USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. II > Part 130
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The list of principals from 1844 to 1878 is as follows; Em- erson Davis, David S. Rowe, Wm. H. Wells, J. W. Dickin- son, and Joseph G. Scott.
From the foundation of the school in 1839 to 1878, 2806 pupils have attended it.
COLLEGE GRADUATES.
Among the citizens of Westfield who have graduated at American colleges, beginning with Jonathan Ashley, who graduated in 1730, were the following: Jonathan Ashley, Israel Ashley, Joseph Ashley, Gideon Noble, John Strong, P. K. Clark, Israel Moseley, David Shepard, Moses Ashley, Israel Ashley (2J), Ebenezer Ballentine, Saul and Samuel Fowler, John Taylor, John Ingersoll, Samuel Mather, Royal Phelps, William Atwater, James Fowler, Warham Crooks, Matthew Ives, Samuel Perry, William G. Bates, Henry B. King, and Joseph M. Ely, at Yale; John Ballentine, Wm. G. Ballentine, Warham Parks, John Phelps, and Moses Clark, at Harvard ; James Taylor and Daniel Moseley, at Wil- liams; lliram Smith, at Amherst; Seth Moseley, at Union ; Seth Noble and Gerard Root, at -; Charles Hooker, at Williams ; Philip Fowler, at Annapolis; Philip Smith and Fred. 11. Gillet, at Amherst; Arthur L. Andrews, Thos. R. Kneil, Edward W. Atwater, and Chas. Holcombe, at Wes- leyan ; Samuel Fowler, Berlin University.
THE WESTFIELD ATHENEUM.
This institution, one of the chief objects of the pride of Westfield, was the outgrowth of the public spirit and benevo-
Jence of Samuel Mather and Hiram Harrison, Esqs., both of whom, now deceased, were natives, and for years residents, of Westfield. Shortly previous to the year 1864, Mr. Mather, then a resident of Hartford, Conn., indicated an intention to donate $10,000 toward the endowment of a library and read- ing-room in his native town, and it was at his suggestion that the Westfield Atheneum was incorporated, March 11, 1864. By the act, Samuel Mather, Hiram Harrison, and Cutler Laffin, their associates and successors, were made a corpora- tion by the name of the Westfield Atheneum, to be established in the town of Westfield, for the purpose of maintaining a library and reading-room, and promoting public instruction by lectures and otherwise, with all powers, etc.
They were further empowered to hold the donation of Samuel Mather, and all other donations, etc., to be thereafter made, and to purchase and hold real estate to an amount not exceeding $30,000, and personal estate to an amount not ex- ceeding $100,000.
The first meeting for organization was held Dec. 15, 1866, and immediately thereupon Mr. Mather delivered to the treasurer of the corporation $10,000 in United States bonds as a fund whose income should be applied toward the salary of librarian, and the heating and lighting of the library. In that year Mr. Harrison erected the present library building, at a cost of $10,000, and presented it, with the land it occupies, to the Atheneum, in pursuance of a cherished desire to pro- mote, in Westfield, the growth of such an institution. Shortly after this, private subscriptions, aggregating $10,000, were made by citizens of Westfield, and persons from abroad, who lived here formerly, the largest of these donations being that of Mr. Ilenry T. Morgan, of New York City. In 1872, Mrs. Jolın B. Eldredge, of Hartford, donated $1000 to the Atheneum. These donations were for the purpose of purchasing books, etc., for the library, while there have been privately donated as well, to this time, upward of twelve hundred volumes. There are at present in the library 9200 bound volumes. The library was opened to the public Jan. 1, 1868, and has since then been kept continuously open. Periodicals and daily newspapers are kept on file, which visitors to the library may read free of charge. There is a nominal charge of $2 per year for the privilege of withdrawing books from the library. The annual revenue from this source is about $450. The library has been in charge of P. L. Buell, Esq., as librarian, since May, 1873.
BURIAL-PLACES.
The public burial-places in Westfield are four in number. The largest is the Pine IIill Cemetery, on Court Street, about half a mile west of the village of Westfield. It occupies an ele- vated tract of 30 acres, and belongs to the Pine IIill Cemetery Association, which was organized in 1842, when the cemetery was first laid out. There are at present about 1000 lot-owners, and within the limits of the burial-place are many elegant monuments. The cemetery is beautified with smooth and well-kept drives and foot-paths, abounds in the luxuriant shade of hundreds of pines, and promises to become in time a very beautiful city of the dead. There is a small burying- ground at West Farms, one at West Parish, and another north of Westfield village, belonging to the Catholic Church.
These grounds, already mentioned, are of comparatively recent origin. The oldest graveyard in the town is found on Mechanics Street, Westfield, for there the earliest settlers buried their dead, and there may be seen many old headstones dating as far back as the seventeenth century, the oldest now discernible being of date 1683. There are doubtless in that ground graves of earlier date, but they bear no headstones to mark their age, or to say who sleeps below. Appended will be found a record of some of the earliest inscriptions :
" Abigail, wife of John Sackett, 1690; John Root, 1687; Edward, son of Geo. Griswold, 1688, aged 27; Cornet Thomas Dewey, 1690, aged 32; Elizabeth, wife
X
NORMAL HALL, WESTFIELD, MASS.
STATE NORMALISCHOOLIN
STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, WESTFIELD, MASS.
RESIDENCE OF HENRY PEASE, WESTFIELD, MASS.
SETH BUSH.
Seth Bush, son of Asahel and Sally Bush, was born on the premises where he now lives, May 5, 1820. Upon arriving at the age of man- hood he did not, like many others, leave the parental roof to seek a fortune in new lands far from the land of his birth, but contentedly remained on the old place, where five generations of this family have lived.
He was married, Jan. 20, 1847, to Lucy A. Kellogg, a native of Southwick, daughter of Alva Kel- logg, one of the pioneers of that town. Their family includes the following : Homer, Lucy A., Mary K., Emma E., and William S.
Mr. Bush has ever been ranked among the progressive agriculturists of the town, and is locally celebrated as a dealer in fattened cattle. In
SETH BUSH
1878 he fattened eighteen cattle, the total weight of which was thirty- six thousand three hundred and forty pounds, an average of over two thousand pounds each. He shipped them alive to England, and received $2180 for them.
The present residence of Mr. Bush is one of the old landmarks of West- field, built by his great-grandfather, Aaron Bush, a descendant of Sam- nel Bush, who moved to Westfield from Springfield, Mass., in about the year 1686. It was noted as a hotel, and for many years in "ye olden time" was one of the famous wayside inns in this section. It is located on Silver Street.
Mr. Bush is a member of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Westfield. Politically he is a Democrat, and has always remained true to the principles of his party.
RESIDENCE OF SETH BUSH, WESTFIELD, MASS
AMERICAN WHIP COMPANY'S MANUFACTORY, WESTFIELD, MASS.
951
HISTORY OF HAMPDEN COUNTY.
of Rev. Edward Taylor, 1689; Abigail, wife of John Noble, 1683 ; Aaron, Jr., son of Aaron Dewey, 1740; Israel Dewey, 1728; Consider Moseley, 1755; Jolm Mose- ley, 1756; Ruth, relict of Rev. Edward Taylor, 1730; Rev. Edward Taylor, 1729. (The inscription on Mr. Taylor's tombstone reads as follows : ' Ilere rests ye body of ye Rev. Mr. Edward Taylor, ye aged, venerable, learued, and pions pastor of ye Church of Christ in this town, who, after he had served God and his genera- tion faithfully for many years, fell asleep, June 24, 1729, in ye 87th year of his age') ; Samuel Taylor, 1709 ; Margaret, his wife, 1708; Abijah Dewey, 1740; Con- stant Dewey, 1702, aged 58 ; Rhoda, wife of Deacon Eldad Taylor, 1740; Jona. Ingersoll, 1755, upon whose tombstone the inscription reads as follows: 'Capt. Jona. Ingersoll, who, being in the service of bis country, was killed at Lake George, Sep. 8, 1755, iu the 41st year of his age ;' Sarah, wife of Jedediah Dewey, 1711; Thomas Ingersoll, 1748; Israel Ashley, 'who, being abroad in the public service, as surgeon of a regiment, died at Stillwater. Aug. 2, 1758, aged 47;' Eb- enezer Bush, 1767; Richard Falley, 1767 ; Noah Sbelden, 1748; Daniel Bagg, 1738; Capt. Isaac Phelps, 1725, aged 87; Beujamin Maudsley, 1719; Benjamin Maudsley (2d), 1719; Isaiah Ashley, 1735; Jonathan Weller, 1744; Quartermaster John Moseley, 1752; Deacon Daniel Kellogg, 1756; Eusign Stephen Kellogg, 1722; Jeremiah Shepard, 1756; Samuel Fowler, 1744 ; James Ashley, 1755; John Ashley, 1759, aged 90; Rev. Nehemiah Bull, 1740; Adjutant Russel Dewey, 1827, aged 72, 'a lover of his country, who fought for ber independence;1 Timothy Stebbins, 'a Revolutionary soldier,' 1848, aged 86; Wm. Shepard, 1817, aged 80. ' Ile fought the battles of our country, aided in the councils of our nation, and exemplified the Christian Character.'"
This old burying-ground is in a state of excellent repair, and, as a rule, the old headstones are erect, while much care is evidently bestowed upon their preservation. The ground is still used for burial purposes, but only to a limited extent.
INDUSTRIES.
Until about 1800 the inhabitants of Westfield devoted their energies almost exclusively to the pursuit of agriculture, and upon that interest the substantial prosperity of the town rested. Shortly after the beginning of the present century, manu- factures began to flourish upon the many valuable mill-streams, and, having gained a permanent foothold, flourished apace as time progressed, and became ere long what they are now,- the chief element in Westfield's industries, and the medium for the production of millions of dollars' worth of goods annually, and the employment of hundreds of people.
The three leading branches of manufacture are whips, cigars, and paper, the two former ranking about equal in the value of annual product.
The appended tahle, taken from the State census reports of 1875, will show the value of manufactures, classified in the order of rank: whips, $880,000; cigars, $854,416; paper, $400,000; lumber, $140,000; steam heaters, $140,000; organs, $120,000 ; distilled liquors, $80,000; flour, feed, etc., $80,000; cigar-boxes, $53,617; bricks, $45,000; flavoring extracts, $40,000; cotton batting, $36,500 ; gunpowder, $30,000 ; piano- legs, $30,000 ; coffins, $2000; boots, $1500.
The same report gives the total value of manufactures for 1875 as $3,446,358, and the value of agricultural products for the same period $362,900. About 1600 persons are employed in the various manufactories of the town, and of these 500 are women. One hundred and twenty-three buildings, valued at $500,450, are occupied for manufacturing purposes, and con- tain machinery of the value of $226,265.
WHIP-FACTORIES.
The leading whip-factory is that of The American H'hip Company, which was organized in 1855, with a capital of $100,000, the first of the kind organized in this country. The factory building, a brick structure, is located on Main Street, in the heart of Westfield village, and represents, with current stock on hand, an invested capital of $300,000. Whips of almost every description are manufactured to the value of from $250,000 to $400,000 annually, the latter amount representing the result when the factory works up to its full capacity. The number of people employed will vary from 150 to 250, according to the demands of trade.
The Hampden Whip Company, next in importance, occupies a fine brick edifice on Elm Street. The company was organ- ized in 1875, with a capital of $80,000, and employing, in 1878, 60 people, and manufacturing goods to the value of $150,000.
Besides the two establishments above noted, there were, in 1878, 25 firms and corporations engaged in the manufacture of whips, as follows: W. G. Bailey & Co., John J. Bohler, Samuel E. Chadwick, Oscar Clark, Edmund Cooper, W. O. Daniels, L. Danks & Son, Charles Douglas & Co., Solomon Ensign, J. B. Fuller & Co., D. D. Griffin & Co., Ifarmonica Whip Company, Holcomb & Cook, Knowles & Hastings, E. R. Lay & Son, L. B. Lewis, E. S. Miller, George T. Moore, W. H. Owen & Co., Peck, Osden & Co., William Provin, Jr., J. C. Schmidt, Charles W. Spencer, A. J. Smith, and C. M. Whipple & Co.
CIGAR-MAKING.
As has been already shown, Westfield is a prominent point in the manufacture of cigars, of which the value yearly is nearly as great as that of the whip-product. This branch of manufacture is represented by 30 firms and corporations.
The American Cigar Company, organized in 1873, has a nominal capital of $52,000, and an invested capital of $100,- 000, occupies a factory which cost $10,000, employs from 100 to 200 people, and claims to produce $300,000 worth of cigars yearly. Other parties engaged in this business are Benjamin Asher, James Barkley, J. C. Barthe, Beckman, Noble & Co., Willis E. Boyden, Brueggeman & Son, Bryan, Keef & Co., Bush, Ensign & Chace, L. E. Chester, Eastern Cigar Com- pany, Hiram Freed, Hampden Cigar Company, H. C. Hay- den, Henry Hoey, Thomas Jarrold, Henry Kolb, James N. Lewis, A. A. Lloyd, Thomas F. MeMain, Massachusetts Co- operative Association, David Noble, Phoenix Cigar Co-opera- tive Association, George Phillips, M. Rice, H. J. Smith, W. L. Van Deusen & Co., Westfield Cigar Company, HI. S. Woodworth, and M. Worthington & Son.
STEAM HEATERS.
Two firms are largely engaged in the manufacture of steam heaters, radiators, etc. Messrs. H. B. Smith & Co., succes- sors of H. B. Smith, who started in this trade in Westfield, have a capital of $100,000, and are located on Main Street, Westfield village, in a brick manufactory which cost upward of $40,000. They employ about 60 people. The Laflin Man- ufacturing Company is also extensively occupied in similar manufacture.
CHURCH ORGANS.
Westfield enjoys distinction as a place where some of the finest and largest church organs are manufactured. Speci- mens of the product in this direction may be seen in many magnificent churches, and it is believed to be generally under- stood that Westfield church organs take rank with the best manufactures. Johnson & Son and Steer & Turner are en- gaged in this department of manufacture, in which abont 100 persons are employed, and a capital of from $100,000 to $150,000 invested. Johnson & Son occupy a commodious manufactory on the Westfield River, in Westfield village, and, near by, Steer & Turner carried on their enterprise until their works were utterly swept away by the flood of December, 1878. They are now (1879) located on Mechanics Street.
PAPER-MILLS.
Crane Brothers are engaged on Little River, near Westfield village, in the manufacture of bank-ledger, record, and " all- linen" papers, linen-fibre baskets, etc., and machine belting. This firm is famous for the production of fine paper, and is the only firm that mannfactures Crane's patent linen-fibre baskets for plantation, household, and business use. The Messrs. Crane removed from Ballston Spa in 1869 to West- field, and in that year purchased the mill property of Taylor & Stiles, then occupying the site of Crane Bros.' present mill, and devoted to the manufacture of paper belting. The new firm materially enlarged the mill and continued to use it for the production of belting. In 1870 the mill was destroyed by
952
HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.
fire, and in less than a twelvemonth was replaced by the present fine brick structure. The main building, two stories and basement in height, measures 130 by 50 feet ; the rag- room, two stories and basement, is 75 by 40 feet, and the machine-room, one story high, is 80 by 30 feet. The mill
trimmings, three carriage-makers, three civil engineers, two coal dealers, five clothiers, two express companies, six confec- tioners, five dentists, three restaurateurs, three sash-and-blind makers, one drain-tile dealer, eight dry-goods dealers, one dyer, three fish dealers, three florists, two flouring-mills, one
CRANE BROTHERS
PAPER
IELD. MASEN
WORKS
CRANE BROS.' PAPER-MILLS.
property, including machinery, etc., represents an invested capital of $100,000 ; 75 persons are employed, and two tons of paper are manufactured daily.
The Pultze Walkley Company, whose paper-mills are on Little River, near Westfield village, began there in 1872 the manufacture of manilla-paper, in a frame mill purchased that year of Samuel Horton, who had for some time been engaged in manilla-paper making. This frame mill was burned in 1875, and in the same year was succeeded by the present sub- stantial brick structure, built on the same site. The main building, two stories in height, is 30 feet in width, and the machine-room, one story in height, 26 feet wide, both strue- tures having a length on the river of 110 feet. The company has an invested capital of $70,000 in this mill, employs 10 men, and manufactures daily 2600 pounds of manilla-paper.
THE MANUFACTURERS' CORPORATE ASSOCIATION
was organized in 1871, with a capital of $50,000, for the pur- pose of furnishing steam- or water-power to such manufac- turers as might desire to be thus provided. The company built a dam in Little River, and in conducting the water- power through Westfield village, and to factories, use the bed of the old canal, which was many years ago a transportation highway between New Haven and Northampton. The presi- dent of the company is James H. Bryan, and the secretary R. B. Robinson. This corporation owns the fine brick edifice. occupied by the Hampden Whip Company, as well as other similar property.
MISCELLANEOUS MANUFACTURES.
Among these may be mentioned that of the Vitrified Wheel and Emery Company, organized in 1873, with a capital of $100,000 ; the pianoforte-leg factory of Chas. N. Stimpson, the paper-box factories of Brown & Hutchinson and T. B. Seymour, and the cigar-box factories of Peter Calens and P. L. Reilly. Bricks are made by L. B. Walkley and S. P. Har- rison, cotton batting by J. Olmstead & Co., distilled spirits by G. H. Bush & Co., whip machinery, etc., by Emerson Sizer, and steam-engines by Lyman Wheeler.
The other mercantile and professional pursuits of the town are represented by four dealers in agricultural implements, five druggists, four architects, six attorneys, four auctioneers, four wood-turners, two bakers, five blacksmiths, four book-binders, six boot and shoe dealers, two building-movers, fifteen master- carpenters, three carpet dealers, one manufacturer of casket
undertaker, one furniture dealer, twenty grocers, eight hair- dressers, three hardware dealers, five harness-shops, eight hotel-keepers, three ice dealers, eleven insurance agents, one laundryman, eight liverymen, six lumber dealers, three ina- chinists, two marble-works, eight butchers, five merchant tailors, two news-rooms, two photographers, fourteen physi- cians, and five jewelers.
Westfield is a rich agricultural town, and contains within its borders vast tracts of excellent grazing-lands. Swamp, sandy plain, and mountain furnish a great variety of soil, which in the three sections yields bounteous erops of vege- tables of nearly all kinds. It is claimed that Westfield pro- duces sixty varieties of meadow-grass, and that of these some are found only in this locality.
BANKS.
There are two national banks in the town, with a capital of $400,000.
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK,
organized in 1864, with a capital of $150,000, was, in 1865, consolidated with the Westfield Bank (organized in 1851, with a capital of $100,000), does business as the First National, and has $250,000 capital. This bank has a line of deposits of $118,500.
THE HAMPDEN NATIONAL BANK,
organized in 1825 as a State bank, and in 1865 as a na- tional bank, has a capital of $150,000, and a deposit account of $115,000.
The Westfield Savings-Bank, organized in 1853, has on de- posit $680,000.
The deposits in the Woronoco Savings-Bank, organized in 1871, amount to $592,000.
RAILROADS.
Two railroads-the Boston and Albany and the New Ilaven and Northampton-cross at Westfield village, an im- portant depot on both lines. During October, 1878, the re- ceipts of the former at Westfield station, for passengers, were $3431. During the same time 1411 tons of local freight were forwarded, and 1326 tons received. The passenger receipts of the New Haven and Northampton Railroad at Westfield for the same period were $2000. Two thousand two hundred and fifty tons of local and through freight were received, and 650 tons forwarded.
953
HISTORY OF HAMPDEN COUNTY.
Westfield is also directly connected with Holyoke by the Holyoke and Westfield Railroad.
WATER-WORKS, Erc.
Westfield is proud of her water-works system, and, although the enterprise cost the town nearly $250,000, it has always been considered a valuable investment, chiefly because it offers excellent facilities for the prompt extinguishment of fires, and it was this motive which was the primary cause of the creation of the works. The town was authorized by the Legislature, in 1873, to construct water-works. They were begun the same year, and completed in 1874. The storage reservoir, located in Montgomery, occupies an eleva- tion of 771.38 feet above the park, in Westfield, covers 51 acres, and has a capacity of 184,000,000 gallons.
Among the corporations may also be mentioned the West- field Gas Company, incorporated in 1860, with a capital of $54,000, and the Westfield Mutual Fire Insurance Company, which, since its incorporation, in 1852, has been remarkably prosperous.
THE PRESS.
The Hampden Register, issued Feb. 18, 1824, by Maj. Joseph Root, was the first newspaper published in Westfield. The paper was Federal in politics at the outset, but upon a change of proprietorship, April, 1827, N. W. Smith and John B. Eldridge (the latter the original publisher of the Hampden Whig, of Springfield) assuming control, Democratic tenden- cies soon began to appear in its columns, and its patronage fell away. Mr. Smith withdrew the following September, and in November, 1828, Eldridge relinquished the journal into the hands of its original proprietor, Maj. Root. The latter lost no time, however, in disposing of his interest to J. D. Hun- tington, who, changing its name to the Westfield Register, and its politics to Whig, conducted it until Nov. 29, 1831, when it was discontinued.
In the interim-1828 and 1829-Emerson Davis, preceptor of the academy, published a small periodical called the Schol- ar's Journal, and on Sept. 10, 1833, the town having for two years been without a newspaper, Joseph Bull issued the first number of the Westfield Journal. Until April, 1835, it was neutral in politics, but at that time Norman T. Leonard, purchasing it, changed the name to the Democratic Herald, and its politics were, of course, appropriate to its title. It lived, however, only about a twelvemonth after the change.
About this time-April, 1836-The Talisman, published in quarto form, was issued by H. B. Smith. Its existence was limited to three months, although, as tradition has it, it did not die for lack of support.
After another blank of nearly three years, Calvin Torrey issued the Westfield Spectator in April, 1839, and, although its politics were Democratic, it received, during the first year of its existence, liberal support from members of both parties. In October, 1841, Dr. William O. Bell bought the paper, and shortly afterward changed its name to the Horonoco Palla- dium. He continued it under that name until the latter part of 1843, when he resold it to Mr. Torrey, its first proprietor, who changed the name back to The Spectator, but it failed of success, and expired in 1844.
Meanwhile, on the 28th of February, 1841, Elijah Porter established the Westfield News-Letter, which, as it afterward proved, was the only paper of Westfield birth that enjoyed anything like a prolonged and healthy existence.
About this time, too, the Westfield Courier, The Jeffersonian, and The Repository-a school journal-illumined the horizon of local journalism, but passed speedily away after brief and feeble struggles.
The News-Letter prospered from the outset, and, in 1847, Samuel H. Davis, a son of Dr. Emerson Davis, of Westfield, became a partner with Mr. Porter in the enterprise. He re- mained, however, only until November, 1848, when he left
to take the position of assistant editor of the Springfield Re- publican. Mr. Porter conducted the paper alone until August, 1851, when Mr. P. L. Buell, now the librarian of the West- field Atheneum, purchased a half-interest and assumed the editorial reins. In August, 1852, A. T. Dewey was taken in as a partner, but he withdrew, in 1854, to start The Wide- Awake American,-a Know-Nothing paper,-which, after a year's existence in Westfield, was removed to Springfield.
Porter & Buell continued The News-Letter in company until 1855, when H. N. Carter purchased Mr. Porter's interest, and Buell & Carter carried the publication forward to Febru- ary, 1861, Mr. Buell having, as before, continued to be chief editor. Mr. Buell-buying Mr. Carter's interest in 1861- published on his account until November, 1871, when he sold to Sherman Adams, who was its proprietor until July, 1874, when, by Adams' sale, The Western Hampden Times, which was started in 1869, by Clark & Story, effected a consolidation with The News-Letter, and the paper has since then been con- tinued as The Times and News-Letter, under Clark & Story's proprietorship. Mr. Buell, former editor of The News-Letter, las, since 1874, been agricultural editor of The Times and News-Letter.
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