USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Our county and its people : A history of Hampden County, Massachusetts. Volume three > Part 27
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In the early history of the town the affairs of the church and of town itself were conducted almost as a single body, and public maintenance of religious worship was a recognized cus- tom from the time the settlement was begun until about three
1Since this was written the town has joined with Russell, Blandford and Hunt- ington in employing a Superintendent of Schools.
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THE TOWN OF MONTGOMERY
years after the incorporating act of 1783. Previous to 1780 the church in Westfield governed the ecclesiastical history of the New Addition. On the organization of the town the inhabitants discussed the question of providing for regular services, and in December following appropriated six pounds for the support of "preaching in the town." In 1783 Rev. John Ballentine was engaged to preach at the price of two dollars for each Sabbath's service for twenty weeks. The first services were held in the houses of the inhabitants, and in 1788 the subject of a meeting house was discussed. In 1797 the first church edifice was built, and was succeeded by the present structure erected in 1848. During the period of its history, the Congregational church in Montgomery has experienced a varied condition of existence, at times being in a healthful state and as often decreasing in numbers until it was not self-supporting. Now the pulpit is supplied from Huntington by Rev. W. L. Hendrick.
Methodism gained a foothold in the town along about 1825 or '30 and increased so rapidly that in the course of the next twenty years a house of worship was erected at the center. Thereafter regular services were held during the warm months of each year, but finally the town's population became so les- sened that the society could not maintain a separate existence. In the same manner and at about the same time the Second Adventists planted a society of their church in Montgomery, and occupied the Congregational house of worship at the Center. This society has since maintained an existence, although its members are few in number. At the present time its people are under the ministerial care of Rev. G. L. Teeple, of Huntington.
For many years Montgomery has been noted for the in- tegrity and worth of its citizens, and in glancing over the rec- ords of the county we find that some of the best public officers have been chosen from this town; and in local affairs we also observe that the positions of trust have nearly always been filled by men of acknowledged worth and high character. Elisha Clark, who now is bordering on 90 years of life, began here a poor man and eventually became one of the largest land owners in the town. F. W. Clark, also a prosperous farmer, has been
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an active factor in public affairs; has been town clerk, select- man, justice of the peace, and representative to the general court. O. A. Moore is a successful farmer and likewise has gained celebrity as a veteran boarding-house keeper. W. W. Avery is more than 80 years old and for about 25 years drove the mail and passenger stage.
Among the other prominent factors in the past and present history of the town we may mention the names of R. D. Avery, E. A. Chapman, S. W. Coe, E. C. Clark, all substantial farmers ; A. D. Avery, town clerk and farmer ; S. B. Williston, carpenter. and blacksmith; C. H. Clapp, for several years constable and collector of taxes; J. J. LaValley, the artist of wide repute; George Avery, farmer and capitalist; H. C. Kelso, carpenter and joiner; E. S. Allyn, farmer and extensive cattle dealer ; D. L. Allyn, farmer, dealer in live stock and conspicuous figure in town and church affairs; L. O. Moore, farmer, justice of the peace, master of the grange, and who has held the office of selectman longer than any previous incumbent in that position.
CHAPTER X
THE TOWN OF CHESTER
BY A. M. COPELAND
The town of Chester, formerly called Murrayfield, is located in the extreme northwest corner of Hampden county. It is bounded south by Blandford-the only town in Hampden county that it touches; west by Becket; northwest by Middle- field; north by Worthington; east by Huntington. Chester and Huntington and nearly half of Montgomery and the south- east corner of Middlefield were all originally in the town of Murrayfield. Murrayfield was one of several townships that had been laid out and known only by number-this one being known as "township No. 9." Three rivers flowed through this
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THE TOWN OF CHESTER
township, and their united waters flowing together near the northeast corner, and within the limits of Blandford, formed from that point the Westfield river. The three rivers were always known as Westfield river branches, and the vicinity of their convergence was sometimes known by the name "Westfield River Branches," which name was sometimes used in conveying real estate located at this place. These rivers were known as west, middle and east branches. The west branch enters Chester from Middlefield, flowing in a nearly southerly direction as far as the village of Chester-for many years known as Chester Factories-and thence it flows in a course south of east to and through the south part of Huntington to the point where it, unites with the east branch, and Westfield river proper be- gins. The middle branch enters Chester near the boundary line between Middlefield and Worthington and, flowing in a south- easterly direction through Chester, enters the town of Hunting- ton and finally empties into the East branch, which is the largest of the three branches, and flows through the entire length of Huntington from north to south. These rivers flow through V shaped gorges, the remains of what were at one time deep can- yons. The sides of these gorges are very steep; so that roads from the rivers to the highland are practicable only through the ravines where flow the numerous brooks from the highlands to the rivers. The highways of Chester, except those traversing the plateau, are in the bottom of the gorges and ravines; and these are the most important highways of the town. The west branch is spanned by five bridges between Middlefield and Huntington ; and the middle branch is spanned by four bridges. The highways along these two rivers afford delightful drives in summer and autumn. The scenery is wonderfully wild and picturesque at any season. Some of the most delightful walks and drives the writer has ever enjoyed have been along these river roads in the winter time. Numerous brooks, having their rise 1,000 feet or more higher than the beds of these rivers, flow with great rapidity through wild ravines and mingle their waters with those of Westfield river branches. And it is through these ravines that the inhabitants of the high lands make their
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ways to the valleys both from Chester Centre and from Bland- ford, over roads for the most part of fairly good grades; jour- neys over which in summer and in autumn are wonderfully delightful.
Chester Centre-or Chester Hill, as it is sometimes called- formerly an important village, is about twenty-five miles from Springfield. The only natural pond in Chester is located near the summit of Round Top, the highest land in Hampden county, it being 1,797 feet above sea level. Of the more important brooks, the principal one is Walker's brook, which rises near the centre of Becket, flows in an easterly direction and enters the west branch at the village of Chester. This brook affords valuable water power for several industries, the most important of which is the Emery mill.
Abbott brook rises in the northerly part of the town about 1,600 feet above sea level, and enters the west branch about 11/2 miles below Chester Factories. Shortly before the breaking out of the civil war the county commissioners laid out a road of very easy grade from the river to Chester Centre on the line of this brook; but unfortunately, owing to the burdens of the town growing out of the civil war, the road was not built.
Another somewhat important stream is Sanderson brook, rising in Blandford at an altitude of about 1,600 feet, and flow- ing north through a very picturesque ravine, enters the west branch about 3 miles below Chester Factories. It was formerly a famous fishing brook; as was Roaring brook, rising in Bland- ford and entering west branch about 2 miles below Sanderson brook.
Cook brook enters the west branch about 11/2 miles westerly from Huntington village. It rises in the northerly part of Chester at an altitude of about 1,500 feet and flows south. The first saw mill built in the town was located on this brook a short distance south of the church at Chester Centre. This also was a famous trout brook, and in his boyhood the writer spent many delightful hours on its banks.
Flowing into middle branch are Winchell brook, Day's brook, rising in the northerly part of the town about 1,500 feet
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE
about sea level and flowing southeasterly, entering middle branch at Dayville, Kinney brook, rising in Worthington, and flowing southeasterly and entering middle branch at Dayville.
The road from Huntington village-formerly Chester vil- lage-to Chester Centre and on to Middlefield, on the line of Cook brook, was an important highway in the early history of the town when traveling was by stage coaches, and the tran- sportation of merchandise was by horses and wagons-a time when the mountain farmer could sell all his farm produced right at the village of Chester Centre. Another important highway, branching off from the road to Becket, leads to Blandford. The road to Becket was part of an old turnpike known as the Becket Turnpike, incorporated about the beginning of the nineteenth century.
There are several villages in Chester that will be particu- larly described later on. At present they will be referred to simply as pertaining to the geographical features of the town. The most northerly one is North Chester, located on middle branch. Lower down this river are Dayville and Littleville. Huntington village was formerly included in Chester and known by the name Chester Village. Seven miles up the west branch is the village of Chester, formerly called Chester Factories. Chester Centre is the oldest of the villages.
The topographical and geological features are exceedingly interesting. The sides of the ravines rise abruptly to heights above sea level varying from about 1,200 feet to 1,500 feet with occasional points reaching to 1,600 feet and higher, and these ravines are as numerous as are the rivers and the important brooks. At the altitude of 1,200 to 1,300 feet is an open country forming a part of the great Western Massachusetts plateau, which was planed down and carved into its present form, by glacial action in the Ice Age. The prevailing rock is mica slate, the strata of which are tilled to a nearly vertical position, the strike being north and south. There are some valuable minerals in Chester, the most important of which is emery. This sub- ject is so well treated in the chapter of the Geology of Hampden county, that nothing further need be said here.
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Chester has always been considered a good agricultural town. The land, although rocky and stony, is very strong and fertile, maturing all the ordinary crops usually grown in New England. All the hardier fruits, particularly apples, grow abundantly, and especially is this true in the vicinity of Chester Centre and in other localities on the plateau. Peaches, plums, and grapes are successfully grown and with profit. The land in the valley, bordering the rivers and known as interval land, is easily tilled and responds generously to faithful cultivation, but it lacks the strength and staying qualities of the plateau land. Formerly cattle and sheep raising was very profitable. But since the days of the stage coach these enterprises have dwindled, especially since the rapid opening of the Great West. But of late attention is being given to the hill towns of Hamp- den and the other counties of Western Massachusetts, and it is hoped that their future will be brighter than their present. The soil of Chester is also fertile in the growth of forests, all the valuable woods and timber of New England growing lux- uriantly. The sound of the saw in numerous mills on the rivers and brooks rang out cheerily in days gone by, and even now no year passes when lumbering is not carried on in some parts of the town.
Settlement and Early History of the Town .- Originally Chester was part of township No. 9, which belonged to the gov- ernment, and was estimated to contain 32,200 acres of land, out of which were carved a part of Middlefield at the northwest corner. the town of Norwich, now Huntington, and part of Montgomery, leaving Chester of nearly its present form and size. In 1736 a grant of 4,800 acres in the extreme south corner of No. 9 was made by the government to David Ingersole of Westfield in exchange for lands in Berkshire county wanted for the Stockbridge Indians. For the same purpose a grant of 2,000 acres in the east part of the township, and now included in the town of Huntington, was made to Joseph Green and Isaac Walker of Boston in 1739, in exchange for land in Berkshire county. In 1737, on petition of Rev. Stephen Williams of Springfield, a grant of 700 acres was laid out to the heirs of
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Rev. John Williams, formerly of Deerfield, and was known as the Williams grant. This tract was at the southeast of Green and Walker grant, and is included in the town of Huntington. In the south part of No. 9, and adjoining the Blandford line, a grant of 250 acres was made to John Bolton, who had already settled in Blandford. This was known as Bolton grant and it includes the larger part of the present village of Huntington, formerly known as Chester Village. Subject to these grants, on June 2, 1762, by order of the general court, ten townships in the western part of Massachusetts, including No. 9, were sold at public auction. No. 9 was sold for £1,500 and came into the possession of John Chandler and Timothy Paine, both of Wor- cester, John Murray of Rutland, and Abijah Willard of Lan- caster. They did not at once receive an absolute title in fee of No. 9, but took it subject to conditions which they subsequently fulfilled. What the conditions were appears in the conditions imposed by them upon the settlers and will appear later.
Prior to the sale of June 2, 1762, nineteen settlers with their families had taken possession of tracts of land within the limits of No. 9, and had settled upon them. The names of these persons were David Bolton, James Bolton, James Clark, Abraham Flem- ming, Zebulon Fuller, David Gilmore, Moses Hale, William Mann, Ebenezer Meacham, William Miller, Moses Moss, Israel Rose, David Scott, Ebenezer Webber and Jonathan Hart Web- ber. They had settled in the southeasterly part, but west of Ingersole's grant. Some of them were there as early as 1760, and probably in violation of law and without right. In the autumn of 1762 the proprietors of No. 9 employed Eldad Taylor and Charles Baker, two surveyors residing in Westfield, who surveyed and laid out the first division of lots consisting of 120 lots of 108 acres each, in the central part of the township and comprising what is now known as Chester Centre. The first meeting of the proprietors was held at the inn of William Lyman in Northampton, January 5, 1763, and they proceeded to or- ganize and arrange for admitting settlers to the lots surveyed as above stated. The conditions of settlement were as follows: "That each one within the space of three years commencing
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from the first of June last build a dwelling house on their lot of the following dimensions, viz .: Twenty-four feet long, eighteen feet wide, and seven feet stud, and have seven acres of land well cleared and fenced and brought to English grass or plowed, and actually settle with family on the same and con- tinue such family thereon for the space of six years, and shall also within three years from this time settle a Protestant min- ister of the Gospel there and pay one-sixth part of the charge thereof, and that each settler have 100 acres of land as an in- couragement, and that they give bond to the treasurer of said proprietors in the sum of fifty pounds conditioned to perform the conditions, and upon their complying and performing said conditions the said lots be confirmed to them, their heirs and assigns forever".
They admitted the following named persons as settlers : David Bolton, Robert Blair, Absolom Blair, John Boyes, John Brown, James Black, James Clark, Glass Cochran, John Crooks, John Crawford, William Campbell, jr., William English, An- drew English, Samuel Elder, James Fairman, Abraham Flem- ming, John Gilmore, David Gilmore, Alexander Gordon, John Hannum, Jesse Johnson, Thomas Kennedy, William Kennedy, Paul Kingston, John Lyman, John Laccore, Elias Lyman, Ben- jamin Matthews, John McIntire, Nathan Mann, William Mann, Thomas Morcton, Gideon Matthews, William Moore, Thomas McIntire, Asa Noble, Thomas Noble, jr., Israel Rose, Nathan Rose, John Scott, jr., David Scott, John Smith, Abner Smith, Jchn Woods, Ebenezer Webber, Levi Woods and Jonathan Hart Webber.
Only thirteen of the nineteen settlers found on the land by the proprietors were permitted to draw lots; and of these only seven were permitted to hold 100 acres where they had begun improvements. Six only were permitted to draw lots with the other settlers; the wishes of the others to remain on the lands where they had begun improvements, were disregarded by the proprietors. The remaining six, James Bolton, Zebulen Fuller, Moses Hale, Ebenezer Meacham, William Miller and Moses Moss, were neither permitted to keep their lands nor to draw with
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others. Fuller, Meacham and Miller remained and purchased
farms. The other three went elsewhere.
Of these settlers the Boltons, John Crooks, John Scott, jr., and Glass Cochran, came from Blandford; Andrew and William English and probably the Gilmores came from Pelham. The Lymans were Northampton men and never settled in No. 9. But Elias Lyman gave his lot to his two sons, Stephen and Timothy, who packing their worldly effects into a chest and carrying it between them, one hand grasping a handle of the chest and the other an axe, came on foot to the highlands of No. 9. John Boyes, John Woods, and probably James Black and Levi Woods came from Rutland. John Wood came from Lancas- ter, Jesse Johnson and John Hannum came from Southampton, and Abner and John Smith came from Northampton. Tradition has it that John Smith was a man of wonderful physical strength and endurance; and that he went from Northampton to No. 9 on foot, carrying on his back a five-pail iron kettle.
Gideon Matthews came from Torrington, Conn., but his son, Benjamin Matthews, never settled in the new town. Israel and Nathan Rose came from Granville. The Nobles were Westfield men; they never settled in No. 9, and so forfeited the lots set out to them. Ebenezer Meacham came from Enfield, Conn. Of the other people who came to No. 9, Timothy Smith came from Wallingford, Conn., and purchased 500 acres of land, that took in the southerly part of Goss Hill, for which he paid £225. Malcolm Henry came from Oakham. Nathaniel Welles and Ebenezer King came from Westfield and settled near the east branch and within the limits of Ingersole's grant.
A minister lot containing 100 acres was laid out, and a plot of "eight acres for a meeting-house place, training field and burying place" was laid out on the southerly side. The present meeting house at Chester Centre stands on this eight-acre lot. A meeting-house was erected here a few rods south of the pres- ent church. It was 45 feet long by 40 feet wide; the posts were 20 feet high. The frame was set up and boarded and shingled and the doors put in by the proprietors ; such being one of condi- tion imposed upon them at the time of their purchase. Several
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years passed before the inhabitants were able to fully complete the structure. The building was used not only as a place for religious meeting, but the town meetings were also held there. At first it was used only in the warmer season of the year. In winter religious meetings were held and preaching listened to in private houses or at the tavern, as was most convenient. The meeting-house was not fully completed until about 1773.
The proprietors named the township Murrayfield, and it was incorporated under that name the 31st of October, 1765. The proprietors were dissatisfied with their purchase, and their dis- content found expression in a memorial to the general court in December, 1763, in which they complained that the township was uneven and mountainous, and described it as "divided into three parts by three very rapid, rocky rivers; the banks of which rivers are so steep and rocky that it is almost impossible to pass from one side of said river to the other." They com- plained that about 7,500 acres of the best land had been taken up in former grants and by a pond covering about 500 acres ; also, that they found nineteen settlements begun upon the best of the land, and that they had not the power to turn them off, and that if they had the power it would be attended with great trouble and expense, and so they were obliged to give them 100 acres of land each where they had begun to settle; that the only place they could find to lay out the town plot was upon a very high mountain, and that it would always be extremely difficult to get to it, and that they must necessarily expend great sums of money in making roads over mountains and in building expen- sive bridges over the three rapid rivers. Wherefore they prayed that a part of the sum paid by them for the township be re- funded, or else that they be recompensed by the grant of a piece of province land near to or adjoining the township, either in Hampshire or Berkshire counties, "to enable them to make roads and bridges in said township." Their request was granted by giving them 1,200 acres of unappropriated land in Hampshire county in the vicinity of the present town of Cummington. As a matter of fact this was a fraud. The proprietors never built any public roads within the limits of Murrayfield, nor any bridge
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over either of the "three very rapid, rocky rivers" mentioned in their petition. The representations of the proprietors were untrue, touching the difficulty in crossing the rivers; for there were many places on all the streams where fordways were safe and easy except in times of high water. The conduct of the proprietors is well set forth in a memorial to the general court in 1779, praying for the building of a bridge over the east branch. The memorial set forth the substance of the petition of the proprietors which resulted in the aforesaid grant of 1,200 acres and of the fact that the proprietors neither before nor after said grant built any roads or bridges, and of the fact that they went over to the enemy when the revolutionary war broke out, and of their treatment of the town and its inhabitants in other respects and concluded as follows: "Therefore we pray your Honors that some method may be devised that a bridge may be built across said river and its branches either by said grant of land which the proprietors got granted to them for services they never did, or out of their estates, or any other way your honors in your wisdom shall see fit." Notice of the petition was given to Timothy Paine, the only proprietor who remained loyal to his country.
The first town meeting was called by Eldad Taylor of Westfield as nominated in the act of incorporation, to be held at the house of Malcom Henry, a tavern, and was held March 11, 1766, and the officers chosen were as follows: Town clerk and treasurer, Malcom Henry ; selectmen and assessors, Timothy Smith, John Smith and Malcom Henry; surveyors of highways, Thomas Kennedy, Gideon Matthews, Nathan Mann, William Miller and David Bolton; tithingmen, Samuel Elder and James Clark; wardens, Israel Rose and William Mann; surveyors of timber and lumber, Abraham Flemming and Isaac Mixer; fence viewers, Ebenezer Meachum and Ebenezer Webber; sealer of weights and measures, Jonathan Wait; hog-reeves, Ebenezer King and Stephen Lyman; deer-reeves, Alexander Gordon and Samuel Webb.
No appropriation of money was voted at this time, and probably for the reason that the proprietors were under obliga-
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tion to lay out and build highways and bridges. But the town did vote "that swine shall run at large from the middle of Sep- tember to the middle of May following." The law required that swine running at large should be yoked or ringed in the nose. The yoke was required to be the full length of the swine's neck and half as much below the neck, and the sole or bottom of the yoke to be three times as long as the breadth or thickness of the swine's neck.
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