History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. II, Part 133

Author: L.H. Everts & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia : Louis H. Everts
Number of Pages: 896

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 133

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Dr. Tucker's reputation and practice are not confined to the Connecticut Valley ; he is constantly consulted by patients from distant parts of the country, sparing no effort or expense to keep himself thoroughly versed in the signal advances in medical science that are constantly occurring, and which ren- der the profession of medicine of to-day so vastly different from that of a generation ago, and which is constantly tend- ing toward the rank of one of the exact sciences.

In religious belief he is an orthodox Congregationalist, having united with that church while a student at Cambridge, where he worshiped in the congregation of Rev. Dr. Stearns, late president of Amherst College. Subsequently he became a member of the " Old South," at Boston, and superintendent of its Sunday-school, which, during his arduous duties at the hospital, afforded him on the Lord's day a certain amount of mental rest, which he thoroughly appreciated at this very busy period of his life.

Having the confidence and trust of the community to a rare degree, Dr. Tucker still actively pursues his professional work, which to him is most certainly a labor of love, keeping him- self en rapport with the leading medical minds of this and the Old World, a multitude of whose portraits adorn the walls of his library, serving as most delightful companions, and as a suggestive " cloud of witnesses."

CHICOPEE.

GEOGRAPHICAL.

CHICOPEE* is the northwestern town of that portion of the county of Hampden lying east of the Connecticut River. It is bounded by the towns of Hadley and Granby on the north, by Ludlow on the east, and Springfield on the south. The Connecticut River on the west separates it from West Spring- field. The town contains about 25 square miles, or 16,000 acres, is one hundred and one miles distant west from Boston, and three miles north from Springfield.

STREAMS.

The streams are the Connecticut and Chicopee Rivers. The Chicopee has its principal sources in the southeast part of the county of Franklin and west part of Worcester. It enters the town at the southeast angle, flows westerly through it, and joins the Connecticut about one mile north of the southwest angle. Its fall within the town is about 70 feet, ; furnishing at Skenuwonuek or Chicopee Falls and at "Chicopee Centre" a vast power, which is utilized for manufacturing purposes. The water of this stream is dark, resembling that of Black River in New York, being colored by the deposits through which it flows. The surface is a rolling upland with a broad plain bordering the Connecticut, north of the Chicopee, in which stands the village of Willimansett. Chicopee # village, formerly " Cabotville," occupies chieffy the slopes and flat on the south side of the last named river, and near its mouth, while the village of Chicopee Falls, one and a half miles

farther east, stands largely within a half-moon formed by the great bend of the same river to the northward.

SOIL.

The soil is chiefly sand or sandy loam, and is in general well adapted to fruit-growing.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

Nearly two hundred and twenty years ago the first pioneers came to settle near the "Chickkuppy" River, upon both sides of which the wilderness was dense and unbroken. Undoubt- edly the very first to bear thither the axe of civilization were the brothers Japhet and Henry Chapin. These two young men were sons of Deacon Samuel Chapin, who was a native of England or Wales, and who settled in Springfield with his family, consisting of four sons and two daughters, in the year 1642, where another daughter was born in 1644.

Henry was probably the eldest of the two brothers, and married Bethia Cooley, daughter of Benjamin and Sarah Cooley, of Longmeadow, Dec. 5, 1664. Some years previous to his marriage he entered into a contract with John Pynchon, of Springfield, for the purchase of land in what is now the town of Chicopee, and on the north side of the river of that name. The following is a copy of the contract :

" March 9, 1659, sold to Henry Chapin 200 acres of land on ye Chickkuppy River, to run fro ye hills on ye east side to the Great river on ye west, and on the south it is to be bounded by and to join the Chickenppy river,-onely one twenty-five acres, or thirty, being by Chickkuppy river, about the place wbich shall be judged best for a warebonse, is to be takeu ont and excepted out of the parcel; yet so as to be 200 acres is to be made up there together. Also, Henry is to have half of ye upper Island, which is to be as equally divided as can be, and also he is to have five acres of mowable meadow at the lower end of the mux- meadow.

"For all which he is to pay and allow me the sum of 20 pounds, in wbeat at current prices, at four several payments, viz., five pounds by the first of March next, which will be anno 1660, and five pounds by the first of March, 16G1, and another five pounds in 1662, and the last five pounds ye first of March, 1663,- all payments to be in wheat st prices current at the several times of payment.

* An Indian name with many orthographies, as "Chickkuppy," "Chickuppe," "Chickopee," "Chickapy," "Chicabee," "Chiecnpee."

t The mills at Chicopee appropriate thirty-six feet of the entire fsll, and those at Chicopee Falls twenty-seven feet. The remainder of the seventy fcet is above the latter village.

# Formerly "Cabot" or "Cabotville." The name "Chicopee" was assumed in 1848, when the town was formed. It is also called "Chicopee Centre." "Chico- pee Junction" is that quarter of the village where the branch of the Connecti- cut River Railroad which leads to "Chicopee Falls" nnites with the main line. The latter village for a time bore the name "Chicopee Factory."

L. M. EVERTS, PUB., PHILA.

RES. OF EMERSON GAYLORD, CHICOPEE, MASS.

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HISTORY OF HAMPDEN COUNTY.

This is the joint agreement betwixt us this 9th day of March, 1659, as witness our hands.

" HENRY CHAPIN, " JOHN PYNCHON.

" Memorandum .- I promised Henry that if I did part with the 25 acres, or 30 acres, or with the Islands, he should have the offer of them."

Notwithstanding that his land thus purchased was on the north side of the Chicopee, it appears that he built his house on the south side of that river, on the north side of the present Ferry Street, at its junction with West Street, in the village of Chicopee, and " near the large ehm." The house was burned in 1762. The residence formerly owned and occupied by William Chapin, one of Henry's descendants, was on nearly the same ground .* Ile was a prominent man, intimately connected with town affairs, and was a representative to the General Court in 1689. Tradition says that he was impressed into the British service, on board a man-of-war, and remained therein seven years, during which period he was engaged in a naval combat with the Dutch. He afterward commanded a merchantman, and made several voyages between London and Boston, but finally settled down in the latter city, from whence he came to Springfield, in or near 1659, the year of his purchase at Chicopee. Henry died Aug. 15, 1718. Be- thia, his wife, died Dec. 11, 1711.

Their children were Henry, born June 1, 1666, died April 29, 1667 ; Sarah, born March 3, 1670, died Nov. 6, 1732,-was never married ; Bethia, born Feb. 19, 1672, died -; Henry, born March 9, 1679, died Sept. 15, 1754; and Benjamin, born Feb. 2, 1682, died March 27, 1756.

Japhet was born in 1642, the same year his parents removed to Springfiekl. He married, July 22, 1664, Abilenah, daughter of Samuel Cooley, of Milford. She died Nov. 17, 1710, and was buried in the old burying-ground at Springfield, where recently a small stone marked her grave. He afterward mar- ried Dorothy Root, of Enfield, Conn., who survived him. Ile died Feb. 20, 1712, and was buried beside his first wife.

March 9, 1666, Deacon Samuel Chapin, his father, purchased of John Pynchon a tract of land embracing most of the river flats lying between the Chickkuppee River and Willamansick Brook ; and thereafter, April 16, 1673, his father conveyed to him a large part of the land so purchased. He probably re- mained a while in Milford before removing his bride and his possessions to join his brother in the wilderness, but he doubt- less moved in as early as 1666, after his father's purchase from Mr. Pynchon. He built his house at the north end of what is now Chicopee Street, a little north and west of the house now owned by Joel Baker, where be had a charming view of the " Great River" and the hills beyond.

Henry was present at the great battle with the Indians at Turner's Falls in May, 1676. The following is his memoran- dum in an old account-book :

" ] went out Voluuteare against ingens the ITth of May. 1676, and we ingaged battel the 19th of May in the morning before sunrise, and made great Spoil upon the enemy and came off the same day with the Los of 37 men and the Captain Turner, and came home the 20th of May."

Thomas Chapin, son of Japhet, was one of the original grantees of the large tract of land allotted in 1736 to the offi- cers and soldiers concerned in this battle, and to their descend- ants. This traet is now the town of Bernardston.

Japhet had nine children, all by Abilenah, his first wife, viz., Samuel, born July 4, 1665; died Oct. 19, 1729. Sarah, born March 16, 1668; married Nathaniel Munn. Thomas, born May 10, 1671 ; died Aug. 27, 1755. John, born May 14, 1674; died June 1, 1759. Ebenezer, born June 26, 1677 ; died Dec. 13, 1772. Hannah, born July 18, 1680; married John

Sheldon, of Deerfield ; died - David, born Nov. 16, 1682; died July 7, 1772. Jonathan, born Feb. 20, 1685; died March 1, 1686. Jonathan, born Sept. 23, 1688; died Feb. 23, 1761.

The eight sons of Henry and Japhet had each a large family, viz .: Ilenry, 10; Benjamin, 12; Samuel, 10; Thomas, 11; John, 8; Ebenezer, 13, of whom 11 were sons; David, 12, of whom 10 were sons ; and Jonathan, 11, aggregating 87 grand- children.

The eight sons died at an average age of eighty years. A large portion of the territory originally settled by the two brothers is now occupied by their descendants.

At the time of the settlement of Henry and Japhet in the Chicopee country the Indians had become hostile, and were a source of disquietude and aların to the encroaching pale-faces, and to such a degree that arms were continually carried by the settlers. even to the meeting-house. To reach this they had to thread the pathless forest and ford the streams, for the nearest church was six miles distant. For many years the savages continued their warlike attitude toward this and other settlements, which culminated in the burning and mas- sacre at Deerfield in 1704. The following incident is related concerning Hannah, the second daughter of Japhet Chapin, who had married John Sheldon, of Deerfield, Dee. 3, 1703, and removed with him to that place, where they were living in his father's house at the time of the memorable midnight attack by the Indians on the 29th of February ensuing. Unable to force an entrance to the house of Capt. Sheldon, the savages made a hole in the door, thrust in a musket, and shot the captain's wife. Hannah, with her husband, jumped from a chamber window ; he escaped, but she, having sprained an ankle, was taken prisoner. She, with 111 other captives, including the minister, John Williams, and his family, was taken to Canada, and after two years redeemed. Hannah's inother seems to have had a foreboding respecting the pro- posed settlement of her daughter in a " frontier town," and, it is said, charged her to so make the dress upon which she was engaged that it would do " to wear into captivity."

Some time after his daughter's ill fortune, Japhet received from his brother Josiah the following letter of condolence :

" MENDON, Aprel 8th, 1704.

" DEARE BROTHER,-1 cannot with my pen express the concernedness of sperit that is in me for yon and my dere cusen that is led captive by the barbarous heathen. God is by such di-pensation trying the faith and patience of his chil- dren; it is therefore my dayly request that God will support her in body and sperit, and her bodely captivity may prove to her speretual enlargement, and that God will please to give you comfort in hope, knowing that God is able to find out a way for escape, tho no way appears to us. As abraham being called to offer up his son Isaac, who did it willingly, knowing that God was able to rais him from the dead. These afflictions arise not out of the dust, but there is a canse. We are redy to complaine of the french and Indian enemies but they are not the cause, but as it was sometime said to Jerusalem, yower wais and yower dviugs hath procured these things to thyself. so may new england say that our sins have brought the Sword of the wilderness upon us. I do therefore believe there must be a general Reformation before the rou of God will be taken off from us. Brother, I long to see you, and did intend to have given a visit this month, but multitud of Insnis publik and pirtiquler throngs me, so that I have no prospect of coming this spring, though I cannot come to see you yeat I shall be glad to heare from you by all opportunities thorow the little time that is remaining to us heare, and that our prayers may dayly meet at the thron of grace, and that we may so demeane ourselves heare that at last we may have a joyful meting in the kingdom of glorey, so with kind love and Respects to yourself and my sister, with my love to all my cusens, I Rest yower loving brother,

" JOSIAH CHAPIN."

At a very early day a settlement was made at what is known as "Skipmuck," about one and a half miles above Chicopee Falls. Among the first and most prominent of the settlers at this place were Stephen Horton, Gad Horton, Phineas Stedman, Ariel Cooley, Dudley Wade, and a few others, whose names are not recorded, who came early in the year 1660. It is said that " these few families were often an- noyed by the Indians, ; and were frequently driven to take

* See genealogy of the Chapin family. One account says that llenry built uear the lower end of "Chicopee Street," but the weight of evidence accords with the text. "Chicopee Street" is a somewhat detachel quarter, and runs northward from the Chicopee River, at Chicopee, to Williminsett. On either side lie, in great part, the lands first purchased by the Chapins, and here many of their descendants reside.

+ Slight evidences of an Indian settlement are occasionally unearthed in the vicinity of Prospect Street, in Chicopee.

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IIISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.

refuge in the old fort at Springfield." Some of the inhabit- ants were captured by the redskins at one time, but no traces of the Indians or their captives could be afterward found.

Ariel Cooley was a man of note in his day, and was espe- cially " distinguished as the builder of the Fairmount Water- Works, at Philadelphia, and the original proprietor of the locks and canal at South Hadley Falls."

Caleb Wright is said to have built a house upon the upper terrace at Skipmuck in or near the year 1704. A tradition well authenticated narrates that the Indians one night sur- rounded the place, took Mrs. Wright prisoner, and scalped or partially sealped a child that lay in the cradle. Moreover, that this child, Hannah, recovered and lived to a ripe old age. Mr. Wright then moved to " Chicopee Street," where the Chapins had settled, and put up a cabin just south of the old cemetery. The Indians still annoyed him, and he often sought the fort or the strong houses for safety. He was taunted for his weakness by the boys of the period, and took permanent lodgment in his own house thereafter .*

It appears from old documents now in the possession of Sumner Van Horn, of Chicopee, that Nathaniel Ely and Rowland Thomas owned a portion of the land on the south side of the Chicopee River as early as 1664. The following paper is endorsed " A copy of Ely's land :"

"NATHANIEL ELY,-Also by the Chant of the Plantation of Twenty acres more or less of upland by Chicenpee River side, Lying by the Westerly Side of the First Deep Dingle above Rowland Thomas' Jaund, In length up and Down the River about 100 Rod, the Breadth at the East End 35 Rod, and at the West end 30 Rod. Recorded Aug. 12, 1664.

" A copy from Springfield Records, Exud. "pr. WMI. PYNCHON, C'ler.

Messrs. Ely and Thomas laid out a highway, at what is now the village of Chicopee, in 1665. The ford was at that part of the river between the present Dwight Mills and the grist-mill of Edmund Wood. The following paper describes the highway :

" Ilere follows the return of Nathan Ely and Rowland Thomas, appointed to Lay ont a llighway to Chicenpper River.

" We, Under writ, being appointed and ordered By the Selectmen in Ortoli, 1665, To Cosider of a Common way to aud over Chicuppee River, near to Row- land Thomas, and to lay it out, do make Return of what we have done as follow- eth : we do Conceive that the Common way over Chiccupee River should go above the Islands about 20 Rod, where the Indians Common Wading Place was formerly, or a little Higher, and so from theure to Run up ye Hiver on this side the River about 20 Rod or more, and then to turn off in the varant Ground be- twixt Rowland Thomas' and Nathal Ely's land into the Pine Plain, and so to the Town. This Ihighway to be in breadth from Chicupee River to the Brow of the llill, which is 7 or S Rod, and where it turns off from the River, there to be 20 Rod Broad. Given under our hands this Ist of Februy, 1665.

" NATHAL. ELY, " ROWLAND THOMAS R. T. his mark.

" Februy ye 5th, 1665 .- The Selectmen do accept of this Return, and order the Ilighway abovesaid to be as is there described and appointed.

" A copy from Springfield Records Exad, "pr. W'M. PYNCHON, Cler."

Born Van Horn settled in Springfield prior to 1713. Be- cause of a highway which had been opened dividing his land the " Proprietors of ye Inward Commons" granted him, " March 22d, 1713-14," such another piece in exchange as " would for conveniency bring his land together." They sub- sequenily, " January 220, Ano Dom. 1718-19," granted him "one or two acres of land lying between Thomas Terys Home Lot and the Hill for a home Lot."+

* Dr. Holland gives a somewhat different version, as follows: " On the 26th of July, that year"-170s-" seven or eight Indians attacked the house of Lient. Wright, at Skipmuck, in Springfield, and killed 'old Mr. Wright,' and Aaron J'arsons, and Barijah Hubbard-a couple of soldiers-knocked two children on the head, one of whom died, und took Henry Wright's wife captive, and prole- bly killed her afterward. Liout, Wright and a daughter escaped."-Holland's Hist, of Western Massachusetts,

+ The following curious prescription is written on the back of this instrument. To whom it was administered, and how many of his descendants owe their being to its use, is nut revealed.

" Give a portian of the Reed Root every morning for 3 mornings going ; every night going to bead give him on 2 or 3 Spoonfulls of black water acording as he cau bare; about 11 or 12 a clock In the Day give him a portian of Turmeric,

The family of Born Van Horn probably settled at what is now known as Chicopee Falls as early as 1789-40. The fol- lowing is a copy of an original document, in size 4 by 8 inches, now in the hands of Sumner Van Horn :

"SPRINGFIELD, March 17th, 1742-3 .- Pursnent to a Grant of the Proprietors of the Commnon Jail in Springfield, March 18th, 1739-40, laid out to Born Van Horn, of Springfield, 27 avres & 1% of Land in the East Precinct in suid lown, equil in valne to 8 acres of the land att Goose Pond, as mentioned in said Grant, Lying in two Pieces; one contains 212 acies, & is bounded as follows (viz.) : East on a Highway that is att the west end of the 10-acre Lotts, West on Bonjn Crofoot'st Land, South on Common Land, and North on his own hed; the other tract contains 25 acres Lying the north side of the Chicopee River, Bontuled west by the foot of the hill adjoining to the Road that croses said River att the falls, East on a roud that croses said River at the Grape Place, so called, south on the sail Chickopee River, and measured 25 Rod wide from said River at the west end, and then runs Due East 172 Rad to the above said Road that goes over att the grape Place laid out by us.

" EBEN" HITCHCOCK, " JOSIAN DAY, Contee "?

" JOHN MUN.

Endorsed, " Born Van Horn. Received April 8th, 1743. Recorded April ye 9th, 1743, in ye 2d Book, l'age US, pr. Thomas Stebbins, Clerk."

Azariah Van Horn? was a surveyor of highways in the town of Springfield, in 1770. His district embraced the ter- ritory south of the Chicopee River, including the sites of the present villages of Chicopee and Chicopee Falls. Ilis war- rant reads thus :

" To Mr. Azmujah Vanhorn, Surveyor of Highways in Springfd: Your District or part of the Highways in said Town To Survey, Amend, & Repair is as follows, viz .: Including all the Lands, Roads, or ways From the Brow of the llill next sontth of Joseph Chapin House at the lower Chickopec, & extending north to the North side of Chickopee River at the usual fording place, & from the great river on the west to the top of the great Hill next west of Skipmuck on the East. " SPRINGFIELD, March 27, 1770.

" Enwd PYNCHON, " ROBERT HARRIS, " NATH! BREWEB, " NATH1 ELY (26),

Selectmen of Springd.

" JOHN WORTHINGTON, Just Pac."

Sumner Van Horn, son of Gad Van Horn, resides in Chic- opee village. He says that formerly there was a road which led across the Chicopee a short distance below the upper dam, at Chicopee village, and that some traces of this road may yet be seen. At times of high-water the crossing was made by a sort of ferry, near the mouth of the river. That " fishing- places" existed where shad were caught in large quantities ; one at the mouth of the Chicopee, one above where the Chico- pee Street bridge crosses, and another at the mouth of " Ely's Brook. "| Moreover, that salmon were plentiful in the same river as far up as Jenksville ; and that Azariah Van Horn, late in the last century, caught a large number in a weir placed near the site of Gaylord's Dam.

Mr. Van Ilorn also relates that Azariah Van Horn, T his

about as much as will Ly one a Sheling at a Time, and Wash it down with a De- coction of agrimony, Elder-boomings, or lysop."

# Crofoot prolmbly owned land that is now near the central portion of the vil- lage of Chicopee Centre, vast of which lay the 212 acres, extending undoubtedly to the highway at the "Grape Place," now Grape Street, The 25 acres was a strip along the Chicopee River, on the north side, extending from near the present grist-mill of Ednmind Wood to the old road which crossed the Chicopee a little below the upper dam. This road descended the hill from Grape Street in the rear of the present residence of Mr. J. T. Ames. Gad Van Horn, father of Sumner, and grandson of Born, had a house near this road, and near the pres- ent residence of MI.s. J. Chase, Gad died in 1855, aged ninety-one years, South and East Streets are substantially what was called in that early day "the path that goeth to Skipmuck," and connected at the west et with the Hamjulen road to Springfiebl. The latter extended northerly through what is now West, Exchange, and Perkins Streets,-or nearly so,-and led into the old " 20-rod" rond laid by Ely and Thomas, first passing easterly under the bank where the Dwight mills now stand.

¿ Azariah diel carly in this century, aged eighty ; his father, Born, it is sup- posed was buried at Springfield.

| A Mr. Horton-possibly Stephen or Gad-one evening at dusk, having secured a fine string of shad, started homeward on horseback in joy ful mood. The wolves, having a method of fishing peculiar to themselves, gave eager chase. The result was that, in spite of the nearness of his home, he was obliged to drop so many fish to delay or propitinte his pursuers, that there were few, if any, left for the larder, This run of shad has never been equaled.

" During the Shays rebellion, the rebels had outposts in various directions about Springfieldl. One of their guards was stationed near the present road- crossing at Emerson Gaylord's, in Chicopee, and another near what is now the

963

HISTORY OF HAMPDEN COUNTY.

great-uncle, and a Mr. Chapman built a grist-mill and a saw- mill on the ground now occupied by the Gaylord Manufac- turing Company prior to 1770. The grist-mill had one run of stone, and in time was torn down and replaced by one with two runs, and of more than double its capacity. Grain was here ground for the distilleries at Warehouse Point, Conn., and in large quantity for the time. The saw-mill was mostly supplied with logs floated down the Connecticut, though many came from the Chicopee. The lumber not needed for home consumption was rafted to Hartford and Middletown, and exchanged for supplies and merchandise of various kinds. These articles were brought up the "Great River" in boats of from eight to ten tons' burden.

Anil Cooley, son of Jabez and Abigail (Ilancock), and fourth in descent from Ens. Benj. Cooley,* one of the first settlers in Longmeadow, married Lydia Warriner, daughter of Benjamin and Persis Warriner, of Wilbraham, Sept. 2, 1781, and had Calvin, born Aug. 18, 1782; Judah, March 29, 1784; Lydia, March 8, 1786; Ariel, Nov. 27, 1787; Bath-heba, Sept. 29, 1789; Ariel, May 12, 1791; Titus, Sept. 3, 1793; Chester, Jan. 25, 1797, and died Oct. 30, 1822. His widow, Lydia, born Nov. 15, 1757, died Sept. 13, 1839.

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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. II, Part 133

Author: L.H. Everts & Co Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Philadelphia : Louis H. Everts Number of Pages: 896

Author: L.H. Everts & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia : Louis H. Everts
Number of Pages: 896