USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Whately > History of the town of Whately, Mass., including a narrative of leading events from the first planting of Hatfield, 1661-1899 : with family genealogies > Part 19
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and yourself and Mrs. Rufus Dickinson. We children were in- structed by our pious parents in the street, as we passed to and fro from the schools, if we met old Parsons Wells, to form two lines, take off our hats and bonnets, and let him pass through the lane with his chapeau hat; black gown, silk stockings, clasped above his knees with silver buckles, also the same fas- tened his shoes.
I also attended a private school kept by a student from Am- herst college, in the basement of Austin Elder's house, on the West Lane. I remember as scholars there, two sons and a daughter of Stephen Clark of West Whately, John Bardwell, Hopkins Woods and sisters, Angenette and Elizabeth Loomis, Sybil and Clarissa Bardwell, daughters of Dr. Bardwell, Expe- rience Wells and Mary Morton, Rufus Wells and Morris Morton and Porter Wells.
The next school I attended was a private school, kept by Rev. Mr. MacKinstry, in the hall of the hotel owned by Mr. Bush, who was also the town merchant in the store attached.
This was a large and fine school, and many a Whately boy and girl, from sixteen to twenty, from all over the town made great progress under his teachings in their education for a future business life. I remember as scholars from East Whately, George W. Sanderson, Reuben H. Belden, Albert Sanders ; from Christian Lane, Elizabeth Loomis; from West Whately, Stephen Clark's children; from the center, Hopkins Woods, Morris Morton, John and Charles Bardwell and sisters, Experi- ence Wells, Mary Ferguson and brothers and Mary Morton,
My father was one of four or five men that subscribed to build a private schoolhouse which stood on the lot west of the hotel. This was run as a private school for some years and then, for some reason, it was given up, the building sold and it is now the Bennett house on the west end of the lane. I do not recollect of going to that school. I presume the reason was that I was sent to Deerfield academy for two years about that time. I recollect of going around with a subscription paper to get money for a writing school. I succeeded and procured H. G. Knight of Easthampton to give lessons to some seven or eight of us boys in a room in Dr. Bardwell's house, he donating the use of the room. Mr. Knight was afterwards, I think, Lieut. Governor of Massachusetts.
I recollect also of doing the same thing for a singing school and procuring Col. Barr for a teacher, and we had a large
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school and a jolly good time, but I never heard that any of the young ladies turned out Jenny Linds or the boys famous tenor singers. I know in that role I was a failure. The environment here was so contracted, in regard to music, that I suppose we all fell from grace in that regard. We all fell back into old Ste- phen Clark's and Reuben Graves' style of singing through the nose, after Reuben pitched the tune in church by biting his tun- ing fork and starting in to praise the Lord with a tenor scream that would have frightened an eagle on top of the high moun- tain in West Whately where he lived.
The same old controversy about schools and their location that you and I heard seventy years ago, is in existence here to- day, for at the last Town meeting in March, it was voted, "To raise $6000 for a new schoolhouse, subject to the approval of a special Town meeting, held 29 April," when the vote in March was reversed by a large majority. The first vote would have compelled all the scholars to come to one school in the center. The true course to pursue is to make three districts out of the six now in existence, one to be at the Straits four corners, one in West Whately and one large building at the center for small children and advanced scholars from all over the town.
Very truly yours,
H. S. ALLIS.
LIBRARIES. It has always seemed to me as strange that the subject of libraries should have escaped the attention of Mr. Temple. While the town has nothing to be overproud of in this direction, yet we deem it of some importance that due atten- tion should be given to so important a matter as a library. So we beg our readers to note carefully what we may say.
The first library of which I have any knowlege in Whately was formed sometime between 1790 and '95, perhaps earlier even than 1790. To commence with, each subscriber paid one shil- ling and six pence, and in the original document, which is with- out date, it is written in ancient form as 1-6. This was doubt- less in English money. To show our authority for claiming a date prior to 1800, I find that Abner Dickinson died 28 Sept., 1799, aged seventy-five years, and he was one of the subscrib- ers, so it must have been before his death and quite a number died soon after. I will give an exact copy of the names and the amounts credited as paid :
HON. T. P. BROWN'S RESIDENCE,
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LIST OF THOSE WHO PAID ONE SHILLING, SIX PENCE.
Rev. Rufus Wells,
Salah Scott,
Capt. Henry Stiles,
John White,
Joshua Belden,
Consider Morton,
Lieut. Abel Scott,
Daniel Morton,
Eleazer Frary,
Capt. Seth Frary,
Jeremiah Waite,
Solomon Atkins,
Maj. Phineas Frary,
A sa Sanderson,
Oliver Graves, Jr.,
Graves Crafts,
Salmon White,
Charles Bardwell,
Philo Bacon,
John Smith,
Moses Graves,
Zenas Field,
Samuel G. Morton,
Reuben Graves,
Capt. Salmon Graves,
Isaac Frary,
Jehu Dickinson,
Samuel Dickinson,
Elijah Allis,
Gideon Dickinson,
Aaron Dickinson,
Luther White,
Moses Munson, Jr.,
Simeon Morton,
Dea. Levi Morton,
Thomas Wells,
Oliver Morton,
Levi Graves,
Gad Smith,
Joel Monson,
Nathan Waite,
Martin Graves.
Abner Dickinson,
In all forty-seven names of the most prominent people in Whately prior to 1800. The youngest of these was Thomas Wells, born in 1781.
After this, about 1820 or perhaps a year or two earlier, another library association was formed of probably a larger con- stituency, and continued until about 1832 or thereabouts, when quite a number of the subscribers refused to be governed by the regulations, and refused to pay annually the stipend agreed up- on and, after much altercation, they agreed to sell the books at auction.
I well recollect of being present at the sale and buying a few books, and I heard Dr. Miron Harwood say at that time, "That this was just the way the old library was sold off at pub- lic auction and that he bought one or more books" (I do not recall how many books he said he bought.) At that time, 1832, there had been many removals from town and others were going.
The next effort was to avail ourselves of the right to establish school district libraries, about 1842 or '43, the state contributing towards the expense. Several of our school districts procured a
William Mather,
Samuel Grimes,
Salah Graves,
Thomas Marsh,
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library of standard works. This continued for awhile and the in- terest in these books decreased, as the books were of a different nature from those the young desired to read. The next library was an agricultural library, formed in 186r. A meeting was duly called and a goodly number of our people gathered in the evening of 7 Nov., 1861, and made choice of Dr. Chester Bardwell as president, Elihu Belden, Esq., as vice president, and James M. Crafts as secretary. A committee of five, con- sisting of Dr. Chester Bardwell, Elihu Belden, Esq., Edwin M. Belden, Elliott C. Allis and James M. Crafts, "were chosen to select a list of books to constitute an agricultural library. Each member paid in five dollars to the fund for books, with an annual stipend of one dollar to be invested in new books. The interest continued and much good resulted. At a meeting held after the establishment of the Town library, in 1874, it was voted unanimously, "To place all such books as remained, in the Town library, to be used as town custodians might see fit," and thus ended this agricultural library after a continuance of some fifteen years.
It is certainly proper that we should speak somewhat in de- tail relative to the establishment of the Town free library. There had long been a strong desire for the establishment of a library, either by an association of interested citizens or, some- how, by the town. At last, at a meeting held 6 April, 1874, action was taken on the following article: "To see what action the town will take to establish a Town library and to choose a committee for the same." Under this article the town chose as the committee : Salmon P. White, Seth B. Crafts, David Scott, Samuel C. Wood, Charles F. Pease and Paul W. Field, and they were to appoint a librarian. They outlined the needful steps to be taken and made report to the Town meeting the next March. Then the town, appropriated the amount of the dog fund.
The first books were bought and were soon in the hands of hungry readers, a room in the Town house being set apart for the storage of the books. This room was intended for the Town clerk's office, but was only used to store the weights and meas- ures and an old trunk or two that contained old papers, valua- tion books and a badly mixed assortment of town orders, etc. The sum of the dog fund, often increased by an extra appropri- ation, has been given annually for its support. Aside from this the town has paid the needed expense of the librarian, as well
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as the expense of repairing and rebinding the books. I can only give the amount of three years' appropriations, for the lack of Town reports, but I think they represent about a fair average of the yearly appropriations: For 1885-86, the sum was $155.75 and service of librarian $26, in all $181.75; for 1887-88, the sum for both was $142 69; for 1898-99, the sum for both was $199.00.
Under the town's fostering care we now have 2,279 volumes, besides numerous public documents. The number of new books added in 1898 was 120 volumes of the latest works of the best authors, with several standard works, and the intelligent com- mittee will tell you "The patronage of the library increases each year. The library room has been enlarged, giving additional space for at least 2,000 volumes, the floor covered with linoleum and new lamps put in, all of which greatly improves the appear- ance of the place." And now I may be permitted to say in con- cluding this account of the efforts of our town's people to have a library commensurate with the wants, not to say necessities of the people of our town-perhaps I shall be excused when I say that but a moiety of our people have ever opposed liberal appro- priations of money for the constant increase of the books and their care-that the library stands to-day as a permanent fixture of the town, not only as an adjunct in our educational system, supplementing, as it does, our schools where the ele- ments of an education are obtained, only to be developed by reading the best thoughts of intelligent writers.
To-day it is not unusual to find a large class of our people well informed in current literature and capable of interesting con- versation on topics allied thereto. True, works of fiction form the larger portion of the books read, yet they are often found to contain much of historic value, as well as a refined method of expression, all of which is educational.
One more thought presses upon my mind, and that is the fact of a library not being mentioned by Mr. Temple. Yet, when he was settled over the Congregational church, three libra- ries had existed and two of them had run their course and been closed up. And one would be left to conclude that the sources of information of our people were confined to listening to the long-drawn-out discourses of the clergymen and the small and uninteresting county papers. Yet, we had had two comfortable sized circulating libraries, the first dating back to about 1790, and the other to about 1818 to '20, started by a fund raised on each share and an annual payment of a stipulated amount.
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In the first library, each member or shareholder contributed annually the sum of Is, 6d English money, so the amount of an- nual collections would be £3, los and 6d, or in federal money (calling a pound equal to $3.33) would make not far from about $12 in round numbers. This sum had been annually expended for books up to near the time of its sale. Copies of these books are yet in existence.
It is nevertheless true that our schools, though they gave us the primary elements for an education, were largely the hot beds of instilling into the minds of the young, certain theological notions calculated to uphold the dominant order. I am now past fourscore-and-two years, and yet, the impress on my mind still exerts an influence upon my modes of thinking. I left school for summers when I was eight years old. Up to this time, the only study in school had been the New England Primer and Assembly's Shorter Catechism, and we were cate- chised not only by the teachers, but often by the minister, who not only asked the usual questions, but took occasion to impress many points upon the scholars.
The primer contained twenty-four coarse woodcuts, one, as I recall it, was a picture of the devil. He was represented as having legs like a big rooster, with spurs ; another represented a biblical scene of the driving of a large nail into a man's head ; another scene was the burning of John Rogers at the stake, and as a recent writer well says, accompanied with couplets and triplets as follows :
In Adam's fall
? and Zacheus he did climb a tree our Lord to see
We sinned all
S
and others of a similar nature.
It is claimed that the primer was of English production. A recent magazine article well says: "They are full of piety of a ghoulish sort, or of the teachings of that stern school of theology to which those men belonged who lived in the idea that they had been ransomed by the sweat of no vulgar agony, by the blood of no earthly sacrifice," for whom "The sun had been darkened and the rocks rent, the dead had arisen and all nature had shuddered at the sufferings of an expiring God."
All these things were taught us in the hope that the mind of the young would receive such impressions as would in after life control our religious belief, doubtless with a comunendable purpose, when viewed from their standpoint. So works of fic-
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tion were deemed of little worth, and people urged the commit- tees to purchase books that should largely consist of history, biography and travels, with a liberal sprinkling of scientific works.
It was soon apparent that these kind of books did not often leave the shelves of the library, and the committees were obliged to cater to the wants of the readers. The conditions in which we live are changed, our educational system is up with the times. Our newspapers are now filled with suitable read- ing. Liberal and advanced thought permeates the minds of our people, and their reading must correspond to their advanced wants. So by all means cherish your library,
CHAPTER XII.
WHATELY IN THE WARS .- THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR, 1754-1763; THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION, 1775-1783; THE SHAYS' REBELLION, 1786-1787; THE WAR OF 1812- 1814; THE REBELLION OF 1861-1865.
Although the war of 1754 antedates the incorporation of the town, yet as permanent settlements had been made, and these families are identified with its social and civil life, and their indi- vidual acts illustrate its public history, there is an evident pro- priety that the war records of the time should be included in the annals of Whately. These earlier struggles against the encroachments of the French, were a preparation for the later struggle for Colonial independence. The private soldier received a training which fitted him for the post of command. And thus the discipline of the camp and the smell of gunpowder were not new experiences to the Minute Men of '75.
As will be seen, several of the men, whose record is given were, at the time of their enlistment, inhabitants of other and distant towns. Some saw the lands on which they afterwards settled, for the first time, when marching to and from the scene of warfare northward and westward, and some were then and continued to be citizens of Deerfield till the south part of that town, on which they were located, was annexed to Whately in 1810.
The ages of these soldiers varied greatly and, in some cases, father and son were members of the same company. Ebenezer Bardwell, Sr., was fifty, Gaius Crafts was thirty, Joseph San- derson, Jr., was eighteen. Some were out in a single campaign,
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others took part in nearly every expedition during the seven years of active warfare.
Although the list may be incomplete, yet even this brief record will help do justice to the memory of many brave men, who gave the flower of their youth to their country, and some of whom, through the neglect or inability of the government, failed to receive a proper return for their sacrifices of time, money and health.
The scope of this work does not include a history of the causes and progress of these wars, it does not even include an extended account of any single campaign. Indeed, so far as the French war is concerned, our account will be confined to a bare record of the names of those who were at the time, or afterwards became inhabitants of Whately, and a list of the ex- peditions in which each soldier served.
Abraham Parker. In Capt. Israel Williams' company, Aug., 1754, to March, 1755.
Henry Stiles. In Capt. Ephraim Williams' company at Fort Massachusetts, 23 Sept., 1754. In Capt. Israel Williams' company, II Dec., 1755, to 10 March, 1756. In Capt. John Burke's company, expedition to Crown Point, 29 March to 30 Dec., 1756. Sergeant in Capt. Isaac Wyman's company, 25 Dec., 1756. to 26 Jan., 1757. Sergeant in Capt. John Burke's com- pany, expedition to Fort William Henry, 12 Feb. to 4 Nov., 1757.
Richard Carey. In Capt. Elijah Williams' company, 1755. In Capt. John Burke's company, 2 March to I April, 1757.
Philip Smith. In Capt. Elijah Williams' company, 1755. In Capt. William Lyman's company, 10 Sept. to 30 Dec., 1756. Simeon Graves. In Capt. E. Williams' company, 1755. In Capt. William Lyman's company, 10 Sept. to 30 Dec., 1756. Joel Dickinson. In Capt. Lyman's company at Lake George, 1755. Sergeant in same company, 10 Sept. to 30 Dec., 1756.
Samuel Carley. In Capt. Benjamin Ballard's company, Mar. to Oct., 1755, and Dec. 1755, to March, 1756. In Capt. Samuel Howe's company, 1756. In Capt. John Burke's company, ex- pedition to Fort William Henry, Feb. to Nov., 1757.
Gaius Crafts. In Capt. Moses Porter's company, expedi- tion to Crown Point, 1 April to 8 Sept., 1756. In expedition to Canada, campaigns of 1758 and 1759. In Capt. Elijah Smith's company, expedition to Crown Point, April, 1759, to Jan., 1760.
Perez Bardwell. Enlisted at eighteen years old. In expe- dition to Crown Point, 1756. In Capt. John Burke's company, 2 March to I April, 1757. In Capt. Salah Barnard's company. 1757. In same company, expedition to Canada, 1758 and 1759.
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Corporal in Capt. Barnard's company, expedition to Canada, Feb. to Dec. 1760, and in Capt. William Shepard's company, April, 1761, to Jan., 1762.
Paul Smith In Capt. Moses Porter's company, expedition to Crown Point, 1756. In expedition to Canada, 1759.
David Graves, Jr. In Capt. Moses Porter's company, expe- dition to Crown Point, 1756.
Seth Waite. In Capt. Moses Porter's company, expedition to Crown Point, 1756. In Capt. Elijah Smith's company, expe- dition to Crown Point, April, 1759, to Jan., 1760.
Ebenezer Bardwell. Lieutenant in Capt. Moses Porter's company, expedition to Crown Point, 1756, also in Capt. Jona. Ball's company, same year. In Capt. Salah Barnard's com- pany, expedition to Canada, 1757 and 1758. In Capt. John Burke's company, engaged in bringing deserters, from 30 March to 25, Dec. 1759.
Ebenezer Bardwell. Jr. In Capt. Salah Barnard's company, expedition to Canada, 1757 and 1758.
Joseph Belden, Jr. In Capt. Whitcomb's company, 1756.
Nathaniel Sartwell. In Capt. Whitcomb's company, 1756. . In Capt. John Burke's company, 1757.
Israel Graves. In Capt. Israel William's company, 1756.
Salmon White. Corporal in Capt. William Lyman's com- pany, 1756.
Elisha Frary. Drummer in Capt. William Lyman's com- pany, 1756.
Abner Dickinson. In Capt. William Lyman's company, 1756.
Joseph Byram. In Capt. John Burke's company, 1757. Ensign in Col. Jona. Hoar's regiment, 1761. Ensign in com- mand of Invalid company at Crown Point, Nov., 1761, to March, 1762.
Samuel Bardwell, brother of Perez. In Capt. Barnard's company, 1757. In expedition to Canada, 1758 and 1759.
Oliver Graves and Nathan Graves. In Lieut. Billings' company, marched for relief of Fort William Henry, 1757.
Paul Belden. In Capt. John Burke's company, expedition to Canada, 1759.
Silas Smith. In Capt. Burke's company, as above.
Jeremiah Waite. In Capt. Salah Barnard's company, expe- dition to Canada, 1760.
WAR OF THE REVOLUTION, 1775-1783 .- The letters of Thomas Whately and Governor Hutchinson, copied at length in a preceding ehapter, have given intimation of an impending struggle between the colonies and the mother country.
The original charter of the American colonies were under-
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stood to guarantee to the people all the rights and liberties of Englishmen. One of the dearest of these rights was, immunity from taxation, except by their own consent, i. e., by their rep- resentatives in Parliament. And, as the colonists had no rep- resentation, they claimed that they were rightfully exempt. And this exemption had not before been called in question. For near one hundred and fifty years this guarantied privilege had not been disturbed. But after the close of the war with France in 1763, Great Britain found herself burdened alike with debts and with domestic taxes, and, as a measure of relief, the minis- try devised the plan of raising a revenue by impost and other duties, levied on articles of prime necessity to her American subjects.
These measures were resisted by the colonies, not so much because the burden first imposed was oppressive, but because the right to raise a revenue in this way implied the right to levy more direct taxes, and thus made the internal management of American affairs subject to the will of Parliament. It was a first move in a course which would undermine their liberties.
Remonstrances and petitions and appeals to the king were sent home and had their effect. 'The first revenue laws were repealed or modified, or allowed to remain inoperative. But the repeal of the Stamp act was accompanied with the passage of an act, declaring "That Parliament has, and of right ought to have, power to bind the colonies in all cases whatsoever."
Other plans for taxing the Americans were adopted, and new causes of irritation sprung up, which developed and tested the temper of men on both sides. But what aroused most deeply the spirit of the colonies was an address to the king, adopted by Parliament in February, 1769, requesting that orders might be sent to the Governor of Massachusetts to transport to England for trial all who should be suspected of treason. This was an unexpected move, and was looked upon as hostile and vengeful. Nothing could be more odious to a freeman, who had all his life enjoyed equal rights in his native land, than the idea of being torn from his country and tried for his life by strangers.
The British view of this measure is presented in the letter. of Mr. Whately. The American view of this and the measures that immediately followed it, is set forth in well-known declara- tions of the colonial legislatures, in the destruction of the tea in Boston harbor and the war of the Revolution.
Massachusetts was the first of the colonies to resist the arbi-
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trary acts of Parliament, and her capital was singled out as the first to receive exemplary punishment. She led the way in devising ways and means of revolution, and bore her full share in the sacrifices and sorrows of the contest.
Although the people of the Connecticut valley were less directly affected by the restrictions on commerce, and the pres- ence of foreign troops, than the seaboard towns, yet the princi- ples involved were felt by all to touch the vital issues of civil life and political liberty. And our people were quick to respond to the alarm of danger, and entered with the whole heart into the struggle for independence.
In the fall and winter of 1772-73 a plan was originated by the leading patriots of this state, which had a most important bearing on the progress and ultimate success of the revolution, and the subsequent union of the colonies. This plan was the appointment of a central committee of correspondence and inquiry in Boston, and like committees in every town in the province. Similar committees were appointed by Virginia and other colonial assemblies. By this means the counsels and action of the entire people were brought into harmony. and efficiency and strength given to every movement.
A circular, accompanied with a pamphlet, wherein "The rights of the colonists, and the infringements thereof," are set forth, was sent to the inhabitants of the several towns in the state. A copy of this was received by the Whately authorities early in 1773. A town meeting was immediately called, and a committee of three, Edward Brown, Elisha Frary and Joseph Belden, Jr., was chosen to answer the said letter. The commit- tee drew up, and forwarded (by vote of the town) the following reply:
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