History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. II, Part 71

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 71


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774


IHISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.


About 1808, Selah Munson built a fulling-mill at the village, but soon after sold his interests to Ebenezer Nims. After 1812, Erastus and Moses Gleason enlarged the business, and added sixty spindles for the manufacture of satinets. The machin- ery for carding was then removed and the clothing-works car- ried on by Solomon Amidon and Moses Gleason, who changed the location of the factory to a point farther up the stream, where it was successfully operated.


In 1836, Solomon Amidon and Joseph Burton erected the present factory building,-a large three-story frame structure, -and supplied it with good machinery for the manufacture of satinets. This business was afterward carried on by a stock company, which was discontinued before 1848. Subse- quently the factory has been partially operated by S. P. Day.


Wooden-ware has been manufactured here, and it is said that an invoice of bowls was sent to California for use in the placer-washings when gold was first discovered. Cut nails have also been made by Erastus Gleason. Other small in- dustries flourished for a short time between 1825 and 1850. The town is yet well supplied with the ordinary mechanic- shops.


IIAMLETS.


The pioneers of Rowe endeavored to locate the business of the town at or near the geographical centre. There the first stores and taverns were kept until more important industries attracted them to points better adapted for business centres.


The geographical centre of the town is north of the present village. There the first church was erected, and there is now located the Unitarian Church, around which are elustered half a dozen buildings. The place was formerly much larger than at present, and was locally known as


MIDDLE ROWE.


Here, before 1790, was opened the first store in town, by a man named Ransom. The business was continued by William Langdon. Afterward the Tuttles put up a large building for mercantile purposes, a part of which yet remains, and forms the public-hall. In this have traded Langdon & Bradley, Olds, Barrett & Hall, Reed & Chandler, Reed Bros., S. R. & J. C. Drury, Ruel Darling, and John Ballou, being the last, about 1863.


Ambrose Potter had the first public-house in town, near where Dr. Gould afterward lived, as early as 1780. At the centre, Ezra Tuttle kept an inn, and was followed by Thomas Riddle. On the road east, the Langdons and others kept taverns.


ROWE VILLAGE


is pleasantly situated a mile south of the centre, on Pelham Brook, and contains a Baptist Church, a good school-house, a store, factory, tannery, and mills. The population is about 125. A store was opened here about 1845, by Cyrus Ballou, in a building which has been occupied since 1853 by E. E. Amidon, at present one of the oldest merchants in the county. A " Sovereigns' "' store was kept a short time, under the man- agement of Il. E. Nelson.


The post-office was established at the centre, and remained there until 1874, since which it has been kept at the vil- lage by E. E. Amidon. The postmasters at the centre have been Solomon Reed, Samuel Reed, Solomon R. Drury, J. C. Drury, John Ballou, Edward Wright ; George Ballou is the present incumbent. A daily mail is supplied from Zoar, in Charlemont. At the Hoosac Tunnel a post-office has lately been established in connection with a hotel.


The people of Rowe were at first dependent on Charlemont for the services of a physician, employing Dr. Moses Heaton about 1780. A few years later, Dr. Isaac Ward Clary, living in the eastern part of the town, was the practitioner. From 1790 until his death, in 1834, Dr. Pardon Haynes was the regular physician. He was succeeded by Dr. Humphrey Gould, who settled here in 1832, and also remained until his


death, a few years ago. He was born in Berkshire County in 1797, educated at Williams College, and studied medicine at Boston. He was an excellent physician, and for many years one of the prominent men of the town. Drs. Wheeler, Reed, Sheklon, and Barber were also in practice a short time, but did not remain long enough to become identified with the town.


EDUCATIONAL.


It is generally believed that Rev. Cornelius Jones taught the first school in Rowe, in a small cabin near the centre, some time before the Revolution. Sept. 14, 1785, the town voted to have three school divisions, to be formed by Jonas Gleason, Benjamin Brown, and William Taylor. The report of this committee, made the following year, denominated the districts as the north, the east, and the west divis- ions. In the two last named school-houses were built soon after, and, in 1789, three months' school were taught in each of them at the expense of the town. The school-house in the east district was of stone, and stood near the old Wells place.


In 1790 the town voted to pay Isaac Langdon 13s. for board- ing the schoolmaster and his borse two weeks, and made an appropriation of £30 for schooling. Seven years later three school-houses were ordered to be built, and the following year it was " Voted that the tax laid on dogs the present year be appropriated to the support of schools, each division to be en- titled to the money that it pays for said animals."


In 1878 the town had seven sebool districts, in each of which two terms of school were maintained per year, at a cost of about $1000. The total number of scholars enrolled was 226, and the supervising committee was composed of V. M. Porter, L. E. Henry, and J. A. Stanford.


ROWE SOCIAL LIBRARY


was organized Dec. 18, 1797, with the following members : John Wells, Preserved Smith, Asa Foster (2d), Moses Streeter, Pardon Haynes, Standish Foster, William Langdon, William Taylor, Lewis Chandler, Jonas Gleason, Zebulon Benton, Samuel Barrett, Nathan Foster, Sylvester Nash, Caleb Blakes- lee, Noah Brown, Abel Bassett, Joel Hall, John Thomas, Jonathan White, Benjamin Olds, James Smith, Amos Negus, Mathew Middleditch, and Ezra Brown, and the officers named below. Col. John Wells, Librarian ; William Langdon, Clerk ; Asa Foster (2d), Treasurer; James Gleason, Censor ; and Rev. P. Smith, Capt. Willam Taylor, and Dr. Pardon Ilaynes, Judges.


In 1806 the library contained 130 volumes, chiefly works on history, travels, philosophy, and theology. It was success- fully continued by the association until March, 1869, when the town assumed charge, agreeing to pay $25 annually for its support, and to provide a librarian. Under this arrangement it has since been successfully conducted, and is at present es- tablished at the village, with Horace A. Smith librarian. It contains about 700 volumes of well-selected books.


RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.


The first religious society dates from the settlement of the Rev. Cornelius Jones, in 1770. He and his family composed the first members of the Church of Christ in Myrifield, which was formally organized about 1774 with a few additional members, viz. : Deaeon Archibald Thomas and his wife, Elizabeth ; Deacon Jonas Gleason and his wife, Lucy; and one or two others.


In the fall of 1776 the church-roll contained the names of Aaron and Eunice Gleason, William and Mary Hartwell, Abiah and Abigail Lamb, James and Thankful Thayer, Han- nah Thomas, Mary McAllister, Jedediah, Elizabeth, and Rachel Lamb, Mary Wilson, Lucy Chapin, Esther Eddy, Gideon Chapin, Sarah Chapin, Abigail and Henry Wilson.


The meetings were first held at the house of Rev. Mr. Jones, but a plain meeting-house was built soon after the church was


775


HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.


formed, and was used as a place of public worship-uneom- fortable and rude as it was-until 1793, when the town built its first meeting-house, as will be seen by reference to the ex- tracts from the town-books. Mr. Jones served the people of Myrifield until his removal in 1780. Occasional preaching was then had until Nov. 21, 1787, when the Rev. Preserved Smith, who had graduated at Brown University the year be- fore, was installed the first pastor of what is yet known as


THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN ROWE,


at that time orthodox Congregational, but since 1833 Uni- tarian in belief. The members of the church at that period, and before 1800, in addition to the foregoing, were Obed Foot, James Tackett, Eliasaph Barker, Humphrey Taylor, Caleb Rogers, Eli Town, Abigail Town, Isaac and Mary Cum- mings, John and Elizabeth Adams, Nathan and Abigail Fos- ter, Molly Wells, Ephraim Hill, Isaac W. Clary, Benjamin Shumway, Milo Streeter, Eunice Smith, Paul Thayer, Ilan- nah Merrill, Nathan Wheeler, Chas. Handy, Stephen Glea- son, Jonathan Cressy, Isaac Langdon, Eliphalet Cutting, Joel HIall, Caleb Blakeslee, Joshua Dodge, Rhoda Dodge, Silas Munson, Festus Foster, David Tuttle, and John W. Blodgett.


The withdrawal of the orthodox element of the church and other causes had a depressing effect upon the membership of the church, and left the society in a weak condition. In 1878 but 25 members were reported, who were under the pas- toral care of the Rev. W. M. Bicknell, who has maintained this relation since December, 1867.


The Rev. Preserved Smith entered upon his pastorate in the fall of 1787, and after a useful ministry of more than sixteen years he asked for a dismissal, which was given May 30, 1804. A vacancy of a few years followed. On the 6th of January, 1808, the Rev. Jonathan Keith was settled as pastor, but only remained till Jan. 10, 1812. The following Decem- ber the church recalled the Rev. Preserved Smith, and he entered upon a second pastorate, which extended through more than twenty years, and was terminated only on account of the infirmities of age. Mr. Smith was a man of great force of character and strong logical powers. Toward the close of his ministry he discarded Trinitarian views, but did not avow himself a Unitarian, and the church was nominally Congre- gational until his pastorship had been terminated.


The settlement of the Rev. William L. Stearns, Jan. 29, 1833, induced the orthodox element to withdraw and settle a minister of their own, the Unitarians retaining the original title of the church and the property secured by it. Mr. Stearns was dismissed Dec. 14, 1849, and on the 12th of June following, the Rev. Stillman Barber was inducted to the pas- toral office, which he occupied but two years. The Rev. Sumner Lincoln then became the pastor, and served the church until 1860. In that year the Rev. Addison Brown supplied the church, and the following two years the Rev. Iliram Norton maintained the same relation. After a vacancy of several years, the present pastor, the Rev. W. M. Bicknell, was settled.


The society worshiped in the old meeting-house until the summer of 1845, when the present church was erected, the old house being used for town purposes until ten years later, when some of its staunch timbers were employed to repair the new church. This is now an attractive edifice, with sit- tings for 225 persons, and is valued at $1500. Adjoining is a neat and comfortable parsonage.


The first deacon of the church was Archibald Thomas, who had formerly filled that office in Mr. Morehead's church in Boston. Ilis colleague at Rowe was Deacon Jonas Gleason. They were succeeded by Nathan Foster, Silas Nash, John Thomas, and Moses Gleason. Daniel Gale is the present act- ing deacon. A Sabbath-school is maintained by the church in summer. It has from 40 to 50 members, and supports a library of 200 volumes.


THE CONGREGATIONAL EVANGELICAL SOCIETY.


The movement to form this society was made in the early part of 1833, by Daniel G. Spooner, Lewis Goodenough, and Pardon Haynes, the petition being signed March 4, 1833, by Isaac Pierpont, Gideon Langdon, Sylvester Nash, Amzi Lang- don, Thomas Ilarrington, John A. Winslow, Abijah Burnap, A. Ide, Anson Browning, and Josiah Carpenter. The organi- zation was effected March 11, 1833, when Anson Browning was elected Clerk ; Thomas Harrington, Treasurer; Sylves- ter Nash, Amzi Langdon, and Isaac Pierpont, Prudential Committee.


This was the beginning of the Second or Orthodox Congre- gational Church of Rowe. The following summer, meetings were held in the barn of Thomas Harrington, the preaching being supplied by the Revs. Erastus Dickinson and Samuel Ware. In 1834 a meeting-house was built a little south of the old house of worship, which was used for church purposes until 1856. It then became a public hall, and ten years later was removed to the village of Rowe, where it is now known as " Union Hall."


The first pastor of the church was the Rev. John C. Thomp- son, who was ordained Oct. 28, 1835. Ile remained not quite two years, terminating his connection June 19, 1837. The Rev. Andrew Govan was installed the second pastor, Sept. 5, 1838, and dismissed Ang. 29, 1842. After an interim of seven years the Rev. Benjamin F. Clark was installed, but only re- mained with the church until October, 1850. The pulpit was thereafter supplied by the Revs. Noah Cressy and Jeremiah Pomeroy, but removals and deaths diminished the membership to such an extent that it was not deemed advisable to continue the organization, and the church was dissolved about 1856.


ROWE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHI.


The early records of this body have not been preserved ; but it is said that a class of ten members was formed as early as 1800, and that preaching was supplied in connection with other classes in the western part of the county, forming a circuit. The meetings were held at the houses of the mem- bers, principally in the eastern part of the town. But on the 31st of March, 1828, Solomon Reed executed a deed for a church-lot to Elisha Brown, Horace Blakeslee, Josiah W. Reed, and John 1. Bassett, the trustees of the Methodist Society, on which a plain frame meeting-house was erected in that year. It has since been thoroughly repaired, and is valued at $1000. The present trustees are James Streeter, Thomas Wilcox, J. W. Fisk, Andrew Stone, and Samuel Woffendon.


No list of members prior to 1840 has been preserved. In that year Horace Blakeslee was the class-leader, and John A. Winslow and Levi Carpenter stewards. There were in addition 31 members. In 1878, James Streeter was the class- leader, and 28 persons comprised the membership. A Sun- day-school is maintained through the year, which has about 35 members, and a library of 200 volumes.


As near as can be determined, the clergymen employed here have been the Revs. Elijah Ward, Timothy Carpenter, Sam- uel Carpenter, Shadrach Bostwick, Peter Van Ness, Michael Coates, Joseph Mitchell, Joseph Crawford, Freeman Bishop, Elijah R. Sabin, Daniel Ostrander, Daniel Brumley, C. Ham- mond, J. W. Lewis, William Bardwell, Edward A. Manning, L. B. Clarke, J. W. Jordan, Edward Day, Moses Spencer, G. R. Bent, Lorenzo White, Randall Mitchell, E. J. Stevens, N. J. Merrill, John HI. Lord, W. HI. Adams, Alfred Noon, A. MI. Osgood, W. E. Dwight, W. E. Knox, Burtis Judd, and L. P. Frost.


THE ROWE BAPTIST CHURCH


was organized in the western part of the town, July 15, 1810, with 27 members, among them being Samuel Carpenter, Rhoda Carpenter, Asa and Ilannah Paine, Ebenezer and


776


HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.


Sally Rice, Lucy and Lydia Corbet, Nahum White, Rufus Scott, Ichabod Hill, Ephraim Fellows, Sylvia Hibbard, Ephraim Hill, and Olive Scott.


The first meeting-house and parsoange were erected in the western part of the town, but in 1876 a very neat little church was built in the lower part of the village, which was conse- crated in November of that year. Here regular services are maintained and attended by 34 members, under the spiritual direction of the Rev. Jacob Davis, since 1877 the pastor. A Sunday-school of 70 members is also attached to it,-C. II. Scott, superintendent.


In addition to the pastor mentioned, the church has had the following ministers : the Revs. Samuel Carpenter, Arad Hall, Edward Davenport, Nathaniel Ripley, B. F. Remington, James Burke, George Carpenter, E. D. Fish, Charles Brooks, J. M. Wilmarth, S. P. Everett, Wm. A. Millard, Rufus Smith, and H. C. Coombs.


The native or resident ministers of Rowe have been the fol- lowing : Rev. Joseph W. Clary, born in Rowe in November, 1786; graduated at Middlebury in 1808 and at Andover in 1811. He died at Cornish, N. H., 1835.


Kev. Noah Cressy became a resident of Rowe at the age of eight years (about 1785), and lived here until he had grown to manhood, when he removed to Charlemont. Ile graduated at Williams College in 1805, and was licensed to preach in 1806.


- Rev. Sereno W. Streeter was born in Rowe in 1810, and graduated from Oberlin, Ohio, in 1836. These three were Congregationalists.


Rev. Preserved Smith, Jr., was born in Rowe in 1789, grad- nated at Brown University in 1812, and was licensed as a Con- gregationalist in 1813, but became a Unitarian in the follow- ing year. Rev. Festus Foster, another Unitarian, was also a resident of Rowe.


From this town have gone as Methodist ministers the Revs. Laban C. Cheney and David Todd.


MILITARY.


Mention has been made in the account of the early settlers of those who rendered service in the struggle for independence. The town manifested much interest in militia matters, and had, at one time, an excellent company. The first officers were: Captain, N. Corbett ; First Lieutenant, A. Chapin ; Second Lieutenant, N. Merrill. The subsequent captains have been Paul Thayer, John Wells, Pardon Haynes, Zebulon Benton, J. Marsh, Stephen Brown, James Brown, Solomon Reed, Noah Wells, Samuel HI. Reed, John Taylor, Wm. Tay- lor, M. Shumway, S. Wheeler, and J. W. Wheeler.


SOLDIERS' LIST-WAR OF 1861-65.


Bliss, Abel C., must. Oct. 11, 1862, Co. B, 52] Regt. Brown, Joseph F., sergt., must. Oct. 11, 1862, Co. B, 52d Regt. Brown, Newton L., must. Oct. 11, 1862, Co. B, 52d Regt. Hatheway, Charles H., must. Oct. 11, 1862, Co. B, 52d Regt. Fish, Rodolphus D, must. Oct. 11, 1862, Co. B, 52dl Regt. Paine, James H., must. Oct. 11, 1862, Co. B, 52d Regt. Rice, Nathaniel R., must. Oct. 11, 1862, Co. B, 52d Regt. Stanford, L. S., must. Oct. 11, 1862, Co. B, 521 Regt. Andrews, Emory P., must. Feb, 1862, Ist lieut., Co. C, 31st Regt. Miller, Jasper C., corp., mist. Nov. 21, 1861, Co. C, 31st Regt. Scott, Albert, corp., must. Nov. 21, 1861, Co. (, 31st Regt. Scott, Thomas, corp., must. Nov. 21, 1861, Co. C, 31st Regt. Allen, James M., must. Nov. 21, 1861, Co. C, 31st Regt. Scott, Charles II., must. Nov. 21, 1861, Co. C, 31st Regt. Gleason, Adoniram, J., must. July 31, 1862, Co. F', 34th Regt. ; died Feb. 28, 163. Sears, Russell, must. Nov. 20, 1861, Signal Corps. Sibley, l'hilo, Jr., must. Dec. 15, 1863, Co. G, 34th Regt. Stafford, Luther. must. Dec. 8, 1863, Co. G, 34th Regt. Stafford, Chauncy, Jr., must. Dec. 8, 1863, Co. HI, 34th Regt. Willson, R. M., must. Dec. 8, 1863, Co. II, 34th Regt.


Thelussified .- J. Harrington, William Kelley, Thomas Love. William Lynet.


Judson Loveley, John Leonard, II. HI. Ilicks, H. C. Wright, George A. Wilcox, George R. Jeffords, R. Bullard, Royal W. Stone, John Fitzgerald.


WARWICK.


GEOGRAPHICAL.


WARWICK, bedecked with hills, occupies the northeastern corner of Franklin County, and has the State of New Ilamp- shire on its northern boundary, Worcester County and the town of Orange on the east, Orange on the south, and North- field and Erving on the west. The town is as yet innocent of railways, the station nearest the centre being Wendell depot, six miles distant, and because of the general mountainous character of its surface is likely to remain so for some time to come. The town covers an area of 21,350 acres, and em- braces the entire original tract of Gardner's Canada, save the section in the southern portion set off to Orange in 1781.


NATURAL FEATURES.


No town in Franklin is more thoroughly mountainous than Warwick. Mount Grace, about a mile northwest of the een- tre, has the greatest elevation, and is said to be 1628 feet above the sea. There are also conspicuous eminences such as Bol- ster Hill, Flour Hill, Beach Hill, Barber Ilill, and Chestnut Hill.


Water-courses are plentiful, the most important being Tully Brook on the east, Valley Mountain and Kidder Brooks on the north, Hedge, Grace, and Wilson Brooks in the centre, and Moss and Gales Brooks in the south. There are thirteen large ponds in the town, among them being Lake Moore, Delva Pond, Harris Pond, and Long Pond in the south, and llastings Pond in the centre.


-


The minerals are calcareous gneiss, granite, and quartz, with indications also of iron, brimstone, copperas, and graph- ite. Freestone or steatite is found in considerable quantities, and it is said that some years ago iron ore was found near the centre. Radiated tourmaline* exists on Mount Grace, and on the old Wilder Stevens farm in the solid rock. Indian or prehistoric mortars are also found, some of them four feet in depth, and the largest two feet in width.


Wild and variegated scenery meets the eye upon every hand, and from the top of Mount Grace the view is wonderfully ex- pansive and charming, in which the winding Connecticut and the hills and vales of New Hampshire are conspienous features.


A natural curiosity of the town is the Bear's Den, about a hundred yards north of Stevens' mill-pond. The cavity, which is of considerable size, is covered by a shelving rock, under which, report says, five hundred men could find shelter. There is also, on the old Atwood farm near the Winchester line, a curiosity called the swinging rock,-a bowlder of a hun- dred tons' weight,-which is so placed that a person may, with one hand, easily roek it.


The climate of Warwick is salubrious and healthy, and sta- tistics show it to be conducive to remarkable longevity. In summer the town is a favorite resort of tourists in search of health and recreation.


* More probably staurolite.


777


IIISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.


EARLY SETTLEMENT.


In the year 1735, in answer to the petitions of Samuel New- all, Thomas Tileston, Samuel Gallop, and Abraham Tilton, the General Court voted as follows :


"That four several tracts of land for townships, each of the contents of six miles square, be laid out in suitalde places in the western part of this province, and that the whole of each town be laid out into sixty-three equal shares, one share of which to be for the first settled minister, one for the use of the ministry, and one for schools, and that on the other sixty shares in each town there be sixty settlers admitted, and in admission thereof preference to be given to the peti- tioners, and such as are the descendants of the officers and soldiers who served in the expedition to Canada, in the year 1690 (viz., one of said townships to each of the aforesaid persons, with such others as joined with them in the petitions), and in case there be not a sufficient number named in the said four petitions as were either officers or soldiers in said expedition, or the descendants of such as were lust, or are since deceased, so as to make sixty settlers for each town, that then such others as were in the expedition, or their descendants, be admitted settlers there, until sixty persons in each township he admitted ; and inasmuch as the officers and soldiers in that expedition were great sufferers and underwent uncommon hardships, Voted, That this Province be at the sole charge of laying ont the sail four townships, and of admitting settlers. That the settlers or gran- ters he, and hereby are, obliged to bring forward the settlements of the said four townships in as regular and defencible manner as the situation and circum- stances will admit of, and that in the following manner, viz. : that they be on the granted premises respectively, and have each of them au house eighteen feet square, and seven feet stud at the least ; that each right or grant have six acres of land ploughed and brought to English grass, and fitted for mowing ; that they respectively settle in each plantation or township a learned orthodox minister, and build a convenient meeting-house for the worship of God in each township."


These conditions were to be fulfilled within five years after the confirmation of the surveys, and from each settler the province exaeted a bond of £20 as security for the faithful performance of the obligations named, a further penalty in case of failure being the utter forfeiture of title.


One of the aforesaid four grants was issued to Samuel Newall and associates, and was the tract now called Warwick. Samuel Newall, it is said, was the only survivor of 39 men of Roxbury, Mass., who engaged under Capt. Andrew Gard- ner in the Canada expedition of 1690, the rest having perished in the expedition. The petitioners associated with Mr. Newall were descendants of those who took part in the expedition. There is, however, as opposed to the statement that the 38 men from Roxbury perished in the expedition, an early record upon the proprietors' books which furnishes a list of 33 names, and calls them the names of " the petitioners of Roxbury and Brookline who were in the Canada expedition of 1690." These names are as follows: Samuel Griffen, John Bowen, Thomas Hammond, Thomas Mayo, Benjamin Wilson, John Wilson, Robert Pierpont, Thomas Aspinwall, Ebenezer Gore, William Marean, Jr., Joseph Stevens, Isaac Stedman, Thomas Marean, Joseph Wilson, Edmond Weld, Jr., William Sharpe, Robert Case, Samuel Newall, Thomas Gardner, Nathaniel Craft, James Frizzell, Shubael Seaver, Robert Harris, Thomas Bugber, Timothy Whiting, Nathaniel Stearns, John Searle, Benjamin White, Benjamin Smith, Samuel Perry, Eleazer Hammond, Robert Harpe, William Ileath.




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