USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Our County and Its People A History of Hampden County, Massachusetts > Part 30
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The working of granite obtained in the town of Becket and transported to Chester Factories over a spur railroad recently put in, is another important industry.
Another industry is the grinding of quartz for use in the manufacture of porcelain.
Churches in Chester Factories .- The Second Congregational church in Chester is located in Chester Factories, and was or- ganized in November in the year 1844, and the meeting-house was built under arrangement similar to that under which the meeting-house was built at Chester Village. The Congregational pastors have been Rev. Hubbard Beebe, from 1844 to 1846; Rev. Perkins K. Clark, from May, 1846, to May, 1849; Rev. D. Wil- liams, from May, 1849, to May, 1850; Rev. John C. Strong, from May, 1850, to August, 1853; Rev. D. D. Osgood, 1853; Rev. Hugh Gibson, 5 months in 1855; Rev. Z. Whitmore, from 1856 to April, 1863; Rev. Selah Merrill, from May, 1863, to March, 1864; Rev. John Mills, from April, 1864, to June, 1864; Rev. Selah Merrill, from June, 1864, to September, 1864; Rev. John Mills, from October, 1864, to June, 1865; Rev. Edward A. Smith, from July, 1865, to May, 1874; Rev. Cyrus B. Whitcomb, from August,
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1874, to Angust, 1875; Rev. Charles H. Hamlin, from February, 1876, to 1879; Rev. Samuel W. Clark, from 1879 to April, 1880; Rev. Alvin E. Todd, from October, 1880, to December, 1885; Rev. Preston Barr, 1886 to 1887; Rev. Richard Scoles, from March, 1888, to July, 1893; Rev. Thomas D. Murphy, from November, 1893, to his death in 1901: Rev. William S. Walker, July, 1901.
"In 1800 and 1801, Methodist classes were formed in Chester numbering nearly 100 members, under the labors of Ebenezer Washburn and Billy Hibbard, who preached at the house of Capt. Alexander, about two miles south of Chester Factories. The region was then embraced in 'Old Granville Circuit', and in 1802, other preachers were on the circuit, but after this the classes gradually declined, and there was no preach- ing for several years. From 1819 to 1842 Rev. Messrs. Andrew McCune, Samuel Eighing, John Nixon, Jefferson Haskell, Eras- tus Otis, Leslie, Estin, Mayo, Shepard, Nichols, Hawks, Moulton, Lewis, Cushman, Niles and Shedd were on the circuit. At the latter date the people of Chester Factories were generally Bap- tists. In 1843 Rev. A. A. Farr became the pastor at that village, and the church was transferred to the Troy conference. The same year a union church edifice was built, the same edifice now occupied by the Second Congregational church, and the town joined in the building for the purpose of using the basement for a school house, and it is still used for that purpose. And while the Methodist society was in occupation of this building, Rev. Messrs. Kinsman. Atkinson, S. Mattison and A. C. Hand were the preachers. The accommodation becoming too small, the Methodists built a church by themselves, which was finished and dedicated in 1847, the church, in the meantime, having gone back into the New England conference. About the time of the building of the house, the Wesleyans and Baptists ceased to have preaching. The succession of pastors following Mr. Hadd is Rev. J. B. Bigelow, 1845; Rev. A. S. Flagg, 1846; Rev. I. Marcy, 1847 and 1848; Rev. Farris Wilson, 1849; Rev, Mr. Woodbury, 1850; Rev. G. E. Chapman, 1851-52; Rev. E. S. Best, 1853; Rev. C. Wait, 1854-55; Rev. C. W. Merryfield, 1856; Rev. John Cad-
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well, 1857; Rev. John Noon, 1858; Rev. F. Fisk, 1859-60; Rev. E. D. Winslow, 1861; Rev. L. N. Clark, 1862; Rev. George Hewes, 1863; Rev. William D. Bridge, 1864; Rev. E. J. Moore, 1865-66; Rev. J. F. Bassett, 1867; Rev. J. W. Fenn, 1868; Rev. William Gordon, 1869-70-71; Rev. L. A. Bosworth, 1872-73; Rev. E. Bur- lingham, 1874-75; Rev. J. B. Bigelow, 1876-77; Rev. A. R. Nichols, 1878; Rev. F. M. Miller, 1879; Rev. John Galbraith, 1880-81; Rev. F. George, 1882; Rev. William P. Blackmer, 1883-84 ; Rev. C. H. Walters, 1885-86; Rev. S. A. Bragg, 1887-88; Rev. B. F. Kingsley, 1889-90-91; Rev. W. H. Dockham, 1892-93; Rev. Robert Smith, 1894-95; Rev. A. Beal, 1896; Rev. J. A. Betcher, 1897-98-99; Rev. T. J. Judge, 1900-1901.
In February, 1854, at the time of an intense excitement on the subject of temperance with a crusade against liquor sellers, the Methodist meeting-house was blown up with powder in revenge for the part taken by leading members of the Methodist church. The building was repaired so as to be reopened on the 6th of the following August. At that time the church member- ship was about fifty.
Burial Places .- The first was at Chester Centre within the 8-acre plat laid out "for a meeting-house place, training field and burial place." The first meeting-house was erected in 1767, and the burial ground was established when the first grave was made, and that was the grave of Abigail, wife of John Smith, who died August 12, 1767. This cemetery has been in constant use from that day to this. Within a few years past it has been greatly improved and is in excellent condition. There is one at North Chester, one at Littleville, one between Dayville and Littleville, one near the Bromley place on the road from Norwich Bridge to Chester Centre, one in the Ingalls neighborhood, the Bell family burial lot, the old cemetery at Chester Factories, still in use, and the Pine Hill cemetery recently established.
Schools .- There are nine school houses in the town, one at the Centre, one at North Chester, one at Littleville. one in the Bromley neighborhood, one north of Chester Centre, one in the Ingalls neighborhood, one at the Mica Mills on the river road from Huntington to Chester Factories, one at Round Top, and two at Chester Factories.
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The public schools have always been well looked after in Chester. Expenditures for schools during the past year amounted to about $6,600.
There is a public library at Chester Factories containing 2,634 volumes. The trustees are Timothy Keefe and Frank Fay.
The village of Chester Factories is equipped with a good water service, and with an electric light service.
There are two hotels, the old hotel now kept by William H. Day, and the White hotel near the railroad station, kept by William R. White.
Lawyers .- Marshall Wilcox, when a young man and located in Otis, had an office in Chester and spent a portion of each week here. He was succeeded by Henry D. Filley, a son of Lester Filley of Otis, one of the well known lawyers of Berkshire county.
Franklin D. Richards was there several years in the fifties. He was succeeded by Edward H. Lathrop, who came to Chester about 1861.
Clayton D. Smith, a native of Chester, has been located at Chester Factories several years.
Physicians .- Dr. Heman S. Lucas settled in Chester as a practicing physician in 1844. Since that date the following named physicians have practiced in Chester Factories : Dr. Hill, Dr. Brewster, Dr. Fay, Dr. Fiske, Dr. Couch, Dr. Howe.
The physicians now in practice are Dr. Howard E. Wilson, Dr. Oscar J. Shepardson and Dr. Markham.
In Barber's "Historical Collection of Massachusetts", pub- lished in 1839, is the following touching Chester: "Population, 1,290. In 1837 there were 2 cotton mills; cotton spindles, 1,690; cotton goods manufactured, 225,000 yards; value, $22,075; males employed, 13; females, 22. There were 1,055 Saxony sheep, 2,495 merino, and 170 of other kinds of sheep; average weight of fleece, 2 and three-fourth pounds; value of wool produced, $5,817.38; capital invested, $11.347. There were 3 tanneries; hides tanned, 33,500; value of leather tanned and curried, $10,900: the value of window blinds manufactured, $15,000; males employed, 14; females, twenty-six".
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Population .- In 1776, 405; 1790, 1,119; 1800, 1,542; 1810, 1,534; 1820, 1,526; 1830, 1,407; 1840, 1,632; 1850, 1,521; 1860, 1,314; 1870, 1,256; 1875, 1,396; 1880, 1,473; 1885, 1,318; 1890, 1,295; 1895, 1,429; 1900, 1,450.
CIVIL LIST OF CHESTER
Representatives to the General Court .- 1775, Enoch Shepard; 1780, Timothy Lyman; 1782, Jesse Johnson.
February 21, 1783, the name of the town was changed from Murrayfield to Chester, and the representatives elected after that until 1812 were: Reuben Hatton, Elijah Blackman, John N. Parmenter.
Selectmen Prior to the Division of Murrayfield .- 1766-67, Timothy Smith, John Smith, Malcom Henry; 1768, Caleb Fobes, Timothy Smith, William Miller ; 1769, Ebenezer Meacham, James Hamilton, Abner Smith; 1770, John Kirtland, Timothy Smith, David Scott; 1771, Timothy Smith, Samuel Matthews, Edward Wright; 1772, Malcom Henry, David Shepard, John Kirtland; 1773, Malcom Henry, John Kirtland, David Shepard, Abner Smith.
Town Clerks .- 1766, Malcom Henry; 1768, John Smith; 1771-4, David Shepard. The act setting off the district of Nor- wich was passed June 29, 1773, and on the 16th of August fol- lowing a town meeting was held in Murrayfield, at which vacancies in town offices caused by such division of the town were filled, and the board of selectmen for the remainder of the year stood thus : Malcom Henry, David Shepard, Abner Smith, Wmn. Campbell; 1774-75, Jesse Johnson, James Hamilton, David Shepard; 1776, David Shepard, James Hamilton, Timothy Ly- man; 1777, Enoch Shepard, James Hamilton, Timothy Lyman; 1778, Timothy Lyman, James Hamilton, John Blair; 1779, Jesse Johnson, Timothy Lyman, John Blair; 1780, Timothy Smith, John Blair, Jesse Johnson; 1781, John Kelso, Samuel Jones. Samuel Bell; 1782, John Blair, William Campbell, Jabez Tracy.
After the Name was Changed from Murrayfield to Chester. -1783, John Blair, William Campbell, Timothy Lyman; 1784. Timothy Lyman, John N. Parmenter, William Stone; 1785,
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William Campbell, Timothy Lyman, Gershom Rust; 1786, Elijah Blackman, Timothy Lyman, Noadiah Seaward; 1787-88, James Hamilton, Nathan Wright, William Sizer; 1789, Timothy Lyman, James Hamilton, John Elder; 1790-91, David Shepard, Timothy Lyman, John N. Parmenter; 1792, Timothy Lyman, Ephraim Miller, John N. Parmenter; 1793, John N. Parmenter, Timothy Lyman, Eleazer Wales; 1794, Timothy Lyman, Abraham Day, John N. Parmenter; 1795, David Shepard, Timothy Lyman, Abraham Day; 1796, John N. Parmenter, Timothy Lyman, Jason Wright; 1797, David Shepard, Ozias French, Ephraim Miller; 1798, Juda Willey, Elisha Wilcox, David Shepard, Zadock Ingall, William Toogood; 1799, Samuel Bell, Jason Wright, Juda Willey; 1800-4, Asa Slayton, William Elder, Simon C. Holland; 1805, William Elder, Sylvester Emmons; 1806, Asa Slayton, Jacob Day, Samuel Bell; 1807, Samuel Bell, Seth Phelps, Silas Freeman : 1808, Samuel Bell, Sylvester Em- mons, Silas Freeman, jr., Silas Kingsley, Daniel Smith; 1809, Sylvester Emmons, John N. Parmenter, William Wade; 1810, Sylvester Emmons, John N. Parmenter, William Taylor; 1811, Sylvester Emmons, William Taylor, Horace Smith; 1812, Syl- vester Emmons. William Taylor, Horace Smith; 1813, William Taylor, Horace Smith, William Wade: 1814 William Taylor, Horace Smith, William Wade; 1815, Samuel Bell, John Ellis, Samuel White: 1816, Samuel Bell, John Ellis, Ebenezer Whip- ple : 1817, Samuel White, James Nooney, jr., Asa Wilcox ; 1818, Samuel White, James Nooney, jr., Asa Wilcox ; 1819, Sylvester Emmons. Asa Wilcox, James Nooney, jr .; 1820, Sylvester Em- mons, Asa Wilcox, Sylvester Belden ; 1821, Asa Wilcox, Sylvester Belden, Isaac Whipple; 1822, Isaac Whipple, James Nooney, jr .. Charles Collins; 1823, Isaac Whipple, James Nooney, jr., Charles Collins : 1824, Isaac Whipple, James Nooney, jr., Charles Collins; 1825, Charles Collins, Samuel B. Stebbins, John Hamil- ton : 1826, Charles Collins, John Taylor, James Elder; 1827, James Elder, Timothy Lyman, Forbes Kyle; 1828, Forbes Kyle, Moses Gamwell, William Henry; 1829, Moses Gamwell, Samuel B. Stebbins, Norid Elder; 1830, William Shepard, Lewis Collins, William Henry; 1831, William Henry, John Hamilton, Jonas
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Parmenter; 1832, Jonas Parmenter, Hector Campbell, William Shepard; 1833, Jonas Parmenter, Hector Campbell, Otis Taylor; 1834, Jonas Parmenter, Hector Campbell, Otis Taylor; 1835, Jonas Parmenter, Hector Campbell, Otis Taylor; 1836, Samuel Bell, Hector Campbell, Thomas F. Plunkett; (Plunkett moved out of town and Jonas Parmenter succeeded.) 1837, William Shepard, Samuel Bell, Isaac Stevens; 1838, Samuel Bell, Isaac Stevens, William Moore; 1839, Isaac Stevens, William Moore, Reuben L. Bromley; 1840, Forbes Kyle, Reuben L. Bromley, Samuel Henry ; 1841, Jotham Clark, Samuel Henry, Adam Ham- ilton; 1842, Jonas Parmenter, Cheney Ingall, Camden H. Bab- cock ; 1843, Cheney Ingall, Benjamin Little, Rufus Tinker ; 1844, Samuel Bell, Jonas Parmenter, Eli Knox; 1845, Jabin B. Wil- liams, Forbes Kyle, Joshua Bemis; 1846, David Smith, Camden H. Babcock, Leverett Knox; 1847, Cheney Ingall, Daniel Fry, Edwin Wilcox ; 1848, Daniel Fry, David Cannon, David Smith; 1849-50, Daniel Fry, David Cannon, David Smith, Jonas Par- menter, Ely Wilcox; 1851-55, Abner Sampson, John Bemis, Ely Howe, Samuel Stebbins, David Smith, Alvan Rude, Henry Dewey, Adam Hamilton; 1856, Albert E. Wright, B. B. East- man, Silas P. Searl; 1857, David Smith, O. W. Gibbs, Joshua Bemis; 1858, David Smith, Charles W. Knox, Joshua Bemis; 1859, David Smith, Charles W. Knox, John Carrington: 1860, David Smith, Joshua Bemis, Samuel Stebbins; 1861-62, Charles W. Knox, Joseph C. Kelso, E. D. Ormsby ; 1863, E. D. Ormsby, Charles W. Knox, Alfred S. Foot; 1864, Charles W. Knox, Alfred S. Foot, Joseph Kelso; 1865, Charles W. Knox, George C. Williams, B. B. Eastman ; 1866-7, Charles W. Knox, Charles M. Bell, George Taylor; 1868, Charles W. Knox, Charles M. Bell, Amos S. Cone; 1869, Charles M. Bell, Amos S. Cone. Ely Wilcox : 1870, Charles W. Knox, David Smith, Joshua Bemis; 1871, Henry D. Wilcox, David Smith, Amos S. Cone; 1872, Charles W. Knox, Charles M. Bell, Amos S. Cone; 1873, James King. E. F. Pease, Amos S. Cone; 1874, Charles W. Knox, Charles M. Bell, Amos S. Cone; 1875-6, Charles W. Knox, Alpheus Willcutt, Amos S. Cone; 1877-8, Charles M. Bell, Alpheus Willeutt, J. H. Fiske ; 1879, Charles H. Warner, George
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H. Hapgood, Jason H. Fiske; 1880, Charles H. Knox, Charles M. Bell, Stephen W. Moore; 1881, James A. Jones, Alpheus Willcutt, Amos S. Cone; 1882, Charles H. Knox, Alpheus Will- cutt, Amos S. Cone; 1883, Charles H. Knox, Alfred S. Foot, Joshua W. Bemis; 1884-5-6, Charles H. Knox, Alfred S. Foot, Joshua W. Bemis; 1887, Charles H. Knox, Moses Clark, Joshua W. Bemis; 1888, Charles H. Knox, Moses Clark, Joshua W. Bemis; 1889, Major A. Snow, Moses Clark, Clarence M. Woods; 1890-1, Major A. Snow, Moses Clark, Joshua W. Bemis; 1892, Moses Clark, Major A. Snow, Clarence M. Woods; 1893, Major A. Snow, Clarence M. Woods, Edward L. Higgins; 1894, Clayton D. Smith, Clarence M. Woods, Edward L. Higgins; 1895-6, George H. Hapgood, Edward L. Higgins, Clarence M. Woods; 1897, George H. Hapgood, Clarence M. Woods, Charles Z. Ingall; 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, George H. Hapgood, Clarence M. Woods, Charles Z. Ingall.
Town Clerks After Division of the Town .- 1774-7, Samuel Matthews: 1777-98, David Shepard; 1798-1806, Gideon Mat- thews, jr .; 1806, Sylvester Emmons; 1807-9, Martin Phelps ; 1809 to 1815, Anson Boise ; 1816, Samuel Phelps; 1817, William Henry; 1818, Isaiah L. Baker; 1819 to 1825, William Henry; 1826-27-28, Ashael Wright; 1829-30-31, Hector Campbell; 1832- 33-34-35-36, Forbes Kyle; 1837-38-39-40, Otis Taylor; 1841, David B. Tinker; 1842, Otis Taylor; 1843, George Whitney; 1844, Otis Taylor; 1845, George Whitney; 1846, Otis Taylor; 1847-48, Aurelius C. Root; 1849, Henry D. Filley, who died and was succeeded by Aurelius C. Root; 1850 to '52, Otis Taylor; 1853, John B. Elder; 1854, Camden H. Babcock ; 1855, John B. Elder: 1856, Charles W. Knox; 1857, Franklin D. Richards;f 1858, Otis Taylor; 1859-60, Camden H. Babcock; 1861-2, Chris- topher C. Campbell; 1863 to 1871, Timothy Keefe; 1872 to 1902, George N. Cone.
The list of Chester men who served in the civil war, so far as can be ascertained, is as follows: Samuel L. Atwood, 31st Mass .; Joseph S. Bemis, 34th Mass .; Edward D. Bemis, 62d N. Y .; Edson D. Bemis, 31st Mass .; Watson Carr, 27th Mass .; Eli Carter, 36th N. Y .; Wilman W. Clark, 31st Mass .; Andrew
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Crow, 10th Mass .; Frank J. Childs, 10th Mass .; Franklin W. Dewey, 10th Mass .; Oscar D. DeWolf, surg., 1st Mass. Cav .; D. Albert Fairfield, 34th Mass .; George Garland, 10th Mass .; Peter E. Herbert, 10th Mass .; George W. Howe, 10th Mass .; Luke Havey. 31st Mass .; Martin Kennedy, 22d Mass .; William Meacham, 10th Mass .; Michael McGratty, 34th Mass .; Dwight Mallison, 37th Mass .; Elijah Meacham, 34th Mass .; Edwin O. Messenger, 10th Mass .; Lester H. Quigley, 27th Mass .; Charles Fay, 46th Mass .; Edward E. Quigley, 31st Mass .; George F. Smith, 31st Mass .; Henry Talmage, 31st Mass .; George W. Truell, 27th Mass .; Henry Town, 99th N. Y .; Henry H. Weeks, 27th Mass. ; E. D. Winslow, chaplain, 19th Mass .; George Riley, unknown; Zachariah Longley, 10th Mass .; Samuel Ladd, 27th Mass .; Henry Robinson, 27th Mass .; Charles H. Smith, 27th Mass .; Henry Raftis, 27th Mass .; Harrison Moore, 41st Ohio; Dennis Coffin, 46th Mass .; Joshua W. Bemis, 46th Mass .; Oliver C. Burr, 46th Mass .; Cyrus L. Belden, 46th Mass .; Lanson P. Carter, 46th Mass .; Joseph Chartier, 46th Mass .; Henry E. Dimock, 46th Mass .; William C. Dunham, 46th Mass .; Edward Dewey, 46th Mass .; William K. Jackson, 46th Mass .; James Keefe, 46th Mass .; Francis Otis, 46th Mass .; Albert H. Sander- son, 46th Mass .; Charles F. Smith, 46th Mass .; George W. Wright, 46th Mass. W. H. Waterman, D. B. Richmond, Edward Fitzgerald, Samuel Pease, Daniel Dowd, Joseph Whipple, Thomas Connors, James Scanlin, Horatio Holmes. John Moore and William M. Wright who died in Andersonville prison.
Soldiers of the Revolutionary War .- The town of Chester, then Murrayfield, was staunchly loyal to the cause of Independ- ence as has been shown in an early part of this history. The minutemen who marched to Cambridge from Murrayfield in Col. Seth Pomeroy's regiment in April, 1775, were David Shepard. James Clark, Gershom Rust, John McIntire, Russell Dewey, George Williams, Nathan Wright, Benjamin Wright, John Blair,! Asa Gould, Benjamin Eggleston, James Geer, Archelus Ander- son. The men who enlisted and went in Col. David Brewster's regiment, 9th Continental, April 24, 1775, were Capt. Malcom Henry, Sergeant William French, William Spencer Smith,
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Joseph Henry, William Foot, John Elder and Ezekiel Snow, and they were discharged the following October. John Laccore, David Blair, George Black, William Moore, Thomas Elder and Thomas Smith were in service a short time. In 1776 David Bolton, William Smith and Eli Woolworth went into service in Col. Dike's regiment. October 21, 1776, the men named below joined Col. John Mosley's regiment and marched to Mount In- dependence under command of Lieut. Col. Timothy Robertson : Enoch Shepard, captain; William Campbell, lieutenant; Ger- shom Rust, John McIntire, Nathan Wright, sergeants; John Elder, corporal; Edward Wright, fifer, and the following privates : Alexander Partridge, James Bentley, Ebenezer Free- man, Allen Geer, Thomas Elder, William Elder, Ebenezer Stowe, John Smith, Lemuel Laccore, Abner Smith and Jonathan Wait. Their term of service was 28 days.
March 1, 1777, Jehiel Eggleston and James Fobes enlisted for three years or during the war. Patrick King enlisted Decem- ber 19, 1778; Elijah Brewer enlisted in July, 1780; Joseph Win- ter, Francis Thomas and Ebenezer Smith enlisted July 19, 1779, for nine months. John Thompson was drafted and went into Col. Mosley's regiment. In 1780, John Carlile, William Carlile, Alexander McCullen, William Harris, Timothy Smith, Jesse Wright. Elijah Brewer, James Moore, Daniel Babcock, Abra- ham Converse, Isaac Converse, Jude Jones, Samuel Woolworth, Nathan Matthews, Nathaniel Babcock and Primus Hill served for six months. Another list of six months men are Joseph Gilbert, Patrick King, Leonard Pigue, Noah Wilson, Moses Barr, John Carlile, William Carlile, Alexander McCullen, Joseph Win- ter, Timothy Smith, Jesse Wright and William Harris. Justin Rust, Samuel Rust, Quartus Rust, Edward Taylor, Archelus Anderson, Elijah Stanton, Alexander Mecla, John Curtis, Elijah Brown, enlisted in 1781.
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CHAPTER XI THE TOWN OF HOLLAND
In 1731 a considerable tract of land on the eastern border of Hampshire county, on which settlement had been made during the twenty-five years preceding that time, was made a provisional jurisdiction by the name of Brimfield. This territory was in- corporated as a town in 1731, and as settlement afterward in- creased the creation of other districts became necessary. In 1762 the south half of Brimfield, as then constituted, was formed into a district by the name of South Brimfield, and in 1766 this south- ern region was itself divided into east and west parishes. On August 23, 1775, these parishes were incorporated into a town by the name of South Brimfield, and thereupon became a civil division of the county.
But it appears that the creation of the town soon gave rise to many inconveniences on account of the situation of the lands, and the welfare of the inhabitants demanded another division of the new territory. This was accomplished in 1783, when, on July 5, the general court passed "An act to incorporate the east parish of South Brimfield into a district by the name of Hol- land," the effective portion of which act reads as follows: "Whereas the inhabitants of the east parish in the said South Brimfield have represented to this court the many inconveniences they labor under, arising from their connection with said South Brimfield; for remedy thereof,
"Be it enacted," etc., "That all the lands and inhabitants of South Brimfield aforesaid lying and being on the east side of the county road leading from Brimfield to Union, in the state of Connecticut, called and known as the South Meadow road there,
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be and is hereby incorporated into a separate district by the name of Holland, and invested with all the powers, privileges and immunities that districts in this commonwealth are entittled to according to law, or do or may enjoy." The act also directed Abner Morgan, justice of the peace, to issue his warrant to some principal person in the new district for the purpose of assem- bling the inhabitants in meeting for the election of officers. Under the law the district was to all intents and purposes a town, except that it was not entitled to a separate representative in the general court; and this right was not granted until May 1, 1836.
Geographically, Holland occupies the extreme southeast cor- ner of the county ; being bounded on the east by Worcester coun- ty and on the south by the Connecticut line. The central part of the town is 69 miles distant from Boston, 28 miles from Spring- field, and 12 miles from Palmer. Although its inhabitants are allied to the people of the adjoining towns in Hampden county, their associations are largely with those of Sturbridge on the east and Union on the south. These are the natural and most con- venient trading places; for Holland is remotely situated from Springfield and other county markets, and communication with them is attended with many inconveniences. This situation always has worked adversely to Holland interests, as a Hampden town, and while various remedies have been suggested to relieve existing conditions none has been carried into effect, and the townsmen, consulting their personal interests, naturally turn to the localities east and south of them.
Settlement .- The early settlement of Holland was accom- plished while the territory formed a part of the mother town of Brimfield, and when the latter was divided that which now constitutes this town contained nearly 300 inhabitants. However, in treating of this interesting portion of the town's history, it is difficult to separate Holland from Brimfield, for much that might be said of the latter naturally applies to the former. But it may be said, without fear of contradiction, that for more than a century Holland has been regarded as one of the most inde- pendent jurisdictions of the county, and from the period of its earliest occupancy its people have been noted for their truly
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democratic customs in domestic life. This is to their honor, for here the people ever have struggled against difficulties and have not received the recognition nor advantages to which they were by right entitled. Still the town has prospered and its inhabitants by personal effort have established and maintained institutions worthy of larger towns.
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