USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Goshen > History of the town of Goshen, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, from its first settlement in 1761 to 1881, with family sketches > Part 2
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HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
CHAPTER II.
1781.
The "Gore" seemed to be, in some respects, unfortunately situated. Its early settlers, as already stated, had been at one time annexed to Chesterfield, but to restore peace, were again set off. Their necessi- ties finally compelled them again to appeal to the General Court, re- citing their grievances, and asking to be incorporated as a town. They say in their petition:
That, whereas the First and Second Additional Grants to Narragansett township No. 4 were formerly one propriety, properly and conveniently situated for the bene- fit of society, which benefit those of us which were the first purchasers and settlers of said land expected to have enjoyed, but to our astonishment and great disap- pointment, and also without the consent or knowledge of the proprietors and in- habitants thereof, it was in the year 1762 torn asunder and divided by an Act of Court incorporating said First Additional Grant, together with a plantation called New Hingham into a town by the name of Chesterfield, greatly to the disadvan- tage of the proprietors of the said Second Additional Grant, or Chesterfield Gore, in that they were thereby left a small, unincorporated, poor people, without a suffi- ciency of land for a society, and were thereby unable to support a minister of the gospel, and consequently have to this day been deprived of one of the natural rights of mankind, as also one of the greatest blessings, benefits and privileges of society :
" And whereas, your petitioners and other inhabitants of said Gore, with a num- ber of inhabitants living on the northwardly part of Chesterfield, which also makes a part of this church, and whose petition is now pending in Court to be annexed to said Gore, have, for the space of several months, jointly agreed in carrying on the public worship of God, and in supporting a minister of the gospel, and are earnest- ly desirous of having a legal right to do so in the future ; therefore, your petitioners most earnestly supplicate your honors to take their case into your serious consider- ation, and enlarge their borders, by incorporating them with such a part of Ches- terfield as are willing and desirous to be annexed to said Gore, and which will best accommodate them and least incommode the town of Chesterfield, which, we hum- bly conceive, your honors are fully sensible, is the only land that can accommodate said Gore to make theni a convenient town, and build them a society sufficiently able to support a minister of the gospel, and thereby, not only your destitute peti- tioners, but also the whole of the inhabitants of said Gore, consisting of more than 200 souls, will be put into a circumstance whereby they will be able to support the gospel."
17
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
Capt. Thomas Weeks presented the matter to the Court in 1779 and again in 1781. In January of the latter year, moved by "the petition of Thomas Weeks, agent to the petitioners of a part of Ches- terfield," also of the "petitioners of a Gore of land, called Chester- field Gore," a committee was appointed by the General Court to repair to Chesterfield, hear the parties, and report at the next session of the Court. The action of the committee may be inferred from a letter of which the following is a copy:
NORWICH, May 1, 17ST.
Sir: I have left the report of the committee appointed on the matters relating to the Gore, Narragansett No. 4, and Chesterfield, with landlord Elisha Lyman and all the papers except yours, left with me, which are here enclosed. If you go down this session, remember to carry down to Court the plan of that part of Narragan- sett No. 4, as Capt. White proposed to the committee when at Mr. May's, represent- ing those that were willing to be annexed to the Gore. Doct. Mather and Doct. Shepard propose not to go down this session, and I can't. You will do as you think best respecting going down this session or the next. We have closed our re- port, which if you send, you will have safely conveyed to the Secretary as directed. Doct. Mather's bill 13 | 9 hard money.
Doct. Shepard's bill 7 | 10 " ..
I am Sr. your most Humble Serv't,
JOHN KIRKLAND. .
To Mr. Joshua Abell.
The act of incorporation finally passed May 14, 1781, and was ap- proved by John Hancock, Governor. The name given in the act is Goshan-probably a clerical error. The origin of the name, as given by Dea. Oliver Taylor to his daughter, Mrs. Cathcart, is said by her daughter, Mrs. Polly Tilton, to have been this :- Goshen of old was the best part of Egypt, so the name was considered appropriate for what was claimed to be the best part of Chesterfield.
The town meeting, for organization, was held pursuant to a warrant issued by Jacob Sherwin, Esq., of Ashfield, May 23, at the house of John Williams, which then stood just above the burying ground. Lieut. Thomas Weeks was chosen clerk ; Joshua Abell, treasurer ; Capt. William White, Lieut. Lemuel Lyon, Maj. Christopher Banister, selectmen and assessors; Thomas Brown and Ebenezer Parsons, constables; Farnum White, Lemuel Banister, Ebenezer Putney, Lieut. Timothy Lyman, Thomas Weeks and Barzillai Banister, highway sur- veyors; John Williams, sealer of weights and measures; Lemuel Banister and Farnum White, tythingmen; John Smith and Maj. Chris-
18
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
topher Banister, fence viewers; Samuel Olds, leather sealer; Barzillai Banister, deer-reeve; Nehemiah May, Daniel Brown, Barzillai Banis- tei and Lemuel Banister, hog-reeves. *
The selectmen called another town meeting, June 4, 1781.
Capt. Wm. White was chosen moderator. Voted to raise 50 pounds silver money for repair of highways and to allow 3 shillings per day for a man, I shilling and six pence for a good yoke of oxen, I shilling each for a plough and cart. Vo -- ted that hogs should not run at large.
It was voted to give Mr. Joseph Barker a call to settle with them in the work of the ministry. June 21, it was voted to offer him 100 pounds as an "encouragement." His salary was to be 40 pounds the first year and after that to increase annually five pounds, until it amounted to sixty pounds. Voted that Lemuel Banister, David Stearns and Thomas Brown wait on Mr. Barker with said offers, but the call was not accepted.
August 21, voted to raise thirty-six pounds, three shillings, for pay- ing the bounty and wages of three soldiers for three months service,. and to procure 5 linen shirts, 5 pairs stockings and shoes, and 2 blankets; also 2101 lbs. of beef for the army, all in obedience to acts of the General Court, and voted to raise 32 pounds of money to pay for the beef.
October 16, the town voted that Ebenezer Putney, Timothy Lyman, Thomas Hamilton, Benjamin Burgess, Oliver Taylor, Christopher Banister and William Hallock, divide the town into school districts. Their report was made and fortunately entered upon the town rec- ords, and is interesting, as it probably shows the whole number of families in the town at that time. The list will be given in a future- chapter. The town voted to raise 15 pounds for preaching, and chose. Lemuel Banister, Thomas Brown, Farnum White, Thomas Weeks and: David Stearns a committee to employ a preacher.
Voted November 15, to raise 25 pounds for schooling.
Voted December 21, 1781, that Mr. Joshua Abell receive the donations that may be given in this town to the support of the sufferers in the Southern States, agreea- ble to a brief from his Excellency, John Hancock, and pay the same to the gentle- man said brief directs.
Voted to hire Mr. Fowler to preach ten Sabbaths more.
The town's first year was full of activity and not a little perplexity.
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HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
The matter of religious worship had a prominent place, and the loca- tion of the meetinghouse, as usual in the new towns, was not easily settled. It was voted in November, that David Stearns, Lemuel Lyon, John James, Lemuel Banister, James Packard, Thomas Hamil- ton and Joshua Abell be a committee to set up a stake on the hill in Lieut. Lyman's field, and another in the first convenient place south of the burying ground. It was voted to erect the house on the last named spot; that it should be 50 feet long, 40 feet wide, with posts two feet shorter than the Chesterfield meetinghouse. The timber was brought to the place, but, May 20, 1782, the vote was changed and a new site selected ten rods north of the house of Lemuel Lyon. This was not satisfactory, and the next day it was voted to refer the mat- ter to a committee chosen from the neighboring towns. Dea. Ebene- zer Snell of Cummington, Capt. Benj. Phillips of Ashfield, Josiah Dwight of Williamsburgh, were chosen, and William Ward, Jacob Sherwin, William Bodman were added, but nothing came of their ac- tion. The contribution of an acre of land by the widow of Col. Ezra May, and a half acre by Lieut. Lemue! Lyon, finally decided the ques- tion. The donations were accepted May 30, and it was voted to set the house on the division line between Lieut. Lemuel Lyon and the widow Margaret May's, on the east side of the road, leading from Widow May's to said Lyon's. The highway at that time was some rods west of the present one. The house was built during that year, and the first town meeting was held in it December 19. It was then voted to purchase an acre and a half of land to convene siad house, and also one-fourth of an acre outside of the acre already staked out -the east stakes to stand. This same piece of land that served to end one long controversy was the cause of another, that was still longer and more bitter. The land was constantly lessened in area by encroachments; the removal of the highway to the east cut off a portion of it; the highway on the north side severed another portion. The purchasers of the May farm found that their deeds included the remainder of the Common, as it has long been called, making no re- servation of the land sold "to convene the meetinghouse." So there came to be two sets of claimants for the land, causing a long contro- versy in the courts, in the case of Goshen vs. Utley. The people were divided into two parties, and for a whole decade, beginning in 1847, the contest was active and exciting. It was finally settled by com- promise, as it should have been at the beginning, and the rights of
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HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
each party were made secure for the future by mutual deeds of quit- claim.
The church was built with porches at the east and west ends, through which stairways led to the galleries. The pews were box- like enclosures, nearly square, with seats on each of the four sides, facing inward. In front, on either side of the pulpit, were the dea- cons' seats, where these solemn officials sat overlooking the congrega- tion to see that everything was done in an orderly and orthodox manner. Tythingmen also kept constant watch that no breach of order should disturb the Sabbath services. The pulpit had its sound- ing-board suspended like an umbrella over the preacher's head,- a constant conundrum for the small boy. The house had neither bell nor steeple, and for many years no means for warming, save the foot- stoves carried by the mothers, and replenished, between the services, from some charitable "fire-place " near the church. No wonder that the boys during the bleak winter afternoons, when the mercury was at zero and the services were prolonged till nearly sunset, should watch with interest for the turning of the last leaf of the long sermon. And yet "Sunday sickness" had not been invented, and parents and children were constant attendants.
The annual town meetings, for 51 years, were held in the house, and it would not be strange if its walls sometimes echoed sentiments and speeches that were not in entire harmony with orthodox creeds.
In 1835, the house having been unroofed by a tornado the year before, was removed across the street to its present site, remodeled, repaired, painted, and provided with a bell, the latter the donation of Col. Timothy Lyman. The work was done by Caleb Loud of Westhampton. Extensive repairs were again made on the church in 1859, when it was repainted within and without.
21
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
CHAPTER III.
1782.
At the first annual meeting, which was held at the house of John Williams, John James was chosen Moderator ; Thomas Weeks, Clerk ; Thomas Brown, Treasurer ; Capt. Wmn. White, Maj. Christopher Banister, Lieut. Oliver Taylor, Selectmen ; John James, Reuben Dresser, Capt. Wm. White, Assessors; Barzillai Banister, Neh. May, Constables ; Farnum White, John Smith, Tythingmen ; Maj. Chr. Banister, Farnum White, Moses Dresser, B. Banister, Artemas Stone, Ebenezer Putney, Surveyors of Ways and Bridges ; James Packard, Adams Beals, Fence Viewers; Samuel Olds, Leather Sealer ; Christopher Grant, Deer-Recve ; John Williams, Sealer of Weights and Measures ; Justin Parsons, Daniel Brown, David Stearns, Capt. Wm. White, Cyrus Lyon, Hog-Reeves.
Voted to allow Thomas Weeks, nine shillings for surveying roads.
April 1. Wm. White, Moderator. Voted to raise 65 pounds for repairing high- ways. Voted to confirm what the Assessors have done with respect to classing said inhabitants to raise two Continental soldiers, agreeable to the resolve of the General Court. Voted to choose a delegate to send to the County Convention at Hatfield, and elected Wm. White said delegate. Voted 65 pounds for paying a man already procured for the army for three years.
The records show that Barnabas Potter, a soldier in the old Cana- dian regiment, was a deserter from the continental army, but his friends procured a substitute, one William Jones, and obtained Pot- ter's discharge.
1783.
October 6. Voted not to pay any Continental, State or County taxes until Con- gress rescind their vote, allowing five years pay to the officers of the Continental army.
What the effect of that vote was upon Congress we are not informed, but the town continued to pay its share of the public taxes.
1784.
The town had one man who evidently was not an office-seeker.
22
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
June 7. Voted that Samuel Grimes give an obligation to the Selectmen to serve as Constable and Collector ; or procure some meet person to serve in his room and stead ; or give a note on demand with interest, for the fine prescribed by law, for refusing to serve in those offices.
November 16. The town voted that paper currency is absolutely necessary to discharge our quota of the debt contracted in the late war belonging to this Commonwealth, money borrowed of foreign nations excepted. Voted to recommend the neighboring towns to take similar action. Lemuel Banister was chosen to represent the town in a County Convention, and a petition was suggested to aid the matter "in a constitutional way."
1785.
January 11. Road laid from Ezekiel Corbin's by the Willard Packard place to intersect with the highway leading from John Jipson's to James Orr's.
1786.
Voted that it is expedient to have a paper currency emitted, and that William White, Doctor Benj. Burgess and Oliver Taylor be a committee to prefer a peti- tion to the General Court for that purpose. Town chose school committees in each district. Voted that the school money be divided according to the number of persons from 5 to 18 years old. A new district was formed of the. families taken from Conway and annexed to Goshen, including also Samuel Mott and William Meader. It was voted to raise 15 pounds for building a pulpit in the meeting house.
1787.
January I. Voted to raise 150 pounds for building school houses.
1788.
Voted to build five school houses, and that Reuben Dresser and Eben'r Putney be a committee to build a school house in the South East District ; Farnum White and Deacon Stone in the Middle District; Lemuel Banister and Cyrus Lyon for the South West District ; Capt. B. Banister and Ambrose Stone for the North West District ; Nath'l Abell and Capt. Jona. Snow for the North East District In 1789 the North East and Middle Districts were united.
23
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
1790.
Road laid from Ashfield line by Daniel Kellogg's to Ambrose Stone's. It passed around the west side of what is now called Mt. Rood, and by the house of Joshua Packard.
In order to prevent their "gaining a settlement," the following per- sons were warned out of town:
Silas Bassett,
Freeborn Mayhew,
James Partrick, Daniel Kellogg, John jepson,
Adam Beals,
Enoch Beals,
Thomas Weeks, Elihu Parsons,
Adam Beals, Jr.,
John Mansfield,
Stephen Kellogg,
Jonathan Snow,
Widow Mary Gates,
Edward Wing,
Doctor John Kittredge,
Reuben Howes,
Malachi James,
Samuel Luce,
Caleb Cushman,
Salathiel Tilton,
Maj. Barzillai Banister,
Samuel Mott,
James Halbert,
Farnum White,
Joseph Naramore,
Daniel Brown,
Zebulon Willcutt,
Isaac Tower,
Abner Damon,
Phineas Manning,
Widow Deborah Naramore,
Jonah Williams,
John Williams,
Widow Jannet Halbert,
Widow Grimes,
Steven Grover,
James Grimes, Moses James,
Shepherd More,
Jedediah Buckingham,
Watson Robinson,
Levy Olds,
Benjamin Bourn, Moses Hayward,
Sylvanus Stone, but not his wife,
Nathan Halbert, but not his wife, Micah Jepson,
Greenwood Brown,
Isaac Kingman, Joseph Jepson, James Orr, John Powers, James Packard, Ens. Ambrose Stone,
Micah Jepson, Jr., Asa Chamberlain, George Dorr, Oliver Taylor, John James, James Wheeler,
Alpheus Naramore,
24
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
Jonathan Russell,
Capt. Lemuel Banister,
John Rogers,
Nathaniel Vinton, Abiathar Vinton, Levy Vinton,
Ebenezer White,
Zebulon Richmond,
Josiah White,
Richard Tower,
Widow Abigail White,
Doctor Benjamin Burgess,
Widow Molly White,
Widow Elizabeth Grant,
Ezekiel White,
Ezekiel White, Jr.,
Widow Mary Parker, together with their families.
Also the wives of the following men, viz:
Ebenezer Putney,
James Whitcomb,
Joshua Abell,
Lemuel Lyon,
Joshua Abell, Jr.,
Silas Parsons and
Nathaniel Abell,
William Beals and family, also
Benjamin Abell,
Cyrus Lyon and
Justin Parsons,
Cyrus Stearns,
John Stearns,
Thaddeus Naramore, but not their wives, also Philip Allen and family.
HAMPSHIRE, SS. GOSHEN, April 4, 1791. By virtue of the within warrant, I have warned as directed, that said inhabitants reside in said town no longer, except the widow Abigail White and Mary White and the wife of Cyrus Stearns and Ebenezer Putney's.
JUSTIN PARSONS, Constable.
Fees for warning, 12 | .
1792.
Voted to sell the school house by the meetinghouse at vendue, and to raise forty- five pounds for building school houses.
1793.
Voted to fence the burying ground with stone wall, and chose Reuben Dresser and Ebenezer Putney committee for that purpose. Voted that the singers improve the fore seats in the gallery, in the meetinghouse on Lord's days. Middle school district divided by the brook east of the meetinghouse, and extends so far north as. to include Edward Orcutt and Benjamin Abell.
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HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
1796.
Voted to paint the roof and porches of the church, and hang the doors of the pews in the galleries. Voted to raise $200 for schooling. The report of a commit- tee was accepted, recommending that only two masters be employed for the winter; and that they remove from one district to another as the selectmen direct, and that a larger proportion of the money be devoted to the summer schools. It was vot- ed to build a pound and set it "the west side of the road opposite the Gun House." Voted to finish the back side of the meetinghouse and paint the same.
1797.
January. The small pox broke out in the east part of the town, and a meeting was called "to see if the town will agree to let any per- sons have the small pox by way of inoculation who have not been ex- posed to it." It was voted, after much opposition, that Doctor Ben- jamin Burgess, Dea. Oliver Taylor, Capt. Ambrose Stone, Lieut. Nehemiah May, Mr. Justin Parsons, Dea. Thomas Brown, and Lieut. Ebenezer Parsons be a committee to conduct the business respecting the small pox as they shall think best.
1799.
History never tires of repeating itself. The town voted that the money raised by the dog tax should be appropriated to the support of schools. The same thing is now done under the law of the state.
1801.
Voted to take part of the money recovered from Mr. James Grimes of Newton for support of a pauper to buy weights and measures.
1805.
The town appears to have owned the books belonging to the schools, an idea which in some places is in practical operation in later times.
Voted that the Selectmen have the care and charge of the school books belonging to the town, and distribute thein among the several schools as they judge proper.
April I. Voted to accept the grant made to the town by Mr. John James in his will expressed in the following terms : Item. I give unto the town of Goshen the sum of one hundred dollars, to be paid equally by my executors, if the town will accept of such a trifle, on the following terms, (to wit) : To be under the care and
26
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
inspection or the Selectmen, unless the town see fit to choose a committee to take care of it, on interest, to be annually paid for the full term of one hundred years, from and after my decease. The person or persons who hire said money are to procure a good and sufficient bondsman, and whatever expense may arise in conse- quence of letting said money, is to be paid by the town, so that no encroachment may be made on said money, and at the end of the above mentioned time of one hundred years, the aforesaid sum of one hundred dollars, together with . all the interest that may arise therefrom, be the same more or less, is to be forever kept on interest under the aforesaid regulations, and the interest arising therefrom is to be appropriated for the support of a Gospel minister in said town, of the Congre- gational standing order so called ; for the support of schools, and for the support of the poor in said town, for the building and repairing of public buildings, as the case may be.
1806.
This year was noted for the execution of Daley and Halligan, in Northampton, June 6, for the murder of Marcus Lyon in Wilbraham. It was thought 15,000 people from the surrounding towns were present. The culprits were executed about 3 P. M. The day was very hot, and the spectators suffered greatly from thirst.
June 16 was long remembered for the total eclipse of the sun about midday. The stars appeared, the fowls went to roost, men left their work; and some persons were so impressed by the prevailing gloom, that they fainted. The total eclipse lasted about three minutes, when the sun came out again with unusual brightness, and was wel- comed by the crowing of the chanticleers, the songs of the birds and the rejoicing of the people.
1808.
The political troubles that culminated in the war of 1812 engaged the attention of the people early as 1808. The town appointed Dea- con Taylor, William White, Deacon Parsons and Col. Neh. May to draft and forward a memorial to Congress, asking for an explanation of their measures respecting the Embargo, and for redress of certain grievances. In August, in response to a letter from the Selectmen of Boston, the Selectmen of the town were directed to petition the Pres -. ident for a suspension of the Embargo.
1810.
January 19 was memorable for its severe weather. The mercury fell from 47º above zero at sunset to 12º below,-59° in S hours. A
27
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
violent, piercing north-west wind prevailed, that in some places pros- trated trees and buildings. There was much suffering, and some persons and animals perished.
1811.
The town voted unanimously against the proposed division of the County of Hampshire, and instructed Oliver Taylor, Esq., represen- tative elect, to use his best endeavors to prevent it
Note .- Hampshire County formerly included all the territory of Massachusetts west of Worcester County. Berkshire County was set off in April, 161 ; Franklin County in June. 1811 : Hampden in February, 1512.
1812.
In the month of June, Congress declared war against Great Britain. The Federalists in the previous election in this state had elected the Governor, Caleb Strong of Northampton, and a majority of the House of Representatives. The House prepared an address, regretting the war and declaring it impolitic and inexpedient. The Senate was Democratic, and published an address approving the war and declar- ing it in their opinion just and necessary. This town was strongly Federal in politics, and passed a series of resolutions deprecating the war and denouncing the war measures of the administration in very strong terms. A petition was sent to the Legislature, suggesting a convention of all the northern and commercial states by delegates to be appointed by their Legislatures, to consult upon measures for pro- curing such alterations in the Federal Constitution as would give the Northern States a due proportion of representation, as "in conse- quence of the slaves, the Southern States have by far too great an in- fluence, disproportioned to their wealth, strength, and resources."
But their opposition to what they termed, offensive war, did not pre- vent furnishing men for the defence of the state.
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