USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > History of the county of Berkshire, Massachusetts, in two parts > Part 16
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There are a few Methodists, and some Episcopa- lians.
Efforts to instruct the rising generation in Sabbath schools and a Bible class, have been made here withi some success . and the cause of Bible Societies, for- cign and domestic missions, and the colonization of the
211
SHEFFIELD.
free blacks, have been the objects of Christian benevo- lence.
The following gentlemen have been physicians in this town :
William Bull; a native of Westfield ; an eminent physician, settled here before 1755.
Nathaniel Downing.
Lemuel Barnard ; a native of Deerfield ; a graduate of Yale College, 1759.
Asa Hillyer ; a native of Granby, Con.
Sylvester Barnard ; a native of Northampton ; died 1817, aged 59.
William Buel ; a native of Litchfield. Returned to Litchfield.
Asahel Bennet ; a native of Sheffield.
John E. Le Faugeu ; a native of France.
Nathamel Prester ; died 1825.
John De Lamatter ; a native of Florida, N. Y. Prof. Med. Inst. Fairfield, N. Y.
Caleb Loring.
Oliver Peck ; a native of Lyme, Con.
Silas K. Kellogg ; a native of Sheffield.
Ithamar H. Smith ; do. do.
Lawyers.
John Huggins.
John Ashley; a native of Westfield; educated at Yale College, 1730 ; admitted to the bar, 1732; died Sept. 1, 1803, aged 93.
Zadock Huggins ; a native of Springfield.
Theodore Sedgwick; a native of West Hartford ; educated at Yale College, 1765 ; admitted to the bar, 1776. Removed to Stockbridge.
Elisha Lee ; a native of Salisbury, Con. ; educated at Yale College, 1777; admitted to the bar, 1784.
Harry Barnard; a native of Sheffield ; admitted to the bar, 179S. Removed to Franklin county.
John W. Hurlburt; a native of Alford.
William H. Raymond ; a native of Sheffield.
Enoch W. Thayer ; a native of Ware.
Robert F. Barnard ; a native of Sheffield ; admitted to the bar, 1805.
212
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
Charles Dewey ; a native of Sheffield ; admitted to the bar in 1805. Living in Indiana.
Charles Bushnel ; a native of Sheffield; admitted to the bar in 1808. Living in Natchez, Miss.
Robert L. Patten ; a native of Great Barrington.
Benjamin Sheldon ; a native of New Marlborough educated at Williams College, 1806 ; admitted to the bar, 1809. Returned to New Marlborough.
Cyrus Byington ; a native of Stockbridge ; admitted to the bar, 1814. Missionary among the Choctaws.
Richard O. Hurlburt ; a native of Alford ; admitted to the bar, 1815. Removed to Erie, Penn.
Josiah Quincy ; a native of Lenox ; admitted to the bar, 1815. Removed to Romlev, N. H.
Edward F. Ensign ; a native of Sheffield ; educated at Yale College, 1S15 ; admitted to the bar, 1820.
Parker L. Hall; a native of Pownal, Vt .; educated at Williams College, ISIS ; admitted to the bar, 1822.
Among the distinguished individuals of this town, John Huggins, Esq., Hon. John Ashley, and Gen. John Ashley, his son, and Gen. John Fellows, may with pro- priety be mentioned.
At the time the settlement began here, John Huggins was in extensive practice as a lawyer, in the town of Springfield. At what time he removed to this place, is not ascertained. He continued in practice there, though it is probable his practice was diminished by his remo- val. He had as correct information as any lawyer of that day. His declarations were distinguished for for- mality.
The Hon. John Ashley settled here when a young man, probably about 1732, and being favoured with su- perior abilities, natural and acquired, was extensively employed in advancing the good order of the town. The proprietors were so well satisfied with his services, that they gave him 200 acres of land, " as an acknow- ledgment of his kindness in promoting the good of the settlement." How far he was engaged in the practice of law does not appear. He often represented the town in the Legislature. Before this County was formed, he was a judge of the Court of Common Pleas for the county of Hampshire. Upon that event, he was ap- pointed a special justice in Berkshire, and in 1765, a
-
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SHEFFIELD.
judge of the Court of Common Plenas; in which capa- city he remained until 1781. He " rose through many grades of military offices to the command of a regiment. The State, then a British colony, repeatedly committed to him important business. He lived to an advanced age, enjoying health and mental abilities far beyond what is usual by men of his years." He was the owner of not less than 15 or 1600 acres of land in the town- ship.
Gen. John Ashley was graduated at Yale College in 1753, and afterwards settled here upon his father's plantation. He was frequently a representative to the General Court. ""He rose through the several military grades to the rank of Major General of the 9th Divis- ion of the militia of Massachusetts." In the time of the Shays rebellion, he was a Colonel, and commanded the force which opposed and dispersed the insurgents at the skirmish in this town, on the 26th of February, 1787. " He was ever a firm friend to the Constitution - · and liberties of the United States, and as a magistrate he was upright. He died Nov. 5, 1799, in the 64th year of his age." See Appendix to the Rev. Mr. Jud- son's Funeral Sermon.
Gen. John Fellows was born at Pomfret, Con. He served the town usefully in various capacities ; was a member of the Provincial Congress which sat at Cam- bridge in February, 1775. He was first a Colonel, and then a Brigadier General in the militia of Massachu- setts, in the Revolutionary war. For several yrars he was Ligh sheriff of the County. He died Aug. 1, 1808, in his 74th year.
A HISTORY
OF THE
TOWN OF EGREMONT.
BY REV. GARDNER HEYDEN.
P
This town is about 5 miles long, from north to south, and about i& broad, from east to west, compris- ing 1581 acres.
It is bounded by Alford on the north, by Great Bar- rington and Sheffield on the east, by Sheffield and Mt. Washington on the south, and by the State of New York on the west.
The western and southern parts of the town extend on to the Taconic range of mountains. Portions of the eastern section are level ; the other parts are undula- ting.
The soil is various ; but generally productive. Most of it is better adapted to tillage than to grazing.
There are no large streams in the town, but several of sufficient size for supplying mills.
Green river, which takes its rise in the State of New York, passes through the north-east corner of the town, receiving on its way a brook, which rises in a pond, west of the Baptist meeting-house. Hubbard's brook rises in a pond west of the Congregational meeting- house, and in several springs in Taconic mountain, pass- es eastward through the town, and connects itself with Kisnop brook in Sheffield.
The regular settlement of the town commenced about 1730 ; though it is said, that Andrew Karner and Ro- bert Karner, from Rhinebeck, New York, and John Spoor, Isaac Spoor, and Jacob Spoor, from some nart
215
EGREMONT.
of that State, settled in it at an earlier period. They probably acted upon the belief, that it belonged to the State, or as it was then, to the colony of New York. Between 1730 and 1756. many families moved into the place from New York, and from the New England States.
Among the early settlers, besides those already men- tioned, were Nicholas Karner, Jacob Karner, Cornelius Spoor. Ebenezer Baldwin, Aaron Loomis, Josiah Phelps, John Perry. Timothy Hopkins, Elias Hopkins, Nehemiah Messenger, Benjamin Trumain, Samuel Colver, Samuel Younglove, William Webb, Jonathan Welch, Samuel Welch, Robert Joyner, Gideon Church, Ebenezer Smith, Aaron Sheldon, Israel Taylor. Will- iam Roberts, Joseph Hicks, Edward Baily, Abraham Andrews, and John Fuller.
The Indian reservation, in the lower Housatonic town- ship, mentioned in the history of Sheffield, extended through this town. A considerable part of this was leas- ed to Andrew Karner, Oct. 20, 1740, by the Chiefs of the Stockbridge Indians. In 1756, the inhabitants pur- chased the Indian right, at least to some of the land. Fifty-two acres of the leased land were subsequently sold to the Rev. Eliphalet Steele. Other portions of it passed into the hands of one individual and another, until all knowledge of the lease was gone. A few years since, William F. Gragg, of Augusta, New York, who had got possession of the lease, claimed the land, with the exception of that sold to Mr. Steele, and in 1826 the occupants paid him for his right, $400.
This place was incorporated as a district in 1960, and called by its present name. It was invested with all the privileges, powers, and immunities, which towns in the province enjoyed, except the right of sending a repre- sentative to the General Court; which right was to be held in common with the town of Sheffield. Some years after, the right of sending a representative was given to it.
in March following the incorporation, at a legal town meeting, Samuel Winchel was chosen town clerk, and Jonah Westover, "Timothy Kellogg, and weaac Decor, selectmen.
216
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
The inhabitants are very generally farmers, and within a few years have made very considerable im- provements in agriculture. Their buildings also have assumed a better appearance. A few are engaged in other employments. There is a small village in the east, and another in the north-east part of the town.
The turnpike road, from Hartford, Con., divides in this town, one branch going to the city of Hudson, and the other to the city of Albany. A turnpike from the north part of Great Barrington, near Stockbridge line, passes through the town, and unites with the Hudson road in Hillsdale, to the west of us, in New York.
There are in the town post offices, five public houses, five stores, two grist-mills, four saw-mills, and a gin distillery.
A quarry of white marble extends almost through the whole length of the township. In some places the stone is covered with several feet of earth, and in others rises above the surface. Several openings have been made, and the stone has been wrought to some extent. It possesses the same general properties as the white marble in West Stockbridge ; but is not of so fine a texture.
In 1767, the inhabitants erected a house for the pub- lic worship of God, raised money for the support of the gospel, and appointed a committee to employ a candi- date for the ministry. In the course of the same year, they invited the Rev. James Treadway to become their pastor. He, however, declined the invitation.
After this, they raised money annually at their March meeting for the support of preaching, and several can- didates were employed.
Feb. 5, 1770, they gave a unanimous call to the Rev. Eliphalet Steele, a native of West Hartford, and a graduate of Yale College, 1764, to settle with them. On the 20th of the same month, the Congregational church was organized, and on the 23th of June follow- ing, Mr. Steele was placed over it in the Lord.
The people generally were united in their pastor, un- til the time of the Shays rebellion. As he was suppo- sed to be favorable to the government, the malcontents became his enemies and opposers. On a certain occa- sion, several armed ruffians violently entered his house
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EGREMONT.
in the night season ; and after treating him in a very insolen: and abusive manner, carried away his waich and several articles of clothing. The town soon be- came much divided with respect to religious sentiment, and sectarians of different names and tenets came in. M. Suele. however, remained in this charge until April 29, 1994. when he was dismissed by a council. Soon after this, he was re-settled at Paris, Oneida county, New York, where he remained until his death. He was acknowledged, even by his enemies, to be an ex- emplary man and a sound divine. He was the author of five discourses on Baptism.
After the dismission of Mr. Steele, the Congrega- tional churc' having no regular preaching, no one to watch over them, and to break to them the bread of life, decreased by deaths and removals, until 1814, when it was considered to be extinct.
In 1816, the present Congregational church was form- ed of 14 members, 6 males and 8 females ; and on the 23d of Nov. 1820. the Rev. Gardner Hayden was or- dained their pastor, at which time the church consisted of 31 members. The late Rev. Aaron. Kinne, of Al- ford, was particularly instrumental in gathering and building up this church.
Mr. Hayden is from Blanford, and took his first de- gree at Williams College in 1818. Under his ministry 51 have been admitted to the church ; and on the first day of January last, the members were 61 in number, 13 males and 48 females.
The two great revivals in the County, since 1820, reached this congregation, but did not spread much among the people.
A Baptist church was formed in the north part of this town in 1787. The Baptist society obtained their act of incorporation in 1808, and in 1817 erected their house of worship.
Elder Jeduthan Gray, who had been previously an inhabitant of the town, preached to this people about twenty years, and then removed to some other part of the country.
Elder Elisha D. Hubbell, from West Stockbridge, supplied them for a time. He removed to the State of" New York,
19
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
For several years past they have been under the in- struction of Elder Enos Marshall, but are now without a pastor.
The number of communicants at the last meeting o the Massachusetts Baptist Convention, was reported to be 138. Some of these live in the neighboring towns.
Some years since, a small Methodist society was formed in the south-west part of the town, who worship in a school house, and have circuit preaching once in two weeks. The number of members in their classes is 50.
There are 4 district schools in the town. A building has been erected in the eastern part of the town this season, in which it is designed to have a school kept of a higher order.
The social library of Egremont was formed in 1822, having about 180 volumes.
Formerly the people resorted to other places for med- ical aid.
Henry D. Chapman, M. D., from Hancock, settled here a few years since as a physician.
Lawyers.
Lonson Nash; a native of Great Barrington ; va graduate of Willisms College in 1801 ; admitted to the bar in 1805.
Charles Leavenworth ; a native of Canaan, N. Y .; a graduate of Yale College in 1815 ; admitted to the bar in 1319 ; died Jan. 24, 1829, aged 33.
1
8
0 A HISTORY
OF THE
TOWN OF MOUNT WASHINGTON.
BY REV. GARDNER HAYDEN.
THIS town is bounded north by Egremont, east by Sheffield, south by Salisbury in Connecticut, and Bos- ton Corner, and west by the State of New York.
Its form is irregular. The average length from north to south, is about six miles, and its average breadth about 3}
It was formerly called Taconic, or Taconic moun- tain. The surface is uneven. The habitable part in the centre is from 1500 to 2000 feet above the neigh- boring towns ; while a ridge around this centre rises still higher, from 600 feet to 1000.
This ridge consists mostly of broken ledges of rocks, and bat few trees of any considerable size grow upon it, There is only soil enough intermingled with the rocks to support shrubs from one to three or four feet in height, The whortleberry bush abounds, and the inhabitants in the vicinity flock to it in the months of August and September to gather the fruit.
The centre is interspersed with smaller hills and val- lies, and watered with many brooks and streams which spring from the ridge. Some of these afford sufficient water for mills.
As early as 1753 or 4, a few families moved into the town. George Robinson, Joseph Graves, Thomas Wol- cott, and John Dibble, were some of the first settlers. In 1757 the Indian right to the land, whatever it may
220
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
have been, after the sale of the two Housatonic town- ships, was purchased for £15.
Soon after this, John Dibble, one of the settlers abovenamed, John King, Nathan Benjamine, Peter Woodin, Benjamin Osborn, Charles Patterson, and ethers, petitioned the Legislature to grant them a town- ship here ; and in 1759 and 60, the township was actu- ally surveyed under +he direction of the Legislature into fifty lots, though the grant prayed for was not made until 1774.
In 1766 there were abont twenty families in the town, and a grist-mill and saw-mill were erected. The popu- lation afterwards slowly increased, and in 1779 the town. was incorporated.
The inhabitants are almost universally farmers. Some of the land in the central part of the town is arable, and produces rye, oats, Indian corn, &c. It is not, however, -so fertile as the land in the neighboring towns; and is best adapted to vasturage. A large portion of the timber is chesn it, which has become valuable for fencing and charcoal.
There is no store, nor public house in the town, and no grist-mill, those formerly built having gone to decay. There are four saw-mills.
No church of the Congregational or Presbyterian or- der was ever in the place. A few of the inhabitants be- long to the Congregational church in Egremont. Some years since, a number joined with the Baptist church in North-East, in the State of New York. But they have either died or been removed, and no regular members now remain.
There is a Methodist society which has circuit preach- ing once a fortnight, though not on the sabbath. The number of meinbers belonging to the Methodist class is 25.
The people several years since erected a town house, which answers for a place of worship.
In the grant of the township in 1774, a lot of land was given by the Legislature, with the design that it should be appropriated for the support of preaching. The lot has rented for some time for from 50 to 60 dol- lars a year. For several years the money was applied fo the support of common schools. More recently it
-5
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MOUNT WASHINGTON.
has been divided among the four denominations resid- ing here, Congregationalists. Baptists, Methodists, and Universalists, and expended for preaching of various kinds.
There are in this place 3 school districts.
Boston Corner.
Along the south-west line of Mount Washington, 2 miles and 192 rods in length, lies the unincorporated tract called Boston Corner. It is of a triangular form. The west line is said to be longer than the line just mentioned. The other is not quite as long. This is over the Taconic range, and except at the north-west point, where ledges occur, the land is good. This tract was settled about as early as Mount Washington, and the first settler was Daniel Porter. There are twelve or fourteen families, who constitute one school district. A road of considerable travel from Salisbury to Hud- son, passes through it. Here is a post office, a store, tavern, clothier's works, carding machine, and saw-mill,
Since the cession of the Oblong by Connecticut to New York, Boston Corner is bounded on the south as well as west, by the latter State.
A HISTORY
OF THE
TOWN OF GREAT BARRINGTON.
BY REV. SYLVESTER BURT.
THE southern section of this town, below the " Great Bridge," belonged originally to the lower Housatonic township, and then to Sheffield, after that town was in- corporated. The section above the Bridge belonged to the upper Housatonic township.
According to the act of the Legislature, these town- ships were each to be of the contents of seven miles square. According to the deed obtained from the In- dians, they were to extend west from the Housatonic river to the line of New York, though that line was not then perfectly settled, and east of the river, in a general way, four miles. Agreeably to this act and deed, the upper Housatonic township was surveyed by Timothy Dwight, Esq., of Northampton, in October, 1736; so far as the township had not been taken up by a previous survey of the " Indian Town," as it was then called, now Stockbridge. From this survey it appears, that the boundary of the whole township was as follows : Beg'n. ning at the N. W. corner of Sheffield, the line ran east. 9º south, 1902 rods, then north, 40º east, over the Beartown Mts., 2256 rods te a point which falls on the farm of Da- vid and John Baker in Cape Street, (so called, ) in the present town of Lee. It then ran west, 9º north, crossing the southern slope of Rattlesnake Mt. and Stockbridge Mt., 3150 rods, to the supposed line of New York ; then south, 119 west, 1950 rods, to the point first men-
223
GREAT BARRINGTON.
tioned; containing 31,360 acres, the area of seven miles square. The part taken up by the Indian Town was on the north of the township, 770 rods in breadth, extending from the supposed line of New York, six miles, or 1920 rods east. This contained 9240 acres, so that what belonged to the upper Housatonic town- ' ship in 1736, was 22,120 acres.
From this township a portion on the western side was taken in 1773, united with some other tracts, and form- ed into a new township by the name of Alford ; and the portion east of Stockbridge, in 1777, was taken, and united with a portion of Washington, and some small- er tracts, and formed into another town by the name of Lee. The remainder of the upper Housatonic town- ship, omitting small trifling alterations, together with the section south of the Great Bridge, now constitute the township of Great Barrington.
The tract was formed into a parish about 1740, and was called the second parish of Sheffield. In 1761 it was selected as the seat of justice for the County of Berkshire, and in the course of that year it was incorpo- rated as a town by its present name. County buildings were afterwards. erected in the town, and courts were held here until 1787, when they were removed to Lenox. The town is about seven miles in length, and six in breadth, containing 42 square miles, or about 26,000 acres. It is bounded on the north by West Stockbridge, Stockbridge, and Lee, east by Tyringham and New Marlborough, south by Sheffield, and west by Egre- mont and Alford.
It is well watered by the Housatonic and its tributa- ries. The Housatonic runs through the town from north to south, leaving the larger division of it on the left. Williams' river from West Stockbridge unites with this in the north-west part of the town. Green river, which rises in the State of New York, and pass- es through parts of Alford and Egremont, unites with it in the south. Seaconk brook, a considerable branch of Green river, flows down from Alford, receiving after its entrance into this town the outlet of Long Pond, a pond of considerable size, near the north-west corner of the town. Besides these streams, a brook rises in the east part of the town, on the borders of Tyringham, called
221
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
Muddy brook, which runs northward into Stockbridge, where it assumes the name of Konkapot brook, and discharges itself into the Housatonic. On these rivers and brooks are many mill-sites, a considerable number of which are already occupied.
On the Housatonic are very valuable and considera- bly extensive intervals. There are also important inter- vals on Green river and Muddy brook. Excepting the North and West Plains, (as they are called, ) the sur- face of the town is generally uneven; some parts are mountainous, and unfit for cultivation. About 18,000 acres are under improvement, and the soil in general is rich and exceedingly feasible.
A mountain of no particular name rises to the south- east of the Great Bridge ; a range of hills north of this stretehes along two miles or more between the Housa- tonic and Muddy brook, and in the north-east section are the Beartown mountains, which spread into Tyring. ham. But the most remarkable mountain in the town is Monument mountain, rising up directly from the east bank of the Housatonic, in the north part of the town, and extending into Stockbridge. It derived its name from a rude monument of stones on its south-eastern point, a few rods from the County road ; which unhap- pily, a few years since, was thrown down by persons unknown, and the stones were scattered.
" The pile was six or eight feet in diameter, circular at its base, and raised in the form of an obtuse cone," (according to tradition, ) " over the grave of one of the Aborigines. The manner in which it was formed, was the following. Every Indian who passed the place, threw a stone upon the tomb of his countryman. By this slow method of accumulation, the heap rose in a long series of years to the size just mentioned."
"The same mode of raising monuments for the dead," (See Dwight's Travels, vol. ii. p. 381,) " except in one particular, has existed among other nations. The Israelites raised a similar monument for Achan, for the king of Ai, and for Absalom. Whether this was done from motives of general respect for the dead, and thus in conformity to a general custom, or with a design to express their abhorrence of the persons buried, will admit of a doubt. The manner in which the phrase
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GREAT BARRINGTON.
" the stones of the pit," is used by the prophet Isaiah, (Isa. xiv. 19) anallusion, I presume, to the same practice, does not remove the uncertainty. By the natives of Ame- rica it seems to be an expression of peculiar reverence, and an act of obedience to the dictates of their religion." It has been said, but whether as a matter of tradition or imagination, may be questioned, that the person buried here. was a female, who had thrown herself from the cliff's of the mountain, through the influence of a pas- sionate love for a cousin, whom the religion of the na- tives would not allow her to marry, because the connec- tion was deemed incestuous. Upon this tradition, (if it was one,) a poem was written some years since by William C. Bryant, Esq., then an inhabitant of this town, and published in the United States Literary Ga- zette.
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