History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. II, Part 30

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 30

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Ebenezer, as before related, was born in Shelburne, and attended the common schools of that town until ten years of age. IIe then went to Rowe to live with a cousin, and re-

OGarduon

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IIISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.

mained in that town twenty-nine years. At the expiration of that time he purchased a farm in the town of Charlemont, where he resided five years, when he sold his property and removed to Shelburne, and purchased the place where he now resides.

Ebeneser Sims

He has been engaged in general farming, and has by his own unaided efforts acquired a competeney. As a man he is highly esteemed in the community in which he lives. He is a Re- publiean in polities, and has served in the capacity of select- man twenty-seven years. Mr. Nims and his family are members of the Baptist Church of Shelburne Falls.

llis wife was Sarah G. Brown, daughter of Alfred Brown, of Rowe, to whom he was married on the 28th of November, 1844. They have six ehildren, viz., Sarah L., wife of A. K. Sears, of Hawley, Francis E., Mary E., Henry D., Alfred J., Arthur B.

They have also three grandchildren, viz .. Frank II., son of Mr. and Mrs. Sears, born Nov. 9, 1867; and Francis W., born March 19, 1873, and Bessie, born Sept. 16, 1878, children of Dr. Francis E. Nims.

JOSEPH WILLIAM GARDNER

was born in 1823, in the city of Birmingham, England. The Gardners were a Warwickshire family, and, while most of them remained farmers, quite a number became distinguished as engineers, builders of heavy machinery, and in other branches of the mechanic arts. The family name on his mother's side was Philpott. They seem to have been of a more adventurous disposition, and several members of the family emigrated to this country. Among others, the grand- father and unele of the subject of this article came over as early as 1830, going at onee to Pittsburg, Pa. The younger, Mr. William Philpott, who had been largely engaged in coal and iron mining in Wales, at onee commeneed mining for coal, having brought quite a large force of Welsh miners with him. He afterward removed to Middleburg, Ohio, where he opened mines in both coal and iron, and soon amassed a fortune.

Joseph W. Gardner was the only surviving son of a large family of children. After leaving school he was apprenticed

to a tool-maker, where in due time he became proficient in every part of the business, having a great aptitude and liking for the mechanical arts. In 1843, having served his appren- tieeship and hearing glowing accounts of America, he came to this country. He landed in New York on the 4th of July, and his first inquiry was for work. Taking up a newspaper, he saw an advertisement for workmen from J. Russell & Co., manufacturers of table cutlery at Greenfield, Mass. He left for that place almost immediately, and found no difficulty in obtaining the employment he sought. Ile did not remain long, however, but yielded to the urgent invitations of his relatives in the West to visit them.

There were but few railroads at that time, and the journey to Ohio was made partly by stage and partly by the Erie Canal and Lake Erie. Ohio was then a comparatively new country. There were few, if any, manufactures and very little money, and, though his unele offered him an easy sitna- tion, he found things so little to his taste that, after remaining six months, he turned his face eastward. Arriving in Pitts- burg, after a tedious journey by stage over what were called "corduroy" roads, he stopped there three months. After- ward he proceeded to Wheeling, Va., where he remained about the same length of time, and in rather less than a year after leaving Greenfield he was again there at work for J. Russell & Co. Displaying more than common ability, he was soon placed as foreman of the hafting department, which situation he retained as long as he remained in their employ. It was during that period that he was married to Frances L. Denio, and in the village of Cheapside his only child, a daughter, was born.

In 1848 he was threatened with pulmonary disease; and was pronounced by the doctors as incurable, but was advised to try a change of climate. He accordingly again visited his friends in the West, and after an absence of three months he returned, much improved in health and able to work, greatly to the astonishment of every one. Not earing to retain his position with the Russell Company any longer, he went at once to Shelburne Falls. Lamson, Goodnow & Co., who for some years had been engaged in the manufacture of scythe-snathes, had just commenced making butchers' knives and a few pat- terns of table cutlery. Mr. William G. Clement had at that time the management of the business, and employed abont twenty men in making cutlery, most of whom were from Sheffield, England. Mr. Gardner suggested some important changes to him, and in a short time, convinced that he could not do better, Mr. Clement appointed Mr. Gardner to the superintendeney of the cutlery department. In a year and a half they had increased the number of their workmen to one hundred and thirty. The work was at this time carried on in a few old wooden buildings on the Shelburne side of the Deerfield River, but in two years after Mr. Gardner's arrival they commeneed building the fine briek shops which they now oeeupy in Buekland. About this time he introduced a new bolster for knives, known as the concave bolster, which has been very generally adopted both in this country and in England. During the building of the new factories, Mr. Gardner went to England to negotiate for the purchase of carver-forks and steels, and also to make arrangements for introducing into their own manufactories the making of east- or run-steel forks ; and also to bring baek with him a number of skillful workmen. From that time forward the business steadily increased for many years. Each year brought ont some new invention in cutlery, or some machine for improv- ing and decreasing the cost of making it. Chief among the many patents are the " patent shell bolster" and "Gardner's patent guard" carver-fork. After the introduction of the latter they eeased to import carver-forks, and have sinee made their own.

In 1859, Mr. William G. Clement, a most worthy gentle- man, left Lamson & Goodnow, and commeneed business for

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HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.

himself in Northampton. Mr. Gardner was at once installed in his place, and had the care of the entire business. During that year, and again in 1868, he was sent to England on business for the company. Like all other manufacturers, they have had their losses by fires, floods, and commercial panics ; but any and every emergency found them ready, courageous, and hopeful. At last, in 1876, Mr. Gardner, weary with long service, and feeling that he had earned the right to take life easier, yet too young and too industrious to retire from busi- ness, and having invented a new and superior pocket-knife, he left the active management of the Lamson & Goodnow Company, and commenced manufacturing pocket-cutlery, in- tending at first to employ only a limited number of men, and also to make the best knives in the world. Ilis first goods, stamped "Gardner, 1876," were in the market in the month of August of that year. Since then, notwithstanding the hard times, he has had a constantly increasing demand for them. In these days of competition it is no easy task to do the best work and to sell goods at the low prices required ; but this Mr. Gardner has always been able to do, and that without reducing the wages of his workmen to any great ex- tent. flis motto has always been, " Good work and fair pay."

ORSAMUS O. BARDWELL

was born in Shelburne, Franklin Co., Mass., on the 29th of March, 1812. His birthplace was on the farm which he now owns, and which was originally the estate of Gideon Bard- well, his grandfather, who settled in Shelburne at an early date. His father, Joel Bardwell, was born in Shelburne on the 8th of August, 1780. He married Lydia, daughter of Lieut. Jabez Newhall, by whom he had seven children, viz. : Betsey L., born April 2, 1810, and married Winslow Clark on the 3d of June, 1830; Orsamus O., subject of this sketch ; Millicent, born Dec. 12, 1814, and married Alvah Hawks in November, 1838 (both are deceased); Lydia L., born July 17, 1817, who married Ira W. Barnard, June 1, 1840; Joel L., born Oct. 27, 1819, and Joel L., born July 14, 1822, both of whom died in infancy ; and Keziah F., born March 20, 1824, and married Elijah Page on the 5th of November, 1849.

Orsamus O. received his education in the common schools of his native town, which he attended during a part of each year until he was seventeen years of age. When quite young he worked upon his father's farm, and continued to do so until he reached his majority. When twenty-four years of age he commenced farming upon his own account, and in that year (on the 2d of June, 1836) he married Tirzah Ann Jones. She was born on the 11th of July, 1815, and died on the 8th of June, 1845. By this union he had one child, Ellen Maria, born on the 23d of December, 1839, and died on the 27th of September, 1851. After his father's decease, which occurred in March, 1849, Mr. Bardwell purchased the pater- nal estate by paying off the co-heirs. He has devoted himself to the improvement and cultivation of his farm, which he has considerably enlarged, and has also entered largely into local

improvements. The ferry across the Deerfield River near his residence, and known as " Bardwell's Ferry," was first in charge of his grandfather, subsequently of his father, and in due time descended to him. He was the first to project, and afterward was mainly instrumental in procuring, the bridge

B. V. Bardwell

across the river near this point, and the railroad station and post-office, also known as Bardwell's. The position of post- master, which was offered him, was declined on account of the multiplicity of his other duties.

In politics Mr. Bardwell is a Republican, but has never been a seeker of office. He has held various local positions of trust, having been a member of the board of selectmen five terms, and for a number of years a justice of the peace and assessor. He has been a member of the Baptist Church nearly twenty years, and is known as a man of strict integrity of character. He married for his second wife, on the 1st of February, 1848, Helen L., daughter of Rev. Daniel Packer. By this union he had a family of six children,-Orsamus J., born Nov. 3, 1848, and died Sept. 22, 1851; Daniel P., born Feb. 20, 1851; Arthur J., born July 7, 1853 ; Lucy S., born March 6, 1857; Havelock O., born Feb. 17, 1859; and Evelyn H., born July 19, 1861.

Mrs. Helen P. Bardwell was born on the 16th of August, 1823, and died March 10, 1875. She was universally beloved, and is deeply mourned by her family and a large circle of friends.

NORTHFIELD.

GEOGRAPHICAL.

NORTHFIELD, one of the largest and most populous towns in eastern Franklin, with a taxable area of 19,860 acres, borders upon the States of Vermont and New Hampshire, and has for its northern boundary parts of the southern lines of those States. On the south it has the town of Erving, on the east the town of Warwick, and on the west the towns of Bernardston and Gill. The New London Northern Railroad follows the course of the Connecticut until just beyond North- field village, and then, crossing the river, joins the Connecticut River Railroad at West Northfield, the latter railway travers- ing the northwestern corner of the town from Bernardston to the Vermont line.

The Connecticut River divides the northern portion of Northfield as far south as the southeast corner of Bernardston, and from thence forms Northfield's western boundary.

NATURAL FEATURES.

The surface of the town is hilly in the east and southeast, but on the west, along the river, there stretches a fertile plain, the soil of which is a deep alluvial.

Besides the Connecticut, there are innumerable small streams, mostly mountain brooks. The hilly range which extends through the length of the town on the east contains many prominent eminences, such as South Mountain, Crag Moun- tain, and Beers Mountain (the latter so named by reason of Capt. Richard Beers having been killed there by the Indians in 1675 and buried near) on the south, and, passing farther north, Brush, Round, Hemlock, Notch, Stratton, Pine, and other mountains.

Among the natural curiosities may be noticed the Ice- Honse and Rattlesnake Den, on Brush Monntain, and Cold Spring, near, where, in a mountain fissure, snow and ice are sometimes found as late as August. There are numerous rocks, tracts of plain and other spots, to which tradition has given names, and concerning which notable incidents were recorded in Northfield's early history.

Clark's Island, in the Connecticut River, north of North- field Farms, was granted to the town by William Clarke, in 1686, and was once supposed to be one of the many spots where the pirate Kidd had deposited untold treasures. It is sometimes called Field's Island and Stratton's Island. About two miles east of Northfield village Jewell Basset owns a quarry, whence an excellent quality of granite is taken in considerable quantity.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The territory now included within the limits of Northfield was occupied early in the seventeenth century by the Squak- heag Indians, and they were in possession as late as 1669, when, in consequence of the failure of their expedition against the Mohawks (in return for the depredations of the latter upon the country of the Squakheags), the Squakheags abandoned the traet, and in 1669 a committee appointed by the General Court to lay out a plantation at what is now Worcester re- ported that among other places they had discovered a place called Suckquakege, upon the Connectieut River, and sug- gested to the court that the places discovered should be re- served to make towns, the better to strengthen " those inland parts." The court approved the report, and ordered the lands

mentioned to be thus reserved, and, in 1671, Joseph Parsons, Sr., Wm. Janes, George Alexander, Caleb Pomeroy, Micah Mudge, and others, of Northampton, purchased this place called Suckquakege from the native claimants for " a valuable consideration." In the deed, signed by Massemet, Panoot, Pammok, Nenepownam (his squaw), Wompely, and Nessa- coscom, the tract was described as lying on both sides of the Great River, and bounded thus : " The Northerly end at Coas- sock, the Southerly end on the east side of the Great River down to Quanotock, at the southerly end of the west side of the Great River, butting against Massapetot's land, and so running six miles into the woods on both sides of the river."

The tract herein conveyed covered 10,560 acres, and in 1673 a second purchase of 3000 acres was made, from Asogoa (the daughter of Souanaett), Mashepetol, Kisquando, and Pampatekemo (Mashepetol's daughter) for a consideration of 200 fathoms of wampumek. The land described in the deed lay "at Squakheng, called by the Indians Nallahamcomgon, and is bounded with the Great River on the easterly side ; on the westerly side, a great ledge of hills six miles from the Great River; on the southerly, to a brook called by the Indians Nal- lahamcomgo, and so straight into the woods on the north to that land that was Massemett's land."

In May, 1672, the General Court authorized the laying out of a township upon the tract first purchased, conditioned that not less than twenty families should be settled within eighteen months from the date of the grant ; that the petitioners took good care to provide and maintain the preaching of the word and ordinances of God among them ; and that a farm of 300 aeres be reserved for the use of the country. The grant was issued in October, 1672, and provided that the tract should be equal to the contents of six miles square, and not be laid out ahove eight miles in length by the river. The committee ap- pointed to lay out the township attended to the matter in the autumn of 1672, and reported as follows :

" We appointed and ordered a brook called Natanis, on the west side of the Great River, to be the bounds at the Southerly end; then we measured about eight miles up the river, to a little river that runs into the Great River, and ap- pointed it to run westerly three-quarters of a mile from the Great River; on the east side of the River to come to the lower end of the Three Little meadows that are below the town's plot, and so to run up the River eight miles, and three miles and three-quarters easterly from the Great River."

From a publication made by Rev. John Hubbard, it appears that upon this tract, now known as Northfield, "settlers located in the spring of 1673, and built small huts surrounded by a stockade and fort. In the centre of their collection of huts they built one for public worship, and employed Elder William Janes as their preacher." The town-plot was laid out at the southerly end of what is now known as Northfield Street, and the settlers who located there in 1673, and shortly thereafter, were Ralph Hutchinson, Elder Wm. Janes, Robert Lyman, Cornelius Merry, John llilyard, James Bennett, Joseph Dickinson, Micah Mudge, John Alexander, George Alexander, Samuel Wright, William Miller, Thomas Bascom, William Smeade, William Hurlbut, Jr., and Thomas Web- ster.

The new settlers pursued their lives in peaceful security until early in 1675, when the Indians began to grow trouble- some, and the news of the destruction of Brookfield, in August of this year, together with subsequent Indian depredations,

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HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.

alarmed the Northfield settlers to such a degree that they abandoned their settlements and fled to Hadley in the latter part of that year.

After its destruction and desertion, Squakheag was a barren waste for seven years, until 1682, in the spring of which year the original proprietors of the tract addressed a petition to the General Court asking that the vacancies on the committee originally in charge of the plantation might be filled, two of the members thereof having died. The committee was accord- ingly completed, and agreed in the spring of 1683 with the proprietors that 40 families should be settled upon the town- plot by May 10, 1686, and lots were accordingly granted to John Lyman, Joseph Parsons, Sr., Wm. Janes, Geo. Alex- ander, Samuel Wright's heirs, John Alexander, Robert Lyman, Wm. Miller, Jos. Dickinson's heirs, Ralph Hutchin- son, Micah Mudge, Cornelius Merry, John Hilyard, Thos. Webster, Wm. Clarke, Samuel Davis, Nathaniel Alexander, John Clary, Jr., Samuel Boltwood, John Taylor, John Wood- ward, Benjamin Palmer, Richard Francis, Isaac Warner, Richard Lyman, Jos. Pumery, Eleazer Warner, John Hutch- inson, Thos. Hunt, Daniel Warner, Wm. Gurley, Zachary Lawrence, John Marsh, Benj. Wright, Ebenezer Wright.

Of the first settlers, in 1673, Samuel Wright, Jos. Dickin- son, and James Bennett were killed by the Indians, while others had abandoned their rights, but the majority of them, as has been seen, participated in the second settlement of the tract.

By common consent very little was done toward effective set- tlement until May, 1685, when John Woodward, Wm. Clarke, Jr., and Richard Lyman were granted the privilege of build- ing a saw-mill, and 20 acres of land as an encouragement. In response to the petition of Wm. Clarke, " in behalfe of those that are preparing to resettle the village of Squakcage," the General Court extended the southerly bound of the east side of the river two and a half miles, to Four-mile Brook. About twenty families entered upon the settlement during this year (1685), and among them were those of Micah Mudge, Cornelius Merry, John Alexander, Wm. Miller, Samuel Davis, Benj. Palmer, John Clary, Jr., and Benj. Wright.

A substantial fort was built, and about this time, too, John Clary, Jr., having received an offer of 20 acres of land for an encouragement, set up a grist-mill on Mill Brook.

A piece of land was reserved on the meadow hill for a burying-place, and near the spot, it is related, Sergt. Samuel Wright was slain by the Indians in 1675. There he was buried, and that circumstance decided the location of the public grave-yard.

Roads were laid out in 1685 through Great Meadow, north and south ; one between the minister's lot and Wm. Miller's lot ; one through Bennett's meadow ; and numerous others.

Early in 1686 a lot was laid out on Moose Plain for a high- way and a ferry, and a new fort was also built near John Clary's grist-mill. Renewed apprehensions of Indian troubles began to be felt in May, 1686, and all males between the ages of sixteen and sixty were required to take turns in standing on watch at night, as well as to train during four days in the year. At this time there were 29 actual settlers in Squakheag.

In August, 1687, a third purchase of land was made from the Indians by the proprietors of Squakheag (at this time ealled Northfield), and this land, containing 65,000 acres, em- braced the larger portion of original Squakheag, and extin- guished the Indian title to that tract.

The settlement prospered fairly, but was doomed to a brief existence, for, the signs of fresh Indian troubles becoming realities with the outbreak of King William's war in 1689, Northfield was once more deserted, and her inhabitants, fleeing to a place of safety, found it again at Hadley. Queen_Anne's war following in 1702, and continuing until 1713, Northfield remained unsettled and desolate for a period of more than twenty-three years.

Late in 1713 sueh of the surviving proprietors of Squakheag as had not located permanently elsewhere petitioned the Gen- eral Court for a revival of the former grant, and the court, in ordering the revival, ordered also that the town should be called Northfield, that 40 families should be settled within three years, and that a minister be settled within the same time.

Twenty persons engaged to settle, but only eight settled during 1714, to wit: Benjamin Wright, Joseph Alexander, Nathaniel Alexander, Isaac Warner, Zechariah Field, Heze- kiah Stratton, Peter Evans, Thomas Taylor. Eleazer Mattoon was an addition to the settlement in the spring of 1715. In 1716 the new settlers were Benoni Moore, Remembrance Wright, Jona. Patterson, Benjamin Janes, Jonathan Janes, and Daniel Wright.

In June, 1716, the General Court directed that 10 men in the public pay should be allowed for the covering and en- couragement of the plantation of Northfield. To December, 1716, the people carried their grists to HIudley, but at that date Steven Belding, of Swampfield (Sunderland), built a grist-mill on the site of John Clary's old mill. Late in 1717, Jonathan Belding, of Hatfield, brother to Steven Belding above, put up a saw-mill near the grist-mill. In 1728, Jonathan bought out his brother's interest, and the mill privileges thus acquired remained with him and his descendants until 1812. A pound was built in 1718, and bricks were made from clay dug in the street.

Ebenezer Field, of Deerfield, settled in Northfield in 1720, and set up the first blacksmith-shop there in that year, when also Stephen Crowfoot opened a carpenter-shop. At this time the town of Northfield included within its limits what are now portions of Vernon, Vt., and Hinsdale and Winchester, N. H., the north portion of Northfield, which assisted in making these towns, being cut off in 1740, when the new province line was run. The original grant, in 1672, made the town equal to six miles square, or eight miles long hy four and one-half miles wide, and to this, in 1685, there was an addition of two and one-half miles to the south end, east of the river.

Josiah King, stationed at Northfield previous to 1725, as one of the garrison, obtained a grant of a home-lot in that year, and set up in business as a shoemaker.

The earliest practicing physician in Northfield was the wife of William Miller. She pursued the practice during both the first and second settlements of the town, viz., between the years 1673 and 1702.

Father Rasle's war, enduring from 1723 to 1726, brought Northfield once more face to face with troublous experience ; but the settlers stood their ground this time, and, peace de- scending again in 1726, the pursuits of home-life were pushed forward with renewed vigor.

The first paupers with which the town was burdened were Thomas Stoddard, his wife, and children, who are noticed in a record of date 1736.

After an interval of eighteen years of peace, the old French- and-Indian war broke out in 1744, terminated nominally in 1749, was renewed in 1754, and continued until 1763. Dur- ing this extended period the people of Northfield passed through harassing and distressing experiences, but they stood the brunt bravely, and, upon the return of peace, began with rapid strides to push the settlement toward an abiding pros- perity.

The first tavern of which mention is made was the one kept by Capt. Samuel Ilunt in 1762, and previous thereto. Eben- zer Field kept one in 1771, as did Hezekiah Stratton about 1763. Elias Bascom opened a clothier's shop in 1770; Hophni King was the carpenter in 1763; and Dr. Medad Pomeroy was a practicing physician here in 1768. A post-office was established in Northfield in 1797, and Solomon Vose appointed postmaster ; and in the same year Solomon Vose and others were incorporated " Proprietors of an Aqueduct in North-

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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 30

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