USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > History of the county of Berkshire, Massachusetts, in two parts > Part 21
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Thomas Williams, son of Dr. Williams of Deerfield, student of Col. Hopkins, commenced practice in 1770 or 21, with the prospect of eminence. In 1775 he went to Cambridge at the head of a company of minute men, where he volunteered to follow Col. Arnold up Kennebec river to Quebec. His station was in the division com- manided by Col. Enos, which returned, after proceeding up the Kennebec as far as the mouth of Dead river, in consequence of the absolute impossibility of procuring provisions for the troops. The next year, being made lieut. colonel, he was ordered to Canada by a different route. On his way, he fell sick and died at Skenesbo- rough, now Whitehall, July 10, 1776, aged 30.
Theodore Sedgwick was born in Hartford, (W. D.) and educated at Yale College. Having read law with Col. Hopkins, he commenced practice in Great Barring- ton in 1776; in which year he went into Canada as aid to Gen. Thomas. He afterwards removed to Sheffield, and repeatedly represented that town in the Legislature. Soon after the adoption of the State Constitution, he was one of a council, who procured a decision, giving a cor .- struction to that instrument, which abolished slavery in Massachusetts .. In 1785 he removed to this town, and was that year, and the succeeding, a member of Con- gress under the Confederation. In the winter of 1787, he strenuously opposed the Shays rebellion. In 1788, he was a leading advocate for the adoption of the Con- stitution of the United States in the State Convention, and also a member of the Legislature, and Speaker of the House of Representatives. From 1789 until his death, he was, with scarcely any interruption, either a re- presentative or a senator in Congress, or a judge of the Supreme Court of this State. He also guided the stu- dies of many law students. Thus active, honored and esteemed, he died at Boston, Jan. 21, 1813, aged 66.
The excellent character and public services of the date Joseph Woodbridge, are well known.
Trucos & enged by'S" Menin L'haiel."
THEODORE SEDGWICK L.L.D. Judge of Supreme Court, Mass.
A HISTORY
OF THE
TOWN OF WEST STOCKBRIDGE,
BY REV. DAVID D. FIELD.
-
This town originally belonged to the Stockbridge In- dians, and was sold by them in parcels, larger and smaller, to individual purchasers. At the time of its separation from Stockbridge and incorporation as a town in 1774, it was 6 miles long and 2 ₺ broad, contain- ing 9600 aeres. A small gore of land, which fell into this State upon the establishment of the boundary line with New York, was annexed to it on the west in 1793; and in the beginning of the present year 930 acres were added to the north-east corner from Stockbridge, so that the number of acres now is between 11 and 12,000. The town is bounded on the north by Richmond, on the east by Stockbridge, on the south by Great Barrington and Alford, and on the west by Alford and the State of New York. It derives its name from its relation to Stockbridge. Before its incorporation, it was called Queensborough.
The first settler was Joseph Bryant, from Canaan, Con., who settled in 1766 near the north-west corner. Col. Elijah Williams from Stockbridge, in the latter part of the same year, settled at the place called from him " Williams' Iron Works," but now known by the name of West Stockbridge Village, having purchased a large tract of land in that section of the town. Between this time and 1974, about 40 families settled in the town; among whom were the families of Increase Hewins, from Sturbridge ; of Elisha Hooper, from Bridgewater ; of Lemuel Burghardt and Christopher Brazee, from
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
Egremont ; of John Minkler, from Taconic [now Mt .. Washington]; of Ichabod Miller, from Symsbury ; of Samuel Mudge and Elijah Slosson, from Sharon; of Josiah Arnold, from East Haddam ; of John Deming, (immediately from Fort Edward, but previously) from Canaan ; of Matthew Benedict, from Ridgefield ; of Roderic Messenger and Benjamin Lewis, from Farm- ington, Con. These were soon joined by John Ford and Ambrose Collins, from Farmington, and Amasa and James Spencer, from East Haddam, Con .; by Sa- muel Boynton, from Grafton, and by some others. In 1791, when the first census was taken, the number of inhabitants was 1113. It probably does not vary much frem this at the present time.
The early settlers generally planted themselves down in the north part of the town, where the lands are the most feasible and productive ; about the branches of Williams river and Maple hill.
A collection of rugged hills occupy the centre of the town. Near the south-west corner is a mountain called "Tom Ball," extending into Great Barrington and Al- ford; while Stockbridge mountain is on the eastern border. The mountain elevations vary in height, it is said, from 5 to 900 feet above the level of Williams river. The southern and south-eastern parts consist generally of rough, broken land. Lime ledges abound.
With the exception of a brook at the south-west, which runs into Alford, supplying a stone mill and saw- mill, Williams river is the common channel of nearly all the waters of the town. One branch of this rises in the west part of the town, and in the edge of New York, runs northerly towards the north-west corner, where it unites with Flat brook, which comes in from Canaan, and then turns eastward, and on its way to the village re- ceives Griffin's brook and Cone's brook from Richmond, and the outlets of two or three natural ponds, one of which is of considerable size. On the first branch and Cone's brook are 1 saw-mill, 4 stone mills, and 2 turning shops. At the village, after the union of all the branches, there is an excellent mill-site, where from a single dam water is taken to supply a grist-mill, a stone-mill, a saw- mill and turning shop. A few rods below is another dam, which supplies a woollen factory and another stone-mill. 'Two and a half miles south are Crocker's mills, a saw-mill,
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WEST STOCKBRIDGE.
u grist-mill, a stone-mill, and a tannery. Between these and Great Barrington line, are 2 saw-mills, 3 stonc- mills, a fulling-mill and turning-shop, a forge, a nail factory and a rolling mill. The forge has been in ex- istence 30 or 40 years, the nail factory 10; the rolling mill is just completed. The stone- mills above men- tioned are employed in sawing the marble, with which this town abounds.
The first quarry opened, was that, now denominated the " Old Quarry," on the west bank of Williams river, about midway of the town. - This was not wrought in a systematic and profitable manner until about 1790 ; since which, quarries have been opened in almost all parts of the town. On the opposite side of the same ledge is Robbins' quarry, and to the north Spencer's quarry, and several other of less note. Near the village are the Boyntons', Morgan & Kellogg's, and Cone's quarries ; near the meeting-house, Jones' quarry and Hinman's quarry, and to the south, Milligan's, John's and Fitch's quarries.
From Boynton's quarry many of the stone were tak- ed for the State House in Boston. The City Hall in New York'is built with stone taken partly from Milli- gan's, then Johnson's quarry ; but generally from that of Mr. Fitch.
To remove the rocks from their beds, deep blasting has been lately practised with great effect, both by bo- ring and by using the natural openings. In 1828, the Messrs. Boyntons charged an opening about 15 feet deep and from about 18 to 4 inches in diameter, with 204 pounds of powder. Upon firing it, a mass of mar- ble was raised about 50 or 60 feet square on the sur- face, and 8 feet thick. It has since been ascertaincd that at least twice this quantity was loosened.
The number of hands employed in all the business connected with the quarries may be 200. The exports from the town in 1827, consisting mostly of marble, were estimated at 2700 tons.
It varies in colour as well as fineness. Some of it is white and little inferior in purity to snow, some is parti-colored mostly with blue, somne is dove-color- ed, some is gray, and some is black.
For 80 years iron ore has been occasionally picked up on several farms in the northwest part of the town.
270
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
In 1826 a bed was opened on the farm of Dea. Nathl: Leet, from which in that year and the two following; more than 800 tons of ore were taken. It is excellent for castings, but not much used for bar iron. Iron ore probably abounda. Lead ore exists, but in what quan- tity is not ascertained.
Col. Williams opened a store at the village in 1773, where there are now 3 merchant stores, a post office, fa- vern, about 32 dwelling houses and several mechanic shops. A building for the double purpose of a meeting? house and school-house, was built in 1823. Stages from Springfield and Hartford meet here on their way to Albany. In the whole town there are 6 stores, 4 ta- verns, 2 post offices, 6 school-houses, 175 dwelling-hou- ses, and 194 families ; of which 100 belong to the Con- gregationalists, 70 10 the Baptists, 8 to the Episcopa- lians, 8 to the Methodists, and S to other denominations.
The Congregational meeting-house was built in 1783, and thoroughly repaired, or rather rebuilt, in 1823.
The church was organized June 4, 1789, and has had five pastors, viz. Rev. Messrs. Oliver Ayres, Jo- seph Edwards, John Waters, Nathan Shaw, and Mun: son C. Gaylord, who is the present pastor.
In several instances the people have been blessed with revivals, especially in IS21, and in the winter and spring of 1827. . The whole number of members in the church from the beginning to the 1st of Jan. last, was 239. The number at that time was 95.
The church holds in connection with the society $500, a bequest from Mr. W. Crocker, who died April 6, 1826. The Baptist church was organized about 1792, and the society incorporated and a meeting-house built in 1794. For several years the Rev. Saml. Whelpley from Stock- bridge preached to them. After leaving this place he went to Morristown, N. J. where he became a presby- terian, thence to Newark, and thence to the city of New York, where he died July 15, 1817, aged 51.
"He possessed an original and highly gifted mind, and displayed uncommon powers as a writer." He was author of "The Triangle," of " Letters on capital pun- ishment and war," of a "Compend of Ancient and Mod- ern History," and "Lectures on Ancient History."
Elder Nathl. Culver, preached to the Baptists some years. The church members in 1823, were 42.
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A HISTORY
OF THE
TOWN OF TYRINGHAM.
BY EDWIN BREWER, A. M.
THE history of this town, and indeed of all the towns in the south-eastern part of the County, may be traced to the commencement of the year 1735, when it became an object to cut a road across the Green mountain range between Westfield and Sheffield, and thus open a direct communication between Boston and Albany. On the 15th of January, in that year, the committee of both houses of the Legislature on the peti ions for townships, &c., reported : " That there be four townships opened upon the road betwixt Westfield and Sheffield, and that they be contiguous to one another, and either join to Shef- field, or to the township lately granted to the proprietors of Suffield." [afterwards Glasgow, now Blanford,] " each of the contents of six miles square ; and that there be 63 home lots laid out in a compact and defen- sible form, in each township, one of which to be for the first settled minister, one for the second settled minis- ter, one for schools, and one for each grantee, which shall draw equal shares in all future divisions ; that the grantees be such petitioners as have not been grantees and settlers for the seven years next preceding, and give security to the value of £40 each for a perform- ance of the usual conditions ; and that a joint commit- tee of five be appointed for this purpose." The report was accepted, and a committee appointed the next day, consisting of the Hon. Ebenezer Burril and Edmund Quincy, of the Upper House, and John Ashley, Esq., Capt. Stephen Skiffe, and John Fisher, Esq., of the.
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278
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
Assembly. The townships were Tyringham, New Marlborough, Sandisfield, and Becket, numbered at first 1, 2, 3, and 4, in the order in which they have now - been named. They were sometimes called the " Hou- satonic townships," or the " townships at Housatonic," from their vicinity to the Housatonic river.
Not long after the passage of the above acts, Colonels Ephraim Williams and Nahum Ward, in behalf of the petitioners, purchased of the Stockbridge Indians their right to the eastern section of this County, comprising not only the townships contemplated, but the three tracts, it is understood, formerly known by the names of the " North and South Eleven Thousand Acres, and Tyringham Equivalent." The South Eleven Thousand Acres was afterwards called Southfield ; and a few years since was annexed to the town of Sandisfield. The North Eleven Thousand Acres was called Bethlehem ; and Tyringham Equivalent was called Loudon. Beth- lehem and Loudon now constitute the town of Otis.
In consequence of this increase of territory, it was concluded by the Legislature to increase the proprietors in each township to 67, and to fix the rights at 70. The North and South Eleven Thousand Acres were eventu- ally divided equally among the four towns. Tyringham Equivalent, as the name suggests, was given, princi- pally, at least, to this town, in consideration of certain losses which it sustained. Twenty-one acres were giv- en, in the first place, in consideration of the ponds which fell within its limits, and two grants previously made to individuals, one called Price's grant, containing 600 acres, and another called Laughton's or Ashley's grant, containing 200 ; which latter grant, however, lay partly in New Marlborough. Four thousand acres more were given, June 24, 1737, in consideration of the loss of the north-west corner of the town, by the survey of the upper Housatonic township in October, the year preceding. As this tract included Twenty- five-mile pond, now Great pond, covering by estimation 800 acres, the tract was extended so as to include 4800 acres.
It is not known exactly at what time the surveys of the towns were made. Col. John Ashley, of Sheffield, and William Chandler, were engaged in a part, if not
$
279
TYRINGHAM.
the whole of them ; and the plot and minutes on the town books of Tyringham. are from a survey by Chan- dler in 1736. The west line was to have been run north so as to strike the south bank of the Housatonic, after it makes the great bend to the west in Lee. But in consequence of the loss just mentioned, it stops a mile and an half or two miles short of that point.
This town was divided into 21 portions by lines run- ning from north-west to south-east, half a mile from each other, from the south-west to the north-east corner. House lots, from 40 to 80 acres each, were laid out on the six portions next to the six south-western, contigu- ous to each other, abutting on the lines crossing the township. House let, No. 25, was set apart for the first clergyman, No. 21 for the second, No. 20 for schools, and 67 were drawn by lot against the names of the pro- prietors. Four of the proprietors were clergymen, and drew the following lots, viz. Rev. William Williams, of Weston, No. 33, since occupied by Daniel Garfield ; Rev. John Cotton, of Boston, No. 1, on which the first and second churches were built ; Rev. Warham Will- iams, of Waltliam, No. 70, now occupied by Jonas Brewer, and Rev. Jonathan Townsend, of Needham, No. 53, now occupied by his descendants. The draw- ing began Nov. 15, 1737, and was completed Feb. 28, 1733.
The other parts of the township, excepting that one lot of 70 acres was reserved for mills, were divided into larger lots, called town lots, and drawn against the num- ber of the house lots. The town lots were 271, and the whole number of lots 342, besides the prior grants al- ready named.
The rights of the town in the North and South Eleven Thousand Acres, and in Tyringham Equivalent, were also brought into division.
The settlement was commenced in 1739. In April of that year, Lieut. Isaac Garfield and Thomas Slaton moved into No. 1, and John Chadwick, Esq., joined them about the same time. In August following, Capt. John Brewer, from Hopkinton, moved into the town, and put up a house a little south of Twelve-mile, or Brewer pond ; where also he soon erected mills for the use of the inhabitants, agreeably to a contract with the
280
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
proprietors, on the site of the present Langdon mills. Concerning Capt. Brewer, it is worthy of notice, that he was the father of thirteen children. His youngest child, Col. Josiah Brewer, born Aug. 17, 1744, is still living, and is also the father of thirteen children, and has 56 descendants.
In the French war, beginning in 1744, several houses were fortified ; and the fortifications were rebuilt upon the alarm produced by two or three murders in Stock- bridge, in August, 1755. The first and principal of these, was around the house of Capt. Brewer; at which some soldiers were placed by the Provincial govern- ment. Among these was William Hale, who had as- sisted in building Fort Massachusetts in Adams, and who had been stationed in Stockbridge. He became a settler here as early as 1747, and was afterwards a dea- con in the church.
About 1750. John Jackson moved into the town from Weston ; and persons by the name of Thomas and Or- ton, four brothers by the name of Warren, with their father Joshua, (the first person born in Watertown,) moved into it about the same time.
This year, the proprietors, who had previously met for the transaction of business in the vicinity of Boston, where they then generally lived, began to hold meetings here ; and on the 18th of May, 1762, the town was in- corporated and called Tyringham.
It is said that this name was given at the suggestion of Lord Viscount Howe, who owned property at a place of the same name in England, and who passed through this town a few days before he fell near Ticonderoga, July 6, 1758.
The south part of the town, sometimes called South Tyringham, was generally settled at an early period ; but Hop-brook, or north Tyringham, was left as an in- salubrious marsh for more than twenty years. The first log house in this section of the town, was erected by Dea. Thomas Orton, about 1762, on the ground since owned and occupied by his son-in-law, Isaac Garfield, now in the possession of the Shakers. Much of this marsh is now valuable meadow. The northern road through it, is now a thriving street ; the southern is through the settlements of the Shakers, which will be
281
TYRINGHAM.
noticed hereafter. From 1800 to 1820 the population of the town decreased, but for several years past has been on the advance. It may now be, perhaps, 1600.
There are five grave-yards in the town ; one, south- east of the south meeting-house, now abandoned ; one, west of it; one back of Hop-brook meeting-house ; one among the Shakers, and another in the south-west district, recently laid out.
The town is 5 miles wide from east to west, and on the eastern side more than 7 miles long from north to south. The alterations made since the settlement are trivial ; a small triangle from the north-east corner of New Marlborough was annexed to it in 1812. It is bounded by Lee on the north ; by Becket, Otis. and Sandisfield on the east; by Sandisfield and New Marl- borough on the south, and by New Marlborough and Great Barrington on the west.
Though the town contains many acres of good land, it is twice crossed by two heavy ranges of hills, which run in an easterly and westerly direction. One of these stretches along the northern border of the town ; the other, a little above the south line, takes a westerly di- rection, and after passing a few miles, rises and spreads into the Beartown mountains. In the hollow between these ranges, the Hop brook, rising in a small pond in Otis, flows westerly and discharges itself into the Hou- satonic in Lee. It derives its name, in common with the interval and settlement on its borders, from the wild hops which formerly grew upon its banks.
On the north-eastern border of the town are two ponds called Goose ponds, which send forth a small stream that unites in Lee with Green-water brook. On the southern border are two other ponds, called Twelve-mile pond, or Brewer pond, already mentioned, and Six- mile pond. Pickerel, introduced into these ponds some years since, have now become considerably plenty. On the southern side of the western range of hills, two streams rise on nearly the same ground, and run in op- posite directions. One, called East brook, after a gen- tle descent of two miles to the north-west, breaks through the ridge, in the brow of which it has worn a long, deep and narrow passage, and makes its way for three miles more to the Housatonie in South Lee. The other in & 24*
282
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
south-easterly course of three miles, unites with Rattle- snake brook and the outlet of Twelve-mile pond, and then turns through the south-western part of the town into New Marlborough. This is a branch of Konkapot brook.
Along the banks of these streams is favorable.ground for the construction of a road, which would accommo- date the people of the south eastern section of the Coun- ty in their intercourse with Lenox, and the public gene- rally in their communication between Hartford and Al- bany.
The higher grounds are chiefly used for grazing ; the lower better repay the labours of tillage : but in general it may be said that the soil has suffered from the waste- ful mode of culture common to new settlements, and to the old system of husbandry. Some of the lands are benefitted by gypsum.
Most of the inhabitants are agriculturalists. There are some manufacturers. Besides the furnace and other shops belonging to the Shakers, there are three small woollen factories, several rake and shingle mills, two grist-mills, and seven saw-mills. There are two taverns in the town, and four stores, at which the farmers do most of the business that they used formerly to do at the market towns on the Connecticut and Hudson rivers. The exports now exceed 350 tons, and tle :m- ports 150; and were it as easy to communicate with large towns as we may expect it will be, the exports and imports might easily be doubled.
But little attention has been paid to the mineralogical and geological resources of the town. The eminences present in some places sharp and elongated ridges of gneiss or granite, and quarries of primitive limestone are found at their bases. There are some specimens of garnet ; the sulphuret of iron is not uncommon. From a bed of iron ore in the south-west part of the town, the iron works in New Marlborough received for a season a partial supply ; and plumbago of a pretty good quality has been taken from the common ore.
In the French wars, beginning in 1744 and 54. it is, not known that any inhabitants of this town were killed, although many were detached in the expeditions to the north. When the authority of the mother country was
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238
TYRINGHAM.
' suspended at the commencement of the Revolutionary war, the selectmen and a committee of safety were by common consent entrusted with the administration of justice. In that war the town lost three men, Nathan Hale, Daniel Markham, and a Mr. Culver. Hale was killed outright by a grape shot at Bemis' Heights, Oct. 7, 1777 ; the other two died in the service.
.In the grant of the town, some provision was made for the support of the gospel ministry. Within a specified time, a house for the worship of God was to be erecied. A vote for this purpose was passed within a year after the settlement began. The house was erected in 1743; though in consequence of the alarms and expense occa- sioned by the first French war, it was not covered for several years. The present church, on the southerly edge of the same lot, was erected in 1796, and dedica- ted July 4, 179S. Another house was built in Bop- brook in 1797, where a part of the Congregational soci- ety lived. This has been recently finished, and is oc- cupied by the Baptists. The Reformed Methodists erected a small house a mile south of this, in 1825.
The first settlers were Congregationalists ; and the inhabitants as a body belonged to this denomination, until near the close of the Revolutionary war; when.a portion of the people became Shakers. After that, some Baptists moved into the town from Rhode Island : the Methodists are of more recent origin.
The Congregational church was formed of 8 members, Sept. 25, 1750, and on the 3d of October following, Rev. Adonijah Bidwell was ordained its pastor.
He was a native of Hartford, Con., and was born af- ter the decease of his father, the owner and master of a vessel, who was lost at sea with it, on his homeward passage from the West Indies. He was graduated at Yale College in 1740, and in 1745 wert as chaplain un der Sir William Pepperel to the capture of Cape Bre- ton: "During the 34 years of his ministry, which was honorable, and in general, peaceful and undisturbed, he admitted 90 communicants, and baptized 378 chile dren and adults. He lived greatly beloved for his ch: ? tian friendship, charity, sound judgment, and integrity, and died June 2d, 1784, in the 68th year of his age. „.The year before his death, there was a revival of reli-
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