USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Ashfield > History of the town of Ashfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts from its settlement in 1742 to 1910 > Part 9
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-216
1855 (State)
1,342
-52
1860 (U. S.)
1,302
-40
1865 (State)
1,221
-81
1870 (U. S.)
1,180
-41
1875 (State)
1,190
+10
1880 (U. S.)
1,066
-124
1885 (State)
1,097
+31
1890 (U. S.)
1,025
-72
1895 (State)
1,013
-12
1900 (U. S.)
955
-58
1905 (State)
959
+4
1910 (U. S.)
959
0
Out of the fifteen towns then in Hampshire County in 1765, the returns from Huntstown, Sunderland and Greenwieh were not sent in for that eensus, and the population has been ealled that of the next sueeeeding census, thus Huntstown is given 628 in 1765, the same number it had eleven years later. The twelve towns in the county that sent in their eensus in 1765 give 1,532 houses and 10,567 inhabitants, an average of a little less than seven for each habitation.
The property eensus of the town signed by the selectmen in 1766 and given on a preeeding page, does not give the popula- tion, but has on the list 47 houses. If our town was on an aver- age with the other towns in the eounty, it would give a popula- tion of 329 in 1765 which is probably very near the eorreet number of inhabitants the year our town was ineorporated.
It is seen by the table of population that there was a steady inerease of the number of inhabitants up to 1810, after that, a
.
103
POPULATION
decrease. The records of the churches show that from the timc this tax list was given in 1793 up to 1820 there were many dis- missals and recommendations to the "distant west," "to a church in York State," or "to a church of the same denomina- tion wherever Providence may call them." A comparison of the list in 1793 with that given of the heads of families in the school districts show that many of the surnames go out and new ones come in. All of the Anables, the Standishes, many of the Smiths, Shepards, Phillipses and others went out. Most of these went to western New York, where many of their descend- ants may now be found among the most solid and substantial people of that section. A few emigrated to western Virginia, going with a cart and oxen, and being over six weeks on the way. Of those who went to West Virginia were David and Elijah Phillips, brothers of the great grandfather of Ralph Phillips, and Joseph Howes, brother of the great grandfather of Allison Howes. These men had large families when they moved away and their descendants are now living chiefly in Barbour and Upshur Counties. Like most of the Union men in that section they took an active part in the Civil War. Eightcen of the grandchildren of David Phillips who went from here were in the war, one was killed in battle, one starved in a southern prison, one was wounded and made a cripple for lifc, and onc was cap- tain of a company. Fenelon Howes, a grandson of Joseph, was colonel of a West Virginia regiment.
Many letters to friends in Ashfield from those emigrating to York State in early years, arc given in the Ellis book. People returning for a visit usually gave good reports of the new country which was an incentive to others to follow. Mr. David S. Howcs used to tell the story of a cousin of his, son of Joseph, coming back from the new country, and when it was hinted to him that some of his stories of the new section, West Virginia, might be slightly exaggerated, he said, "Oh, no. Why, the clover therc grows so big they use the stalks for fence rails."
It seems hardly credible that the cultivation of a single crop should have anything to do with the lessening of the population
104
HISTORY OF ASHFIELD
of Ashfield, but facts go to show that the rise and fall of the peppermint industry here affected the population seriously.
About the year 1812, Samuel Ranney, who had come from Chatham, Connecticut, and settled on the place now occupied by Wallace Whitney, began in a small way the raising of pepper- mint and in a short time had a small distillery for converting the plant into oil. The business proving profitable, the neigh- bors entered into it, so that in 1821 there were five distilleries in operation in 'town, and in 1830 ten, some distilling not only peppermint, but spearmint, hemlock, spruce, tansy, wintergreen and other oils. Soon these oils were manufactured into essences and peddlers began to go out from Ashfield selling these goods. Jasper and Joseph Bement put up the essences and sent out hundreds of young men every year from Ashfield and vicinity. Seventy years ago there were few young men in Ashfield who had not started out with the strap neck yoke over the shoulders suspending a basket of essenees on one side and a tin trunk of Yankee notions on the other. Some were satisfied with one short trip, and were glad to return to the shelter of the old home- stead, while others continued the business for years.
Tradition says that the decline of the peppermint industry came about in this way: One of the Burnet family who had located near Phelps, N. Y., received a letter from his friends here, saying that they had an important secret to communicate to him which they dare not send by letter. He came east, travel- ling a large share of the way on foot, and learned that the secret was the profitable raising of peppermint, which the friends thought he might do well with in his new settlement. When he returned he took with him a quantity of peppermint roots and started the plants in the rich soil of his section. They flourished and in a few years he and his neighbors were engaged quite largely in its cultivation. It was found that it could be more easily cultivated and larger crops raised than at the east. The news reaching the east, very soon there was a general exodus from Ashfield of the peppermint raisers and others to the country around Phelps, N. Y. Archibald Burnet, the father of the pep- permint pioneer in New York, went out and with him quite a
105
POPULATION
number of the Ranney families, some of the Beldings, Ellises, Phillipses, and many others. The loss of so many of these lead- ing families was greatly felt.
The Ranneys were among the most enterprising men in town. One of them built the house now owned by Albert Howes, another the house owned by Sanford Boice, still another the brick house where Wallace Whitney now lives. Archibald Burnet was the ancestor of the present Willis, and the marriage of his son Na- hum, is thus chronicled in an old Hampshire Gazette of 1811. "In Ashfield Feb. 20th, Mr. Nahum Burnet to Miss Hannah Brown, both of Ashfield.
'Tis nothing strange that Hannah should Dislike her name and turn it, But how could she in loving mood, E'er condescend to Burn-et?"
In 1892, it was estimated that over $400,000 worth of pepper- mint oil was manufactured annually in Wayne County, New York, where many of the Ashfield people located. For a few years past the cultivation of the herb and manufacture of the oil has been carried on largely in Michigan, where many of the descendants of the earlier emigrants are now living.
A portion of the facts given above is from clippings preserved by Mr. Henry S. Ranney, from a Phelps, N. Y., paper in 1893 on the question "Who introduced the peppermint industry?" in which discussion Mr. Ranney gave some information by request.
The outgoing of so many young men from 1830 to 1850 made a loss to the town in numbers. The selling of the goods was considered a respectable as well as a profitable business. There were few drug stores and the venders of the essences, cordials, liniments, and so forth, werc usually welcomed by the families. Most of them attended strictly to business, avoided the vices and pitfalls, and not only made some money, but gained a knowledge of the world and of human nature generally which was a real education to them, and which laid the foundation for a good business career, for which they often found a larger scope outside of their native town.
106
HISTORY OF ASHFIELD
Dr. William P. Paine, who was contemporary with this period, says in his centennial address:
There has generally becn a class of men, greater or smaller at different periods of the town's history of much enterprise and thrift. Many considerable fortunes were made in former por- tions of the century in the traffic of various essences and oils. There were several distillcrics where all kinds of herbs and plants that could find a market were made to contribute of their peculiaritics. Ashfield essence peddlers could be found in any number all over this and neighboring states, and many made their way far to the west and south. Money flowed into the town in many and large currents, and not a few becoming inde- pendent left their mother town which had served them so well, and went to other parts much to her disadvantage.
And Dr. Ellis in his notice of the removal of a prominent man from Ashfield to Phelps, N. Y., in this period, says:
It may be said that in the carly part of the present century, trafficking in various oils and essences was a very common pur- suit in this part of the country. About 1815, Ashfield had attained its largest population, so that there was quite a surplus of inhabitants and hence a pressing necessity for all who could, to scek other and newer locations. And it is not far from the truth to say that about the first and second generations in the present century of New England youths, when they attaincd to years approaching manhood, invariably supplied themselves with a pair of willow baskets or tin trunks, and with these well filled with oils, essences, pins, needles, thread, &c, suspended from their shoulders by a yoke, started out from the paternal fireside to "see the world, " and prospect for a situation in life. Many thousands of these young men, full of life and energy, and Yankee sagacity, thus equipped, perambulated New York and the western states. They were the pioneers in all the newer sections of the West, where most of them made for themselves a habitation and a name before they returned to the old homes in the east, unless, as was the case with many, to make a hasty visit to secure a wife from among the blooming damsels left behind, who proved themselves no less courageous and desirous to face the trials of pioneer life, than had their brothers and newly made husbands before them.
However widely separated they became, there ever remained an attachment for the old home which time could not efface.
107
POPULATION
Love for the scenes of their youth grew with the years and were ever fresh in their memories. Truly could they say:
We see it all-the pictures that our memories held so dear The homestead in New England far away,
And the vision is so natural-like we almost seem to hear The voices that were hushed but yesterday.
Indeed, it is conceded that to the energy, enterprise, and heroism of New England youth is attributed the rapid settle- ment, development and populating of several western states, and wherever this influence was felt, there was left for all time the impress for good, of New England's best genius, indepen- dence and love of justice and liberty.
CHAPTER VI
ROADS AND POST OFFICES
We have had an account of the first road laid out to Hunts- town in 1754, also of the road from Bellows Hill over the hill down past the corn mill, then up to what is now the village.
In 1766, a road was petitioned for from Whately to Williams- town through Ashfield. It seems that the authorities did not see fit to establish it further west than Ashfield, for the survey is recorded as beginning about forty rods west of where Joseph Tatro now lives and running easterly and southerly through what is now Conway, a part of the way evidently on the trail laid out in 1754. Later, various town roads were laid out, fre- quently requiring gates to be put up by owners of the lands through which the roads passed.
In a survey of the town made by E. Williams and R. Sears, committee in 1795, four county roads are laid down as running through the town, viz, a short piece running northwesterly across the northeast corner of the town, past where S. P. Elmer now lives, the second entering the town east of Frank Loveland's and passing through Wardville, and near the house of Dana Graves, to Buckland Four Corners. The third had its entrance near where the present Conway road is, below Sanford Boice's, through South Ashfield, up past the Goodwin place, and the Orville Hall place, over "Bug Hill," through Watson to Plain- field line. The fourth was the road running directly past Alvan Barrus' house in Goshen, then continuing northerly to "Spruce Corner," then turning westerly, past the Bassett place into Plainfield.
In 1814, John Alden was chosen agent to oppose the new road from Greenfield to Ashfield "in all its stages." Vote, 98 to 20. In 1818, the town chose Thomas White, Esq., to appear at Court of Sessions at Greenfield to oppose building a bridge at Shelburne Falls.
From the county road east, the village was approached by two roads, one coming from near the Parker place in South Ash-
110
HISTORY OF ASHFIELD
field, over the hill, entering the village from the south, past Mr. Farragut's house. Another road from South Ashfield came past Arthur Williams' house, then through a ravine up to the flat east of Mrs. Alvan Hall's. In 1830, the change was made to the "Dug Hill" road, winding around the hill.
The earliest road to Buckland ran north on the easterly side of "Ridge Hill" to the gap between the ridges near the old Edson or Chandler Bronson place, then on the westerly side of the ridge. Later, the route was west of the pond, still later, east- its present location.
In 1826, a county road was laid out by the commissioners, the record reading as follows: "Beginning at a stone on the westerly side of a road leading north and south by John Wil- liams Jr's tavern, thence West 18° North 109 rods to the chim- ney of Peter Wells' house, thence West 33º North 12 rods to Asa Sanderson's land, thence in the same direction 80 rods to a red oak stump on the sand bank, " thence on, giving courses and distances into the town of Hawley. The road was to be four rods wide to Asa Sanderson's land and three rods beyond that. The starting point was on the corner near Mrs. Rosa Ranney's house where the stone still stands, and Peter Wells' chimney was near where C. A. Bronson's house now is. This road was called a great improvement. The old road ran up the hill near Belding's cross road to the corner near Allison Howes', thence northerly by Bassett's, past Ezra Packard's to the Perkins place, then crossed over westerly to the present highway. At the Sullivan place it followed what is now the Bear Swamp road to where the reservoir now is, then turned to the right and came out to the present road at the top of the hill east of Henry and Abbott Howes'. The "Crossway" beyond the Sullivan place was then a very wet and swampy ravine, and the whole distance through it had to be built of logs laid crosswise and covered with brush and earth. The job of building was let to Ezra Williams, who was a famous road builder and a man of pluck and energy. Uncle Ezra hired a gang of men at $8 per month, had a small, movable house in which to board and lodge his help, and put his road through on time. The road was considered so great an
111
ROADS AND POST OFFICES
improvement that the stage route from Boston to Albany which before ran through Spruce Corner was changed to this road, passing Uncle Ezra's tavern in the northwest part of the town, and through Hawley.
A road was laid from Hatfield Equivalent (Plainfield) through Spruce Corner as early as 1770, since which many changes have been made. The Briar Hill road was laid out in 1827 from Ephraim Williams' (Orville Hall's place) southerly to Goshen line.
In the thirties, many town roads were voted on. There seems to have been a kind of road fever, to check which appar- ently, Thomas White. Samuel Bassett and Dimmick Ellis were chosen a committee "to oppose the laying of roads," this in 1838. Notwithstanding this, in 1842, quite a change was made between Henry Taylor's and Spruce Corner, also soon quite a sum was expended on the hill towards Buckland. In 1850, the Bear Swamp road was built, the petitioners binding themselves that it should not cost the town over $906, excluding jury trials. Mr. Jehiel Perkins was not satisfied with the damage the sclect- men awarded him, and called out a jury who gave him a less sum than the selectmen, thus throwing the cost on himself.
In 1853, the road down the stream below the South Ashfield schoolhouse was built and in 1868 from South Ashfield to Wil- liamsburg. In some cases there was strong opposition to the road. At one time a strong opponent of a road called a special meeting to oppose the road. At the hour named for the mect- ing, the friends of the road being in the majority, the opponent was elected moderator, and a motion was immediately made to dissolve the meeting, which was carried by a large votc, the whole proceeding not lasting ten minutes.
The first roads to and about the plantation were simply trails used only for footmen and those on horseback. Later, the trees and fallen timber must have been cut away so that oxen and a sled could come through. One of the mill-stones for the old mill, built in 1743 on Pond Brook, probably came from North- ampton, drawn by a yoke of oxen on a sled. It was considered no great hardship to ford the streams, and it does not appear
112
HISTORY OF ASHFIELD
that bridges were built over Bear and South Rivers for quite a number of ycars after the town was settled.
Not very large sums were raised for roads before the Revolu- tion, but in 1781, $6,000 of the old Continental currency was raised for highways, $30 per day was allowed for a man's labor, the same for a yoke of oxen and a plow. In 1800, the highway surveyors were instructed to post notices of the day when they were to commence work on roads. In 1803, "Voted to allow 90 cts. per day for men's labor faithfully performed-before July 1; 60 cts. per day after, and 50 cts. after Sept. 1. For extraordinary work the surveyor may allow more if he thinks just-price of a cart and plow to be left at the discretion of the surveyor, and if a person is slack and negligent in his work the surveyor may reduct as much out of his work as he shall think just and proper." These surveyors were chosen in open town meeting, usually by nomination, and as it was considered courtesy to "take turns," the best supervising talent was not always secured. Two sets of tax bills were made out by the assessors-a money and a highway tax. Individuals could pay their highway tax in money if they chose, but it was not often done-labor being more plentiful than cash.
These highway districts could be made larger or smaller by a vote of the town. There were usually a larger number of high- way districts than school districts. It was preeminently a social system. It gave the people of the neighborhood a chance to get together and discuss the questions of the neighborhood, town and nation. A yoke of cattle with a plow would open a few furrows on each side of the road next the ditch and a line of men with hoes would haul it into the center. Not only were weighty topics discussed, but a good many stories swapped. A faithful surveyor with tact would get considerable labor out of the men, and most were interested to improve the roads, but the plans of the surveyor were not always approved by all the men, and discussions as to how a picce of work should be done con- sumed some time.
In 1862, at the annual mecting, some voter had the temerity to criticise this system severely, and made a motion that a
113
ROADS AND POST OFFICES
money tax be assessed and the repair of the roads be left with the selectmen, which after considerable discussion and opposi- tion was carried. But the people were so wedded to the old system that they went back the next year, and for six years highway surveyors were chosen. In 1869, it was left with the selectmen to appoint agents instead of electing them in open meeting, but in 1870 they were elected again, then for several years it was left with the selectmen to expend the money and appoint agents at their discretion. In 1876, the old feeling broke out again, and for two years, the selectmen were instructed to appoint thirty-three agents and give every man an opportu- nity to work out what would be his portion of the tax at $1.50 per day, then for three years it was left with the selectmen; in 1881, back to the $1.50 per day and every man a chance. Since that year it has been left in the hands of the selectmen to "cx- pend the money raised for highways at their descretion."
The first road machine was bought in 1883. It was sent first on trial, and when one of the selectmen and several assistants were testing it on the village street, the dry wit of the town, who with others was watching its operations, said, "Oh, they'll buy it quick enough if they can ride and do the work, only they'll want a big umbrella to keep the sun off, and a place to carry a jug of cider."
With one exception the town has been very fortunate in free- dom from losses by damages caused by defective highways. In 1815 the town voted Samuel Hall, Jr., $40 for injury to his horse on the highway. In 1843 Rev. H. H. Rouse began a suit against the town on account of an accident on a road in South Ashfield, which lingered in the courts for quite a while but we find no account of damage paid, only $61 to Greenfield lawyers for "costs in Rouse case." Small sums less than $100 have been paid to a few other individuals.
In August, 1867, as a four-horse coach laden with a pleasure party was driving through Baptist Corner, the bridge near where Sidney P. Elmer now lives broke down and eight or ten persons were precipitated into the stream below. Some were more or less injured and claimed damages from the town. Some of the
114
HISTORY OF ASHFIELD
cases were easily settled, the demands seeming just and rcason- able, in others they were deemed excessive, and the selectmen declined to pay the amounts demanded. The town voted to leave the matter to their judgment and discretion.
According to the reports of the selectmen and treasurer, the sums paid for damages in this case were as follows:
L. Cross, self and horses $100.00
Cross & Phillips, wagon
125.00
H. R. Warriner "
for daughter
500.00
Mrs. Benjamin Andrews (arbitration)
Suit with Franklin Howes
4,462.70
Witness fees, &c
1,127.77
Doctors' bills
75.00
Lawyers in above cases
450.00
Dyer suit, tried in Boston
20,535.84
$29,303.00
Other expenses incident to the accident brought the total over $30,000. This, coming as it did after the severe expenses of the war, was a heavy blow to the town, but by judicious and con- servative management the debt was paid in a reasonable time, this too, without neglect of public improvements, for which the town has always shown a fair and liberal spirit.
THE POST OFFICE AND STAGE ROUTES
Mail facilities were slow in coming into the country. Up to the year 1792, no post office was nearer to Ashfield than the one at Springfield. At that date an office was established at North- ampton. Several years later the office at Worthington was the one nearest to this town. A private weekly post, to carry papers between Northampton and Hawley, via Ashfield and Charle- mont, was established in 1789. The names of the post-riders were: Andrew Wood of Hawley, from 1789 to 1791 and from 1792 to 1799; Stephen Taylor, 1791; Ethan A. Clary, 1799,
1,500.00
Mrs. Franklin Howes .
115.02
311.67
115
ROADS AND POST OFFICES
1800; Bliss Furbush, 1800-3 (the three last named were of Ash- field); Joseph Richardson, 1804-11; Josiah Shaw, Jr., 1811-14.
Files of the Northampton Gazette from 1800 and later, contain advertisements of letters in those post offices for citizens of Ash- field. At that time there were about eighteen hundred inhabi- tants here and people were obliged to travel eighteen miles to get their letters. This state of things continued for over twenty years, when in 1814 the government established a post office in this town; the mail being carried from Northampton via Con- way, Ashfield and Charlemont, once a week each way. Levi Cook, Esq., was the first postmaster here, and kept the office in his saddler's shop. The care of the office has remained in his family to the present time, with the exception of one or two years. After the death of Miss Eliza Jane Cook in 1912, a tablet was placed in the town hall in commemoration of the post-office service of the Cook family for ninety-five years.
In March, 1824, the first daily mail was established here; at that time a four-horse stage began its trips through Conway, Ashfield and Plainfield, as part of a mail route between Boston and Albany.
In his "Church Historical Address," Dr. Shepard says: "We received a weekly mail from the east, but when a line of stages was set up, bringing us within two days of the capital of the state, and delivering the mail on each alternate day, the event was hailed as a new era of light."
The stage on this mail and passenger line from Boston to Albany started from Greenfield at 3 A. M., reaching Ashfield via Conway between five and six in the morning. It was a lively scene when in the early dawn, with the bugle blasts, the four- horse coach rolled into the street from the east with its eight or ten passengers, pulled up at the hotel to change horses, while Esq. Cook hurried to change the mail; then on through Spruce Corner and Plainfield (later via "Uncle Ezra's" and Joy's tavern in Hawley) to Bowker's in Savoy, to Adams, and on to Albany, where they arrived the next morning at three.
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