History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. I, Part 95

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 95

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EXTRACTS FROM THE CHURCH RECORDS.

In 1789, large additions were made to the church, mostly young people.

Dec. 26, 1781 .- The pastor, with Deacon Martin Clark, delegate, attended a council at Williamsburg, to install Rev. Joseph Strong.

September 30 and Oct. 1, 1782 .- The pastor, with Deacon Wright, delegate, attended a council at Amherst.

Sept. 29, 1.01 .- The pastor, with Samuel Kingsley, delegate, attended a con- vention at Northampton, to form a missionary society. This shows that some of the earliest movements in behalf of Christian work for the heathen began in these towns of the Connectient Valley ; this date being some years earlier than the historic prayer-meeting by the hay-stack, in Williamstown.

1806 .- Forty-eight were added to the church that year.

Ort. 21, 1819,-Pastor, with Solomon Judd, delegate, attended a convention at Hadley, which recommended unanimously certain articles respecting church union and government. Subsequently, May 1, 1820, the elinrch of Westhampton, after hearing the report of a committee on said articles, refused to approve then, and also declined to send delegates to another convention to meet at Hatfield. The committee above mentioned were Deacon Martin Clark, Deacon Samuel Edwards, Sylvester Judd, Esq., Capt. Azariah Lyman, Deacon Pliny Sykes, Maj. Aaron Fisher, Solomon Judd, Dr. Wm. Hooker, and Willard Smith.

This transaction shows very clearly the dignity and careful- ness with which the local church guarded their independence, and how steadily they declined to yield their own convictions of truth and duty even to unanimous recommendations from conventions and councils.

May 1, 1818 .- The church chose a committee "to superintend Sabbath-schools in this town, and to apply if necessary to the town for this purpose,"-Benoni Clark, Levi l'ost, Jr., Noah Kingsley, Luke Phelps, and Richard Clapp.

Oct. 30, 1818,-The church voted their thanks to the above committee for " their benevolence, diligence, and fidelity in conducting the Sabbath-schools." This appears to have been the opening of the modern Sabbath-school work in this town,-a work which for sixty years has been steadily chorished by the church as one of its most important departments.

April 6, 1820 .- At the meeting which appointed the aunnal Sabbath-school committee, they were instructed " to see what can be done in regard to our com- mon schools for the promotion of religion among the children," and April 16th the committee reported that " the Bible be read with solemnity every half-day in the public schools in connection with prayer, if prayer be attended."

April 5, 1821 .- Benevolent work was provided for by the appointment of Jo- seph Kingsley, Dr. William Hooker, Deacon Pliny Sykes, Joel Rust, and Willard Smith a committee " to encourage and receive charitable donations and deliver them to their nses."

May 3, 1822, the standing committee of the church in their annual report have the following reference to a subject that has not yet disappeared from the field of public discussion :

" During the past year they have unhappily found occasion in several instances to pay attention to brethren who were thought to be injuring, if not destroying, themselves hy drinking intemperately intoxicating liqnors. Their exertions to reclaim from that vice, if not so completely successful as they ardently desired, they allow themselves to hope have not been wholly without success, But further endeavors they are sensitde will be necessary to effect (if by the grace of God it be possible) a thorough reformation in all who have deviated from the way of the gospel."

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HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY.

It appears from the records that the evil of intemperance cost the church much trouble, resulting in many unpleasant trials, and in some instances actual excommunication.

We copy one sentence as a specimen of the solemnity and almost judicial formality attending aneient church discipline :

" Mr. - , listen to your sentence. To the grief of God's children you have a number of years been intemperate, in drinking to drunkenness. This church has labored to reform yon, without success. Yon refuse to be reformed : therefore hear: the church of Christ in Westhampton sentences and pronounces yon, Mr. - , to be excommunicated, and does by this sentence excommunicate you from the fellowship of Christ's church."

To the radical temperance men of the present time it will seem strange that the crime specified in the above sentence was not "drinking" intoxicating liquors, but " drinking to drunkenness," and doubtless the culprit was tried, the deci- sion made, and the sentence pronounced by men who saw no harm in moderate drinking, and no doubt practiced it. Doubtless their own cellars were stored with cider,-an agent that has probably wrought more ruin in rural towns than any other intoxicating liquor. But the men of that time had not learned, what is now so clear, that church members, to save their own sons and their neighbors' sons, must close their lips against even eider, and banish it as a beverage from their households.

Ministerial Record .- 1.t. Rev. Enoch Hale, ordained Sept. 20, 1779; died Jan. 14, 1837, in the fifty-eighth year of his pastorate and the eighty-fourth year of his age. 2d. Rev. Horace B. Chapin, installed as colleague to MIr. Hale July 8, 1829; continued only a short time after Mr. Hale's death, being dismissed, at his own request, in May, 1837; he died at Lewiston Falls, Me., October, 1840. 3d. Rev. Amos Drury, installed June 28, 1837; he died while still pastor, July 22, 1841, at Pittsford, Vt., being on a visit to friends in that place. 4th. Rev. David Coggin, ordained May 11, 1842; died of consumption while still pastor, April 28, 1852, aged thirty-five years. 5th. Rev. Andrew Bigelow, installed March 2, 1854; dismissed April 18, 1855. 6th. Rev. Roswell Foster, installed Nov. 20, 1856; dismissed Dec. 28, 1858. 7th. Rev. Edward C. Bissell, ordained Sept. 22, 1859; Mr. Bissell en- listed in the army for the suppression of the Rebellion, and was chosen a captain ; he was dismissed from the pastorate May 10, 1864. 8th. Rev. Thomas Allender, installed June 21, 1866; died Sept. 17, 1869. 9th. l'liny F. Barnard, in- stalled June 30, 1870; dismissed July 1, 1873. 10th. Rev. Joseph Lanman, installed June 3, 1874; dismissed Sept. 11, 1876. 11th. Rev. Edward S. Palmer, installed Dec. 7, 1876, and present pastor of the church (November, 1878).

Record of Deacons .- Reuben Wright, chosen Oct. 13, 1779; died May 6, 1798. Martin Clark, chosen Oct. 13, 1779; died May 24, 1823. Samuel Edwards, chosen Jan. 31, 1786; died Aug. 12, 1842. Pliny Sykes, chosen June 5, 1811 ; died Nov. 12, 1833. Elisha King, chosen May 19, 1824; died June 29, 1852. Eleazer Judd, chosen Jan. 5, 1834; died June, 1863. Zenas S. Clark, chosen Dec. 16, 1852; present deacon, but not acting. Joel Cook, chosen July 5, 1855; died 1878. Wm. P. Edwards, chosen Feb. 27, 1862; present deacon officiating. Alfred D. Montague, chosen Dee. 30, 1875 ; present deacon of- ficiating.

THE UNION CHURCH OF WESTHAMPTON

was formed Sept. 30, 1829. It consisted of 41 members who had withdrawn from the fellowship of the old church. The movement was the result of differences of views and feelings, not really of doctrine,-such a movement as may often be ex- peeted to occur where men of equal reetitude, equal faith, and equal piety, exercising the liberty of thought common to this free country, arrive at exactly opposite conclusions as to duty and policy. The Rev. John Truair was pastor of this church for eight years, but after his removal meetings were not regularly continued. There were no sufficient reasons for a separate society, and the church was formally dissolved

Aug. 17, 1850. The members returned to the old church, and few traces of the division exist either in policy or sentiment at the present time. The Rev. Mr. Truair is spoken of by some writers as an impulsive agitator, a disturbing force, and doubtless he may have somewhat roughly broken in upon the ancient set forms and possibly the prosaic sermonizing of the times. But it must be remembered that 1825 to 1835 was the great period when modern methods of revival work were to a certain extent inaugurated, new measures introduced, and new styles of thought and speech became prominent throughout this and other States in the pulpit and the prayer-meeting. The children of the families who adhered to Mr. Truair, now in advanced life, speak yet with some feeling of his energy, his enthusiasm, but they heartily join with the children of the other families in throwing the kindly veil of charity over all the proceedings of that period, and forgetting both conserva- tism and radicalism in united, harmonious work in the old paths and for the old faith.

BURIAL-GROUNDS.

The burials in this town seem to have very early been made in just three places,-not scattered over the farms and in the neighborhood, as in the case of some pioneer settlements. The action of the town in 1779 implies that one had been in use in the south for some years previously. This was located a little west of Babcock's Corners, on the north side of the road, and in later years the remains have been removed and the ground given up. The first burial here is not certainly known.

The action of the town alluded to was the following :

March 8, 1779 .- Voted, that the town will procure two acres of land-the one in the north, the other in the south part of the town-for the purpose of bury- ing-places. Voted, that the place that has been used in the south part of the town be continued for that purpose. Voted, that Capt. William Bartlett, Jonathan Clark, Seth Burk, Zachariah Curtis, and Aaron Thayer be a committee to pro- cure the places above mentioned.

The one north of the centre, near the present residence of Sylvester King, was laid out pursuant to the above action, and is therefore nearly one hundred years old.

The cemetery at the centre was authorized by the following action :

Dec. 6, 1790 .- Voted, that the committee heretofore chosen to seek a place for a burying-ground be directed and empowered to purchase a piece of ground of the Itev. Enoch Hale and Mr. Jared Hunt for the purpose above mentioned, and to take deed for the same in behalf of the town.

Bounds of the new burying-gonnd in Westhampton, lying on the east side of the highway that leads from Mr. Hale's to Mr. Samuel Kingsley's, about 30 rods south of Mr. Hale's dwelling-house : one-half said burying-ground, lying on the south side of the dividing-line between Mr. Hale and Mr. Jared Hunt, taken out of Mr. Hale's land, and the other half, on the north side of said line, out of Mr. Hunt's land,-being 16 rods in length on the above said highway, and I5 rods to the cast parallel to the above said line, and containing in the whole one acre and a half.

This ground is the principal cemetery of the town. The dates extend back about eighty years, but there were much earlier burials. Near the front entrance stands a fine soldiers' monument, erected, soon after the close of the war, to the memory of those who fell in that struggle. It bears the inscription,-

: " Erected by the Town of Westhampton in grateful remem- brunce of her brare and patriotic soldiers who sacrificed their lires in defense of liberty and union during the great rebellion."

This cemetery is in good condition ; excellently cared for ; containing some fine monuments of later years standing amid the low, moss-covered stones of the earlier times. Upon this death-erowned summit, and along its beautiful eastern slope, are gathered the dead of a hundred years.

The Damon family have a private burial-place near the old homestead, in the northwest part of the town.

Some members of the Hayden family were buried originally upon their farm, the place now occupied by Mr. Stanton. The remains were, however, removed to Chesterfield many years ago.

In the " Reunion Address" of 1866 it is stated that the wife

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HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.

and child of John F. Tucker were buried in Nathaniel Ed- wards' pasture, east of Joel Cook's.

TOWN SOCIETIES, LIBRARIES, ETC.

There have existed here the usual variety of religious, be- nevolent, and temperance organizations common at the present time and for the last half-century. None of them were of sufficient permanence to furnish materials to any extent for a historical sketch.

The old parish or town library of early times seems to have been a valuable means of instruction. It, however, disap- peared, the books being scattered and lost.

In later years, and particularly at the time of the Reunion Festival of 1866, efforts were made to establish a new and more permanent one, especial attention being given to a pastor's library.

At that time Rev. Dorus Clarke made a donation to the town of $100, the interest of which should be given as a prize annually to the best reader and speller in the centre school.

PLACES OF HISTORIC INTEREST OR OF SPECIAL NOTE.

These are mentioned in the general narrative, and need little additional notice. The place of the first settlement on the banks of the Manhan, by Abner Smith, in 1762, is inter- esting in its pioneer reminiscences. It was on the southern branch of the Manhan, and just where the present Hunting- ton road crosses the stream in the southwest part of the town. The place of the first town-meeting at the present Orcutt place recalls the early efforts at civil organization. Here came that distinguished man, Governor Caleb Strong, to preside at this formation of a new town, organized in the midst of the Revolution.

These and similar places will readily occur to all who read the interesting annals of other days.

INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS.

The people of Westhampton have always been mostly en- gaged in farming. In former times considerable attention was given to selling firewood and lumber. Indeed, much of the actual money received by the earlier settlers and down to thirty years ago was for firewood drawn to Northampton. Firewood gradually rose in value, as well as lumber in various forms.

The last ten years have witnessed a great change in this form of industry. Firewood has declined nearly one-half in value, owing to the introduction of coal in dwellings, stores, and business-places, as well as upon the railroads. Another reason of the decline was the establishment of the steam-mills at Mount Tom. These keep continually for sale (more, in fact, than they can dispose of promptly) large quantities of slab- firewood, which supplants soft wood in the market to a great extent. The business prosperity of Westhampton has been largely injured by these causes. In the earlier times many cattle were fattened for beef in the pastures of this town, and the products of the dairy were of much importance. The sbarp competition of Western beef, Western butter, and West- ern cheese in the market towns of New England has largely destroyed the profit formerly made from these sources.

Westhampton, too, has been one of the most prolific of New England towns in furnishing emigrants to settle the broad and fertile States of the Centre and the West. Her sons have sought more genial climes and easier-tilled lands. The houses have disappeared from large sections of the town. l'astures and fields, formerly plowed, have grown up to wood- land. Some of her own distinguished sons have intimated in public addresses that the town will, after a time, disappear as a civil organization ; that it will become a wood-lot of North- ampton again ; that the wild animals may once more live in the ancient haunts, wolves howl upon the slopes of the moun- tains, and bears prowl along the banks of Turkey Brook,

Sodom Brook, and the Manhan River. The reduction is not rapid, however, for the last twenty years, and no such result need be expected. The great period of reduction was from 1830 to 1850.

The later decrease is at a much slower rate. It is not necessary to infer that Westhampton must live in future his- tory solely upon her past fame. Were it so, were the volume of Westhampton records to be closed now, there would remain in the annals of the common wealth enduring memorials of the labors of her distinguished sons. It would be a history in which any town might feel a just pride. But we prefer to believe that some of the sons of Westhampton will abide in the old ways and restore the old homesteads; that the rose shall not give place to the ivy, and the fruitful field to the untrodden wilderness ; that material prosperity, under the im- pulse of some new revival of business, will again visit these rugged hillsides ; that religion and education shall still display here their signal worth, as they have in the past; and that other generations shall arise here to bless the fathers of to-day as these now bless the fathers of a century ago.

Mills, Factories, etc .- In the northeast part of the town, on the Roberts Meadow Brook, is the Bridgman saw-mill. It was a very early affair, built about the time the country was settled. It has been kept up ever since by the family of Bridgmans. It is now owned by Lucas Bridgman. The Westfield River touches the northwest corner of the town, but it does not appear that the water-power was improved within the limits of Westhampton. On the head-waters of the Manhan, just below the reservoir, was a saw-mill, known as Langdon's, built thirty years ago or more. It is now aban- doned. Farther south, just below the junction of a western branch, was formerly the Chilson grist-mill. It dated back probably to about the time of the first settlement. It was burnt and not rebuilt many years ago. In the same building at one time was a brass-foundry, Bruce & Armitage. They made harness trimmings. The enterprise was continued for a few years. At this same point was the Chilson saw-mill, built probably by Mr. White at an early day. This was also abandoned.

Farther down the stream are the wood-turning works, for- merly run by Gere and T. K. Wright, now occupied by E. P. Torrey. Next below was the Thayer grist-mill, an institution entirely unknown to the young people of the present time, or even some of older years. It was built by Deacon Timothy Thayer, and stood near where Deacon Wm. I. Edwards now lives. It is thought that this was given up as early as 1800. Next below is the saw-mill of Henry Parsons. This was built by Mr. Solomon L. Warner, thirty or thirty-five years ago. A curious feature of this water privilege is that to a stranger standing on Parsons Bridge and looking northwest toward the meeting-house there is a strong temptation to believe the stream runs up hill, and that when the next bridge is reached, still farther toward the centre, and one looks back, the same impression remains.

The " natives" familiar with the topography and with the actual levels do not seem to think there is any difficulty in understanding it at all, and perhaps there is not. It is all in the visitor's "eye." Beyond the Parsons mill this stream soon enters the town of Northampton. Commencing on Sodom Brook, near the Southampton line, and coming north, there was formerly the distillery of Joseph Kingsley. It stood near the present place of Lester T. Langdon. Next below is the tannery-yard of Matthias Rice & Sons; this is still in opera- tion. Near this place in former years were also the tan-works of Samuel Giddings, on the north side of the Huntington road. Near Babcock's Corner also chairs were manufactured at one time. On this stream below is the saw-mill of W. E. Lyman. This was built by the late Jesse Lyman. It is still in opera- tion. At the site of Loud's Mills there was formerly a fulling- mill. It was run at one time by Strong Alvord, also by Saml.

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HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY.

Ormsby. Not far below Loud's Mills this brook unites with the Manhan.

In going west from Babcock's Corners the dividing-ridge between the northern and southern branches of the Manhan is crossed, and on the latter various mill privileges have been improved. There was the distillery in old times of Enoch Lyman. Below was a tannery, run, perhaps, by Samuel Gid- dings. Then Enoch Lyman had a saw-mill on the place now owned by Leander Rhodes. Below that was the Fisher saw- mill, and farther south was the saw-mill and grist-mill of Elihu Bartlett. This was an important place of business for many years. At Loudville, within the town of Westhamp- ton, is located the wood-turning establishment of Francis Norton.

Various other enterprises, as distilleries, potash-works, and wood-turning works, have existed from time to time in different parts of the town. At the present place of the Loud Mills was an old saw-mill, owned at various times by Lndden, Niles, Drake, Edgerton, and others. Charles W. Niles also had a wood-turning shop. On the little stream in the village was the turning-shop of Francis Loud, now owned by Charles N. Lond ; not operated to any great extent. A little above, Austin Loud had a turning-shop and also a saw-mill.

The ten leading articles of farm production for the year ending May 1, 1875, were as follows, with their several values stated : Butter, $12,991 ; firewood, $13,925; hay, $21,85] ; po- tatoes, $4671; tobacco, $3727; apples, $5863; beef, $7263; pork, $3591 ; cider, $2947 ; corn, $2194.

MILITARY.

Westhampton was settled just before the Revolutionary war and during its progress, being incorporated in 1778 ; hence it naturally had little Revolutionary history, except as a part of Northampton. In the sketches of the latter town relating to the war of Independence may be found names that properly belong to the present territory of Westhampton.

Rev. Enoch Hale, the first pastor, was of a patriotic family, his brother being Nathan Hale, who was executed as a spy in the British eamp, and whose fame has been celebrated in ora- tory and song. The minister had also seen actual service in the field during the opening years of the struggle, previous to his settlement as the pastor of the Westhampton chureh.

The following official action, found in the town hooks, forms an honorable record for a town not organized until three years after the war of the Revolution commeneed :

Aug. 5, 1779,-At a town-meeting, voted, that " the town would provide such things for those men that went from us into the Continental army as the town of Northampton desired of us.

Aug. 11, 1779 .- In the midst of Revolutionary difficulties, Massachusetts having proceeded to call a State convention to form a constitution, Westhampton elected Sylvester Judd as a Delegate.

Oct. 18, 1779 .- The town voted to hire the three men required for the Conti- nental army. Gideon Clark, John Smith, and Sheldon Felton were appointed a comtuittee to assist the militia officers in hiring the men.

Voted, that the selectmen collect the clothing required of Westhampton for the use of the army, deliver the same in Northampton, and take a proper receipt therefor.

Voted, that the men that went the month's campaign into Connecticut he paid the same as those that went in June last, in proportion to their service. Nathan Clark, Aaron Fisher, and Sylvester Judd were appointed a committee to attend to this.

July 23, 1781 .- Voted, to hire the three men now required of us for the army, and that Capt. Azariah Lyman, Lieut. Aaron Fisher, and Lieut. Noah Edwards be a committee to hire said men, expense to be assessed npon said town, and paid within one month.

Sept. 18, 1781 .- Voted, that the men that now hold themselves in readiness to join the army at the shortest notice shall be paid 2 pounds 10 shillings per month for each month they shall be in actual service, twenty shillings to be paid in advance when called upon to march.

May 1, 1782 .- Voted, that Mr. Sylvester Judd be a committee to hire one man for the Continental army.

Perhaps this was not accomplished, for a similar vote seems to have been taken September 10th of the same year; also, October 28th; also, December 4th; and, after all, it does not appear whether the man was obtained.

The votes thus given show the official aetion of the town. From other sources the following general facts are obtained :

Training-bands were formed in the colony of Massachusetts Bay in 1774. The first training in Westhampton is said to have been in the fall of that year. A company consisting of 30 or 40 persons held a parade in the door-yard of Deacon Martin Clark. There is probably no muster-roll of this im- promptu company. The people had refused to train the year before under certain officers appointed by Gov. Ilutehinson, but now, under the impulse of the coming danger, they met voluntarily to prepare not for simply a holiday parade, but for actual war, which it was seen could not long be delayed.

William Bartlett was elected captain, Noah Strong lieu- tenant, and Jonathan Fisher ensign.

The company had a small drum and no fifer. That same year the company of Minute-Men formed in Northampton included several from the Long Division. Captain Noah Cook, afterward of Westhampton, was a member of this band. When the news of the battle of Lexington reached North- ampton on the morning of April 21, 1775, the bells were rung and the drum beat to arms in the streets. A cannon appears to have been discharged, as stories coming down in South- ampton families tell of the signal-gun that summoned them to the post of duty. Noah Cook was in the meadows harrow- ing in oats. Like others, he abandoned the work on the in- stant. In a short time the Minute-Men came in from all parts of the old town of Northampton ; they paraded in front of the meeting-house, occupying the present street before " Shop Row." They were armed and equipped. Rev. Mr. Hooker made " a stirring prayer." Col. Seth Pomeroy made a patri- otie speech and encouraged them in the good cause. That same afternoon, with three or four days' rations, they started for Concord, which they reached on the 24th. Another com- pany of Minute-Men was formed from the territory of South- ampton, Norwich, and Westhampton. Jonathan Wales, Ebenezer French, Jr., and Ebenezer Gee marched with this company to Concord soon after the battle of Lexington. They remained near Boston several months. In September, 1775, Gee enlisted in Arnold's expedition against Canada, and went as far as Dead River. In February, 1776, Noah Cook and Abiather French marched with the second expedition to Canada by way of Ticonderoga, arrived at Quebec in April, where, instead of taking the fortress, they took the smallpox,, and the only ammunition they had adapted to that was but- ternut-hark pills. At Dorchester, Ebenezer French joined a force sent on for the defense of New York.

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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 95

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