USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > History of the county of Berkshire, Massachusetts, in two parts > Part 24
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Bethlehem was incorporated in 1789. This was ori- ginally called the North Eleven Thousand Acres, with reference to Southfield, which was called the South Eleven Thousand Acres. Both these tracts, with the exception, perhaps, of a few individual grants, belonged to the four towns of Tyringham, New Marlborough, Sandisfield, and Becket. Bethlehem was four miles square, bounded on the north by Becket, on the east by Loudon, on the south by Sandisfield, and on the west by Tyringham. It was three miles less in extent than Loudon, from north to south ; and as Sandisfield extended as far east as Bethlehem, the north-east cor- ner of Sandisfield is but one half mile south of the cent tre of the present town of Otis,
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE,
The general aspect of the town is uneven and broken. The ground rises into hills on each side of the Farming- ton river, east and west. It abounds with granite rock, which renders tillage difficult and expensive. The land, however, by being cleared of stones, and suitably manured, yields good crops of potatoes, oats, Indian corn, summer wheat and rye. Winter wheat is not raised, and winter rye is cultivated only upon newly cleared land. The corh best adapted to the soil, on ac- count of its ripening early, and being less liable to be injured by frost, is a smaller species than that which is cultivated in warmer soils. The land usually affords good pasturage, and is best suited to dairying and to the raising of cattle and of sheep ; to which objects it is principally devoted. The inhabitants purchase most of their bread stuffs abroad. A considerable portion of the mowi land yields a moderate crop of hay ; in consequence of which the number of acres mown is large. By providing and preparing a sufficiency of manure, farmers might make great improvement in this respect.
Orchards are sufficiently numerous and productive, usually to afford a supply of cider for the inhabitants, and often a surplus. When due attention is bestow- ed upon the cultivation of apples, some of the finest sp-cies and of an excellent quality are produced.
The forest land is considerably extensive, consisting principally of beach, birch, hard and soft maple, ash, and hemlock. Farmers generally make a sufficiency of maple sugar for their consumption, and some for sale. Pine, which in the settlement of the town was abundant, has now become scarce, and the same is true of white ash, which has been greatly used in the manufacture of wooden ware. The lumber business, formerly pursued to a large extent, has much dimi- nished.
Farmington river, passing through the town from north to south, is the largest stream in Otis. It rises in Becket, and is formed by the union of two streams in the north part of the town. In its course it furnishes severa! mili-seats. There are four saw mills, two clo- thiers' works, and a grisr-mi' and carding machine. built upon it, near the Hartford and Aibany turnpike
OTIS. 313
This turnpike, which follows the course of Farmington river, is a stage road from Pittsfield to Hartford and the principal road of travel through the town. The roads east and west, though much better made than formerly, are in an inferior state of improvement.
The chain of ponds in the eastern section of the town, is connected by a considerable stream, which after leav- ing the last pond, falls down a precipice, probably sixty or seventy feet, and almost perpendicular, forming a considerable cataract. The stream, which passes off through a deep defile into Farmington river, affords ex- cellent seats for mills and manufacturing establishments, at a convenient distance from the Hartford turnpike. The name of this stream is Fall river, and it unites with Farmington river in the southern part of the Loudon section of the town. Great pond, the first in the chain, is a beautiful expanse of water, in the north-eastern part of the town, embosoming a considerable island, called Ram island, and another one of smaller size. The stream passes from this to Rand pond, on which is built a grist-mill, an oil-mill, and a saw-mill. Rand pond may be a half mile in breadth and two miles in length, extending into the edge of Tolland, and then bending to the north : from this, Fall river flows. Pa- rish pond lies half a mile west of Great pond, and af- fords a small stream, running separately to Farmington river ; and upon this stream a saw-mill is built. There is still another pond, called Larkeom pond, perhaps a mile west of Rand pond, and north of Fall river, sur- rounded by abrupt hills, except at the south end, from which a stream of water passes into Fall river. Rand pond is seventy-six feet lower than Great pond, and barkeom pond probably two hundred feet lower than Rand pond. A stream from the east, upon which two saw-mills stand, enters Farmington river, half a mile south of the meeting-house, in the centre of the town.
Ward brook, from the west, upon which a saw-mill stands, enters Farmington river, about three-fourths of a mile below the meeting-house.
The land throughout the town is well supplied with streams and springs of water ; the water of the wells is usually very pure, and rarely fails. Droughts are not 27
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
so severe in their effects upon vegetation in this town, as in soils composed more of sand and gravel.
Iron ore has been dug in one place, but so near to marshy ground and a stream of water, that the design of raising it has been abandoned.
At the distance of about half a mile west of the centre of the town, is a rock with an opening or cavity in it, near the surface of the ground, where crystals of quartz and iron pyrites have been found. In the early settle- ment of Bethlehem, Daniel Sumner, while hunting for deer near this rock, (as is reported,) heard a sudden lou 1 explosion, which greatly surprised and alarmed him. Curiosity leading him to examine from what source it proceeded, he found an unusual appearance of the rock, which was discolored, where a fissure had been made, from which he inferred that the sound had proceeded from that place. It was probably produced by the combustion of hydrogen gas.
At what time the settlement commenced in Loudon is not known. It was probably as early as between 1750 and 60. Some of the earliest inhabitants, whose names can be ascertained. were David Kibbe, Stephen Kibbe, Isaac Kibbe, Dan Gregory, - Larkeom, Jeremy Stow, Eldad Bower, Ephraim Pelton, George Troop, Ebenezer Trumbull, Jacob Cook, Timothy Whitney, Jonathan Norton, and Smith Marcy.
The Kibbes and Larkeom were from Enfield, Con. ; E. Pelton from Granville ; T. Whitney from Peters- ham, Mass .; J. Norton from Suffield, Con. ; and S. Marcy from Woodstock, Con.
* The vote to build the first school-house was passed in 1774. The oldest burying ground in Loudon is in the south-eastern section of the town, and the grave-stone, bearing the earliest date, is dated 1774, though doubt- less several persons had been interred there years be- fore.
The oldest road in the town was one running from Blanford, through the south part of Loudon, past thie old burving ground, and passing through the north part of Sandisfield, through Tyringham to Great Barring- ton .. This was called the great road from Boston to Al- bany.
315.
OTIS.
The town of Loudon must have been settled slowly ; for in the year 1731 the town was classed to raise three soldiers for the American army, and the names of those from whom they were to be taken, are given, and are only forty-seven in number.
Bethlehem began to be settled several years after Loudon. The proprietors being non-residents, either gave farms to certain individuals, to promote settlements in the place, or else sold their lands, at first, at a low price, for the same reason.
The names of some of the first settlers were Thomas Ward, Daniel Sumner, Phineas Kingsbury, John Plumbe, Adonijah Jones, Ebenezer Jones, Miles Jones, James Breakenridge, John Spear, and Robert Hunter. The Joneses came from Palmer, Mass., as did J. Break- enridge and J. Spear. The Joneses, however, origina- ted in Hebron, (Andover Society, ) Con. The subse- quent inhabitants who moved into the district, came principally from Connecticut
In June, 1809, the district of Bethlehem was united with the town of Loudon, the town still bearing the name of Loudon. At a town meeting, holden in May, 1810, it was proposed to have the name of the town altered, and called Mountville, or by some other name, at the dis- cretion of P. Larkeom, Esq., then representative at the General Court ; and in June he obtained for it the name of Otis, in honor of the Speaker of the House of Re- presentatives, the Hon. Harrison G. Otis, of Boston.
It appears in the early records of the town of Loudon, that money was usually voted each year to hire preach- ing, and votes were passed from time to time to hold public worship, at some specified dwelling-house, or at a school-house.
About 1772, before the town was incorporated, a per- son came into it by the name of George Troop, pre- tending to be a candidate for the ministry, whom the inhabitants employed several years; though it appear- ed finally that he had no license to preach. On a cer- tain occasion, some of his hearers undertook to ordain him, and then he on his part undertook to form them in- to a church. When he had done that, he lead them to the choice of deacons. At length both the church and people lost their confidence in him. An ecclesiastica!
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
council, convened in the early part of 1775, decided, that he had no authority to preach, or to organize a church, and that his church was not a regular church of Christ. In 1776, Mr. Troop had an opportunity to go into the army of the United States ; and a vote of the town, passed on the 28th of August in that year, shows the feelings which the inhabitants then entertained con- cerning him: " Whereas the Assembly assigned Mr. Troop to preach in this town for five years, in conside- ration of a grant of land to him, for settlement, and the term is not and will not be expired. until April next, yet by reason of some disquietudes, which render his labours among us not so serviceable ; and he being in- vited in the common cause ; where possibly he might be more serviceable ; by the consent of those who hold themselves the church, we as the town vote a discharge and dismission, as fully and freely declaring ourselves as fully satisfied, as if he had staid and preached out the full term of the said five years." As for the land men- tioned in this vote, it is said Mr. Troop never chtained a title to it. He went into the army, with the view of officiating as a chaplain; and his church separated and was dissolved.
Before this time, however, a committee of the town employed a Mr. Woodbridge as a candidate.
On the 2d of February, 1779, a regular church was formed, consisting of 7 members, 4 males and 3 fe- males.
After this, money was raised by the town, from time to time, to hire preaching, and some unsuccessful at- tempts were made to settle a minister. Neighbouring pastors also occasionally gave their labours, administer- ed the ordinances, and admitted members to the church. In 1805, a candidate by the name of Roger Adams was employed, and a considerable revival took place under his preaching, as the fruits of which, thirty-two mem- bers were added to the church in that year. The whole number of members admitted to this church from its or- ganization up to June 5, 1810, when Bethlehem church was united with it, is 101.
The Bethlehem church was organized Sept. 14, 1795, of 8 members, 5 males and 3 females. The inhabi- tants of the district usually raised a small sum annually
317
OTIS.
to hire preaching ; and neighbouring pastors, here as well as in London, occasionally performed labours of love. Small accessions were made to the church from time to time. The number received from its organiza- tion (so far as the records show) up to the time of the union, was 33.
With respect to this union, it may be proper to say, that at a conference of these churches, holden on the 5th day of June, 1810, it was mutually agreed, and vo- ted by the members, to become one church-to consider all the members of each church, as members of the uni-\ ted church, and to embrace for their confession and co- venant, the same that were adopted by the church of Loudon, Sept. 24th, 1501.
No house of public worship was ever completed in Loudon. Different attempts, however, were made for the purpose. There was a proposition to obtain assist- ance from inhabitants of Blanford, by getting a part of that town annexed to Loudon. This failing, a place deemed central for the town was fixed upon for a house of worship, and a vote passed to build, and to raise $1000 for the purpose. But at a subsequent meeting, it was voted not to empower the constable to collect the money, and the measure failed. This took place in 1806. Soon after, a United Congregational Society, of inhabitants of Loudon and Bethlenem, was formed and incorporated, who engaged in building a meeting-house, which should be central to the town and district. In consequence of this, the inhabitants in the southern sec- tion of Loudon, united with sundry inhabitants of Blan- ford in building a house of worship, by subscription ; the house being intended to be free for different deno- minations. The house was raised, and partly finished, when in the course of 1S03, it was burnt, as is supposed, by.the hand of an incendiary.
The United Society of the town of Loudon and dis- trict of Bethlehem, agreed upon the place for building, and procured timber for a house of worship, before the union of the town and district in 1809. When this had taken place, the town appointed a committee to fix upon a place, and report a plan for building. They reported in favour of the same place which had been before cho- sen by the society, and proposed that the house should
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
be built by subscription. This course was pursued, and the present house having been finished, was dedicated in the autumn of 1813. It was thus about thirty-nine years after the incorporation of Loudon, and about twenty-four after the incorporation of Bethlehem, that the first house of worship for a Congregational church and society was finished and set apart for the service of Jehovah. It was an event which was accordingly hailed with the liveliest gratitude by the friends of Zion.
After the dedication, the church received assistance from the members of the Berkshire Association. For a term of time, they had the services of the Rev. Aaron Kinne, and of some other clergymen. In Nov. 1814, the Rev. Jonathan Lee, the present pastor. complied with an invitation to preach in the place, and he was or- dained June 25, 1815.
Towards the close of 1815, and in the early part of 1816, there was a small revival, as the fruits of which about 20 were added to the church. In March, 1827, an extensive and powerful revival commenced, which continued with interest until the beginning of Septem- ber. As the fruits. 65 were added to the church ; of whom 33 at the time of admission were heads of famni- lies.
The number admitted to this church since the union is 147, 137 of whom have been admitted by the present pastor. The number admitted to this, and to the two olurches from which it was formed, is 281.
The number belonging to the church on the 1st of January last, is 130.
Deacons.
Jonathan Norton ; chosen -.
Samuel Baldwin ; do. Jan. 6, 1806; moved from town in 1810.
Benjamin Barker ; do.
Seth P. Kingsley ; -; moved from town.
John Spear ; chosen in 1827.
Eber Jones ; do. do.
The Congregational church and society have both been weakened by emigrations. The facilities for ac- quiring lands in New Connecticut, by exchange of farms, and the advantages of a more luxuriant soil, in- J'uec many farmers, instead of making improvements
819
OTIS.
on their neglected acres, to leave the place of their fa- thers' toils, and to bid farewell to their sepulchres, for the regions of the west. The population of the town was about the same in 1810 and 1820, not varying far from 1000 souls.
When the Shays insurrection broke out in 1786, a number of the parishioners of the Re . Mr. Storrs, of Sandisfield, living in the north part of that town, be- came alienated from him, on account of his opposition to the party of Shays, and withdrew from his ministry, They professed themselves Baptists, and united with some inhabitants in the western part of Bethlehem, in forming a Baptist church. They built a house for'wor- ship, which stands in the south-western corner of this town.
In the south-eastern part of Otis, near Blanford. a house for worship was erected by subscription in 1815 and 16, by inhabitants of these two towns; though it is not completed. A Methodist Episcopal society was af- terwards formed and incorporated, consisting of a part of the proprietors. They have occasionally employed preachers. The number of Methodist communicants is 33.
On the first of January, 1828, an Episcopal society was formed in the centre of the town, The Episcopal communicants are 9.
Physicians.
Eliphalet Colt, Edmund Bancroft, White G. Spen- cer, Adonijah White, Watson Sumner, Charles H. Lit- tle, Eber West, and Warham L. Fitch.
Magistrates.
Timothy Whitney, Adonijah Jones, Paul Larkeom, Samuel Picket, Lester Filley, who is also a practising attorney, and Bavil Seymour.
A HISTORY
OF THE
TOWN OF RICHMOND,
BY REV. EDWIN W. DWIGHT.
THIS township was first purchased of two chiefs or sa- chems of the Stockbridge tribe of Indians, about the year 1763. The names of the chiefs were Ephraim and Yokun.
It appears that by a resolve of the General Court, passed Feb. 17th, of that year, the purchase was con- firmed to the several proprietors, on condition of their Paying a stipulated sum of money to the Indians, and performing certain " settling duties" ; which duties were, that the purchasers should, in the space of five years from the time of passing the resolve, have fifty settlers, residing within the limits of Mount Ephraim and Yokuntown, (now Richmond and Lenox,) who should each have a dwelling-house of certain dimensions and seven acres of land, well cleared, fenced and tilled ; and that they should have settled among them, within the time specified, a learned Protestant minister of the gospel. The purchase was made under the agency of Samuel Brown, Jr. Esquire, of Stockbridge.
It was bonded as follows : On the west by the pro- vince-line of Massachusetts, separating it from the State of New York ; north by Pittsfield, and the pro- vince lands, now called Hancock; east by the Housa- touic river ; and south by Stockbridge and public ministerial grants. These boundaries included the pre- sent townships of Richmond and Lenox. The consi deration for the purchase was the sum of £1700.
RICHMOND.
321
After the purchasers had obtained a grant from the Legislature confirming their purchase, they found them- selves in an embarrassed situation, in regard to bring- ing forward their settlement.
They were not empowered to levy and collect taxes on their lands, either for the purpose of building a house for public worship, settling a minister, or making and repairing roads. But at the session of the General Court in January, 1764, they obtained an act authori- zing them to levy and collect taxes for these purposes.
After having their powers enlarged, they called their first meeting on the 17th day of April of the same year, at the house of John Chamberlain in Mount Ephraim. At this meeting, Timothy Woodbridge, Esq., of Stock- bridge, was chosen moderator, and Samuel Brown, Jr. Esq., was chosen clerk, and sworn. Samuel Brown, Esq., of Stockbridge, Capt. Charles Goodrich, of Pitts- fieid, Capt. Thomas North and Micah Mudge, of Mit. Ephraim, and Mr. Jacob Bacon, of Yokuntown, were chosen a committee to lay out, and make and .epair highways within the bounds of said purchase. Elijah Williams, Esq., of West Stockbridge, was chosen trea- surer, and sworn. After thus organizing their meeting, they made a grant of £25, to be assessed on the rights of the proprietors, for the purpose of hiring preaching, and appointed a committee to procure a preacher.
On the 25th of May following, another meeting of the proprietors was called, to see if they would agree to build a meeting-house in Mt. Ephraim and another in Yokuntown ; at which time they agreed to build one in each part of the township, of the following dimensions, viz. 45 feet in length and 35 in breadth.
They also granted a tax of twenty shillings on each hundred acres of land, to defray the expense of build- ing said houses ; and ordered the money to be paid in- to the treasury in eight months.
The proprietors also proceeded to choose a committee to superintend the erection of both houses. The com- mittee for Mt. Ephraim were, Messrs. John Slosson, John Chamberlain, Ichabod Wood, Elijah Brown, and Thomas North. The committee for Yokuntown were, Messrs. Stephen Nash, Ja .ob Bacon, Charles Good- rich, Solomon Gleazen, and James Richards.
322
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
On June 20th, 1765, the township was by the Legis- lature incorporated under the name of Richmond, (after the Duke of Richmond) " with all the powers, privile- ges, and immunities, which towns in this Government have, and do enjoy."
In the year 1766, a great part of the roads in the town were laid out and opened. They were laid out with great regularity, and in an unusual number ; inter- secting each other at right angles, and running nearly east and west, north and south. The meeting-houses were now advancing ; were occupied ; and more mo- ney was granted to procure preaching.
In the year 1767, (Feb. 26) this town was divided by an act of the Legislature, and the easterly part was called Lenox ; which was the family name of the Duke of Richmond.
At the division of the town, 1900 acres of land of the Yokun purchase were annexed to the Mt. Ephraim purchase, in order that the dividing line between the two towns might be on the mountain which separates them. This line is now a 'very irregular one.
From this time, the two towns have enjoyed their se- parate interes's and privileges.
After this division, Richmond was reduced to about four miles square, and is now bounded as follows : North by Hancock and Pittsfield ; east hy Lenox ; south by Stockbridge and West Stockbridge ; and west by the State of New York. The east and west lines are on mountains, ranging about north, 20 deg. east.
The tract of country between the mountains is a plea- sant and fertile valley, averaging about three miles in width, enclosed by hills on the east and west, command- ing delightful prospects. This tract of land being al- most exclusively fit for cultivation, was soon cleared of its enormous load of timber, and converted into delight- ful and productive fields.
Wheat was produced in abundance, yielding often from thirty to forty bushels to the acre. Indian corn, cats, flax, barley, &c., yielded luxuriant crops. Rye is now cultivated in general instead of wheat, though the la ter is still raised in some cases with good success.
The soil of Richnond has a large mixture of clay and gravel. In some parts of the town, clay is found in such
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RICHMOND.
abundance as to admit of brick being furnished in suf- ficient quantities, it is supposed, for all the purposes of building, and other uses to which brick are generally applied. Brick has been made for many years, thoughi not in large quantities.
There are in the easterly part of the town, quarries of excellent limestone, from which lime has been fur- nished for the supply of the inhabitants ; aud to a con- siderable extent, of other towns in the vicinity, and for transportation to distant markets.
Beds of iron ore are found in the south part of the town, yielding ore of an excellent quality, which have been improved to good advantage for more than half a century. A new bed has recently been discovered in the east part of the town, which it is thought will prove very productive. 'The ore from the beds already wrought has been generally carried to the furnaces at Lenox and Lee. A furnace is now contemplated, and will proba- bly soon be erected, on a stream in the south-west part of this town, by Messrs. Coffin & Holley, of Salis- bury, Con. ; by whom a site has been purchased, which has been occupied as a mill-seat by Capt. Russell Griffin.
Marble, of a superior quality for building, though not susceptible of the highest polish, is likewise found in abundance.
Fruit trees, such as apples, pears, cherries, quinces, and plums, flourish in this town.
There is a kind of yellow clay, found on the farms of John and Zebulon Bacon, which has been improved for crucibles for the use of silversmiths, to good purpose, and may be found adapted to more important uses.
There are no large streams in the town. But two of three streams rise within the limits of the town, of such a size that useful mills have been erected upon them. At present there are two grist-mills, three saw-mills, two fulling-mills, two carding-machines, and a woollen factory of considerable importance. This factory has recently been erected by an individual, on a small stream, promising but a doubtful supply of water. But by care in the construction of the dam, and more espe, cially by introducing a water-wheel of unusual size,
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