History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. I, Part 167

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 167

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an iron fence. The remains are now all removed to the ceme- tery in South Worthington. A few graves may be seen on the farm of Levi Witherell, in the south part of the town. The Damon family have a private burial-place on the present farm of Moses Damon, and this is not far from another Damon burial-place in Westhampton. It is said that upon the Davis farm, so called, there are two graves, little known to the people generally, where members of the Quance family were buried many years ago. On the Ervin Rice farm two victims of the small-pox are supposed to have been buried, and there was a pest-house there many years ago, when the farm was in pos- session of Amasa Clapp. Still another burial-place of the Damon family may be seen on the farm of Darius Damon, where are buried Ichabod Damon and wife. On the farm of Ilorace Cole members of the Robinson family are buried, among them Deacon Asa Robinson.

TOWN SOCIETIES.

A few years since a lodge of Good Templars was established in town, had quite a flourishing organization for some time, and did considerable temperance work ; but it was finally dis- continued. A grange of the Patrons of Husbandry was also organized here, but continued its work only a few months. Considerable business was done through it in the way of pur- chasing implements and farm supplies at wholesale prices or at special reduced rates.

PLACES OF HISTORIC INTEREST, NOTED POINTS, CURI- OSITIES.

Near the locality known as the Gate is the deep cut in the Westfield River, a rocky channel extending for thirty or forty rods in length, walled in on each side by high granite ledges. This is a rare specimen of the grand and sublime in nature. Tourists often visit the place. The old stage-road from North- ampton to Albany originally crossed the north end of it by the well-known " High Bridge." The road has been changed and the descent from the Eastern Hills now made by a long grade northward to West Chesterfield. Formerly the stages thundered down the steep hill direct and over the rocky channel, coming out a little south of the old Baptist Church. " Kidd's Lookout" is over in Bofat, in the southeast part of the town. It takes its name from the old Kidd farm. There an extensive view is obtained, including villages, forests, mountains, and cultivated valleys.

The site of the old meeting-house at Utley's Corners can hardly be otherwise than a historie spot, memorable for the home struggle over its own location, but more memorable as the place of those town-meetings where the citizens discussed the highest problems of government, where they met the crisis of 1775 with heroie action, where they pledged themselves to meet the impending storm of war with " their lives and their fortunes."

INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS,

Agriculture is the principal business of the people of Ches- terfield, though various milling and manufacturing enterprises have at times received considerable attention. The town is hilly and rocky, some portions not capable of being reduced to cultivation, and the town generally is better fitted for grazing than for tillage.

Accordingly, the raising of sheep and cattle has been a lead- ing objeet of the farming community.

The products of the dairy have formed a large item in the sales of produce. There is an air of thrift and enterprise about the farms and the farm buildings of Chesterfield which in- dicates that the people still live well upon these beautiful hill- sides, as their ancestors did before them, and attain a reason- able competence. They have not permitted Nature to fill up the old pastures with busbes and absorb the old farms as much perhaps as in some of the neighboring towns. Chesterfield is,

503

IHISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY.

however, greatly reduced in population, there being only about half as many people now as in 1820.

EARLY MILLS.

Joseph Burnell built the first saw-mill in town, it is sup- posed, and perhaps as early as 1761. The crank for the water- wheel and the irons for the raek-wheel were brought by a negro on his back from Northampton. This mill and its suc- cessors have been in the hands of the Burnell family for three generations. The man carrying the irons above mentioned took them separately, carrying one ahead and then going baek for the others. It is also understood that Kidd Wright built a saw-mill about 1777, or even earlier, on the site where the Edwards mill stood in later years. Numerous families of the Wrights were in town by that time, and the name Kidd would imply that the two families were connected by mar- riage. Lieut. Robert Damon probably built the first saw-mill on the site of Bisbee's mills before 1773, as it is mentioned that year in a vote to provide a bridge at that point. It afterward passed into the hands of James Cox, and from him to Benja- min Pierce, who retained it until his death. The name of Lieut. Robert Damon is frequently mentioned in these records, but we have little account of him; and his family seems to have been entirely distinct from the other Damon families. The grist-mill at Bisbee's is supposed to have been built by Benjamin Pierce soon after he obtained possession of the saw- mill, as above mentioned. The old mill was upon the east side of the stream, near the present saw-mill. The Bisbees erected the present mills on the west side. The town, March 8, 1777, voted to raise £150 to build a corn-mill, but soon after reconsidered the action. It is supposed the site intended was where Maj. Littlefield built one at a later date, near the " High Bridge," so called.

The following condensed statement of all the mills in the town is given upon the authority of Patrick Bryant, of West Chesterfield. He is himself a practical builder of mills, and personally acquainted with the water-power of Chesterfield for the last sixty years. Commencing near the south line of the town, at the junction of the Dead Branch with the West- field, we have the streams northward. At the junction of the streams there is now the saw-mill of Dexter Damon & Son, built ten or twelve years ago. A little above, on the Dead Branch, was formerly a saw-mill, shingle-mill, grist-mill, and carding-machine built by Benjamin Taylor, 1820 to 1830. The works were afterward owned by the Sampsons, and run by Artemas Weeks. The buildings went down, and the various enterprises were abandoned a few years before the Damons built at the junction. Still farther up the Dead Branch are the old works of Stephen Taylor, erected perhaps as early as 1800,-originally for cloth-dressing ; afterward they became the Tilden scythe-stone works. Later they were run by the Mer- ritts, Asa and Lucien. At the present time (1878) they are occupied by H. K. Weeks, as a cutlery establishment. Two miles or so above are the Witherell mills, comprising at the present time a saw-mill, basket-factory, and cider-mill. A building used for broom-handle business was destroyed by the fire a year or two since. The saw-mill is an old affair, its his- tory reaching back to the early settlement. Next above are the Bisbee mills mentioned above, comprising grist-mill, saw- mill, broom-handle business, and something of the wagon- making business. A few years ago for a time scythes were made at Bisbee's. Still above, but on the East Branch, a tribu- tary of the Dead Branch, is the site of the old Kidd Wright mill. It was in later years owned by Isaac Damon and Ger- shom Howe, and then by Luther Edwards, and by his son Ebenezer. The works were swept down, and not rebuilt, 1860 to 1862. On the Dead Branch, above the fork two miles or so, were the old Rogers mills, built perhaps fifty years ago. Dam swept away and not rebuilt some years later. The Bur- nell saw- and grist-mill were the first in town. They passed to

Joseph, Jr., and to Francis, his son, then to Edwards & Baker, and are now owned by S. C. Damon. As the site of the ear- liest mills in town, this place has considerable historic interest. North ward from the junction of the Dead Branch, and up the Westfield River, the first point to be noticed is the site of the Lemuel Baker saw-mill, built thirty years ago or more ; now all gone and no one living near it. At the Iligh Bridge was a very old place of mills, both grist and saw, including a carding-machine and cloth-dressing. These probably date back to the Revolution, and were built by Maj. Littlefield ; soon after, the town voted €150 to assist, but reconsidered the vote. The freshet of 1835 swept these away, and they were not rebuilt. The Capt. Joel Shattuck grist-mill was a little below, and also a saw-mill built soon after the Revo- lution. William Williams occupied the buildings last with broom-handle works and carding-works; destroyed entirely by the same freshet of 1835, and never restored. At West Chesterfield, Elisha Bisbee built in very old times a saw-mill on Stevens Brook, where Higgins' gun-tube works are located now ; successive owners were Capt. Joel Thayer, Martin Bry- ant, Reed and Tower Lyman, Litehfield, and Mr. Higgins.

A. foundry and machine-shops were built by Mr. Litchfield, 1845 to '48, on the site of Spencer & Reed's works. They were burnt. Then Edward Thayer built a grist-mill. He had been the owner of the foundry for a time. The new building was run as a grist-mill, and passed into the hands of Wm. H. Adams, until Spencer & Reed took possession, June, 1877. They manufacture factory supplies,-picker-sticks, hat- racks, rakes, and other forms of woodwork. On the site of the present Patrick Bryant works was formerly a tannery, built about 1825, by Jonathan Burr. It was burnt; rebuilt as a tannery, and owned by Paul H. Cudworth. Of him Patrick Bryant took the property, and opened an extensive business,-wood and iron work, machine-shop, cider-mill, foundry, and distillery. All were burned except the distillery in 1866, and rebuilt for the same general purposes. Just below, Patrick Bryant erected a large new building for running a circular-saw mill and for wood-work generally, including also sheet-iron work, as sap-pans and stove-pipe. This building is now owned by B. H. Smith, and he has added the making of sieve-rims and similar hoop-work. Patrick Bryant still occu- pies a part of the building. Wm. Williams, after the loss of the mills below, built at West Chesterfield, a little above the site of Healey's present works, and ran a saw-mill; made broom-handles, tool-handles, etc. Dam swept away in 1845, and works abandoned. S. A. ITealey, with Mr. Olds, estab- lished the mills and continued the same general business. At the present time Mr. Healey keeps the works in operation. Gideon Rhoades had rebuilt the mills after the dam was swept away, before Healey & Olds took possession. There was a tannery by Jacob Higgins, on Stevens Brook, first built by Austin Pease about fifty years ago. The building was de- stroyed in the freshet of 1858.

There are no further mills above on the Westfield River. On a tributary coming in from the northwest, however, there are some to be noticed. Near the place of Maj. Pierce's present residence was a saw-mill, built by Ned Kaith; car- ried off by a freshet in the cold summer of 1816, and not re- built. There was another saw-mill above, on the same stream, about forty years ago, built by Lyman Culver, and he made broom-handles. The property passed to his son Horace, and is now owned by Rufus Fisk, who includes at the present time a saw-mill, a cider-mill, and the manufacture of whip- butts. Patrick Bryant states that he made his first campaign in building mills when a young man of twenty-two, by erect- ing on this stream, above the Culver works, a saw-mill, which was run fifteen or twenty years, and then went down. Between Bryant's saw-mill and the Culver mills, Jerome Culver commenced some works fifty years ago perhaps, but did not complete them.

504

HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.

The ten leading articles of production for the year ending May 1, 1876, with their several estimated valnes, were as fol- lows : Butter, $11,450; maple-sugar, $6779; firewood, $4425; beef, $6231; hay, $25,703 ; pork, $4071 ; mature, $5988; po- tatoes, $6451 ; corn, $2008; veal, $1175. Three more were very near the last,-apples, $1167 ; eggs, $1143 ; oats, $1116.

MILITARY.

Generally speaking, all trouble from Indian attacks had ter- minated in this part of the country before Chesterfield was settled. The early pionvers were not compelled to face the dangers of the tomahawk and the scalping-knife,-dangers that were ever present to the imagination or the actual re- ality of earlier infant settlements. They were, however, patri- otic citizens of the commonwealth, and in the time of the Rev- olution, though their town organization was scarcely fourteen years old, they vied with other places in prompt action and energetic service. At the town-meetings of 1774 and 1775 they voted to purchase 400 pounds of powder, 400 pounds of lead, and 1200 flints, " the same to be kept under the pulpit in the meeting-house, guarded by a door ironed with staples and hinges." The town was represented in the Provincial Congress by Rev. Benjamin Mills and Maj. Ezra May.

When the stirring news of Lexington came over the hills to Chesterfield, Capt. Robert Webster, summoning his com- pany of 47 Minnte-Men, marched to Boston two days after the battle of Lexington, April 21, 1775. The first lieuten- ant was Christopher Bannister, second, Jeremiah Stockwell, and the ensign was Everton Beswick. The company was mnstered into the regiment of Col. John Fellows, when their pay-roll numbered 55 men, 7 of them from other towns of the State. The selectmen borrowed seventeen muskets to assist in equipping this company.

The public enthusiasm developed rapidly in behalf of the patriot cause. Beginning cautiously at the town-meeting of Sept. 29, 1774, they voted not to send a delegate to the Pro- vincial Congress at Concord ; but two months later, Decem- ber 21st, they voted to comply with the request of the Conti- mental Congress, and a committee was chosen for this purpose, and another committee to see about arming the people who were unable to arm themselves. In the Jannary following they were accumulating war material, and, as shown above, their soldiers hurried to Boston to meet the foe in the eventful spring of 1775. A year later, June 19, 1776, this town, se- cluded amid the hills of Western Hampshire, barely fourteen years from its settlement, in a solemn vote declared " that should the Honorable Continental Congress, for the safety of the United Colonics, declare themselves independent of the King- dom of Great Britain, the inhabitants OF THE TOWN OF CHES- TERFIELD WILL WITH OUR LIVES AND FORTUNES ENGAGE TO DEFEND THEM IN THIS MEASURE.

The people of the Old World may well have smiled at these offers from apparently feeble sources ; hut the event proved that the springs of constitutional liberty were in the town- meetings of New England,-town-meetings whose authority flowed steadily on, equally obeyed under royalty, revolution, or confederation. A people who could calmly, without a sign of civil commotion, change the warrant for their town-meet- ing from " In the name of his Majesty" to " In the name of the State of Massachusetts Bay," and never think of anarchy, but remain steadily obedient to local home-rule, were just the men to place their strong arms under a national government and bear it onward to victory. They were like Cromwell's men, who feared God, and therefore feared no other being.

It is related that Gideon Bisbee was a soldier in Arnold's ill- fated expedition for the capture of Quebec, and that in con- sequence of the hardships of the campaign and the actual danger of death by starvation, he with two others deserted, and then very nearly perished while on the way back, barely reach- ing the settlements alive after they had nearly decided to cast

lots for one to die that the others might live. There were 30 Chesterfield men in the army of the Revolution in January, 1776.

We are permitted by the courtesy of William H. Webster, of Springfield, grandson of Capt. Webster, to make copies of the following valuable papers in his possession :

A Muster-Roll of the Eighth Company in the 8th Regiment of Fout in the Continental Army encampeil at Dorchester, commanded by John Fellous, Esq., Sept. 1, 1775.

Robert Webster, captain, enlisted April 21, 1775.

Christopher Bannister, lieutenant, enlisted April 21, 1775.

Everton Beswick, ensign, enlisted April 21, 1775. William White, sergeant, enlisted April 21, 1775. Daniel Littlefield, sergeant, enlisted April 21, 1775. John Holbert, sergeant, enlistedl April 21, 1775. James Cox, sergeant, enlisted April 21. 1775. Nathan Lane, corporal, enlisted May 3, 1775. Richard Sylvester, corporal, enlisted April 21, 1775.

Wait Burke, corporal, enlisted April 21, 1775. Wheeler lligbee, corporal, enlisted May 3, 1775. David Adams, drummer and fifer, enlisted May 1, 1775.

Asa Packard, drummer and fifer, enlisted April 21, 1775.

John Shea, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. Richard Burke, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. Josiah Brown, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. Joseph Brown, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. Cyrus Lyons, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. Asa Spalding, private, enlisted April 21, 1775, Euoch Pratt, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. Zecharialı Curtis, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. William Damon, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. Benjamin Bourn, private, eulisted April 21, 1775. Isaac Buck, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. Simeon Higgins, private, eulisted April 21, 1775. William Turner, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. Ebenezer Cole, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. Jabez fowles, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. Samnel Thomas, private, enlisted Aug. 7, 1775. Eleazer Ring, private, enlisted May 3, 1773. Jonathan llill, private, enlisted May 3, 1775. Peter Price, private, enlisted May 3, 1775. Bezaliel Moffett, private, enlisted May 3, 1775. Bartholomew Cheever, private, enlisted May 15, 1775. Ansil Tupper, private, enlisted May 24, 1775. Christopher Grant, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. Thomas Pierce, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. Tilly Burke, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. Adam Beale, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. Nathaniel Tyler, private, enlisted April 21, 1773. George Mills, Jr., private, enlisted April 21, 1775. Benjamin G. Ball, private, eulisted April 21, 1775. Timothy Rice, private, enlisted May 10, 1775. Stephen Tyler, private, enlisted May 24, 1775. Luke Sylvester, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. George Mills, private, enlisted May 11, 1775. Barnabas Cole, private, enlisted May 3, 1775. David Johnson, private, enlisted May 3, 1775. Samuel West, private, enlisted May 5, 1775. Samuel Marks, private, enlisted July 1, 1775. William Stephenson, private, enlister July 1, 1775.

Robert Damon, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. Samuel Olds, private, culisted April 21, 1775. Samuel Leach, private, enlisted April 21, 1775.

Amos Crittenden, private, enlisted April 21, 1775. Josiah Clark, private, enlisted April 21, 1775.

John Vergson, private, enlisted May 3, 1775.

The last four were transferred to the artillery June 8th. Reported as away upon the Quebec expedition, Wait Burke, Tilly Burke, George Mills. In some other accompanying papers Eleazer Ring is reported as from Worthington, and also Wheeler Higbee; from Northampton, David Adams; from Bridgewater, Asa Packard ; from Iladley, Samnel West ; from Pelham, Timothy Rice. This master-roll is for Sept. 1, 1775, after about five months' service. It differs somewhat from the roll of " Minute-Men" who marched for Boston April 21st. Some did not join the actual company, and become a part of Col. Fellows' regiment. In the roll of " Minute- Men" there are the following additional names : Timothy Lyman, Elijah Warner, both sergeants; Justice Wright, Jonathan Nelson, Charles Kidd, corporals ; Edward Converse, drummer ; Aaron Jewell, Caleb Cushman, Nehemiah May, Jonathan Russell, Oliver Taylor, Artemas Stone, Reuben

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HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY.

Dresser, Jonathan Pierce, Josiah Perry, Ebenezer Parsons, Samuel Niles, Win. Turner, Nathan W. Tyler, Ebenezer Put- ney, Prince Cowing. Three of these-Justice Wright, Charles Kidd, and Josiah Perry-are reported as having returned in three days. Others doubtless returned soon. Some may have joined other companies besides Capt. Webster's, and remained longer in the service than the above would indicate. All of these names upon the master-roll of September 1st are found upon a pay-roll of Feb. 26, 1776, showing continued service.

Another paper gives the value of the guns borrowed, from whom, and for whom:

Value.

Borrowed of

Lent to

Maj. Ezra May.

2 1L

.Enoch Pratt.

Rev. William Lyman ... 1

5 . Wait Burk.

Jonathan Russell

2 .David Johns m.

Jonathan Nelson

13 Christopher Grant.

l'aleb Cushman

Peter Price.

Aaron Jewell.

4 Brzaliel Moffett.

John Jeps 11

4 . Bartholomew Cheover.

Maj. Ezra May

Benjamin Bourn.

Maj. Ezra May ...

IN .Benjamin G. Ball.

Benjamin Bonney

5 .Tilly Burke.

David Russell

1× .. Daniel Littlefield.

William Buckingham

10 .. Barnahits Cole.

Joshua Bailey

16 ... Wheeler Highce.

Maj. Ezra May

00 Samuel Thomas.

Jeremiah Stockwell

2 James Cox.

James Cox.

10 ... Jonathan Hill.

In the Shays rebellion the people of Chesterfield were favorable to the cause of the insurgents,-so much so that when Capt. Joseph Burnell was ordered out to suppress the insur- reetion, he reported that if he could find nineteen more men to go, they, with himself, would make twenty. There seems to be no record, however, in the published accounts of that exciting period that Chesterfield men really marched to assist Shays. But popular sentiment was strong for resistance. It is said three balls were fired at the house of Joshua Healey, who was against the rebellion, one lodging in the yarn-beam of a loom, and still preserved. Capt. Jewel, David Macomber, and Ilenry Myers were prominent among the Shays men.

The war of 1812, exceedingly unpopular as it was in Massa- chusetts, evoked no enthusiasm, but there were seven regular soldiers from Chesterfield who enlisted at that time in the army, according to the statement in Vinton's address. The following are given by Oliver Edwards and others as those who went to Boston, at least, in connection with that war. Perhaps the list includes the seren above mentioned : Parley Ilealey, Consider Cole, Elijah Tower (?), Oswin Tower, Zachariah Shaw, Isaac Buck, Seth Healey, Lot Drake, John Hatch, John Pittsinger, Lewis Damon, Nathaniel Engram, Zenas Damon, Job Cowing (substitute), Abner Buck, Jesse Buck, Amasa Clapp, Field Beswiek. These men went to Bos- ton. In the regular army were Bezar Ludden, Joel Litchfield, Lot Litchfield, Clark Litchfield. Many others were enlisted or drafted as Minute-Men, but did not leave town. Joel Willeut states that he saw them start for Boston from the village.

For the Florida war Chesterfield is said to have furnished one soldier, Joseph Buck, who died in the service.

The Mexican war was participated in by one citizen from this town, Avery Bryant.

Alvin Macomber, Joel Willeutt, and others recall the fol- lowing names of Revolutionary soldiers: Patrick Bryant, David Macomber, Gideon Bisbee, Abijah Whitton, Joseph

Burnell, Benjamin Bryant, George Buck, Prince Cowing, Joshua Healey, Simeon Higgins, Capt. John Halbord, Aaron Jewell, Charles Kidd, Benjamin Kidd, Samuel Utley, Levi- ather Vinton, Levi Vinton, Luther Pomeroy, Timothy En- gram, John Ewell, Jesse Willeutt, Jr., Zebulon Willeutt, Joseph Jipson, Ambrose Stone, Lemuel Bannister, Josiah Perry, Phineas Manning, James Orcutt. Some of these names are in the Webster papers, already given.

CIVIL WAR, 1861-65.

No votes appear to have been passed in 1861 by the town in relation to the war, but enlistments took place without othcial action, eight or ten men joining the army that year. In 1802 a special town-meeting was held August 5th. It was then voted to pay a bounty of $100 to each volunteer who would enlist either for three years or nine months, when mustered in and credited to the quota of the town. The selectmen were authorized to borrow money to pay the same.

The popular enthusiasm was developed, not checked, by the defeat before Richmond, and 30 or more citizens enlisted during the year.

At a meeting held on the 17th of January, 1863, Samuel House, one of the selectmen, was appointed to visit Boston and obtain information in regard to the number of men the town was to furnish to complete its quota.

Other citizens continued to enlist, but many foreign re- eruits were obtained.

On the 2d of April, 1864, the town voted to pay a bounty of $125 to each volunteer who shall enlist and be credited to the quota of the town; also to raise $875 to repay citizens money which they had advanced for recruiting purposes. This bounty was continued to the end of the war.

At a meeting held on the 22d of May, 1865, it was voted to raise by taxation $6769 to pay citizens money which they had advanced for recruiting purposes, " one-half to be assessed this year and the balance next year.17

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History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. I, Part 167

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