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 27
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31
WELLS, JOHN II.,7 Thomas,6 merchant in Easthampton ; d. Feb. 8, 1872. Hle m. Sarah B. Miller, of Williamsburg ; s. p.
WELLS, SAMUEL S.,7 Thomas,6 m. June 18, 1810, Mary A. Williams ; . chil. Ella Louise, b. May 12, 1843; Fiducia Smead, b. Ang. 13, 1845; . George Thomas, b. Dec. 25, 1849; Mary Ann, b. Nov. 21, 1852.
WELLS, RUFUS P., Rev.7 Thomas, 6 m. Sept. 10, 1845, Chloe B. Belden, dau. of Aaron ; chil. Thomas Belden, b. June 24, 1846, d. Nov. 6, 1816; Mary Sophia, b. Aug. 13, 1850; Fanny Henrietta, b. Feb. 12, 1854; twin sons, b. Sept. 23, 1856; daughter, b. Nov. 29, 1858; Anna Porter, b. April 29, 1860.
WELLS, SARAH,7 Capt. Luke,6 d. Jan. 19, 1837. She m. Silas Rice, h. Jan. 6, 1793, d. June 19, 1866 ; child, Sarah Maria, b. Dec. 23, 1832, m. William Porter, of Buckland.
WELLS, CALEB COOLEY,7 Capt. Luke,6 d. April 25, 1842. He m. Mercy Morton, dau. of Consider ; s. p.
WELLS, CHARLES P.,7 Capt. Luke,6 m. Jan. 6, 1853, Sarah B. Tatro, b. Oct. 29, 1831 ; chil. Charles Luke, b. June 23, 1858; Herbert Clifford, b. Oct. 29, 1861 ; Arthur Phelps, b. Feb. 12, 1864.
WHITE, JOHN,1 settled in Cambridge; was made freeman, March 1, 1633; rem. in 1636, to Hartford, Ct .; was a first settler in Hadley ; returned to Hartford ; was ruling elder in the South Church; d. 1683; wife, Mary. WHITE, DANIEL,2 resided in Hatfield ; lieut. ; d. July 27, 1713; wife, Sarah Crow. WHITE, DANIEL,3 b. July 4, 1671, in Hatfield ; rem. to Windsor, Ct. : d. JJune 22, 1726. Hle m. (1) Sarah Bissell, dau. of Thomas ; (2) Anna Bissell, dau. of John ; (3) Elizabeth Bliss. Wurrs, DANIEL,4 b. Sept. 5, 1698 ; captain ; rem. from Windsor, Ct., to Hatfield ; then to Bolton, Ct. ; and returned to Hatfield, where he d. Dec. 15, 1786. Hle m. (1) Mary Dickinson ; (2) Elizabeth White.
WHITE, SALMON,5 Capt. Daniel, 4 bap. Oct. 31, 1731 ; settled in Whately on the Luke B. White place, about 1762; captain ; deacon ; a leading man in the new settlement ; d. June 21, 1815. He m. Mary Wait, who d.
LL
282
June 21, 1821, aged 91; chil. Salmon, b. Sept. 22, 1760; John, b. Jan. 9, 1762; Mary, b. Jan. 24, 1764, m. Ebenezer Arms, of Greenfield; Elizabeth, b. Feb. 18, 1766, m. Perez Hastings, of Hatfield ; Mercy, b. March 3, 1768, m. Asahel Wright, Jr., of Deerfield ; Judith, b. Dec. 29, 1770; a school-mistress ; d. unm. April 18, 1824; Thomas, b. April 12, 1773, m. Hannah Harwood. dau. of Capt. Nathan, of Windsor, Mass. ; rem. to Ashfield; Electa, b. Sept. 22, 1775, m. Elijah Allis. [Widow Mary Wait, mother of Mary, above, spent the latter part of her life in the family of Dea. White. She died August 18, 1791, aged 99 years and 9 months. In her extreme age her mental faculties almost entirely failed. For some years, her life was literally a second childhood. She required to be fed, and would amuse herself by dressing and fondling dolls, and other infantile sports. But about a week before her death, her mind suddenly brightened up. She spoke intelligently of the Rev. Mr. Williams, of Hatfield, -her former pastor, -and repeated the whole of the Assembly's Shorter Catechism, questions, answers, and proofs. She then gradually sunk away, and died as the candle goes out in its socket.]
WHITE, SALMON,6 Dea. Salmon,5 a farmer ; d. May 1, 1822. He m. (1) Lydia Amsden, of Deerfield, d. Feb. 22, 1799, aged 32 ; (2) Nov. 27, 1799, Anna Allis, wid. of Col. Josiah, d. June 21, 1839, aged 83; chil. Justus, b. June 3, 1787 ; Harriet, b. March 4, 1790, m. (1) Nov. 12, 1811, Moses Arms, of Greenfield ; (2) Thomas Wells; Mary, b. June 3, 1793, m. Oct. 1, 1814, Jerry Allis ; child, b. and d. April 19, 1798.
WIIITE, JOHN,6 Dea. Salmon,5 deacon ; seleetman ; rep. ; d. April 2, 1836. He m. Elizabeth Brown, dau. of Samuel, of Worcester, who d. March 26, 1853, aged 83; chil. Luke Brown, b. May 8, 1797 ; Elizabeth Mary, b. Jan. 23, 1799, m. John Bardwell Morton ; Judith, b. Nov. 17, 1800, d. Aug. 27, 1810; Maria, b. Oct. 31, 1802, m. Eurotas Morton ; John, b. Aug. 2, 1804; Elrira, b. Oct. 19, 1806, m. Levi Busb, Jr .; Samuel Brooks, b. Jan. 9, 1811 ; Judith, b. May 18, 1813, d. May 4, 1837 ; Eunice, b. Dec. 24, 1819, d. Dec. 30, 1824.
WHITE, JUSTUS,7 Salmon, 6 deacon ; selectman ; rep. ; d. April 4, 1855. He m. Rhoda Frary, dau. of Maj. Phineas ; she d. Oct. 2, 1855; chil. Cornelia, b. July 4, 1809, m. John White ; Salmon, b. Oct. 1, 1810, d. Jan. 12, 1834; Lydia Amsden, b. Jan. 1, 1814, d. Aug. 29, 1835.
WHITE, LUKE B.,7 Dea. John,6 lived on the old homestead ; seleet- man ; d. Oet. 12, 1853. He m. Oct. 21, 1830, Mary Wells, dau. of Capt. Luke ; she d. June 15, 1839 ; chil. Henry Kirke, b. September 25, 1831 ; Theophilus Huntington, b. Nov. 19, 1832, d. July 16, 1843; Mary Eliza- beth, b. Aug. 2, 1834, m. Oliver D. Root, M. D. ; John Newton, b. Nov. 18, 1835 ; Sarah Wells, b. Sept. 14, 1837, d. April 14, 1838; Samuel Brooks, b. June 5, 1839.
WHITE, JOHN,7 Dea. John,6 deacon; m. Jan. 12, 1836, Cornelia White, dau. of Dea. Justus ; chil. Lydia Amsden, b. November 22. 1838 ; Salmon Phelps, b. Feb. 1, 1841; Cornelia Maria, b. Sept. 13, 1853.
WHITE, SAMUEL B.,7 Dea. John,6 selectman ; town treasurer; rep. ; m. Jan. 12, 1848, Experience P. Wells, dau. of Capt. Luke ; she d. Sept.
283
29, 1861 ; chil. Mary Elizabeth, b. Aug. 11, 1850, m. Oct. 12, 1871, Franklin D. Belden ; Arthur, b. Oct. 13, 1851, d. Ang. 3, 1863; Sarah Almira, b. Sept. 19, 1853, d. Nov. 4, 1861 ; Fanny Huntington, b. Oct. 28, 1856; Helen Phelps, b. Aug. 31, 1858; Rufus Wells, b. Aug. 29, 1860; d. Aug. 1863.
WINTE, HENRY K.,8 Luke B.,7 lives ou the old homestead ; m. Oct. 18, 1866, Ilelen S. MeRae, dan. of Joseph W., of Roxbury; chil. Henry Kirke, b. Sept. 15, 1867; Lewis Allis, b. May 11, 1869; Helen Gertrude, b. Jan. 7, 1871.
WHITE, MARY ELIZABETH,8 Luke B.,7 m. May 21, 1856, Oliver D. Root, M. D., of Conway ; served as surgeon in the navy, on the U. S. barque Arthur, also on the Kearsarge, and the Estrella ; was in the attack on Galveston, and at New Orleans under Farragut; d. at New Orleans, La., Oct. 30, 1863 ; chil. Elizabeth Brodhead, b. Dec. 28, 1859 ; Theophilus II., b. Oct. 12, 1861.
WHITE, JOHN N., 8 Luke B.,7 m. Dee. 31, 1857, Mary L. Brown, dau. of Chester ; chil. Champion Brown, b. Oct. 22, 1860, d. April 5, 1865; John Henry, b. July 10, 1862, d. April 28, 1865; Mary Wells, b. Jan. 12, 1864; Patty Louise, b. July 7, 1868.
WHITE, SAMUEL B.,8 Luke B.,7 m. Mari Edith Lesure, dau. of Samuel ; chil. Luke Brown, b. Oct. 3, 1864; Herbert Lesure, b. June, 1866; Charles Wells, b. May 12, 1868.
WHITE, LUTHER, 1781, son of Lieut. David and Roxcelany (Warner) White ; (she m. (2) Joseph Crafts, of Whately ;) bap. Sept. 10, 1775; rem. to the South. lle m. July 4, 1800, Anna Robbins, of Whately ; child, Amandu, b. Nov. 20, 1800. WINTE, COTTON, bro. of Luther; m. (1) Demis Dickinson ; (2) Elizabeth Bancroft ; rem. to Hadley.
WHITE, WILLIAM, prob. son of William; m. May 17, 1793, Sarah Morton, dau. of Oliver ; rem. to Brookfield, Vt .; chil. Amanda, m. Enoch Adkins ; Sarah, m. Alpheus Freeman ; Adency, m. Elijah Edson ; Morris, m. - Goss.
WILCOX, LUTHER S., son of Luther; b. Oet. 16, 1826; carpenter ; m. Nov. 22, 1855, Ellen M. Smith, dan. of J. L. ; s. p.
WI.Cox, DAVID, m. Diana, dau. of Sylvester Davis, and wid. of Luther Wilcox ; she d. Oct. 28, 1847, aged 46; chil. Maria, m. James Smith ; Achsah, m. Otis Hill, of Pelham.
WILLIAMS, CHARLES, son of Robert; b. Ang. 16, 1834; m. Feb. 14, 1855, Elizabeth A. Nelson, dau. of Columbus, b. Jan. 2, 1834 ; chil. Robert and Edward, twins, b. Feb. 9, 1857, d. young ; Helen Isabella, b. Aug. 7, 1863.
WILLS, SAMUEL, son of Benjamin and Elizabeth ; b. in England, April 9, 1833; lives on the Lient. Noah Bardwell place; m. Jan. 11, 1866, Martha Munson, wid. of Cotton.
WINCHELL, REUBEN, a merchant; postmaster; lived first in West Whately, and occupied the store now owned by Rodolphus Jenney ; after- wards built the brick house in the centre of the town, where he had a store and post-office ; wife, Chloe; chil. Clymena, b. April 5, 1810, d. March 21, 1813; Chloe Clymena, b. Aug. 1, 1813.
284
WING, SAMUEL, son of Isaac; b. Jan. 8, 1814 ; brick-mason ; lives in the Straits ; m. Sept. 24, 1839, Catharine De Wolf, dau. of John, of Windsor, Ct; chil. Reuben C., b. Jan. 30, 1844, m. Ellen M. Scott, of Belchertown ; Leroy D., b. Aug. 18, 1849; Samuel A., b. Sept. 29, 1853.
WOOD, JOHN, son of Samuel ; b. July 1, 1781; built in the Straits ; d. Dec. 28, 1858. He m. Sept. 9, 1807, Fanny Hibbard, dau. of George and Lydia (Allen) Hibbard ; she d. May 14, 1846; chil. Eliphas II., b. March 10, 1810 ; Maria, b. March 16, 1812, m. Samuel R. Lamb ; Samuel, b. April 21, 1813, m. Lucy Briggs ; lived in Northampton ; Fanny, b. Feb. 18, 1825, m. Eli S. Ruddock, of South Deerfield ; Sarah, b. April 21, 1828, m. William J. Woods ; George A., b. Feb. 1, 1831.
WOOD, ELIPHAS H.,2 lived in the centre of the town, and rem. to the Depot village ; broom manufacturer and merchant ; selectman ; m. July 17, 1828, Sarah Bartlett, dau. of Zebina ; chil. Fanny HI., b. June 7, 1829, m. Samuel C. Wood ; John F., b. Ang. 1, 1830, d. Aug. 31, 1849 ; Lorisa D., b. March 22, 1832, d. Aug. 25, 1833; Tryphena D., b. Dec. 2, 1833, m. Henry S. Iliggins ; Sarak E., b. March 25, 1836, m. George Morton ; Samuel A., b. Dee. 14, 1840; Eceline M., b. Sept. 5, 1844, m. James Dickinson ; Eugene E., b. April 3, 1843, d. Feb. 13, 1844; George E., b. Jan. 21, 1849.
WOOD, GEORGE A.,2 rem. to Sunderland; m. Nov. 27, 1851, Mary Ann Scott, dau. of Horace ; chil. Henry Hibbard, b. July 19, 1854 ; Martha A., b. July 7, 1856 ; John, b. July 6, 1859 ; Allen.
WOOD, SAMUEL A., 3 Eliphas H.,2 m. Jan. 15, 1868, Wealthy Marion Gilbert, dan. of Stephen W. ; child, James Arthur, b. Jan. 8, 1870.
WOOD, SAMUEL CUTLER, son of Ira and Lydia (Taylor) Wood ; m. (1) March 1, 1854, Fanny H. Wood, dan. of E. H. ; she d. May 5, 1865 ; (2) Jan. 2, 1867, Harriet M. Park, dau. of Levi, of Bernardston ; chil. Eugene E., b. Nov. 3, 1854; Herder Cutler, b. Jan. 25, 1868 ; Fanny Estelle.
WOODS, JOHN,! Sudbury, 1639; wife, Mary. WOODS, JAMES,2 Marl- borough ; wife, Hopestill Ward. WOODS, JAMES,3 deacon ; wife, Dorothy Barnes. WOODS, JONATHAN,4 wife, Lydia. WOODS, JONATHAN,5 of New Braintree ; wife, Lydia Barr ; had eight sons and five daughters.
WOODS, MARTIN, 6 Jonathan,5 b. Jan. 2, 1787, settled in Whately ; marble-worker; d. July, 1859. IIe m. April 27, 1808, Electa Bacon, dau. of Philo, d. Aug. 12, 1852; chil. Lucinda, b. Jan. 28, 1809, m. Ashley Holland ; Lydia B., b. March 25, 1811, m. James Reed ; Hopkins, b. July 15, 1813; Millicent, b. Feb. 17, 1818, m. Robert Frary ; Electa, b. July 1, 1823, d. March 9, 1839. .
WOODS, JONATHAN,6 Jonathan,5 b. Sept. 12, 1788 ; settled in Whately ; drowned, May 10, 1824. He m. Aug. 20, 1809, Aletha Gilbert, dan. of Josiah, d. 1867 ; chil. Mary S., b. Dec. 30, 1811, m. Selah W. Fox ; Emily A., b. Jan. 11, 1815, d. unm. Aug. 12, 1854; William J., b. April 16, 1817; Azubah G., b. Jan. 27, 1819, m. Theodore Sprague ; Josiah G., b. Dee. 28, 1820.
WOODS, HOPKINS,7 Martin, 6 marble-worker; rem to Greenfield. He
2
285
m. July 31, 1842, Sarah E. Alexander, dau. of Elijah, of Northfield ; chil. Isabel Alexander, b. March 31, 1843; George Hopkins, b. July 31, 1846.
WOODS, WILLIAM J.,7 Jonathan, 6 d. June 21, 1858. Ile m. Jan. 1, 1850, Sarah Wood, dau. of John, d. May 7, 1852; s. p.
WOODS, JOSIAH G.,7 Jonathan, 6 in. Sept. 27, 1853, Fidelia M. Hale, of Bernardston ; child, Harriet E., b. April 7, 1862.
WOODWARD, WESLEY, son of Eliphas and Joanna (Veber) Woodward ; b. Aug. 6, 1834; rem. to Shelburne Falls ; m. March 29, 1864, Annette Aurelia Crafts, dau. of James M., d. Oct. 7, 1871 ; chil. Effie Estelle, b. March 12, 1865 ; Paul Ernest, b. Aug. 6, 1870, d. May 8, 1871; Wayne Wesley, b. July 29, 1871.
WRIGHT, ABIGAIL, wid. of -; 1790; from Leverett ; chil. Dorcas, m. 1792. Henry D. Williams ; Seth, m. Feb. 8, 1808, Ruth Fuller, and had Charles, b. June 24, 1809 ; perhaps others.
WRISLEY, LYMAN, son of Obadiah, of Gill ; hotel-keeper; d. April 23, 1857, aged 53. Ile m. Sept. 3, 1826, Fidelia Wait, dau. of Lemuel ; chil. Frederick, b. Aug. 20, 1828, m. Mary Fay, lives in Boston ; Frances, b. March 3, 1832, m. Charles Potter ; Franklin, b. June 4, 1834, m. June 8, 1858, Helen W. Hartshorn, of Charlestown, lives in Boston ; John L., b. June 21, 1845.
APPENDIX.
PETITION TO GOV. HUTCHINSON.
THE following Petition has been discovered since the body of the book was printed. It is in the hand-writing of Rev. Mr. Wells ; is characteristic of his style ; and has sufficient historical value to warrant its insertion in these pages.
"To His Excellency, THOMAS HUTCHINSON, Esq., Captain- General and Governor-in-Chief, in and over His Majesty's Province of Massa- chusetts Bay ; and to the Honorable, His Majesty's Council for the said Province ; and the Honorable House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, at Cambridge, the 8th day of April, A. D., 1772 :-
" The inhabitants of Whately, in the County of Hampshire, by their committee, for this purpose appointed, beg leave to shew to Your Excellency, and Honors,-
" That the said inhabitants, upon a true and faithful representation of yr circumstances to the Honorable General Assembly for the last year, tho' but a small people, were so favored as to be incorporated into a town ; that the main, and indeed almost only considerable rea- son they then urged to the General Court for y' incorporation, was the unavoidable consequence, to them and their families, of their great distance, viz., five, six, seven, and even eight miles, and more, as to some few, from the place of public worship in Hatfield, which for many of them, was not further, and to most was much more con- venient than any other place they could go to :- that however true it may be, many times, that indulgences, and even grants, founded in mere justice, encourage to too great liberties in the petitioning way,- we hope fully to satisfy Your Excellency, and Honors, that a further grant to this people of a Tax of one penny a year per acre, on all the lands within the township of Whately, for three years successively, can- not be considered as an indulgence of mere favor, but will be founded
287
in truth and justice ;- and therefore pray that for these reasons follow- ing, such a Tax may be ordered : to wit,-first, The only reasonable end of making new towns, and districts out of old towns, is, as to the people themselves, that in consequence of such new incorporations, they may enjoy the same privileges they before had, with more ease and advantage, especially that of the public ministry : second, As to the Government, the great and most weighty end that can be proposed for incorporations of this sort, must be the making all the people good subjects by means of an Orthodox Ministry which every one may enjoy, and which any town and district is by law obliged to have.
"The petitioners further show that in pursuance of these great and weighty ends of their incorporation, (as well as others,) the said town of Whately has settled a minister of the Gospel, qualified according to law ; that by reason of their pancity and low circumstances, they shall not, without the requested aid, be able to support their minister and build a meeting-house, which they much want.
" They also beg leave further to show, in addition to the reasons above mentioned, that the lands of all the non-resident proprietors are rendered of more value by means of the said town's settling a minister among them, than otherwise they would have been ; and to observe this further also, that the value of these lands will probably be increased even by the very Tax itself, more than the sum proposed will amount to, as it will always be a reason for supporting those demands for these lands, which, without this aid, the owners would scarce dare to rise to.
" The petitioners therefore humbly pray Your Excellency, and Honors, to take the premises into your wise and deliberate considera- tion, and grant, and order, a Tax of one penny, lawful money, a year, for three years successively, on every acre of land in the said town- ship of Whately, for the purposes herein before mentioned,-the land of the Rev. Mr. Rufus Wells excepted.
" And as in duty bound shall ever pray,
"NOAH WELLS. " DANIEL MORTON. " SALMON WHITE. "PHILIP SMITH."
" lu the House of Representatives, April 10, 1772 : Ordered, That the petitioners notify the non-resident proprietors, etc."
June 9, 1772. An order was passed requiring the petitioners to notify the non-resident proprietors, etc. ; which implies that the first required notice was not properly served.
288
The Council .non-concurred ; but subsequently-July 13, 1772- re-considered their action, and concurred.
In Council, January 21, 1773, the petition was read again, and "Ordered, That Benjamin Greenleaf, Esq., and Captain Brown, of Watertown, with such as the House shall join, be a committee to take this Petition, with the several answers accompanying the same, into consideration, and report what they think this Court should do thereon." No further action on the petition has been found.
THE ACT OF INCORPORATION, HOW OBTAINED.
ON page 82, it is stated that no petition for an Act of Incorporation could be found among the records and files of the General Court. Further search has failed to find it : but such a petition was actually sent in, as appears from the following extract from the journal of the House of Representatives :-
" April 5, 1771. A petition of the inhabitants of the north part of Hatfield, praying to be set off as a separate town, for reasons men- tioned, accompanied with a vote of the town of Hatfield, shewing their consent that the prayer be granted-
" Read, and Ordered, That the petitioners have leave to bring in a bill for the purpose of their petition."
It is matter of regret that this petition has not been preserved, as it would be interesting to know the " reasons mentioned " for desiring a separation. But these "reasons " are evidently re-capitu- lated in the petition for " a tax of one penny an acre on lands," inserted on the preceding pages.
BOATING ON CONNECTICUT RIVER.
THE brief notice of this industry on page 182, was made up of such items as could be gathered from the memories of the older peo- ple living near the river; and is inaccurate in one or two particulars. The little stern-wheel steam-boat, " John Ledyard," first made a trip up through,-to MeIndoes Falls,-aud did towing on the upper sec- tions of the river ; but was not long on the route between South Hadley Falls and Greenfield ; nor was she blown up, as will appear in the sequel.
Capt. T. M. Dewey, who was in company with David Stockbridge after 1833, and commanded the steamer, " Ariel Cooley," in 1834, '35,
289
and '36, has kindly furnished an account of the boating business at that period, with some reminiscences of Mr. Stockbridge, which are worth preserving in these annals.
" The Connecticut River Valley Steamboat Company was in full operation in 1833, when I first became acquainted with the freighting business on the river. They owned a line of boats called 'Inggers,' running from Hartford to the head of navigation at Wells river, Vt. These luggers had no mast and were propelled only by poling or tow- ing. The company also owned several stern-wheel steamboats. As the steamers were too large to pass through the locks and canals, the first steamer would take the loaded freighters, sometimes four and even six at a time, as far as Willimansett. They were then 'drawn over Willimansett,' (I use the river parlance, ) by a team of six oxen and two horses with a chain one hundred feet long ; then operated through the South Hadley locks and canal, and taken by the next steamer above to Montague canal ; then by the next from Miller's river to the ' foot of swift water,' at Hinsdale, N. II., where, if the wind was not unusually good, it was necessary to take in a number of ' swift-water men' for twelve miles. These 'swift-water men' were engaged for the service beforehand, and were notified by a horseman of the approach of boats, and always turned out at a minute's warn- ing, day or night. Then the boats were taken to Bellows Falls, and the same process over and over, through Queechee and White river Iocks, up to Wells river.
" Other boating companies were on the river at the sametime ; and all carried large amounts of goods of almost every description used in the country stores, from Hartford to all the principal towns in the valley,-freighting down with wood, brooms, hops, staves, shingles, wooden-ware, and sometimes fine lumber. As the other companies depended on the wind, they used convenient and serviceable boats, well rigged, with main and topsails, running-boards and cabin, with rudder and helm instead of the steering-oar.
" Commencing at the lower section, there was the 'John Cooley company,'-Edmund Palmer, Roderick Ashley, Sylvester Day, J. B. M., and ' Kit' Stebbins'; and the 'Parker Douglass company,'- Stoddard Parker, George Douglass and brother, Albert Gowdy and Horace Harmon. These two companies had their headquarters at Springfield, and did the freighting for the merchants of Hampden county, each owning and running a steamer for towing their own boats, and the boats of other companies. Next above, was ' Bard- well, Ely & Co.,' -Josiah Bardwell, Hiram Smith, Pelatiah and Joseph Ely, Broughton Alvord, Whiting Street and David Strong ; they carried for South Hadley, Northampton and adjoining towns.
M M
290
Next, was Capt. John Nash, who owned and rim one boat for the business of Hadley and Amherst. On the Greenfield reach was 'Stockbridge, Culver & Co.,'-David Stockbridge, David Culver, J. D. Crawford and T. M. Dewey. This company struck hands with the ' Greenfield Boating Co,' in 1837, and took the name of 'Stock- bridge, Allen, Root & Co,'-Messrs. Allen and Root taking the place of General Culver. They owned the steamer 'Ariel Cooley' which took their boats from the head of the South Hadley canal, and wind- ing around the smiling Hockanum aud Old Hadley bends, and through the sinuosities of School Meadow flats, where an eel would be puz- zled to find his way, landed them at the foot of Montague canal.
"Above Turner's Falls, after the collapse of the 'Connecticut River Valley Steamboat Company,' all steamboating was given up,-the freight-boats, smaller than those on the lower sections of the river, relying on the south wind and the ' white-ash-breeze.'
" Very few persons of the present day know anything of the method of propelling a boat of from thirty to sixty tous up the river by means of the white-ash-breeze aforesaid, and it may be worth an explanation. In our river vernacular the term given to this kind of propulsion is, ' poling a boat.' The poles used are made of the best white ash tim- ber, and are from twelve to twenty feet in length, to suit the different depths of the water, and are two inches or more in diameter, with a socket-spike in the lower end, and a head on. the upper end for the shoulder. The bows-man selects the pole he needs,-that is, if he is an inside bows-man, a short pole, if au outside, a longer one,-sets it firmly over the side, near the bow of the boat, and fitting the head of the pole to his shoulder, straightens himself out along the wale of the boat, with his feet on the bow-piece, and walks along down on the timbers to the mast-board, thus shoving the boat ahead. If there are two men on each side, number two takes a " set " in the same way, number one lifting his pole over number two as he walks back to the bow to take another " set." Sometimes, in hard water or over bars, there are five or six men on a side. Probably this is the hardest work ever undertaken by men. When it has happened that they have been obliged to pole a boat from Hartford to Wells River, withont aid from wind or steam, for several days before they got toughened, their bloody shoulders bore testimony to the severity of their labor.
For sailing craft, the trip from Hartford to Wells River was ordi- marily considered a good week's work. A day's work with poles, would be from Hartford to Windsor Locks,-with a good south wind, from Hartford to Montague canal. In the latter years of boating, but
291
little poling was done between the last named places, as steam or wind was commonly available.
"On our line, from South Hadley Falls to the foot of Montague canal, forty miles, the steamer having four boats in tow, the run was generally made in twelve hours; and could be made by night as well as by day, unless it was very cloudy.
" The business opened as soon as the spring freshet subsided : though it was often necessary to 'lie by' in extra high water. I lay at the foot of Old Hadley street, with the ' Ariel Cooley ' seven days, I think in the spring of 1835, and started as soon as the boat would go under Northampton bridge. The boats were kept running in the fall as long as we could operate through the locks and canal, and get under the bridges.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.