USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > History of the county of Berkshire, Massachusetts, in two parts > Part 31
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a rapid increase, and the inhabitants were for a number of years unable to raise grain enough for the growing population.
The place was called West Hoosuck, until the time of its incorporation as a town in 1765. The records of the proprietors are inscribed, "Proprietors' Book of the West Township at Hoosuck." The first meeting of the proprietors, of which any record is preserved, was held Dec. 5, 1753, by virtue of a warrant of William Williams, Esq., of Pittsfield, issued in pursuance of a vote of " the General Court of Massachusetts Bay," Sept. 10, 1753. But " the house lots," so called, had been laid out in the north part of the town, previous to this meeting. They were laid on both sides of a princi- pal street, fifteen rods in width and a mile and ths in length, reaching from Green river on the east to Hem- lock brook on the west. This street runs over the high- est part of three eminences; on the first of which stands the East College and the Chapel, on the second the West College, and on the third the meeting-house ; and also over the northern point of a larger hill, lying between Doctor's brook and Hemlock brook. These lots were 120 rods in length, and 13} in width upon the street, containing 10 acres each. Seventeen were laid on each side of the street west of the meeting-house, and eleven on each side of it between the meeting- house and the corner near the residence of the late Judge Dewey. Between these and Green river, were laid six more on the north side, and one on the south. This last was laid lengthwise by the side of the street, on account of the nearness of Green river in the rear.
These lots were laid in this manner, in the Tex- pectation that lots of this size would soon be taken up by actual settlers, and that the settlement would thus give, while it received, support from the fort, which stood near the middle of it. One undesirable result of this measure was, that the lots were settled in part by men of smaller property, and less enterprize and force of character, who would neither have taken mere house lots for a close built village, nor purchased full sized farms. This injurious effect was attempted to be cor- rected by the method of distributing the other lands af- terwards among the proprietors ; but without full suc-
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cess. It was another disadvantage of this plan, that in fixing the location of the street, with reference to this temporary object, it was not laid on the ground most suitable for a village.
The principal street was crossed at the meeting-house by another perpendicular to it. Around this plat, which was 467 rods in length, and, but for the encroachment of Green river on the south-east corner, 265 rods in width, a highway was laid : but it never has been open- ed, except for a small distance at the north-west corner, on the sides contiguous to it. These lots were laid some time between 1749 and 1753, and the first settle- ments were mostly made on them.
In drawing for them, three lots were drawn by Lieut. Sam Brown, two each by Sam. Calhoun, W. Chedestre, Lieut. Obadiah Dickenson, Josiah Dean, Eb. Graves, Lieut. Moses Graves, Thos. Moffat, John Moffat, Æne- as Machay, Josiah Williams, Eph. Williams, Jr., and Lieut. Isaac Wyman ; and one each by Elisha Allis, Lem. Avery, Oliver Avery, Elijah Brown, Reuben Belding, Sam. Brown, Jr., John Bush, John Chamber- lain, Capt. Elisha Chapin, John Crafford, Elizur Dick- enson, Joel Dickinson, Aaron Denio, Daniel Donnilson, Ezekiel Foster, Nath. Harvey, Micah Harrington, Jos. Halley, Esq., Daniel Haws, Lieut. Elisha Hawley, Col. Oliver Partridge, Nath. Russell, Abner Roberts, Jos. Smith, Doct. Seth Hudson, Beni. Simonds, Sam. Smith, Thos. Train, Sam. Taylor, Geo. Willis, Esq., Tim. Woodbridge, Elisha Williams, Jr., and Sam. Wells. These were probably proprietors of the town. On- ly a few of them seem ever to have been actual set- tlers ; and of these no descendants retaining the family mame, and a very small number of others, are now in- habitants of the place.
The first meeting of the proprietors on record, Dec. 5, 1753, was at the house of Seth Hudson, who then lived on the corner south-west of the meeting-house. Rachel, the daughter of Col. B. Simonds, born April 8, 1753, was the first child of English parentage born in the town, or according to others, Esther, daughter of William Hosford. Col. Simonds, very early, if not from the beginning, lived on the lot next west of S. Hudson, where he subsequently built the house long occupied by
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Gen. Thompson J. Skinner. The back part of this house, built about 1760, was long the oldest house stand- ing, and was long time a tavern. The house is now en- tirely rebuilt. Richard Stratton, from Western, was a very early settler, and a leading man. He built the house in which G. T. Bulkley, Esq. now lives, the old- est two story house in the town. His brother Ichabod came some time after him, and presently went away. Jonathan and James Meacham, cousins, from New Sa- lem, came early. Jonathan lived in 1766, and some time before, near the College spring, and afterwards on Bee hill, where the Hickocks now are. James lived near where his family now resides. Thomas Train liv- ed near the present house of Hon. Daniel Noble, and in other places. Thomas Dunton, from Western, or its neighborhood, lived on Hoosic river, near Noble's bridge ; - - Wilson and Derick Webb, between D. Noble's and Green river. Opposite these, was Elkanah Paris, a Quaker, in the house nearest the river, on the south side of the street, who afterwards lived near Sam. Kellogg's, and then built the house in which Stephen Bacon lives, north of Saddle mountain; Capt. Isaac Searle lived where Timo. Northam now lives, Wm. and Josiah Hosford, from Canaan, Con., lived opposite the West College, the latter on the lot afterwards built up- on by Gen. Sloan ; the former where T. and J. P. Whit- man reside, and built the house now standing there. Lieut. Sampson Howe came about 1974, and had a house a few rods north-west of the meeting-house, where a gambrel house now stands; afterwards near Sam. Kellogg's barn, on the south side of the road. John Newbre lived just west of the burying ground. Elisha Higgins lived on the hill, nearly opposite the burying ground, and at another time near the present house of Capt. Thomas F. Hoxsey. Capt. Nehemiah Smedley, from Litchfield, Con., came very early ; five brothers and four sisters came later, and was on the same lot as Seth Hudson, probably after him. The orchard on this place is said to be the oldest in the town, and to have been planted in 1754 by N. Smedley It was in bear- ing in 1765. Exchanging this place with Dr. Page, for a lot purchased of the Rev. Mr. Welch, he built upon it, 1772, the next oldest house now remaining in town,
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occupied by his oldest son, just across Green river. One of the barns now standing there is much older than the house.
Among the earliest settlers in the north part of the town, who fixed themselves on the out lots, were, on the road to Adams, Sam. Kellogg, from Canaan, Con., about 1761, where his son of the same name now lives. Deac. Nathan Wheeler, of Stratford, last from New Milford, before 1765, lived on the lot now held by Wm. Sherman, Jr .; Mr. Seeley, from Dutchess county, N. Y., was on this lot first, but went soon to Pownal. His sors returned after a few years ; Elisha Baker, from Roxbury, Con., settled near where Ira Ford lives ; Ab- salom, his son, where Aaron Foote lives, and William Hines, from Woodbury, Con., opposite the small gam- brel-roofed house in the same street. Seth Luce, from Western, about 1768, planted himself near the north- west corner of Saddle mountain, beyond Mr. Alden's, and Joshua Perry, from Western, settled near him.
In Water street, along Green river, David Nichols, from Middletown, Con., 1768, a tanner, sat down where Henry Hurlbut now lives; Jedediah Smedley where John Day now is ; Stephen Davis where Oren Kellogg lives ; Titus Harrison, from Litchfield, near Town's mills, which he built and owned ; Isaac Ovits and his brother Thomas, from New Milford, about 1768, lived in the lot north-east of Blair's ; Josiah Wright, from Wethers- field, 1764, where Wm. Blair now is, and his father a little east, where is now a brick house.
Among those who earliest fixed themselves in East street, were -- Byam, father of Jesse Byam, from Tem- pleton, about 1767, where Potter now lives, and Sam. Burchard, about 1780, from Danbury, having first lived a while in South street, where Geo. Reed lives; Joseph Wheeler was near him in South street, after first living where Elisha Williams does in Water street.
Asa Johnson, from Canaan, Con., who came about 1762, and went away before 1772, lived near where Col. Sam. Tyler now lives, half a mile north of the meeting- house, and was succeeded by Rob. Hawkins, from New Milford, Con. John Smedley lived by the side of the Hoosic, not far from Pownal, near Russel Barret's. Der- rick Smith, from Connecticut, was an early settler, and
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long lived in the house on the line between this State and Vermont. Jos. Talmadge, from Colchester, Con., planted himself very early on the spot held till lately by his family on N. W. hill. A Mr. Southwick, from New Salem, set down just west of where Elisha Higgins first lived, and Stephen Olmsted, from Danbury, Con., about 1773, on the turnpike over the west mountain, near the Gore. Nathan Smith, known during the lat- ter part of his life as " Governor Smith," came very early from Western, lived in several parts of the town, and died in 1820, at the age of 102 years.
The fine lands at the south end of the town, were laid out very early as a part of the " hundred acre lots," next after the " house lots" aud "meadow lots." But the settlements here were begun later. It was not till about 1760 that Isaac Stratton, son of Richard, began on the spot ever since occupied by a tavern in the cen- tre of the village. He was there alone about three or four years. Daniel Burbank, from Western, built about 1764, on the spot where his family still resides, half a mile on the road to New Ashford. His first house was a framed building of one room. Robert McMaster from Brimfield, settled in 1763 on the lot now held by his son. His brother John at the same time began half a mile west of the village, near Norman Eldridge's. Moses Rich, from the same place, planted himself near the same spot at the same time. Bartholomew Wood- cock came in 1765 from Milford, Con. and set down near where he still lives; the oldest settler and house- holder now in town. His brother Nehemiah came in 1769 and built at the fork of the roads a mile north of the south village, still called Woodcock's corner. David Johnson, from Middletown, Con., about 1763, began the farm of Gurdon Bulkley on Stone hill, and built the house on it lately pulled down. His marriage with Phebe Cole, from Canaan, Con., was the first celebra- ted here by the Rev. Mr. Welch. Sam. Sloan, a native of Norwalk, came from Canaan, Con., and began be- tween the village and Woodcock's corner about 1766, and his brother Alexander came soon, and afterwards built the house there, now occupied by Gershom Bulkley. Thomas Roe, in 1764, from Canaan, began where Dan Foster, Esq. now lives. Jesse and Ichabod Southwick,
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from New Salem, came as early as 1763. Jesse lived by the Corbens, and Ichabod by the side of Green river, on the lot known as Hubbell's farm. John and Wm. Torrey came from Middletown about 1767. William began the farm now held by his son, Deac. David Tor- rev. John was a little south-east of him. Capt. Sam- uel Clarke, from Washington, Con., about 1765, lived where the widow Young now does.
Among the very early settlers at the S. end of the town were also Moses, Andrew, and Wm. Young, from Wes- tern, Zebediah Sabin, from Killingly, Con., David Johnson, 2d., from Thompson, Con. ; Asa, Amasa, and Joseph Corben, from New Haven, Con., Samuel Mills and Isaac, Jonathan, and Sam. Sherwood, from Con- necticut, and - - Deming, from Wethersfield, Con., the descendants of most of whom occupy the lands cleared by their fathers.
Of those who came somewhat later to the town, but before 1800, and who still remain here either they or a part of their families, Doct. Samuel Porter came from Northampton, Jonathan Danforth from Western, Dan- iel Dewey from Sheffield, William Starkweather from Preston, Con. George Krigger from Hoosic, N. Y. John Hickcox from Granville, William B. Sherman and Thomas F. Hoxsey from Kingston, R. I. Obadiah Bardwell and Daniel Harris from Heath, T. and J. P. Whitman, from Hartford, Con., Samuel Rossiter from Richmond, Nathaniel and Chas. Kellogg, from Bolton, Con.
The town received also a large number of inhabi- tants at different times between 1770 and 1800, from Colchester, Con., including all the Bulkleys, Bridgeses, Chamberlains, Days, Fords, Judds, Northams, Skin- ners, Tylers, Judah and Elisha Williams, Elijah Tho- mas and Solomon Wolcott.
A considerable part of the earlier settlers did not come until after the incorporation of the town, which took place in 1765. The first town meeting was held the 15th of July, 1765. From the "List" of that year, it appears that the taxable polls were 59, oxen 57, cows 75, and sheep $3. The two largest dairies were of six cows each, and there were two others of four The largest flock of sheep was 18; the next 14, 13,
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and 11. "Improvements were "listed " at 15s. the acre, and amounted to £426; from which it appears that about 573 acres were then under cultivation. Asa Johnson was rated for two mills, Nehemiah Smedley for £126 at interest, and Isaac Searle for £700. In the list of 1766 there were 74 polls, in 1768, 102 ; while " the voters by law " were only 20 ; in 1770, 119 polls ; in 1774, the polls at the north end were 108; south end, 98, in the town 206, and on the Gore west of the town, 12 ; in 1776, 220 in the town, and the valuation of the town was £5921, viz. of the north part £3535, the south part £2372. The number of rateable polls now (1829) is 352; of which 223 are taxed in the Con- gregational parish. The valuation of the town is now $353,000. The population was in 1810, 1843; in 1820, 2010.
This population is very much scattered. There are about eighty dwelling-houses within a mile of the Col- leges, of which something more than half stand com- pactly enough to be called a village, in which there are four or five stores and two taverns. The south village is smaller. In each of these villages there is a post of- fice. The town employs three physicians and two law- yers.
The following is believed to be a complete list of the physicians who have practised here, arranged with some reference to the order of time :
Jacob Meak, Wm. Page, Hutchinson, Camp, John Johnson, Ezra Baker, Elisha Baker, Re- membrance Sheldon, Wm. Towner, Sam. Porter, Solo- mon Wolcott, Lonson Porter, Sam. Smith, Alfred Per- ry, Lyndon A. Smith, John Adams, Jr., Albert G. W. Smith, Eben. Emmons, Henry L. Sabin.
The following is a list of the lawyers :
David Noble, Daniel Dewey, Daniel Noble, Am- brose Hall, Douglas W. Sloane, Charles A. Dewey, Homer Bartlett, Daniel N. Dewey, Charles Baker.
V
The settlers of this town early showed their wish and purpose to introduce and cherish here the literary and religious institutions by which they had been nurtured in the towns from which they came. Were new settle- ments at the present day equally ready to bestow the necessary care and expense on the same objects, these
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invaluable blessings of life and safeguards of liberty, would be now planted through all our States, so gener- ally as to leave little for us to wish or to do in their behalf.
In laying out the home lots, one lot on corner north- east of the meeting-house was reserved for the first min- ister who should be settled ; another contiguous to it, for the support of the ministry, and a lot on the south !- east corner for the support of schools. The out lots af- terwards drawn against the numbers of these three home lots were appropriated to the same uses. The school and ministry lands were sold in 1992 for £328; and the ministry house lot in 1777.
In the warning for the second meeting of the proprie- tors in April, 1751, an article was inserted, " to see if the proprietors will have the gospel preached in this town this summer, or some part of it." No measures on the subject were adopted, however, at that time, and there is no record of any proprietors' meeting for the next six years, until 1760 ; when it was voted, Oct. 1, to hire preaching for six months, March 10, 1763, it was voted to have preaching "for the future ;" and 16th of Nov. following, " to give Mr. Gideon Warren a call to preach on probation." Two years after this, and immediately after the incorporation of the town, the proprietors called Mr. Welch " to the work of the ministry in this town," July 26, 1765. His settlement was £80, ($267) to be paid one half the first year, the other half the year following. His salary was at first £40 a year, and was to be increased £3 annually until it should amount to £70. He was besides to have the use of the ministry house lots, but not the out lots.
He was ordained the latter part of the year 1765, and was the pastor of the church near twelve years. In the winter of 1776, he went with the American army to Canada as chaplain, in a regiment to which a party be- longed, commanded by Lieut. Zebadiah Sabin, of this town. Mr. Welch died of the small pox, in March of the same year, near Quebec. He was a native of Mil- ford, Con. His father dying early, the care of his edu- cation devolved on an uncle with whom he went to re- side in New Milford. He was graduated at Yale Col- lege in 1762. He was a man of intelligence and acti- vity, attentive to the duties of his office, and serious and
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earnest in the performance of them. His religious opi- nions seem to have agreed with those of the clergy of that day, that are now spoken of as approaching to Ar- minianism. He always wrote his sermons, and deliver- ed them with animation and propriety of manner. He was social in his habits, fond of conversation, in which he was often sportive and shrewd, and sometimes, per- haps, too gay and jocose. In person he was rather short and light. He was fond of athletic exercises, and excelled in them, whenever the manners of the day al- lowed him to join in them. He married Marvin, the daughter of Deac. Gaylord, of New Milford ; to which place she returned with a small family after his death, and married there again and lived to a great age.
The records of the church during his ministry, and previous to it, have not been preserved, and it is not known when the church was gathered, nor what were its numbers, until the time of his successor.
The Rev. Seth Swift, a native of Kent, Con., and a graduate of Yale College in 1774, was ordained May 26, 1779. The settlement voted him was ¿200, and the salary £60; to be increased £5 a year till it should amount to ££80.
The church, at the commencement of his ministry, consisted of 61 members, and 273 were added during his ministry of nearly 28 years. Of these, 52 were re- seived by letter. The largest additions during the period, were 23 in 1780, 23 in 1781, 54 in 1805, and 53 in 1806; 36 were received in 1907 after his death. He died after a short illness, Feb. 15, 1807. The following entry on the records of the church, testifies their affection and os- tcem for their pastor. "At about 9 o'clock, A. M. the Rev. Seth Swift, our much esteemed, dearly beloved, and very faithful and laborious pastor, died, in the midst of great usefulness, while God was pouring out his Spi- rit here, and giving him many seals of his ministry.". The Rev. Daniel Collins, of Lanesborough, preached his funeral sermon. Mr. Swift was a little above the middle stature, with a strong frame, and large features ; not at all studious of the graces of dress, manners, or conversation, warm and open in his temper, evangelical in his religious views, serious in the general tone of his intercourse with his people, zealous in the labours of
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the ministry, decided in his opinions, and prudent and energetic in his measures.
The people remained without a pastor more than six years ; in which time, besides the 36 beforementioned, 67 were admitted to the church, of whom 47 were re- ceived in 1812, after a season of great and general se- riousness.
The Rev. Walter King was installed as pastor of the church, July 6, 1913, and died here of an apoplectic at- tack, which came upon him in the pulpit, Dec. 1, 1815, at the age of 57. He was a native of Wilbraham, Mass. and was graduated at Yale College in 1782. He was ordained over the second church in Norwich, Con., in May, 1787, and continued there more than 24 years.
He was dismissed from this situation on account of a difference of opinion with the church, respecting the law- fulness of marrying the sister of a deceased wife. His salary at Williamstown was between 500 and 600 dol- lars. During his ministry here, of little more than two years, the admissions to the church were 21. His funeral discourse was pronounced by Rev, President Moore.
A short obituary notice of Mr. King may be found in the Panoplist for March, 1916, understood to be from the pen of the Rev. Dr. Hyde, of Lee, in which he is honoured as a " sound divine, a solemn and search- ing preacher, and eminently a man of prayer."
The Rev. Ralph Wells Gridley, son of the Rev. Eli- jah Gridley, of Granby, in this Commonwealth, and a graduate of Yale College in 1914, was ordained Oct. 9, 1816.
After the death of Mr. King, 12 persons were admit- ted to the church before the ordination of his successor, and since that time, 378. The whole number in 1803, was S1; in 1807, 195; and on the 1 st of Jan. last was 426. The population of the town has been at some times very changeful, and the number of admissions to the church by letter, and of dismissions with recommendation, has been remarkably large.
Nathan Wheeler and James Meacham were the first deacons in the church. Deacon Wheeler removed from town in 1781, and Deacon Meacham died, August, 1813, aged 79. Deacon Ebenezer Stratton was chosen as successor of Deacon Wheeler, and died in 1814, at
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the age of 68, Zadock Ford and Benjamin Skinner were chosen deacons in -1806, and Deodatus Noble in 1814. In 1828 Deacon Skinner died, aged 78; and Levi Smedley, Andrew Beers, and Dr. Ebenezer Em- mons were chosen deacons.
Religious worship was celebrated ten or twelve years in a school-house standing on the corner lot north-east of the present meeting-house, and a little back of the barn now standing there. The first proposal to build a meeting-house, was in Jan. 1766. It was renewed in December of the same year, and it was then voted to build a house 10 feet by 30, and to raise £180 for this purpose. The business was so exclusively in the hands of the proprietors, that they refused, April, 1768, to let the town have any voice in fixing the site of the house.
The house built for public worship by the proprietors in 1768, continued to be used for that purpose until 1798. But attempts to build a new one began as early as 1777; when it was voted (Jan. 6,) to build a meeting-house " near the centre of the town." The same thing was voted again. March 8, 1799, and also that the south part should have their portion of preaching there, until there should be a meeting-house in the centre. A "stake " was set for the meeting-house by a committee, and the site approved by vote of the town, July, 1781, on a height of land the east side of the County road, a quarter of a mile north of the present dwelling-house of Gurdon Bulkley, on the top of Stone hill, about mid- way between the two meeting-liouses since erected. Jan. 24, 1785, it was voted by the town to build a meet- ing-house in the south part ; the town to pay toward it the assessed value of the meeting-house in the north part, subsequently valued at £170. This plan failed. It was again voted, April 10, 1793, to build, if " the spot could be agreed on." This agreement could not be effected, and a proposal was made to divide the town, which was negatived, Jan. 2, 1994 ; and eleven days after, the town voted to raise £2000 to build. Af- ter fruitless attempts to carry this vote into execution, it was reconsidered, March 29, 1796, and in Sept. fol- lowing, the town allowed a house to be built by the pro- prietors, the old one to be removed, and used as a town house. The house now standing near the site of the old
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one, was soon erected. It is 76 feet long, and 55 in width, and cost about $6000. The house at the south part was erected about 1812 by subscription. Its dimen- sions are 57 feet by 42, and the cost was about $3500. This house was erected by the united exertions of Con- gregationalists and Baptists, and is used by them jointly.
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