USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Bernardston > History of the town of Bernardston, Franklin County, Massachusetts, Volume II, 1900-1960, with genealogies > Part 2
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JOB GOODALE WOODLOT. The Selectmen, acting as a board of public welfare, may operate this woodlot so that it will produce income for the beneficiaries. Attorney Joseph T. Bartlett, Town Counsel, so advises. The proceeds of a complete sale should be treated as principal.
VALUE OF TRUST FUNDS-1960: Goodale Fund $20,000, Ferry Fund $5000, Burrows Fund $486.13, Town School Fund $1,198.79, J. V. Hale Fund $1,390.64, Powers Fund $82.42, Charity Farm Fund $2,895.39, Powers Fund, 530 Shares Franklin County Trust Company, $21,200.
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HISTORY OF BERNARDSTON, 1900-1960
Unclaimed Cushman Fund
THE UNCLAIMED CUSHMAN FUND. Lt. Gov. Henry Wyles Cush- man, Bernardston's benefactor, died childless in 1863, at the age of fifty-eight. His will contained provision for a legacy of $10,000 to a town which would take the name of "Cushman." Various pro- visions were: (a) The legacy was payable only after his wife's death; (b) Any Massachusetts town of not less than 1000 inhabi- tants was eligible; (c) Bernardston was eligible with less than 1000 population; (d) If within five years no Massachusetts town had taken the Cushman name, then any town in the United States could apply; (e) The income from the fund to be used for the support of a high or grammar school.
This matter did not come before the voters until 1905, as Mrs. Cushman outlived her husband by forty-two years, dying in 1904 at the age of eighty. The revival of interest in the Cushman Will attracted much attention in Massachusetts and long articles soon appeared in the papers, both for and against the change of the town's name. Some of the headlines were: "Bernardston's Di- lemma," "A Protest from the Town Historian," by Mrs. Kellogg, "Bernardston must speak quick if it wants Cushman Fund" as Onset Bay in the township of Wareham was considering a bid for the legacy. "Shall Bernardston change its name?" by Rev. C. C. Carpenter of Andover, Massachusetts, a former resident of Ber- nardston, who ended his article with, "Citizens of Bernardston, please don't!" The name of "B. Cushman" was suggested by Rev. J. B. Green of Ware, a former resident, and "Bernard-Cushman," by an Athol citizen, as there were already some towns bearing the name of Cushman. When this matter came before the voters, it was turned down 103 to 5!
Interest in the will was revived in 1933, and again there was much argument, pro and con, concerning the desirability of chang- ing the town's name. When it came before the voters for the sec- ond time, a motion was made to pass over the article. This ended the controversy and Bernardston is still Bernardston, the only one in the United States.
Seventy years after Mr. Cushman's death, the fund had grown to $35,000 and still no town had applied for it. Massachusetts Atty. Gen. Dever in 1937, filed in probate court a petition to have this fund established as a trust fund for the benefit of needy Franklin County boys and girls worthy of a high or grammar school educa- tion. Recipients must be legal residents of the county, studious
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HISTORY OF BERNARDSTON, 1900-1960
and capable. This plan for the use of the fund seemed in keeping with Mr. Cushman's ideas, and was put into effect.
Each January, a trustee is appointed for a three-year term. The fund may be invested in United States bonds, Massachusetts bonds or deposited in savings banks. The trustees in 1961 were: John P. Thompson of Greenfield, Deane H. Jones of Shelburne, and R. Arthur Lundgren of Orange.
Chapter III
HISTORICAL NOTES
BERNARDSTON'S SOUTH STREET
M ANY CHANGES have come to Bernardston's South Street (Goose Lane in the early days) in the last sixty years, since Mrs. Kellogg's history was published in 1902. From a quiet dirt road, with the townspeople driving by with their horses and buggies, it became "Routes 5 and 10," with a never-ending flow of motor traffic. Gone are the picket fences which enclosed the dooryards in the old days; present are the gasoline stations, some empty and silent now. The present Package Store was then Crowell's Grocery, and the "Four Columns" was the Unitarian parsonage, the former home of Lt. Governor Cushman. On the site of the Inn there stood the old New England House which burned in 1904.
A large house, also burned, stood on the lot now owned by Mrs. John Dunnell. This place was called "Cedar Lawn," and was filled each summer with "paying guests" from New York City. These guests, with their city clothes and city ways, were of great interest to the South Street folk.
The coming of spring brought many strange visitors to the doors of South Street. One of the first to appear was the tin- peddler with his big covered cart, usually drawn by an old white horse. This cart was filled with all sorts of shiny tin kitchenware. The housewives had been saving rags all winter, and for these the peddler paid a few cents a pound, the women taking their pay in tin-ware.
Spring brought tramps, rough-looking fellows, who went from door to door asking for something to eat. Over on the high bank of Fall River, there was a shack called the "Tramp House," where these wanderers could bunk for the night.
Various sorts of peddlers came with the springtime. "Pack Peddlers" came selling all sorts of odds and ends, which they car- ried in black leather cases. Then there were the men who mended umbrellas; they passed along the street calling in a sort of chant, "Umbrellas-to-mend." Others carried a small machine on which they sharpened knives and scissors. To the Street's children, these people seemed to have come from another world, and they used to run and hide when they saw these visitors coming.
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HISTORY OF BERNARDSTON, 1900-1960
In the spring, the coming of the hand-organ man with his monkey was a red-letter day to the children, whose lives would seem very quiet to the youngsters of today. While the man ground out a few wheezy tunes on the organ, the monkey passed his tiny cap for pennies. Later on, the street pianos, or hurdy-gurdies, re- placed the hand organs.
Another source of excitement was the coming of bands of gyp- sies. In the early days they came in covered wagons, with spans of horses, but later they drove shabby old cars. Sometimes they stopped and offered to tell fortunes or ask for something to eat. They were a rough, light-fingered lot, and every native was glad when they left town.
The "ladder man" came up the street, driving a span of horses, with a big load of ladders, lawn chairs, and benches painted bright green or red. The local "meat man" came weekly with his white covered cart, and village grocers, too. For a time a "fish man" and a baker came from Greenfield, the baker always ringing a bell to announce his arrival. Men came occasionally selling bananas, call- ing "bananas-bananas-sixteen for a quarter!"
Long before the days of Rural Free Delivery, several South Street families hired Arnold Scott, a blind man, to carry mail for them. He made a morning and an afternoon trip, and carried a large bag slung over his shoulders, with a compartment for each family. Although totally blind, he seldom made a mistake, either in finding his way or in the proper delivery of the mail. He blew a whistle in front of each house if he had mail, and often stopped to chat a bit and tell the latest news.
Summer Sundays brought many carriages toiling up the dusty road on their way to the religious conferences in the Northfield Auditorium, and there was a time, too, when the road was full of bicycles, also on Sundays. Bicycle clubs were popular and the Springfield Club rode to Bernardston and back, calling it the "Century Run," approximately 100 miles. Some of the women had special bicycle costumes; a few of the most daring wore long, full bloomers. There was speeding among the riders and this was called "scorching" and was frowned upon as speeding in cars is today.
In the fall, great droves of cattle were driven down the road to some distant market. The mothers warned the children to look up the street before starting for school. This school, District No. 1, enclosed on three sides by a high board fence, stood directly south of the present home of Ray Franklin. It replaced the old red
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HISTORY OF BERNARDSTON, 1900-1960
schoolhouse which stood on the same site. Some pupils, living on the Eden Trail Road and the old road "around the mountain" walked three miles to school.
During the winter came the sound of sleigh-bells, as the people drove up and down the snowy road, with its two deep tracks. There were light tinkling bells, three or four on each shaft of the sleigh, or a string of deep-toned, jangling bells around the horse's body. It could often be told who was coming by the sound of the bells. Sometimes the old wooden snow roller would be used to pack down the snow.
Now the horses are gone, the sound of sleigh-bells is heard no more, and no one runs to the window to see the "horse-less car- riages" pass by. Many of the maple trees which then bordered the street on each side are gone, too. Some died of old age; some went down in the 1938 hurricane and were never replaced. These old trees must have been planted by some public-spirited citizens of a century or more ago; perhaps at the time of Bernardston's Centen- nial in 1862.
The opening of a section of the interstate highway Route 91, in September, 1960, has brought more changes to South Street, as much of the traffic has been diverted. While this takes business from the motels, antique shops, and gasoline stations, the residents along the street are enjoying some of the peace and quiet of the old days.
BERNARDSTON'S FIRST STREET LIGHTS
HE Greenfield Gazette & Courier of December 5, 1877, gives T an account of the town's first lights and tells that subscription papers were out to defray the cost. "The lamps begin at the post office, proceed to Main Street and continue to the railroad crossing."
On November 24, the lamps were lighted for the first time when, " ... the band wagon went up and down the street, discours- ing sweet music." Later, friends gathered at the home of Mr. Nahum Cutler, sponsor of the project, for a social time with speeches and a collation.
The next year the Gazette & Courier of December 6, gave the following account of the lights. "The most important enterprise for the benefit of the village, made in a long time, was the under- taking, a year ago, to light the streets and the plan works well and is well liked by all who contributed to the success of the project. The lamp posts are of iron, hollow and curved at the top. The
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HISTORY OF BERNARDSTON, 1900-1960
case holding the lamp is so arranged as to be lowered to the ground, if need be, to receive the lamp. The villagers attend to the light- ing, each minding that lamp 'over against unto his own dwelling.' The street lighting association who undertake to procure the oil for lighting get their funds from the proceeds of entertainments given by local dramatic talent who are now rehearsing, 'The People's Lawyer,' to be rendered in the near future."
SOME OF BERNARDSTON'S EARLY FIRES
B ERNARDSTON undoubtedly always had some volunteer fire fight- ers. William Boyle, who was living on South Street in 1845, owned a leather fire bucket inscribed, "No. 2, W. Boyle." This bucket may be seen in the historical room in Cushman Library. While it was almost impossible to save a burning building with such primitive methods, nearby buildings were often saved by bucket brigades.
The year 1899 saw the destruction by fire of the grist and saw- mill owned by Charles S. Barber. The building stood near Fall River on the site of the present unused sawmill. A bucket brigade was soon formed, which brought water from the river, up and over the railroad embankment, to the house now owned by Raymond Dunnell and occupied by Fred Smith. Although a barn burned close to the house, the firefighters "worked with the great- est pluck and efficiency" and saved the house, under the direction of Baxter Burrows. The sawmill was soon rebuilt on its old site; the gristmill was built across the road using a rope drive to trans- mit power; both are now owned by Raymond Dunnell.
The large and handsome residence of Mr. and Mrs. Alonzo Al- ford was burned in 1903. The place, named "Cedar Lawn," was filled with "paying guests," from New York each summer. It stood on the north end of the lot now owned by Mrs. John Dunnell on South Street. "The old hand pumper, which was called 'our di- minutive fire apparatus or baby engine,' sent a stream of water through five hundred feet of hose for four hours from a brook in the rear of the house on the day of the Alford fire. Mr. Whithed's (now John Carlin's) and I. B. Hale's (now Ellis Franklin's) would have been destroyed but for its help. . ." All the nearby wells were pumped dry.
The historic old New England House burned in November, 1904. "The efforts of the volunteer firemen were directed to pro- tect nearby buildings; I. B. Hale's store (present Package Store)
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HISTORY OF BERNARDSTON, 1900-1960
and Henry C. Cushman's (now Myron Barber's) . .. were saved by strenuous and long-continued effort, Baxter Burrows directing the work." Fortunately a light snow had fallen, covering roofs, dry grass and leaves; otherwise, " ... the whole village south of the fire would, in all probability, have been in ruins, so great was the fury of the wind." The building was soon replaced by the present Bernardston Inn.
In 1908, John Chapin's old house and barn on Dewey Street, were destroyed by fire. His new residence, now owned by Lena Corkins, had already been built, and was saved by the strenuous work of the firemen. The old house stood south of the present dwelling and east of the barn. Henry Clogston's fine residence on Brattleboro Road burned about 1913, and never was replaced. It stood near the present home of Charles Page. The George Thur- ber house and barn on Brattleboro Road, north of Walter Grover's, burned in a fire caused by lightning, in 1918, and the James Parker house, in the fork of Northfield and Parmenter Roads, near the present Graydon Waycott site, also burned in that year. Neither house was rebuilt. Harold Streeter's "Brick Store," burned in 1921, and was replaced by the present store. A large two-family house, owned by E. S. Hulbert burned about 1924. It stood on Hoe Shop Road west of the present Sullivan house. In those days, when a building caught fire, it burned to the ground.
Beginning in 1936, the story of Bernardston fires had a different ending, as the town had acquired its fine water system and modern fire-fighting equipment. Since then the fire department has been able to bring fires under control and the partially burned houses have been rebuilt.
The quoted material and a part of the other information came from the Greenfield Gazette & Courier.
SYLVAN GROVE
AB BOUT 1873, the Connecticut River Railroad purchased approxi- mately eight acres of land for a picnic grove. This property, situated east of the railroad and southwest of the station, was bought by William Kocian for pasture land in 1953. The grove was nicely fitted with a large pavilion with seats along the sides, a raised platform for an orchestra, swings large enough for four people, see-saws, a cookhouse, and was piped for water. A very wide flight of wooden steps led from the tracks up the steep embank- ment to the grove. The expense, about $8000, was easily met by
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HISTORY OF BERNARDSTON, 1900-1960
excursions organized by the railroad, and coming from as far away as Holyoke and Springfield. Sometimes these picnickers would hire horses and carriages from the Stratton Livery Stable for a drive around the village. The carriage house stood between the Congregational Church and the present home of William Messer. Bernardston Union Picnics were often held in the grove, and many local families enjoyed its facilities.
"In October, 1900, the timber in 'The Grove,' also the pavilion was sold by the Boston and Maine Railroad to Baxter Burrows by whom the fine trees were felled." (Kellogg History)
Now Sylvan Grove and the sound of dance music, drifting across the village on a summer afternoon are only fading memories for the old timers in the community.
BERNARDSTON BANDS
N THE earliest days, Bernardston had bands of settlers, Indian I bands, bands of defenders, and much later came bands of mu- sic. The town has had a succession of brass bands, each thriving for a time and finally folding. A dance program of 1877 says that the Bernardston Quadrille Band played at the Union House in North Bernardston in September of that year, at the fourth annual Cattle Show Dance. (County and other fairs were called "Cattle Shows" in those days and well into the present century.) In 1885, the band went to Huckle Hill to serenade newly-wed Mr. and Mrs. John E. B. Field, the parents of William Field, Sr.
There was once a bandstand on the "Green" or "Common," across School Street from the Dr. Carpenter place; at least one photograph of it still exists.
A band was started in July of 1896, with Rev. Richard E. Birks as leader. This was called the Bernardston Brass Band; it had regular business meetings in addition to practice, a set of officers, a constitution and by-laws, and monthly dues. This band was very successful; it gave concerts in the Town Hall, Cushman Park, in other towns, played at Memorial Day exercises and serenaded newly-weds. At least one young lady played in this band; Hattie Reed was a cornetist in 1898. Mr. Birks resigned in 1898 and Day- ton Park was interim leader.
The Greenfield Gazette and Courier reported in 1900 that "The band with Albert Warner as director is preparing a big event, with sugar supper, band concert and minstrel show. It is hoped the townspeople will fill the hall and give a little encouragement. During the summer they play gratuitously in the park."
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HISTORY OF BERNARDSTON, 1900-1960
In May of 1898 a bandstand was built east of the New England House (predecessor of the present Inn). A few years later a curi- ous thing happened. Gov. Cushman's will specified that no building should ever be erected in Cushman Park. However, about the turn of the century, the dawn of a certain July Fourth disclosed the bandstand over in the park, all shored up and shipshape. No one would admit any knowledge of how this came about, but everyone knew that the town's young bloods were always playing tricks on the "Night Before the Fourth." Many years later, it was said that Edgar Chapin drove John Chapin's horses, to skid the stand from the old location to the new, with the help of many strong young backs and arms. Leon Nelson and Clarence Streeter were among those taking part.
Before electricity came to Bernardston, illumination for park concerts came from special kerosene lights. The audience strolled about the park. Some horse-and-buggy folks stopped along the park's north and west borders, and when autos became common, many cars were parked on Church and South Streets. Sometimes town organizations sold candy or popcorn. Altogether these were gala summer nights. The bands played for Memorial Day, gave concerts in the Town Hall, serenaded couples just married, and played in other towns. After the bandstand gave out, there were still concerts in the Park, under strings of electric lights.
In each band there was a cross-sectional membership: school- boys to gray-heads, white collar and blue, players from nearby towns, as well as from Bernardston.
Early in the present century the leader was Clarence Brigham of Colrain. In the 1930's his son, Warren, was leader, Edward Snow was manager, Kenneth Howard, assistant manager, and Wil- liam Messer, Sr., treasurer. June Messer (Kratz) was the band's "Twirler," and Priscilla Nelson (Wiemers) was the "Majorette."
A later leader was Herbert Greuling of Turners Falls. Carl Mesic of Whately was another leader, but about 1940 or 1941 the band broke up, as the boys were entering the Services.
FAMOUS BLIND MAIL CARRIER
M R. ARNOLD SCOTT was for many years the blind mail carrier at Bernardston. He had been blind since he was twenty-one years of age, his sight being destroyed by the explosion of a can- non which he and other young men were using in a Fourth of July celebration. For several years after the accident he did not think it possible for him to do anything, but he at length began to saw
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HISTORY OF BERNARDSTON, 1900-1960
wood. About 1876, he began to carry the mail for one or two families, and presently was making two trips a day the length of South Street, to the post office and back, one in the forenoon and one in the afternoon. He had a whistle that he blew as he came to the houses, so that if there was mail for him to take it could be brought out. He returned in the same way, blowing the whistle at the houses where he was to leave mail. He was guided, as are other blind persons, by the feeling of the ground and by sounds, in determining where he was.
When his mail was given to him at the post office he would put it into his pockets, of which he had rather more than the average man, and into two or three bags slung over his shoulders or car- ried in his hands. Occasionally, in distributing mail he would be- come confused, and then someone on the road looked at what he had and straightened him out. The introduction of rural delivery shortened his route somewhat. When he could see, Mr. Scott was fond of hunting and fishing, and even after his affliction, he fol- lowed the trout brooks about Bernardston with success. He also cultivated his ground to some extent. It was Mr. Scott's boast that for fourteen years he had done most of his own cooking, cared for himself, shaved himself, and cut his own hair. Mr. Scott died April 24, 1904 at the age of seventy-eight.
KNIGHTS OF THE ROAD
O NE of the signs of spring in the past was the coming of tramps, who went from house to house asking for something to eat. Sometimes the housewives required them to do a little work, such as bringing in wood, before giving them a hand-out.
Bernardston seems to have been very solicitous of these ne'er-do- wells, and had a "Tramp House" standing ready for a night's lodging for them. This shack stood on River Street on the bank above Fall River, south of the present Streeter store, and was furnished with a bunk bed and wood stove. It was burned in 1923, strangely enough on the 4th of July.
The Town Report of 1885 lists a "Transient Pauper Account": care of tramps, $8.25; Dr. O. A. Wheeler, medical services, $35.50; Dr. Charles Bowker, medical services, $10.25. This speaks well for the kindness of the townspeople.
Sixty-nine tramps were cared for in 1896 at a cost of twenty-five cents apiece. That seems to have been the banner year in numbers. From 1900 through 1917, each Town Report shows bills for the care of these wanderers, usually only a few dollars. Sometimes
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HISTORY OF BERNARDSTON, 1900-1960
there was a bill for blankets and wood. As late as 1916 the Report states, "G. M. Clark, care 34 tramps, $17.00." After 1917, no men- tion is made of them; it is understood that one of the town fathers took them in his car to Greenfield and turned them over to the proper authorities. Perhaps the beginning of World War I, with its slogan, "Work or Fight," had something to do with the decreas- ing number of these "Knights of the Road."
GRASS AUCTIONS
T THERE was talk in 1904 of having Cushman Park mowed by lawn mower instead of selling the grass at auction. Flowers were planted and walks neatly trimmed at that time, but the old custom continued of selling the grass to the highest bidder. Once each summer on a Saturday evening, if one chanced to visit Crowell's Store (now the Package Store) a group of men would be found sitting on the steps. That would be the night of the auction, with A. S. Atherton as auctioneer. Sometimes the grass brought $12.00 or $15.00. After 1918, when only $5.00 was realized, it was probably decided to mow the park by lawn mower, as no more mention is made of it in the later town reports.
THE STEAM MILL
The old "Steam Mill" stood across the tracks and south of the railroad station. This was built by Hartley Hale for a sawmill, also used for grinding, before he built the mill on Fall River. Once it was used as a place for sorting rags, the business being carried on by the Crowell family. Later it was used for the storage of grain, until it was taken down in 1948 by Raymond Dunnell, owner of the property. It was usually covered with huge circus posters which brought free tickets to the owners.
EARLY AUTOMOBILES
Some of the first automobile owners in town in the early 1900's were: Ervin Barber, with his Orient Buckboard and Stanley Steamer of 1907, Willis Stratton and Edward Carson with their Maxwells, John Chapin with a 1908 two-cylinder Reo, Everett E. Benjamin with one of the high priced cars, a Winton, and Herbert Sanderson with a Selden and a Pope-Hartford. It is said that his chauffeur received $15 a week, which was good pay for those days. Harry Chapin was one of the first to own a motorcycle and one of the first commuters to Greenfield.
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