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 8
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CRAFTS, THOMAS, from Hatfield, built on the west side of Chestnut Plain street, fourth division of Commons. He bought parts of lots 44 and 45 and built his house in 1751, as the book
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account of his brother, Benoni, charges Thomas for labor, a part of which was for tending mason on his house. After his death his son, Seth, continued on the homestead then his sons, Dexter and Noah, and now Seth B. Crafts owns the place.
CRAFTS, BENONI, brother of Thomas, came from Hatfield, probably with Thomas and Gaius. In 1760 or '61 he built a house on the west side of Chestnut Plain street in the fourth division of Commons, having bought parts of lots 59, 60, 61 and 62, running west one-half mile, and built a house in 1760 where now stands the house of George W. and Asa J. Crafts. It is Supposed that his brother, Gaius, was a half owner of these lots, as he built a house a little farther west, but for some reason failed to marry. He sold out his interest to Joel Graves, and he later to the sons of Reuben and grandsons of Benoni. Eras- tus lived in the Joel Graves house where his children were born, while Cotton and Caleb lived at the old house. The Gaius Crafts house, which was never plastered, was torn down about 1837.
CRAFTS, JOHN, son of Thomas, bought the gable-roofed house of Joel Lamson, about 1773. This was near the site of Samuel Lesure's house. Justin Morton informed me that the year he was 14 years old the Lamson house and Moses Graves house were built. The Moses Graves house was built by John Waite, Jr., before his marriage and his first son, Solomon, was born Oct. 15, 1768, and as .Uncle Justin was born in 1760 the probabilities are that he got two stories mixed, as he told me one day that a butternut root would travel as fast as his old black mare could and he could easily drive her forty miles in a day. The lots were No. 32 and 33.
CRAFTS, MOSES, built a log house, north of where George Brown lived, on the north part of his father's farm, on the west side of the road, about 1778. This he removed to Claverack, near the crossing of the Northampton Extension railway, on lots of No. 14 and 15 in the second division of Commons. This was pulled down and farm buildings erected in 1806 by his son, Thomas. This is now the ell part of the house erected by Thomas and Elbridge G. Crafts in 1840. John M. Crafts now lives there.
CRAFTS, GRAVES, bought in 1785, of Benjamin Wait, a log house where nearly all of his great family were born. About the time that his son, Israel, was married he built a frame house which has been remodeled, raised up a story and otherwise im-
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proved, making it a beautiful residence. The place contains parts of lots 51, 52 and 53, fourth division of Commons and extends west. Graves Crafts was succeeded by Israel and he by his son, Charles D., and the property is now owned by Dan- iel Dickinson's heirs.
CRAFTS, JOSEPH, built a house on Mt. Esther; on the road to West Whately known as Easter road, west of the place known as "Coon dens." This was about 1785. This house has long been gone and a butternut tree is growing in the cellar hole. A large family was raised here, and some strange thoughts passed through my mind as I sat upon the beautiful grass plot and followed in my mind the eight or nine children born to them. I thought of their childish gambols and plays more than a hundred years ago, and traced their active and useful lives in the several states where they were scattered. Then looking over the ground where never more will a house exist, I won- dered why a man of common sense should ever locate in such an out-of- the-way, as well as unsuitable, locality.
CRAFTS, ELI, built the house now owned by Micajah Howes about 1855, on the street sometimes called "Lover's lane."
CRAFTS, SILAS, built the house on the east side of Chest- nut Plain street on lot 55, second division of Commons, now occupied by Dwight L. Crafts. The house and farm buildings were erected about 1847.
CUTTER, JAMES, lived in a house on the east side of Pop- lar Hill road, on the south side of the bridge, several years. This he sold, with an acre of land, in 1829 to Reuben Jenney for $200. Who built the house, or when, I do not know, and it has been gone more than fifty years.
CRAFTS, RUFUS, built a house in Claverack, on the east side of the road, in 1810 or 'II. This was afterwards owned by his son, Ralph E. Crafts, and now by his son, Bela K. Crafts.
CRAFTS, CHAPMAN, built the house on the opposite side of the road in 1842. He moved to Wisconsin, and Prof. Robert D. Weeks lived on the place several years. Then Ralph E. Crafts bought it.
CRAFTS, JAMES M., built a house on the Daniel Morton place in 1866. This was burned in 1873, with most of the other buildings, together with over 100 cases of tobacco and most of the farming implements and household fixtures, entailing a loss of fully $10,000 above the insurance.
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CRAFTS, CHESTER G., built the house east of the depot at East Whately, in 1867. This is now owned by John H. Pease and is on lot 37, second division of Commons.
COLEMAN, NATHANIEL, lived in a house where Jerry Haf- fey now lives. This was probably occupied by many families, as this is the place where it is supposed Samuel Wells built not far from 1710. In a few years he sold it to Nathaniel Coleman, perhaps after he removed to Hartford somewhere about 1712 to '15. The deed, dated 17 June, 1728, conveys the property to Mr. Coleman probably removed from Whately, and it is quite probable that the Nathaniel, who lived and died in Whately, springs from the same stock. He was born in 1742 and died in 1816 and, I think, this was the first house built in our town limits, about 1820. R. Tower Morton tore down the old house and built the present structure. Carlos Swift lived there some years and several others, including George Dane, before it was bought by Mr. Haffey. Nathaniel Coleman was in town in 1771 and was taxed.
COLEMAN, NOAH, came from Hatfield. He bought of Moses Frary the George B. McClellan house and owned the land on both sides of the road. That on the east side was in the Mill swamp division, while that on the west side was in the third division of Commons. It is possible that the first house on this farm was built by Moses Frary as he owned a large lot in the Mill swamp division, but he only remained in Whately a very few years when he sold out and removed to Ashfield, but if he sold to Noah Coleman, as it looks as though he did, then it is sure that as he was well off financially, that he fitted up the place in good shape, had no children, and they adopted Seth Frary, son of Eleazer of Hatfield, and he inherited the entire estate.
COLEMAN, NILES, came from Connecticut in 1773 on lot No. 21, second division of Commons. The house was a little north of Thomas Flinn's. At that time the land belonged to Reuben Belden who owned the mills at West brook, and it was this farm that Belden gave by will to Whately for educational purposes,. but his conditions were such that the town felt compelled not to accept the gift.
CASTWELL, THOMAS, built a house about 1779 or '80 on "Grass hill," about a third of a mile south of the Jonathan Waite place. on the east side of "Grass hill" road, near the house of Mr. Bird. This, I think, was burned.
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CARLEY, SAMUEL, owned a house as early as 1771. He built, as early as 1766, where now stands the house of Rufus M. Swift.
CAREY, RICHARD, was a son of Dea. Joseph Carey of Williamsburg. He built a house, probably as early as 1788, on the road leading to Williamsburg some thirty rods west of the house of Elihu Harvey, just on the southwest corner of the lot where the Dry hill road crosses the Williamsburg road. The house has been gone probably fully sixty years.
COOLEY, BENJAMIN, was born in Deerfield in 1773. His mother died in 1776 and Benjamin was taken by Benjamin Scott, Sr., and brought up by him in the old house that occu- pied the site of the present one. The old house was torn down and Mr. Cooley built the present structure which he sold to Israel Scott about 1830. This lot contained twenty acres, twelve of which were in Bradstreet's grant and eight in the second divi- sion of Commons. He was a civil engineer and manufactured surveyors' implements, a very ingenious man.
COOLEY, LEMUEL, lived for some years where R. M. Swift resides, when he removed to "Gillett's island" in North Hat- field, as that neighborhood used to be called. He was succeed- ed by Erastus Graves and he by R. M. Swift. The old house was small and inconvenient and Mr. Graves built the present house.
COOLEY, DENNIS, a brother of Lemuel, bought the house next north of Ashley G. Dickinson, on the west side of Chestnut Plain street, and it is in the fourth division of Commons. It was built by Israel Wells about 1810, perhaps a few years ear- lier. Then Thomas Crafts owned it and sold to Mr. Cooley, and it now belongs to David Callahan.
COOLEY, JUSTIN MORTON, son of Dennis, bought the store where Morton & White traded, and moved it from near the site of the Town house to just below the Congregational church. He remodeled it for a house and it is now owned by Horace Manning. It had many owners before Mr. Manning, Dr. Phil- emon Stacey, Giles Barney, (a blacksmith) Robert and Dexter Frary, and perhaps others have lived there. Mr. Cooley moved to Springfield and built and kept the famous Cooley house.
CURTIS, HOSEA, was here before 1770. Tradition locates him at two places, one on what has been known as the Todd place, west of Poplar Hill, and again at the Chapman place where James Nolan now resides, west of Mt. Esther. I think he lived on the Chapman place.
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DICKINSON, DEA. JOEL, built a house as early as 1751, perhaps two years before, directly east of the Stockade monu- ment erected by James M. Crafts in 1884. His farm adjoined the "Mother George" road and was parts of lots 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33. It extended east to the "Island" road as then called, now Claverack, all in the second division. In 1754 his prem- ises was surrounded by a stockade. The land enclosed con- tained about three-fourths of an acre and in times of danger from Indians the inhabitants resorted to this place for safety, with their stock. The writer well recollects of hearing his great aunt, Martha (Crafts) Rosevelt, tell the story "That she had helped milk the cows there a fortnight in succession." Dea. Dickinson sold and removed to Conway, and in his old age lived at Phelps, N. Y. He and his sons were tories.
DICKINSON, SAMUEL, built a house, about 1774, where Samuel and Horace Dickinson, his grandsons, have since built a fine house. Since the decease of the brothers and two sisters, Mary and Irene, all unmarried, it has been sold to Robert Dick- inson. Salmon Dickinson owned parts of lots 4 and 5 in the fourth division. He built a dairy house about forty or fifty rods west of Chestnut Plain street. This constitutes part of the land on the east side-was parts of several lots-commencing with No. I, and contained as many as eight lots in second division of Commons. About three lots were set off to Oliver, his son, the rest are in the present farm. 'The house is on No. 4, probably.
DICKINSON, OLIVER, son of Samuel, built his house in 1809 or 'Io, on lot No. 2, second division of Commons, perhaps on No. I, as that lot is twenty-eight rods, five feet, two inches wide, while No. 2 is only three rods and tour feet wide, and No. 3 is eight rods, two feet and one inch wide. This place is now owned by Cooley B. Dickinson, a son of Champion B.
DICKINSON, GIDEON, from Hatfield, bought in 1770, the farm of Lieut. Ebenezer Bardwell who built the house, known as the Dexter Dickinson house, about 1766. This is almost exactly at the north end of Chestnut Plain street. The land was in both the second and fourth division of Commons, and by a resurvey of the lines between the towns, this place was thrown into Deerfield, but came back when that portion was annexed to Whately, 5 March, 1810, and on lot No. 69, whichever divi- sion claims it. These premises were owned after him by his sons, Dexter and Giles. Dexter occupied the old homestead now owned by his son, Jonathan W. Dickinson, who has erect-
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ed a new and commodious house in the second division, built in 1862. His new barn is probably on lot 70, second division.
DICKINSON, GILES, built a house about 1820, on lot 69, fourth division of Commons. After his death it was occupied by his son, Myron, and is now owned by the heirs of Elon San- derson.
DICKINSON, ASA, son of Gideon, bought the Lemuel and Noah Wells property and the Samuel Bardwell place that was sold to Nathaniel Hawks in 1768. He lived there, after pulling down the Wells house, many years ago. Since Asa died his son, Wells, has owned the place.
DICKINSON, DANIEL, son of Gideon, bought the place formerly owned by Col. Josiah Allis, built a new house in 1826 and died in 1830. His sons, Dennis, Rufus and Daniel, re- mained here a few years and sold the farm to their brother-in- law, Elliott C. Allis, and it is now owned by his son, Irving Allis.
DICKINSON, DENNIS, bought the Dr. Chester Bardwell place, just across "Lover's lane" from the hotel, now owned by George and Frank Dickinson, sons of Rufus.
DICKINSON, RUFUS, bought the Dea. Levi Morton farm and the house built on the farm by Horace Morton, son of Dea. Levi, about 1844. This is on "Pleasant hill." After the death of Arnold Morton, he bought the old Daniel Morton property, including the house built by Capt. Charles Morton, a grandson of Daniel Morton, who died in 1860. Mr. Dickinson bought it soon after and built a new house and barn in modern style. It is now owned by his heirs, George and Frank Dickinson. The Capt. Charles Morton house was built in 1812. 'They were all in the fourth division of Commons. The south line is at the cem- etery and extends to the land of Seth B. Crafts, which is lots 44 and 45 so, of course, 43 is the north lot. It quite likely takes parts of lots 39, 40, 41, 42 and 43 in the fourth division. Perhaps No. 39 should not be included.
DICKINSON, DANIEL, JR., bought the Graves Crafts prop- erty, about 1860, and has done much to improve it.
DICKINSON, ABNER, came from Hatfield about 1772. He built some twenty-five rods south of the Lyman Dickinson place on the west side of Chestnut Plain street, and of course in the fourth division of Commons. He was succeeded by his son, Alpheus. He sold (and removed to New York state and later to Sandusky, O.,) to Eurotus Dickinson. The house was pulled
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down after 1834, as Leander Clark lived there, as did George Brown, probably as late as 1840 to '45.
DICKINSON, JEHU, son of Abner, built the house where his son, Lyman, lived and died, now owned by Ashley G. Dickin- son. This was in the fourth division of Commons, but the bulk of the farm is in the second division, next south of Dea. Elisha Belden's and his lot was No. 22. It includes several lots then owned by Jehu and Capt Henry Stiles, as far south as the cross- road leading to Claverack.
DICKINSON, EUROTUS, was a blacksmith by trade but was also an extensive farmer. About 1833 he bought the house built by Reuben Winchell, postmaster and trader, about 1809 or '10. Bought by Rev. Lemuel P. Bates in 1822. It is now owned by the heirs of Edmond Donovan with the bulk of the Abner Dick- inson estate.
DICKINSON, DR. BENJAMIN, bought in 1786 or'87 the farm of Abial Bragg, with the buildings erected by Dea Simeon Waite. He sold, in 1804, to Asa Frary and he sold to Jonathan C. Loomis. It is now owned by his son, Calvin S. This is on lot No. 37 in the second division of Commons.
DICKINSON, CHARLES, son of Dr. Benjamin, built the house next east of his father's on lot No. 37, second division of Commons, and kept a hotel for a few years. He then, in 1803, sold to Oliver Graves, Jr., a Revolutionary soldier and son of Dea. Oliver Graves. He was succeeded by his sons, Sylvester and Horace, and they by their sister, Harriet Graves, who was a Daughter of the Revolution, of the Betty Allen chapter at Northampton. When she died the chapter passed these resolu- tions to her memory :
WHEREAS, The hand of Divine Providence has removed Miss Harriet Graves, daughter of a Revolutionary soldier, from the scene of her temporal labors. Therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Betty Allen chapter at Northampton testify to its respect for her memory and to its sympathy with the relatives and friends deprived of her presence.
RESOLVED, That we mourn the departure of our respected member and Real Daughter.
RESOLVED, That we offer to Mrs. Crafts, of the Betty Allen chapter, our special sympathy.
RESOLVED, That these resolutions be placed upon the records of the Betty Allen chapter, a copy sent to the relatives and to the American Monthly magazine.
Signed by the committee and by the regent, 9 March, 1898, Ella Cleveland Clark, Mary Cotton Bassett, Lucy Wright Pearson and Louise Stewart Bartlett Cable, regent,
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DICKINSON, J. POMEROY, bought the Dea. Elisha Belden house, on Chestnut Plain street, and lived there from 1840 until his death in 1862. Now owned by William Cahill.
DOUGHERTY, SAMUEL, lived for some years at the Straits, in the gambrel-roofed house, after Martin Graves sold in 1788. Perhaps he succeeded "Wicked Lige," as they used to call Elijah Smith who was a great trader of horses. Dougherty removed to Belchertown about 1800.
DONOVAN, EDMOND, bought the Dea. Nathan Graves farm on Chestnut mountain, in 184 -. Then bought the Hiram Smith place, now owned by the heirs of E. Smith Munson. This he sold and bought the Eurotus Dickinson farm and the Winchell- Bates house on lot 26, fourth division of Commons. The farm is now owned by his sons, John and Peter.
DICKINSON, ASA, JR., bought the Lyman Harding farm about 1850, and still resides there. This place was in Deerfield until 1810, and was formerly owned by Samuel Harding, grand - father of Lyman, and he came in 1776.
DICKINSON, NOAH, bought the Walter Barnard farm about 1866. This was in Deerfield until 1810 when it was annexed to Whately. Joseph Barnard and his son, Ebenezer, bought, in 1787, the farm of Capt. Oliver Shattuck and William Barnard. His twin sons, Walter and William, followed him and now Hiram R. and his sisters possess this fine farm.
EDSON, LIEUT. JONATHAN, built a house on lot 51, second division of Commons, as early as 1770, about thirty or forty rods north of Cornelia M. White's house, on the east side of Chest- nut Plain street. This was gone years before I could remember. In 1775 his daughter, Mehitabel, married Martin Graves, and she told me about his coming to see her, how he came and how he was dressed, and I give it here to show the contrast with modern times. Then they lived on "Great Plain" up the hill beyond Aaron Dickinson's place towards Williamsburg. She said he had a good horse, with a breast-plate harness with ropes for traces and lines. A jumper, made of two shaved and bent birch poles, with oak poles for shafts or thills, a board across the jumper with a half-bushel measure bottom up and on this a meal bag for upholstery. Instead of holdback irons a knot in each thill served the purpose. There was no breeching to the harness. Graves wore a good, nice woolen coat and waistcoat that his mother made for him, leather breeches and nice, thick shoes with good buckles, and a cap made from a coon skin with
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the tail hanging down his back. Really, he was a noble look- ing man she said. They were well-to-do people at that time, stern old Congregationalists, but it shows the change wrought in 125 years. Mr. Graves was nearly 31 years old and his lady- love seven years younger. This she told me while enjoying her after-dinner pipe. I remember well that the muscular old gen- tleman at 75 was as trim and stalwart as a modern athlete. On her table were the books she read-the Bible, Watt's Psalms and Hymns, Guide to Christ, Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and the Catechism. These she read regularly every day until a few days before she passed away at the ripe old age of 86 years.
EDSON, JONATHAN, built a house on "Dry hill" about 1785. Afterwards Chester Bardwell bought it in 1797. He sold and removed to Brookfield, Vt., then Dea. John M. Bard- well lived there. I think the house is gone now.
EDSON, CAPT. AMASA, built the house, in 1785, where Orange Bardwell lived and died. The latter bought the place in 1797 and after the death of Orange I do not know who lived there. This house, too, has gone.
ELDER, JAMES AUSTIN, owns the house built by J. C. Loomis about 1855. Am not sure as to the date. He lived some years on the J. Pomeroy Dickinson place, about 1866.
FAY, CAPT. WILLIAM, bought, in 1809, the Israel Scott place in the Straits, on the west side of the road, and in the Bradstreet grant and a portion of it in the second division of Commons. After his removal it was bought by Phineas Frary and then by his son, George W. The house was probably built by Benjamin Scott, Jr., about 1790.
FIELD, ZENAS, son of Eliakim, probably built the house where John Field and his son, Paul W., have since lived, on lots 12 and 13, fourth division of Commons. The first purchase was made May 8, 1764. The house was probably built before his marriage in 1777 or '78. He also built what is generally known as Osee Munson place, in 1815 or '16. After his decease the original farm was owned by his son, John, and now by Paul Warner Field.
FIELD, NOAH, son of Moses of Northfield, bought parts of lots 37, 38 and 39, in the fourth division of Commons and west of Poplar Hill road, 1773, and sold it Feb. 17, 1780, to Asa San- derson. The house was built by Mr. Field, on lot 37, soon after the purchase. The farm is now in possession of Asa T. San- derson, grandson of Dr. Asa.
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FOOTE, ALDEN A., bought the Oliver Morton homestead after the decease of Mr. Morton in 1844. He bought in 1849 and died in 1858, when Horace B. Fox bought the place.
FERGUSON, REV. JOHN, bought the Asa Smith place. This house was built about 1825 by Asa Smith. There were several owners before Mr. Ferguson bought in 1837, or therea- bouts. George W. Reed bought it, and now Henry A. Brown owns it.
FOX, SELAH W., bought the J. C. Loomis house on "Lover's lane," west of the hotel, about the time of his sec- ond marriage, 8 Nov., 1877. Now owned by J. A. Elder.
Fox, HORACE B., bought the Oliver Morton place, after Mr. Foote died, and remodeled it, changing its whole appear- ance and it is now as nice a place as there is in town. The present owner is W. Irving Fox who so nobly cared for his parents in their declining years.
FRARY, ELEAZER, JR., son of Eleazer, built the house on the corner of Christian lane and Claverack road to South Deer- field, on lot 37, second division of Commons, in 1779, where, since his removal to Conway, have lived Dea. Russell Allis, Zebina Bartlett, Simeon Graves, Luther Wells, Amasa Lamson, Franklin Graves, who pulled down the old and built the pres- ent house, then Alonzo Crafts. It is now owned by Fred L. Graves.
FRARY, LIEUT. ELISHA, was a son of Isaac of Hatfield. In January, 1770, he built a house on a lot of sixty-five acres that he had bought, 2 Dec., 1769, of Silas Smith. It is proba- ble that he had lived with his brother, Moses, on the Mcclellan farm before he moved to his new home.
FRARY, MOSES, was a brother of Lieut. Elisha. In a plan made of Chestnut Plain street, in 1770, the house of Moses Frary is located on the west side of the street. He sold to Noah Coleman and removed to Ashfield. It has since been owned by Capt. Seth Frary, John B. Morton and E. B. McClellan. Capt. Seth lived with Noah Coleman and inherited his large estate since owned by John Bardwell Morton, his son, Eurotus, Elias B. McClellan and now by his son, George B. McClellan. Mr. Frary bought, on the east side of the road, thirty-seven acres in the Mill Swamp division and twenty four acres west of the road, in 1790.
FRARY, THOMAS, a son of Capt. Seth, built the Gad Crafts house on Claverack, in 1887. He removed to Hatfield and Mr. Crafts bought it in 1828. It is now owned by Thomas Crafts.
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FRARY, ISAAC, son of Lieut. Elisha, bought the Eleazer Frary place at West brook, where he died 4 Feb., 1850. He also bought the saw and grist mill near Foster Y. Warner's. The house was in the Mill Swamp division, afterwards owned by Isaac Frary, Jr., then by his son, Solomon Munson Frary, and then by his sons, Eugene M., Ernest A. and Edward Frary. Owned by Lincoln B. Sanderson since 1886.
FRARY, MAJ. PHINEAS, son of Phineas of Hatfield, bought forty-six acres 20 Feb., 1780, the southerly side of the house where John Smith lived, in the fourth division of Commons. When Capt. Salmon Graves removed from the center his son, Lyman, took the place and now his son, Chauncey A., resides there.
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