USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Pelham > History of Pelham, Mass. : from 1738 to 1898, including the early history of Prescott > Part 17
USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Prescott > History of Pelham, Mass. : from 1738 to 1898, including the early history of Prescott > Part 17
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The above warrant is in pursuance of and agreeable to the petition of John Taylor and others.
" Voted to sell the town lands and the proceeds applied to pay for repairs on the Meeting house on condition the town be allowed to hold town meetings in the Meeting house."
I4
190
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
From 1824 to 1861.
Council Called io Dismiss Rev. Winthrop Bailey in 1825 .- Great Flood of 1828 Does Damage .- Ziba Cook Elected Represen- tative by One Majority in 1829 .- Stove Used in Meeting House for the First Time in 1831 .- New Town Hall Wanted in 1835. -Money Secured from the United States Treasury in 1837 .- Wanted to Change the Name of the Town in 1840 .- Libraries Established in 1842 .- Scheme for Two Town Halls in 1842 .- Old Meeting House Changed for Town Hall in 1844 .- Old Meeting House Rented in 1846 .- Many Candidates for Repre- sentative in 1850-51 .- Voted to Surrender the Charter in 1854-56 .- Enrolled Men in 1861.
In 1824 school houses were needed in the southeast and in the northwest school districts, and the assessors made out lists of non- resident property within these districts and assigned the lists to these districts. The northwest district had 1000 acres of non-resident land valued at $8000 to $10,000 for taxation to build school houses.
MEETING, SEPT. 5, 1825.
This meeting was of more importance than the one just recorded. Rev. Winthrop Bailey was settled over the people of Pelham in 1815 and had been a faithful pastor for ten years but for some cause that does not appear in the record, his work among them was about to close, and the warrant for this meeting was to bring the matter before the people.
" Voted to choose three of a Committee to unite with Rev W Bailey in Calling the aforesaid Council. Made Choice of Henry Kingman Esq, Isaac Abercrombie Esq and Martin Kingman the above Committee.
Voted To raise one hundred and fifteen Dollars to reward the Rev Winthrop Bailey for services rendered to said town-up to his dis- mission.
Voted that the above Committee receive the Money Voted to said society by the Evangellical Missionary Society in Boston and pay the same to Mr Bailey. HENRY KINGMAN, Moderator."
191
TOWN MEETING RECORDS.
Doubtless the council was called and the Rev. Winthrop Bailey was formally dismissed. The action of the Council was probably duly recorded upon the church books. The above is all the record of action by the town.
MEETING, AUG. 16, 1826.
" Article To see if the town will agree to find Pompons and feathers for the soldiers in lieu of the Money which has been paid in by the Conditional exempts."
" Voted that the town will furnish the Money to purchase Pom- pons and feathers and take money in the treasury paid in by the conditional exempts in lieu thereof.
Voted Capt Cyrus Kingman, Lt Alanson Chapin, Ensign Lemuel C Wedge a Committee to look up the Money paid in by said Condi- tional exempts.
Voted That Said Pompons and feathers when not in use shall be lodged with the clerk of the Company."
Adam Johnson, a liberal donor to Amherst College of funds to erect the Johnson chapel, had recently deceased and there was an unsettled claim of his estate against the town, and the town had a claim for taxes against the estate of Johnson. Oliver Smith, Jr., Ezra Brown and Reuben Westcott were chosen a committee to examine John- son's claim against the town and the claim for taxes against the estate. They were to report at the annual meeting in March or April and at a meeting Nov. 27, 1826, it was " Voted to raise Four Hundred Dol- lars to pay a Claim of the Administrator on Adam Johnsons Estate against said town."
The desire to prosecute Martin Kingman as expressed by vote in the meeting of June 25, 1827, was subject for another town meeting on the 19th of November following, when the matter of choosing an agent to prosecute to final judgment came up. Isaac Abercrombie, a cool headed and able citizen was chosen Moderator, and the suit against Martin Kingman was disposed of effectually by vote as recorded.
" Voted Not to Choose an Agent to prosecute and Voted to instruct the Committee to discharge the Action now pending between the town and Martin Kingman, and they (the committee) be discharged."
The year 1828 was made memorable because of the great flood of
192
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
that year which swept away bridges and caused great damage to the roads and necessitated the calling of a special meeting, Sept. 23, 1828, to raise money for the repair of the highways and bridges.
Henry Kingman was moderator. It was " Voted to raise $500 for the repair of the Highways injured by the late freshet.
Voted to raise $200 in addition to the above."
The damage to the town highways and bridges proved to be greater than estimated for at a meeting held Dec. 1, 1828, it was voted to raise $300 in addition to the $700 voted in September.
MEETING, MAY 4, 1829.
Was for the choice of a man to represent the town in the General Court to be convened in Boston on the last Wednesday of the cur- rent month of May.
There were three candidates in the field, and for the first time in years the vote for representative was recorded by the town clerk. The vote for Ziba Cook, 48, for Samuel Clark, Jr., 39, and for Cyrus Kingman, Esq., 8.
LAWSUITS, 1829.
The town for some reason was involved in lawsuits this year. The records fail to explain just what the suits were for and we are shut up to the bare facts as stated.
At a meeting held in May, 1829, Cyrus Kingman, Esq., was chosen agent of the town to manage a suit commenced by Sally Smith against David Abercrombie.
At the same meeting Cyrus Kingman was chosen an assistant agent to help Martin Kingman to manage the suit brought against the town of Pelham by Abner Goodell.
At a meeting on the 16th of September Cyrus Kingman was chosen an agent to defend the suit brought by Ira Abercrombie against the town.
MEETING, SEPT. 2, 1830.
This meeting was unimportant save in one or two particulars. It was at this meeting that the list of the poor people was increased by the addition of Mary and Rachel Johnson. It was voted that these two worthy but poor people remain in the hands of the selectmen, until the first of November.
193
TOWN MEETING RECORDS.
Building the wall in front of the center graveyard was struck off to Nathaniel Wheeler. The turf was to be taken off and the wall laid three and a half feet thick at the bottom and four and one-half feet high, capped with flat stones on the top, the front to be equal to Col. Cyrus Kingman's wall west of said wall. Mr. Wheeler had the job of building a gate with stone posts at the burying ground. Undoubt- edly the same stone posts that stand there now. Wheeler was paid one dollar per rod for the wall and $5 for the stone posts and gate.
MEETING, APRIL 4, 1831.
" Voted to accept of a proposal made by David Goddard Jr of Petersham concerning taking and keeping the Canada Girls. The proposals is as follows viz-He is to take them at Sixty-five dollars per year from and after the Sixth day of May next and keep them free of Expense to the town so long as they all three live. Whenever one shall be taken away by Death he is to keep the others until the expiration of the year and return them free from expense to the town or Make a new bargain. He pays all funeral as well as other charges. Receives his Money for keeping them at Pelham."
The Canada or Kennedy girls were persons supported by the town.
MEETING, NOV. 14, 1831.
" Voted (Under General article) that the Subscribers for procuring a stove have a privilege of setting it up in the Meeting house pro- viding they obtain it and support it throughout at their own expense.
DANIEL THOMPSON, Town Clerk."
The history of this town meeting doubtless marks the time when the introduction of a stove into the meeting house, that since 1740 the good people of Pelham had sat in on Sundays and on many town meeting days without any fire save a few coals in the foot stoves monopolized by the women on Sundays. On town meeting days in cold weather the men were nimble in carrying adjournments for con- sultation to the tavern beside the great open fireplaces. The propo- sition to set up a stove in the meeting house was considered in the town meeting in a way to throw all the responsibility upon the " subscribers." They were granted the privilege of setting it up, but the voters did not propose to have the town made responsible for its support.
194
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
The election of representative had become an interesting feature of the annual election and in 1832 there were six candidates and the votes cast for each candidate we take from the record :
Reuben Westcott I Votes.
John Rankin Esq 2
Martin Kingman 2 Cyrus Kingman 5
66
David Conkey 29 66 Lewis Draper 60
Lewis Draper was elected by a majority of 2 1 votes.
Attest DAVID THOMPSON Town Clerk.
MEETING, MARCH 4, 1833.
" Voted-that whoever takes charge of the Meeting House the ensuing year shall take charge and care of the fire at all necessary and proper times, and sweep the Meeting House Every Month in the year Meeting or no Meeting.
Voted to set it up to the lowest bidder. Martin Kingman bid 2.75 and being the lowest bidder the same was struck off to him."
There were twelve town meetings in 1833 and five of them were called for no other purpose than to vote for Register of Deeds. The dates of these meetings were June 3, 1833, Aug. 29, Nov. 11, Nov. 23, Dec. 25. Giles C. Kellogg, Chauncy Clark and William Swan were the principle candidates and the meeting of Dec. 25, resulted as follows : Giles C. Kellogg, 38 votes; Chauncy Clark, 26 votes. We can conceive of no reason for so many trials for a Register of Deeds save a failure of any candidate to get a majority.
ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH 2, 1835.
"Voted to set up the Care of the Meeting House to the lowest bid- der-To sweep said house when necessary-Also to make fires when occupied, and lock and unlock when used-Struck off to Jared T. Westcott at $2.00 for the year.
Voted that the Selectmen be a Committee to confer with. Prescott authorities about building a bridge between the said Towns and report at April meeting .- Report was to build a bridge wide enough for two teams to pass and $250, was voted to build it.
CYRUS KINGMAN, Town Clerk."
195
TOWN MEETING RECORDS.
WARRANT FOR BUSINESS MEETING, NOV. 9, 1835.
2d " To see if the town will vote to build a town house for the accommo- tion of transacting town business.
3d To see if the town will vote to Accept of a Piece of land lying in the fork of roads above Learned O. Draper's for the Center of said Town and for the location of said House.
4th To Choose a Committee to Superintend the building of said house and secure a title of said land in behalf of said Corporation.
5th To see if the town will accept of the town house in Shutesbury as a pattern for said house.
6th To see if the town will Job out the building of said house to the lowest bidder therefor. With sufficient bonds, and make note of them accordingly, to be completed by first of Nov. 1836, and to the acceptance of superintending committee."
The meeting " Voted not to build a Town House." They tried again in 1836 and failed, that ended the matter.
ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH 6, 1837.
The choice of the school committee was effected after a singular spasm of backing and filling.
" Voted not to choose a school Committee for Examining School Teachers. Voted To reconsider the above vote.
Voted To Choose an Examining Committee of one person from each school district that may serve for nothing.
Voted To adjourn choosing an Examining Committee till the first Monday in April at one o'clock P. M.
Voted to choose a School Committee consisting of three persons to examine School teachers, make the necessary returns and go no father."
It was after all these votes in the order given, that the committee was chosen.
MEETING, MAY 1, 1837.
This meeting was for the purpose of considering and determining whether the town would agree to receive its proportion of the monies received and to be received by the Treasurer and Receiver General of this Commonwealth from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States for deposit with this Commonwealth, in pursuance of an Act of Congress to regulate the deposit of the public money, approved June 23, 1836.
196
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
" Voted. That this town agrees to receive from the Treasurer and Receiver General of the Commonwealth its proportion of the Surplus Revenue of the United States, on deposit and will comply with the terms and provisions of the several acts passed by the legislature of said Commonwealth concerning the surplus Revenue.
Voted. That Martin Kingman is hereby authorized to sign a certificate of deposit for the sums of money he may receive from time to time from the Treasurer and Receiver General, thereby bind- ing the town in its corporate capacity for the repayment to said Treasurer of the money so deposited, and any and every part thereof whenever it shall be required by said Treasurer, to be by him refunded to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States.
Voted to pay the town debts out of the Surplus Revenue, and that the Selectmen put the remainder at interest in sums not to exceed one hundred dollars each, to be loaned to inhabitants in town, if sufficient applications are made, if not, in larger sums at the discre- tion of the Selectmen, they taking sufficient security for the same.
Attest RUFUS GROUT, Town Clerk.
The number of persons supported by the town had fallen from perhaps twenty-five in 1822 to five in 1838, and they partially self-sup- porting. This decrease was only temporary, and the number increased again within a few years.
ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH 2, 1840.
There were some people in town who believed that Lord Pelham had been honored sufficiently in the nearly one hundred years that the town had borne his name and were anxious to change the name Pelham to something else more fitting to the elevated location, and we find the following vote on the records as passed at this annual meeting: "Voted to petition to the General Court to change the present name of Pelham to Mt. Hermon."
The petition was not followed by the legislation they prayed for and Lord Pelham continued to be honored by the use of his name the same as for the almost completed century since the incorporation of the town.
MEETING, APRIL 4, 1842.
" Voted $105 for the common school libraries, it being the sum required of said town for the purpose of establishing District School
197
TOWN MEETING RECORDS.
Libraries to enables the town to receive the same sum from the state, agreeable to a law passed by the legislature of 1841.
Voted George B. Pitman, Calvin D. Eaton, Ziba Cook, a commit- tee to examine the records to see whether the Old Meeting House belongs to the town, or whether it has any interest in the same. Committee to make report at the next town meeting."
MEETING, JAN. 1, 1844.
The main business of this New Years' day meeting was to act upon the following article of the warrant :
Article 4. To see if the town will vote to sell the Old Meeting House, and if they so vote to see on what terms and conditions the Vestries of the Congregational and Methodist Churches in said town can be had and appro- priated for the purpose of holding town meetings in them alternately and to take such measures for carrying the same into effect as shall be thought proper when convened. Agreeable to the petition of John Parmenter and others.
The meeting was organized with George B. Pitman as moderator, and when the fourth article was reached the only record of action is in the following words : " Voted to pass the 4th Article of the War- rant." Thus ended another attempt to change the place of holding town meetings from the Old Meeting House where they had been held for one hundred years.
MEETING, APRIL 7, 1845.
" Voted to lay a floor across the gallery of the Old Meeting House and move the stove now in the old Meeting house above and repair it suitable for a town house, meaning the upper part of the old Meet- ing house.
Voted to let out the repairing of the upper part of the old Meet- ing house to the lowest bidder ; to be repaired as follows : Viz, To lay a floor, between the galleries, timbers shored up well on the underside, Glass put in the windows in the galleries and Chimney to be made from the top of the upper floor to the top of the roof. Struck off to C. D. Eaton to repair for the sum of $50, to be done first of Nov. 1845.
Voted that any person or persons who may choose may have the privilige to move the Old Meeting house back the bigness of the house, and thirty feet more, if any person or persons will move it at their own expense. .
198
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
Voted to finish off the N. E. Corner of the Old Meeting house, for a hearse house by a partition up to the under side of the gallerys jointed and matched 16 feet by 12 feet-make suitable doors and hang them and wharf up so that it will be convenient to draw a hearse in and out of the door, and put a lock and key on the door.
MEETING, APRIL 6, 1846.
" Voted to accept of Asa Tomsons proposals for the rent of the lower part of the town house which is as follows. I Asa Tomson of Pelham agree to pay the town of Pelham six dollars a year for the rent of the lower part of the Old Meeting House in Pelham for a term of fifty years to myself and heirs and assigns provided I can have a privilige of making any repairs I shall think proper for con- verting the same into work shops or for any other purpose I shall think fit to appropriate the same. I am to have the privilige of Erecting a Chimney through the town hall area the same to intersect with a Chimney in the upper part of said house, the above rent to be paid annually so long as the town keeps the upper part in repair ; and I am to have all the boards and lumber in the lower part of said house, and to have the privilige of taking off all tenantable repairs at the end of said term.
Pelham, April 6, 1846."
One cause of trouble among the people was the dissatisfaction with either the school districts or the highway districts, and some- times there was dissatisfaction with both at the same time. Propo- sals for a change in highway districts or school districts appeared in the warrants for town meetings quite often and the year 1846 was notable in school district commotion.
MEETING, APRIL 23, 1849.
" Voted That the selectmen cause a room to be finished off in Southeast part of the town hall to keep the Weights Measures and Balances in, and the town books and papers."
MEETING, MAY 1, 1850.
Moderator, Chester Gaskill. "Voted, Thomas Buffum, Monroe Eaton, Olney Cook a committee to redistrict the town."
This committee attended to the duty assigned them and the record of their doings is spread upon the pages of the record book, and goes
199
TOWN MEETING RECORDS.
to show that there was at all times a prevailing dissatisfaction with the school districts, and a constant desire for change, but it would make monotonous reading if printed here.
MEETING, NOV. 25, 1850.
There had been one trial to elect a representative which failed, and this meeting was to give another chance. There were six good men who wanted to go. The voters were called together at " Ten of the Clock in the forenoon." The result of the voting was as fol- lows for six candidates :
Nehemiah W. Aldrich So votes.
Israel H. Taylor 47 66
Rufus Grout IO
66
Chester Gaskell IO
Lyman Jenks 3
Alanson Chapin I
66
The total sum assessed for the year 1850 as per assessor's report was as follows : Town grant $1550.00, overlayings $44.01, highway delinquences $55.20, total $1649.21.
MEETING, Nov. 27, 1850.
This was the third town meeting during the month and the busi- ness that called the voters together this time was set forth in article 2 of the warrant.
"Article 2. To see if the town will set off to Amherst the West Part of Pelham agreeable to the petition of John Russell and others."
The meeting was called at 2-30 o'clock of the short November afternoon and Daniel Purrington was elected Moderator. On article 2 the recorded action was decisive.
" Voted Not to set off the west part of this town to Amherst-the number of voters for setting off was eight. The number against set- ting off was eighty-six."
John Russell lived in the southwest corner of the town, on the farm now occupied by Hiram Ballou, and the same farm that Samuel Hyde tilled a century or so ago. He was six miles from Pelham center and attended church at Amherst. He was not satisfied with the vote and took his petition to the General Court the next year but did not succeed in getting set off.
200
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
MEETING, NOV. 10, 1851.
There was a contest for the office of representative to the General Court from Pelham this year. There were six candidates in the field, and the ballot on the first day resulted in no choice, the vote standing as follows :
David Abercrombie 72 votes. Rufus Grout 59
Thomas Buffum 2I
William Newell 5
Israel H. Taylor I
Barney Wetherell I "=159
Adjourned meeting, 10 A. M., Nov. 11, 1851. Result of the voting for representative to the General Court at Boston for the ensuing year, being the election of David Abercrombie.
A similar contest occurred in 1853 when it took two days. The first day Thomas Buffum received 55 votes ; all others 55. At the next trial Mr. Buffum received 48 ; all others 42.
MEETING, JAN. 31, 1854.
This was a very important meeting and the warrant follows :
" 2ª To see if said Town is willing to give up and surrender her town Charter and become disfranchised as to all town priviliges and rights.
3ª To act on the subject of having said Town divided in any legal way and manner and having the parts annexed to adjoining town, and to use any legal means to accomplish the same.
4th . To Choose all Committee or Committees, officer or officers necessary or desirable to carry any or all of the above into effect and operation and to give them such instructions as said town may judge expedient when convened."
Action of the meeting :-- "Ist Made choice of David Abercrombie, Moderator. Voted to surrender this town's Charter according to the Warrant calling this meeting. Seventy three in favor (73). Thirty six (36) against.
Voted to Choose a Committee of three to Carry the same into effect-Minor Gold, Isaac B. Barrows, Grove W. Hannum chosen committee."
Special committees were also chosen to visit the adjoining town to forward the project in hand, and the above committee were instructed to take charge of that petition in the Legislature at Boston.
201
TOWN MEETING RECORDS.
The cause of the action of the town in voting to surrender the charter cannot be explained to the satisfaction of all; but the action of the people of the western portion of the town in seeking to have the legislature set off a good generous portion of the town to Amherst, and their persistence in this purpose led to a growing feeling that if the best portion of the town was ultimately set off, it would be bet- ter to go in at once to surrender the charter, give up the organization, and have the territory all divided up and annexed to the surrounding towns. It was while the people were thinking that there was a prob- ability of a tract, a mile and a half or more wide, extending across the western end of the town, being annexed to Amherst by the per- sistent efforts of the people residing therein, that they suddenly gave in and endorsed the annihilation project by a two-thirds vote of those present and voting thereon.
The action of the people of Pelham became known to the people . of Amherst and was not pleasing to them. A town meeting was called at Amherst on the 27th of February, 1854, and an expression of the majority of the voters was obtained by a yea and nay vote on the following resolution offered by Hon. Edward Dickinson :
" Resolved-as the sense of this town of Amherst, that as at present advised and in the present state of proceedings before the Legislature, on petition of the town of Pelham for leave to surrender its charter, and to be annexed to the adjoining towns, we are opposed to the surrender of its charter and to the annexation of any portion of its territory to the town of Amherst." On motion of Horace Kel- logg the yeas and nays were ordered on the above resolution. Each voter's name was then called and 252 voters answered to their names as follows : In support of the resolution, 168; against it, 84.
It had been generally understood that Amherst would be pleased to accept of a strip of territory a mile or more wide across the west end of the town of Pelham, but the probability that Amherst would be asked to receive more than that if the charter was surrendered, caused the decision not to accept of any portion of it.
The action of Amherst as recorded caused a change of feeling among the people of Pelham as will be seen in the action of the March meeting.
At the annual meeting, March 6, 1854, there was a motion made to rescind the vote passed Jan. 31, to "Surrender the Charter " and it failed to pass, 84 voting for reconsideration and 87 against.
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