USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Our county and its people : A history of Hampden County, Massachusetts. Volume 2 > Part 26
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Jan. 9, 1667, the committee declared the lands of certain grantees "forfeited fully, unless they begin the work of settlers in fencing, etc." "It is ordered that Capt. Cooke, Thos. Dewey, John Williams, John Sacket, John Ponder, David Ashley and Mr. Cornish shall view the land to be fenced, and determine where the fence shall be set, what quantity there is, and where each man's portion shall be, and this work to be attended to forth- with."
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THE TOWN OF WESTFIELD
"It is further ordered that all such as have lands granted at Woronoak shall meet there on Tuesday fortnight next, if the weather will allow, or the next fayre and fit day, to consider and agree about fencing and other matters of concernment, and if due notice to the persons concerned (that are now absent) then such as shall come may act and determine what tends to the speedy carrying on of the fencing and other necessary affairs."
At a meeting of the committee for Woronoco, March 2, 1667, Thomas Noble, David Ashley and John Root made request that their home lots westerly from the Indian fort, may be each two rods broader for convenience in setting their fence, the ground of the present line being wet. At the same meeting George Fyler makes request for a home lot "on that side of the river by the Indian fort."
Certain lands "on the north side of Woronoak river above the cellars" were granted. Also certain other lands were granted "on the south side of the river not yet disposed of, to Ambrose Fowler, George Saxton and Jonathan Alvord."
Among the various orders of the committee, March 13, 1667, is the order that the "gate by (John) Sacket's be well hung for the security of the field by the 25th of this inst. March and after yt time who ever shall leave open or not shut the gate shall pay 5s to the use of the proprietors."
This gate it is thought was a little east and south of the site of the Springdale mills, probably where the road from North- ampton to Windsor entered the common field. This road held its southerly course to the river, where there was a ford called in some of the old documents the "neck riding." The road then continued easterly along the south bank of the Westfield river, until it approached the present site of the county bridge; then it took the present course of the road running southerly from the bridge to the hamlet now known as Little river. Some- where across this road, perhaps where the road left the com- mon field as it proceeded to the south, another gate was hung. This was to be closed by those passing, under the same penalty, "for the security of the corn field."
Division of Lands .- While a considerable tract was held as
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a common field it was found desirable to allot a home lot to each householder. Later the common field was divided.
"At a meeting of the proprietors of land of Woronoak on the ffort side March the 13th, 1668, for laying out the propor- tions of land on the ffort side."
"All the proprietors unanimously agree that for the most equall disbursing and dividing their generall portions of land, the land to be now laid out shall be divided into three parts, one part of it next to the ffort river shall be accounted or goe in lieu of meadow, where every man shall have his share, only Serg. Stebbins, Thos. Bancroft, & that whereas William Brooke's allot- ment are to have their shares (viz.) three acres (not these but) against their home lotts in the low land there, which is instead thereof, this for the first part or division of land which is ac- counted the meadow division.
"Nextly the plowland is to lye in two divisions and every man to have his proportion in each Division of the plow land. And for the laying of men's land, that is the place where each man's portion of land shall lye, it is agreed that it be de- mined by casting lotts for it, every proprietor agreeing to ac- quiesce in that place where his lott shall fall. And for the be- ginning of the first division of plowland, it shall be at the lower- most or southeasterly side, there the first lot is to lye, & from thence to goe upward or Westerly.
"The first lott came out to Thomas Gunn, who lyes next the river on the easterly syde of all the other lotts where he hath seventeen acres, length 160 rod, breadth 10 rods at the front and 24 rods at ye west and besides this there is 2 rods broad al- lowed more to this lott for a high way downe to the river all the length of it."
Then follows the description of the lots laid out (1) from the meadow land (2) from the first division of the plowland and (3) from the second division of the plowland. The names of the parties to whom these three divisions were severally apportioned by lot are :
(
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THE TOWN OF WESTFIELD
14 No. 7
Order of lot
Meadow
Division
Order of lot
First plowland
division begin-
ning lower-
most and go-
ing upwards
Order of lot
Second plow-
land division
from lower
end running upwards
Thomas Gunn
(1)
17 acres
(6)
6 acres
(5)
9 acres
David Ashley
(2)
11
66
(3)
4
(3)
5
John Ponders
(3)
11
(1)
4
(12)
3
Sergeant Stebbins
(4)
13
*
*
(7)
7
Joseph Whiting
(5)
16
( 5)
6
*
(10)
5
Thomas Bancroft
(7)
11
6
(2)
2
(1)
4
Isaac Phelps
(9)
10
(10)
3
(8)
5
66
George Phelps
(10)
26
(8)
8
60
(6)
14
Thomas Root
(11)
8
(9)
3
66
(2)
5
John Root
(12)
11
(7)
4
(11)
6
Thomas Noble
(13)
13
(4)
4
( 9)
6
66
The term "Hundred Acres" was applied to the lowlands south of Little river, between the Southwick road and the rail- road running south from Westfield.
"An account of the land called the hundred acres":
Joseph Whiting
16 acres
Thomas Root
7 acres
Thomas Stebbins
3 acres
Israel Dewey
6 acres
Isaac Phelps. 6 acres
George Phelps 16 acres
Hugh Dudley
5 acres
John Ponder
7 acres
Thomas Gunn
10 acres
David Ashley
7 acres
John Root
7 acres
Thomas Noble
7 acres
"18th Feb. 1668. Grants of land made by the town. John Sacket hath liberty to lay downe the five acres of boggy meadow
*No allotment in this division, having received allotment adjoining home lots.
+"Mr. Whiting's lot is wanting, the land not holding out any more in this place, and so he must have it some other where, which he chooseth in the 'Hun- dred Acres,' that parcell which remayns above the Rootes lot."
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+
+
William Brookes
(6)
10
%
*
(4)
6
Hugh Dudley
(8)
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE
and to take up five acres on that side of the river elsewhere so that it be not to the detriment of former grants."
19th March
1669. Sackett's creek is granted to Mr. Whiting & Da- vid Ashley, to set a mill theron to grind and also the land about the creek is granted them for a pasture. More granted them for encouragemt an hundred acres of land & liberty to choose it in two places."
TOWN ORGANIZATION
At a meeting at Woronoco the 21st of Jan., 1668, it was "voted that James Cornish, George Phelps, Thomas Dewey, and Tho. Noble shall goe to Springfield the first Tuesday in Febru- ary next at a towne meeting, to propound to the town for the settlement of our place and affayres, in particular to determine where the lyne shall run betwixt Springfield and us and to ap- poynt persons to lay out the bounds granted us by the Honor'd Genll Court and to allow us to be a township of ourselves and signify the same to the honored Genll Court etc."
Springfield we find acquiesced in the wishes of the proprie- tors, so that later in the year, on the 11th of August, the settlers voted unanimously "that we will look out for a minister to carry on the work of God in this place." The record of this meeting is dated Streamfield, apparently the name first chosen by the set- tlers as they were about to organize the town.
The preliminary order of the town of Springfield was as follows :
"SPRINGFEILD, Att a Towne meeting ffeb. 2d, 1668. Uppon ye Motion of ye Inhabitants at Worronoco This Town being will- ing to prmote & further their desire of being a Township of Themselves, (amongst other graunts to them did &c) Doe leave the Inhabitants there to themselves to mannage their own mat- ters, or as to Honnord Genle Corte shall further Order: And we hope the Corte will see cause to Order them to be a Township & that they through the favor of God may grow up into a com- fortable society, & bee a happy Neighbourhood to Us & Our ffriends & Theires.
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THE TOWN OF WESTFIELD
"This is a true Coppy of the Town Ordr vizt., soe much of it as is concerning the releasing of Woronoco from Springfeild.
"Taken out of ye Town Records
"By mee ELIZUR HOLYOKE Recorder." (B. 112, P. 193.)
The action of the general court was as follows :
"There being a motion made to this Court in ye behalfe of ye Inhabitants at Woronoake belonging to Springfield, That they may be a Township of ymselves : Springfeild being willing there- toe as appeares by Coppy of an order of that Towne under their Recorders hand heretoe anexed. Leaving Woronoak to ymselves & referring ym to this Court : This Court (therefore) Doth here- by Grant them to be a Township, & allows them all Priviledges according as other Townes have in this Collony, And that ye Sd Towne be caller Westfeild :
"The magists have past this their brethren the Deputys hereto consenting.
28 May 1669. EDWARD RAWSON, Secty.
Consented to by the Deputyes,
(B. 112, P. 193.)
WILLIAM TORREY Cleric."
The boundaries of the township as determined by a com- mittee of the town of Springfield acting under the authority of the general court is as follows :
SPRINGFEILD, April 14th 1670.
Wee whose names are here subscribed being a Comittee ap- poynted by the Town of Springfeild for ye laying out of the quantityof Six miles Square graunted to Westfeild by the Hon- nord Genll Corte have attended the said Work and therefore doe hereby declare how Their said quantity of land shall lye, that is to say the said quantity of land is laid out to them five mile broad at ye Northerly end thereof extending from a pine tree marked at ye East Mountayne to a white oake marked at ye West Moun- tayne, & it runneth in length Southerly Nine Mile that is to say from the said Pine tree holding the course of the South South West poynt uppon ye Meridian compass : And at the Southerly end of their Nine Mile their limitts are ffoure miles broad West- ward : And the Ledge of Mountaynes is to be the bounds between
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331
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE
Springfeild & Westfeild: wthin this tract of land their is con- teyned the quantity of about three Square miles of land granted before by Springfeild to Westfeild, & about the quantity of Two square miles in reference to the farmes of the Worthy Major Atherton deceased & Capt. Clapp.
ELIZUR HOLYOKE SAMUELL MARSHFEILD
GEORGE COULTON
ROWLAND THOMAS.
The Deputyes approve of this returne sd Honor'd magists Consenting thereto.
WILLIAM TORREY Cleric.
The Magists Consent hereto.
EDW. RAWSON Secrety. [Massachusetts Archives, vol. 112; page 201.]
The general court required that Indians occupying land should be paid for the same in order that settlers might secure a complete title. We subjoin a copy of the deed by which the In- dians made a transfer of a large tract of land lying between "Little and Great rivers." This deed was certified June 30, 1669, and regarded, we believe, as just and as necessary a part of the conditions of possession, as the action of the general court or the action of the town of Springfield.
These presants testifi That Alquat the Indian Sachem of waranoake and pochasuck for & in consideration of the sum of forty Pounds in english act being so much sterling to him in hand before ye sealing & Delivery hear of well & truly Payed by ye Capt John Pynchon of Springfield for & in behalf of Capt Aron Cook, Mr James Cornish Mr Joseph Whiting Geo Phelps Tho Noble David Ashley John Roote & other ye Inhabitants of war- ranoake alais Westfield. The Recipt whare of the sd Alquat Doth Acknolidg by these presents and tharewith to be fully sat- isfyed & contented hath Given Granted Bargained & sold & by these presents Doth fully & clearlly and absolutely Give grant Bargain & sell unto Capt Aron Cooke Mr James Cornish Mr Jo- seph Whiting George Phelps Tho Noble David Ashley John Roote of Westfield alias waranoake aforsad For themselves and ye Present Inhabitants of ye aforsad Place or Plantation and theire
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THE TOWN OF WESTFIELD
successors & assignes from time to time & unto their hires For ever according as theire severall Proportions or Divisions shall be laid out & proportioned to them. A certain Parcel or tract of Land Meddo & wood Land lying & being at waranoake aforesad on ye south side of woranoake River ye greate River & on ye North or northerly side of ye Little River or Foart River adjoin- ing on ye southeast, East and North east on Land formerly Purched by Saml Marshfield of Springfield for the Inhabitants of Westfield aforesaid and on ye south and souwest on ye Little River affoar named comonly called the fort River on ye North or Northerly it is bounded by ye greate River called woranoak River & so Running up waranoak river to ye falls near about a mile above ye present Housen to a marked tree thare and from that marked tree it runs off westerly or souwesterly upon a straight line to the Little River or fort River to a stone at ye Nooke or Poynt whare all ye good land ends & whare going up ye hill the pine plaine begins the sd common or Pine Plain being ye westerly or Northwesterly bounds of this tract of Land ye line of Division being run by several English going a long with ye Indian from ye fawls in the greate River over to that stone afore named which is on the top of the hill by the Little River whare the Pine plaine begins To have and to hold all ye Parcel or tract of Land before mentioned containing severall Hundrid acres with all ye profits and apurtinances thareupon or thareunto belonging to the sd Capt Cooke James Cornish Joseph Whiting Geo Phelps Tho Noble David Ashley and John Roote for ye Inhabitnts of West- field aforsd according as Division thareof shall be made to them & their hires & assignees for ever only Reserving & Exemting oute of ye presant sale seven acres of Meddo Land for Wollump, son of sd Alquat, which seven acres resarved and exemted Lyes in a nooke by ye Little River & against land now Divided and Proportioned to Mr Joseph Whiting & is to be at the soul dis- pose of the sd Alquat & Wollump all so Reserving Liberty for Indians to fish & take foull and ye sd Alquat Doth covenant and premise to and with ve sd Capt Cooke James Cornish Mr Joseph Whiting Geo Phelps Tho Noble David Ashley & John Root that he will save them harmles from all manner of claim of any per-
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333
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE
son or persons Lawfully claiming any right title or intrest in the premises otherwise than ye Reserve or exemption of ye seven acres aforesd for Wollump In witness whereof the sd Alquat hath hearunto affixed his hand and seall this 30th day of June 1669.
Subscribed sealed & Delivered in ye presence of Samuel Marshfield, William Brooks Timothy Cooper John Watson.
the mark of Indian witnesses
Wollump, his mark -- Wollamunt, his mark + The mark of Al 8 quat.
Alquat ye indian Sachem acknowledge this instrument to be his act and deed this present 30th of June, 1669 before mee John Pynchon of Springfield.
Attested by me Isaac Phelps,
Town. Clerk.
(A true copy of ye original deed.)
The First Town Center .- Near the confluence of Little and Westfield rivers was the central hamlet of the first settlers. There they built their first meeting-house, probably of logs, thirty-six feet square with fourteen feet posts. Those who had settled, some two miles farther east in the hamlet now known as Little river, hoped, we are told, to have the building in their neighborhood. Those who had settled on the north side of the Westfield river had like aspirations. The "fort side" was the most central.
The wearing waters of the rivers, in spring time using ice for tools,
"Mining the soil for ages,"
have cut away much of the meadow terrace upon which the houses near the church were built, yet a part of the site of the first meeting house, selected in January, 1668, remains.
The triangular plot thus occupied by houses and home lots, bounded on two sides by streams, was more easily defended than forest-bordered fields. Down the streams the settlers could float the logs needed for their rude buildings. On these streams also, before jealousies had hindered intercourse, came and went the canoes of their swarthy neighbors with whom they traded. In
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THE TOWN OF WESTFIELD
the winter the ice furnished convenient highways reaching far into the forest. At all seasons the waters, abounding in fish, were a storehouse of food. Nature seems to have designated this as a suitable place for the settler's home. According to tradition the Indians once had a fort here.
Defenses against the Indians .- One or more houses were built as forts by the settlers and during the often recurring Indian wars several were forted, i. e., the walls were made bullet-proof, ammunition and provisions were stored, and measures taken to extinguish fire in case the houses were set on fire by an enemy. Some of these forted houses were surrounded by palisades. These palisades were made by splitting sections of the trunks of trees of moderate size in halves and so straightening and scoring the edges, that when they were set in the ground edge to edge they would form a continuous wall or closed fence, not less than two inches thick and eight or more feet high. The tops of the palisades were pointed. The palisades enclosing the central hamlet of Westfield are said at one time, during King Philip's and other Indian wars, to have been about two miles in circuit. If one would trace the position of this wooden wall or fence, as it was at the close of Philip's war, let him leave Main street at its junction with Meadow street, and facing the east, turn to the left, follow the brow of the meadow terrace around behind the Moseley house in its sinu- ous course till he reaches the bank of Westfield river, thence along the bank of the river nearly or quite to the mouth of Little river, then along its bank until the brook that crosses Noble street is reached, then westerly along by this brook, at length turning from it by a curve to the north to reach our point of departure.
It is evident if the course of the palisades has been correctly outlined, that between the Moseley house and the bridge over Lit- tle river, palisades once stood opposite to the entrance of Noble street close upon what is now Main street. The western gate of the enclosed area was not far from the west side of Meadow street at its junction with Main street. The brow of the terrace along which the northern line of the palisades ran was made doubly strong for defense by the steep bank that fell away from
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE
the palisades and by the swampy land at its base. The high banks of the rivers also formed a fine rampart, rendering the palisades along the banks more effective. The area within the palisades is sometimes designated in the old records as "the fort." Owing to the fact that at times those settlers who could not avail themselves of the forted houses without the palisades, were obliged to find places of abode by building within, it was called at times the place of compact dwellings.
There seems to be no record in the town books of the setting up of these palisades, which constituted a general fort for the town. This, however, does not prove that no such action was taken, for early records of the town are incomplete; but per- haps the law of the general court, 1667, rendered the action of the town by vote unnecessary. This law authorized :
"The committee of militia in every toune wth the selectmen thereof, or the major part of them, to erect or cause to be erected within their tounes, either enclosing the meeting houses or some other convenient place, a fortiffication, or fort, of stone, bricke, timber or earth, as the places may be most capable, of such di- mensions as may best suite their ability and use; in which for- tiffication the weomen, children & aged persons may be secured, . in case of any suddaine danger, whereby the souldjers may be more free to oppose an enemy; for the effecting whereof, itt is here by ordered, that the trayned souldiers, both horse and ffoote, in every toune, vpon their trayning dayes, shall be imployed about building the syd fort at the guidance of the chiefe military officers of the toune; and all others exempted from ordinary traynings, who have estates or bodily abillity, that dwell in the toune, or belong to it, they shall also, according to proportion, contribute their help and assistance in bodily labour or other- wise, according as the comitee of militia and select men shall or- der and appoint."
Westfield, at the time of its settlement, was the town farthest west in Massachusetts. It has been said that Mt. Tekoa, now standing upon the western border of the town, continued to mark the boundary of Massachusetts and the limits of civiliza- tion so far as the homes of her people were concerned, until 1725.
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336
THE TOWN OF WESTFIELD
The rocky hills west of Tekoa, to those accustomed to the lowlands, the plateaus and the slopes of the valley of the Con- necticut, were undesirable as places of abode. When the sons and daughters of the early settlers of Westfield sought new lands they went forty miles west and rested not until they found soil in the valley of the Housatonic as attractive as that of their early home. Another objection to the settlement of the part of Massachusetts west of Westfield was that New York, with its system of land rents, claimed the territory. The western' boundary of the Bay State was long a matter of dispute.
Westfield, then, for half a century, was the most western town of the state; and, in proportion to its number of inhabi- tants, had to do with a larger number of Indians than those dwelling in older towns. Greater caution was here needed in pro- tecting the families of the settlers. The first fort house, as well as those from time to time subsequently "forted," was solidly built, the space between the outside and inside boarding of the walls being filled with material impervious to bullets. An am- ple cellar was the refuge of women and children when the fort was attacked. Whenever the surrounding Indians were un- friendly or hostile, the strong palisade, extended as we have seen, nearly two miles in circuit, was guarded.
In the stress of Philip's war, settlers who had ventured to make a home outside of the area enclosed by palisades, complied with the plans of a committee of the general court in 1667, re- quiring settlers to form more compact communities. The proprietors within the palisades agreed to break their lots and allow the outsiders to settle upon them. In payment for every acre so relinquished, two acres were received in outlying lots.
Advantages of Village Settlements .- The clustering of dwellings in hamlets and villages, in the earlier days of New England, has had much to do with the development of the in- tellectual, religious and social life of her people and of their descendants, many of whom have settled in other parts of our land. The homes of the settlers were near the church building and the school house. In the church centered their religious life. In the school, then as now, children were trained to live and to
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE
act together, to respect each other's rights, to submit to consti- tuted authority and to practice that self-control which is essen- tial to the existence of a free government. Dangers that threat- ened the very existence of their homes, fears that touched the stoutest hearts, made them one in sympathy, in endurance and in courage. The joys of peace, the rewards of victory they to- gether experienced. While the integrity of the family was stoutly maintained they lived so near to each other that the ques- tions of the day were constantly discussed. They found the say- ing true :
"Truth like a torch, the more 'tis shook the more it shines."
The strenuous endeavor imposed by deprivations and dan- gers challenged their heroism, and individual examples were not wanting to stimulate achievement. Each felt that he had some- thing to do in caring for his neighbors, each had a part in pro- moting the general welfare. The more thoughtful and religious were persuaded that a Divine Providence was guiding them and that they were commissioned to possess the land and to lay the foundations of social order for coming generations.
The external evidences of this social and civic life, made glad "the wilderness and the solitary place." The improvements made in a house and its surroundings by one family stirred the emulation of another. The log houses, after a time, began to give place to better buildings. When at length there were no more wars with the Indians, when unmolested they could gather their harvests, householders vied with each other in building commodi- ous dwellings, having rooms of generous size, with broad fireplaces befitting the generous hospitality of the times. The few large country houses more than a hundred years old that yet remain in Westfield are stately reminders of the taste and the thrift of the forefathers. To-day there is a growing appreciation of the "colonial style" as appropriate for a country home.
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