USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Ashfield > History of the town of Ashfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts from its settlement in 1742 to 1910 > Part 5
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55
BEGINNINGS
3 En" Nathaniel Wales In his Fathers Right
viz Nathaniel Wales 16
viz Benja Ludden 19
viz Gideon Tuirels 43
the Number of ve Lot drawn Against Each Mans Name
6 Richard Faxon In his Fathers Right
viz Thomas Faxons 59
Viz ve
Draughts or
Order of
9 The Revd Mr Joseph Belcher (sic) For viz in his uncle Wm Right 23
21
11 Seth Chapin 25
12 Capt John Phillips for Richard Phillips 13
13 Johin Herrick viz Capt Benja Lowing for his Uncle Jonathan Buckle
62
Viz who Draw first
& so along
15 Zachariah Brigs In his Fathers Right viz Clement 53
16 Capt Ebenezer Hunt for ye Revd Mr Richard Pierce 30
In Jono Kings Right by Sam"1
17 Job Otis
In ye Right of James Otis 10
18 Jonath" Daws in his Fathers Right viz Sam !! 30
19 Heb' for Josiah Prat in his Fathers Right viz 1 Sam !! 1
20 Richard DavnPort in his own Right 45
21 Capt Ezra Whitmarsh in his Brothers Right viz John 5
22 Solomon Leonard in his Fathers Right viz Jacob 26
23 James Mears) for Samuel Hollis
in his Fathers Right viz Thomas 27
24 Joseph Good viz for Sam11 Bedlow In his Fathers Right Vizt 4
25 Thomas Bolter in his Fathers Right viz Thomas 14
26 Ephraim Emmerson in his Fathers Right viz Ephraim viz The Revd Mr Baly & James Mears in his 52
27 Benjamin Beal in his own 29
28 Barnebas Dayly viz Capt Benja Lorring for his uncle Solomon Buckle 22
29 John Miller viz Capt Benja Lorring for his uncle Benjamin Buckle 28
30 Josiah Owin in his 48
31 Sam Thayer in his Fathers Right viz Sam11 viz The Revd Mr Baly in his 12
32 Ephraim viz Thomas Copeland in his Right 8
33 James Hayward in his viz Wm 34
34 Sam" Gay for his Father John Poole 61
And ve Last Collum at ve Right Hand Showeth
4 Benjamin Ludden In his Fathers Right
5 Gideon Turrel In his Fathers Right
7 Lt. William Crane viz Henry Crames 15 in his Fathers Right S Capt Ebenezer Hunt (?) In ye Right of Joseph Nash viz in Jacobs 2
Drawings &c
As 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 Jonathan Webb for Hew Baly \ 7. &c in ye Right of Saml Baly
14 Capt John Phillips in his own Right 6
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HISTORY OF ASHFIELD
35 Ebenczer Staples 31
for Isaac Staples viz in his
36 Sam" Staples in his Fathers Right viz John 36
37 John King for his uncle viz in his 58
38 Mr Sam" Niles for Caleb Littlefield viz in his Right 11
39 James Mears for John Chine viz in his 46
40 James Mears for Sam1 Nightingal in ye Right of his 42
41 Moses Penniman in ye Right of his Uncle Joseph 44
42 Joshua Phillips For his Father Joshua viz in his Joseph 56
43 William Linfield in his Father Wm viz in his 33
- 44 Mr Sam" Niles Junr for Ebenezer Vinson in his Father Joseph Drakes Right 9
45 Ebenezer Owen viz Daniel Owen in his Right 40 46 Sam" Darby in his Fathers Right viz Edward 3
47 Jonathan Webb for Nathaniel Blancher viz in his Right 41
48 John Bass for his Brother viz Samuel K 47
49 for Joseph Keith Prat viz in his Right 18
50 J. French for John Weld viz in his Right 37
51 Amos Stulson for Isaac Thayer viz in his Right 51
52 Joseph Drake for Wm Drake viz in his Right 60
53 Thomas Wells For his Uncle Wm viz in his Right 39
54 Sam" Andrews for his Father Sam" viz in his Right 57
55 John White for Perigrine White viz in his &c 35
56 Benja Stuart for James viz in his Right 63
57 Joseph Vickery in his own Right 49
58 Joseph Lobdle for his Father Josiph viz in his 32
59 Joseph Milton for his Father viz in his Right 50
60 John Bartlet for his Father John viz in his Right 7
A true coppy of ye Original Propriet-r as Recorded in ye Proprieters Book of Recor-Test Jacob Sherwin Proprs Clerk
Rev. Dr. Shepard says that it does not appear from the records that any of the proprietors ever settled on the land in person. The list of those drawing lots shows that at the nine- teenth drawing, "Heber" for Josiah Pratt drew lot No. 1. This Heber was a black man and settled on lot No. 1. The location of his cabin can still be seen near a spring in the pasture of Levant F. Gray. Joseph Vickery or Victory drew No. 49 and a number of ycars after John Victory, probably his son, lived on No. 10, the lot adjoining. Victory sold this lot with house and barn in 1761. No. 49 was where Richard Ellis the
57
BEGINNINGS
first settler lived, now owned by Will Lanfair and No. 10 was across the road to the west. Capt. John Phillips drew No. 6 in his own right and No. 13 for Richard. Capt. John was an old man at this time, but his son Thomas, then 32 years old, settled in the new township. Richard Ellis married the daughter of Capt. John and settled there a short time previous. Lot No. 6, drawn by Capt. John, was owned by his descendants over one hundred years. Some of the descendants of Richard and Joshua also came here. The Phillipses now in this section are descend- ants of Capt. John by Thomas.
Those who came here did not often settle on the lots drawn by their relatives. Probably some made trips to the place and if they liked other lots better than their own they could easily be bought. Wild lands in the west of the province sold at a low price. In 1737 what is now the town of Colrain-then Boston No. 2-was sold for £1320 or about 19 cents an acre. Twenty years later by order of the General Court, ten townships were sold at auction. Among them Hawley sold for £875, Rowe, £380, and other towns accordingly. The previous records have shown that the Proprietors had already paid out considerable sums for laying out lots and other expenses for the payment of which each share was responsible. Under these circumstances the property could not have been valued very highly, and most of the proprietors were probably glad to barter their right for a comparatively small sum, sometimes without the formality of giving a deed. The few, however, who had the hardihood and enterprise to brave the perils of the wilderness, and who like other western pioneers persevered to the end, extended the borders of civilization and made for themselves and their posterity pleasant homes.
It was no easy journey for the owners of the new lands in the western wilds to visit their new possessions. It must be made from Braintree and that section either on horseback or on foot. Their route lay on the Old Bay Path from Boston to Springfield as far as Brookfield, where to shorten the distance they probably took the trail from there to Hadley, crossed on the ferry to Hatfield, came up the path to Deerfield, then by blazed trees
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HISTORY OF ASHFIELD
followed the trail previously made by Nathaniel Kellogg, the surveyor, and others up through what is now Conway to the new township. Save for a few small grassy meadows they found an unbroken forest, no sounds heard after nightfall but the cries of wild beasts. The streams were much larger than now and the land in the valleys more moist, so that the pros- pective settlers looked for places on sandy lands, and on the sides of the hills.
They found but few, if any, traces of Indians. It is very doubtful if the Indians ever had local habitations in this section as they did in Deerfield and other places on the Connecticut River, although they sometimes came up and had camps here for hunting, fishing, trapping and other purposes. The Indians were not as numerous as many suppose. Good authorities place the whole number in New England at less than thirty- five thousand, or not as many in number as our own county now contains and in the whole United States east of the Mis- sissippi river, at only two hundred and fifty thousand, not half the present population of Boston. It was only in the time of the French wars when the French and their Indian allies came down from the north or over from the west that there was danger from the Indians. But the isolation and loneliness of the region can only be imagined. West of them towards Albany there were only two or three small settlements of a few inhabitants, and the only way of reaching them from the Con- necticut Valley was by an Indian trail up the Deerfield Valley and over the Hoosac Mountains, or by a rough path from West- field through Blandford westward to Stockbridge.
In the dense forest it must have been very difficult for parties to find the lots they were in search of. As a matter of fact they did in some cases make their location three-fourths of a mile . from the lot assigned them. Of course, different proprietors would return to the East with different views, but the pro- prietors were evidently not discouraged by the reports as a whole, for at the meeting in Braintree vigorous votes were passed in aid of immediate settlement. May 28, 1741, it was "voted
59
BEGINNINGS
that there shall be £5 paid to each of the ten Proprietors who shall first build a House and bring to Six Acres of land."
They seemed to feel deeply the need of a sawmill for they vote "That £120 be assessed as an encouragement to build a Saw Mill." At the next meeting, three months later, it seems that the spirit was more for economy for they vote "not to allow anything more to the first settlers" also "That those who build a saw mill do not have liberty to draw anything from the treasury and to do nothing farther in the matter of a corn mill."
On September 2, 1742, the meeting was held in Hadley and a new set of men appear. Nathaniel Kellogg of Hadley was a noted surveyor and was the first employed about Huntstown. The Hadley historian says of him "He was a skillful surveyor but poor in spelling." He was a prominent man in Hadley and had evidently interested the people there in the new town- ship.
The May previous Chileab Smith of Hadley bought of John Phillips of Easton, lot No. 13 with one sixty-third part of the remaining township. It was "voted that Mr. Chileab Smith, Nathaniel Kellogg and Richard Ellis be chosen a committee to repair the road already laid from Hatfield to Deerfield, to extend the said road so far into the Township as the said Committee shall think proper at present, also to clear a way from said Township to as may be most convenient, if they think proper."
The idea of having a sawmill built at once seems to have been given up, but it was very desirable to have boards for the settlers' houses. It was therefore voted that a good whip saw be procured at the expense of the proprietors. Samuel White and Job Porter were to have said saw delivered to them by the proprietors, and to saw boards for Four pounds per thousand. These whip saws had been in use in the new settlements before they were able to build a saw mill. It was used in what was called a saw pit and was run by two men, one above, the other below. The log was first hewed out or squared like a stick of timber, then rolled over the pit for the sawyers. Two good sawyers could saw a hundred feet a day. Of course, the outside boards or planks would be hewed on one side. Carpenters
60
HISTORY OF ASHFIELD
relate that in tearing down old buildings they find sueh boards or plank. They were found in an old house taken down by Mr. Daniel Hall about thirty-five years ago.
September 2, 1742, the first meeting of the Proprietors was held in Hadley. Nathaniel Kellogg, the surveyor, had evidently awakened interest in the new township, for Chilcab Smith and others from Hadley had already bought lots there, and Riehard Ellis and Thomas Phillips had moved from Easton to Deerfield evidently for the purpose of being near their possessions. Riehard Ellis and the Phillipses had previously bought lots here, all of which were in Baptist Corner or Beldingville. Dr. Ellis, in the Ellis genealogy gives the first aetual settlement by Richard Ellis as in 1745. Dr. Shepard also says that the first permanent settlement was made that year. But there is mueh evidenee to show that the settlers were aetive here several years before that time, probably clearing up the land and build- ing log houses. From the Proprietors' records the eorn mill on Pond Brook was built in 1743, and in April, 1743, a vote was taken to give orders on the Treasurer to pay the minister who had already preached there. It is probable that the settlers were here during a part of the year while their families remained in Deerfield and Hadley. The descendants of Thomas Phillips relate how their aneestor used to come up from Deerfield in the spring to make maple sugar with a five pail iron kettle, an axe and a week's provisions on his back.
Richard Ellis probably moved his family from Deerfield up into his log house which stood a few rods east of where Will Lanfair now lives, in the spring of 1745, and his brother-in-law, Thomas Phillips, moved into his eabin soon after. The remains of this can now be seen with the well near by in the northeast part of the pasture now owned by Mr. Jerome Kendrick. Chileab Smith of Hadley bought land here as early as 1741 and other lots soon after but his name appears on the Hadley records as one of the Selectmen until 1747, showing that he did not actually settle here until that year. He was, however, on eom- mittees with Mr. Ellis and Mr. Phillips which must have taken much of his time here. Chileab settled about twenty rods
61
BEGINNINGS
northerly from where Asa Wait now lives. The Phillips gene- alogy records that Phillip Phillips, son of Thomas, was born in Ashfield in February, 1738; this must be a mistake as this date was before the division of lands was made.
Other families moved in soon after. The people of Stafford, Conn., evidently were interested in the new township, for Daniel Alden and his son, Barnabas, from that town, early bought lands here, also the Standishes who settled where Frank Bailey now lives; still later the Lillies and Fosters from the same place. More Phillipses came from Easton, John and Samuel Nightin- gale came from Braintree and settled on Bellows Hill. Eben- ezer Belding from Hatfield was here at an early date, living where Mr. Joshua Hall lived, also near the present residence of Charles Hocum. Heber Honestman and wife, negroes, who came up with Thomas Phillips lived on lot No. 1, in the upper part of what is now Mr. Levant Gray's pasture. It is said in the "History of the Town of Easton" that Heber was formerly a slave but was given his freedom by his master. Heber joined the church in Ashfield in 1763. In some of the old deeds he is called Heber Negro. There is a book in the show case in the library room of Field Memorial Hall which was owned by Heber, carried West by some of the Phillips family, and some years since through Mr. Moses Cook was presented to the library.
David Alden, whose father according to the Alden genealogy was cousin to Daniel, early settled on the farm where Jerome Kendrick now lives, his house being on the sandy knoll some forty rods west of the present dwelling. David was the father of John and the ancestor of a numerous posterity in this vicinity. These Aldens were the fifth in descent from John Alden of the Mayflower. It was a singular coincidence that John Alden and Myles Standish were frequently named in the early records, both living here at the same time and there were several Priscillas. A descendant of the Alden family a few years since on being presented with twin boys, named them respectively, John Alden and Myles Standish.
The Proprietors now began to be more in earnest in the matter of a sawmill, and at a meeting in Hadley, April 12, 1753, it was
62
HISTORY OF ASHFIELD
voted to Grant to Nathanicl and William Church, two Hadley men, a set of sawmill irons, sixteen acres of land on the north side of Bear River, with certain rights and privileges, if they would build a sawmill there within six months. It does not appear whether the Churches built the mill, but it was really built that season for the next season May 29, 1754, at a meeting in Huntstown it was "Voted that all the rights and privileges of the sawmill already built and the sixteen acres of land be confirmed one-half to Chileab Smith, one-fourth to Eliphalet Cary of Bridgewater, and one-fourth to Danicl Alden of Hunts- town their heirs and assigns forever." This mill was built just below the present bridge over Bear River, on the road south from the house of Church and Broadhurst, where the foundation can still be seen, also the remains of the corn mill built some rods below. Dr. Shepard's sketch and the Connecticut Valley History record that the first sawmill was built near Factory Bridge east of Mr. Levant Gray's house. This is an error. By the Proprietors' records it is clear that it was built as above stated, just below Bear River Bridge.]
CHAPTER II
PROGRESS-INDIANS-WHY ASHFIELD?
The number of families in 1754 as given by Dr. Shepard is eleven, and the number of inhabitants one hundred. There were probably some eight or ten log cabins scattered over what is now Baptist Corner and Beldingville, and Richard Ellis had built a new frame house. The sawmill had just been built, and the corn mill was in operation on Pond Brook. A road from Deerfield had been cut through and had been laid out by the Court of Sessions to the top of "Meeting House Hill"-Bellows Hill. They had voted £26 for preaching and £50 for building the meetinghouse. Chileab Smith had already organized his family Baptist Church, and the Proprietors were about to lay out another division of one hundred acre lots. The little colony seemed to be in a prosperous condition when the French and Indian war again broke out in 1754.
In the forenoon of June 11, 1755, a party of Indians descended upon Charlemont where a few settlers were at work in the meadow in front of where the village now is, killed two men and carried off two prisoners. The inhabitants in the settlement quickly fled to the fort, and the remaining man in the meadow eluded the Indians and made quick time to Taylor fort in what is now known as East Charlemont. The good settlers in their time of trouble remembered their neighbors in Huntstown and at once dispatched a messenger to notify the settlers there of the proximity of the Indians. Where he crossed the Deerfield River, or by what route he traversed the forest of what is now Buckland, we know not, but he arrived about four o'clock in the afternoon. Dr. Shepard's sketch tells us of the hurried con- sultation, the gathering together of movable stores, concealing such as they could not carry, and the hasty flight to Deerfield that night. The French war was now fully opened and the fierce Indian allies were liable to pour in upon them at any time. That they were already on the war path, the messenger brought
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HISTORY OF ASHFIELD
good evidenee. Forts had been built for the protection of the settlers in Charlemont and Colrain but the Huntstown settlers being a little aside from the main traek towards the west had deferred building a fort and were therefore without means of defense. Corporal Clapp of East Hadley who was sent to Huntstown in 1754 with ten men reported that they found no fort there, but "we Garded the Inhabitanee til we had a Des- mishion from them." Although it is not known that any Indians visited the settlement that summer, in view of the situation the, settlers were justified in quiekly taking their de- parture for Deerfield. It must have been a strange sight as the hundred people, men, women and children, wended their way through the forest, and asked admission to the Deerfield homes in the night. Some of them had relatives and acquaintances in Deerfield, others were strangers. Probably the Smiths, the next morning, journeyed on to their relatives in Hadley.
It will be noticed that Dr. Shepard and the Connecticut Valley History give this date as 1754, but from the best author- ities the Charlemont raid happened one year later, and other records show fully that the settlers left in 1755. There are different accounts as to the length of time the settlers were ab- sent from the settlement. Dr. Shepard and the Connectieut Valley History place it as probably two or three years. It is elear that the settlers left June 11, 1755. As quoted by Mr. Sheldon in his History of Deerfield, Col. Williams, commander of the military forces in this seetion, wrote to Governor Shirley under date of March 27, 1756:
Huntstown people quitted their place last summer for want of protection but several families returned and lived there through the winter and others will join them if they can have help. Encouraged by what they heard from you by their messenger they have begun to fortifie and in a few days will have a garrison completed. Before the war they had fitted a large area of land for tillage and raised considerable provisions. That is gone and they know not where to look for their bread, or what method to take for their support and unless something ean be done for them, they must again leave the place. With a guard of ten or twelve men they think they may work upon their land with tolerable safety.
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PROGRESS, INDIANS, WHY ASHFIELD?
But when summer came the inhabitants did not seem to stand in so much fear of the Indians but that they thought of marrying and giving in marriage. Mr. Sheldon calls it the "first Fourth of July celebration in Huntstown when Ebenezer Smith with Remember Ellis on a pillion behind him, with his father, Chileab, riding in front as a body guard, rode through the wilderness to Deerfield, where the two former were united in marriage by Parson Ashley." Mr. Ellis gives the date as July 1, 1756. This was the first Ashfield marriage. Ebenezer, son of Chileab, was twenty-two, and his bride, daughter of Richard, was twenty-one.
The following petition was copied from the original in the old Archives at the State House, showing their anxiety for a Guard.
Huntstown March the 3 1756
To his Exolency William Sheirley Esq. Governor in and over his Magistyes Provence of The Msechusets bay in New england and to the Great and General court seting at boston we the subscribers being inhabitance of Hunts town so called and your faithfull and lawyal subjects do Pray for your help under our destresst for circumstances on account of the war we would in- form you we came and settled our land according to your command and have gone through great hard ship before the war by reason of the new inhabitance not coming but sence the war we think it is enough to exect the hardest have to hear but a hint of our distresses how we have heard once and again that the enemy was near upon us even within a few hours travel which after words we found to be really over then had we faint to flee for our lives (for want of the common defence allowed to other fronteers) with our wives and children leiveing our hooses as they were casting our household stoof some of it into the weeds and bushes to hide from the enemy and so to go to so- journ wher we could find a Place and thus have been scattered husbands from there wives and children from there Parance in this our great distress we went many times to The Hon Con Israel William as our father for Protection but he not being willing to put the county to charg asourded us no help save that he sent a gard of about ten men a few days to help us gather part of our crop one time thus have we been for near Two years our women and children the most of the time scat- tered amongst strangers we that were men many of us after going or sending to Mr. Williams for help and could git none was
66
HISTORY OF ASHFIELD
forced to come to worck on our Lands without a gard save what we made among ourselves one of us spending a considerable time in the woods of hunts town to see if he could see or track the enemy. We therefore in great destress do Pray his Exolency and your Honers as our fathers to take some pitty on us for we flee to you as the last human help we have to go to and grant us some Protection as you in your wisdom shall think fit and in so doing you will most Oblige your humble and faithfull subjects.
Richard Ellis Hebor Honestman
Chileab Smith John Nightingale Ebenezer Smith
Heare is
hatfield
Northwest abought 18 miles is Hunts town
west abought eight miles is Hunts town
Here is
dearfeild
Hunts Town July The 3th 1756
To His Exolency William Sheirley Esqi governor in and over his magistyes Province of the macichusits bay in new ingland and his Honnorable counsell and to the great and jenoral Court that we trust wil shortly seet at booston we the subscribours inhabitance of Hunts Town being your faitfull and now gratly destressed subjects do Pray you would have som marcy on us and help us in oor distresse we would inform you that notwith- standing we had such incourrigment from the govennor and Counsell and some of the settlers that new our distresses that the request we made to you the last spring for help should be
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PROGRESS, INDIANS, WHY ASHFIELD?
answored the cort being brooken up before our Petition was brought the govenor called a Counsel on our behalf and sent their advice to the Hon Col Williams to send us Present help vet we have had no help we would in form you we settled here in Hunts Town in obedience to your commans and are nesosaryly imployed in defence of our country ourselves our wives and children our Practis a great Prat of the time sence the wor and espisally this sommor hath been to scoute from Hunts Town to deirfeild este and west sometimes to clessons river or nere it and both pretty well on to deirfeild river and sometimes holly (wholly) shut up in the fort save one or too men to scout Some- times we work all together and gard ourselves and those we are a gard to hatfeild and dearfeild and their viliges to wit a Place called roreing brook and a Place called the scars (?) and a Place called moody brook and also the Place called the bars and wopin (Wapping) all which Places we are a specil gard unto and some defince to others also by which means we are grately impover- eshed many of us that ware inhabitance are alredy broken up and in want of soport by which we are weakened and the Town in utmost danger it being given up to the will of our enemies we pray therefore that you would have some bowels of pittye upon us your distressed subjects and send us some strenth of men and put us under the common Pay of the garoson service of this Provence from last March and forwards until our services shall end we Pray for this your pity and help in grate distress and so we remain your faithful and lawal subjects
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