USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Palmer > History of the town of Palmer, Massachusetts, early known as the Elbow tract : including records of the plantation, district and town 1716-1889 > Part 21
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"The Burying Place layed out May the 12th 1735, Began at an oak bush with a great stone rolled against it, standing about ten rods east of the meeting-house, being the norwest corner of the Burying Place ; thence S. 36° E. 12 rods, to stones on the side hill ; thence E. 36º N. 13 rods to a stone against the little Pond in the southeast corner ; thence N. 36° W. 12 rods to a stone against a little Hollow in the noreast corner ; thence to where we began 13 rods."
Oct. 8, 1788. The town voted to take 62} rods of land of Land- lord John Thomson, for to enlarge the Burying Yard, and allow him the land that belongs to the town which he has closed in his
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pasture, in exchange." It was also voted to inclose this yard with a stone wall ; and John Thomson, Francis Brakenridge & Lieut. Joshua Shaw were chosen a committee to do the work at a cost not to exceed £36. This vote was afterwards reconsidered ; and a fence, instead of a wall, was built. At the same meeting, it was voted that Aaron Merrick, Lieut. John King & Dr. Calvin Scott be a committee to fence & repair the South Burying Yard." This com- mittee reported May 8, 1789, that having proposed to that Neigh- borhood to do the work by subscription, the following men agreed to assist in making and erecting the fence, viz. Lieut. Wm. Scott, Maj. Aaron Graves, Daniel Graves, Simeon Graves, William Scott, Esq., James King, Benjamin King, Gideon King, Lieut. David King, Deacon Thomas King, Jonathan Cooley, Capt. Sylvanus Walker, Sylvanus Walker, Jun., Jesse King, together with the members of the committee. The town accepted the report, and voted that the above named persons be exempted from doing any part of fencing the Burying Place at the meeting-house.
In 1800, Capt. John King contracted with the selectmen to dig graves as occasion required, in the South Burying Ground for the sum of 25 cents each. Solomon Shaw made a like agreement for the grave yard at the meeting-house.
In 1865, four and a half acres of adjoining land was purchased by the town, of Elisha Converse, To enlarge the South Cemetery, and the whole ground enclosed. The present area is about six acres.
Tombs. In April 1839, the town voted to build a tomb in each of the public Burying Grounds at the expense of the town, and granted $300 for that purpose, and appointed the selectmen a com- mittee to cause said tombs to be built. This vote was reconsidered and the town voted to give leave to individuals, inhabitants of the town, to build tombs for their own use.
List of Town officers elected March 19, 1799.
Town Clerk, John A. Smith ; Selectmen, Aaron Merrick, Gor- don Sedgwick, Capt Alpheus Converse, Lieut. James Smith, Dr. Jonathan Shearer ; Town Treasurer, Joseph Smith ; Constable & Collector, Isaac Warren ; Assessors, Admatha Blodgett, Dr. Jona. Shearer, Dr. Jabez Lamb ; Highway Surveyors, William Foster, Capt. Patrick Watson, Capt. John King, Isaac Warren, Lieut. Urijah Ward, Zenas Rider, Theophilus Knight ; Tythingmen, Ens. William Spear, Jacob Converse ; Sealer of Weights and Measures, Clark McMaster ; Cullers of Lumber, Ens. William Spear, Moses Shaw ; Fence Viewers, William King, Patrick Watson ; Sealer of Leather, Jonathan Moores ; Hog Reeves, Joseph Converse, Dr. Nathan Cummings.
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Granted for repair of Highways, $250.
Granted for support of Schools, $300. Granted for support of the Poor, $125. Granted for Rev. Mr. Baldwin's salary, $250. Granted for Incidentals, $61.
A NEW MEETING-HOUSE .- The first Meeting-House, which had stood for 60 years, had become much dilapidated. It could in lit- eral truth be said of it, " Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even Thine altars, O Lord of Hosts!" Parson Baldwin had a powerful voice, but it was with difficulty that his prayer and ser- mon could be followed during the nesting time of the swal- lows, who kept up their customary twittering and fluttering in meeting time, regardless of any devout aspirations of the worship- pers below.
The matter of building a new meeting-house was brought before the town in the fall of 1795, when 24 voted in favor and 9 against it. It was voted to set the house " on the land where the old one stands, or as near as the ground will admit of." The spot finally selected was to the southeast and across the road from the old one. It was voted "to build a house 50 ft. long by 40 ft. wide, with a porch at each end thereof." This was afterwards changed to 46 by 45 ft., with a porch at the west end 15 ft. square. Moses Shaw was appointed "to make out a plan of the Meeting-house," and Lieut. James Smith, Aaron Merrick and David King were chosen a committee to superintend the work. At a later date, Capt. Alpheus Converse, Aaron Merrick, Lieut. Urijah Ward, Lieut. Luke Hitchcock, Theophilus Knight, Gideon Graves and Lieut. James Smith were appointed superintending committee. The money due the town for the "School Lot" and other outstand- ing claims were appropriated to pay for the meeting - house. These bills not being readily collectable, the town voted "to sell the pews and pew-rights in the proposed meeting-house, and use the money so raised to pay for the house-the sale to be by pub- lic vendue, and payment to be made in the following manner, viz .: "One-third part by the 26th day of Novr next; a second payment by the 26th of May in the year 1797 ; and a third pay- ment in two years from the 26th day of May which will be in the year 1798."
It was voted that the materials be gathered and the frame set up in June, 1797. Voted that "the new meeting-house shall be underpinned with good and handsome stone, so that the sill shall
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lie 14 inches from the ground at the highest place of ground." Voted, that the pews in the new meeting-house " be finished with banisters."
The meeting-house was practically finished in the fall of 1798; and it was dedicated on Sabbath, October 21, of that year.
There were 46 pews on the ground floor, which sold for the sum of $2,501, and 30 pews in the gallery, which sold for $783.50, making a total of $3,284.50. This sum, with the avails of the School Lot, more than met the cost of the house, and one-third was deducted from the face of each pew-note.
Sale of the Old Meeting-House. At a town meeting held Sept. 13, 1798, " personally appeared the major part of the pew-holders in the old Meeting-House, and agreed with the town that they would acquit and relinquish all right & title to sª house in respect to private property, excepting the window in Scott's pew, and in Deacon Joshua Shaw's pew, which they may take out and carry away: Also any person a pew-holder may take off and carry away the hinges of his pew. Voted to sell the old Meeting House at a public vendue to the highest bidder."
Horse- Sheds. Land for horse-sheds was staked out as fol- lows, viz .: "Between the meeting-house and Burying place, 128 feet; north of the Turnpike road, 170 feet; northeast of the meeting-house, 24 feet; southeast of the meeting-house, on the hill, 100 feet ; and the ground on the road between Moses Shaw's and Mr. Tupper's store." This gave room for 55 sheds. "Voted, that the persons who stand highest on the estate bill may have the first choice of ground to build horse-sheds on, each shed to be 8 ft. long, and to be built within one year, or lose their choice."
Cupola. In the fall of 1806 the town voted to raise the sum of $600 towards building a cupola on the meeting-house. It was com- pleted in the spring of 1808, for the sum of $470.
Bell. When the frame of the cupola was up, in 1807, Mr. Aaron Merrick purchased a bell and presented it to the town. In acknowledgement of the gift, the town ordered that the bell should be rung on each coming birthday of the donor (November 25th), and presented him the following letter :
Aaron Merrick, Esq.
Sir : By vote of the Inhabitants of this town, we are selected to express to you their gratitude for your repeated and almost unexampled generosity to the town. We are very sensible, Sir, that praise & adulation would not be pleasing, but disgusting to you ; yet give us leave to say, that to you we are indebted in a very great degree for the present respectable figure we
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make in society .* Your late instance of generosity in presenting the town a valuable Bell, which proves not only an ornament to the place, but ex- tremely useful in calling together its members on all public occasions, will never be obliterated from the memory, but always remain recorded in the hearts of your grateful fellow townsmen ; and we now beg you to accept, through us their committee of their most sincere & grateful acknowledge- ments. And we most earnestly pray that you may yet many years enjoy health & prosperity, continue a blessing to your family, this town & your country.
Your most obliged and very humble servants,
MOSES BALDWIN, AMOS HAMILTON, J. BALDWIN,
Committee.
Palmer, 18th March, 1808.
Stove. Nov. 3, 1828. The town voted, "That Benjamin Con- verse and other individuals have leave to put in a stove into the meeting-house, provided it be done free of expense to the town." The story goes, that a good woman, who had always found sufficient comfort in her fur cloak and foot-stove, on entering the meeting- house and seeing the formidable heater, became excited and fever- ish, and was so overcome by the hot air that she actually fainted- tho' it proved on examination that no fire had been kindled in the new stove !
In 1809 the town appropriated $100 for painting the meeting- - house.
May, 1815. The town voted " To have patent springs put in in all the lower windows in the meeting-house, & a lock provided for the upper door in the cupola, to be under the order of the select- men."
In May, 1828, an article in the town warrant was "To grant money to repair the meeting-house & cupola." "Voted to raise $250 to paint the meeting-house and repair the steeple." A com- mittee was appointed, who proceeded to do the work, and expended in all $464, which the town allowed and paid.
March, 1822. The town chose Col. Amos Hamilton, Benjamin Converse and Philip Lamb a committee to purchase a Bass-viol for the use of the town.
Jan. 23, 1835. "Voted that the town consent that the Congre- gational Society (organized April 4, 1831) make such alterations in the meeting-house as they think proper-provided it is done with- out expense to the town in its corporate capacity ; and that the So- ciety be allowed the avails of the pews or slips when sold." Did
* In October, 1805, Mr. Merrick built and presented to the town a Town House, in which to hold its business meetings.
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HISTORY OF PALMER.
the meeting-house thus come, de facto, under the control of the First Parish ?
By common consent of all parties in interest, the meeting- house was forsaken as a place of worship by the Congregation- alists, April 1, 1847; and a division of territory agreed upon, the northerly part of the town to belong to the First Parish, and the southerly part to the Second Parish. The latter built a new house at the Depot Village, and the former a new house at Thorndike.
The old meeting-house stood empty for a time; was then occu- pied by the Methodists for a couple of years. Jan. 15, 1854, it was sold at auction for $600, to Gamaliel Collins, Esq., for the use of the Catholics; was repaired, and consecrated July 1, 1855; and was occupied by them for some years. After this it remained deso- late till a late period, when it was sold and taken down.
The Bell. The ownership of the bell, which, as before stated, was a gift to the town by Aaron Merrick, Esq., was a matter in dispute for 4 or 5 years. The dwellers at the Old Centre and others claimed that it belonged to the town, and should remain in its place in the meeting-house, still the town's property. The Thorn- dike people, now the nucleus of the First Church and Society, claimed that the ownership vested in them as the First Parish which had legally taken the place of the town as to all ecclesiasti- cal and parochial rights and privileges. In a legal opinion, Judge Chapman took the same view, but advised a cautious course of procedure in getting possession. The Centre people kept good watch and ward, and were determined to prevent capture by sur- prise or assault.
About the middle of January, 1852, a church sociable was held at Thorndike ; and soon after midnight a party consisting of about 40 men in sleighs and an ox-sled, went quietly to the Centre, found their way into the meeting-house, and with pullies lowered the bell and loaded it on the sled. Just before starting they gave the bell one loud ring, which waked the hamlet; but the force was too large to be overcome by the half-dressed dwellers ; and the prize was borne off to the village and raised to its place in the cupola of the new meeting-house.
The affair created much excitement and bred ill-feeling. And at the March meeting (1852) the town "Voted That the selectmen be a committee to procure all the records in relation to the Bell, Meeting-house and other property in dispute between the town and Society, and place them in the hands of Myron Lawrence, Esq., for his examination & opinion in relation to the lawful owner of
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said property, and that his opinion be binding on both parties." The " opinion " is not on record.
Nov. 14, 1853. The town chose a committee of ten, viz., Elias Turner, Joseph Moody, Aaron King, Robert McMaster, Rufus Smith, Moses Learned, Ralph Green, Seva Brown, William Mc- Elwain and Lorenzo C. Ferry, to go and take down the old bell from Thorndike meeting-house, and re-place it in the old meeting- house belfry from whence it came. Voted that the above-named committee be required to give bonds to the selectmen in the sum of $5,000, to indemnify the town from all costs and expenses that may be made by the said committee."
No further town action appears upon the records. Probably the $5,000 bond worked as an effectual quietus to the agitation ; and the bell remained at Thorndike.
The Embargo. Sept., 1808. At a meeting the town Voted that the selectmen in behalf of the town, petition the President of the United States to repeal the Embargo, similar to the petition from the inhabitants of Boston.
Muster. The town Voted "to give each soldier in the militia and cavalry in the town of Palmer, six ounces of powder for mus- ter on the 28th instant."
REV. MOSES BALDWIN .- At a meeting of Palmer District held on Monday, Oct. 27, 1760, it was voted "to send Seth Shaw to Southold on Long Island, after the Rev. Mr. Baldwin to labor in the work and doctrine in this corner of the vineyard." Mr. Shaw was paid eight dollars for the expenses of his trip. Mr. Baldwin came on and preached through the winter, and March 3, 1761, it was " voted by the Inhabitants of Palmer to give the Rev. Moses Baldwin a call to settle in the work of the Gospel ministry, accord- ing to the Presbyterian platform of the Church of Scotland. Voted, to give Mr. Baldwin £60 lawful money per year as a salary, from the time of his ordination so long as he continues in the work of the ministry in this District. Voted, to make over by deed to Mr. B. the 150 acre Lot which we have reserved for the ministry, for his own proper estate, he paying into our treasury the sum of £150 lawful money, or signing the same to be paid in a reasonable time with interest." This 150 acres was not the "Ministry Lot" originally laid out and held for the use of the successive pastors, for that lot had been sold, and, by permission of the General Court, the money invested in the purchase of the farm formerly owned and occupied by Rev. Robert Burns during his ministry. This Burns farm lay three-fourths of a mile south of the old meeting-
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house, on what was known as the Stafford and Greenwich Turn- pike. It had good buildings and much of it under cultivation, and was altogether a desirable parsonage-though the bargain seemed a hard one for the young minister. He was to hold it in fee, and not on sufferance, as had been the tenure of the "Ministry Lot," and was to have five years in which to make payment, and the estate was exempt from taxation. The committee to wait upon Mr. B. and receive his answer were Barnard McNitt, Wm. Scott, Jun., James Brackenridge, Capt. John Thomson, Samuel Shaw, John McMaster and Seth Shaw.
Mr. Baldwin accepted the call, and was installed by the Boston Presbytery June 17, 1761.
Mr. B. made payments for his farm as follows: In 1765, £80; in 69, £20, and the balance a year or two later. At the date of pay- ment of each instalment the town, by vote, remitted the interest then due. In 1774 three pounds was voted to Mr. Baldwin "for getting his firewood." The next year four pounds was granted him for the same purpose, and it was voted that Mr. B. "have liberty to get 2000 rails upon the School Lot to repair his fences."
In December, 1778, an article in the warrant was " to take under consideration the salary of Rev. Moses Baldwin, the necessaries of life at the present time being so far advanced in their prices that his present salary is not sufficient for his support-to act and do at said meeting respecting his support equitable and honourable." Under this article, the town "voted 232 pounds to the Rev. Mr. Baldwin, for an addition to his salary, for the present year." This was probably in the depreciated currency, and amounted to much less than the figures indicated.
The next year an article in the October warrant was "To see if the town will make the Rev. Mr. Baldwin's salary as good as it was when he settled in the town, in any sort of grain, either wheat, rye, or Indian corn, as the price was when he settled with us, or in money equal as said grain now goes." "Voted, to establish the Rev. Moses Baldwin's salary at sixty pounds a year for the future, making the standard the following articles, viz. Wheat, at 5 shillings per bushel, rye, at 3 shillings and 4 pence per bushel, Indian corn, at 2 shillings and 5 pence per bushel, and good grass- fed beef at 20 shillings per hundred." This assumption on the part of the town of the right to construe or alter the terms of the original contract by substituting "current money " for " lawful money," and making grain and beef a legal tender, was radical in its nature, and, though justified probably on the plea of necessity, yet it disturbed the cordial relations which so far had subsisted be-
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tween pastor and people. The pastor felt the pressure, and the people had a sense of the wrong. And at a meeting held Sept. 3, 1781, Maj. Aaron Graves, Capt. David Spear and Doctor Benjamin Trask were appointed a committee "to agree with Rev. Mr. Bald- win as to his salary for the year past." The committee reported that "if they paid the salary in money it should be allowed at the rate of 90 pounds for 60 pounds," and it was so voted.
But the times were "out of joint." And in November, 1784, Mr. Baldwin felt constrained to ask a dismission. A meeting of the town was called, and Francis Brackenridge, Lieut. Joshua Shaw, Urijah Ward, Capt. David Spear and Wm. Scott, Jun., were ap- pointed a committee " to treat with the Revd Moses Baldwin Con- sarning his oneseness and if that they finde that it is for Lack of more Salery for to see how much of an idesion satisfy him and make Report." The town voted-14 ayes to 8 noes-to add 15 pounds to Mr. B.'s salary, making it 75 pounds per annum, equal to $250, which continued to be the salary during the remainder of his pastoarte.
In January, 1810, an article in the warrant was, "To see if the town will grant money for the purpose of hiring a minister to assist the Rev. Mr. Baldwin in supplying the pulpit the present winter." It was passed over, but the insertion of the article was significant of the popular sentiment. Mr. Baldwin proposed to the town to relinquish a part of his salary, on condition that the town shall supply the pulpit a certain part of the time. And Aaron Merrick, Esq., Capt. Alpheus Converse and Deacon Gordon Sedg- wick were appointed a committee to arrange the matter. The up- shot was that the town voted to pay Mr. B. $100 per annum and to hire a candidate to supply the pulpit.
In January, 1811, Mr. Simeon Colton was employed to preach on probation. The following letter speaks for itself and deserves a place in these annals as a testimony of the unselfish spirit and honorable motives of the writer as a man, and his Christ-like spirit as a minister of the Gospel.
"To the Church and Congregation of Palmer :
Having been informed by a committee chosen by the town, that it is your desire that I should be dismissed from the ministerial charge of the church and congregation, that the town may with less inconvenience settle a min- ister who may be able to perform the duties which are necessarily incum- bered on one in that office-For nearly half a century I have served you as your settled minister. On the 17th day of June next, will be fully com- pleted fifty years since I was regularly installed over this church and congregation ; and during this period, untill very lately, I have been able to serve you, whether well or not well, will leave to the Great Judge of all to determine. I am now aged and infirm. I verily thought, when I settled
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with you, that I was settled for life ; and still am convinced that if the records had been made, this would abundantly appear. I conceived that in this way I had laid a foundation to render my last days, when age and infirmities might come upon me, comfortable and easy, well knowing that my annual income was so small that I should not be able to lay up a sufficiency. During the period which divine Providence has suffered me to continue among you in the work of the ministry, I have invariably made it my chief study, as far as my feeble abilities would admit, to teach such things as I conceived would lead the people under my charge to happiness.
The good of this people has invariably been my wish, and if I know my own heart, the same spirit governs me to the present time. I do not a moment hesitate to do that which will have a tendency to promote the glorious cause of the Redeemer. Relying on the divine Protection, and on the generosity of the people with whom I have lived so long in the bonds of love and friendship, I freely resign the charge I have so long held, upon the terms which your committee were pleased to offer, which were, that I should be paid by the town one hundred dollars a year so long as I live. I do also consent to be dismissed by the Council which may be called to ordain Mr. Simeon Colton, or in any other suitable manner most agreeable to the town-on condition the town confirm the proposition which was made me by the committee, as stated above. I would ask your serious attention to one other point, which I will offer only as a request, and by no means have considered as a demand, viz. I am apprehensive that were I dismissed from this people, the little property I now possess would be liable to taxation ; and I humbly conceive that your generosity will be such that you will free myself and property from that burden during the short period I may continue with you. I feel sensible that I must deny myself many of the comforts of life with so small a stipend ; but trusting in the Kind and protecting care of the Great God of the Universe, I feel a perfect confidence that I shall not want the real necessaries of life during the few days I may continue on earth. And may God in his infinite good- ness protect and keep us from all evil, and finally unite us again in his heavenly Kingdom, where we shall enjoy Bliss without alloy.
Palmer 23 May 1811.
MOSES BALDWIN.
The ecclesiastical council, to dismiss Mr. Baldwin and ordain his successor, met June 18, 1811. Rev. Ephraim Ward of Brookfield was chosen moderator, and Rev. Warren Fay of Brimfield scribe. The record reads : "This Council having received a request from the Rev. Moses Baldwin and the Church in Palmer, that the con- nection between them be dissolved, and taking the subject into consideration, viewed their request proper-and accordingly voted that the connection be dissolved."
This act of dismission of Mr. Baldwin by a Council of Congrega- tional Churches, instead of by Presbytery, and the ordination of Mr. Colton by the same Council, was the only formality used in
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changing the Church polity from Presbyterianism to Congrega- tionalism.
Mr. Baldwin was a native of Newark, N. J .; was a graduate of New Jersey College at Princeton, and the first to receive collegiate honors at that institution in 1757. The degree of A. M. was con- ferred on him by D. C. in 1791. He received ordination as an evangelist, and was laboring as such at Southold on Long Island, when he was invited to come to Palmer. After preaching six months as a candidate he was installed June 17, 1761, and con- tinued in the pastoral office here a full half-century. But few incidents of his long and eventful life can now be gathered. No church records are extant covering this period. Public attention and town action were largely absorbed in the series of important events, preceding, constituting, and following the Revolutionary War. The few references on the town records to the minister and his ministry have been copied in the preceding pages. That at one period of his pastorate he had sore trials of faith and patience, and heavy discouragements, is apparent from the record. And it is no less clear that his ministry was useful and fruitful of good. The spirit of the man and the minister is indicated in his letter to the church and congregation. " He was tall in stature, and of a dark complexion ; social in his nature ; full of good feeling and hearty sympathy, which rendered him a genial companion and a welcome visitor at the homes of his parishioners. As preacher, he was bold, animated and fervent, and much given to gesticulation. His man- uscript sermons show that he depended a good deal on the spur of the moment, many of the sentences being only begun, the filling out being left to the quickened intellect and excited feelings of the hour and occasion. He survived every male inhabitant who was at the head of a family when he settled in the place." He survived his dismission only two and a half years, dying at his home in Pal- mer on Tuesday, November 2, 1813, aged 81. His remains were interred on Thursday, when the Rev. Justus Forward of Belcher- town preached a sermon from Zech. 1: 5. " Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live forever?"
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