USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Pelham > History of Pelham, Mass. : from 1738 to 1898, including the early history of Prescott > Part 18
USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Prescott > History of Pelham, Mass. : from 1738 to 1898, including the early history of Prescott > Part 18
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48
202
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
Instead of a two-thirds vote in favor of surrendering the charter, in a total of 109 votes at the first meeting, there was only the small majority of three against rescinding in a total of 171 votes, which was as full a vote as was possible to call out, for the excitement on the question was great and both sides were out in full force. The senti- ment against the surrender of the charter and annihilation had set in, and the success of the project was doomed although not entirely abandoned. Nothing seems to have been done about it during the year 1855 but the agitation was renewed in 1856.
MEETING, MARCH 6, 1855.
John Russell and others were still pushing to be set off to Amherst and a petition from these parties was read asking the legislature to set them off to Amherst. It was then "Voted to instruct the selectmen to call a town meeting to choose an agent or agents to appear at Boston to object to the petition of John Russell, Sylvester Jewett and others being granted." This meeting was held on the 16th of March, 1855, and Calvin D. Eaton was chosen agent to go to Boston to oppose the aforesaid petition. Eaton was empowered to take one or more witnesses with him.
MEETING, JAN. 28, 1856.
This meeting was called for substantially, the same purpose as that of Jan. 31, 1854, viz., to consider the question of surrendering the charter of incorporation of the town.
" Voted to have the petition presented to the meeting and read for the information of the voters .- Miner Gold Esq read the Petition."
A motion was made to pass over the petition or article under which it had come before the meeting.
A division of the house was demanded on this motion and the petitioners and all in favor of the surrender of the charter swayed to one side of the town hall while those who opposed were arrayed on the other. The change in sentiment since the meeting of Jan. 31, 1854, was manifested when only sixteen could be counted for surren- der, to seventy-three against.
" Voted not to surrender the charter."
A motion was made to set off John Russell and Sylvester Jewett to Amherst. "Voted not to set off John Russell and Sylvester Jewett."
This is believed to be the last movement to surrender the charter,
203
TOWN MEETING RECORDS.
or to set off any portion of the town to Amherst or to other towns adjoining, until 1867 when it was tried again and failed. This cause of disagreement and contention removed, the people were more con- tented with their surroundings, although they had seen the gradual decline in prosperity experienced by all hill towus. Very few of those who were active in the proposition to surrender the charter are alive now, and the episode is almost forgotten now that forty years have passed since the unusual and almost unheard of action of voting to surrender the charter occurred.
ANNUAL MEETING, APRIL 4, 1859.
The average amount of the annual appropriations for the years just previous to the breaking out of the rebellion, and the distribu- tion thereof can be studied by reference to the appropriations for 1859 which follow :
Voted $550 for schools, $800 for roads and bridges, to pay 12 cts. per hour for labor on roads, $500 for support of the poor, $300 town debts, $400 for contingent expenses, total $2550.
The appropriation for schools was divided proportionately among the eight districts, and the prudential committee of the several dis- tricts employed teachers, purchased fuel, etc.
MEETING, MAY 24, 1860.
This meeting was called for a very singular purpose-one for which the voters had never before been called together. Mr. Fay of Brookfield had driven some cattle into town to graze dur- ing the summer, and the cattle were suspected of being tainted with pleuro-pneumonia and the people were excited, fearing a spread of the disease among the herds in town. James M. Cowan, Calvin D. Eaton, Philander Bartlett, Dexter Thompson and Thomas Buffum were chosen a committee to confer with committees from adjoining towns in reference to the cattle disease and $100 was voted for use in exterminating the pleuro-pneumonia. The infected district was east of the highway leading from the center to Shutesbury and north of the main highway leading from the center to Prescott. All per- sons were forbidden to remove any cattle from that district, and also charged not to let them run at large, or to drive infected or exposed cattle on the public highways.
204
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
The first recorded evidence of the existence of the civil war was in a warrant for a special meeting, Aug. 31, 1861, as follows :
1
Article 6. To see if the town will vote to raise money for the support of the families of Volunteers who have gone to the war or who may go, and how much.
" Voted to pass the 6th article."
Return of men liable to military duty as made out by the Asses- sors, Aug. 14, 1861 :-
Sylvester Jewett
Asahel Gates
Samuel B. Dodge
John Shaw Marcus C. Grout
William B. Downing
William Myrick
Theodore Gold
Myron Buffum
Hiram Tuttle Levi W Gold
Gilbert H. Firman
Charles O. Parmenter
William Hannum
Elon G. Firman
C. D. Gray
Lucian Hill
Albert A. Grout
George Tufts
Gilbert G. Hunt
Otis Griffin
Henry Barrows
Elbridge F. Horr
Ziza Hanks
Elisha Thornton
Russell Hildreth
Warner Hanks
A. S. Barton
Rufus P. King
Joseph Hunt
S. F. Arnold
George Knight
Joshua Nickerson
Henry Wheeler
Charles Kimball
John N. Pitman
D. N. Squares
Sanford Lovett
Stephen Rhodes
Stillman Abercrombie
Francis Latham
John Root
John B. Ward
O. S. Latham
Marcenus B. Richardson
Nelson Witt
Levi H. Moulton
Cyrenus T. Richardson
William Avery
John F. Moulton
Warren Randall
Franklin Bramble
John F. Nichols
Alonzo C. Randall
Tyler D. Aldrich
Joseph Park
John Rider
Olney Aldrich
D. F. Packard
George Shaw
Martin Aldrich
William F. Reed
E. S. Southwick
Sanford Boyden
John Shay
Timothy Twohig
Henry Conklin
C. H. Taylor
Richard Twohig
William Comstock
Philo Thompson
John Willis
Henry Cook
Lucian Winslow
Moses L. Ward
Aaron Cook
Joseph G. Ward
George Wilson
Nathan C. Canterbury
David H. Allen
Heman D. Eaton
James M. Cowan
Estus Barnes
Myrett E. Boynton
Francis Dodge
Emerson Bartlett
Harrison Horr
Seth Davis
Arctus J. Cadwell
Theodore F. Cook
Frederick R. Dane
Lemuel R. Chapin
George D. Davis
James Fales
Charles R. Cleveland
Israel Taylor
Russell W. Whipple
Lewis Dodge
Milo W. Field
Hollis Dodge
MEETING, NOVEMBER 1, 1861.
The question of help to families of volunteers came up under "Article 2. To see if the town will vote to raise money for the sup- port of families of Volunteers as provided in an Act passed by the last Legislature or instruct the Selectmen or take any other action in relation thereto when convened."
TO THE CIDER MILL.
ON THE SANDY ROAD TO AMHERST MARKET.
205
TOWN MEETING RECORDS.
" Voted to instruct the Selectmen to borrow as much money as is necessary to pay the families of Volunteers who have gone to War. CALVIN D. EATON, Town Clerk."
From 1862 to 1892.
Action for Relief of Soldiers' Families, 1862 .- Draft for Men in 1863. -Heavy Taxes After the War .- Number of Schools Reduced from Eight to Four in 1874 .- Few Town Meetings Annually After That .- Blizzard of 1888 .- Death of Sylvester Jewett, 1892 .- History of the Old Meeting House.
MEETING, JULY 21, 1862.
This meeting, called while the people of the town were at work in the hayfields, shows the importance of the business they were called to act upon. The war of the rebellion was raging and volunteers had been going forth to fight for the country leaving their families behind them in needy circumstances, and the town was called together to take action as articles in the warrant prove.
" Article Second, To see if the town will vote to empower the selectmen to borrow money to pay the families of Volunteers now gone to war all sums they may be entitled, also the families of those volunteers which may go hereafter.
Article Fifth, To see what sums of money if any the town will vote to raise to pay as bounty to Volunteers.
Article Sixth, To see what means the town will take to raise this Bounty Money,-by borrowing it, or by taxation at the present time."
Acting on the second article the town "Voted to empower the Selectmen to Borrow Money to pay the families of Volunteers that have gone to the war or who may go hereafter,-a sum not exceed- ing Seven hundred dollars."
Acting on the fifth article the town " Voted to Authorize the Select- men to borrow One Hundred dollars for Each Volunteer, Not exceed- ing ten in number, who may enlist under the Call of the Governor of Massachusetts from this town, and that the same be assessed in the next annual assessment of taxes in the town of Pelham.
I5
206
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
Voted to take this question by Yeas and Nays and the vote was so taken, and the following voters answered Yes to their names and No as it is written against their Names."
The importance and the scope of this vote, and what it might lead to as a precedent, probably led to the decision to make the record by a yea and nay roll call. There was a little opposition to such large appropriations for the people of the town to pay, but the large majority were in earnest to put down secession and willing to con- tribute liberally for bounties and for the help of families of volunteers. There were few if any suspected of " secesh " opinions, and the fact that some men answered No, is not to be considered as exhibiting a lack of patriotic desire to crush the rebellion. It being the first record of a yea and nay vote the record is copied in full.
" Arnold, Samuel F
Yes
Hildreth, Russell Yes
Abercrombie, George
Yes
Jewett, Sylvester
Yes
Buffum, Thomas
No
Jenks, Lyman
Yes
Boyington, Silas
Yes
Knight, Philander
Yes
Barrows, Henry
No
Kimball, Samuel
Yes
Barnes, Ansel
No
Lesure, Jesse
No
Barnes, Estus
Yes
Latham, F. A.
Yes
Boyden, Sanford
No
Latham, O. S.
No
Bartlett, Philander
Yes
Myrick, William L
Yes
Bent, G. R.
Yes
Nichols, John
Yes
Chapin, Lemuel R
Yes
Newell, Lemuel H
Yes
Chapin, Luther
No
Rankin, Ansel A
Yes
Clough, Warren
No
Randall, Arba
Yes
Cook, Ziba
Yes
Presho, Zadock
Yes
Cook, Lewis
Yes
Packard, David F
Yes
Cook, Olney
No
Pitman, John N
Yes
Cowan, J M
Yes
Randall, Alonzo
Yes
Dodge, Lewis
Yes
Richardson, Marcene
No
Dodge, Hollis
Yes
Randall, Warren
Yes
Downing, Wm B
Yes
Shaw, George
Yes
Davis, Samuel
Yes
Stone, Eliab
Yes
Dowden, Wm H
Yes
Tuttle, Hiram
Yes
Eaton, Calvin D
Yes
Thurber, William
Yes
Fales, Abijah
Yes
Thompson, Dexter
Yes
Firman, Albert
Yes
Thompson, Edmund
Yes
Field, Milo
No
Thompson, George
Yes
Gray, Horace
Yes
Tufts, George
Yes
Gray, C. D.
Yes
Whipple, Russell jr
Yes
Gates, Asahel
Yes
Ward, Moses L
No
Grout, Marcus C
Yes
Ward, Hosea
No
Gold, Miner
Yes
Ward, John
Yes
Gold, Levi
Yes
Wilson, George H
Yes
Hills, Lucian
No
Ward, Joseph G
Yes
Hunt, Joseph
Yes
Ward, John B
Yes
Hamilton, Joseph
Yes
Witt, Nelson
Yes
Fifty seven voted in the Affirmative and Thirteen in the Negative.
CALVIN D. EATON, Town Clerk."
207
TOWN MEETING RECORDS.
MEETING, AUG. 29, 1862.
This was another meeting called in the busy season of the Pelham farmers, but there had been a call for 300,000 men by President Lincoln and the business for which the meeting was called was laid before the voters in this article.
" Article 2ª, To see what Measures or Means the town will take to raise her quota or proportion of the 300,000 men last Called for by the President of the United States ..
Article 3ª, To pass all votes necessary or judged Expedient in order to Carry out the aforesaid Means or Measures which the town when convened may see fit."
Sylvester Jewett was chosen moderator and the action of the town is shown in the following recorded vote :
" Voted that the Selectmen be hereby authorized and empowered to procure all money necessary by borrowing it for the town or draw- ing it from the treasury as most convenient, and pay the sum of One Hundred dollars to Each person Entitled thereto when Mustered into Service."
The vote on the above article was taken by the yeas and nays, 69 voting in the affirmative and three in the negative.
MEETING, OCT. 20, 1862.
The article that was the main feature of the warrant was :
" To See if the town will vote to pay the One Hundred dollars bounty to the five Men over our quota of nine months men that are now in Camp at Greenfield."
The response was prompt and to the point. "Voted to pay the five men now in Camp at Greenfield, over and above our quota, One Hundred dollars Each."
MEETING, APRIL 4, 1863.
" Voted to allow the selectmen to borrow as much money as neces- sary to pay state aid to families."
MEETING, APRIL, 23, 1863.
Moderator, John Jones. " Voted to Authorize the Selectmen to borrow a sum not Exceeding Eight Hundred dollars to pay the fami- lies of Volunteers and give town obligations for the same.
Voted To Instruct - the Selectmen to withhold two months pay
208
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
from the families of Volunteers after the Ist of August next instead of one Month as they now do."
MEETING, JUNE 20, 1863.
" Voted that John Jones be an Agent for the town of Pelham to go before the Commissioner and use all lawful means to get from our Soldier rolls all Soldiers that ought to be exempt, And to pay all reasonable expense he may be at."
The frequent calls for men to fill the quota of many towns in the state was greater than the number of those who would volunteer, and the authorities were obliged to issue a call for a draft in July 1863. The following is the list of men drafted at Greenfield, July 20, 1863, from Pelham.
George B. Davis
Solomon Slater
Philo Thompson
Gilbert H. Firman
Nathaniel H. Cook
Theodore F. Cook
Frederic R. Dane
Joel Cutting
John N. Pitman
James D. Mower
Albert Pratt
John S. Willis
Hollis Dodge
William Squares
Heman D. Eaton
George H. Willson
John T. Fales
Charles H. Jenks
George A. Gardner
Levi W. Gold
Calvin D. Gray
MEETING, JUNE 1, 1864.
This meeting was called at 3 o'clock P. M. because it was in the busy season for farmers, and the important business for which the town was called together is set forth in Article 2 of the warrant :
"Article 2 To see what action the town will take in relation to procuring Substitutes for the Men that may be accepted on the present draft, and all future drafts, or to fill all future quotas without a draft, and also in rela- tion to Compensating the men that were drafted and accepted in 1863 in this town."
" Voted to raise the sum of one hundred and twenty five dollars apiece for all persons who may volunteer and are accepted into the United States Service.
Voted to Authorize the Selectmen to borrow and pay one hundred and twenty five dollars each, for Seventeen Volunteers to fill the quota of the town of Pelham under the present, and future Calls for Men.
Voted that John Jones, David F. Packard, Cyrus A. Wade and Moses Redding be agents to procure Substitutes for all future Calls for men from this town.
209
TOWN MEETING RECORDS.
Voted to Authorize the Selectmen to furnish the above agents with money sufficient to bear their expenses in recruiting."
SYLVESTER JEWETT, Moderator. C. D. EATON, Town Clerk.
"MEETING, AUG. 16, 1865."
(This meeting was probably held in 1864.)
The record of this meeting is incomplete there being no warrant spread upon the book. The moderator is not given, nor is the fragmentary record signed by the town clerk. All of the record is copied.
" At a legal meeting warned by the Selectmen and assembled in the town hall August 16, 1864 They passed the following votes, viz.
Voted to pay $125.00 to Every man who shall be one to fill the present quota of Seven.
Voted that John Jones be an agent to obtain Men from any quarter he may think best to go, and to pay his necessary Expenses.
Voted to accept of Moses Redding's account as settled by John Jones.
Voted to dissolve this meeting."
MEETING, APRIL 3, 1865.
" Voted that the selectmen be authorized to borrow and appropri- ate the amount of money they can lawfully, for recruiting purposes."
MEETING, MAY 27, 1865.
The war was substantially over and no more men would be called for, and this meeting was called to take measures to equalize the burdens that had fallen upon individuals as outlined in the main article of the warrant :
" Article 2 To see if the town will appropriate Money to reimburse money contributed to furnish recruits according to an act approved April 25 1865 and if so to give instructions in regard to raising such money."
Moderator, Sylvester Jewett. " Voted to raise four thousand dol- lars to be divided pro rata among those who have paid money to fill the quotas of the town during the war.
Voted to adjourn this Meeting two weeks from to-day at 2 o'clock P. M."
Met according to adjournment, and passed the following vote June 10, 1865.
210
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
" Voted to reconsider the vote passed May 27, 1865 to raise four thousand dollars to be divided among those who have paid Money to fill the quotas of the town during the war."
The haste with which this liberal proposition was reconsidered is evidence that it was not given due consideration before it was first passed. The war was over now, and the large sums the town had been obliged to raise by borrowing and otherwise had made the rate of taxation high, and to pay interest and small amounts upon the debt, caused by the war expenses, kept the rate high for many years. The rate of taxation rose to $25 or more, on $1000 and hovered near $20 per 1000 for a long time.
The amount of money raised by taxation increased for a number of years after the war closed. The total amount raised by taxation for the year 1865 was $4270.79 ; for 1866, $4961.22 ; for 1867, $5321.21; for 1868, $5557.81; for 1869, $4436.92; for 1870, $5429.38; for 1871, $4874.98 ; for 1872, $5429.38.
To raise these sums by taxation when the valuation of the town was shrinking every year, and the population growing less each year, in common with other hill towns, caused the burden of taxation to rest heavily upon the people until the war debt was lessened by small appropriations yearly to apply upon the principal, thereby lessening the yearly interest charge until the town debt is now nearly wiped out.
SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
There was much agitation and numerous town meetings during the year 1867 upon the question of schools and school districts. The first of these was held Jan. 30. There was a proposition to abolish the school districts, and it was voted to abolish them. Then they voted to set up four schools. Then committees were chosen to locate the school-houses. There was no unanimity of feeling, conse- quently no satisfactory conclusions were reached, and the meeting was adjourned to Feb. 13 when it was voted to have three schools. This proposition was not satisfactory to some and the meeting was adjourned to the first Monday in April, and the vote to have three schools was reconsidered. Then it was voted to support seven schools and to have them in the school-houses as at present located. This vote was not carried out because the town did not need so many schools, but the people did not seem ready to do what the
2II
TOWN MEETING RECORDS.
more intelligent knew must be done ultimately, viz .: A reduction in the number of schools, and a relocation of the school-houses ; and meeting after meeting was held until the work was finally accom- plished and the eight school districts abolished, and four schools established.
SPECIAL MEETING, Nov. 16, 1867.
For ten years there had been no agitation for setting off any por- tion of the town to an adjoining town, or for surrendering the charter, but the leading article in the warrant for this special meeting was to bring up the question of surrendering the charter and setting off the territory covered by the charter to the adjoining towns.
Alfred Taylor was chosen moderator of the special meeting, and there were nearly one hundred voters present on Saturday the 16th of Nov. The meeting being called at thirty minutes past twelve o'clock of the short November afternoon.
A motion was made to pass Article two and the motion was car- ried by a majority of two votes, 45 voting to dismiss the article and 43 against it.
A motion to reconsider the vote was made by John Jones, but the voters refused to reconsider, 46 voting to reconsider and 48 against it.
MEETING, APRIL 6, 1868.
" Voted that the selectmen be instructed to hire a certain number of men to repair the highways and bridges in this town the ensuing year. Not to work themselves personally but to superintend the whole. And that the Superintendence shall not exceed in cost the expense of work on said highways."
The name of the man who made the motion which preceded the above vote is not on the record, but he was doubtless of a sarcastic turn of mind.
" Voted that sextons be paid for digging graves for all citizens of the town out of the treasury.
Voted to pay Freeman C. Carver four dollars for services as mod- erator."
Appraisal of the school houses as reported by the board of assess- ors, 1869 : District No. I appraised at $325, No. 2 at $300, No. 3 at $200, No. 4 at $300, No. 5 at $300, No. 6 at $400, No. 7 at $100. 2
212
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
MEETING, MAY 22, 1869.
The people still resisted the inevitable and fought for seven schools as indicated by the following votes :
"Voted to occupy the seven school houses on their present locations.
Voted that the school committee be instructed to set up a school in district No. I and district No. 6 this fall and to set up seven schools next winter in the present school houses."
There was great damage by floods in Oct., 1869, and there was a special meeting to see about repairs.
MEETING, MARCH 15, 1870.
Article 2ª To see if the town will consent to surrender its charter and divide its territory between the towns of Amherst, Prescott, Enfield and Belchertown as already petitioned for to the Legislature by the citizens of Pelham, and also to designate lines of division.
" Voted that we surrender our charter-86 in favor, 36 against.
Voted, that we draw a line straight across from the Northeast cor- ner of Belchertown to the Northwest corner of Enfield, and merge all territory now belonging to Pelham in Belchertown or Enfield. And then starting at the center of the North line of Pelham, run parallel with the west line of said Pelham to the south line, merging all West of said line in the town of Amherst and all east of said line in the town of Prescott.
Made choice of John Jones, Ansel A. Rankin, Philander Bartlett and William B. Downing a committee to appear before the legisla- tive committee."
Amherst refused to consider the proposition of annexation. The Legislature refused to grant the petition of the town for surrender of its charter. There has been no further effort to surrender the charter, although the town has lost much in inhabitants and in valua- tion since 1870.
There were eight town meetings during the year 1870 and almost the entire business was concerning schools or school-houses, and the vexed questions involved were not yet settled. The records of those meetings are interesting reading in some respects but on the whole becomes monotonous and tiresome. That the people, or some of them, should insist on having eight schools in town when there were not pupils for more than four seems strange, but it is to be accounted for by the fact that it was hard to consent to breaking up of the old
213
TOWN MEETING RECORDS.
system of school districts and allow the town to manage the schools with little regard to the old lines and associations. There were many meetings during three or four years, or until 1874 before the consolidation of the districts was affected.
MEETING, FEB. 8, 1871.
In the face of the failure of the petition to the Legislature for per- mission to surrender the charter of the town in 1870 Sylvester Jewett and Hiram Ballou petitioned the Legislature of 1871 to be set off to Amherst, and the meeting of the above date was called. Action of the meeting : Made choice of C. D. Eaton as agent for the town to oppose the petition of Messrs. Jewett and Ballou for a change of town line.
The petitioners failed in their attempt to get set off and the lines of the old town remained intact. The town would vote to surrender the charter, but would not allow one or two men to go.
The amount assessed upon the tax payers of Pelham for the year 1871 by the assessors was as follows : State tax, $625.00 ; County tax, $410.21 ; Town grant, $3700.00 ; Overlayings, $136.19 ; Delin- quent, $538.00 ; Total, $5429.38.
ANNUAL MEETING, APRIL 5, 1875.
" Voted to change the time of holding the Annual meeting from the first Monday in April to the second Monday in March.
Voted to pay the Moderator two dollars for his services.
Voted that W. K. Vaille, S. Jewett and A. A. Rankin formulate by-laws for the town and report at next meeting.
A. C. KEITH, Town Clerk."
MEETING, Nov. 7, 1876.
The year 1876 is a remarkable one in the history of the town in there being only two town meetings during the year. The annual meeting in March, and the annual November election.
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