USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Ashfield > History of the town of Ashfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts from its settlement in 1742 to 1910 > Part 21
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35
On the day of the funeral while Noah Douglass and wife were attending the services, their girl of eleven years who was left at home to care for the children, attempted to crawl through an
248
HISTORY OF ASHFIELD
open window and was killed by the falling of the sash. Mr. Douglass lived at the corner of the road about half a mile below where F. H. Smith lives.
Two years after this event, one summer morning an insane person came into the house of Mr. Catlin in Baptist Corner and cut the throat of an infant from ear to ear as it lay quietly slceping. A small broken stone in the old cemetery in that neighborhood has this inscription: Timothy, son of Timothy and Elccta Catlin died July 7, 1829, aged 17 mos.
Weep not for the babe thou couldst not save, Oh, give it with joy to the God who first gave, For firm is the promise our Saviour has given Who said that of such is the kingdom of Heaven.
The insane man was taken to the asylum and for many years there was recorded on the town books the sum annually paid at the insane asylum for Alfred Elmer.
In 1851, Arnold Packard was killed by a large stone falling on him while building a dam for Dea. Daniel Williams of Sprucc Corner.
The oldest stone in the Plain cemetery is that of a child of Jonathan Lilly who met death by falling into a tub of scalding water in 1767.
In 1838 Joseph Ranney, who lived near where Arthur Wil- liams does, was killed by the falling of a tree. He was the father of Samuel Ranney, late of Spruce Corner.
On the afternoon of May 5, 1881, a barn belonging to the Bassett estate in Spruce Corner was burned and Miss Abigail Bassett, aged 82, perished in the flamcs. Her two brothers with whom she had always lived, having died not long before, she was at this time living alone in the house. Her charred body was found on the burning hay mow after the barn had nearly burned down. The embers in the fireplace in the house had recently been raked together, and it was thought that some of her woolen clothing might have caught fire, which she carried to the barn with her where she was accustomed to go to look for eggs and after she had passed up the short ladder on to the mow, the hay caught fire from the smouldering clothing.
249
CEMETERIES
On December 10, 1878, a great freshet swept over the Green Mountain region of this state, caused by a powerful rain falling upon fifteen inches of newly fallen snow. As evening came on, the temperature rapidly grew warm, the thermometer rose twenty-five degrees in two hours, and the melting snow filled by the accumulated rainfall of the day, came down the hillsides in torrents. At nine o'clock in the evening the Great Pond reser- voir in this town, on South River, gave way, immediately draining off the seventy-five acres of water that had there been held in check, thus precipitating a great flood into the valley below. The grist mill of A. D. Flower on the stream back of the hotel and the tannery of L. C. Sanderson, at the center village, were destroyed. At South Ashfield, three dwelling houses, two barns and a blacksmith shop were swept away on the instant that the flood reached them. In the southwest part of the town, Darius Williams' reservoir broke away, carrying his large sawmill to destruction. The roads and bridges here and throughout the region were greatly damaged. Through the valley in the course of South River, the fields, fences and bridges suffered almost total destruction.
A tornado passed through the town on Sunday afternoon, May 28, 1882. The following account is from the Gazette and Courier:
THE TORNADO IN ASHFIELD
The storm was more destructive to property than any ever before witnessed in town. Two smart thunder showers coming from different directions-southerly and northwesterly- seemed to meet and unite about a mile westerly from the village, forming an awful hurricane that took a northeast course across the town. Fences, buildings and trees were like straws in its pathway and were tossed in the air like toys. The first damage done of much amount was the total wreck of Henry Lilly's barn. His house was racked so that the doors shut with difficulty if at all. The barn on the Geo. Hall place was next laid flat. Geo. Bassett's new barn was partially unroofed. The storm crossed the pond west of the village, not harming a building till it reached Williams & Stetson's barn, which it completely un- roofed, carrying it more than forty rods. It also ruined three large maple trees in front of their house. No other buildings were
250
HISTORY OF ASHFIELD
destroyed till the tornado reached Baptist Corner, where it completely ruined Martin Bronson's barn, the barn on the Dea. Ziba Smith place, and also Houghton Smith's new barn was torn all to pieces, some of the eight-inch timbers being carried one- fourth of a mile. Wilson Elmer, John and Chas. Hale-in the north part of Conway-each lost a barn. The storm seemed to have a particular spite toward apple and sugar orchards. But very few apple trees remain standing in the line of the storm, and George Church's and A. Shippee's sugar orchards are nearly destroyed. It seems miraculous that no houses were torn down and no one hurt seriously. E. B. Williams was in his barn when the roof was taken. He was knocked down by a falling timber and then buried beneath one of the big doors, but escaped with slight injuries.
Horace Perkins of Ashfield, eighteen years of age, was killed in 1808 while at work for Colonel Ames who was building the church in Northboro similar to our town hall. On July 1, he was on the top of the tower above the bell deck while lumber was being hoisted up to him by block and tackle and in reaching out for the ropes he lost his balance, fell headlong to the ground and was instantly killed.
Rev. Mr. Sanderson in his Diary says, "July 5, Visited at Mr. Eliab Perkins' whose son Horace was last week killed in Northboro by a fall from a meeting house frame."
.
TOWN HALL, ASHFIELD
-
-
1
CHAPTER XV
THE NEW MEETINGHOUSE
In 1801, "Voted to choose a Committee to fix a spot on which to set the new Meeting house." 1805, "Voted to repair the old Meeting house." In 1810, "Voted to build a new Meeting house on the spot fixed by the Committee in 1801." It was planned to place it in as near the geographical center of the town as possible, and a surveyor was employed to find that spot. An inner circle was formed touching the outer lines of the town and lines were drawn through the center of this circle to opposite sides. A plan of this survey is preserved in the clerk's office. The exact center was declared to be at the foot of the hill just below the present creamery building. But that not being a favorable location, the Committee decided to place it on the "Flat" a few rods east of where Mrs. Wright now lives. There seemed to be opposition to this and it was finally "Voted to proceed to build the Meeting house and to leave it to a disinterested Com- mittee of three persons to decide in what place to build the Meeting house." These three men to be from Hawley, Conway and Plainfield. This Committee attended to their duty and the following is their report :
We the Subscribers being a Committee chosen by the Inhabi- tants of the town of Ashfield to determine on a Place proper to erect a Meeting House for public Worship, have closely attended to the Business by viewing the various Roads and by hearing the various Pleas for and against the different contemplated Places; make the following report :- viewing all matters on a fair and impartial Scale, we find a Place, which in our Opinion will accommodate the South West, West and a Part of the Northwest Section of the Town, containing about eighty-five Families; which will as well commode the other Part of the North West, North, Northeast and East Sections of said Town, containing about forty-two Families; which will also commode with no very great Expence to the Society, the whole South East Section, containing about twenty-nine Families ;- and will finally accommodate the plain Section containing about eighteen Families should they exercise that Condescension Men and
252
HISTORY OF ASHFIELD
Christians ought to do ;- this Place we are constrained from Principles of Justice and Equity is on the Hill ncar the Revd. Mr. Porter's where we have placed the stake :--
Wishing and hoping that all Party Feeling may subside and that this Christian Society may be united in the Bonds of Friendship, and love; and may live in peace; and that the God of Peace may be with them here, and at last bring them to his holy Temple in the Heavens.
We are yours Ashfield, February the 20th 1812 Edmund Longley Elisha Billings John Hamlen
Eight days after, "Voted that the building Committee do place the Meeting House on the spot fixed on by the above said Committee in such a Position as they shall think proper."
As the church about to be built is the present town hall, it may be of interest to record some of the votes concerning it. A strong committee representing different sections of the town was chosen to draw a plan of the meetinghouse and appraise the pews and report at a future meeting. The committee were Dr. Enos Smith, Elijah Paine, Esq., Ephraim Williams, Esq., Thomas White, Esq., Capt. Bethuel Lilly, Levi Cook, Esq., James Andrews, Jr., Abner Kelley, Nathaniel Holmes, Joseph Hall, Elisha Wing, Capt. Benjamin Gates, Daniel Williams, Roland Scars, Capt. Samuel Dunham, and Simeon Phillips. Voted at the next meeting to accept the report of the committee, also to cover the meetinghouse with white pine clapboards and shingles, that the glass for the meetinghouse be of the size of 7 x 9. This committee was also to superintend the building of the house. January 14, 1812, $5,000 was voted for building the house, but a month later this vote was rescinded and $2,000 raised. Dr. Enos Smith, Elijah Paine, Esq., and Levi Cook were chosen a committee to sell the pews and collect the money thercfor.
The contract for building was let to Col. John Ames of Buck- land, a thorough builder. It is said that nearly two hundred thousand feet of lumber were used in its construction. Some
253
THE NEW MEETINGHOUSE
of the massive timbers twelve inches square, hewn smoother than if sawed in modern times, can still be seen in the loft above the hall. A large concourse of people were at the raising and Mr. Thomas Hall, father of Mrs. Lydia Miles, and grandfather of Dr. G. Stanley Hall, was one of the few men who volunteered to place the timbers in the tower and steeple.
September 4, 1813, the contractor, broken in health by hard labor, heavy responsibility and fear of loss, committed suicide by cutting his throat with a chisel in the back part of what is now the cemetery on the hill. The building was finished by the committee, but was not ready for occupancy until the summer of 1814. Its outside appearance at that time was very much as at present but the interior is thus described by one still living who gives her vivid childhood impression:
Our meeting house was the pride of our people. No meeting house in any of the surrounding towns could equal it in size or beauty. The beautiful and curious window at the west end, back of the pulpit, was a marvel in our eyes. The height of the steeple-O, it was magnificent. The sweet tone of our bell --- the sweetest ever heard by mortal ears. The man of iron at the highest point showing the direction of the wind, all, all ours.
She describes the interior as one large room with a gallery on three sides instead of an upper and a lower room as at present.
A row of square, box-like pews extended along each side of the three aisles. The seats were hung on hinges on three sides of the pew. The old folks sat facing the minister, and the children facing their parents. Poor children! how often your heads got a sudden and undeserved rap! For some man being over- crowded and desiring a change of position, in placing his arm on the railing of the pew, unconsciously thrust his elbow into the bonnet and head of a little girl in the adjoining pew which vexed her greatly and did not improve her disposition or the looks of her bonnet.
In the center of the west end of the room was the wonderful pulpit, cone shaped, fluted up and down and painted a pale pea green color. It was entered by a winding stairway not visible to the children who wondered how the minister got into the pulpit.
In 1840, the house was divided into two rooms, with the audience room above equipped with more modern seats and pulpit. Outside, on the north side of the road, was a row of horse-
254
HISTORY OF ASHFIELD
sheds from the Smith barn nearly to Captain Holmes' house, now Mrs. Wright's, and another row some six rods in length back of the meetinghouse.
The cemetery was a few rods southerly from the house, with the solemn looking hearse house painted black in the northeast corner.
In 1856, after the church was divided, it was decided to move the building down to the village. Mr. A. W. Howes, whose father was one of the moving committee, a few years ago wrote an account of the moving for one of our historical meetings, which we quote here:
It was voted at a meeting of the First Parish held in Septem- ber, 1856, to move the Meeting house from the hill near the Cemetery to the Plain and a committee was appointed for that purpose. This committee consisted of six men, viz, David S. Howes, Joseph Vincent, Jr., Lyman Eldredge, John C. Ward, Zachariah Howes, and George Howes. The money was to be raised by subscription. Eight men of the Parish offered to give $50 each. These men were David Vincent, Joseph Vincent, David S. Howes, Daniel Howes, Lyman Eldredge, John C. Ward and Zachariah Howes. The balance was given by many in smaller amounts. The committee bought a piece of land for a moderate price, of Dr. Charles L. Knowlton, on which the Town Hall now stands.
They at once began to look for a man to take charge of moving the building, and several contractors came and went away afraid to undertake so large a task. It was thought by some that the risk would be lessened by taking down the spire and moving it separately, but finally the job of moving the building entire was let to a Mr. Tubbs of Springfield for $700, but they neglected to make out a written contract.
The Parish were to furnish 7 or 8 cords of blocking and the sticks to move it on. These consisted of four cross sticks 50 feet long (the width of the building) and 12 inches thick. These sticks were faced on two sides and are still in place. Also two sticks faced, 70 feet long by 12 inches thick, for shoes. One set of these sticks was bought of Sam1 and Lot Bassett, and the other set of Jehiel Perkins. Mr. Perkins said that as it was a Christly calling he would give them, but afterwards he tried to get pay.
The contract with Mr. Tubbs was made about April 1st, but as it was a late spring that year the moving could not begin
255
THE NEW MEETINGHOUSE
until May 15. As the house was built facing the east it could be started straight ahead. It proved to be a much heavier building than Mr. Tubbs had supposed, and his apparatus broke several times and had to be replaced. At no time could it be moved without raising up the back end so that the whole house would pitch forward. The house was taken straight across the old road south of John Sears' barn and into the road again at the turn. As anyone can see, it would take a large amount of blocking here to get the house across the hollow, and the moving committee had to hustle around for more. Here Mr. Tubbs struck and said he would go no further with it unless the com- mittee would furnish a team to move the blocking. This, they had not agreed to do but they finally bought a pair of oxen, Mr. Tubbs agreeing to furnish the driver. The oxen were kept in Mr. Moses Cook's pasture which then came to the road and included what is now Charles Bassett's mowing lot. In going down the hill it was found necessary to hitch on a big boat load of stone to keep it from going on too fast. When it had arrived at the place where it was to stand, the contractor was going to leave it on the blocking pitched down hill, and the committee had to give him $80 more to put it on the foundation.
People now living who saw the moving think the building inclined three or four degrees from the perpendicular, and was very noticeable.
Rev. Willard Brigham was the minister at that time and did what he could to encourage the work by preaching many fervent sermons from texts like this, "And the Lord said unto Moses, 'Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward.'"
During the period of moving the meetings were held in the Ranney block in the old town hall.
The first town meeting before the incorporation of the town, as has been noted, was held at the house of Jonathan Sprague, who it is believed lived just west of the corner near Mr. Lanfair's house. The first meeting after its incorporation by the name of Ashfield was held at Joseph Mitchell's tavern on the east side of Bellows Hill and they were held there until the meetinghouse in what is now the cemetery on the Plain was partially finished in January, 1771. There was no fire in the building and it must have been a very uncomfortable place, but the meetings were held here for nearly fifty years. Occasionally, on the coldest days they adjourned to one of the village taverns, where they could obtain warmth for the outer and inner man.
256
HISTORY OF ASHFIELD
Zachariah Field built the house now occupied by Mr. Alvah Howes in 1792 and in 1816 Mr. John Williams bought the premises and opened a store and tavern there. After the new meetinghouse was built on the hill in 1812, the town still con- tinued to hold meetings in the old house down by the cemetery until, the building becoming dilapidated, they often adjourned to the tavern of John Williams, as this was a larger and more convenient building than any of the other hotels. When it was voted to sell the old meetinghouse in 1819 all the meetings were held with Mr. Williams but there were frequent votes taken on the question of building a town hall or of meeting in the new house on the hill. Mr. Williams, having a store and tavern, was naturally desirous of keeping the place of meeting near him, and as a new place of meeting was being considerably agitated, offered to furnish a room in his building on very liberal terms. As the public business of the town was transacted here for over forty years, and as some litigation arose as to its occupancy, we give a copy of the vote and lease entire dated January, 1820.
Voted to accept certain proposals of John Williams Jr. for furnishing an hall in which to do town business; and to hold the town meetings in said hall, which proposals were in the words following, that is to say, "Proposals by John Williams Jn. to furnish a hall for the use of the town of Ashfield. Said hall shall be situated at the east end of my dwelling house and con- nected with the same, shall be forty feet long and thirty-five feet wide with a fireplace furnished with wood when necessary, and free of all expense to the town; shall be for the use of mili- tary companies or any other public transactions of the town which shall require a large room.
Said hall shall be constructed agreeably to the wish of the town. There shall be a stoop erected along the south front of my dwelling house so that the inhabitants may go from any part of said house to the town hall under cover, said hall shall be kept in good repair for the use of the town during the life of the build- ing. There shall also be furnished 130 feet of shed room for the accommodation of horses attached to the building.
This hall as built by Mr. Williams was entered through the middle door of the building, passing up the stairs and turning through a door to the right. At the foot of the stairs to the left
257
THE NEW MEETINGHOUSE
was the barroom and in the room adjoining to the west was the store. A piazza, as at present, ran through the whole length of the building. The hall occupied the whole of the second floor of the main building east of the middle door. Its walls were of the height only of an ordinary room, with windows on each side and none at the ends. A platform with a desk about ten feet long was at the east end of the room and a small fireplace which sometimes sent forth more smoke than heat was at the west end, also another fireplace at the right of the platform. Three rows of seats on each side extended the length of the building, the second row on a platform about six inches above the main floor, and the third row about six inches above that.
On cloudy days, at full meetings those in the back seats in front of the windows were requested to vacate their seats and stand at the end of the hall in order that the officers at the desk might obtain light to count votes and do the ordinary business.
The meetings occupied much more time than at present. The March meetings were adjourned, sometimes for one week, sometimes until April, it requiring two and sometimes three meetings to complete the business of the annual meeting. The officers were required to be elected by a majority vote, and several ballots were liable to be taken for each selectman before a choice could be made. The reports of the selectmen and school committee were not printed as now, but were read in open town meeting and votes taken on their acceptance. There was, of course, a good deal of discussion and some of the questions took a wide and sometimes an unparliamentary latitude consuming much time.
For some years the relations between Mr. Williams and the town in regard to the hall were pleasant, but from 1830-40 the temperance wave which had swept over the country did not fail to reach Ashfield. A strong temperance party was formed, the Whig and the Democrat parties were lost for a time, and it was Temperance and Anti-Temperance. The Temperance party gained steadily and in 1839 Mr. Williams put in a claim for pay for the use of the town hall. A committee chosen to investigate reported that in their opinion Mr. Williams had no legal claim
258
HISTORY OF ASHFIELD
for pay, which report was accepted. The matter still being agitated, other committees were appointed, one of which reported in favor of paying for the hall which was also accepted, but soon after the vote was rescinded, the town still refusing to vote any recompense. In 1842, a vote was passed requesting the select- men not to approbate any person to sell intoxicating liquors in town.
In April, 1848, Mr. Williams sued the town for $5,000, alleging breach of contract on the town hall lease, claiming that as a keeper of a public house he had been promised the custom and patronage of the town which had not been given him, also claim- ing recompense for taxes paid on building, and so forth. The selectmen were chosen to manage the case, but it does not appear that anything was recovered, and the records do not show that anything was paid to subsequent owners of the premises for use of the hall.
It seems, however, that the town grew dissatisfied with the place for their meetings, frequent articles appearing in the warrant relative to building a new town house.
In 1853, a committee was chosen to confer with the trustees of the old Academy with regard to using that building in connec- tion with a town house, but nothing definite was done about it.
In March, 1858, the meetinghouse on the hill having been moved down to the village, a committee was appointed to ascertain the expense of buying the basement of the house for a town hall, also to ascertain the expense of building a new town hall. This committee was also instructed to find out from Mr. H. S. Ranncy, who now owned the John Williams property, how much he would give if the town would terminate the lease and vacate the premises. At an adjourned meeting the committee reported that Mr. Ranney declined to give anything, saying that he did not consider it his duty to pay the town for doing what it was for their interest to do. The committee also re- ported that the basement of the meetinghouse could be bought for $500, and estimated the cost of fitting it up at $434.30, mak- ing a total of $934.30. They estimated the cost of a new hall fitted up 62 x 42 at $1,699.80. The vote stood against buying
259
THE NEW MEETINGHOUSE
the basement, 142 to 134. The new parish people opposed buying the basement of the other parish. Party feeling ran high, so much so, that when the ringing of the bell for week days and tolling for deaths and funerals was auctioned off, Mr. Josephus Crafts bid six and one-fourth cents for the privilege of doing it with the 2nd parish bell. The next year, W. H. Elmer paid ten cents for a like privilege with the old bell.
In 1861, an article was again placed in the warrant to see if the town would buy the basement or build a new hall, but it was voted to pass over the article.
Nothing further appears to have been done until November, 1870, when the parishes and churches having united, it was voted to purchase the old meetinghouse for $1,000.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.