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 16
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612
HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.
Deerfield, Mr. Taylor engaged in farming in Enfield, Conn. Ilere he was a leading man, often elected representative, and several times made speaker of the House. In 1817 he re- moved to Mendon, N. Y., where he was engaged in mission- ary operations. In 1832 be settled as minister at Bruce, Mich., where he died, Dee. 20, 1840. Hle married, June 14, 1788, Elizabeth Terry, of Enfield, Conn.
Rev. Samuel Porter Williams, A. M., of Wethersfield, Conn. He graduated from Yale College in 1796, preached as a candidate in the summer of 1806, and received an invita- tion to become pastor November 3d. This he had intended to accept, but, on the 15th, he gave reasons why he felt it his duty to go to Mansfield, Conn. He settled there in 1807, and remained ten years. He died in 1826.
Rev. Samuel Willard, D. D., eminent Unitarian divine and author, son of William, of Petersham, born April 18, 1776. He graduated from Harvard College in 1803; was tutor at Bowdoin College, 1804-5. May 18, 1807, by a vote of 22 to 1, the church called him to " settle here in the work of the gospel ministry." This action was ratified June 4th, and a salary of $666.67 offered him. Mr. Willard accepted, and August 12th was fixed as the day for ordination. The coun- cil met August 11th, and reported the next day that although they found " the pastor elect to be a gentleman of rich talents and aquirements in theological knowledge, of a most amiable temper and disposition, and of an exemplary frankness and sincerity in communicating his opinions," " they did not dis- cover in him that belief in the essential Divinity of our LORD JESUS CHRIST"-the doctrines of total depravity, the super- natural influence of the Holy Spirit, the doctrine of election, and perseverance of the saints-which they consider necessary, and therefore they could not proceed to ordain him. August 17th the church renewed the call, which was concurred in by the town, August 28th, by a vote of 114 to 84, the nays, with a single exception, being from Bloody Brook. Mr. Wil- lard's " confession of faith" was printed and sent out with the invitations to a new council, by which he was ordained, Sept. 23, 1807. IFe married, May 30, 1808, Susan, daughter of Dr. Joshua Barker, of Hingham. Soon after the settlement of Mr. Willard most of the church members from the south part of the town withdrew, and afterward united in a church there. Mr. Willard beeame blind about 1820, but he continued his pastoral duty until Sept. 23, 1829, when he was dismissed at his request. Ile removed to Ilingham, whence, after a few years spent in teaching, he returned to Deerfield in 1836, where he died, Oct. 8, 1859.
The memory of Dr. Willard was wonderful. He learned the Bible by heart, and on hearing any random line of it could at onee give the chapter and verse. He was equally familiar with the volume of hymns used in the Sunday service. Most of his literary work was done after he became blind. Some of his publications are " Deerfield Collection of Sacred Music," 1814; " Rudiments of Reading," 1815; " Original Hymns," 1823; " Sacred Poetry and Music Reconciled," 1830; "Rhet- orie," 1831; "Introduction to the Latin Language," 1835; " Franklin Primer," "Improved Reader," "General Class Book," and " Popular Reader,"-a series of school-books which went through many editions,-with sermons, pamphlets on various subjects, contributions to magazines, ete., etc.
Dr. Willard was a strong anti-slavery man, an ardent worker for temperance, interested in science, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In person he was of marked tigure and face, grave in deportment, kindly and affable, a Christian gentleman, and an honest man.
Rev. John Fessenden graduated at Harvard College in 1818; Cambridge Theological School, 1821; tutor, 1825-27; was the fifth pastor of the First Church, and ordained May 19, 1830. Mr. Fessenden was a man of scholarly attainments. Ifis sermons were written rather for the learned than the com- mon people, and failed in interesting the young. Ile was sin-
gularly gifted in public prayer, and was amiable, diffident, and lacking in personal magnetism.
In 1835 he preached before a party of Indians from Canada who claimed to he descendants of the captive Eunice Wil- liams, and to be on a visit to the graves of her father and mother. This sermon was published. On his dismissal, May 31, 1840, Mr. Fessenden removed to Dedham, where, to some extent, he engaged in teaching.
Daniel B. Parkhurst, son of Dr. William, of Petersham, was born Feb. 20, 1818. He was two years at Amherst and two years at Yale, where he graduated in 1836. He studied at the Cambridge Divinity School, and was ordained July 21, 1841. Ile was a man of rare promise, but preached only nine sermons, dying of consumption at Keene, N. II., Feb. 16, 1842.
James Blodgett, A. M., graduated at Harvard College in 1841; at Divinity School, Cambridge, in 1843. Hle was or- dained Jan. 17, 1844. His health failing, he was dismissed, June 16, 1845. He removed to Lexington, where he died July 11, 1845, aged thirty-three. Ile married, in 1844, Miss - Wellington, of Lexington. She died Oct. 11, 1845.
Rev. John F. Moors was born in Groton; graduated at Harvard College in 1842; at Divinity School, Cambridge, in 1845. Ile was ordained Jan. 28, 1846, eighth pastor of the First Church; was dismissed April 9, 1860, and removed to Greenfield. He is further noticed in the history of that town.
James K. Hosmer, son of Rev. Dr. George Hosmer, was born in Northfield, Jan. 29, 183.4. He graduated at Harvard College in 1855; at Divinity School, Cambridge, in 1857. He was ordained Sept. 6, 1860. In September, 1862, he enlisted in Co. D, 52d Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers, which joined Gen. Banks' Louisiana Expedition. Declining a position in the military household of Gen. Banks, he was made corporal of the color-guard, and served through the campaign. He was in the actions of April 12th and 14th on the Teche ; under Gen. Grover, and with him through the Red River Expedi- tion, and at the siege and surrender of Port Hudson, July 8, 1863. Mr. Ilosmer was dismissed, Sept. 2, 1866, to take a pro- fessorship in Antioch College. Hle is now a professor of the State University of Missouri, and author of "The Color- Guard,"-one of the most entertaining books which the Rebel- lion has brought forth ; Boston, 1864,-" The Thinking Bay- onet," 1865; " A History of German Literature," 1879; and is a liberal contributor to papers and magazines.
Edgar Buckingham, A. B., son of Joseph T., was born at Boston, Aug. 29, 1812. He graduated at Harvard College in 1831, and was the principal of Northfield Academy, 1881-32; graduated at Cambridge Divinity School, 1835; settled min- ister at Dover, N. II., 1835 ; in Trenton, N. Y., 1840; in Troy, N Y., 1858 ; and Deerfield in 1868. He married, June 5, 1835, Sally Ann Hart. Mr. Buckingham has been a voluminous writer for newspapers and magazines. He was an early advo- cate of the abolition of slavery, especially in an oration deliv- ered July 4, 1842. This was printed, as have heen several of his sermons. Of the Unitarian denomination, but maintains the view that "the religion of Jesus Christ consists in obedi- ence to God, unconnected with sectarian opinions." He has an active, ingenious mind and scholarly culture.
THIE ORTHODOX SOCIETY.
Oct. 1, 1838, a portion of the First Congregational Society organized a new body under the title of the " Orthodox Soci- ety." A church of the seceders had been formed June 2, 1835. In 1838 a meeting-house was built on Memorial Lane. The first stated supply for the pulpit of this society was Rev. Pomeroy Belden, 1837-42.
Mr. Belden, son of Aaron, of Whately, was born in 1811 ; graduated at Amherst College in 1833; Andover Theological Seminary in 1836. Hle married, in 1836, Louisa Tenny ; (2d) 1841, Miranda Smith, of Hadley. Ordained evangelist Aug. 8, 1837; installed pastor at Amherst in 1842; died March 2, 18-19.
Photo, by Popkins.
disku Well.
ELISHA WELLS was born in Deerfield, Franklin Co., Mass., Aug. 25, 1821. His educational ad- vantages were very poor and limited to an attend- ance of the district school, in the old brick school- house on the common, summer and winter, until he was nine years old, and during the winter months from that time until seventeen years of age. The inheritance he received from his father was continnons hard labor and severe discipline, which would no doubt be a good gift if not too liberally bestowed, as was the case in this instance.
He was hired out to work upon a farm when twelve years of age, his father receiving his wages until Elisha was twenty-one. After he reached his majority he found employment with a farmer, where he remained until his employer's decease, two years afterward. Upon the settlement of the estate he received twenty-five per cent. of his claim against it; and his dividends in later years on " ac- commodation" accounts, indorsed notes, and money loaned to supposed friends, have ranged from zero to forty per cent., and generally the lower figure.
His religious belief-without belonging to any church-is to attend divine worship, and help sup-
port the same; to "do unto others as you would that they should do unto you;" but never to bor- row the livery of Christ in which to serve the devil, as is instanced and illustrated in the many recent defalcations, forgeries, and premeditated bank- ruptcies committed by men holding high positions in the Church.
In politics he is independent. Bound to no party, he casts his vote for the candidate whom he con- siders best qualified to fill the office. He has never sought office, but has been honored by his towns- men with the positions of selectman, town clerk, and treasurer. One or more of these offices he has held each year for the past twenty-three years.
Of his family history he knows very little. What- ever success he has gained in life is the result of his own efforts, and whether his ancestors came from England in the Mayflower, or from any other coast of the Old World, is a matter of indiffer- ence to him.
Mr. Wells was married, Jan. 4, 1849, to Lois H., daughter of Elisha Hare, of Deerfield, by whom he has four children,-Charles A., Francis B., Theron B., and Mary W.
Photo by Popkins.
Theraw, Root
HIRAM ROOT was born Oct. 27, 1805, in Montagne, Franklin Co., Mass. He was the son of Selah and Elizabeth Childs Root. His father, who was born in Montagne, Sept. 8, 1766, was a man of sterling integrity, a devoted Christian, and deacon in the Congregational Church of Montague. He died in Burtonville, N. Y., Sept. 20, 1842. Elizabeth Childs, his mother, was born Feb. 17, 1769, and died April 19, 1835. The parents of Hiram Root were married Feb. 6, 1794. They were blessed with a family of ten children, of whom the subject of this memoir was the seventh.
The earlier years of Hiram Root's life were spent upon his father's farm in Montagne. His educa- tional advantages were few, and confined entirely to the common schools. When he reached his majority he engaged in the manufacture of hats and cloth, in which he continued until 1832, when he removed to Deerfield to reside with his uncle, Simeon Childs. He was married April 30, 1829, to Caroline Hanson, who was born in East Deerfield, Oct. 28, 1809. They had a family of four children, all daughters, only one of whom survives, viz., Helen, wife of Albert Stebbins.
Mr. Childs, at his decease, left his farm to his nephew, but Mr. Root, not having any particular taste for farming, leased the farm, and again engaged in manufacturing, first stoves, then lead pipe, and
afterward straw-eutters. He was the first in the Connecticut Valley to cultivate and manufacture sorghum. He was very successful in business, and accumulated a comfortable fortune. In politics he was a Republican, but never sought public office.
Mr. Root's mechanical and inventive powers were of a high order, and he was never so happy as when surrounded by machinery, with an opportunity for the study of its mechanism and possible improve- ment. He was a man of great liberality, of strictest integrity, and unblemished reputation. He was of a particularly energetie disposition, never feeling that anything was too great for him to undertake, and he seldom failed in his endeavors. Indeed, so full of energy and activity was he, that it was laughingly said among his friends that " he never stopped to walk until after he was sixty years old." He was social and genial, delighting in jokes, and was es- pecially fond of children and pets of all kinds.
His sudden death, Jan. 13, 1874, was a shock to the community, every member of which felt it as the loss of a personal friend. He died of heart disease, from which he had suffered for over two years. His sufferings were borne with great patience, and his energy never left him. Indeed, death claimed him in the midst of aetive business and usefulness. He still lives in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.
613
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
Rev. Henry Seymour, son of Horace, of Hadley. was born in 1816; graduated at Amherst College in 1838; Union The- ological Seminary, in New York, in 1842. He married, in 1844, Laura 1. Fish, of Shelburne; (2d) 1851, Sophia Wil- liams, of Ashfield. Settled pastor March 1, 1843; dismissed March 14, 1849; settled at Hawley Oct. 3, 1849, where he is still in charge.
Rev. Alfred E. Ives was born in New Haven in 1809; graduated at Yale College in 1837; studied theology at New Haven ; pastor of Colebrook in 1838-48; settled here Sept. 5, 1849; dismissed in 1855; removed to Castine, Me.
Rev. Robert Crawford, D.D., was born in Paisley, Scotland, in 1804; came with his father to Canada in 1821. After a few years of frontier life in the woods, he became an operative in a cotton-mill at Iloosiek Falls, N. Y., in 1826. After three years there, and two or three more in a mill at Bennington, Vt., he entered Williams College, graduating in 1886 ; was a year or two tutor there. He studied theology at Princeton, N. J., and at the Union Theological Seminary in New York, and was ordained pastor at North Adams, Aug. 20, 1840. 1le married, Sept. 30, 1840, Ellen M., daughter of President Griffin, of Williams College. Jan. 13, 1858, he was installed in Deerfield, where he still remains, an example to his fellows and an honor to the town. He received the honorary degree of D.D. from Jefferson College in 1858; he was State Senator in 1863.
Meeting-Houses .- Previous to Philip's war the settlers wor- shiped in the garrisoned houses, and made no attempt, so far as we learn, to build a meeting-house. The first one erected was about 1684; this was doubtless of logs, the walls daubed with clay, and the roof thatched. Oct. 30, 1694, the town voted " to build a new meeting-house" on Meeting-house llill " the bigness of llatfield meeting-house, only the height to be left to ye judgment and determination of ye committee." The location was also left to the same body. It stood a few rods west of north from the soldiers' monument, a frame building about thirty feet square, two stories high, with bipped roof, on the centre of which rose a steeple with spire and vane. Three doors led to the interior, which was fur- nished with eight long seats on each side of a narrow aisle, running from the front door to the pulpit, which was perched against the waH opposite ; a gallery occupying the other three sides, the front one containing four rows of seats, and those on the side three each. This building was covered with shingles and clapboarded. Two years after the vote to build it was so far finished that a committee was chosen "to be seaters, to seat, yt is to say, to determine where every person to be seated shall sit in ye new meeting-house. Ye Rules for Seating to be Age, State, and Dignity."
The galleries were not completed until about 1701, when a new classification of the sittings was required. At a town- meeting, Oct. 2, 1701, " As to estimation of seats, ye town agreed and voted that ye fore seat in ye front Gallery shall be equall in dignity with the 2d seat in the body of the Meeting- House ; that ye fore seat in ye side Gallery shall be equall in dignity with the 4th seat in the body of the Meeting-House ; that ye 2d seat in the front Gallery, and ye hind seat in the front Gallery, shall be equall in dignity to ye 5th seat in ye Body ;" and so on, gravely settling the grade of each seat in the house. A more difficult job, it would seem,-that of "dignifying" and grading the congregation,-was left to a committee of Capt. Wells, Lieut. lloyt, Ens. Sheldon, Sergt. Ilawks, and Deacon French, to be done by "age, estate, place, and qualifications."
In 1803 the trustees of Deerfield Academy had leave of the town to " build pews for students in the back parts of the North and South Galleries." The boys were seated in the former, the girls in the latter. In this building Mr. Williams began and ended his ministry. Here, in 1709, he had leave "to build a pew for his wife and family to sit in, in one of
the places left for a guard-seat." At the same time, Samuel Williams, Jonathan Wells, and Samuel Barnard had leave to " build a sete or pue in ye other gard-seat place." In 1713 the dignity of the front gallery seat was lowered one peg, and made equal only " to the 3d seat in the Body.""
Third Meeting-House .- The town voted, Oct. 25, 1728, to build a new meeting-house, to be covered in 1729. The next April the selectmen were instructed to "procure a suitable quantity of Drink and Cake to be spent at ye Raising of ye Meeting-house." This house was forty by fifty feet, and covered the spot on which stands the soldiers' monument, the front on the west line of the street, the south end ranging a few feet south of the Dickinson Academy, two stories high, roof two-sided, with a steeple rising from the centre, sur- mounted by a brass hall and cock, the same cock doing duty since 1824 on the spire of the brick meeting-house. By this arrangement of the steeple, the bell-rope came down to the centre aisle, in front of the pulpit. Like the old house, there were three doors of entrance and galleries on three sides, the pulpit on the west side, opposite the front door, with deacons' seat in front, facing the same way. Pews were gradually erected in place of long seats, but not until 1787 was the whole lower floor occupied by them. In 1768 the steeple was taken down, and a new one built from the ground at the north end ; this was square at the bottom, and afforded a porch for the north door, and stairs to the north gallery. An elaborate porch was built over the south door, with stairs to the south gallery ; the old inside stairs at the northeast and southeast corners were removed. A larger bell was procured, a clock bought by subscription, the cock new gilded, and set sentinel over all. The main building was furnished with new windows, newly clapboarded, and painted stone-color, the doors being choco- late.
In 1818 the town was divided into two parishes. The north part, the "First Congregational Parish in Deerfield, " retained the old meeting-house.
Fourth Meeting-House .- December, 1823, steps were taken in this parish to build a new meeting-house, and the corner- stone was laid with appropriate ceremonies, Jan. 1, 1824. The building, of brick, was dedicated Dee. 22, 1824. The cost of the structure was about $6000; the site, paid for by a subscription, 8530. The old cock, with feathers new bur- nished, was restored to his perch, where he has seen the genera- tions of men come and go, and faced the storms of one hundred and fifty years.
The Orthodox Society, at the old street, built a meeting- house on Memorial Lane in 1838.
The Second Congregational Society, at Bloody Brook, built a meeting-house in 1821; this was removed to a new site in 1848 ; large additions and repairs were made in 1865.
A meeting-house was built for the Monument Society in 1848. In 1871 it was sold to the Catholics, by whom it is still occupied.
The Methodist meeting-house at Bloody Brook was built in 1848.
The meeting-house for the Baptists at Wisdom was built in 1810-11.
THE SECOND CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY (ORTHODOX)
was organized at Bloody Brook, June 30, 1818. As early as 1767 money was occasionally voted to hire preaching in the south part of the town during the bad traveling, and for sev- eral years before 1783, President Timothy Dwight, of Yale College, then a young man, was employed to preach there. Rev. Benjamin Rice, the first pastor, was born in Sturbridge in 1784; graduated at Brown University in 1808, at Andover Theological Seminary in 1811; pastor at Skaneateles, 1813- 17; installed here Feb. 10, 1819; dismissed 1827 ; pastor at Gloucester, Me., 1828-35; at Buxton, Me., 1835-42; preached at Winchendon, Mass., 1843-46. Mr. Rice married Harriet
614
IIISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.
Barrett, of Sharon, Conn .; (2d) Almira Whipple, of Charl- ton ; (3d) Lucy Whitney, of Winchendon. He died July 12, 1847.
Tertius S. Clarke was born in Westhampton in 1799 ; grad- uated at Yale College in 1824 (D.D. Hamilton College, 1856); studied theology at Auburn ; ordained Oct. 3, 1827; dismissed April 1, 1833; pastor at Haddam, Conn., 1835-37; at Stockbridge, 1837-50; at Penn Yan, N. Y., 1850-53; at Franklin, N. Y., 1853.
Rev. William M. Richards, A. M., was born at Hartford, Conn., in 1805; graduated at Williams College in 1832 ; studied theology at Auburn; ordained Nov. 25, 1835; dis- missed Sept. 6, 1843; pastor at Norwich, N. Y., 1844-45; at Oxford, N. Y., 1846; at Hamilton, N. Y., 1847-50; at Mor- risville, N. Y., 1850-52; removed to Waukegan, Ills., 1852.
Rev. Abraham Jackson was born in Carver in 1793; grad- uated at Bangor Theological Seminary ; ordained pastor at Machias, Me., 1821; dismissed 1834; pastor at Kingston, 1834; at Walpole, N. II., 1838-45; installed at Bloody Brook, Oct. 22, 1845; dismissed 1847; preached a year or two at Machias, and until 1852 at Quechee, Vt., and after that at Windsor, Vt. Ile became a Unitarian after leaving here, and was at Waverly, Iowa, in 1872, without a charge.
Rev. Moses K. Cross was born in Danvers in 1812; grad- uated at Amherst College in 1838, and at the Theological School of Andover; ordained pastor at Palmer in 1842; dis- missed 1849; installed pastor here, Sept. 4, 1850 ; dismissed.
Rev. P. K. Clark graduated at Yale College in 1838, where he was tutor; installed June 29, 1859; dismissed Sept. 26, 1865.
Rev. Edward O. Bartlett, chaplain in the war of the Rebel- lion ; installed Jan. 17, 1867; dismissed -, 1868; settled in Providence, and was successor of Dr. Todd at Pittsfield; now pastor at Lynnfield.
Rev. Simeon Miller came from the First Church in Holyoke; installed April 13, 1870; dismissed 1872.
Rev. Charles S. Brooks graduated at Amherst College in 1863; installed Jan. 14, 1878; dismissed April 17, 1877; settled pastor in Putnam, Conn.
Rev. Spencer R. Brownell graduated at Amherst College in 1872; teacher in Japan several years; ordained tenth pastor of this church, July 2, 1878.
MONUMENT CHURCH.
A serious difficulty arising in the community at Bloody Brook, a party seceded from the Second Church, and organ- ized the " Monument Church," Jan. 25, 1849.
Rev. David A. Strong was born at Haddam, Conn., in 1820; graduated at Williams College in 1845; at the Theological Institute of Windsor, Conn., in 1843; was ordained first pastor March 21, 1849. This church reunited with the Second Church, Sept. 26, 1865, and Mr. Strong was dismissed. He was a representative to the General Court from District No. 4 in 1866.
The Methodist Society at Bloody Brook was organized in 1843.
THE BAPTIST CHURCH OF SHELBURNE AND DEERFIELD was organized Feb. 26, 1787. Deacon Daniel Long was called to the pastoral office, Aug. 27, 1791, and was ordained at his own house in Shelburne, Sept. 19, 1792. He was a faithful min- ister of this church until his death, May 31, 1831. In 1794 the question of building a meeting-house began to be agitated. Before 1806 one had been partly built, and perhaps finished. In 1809 it was agreed to build a meeting-house between Elder Long's and Aaron Hawks'. The same year the Deerfickt part of the society agreed to build a meeting-house in Wis- dom. This was finished in 1810. On the death of Elder Long the Shelburne people withdrew, and the church was re- organized in Wisdom, under the title of the " First Baptist Society in Deerfield." Some trouble ari ing, a party seceded
and formed the "Second Baptist Society in Deerfield." This branch, Nov. 25, 1833, took the name of the " Long Baptist Society of Deerfield." Feb. 20, 1834, the " First Baptist Church in Deerfield" was dissolved by a majority of one vote, and, the minority applying to the church at Sunderland to be organized as a branch of that church, a council met, June, 1834, and decided that the church was not dissolved, and could not be by a simple vote. The trouble continuing, a second council, August 27th, advised aggrieved members to ask for letters of dismission.
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