USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Ashfield > History of the town of Ashfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts from its settlement in 1742 to 1910 > Part 11
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Almon Bronson built the store now occupied by Mr. Henry in 1858 and continued in trade there until about 1878, when on account of poor health he sold to his brother, Chester A. Bron- son, who sold to Samuel T. Mather in 1887, who sold to George Henry in 1910.
In the twenties, a man named Cooley had a store in South Ashfield, followed by Major Dana, Charles Reed, Gardner & Guilford. About 1853 a cooperative store was established there conducted by Foster R. King. Afterward came Chandler A. Ward, then Henry Higginbotham who sold to Arthur A. Chapin, the present occupant. Mr. Orcutt of Conway had a store there for a time. A. O. & T. L. Perkins had a store on the opposite corner, occupied later by Perkins & Selden who used to "put out" linen collars for the ladies to make. James Barrus had a store there for a short time which was burned in the spring of 1893.
Besides those mentioned, there were others in town whose names appear in the advertisements of the Hampshire Gazette.
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There were small stores in different parts of the town. One was in Spruce Corner. Captain Warner had one in Steady Lane and Mr. George Howes notes that there was a store in Watson, across the road from where W. E. Ford now lives, kept by Jonah Fuller.
Prices charged in John Williams' account book from 1816 to 1820: 1/2 1b. tea, 71 cts. 2 qts. rum, 67 cts. 1 mug sling, 25 cts. 12 yd. cambrick, 60 cts. 2lbs. sugar, 60 cts. 2 lbs. raisins, 40 cts. 1 1b. nails, 17 cts. 1 handkerchief, $1.17. 1 warming pan, $3.21. 1 paper pins, 20 cts. 1 peck coarse salt, 38 cts. 4 pairs black cotton stockings, $4.50. 1 gal. molasses, $1.20. 11/2 mug sling, 37 cts. To transport of 165 lbs. from Boston at $1.25 per cwt., $2.06. 6 yds. calico, $2.SS. Brandy and egg, 13 cts.
Farmers were credited for cheese 8 to 10 cts., butter 10 to 20 cts., oats 50 cts., rye $1.00, beef 412 cts., turkeys, 6 cts.
TAVERNS
The first house of public entertainment in the town is believed to have been kept by Joseph Mitchell, as early as 1763, on the east side of Bellows Hill, above the Jesse Hall place in Belden- ville. The first precinct meetings of Ashfield were held there. There is a tradition believed to be true, that the old Dea. Ziba Smith house north of Asa Wait's is the Mitchell tavern removed to that spot. Timothy Perkins had one on the Plain on or near the site of the present hotel in 1773, and perhaps earlier. Capt. Moses Fuller kept one in a two-story house which stood nearly on the site of the house now owned by Mrs. Curtis as early as 1767, and probably until his death in 1794. Captain Fuller owned considerable land about the village. A tavern was kept where Dr. Urquhart now resides, in the latter part of the eight- eenth century, by Seth Wait. Zachariah Field built the house-or a part of it-now occupied by Alvah W. Howes, in 1792, and kept a tavern and store there until 1808. He was then succeeded by A. and D. White, who had a store in the same building. John Williams followed next, in the same place and business, in the year 1816, and was succeeded by Harrison Foote, about the year 1838, who kept it until about 1846. Others have been kept
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in different seetions of the town. Chileab Smith is said to have kept one north of Asa Wait's, and there was one for a time on the east side of Ridge Hill near Walter Lesure's pasture on the old road to Buekland. There was one in Spruee Corner kept by Asa Newton, afterwards by the Bonds. About 1820, Whiting Kellogg had one in South Ashfield,-in the house formerly owned by Nathan Sears. Russell Bement had one where Henry Pease now lives. George Barrus kept a tavern in the house now owned by Walter Shaw, from about 1820 to 1838. There was a hall in the upper story where danees, singing sehools, ete., were held. Ezra Williams had a tavern in the northwest part of the town for about twenty-five years, which was quite a popular resort. The building was last owned by T. P. Smith, and burned in 1896.
Lyman Cross opened a tavern in 1830 where Mr.Porter's hotel now is. He was by trade a cooper, and for a time served the publie with good tubs and firkins as well as lodging and enter- tainment. Baek in the thirties and before, there was a good deal of travel. One of the stage lines was from Albany to Boston; and farm produce going in and supplies coming out made lively business on the main highways. Mr. Zebulon B. Taylor said that he remembered when a boy of counting twenty loads of pork in one day passing through the northwest part of the town on the way to Boston. All this made stirring times for the hotels, which were well patronized. The Cross Hotel won a good name which it has always retained.
Professor Norton in an account of his first visit to Ashfield speaks of alighting at "the modest little hotel where we par- took of an exeellent dinner."
The hall in the second story was oeeupied for balls, small court hearings, ete. "The Know Nothings" at first held their meetings there. Mr. Cross retired and sold to his son Lemuel in 1859 who eondueted it until about 1868, when Allen Phillips, who had married a daughter of Mr. Cross, bought and run the hotel until about 1880, when he sold to Henry Coulliard who sold it to the present proprietor, Lewis Porter, in 1882. With the inereasing popularity of Ashfield as a summer resort,
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Mr. Porter finding his quarters too small to meet the public demand, in 1SS9 enlarged his house to nearly its present capacity.
ASHFIELD ADVERTISEMENTS IN HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE
In 1793. Selah Norton advertises "all sorts of dry goods, also Old Jamaica Spirits, New England Rum, French Brandy &c. Will pay S pence per pound for butter, part cash."
Sclah Norton had a store for many years in the house where Mrs. Rosa Ranney now lives.
July 2, 1793. The partnership of Murray and Bennett is this day mutually dissolved. All persons indebted to said Part- nership are desired to settle their accounts with the said Murray only who will attend said business on the 15th, 16th and 30th of July and the 13th and 20th of August at his store in Ashfield. Those who do not comply with this invitation will be at the expense of going out of town and settling with an Attorney.
Murray & Bennett.
It is thought this store was at South Ashficld ncar where Charles Day's shop is.
In 1813, Enos Pomcroy of Buckland calls on his customers in Ashfield and Buckland "to call and settle the 1st of Oct. or you may be expected to be called upon in a more disagreeable way."
In 1803, "Dorus Graves of Ashfield still carries on the clo- thicr's business as usual. All commands in that line will be faithfully attended to." His shop was by the bridge just below where the road turns up towards Mrs. Underhill's place.
April, 1804, "Heman Graves has latcly set up the Hatting business in Ashfield. Hc has a quantity of Hatts of all kinds which he offers for sale on the lowest terms for cash or most kinds of country produce."
Merchants seem to multiply in town, for in 1805 Joshua Phillips advertises dry goods and so forth, and Windsor Smith and Samuel D. Ward advertise a new store.
In 1803, Zachariah Field advertises "large house, storc and 1 acre of land." This was the Ranney block, where Alvah Howes now lives.
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In August, 1804, D. and A. White advertise for "their stores in Ashfield and Buckland." They had bought the Field property.
In 1805, Dorus Graves warns his patrons if they don't call and settle he will make them do it in a way not agrecable.
In 1806, Eliakim Lilly and Jonathan Lilly, Jr., delivered Hampshire Gazettes to subscribers.
In 1811, Dorus Graves advertises new works. "All kinds of produce taken in payment."
Proclamation
To the men of Hatfield, Whately, Conway, Ashfield, Plain- field and Cummington, who are indebted to me for the Hamp- shire Gazette. For 12 months you have seen me laboring for you through heat and cold to furnish you with the news of all nations, thereforc I invite every one of you to pay me imme- diately. Come on then in companies, half companies and singly ; and I will receive what is due me with grateful heart. It is in your power to retrieve the debt I have contracted in your behalf that I may carry on my business with pleasure.
Josiah Shaw.
In 1827, S. W. Hall advertiscs store in Ashfield, also J. C. Baldwin & Co. and John Williams, Mr. Hall's store in Mrs. Ranney's house, Mr. Williams' in Ranney block.
THE ASHFIELD INSURANCE COMPANY
The Ashfield Mutual Firc Insurance Company was first organized in 1854, but was not incorporated under Massachu- setts laws until 1873. Its rates were low, being one-fourth of one per cent. and a 3 per cent. premium note; this up to 1876, when the cash premium was raised to one-half of one per cent. If a man was insured for $1,000 he paid in $5 cash and gave a note for $30. At the legal organization of the company, over $57,000 of insurance was pledged, mainly the best risks of the town. Under the old organization and up to 1876 therc were very few fires and the insurance had cost the patrons but little. But soon the company met with the following losses:
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May 20, 1875. David Vincent's buildings were burned, loss $600; June 21, 1877, Joshua Hall's barn and contents, loss about $500; July 25. 1877, Joseph Keach's buildings, loss $540; July, 1878, the barn of Ruel Pease was burned by lightning, loss to the company about $1,500.
These losses made an assessment necessary, which had a dis- piriting effect upon the company. Before the assessment, the amount of property insured had been over $100,000, but at the close of 1879 by the expiration and surrendering of policies it was reduced to $35,488. The company slowly rallied, its old friends remaining loyal. In 1884, there was over $45,000 in- surance and at the close of 1896, $55,089 of risks with $657.20 in cash and $1,681 in premium notes. In 1895, John Spath had been paid $495 for a loss, and in the winter of 1897, $600 was paid G. Stanley Hall for the loss of his house by fire, leaving only $57.20 cash assets for the company. A late act of the legislature and the opinion of the Insurance Commissioner caused the following record in the secretary's book :
The directors of the Ashfield Mutual Fire Insurance Co. met on call of the Secretary and voted to cancel all existing policies, and to make a dividend of the assets among the policy holders.
This was done by reason of adverse legislation, a law having been passed requiring all fire insurance companies to possess an amount of capital which our company did not have and could not raise. It imposed a penalty on the company for each policy issued and made the directors personally liable in case of loss.
The company was in existence over forty years, paid all its losses promptly and its officers served faithfully without salary. H. S. Ranney and Charles Howes as Presidents, Levi Gardner as Treasurer, with Almon E. Bronson and Asa G. Wait as Secre- taries were the principal officers. The company served its patrons well, for even with the assessments the cost of insurance was not very heavy for those who remained. But it was never a very substantial company. Mrs. Curtis' buildings were in- sured for $2,000 and had the company remained the same financially it would have been made bankrupt by this loss.
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FIRES
Besides those mentioned in the sketch of the local insurance company some of the fires have been as follows: In 1828, the house of Nathan Wood, which stood where the Ludwig cottage now is on Briar Hill, was burned. About 1835, a sawmill near the water company's upper reservoir. About 1874, Merritt Jenkins' buildings in New Boston, nearly opposite where Frcd. Lilly now lives. In 1885, the Darius Williams' buildings in Spruce Corner. In 1887, dwelling of Ezra Howes in Spruce Corner, loss $625, insured for $500. In 1888, the shop of C. H. Day in South Ashfield, loss about $600, no insurance. October 11, 1889, Murray J. Guilford, house, barn and contents, loss estimated about $4,000, insurance received $2,300. 1892, saw- mill and contents belonging to W. E. Ford, loss $2,000, no in- surance. April, 1893, James L. Barrus' store at South Ashfield. November 16, 1893, house, barn and contents owned by James L. Barrus, loss estimated $3,500, insurance received $2,440. 1901, house, barn and contents belonging to Mrs. G. W. Curtis; this was the only fire of any importance in the village for over a hundred years. In 1910, house and furniture of Mrs. E. P. Williams, loss $3,000, insurance $1,600.
ASHFIELD WATER COMPANY
The Ashfield Water Company was formed in 1893. About $15,000 was raised of which Mr. M. M. Belding took about one-third the stock, while Mrs. Curtis, Professor Norton and Mr. Farragut subscribed liberally, citizens of the village contributing smaller sums. Different sites for a water supply were examined, until finally, with the advice of the State Board of Health, the brook on the Watson road was chosen as a source of supply, thc distance being over two miles. The work was finished the next season and water brought to the village. The system has a fall of over two hundred feet and a pressure of one hundred and eight pounds to the square inch, giving excellent fire protection to the village and a good supply of pure water to those families who choose to avail themselves of it. Lest the supply might at some time become short, in 1909 the old mill pond consisting of about one and three-fourths acres was thoroughly cleansed of
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old vegetable matter and a cement dam built, making an ex- cellent reservoir. The company is well organized, with A. D. Daniels President and C. H. Wilder Secretary. The Ashfield Fire and Hose Company has well equipped apparatus with eight hundred feet of hose ready for use and a snug little building for storage purposes and office use. W. J. Van Ness is chief and A. W. Crafts, Jr., secretary and treasurer.
RAILROAD ASPIRATIONS
In 1848, Samuel W. Hall, then a representative in the legis- lature, in a letter to his son Henry speaks of the agitation for a railroad route and wants an expression of the feeling in Ashfield in regard to it. In March, 1849, it was voted that "Sanford Boice and William Bassett be a committee to petition the Legis- lature to allow the Troy and Greenfield R. R. to amend their charter so as to include Ashfield and Plainfield in their route."
A survey was made that season, entering the town from Con- way near where Sanford Boice now lives, up the stream just north of the village, thence westerly by the Bassett Four Corners and near the Sullivan place through the Northwest district into the towns of Hawley and Savoy, thence to North Adams. Hopes ran high that ere long smoking locomotives with long trains of cars would soon be running through the town. But they were doomed to disappointment, for it was found that while the grade up the eastern incline was no greater than some on the Boston & Albany road, the descent from the summit of the watershed in Savoy down to North Adams was so heavy as to render the route impracticable. In his letter, Mr. Hall speaks of favoring the route "naturc made." It was finally decided that this was up the Deerfield Vallcy, provided that man would bore the Hoosac Mountain.
At a meeting held November 5, 1867, it was "Voted to raise $1000 to cause a survey to be made for a Railroad connecting with the North Adams and Williamsburg road at a point be- tween Skinnerville and Cummington to a point on the Troy and Greenfield Railroad, near the mouth of Bear River in Conway, or between Shelburne Falls and the mouth of South River."
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The main route contemplated was to come into town from Williamsburg by South Ashfield and then through "Pogue's Hole " just west of Mt. Owen and follow Bear River Valley down to the Troy and Greenfield Railroad. Another route was to leave the contemplated railroad at Goshen, come through Cape Street to the village, then by Buckland to Shelburne Falls.
A note inserted below the record of the vote says, "It was found the vote was not binding so a tax was not assessed." The Skinnerville, Cummington and North Adams railroad got no farther than Williamsburg.
To get from Ashfield to Shelburne Falls it was proposed to pass out through the valley by Charles Richmond's, then wind around the westerly side of Ridge Hill by an easy descent, reaching the valley about two miles this side of Shelburne Falls.
The town was first put in electric communication with the world in 1883, the telegraph being completed to Ashfield that year.
CHAPTER VIII
SURVEYS OF THE TOWN-GENERAL TOPOGRAPHY, ETC.
There have been two surveys of the town made by vote, the first in 1794 by Esq. Williams and Roland Sears, a committee chosen for that purpose. A plan of this survey was carefully preserved by Mr. Ranney. In May, 1830, it was voted "To choose a committee to take a survey of the town, or hire it done by the day or job as they think proper." This survey was made by Levi Leonard and a plan made two feet square, giving boun- daries, streams, roads, schoolhouses, mills and so on. This plan was found a few years ago at Isaac Bassett's, among the papers of his grandfather. Henry Bassett, Esq. By request of Mr. Bowker, County Register of Deeds, it was sent to his office, where a blue print copy was taken to go on file therc, and through the courtesy of Mr. Bowker a few extra copies were sent with the original back to Ashfield, where they may be seen at the clerk's office. The first survey reads, "Pursuant to an act of the General Court passed June, 1794, the following is a Plan of Ashfield taken in Nov. 1794, and in May 1795. The distance from the State House in Boston to the Centre of Ash- field is computed at 120 miles and from the Court House in Northampton at 18 miles.
E. Williams Committee of
R. Sears Ashfield."
The plan of the second survey reads as follows: "Ashfield, Dec. 21, 1830. This town is plotted by a scale of 100 rods to an inch. It is 110 miles from Boston and 17 miles from Greenfield this town is hilly, the highest is 40 rods, between the roads are hills
Levi Leonard surveyor"
As the boundary lines of the town are important, and as thesc are the only full surveys ever made since the configuration of the town about 1765, it may be well to record them here. It is evi- dent that Esq. Williams allowed more for "sag of chain, " as his
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distanees are generally shorter. With the exception of the Goshen boundary, the lines run in 1794 were the same as in 1830, and as now existing.
Beginning at the southeast corner of the town, at a point where there is now a light gray stone that stands in a pasture on the side hill about forty rods westerly from the road to Williams- burg, and in sight from the road, they ran the Conway line as follows:
Esq. Williams, North 1712° East 2163 rods, Mr. Leonard, North 20° East, 2220 rods,
to the northeast corner of the town, now marked by a blaek stone standing on the south side of the road about one hundred rods beyond Sidney P. Elmer's house. Then turning to the westward on the line next to Conway and Buekland, they made
Esq. Williams, West 1512º North, 643 rods, Mr. Leonard, 17º North, 674 rods,
to a corner now marked by a stone about sixty rods north of the Higgins Brothers' house, and a short distance below their new road. Then following on Buekland and Hawley line,
Esq. Williams, West 412° South 1614 rods, Mr. Leonard, West 3° South 1727 rods,
to the northwest corner of the town, about half a mile south of the Hawley church where is now a stone monument beside the road marked "Ashfield Corner." Then turning southerly on Hawley and Plainfield line,
Esq. Williams, South 612° West 514 rods, Mr. Leonard, South 6° West 529 rods,
to a point where is now a stone in the woods south of the Camp- bell & Bissell saw mill, then
Esq. Williams, South 112° East 127 rods,
Mr. Leonard, South 122 rods,
to a stone in a swamp, then
Esq. Williams, East 1712° South 83 rods,
Mr. Leonard, East 19° South 85 rods,
to a stone about six rods west of the brook, then Esq. Williams, South 1712° West 383 rods, Mr. Leonard, South 19° West 401 rods,
to a point westerly of the Leander Hill place. From here to Ashfield southwest corner the line was called by Esq. Williams, South 112° East 489 rods, Mr. Leonard, South 112° East 517 rods, this to the corner in Cummington line.
-
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TOPOGRAPHY OF THE TOWN
The line from this corner to the place of beginning is of course next to Cummington and Goshen and was run out by the com- mittee at this time, but it seems that it was not satisfactory, for the matter coming up in town meeting in 1796, it was voted to make the boundary next to Goshen a straight line from the southeast corner of Ashfield to Cummington corner. But it seems that this did not satisfy, for in 1797 at a meeting in Janu- ary, Ephraim Williams was chosen a committee "to settle the line between this town and Goshen." It appears that the matter was not so easily settled, for after a good deal of discussion and bickering, it was left to three referees, each from outside the two towns. The line decided upon, as given in the Leonard plan of 1830, is as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner of the town and running East 221/2° South 295 rods to Cummington corner, then on same course 410 rods to a stone in "Cushman's meadow" westerly of Willis Sears' house, then North 12º East 14 rods, then East 2013° South 980 rods to a stone in the south- erly part of Briar Hill, then South 171/2° West 28 rods, then East 22° South 167 rods to the southeast corner of the town.
It will be seen that with the exception of the two jogs, one of fourteen, the other of twenty-eight rods, this is a straight line. Why these jogs were made, we cannot learn with certainty. The fact that some of the Ashfield lots had been laid over the line into the town of Goshen may have had something to do with it. It seems that Ashfield was not satisfied with the line established, for an effort was made to have the decision of the referees set aside by the court, this town evidently preferring the straight line.
All the thirteen corners of the town are marked by stone monuments, required by law to be four feet high, and the select- men are obliged to "perambulate" the lines once in five years and see that these monuments are intact. In 1859, the monu- ment in the north part of the town was missing, and after a search, was found by the aid of a compass, lying on the ground thickly covered with decayed leaves, having probably been undisturbed for a dozen years or more.
The question is raised by Mr. Barnabas Howes whether Mary Lyon was not born in Ashfield. Mary Lyon was born February
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28, 1797. The Ashfield line was surveyed by the Esq. Williams committee two years before, and leaves the Mary Lyon place about half a mile north of the line in the town of Buckland. It is true, as Mr. Howes observes, that in the second division of lots in 1761, a portion of lot No. 46 (not 26) was laid over into the town of Buckland very near to the Mary Lyon place, as can be seen by the plan, but soon afterwards those who drew this lot and a few others were allowed land in other scctions to re- imburse them. If we cannot elaim Ashfield as the birthplace of Miss Lyon, we are certainly entitled to the credit of giving her a good part of her education.
The northwest corner of Conway next to Ashfield is on the side hill about half a mile north of Sidney P. Elmer's house. The southeast corner of Hawley is on the northeast corner of the woods on Ashfield line about one-fourth of a mile west of the Sears or Dr. May place. The Buckland line runs through a corner of the Wood house at Buckland Four Corners. The Conway line passes directly through the summit of Mt. Owen. Ashfield is located Longitude 70° 50' West from Greenwich, the line passing north and south near the houses of J. W. Howes, A. J. Howes, and Harry Shippee. It is 4212º North Latitude, the one-half degree line passing near Wells Taylor's, C. Benjamin Sears', the Town Farm and George Chapin's. According to a topographieal survey of the town in 1885 the height of the village above the level of the sea is 1,240 feet. The highest land in town is Peter Hill, 1,840 feet; the lowest land at Buckland Four Corners, 700 feet; at the house of Jerome Kendrick, 740 feet; at the house of Willis Burnett at Conway line about the same. The height of Spruee Corner bridge is 1,330 feet, of Watson schoolhouse 1,540. Some of the highest houses in town are J. R. Smith house at the Ezra Williams Corner, 1,740 feet; Addison J. Howes, 1,720; E. Wing, 1,730; Henry Taylor, 1,600; Alvan Cross, about 1,500.
The elevation of the hill east of C. Benjamin Sears' is 1,776 feet, hence its name, "Seventy-Six." South Ashfield village is placed at 1,000.
The view from Peter Hill on a clear day well repays a visit. To the southwest the eye meets first the Cape Street hill "Sev-
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