Party had gradually absorbed the various pro-slavery and states rights elements and this new alignment of parties, -- Republicans and Democrats-has often brought spirited contests, with North Orange favoring the Republicans,
1806. For a number of years Orange cared for its needy poor by boarding each in some family, making a new contraet yearly. In 1806, "the district refused to raise any money for the support of its poor that year." In 1848, November 25, the town bought for an alms place Edmund Wilbur's farm of 123 acres with the buildings thereon. The eost price was $2400. Some years later the town built there a two-story house with twenty rooms to be used as an alms-house. In 1908 one of the town's poor was boarded in North Orange, the other in another town. A feeling prevailed that the expense of maintaining an alms-house for such a small number of needy folk, was unnecessary and in March of that year it was voted to authorize the selectmen to sell the place. At that time experts estimated that there was standing on the farm "not less than one million feet of pine and spruce," the largest uncut lot of timber in that
* By Mr. Jonathan Blake, Warwick.
"OVER THE HILL TO THE POOR FARM"
section. This timber was reserved by the town when, a few months later, the Town Farm was sold at auction, At the present time the farm is owned by Mr. Fred Johnson.
Incorporation of the Town
1810, February 24, the District of Orange was incorporated as a town. The act of incorporation reads as follows :- Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In the year of Our Lord One thousand Eight hundred and Ten. An act to in- corporate the District of Orange in the County of Hampshire, as a town by the name of Orange.
Orange
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, that the District of Orange, in the County of Hampshire, with the inhabitants thereof, be, and the same here- by is incorporated and established as a town, by the name of Orange, and is hereby vested with all the powers and privileges, and subjected to the like duties and requirements of other towns, according to the Constitution, and Laws of this Commonwealth.
1810, April 2, the first town meeting was held. Amos Woodward, Pearly Barton and Thomas Cobb composed the first board of selectmen of the town and Amos Woodward was the first clerk. It is interesting to know something about the connection of a fellow citizen with the management of town affairs. The following is a certificate of the various offices filled by Amos Woodward.
1812, February 23. This certifies that I have served the town of Orange as assessor 17 years; as selectman nine years; as overseer of the town Poor 8 years and Town Clerk 11 years, from 1789 to 1812 inclusive. Assessor 6 years without pay. Selectman 9 years without pay. Recorded births and deaths 7 years without pay. Overseer of the Poor 5 years without pay. Attest, Amos Woodward Town Clerk.
On February 3, 1812, Amos Woodward was appointed "one of our Justices of the Peace, within and for the County of Franklin."
TWENTY
THE DR. BARTON HOME
Franklin County
In January, 1811, a petition for the division of Hampshire County was presented to the General Court by petitioners representing the towns of Buckland, Charlemont, Heath, Rowe, Colrain, Shelburne, Leyden, Bernardston, Gill, Greenfield, Deerfield, Northfield, Warwick, Orange, (represented by Joseph Metcalf), Wendell, Montague, New Salem and the Plantation of Erving's Grant. The reasons given for this petition were the great distances of these towns from the county seats and "the consequent expense, the multiplicity of actions and delays of trials." The towns of Northampton, Conway, Hawley, Whately, Leverett, Easthampton, Worthington, Chester, Southampton, Westhampton, Goshen, Williamsburg, Plainfield, Cummington and Norwich sent remonstrances against the organization of a new county, but the legislative committee reported in favor of the division and the act erecting the county of Franklin, was affirmed June 24, 1811, and took effect from and after December 2, 1811. In addition to the towns that petitioned for a division, Franklin county includes four of the remonstrating towns-Conway, Hawley, Leverett and Whately; also Ashfield, once Huntstown, Munroe, once a part of Rowe, Shutesbury, at one time called Roadtown and Sunderland, which was for a time common land. The act estab- lishing the county, made Greenfield the county seat.
Post Office
In March, 1816, the following petition was sent from Orange to the Post- master General of the United States of América :-
The Petition of the subscribers humbly shows, that the Post road leading from Boston to the first distributing Post office in Brattleboro, Vermont, runs
through the middle of the town of Orange; that every other town on the line has a Post office established therein (except said Orange) as well for the Con- venience of the Citizens thereof as to subserve the Public Good-your Peti- tioners therefore state that the distance from the Post office in Warwiek at the north, to the Post office at Athol in the south, is ten miles, and Orange nearly in the center between, and a place where the stage always makes a stop-therefore we your Petitioners pray that a Post office might beestablished in said town of Orange as well for the Convenience of the Citizens thereof, (who are now at much expense in getting their letters to and from the Post offices in the adjoin- ing towns) as for the subserviency of the Public. Furthermore we do recommend Mr. Lyman Harrington of said Orange as a suitable person to be commissioned for a Postmaster, and one who has always been firmly attached to the Con- stitution and laws of the United States of America, as in duty bound your Pe- titioners will ever Pray.
1816, May 23, a Post office wasestablished at Orange with Lyman Harring- tou as the first Postmaster.
Tornado of 1821
The following is abridged with some slight alterations from a communication in the Franklin Herald, September 18, 1821, and, as we believe, contains no exaggeration of the tremendous scene it describes.
Warwick, Mass., September 14, 1821.
"On Sunday the 9th instant, about 6 o'clock, p. m., we were visited by the most destructive tempest, that was ever witnessed in this part of the country. It very much resembled, if it did not equal, both in its fury and effects, those tornadoes, which have been thought peculiar to tropical climates. None but those who witnessed the scene, or have visited the field of destruction, can form an idea of its power.
"Immediately previous to its commencement a gentle shower of rain, attended with moderate thunder and lightning, passed over the north part of this town. About the time the rain ceased, a small black cloud was discovered in the west, about 10 degrees above the horizon, in great commotion, to which point numerous small clouds moved in rapid succession, and were involved in the general mass.
"From this cloud a very dense vapor of a eyelindrical form extended to the ground, which appeared to be in a constant whirl. This was evidently produced by two powerful currents of air meeting together from the north and west, as there was a very sensible pressure from those two points.
"The tornado commenced on the high land east of Connecticut river in Northfield, making an easterly course through this town about a mile south of the center. Its march was grand and awful; sweeping in its course, (which was from 20 to 120 rods wide,) everything before it. Trees, fences, stone walls and buildings afforded no resistance. Trees, stripped of their small branches were found at a considerable distance from their former standing, Stones of many hundred weight and large logs were removed out of their beds and in many places deep furroughs were made in the earth.
"In Northfield, two houses and three barns were entirely demolished, and several persons severely injured.
"In Warwick, two barns owned by Jonas Leonard and Elijah Miller were destroyed. A dwelling house, barn, and out-buildings of Mr. Jonathan Wilson were shivered to atoms, and the greatest part of the contents carried away. There were six persons in the house at the time, three of whom were taken from
TWENTY-ONE
WHEN AN OLD MAN GETS TO THINKING
By EDGAR GUEST
When an old man gets to thinking of the years he's traveled through, He hears again the laughter of the little ones he knew. He isn't counting money, and he isn't planning schemes; He's at home with friendly people in the shadow of his dreams.
When he's lived through all life's trials and his sun is in the west, When he's tasted all life's pleasures and he knows which ones were best, Then his mind is stored with riches, not of silver and of gold, But of happy smiling faces and the joys he couldn't hold.
Could we see what he is seeing as he's dreaming in his chair, We should find no scene of struggle in the distance over there, As he counts his memory treasures, we should see some shady lane Where's he walking with his sweetheart, young, and arm in arm again.
We should meet with friendly people, simple, tender folk and kind, That had once been glad to love him. In his dreaming we should find All the many little beauties that enrich the lives of men That the eyes of youth scarce notice and the poets seldom pen.
Age will tell you that the memory is the treasure-house of man. Gold and fleeting fame may vanish, but life's riches never can; For the little home of laughter and the voice of every friend And the joys of real contentment linger with us to the end.
TWENTY-TWO
the ruins much wounded, but no lives were lost. A cow standing in the yard was driven by the current a number of rods, and killed.
"From this scene of desolation we traced the tornado to a large pond, where a great quantity of water was taken up in the form of a water spont.
"After this, it unroofed and demolished the chimney of a house in which were eleven persons, one of whom was taken lifeless from the ruins. Having destroyed two other barns and unroofed two more it passed from Warwick into Orange, still retaining all its violence and scattering in ten thousand fragments a large house occupied as a tavern, together with the barns and a blacksmith shop.
"There were eleven persons, who were scattered in different directions. A young woman, living in the family, aged 20 years, was found dead under the rubbish, after an hour and a half diligent search, forty feet from where she was last seen. A horse was carried forty rods and killed.
"After destroying two other barns, the fury of the wind abated, at the distance of about ten miles from the commencement of its dreadful operations. "Large quantities of hay and grain were carried away from those barns which were destroyed and we learn that fragments of buildings and furniture. sheaves of grain, bed quilts, and clothing had been found scattered along to the distance of 25 miles east of this place.
"It is observable, that everything was drawn toward the center of the course of the tornado, where it was most powerful. It sounded like heavy distant thunder, and shook the earth to the distance of two miles.
"It is not easy to describe the feelings of those, who have been involved in this calamity when they first saw their danger. So sudden and rapid was its approach, that they had no tiene to meditate on means of safety. Indeed there was no escape. Had they left their houses, their situation would have been equally perilous, the air being filled with fragments, which were hurled with the velocity of thunderbolts.
"We have to bewail the loss of two lives, and it is a matter of astonish- ment, that many others did not share the same fate, when we consider their exposed situations. God may be truly said to have spoken to us out of the whirlwind, and has given us a striking instance of his power and mercy." -A. E. Brooks
The reading of the above article by Mr. Brooks was supplemented by the following remarks by Mrs. E. B. G. Ballou:
It was when my oldest brother was six months old and my mother, with the sleeping baby in her arms, was visiting at the Smith tavern that the great calamity occurred. Thirteen persons were in the house and only one, Lydia Stearns, was killed, but most of the others were bruised. My mother found herself five or six rods south, in the garden, under some loose timbers from which she managed to crawl with the silent child, supposing him dead. With the blood streaming down her face, in a dazed way she went on a run home, which was a half mile distant over the hills. When she arrived she found her three-year-old daughter Diana, in care of her unele Jonathan Goodell, nine years of age, roasting green corn (which had blown through the windows from across the road) as composedly as though nothing had happened. On removing the apron with which she had bound the child she found that his sleep had been undisturbed. (Furthermore he was noted for being a sound sleeper all his days. )
I have heard the affair described so often that even now when I hear of like occurrences I imagine myself on Temple hill and see the great, black, tunnel- shaped cloud sailing with great rapidity through the air from the west, leaving destruction and death in its path. A house of a Mr. Brown in Warwick, Smith tavern, barn at Grandfather Cheney's (the poor farm) and my father's house in the
valley were in its path. Captain Smith and Mr. Goodell were at the pond schoolhouse planning some repairs and knew nothing of it till one-half way to Captain Wheelock's (now the Hitchcock house), so the path of the storm was very narrow.
The first intimation of it was when the two boys, Sullivan Smith and Abner Goodell (who were serving apprenticeship to learn the blacksmithing trade, as custom was in those days) came rushing in to say there was a terrible cloud coming, and Mrs. Smith went to look at it when the front door flew open and as they three were trying to shut it things and people seemed to rise up from the floor. That was the last my mother remembered before she found herself surrounded by lumber in the garden but the rest of her life she gave close attention to sin- gularly shaped black clouds. as all do whom I have seen who have been through some of these latter-day affairs that seem to occur oftenest in the West and Southwest.
August 14, 1919.
Annexation of New Salem
Between 1790 and 1830 the population did not vary much, but between 1830 and 1840 there was an increase of 621. To this there were several con- tributory causes. The fine water power of Millers River had drawn to the southern part of the town a number of manufacturing interests. In 1798 clothier's works were set up. In 1803 Levi Thurston commenced making scythes and had the first tilt hammer in Orange. Of interest in connection with the scythe maker, is the following entry in the journal of young Thurston's father,-"1802, May 25. Then my son Levi was 21 years of age and in- asmuch as I gave him his four years of his time to learn to make scythes, I consider that time as good as 70 dollars which is as inch as I gave to Reconcile, my daughter, when she married." 1804 brought the first carding machine. 1805, Abner and Jacob Whitney began making hats. 1811, Benjamin Stow put up a shop for making one-horse wagons.
But the chief cause of increased population was the annexation March 16, 1837 of the northern part of New Salem and a part of Erving's Grant. As this added territory brought the little hamlet of South Orange near the geographical center of the town the seat of town government was removed there from the nothern part of the town where the first settlers had congregated, and November 13, 1837, the first town meeting held in South Orange took place in the town- house just erected there. As the building of this town-house is intimately con- nected with the distribution of the Jackson Surplus of 1837, a brief review of that most unsatisfactory business operation does not seem out of place. The sale of public lands, territory not organized into States, had been an important source of revenue to the Government from the first. The rise of the railway system and the great increase in alien immigration between 1831 and 1837, caused enormous sale of public lands. The resulting growth of revenue extin- guished the public debt in 1836 and Congress voted that "after January 1, 1837 all revenue in the United States Treasury, exceeding $5,000,000, should be divid- ed among the several States as a loan to be recalled only by direction of Congress." This surplus was to be paid in four instalments to the several States in propor- tion to their electoral vote. None of it was ever recalled, but only a part of the instalments was paid. The Government revenue was deposited in banks selected by the Treasury. These favored banks were often called "pet banks." Payment for publie lands was made largely by bank notes until, alarmed by the accumulation of so much paper money of uncertain value, the Secretary of the Treasury by order of President Jackson, instructed the agents in charge of land-offices, to receive only gold and silver. This caused a demand for
TWENTY-THREE
specie which could only be met by those banks where Government funds were deposited. Most of the other banks suspended and when, a little later, Gov- ernment called for its deposits to make further distribution of surplus revenue to the States, many of these "pet banks" were involved in the general ruin and there was no further transferrence of Government "loans" to the States. Many of the States had voted to receive the Government money as a "loan" and know- ing in advance that money was coming to them, forgot the old proverb and, counting the chickens before they were hatched, undertook large projects in anticipation of their share of the surplus revenue. The receipt of only a small portion of what they had expected brought embarrassment to many places.
Orange took action in regard to its share and Mr. Albee Smith gives us the story as told by the town records :-
"Article 6th of the warrant issued by the selectmen of Orange, Solomon Howard, Otis Brooks and Peter Cheney, clerk, dated April 25th, 1837, reads as follows :-
"To see if the town will vote to receive the Town's proportion of the surplus revenue, and authorize the treasurer or choose an agent to give bonds for the same and act thereon,"
Pursuant to this warrant the Town voted, "On Article 6th, to receive the surplus revenue in cash and the selectmen be authorized to loan it to the inhabi- tants of the Town in sums not less than $100.00 nor more than $200.00 to one, payable on demand, with endorsers to the acceptance of the selectmen for the time being, with interest annually; and the interest to be appropriated to the support of our common schools." "On Article 7th, voted to choose a committee of five to see on what conditions lands can be procured and where to build a Town house, to consider and determine the dimensions of the proposed Town house; the committee's choice was Phineas Battle, Jr., Jesse Worrick, Otis Brooks, Josiah Goddard and Benjamin Merriam."
The meeting then adjourned to meet April 29th, 1837, at which this committee should report and on that day they did report that they had selected a piece of land owned by Sherman Bacon, who then owned and occupied the "Putnam House." The piece selected stood opposite the Union Meeting House and was the same tract that the present town house occupies. The pro- posed house was to be 46 feet long. 34 feet wide, 12 foot posts, to contain but one apartment with 4 tiers of seats on each side of the house: a desk at the end op- posite the door with 10 or 12, 24-lighted windows, and blinds to each window. The probable expense to be about $600.
The writer remembers well the only time he was ever in that old town house. It was at a spring town meeting about 1853 and to my boyish eyes it was a great institution. The room was well filled with men and one stood up behind the desk on an elevation. He was addressed as "Mr. Moderator." It seemed strange that everybody was so well acquainted with Mr. Moderator, as I had never heard my people mention such a name, and I inquired about him when I got home, and the matter was explained to me that his name was not "Moderator." That room and all its appearance, people, benches, "Mr. Mod- erator" and all is indelibly impressed upon my mind.
At an adjourned meeting held June 19, 1837, it was voted, "To receive the snrplus revenue in Bank Bills and that after the town house had been paid for, the residue should be put into the hands of the treasurer to pay the money he has borrowed for the town." November 13, 1837, they held their first town meeting in their new town house and then voted to buy the poor farm* and the needed stock, furniture for the house and tools for the farm. I have not been
* The Poor Farm was not bought until Nov. 25, 1848.
able to trace all this surplus revenue, but I believe that Orange showed as good sense in its use as the most of towns. It went for a town house, a poor farm and probably for school and town debts already made. There seems to have been no wild cat schemes nor public enterprises of doubtful policy undertaken. The vote to loan out the money in sums from $100 to $200 seems not to have been carried ont very far; probably the plan was not favored by the selectmen, or else they could not agree upon the amount that should be given to the friends of each and therefore refused all; as we have a right to presume that our fore- fathers were discreet men, we may conclude that they declined to make the loans authorized by that vote."
TULLY HISTORY, NOTES AND INCIDENTS
By Miss Hattie M. French.
The village of Tully, formerly known as Furnace Village and also known as the Plains, was a part of that portion of land which was set off from Athol, Royalston and Warwick to make the town of Orange in 1783.
One of the older residents, Calvin Mayo, senior, conceived the idea of get- ting water from the river to further the business interests of the village and with this end in view he purchased of Amos Boyden, who owned property at Fryville,
ITT
DOWN THERE IS TULLY POND
the right to dig a ditch to convey water into what is now called Lily pond, for- merly known as Packard pond. Trees, etc., were felled upon a low, level tract of land a short distance below the Lily pond, a dam built upon the lower side of it and a connecting ditch dug. When all was completed the water was turned on from the river, which soon filled both ponds. So great was the rush of water that all the roots of the beautiful water lily were washed from the upper pond into the lower one, there they have grown and flourished all these years.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.