History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. II, Part 55

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 55

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The town enjoyed mail facilities as carly as 1789, but the first regular post-office was established at the hamlet, with the name of the town, about 1814, and had Reuben Winchell as first postmaster. His successors were Elijah Allis, Levi Bush, Jr., Samuel Lesure, Dennis Dickinson, Ashley Ilayden, und Samuel Lesure. Two mails per day are supplied.

A post-office, in charge of Chester Brown, was kept a short time at the house of Asa Sanderson, in West Whately. Stores were kept in this part of the town after 1808 by Jesse Lull, Reuben Winchell, and Reuben Jenney; and Noah Bardwell had a tavern from 1783 to 1799, while John Smith kept a public-house at a later day.

Near the hamlet Daniel Morton opened the first tavern in town, probably soon after he built his house, in 1759, and con- tinued it many years. In this locality John Lamson opened another public-house, about 1779, nearer the centre of the ham- let. He was succeeded, about 1788, by John Crafts; and ten years later Samuel Grimes opened a tavern on the Leonard Loomis place, having also a store. In 1818, Elijah Allis opened a tavern opposite Winchell's store, and several years after built the present hotel, in which he was followed by Levi Bush. Loren Hayden rebuilt the house, which is at present kept by E. F. Orentt.

Lemuel and Justin Clark are credited with opening the first store at the hamlet. From 1790 to about 1802 they were in trade opposite the present Unitarian Chureb. The next tradesman was Samuel Grimes, who was succeeded by Loomis, Huntington, and Phelps. From 1813 to 1824, Reuben Win- chell had a store in the brick house, and opposite were Elijah Allis and Chester Wells. At later periods Eurotus Morton, Samuel B. White, Wm. W. Sanderson, Levi Bush, Samuel Lesure, Darius Stone, Ralph Childs, Albert W. Crafts, and others, have here been in trade.

The first store in town was opened by Gad Smith, in his tavern on the " Straits, " about 1779. A short time after, Joel Wait opened a tavern in the next house north, which became the stopping-place for stages, and had a wide reputation. The David Graves place, south of Gad Smith's, was bought by David Stockbridge, after 1800, who opened a tavern there, and continued it until 1833, when he opened a public-house on the river road, which he kept a number of years. On the road south Joshua Belden opened a tavern about 1796, which was kept by him and his sons a number of years.

Other places of entertainment have been kept, but the fore- going have been the principal ones.

* Mr. Eaton was appointed postmaster in place of Belden, removed, April 20, 1879.

The town has never had many professional men.

Dr. Perez Chapin was the first physician, practicing from 1778 to 1788. The other physicians have been Dr. Benjamin Dickinson, from 1787 till 1801; Dr. Oliver Norton, from 1788 till 1789; Dr. Francis Ilarwood, from 1794 till 1835; Dr. Richard Emmons, from 1812 till 1815; Dr. Joshua D. Har- wood, from 1814 till 1820; Dr. Chester Bardwell, from 1816 till 1864; Dr. Myron Harwood, from 1827 till 1877. Since that period Dr. J. Dwight has followed his profession in town. Justin W. Clark, Henry Barnum, and Hiram Stockbridge have been counselors in Whately.

SOCIETIES AND ORDERS.

None of the secret orders have ever organized a society in Whately, but in the anti-Masonic times, from 1825 to 1833,

JERUSALEM LODGE OF MASONS, OF NORTHAMPTON,

held some of its meetings in the tavern of David Stockbridge, on the "Straits," in a room which had been fitted up for this purpose.

THE WHATELY FARMERS' CLUB

was organized Nov. 30, 1860, with the following officers : E. G. Crafts, President; James Monroe, Secretary ; Chester Bardwell, Treasurer. These offices are at present filled by Edwin Bardwell, President ; James M. Crafts, Secretary ; and Charles D. Bartlett, Vice-President. The club numbers 45 members, and has a total enrollment of 72 members. In 1866 and 1867 successful fairs were held, and the regular meetings of the club are attended with much interest.

EDUCATIONAL.

It is probable that schools were taught in town before its organization, but no account appears on record carlier than the action taken at the March meeting in 1772, when it was voted " to raise £13 Gs. 8d. for schooling, and that the selectmen lay out the money in Chestnut Plains, Straits, and Poplar Hill Streets, said school-money being proportioned to each street agreeably to what they paid respectively in the last year's rate." These schools were first taught in private houses, but in the latter part of 1772 the frame of a school-house was put up at the present hamlet. The buikling, however, was not completed in that year; and, indeed, it was unfinished for a number of years, on account of the inability of the town to build both the church and the school-house at the same time.

In 1775, Benjamin Smith, Joseph Scott, Joseph Belding, Jr., Thomas Crafts, Elisha Belding, Perez Bardwell, John Smith, Peter Train, and Nathan Graves were chosen a school committee ; but no appropriations for schools were made in that year or in the few years next following, the war having necessitated the use of the public funds in other directions. In 1780 an effort was made to secure the erection of three school-houses in town, but the purpose was not accomplished, and, so far as known, only one honse was built, about 1782. It was on the Straits, and was 16 feet square. On Poplar Ilill a small house was built by individuals on their own ac- count, which became the property of the town in 1790, and in the same year provision was made for school-houses on Spruce Ilill and Grass Ilill. For the support of these five schools, £30 were appropriated, the money to be apportioned upon the number of children from eight to twenty-one years of age.

Mary White, Jr., taught the Chestnut Plains school in 1782, and Zilpah Stiles, Rebecca Baker, Electa Allis, Thos. Clark, John Parmenter, Benjamin Mather, Thomas Sanderson, and a Mr. Osgood were also early teachers.

In 1798 " the town voted £20 to revive singing in the town; that 4 pounds of it be laid out in the east part of the town for the above purpose; and 40 shillings be laid out in the west part to support a cyphering-school or a singing-school, as the inhabitants of that part shall decide, both schools to be free to

081

FARM ON THE HILL.

RESIDENCE OF RUFUS DICKINSON, WHATELY , FRANKLIN CO., MASS .

GIDEON DICKINSON'S OLD RESIDENCE, BUILTIN 1770.

RESIDENCE OF J. W. DICKINSON , WHATELY, FRANKLIN CO., MASS .

JJTHIJ

Popkins, Photographer, Greenfield.

John White

DEACON JOHN WHITE was born in Whately, Franklin Co., Mass., Aug. 2, 1804. He is of English descent, and the son of Deacon John White, who was the son of Deacon Salmon White, who was descended from Peregrine White, who came to this country in the " Mayflower." Salmon White was baptized Oet. 31, 1731, and settled in Whately, on the Luke B. White place, about 1762. He was a deacon, a captain in the Revolutionary war, a leading man in the new settlement, and died June 21, 1815.

John White, father of the subject of this notice, was born in Hatfield (now Whately), Jan. 9, 1762, and died in April, 1836. He was a deacon, lieutenant, representative, and selectman. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel Brown, of Worcester, Mass. She died March 26, 1853, aged eighty-three. They had for children : Luke Brown, born May 8, 1797; Elizabeth Mary, born Jan. 23, 1799 ; Judith (first), born Nov. 17, 1800; Maria, born Oct. 31, 1802; John, born Aug 2, 1804; Elvira, born Oct. 19, 1806; Eunice (first), born 1809; Samuel Brooks, born Jan. 9, 1811 ; Judith (second), born May 18, 1813; and Eunice (second), born Dec. 24, 1819.

Deacon John White received a practical education in the common schools. When sixteen years old he commenced working upon the farm for his father, and after he became of age he received one hundred dollars per year and his board and clothing, for five years. At the expiration of

that time he, in connection with his brothers, Luke B. and Samuel B., took charge of the farm, and received the pro- ceeds therefrom as their compensation. In this partnership he remained until his father's decease, in 1836. He then removed to the Justus White place, where he now resides. He has added considerably to the original property. In 1877 Mr. White was trustee of the Smith Charities. He has been connected with the Congregational Church for forty years, and has served as deacon since 1851. His family are also members of that church. He is an ener- getic, industrious man, prompt in all business transactions, and of the strietest integrity.

Mr. White was married, Jan. 6, 1836, to Cornelia, daughter of Deacon Justus White, and granddaughter of Salmon White (the sixth). Deacon Justus White was born in Whately, June, 1787; he was a farmer, and held various town offices. Salmon White (the sixth) was born in Whately, Sept. 22, 1760. He was an earnest Christian and a prominent man in the town.

Cornelia White received an excellent education under the tuition of Miss Lyon, founder of the Mount Holyoke Sem- inary.

Mr. and Mrs. White have a family of two daughters and one son. They are Lydia Amsden, born Nov. 22, 1838; Salmon Phelps, born Feb. 1, 1841 ; and Cornelia Maria, born Sept. 13, 1853.

727

HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.

all parts of the town, and be under the direction of the select- Inen."

In 1799, £50 were voted to build a school-house on Chest- nut Plains Street. It was 24 by 30 feet, rough-boarded and clap-boarded and shingled, and had a chimney and hearth. There were glazed windows, cach having twenty lights, with outside shutters, and the outside door swung on hinges. For those times it wasn model, and a costly building, and was prob- ably the first in which winter schools were maintained. On account of the fireplace, application was made by some of the church-going people living at a distance to use the school- house for a " noon-room." The denial of this request had the effect of determining the people in other parts of the town to possess houses as good as or better than the one by the church, and soon the town was asked for aid in building them Glazed windows and fireplaces were supplied, and some of the houses had two hearths. Between this period and 1820 several very comfortable brick houses were built, and liberal provisions for schools were made. This interest has been well maintained.

In 1878 the entire amount devoted to schools was $1316.00. which was expended on six districts, except $50 paid for in- struction out of town.

At the meeting Dec. 1, 1777, the town voted to accept the piece of land given by Reuben Belding, deceased, of Hatfield, for the use of schools, but subsequently failed to comply with the conditions of the will, and forfeited the bequest.

The question of establishing a high school was agitated as early as 1828, and in the following year the town gave its consent to have a house for this purpose put up at Bartlett's Corners. The project did not succeed, and in the winter of 1838 the necessary funds were subscribed by citizens, who built a house for a select school on the West Lane. In the fall and winter of 1839-40, Addison Ballard taught a school in this building, and thereafter, for a number of years, one term per year was maintained. About 1854 the house was converted into a dwelling.

In 1871 the town-hall at the hamlet was so arranged as to afford a school-room; and the following year Miss Abbie Smith opened a select school there, which she continued five terms. The subsequent teachers have been Miss Clara Ste- vens, Charles W. Wight, and others. The school was at first conducted as an individual enterprise, but in 1879 the town voted $100 toward its support as a graded school, to be under the supervision of the school board of the town.

RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.

The early settlers of Whately did not possess many church privileges before the incorporation of the town, but attended meetings in Hatfield and Deerfield, going over foot-paths, and fording the streams on the way. The elders rode on horseback, but the younger members of the family trudged along on foot, carrying their shoes in their hands until near the meeting-house, when they put them on; and after the meeting they removed them again on their return home at the same place. But, anticipating the organization of the town, David Scott secured the Rev. Rufus Wells, of Deerfield, to preach for the people eight Sabbaths, from March 6th to April 28th, at El per service, which was paid by him and his neighbors. But, on the 9th of May, 1771, the town voted to raise £30 for preaching ; and on the 4th of June it was voted to hire Mr. Wells to preach six weeks on probation, and to provide him a boarding-place in town. They engaged board at 5s. per week, at Daniel Morton's, and also arranged to have the first meetings held near there.

At the expiration of the six weeks' probation, the town voted to give Mr. Rufus Wells a call to settle in the gospel ministry. The conditions offered were as follows : a " settle- ment," as it was termed, of £133 Gs. 8d .; a salary of £55 for the first year ; and to rise 40s. yearly till it amounted to €75. It was also voted " that Mr. Wells he allowed £6 yearly for

2000d, to take place at such time as he sets up housekeep- ing." The committee to make these proposals to Mr. Wells were Nathan Graves, Daniel Morton, and Salmon White.

The settlement was paid in land, the town giving to Mr. Wells 60 acres lying east of the old parsonage at the hamlet. The approval of the ministers of Deerfield, Sunderland, and Conway having been obtained, Mr. Wells was duly recog- nized as the settled minister of the town, and steps for the organization of a church were taken. A town-meeting was accordingly held, Aug. 13, 1771, when it was voted " that Wednesday, the 21st of this August, be kept as a day of fast- ing and prayer by ye inhabitants of ye town of Whately."

" Voted that Messrs. David Parsons, of Amherst, Joseph Ashley, of Sunderland, Jonathan Ashley, of Deerfield, and John Emerson, of Conway, be the persons to perform the ser- vices of the day of fasting."

On the appointed day, the invited ministers being present, after the exercises had been concluded, a number of persons, dismissed from the church in Hatfield, were embodied into

THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN WHATELY.

The articles of faith and covenant were signed, or consented to, by the following persons : Salmon White, Simeon Wait, Richard Chauncey, Nathan Graves, David Seott, Thomas Crafts, Daniel Morton, Israel Graves, Benjamin Smith, Philip Smith, Elisha Frary, Joshua Belding, John Wait, Jr., David Graves, Jr., Elisha Belding, Oliver Graves, David Graves, Sr., Joseph Belding, Sr., Rebecca Graves, Ebenezer Bardwell, Elizabeth Bardwell, Elizabeth Belding, Submit Scott, Abi- gail Smith, Martha Wait, Eunice Graves, Mary White, Ruth Belding, Mary Wait, Abigail Crafts, Lydia Stiles, Ruth Stiles, George Prutt, Sarah Smith, Sarah Smith, Jr., Abigail Graves, Jemima Scott, Abigail Scott, Anna Belding, Mar- garet Belding, Sarah Wells, Eleanor Morton, Miriam Frary, Elizabeth Chauncey, and Abigail Smith,-45 in all.

A council for the ordination of Mr. Wells was called, which met Sept. 25, 1771, at a place prepared under the shade of two large oaks standing near where the church was afterward built, and, in a solemn manner, set him apart to the " work of the ministry,-being made an overseer of the church or flock of Christ in Whately by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery.

The Rev. Rufus Wells was born in Deerfield, in September, 1743, and was a son of Dr. Thomas Wells, the first physician of that town. He graduated at Harvard in 1764, and was licensed to preach in 1769. He married Sarah Porter, of Ashfield, in 1776, who died in 1796, which greatly afflicted him and caused him to become temporarily deranged. Hap- pily, he was completely restored, and in 1802 married Mrs. Temperance Severance for his second wife. In 1822 a col- league was appointed him, but he continued his pastoral rela- tion until his death, Nov. 8, 1834, having spent sixty years of his ministerial life in Whately. He wrote more than 3000 sermons, the last one, by a strange coincidence, being on the text from llebrews iv. 9: " There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." In his ministry he baptized 956 per- sons and married 305 couples. His last recorded publie act was the performance of the ceremony at the marriage of his granddaughter, Sarah Wells, to Silas Rice, Nov. 8, 1831. In accordance with the custom of those times, Mr. Wells con- bined other work with his ministerial duties, managing a large farm and being a conveyancer, and was as successful a business-man as a minister. He was the father of nine children, and closed his long and eventful life universally respected.

Mr. Wells' colleague was the Rev. Lemuel P. Bates, who was ordained Feb. 13, 1822, and was dismissed Oel. 17, 1832. Ile graduated at Williams College in 1818, and also at Prince- ton. lle removed to the West, and died at Alton, IN., in 1860.

728

HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.

For about four years the church was destitute of a pastor, -the pulpit being supplied in the mean time by Revs. Packard and Eastman,-but on the 16th of March, 1836, the Rev. John Ferguson was installed the third pastor, and preserved that connection until June 17, 1840. He was born in Sent- land in 1785, and came to America in 1806. After he left Whately he became an agent of the American Tract Society.

Again a vacancy followed, extending through five years, in which time the supplies were the faculty of Amherst College, and the Revs. Moses Chase, Sumner, Lincoln, and others.

Sept. 30, 1845, the Rev. J. Il. Temple, of Framingham, was ordained the fourth pastor, and was dismissed March 24, 1852. HIe was born March 2, 1815, and fitted to enter college in 1836, but was prevented hy his eyesight failing. He attended lee- tures at Amherst and became a successful teacher, and was the author of several text-books and historical works.

His successor in the pastoral office at Whately was the Rev. Charles N. Seymour, who was installed March 9, 1853, and dismissed April 27, 1859. He graduated at Trinity College in 1841, and studied theology at New Haven. After leaving Whately he removed to Brooklyn, Windham Co , Conn.

The sixth and last regular pastor, up to this period (1879), was the Rev. John William Lane, who graduated at Amherst in 1856, and at Andover in 1859. He was ordained Oct. 17, 1860, and dismissed in March, 1878. Since that period the pulpit has been supplied by Prof. Tyler, of Northampton, and others.

The meetings of the church were held at Oliver Morton's house for a number of years, and probably for a short time at the house of the pastor. In December, 1771, provision was made for a meeting-house, and David Scott, Thomas Crafts, Joseph Belding, Noah Bardwell, and David Graves, Jr., were appointed to carry out the purpose of the town. Boards and joists were sawed at the mill of Adonijah Taylor, and the next year shingles were purchased. Oet. 5, 1772, it was decided to set up the meeting-house the next spring in the Chestnut Plains Street, between the house of Oliver Morton and that occupied by the pastor. Salmon White, Edward Brown, Oliver Graves, Joseph Belding, Jr., and David Scott were chosen a building committee, and the town voted a tax of $80 on the ratable polls and property of the inhabitants to erect the house.

" During the winter of 1772-73 the timber and materials were collected, and at a meeting held May 10, 1773, the town granted additional money, and voted that David Scott be master-workman to frame the house. The building was framed by what was called the 'try rule,' or the rule of sis, eight, and ten-i.e., the sills, pusts, and beams were framed and tried, and the braces were laid on to mark their bevels and length. (Master Scott's prime precept was, ' Make great mortises and little tenons, and your work will go together charming easy !') In the course of the two following months the house was framed, raised, and par- tially covered. At a town-meeting hell July 8, 1773, il was voted to raise 40 pounds to go on and finish the meeting-house. The 'finish' then put on, how- ever, was not of the highest order, as will be seen in the particular description which follows: Ou the outside the rout was well shingled, though it had no steeple or tower ; the sides and ends were covered with rough boards chanfered together. The windows in the lower story were pretty fully glazed; those in the upper story were bourded up. There were three doors to the house, one each on the north, east, and south sides, that on the east side being reckoned the front door. These were made of rough boards, and not very tightly fitted. Thus uniforme was the covering upon the outside. The inside had no ' finish' at all, except a ground-floor. The sides were destitute of both plastering and laths, and the framework of the galleries, the beams, girths, and rafters were all naked, A rongh board pulpit, raised a few feet, was placed in the centre of the west side. Inrectly in front of the pulpit a carpenter's work-bench was left. The seat which was placed before this bench was claimed by the old ladies, that they might hear better and have a support for the back. The seats were nothing more than low slab forms; these were arranged without much regard to order, and were free to all. After some years. Mr. Wells nailed up a couple of lwards on the left of the pulpit for the better accommodation of his wife; and a sort of pew, or bench with a back fixed to it, was fitted up by a few of the young men, on the east side near the door, capable of seating six or eight persons."

In this state the house remained twenty-five years, resem- bling a barn, and in summer was the abode of hundreds of swallows, who minde such a twittering noise that Mr. Wells

never exchanged with any one during their stay, fearing that they would annoy the visiting minister.

In 1797 the house was finished, and for the first time regu- larly conserrated. The pews were not sold, but each family or person was assigned a particular seat, by a committee, accord- ing to his age or property. This arrangement proved so un- satisfactory to some that they absented themselves from the meetings, and in 1819 the practice of selling the pews was adopted. A portion of the proceeds from this source was ap- plied to building a steeple upon the south end of the meeting- house, which was supplied with a bell in 1821. At first the signal was given by blowing a large conch an hour before ser- vice and again just before preaching began ; but, in 1795, the town voted that we " will not improve any hody to blow the conch as a signal for meeting," and from that period until the bell was placed in position the people came at their pleasure.

In 1843 the meeting-house was remodeled, but the frame, put up in 1773, being found perfectly sound, was left unaltered. The house stood in the middle of the street, at the hamlet, until 1867, when it was sold and removed. In that year the church purchased, and has since occupied, the meeting-house at the hamlet erected by the Second Congregational Church, which had dissolved a few years previous.

From 1778 until March 18, 1816, the custom of " covenant privileges" prevailed in the church, hy means of which a per- son might obtain a " half-way" membership.

" An individual of good moral standing in society, who would acknowledge a belief in the doctrines of the gospel as set forth in the Confession of Faith, and would assent in part tu the covenant, might be received by vote as a member in a limited sense, Ile thus became a subject for discipline, and might be com- plained against by full members, He had the privilege of baptism for himself and family, but was debarred from the conununion of the Lord's Supper."

In 1788, 25 members of the church, living in the western part of Whately, becoming dissatisfied with the vote of the town retaining the meeting-house at the hamlet, withdrew, and afterward became Baptists. In 1842 and thereafter 75 mem- bers withdrew to form the Second Congregational Church. The membership has frequently been augmented by revivals, and aggregates nearly a thousand persons. At present ( March, 1879) there are 145 members, 25 of whom are non-residents.

Nathan Graves, elected in October, 1771, was the first deacon of the church ; Salmon White, elected in 1773, was the second. The subsequent deacons have been Thomas Sanderson, Levi Morton, John White, Eleazer Frary, JJames Smith, Justus White, David Sanders, Reuben II. Belden, Elias A. Diekin- son, L. W. llannum, Elihu Beklen, JJohn White, Myron Harwood, and Francis G. Bard well.

About 1820, Chloe Adkins and Ruth Diekinson gathered a number of children together for instruction in the Scriptures, but it is thought that no regular Sunday-school was organized until about 1826. It has usually been well attended, and at present has 80 members, under the superintendence of Chester K. Waite. From 1860 to 1877, Elihu Belden was the super- intendent. The school has a library of 200 volumes.

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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 55

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