USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > History of the county of Berkshire, Massachusetts, in two parts > Part 32
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The labours of the pastor of the Congregational church on the Sabbath, have been enjoyed by the peo- ple at this end of the town every third Sabbath, since the early part of Mr. Swift's ministry.
For a long time after the settlement of the town, the people were nearly all of one religious denomination, and constituted but one religious society. In the year 1777, when 220 polls were rated in town taxes, 207 of them were rated in the minister tax. Division in religious opinion and worship has since become more considerable, as in most other towns in New England. Richard Stratton, Esq., one of the first and most re- spectable settlers, was a Baptist, and was called Dea- con. There was early a small Baptist congregation. In May, 1791, the town refused " to incorporate Mat- thew Dunning and 14 others into a Baptist society,"* according to their petition. The next year, " Isaac Holmes was chosen tything-man for the Baptist society in this town."*
The Baptists assisted to build, and have a joint right with Congregationalists to use, the south meeting-house. They have never had a settled minister ; but sometimes hire one for the year. The church of that denomina- tion here included some members from Hancock, but was always small, and was dissolved about 1811. Some of the members of it united themselves with a church in Berlin, N. Y. After two or three years, another Bap- tist church was formed, which now consists of 43 mem- bers.
The Methodists in the town have always been few, and now are only a very small number of families.
The poor of the town have usually been placed in the families of such inhabitants as would maintain them at a reasonable rate per week. Sometimes a gross sum has
.º Town records.
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE,
been paid to the lowest bidder for the support of them all during the year. The situation of the town, contiguous to New York and Vermont, often made the number of state poor here particularly large. In the year 1826, more than 40 were supported, in whole or in part, at an expense to the public of 1200 dollars. Of this sum, near $1000 was paid by the Commonwealth for 35 state paupers. In the spring of 1827, the town rent- ed a large farm, and collected the poor upon it, under the care of a superintendent. Notwithstanding the dis- advantages and extra expenses of a new establishinent, the expense for state paupers was reduced to about $600, and that for the town poor to $100. For the present year the expenses will be still less. Three on- ly are supported at the charge of the town, and twelve by the state ; of which last, six are under twelve years of age.
The town contains thirteen school districts, and rais- es $700 a year for the support of common schools.
A town library was begun between 1780 and 1790, which at the time of the Rev. Mr. Swift's death con- v tained near 200 volumes ; since that time it has been much neglected.
There are two burying grounds, both laid out early. That at the south end of the town was laid out about 1769, and is a quarter of a mile east of the meeting- house, at some distance from the road. The spot first appropriated to this use at the north part of the town, was three-eighths of a mile north of the meet- ing-house, on the west side of the road to Bennington, in the rear of the home lots, and separated from them by an intended highway. About 1760 the present ground was chosen, about the same distance west of the meeting-house. Many of the bodies laid in the first, were removed to this.
The deaths in the 27 years of Mr. Swift's ministry, from 1780 to 1806 inclusive, were 642, or about 24 in a year on an average. The greatest number in a year was 46 in 1996, 39 in 1802, and 38 in 1780 ; the least, 12 in 1301, 13 in 1800, and 15 in 1787 and 1806.
In the next 21 years, ending with 1827, the number of deaths was 376, or between 27 and 28 on an average yearly. The greatest mortality was in 1813, 61 ; in
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·WILLIAMSTOWN.
1825, 52 ; and in 1823, 45 : the least in 1810, 1812, and 1817, 15 each ; in 1808 and 1818, 19 each ; and in 1S11, 1814, 1815, 1816, 1819, 1820, 1821, 1826, 1827, from 21 to 25.
Col. Benjamin Simonds, one of the first settlers and proprietors of the town, was born in the eastern part of the county of Hampshire, Feb. 23, 1726. At twenty years of age he was a soldier in the garrison of Fort Massachusetts, in the present town of Adams, when that fort was attacked in 1946 by a body of 900 French and Indians, under Vaudreuil.
After a short residence at Northampton, Col. S. came to this place. He was a man of great enterprize and acti- vity, and long time one of the wealthiest inhabitants. He distinguished himself by his zeal and services in the cause of his country during the struggles of the Revolution. He was much employed in the affairs of the town, and enjoyed the esteem and confidence of his townsmen to a great degree. He died April 11, 1807, aged 81.
David Noble, Esq., was also one of the principal in- habitants at an early period. He was born at New Milford, Con., Dec. 9, 1744, was graduated at Yale College in 1764, and came to this town from New Fair- field in 1770. He read law, and followed that profes- sion a number of years. He afterwards engaged in mercantile pursuits, and acquired a very handsome es- tate. He was a man of activity and enterprize, of pro- bity and intelligence, and a considerable benefactor and one of the first trustees of the College. In 1797 he was made a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for the County of Berkshire, and died March 4, 1803, in his 59th year.
Gen. William Towner, from New Fairfield, Con., af- ter a number of years spent at Cheshire in this County, came and settled in this town as a medical practitioner about 1990, and was till his death the most eminent man in his profession in this neighbourhood. He was a man of graceful exterior and pleasing manners and fond of society ; and he readily lent his attention to subjects foreign to his profession, especially to politics, the all-engrossing concern of the day. He was a mem- ber of the State Legislature in both branches, and gen- eral of brigade. He died after an illness of a few days at Pownal in Vermont, in Jan. 1813, at the age of 58.
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
Gen. Thompson Joseph Skinner was the son of the Rev. Thomas Skinner, of the parish of West Chester, in Colchester, Con. His father died early, and in agreement with the thrifty maxims of that day, he serv- ed his time as an apprenticed mechanic. He came to this town in 1975, and early acquired an extensive in- fluence in the town and County. He at different times represented both in the General Court. He bore a very active part in the political contentions of the period of his public life, and was much distinguished for his spirited and happy efforts in extemporaneous and inter- rupted debate. He was many years Chief Justice of the Common Pleas for the County, and Treasurer of Williams College. He was Major General of Militia, a Representative in Fifth Congress, Marshal of the Dis- trict of Massachusetts, and Treasurer of the State. He died at Boston, January 20, 1809, in his 57th year.
The Hon. Daniel Dewey was a native of Sheffield in this County, and two years a member of Yale Col- lege, in the class of 1780, where he received the hono- rary degree of master in 1792. He read law with Judge Sedgwick, of Stockbridge, commenced practice in this town in 1790, and became one of the most emi- nent and successful members of this profession in the western part of the Commonwealth. He was a mem- ber of the Governor's Council in 1809 and 1812, and represented this district in the thirteenth Congress. In Feb. 1814, he was appointed one of the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court, and died May 26, 1815, in 'his 50th year. He was eminently estimable and happy in all the social and domestic relations of life, and though he lived at a time of violent party animosities, detraction never meddled with his name. " He is al- most the only man," said Cheif Justice Parker, "in an elevated rank, of fixed and unalterable political opi- nions, and who was never remiss in enforcing those opinions, that has been at no time calumniated." Mass. Reports, vol. 12, 580.
For an account of Col. Ephraim Williams, and of Williams College, see pages 164, 5, &c., of this work.
An academy was established here in 1827, and in- corporated in 1828. In 1827, also, a printing office was opened, and the publication of a weekly newspaper commenced, called the American Advocate.
A HISTORY
OF THE
TOWN OF HANCOCK.
BY RODMAN HAZARD, ESQ.
THIS town is bounded on the south by Richmond ; on the east by Pittsfield, Lanesborough and New Ash- ford ; on the north by Williamstown, and a tract of un- incorporated land, called the Gore ; and on the west by Berlin and Stephentown, in the county of Rensselaer, and New Lebanon, in the county of Columbia, New York. It was first called Jericho ; but at the time of its incorporation in 1776, it was called Hancock, after the Hon. John Hancock, then President of the Conti- mental Congress, and afterwards Governor of this State. It is nearly 16 miles in length from north to south, and about 2 in breadth. It was originally broader ; but when the line was finally established between Massa- chusetts and New York, in 1787, a tier of excellent lots from half to three-fourths of a mile long, were thrown into the latter State, and the town was greatly injured. In June, 1798, another tract at the north-east was an- nexed to New Ashford, from 241 to 389 rods wide, and from 950 to 990 rods long.
From the line of Williamstown a narrow valley ex- tends south about 7 miles, to the north village of Han- cock ; along which is a succession of good farms, spread- ing from the valley to the right and left on to the sides of the mountains. From this village south several miles, the town is so broken and mountainous that no highway has been cut through it; and the inhabitants, in passing from end of the town to the other, are obli- ged to travel 5 or 6 miles round the mountains in the
416
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
State of New York; which is a very great inconvenience in the transaction of town business. To the south and south-east of these mountains, at the head of the Rich- mond valley, is a tract of very fine land, belonging to the Shakers, with a soil of gravel and loam. From the slopes of the mountains to Richmond line on the east, is about a mile and a half, but less westward.
The soil of the town generally, with the exception of the mountainous parts, is good for rye, maize, oats, barley and potatoes. Wheat is a very uncertain crop, and not much sown. The valleys yield good hay, and the hills fine pasturage ; and the town is better adapted to grazing than to the culture of grain.
The timber is hard maple, birch, white ash, butter- nut, bass, elm and chesnut. Formerly there was some white pine and hemlock; but trees of these kinds are now rarely found.
There is an abundance of solid blue limestone, which the people burn into lime for their own use. The Sha- kers get a kind of coarse marble from Hancock moun- tain, which they use for posts.
Though the town abounds with living springs and brooks, there are no very considerable streams, nor many important mill-sites. A branch of Green river rises about 3 miles south of the northern boundary, and runs north into Williamstown. Another stream rises near this, and flows to the south into Stephentown, thence to Kinder hook and to Hudson river ; on which is a woollen factory and a saw-mill. Besides this factory and mill, there are in the town 2 grist-mills, 2 saw-mills, an oil- mill, and a clothier's works.
The first and principal grant in this town was made by the Legislature in 1960, to Asa Douglass, Esq. and Timothy Hurlburt, of Canaan, Con., Col. John Ashley of Sheffield, and Josiah Dean. The first grantee be- came a settler in April, 1762; with whom John Clo- thier, Jesse Squire, Amasa and Martin Johnson, Ben- jamin Davis, Samuel Grippen, David Sprague, Samu- el Hand, Esq., Capt. Caleb Gardner, David Vaughan, Jonathan Hazard, Esq., Henry Hazard, and Reuben Ely, were soon associated. They were generally from Connecticut and Rhode Island, and settled about the north village and northward towards Williamstown.
419
HANCOCK.
In 1761, Charles Goodrich Esq. of Pittsfield obtain- ed a grant of land at the south end of the town, and in 1764, his nephew, Daniel Goodrich, settled upon it ; the year following Benjamin Goodrich, father of Dan- iel, settled there with all his other sons, viz : Benja- min, Samuel, Nathan, David, Ezekiel, Elizur, Heze- kiah, Jeremiah and Enoch. Jeremiah and Hezekiah Osborn, father and son, and Israel Talcot settled there about the same time. The Goodrich's and Osborn's were immediately from Ridgefield-Talcot was from Wethersfield, Con.
Soon after the ganrt to Charles Goodrich, small grants were made in the north part of the town, to Dea. Sam- uel Brown of Stockbridge, and Col. Farrington. The residue of the town was sold by a committee of the General Court, to the actual settlers in 1789, at differ- ent prices per acre according to the quality.
The north village in this town has been already men- tioned. It is near the centre of the town, about 3.4 of a mile from New York line, and has a post office, 2 stores, 2 taverns, 14 dwelling houses and several me- chanic shops. Two regnlar lines of stages pass thrice a week through this village from Albany to Boston, one by way of Williamstown and Greenfield, and the other by Lanesborough and Deerfield.
There is another village in the southeast part of the town, extending into the edge of the town of Pittsfield, called the Shaker village. It is a compact and beauti- ful settlement, containing a church, office, school house, 7 dwelling houses, and various shops, occupied by join- ers, hatters, blacksmiths, coopers, &c., on the south road from Pittsfield to New Lebanon, 5 miles from the former and 3 from the latter. A brook rising near the village is used for turning light machinery and various conveniences about the buildings.
The circular stone barn, built in this village in 1826, is a curiosity. It is 270 feet in compass, with walls laid in lime rising 21 feet above the underpining, and from 3 g to 2 ₺ feet in thickness. The mast and rafters are 53 feet in length, and united together at the top On the lower floor, immediately within the walls, are stables 8 feet high, occupying 12 feet in length with the manger which is inwards, and into which convenient pla-
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HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
ces are left for throwing hay and feed from above. In these stables, which open to and from several yards, a span of horses and 52 horned cattle may be stabled. The cov- ering of the stables forms the barn floor, on to which from an offset there is but one large door way for teams, which make the circuit of the floor and pass out at the same place. Eight or 10 can occupy the floor at the same time; and the hay is thrown into the large area in the centre. For simply laying the stone of this building the masons were paid 500 dollars and boarded.
With the exception of the Shakers, the great body of the inhabitants have ever been Baptists. A congrega- tion was carly Fformed in the north part of the town, which worshipped for a time in a log house, which stood near the site of the present meeting house, about a mile and a quarter above the north village. The present house was erected in 1797. About 1770, Elder Clark Rogers from Rhode Island, was sttled over this congre- gation, and ministered to the people until he died, Jan. 14, 1906, aged 77. He was Calvinistic in sentiment, and is said to have possessed good sense and exempla- ry piety, During his day the society was respectable, but has suffered since his death for the want of settled pastor ; though they have had for definite periods the labors of several clergyman. The number of commu- nicants in the church is about 30. From the north vil- lage most of the people attend worship in Stephentown and some of them belong to the Baptist church in that place.
A few persons in the south part of the town embraced the principles of the Shakers in June 1780. They be- gan at that time (as some persons did from New Leba- non,) to visit mother Ann and the elders at Escuania, and were so taken with their notions, that they immedi- ately set up meetings according to the customs of this sect. In1781 they erected their meeting house. Some ofthe first Shakers were John Deming, (who lived within the line of Pittsfield, ) and Daniel Goodrich, Nathan, David, Ezekiel, Hezekiah, and Jeremiah Goodrich, Israel Talcot, and two brothers by the name of Josiah and Joseph, who settled in Richmond, and Joshua Coga- well from Pittsfield, soon united with them.
421
HANCOCK.
The society of Shakers now embraces about 270 souls who live compactly in and near their village. Though they carry on considerable mechanical business, they are principally engaged in agriculture and horticulture. They own about 2000 acres of land, mostly on the flat around the village, though it reaches on to the hills north and east. The greater portion of it is in Pittsfield, con- siderable is in Hancock, and some in Richmond.
There are in the town 7 school districts. The mid- dle district has a fund of $200, given by the late John Reynolds ; the interest of which is to be applied forever for the benefit of the children of the poorer class of in- habitants, at the discretion of the school committee.
There is no public library in the town ; but some of the inhabitants are concerned in a library in Stephen- town, located a mile west of the north village,
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422
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A HISTORY
OF THE
TOWN OF ADAMS.
BY REV. JOHN W. YEOMANS.
This township, under the name of East Hoosie, was explored, and its limits traced by a committee of the General Court of Massachusetts in 1749. The com- mittee were instructed to make the town 6 miles square ; but for some reason it was laid out 7 miles long from north to south, and 5 broad from east to west; compri- ving an area of about 22,400 acres. These are its pre- sent dimensions.
It is bounded north by Clarksburg; east by Clarks- burg and Florida ; south by Cheshire, and west by New Ashford and Williamstown.
In 1750, Capt. Ephraim Williams, afterwards Colo- nel, and founder of Williams College, obtained from the General Court a grant of 200 acres, on condition that he should reserve 10 acres for the use of a fort, and build a grist-mill and a saw-mill, and keep them in re- pair 20 years, for the use of the settlers. The reserved . 10 acres form the central part of the farm lately owned and occupied by Israel Jones, Esq., in the north-western part of the town.
On the 2d day of June, 1762, the General Court sold by auction nine townships of land, lying in this north- west corner of the State. Of these townships, East Hoosic was No. 1. It was purchased by Nathan Jones for £3200. Mr. Jones, after the purchase, admitted Col. Elisha Jones and John Murray, Esq, as joint pro- prietors with him.
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ADAMS.
These proprietors, in October of the same year, em- ployed a surveyor to lay out 48 settling lots of 100 acres each. A line was drawn through the length of the town, dividing the best of the land into two equal parts, and on each side of this line a range of lots was laid out. Each lot was 160 rods long from east to west, and 100 rods wide from north to south, abating from the breadth of cach lot, enough to bring the range of 24 lots within the north and south I'mits of the township. These 48 settling lots, occupying the bottom of the valley through its whole length, comprised the heart of the township. Four years after, Israel Jones, Esq., who then resided in the township, was authorized to survey a further num- ber of lots, not exceeding 20, of 100 acres each, and as agent of the proprietors, to admit settlers to the number of 60. This number was mentioned, because the con- ditions of settlement, fixed by a vote of the General Court, required the settlers, when their number amount- ed to 60, to build a meeting-house and settle " a learn- ed protestant minister." The rest of the land was divi- ded in 1763 into lots of 200 acres each, and distributed among the proprietors, according to their shares in the property of the township.
During the French wars, the Indians traversed this re- gion ; but they appear to have had no permanent habi- tations here. No remains of Indian settlements have existed within the remembrance of the earliest settlers.
About 1741 or 2, Fort Massachusetts was built in a narrow part of the valley leading towards Williamstown. This was a part of the line of defence erected to protect the northern and western settlements of New England against French and Indian hostilities. The enemy di- rected their principal movements towards Connecticut river. In general, they came down from Canada in the direction of the Connecticut, and were repelled by Fort Constitution, at Brattleborough, Vt., Fort Dummer, at Hinsdale, N. H., and Fort Wentworth, N. H., further up the Connecticut, all in connection with each other on the same line. But some came down the Hudson, and proceeding eastward up the Hoosic, came upon this forti- fication, and several bloody skirmishes took place. They repeatedly appeared in smaller or larger bodies about the fort. The following facts are taken principally from the
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424
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
Appendix to the "Redeemed Captive," by the Rev, John Taylor, formerly of Deerfield.
On the 6th of May, 1746, as serj. John Hawks and John Miles were riding out from the fort, they were fired upon by two Indians and wounded. Miles made his es- cape to the fort ; Hawks fought for some time, and might have taken them both prisoners, had he understood their . language, as appeared afterwards : for they asked for quarters before he turned to make his escape.
A party of the enemy appeared again at the fort on the 11th of June following, and attacked a number of men who were at a distance from the fort, and a skir- mish ensued. After sustaining the fire a few moments, the enemy fled, having lost one of their men. Elisha Nims and Gershom Hawks were wounded, and Benja- min Tenter was taken captive.
On the 20th of August, in the same year, an army of about 900 French and Indians, under Gen. De Vau -. dreuil, made an attack upon the fort. Col. Hawks, who commanded the fort at that time, had only 22 effective men with him, and but 33 persons, men, women, and children, and was miserably supplied with ammunition. Notwithstanding these unfortunate circumstances, he defended the fort 28 hours, and probably would never have given it up, had not his ammunition failed. He was finally necessitated to capitulate, and offered such articles as were accepted. One special article was, that none of the prisoners should be delivered into the hands of the Indians. The next day; however, Vaudreuil de- livered one half of them to the Indians, on the plea that there was danger of mutiny in his army, the Indians be- ing irritated, that they were cut off from the profits of the conquest. The savages immediately killed one of the prisoners, because, being sick, he was unable to- travel. In the siege Col. Hawks lost but one man ; while the enemy, as near as could be ascertained, lost 45, who were either killed outright, or died of their wounds. The prisoners were carried to Canada, where 12 of them sickened and died. The residue, with other prisoners, were sent on board a flag of truce to Boston, where they arrived on the 16th of August, 1747. The. chaplain of the fort at the time it was taken, the Rev. John Norton, wrote an account of his captivity, which
:
425
ADAMS.
was published. He afterwards settled in the ministry at East Hampton, a parish in Chatham, Con. Another of the captives was Benjamin Simonds, who afterwards became a distinguished inhabitant of Williamstown, and a colonel of militia.
While the fort was rebuilding, on the 25th of May, 1747, there being several hundred people present, an army of the enemy came with the design of hindering the undertaking. About 100 men had been sent to Al- bany a few days before for stores of provision and am- munition. As these were approaching the fort on their return, a scout was sent forward, who coming within sight of the fort, discovered the enemy and began an at- tack, which gave alarm to the people at the fort, who had not as yet discovered the enemy. A few issued out and maintained a small skirmish, until the enemy fled. The people remaining at the fort, and the commander of the party with the waggons, were much blamed for not affording assistance, and were charged with cow- ardice. In this action three persons were wounded, and a friendly Indian from Stockbridge was killed.
On the 1st of October following, Peter Burvee was taken captive near this fort.
On the 2d of August, 1748, about 200 of the enemy appeared at the fort. It was then under the command of Capt. Ephraim Williams, afterwards Col. Williams, whose grant of 200 acres has been already mentioned. A scout was fired upon, which drew out Capt. Williams with about 30 men ; an attack began, which continued some time; but finding the enemy numerous, Capt. Williams fought upon the retreat, until he had again re- covered the fort. The enemy soon withdrew ; but with what loss was unknown. A man by the name of Abbot was killed, and Lieut. Hawley and Ezekiel Wells were wounded.
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