USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Ashfield > History of the town of Ashfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts from its settlement in 1742 to 1910 > Part 26
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THE BELDINGS
Samuel and Ebenezer Belding, thought by Dr. Ellis to be cousins, were also here early, as Samuel was elected the first town clerk in 1765, and the Congregational church was organ- ized at Deacon Ebenezer's house in 1763. Ebenezer lived where Mr. Joshua Hall did, also at or near where Charles Hocum now lives. In 1761, Samuel bought of Richard Ellis, lot No. 49, now the Lanfair place,"also all the Buildings and Edificies standing or being on said Lot." This was the first settled place in town and where the first frame house was built. Both of these men had large families, Samuel having twelve children. Hence the name for the district-"Beldingville." Four generations lived on the
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farm bought of Mr. Ellis, viz., 1st, Samuel; 2nd, John; 3rd, Hiram; 4th, David Wilson, Milo M., Hiram H., Alvah N., and Frank. The last five constituted the well-known silk firm of Belding Brothers. They have large mills in Rockville, Conn., Northampton, Mass., Belding, Mich., San Francisco, Cal., and Montreal, Canada. Three of the brothers, Wilson, Hiram and Frank are dead. Milo M. has been for many years president of the successful enterprise but recently resigned in favor of his son Milo. Milo M. has a summer residence here and the many improvements he has made in and about the village show that he still retains a love for the place of his nativity.
SAMUEL, ELI AND DANIEL ELDREDGE
Samuel, Eli and Daniel Eldredge, brothers from Yarmouth, settled here before 1800, Eli and Samuel dealing in land here as early as 1777. Samuel settled west of the road at the south part of Cape Street where the summer house called Journey's End has lately been erected; Eli, about one hundred rods west of where Benjamin Sears lives in Cape Street; and Daniel coming later, in 1795 bought lot No. 12, 2nd Division, being the lot on which Colonel Emmet lives, and settled there. Samuel was the ancestor of Allen Eldredge, Mrs. John Sears and Levi of the Hawley Eldredges. Eli was ancestor of the late E. Payson Eldredge and George Eldredge of Shelburne Falls, and Daniel the grandfather of Lucian and Miss Martha Eldredge.
THE HALLS
There were at least four Halls from the Cape who were early settlers here. Samuel settled in 1776 at this end of Cape Street on the cast side of the Goshen highway, about one hundred rods south of the Taylor Corners. He was the father of Atherton, who moved to Savoy and left a numerous posterity, of Samuel who settled in Hawley, of Lot who was the father of Lot, Daniel and Joshua, and great-grandfather of Leon. Another of Samuel's sons was Jonathan who was the father of Samuel W., for twenty- five years a successful and respected merchant in the building where Mrs. Rosa Ranney now lives. His son, Henry C., married
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Amanda Ferry, granddaughter of Esquire White. She still lives at the White homestead. Her husband died in 1873. Their son, William M., born in New York City in 1857, gradu- ated at Yale in 1880 as valedictorian of his class, was for a time a member of the faculty, but finally resigned on account of ill health. He went to California for a time, then under advice in 1890 went to Colorado Springs. He became connected with the Colorado College and was chosen professor in that institution. But the old pulmonary trouble was not eradicated, and in the fall of 1894 he came to the old family home in Ashfield where he died in December.
David Hall, half brother to Samuel, and his son Reuben came first to Goshen, then to Ashfield just before 1780 and settled about a hundred rods west of the Allen Hall place, now owned by Mrs. Morgan. Reuben was an officer on board the ship from which the tea was thrown overboard in Boston harbor. He was the father of Thomas, who left a large posterity in this town. Thomas was the father of Lydia, whose "Reminiscences" are given in this book, also of Granville B., the father of President G. Stanley Hall and Rev. Robert Hall. G. Stanley Hall was born in 1845, graduated from Williams College in 1867, spent two years of study in Germany, was professor of psychology in Antioch College from 1872 to 1876, was lecturer at Harvard and Williams, in 1884 chosen professor in Johns Hopkins University, and in 1888 was called to the presidency of Clark University. Rev. Robert Hall was an esteemed clergyman in Cambridge where he died in 1876.
Joseph Hall came here in 1797 and bought of Jonathan Taylor lot No. 2, 2nd Division, which is a part of the farm which Addi- son G. now owns. He had eight children, of whom Joseph and Seth still have descendants here. He was the great grandfather of Charles A. Hall and grandfather of Joseph Hall, educated at Williams College, a teacher at Shelburne Falls Academy and Suffield Literary Institute and principal of the Hartford High School for twenty-five years, also principal emeritus until his death. This is one of the few farms which has been in the same family for over a hundred years. The house on this farm was built by Joseph in 1812.
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Isaac Hall came to town a little later and settled where Allison Howcs now lives. He was the father of Mrs. Eli Eldredge and Mrs. Allen Eldredge.
THE HOWESES
Of this family there were seven different men who settled and died in town. Kimball and Zachariah came in 1775 or 1776 and settled, Kimball where Samuel Williams and Ceylon Bates now live, and Zachariah a hundred rods farther south. Afterwards Kimball moved to New Boston where he died on the farm where William Howes now lives. He was the grandfather of Barnabas, author of two pamphlets of Ashfield history and great grand- father of the five children of George Howes now living in town. Of Zachariah's ten children, Joseph and Micajah settled just over the line in Hawley. They built a one-room log house near the site of J. R. Smith's windmill, where they lived until they had ten children, with only a chalk mark on the floor as a divid- ing line between the families. Then Joseph moved to West Hawley, and Micajah to Briar Hill and bought the place oppo- site the town farm, now occupied by Messrs. Clark as a city residence. Micajah was the father of Otis, and Micajah of Whately, and grandfather of the Spruce Corner boys, Harlan P. and his brothers.
Samuel, with his young son Heman, came about the same time and settled just north of the Great Pond on No. 4, 2nd Division. The cellar hole where his house stood may be seen on the hill about forty rods southwest of the house where Samuel's great- great-grandson Charles Richmond now lives. This farm has been in continuous possession of the family for a hundred and thirty-five years. Samuel's son, Heman, married a daughter of Jonathan Lilly and about the same time Eliakim, Jonathan's son, married Heman's sister. Heman raised seven sons, all of whom lived and died in Ashfield leaving many descendants here.
James R. Howes of Springfield, for twenty-five years state inspector of public buildings, is a grandson of Heman. His son, William J., is a successful architect in Holyoke. Charles P. of St. Paul, Minn., for over thirty years connected with the Belding Silk Co., is a great-grandson of Heman.
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Ezekiel and Mark, sons of Sailor Thomas, settled a few years later in the northwest part of the town, Mark on the north side of the road where Henry A. and his son Abbott now live, and Ezekiel on the farm opposite. The pioneers made their journeys back and forth from the Cape on foot. The father, Sailor Tom, was a sea-going man and lived but a few years after coming here. He was buried in the Northwest cemetery in 1793. Ezekiel was the great-grandfather of Selectman Allison G. Howes, and Mark grandfather of Henry whose son Alfred is a popular school superintendent, now of Manchester, Conn.
Dea. Anthony Howes and his brother, Joshua, distant rela- tives of the other Howeses, settled on the hill about a hundred rods south of Mr. Farragut's place, on the old road to South Ashfield. Anthony was the father of Frederick Howes of Salem, a prominent lawyer there. He was the grandfather of Mrs. Wait Bement who was mother of Fred Bement of Northampton, another Ashfield boy who has been connected for many years with the Belding Silk Company. None of the descendants of Anthony or Joshua are now in town.
THE SEARSES
Roland, Paul, Enos and Jonathan Sears were early settlers at Cape Street. The old records say that April 28, 1774, Jonathan Coombs of Amherst sold to Roland and Paul Sears of Ashfield and Enos Sears of Yarmouth lot No. 48, 3rd Division, for £38 13s. Roland was in town as early as 1772. He and Paul, though only distantly related, bought and worked a tract of land together. They built two frame houses, and then cast lots for the occupancy. Roland drew for the north house where Mr. Cowan now lives, and Paul about thirty rods south. Roland had eight children; none of his posterity are now in town. Paul had eleven children. He was the great-grandfather of Sanford Boice; also of Miss Clara Ranney of this town. He died in 1808, aged fifty-eight. Enos was a brother of Paul and settled about a hundred rods farther south, where the old house built by Enos' son is still standing. Lemuel Sears of Holyoke, of the large and well-known firm of Lemuel Sears & Co., was a
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great-grandson of Enos, also Lewis Sears, proprietor of the Charlemont Hotel. He died in 1822, aged sixty-nine. Jonathan Sears settled in 1797 on the farm where his grandson, Benjamin, now lives. He was father of Rev. Freeman Sears and of Asarela, who settled on the south part of the old farm where Asarela's son, Rev. Oliver Sears, was born. Town Clerk John M. Sears, also Henry G. Sears of Holyoke of the firm of Lemuel Sears & Co., are grandsons of Jonathan. He died in 1808, aged fifty-seven.
THE SMITHS
Most of the Smith families were descendants of the Wethers- field, Conn., Smiths. The historian of that town says that over twenty Smiths were original landholders there. Of these, Dr. Enos Smith of Ashfield was a descendant of Lieut. Samuel Smith who moved to Wethersfield in 1634.
Rev. Henry Smith of that town was the ancestor of Chileab, the third settler of this town, who was the ancestor of Houghton Smith. There is good evidence that Jonathan Smith, father of Chipman and ancestor of Henry M. and M. Elizabeth Smith, also of Charles A. Hall, was also a descendant of Rev. Henry Smith.
In 1778, Jonathan of Chatham, Conn., bought for £40 one-half of lot No. 41 in Ashfield, afterwards buying and selling other lots. Mr. Charles Lilly says that the "Lilliput Lodge" which Professor Norton bought for Mr. Lowell was built by one Smith and moved up from across the road. Without doubt this was Jonathan. With his son Chipman, he probably built the house on Peter Hill, as related in H. M. Smith's paper.
According to Massachusetts genealogies lately published, Joseph Smith was the Wethersfield ancestor of Frederick H. and Dr. Walter A. Smith, their Ashfield ancestors Elisha and Elijah coming to Ashfield with other brothers. The records here say Elijah Smith was married in 1777 and in 1801 bought lot No. 23, 3rd Division, which is in the south part of the town, building a house near where John Biljer's now is. He was the father of Henry, grandfather of Arnold, and great-grandfather
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of Dr. Walter A., the successful and well-known physician of Springfield. Elisha is frequently mentioned in the Baptist Corner church records and probably lived in that part of the town or in Buckland. He was grandfather to Dea. F. H. Smith. The Smiths later living in the Chapel district, Reuben, Martin, Justus and others were probably of this line. All these Wethers- field Smiths emigrated by degrees up the river, finally landing in Ashfield. By the Registry records, Samuel Smith of Hadley bought and sold much land here.
In 1835 Josiah Smith of Gill, whose ancestors came from the east part of the state, bought of Reuben Bement the farm now owned by Dr. Murray. Deacon Josiah was the grandfather of Alvah W. and Walter Howes.
The early Smiths had large families, daughters as well as sons, and the records show that the girls were in good demand. Very many of the Ashfield people have the blood of the Smiths flowing through their veins without their knowledge.
THE TAYLORS
Three brothers by the name of Taylor settled near each other in the northerly part of Cape Street. Jonathan settled about half a mile south of where Fred Kelley lives and built a sawmill there. He was in town as early as 1769. He was the second representative sent from Ashfield. He married for his second wife the mother of Mary Lyon. Quite a number of his children went west. Jonathan, his son, lived on the old place many years and was the father of Mrs. Epaphroditus Williams and Miss Sally Taylor, afterwards the wife of Elder Pease. Isaac and Jasher came to town about 1771. In one of their prospective journeys here they stopped with friends in Hadley over night who desired them to buy land there, but the green wooded hills to the west were more attractive to them. Isaac settled on the farm just sold by Henry Taylor, and had four sons. Ezekiel and Stephen stayed on the farm. Ezekiel was the grandfather of Daniel, aged ninety-two, and Henry, aged eighty-four, now living here. Isaiah, the third son, settled in the northwest part of the town. Jeremiah moved to Hawley, and from his family
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have come a large number of. ministers. Jasher, the third original Taylor settler, moved to Buckland. He was the an- cestor of Darius and Wells. Seven of the Taylors were in the Revolutionary war, and five were in the Civil war,-all from this town.
The name "Baptist Corner" came very naturally, owing to the Baptist church and all its associations being located there. The northeast part of the town, Baptist Corner and Beldingville, was considerably noticed in the Ellis book and a map made of the location of the early settlers. Some of the families not mentioned there will be noticed here. Jesse Edson came here from Bridgewater in 1771 and settled on the old road above Sidney P. Elmer's. The large rock near where he built his first cabin is still pointed out. He was a surveyor, the father of Howard, and great-grandfather of Mrs. Almon and Mrs. Chan- dler Bronson and Mrs. Joshua Hall. The Willis family lived a short distance above him. Timothy Catlin moved from Deer- field and lived where Samuel Hale does. He was a scarred Revolutionary war veteran. Was at Bunker Hill and at several other important battles and was wounded in the face. Israel and Miles Standish lived on the John Hale place where Frank Bailey now lives. The farm where Herbert Elmer lives was lot No. 28 and was bought by Roger Bronson from Connecticut before 1800. Several generations of Bronsons were born here. Samuel Elmer in 1773 bought two fifty-acre lots, Nos. 20 and 21, where George B. Church now lives. He was the ancestor of the Elmers living in this section.
Wardville was probably so called after Caleb Ward and his son Luther. Caleb lived at the east end of the Walter Lesure pasture, on what was once the main road to Buckland. Luther lived for many years where Joseph Tatro does. Captain or Esquire Phillips, as he was oftener called, lived across the road from Levant Gray's in a large two-story wood colored house. Capt. William Bassett settled on Captain Phillips' farm about 1825 and built a brick house there. Jonathan Yeomans built the Tatro house about 1796. Capt. Ephraim Jennings lived near
.
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the poplar trees northwest of the schoolhouse. Marshall Lyon lived where Dana Graves does, selling to Dana's grandfather Ebenezer about 1830. This family of Graveses came from Reading to Charlemont in 1794 and were descendants of Samuel who settled in Lynn in 1630. Aaron Lyon, grandfather of Mary Lyon, settled in 1765 where Addison Graves lives. The Crit- tendens settled on No. 43, 2nd Division, where Freeman Barnes lives. Joseph Paine made his pitch where the Higgins boys live. He was the ancestor of Postmaster General Paine who was born in the Prouty house on the Plain.
Of the Harry Eldredge place, one Smead was the first owner known. Mr. Ranney hands down this tradition: Mr. Smead died and a man named Davis Butler was hired to carry on the place. After a time, finding the hired man was likely to marry one of the daughters, the widow broke up the match and finally married him herself. Dea. Samuel Bement owned the place quite a number of years before it was bought by Harry's grand- father, Mr. Allen Eldredge. Lebbeus Rood was an early owner of the farm owned by Clayton Eldredge. He probably built that house, and sold to Chester Sanderson in 1816. Senator Dawes married his wife here in 1844. The cellar hole in Clay- ton's pasture, about forty rods south of his house, marks the spot where John Ward, who tended the grist mill down in the ra- vine, lived.
The first record we find of the village being called the "Plain" is in 1815. In a paper read before the Farmer's Club at Pro- fessor Norton's house in 1893, Mr. Ranney says of Dr. Bartlett, who built the house a hundred years before, "When he came here in 1766, the settlers on the site of this village were Samuel and Jonathan Lillie, at the place afterwards Seth Wait's tavern, now the Episcopal rectory, and Capt. Moses Fuller and his son Nathan at the place where Moses Cook's dwelling is." Of the people who were here in 1793, he says, "It is probable that the following list of families comprises all or nearly all who then resided in this village, namely: Dr. Bartlett, Capt. Moses Fuller, Capt. John Bennett, Levi Cook, Esq., Zachariah Field, Samuel Clary, Seth Wait and Eleazer Smith. Five of the houses then
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occupied are yet standing, namely: those now in possession of George Wright (Episcopal rectory), Mrs. Rosa Ranney, Prof. C. E. Norton, Henry S. Ranney and Mrs. J. C. Prouty." The Sanderson house was built by Dr. David Dickenson about 1798, was owned by Dr. Enos Smith in 1808 and soon after sold to the Sandersons, in which family it remained until the death of Alvan, when it was bought by Mr. Belding. The Esquire Paine and Esquire White houses were built in 1794. The Sedgwick lot was a part of the Bartlett estate, bought by James McFarland, sold by him to Charles Williams in 1816, bought by Dr. Enos Smith in 1825, and bought by Dr. Charles Knowlton in 1835. Dr. Smith also lived for a time in the house now owned by Amos Daniels, as did also his son-in-law, Dr. Atherton Clark. The Prouty house was moved from near where George Cook lives. George Ranney, grandfather to Henry S. Ranney, in 1798 built the house where Albert Howes lives. Later Samuel Howes owned the place for quite a number of years. Jesse, son of George, settled where Arthur Williams lives, selling later to his brother Joseph, who was killed in 1838 by the falling of a tree. The maple trees that adorn the street were set out about 1824, by the young men of the village-worthy forerunners of the present Civic Service Club.
The name "Steady Lane" is said by Mrs. Miles to have been given to this district because some of the people met so steadily to play cards at Captain Warner's store, which was near the schoolhouse. This district comprised a large area. David Williams settled on the place now occupied by F. H. Smith on land given him by his father, Esquire Williams. The settlement of the three farms south has been given in the Howes and Hall account. The next place south of Mr. A. G. Hall's was settled by Timothy Perkins, Jr., and Eliab, sons of the Timothy Perkins who kept the double log house tavern on the Plain. It is said that Lorenzo Dow once preached in the barn on this place. Elisha Bassett from Yarmouth settled about 1797 where Willis Turner lives. His son, Esquire Henry, later bought the place now owned by his grandson, Isaac. This place had been settled by Joseph Stocking who came here before the Revolution from
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East Middletown, Conn. He had quite a family as did also his son, Abram. Of Abram's sons, only George remained in town.
The schoolhouse stood on the corner below where Allison Howes lives. Jacob Kilburn had a tannery across the road south from the schoolhouse. Captain Warner's store was nearly opposite Allison Howes' house. Jonathan Lillie in 1764 bought lot No. 61, 1st Division, with a house upon it. His wife was a Foster, her mother a Standish, descendants of Miles Standish and all from Stafford, Conn. In 1793, Lewis Foster, a relative, bought of Jacob Kilburn the north end of lot No. 60 which is directly east of 61 and is where Allison G. Howes, a great-great- grandson of Jonathan, now lives. Jonathan was grandfather of Alonzo Lilly, a successful business man of Baltimore and Boston, who has remembered his native town by generous donations to the Academy and Library. Lilliput Lodge, noticed in theSmiths, was occupied by Eliakim, son of Jonathan.
Elisha Wing was a son of Edward of Goshen who probably came from Warren. He came to Ashfield a little after 1800 and settled where the Wing place now is. He was a carpenter and did considerable work towards finishing the meetinghouse after the death of Colonel Ames. He was grandfather of the ten children of Elisha Wing, Jr. About thirty rods to the west lived Barnabas Alden who had seventeen children. Over the hill to the left lived Daniel Mighles, ancestor to Mrs. Charles Abbey, Henry Howes and Henry Fuller. Across the road was Nathaniel Clark, grandfather of Herbert. His father was Silas who had a log house west of Peter Hill, where Nathaniel probably was born. A hundred rods further west near the foot of the hill were David and Thomas Hall. Coming back from the hill we come to Clarence Hall's place which Esquire Williams bought of Joshua Whieldon in 1793, with house and barn. In 1800, he built the large house now standing. "Uncle Joe Fuller" lived opposite on the present Mrs. Guilford place and his father Josiah and his grandfather, Aaron, some thirty rods east. Lieut. Zebulon Bryant from Bridgewater bought before 1766 part of lot No. 26, 2nd Division, which is now the Tredick farm. He was grand- father of William, Chauncey and Calvin Bryant, and great-
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great-grandfather of Dr. Ward C. Bryant of Greenfield. Silas Clark came down from the hill and built the house Fred Kelley lives in. His son-in-law, Chipman Lilly, lived with him. Jacob Kilburn of Chatham, Conn., moved here in 1774, and settled near the brook at the foot of the hill below Fred Kelley's. He was a tanner and cordwainer and was ancestor of Emory and Nelson of Greenfield. Some fifty rods south settled Jonathan Taylor, the first Capecodder coming to town. Going back towards the 'old schoolhouse, Jonathan Lilly, Jr., built the houses occupied by Dr. Jones and Robert Howes. George Stocking had a house and a tannery where the creamery is. Walter Shaw's house was moved down from the hill near Thomas Hall's and occupied as a hotel by George Barrus. There was a hall above where dances and singing schools were held. Flint Upton early lived where Mrs. Josiah Smith does and had a blacksmith shop opposite, which was changed into the Hatha- way house. Chipman and Austin Lilly, shoemakers, Miss Amanda Amsden and others lived in the house owned by the Smiths. The Wright place was owned by Dr. Enos Smith in 1812. He also owned the land upon which the meetinghouse was built. Later it was occupied by Dea. John Bement, Justus Smith, Nathaniel Holmes and others. The gambrel roofed Smith house stood on the ministerial lot granted to Rev. Nehemiah Porter and was probably built by him. Capt. Justus Smith lived there afterwards and about 1850 his son Justus moved the addition on the rear of the house across the road changing it into what is now John Sears' house.
Down the new road from the creamery, at Bert Richmond's, we come into the South Ashfield school district, where lived Anson Goodwin who probably built the Bert Richmond house. Uriah Goodwin, his ancestor, came here from West Hartford in 1773. He had twelve children and his son, Eldad F., had eleven. Of these large families, only Anson remained in town. Opposite Mr. Goodwin once lived "Jo" Manning, the zealous Millerite elsewhere spoken of. A short distance below settled Benjamin Rogers, ancestor of Charles of Greenfield and others. Down the stream at the turn of the Briar Hill road was Dorus Graves,
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busy at his clothier's shop. He and Sumner were from the Hat- field Graveses, probably not related to the Ebenezer family. On the Luther Guilford farm settled Samuel Allen from Deer- field. His father was killed by the Indians at the Bars fight in 1746. Young Samuel, then eight years old, was taken captive and carried to Canada where he remained about a year and a half when he was ransomed and brought back to Deerfield. He came here with other Allens before 1770 and bought this place. He was a lieutenant in the Revolution and captain of the com- pany that marched from Ashfield to aid the Shays' rebellion. Before this his name often appears on the records as holding public office, but he was evidently disfranchised by refusing to accept of pardon as his name does not appear on the list of those who afterwards took the oath of allegiance. He probably re- tained some of his youthful grit for Mr. Sheldon relates that when captured, he kicked, scratched and bit so lively he excited the admiration of his Indian captor so much that instead of tomahawking him he resolved to carry him away. It is said he had pleasant recollections of his youthful captivity. He was remembered by the old residents here as "Barefoot Allen." He moved to Grand Isle, Vermont. One of his descendants was a representative to Congress from that state. He sold in 1794 to Samuel Guilford. Mr. Guilford had previously moved here from Spencer, married a daughter of Capt. Elisha Cranston of Spruce Corner and settled on the hill above the Bird place. He was the ancestor of the Guilfords now in town. The next place below has been mentioned as the old log hotel stand; the farm occupied later by the Waits and Nathan Sears. The house in which Charles Lilly lives was built by Bela Gardner, father of E. C. of Springfield; later occupied by John Ward, the miller. Heman Day moved from the Plain to the place now occupied by his son, Charles. He was a ready debater at the Lyceums, a strong democrat and a man of very positive con- victions. Samuel Barber came over with his father from Eng- land and started a tannery just back of his house now occupied by Mrs. C. F. Howes. He was town clerk and representative to the legislature. He had a large family of whom only Mrs.
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