USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Springfield > King's handbook of Springfield, Massachusetts : a series of monographs, historical and descriptive > Part 6
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KING
CONNECTICUT
S
LEXINGTON AV
CHURCH S
S
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KING'S HANDBOOK OF SPRINGFIELD.
and three farthings, upon thirty-six of the abutters on the west side; one of the victims being the parson of the parish. These fines were imposed because the parties had trespassed on the highway with certain buildings ; but it does not appear that the fines were ever paid, or that the buildings were moved off during the last century. More than a century ago Major Joseph Stebbins, who kept a tavern on what is now the south corner of Main and Sargeant Streets, assisted by his sons, Festus and Quartus, brought from the West-Springfield meadows a score or more of thrifty young trees, and planted them in a row in the middle of the "town street," against the Stebbins premises, which then extended from the Morgan Road to Ferry Lane. Some of these trees are still standing, and afford a goodly shade. Another row of large elm-trees once stood on the easterly side of Main Street, northerly and southerly of Hillman Street, one of which, felled in 1825, is said to have measured twelve feet in diameter at the axe-man's point of attack. Main Street was once studded with trees on each side, some of which attained large size; but nearly all have given way to the " march of modern civilization."
To afford easy access to the river, three lanes were opened from the "town street." The northern one, popularly called the upper landing, led to the ferry where travellers going to " Waronoco," and beyond, crossed the river : it was known as Ferry Lane, - the present Cypress Street. It was originally one rod wide, and was designed more particularly to afford a crossing to the meadows on the other side. The lower landing, of the same width, -now called York Street, - was opened for a ferry to the meadows south of the mouth of Agawam River. The middle landing, also one rod wide, was instituted for ferriage to the meadows on the other side, and also to receive freight which came up the river in flatboats. It ran straight to the river from the "town street," and afforded a passage to the first burial- ground on the north side of the lane along the bank of the river, and also to the "training-ground " on the south side, -two acres then owned by the town and afterwards used as a second burial-ground. It was called Meet- ing-house Lane, because the meeting-house stood on the northerly side, two hundred feet from the "town street." The lane has since been widened to forty feet ; and in the hedge on the old south line, sprang up an elm-tree which grew and spread itself extensively, so that sixty years ago it was looked upon as a very large tree, and was so represented on a map of the town made at that time. This tree is still in a good state of preservation. Its circumference at the smallest diameter of its trunk is twenty feet, and its height is over ninety-seven feet. Its age is not known, but long ago it caused the name of the old meeting-house lane to be changed to Elm Street.
In course of time it became necessary to make a passage across the marsh. The first efforts to that end proved ineffectual; but the settlers
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PLAN OF TOWN OF SPRINGFIELD IN 1827.
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KING'S HANDBOOK OF SPRINGFIELD.
hit upon the expedient of offering the privilege to capitalists, of constructing a causeway, and of taking " four pence a load of any person crossing there with a team who had not joined in the enterprise." This causeway, between Main Street and the old town-hall, was two rods wide. The old foundation put in there in 1648 was so well put in that it is there to-day. It consisted of large logs, trunks of large trees laid crosswise ; and successive layers furnished a foundation for the earth-filling, which is five or six feet below the present pavement. This crossing furnished an outlet to the high land east of the town street, and was the beginning of the Boston Road, which was at first the old Bay Path. It extended up the hill, near where the most southerly of the Armory buildings now stand; and the row of trees beside them still indicates its location. The town having appropriated twenty rods for the width of the road after reaching the present Spring and School Streets, and the old Bay Path as travelled being very steep, a new path was sought farther south. It turned to the right above Myrtle Street, and, fol- lowing the edge of the dingle south of State Street, passed through the region of " Skunk's Misery," back of the Olivet Church, and brought up on the plain a little west of Walnut Street. This route was discontinued about fifty years ago, and the hill graded to the present track of State Street. The Boston Road was from time to time extended to the east, and in 1822 the county made a complete survey and location into the town of Wilbraham.
After the completion of the causeway, new enterprises sprang up. A winding path was made from the Boston Road, near the mouth of Maple Street, and along the brow of the highlands. It passed through the lands now owned by Col. H. N. Case, William Merrick, George B. Holbrook, Lombard Dale, William Gunn, and James B. Rumrill ; and occupied mainly the veritable sites of the present beautiful dwellings as the path fol- lowed the brow of the steep hill. This serpentine path was called "the road to Charles Brewer's," and was continued to near the Springfield Ceme- tery gate, -a region known as Thompson's Dingle. Charles Brewer's house stood on the site of William Gunn's house, and overlooked the valley. About sixty years ago this road was surveyed and straightened, leaving the houses standing between the old road and the new; but the old houses have succumbed to time, and new and comely ones have been erected in their places.
It is said that Charles Brewer in early days brought from Thompson's Dingle several maple-trees which he set out by the wayside ; giving the old path the name of Maple Street, which adheres to it and to several extensions of the same in later years. Other roads were afterwards located : the road over Long Hill to Pecowsic Brook was laid out in 1754; Wilbraham Road, starting from the Boston Road at "Goose Pond," in 1769; and Plum-tree Road in the same year. Pine Street formerly included Oak Street, and was
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KING'S HANDBOOK OF SPRINGFIELD.
laid out in 1764. It took its name from a huge, wide-spreading white-pine tree, standing in the dooryard of the home of John Stevenson, on the easterly side of the street, about half way between State and Union Streets. In hot weather Stevenson was in the habit of resting himself on a couch he
had constructed high up among the branch- es of the tree. A road leading from the five- mile school - house easterly, passing near " Peggy's Dipping- Hole," was laid out about the same time ; and also a road, two rods wide, “begin- ning at the corner of ' Murphy's field,' and The Eim on Elm Street. running by marked pine-trees to a pine standing a little north of the house where Experience Hancock lately lived." No surveyor's compass was used in Springfield until 1670: hence the absence of field-notes in locating roads previous to this time. One road began at " Kibbee's fence," another at a "white-birch bush," another was bounded by a white-oak bush ; all showing inefficiency as well as indefiniteness.
In 1769 a road was located, taking its starting-point from Long Hill, and
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KING'S HANDBOOK OF SPRINGFIELD.
extending easterly : it was known as the X road, because its crossing an- other road resembled a X. It is now called Sumner Avenue. Hickory Street received its name in honor of Andrew Jackson's heroic cognomen " Old Hickory."
St. James Avenue was opened in 1770; and the town many years after voted to call it Factory Street, because it led to the cotton-factories at Chicopee Falls, or Skipmuck. Carew Street, named in remembrance of the Carew family living at the north end of Main Street, was laid out in 1770, and called the Morgan Road, because it passed by the house of one Morgan. Parker Street, running from Longmeadow line, through Sixteen Acres, to Eli Putnam's bridge across Chicopee River at Ludlow, was laid out in 1796, and named after Zenas Parker, who assisted in the locating survey, and in 1860 was still living in his wayside cottage at the age of 84 years. Mill Street, running near the edge of Mill River, took its name from the mills on the stream. Walnut Street, first opened in 1811 to ac- commodate the United-States Armory in transporting their gun-materials from the water-shop to the shop on the hill, was named by Ethan A. Clary for a walnut-tree which formerly served as a monument for the west line of the street. Blake Street derives its name from an ancient family who once lived on the westerly side of the street, not far from an old Indian Fort. The old Blake house, still standing, and owned and occupied by J. G. Chase of this city, is situated near the foot of "Blake's Hill," and is the locality of mysterious surroundings, which furnished the basis of a good- sized and readable novel written by Frederick A. Packard, a resident here, about 50 years ago. Blake's Hill and Long Hill, both together, were known as Fort Hill after the conflagration. White Street was named from a physician of that name, who lived near the southern extremity of the street ; Allen Street, from Joel Allen, whose house constituted almost the only remaining monument of the location of the street in 1860; and Benton Street, from the Benton family, through whose farm the street was laid in 1789. State Street was the name voted by the town to be applied to that part of Boston Road between Main Street and Factory Street. Bliss Street derived its name from the Bliss family, who opened the street through their own land; and Howard Street, from the family of Rev. Bezaleel Howard. Union Street received its name from the fact that it was opened by Charles Stearns and others, unitedly, across their respec- tive lands. Wilcox Street was opened by Philip and Philo F. Wilcox through their own land, and named by them. Margaret Street was opened through the homestead allotted to widow Margaret Bliss, who came from Hartford with so many children that the town, more than a century ago, granted her a lot with extra width, reaching from the town street to the river. Her heirs, in 1850, opened a street through the middle of it; and
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KING'S HANDBOOK OF SPRINGFIELD.
the surveyor gave to it her name. Loring Street was opened through land once owned by the Loring family, and named for Joshua Loring, a surviving bachelor of the same. Lombard Street was opened across land purchased of the heirs of Justin Lombard. Stockbridge Street was laid out in part through land of Elam Stockbridge. Cross Street was opened by Abraham G. Tannatt through his homestead : and being very narrow, unwrought, and crude, it soon acquired the cognomen of "Pig Alley ;" but the name has now fallen into disuse. On it now stands the oldest house ex- tant in Spring- field, noticed and illustrated in a preceding chapter. Emery Street was laid out in 1844, by the heirs of Capt. Robert Emery, who had been the owner of the land. School Street was opened by The Lombard House on Main Street. the town in 1827, from State to Union, for the purpose of access to the high-school house that the town had built on the corner of Union and the new street. The building is now owned and occupied by J. S. Marsh and Lyman King as their residence.
Spring Street was laid out at the foot of the first slope from the high plain, in the vicinity of the numerous springs which ooze out of the ground on that plateau. Byers Street was laid out across the homestead of the Hon. James Byers. Worthington Street was opened by Charles Stearns across his own land, from Connecticut River to Spring Street, and was named after its former owner, Col. John Worthington. Butler Street was an old road without name, and in 1860 was re-surveyed and straightened, and named for James H. Butler, who contributed to the straightening. Stebbins Street was named for Ithamar Stebbins, who lived near by. Armory Street, laid out in 1822, leading to Chicopee from the United-States Armory, was dubbed " Toddy Road," because the workmen in the Armory used to go over this road to Japhet Chapin's tavern in Chicopee to drink toddy. Andrew Street was laid out in 1868, and named in honor of Gov. John A. Andrew of
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KING'S HANDBOOK OF SPRINGFIELD.
Massachusetts ; Ashley Street in 1847, receiving its name from John Ashley, through whose land part of the street was laid; and Bancroft Street in 1863, by Wells P. Hodgett, who named it after his admired political friend, George Bancroft the historian. Calhoun Street was laid out in 1860, on land of the city, and named for William B. Calhoun, whose residence was near by.
Dickinson Street was an old, nameless road, re-laid and straightened in 1860, and then named after Isaac P. Dickinson, through whose land the
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The Bontecou House on Hillman Street.
straightening was partly made. Dwight Street has its name from having been laid across the homestead of James Dwight; Edwards Street, from having been laid out across the homestead of Col. Elisha Edwards; and Gardner Street, from Gideon Gardner, one of the proprietors of the land through which it passes. Greenwood Street was laid out by Samuel Green, who intended to call it by his own name, but was prevented from so doing because another street bore the name. Grovener Street was laid out by Grovener B. Bowers, and thus named by the engineer who surveyed the property. Harrison Avenue was named for President William H. Harrison. Hillman Street gets its name from Seth Hillman Barnes, one of the owners of the land through which it was laid ; and Magazine Street, because it runs past the old magazine of the colonial army. Just as indicated above, many
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KING'S HANDBOOK OF SPRINGFIELD.
streets have been named for persons who were at some time owners of the whole or a part of the property through which the street passes. Among other streets so named are: Marion Street, opened in 1883, for the late Marion D. Tapley ; Mattoon Street, opened in 1872, for William Mattoon; Morgan Street, for Albert Morgan; Morris Street, for Hon. Oliver B." Morris ; Pynchon Street, opened in 1842, for the Pynchon family; Sargeant Street, for Horatio Sargeant, etc. Osgood Street was opened by Dunham & Sleeper, across land formerly owned by the Rev. Dr. Samuel Osgood, Ringgold Street was opened by George S. Lewis, and named in memory of Major Ringgold, who was slain in the Mexican War. Sherman Street was opened across land of the Tapley family, and named after Major-Gen. Sher- man of the United-States Army. Thompson Street was formerly the north- erly part of Hancock Street; and Haynes & McKnight, having purchased a large tract of land bordering on the street, re-named it in honor of Col. James M. Thompson. Water Street gets its name from its contiguity to the river, and was laid out piecemeal during a period of thirty years. Court Street is coeval with the first court-house of Hampden County, and was laid out by the side of the court-house grounds in 1822. Everett Street, the first north of Linden, was named in honor of Edward Everett.
Garden Brook is a contribution of springs issuing from the several slopes of the sandy plain forming the highest table-land of the city east of Main Street. It formerly ran down a deep ravine which extended far into the level plain; and, reaching the marshy meadow, the channel extended across the marsh to the western edge, disposing of itself in a singular man- ner by an equal division of its waters, one-half going north, and in a circuit- ous, or serpentine manner, finding its way into the "Great River" above Round Hill. The other division, forming a channel, ran down the westerly edge of the swamp, and, constituting the easterly line of the " town street," found its outlet in the Connecticut, just above the mouth of Mill River, two and a half miles below the outlet of the northern branch. This division took place near the east line of Main Street, at its junction with Worthing- ton Street, and still continues, although the bed of each branch has been considerably lowered, of late years, for the purpose of drainage; and the same, being known as the "Town Brook," performs duty as a common sewer. Sixty years ago this rivulet of clean water, running in the little channel by the side of Main Street, was used for domestic purposes ; and the little belt of hard land between it and the marsh afforded room for an occasional store or other building ; and by crossing the stream on a plank, and climbing up a flight of a half-dozen steps, or stairs, the flooring of the one-story buildings was reached, as they stood on tall posts, like the houses in Siam.
A
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KING'S HANDBOOK OF SPRINGFIELD.
The Ferries were once the highways for crossing the Connecticut River ; and hand-power boats were the first vehicles of conveyance, the smallest being canoes, made by scooping out the trunks of large trees, and shap- ing them like a skiff. Rude flatboats carried over the horses, cattle, and carts.
The ferry at the upper landing was most used, it being the main highway from the Massachusetts Bay to the Hudson River. When the people who had settled on the west side of the river became so numerous that the flat- boat was not able to carry them across in time for sabbath service, they petitioned the town, in 1674, to furnish them with free ferriage on Sundays. At that time the only meeting-house in the vicinity was on the east side, and all the people were required to attend. It does not appear that their wish was granted; but 22 years afterward they obtained permission of the "Greate and General Courte " to organize a parish of their own, and thus get relief from Sunday ferriage. It is supposed that several persons were drowned in returning from church, March 18, 1683; as the names of two men and one woman are recorded as drowned on that day. Gen. George Washington was ferried across the river at this place as he travelled up from Hartford on the west side, fording the Agawam River a little below the Agawam Bridge in his private two-horse carriage, led by his colored coachman, when he made his only tour into New England during his Presi- dency. West-India rum and other army supplies, drawn by oxen from Bos- ton to the Hudson River, when New York was in the hands of the British, were often carried over. No steam or horse power was ever used at this ferry. This ferry-privilege was annihilated by the city in 1860, by permit- ting the Connecticut-river Railroad to erect buildings on the landing.
It is said that the middle ferry, at the foot of Elm Street, was used mostly for crossing over into the West-Springfield meadows. One autumn day, as the story goes, several families crossed on the boat in the morning to spend the day in harvesting corn, and at night returned. But a young maiden and her lover, having strolled over the meadow and out of sight, were forgotten. They were surrounded by water, and had no means of escape, and of necessity remained over night under the shelter of a deserted building. When they returned the next day to the east side, on being questioned about their absence, they were complained of to the magistrate, and subjected to a fine for breach of the law forbidding an unmarried couple to occupy a house together over night without the intervention of a third party.
Another private ferry was used, starting from the lower landing at the foot of York Street, which afforded access to what is now termed the Island, and is still in use. The usual manner of urging boats of large size across the water was by the use of " setting-poles." In later years another ferry
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KING'S HANDBOOK OF SPRINGFIELD.
furnishing a public highway between Springfield and West Springfield was ordered by the county commissioners, and was located farther down the river, below the several mouths of the Agawam. This ferry was called the "South End " or Agawam Ferry ; and, as " setting-poles " could not grapple with the amount of travel, a horse-power boat was placed on the river by a " company, and after many years a steam ferry-boat took its place. Later the ferry-privilege was used by Springfield and the town of Agawam, by steam-power, until the building of the present "South End " iron bridge.
The Bridges. - At the beginning of the present century frequent dis- cussions took place between the people of Springfield and West Spring- field about the feasibility of constructing a bridge across the Connecticut River. The business-men and middle-aged people had faith in the project; but the old men wagged their heads in opposition, one prominent rich man saying, "Gentlemen, you might as well undertake to bridge the Atlantic Ocean." Finally, after much hesitation, the seemingly ponderous job was undertaken. The planting and rearing of the sub-structure was difficult : the two abutments and five piers had to be embedded in the river, and that without previous experience, or the use of modern appliances. Pile-driving was done by horse-power, as steam hammers were not then known to the world. A large floating platform was constructed, and anchored in the river near the site fixed for a pier ; on it was placed the necessary machinery for raising the hammer ; this was operated by a horse winding a rope around a drum, or cylinder. This horse "swung around the circle " from morning till night, from Monday till Saturday, and from spring till early winter; but no man has numbered the revolutions he performed, nor the thousands of miles he travelled during the process. On the platform was a stable for his shelter and repose at night; for he slept on the " bosom of the deep," not being taken ashore till the close of work for winter. Verily his memory is entitled to a monument. The site of the bridge did not occupy the place of any ferry, nor was it within 50 rods of any road or highway. The bridge company bought land on each side of the river for their approaches, the location being where the old toll, or wooden, bridge now stands.
The first bridge was opened for travel Oct. 30, 1805. It was 1,234 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 40 feet above low-water mark, and cost $36,270. It was uncovered, and painted red; and consisted of six arches supported by two abutments and five piers, each 21 feet wide and 62 feet long. Up the river, in the vicinity of the present railroad-bridge, were built three "ice- breakers," or piers like the bridge-piers, with the up-stream sides sloping down to the water, designed to allow the immense sheets of ice in the spring to slide up into the air, and by their own weight fall down in smaller pieces, thus preventing the choking of ice under the bridge. The name of the de- signer or builder of this bridge is not now known. During the construc-
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KING'S HANDBOOK OF SPRINGFIELD.
tion, by an accident several of the workmen were injured, and one killed ; and also, in the month of March, several of the armorers crossed on the timbers of the framework, to the west side, on a spree, and in returning, late at night, one of them lost his balance, and was drowned.
The bridge was opened with imposing dedicatory exercises, - a proces- sion, prayer, sermon by the Rev. Dr. Joseph Lathrop of West Springfield, music, and the ringing of bells. When the procession reached the bridge, a national salute of 17 guns was fired three times ; and 3,000 people, stand- ing on the uncovered bridge, gave three rousing cheers.
This bridge was a vast accommodation to many towns on either side of the river, and was duly appreciated. But after nine years effective service it showed signs of weakening; and, after the spring freshets of 1814 had subsided, the company began strengthening the arches, and set up "horses " under the eastern span to support it while undergoing repairs. But on the 14th of July a heavy Pennsylvania wagon, heavily laden with army supplies from the east, attempted to cross. When the team had got well on to the bridge, the first span crippled and went down ; but the " horses," or trusses, being equal to the pressure, heid up bridge and team, so that the load was saved, and nobody killed. This ended travel across the bridge; and it was soon taken down, having become too much weather-beaten to endure longer service. It was mongrel in style, the travel being on neither the bottom nor top of the chord, but ascending and descending with the curve of the arches of each span.
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