History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. I, Part 130

Author: L.H. Everts & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia : Louis H. Everts
Number of Pages: 700

USA > Massachusetts > History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. I > Part 130

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).

The building of this house was followed by numerous records about the " seating." To the people of the present time many of these seem ludicrous in the extreme. Human nature then was no doubt very similar to that same trouble- some article of the present time, and great dissatisfaction often occurred. Votes were reconsidered ; parties once seated were permitted to exchange with each other; new committees upon seating were appointed ; and the struggle recorded upon the hooks only faintly pictures the talk, the murmurs, the gossip, that must have existed among the congregation. It required strong faith, patience, and piety to surmount all this, preserve the worship of God nobly and steadily, and hand down to modern times inviolate the traditions and the ordinances of the gospel.

The third and present meeting-house is comparatively mod- ern, the corner-stone having been laid May 23, 1749. It is a handsome edifice, standing upon the west side of the street.

The second house, removed at the erection of the third, stood in the centre of the broad street, a little south of the present location. It was soll and remodeled into a barn upon the Bardwell place, where it still stands, showing even yet, in its steep roof, its outer finish, and its clapboarding, something of its antique and venerable character. The beams were largely what builders know as heart-timber.

Record of the Pastors .- 1st. Rev. Hope Atherton, supposed to have begun preaching for the west side 1668 or 1669; died June 8, 1677. 2d. Rev. Nathaniel Chauncey, installed in 1683. He died while in the pastorate, Nov. 4, 1685. 3d. Rev. Wm. Williams was ordained in 1686; he preached for fifty-five years, and died in the pastorate Aug. 31, 1741. 4th. Rev.

Timothy Woodbridge was ordained Nov. 14, 1739, as col- league of Mr. Williams, and was his successor. He too died in the midst of his pastoral work, June 3, 1770, aged fifty- eight. 5th. Rev. Joseph Lyman, ordained March 4, 1772. He was an ardent patriot, and his name is very prominent in the affairs of the Revolution, then commeneing. His pastor- ate extended over a long period of years, down to 1828, his death occurring March 27th of that year. 6th. Rev. Jared B. Waterbury, installed as colleague of Mr. Lyman, Jan. 10, 1827; dismissed Feb. 24, 1829. 7th. Rev. Levi Pratt, or- dained June 23, 1830; dismissed May 9, 1835. 8th. Rev. Henry Neill, ordained April 16, 1840; dismissed April 15, 1846; he was the father of Prof. Neill, now of Amherst College. 9th. Rev. Jared O. Knapp, installed Dec. 11, 1850; dismissed April 10, 1855. 10th. Rev. John M. Greene, ordained Oct. 20, 1857; dismissed Feb. 17, 1868. 11th. Rev. Wm. L. Bray, installed Jan. 12, 1869 ; dismissed Nov. 22, 1869. 12th. Rev. John P. Skeele, installed May 4, 1870; dismissed April 29, 1873. 13th. Rev. Robert M. Woods, ordained Nov. 21, 1877. Rev. Wm. Greenwood, as stated supply, preached for nearly two years previous to the settlement of Mr. Woods.

Record of Deacons .- The church has no separate record of its existence prior to 1772, and the names of those who filled the office of deacon before that time are gathered from the town records where they incidentally occur: Edward Church, supposed to have been elected in 1670. John Coleman, sup- posed to have been elected 1670; died Jan. 22, 1712. Samuel Marsh, probably chosen 1706; died Sept. 7, 1728. John White, probably chosen 1712. Nathaniel Dickinson, prob- ably chosen 1726. Nathaniel White, probably chosen 1735. Samuel Bodman, probably chosen 1735. John Hubbard, probably chosen 1746; died Sept. 14, 1778, aged eighty-six. John Belding, probably chosen 1746. John Smith, prob- bly chosen 1750. Simeon Wait, probably chosen 1764. Elijah Morton, elected Nov. 25, 1772; died Oct. 5, 1798, aged eighty. William Williams, elected Nov. 25, 1772. Obadiah Dickinson, elected April 8, 1773; died June 24, 1788, aged eighty-four. Jonathan Porter, elected May 23, 1785; died April 25, 1833, aged eighty-one. Lemuel Dickinson, elected May 23, 1785. Cotton Partridge, elected Feb. 28, 1799; died Nov. 13, 1846, aged eighty-one. Benjamin Morton, elected Jan. 7, 1807; died Feb. 4, 1810, aged fifty. Moses Warner, elected March 1, 1810; died Aug. 1, 1828, aged seventy-four. Joseph Billings, elected Oct. 30, 1817 ; died May 23, 1850, aged seventy-four. Rufus Cowles, elected Aug. 31, 1827 ; died Feb. 6, 1840, aged fifty-seven. George W. Ilubbard, elected July 10, 1849 ; resigned Ang. 30, 1870, removed to Northampton. Erastus Cowles, elected Ang. 28, 1850; resigned Sept. 11, 1861. James Porter, chosen Sept. 11, 1861. Alphens Cowles, chosen Oct. 21, 1869. Caleb Dickinson, chosen Oct. 21, 1869; resigned April 8, 1875. Jonathan S. Graves, chosen April 1, 1875. Daniel W. Wells, chosen April 8, 1875.

April 8, 1875, the system of choosing for a term of four years was adopted, one to be elected each year.

Additional Items .- The meeting-house of 1668 had galleries, a turret, and a bell. The bell was to be rung at nine o'clock. The building stood with the ends east and west, the pulpit at the west end, a door at the cast, with a broad centre aisle lead- ing up to the pulpit. It was voted in 1699 to build a new house, but the old edifice survived that vote nearly or quite fifty years. The town built a house for Mr. Atherton, 40 feet long, 20 feet wide, double story.

As in other towns, there are numerous traditions of the convivial habits of the early ministers, so different from the present time. In their associations and councils they usually remained over-night, and had their flip regularly in the morn- ing. It was the custom to drink it before washing for break- fast. If a man overslept, he was condemned to lose his flip unless he made up on the spot a verse of original poetry. On one occasion a victim is said to have perpetrated the following :

397

HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY.

"They say our forefathers, like goats, First washed their eyes, and then their throats; But we, their sons, grown more wise, First wash our throats, then our eyes."

He probably received his flip.

Present Organization (March, 1879) .- Pastor, Rev. Robert M. Woods; James Porter, Alpheus Cowles, Jonathan S. Graves, Daniel W. Wells, Deacons; the deacons and two others, Henry S. Hubbard, Oscar Belden, Church Committee ; James Porter, Clerk of Church ; George A. Billings, Clerk of Parish ; Joseph S. Wells, Superintendent of Sunday-school ; communicants, 262; congregation, not far from the same ; at- tendance at Sunday-school, 175 to 200. A branch school is maintained at North Hatfield in the school-house, occasion- ally at West Hatfield also.

This is the only church in town. Methodist meetings were held for a time, 1844 to 1846, in the town-hall, but no society was formed.

BURIAL-GROUNDS.

There is a tradition of early times, as stated by Mr. Elijah Bardwell, that a few carly burials took place upon the bank of the Connecticut River, in nearly an east direction from the meeting-house. This theory has some force from certain items in the records ; these imply the opening of the cemetery upon the hill as being some twenty years after the settlement. If there were burials at the point mentioned, all trace of them was long ago lost, the field being entirely a cultivated one, with neither stone nor memorial.

The " old cemetery," so called, upon the hill was the prin- cipal place of burial for one hundred and sixty years. There the generations one after another have been gathered to their long sleep. The ground is in very fair preservation consider- ing its age. It is properly fenced, and small appropriations are usually voted by the town for its care each year. Some years ago the graves were leveled and the ground put in con- dition to be neatly mowed. There are many dates upon these old stones that form a valuable key to unlock much of the family history of the olden time. Genealogical students of the early names will find here ample materials. These in- scriptions, together with the births, deathis, and marriage records of the town clerk's office, are ample to enable many families to write their own domestic history with great fullness and accuracy.

There are thought to be few or no places of private burial upon the farms and homesteads of Hatfield. In 1849 three new burial-places were established by vote of the town. The central one is west from the public buildings, and has a hand- some location. Thirty years has sufficed to bring to its sacred inclosure a large number of the dead. Mrs. Remembrance Bardwell was the first person buried there. The ground has been appropriately laid out, considerable done in the way of ornament, and many fine monuments erected. There is another cemetery in the western part of the town, near the residence of Mr. Amariah Strong, another east of North Hat- field, near the residence of Oscar Belden, and still another in the northwest part of the town.

The following is an extract from the town records :

Oct. 17, 1783,-" Voted that the town will cause the burying-ground in said town to be decently fenced; that Capt. Graves, Samuel Church, and Deacon Morton be appointed a committee for that purpose; that the committee endeavor to lease the feeding of the burying-ground for sheep, horses, or calves to any one who will fence the same: if no one accepts, then the town will pay for the fencing."

TOWN SOCIETIES, LIBRARIES, ETC.

The Hatfield Social Library was an old organization with quite a valuable collection of books. Supplemented by the liberality of Miss Smith, the founder of Smith Female College, it has become a valuable town library, and is kept at the academy.

There is a grange of the Patrons of Husbandry located in Hatfield, having an active existence, Various temperance

associations and societies for benevolent and religious work have existed from time to time, and several such are in exist- ence now.

PLACES OF HISTORIC INTEREST.

1st. Just south of the intersection of the Northampton road with Hatfield Street is the point of first settlement, according to tradition,-the Fellows homestead, the present place of Saml. F. Billings. All that is known seems to be that he was that one of the six who built the first house and began to live here a little in advance of the others, possibly only a few days, or at most a few weeks.

2d. The battle-ground of Oct. 19, 1677, is not closely de- seribed by any of the historians. " The town" of that period was the present village, or rather the one main street, Meek- ins' grist-mill probably being the only building west. If the place was protected then by a line of palisades nearly parallel with Main Street and thirty or forty rods west of it, and per- haps with flanking-lines at the north and south ends, the line of battle formed hy the whites can hardly be understood and have it correspond with the earlier descriptions of the fight.

Supposing the fortifications were not then erected, or that they were so incomplete or weak that the Indians easily pene- trated them, then the attack of the Indians would naturally be from the north and west ; the attack would be repelled from the east ; Capt. Appleton would be at the lower end of the vil- lage ; Capt. Mosely in the vicinity of the present church; and Capt. Poole north, in the vicinity of the Bliss Hotel. The fight would be mostly along the line of the present street, or rather west of it, as the Indians do not seem to have succeeded in burning any buildings in the village, unless at the north end. The retreat of the Indians would naturally be, as the writers have described, over Mill River, to the west. Precise location is undoubtedly difficult. The " engineers" of the whites, if they had any, have left no maps for our study. Antiquarians can safely locate the fighting and the " lines" almost any- where in or on either side of the main street.

3d. The "Indian Bottom," the reserved planting-ground of Umpanchala, is rich in the eloquent associations of antiquity, but it loses something of its romanee when it is remembered that the manly Indians left their squaws to do the digging and raise the corn, while they "loafed" at Umpanchala's fort and planned blood-and-thunder campaigns against each other, or against the whites.

4th. The Indian fort itself, near Halfway Brook (perhaps within the town of Northampton), is a place worthy of study, as that was the last fortified point held by the Indians in the fair Nonotuck valley. From here they moved northward, re- turning in after-years only for pillage and slaughter, as they were ineited by the French leaders from Montreal and Quebec. The spring of water from which the Indians drank still bubbles from the ground, but the war-whoop has died away, its near- est representative being the whistle of the locomotive as it nears the Hatfield Station,-a place that ought to be called Umpanchala, in memory of that proud chieftain of the forest.

5th. There is a curious hill or mound not far distant from the mouth of Halfway Brook. It is on the farm of Henry S. Hubbard. A heavy growth of pine-trees has recently been cut off. It is nearly circular, with an area of perhaps half an acre, and is surrounded by a swamp. The location is such as Indians were accustomed to choose for a strong fortified post. Its more precise situation may be stated as being in the east- ern angle between the Northampton road and the one run- ning southeast from the railroad station, and not far from the intersection of the roads. Mr. S. G. Hubbard states that this has been overlooked by antiquarians. Umpanchala's fort may have been on this hill; or, if the fort was at the mouth of Halfway Brook, then this may have been a fortified out- post.

6th. Among the places of historic note there must also be mentioned the Hubbard mansion, on Hill Street, and next to

398

HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.

the old cemetery. This was the famous tavern of the Revolu- tionary era. It was opened by Elisha Hubbard about 1760. He died in a few years, and before the war commenced. Hub- bard had also kept a store. After his death his widow con- tinued the public-house. There were eight children, six of them daughters. One of the sons was the grandfather of II. S. and S. G. Hubbard. At this tavern Epaphroditus Champion, quartermaster upon Gen. Washington's staff, made his headquarters for a considerable portion of the Seven Years' War. The beef purchased for the supply of the Continental army was largely obtained in the Connecticut Valley ; and even in those days Hatfieldl was a noted point for fat cattle. Here, too, were quartered during one winter the staff-officers of a French regiment, part of Count Rochambeau's army. They amused themselves during these months between the summer campaigns in various ways. The old windows in the house, before it was repaired some years ago, were marked with various mottoes and epigrammatic sentences, written with a diamond by these learned Frenchmen. It is characteristic of that era of French belief that there was not found a quota- tion from the Bible among them, but they were drawn from a wide variety of classical authors. In this old house there was at one time a large amount of books in the low rooms of the rear chambers ; these were mostly destroyed in various ways. In the front attie there were others, still preserved, heavy old Latin folios. Miss Louisa Hubbard, who is excellent authority upon family traditions and early town annals, supposes these to have been left here either by teachers or students in Master Curson's old classical school of nearly one hundred years ago. However, as there are said to have been many theological works among the lost portion, it is possible they are the re- mains of the library of some of the earlier ministers. It should be added that Gen. Champion's stay may have been prolonged at Hatfield by the charming society in which he found himself placed, as well as by his patriotic desire to secure good beef for the army. If here was the romance of war and love, the course of the latter evidently ran smoothly, for he married one of the daughters of MIrs. Hubbard, proving himself no doubt a gallant champion in peace as well as in war.

The tavern was closed perhaps about 1800, but Mrs. Hub- bard lived until the year 1816. Miss Louisa Hubbard, spoken of above, had the particular care of her during the last ten years of her life, and the former is, therefore, an important link between the Revolutionary age and the present. Mr. S. G. Hubbard remembers to have seen in his boyhood the quartermaster, Gen. Champion, and describes him as a man of splendid personal appearance, "six feet six" in height, and well proportioned.

INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS.

The soil of Hatfield is fertile, affording productive and re- munerative results in return for the labor of the agriculturist. The rich alluvial fields have advantages unsurpassed in the valley of the Connecticut. Large crops of rye, Indian corn, broom corn, and tobacco are produced. The three great lead- ing staples have been in succession, and to some extent at the same time, fat cattle, broom corn, and tobacco.

For more than a century and a half the fatting of beef was a business in which the farmers took a laudable pride, and for which this town became famous. In the earlier times, and down to a comparatively late period, it was a great financial success. Fortunes were made by means of it. The sharp competition from the Western States has largely diminished this business in the last few years.

Very early the broom corn business was undertaken. The acreage planted, the amount raised, and the brooms made were all on a scale of considerable magnitude. .

At the decline of this, the tobacco business followed, and during the greater portion of the last twenty-five years has been very successful. In the years of expansion, 1863 to 1874,

the price was high, and every effort was made to develop large crops and to raise the most valuable kinds. Everywhere the large tobacco barns form a distinguishing feature among the buildings of the town. Some of them are of handsome con- struction, with ventilating-doors and the best conveniences for hanging, drying, stripping, paeking, etc.

In the recent reduction of prices the business has of course declined, and, as in most other branches of industry, embar- rassment has followed, and considerable financial disaster. Still, the town is so thoroughly engaged in the culture of to- bacco it will not be easily relinquished. A handsome brick building was erected as a tobacco warehouse a few years since, which an innocent stranger might easily mistake for a public- school building or the rooms of a Young Men's Christian As- sociation.

Broom corn has been reintroduced during the last five years, and there is again quite a quantity raised in town.

As to the manufacture of brooms during the palmy days of the business, it was carried on mostly by individuals, a large number of the farmers making up their own brush.

Mills, Manufactures, etc .- The water-privilege at the pres- ent pistol-factory was improved in 1661, one of the earliest grist-mills in Western Massachusetts having been erected there by Thomas Meekins. The town of Hadley granted him the site, and officially promised him all their grinding, pro- vided he lived up to the contract and " made good meale." The difficulty of crossing the river from Hadley was so great that the town employed two grist-carriers, who called upon the people regularly every Tuesday and Saturday, took their grists over to Meekins' mill, and returned them when ground. They were paid 3d. per bushel for carrying. Mr. Meekins did not, however, hold this east-side business for more than five or six years, a mill being erected at North Hadley in 1667. It is understood that this first mill was a little above the pistol-factory. Either there or at the present site on the other side of the stream there has thus been grinding done for two hundred and eighteen years. At first the mill was ont there in the woods, with no other buildings. It was liable to constant danger from the Indians.

Thomas Meekins (either father or son) was killed in the skirinish in the meadows, mentioned elsewhere, and, at the mill itself, one or more persons were killed. But the records do not indieate that the mill was ever burned by the enemy. It was probably closely watched, and great care taken to save it. The present proprietor is Richard T. Smith, the legitimate successor of Thomas Meekins in running the " old corn-mill" of 1661.

Besides the corn-mill, Thomas Meekins and Robert Bolt- wood were authorized, Jan. 27, 1662, to set up a saw-mill on the east side of Mill River ; and they might fell oak- or pine- trees-except rift timber-in the great swamp beyond Mill River, and within eighty rods of the mill on this side. The mill seems to have been built in 1664 or 1665, and, when com- pleted, it probably put an end in this vicinity to the old, slow, and laborious process of " pit-sawing." Thomas Meek- ins is also said to have had a saw-mill, on the west side near his grist-mill, in 1669.

A little below, on Mill River, Seth Kingsley improves a water-privilege with a low dam, securing power enough to run a cider-mill, a circular-saw, and wood-turning works.

Opposite the present grist-mill are the pistol-works. They were established about 1873, by Prescott & Porter. They were succeeded by Henry Dickinson, and he by the present proprietors, Hyde & Shattuck. They make pistols, revolvers, and breech-loading shot-guns.

On the Running Gutter branch of Mill River is the Fitch saw-mill, rather a modern affair, still in operation. No other water-privileges on these streams are improved except at North Hatfield.

At the pistol-factory buildings there was for a time an

399

HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY.

establishment for the manufacture of buttons from vegetable ivory, by Harvey Moore.

The first distillery in Western Massachusetts is said to have been erected in 1785, at the place of the present husk-factory, North Hatfield. Rye was then drawn very largely to Provi- dence, Rhode Island, and Gen. Murray, Gen. Diekinson, and Seth Bardwell formed the plan of having it distilled at home instead of drawing away. They secured one Mr. Harding as the superintendent of the distillery. His son became the dis- tinguished portrait-painter of that name in after-years.

During the Revolutionary war, Rev. Joseph Lyman and Samuel Smith engaged in the manufacture of saltpetre, the business being stimulated by the bounty offered by the Conti- mental Congress. The saltpetre was obtained largely from the earth taken from under the church and other old buildings.

There have been several tanneries in town at various times. One by Ziba Allen stood near the present residence of Alfred Graves, 1812 to 1820, or about that time. Mr. Allen was familiarly known as " Ziba the tanner." The Partridges had a tannery on the present place of John A. Billings. Silas Porter & Son opened a tannery and carried on the business for several years at the present place of John II. Sanderson. This was abandoned about thirty years ago. Another tannery was run by Quartus Knight, near the present pistol-factory.

Quartus Kingsley, Samuel Hastings, and Remembrance Bardwell ran a distillery during the war of 1812, and for some years.

The ten leading articles of farm produce for the year ending May 1, 1875, were as follows, with their several values : Butter, $29,484; firewood, 87446; tobacco, $155,248; hay, $65,189 ; milk, $33,375; manure, $35,270; corn, $18,390; beef, $10,266 ; pork, $13,473 ; potatoes, $8488.

MILITARY.

Hatfield, having been settled during the last few years pre- ceding the King Philip war of 1675, shared in the excitement of that struggle. Homes were guarded with ceaseless vigi- lance ; erops raised and harvested in peril of life ; the fear of the tomahawk and scalping-knife was felt in every dwelling. Troops were stationed at Northampton, at Hadley, Hatfield, and other places, but no amount of preparation was suffi- cient to prevent the stealthy attack of the cunning foe. The fearful tragedy at Bloody Brook occurred Sept. 18, 1675, barely fifteen miles from Hatfield. During the weeks that followed, Capt. Mosely's command, which, marching out from Deerfield, had severely avenged the slaughter at Bloody Brook, was a part of the time stationed at Hatfield, and also Capt. Poole's company.

Oct. 17, 1675, the Indians were reported in force at Deer- field, and in the evening only a mile from Hatfield. Troops from lladley were brought across the river, but wearied them- selves by a night's march without finding the enemy. The 18th passed in hasty preparation for the attack expected every hour. Northampton was asking for troops, but none could be spared. The event proved the wisdom of remaining to defend Hatfield, for late in the afternoon of the 19th suddenly the war-whoop was heard, and a force of 700 or 800 Indians burst upon the town. In spite of the preparations and the long watching, the attack was even then something of a sur- prise.

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.

History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. I, Part 130

Author: L.H. Everts & Co Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Philadelphia : Louis H. Everts Number of Pages: 700

Author: L.H. Everts & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia : Louis H. Everts
Number of Pages: 700