USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Whately > History of the town of Whately, Mass., including a narrative of leading events from the first planting of Hatfield, 1660-1871 : with family genealogies > Part 10
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After the dismission of Rev. L. P. Bates, the church remained destitute of a pastor for four years. The pulpit was regularly supplied the while by various ministers and candidates ; among whom were Rev. Messrs. Packard of Shelburne, and Rev. John Eastman.
The third pastor was Rev. JJohn Ferguson, of Dunse, Ber- wickshire, Scotland ; previously settled in Attleboro'. Thre terms of his settlement were five hundred dollars annual salary ; with the condition, "that the existing connection may be dis- solved at the pleasure of either party by an ecclesiastical coun- cil." He was installed March 16, 1836; the sermon was preached by Rev. John Todd, of Pittsfield. Mr. Ferguson was dismissed June 17, 1810.
The church now continued without a settled ministry five years. The pulpit was supplied during the interim by Rev. Moses Chase, Rev. Sumner Lincoln, Mr. Porter H. Snow, Mr. John W. Salter, and the Faculty of Amherst College. Mr. Salter was invited to settle, February 17, 1843; Mr. Snow was invited, April 10, 1845 ; but both declined.
The fourth pastor was Rev. J. II. Temple, of Framingham, who was ordained September 30, 1845 ; the Rev. Joel Hawes, D. D., of Hartford, Conn., preaching the sermon. The terms of his settlement were, " five hundred dollars a year as a salary as long as he is our minister, with liberty to take a vacation of three Sabbaths each year ; that, when either party becomes dis- satisfied, one month's notice shall be given, and this contract shall end and the connection be dissolved in the usual way." Mr. Temple was dismissed March 21, 1852.
The fifth pastor was Rev. Charles N. Seymour, of Hartford, Conn., who was installed March 9, 1853. The sermon was
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preached by Rev. Nahum Gale, Professor in the Theological Seminary at East Windsor Hill, Conn. Ile was dismissed April 27, 1859.
The sixth pastor-now in office-is the Rev. John W. Lane, of South Newmarket, N. H., who was ordained October 17, 1860. Professor Austin Phelps, D. D., of Andover Theo- logieal Seminary, preached the sermon ; W. A. Stearns, D. D., President of Amherst College, made the ordaining prayer. Mr. Lane's salary was fixed at eight hundred dollars per year. In 1869 it was raised to one thousand dollars.
In the century since its organization, the church has had a settled pastorate for eighty-nine years.
PASTORS .- For convenient reference, a list of the Pastors of the Church, with items of their public history not already given, is here subjoined.
Rev. Rufus Wells, graduated at Harvard College, 1764 ; licensed by Hampshire Association, Nov. 1769 ; ordained Sept 25, 1771.
Rev. Lemuel P. Bates, graduated at Williams College, 1818 ; studied Theology with Rev. Dr. Osgood, of Springfield, and at Princeton Semi- nary ; ordained at Whately, Feb. 13, 1822; dismissed Oct. 17, 1832; installed at Templeton, Jan. 15, 1833 ; dismissed Mar. 1837 ; preached at Pontiac, Mich., eight years ; at Flint, Mich., one year ; at Conneautville, Penn., four years ; and several years in the neighborhood of Detroit, Mich., and Alton, Ill .; died at Alton March 5, 1860.
Rev. John Ferguson, not a college graduate ; studied Theology with Rev. Calvin Park, D. D. ; ordained pastor of Second Church, Attleboro', Feb. 27, 1822 ; dismissed Mar. 1835; installed at Whately, Mar. 16, 1836; dismissed June 17, 1840 ; preached at Lanesboro' two years ; appointed agent of the American Tract Society, 1842, in which service he continued till his death.
Rev. Josiah Howard Temple, fitted to enter the sophomore class in college, 1836, but was prevented by failure of eye-sight ; spent two years in study of Botany, and attending lectures at Amherst College ; studied Theology with Rev. Joel Hawes, D. D., Hartford, Ct. ; licensed by Hampshire Association, at Worthington, May 6, 1845; ordained at Whately, Sept. 30, 1845 ; dismissed Mar. 24, 1852. A teacher at Hartford, Ct., in Mountain Seminary, Worthington, Mass., and Leicester Academy, seven years ; author of various historical works, and school text books.
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Rev. Charles N. Seymour, graduated at Trinity College, 18-11 ; studied Theology at New Haven ; ordained at Huntington, Ct., June 26, 1811; dismissed Aug. 1817 ; stated supply Broad Brook ( East Windsor, Ct.) ; installed at Whately. Mar. 9, 1853 ; dismissed Apr. 27, 1859 ; installed at Brooklyn, C't., Dec. 21, 1859, where he still resides.
Rev. John William Lane, graduated at Amherst College, 1856; An- dover Theological Seminary. 1859 : licensed by Middlesex South Ass ci- ation, Jan 1859; ordained at Whately, Oct. 17, 1860 ; still retains the pastoral relation.
Rev. Jonathan S. Judd, graduated at Williams College, 1839; East Windsor Theological Seminary, 1842 ; ordained in Second Church, Whate- ly, Oct. 12, 1843 ; dismissed Oct. 23, 1855 ; installed at Middlebury, Ct., June, 1856, where he remained till his death, May 11, 1864.
Rev. Charles Lord, graduated at Amherst College, 1833; Andover Theological Seminary, 1842 ; ordained at Booneville, Mo., Oct. 20, 1843 ; Home missionary in Missouri and Wisconsin, eight years ; installed at Madison, Wis., Oct. 20, 1852; dismissed May 8, 1854; installed over Second Church, Whately, Mar. 20, 1856 ; dismissed June 14, 1850; installed at Buckland, Mass. 1860.
DEACONS .- The persons who have held the office of Deacon in this church since its organization, are the following :- Nathan Graves, elected October 16, 1771 ; (Oliver Graves was chosen at the same time, but declined serving. ) Salmon White, elected April 16, 1773. Thomas Sanderson, elected June 14, 1786. Levi Moreton, elected December 17, 1800. John White and Eleazar Frary, elected March 22, 1810, (though there is no record of Mr. Frary's acceptance.) James Smith and Justus White, elected July 1, 1821. David Sanders, elected May 12, 1836. Reuben II. Belden, and Elial A. Dickinson, elceted February 27, 1843. L. W. Hannum, elected Elihu Belden, elected July, 1860. John White, elected May, 1861.
COMMUNION FURNITURE. - The two flagons and the two tankards were purchased in 1797, from funds bequeathed to the church by deacon Obadiah Dickinson, of Hatfield. The two silver cups and four tumblers were presented to the church in 1822, by Messrs. Francis, Reuben, and Aaron Belden. The silver baptismal basin was presented by Miss Judith White. In 1865, two silver plated plates were purchased.
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SINGING .- Choristers, "to set the psalm in meeting," were chosen by the church till 1821, when they were elected by the choir. The persons first chosen by the church, Oet. 16, 1771, were John Wait, Jr., John Graves, and Elihu Graves : those chosen by the choir in 1821, were R. B. Harwood, and Warner.
In 1798, "The town voted 20 dollars, to revive singing in the town : that 4 pounds of it be laid out in the east part of the town for the above purpose, and 40 shillings be laid out in the west part, to support a eyphering school or a singing school, as the inhabitants of that part shall decide ; both schools to be free for all parts of the town, and be under the direction of the select- men."
SABBATH SCHOOL .- It is believed that the first effort to gather children into classes on the Sabbath for religious instruc- tion, in Whately, was made by Miss Chloe Adkins, and Ruth Dickinson. This was probably in the year 1820. The children learned verses of Scripture, and hymns, of their own selection. Mr. Wells was accustomed to go into the centre schools on Sat- urday, to see if the children had selected and committed to mem- ory the lesson for the next day. No regular school was organ- ized till after the settlement of Mr. Bates-perhaps not till 1826. The early teachers, besides the two already named, were Lu- cinda Bates, Ann Edwards, Harriet Frary, Lydia Allis, Dea. James Smith, Dea. Justus White, Spencer Bardwell, Luther Warner, John White. One of the deacons was probably the first superintendent. For a number of years after its organiza- tion, the school drew in most of the children, and many of the older church members, who formed adult classes for the study of the Bible.
CLERGYMEN WHO ORIGINATED IN WHATELY.
Alvan Sanderson, born December 13, 1780 ; son of Thomas and Lucy Sanderson ; graduated at Williams College, 1802; studied Theology with Rev. Dr. Ilyde, of Lee, and Rev. Dr. Lyman, of Hatfield ; licensed by Berkshire Association, October 17, 1804; ordained an Evangelist, at Westhampton, Feb. 4, 1807 (sermon by Rev. Rufus Wells) ; installed
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colleague with Rev. Nehemiah Porter, Ashfield, June 22, 1808 ; died, June 22, 1817.
Pomeroy Belden, born March 15, 1811; son of Aaron and Sarah Belden ; graduated at Amherst College, 1833; Andover Theological Seminary, 1836 ; ordained an Evangelist at Warwick, Angust 8, 1837 ; preached as stated supply, at Deerfield, from 1837 to 1842 ; installed in Amherst, East Parish, September 14, 1842; died, March 2, 1849.
Alonzo Sanderson, born June 21, 1808, son of Joseph and Content Sanderson ; graduated at Amherst College in 1834; Andover Theological Seminary in 1837; ordained at Ludlow, in January, 1839; installed at Tolland, July 12, 1843 ; installed at Wellington, Ohio, March 1, 1854. Mr. Sanderson was born in Bernardston ; but regarded Whately as his ancestral home.
William Bardwell, born October 13, 1813, son of Orange and Euphame Bardwell ; studied at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Ct. ; ordained by Methodist Conference, May, 1846; died at Northampton, 1851.
Perez Chapin, born April 29, 1783, son of Perez (M. D.) and Elizabeth Chapin ; graduated at Middlebury College, 1808; studied Theology with Rev. Abijah Wines, Newport, N. II. ; licensed in Cornish, N. Il., March, 1810; ordained at Pownal, Me., March 20, 1811 ; died, January 27, 1839. Hle was "a model of a minister of Jesus Christ."
Lucius W. Chapman, born January 7, 1820, son of Isaac and Hannah Chapman ; studied at Shelburne Falls Academy ; licensed in Westmoreland County, Penn., February 5, 1842, and ordained as a Bap- tist minister in Jefferson County, Penn., October 14, 1842 ; became a Presbyterian, and was installed pastor of the Presbyterian church at Lycoming Centre, November, 1849; residence in 1854, Munroetown, Penn.
Rufus Porter Wells, born February 4, 1818; son of Thomas and. Mary Wells ; graduated at Amherst College in 1842; graduated at Union Theological Seminary, New York, 1845 ; licensed by Third Presbytery of New York, April 18, 1845; ordained an Evangelist in Jonesboro', E. Tenn., by the Holston Presbytery, September 26, 1846; installed at Jonesboro', August 17, 1850. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Mr. Wells deelined to pray for the success of the new Confederacy, and lost the sympathy of a large portion of his church ; and rather than suffer confiscation and imprisonment with other Union men, after long and perplexing delays, and a journey with his family to Richmond and back, he procured a pass, and went through the lines by way of Mur- freesboro', Lebanon, and Gallatin, Tenn., crossing the Cumberland River in a canoe, November 27, 1862. Hle preached to the United Presbyterian
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and Congregational churches of Prairie du Sac, Wis., till March, '64, then one year to the Second Presbyterian church of Thorntown and the Bethel Presbyterian church of Boone County, Indiana. He spent the year 1865 in labors with the Second Presbyterian church of Knoxville, Tenn. In April, 1866, he commenced gathering a Congregational church at Gilbertsville in the town of Hardwick, Massachusetts. The church was organized March 7, 1867, with thirty-eight members, and increased to fifty-three He left Gilbertsville, December, 1868; was installed pastor of the Congregational church at Southampton, Massachusetts, January 5, 1869.
George R. Ferguson, born in Attleboro', Mass., March 19, 1829; son of Rev. John and Margaret S. Ferguson ; graduated at Amherst College, 1849 ; studied at Andover Theological Seminary, 1858-'59; licensed by Franklin County Association, July, 1858; acting pastor at North East, Dutchess County, N. Y., from September, 1859, till the present time Post office address, Millerton, New York.
Horace B. Chapin, who was installed colleague with Rev. Enoch Hale, of Westhampton, Mass., July 8, 1829; dismissed, May 1, 1837 ; installed at, Danville, Me , July 24, 1839 ; was son of Dr. Perez and Elizabeth Chapin, of Whately ; but was born after his parents removed to Benson, Vermont.
SECOND CHURCH .- The Second Congregational Church in Whately was organized by an ecclesiastical council, Nov. 10, 1842. The meeting-house was built in the spring and summer of 1843 ; and the first pastor, Rev. Jonathan S. Judd, of Westhampton, was ordained October 12, 1843. Rev. William A. Hawley, of Plainfield, preached the ordination sermon. The number of church members, January 1, 1848, was one hundred and five. After a successful pastorate of twelve years, Mr. Judd was dismissed October 23, 1855. Rev. Charles Lord, the second pastor, was installed March 20, 1856 ; and dismissed January 14, 1860. This church was disbanded January 28, 1864. Most of the members had previously united with the old church. The meeting-house was remodeled and enlarged in 1867, and is now the place of worship of the united Congre- gational church.
BAPTIST CHURCH .- The Baptist Church in Whately was constituted May 5, 1789. At first it was composed of about twenty-five members who withdrew from the Congregational
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church, and about forty others belonging to this and neighbor- ing towns. The meeting-house was located on the Poplar Ilill road. The regularly ordained pastors have been,-Rev. Asa Todd, of Westfield, ordained September 2, 1789; Rev. Stephen Barker, of Heath, installed. 1807; Rev. John R. Goodnough, ordained August 26, 1823 ; Rev. Lorenzo Rice, ordained Feh- ruary 8, 1837. After this, Rev. James Parker supplied . two years, and Rev. George Bills two years. The church was dis- banded August 23, 1850.
METHODIST SOCIETY. - In the spring of 1818, a Methodist Society was organized in Whately. The principal men in the movement were James Cutter, Moses Hill and Joel Wait, 3d. Moses Hill was elected clerk of the society, and JJohn Breed, public teacher. A certificate dated April 20, 1818, reciting the above facts, was filed with the town clerk. No other mention of the organization appears on our records.
UNITARIAN SOCIETY .- The first meeting held by the Uni- tarians of Whately was on April 23, 1865. The services were conducted by Rev. J. F. Moors, of Greenfield. Rev. E. B. Fairchild commenced preaching regularly, July 9, 1865. Jan- uary 9, 1866, a constitution and by-laws were adopted ; and on the 17th the following officers were chosen :-- Clerk, David D. Wells ; . Treasurer, Dennis Dickinson ; Assessors, James Scott, Myron Brown, Alonzo Crafts ; Collector, Asa Dickinson. The meeting-house was built in the summer of 1866, and dedicated January 17, 1867. Mr. Fairchild labored about three years. Rev. George II. Ekbridge preached nearly two years. Rev. Leonard W. Brigham, of Rutland, Vermont, is now preaching as stated supply. The name of the society is, " The Unitarian Congregational Society of Whately."
CHAPTER IX.
WHATELY ROADS.
THE system of highways originally adopted by Hatfield, and partially carried out before the incorporation of this town, has been already mentioned. The idea was, to give every land owner ready access to his several lots : the system was, roads running north and south through the town, crossed at right angles by east and west roads, extending from the meadows to the town limits. This could be easily effected, because the system was devised before the Commons were divided.
The Straits road, was the Indian trail, and practically divided the River Meadows from the Upland Commons. The Chestnut Plain road was a space of ten rods wide, left between the two main divisions of Commons. The east and west roads were reserved lots in the Commons. The only cross roads within Whately limits, laid out by Hatfield, were the " Christian Lane," between Lots No. 36 and 37 in the Second Division, and " Mt. Esther road," between Lots No. 26 and 27 in the Fourth Division. These two roads, as laid out in 1716, were co-inci- dent at the Chestnut Plain crossing, and taken together extended from the west line of the Bradstreet Farm, to " the end of the six miles from the great River." The course was not quite a straight line, as the Mt. Esther road, from Chestnut Plain, bore due east and west. All the roads laid by IIatfield were ten rods wide.
It seems to have been the original intention to lay the north and south through-roads at about half a mile distant from each other ; and it was pretty well understood where the line of a road would be. This is shown by the location of the earliest houses. Capt. Lucius Allis, Lieut. Elisha Frary, Edward Brown, Simeon
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Morton, and other settlers knew where to build ; and a road was sure, in due time, to come to them.
The road north and south over Spruce hill and Chestnut mountain to Hatfield line, was laid out by Whately in 1772; and the same year the town voted, "That Samuel Dickinson have liberty to make bars or gates near the southerly end of this road for his convenience." These gates were ordered to be removed, and the road made an open highway in 1783.
The road from Conway line over Poplar hill by the Baptist meeting-house, and so on over Hog mountain to the south line of the town, was laid out 1773, and was early accepted as a county road. A road from Conway line to the south line of Whately, west of the Poplar hill road was laid out in 1774. Probably the following has reference to this road : - 1785, "Voted, To open and clear the road running southerly from Simeon Morton's by Paul Smith's to Williamsburg line."
A road was laid in 1778 from Conway line southerly to the highway south of Elisha Frary, and from the above highway between said Frary's house and barn, south-casterly. Probably this was a designated line of a through road; but its history is obscure. It seems to have been continued to West Brook, and along the north bank of said brook to meet the Stony hill road ; and the road running south-westerly, by the south-west school-house, was probably a branch or continuation of it in that direction.
The line of the Claverack road, (probably so named by the soldiers who returned from an expedition to Claverack, N. Y., in 1779,-perhaps from a real or fancied resemblance to that place,) seems to have been established by tradition, and worked as houses were built. The following votes probably refer to this line :- 1777, a committee was chosen to view a road from the Egypt road north to the Deerfield line, and survey the same. 1780, a road three rods wide was laid from Eleazer Frary's to Hatfield line, "beginning half a mile cast of Chestnut Plain street, to lands reserved by the proprietors of Hatfield for a road at the east end of Mill Swamp." 1779, Voted, "To lay a road to the dwelling house of Ebenezer Bardwell, Jr." It is likely that the whole line was originally known as the " Island road,"
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and that it was actually opened from Christian lane south in 1780.
The River road was laid by piece-mcal. The Hatfield authori- ties located and opened it from Deerfield line to R. T. Morton's corner in 1756. A close road, two rods wide, from Joshua Beldin's to Nathaniel Coleman's, between said Beldin's farm and Hopewell, was laid in 1778; this was made an open road in 1785, and was extended from Mr. Beldin's house to his saw mill in 1803. A close road was laid from Joshua Beldin's saw mill to Canterbury in 1806.
This completes the list of north and south through rouds. Some of them remain as at first located ; others have been altered. The Claverack road from above the Lane north, run easterly of its present location, veering round the swamp. The Chestnut Plain street at first run west of the cemetery, and curved eastwardly by the great elm, and thence directly north down the hill. Gutter bridge was built about 1773. Other minor roads running northerly and southerly were from time to time laid, to accomodate individual interests.
To " lay out " a road, and to "accept " a road, as the terms were then used, probably fail to convey a true idea to us now. A vote to that effect did not show that a highway was put in complete order, and well graded ; but it meant that a way was marked out, and was made passable or possible. Sometimes it only meant that if a person traveled the designated route, he should not be liable for damages for crossing his neighbor's land ; and that if he got mired, the surveyor was bound to help him out without charge. In 1771 the town granted £16 for repairing highways, and allowed 2s. 6d. per day for highway work, which would give only 128 days' work, for all the roads.
The plan of East and West roads, as actually laid out, is very complicated, and the record very confused. Excepting Christian Lane, and the Mt. Esther road from Sprucehill west- ward, scarcely one remains to-day as originally established. And the line of many of the carly cross roads would be wholly unintel- ligible to the present generation. A "close " road was often laid to accomodate a single individual. The roads leading from Chestnut Plain street to Belding's mills, were laid, and re-laid, and altered and discontinued, as new interests sprung up. And
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the same is true of the roads in the south-west and north-west parts of the town. Convenience for the time being, was-per- haps unavoidably -- the rule of location and discontinuance.
In 1772 the town voted that both the westerly and easterly (i. e. from Chestnut Plain as a base line) cross roads be laid out three rods wide. And where not otherwise specified, this is believed to be the uniform width.
The road from Chestnut Plain near the old meeting-house, south-easterly through " Egypt " to Hatfield, does not appear to have been accepted as a highway by either Hatfield or Whately, though it was the convenient and the traveled way, from the earliest settlement of the territory.
Christian Lane, and the road over Mount Esther, as already stated, were reserved lots, ten rods wide, and were in a continn- ons line. The Lane was a " bridle path " in 1756, and a rough log " causeway " in 1761. and Mill river was then erossed by a fordway. In 1773 the town voted to build a foot bridge over the Mill river Swamp, near the house of Dea. Simeon Wait (the J. C. Loomis place). Originally the Lane extended only to the Straits. The road from Bartlett's corner to Canterbury, north of the cemetery, was laid in 1820.
From Chestnut Plain westerly, the road as first traveled, fol- lowed nearly the line of the reserved lot, varying only to escape "the Gutter," and to get an easier ascent up the hill. That part " from the foot of Mt. Esther through land of Ensign Elisha Allis to Abraham Turner's barn on Poplar hill" was laid out in 1773. From the foot of Mt. Esther to the Chestnut Plain street, the location has been several times changed. In 1786 the town voted to establish the alterations in the highway from Whately meeting-house to Conway - beginning four rods south of the brook, and running through the north-east part of Jonathan Al- lis's land, on the old road, ete., and to the old road near the foot of the hill near Dea. Samuel Wells's house in Conway. In 1801, record is made of a new location from Chestnut Plain road on Levi Morton's north line to the old road near the Pound. West Lane, as it now runs was laid out in 1819.
Probably the Hatfield authorities had no thought of a new town when they marked off the Commons, and reserved the lots for highways. But the intersection of those reserved highway
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lots determined where the central village of the new town should be. And this line from Bartlett's corner to Poplar Hill was the natural location for a road. Great Swamp could not be so readily crossed at any other point ; and the ascent of the hills was most feasible here. This was the earliest opened of any of the cross roads, and was the most important, as it furnished a convenient way for the Canterbury and Straits people, on the one hand, and the West street families on the other, to get to meeting on the Sabbath, and to town meeting.
After ready access to the meeting-house had been obtained, the next important care was to secure a convenient way to mill. Taylor's mills, which best accommodated many families, were over the line in Deerfield, and consequently the road up Indian hill is not noticed on our Records. Belding's mills at West Brook were accessible from the Straits by means of the road on the Hatfield side of the line running west, near where the pres- ent road runs, and so across West Brook bridge. There ap- pears to have been a way to these mills, from Chestnut Plain street, northerly of the J. B. Morton place, before 1768. A committee was appointed in 1772, to view a road to the mills ; and another committee for the same purpose in 1776. What they severally recommended is not known. In 1777 a close road three rods wide was laid from Spruce hill road, at Nathan Wait's corner, over Stony hill to the mills, and thence to Chest- nut Plain street. This was made an open road in 1779. The part from the mills castward was discontinued, and a road laid from West Brook bridge to the mills in 1788. The Stony hill road was discontinued in 1830, and one opened from the foot of Chestnut mountain down the valley.
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