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 27
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This is as near as I can recall the various landlords.
295
The second hotel that was opened by Capt. Luke Wells at the residence built by his father. Rev. Rufus Wells, about 1830 to 1832. Capt. Wells was the first landlord, but he built over the ell part, adding several sleeping apartments and a large hall well adapted to the wants of the portion of our community that didn't think it wicked to dance, and rented the hotel to Royal J. Bardwell, and he associated with him Lloyd Look and they kept the hotel for some years. They were followed by Silas Rice.
In the meantime the upper hotel had passed into other hands and the sign "Temperance House," that had been used to de- note the principles of its occupants, was hauled down and liquors of all kinds were sold, and the lower house ceased to be a hotel.
Now "The Old Homestead," a new hotel, has been opened this present year, undertaking to cater to the wants of out-of- town parties and city company. It is a nice, clean place, free from the crowd that too often hangs about a hotel. Mr. Fox fully understands its needs, and any party favoring him with a call will be treated in a courteous and gentlemanly manner by mine host and his assistants.
UMBER AND SIENNA.
The following description of the locality and character of this ocherous ore of iron, is taken mainly from a statement of Prof. C. U. Shepard. "These valuable pigments form a thin stratum, or bed, near the residence of Deacon Elihu Belden and cover about half an acre of ground. The deposit presents itself immediately below the turt, forming a somewhat irregular stra- tum, of from thirty inches to seven feet in thickness. The chemical character of the deposit, taken in connection with its geological position, leads me to believe that it originated in the out-flow at this place of a strong chalybeate, or iron spring. It contains from fifty to seventy per cent of iron. The natural colors of the unburnt material vary from the most intense ochre- yellow, through the paler shades of the same, into many varie- ties of red and clove-brown, including the much prized sienna- brown. Each of these colors may be obtained apart at the local- ity, by a careful working of the bed, while by blending them in different proportions, their number may be greatly augmented. This bed was discovered by accident upwards of fifty years ago, and was then prepared in a rude way and used to some extent for staining floors and plastered walls. It was rediscovered,
296
also by accident, in 1864; and appears to need only skillful manipulation to become a valuable pigment for fresco painting and all the uses of the best Italian sienna."
GALENA.
A vein of sulphuret of lead, which promises to be of some commercial value, exists in the west part of the town. Strictly speaking, there appears to be three distinct veins of this metal, but only two of them have been explored to any extent. One is found on the westerly margin of Poplar hill and extends into Conway ; the other is on the easterly side of Hog mountain, and may be traced for three-fourths of a mile. A cross vein has been discovered on land of Edwin Bardwell. The usual width of the vein is from six to eight feet, traversing the granite for- ination, and is found disseminated in masses in quartz. In the southern part it contains oxide of manganese along with the galena.
In 1865, 30,000 pairs men's wool hose were manufactured, of the value of $14,000. In 1837, the value of the palm leaf hats made was $7,500.
POSTMASTERS IN WHATELY.
A postoffice was established in Whately in 1814, and Reuben Winchell was the first postmaster. He kept the office in his store. He had built the house where Peter Donovan now lives, and used the southeast room as a store and postoffice. The next postmaster was Elijah Allis ; at first the office was kept in the store in the house now owned by William Cahill. In 1820 Mr. Allis built the Whately hotel, the postoffice being then kept in the barroom or office.
In 1830 Levi Bush was appointed postmaster, and in 1841 he was succeded by Samuel Lesure who occupied the office from that year, with the exception of four years that Dennis Dickin- son held the office, until his advanced age compelled his resig- nation, after which his daughter, Mrs. Samuel B. White, was appointed. She attended to the principal office work, while Mr. Lesure continued to pass out the mail, until his memory of faces and names seemed to fade away. Everyone respected and honored him to the last. Mrs. White held the office nearly three years, and she was succeeded by Micajah Howes in 1892. The office is now at the store of Mr. Howes and his son, Ryland C. Howes ; an arrangement that is perfectly satisfactory to our people.
297
While at East Whately there has been quite a number hold- ing the position of postmaster, as will be seen by the appended list, some of whom were the nominal postmasters, while an assistant transacted the business. The first was David Stock- bridge, then Josiah Allis, Miles B. Morton, Caleb L. Thayer, Horace H. Hastings, Elihu Belden, L. L. Eaton, Eugene E. Woods, John H. Pease, Henry C. Ashcraft and now James A. Woods.
Since Miles B. Morton the office has been kept by the party who occupied the store near the railroad station, and as these have sold out they have recommended their successors without regard to their partizan affiliations.
I want to add a few words relative to postage rates and the mail facilities of away back in my boyhood days, and back of that even. Prior to the establishment of a postoffice in Whately letters addressed to a party living in Whately, would be left at Northampton or Hatfield, and would be advertised in the Hamp- shire Gazette, and the owner would send for it and pay the post- age, unless it was prepaid, which was not often done.
The rates charged, as I recall them, for a letter sent to a distance not exceeding thirty miles was six cents ; not exceed- ing eighty miles, ten cents ; above eighty and not exceeding one hundred and fifty miles, twelve and one-half cents ; then from above one hundred and fifty miles and less than four hundred miles, eighteen and three-fourths cents ; and all above four hun- dred miles, twenty-five cents in our own country. This is in accord with my recollection, and as far as I recollect the bulk of the postage was paid by the recipient. Really there were but few letters passed between relatives and friends unless some- one was coming to our town or going from there to the place of residence of a relative, and many letters would be sent in that way, with long drawn out details of the local news.
Newspapers were small, with little or no local news, and it was seldom that one was found in the mail bags. The mail, a weekly affair, went from Buckland to Northampton one day and back the next, and it was a large mail for our town when over ten or twelve letters were received for the week, and this was the way things went until about 1831.
About 1838 a line of stages, known as the telegraph line, carrying the daily mail from Springfield to Haverhill, N. H., was started. By the completion of the Great swamp road to South Deerfield in 1836, the grading of the hills through the
298
center of the town and the activity of such men as Col. R. B. Howard, Drs. Bardwell and Howard, Levi Bush, Thomas Crafts, Leander Clark and others the line was run through the center of the town, relays of horses for every ten miles enabling them to make ten miles an hour.
Then about 1838 we had a daily mail, and the greater part of the time since the building of the Connecticut River railroad we have had two mails a day. In the meantime prepayment of all postal matter is incumbent upon the sender. The wonderful increase in mail facilities and the reduction of the postal rates to two cents has a wonderful effect upon our community and it is now a necessity, as is the daily newspaper. All these things tend to broaden the views of men, make them social and humane ; they know what is occurring the wide world over. The influence educationally and the civilizing effects upon our people is above my ability to estimate.
THE FIRST TEMPERANCE SOCIETY IN WHATELY.
In 1828 an auxiliary temperance society was formed on the basis or plan of the Hampshire County Temperance Society. They adopted the rules and articles of the county society, the third article being, "That the members of this association shall abstain from the use of ardent spirits except when rendered nec- essary as a medicine ; and they shall not allow the use of them in their families, nor provide them for the entertainment of our friends or for persons in our employment, and they shall use all suitable means to discountenance the use of them in the com- munity." "The stated meetings shall be held annually the last Tuesday of September, and other meetings as may be called by the executive committee." This is but an abstract of the really important portion of the pledge.
The following are the names of the male members whose names are attached to it :
Rev. Lemuel P. Bates,
Jeremiah Belden,
Stephen Clark,
Moses H. Leonard,
Jeremiah Waite,
Samuel Lesure,
Levi Bush, Jr.,
David Morton,
David Saunders,
Horace Frary,
David Wells, Jr.,
Barnabas Alden,
Amasa Lamson,
Simeon Reed,
Justus White,
William Graves,
Elijah L Leonard,
Osee Munson,
299
Reuben Belden, Benjamin Cooley, Francis Belden,
Roswell Train, Chester Bardwell, 2d,
In all twenty-four men, and they are all dead. The ladies numbered ninety, all of whom are dead.
The first temperance society was simply an individual pledge to abstain from the use of intoxicating drinks as a bever- age and only to be used for medicinal purposes. Soon after the attempt was made to prevent its purchase by their neighbors unless at wholesale ; first the quantity must be five gallons, then fifteen gallons, and later they tried to prohibit altogether its sale and of course its use. These different enactments caused much discussion and not a little bad blood.
About 1841 the Washingtonian movement was commenced, and reached high-water mark in the course of the next two years, and probably three-fourths of the people of Whately entered into the movement to try moral arguments and appeals to young and old to refrain from the use of spirits; and the town was alive to respond to these sentiments. We were taught to help uplift the victims of the "rum habit" and to treat them as brothers. In a few years this boom died away, and they then fell back to the coercive principle again, and the old war of words was again inaugurated. A few joined the Sons of Tem- perance, some the Good Templars, but to join either they had to go to South Deerfield.
Why the leaders did not do something to promote the cause of temperance in our midst is unaccountable. They seemed to think that the church was all sufficient as an instrument to pro- mote good social improvement and temperate living. Alas, for their mistake! As a result we see the town uniformly voting "Yes" on the question of license. Most people learn by expe- rience that it is far better to rule by love than fear ; that concili- atory action often captures the obdurate when coercive measures fail.
It seems strange that in so beautiful and healthful a town as my own native town, that any other than a temperate and moral community could be found within its borders; but I will not fill any space by my moralizing.
It seems that now there are no organizations, at least so far as I know, outside of the Women's Christian Temperance asso- ciation. This is composed of many of the best and most efficient
1
300
workers in our town, fully alive and energetically pursuing their work which I certainly hope will accomplish much good.
In regard to the men who joined the first society we will say that the bulk of them remained sturdy advocates of temper- ance during their lives. One was a hard drinker and died a sot ; two others kept a hotel and sold alcoholic drinks to all who wished, but on the whole they turned out pretty well.
SOCIETY FOR THE AMELIORATION OF THE CONDITION
OF THE JEWS.
This was a name given to a society formed about 1823, the object seemed to be for each person who joined the association to pay into the local treasury one cent per week, or fifty-two cents per annum, and this was paid over to the county treasurer and so on to the general treasurer of the state, but what disposition was then made of the funds I do not know. Neither do I know how many years this society existed.
It seems that Rev. Lemuel P. Bates was at the head of this organization, and forty-seven of his church members were on the roll for fifty-two cents each, only one giving any more; Jo- seph Sanderson doubled that sum. I have a full list of the names but do not care to copy them, as payments for missionary purposes are not very popular even to this day.
There is an abundance of opportunities for doing good right in our midst without sending some good, strong man that would make a fair farmer or mechanic to some foreign land to be supported in idleness because he has been to college where he added little but a smattering of Greek, Latin, or some other dead language to his stock of knowledge. Then they study theology, and it seems that the principal thing they learn is to avoid the penalty placed on man, that by the sweat of his brow he should earn his bread. There are still in most of our towns a few who bestow time and money for the support of these drones in society.
MILITIA.
After the close of the war with Great Britain in 1814, all males between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years had to do duty either in a uniformed independent or those enrolled men in what we used to call such ununiformed companies the "Floodwood militia." Every male citizen between the ages of eighteen and forty-five unless a cripple physically or mentally, or minister of the gospel, or a physician was compelled to do
SETH B. CRAFTS' RESIDENCE.
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military duty. That is was required when duly warned to meet at the time and place specified, with all the necessary equip- ments; that is a gun, bayonet, cartridge box, belt, two flints, priming wire and brush. If deficient in any of these things he was liable to a fine which was at once assessed upon him. They usually met for the May training at I o'clock, P. M., and their equipments examined, and then they were drilled in marching by company and platoon. The music was a fife, a snare drum and base drum. Some kept fair time with the music, and if they could all have been in one section they would have ap- peared pretty well. But alas, such a mess as they made of it ! Then they always met for a day just before the general muster ; this was usually held at Northampton and was a great occasion.
This continued up to 1835, the year that I was old enough to be a soldier. At that time the whole thing was so unpopular that no one could be found to serve as an officer. James S. Whitney then of South Deerfield, I think was colonel of the reg- iment, and he appointed a day for meeting for the election of officers-captain, lieutenant and ensign-and we were duly warned to appear and fill the vacancies; and Col. Whitney pre- sided. The company met at the hotel of Capt. Luke Wells. We all knew Gen. Whitney, and when the company was formed in line, the general gave us his views in pretty plain English and the necessity of a proper effort to elect good efficient men that would reflect honor upon our company as well as the town; that he should not allow any acts of insubordination, etc., etc. Then the ballots were collected and a captain was elected, but he as promptly declined the honor; then the votes were again cast and another one was chosen, and he also declined to serve,
and so one after another was chosen, but no one was elected ex- cept those who it was well understood would not serve; and at last the presiding officer was convinced that it was useless to continue his efforts any longer and he, after a few deprecatory remarks, gave the order, "Right about face," and then "For- ward, march." We were on the west side of the main street which is ten rods wide, and near the east side of the street Capt. Wells had a long pile of manure some four or five rods long and probably three and one-half or four feet high, and when we reached that dizzy height the word "Halt" came, and then "You are dismissed." Now what a shout was heard, and for a time there was some pretty loud talk between the officer and the mien.
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That was the last of the training in Whately until after the close of the war, when those liable for duty in Williamsburg and Whately were ordered to meet and organize by choosing the needed officers. They met at Haydenville and elected a full complement of officers. Charles R. Crafts, a veteran soldier, was elected captain and properly commissioned They met a few times, but the whole thing fell through, the act being re- pealed, and since then militarism has been at a low ebb.
POLITICAL PARTIES.
Party spirit has always run pretty high, each partisan seem- ing to think, at any rate act, as though the welfare of the country hinged upon his individual action, and each party could only be satisfied as they succeeded in downing the other fellows, but much of the time it was "nip and tuck," sometimes one, then the other; and so, of course, the country was on the high road to success, or otherways ruin was imminent.
The ordinary voter neither knew nor cared for any of the principles underlying our country's needs. They were simply true-blue Democrats or iron-clad Whigs. Both parties were opposed to the so-called Abolitionists, and the leaders did not mean to allow such disturbers of the peace as Parker Pillsbury, or any of that kind of lecturers to even speak in town, and they mobbed Mr. Pillsbury, using such convincing arguments as eggs that had been kept too long for other uses, and he had to make his escape as best he could to save life and limb. Persecution of this sort only fed the fires of the anti-slavery party. I could name the parties who thus determined to squelch free discus- sion, but I think it hardly necessary.
The division of the parties usually carried the greater bulk of the family of that name, as the Allis families were Democrats so were the Crafts and Dickinson families, and the Whites up to 1840. The Sandersons, descendants from Isaac, were all Democrats, while descendants of Deacon Thomas were Federal- ists, then Whigs; the Frary families always affiliated with the Feds and then the Whigs; the Beldens about evenly divided ; the Harwoods, Feds then Whigs; the Browns were divided, as were the Bardwells and Graves; and so they run, and so they fought as bitterly as intense politicians could, even as to who should fill a town office.
When the Abolitionists had secured some sixteen voters, all men of fine abilities who professed to be governed by high
303
moral influence and principles, they would unite with the Dem- ocrats, and thus be able to outnumber the Whigs by about two votes.
In 1842 Thomas Nash, an intelligent anti-slavery man, was run by the Democrats and Abolitionists and Deacon Justus White, who had gone over in the Hard Cider campaign from the Democrats to the Whigs, was his opponent, and everyone who could vote was on hand. The meeting was held at the old meeting-house I think, perhaps at the public house of Capt. Luke Wells, but most probably at the meeting-house. The motion was made and put "That we do not send a representa- tive this year," and was declared carried. The vote being doubted the house was polled, and the vote not to send was neg- atived by two or three majority ; then the voting commenced in earnest.
Each party then had several of their leading men to chal- lenge and also to insist upon the right of the challenged to exer- cise the right of franchise, and such displays of oratory and of ability to handle legal questions, and such pungent thrusts at each other of opposing counsel was seldom excelled by the bar of legal antagonists. Well the result was that Mr. Nash was elected, but his seat was contested by Deacon White, and the facts in the case were obtained by a week's hearing at Whately, the Whigs employing Hon. George T. Davis to conduct their case, and a young Methodist minister was engaged by Mr. Nash, and the people turned out en masse to attend the trial. Mr. Nash retained his seat.
Now what a change has come over the political world. There are 110 such hidebound partisans to the right of one man to hold in bondage his fellow man whether he has a black skin or not. Everyone now is an anti-slavery man.
Going back further we had questions raised that had their day and were then dropped out. Among those that I recall dis- tinctly was the anti-masonic raid, that was raised by the alleged abduction of Mr. Morgan. The excitement was intense, and I well recall the abusive language used against Masonry and against Masons. The threat was that if they didn't cease hold- ing their accursed conclaves the people would arise in their might, and if needful armed and equipped, and end their plot- ting to overthrow the liberties of the people.
There were a number of Masons among our residents, who by their quiet and gentlemanly course, rather had a dampening
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effect upon their hot-headed opponents, and here and there was found a common sense man who tried to pour oil on the troubled waters. These won the sobriquet of "Jack Masons," and were roundly abused by the anti-masons.
Rev. John R. Goodnough, pastor of the Baptist church at the west part of Whately, was told by his local associates of ministers that he must renounce his Masonry or stop preaching in their fel- lowship. This he utterly declined to do and said to them : "Gen- tlemen. I have hitherto acted independently, and with the ap- proval of my conscience, and have never intentionally injured any one. You can stop me from preaching if you will, but I shall never give up my membership in Masonry." His parish was against him, and he sought other business. From that time began the downfall of that church. It lingered for a time, but the withdrawal of such men as Jonathan Smith, Chester Brown, Deacon James Smith and others sealed its destiny.
The election of Gen. Jackson as president, and his action in removing the deposits from the United States bank, and the fight for that moneyed institution was the commencement of a series of events that have, as I think, led up to the division of the two great parties on the questions of finance and the estab- lishing of monopolies and great trusts. Against these are arrayed the old Democratic party, and so the fight goes on.
I think that I will close this political history by quoting verbatim one of the songs the Abolitionists used to sing at their gatherings, with a gusto that was very charming. It was fur- nished me by Rev. Mr. Pillsbury. It is a parody on an old- time hymn as it used to be sung by a full-voiced choir at negro meetings, as well as at gatherings at the north :
Come saints and sinners hear me tell How pious priests whip Jack and Nell, And women buy and children sell, Then preach all sinners down to hell, And sing of heavenly union.
They'll talk of Heaven and Christ's rewards, And bind his image with a cord, And scold and swing the lash abhorred, And sell their brother in the Lord To hand-cuffed heavenly union,
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They'll church you if you sip a dram, And damn you if you steal a lamb, Yet rob old Tony, Doll and Sam Of human rights, and bread and ham ; Kidnappers' heavenly union.
They'll raise tobacco, corn and rye, And drive and thieve and cheat and lie, And lay up treasures in the sky By making whip and cowskin fly, In hope of heavenly union.
They'll crack old Sambo on the skull, And preach and roar like Bashan's bull Or braying ass of mischief full; Then seize old Jacob by the wool And pull for heavenly union.
..
CHAPTER XVII.
COPY OF VALUATION BOOK FOR THE YEAR ISIO, GIVING ALL THE NAMES TAXED.
Mowing
Build- and Acres
Polls
ings
Un- im- Hor- Ox- Til'ge Past're pr'd ses en Cows
Reduced Valuation
Atkins, Solomon,
2
$ 60.34
Atkins, Enoch,
I
1/2
1 14
3
I
2
$20.38
Allis, Daniel,
I
2
8 29
35
2
5 53.92
Allis. Russell,
I
2
6
5
20
I
2
I 33.04
Allis, Elijah,
[
2
2I
48
5I
2
2
4 70.98
Allis, Daniel, Jr.,
I and money at interest, I 2 25 ' 60 III
3
8
IO
204.09
Bardwell, Cotton,
S with his father.
2
3
4
30
2
I
3 63.67
Bardwell, Chester,
I
2
9
23
2
2
I
2 42.41
Bardwell, Orange,
I
2
I2
5
2
2
2
37.78
Bardwell, Asa,
I
2
36
6
41
2
4
59.77
Belden, Jeremiah,
I
Belden, Samuel,
I
I .90
Belden, Joshua,
I
2
I2
3 133
2
3
30.80
Belden, Elijah,
Belden, Reuben,
Belden, Aaron,
2
4
63
28
201
3
4
180.92
Belden, Francis,
I
2
32
I6
57
I
2
49.56
Belden, Augustus,
2
I5
30
I
Belden, Elisha,
I
I
IO
II
20
I
I 20.48
Belden, Dickinson,
I
I IO
II
20
I
I
19.85
2 2 1/2 3/4 3/4 IO
13.20
Bardwell, Lt. Noah \ 3
Bardwell, Charles,
S
307
Mowing and
Un-
Build-
Acres imp Hor- Ox- Til'ge Past're pr'd ses
Reduced en Cows Valuation
Belden, Seth,
I
2
6
24
I
2
$20.44
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